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APRIL NEWSLETTER
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In this newsletter, I've included information on ammunition availability, ammo and propellant life and stability, barrel break-in, upcoming classes, and a few other things.
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PROPELLANT STABILITY
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Small arms ammunition is viable for decades. I still have some 1972 vintage Portuguese NATO 7.62X51mm stuff left over from my Camp Perry days (when we used to buy it by the case for practice), and it still shoots great. That said, propellant powders do degrade over time. Smokeless gun powders are typically "single-base" (based on nitrocellulose) or "double-base" (based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine). These energetic materials are in a family of materials called nitric esters. They are inherently unstable and over time, nitrogen oxides (those N-O and N=O things on this graphic) break loose from the main molecule.
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External factors like heat, light, or exposure to moisture or contaminants can speed up this process. Once it begins, this process can speed itself up. The breakdown products themselves are acidic and cause even more of the nitric ester to degrade in a chain reaction. Think of it like rows of dominoes: tipping one over can lead to a cascading effect where all the dominoes fall in quick succession.
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To slow down this process, propellants have stabilizing chemicals added to react with the released nitrogen compounds and prevent them from catalyzing this process. Over time, however, this stabilizer can get depleted. In loaded ammunition, this can make the powder burn faster resulting in higher pressures, blown primers, and maybe even ruptured cases.
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The greater concern is with bulk powders if you are a handloader. As the chemical breakdown reaction occurs, it also releases heat. Sometimes, it can create enough heat to ignite the propellant and cause a fire or explosion. From 1984 through 1997, seven propellant auto-ignition events occurred at U.S. Army Material Command Installations causing fires, explosions, and millions of dollars worth of damage. I know of at least once incident where this caused an explosion for a handloader using surplus military powder.
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What can you do to keep an eye on your ammo and powders? The first thing you can do is visually inspect your ammo periodically. Discoloration and corrosion are indicators that chemical changes are occurring. Check your fired brass for pressure signs like flattened or blown primers or case splits. If you have reloading powders, you can also inspect them visually, look for clumps or rusty red dust in the powder. Fresh powder has an ether or solvent odor. Degrading powder will have a vinegar-like, acidic smell.
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One thing I recommend is getting some Methyl Violet strips. They are available on Amazon. Methyl Violet reacts to acids, meaning nitrogen oxides will cause it to change color from purple (bottom strip) to white (top strip). You can throw these strips in ammo cans or I like to screw them under the caps of powder containers. The top one in this photo is one that came out of a partial container of Alliant AR-Comp during my annual inspection this year.
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If you have bad propellant, get rid of it, storing it can risk a fire or explosion. If you need guidance on safe disposal of powder, you can contact the manufacturer. Typically, propellants can last a long time, but keeping an eye on them is a sensible precaution.
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BARREL BREAK-IN
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This is a bit of a controversial topic, with experts on both sides arguing whether or not it is needed and what the best process is. I could tell you dozens of stories about conversations I've had with barrel experts, but I'll give you the simple version:
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Chrome-lined barrel: clean it once before shooting, then fire 200 rounds through it. Done.
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Non-lined or Nitrided barrels, I combine the break-in with the cold/clean bore zero process.
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- Clean the barrel and fire 1 round, adjust the sights appropriately.
- Clean the barrel and fire another round, adjust sights appropriately.
- Clean the barrel and fire another round, adjust sights appropriately.
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Seeing a pattern here? Basically do that for 10 shots total, cleaning the barrel between each shot. Use a coated cleaning rod and bore guide to avoid damaging the barrel with the cleaning rod. For barrel break-in, I like to use J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaner. This is amazing stuff. You can clean a barrel with your normal solvent till the patches come out white, then coat a patch with J-B and run it down the bore, it will come out black.
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I like this 10-shot break-in process because it doesn't use up unnecessary barrel life while helping establish a cold/clean bore zero. It helps smooth out any rough spots in the chamber or throat without trapping bullet jacket fragments that could cause pitting later.
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AMMUNITION AVAILABILITY
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If you've been watching ammo prices, you know prices have been slowly dropping since 2022. Retail prices have mostly stabilized, but costs to manufacture have been going up. The manufacturers are hungry to increase prices to more profitable points, however weak demand and strong competition between brands has held prices down. Now lets throw in the effects of tariffs, in a business where 5% net profit margins are the 'normal' margin during slow parts of the market cycle, a tariff increase would be almost immediately passed on to consumers, especially on key calibers that are high volume and very low margin such as range and training ammo for 9mm, .223 / 5.56, ,45 auto, .308, 7.62x39, .300 Blackout, etc... The retailers have almost zero room to decrease prices on name-brand ammo, and that extra margin that was seen during the high demand years of the pandemic and the first part of the Biden years was almost all trimmed out between 2023 and now. If you haven't stocked up on the ammo you need yet, this is probably your best chance for a while. As always, I recommend www.wideners.com and www.sgammo.com. You should have plenty of practice ammunition, this is the least expensive and what you will do the most of your training, practice, and recreational shooting with. You also need your special purpose ammo, which might be competition grade, high accuracy, or long range ammo, defensive ammo with special projectiles like hollow-points or soft-points, or hunting ammunition that could be anything from polymer-tipped "varmint" rounds to big-game rounds. Some people also like to keep a stash of "end of the world as we know it" ammo that is typically military surplus and can serve multiple purposes, but that last category is a bit more dependent on your worldview.
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UPCOMING CLASSES
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Here are the 2025 live class dates:
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- Defensive Carbine Elements: May 3, 2025 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Designated Marksman Rifle: May 31, 2025 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Defensive Pistol Elements: June 28, 2025 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Scoped Rifle Elements: August 2, 2025 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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All classes are scheduled to be held in St. Anthony, Idaho at the Fremont County Sportsman's Club.
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The website payment and registration system is up and running for the first 2 classes.
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MODERN TIMES
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I shouldn't need to create a list of the decisions and actions that are hurting feelings in this country right now, and I know everyone has different opinions on it, but regardless of your politics, angry, unhinged people can be a danger to you. While vandalism is legally categorized as a property crime, its psychological and social impacts often extend far beyond the physical damage. Research suggests that vandalism like this is more personal and targeted, especially when it involves symbols of identity, community, or cultural significance. Psychologically, vandalism can evoke feelings of fear, violation, and helplessness, much like crimes of violence. It disrupts the sense of safety and order in a community, often intentionally. In some cases, vandalism is used as a form of intimidation or to send a message, which aligns it more closely with acts of psychological harm or even terrorism.
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This complexity makes it more than just a "property crime" in its broader implications. History is rife with unfortunate reminders that violent movements begin by attacking things and symbols, then quickly evolve to attacking the people or groups that are represented by those things and symbols. It reflects the psychological and social dynamics of dehumanization and escalation. Add this to the nominal level of violence from drug-related and gang activity, garden-variety mugging and robbery, other politically- or socially-motivated violence and we have a fertile environment for more violent crime. This is going to require additional vigilance and good judgement for folks wisely looking to avoid unnecessary confrontation. It also means a greater level of personal preparedness and willingness to act decisively in self defense when you run out of other options. Don't let yourself slip into complacency or be distracted too much by the clown show the media outlets are feeding us. The world is changing, and while this may ultimately lead to better days, in the short term it has a lot of people on edge (or over the edge) and that makes things a little more dangerous than usual. Keep your powder dry, as the saying goes. I might add in: inspect it periodically for deterioration and use methyl violet strips. Hope to see you in the next class, Defensive Carbine Elements, on May 3 in St. Anthony, Idaho.
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