Forum member and long-range shooter Jerry Brandon has launched a new company, Ballistics Edge Mfg., which produces cartridge annealing machines for use by home reloaders. Brandon, a talented designer and fabricator, first tried annealing to maintain the quality of his own match brass. Brandon then built and tested a series of prototype annealing machines, working with a variety of brass sizes. Now Ballistics Edge Mfg. offers a full line of four annealing machines: the manually-operated Model 200 ($250), the motorized twin-torch Model 300 ($345), the motorized triple-torch Model 350 ($395), and the motorized Model 400 ($475), a beautifully-machined carousel design.
Brandon’s most versatile machine, and the one he recommends for annealing both normal- and magnum-sized cases, is the Model 350. Like the Model 300, the Model 350 features all-metal construction and motorized case transport. The Model 350 uses three torches rather than the Model 300’s two. The triple-torch system does a better job heating the large-diameter necks on .338, .416 and .50-caliber cases. The triple-torch design also ensures fast, uniform heating of the case-necks on smaller cases. The video below shows the Model 350 in action, annealing jumbo-sized .50 BMG cases.
For PPC, 6mmBR, and .308-sized cases, you can use the Model 200, the Model 300, or the Model 400. The Model 200 is a simple, one-at-a-time annealer that works remarkably well using a sliding arm. Simply slide the case into the flame, then slide it out after the required dwell time. For the average reloader, the Model 200 may be more than adequate. If, however, you plan to anneal hundreds of cases a week, you may want to consider the beautifully-machined Model 400 carousel, which will anneal 100 cases in less than 15 minutes. The Model 400 features both .308-size and magnum/ultra magnum-size holes to accept both .47X and .56X diameter cases. Just choose the correct size hole and adjust the torch height to match your case. The .75″-thick shell-plate top acts as a heat-sink to protect the lower case body. View the Model 400 carousel annealer in the video below.
Ballistics Edge Website Offers Good Technical Advice on Annealing
Anyone interested in learning about cartridge annealing should visit www.AnnealingMachines.com, Jerry Brandon’s website. There you’ll find a helpful, authoritative discussion of annealing, including the all-important factors of time and temperature. As Brandon observes, much MISinformation about annealing can be found. Brandon will set you straight. Read Brandon’s How to Anneal article and you can avoid making costly (and potentially dangerous) mistakes, whether you anneal manually or use an annealing machine. In the video below, Jerry Brandon reviews the features of Ballistics Edge annealing machines. He also provides some good, basic advice for shooters who are looking to try their hand at annealing for the first time.
Many of the world’s best wheelgunners will be in California the first week in June. The 19th Annual Smith & Wesson Int’l Revolver Championship (IRC) takes place June 4-6 at the Hogue Action Pistol Range in San Luis Obispo, CA. This is the 11th consecutive season that San Luis Obispo Sportsmen’s Assn. hosts the IRC, the highlight of the ICORE revolver shooting season. Nearly 200 ace revolver shooters, from the USA as well as 6 foreign countries, are expected to compete. According to Ron Joslin, IRC match director: “This is the highlight of our competition season. It’s where everybody in ICORE comes together to determine who is the best. This is our Superbowl, and it’s been that way for the last 18 years.”
The man to beat in Open Class will be legendary pistolero Jerry Miculek of Team Smith & Wesson. Jerry has won every IRC in which he has competed. When it comes to wheelguns, Miculek is the fastest man on the planet. Also competing will be past Ladies Open Division winner Julie Golob, and last year’s Limited Division Champion John Bagakis.
Along with the adult classifications, the IRC features divisions for Junior shooters. The junior events are always crowd-pleasers. Some of these youngsters are definitely future champions in the making. The video below shows the 2009 IRC Junior Shoot-Off for the overall Junior Title.
Man vs. Machine-Gun — Miculek Duels Uzi on Shooting USA TV
In related news, on tonight’s ‘Impossible Shots’ segment of the Shooting USA TV broadcast, Jerry Miculek will attempt to keep pace with a full-auto Uzi machine-gun. Shooting his tuned 1911 pistol, Miculek will engage a set of targets and try to match the RPM (rounds per minute) rate of the Uzi. This should be an interesting challenge to watch. Who will win? Well, I would never bet against Miculek when it comes to speed shooting….
Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots airs Wednesday at these times:
Eastern Time: 2:30 PM, 10:30 PM | 2:30 AM (Thursday)
Central Time: 1:30 PM, 9:30 PM | 1:30 AM (Thursday)
Mountain Time: 12:30 PM, 8:30 PM | 12:30 AM (Thursday)
Pacific Time: 11:30 AM, 7:30 PM, 11:30 PM
There has been a trend to ever-lighter handgun frame construction, in an effort to make pistols lighter and more convenient to carry. Ruger just introduced the LCR 357, a .357 Magnum carry revolver with a frame made, in part, from plastic. Well, perhaps weight reduction efforts have gone too far, at least when it comes to magnum chamberings in handguns.
A Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum model 329 PD revolver recently broke in half while shooting Winchester factory ammo. The whole front end of the gun sheared off forward of the cylinder. Cause of the failure is unknown, but it does not appear that the barrel was obstructed, as there was no visible damage to the barrel assembly forward of the frame. We really don’t know why this revolver broke in half, though some observers speculated there may have been hairline fractures in the frame. That’s just a guess. It’s also possible that the factory ammo was over-charged. The pictures below were posted by the gun owner on Photobucket and first linked on AR15.com.
Scandium Alloy Frames
The model 329 PD has a “Scandium AirLite” frame, which is in fact an alloy of aluminum and scandium. When combined with aluminum, scandium (which costs ten times as much as gold by weight), forms an alloy that is lighter than titanium and as much as three times stronger than ordinary aluminum. Apparently however, there can be problems with scandium construction… as the photos reveal. Last year, Smith & Wesson recalled 270 limited-edition Performance Center m329 revolvers because barrel assembly may have caused frame damage. The model 329 PD shown in this article was NOT one of the recalled Performance Center guns.
Make My Magnum from Steel… The Smith & Wesson model 329 PD weighs only 25.1 ounces total, unloaded. Why one would want to shoot “full-house”, high-pressure loads through such a light gun puzzles this Editor. For a carry gun, lower-pressure .44 Special loads seem more appropriate. Smith & Wesson makes a variety of heavier, all-steel handguns chambered in .44 Magnum. If I was to shoot a steady diet of full-power .44 Magnum loads through a revolver, give me a gun with a solid steel frame, such as the classic S&W model 29. After seeing these shocking kaboom photos, when shooting true Magnum loads through a Scandium-framed revolver I would nervously ask myself the question famously posed by Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry: “Do I feel lucky?”.
Musician Ted Nugent wowed the crowd at the 139th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte, NC. Nugent offered some great advice on how to bring more folks into the shooting sports and how to change the attitudes of Americans who disapprove of guns and recreational shooting.
Nugent Says “Fix” the Anti-Gunners
“Fix them”, Nugent said. “You have a friend that doesn’t like guns? Spend an afternoon with them at the range. Your wife doesn’t like hunting? Take her to the woods until she lands her first deer. To paraphrase Uncle Ted, there’s no one out there who can’t be saved, we just have to fix them.” We like Nugent’s simple, pro-active strategies….
“[Nugent] was spectacular,” said an NRA member from New York. “Maybe more raw than some were expecting, but hey – that’s Ted. Might not like all the words, but the message is always on target.”
Bringing people to their feet time and again, The Nuge wrapped up the event with a handful of tunes and a plea for those who protect and serve. Be they firemen, policeman, or soliders, you should treat them. Treat them to an NRA membership. Treat them to a meal. Treat them to anything and everything because these are the people who protect our lives and freedoms so we should do everything within our power to protect them.
GUNPAL has become “GPal”. GUNPAL, organized as an electronic payment system for firearms transactions, is now operating as GPal, Inc. at www.GPal.net.
“As our userbase grows, so must our appeal. The GPal name signifies that we are a payment service for every lawful purpose, and our VeriSign EV SSL Certificate, the strongest in the world, showcases our commitment to security.” says GPal.net CEO Ben Cannon. The change was made to provide a broader potential market for GPal, which currently boasts 20,000+ users. GPal will remain the preferred payment service for AuctionArms.com.
Cannon added: “Only the name is evolving to better serve our user base and provide a growth path for expansion. All buttons, links and banners will continue to work but will be redirected to GPal.net. Thank you for your support thus far in providing a transaction-neutral payment service.” Learn more about GPal developments on GPal’s FaceBook webpage.
Competitive shooters need to keep track of the weight of their rifle and gear. In many disciplines rifle weight is restricted, and when traveling by air overseas, every ounce counts. Hunters and varminters headed to far-off locations also need to know how much their equipment weighs. Airlines now impose costly penalties for overweight baggage.
Here’s a compact, handy scale that can help ensure your checked baggage doesn’t exceed limits. (You can use the scale to get a rough idea of your rifle weight, but to be 100% sure you “make weight” per match rules, use a quality calibrated scale, such as a postal scale rated to 40 pounds.) A scale like this is also handy when selecting spotting scopes, rests, hard cases etc., to take on a trip. This pocket scale is small enough that you can keep it in your range kit or bring it along on your travels.
Right now Amazon.com has the Travelon Luggage Scale on sale for $9.06 with FREE Shipping. This compact unit weighs items up to 75 pounds. Just place the hook around the item to be weighed, and lift with the metal handle at the top. The red dial marker stops in place at max weight, so you don’t have to watch the scale as you lift. Most purchasers have given this scale good reviews.
Brownells has added a new Professional Drill Jig to its collection of gunsmithing tools. The $194.99 jig, made by B Square, aligns hole-spacing for popular scope bases on most popular military bolt action receivers. According to Brownells, this jig: “aligns mount hole-spacing for Weaver, Redfield and Buehler bases on all Springfields, U.S. Enfields (not SMLE), Japs, Mausers, Remington 30s and similar bolt actions.” Brownells says this unit saves time and eliminates tedious measuring as it “automatically locates holes in reference to recoil shoulder, and aligns and spaces holes vertically on the centerline of the receiver.”
Brownells’ Drill Jig features all-metal construction. The jig bars, base block and top piece are gold-anodized aluminum while the bore arbor and “V” bushings are blued steel. For the $194.99 price, the Pro Drill Jig includes two bars (Mauser and Spgfld/Enf/Jap,), complete mounting assembly, and an interchangeable No. 31 drill bushing.
Editor’s Comment: In the past, we haven’t been particularly impressed with B Square consumer products, particularly B Square rails and rings, but with CNC machining these days, the Professional Jig should be a quality tool. Remember that Brownells offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on everything it sells: “If you aren’t completely, 100% satisfied with any purchase you receive from Brownells, for any reason, at any time, return it for a full refund or exchange. No hassle, no problem.”
At the NRA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC, Austrian pistol-maker Glock Gesellschaft mbH donated over $115,000 in cash and materials to the NRA and its programs. $50K went to the NRA directly, while Glock made separate donations of $50,000 to the NRA Whittington Center and $15,000 to the NRA Whittington Center Adventure Camp.
Located in Raton, NM, the Whittington Center is an important venue for competitive shooting. Every year it hosts major championships including the Spirit of America match. We tip our hat to Glock, particularly for its generous donation to the Whittington Center. Glock’s contributions will help the Whittington Center maintain and upgrade its range facilities, along with expanding its training and youth programs.
The 2010 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina May 14th – May 16th. If you can’t make it to Charlotte, tune in to Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® Radio this Saturday. Tom will broadcast LIVE from the NRA Show (at the Charlotte Convention Center) on Saturday, May 15 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Eastern. Gresham will deliver his radio show from the Springfield Armory booth, #1803. All NRA Meeting attendees are welcome to stop by the booth and “watch” the radio show.
Guests will include Springfield Armory’s Rob Leatham with a big announcement, Mossberg, Corbon, Armed Citizens Network, Viridian Green Laser, and Hodgdon Powder. Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio is in its 15th year of national syndication and runs on 94 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. Podcast versions of Gun Talk shows are available through Apple iTunes or the Gun Talk Archive.
Now through the end of 2010, Hornady is offering a FREE 100-ct box of bullets when you purchase any New Dimension Die Set with Zip Spindle™ System (Series I, II or III). Those FREE bullets are worth up to $30.00, making this an attractive deal. Hornady makes good dies. This Editor uses Hornady New Dimension dies for most of my handgun cartridge reloading, as well as for reloading my 45/70 cases. The Hornady dies I’ve used have been dimensionally correct, well-finished, and durable. When I did manage to break a decapping pin tip on a stubborn primer, Hornady promptly sent me not one but two replacements at no charge. To claim your free bullets (after purchasing a die set), you need to download and fill out Hornady’s redemption form (PDF). Submit that with Proof of Purchase, and wait 8-10 weeks for delivery. You must choose a box of bullets from the list below. (Bullet MSRPs are shown in right column.) CLICK HERE to download Hornady 2010 ‘Get Loaded’ Redemption Form.
Forum member and long-range shooter Jerry Brandon has launched a new company, Ballistics Edge Mfg., which produces cartridge annealing machines for use by home reloaders. Brandon, a talented designer and fabricator, first tried annealing to maintain the quality of his own match brass. Brandon then built and tested a series of prototype annealing machines, working with a variety of brass sizes. Now Ballistics Edge Mfg. offers a full line of four annealing machines: the manually-operated Model 200 ($250), the motorized twin-torch Model 300 ($345), the motorized triple-torch Model 350 ($395), and the motorized Model 400 ($475), a beautifully-machined carousel design.
For PPC, 6mmBR, and .308-sized cases, you can use the Model 200, the Model 300, or the Model 400. The Model 200 is a simple, one-at-a-time annealer that works remarkably well using a sliding arm. Simply slide the case into the flame, then slide it out after the required dwell time. For the average reloader, the Model 200 may be more than adequate. If, however, you plan to anneal hundreds of cases a week, you may want to consider the beautifully-machined Model 400 carousel, which will anneal 100 cases in less than 15 minutes. The Model 400 features both .308-size and magnum/ultra magnum-size holes to accept both .47X and .56X diameter cases. Just choose the correct size hole and adjust the torch height to match your case. The .75″-thick shell-plate top acts as a heat-sink to protect the lower case body. View the Model 400 carousel annealer in the video below.
Many of the world’s best wheelgunners will be in California the first week in June. The 19th Annual Smith & Wesson Int’l Revolver Championship (IRC) takes place June 4-6 at the 
The Smith & Wesson 
Musician Ted Nugent wowed the crowd at the 139th Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Charlotte, NC. Nugent offered some great advice on how to bring more folks into the shooting sports and how to change the attitudes of Americans who disapprove of guns and recreational shooting.
GUNPAL has become “GPal”. GUNPAL, organized as an electronic payment system for firearms transactions, is now operating as GPal, Inc. at 
Now through the end of 2010, Hornady is offering a FREE 100-ct box of bullets when you purchase any New Dimension Die Set with Zip Spindle™ System (Series I, II or III). Those FREE bullets are worth up to $30.00, making this an attractive deal. Hornady makes good dies. This Editor uses Hornady New Dimension dies for most of my handgun cartridge reloading, as well as for reloading my 45/70 cases. The Hornady dies I’ve used have been dimensionally correct, well-finished, and durable. When I did manage to break a decapping pin tip on a stubborn primer, Hornady promptly sent me not one but two replacements at no charge. To claim your free bullets (after purchasing a die set), you need to download and fill out 
