Gun Nuttery Moves to New Level

The other day an idea came to me: an ammunition “savings account.” The idea was that I would put a large amount of ammunition aside and then either leave it alone or rotate it out as I shot. I have concerns that anti-Christians will make ammunition much harder to get in the future, before coming to confiscate it entirely, so it seems to make sense to be ready.

I have been working on my stockpile. I made a large number of .45 ACP rounds for target shooting, and I also made hundreds of .45 ACP hollowpoints. I have 9mm and .38 Super components on the way. Before the end of the year, I should be sitting on a pretty decent cache or “arsenal” as the TV news people like to call anything beyond half a box of CCI Mini-mags.

I’m learning a lot about making ammunition, and it has affected the way I see handguns.

When I made my defensive rounds in .45 ACP, I found that they had tiny velocity spreads. One round would be 906 fps, another would be 910, and so on. When you buy factory ammo, you can expect a spread of around 50 fps.

I don’t know if it’s true, but common sense suggests that consistent velocity contributes to accuracy. After all, bullets travel in arcs, not lines, and the shapes of the arcs are partly determined by velocity.

Today I shot a few defensive rounds as well as some target rounds. The defensive rounds were made with new Starline brass, and the target junk was made with brass I found on the ground at gun ranges. Before I shot the defensive rounds, I weighed every one in order to make sure I didn’t overload any. They were amazingly consistent. Almost all were exactly 320.0 grains. From past experience I knew that random brass gave varying cartridge weights.

I shot a lot better with the new brass. It made me wonder if the interior volumes of sister cases were likely to be nearly identical. Volume affects pressure, and pressure affects velocity.

Two notions came to mind. First, I should stop using whatever brass and powder I had lying around, look for accurate load data, and buy the right stuff. Second, I should break down and get a nicer gun. I didn’t want to shell out for a Les Baer or a Wilson Combat, but I knew there were guns that were more carefully made than my SW1911 yet not prohibitively expensive.

I decided to try Vihtavuori N320 powder. Supposedly, it gives excellent accuracy, doesn’t flash much, and doesn’t stain brass. It ought to be the best powder on earth, because it costs over 50% more than other powders. I also decided to invest in semiwadcutter .45 bullets. They make nicer holes in targets. Today my round-nosed bullets tore a big strip out of a target. I don’t want to keep dealing with that. Also, semiwadcutters are supposed to be reasonably good for defense and hunting.

As for the gun, I took a long look at the Colt Gold Cup Trophy. People speak highly of it. I decided against it, though. I wanted a second .45. The Gold Cup Trophy is available in .45 ACP and .38 Super. I may want to get one in .38 Super some day, and I don’t want two Gold Cup Trophys.

I started reading about the Smith & Wesson Performance Center SW1911. It’s similar to mine, but they fit the barrel more carefully, and there are some other little touches. It’s supposed to be a $3000 gun for less than half the price.

I was thinking about it when I went to check my mail. I wondered: was it really a good idea to get another gun, or was it just my flesh talking? I decided to ask God if he was in favor of it, and I felt a wave of something go through me. “YES.” It was a little unnerving. It bordered on pain.

That settled it. I ordered the gun. If I’m wrong, the worst thing that can happen is that I have a new pistol.

I have a lot of brass and bullets on the way. Should I also buy factory ammo? I don’t think so. For one thing, I trust my own ammo more. For another, I can make exactly what I want. Finally, while paying for top components is not cheap, it’s way cheaper than buying really excellent factory ammo.

Besides, you learn very little from shooting the factory stuff.

I think factory ammo is perfect for the AK and the shotguns, and I can’t make my own rimfire ammo, but other than that, I believe reloading is the way to go.

I may go completely nuts and get some real shooting glasses. I’ve never had any. I get the cheap yellow safety glasses.

I should pick up some holsters. I need one for my full-size Glock, and it would be good to have some 1911 holsters. I don’t carry a 1911, but for all I know, someone close to me may need to borrow one in the future.

I may get a couple of Miami Classic II holsters. I already have one for my small 10mm. They’re about as unobtrusive as a holster can get. They don’t get in the way when you sit down or do most types of labor.

It will be nice knowing I have a 1911 which is sufficiently snazzy to make it easier to separate my own bad technique from problems caused by a gun that takes a little extra effort to control.

Expect target photos and a great deal of bloviation.