I had a friend call me from Tulsa last night. He sets up there usually with four tables. He had just gotten set up and had returned to his room for the night.Tulsa should be a big show this weekend, but I wonder what will really be on the tables?
Most stores are out of most things that would be at a gunshow, except beef jerky
I've been doing that for many years. As others have noted, most wheel weights aren't lead anymore; they're either zinc or iron. Still, a fair number of lead ones turn up at the scrapyards (as well as other forms of lead). If you are using scrapyard lead to cast for black powder weapons - specifically for muzzle loaders - look for roofing lead. That's nearly pure, soft lead, unlike wheel weights, which are too hard to be good for muzzle loader use.
These days, I keep two pots. One is for wheel weight and other alloy lead and the other is for pure lead for my percussion revolvers.
Best
Doc
I just came home from gun show. Yes the prices were very high. There was very little ammo. What was there was at least 30-40% higher than retail. So we left and went to what was ‘field & stream’ where they were sold out of 556 ammo.
I don't even know what the price is for one type of ammo I use. 7.7mm JAP. I haven't been able to find it for a couple of years now and back then it was about $2 a round. 'Course they haven't mass produced that ammo since 1945. Seems that for some reason the Japanese stopped needing it after early August of that year.
If you get into reloading, you can easily make brass for your old 7.7 Jap using brass from certain other cartridges. This is true for a surprisingly large number of obsolete calibers and can both save you a lot of money and allow you to shoot your old rifle again.
Like most things in life, this is more work than merely plunking down your card (or cash) and buying it (if you can even find it). The COVID crisis and associated ammo shortages should've proven beyond any doubt what a valuable prep skill reloading is.
Best
Doc
“But boy I sure love my 75 year old gun. I have no ammo for it and can never get ammo again, but damn it’s a nice gun!”
I’ve heard that multiple times on TB. I always wondered why people would buy those old, off-caliber guns. Just seemed dumb to me.
Well I have a couple. Will never fire them. One I do have a box of ammo for.“But boy I sure love my 75 year old gun. I have no ammo for it and can never get ammo again, but damn it’s a nice gun!”
I’ve heard that multiple times on TB. I always wondered why people would buy those old, off-caliber guns. Just seemed dumb to me.
Ummm, Doc. When it comes to reloading, I have more ammo than three young, strong, healthy men can carry. I also have dies for 7.7. Just not the casings. An idea of which casings I can use would be helpful. And I don't know. When it comes to black powder, is it considered extreme when you measure the number of balls you have by the pound? At this time, it is over 20 pounds for two different calibers.
Great! If you ever have to fight against US Marines on Guadalcanal, you’re all set!!But I can assure you that this rifle is the reason the Marines STILL hate the Japanese. The stats on-line for an Arisaka Type 99 show that at 100 yards you have to aim two inches low because the bullet is still rising. At 200 yards, aim dead center.
Day Late, the most common (and easiest) case to convert to 7.7 Jap is the venerable ol' 30-06. There are loads of vids on YouTube on how to do it and lots of articles on the 'net.
Best
Doc
Great! If you ever have to fight against US Marines on Guadalcanal, you’re all set!!
Nobody has a lifetime of 20 20 vision.How wonderful that your eyes are still that good. I wore coke bottles from age 10, though into my 40’s I could still use open sights. Now it’s a different matter. What’s it like to have a lifetime of 20/20 vision?
ok, been doing shows 45 years, but whats a " guy selling O,G,s"?I go to the shows in my area to play bingo.
Yep that's right. Bingo.
Wait......what do you mean you never heard of gunshow bingo?
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Any .32 long or .32 H&R mag or .327 mag will shoot those .32 Smith & WessonI have the opposite problem that Day Late has...
I'm in the process of moving, and have just completed packing up my ammunition and reloading gear. I found an entire box of new, recent manufacture .32 Smith & Wesson ammunition in the "Misc Ammo" box. I haven't had a top-break revolver in .32 S&W in years. I've started looking for one, but so far the only thing I've found close is an 1890's Smith & Wesson model 1½ in .32 rimfire, which obviously won't work.
So, yes Dennis, I'm looking for a 75-year old pistol to shoot antique ammo through.
The barrel metal for black powder weapons is a low grade that matches the originals of the 1800's era. Not only will the breach area not handle modern smokeless powder, but hard leads such as tire weights will tear the rifling right out of the barrel and eventually the bullet will not spin. Pure plumber's lead is the ticket. Everything I've read says stay away from tire weights. A possible exception would be a patched round ball where the lead never touches metal. Hard lead will not give a good enough swage on a revolver that may lead to a chain fire.I melt them down and pour my own ammo for my BP weapons.