Rain in the forecast for the next several days so I

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Saturday, June 03, 2023, 17:27 (299 days ago)

decided to bring a bunch of 22 rifles in and make sure they were sighted in. The first gun jammed with the round trying to get into the chamber. I set aside to check it out later as I didn't have a lot of time on a Saturday. The second gun did the same. Then the 3rd, and these were 3 different guns, all semi autos but different brands. When 3 guns all jam that rules out the gun in most cases. That just leaves the ammo.
We buy quite a few estates and in each there are a half box of this ammo, half of another and so on. We set the half and partial boxes aside for test firing purposes. With 3 guns that normally never give me any problems now are jamming I pulled the box of ammo aside and checked it out. It was CCI Mini Mags in the older yellowish plastic box. Looking at the ammo there was a thin layer of a waxy something on the cases and on the nose of the bullet. I took my knife and scraped all the waxy crap off the rounds and put then back in the guns. This time no problems. They all fed fine and had decency accuracy. I had about half a box of Stingers so I decided to try them. I figured with the nickel cases and no visible wax or other coating on the bullet and case it should run fine. And all 3 guns ran fine. Not a jam or hiccup in the shooting session.
I know a lot of times when a gun jams we automatically blame the gun, seldom the ammo. But this time it was fully the ammo.
On another gun I tried a different brand of ammo. It is the CZ 512, the semi auto 22 Magnum. It loved the Hornady Critical Defense with the heavy 45 grain bullet. My Rock Island XTM 22 Magnum 1911 style pistol also loves the Hornady. Today I had a box of Winchester Dyna Point 45 grain 22 Magnum on hand so I figured why not try it. The CZ 512 and the Rock Island XTM both ran it perfectly with not a jam in a whole box. Most 22 Magnum semi autos, both handguns an rifle are picky on ammo. But they all seem to like the heavier bullet brands of 40 to 45 grain bullets.
Here is the CZ 512
[image]
And the Rock Island
[image]
[image]

Quite a few folks in the gun shop today, most with minor problems with their guns so my time in the machine shop was limited but I got quite a bit done.

Several guns that I swear by didn't let me down today. That is the model 29, model 30 and model 31 J.C.Higgins 22 LR, each gun made by High Standard for Sears. I have yet to have any of them give me any problems. I like them as they are a man size 22 rifle, not one of the little ladies guns you find all over the place.
[image]
One of the guns had the expensive scope on it when I got it. It think it was $2 extra when you bought it with the gun at Sears. The ad showed it better.

[image]
Another one that I brag on a lot is the little Marlin 99-M1 in 22 LR. It puts every shot in a dime size group at 20 to 25 yards if I do my part. I have had to put a scope on the little Marlin but that is not the fault of the gun, just my chity eyesight.
[image]

All in all a good day. I have a couple of big caliber rifles to sight in soon too. These are Colleen's rifles and she will have a couple of them on her next Africa hunt. Her 458 for sure..as that's her baby. I built it for her for her first Africa hunt back in 1993 and she has used it quite a bit since then. She is in the process of changing her scope on it. She hasn't made up her mind on which scope yet.
[image]
Her Colt Sauer in 300 Win Mag will be with her too.

Maybe next weekend on them.

Interesting post Boss. I have a 10/22 Altemontthat has never

drdougrx
[subject]
Sunday, June 04, 2023, 04:32 (298 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

jammed in all the years I’ve owned it. Took it out to shoot and it wouldn’t feed…really strange so I looked at the ammo as well. It was a half box of CCI standard that has some oxidation? smoots on the bullet where it met the case. Opened a new box and all was well. I’ll save the rest and shoot it in my SW 34 kit.

A lot of folks don't realize that ammo is not

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Monday, June 05, 2023, 12:37 (297 days ago) @ drdougrx

something that lasts forever. The weather and dampness does effect it. When our shop was in Florida years ago it was not unusual to see a box of ammo sitting on the dash in the sun. We see that around here too but not as much.
A few years back we had a fellow bitching about bad powder or bad primers as the loads he loaded up here at 7000 feet elevation and temps in the low to mid 50s were not accurate when he went down to Phoenix at the big Ben Avery range. I asked what the temp was when he went down there. He said probably 115 or maybe a bit more (that is normal for Phoenix). I tried to tell him the outside temps have a lot to do with accuracy. We were talking about this and of course he was an expert on reloading (if you doubted it he would tell you) and had been reloading for 50 years. While we were talking I glanced out and there was a box of ammo on the dash of his Jeep. I mentioned that to him and of course he knows better as he is an expert. He finally left after letting me know that I had just had the pleasure of talking to an expert. (and an expert on just about everything).

Anyway a few years back we had our first HHC that was in July in south Texas. We called it the Hot & Nasty and it was that. It had rained the day before the hunt and besides the temps in the upper 90s the humidity was probably higher. We were mainly hunting hogs and before we went out I went behind the bunkhouse and ran a few rounds thru my guns. I had just developed the 256 GNR and it was dead on at 50 yards here in Flagstaff but way off down there. My 429 GNR prototype revolver was there to do some testing and it was off too. It was just a reminder that shooting up here in clear skies, mid 70s temps with no humidity at all was totally different shooting in upper 90s with 100% humidity.
Even sighting our guns in at the HHC in Tennessee the temps and humidity or lack of will make a big difference.

And on the flip side of that...

WB
[subject]
Monday, June 05, 2023, 18:41 (296 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

in the mid 1980's, as a FFL at the time, I was buying cases of .303 British from what is now Iraq. Cupro nickel spire pointed, corrosive-Berdan primed, loaded with actual string cordite. It was all made in 1900. The boxes contained canvas bandoliers with two 5-shot strippers in each pouch. I noted the case lengths were all different but close. OAL was the same on all the rounds. My goodness did it shoot! A red flame 6 ft. long even visible in daylight. Out of some 2000 rounds I do not remember a single misfire. I did pull one or two to look at the load. It had a card wad between the bullet and cordite. The cordite was greenish yellow and almost full case length. How foolish I was to shoot it all. But the Lee Enfields were $50 each, sold those too! We never thought the fun would end.

My Single Six that you cut the barrel for me ...

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Sunday, June 04, 2023, 06:25 (298 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

has tight chambers. At least that's what I initially thought. Then I noticed, it's only with Aguila .22's. But they are the most accurate that I have shot in that gun, so maybe they are a bit larger. I am gonna have to break out my dial calipers!

[image]

[image]

When you finish with Colleen's 458,

Winnturner48
[subject]
Sunday, June 04, 2023, 12:12 (298 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

will you sight in my 416 Rigby?

Pussy

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Sunday, June 04, 2023, 18:01 (297 days ago) @ Winnturner48

- No text -

powered by my little forum