Dolomite_supafly

Let me start by saying casting is fun and makes shooting less expensive. It is also very satisfying to know you took raw materials, or what is essentially that, and created a bullet from scratch. It is another facet of reloading that is just a normal progression for most people who shoot a lot and reload.   With that being said use precautions if you cast anything using lead. Do whatever you can to minimize exposure. And if you do cast make sure to check your levels to ensure your precautions are enough. I thought mine were enough but they were not. The test costs less than $100 and ensures you know exactly where you stand.   What happened to me:   I have been casting for about a year. I have never really spent more than 20-30 minutes every week or so casting. I have always felt fine and I did take precautions by wearing a mask. That is the way I have been casting for this past year.   Then things changed the first week of January when I got a new bullet mold. It was of a bullet I designed for use with the 300 Blackout. And because I was so excited about the caliber, and my new mold, I needed to cast morethan I have even cast before. At this time I substantially ramped up my casting. And I think it was during this time I increased my exposure beyond safe levels. I did make sure to wear a mask most of the time, but not all the time. I was always outside for all of my casting and almost always had a breeze so I thought I didn’t need to wear a mask. I never wore gloves either and routinely touched the lead but I always made sure to wash my hands before touching anything else. When done casting I always took a shower immediately afterwards. I will say that the times I was working with “clean” lead I rarely wore a mask because I thought there were no concerns with working with clean lead. I thought I was doing enough to keep myself safe.   By the end of second week or so I began to feel not right. Iwas nauseous almost every day and for most of the day. On top of this I just didn’t feel well and was just lethargic. I had muscle aches as well as having a short fuze when dealing with people. I thought it was because of the weather or I was getting sick or maybe a reaction to my medications I take. I really didn’t think it might have been the lead exposure until a little over a week ago. I was making ingots from wheel weights. I made sure to always wear a mask because it produces a lot of smoke but there were times when I would step outside to check and get some smoke in the face. It was only a brief moment so I thought it was nothing to worry about or I would try to hold my breath which never worked.   The day after making ingots I woke up and had a “tick” in my chest. When it first happened I got really scared as it took me to my knees but stopped almost as quickly as it had come on. I spoke to some nurses as well as looked up symptoms and all indicated it was not life threatening. And it subsided really quickly over the next day or two but it was still there. It did not correlate to my heartbeat but it was a painful “tick” so I went to the doctor. He said it was not related to the heart but could have been an aggravated nerve ending in my chest. I explained to him I suspected my lead exposure because of how I had been feeling and he said it would take a lot to get enough to show up. But we agreed a test would clear up any confusion.   Now that I look back my symptoms all matched lead exposure. I had my nausea, nerve problems, irritability and now that it has been a week and a half since I cast last the ringing in my ears has subsided substantially. And the day the doctor took my O2 saturation it was low. And even to this day I feel like crap. The test was done last Friday and I got the call today. 4 units is where you lead exposure becomes a concern and mine was at 10 units. It was not high enough to warrant chelation therapy but it is concerning. And this test was taken at least a week after my last casting session. The doctor said the levels were likely higher then than they are now because blood replaces itself faster than anything else in the body. Now I am taking activated charcoal to help prevent further exposure even though it has been a week. Between that and time the symptoms should subside. I am going to be using a range hood to duct all fumes out of the area. I also plan on using a full face mask, gloves and covering as much of my skin as possible. I was complacent before but never again as lead is bad news in any amount.   I am telling you this to keep you from casting but so you can prevent exposure to lead. Do what you can to prevent ANY exposure to lead or lead fumes. Do not become complacent even if only for a moment. And finally to keep the feds out of your hair because I found out that the CDC requires the feds to be notified if I show elevated lead levels during the next test. Casting is a fun pastime that reduces the cost of our hobby substantially. But it must be done safely.   Dolomite      

This changes nothing. During the intake process all arrestees are already being stripped searched. The only exception are those that are making bond and will not leave the intake area. Those are placed in a secure area away from those who have already been searched. Officers are not going to strip search people along the road or in a vehicle. They will do a pat down and nothing more. LE is going to do a strip search in an area that is secure so if some attempts to toss evidence it is easily found as well as easy to determine who it belongs to. Dolomite

I have more rounds than I could count, definitely over 15K as well, and I have not seen any problems from my can. I will say that my baffles are 17-4 stainless which is the same alloy used in most centerfire suppressors. The cost difference is neglible so I would go with stainless.   The biggest problem with 22 cans is cleaning. And for that I recommend the SilencerCo Sparrow in stainless. You cannot find an easier to clean can that it.   Dolomite

They are starting to see a new target audience and have, hopefully, begun leaning that way to get more revenue. It is all about money to a business but as long as they are reporting articles like this it will help others lean our way as well. Who knows maybe after a few other newpapers and media outlets see how successful this is they will do the same.   I am going to write the WSJ and let them know I appreciate the article. If we don't let them know they will only hear from the other side.   Dolomite

The Spot On program doesn't fix the fact you will never have the BDC hashes match at normal distances like 50, 100, 150 or more. You are going to have distances like 237 yards or some other odd number.   And another issue is unless your bullet matches the velocities used by them it will never match. The difference between an AR with a 16" barrel and a 22" bolt gun is going to throw the ballistics way off. I have shot a lot of factory ammo across a chronograph and very, very few match what is listed for them. And each gun is different and that only contributes to the problem. In order for a BDC to work it must be for a standard gun shooting a standard ammo and that is why the ACOG is so successful. But even then differences in elevation and weather conditions can create variables.   The BDC can't be used as a reference to determine distance to the target, like a mildot, and it will probably not match the ammo used. I wish my Nikon BDC scope was a duplex because the BDC is useless for me.   The best way to get the hold over correct is to take your accurate load and shoot it over a chronograph (the results will surprize you). Then take that velocity, bullet type and plug it into a ballistics program like JBM. Then take the results and print it off. Then make a card that lets you make all adjustments on the turrets and forget about the BDC reticle unless your bullet and velocity combination matches which would be like winning the lottery.   Dolomite    

I would choose the S&W over the CMMG any day of the week.   Dolomite

And prices are starting to fall back in line. At least until the next big scare. That is a decent price on a decent gun.   I have ordered from Gilbert's Guns before and would order again.   Dolomite

I passed on a left handed Savage in 25-06 a few years ago for $239 out the door  at a local pawn shop. They are out there, you just need to look around. I see Mossberg 4x4's for $200 all the time in pawn shops.   Dolomite

I will say that BDC scopes rarely match more than a couple of loads and even then about 1/2 the marks are at odd distances. I would rather have a mildot.   Dolomite

Paying for something else. The conversion gives you a 27.5" long shotgun with a 18" barrel.   The feds are getting $400 for a SBR and a can.   Dolomite

For me it is easier to start with a gun that isn't converted. I spent a lot of time and money converting it for me to just convert it back. It is better for me to make some cash on my current gun. I will use that cash to submit for Forms to the feds.   Saturday is the swap, weather permitting, and hopefully I will be pulling the trigger on Sunday. My "new" gun will get a full reliability work over and then it will likely have a flash hider permed in place at 18.1".   If you don't mind a 20 gauge I know were one is for CHEAP. Give me a call if you are interested LumberJack. It is on the way from JC to Knoxville. It was either $399 or $499.   Dolomite

If you keep an eye on the used gun market you can find the Savages for cheap. I picked one up today for $250 and it included the bases and rings. It is a good clean gun that will be used for my next build, just don't know what.   Dolomite

Table?   That is probably stacked that high from the ground.   Nice ammo fort.   Dolomite

I hear it is easy using bolts rather than rivets.   Dolomite

I will say that if a person notifies LE upon initial contact that they have a HCP then that removes the probable cause to investigate the crime of unlawful carrying or possession. But if the officer sees the firearm first then there is probable cause to investigate. And as much as we hate how the law is written it is still the law. Dolomite

Yes but prior to having a HCP in hand an officer can make a reasonable assumption that the person is breaking the law because the person is in fact breaking the law. Having a HCP doesn't mean you are not breaking the law, it just makes it so you cannot be prosecuted for breaking that law. You are still breaking the law when carrying. Even police officers are breaking the law while carrying but the law makes an exception for them as well. If an officer sees someone with a firearm he has probable cause to investigate the crime that has been committed. And prior to determining whether a person has a HCP the officer can secure the firearm for his safety if he chooses to do so. When I get home I will quote the statute. Dolomite

There are early retirements available. They are offered periodically and 15 year is offered. I do believe congress approved 15 year retirements last year for certain jobs. Dolomite

Every one of us is breaking Tennessee law when we are carrying our firearms. Right or wrong it is the way the law is written. It is only after they have verified you have a HCP that the defense to breaking the law comes into play. Dolomite

They did this back in 96 when Clinton was doing a promotion ceremony in Bosnia. Evey person in attendance had to remove their bolts and stick them in their pockets. That is every person but those part of the security team. I never met him but did clear his routes for him.   Dolomite

Carrying a gun is probable cause because anyone who is carrying a firearm in Tennessee is breaking the law. So until he is able to determine that you have a valid HCP he can assume you are breaking the law. And until he is able to determine you have a valid HCP it is perfectly legal for him to secure the gun for his safety.   An officer is the only one who can say what level of safety he is comfortable with. Some officers feel safe leaving the gun with the owner while others feel safe removing it. But in the end it is the officer's decision, not the gun owners, whether to remove the firearm from the gun owner's possession.   Dolomite

I would use Brownells bluing agent in cream form. It works great ans stays where you put it. Most liquid forms are hard to use on large areas, like a slide, without being able to dip it. I have used the cream for large items, like barrels, without having any issues. Another big problem with liquid is it can turn out blotchy.   http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/metal-bluing/paste-cold-bluing-chemicals/oxpho-blue-creme-prod1108.aspx?ttver=2   And if all else fails you can just coat of paint it again. A cheap way to apply a decent finish is to clean it good and spray it with chaulk board paint. Then preheat an oven to 300 degrees. Put the part in the oven and turn the oven off. When the part is cool enough to touch, a few hours, the paint dry and is very durable. There is something in chaulkboard paint that makes it durable enough to stand up to chaulk. The onyl drawback is you canoot clean with some agressive solvents like brake cleaner. I only use a grab to clean anyways. Krylon is very durable once baked on.   I have used Gunkote too and it works great. There is enough in the can you get to do a couple of handguns. You just need to make sure you do your prep meticulously or the finish will not be durable.   If you have a compressor, even a small one, you can buy small hand held media blasters for less than $15 at Harbor Freight or Northern Tool. If not most automotive shops have blast cabinets and would probably let you use it for either a small fee or free if they think what you are doing is interesting. If all else fails then you can use sand paper to roughen the surface. It is not ideal but it will work. Use gloves, respirator (not a particle mask) and safety glasses when working with everything. To keep your skin oils off the parts as well as keep potentially harmful stuff off of you, out of your lungs and out of your eyes. When you start boiling the solution go ahead and preheat the oven to the required temp. I normally run it at 200 degrees when I am using Gunkote to preheat the parts. Here is what I do: Disassemble the parts to be coated as completely as you can Clean and degrease all the parts the best you can using non-chorinated brake cleaner Media blast or sand all the parts to be coated (I used medium aluminum oxide from Northern Tool) Bring a pot of 1/2 gallon distilled water and 1/2 gallon Simple Green to near boil As the bubbles start to form remove from heat, letting it sit for a minute or so to allow the temp to equalize Place the parts to be coated in the Simple Green solution and let it sit for about 15 minutes ***Do not breath the steam*** Stir the parts occasionally to help break any oils loose At the same time start boiling some distilled water and turn your oven on its lowest setting When it starts to boil remove from heat, letting it sit for a minute or so to allow the temp to equalize Remove the parts from the Simple Green solution and place in the distilled water for another 15 minutes ***Do not breath the steam*** Remove the parts from the water and place them in the oven long enough for all the water to evaporate Remove the parts one at a time, not all at the same time, and coat them according to the instructions* *If you remove them all at the same time and the first ones will be warmer than the last ones causing them to look different This is the down and dirty way I have done it for the last few years and works great. I have only done handguns and small parts but I have went thru at least 4 cans of Gunkote so far. If you have any quesitons feel free to ask. The prep is going to be the same regardless of the coating used, be it Cerakote, Gunkote, Durakote or even Krylon. Even spary on paints like Krylon are very durable once the proper prep is done and it is baked on. Dolomite               

I think we should quit shooting the terrorist targets, both paper and organic, when they quit burning the American flag.   Dolomite

For my defense ammo I make sure they have a decent crimp. For my range ammo I use neck tension only, the reason is my range ammo generally is loaded with SMK's so I want to make sure they are not deformed. And to be honest I have never had a bullet set back using neck tension only. I have even removed the sizing mandrel and really squeezed the neck down to give it a try. It definitely has a lot of neck tension. The LC primed brass for SHTF gets a trip through the collet die. Then after seating it gets a crimp. I will say my SD numbers shrank when I crimped. I am not sure having a crimp only is more secure than the entire undersized neck holding the bullet. It would seem like it would but I honestly do not know or have a way to test it. Dolomite

I would grab it with a pair of pliers and try to straighten it out. If it doesn't work or it breaks you are going to have to have it fixed. But if it does work then you are out nothing. You should be able to bend it up without damaging anything else. Dolomite

Please post s link that isn't a spoof site. As skewed as Feinstein's thinking is I seriously doubt she has called for LE to lay down their firearms. We already have enough fear mongering and misinformation going. We do not need to contribute to it. Dolomite