Larry Medler has come up with a smart little invention — a simple, inexpensive Empty Chamber Indicator for rimfire rifles. It is made from a section of plastic “weed-wacker” line and a wooden ball from a hobby shop. Larry says he was inspired by Juniors who used something similar for their 17-Caliber Air Rifles.
How to Make the Empty Chamber Indicator
Construction Method: First, drill a 7/64″ diameter hole all the way through the 1″-diameter wooden ball. Then enlarge half of that 1″-long hole using a 13/64” diameter drill. Next insert an 8″ piece of heavy duty (0.095″ diameter) weed wacker line through the ball, leaving about 2″ on the side with the bigger-diameter hole. Then, with the short end of the line, fold over the last half-inch so the line is doubled-over on itself. Then slide the line into the ball, stuffing the doubled-over section through the 13/64″ (large) hole. Finally, pull the longer end of the line until the doubled-over section is flush with the outside of the ball. This gives you a sturdy line attachment without messy adhesives. When the assembly’s complete, hold the ECI by the tail and dip the ball in yellow paint. If you’re making more than one ECI, you can drill horizontal holes in a spare block of wood and use that as a drying rack.
At a Rimfire Sporter match like this, all shooters must have an Empty Chamber Indicator.
The Empty Chamber Indicator for Smallbore Rifles
Larry explains: “At all Highpower rifle matches, silhouette matches, and other shooting events I have attended, Open Bore Indicators (OBI), or what are now called Empty Chamber Indicators (ECI) have been mandatory. The NRA’s yellow ECI for Highpower rifles is easy to use and has been well-received by the shooters. However, I had not seen a truly workable ECI for 22 rimfire rifles — until I visited Michigan’s Washtenaw Sportsman’s Club where I saw juniors using ECIs for their 17 Caliber Air Rifles. Someone at the club made the empty chamber indicators by attaching an 8″ piece of weed wacker line to a 1″-diameter wooden ball, painted bright yellow. I now make similar ECIs for the 22 rimfire silhouette matches I run.”
Caldwell Brass Retriever
Tired of bending over or kneeling down to retrieve your fired cartridge brass? For older shooters (including this Editor) getting down on the ground to pick up brass is tough on the lower back and knees. Here’s a product that makes brass retrieval quick, easy, and pain-free. The Caldwell Brass Retriever works quite well with a little practice, once you apply the correct pressure. While it won’t always grab every fired case, it will capture nearly all, and that can really make the job go much faster.
One owner praises this as a “very good tool” that is “a lot easier on my back.” While it can work on grass, gravel, and hard-packed earth, the unit works best on smooth, hard surfaces. Currently priced at $49.99 at MidwayUSA, it is an affordable tool.
Caldwell states: “Spend less time bending over and picking up brass at the range and more time shooting. The Caldwell® Brass Retriever picks up brass, saving your back and time. The Brass Retriever can pick up rifle and pistol brass quickly and efficiently. The retriever comes complete with a roll cage separator that allows you to dump the collected brass into a bucket quickly. It is collapsible as well, making it convenient to transport. The retriever’s handle expands from 28″ up to 57″ tall.”
Brass Retriever Owner Reviews
Here are Amazon reviews from actual purchasers. It’s clear the device is not perfect and can miss a case or two. However, the Brass Retriever does grab the vast majority of brass on the ground, sized .223 Rem or larger diameter. This will save time and reduces stress on your back and joints:
“This thing … does a terrific job of collecting the brass from a standing posture quickly and efficiently. It helps to have the cases on a smooth surface like concrete or dirt without a lot of vegetation. But we used it on open desert yesterday and it collected nearly every case with a single pass. It’s now a permanent piece of gear in the stuff we take when target or ground squirrel shooting.” — Hans H.
“This WILL save your back. The only drawback is you can’t overload it with brass. After couple dozen pieces (or less) it will start dropping brass while you’re attempting to collect others. That’s the limitation (one of them). There is a short learning curve (15 min.) in which you’ll learn how much brass is too much And how you need to orientate the wires to pick up the brass. It doesn’t do as well on gravel or high grass as it does on a smooth, firm surface. Even with its limitations, it’s a keeper. Just empty every dozen or so pieces and it works very well.” — Jeff M.
Specialized Tool for .22 LR Brass
NOTE: The Caldwell Brass Retriever is designed primarily to recover reloadable rifle and pistol brass, with case diameters as fat as .223 Rem or larger. Some people state it can be used for smaller .22 LR cartridges too, but there is a much better product for that.
The UniqueTek Rimfire Brass Wizard is optimized for picking up .22 LR rimfire cases. It has a smaller basket with wires spaced closer together. It can also pick up pistol and rifle cartridge brass but will hold fewer cases than the original Brass Wizard or the Caldwell Brass Retriever. The Brass Wizard “Rimfire” The Brass Wizard “Rimfire” comes standard with the telescoping handle and includes a”Dumper” accessory.
Federal Ammunition has introduced a new type of firearm cover, the Federal Fit Coil Rifle Cover. The Federal Fit Coil Rifle Cover features a roll-up design that lets shooters adjust cover length to the firearm. A key feature is an internal retracting elastic band that allows easy insertion but also adapts the cover to the actual rifle length from muzzle to buttpad.
Federal’s new rifle cover is “suppressor-ready”, meaning the muzzle area inside the cover has heat-resistant lining. Sizes include medium for firearms of 34 to 44 inches in length, large for 39 to 49 inches, and XL for 44 to 54 inches. All sizes are equipped with a quick-grab handle.
“With a roll-up design that lets shooters adjust case length to the firearm, our Federal Fit Coil Rifle Cover is a suppressor-ready rifle case that is ready for anything,” explains Jake Jacobs, Federal’s Accessories Product Director. “It has a heat-resistant lining in the muzzle area and a quick-grab handle. With suppressors being so wildly popular these days, having the gear needed to protect them properly and conveniently is an absolute necessity.”
Many leading shooting sports vendors are running sales for the 4th of July, with some sales extending through the 5th, 6th, or 7th of July. With some vendors, you’ll find sitewide discounts plus significant additional savings on select products. In addition some sellers are now offering FREE Shipping or FREE Hazmat (with a minimum order).
Here are TEN notable 4th of July Independence Week Sales Events from leading online retailers. With 7/4/2026 marking the 250th Anniversary of the founding of our nation, many vendors are running really significant summer promotions. This is a great time to save on guns, reloading supplies, ammo and more.
Brownells — 12% Off Products with Code FREEDOM12
Creedmoor Sports — 10% Off Products with Code USA250
Precision Reloading — 10% Off $99+ Orders with Code FOURTH
Bullet Central — Big Savings on Actions, Stocks, Barrels & More
Peterson Cartridge — Save 25% on Cosmetic Seconds Brass
Midsouth — FREE Shipping $99+ and Free Hazmat $250+
Sportsman’s Warehouse — 10% OFF All Ammo Plus Gear Sales
Powder Valley — Major Red, White, Blue & Green RCBS Sale
Graf & Sons — FREE Hazmat ($250+) Promotion and Specials
MidwayUSA — FREE Shipping on $100+ Orders (Plus Discounts)
The 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States is just two days away. There will be fireworks and Stars and Stripes decorations around the nation on this special Fourth of July holiday.
Would you like to show your patriotism and honor America with the color scheme of your firearms? Well gun-makers Howa and Citadel now offer bold, patriotic colors for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. A variety of Howa rifles and Citadel guns are offered with handsome red, white, and blue USA Flag patterns. You can choose rimfire or centerfire rifles, shotguns, or handguns — all with a patriotic Stars and Stripes finish.
Howa’s USA Flag pattern firearms line-up includes the APC Steel and Carbon Fiber Flag Chassis rifle, the Mini Action Excl Lite, and the TSP X Chassis rifle. On the Howas and the Citadel Trakr rifles, the flag patterns are a rugged, protective Cerakote finish. Citadel Trakr .22 LR rimfire rifles are also available with USA Flag and Grayscale options for both semi-auto and bolt-action models. And Citadel now offers a very handsome LEVTAC Respect lever-action rifle with Stars and Stripes buttstock and handguard.
The Citadel handgun collection offers the USA Flag pattern in the Citadel .45 ACP full size 1911 pistol, the Citadel CP9 9mm series, and the Citadel 1911-style compact .380 ACP series.
Howa TSP X Chassis Rifle
The Howa TSP X Chassis rifle has a Cerakoted T-6 Aluminum Chassis and excellent adjustable, 2-stage HACT trigger. This rifle comes with a sub-MOA guarantee and Lifetime Warranty. The patriotic TSP X rifle is offered in four chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win, and 300 PRC.
CITADEL Stars and Stripes Shotguns
Legacy International offers three different 12ga shotguns with handsome Stars and Stripes stock coverings. The Citadel Boss 25 is a modern mag-fed shotgun with AR-type ergonomics. The Citadel Pup Scout also feeds from a detachable magazine, but located in a rear position behind the hand grip. This allows a more compact OAL even with a proper barrel length. Citadel’s smallest shotgun offering is the 12ga short-barrel pump-gun with 14.75″ barrel and 5+1 capacity.
CITADEL American Flag Pistol Collection
• 1911 .45 ACP (large photo) | • Centurian CP9 9mm Series | • 1911 .380 AUTO
PDF Product Catalog Available CLICK HERE to view full Howa/Citadel Product Catalog with all patriotic color options. The Citadel Trakr .22 LR Rimfires and Boss 25 shotgun are also available in the USA Flag and Grayscale options. Cerakoted ammo cans in the USA Flag and Grayscale Flag are available with the Citadel handguns.
Small patches are not very efficient at distributing bore cleaning liquids inside your bore. The problem with a tight-fitting patch is that the solvent gets squeezed off in the first few inches. You can switch to a smaller jag, or a bore mop, but there is an even better way to get an ample amount of solvent in your bore. Just spray directly into the bore with a wash bottle, an inexpensive plastic bottle with an L-shaped dispensing neck, tapered at the end.
When using the wash bottle, you can either just plug the breech and spray from the muzzle end (where most copper fouling is), or, alternately, put the wash bottle neck directly in the chamber and spray forward. When spraying from the chamber forward, you may need to use a rubber O-Ring to seal off the action… depending on the bore size and the particular wash bottle’s neck spout diameter. We prefer to plug the breech and squirt from the muzzle.
Bottle Solvent Application Method Works Great for Smaller Bores
Using wet patches or wet brushes is an inefficient way to really saturate the tight bores of 17s, 20s, and 22s. Even with a cotton bore mop, most of the solvent will be squeezed out before it gets to the end of the bore, where most copper fouling occurs. For these smaller 17, 20, and 22-caliber bores, you can just take the wash bottle and stick the tapered nozzle right in the chamber. The tapered end will press fit in the throat, sealing off the chamber. With the barrel slightly nose-down, give the bottle a couple good squirts until the solvent mists out the muzzle. In just a few seconds, this will put more solvent in the bore than a half-dozen wet patches.
A solvent-filled wash bottle is also handy for wetting your brushes. It’s much easier to saturate a bore brush (without spilling solvent on your stock), by using the wash bottle. You can get wash bottles from USPlastic.com, Amazon.com, or lab supply stores. CLICK HERE to get a pair of wash bottles for just $5.99.
The new Blue Book of Gun Values 202t Price Guide is available now for immediate delivery. Purchase this popular price guide through Blue Book Publications for $34.99. Or you can order from Amazon for $34.99 with free delivery for Prime members. The Blue Book of Gun Values by S.P. Fjestad is the leading gun valuation resource. There are now over 1.8 million copies in circulation worldwide. This paperback book continues to be the “Bible” for buyers, sellers, collectors, and connoisseurs in the firearms industry. The 723-Page 2026 Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values is more handy to use than past editions.
Streamlined Format:
This new 2026 Edition is 723 pages. This latest 2026 Edition is different from the huge, heavy 2500-page volumes in the past. It is smaller, thinner, and less costly. But it still offers key information on gun pricing. QR codes link to all the same product images and manufacturer info with free online access.
Simplified Grading System:
The Blue Book’s original grading system was good, but this book has a simpler system: NEGF (New, Excellent, Good, Fair). It’s easier to understand and aligns perfectly with the updated value model.
Updated Gun Value System — Real World Pricing:
Past editions relied on auction and show data. Now, the publisher has gathered real-world pricing from actual gun shops for more accurate and trustworthy values!
Review by Tom Gresham, Gun Talk Radio Host
“At some point, every gun owner asks the question, ‘What’s it worth?’ The leading reference for decades has been the Blue Book of Gun Values. Whether you are a seller, a buyer, a shopper, or just curious, this constantly-updated gold mine of research is your friend.”
Features of the new Blue Book of Gun Values:
· Includes the new 2026 firearms makes and models, with many new handguns and rifles.
· Covers over 1,800 manufacturers and trademarks, with over 25,000 gun model prices.
· Important pricing updates on current, antique, and discontinued models.
· 180,000+ up-to-date values are provided with QR Codes.
Pricing System in Blue Book of Gun Values 2026 Price Guide:
If you want to learn about trends in the firearms industry, and read about new products, you should check out Shooting Industry magazine. While tailored for firearms/outdoor gear retailers and industry professionals, this business publication also provides valuable information for all gun owners. We read Shooting Industry to learn about sales trends, new products, and gun legislation and regulatory issues.
READ for FREE — Shooting Industry is available in a digital PDF format for FREE. There are free archives for 2025 (10 months), 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Here are direct links for all ten 2025 issues, from the January 2025 issue through October 2025 (the last issue available in PDF format). You can also CLICK HERE to bring up a page with live links to all 2025 (10), 2024, 2023, and 2022 Shooting Industry magazine issues. From that landing page, for all 2022-2025 issues, simply click the link labeled “Click Here to VIEW”, found below the cover shot for each issue.
Shooting Industry — October 2025 Issue
September 2025
Top Stories:
“Silence” Is Golden
Navigating Used Gun Market
August 2025
Top Stories:
Profits At The Range
Muzzleloading Market
July 2025
Top Stories:
Long-Range Precision Market
Target Cameras
June 2025
Top Stories:
Long Guns For Home Defense
Eye/Ear Protection
May 2025
Top Stories:
The Ammunition Squeeze
Hunting The Hunters
April 2025
Top Stories:
On the Firing Line
Secure Storage
March 2025
Top Stories:
SHOT Show 2025
“Grandpa’s Gun” No More
February 2025
Top Stories:
2025 New Product Showcase: 3
Concealed Carry Market
January 2025
Top Stories:
2025 New Product Showcase: 2
Rimfire Takes Center Stage
BONUS! FREE Content from GUNS Magazine and American Handgunner
FMG Publications, the publisher of Shooting Industry magazine, also produces the popular GUNS Magazine and American Handgunner periodicals. If you visit the respective websites for these two magazines, you will find dozen of photo-illustrated articles available for FREE online. To access, just visit the Guns Magazine home page and scroll down, or likewise visit the American Handgunner home page and scroll down the page to find many interesting articles.
Berger has recently introduced a very impressive new projectile, a 120-grain 6mm (.243) Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullet, that offers an ultra-high Ballistic Coefficient (BC) along with very impressive accuracy. This new bullet has already proven itself in competition. Read on to learn more about tests of the new 120-grainer by Ultimate Reloader (Gavin Gear) and Applied Ballistics (Bryan Litz). Both those tests, featured in videos below, demonstrated the new 6mm 120gr LRHT bullet is very consistent and has an ultra-high BC. Berger reports these new heaviest-in-class 6mm bullets have “Doppler radar-verified performance with less than 1% BC Standard Deviation.”
Ultimate Reloader Tests New Berger 120gr LRHT 6mm Bullets
Here’s a good video with tests of Berger’s new 120gr 6mm bullet. The test was done with Lapua 6.5×47 brass necked down to 6mm. Ultimate Reloader’s Gavin Gear reports that the bullet proved to be extremely consistent in both weight and max ogive diameter and had a very consistent BC. This means it is relatively easy to find a very accurate load that also exhibits ultra-low ES and SD. The new 120-grainer should prove popular for mid- and long-range benchrest, PRS/NRL, silhouette matches, and 300m competition. Recommended minimum barrel twist rate is 1:7.5″.
Berger 6mm 120 Grain Long Range Hybrid Target bullets are available now in 100-count, 500-count, and new 1500-count Berger Competition Packs.
Bryan Litz Tests New Berger 120gr LRHT 6mm Bullet
Berger’s new 120gr 6mm LRHT bullet was also recently tested by Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. Bryan confirmed the new 120-grainer has an extremely high BC and has very consistent weight, dimensions, and BC values. In this video, the Berger .243 cal (6mm) 120 gr Long Range Hybrid Target bullet is tested at 300 yards with Doppler radar to measure ballistic performance, as well as precision. The results are discussed, as well as stability requirements.
Load with 6mm Creedmoor Cartridge:
Peterson small rifle primer brass
CCI-450 small rifle magnum primers
Vihtavuori N565 powder
Berger 6mm 120gr LRHT seated 0.015″ off lands
New 6mm Berger Bullet Wins Major Silhouette Championship
How does this new, high-BC 6mm Berger LRHT bullet actually perform in competition? Well the answer is this new 120-grainer in definitely a winner. This new bullet was recently used to win a major national silhouette championship, showing stellar performance.
Berger’s new 6mm 120gr Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullet was used by Erich Mietenkorte to win the recent 2026 Iron Man Metallic Silhouette Championship. Using the 120gr LRHT, Mietenkorte not only claimed the High Power and Overall Aggregate titles but also tied the all-time Aggregate record and completed the prestigious Bull River Ultra Slam (knocking down 20 consecutive rams).
“Berger’s new 6mm 120gr Long Range Hybrid Target bullets performed exactly how you’d want in a championship,” said Erich Mietenkorte. “Vihtavuori N140 with 120gr LRHTs produced outstanding precision from the start. Five-shot groups at 200 meters averaged 1/4 MOA, and that accuracy held all the way to 500 meters.”
Designed for long-range precision, the Berger 6mm 120 Grain LRHT is heaviest-in-class and offers exceptional performance and features:
Industry-leading 0.328 G7 ballistic coefficient (BC)
Hybrid ogive design for easy tuning and jump tolerance
Meplat Reduction Technology (MRT) for enhanced consistency
Doppler radar-verified performance with less than 1% BC Standard Deviation
About the Iron Man Silhouette Championship
The Iron Man Silhouette Championship lives up to its name. Over the course of the two-day event, competitors fire a grueling 320 shots for record, all from the standing offhand position—two 40-shot Smallbore Rifle matches each morning and two 40-shot High-Power Rifle matches each afternoon. Targets range from 40 to 100 meters for Smallbore (.22 LR) and 200 to 500 meters for High-Power (centerfire).
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Brownells — Summer Sale (Optics, Tools, Ammo & More)
⏺️ » Save Up To 62% + FREE SHIPPING On Orders $150+
Right now Brownells is running a major Summer Sale with big discounts on a wide selection of products. You can save up to 62% on optics, reloading tools, ammo and more. Plus Brownells offers FREE Shipping on orders that total $150.00 or more. Use CODE 150FREESHIP to save $15 to $30+ on your order.
Powder Valley — Lapua Brass and Bullets SALE
⏺️ » Great savings on wide selection of Lapua Brass & Bullets
Lapua brass has won more matches and set more records than any other brand of brass. In addition, Lapua bullets deliver great accuracy with a huge selection of bullet calibers/weights. Right now Lapua brass cases and Lapua bullets are on sale at Powder Valley. Enjoy discounts for popular cartridge types from .22 up to .338 calibers. And yes .220 Russian, 6mmBR, 6GT, and 6mm Creedmoor are in stock along with numerous other .22, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30-Cal cartridge types. Enjoy savings on Lapua brass and bullets.
Bonus: Father’s Day SAVAGE Rifle REBATE Through 6/30/2026
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Small patches are not very efficient at distributing bore cleaning liquids inside your bore. The problem with a tight-fitting patch is that the solvent gets squeezed off in the first few inches. You can switch to a smaller jag, or a bore mop, but there is an even better way to get an ample amount of solvent in your bore. Just spray directly into the bore with a 
