Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

OP is trying to find handgun loads. Not shotshell. There's lots of data now available for that. good luck, GJ

You wanting to make cowboy (gallery) loads, or full-power factory type loads? It's made of about the same ingredients and technology and plant as TiteGroup, so it will PROBABLY make good cowboy loads with a little less charge weight than TiteGroup. Since it may be years before Hodgdon decides to publish more cowboy level load data, like most powders used for our sport, you are kind of on your own. Start what you think is low level, take a squib rod and go out to the range and do the testing. If you are thinking about full-power loads, I would CERTAINLY call the Hodgdon tech support line and ask for any data they may already have. They will either help you work something up, or they may "take notes" that you would like to see some data in the future and perhaps put it on the "to be tested" list. My guess - They will be somewhat reluctant to test it as a handgun powder when they designed it to be a shotgun powder, but they have done the "expansion of suitability" testing the other way with TiteGroup in the last year (from handgun to shotgun). They will probably NEVER test a Cowboy 45 Special loading. But you probably realize that. I have used it in tons of sporting clays shotshell loads (12 gauge 1 ounce) for the last 2 years where it does perform very well - about a match to Red Dot or slightly faster. If all this sounds like too much hassle, then buy some TiteGroup. It's widely available, and lots of us have shot TiteGroup in cowboy loads for years. good luck, GJ

From the pictures Willie took, I would think he installed TWO spring pins, one to help hold the top half in place, and one to act as a guide rod in the lower half. I see two spring pins in his. I think the way the Russians built them was with just the extractor rod (bottom) and one guide rod at the top. good luck, GJ

Mine is a Spartan variation of the mp-220. It only has the top and bottom (large) extractor rods. Not two small and the large bottom rod. So, perhaps that will make a difference in how the work gets done. good luck, GJ

Yes, that model responds well to the modification. I can't guarantee that a single rod supports the remainder without it twisting, not having done one of those jobs. So Lefty should take a close look at the main extractor rod to see how it resists rotation as it opens. A brief inspection of mine shows the extractor rod is round and not keyed in any manner. So it may be necessary to move the upper thin rod down to a convenient spot closer to the main rod. My gun was modified by a smith years ago and all that he did was to whittle away the upper ears of the extractor so that the shell is only touched by extractor from mid point (between the barrels) down and around to straight down. 90 degrees of contact. Has worked wonderfully for me and a previous shooter too. good luck, GJ

The chemistry of the process more correctly is that cotton (or wood pulp) fibers are nitrated to make nitrocellulose. The old name of NC was gun cotton, which is where someone may have confused the two. That nitration is done in China (major manufacturer), Russia and India, in large part. None of which are really wanting to ship the nitrocellulose to us currently. It's the powder maker who then buys bulk nitrocellulose to manufacture smokeless powder by adding extra ingredients then shaping and drying and packing. So, it's not really a shortage of cotton. It's due to lack of the US having nitration facilities anymore - except for the Radford Army Ordinance plant. Which is being modernized and expanded by BAE Systems. You can read a brief on it here: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/feature/radford-moves-to-commissioning-phase-of-a-new-nitrocellulose-facility And the markets not wanting/able to ship us bulk nitrocellulose. good luck, GJ

Load the Bear Creek like you do your current bullets. Test fire the first 20 or so. If you like it, keep going. If you or wife THINK the recoil is higher now, drop 0.2 grains of powder and load some more. Differences in two bullets of same weight are hard to tell at the velocities and pressures we load! OAL for revolver loads only worries me when I load stuff within 10% of a maximum load - cowboy is certainly not there. OAL for feeding function in a lever rifle - now that is a SERIOUS concern! good luck, GJ

I'm trying to help another shooter right now make light loads on his Dillon SL900 - it's a pain! I don't own one. I don't recommend one when there are easier machines to run for loaders who don't have much experience. Thanks, but I think its a tough machine that does not run on the same engineering principles as most other shotshell loaders, which really makes it tough for a shooter to move up to it. What I give other shooters here is advice based on my experiences.....that is what it is. And my mileage does vary from yours. good luck, GJ

I've used a Bair HoneyBair, a Mec 600 Jr, an RCBS MiniGrand, a Mec Grabber, and now a Hornady 366. For what is needed for almost all pards shooting cowboy only, a Mec 600 Jr is hard to beat. Easy to set up, easy to learn, easy to adjust to a different load if you want to, reliable, light weight. I'm using the 366 because I got it at a bargain price, rebuilt it, and now it's run like a tank for the last 15 years! But I ask it to make about 2500 shells a month for Sporting Clays, Wild Bunch and Cowboy. Buying a new one right now is like opening your wallet at the Audi dealership, though. Find one used if you want one. If you are buying for a few shoots a month, 50 shots max each, then the MEC 600 Jr is plenty of loader. Reasonable price, especially if you find a lightly used one. If shooting only 3/4 ounce loads in 12 gauge, the only major loader I would stay away from is the Dillon SL900. It just does not have enough range of adjustment in the wad seating operation to handle very light loads like cowboys use. And it's a complex machine. And due to the amount of plastic parts on it, I would avoid an RCBS Grand (I hear they are close to or already discontinued at the factory, as well). If you are heavier into shotgunning, then a high volume "progressive" press that runs more than one shell in the shell plate at a time is often worth it. But some may not be real adaptable to low noise low recoil type loads. If that is your type of shooting, generally better advise on the Spolars/Ponsness Warrens/ etc can be found on the competitive shotgunning forums like Shotgun World or Trap Shooters. So, since SO much of the decision ought to hinge on your volume of shooting, your level of experience with reloading, and the variety of shells/loads you intend to make, and you have told us nothing about those items, can't recommend going to more expensive machines for most cowboys. Run a Mec 600 Jr like a lot of us do. If you run that one to death in a couple years, then you can reconsider your next choice then. good luck, GJ

Or the trigger tip may have broken off or chipped. That is even more fragile than the full-cock notch on the hammer. This can happen if you pull the trigger hard enough with the hammer at half-cock. good luck, GJ

Zombies certainly do walk the earth!

Haven't switched, don't plan to since I cast and lube my own cheaper than any vendor sells. Quite satisfied with lube the way it was done back then. Good luck, GJ

If the new configuration for the software is set to Status Updates (by default) then that is the WRONG setting. Pick the one that most folks would want as the normal search- I would guess it would be All Content. I searched directly from the (simple) search box and did not use the Advanced Search screen which is where a user can see (and change) the focus and the content of the search. Since the same simple search box then worked the next day, I believe I encountered something different that what you are describing. Good luck,GJ

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/dept/reloading/primers/large-pistol Something I've not seen for quite a while - standard Fed LP primers on-line and in stock (at least last 2 days). The LP Mags have been available, but not these standard load primers. Good luck, GJ

As well as power factor, there are muzzle velocity limits for rifle and handgun loads. Found in the shooter's handbook. As your question kind of implies, monthly matches usually will just use eyeballs and ears for guessing if your loads are acceptable. Sanctioned state and above matches should have a chronograph and scale available, because it is possible there will be times where loads need to be measured, not just "guesstimated" to be legal. We don't have a lot of problems with this now that several major matches got serious about measuring suspected loads several years ago - the lessons learned stuck pretty well. Good luck, GJ

Nope, the usual suspects for Casting accessories no longer list it. If I remember right, Midway was where I got the can, ten years ago, that I hardly used because I found it was a very nasty sticky messy flux that did not do a good job. I would suggest that it is no longer being sold because it was never that good in the first place. I recommend one or more of the following VERY CHEAP fluxes: 1. Wood chips and shavings. My planer makes lots of pine chips quickly from old 2x4's 2. Paraffin wax or better yet, beeswax candle shavings. 3. 2 cycle motor (fuel-mix) oil. Some of the best stuff for bringing dross and dirt up out of a melting pot. 4. 20 MuleTeam Borax. Makes a little bit of a sticky flux if the melt is too hot, and will soak up atmospheric water, so you have to stir it in carefully. Yes, all of them (except borax) will smoke. A propane torch held next to the pot will let you burn off almost all the smoke. I've used Marvelux, available from Midway and Brownells, but I find it hardly any better than Buck Beavers, and it tended to accelerate rust on my casting tools. Good luck, GJ

Yes, it is a known problem that some lots of at least Winchester 209 and Federal 209A shotshell primers have deep set primers inside the battery cup of the primer assembly. And then (mostly) double barrel shotguns have problems hitting the primer cup hard enough with the firing pins. I've had both Win 209s and Fed 209As fail to get good hits in my TTN hammered double gun (well known for not having a lot of FP protrusion) Here's a page that shows most of the parts of shotshell primers, with labels. The dark gray section around the primer is the "battery cup". It's made of steel (magnetic) even though it may be plated with copper or tin or nickel. http://claybuster100.tripod.com/claybuster100sshotshellreloadingpage/id13.html The manufacturing problem is that the primer cup gets pushed too deep into the battery cup. So the surface of the primer cup is below the rim of the battery cup by a few thousandths. I've had some Federals that have been as low as 0.013" below the rim! Firing pins sometimes don't have that much protrusion, especially on doubles. So, solutions: 1. Check that tips of firing pins are not damaged or peened and that protrusion is good - this condition causes LOTS of failures to happen from a specific gun, so it's NOT likely for your two SKB guns that both very occasionally have a FTF. That speaks more to ammo problems. So, keep reading. 2. INSPECT for deeply seated primers in the battery cups. If the dome of the primer cup is not level with the rim of the battery cup of the primer, don't load it. If you have loaded it already, don't use that ammo in doubles! 3. Switch to better made primers. I'm now exclusively using Cheddite 209 primers since the primer cup is flat, always (knock wood) made flush with the outer battery cup, and are cheaper as well. 4. Alter the gun or firing pins to give a deeper strike to the primer. With SxS doubles, this can cause the primer to swell back around the tip of the firing pin and lock the gun shut!! Or at least drag against the primer causing gun to be hard to open. So, this "solution" is not often the right thing to do, especially with SxS guns. Good luck, GJ

Most shooters DON'T do this particular modification on their own. They let one of our good gunsmiths do it. It usually involves changing the cocking points for both hammers to be a little more in the open position, so the gun hangs open after cocking instead of the cocking springs pushing the gun slightly closed. This sometimes also means the hinge has to be "retimed" to prevent the gun from tearing up the hinge and forearm hangers. It's not just a drop-in part or one single simple "grind this spot right here" operation. Send the gun off to Goatneck Clem (above) Johnny Meadows Jared at Long Hunter Supply or one of several other fellers who do good SxS work. It will be worth it. Good luck, GJ

Yep! No need to leave a credit card stuck in a primer tray, either, and not remember that until you get to the LGS! Good luck, GJ

Telling folks the belt size would probably enhance your possibilities for a sale....often it's stamped on inside of belt near buckle. Good luck, GJ

Well, you can get away with that practice in a straight-walled rifle case like 45-70. Doing that in 38-55 or other more pronounced-shoulder cartridge can quickly ring the chamber or cause high pressures (trying to blow a cereal plug through the constriction and down the barrel in addition to the bullet itself). Be aware that none of the powder manufacturers recommend an over-powder card or ANY type of filler or powder positioning puffs any more with smokeless powders! Too many guns damaged. If an unwadded charge of Unique doesn't work well, then you are MUCH better off going to a larger volume charge of a more suitable powder. TrailBoss or 5744 or 4198 all will work well with cast bullets, and give you a 50% case fill too. Good luck, GJ

Still quite satisfied with Hornady One Shot for cowboy loading. For rifle cases, good old case lube on an ink pad. Good luck, GJ