Tag: HPA

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #7

Sometimes you start a week thinking it would be a normal week, and about halfway through you realize nothing is going quite as you had planned. That was my week last week.

This little guy is suppose to fly great, I never got to find out…

I have been working for the last few weeks to get some RC airplanes up and going for the kids. I finally got the last few components together and spent the better part of two evenings trying to get the radio communicating with the receiver. I am using an open-source radio and software so there was a learning curve that I had not anticipated. Friday night I finally got everything talking to each other and control surfaces moving in the right direction, and thought I was all set for that Saturday. Nope.

Couldn’t get the model to fly straight, couldn’t get things to trim out properly, and I ended up hitting the broad side of the barn at least once. By the time I thought I had maybe figured out a few things, one of the servos stripped a pair of gear, and my day was over. On the plus side, the kids thought it was great fun, watching it do loops, tight turns, and fly upside down.  So, I guess it did its job, despite my best efforts.

On a more pleasant note, a buddy of mine in Utah sent me a surprise loading block as a gift. Made it to hold 50rnds of 338 Lapua, which worth about one month’s mortgage. He really put a lot of time into it and I couldn’t help but show it off a little.

It was hard to get the picture just right. It really is a beautiful piece.

Website Updates

We’ve been working on quite a bit of background stuff, nothing new to hit the website this week. We do want to give a thank you to all those folks who are using the affiliate links to support the website. July was a record month for us; we were able to raise $20 for the website. While that does not seem like much, we really do appreciate the support, and it means a lot to Marc and I.

Time at the Bench

I should rename this section, to “Time Away from the Bench” as Time at the Bench has been fleeting lately. However, I will be spending some time at the bench to knock out some 124gr 9x19mm loads sitting on some N330. I’d like to get all of it loaded so I can swap the press over to 40 S&W, and then to 357 SIG. All in due time.

Rethinking My MRAD: From Long Range to Muzzle Energy

This week I’ve been thinking about what to do with my Barrett MRAD in .338 Lapua. I picked it up back in 2015, topped it with a Nightforce ATACR 5–25x, and eventually added a Surefire .338 suppressor. At the time, I was living in Utah;  where public land is plentiful and it’s easy to find places to stretch your shots well beyond 1,000 yards.

But now that I’m back east, those wide-open ranges are gone. Finding even 600 yards is tough, and most of my shooting opportunities are much closer. So, what’s the best use for a rifle like this in tight quarters?

Normally I would consider IMR 7828 too fast for a 338LM load but with the longer Barnes TSX 285gr bullets it is right there when it comes to burn speed. If I want to reduce signature, then I compare the muzzle pressure and the amount of propellent burnt. The lower the muzzle pressure and the higher the percentage of powder burn is going to provide a slightly quieter report.

I started playing with QuickLOAD, running a few “what ifs.” What if, instead of building for extreme range, I built for maximum muzzle energy? That changes things. Instead of a high-BC, heavy-for-caliber bullet, I’d want something lighter and faster, something that delivers a bigger punch at shorter distances.

I really like Reloder 33 as it is a temp stable high energy powder that really gets good velocity on 300gr SMK but it’s the completely wrong powder for the Barnes 285 TSX. It’s too slow burning, indicated by poor pressure and high load density. We would also expect a louder report as the powder is still burning at the muzzle generating higher muzzle pressures.

Then I added another layer: What if I also wanted the lowest possible muzzle signature? That means using a faster-burning powder optimized for 16 to 20-inch barrels and pairing it with a lighter bullet to reduce the gas load and blast. Instead of match-grade open tips, I’d run a solid copper projectile like the Barnes TSX for terminal performance.

Left to right, 300gr Hornady A-Max, Barnes 285gr TSX, 300gr Sierra Match King. Barnes 225gr TTSX with no-tip, something I was playing with in 338 Spectre.

This is what I love about reloading. You can rethink the entire equation based on your environment, your goals, or just your curiosity. It’s not always about squeezing out that last 20 fps or shrinking your group size by 0.25 MOA. Sometimes it’s about finding the right tradeoffs for your actual use case.

Out here, I’m not trying to hit steel at 1,400 yards. But I can build a suppressed load that hits like a hammer inside 300. That’s a useful tool, and a fun project.

Reloading gives us the freedom to tailor our ammo to our needs, not just what’s printed on the box. And sometimes, shifting your goalposts is exactly what makes the process fun again.

Industry and Legislative News

HPA and SHORT Act

No significant movement that I am aware of. There is one comment that should be made, the industry seems to be working together, whereas in the past it was often the NRA pitted against the GOA. It made sense, both groups are vying for a finite pool of money. However, we are seeing all of the groups, from the 2nd Amendment Foundation, GOA, NRA, and manufacturers all moving towards a common goal.  I would not say this is unprecedented, but it is a unique moment something I have not seen in my lifetime.

The Law Is the Law – Even When It’s Inconvenient

Colorado is finally starting to recognize what many in the gun community have been saying for years: lying on a Form 4473 is a felony. It always has been. Yet despite tens of thousands of denials each year, the prosecution rate for these offenses remains under 1%.

This issue hit the national spotlight when Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, was charged with lying on his 4473 by falsely denying his drug use. When the DOJ tried to quietly resolve the case through a plea deal, many of us cried foul. It looked like yet another case of politically connected playing by a different set of rules.

Now, Colorado appears poised to take enforcement more seriously. The state is reportedly working to track firearm purchase denials more carefully and dedicate resources to investigating them. Democrats supporting the effort argue that people who try to illegally purchase firearms are at a higher risk of later committing crimes with them. It’s not an unreasonable concern. Still, I’ll be honest; I worry this could be abused, particularly when enforcement is selective or politically motivated.

But here’s the rub: we can’t have it both ways.

We can’t advocate for law and order, then object to enforcement just because it feels inconvenient. If someone who is legally prohibited tries to buy a firearm, they should be held accountable. We need consistency. Either the law matters, or it doesn’t matter. Selective enforcement, whether to protect the President’s son or to avoid tough political optics, undermines the rule of law.

That said, I also fully acknowledge that some people are wrongly classified as “prohibited persons.” I agree with many of the arguments for restoring Second Amendment rights to individuals who’ve served their time, made amends, or were unjustly penalized. The DOJ stopped processing rights restoration requests years ago. That’s a fight we absolutely should be having. But that’s a legislative battle, not an excuse to ignore current laws in the books.

Right now, when someone who shouldn’t own a gun tries to buy one at a dealer, the system often works; they’re denied. But if they’re even moderately determined, they’ll just try to get one through a private sale. That puts the burden squarely on the rest of us.

If you’re selling a firearm privately, I strongly believe you should demand to see a valid CCW permit or have personal knowledge that the buyer is of sound moral character. If you sell to someone who’s prohibited, and that firearm ends up being used in a crime, guess who the feds are coming to see first? You. That’s a felony. That’s your name in the headlines.

Imagine a case where a person is denied at the gun store, but law enforcement follows up, intervenes, and stops a potential tragedy. Most of us would call that a win. We should want that to happen more often.

So yes, enforce the law. All of them. Even the ones that make us uncomfortable. And at the same time, let’s fight to fix the ones that need to be changed. In the end, I think this comes around to bite Democrats as they end up enforcing the laws the disproportionately affect their constituents the most, then all of this quietly goes away and we are back to where we were.

SIG Sauer and the P320/M18: A PR Nightmare in Progress

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how SIG Sauer turns the ship around on the P320. What started as a promising striker-fired platform has become a full-blown PR disaster. Multiple major agencies, including the Denver Police Department, Milwaukee PD, ICE, and the Air Force Global Strike Command, have either pulled the pistol from service or severely limited its use. Even competitive shooting organizations like USPSA have banned it from competition. That’s a level of rejection that’s hard to bounce back from.

Since 2023, there have been over 100 reported incidents of the P320 discharging “uncommanded”; meaning without the trigger being pulled. Various videos have circulated online attempting to reproduce the issue. One popular method involves pressing the trigger to take out the pre-travel and then squeezing the slide and frame together, which can cause the striker to release. Technically, that’s an uncommanded discharge, but if the trigger is already nearly pulled, I’d argue it’s still a trigger-involved event. The more serious concern would be if compression of the slide and frame alone, without touching the trigger, caused the gun to fire. That’s the scenario SIG needs to disprove; or fix.

From a design standpoint, this is a nightmare. During my time at Barnes (then under Remington), we often discussed the idea that even a “one-in-a-million” failure rate wasn’t good enough. In a high-volume product line like .22LR, that meant you were still seeing 7–10 incidents a year. In the firearms world, rare doesn’t mean acceptable. If even a small fraction of P320s suffer from a tolerance stack, material flaw, or wear-induced failure, you’re still dealing with thousands of guns that might fail under the right circumstances.

SIG’s biggest misstep hasn’t been the design, it’s been the response. Instead of acknowledging the reports and launching a transparent investigation, they’ve stuck to the line that there’s no problem. That kind of stonewalling might work in court, but not in the public eye, especially when officers are being injured and departments are walking away from the platform. Sig doubled down on this on their statement issued on July 29, 2025

I won’t be surprised to see used P320s hitting shelves in large numbers, possibly at steep discounts. I also wouldn’t be surprised if SIG quietly phases out or rebrands the line altogether. Lawsuits are already stacking up, and while the gun may function flawlessly for 99.99% of users, perception is king, right now, that perception is crumbling. I personally believe that Sig has to double down, to admit otherwise will add fuel to the lawsuits.

Only time will tell how deep this issue runs. But if SIG doesn’t change course soon, the P320 could go from flagship product to cautionary tale.

Barrett MK22 “Uncommanded Fire”? Let’s Not Jump the Gun

There’s a YouTube video circulating that shows a Barrett MK22 seemingly firing without a trigger pull. In the clip, a soldier either has the rifle on safe or flips it to safe, presses the trigger (nothing happens), then taps the bolt or bumps the chassis, and the gun fires.

With the recent backlash over the SIG P320, people are quick to assume this is another firearm with a critical design flaw. But based on what’s out there, I don’t think we’re seeing a crisis, we’re seeing speculation without context.

So far, we’ve got a few short clips that may feature the same rifle, in similar conditions, with no details on maintenance, trigger pack adjustments, or prior issues. Yet everyone seems ready to assume the rifle is in “perfect working order.”

To dig deeper, I tested my own Barrett MRAD, an early civilian model with a serial number under 1800, purchased in 2015. The only modification is a left-hand safety swap, which matches the setup in the video. I tried everything shown: flipping the safety, pressing the trigger, bumping the bolt and chassis. Nothing happened. The rifle performed exactly as expected.

So, until we get more detailed reports, ideally from a range of unrelated users, I don’t think we should jump on the hate wagon just yet. Could there be a rare trigger issue? Possibly. But one or two unclear clips do not make for a systemic failure.

Let’s wait for facts, not just viral footage, before we throw Barrett under the bus.

New Guns and Gear

Lyman 6th Edition Shotshell Reloading Manual

Lyman has released an update loading manual for shotshell reloaders. I flipped through it the other day and it’s laid over very well and it’s got some really good information on shotshell reloading. It’s a beautifully laid out book with full color pictures and section views of cartridges.

If you are like me and you have dipped your toes into the world of shotshell reloading, you’ll know it’s a completely different landscape when compared to metallic cartridge reloading.  Most notably there is less “universality”. For example, a Remington 12-gauge low brass shot shell takes different wads, and recipes than a Fiocchi 12 Gauge low brass shot shell. I dabbled in it, but to be honest I am just not that big into shot guns, and hence I never got huge into shot gun reloading, even though I have Littleton Shotmaker and a slug mold.

This is a book I’d have on the shelf just to peruse.

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.

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. 

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #6

This week we have seen some unusual weather. We had days that reached the nineties followed by days that were mid-seventies. The kids seem like they are immune to it, they will go outside and run and play just as hard on a hot day as they seem to on cooler days. I try to remember my own youth, and frankly, the weather is not something I recall. I can remember the activity and the outcome, but whether it happened on a scorching or unseasonably cool day escapes me.

Something about getting older seems to trigger a change where the weather becomes an important attribute. Anyway, we are nearing the end of July, it won’t be long before we can enjoy cooler weather on a daily basis. I am looking forward to it.

Website Updates

The 5.7x28mm case is one of the few truly straight wall cases, having not taper to the case body to ease extraction

The update of the 5.7×28  vs 4.6x30mm has gone better than I expected, and I have turned my attention to working through some of the other articles on the website. I have also restructured the menu items on the website to make it a bit easier to navigate.

“Into the Rabbit Hole”

This is the page that is dedicated to the deep dives that we do sometimes. Right now, I have sorted the deep dive into the 8.6 Blackout, and the 5.7×28 vs 4.6×30 into that category. However, I have more articles planned that fall into that category. Expect these to be technical pieces where we dig up and share data and allow that data to drive the summary of the piece.

“Beginners Bench”

This is a page dedicated to providing basic information to the curious, or to the new handloader. Articles posted here are meant to share the basic info, terminology, and practices that everyone should know when getting started in the hobby.   Right now there is just one article I have linked to on this page, but we have plans for more.

Time at the Bench

Unfortunately, most of my time at the bench has been taking pictures for articles. Some of which I am sharing on this post.

10mm Auto Brass Sectioned to show case web and flash hole

Last week a buddy of mine introduced me to the AGS Brass Case Annealer 3.0. He continues to send me photos and videos of that thing running. I stand by what I said last week, for $300 that’s a hard to beat machine.

Industry and Legislative News

HPA and SHORT Act

There has been some news on this, but it’s not positive and it reinforces what many have been warning about. Senator Chris Murphy, a democrat from Connecticut, has proposed raising the tax from zero to $4,709 for SBR’s, Suppressors, and SBS’s, while only raising the tax stamp on AOW to $55. The move is largely seen as pandering to his base and stands little chance of making it through the Republican majority in congress. However it highlights the fact most everyone knew all along, the legislative process is a double edge sword, it can just as easily be used against us as it is used for us.

The astute among us might ask, “Why $4,709?” In the senator’s own words, it was intended ❝to symbolically charge gun buyers the average ‘cost to society’ per injury, rather than just a flat tax.❞ The figure comes from a 2022 study published in Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open and is frequently cited by gun control groups. The study calculated the average direct cost of a gunshot wound using hospital billing data. It’s yet another example of how gun control is increasingly being framed as a public health crisis.

Sig P320 Woes

Sig P320 – 18 one of the many variants of the Sig P320

It is being reported that an airman was killed on Warren Airforce Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The exact details are not known; however, we do know that it involved the M18, otherwise known as a Sig 320. Anyone who has been following the industry for the last seven years knows Sig Sauer has constantly been under fire for unintentional discharges.

Sig has consistently denied that any issue exists. This comes despite a voluntary recall to update some of the trigger components. The exact details of what exactly happened have been elusive so most of what’s being said on social media remains pure speculation. That being said, the Air Force has joined a host of law enforcement agencies that have banned or otherwise limited its use.

I see Sig Sauer being stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have taken a hardline stance saying that there is not an issue, and under no circumstances will the gun fire without a trigger pull. However, the weight of the evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Both stances can’t be simultaneously true, we will likely figure out what is true via the courts.

Good Guy with a Gun

There is nothing that is good about the stabbing spree that happened over the weekend at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan. All indications suggest that it could have been much worse, had it not been for a group of shoppers which included at least one shopper with a concealed handgun. This is not getting the attention that it should, as it goes against the media narrative of “All people with guns are bad”. It should be noted, that the good guy did not fire a shot.

Stabbing sprees are not common in the United States but do happen with some regularity across other countries. We do not know a lot about the suspect, and have no motive yet, so anything currently being reported or discussed on social media is pure speculation.

New Guns and Gear

Forced Reset Trigger for MP5

Couldn’t find a picture of the MP5 Forced Reset Trigger, so this Zenith ZF5-P will have to suffice

If you have been online at all you have probably seen the buzz that the line of Forced Reset Triggers (FRT) is being extended to both the MP5 and the AK47. Obviously, this was the natural progression of these products. If you’d like to see one in action, Garand Thumb has one of the best videos showcasing the MP5 FRT.  If you’re not familiar with these triggers, it operates a little differently from a full-auto, in the sense it does not “hold and then release” the hammer via the sear, rather it forces the trigger to reset.

This reset happens despite you applying force to the trigger. If you continue to apply force the trigger will break, and the hammer will fall. If you let off the force, the trigger just resets and is ready for the next trigger pull. The difference between FRT and a full auto trigger pull is nuanced. Which is why it was involved in court battles with the ATF and was deemed to be illegal by the ATF, who in turn was sued.

In May 2025, Rare Breed Triggers reached a limited settlement with the ATF that resolved specific lawsuits and allowed them to resume sales of certain forced reset triggers, though the long-term legal challenges and regulatory uncertainty remain. It would not at all surprise me to see the ATF get back on their high horse and go after FRTs under a different administration, or if it is used in a mass shooting.

They are not a cheap trigger, but I am sorely tempted to get one. I’d toss it in a lower and use it for either a Pistol Caliber Carbine, or just a .300 Blackout build. Not sure my wallet can stomach the ammo bill that comes with owning one.

That’s all we have this week,

Jay & Marc

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.

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. 

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #5

This week flew by. For me it was all about work, trying to get projects wrapped up and meeting deadlines. Probably the most important thing is the kids have introduced me to the latest and greatest cultural sensation to grace our screens in the last month. I will spare you the agony of the details of what, where and who. However, it is worth mentioning that my kids and I use the same YouTube account on the TV, and when the kids watch things on YouTube, the algorithm picks up on their patterns.  As a result, my YouTube feed on my phone has been cluttered with K-Pop videos, and it’s largely drowned out my usual firearm- focused channels.

Learn from my misery, and if you have grandkids over, have them use a dedicated account, otherwise you’re going to sort through hours of junk.

Website Updates

I have been working on cleaning up some of the older articles on the website. Many articles are 5+ years old, and they were written when I was still figuring things out. They are replete with typos, grammatical mistakes and formatting inconsistencies. Also, things have changed in the gun world, and I’d like to update the information.

PDW Round Comparison 5.7x28mm vs 4.6x30mm

We have also updated the SAAMI Pistol Catalog. The additions are the 5.7x28mm and the 30 Super Carry.

SAAMI Pistol Cartridge Catalog

Time at the Bench

Fix-it Sticks

I spent more time gunsmithing this week than I did reloading. Mainly I was working on a few double stack 1911s.  I found a “new-to-me” favorite tool; the ratcheting T-Handle.  The specific brand is “Fix-it Sticks”, and I have seen them around for several years but have never really had an opportunity to mess with one.

The kits are expensive, just having the ratcheting T-Handle is enough for me.

It’s one of those tools you don’t think is going to be that big of a deal until you try it and it surprises you. I really liked the ergonomics of using it over a traditional L shaped wrench as it allows you to put a bit more pressure on the screw to make sure the bit is fully seated in the socket. It might save you from stripping a screw head.  It’s got a few more features that I haven’t really used yet. Honestly just having the T-Handle ratchet really won me over. Sometimes it’s the little things.  

Fix-it Sticks come in all sorts of preassembled kits that would work great in a “Go Bag”. Personally, I just picked up a couple of the handles, I have all the bits I need.

AGS Brass Annealer

If you haven’t gone down the rabbit hole that is brass annealing, now it is about as good as it gets. Especially if you do a lot of rifle reloading.  When I first got into reloading in 2009, annealing was around, but I don’t remember seeing as many purpose-built tools as we have today. People talked about it, but it always seems to involve some variation of a pan, some water and a torch.

I use the AMP Annealing machine, and it’s been fine. Honestly, I was impressed when a buddy of mine showed me a video of him running the AGS Brass Case Annealer 3.0, that he picked up from Amazon for about $300

AGS Brass Case Annealer 3.0

Obviously, this is made for all sorts of countries. His unit came with three different plugs and no torch head. Which, based on his experience, get the machine before you get the torch head to make sure it all goes together right.  However, once he had it all set up, it ran very well. It’s faster than the AMP machine, and I’m sure those case necks are every bit as soft as ones that were induction annealed. If you’re in the market for an annealing machine, this seems to be a pretty solid option.

Industry and Legislative News

HPA and SHORT Act

Lawsuits filed to challenge the legitimacy of the registration requirement for Suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs continued to be filed over the last week. What started as a deluge is now tapering off to a trickle. Expect things to move at a snail’s pace as it works its way through the courts.

Pistol Braces off the Chopping Block

Anyone who has been following the trend of pistol braces knows that the ATF has waffled back and forth on their legality. This has been going on for the better part of a decade. In 2021 they proposed a new set of criteria on evaluating whether a pistol brace was indeed a brace, or if it was a short barreled rifle. After legal challenges resulted in two court rulings (Mock v. Garland, Britto v. ATF) against the ATF, we have been waiting to see if the ATF would file an appeal.

The news broke last week that ATF has abandoned the case and will not file for an appeal leaving in place the previous court rulings.  

USPS and Handguns

The Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation are challenging the law prohibiting the shipping of pistols via the US Postal Service.  Currently it is a felony for private individuals to ship pistols using the USPS, though FFLs may do so under specific rules. Personally, I am not all that trustful of the US Postal Service when it comes to delivering mail period, let alone shipping a firearm. I find it more inconvenient that it is a felony to carry a firearm into a USPS facility.

“Ghost” Guns Liability

The last piece of news that caught my eye is a lawsuit from the five victims’ families of the 2023 Kingsessing Mass Shooting against Polymer80 and its parent company JSD Supply.  This is an attempt to hold the manufacturer liable for selling an “80% Lower” to an otherwise prohibited person. No doubt this will get into the minutia of what constitutes a “Firearm” and to what extent a company is protected by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

These so called “Ghost” guns are privately manufactured firearms. Where the controversy has been is where companies have pushed the line to reduce the amount of work and skill needed to make a homemade firearm. It used to be you needed at least the patience of a monk and a file to manufacture something that might not blow up. Now you can make what is essentially a functional AR-15 receiver with a Dremel and a little luck. Capitalism at its finest.

This will be an interesting case as it will likely test the limits of the PLCAA, and if the courts rule in favor of the Plaintiffs we could see the “80% Market” take another serious blow.

New Guns and Gear

Tisas  PX-9 Duty Comp

Tisas announced on July 16, 2025, the release of their new competition variant of the PX-9 striker pistol. It features a large “scoop” style comp that is integral to the slide. This style of compensator has really become popular. Almost like the Mag-na-porting of the previous century. It also comes optics ready, and they claim an upgraded trigger.

Folks not familiar with the Tisas brand can be forgiven, they are a more recent brand to make their way State side.  Based in Turkey, they make a decent pistol for the price. Their 1911’s are everything you might expect a 1911 to be, and their double-stack 1911s are solid for the price. Right now, the firearms market is awash with Turkish firearms. Most are solid; some are not, so do your homework.

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.

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. 

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #4

Monday hit especially hard this last week as I returned to work after the 4th of July break. I felt like I spent the rest of the week recovering. As such, this past weekend was low key for myself and my family.  No crazy fishing stories this week. 

Website Updates

Two new articles went live this past week.

The first is my thoughts following the passage of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act.  Now that the laws have passed, a myriad of lawsuits have been filed against the legality of the registration requirements. 

HPA and SHORT Act Become Law

Marc has been working on 44 Mag loads for his Smith and Wesson 329PD and took the time to write up his experience loading for this unique pistol. 

Reloading For the Smith and Wesson 329PD

We have updated The Ballistic Library, with a few new books we have picked up over the past few years. If you have a moment, check it out, maybe find some light reading.

Time at the Bench

Estate Sale Score

Marc got lucky and scored some older reloading supplies from an estate sale. One of the more exciting finds was a quantity of 300 gr .429 cast bullets from an unknown maker. These will make for an exciting research project for his 44 Mag loads. He’s been working on a load for them that we will hear about sometime later. 

Marc’s been on the hunt for a new powder for his .44 Mag loads.

Being a traditionalist, he has always stuck to the old favorites powder wise. His recent dive back into the peculiarities of the 329PD has led him to branch out and try some of the newer powders for magnum loads. The recent years have seen many new powders introduced. New options are always welcome in the reloading space. More options will always equate to more shooting and learning opportunities. 

Speaking of Powder Shortages

Many people find their preferred powder is not in stock at their local sporting good stores. I personally have been waiting for RL 33, a Swedish powder made by Bofors,  to come back in stock so I can load up rounds for my 338 Lapua. Wars in Ukraine, and Israel have really sucked up a lot of the manufacturing capacity. ADI powders, from Australia, have been virtually nonexistent for a few years now.  Many reloaders are in the same boat as Marc, trying out new powders and new loads for their favorite firearms.

A little light reading

While it is not time “at the bench” I have been doing some reading. I am a sucker for books that dig into homemade firearms, or books that offer technical information regarding a firearm. I recently stumbled onto the series of books published by Paul T. Jackson host of the YouTube channel “Garage Guy 30-06”

The book I flipped through this time was Building a Target Pistol at Home.  He lays out the process he used to build the pistol with a basic mill and lathe set up. Nothing CNC, just some good old fashioned know how. One of my favorite things to do is to model the firearm based on the blueprints and information presented in the book. Right on the first page, he states that the plans are not a complete set, and there is a fair amount of fitting and handwork that needs to be done. 

The book is informative and presents not only the basic design, but the engineering that goes behind it. I have found that the quality of books that claim to teach you how to build your own firearm varies from dismal to excellent. This book is good, especially if you read some of the other books in his series. 

This specific book covers the building of a 22LR bolt action pistol. However, he has books detailing the building of a couple different bolt action rifles, as well as a semi auto rifle. Anyone who likes to tinker in the shop will likely find these books right up your alley. 

Industry and Legislative News

HPA and SHORT 

The HPA and SHORT Act passed, we are now waiting for the details on how it will be implemented. We expect the date when the ATF will begin to accept $0 NFA’s will likely be January 1st, 2026. However, that could change if the right people put the right pressure on the agency. We will also be waiting for what happens with the lawsuits that have been filed to challenge the rest of the NFA. This is likely going to be a long wait, and we do not expect to see movement for several months at least. 

Harbor Freight vs Steamlight

This is probably one of the more amusing things that have happened in the firearms industry. In June Harbor Freight, released a weapon mounted light under their Braun brand that looked to be a 100% knock off of a Streamlight TLR-1.  The knock off is a little ‘too good’ and Streamlight has filed a lawsuit for both trademark and patent infringement.  The Harbor Freight version is about a 1/3 of the price of the TLR-1 at $50.

This is only the latest example of a Chinese company copying a US product. We see this all the time with everything from optics to flashlights, to Glock switches and solvent traps. It’s a real issue. In fact, I get emails both to this website and to my work asking if we would be interested in purchasing Chinese optics branded to our specifications. There is an awful lot of Chinese glass on the market, no need to add to that space. 

New Yorks Public Nuisance Law

The NSSF lost its case in the 2nd Circuit court challenging the 2021 Public Nuisance Statute which was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. This legislation seeks to classify violent crime as a public nuisance and aims to hold firearms manufacturers liable for their role.  

This is a blatant attempt to get around the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) which protects firearms manufacturers from damages resulting in the illegal use of firearms. The 3 Judge panel decided against the NSSF and upheld the law. We expect an appeal, likely leading to a full en banc review.

Cases like these have been a mainstay in the firearm legal world since the 2005 passage of the PLCAA. So far, the pattern has generally been that the plaintiffs have some small victories at the beginning and then get struck down on appeal. We will see if this pattern holds. 

New Guns and Gear

Taurus GX2

Taurus is the latest to offer a new pistol to compete directly against the Sig Sauer P365. It is a micro 9mm and offers a 12+1 capacity. This likely means the GX4, the first micro 9 released by Taurus, is on the outs. It seems to be a trend that Taurus will release an updated model with a new model number and then phase out the predecessor.  It’s priced as a budget pistol, about half the MSRP of the Sig P365. Personally, when it comes to a personal defense pistol, I would rather spend the few extra bucks to get a brand that I know is going to be reliable than to get a “Johnny Come Lately” model. 

I do have one semi serious question, who chooses the color schemes for Taurus Pistols? Cyan, Light Purple, Dark Purple and Black…. it’s the most random thing I have seen in awhile.

Derya DY9

Continuing with the trend of “Sell what works” the Derya DY9 was released. This is a Turkish Glock Clone, though I think the term they use is a Glock Parallel. The internals are nearly identical to a Gen 3 Glock, and it accepts Glock mags and reportedly will work with many Glock holsters.  The market has been flooded with Turkish guns over the last few years, they’re usually “parallel” to other well-known firearms and the quality can be mixed. Derya is imported by Rock Island Arms. 

I personally do not like the grip angle of Glock pistols. So I don’t get as excited when I see a new Glock on the market as everyone else seems to.

That is all we have for this week,

Jay & Marc

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.

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. 

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #3

I was fortunate to have the entire week of the 4th off. I spent some time with the family and got a little work done on the website. True to form I took both kids out fishing, each on separate days. Since I did not want to break a good losing streak, we did not catch anything. When I say “we” it’s my kids and I. My wife caught a small bluegill, on the second cast, and she hates fishing.

Needless to say, the kids have been a little disheartened by the lack of success, so I have been working on another way to spend Saturdays. At some point, we will end up at shooting range, just as soon as I can find one that I like.  Until then, or rather in addition to, I have been looking at getting the kids involved in RC Airplanes. The kind folks over at Flite Test have done a remarkable job of making things very accessible, and the hobby has changed so much since I was a teen.

My brother was kind enough to find some foamy airplanes salvage from an estate cleanout, and I had a box of foam board left over from a drone project that ended up dying on the vine. Each of the kids and I have built some new foam board fliers, and I am slowly working on getting the rest of the things together to make them flyable.

Website Updates

I have been working on an article about dry tumbling for some time now. I finally got it to a point where I felt good about publishing. With the popularity of wet tumbling, I think most newbies never stop to consider using a dry tumbler and there are some benefits to the dry tumbling method. I outline everything in the write up below.

Brass Cleaning 101: Dry Tumbling, Where We Go Wrong

Time at the Bench

Would you load it?

Ever reach into a bag of brass and the first one you pull out looks uglier than sin? I was fishing through the brass for an example photo when I stumbled across this beauty. First piece of brass I pick out of the bag…

When I find a defect, I generally assume that I am not lucky/unlucky enough to pick the one defective piece from the lot of how many tens, hundreds, or thousands may be part of that lot. To me it always screams, there is probably more where that came from. The bag of brass I pull this from was all range pickups. I probably have more Perfecta brass mixed into that bag. While placement of the flash hole isn’t ideal, I’ll still probably load and shoot it in a “plinking” load.

I use the original FW Arms Decapping Die (Now owned by Dillon Precision), and it’s about as bullet proof a die as you can asked for, I highly recommend it, especially if you deal with a lot of military brass that sometimes have crimping in pockets or the odd Berdan primed shell mixed in. So I am not concerned about breaking a decapping pin.

Tumbler Woes

My Cabela’s 400 tumbler, which I have had for about 15 years finally gave up the ghost. While that one bearing was not in great shape, it was not the root cause. The motor windings are likely shorting out. It’s a shaded pole motor, the kind of motor you usually find in bathroom ceiling fans, there’s no brushes or start capacitor to replace. There is a silver lining to the whole thing.

I reached out to Berry Mfg. who made these tumblers for Cabela’s (and a few others) and asked if I could purchase a new motor, and a new lid for the tumbler (my lid is being held together by shipping tape). They do not sell the motors, but they will refurbish the unit for $35 which includes replacing the motor, lid and bowl, as well as return shipping. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

The downside is they are in St. George, Utah. I kind of wish the tumbler crapped out about four years ago, when I was living in Cedar City, Utah. It would be a nice road trip. Now I am seriously debating if the shipping to get it out there, combined with the $35 service, is worth the cost and hassle. The cost of a new Berry’s 400 is about $70. Shipping rates have gotten outrageous lately. I haven’t made up my mind as to what I’ll do, so for the time being I am down a tumbler.

Even so, Berry’s customer support deserves a shout-out for continuing to service older units; especially one that was purchased under the Cabela’s label.

Industry and Legislative News

Hearing Protection Act (HPA) & Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles and Tools (SHORT) Act

If you have been following the news, then you should already know that President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill” passed and was signed into law on July 4th.  Included in the Bill was both the HPA and the SHORT Acts which reduced the tax to $0. To be honest, I was expecting some 11th hour challenge to strip the HPA and SHORT acts completely from the bill, but that never materialized.

With the laws signed, everyone’s question is naturally what’s next? Fortunately, we did not have to wait long, in fact we knew what was going to happen several hours before the bill was signed into law. Nearly a dozen Pro 2A groups announced they would be filing lawsuits challenging the Constitutionality of the NFA registration requirements now the tax is $0.  I am working on a write up that I plan to publish this week detailing what the next four years are likely to look like. It’s too much to try and cover here.  

In short, if there’s going to be something done through the courts, there has never been a better time to do it. We have the Supreme Court’s rulings that have set legal precedents regarding firearm rights, we have a President who is likely going to direct the DOJ to have muted defense or symbolic defense. We also have several conservative district courts and a conservative leaning Supreme Court. With that said it’s not going to be a quick process, and we may not have an official outcome until closer to the end of President Trumps term in 2029.

In the meantime, we should be looking to the ATF to propose changes to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) on how the affected NFA items are to be transferred. They have the power to change the rules and eliminate the need for fingerprints, a redundant background check, and requirements to report movement of items across State lines.  If this happens, it will likely be a leading indication of how the DOJ as a whole is going to move forward with the change in the law.

As to when the requirement for the $200 tax will be lifted, the soonest we could expect to see it may be October 1st, or roughly 90 days after the bill was signed into law. However, I have seen some reports that this requirement may persist until January 1st 2026.

The last thing I will say about this is some of the responses we have been seeing among the influencers. There are a lot of people who are rightly celebrating this as a win. This is a huge win, and it is something that the 2A community has been working towards for 20+ years. We did not get everything we wanted, but we got enough to make a legal challenge on the rest.

There are some in the community that have a “All or Nothing” mentality. That sort of attitude really creates a log jam in the legislative process. We can say we would like more, and that we are disappointed that we couldn’t completely repeal the NFA, but I think it threatens to primary Senators and Representatives who were able to by and large deliver a win, even if it was not the “total victory” we were hoping for, is not seeing the forest for the trees. We got a win here, the ball is closer to the end zone, we can work with this.

New Guns and Gear

Athlon Optics Rangecraft

In the world of chronographs, a lot has changed in the last 15 years. First it was the Lab Radar which made Doppler radar-based velocity measurements accessible to the shooter. (I love mine). Lab Radar was the King of the Hill for a while until a surprising competitor came kind of out from the left field, Garmin, a company known more for GPS base navigation aids. Their 2023 release, the Xero, really upended the market for radar-based chronographs and guys who did not like the bulk of the Lab Radar gravitated immediately to the Garmin Xero.

Now we are starting to have some real market competition. In 2024 Lab Radar introduced the LX model, and Cadwell introduced the VelociRadar. Now in 2025 we have the Athlon Rangecraft. The thing that makes Rangecraft appealing is the sub $400 price tag. Looks to be very comparable in features to the Lab Radar LX, and possibly a complete rip off the Garmin. (Seriously, I haven’t seen this big of a copy since seeing Ruger’s LCP next to a Kel-Tec P3AT)

As a side note, the LabRadar LX is listed as discontinued and or unavailable by many leading online retailers (Brownell’s, Optic Planet, Midway USA). It is still listed by Inifintion on mylabradar.com, however its unavailable on all of their dealer websites. The 1st gen unit, that I like because it gives the down range velocities, also has either been discontinued or is being phased out.

Regardless, we live in a time where excellent chronographs are not only available but really becoming affordable. Given these all sitting behind and to the side of the muzzle, you no longer even have to cross your fingers and hope you don’t send a shot low.  A good chronograph on the line will teach you more about how your handloads are doing than nearly any other tool you can to buy.

That’s all we have for this week.

Jay & Marc

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.

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

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc – Marc@theballisticassistant.com

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #2

The past week started off being hotter than the dickens. We reached 95+ degrees both Monday and Tuesday. The heat wave broke for us on Tuesday and when it broke it went in the complete opposite direction. Temperatures dropped into the high 60’s / low 70’s during the day and would dip down to the low 50’s in the evening.  A full week later and this must be the coolest week of July 4th that I can remember.

Personally, I love the cool weather, I very much wish this was about the norm for summers. I really need to track down somewhere I can let off a few rounds. I have new loads to test and rifles to sight in. The weather is about as perfect as you can ask for now.

Website Updates

I have been working on cleaning up the website. We wanted to guide it back to focus on reloading, shooting, and gunsmithing. What didn’t fit in the that rubric I am working on moving to an archival page. Frequent visitors are going to see changes over the next few weeks

We also built a new page for short and sweet articles offering tips, tricks and advice for handloaders called “The Handloaders Corner”.  Many of the articles that Marc has been writing are posting there. I have a few in the work as well.

Speaking of articles, Marc’s new article went live, see below:

Trust But Verify

Time at the Bench

Tumbler Woes

My tumbler finally gave up the ghost. I mentioned before I could hear it starting to bog down. At the time I thought perhaps it was a bearing beginning to seize. Well in comical fashion I ran it for a bit to “charge” my media and it suddenly stalled.  It did not recover.

These things are well worth the money

The comedy of it was not that the tumbler stalled, it was why I was charging the media. I hate listening to the tumbler “growl” so I picked up a programmable switch. I scheduled the time I wanted it to run from 2am to 4am. I figured that no one would be awake. When I put brass in the tumbler, I’d schedule the run on an app on my phone. This has worked pretty darn well. It keeps me from over tumbling, which breaks down the media without adding additional shine or cleanliness, and I don’t have to listen to it.

Well, the last couple of batches didn’t get as clean or as shiny as I would like. So, I figured the media was breaking down. It seemed kind of fast to me, the media was not that old. So, I started looking into what I could do to squeeze some extra life out of it. It was during this that the tumbler stalled out and I thought perhaps it was stalling out at night. I mentioned it to my wife, who is a night owl. Turns out, there is someone awake at 2am, and that someone was startled not once but twice, two days in a row, when the tumbler suddenly kicked on. Long story short, my media is fine…but the tumbler is not so I tore into it hoping it was an easy fix.

The bearing on the left, is good, the one on the right, not so much. The bearing isn’t seized but it doesn’t rotate freely as the shield has been beaten into the races. The issue is in the housing; a raised lip beat the snot out of the shield. Given that I have had this tumbler for 10+ years, it’s probably due to a new set of bearings. A package of ten was about $6 on Amazon.  Took me about an hour to get everything replaced and cleaned up.

I ran it for a bit, and it would drop RPM’s and then pick back up again. The next day it went back to the “Turn on, jerk then buzz”. At this point I believe the motor is just done. It is a shaded pole motor, and I could replace it. I bought the tumbler back when it was a kit that Cabela’s sold. It’s a Berry’s 400 with Cabela’s branding.  I might drop an email to Berry’s see if they can sell me a motor, (and a new lid mine is cracked to high heaven), and if not, I may look to upgrade. I do like the Thumler’s Tumblers but they seem to be out of stock everywhere and are price at the high end of my budget. We will see.

Close Quarters Reloading

It’s been several years since I have been able to get my microscope and camera all set up. That happened yesterday, so you’ll be seeing close up shots of all sorts of things.

The two pictures above were taken with the set up. The top case is the same in both photos, while the bottom case on the left-hand photo was deburred using a traditional case deburring tool, which I hate. The photo on the right is a case which was deburred with a counter sink blade shown in the photo below.

This blade is very sharp but works very well. Takes a very minimal effort to knock the burr off and leaves a nice edge break behind. For me the best part is there is no “Squeal” which I find grating. Below are images magnified by 300x to really show the edge of the case mouth.  The image on the left was done with the counter sink blade, while the image on the right was done with a traditional OD deburr tool.

Is there a practical difference? Not really. That more or less what I was curious about. I do like the ergonomics of the deburring tools used in more traditional machine shops, so I am going to continue to experiment with them. I have plenty of brass that needs a trim.

Industry and Legislative News

Hearing Protection Act (HPA) & Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles and Tools (SHORT) Act

This has been a whirlwind of news lately.  Far too much to cover in detail in this short section. I’ll give you the summary and if you want more I have gone into greater detail in this write-up.

HPA and SHORT Changes (June 30, 2025)

Bottomline, both the HPA and the SHORT Act remain in President’s Trumps Big Beautiful Bill as of 6/30/2025. However the wording has changed, it was determined that the Senate could not pass a bill that removed items from the National Firearms Act (NFA) by the Senate parliamentarian. However, it could zero out the $200 tax stamp for suppressors, SBR’s, SBS’s, and “Any other weapons” AOW from the NFA.

At this point it is completely speculative on how the ATF will handle the paperwork. Since no tax is being paid, you really can’t call it a “Tax” Stamp. A registration stamp? Regardless, the ATF could also change the Code of Federal Regulations and make it far easier to obtain NFA items not requiring a Tax Stamp. There is no congressional mandate for people to be fingerprinted, or a requirement for notification to a Chief Law Enforcement Officer.  This is all the machinations of a bureaucracy looking to make the process painful.  We can hope that with the current administration, proper pressure can be applied to the ATF to change the rules and lessen the burden.

I doubt we will see the NFA registry completely disappear through any action of congress. There are not 60 votes in the senate to get the legislation passed. However, with the tax removed, there is a fair constitutional argument that the vestigial remains of the NFA no longer are constitutional as it no longer falls under the congressional powers of taxation. That will take years to work its way through the courts and may become moot the next time the Democrats have both the Congress and the Presidency. You can rest assured that they will try to put that tax right back in place, and it’s not going to be $200

New Guns and Gear

Magpul UCS

Magpul recently announced the release of the UCS Stock. It is designed to attach rifles that have a 1913 Picatinny rail on the rear of the receiver. This could be an MP5 or G33, some AK variants, the popular CZ Scorpion, or an MSR rifle with a modified bolt that allows folding stocks. Of course it comes in the 3 most popular colors, black, tan, and olive green, my descriptions not theirs.  

I like most of what Magpull offers. I’ve had sights, stocks, magazines, grips and all sorts of stuff from them. I haven’t ever been disappointed. It’s reliable and tough.  I could see this going on that new SBR I might build if a certain tax get’s zeroed out.

That is all we have this week.

Jay & Marc

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 firearms related news and events. If you like what you read, we only ask that you subscribe and share with a friend or two.

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

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc –Marc@theballisticassistant.com

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #1

Make sure you’re storing you ammo in places your are comfortable sitting for long periods. Periods of extreme heat, can change the performance.

New England is getting a taste of Texas this week. It’s supposed to top out at 97 degrees, which is downright miserable. I have lived in a lot of different areas in the United States. It is interesting to see how different regions make fun of other regions. Places that get lots of snow will mock places the get shut down over a flurry. Likewise, places with 90% humidity and 90-degree heat will laugh at northerners complaining about a few hot days. At the end of the day, northerners do not have central AC but have tons of snowplows, which is pretty much the exact opposite of the southerners. I have determined it is far more about the equipment then it is the people.  

No fishing this past weekend, so my catch ratio remains unchanged.

Website Updates

As you may have noticed we are trying a different format for these updates. My original intent was to publish a weekly post highlighting new articles and tools on the site. This has morphed into a weekly newsletter of sorts that goes beyond just reporting on the website.

Since the purpose of these updates have changed we felt it was best to handle them differently. Hence the new title and a issue number. Marc and I will continue to keep our ears to the ground and provide industry news, and commentary, we’re just going to structure it a bit differently. We hope for the better.

Time at the Bench

I have been working on prepping brass and experimenting with a few new things just to see how they work. As most handloaders know, trimming brass tends to leave a burr on both the inside and outside of the case mouth. One of my least favorite things about the process is the OD deburr as it just squeals and feels miserable. So, I decided to try something new.

I have used one more times then i can count but have never tried one on brass until now…

I started playing around with deburring tools used in machine shops to see how well they might work. Honestly, I was very impressed. The cutters are very sharp, and the ergonomics are a bit better. It looks like it would be awkward to use, but it knocks out that inside burr with one rotation. There is a similar attachment for the OD deburr. It takes very light pressure to trim away the burrs and leaves a very consistent edge break. I am going to play with it some more but if it’s something I end up liking I may do a future write up.  

This right here, should be banned

The one thing that always causes me a bit of annoyance is when a case uses two different primer sizes. 45 ACP typically has a large pistol primer, but it is not uncommon to find brass that uses a small primer pocket. That is apparently true for 7.62×39, which I have been working through this week. I get why companies do it, at the end of the day both rounds perform fine with their smaller primers. The cost of a small rifle primer when compared to a large one is small, but not zero. Margins on ammunition are notoriously small, so anything a company can do to increase margin they will. Still bugs the hell out of me though.  

Industry and Legislative News

Hearing Protection Act

The provisions currently remain in the Senate bill to remove suppressors from the NFA entirely. Current events have put a damper on a lot of the conversation around the “Big Beautiful Bill”, which I think is a good thing. The quieter the public discourse, the better its odds of passing, in my view.

Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles and Tools (SHORT) Act

Possibly the most exciting news of the week is the inclusion of the SHORT act in the Big Beautiful Bill. This bill removes Short Barrel Rifles and Short Barrel Shotguns from the NFA. This had been a provision that was in the original House bill but was removed and was not adopted in the final version of the bill that was passed to the Senate.

Well, the Senate added it back into their version of the bill. If it passes the Senate, the two different versions will need to be reconciled and approved by both before it can reach the president’s desk.

I have a 300 Blackout Shorty that I would really like to build, and of course that build needs a suppressor.

Frank Brownell’s Passing

Frank Royce Brownell III, longtime leader of Brownells Inc. and a prominent advocate for the Second Amendment, passed away on June 18, 2025, at the age of 85 after a lengthy illness. Frank joined the family business in 1965 and played a pivotal role in expanding it into one of the most recognized names in the firearms industry. He served as President starting in 1983 and later as CEO and Chairman of the Board, guiding the company through decades of growth while promoting the craft of gunsmithing and supporting the shooting community.

Beyond his business leadership, Frank was deeply committed to protecting gun rights and fostering education within the firearms world. He helped establish the NRA Business Alliance and was a familiar face at industry events like the SHOT Show and NRA Annual Meetings. A generous philanthropist, Frank supported youth shooting sports, conservation, and gunsmithing scholarships. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and son Pete Brownell, who continues the family’s legacy of advocacy and innovation.

New Guns and Gear

Sig 211-GTO

I am not gunna lie, I think it is a handsome looking gun.

This year probably should be the year of the 2011, 1911 Double Stack (DS). Pretty much every major pistol manufacturer seems to be coming out with one. Sig was clever in its name. 2011 is a trademarked term licensed to Staccato and staccato protects that aggressively. Sig just dropped the zero.  I think Staccato is a bit overly ambitious in protecting its trademark. At this point it has become a colloquial term for double stack 1911’s. Kind of like Kleenex is to tissue paper.

Serious question, if we retain some design elements from a DS 1911, but do our own thing, is it still in the DS1911 family…like a second cousin twice removed type thing?

The Sig 211-GTO has a very nice look and has some nice features. However, it departs from the traditional 2011 or 1911 design quite a bit. Ambidextrous slide release, drop safe (more on this later), external extractor, changes both to the guide rods, reverse plugs and barrels. This is to say that this isn’t a firearm that is going to be compatible with other parts. It is its own beast, and it makes me ask the question, is it truly a double stack 1911, or have they departed so far from the John Moses Browning design that it should be removed from the family all together?

To be completely fair, Sig, to my knowledge, is not marketing it as a 1911 DS, but the market is comparing it to other 1911 DS on the market. This has been the most humorous part of the whole thing. Sig really stepped on it with what was an issue of P320 discharging when dropped. Not only did they not handle the issue particularly well, but their PR firm keeps it top of the news and cannot seem to let it drop.  It’s that friend who made that one mistake that you and all your other buddies refuse to let them forget. Everyone knows Sig Sauer makes a top tier product, but it’s just too much fun to keep needling them on it.

It probably won’t be long before I am able to get my hands on one, I look forward to testing it. Retail is expected to be around $2400

That is all we have for this week. We will be keeping a close eye on the news with bated breath to see where this Big Beautiful Bill goes. Now’s the time to really apply some pressure to your legislators. Call, Text, Email, send Ravens, whatever it is you use to communicate.

Jay & Marc

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 firearms related news and events. If you like what you read, we only ask that you subscribe and share with a friend or two.

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

Jay – jay@theballisticassistant.com

Marc –Marc@theballisticassistant.com