Yesterday, my local gun club held a match to honor the 100 years of the 1911. What’s not to like about 1911′s of all shapes and sizes blazing away at paper and steel all day? The rules were very simple, and all that was required was that you get two shots on the target, and drop the steel. Running and gunning at it’s simplest! Well, it wasn’t quite THAT easy, there were still plenty of barricades, and “hard” cover to deal with.
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As you can see from some of the pictures, there were hanging chairs, moving platforms, and fake helicopters to shoot from. I have to hand it to the match directors, they really know how to run a match. It’s always very well organized, they show lots of creativity when setting up the stages. There always seem to be a good mix of stages ranging between fast and furious, to slow the hell down and make the shot.
Lot’s of prizes were given out, 6 1911′s we given away, including one that was raffled to raise funds for the club’s kid program. I didn’t win one, so I guess I’m back to saving my pennies and nickels for that Colt I’ve been lusting after.
I’m not getting to shoot as much these days as I’d like, too many other competing priorities. My final score is evidence of that. But it’s still a good time for me and the boy to hang out. One of these days I’m going to get a pistol in his hand and let him have a go at this stuff….
Also, a big thanks to the guy who lent me a 1911 to shoot at this match. It’s a sweet shooting old gun, and since I haven’t come up with any good blackmail photo’s of you, I’ll be returning it to you shortly.
This past weekend marked our third annual camping trip which we’ve named “Spring Thaw Classic”. Basically, it’s a guys only weekend. We gather up the camping gear, load up the guns, and caravan to some remote location in Southern Missouri where we’ll eat like Kings and come home with a lot less ammo. My buddy Matt came up with the idea in the middle of a long bleak winter. As he put it in a recent email: “Year one was an escape, year two possibly an accident, but year three I believe officially marks it as an annual tradition.” I concur.
The past two years I’ve brought my son, who is now 8. I like bringing him because this group of guys reinforce what I’ve been teaching him. This year was no different. The big highlight for him was graduating from his .22 to something a bit more….. stout.
Last July, I gave him a single shot H&R .243 rifle. He wanted to go deer hunting last year, but just was too intimidated by the recoil of the rifle, and so, he never shot it. Our agreement was, and still is, that he couldn’t shoot at deer until he had gained my confidence with his gun handling and accuracy. I let him carry it in the woods, but, no bullet, and definitely, no shot on a deer (not that we saw any, but that’s a different issue).
Matt’s dad brought an M1 Carbine, and we managed to convince my son that he needed to shoot it. But fear of the recoil got the best of him. So we talked him into holding the gun to his side and pulling the trigger. I held on to the gun as well, but mostly to help him be more confident. Bang…. Bang…. BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG *Big grin* I think we got him! 75 rounds later, we were out of ammo.
Now that he managed the M1 Carbine, we talked him into trying his .243. Same routine.
Notice the smile:
It wasn’t long before he was whacking away at targets with my AR 15
and later busting water bottles sitting in a tree with his .243
I’m proud of that little bugger for conquering a fear. He hasn’t stopped asking me when we’re going back to the range, and I can’t wait to take him.
Back in August 2009 (holy crap, has it really been that long?!!?!), I wrote about loading 45 ACP rounds with CCI Large Rifle primers. I am now finally getting around to busting these things apart.
I chose to go with the Hornady Cam Lock Bullet puller, mainly because that’s what the local Bass Pro store had in stock. You have to buy a collet for the caliber of bullet you want to use.
The setup is not terribly difficult. Remove the cam-lock assembly from the die body, insert the collet, and then screw the cam lock assembly back into the die just enough to hold the entire assembly together.
Screw in the die body until the bottom is flush with the press.
Next raise the bullet into the die until the case mouth meets the bottom of the die. With the cam lock lever lowered, screw in the cam lock assembly until you feel it touch the bullet. Open the cam lock (lever straight up and down), and screw in the die about 1/4 turn. Tighten the assembly in place.
Lower the cam lock lever, you should feel some tension as you do this.
Lower the ram, separating the bullet from the case.
You will probably have to adjust how deep you seat the cam-lock assembly, and how tightly you close it. Too much pressure, and you will mark up the bullet; too little, and you won’t pull it out.
In my opinion, definitely better than in impact puller.
