The firearm thread

[Mr Merde]

My girlfriends reckon I don't need them.

Is that because the labels arent written in "sheep"?

[Wolf]

Is that because the labels arent written in "sheep"?

Not baaaaaa-ad

[Mr Merde]

Off work today,

Not been too well.

Also not used to doing nothing so I have been dividing my time between resting, fixing the bike and setting up for reloading the 45-70,

Picked up the dies on Wednesday night.

Ordered a set of shell holders , duh I forgot them, so I ordered all 11 sizes

Found a source for Swiss 1 1/2 FFg Black powder. The real good stuff. $120 a kg.

Chinese BP costs about $70 a kg

Until I can make up a tray to sift the Chinese stuff I will shoot the Swiss in the rifle only.

Sat down and opened up the flash hole in all my 45-70 cases. Taken them out to .9 mm. This allows the spark from the primer to ignite more powder, faster.

Ive been collecting wasp nests for a while now. Makes very good packing between the powder and the bullet.

So I have cases, dies, powder, packing, 150 cast heads (530gn each), primers. Just waiting on the shellholders and I will be good to go.

Lots of reading for loads.

Just need to get the rear sight mounted on the rifle tang and my project rifle will be, after 3 years, reagy to burn powder.

Looks like August is a go.

Chrisb

[jono035]

[QUOTE=Mr Merde;1129333238Until I can make up a tray to sift the Chinese stuff I will shoot the Swiss in the rifle only.[/QUOTE]

Sounds good, must be nice to be on the final stretch.

With the Chinese powder are you sifting specifically to get rid of particles that are too small, too large or both?

[Mr Merde]

Sounds good, must be nice to be on the final stretch.

With the Chinese powder are you sifting specifically to get rid of particles that are too small, too large or both?

Sifting for all those reasons.

Black powder comes in grades from Fg to FFFFg

As each F is added then so the powder gets finer. The finer the grading the faster it burns.

I use FFg in my rigles and shotgun and FFFg in my pistol rounds.

In a tin of powder it is fairly well gradxed but by sifting you can refine that grading down and make the powder burn as consistant as possible.

You dont need to do this with modern powder as it is actually made to a size and shape already.

The whole thing about BP long range shooting is consistancy. Then the only reason to miss is if thre shooter doesnt do his\her bit.


Chris

[jono035]

Sifting for all those reasons.

Black powder comes in grades from Fg to FFFFg

As each F is added then so the powder gets finer. The finer the grading the faster it burns.

I use FFg in my rigles and shotgun and FFFg in my pistol rounds.

In a tin of powder it is fairly well gradxed but by sifting you can refine that grading down and make the powder burn as consistant as possible.

You dont need to do this with modern powder as it is actually made to a size and shape already.

The whole thing about BP long range shooting is consistancy. Then the only reason to miss is if thre shooter doesnt do his\her bit.


Chris

Yeah, I get ya.

It seems especially important for BP as it is a detonation rather than a deflagration (fast burn) that smokeless powder undergoes apparently.

Edit: I've got a spare ticket for the Cirque du Soleil tonight going free as detailed in a thread I just put up in the rant forum, 8pm show if anyone is keen.

[Mr Merde]

Yeah, I get ya.

It seems especially important for BP as it is a detonation rather than a deflagration (fast burn) that smokeless powder undergoes apparently.

Edit: I've got a spare ticket for the Cirque du Soleil tonight going free as detailed in a thread I just put up in the rant forum, 8pm show if anyone is keen.

Black powder is an explosive whereas modern powder (nitro celleouse ) is a propellant.

This is why whenb loading bp into a cartridge case you do not leave any space between the powder and the bullet. If you have to you fill it with something like grits or semolina powder.

Leavingf a space allows the whole made case become a bomb just waiting to explode.

A consistant burn is what you want. With as much powder consumed before the bullet leaves the barrel, as possible. Up to 50% of the powder can be propelled out of the barrel, unburnt, hence the white cloud of smoke. One good test is to fire a bp gun over fresh snow. You will see a black mark appear on the snow. Thats unburnt powder falling to the ground. You could duplicate this with a white sheet staked to the ground and fire over it, (one of the cheap wharehouse sheets). You would be supprised how much powder falls to the ground.

This is one of the reasons the Kentucky rifles had such long barrels (up to 40"). To make as much use of the powder as possible. There is a point where you cant burn it all.

We still havent relearnt all that our ancestors knew about bp shooing. They knew what wood made the best charchol, how to make the best mix of the 3 key ingrediants for BP.

In the middle ages, saltpeter was so valuable that every village in England and France had tokeep all there sewerage in a particular place and produce so much for the armouries. It was the French who devised the method of manufacture that that meant you didnt have to cultivate your crap. It was this manufacturing process that led to France's rise in power during the Napoleonic period. Britian was still reliant on village production of saltpeter.

Chris

[Mr Merde]

Not shooting related but you lot are the only ones on this board I really talk to.

I've had a bad headache since last Thursday, so much so that I took Friday off work.

Yesterday I go to work in the morning with the headache and feeling naucious. Tried drinking a cup of coffee and almost threw up. Off to the doc's as this isnt me.

Talking to doc and he starts running the normal checks, temp etc. All normal. Then comes blood pressure. He does the manual test and states that it is very high (175/110). I am not sure what these numbers really mean.

He then starts taking more in depth checks. Electronic blood pressure meter is next, do c goes into high gear as this time it is reading 203/130.
Again I'm not sure what this means but I am guessing its not good as the number of tests go into high gear.

Question time re my lifestyle, work, stress, etc.

I'm now on tablets for pain, blood pressure and to assist me to sleep at night.

Booked into a test lab for a whole host of tests including the postate.

I was sent home and told to rest. Had no transport so I went to my mothers for the day as Sharron was at work. Spent the whole day sleeping. Woke up at 5pm when Sharron arrived to take me home. slept in the car and most of last evening.

Off for a couple of days. Back to work on Thursday.

All I thought I had was a headache. Shocked me all the worry the doc, Sharron and my mother were displaying.

Chris

[ManDownUnder]

Not shooting related but

Shit mate - if you need anything over the next little while - yell!

[Mr Merde]

Shit mate - if you need anything over the next little while - yell!

Just rest at the moment and a regime of stress relief.

53 years old in November. Gotta expect the old body to start wearing out sometime, I havent exactly wrapped myself in cotton wool in the past.

Whole experience reminded me of your post about getting the postate checked.

[Indiana_Jones]

Hope you get well Chris.



-Indy

[The Pastor]

Sorry to hear that chirs, just gotta take it easy

[Wolf]

Not shooting related but you lot are the only ones on this board I really talk to.

I've had a bad headache since last Thursday, so much so that I took Friday off work.

Yesterday I go to work in the morning with the headache and feeling naucious. Tried drinking a cup of coffee and almost threw up. Off to the doc's as this isnt me.

Talking to doc and he starts running the normal checks, temp etc. All normal. Then comes blood pressure. He does the manual test and states that it is very high (175/110). I am not sure what these numbers really mean.

He then starts taking more in depth checks. Electronic blood pressure meter is next, do c goes into high gear as this time it is reading 203/130.
Again I'm not sure what this means but I am guessing its not good as the number of tests go into high gear.

Question time re my lifestyle, work, stress, etc.

I'm now on tablets for pain, blood pressure and to assist me to sleep at night.

Booked into a test lab for a whole host of tests including the postate.

I was sent home and told to rest. Had no transport so I went to my mothers for the day as Sharron was at work. Spent the whole day sleeping. Woke up at 5pm when Sharron arrived to take me home. slept in the car and most of last evening.

Off for a couple of days. Back to work on Thursday.

All I thought I had was a headache. Shocked me all the worry the doc, Sharron and my mother were displaying.

Chris

yikes, dude.

Hope nothing really serious shows up in the tests and that the stress-free regime helps.

Take it easy, we can't afford to lose you.

[The Pastor]

Well it looks like my dies are turning up in about 2 weeks,

and i cant have my rifle back because they are unsure if they have fixed the problem (misfiring) and if the rifle is safe to shoot.

Buy marlin, they are brilliant rifles, quick service and the shops know loads about them

[Mr Merde]

Well it looks like my dies are turning up in about 2 weeks,

and i cant have my rifle back because they are unsure if they have fixed the problem (misfiring) and if the rifle is safe to shoot.

Buy marlin, they are brilliant rifles, quick service and the shops know loads about them

Reloading dies?

Where are you getting them from?

My 45-70 dies took 2 days to arrive.

.308 are a lot more common than 45-70.

Marlin are great rifles looks like you got the lemon in the bunch. Happens sometimes. You should e-mail Marlin themselves and complain. Yank companies are good at responding.