The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: MikeBjerum on January 04, 2015, 10:47:18 PM
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January first has come and gone, and due to our Christmas trip I have been busy working. I was called by a local church to fill in for Pastor today, he came down with the flu, and then due to the weather they canceled services. So, what is a man to do???
Every year on New Year's Day I inventory ammunition, reloading supplies, and check gun inventory. I also start the semi-annual gun massage and oiling. Today, I started!
Due to a couple home repair tasks the gun room became an unruly mess. Room is now pretty clean and the inventory getting started:
Down side
I have six large plastic coffee cans sitting in front of me full of empty brass. Ohhhhhhhhh the fun had to create all of those. I also see a few more cans I haven't pulled out, but my memory tells me it is all brass waiting to be processed.
I am still sorting, but I can tell you that I have some major holes, and even with lots of .22lr, I am missing my target stuff.
DAMN, THERE IS A LOT IN HEAR !!! (remember I said "mixed blessing"? A lot of sorting of things that got shuffled between shoots, classes and clinics.)
Up Side
DAMN, THERE IS A LOT IN HEAR !!!
I think I have all of it pulled out, and a quick count says 6,550 rounds of cheap .22lr, not counting the open boxes, and there are a lot of them, or the 1,800 rounds of good and 1,100 of cheap in the locker at the range.
Found ten boxes of 9mm and 14 boxes of .38 spl I didn't know I had picked up on a whim.
I may stop there, because there are a couple of you that know where I live.
Great way to spend some nasty winter nights here on the frozen tundra.
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I was digging around to retrieve some ammo for a match coming up.
Boxes full of cleaning patches and targets, exploding targets, more targets...DAMN! I've got enough targets to train a platoon! Range bags of various sizes and shapes piled on gun cases piled on range bags.
Did find that last needle oiler from Brownell's that I knew was somewhere...
I've got carry ammo for the 40 coming out the wazoo but I need to place an order on practice ammo. Then after this upcoming match, it's time to put down the Glocks and pick up the Gold Cup and start practicing for that match. Good to go on 45 ammo though - plinking, match, SD - more than I shoot in 2 years!
If I wasn't retired, I'd think I was busy. (but the room is still a disaster)
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It's nice to see, I'm not the only one who has had my work on getting my area (hesitate to call it a man cave) in shape. It's how I spent most of the past week. Straightening, cleaning-up and throwing out. Taking assessment of guns, ammo, accessories and parts.
I pretty much know where and how much ammo I have, though I was surprised that I'm out of .44 and .357 (the jacketed stuff, not the plated ones) bullets. No where near the .22 as you guys.
I'm blessed to have not run out of powder or primers. On the down side I haven't shot anywhere near as many matches as I'd like.
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Two surprises found just before I called it a night last .... early this morning: First, it appears I have had a lot of fun with the 30-06, because of the eight 20 round boxes only one has loaded rounds in it - the rest carry empty cases; and second, I grabbed a shopping bag to complete the cleaning in prep for sort and restock only to find it was heavy - 400 rounds of .40S&W!
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400 rounds of .40S&W!
Well that's some cleaning and handle pulling you got out of.
How do you guys store your hard/soft - long gun/handgun cases? They're bulky and take up a lot of space I could fill with other crap!
I haven't figured out a good way to get them out of the way yet still have them ready for use.
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Soft sided cases are the toughest. I am planning to try and hang them in a storage closet that I have taken over. The hard sided stand on end leaning against the wall.
I am becoming a bigger and bigger (no fat jokes guys!) fan of hard side cases, so I see more in my future.
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I have one closet shelf dedicated to cases, mostly soft, and the overflow goes on the spare bed with a bunch of other stuff. My basement is wet most of the time so everything goes upstairs, mainly in the bedrooms. Guns and ammo are in one and cases, holsters, and spare parts are in another. Most of my ammo fits in a foot locker that can't be moved because of the weight. I don't reload but have some brass in the basement. It would be nice to have everything in one place but there just isn't room.
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You can hang multiple soft cases on one hanger in the closet.
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One of the joys of my moving in 2013 was to put all of the ammo together in one place - FINALLY!!! Like you, I had acquired boxes in various calibers here and there, and squirreled them away in various places in the garage and house. I used almost every ammo can I had moving it down here, craftily avoiding the peoples' republik of illinois on the way too.
Congrats on the ammo finds.
Like you, I have brass coming out of my ears, and my 550B is finally ready to be used. I will have to post a thread on that, it is a story unto itself. It involves time, money, space, a previously unknown out of spec 550B, etc.
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Soft sided cases are the toughest. I am planning to try and hang them in a storage closet that I have taken over. The hard sided stand on end leaning against the wall.
Yep, as tombogan said and you're suggesting, hang them from their, uh, "hanger". I fashion 2 sided hooks out of the coat hangers to make it convenient, though I may upgrade to plant hanger hooks, just cause they're sturdier and look more professional.
Of course, down on the main level, in coat closet there's one soft sided case hanging with a 12 gauge inside it.
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Rimfires Done!!! Well, mostly.
I need to look in the locker when I'm at league tomorrow night, but everything at home, in the house, is counted and put in one place. I know I have some in the pick up, but not enough to make me want to go out in the sub-zero tropics.
Here is a question for all shooters:
How many partial boxes of .22lr do you have? How many loose rounds do you have laying around? You know the stuff: Emptying magazines, partial boxes that have fallen apart, dropped boxes, etc. If your not sure and need to look around, think TSA and the joy when they find it for you.
When I was young I remember signs warning not to use pop bottles for gas, oil, chemicals, etc. That came to mind as I was putting my .22's away. If you are in my gunroom with a headache, Do Not Grab The Aspirin, Tylanol, or Vitamin bottle and mindlessly pop a couple pills!
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I keep my bulk .22lr (mostly Federal) in the large generic acetaminophen bottles from Sam's.
I use so much of the stuff that I buy the twin pack at Sam's (I can get 1000 tablets for the price of 180 Tylenol).
I use the empty bottles to store my rimfire rounds, all but CCI.
A piece of tape on the bottle with brand, gr, and date is all required.
Vitamin and glucosamine bottles are the same size and work well also.
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Rimfire? When I go to the Range my partial boxes of 22 are in my range bag, unless I need the space they stay in the bag full time until they are all used. Whether I bring rifles or handguns something will shoot 22lr.
I keep the various extra center fire handgun rounds in large pill bottles in a drawer of my reloading bench, originally contained heart worm medication for my 3 Newfoundland Dogs. Loose rifle rounds are in coffee cans or ammo cans.
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For .22lr I only shoot CCI Standard Veloctiy. Hard to come by lately. And they're all in their original cartons/box. I do have a partial container of xxxxx 550+/- .22lr looks like a pint sized milk carton. I throw all the loose various brand/model .22s in there. Its what I use just for basic function testing or to give my friends to shoot.
Rifle ammo is all in it's original box or bag or ammo can (Canned Heat).
All the pistol ammo is reloads so they're in plastic bags. Well except the ones in moon clips and they're in those special metal tins that keeps them from getting bent. Oh wait here's a picture. Why yes I'm proud of these tins. I searched long and hard for ones just the exact size. Hold 3 layers, 5ea of .45ACP or 2 layers, 5 each of .357Mag.
(http://sauve.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-rX6Dfqs/0/XL/20130101_164832-001-XL.jpg)
In case you're wondering this is one of the original tins that I re-purposed. It came from a fireworks company that made indoor fireworks, hence the warning label. Before the Great White fire, I use to do indoor fireworks for theatrical productions.
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I use plastic coffee cans for all kinds of stuff. Durable, reusable, water and air tight, and it just seems a shame not to find a use for the empties.
I do have to hunt sometimes to find the Flour among the ammo, sugar and other stuff I have stored in them.
Should probably label some of them, last time I was at the range and opened a canister of sugar was a little embarrassing. ;D
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I use plastic coffee cans for all kinds of stuff. Durable, reusable, water and air tight, and it just seems a shame not to find a use for the empties.
I do have to hunt sometimes to find the Flour among the ammo, sugar and other stuff I have stored in them.
Should probably label some of them, last time I was at the range and opened a canister of sugar was a little embarrassing. ;D
Right about the coffee cans.... I save them for various things as well....mostly storing uncleaned brass.
I have also seen people use them with SS pins and dawn dish detergent on a treadmill as a DIY wet tumbler.
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The fun continues:
Night three of sorting empty brass! As I loaded the vibrator for the third time with .38spl I decided to wait and see if I had one last handful. Well, I came up with half a coffee can! Vibrator going again, and will get more .38's before I go to bed tonight.
It appears, appears being the trick word, that I am down to about a quart container of mixed brass to just leave to breed and multiply.
This weekend I read an article by Dean Weingarten about not consenting to a police search. With those words fresh in my mind and memories of my TSA experience I sit here looking at a Cool Whip container that is half full of live rounds pulled out of my range bags.
Time now for a little more putting away of ammunition, received 1.000 rounds of CCI .22lr Standard Velocity from Midway USA today, and have been picking up the same 100 rounds a day from a local source. Next will be sorting of trap hulls in prep for reload run there. Of everything to reload trap loads is where I am most ready to make a serious run.
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No where near the .22lr.
I simplified life and the number of calibers I reload and shoot. I have large Acrobins with the brass currently in the reloading cycle, but for overflow, coffee cans were just too small.
Here, left to right, my spent primers since I got the Hornady LnL press, general brass to be resold, .40S&W for resale and my .38spl reserve.
(http://sauve.smugmug.com/Gun-General/i-3hDTwvR/0/XL/IMG_0396-XL.jpg)
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I'm getting close to your system Alf. For competition I am currently down to 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP. The problem is that I load three different powers in .45ACP depending on whether it is going through the open gun (155grain bullet at 1250 fps), standard load for 1911 or revolver, or down loaded for bullseye. I have added Cowboy Action, but that is all down loaded .38spl with grits added.
After the competition stuff is done, the rest is all just for non-regulated games :o
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I'm getting close to your system Alf. For competition I am currently down to 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP. The problem is that I load three different powers in .45ACP depending on whether it is going through the open gun (155grain bullet at 1250 fps), standard load for 1911 or revolver, or down loaded for bullseye. I have added Cowboy Action, but that is all down loaded .38spl with grits added.
After the competition stuff is done, the rest is all just for non-regulated games :o
This is an unfamiliar phrase to me.
Do you mean you add something to the light powder load to increase the volume ?
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.38 Special. The breakfast of champions. ;D
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This is an unfamiliar phrase to me.
Do you mean you add something to the light powder load to increase the volume ?
Yep.
An old guy I used to shoot bullseye with used oatmeal and some type of fiber from old life-vests.
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After putting the powder in the case you add white grits to take up the extra space. This keeps the gun powder uniformly in front of the primer. The grits also give a side benefit of cutting down on fouling.
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Yep.
An old guy I used to shoot bullseye with used oatmeal and some type of fiber from old life-vests.
The life vests may have been stuffed with kapok. That was used a lot way back.
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Lots of.guys use chicken scratch. ( bird grit)
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The problem is that I load three different powers in .45ACP depending on whether it is going through the open gun (155grain bullet at 1250 fps), standard load for 1911 or revolver, or down loaded for bullseye.
I'm going to start loading .38spl to two different levels. One for IDPA at 105pf and the other for USPSA/ICORE/NRA at 125pf (yes I know the latter two are 120pf, but that's too close to worry about.)
I've never worried about the empty case volume in .38spl. I realize, after the draw, the powder is mostly towards the front, but I've never noticed a problem with ignition using Federal primers. Of course, if IDPA would allow me to use Short Colt cases that wouldn't happen.
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After putting the powder in the case you add white grits to take up the extra space. This keeps the gun powder uniformly in front of the primer. The grits also give a side benefit of cutting down on fouling.
Huh, I guess they aren't kidding when they say grits go with ANYTHING. ;D
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The life vests may have been stuffed with kapok. That was used a lot way back.
That's what he called it...... I couldn't remember.
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And the saga continues!
The end is in sight, and that is a good thing. I was moving some things around and came across some live rounds I had missed, then more brass, then more live ... and, I said something that was not excited or happy.
Please forgive me :-[
Taking the first rough count right now, and I think if I sold everything to you guys I would have a good share of the new pickup funded. Please, PRETTY PLEASE, don't tell my bride ???
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My biggest fear is that I will die and my wife will sell everything for what I TOLD her I paid for it.
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!
I don't ask about shoes or cloths, she does not ask about tools or boats.
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!
Does this include putting her broom handle in a gun case as you head to the gun show?
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Does this include putting her broom handle in a gun case as you head to the gun show?
Hiding her transportation?
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Does this include putting her broom handle in a gun case as you head to the gun show?
Gotta get the balance right to pull off the ruse, dontcha?
;)
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Gotta get the balance right to pull off the ruse, dontcha?
;)
Nah, it's all about keeping the case looking rigid. Balance is all in the carrier, and I can fake that.
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Nah, it's all about keeping the case looking rigid. Balance is all in the carrier, and I can fake that.
Ok..let me make sure I understand this concept....
You come back from the show looking dejected, take the new gun out of the case and put it in the rack while saying, "No buyers, maybe it will sell next time."?
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SOLUS! SH-h-h-h-h-h-h. You know these posts are searchable in Google? I hope she doesn't come across this one.