Project Appleseed

Our Welcome Center => Our New Newsletter! => Topic started by: Roswell on June 28, 2022, 06:28:54 PM

Title: "Tube-Fed Speed Loaders" By: FiremanBob
Post by: Roswell on June 28, 2022, 06:28:54 PM
"Tube-Fed Speed Loaders"
By: FiremanBob

At most, but not all, of the shoots I work there is at least one tube-fed rifle on the line - usually a Marlin 60 but there have been Remington Nylon 66s, Browning SA-22s and others on occasion. I've always wanted to qualify with a Browning BL-22 lever action. You know there is a tube-fed rifle on the line when there's a long pause between the end of the preparation period and the "Load" command.

How can you speed up the loading process? If you have a rifle whose tube fits under the barrel, you can easily speed load it. For years I scavenged soda straws for use as speedloaders. (Chik-fil-A is my favorite.) I put a strip of tape over one end and inserted the rounds, nose first, into the other. They help, but have their limitations: They hold only seven rounds; they are fragile, and they allow the rounds to fall out when transported.

Appleseeder Tube Fed Guy, an IIT based in Virginia, came up with an ingenious solution to the slow-loading problem.  His home-made speedloader is rugged and secure. It's also inexpensive. And it's versatile. You can have one that matches the maximum capacity of your rifle's magazine, or one that holds just the eleven rounds you need for a rapid-fire AQT stage. Attached to this article is a photo of Doug's loader. Here's how to make one.

Parts and materials for Doug's 11-round tube:
•   3/8" PVC plumbing tube 12 5/8" long
•   3/8" hex bolt, short in length
•   Hitch pin 1 1/8" OAL
•   Cord
•   Glue

Construction is simple: Tie one end of the cord around the hex bolt, then glue and screw the hex bolt into one end of the PVC tube. At the other end of the tube, drill a hole ¼" from the end of the tube, sized just large enough for the hitch pin. Tie the other end of the cord around the hitch pin.

Fill your new loader with rounds, and insert the hitch pin to hold everything together.

Loading procedures for tube-fed rifles are formulated to maintain safety while making it easy for the shooter to manipulate the rifle and rounds after the prep period ends. Here is the procedure:

Upon the command Shooters, Your Preparation Has Ended:
•   Place the safety on.
•   Insert your chamber flag.
•   Prep the tube with the appropriate number of rounds. While this can be done while kneeling, it is preferable and safer to sit cross-legged, perpendicular to the target with the muzzle downrange, with the rifle butt under one thigh and the barrel over the other.
•   For the Transition Stages, Stage 2 and Stage 3, the appropriate number of rounds will be 11. After firing 2 rounds, the next 1 will be ejected and firing will continue.
•   Lock the tube plunger.
•   At the LOAD command, remove the flag, insert a round in the chamber, and take the safety off.   

Attached to this article is a MS Word file which contains the loading instructions for tube-fed rifles on the Appleseed line. It is designed to fit the Avery clean edge business card template.

Editor's Note: Please sign in or create a free forum account to view and download the attachments. Thank you.