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What is going on everybody welcome back to The Shooters Apprentice Podcast!

In this episode of The Shooter’s Apprentice Podcast we take a look at the Belt Mountain base pins for Ruger single-action revolvers make by Skinner Sights, what they are, why they exist, and whether they’re worth your money or just another shiny distraction.

We’ll talk about why the factory base pin can become a weak point under heavy recoil, how base pin walk affects reliability, and why serious revolver shooters, hunters, handloaders, and hard-use field guys often upgrade this one small component before anything else.

Sometimes the difference between a revolver that’s “fine at the range” and one you trust in the field comes down to a single piece of steel you never think about until it fails.

We also talk about the budget Arasaka project and a few other things we have going on at the shop like bullet casting.

Pull up a chair and lets hang out!

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What’s going on everybody—welcome back to The Shooter’s Apprentice Podcast.

This week I’m ditching the script and just giving a good old weekly update. We cover my first acquisition of 2026, what it’s like running 1911s in the cold, and I talk about something I did that was genuinely stupid and what I learned from it.

Pull up a chair and lets hang out!

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Happy New Years everybody! In this episode of The Shooter’s Apprentice Podcast, Daniel looks back at the guns that followed him home in 2025 — the good ideas, the questionable decisions, and the ones that instantly earned a permanent spot in the safe.

This isn’t a “top ten list” or a spec-sheet rundown. It’s a year-end conversation about what caught his eye, why certain guns spoke to him at that moment, and what each purchase says about where his shooting interests are headed. Some were practical, some were nostalgic, some were projects, and a few were bought purely because they were too cool to leave behind.

If you enjoy honest gun talk, personal stories, and the kind of conversations that usually happen leaning against a workbench or sitting around the shop after hours, this episode is for you.

Pull up a chair and let’s talk about the guns of 2025.

Be sure to check out our supporters!

https://www.simplyrugged.com/

https://skinnersights.com/

https://timneytriggers.com/

Also be sure to check us out on the following platforms and hit that subscribe button!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theshootersapprentice/⁠⁠⁠

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This week I sit down and discuss some very interesting findings that I found while experimenting with powder coated cast bullets vs traditionally lubed cast bullets. If you're a reloader or love experimenting with different stuff this is the episode for you!

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In this episode, we dive into the wild and underestimated history behind the Interarms Virginian Dragoon.

What starts as a simple look at a single-action revolver quickly turns into a journey through CIA front companies, Swiss engineering, American manufacturing, and one of the most overlooked wheelguns of the 20th century.

From Sam Cummings’ shadowy beginnings to Interarms’ rise as the largest privately owned arms dealer in the world, we trace how the Virginian Dragoon came to be — and why it might be one of the most underrated big-frame revolvers ever made.

Tune in, grab your favorite wheelgun, and let’s get into it.

Be sure to check out our supporters!

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In this episode of The Shooter’s Apprentice Podcast, Daniel sits down to dive deep into one of the coolest wheelguns Ruger ever produced — the GP100 chambered in .44 Special. Whether you’re a revolver nerd, a handloader, or just a fan of classic big-bore cartridges, this episode delivers a breakdown of why the .44 Special is still a awesome all around cartridge.

We also get into one of Daniel’s favorite parts of the shooting life: casting bullets and reloading. You’ll hear firsthand experiences with molds, alloy selection, powder choices, load development, and what actually performs in the 44 special. Whether you’re new to bullet casting or a longtime reloader, this segment lays out the real-world process, the mistakes, the victories, and the satisfaction of rolling your own perfect .44 Special loads.

From mild cowboy-level plinkers to warm defensive loads, we break down how versatile the .44 Special can be and why it’s still beloved by shooters who appreciate its accuracy, controllability, and character.

If you love revolvers… if you love the smell of hot brass and cast lead… or if you’re just curious why so many shooters are rediscovering the .44 Special, you’re in the right place.

Tune in, grab your favorite wheelgun, and let’s get into it.

Be sure to check out our supporters!

https://www.simplyrugged.com/

https://skinnersights.com/

https://timneytriggers.com/

Also be sure to check us out on the following platforms and hit that subscribe button!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theshootersapprentice/⁠⁠⁠

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What's going on everybody, welcome back to The Shooters Apprentice Podcast. This week we are talking about buying cheap used guns and talking about 3 guns that I have picked up recently that each cost $300. If you enjoy collecting firearms on a budget you will want to hear this one!

On this episode we touch on the three purchases I made featuring a Rossi 44 magnum pistol, a Kimber 338 Win Mag rifle and a Colt 1917 project chambered for 357 Magnum.

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Simplyrugged.com

Skinnersights.com

Also be sure to check us out on the following platforms and hit that subscribe button!

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Big bore nostalgia meets modern hand loading in this week’s episode. I dig into the world of lever-action .45-70s—why this century-old cartridge still sings true for hunters, shooters, and romantics alike.

I also get into the reloader’s rabbit hole: developing heavy .45-70 loads specifically for lever actions, the quirks that separate them from trapdoor-safe ammo, pressure considerations, bullet selection, and chasing performance in a levergun.

And to top it off, I share first impressions of my newest toy—the Henry .45-70—how it handles, what surprised me, and where it fits in the stable. Smooth actions, big bore thumps, and the kind of grin-inducing shooting that leaves a bruise and a memory.

If you like wood and steel, reloading benches, and cartridges that existed before your great-grandfather, this one’s for you.