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February 18th, 2011
Black Hills Ammunition (BHA) produces high-quality new and remanufactured ammo. Black Hills remanufactured .223 Rem and .308 Win ammo is popular with tactical shooters because it is cost-effective, yet very accurate since it is loaded with premium match-grade bullets. Black Hills has now come out with a line of hunting ammunition using the very accurate Hornady GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) lead-free projectiles. New loads include: 80gr .243 Win; 120gr .260 Rem; 120gr 6.5-.284 Norma; 130gr 270 Win; 150gr .308 Win; 150gr .30-06; 139gr 7mm RemMag; and 165gr 300 WinMag.
The GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) bullets are constructed of gilding metal, the same material used for bullet jackets. GMX bullets expand quickly and reliably upon impact, and retain nearly 100% of their weight. These GMX bullets contain no lead, making them a good choice for areas that restrict use of lead-cored bullets. To learn more, contact Black Hills Ammunition at (605) 348-5150.
 New Black Hills 5.56 Ammo
For 2011, Black Hills is releasing two new 5.56mm offerings for commercial sale. First, it offers a new match load with 77gr Sierra MatchKings (SMKs). The new 5.56mm ammo pushes the 77gr SMKs at 2750 fps from a 20″ barrel. According to Black Hills: “this load delivers sub-minute accuracy consistently from 10-shot groups.”
Next, Black Hills is making its 50gr police 5.56mm load available to the public. The BHA 5.56mm 50gr TSX load was developed for U.S. law enforcement. This load utilizes a specially-built version of Barnes Bullet Company’s TSX bullet. It provides expansion to .50 caliber immediately upon impact and consistently penetrates to an ideal average penetration depth of 14″ in ballistic gelatin. Black Hills calls this “an ideal civilian defense or law enforcement patrol-rifle round” that works well through a variety of barrel lengths.
February 11th, 2011
Pistol shooters take heed. Federal Cartridge Company has issued a recall on 45 Auto (.45 ACP) ammo, stating: “Certain lots of recently manufactured 45 Auto ammunition may contain an incorrect propellant charge. Use of product from these lots may result in firearm damage and possible serious injury.” CLICK HERE for 45 Auto (.45 ACP) Warning Flyer.
THIS WARNING APPLIES ONLY TO THE LOTS LISTED ABOVE.
If you possess ammunition from any of these lots, or have questions concerning this warning, please contact us at 1-800-831-0850 or 1-800-322-2342 and ask for Product Service. Federal will provide replacement product and will cover the cost of returning the affected product. Return recalled 45 Auto (.45 ACP) ammo to:
FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY
900 Bob Ehlen Drive
Anoka, MN 55303
Toll Free Phone: 1-800-322-2342
Story Sourced by Edlongrange.
January 14th, 2011
 In case you haven’t heard, February 1, 2011 is the last day you can legally purchase handgun ammunition in California, without providing a fingerprint and personal contact information. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the same law that mandates “print and ID” to purchase, also prohibits handgun ammunition sales that are not “face to face”. That effectively bans online and mail-order handgun ammo sales from any source. All these changes were enacted into law with the passage of AB 962 last year.
Given California’s tough new ammo law, most online ammo vendors, including Ammoman.com, Cabelas.com, Grafs.com, and MidsouthShootersSupply.com have announced order deadlines in January. To allow for packing and transit times, these vendors will stop taking handgun ammo orders from California customers 10-17 days before the new law goes into effect.
So when are the Vendor-imposed Deadlines for ammo purchases? Well today, February 14 is the last day Californians can purchase handgun ammunition from Grafs.com. MidsouthShootersSupply is cutting off orders on January 20th. You have another day if you order from Cabelas.com — it will continue to take handgun ammo orders from Californians through January 21, 2011.
Grafs.com Notice — Deadline 1/14/2011
Midsouth Shooters Supply Notice — Deadline 1/20/2011
Cabela’s Notice — Deadline 1/21/2011
Smallbore Rifle Shooters Will Be Affected by New Law
Unfortunately, AB 962’s definition of “handgun ammunition” is vague, and California’s Department of Justice has failed to provide any meaningful clarification. This means that mail-order ammo vendors will have to halt shipments of ammo that could be used in both rifles and pistols. Take .223 Remington for example. Most people would consider that a rifle cartridge. However, Keltec and other manufacturers make pistols chambered for the .223 Rem. Most importantly, virtually all rimfire ammo will be embargoed because 17 Mach 2, 17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR are all used in pistols. So, you Californians needing .223 Rem, or rimfire ammo for your rifles better place your orders soon.
December 31st, 2010
Graf & Sons is running an end-of-the-year “Blow-out Sale” with deep discounts on many products. Prices on many Close-Out items have been slashed by 50% or more. And, if you order $50.00 (or more) worth of merchandise, Grafs waves its customary $4.95 handling free. Grafs already gives free shipping on most products they sell (but hazmat fees and ‘heavy item’ fees may apply to some items).
Deals on Hornady Ammo, Components, and Gear
Graf’s has also knocked down the price on select Hornady items including the versatile Hornady Case Prep Center. You can get this at Grafs.com for just $279.99. Elsewhere the Case Prep Center sells for up to $100.00 more. Below are two good UltimateReloader.com videos showing the features and functions of the Hornady Case Prep Center. Note: Skip to the 1:30 minute mark of Part One if you’re in a hurry. The first minute or so is just spent depriming cases. After that, both Part One and Part Two Videos are well worth watching.
Hornady Case Prep Center DEMO Video (Part One)
Hornady Case Prep Center DEMO Video (Part Two)
Thanks to Forum member EdLongRange for spotting this special sale.
December 27th, 2010
Story by Larry Keane, NSSF
 Since the early 1970s, ammunition being shipped in the United States has been classified under “Other Regulated Materials” — class D (ORM-D) regulations. This precludes the need for hazardous material (HazMat) shipping charges and other expensive handling requirements. The savings to the industry has been estimated at more than $300 million per year.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) recognized a potential risk of losing ORM-D status due to the emerging “global harmonization” of shipping regulations. Simply put, the U.S. was likely to adopt United Nations (UN) regulations in an attempt to help ease the global shipping process by adhering to one uniform policy. The problem with shifting to UN regulations is that there is no “ORM-D” status, so if/when this happened, ammunition would have to be shipped under the UN 1.4s category — a category that includes HazMat fees.
 SAAMI petitioned the world body to change its shipping regulations to allow for a Limited Quantity (LQ) exemption for class 1.4s products that meet certain testing criteria. Then, SAAMI proved that ammunition meets these criteria. The LQ exemption for loaded ammunition would allow countries to adopt regulations very similar to the current U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ORM-D classification, yet still be in alignment with global shipping regulations.
‘LQ’ Ammo Shipping Class Will Replace ‘ORM-D’
The UN has adopted SAAMI’s petition and the new international regulation have become final. In the meantime, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) has announced sweeping changes to U.S. regulations that will harmonize them with the international regulations. Included in these upcoming changes are the elimination of ORM-D status and the addition of the LQ exemption for ammunition . The net result is that while the regulations will change, shipment of ammunition in the U.S will continue without additional fees and handling requirements. So you will still be able to ship loaded ammo with NO Haz-Mat Fees, but in the future, the ORM-D status will change to LQ exempt status.
December 23rd, 2010
 Starting February 1, 2011, a new law goes into effect in California that will block mail-order sales of any loaded ammo that can be used in a pistol. That, of course, includes .22LR, 30-30, .223 Remington, 6mmBR and other popular rifle rounds that have been adapted for pistols. In the fall of 2009, when AB962 was first passed by the California legislature, we reported on this restrictive new legislation. The new law IS being challenged in court, but it is still set to go into effect on February 1st, 2011.
CLICK HERE for Full Text of AB 962
In response to California’s imminent mail-order ammo ban, ammunition vendors are gearing up for a rush of ammo sales in the next five weeks. Here is Cabela’s Ammo Sale Notice:
Related Articles
California Legislature Passes AB 962
Schwarzenegger Terminates Mail-Order Ammo Sales in California
Lawsuit Challenges California Ammo Ban
December 8th, 2010
The folks at Personal Armament Podcast have come up with Holiday Gift Guide for Yuppie Shooters. While that story title mocks shooters who may have more money than skill, the list actually contains some interesting new gear. Here are a few examples:
Technoframes Ammo Carriers and Display Cases.
These CNC-machined display boxes look great. There are many varieties to choose from, including wood, metal, and plexiglass. We like the fact that many of the boxes are lockable.
 
 
Custom Tool for Loading and Unloading Revolver Moon Clips
This unique moon/de-moon tool set retails for $80 and is available from Randell Kenner, 3111 Lien Street, Rapid City, SD 57702, (605) 605-348-3538, bmtmooner@rushmore.com.
Moon Clip Tool photos courtesy www.ApexTactical.com.
Faux Guitar Case Gun Bag
This Ultimate Discrete Rifle Case, produced for LWRC Int’l by Blue Force Gear, stows a tactical carbine inside what appears to be a guitar case. Looks nicely made, but when you think about it, why pay $149.99 for the “Ultimate Discrete Rifle Case” when, for forty bucks or less on eBay, you can buy a real “previously-owned” guitar case that will do the same job — and be even more stealthy.
Check Out the Podcasts from PersonalArmament.com
You should visit the Personal Armament Podcast Site. Launched in 2009, this website features dozens of podcast interviews with interesting folks, including 2010 National Long-Range Champion John Whidden, Chris Hodgdon of Hodgdon/IMR Powders, and Kevin Thomas from Nammo Lapua.
October 23rd, 2010
 Grafs.com is running some great promotions right now. If you need to stock up on powder, now is the time to buy. Graf’s will waive the normal $25 hazardous materials (hazmat) transport surcharge for customers purchasing at least 16 pounds of powder. That’s two 8-lb jugs, or sixteen 1-lb cannisters. Graf’s is also running an ammunition special: Graf’s will toss in ten FREE Birchwood Casey 8″ Shoot-N-C targets if you purchase three or more boxes of centerfire ammo.
No Hazmat Fee with 16 Pounds of Smokeless Powder
Here’s the deal: Buy 16 pounds of smokeless powder, and you won’t have to pay the normal $25 hazardous materials fee on your order. You can add more smokeless powder or primers to your purchase (up to a total weight of 50 pounds) with no additional hazmat charge. Limit one free hazmat fee per order, all items must be in stock. Orders must ship via FedEx Ground.
Free Targets with Ammo Purchase
Buy any three (3) boxes of centerfire handgun or rifle ammunition and receive ten (10) free Birchwood Casey 8″ Shoot-N-C targets with your order (a $10 retail value). The ammo must be in stock to qualify. Limit one 10-pack per order.
October 17th, 2010
In early 2011, Hornady will start shipping its new, “enhanced velocity” Superformance™ Varmint ammunition for four chamberings: 222 Remington, .223 Remington, 22-250, and .243 Winchester. This ammo uses proprietary, blended powder formulations to achieve faster velocities that most other factory-loaded ammo (for these cartridge types). In addition, the propellant burns more completely in the barrel, reducing the amount of ejecta (i.e. powder residue that exits the muzzle). By burning the powder more completely in the barrel, Hornady claims the Superformance ammo delivers higher velocities without increased recoil.
New 53gr V-Max for .223 Rem Ammo
All four types of Superformance Varmint ammo are loaded with polymer-tipped V-Max bullets. The .223 Rem ammo features a new 53-grain V-Max bullet with a decent 0.290 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. Hornady claims that: “This new bullet… enables this load to produce trajectory and wind drift equaling that of a conventional 22-250″. Well, it may come close to factory loaded 22-250 rounds from other manufacturers, but any competent hand-loader can produce 22-250 or 22-6XC loads that easily outrun Hornady’s 53gr V-Max load. As with any advertising claims, run the numbers yourself. The chart below shows Hornady’s claimed velocities for its Superformance Varmint ammo:
Hot-Rod Ammo?
Hornady released a somewhat “over the top” video touting its Superformance Varmint Ammo. We chuckled at the drag-racing animation, but you will find some useful info in the second half of the video:
September 17th, 2010
A new web vendor for loaded ammunition has just opened its doors to the online public. BulkAmmo.com launched its new secure web-store earlier this month. To celebrate its grand opening, BulkAmmo.com is offering our readers a special promotion: $25 off their first order over $200. To take advantage of this special offer, use Coupon CODE “GrandOpening” during check-out.
Steven, one of the BulkAmmo.com principals tells us: “We have a lot of inventory available and it’s all ready to ship.” BulkAmmo.com currently stocks major brands including Aguilla, CCI, Federal, Fiocchi, PMC, Remington, Tula, Winchester, and Wolf. You’ll find a wide selection of pistol, rimfire, and centerfire rifle ammo, plus shotgun shells. Brands of .308 Win brass-cased ammo include: Hornady (Interlock), Federal (GMM), and PMC.
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