The Ultimate Reloading Series: Part 3 (Time to Clean the Brass)
In earlier parts of this series, we have discussed the importance of starting with squeaky-clean brass when you begin your reloading process. It’s important to note that “squeaky clean” doesn’t necessarily refer to shiny, sparkling brass color. What I mean by that is that brass should be completely free of all residue and debris, including range dirt, powder residue, oil, and whatever other gunk might get on your cartridge cases. While looks are important, the most important factor is ensuring the brass goes through the reloading process properly and without damaging your dies or other equipment.
The Ultimate Reloading Series: Part 2 (The Process)
Back in Part 1 of the Ultimate Reloading Series, we talked about building up a starting stockpile of brass. While you certainly can buy a complete supply of ready-to-load new cases, it’s the scrounger way to accumulate them for “free,” so to speak.So now that you’ve got some brass cases stockpiled, it’s time to talk about the next steps. This time, we’re going to walk through the overall process at a high level. Then, each step detailed in subsequent articles will make a lot more sense.
The Ultimate Reloading Series: Part 1 (Hoarding Brass)
We’ve been talking about doing a practical reloading series for 75% of forever.It’s time.Over the coming weeks, we’ll dive into the reloading process in a fun and easy-to-digest way. If you’ve been thinking about taking up the reloading hobby, this is your starting point. If you haven’t, read on anyway.
It’s Time to Buy Another .22
I did a spring chore this past week: a gun inventory. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not personally in a position to have to inventory my own guns all the time. I wish that were a problem. The nature of my job means there are loaner guns coming and going constantly. It’s surprisingly easy to lose track and find some sitting around that should have been returned long ago.
Reload Now, Regret Never: A Practical Guide to Getting Started
Now is the perfect time to start reloading. If you wait until the next political panic sets in, it’s just not gonna work. Prices will be sky-high, but that won’t really impact you because you won’t be able to find any products that you need, so you won’t spend a dime. At least you won’t be paying through the nose for gear and components. Then again, you won’t have any gear and components.
Rhino Time: Chiappa’s 10mm 60 DS Beast
I tested a new Chiappa Rhino. It looks somewhat… OK, a lot, non-traditional, but boy was it comfortable to shoot. Yeah, I know. These aren’t new, but somehow I just hadn’t yet crossed paths with one. Their new 10mm beast was a great excuse to rectify that omission in my catalogue.
| The Good |
| Does most of the things a pocket holster should do: protects the trigger, hides the outline of your gun, keeps pocket junk out of the action, and generally stays in the pocket when you draw. |
| The Bad |
| The material is too soft. With a magazine heavy semi-automatic, it tends to bend and rotate in your pocket. |
| The Ugly |
| It can be really difficult to draw when your gun, and the holster, have both turned upside down. |
| Our Rating |
 One Nun. |
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster
Suggested Retail Price: $12.95
We wanted to like this pocket holster. It’s soft and squishy, feels great, and is really comfortable in the pocket.
But we didn’t. Like it, that is.
The Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster takes a universal approach to size and fit. It’s offered in four different sizes as follows:
18744-1Small autos (.22 – .25 cal.)
28744-2Most .380s
38744-32″ 5-shot revolvers; Sigma .380
48744-4Most sub-compact 9mm/.40 autos
So there is no custom fitting for a particular gun. You take your best guess at the right size and go from there.
The material is fairly thick and has a rubbery-suede feel. Is that even a valid description? We’re not sure, but that’s what it feels like. It’s an open top, sealed bottom design and there is a band of non-slip material at about the half-way mark to help the holster remain in your pocket when you draw.
On the plus side…
- The material is sturdy enough that we’re confident the trigger is protected
- The bottom (on our model for mid size semi-auto’s like the Walther PPK) is sealed and does a perfectly acceptable job of keeping pocket lint and leftover Tater-Tots out of the action of the gun. And no, we really don’t keep Tater-Tots in the same pocket as our gun! We store them in our other pocket of course! Duh.
- It’s comfortable. The gun is protected and it feels good in the pocket.
- We had no issues with sweat, or spilled Coke, penetrating the holster material. So hit all the drive-thrus you want – no problem.
On the not-so-plus side:
- This holster, like other Uncle Mike’s models, has very little structure. You wouldn’t think that’s a big requirement for a pocket holster, but when it folds from the weight of the gun, you can have trouble with the whole rig rotating in your pocket. We did most of our testing with a Walther PPK, which, as a steel gun, has some weight to it. Add a full magazine and you have a strong tendency for the grip end to want to follow that gravity rule and find its way to the bottom of your pocket. Not good. In fairness, this problem would not be as severe with a polymer gun like the Kel-Tec or Ruger LCP.
So all in all, we would elect to pass on this one and spend a few more bucks on something a little more substantial. In our next pocket holster review, we’ll be taking a close look at the DeSantis Nemesis Pocket Holster.
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| The instability issue really caused me to fear for my manhood. I found that with normal day-to-day activity, in a variety of pocket styles, the holster had a tendency to rotate so my gun was pointed right at, well, my gun. | I tried it in my purse and didn’t have great success. The non-slip band was not tacky enough to keep the holster in the purse pocket when I tried to draw. I do realize the holster was not designed for this use, but wanted to offer up the feedback to my lady friends out there. |
Read about more carry styles and over 120 different gun holsters in The Insanely Practical Guide to Gun Holsters – available at Amazon.com! Learn more about our Insanely Practical Guides!
