HANDLOADING
WHAT WORKS BEST FROM OUR EXPERTS
Handloading the...
Handloading the still-relevant .270 Winchester
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Reloading the...
Recipes and tips for handloading low-recoil .45-70 rounds
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Handloading:...
Stuck cases when handloading are a headache, but these tips can make removal easier.
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Reloading In Volume
When I got into practical pistol competition around 1980, I soon realized the only way to shoot as much as I wanted was by reloading in volume. Load...
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Ruger Gen II...
There is one American that is as value-packed as they come — the Ruger American Gen II Rifle. The original Ruger American made a huge splash when...
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Casting Around...
The very first cartridge I handloaded carried a bullet cast by myself. As a complete novice, my only source for information was gleaned from firearms magazines.
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Black Powder .44s With...
By 1850, Colt had the .44 Dragoon, the .31 Pocket Pistols and the 1851 Navy .36. The Dragoons were too large and heavy for most to consider carrying on the...
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Review: Lee Precision...
Tired of wearing yourself out loading on a single-stage press? Lee Precision's Ultimate Turret Press can load a cartridge from “empty case to loaded...
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AGS Brass Case Annealer
At last year’s SHOT Show, I met the Serbian inventor of what I’d argue is the very best semi-automatic case annealer. It handles cases with bases from...
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One-Stroke Gas...
Die-cast bullet shooters like me who like their handloads zippy, but failed to stock up on gas checks, cried bitter tears during the COVID ammo shortage.
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Conical Bullets And The...
Fifty-plus years ago, when Bill Ruger decided his company would offer a percussion revolver, he insisted it would be the best ever manufactured. It would...
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Black Powder Conical...
The Dance & Brothers revolver was like all the rest based on the Colt pattern. It has the loading lever of the Colt 1851 Navy and a round barrel of the 1860...
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Handloading for Black Powder:
The .36 Model 1851 Navy was dwarfed by the power afforded by the .44 Dragoons. Firing 90-grain round ball at about 900 fps, energy-wise, realistically puts...
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The .44 Russian
In 1870 the United States Military purchased 1,000 Smith & Wesson .44 American revolvers. However, they were not satisfied with this first cartridge-firing...
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Percussion Part 3
In late 1846, Texas Ranger Capt. Sam Walker put Colt back in business after their bankruptcy as he ordered 1,000 “heavy” revolvers complete with several...
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Loading For Percussion...
By 1851, Colt had three basic sixguns to offer. At the most powerful end of the spectrum was the .44 Dragoon while at the other end we find the most popular...
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Know Thy Gun...
We all enjoy getting a little lead therapy — plinking, precision target shooting, bowling pin matches, cowboy action shooting, black powder cartridge...
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Loading For Percussion Sixguns
The Walkers and the Dragoons at 4 to 41/2 lbs. were mainly used by the military and carried in pairs in pommel holsters.
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Black Powder And The Specials
Concluding this series, we now look at the last two black powder cartridges, the .38 Special and the .44 Special.
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Build Your Own Snake Loads
I dread snake season, for I have a 10-lb. dog that follows me most everywhere and he would never survive a rattlesnake bite. We also have feline companions...
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Black Powder .32 WCF
The .32 Winchester Centerfire (.32 WCF) is more generally known as the .32-20. It began life as a rifle cartridge and is slightly tapered, making it...
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Lever Gun ’Lope
Watching the wide, heavy antlered buck antelope was amusing as he was keeping his harem of roughly a dozen in a tight pack. If one ventured too far, he’d...
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Black Powder And The .44 Colt
Sam Colt’s percussion revolvers were so successful he was blinded to the future and before he died he set the course for the Colt Company.
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Black Powder And The .44...
The Smith & Wesson Model #3 American was not only the first big-bore cartridge-firing sixgun, it was also the first cartridge revolver to be adopted by the...
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Handloading For Combos
For many reasons some handgunners like having a rifle/carbine of the same caliber as their pistol. I’m one of those people.
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Black Powder .38 WCF
Just what was the .38-40? Experts can’t seem to agree on this either. The normal conclusion would be it was/is a .38 caliber bullet backed by 40 grains of...
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Black Powder Cartridges...
The United States Military adopted the Colt .45 Single Action Army in 1873. Apparently Smith & Wesson wanted in on the military contract so decided to...
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Black Powder Cartridges Part 3
That wonderful year was 1873. To this day, it stands out as no other for the cartridges and firearms that were introduced. It’s almost as if something...
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Perfecting The Ruger Vaquero
Nearly a century ago Elmer Keith began writing about his custom sixguns. He inspired a lot of others and the basis for most of these personal pistols was...
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Beagling Bullets
Traditionally the .40-82 used a 0.406" diameter, round-nose, flat-point lead bullet weighing 240–280 grains.
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Becoming a Gun Plumber
In case you aren’t aware, a “gun plumber” is an oft-derogatory term for someone who works on firearms despite a lack of proper tools, basic knowledge...
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Black Powder Cartridges...
The .45 Colt cartridge consists of a 250- to 255-grain bullet over 40 grains of black powder, at least according to the prevailing wisdom.
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The .38 Special in .357...
Sixty years ago, .357 Magnum ammunition was difficult to find and .357 Magnum brass was virtually nonexistent, unless one bought a box of new ammunition and...
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Black Powder Paper Cartridges
There is just as much to learn, maybe more, and a lot of experimenting possible, with the use of black powder and one of the things we can experiment with...
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Linebaugh Light Loads
One thing handloading has taught me over the years is there’s two ways of doing it. When most start handloading, they look at maximum loads, wondering if...
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Casting Mil-Surp Bullets
For me, one of the joys of having a large collection of military surplus rifles is shooting cast bullets through them. Loaded to 1,500 to 1,800 fps, cast...
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