American Gun Ownership Highest In 18 Years

[Syt]

What would suck would to be someone from the 17th century finding himself in current day rural West Virginia.  How depressing would that be??

[Maximus]

The first one was free. I enjoyed it, but I am not sure I enjoyed it enough to pay for any more of the books. So perhaps it is best that I just stop now, if it becomes a bit obvious and formulaic.

On the other hand, a story set in that time is going to have kind of obvious good guys and bad guys, right? Obviously the "powers that be" will have the greatest vested interest in opposing the radical change being introduced, and that is going to be the major powers of the day - the Catholic Church, Spain, France, England.

Sure. It wasn't until reading some of his unrelated books that that pattern really struck me. FWIW I enjoyed the original 1632 as well.

[Berkut]

The first one was free. I enjoyed it, but I am not sure I enjoyed it enough to pay for any more of the books. So perhaps it is best that I just stop now, if it becomes a bit obvious and formulaic.

On the other hand, a story set in that time is going to have kind of obvious good guys and bad guys, right? Obviously the "powers that be" will have the greatest vested interest in opposing the radical change being introduced, and that is going to be the major powers of the day - the Catholic Church, Spain, France, England.

Sure. It wasn't until reading some of his unrelated books that that pattern really struck me. FWIW I enjoyed the original 1632 as well.

Yeah, I could certainly see that - he is pretty 'Rah rah, America FUK YEAH!". I wasn't sure if that was just what he was going for in this particular story, or if it was his own idealism bleeding in, which would get old very fast.

This is one thing that I was always pretty impressed with in regards to Orson Scott Card. I know he has very firm political and religious views. And those views certainly inform his writing, but he is not slavishly devoted to them in a manner that gets tedious. In fact, some of his stories are pretty anti-religion in tone, while still (I think) allowing him to make a statement about the nature of faith and knowledge.


It is a fine line to walk, I am sure.

[Maximus]

Taking this to the book thread as it's more on topic.

[Capetan Mihali]

From WSJ:

Other states went and copied Vermont, so now instead of being called "Vermont carry," the unrestricted right to carry* is being called "constitutional carry."   The Vermont Constitution's version of the 2nd Amendment makes it very explicit that the right to bear arms is for self-protection as well as militia purposes, so that argument never really gets off the ground.

*I believe under Vermont law you cannot carry if you have the "avowed intent or express desire to harm a fellow man", otherwise you're good. (If you haven't lost the right to have a gun in the first place, of course -- see e.g. felony convictions, domestic violence protection ("stop abuse") orders, etc.

I might have to join the gun nut society once I move up there and have nothing to do with my free time in the frozen tundra (except study to re-take the bar exam in February.) 

[crazy canuck]

Ok, here is a really dumb question.  Why can't you guys buy bullets etc to the specs you need?  Why all the need for triming and all the other things you do to get ready to shoot?

[11B4V]

Ok, here is a really dumb question.  Why can't you guys buy bullets etc to the specs you need?  Why all the need for triming and all the other things you do to get ready to shoot?

It's not a dumb question

Hmm, well I dont want to blow my face off would be the short answer.


By trimming I'm assuming you mean as to why trim the case. Each case has a maixiumum length you dont want to exceed. i.e. the 8x57mm (8mm Mauser) max case length is 2.240". You dont want to exceed that. You will trimm that case back to 2.230" what's called, "trim to length". As you fire, resize, fire, resize the casings grow in length. This can lead to a spike in pressure which would make a near maxiumum loading over pressured. Bad things can happen.

Cartridge Overall Length (COAL) is also important and is rifle specific and bullet specific depending on where that particular bullets ogive contacts the lands.. The bullet needs to jump a little before it engages the lands. You normally try to seat the bullet a little off the lands. i.e. In my Remington 8x57mm the max COAL with a 180 Nosler Ballistic Tip is 3.15". I seat this bullet to a length of 3.10". This is from the bottom of the case to the tip of the bullet measure with a vernier caliper. Seat a bullet too deep and it will spike pressures.  If the COAL is to long and jams the bullet into the lands...guess what, a spike in pressure.

Using a large rifle and Magnum large rifle primer will make a difference. The Mag primer burns hotter.

Charge a rifle case with a short charge of slow burning powder. Kaboom.

Normally a 8x57mm case will take 53 grains of a medium slow burning rifle powder. Make a mistake and load it with 53grains of fast burning pistol or shotgun powder, you rifle explodes.

Powders have different burn rates. Effects pressure depending on the charge weight.

Ever heard what's called bullet set back? A term used in autoloading pistols. It will spike pressure and has blown pistols up. It's when the chambering of the round causes the bullet to get pushed further into the case. Usually happens by repeatedly chambering the same bullet. Like in a concealed carry pistol for example. That's why I drop chamber the first round for my off duty carry pistol then stick the mag when I initially load it for the day. 

[11B4V]

The Big Brown Truck just dropped off 5000 large rifle primers, 8mm and 7mm bullets, and the RCBS 30-06 to 8x57mm form die.

Today's a good day.

[11B4V]

Put the form die to work.
Cases from L. to R.;
New Winchester 30-06 case.
Untrimmed and first stage of forming through the 30-06 to 8x57mm form die.
Trimmed and a pass through the 8x57mm sizing die.

presto 8x57mm case. 

[derspiess]

To answer CC's question a little differently, reloading & handloading ammo is a hobby unto itself. Some guys do it to save money (though you usually have to reload a large quantity to just break even), others do it because the particular caliber they shoot is either hard to find or practically non-existent commercially. Others do it to make their own super-accurized match-grade ammo. And some do it just for fun.

For me, I want to get into reloading to make use of all my spent brass. Logically the best thing for me to do would be to just sell my brass to people who reload and use that money to subsidize future ammo purchases, since I don't really burn through that much ammo. But I'd still like to learn to reload so I at least have that option if it becomes more cost-effective.

[crazy canuck]

Interesting.  Thanks guys. 

[Malthus]

To answer CC's question a little differently, reloading & handloading ammo is a hobby unto itself. Some guys do it to save money (though you usually have to reload a large quantity to just break even), others do it because the particular caliber they shoot is either hard to find or practically non-existent commercially. Others do it to make their own super-accurized match-grade ammo. And some do it just for fun.

For me, I want to get into reloading to make use of all my spent brass. Logically the best thing for me to do would be to just sell my brass to people who reload and use that money to subsidize future ammo purchases, since I don't really burn through that much ammo. But I'd still like to learn to reload so I at least have that option if it becomes more cost-effective.

It seems a really odd sort of hobby - all the fun of a repetitive by-hand industrial process, with the added excitement that you are working with explosives and so if anything goes wrong you could blow off body parts. 

[11B4V]

To answer CC's question a little differently, reloading & handloading ammo is a hobby unto itself. Some guys do it to save money (though you usually have to reload a large quantity to just break even), others do it because the particular caliber they shoot is either hard to find or practically non-existent commercially. Others do it to make their own super-accurized match-grade ammo. And some do it just for fun.

For me, I want to get into reloading to make use of all my spent brass. Logically the best thing for me to do would be to just sell my brass to people who reload and use that money to subsidize future ammo purchases, since I don't really burn through that much ammo. But I'd still like to learn to reload so I at least have that option if it becomes more cost-effective.

It seems a really odd sort of hobby - all the fun of a repetitive by-hand industrial process, with the added excitement that you are working with explosives and so if anything goes wrong you could blow off body parts. 

The only thing that is repetitive is the reloading process. Which is exactly what you want. The same procedures every time from beginning to end. The results you get from different bullet/powder combos is different.


I just havent posted some of the fruits of my labor yet.

example

[derspiess]

It seems a really odd sort of hobby - all the fun of a repetitive by-hand industrial process, with the added excitement that you are working with explosives and so if anything goes wrong you could blow off body parts. 

I think it appeals to the "do it yourself" instinct a lot of people have.  Plus, some people are control freaks so this gives them that control over their ammo load.  I haven't really heard too many accidents with reloading itself.  I have heard of second-hand accounts of people ruining their firearms and (somewhat less often) injure themselves from shooting too ammo they loaded too hotly. 

[11B4V]

It seems a really odd sort of hobby - all the fun of a repetitive by-hand industrial process, with the added excitement that you are working with explosives and so if anything goes wrong you could blow off body parts. 

I think it appeals to the "do it yourself" instinct a lot of people have.  Plus, some people are control freaks so this gives them that control over their ammo load.  I haven't really heard too many accidents with reloading itself.  I have heard of second-hand accounts of people ruining their firearms and (somewhat less often) injure themselves from shooting too ammo they loaded too hotly.

Quite true.