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April 15, 2005
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oldcrankyyankee said
Ahh what the USMC should have stuck with!
The U.S. Navy Submarine service was the very last military branch to give up their Model 1911A1 service pistols. We carried them onboard right up to early 1996 when we were finally forced to swap them out for the M9 pistols. We had to do a fair amount small arms retraining and qualification (which is how I ended up with a substantial amount of WCC 96 and WCC 97 brass).
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
February 17, 2022
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We were forced into them around 86. I was in the first class at Lejune to go through the coaches school on them along with the then new qualification course designed for the M9.
April 15, 2005
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oldcrankyyankee said
We were forced into them around 86. I was in the first class at Lejune to go through the coaches school on them along with the then new qualification course designed for the M9.
Tom,
Yes indeed, teaching my young sailors how to shoot double-action and with their off hand was a very new experience. The nice thing was that the course of fire was longer (more rounds) and at more realistic distances. It seemed really strange to me the first time I stepped up to that 7-yd target line. I fought the urge to shoot a smiley face target like the one “Martin Riggs” did in the movie Lethal Weapon 
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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oldcrankyyankee said
Ahh what the USMC should have stuck with!
All kidding aside I think it was a good move overall, even if some units may have been better off with their trusty 1911’s. I don’t have the level of familiarity you guys have with the M9 but I know it’s a well-made gun. The logistics and training challenges of continuing with the 1911 doomed a grand old fighting weapon. I’ll never forget the time I helped the Federal Center folks qualify with their WWII (and possibly older!) 1911’s. Those things were way beyond worn out, even considering the loose fit the armed services seemed to think was necessary. I felt fortunate to finish out my LE career toting a custom 1911 in spite of (maybe to spite?) a chief who disliked cocked & locked carry. There’s a good chance I keep an updated and somewhat more compact .45 within easy reach but I have the luxury of indulging my old school ways.
Mike
September 19, 2014
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And the Army, too!
Tim
July 17, 2012
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Hey Tim,
On a different topic (while waiting for the fog to lift) Any relation?
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
September 19, 2014
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Jeff, I’ve absolutely no idea! I have a few just because of the name! I also bought and read an old English book written by a Tomlinson, just in case. I tell folks my distant relative wrote it, but again, no idea. I lie once in a while when its of no consequence! Tim
July 17, 2012
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tim tomlinson said
I lie once in a while when its of no consequence! Tim
Hi Tim,
They are not lies, I call them a “Fabricated Prevarication”, which is where the contracted word “Fiction” is derived.
oops, did it again 
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 7, 2015
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JWA said
tim tomlinson said
I lie once in a while when its of no consequence! TimHi Tim,
They are not lies, I call them a “Fabricated Prevarication”, which is where the contracted word “Fiction” is derived.
oops, did it again
And on the odd chance they turn out to be true just nod and try to maintain a poker face.
Fog has lifted, first serious cold front is blowing in with a vengeance. I’ve been busy stirring the pot in one of my civic activities, I believe I’ll adjourn to the room where the magic happens to wait for it to boil over. I have some wood stacked up to toss on the fire but it will wait. I have some fresh bullets that need to get ready for their first flying lesson. I’m getting better at this retirement gig!
Mike
November 7, 2015
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I don’t care what Bert says, I think I make pretty bullets!
😉
Mike
April 15, 2005
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TXGunNut said
I don’t care what Bert says, I think I make pretty bullets!
😉
Mike
But will they shoot good?? 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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Bert H. said
TXGunNut said
I don’t care what Bert says, I think I make pretty bullets!
😉
Mike
But will they shoot good??
Therein lies the problem, my friend. That loose nut behind the butt could destroy an anvil with a rubber hammer. We’ll probably never know. Forecast tomorrow favors coffee drinking over a range trip so I’ll have to get back to you with a range report.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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No fog today, just a rather cool and annoying wind with gusts over 40 mph. Good day to fire up a casting furnace and pour a few hot ones. The 30US is a grand old cartridge and seems to prefer a bullet that I enjoy casting and loading. I bought my current 1895 from Mark Douglas a few years back and enjoy shooting it even though the tiny front sight is a bit of a challenge for my old eyes.
Mike
February 17, 2022
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Bert H. said
TXGunNut said
I don’t care what Bert says, I think I make pretty bullets!
😉
Mike
But will they shoot good??
Who cares, Bert? I think that they are lovely Mike! Wish I lived closer as I would be a habitual pest learning to cast and reload like that.
November 7, 2015
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Tom-
Actually they shoot very well, especially when I set my QC standards pretty tight. This week I’m wondering if I need to have an eye exam. Only a couple culls with over 200 38-55 bullets and 5 out of 125 30US bullets…and the lubrisizer found all the 30US culls. I had no trouble recalling the cadence for these moulds and they dropped some great bullets! For 50 yard shooting with peep sights these will shoot better than I can and they kept me from crawling the walls this week. Hardest part today was swapping out the die in the lubrisizer. I’m trying to get Zebulon up here to pour a few hot ones. I found over 600 loaded 45ACP rounds today so my plans for pouring a big pile of H&G 68 wadcutters got pushed back aways. Let me know when you’re coming, Tom. I’ll freshen up the sheets in the guest bedroom. For me casting and loading is vital for being able to shoot these old Winchesters we love. Good therapy, too. You can’t let your mind wander when you’re working with molten lead or gunpowder.
Mike
July 17, 2012
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TXGunNut said
You can’t let your mind wander when you’re working with molten lead or gunpowder.
Mike
Well, you CAN let your mind wander but I have the molten lead burn scars on my right hand from 45 years ago to remind me to NEVER do that again. 
The good news is that they are slowly fading, by the time I am 90 they should be almost gone.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 7, 2015
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JWA said
TXGunNut said
You can’t let your mind wander when you’re working with molten lead or gunpowder.
Mike
Well, you CAN let your mind wander but I have the molten lead burn scars on my right hand from 45 years ago to remind me to NEVER do that again.
The good news is that they are slowly fading, by the time I am 90 they should be almost gone.
Best Regards,
I’ve had exactly one visit from the Tinsel Fairy and won’t go around a hot pot of lead without PPE again. I had proper PPE at the time but quite honestly wasn’t very consistent about it up until that time. I had a couple tiny splash burns but nothing serious. Third degree burns take a long time to heal.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Have a very disappointing range report but it was something I had to try. I haven’t licked a subzero pump handle or handled any hot horseshoes but I had to try some undersize bullets in my perennial 38-55 project. I had encouraging results with a few Hornady 220gr .374″ bullets so I tried a few more along with some Lyman 375449 GC bullets cast from a 50/50 mix of WW alloy and 20-1 alloy sized to .379″. This test was to confirm the earlier results with the Hornady bullet and to see if the above bullets would obturate to fill the .380″ bore of my 1904 1894 rifle. In a word; NO. Haven’t tumbled a bullet at 50 yards in awhile but today I managed to do just that with both bullets.
Earlier a strong, swirling wind came up as I was posting my targets and quickly ended a load development session at 100 yds with Project 670 and the 35 Whelen so I was certainly glad when Zebulon showed up with his projects because at the moment I was O-fer and out of guns to shoot.
I straightened up the room where the magic happens and vacated just in time for cocktail hour. I may cast some 375449 or a similar bullet from straight 20-1 and size them to .379 as I feel that is very close to what it was designed for. I tried using new cases today as my batch of test cases is getting a bit old and may benefit from annealing. I may go back to the .380-.381″ bullets but they are a tight fit in every 38-55 I have and require an unusual crimp procedure. Maybe the new cases will help with the bullets that, in theory, should work best in this rifle.
Cocktail hour is over, no conclusions reached. I reckon it’s time to queue up a Robert Duval DVD.
Mike
July 3, 2020
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re: queuing up a Robert Duvall dvd… my wife just said we need to watch “Open Range” again… 🙂
March 3, 2020
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Bert H. said
The weather has been rather grim and foreboding out here in western Washington (lots of strong wind & rain the past few days), so I too spent some time in my “Man Cave” loading. Late last night I loaded (200) fresh (once fired) 9 MM cartridges… 5.0 grains of bullseye under a 115-gr Speer FMJ. I have another 2,800 empties to prep and load (it will be my winter project). After I finish that, I have (300) 38 ACP cases that need to be loaded (for my Colt Model 1902 Military).
Bert
5gr of Bullseye seems like a fairly “sporty” round for 9mm.
