The Firearm Blog

Came across this question @ Yahoo Answers.

Just use #000Steel Wool with nothing on it. Brasso and other solvents will neutralize Powder and Primers on any ammunition. They will be perfectly safe to shoot as long as the green corrosion is on the bullet itself and not the casing…….

Answer by JD

I recently discovered Yahoo Answers. I have not asked any questions, nor do I intend to. Most questions I have can be answered by fellow shooters and friends, and if they can’t help me I turn to gun forums.

There do seem to be some knowledgeable people answering questions at Yahoo.

A clueless kid asks how he can overcome his fear of guns. He asks ‘What if I mess around with it?’ … I shudder at the thought!!!

Maybe your wife/husband/girlfried/boyfriend or just a friend also has a fear of guns. If so check out this thread @ Yahoo Answers.

If you are reading this and you have not yet fired a gun and would like to I highly recommend a training course for beginners. It is worth every dollar.

Read this is you are in the US and looking for a course.

The Smallest Minority blog has a extensive post how to get into reloading. Well worth a read if you have been thinking about starting to reload:

After my offhand comment the other day about how people should get into reloading, I’ve received over a dozen emails asking how a complete tenderfoot would get into it: with a low budget, modest reloading amounts, and so on.

I would appreciate advice from you all as the a “basic” set of equipment one would need, as well as some recommendations for stuff like powder and such.

More here.

Hat Tip: Mr Completely 

Ever wondered about the difference between the .308 Win and the 7.62×51 cartridge?

From 6mmbr.com

Before we go much further, we want to address the oft-posed question “are the .308 Winchester and 7.62×51 NATO one and the same.” The simple answer is no. There are differences in chamber specs and maximum pressures. The SAMMI/CIP maximum pressure for the .308 Win cartridge is 62,000 psi, while the 7.62×51 max is 50,000 psi. Also, the headspace is slightly different. The .308 Win “Go Gauge” is 1.630″ vs. 1.635″ for the 7.62×51. The .308’s “No-Go” dimension is 1.634″ vs. 1.6405″ for a 7.62×51 “No Go” gauge. That said, it is normally fine to shoot quality 7.62×51 NATO ammo in a gun chambered for the .308 Winchester (though not all NATO ammo is identical). Clint McKee of Fulton Armory notes: “[N]obody makes 7.62mm (NATO) ammo that isn’t to the .308 ‘headspace’ dimension spec. So 7.62mm ammo fits nicely into .308 chambers, as a rule.” You CAN encounter problems going the other way, however. A commercial .308 Win round can exceed the max rated pressure for the 7.62×51. So, you should avoid putting full-power .308 Win rounds into military surplus rifles that have been designed for 50,000 psi max.

More here.

A UK armourer explains the problems he had using reloaded cases fired from military 7.62×51 rifles in his .308 rifle:

Around this period I discovered that shooting reloaded cases fired from an FN was virtually impossible. They didn’t want to chamber. My frustration led me to ask an older armourer what was wrong. In a nutshell, he told me that they probably didn’t fit because they stretched. I was using a Lee Loader in 308 Winchester and didn’t know that they only resized the neck, leaving the rest of the case untouched. The shoulders were blown forward on initial firing, so the case was simply too long to fit my rifle’s chamber! Hmmm…

More here.

Some more more information here:

Difference between .308 Winchester & 7.62×51mm NATO?

Simple instructions on how to bore sight your rifle:

How to bore sight a rifle by Chuck Hawks

If you are new to shooting and don’t know what bore sighting is then I recommend reading the article. Bore sighting allows you to more or less sight your scope (align the cross hairs with the point of impact at a certain range). Then when you get to the gun range you at least know you will hit your target. You can then adjust the scope by seeing where your shot went and changing the windage/elevation accordingly.

Laser bore sighting devices can be purchased to help with bore sighting:

From opticsplanet.net:

Measure 25 yards, you may use a vice or gun rest to assist in holding your weapon on target. While the laser is on the bull’s eye, you can now observe how many inches your scope or iron sights off target (the laser will put you within 1.5 to 2 inches of dead center).