Another method of protecting weapons from rust is to immerse them in oil. The wood or rubber stocks should be removed and the arms suspended from a rack in a large glass jar with a ground glass cover to prevent the evaporation of the oil. This is a very quick and effective method and is much more convenient than the preceding plan. The best quality of refined sperm oil should be used.
CHAPTER XIII
RELOADING AMMUNITION
The factory-loaded ammunition for pistols is so excellent that little is to be gained by hand loading. It is sometimes desirable, however, to use special loads that are not furnished by the factories, and such ammunition must be loaded by hand. Then, too, many persons prefer to reload ammunition for economical reasons. In order to do this successfully, considerable experience and skill are necessary. The first attempts at reloading are invariably unsatisfactory and disappointing, and sometimes result disastrously. Extreme care and close attention to details are absolutely essential, especially if smokeless powders are used. It is much the safest and best plan for those who are unfamiliar with reloading to observe and study the methods used by skilled persons, and, if possible, have their first work supervised by an experienced person.
Primers.—The primers are made of copper and brass and are adapted for either black or smokeless powders. The primers for pistol and revolver cartridges are made more sensitive than for rifle cartridges. If, by mistake, rifle-cartridge primers are used, there are likely to be many misfires. The original pasteboard boxes in which the cartridges or shells are purchased invariably have labels designating the kind of primer that should be used in reloading them.
The quality of the primers affects the results to a much greater degree than most persons imagine, especially in reduced or gallery charges. In handling or in transportation the priming composition is sometimes loosened, dropping out of some of the primers and leaving them considerably weaker than the rest. On opening a new box, empty it carefully, and if any appreciable quantity of loose priming is found, the primers should not be used for ammunition intended for fine shooting.
Shells.—The shells are generally made of brass with a solid head containing a pocket for a primer. There is considerable variation in the thickness of the metal from which shells are made by the various manufacturers. Since the outside dimensions must be the same in order to fit the chamber, it follows that the inside diameter of the shells will vary. When the shell is to be crimped a slight difference in the size is unimportant, but for fine target work using black powder, it is preferable not to crimp the shell. In the latter case the bullet must fit sufficiently tight so that it will not be dislodged by the recoil of the arm.
The size of the bore, when adapted to the same cartridge, varies a trifle, also, with different manufacturers. With the slight difference in the size of the shells it is therefore generally possible to select a make of shell the size of which will be just right to hold snugly in position by friction a bullet that exactly fits the bore of the arm. These refinements in the fit of the bullet and shell are important in securing good results with reduced loads.