Feel free to post for sale items as long as they are directly related to International type shooting
If you sell something, we would very much appreciate a donation of $5-10 either mailed to us or paypalled to us. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/targettalk?yours=true
Forum rules
Feel free to post for sale items as long as they are directly related to International type shooting
If you sell something, we would very much appreciate a donation of $5-10 either mailed to us or paypalled to us. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/targettalk?yours=true
$12 each or 2 for $20
+ $5 shipping in the CONUS (using USPS Ground Advantage).
I have 30 available now and can make more. I prefer Venmo gift, Pay Pal F&F, or Zelle. Checks if all else fails...
Each plug has been measured and verified to be in-specification (per the NRA SB rules).
Each plug has a permanent "USA 50" label on its visible base.
Background
Last year I scoured the internet for USA50 score plugs. Finding none, I started the "simple" project of making a couple myself. The quotes I received for machined aluminum plugs were astronomical (even at volume), so I turned to 3D printing. I quickly learned that an as-printed plug that met specs was unachievable. Undeterred, I developed secondary operations and tooling to bring the plugs into specification. Along the way, I added a very useful and cool 3D printed label.
Last edited by 1845greyhounds on Mon Jan 22, 2024 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jamie,
Will you be shooting at Camp Perry in July? I would like 4 of the USA50 plugs. Unfortunately I do not use any of those new-fangled E-lectronic money gizmos mentioned that you crazy kids are using nowadays.
I still have two metal ones that Mr. Ernest sold me years ago but they are easy to lose. I can’t afford to be without one and I may pass out a couple. Before I got those I was counseled to use inward gauges but they are not as accurate for a 10.
I like the idea that your plugs will not attract lightning as well:-)
Bob
Received my new scoring plug(s) from The Greyhound today and could not be happier. Easier to handle as the handle end is thicker and easier to read on the target. They are worth every penny!
Bob
The plugs look real nice but I do have a question. What is the shape of the outer edge of the scoring "surface"? From the first picture it looks like it might be slightly rounded such that it might only give a proper reading if you are looking exactly straight down from above. If rounded (as I expect it might have to be because it is made of plastic), if you were looking at even the slightest angle you would be looking under the plug's edge, giving an incorrect reading. The reason I like stainless steel plugs is that you can get a real sharp edge that rests flat on the target paper. Plus, the edge does not get as badly dinged-up (from being dropped) over its lifetime as an aluminum plug does. Unfortunately, to get a SS plug today you would probably need to find a good machinist with the proper tooling that also happens to be a shooter, or a friend, or both, that would make them for less than the "real" cost.
Paul,
I am sitting here with four plugs I purchased from The Greyhound.
Looking at the business end of the plug with a magnifying glass you can see that the edge is parallel to the axis of the plug. It is not rounded. I scored a match on USA-50 targets last weekend and I find them easier to use than my metal plugs.
The NRA Rulebook gives the tolerance for outward USA-50 plugs as .3555-.3535. Measuring all four of my plugs they are between .3555 and .3545. Pretty good I would say.
Jamie is an accomplished Smallbore shooter. He knew what he was doing and I am guessing from his earlier description he may have had to give extra special attention to make that edge proper since he was working in plastic and 3-D printing.
I found some metal plugs years ago by bothering an elderly, retired gentleman who used to make shooting equipment and he had a few left. I really appreciate Jamie making these for our community. They are a great value and using an inward gauge plug on a USA-50 “just ain’t right.”
Bob
Disclaimer: Real customer, not a paid actor.
PaulB - The plugs have a sharp enough corner that viewing the plug from different angles is very unlikely to change the scored value. Why am I hedging my comment? In the real world there's no such thing as a sharp corner. All corners have some radius. The only question is if that radius is big enough to matter. In the case of the plugs, the corner is effectively "sharp".
I also designed the plugs to have a recess where the .223 diameter meets the .355 diameter to help the plug sit flat and flush against the paper during scoring. This further reduces potential perspective errors while scoring.
The secondary operations I employed to ensure the two diameters are in-spec also honed the .355 diameter edge improving the sharpness and squareness.