$2000 shopping list

Southeast Traders Apparel Swag Store

bigdogdaddy

Tracker
Sep 16, 2012
731
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Indiana
I am bored and broke. LC9, Mini 14 and some new steel targets all in the same month wiped me out, but it doesn't stop me from making a list. I "need" a Ruger SR45 Commander. As cooler weather approaches I will be starting to reload again and my supplies are pretty thin, so I need some components to reload. I would want enough to reload 1000 each of 9mm, .223, and .45 acp (even though I already have a pretty big supply of the .45 ammo.) If I had any money left I would buy .22 long rifle ammo. There is none to be found around here but I can dream about it.

So what about you? You have $2000 to spend on gun stuff. What are looking for?
 

RICHGCOOP

Marksman
Mar 7, 2010
1,143
71
63
CANTON, OHIO
Zip code
44669
When you dream you might as well dream big it doesn't cost you any more.
I'm like you I need to stock up on supplies. As far as lead go's, I think I have a lifetime supply.
My power supplies are getting low.
RICHGCOOP



DROID3 - Tap talk
 

bigdogdaddy

Tracker
Sep 16, 2012
731
0
0
Indiana
I have 700 rounds of .45 acp ready to rock and another 800 brass that is cleaned and primed. I also have plenty of powder. However, no .45 acp bullets. :'(

As for 9mm and .223, I need about everything for reloading those.
 

TRIGGER_1

Marksman
Mar 7, 2010
1,250
8
38
Athens, GA USA
BDD.....Have you ever thought about casting your own......... ;)

You can get wheel weights from a lot of the tire dealers....
Most dealers just throw them away...... ;)
 

bigdogdaddy

Tracker
Sep 16, 2012
731
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0
Indiana
I have thought about it and I know it is a big money saver. I have a guy that is going to call me the next time he makes some so I can watch. I have some reservations to the additional time commitment and being completely honest, handling and breathing lead concerns me a little.
 

SkipD

Helper-outer
Jun 8, 2012
703
64
63
77
Southeast Wisconsin
Zip code
53024
bigdogdaddy said:
....handling and breathing lead concerns me a little.

That should concern you a lot. By that, I mean you should take the necessary precautions. I never melt lead in the house. I always use the garage and have fans that are pushing fresh air past me and taking the lead fumes away from me at the same time. When handling the raw wheel weights or other scrap lead, I usually wear gloves. I often handle my finished product (either bullets or ingots) with bare hands but make sure I wash before handling food, etc.
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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Irmo, SC
Colt1877Thunderer1-1.jpg


Ruger got it right with the Vaquero by adding those classic bird hand grips. I have one of Colt M1877s, in .44 Caliber. They're know as a Thunderer. Those old 45's are something to see, with a look of their own, but with loads of modern innovations that would have had those old Gunslingers wishing they had back in the day.
 
R

rayzer007

Guest
Slowhand said:
loads of modern innovations that would have had those old Gunslingers wising they had back in the day.

What are the innovations Bill?

Ray
 

Verticoli

Personal philosophy? Clothing optional.
Jun 10, 2012
638
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Fl's west coast
That Colt is a beaut! Of course, my set of six shooters will have pearl stocks. 8) 8) 8). I like the Vaquero best, but I also like the convertable Flat Top with .45 LC and ACP. I'd probably be all over a Vaquero if they were convertable.
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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rayzer007 said:
Slowhand said:
loads of modern innovations that would have had those old Gunslingers wising they had back in the day.

What are the innovations Bill?

Ray
https://ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/_manuals/newVaquero.pdf

http://www.ruger.com/products/vaqueroStainless/features.html

LOL…. Loads of differences. I could write you a book on it. Ruger explains a lot of it in their owner’s instructions and features.

But since you asked. Lets’ start with ammunition, prior to around the early 1900’s these old guns fired black powder cartridges. Which is very corrosive and an unwary shooter who didn’t keep his gun clean wound up owning a rust bucket.

Today we have 45 Long Colt "cowboy loads" that replicate the velocities and energy of the original black powder round. It's a big case, but there's not a huge amount of power there. 250 grain bullet, 750 fps at the muzzle and 312 ft. lbs of muzzle energy. The original load of a Colt Peacemaker around 1873 was 40 grains of black powder.

Modern loadings are significantly more powerful to the tune of 1000 fps and 800 ft lbs muzzle energy. Real old cowboy guns were made with inferior metals, compared to modern day firearms. They weren’t called “Shooting Irons” for nothing. I own several antiques with one going back to 1860 and gun metal goes brittle with age. Replacement parts are hard to find.

Some had thin cylinder walls and the internal mechanisms are flat springs that resembled clockwork mechanisms. They wore out quickly and kept local gunsmiths busy. Replacement parts are difficult to come by.

Base pins and plunger springs hadn’t been invented yet. Timing in cylinder rotation and alignment were ambitions versus reality. Those old delicate lock parts and springs could cause misalignment of the cylinder throats and forcing cone misalignments lead to shaved lead fragments and other concerns.

After you load your old Six Shooter from a half-safe cock on the hammer you had to pull it back to full cock and then gently thumb it down on top of a safety notch or suffer a loss in timing.

Most folks that carried six shooters found what passed for a safety was a notch cut into the top of the cylinders, in between loaded chambers. You loaded the gun and then gently lowered the cocked hammer in between them. Remington used deep notches, while Colt used pins which wore down and lead to accidental discharges. There was also a loading notch. Most folks carried them with an empty cylinder, The Vaquero uses Bill Rugers Transfer Bar, prior to 1973 they didn’t and recommended an empty cylinder.

The Vaquero’s external look is of course a classic design. Internally the differences start with the loading gate. When you open the loading gate the cylinder unlatches and it can be turned for loading and unloading. I have several original and replicas of older revolvers in which the cylinder are a bear to load and unload. Which served to accelerate the development of auto ejecting, flip out cylinders.

Opening the loading gate also locks the trigger, hammer and transfer bar. Back in the day you loaded the standard revolver with hammer back in a half cocked position. After loading you cocked the hammer fully back and then lowered it. This presented opportunities for stuff to happen. Going off half-cocked was not a rare event, especially on horseback. The Vaquero only has two hammer positions; it’s either fully cocked or flat forward.

Maintenance & Cleaning. If you ever taken apart a Ruger Old Army, a GP-100, a Ruger Single Six, a Super Redhawk Alaskan or an SP101 (I have) the disassembly is basically the same, unless you start messing around with the removal of the cylinder latch, gate dent spring and the gate. Then the hammer assembly comes out. Not for the inexperienced or faint of heart. Flying plunger pins are normal.

Actually shooting the old six guns, involved some sight adjustments. Vaqueros come sighted in at 15 yards. If your original cowboy pistol was a Colt Peacemaker from around 1873 they traditionally fired high. So you had to take a file and deepened the “V” shaped notch in the rear or you added some height to the front sight. Old Colts fired high and Remington fired low.
I’m a big fan on the Ruger Vaqueros and some of the Uberti Replicas of the Colt Peacemaker from around 1873. When it comes to those old original Six Shooters they’re antiquities best kept as Safe Queens or Wall Hangers.
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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Irmo, SC
Great video. He gave it a work out. He also knows his stuff, he loaded 5 rounds and used a hold under. I've been keeping my eye out for one of those old gals for sometime. Who knows?