September 2, 2011, 09:43 AM | #451 |
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Don't start me on the .41 Mag. I love the round. I traded two pistols and a lever action rifle with my cousin (Mine were .357, his .41 and we have 'semi-permanently' borrowed them off of eachother.) to get a "set" in .41 Magnum. They are my current horseback trio- open carry of pistols and a saddle holster.
For all the .327 fans, I hope it doesn't follow in .41's footsteps. .41 is a great round, accurate (more so IMHO than .44 or .357) and packs a wallop. It suffered from "middle child syndrome" and is very underappreciated. .327 looks great to me. I do not own one... YET. As I have gotten older, I appreciate smaller calibers. Easier to carry, conceal, and therefore often more useful than larger things.
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September 2, 2011, 03:10 PM | #452 |
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Threedogdad, as I read my post again, I see how it comes off as obnoxious -- I apologize for that. I did miss where you mentioned economies of scale.
Where I got all turned around and worked up is when you compare 2,000 rounds of 9mm to our grumbles on .327. Other than being a handgun round that you guys had fun shooting, I can't find the relevance to what we are discussing. We all in this thread truly are in the same boat here. Sorry again for coming off as a tool. I've been down the road of bugging the guys at Hornady. I've annoyed the folks at Natchez, Graf's and Wideners and I've bothered the guys at Starline, too. I've gotten small bits of brass from Freedom Arms and a larger lot of once-fired at too high a price from another 'net dealer (who no longer has it.) I've given more grief to Ben Amonette at ATK than the poor guy has earned. Two and a half years I've been fighting the good fight for the .327 Federal and though it's better now than it was in the spring of '09, I sure don't feel like I'm winning.
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September 2, 2011, 04:39 PM | #453 |
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Don't forget about Sierra.
Vice President of Sales and Marketing - Matt Reams. To express your opinion, file complaints, or correspond otherwise, put his first name in front of @sierrabullets.com.
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September 2, 2011, 04:44 PM | #454 |
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It's a solution to a problem that never was.
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September 2, 2011, 06:12 PM | #455 |
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Most of my guns have nothing to do with solving any other problem besides turning a "want" into a "have".
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September 2, 2011, 11:42 PM | #456 | |
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Quote:
But, some of us have taken a very pro-active role in prodding manufacturers to step up production, or give new products a chance on the market. We don't want .327 Federal to be relegated to "niche cartridge" status. We want the future to be a matter of turning "want" into "have", without having to worry about these issues. The more people we can get on board now, the better the future will be.
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September 3, 2011, 12:33 AM | #457 |
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The answer to this ? is very simple imo the .357 magnum. That does everything the .327 can and better, its been around longer and there are more firearms chambered for it. The .327 is just unecessary to the main populous of people. It is more of a specialzed cartridge that people either like or dont, again imo. I rather have a 357 in hand any day, but thats just me . Funny thing is Im not ever a revolver guy. I dont own One, but I do shoot my fathers Model 60 2 1/8 357 Mag. Hes pretty close by so I got to shoot it many times. I am in the process of getting my 1st revolver thought a S&W Model 19 2.5" barrel. Sorry rambled a bit .
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September 3, 2011, 02:21 AM | #458 | |
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Quote:
How about .30-06, 300 Winchester Mag, 300 Short Mag, 300 Ultra Mag, and 300 Weatherby? Is there really a need for .243 Winchester, 6mm Remmington, 6mm PPC, .240 Weatherby, 6x47 Lapua, and 6mm BR? .410, 28, 20, 16, 12, and 10 gauge shotguns? 500 S&W, 460 S&W, 480 Ruger, .454 Casull? I guess could we just standardize to one pistol and one rifle caliber, and one shotgun as well..................and get rid of all the other unnecessary calibers. But where is the fun in that? Some of those cartridges are "better" than others, depending on who you ask. But everybody like something different, for different reasons. Need and want are not necessarily the same, and lots of shooters have guns that they may not NEED.........thats how I came to have most of mine
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September 3, 2011, 07:42 AM | #459 |
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76 not 75
I have several calibers including 357. This is my favorite to shoot.
If you haven't tried it, you don't get it. That makes sense to me too, the .32 list is very crowded. why add another? The first time I saw one, we were shooting 357's and a friend came out with a 327. We were all slowly convinced that the little guy was doing more damage to a stump than the 357. All using factory ammo. NOT scientific but impressive non the less to the 3 there that have long loved their tried and true 357s. My opinion isn't worth but one vote, I am not a writer for a gun magazine but to me, this is one of the first real break thru's in my lifetime. I have heard hype and owned many, many guns but in the end, it was mostly just hype. Here is a wicked little caliber that does significant damage with low recoil. Nothing in my safe quite like it. Why it isn't popular has been discussed to death and probably the economy is mostly to blame. I am not worried about this caliber's survival. Slowly but surely, others with an open mind or out of curiousity will give it a try and, to their amazement, will find out what we too, have learned. I have tried hard not to let my caliber list grow to keep my reserve of ammo from growing too. This was worth adding to the list. I can't figure out if publicly announcing my love for this caliber is good or bad. 76 up from 75 people that like it won't be the tipping point for manufacturers. It just means one more to have to share the limited brass. But I will email the above VP if it will stir the pot. FrankenMauser, I took your advise and emailed Matt Reams. It is Saturday and he responded back within a couple hours. A very nice email but don't hold your breath. Basically, 'All our annual pistol caliber sales combined do not equal 2 months of our most popular rifle caliber. He said they would eventually catch up but no timeline. I would interpret that to mean that they aren't going to invest in labor and equipment in theese current, economic times. With that insight, guess we should be happy to have what we have.
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September 3, 2011, 04:04 PM | #460 | |
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Quote:
We shall list some reasons: --misery loves company... if you can't find stuff, at least we can share your grief --if you handload, I'll be happy when you share your load data and experiences --if you don't handload, this cartridge might get you there! --when I get the .327 goodies, I can feel smug because I screwed over 75 other guys, not just 74! --keeps our monster .327 thread alive... where new folks pop-in and add their thoughts --keeps our hope alive that for the few who log in to a forum and say they are .327 Federal types, there are maybe a few dozen more than don't do the "new fangled internet thing" and there are others out there who like the round --more fun to hear from a guy who likes the round than some two-bit schmuck that simply regurgitates the all-too-weak "answer to a question that nobody asked" as if, somehow, they were cute enough to author that obnoxious little quip. KEY: "answer to a question that nobody asked" is actually code for, "I am a douchebag and anything that isn't 9mm or .45 is pointless."
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Attention Brass rats and other reloaders: I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss. |
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September 3, 2011, 04:26 PM | #461 |
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@ Crankylove -- Thats why I said its a specialized catridge because it is. It is just one certain people like to use. It is not one of the more common calibers. You make a point though. Its not really unecessary it just didnt become popular with the main crowd I guess.
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September 3, 2011, 04:27 PM | #462 |
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Why, yes I did feel a twinge last night
quote, "when I get the .327 goodies, I can feel smug because I screwed over 75 other guys, not just 74!"
now I know what that was All your lines made me laugh. I feel like family now and truly misery does love company. I did get some brass last night at midsouth. I don't have much but I have enough to keep me busy for a while. This is tough because I am excited. I have the means to start but not the knowledge. I am still reading. I do hope to be a contributor soon. I love 2 ride my motorcycles (thus the name) and detest winter. I was looking for something that would hold my attention and give me something to look forward to during the winter months.
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September 3, 2011, 05:37 PM | #463 | |
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Quote:
A) Waiting for the "big reveal" to respond to my two (three?) emails. Or, B) Interpreting my 'tone' incorrectly, and viewing me as hostile. The questions I want answered are: "What are your annual pistol caliber sales?" "How is a pistol caliber supposed to compete with those rifle calibers, when you DON'T produce it?" "What are the annual sales of your worst rifle caliber? And, when was the last time you ran it?" Picking and choosing data to support lame excuses just makes me start grasping for more ammunition to throw in the fire. Okay, maybe I am hostile.
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September 3, 2011, 05:45 PM | #464 |
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I don't think there are any guns, or calabers that fit a "need" for me any more. More of a "gee, I don't have one of those". The 327 Fed. fits that catagory just fine for me. Now, if Ruger would just make an LCR in 327 Federal Magnum!!!
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September 3, 2011, 06:09 PM | #465 |
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All good questions
FrankenMauser,
I don't even know ya but I already like ya. You have intelligent, well thought out questions. Doubt you are hostile but certainly frustrated. My guess is that these questions corner him into answers that he would rather not give out. But he is being clear that pistol ammo is far down on their list, In effect, 327 isn't on the list until the store shelves are full of everything else. Rather than ask a sales guy 'why not', maybe we need to tell him 'why' he should reconsider. So, to those diehards, sevens and frankenmauser, what do you think the average reloader would buy under these circumstances, and how many do you think are here that would commit? It would be interesting to know if that number would even get a sniff of interest from them?
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September 3, 2011, 09:12 PM | #466 |
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Yeah, sorry, I wouldn't commit to a single box from Sierra.
It's not that I have some axe to grind with Sierra... it's quite simply that Hornady actually did something about the dearth of .312" component slugs: they produced a bunch of them. I know... because I've been buying them! All the component bullet makers had their products on the shelves. They all had a pretty good idea of how well they sold and how often they had to ship to keep that happy balance between not flooding the market and also not having empty shelves where their product sits. What happened was: Before the Barackolypse, the only people who had any use for a .312" jacketed bullet were the few folks who hot-rodded the .32 H&R Magnum. Now if you think it's hard finding .327 Federal fans, it's harder finding the guys that love .32 H&R. And even when you do, many of them are simply loading their own home cast lead boolits. So at no point, really, were most retailers ever sitting on a huge supply of .32 cal jacketed bullets. Then the .327 Federal came out and nobody could get component brass, so the handloaders started s-l-o-w-l-y with the brass the compiled when burning through factory ammo, which was HORRIBLY expensive and mostly available in over priced 20-round "premium defense" boxes before the American Eagle product really got flowing. THEN BHO was elected to office and every red blooded male in America ran out and bought a gun... then he bought another. And three minutes after THAT happened, every one of those guys spent the mortgage money on ammo. (and stripped AR lowers! ) And when the ammo started to dry up, then everyone bought every last primer on earth and every component bullet on every shelf. (but I never saw anyone run out of powder... hmmmm... dunno why.) And the only .312" jacketed slugs that were in anyone's stock were the few that were available for the .32 H&R guys. Much of that stock had been sitting there for quite some time. To react to the complete absence of factory ammo in EVERY caliber, every manufacturer added shifts to produce at 100% of capability, or more if they invested in equipment. Those with the money expanded as they could without getting stupid. And you can bet that they spent 100% of that production time making 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 Automatic. Probably made a lot of .22LR, also, but I don't know if there was nearly as much panic buying on rimfire. Anyone who bought ammo after November of 2008 can tell you that none of those manufacturers were using the 3 or 4 production shifts per day to make .380 Auto, so you can bet your Grandpa's farm that they were certainly not rolling that .32 caliber equipment from the dark corner of the building where it's been sitting unplugged for quite some time. Sierra, as far as I can tell from FrankenMauser's entertaining tales, hasn't made any plans to react to the need or want for one of their products since the other stuff is selling so well. Not being the guy who owns or runs Sierra, I can't quite decide exactly how I should feel about that decision. I'm sure it all points to the bottom line... and as we've talked about many times on here, if Sierra is going to radically upset every single .327 Federal Magnum handloader on Earth, they'll probably sleep okay tonight as all 17 of us are horribly offended. Meanwhile, the 800,000 folks who are clamoring for more .224" and .243" rifle bullets are probably seeing a pretty good stream of product from Sierra and in the end, the folks running Sierra probably don't like the fact that they've gotten FrankenMauser "hostile", but they probably also see it as a business decision. Hornady somehow found the time to make 85 and 100 grain XTP's. And those pretty little SOBs fly pretty truly for me! So I'm buying them. And I'm wishing Hornady sold them by the 500 or 1000 for a major discount from the $16 per hundred I'm paying.
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September 3, 2011, 10:08 PM | #467 | ||||||
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I stand by my previous statement:
(Speaking of Sierra and the 90 gr JHC) Quote:
BUT, the big news: Matt Reams replied to me! Although we are no closer to getting the 90 gr JHC, he did take the time to type out a reply nearly 2 pages long (my last email to him was a bit, um... long ). It would be a waste of time, and take up far too much space to post it all here, so I'll use select quotations. The quotes I'm pulling here are the most informative and applicable to this discussion. The overall tone of the email I received was much more friendly and "we're trying, we just can't justify it", than these quotes give credit for. His explanation: Quote:
My words: Quote:
Quote:
Moving on: Quote:
I think Sierra still underestimates how this will affect business. Until they provide me with a .32 caliber handgun bullet, I don't think I'll be replacing the Pro-Hunters and Game Kings, as I shoot them up. I want a balanced product line, not just the most profitable or in-demand products. (Could just be the American consumer in me. ) After a short discussion of how all handgun bullet customers are getting pretty angry and impatient: Quote:
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September 3, 2011, 10:59 PM | #468 | |
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FM, in the most manly and beer-swilling voice I've got, "I love you, man!" and I consider you a very close ally both on TFL Forums and in the world of the .327 Federal. And in all shooting, even stuff that isn't handguns.
But... Quote:
His analogy of stopping the Ford F-150 production for six months to build limousines is pretty much exactly how I'm seeing the whole thing. Ford would be clinically insane to do something like that. I do NOT like where we find ourselves. But I can't blame Sierra for where we are at and their reaction to it seems textbook -- and I find it horribly difficult to fault them for it. In February of 2009, I tried to get Nosler to tell me why, for EIGHT MONTHS, I couldn't find that glorious 150 grain .400" JHP that made my G29 so damn happy and when they finally responded, it was nothing more than to tell me that their rifle bullets were dedicated lines and that handgun bullets were a rotating run that they set up and changed as they needed to produce handgun bullets. I now find myself using a lot of the Nosler 240 grain .44 cal JHP and those SOB's are missing in action, too. But Nosler and Sierra? And Barnes? These outfits make rifle bullets. That's what they are known for. Yeah, they make a few handgun slugs. Hornady is also a rifle bullet pro. But they don't really have an equal in the market when it comes to handgun slugs. They make a lot of factory handgun ammo and they give us handloaders a darn good menu of component handgun bullets. You've got to also think that part of the reason they do support the handgun side with all guns blazing is because of the reloading tools and products they also market. Hell, they have been offering free bullets with a lot of their hardware for at least the last couple of years. They have to produce some slugs because they are promising FREE bullets when you buy their equipment. I think Sierra is a fine company... Nosler also. I can't find fault in the way they have handled what's happened in this industry. And I think Hornady has pulled off their feats awfully well, too, since I can actually get my hands on a component bullet that a statistically irrelevant number of people are tripping over themselves to get. I can't hate 'em for making the best of a difficult situation. If somehow they had the physical footprint to simply add the tooling and the money to add that tooling and the cash to operate the tooling and the raw materials to support the production AND the money to pay the wages to run all of that to make .312" bullets... what on earth would they do with the massive amount of bullets they'd have once the crazy run on this industry has leveled off? How many people are going to keep buying .312" bullets by the thousand every month if we can't hardly even get ATK to produce component brass three full years after the cartridge was introduced? When only Ruger is actively building and promoting firearms that chamber it? (I say only Ruger because the S&W's and their comical MSRP seem to be vaporware and because Taurus dropped it and because Charter dropped it and Bond Arms and Freedom probably don't account for a huge supply of them...) His analogy might be more accurate if he suggested that Ford suspend production of the F-150 for six months so they can build a limited edition Anniversary Edsel model. The .327 Federal is a blast. We love it. The backlog in the industry as they react to the BHO factor has been tough times, but as a positive, there's a helluva lot of people pouring money in to the guns/ammo industry and you've gotta think that money (POWER) growing the industry is going to strengthen our ties to guns in this country. I can't see a better way for Sierra to handle the problem.
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September 4, 2011, 01:21 AM | #469 | |
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Quote:
The factory loads for the .327 are measured from a 3-inch barrel, yet when compared to loads for the venerable .357 Magnum, they overlap the midrange of the .357. Start measuring the little .327 from four to six-inch barrels and it holds it's own with the .357. Will it take down a deer, mountain lion or black bear like the .357 Magnum? I'm tempted to say yes with a solid slug, excellent aim, a smidgen of good luck and a big pair of brass ones. But asking the .327 to do those jobs is like asking the .357 Magnum to take on a charging Grizzly. You're stretching its limits and relying on a thin razor of luck. The .327 was designed to fill a certain role. A powerful defensive cartridge that would allow you to carry six rounds in a 3-inch barreled SP-101/J-Frame package without the "fire & brimstone" or harsh recoil of the .357. This meant a muzzle energy between ~400 to 500 ft-lbs to drive a .32 caliber bullet hard enough to penetrate well. Not everyone needs the .357's ability to launch a 180 grain pill downrange at 1200 fps. There are too few bears prowling the streets of Tulsa or Omaha. However, the .327 should be just the right medicine for the two-legged wolves in those towns. Like any new cartridge, we won't know how effective it is in reality until some thugs become voluntary test subjects. I'd expect it to be about on a par with the 9mm and .40 S&W.
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September 4, 2011, 01:47 AM | #470 |
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Well said, sir. Well said.
Perhaps I should revise my comment to read: "I think Sierra still underestimates the statistical irrelevancy of how this will affect business." I understand that the bread and butter of their business is Match rifle bullets. But.. When you send a bunch of customers to other manufacturers, because you are no longer producing the product those customers want; it will have an effect on brand loyalty. I'm with you, in that I believe Sierra, as a whole, will eventually catch up, and won't be affected in the slightest by the lost handgun customers. However... it's likely to have a measurable impact on brand loyalty among those customers. Strengthening your competition isn't the greatest business move, unless you plan to narrow your product line, any way. I see a future with diminished production of Sierra's handgun bullets (particularly the less popular stuff, like .32 and .41 calibers). But, I could be wrong. Either way, the status quo remains. Hornady, Speer, Meister, and Federal* will get my business (*if they ever bring out the soft points under the Speer name). I'm going to have to look into the likelihood of getting an 06 FFL and the business license past the zoning committee, after I move. I know I can make a better .327 bullet. (Says the man that hasn't swaged a bullet in his life. ) Even if I can't go commercial, I plan to make .312" dies a priority. I'll share the wealth, if I can.
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September 4, 2011, 07:51 AM | #471 |
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wow
I gotta say that had I known all this before the purchase, I doubt I would have bought a gp in this caliber.
But now that I am hooked on the 327, I won't give it up now. I am glad you all took time for the history lesson, that all explains a lot. Sierra is doing what most every other company is doing. They won't hire and invest in these crazy times. To add to their misery, their fate is tied even closer to the politics and the presidential race is heating up. I would hate to speculate on a business forecast with all the upheaval taking place right now. But moving on, I am reading what you guys have posted for recipes and maybe in a few months have something to contribute to the group. I have the added problem of a good place to shoot. There is a place close by that is to open their membership on Oct. 1st. I hope I can get in as they have great rifle ranges as well. wish me luck.
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September 4, 2011, 08:01 AM | #472 |
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I want one. That little SP101 taunts me every time I go into the local gun store. I think next year it will be mine.
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September 4, 2011, 09:58 AM | #473 | |
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buyer beware
Quote:
I suggest you don't.. it's not just another caliber, it's an addiction- read on.
I urge you to reconsider the easy path, the tried and true path, the humble, proven 357 and don't look back. BTW-I have an sp101 357 for sale with crimson trace.
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September 4, 2011, 10:34 AM | #474 |
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Holy Cow! Under fifty posts -- but this guy is one of us!
Y'know, FrankenMauser is moving his operation down in your neck of the woods. You guys could start a gang. I get down to western NC minimum once a year on the motorcycle... We could have a .327 rally.
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Attention Brass rats and other reloaders: I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss. |
September 4, 2011, 12:26 PM | #475 |
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I was just trying to rationalize why it is not so very popular. I figure because a special group of people like the catridge/firearms. Yes thats imo, Id like to hear a reason they are not selling.
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