So... any of our members here have an interest in firearms?

03Hemi · Oct 25, 2019

Mtek
@03Hemi very nice. I want a WClapp, in 45 ltw like yours.

Thanks Mtek, Funny story, I had no idea what they were and my LGS where I buy a lot of my guns from called me and asked me if I was interested right before I was to leave on a trip at Christmas time. I told him I was interested and would get back to him after I got back in town. Monday comes and by this time I had researched the gun and realized what he had and immediately called that morning to put a hold on it, by the time I got there at lunch 4 other guys had come in with cash to buy it but it was already spoken for. lol, I got lucky for sure. I made the case out of a humidor that had lost its seal by the way. The idiot scratch was on it already.

03Hemi · Oct 25, 2019

Waltesefalcon
I've played with the idea of picking up a Wiley Clapp on a few occasions. I just haven't seemed to find the space for one yet.

Aw, come on, you know you can find some space.
You just haven't "rationalized" it to yourself yet. lol, haha
Love the "Flying Tigers" squadron patch, were you in them or just a fan, my dad was in VMF-311 and flew F9F Panthers in Korea.

MikiJ · Oct 26, 2019

@03Hemi Please tell me how your Clapp .45 compares size and weight to my Colt Defender? Just courious?

03Hemi · Oct 26, 2019

My Clapp is a commander (4.25” barrel) size lightweight (carbon slide, aluminum frame). I don’t have a Defender, but I believe they’re more like an Officer’s size which I do have and they have a 3.5” barrel and yours may be all steel, unless they make it in a lightweight? If it’s smaller than an Officers, yours would have a 3.25” barrel.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 27, 2019

03Hemi
Aw, come on, you know you can find some space.
You just haven't "rationalized" it to yourself yet. lol, haha
Love the "Flying Tigers" squadron patch, were you in them or just a fan, my dad was in VMF-311 and flew F9F Panthers in Korea.

Just a fan. My grandad was a navy crew chief for F6Fs and F4Us during WWII and Korea. As a result I grew up with stories about the planes and some of the men that flew them. This lead to a lot of reading about guys like Pappy Boyington, Joe Foss, and, of course, Claire Chennault.

The Wiley Clapp Commander is a bigger and heavier than the Defender. The Defender only has a 3" barrel and is, I believe, referred to as a compact 1911. Here is a photo of my New Agent, basically the same gun as the Defender, next to my GCNM (5" barrel)for size.

noelekal · Oct 27, 2019

03Hemi
Aw, come on, you know you can find some space.
You just haven't "rationalized" it to yourself yet. lol, haha
Love the "Flying Tigers" squadron patch, were you in them or just a fan, my dad was in VMF-311 and flew F9F Panthers in Korea.

Just to help things along.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F9F_Panther

Professor · Oct 27, 2019

Waltesefalcon
The Defender only has a 3" barrel and is, I believe, referred to as a compact 1911

I was out at a favorite shooting spot and two older guys were trying to shoot their new sub compact 1911 styled pistols. Radically short barrel and shortened grip. These little guns jammed every shot till I asked to try one out.
I had already figured they were limp wristing the guns. Allowing recoil to push the gun back too fast which prevented the slide from completing its cycle.
I learned the old style hold for the 1911. The second finger tight around the grip, the third finger holding but with less pressure, and the little finger barely touching the grip, so holding the shortened grip of these radically chopped and channeled pocket guns was no problem for me.

Professor · Oct 27, 2019

noelekal
Just to help things along.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F9F_Panther

The Bridges at Toko Ri is one of my all time favorite films. The Scenery is fantastic, especially the views of the ocean and sky from the carrier deck.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 27, 2019

Professor
I was out at a favorite shooting spot and two older guys were trying to shoot their new sub compact 1911 styled pistols. Radically short barrel and shortened grip. These little guns jammed every shot till I asked to try one out.
I had already figured they were limp wristing the guns. Allowing recoil to push the gun back too fast which prevented the slide from completing its cycle.
I learned the old style hold for the 1911. The second finger tight around the grip, the third finger holding but with less pressure, and the little finger barely touching the grip, so holding the shortened grip of these radically chopped and channeled pocket guns was no problem for me.

I've never had a problem with mine but as a kid I learned the same grip for the 1911. It's really not a bad little gun to shoot, mine is a 9mm and with the small size and alloy frame the recoil is still very pleasant.

03Hemi · Oct 28, 2019

More like this, he was a "whisky lov'n" Marine on a the Ticonderoga as he used to say. The WL stood for Wiley Lovers, I believe.

Wryfox · Nov 14, 2019

Continuing my quest for nice Old West antiques....very early 1894 Winchester in 30-30(30WCF), made in 1896(123yrs young!). Rare short tube model.

Old refinish(1950s-70s) that has held up nicely as well as the nickel. This was a popular type of refinish to protect the most common corrosion areas of a working lever rifle. Plus it just looked nice.

Found it in a local gun shop for peanuts. Same place I found a Garand for $300 a couple years ago. Don't know how they stay in business but I love those guys.......

03Hemi · Nov 14, 2019

The only antique long gun I have. Belgium made muzzle loader shotgun encrusted with gold inlay.

noelekal · Nov 14, 2019

That '94 Winchester would be like waiving a wand in the deer haunts.

voere · Nov 14, 2019

noelekal
That '94 Winchester would be like waiving a wand in the deer haunts.

Lever actions What's not to like?
This weekend I will be deer hunting with a lever action Marlin chambered in 375 Winchester This year the state of MI. made some changes allowing the use of straight walled cartridges in shotgun only areas. So with the new laws the 375 Winchester is my choice. Should be a fun weekend

Wryfox · Nov 15, 2019

Say by the way, It was recommended to me a wood stock company...Treebone Carving. Vintage Rolling Block and Lever Gun replacements. On their website is this picture, which hypnotized me...oh yes it will be mine. One of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's called Quilt Maple.

noelekal · Nov 15, 2019

Ohhh... I love fancy figured wood! Exotic woods with spectacular figure to endlessly study is always appreciated.

I have an old Fajen exhibition grade walnut stock of their classic profile for the 1903 Springfield. I was in process of building a custom sporter when I sold the barreled action right out of the stock to someone who wanted it worse than I did and paid for it. I have another "double heat treat" '03 action that I need to barrel up in some interesting cartridge and finish the project.

Wryfox · Nov 15, 2019

I would be embarrassed to admit how many rifles I've bought just for the wood. Here's one I bought 10yrs ago and still haven't shot yet. Win 70 1000yd BR in 300 Win Mag. 24lbs...about 16lbs of it high grade fancy walnut.

Far nicer in person but the pic ain't bad.

noelekal · Nov 15, 2019

Already posted this once here, but am still pinching myself.

Pulled a plebeian Remington Model 511 .22 rifle out of the dark recesses of the back of the safe. Originally acquired because it was a "deal" with no real purpose in mind for it. The metal surfaces of the rifle are very worn and neglected too, the stock a hideous brown, caked in gummy grime with no figure apparent.

A cleaning of the stock's surfaces revealed quite a nice bit of walnut with surprising fancy figure, especially surprising given the fairly economical Remington model this was when it was produced in February of 1955. A cleaning was all it took and then an application of raw linseed oil revealed a bit of a silk purse from a sow's ear.

Only thing is, now that the stock turned out well I'm going to have to do something about the blue finish.

I'd have been a lot more excited to have undertaken a rehab project with the rifle if I'd realized the piece of walnut it is wearing, how crisp the trigger proved to be on a range outing, and what tight groups it will shoot with good ammunition. I have a period correct vintage Weaver K3 scope that I intend to install in order to make a fun field and range rifle out of it.

Of course the rifle itself is still "uglier 'n a mud fence," but it wears a nice stock.

voere · Nov 17, 2019

I also enjoy highly figured wood rifle stocks. This stock is for a CZ Mauser that is wearing a wood composite I do not like to hunt with nice stocks I wind up beating the hell out of them I usually reserve my nice stocks for range use or as my display rifles in my rifle racks Easy enough to swap out the stocks

voere · Nov 18, 2019

Here's a stock for a Remington 700 in Myrtle wood from accurate innovations has the aluminum bedding in the stock not one of my favorite looking stocks however it's very nice I'm more of a checkered pattern fan than the carving. The stock was too nice to pass up