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June 15th, 2021

The Modern Linear Compensator — Design and Function

Brownells Linear compensator video

In this interesting video, Brownells Gun Tech Caleb Savant covers the topic of linear compensators, aka “blast diffusers” or “linear blast devices”. These are quite different in function from a typical muzzle brake and they are NOT a sound suppressor. Unlike a traditional muzzle brake, a linear compensator directs the muzzle blast forward, AWAY from the shooter. This is not only good for the shooter but also for folks next to the shooter, either at the range or in a CQB law enforcement or military situation.

A “Linear Compensator”, also known as “blast diffuser”, my look similar to a muzzle brake. But it works differently. A typical muzzle brake shoots blast out the side, and can be pretty annoying for someone positioned next to the shooter. By contract, the Linear Compensator direct blast force more forward. This helps reduce perceived recoil, and importantly doesn’t send hot gasses left and ring to nearby shooters or observes. Muzzle brake output can be very annoying. This Editor once was shooting next to a .338 Lapua Magnum with a brake, just a couple feet away. With each .338 LM shot I could feel heat on arms/hands and actually feel the bones in my forearm vibrate.

Attachment Methods — Direct Thread Mounting vs. Quick-Attach Mounting
Linear compensators have become much more popular in recent years as AR-15 pistols and SBRs have proliferated. Some linear comps, such as popular models from Midwest Industries and the Troy Claymore, attach directly to the muzzle, just like a traditional flash hider or muzzle brake.

Other Linear Compensators are slip-on, quick-attach components that mount OVER another muzzle device. For example, the VG6 Precision CAGE Device (Concussion Altering Gas Expansion) attaches directly over one of their standard muzzle devices. Almost every company that makes a sound suppressor also offers a linear compensator, which typically attaches to the muzzle the same way as the silencer.

Video find by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
Permalink Gear Review, Gunsmithing, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
June 12th, 2021

How to Prep Mil-Surp 5.56 Lake City Brass — Save Money

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit regularly publishes a reloading “how-to” article on the USAMU Facebook page. One excellent “Handloading Hump Day” post covered preparation of once-fired 5.56x45mm brass. This article, the first in a 3-part series, has many useful tips. If you shoot a rifle chambered in .223 Rem or 5.56x45mm, this article is worth reading.

This week, Handloading Hump-Day will answer a special request from several competitive shooters who asked about procedures for morphing once-fired GI 5.56mm brass into accurate match brass for NRA High Power Rifle use. The USAMU has used virgin Lake City (LC) 5.56 brass to win National Championships and set National Records for many years. In this 3-part series, we’ll share techniques proven to wring match-winning accuracy from combat-grade brass.

GI brass has an excellent attribute, worth noting — it is virtually indestructible. Due to its NATO-spec hardness, the primer pockets last much longer than most commercial brass when using loads at appropriate pressures.

Preparing Once-Fired GI 5.56 Brass for Reloading (Part 1 of 3)

Assuming our readers will be getting brass once-fired as received from surplus dealers, the following steps can help process the low-cost raw material into reliably accurate components.

1. Clean the Brass
First, clean the brass of any dirt/mud/debris, if applicable. Depending on the brass’s condition, washing it in a soap solution followed by a thorough rinsing may help. [This step also extends the life of the tumbling media.] Approaches range from low-tech, using gallon jugs 1/2 full of water/dish soap plus brass and shaking vigorously, to more high-tech, expensive and time-consuming methods.

cleaning Lake City 5.56 brass

2. Wet-Tumbling Options (Be Sure to Dry the Brass)
When applying the final cleaning/polish, some use tumblers with liquid cleaning media and stainless steel pins for a brilliant shine inside and out, while others take the traditional vibratory tumbler/ground media approach. Degree of case shine is purely personal preference, but the key issue is simple cleanliness to avoid scratching ones’ dies.

If a liquid cleaner is used, be SURE to dry the cases thoroughly to preclude corrosion inside. One method is to dump the wet brass into an old pillow case, then tilt it left/right so the cases re-orient themselves while shifting from corner to corner. Several repetitions, pausing at each corner until water stops draining, will remove most water. They can then be left to air-dry on a towel, or can be dried in a warm (150° F-200° F max) oven for a few minutes to speed evaporation.

Shown below are Lake City cases after cleaning with Stainless Media (STM). Note: STM Case cleaning was done by a third party, not the USAMU, which does not endorse any particular cleaning method.

3. Inspect Every Case
Once dry, inspect each case for significant deformation (i.e., someone stepped on it), damaged mouths/necks and case head/rim damage. Some rifles’ ejectors actually dig small chunks of brass out of the case head — obviously, not ideal for precision shooting. Similarly, some extractors can bend the case rims so badly that distortion is visible when spinning them in one’s fingers. These can be used for plinking, but our match brass should have straight, undamaged rims.

Dented case mouths are common, and these can easily be rounded using a conical, tapered tool, [such as a .223 expander mandrel. A dummy 7.62 or .30-06 cartridge with a FMJ spitzer can also work.] If most of your brass is of one headstamp, this is a good time to cull out any odd cases.

4. Check the Primers Before Decapping
Your clean, dry and inspected brass is now ready for full-length sizing, decapping and re-priming. Historically, primer crimps on GI brass have caused some head-scratching (and vile language) among handloaders. Our next installment will detail efficient, easy and practical methods to remove primer crimp, plus other useful handloading tips. Until next week, Good Shooting!

NOTE: The USAMU Handloading (HL) Shop does not RE-load fired 5.56 brass. We use virgin LC brass with our chosen primer already staked in place. However, our staff has extensive personal experience reloading GI brass for competition, which will supplement the Shop’s customary steps. In handloading, as in life, there are many ways to accomplish any given task. Our suggestions are note presented as the “only way,” by any means. Time for loading/practicing is always at a premium. Readers who have more efficient, alternative methods that maintain top accuracy are invited to share them here.

Accuracy Potential of Mil-Surp 5.56×45 Brass

So, how accurate can previously-fired GI surplus brass be in a good National Match AR-15? Well, here’s a data point from many years ago that might be of interest. A High Power shooter who wrote for the late Precision Shooting magazine took a Bill Wylde-built AR match rifle to a registered Benchrest match. His first 5-round group ever fired in a BR match was officially measured at 0.231″ at 200 hundred yards. This was fired in front of witnesses, while using a moving target backer that confirmed all five rounds were fired.

He recounted that his ammo was loaded progressively with factory 52gr match bullets and a spherical powder using mixed years of LC brass with no special preparation whatsoever. Obviously, this was “exceptional”. However, he had no difficulty obtaining consistent 0.5-0.6 MOA accuracy at 200 yards using LC brass and a generic “practice” load that was not tuned to his rifle.

Saving Money by Using GI Brass

So, with good commercial brass readily available, why would one go to all the extra steps necessary to process fired GI brass? [Editor: It’s about saving money.]

Economically, it makes great sense. When the author was actively practicing and competing with the service rifle, he had ~3,000 rounds of 5.56mm brass, which allowed him to load during winter and spend most time in the summer practicing. If one were wealthy and wanted to shoot nothing but the finest imported brass, the current cost of 3,000 is ~$1920 (plus shipping.)

Dropping down to good, but less-expensive new, U.S. commercial brass brings the price to a much more realistic ~$720. However, at current rates, the same amount of surplus GI once-fired brass costs between $120 — $150, leaving lots of room in the budget for other expenses. [Editor: that’s less than 10% of the cost of the best imported brass.]

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Reloading, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
June 11th, 2021

Speed Up Bore Cleaning Chores with Wash Bottles

Wash Bottle

rifle bore cleaner bottle

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 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.

Permalink Gear Review, Tech Tip 4 Comments »
June 4th, 2021

How Cartridge Overall Length (COAL) Affects Pressure & Velocity

Berger Bullets COAL length cartridge

Figure 1. When the bullet is seated farther out of the case, there is more volume available for powder. This enables the cartridge to generate higher muzzle velocity with the same pressure.

Berger Bullets COAL length cartridgeEffects Of Cartridge Over All Length (COAL) And Cartridge Base To Ogive (CBTO) – Part 1
by Bryan Litz for Berger Bullets.
Many shooters are not aware of the dramatic effects that bullet seating depth can have on the pressure and velocity generated by a rifle cartridge. Cartridge Overall Length (COAL) is also a variable that can be used to fine-tune accuracy. It’s also an important consideration for rifles that need to feed rounds through a magazine. In this article, we’ll explore the various effects of COAL, and what choices a shooter can make to maximize the effectiveness of their hand loads.

Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI)
Most loading manuals (including the Berger Manual), present loading data according to SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) standards. SAAMI provides max pressure, COAL and many other specifications for commercial cartridges so that rifle makers, ammo makers, and hand loaders can standardize their products so they all work together. As we’ll see later in this article, these SAAMI standards are in many cases outdated and can dramatically restrict the performance potential of a cartridge.

Bullet seating depth is an important variable in the accuracy equation. In many cases, the SAAMI-specified COAL is shorter than what a hand loader wants to load their rounds to for accuracy purposes. In the case where a hand loader seats the bullets longer than SAAMI specified COAL, there are some internal ballistic effects that take place which are important to understand.

Effects of Seating Depth / COAL on Pressure and Velocity
The primary effect of loading a cartridge long is that it leaves more internal volume inside the cartridge. This extra internal volume has a well known effect; for a given powder charge, there will be less pressure and less velocity produced because of the extra empty space. Another way to look at this is you have to use more powder to achieve the same pressure and velocity when the bullet is seated out long. In fact, the extra powder you can add to a cartridge with the bullet seated long will allow you to achieve greater velocity at the same pressure than a cartridge with a bullet seated short.

When you think about it, it makes good sense. After all, when you seat the bullet out longer and leave more internal case volume for powder, you’re effectively making the cartridge into a bigger cartridge by increasing the size of the combustion chamber. Figure 1 illustrates the extra volume that’s available for powder when the bullet is seated out long.

Before concluding that it’s a good idea to start seating your bullets longer than SAAMI spec length, there are a few things to consider.

Geometry of a Chamber Throat
The chamber in a rifle will have a certain throat length which will dictate how long a bullet can be loaded. The throat is the forward portion of the chamber that has no rifling. The portion of the bullet’s bearing surface that projects out of the case occupies the throat (see Figure 2).

Berger Bullets COAL length cartridge

The length of the throat determines how much of the bullet can stick out of the case. When a cartridge is chambered and the bullet encounters the beginning of the rifling, known as the lands, it’s met with hard resistance. This COAL marks the maximum length that a bullet can be seated. When a bullet is seated out to contact the lands, its initial forward motion during ignition is immediately resisted by an engraving force.

Seating a bullet against the lands causes pressures to be elevated noticeably higher than if the bullet were seated just a few thousandths of an inch off the lands.

A very common practice in precision reloading is to establish the COAL for a bullet that’s seated to touch the lands. This is a reference length that the hand loader works from when searching for the optimal seating depth for precision. Many times, the best seating depth is with the bullet touching or very near the lands. However, in some rifles, the best seating depth might be 0.100″ or more off the lands. This is simply a variable the hand loader uses to tune the precision of a rifle.

CLICK HERE to Read Full Article with More Info

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June 2nd, 2021

Get FREE Lapua 6DOF Ballistics App for Android and iOS

Lapua ballistics app android apple free

Download the FREE Lapua Ballistics App

Lapua now offers a FREE Ballistics App. This was the first mobile ballistics App utilizing the 6DOF calculation model, making it one of most accurate ballistics Apps on the market. With this free mobile App you can calculate trajectories, range, bullet drop, turret adjustments and more.

Lapua Ballistics App 6DOF degrees of Freedom solver doppler radar bullet BC Apple iOS Android OS mobile smartphone iphone

Lapua’s sophisticated FREE Ballistics App has many great features — much more than you’d expect for a free App. If you do much shooting past 300 yards, or use a wide variety of bullets and/or cartridge types, definitely download the App and give it a try. For more details, read the Lapua Ballistics App User Manual. This handy PDF file explains how to set up the App and utilize all its powerful features.

CLICK HERE for FREE 29-page Lapua Ballistics App USER GUIDE

The Lapua Ballistics App is available for Android and iOS smart phones and mobile devices free of charge. For more info, visit www.lapua.com/resources/lapua-ballistics-app.

Features in the Lapua Ballistics Calculator

  • Utilizes 6DOF, the most accurate calculation method
  • Always available with latest Lapua cartridge / bullet information
  • Quick and easy to change inputs like distance, wind speed and angle
  • Several result outputs available, with numerical, reticle, table and graph views
  • Create and clone your own firearm / reticle combinations
  • Choose between metric and imperial values
  • Set Point Blank-range to different sight-in distances and impact windows
  • Set Aiming point to moving target
  • Add custom bullets (calculations based on BC G1 or G7 and Siacci method)
  • Features include Sight-in-POI, Coriolis, Max Range and Cant Angle calculation
  • Compare up to 3 Lapua cartridge/bullet performances to each other
  • Custom trajectory tables

Lapua ballistics app android apple free

After downloading the FREE Lapua Ballistics App for Android device or Apple iPhone/iPad, you’ll want to access the Lapua Ballistics App Guide which shows how to use all the features and options. In addition, Lapua offers a handy FAQ Page with User Tips and Answers to frequently Asked Questions.

Watch Video for Explanation of Lapua Ballistics App Features

Permalink - Videos, Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Shooting Skills, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
June 2nd, 2021

Gun Safety at Home — National Safety Month

NSSF Safety message Videos

June is National Safety Month. In summer, when children are home from school and more likely to be unattended, it’s especially important to store firearms securely. The No. 1 way to help prevent accidents is to securely store your firearms when they’re not in use. The NSSF says: “Whether you own a gun or not, firearm safety is your responsibility. Take a moment to watch the videos below on how to safely handle and store firearms.” Along with these videos, the NSSF’s Project ChildSafe program offers a host of gun safety materials on its resources webpage.

Firearm Safety: First, Last, Always

There are Ten Key Rules for Firearm Safety and the first four are the big ones. Remember, while at the shooting range or anywhere you handle a firearm, safety always comes first.

This is a Good Video that Covers the Key Principles of Gun Safety. Worth Watching:

Storing a Gun Safely and Securely

For those who have guns in the home, this video reviews a variety of gun storage options. To learn more about storing firearms safely and securely, visit ProjectChildSafe.org.


Message from the National Shooting Sports Foundation

The last thing any gun owner wants is for their firearms to fall into the hands of an unsupervised child, a thief or someone going through a difficult period in their life. That’s why we urge individuals to store firearms responsibly when they’re not in use. [That is] the number one way to help prevent accidents, thefts and misuse –including suicides. The vast majority of gun owners are safe and responsible, which is why fatal firearms accidents are at historic lows. We’re proud that our safety programs, including Project ChildSafe® have contributed to that decline.

… We provide gun safety resources for all ages through our award-winning Project ChildSafe program and our new suicide prevention program. We remind gun owners there’s a storage option that will fit into their lifestyle, such as a fast-opening lock box for those who keep a firearm for home security.

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May 28th, 2021

Carpe Diem Friends — Our Time Is Limited, Make Every Day Count

Mortality life expectancy carpe diem
Photo from Gunwerks Sheep Mountain L3 Mountain Shooting Course in July 2021. Register Here.

This story is not directly about firearms, or reloading gear, or any of the little details of our sport. It, instead, is about life… and, sadly, about death. The recent passing of a friend (and fellow shooter) got me to thinking, “I’m nearly sixty-six — what if I only had ten more years to live — how would I want to live my life? What really counts the most? What things would I do differently? What dreams would I pursue?”

AccurateShooter.com has many thousands of readers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Hopefully we will all live long, happy, and fruitful lives. But it’s wise to remember that we are all mortal, and the clock is ticking. Consider this — in the United States, the average male life expectancy is 76.3 years.*

Using that number as a rough benchmark, I may have just 10 and a half more years to enjoy life and to do the things I love — shooting, traveling, sailing, camping, listening to music, being with friends and family. Only 10.5 years left — that’s a real number my brain can comprehend all too well, particularly after the last 14 months have been so restricted due to COVID.

There is some good news — the actuarial tables predict that, since I’ve almost made it to 66 years already, I should live well past age 76. The predicted life-span of a 66-year-old American male is 17.2 years, which works out to 206 more months, and 896 more weekends. That’s less scary, but the message still rings true — time is running out. Live your dreams while you can.

Living a Life with More Good Times, and Fewer Regrets

Recently, a group of men, very near the end of their lives, were surveyed. They were asked if they would do things differently if they could live their lives over again. The vast majority of these men gave surprisingly similar responses, which fit into five “Life Lessons”. These “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” were reported in a story by Bronnie Ware, writing for the AARP online magazine. Ware writes: “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced.” Here are the five regrets most often mentioned by older men:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. ”

Lesson: Don’t wait to follow your dreams. Be true to yourself.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
“This came from every male patient [surveyed]. All of the men… deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”

Lesson: Don’t let your work crowd out other important aspects of life.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming.”

Lesson: Express yourself truthfully. Don’t suppress your feelings for decades.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
“There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort they deserved. Many [were] so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years.”

Lesson: Take an interest your friends’ lives; keep bonds of friendship strong.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
“This is a surprisingly common [regret]. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice.”

Lesson: Affirmatively pursue the things that bring you happiness. Don’t just stick to old habits.

Turn Off the Computer, and Do Something Memorable with Your Friends Today
How does this all apply to our shooting hobby? Well, if (like me) you are middle-aged (or older), go have some fun this weekend! Load up your rifle and get to the range. Don’t put off doing the things that make you happy. Call those old buddies you may not have seen in a long time. Renew friendships. Get out into nature. And start figuring out how you can live your dreams. As the saying goes, “Time waits for no man”.


*This is based on 2020 World Health Organization Data for all males. One of our readers pointed out that the numbers actually work out better than this, because once a man survives to later life, men of his surviving age cohort enjoy a projected lifespan longer than the average projected lifespan from birth. For example, using Social Security Administration (SSA) data, an American man born exactly 60 years ago, has a calculated average life expectancy of 23 years… meaning he would live to age 83, on average. CLICK HERE to see SSA-predicted longevity based on your birthdate.

lifespan life expectancy weekends months years


Practicing What I Preach…

Next week this Editor will NOT be sitting in front of a computer. Instead I will be taking a trip up California Highway One, one of the most scenic roads in America. I’ll be aboard my 20-year-old Honda ST1100, a machine that has carried me to many memorable places. I honestly don’t know how many more years I can still ride. But while I can, I will — and appreciate every minute of the adventure.

carpe diem live your dream road trip california coast highway one
carpe diem live your dream road trip california coast highway one
carpe diem live your dream road trip california coast highway one
Photos by Editor, July 2018

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May 28th, 2021

Upgrade Your Firearms with Brownells Do-It-Yourself Videos

Brownells do it yourself videos

Brownells’ Do-It-Yourself (DIY) video series provides logical, step-by-step installation help for triggers, stocks, and springs. Nine separate videos cover Brownells various DIY Kits. Not sure if you’re up to the project? Just watch each video to see what’s involved. The nine DIY kits are:

  • Brownells DIY Remington 870 Stock Upgrade Kit 080-000-850
  • Brownells DIY Power Custom 10/22 Trigger Upgrade Kit 080-000-851
  • Brownells DIY Remington 700 Trigger Replacement w/o Trigger 080-000-852
  • Brownells DIY Remington 700 Trigger Replacement with Timney Trigger 080-000-853
  • Brownells DIY S&W J Frame Revolver Upgrade Kit080-000-862
  • Brownells DIY AR-15 Performance Upgrade Installation080-001-155WB
  • Brownells DIY Magpul MOE AR15 Stock Upgrade Installation084-000-386WB
  • Brownells DIY Glock Pistol Sight Upgrade Kit 080-000-919WB
  • Brownells DIY Ruger MKIII Upgrade Kit 930-000-046WB

This video shows Remington 700 after-market trigger installation:

In the Do-It-Yourself videos, Brownells’ Gun Techs proceed step-by-step, showing you exactly how to install the parts on your gun. Each kit also comes with complete, illustrated instructions you can take to the bench. To learn more, click the links above, or CLICK HERE to visit Brownells’ DIY Kit online page.

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May 26th, 2021

Moly Bullet Coating — Wet Moly Application Method

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrels

Tech Report by B. Walker, owner of The Urban Rifleman LLC
I have been moly coating since I started shooting rifles nearly 26 years ago. I have always moly-coated my bullets. I figured if it was good enough for Walt Berger, it was good enough for me (Walt still moly coats his bullets to this day, if recent match pictures are any indication). I had always used the typical dry method (without the wax) and I had the same jar of moly (molybdenum disulfide) for many years.

I had tried all kinds of methods over the years. But then AccurateShooter Forum member “Bowfisher” sent me a message about moly-coating bullets using water. After his suggestion, I did several batches using the moly-in-the-water method. I was stunned with the great results. This Wet Moly method is the cleanest, easiest, and best coating method I have ever tried. I strongly believe Wet Moly should be the recommended method.

Traditional Dry Moly Coating Process is Dusty and Messy
Before I started the Wet Moly process, I always coated my bullets in small containers in my big Dillon tumbler. I would put the bullets in old EMPTY 1-lb powder containers and add the moly. I would place the powder containers in my big Dillon tumbler and tumble for at least three hours. I would then throw rice in with the bullets to soak up any excess moly dust and shine the bullets. Then I would shake out the rice using a lid with holes drilled in it. My coated stuff came out beautiful if I do say so myself even dry. However, there was always dust and moly mess (there was always some on my fingers when I would handle the bullets after). I only liked to doing coating in big batches to get it over with because it was a chore (by all means don’t get moly on the bottom of your shoes and track the carpet)!

Wet Moly Method — Tumbling in Bottles with Moly and Water

The new wet method entails adding water to the bullets during the tumble in the bottle, and it is way easier and cleaner. The final product is totally dust free and will not come off on your fingers as there is no dust or residue. I think they shoot better too, and the moly works as it is supposed to. I won’t get into the debates over the merits of moly. Some folks believe it works for them. This article is intended for those guys — it is not intended to convert handloaders who are happy with shooting uncoated bullets.

Editor: None other than John Whidden, Multi-Time National Long Range Champion, moly-coats his bullets. Whidden also uses a Wet Moly application method. He agrees that applying moly in a water solution delivers the best results, and doesn’t leave dusty residues.

Here is the basic outline of the Wet Moly application method. In addition to this outline, I created an instructional video that shows my entire process. [Editor: Definitely WATCH the video. It is important to see the post-tumbling rinsing and buffing processses.]

1. Use old 1-lb powder containers. Work over a sink. Add the bullets in reasonable batches to the containers (lets say 2-3 inches of bullets). I try to use use only enough water to cover the bullets and I use a little more moly than I used to with a dry application. I suggest using half a teaspoon of moly per two inches depth of bullets.

2. Tumble for four hours (at least). I tape the container lids shut before placing them in the tumbler. Then, simply place the powder container in your vibratory tumbler.

3. After the elapsed time, take the bottle to the sink and, dump contents into a plastic strainer. I use an old spaghetti strainer that I save just for moly. IMPORTANT: BE SURE you have a strainer that won’t let the bullets fall out! Stream water (from faucet) gently over the bullets to thoroughly clean excess residues off the bullets. Shake strainer to get all the water out. See video time 6:00-10:00.

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrels

4. Sift out the bullets onto a paper towel inside an old baking pan and shake to buff. Repeat until the bullets are completely dry and buffed to a high shine. The bullets are clean, dust-free and the moly is gorgeous! Leave for several days before storing or put them in your oven at about 130 degrees for 30 minutes to remove the last bit of any moisture. (WARNING: DO NOT use excessive oven heat or cook too long — set a timer!).

If you follow these instructions, the result should be the best moly coating you have ever seen!

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrels
Before and AFTER Wet Moly. Note how uniform the moly coating is on the bullets. The Wet Moly process also leaves a perfect glossy finish after rinsing and drying. And the bullets are totally dust-free! These are Sierra #1380 .224 69gr HPBT MatchKings.

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrelsBe sure to visit our online store at TheUrbanriflemanstore.com. We have a full compliment of front and rear bag riders for various rifles that we designed and produce in-house. We also stock Revolution laminated benchrest stocks, and we sell stainless steel Remington prefit barrels (which are getting rave reviews from customers). Also available are Wilson dies, Timney and Triggertech triggers, Berger and Sierra bullets, Magpul and Accuracy International chassis, and lots more.

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrels

urban rifleman online store, bag riders, Revolution stocks, Remington prefit barrels

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, News, Reloading, Tech Tip 2 Comments »
May 26th, 2021

Build Your Own Portable Reloading Station with B&D Workmate

portable reloading benchA while back, we featured a portable reloading bench built on a Black & Decker Workmate. That proved a VERY popular do-it-yourself project so we’re showing it again, in case you missed it the first time.

Texan Robert Lewis made himself a great portable reloading bench from plywood mounted to a Black & Decker Workmate. The bench, roughly 22″ x 19″ on top, folds up to fit easily in your car’s trunk or behind the seats in a pick-up truck cab. Four recessed bolts hold the wood top section to the collapsible B&D Workmate. The sides and back of the unit are attached to the base with small nails. There is a small shelf (also nailed in place) which can be used to clamp a powder measure or hold a scale. Shown in the photo is a Harrell’s Benchrest measure and Harrell’s single-stage “C” press.

Click for Detail of Top.
portable shooting bench

The whole unit can be built for about $65.00 with pine, or $80.00 with oak (as shown). Robert explained: “The Workmate was $40. If someone bought a 2’x4′ sheet of 3/4″ oak plywood, I think it is around $30. Using pine plywood would be about half that. Fasteners were $3. Spar Urethane would be $5.”

Robert told us: “I used a couple ideas I found on the web. The Larry Willis website gave me the idea to use the Black and Decker Workmate as a base. I found the Workmate on sale for $40 and the top is made from oak plywood I had in my shop. I sealed the wood with three coats of Spar Urethane. The whole thing folds into a nice package for transportation to and from the range.”

NOTE: Since we first ran this story, the price of a Black & Decker Workmate WM225 has increased. However you can still pick a WM225 Workmate for under $60.00. Amazon is currently selling WM225 Workmates for $59.58. The next best price we found was $69.61 at Home Depot, still a good price (Lowe’s is charging $94.98).

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