Carolina Marksman's Blog

Jul 11, The Range and The ICA 2000

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:09:32 GMT

The Hornady LNL AP has been working for me like a champ, and finally today I was able to make it out to the range with an abundance of ammunition. I spent today at the pistol range only, the rifle line had a match going on. My gun club is fortunate enough to have 10 seperate pistol ranges, so finding an open one was not a challenge. I opted for the bay that has the plate machine.

The plate machine is a reactive steel target. It consists of 6 steel plates about 6" in diameter, and a mechanism to reset them from about 15 yards back. Mostly I use this target to work on my drawing and rapid fire techniques.

Since I carry a firearm concealed I find it necessary to be able to draw and fire my pistol quickly, and be on target every time. Today I spent my time doing just this. Draw, knock down 1 or 2 plates, and reholster. This is a good practice for anyone that carries a concealed handgun. You will be surprised how difficult it is to draw and fire quickly unless you have practiced the motion. I've done this routine many hundreds of times and am still finding that I stumble on the draw, or that when I shoot it isn't quite on target. Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to marksmanship skills.

I've also got some news on the ICA 2000. I got in a few more of the parts I'll need. Now that I have the machined aluminum parts I can start acquiring the pieces that connect to them. This week I got a lead screw and some special nuts for it. This lead screw is what will raise the case into the work coil of the induction heater, then lower it again when the time is up.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Jul 6, The Hornady LNL AP

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:47:35 GMT

Over the past couple of weeks I happened to come across a fantastic deal on a very lightly used Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Progressive reloading press. I snatched it up at a bargain price and now have it fully set up for reloading .40 S&W.

My first thoughts when I opened the press up was that it was very heavy. The over 2" ram adds a good bit of weight, and with it a great amount of strength. It is definitely a press built to last, no part of it looks weak.

The die head holds 5 dies total, each die is threaded into Hornady's unique Lock-N-Load bushing. These bushings allow the die settings to be retained indefinately and they allow lighting quick die changes. 1/16th of a turn and the die lifts right out. Unlike Lee's similay "Breech Lock" idea, these bushings seem to hold die settings solidly.

With the press came Hornady's case activated powder measure. It is a fairly standard design when compared to other brands like RCBS or Redding. Quality is good, and it throws consistent charges. It does appear to have a weak spot though, the powder canister is not held into the measures body with much resistance at all. One decent bump and you could have a half pound of powder on the floor.

Cycling thus far (I've loaded several hundred rounds on it) has been flawless. You do have to make sure that you fully seat the primer or the shell plate will bind up. When the ram lowers there is a spring that holds it off of full bottom, you must compress that spring and seat the primer at the same time. Feeling the primer bottom out is difficult to say the least.

Overall I am very satisfied with the purchase of the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP press. It has significantly improved the production rate of my pistol ammunition (I can easily load 50 rounds in 10-15 minutes). Make sure to fully cycle the ram if you pick one up, that's where you'll run into trouble with it.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jul 5, Back to work on the ICA 2000

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:24:41 GMT

I've got great news!!! I've gotten most of the machined aluminum parts I need for the prototype of the ICA 2000 in from the machinist. I can finally get back to work on what is by far my most popular project.

These are the parts I have gotten in thus far. The guide block, the work coil riser, the case lifter, and the case bushings. I still need a couple of motor couplings and a few more of the bushings (4 total of each size) before the parts are complete, but these can get me back to work.

The theory behind the parts is pretty simple, but I don't want to give too much away now in case their are major changes later on (not that that has happened several times already).

Anyways, I hope everyone had a happy Independence Day. Mine was spectacular. For now though it is back to work.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jun 19, The NRA in hot water?

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:21:37 GMT

A recent hot topic among the news media has been that the NRA has cut a deal with our Democratic majority and gotten special treatment in "The Disclose Act" (HR 5175, a new regulation regarding campaign sponsoring). Although there does seem to be an exemption in the bill for the NRA, it was not to gain the NRA's support. It appears to me that the NRA was exempted to prevent the NRA from opposing the bill. Let me see if I can clear up how this works.

The NRA is sworn to protect our Second Amendment rights as it's sole task. In many circumstances this is best done by protecting our First Amendment rights, however, the NRA is not tasked with protecting the First Amendment. Consequently, so long as the NRA maintains the freedom to speak out for our freedoms it is not allowed (under it's own rules) to become involved in the muddy waters of other bills. The Democrats in power recognized this and therefore exempted the NRA from this bill to block it's opposition.

This works similarly when it comes to the NRA's support of politicians. The only thing that the NRA is allowed to judge politicians on is their dedication to firearms freedom. Some people, most notable in my mind is Harry Reid, strongly support the Second Amendment but are outrageously liberal on everything else. Because those people support gun rights though the NRA is prone to endorse them.

These types of issues often raise flags and warnings with many people that proclaim the NRA is a sellout because they endorse left wing politicians or they don't stop a liberal bill. However, the NRA is doing it's job as it is tasked. It is supporting Pro- gun candidates and bills and trying to stop those that will take away our rights.

The NRA will need our help to clear the air of these misinformed news stories, so please spread the word that the NRA hasn't soldout. Above all else, if you are a shooter, collecter of firearms, or hunter, or even if you would just like to preserve other people's rights, please join the NRA. They will need our help to overcome this battle, especially as it leads into election season where they do so much good for us. If you join through this link I've been authorized to give you $10 off of your annual dues, that means for only $25 you can lend your voice to help protect our gun rights! Click here to Join the NRA or Renew your membership!

That's all for now, Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jun 18, Links Page

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:34:29 GMT

Here are some links to my most frequented websites, these are the companies I know and trust.

Jun 10, It's been a while...

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:51:36 GMT

My schedule has been running a little bit out of synch as of lately, so my posting here and working on the website has been slow lately. Things are turning around now though and I should be able to refocus on the site.

I mentioned in my last blog post that I was in need of a truck for ease of getting out to my new range. I'd been looking for a certain type of truck for a year prior, but joining the gun club made it clear that the need was eminent. Within a day of my last blog post I had found the exact truck I'd spent a year looking for. I've spent the last week or so inspecting it, buying it, starting to fix up the few minor things it needs, etc. Here's my "new" truck:

Buying a truck also means selling my car, which is a bit more complicated than I had thought. Hopefully within a week or two it will be gone though, and I'll be able to move on with my aspirations.

This truck should help me with more than just getting to the range, it also will allow me to finally begin teaching classes. One of my largest obstacles to setting up a course has been my inability to move the equipment needed all at once. Now that I have that ability I will be able to set up a class. This also means I can start hauling things to gun shows and selling them. All a plus for me personally and for The Carolina Marksman as a business.

On a shooting related note, I went out to the range on Sunday. This was my first trip since having purchased the new spotting scope, and what an improvement it made. Shots were relatively easy to call out, just look in the spotter. I had difficulty finding only one shot, which I later found out was due to a perfect bullseye. Here's the target from that outing.

I had a little bit of trouble calling wind, but I'm working on it. Groups 2 and 5 have the most horizontal spread, this was due to a constantly changing 10-13 mph wind that wouldn't go away. That same wind caught me a little bit off guard on group 4 as well, but not nearly as bad. Group one was the one that got the bullseye.

Well that's all for now, I've got a car to sell. Shoot Straight,

Poe.

May 28, My first shoot at 200 yards

Fri, 28 May 2010 01:47:09 GMT

Today was the first time I have been able to shoot my rifle out past 100 yards. A lot was learned, and it was a blast.

The trip out to The Palmetto Gun Club was fun in and of itself. The range is 2 miles down a dirt road, and it's all soft dirt. We got a little bit of rain on Sunday and the road was still muddy. I can't help but think of how the road crews must have been laughing to see me in my Honda Civic trying to get through the mud. Luckily I didn't get stuck (but I passed a 4X4 Jeep that did!). So, thing learned #1, I need to get a truck of some sort and fast. I've been in need of a truck for a while though, so this is just adding fuel to the fire.

Once I got out to the range I couldn't help but notice again how nice it is. I set my target up down on the 200 yard line and set to work. It was my first time shooting at 200 yards, so my groups are a little rough.

The top left target was the first, and there I was just trying to get sighted in at 200. My elevation was up 6 clicks (1.5 moa). The wind was pretty good today, I just had to go one click left.

The second and third targets (bottom left and center) were pretty decent, especially #2. There are 4 shots in a .75" group with 1 flyer to the left. That's decent at 100 yards, but this was at 200! The third group fell solidly under 1 moa (the target is 2"), so it was still pretty good. On the 4th and 5th targets I was trying to tweak the torque on the action, and as you can see it definitely did not work. This is my first time shooting the rifle after bedding the action, so I was just trying to make sure the torque was right. This rifle likes it right at 60 in lbs.

This brings me to the next thing I learned today. A spotting scope is nearly essential when shooting past 100 yards. With the 10X magnification my Leupold Mark 4 scope offers I can not make out hardly any of the .30 caliber holes at 200 yards. I ordered a Celestron C70 Mini Mak to fill this need. The reports on this spotting scope are pretty good for the money, but it is still an inexpensive scope. I think it should do what I need it to for now.

That's all I've got for now. Shoot Straight,

Poe

May 23, Another busy week...

Sun, 23 May 2010 13:17:32 GMT

I've spent the past several days doing many things for the Carolina Marksman including working on an article for bedding the action of a rifle. For this I went ahead and bedded the action of my Remington 700 into the new Bell and Carlson stock.

I have also expanded my gun collection a bit by ordering a fully custom barreled action from GA Precision. The 22" Bartlein barrel will be chambered in .260 Remington and paired with a Templar action (a Remington 700 clone). This rifle will allow me to experiment with several new reloading techniques including forming brass from one cartridge to another, and neck turning.

Also this week I had my first experience running a firing line on a range. I was the Range Safety Officer for Belt Training's CWP Class on Saturday. This was a good experience for me, I had no idea how nerve racking it would be. I'm looking forward to my next time as there are several things I would like to do differently.

After running the firing line for Belt Training I tried to go out to The Palmetto Gun Club to do some of my own shooting. It didn't quite work out as I had intended. We got a little bit of rain yesterday, and the road out to the range was completely flooded. I drive in a fairly low ground clearance Civic (I'm looking for a good truck), there was absolutely no way I was going to make the 2 miles down that dirt road. I will try again today, but am not terribly hopeful. There are construction crews doing roadwork on this road, they have been laying ROC for a couple of weeks now. Hopefully this problem will soon be a memory.

That's all for now, I'm going to head back out to the range. Shoot Straight,

Poe

May 19, The NRA Convention and more...

Wed, 19 May 2010 02:04:15 GMT

It's been quite a while since I've posted an update on here, I've been so busy with things.

The biggest thing to have happened recently was the NRA Conference in Charlotte. I was there from Friday thru Sunday and it was awesome. The main exhibit hall was absolutely huge (they said over 6 acres!). It took a full day and a half just to walk around to all of the booths. This show was mostly manufacturers coming together to show off their products, so I got to see a lot of new things. I also got to handle most of the new guns I am looking at as nearly all of the major manufacturers were present. Here's a look at a few pictures taken from the upper level of the convention center.

As you can see the exhibit hall was huge, but that's not all there was. All throughout the weekend their were seminars, an air gun range, dinners, concerts, and so much more. I attended two seminars over the weekend. One was from Major John Plaster on sniping, especially in the war in Iraq (thanks to all the vets!). The other was an Advanced Handloading Technique seminar with a panel of top engineers from many companies including RCBS, Sierra, Hodgdon, and Hornady. The question and answer period here was quite informative and I learned a lot.

Other things that have happened this past week, I've become a full member of The Palmetto Gun Club. This means I can now use our 200 yard range, and I am eligible to take the test for the longer range at any point. I will probably take a month or so and really learn about ballistics and winds before taking the test, both to improve my score and my skills. I've also been going through some troubles with the management at work recently, but I feel that is resolved to my satisfaction and can now move on.

Anyways, that's what has been happening here. Shoot Straight,

Poe

May 10, The Lee Factory Crimp Die and a Ladder Test

Mon, 10 May 2010 19:16:48 GMT

Lee Precision gets a bad name among competitive shooting circles, it is often undeserved. Some of their products are knock-offs, but they help get people on a budget into reloading. They make some very helpful and unique products too. One of the more controversial products is the Factory Crimp Die for rifles.

Crimp dies from all other brands make either a taper crimp or roll crimp. Lee's factory crimp die uses a collet to squeeze the case mouth directly inwards, into the bullet.

In a taper crimp (what would normally be used on rifle cases if they were crimped) the mouth of the case is angled inward towards the bullet. The bullet must have a cannelure or the taper will simply cut the jacket. Since this style crimp presses downward on the mouth, if it is not perfectly square to the body it may also add to total case runout. Neither of these things are good for accuracy.

The Factory Crimp Die overcomes both of these with the collet (pictured at right). Because the collet squeezes into the bullet, it does not need to angle the brass. Lee claims that their crimp die will form it's own groove, and it will, but I have found the best results from a fairly light crimp. I do not advise using a crimp heavy enough to deform your bullets. Also, because the collet is not activated until the case is fully in position and it does not press downward on the mouth, there is no chance of increasing runout. In my tests with the die the runout was within .0005" of the same before and after crimping.

The best evidence I have to support why I use the crimp die came from my recent ladder testing. I tried two lots of ammo, the first non-crimped and the second crimped lightly. Have a look at the charts showing the velocities:

Non-Crimped:

Lightly Crimped

See how much more conistent the velocities are between 40.8gr and 41.1gr(all else was equal, excepting the crimp). You can see that this is a very consistent group, what's referred to as a node. It's noticeable in both tests, but much smoother with a light crimp. If I were doing a normal Ladder Test out at 300 yards this group of shots would have clung together, which is exactly what we are looking for here.

This proves two things to me, both of which are valuable. One: The ladder test can be performed and interpreted using a chronograph at 100 yards. Two: The Lee Factory Crimp Die does in fact work!

Shoot Straight,

Poe

May 9, Why I don't use the Ladder Test

Sun, 09 May 2010 21:38:29 GMT

There have been several questions on a few of the forums I browse regularly (you can find them here) about load development, especially the Audette Ladder Test Method. Let me take some time to explain this method here as I only mention it on the load development page.

The Ladder Test method of load development is performed much like working up a ladder. You figure out what your maximum charge is, then load 10 down as your starting charge. Each successive charge is 1 increment higher, usually somewhere around .3 or .5 grains depending on the size of the cartridge. Starting with the lowest charge you fire all shots at a single point of aim, and record where each shot hits. It's best to do this at an extended distance (200 yards is about a minimum, 300 yards is much better). A few of the charges will clump together and the rest should be dispersed vertically. The charge in the center of the clustered shots should be very close to your best charge. Group size is tweaked later on by adjusting your bullet seating depth much like in the method I currently use, trial and error.

The theory behind this method is that certain pressures of a powder are more efficient, and if you can find a charge in this area it will give you very low differences in velocities. The theory is pretty sound, my problem is the distance requirements. This brings me to my point.

I can not interpret a target from this test at only 100 yards. To prove this I tried it this morning. Here is my ladder test target (100 yards, 15 shots).

I for one can't make heads or tails of where a few charges "clustered" together.

I have recently acquired a chronograph though, and it was able to tell me some things from this test. The bottom 5 charges (40.0gr-40.4gr of IMR 4895) were all within 10 FPS of each other, that was probably a pretty good charge. Unfortunately that velocity was also pretty low at only 2350 FPS, so I decided to move on from those charges. At the other end of my test (around 2475 FPS) it looked like another level area, but I didn't have enough charges with me that went any higher, so I can't determine for sure.

I'm headed back out to the range for another round of this testing tomorrow, My hope is that my chronograph can tell me what the target can't. If I determine I like this method then I'll begin to use it for my load development. It sure would lower the number of rounds I need to find a good load.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

May 9, Sitemap

Sun, 09 May 2010 00:29:21 GMT

Sitemap for www.rifles-shooting-reloading.com

May 9, Inspect the Cases

Sun, 09 May 2010 00:19:41 GMT

You must inspect the cases before reloading, both for safety and improved accuracy. Here's what to look for...

May 4, Great Response!

Tue, 04 May 2010 02:03:45 GMT

Thanks to everyone that took the time to write in about the machine work for the ICA 2000! I've now got several people looking over the drawings and should be able to begin moving forward again soon.

I made it out to the range on Sunday and finally got to experience some of the wonderful humidity that the south is so well known for. (Fortunately my area did not get any of the horrible flooding like in Tennessee. My thoughts go out to those that are now dealing with that mess.) I was hurried when I was making my ammo on Saturday night so I did not think to check the weather report. I loaded my rounds at about the same load as the last time I went shooting, that day was a full 25F cooler. My rounds were way too hot to shoot accurately. Most groups were in the .6" to 1.0" range. I'll make sure to check the temperature next time before my range trip on Saturday, I really want to see just what this new stock is capable of.

One last thing here, the designer of my new induction heater has updated the circuit board to make it more powerful and much less finnicky to setup. This board is planned to be in all of the machines that I build.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Apr 30, The Automatic Induction Annealer Project

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:33:35 GMT

I was working tonight on the automatic induction annealer (ICA 2000) when I realized I hadn't posted anything on it's progress recently. Basically I'm at a little bit of a standstill until I can either find someone that does inexpensive machine shop work, or I can rake up the money to get it done by a professional. I've got most everything completed except for the machining. The only thing I'm still fiddling with is the motors, it turns out that driving a stepper motor is a bit more complex than I had anticipated.

If you own a machine shop or even have the equipment at home and would like to help me with this project (maybe we can work something out like you help with the machined parts and I'll give you a beta unit). Please send me an e-mail! The sooner I can get a prototype running the sooner I can get this on the market to everyone.

In other news, here at The Carolina Marksman I'm beginning to get some of the NRA Basic Pistol Classes started. I am currently looking at how to arrange the live fire portion of the class. If anyone has any experience or ideas in this area I'd love to hear them.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Apr 27, Range Report w/ new stock

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:39:23 GMT

I managed to get out to the firing range this morning, and I took my Remington 700 with me. This is the first time I've shot it with the new stock on it and man what a shooter!

The new stock is pretty heavy compared to my old one (the gun is probably up to 15-18 lbs total). Because it weighs so much the recoil is practically non-existent. I noticed two things while shooting this morning. The first is a different stock will significantly alter your shooting position.The second is a major modification to the gun (such as a new stock) will also alter your optimum load.

I had a hunch that the new stock would change my best load, so when I loaded up today's rounds I did so in .1 grain increments (5 shots of each). Here's my target...

As you can see the groups tightened up considerably with the higher loads. With my old stock I had been shooting 40.9 grains. I think this may have been me figuring out how to shoot with this stock as well as the load being better.

The single largest difference in shooting this stock compared to my last one is definitely my head position. I can move this cheek riser up to where my eye is perfectly level with the scope. I did have a rubber pad on my old stock, but it was still 1/4" or so too low. Now I just have to lay my head on the stock and my eye is lined up with the scope. This will definitely improve my long range shooting once I get approved to go to the 800 yard range at The Palmetto Gun Club.

In other news, it's time for me to finally pick up a 9mm concealed carry gun. I'm looking at a Kahr P9 as it is thin, smaller than my M&P but not so small I can't hold it, and I can get a steal of a deal on it. Kahr is one of the few firearms manufacturers that offers a discount (and it is quite significant) to NRA Certified Instructors, so I'll be looking to take advantage of that shortly. I've got several guns that I want to pick up in the near future, this just happens to be the most urgent need. Summer is coming quickly here in the South, and it will soon be difficult to conceal my M&P. Let me know if you have any thoughts on the Kahr P9, I'd love to hear from you.

That's all for now, Shoot Straight,

Poe

Apr 26, My Remington 700

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:29:45 GMT

What I've done to my remington 700 to make it shoot so well!

Apr 25, Lowcountry Friends of NRA Banquet results

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:57:26 GMT

Well guys, we had a fantastic banquet! We had a turnout of 200 people and I'm positive that we raised an enormous sum of money for the Friends of the NRA (I don't have exact numbers yet, but I'll let you know). It's been a really great experience to help put this together, and I look forward to doing it again.

For now the comittee will be mostly focused on promoting the foundation among schools, 4H clubs, and other programs that can request grant money. This is what's so great about helping with this banquet. The money stays right here. I'm excited for the opportunities it presents.

I've added another sponsor to the website! Site Build It is the web hosting service that I use for this website, and they have now offered to help me out by becoming a sponsor. This company provides full service web hosting, traffic increasing programs, tutorials on how to improve the site, and so much more. This is not your typical web host. The service is based on a yearly subscription equivalent to about $25 a month, it is worth so much more than that though. If you have ever thought about building a website or starting a web based business then this is the service for you. Click here for more details!

It looks like I'll be headed out to the range on Tuesday to test out my new stock. Unfortunately I won't be headed out to The Palmetto Gun Club this time, I've got to be voted on a second time before I can take full advantage of the facilities.

That's all for now. Shoot Straight,

Poe

Apr 23, Lowcountry Friends of NRA Banquet

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:18:19 GMT

I just wanted to remind you all the the Lowcountry Friends of the NRA Banquet is approaching very quickly (this Saturday!). If you are going to be in the Charleston, SC area please stop by and join us. You can purchase tickets here. It looks like we are going to have almost 200 people turn out for this event, so it should be a great time!

In other news, if you have seen the page on my Remington 700 you will know that I have bigger plans for this gun. One of those plans was to replace the stock with a Bell and Carlson Tactical Medalist A5 stock. I went ahead and purchased the stock this week from Stocky's Stock. They had the best price available by almost $100, and they got it to me in less than three days! Very good service, and high recomendations for anyone getting a gun stock.

I got the stock mounted today, check out a picture...

The stock is very nice. It's made of solid handlaid glass on a full length aluminum block, so it is very heavy duty. It also has an adjustable cheek riser and a fully adjustable butt plate for length of pull and cant. I've got it set up to fit me well know, and will report on any accuracy improvements the next time I go shooting.

Got to run for now. Shoot Straight,

Poe

Apr 18, The Palmetto Gun Club and a new sponsor.

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:36:02 GMT

This past week has been insanely busy for The Carolina Marksman, and many good things have happened here.

I went to The Palmetto Gun Club's monthly meeting where I was voted on to become a member. Today I went out to the range with my sponsor (who coincidentally also trained me to work on cars when I was younger). The range is incredible. There are probably 20 lanes for shooting at 200 yards, and nearly a dozen for shooting at 800 yards. There are also 10 pistol bays setup off to the side of the rifle range. Each of the pistol bays has some various arrangement of targets, I shot at one with a dueling tree today. One of the other pistol bays had two sets of steel plates, several of the others had various buildings and such for cowboy shooting.

While I was out at the range there were some highpower shooters practicing on the 800 yard range. I learned something I had not thought of before. At 100 yards all you really hear is the bang and a small crack. At 800 yards the sonic crack keeps going and going until the bullet hits. It was odd to me to hear a shot that sounded 4 seconds long.

My next step in becoming a full member of The Palmetto Gun Club is to be voted on a second time, and to pay my dues. Then I will be able to shoot everywhere at the range except for the 800 yard range. In order to shoot there I have to pass a test on ballistics, this is just to show I know the my bullets will be close to on target, not skipping out of the range.

I want to welcome a new site sponsor on board with us today. We've just brought Bass Pro Shops on board. Bass Pro Shops offers most anything that an outdoor enthusiast could want, from fishing gear to hunting, from backpacking to camping, from archery to shooting. Check them out today!

I would like also to introduce everyone to Gunpal. Most of you are probably familiar with Paypal, the online financial services company (and a part of Ebay). My biggest beef with Paypal has been it's overwhelmingly anti-gun stand. They have gotten so bad with it that if they find out you buy something gun related (it doesn't have to be a gun) they will close your account and sieze your funds. This is just wrong. The owners of Gunpal thought so too, so they did something about it. Gunpal is setup and very similar to Paypal (except they will not limit what the transaction can be for). The fees at Gunpal are also slightly less than Paypal's. The account is free to establish, so what are you waiting for?

Shoot straight,

Poe

Apr 18, Clean the Cases

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:25:28 GMT

There are several methods to clean the cases, each has it's own pro's and con's

Apr 15, At long last!!!

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:40:34 GMT

The new induction heater is finally up and running, and it works wonderfully. This means I have cleared one of the most major design hurdles for the ICA 2000. It should be pretty simple from here on out. I just need to scrape up the money to buy the machined parts ($$$).

As promised I put together a short video showing the heater at work. Enjoy!

All of the cases in the test that I ran heated to 750F in less than 3.5 seconds. I don't have anything larger (dimension wise) than a 30-06, so that was where I stopped testing. It's entirely possible that this machine will be able to handle the monster .50 BMG cases after all.

I did find that the .45 handgun cartridges heated very quickly. This will be something to watch out for once the machine is released. It's because the brass is so close to the work coil, and it thin. These together make it heat rapidly.

I have also been testing the different motor driver I mentioned in my previous update. Thus far I've not gotten it to work, but I haven't had nearly enough time to debug it yet. This will be the next task at hand.

Tomorrow night I am going to go (after the Tea Party) to the Palmetto Gun Club meeting where I hope to begin my membership journey. This will be a very good thing for my skills as I will then be able to shoot at much longer distances, and it's closer to home. This gun club is also NRA recognized, so it is allowed to host competitions. I look forward to testing my hand against others.

As always I have much to do and little time, so that's all for now.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Apr 10, More progress on the ICA 2000

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:59:57 GMT

Many good things are happening here at The Carolina Marksman, I wanted to take a minute or two and update you on them.

A bunch has happened with the ICA 2000 this week. The engineer of the new heater has successfully repaired the damage I caused, and has dropped it back in the mail to me. He has tested it on some 30-06 cases and says they go red hot in about 4 seconds. I'm very anxious to see this actually work myself, and will be sure to post a new video of it just as soon as I can.

Apparently when I shorted the board out the first time it burnt every single solid state component on the circuit board. I'm glad I sent it back to the engineer for repair, as I surely would have spent far too much time trying to figure out which pieces were actually faulty.

I also recieved the circuit boards I designed a few weeks ago through pad2pad.com. The quality of workmanship throughout the boards is outstanding, and I give the company my highest recomendation. Unfortunately I ordered the boards prematurely, and have modified the design slightly for better (and less expensive) operation. I will need to order boards of a new design once I have done some further testing. I should be able to do this within a week or so.

The further testing that I need to do has to do with the turn tables motor. The motor is of a special design called a stepper motor, and it requires a motor driver circuit. On the board I have now I designed it for a motor that is likely to weak to turn the table reliably. I have a more powerful motor, but the driver circuit I was using overheats quickly with this motor. I have ordered the components to build a more powerful driver circuit, and they should be here Monday the 12th. I just need to test this circuit and ensure it works well for this application. After that all of my electronics will be in hand and ready to be put together.

I've also decided to abandon the fiberglass housing idea. It turns out that fiberglass will be far to expensive to use. I have found a source of inexpensive ABS plastic that I will use, at least for the prototypes of the machine. This material will be plenty strong enough for the housing, and should be quite easy to work with. One of the most significant advantages of using plastic is it's lower production costs, which in turn leads to a lower price on the final machine.

Well that's about all for now. I'll be sure to keep you updated as I get more done.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Apr 5, Skeet shooting fun

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:17:57 GMT

Happy Easter! Hope this holiday is a great time to catch up with your family.

I admit, I've become a bit of a workaholic in recent times. I needed a break today, so I decided to go out and break some clays with a buddy. We went out to the skeet & trap range on the local Air Force Base (thanks to all of the great soldiers and vets that run the place!). My buddy had never been skeet shooting before so he had been wanting to try it. I think I got him hooked on it.

Neither of us did particularly well at the game but we had a great time, especially once we put our tactical shotguns down and picked up one of the range's skeet guns. The difference was unbelievable. The skeet gun was so much lighter, so much faster, and SOOO much more expensive.

One of the shooters that joined our group turned out to be a competitive skeet shooter for the Air Force, and had just recently returned from competitions in England. He taught us many things about body position, how to track the skeet, and about the shotguns needed to play well. Needless to say he did extremely well (a 96 out of 100, with a .410!). He's definitely got me in the market for a decent 20 gauge over and under shotgun.

That is a great example of one of my favorite parts about the shooting sports. No matter who you meet on the range they are always friendly, and there is no telling who you are going to meet. Here was a world class competitive shooter who met some complete newbs to the sport and spent several hours teaching us how to play it better. You couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

I also sent out my first email newlsetter today. This newsletter contained an article on range safety, some of what has been going on with The Carolina Marksman, and some of what's coming up. Any one that would like may subscribe by simply sending me an e-mail here.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Mar 31, New induction heater still having problems

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:26:46 GMT

Just figured I'd post an update on my progress with the new model induction heater. I got the last few parts I thought I needed to fire it today. I put them in this evening after work, and the darn thing still blows fuses. I'm sure it's nothing wrong with the design and all related to me burning it up previously, but it's getting pretty frustrating to not see this bad boy work. This is exactly why we should read the directions.

In other news. I've got to give a plug for Lee Precision. Lee makes fantastic entry level reloading equipment and has gotten many reloaders (including myself) started on the path. Although they do have some tools that do not work as well as higher priced models what they sell will get the job done economically. They also stand behind their product like no one else. A friend of mine came over recently to reload some .4o S&W's, about 150 rounds into it the decapping pin broke. I called Lee and told them what happened. They said, and I quote, "Ok, can you verify your address and we'll get one sent straight to you". No if's, and's, or but's about it. No when did you purchase this. Nothing. A live person picked up the phone on the second ring and my problem was taken care of immediately. It's little wonder that Lee Precision has been, and will continue to be, a thriving business.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Mar 28, Many new parts in hand

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:09:32 GMT

I've gotten several of the remaining few components I will need to fully assemble the ICA 2000 in hand, unfortunately the last of the heater parts aren't among them. They are scheduled to be here on Tuesday. As soon as I am able to get this heater running I will post a video of it in operation on youtube. I've got high hopes for it, especially after having it sit on my desk for so long.

I got the PCB for the ICA 2000 on order, thanks to my friends at Pad 2 Pad It should be ready for shipping in about 10 days or so. I also found a machine shop through Pad 2 Pad (I'm pretty sure it's a sister company). They have an online CAD program where I can design exactly what I want, then I just click buy. Very convenient and creative idea. I will be purchasing enough of the machined components to make 10 machines to start out (due to the significantly lower unit cost with volume), so I should be able to start putting some very early versions of the ICA 2000 out for sale at a very low volume in the near future. My last major problem to solve is the housing, and of course assembling the first unit. Currently I plan for the housing to either be a thermo plastic, injection molded like everything else; or I may opt for a fiberglass. I have not yet decided which route to go.

Other big news for The Carolina Marksman. I am now an NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Pistol. I took the last class required yesterday and just as soon as the paper work comes in the mail I'll be able to begin teaching this class. This is exciting as it means another source of revenue to help with funding the ICA 2000. That has been one of the largest slowing factors for designing the machine, it's expensive!

Anyways, that's all for now. I've got to wrap up the design of two or three more pieces for the ICA 2000.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Mar 21, Charleston Sportsman's Classic

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:03:36 GMT

I worked today at the Charleston Sportsman's Classic for the Lowcountry Friends of the NRA. The show was smaller than I had expected, and had not nearly as much traffic as we had planned on. We did manage to get a good bit of money raised for our cause though. Thanks to everyone that has supported the Lowcountry Friends of the NRA, and to those who have not yet done so please consider making a donation. Just send me an email and I'll get you all of the information you need.

Towards the end of the day at the show I decided to walk around. I walked by a vendors table and noticed that she was putting away some gun powder. I asked if she had any small pistol primers and, to my great surprise, she had a whole case of them for $32 per thousand. I picked up 3,000 CCI SP primers right there. That is the best component find I have had in almost 8 months.

Switching over to the ICA 2000, I have not yet gotten the last of the components I burnt up in stock. I'm currently working on designing the printed circuit boards I need to control the circuits. This is pretty complicated, especially since I have never done it before. In this coming week I will also place on order the 5 custom machined aluminum components that are needed for the ICA 2000. If any of you guys know of (or own) a good custom machine shop that can help me out with some small parts at affordable prices please let me know.

One last thing I wanted to let you know about. I've compiled a mailing list from all of the readers that have e-mailed me previously. If you would like to be put on that mailing list just send me an e-mail letting me know. If you would like to be taken off please just do the same. I'll be more than happy to oblige either way.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Mar 17, It's been a while...

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:22:59 GMT

I realized today that it has been far too long since I posted an update on this blog. I've been exceptionally busy in many directions.

First, the induction heater. In my last post I showed that I cooked the circuit board. I have gotten all of the components in to repair the board, or so I thought... I tried firing it up again today as per the designers instructions and it turns out I have one more piece that I burnt up. The part is not expensive, it's just another setback. I also have a new transformer coming from the designer of the heater. It should be much more efficient, smaller, and less expensive than the one I have now (which is actually just a loaner). Once I get the last part I burnt up in I should be able to get this heater running the way it will be in the ICA 2000.

I have also gotten most of the components for the ICA 2000 in my hands. I have about 75 of what I will need to complete the project, and that is plenty enough for me to get going on the actual construction phase. I'll be sure to take and post plenty of pictures as that process gets underway.

I know, it's about time. I was just telling a friend this the other day, every day that goes by I get a deeper respect for design engineers. There is so much work that goes into making something, I had no idea. It's fun, but exhausting too. The results should be worth it though.

I mentioned in my last post that I was going to get an Arduino microcontroller to use in the ICA 2000. That has actually turned into 2 Arduino's, but the cost for both is still less than half of what the one Basic Stamp would have cost. This means more features, and still a price savings. The down side is in development. The Basic code is so much simpler for me to understand, and I now have to forget everything I learned from the Basic code so I can write in Arduino's code.

That's about it for now, I've got the rest of a busy week up ahead but I will be sure to post more updates soon. This weekend is the Carolina Sportsman's Classic at the Ladson Exchange Park, I'll be working there Sunday for the Friends of NRA banquet. Oh, I almost forgot, tomorrow's my birthday so happy birthday to me.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Mar 7, Busy week?

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:26:17 GMT

It has been such a busy week for me that I haven't had time to post since Charlotte. Let me give you a rundown.

This is the Roy heater before powering it up.

This is what happens when you hook it up wrong.

I got the new model induction heater in from my friend in Tennessee on Tuesday. I set it up (without asking for instructions) and proceeded to fry the circuit board and a couple of the major components. Now I have those on order and am waiting for them to come in so I can test this heater (with instructions). The best news here is that the new model heater is priced significantly less than the Mini-Ductor, and it should be much more powerful. I will know that better once I get it running.

I have also decided to significantly alter my design for the ICA 2000. My previous design posed several significant challenges including the necessary drop tube, and the temperature rating of the housing. I'm sure that both obstacles could be overcome, but in the interest of time and cost I have decided to go a different route instead. The new route should prove to be a better overall design as it will be more compact. It will require several more pieces for operation though. The new design will have up to 12 "shellholders", 4 each of 3 different sizes. These will be much different than what you put into your reloading press.

I also came to the conclusion that the Basic Stamp 2 will not be used in the ICA 2000. Instead I found a very similar (and much more widely used) chip called the Arduino. I can purchase an Arduino for less than 1/2 of what the Stamp would cost, so this will help to keep the project in budget as well.

Also this week I had my first Jury Duty experience. I had to go in Friday to be qualified and see if I was selected for the first trial. At the time of them sending my summons the trial on schedule was a capitol murder case that was expected to last up to a month! I sure am glad I wasn't put on that jury. Turns out I wasn't selected, but I do have to call every day next week to see if that changes.

That's all the chit chat I've got for now. It's time to get back to work.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 27, First part of Basic Instructors Training done.

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:56:09 GMT

Well, I'm in Charlotte. Every time I come up here I like it more. It's not too bad of a drive, only about 3 hours, and the scenery is nice.

I came up early this morning so I could take a tour of the big gunshops in the area (and see if I could scrounge up some more primers). First one I went too was Carolina Sporting Arms. It was a decent gun shops, well equipped for it's size. I got a brief rundown of the NC concealed carry laws (NC and SC are reciprocal states, so my permit is good up here).

Anyways, I went looking around the store when all of a sudden, there they were. Small pistol primers. A full thousand of them. At $40 they were a bit high, but not to the point I would consider it gouging. I bought those up and proceeded on to Hyatt's Gun Shop.

Hyatt's is the largest gun store I have ever been in. It is wall to wall guns, gear, safes, and reloading equipment. I asked how many guns they had on display (not to mention what was in their also massive warehouse), they said well over two thousand. That's a lot of guns.

Hyatt's also has the largest reloading equipment section I've seen at a gun store. Lots of components, equipment, books, and more. They too had well over a thousand small pistol primers sitting on the shelf (for the same price). Unfortunately I still have to pay for gas to get back home so I couldn't buy them as well. I'm up to 2,600 small pistol primers in my stash, and that ought to last me at least a little while.

I went from Hyatt's to the Bass Pro Shops in Concord. It was just what I had remembered it as from previous visits, a giant toy store. This store is far superior to the ones in Atlanta and Myrtle Beach.

After all that I still had some time to kill before the class started so I went on the hunt for stuff for the ICA 2000. It recently occured to me that a hobby store may have powdered clay for casting, and that may work for my drop tube. It would certainly be much less expensive than the ceramic I was planning to use. I picked a small package of it to experiment with, it was inexpensive enough that it won't be a great loss if it doesn't work.

Finally it was time for the NRA Basic Instructors Class to begin. It's been good so far. I've learned many fundamentals of instructing and how to put a class together. I also learned the importance of making the class a team effort. Tomorrow should offer even more education and excitement.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 26, Headed to Charlotte

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:59:53 GMT

I've been spending this week preparing for my trip to Charlotte. I'm heading up tomorrow to take my NRA Basic Instructors Training and my Range Safety Officer Course. It looks to be a very full two days, but I'm expecting the courses to be lots of fun. Once I have passed these courses I will be better qualified to instruct firearms classes, and I will begin doing so once I have taken the Basic Pistol Instructors course. The other two classes I'm looking to take soon are Basic Rifle Instructor, and Reloading Instructor.

I mentioned in my last post that the induction heater was almost ready to go. It has been shipped and I expect to get it in the beginning of next week. Working with it's designer has been great, so I'm expecting it to work very well.

The designer of this tool has still been having difficulties with the transformer supplier he is trying to get. Right now the unit has been shipped with a less than optimum loaner transformer, I will upgrade transformers once the new one becomes available. This may cause some difficulties with the heater, but they should be overcomeable.

One last thing to note. Several months ago I picked up a BASIC Stamp 2 kit with plans to use it in the I.C.A. 2000. All has been great with it until last night. I was working on some code and suddenly the chip started messing up like crazy. I'm going to send it back to Parallax and see what they think. This will cause a slight time delay in development, but I'm planning to use the time to finish up building the drop tube, the housing, and some other things too.

That's all for now, I've got to hit the sack for a very early morning tomorrow.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 21, Lots of work done on I.C.A. 2000

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:21:34 GMT

I've not been feeling well the past few days, so I've had lots of time to stay home and think. Never being one to have an idle mind that means I got lots done with the ICA 2000.

The most recent accomplishments include winding the work coil for the induction heater, determining my new circuit (I couldn't use any of the previous circuits due to my now using a microcontroller), ordering the needed components, and more! I got a little bit more done with the drop tube, but now I need to get a couple of drill bit sizes I don't have. I also started working on writing the code for the microcontroller in the ICA 2000. This will take a pretty good length of time due to the complexity, and my not being terribly proficient with that code.

I also have been communicating with the designer of the new induction heater that will be going in the ICA 2000, he's got his prototype ready to ship. With luck it will be in the mail by Wednesday. He is waiting on a company to supply him with some different cores for the transformer, but he's got one roughed together so it is usable. Possibly the best news here is he managed to design a heater for considerably less than what the Mini-Ductor was going to run. This means I will be able to keep the price down lower than I had originally expected. That's good news for you and me both.

I've got to get off to the Land of Sky Gun Show now, I'm working a table for The Lowcountry Friends of NRA. We'll be selling "special drawing" tickets for a Kimber 84 rifle in .308 win and a Glock 22. We've also got tickets to the banquet on April 24th for sale, and we've got all the sponsor information you'll need. If you would like to become a sponsor for The Lowcountry Friends of NRA just contact me and let me know. I'll hook you up with everything you need.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Feb 18, Mold Complete, Cast lead bullets

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:20:58 GMT

Last time I posted on this blog I was having issues getting the foam to cure inside my drop tube mold. I got that taken care of and have now got the drop tube fully cast in the urethane rubber. I had to cast it as a two part mold, each half seems to have taken about 6 hours to cure.

Casting the mold wasn't too hard. I just had to apply a release agent to everything, then mix the polyurethane, then pour. I did wind up with a couple of leaks in my mold housing though. That was messy.

You may notice that the end of the master in the mold is green. I had to apply a modeling clay seal to the foam to prevent the foam from absorbing any of the urethane. It seems to have worked fairly well.

My next step with the I.C.A. 2000 will be to drill openings in the top and bottom of the mold housing and cut an opening in the side. From these openings I should be able to adjust pieces and cast the internal shapes I need. This will be the trickiest part of casting the Drop Tube.

Last night I got a shipment of cast lead bullets in from Missouri Bullet Company for my .40 S&W. I haven't shot any of them yet, but I did load 50 last night. The bullets are a little odd feeling, but that is just the lube they put on them (it's the blue ring in the picture). All lead bullets need to have a lubricant on them to help with leading of the barrel. The lube feels alot like beeswax, the original lube for lead bullets actually was beeswax.

Missouri Bullet Company offers cast lead bullets for many calibers in both handgun and rifle. I'll write up how well they shoot once I get back out to the range, but for now I feel I can give them my recommendation. They are top quality and all very uniform. Brad is sure to ship them out right away too!

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Feb 17, Brass Preparation

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:11:49 GMT

Brass preparation is one of the most critical components to accurate ammunition. Learn about it here...

Feb 16, Drop Tube Troubles

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:58:21 GMT

I mentioned in my last update that I needed to fill the master for the case drop tube with foam to prevent wasting a ton of my urethane rubber. It turns out that the Great Stuff I filled it with is taking longer than expected to cure. I removed the master from the base I had it mounted to last night and the foam on the bottom was still soft and very sticky. The top was cured pretty well though so I went ahead and trimmed it up, flipped the master, and gave the bottom a little more of the foam. This morning I checked it and the foam had cured pretty well so I trimmed cleaned it up a bit before heading to work.

The foam is still just a little bit soft so I won't cast the mold tonight. Tomorrow is my day off from work so I plan to push ahead with the project then.

Tomorrow is also the next meeting for The Lowcountry Friends Of NRA, please contact me if you would like to join or to make a donation to the Friends of NRA.

One last thing for all of my friends in Coastal South Carolina. The Land of Sky Gun and Knife Show is coming to the Ladson Fair Grounds this weekend! Make sure to come by Sunday morning as I will be working a table for the Friends of NRA Banquet. Please stop by and say hi.

Shoot Straight

Poe

Feb 15, Crazy weather, and the I.C.A. 2000

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:54:43 GMT

This weekend has been crazy by all accounts. We had snow on the coast of South Carolina! That hasn't happened in 10+ years. It wasn't just a light flurry either, it was a full blown snowstorm. Here at my apartment we saw 3-4 inches. I know that sounds like nothing to anyone north of South Carolina, but remember that we never get snow.

The funniest thing I saw with all the snow was everyone out walking their dogs. Most of the dogs were completely baffled as to what the snow was. It was funny to watch them play in it. I also saw some squirrels that didn't know what to make of the snow too.

The biggest downside to the snow was it killed electricity and cable overnight. The Olympic Grand Opening Ceremony was on and the cable went out only 5 minutes prior to it starting. Bummer.

Several things have happened for the I.C.A. 2000 recently. I got the urethane mold rubber in, now I just need to cast the outer mold. Before I can do that though I figured I needed to fill the hollow tube I'm using as my master. I didn't want to waste all of that mold rubber filling the tube on accident. To fill in the hollow tube I used Great Stuff (expanding foam). I've got to let the foam cure now, but I should be able to cast the lower half of the outer mold tommorow night with any luck.

I also managed to get out shooting today, it was much warmer than I was expecting so my load wasn't quite right. I was also doing an experiment with crimped vs. non-crimped rounds, as expected the gun preferred the crimped ammo. Group sizes were much larger than normal with only one sub .5 moa. The average was probably around an inch with several flyers. Better luck next time (and I'll remember to check the weather before loading those rounds up).

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Feb 9, SCORE!!!

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:41:40 GMT

Work is slow today at the auto shop so I've been doing some work on the next page for www.rifles-shooting-reloading.com. It is the brass preparation page that will go in the reloading process section.

I also took a little bit of time today and checked a nearby gun store for some primers. SCORE!!! They had several thousand of all the primer types in both CCI and Winchester brands. The bad news is they were limiting the primers to 200 per person per day. I picked up my 200 for $6 and will be back again tomorrow. The only other place I have found primer's in town in recent days they were asking $40 for 500, well over double the market price. When all of this madness settles down you know who will get my business.

Some reloaders have complained loudly about stores limiting primer purchases, here's my opinion on it. I'm perfectly ok with it. Primers are very hard to come by nowadays, and I'm not the only person that needs them. I think it is fair for a business to limit primer sales so more than one of their customers can enjoy the shooting sports. That won't stop me from asking if I can buy more, but if that is the business's policy then so be it.

You've probably also noticed the new look of The Carolina Marksman. I'm still tweaking things here and there to make it just how I like it. Please e-mail me and let me know what you think.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 8, Mold housing complete for the I.C.A. 2000

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:59:54 GMT

Happy Superbowl Sunday!!! Good luck to whichever team you choose! I'm pretty non-partial myself. I just watch it for the commercials.

I got some more work done on the I.C.A. 2000 today. I assembled the master for the case drop tube. I've also got the master assembled for the inside of the case drop tube.

The larger tube will be cast into the urethane that I have on order. This will give me my form for the outside of the drop tube. Once I get the outside formed in the urethane I will insert the smaller component into the mold housing. Then I'll cast my ceramic into this mold. That will give me a hollow tube with all the correct dimensions.

For those who don't know, this drop tube is what will actually hold the work coil for the induction heater. The case will drop down into this tube, trip a sensor, then the coil will turn on and anneal the case.

Also this week I joined up with a group called the Lowcountry Friends of the NRA. This group is the grassroots of the NRA. We do fundraisers and such that help to support the NRA, and up to half of the money we raise will stay right here in my state to help support the shooting sports. The chapter that I am in is organizing a fundraising banquet for April 24th in Charleston, SC. If you are in the Charleston area, or would like to make a donation, please send me an email. I will make nothing on any donation, 100 of it will go to the Friends of the NRA.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 4, Range report, ICA 2000, New toys, and more!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:27:41 GMT

It's been a few days since I posted an update and a lot has happened since then. I'll start with yesterday.

I had placed an order at Midway USA a few days ago and it came in. I bought 200 pieces of Lapua brass (which is excellent), an RCBS Universal Hand Priming Tool, and some Hornady Unique case lubricant.

The Lapua brass is simply impeccable. Quality really does show. Every case is perfectly prepped straight out of the box. None of the flash holes have any material covering them, the primer pockets are even and square, and the annealing is just as I would have done it. One thing I did notice was that Lapua brass is much thicker than the Winchester brass I have bought. It takes a different sized bushing in my neck sizing die.

I got the RCBS Universal Priming Tool because my Forster Co-Ax press does not have the best priming setup and I can not use my Lee Auto Prime II on it. This priming tool is very good once I got used to it. You can really feel the primer bottom out, once you feel that you just need a little bit more squeeze to firmly seat it and your done. The cases just snap in and out, easy as pie. Some of the reviews I read prior to purchasing it mentioned that switching from small primers to large primers was a pain, I did not find this to be the case. It took a minute to figure it out, but once I got it the change is simple enough. I managed to prime 50 cases in about 10 minutes using this tool for the first time.

I took the rounds I made last night shooting today, and I've got to say I love Lapua brass. The fired rounds come out clean, with only a small amount of soot on the neck. It shot well too, as you can see in the photo above. Groups 3 and 4 I was a little distracted by the radio in my ear muffs, but I shut it off and tightened things back up in group 5. I met someone from one of the shooting forums I frequent today at the range. Very nice guy, and a pretty good shot too! I look forward to seeing him up at the range again.

I ordered some of the mold making urethane for the I.C.A. 2000 recently, but I haven't gotten it in yet. I also formed the center portion of my drop tube using a couple of dowels of various sizes. I'll keep you posted with more updates as they happen.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Feb 1, What a weekend

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:21:35 GMT

I have had a fantastically busy weekend, and have yet to accomplish much of anything. I'm sure you all know the feeling.

It all started yesterday when a buddy of mine and I went to a gun show nearly 100 miles away. I was looking for a few things including primers, more powder, a .357 Magnum revolver, and a 9mm compact pistol for concealed carry. The only thing I managed to find was some IMR 4895. The show was frankly pathetic. There weren't nearly as many tables as the website claimed, and the ones that were there didn't have much at all. Only one person had any small pistol primers, and they sold out within the first 20 minutes of the show. I'm still on the hunt for those. A few dealers had guns that I liked, but nothing jumped out at me as a good deal.

My buddy and I left the show after only about 2 hours and decided to do a gun shop tour on the way back home. None of the stores that we stopped at had anything that really struck our fancy. Oh well, it happens. I'm only disappointed that I couldn't find any primers. The last gun show that I went too had at least 4 dealers with primers of all shapes and sizes, and that was in the peak of the component crunch last summer.

I picked up a few things for the I.C.A. 2000 project as well. I've got the tube I'm going to use for the outside of my drop tube's mold. I also picked up some plexiglass and adhesive to form the mold in. I plan on ordering some of the urethane rubber epoxy I need to form the mold tonight. After that I'll only need to get a couple of dowels so I can form the inside of my drop tube when I cast it. This drop tube and the accompanying bushings are probably the most complicated parts of the I.C.A. 2000, although the solenoid assembly that I will work on next looks to be challenging as well.

Today I made it out shooting, and did not do well. I had several things working against me today including, I ran the brass through a body sizer the last time I loaded it. This means I lost all the benefits of it being fire formed to my chamber. This brass was also the first that I had annealed, and that was inconsistent to put it nicely. It may take several loadings to work out the damage I did to it by improperly annealing. Finally, I wasn't very focused on shooting today. I was distracted by the other shooters and it has been a few weeks since I went shooting. All totalled I didn't do too bad with a .776" average, but there were a lot of flyers in the groups.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Jan 28, More on the I.C.A. 2000

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:54:28 GMT

I've been working tirelessly on the I.C.A. 2000 (the Induction Case Annealer) for the last several days. As you guys know I ordered some castable ceramic mix not three days ago, it already came in. I was amazed at how quickly it shipped (thanks a ton makergear.com). Unfortunately it does me no good until I have a mold to cast it in, that's my next task.

I'm going to be honest, I don't really know a whole lot about casting ceramics. If anyone reading wants to correct me or stop me from messing something up please contact me here. I've watched many videos online about how to cast now, and it doesn't look like its terribly complicated. I just need to get some mold form urethane, and have a master shape that I am molding the cermic too. It's posing a slight problem though, because I need the end result to be a hollow tube. I'm thinking I need to have a master mold for the outside, Then be able to insert a master for the inside shape when I actually cast the ceramic. That's what I'm going to try first anyways. I hope it works, that ceramic stuff isn't cheap.

I also wanted to let you guys know about a great deal I found at Sinclair International. Sinclair is a great store for shooter's and reloaders, it covers all the basis and only sells top of the line gear and equipment. The company has been serving the shooting community since 1970, and is well respected. If you place an order at Sinclair International for more than $200 they will give you free shipping. Just enter the special promo code SHIP009 when you check out.

Well, I need to get back to work. I'm writing the page about preparing the brass and I'm drafting up the exact specs for various parts of the I.C.A. 2000 as well.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Jan 26, Update on Induction Annealer, and more

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:36:30 GMT

Today was a slow day at the auto shop so I worked on several things for the Carolina Marksman.

First, the I.C.A. 2000 (Induction Case Annealer). One of my problems with designing this machine was finding the correct material to make the drop tube out of. I had several requirements for this part:

      1. It has to be able to withstand temperatures of up to 1000F. It will never see that unless severely overheated, but I like to design things to excess to prevent failures.

      2. It has to be able to withstand the impact of a 50 BMG case dropping from a height of 2.5" repeatedly.

      3. It has to be easily cast or machined to my desired shape.

It turns out this is a very tall order. I had thought that portland cement would fill this need, but it tends to chip and is prone to cracking. I then thought about clay pipe, which would have probably filled the need. The problem there is I have heard of difficulties with getting the correct mix while casting and the mold is not reusable. I also thought about using fiberglass, but the resins available will not hold up to that kind of prolonged heat exposure. As you can see, this is a tough bill to fill.

I found yesterday a castable two part ceramic compound that I think will suit my needs very well. The problem is, the company only sells the product in 10lb packages. Today I found a very small company that I think had some left over and divided it to sell. I bought 1 lb of the product as I figure that will be enough to determine suitability. I now need to purchase some moulding urethane so I have something to cast the ceramic into. I'll work on that and brush up on my casting techniques if the shop is slow tomorrow.

I also enrolled in a NRA Basic Instructors and Range Safety Officers Course offered by The Contingency Group in Charlotte. Taking this class will enable me to become certified in other areas of firearms instruction. This will be my primary offline work for The Carolina Marksman in the near future. Now I need to find an area to teach the classes at, preferably with a shooting range there or close by.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jan 25, Load Development

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:37:03 GMT

Load development is the process of tuning you reloaded ammunition to shoot the best out of your gun. Click here now to learn about the process.

Jan 24, Progress on the Automatic Induction Annealer

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:58:50 GMT

I have had several requests for more information on my automatic induction case annealer, the I.C.A. 2000. The project is progressing, albeit slower than I had wanted.

Today I took some time after work and got the housing for the unit assembled. Here are some pictures:

As this is just a prototype I did not make this to perfection. I used some scrap plywood that my dad had lying around.

The box is 18" X 18" X 9". There will be a 16" turntable with 18 holes for cases on top of this box. This entire box is going to stand 9-12" off of the bench, that's what the corner blocks are for on the inside. I want the legs to be removable so it will be easier to store.

Anyways, that's the next step done. I've got to hunt down a few more components and do some more brain storming before I take the next step, which is building the drop tube. I was thinking that I was going to use a clay or cement for the drop tube, but then I found out about high temperature epoxies for fiberglass and carbon fiber. I may wind up going this route. Who knows, if it is not terribly complicated to get right then maybe the housing and turntable will be carbon fiber when it hits the market too. That would definitely be more visually appealing then plywood.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Jan 22, What I'm up to now

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:38:10 GMT

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the status of things here at Carolina Marksman.

The Website: I'm working on it every free second I get. I'm writing the page on brass preparation right now, expect it shortly.

The Automatic Induction Annealing Machine: I am at a standstill until I hear back from the person who has been designing the new induction heater that I plan to use. Fortunately he has told me that the circuit boards are being printed now and I should have a beta test unit soon. As soon as I get one of these units I'll continue development of my machine.

Other things I'm working on: I have been working with my brother, who is much more familiar with computer graphics than I, to design a logo for The Carolina Marksman. Let me know what you think of it.

I've also begun the pursuit of my Federal Firearms License. Having this license will enable me to do firearm transfers for people that purchase a gun and need to have it shipped to them. Frequently the local gun stores will charge much higher prices than a gun can be had for online, especially with great websites like Gun Broker. Even when you add in the shipping and FFL's fee the cost of the gun can be substantially less than purchasing it locally. You also get many more options as you are not limited to what your local store has on the shelves.

I'm working on these and a few other projects as I build on things I have already accomplished. Make sure to check back for more updates as things progress.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jan 18, Turret Press

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:09:09 GMT

A turret press offers many advantages to other presses types, learn about them here.

Jan 14, In search of components...

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:46:22 GMT

Ok, I'm desperate. I know. I was down to my last can of IMR 4895 and I only had about 20 shots left, I needed more. I couldn't possibly stop shooting until I got some more in, so I instead chose to drive 120 miles to get some. I took a road trip today all the way up to Myrtle Beach, SC just to get powder.

There is a Bass Pro Shop up in Myrtle Beach that I had been wanting to stop in and visit for a while. Yesterday I called and they told me they had a pound of IMR 4895 on the shelf. I had today off so I decided to take a road trip. It payed off bigger than I had hoped, they had three pounds of the powder. It's not really as crazy as it seems, my cost for gas was much less than the mandatory $20 Hazmat fee for shipping powder. Add in some shipping on top and I came out ahead.

I also stopped in at another gun store that I passed on the way up to Myrtle Beach. They had the largest collection of gun powder that I have seen at one store, when I looked at the price I figured out why. The powders were marked up to sky high prices. $40 for a can of IMR powder, $50 for Alliant. I may have been desperate, but not that bad. When I asked the associate at Bass Pro about that gun store he said; good thing you came up here instead, those guys overcharge for everything. I'd say that was an understatement at best.

On my way back from the Bass Pro I stopped in at the range. My groups were good, but nothing spectacular. I did have one group that was especially smalle, it was 4 shots in a .127" group with one shot a quarter inch down. The rest of the groups were 3 and 4 together with 1 or two off just a touch. That is a very good indication that seating depth is not optimal, so I will tweak it a little bit in my next set of loads.

I've had a lot of interest in my Induction Case Annealer project in the past couple of days. I have been waiting on hearing back from the designer of the new induction heater. I'm holding off assembling the housing and other internal components until I know the neccessary specifics of the heater.

Shoot Straight,

Poe

Jan 12, My weekend

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:59:10 GMT

Just got back in from work today and I figured I would update you guys on my weekend. It was a great weekend with lots of shooting and learning.

It started when a buddy of mine and I went to B.E.L.T. Training to take their active shooter response class. It was a very informative class with a good review of the history of active shooters. We learned a few tactics in how to deal with them and what to expect, what active shooters are after, how to react once the cops arrive on scene, and mental preparation. Our time on the range was slightly hampered due to the freezing temperatures (literally), but it was still very good. We shot from concealment, shot at distant targets, and practiced some things like room clearing drills. I would have liked to do more shooting at the range, but it was a relatively large class so range time was somewhat cut down. Overall the class was well worth it.

On Sunday I went out to the rifle range in the forest. It was again very cold (the high was 36F), fortunately I had expected that and loaded my ammunition with a slightly higher powder charge. Cold temperatures can decrease velocity slightly, increasing the charge just a touch compensates for this by bumping the velocity back up to where the gun likes it. This is also the first ammo I have loaded with my new Forster Co-Ax press, and the first I used my new Forster Bushing/Bump die to resize. Here is the target...

Needless to say I am very happy with this range trip. An average group size of only .433" is fantastic in my book. I'll take it.

I did have two shots off center on the third target, but this was due to the range going cold in the middle of my group. It happens, no big deal.

At the range I also saw my first Stiller Predator action. One of the guys at the range had just gotten in this action with a Shilen barrel on it the day before and was sighting it in. The quality of the action, barrel, and gunsmithing was impeccable. It was very good looking and shot well. I still think I'm going to go with a Surgeon action on my rifle, but I have nothing bad to say about Stiller.

Well, that wraps up my weekend. Hope yours went as well.

Shoot straight,

Poe

Jan 5, Lots of stuff happening!

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:35:50 GMT

This past weekend was New Years weekend, hope you all had a good time. I took the chance on New Years day to go out hunting one last time. I still didn't get any deer, but I'll be back at it again next year. Hopefully I'll have more luck.

On the 2nd I went skeet shooting for the first time with my new shotgun. It was a lot of fun for sure, even if my gun really is too small for it. I've shot a few clay pigeons before, but never played the game of skeet. It's much more challenging then I had though it would be. My best round I hit 12 out of 24 clays. Sounds like I need more practice right? Maybe so, but my true love is still rifles.

On the 3rd of this month I went out to the rifle range. It was COLD! South Carolina is in the middle of the worst cold snap I can recall (global warming, where are you?). Anyways, due to the cold and my not having been shooting in a while my groups weren't nearly what I'd hoped for. Here's the target...

Group 1 was the worst, most likely due to a squeaky clean barrel. I had pulled the action from the stock on this cleaning as well, so the group was off of it's normal position. The last shot in that group was the center shot, and it was after adjusting the scope. Aside from jerking the trigger twice in the third group everything else was pretty good.

This coming week will be very busy as well. On Saturday I am taking an Active Shooter Response class from the wonderful instructors at B.E.L.T. Training. This is the instructor I took my concealed weapons class with, and have also taken his advanced concealed carry class. It is great instruction in a fun and upbeat way. If you are in South Carolina and looking for a CWP permit I strongly recommend BELT Training. Prices are great too!

For the class on Saturday I need to load up 200 plinking rounds, and I've got a buddy of mine also enrolled that needs to come over and load some too. On Sunday I'm planning to get back out to the rifle range.

As you can see, I'm very busy lately. Oh, I almost forgot, I think I've finally decided on a name for my company: The Carolina Marksman. Let me know what you think!

Shoot straight,

Poe

Dec 30, The induction annealing project...

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:25:16 GMT

If you have followed this blog over the last 2 months or so you will know that I am hard at work developing an automatic case annealer using an induction heater as its heat source. The project has been going along smoothly despite a few major changes in direction.

When I started out on this course I purchased a tool called the Mini-Ductor. It has worked well for the purpose I bought it for, which was proof of concept. Unfortunately this tool is far from ideal for my case annealing machine. This left me in search of another, better, induction heater that will fit the price range and the design requirements I have.

While I was in Atlanta a few weeks back I stumbled across this website while doing a search for induction heaters. The website has an open source design on it, but when I sent him an e-mail he told me that he has a much more advanced design he is working on. After talking with him about my project and my requirements he came to the conclusion that his tool will work very well in this application.

Neon John's induction heater is in the last phase of testing, so I can not currently get my hands on one. This is delaying my automatic case annealing machine's construction because talkking to him has changed my mind on at least 3 things about the machine. All of these things would have had to be changed again after construction, and they are fairly fundamental things in regard to design. I do not want to build a machine only to have a major flaw and need to start over again therefore I am holding off on construction until I have the new heater in my hand and am annealing cases with it. Hopefully this will be very soon.

I have the control circuit for the automatic annealing machine finished, and have come up with the general concepts of operation and design for the machine. All that is left now is to get the heater, then actually build and verify it.

Until then shoot straight,

Poe