Forum member Skeeter has a 6mm Dasher falling block varmint rifle. The Dasher case is based on the 6mm BR Norma cartridge with the shoulder blown forward about 0.100″ and out to 40°. This gives the Dasher roughly 3.5 grains added capacity compared to the standard 6BR.
Last year, Skeeter needed to form 300 cases for varmint holiday. Skeeter decided to fire-form his brass without bullets. This method avoids barrel wear* and saves on components. There are various ways to do this, but Skeeter chose a method using pistol/shotgun powder, some tissue to hold the powder in place, Cream of Wheat filled to within an 1/8″ of top of the neck, and a “plug” of tissue paper to hold it all in place. Shown below are cases filled with a pistol/shotgun powder charge topped with Cream of Wheat and then a tissue paper plug.
To ensure the case headspaced firmly in his Dasher chamber, Skeeter created a “false shoulder” where the new neck-shoulder junction would be after fire-forming. After chamfering his case mouths, Skeeter necked up all his cases with a 0.257″ mandrel (one caliber oversized). Then he used a bushing neck-sizing die to bring the top half of the neck back down to 0.267″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. The photo below shows how the false shoulder is created.
After creating the false shoulder, Skeeter chambered the cases in his rifle to ensure he could close the bolt and that he had a good “crush fit” on the false shoulder, ensuring proper headspace. All went well.
The next step was determining the optimal load of pistol powder. Among a variety of powders available, Skeeter chose Hodgdon Titewad as it is relatively inexpensive and burns clean. The goal was to find just the right amount of Titewad that would blow the shoulder forward sufficiently. Skeeter wanted to minimize the amount of powder used and work at a pressure that was safe for his falling block action.
Working incrementally, Skeeter started at 5.0 grains of Titewad, working up in 0.5 grain increments. As you can see, the 5.0 grain charge blew the shoulder forward, but left it a hemispherical shape. At about 7.0 grains of Titewad, the edge of the shoulder and case body was shaping up. Skeeter decided that 8.5 grains of Titewad was the “sweet spot”. He tried higher charges, but the shoulder didn’t really form up any better. It will take another firing or two, with a normal match load of rifle powder and a bullet seated, to really sharpen up the shoulders. Be sure to click on the “View Larger Image” link to get a good view of the cases.
The process proved to be a success. Skeeter now has hundreds of fire-formed Dasher cases and he hasn’t had to put one bullet through his nice, new match-grade barrel. The “bulletless” Cream of Wheat method allowed him to fire-form in a tight-necked barrel without neck-turning the brass first. The only step now remaining is to turn the newly Dasher-length necks down about .0025″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. (To have no-turn necks he would need an 0.271″ or 0.272″ chamber).
Skeeter didn’t lose a single case: “As for the fire-forming loads, I had zero split cases and no signs of pressure in 325 cases fire-formed. Nor did I have any misfires or any that disbursed COW into the action of the firearm. So the COW method really worked out great for me and saved me a lot of money in powder and bullets.” To learn more about Skeeter’s fire-forming process, read this Dasher Fire-Forming Forum Thread.
*Skeeter did have a fire-forming barrel, but it was reamed with a .269 chamber like his 10-twist Krieger “good” barrel. If he fire-formed with bullets, he would have to turn all 300 necks to .267″ BEFORE fire-forming so that loaded rounds would fit in the chamber. Judging just how far to turn is problematic. There’s no need to turn the lower part of the neck that will eventually become shoulder–but how far down the neck to turn is the issue. By fire-forming without bullets now he only has to turn about half the original neck length, and he knows exactly how far to go.
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (HB940, SB323) overturning Virginia’s present one-handgun-a-month restriction is now on its way to the desk of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. As Gov. McDonnell has said he will sign this legislation into law, we can expect the one-gun restriction to soon be a thing of the past in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“We are pleased that the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have recognized the importance of repealing one-gun-a-month, legislation that rationed the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “We look forward to Gov. McDonnell’s signature on this very important bill.”
Rade Tecnologías SL, through its USA subsidiary Radetec, has developed a fired-shot counting system for pistols and long guns that offers immediate benefits for soldiers and LEO personnel. Down the road, we envision how an automatic shot-counting system could benefit Multi-Gun and High Power competitors. Firing one shot too few in a course of fire can lose a match, and firing one too many can have the same result — or worse yet, a DSQ.
Two Display Options for Pistols Radetec’s SpeedShot shot-count system employs a sensor in a special, dedicated magazine which outputs to either a digital or LED light display. Both the numeric display and color-changing LED light indicate rounds left in the magazine. For pistols, Radetec will market custom grips which incorporate the shot-counter display modules. Currently, Radetec systems are available for Beretta, Glock, Smith & Wesson M & P, and 1911-platform pistols. The digital-numeric display on these grips indicates the actual number of rounds left in the magazine. The total number of rounds fired can also be accessed.
The SpeedShot counting system is powered by a 5-year lithium battery. Pistol systems feature special Radetec grips with embedded electronics for each make/model of firearm, one magazine, and a user’s manual. MSRP is $160 for either the digital-numeric model or the LED display version.
Celebrating its 15th year, the IDPA Indoor National Championships will take place at the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, MA, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23-25, 2012. The Indoor Nationals, as it is known, is one of the three major championships on the annual International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) shooting calendar. This event draws hundreds of top competitive shooters from across the nation. CLICK HERE to view image galleries from the 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals in Massachusetts.
Registration Opens Next Sunday, December 18th
The 2012 championships will feature 12 stages and a minimum round count of 153. Online registration for the IDPA Indoor National Championships opens at 6:00pm ET on Sunday, December 18, 2011. Additional information on the 15th Annual Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championships is available online. Below is a video by Team S&W Captain Julie Golob on the 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals. Bad weather delayed Julie’s arrival, but the video shows many other top competitors, such as fellow Team S&W squad member Jerry Miculek, in action. Team S&W dominated last years event, winning five National titles.
Results are in from the inaugural IDPA World Championship held September 21-24, at the Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, Florida. There were 387 competitors from 18 different countries. Triple-digit temps, high humidity, rain, and muddy conditions made the 22 challenging stages even more difficult.
Champions were named in each of IDPA’s five divisions, based on elapsed time and penalties for “points dropped”. Robert Vogel topped the field of Standard Service Pistol (SSP) shooters, with a superb 248.29 score — the best score for the match and over 40 points better than any other SSP shooter. Robert was also the High Scoring Law Enforcement competitor. In the video below, Robert demonstrates the skills that carried him to victory in Florida.
In other classes, James McGinty became the first-ever World Champion in the Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) Division by scoring 283.31 with his STI 2011 9mm. Glenn Shelby, with a score of 299.48, took the Custom Defensive Pistol (CDP) Division shooting his Wilson CQB. Among the wheelgunners, Jerry Miculek shot a modified .45 ACP S&W Model 625 to win the Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR) Division. Miculek hammered through the tough stages during the monsoon-like weather, scoring 411.79. In Standard Service Revolver (SSR) Division, Craig Buckland led the way with a 426.9, using his S&W Model 19. Other notable competitors were: James Myers (Most Accurate Shooter); Tom Yost (Top Senior); and Tierrani Hendrix (High Lady).
The following recall and safety notice was issued on September 20, 2011 by Steyr Arms. Apparently some Steyr 9mm pistols have an issue which could allow the firearm to discharge without a normal trigger pull. The affected serial numbers are listed below.
Steyr Arms, Inc. has determined a potential condition with the firing pins in a very limited number of 9mm Steyr M9-A1, C9-A1 and S9-A1 pistols that could possibly allow the pistol to fire without the trigger being pulled. Although Steyr Arms, Inc. has not received any reports of accidents or injuries, it is voluntarily initiating this recall to protect the safety of its customers because of the remote possibility of an unintentional discharge occurring.
The affected M9-A1 pistols bear serial numbers 3021926-3021928, 3021932-3021935, 3021946-3021955, 3021966-3021988, 3021990-3021993, 3021995-3022001, 3022003-3022005, 3024663-3024672, 3024683-3024688, 3024690-3024702, 3024704-4024712, 3024733-3024738, 3024741-3024742, 3024802-3024811, 3024852-3024871, 3024882-3024901, 3025299-3025308, 3025311, 3025313-3025333, 3025335-3025338, and 3025353-3025359.
The affected C9-A1 pistols bear serial numbers 3022128-3022145, 3022152, 3022169-3022171, 3022174, 3022176-3022178, 3022180-3022201, 3022203-3022218, and 3022845-3022854.
The affected S9-A1 pistols bear serial numbers 3022929-3022931, 3022933, 3022935-3022937, 3022975-3022977, 3022988-3022991, 3022993, 3022995-3022996, 3024146-3024175 and 3024354.
Only the M9-A1, C9-A1 and S9-A1 pistols with the serial numbers identified above are affected by this recall. If your pistol has a different serial number, it is not subject to the recall.
How to Respond to Recall
If you own a Steyr M9-A1, C9-A1 or S9-A1 pistol with a serial number identified as being affected by this recall, please do not load or fire your Steyr M9-A1, C9-A1 or S9-A1 pistol and contact us immediately to arrange to have the firing pin in your pistol replaced, free of charge, using the following steps:
Step 1 – Contact us at 205-655-8299 (Monday-Friday 8-5 Central Standard Time) or at www.steyrarms.com/contact and provide the model and serial number of your pistol.
Step 2 – After confirming that your pistol is subject to this recall, we will send you a prepaid overnight shipping box with instructions so that you can return your pistol to us, free of charge.
Step 3 – We will replace the firing pin in your pistol and return it to you overnight free of charge. We will make every effort to return your pistol to you within one week of receiving it.
There are many ways to store handguns in gun safe. including hanging your handguns on the inside door panel with Velcro straps or Velcro-equipped sleeves. Some folks try wood pegs for the triggerguards. The problem with these methods is that it’s just too easy for Velcro to work loose, or a peg to come out. End result is a dropped pistol. Also, placing your handguns on a door makes them highly visible. That’s a bad idea if your safe is placed in an open area such as a garage or game room.
Our first choice is to place handguns in lockable, sliding drawers inside the safe. Tucked inside silicon-treated Bore-Store bags, and then laid flat inside a drawer, handguns are safe, secure and out of sight. Unfortunately, few safe-makers offer sliding drawer options. If you have a large-enough safe, you can fit your own lockable drawer unit or small file cabinet with locks. These can be purchased at office supply stores or Home Depot type outlets.
If you have limited space in your safe, we recommended the vinyl-covered metal handgun racks from Versatile Rack Company. The 4-Gun rack has approximately the same footprint as a single handgun laying flat. These racks have a strong, welded-steel frame, vinyl-coated to protect the finish of your pistols. We’ve found these work for virtually all size handguns, both semi-autos and revolvers, even when the guns are placed in Bore-Store bags. In fact the fit is just about perfect if you first place a handgun in a Bore-Store bag, which provides about 1/4″ of padding all around the gun.
Versatile now offers multiple models, with capacities from a single handgun up to 10 pistols. These can be purchased directly from Versatile, starting at $69.99, but other vendors sell them for less. MidwayUSAhas Versatile racks at these price: $12.49 (2-gun, item 953403) $19.99 (4-gun, item 953075), $24.49 (6-gun, item 275638), $32.99 (8-gun, item 111468). Click HERE for a 360-degree view of the 4-gun unit. There is also an optional stacking unit, shown below.
One of the better “on-door” solutions is “The Holster”, a door-top rack from Rack ‘Em Racks. The top bracket secures to the door edge with self-tapping screws. Handguns are held muzzle-down in a plastic-coated wire frame. The installation is quite secure and this system gives you very fast access to your handguns. However, this unit requires that you adjust the top shelf of your safe to fit below your longest-barreled handgun. And, unless you have a very deep safe, you have to clear off most of the items on one side of the top shelf, to avoid interference when you close the safe door. Still, Rack Em’s vertical door rack is a smart design, one that uses space much more efficiently than a door full of separate wire brackets or pegs. Price is $39.99 at Cabelas.com.
One other interesting design is the rotary handgun rack. Hyskore offers a 9-Gun Rotary Pistol Rack (item IJ-229069) that looks well-built, and is fairly compact. Like a carousel, it spins to allow easy access to your handguns. It features foam-padded cradles, and an oak-verneer finish. The price is $45.99 at MidwayUSA,. Unfortunately, with a compact 12″-diameter base, there is not enough clearance for scoped revolvers or pistols with red-dot sights. And, from a safety standpoint, we’d rather see the pistols stored muzzle-down than muzzle-up. Still it looks like a clever, compact design that will work with most handguns.
Hyskore 9-Gun Rotary Pistol Rack
An even more efficient use of space is achieved with a two-tier “bunkbed-style” pistol rack. This will hold a large collection of pistols in a relatively compact space. Gun-Racks.com offers two-tier pistol racks with 10-gun ($104.00), 12-gun ($115.00), or 16-gun ($125.00) capacities. For five ollars more (per size) you can get an elevated model with mag storage. These racks are crafted from wood, with soft Rayon fabric on the sections contacting your guns. These well-made racks pack a lot of guns in a small space. However, the barrel slots are only 2.5″ apart. So you do get a very compact footprint, but the trade-off is a tight fit on larger handguns.
If you have large hunting handguns with top-mounted scopes, or bullseye pistols with fat target grips, consider the Hyskore Modular Rack which holds guns with the barrel on top and level, so there is plenty of clearance for scopes. Hyskore racks are made of soft, closed-cell foam that won’t scratch metal and won’t absorb moisture. Guns are stored in individual foam bins that can be connected together horizontally.The width of each individual bin can be adjusted to fit even very wide target grips. Hyskore racks come in sets of three foam bins. Using 3/16″ threaded crosspins, you can combine the bins into one, long secure unit running the full width of a shelf.
The NRA’s Smallbore 3-Position Awards Ceremony took place last night in the Hough Theater. Top honors went to SGT Joe Hein of the USAMU with an overall score of 2379-154x. Second was Missouri teenager Garrett Spurgeon with Arizona’s Tarl Kempley placing third. Brad Driscoll won the 2011 Camp Perry Junior Championship. Lisette Grunwell-Lacey was the Womens’ 3P smallbore champion and Ronald Durcholz of New York took the Senior title. This was a tough week of competitive for the 3P shooters — competitors battled through numerous weather dealays caused by thunderstorms.
Pistol Championships Captain Philip Hemphill of the Mississippi Highway Patrol won his first National Championship at the NRA National Pistol Championships held July 12-16 at Camp Perry, Ohio. Although Hemphill’s consistently high scores produced an aggregate total of 2632-113X. Hemphill is a ten-time winner of the National Police Shooting Championships, but this is his first big win at Perry. “This is the Super Bowl of pistol competition and winning feels great,” said Hemphill. “This is harder than the National Police Shooting Championship because of the distances you’re shooting, but winning here at Camp Perry is like winning at the Mecca of shooting.”
Earning an aggregate score of 2629-112X, two-time National Champion SFC James Henderson of the USAMU took the silver medal and the title of Regular Service Champion. Third place and the title of Civilian Champion went to John Zurek with a 2626-115X. For the fourth year in a row, Judy Tant clinched the titles of Woman and High Civilian Woman Champion by firing an aggregate score of 2549-68X. Bryan Layfield of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was named the Junior Champion and Collegiate Champion after firing a 2565-95X.
The National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program conduct the National Matches at Camp Perry each summer, considered to be the “World Series” of the shooting sports. Participants range from novices to Olympic-level shooters, and include civilians, military personnel, and law enforcement officers. The NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships are open to everyone; NRA membership is not required. Ongoing daily reports on the NRA National Championships are found on the NRA Blog.
The Shooting Wire reports that there are just two days left to take advantage of the early registration discount for the 2011 Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships. Competitors must submit Match Applications this Friday, July 15, 2001, to take advantage of the discounted match fee. If you get your application postmarked by Friday then you’ll also be entered in a drawing for a new Ruger Mark III pistol. If you aren’t familiar with the Steel Challenge, held each year in Piru, California, it is one of the top pistol competitions in the world. Check out this video highlighting our friend K.C. Eusebio, who has set fastest times on many of the Steel Challenge Stages.
On Monday, 11 July, the 2011 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships officially commenced at Camp Perry, Ohio. DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson led a procession of special guests into the ceremony.
Poor weather cancelled the traditional delivery of the colors by a parachute team, so the flag was presented to Anderson by a squad from the Ohio National Guard. VIP Guest Joseph Westphal, Under Secretary of the Army, addressed the gathering, and then Westphal fired the ceremonial First Shot, followed by wounded warrior SFC Sene Polu, who fired the second shot.
Now that the championships have begun, each morning the National Matches start with a bang — a big bang. With the raising of the colors, a cannon is fired in salute. On 12 July, Mike Krei, NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting was chosen to fire the cannon, marking the first day that shots are going down range at the NRA National Pistol Championships.
Pistol Championships Underway
We are now into the second day of competition in the National Pistol Championships. It’s day two of the NRA National Pistol Championships, and that means competitors are firing the NRA Preliminary Pistol Championship today in three separate relays. In this morning’s first relay, shooters took to the range to complete the Center Fire, .22 Caliber, and .45 Caliber stages of fire. The aggregate of these stages comprises each competitor’s total score.
Who are the front-runners? SFC Jim Henderson of the Army Marksmanship Unit won this Championship last year with a score of 890-42X, but the record of 894-50X was set by Brian Zins in 1996. At this stage in the match it’s too early to tell who the winners might be, but with 10-time National Champion Brian Zins sitting out this year, there may be some surprises. James Lenardson, SSG Jean-Noel Howell, David Lange, and SSG Patrick Franks are just a few of the competitors who are riding high after yesterday’s Revolver Matches, but Philip Hemphill, SFC Henderson, John Zurek, and many others could still finish on top of the podium.
Story by Kerrin Brinkman and photos courtesy the NRA BLOG.
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (
Radetec’s SpeedShot shot-count system employs a sensor in a special, dedicated magazine which outputs to either a digital or LED light display. Both the numeric display and color-changing LED light indicate rounds left in the magazine. For pistols, Radetec will market custom grips which incorporate the shot-counter display modules. Currently, Radetec systems are available for Beretta, Glock, Smith & Wesson M & P, and 1911-platform pistols. The digital-numeric display on these grips indicates the actual number of rounds left in the magazine. The total number of rounds fired can also be accessed.
Results are in from the inaugural 
STEYR ARMS — SAFETY WARNING + RECALL NOTICE
There are many ways to store handguns in gun safe. including hanging your handguns on the inside door panel with Velcro straps or Velcro-equipped sleeves. Some folks try wood pegs for the triggerguards. The problem with these methods is that it’s just too easy for Velcro to work loose, or a peg to come out. End result is a dropped pistol. Also, placing your handguns on a door makes them highly visible. That’s a bad idea if your safe is placed in an open area such as a garage or game room.
Our first choice is to place handguns in lockable, sliding drawers inside the safe. Tucked inside silicon-treated Bore-Store bags, and then laid flat inside a drawer, handguns are safe, secure and out of sight. Unfortunately, few safe-makers offer sliding drawer options. If you have a large-enough safe, you can fit your own lockable drawer unit or small file cabinet with locks. These can be purchased at office supply stores or Home Depot type outlets.
Captain Philip Hemphill of the Mississippi Highway Patrol won his first National Championship at the NRA National Pistol Championships held July 12-16 at Camp Perry, Ohio. Although Hemphill’s consistently high scores produced an aggregate total of 2632-113X. Hemphill is a ten-time winner of the National Police Shooting Championships, but this is his first big win at Perry. “This is the Super Bowl of pistol competition and winning feels great,” said Hemphill. “This is harder than the National Police Shooting Championship because of the distances you’re shooting, but winning here at Camp Perry is like winning at the Mecca of shooting.”
The 
On Monday, 11 July, the 2011 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships officially commenced at Camp Perry, Ohio. DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson led a procession of special guests into the ceremony.
