Month: February 2021

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Website Updates 2-22-2021

Good Monday Evening! It’s been a busy week, and I’ve been productive but not as productive as I would have hoped. I spent the majority of the week trying to figure out what was troubling my laptop. It is always something. I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon digging into the guts of the laptop to try and figure out what was going on. Turns out, I think I narrowed it down to a bad flat cable, and so far the hotel expedient fix has held, letting me write this update this evening. (I tried replacing the hard drive, did not work)

It is not very often you can open a laptop and make any meaningful type of fix to it. It was either this, or I spend a few hundred dollars giving it to the “Geek Squad”. The arrow is pointing to the cable that seemed to have been the culprit.

We added a few new loads to the Load Data Base courtesy of Jeff H. All of these loads made use of the long obsolete Norma 2020 & Norma 1010 powders. With very little load data out there, Jeff reach out to me a few months ago to try and get more information of where the burn speed may be and how to proceed using this powder for something other then fertilizer. He developed a few cast loads for his Sig 365 using this powder.

Excellent Photo Jeff! Thanks for sharing it with us. I’ll have this photo and the photo of Norma 1010 posted with the powder for future reference.

I appreciate him braving the cold and providing us the data. He also provided some pictures of the powder, and the canisters. I really appreciate the effort that went into this. Thanks Jeff!

I have finally gotten around to adding a conversation to the Mail Bag. I launched it with the intention of getting a bunch of previous emails uploaded to it, but got side tracked. We’ll get some of those previous emails posted but for now here is a email we got this week. [2-16-2021] Printable Burn Rate Chart. Thanks Larry for subscribing and for the email! There are a few emails I’ve been wanting to get posted but just have not gotten to it.

I has been a pretty interesting week, for those who are wondering I did find an rental unit for the family. We’ll be moving the family over next weekend. So the chaos is not completely over yet. However there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With that said, it is probably for the best I am not actively loading ammunition, the component shortage is really quite astonishing.

This is especially true when you realize how localized it is. Component manufacturers sell all over the world, and if we cross the border into Canada, the shelves are stocked. Woe be to the fool who gets caught trying to cross the border with it.

The good news is not all the ammunition out there is sold out. Snap caps along with 357 Sig, and 45 GAP is still reportedly on the shelves. I am waiting on someone to post a YouTube about using snap caps in the place of primers.

I have seen videos of people using the heads of strike anywhere matches to “Recharge” spent primers. This is truly an act of desperation, but at the same some of these alternative “Primers” are kind of fun learn about. Given that I know that primers consist of a myriad of elements including primary and secondary explosives, sensitizers and friction modifiers. This imbues the primer with a near 100% reliability, given that the right sequence of events is initiated. Undoubtedly, the homemade solutions will be as variable as the compounds that are used to recharge them. It’s up to you to decided how desperate you are for a few primers, but if you do it, let us know. I’d be curious on your load details and results.

That is all I have for this week. As always if you are looking to get in touch, best way is to send me an email jay@theballisticassistant.com. You may check us out on Parler, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. If you’d like to submit a load to our load database the instructions are here.

Thanks for subscribing and Stay Safe out there!

The Ballistic Assistant

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Website Updates 2-15-2021

I am publishing this update from a hotel room here in Alabama. I drove over last night avoiding most of the ice storms that hit eastern Texas. Did not avoid it all, but missed probably 80% of it. Even then I pulled one guy from a ditch and did a wellness check on another gal who spun into a guardrail. As someone who grew up in the northern climates, I really was quite shocked to see how bad the roads really got given how little precipitation was actually received. I guess I’ll stop complaining about snow removal, or sometimes the lack there of, in Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah…..

Anyhow while I am house hunting for the family, I suspect I’ll have a good deal of time in the evenings to get some work done on a the website. So be looking for updates, likely corrections, additions or completions of existing content that I have not had the time to get to. I’ll be sure to have those highlights next update. While I did not have the time this past week I’ll be getting a book review in this week.

In firearms news…

Since I hail from Utah, I do pay attention to what is going on in that state. It was good to see that the constitutional carry bill finally passed and was signed into law by Governor Cox. My understanding is that it will go into effect on May 5th, 2021. Utah will continue to offer a license, which will be of important to those traveling to states which recognize Utah’s permits. A full listing of States that recognize Utah’s Concealed Firearms Permit (CFP) can be found here.

Also, CZ Firearms is reportedly in the process of purchasing Colt. Time will tell if this is a good or bad thing for Colt, but Colt has turned things around. It was only a few years ago that there was serious talk this company might go completely under.

Sticking with the theme of acquisitions. Ammo, Inc the company that is probably most well known for tracers that are not half pyrotechnic, half bullet is buying Gun Broker. Again, time will tell if this is a over all good thing for Gun Broker, but I suspect it will be as Ammo, Inc seems to be doing well.

There are some rumors that one of the firearm manufacturers, I do not know which, may be building a new primer facility. To be fair, every time we see an ammo crunch a rumor like this seems to pop up. Having toured a facility that makes primers, I can attest it is no small feat. Here you are legitimately handling explosives that are sensitive, by design, to being crushed or shocked. The Remington Lonoke staff have a few stories of what can go wrong, and what the aftermath looks like. I do not see a new primer facility being built, and producing primers within the next two years. I suspect it will be towards the end of Q3 2023 or late 2024 before we see anything, assuming that this rumor pans out.

Lastly, I would be a bit amiss if I did not at least touch on what President Biden rolled out over the weekend. The “Guntube” channels, and the those who focus on firearm politics are likely to make quite a bit of noise about it. Some may feel it justified given the potential consequences, but at the end of the day, I think it does little to further our cause. I believe that amidst what seems to be unmitigated chaos, it is the calm and collected mind that has power. As we discuss with our neighbors, our friends, our country man, lets put an emphasis on discussion, not with the intent to change minds, but rather with the intent to foster conversation and an exchange of ideas. It is an art that we have lost as a civilization, and unless we make an effort to relearn it, we will always be at each others throats.

That is all I have for this week. As always if you are looking to get in touch, best way is to send me an email jay@theballisticassistant.com. You may check us out on Parler (Yes, they are back online now.) Facebook, Instagram, MeWe, and Reddit. If you’d like to submit a load to our load database the instructions are here.

Thanks for subscribing and Stay Safe (and Sane) out there!

The Ballistic Assistant

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Website Updates 2-8-2021

Its been a busy week this week, but unfortunately not for the webpage. As a heads up the next two weeks promise to be quite busy. This week I’ll likely be on the road a fair bit, heading to Alabama to try and get housing nailed down for the family, and then headed back to Texas to help the rest of the family finish up the move. If all goes well, I’ll be writing the next update from Alabama. So there is likely not to be any new content in the next week.

We did sneak in a book review for this week. If you are looking for a more detailed explanation on how rifling is formed on the inside of a barrel, this book is an excellent read. It is fairly technical, so it’s best not to read this too close to bed time.

Clicking on the photo will take you to Amazon.com. However at the time of this update the book is unavailable for purchase. I have provided an alternative link in the write up for the book.

You can read my thoughts on the book here: Thoughts On: Rifling Machines and Methods. This is another book that I believe could really benefit if the photo’s were printed in color rather the black and white. That is not to diminish the read, just something I would be willing to pay a premium for. With that said there are plenty of drawings and cross sections of some of the cutters used which I found to be informative. As someone who would like to rifle a few barrels of my own, this is a book I am happy to have gotten my hands on.

On reviewing the SAAMI page, I noticed a new cartridge was snuck in. The 429 Desert Eagle. The SAAMI approved drawing has been included below. I’ll be adding this to the pistol cartridge catalog in the near future. It looks like SAAMI has approved a 46,000psi service pressure or MAP for this cartridge.

The 50 AE served as the parent cartridge, and while this cartridge was introduced in 2018, it did not gain SAAMI approval until Jan 2021.

Some may compare this cartridge to the 440 Cor-bon which was a similarly 50 AE based case. However the service pressure for the the 429 DE is much higher, and you should not chamber and fire the 429 DE in a 440 Cor-bon, even though it is reportedly possible to do so. Having fired a 50 AE Desert Eagle, I am curious as to what this new cartridge has to offer, perhaps I’ll do a bit of digging and will present the results in a future write up.

Speaking of the Desert Eagle, if you have not fired one and have the opportunity to do so, I encourage it. They are a unique and large pistol, which makes for a fun and different shooting experience. In terms of practicality, I do not have much use for them outside of it being a safe queen and something to be enjoyed on special occasions. However there is a dedicated following, and it has become something of a pop icon being featured in many movies, books and video games.

That is all I have for this week. As always if you are looking to get in touch, best way is to send me an email jay@theballisticassistant.com. You may check us out on Parler (if they ever get back online, I hear maybe today?) Facebook, Instagram, MeWe, and Reddit. If you’d like to submit a load to our load database the instructions are here.

Stay Safe Out There!

The Ballistic Assistant

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Website Updates 2-1-2021

The older I get the faster the years seem to go by. Not sure if this is because life just gets busier, or because my perspective of time seems to change. I.E, the older we get the shorter a day becomes, relative to the total amount of time we have lived. I saw that now, but there are still days and hours that seem to drag on. This is the long way of saying another week has past, and we are through the month of January in what seems like record time.

This past week and the next few weeks following are promising to be quite busy for myself and my family. We are once again on the move, this time to Alabama. This will hopefully be the second to last move we have as a family for some time. We will be moving into an apartment to allow us to find a house and property in the area that fits our needs. This also comes with a career change yet again, which will be a return to my passions which include CAD design/drafting, teaching, and of course the shooting sports.

As we make this transition, I’ll do my best to try and keep adding to the content on the website. There are some things that remain a work in progress. Of course, there was something if an informal 2021 SHOT Show, and manufacturers have been announcing new products, including some in the reloading category. I still have some work to do to finish what I feel are the highlights of these new releases. In the meantime, I have completed another book review

Clicking on the picture will take you to Amazon.com where you can purchase a copy of this book. A portion of the sale will go to supporting this website at no cost to you.

One of the reasons I wanted to start the Library section of the webpage was to highlight books which are lesser known but are of considerable value. Modern Exterior Ballistics is one of those books. It is an expensive book, it comes in hardcover, and it is written as an academic reference. Therefore, unless you are really interested in learning the math and theories behind ballistic trajectory, you may not see the value in this book. You can read my full thoughts and review of the book here: Thoughts On: Modern Exterior Ballistics

In keeping with the SAAMI cartridge catalog, I have finished and publish the SAAMI Rifle Cartridge Catalog . This includes all of the currently recognized SAAMI Rifle Cartridges except for the ones released in September 2020. I need to add these newer cartridges and will come on a future update. As with the other catalogs, important specs such as Service Pressure (SAAMI MAP), Max COAL, Min COAL, Max Case Length and Trim to Length are listed. I have also included the bullet diameter’s, which I did not do for the pistol, rimfire or shotgun catalog but may go back and update those. Again, these catalogs are intended to be a quick reference for people looking for information on a cartridge and not wanting to dig through the SAAMI Manuals.

In other news, a new Firearm Control Bill has been introduced into the house. HR127 or “Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act”. The introduction of this and other Firearm Control measures should not surprise anyone. There are a lot of people making a lot of hay over something that happens every new session of congress. With that said there are some highlights that make this bill pretty terrible, and some new things that I have not seen in previous bills;

  • Ban the possession of ammunition that is .50 Caliber or greater,
  • Ban magazines that can hold more then 10 rounds,
  • a requirement for registration and licensing of all firearms,
    • This includes different licensing categories for different classes of firearms
    • Licensing requirement would include a mandatory 24hr safety class and a phycological evaluation.
    • Only license holders may possess and purchase ammunition (At least that’s how it reads to me)
  • A requirement to pay a yearly $800 liability insurance fee to the AG.
  • The Bill is not clear on what, if any, grandfather measures are included, if it had them I missed them on my read through.

Those are the highlights I took away from reading through the bill. I am pretty sure there are others who can better inform us of some of the particular legal requirements and implications that are hidden in the legalese. While I stand firmly against everything in this bill, I do not think it does us much good to claim the sky is falling around the banning of magazines, or registration requirements, those argument will fall on deaf ears. Personally, I believe the best argument against this bill is the disparaging effect it will have on those looking to exercise their Rights and are part of the middle class and below. Which statistically is overwhelming minority populations.

The $800 yearly insurance requirement is only the beginning of the costs, once we figure in the cost of a 24hr (read a 3 day safety class, which means 3 days of missed work) and the cost of a psych evaluation, we are easily talking about an investment of $2,000 or more, before purchasing the firearm and ammunition. This will disproportionally affect low income populations, acting in effect as a “Poll Tax” requiring fee’s in order to exercise a Constitutional Right. On it’s face this requirement, I believe is unconstitutional, that is before we get into the debate over the 2nd Amendment and what arms or accessories may be legislatively regulated.

In the divided world we live in, I firmly believe that we must focus on messaging more then any other time. These battles can be won in the hearts and minds of our neighbors, but it will take an adjustment in how we discuss Rights, and how that impacts individuals who are less fortunate. Simply backing ourselves into a preverbal corner and crying ” Do Not Tread On Me, or Come and Take it” adds little or no value to the conversation and further rises the temperature. In many instances it makes people more resolute in their views for or against us.

Undoubtedly we will see more bills like this over the next four years. Even if they die in committee the same elements will be copied and paste into the next effort, with a different title and perhaps different sponsors. The pressure we must apply, needs to be applied with both a measure of patience and consistency, not a quick knee jerk response that is promoted by eye catching headlines or inflammatory YouTube videos. This kind of teaching is something our community can be very good at within our own families, but are not as astute at performing outside of our homes. The other side, by nature, is quite good at messaging and education even when we find the things being taught to be disagreeable.

That is all I have for this week. As always if you are looking to get in touch, best way is to send me an email jay@theballisticassistant.com. You may check us out on Parler (if they ever get back online) Facebook, Instagram, MeWe, and Reddit. If you’d like to submit a load to our load database the instructions are here.

Stay Safe Out There!

The Ballistic Assistant