The new, 35th Edition of the Gun Trader’s Guide has just been released. This fully-illustrated resource features current market values for thousands of rifles, pistols, and shotguns. This 35th Edition, now with over 1000 photographs, boasts one hundred new entries since last year’s edition. Along with the Blue Blue of Gun Values, the Gun Trader’s Guide is one of the two definitive resources on gun prices. If you buy or sell firearms, the Gun Traders’ Guide is a must-have item that will pay for itself. Over two million copies of the Gun Trader’s Guide have been sold to date. Order soon to be one of the first to own the new 35th Edition. Amazon’s price is $22.97.
New this year is a Kindle Edition of the Gun Trader’s Guide to Rifles. Packed with 608 pages of material, this eBook edition of the Guide can be viewed on a Kindle, iPad, laptop, or your home computer. Introductory price is just $16.47, with release slated for September 13, 2013. You can pre-order now via Amazon.com.
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You can order the Gun Trader’s Guide, the Blue Book of Gun Values and other popular firearms and shooting books through the AccurateShooter Bookstore. To save you time, we’ve collected the best books on shooting, reloading, hunting, and gunsmithing all in one location. Ordering, secure billing, and shipping are all handled efficiently by Amazon.com.
American Kenny Adams is the new F-Open World Champion, winning the individual title last week at Raton, New Mexico. ‘King Kenny’ rose to the top through with skill, countless days of practice, and great determination. He put in the trigger time, including many long days at Raton. But when we cornered Kenny after his win at the Worlds he was quick to give credit to his gunsmith, Stick Starks of S&S Precision Rifles in Texas.
Kenny told us: “I want to thank my gunsmith, Stick Starks from S&S — he got me going in this thing in the right direction four and a half years ago. Working with Stick has probably shaved a couple of YEARS off my learning curve.” Kenny’s world-beating rifle features a Panda F-Class action placed in a Robertson F-Class stock. The Krieger barrel is chambered for the 7mm RSAUM.
Kenny Has Four Red F-Class Rifles All By S&S
What’s interesting is that Stick Starks made Kenny three other F-Class rigs, all with red Robertson stocks and Panda F-Class actions. So, counting the championship 7mm RSAUM, Kenny owns a fleet of four fire-engine-red F-Class rigs, all built by Stick at S&S. These three other red rifles were originally chambered in 6.5-284, 6mmBR, and 6.5×47, but Kenny switches barrels (and chamberings) to suit the venue and course of fire. In Raton, Kenny had two (2) of the red rifles chambered in 7mm RSAUM and two (2) chambered for the .284 Winchester. However, in the Individual World Championship he shot just one rifle, a 7mm RSAUM (shown below). He used the second 7mm RSAUM-chambered rifle in the F-Open Team Championship. This second RSAUM (used for team shooting) is the one pictured above, but his other RSAUM is identical in all respects. He did not shoot either .284 Win during the Worlds.
Kenny’s World-Beating 7mm RSAUM Load
For his 7mm RSAUMs Kenny loads Hodgdon H4350 powder and Federal 215m primers into Nosler or Norma RSAUM brass. In the RSAUM he runs Berger 180gr Hybrid bullets seated “just touching” the lands. For his .284 Winchester-chambered rifles he loads necked-up Lapua 6.5-284 brass with 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831sc powder and Federal 210m primers. Interestingly, he is very precise with his charge weights. Using a Sartorius Magnetic Force Restoration scale, Kenny tries to hold his powder charges to within 1-2 kernels charge-weight consistency.
While Kenny praised S&S for building great rifles, Stick is quick to say that Kenny deserves the credit: “He’s the man that pulled the trigger. He’s the man that beat the world. You can’t believe how dedicated Kenny is to his sport. He spends so much time shooting and practicing — true dedication. Kenny hung in there, never gave up, did the best a man can hope to do. Yeah you have to have good equipment, but you do have to have dedication in this sport. Buy the best equipment you can and the rest is up to you — learning how to read conditions. That’s all there is to it.”
S&S Can Build You a ‘Kenny Clone’ for $3800.00
By the way, if you want a gun just like Kenny’s, Stick told us: “I’ve got barrels, Panda F-Class actions, and I have one last Robertson F-Class stock left. Just one — these aren’t made any more you know. A complete build, with barrel of your choosing and Jewell trigger, will be about $3800.00.”
S&S Precision Rifles is a leading gunsmithing operation based in Argyle, Texas. Stick Starks and the crew at S&S build very accurate rifles, that also exhibit superb craftsmanship. While S&S built a championship-winning F-Open gun for Kenny, they can also built short-range benchrest rigs, as well as varmint and hunting rifles — all with hallmark S&S quality. S&S can handle every aspect of gunsmithing — chambering, bedding, even stock-painting.
In the video above, the folks at S&S put together some tack-drivers for their customers. There are some nice glimpses of bedding work, and barrel finishing. Watch carefully — at the 40-second mark you’ll see a sub-1/4″, 10-shot group that S&S co-owner “Stick” Starks shot at 200 yards with his 6.5×47 Lapua rifle. That’s serious accuracy. Half-way through the video, Stick offers advice for shooters looking for a super-accurate fun gun for club shoots: “If you want to shoot [at] 100 and 200 yards, I’d get me a 6BR or a 30 BR. It would be the most fun gun you ever had… and the barrel will probably last three or four thousand rounds.” If you want a gun to shoot at primarily 500-600 yards, Stick recommends the 6.5×47 Lapua chambering: “Run it with the Berger 130s and Hodgdon H4350 powder. That H4350 works great with the 130 Bergers.”
Springfield Armory (Springfield) is recalling certain 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm and 3.3 XD-S™ .45ACP pistols (serial numbers below). The reason for the safety recall is that “under exceptionally rare circumstances, some 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm and .45ACP caliber pistols could experience an unintended discharge during the loading process when the slide is released, or could experience a double-fire when the trigger is pulled once.” This could cause serious injury or death. If you own an XD-S 9mm or .45 ACP pistol subject to recall, stop using the pistol, carefully unload it, and return it to Springfield. Springfield will install new components that should eliminate the potentially dangerous condition.
This Safety Recall Applies to:
Springfield 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm pistols – serial numbers between XS900000 and XS938700.
Springfield 3.3 XD-S™ .45ACP pistols – serial numbers between XS500000 and XS686300.
Note: This Safety Recall does not apply to any XD® or XD(M)® pistols.
If you have one of the affected XD-S 3.3 pistols, go to the Springfield Recall Notice Page (or call 800-680-6866). Click on the Get Started link at the top of the Recall Notice Page. Enter your serial number and click Next. The serial number is located on the frame beneath the dust cover (accessory rail). If your pistol is subject to recall, you will need to provide your contact info. If you no longer own the 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm or .45ACP pistol, please advise Springfield of the current owner.
Springfield will provide a return authorization and mailing label, so owners can return affected XD-S pistols at no cost. Springfield will then install upgraded components, and return the pistol. Visit www.springfieldrecall.com for further information or call 800-680-6866.
Compared to bolt-action rifles, direct gas impingement AR-platform rifles tend to be filthy, maintenance-intensive beasts, requiring regular disassembly and cleaning of the innards. Op-rod style AR variants run cleaner and cooler, but they still require regular maintenance. Now there is a versatile, compact multi-tool that performs a variety of critical servicing/maintenance tasks for AR-platform rifles.
Weighing just 6 ounces, the new D-CAT from Space Age Weaponry fits in the storage compartment of a standard AR-15 fixed butt stock. Brownells says the D-CAT (“Deployable Compact Armorer’s Tool”) is the “only tool necessary to assemble the AR-15/M16 from component parts, or perform a complete disassembly”. The video below explains the feature and functions of the $149.99D-CAT.
The D-CAT is made from quality materials: 6061-T6 Aircraft Aluminum, 303 Stainless steel, and H13 Tool Steel. Bits, punches, and other small parts are located in the tool magazine, within the torque handle. Simply rotate the magazine gate to expose the individual compartments. Within the magazine you will find a 1/8″ punch, a flat blade driver, front sight adjustment tool, and a 3/16″ and 9/64″ hex driver. There is also a spare punch pocket and a Hammer/Trigger pin pocket. This is also the mode in which the D-CAT is used as a screwdriver. The driver makes use of a standard ¼” hex well so the tool can be augmented to serve as a general purpose driver for any bit you choose to carry.
Tool Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Want a FREE Remington Catalog? Well here you go. The latest editions of Remington’s product catalogs are now available online. You can view a digital version of the 2013 Remington Catalog in an ezine-style format, with tabs and flippable pages. Alternately you can download the 2013 catalog as a PDF file, either section by section, or as one big, humongous file. (Warning — the complete 2013 digital catalog PDF is a 187.5 mb file). You can also download a free PDF version of the Remington Model 700 Owner’s Manual (link below).
The Rifle Catalog features all the latest Remington rifles, including the Model 700 ‘Target Tactical’ model. This 11.75-lb gun boasts a Bell & Carlson composite stock with ergonomic grip and adjustable LOP and cheekpiece. The .308 Win Target Tactical retails for $2117.
Ballistics Data for Dozens of Factory Loads
Remington also has a comprehensive Ballistics Data Sheet with ballistics information for all Remington loaded ammo — from 17 Fireball all the way up to the 45/70 Government. Even if you don’t use factory-loaded ammo, this is a very useful resource that allows you to quickly compare velocities, energy, wind drift, and drop among a wide variety of cartridges. Which shoots flatter… a .204 Ruger or a 22-250? Remington’s Ballistics Data Sheet provides a quick, reliable answer. Info is laid out in tables, with color coding for different bullet types.
Jerry Stiller of Stiller Precision Firearms has revealed the final pre-production versions of his new 2500X rear lock-up rimfire action. Jerry reports: “I have eight of them as prototypes that have been sent to our best smiths to build on and test. As soon as we hear back (in a month or so?), we will start the next run of 100. There will be plenty to go around and should be available this fall for next year’s builds. Cost will be competitive, estimated $1249.00 retail”. Notably, this new action features a convertible 6 o’clock or 12 o’clock firing pin, giving the owner the choice of his preferred configuration. The trigger hanger can also be reversed for a 0.030 change in pin fall.
Jerry provided these photos of the first 2500X action off the production line. Jerry notes that: “The only difference with the final production version is that the body will be melonited on the inside for super-slick operation and the outside will still be polished for great looks”.
Stiller 2500X Rimfire Action Features
Dual rear locking lugs symmetric about the horizontal centerline.
Super tight tolerances on all fitted parts.
Firing pin design easily unscrews.
6 o’clock or 12 o’clock firing pin. The other pin acts as a guide to eliminate any off-axis canting that can impair ignition and cause flyers.
Cocking piece controlled by a shroud so it is always centered in the trigger and cannot rub.
Easy loading ramp design similar to the Anschutz.
Entrance cams in the body.
Beveled loading port
Four #8 screw holes for scope mounts, plus two #6 screwholes (in between) also reamed for .125 pins. That way a long one-piece mount or just front-only will both be accommodated.
Threaded bolt handle so that any available knob will work. Stiller offers three knob types.
State-of-the-Art Machining Technologies Used to Make 2500X Actions
A multi-step process is employed to deliver precision tolerances on every 2500X action. The process begins with a drilled, undersize hole. Then the body is cut and heat-treated/stress-relieved with oversize outside diameter (OD). The Inside diameter hole is wire-EDM finished after heat-treating for optimal sizing and straightness. Next the OD is ground to size and the action face and threads are machined. The action is finally engraved, hand-finished, and melonited on the inside (unless the customer specifies a non-melonited version). Individual parts receive special attention — the extractors are wire-EDM cut, and the bolt lugs are factory-lapped with special devices to load the lugs as they would be when fired.
If you have a match, hunting, or tactical rifle that needs a little more “stiction” in the grip or fore-arm areas, particularly in wet or humid conditions, consider adding a non-slip coating to the stock. This is easily done with inexpensive materials. R+D Precision has a simple do-it-yourself procedure for adding texture to your stock. Be forewarned — this is basically a permanent addition to your stock, so you might want to practice first. Also the application of the bedding compound will change the color of the stock, so you may want to re-finish the stock.
Marking the Area to Texture with Steel-Bed or Similar Material
Tape off the area you want to put the texture. Spread a very thin coat of the Steel-Bed on the stock, just enough to cover the area. This can be done using Marine-Tex or Steel-Bed. Other products could be used but Steel-Bed is proven, and it’s what R+D prefers for the job.
Best Method for Applying Texture
Here is the secret to adding texture: Using the tongue depressor that is in the kit or something similar, BOUNCE the flat part of the stick on the still-wet bedding to get the textured effect. Once the bedding has dried for about an hour, and still kind of tacky, remove the tape, pulling at a sharp angle to leave a nice sharp edge. If the bedding has a sharp raised area where the tape was, wet your finger and rub along the edge and it will knock off the edge but still give that nice sharp transition.
The Tactical and Target T3 Tubeguns are here at last! Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine has announced that his new tubegun chassis for Tikka T3 actions “is now available in Target and Tactical versions”. The T3 kit will initially be right-hand only, set up for AICS short action magazines. This is a “no gunsmithing” installation — no modifications to the action are required and the chassis kit works with the factory T3 trigger and safety. Along with the new Target and Tactical versions, a lower-cost Light-Weight Hunter T3 Chassis is also offered (this will accept AR buttstocks).
Tikka’s T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up. The T3 action can be installed in Gary’s Chassis Kit with either a recoil disc (and bolts) or glue-in action mounting. The Chassis Kit is designed to accept AR15 buttstocks.
Eliseo’s current T3 Chassis Kit is for right-hand short actions. However, Gary told us today that left-hand models will be included in the next production run this fall. He is also prototyping a long-action version.
Price for the Tactical model is $1020.00, with a rugged Cerakote finish. Price for the Target version is $925.00 with a powdercoat finish or $1000.00 with a Cerakote finish. The Light-Weight Hunter chassis (that accepts owner-installed AR-type buttstocks) is $685.00. Tikka T3 action and AICS 5-round or 10-round magazines sold separately. For more info, visit GotXRing.com, call 714-630-5734, or send email to: spraynandprayn [at] gmail.com . CLICK HERE for order page.
Update August 20, 2013: The Class is full. The CMP states: “If you applied and did not get accepted, the CMP plans to hold additional classes next year in Anniston. Dates will be announced at a later date and an email announcement will be sent out.”
This fall, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will offer a 3-day, Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC) for students with strong mechanical aptitude and a desire to learn how to work on M1 Garand rifles. The first AMC class starts Friday, November 1st at the CMP Custom Shop in Anniston, Alabama. The course fee is $1,400.00. This includes a CMP Special Rifle that each student will build (as his own “keeper”) and three lunches. Students must provide their own accommodations in Anniston.
The 3-day class is intended for individuals interested in learning how the M1 Garand rifle functions and how to perform advanced maintenance procedures to their personal rifle(s). The class involves classroom lecture as well as hands-on shop time. Tools will be provided.
NOTE: This class is not intended for gunsmiths or students with advanced knowledge of the M1 rifle. No prior armorer or shooting experience is required. Students will each assemble their own CMP Special rifle from components included in the AMC fee.
CMP M1 Garand AMC Course Topics
Component purpose and function
Commercial barrel installation, chambering and headspace; use of gauges
Component selection and inspection
Fitting and proper assembly of a complete CMP Special rifle
Some discussion of malfunctions and their remedies
Accurizing techniques for the M1
How to Apply for M1 Garand Class
To apply for the CMP AMC, complete the online APPLICATION FORM (You can fill this out online or download the PDF file and email completed application to armorers@thecmp.org.) The class is expected to fill quickly. Students will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more info, email John McLean via email at jmclean@thecmp.org or call the CMP Custom Shop at (256) 835-8455, ext. 2114. The November AMC class is the first of its kind. However, the CMP hopes to offer similar classes quarterly at the Anniston Custom Shop.
The “Big Book” is back. Brownells’ Master Catalog #66, the largest ever, is now available. The 696-page Catalog is filled with a vast number of products for gunsmiths, competitors, hunters and gun enthusiasts. The latest Catalog #66 boasts more than 2,000 new items, including 10 pages of reloading supplies. The AR-15/M16, Riflescope and Pistol sections have also grown significantly.
Master Catalog #66 is presented in Brownells’ signature horizontal format, with color-coded edges and mini-indices to help readers find the 35 various product categories. To receive a catalog, simply visit the catalog section of Brownells’ website. Customers may also call 800-741-0015 to request a catalog. The Master Catalog #66 costs $5.00.
The new, 35th Edition of the Gun Trader’s Guide has just been released. This fully-illustrated resource features current market values for thousands of rifles, pistols, and shotguns. This 35th Edition, now with over 1000 photographs, boasts one hundred new entries since last year’s edition. Along with the Blue Blue of Gun Values, the Gun Trader’s Guide is one of the two definitive resources on gun prices. If you buy or sell firearms, the Gun Traders’ Guide is a must-have item that will pay for itself. Over two million copies of the Gun Trader’s Guide have been sold to date. Order soon to be one of the first to own the new 35th Edition. Amazon’s price is $22.97.
American Kenny Adams is the new F-Open World Champion, winning the individual title last week at Raton, New Mexico. ‘King Kenny’ rose to the top through with skill, countless days of practice, and great determination. He put in the trigger time, including many long days at Raton. But when we cornered Kenny after his win at the Worlds he was quick to give credit to his gunsmith, Stick Starks of 
Want a FREE Remington Catalog? Well here you go. The latest editions of 
Tikka’s T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up. The T3 action can be installed in Gary’s Chassis Kit with either a recoil disc (and bolts) or glue-in action mounting. The Chassis Kit is designed to accept AR15 buttstocks.
