I've been

researching the world of the AR-15. some very interesting developments are taking place in that world now.

one is that there is a trend among legislators to be paranoid about the number of AR's there are now especially in California and the states bordering Mexico. and of course...the average gun owner and the "Mom and Pop gun stores along the border states" is to blame for all the violence according to Hillary Klinton. yet from the picture I've seen from weapons seizures, the source seem to be MILITARY sources...many, if not most, weapons are military in origin. such as M-60 machine guns, M16 rifles, M203's, M239 grenade launchers and hand grenades. there was even RPG's and a few small mortars.

yes, they're Vietnam era weapons but still highly effective when in properly trained hands.

now i ask you...do you know any "mom and Pop stores" where you may walk in and purchase hand grenades that are NOT inert? or a fully operational M60 machine gun?

c'mon Hillary...get real!

now there are numerous proposals to limit or curtail OUR rights because of the violence in Mexico.

it is common knowledge, and widely accepted, that once a right has been curtailed, seldom, if ever, does it get restored; another abuse from our so-called legislators...

make no mistake about it...the second amendment DOES verify the right of "the people" to own and keep firearms! that has been verified by the SCOTUS in the Heller decision. as much as that galls many, it is the law of the land whether they like it or not! every citizen that is not prohibited by law, is permitted by the constitution to own a firearm or firearms.

it's a shame that citizens have to take their own government(s) to court to re-affirm their rights isn't it?

as i see it, there's two reasons why violence is rampant in Mexico and the adjoining American cities:

1. the failure and continuing refusal of the federal government to seal and protect our sovereign border when they KNOW the existing problem(s).

2. the failure and refusal of the Mexican government to halt drug cartel activities in Mexico.

part of that failure is the involvement of the corrupt Mexican military "turning their head away" from the border when smuggling activities are concerned. it's even been said that the Mexican military have provided support and cover for smuggling activities.

now...the proposals are coming in hot and heavy to: track any, two or more, larger than .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine sold in areas near the Mexican border.

how, may i ask, is that going to curtail the violence in Mexico? answer: IT AIN'T GONNA!

the only way the violence will be brought to an end will be thru the killing off of the cartel members who undertake such violent actions themselves. it's that simple.

if it takes 'special ops'...then do it...locate them, give them ONE chance to surrender and submit themselves to the authority of the Mexican government. if they rufuse...kill them.

but...the main problem now is that they've gone unchallenged for so long they've become powerful enough to challenge the government itself, that the government hasn't much power over the cartels. I've heard it said that the cartels are going to attempt a coup of the existing government. i could believe that if they had air and ground cover by way of air craft and artillery.

but Mexico has been historically, one of the most corrupt nations on the planet so effort from honest leaders are very difficult to sustain; the honest leadership seldom prevails.

it seems our leadership is not much better in many respects.

we need to get rid of Barry...get rid of him next election.

it's been

a while since i made an entry here so i guess I'd best get to it, huh?

I've been doing some 'upgrades' on my equipment.

I've taken apart the bolts of four of my rimfire rifles and stoned, cleaned and polished all parts that could be done; all work very well now.

i have two very fine, high quality rimfire rifles that need little, if any, upgrading or improvement(s) yet i still took apart the bolts and honed the extractors; it did enhance the operation.

I've had a long time affair with rimfire firearms. in fact, since i was a 13 year old kid in Oklahoma where i worked for and saved the cash to purchase a single shot, bolt action, .22 rimfire rifle; a Sears JC Higgins,(made by Marlin as the model 100)actually, my dad is the one who actually purchased it for me as i was not old enough to legally purchase a firearm.

i have that rifle to this day. it still shoots, but...it could use a new trigger. the trigger that's installed in it now was manufactured by a friend of mine as the original was lost somehow and it's showing a great deal of wear. it's a manually cocked model and has no safety device other than not to cock it until ready to shoot.

I'm certain i put thousands of rounds thru it and my sons have cycled uncounted thousands thru it as well, yet it, like the energizer bunny, "keeps on going".

i run hot and cold in my project to restore it and right now I'm in a 'cold' spell with it. someday i hope to have it fully restored. i researched it and as i recall it was made in 1936.

I've also come to a point in my shooting and hunting life where i believe there may be more of a "future" in rimfire due to the political environment and the violence along the American/Mexican border involving firearms as well as international arms talks involving the UN; i believe there will be an all out attempt to ban private ownership of any military/law enforcement grade weapons worldwide. especially in the area of AR's and semi-automatic, self-loading firearms.

i heard that one UN resolution has stated that shoulder fired small arms (mostly the propagation of the AK47) constitute the biggest threat to mankind in history and called for the banning of private ownership of them (shoulder fired, military grade, small arms.) worldwide and part of the resolution would include the banning of military grade caliber ammo such as 9mm Luger,.45 ACP, 5.56, 30-06, .303, 7-8mm Mauser and it goes on.

as i see it, and i see no evidence to support the beliefs, and if there were, anti-gun organizations would be throwing in the face of the public, the AR's, in the hands of law-abiding citizens, are NOT a national security threat of any sort, the threats are mostly in legislators warped, demented, reasoning. keep in mind...legislators do not think and reason like 'normal' persons.

with that in mind, i believe they will shun the .22 rimfire as not being a "threat" as they perceive a threat as being.

i personally believe the .22 rimfire is highly underrated in today's shooting culture as being "underpowered" and not worthy of consideration when considering "self-defense" or "survival" applications.

i certainly do not advocate the use of a .22 rimfire for the taking of "big" game, under normal circumstances, or for long range applications (by long range, i mean in the area of 100 yards/90 meters and farther and by "big game" i mean deer sized and larger animals.)it simply hasn't the energy to perform the necessary task to penetrate big game animals, or human threats, at ranges over those and the energy it does have is severely limited even within the confines of those ranges on bigger animals.

the .22 rimfire does have merits that make it worth considering as an overall wise choice for use, though. it's very economical for one. being economical also means one can afford to practice/train more often to become proficient with the chosen arm. it's quite capable for the taking of most small game, can be had in extremely accurate loadings, there is negligibly felt recoil from virtually every rimfire firearm available. just to name a few reasons.

as far as it being a choice in the arena of self defense cartridges, it does not rank very well. almost every handgun cartridge around, sans the .25 ACP, would be a better choice. (as far as handguns are concerned)nevertheless, in a situation where i could select a .22 rimfire rife/carbine, i think it's a valid choice as long as one is not faced with contending with an armored up aggressor. velocities a 40 grain bullet can attain from a .22 rimfire rifle are quite respectable...some as high as 1600 FPS...certainly not to be shunned. with all the .22 caliber rimfire variants available in the AR platform now days it's hard for me to believe that in a "face down" situation an aggressor would be able to look down the bore and scoff at a .22 cal...after all, bore size is .22 for an AR/M4/M16 also.

the venerable Ruger 10/22, as an example, is available for less than $300 brand new anywhere in the country and it is without doubt, the premier, one of the most stalwart examples of the semi-automatic carbines ever designed. it's highly reliable, rugged, accurate and will digest almost any .22 long rifle fodder on the planet.

now, couple that up with the ability of a shooter to be able to empty a 10 round (California law prohibits magazines in semi-auto firearms to no more than 10 rounds, but most other states have no limit.) magazine into a 3" circle, rapid fire, within 20 yards using high-velocity, 40 grain bullet, rounds...that, my friends, is 400 grains of lead, nearly one ounce, hitting a target in near milliseconds...what do you think? i think the results would be sobering, to say the least.

with all that in mind, one must also accept the fact that it is probably the most widely available ammo and firearm available now.

in the end...i think one could do worse than ending up with a selection of .22 rimfires...at least they prove to be more practical than most we now see...

just my opinion.

it's a shame

California legislature is so primitive and stone age in it's thinking.

i just got an email update from calguns.net about the city of San Diego having to pay a $35,000.00 dollar settlement to a man they arrested unlawfully under the 'open carry' law; it seems the responding officers were not trained in, or knew, the 'open carry' law...why is that not too surprising?

when you consider the prevailing attitude of LE is they are right and you are wrong...period. they have the attitude that no matter what, YOU are in the wrong.

the response once proven erroneous, in this case, was to release the arrested man and return his firearm without so much as a "sorry, here's your firearm back" from them.

that was bad enough, but to hamper, and aggravate things even farther a stupid legislator, Lori Saldana, has tried to rescind the open carry law...as i recall, voters were warned about her and her views; fortunately, she was defeated

if anyone abuses this law, it's more than likely LE or legislators because they don't know it...it's not the LAW ABIDING citizen that causes the problems...it's the so-called legislators like saldana who create problems! they legislate problems into existence

I've driven the streets and roads of Arizona on many occasions and have in the course of those travels seen MANY person wearing a firearm. so...what's the difference in Arizona and California in that respect? Arizona seems to have more respect for the individual and the laws he's OBEYING.

California does NOT respect the citizen and his ability to OBEY laws by their very attitude of "prohibit" laws they enact on a regular basis.

we need to replace the California state legislature...period.

i keep thinking

i might like to get an AR for Target/Varmint work.

with the new 'bullet button' stuff going on here in the "golden" state, one can get an AR now, reasonably.

the AWB spells out clear characteristics that constitute being an "Assault Weapon" to be applied. most of the stone age legislators of the California state legislature, don't have the knowledge to know first hand what an "assault weapon" is; they react to THEIR emotions...NOT facts and statistics.

two of those characteristics are: no bayonet lug and no flash hider.

now, i ask you, how many folks out there use a bayonet? I'd dare say, not many at all. yet i was shocked and astonished to see a Mossberg shotgun on a display rack, for sale, in a Big 5 sporting goods store recently, with a bayonet "fixed"! the bayonet itself was an additional $100.00 if you wanted it.

it's also common to see SKS rifles with the permanently attached bayonets for sale here in sporting goods stores. yet it's illegal to have a bayonet lug on an AR?

i trained with an M1 garand in bayonet fighting and if given a choice of using it or an AR to bayonet fight with, I'd choose the M1.

flash hiders? i believe the average 'legislator' doesn't know what the function and intent of a flash hider is...

my personal opinion is that the paranoids in the state legislature need to come into the 21st century; THE AR IS HERE TO STAY...LIKE IT OR NOT.

they need to "get real". the AR is no more of a threat than any other firearm out there in the REAL world, NOT the la-la world of a California legislator...

i keep thinking

i used to

make my own wooden arrows.

what a process that was: I'd cut a square billet and shave it round with a hand plane then sand and refine it by chucking it up in a drill motor and sanding it to correct O.D. and spine.

then i switched to cutting the square billet, and running it thru a dowel cutter i purchased, chuck it up in a drill motor and sand and finish to correct O.D. and spine.

that process was shortened dramatically by the purchase of the dowel cutter.

in the end, i made some really nice wooden arrows that performed quite well and were surprisingly durable.

i also used to purchase pre-cut arrow shafting, mostly clear grained cedar. probably the most popular wooden arrow shafting, ever, and make them into completed arrows. cedar is very easy to work, straighten, to finish and the smell is wonderful...unfortunately, it's not real durable; it will break easily. i would normally leave it an inch longer than i normally shoot aluminum or carbon arrows so that i can replace the point after it breaks off behind the point. it gave the arrow a 'second life'. (that's the most common place to break a cedar arrow; at the back of the head.)

i think my favorite were the 'medieval' arrows i made from kiln dried Douglas fir. they were rock hard, stiff as an iron rod and were wonderful in appearance after applying numerous coats of watco danish oil and applying 5.5" long bright red and yellow feathers in a straight, diagonal fletch.

i also used to purchase hardwood dowels from home depot or lowes and process them into some nice shafts but they were not as durable and they sometimes were almost impossible to straighten. they did make for good 'throw away' arrows for a days outing in the boonies for some serious stump shooting...more often than not, they'd literally, explode on impact, with a hard object.

they did not fly real fast as they were heavy, over 600 grains, and when shot from my 50 pound bows looked almost, lethargic, in flight. but when they hit...they hit HARD.

i made them 31" long as i used heavy points, along with the length, to weaken the spine.

those, and those like them, have long since disappeared; lost and broken never to be replicated. and the fact i switched to carbon arrows when the price of cedar shafting doubled didn't help the matter any.

well, i think that i will 'revive' the arrows once again.

I've decided to construct a "lathe" to make usable shafts. if it works out, I'll go back to making some of the woodies i used to, and make up some for my kid...show him what REAL arrows are...;^)

i've made

some mods to my PCP .25; I'm satisfied.

i also found out it can be accurate beyond belief; i can put the pellet thru the same hole more than once, so i know its repeatable. i used the JSB brand exact king, match pellets to zero the scope i put on it and was hitting exactly where i wished within three rounds.

it's not that I'm such a great marksman, it's just the rifle is so well made (it's not designed for the rigors of combat, though and that needs to be kept in mind if you plan on doing any hunting with this particular model of rifle.) simple and easy to handle. the ONLY reason/pitfall in that department, in all fairness, though, is the fact the barrel is fully floated with an external shroud and it could be very easy to bend the barrel if you're not careful.

in finding 'zero' for a scope i always use a mechanical bench rest; whenever practical, i use a rest of some sort to shoot from. i find bi-pods very useful but yet somehow very impractical in ways.

they add weight and bulk to the business end of the rifle. this can be very disconcerting when try to maneuver the rifle thru brush or heavy foliage as it has a way of 'snagging'. they can also be noisy and awkward to operate.

that being said...i still have and use them according to the situation. if I'm going to a range where there's a good 'sit at' bench, the bi-pods work fine, if not...i improvise.

I've made up several heavy duty, canvas, 'tote' bags. i use them as bags to carry various articles of equipment on occasion, but when in need of a good solid rest, i simply fill it with the native soil to the desired firmness and use on a rest of some sort, like a big rock i can sit behind comfortably or a dead-fall tree. when done...i simply empty it, shake it, fold, and put back in my day-pack.

anyway...a hunter must be resourceful, thoughtful and careful to select and know how to utilize his gear in order to achieve success, don't you think?

i finally got back

to shooting my bow on a regular basis.

I've had a 'lull' in shooting archery as of late as the weather has been so unbelievably hot i was drained of the desire to break out the ole recurve and shoot.

since the weather has broken and we're now having temps down around the 50's and 60's it's decent to go outside and shoot a bit.

i have two main 'go-to' bows now that I've aged enuff to have to shoot the lower poundages and i have that ole bug-a-boo visitor, arthritis in my hands and right shoulder. maybe a result of all the years of shooting heavier draw weight, poundage, bows.

the two main bows are a Bob Lee take-down recurve (i have two sets of limbs for it...one of 40 lbs the other at 51 lbs) the other is a Hoyt GameMaster with a set of 40 lb limbs on it.

some day, i may like to trade another recurve for a 45 lb set of limbs for the GameMaster or a set of 40-45 lb limbs for my Quinn Stallion (it now has 55 lb limbs on it) but...for the moment, that's on the back burner. time, along with other more important issues have to be settled.

I'm finding that, after all the years I've been shooting archery, that 40-60 lbs draw weight is plenty for almost ANY game animal on the north American continent. in my opinion, those that shoot over 65 lbs draw weight are wasting their time.

black widow bows, as i recall, did a study and determined that anything over 65 pounds draw weight had no measurable effect on performance UNLESS you could shoot a heavy enough arrow (in excess of 1000 grains as i recall) in other words, arrow technology in not up to bow technology.

there are more than one factors involving the taking of a game animal with an arrow. the most important one being a properly sharpened broadhead being precisely placed where it do the most damage; in the heart/lungs.

it's downright amazing what a razor sharp broadhead will do when placed into the heart and lungs of an animal. just read up on the dynamics of bleeding some time.

I've shot arrows thru animals and was amazed to see the arrow not even slow down until striking the earth on the other side of the animal.

a razor sharp broadhead is, indeed, a rather...sinister, for the lack of a better word, device, that DEMANDS respect because of it's intended purpose.

it doesn't take mega-poundage to shoot a razor sharp broadhead thru an animal.

I'm not really disappointed in shooting less poundage for the bigger part, i don't have to struggle to hold back the bow as much and accuracy increases with that factor. not only that...the enjoyment factor increases dramatically when I'm able to hit what I'm shooting at more often than not.

air guns, rifles mostly,

have become a pursuit for me now.

I'm now in the process of making a new front sight for an air rifle.

i, personally, prefer open sights for the taking of game for close in ranges (100-150 yards, generally) beyond there it's scope time. air rifles are 'close range' hunting tools for the biggest part; just like archery tackle.

oh, there are air rifles that're very capable of taking big game, but not at very long distances; those 'longer' distances are when i go to the centerfire rifles with scopes.

there's not much game in north America, that can't be taken within 100-150 yards with a 357 magnum carbine, as an example, most deer, coyote, fox, bobcat, mt. lion even smaller black bear. now i know there are many other calibers in that category that will take bigger game I'm just using the 357 as an example...you could also say the 30-30.

point in mind about open sights vs scoped rifles at those ranges: if you are able to see a target as large as a deer or coyote at, let's say, 70 yards, your rifle should be sighted in well enough for you to place the projectile where it will do it's job as intended, using just YOUR own eye(s) and open sights.

when harvesting an animal, all that's necessary to do so is to disrupt major organs and their function as quickly and as massively as possible; "pinpoint" accuracy is NOT a "must" all one must do is hit the heart, brain or lungs, with an adequate projectile, traveling at an adequate speed, to disrupt/destroy them. when you do that...it's instant "lites out".

now...if you're shooting at an "X" in a bulls-eye at a competition...or if you're shooting at a deer at 400 yards...that's a little different; then a scope is a "must".

it's all mostly, just personal preferences on the part of each shooter. but i recall my days on the range at Ft Ord, California with an M-1 Garand shooting at targets at up to 500 yards away with open sights...i could barely see them under optimum conditions. i could have used a scope then but the U.S. Army had something to say about that.

i'm getting all sorts of

projects underway to modify some of my airguns and i had to change the front sight setting on my lever action carbine.

i have the laser lite system to 'bore sight' a firearm. when using it on the lever carbine, it was to the right of the sight alignment so i had to make a drift punch and gently change the location as the rear sight is elevation adjustable only (the traditional 'buck horn' sights of a lever action carbine from marlin.) it's now "right on the money". all i gotta do is take it out and fire it live to verify the sighting.

i am an advocate of open sights on any arm when it's designed to be used within 100-150 yards, such as the 38/357 lever action carbine, and has them as a standard feature. that's why i use open sights on my air rifles whenever they're equipped with them...air rifles are normally for within 100 yards; at least mine are, and i have up to .25 caliber air rifles.

don't get me wrong, i know, understand and agree that telescopic sighting devices are desirable and useful, too. i have them on most of my centerfire, LONG RANGE shooting rifles like my .308 Winchester, Savage 12fv and Rem 700, 22-250; ya gotta have 'em to see the target in order to hit it...

I'm also in the process of fitting muzzle brakes onto my springer, break barrels. also fun and challenging.

i tore apart the Cometa Indian, .177 air pistol as it was performing horribly. it wouldn't shoot a pellet more than 15 feet; i found the seal on the piston was deteriorated away to nothing...just pieces. now i have to locate one (a piston seal). they're made in Spain and not real popular here so not many dealers carry them.

well...it's back to the mill to finish the brake.

i'm beginning a new

phase in my air gunning.

where I've had and used 'springers' for many years I've always left at a lower level in my pursuit. i, up to now, thought they didn't have enough "power" to suit me; that's changed.

while i have two very capable PCP rifles i also have 3 very capable 'springers' (one of which is, technically, a gas piston) I'm looking to expand in all areas.

I'm in the process of trading a break-barrel in .177 caliber for a sidelever in .22 caliber.

where i now have more faith and confidence in break-barrel air rifles, it still is not like a side/under-lever with a fixed barrel and the power levels from 'springers' are not what can be developed from a PCP...yet...maybe someday, but not this day.

I've spent a great deal of time on the internet looking at and shopping for my next air rifle as i may soon have the financial ability to secure it; IF there is another rifle (new) purchased, it will more than likely be another PCP. probably a Umarex/Hammerli 850 air magnum converted to HPA by "the 850 store". the Walther 1250 Dominator is a similar rifle but costs much more and doesn't have a performance edge over the Hammerli.

I'm looking for something that offers POWER and ACCURACY along with some economy in operation. my .25 Benjamin Marauder offers power and accuracy but is NOT economical to use on a daily basis. you see, it gets only 20-24 shots before a refill is due...that's a pain in the patootie as far as I'm concerned.

you must keep in mind, though, that the larger the bore/power, in PCP rifles, the greater the air consumption. just like any other engine, the more power wanted, the more fuel needed...it's that simple.

most .22 PCP's are on the boundary of good power and good air consumption economy in that they may get up to fifty, full power, shots before a refill is required. some of the PCP .177's get many more shots before a refill is required but I'm getting rid of all but one of my .177's and I'm still not sure if I'd get another .177...maybe in a in a PCP? who knows...I'll research it and see. it may not be such a bad idea. the PCP's advertise as much as 1200 fps from many PCP's...that's quite a bit of fpe, but may not be legal to hunt with here in California.

i hope to take a turkey with an air rifle this year, but California regs say it must be at least .20 caliber to take turkey with.

soooo...it's keep on looking and shopping for the time being.

i finally had

to start using the chronograph for figuring out my AF Talon and how many shots and how much KE/fpe it's developing.

I've done most of the modifications I'm going to on this particular rifle, now it's time to see what it'll do in the real world.

i spent a part of the day figuring out the 'zero' on the open sight i decided to put back on. where i like a scoped rifle, this particular rifle, since it's such an 'unconventional' design, will place the scope up really high over the action; it make it 'top heavy' insofar as I'm concerned. it makes it awkward and hard to carry.

anyway, i broke out the chronograph, a tin of my favorite pellets and set up and shot a string of fifty shots on a fresh refill of 2900 psi...not bad...high was 898 fps, low was 845 fps. that's an average of 871 fps with an avg of 23 fpe...right in the ball park with a standard out-of-the-box AF Talon. I'm happy.

i have two very good

PCP air rifle at the moment and I'm working on another HPA conversion.

I'm converting a CO2 operated QB78 over to HPA; so far, so good.

I'm in the process of construction and installation of a pellet stabilizer for the barrel. it's brought more challenges, and been more time consuming than i expected, never the less, it's getting done.

probably, the biggest challenges have been my limitations with tooling to get the operations done. i have three metal working lathes (one of which is a 'combination' machine...drill press/mill/lathe) but where they lack is in size and tooling. as an example i haven't an indexing table or a GOOD xy vise; i have to improvise when i need one.

I'm now in the process of deciding how to secure the stabilizer to the barrel. do i use a set screw system? or simply epoxy/locktite the bushings to the barrel?

set screws will permanently mar the barrel with indentation...or...i can mill/drill slots/dimples for the screws to be set into.

since there is no combustion in PCP rifles, there's not the heat factor of the metal of the barrel to worry about and epoxy/locktite and modern glues is very stable, reliable and with strength very nearly like welding when properly applied, maybe that's the best way to go. after all, many of today's firearms incorporate thermoplastics and epoxies that will withstand anything thrown at them.

as an example: once set up, locktite "red" requires 350 ft lbs of torque to break it loose or 350 degrees of heat applied to it to soften it enough to loosen. that's pretty tough stuff by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm considering a combination of the two methods.

i am thinking of drilling a 'dimple' into the barrel for the set screws, AND filling the bushings with locktite "blue" through the set screw holes, installing the set screws and letting all set up.

anyway...aligning and drilling the dimples into a barrel is 'touch and go' without a good center indicator, so...i guess it's back to the drawing boards...sure makes things interesting...

it seems to me

that there should be a "one gun to cover all"...but it ain't so...I've bought at least three of them that were supposed to "cover it all".

the current national craze is the AR (hybrid development of the M-16 rifle)

some now have developed what may very well be the 'perfect' all-in-one rifle built on the AR platform in spite of what i said above.

i read a recent news header about how an anti-gun person believes the AR is in it's "final year".

by that, i think he means he believes that the AR will be legislated out...not outdated or outmoded...OUTLAWED is more like it.

you see, legislators fear that which they feel might threaten them...oh, they'll use the old "it's for the good of all"...but you know that most legislators are lying when their lips are moving. or, at least you should know by now.

their main concern is having to face an angry nation of citizens armed with AR's. what the people want is secondary to them.

anyway...

many of today's AR's claim to have pinpoint accuracy out to 1000 yards and reliability beyond belief.

i had the opportunity to watch a soldier with an M4 carbine; i was NOT impressed.

on rapid fire, NOT full automatic, groups measured in FEET...not inches or even center of mass and that was from 25 yards! out of a full magazine of 20 rounds, there was only 2 center of mass hits!the rest were a minimum of 20" from center of mass.

I've also witnessed a civilian marksman use a semi-auto, 9mm, Ruger Carbine to shoot 10 rounds into a 4" group from 25 yards on semi-auto fire.

this type of performance was NOT what one likes to see from soldiers and their weapons. i would certainly like to believe that this one particular soldier and his weapon were NOT our average. if it is...we've got BIG problems. it's no wonder that big ordinance is required to take out enemy troops.

my personal opinion is that the military has put so much faith in the 5.56 cartridge since it's shockingly horrible appearance in Vietnam that they really haven't known what to do up until recently. they placed all their faith in "look, see how light the rifle is? see how much more ammo can be carried over the 7.62/30-06? see how many more can be produced for less cost?" when they should have been looking how woefully inadequate the 5.56 is as a combat round. I've seen AR's that weigh in at a staggering 13 pounds, too. the M-1 Garand i trained with weighed in at 10 pounds fully loaded...and that's with the venerable 30-06 cartridge.

"COMBAT" being the operative verb being spoken about. oh, sure at ranges of out to about 100 yards, it has lethality. but when one considers that General Petraeus himself was shot in the chest at point blank range in a training mishap and survived it gives me pause to think...had that been a 7.62 or an '06...I'm certain the outcome would have been a military burial instead of a hospitalization.

all that being said...i would like to have one of today's fine AR's for sporting purposes but i don't think I'd want to bet my life on the 5.56. the AR-10? now that's a different story.

the AR is here to stay whether legislators like it or not.

i sometimes wonder

why i do the things i do...

i, quite a few years ago, purchased a QB-78 CO2 air rifle.

it's not a high powered, hi tech, powerhouse, more a low-to-mid powered, inexpensive, easy to get, accurate, rifle with the potential to be made into a high powered rifle should you want to make it so. it's not what i would select as my 'go-to' hunting, air rifle.

just recently, i started getting into PCP air rifles. I'm finding they're much more to my liking and much more rewarding to me than CO2 or springers; not only that...they can be found in very high power calibers with accuracy beyond belief without a horrendous price tag. (unless you wish to go high dollar)you may even hunt big game with them. there's many articles about those who've taken deer, elk and American bison with high powered PCP rifles.

right now, i have two dedicated PCP rifles, one in .22 the other in .25...the QB-78 i mentioned above is .22 cal and i can use a hand pump to pump it up to pressures in the 1000 PSI range for good operation...but, the shot count is dramatically reduced. i can get only four full power shots per refill...mostly due to the capacity of the air tube.

by far, the .25 is the most accurate and powerful, out-of-the-box of the three...it has low shot count due to the air capacity of the air tube...only 16 shots per refill. when you have to hand pump every refill it becomes a 'chore' to try to make a day's fun of shooting this fine rifle.

the same can be said about the .22 insofar as the hand pumping operation. but it is a highly powerful and accurate PCP.

the QB-78? so far I've spent what a good PCP would cost me on it and i doubt I've put over 500 shots through it since i purchased it back around the year 2003. and it still stays in various stages of dis-assembly most of the time while I'm making a part, ordering a part or just trying to figure out what i want to do with it.

i was hoping to be able to convert it to operate at the same pressures as the dedicated PCP's but not so...from what I'm told, 1500 PSI is max operational pressure for this rifle so i think that's where i will leave it.

oh, there are the parts available to convert it to the higher pressures, but by the time i spent that kind of money on a conversion, i could purchase one that's already made to use high pressure...

the rifle itself, is no where near as "adjustable" as are the other two without disassembling and changing or modifying the internals.

it takes very little effort to pump it up to the 1000 PSI operating pressure i know it will function with and it's very accurate...but...the low shot count makes it impractical to take it afield for a days hunt so i guess I'll just leave it here at the house to 'plink' with.

seems the longer i go...

the farther into the PCP's i get.

i now have two dedicated PCP's and one I'm in the process of completing; my springers are now dust collectors.

the only real "problem" presented by a PCP is the pains it takes to refill them. however...I'm now set up to feed all three of them from the same sources...a hand pump and a SCUBA tank.

i wouldn't dream if doing some of the things with springers that is being done with PCP's now. i recently spoke to a well known airgunsmith who tells me he regularly takes coyote and javelina with his PCP. (i didn't think to ask him what caliber he uses, though, and I'd guess he opts for the .25 caliber as it's a "powerhouse")

over the course of my sixty-eight years I've done quite a lot of hunting with rifles, handguns, bows and airguns. in the course of those years I've done very little actual killing. to me, the kill is NOT the most important event of the hunt...the hunt itself is the result of cumulative experiences during that event and the actual kill itself is only one aspect of it. I've had more successful hunts without kills than with kills.

i had the occasion, once, many years ago, to hunt with a well-known, local, celebrity hunter whom i found it very disconcerting to be hunting with.

the hunt was all about 'him' and how great he envisioned himself to be.

you see, we had come back to camp with an empty game bag. that nite around the campfire, all he did was sulk and complain about how he "shoudda had one". we hadn't even SEEN any pigs that particular day. but...my day was VERY successful.

in the course of traversing the countryside in search of the javelina, i came on a rock formation that had a carving in it that i believe to have been a grave marker for an early explorer of the region; a double beamed cross with the date of, the best i could make out, 1786. i did not have my camera with me so i couldn't take a photo of it. (i always took one with me after that)

i suspect that, in the tradition of the day, someone fell (died) there is why it was carved into the rock. if i am correct and the date is indeed, 1786, that would have meant it was more than likely a Spanish explorer as that was about the time the Spanish settlers were inhabiting the area.

that is what makes a great hunt for me...something of that magnitude...not just the kill...

a problem solved

it's taken me a while to "figure it out" but i finally came to the conclusion and solution that i have three rifles that operate on HPA and i should have a common source to feed them...duhhhhh

every PCP and CO2 rifle in existence has a different charging method and it's up to the owner to "co-ordinate" that with sources of air (should they wish to).

i am not a fan of CO2; it's very susceptible to weather and environmental conditions, so i switched one rifle to HPA simply by installation of a foster fitting...the other two HPA rifles i have are fitted for HPA by the factory. and yes, I'm aware there is an entire cult of CO2 users out there for airguns and paintball and I'm not 'bad-mouthing' or 'dissing' them; there are some advantages to using CO2 as a propellant.

i solved my dilemma by installing a common fitting on the hand pump i have and it's mating fitting on the rifles/adapters. now I'm able to feed all three rifles with the same hand pump. saves a lot of time, effort and $$$$ and did not 'break my bank'.

as i see it, shooting HPA may be the only way to go in the near future...mostly due to legislative and financial issues that are looming on the horizon for the shooting sports; i would not be surprised to see an attempt to legislate a limit on the draw weight poundage of bows, too. that's another subject to be addressed at another time, though...so i guess I'll just go have another cup of coffee and pump up my .25.

wow!

i just got a new PCP; a .25 caliber Benjamin Marauder. what a rifle!

it is designed to operate on 3000 PSI but will operate at lower pressures.

it has a well designed and built trigger that's user adjustable (that in itself is almost, unusual, in today's airguns)

the stock is well designed and constructed from good American hardwood and is ambi-dexterous with a high comb on both sides of the butt for right and left hand shooters alike. it has good checkering and should be enduring for the years to come. one may remove the action from the stock for trigger and pressure adjustments by way of removing ONE, hefty Allen screw.

it has a built in pressure gauge that allows the shooter to monitor pressure quickly and accurately.

refill is easily accomplished by way of a foster fitting and may be accomplished by either SCUBA/SCBA tank or hand pump.

oh, and it has a great shrouded barrel. all one hears is the metallic ping of the hammer when shooting. I'm sure that will cause the legislators in many locations (especially kaliphornia) to weep, wail and wring their hands in anguish.

the rifle, as it comes from the factory, has no mounted sighting devices of any sort but comes with a built on rail to accommodate any optical devices one chooses. one should be advised, though, it is NOT equipped for open/iron sights so if you are an open/iron sight only shooter, this is NOT the rifle for you...unless you take it to a licensed gunsmith for installation of front sights of some sort. it's not impossible, but probably expensive and maybe "iffish" as they would have to mounted to the removable sleeve/shroud that encloses the barrel and it's possible the sleeve would rotate. i suppose there are those who will do it, though.

the rifle itself is surprisingly large, but not proportionally heavy. it weighs in slightly over 6 lbs. judicious use of aluminum and alloy helped to accomplish this fact. there is almost no plastic on this rifle.

there is little doubt this is a 100 yard rifle. it has the power and accuracy to reach out there for the taking of game with no hesitation or doubt and is proving as such with many hunters as we speak. however one must keep in mind, it is a PCP, NOT a rimfire or centerfire rifle so it should be judiciously used in the taking of LIVE game...in other words, don't expect to shoot deer, or similar sized game, with it. the taking of coyote and similar sized animals should be within it's capabilities at reasonable ranges, of course...

its proving to be accurate to say the least. right out of the box i was able to shoot a 5 shot group of less than 1" at a measured 31 yards. with some work with air pressure and pellet style, i suspect a a person could easily shoot near one-hole groups with it as the norm.

the single biggest flaw i find with this otherwise, fine, rifle, is the amount of air used; a 3000 PSI fill is good for only 20-25 shots before refill is called for.

i suppose one could enlarge the air tank but that would cause other factors to change. such as the weight and handling characteristics and i suppose there are those who will do something like that and I'm interested to see what they do. if one does nothing but range shooting i suppose it could be hooked tandem to a large SCUBA/SCBA set up for many shots...but...would it be worth the effort?

overall...i think Crosman/Benjamin have written themselves a ticket for a long, successful trip into airgun history with the Marauder.

ahhhh...i see...

since getting into PCP air rifles I've discovered there are a whole new kind of fanatics out there in the shooting world, the "clean machine" kind.

oh, I'm aware and very conspicuous about the cleanliness of my rifles and pistols. they must be kept clean in order to be reliable and accurate.

what I'm talking about is the cleanliness of the pellets fed to the PCP air rifles.

i recently purchased two tins of a well known brand of pellets to feed my Airforce Talon that were a lesson in eye-opening attention to detail.

these pellets were yielding, at best, ho-hum groups at all ranges. it was exasperating to me. no mater what i did, i could not get them to group satisfactorily at ANY range.

now, i hadn't been paying too much attention to the pellets as i fed them to the rifle but then i noticed small flakes of lead shavings around the tin i was removing them from. hmmmmmmmmmmm...maybe I'd better check the quality of them. i found many of them with lead shavings left inside of the skirts and found nearly, what i estimate to be, 40% of them, were disfigured or deformed badly enough to where they were unacceptable. WOW!

after sorting out the ones that were of better quality, i washed them in a solution of hot soapy water, rinsed them with hot clean water and air dried them overnite, lightly lubricated them with a light application of Break-Free CLP and headed out to the shooting bench with a fresh refill in the air bottle and a curiosity to see if that would do anything.

now, I'm fortunate enough to have enough property and live in a location where i can shoot my "shrouded" air rifle without fear of a SWAT team, Marines, paratroopers, rangers, FBI, etc showing up at my doorstep ready to "neutralize a threat".

i have read the instruction manual and watched the instructional DVD provided by Airforce and it is recommended by them that the pellets fed to their rifles be lightly lubed; i had been negligent in that suggestion. that suggestion might make some "springer" airgunners have a stroke...lubing pellets can cause 'dieseling' in springers...dieseling can cause internal damage to seals and pistons.

OK, OK...moving on...

i have three targets set up: 31 yards, 38 yards and 53 yards. two of them are 2'x2'x 1/4", steel plates for back stops and one is a huge dirt pile. all are more than adequate for stopping pellets.

i put a fresh sight in target at the closest one and proceeded to shoot for results.

i was dumbfounded!

the first five shots were almost one hole and centered almost dead center of the bulls eye! the group was no larger than a dime!

now I'm not certain that washing and lubing pellets will cause them to be at least 50% more accurate, but i do believe that combining that with sorting out the less than desirable ones DID make a huge difference.

i had, previously washed and lubed some other pellets...Spanish made pointed ones, that didn't seem to be affected one way or another by washing and lubing, but now...I've got to go back thru them and sort out the ones with any damage or disfigurement.

I'm not too keen on pointed pellets, most I've tried tend to be not too accurate at longer distances and seem to get worse as the distance increases, but kept within closer perimeters, they can be accurate to the extreme. those guidelines vary when the caliber and speeds of the pellets increase; heavy, bigger caliber, round nose pellets, tend to be more accurate at very long ranges (usually, 50 yards and beyond)than do pointed pellets.

since i have ordered a brand new .25 caliber PCP I'm gonna have to pay scrupulous attention to the pellets i feed it...i normally cannot get with in a reasonable distance to live game any more and have to rely on those bigger, heavier pellets.

this out to prove to be fun, interesting and challenging.

a little long between posting

it's been a while since I've made a post here...but...things are happening. things that have taken precedent over things that MUST be done versus things i WANT to do; things like TAX time...that being said, I'll comment further on my other BLOG, "Don't blame the legislators".

I've had to part with a few of my powder burners as of late and may have to part with more, times have changed...and not for the better.

as an example, i played back an incomplete recorded message on my telefone answering machine recently and it says that "they are trying to pass legislation to registers every long gun and shot gun purchased now"...i did not catch who "they" are...but again, i will address the subject on my other blog.

I've been getting more and more into the PCP air guns as of late. the peripheral support for these arms are not like any other in that there is VERY little in common with other methods of propulsion of projectiles...they're air/nitrogen-driven and utilize a valving system to release the propelling agent instead of igniting a propellant to drive a projectile.

with powder burners one must take precautions involving fire and fire prevention, with the air guns, particularly PCP, one must take precautions of working with HPA (High Pressure Air) the PCP's i have will run on 2500 PSI but are capable of holding 3000 PSI. "oh, that's not much", you say...well, consider this...your workshop compressor that you use to blow chips from your lathe, drill press or fill the wife's SUV tires with uses only about 80 lbs of compressed air to do those mundane tasks. the one i have, a Craftsman, is capable of delivering 150 PSI. that kind of air pressure wouldn't begin to power a PCP in .177 caliber, yet alone a .457, .308 or 9mm.

that's right...i said .457, .308 and 9mm...there are even bigger PCP air guns. air guns that are capable of taking large African game and have proven so. G. L. Barnes makes them in up to .60 caliber.

there are some negative involved, too. Price...and shots per air fill being two of the primary disadvantages.

price? a high quality PCP will usually start in the mid-to-high hundreds of dollars and rise rapidly from there. and that, like most firearms, does not, normally, include optics of any sort and more often than not, no sights of any sort are provided. but, like firearms, it doesn't limit the options...only you and your pocketbook limit them.

shots per fill? the higher the power, the more the air consumption per shot. it's that simple. just like a powder burner, the bigger the caliber/cartridge, the more propellant it burns per shot to drive the bigger projectile. a high-powered PCP will get some where around 5-10 shots per fill. not many considering what you may have to do to refill. you cannot carry the refill gear with you as you can cartridges. even as handy and portable as a hand pump is, it still cannot be comfortably carried with you like putting cartridges in a belt or back/fanny pack and it take considerably more effort than loading cartridges into a magazine of a rifle.

right now, i think one of the biggest reasons i am getting farther into PCP's is the fact they are not in as much of the sight of legislators as are firearms.

also, i can shoot them right here on my property (i live rurally) without fear of reprisal from law enforcement. even though it's not uncommon to hear gunshots here, i still prefer the "shrouded" barrels of a PCP. the paranoid laws of California are still in great fear of "silenced" firearms. California is in the "stone age" when it comes to firearms laws, remember.

my PCP's are powerful enough to hunt small game with and accurate enough to shoot serious accuracy with and yet are affordable and, for the moment, don't have to be "registered".

i guess I'll quit ranting for now and go do something productive

a breath of air

I've been into airguns for quite a few years now and it wasn't until just recently i finally broke into the world of PCP (Pre Charged Pneumatic) air guns (sometimes referred to as "bottle guns")

now that I'm into them, the "springers" are almost a thing of the past for me.

PCP guns have NO recoil. that, in fact, enhances and assists in accuracy overall.

PCP guns, generally, take up where springers leave off, power-wise. PCP guns are now manufactured that are perfectly capable of taking big game, even African big game. but, like powerful firearms of the same capabilities, they're expensive.

with a little investment in "tuning", the average PCP can very easily be brought to near .22 rimfire capabilities. that opens up the world of hunting to airgunners, not just "plinking", pest elimination and target shooting any longer.

PCP guns happen to be LOUD, too...some as loud, or louder than, equivalent firearms. however, at the moment, there is not as much of a panic by legislators about having airguns "moderated" as there is firearms so many PCP arms are offered in "moderated" versions.

now, i fully understand, and agree with the laws concerning shooting in populated areas...it's NOT a good idea. let's face it, would you want your next door neighbor (in a city environment) to practice with his .45 ACP in his back yard? i don't think so...but on the other hand, if, in a rural environment, where a safe back stop is used, why not? but the legislative minds are not capable of envisioning that for some reason.

that being said...my point is that with a "moderated" arm, a person does not have to worry about being hearing impaired after a session, or aggravating his neighbors with the noise with his chosen arm. being worried about the report can also affect the accuracy by causing "flinch" upon firing. even in places like England, Canada, France and Germany, "moderators" are accepted as long as they're registered with the local police; a concept that's beyond the scope of the understanding of the average legislator here.

so far, air guns have not been as regulated and feared by legislators as are firearms, but i think the day is coming they will be more heavily regulated just as are firearms.

I'm about to embark on an upgrade of one of my PCP's. I'm very anxious to test the results.

more guns

I've not done much with the .17 HMR but from what i have done, it seems to be a good cartridge if one keeps it's limits in mind, after all, it's only a 17/20 grain bullet...but traveling at the speed it travels, it's very capable of taking small(er) game within reasonable ranges.

i read of many who say they've taken coyote out to 200 yards with it but i, personally, would be reluctant to try a shot of that distance with this diminutive cartridge and it's tiny bullet.

the platform mine is on is based on a Ruger 77/22; i installed a Voltquartsen .17 HMR on the Ruger receiver. a simple straight up barrel change with no machining or complicated procedures to follow. where i do have some machining capabilities i am also limited by my tooling and knowledge so it was a logical choice.

i had another .17 HMR that i took to the range and at 100 yards i couldn't manage to keep a 5" group. some folks report having 1" and less sized groups at 100 yards, but i believe I'd have to witness it or shoot it myself to believe that. i have personally shot near "one hole" groups with it from 30 yards, though. mind you. I'm not saying it cannot be done, or hasn't been done, but based on my experiences with the cartridge, it's difficult to do unless all conditions are PERFECT. one needs to pay mind to the wind with particular attention when using this round...it's highly susceptible to the wind.

recoil is nil and the report is actually not too bad but the cost is rather high for rimfire ammo.

overall, i think the performance is great, though. once 'dialed in' a .17 HMR can be a very useful tool.

decisions, decisions

things sure are "loony" at times.

i have a Ruger 10/22, no doubt one of the most popular .22 caliber, rimfire carbines ever built in this country for the last sixty years or so.

it's a really good firearm "as is" from the factory and is quite capable of doing almost anything asked of it, with in reason, of course. i would not make it the carbine of my choice to take into a combat engagement...but of course, if i had no choice but it, i would take it.

there is almost any accessory available on the market today to change/enhance this fine little carbine that one could imagine; at reasonable to extravagant costs, i might add. there are even kits available to make it appear like the mind-boggling WWII German machine gun, the M39 and the legendary M1 Garand. expensive? yes...but hey...if that's what you want and are willing to pony-up the $$$$ for it...more power to you.

over a period of time, I've accumulated two different stock variations for it. the Choate pistol grip and the Dragunov.

my preference is for the Dragunov, but...the particular stock i have is not as well fitting as it should be in order to give a good, secure fit for the action as is needed; it, in fact, moves about freely in the stock even when fully tightened after assembly; an intolerable condition, to say the least.

i suppose some day i may get some bedding epoxy and actually do some fill work on it so i can use it but until then, i suppose I'll stick with the Choate or the standard stock for it.

i prefer the pistol grip style grip for this particular .22 as i use it around the homestead for "protection" and it makes it easier to wield.

wait a minute, you say, you just said you wouldn't choose this carbine in a combat engagement...that i did.

however..."protection", in this case, is against four-legged marauders such as the coyote and the bobcat. we have an abundance of them here where i live and they are AGGRESSIVE. it's not unusual to see a pack of four or more coyotes around here. i once counted a pack of nine of them along our fence line.

now, some of you will, indeed, question the .22 rimfires ability to take out a coyote or bobcat.

i assure you...it will...it does. but what you must do is keep shots well within it's range capability. it will NOT work well at ranges over 100 yards unless there is PERFECT shot placement. i would never try a shot on living game with a .22 rimfire over 100 yards larger than a cottontail rabbit, (and i would still have second thoughts about it)

you see, we have a puppy that must routinely be taken out before bedtime and it's up to me to "stand guard" over the puppy and my wife while they tend to business.

now, at ranges of less than twenty yards, the .22 long rifle, high velocity cartridge, is quite capable.

we also have to consider neighbors...where i live rurally, we still have neighbors that are around one-hundred yards close to us an all four sides. something like an AR-15 in 5.56 would constitute a hazard to them as well if not fired judiciously and my air rifles could not be operated quickly enough to be effective; hence, the selection of the 10/22.

it's semi-automatic, very accurate, light and easy to handle and capable of taking down a coyote or bobcat in short order...as i said...i know that to be FACT, not speculation.

where i have bolt action .22's that are "four leaf clover" accurate, they will not get onto target as quickly, dispense or deliver as many on target as fast as will the 10/22...period.

the 10/22 is also capable of "one hole" groups, too. with the selection and application of select accessories and some "tuning", you'll have a.22 rimfire that will put bullet after bullet into the same hole at fifty yards.

what more could a person ask of a firearm?

so...overall the 10/22 is a good choice.

sometimes i wonder...

no...i don't wonder...i know...this system we live under has broken down and in in dire need of repair.

we voters need to start at the white house and work our way down removing ALL the incumbents, to include the house and senate, dissolve the IRS, revamp ALL rules and regulations pertaining to elected officials and their terms in office.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR...I'd better get back on the decaf

good grief...

I'm overdosing on the news and what's going on in congress and in this country.

my wife and i get to a point to where we're about to scream after watching news for a while during the day.

it seems to us that there is nothing POSITIVE in the news now...it's all about negative goings on's...if it's not about the highly volatile health care issue, it's about a child killer or mass murderer.

it's my opinion, that this congress, and most, state legislatures, are dysfunctional...period.

the results of being so highly dysfunctional? mass dissatisfaction among the population.

it seems that our so-called legislators, believe that penalizing the population by way of excess taxation, is the answer to everything yet they fail to realize that pour national debt is now out of control and may never be able to be paid, ever. i saw one estimate that each American family is committed for $45,000.00 per year to pay of the debt...that's staggering in itself but that's not the end of it.

congress wants to lower Medicare benefits and raise the price of them...go figure.

congress mandated we MUST all pay for medicare then they want to deny us the benefit as promised.

that's reasonable to them i suppose...not to me and millions of other Americans, though.

the state i live in, California is broke. they retaliate against me by raising my already oppressive vehicle registration fees. they, in fact, increased by $50.00 each. i have to make a choice of buying groceries or pay the vehicle fees without out fear of retaliation from the state as i live on a limited income. they fail to realize that not every one who is retired is wealthy. furthermore, they could care less if they do realize it. counties are trying to increase property taxes, water districts are doubling and even tripling water rates, utility providers are increasing rates at a phenomenal rate and all the while, our pay does not go up...

welcome to the REAL world...the occupant of the white house did promise change didn't he? I'm sure he meant it, but what he didn't tell us is that it's change for the worse...all one has to do is look around to see that.

good grief...

the agony of defeat...

i have been forced to "pare down" some of my firearms.

i did have to part with some of them but it was not tragedy or a heartbreak: it had to be done.

i can always get another of the ones i had to part with. or can i?

maybe, maybe not.

as much as i like the ones i parted with, i kept the ones that are the best, by far, of the ones i have.

the ones o have elected will, indeed, meet my "wants"; i am satisfied with the ones that are left.

you'll notice i said "wants", not "wants and needs" or "needs".

as it stands at this time and place in my life and my place in the spectrum of history, i don't feel i really NEED a firearm.

the environment i live in is not one that abounds with perils that require that i have one, but yet, it may be called on at some time to "need" one. there's no gangs roaming the countryside nor is there wild, savage, viscous animals or packs of them that threaten my, or my wife and our animals, existence. yet we do have enough coyote and big cat activity to warrant having a firearm IN CASE the need does arise that removing such threats might become necessary.

in my remaining selection i have enough power to harvest the largest of animals that inhabit our planet and low enough power to rid the outbuildings of rats and mice and the like without blowing holes in the buildings themselves and alerting every neighbor within two miles.

since it is a fact that i no longer hunt much, i don't need a large selection, just versatility.

in selecting the 'versatile' arms, i tried to visualize every possible scenario; i think i arrived at it.

i mentioned the "ultimate sniper" stocked rifle in another BLOG...it was one of them and there were two other similar ones. between the three, from -0- to 1000 yards is covered with accuracy and lethality.

so far, i believe I've made proper selection but time will tell.

and, one thing i like the most is the fact i can now focus on better upgrades for what i now have...

ya gotta give a little to get a little...

in a quandry

i may be faced with the prospect of having to "pare down" my selection of firearms. (not that i have that many, though)

i have mostly .22 caliber rimfire rifles and none is of any particular value as collectors items or value...just "bread 'n' butter" rifles I've been collecting since i was a kid. i use my firearms to hunt with and shoot targets. they do not sit in a cabinet without being used.

I've tried to tailor my firearms to my use and the potential for other events that may come up on me for whatever the reasons.

as an example: i have two combination's (refereed to as "companions", too) that are expressly aimed at (no pun intended) a 'survival' scenario. one carbine and one handgun of corresponding caliber so they can use the same ammunition. they would share common ammo eliminating the need for two different types of ammo to be carried or purchased.

this type of "combination" was quite common in the old west among cowboys, settlers, lawmen, and gunfighters and drifters for that matter. they'd have a rifle and pistol that would shoot the same ammo. the primary difference being that from a rifle, the same ammo usually produces higher velocities and longer range. it enabled the cowboy to be accurate at ranges out to 200-300 yards from his saddle carbine and yet be very accurate at close in ranges from his pistol, too.

this particular combination is not the best selection for a 'self defense' combination though (that's NOT to say it's not adequate, either) as it's normally a lever action rifle and a revolver of sorts, usually a SA (single action). today's law enforcement and military rely heavily on semi-automatic and full-automatic firearms.

i also have a semi-automatic 'combination'. they would be more to my selection should we ever come to a societal break-down that would require me to defend my self and family against intruders or calamity.

in today's culture, one is generally not encouraged to defend ones self or loved ones, in fact, many laws are contrary and have become oppressive in nature. in short...the concept of being able to defend yourself has been so heavily undermined by legislators its become a national frustration.

i do NOT advocate that one break the law or take the law into their own hands but i do advocate that one needs to do what one needs to do in such dire times...

it's times like these that one may just need such a combination.

you see, I'm of the belief that America is now in the stages of becoming unraveled at it's seams. the signs are everywhere, very obvious and blatant.

special interest groups are demanding, illegal immigration is at AN ALL TIME HIGH, taxes are becoming so overbearing there is near riots in the streets, costs for essentials are enormous and our so-called "leaders" do nothing about it except wanting to raise taxes.

we have an occupant of the white house that seems oblivious to all; that all is not well...duhhhhh...

congress! current occupant of the white house! open your eyes! all is NOT well and is worsening as we speak. Lead...do not oppress!

it's with a sad, worried heart and mind i prepare these tools. ones i hope i never have to use.

more thoughts

my day to day adventures in the world of guns and bows is something i look to each day.

it's a constant guessing game at what i might decide to do...one day, i might work on a rifle, the next day refletch some arrows...i never know.

I've been fortunate enough to have accumulated a selection of tools that enable me to do most jobs on guns and bows that the normal home hobbyist can do.

one problem i do have, though, is the fact that i sometimes get bogged down in a project that requires the replacing of a part that i do not have or cannot readily get. it usually ends up that the 'project' ends up in a pile of parts in a corner somewhere until i can locate or get the part needed. consequently, sometimes I'll have parts lying about for quite a while...a source of aggravation.

an example that comes to mind: quite a while back i purchased a new QB78 CO2 air rifle. i decided to replace the stock with a aftermarket one...i bought the stock. it took me approximately two years to finally get around to shaping it and inletting it. i then decided to do a "valve job" to extract more power from it. that took me another four to five years...all the while, this rifle has been in various stages of assembly, laying on a shelf somewhere in my shoppe. in the years since i purchased it, i doubt I've shot more than 100 pellets thru it...

i hope soon, to one day, complete a project within a "reasonable" time so i can keep up with having enough shoppe space to complete my "projects"...

sometimes i wonder...

more days gone by...

let me start by commenting on a previous blog. the one about the 5.56 NATO.

the current AR-15/M-16/M-4 platform from what I've seen of it and read about it is a truly versatile one now...it's evolved into a reliable platform from which to build to now after the tragic 'bugs' of the Vietnam models have been sorted out. it's sad so many of our soldiers had to pay the price of our leaderships poor selection.

i had two cousins and three very close friends who had the misfortune to have been saddled with that poor selection. fortunately they survived to recount their harrowing experiences when they were let down by it in the worse possible scenarios.

the two cousins i mention were a career marine and a career soldier...both of which later were taken by agent orange consequences. ironic; they survived the horrific battles of Au Shau, Hue, Da Nang and numerous other only to be overcome by one of our own weapons in later years. both had numerous combat tours there each, they had a combined sixty-five (65) months of combat tours between them and were never severely wounded.

since i was there prior to the days of the M-16, i was not exposed to it as a soldier. for that I'm grateful.

many of you would say "that's ancient history..move on...get over it".

it's very difficult to overlook mistakes and decisions that effect us and our military by our leaders is my point.

the current occupant of the white house has killed the f-22 fighter program, is attempting to lift the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, allow women crew members on submarines, imposing really, really, questionable rules of engagement on the soldiers who are fighting our wars.

my opinion is that all those decisions are very detrimental to the overall moral of the fighting man and the nation.

we, the United States, are the best military on the face of the planet but are fading rapidly due to those decisions.

no other time in our history have we had such a 'wishy-washy' congress. A congress who's is afraid to win wars. or, rather, do what it takes to win wars, i should say.

there is a great emphasis on reduction of collateral damage and the killing of civilians during an engagement.

where it's true many civilians in this day and age do not and are NOT actively engaged in opposing us, they more times than not, are in support of the "other side" in one way or another.

if you don't believe that...i feel sorry for you. all you have to do is go back to the pages of WWII archives and read about the war efforts on the home front by ALL participants.

who was building the planes, tanks, bombs, weapons for their armies? that's right...wives, sisters, mothers, fathers and brothers...now i ask you, are they innocent?

during the fight for falujah the enemy were seeking refuge in mosques...the mosque are known for aiding, hiding and supporting the enemy. are they not a legitimate target? the enemy does NOT hesitate to attack ANY target they deem they need to. why do we not do the same?

during WWII there was a horrific battle, the battle of Monte Cassino, where an 11th century monastery was attacked, and very nearly obliterated, because German paratroopers were "holed up" in it; IT WAS NECESSARY. what's difficult to understand about that?

that's just ONE example...history is replete with many,. many other examples of what needed to be done in order to win.

here's my whole point: the enemy should be pummeled until they submit...period. once they've unconditionally surrendered or been defeated beyond a doubt, then, and only then, should mercy be shown.

war is ugly at it's best...if we MUST engage in it, for what ever the reason(s), why not do our very best to win?

that is not to condone or support atrocities or criminal acts...just do what it takes to win otherwise...don't get involved.

that's my rant for the day...i guess i should start drinking unleaded coffee...

hmmmmmmm...tradition...what's tradition?

as i age, i find it more and more difficult to grasp my bowstring in the customary way archers have for centuries; with the fingers of my right hand. i find myself utilizing what is referred to as a release aid. in my case i use a "mechanical" release aid as it is a machined, metal, hand held device that could also be called a triggering device.

some in the archery community refer to them as 'crutches' or 'hooks'...they seem to have a belief that you MUST not use anything that is not "traditional" if you are using a bow that is not in the compound bow family as they believe that compounds are NOT "traditional" archery.

let me say this: i don't really care what you shoot, or don't shoot, and what you use to shoot it with...if it works for you, you like it...that's what matters isn't it?

I'm sure if you look into history you'll see that the mongols used a device called a thumbring to grasp the bowstring with. would someone call the mongol archers "non-traditional"? i don't think so.

that's but one example.

drawing a bow, any bow, can be excruciating to the fingers and it's taken it's toll on my fingers over the years. not only does the string abrade the fingers if no protection is used, be it a finger tab or a glove OR a release aid, but it also can stretch the fingers in an unnatural manner causing tendon and tissue damage over a period of time. the heavier the draw weight poundage, the worse the stress. those reasons alone are justification enough to consider using a release aid, in my opinion.

some say: "i like to have as few encumbrances as possible and keep it simple...you can always lose or break a release aid; you don't normally lose your fingers..."

yeah...there is merit to that...however...to me it's like listening to those that complain about wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle. a helmet WILL help preserve life if your head hits the pavement...like it or not, it's good sensible thinking. i know that to be fact, not fiction; i rode motorcycles over forty years in all fashions and manners. my head was saved on more than one occasion by the wearing of a helmet.

in fact, i have a skateboard helmet i wear when i go out hunting; although, i have camouflaged it with dull paint patterns AND i wear safety 'goggles'...horrors!!! heaven forbid that one be cautious when out and about...at my age, I'm not nearly as agile as i once was and the trees and brush around where i live is notoriously given to have sharp, broken, branches right at eye level. they're extremely unforgiving, bayonet like, and...absolutely final in their brutality when it comes to inflicting eye poking, puncture, wounds to the face and head of the careless. that' why i wear them...common sense.

i also do NOT use sights on my bows (the recurve and longbows, that is) some are critical about that, too, both for, and against, sighting devices. again...use what you like and use best...i don't care...what ever works for you and you want/like.

now...here's a picture of what it looks like: i, quite a while back, was emerging from the bush not far from where i lived at the time and there happened to be a car parked near where i came out on the road (a dirt road in a rural area in a national forest)...along side the car was a man, a woman, and a little girl. the little girl was perhaps four or five years of age and they were, what looked like, gathering some wild flowers. it's not uncommon for folks to gather the flowers for their home decorations in this area.

i had to use this road to get home; i was within walking distance of my house.

anyway...here i come walking out of the brush wearing a skateboard helmet, elbow and knee pads, safety goggles, a back quiver full of brightly fletched arrows and carrying a bow in fully gloved hands...truly a strange sight in the eyes of a four or five year old, I'm sure, as i heard her ask her momma "what is that mom?"

it's my guess they were a city family on an outing and the little girl had just been exposed to something she had never seen or heard about; a bowhunter.

a very strange looking one, i must admit, but one that's not afraid of breaking "tradition"...one that is into being safe and sensible in the pursuit of one's interests.

"tradition" is what YOU MAKE IT...pure and simple.

cya later...

sighhh...if only

i am not an "expert" marksman...i am however a decent shot. i have shot my "share" of groups that are hard to rival, by any stretch of the imagination...but that was the exception, not the rule...in my case anyway. i qualified as "expert" with the M-1's. as many of you know, military qualifications tend to be a little different than out here in the civilian shooting world.

i received army marksmanship training as a soldier back in the early 60's. i trained with the legendary M-1 Garand and M-1 carbine and later the M-14. there were still some of the water cooled browning machine guns in use and the BAR was still AR of the infantry squad. if having to make a choice of having to go to combat again and having a selection of weapons i would probably select any of the above named weapons over the current M-16/M-4.

I'm certain the m-16/m4 has it's place, but, in my opinion, not on the battle field in the 5.56 cartridge configuration. the 5.56 is a short range, limited capacity cartridge and has proven to be ineffective at ranges over 300 yards under many battlefield conditions. i would not want to go into a gunfight thinking i was "under-gunned".

i find it odd that many states prohibit the use of the 5.56/.223 to hunt big game with and the military and law enforcement bow at the altar of the 5.56; the average deer is about the same size and weight as an average man in many cases and it's been deemed the 5.56/.223 and even the bigger cousin of the 5.56, the 22-250 is not adequate to harvest the deer with. the 22-250 approaches 4,000 fps with select hand loaded cartridges...

i, myself, have not used the 5.56 in combat...i used the .30 cals.

i do have friends and relatives who have used the 5.56 in combat and have nothing good to say about it. in fact, most them them "lost" their M-16's at the first opportunity to get an M-14, or even an AK. my closest friend was a marine squad leader in Nam and elected to carry the legendary M-60 over the M-16. to me, at least, that says something. i personally know a young marine who is NOT enamored with the performance of the 5.56, too; he used the M-4 in Iraq.

further evidence of it's question-ability lies in the fact that military groups such as special operations forces are requesting the M-14 back...and are getting it. maybe not in the same configuration as when i was "in", but never the less...the same basic operational system of the 7.62/M-14 platform. it now wears different stocks and optics are normally mounted and the barrel length and magazine capacity are different but you still have gained the superiority of the 7.62/.308 firepower.

the M-1 Carbine is another matter, though.

the M-1 Carbine cartridge is still in use today but as a 'varmint/plinker' cartridge. it's available in a few commercial carbine variations, and as a revolver cartridge; some of the military pieces fetch some serious cash when purchasing (mostly by collectors, though. i recently saw one at a Big 5 Sporting goods store with a hefty $1,000.00 price tag on it.) at one time many police/law enforcement used surplus M-1 Carbines as back up arms...no more. even thought the M-1 Carbine saw action, and was proven to be deadly, accurate and very reliable under all battle conditions, from WWII, up to, and including Vietnam, it's now not considered as being an effective combat cartridge or even as as an effective big game cartridge...go figure. i would believe it would stagger one if we knew how many were actually slain with/by it during those conflicts. it was used extensively by the paratroops as it was light, compact, accurate and one could carry much ammo to feed it with.

one MUST keep in mind, when thinking of the M-1 Carbine...it was designed and intended as a CLOSE RANGE weapon. i, in fact, qualified with it at 100 yards on the island of Okinawa. i think the M-16/M-4 fits this category, too.

when all the modern optics and accessories are fitted to the M-4 military version...it's weight is significant; i have handled one and was astonished at how much it weighed. there is in fact one version of a civilian model that weighs in at a hefty 11 pounds sans sighting devices/BUIS or a bi-pod and sling (if the latter two are selected as options) it would probably be at, or near, the 13 pound mark once all options and ammo is on board.

my question is: why have all that weight in a 5.56? why not have some real "knock down power and use a larger more capable cartridge if you're going to have to carry the weight"?

evidently, the military is waking up to that fact and now is adopting the 6.8MM SPC and/or 6.9MM Creedmoor cartridges for the M-16/M-4 platform.

i personally own two 5.56/.223 rifles and i dearly like them. they, in fact, fall into the "tack driver" category but are single shot rifles; i use them to shoot target and to hunt 'varmints' with.

i also owned an AR rifle (not of the M-16 variation, though) at one time and elected to get rid of it because of the stock...it felt too insecure and flexible, the mechanism was proven, safe and reliable, to a point, but it still had some "bugs" to work out. it was in the 5.56 and i felt it was not sufficient but for VERY close engagement.

some day in the future, i may decide to purchase an AR but not with intentions as utilizing in a defensory mode, but rather as a 'plinker/varminter' with the ability of upgrading to a HIGHLY capable defensory/offensive cartridge such as the 7.62x51 or even 30-06 if it ever comes available in an AR configuration. right now, for SD/defensory roles, i choose the 9mm, semi-automatic carbine and the 870 Remington shotgun...

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

some days you have it, some days you don't

have you ever had one of those days when you can't seem to get anything to work right? of course you have...we ALL have them.

Mom told me there would be days like that...but she did not tell me there would be so many of them and they'd be so close together...

my son and i had worked hard to get a coyote hide for the wall or bedside carpet on one occasion in the desert east of San Diego. we were both sporting .22 rimfires we'd been working on and were eager to 'test' the results of the fruits of our labor. he's just finished modifying his 10/22 and I'd just finished installing a new scope on my NEF .22 WMR.

i had been concentrating on the one-hundred (100) yard mark for targets using the mag and he was concentrating on getting them to within the fifty (50) yard range for the .22 LR.

we had a wonderful stand in a cluster of huge boulders on a hilltop that was just like a hat; flat all around the crown for at least one hundred yards (100) all around in a 360 degree panorama. it was a clear field of fire all around and we were at a elevation above it that would make any sniper drool.

the rocks were very "prone with a bi-pod friendly" and were nice and warm so it was not uncomfortable at all...just set up the rifle after ranging some marks...wait and watch. we had even brought a thermos of coffee and some soft drinks in a small cooler for later in the day.

we made a few calls from our wounded rabbit call after settling in and waited to see what would happen.

sure 'nuff...after a few minutes...movement about a hundred yards out to the north of us...

after a quick adjustment to the objective for the range estimation it was determined to be canine...and moving in on us fast.

without rhyme or reason, it suddenly came to a screeching halt. the breeze was in our favor and we had used skunk scent to mask our odor, and even ghillie suited ourselves after a fashion, too. we had done everything right so this should be a slam dunk shot.

we all know hunting is full of surprises and wonders. we were having a surprise sprung on us.

i could not get a CLEAR view of the whole creature while it was far out due to the fact there was erosion ruts and some scattered brush around and this guy was utilizing every bit of it...a wonderful stalk was under way by it.

after stopping, it's nose went up in the air and you could see it sniff the air and look around with some degree of caution.

it was becoming more clear now...one more move closer and if it hesitates in the next opening in it's path...it was slated for a clear shot. i had indeed ranged it at 77 yards (the opening) and had adjusted my scopes objective to as close to that as possible, cocked the hammer on the single shot rifle and waited.

it stepped into the anticipated opening, and unexpectedly faced me directly as if to look right at me.

i centered the crosshairs in the center of the chest, below the chin, and started the squeeze of the trigger (NEF rifles have no slack in their triggers either) when it struck me: "that ain't no coyote"..."Geeeeeee...it's a fox!"

certain foxes are protected here in California. all i could tell at that time was it was a fox so i elected to decock the rifle and watch.

the moment of hesitation is all it needed...it swapped ends and disappeared into the undergrowth as fast as it had appeared.

legend has it, that if you spare a foxes life, it will lead you to bigger game.

I'm still waiting...

another old rifle

this one is a '93 Mauser. it was made in the Oveido arsenal in Spain in 1923 according to the stamp on the receiver; it's in the venerable 7x57 caliber; one of the most popular centerfire rifle cartridges ever designed.

it was given to me by my brother after he returned from living in Wyoming for a while where he had worked part time in a gunsmith/shop as well being a full time police officer. he had others he wished to "play with" at the time.

that was circa 1980.

i have a very near and dear friend who is an extremely competent machinist as well as a competent and knowledgeable, gunsmith and after leaving the barreled action lay around my garage and workshoppe for many years, i decided to ask him if he would finish it for me; he said he would. he said he'd do the work if I'd supply the parts...fine with me. he also had a similar '93 action he was working on, too. i purchased him his choice of stocks for his action and some tooling in exchange for his knowledge and labor.

i was in no rush to have the rifle completed, after all, i had other centerfire rifles i could use if necessary. he worked on it at his leisure. when he would start something and need a part or tool to work on it, he called me and I'd get it for him. (it required very little in the way of tooling as he is very well equipped, though)

in the end, it took many years before i was able to chamber and fire a round from it.

what i now have is: a '93 Mauser, 7x57 in a custom varminter, thumbhole stock, with a Timiney trigger, with a heavy firing pin spring, turned down bolt with a Bushnell 3-9x32 scope and a speed-lock two position safety.

it has the standard military barrel that's been cut to 26" and I'm hoping to replace it some day with a good commercial barrel in the same caliber. but the bore is in excellent condition so I'm in no hurry at this time. i might also consider the .257 Roberts if a rebarrel is to be done...it's the only barrel/chambering recommended for this older action by knowledgeable gunsmiths and reloaders. the action is not as strong as it's younger brother, the legendary '98 Large ring Mauser.

the only thing i do NOT like about this rifle is the lock time when i pull the trigger. it's something i cannot (reasonably) change. but what can i expect from a military rifle that was designed in 1893? it was, after all, designed as an infantry weapon for a standing army, not for a sportsman's rifle. it was designed with the simplicity, ruggedness, combat accuracy, (which is normally MOA by most armies. the British army required their battle rifles to be able to shoot 1 MOA@100 yards) ease and cost of maintenance needed by an army in order to keep them in the fight and to be operated by, sometimes, very poorly trained, conscripted, soldiers.

the first place American soldiers faced this rifle was in Cuba at San Juan hill. they found how deadly and accurate it is. it's what prompted the U.S. Military to adopt the 30-06 Springfield rifle; the, then, standard issue 45-70, single shot, trap-door Springfield and the .30 caliber Krag-Jorgensen bolt action rifles. both are fine rifles for their day, but could not compete with the one thousand yard killer...the '93 Mauser. the casualties the Americans suffered that day was proof of that.

my '93 is very accurate to fifty yards with factory ammo...i haven't tried it more than that yet...hopefully soon. i still have a few things left to do to it, but it's mine and I'm keeping it...

i find it very interesting that the battle rifles of military powers, past and present, are still in service in the hands of sportsmen the world over. some still in military service, too. the Mauser, Enfield, Springfield, Moisin-Nagants and even the Japanese Arisaka appear to have lives and legacies of their own that will probably outlive me by far and i happen to own a part of that history.

this ole bow

back in the late 70's or early 80's i was getting heavily into archery and bow hunting. i had already purchased several competitive compound bows from a man by the name of Rube Powell, a five time NFAA national champion that had a shop in the town where i lived at the time, Chula Vista, CA; he had become my, and my youngest son's mentor. we had the pleasure and honor to have shot beside him on many occasions, including major archery tournaments here in southern California such as the Fresno safari, the King Arthur tournament and many, many, local tournaments.

Rube had won his championships shooting recurve bows in the 1950's but he had accepted the compound openly, willingly and never looked back; it was with no wonder that when i told him i wanted a recurve, he said "why do you want a recurve?". he believed the compound to be superior even though all of his laurels were gained with the recurve bow. you can find him in the "Hall of Champions" in San Diego, California now. he has been honored there for his accomplishments with the bow and arrow.

Rube passed on in 1992. i had the sad experience to visit with him when he was hospitalized one day before he died; i have a fanny pack and that recurve bow and some other archery equipment i got from him that still functions perfectly to this day.

i was just getting started at the end of an era of many of the bow hunting greats like Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Jim Daughtery, Doug Walker, Ben Pearson, Art Laha, Harry Drake, Jack Howard, Duke Savora, Bill Cropp, Frank Eicholtz and Bob Swinehart to name a few. i had read about their adventures and felt the lure of the recurve or longbow.

i read an article about Art Laha, as an example, about he and a friend who would, yearly, parachute into the wilds of New Mexico with their bows and equipment and bowhunt their way back to 'civilization'...I've never heard of ANY modern day bowhunter who's EVER done that. (maybe our Special Forces of today could learn from him if he were still around.)

i walked into Rube's shoppe, on Broadway in Chula Vista, one day to just "hang around" and there on his used bow rack was a green and blue Bear Kodiak Hunter recurve that immediately caught my eye. i asked Rube to string it for me so i could 'handle' it; i made a deal with him and took it home.

the bow was one that was made in Grayling Michigan before Bear relocated to
Florida, which makes it a 'collectors item' of a sort, it's very graceful in it's lines and reasonable in it's draw weight poundage (being marked 45XX which means it's in excess of 45 pounds...the X's used before, or after, after a given number denote more or less poundage. the number of X's denote more excess...so "45XX" would denote closer to 55 pounds than 50 pounds draw weight, "XX45" would denote closer to 35 pounds draw weight; the system is no longer in use.) at the time i purchased this bow, i was very capable of drawing a bow of that draw weight so it was not of concern to me and it is sufficient for most north American game animals.

it is 60" long and i shoot it off the shelf utilizing a mechanical release aid now (age causes problems with fingers ya know)

I've had the bow ever since.

it now has many dings and scars in it from the years and i did machine and install some brass inserts to install to use a bolt on bow quiver with but it's still as capable now as it ever was, i still shoot it and I'm still amazed at it's performance. some today might scoff at it but it still delivers an arrow with grace, authority and accuracy. what more does an archer/bowhunter want? what more is needed? very little, if any, I believe.

I've taken more live game with that old bow than any bow i own or have owned and it even accounts for a feral dog that was very aggressive towards my son and i when we were hunting.

it's walked the deserts of southern California and Arizona in the quest of game in 110 degree heat and near zero, knee deep snow of wyoming with me in quest of adventure and game. I've made some beautiful shots, and some horrendous shots with it. the horrendous shots were not it's nature they were because of MY shortcomings.

as we all are aware of, a bow is NOT a living organism and does not have a life of it's own or possess a soul but yet it's been a true and faithful companion that has yet to let me down when called on. it in itself, is a memory generator. nothing more...nothing less.

i don't know if it's because it was my first recurve bow, or because i got it from Rube, but,it has a place in my minds eye, memory and on my bow rack until the time comes for me to answer to the call of our Lord and God to come home to Him. until then, hopefully there are more memories to be made waiting for us.

this ole rifle...my first "real" rifle

back in the mid fifties, we had just returned from a tour in Germany...dad was posted to Ft. Sill, Okla.

i was a teen then and getting interested in the huntin', fishing' and such things; Oklahoma is a great place for that sort of thing for a growing kid. (at least it was then)

i used to hang out with an Indian kid by the name of Jerry that supplemented his family larder by hunting and fishing; he had ten (10) sisters and brothers. he was about the same age as i. he had an ancient .410 single shot shotgun and a hickory longbow.

we used to manage to get to "hunting grounds", outside of town, where we could hunt for 'coons, possums, prairie dogs, squirrels, moles, gophers...basically, anything that is edible. he would take them home for the stew pot. i normally would borrow his longbow. wow! i never imagined what a journey that would start me on.

i was also at the age where i began working part time for spending cash...and...got my social security card. back then, the middle 50's, soldiers were NOT paid very well at all and dad could, in no way, afford to buy me a rifle. so i worked and saved some cash for one and since i was not of age at that time to legally purchase it myself, i asked dad to buy it for me. he and mom agreed he would.

i went to a pawn shoppe in town and selected the rifle, gave the $15.00 I'd managed to save, to dad to purchase for me.

it was a "beauty"...a sears & roebuck, model 101, bolt action, manually cocked, single shot .22 rimfire that will shoot shorts, longs and long rifles. i did some research on it recently and estimate it was made somewhere around 1939 by Marlin.

i recall that i seldom had enough cash to purchase ammo and i occasionally lent the rifle to Jerry for his hunting; dad would occasionally give me a box of shorts to feed it.

as many of you may, or may not know, these rifles are very rugged, quite dependable, simple, efficient and tend to be very accurate once sighting has been 'figured out'. and, by the way, came with the finish being "browned" instead of blued.

after dad retired from the Army, he and mom decided to relocate to California, where's mom's parents had migrated to from Oklahoma; the rifle came with me.

once settled in California, i decided to make a Jr. high school (now called 'middle school') wood shoppe "project" of refinishing the stock...it has the finish to this day! it's in very sad shape and i intend to re-do it in the near future.

i gave the rifle to two of my sons (at different times, of course)...they didn't want it...it's "to old fashioned" ya know...being a single shot and all...oh well...it's mine forever now.

at one time, one son was using it and left the bolt in the glove compartment of my truck, to legally transport the rifle here in California, which he borrowed for some long forgotten reason, and when he brought it back i later wanted to re-install the bolt in the rifle so as not to lose it, i discovered the bolt handle had been severely bent. it was bent so badly it would not close. of course, "i don't know how it happened" was the reply to the question of how it got bent. i have to imagine what force it took to bend that handle! no...on second thought...i probably shouldn't...

i had to cut the handle off, drill and tap it for a handle. it now looks like one of the old Moisin rifles. i will redo it soon, too.

i recently managed to replace all the springs in it and installed a lighter trigger spring, recrown the damaged muzzle and am preparing to replace the trigger itself as it's worn so badly it has side-to-side movement but it still locks into the "cocked" position securely.

this ole rifle probably cost less than what i paid for it when it was new, but i surely have gotten a LOT of use and enjoyment from it. i have take my share of small game with it and have shot so many tin cans it's beyond my 'guesstimate' at how many there have been.

i wonder if i will be able to restore it in a manner that's befitting of it?

I'm gonna find out...soon.














































































i'm somewhat capable and have limited tooling and knowledge to do most of the rewstoration of it