AMMO
Lead-Free ...
Shooters are exposed to airborne lead particles for multiple reasons. Bullets with exposed lead bases experience melting from the hot gasses of burning...
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Barrel-Ology
Not all barrels are created equal. There are many reasons to change out a barrel:
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E-Z Powder Coating
Powder Coating (PC) is simply the process of treating your cast bullets with a baked-on polymer coating. This coating acts as the bullets’ lubricant as it...
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CCI “Clean”...
Nothing’s cooler than shooting a suppressed .22 and only hearing the muffled cycling of your semi-auto firearm, followed by the telltale “tink” of...
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Buffalo Bore...
Not everyone casts bullets or reloads their own ammo. Several readers have asked what factory ammo I’d recommend as a substitute for those heavy cast...
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Hornady BLACK...
Introduced in 2016, Hornady BLACK ammunition was designed to fit, feed and function in a variety of platforms, offering “versatile loads optimized for...
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NORMA MHP ...
Norma’s MHP (Monolithic Hollow Point) features a solid-copper bullet optimized for personal defensive use.
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The Classic...
When it comes to cast bullets, the term “Keith” bullet has morphed into any slug resembling a semi-wadcutter (SWC) design.
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Precision...
There’s no better time to start reloading than during an ammo shortage. With tools and resources to help get you started, dispensing powder with precision...
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Federal Premium ...
Here’s another “easier to say than do” apothegm ... Shoot several hundred rounds of your defensive ammo through your carry gun to be sure it’s...
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RCBS Rebel Plus...
RCBS is serving up five new kits designed for both novice and professional reloaders. At the top of the list, the Rebel Plus Reloading Kit supplies...
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Winchester...
An extension of the Winchester Wildcat line of rimfire ammo, new Wildcat Super Speed utilizes the versatile copper-plated Dynapoint hollowpoint projectile...
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Handgunner...
But, having started altering the gun, I also caught “the bug” in the process. In search of more suggestions, I went to the best resource for handguns...
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How to Make...
Every manufacturing process has a Quality Control (QC) function. In a manufacturing plant, QC is separated from the assembly process
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Favorite Slugs...
The .45 Colt is my favorite handgun cartridge. Its voluminous case allows it to be loaded heavy in strong revolvers like Ruger’s full-size Blackhawk and...
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Practice &...
As a cast-bullet shooter for more than 30 years, I’ve found myself shooting nothing but powder coated loads in recent years.
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Most-Wanted...
While revolvers may be simpler in design than most semi-auto handguns, every gun needs accessories. From holsters to speedloaders, sights to ammunition, we...
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Basic .45 Colt...
When loaded heavy and fired in strong guns like the Ruger Blackhawk and Redhawk, the .45 Colt is one tough hombre.
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Grizzly...
Yahoo! Strap on your spurs, adjust your ten-gallon hat and grab your favorite thumb-buster, hog leg or horse pistol and head into town to give a sixgun...
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Got Gas Problems?
High pressures from maximum loadings and magnum cartridges can cause significant problems when coupled with cast lead bullets.
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Lee Precision...
My shrewd farmer family roots are obviously displayed by appreciating a bargain for what it’s worth.
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Norma MHP...
The folks at Norma have been busy in the secret ammo lab. I've always admired their rifle and rimfire offerings, but haven't followed developments in the...
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Short Brass Long...
One question often arising from handloaders has to do with the use of short brass and long chambers. Cartridges like the .38 Special in .357 Magnum and .44...
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Norma Hexagon...
If it looks like a hollow-point, is shaped like a hollow-point, and has a hole in the front end, is it always a hollow-point? Not necessarily.
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10 Great Defense...
What’s needed to make a handgun round particularly well-suited for defensive purposes? The answer to that question varies between law enforcement and...
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Speer Gold Dot...
CarryGun is optimized to perform in compact and subcompact pistols — those most popular for concealed carry. No easy task but here's why it works ...
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Lee Precision Dies
It was definitely an “I coulda’ had a V-8!” moment complete with the required hand slap to the forehead.
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Retro Revolver...
What better way to spend our time while quarantined than dusting off our magazine archive, flipping through the yellowed pages and reminiscing on classic...
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The Mighty 32's
When someone mentions .32 caliber handguns, we often think of small, low powered rounds. The .32 ACP comes to mind, and the .32 S&W Short and Long pop into...
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Federal Solid...
When it comes to ammunition, make no bones about it: Deep penetration combined with large wound channels is a killing combination.
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Reasons To Reload
My first serious venture into reloading came out of necessity. It was the early years of the Obama administration and between the hoarders and the numbers...
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Pistol Cartridge...
In the late 1860s and early 1870s, Henrys and Winchester ’66’s (repeating rifles) became popular.
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Loaded Fun With 231
I’ll admit, lately I find myself going back to the classics, powder wise. Namely, the Herculean powders: 2400, Unique and Bullseye — which were first...
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Making It Go Bang
If you reload you get to do two fun things at once — shoot more — and reload!
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Loading The .357 SIG
The .357 SIG has been around now for about 25 years. It’s a bottleneck cartridge, basically a .40 S&W necked down to .357.
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Hornady Handgun...
I’m fond of repeating friend Dick Thompson’s statement, “You never master a handgun,” because it resonates the hard truth in such simple terms.
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The Spark to...
Both my grandmothers were married to farmers, so you were expected to pitch-in doing the daily chores. Everyone pulled their weight, no matter how young or old.
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Steinel 10mm Auto
The 10mm has exploded in popularity and for many good reasons. It’s a powerful, reliable cartridge suitable for both semi-autos and revolvers of all types.
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Critical Defense...
Offering reliable expansion without the possibility of clogging, Hornady Critical Defense is the ultimate choice for concealed carry firearms and self...
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56 Years Young
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you're never too old to learn something new—even reloading.
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Are Your Bullets PC?
When it comes to cast bullets, we can find ourselves in a Catch-22. Many sixgun hunters prefer hollowpoint bullets for thin-skinned game, and therein lies...
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Largest...
Norma's new all-copper 9mm MHP delivers consistent penetration, repeatable expansion and great stopping power for concealed carry, home defense or personal...
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Pet Loads With...
As a handloader, nothing is more satisfying than taking game, or punching the bullseye with your own handloads. It provides a feeling of accomplishment,...
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Handloading...
Want some cutting-edge bullets for your next reloading project? Federal is now offering Syntech Component bullets.
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The Ultimate...
An extruded propellant part of the company’s “Extreme Series” of powders, Hodgdon’s H4350 is designed to work in just about any condition.
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The Speedloader...
When the Colt Paterson revolver burst onto the scene in 1836, the game changed forever. With five chambers of .36 caliber ball at the shooter’s disposal,
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Winchester...
Are you a serious handloader who wants to get the most performance out of your handgun reloads?
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Non-Essential ...
All of my straight-walled sixgun cartridges are sized with carbide sizing dies. Those that are not are first sprayed with Hornady One Shot Case Lube. This...
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Norma Now Offers...
An all-around performer for concealed carry and home defense, Norma's MHP in 9mm Luger delivers reliable expansion, weight retention and accuracy.
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Speedloading...
Thumbing (electronically) through the July/August 1982 issue of American Handgunner, the editor's note at the end of the "Speedloading Handguns Takes Skill"...
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The Virtually...
Smith & Wesson’s J-frame -- what many consider the quintessential snub-nose revolver -- is virtually unsnubbable. That is, you can’t fault it for...
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What I Carry: A...
I’ve almost always been the guy who carries a full-size handgun for CCW. I was willing to forego comfort for capability, wanting to make sure I had a gun...
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Living Archive:...
If you prefer a flat handgun that is easier to conceal and carries more rounds than a revolver, you have only to take your pick from the large array of 9mm...
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5.11 Small Kit...
While you’re creating an all-around survival kit list, I'll bet it numbers more than 10 items. Probably at least 20. So think of what you’ll put all...
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.38 Special
The .38 Special arrived around 1900 in the S&W Military & Police. It soon became the number one cartridge for law enforcement use chambered in both S&W and...
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What I Carry:...
Living in a rural area finds me carrying a firearm in the truck on a daily basis. Our farm is just a few minutes' drive from our home and some type of gun...
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Federal Adds...
In 2018, Federal reinvented the proven Hydra-Shok bullet design with Hydra-Shok Deep in 9mm Luger. Now, it has expanded the line with new loads in 40 S&W...
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Roy's Daily...
“What do we carry?” feature in Handgunner. In looking back, I wasn’t surprised to note my daily carry stuff has changed a bit.
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What I Carry:...
I’ll be frank with you, I almost exclusively carry mid- to full-size pistols in an IWB holster rig when I leave the house. Is it a hassle? Is it a lot of...
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SIG Sauer Ammo...
In the late 1980’s I transitioned from revolvers to semi-autos on my police agency. We had a fairly limited palate of handgun designs we could carry and I...
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Weighing Your...
At Portsmouth lies the Mary Rose. What’s left of her. Launched in 1511, she sank 34 years later battling the French navy in the Solent, between England...
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Shooting For The...
Whoever at Smith & Wesson was responsible for inventing the little pieces of spring steel commonly called “half-moon clips” should have received...
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Eley .22 Ammo
Okay, quick — who’s been making ammo since 1828? Extra points if you can guess who makes the .22 ammo used by more Olympic medalists than all the other...
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Slugfest
We frequently read we should “slug” our gun barrels so we know what we have to deal with to get the best accuracy. Jacketed bullets right at or .0005"...
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The .44 Russian
Smith & Wesson introduced the first successful big-bore, centerfire sixgun, the Model #3 American, in 1869. This revolver was chambered in a .44 centerfire,...
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Streak Ammo
Ammo Inc. — which has been around making more conventional but very high quality ammo for some time — has announced their new non-incendiary tracer ammo.
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Ballistic Gel...
Ballistic gelatin is a quality control tool you can bet your life on. It’s composed of water and gelatin powder, and should be mixed in specific ratios,...
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Behind the...
There I was, minding my own business and running some errands when I spotted something really interesting in a parking lot. I looked over at the car parked...
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When More Means Less
My objectives for reloading rifle cartridges are different than handgun cartridges. The objective for rifle rounds is to develop the ideal load for a...
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Throat-Choke Is...
I love Ruger revolvers, especially those chambered in .45 Colt. Built tough and able to withstand pressures most other guns can’t, doesn’t mean...
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Federal Premium...
Federal Ammunition’s very existence is owed to the continued technological improvements that have been blasting down our barrels since 1922. Founding...
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Keeping The Bang...
From a small handful of ammo makers years ago, to today’s almost limitless choices, the good old days are now — times 10 at least!
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Trigger Time
How a pistol fits the hand is just as important as a rifle or shotgun stock fits the shoulder. Trigger length and grip fit are the same for pistol shooters.
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Favored...
I started reloading in the late 1950s using the Lyman #310 Tool. This is a “Nutcracker” type of tool requiring each step in the reloading process to be...
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Tank’s Powder...
By now, you’ve observed my proclivity for Powder Coated (PC) projectiles I’ve cast myself. In 30 years of casting, I’ve come to the conclusion PC cast...
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MP-Molds
For you fellow lead-heads who find nothing finer than casting and shooting your own bullets, especially of the hollow-point (HP) persuasion, let me let you...
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Wonderful...
I’ll admit I’ve got a fetish of sorts. It involves workshops. It started when I was about five years old while exploring my Pap’s toolshed on the...
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LEE Auto Breech...
I’ll admit it; I’m partial to bargains. If it works and gives me the results I’m after, why not use it? I’ve never been a manufacturer-snob.
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.44 Wadcutters
The .44 Russian was a very popular target shooting cartridge and around 1900 a man by the name of Himmelwright designed a better bullet for target shooting.
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Grizzly...
Recently, Grizzly Cartridge released a new thumper in the form of a 335-grain WLNGC, or for the uninitiated, Wide Long-Nose, Gas Check slug.
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.45 Wadcutters...
The original .45 Colt bullet profile is known as a truncated cone or round nosed flat point (RNFP). It basically started in the early 1870s as a round-nosed...
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Super Vel Ammo...
Super Vel is back! For those who remember the profound effect the original Super Vel had on police and defensive ammunition in the 1960’s and 70’s, this...
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Callshot Brass?
In a nutshell, Callshot had to retire early in order to take care of his wife, Betty, who had MS. She was bedridden for 11 years and Steve was her sole...
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The Perfect...
A series of x-rays of my teeth, gums, and roots revealed an object down by the roots of my lower left molars. A light bulb goes off, and I remember an...
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Federal...
The white lab coat “squints” at Federal Premium — you know, the guys with the slide rules and calipers — have been beating their ballistic brains...
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Bradshaw-Martin SWC
Being a handloader, I’m always looking for something new to try, experiment with, or experience, be it caliber, bullet, powder or gun. Yeah, I’ve been...
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Unique: 5 Grains...
Complaints about Unique being dirty, whether it’s the “old” Unique or the “new” Unique abound, and I don’t understand what the problem is.
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British Boomers:...
I must admit I find myself fascinated by British revolvers; you know, those “ugly” Enfields and the Webleys. They are not pretty, but they do have a...
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American...
While at the SHOT show recently I found this display of two prototype big bore rounds ostensibly slated to go into production in a Serbian-made,...
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Next-Gen...
While debates continue to rage about what constitutes the best caliber for personal defense in a handgun, the better question might revolve around bullet...
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Pick Your Poison
I like bullets. I’m speaking of actual bullets and not loaded ammunition, which the idiots in the news media continually and mistakenly call “bullets.”
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The Gunpowder...
2017 marked the 70th year of business for Hodgdon Powder Company. To celebrate this milestone, The Gunpowder People was written to detail the history of how...
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Loading Data...
Where should we get reloading information? First, let’s look where we should not obtain data. The number one negative source is anonymous information on...
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NovX 9mm Ammo
NovX has released factory ammunition using cutting edge technology, which is sure to influence the defensive ammunition market. The patent pending...
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Handloading +P Brass
Some back-story first. Plus P (+P) brass is designed to be stronger than regular brass in order to withstand the additional pressure of +P rated cartridges....
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AusKur’s...
When I first started handloading more than 60 years ago I was not far removed from the buffalo hunters of the 1870’s. I started with a single cavity Lyman...
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S&W's Model 986 9mm
When His Editorship suggested I do some work with a Smith & Wesson Performance Center gun I was eager to jump on the ship. This was until I found out the...
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Crooked-Seated...
How important is it to seat the bullet perfectly strait in the case? What if the bullet is seated crooked? Does this affect accuracy?
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A .30 Luger...
Late last year I was trying to organize my reloading room a little better and as I was checking out my cabinet full of reloading dies I stumbled on both .30...
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Charter Arms'...
Charter Arms has been going to the dogs for over half a century. In the mid-1960’s Charter Arms combined dogs and the .44 Special when they brought out...
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SAAMI 90 Years...
The year 2016 marked the 90th anniversary of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, known to most shooters and reloaders simply as...
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Ruger’s SR1911...
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1911 in 2011, Ruger brought out their first version of the 1911. It was a full-sized, stainless steel .45 with...
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Loading the...
Although we call it the .38 Super the correct name is Super .38. Early advertising, the box it came in, and the guns themselves were all marked: “Super...
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Black Hills Ammo
"Every shipment to military units is manufactured as if each cartridge had to protect a life.” This perspective helped Jeff and Kristi Hoffman start an...
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Sensible...
Standard bullet weights for the .38/357 are normally around 158 grains; for the .44 Special/.44 Magnum, 240–250 grains and in the .45 Colt regular weight...
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Fancy Gun + No...
Where would we be without good bullets? You can own the most expensive, impressive-looking “Holy Grail” handgun — but without a bullet capable of...
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Shell Shock...
Bullets have gone through tremendous advancements, especially in the past 40 years, while cartridge cases have been virtually unchanged since the very...
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Cast Bullets For...
My initial reloading efforts were not the most fruitful. This was in 1956–1957 and I had both a Ruger .357 Magnum 45/8" Flat-Top Blackhawk and one of the...
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Feeding The...
The first thing to learn is that you can’t learn everything. I’ve learned a little about 1911’s. Forty years ago I built a couple from parts. A local...
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Nosedive And...
You finally get to the range for some fun. You insert the magazine, rack the slide, and — it jams. The round has nosedived into the feed ramp and stopped...
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Heavy Defensive...
Buffalo Bore has long been known for producing heavy hunting rounds for leverguns and big bore sixguns. Over the past few years, the line has been expanded...
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Heavy Defensive...
Buffalo Bore has long been known for producing heavy hunting rounds for leverguns and big bore sixguns. Over the past few years, the line has been expanded...
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Helps For...
The first after-market “consumer” cartridge boxes for reloaders I saw needed improvement right off the bat, however they worked much better than the...
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SIG Sauer Ammo
I first encountered the name “SIG” in Jeff Cooper’s first book, Fighting Handguns way back in 1958. Cooper was really just getting started and already...
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Everyday Workin'...
Whether we travel the sagebrush, foothills, forests, or mountains these are the sort of loads which will handle any situation.
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The .32-20
The .32-20 started life in the Winchester Model 1873 and then shortly after was chambered in the newer Model 1892 rifle.
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Favorite 45 Bullets
Today’s reloader has a nearly endless supply of jacketed and factory cast bullets available for reloading the .45 Colt.
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A Dozen Moronic...
Can a bullet “knock down” an elk? Did the old cowboy’s load their SAA’s with only five-rounds for safety? And more falsehoods undone here ...
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The .40 S&W: Too...
While the price of Maseratis has not risen as fast as the cost of health insurance under the oddly named Affordable Care Act, I’m resigned to live without...
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A Close Look At:...
As I write this, we’re starting to pull out of the empty-shelf syndrome, as ammunition slowly, ever so slowly, starts to reappear on shelves. Even the...
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Handguns Of WWII...
Now that we have covered the particulars of what I consider the most significant handguns used by the major combatant nations of World War II, it’s time...
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Bullet Sizing:
When it comes to factory ammunition or reloading with jacketed bullets we really have very little choice when it comes to bullet diameter.
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Those Fabulous .44s
The .44 is amazingly versatile if you think about it.
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Heavyweight...
One of the first manufacturers to offer suitable silhouetting sixguns was Dan Wesson, with their 8" and 10" heavy-barreled .357 Magnum.
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Colt's "New" New...
How does one improve on perfection? The original Colt Single Action Army was a study in perfect pistol perfection when it arrived in 1873.
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Black Powder Basics
Elmer Keith in 1936 writing in his book Sixgun Cartridges and Loads, recommended the novice reloader start out with black powder; he basically said just...
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Big Bullet Baloney
Some of the first heavyweight bullets for both the .44 Magnum and .45 Colt came from J.D. Jones and SSK Industries. He designed a 320-gr. flat...
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True Custom Bullets
Belt Mountain Punch bullets are turned from solid brass one at a time on a lathe. The base is then hollowed out resulting in a core filled with lead while...
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