by Norman E. Johnson

I have found a need for a new style of screw-in breech plugs on muzzle loading rifles. In this treatise the Knight model KP1 break open muzzleloader was chosen for installation of a totally new design of breech plug. This rifle, as purchased, already has two breech plug styles. One accepts bare 209 shotgun primers placed into the mouth of the breech plug which are quite loose and are held in place magnetically. The other style incorporates a full plastic jacket which holds and shrouds a 209 shotgun primer at one end and is inserted into a screw-in breech plug at the other end. This full plastic jacket requires preloading of the shotgun primers to be used in the field. Fired primers are easily extracted after firing with either method.

While ignition is very adequate with each of these 209 primer systems, blow-by smoke is considerable and really fouls up the action. This was a leading cause for making an improved module utilizing cut down .222 Remington cases with small rifle magnum primers.

Read more in our February 2012 issue. Back issues are available.

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe today!

by RK Campbell

The Walther P38 is among the most influential handguns of all time, having introduced the double action first shot and combination safety/decocker innovations to service pistols and spawning a number of imitators. It is arguable that the present service pistol, the Beretta 92, is simply a highly developed Walther P38 with a high capacity magazine. The Smith and Wesson Model 39 has been called the Americanized P38.

The P38 was a result of Germany’s modernization move during the 1930s. The Luger pistol was expensive to manufacture and maintain and the aging design was sensitive to ammunition types as well as debris. The Walther design was intended to be more effective and reliable, yet cheaper to manufacture. There were quite a few contenders, including some of Walther’s own enlarged PP type pistols chambered in 9mm Luger. Influence from J P Sauer, Mauser and Luger is seen in many of these handguns but Walther is produced a working example of the most modern service pistol of the 1930s.

Read more in our February 2012 issue. Back issues are available.

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe today!

by Wendell Deaner

We began with a tool usage overview and will continue there, wrapping up with business how-to.

How to use a dial caliper, a micrometer and their different types needs to be addressed. Hopefully our public schools have blessed our young minds with the knowledge of how to distinguish 0.004 inch from 0.04 and 0.4 inch. If not, it’s up to us.

The use of chemicals is very important to a lot of gun work. Finishing oils and other substances, especially the spray-on type, can be inhaled. Others, such as acetone and caustic strippers, that can damage the skin should be introduced and safety must be emphasized by insisting on protective glasses, gloves, and a good shop apron when working with toxic products. Many bluing preparations need special consideration, especially when working inside. Also, describe which chemicals must be used outside. I use flammable materials inside my shop and don’t allow smoking. Make sure to store and dispose of all potentially harmful substances properly. Insist your student reads labels and takes the warnings seriously.

Read more in our February 2012 issue. Back issues are available.

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe today!

by Chick Blood

I’m beginning to lose count as I have already covered the LCR and LCP in previous issues. This particular CCW special is the latest winner. The “LC” stands for light carry, an updated, re-engineered version of the much larger and heavier Ruger P-Series. As the factory press release lingo says, the LC9 is a compact, lightweight, DAO, magazine-fed, recoil operated personal defense autoloader chambered in 9mm.

Shunning link-locking systems, the LC9 utilizes a camming design. Before firing, the barrel and slide are securely locked together. Upon firing, they remain together while traveling a short distance to the rear. After this initial movement, the barrel is cammed downward, clearing the way for full recoil of the slide to achieve extraction and ejection. The barrel stays out of the way, permitting the slide to begin a return to its forward position. During this trip, the recoil spring cams the barrel upward to resume lock-up with the slide.
Although 9mm +P ammunition can be fired in the LC9, a steady diet of the hot stuff could pound the pistol into a shorter service life. As for 9mm+P+, never use it. It’s not due to the LCP being somewhat a weak sister. Far from it. The unvarnished truth is there are no SAAMI or CIP pressure limits established for +P+ ammunition. Any use of it can result in serious injuries. You have been alerted. Please pass the warning along to any and all LC9 owners, especially those who might tend strongly toward loading their own.

Read more in our February 2012 issue. Back issues are available.

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe today!

Chris Dolnack, senior vice president of NSSF, reported, “A lot of research went into making sure Families Afield was planned properly before its launch, and now because of that preparation Families Afield is really starting to pay dividends for youth hunters and for hunting in general.”

States with the most apprentice hunting license sales are Pennsylvania with 102,663, Michigan with 59,929 and Ohio at 51,416.

Families Afield is based on the simple premises that parents, not politicians, should decide at what age a child is mature enough to try hunting and that when introducing a youngster to hunting, earlier is better. The need for this program became apparent when a study revealed that hunting regulations in many states did not allow youth to hunt with an adult mentor until sometimes 12 years old or later. The age restriction plus stringent coursework and certification requirements were deterrents to getting started, making it much easier for children to channel their enthusiasms into video games and organized youth sports.

These barriers were reducing the number of youngsters participating in hunting. Researchers found that for every 100 hunters lost, only 69 were taking their place. If this “hunter replacement ratio” was not improved hunting itself could be compromised, along with its critical ties to wildlife conservation and America’s economy. Families Afield’s answer was to allow licensed adult mentors to introduce youngsters to hunting at younger ages, instilling the passion for hunting in children early and safely, thereby bonding families together and increasing attendance in hunter education classes.

According to an NSSF-funded study carried out by Southwick Associates, the pool of hunters in America is much larger than previously thought. The study estimated that 21.8 million people purchased a hunting license at least once in the last five years. Hunters are the backbone of conservation funding in America, contributing more than $1 billion each year through the purchase of licenses, tags, permits and stamps and through excise taxes paid on firearms and ammunition. According to a 12-state hunting license sales index, NSSF anticipates a national increase in paid hunting license holders based on an already-realized 3.5 percent increase in license sales.

Families Afield is predicted to have a long-term, positive effect on hunting by creating millions of new hunters. While the program’s numbers are impressive it is still in the early stages. To learn more about Families Afield and about your state’s hunting regulations, visit familiesafield.org.

Read more in our February 2012 issue. Back issues are available.

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe today!