Month: June 2021

Good Monday Evening! I am happy to report that I actually got some stuff done on the website this week, and not only that I got out to the range. One of the great lies about working in the shooting industry is that you get to shoot all the time. Well, sometimes you do, but it’s no the type of shooting any of us would consider helpful. Before we get into what I did at the range, let’s talk about what we updated the website with.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was working on a book review for Ammunition Making by George E. Frost. I have finally finished the review. You can read the review as well as get some sample pictures of what is contained in the book. The link for that is here Thoughts on Ammunition Making by George E. Frost. Unfortunately, this book has been out of print for some time and it is scarce. Scarcity has driven up the price and I have seen copies listed at $300 to $600. Keep an eye out for it at used book stores, or online use book shops. Sometimes you can sneak in and get a deal when the seller does not know what gem they have.

This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting in a 3×600 match at the Civilian Marksmanship Range in Talladega Alabama. What a treat that was. We had a tropical storm moving in on us and it rained the whole time we were shooting but surprisingly very little wind. This range will spoil you with the electronic targets, you get nearly instant feedback on your hits, and can dial in the sights without walking downrange or the use need of an optic.

This means the equipment you need to bring to the range is pretty darn limited. Basically, it comprises of yourself, your rifle, some ammo, and a pair of shooting glasses/ear pro. Honestly, I find this to be a huge blessing as one of the hurdles for me is having to bring a truckload of equipment. Spotting scopes, shooting mats, targets, staple gun, logbook, spotting scope stand, and depending on what I am doing, a chronograph. Somedays I feel like I spend very little time shooting and most of my time, setting up, taking down, or walking back and forth between the targets. The system at the CMP range is not new to me, most commercial ballistics labs with a testing tunnel have some sort of electronic target. however having it on a covered outdoor range, to where we were able to shoot all morning long without getting wet, is sweet.

The other guys at the match were shooting mostly service rifles with some guys shooting F-Class. We had one guy shooting his Palma rifle. I was the only one shooting traditional iron sights, from an M1A in 308 Win. I know I can catch some flak for not shooting an AR-15, but honestly, my passion for the M1A runs deep. It is a rifle I really enjoy shooting. I am not a competitive shooter, but I like to test myself, and shooting this rifle at 600 yards was a real test of my skills. The 3×600 is shot prone, 20 rounds per course of fire with two sighters, you have 2 minutes to shoot the sighters and make any corrections to your sight, and then you have 20 minutes to shoot 20 shots. My first round was basically 20 sighters, just trying to shake the rust off and get the rifle dialed in.

Once I was dialed in, it was more or less an exercise in endurance. Typically my first ten shots did a lot better than my second ten. The sling I have on my rifle is a Les Tam, and I got the sling to use for this type of shooting, I am still learning how to use it properly. I knew going into it that I was not going to score very well. The guys at the match all competed nationally, the scores that won the match were all in the 590’s with 30 or more Xs. They had proper service rifles with 4.5 power optics, shooting jackets, shooting mats, optics, and probably about $500 of other assorted gear. Not to mention hundreds of hours of practice time under their belts. I am ok with that, I kind of like the simple challenge of what I can do with my rifle, in what you might call an “everyday” dress and wear.

I look forward to the next match, I may not shoot next month, but I hope to shoot a bit more regularly. I will probably try and bring some other rifles to the match. I need to work on a load for my Lee Enfield, and I would like to get some more trigger time on that historic rifle especially at distances. Someday I’ll build or buy an M1 Garand and I am sure I will bring that to the range frequently. There was a time shooting competitively that really appealed to me, but that time has somewhat faded. I just like to shoot to improve myself, and buying a shooting jacket, or having $1000’s of dollars of gear to tote around, is not really appealing to me.

As far as industry news goes, there is not much that has caught my eye this past week. The ATF nomination keeps getting put off, if you have not called your senator then please take the time to do so and oppose David Chipman. Also, head over to the ATF’s website and write a thoughtful comment on opposing the two new regulations that are being proposed and at in comment periods. Namely the redefining of what constitutes a Firearm, and what is allowed when it comes to an arm brace. Both of those reinterpretations of existing laws really have the potential to upset a large portion of the industry. Combine that with the confirmation of David Chipman who has openly worked for the Anti-gun lobby, and we have a nasty situation brewing that can really have long-term ramifications for the industry.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who has been using the Amazon Affiliate link. It’s a small program that helps out small websites like this to offset some of the costs of registering and upkeep. I do not make any money from this site, in fact, it costs money to run. I do it because it is a passion. There are other affiliate programs I would love to be a part of but the traffic to the site is not quite large enough to qualify for enrollment. We will just keep on keeping on, but thanks to everyone who takes the time to use our links to buy stuff, I do appreciate it.

I anticipate the I will be doing an update on the burn rate chart in the next few weeks. I have a couple of emails requesting a printable copy. Hold tight, I want to get you a copy of the new stuff. I’ll send you a version when that is completed. Just heads up, the update will likely be adding another column which is going to make it a bit harder to print. If there are powders you are not interested in, what may be best is for me to hide those columns so they do not have an impact on the overall text on the chart. Let me know in advance and I can alter it for you.

As always if you are looking to get in touch, the best way is to send me an email at 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.

As always, shoot straight and stay safe!

The Ballistic Assistant

Here we are halfway through June and so far in 2021, it seems like we cannot go a week without some sort of major announcement, or new law change in the firearms community. This time we get to look at a new proposed change by the ATF in regards to how it will classify firearms that use an AR brace.

Now, I have probably made it somewhat known that I am not a huge fan of pistol braces in general. Personally, it is worth it to me to pay $200 and get a stamp to put proper stock on a firearm. When I do an AR build I likely will have $800+ into it, and while it is silly to have to pay $200 to mount a $50 piece of plastic, I figure it in as a cost. Overall the larger stock fits me better, and it is generally more comfortable to shoot. I have also objected to the fact the widespread use of the brace as a “wink, and nod” circumvention of current NFA laws does more harm to the initial purpose of the brace. Mainly to allow veterans and shooters with a disability to stabilize and shoot an AR pistol build. As I stated in December, when a proposed rule change was brought out by the ATF, the harm this does to those with legitimate disabilities is the true story, not curtailing rights for the average shooter.

Well, as we know they retracted the initial rule change. Many in the firearms community celebrated this as a win. I was far more sanguine about it. I saw it more as a political ploy, that the Biden Administration would resubmit the proposed rule in some form or fashion to claim they were making good on campaign promises. We did not have to wait long for that to happen. On June 7th, 2021 the ATF announced their proposed rule change for Pistol braces. This is a completely different document than what we saw in December. In some ways, it is a bit more lenient as it allows the majority of pistol braces to be kept in circulation so long as the build they are placed stay within certain criteria. The full proposal can be read here.

The rule change boils down to this; firearms WITH a pistol brace will be subjected to a point system in order to determine if they are a legitimate use of a pistol brace or if they are an SBR. The ATF provides examples of the forms as part of the rule change that gives an overview of what the criteria are. I have included the forms below. They include items such as, does the firearm have a forward grip stop, or does it have flip-up rifle style sights. The firearm must also weigh between 64 to 120 ounces.

It is important to note that a total of 4 points or more indicate the pistol is an SBR. If we look at some of these examples, they can be pretty subjective, and you can see how someone really gets into trouble pretty quickly. If anything that ATF has at least finally provided the firearm community with a really good illustration as to how absurd and ridiculous Short Barrel Rifle laws are. While the ATF bills these builds as being particularly deadly, anyone who is familiar with them knows the opposite is true. In nearly every case a shooter is better off with a 16in barrel rifle and a proper stock than a 10.5in pistol build with a “pistol brace”.

The thing that is the most troubling to me, is how many shooters will get themselves in trouble accidentally. Firearm laws are already somewhat confusing. SBR and SBS laws are excellent examples of this. The illustration to the right is meant to be both comical and true. It really is that nuanced and this point system is not going to help, as you can have a perfectly legal pistol build and then decide to swap out sights, and have an illegal SBR. Do not put it past the ATF or any other Federal Agency from looking a social media pictures of people firing their “Pistol Builds” and using that as evidence against them. I do believe this law will end up getting otherwise law-abiding people into trouble. Unfortunately, as with any other firearm, the law is backed by felony charges.

Still it is important to note this only applies to pistols with pistol braces. A lot of false reporting has happened to say this will kill red dots on pistols, and that does not appear to be true. As egregious as this proposed rule changed is, we have to be honest in how we report it. The chances the ATF will back down this time are pretty slim, still it is worth leaving a well thought out and well worded comment. As with what most of the Biden led ATF is doing, we will need to fight this in the courts.

While back I mentioned that the Civilian Marksmanship Program put out a letter about the proposed pressure of 30-06 Springfield rounds to be a fire in the M1 Garand and 1903A3 rifles. They had stated that anything with pressures greater than 50,000 CUP was too high for these old warhorses. At the time I was displeased that they would use Copper Units of Pressure since that unit of measure has been retired for 20+ years. No ammunition manufacturer is using CUP to measure pressure in 30-06 ammunition. I reasoned that they should at least limit pressure to the 50,000psi that is specified in the Mil-Spec for M2 ball ammunition.

Well I was recently working on a project with 30-06 doing a bit of load development and happened to run across the SAAMI spec. While CUP is not longer in use, SAAMI maintains the record for these loads. Please pay attention to the bullet weights and velocities in the following section.

The keen eye will notice something. The velocities for a Maximum Average Pressure of 50,000CUP or 60,000psi are exactly the same for any given bullet weight. Since velocity is a product of pressure, it can be reasonably asserted that the peak pressure is identical. This is confusing, to say the least, if the CMP recommendation is suppose to be a “Softer load” then this comparison would refute that. They again would be better off publishing 50,000psi maximum that the M2 Ball load is spec’d out at.

Anyone who is familiar with CUP versus PSI will know that there is not a direct comparison that can be made between CUP and PSI as you are effectively measuring two different things. CUP measures the Area Under the Pressure/Time Curve, while transducers measure a true Pressure/Time curve. However how CUP has been treated by SAAMI is highly variable, if you flip through the SAAMI catalog you will find some CUP pressures appear to be identical to the peak pressure in PSI. Other times the CUP will be a little lower. The easiest place to see this is in the Rifle Cartridge Catalog where I lay it out. With that said if CMP was trying to provide a spec for softer ammunition, I think they have missed the boat.

I do believe the CMP has a point, even if they have not communicated it well. A service pressure of 60,000psi or 50,00 CUP may very well be a bit much for these antique firearms and you are better offloading down a bit. However, there is not much in the way of 30-06 loads published at 50,000 PSI. Stick to the min loads, and I think you will probably accomplish the same thing.

Well this has been a decent update. This week I do hope to carve out some time to do a Burn Rate Chart update. I came across some information on some Russian powders that I have not seen before and wanted to add those to the spread sheet. I am also planning on hammering out a couple book reviews so look for those to be posted this week.

As always if you are looking to get in touch, the best way is to send me an email at 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.

As always, shoot straight and stay safe!

The Ballistic Assistant

Good evening, after a bit of a hiatus here is a proper weekly update. I per the usual I have been very busy mostly between work and family. It is all good things, but it sometimes means I am not able to update the site as often as I would like. Before we get into some of the updates, we need to pause for a moment and recognize the anniversary of D-day which was yesterday, June 6th, 1944. It is worth noting that on, June 7th, 1944 the success of the D-day landings was definitely not clear, and while the allied troops pushed inland it was not without great sacrifice.

We refer to those who served during World War 2 as the Greatest Generation. I have often wondered what prepared these men to face the guns of the Third Reich, and the Imperialist Japanese? We are a mere seventy-seven years removed from this time. While it was before I was a twinkle in my father’s eye, it is a drop in the bucket compared to human existence. I look around today, the men in the photo above, they were barely 18, some were younger, fresh from high school. On their shoulders were the hopes and dreams of a nation, and many of them paid with their lives. A debt that we can never hope to repay, a debt that can only be honored by the way we live our lives.

There has been something lost, these men had, a certain grit and an unbreakable will that we have lost. It is troubling to me, that my children will never know a World War 2 veteran. Members of this, the Greatest Generation, will have long been laid to rest by the time my children come of age. We are fortunate to have so many records and testimonies given by these men. I hope we have all taken a moment to pause and reflect on those who have served, who continue to serve, and who will serve.

I realize this next part is a bit of a 180 in tone and tenor of the update. So pause here….

A friend of mine shared with me the fact that a mutual acquaintance of ours got busted for purchasing a Solvent Trap and a lightning Link from Wish.com. This is one of those facepalm moments. For those who are not familiar with Wish.com, it is probably for the best. Basically, it is an overstock site that sells stuff direct from China, for what seems like outrageously low prices. It is probably the biggest scam out there. It does not take much of a search on your favorite web browser to see the outright stupid stuff that is sold on this site. Now, with that said, I have bought a few things from Wish.com. Small electronic-type stuff and a few computer fans or whatnot. I have not really been burned by it, but I also did not buy the $300 item selling for $19.99.

Where some gun owners have gotten themselves in trouble is buying firearm parts from Wish.com. You can purchase Solvent Traps, you can purchase items that are downright illegal to own. There was a time, early on when the ATF was not keen on this, but that time has long since passed. Typically one of two things happens when you buy a Solvent Trap from Wish.com or another similar site.

1. You get an empty box that has a letter to the effect “This item was confiscated at customs as was an illegal item”
2. You get a visit from your local ATF agent.

Unfortunately for our mutual acquaintance, he got the latter option. That visit came with confiscation of all of his firearms. He is not allowed to touch a firearm, discuss firearms, or really associate with folks who have firearms. Undoubtedly this is going to come with some hard time in club fed, fines, and he will be a lifelong felon and unable to legally purchase or own a firearm.

This should be a hard reminder to every one of us that every firearm law on the books is backed by a felony. Are there a few minor infractions that may result in a misdemeanor, maybe, but they are ones you and I could probably count on one hand. I get frustrated by the ridiculousness of firearms laws on a semi-monthly basis. Something rubs me the wrong way, but at the same time, I really enjoy my hobby and my profession. I do not have an interest in crossing that line. That is usually the reason I tend not to like items like Solvent Traps, Bumps Stocks, or Braces. They are riding that edge of legality, and too many people are woefully ignorant of basic firearm laws let alone the nuance of Short Barrels Rifles, or Suppressors.

Another interesting thing I am starting to see more and more issues with FedEx, UPS, and USPS. I realize there may be some bias here, and I may be more sensitive to the idea of lost packages as a whole. Some are just simple things like batteries, but others are very expensive things like a couple of SPAS 12 Shotguns that recently got lost. I had DHL deliver half of a $15k drone to an address in Las Vegas back in August. As for my incident with the bullets, UPS refunded me the cost of shipping, plus the insured value. In total, we lost about $200 in the deal.

I am thinking the shipping industry as a whole is not particularly reliable right now. I hate purchasing extra insurance but I recently had an Oehler 43 box shipped back to me. They asked me how much I wanted to insure it for, given it is no longer made and would cost about $8300 for a replacement Oehler 83. I insured the box for $5,000. I figure if FedEx screws it up they can pay 3/4 the cost for a new Oehler 83 and I figure that will be a bit of a win.

We are going to end on a happy note. If you are even remotely plugged into the firearms news, no doubt you have already heard of the recent decision coming out of California. The judge ruled California’s 30 year old Assualt Weapons Ban unconstitutional. This was the same judge who ruled the magazine ban unconstitutional in 2017, resulting in a 72-hour airlift of 30 rounds magazines into the State before a stay was granted.

There are a few neat things about this case. The first is, that the whole case was built on several Supreme Court rulings that have happened in the last two decades. Namely the Heller v. DC case and the Mcdonald v. Chicago. I am probably butchering the summery of this this, but the Heller case established that if a Firearm was in common use, then it fell under Second Amendment Protections, and the McDonald Case established that the 2nd Amendment applied to the States and the Federal Government. Previously to the McDonald case, the common practice was to lay out the phony argument that the States could choose to ignore the 2nd Amendment and only the Federal government was bound by it.

This court decision built on those two cases, and basically stated that the AR-15 passed the Heller test, and by doing so fell under 2nd Amendment Protections as outlined by the McDonald case. If there is one take away here, there are legal guys out there on our side, who are playing some pretty slick games of chess. We can get frustrated by the time, money and effort that goes into what should be a universally recognized Right, but progress is being made and we need to recognize it when it happens.

This win really puts California in an interesting position. They will appeal this to the 9th Circuit Court. Unlike the magazine ruling, the ruling did not strike out the laws, meaning no “AR Airlift”, but it has a lot of folks who are on the far left up in arms. When the 9th Circuit hears the case, they have two options, they can either rule in favor of California, which sets up an appeal to the Supreme Court, or they can rule in favor of SAF and FPC who are arguing the case and California will need to deal with the fallout. The 9th Circuit coming out with a favorable ruling becomes the basis for challenging laws in other jurisdictions, basically it opens doors and if two circuit courts have competing rulings it increases the chances the Supreme Court will take up some future case.

If it goes to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court rules that the law is unconstitutional, then that ruling becomes binding to states like New York, and New Jersey. This means legal challenges there are basically certain, and the judges will have to choose to follow the Supreme Court precedent or ignore it. This has happened with the Heller decision where judges have outright ignored the ruling, typically this means more legal processes and eventually another case will make it’s way to the Supreme Court which could further solidify the ruling.

There is a catch if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Assualt Weapons ban, then it will make it difficult to challenge any bans in the future, and basically embolden the anti-gun factions. With the current makeup of the court, it is likely we would get a favorable ruling, but legal processes taketime. One strategy that is often used, is to stall cases. There are various ways this can be done, by either party, to try and wait for a more favorable court make up. Its unlikely we will see it here as I doubt we will see a significant change the make up of the Court in the next three years, but who knows.

Generally, though, this is a step in the right direction. It is also why I am a big advocate for the Second Amendment Foundation, they have made a lot of progress where other organizations just have not. If you have not checked them out, kick them a few bucks, it is the one organization that seems to be really fighting the good fight.

Generally, though, this is a step in the right direction. It is also why I am a big advocate for the Second Amendment Foundation, they have made a lot of progress where other organizations just have not. If you have not checked them out, kick them a few bucks, it is the one organization that seems to be really fighting the good fight. If you would like a somewhat interesting read, the ruling can be found here.

As always if you are looking to get in touch, the best way is to send me an email at 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.

As always, shoot straight and stay safe!

The Ballistic Assistant

Hard to believe we are nearly halfway through this year. Few more weeks and we will hit the summer solstice. I did not post last week because I was away at training to learn some new CAM software. Programming CNC machines, pretty neat stuff. This week has been quite busy, so this post will be short.

I have gotten a few emails, I need to respond to. If you are waiting on a response, you are not forgotten. I will work on getting them taken care of in the next few days, I do like to take the time to give good responses to an email, so it can take me a bit of time to respond. For that, I apologize. As I said, this would be short, but I wanted to get something out to let people know I am still alive and kicking.

As always if you are looking to get in touch, the best way is to send me an email at 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.

As always, shoot straight and stay safe!

The Ballistic Assistant