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GA Firing Line
  1. SkipD

    The basics of handloading (reloading)

    Reloading Glossary Please PM SkipD with any additional topics or other changes you would like to see in this glossary. Basic Loading Terms Handloading - The process of loading ammunition by hand. This term is often interchanged with "reloading", however the term "handloading" can be...
  2. SkipD

    The basics of handloading (reloading)

    Introduction to The Basics of Handloading series This is the first of a series of articles that I will be posting to teach the basics of ammunition loading. This topic/thread is a "sticky" and is locked, as it is purely a tutorial and is a work in progress. All questions and comments should be...
  3. SkipD

    300 AAC Blackout to factory crimp or not

    The SAAMI specs show a minimum overall length of 1.780. What loading information are you following for the particular bullet you are using? Having a bullet able to be pulled free easily can be a huge problem if a bullet gets left in the barrel. I would be doing some more research and finding...
  4. SkipD

    If you had $500 right now what would you buy?

    Just out of curiosity, what store is that from? They should be razzed seriously. :p
  5. SkipD

    The future of gun storage safety?

    Carry a pistol on your person in a holster that has a retaining mechanism and put the rest in a safe place that is inaccessible to little ones.
  6. SkipD

    Let the bolt talk start.

    The most fun-to-shoot rifle that I have was made in Remington's Custom Shop. It's a 40-XBR benchrest rifle that I had made for me in about 1970. It's chambered for .222 Remington, has a 20" stainless barrel that's 1" diameter at the muzzle, a 3-0unce trigger that's never failed me, and is...
  7. SkipD

    reloading like it's 1699

    When getting started in bullet casting, it's very important to be able to determine what's good quality and what's not. As stated just above this, the bullets in post #33 are not quite formed well enough. Either the lead stock or the mold (or both) needed a little more temperature to get a...
  8. SkipD

    reloading like it's 1699

    I agree with the above. I would not use a wide pan for melting lead alloys for actually casting bullets because temperature control would be extremely difficult. However, I've often used a 6" fry pan to melt surplus wheel weight to cast the material into 1-lb ingots for future use in my...
  9. SkipD

    Just got my xl650 up and running

    Don't cut the primer crimps out of the cartridge cases. Instead, get this RCBS Bench-Mounted Primer Pocket Swager. It's a FAR superior way to clean up the primer pockets and you won't lose any of the metal in the process. That will avoid possibly losing a little strength in the cartridge bases.
  10. SkipD

    Optic for Glock 19

    One simple question - WHY????
  11. SkipD

    reloading like it's 1699

    What sort of wheel weights are you using? The ones used in tire shops around here today are not suitable for bullets. Today's wheel weight alloy is FAR different from that used many years ago and up to about the year 2000. Since 2000, the old lead alloys have been replaced with non-lead...
  12. SkipD

    ready to go

    Rich, depending on the range that you want to use your AR, I suggest that you might want to zero the scope tightly at 50 yards. By doing a 50-yard zero, all hits from zero to 250 yards or so will be within a few inches of the aiming point. The following list is the approximate errors for XM193...
  13. SkipD

    AR Mags

    I use only the Magpul PMAG 20 and PMAG 30 magazines in my AR.
  14. SkipD

    AR 15

    Regarding the scope mount: The direction of the mount will be dictated by the specific dimensions of the scope and getting a proper eye relief for your way of handling the rifle. There is no right or wrong direction for the mount except for whether or not it works for the specific situation.
  15. SkipD

    Best OWB holster?

    If somebody were to hold me upside down and shake me up and down really hard, the LCP might come out of the holster. I've shaped the leather around the trigger guard and the slide so that it holds the LCP rather firmly when the holster is on my belt and the belt is snug.
  16. SkipD

    Best OWB holster?

    Here's what I designed and made myself for my LCP: Front view: Rear view: Rear view attached to belt: My fairly unique way of supporting the holster on my belt keeps the holster and pistol very snug to my body but extremely available. In addition, there is very little that shows below...
  17. SkipD

    Cleaners and Lubes

    Based on research and observation, an AR-15 really needs a tougher lubricant that will stay in place and work under harsher conditions than the lubricant in a typical pistol does. Gas from the burned propellant blows through the action in the AR system.
  18. SkipD

    Cleaners and Lubes

    The Slip 2000 products, particularly the Slip 2000 EWL, would be far superior for use in the AR.
  19. SkipD

    Brand preference

    My choices for all firearm purchases are based on several things: Do I like the way the firearm looks? Do I think the firearm is well designed and built for the intended purpose? Does the firearm fit me properly? Is ammunition (or suitable components for quality handloading) readily available...
  20. SkipD

    Cleaners and Lubes

    I always use Hoppe's #9 for cleaning (bores, for the most part) and typically use Slip 2000 products or Shooter's Choice FP-10 for lubrication. This applies for handguns, rifles, and shotguns. That includes my AR.