Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #17

We got our first snow, about 3in overnight. Having snow on the ground prior to Thanksgiving in New England is not unheard of, but as of the last decade it has become an increasingly rare event. I remember growing up getting at least a snow flurry or two in October prior to Halloween.

The kids were excited as it was just the right type of snow to roll up into a snowman. Coincidently enough, it’s also the perfect snow for a snowball, and that’s how the fight started. This year has certainly flown by and it’s hard to believe we are creeping up on Thanksgiving.

Website Updates

Affiliate Additions

We’ve been working hard on developing our affiliate program, and there’s now a dedicated page listing all of our affiliates. This progress is possible in part because of you. To qualify for these programs, a website needs consistent traffic and a solid subscriber base. So Marc and I are genuinely humbled and thankful for all your support.

For those who don’t know, an affiliate program is one of the ways a website can earn revenue. We discuss or review products and services and include links to those items in our articles. When a reader clicks one of those links and makes a purchase from our affiliate, we earn a small commission.

This commission comes at no extra cost to you, and every bit we earn goes right back into running the website. It pays for brass, bullets, powder, and new reloading tools for us to test and write about. We’re simple guys: we don’t like sites cluttered with banners or pop-ups, and we don’t send out constant promo emails. You won’t see that here. If you like our content, the next time you’re planning a purchase, check out our affiliates. Click through from our Affiliate Page, and you’ll help support what we do.

Quality Excel Sheet

We have also been testing a new Quality Control Sheet. This was in response to one of our subscribers asking for the charts we listed on a write up I did several years ago in regards to performing quality checks on cast bullets. Unfortunately those charts were generated using Minitab which is a very handy program that I like to use for doing that type of work. However I worked on putting together a spreadsheet that mimics some of the Quality Reporting that Minitab can do.

If you are interested in testing out this sheet, check out the “Into the Rabbit Hole” page. Here is where you’ll be able to download a .ZIP file with the sheet. The sheet does contain a macro, this macro is used to refresh all of the sheets once you have entered your data. Your computer may flag it, that is normal. If you would prefer, I can email it directly to you.

Time at the Bench

This week we have spent a lot of time at the bench, testing case trimmers on the newly (mostly) finished drill press. To be frank, I was anxious to get to testing and once I had the VFD and Tachometer working like I wanted, said “Good enough”.

We have finished testing the Giraud Tri-Way case trimmer. I am finishing up editing the post for that. I have also started testing the Frankford Arsenal Universal Case Trimmer.

Frankly, this is the stuff both Marc and I love to do. See what works, what doesn’t and then share that will everyone else. We do our best to be unbiased about it, and we are looking forward to publishing the write ups on these over the course of the next few weeks.

Industry and Legislative News

Ruger the New Glock?

Ruger and Magpul teamed up in 2024 to roll out the RXM 9mm. It’s a partnership that makes perfect sense: one company known for turning polymer into art, the other for cranking out dependable guns at scale. The result is a builder’s dream. A Glock-pattern pistol that plays nice with a ton of aftermarket parts. Triggers, recoil assemblies, barrels, even holsters drop right in. Unfortunately, so can a Glock Switch, and that’s where the wheels come off.

A few weeks back, Glock announced it was halting production of its current generation pistols and will be manufacturing a new generation solely circumvent the “Glock switch” problem. Whether that’s corporate caution or political surrender depends on how charitable you’re feeling, but the move puts a target on everyone else in the Glock-pattern market. The latest example: the Connecticut Attorney General sending a letter to Sturm Ruger, warning that the RXM might violate the state’s Firearms Industry Responsibility Act. That law requires manufacturers to have “reasonable controls” in place to prevent the sale of guns that can be easily converted into something illegal.

The problem is nobody can tell you what “reasonable” actually means. That’s by design. It’s the same kind of vague language that lets regulators argue anything they want. By that logic, an AR-15 could be labeled illegal just because you can slap on a short barrel and make it a non-registered SBR in half an hour. The parts are legal. The finished configuration isn’t. That’s the legal gray zone gun-control groups love to live in.

This is the new frontier of gun control, regulation by design. Groups like Everytown are pushing for manufacturers to be held responsible not for what a gun is, but for what it could be. California led the charge with its new law effectively banning striker-fired pistols built around Glock’s cruciform trigger bar. Glock blinked and said it would redesign future models to comply. Now the pressure’s rolling downhill toward every company making Glock-pattern guns.

Ruger hasn’t said what it plans to do, but I hope they fight it. Gaston Glock’s original design from the early ’80s has stood the test of time with minimal changes. That’s engineering done right. And there are millions of Glocks, and just as many clones, already out there. You can stop new production, but the problem doesn’t disappear. If history is any guide, the next step will be an attempt to reclassify pistols that can accept illegal switches as machine guns under the NFA.

That’s the endgame here: if a gun might be converted, the bureaucrats want it gone. The industry has a choice. Roll over, or push back and let the courts decide how far “reasonable control” can stretch before it snaps.

“A Right delayed is a Right denied”

With the recent government shutdown in the rearview mirror, lobbyists for the firearms industry have been working with members of the House to insulate gun owners and manufacturers from the political circus that comes with a shutdown. The core function of NICS is considered an essential service, but if you get a “Delay” response or need to appeal a decision, you’re usually out of luck.

Processing for NFA items—suppressors, SBRs, and similar paperwork—also isn’t deemed essential, so expect things to slide from a crawl to a standstill while politicians bicker. Import permits, new FFL applications, and other auxiliary ATF functions can also be suspended.

The proposed H.R. 5874 (Firearm Access During Shutdowns Act) would classify most, if not all, of these services as essential and require them to stay operational during any future government shutdown. Honestly, that’s the right move. We can argue all day about the federal government’s role in our Rights, but if it insists on being the gatekeeper, then it either does its job—or the gate stays open by default.

New Guns and Gear

RCBS Match Master Powder Funnel Kit

At this point pretty much ever major reloading tool brand has an “all-metal” funnel kit on the market. Frankford Arsenal has their Aluminum Powder Funnel Set, Lyman offers the Brass Smith Pro Aluminum Powder Funnel, and Hornady sells the Premium Powder Funnel Set. You can trace the origin of this concept back to Saturn Funnels, which made caliber-specific funnels featuring an aluminum-spun top attached to a brass insert. This lowered the center of gravity, allowing the funnel to sit snugly on the case.

Regardless of who came up with the idea, I’m a fan. If you haven’t added one to your bench, it’s worth considering. The funnel sits on the case in perfect balance, so you’re free to dribble in powder without worrying about the whole setup tipping over.

At this point, the RCBS model has been on the market for about a year, and I’ll admit, I wrote most of this before realizing that. Still, if you haven’t had a chance to mess with one of the many improved funnel sets, it’s worth checking out.

Deals of the Week

If you are looking to order powder or primers now it is about a good of a time as you’re going to get. Brownell’s is offering 0$ Hazmat on all powders and primers. Unfortunately, it looks like most of the Australian ADI powders (H1000, Trailboss, ect) and most if not all the Bofors powders (Reloder 16, 33, 26 ect) are still hard to come by. I just look at it as an opportunity to try a new load.

If you have been wanting to try some Nosler bullets or brass, then it’s worth keeping an eye on their factory second listings. I have always had good luck with factory seconds when it comes to ammunition and reloading components. For the most part, I can’t figure out why they are seconds, but having worked in the industry long enough I know that usually is weight, aesthetics, or some of the characteristic that don’t meet the quality standards, but for 99% of us work just fine.

That is all we have this week.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com

Affiliate Disclosure: If you’d like to support this website, please use our affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you purchase something after clicking one of our links at no additional cost to you. Your support helps us keep creating honest reviews and technical content.

November 6, 2025November 6, 2025

Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #16

This past week has been wet. New England is not known for its hot and balmy falls, October generally is a cold and dreary month. That’s great when you enjoy indoor activities. If I didn’t have about a dozen projects going on all at once, then I might be able to enjoy some of this weather.

Speaking of weather, I came across a woolly bear caterpillar with the largest brown stripe I think I have ever seen on one. If you subscribe to that folklore we may be in for a pretty mild winter.

I was always fascinated by these little guys when I was a kid. Still catches my eye when I see one.

Most people are in some form of hunting season. We wish everyone the best of luck, whether you have a rifle tag, or a primitive weapon tag, hopefully everyone returns home safe, and fills their freezers.

Website Updates

Marc was doing a bit of browsing on YouTube when he watched a feller have a squib load. If you’ve been reloading for any length of time, you have probably experienced at least one squib. We’ll it got him to thinking and he put together an article about Squibs, Misfires and Hangfires (oh my!).

When “Click” Isn’t Safe: Why Dud Rounds Deserve Respect

It’s worth a read if you have a few minutes to kill.

Time at the Bench

I managed to knock out some full-length sizing with that Wilson 338 Lapua Magnum full length sizing die. It’s hard to rant and rave about how great a size die is. About all I can really say is that I did not stick a case, everything felt smooth going in, and smooth coming out. I am a little irked by not having a sizing button in the die, only because my case mouths will not always come out perfectly round as I am used to seeing. (You can use these dies in conjunction with a sizing mandrel, and I might, just to alleviate that itch.)

Is it a function issue? No, I doubt very much it is, the cases will be passed through a flaring die prior to bullet seating, and if the flaring die doesn’t round out the case mouth seating a bullet will. Will it cost me a .25 MOA at 1000 yards? Maybe, but I’ll probably never know, a range that provides beyond 600 yards is exceedingly rare in the Northeast.

Back to the die, it’s a nice die, the craftsman ship shows, and honestly, I would hold it up to other dies that cost a few times more than this one did. I am just not convinced a $400 German Tribel die is going to give me $400 better ammunition.

I have also been spending an inordinate amount of time getting this drill press ready for testing of case trimmers. Belts are in place and tensioned, and I have turned it on and tested the VFD, and measured runout at the chuck, about .002 on the dial, which I am very pleased with.

I am working on hooking up the tachometer, wiring in a small control panel for lights, a forward/reverse switch, and potentiometer for speed control. Once I have all of that finished, I am probably going to start testing trimmers. It might not be the prettiest wiring job I have ever done, but its enough to get things up and running so I can focus more on handloads.

Industry and Legislative News

Death Rattles of the 40 S&W

40 Smith and Wesson was championed by many to be the “perfect man stopper” but that has all seemed to go by the wayside, and the cartridge is dying a slow death.

Glock is apparently ending its support for the 40 S&W in new production guns. They have not come out to state that directly, but dealers have been reporting that the new 2026 dealer lists for 2026 are strangely absent of .40 cal guns. They are also paring back on some of the other caliber offerings such as 10mm.

To be honest, I don’t think anyone who has been following the firearms industry for the last ten years is surprised at the news. In my opinion, what really killed off 40 S&W was the sunset of the 1994 Clinton Assault Weapons ban. This allowed manufacturers to start selling to the public magazines with 10+ round capacities. At which point, any argument over “stopping power” fell to the wayside, as the philosophy became, “quantity over quality”.

This coupled with the vast improvement of bullet design over the last two decades has resulted in a night and day difference when it comes to terminal ballistics. The energy differences between 9×19, 40 S&W and 45 ACP on paper have become a statistical curiosity that do not translate to the real world.

As police budgets have tightened, and seeing that officers generally shoot better with 9x19mm, that is clearly winning the day. Glock and others have seen a sharp decline in sales of 40 S&W and likewise have decided it was time to let it share the fate of 357 Sig, and 45 GAP. As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think 45 ACP is going to be too far behind.

ATF Removing the Notify CLEO Requirements for Form 1 NFA Items

Form 1 is used when you intend to manufacture an NFA item. Assembling a Short Barrel Rifle or machining your own suppressor are Form 1 activities. Just purchasing something that is already registered goes on a Form 4.

By removing the requirement to notify Chief Law Enforcement Officer, removes one more bureaucratic step for making an SBR. In my opinion, the only person who needs to know what you have is you, so this is a welcome step.

It’s only a few months before we see the requirement for the $200 tax stamp officially be dropped from the requirements. I can only imagine what kind of boon that is going to be for NFA sales.

Government Shutdown and NFA Wait Times

If you’re waiting for the paperwork for your NFA Item, you may need to wait longer thanks to the government shutdown. We are going on 37 days now, and there does not appear to be an end in sight. I do not think there is much value in trying to dissect who is right and who is wrong. It’s just one of those things we have come to expect with the current political environment.

New Guns and Gear

7mm Backcountry Load Data

If you’re a ballistics nerd like me, you’ve likely been curious about the secret sauce recipe that Federal has been using in their 7mm Backcountry. This is a new cartridge with a service pressure of 80,000psi. That’s 15,000psi over what we currently think of when we think of a magnum cartridge.

You can view the load data here

They do this by using a steel case, rather than traditional brass cases. The ammo listings I have seen range from $2.55 to $3.50 a round, which is about what you pay for 300 Win Mag. I have heard mixed things about reloading for this case. With some die makers struggling to make dies that will reliably size the case, and others saying it’s not worth the trouble. If you have direct reloading experience with this cartridge we’d love to hear from you.

Deals of the Week

We are trying something new. We get emails with sales and coupon codes, and we are working with different affiliates to try and help fund our reloading adventures so we can share them with you. So, we are going to try sharing some of what out there and, if you click on the links and purchase something, we get a little kick back. Does not cost you anything, and it helps us out quite a bit.

This week there are a couple of good deals going on over at Optics Planet. Starting November 7^th, 2025 they are running a promo code in remembrance of Veteran’s Day. Use code THANKU to get 13% off for qualifying items.

They are also running a few sales on optics that are a decent buy if you’re looking to add an optic to the mix.

Sig Sauer Romeo 1×24 Reflex Sight

This is your basic budget red dot pistol sight. It is mounted on any pistol or optic plate that uses the RMSc pattern. It comes with a 3 MOA dot, and runs off of the CR1632 lithium coin batteries. This is probably the cheapest USA-made open emitter optic that you’re going to find. With that said this is probably not an optic I would trust my life to on a carry gun, but the price is right to go on a range toy.

Optics Planet is running a sale on these, regular price $239.99, sale price $112.99.

Vortex Strike Eagles

Low Powered Variable Optic (LPVO) scopes have become popular for those guys looking for a bit more “zoom” then you can get with a red dot sight, but do not want the troubles that you get with a scope that rivals the Hubble telescope in magnification. Typically, the eye box on the LPVO is more forgiving, giving you both a longer eye relief as well as not needing to be directly inline with the optic to get a good sight picture.

Optic Planet has two good sales running on these. Both of these scopes are 30mm tube and are second focal plane, which for their intended use, is fine in my book.

These scopes really are popular with guys running AR’s, and work great when paired with 300 Blackout, 338 Spectre, 458 SOCOM, or even a pistol caliber carbine.

Vortex Strike Eagle 1×8 24mm Rifle Scope (MSRP $499.99, Sale $295.10)

Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 24mm Rifle Scope (MSRP $499.99, sale $231.83)

That is all we have this week.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com

If you’d like to support this website, please use the affiliate links. We get a small commission whenever you purchase something through a link regardless of if it is the product that was linked or not. This is at no additional cost to you.

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #15

We’ve missed a few weeks of updates. Not completely intentional, but not without reason. There’s been quite a bit going on in the background as we try to get a few projects off the ground. That, coupled with a week-long trip down to Atlanta, Georgia, with family to catch the IMSA races, threw the routine off.

All good hobbies turn money into noise, racing is near the top of that list.

That was a hoot and a half. Now we’re back home and trying to settle into something resembling normal again. The fall foliage has long passed its peak, and we’ve officially rounded the corner into “stick season”. That awkward stretch when the trees are bare but there’s still no snow to make it look justified.

Website Updates

We didn’t go live with any new updates, though I have a few new articles I’m finishing proofreading on. Expect to see those posts in the next week or so.

Time at the Bench

I keep finding new casualties from the past few moves. Things that went missing somewhere between basements, garages, and workbenches. This time it was a .338 Lapua Magnum die set and its shell holder. That one stung. The frustrating part is that I only realized I was missing the shell holder after I’d already bought a replacement die. I replaced the RCBS Die with an LE Wilson Bushing Full Length Sizing Die.

I have been wanting to try a LE Wilson sizing die since they were announced. I’ll give my review later, but so far I think it’s definitely meets the level of quality I have come to expect from LE Wilson Products.

Reloading wasn’t a total loss, though. I made progress on annealing a batch of .300 Blackout brass fresh out of the tumbler, and a few new case trimmers arrived for the upcoming Case Trimmer Showdown. Everything I got was dedicated to a specific cartridge, except for the Franklin Arsenal Trimmer, which is suppose to do pretty much everything. I am excited to see if it will do 338 Spectre

On of our subscribers said I need to give the Frankford Arsenal trimmer a fair shake, so I’m going to along with a few others including what might be billed as the premium “Tri-Way Trimmer by Giraud Tool Company

On top of that, I finally got the drill press wired and the motor turning under its own power—a slow-burn project I’ve been meaning to wrap up so I can actually use it for the trimmer testing.

VFD is wired in, and I confirmed it’s working. It’s now about wiring everything else in, and keeping my son from stealing the RPM sensor for the Tachometer

Lastly, I ended up breaking down and purchasing a new tumbler. It was a hotly debated topic which one to get. Keep in mind I’d had Berry’s 400 tumbler for the better part of 15 years, and it served me well. At the same time, that little nagging voice in my head said, “If a $70 tumbler is good, what am I missing with a $200 one?” That voice won, and I now have a Dillon CV-750. I’ll do a full write-up later, but the initial impression is that I can see where the extra cost went. Everything is thicker, and the motor is a proper enclosed unit, not a repurposed bathroom fan.

I’ve only run one load through it so far, so I can’t comment yet on whether the tougher build translates to better cleaning performance.

Industry and Legislative News

The big story everyone’s probably tired of hearing is California’s latest crusade—banning certain Glock models because their design allegedly allows easy conversion into full-auto weapons with a so-called “Glock switch.”

All eyes were on Glock to see how they’d respond, and we didn’t have to wait long. They blinked. Glock announced its halting production on nearly all current pistols and will release a new series that removes the design feature that allows a Glock Switch to function.

From a business standpoint, Glock’s about-face makes sense. Fighting the state would mean years of legal battles and millions lost in sales. Still, it’s hard not to roll your eyes at yet another California overreach. Hopefully, the courts see through this one.

Some folks are criticizing Glock for throwing in the towel, but honestly, I couldn’t care less. Big gun companies, Glock, SIG, HK, Colt, Ruger, etc., aren’t going to stand on principle when faced with a choice between profit and loss. A few smaller manufacturers might still fight that fight, but once you’ve got a boardroom and shareholders in the mix, principles usually come second to the bottom line.

The question on everyone’s mind is whether Glock “V” this turns into a “New Coke and Classic Coke” situation. I’ll call it a win, if the new fire control group produces a Glock trigger that actually feels good from the factory.

State Department to Loosen Restrictions on Exporting Firearms

While most of us care more about loosening import restrictions, it’s worth noting this change. The Biden Administration imposed several export rules that restricted firearm sales not only to “high-risk” countries but even to U.S. allies. The restrictions covered sporting shotguns and optics. These rules were more of a cudgel to U.S. manufacturers than a meaningful tool to curb crime or misuse abroad.

En Banc Review of New Jersey’s Assault Weapons Ban

The full panel of judges is reviewing New Jersey’s Assault Weapons Ban. Regardless of outcome, this will likely go to the Supreme Court. From a gun rights perspective, a win here would (1) strike down an unconstitutional law and (2) create a circuit split, increasing the odds that SCOTUS takes the case.

The Bruen decision hasn’t moved the needle as much as expected; some appellate courts have ignored it entirely. Even a loss could still push the case onto the Supreme Court’s docket as a chance to remind lower courts that Bruen wasn’t optional.

Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38)

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025 has cleared committee but hasn’t yet been put up for a full House vote. I’m not overly confident it’ll pass without near-unanimous Republican support, and even then, it faces an uphill climb in the Senate. Still, this is the furthest such legislation has advanced, and with midterms next year, it’s not impossible to imagine progress before the end of Trump’s term.

New Guns and Gear

Hornady’s New Product Announcements
Hornady dropped several new product announcements for 2025, and a few caught our attention.

Versa-Prime Bench Priming Tool

A few years ago, Marc was eyeing a bench priming unit that looked suspiciously similar—probably the Primal Rights Competition Primer Seater. I thought $700 for a bench primer was nuts, but it stayed on our short list. Looks like Hornady thought so too. It is worth noting that Lyman has it’s own take on this that might be worth a look.

Details are scarce beyond the marketing materials, but it looks solid in theory. We’ll reserve judgment until it hits stores, and if we can get one, we’ll put it through a full shakedown.

Hornady 12th Edition Reloading Manual

For those of us who still enjoy a “dead tree” reloading manual, Hornady’s 12th Edition is on the way. It’s a solid reference for anyone loading Hornady bullets, or plays with any of the Hornady family of cartridges like the ARC, Creedmoor, and PRC.

QuickLOAD October 2025 Update

For those of us who use QuickLOAD the forth update of the year is out. This update focuses on Nosler, Sierra, and Hornady bullet files. I’m still waiting on new double-base propellants to show up in the powder file, so I’ll probably skip this one and see what we get next year.

That’s all for this week.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you.
Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com
Marc – marc@theballisticassistant.com

If you’d like to support the website, please use our affiliate links. We earn a small commission whenever you make a purchase through one—at no additional cost to you.

August 25, 2025August 25, 2025

Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #10

The kids head back to school this week. I’m not sure who’s more excited, my wife or my daughter. My son is definitely the least; he struggles with ADHD and what we believe is Oppositional Defiant Disorder. If you’re not familiar with ODD, it makes discipline nearly impossible, once he digs in, there’s no moving him.

It’s been tough on my wife and me as we try to keep order at home and some sanity for ourselves. We’re hoping school resources can help. For all of Vermont’s problems, the schools are well funded and offer solid support for kids who need it, so “back to school” might finally bring us a bit of relief.

Meanwhile, I’ve been working through the reloading backlog and realized I no longer have the time or patience to hand trim brass. I used to spend Sundays at the trimmer with a movie running, but those days are gone. With piles of brass needing attention, I’ve started looking into powered trimmers—more on that in this week’s Time at the Bench.

Website Updates

I mentioned that Marc had some new neighbors move in. That got him reevaluating what loads might be proper to be carrying in his revolver. He put his thoughts down on paper and we published them this week.

Mastering Handloading: Gear Up for Unexpected Wildlife

Time at the Bench

Annealing 7.62×39

If you’re dealing with hot brass from annealing, a tin bucket is a life saver

I’ve been using the AMP annealer for a while, and my latest batch of 7.62x39mm went smoothly with one exception: the Lee shell holder doesn’t let every case slip in and out cleanly. Rim sizes vary by brand, so some snap in—fine for sizing, but tricky when you’re pulling hot brass out during annealing. The Redding #12 Shell holder is said to be the best for this cartridge; I even have one sitting in my Midway cart. In the meantime, I used a .308 Win shell holder. It takes some finesse since cases can drop off if you’re not careful, but it worked well enough that only a few slipped into the annealer, and those were easy to fish out. Cases come out hot enough to melt plastic, so I drop them into a metal pail to cool before transferring them to a plastic one.

Trimming Brass, by hand no more

I really like this method for sorting cases, it beats trying to balance it on a pair of calipers. It’s overkill unless you have the stuff laying around

Anyone who knows me would say that I am a creature of habit. Unfortunately, my habits are taken to the extreme and I can be slow to change. When I sat down to start sorting the 7.62×39 cases by case length into a “to trim bucket” and a “no trim bucket”, it dawned on me that I was going to be doing a lot of trimming. Most of the brass was as much as .020 longer than the max case length. Which was a bit shocking. That’s a lot of hand cranking on the manual trimmer and given I had done a bunch of hand trimming on 30-06 a few months ago, I was not keen on doing all this 7.62×39 brass.

As I was sorting this brass and realizing the sheer amount of work I was signing up for, I asked myself the question “Why? Am I doing this?”

Why am I sorting brass to trim? It would be far more efficient if I just assumed all of the brass needed to be trimmed and run it through a trimmer that trims it back a set amount. Of course, if I am hand trimming it makes sense to sort it, but if I have a power trimmer, well, problem solved.

This old drill press was saved from the scrap yard. It was not OSHA complaint, and there was not a good way to make it OSHA Complaint, hence the LOCKOUT Tag

Thus I decided it was time to finish the drill press rebuild I had started months earlier. Rather than buy a dedicated brass trimmer, I put the Delta 220 drill press I’d been given to use. Built between the 1940s and 1960s, these machines are all-metal and far sturdier than today’s budget presses. Before putting it to work, I stripped it down, ran the parts through a washer, bead blasted them, replaced the spindle and pulley bearings, and gave everything a fresh coat of Ford Grey paint. I added a new Jacobs chuck, a ½-hp three-phase motor, a VFD, and I’m installing an RPM sensor and speed dial. I’ve poured far more time and effort into this press than it’s worth, but I expect it to last a lifetime and perform beautifully.

While it would seem like this is a tangent, it circles back to brass trimming as there are several purpose-built brass trimmers on the market that are designed to mount on the end of a drill or drill press. Probably the most well-known is the World’s Finest Trimmer or (WFT) by Little Crow Gunworks.

The original WFT pictured left is a cartridge specific trimmer, while the newer WFT2 uses inter changeable “Trim Chambers”. There are advantages and disadvantages to both .

However, Little Crow Gunworks is not the only participant in that party. There are at least a half dozen brands and designs of cast trimmers that follow a similar pattern. Here’s a short list.

Draco Engineering

I have not tried these personally however the price point is tempting to try at least one or two and see if they are as good as the WTF.

Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Case Trimmer

I have messed with this one a bit, and found it was probably an ok entry level tool. Not something I was overly impressed with but at the same time, it was not a complete flop.

Giraud Tri-Way Trimmer

Honestly this is a logical step for Giraud, their all in one unit has been the “Standard” powered brass trimmers have been held to for sometime. The $120 price point is a little high but not unreasonable.

That list is not exhaustive. There are other companies, even some unknown brands that produce these. All of which are very similar in operation and concept. Lyman has a dedicated trimmer that works like the old Gracey Trimmers. Frankford Arsenal recently released a similar unit. Of course, Giraud has their dedicated unit as well that is very popular among high volume shooters. If you think about it, all the trimmers I’ve mentioned so far are basically a Giraud, or Gracey trimmer without the motor.

The old Gracey Trimmer. I can’t say it was the first powered “3in1” case trimmer, but it has to be up there. Operationally this works almost identical to the WFT, and the Giraud Trimmer. The cutter is a PITA to adjust correctly.

The only thing I think some of the dedicated hand crank trimmers have, an advantage on the powered units, is the ability to do wildcats. The way my RCBS Trimmer clamps on to the back of the shell means I can trim just about any case out there. This is more of a challenge with trimmers that rely on the case body, or index off the shoulder.

9x19mm Processing

As I mentioned last week, I had a die loose and ended up seating a bunch of bullets longer than what would gauge in a cartridge checker. I debated on whether I should just sort through the rounds and separate out the rounds which were too long or if I should just run them through the press again and set the bullets back and reapply the crimp.

Gauging a round and then popping it out of the gauge takes more time then just running it through the press a second time. When you have 1.5k rounds to “fix” it’s little time savers like this that keep you sane.

I decided on the latter. It is quick enough to feed rounds into the bullet seating station on a 550 and run them through bullet seat and crimp. Probably faster to do it that way than to sit down and sort the whole batch. I have a tendency to load cartridges long. Unless I am trying to line up the case mouth with a crimping groove, or loading solid copper, I like to keep the distance between the bullet and lands to a minimum, provided they will still feed.

These are a life saver to have on the bench, but they require you to use them to be effective. Something I forget to do.

The advantage here is that since my nominal, non-screwed up COAL was long already, I could set up the seating and crimp die to knock everything back .020 and still have a safe load. For me the only reason to do this was to have a degree of consistency. Everything got pushed back to the same point and crimped in the same relative location. I am just about through it all. I have the same chore to do with several lots of 223 Remington I loaded a while ago.

Speaking of Reloading Mistakes

I have a collection of quart, pint, and gallon containers I keep things in while sorting.

Pictured above is my reject bin from the marathon batch of 9x19mm I loaded. What do you do with your rejects, split necks, backwards primers, crushed case mouths? I set them aside with the intention of salvaging components, but more often than not they end up in a “live ammo” scrap bin.

Industry and Legislative News

The 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Connecticut’s Assault Weapons Ban

This probably is not a surprise to anyone, the 2^nd Circuit is a left-leaning Circuit court, and gun advocates were expecting a loss here. This case, NAGR v. Lamont, is very likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Right now, this is setting a stage for some serious questions to be asked at the Supreme Court as the lower courts seem to consistently uphold the constitutionality of Assault Weapons Bans despite these bans running directly in opposition to the Heller decision.

New Mexico’s 7 Day Waiting Period Blocked

The 10^th Circuit Panel blocked the 7-day waiting period required for gun purchases, saying it violates the 2^nd Amendment. You might as well say it violates logic as well, if I am a gun owner, and I have a gun, why should I have to wait seven days to take possession of another gun? That is the relatively benign consequence of such a law. The real consequence is a woman who may be legitimately in fear for her life is blocked from purchasing the very thing that could preserve her life.

Since 2023 Vermont has a 3 Day “cool” down period on all handgun purchases. I have yet to find any meaningful data that indicates that a waiting period has had beneficial results.

Glock Switches in Illinois

We’ve talked about this before. Glock switches are a thing that turns pretty much any Glock on the market into a select fire pistol. They are very much not legal. In a testament to Glock’s design (I can admire the design even if I am not particularly fond of Glocks) the core components have changed very little, if at all, since its introductions. This means that most if not all the parts in a Gen 1 Glock fit and work in a Gen 4 Glock. What is unfortunate for Glock is that this means illegal Glock switches will work in every generation of Glock.

The Glock Switch is about as simple as a device as it gets. It prevents the trigger bar from catching the striker and holding it until the trigger is released and is “reset”. Instead the striker is held by the sear and the sear trips automatically when the slide goes back into battery.

These Glock switches aren’t being churned out but the thousands in some dude’s basement machine shop. They were/are being imported from China, you could buy one on wish.com, when that website was popular a few years ago. So, they are not especially hard to get, they are easy to install, and no one seems to know what to do about it. This has fueled at least one lawsuit against Glock for not changing the design, and it is fueling a particularly concerning crime wave in Chicago. There have been more than 20 new cases in the last 18 months, and over the last four years seizures have skyrocketed.

Unfortunately, the picture that is being painted here is not what is happening. No one is pointing to China and saying, “Hey knock it off”. They are pointing their fingers at Glock, and gun owners. It’s not hard for those who have anti-gun tendencies to paint with a broad brush, and that’s exactly what’s happening here. We are seeing a legislative push in California to ban Glocks outright as a consequence of this.

New Guns and Gear

Shell Shock 308 Win Next Gen Cartridge Case

Shell Shock Technologies has released their new nickel-stainless composite shell for the 308 Win. This joins their line up of 380 ACP, 9x19m, 5.56 NATO, and 300 AAC Blackout. The company’s claim to fame is their composite cases which use a thin-walled nickel alloy for the case body and either stainless or aluminum for the case head.

The nickel case body is thinner than brass which allows more case volume, and should deliver better performance when using slower burning powders. They are also lighter. However the rifle brass is not reloadable. The pistol brass can be reloaded and supposedly they have quite the long life cycle. However they require special dies to reload.

There are several companies who are working on composite cases, and this does seem to be the way of the future of cartridge case technology. Brass is heavy, expensive and soft, which limits the pressures it can handle. Composite cases can handle much higher pressures, tend to be lighter, and they also can have larger case volumes.

With the price of copper on the rise, and the market looking for the next generation of ammunition, do not be surprised if we see more stuff like this.

H&R Introduces an M-14

H&R has announced they are bringing out an M-14 under the H&R Brand, and hinted that there may be an M1 Garand in the works as well. As a big fan of these old war horses, I am happy to see this. I really enjoy shooting my M1A and the few times I have shot an M1 Garand, I very much wish I had one of those as well.

H&R was a company that was basically put into a grave by Remington. During the 2020 Remington Bankruptcy the H&R Brand was purchased by Palmetto State Armory. So it is nice to see a legacy company essentially come back from the dead. Time will tell if these rifles are of a quality build or not, but it’s exciting to see something new to hit the market that isn’t a polymer Glock clone or another M4 / AR-15 build.

That is all we have for this week.

The Ballistic Assistant is a website dedicated to the art of handloading and shooting. We aim to share tips on reloading and shooting, inform others on what’s going on in the firearms community, and provide our opinion and thoughts on firearm related news and events. If you like what you read, we only ask that you subscribe and share with a friend or two.

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Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com