Jonnin

I am not sure how that is "bashing" --- the NRA freely admits to this, even had words to the same effect that explains it --- something like "our strategy is to spend big in tight or underdog races, no point in spending big if the NRA guy is for sure going to win, and no sense in spending on a for sure loss".      This "breaking news" is over 3 months old, and its already been covered by both the leftists and the NRA.     I believe that some of the other PACs have actually donated to both candidates --- meaning they always win, always get a voice to help their cause. 

I am almost to the point that I hope the sequester kicks in and is implemented.  

  Not ok in some states, but OK in TN.   

The only other thing I can add is I bought a big bag of 9x18 ultra brass because it was very cheap.  I think I can make it work in the mak, but I have not tried it yet.   You may be able to find some of that... its not a common round so if someone has brass for it, its likely to still be some in stock.  Starline sells mak brass too if you can find any that isnt sold out.

  you can trim 9x19 brass and the 9x18 dies will size it, it works great but is a royal pain in the rear --- you want to FIND and RECOVER them after you go thru all this!!!

I got 2 boxes at a fair price last gunshow (early feb) just to get the brass.       You can make it for about $5 a box if you reload, using the missouri bullet company's lead bullets.

welcome!   I have a pre-clinton '92 with lolipop sights (2 dot).  Pretty and accurate and mild shooting guns.   On the big/fat side for concealed carry, but for sure one of the most comfortable feeling guns in my hands.   reloading stuff is out there, but expect to spend a month or 2 finding it.  Every time you find something you can use, if you can afford it, buy it.  It does not go bad.

  well, yes you can but I would use a FMJ round if shooting all 3 to avoid the issue. 

good point!  It makes a lot more sense now. 

  I will have to dig for the pic its been on here before.    Its a like it was made yesterday 1909 argy mauser, complete with matched barrel cap, matched bayo, etc.    I can count on 1 hand the number I have seen that were intact, most were ground out to 30-06 and the wood chopped off, barrel chopped off, wood sanded, metal refinished, etc.   A guy I know has a sniper model.... that they cut to pieces, you can barely tell what it was but the old scope mount & bent bolt tell the story.

can't be that picky about the components if you are in a hurry....   I have not seen any accurate powder this year.   Likewise you buy the primers you can find in stock these days.  I have at least 5 brands in my stash now because of the aggravation.   That said sportsmans warehouse had some federal primers today but I did not look closely because powder is my current lowest component.    If you are really in pennslyvania, nothing I can say about where to go is going to help much -- I suspect each state has different access to different brands.

would *what* work in the 454?   The bullets should work in all 3 (diameter question?) if that is your question, but you have to be careful with lead and higher powered cartridges.....   someone else can tell you what to watch for but just be aware that soft lead and high power dont mix in every combination.   btw you can crimp with the 45 acp die if the 45 LC die does not do it for the smaller diameter, at least I think you can, if the brass isnt too thick or too fat or something.

Its going to be about 9-10 grains of unique* and you will have to mess with the seating depth & exact charge to find a happy place.  A 200 grain LRN .45 diameter for either caliber is going to be very similar in size and shape, seeing as how the weight governs the amount of metal, and the diameter governs how long it can be --- there is only so much variety you can have there with weight and diameter and general shape being fixed!   Have not used red dot.  I think it is fast burning/hot designed for like a 380 (?) but it probably "works" in "most" "handgun" cartridges.  Probably a sweet 9mm powder?  I also like to have some hot powder on hand, it goes farther in a pinch.   *http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/recipedetail.aspx?gtypeid=1&weight=200&shellid=36&bulletid=62

we have one of the cheaper 9mm models and it is great.  I wish I had throw-away money to get their single action competition model.  Highly recommend them, and they get a "for the money" seal of approval and beyond that, they get a high quality seal of approval as well. 

“I think they thought we were bluffing” in the 1990s, Reh said. “But Berettas don’t bluff.”   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ grammar aside, it makes the point. 

  its not the state, its the cities.   Get away from the population centers and you can do that in MOST of TN, and that is true in most states as well.  I would love to buy a cruddy piece of land that I could take it to 500 yards or so, but land outside a big city.... well everyone else already had that idea and its pricy.

About 40 years ago my dad bought a rifle for about $100.  Just an old milsurp, mail order, as he was young, not terribly well off, and had heard you could cut them up to make a good deer rifle.   Everyone did this, because everyone had one and there seemed to be an infinite supply of em.  But my dad forgot about his, and it sat there untouched in cosmo. So one by one over the next 30 years or so they were butchered --- cut the wood to ribbons or throw it away and put on a cheap stock, cut the barrel off, rechamber the barrel to eat cheap common ammo like 30-06, drill holes for scopes, or the action was pulled out and the rest sold for scrap to make a custom rifle for the more well to do bubbas.     Fast forward today --- the rifle is worth at least $2k, maybe more --- someone recently sold one with a heavily sanded stock for more than 2k ---  because there are not many left in decent condition now.   You can get a POS one that has been cut up, but if you want a one in original condition, better have a bankroll.    That said --- I am all for seating a mosin in a new stock and using "do no harm" no-drill scope mounts to make a shooting rifle out of it.  If you can "undo" whatever you do, its fine.  If the gun is fully mismatched or already ruined by some table top gunsmith, its fine.  If its an all matching gun in good condition, consider leaving it alone.   If you want a cheap rifle, go to a gun show and buy a used hunting rifle, most of which were dragged behind the truck to and from the hunt but are still LNIB inside.

the s&w is a model < 5

http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/curios-relics/     there is one big pdf and a bunch of little ones that update the master list.  They need to merge it all into one list but its all there anyway, if not exactly in a nice format.

  I get excited to find a box because that means I can go for a while longer before I stop.  There is an amount I will not go below and finding a box replaces and extends my supply.  So even if not OUT, its great to buy some.

I have no idea what is on the list for revolvers....  probably a lot of 38 S&W and similar 1900ish era obsolete cartridges.   If its to shoot, go over the list looking for something that has ammo sill in production, probably a 45 long colt in there somewhere for example?  

supply and demand.   If you put 1000 gun owners in a room...   975 of them would own at least 1 .22 LR 850 of them would own at least 1 9mm more than half would own either 223 or 7.62xAK   so those calibers are in high demand and the price has increased on them.

email filter.  block all emails with NRA in the subject.   Trust me, none are worth reading anyway.   Its a shame to have to do this, but a spammer is a spammer and garbage is garbage.

My bad on that, Dave is correct, you cannot buy & fix  with intent to re-sell.   It is indeed about your intent.    So in that case you would be just making parts if you want to avoid the FFL entirely. 

what are you looking for, auto? revolver? other?   nagants are neat and you can make or use other types of ammo in them, though the official ammo is hard to find.  I think it will eat a variety of 32ish cartridges.   I love my makarov and highly recommend one but beware not all are C&R.