1911

Today - er, make that Sunday last - was “test magazines” day.

The hammer hits the firing pin and that hits the primer, but it doesn’t go bang. Removing that round and looking at its backside, the dent in the primer is smaller than it should be.

It’s the process as much as the product. And by that I mean when, how much and where the product, any product, is used.

Do you ever ask questions like these?

• When did I last replace the recoil spring in the wad gun and does it run best with 11 or 12 pounds for my current load?
• How long have I had this S&W Model 41 and what did I pay for it new? And when did I get the shorter barrel that I now prefer?
• How long has it been since I gave the ball gun a complete tear down and cleaning?
• My backup 22 (a Ruger Mk III,Volquartsen trigger) looks clean but have I fouled the barrel yet?

In the past, I’ve jotted notes in my shooting log that would let me figure these things out. But since it’s one book for many guns, finding some detail about a specific firearm means a lot of page flipping. And, if the detail doesn’t jump out, does that mean I missed it or did I just forget to put it in there in the first place?

All Springfield-Armory firearms begin in Brazil. (Paraphrased from Wikipedia.)

This is the third of a five part series.

In this part we look at Cartridge Overall Length (COL) and crimp to discover what tolerance is recommended and whether or not we can get accurate measurements with the available instruments.

1. Tolerance in Reloading (Introduction),
2. Tolerance in Powder Throw,
3. Tolerance in COL and Crimp,
4. Tolerance in Bullet Weight, and
5. Tolerance in Brass.

Introduction

Eight months.

It’s been eight months since I’ve shot a handgun.