Revisiting the bolt action rifle

[drjoker]

Semi autos are the rage nowadays, especially with high capacity mags. However, in this day and age of ammo shortage, I have been forced to buy iffy ammo; questionable eastern europe ammo, really old ammo, etc. I've been playing casino games lately where the stakes is ammo instead of cash. I've won some ammo, but the conditions under which this ammo has been stored is questionable. Some ammo I won actually had a bit of green corrosion stuck to it. This causes jams in semi auto guns that require clearing, sometimes with minor gunsmithing. However, revolvers and bolt action rifles are easy to clear a bum round. For a revolver, just pull the trigger again to fire the next round. For bolt action rifles, just cycle the bolt again. There is no hiccup in my shooting with bolt guns nor wheel guns. However, with semi-autos, it is just frustrating to say the least to have a jam.

In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, L.A. riot, or post Katrina type event, I'd bet my life on revolvers and bolt guns as I'd imagine that ammo would really be scarce then.

P.S. Yes, I know it's cliche, but I've been playing cards with guns and ammo on the table.

P.P.S. When firing questionable ammo, be real careful of bullets getting stuck in the barrel due to insufficient powder charge. If another bullet gets fired into that, then you're gonna be in a world of hurt.

[jester]

For a revolver, just pull the trigger again to fire the next round.

Until you get a high primer or have the most common failure to fire. Pulling the trigger won't help with either.

L.A. riot, or post Katrina type event, I'd bet my life on revolvers and bolt guns as I'd imagine that ammo would really be scarce then.

It all depends how much you prepared. Besides, other than machineguns, all other action types only fire one round each time the trigger is pressed.

[XGC Radioactive]

all this talk about ammo shortages....

the only thing I had a tough time finding was 9mm/.40

but I bought 400 plinking rounds before it ever started.

as for my rifles, I have a R700 270, a .243, a Remm 300 Ultra Mag, a Naggant, and an SKS.

Never had trouble finding ammo for any of them.(300 ultra mag IS a special round, but Cabela's ALWAYS has them. just $60 for a case of 20

[troglodyte]

Or stock good ammo before you need it and store it properly. By good I mean safe ammo that will work reliably in the firearm it is intended for.

I guess any ammo is "good" ammo if that is what you have and it will go bang but I not banking on using "iffy" ammo if I can do better especially if the "iffy" ammo may be unsafe.

While I didn't get in on the buy-it-cheap-and-stock-it-deep I have been able to buy-it-at-a-reasonable-price-and-stack-up-a-decent-supply. I bought up a few cases of Monarch 7.62x39 at Academy a few years ago (for me and the sons). It isn't great, ragged-hole, clean ammo but it will shoot minute-of-man, zombie, terrorist, alien, mutant, disgruntled citizen,if the balloon goes up. It is put back in reserve as is some handgun ammo. I also buy "play" ammo, mostly the same stuff that I use to practice or plink. Then I have some good stuff for immediate self-defense and hunting.

Ammo is out there but you may have to get up early and often to find it. 0700 finds a few of us at the local Walmart two or three days a week to see what came in on the truck. Most days all the good folks that are waiting walk away with something they can use. This week I've scored 4-100 round Federal 9mm, 1-100 round WW .45acp, and 1-325 count .22 (three box limit/day) and there was still boxes of 9mm, .40, .45acp, .22, 30-30, .243, 22-250, 7.62x39 on the shelf at lunchtime...it was a good week. All at or near pre-panic prices. I pick up a box (1 box limit) of Tule 7.62x39 several times a week at Gebos (a farm store chain) as they always seem to have a few boxes on the shelf. I have limited my shooting outings, as not to burn through my "play" ammo, but I think I am actually ahead of where I was last year. I also understand that we may be the lucky few in rural towns where the competion to buy is not as great as in the larger towns. That said, the Academy in the neighboring larger town seems to be getting in ammo more regularly and in larger quantities. It seems that the ammo supply is becoming more plentiful...slowly.

I'm not giving up my bolt-actions, they serve a purpose but when I'm mobile or the hoards decend, it will be semi-autos with good ammo being utilized. If I'm holed-up at the Homestead then the deer rifles will serve as long-range deterents.

And...if TEOTWAWKI does come, I don't plan on expending anymore ammo than is necessary. Loud noises simply draw attention to your location. Extended firefights just get people hurt and killed and I am not bulletproof. The less attention I can draw to me and mine the better off I'll be. In dire times, if it becomes necessary to do a lot of shooting, I have no imagination of making through all of my meager supply. They will be dead or I will be dead long before that happens. I simply pray I will get to pass all the ammo down to my sons or grandchildren.

[C-dub]

I know what you mean about a bolt rifle. I'm heading to the range tomorrow and taking my M4, M1, and 1903 to finally hit the 100 and 200 yard areas. All that ammo I can't shoot in the M1 will work just fine in the 1903. It's gonna be a fun Independence Day.

[markthenewf]

Ammo is slowly but surely coming back. I've head interviews with folks from Brownells and such and they're saying that most of these issues are expected to be gone by the end of summer. Unless, of course, some other nut goes out and does something stupid again.

Rolling your own is definitely the way to go. You can get a complete single stage setup pretty cheap nowadays. Even the 'high end' rockchuker kits are normally under 300 bucks and the Lee sets are even more reasonable.

If you do have surface corrosion on the cases, you can get yourself the power adapter for the Lee case trim kit and chuck up the case in it on your power drill. Then you can just use some 0000 steel wool or scotchbrite scouring pads to remove the corrosion. Once you get the surface clean you'll be able to tell if the case is pitted and unsafe. I've done this with some NATO surplus ammo with good results.