Gone Shooting - Pre Election Edition

I went shooting early yesterday. The weather was nice and I haven't been in a while. Apparently quite a few other people had the same idea. I got there just minutes after they opened and the lanes were nearly full already. By the time I was there twenty minutes there wasn't a single table left.

I took my AR-15s to check the zero on the red dot sights. No matter how this election turns out I might need them. About two thirds of the shooters down there were doing the same, practicing with some type of "Black" rifle, isn't that interesting. Happy election day - and good luck everybody!

People with guns collection # 97

Me qualifying '49

People with guns collection # 93

Ken Beegle shooting exhibition - Winslow, Ariz. 3-56

People with guns collection # 85

David and snake - July 1956

People with guns collection # 84

FEMININE INVASION OF ANOTHER MANLY SPORT - Miss Mary Ward (left) and Miss Louise Thompson (right), Illinois girls, were high point winners in the Junior Rifle Corps Matches held in connection with the Natl. Rifle and Pistol Matches held at Camp Perry, Ohio. JUN 2 1930

People with guns collection # 82

FIVE JAPS TO HIS CREDIT - PHILIPPINES -- Probably the youngest and proudest guerilla fighter in the Philippines, Ponciano "Sabu" Arida of Santo Maria, Laguna Province, Luzon, has five dead Japs to his credit. The eleven-year-old patriot, who fought the Japs throughout the three-year enemy occupation of the islands, is now working with a unit of the 43rd Division. -- ARMY RADIO TELEPHOTO 4/19/45

People with guns collection # 77

TWO OF THE OLD SCHOOL -- An old timer in the game himself, Bill Pickett, who has made almost 400,000 barrels since he went to work at Winchester in 1886, fingers his deer gun, a lever-action Model 94 that will be 50 years old this year. The carbine was the first gun built to fire cartridges loaded with smokeless powder. 12/12/44

People with guns collection # 76

AMERICAN KIDS AND GUNS - Jillian Szymonifka, age 12, and her dad Mike. She is a member of the Island Lake Junior Rifle Club. - Carteret, New Jersey U.S.A DECEMBER 1999

People with guns collection # 74

MORONG, PHILIPPINES: The Montagnards, the fiercely independent tribesmen of Vietnam's Central Highlands who fought the communists in the jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam, recently decided to abandon their struggle and seek new lives in the U.S. In this 1969 photo, a Montagnard tribesman heads for his guard post at Tieu-Altar, South Vietnam with his baby strapped to his back. Sept 1 1986

People with guns collection # 70

People with guns collection # 67

NAZI-KILLER - Her mild manner and demure smile belie the fact that pretty Senior Sgt. Roza Shanina is a crack Nazi-killer. A volunteer sniper, and a student of the Institute of the lumber industry in Archangelsk, the Russian blonde has shot 54 Germans. She has been decorated with the Order of Glory of the 2nd and 3rd classes. 1/31/45

Gone shooting - One last time

Went to the shooting range today, the last time for 2013. This year has really been bad for me as far as shooting. I've only gone a few times and haven't practiced with my carry gun nearly enough. All I can do is try to do better in 2014!

AR Build

Just a few days ago I built another AR-15 rifle in 5.56. When I say "built" I mean I pinned a completed lower assembly to a completed upper assembly, which was the total amount of my effort involved in the project. Before the last presidential election when complete AR-15 lowers were both cheap and plentiful I purchased two from S&W to put away for a rainy day. I planned to build one last spring but after the feeding frenzy earlier this year I gave up and just stopped looking for a while. About a month ago I began my search for a complete upper again and finally found one at a price I could live with. Like my last one this carbine has a S&W lower and a Bushmaster upper. This time though I went with the A3 "Dissipator" model and I'm quite happy I did. I have decided to keep this project simple. I'm going to put a red dot sight on it (and maybe a flashlight) and that will be it. Updates to follow.

Happy Veterans Day!

Thank You - to all that served. Have a great day!

People with guns collection # 63

People with guns collection # 62

"A YOUTHFUL SHARPSHOOTER -- Margaret Tupper, nine-year-old daughter of Capt. J.L. Tupper, shot the bullseye out of the target during the Junior Rifle Corps Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio held in connection with the National Rifle and Pistol Matches. Margaret won a sharpshooter medal for her skill with the rifle." SEP 15 1927

Gone Shooting

It was an absolutely miserable day to go shooting but I went this morning anyway. I guess I just like to punish myself. It has been raining here off and on for several days and the mud was deep, the humidity was awful too. But, as I've mentioned several times before on this blog I have quite a few guns I need to shoot. I would like to finally get the job done. I didn't shoot much from late '11 thru most of 2012 and got behind. I also inherited some guns from my dad which didn't help the problem either.

Today I took a 1959 Winchester Model 88 (.308) that I got from Dad. He had a modern fixed 4X scope mounted on it. The scope was alright but I thought a vintage Weaver 2.5 X 7 variable I had was a much better fit for this classic Winchester.

The gun shop bore sight it for me and then I did the rest myself. I didn't really do much shooting though as I forgot my spotting scope and since the Remington 165 gr hunting loads I was using are almost $1 apiece I didn't feel like wasting many. I was able to get the rifle on paper at 100 yards. Later this year, when the weather is more comfortable, I'll finish the job.

Gone Shooting - Drink the Kool-Aid!

Well it took six weeks but I finally got to take my SCAR 17S to the range. We've had wet weather the last three times I wanted to go shooting. It was still a little wet today from some snow two days ago, but dry enough. I couldn't wait any longer. I have several guns that I need to shoot but the SCAR was the only one that went. I had to know if it was a 'Keeper' or not. I won't keep you in suspense, it most definitely is!

This morning I ran a mix of various 7.62 NATO through the rifle. I brought along some 1980s British surplus. As well as some 1990s German surplus and Cavim. From my newer stock I brought Winchester and Prvi Partisan brands. I fired 180 rounds without a single malfunction. The rifle performed flawlessly right from round one.

Today I used the factory iron sights at a distance of 50 meters and firing from a rest. Once I got used to the sights I could easily keep my shots in a 5 inch square even when I picked up the pace some. Numerous times shots were less than an inch apart, which brings us to the only flaw in the SCAR, the trigger. According to my trigger scale mine comes in at a gritty 7.5 pounds. I believe this rifle would easily be capable of sub MOA accuracy with a better trigger. That is the next thing on my list.

The muzzle brake tames the rifle quite a bit but does make it LOUD. When I got to the range the only shooters there were two elderly gentlemen at the far end puttering around with their .22s. I purposely went to the opposite side putting as much distance as I could between us (about 50 feet). It didn't help much though, after about 40 rounds through the SCAR they packed up and went home. Sorry guys!

Now that I have actually shot the SCAR I can say that all the accolades are true. It is light weight and easy to control, despite the heavy cartridge it fires it is a ball to shoot. This rifle is everything its proponents say it is, and now you can count me as one of them. I am another true believer!

The guns of 2012 ... and 2013

In 2012 I sold a lot more guns than I bought. In 2011 I continued selling off my collectable guns, the ones that were just taking up space in my gun safe. A few months ago I sold the last of my once mighty Smith & Wesson wheel gun collection. All of my revolvers with model numbers are now gone except for a very few that actually do get used occasionally. I'm keeping my pre model number guns although I did sell two pre-war .357 Magnums this year. The five and four inch guns are gone but don't feel too sorry for me because another 3 ½-inch (this one engraved) somehow found its way to my safe! I'll always have some antiques in my collection, I love them too much, but I can't justify so many guns that sat unused. I have enjoyed collecting antiques for many years but it was time to move on.

I also inherited some guns from Dad early in the year. That was another reason to sell some of the ones I wasn't using. I just didn't have room for everything! His taste in firearms ran more towards classics and among his guns that now reside in my safe include two early post war Winchesters, a Model 70 in .30-06 and a 97 shotgun, as well as a Belgian made Browning Hi Power.

Most of my actual gun purchases this year were for more modern and practical firearms, the SCAR 17S being my largest purchase for 2012. I also bought two complete S&W AR-15 lowers as cheap insurance before the election. Of course all of those were when they could still be found at reasonable prices, or found at all.

As for the coming year I don't have any 'must have' guns. In fact the only big 'gun' purchases I'm planning for 2013 are optics. As to actual guns in '13 I don't have many I'm looking for, a Ruger take down 10/22 and another Mark II pistol are both on the short list. I'll probably build up at least one of the AR lowers I bought when prices come back down. I really wanted a Kel-Tec KSG and have for a long while now. After finally getting to handle one earlier this year I only wanted it more. But I am not willing to pay the asking price let alone play the Kel-Tec waiting game. For the cost of one KSG you could buy two nice Remington 870s and a lot of ammo. I don't see me ever owning one unless the prices drop way under 'suggested' retail.

I didn't go shooting much this year either, no where near as much as I wanted to. I barely kept in practice with my carry guns. I say this every year but I do plan to go shooting a lot more in 2013.

Finally, I expect that ammunition will be my biggest expenditure for 2013, I will continue to stockpile as long as I can afford it. I recommend you do the same, if for no other reason than to keep ahead of inflation.

EDIT: Bonus photo!

My personal feeding frenzy

I have been shooting most of my life; I've 'officially' been a gun owner for over 25 years. I lived through the 1994 gun ban as well as the 2008 pre-obama buying frenzy. You might think that I wouldn't be caught off guard this time; you might think I learned my lesson already. Well, I wasn't, and I did, for the most part.

For this most recent gun buying apocalypse I was sitting pretty. Long before the last election I had all that I needed (except ammo, can't ever have enough ammo), and then I bought my SCAR 17S. I was smart enough to start buying magazines immediately, and then it began. Prices skyrocketed overnight.

When I finally counted them up I had nine mags for my SCAR but that just didn't seem right to me. So the other day I bought one more to give me an even ten. It cost me exactly double what I paid for the others just a few weeks ago. With that extravagant purchase I don't need another thing (again, except more ammo).

I'm glad I could make my own contribution to this historic event, the most ridiculous display of fear purchasing and fear mongering I have ever witnessed in all my years as a gun owner. Now, can we get back to normalcy, there are some guns I want to buy at the old prices. I certainly don't need them but would like to have them, if you panic buyers and profiteers would just get out of my way.