Tag: NOE

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Brass, Barrels and Bureaucracy #19

So far this winter has been colder and snowier than expected, though only by New England standards. The last few weeks have felt more like January, with single-digit temperatures and actual snowfall making an appearance. Still, in keeping with tradition, we were treated to a brief stretch of 50-degree weather and rain just days before the holiday break. Enough to make the kids and my wife worry we might miss out on that idyllic white Christmas. Thankfully, Father Winter cooperated, and we were rewarded with about three inches of snow.

AI really struggles when it comes to generating images of rounds, rifles and other small details. However it’s still far better graphic design then either Marc or I can do. So we will roll with it.

As always, the holiday season has been busy, maybe more than usual. You can probably blame that on my kids getting older. There’s a certain cruelty in how it works. As your kids grow up, life seems to move faster. As you get older, all you want is for it to slow down.

When it comes to the holidays, I tend to prefer quiet reflection over the pomp and circumstance that comes with family gatherings and holiday parties. The older I get, the more I find myself enduring the holiday spirit rather than flourishing in it. Maybe that makes me a bit of a Scrooge. Either way, productivity has taken a back seat more than I’d care to admit.

Website Updates

No new updates in the last few weeks. However both Marc and I have been working on several different projects for 2026 and we wanted to take the moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, recommend, and subscribe to the site. We have had quite the uptick in the last few months, and we have seen articles shoot to the top of the Google search. All of this is driven by the traffic of folks reading, sharing and recommending content to their buddies.

We have also gotten some really good emails voicing support for our content and often times followed up with some questions that made us really think. We are humbled by the support, and are grateful for the questions.

The successful 2025 is fueling some new projects for 2026 that we will be announcing soon.

Time at the Bench

Derraco Engineering Ugly SRT Trimmer

A little bit quirky to set up but so far I have been pleased with the results.

I’ve been working on a couple of projects over the last few weeks, the first being continued testing of case trimmers. The Derraco Engineering Ugly SRT case trimmer is currently mounted on my drill press, and I’ve been trimming 7.62×39mm brass with it.

This is a fairly affordable case trimmer, though it does have a few quirks. Overall, the performance has been solid and I’m satisfied with the results so far. It may not be perfect, but it gets the job done consistently, which ultimately matters more than polish.

VZ-58 Trigger Job

Not my work bench, but strangely dystopian enough that the rifle fits in. Feels like the type of work bench you might find in western Europe.

I’ve also been spending time on my VZ-58 rifle. It’s been several years since I last worked on this build in any meaningful way. I left off the series while trying to get the rifle sighted in, but the trigger was so abysmal that shooting a respectable group was a struggle. Between the trigger issues and life getting in the way, the project ended up on the back burner.

That said, it was never completely forgotten. Every time I picked up the rifle, usually just to move it from one side of the gun cabinet to the other, I was reminded how light and compact it is for what it offers. In many ways, it competes with my AR builds as one of the lightest and handiest rifles I own. There are a few 1950s Soviet-era ergonomics and design choices I would change, but overall I’ve been impressed with the rifle’s form factor.

That realization was enough motivation to revisit the trigger. The topic came up with a coworker, and we took a closer look at it together. The problem became apparent almost immediately. The trigger is a two-stage design with a short first stage and a long, creeping second stage. That second stage rotates the sear until it releases the linear hammer.

The blue sharpies is worn where the sear makes contact. There is about 1/16 of an inch of sear engagement which results in a long creeping trigger pull. For reference, a 1911 has a typical sear engagement of under .020.

In my case, the total trigger travel was borderline too short. The trigger would bottom out at the end of the second stage before completing a clean release. While the sear would eventually let go, it was unpredictable and often required an exaggerated pull to make it happen.

We milled off about .010 which cleaned up the edge, I am tempted to add a 45 degree edge break. By removing .010 we gave enough room for the sear to consistently release the linear hammer before it bottoms out in travel. We still have a huge amount of sear engagement which still results in a long creeping second stage.

To address this, we removed approximately 0.010 inches from the bottom of the linear hammer on the mill. This solved the issue of the trigger running out of travel and made the break far more predictable. There are still additional issues that need to be addressed before I’d consider it a truly livable trigger, but this single change made a significant improvement in both feel and consistency.

Industry News

HPA and SHORT Act News

It’s been a while since we’ve had an update here, and there have been some meaningful developments. Most notably, the $0 tax stamp goes into effect at the start of the new year. While registration and ATF approval are still required, the elimination of the $200 tax removes a significant financial barrier.

I expect this change to drive a noticeable increase in both short-barreled rifle and suppressor sales, likely starting in Q1 and extending through much of 2026. Suppressors, in particular, are well-positioned to benefit. They’re high-margin products, and that helps explain why so many manufacturers have entered the suppressor market over the past two decades as ownership has become more mainstream.

As a result, I expect to see increased marketing efforts around suppressors moving forward. In contrast, while SBRs and SBSs now face less regulatory friction due to the $0 tax stamp, I don’t anticipate the same level of growth or marketing push. Outside of niche applications and the “cool factor,” they simply don’t offer the same broad utility that suppressors do. That’s my current assessment, though time will tell.

HPA and SHORT Act Developments in the Courts

Building on that topic, there has been some movement in the courts over challenges to the remaining NFA rules for items covered by the HPA and SHORT Act. One of the main cases involved is Brown v. ATF. So far, no court has thrown out the NFA rules, but things are not the same as they were before these new laws passed.

The main argument in the case is simple: the NFA was originally allowed because it was a tax law. Now that the tax has been reduced to zero, the people challenging the law argue that the government no longer has a good reason to keep the registration system. In plain terms, if there’s no tax, they say the government shouldn’t be able to keep enforcing tax-related rules.

So far, courts have not agreed with that argument, but they also have not fully rejected it. Instead, judges are focusing on basic questions first, like who is allowed to sue and whether the ATF still has authority after Congress changed the law. The case is still ongoing, and appeals are expected. This issue is not settled yet, and it will likely take a long time before there is a final answer.

FN has retired commercial sales of the SCAR

The FN SCAR was designed to replace the M4, but ultimately saw limited use and was never widely adopted by the US Military. As many have pointed out, the stock bares resemblance to an Ugg Boot, and once you see it, it’s hard to “unsee it”.

The FN SCAR has come to the end of its run, at least for the general consumer. This family of rifles was FN’s attempt to create a modern replacement for the more than 50-year-old AR-15 design. While the SCAR has seen limited adoption with modern militaries, it never achieved the widespread acceptance a next-generation weapon system needs to truly thrive. FN has indicated the platform will remain available for military and law-enforcement sales, but civilian buyers should no longer expect to see new SCAR rifles on the shelves of local gun stores.

The FN SCAR now joins a long list of proposed AR successors that ultimately failed to move the needle. Notable examples include the Remington ACR and the Robinson Armament XCR. Despite innovative features, these designs struggled to offer a compelling enough advantage over the AR platform to justify their added cost, weight, and logistical complexity. In my own experience, the SCAR felt bulky and heavier than necessary, and I never found a convincing argument for it over a well-sorted AR. In that context, it becomes clear why so many proposed replacements failed to see broad adoption.

The Sig Sauer M7 rifle chambered in the hot 6.8x51mm is designed to provide battle rifle type performance from a carbine length system. Is it just me or does Sig Sauer seem to be getting a lot of military contracts?

The most credible challenger to the AR’s long-standing dominance now appears to be the SIG Sauer M7. That said, the M7 is not without controversy. Its adoption of the 6.8×51mm cartridge represents a significant departure from modern intermediate-caliber doctrine, operating at substantially higher pressures than most contemporary service ammunition. The M7 program signals a return to a battle-rifle philosophy, emphasizing range and penetration at the cost of increased weight and recoil, and marks a shift away from the lighter, intermediate platforms that have dominated military small-arms development for the past half-century.

Recently, Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons released a video outlining his concerns with the M7 program and why its adoption may ultimately prove short-lived. It’s a thoughtful critique and well worth watching for anyone interested in where military small-arms development may be headed. You can see the video in the below link.

NOE Bullet Moulds is Back Up and Going

We mentioned back in September that Al Nelson, of NOE Bullet Moulds in Provo, Utah had announced the company was closing its doors. The sudden news led to plenty of speculation about what prompted the decision, and many in the casting community were understandably disappointed. NOE has long offered one of the largest selections of bullet moulds in the industry, and their quality has consistently been first rate.

We’re pleased to report that Al has since announced NOE will continue operations, with new moulds expected to begin shipping in 2026.

New Products

With SHOT Show 2026 only a few weeks out, everyone is looking forward to seeing what is going to be announced. We are sure to see new additions to the SAAMI Catalog, new firearms, maybe a new cartridge or two, and if we’re lucky some new reloading gear. This time of year is always a bit slow for new product announcements but here’s a few we managed to dig up.

Ammolyitcs CAP-Lite

This is a project a mutual friend of ours at Ammolytics has been working on. He, along with others, has observed that changes in humidity can significantly impact powder performance, in some cases resulting in velocity swings of 200 fps or more. This is a well-known issue in the ammunition industry. Large manufacturers routinely acclimate their powder before loading to improve batch-to-batch consistency.

Handloaders, however, don’t have that luxury. Many of us deal with seasonal humidity swings ranging from 90% in the summer to 25% or less in the winter. These changes can affect powder moisture content, which in turn can influence burn rate, pressure, and velocity. Ammunition loaded during the dry winter months can produce higher pressures and velocities than ammunition loaded during more humid summer conditions.

The goal of this tool is simple: regulate the humidity inside a powder jug. The included two-way humidity packs maintain the internal environment at approximately 32% relative humidity. They absorb excess moisture when conditions are too humid and release moisture when the air becomes too dry, helping keep the powder in a more consistent state year-round.

We think it’s a clever and practical solution to a real problem many handloaders face, and we wanted to pass the word along. You can check it out here.

Barnes and Seirra TrueData Ballistic Calculator

Barnes Bullets and Sierra Bullets have released a new ballistic calculator that uses Doppler radar data collected by their teams to more accurately model bullet flight. This approach differs from traditional ballistic calculators that rely on a single G1 or G7 ballistic coefficient, which is only an approximation and changes as bullet velocity decreases.

By using the full drag curve generated from Doppler radar measurements for a specific bullet, the calculator can produce a more accurate trajectory solution across the entire flight path. In theory, this allows for more precise elevation and windage predictions than what most conventional ballistic calculators on the market can provide.

I’ve downloaded the app on my iPhone and spent some time exploring it. I plan to take it to the range during my next session to compare its elevation and windage solutions against Ballistic AE, which I’ve been using for years, and see how closely the results line up.

Deals of the Week

I hope most everyone has gotten their Christmas shopping done by now and if you haven’t, well, you still have time to kick off the New Year right.

Brownell’s – Brownell’s continues to have primers on sale, and it’s the cheapest I have seen CCI primers in awhile. I doubt we will ever see CCI primers below $40/1000. I suspect $60 per brick is around the new normal. I hope I am wrong. They are also having a great sale on various reloading tools. It’s worth checking out.

Palmetto State Armory – PSA is running several Christmas sales on their build kits. Some as much as 50% off. If you’re looking at your next AR build, this may be a great place to pick up a pre bundled build kit.

Faxon Firearms – Faxon is continuing their holiday sales through January, including a sale on suppressors. If you’re looking to take advantage of the $0 NFA tax that begins Jan, 1st here’s a good place to start.

Optics Planet – Optics Planet has a good selection of reloading components and tooling on their “Blazing Deals” and “Clearance” pages. I’ve enabled the filters, so you should see everything that pops up there. It’s a gamble, but I have snagged a few deals by checking back frequently.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Jay

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Brass, Barrels, and Bureaucracy #13

I know the equinox is around the corner, but the trees are already turning. With how dry New England has been, I doubt we’ll see much vibrant foliage this year, which probably means fewer leaf peepers, and that’s fine by me.

To folks who haven’t seen it before, I suppose it is still cool, but it’s not as bold and vibrant as it can be. It’s just been too dry of a summer.

Recent political events have left many of us feeling buried. I’ll admit, I’m worn out. This is one of those moments you will remember exactly where you were when you first heard the news. It is a tragedy any way you slice it, and my heart goes out to Charlie Kirk’s family. While it is of no consolation, they caught the suspect and charged him with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.

It has also made me reassess my everyday carry. For years I kept a firearm in my backpack, mostly because of workplaces that did not allow firearms on the property. It worked, but I recognize it was far from ideal. Now I have returned to carrying on the hip, which forced me to reevaluate both gear and wardrobe. At thirty, with my metabolism in the rearview, I have found OWB much more comfortable than IWB.

I have been very happy with this holster produced by Craft Holsters. Very comfortable if you like Out Side the Waistband Carry

After Aurora, I decided that a Ruger LCP was not enough for daily carry, and I needed to move toward a compact. This led me to the CZ-2075 RAMI-P and eventually to my current HK 45CT. I am making similar changes again. A button-down shirt over a T-shirt conceals well enough here in rural Vermont. I carry my HK in a Craft Holster OWB thumb-break leather holster on a Bigfoot Gun Belt. It is bulkier than I would like, but I enjoy shooting that pistol, which is a criterion for me when choosing a carry gun. I have also been considering an HK P2000SK, which would keep the fire controls similar to the larger HK pistols while slimming everything down.

Bigfoot Gunbelts is another company that made a really good product but has gone out of business. I am in the market for a new belt, not due to wearing out my old one, but rather a waist that has unfortunately outgrown it’s current belt.

My kids recently learned that both my wife and I carry. When my son saw my holstered pistol for the first time, it sparked a conversation about why I carry and why it is not something to mention in public. It was not a talk I expected to have so soon, but it turned out to be necessary.

Like many of you, I am uneasy about where this country is headed. Nothing we could have done would have changed the outcome of recent events, but they serve as a reminder that the world is unpredictable. The best thing we can do is stay trained, stay equipped, and keep our families prepared.

Website Updates

Nothing new on the website this week, we have been chipping away on a few projects to stay tuned.

We did have a new subscriber ask a really good question, that I think everyone will enjoy. It’s one of those questions that can really make you think. I used to have a “Mail Bag” section but to be honest, I didn’t have a lot to put into it and I wasn’t sure if it was just cluttering up the webpage, so I moved it to the archive.

Anyway here’s the question.

Jay
I’m reloading for a 505 Gibbs with Hornady 525 both solids and softs.
I settled on 142 gr H1000 for 2150fps.

I have two questions one seems to turn the way I understand physics on its head.
First the simpler one would a faster powder loaded to same 2150 fps kick less? This 11.5lb gun kicks the snot out of me now.

The more interesting question is how can a .458 caliber 500 gr bullet be propelled at the same 2150 fps with roughly half the powder charge and half the recoil as the larger caliber similar weighted projectile?
Thanks

Mark B.

I’ve already provided an answer, but what would your answer be?  I’ll post my response next week, and if anyone else has a question lay it on us. Marc and I would love to take a shot at it.

Time at the Bench

Finally some 338 Spectre

I am working on 338 Spectre, finally circling back around to that cartridge. Looking at developing a few test loads. 300gr Sierra Matchkings, Barnes 225gr TTSX (minus the tip), some Hornady 225gr SST, and I think I have a few other random 338 Bullets I might work a load up in.

I still need to mount an optic on the rifle, and figure out the range situation here in Vermont, but at least I’ll have the ammo loaded and that’s half the battle. I am queuing up to have a bunch of loads that need testing.

40 S&W Missing Barrel

So about 18 months ago I bought an H&K VP40 with the intent to use it as a host platform to do some tinkering with 357 Sig. Yes, I really like my H&K pistols, no I don’t consider it a “problem”. I bought a threaded 357 Sig barrel from Rim Country Manufacturing, and I have proceeded to do nothing with it besides installing the new barrel in the gun. At which point I decided I needed to put the old 40 S&W barrel for that gun in a place that must have only made sense to me at that moment in time. Two moves, later and I cannot for the life of me figure out where I put it. So, I am now sitting on a bunch of 40 S&W ammo I have loaded, and I don’t have a gun to test it in.

I’ve bought a few HK related parts from Rim Country Manufacturing. Have always had a good experience and I’ll likely pick up the replacement .40 S&W barrel from them. Bonus, it’s a standard thread, no metric weirdness.

There is a bittersweet side to this: I get to have an excuse to buy a new barrel. I’ll pick up a 40 S&W barrel, either made by H&K or from an after-market manufacturer like RCM. It’ll be threaded so if I ever decide to pick up a .40-cal suppressor, I’ll have something to put on. In my sleuthing of looking for a replacement barrel I came across the fact you can purchase a conversion barrel that will take your H&K VP40 and effectively turn it into a 9mm. No new recoil spring, no new mags, just a new barrel.

A VP40 to 9mm Conversation Barrel is a VP40 barrel that has the outside dimensions of a VP40 barrel but has a 9mm bore and chamber. A VP9 barrel has a slimmer profile and will not work in a VP40 Slide.

The VP40 slide is beefier than the VP9 slide, so it may result in a softer shooting 9mm? I don’t know. Either way, that is now on my “to buy list”.   Sometimes losing a barrel leads you down unexpected paths.

Lights for Everywhere

This has been a fantastic addition to my 550, only issue I have had if if I am using standard lock rings on the die, sometimes they are a bit too thick for the light to slide in.

I have discovered the joy of having more light on the bench. It started with a lighting kit for my Dillion 550 press and now has moved to two different adjustable lamps at both benches and even has moved to a small ring light around the quill on my drill press. I do not know if it’s just that I have gotten older and my eyes appreciate having things lit up like a Christmas tree.

I’ve clamped one of these to a shelf that sits above my bench. I can position it so I have the light right where I want it, and if I need to pull it down to get a closer view it’s right there. Not a bad deal for $50.

LED Desk lamps really make a difference, and they don’t act like light heaters, like the old incandescent, or halogen bulbs. For checking to see how high the powder charge is, or for just inspecting cases, I have found that a well-lit work bench really does make it a bit more enjoyable to reload.

Industry and Legislative News

NOE Closing Shop

Credit goes to Mark K. to bring this to my attention. (As a side note, I have an abundance of Mark’s who subscribe or who contribute in some way to this site, I would like to thank all of them but also recognize the statistical anomaly for what it is.)

For those who are not familiar with NOE, they are, or rather were, an awesome bullet mold making company located in Provo, Utah.  They had probably the largest selection of bullet molds, and configurations of molds of any bullet mold maker out there. They also took suggestions from hobby guys like me, and their minimum run quantity was low. If you could get ten people on board purchasing a mold they would likely run it. It is how myself and one other guy go the cast bullet mold for the 300gr 338 Mold designed specifically for the 338 Spectre into production.

315gr 338 Cal mold for the 338 Spectre, the bullet I helped design, and NOE brought to life. That’s almost 10yrs ago

They have announced they are closing up shop and they are blowing out the rest of the inventory. I don’t have any insight on why they are closing their doors, if it was a retirement of Al Nelson, or if they are the victim of the poor economy. Either way we are losing a great company that really made some fantastic products for the casting and reloading hobby. NOE’s closing is only the latest casualty of what is presently endemic in the industry.

Industry Slowing

To put it bluntly, the industry continues to slow. Year over year revenue is down 9.6% on average across all shooting related companies and product lines, with firearms being down 11.5%. This is also born out in NICS data which has shown a marked decline.  For most of us this is not news, we have been feeling the effects of it if not being direct contributors to the decline.

I know I have bought less hobby related things this year than I have in years past and that is not because I am any less engaged. We just have less room in the budget to spend. Rising housing and food costs, rising energy costs, without appreciable increases in pay, and honestly the cost of powder and bullets has gone up. Primers have come down in price some but nowhere near what they were pre-COVID.

A few more companies have recently closed shop. SSCY Industries, makers of affordable subcompact pistols, closed in May. Anderson Manufacturing closed its doors early this summer. The Fiocchi of America is now fully owned by the Czechoslovak Group (CSG). CSG and Vista Outdoors are now consolidated under the Kinetic Group.

You got to hand it to them, they really pulled out all the stops on the engraving. Very nice, a bit over the top for my taste though.

Ruger has recently gone through a restructuring and the headcount at Ruger has dropped by about 5%.

These are normal responses to a soft market. Companies that are unable to weather the storm close up shop or get bought out. Larger companies look to cut costs, sometimes that means cutting workforce, as unfortunate as that is, and other companies are looking to diversify their product offerings. Trying to find niches of the market segment that might be seeing growth.  I.E the double stack 1911 market.

I would not read too much into it, other than a soft market means there will be change. While some might be referring this as the Trump slump 2.0, I don’t think it’s near as bad. Plus, on the bright side it may force the market to be more competitive, I may be optimistic, but I’d really love to see primers drop below $50 a brick of 1000. I need some large pistol primers.

Open Carry is Now Legal in Florida

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down Florida’s ban on open carrying of firearms. I think the surprise, for many of us, is that it was not already legal. Either way it looks like the state’s Attorney General is not going to appeal this ruling, saying “It is now the law of the land”.

If you choose to open carry in Florida or anywhere else, please do so in a dignified manner and professional manner, that does not paint everyone else as complete dufus.

New Jersey Upheld “Sensitive Places” Restrictions

In the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, a three-judge panel ruled that the New Jersey Legislature can define so called “sensitive places” and prohibit open and concealed carry within those places. As anyone who carries regularly knows, these “sensitive places” are almost always areas where it ends up being very inconvenient for those who choose to carry.

You want to pick up the mail at the post office? That’s felony to carry inside a post office.

You need to drop by an see your relative in a nursing home, or in a hospital. That’s a sensitive area, you can’t carry it there.

Libraries, Museums, parks, beaches, zoos, the list goes on. These all end up being “no carry zones”. So, you are left with 2 choices, obey the law and leave the firearm in a vehicle. Or break the law and carry regardless. Concealed is concealed right? That is a very personal decision, and I do not advocate for either.  The point is, lawmakers are finding any excuse they can to make lives difficult for those who wish to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense. This court ruling upheld the lawmakers’ intent to do that.

New Guns and Gear

MDT Timber Core – Rifle Stock

I am a sucker for a traditional looking wood and metal gun. I like the WOOX stocks, I like some of the wooden stocks and grips you can find on AR’s, and this MDT stock caught my eye.  It’s maybe a little less traditional in style, more akin to a mashup of their chassis and traditional wood stock, but I can get behind it. It offers many of the same features you might get in a chassis gun, v-block bedding, free floated barrel, and a bottom metal that works with magazines.

I have at least one bolt action rifle that I might consider refinishing and using a stock like this on. That is a someday project.

Steyr ATd and ATc Pistols

Steyr has announced a new line of pistols the ATd which is focused on self-defense and the ATc which is focused on competition.  I have to admit the competition guns are handsome looking. They are hammer fired which is a departure from the norm with Steyr. A lot of people have speculated these are a rebranding of Slovenija arms maker AREX. I see the similarities and both companies are now owned by Czech Republic’s RSBC Investment Group.

Steyr has an import facility in Alabama so it would make sense if AREX guns are imported that they come in under the Steyr name which is a more recognized brand in the US Market. The MSRP is said to start around $1,170, and I am sure they will go up steeply for some of the competition models. Specs are about what you’d expect for a 9mm. 18rnd magazines, DA/SA trigger, and optics ready. They do advertise that the system is easy to tune, and that there is some modularity of parts. It is also noteworthy that it is an all-metal frame.

An all-metal frame gun in 9mm is usually a recipe for a good time at the range.  

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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