Recent content by Koveras

Maybe my eyes are playing tricks, but it looks like either a recessed chamber for a rimmed cartridge or a straight chamber for a large semi-auto cartridge. Maybe a .50 AE? It's too big for a 10mm.

As a reloader, I like the efficiency of the 44 Special. But if you don't want to start reloading right away, you might consider the 45 Colt / 45 Auto convertible models. The 45 Auto ammo is readily available and relatively cheap for practice, and you can save the more expensive 45 Colt for...

I checked one out at the LGS last week. I didn't have any way with me to measure the cylinder gap except by eyeball, but it was big. When I checked the cylinder play with hammer released and trigger pulled, the side to side rotation was about normal, but there was a lot of end shake (enough to...

Hogue makes wood grips for the XR3 grip frame that work fine on my 44 Special flat top. They are nothing fancy, but are traditional in appearance and function well. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/648778/hogue-cowboy-grips-ruger-xr3-blackhawk-vaquero-walnut

If you compare the "perfect" scorch marks on the front of the cylinder with the size of the back of the barrel, you will see why they are so uniform. When the bullet base exits the cylinder, the hot expanding gases have to go somewhere. Some of them are channeled between the cylinder face and...

Lee will make a rifle style collet factory crimp die for straight wall handgun cartridges. At least one vendor stocks these in 357, 41, 44 and 45. The bullet isn't resized at all, but you can put a very solid crimp on any bullet. That being said, I agree that case neck tension should come...

The material doesn't go left or right and make a 90 degree turn. The material goes up and hits the top strap and then is deflected from there in just about any direction (except of course straight up through the top strap).

I am not familiar with Xtreme Plated bullets, but plated bullets in general don't stand up well to full magnum loads. You are possibly stripping part of the copper plating as the bullet jumps from the chamber throat to the forcing cone.

A 4 5/8 BISLEY Super Blackhawk? I suspect this was someone's project gun where they swapped parts and put a Bisley grip frame on it. As noted by others, the previous owner may know more than he is telling.

I noticed that Savage recently introduced a couple of new variants of the 116 family in 375 Ruger. The 116 Alaskan Brush Hunter looks interesting. Hopefully this means the 375 is catching on.

I finally talked myself into one of these and I am glad I did. Surprisingly, I can unload the ten shot cylinder faster than the six shot. There is only a small movement from chamber to chamber so aligning with the ejection rod is almost automatic. Likewise, loading is fast since the cylinder...

I shoot the Lee TL 430-240-SWC in my 44 Specials almost exclusively. The design works okay in the 44 Magnum as well, but you must match your alloy to your pressure. As for sizing, I go ahead and size the bullets using the Lee .430 push through sizer. It works, is inexpensive, and guarantees...

If you are open to using gas checks and are looking for a cheaper mold, the Lee C452-300-RF shoots great out of my SRH in 454, and costs about $20. I run velocities around 1350 fps with it. I have no desire to push it beyond that level. I'm not sure how well the plain base on the NEI bullet...

I've had my 327 Blackhawk since late July and I've been able to shoot it a fair amount (thanks to a local store that had a good supply of the American Eagle 100gr ammo). The factory ammo is good stuff, but I wanted it primarily for the cases. My reloads have all used cast bullets (Lee...

I have found plenty of the Speer Gold Dot ammo locally, but the American Eagle is scarcer than Unicorns.