FEDERAL GOLD MEDAL MATCH ?

[doclu60]

Got zero to do with the “ real” stuff.

That is correct

Scott

 

[PWNolan]

The UM1 line was terminated due to the sale of Federal to Blount circa 1997 and Bount's bean counters cutting less profitable lines. At the time, Federal was actually increasing their market share in the US, however they limited themselves by not wanting to export this product.

The tooling was never an issue. When they killed the product, they removed the loading machines and put them outside under a tarp. The machines/toolin was later sold for scrap metal.

Yeah I was remembering wrong. This is more like what I had read

 

[Radar]

The old Federal match ammo that was good was made for the US Olympic Biathlon team. That was the only reason it was ever made. There was UM1, UM1B, 900 and 900B. All the B stuff was subsonic and it all used the dimpled case that came about from the Russian Match ammo. I still have 3 or 4 cases of 900's.

 

[1813benny]

The old Federal match ammo that was good was made for the US Olympic Biathlon team. That was the only reason it was ever made. There was UM1, UM1B, 900 and 900B. All the B stuff was subsonic and it all used the dimpled case that came about from the Russian Match ammo. I still have 3 or 4 cases of 900's.

The ammo was NOT for the US Biathlon team. The ammo was made for the 3-position and prone shooters. Launi Meili and Bob Foth won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 3-p events.

 

[ratguner]

Got a case of 711B the other day, hard to come by, and still shoots great!

 

[Radar]

The ammo was NOT for the US Biathlon team. The ammo was made for the 3-position and prone shooters. Launi Meili and Bob Foth won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 3-p events.

Why did they put so much time in the bullet lube?

 

[Tim Slater]

Why did they put so much time in the bullet lube?

Because it's important for accuracy in any barrel.

 

[padom]

I believe the ammo that was imported (Germany) and marketed as Gold Metal UltraMatch was UM22. Widely rumored as rebranded RWS R50.

Scott

Ill have to dig up the pictures its been a ling time, my last cases of UM1 actually had R50 and lot# stamped on the inside of the tab of the 50rd boxes and when you slid the 50rds out of the box and inspected, a few rounds had rws headstamps in each box..

But, those last few cases shot absolutely lights out. Wish I had a few more

 

[TRSR8]

Because it's important for accuracy in any barrel.

Piece of trivia for you that I never read anyplace but was told to me my one of their development engineers.
This followed to some degree what they discovered about Russian Olymp, of which I still have some boxes.
Anyway, all before tuners as we know them, they worked with different powders with the objective of keeping sub sonic but altering initial combustion rate to try and eliminate some barrel harmonics with less time slug was in barrel for enhanced repeatability.
Was a big factor in the Russian stuff as well as Federal.

 

[Tim Slater]

Piece of trivia for you that I never read anyplace but was told to me my one of their development engineers.
This followed to some degree what they discovered about Russian Olymp, of which I still have some boxes.
Anyway, all before tuners as we know them, they worked with different powders with the objective of keeping sub sonic but altering initial combustion rate to try and eliminate some barrel harmonics with less time slug was in barrel for enhanced repeatability.
Was a big factor in the Russian stuff as well as Federal.

Thank you.

From memory Olymp was developed with an eye to the 1980 Moscow Olympics. I get the impression that the Soviets really wanted to win, and win with Soviet kit.

I have in mind that both the special design bureaus at Izhevsk and Tula created new (or substantially updated) Free Rifles at around this time: the Ural 5 and MTs 112. Soviet teams did very well at the '82 World Championships.

 

[1911nut]

So, here’s what I learned in this thread about the super good Federal ammo:

“As far as why they stopped making it? Everything I've read is that the tooling wore out and they decided to not replace it.”

“Not true The tooling was never an issue. When they killed the product, they removed the loading machines and put them outside under a tarp. The machines/toolin was later sold for scrap metal. true, tooling subject to wear gets rebuilt just like ELEY, after all the bitching about domestic match ammo, they invested big, never sold enough, took a bath, never to return, and sold off all the equipment.”

“The UM1 line was terminated due to the sale of Federal to Blount circa 1997 and Bount's bean counters cutting less profitable lines.”

“The old Federal match ammo that was good was made for the US Olympic Biathlon team. That was the only reason it was ever made.”

“The ammo was NOT for the US Biathlon team. The ammo was made for the 3-position and prone shooters. Launi Meili and Bob Foth won gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 3-p events.”

“I believe the ammo that was imported (Germany) and marketed as Gold Metal UltraMatch was UM22. Widely rumored as rebranded RWS R50.”

“Ill have to dig up the pictures its been a long time, my last cases of UM1 actually had R50 and lot# stamped on the inside of the tab of the 50rd boxes and when you slid the 50rds out of the box and inspected, a few rounds had rws headstamps in each box..”

To summarize: that Federal ammo that wasn’t made here on tooling that didn’t wear out wasn’t made for biathlon.

 

[Radar]

Because it's important for accuracy in any barrel.

That is true. My brother worked on this. Federal tested a lot of lubes for the UM1 with the main objective that it worked well in the cold temps for Biathlon. He always said there were better lubes for it in warmer weather but they did not work in the cold. The UM line was hands on and they made money on UM1 but with the tight accuracy standard so much of it ended up packaged as 900's. Alot of things could have been done differently with that ammo line but hindsight is always much better. Some of the parts from the machines were used on the production line to make your Lightnings.I still have his hat the Olympic team gave him. He was the "for Rod". I believe Launi Meili won gold in '92