Owen Guns Bulletin Edition 55 June 2011

Ron Owen Blog June 6, 2011

Welcome to the Fifty Fifth Edition of the Owen Guns Bulletin.

STOP PRESS
Classified Guns for Sale – ADVERTISE YOUR GUNs HERE. New Site Just Opened, but selling guns so fast than we cannot photograph them and get them up there quick enough. We need yours to sell on  Electronic Classifieds!

  

Free Alliant Powder Reloading Book, just email owenguns@spiderweb.com.au and it will be forwaded to you in .pdf format.
Rifle Powder $30.00 per pound for Alliant Powders, RELOADER. Sorry but we have no dispatch facilities for powder. Australia  Post will not deliver not will any common carrier. If you cannot collect, ask a passing friend who has a shooters licence to purchase for you. We are right near the corner of the Bruce Highway. This product is high quality and gives the best results and meters well through all powder measures.  $30.00. Shotgun & Pistol Powders still $25.00.

The Golden Model 39A started life as the Marlin Model 1891, the first lever action rifle ever chambered in .22LR and the magazine was loaded through a conventional side gate in the receiver. The tubular magazine was changed to front-loading with the Model 1892, due to the difficulties of receiver feeding the small rimfire round.The 1892 gave way to the takedown Model 1897. Since the early 1950s Marlin has used their proprietary Micro-Groove rifling in the Model 39A. This rifling uses many small lands and grooves rather than 2, 4, or 6 deeper grooves used by the majority of rifle makers. The rifling is also made to a 1 in 16″ right hand twist. The combination of these two factors arguably adds to the accuracy of the rifle and indeed the 39A’s reputation would seem to bear this out.
The Model Golden 39A is built of forged steel parts and American grown black walnut. It is one of the very few accurate rifles of all descriptions with easy takedown ability (it can be taken apart using a coin).  The Model Golden 39A has a solid-top receiver and side ejection, which makes mounting a scope easy. The signature gold trigger was discontinued in favor of a blued trigger between 1982 and 1985
The picutured above Marlin Model Golden 39A is still commercially available with a 24″ (61cm) round barrel, a pistol grip, and a signature golden colored trigger. The Golden 39A has a full length steel tubular magazine under the barrel with a brass inner tube and a hammer block safety. Magazine capacity is as follows: .22 Short, 20 .22 Long, or 18 .22 Long Rifle. Annie Oakley once used a Model 1891 to put 25 shots in one jagged hole in 27 seconds at a distance of 36 feet.
$1025.
plus post.  If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

Tasco 3-9  X40 Variable  World Class Riflescope $117.

Tasco has been a leading name in the optical industry for eons, Tasco’s World Class Scope has been an industry standard since the 1980s it is the scope that many others are judged against and found lacking. The World Class due to its World Class forever Guarantee is rarely used we have sold thousands of them and I have been dealing with Tasco since 1975. The vision is quality, the adjustments are precision and the cross hairs are the right sized for target or hunting.  They were selling there for $190. Now Only $117.00
Special $117.00
plus postage.  If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .
Thompson TC Venture, Guaranteed 1 minute of angle, Bolt Action Rifles.

ACCURACY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
Thompson/Center introduces the New T/C Venture, the most value-packed bolt action rifle available on the market today. Designed to deliver top end quality and accuracy at an entry level price, the Thompson/Center Venture offers a  5 R  rifled match grade barrel and match grade crown, adjustable precision trigger and a classic style composite stock that puts it in a class all its own. A rugged, reliable tool for the outdoorsman, the T/C Venture features T/C’s renowned innovation, craftsmanship and cutting edge barrel technology. Guaranteed to deliver Minute of angle accuracy… 1 inch groups at 100 yards.
T/C Venture features a classic sporter style stock in rugged composite material with traction grip panels, the T/C Venture has a sophisticated appearance with the durability and accuracy to back it up. Thompson/Center’s Venture… made in the USA and backed by the famous Thompson/Center Lifetime Warranty… It delivers the finest in accuracy, reliability and quality craftsmanship in an attractive, affordable package. .270 win up to 300 win mag,
$950.
plus freight. If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

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Accurate Firearm Design
Self loading Breech Actions
In gas piston operated automatic breech loading firearms, all the power of the piston must not be expended in extraction. There must be enough remaining energy to retract the bolt, compress the counter recoil spring, and eject the fired empty case. Within  this, the piston is assisted by the momentum of the bolt, carrier and any connecting rod which the gas has put in motion. Momentum may be obtained either by a high initial speed given to a light mass, or by a slower speed given to a heavier mass. The machine gun, and to some extent the sub machine guns or machine carbine can employ a very heavy breechblock which retains its momentum well, but the automatic shoulder rifle cannot have such a heavy block, for that would increase the total weight of the weapon to an undesirable level. Therefore, the gas operated rifle must employ speed of extraction instead, and as we have discussed, this gets us into extraction troubles.
Here again, we find the matter of pressure looming up as a governing factor in design. The timing must be predicated on the pressure of the cartridge and the velocity of its gases when they enter the gas port, and these can vary but little. Automatic arms are not well adapted to a series of loads with light and heavy bullets at varying velocities. However, very often when a cartridge will not operate the self-loading feature of the weapon it is possible to manually operate the breechblock, which practically turns the rifle into a straight pull bolt action arm.
The better automatic rifles such as the FN FAL, have a feature similar to the Bren gun with variable sized gas ports and a number system to adjust them, but due to the price they have been fazed out in later models. Another factor would be the impossibility of training some of to-days recruits in how to adjust them so designers seem to have settled with the AK variants and M16, M4s for something that will work with most of the different grades of ammunition most of the time.
All semi-automatic sporting rifles and pistols appear to operate better when a hammer is used to drive the firing pin forward, rather than a coiled mainspring operating a firing pin rod as in bolt actions solidly locked weapons or a Stirling Model 20, 22 rifle. It can be observed that most of these semiautomatics have a hammer which is usually inclosed within the receiver. In all semi automatics a disconnector operates to keep the hammer at full cock when the breechblock closes and thus prevents full automatic operation, for the trigger finger has no time to release its pressure on the trigger before the breechblock has completed both its backward and forward movement. When the trigger is squeezed the weapon fires but one shot. The trigger is then released slightly by the finger, and a second squeeze fires the second shot, and so on. Any examination of the lock of a semi-automatic weapon will show how the disconnector operates.
Continued in the Next Edition OPEN BOLT VS. CLOSED BOLT.

Bushnell 3200 ELITE 3-9x 40 Variable Special Once only.
Price $295.

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Owen Gun Instructional Wall Charts

The Owen Gun, the best sub-machine carbine of World War II. Invented, designed and manufactured in Australia. Australia, that was at that time under threat of invasion by the Japanese. As used, by Lysaghts to train staff in assemble-diss-assembly at the Springhill Works, Port Kembla and Lysaghts Newcastle. These Instrucitonal Wall Chart Posters were also used by the Australian Forces from 1942 to 1967 for training purposes.These Owen Gun Wall Charts are printed on a banner vinyl, so do not need framing or laminating. Great for Returned Service Club, Rifle Clubs, Behind the bar, in the reloading room. Complete with the inventors Evelyn Owen signature. Two vinyl sizes
730mm x 480mm   $40. plus $12 for tube and postage.
1080mm x 720mm $55. plus $15 for tube and postage.
Art paper poster 550 x 420 $30. plus $10 tube and postage, (suitable for framing.) If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

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Mossberg Maverick Centrefire Bolt Action Package Deal $480.

The Mossberg Maverick has everything you need, pinpoint accuracy, smooth action and big-game calibers. The rifle is offered in four widely popular calibers: .270 Win, .30-06 Sprg., .243 Win and .308 Win., and features a free-floating, 22 inch button-rifled barrel. A Black Synthetic Stock. Weaver styled Mounts and a 3-9×40 Variable Scope. This powerful combination delivers a high level of accuracy unheard of in a value-priced centre-fire rifle. A side lever safety is utilized for convenience and safety afield, and the all-steel, machined receiver provides the Maverickwith positive lock-up for consistent operation. This rifle delivers high performance without the high maintenance.
For generations, Mossberg has built reliable, quality firearms at an unparalleled value. This American-made bolt action rifle is the first they have introduced in over 20 years. Blink and it’s a Savage or a Stevens and very similar to the Marlin. Just better priced at
$480. plus post If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

  

All you need to begin manufacturing custom ammunition to your requirements, just a diffrent set of Dies and Shellholder for each calbre you reload. LEE RGB Die Sets from $26.50 each Shell Holders from $8.00.
Phone 07 54825070 order your  Breech Lock Kit and Dies. If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .
Email : owenguns@spiderweb.com.au  

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Understanding Reloading Ammunition
BULLETS

 

In briefly describing the manufacturing operations and construction of powder and bullets, the school of thought is that it will give information that will assist in your choices of materials.
From first to the last of all these forming operations, the cup is gradually reduced in diameter and increased in length. When in finished form, ready to accept the core, it must be slightly less in diameter than a finished bullet diameter. The jackets are  then trimmed to length, usually in a very small automatic lathe setup. However, if a scalloped mouth is called for, trimming must be done in a pinching die system or variation thereof. If the bullet is to be of boat-tail form, the base of the jacket is given this shape in another punch and die operation before it is ready to have the core inserted.
Cores are pre formed from lead alloy, (lead, antimony, tin) of the required hardness. They are usually formed from lead wire in double acting automatic presses and dies in much the same fashion that handloaders swage their own bullets and cores.  In an industrial setting imagine a press double acting like the closing jaws of a pair of pliers.  Generally, the cores are brought to finished weight and of a shape and diameter that will fall readily into the open jacket by gravity by their own weight. This isn’t usually the exact shape that the core will reach when the bullet is completely assembled.
Cores and jackets are then fed into an automatically operated bullet assembly press which first inserts the core in the jacket, then swages the two to final form and dimension in precise dies under great pressure. Depending upon the bullet, this may be accomplished in a single die, or in several progressive stages. If a reinforcing cover is called for over the point, such as the Silvertip, it must also be assembled at this time and requires additional steps.
During the assembling operation, the slightly undersize core and jacket are both “bumped-up” under great pressure to final diameter. However, in some instances, the finished bullet is forced through a tungsten-carbide die to burnish it and bring it to final diameter, ironing out any minor surface irregularities that might exist. In the event of a cannelured design, the cannelure will be rolled in place by another automatic turning machine, and the bullet may then be forced through a final sizing die to remove any irregularities produced by the canneluring operation.
In any event, after final assembly and sizing, bullets are washed and sometimes polished by tumbling or water polishing to give them that pristine look you see when you take them out of the box. (Please don’t touch them in the gun shop before you purchase or the staff will rightly get very aggressive with you and put your prices up. As once bullets have been touched with sweaty skin they tarnish and are not as saleable.)
Naturally, special features require additional manufacturing operations which increase the complexity and cost of the entire process. For example, use of a two part core requires running the bullet through two assembling machines, the first to properly seat and form the rear core, the second to seat the front core and bring the entire assembly to its final shape and dimensions. The same applies to partition-type bullets. If the core is to be bonded to the jacket, then at some point during assembly this bonding must take place. It must be accomplished after the core and jacket are brought into firm contact under heavy pressure, but before the final shape is produced.
In recent years, another method of bullet manufacture has been developed. Instead of depending upon precisely controlled sheet or strip jacket material, this method utilizes short sections of rod. Raw jacket material of equal quality is cheaper in rod form than in sheets or strips and is less subject to handling and shipment damage.
Initially, rod stock of the proper composition and characteristics is cut very accurately into short lengths of the proper size to produce the jacket desired with a minimum of waste. These “slugs” are fed into an automatic press where they are held confined in a die while a shaped punch is driven down into one end of the plug. The punch penetrates the slug and forces the metal under pressure to extrude upward around the punch. The initial operation forms a cup, much like that formed from strips as already described. Depending upon the bullet type and shape and jacket material, the initial extrusion operation may prepare the cup for the rest of the procedures already described, or one or more additional extrusions may be required. However, once the basic cup is properly formed by extrusion from rod, the balance of the jacket-forming and bullet assembly operations remain essentially the same as described above.
The foregoing applies, of course, to sporting bullets and to military, lead-core, ball bullets. Special-purpose military types such as incendiary, armour-piercing, and tracer involve essentially the same jacket-forming operation, but become tremendously complicated in core manufacture and final assembly.
After all is said and done, anyone with a punch press and a few dies can make bullets. However, good ones with accuracy are dependent upon, design, bullet materials and consistency than any other single factor, such as the brand of who made them. Consequently, it is essential that every refinement possible be made to both material and methods to insure that bullets are uniformly of the best quality.
In the past few years, Remington-Peters has developed a new bullet manufacturing process, the details of which are not generally discussed, but which apparently produce a very high degree of uniformity with at least some savings in cost. Apparently, this process consists of first forming the core to final shape and dimension, then building up the jacket by an electroplating process to proper thickness and profile.  (Berry Projectiles are made like this, Phone 0754825070 for price and availability.) Following this, the bullet is polished, sized, and altered at the point to secure the desired expansion characteristics, such as Hollow point. Many tests have proven these bullets to be superbly accurate.
Don’t get the impression that lead bullets have disappeared. Nearly all rimfire ammunition and most revolver cartridges are loaded with plain lubricated lead bullets whose design and manufacture haven’t changed in over a century. The worlds most accurate rimfire ammunition and the best match revolver ammunition uses un jacketed lead bullets.
With one or two exceptions such as the .357 Magnum factory lead bullet loads produce well under 1500 fps, most under 1000 fps. A very soft alloy, hardened only slightly by a minute portion of antimony, works well in that velocity range and is easy and cheap to work with. Lubricant is vital to accuracy and to prevent leading, (Lead Deposits in chambers and barrels) each company has its own closely guarded “secret formulas.”
The best lead bullets are made from lead wire which is cut into short lengths which are then fed into automatic presses where they are fully shaped in dies under heavy pressure.  Cannelures (lubricant grooves) are then rolled in on another machine, and the finished bullets are lubricated. Cheaper lead bullets are cast from molten lead.
When driven fast enough, all lead bullets will expand to some degree if of soft alloy. Until thirty five years ago, no factory loaded lead bullets were designed specifically to produce expansion other than .22 RF hollow-points. Now, though, all companies offer products such as, lead 158-grain, semi-wadcutter containing a deep hollow point to promote expansion. It is intended primarily for police work and does expand quite well at relatively close ranges when fired from all but the shortest-barreled revolvers. It is offered in .38 Special caliber only.
Gas check lead bullets are little used by the factories. Their manufacture is as already described except that the gas check is joined to the body in the dies. Gas checks are primarily the tool of the hand-loader and are covered in the chapter on cast bullets.
Factories don’t cast bullets today. Most of them haven’t done so since well before the turn of the last century when efficient swaging machines were developed in the 1930s.
Next Edition Primer Information.

The Free External Ballistics Calculator NEW VERSION for all Components not Brand Specific. 

Click This Link to read the Instruction Sheet.

Email : OwenGuns@spiderweb.com.au and the External Ballistics Calculator program will be sent to you in EXCELL Format free of charge.

Mossberg Model 802 Plinkster, 10 Shot Bolt Action Repeater $250.

The 802 Plinkster™ is the perfect go anywhere kind of gun, with the built in features normally found on rifles that cost far more. Whether your idea of fun is serious marksmanship practice, chasing small game or just plinking around, the 802™ model fits the bill.
Available in blued finish and synthetic stock.
Select 802 Bolt-Action models now offered with factory mounted 4x scope combo sets.
Receiver grooved to accept 3/8? scope mounts.
Convenient cross bolt safety and magazine release buttons.
Detachable 10-round magazine.
18? free floating barrel.
1:16? RH twist for superior accuracy.
Fully adjustable rifle sights and a 3-9×40 Variable Scope and Mounts
$250.00

See below my first attempt at a giving you all a better longer look at the rifle with a little video, click on picture below and with luck it will go to the page, click the arrow and  it will play . Hopefully its is the first of many.If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

The Norinco JW 105. in .223 Remington.
This is the (Jain Way) JW Model 105, Sometimes called Norinco. These rifles are made in the same factory that manufactures the now famous JW 15 .22 rifle (the Brno Mod One Copy) if you have had a JW15 or know of anyone who had one, you will know that they shoot sometimes better than the rifle they imitiated. These JW105 s are in .223 Remington calibre and have a five shot detachable magazine. They also come with Weaver style mount bases and Quick Detachable studs for QD sling swivels  If you look carefully at the close up photograph you will notice a shiny silver colour, at the breech face,the camera has picked up the chrome plating from inside the chamber. The Chinese are the only non-military manufactures that can afford the chrome process of plating the Barrels and Chambers. They have also chromed the forward section of the Bolt. Chrome plating gives the best protection against erosion and corrosion than anything else besides regualr cleaning. The JW 105 is a copy of the Geveram and Krico that was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s, they were very good quality but I believe that Gevarm had to stop making them as the were too expensive to produce.
These are the best value .223 remington centre-fire, repeating rifle on the market. If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

Brand New $460. 

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Our Best Selling Book is Australian written and produced with the Australian Shooting conditions in mind. If you like the small articles included with this Bulletin, Accurate Firearm Design and Understanding Cartridge Reloading and want to read an encyclopedia on shooting by the same author buy The Range Officer Handbook.
The Range Officer Handbook
The Range Officers Handbook pay by Pay Pal see Bulletin Special Announcement Page
CLICK HERE
As already purchased by members of all Shooting Organisations.Some have even bought two copies one for home and one to take to the club. See Book Reviews by Nick Harvey in Sporting Shooters and Guns Australia in our new Gun Book Category.
It’s a week since I received a copy of “Range Officers Hand Book” and since that time I am nearly at the half way mark. I’m amazed at the at the number of subjects you have covered making it one of the most informative books to be added to my collection. It must have taken you a considerable amount of time and experience to publish the book with information not available in other popular Gunsmith manuals. I would recommend the book to “Range Officers” and anyone interested in the sport of target shooting and hunting.
Regards
Gene M Cornford P.O.Box 288, Kaeo    0448 N.Z. Firearms Gunsmith, Dip M.G.S +Member of American Gunsmithing Assoc.

The Range Officers Handbook is an encyclopedia or omnibus of firearms and ammunition and the use of them, it has:-
•  90   pages of Information for Range Officers,
•  239 pages on Coaching to Win,
•  110 pages on Air Rifle History &Training,
•  33   pages on hitting Clay Targets,
•  34   pages on Reloading Ammunition,
•    6   page of Contents,
•  18   pages of Index,
•  38   pages of Old into New, ( Chronological History of Firearms)
•  23   pages of Glossary of Terminology on Firearms and Optics
•  Over 1000 drawings and photographs.
•  Over 530 pages in a A4 stitched colour hardback.,
Some, hopefully will read it cover to cover, others will pick a heading out of the Contents pages and read a chapter or two, but no matter how much you know about shooting, reference material is always needed, as even people who rate as genius cannot retain everything. The real ability is being able to find out quickly and easily. You can check that you have the correct terminology, in the Glossary, check the Index and go straight to the right page. This book can be used as an information tool for a lifetime of shooting.

$75  Signed by the author (state who you would like it dedicated to) plus $10 postage Australia wide.
The Range Officers Handbook pay by Pay Pal see Bulletin Special Announcement Page Click Here.

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FREE FOR ELECTRONIC DOWNLOAD

 

Operators Manual for for Ruger Model 10/22 Carbine, Assemble Dis-Assemble Maintenance Exploded Diagrams General Data, Remember, one of the guns you used to own.

Email : OwenGuns@spiderweb.com.au and it will be sent to you in .pdf format free of charge.
We have over 2500 firearm Manuals which if you need a particular one we can source and email to you please phone 07 54825070 or enquire via the above email but we will require $16.50 per electronic version or $25. per hard copy plus postage.
If you want to order by mail  Phone 07 54825070 have your card detail handy .

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owenguns@spiderweb.com.au

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The Norinco JW 105. in .223 Remington.