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I've become one of the Van People.

Busy bit of weekday gunsmithing today. My order from Midway arrived. New inertia bullet puller arrived, it's long enough to handle even .338 Lapua Mag. I pray I never have to tear down one of those $6 rounds. Worked okay with a .45ACP, though.

The Bar-Sto stainless steel almost-drop-in barrel in .357Sig needed some almost-fitting, as I suspected. I needed to remove about .006" from the back edge so it would lock up in the ejection port. For $11 plus postage, I could have sent the barrel and slide to them, and waited.

I tried to file it off, but the barrel is so hard, the file just skidded off, and wouldn't "bite in". So I found my "medium" diamond hone, and spent two pleasant hours honing down the rim so things fit. When I got close, I switched to fine, and then super-fine diamond hones. Then a few minutes of final work-in with NanoLube. It actually locks up slicker and more solidly than the factory barrel with 50 rounds through it. I don't have the ability to measure things so close, but I suspect the new barrel is about .0005" shorter, which is the equivalent of a thousand rounds of work-in. I need more projects like that.

Finally, I got the RCBS collet-type bullet puller working. First, I had to spend two hours looking for the scattered pieces of my RCBS Rock-Chucker press. The press itself, being hugh, was easy to find, but a bear to get out from underneath a bench. The other pieces were in boxes and drawers that I had forgotten about years ago. In fact, I estimate I had never laid eyes on my reloading press for at least 15 years.

Setup was quick, since I only had to push four mile-long bolts through the holes in my loading bench. Pulling bullets is not hard work with a press like this. The puller setup itself was easy.

It was so easy, the first time I tried it, I thought something went wrong. I ran the round up into the puller, and then pulled down on the handle. It was so effortless I felt something had to be wrong. But there was a case with powder in the shell holder. I threw that away without further muss or fuss, then loosened the handle on the collet. A perfect .45 bullet dropped into my hand.

I'm so glad I got the puller. It's honestly ten times faster and easier, almost silent, and nearly effortless. If I have a rainy day ahead of me, I'll put my portable DVD player on the bench, and watch movies while I pull the ~820 bullets still to go.

Vans are cool. That one should stand you a few years. My van is that same color.

Is this an announcement that you’ll be needing more transport room?

I've become one of the Van People.

it was good tuh know yuh...

Nice ride, even has the roof rack; perfect for camping trips. Many happy miles to you and the Mrs. OB & LSA

Oh, it’s a nice van, too! I like the color! Same color as my very first brand new car, also a minivan, but a Ford. Got it just before our 25th anniversary!