I've found another way to waste my time and money, but in a good cause.
I coach 4H CMP Sporter Rifle and when the command "load" is given most kids insert their magazines, then we all wait while the kids with tube-magazine rifles insert their 10 rounds into the tube, one by one. There are commercial speedloaders that help with this process and are usually a lot cheaper to use. I went a different route by making a loader that is a little more expensive to produce but should last forever. I give these away whenever I see a kid with a tube magazine rifle.
Starting with a piece of empty .308 brass (or basically any 30 cal brass), cut it in half. Glue the two pieces onto both ends of a length of 5/16 or 3/8 tubing after first placing a rolled up foam earplug into the end where the bullet nose rests. I use 11.5 inches of tubing because most .22 rounds are 1" long, and after 1" is deducted for the earplug and 1/4" is deducted for the hitch pin there is roughly 10" of space remaining for 10 rounds. For the tubing I've used arrow shafts, copper plumbing pipe, clear hard plastic drinking straws, aluminum tubing from an old antenna, and a disassembled indoor clothes drying rack. I use a hacksaw to cut the brass and the tubing, a drill to drill a hole for the hairpin clip, and a wire wheel on a grinder to polish the brass.
The shooter first loads 10 rounds into the speedloader, nose first, and sets aside. When loading the rifle's inner magazine tube is removed completely from the rifle. While holding the rifle muzzle up the speedloader is inserted and the hairpin clip removed. Rounds slide into the tube by gravity. The inner magazine tube is reinserted and locked in place. Done.
I coach 4H CMP Sporter Rifle and when the command "load" is given most kids insert their magazines, then we all wait while the kids with tube-magazine rifles insert their 10 rounds into the tube, one by one. There are commercial speedloaders that help with this process and are usually a lot cheaper to use. I went a different route by making a loader that is a little more expensive to produce but should last forever. I give these away whenever I see a kid with a tube magazine rifle.
Starting with a piece of empty .308 brass (or basically any 30 cal brass), cut it in half. Glue the two pieces onto both ends of a length of 5/16 or 3/8 tubing after first placing a rolled up foam earplug into the end where the bullet nose rests. I use 11.5 inches of tubing because most .22 rounds are 1" long, and after 1" is deducted for the earplug and 1/4" is deducted for the hitch pin there is roughly 10" of space remaining for 10 rounds. For the tubing I've used arrow shafts, copper plumbing pipe, clear hard plastic drinking straws, aluminum tubing from an old antenna, and a disassembled indoor clothes drying rack. I use a hacksaw to cut the brass and the tubing, a drill to drill a hole for the hairpin clip, and a wire wheel on a grinder to polish the brass.
The shooter first loads 10 rounds into the speedloader, nose first, and sets aside. When loading the rifle's inner magazine tube is removed completely from the rifle. While holding the rifle muzzle up the speedloader is inserted and the hairpin clip removed. Rounds slide into the tube by gravity. The inner magazine tube is reinserted and locked in place. Done.
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