Want to see new-born Pandas? No, not the furry kind — rather Stolle Panda actions produced with state-of-the-art CNC machinery. If you’ve ever wondered how precision benchrest, long-range, and tactical rifles are built, check out video from Kelbly’s. You’ll see actions finished, barrels chambered and crowned, pillars installed in stocks, barreled actions bedded, plus a host of other services performed by Kelbly’s gunsmiths and machinists.
If you’re a fan of fine machine-work, this video should be both informative and entertaining. You can see how precision gun work is done with 21st-Century technology. Tip of the hat to Ian Kelbly and crew for producing this excellent video visit to the Kelbly’s production center.
Click Volume Control to Activate Sound for Kelbly’s Video:
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Want to see new-born Pandas? No, not the furry kind — rather Stolle Panda actions produced with state-of-the-art CNC machinery. If you’ve ever wondered how precision benchrest, long-range, and tactical rifles are built, check out video from Kelbly’s. You’ll see actions finished, barrels chambered and crowned, pillars installed in stocks, barreled actions bedded, plus a host of other services performed by Kelbly’s gunsmiths and machinists.
If you’re a fan of fine machine-work, this video should be both informative and entertaining. You can see how precision gun work is done with 21st-Century technology. Tip of the hat to Ian Kelbly and crew for producing this excellent video visit to the Kelbly’s production center.
Click Volume Control to Activate Sound for Kelbly’s Video:
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Want to see new-born Pandas? No, not the furry kind — rather Stolle Panda actions produced with state-of-the-art CNC machinery. If you’ve ever wondered how precision benchrest, long-range, and tactical rifles are built, check out video from Kelbly’s. You’ll see actions finished, barrels chambered and crowned, pillars installed in stocks, barreled actions bedded, plus a host of other services performed by Kelbly’s gunsmiths and machinists.
If you’re a fan of fine machine-work, this video should be both informative and entertaining. You can see how precision gun work is done with 21st-Century technology. Tip of the hat to Ian Kelbly and crew for producing this excellent video visit to the Kelbly’s production center.
Click Volume Control to Activate Sound for Kelbly’s Video:
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How is a modern, metal-chassis rifle built? This very cool video from Masterpiece Arms answers that question. The nicely-edited video shows the creation of a Masterpiece Arms tactical rifle from start to finish. All aspects of the manufacturing process are illustrated: 3D CAD modeling, CNC milling of the chassis, barrel threading/contouring, chamber-reaming, barrel lapping, laser engraving, and stock coating. If you love to see machines at work, you will enjoy this video…
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This video shows the process of single-point, cut-rifled barrel-making by one of the world’s best barrel manufacturers. See Krieger barrels being made, start to finish. Krieger cut-rifled barrels have set numerous world records and are favored by many top shooters. The video show the huge, complex machines used — bore-drilling equipment and hydraulic riflers. You can also see how barrels are contoured, polished, and inspected.
For anyone interested in accurate rifles, this is absolutely a “must-watch” video. Watch blanks being cryogenically treated, then drilled and lathe-turned. Next comes the big stuff — the massive rifling machines that single-point-cut the rifling in a precise, time-consuming process. Following that you can see barrels being contoured, polished, and inspected (with air gauge and bore-scope). There is even a sequence showing chambers being cut.
Here is a time-line of the important barrel-making processes shown in the video. You may want to use the “Pause” button, or repeat some segments to get a better look at particular operations. The numbers on the left represent playback minutes and seconds.
if you turn your case-necks, here’s a tool from 21st Century Shooting that can can save time, and help you produce better, more consistent turned necks. 21st Century’s Neck-Turning Lathe system, introduced last spring, may revolutionize the way reloaders turn their case necks. Watch the video and you’ll see why. If you’re never turned cases before, you may become a convert after seeing how quickly and easily the new 21st Century Neck-Turning Lathe does the job.
The mini-lathe has unique fittings on the left and right sides that allow both the case-holder and the neck-turning tool to float. As a result this tool maintains near-perfect concentricity during the cut. 21st Century’s John Perkins explains: “The floating design of the neck turner and the case driver allows the case mouth (bore) to run on the arbor absolutely concentric, therefore allowing O.D. to be turned concentric with I.D. The tailstock creates a horizontal inline support for the base of the case. This also allows the operator to keep both hands on the power screw driver or drill, making it very easy to control the feed rate and to produce a very fine, turned finish.” Having the system float at both ends was key, according to John: “By allowing both the turner and the case to float, everything self-aligns. This maintains concentricity and allows the unit to work with very low torque.”
Neck-Turning Lathe is Fast Yet Precise
Using power from a drill or electric screwdriver, this tool will turn necks fast — in a matter of a few seconds. And it produces beautiful, smooth necks that are extremely uniform. Tests show that the lathe, used with the 21st Century Neck-Turning Tool, will hold 0.0002 (two ten-thousandths) neck wall tolerances. And it will do that time after time.
Turn Necks in a Single Pass
Using traditional hand-methods, turning case necks can be time-consuming and fatiguing. Many folks will experience hand pain or cramping after just a dozen cases. Watch the video, you’ll see how fast and easy neck-turning can be with the new mini-lathe. You get an exceptionally good cut in seconds. Very importantly, with this system, you may be able to switch from a double-pass cut, to a single-pass cut. Yes, even if you’re making a deep cut, we think there is a good chance you can turn all your necks in a single pass. That can cut your labor time in half!
Why does the 21st Century Neck-Turning Tool cut so well? First, the Neck-Turning Tool employs ultra-sharp carbide cutters that are custom-ground to fit the shoulder angle of your cartridge. This allows you to make a perfect cut extending down the shoulder 1/32 of an inch. Second, the system aligns the case neck on the arbor (mandrel) so well, and the cutter is so sharp, that very little torque is required. This allows the cutting process to go very smoothly. The case-holder is also unique — it features a O-ring so it holds the case firmly in place without marring or bending the case head. The tailstock case-holder adjusts to accommodate cases from 17 Fireball to a .416 Rigby.
More Case Prep Tools for Lathe in Future
In the near future 21st Century will offer additional case prep attachments for the new mini-lathe. 21st Century plans to provide bullet-pointing system and other options. These will all work with the same lathe “chassis”, and will run with power. John states: “This is a modular system, all parts interchange. So if you have an existing 21st Century Shooting Neck Turning Tool or Bracket, everything will fit.”
The 21st Century Neck-Turning Lathe costs $245.00, complete with Neck-Turning Tool ($85.00 value) and one case-holder driver. The Neck-Turning Tool comes with a carbide cutter with user choice of shoulder angle (Arbors and Mandrels are sold separately). Perkins recommends using the Neck-Turning Lathe with power, but it will also work with an optional hand crank. NOTE: Currently the Neck-Turning Lathe works ONLY with the 21st Century Neck-Turner. It will not work with K&M, Sinclair, or Forster tools. But that’s not a real drawback because the 21st Century tool is certainly one of the best on the market today. You can purchase the Neck-Turning Lathe (complete with Neck-Turner and Case-Holder) through the 21st Century website, or call (260) 273-9909.
Disclosure: 21st Century Shooting advertises with AccurateShooter.com.
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Hand loaders have been awaiting the release of the Hornady Lock-N-Load™ Power Case Prep Center, ever since it was displayed at the 2009 SHOT Show. Midsouth Shooters Supply finally received its first shipment of the Hornady prep centers and put them on sale for $313.80, promptly selling out. More units are on the way.
The folks at Midsouth reported: “We finally received our first shipment of the Hornady Lock-N-Load Case Prep Center! We were so excited to see how one worked -– so we pulled out of the box and checked it out. Set up time was about three minutes and noise level was low. However, we discovered that you’ll need a Hornady or Redding shell holder for the caliber you are trimming (or prepping). RCBS and Lyman shell holders do NOT work with this Prep Center. We also learned that you’ll need to order the Large and Small Primer Pocket Reamers separately. Both large (005-390751) and small (005-390750) reamers cost $6.60 each.”
Midsouth concluded that: “Overall the Hornady Prep Center is a really sturdy piece of equipment.” Midsouth said the trimming/prepping tools work great and the machine is easy to clean. The improved T-bar handle gives better control over case height when trimming. At first, the Hornady’s $300+ price may seem steep. However, if you purchase BOTH an RCBS Trim Pro Power Trimmer ($260.12) and Trim Mate Case Prep Center ($108.58), you’d spend $368.70 combined. Buying the Hornady gives you an all-in-one machine that is more efficient to use, and occupies a smaller footprint on your loading bench.
Below is a video demonstration of the Hornady Case Prep Center at SHOT Show 2009. Click on the “HQ” button for the higher resolution version which shows the tool operation more clearly.
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SHOT Show 2009 officially opened yesterday, with thousands of gun industry professionals, wholesalers, retailers, and media persons streaming through the gates of the Orlando Convention Center in the morning. Check out the SHOT Flickr PhotoStream for a bird’s eye view inside the Convention Hall. CLICK HERE to see the crowd on opening day.
No “Super-Zoom” From Sightron Our Asst. Editor Jason Baney continued his quest for cool, new stuff at the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando. Sadly, he had to report that the rumored 10-50×56 Sightron competition scope was nowhere to be seen. We know that Sightron is working on a 10-50X and maybe even 10-60X zoom scope as a followup to its very popular 8-32×56 scope unveiled at the 2008 Shot Show. However, the ultra-high-power zoom is still in the development stages. There ARE prototypes, we know that, but when (and if) the Sightron “super-zoom” gets finalized is still uncertain. Given the outstanding performance of the 8-32×56 30mm Sightron (as tested by Jason), we’re hoping its “big brother” will make it into production. Message to Sightron: If an 8-32 is good, a 10-50 might be even better…
During gaps in his busy interview schedule, Jason was able to meet with some of our “friends of the site”. At left, Jason meets Jim Scoutten, host of the very popular ShootingUSA TV series. This past year, AccurateShooter.com helped connect the ShootingUSA production team with leading long-range benchrest and F-Class shooters. We look forward to continued cooperation with ShootingUSA and other leading shooting sports broadcasters.
Jason also met up with Gordy Gritters, one of our recommended gunsmiths. As he did at last year’s SHOT Show, gunsmith Gordy was holding forth in the Grizzly booth, demonstrating chambering and barrel-fitting to a wide-eyed crowd of on-lookers. In cooperation with Grizzly Industrial, Gordy is working on a series of gunsmithing DVDs. These will be a far cry from the typical smithing videos that show you how to tap a receiver or install a buttpad. Gordy’s DVDs cover the advanced methods used to produce precision competition and varmint rifles. In one video segment, Gordy shows how to chamber and headspace a match barrel using a Grizzly G0509G 3-Phase Gunsmith Lathe. Below is a segment from the DVD showing Gordy fine-tuning the headspace as he fits a BAT Machine ‘MB’ action to the barrel. Working with precise indicators, you can see Gordy set the headspace to within a few ten-thousandths of an inch.
Ken Lunde — The Ansel Adams of SHOT Show
While Jason was roaming the floor, our friend Ken Lunde was doing his usual, masterful job of photographing new firearms at the show. Check out Ken’s 2009 SHOT Show Report. It has dozens of great images of guns on display in Orlando. A very gifted photographer, Ken is also a serious varmint shooter and the owner of multiple Cooper rifles (one of which was featured as Gun of the Week). Naturally, then, Ken’s “first stop was the Cooper Arms booth”. There, Ken got a great photo of a sectioned (cut-away) Cooper m21 action. This is a “must-see”. The Cut-away shows the inside of the chamber, tenon section, and even the inside of the bolt. It’s like having X-Ray vision. Click on the Larger Image button to see even more details.
Photo copyright Ken Lunde, used by permission.
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Turn Necks in a Single Pass
Why does the 21st Century Neck-Turning Tool cut so well? First, the Neck-Turning Tool employs ultra-sharp carbide cutters that are custom-ground to fit the shoulder angle of your cartridge. This allows you to make a perfect cut extending down the shoulder 1/32 of an inch. Second, the system aligns the case neck on the arbor (mandrel) so well, and the cutter is so sharp, that very little torque is required. This allows the cutting process to go very smoothly. The case-holder is also unique — it features a O-ring so it holds the case firmly in place without marring or bending the case head. The tailstock case-holder adjusts to accommodate cases from 17 Fireball to a .416 Rigby.
Our Asst. Editor Jason Baney continued his quest for cool, new stuff at the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando. Sadly, he had to report that the rumored 10-50×56 Sightron competition scope was nowhere to be seen. We know that Sightron is working on a 10-50X and maybe even 10-60X zoom scope as a followup to its very popular 8-32×56 scope unveiled at the 2008 Shot Show. However, the ultra-high-power zoom is still in the development stages. There ARE prototypes, we know that, but when (and if) the Sightron “super-zoom” gets finalized is still uncertain. Given the outstanding performance of the 
During gaps in his busy interview schedule, Jason was able to meet with some of our “friends of the site”. At left, Jason meets Jim Scoutten, host of the very popular ShootingUSA TV series. This past year, AccurateShooter.com helped connect the ShootingUSA production team with leading long-range benchrest and F-Class shooters. We look forward to continued cooperation with ShootingUSA and other leading shooting sports broadcasters.
