
Dolomite_supafly
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How to make those CB's even quieter
Dolomite_supafly replied to Dolomite_supafly's topic in Ammunition and Reloading
And as I said the width of the tape is perfect. It goes all the way around without overlapping or coming up short. It seals it off very well. Dolomite -
Now some information about twist rates. First and foremost I recommend 9 twist for 90% of the shooters out there and you would also be one of the ones I recommend it to. If you are going to use a faster twist with heavier bullets you need a longer barrel to get your velocity up. The only reason why people are wanting 7 twist barrels is because that is what the military is currently using. It isn't because 7 twist is better than 9 twist. And the biggest reason for the switch to 7 twist is for NATO tracer use and hard target performance. When you combine a short barrel with heavy bullets you reduce your range substantially because of the reduced velocity. 77 grain bullets are under 2700 fps out of a 16 carbine. Unless you are exclusively going to be shooting 77+ grain bullets do not get the 7 twist. And if you are you should be using a longer barrel to take full advantage of the heavier bullets. A 9 twist will shoot everything up to 77 grain bullets just fine, actually better if you want terminal performance out of FMJ or target type ammunition. The reason is the bullets are more likely to tumble, increasing their effectiveness. You can take a 9 twist gun and shoot 55 grain FMJ's and those bullets are more likely to tumble and fragment acting like a soft point. Out of a 7 twist gun those same bullets are just going to pass through the target like a 22 lr unless you are at CQB distances. Tumbling can reduce the velocity needed for fragmentation but if the twist is too fast the bullet will never tumble and in turn never fragment. This is why we are hearing of the problems overseas. We have reduced the barrel length which causes a reduced velocity, on top of that they have increased the twist. The combination of a slower bullet that is spinning faster results in a bullet that is too slow to fragment and spinning too fast to tumble. Which results in a 22 lr type wound. Also, a 7 twist will not shoot the lightweight varmint type rounds. I know because I have watched them turn into gray mist 25-35 yards out of the muzzle of a 7 twist gun I own. A 9 twist barrel will shoot 40 grain bullets and all the way up to a 77 grain bullet. A 7 twist barrel will not shoot anything under 50 grains without the risk of the bullet coming apart under its own centrifugal force. And the 8 twist barrel is the best of ALL worlds. It will shoot any weight of bullet that can be fed from the AR magazine. We never heard of complaints from the military until they shortened the barrel to 14.5" and went to a 7 twist barrel. There is a reason for this. Here are some interesting reads on the effectiveness of the 5.56: Do not hot link this but copy and paste it into a new browser to open it: http://stevespages.com/pdf/5_56mm_military_info.pdf And as far as penetration goes there is an optimal velocity based on bullet design. But ANY bullet design can over penetrate once you get below a certain velocity. Too fast and penetration is reduced substantially because the bullet comes apart upon impact. Too slow and the bullet will does not come apart and will just pass through the target. Find a place in the middle and the bullet will perform well. Now certain bullet designs, like the Hornady Tap, have a larger span between too fast and too slow. This is the penetration table based on velocity: http://stevespages.com/jpg/bestbullet.jpg Notice that some of these bullets penetrate over 5', Yes five FEET!!!. I know these are 30 caliber bullets but physics are the same regardless of caliber. And if you have any questions feel free to ask. This is a major purchase for most people and you should do the research into what you want and what you are likely going to use it for. I will even give you my number so we can talk if you want. I am not a dealer and have nothing to sell. I routinely do this for members of the board just to help them out. Dolomite
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Although it is not recommended I have never heard of a gun chambered in 223 being blown up by a 5.56. The proof loads are well beyond 5.56 pressures. Now over time it may cause wear issues on the bolt lugs or it could, over time, cause a lug to crack. The biggest difference between the 223 chamber and the 5.56 chamber is the length of the throat. There is ZERO difference dimensionally between the 223 and 5.56 ammunition although the 5.56 has about 10K of extra pressures. The throat allows the extra 10K of pressure to begin to drop before the bullet encounters the resistance of the rifling. This is why factory 5.56 tends to have a higher velocity than factory 223 with the same bullet weights. In addition to the throat a 5.56 chamber tends to be looser overall to keep dirt and debris from causing a malfunction which is important in a combat enviroment. Now the drawback to a loose chamber is case life tends to be less which is important to reloaders. Also, having a looser chamber may not be as accurate as a tighter chamber. But I think the individual barrel has more affect on accuracy than the difference between a 223 and 5.56 chamber. I often joke about the 223 chamber being a 5.56 match chamber. Here is a good drawing of chamber differences: http://www.ar15barre...ta/223vs556.pdf Pay attention to the freebore length. This the the throat. And in the world of guns a few thousandths can make or break a gun's accuracy or safety. With all this talk of 223 being too tight to shoot 5.56 and the 5.56 being too loose to be accurate there is a middle ground. It is called a Wylde chamber. It is basically a hybrid chamber that uses the best of both. It has a tight, yet long, throat like the 223 and this helps accuracy. It also has a loose chamber like the 5.56, which helps reliability. The Wydle chamber is what most national match guns use for competition. Here is a good chart showing the differences between the different chambers, not just 5.56 vs 223: http://www.ar15barrels.com/data/223-556.pdf And even different reamer makers have what they think is the best. Personally if all you plan on shooting is commercial or reloading I would use the 223 chamber. It tends to be more accurate than the 5.56 chamber. Now if you plan on shooting surplus, which is becoming available in Walmart even, then I would get either the 5.56 or the Wylde chamber. I am going to break it down in a couple of posts. The next post is going to be about twist rates. Dolomite
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These are all available at Midway Usa. They normally have coupons online so you can save money as well. lee-perfect-powder-measure lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool-shellholder-package-of-11 frankford-arsenal-micro-reloading-electronic-powder-scale-750-grain-capacity lee-auto-prime-hand-priming-tool lyman-electronic-scale-powder-funnel-pan lee-classic-cast-breech-lock-single-stage-press hornady-lock-n-load-press-and-die-conversion-bushing-kit hornady-electronic-caliper-6-stainless-steel This is what it would minimally take to load. You would still need to buy the particular dies you need as well as bullets, primers and powder. I suggest the primers and powder be purchased locally. I would also suggest buying jacketed bullets in the begining, they are easier to deal with than cast. Cast bullets add another facet to reloading. People are going to say the Lee stuff is crap but I have used all these items for a few years now without a single issue. For the money the Perfect Powder Measure can't be beat. I prefer a electronic over a balance beam. Balance beams take a lot longer to settle than an electronic. No need to tumble your brass to clean them. Get some Lemishine at Walmart. Add a table spoon to some water and soak your brass for 24 hours. Every time you walk by give them a shake to aggitate them. Rinse them and let dry. Brass will be very clean and useable. This setup may not be as fast as a progressive but it allows you to learn the machanics of it. As far as supplies to reload you can get what you need from David, DLM37015 on here. He has all the supplies you could want or need to reload. The list above is under $200. Here are a few things to do to save money at the cost of convienence You could do away with the conversion bushings if you don't mind setting up your dies each time. I find it hard to make identical ammunition when I have to set the dies up each time. You could also do away with the powder pan and just weigh the powder in the casing. You just need to make sure to zero out the scale for each casing because they all weigh differently. You could also dip out the powder and not use the Perfect Powder Measure but that is a very slow going process. The Press has a priming tool on it but that is also another slow going process. You are also tied to your press to prime cases. With the hand primers you can watch TV while priming cases. Dolomite
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So I recently bought some CB's for use in my suppressor. Well I was pretty upset when I pulled the trigger on the first one. The noise from the chamber was so loud it made hearing the shot impossible and even caused my ears to ring a bit. I tried those CB's in every 22 I own and found the same results about 1/2 the time. And they were even louder at the chamber than at the muzzle on rifles without the suppressor. For me this was rather upsetting because subsonic 22lr is quieter with my suppressor. than the CB's when they do not seal So I got to thinking about how I could prevent this. I knew I had to seal the case to the chamber but how. Well after some thought I grabbed the only thing I had handly, some black electrical tape. I used some scissors and cut a piece off the end of the roll that is about 1/8" wide. The tape is wide enough to wrap perfectly around the casing without overlapping. And it is just thick enough to seal the case to the chamber without impeding extraction after firing it. The first shot was extremely quiet but that wasn't the test. The test came over the next 50 rounds when ALL of them sealed completely. And because they are sealed completely they are even quiet in rifles without a suppressor. And with a suppressor the firing pin is louder. Dolomite
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Bushmaster took a great gun, the Magpul Masada, and re-engineered it into a overweight, unreliable, innaccurate overpriced rifle. By all accounts the Magpul version was a lot better. Dolomite
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Paraffin tends to have a higher melting point than beeswax. The Toilet ring is soft at room temperature., like I said about like Wolf lube. The easy way to lube using beeswax is to just use Lee Alox. It is pure beeswax suspended in a solvent that evaporates leaving the beeswax. It works wonders with the centerfire bullets I cast so I know it will work with rimfire as well. You could probably just tumble lube the entire bullet. Dolomite
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That would be great. David is a great guy but his supplier may have not known the powder is a bit hotter than CFE 223. Dolomite
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Trying to figure out what the extra $400 is getting you over the Sport. The Sport comes WITH sights and this one does not. Also, chrome lining is not as good as melonite. The surface treatment is not as good as melonite. The 5R barrel is known to be more accurate than any other type of rifling and the Sport comes standard with the 5R barrel. The only thing this gun has over the Sport is a forward assist and the ejection port cover. Honestly you will probably never use them. But if you decide you must have them you can have a new upper receiver swapped in for $100 in parts and less than $100 in labor. So for under $900 you can have a gun that is leaps and bounds about the one you linked. Again the gun you linked should cost less than the Sport. Then on top of that you are going to have to spend another $100 just to fire your first shot because it doesn't come with sights. It is your money and you are going to get what you want but as far as the best value the Sport cannot be beat by anything on the market. And one more thing the Sports tend to keep their value and even command more in most cases upon resale. Dolomite
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You cannot beat the Sport from S&W. I will just give you a quick run down of the Sport and why it is such a great gun. 1. The barrel is a 5R rifled barrel. 5R barrels are known for their accuracy regardless of caliber. For whatever reason they just shoot and shoot well. It also increases the velocity by virtue of how the rifling is laid out. 2. The barrel is Melonite treated. Melonite treatments are far better than any chrome lining as far as hardness and durability. It also offers an exception amount of corrosion resistance. It is more than just a surface coating like chrome, it actually treats the metal and goes subsurface. 3. The bolt is properly heat treated. This is very important for the long term durability of the firearm. It ensures the headspace will remain in spec longer than those bolts that are not heat treated properly. Poorly heat treated bolts will either wear prematurely or break from being too brittle. 4. It has a barrel twist rate of 8 This twist rate allows you to fire the heaviest bullets that can be fed from a magazine, up to 80 grains. And because it isn't a 7 twist (like most others out there) you can also fire the lightweight varmint style bullets without fear of the jackets seperating. 5. It comes ready to fire. It comes with a Magpul rear sight while most competitors, even those 100's of dollars more expensive, do not. The sights have been proven for several years now both by those in harms way as well as the weekend shooter. It also includes a Magpul magazine which has also been proven for seveal years now. 6. It is built to the same specs as all other AR's This means you can upgrade and swap parts to build a gun that suits your wants or needs. And because it is an AR most of the work can be done by the owner and if it is a milspec part it WILL fit. 7. The price In reality if any other maker were to offer the same features as the Sport has they would be asking 100's of dollars more. The 5R barrel and Melonite treatment were once only offered on high end guns. And included in the price is a warranty that is among the best in the industry. And if I were in the market for one I would buy a Sport. The Bushmasters are fine but the Sport has better features and costs 1/3 less. Dolomite
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Here is more of my results. *LC Primed brass *LC *SMP-842 - 26.6g as dropped *OAL - 2.235 *53 GR SMK Highest velocity - 3,383 FPS Lowest velocity - 3,382 FPS Average for all shots was 3,383 fps ES - 2.83 SD - 1.73 Warning: This powder tends to be a bit fast. With 53 grain SMK's I would consider 26.7 the absolutely maximum charge regardless of weapon platform. I would consider 24.0 a good starting load with the 53 SMK's. But that is in my weapon with me shooting it. You need to work up your own loads accordingly. It is an amazing powder. This is going to be the powder I will use when consistency and accuracy matters. I have used it and shot smaller groups with it than with Varget. Dolomite
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Today I decided to load some ammo for my lightweight AR. I decided to use 53 grain SMK's because I have a bunch and they will work great with the AR's 20" 12 twist barrel. Warning: This powder tends to be a bit fast. With 53 grain SMK's I would consider 26.7 the absolutely maximum charge regardless of weapon platform. I would consider 24.0 a good starting load with the 53 SMK's. But that is in my weapon with me shooting it. You need to work up your own loads. I load using a chronograph. I load to what I consider the maximum for the bullet in the paltform or until I see signs of pressure. I slowly worked up to 26.6 grains of powder with the LC primed brass. The bullet was crimped in place. I shot a random sample across the chronograph and got a velocity of 3,383 fps. But what is amazing is the ES was 2.83 fps! And what was even more amazing is the SD of 1.73 fps!!! These are numbers that are rarely seen. I did no weigh the powder charges. Once I had a few consistent drops I began loading. I checked the last drop and it was exactly as the first. This powder meters so great and is very, very consistent. Dolomite
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Last 2000 Years Of World Economics In A Single Chart
Dolomite_supafly replied to SupaRice's topic in General Chat
I think it is a total of 100% at any given point on the chart as read from top to bottom. In 1950, as you said, US holds roughly 35% of the 100%. Next one up makes if 5%.China would hold roughly 10% (85%-95% on the chart). India only holds about 7% in 1950. A better way to udnerstand it is in 1 ad. 18% was made up by all the bottom dwellers. Then India holds 40% (18%-58%). Then China holds 30% (58%-89%) and at the top is roughly 12% of the total. My numbers might be off a few % points but that is how the chart should read. Dolomite -
I have used CCI400, CCI 41, Remington 6.5 and Remington 7.5 in my 9mm loads. The key is to redcue the charge weight and work up again. The biggest problem is setting off the harder primers. I know a friend loaded a bunch of 9mm using CCI 400 and his Ruger would not ignite them reliably. In my Glock it was not an issue. I ahve also used the in small primer 45 ACP loads and my 1911 ignited them 100%. Dolomite
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Needing some help finding rifle sights
Dolomite_supafly replied to Dolomite_supafly's topic in Long Guns
Thanks, you have a link to which one? Dolomite -
I am nearly done with my lightweight AR build but I am having a hard time with finding the sights. I have a Burris Fast Fire on a riser that weights 3.83 ounces. I also have a Magpul rear and a aluminum QD front sight that weight 3.98 ounces together. I would prefer irons over the Burris but I need to find the lightest gas block mounted front sight possible. I can use the Magpul for the rear but need the lightest gas block mounted front sight possible. I am needing people to weight their front sights so I can try to find the lightest ones possible. Just so you know my current front sight weighs 2.73 ounces. Thanks Dolomite
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I hope the TDEC comes in with a strong hand. I know in the case I reported the offender had been pouring used motor oil and antifreeze down an enbankment with a creek at the bottom. In the end they dug out a section that was about 50' long and about 10' back and about 10' deep. And I was also told they would be fined substantially for polluting the creek when I filed the complaint. Dolomite
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I have found that most ammo takes 20-25 rounds to foul a clean barrel before it begins shooting better. I have one gun that when clean will shoot like crap but after 50 rounds it is a MOA shooter out to 100 yards. One of the best and cheap rimfire lubes is a toilet wax ring. I have lubed a lot of bullets using it and it works well. The only down side is during hot weather it does melt. I liken it to the lube on Wolf ammo as far as softness and temperature sensitivity. Something else is bullet lube from one maker may not play well with another. I have tested this and it holds true for me. And although it take 20-25 rounds ot foul a clean barrel it can take even longer when lube from another maker has fouled the barrel first. And all of this depends on the rifle too. Some rifles foul and shoot better quicker while others may not. I bet if you tried Lee Alox it would work very well. Dolomite
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Trying to show my mother how to shoot, any pointers?
Dolomite_supafly replied to gjohnsoniv's topic in Women's Perspectives
+1 Professional instructors have seen problems and mistakes you have not seen and can foresee them before they happen. Professional instructors have taught enough people to have it down to a science. And I am not talking about the instructors that teach the HCP courses as most of them are an assembly line. I am talking about a seperate handgun course that is in no way affiliated with a HCP course. I would also recommend the HCP course put on by the KCSO officers, that is a very detailed course taught by those who live the law day in and day out. And in the event she is involved in a self defense situation it is better for her to be able to say a professional taught her than her son. Take her out and show her the basics. Let her get used to the gun but leave the actual instruction about self defense to professionals. I recommend this is friends all the time even though I could teach them myself. Here is some basic stuff I show new shooters: Make sure the gun is unloaded! Start her out with a basic instruction of the features of the gun. Show her the safety, the trigger, the magazine release and the slide release. Show her, with a drawing, the proper sight picture. Here is a good example: http://brasstard.com...t-alignment.jpg Then have her try dry firing the gun a few times to learn how the trigger pull feels. Most people don't do this and the new shooter is startled when the gun unexpectedly goes off. And then from that point forward they are going to anticipate being scared again and this leads to them jerking the trigger. Some will just decide they don't want to be scared again and never pick a gun up again. And then as she is doing the dry firing excercises explain to her the trigger should be pulled to the rear using the tip of her finger and not jerked. Jerking the trigger is the number one problem most shooters have, both new and old. And jerking the trigger is an indicator that they anticipating being scared of something. Have her dry fire, place emphasis on sight picture, at least 25 more times. It may seem like a lot but this is the basis for making her a great shooter. And from my experience women tend to be better shooters than men. Men have bad habits from childhood while most women are a clean slate. This is based on semi autos, sorry I have never taught anyone with a revolver. Then after the interations of dry firing load a single round into the gun. Fire it with the magazine in so the slide locks to the rear. Then have her drop the empty mag to the ground and have her insert a fresh magazine, again with a single round. Then have her use the slide release to drop the slide or have her rack and release the slide, whichever she feels most comfortable with. Make sure she drops the empty magazine to the ground otherwise this will become part of her muscle memory. And if she ever does have to reload under stress she will be trying to catch the empty magazine with the hand that should be grabbing the fresh magazine. And after about 10-15 single rounds then start to do the same except with 2-5 rounds per magazine. This is so she doesn't anticipate when the gun will go dry. Continue to do this for the next 100 or so rounds. I hopes this helps. There is a lot more to it and a lot more that can be said but I don't want to get into it here. That is for the professionals in a more personal course. Dolomite -
I skimmed over everyone else's responses so if someone already mentioned what I am about to mention I am sorry. I spent about 10 years wondering the same thing as you. And wondered if the expense was worth it. Then when I decided I wanted one I then had to contemplate whether I would be buying or building my own. In the end I built my own for a 22lr but to specs that exceed most centerfire suppressors. And the reason I built it so robust is you are more likely to sell your home than your NFA items. And after I built it I took it out and when I pulled the trigger for the first time I couldn't believe why I had waited so long. I had the biggest smile on my face because it was so quiet. My can is literally quieter than most pellet guns when on my bolt gun. And is comparable to most pellets guns when on my semi autos. There are plenty of reasons for the average person to own a suppressor. They save your own hearing. I know earplugs are cheaper (in the begining) but they are also annoying and over the lifetime of a suppressor the suppressor is cheaper. It makeshappy neighbors. You can shoot until your hearts content and they are none the wiser. They increase velocity but they also increase accuracy as well. The suppressor tames the harmonics that EVERY gun has. It makes teaching people about firearms easier as well. Most new shooters are intimidated by the noise and blast and a suppressor eliminates both. Then there is the benefit when hunting. Although I do not hunt, hearing protection is not needed when hunting with a suppressor. And if you are using subsonic ammo you can take multiple shots with the animal none the wiser. There are very few things related to shooting in which a suppressor will not make it better. As far as the expense of modifying you gun that is no longer the case. Nearly every popular gun can be had with a threaded barrel for little or no extra cost. AR's come threaded unless you order one without it. 10/22's can be had with threaded barrels or you can buy a threaded match barrel for under $110. Ruger makes nearly all models of their 22 pistols available with threaded barrels. There are literally dozens of 22 pistols that are threaded from the factory. And there are quite a few 308 caliber rifles that are threaded, semi autos and bolt guns alike. As far as the cost goes the suppressor itself can be had for very cheap. Whether you buy or build the cost is relatively low considering how much most of us spend on the hobby. I built my own for $60 and that was using high end alloys. You could build a suppressor just as effective as mine for less than $20 but it will require a little more maintenance. Or you could buy a budget suppressor for not much more. There are .22 suppressors that are $125 and FA rated 223 suppressor for $429. And if you are ever in Knoxville PM me. I will gladly meet you and show you what it is all about. There is nothing more satisfying than "ringing" a piece of steel at 100 yards and have it be louder than the shot itself. Dolomite
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Never claimed to be a spelling bee champion. Put a gun in my hand and I can hold my own though. Dolomite
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My lightweight AR build (second thread)
Dolomite_supafly replied to Dolomite_supafly's topic in Long Guns
Just another update. I added a carbon fiber free float tube today (thanks Jeffsig). The new weight is 5 pounds 7 ounces or 5 pounds 11 ounces with a red dot. Dolomite -
It was great meeting a fellow TGO member and the compliments go both ways. If anyone needs any alarm work contact him. He is obvious graet at what he does if he has been in the busines for as long as he has. Dolomite
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I have contacted the local EPA when I had issues with someone. I will say that the EPA will check their body cavities looking for polluting substances. I would immediately take that tape to the local EPA and demand the neighbors pay for the removal of the contaminated soil. That will bankrupt them just in labor costs not to mention the fines. I would do it now before the neighbors contact the EPA and say your father was the one dumpoing oil on HIS property. Once the EPA has it in their minds that your father is the bad guy they will not look at any tapes or evidence to the contrary. Sounds like this might be another tactic of the bad guys. The EPA is one organization I would never want on my bad side. They can make life miserable for years. Dolomite