Handloader December - January 2024

Every gun enthusiast out there is familiar with the 1911 and most likely owns a 1911 or maybe even more. The 1911 is an extremely popular, well-known and well-respected firearm with good reason. Nearly every major firearms manufacturer has made their own version of the 1911. During times of war, some non-firearms companies even made 1911 handguns. One of the more notable companies that comes to mind is Singer, the sewing machine company. If you are like me, it was a handgun you admired from a young age. I can still remember bantering back and forth with my friend over the merits of the 1911 versus the Glock 17 for self-defense. At the ripe age of 10 years old, I am not sure how I could make much of an argument for either, but it was all good fun. ...Read More >

Here is the load data for the Hornady 140-grain SST bullet that I tested in the 6.5 PRC using US 869. It’s pretty simple. Fill the cartridge to the top of the case mouth and then crunch the bullet down to a loaded length of 2.813 inches. That’s the wonder of very slow powders, they can do a lot of work, not always at top velocities and certainly not with great efficiency, but they can make a broad variety of cartridges work well enough to remain in the field when powders with more ideal burn rates are unavailable. In today’s market, that can be a Godsend. ...Read More >

Q: I greatly appreciate Handloader magazine, as there is nothing else that offers high-level information for such a variety of cartridges. I acquired a Howa 1500 chambered in 6.5 PRC, then I ordered new Hornady dies and a Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading Tenth Edition. However, upon receiving my new manual, there was no 6.5 PRC data. So, I swung by my local gun store and perused through other reloading manuals from Speer, Barnes, Ramshot and Lyman and still found no data. This leads to my question – can you give me data for the 127-grain Barnes LRX bullet and the 129-grain Hornady SST? ...Read More >

American’s attraction to lever-action rifles goes back to the first such successful design, the Henry, quickly followed by the Model 1866 and Model 1873 Winchesters. These models were not, however, intended to be hunting rifles. Self-defense against humans, singularly or especially in groups, was the purpose. A pocketful of cartridges to thumb into the side loading gate of a Model 66 or Model 73 gave its owner a chance to survive. A muzzleloading rifle or percussion revolver just postponed the inevitable. ...Read More >

The first pocket pistol that I purchased was an interesting experience. I had just turned 13 and a neighbor offered a Colt Model 1908 Hammerless Vest Pocket Pistol in 25 ACP at a true bargain price. I hit my older brother up to partner with me, so we each paid $12.50 for the $25 purchase price, along with a few more dollars for the owner to throw in several boxes of 50-grain Winchester full metal jacket (FMJ) factory ammunition. We divided the ammunition and I was first to take the pistol afield. My daily work was done, so I grabbed a fishing pole, slipped the Colt 25 ACP in my back pocket with an extra magazine and hiked up Indian Creek that ran through the middle of our ranch to catch a few trout. A huge porcupine was spotted lumbering across the alfalfa hay field heading towards Indian Creek. In addition to killing trees, porcupines are very hard on livestock along with inexperienced cow dogs, and are real pests. I ran up beside him as he lumbered along at his casual pace, pulled out my new pistol and began shooting. The strike from each bullet could be seen parting his hair and quills, but his slow pace remained unchanged! ...Read More >

Handloaders, for the most part, are inveterate gearheads. No surprise there, as specialty tools are part and parcel of our pursuit. Sure, while the practical goal is always the production of ammunition, the fascination with handloading for many of us is as much about the process as it is about the satisfaction at the end. Specialty tools fill our benchtops, pegboards, shelves and drawers. ...Read More >

We may never know for certain who was first to fireform the 22-250 case to the improved shape with minimum body taper and sharper shoulder angle. In his Handbook For Shooters & Reloaders, P.O. Ackley included two versions. One has less body taper than the standard 22-250 case, but the shoulder angle remains the same at 28 degrees. The version created by Jerry Shannon of Spanaway, Washington, was the same except for a shoulder angle of 35 degrees. Nowhere does Ackley mention an improved 22-250 with his signature 40-degree shoulder, and yet, he is often credited with having one. The Nosler Reloading Guide 8 describes the cartridge as the “22-250 Remington Ackley Improved” and the barrel on my rifle has the usual “.22-250 AI” engraving. ...Read More >

For many years, the world of shotshell reloading was dominated by one overwhelming concern: Saving money. ...Read More >

The AMP Press bullet seater is completely different and far advanced beyond any other reloading press you’ve ever bolted to your bench, incorporating digital technology to precisely measure case neck tension on a bullet. Consistent case-to-case neck tension is important to keeping groups tight – especially at extended ranges – where a slight difference among cartridges in a batch can widen groups, cause flyers and cost you a championship. ...Read More >

Eighteen seventy three was an exciting year for small arms development with two notable guns being offered, including Colt’s legendary Single Action Army revolver chambered in 45 Colt and the Winchester Model 1873 lever-action rifle initially chambered in 44 WCF or 44-40. ...Read More >

A while back, I was asked by one of the loading-component companies to write an article about loading bismuth shot in 16-gauge shotshells. I must have been distracted or half asleep or something because I absent-mindedly said, “Sure, why not?” ...Read More >

The story of the 244 Remington and the 6mm Remington seems emblematic of a certain era in the history of the Big Green. When various mechanisms of the massive apparatus developed a talent for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory through various miscues (reference the sagas of the 350 Remington Magnum, 280 Remington or the 7mm Remington Express for further examples). Ultimately, the 244 Remington and 6mm Remington are identical dimensionally, but the rifles these cartridges were chambered in ultimately set them apart. ...Read More >

I first shot a Ruger Mini-14 in August of 1978 in Rhodesia. Professional hunter John Tolmay was at the airport in Salisbury when I arrived. From there, we flew to the small village of Kariba then took a very long boat ride across Lake Kariba to Bumi Hills Lodge, which was located on a tall hill overlooking the lake. Despite the fact that a bush war with Communist-backed terrorists had been ongoing for about 10 years, we were intent on hunting buffalo. ...Read More >