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alphalimafoxtrot
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coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by alphalimafoxtrot »

Hey guys - I’ve been off the radar far too long, but here I am once more. Finally back to good health with both arms strong enough to get back to shooting again. Man, have I missed it! My big accomplishment recently was that I increased my reloading skills with my Flintstone “Stone Age” simple Lee Hand Loader kits - and that process increased my supplies of ammo!

Thanks goes to a friend who will not remain nameless - Larry W - who provided me with scads of cleaned brass to crank out around 300 rounds of .38 Special this summer. Thanks Larry! My Taurus 85 snubbie will love ‘em!
With my own hoarded stash of once-fired .357 cases, I also hand-stamped another 150-200 rounds of Magnum goodness to feed my Rossi 92 and Ruger Security Six.

Lessons learned from a year and a half recovering from doing major damage to both shoulders, only 6 months apart from each accident and surgery:

1. Do NOT run backwards when guiding your dog through a new-to-you canine agility course. Especially on an indoor course, with concrete floor as padding material!
2. Do NOT forget to leave the outside porch light on for Halloween trick-or-treaters. When your dogs alert you to their imminent arrival, and you respond by racing to the door to simultaneously turn the outside light on for the safety of the trick-or-treaters, also do NOT forget that you have 3 steps to go down in order to answer the door.

Alright, back to serious gun shop talk…..yes, I’m ready to get back into long-rifle and shotgun shooting and can’t wait. Got my updated state hunting license (allows access to WMA’s as well) and I’ve taken some measures to streamline my reloading. I plan to reduce my ammo line-up by one, starting with .32 Remington. This includes my 1923 Remington Model 14 pump gun, a collection of vintage .32 ammo, a Lee Hand Loader kit for .32 Rem and .32 Win Special, and a spare (unmarked) Model 8 Remington barrel chambered in .32 Rem.

There's going to be a follow-up thread about that swap idea - in the appropriate category. Just hope my dogs let me get to it before they start bugging me to go out for a big walk! Thanks again, Larry, for sending me the .38 brass. Kept my hobby alive while I was getting back to full health! I really appreciate it.

Respectfully,
alphalimafoxtrot (or Adam, as mom likes to call me)

I am a regular joe, consisting of 78% coffee, 12% hot air, 9% organizational abilities, and 1% luck.
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

Good to see you back and healthy, Adam. I too am planing to slim down the collection some what. I was looking through the cabinet a few days ago and came across some rifles I know I haven't shot in at least 10 years. Alas, neither of my 336s fill you bill. One is a pre-safety 35 Rem and the other was a first year of safety 30/30 that is now a 38-55 WCF and a most heart warming addition. Looking forward to coming deer season.

Take care, agility as a contact sport can be dangerous. Don't do it anymore, I'm afraid these old bones wont heal real good.

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Curt.......makin' smoke and raising my carbon foot print one cartridge at a time +guns +guns
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by akuser47 »

glad to see you on the mend +guns
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by Jeff H »

Adam,
Glad you're recovering. Seems like a lot of busted up fellas around here - myself included, but you've just got to push on. Here's hoping someone hears from Daboone shortly too.

The idea of "streamlining," as you mentioned, has made a huge difference in how much I enjoy my version of this distraction - in a positive way. Not just the guns, but moulds, powders, bore sizes, etc. Being able to focus on a small number of arms, I can focus on them much more easily than when I had a safe full of half-finished or otherwise incomplete pieces.

I spent decades finding irresistible deals on guns, and being behind on scopes, holsters, slings, rifle cases, brass, too many different powders, etc. I ended up settling mostly on very common and much less new-and-improved and esoteric stuff - going back to what had lost its luster while I was still a "kid." Now, it seems new again and not only still useful and viable, but fun to get back into. I've never been much of a power-hungry shooter, but I'm shooting even milder loads (less powder/cheaper too), which don't abuse me too much.

The economy aspect is great too. Instead of trying to spread a hundred bucks across three or four load-specific powders, I can simply buy more of ONE very versatile powder and be able to load and shoot more than one specific rifle or revolver. Finding "sweet spots" for each cartridge under this model is a fun project in itself. You don't run out of things to do even with a small personal battery.

I think I mentioned that this method also abuses me less?

Necks, backs, shoulders,.... If the Drs. and PTs are having you do a bunch of silly little exercises which don't seem to do much, KEEP DOING THEM, even when you feel like you're back up to speed. Slacking off on that will let you slip into the type of complacency which engenders poor posture, bad habits, and sometimes the occasional bout of genuine stupidity which puts you right back down.
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by Jeff H »

Adam,
I just ran across your old thread on the hand press. What did you end up doing? I couldn't find where you'd come up with a solution. I have a suggestion to consider if you don't mind re-visiting that subject.

When I left home and went into the Army, I soon tired of paying for loaded ammo, especially that single box of Winchester 44 Special I bought in 1982 for $13!! I was a few thousand miles from my dad's reloading bench and decided I needed to remedy the situation. Living in small apartments with my wife, we had little space too.

This is where my 40-year relationship with the original LEE Turret Press began. I "upgraded" at one point after settling down in a whole house of my own and went right back to the LEE after a year.

While in the Army, I used the LEE Turret Press as a hand-press. For the six remaining years I was "in," I suffered from what I thought was a shoulder injury. I found out decades later I had actually cracked a vertebrae in my neck in training. Army Docs,...... THIS is why I gave up an otherwise amazing career in the Army. I knew they would cripple or kill me.

I made a cover for the bottom of the press with a double layer of cereal box and two layers of "hundred-mile-a-hour tape," which lasted for years until I got a real house and bench. This press, a couple sets of dies, two pounds of powder, RCBS Uniflow and 505 scale, plus various other little necessary items all fit into a plywood box I'd made to store our Coleman two-burner camp stove in. It was about the size of a boot box and was stored on a closet floor, upon which we could stack other stuff if necessary. We kept it light overall, and still do. I still use that press but it's mounted on a bench in a cubby now.

The Turret Press was always easier to operate (required less effort on my part) than the single stage presses my dad had, and much less than the True-Line Jr.s he used. That's what I used for my 30-30 as a kid and went looking for as my own first press. A helpful gent in a gun store in California introduced me to the LEE Turret Press. I didn't spring for the extra money, but it once had an available wooden storage box to which you could mount the press.

I still suffer with neck and back injuries to this day, and even on one of those "bad days," this press is no problem for me to use. "Bad day" is one of those where you're just in a foul mood and realize later it's because you're in that much pain. You literally forget what it felt like to NOT be in pain. It's weird.

Sorry. I feel guilty every time I hit "Quick Reply" and then go on like that.
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by Ranch Dog »

I have a catalog that has the "box" you mentioned.
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by Jeff H »

Ranch Dog wrote:I have a catalog that has the "box" you mentioned.
Finger-jointed maple, nice looking and a neat idea.

The up-charge was more than a couple pounds-worth of Unique, so I got powder, primers and bullets instead. :)
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by alphalimafoxtrot »

Hey Jeff,

Sorry I took so long to write up a reply to your post. You had asked me what I ended up doing, far as a press is concerned. Well, I have not yet purchased anything new - but just been plugging away (or should say, banging away!) with my Lee Hand Loader kits. Mainly for the .38/.357 stuff, but also some .35 Remington with pistol bullets.

Funny thing, I have still not made it out to shoot anything but that will change soon enough - they local WMA I go to has been closed for the last season due to a rebuild of the range area. Then it was closed due to hunting season, so I couldn't go then. Soon though!

Finally, wanted to mention that a Lee Hand Press kit is in my future. That has been my focus, since I did manage to inspect one in person and get my hands on it at a local gun show event. Price was way out of line compared to web online stores, so I just have to get on board with a decent vendor and get one along with some die sets for my fave calibers.

OK that's all - just wanted to "finish my thoughts" so to speak! Oh, and I've decided to hang on to the .32 Rem rifle right now. Getting some ideas for loading it from the Cast Boolits guys. And some folks here too.

thanks for your time
Adam
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Re: coming back to the Interwebs!

Post by larryw »

Glad to see your back at & doing good.
Take care & be safe.
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
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