So it's been a year...

And I haven't posted squat. Oh well. I saw something too funny not to post. It's the quote of the #TIMEINTERVAL:

As a matter of historical fact however, Yamamoto was dead before the plane went down. I believe the Japanese report was that he was struck by at least one 50 caliber slug in the strafing run prior to the crash.

Ouch. Hard to catch a .50 round and not snuff it. Another reason John Browning kicks Mitt Romney's butt in the "my favorite Mormon" contest.

By a commenter over at Volokh's place, in a discussion about the scene in Cryptonomicon about the raid on Yamamato's aircraft.

My Shame Slightly Reduced

I said here that I didn't have a gun chambered in 7.62x39. Well, I fixed that last weekend. On the way back from some squirrel hunting/scouting for deer season, I stopped by my favorite gun store, Guns and Ammo Warehouse (their website seems to have died). First, I drooled all over their 1911s, especially the mucho-expensive Wilsons, then noticed an SKS for $115. It was a little rough, but by the time you pay for shipping from somewhere like Aim Surplus, the price is tough to beat. However, the chamber had some rust in it, and the bore was pretty ugly. So, my wallet went back in my pocket. However, they had another one in back. So, I took a look. The previous owner scratched his initials in the stock, at least, that's what I assume the letters are. But the rifling is good, and the metal, especially internally, was in great shape. My wallet then cursed the friendly sales-guy, and I ended up with a 7.62x39 rifle, finally. Now I just have to find time to get to the range, if I ever get all the cosmoline out. But with hunting season coming up, I've still got to settle on a .30-06 load. I'm thinking 54gr 760 behind a 165gr soft point. (Note: I wrote that load from memory. It is, if I remembed the numbers correctly, safe in my gun. It's probably safe in yours (it's at the low end), but it isn't necessarily safe in your gun. Check a manual, blah, blah...) And then I have to get the rifle zeroed for the load I end up with. Also, I could stand to get a little more practice with my new bow before the season starts up in a couple weeks. So, plinking away with a new toy doesn't have quite the little-kid like urgency it would usually have.

Snakes In A Theater

No, really.

About that lever gun...

I really need* a lever gun. I went to the range on Saturday with my wife to sight in "her" 7x57 mauser and so she could shoot it a little to practice. Also, I wanted to put a scope on my somewhat-newly glass bedded '06 mauser and try out some 165gr loads. Oh, and I had a new toy (a really cheapie 1911) to try out. All went well, my wife kept all her shots at 100 yards on the black (about 6") shooting off the bench and sitting. And at 50 yards, kept all (but one--about a quarter inch off) of them in the black (same target size). So, she's in good shape for deer season. Oh, did I mention my wife wants to come hunting with me this year? I love my wife.

So, as we're about to leave, a guy sets up on the bench next to us with two of his relatives from England, so, naturally, he takes them to the range. I offer my 1911 (with a .22 conversion kit on it) for them to try. They loved it. Then they shot a few of the guy's lever guns: a Henry and a Browning Lever Rifle in .358 Win. Then the guy let me shoot his guns. They were tons of fun. Oh, and I got to shoot a S&W .44 mountain gun and a 9mm Sig (I can't remember the Sig model numbers).

Did I mention I need to get a lever gun? The Browning felt great and is beautiful. But it really needs a tube magazine. It just doesn't quite look right without it.

Anyway, to cut off my rambling, if you don't have a lever rifle, you really need one. The .22s are lots more fun than a semi-auto or a bolt gun. Although, my CZ 452 isn't going anywhere. The bigger ones (e.g., .30-30, .35Rem, .358Win, .444, etc.) make great hunting rifles. I'll be getting one (not sure what yet) just as soon as ye ol' wallet can handle it.

On a side note, if you want to develop a flinch, I can think of no better way than to shoot some light 120gr 7x57 loads through your wife's rifle with a nice butt-pad and (amazing) timney trigger. Then switch to some mid-power 165gr .30-06 loads in your mauser with a rock-hard (wooden?) butt plate and terrible original military trigger.

*okay, really, really, really want.

My shame...

I don't have a gun chambered in 7.62x39. Or a lever gun.

Jay G in comments over here:

No lever gun or SKS/AK? Hie thee to the gun shop, post-haste, lest Baby Vulcan spit up on you. ;)

Yeah, I know. But I just bought a new bow for deer season (if this one place works out, I can bow hunt from 17 Sep - 31 Mar this year--with basically no season bag limit), and I've got my eye on a CMP Garand. (Yes, I know, my name, and I don't have a Garand...) And this summer I bought THREE deer rifles. All mausers, two .30-06 and a 7x57--total cost, about $400ish. :) So a .30-30 is a little farther down the list, although it'd be about perfect for a deer gun out here. And, and, and... excuses, excuses.

That's my problem, yeah, my list of guns I want is way too long.
Garand!
SKS
AK (x as many variants as I can get)
AR (x as many types I can get)
Lever gun in .30-30
lever gun in .357 or .44Mag
SMLE
'03 Springfield
"nice" 1911 (to go with my Springfield GI, P12-45 and the cheap beater I got)
NAA mini revolver
KelTec P3AT
A modern bolt-action. One that I don't have to fuss with to get to shoot well--Don't get me wrong, I love fussing with old rifles, but it'd be nice to have one that I didn't have to mess with.
A CZ side-by-side shotgun for my wife ,probably in 20ga -- they're "cute"
A CZ S/S or O/U, leaning toward O/U for me
T/C Encore
A certain custom gun from a certain custom gunmaker that I'm not telling you about until I actually have it--lest y'all go and buy it first. :)


Now, I sure don't need most (heck, I don't really need any of the above guns--maybe the shotguns for clay games, I've got a hole in the collection there) of those guns; I'm quite pleased with the ones I've got at home. But there are just so many niches that I like. Someday, maybe, I'll focus on one category that particularly interests me. Right now, however, that category is "things that go bang."

And into the political

With my whopping 7 hits per day, I'll join in this pledge:

Any organization* that wants to run a political ad criticizing any politician in that window can do so here. Not only will I run the ad free, I’ll do a post on the ad on the front page.

*I reserve the right to nix organizations that don't pass the smell test, e.g.**, NAMBLA.

Seen at Uncle's.

**i.e., for example. (Sorry Uncle, I couldn't resist)

Oh, and I've got a couple of new guns to post pictures of (and some old ones, too) so, if I ever get off my lazy but and start posting instead of just reading other people's blogs and wasting their bandwith by commenting, you might get to see them.

I didn't know a .22 could do that...

Certainly not a .22 with me at the trigger... I was at the range today testing some 7x57 loads. (My mauser does not like Remington Core-Lokt) While I was there, I played around with a 1911 and .22 conversion kit. Shortly before I left, I took out this:



A CZ-452. This model is the "trainer," I believe. Basically, it's the same rifle as the Lux (with the hogsback stock) but with beechwood (If I remember correctly) instead of walnut. The rifle cost me about $200 new (about $150-$200 less than the Lux) a little over two years ago. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about the CZs. I didn't have much time before the cease-fire was called, so I only shot four rounds at 100 yards. The scope was last zeroed with a different loading at 25 yards. The group was shot off a rest with some high-velocity .22LR. (Zapper is the name, I believe) It's only four shots, but well, here it is. Remember, it's at 100 yards with a .22LR:



Did I mention I really like this rifle? That's a .72" group (center to center). If you're in the market for a .22 rifle, you could do a whole heck of a lot worse than this one, and not all that much better.