[John in AR]

Good weekend this weekend. My wife's family reunion got rained out, so saturday my wife took the new stray cat in to get fixed & get his shots and I drove to a gun show in conway.

She found out the cat had already been fixed, so she got him his shots and looks like he's officially ours (hers) now. She's decided his name is R.J., and he seems okay with it.

While she did that, at the gun show I wanted to see what I could get for the iver johnson M1 carbine that I've only had a short while. Good gun, but I still had an actual milsurp one and really don't need a spare at this point. Took the carbine, three 15-round GI mags that I'd tested in it, and an Advantage Arms .22 conversion kit (for glock 26/27 size guns), and before I'd been there ten minutes was offered $900 for them. Debated looking around more for a better price, but it was more than I'd expected when going in, so I went ahead & took it. As I walked around for another 30 minutes or so, I came across a table with a half-dozen M1 carbines on it and struck up a conversation with the dealer. Told him about selling the Iver Johnson and that I still had a milsurp gun at home, and he asked me if I could bring it by tomorrow (Sunday) and let him make me an offer on it. Wasn't really planning to do so since conway is more than an hour drive, but found out on saturday night that one of our sons was driving through conway on sunday to teach a monday class for his employer, so after church on sunday my wife & I drove down there; both to meet our son for dinner and to see what that dealer might offer on the gun.

I had the carbine, twelve 15-round GI magazines (four still new in wrapper), an ultimak red dot mount that I'd ordered for it, 600 rounds of ball ammo and 100 of softpoints. After he looked at the gun, we agreed on $1100 for all. Couldn't hardly believe it, especially since the carbine was a mishmash that some armorer had pieced together at some point. The receiver was a 1943 Saginaw mfg, the barrel was a Rockola, the trigger group was a Winchester, and the stock was an IBM. (I didn't know the trigger group was Winchester; he's the one that recognized it.) I paid $159 for it in 2001 or 2002; couldn't believe that it would sell for about what a new AR costs nowadays.

Makes me wish I'd bought 20 of them back then, but definitely not complaining. I figure to spend around a third of the proceeds on a gun that I'll actually use, instead of having the two that I didn't. Maybe a ruger PC charger for truck-gun purposes...? Not sure yet.

Also, since our TV projector has been acting up for the last few months (we bought it as a refurb off of woot.com a few years ago, and it's gotten dim, has some loud annoying buzzing/humming noise, and it won't let you access some of the settings anymore) we'd been debating replacing it at a Black Friday sale this year. Since we don't get to conway often and there was a Best Buy right by the restaurant where we met our son, after eating we went in to look at TV's. Turns out best buy is already honoring their Black Friday deals and have a samsung 75" marked down from $849 to $579, so we bit the bullet and spent some of the gun show money there.

All around, felt like I accidentally tripped and fell into something good.

 

[Garand]

I don't know about you but selling my M1 Carbine would be one of those things I'd later regret selling. Since the last match is done for the year, reloading season starts. Been priming .45acp, .38 Special and .30 Carbine. Plus throughout this year I had 3 guns go down on me during matches. The first was my Springfield Armory Trophy Match in .45 acp halfway though a stage the rear sight just started sliding left to right freely, the second was my 1914 Colt Commercial Model in .45acp, during a match the hammer dropped when I squeezed the trigger from full cock to 1/4 cock (frequently). So both of them went into my local gunsmith. The last gun was one of my Stroger SxS Coach guns, the springs are starting to show wear and after you fire one round, the action breaks open on its own. Definitely screws up your stage! I've replaced them in the past so I'll just wait for a slow week this winter to do it again.

 

[John in AR]

I don't know about you but selling my M1 Carbine would be one of those things I'd later regret selling.

Totally get that and that was my initial thinking as well, and part of why I wasn’t initially planning on going back on Sunday. But as I got to looking in my gun closet Saturday evening, I got more comfortable with it. I still have more guns than even my kids could need. For ‘first tier’ long gun use, there's three 16” .223 AR carbines (one each with red dot, iron sights, and 1-8X scope), a .300BK AR 10” pistol, 9mm AR carbine, and 9mm AR pistol. (And likely will be ordering another 9mm AR-ish pistol with some of this money)

Plus two leverguns in .357 magnum, including the compact little 16” with a red dot that I’ve had for near 30 years (and runs like a scalded dog; it's the one I was getting sub-half-second hits with in the short video a while back), 18” 45colt levergun, and possibly one or two more I’m forgetting.

Completely understand what you mean and five years ago I would have kept at least one of them; likely both of them. But I seriously doubt I’ll be living here (very possibly not even in the US) five years from now, and have intentionally been in “getting rid of stuff” mode for a couple years now.

 

[Terry G]

The week started off good with my Son's Friend asking me if I would like to hunt the Pheasant Farm again this year. Of course I jumped on it and Storm and I scored two Roosters and a Hen. (perfectly legal on private property). Six and a half miles on foot so it was no easy shoot. The Dog worked perfectly again pulling birds out of some pretty thick brush. I used my Remington 1100 with a modified choke this time with Remington high brass 7 1/2's. I called up my oldest and Best Friend to see if he wanted to join me next week for another hunt. I got a real bad shock when he told me he had just been diagnosed with Cancer of the trachea. I have known him since I was fourteen and we went through are up's and downs and were always there for each other. Took trips to Canada together, hunted Deer, Grouse and Duck's together every year and did all sorts of Family stuff. His Wife and mine are very close Friends also. He's upbeat about treatment and his Doctor's are too, but it still a very sad time for all of us.

 

[BigEd]

This last week's been good and bad got some new .300BO brass for cheap. LGS owner told me it was refurbished but it ain't. It was packaged as brand new and looked it. Didn't see anything that indicated it was used when I primed it this weekend. I also got some .45acp test loads done with the Ramshot Silhouette and also some in .30-'06 for the 1903A3 I'm keeping.
The other my friend took a pass on so it and 1-2 more are going on gun broker.

 

[John in AR]

I don't know about you but selling my M1 Carbine would be one of those things I'd later regret selling.

Garand - fyi, PM sent.

 

[John in AR]

...still have more guns than even my kids could need...

Can’t believe I failed to mention them initially, but if it ever came down to a true, worst-case, Thunderdome type apocalypse and I just had to escalate to full-destruction mode, I do also have some semiautos in the earth-shattering .22lr caliber. So no worries...

 

[John in AR]

I've been jonesing for a Taurus 692 3-inch version for over a year and can never find them in stock anywhere. After confirming with the local gunshop that there were still none to be had anywhere, I went ahead & had them order a ruger pc charger instead with some of the money from selling the M1 carbines. Should be in early next week and if it works out well, it might take the place of the banshee for truck gun duty. I'm holding off on accessories for this until it's in hand and I can see for certain what would actually be a good & beneficial thing and what's not really necessary. Still have the inexpensive bushnell red dot that I was planning on putting on one of the M1 carbines and have plenty of glock 9mm magazines, so all good on those fronts. Also have a spare single-point sling on hand, so not even looking at a brace yet; initially plan to just try it with a single-point sling on the rear attachment point.

 

[BigEd]

I know myself that I'm waiting on whatever's gonna drop coming up in December regards to the ATF and the "Brace Ban" I've no intentions whatsoever of doing the Brace Registration and "points count" crap. I'd rather just put a standard pistol buffer tube on it, which I have. Then after I move do the form 1 registration and SBR it.
That's if the ATFE doesn't get kicked to the curb by another Supreme Court ruling.

 

[Garand]

Can’t believe I failed to mention them initially, but if it ever came down to a true, worst-case, Thunderdome type apocalypse and I just had to escalate to full-destruction mode, I do also have some semiautos in the earth-shattering .22lr caliber. So no worries...

But do they have a CAN? I have been told that you can't survive without them!

 

[John in AR]

But do they have a CAN?...

A couple do. Plus I have access to duct tape, toilet-paper rolls, and window screen; so I can always make some tip-top silencers if need be...

 

[John in AR]

Ended up being a pretty cheery week. The ruger pc charger came in early, was $130 less than originally quoted, and found some admittedly off-brand magazines for it for $6.99 apiece. 🤠

 

[BigEd]

Well except for the Ramshot Silhouette test it's been a "chaotically good" continuation of the past couple of weeks.
But after taking a deep breath yesterday....I needs a vacation even if it's a short one ....so I'm going to throw together a few things and rig the truck back up as a gypsy wagon of sorts. I don't want to deal with a tent but I'll take one as back up.
Getting ready to go back into town for more supplies. May have to go to the hardware store for parts to make a tarp shelter in the bed, if the measurements pan out.

Will be sending out a PM or two before the weekend is over....if I don't get Murphy'ed again.

Gotta go.

 

[Garand]

Reloading season has obviously started! On Wednesday contacted a few guys from the "Retired guys Wednesday Fun Shoot Club" and we hit the indoor range. Perfect weather conditions, a bit nippy but dry road. Went in about 9:30 fired some .38 Spl, .38 Super & some .44 Magnum. Exited about 11:45 and there was 2-3" of snow on the ground, tried to get out of the parking lot, no joy, got stuck until I locked in to 4x4. Since then weekly trip to youngest daughter to play with my grandson and building .45apc for matches next spring.

 

[BigEd]

Ah....found out I have a great talent lately for not being able to find my rear end with both hands when it comes remembering where I laid new stuff I buy.
Yesterday I got a bunch of errand running done that I cut short due to the storms we had
Picked up the other locking latch for my truck box. Went to install it this afternoon and can't find it. 😑
I took it out of the the box when I cleaned out the box and wiped out the dust from it.
Now it's "vanished". Black with bright yellow Stanley tool handles. I just need to think about the dumbest and oddest place it could be.

 

[John in AR]

Ah....found out I have a great talent lately for not being able to find my rear end with both hands when it comes remembering where I laid new stuff I buy.

Don't feel alone in that; I once lost six Gil Hibben throwing knives. This was when our kids were still young and shortly after "The Bodyguard" with Kevin Costner came out; whenever that was. I thought the throwing knives in the movie were neat and my wife bought me two three-packs (for Christmas iirc). Being such a responsible person, I put them 'somewhere out of reach' of the boys. Never could find them after that. We moved out of that house in 1999 and even when emptying the entire house to move, never did find them. As far as I know, somewhere in that house that belongs to someone I don't know, there are a half-dozen Hibben knives still lurking; probably laughing at me still.

 

[BigEd]

Yeah, I moved everything out of my truck box to clean it some. And in doing so misplaced the brand new pop rivet gun I bought to use for this and future projects.
Now I'm going to have to get another one, but cheaper for the other lock latch I bought Saturday.
I also mislaid a watch cap I bought last month.

And it doesn't help that I still have stuff out that I'm sorting out through as to what to keep, sell or donate to places like Potter's House, Salvation or Good Will.
Oh well off to get some stuff done.

 

[BigEd]

Got all that done, got busy sorting out and consolidating some things in the house.

Still working on organizing, well cramming things into the truck.
This image kind of sums it up:

I only wish I had that much storage space in my truck.🤣

 

[Terry G]

Sighted in the BAR .30/06 for Deer season and shot the heck out of the new CZ P-01 Omega. Very happy with the CZ, not so much with the Sig P322. After giving it another range test it failed to feed at least once per magazine and failed to fire repeatedly with four different types of .22. The TX22 I used as a control fired everyone without a problem. I contacted SIg and they are sending me a label for return. Too bad, I like the gun but it's not up to standards. Lot's of complaints on their Forum. We'll see.

 

[BigEd]

Here's a cropped shot of my "storage space" kind of Dodge Ram 1500 regular cab and not sure to call it a short bed or not as long bed 2WD are not too common I think.
Mainly showing the two new locking latches. One thing after looking at the new locks vs. the TSC Tractor Supply one and the regular latch. The metal on the catches is noticably thicker. Not gonna keep out a pro or someone with time on their hands but much than those crappy locks and latches that were hanging up and finally broke after roughly two and a half years of use.
Still trying to figure out a secure way of attaching two anchor points inside. One on the bottom of the box maybe and then a chain with a padlock. Just leaving enough room for me to get my hands and forearms in to lock and unlock.
Only problem with that is that much space for my arms would definitely leave plenty of room for a emaciated tweaker to get their spider monkey arms in.😑
Oh well.


By the way the rut is definitely on as when walking up to my truck phone in hand a doe ran parallel to the road across it on the neighbors property and veered away from the road when it saw me. Then a second second or less s buck ran after it.
Now reading that and seeing the trees and brush and all by my truck you'd wonder why I'm wanting out of here for a few days and eventually want to move eh?
Well property taxes, regulations in a county level plus a dirt road that ought to have been paved 15years ago. To my west I can see three houses and that's 2-3 too many 😛