American Handgunner March/April 1981

HANDLOADING(Continued from page 16)SO as to attempt to squeeze the walls of thefired case to ~n equal diameter frommouth to rim, a bulge would probablyappear at the junction of the case wall andthe web. .And, finally, without the taper introducedin resizing, there would be a situationwherein the cartridge would rest at thebottom of the chamber so as to cause thebullet to be positioned out of alignmentwith the forcing cone. The result, ofcourse,would cause needless bullet deforJ:l1ationand lost accuracy.There is it constant effort on the part ofreliable, established die manufacturers tomake' resizing dies that will enable thehandloader to turn out the most accurateammunition possible. Those of you whohave magnum pistol resizing dies forstraight-sided cases should be aware thatthe properly resized case creates a mostdesirable foundation for maximum accuracy.However, if you find that you havea resizing die that does not produce a slighttaper in your straight-sided magnum re~volver brass, it is best to resize no morethan a distance equivalent to the depth towhich the bullet is seated. If irreguliuchamber diameters within the cylinder ofyour gun prevent this practice, deeperresizing with a die that introduces thenecessary taper will be unavoidable.A slight rolled crimp at the junction ofthe copper half-jack and the lead onswaged bullets, and at the crimping grooveon cast bullets, is recommended. Thi.scrimp is necessary, especially with the .41Magnum and other magnum revolverrounds, -to prevent bullets from becomingdislodged. The correct amount of crimpcan be set through careful adjustment ofthe bullet-seating die in two-die. sets, orsomewhat more easily with a separatecrimping die in three-die sets.My observation over the years has beenthat many handloaders tend to set tooheavy a crimp in apparent compliancewith the idea that more is better. Actually,overcrimping will cause unnecessary bulletdamage, increased pressure, and willsucceed in shortening the life ofcases. Thecorrect amount of crimp should thereforebe no more than is needed to hold thebullet firmly in place, and you will findthat this can be accomplished with moderatepressure applied to the press handle..The .41 Magnum is not to be overlookedfor being underpowered. It is equally illogicalto classify it as an oddball simplybecause it generally failed acceptance by amajority of police departments. It makes alot more sense to regard this quiet usefulcartridge on its merit. It is, in thislight, possessed of excellent balancein terms of reloadability, and outstandingpotential in terms of ....effective power. ~30HANDGUN LEATHERis a thick cream. Following the instructions,I rubbed a small quantity of the(Continued from pa:;e 18)mink oil into the dry leather with my fingertips, replacing the vital oils which had beenlost over the years. Leaving the rig over-Bianchi Gunleather. It contains mink oil night so it would absorb a maximum oftheconditioner, saddle soap, a silicone solu- cream, the following morning I wiped itl'ifftion, and a dressing (Gunleather Lotion). with a soft paper towel, bringing it back toIncluded are four sheeps wool applicators a rich, soft luster.and an informative booklet on proper The mink oil was followed by a treatleathercare.ment with the Gunleather Lotion. BeiI}g aOne ofmy prized possessions is an Andy liquid, it gets into any areas which mightAnderson Walk & Draw Western fast draw have been missed with the mink oil. QuotrigpurctJ.ased in the mid 1960's. Being one ing from the booklet supplied with the kit:of my favorites, it gets a lot of use. When "Gunleather Lotion is a treatment thatnot being used, it hangs in the basement, provides some nutrient value to thenot the best place to store leather articles, leather, softening and preserving fordue to the dampness. The belt was begin- longer life and vitality. It also gives a deepning to show. the first signs ofdeterioration luster and shine to a treated article." Thewith surface cracks from dryness. Here was Lotion was allowed to dry overnight also,the perfect subject to test the Bianchi kit and the rig was then buffed with a softon.paper towel. This combination ofmink oilSi.nce the rig wasn't dirty, I skipped the and Gunleather Lotion applicationssaddle soap and went directly to the mink brought my favorite Anderson rig back tooil conditioner. "Oil" is a misnomer, as this its original condition and beauty.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER· MARCH/APRIL,1981