The firearm thread

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 06:10

The cheap turreted presses always looked pretty flimsy to me? rods connecting to a cap rather than cast as a single piece... Any experience with them? Seems like the better ones use a fully cast frame to avoid any flexing of the turret as you work...

If you're reloading a single caliber then I would think that the time spent swapping out dies would be pretty minimal, especially if you're seating/crimping in a single operation...

**Mr Merde** · 11th June 2009, 09:40

Originally Posted by jono035

The cheap turreted presses always looked pretty flimsy to me? rods connecting to a cap rather than cast as a single piece... Any experience with them? Seems like the better ones use a fully cast frame to avoid any flexing of the turret as you work...

If you're reloading a single caliber then I would think that the time spent swapping out dies would be pretty minimal, especially if you're seating/crimping in a single operation...

I use a Lee turret press.

All my different calibres are in their own heads, (about $20 each)

To change calibres I just swap the head over.

On an average afternoon of reloading and provided I have all the components ready (no casting to be done), I turn out between 300-500 rounds of .44 mag and .44 spl.

I also turn out a couple of hundred .30 carbine and the same in .223

Shotgun I use a MEC jnr and can turn out 100 an hour.

If I load with black powder then I take longer as there is a different method used to dipense this powder.

Chris

**Mr Merde** · 11th June 2009, 09:59

Got some more goodies given to me last night.

New MEC shotgun press, progressive, 1000 sonce fired shotgun hulls, 500 new primed shotgun hulls, 1000 shotgun primer, 1000 large rifle primers, box of Hornady .454 round ball, box of Pyrodex pellets, very sturdy military camp knife, 50x 45-70 cases, 200 .224 projectiles, 1000 small rifle primers, 6 cd's on disassembling, refurbishing and collecting military surplus rifles,

Tasco 45x50 spotting scope on a pan and tilt tripod.

Mate of mine is getting rid of a lot of his shooting stuff. He isnt well and the long term prognosis is not good. He is putting his affairs in order. He knows I will take anything in the reloading field.

Everytime he visits he brings a new load of stuff for me.

He has informed me that his will stipulates that all his firearms are to go to me but I would prefer my mate around than having to honour his request.

I am going to have to reorganise my reloading room for all this new stuff.

Gives me an excuse to keep out of the missus' way as I seem to have done something wrong. Maybe the sun rose in the east this week and its my fault, who knows?

**Wolf** · 11th June 2009, 11:11

Originally Posted by Mr Merde

He has informed me that his will stipulates that all his firearms are to go to me but I would prefer my mate around than having to honour his request.

Sincerely hoping it's a long time yet before you have to find room for his firearms, mate.

**Swoop** · 11th June 2009, 12:34

Originally Posted by wbks

Yea, I've seen SKS' on trademe before... Semi - open bolt, right?

Nope. They fire from the closed bolt position.
A superb rifle for goat hunting!

**wbks** · 11th June 2009, 16:09

Not that it matters to me, but can you really legally own fully auto AK's etc with a special endorsement? Didn't think you could but someone was saying you can earlyer and on gun city there are mini uzi's and ak74's for sale (genuine apparantly, not saiga or anything) and aren't listed as semi's either :/

About the SKS... Wouldn't it be pointless to get a carbine for the target range?

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 16:35

Bad news, sorry to hear that.

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 16:44

No autos allowed at all as far as I know, not even on collectors licenses.

The weapons they are listing are probably 'genuine' rifles with the trigger groups changed to be semi auto, or are permanently disabled in some way (trigger groups removed all together?)

Edit- "New Zealand gun laws do not treat the AK-47 differently from any other firearm. Full-auto versions are prohibited, except for collectors with a special endorsement" - from the wikipedia article on ak47 legal status, seems to indicate that you can own full-autos on a collectors license... It may be that you are unable to actually fire the weapons held on a collectors license... Can't remember the distinction.

**Indiana_Jones** · 11th June 2009, 17:12

If you're after target shooting, an SKS isn't gonna be what you want.

Depends what you like in rifles at the end of the day, martini, bolt, semi

wood, plastic? etc

-Indy

**wbks** · 11th June 2009, 17:25

Yea well I like the look of plastic stocks better than wood, and probably a bolt action... I'm told they are a little bit more accurate and reliable. Probably just going to get a cheapish 223 like this. http://www.guncity.co.nz/223-stevens...idp227994.html

Are those ak47 style 7.62 rifles any good for target's?

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 17:28

They'll probably be rubbish, the ak pattern was never known for its accuracy.

Depends on whether you want to be able to blast away with a semi auto and the target is just there for extra credit, or whether you actually want to try see how accurately you can shoot?

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 17:32

Not that there is anything wrong with just wanting to let rip at a target and to hell with the consequences, I love doing that with my .22s, but it gets pretty expensive if I start doing that with the 9mm, and I'd hate to think how much ammo you'd go through with a centerfire rifle. Even 7.62x39 or .223 is going to cost you not that much less than $1 per round until you start buying in quantity...

**wbks** · 11th June 2009, 17:34

Lol, accuracy would be more important, and it would be stupid to set up re loading stuff for saving dollars and then going through whole mags in 5 seconds haha

**jono035** · 11th June 2009, 17:39

Nah, thats exactly why you want the reloading setup, makes it cheaper to burn through a ton of ammo (I remember a couple of people saying that if you get a reloading setup you won't save money, just use ammo faster)

:

Are you 100% dead-set on not using a .22? I've got a couple of .22 rifles and a .22 pistol. I enjoy shooting the .22 pistol just as much as my 9mm (if not more so) because it is a hell of a lot more accurate and the ammo costs me $5 for 50 rounds instead of $35 for 50...

Reloading would make the 9mm cheaper of course, but still nowhere near the value of a .22... Guess it all depends on what you want... there are a heap of guys that I've met shooting targets with .22 rifles that are worth easily $1k+ and almost every pistol shooter I know has a .22 pistol as well that they shoot just as often as their bigger guns.

**wbks** · 11th June 2009, 17:49

Maybe a .22 pistol would be fun, but I've just been on and off shooting .308's and .22 rifles a few times and the .22 is alright but like I said it seems like more of a shooting "experience" when a few magazines makes your shoulder a little sore and leaves a ringing in your ear even with ear plugs

I see you're in auckland... Where do you go to shoot?