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

  1. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 23, 2018

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    I like that Benjamin. It has a more substantial pump handle than mine does.
     
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  2. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jun 23, 2018

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    Although not classified as a firearm here, I bought this Stoeger a few years ago to replace the old Crossman 760 pump pellet rifle (I had since I was probably 10 years old) after the old Crossman finally gave up the ghost.

    [​IMG]

    It's a .177 by the way...and has decent accuracy.
     
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  3. Professor Jun 23, 2018

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    Reseal kits for the Crosman 760 are pretty cheap, about ten bucks more or less. A fairly easy job to reseal these.

    I've been rotating my CO2 pistol collection the last couple of weeks. My best ones were recently resealed and hold gas for months at a time so I just fire off a dozen rounds or so as the mood strikes me then put the gun away for a day or more depending on the weather. My John Wayne commemorative Peacemaker got some range time this week. Due to the superior gas seal of these revolvers I get 70 plus full power shots per cylinder and its death to soup cans at 20 yards.
    Gave the Crosman Mk1 some exercise last week. An old but still top of the line target and hunting handgun. Far better than its more modern imitators.
     
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  4. The Father Went out for smokes in ‘78 not seen since Jun 23, 2018

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    D26AA843-ABC7-4892-9EFD-DC86F54ED6FF.jpeg

    308 AR will shoot your eye out........at 600 yds
     
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  5. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 23, 2018

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  6. Wryfox Jun 24, 2018

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    I was a member at the MSSA for some time many years ago(left Memphis in 2005). At the time I used the 'old' 600yd range while they were building the 'new' 600 yd range. Now they have two. Woohoo. Never met a finer bunch of guys. Truly, this time of my life was my nirvana period, great eyes and health, incredible will. The year before I tried out for the US Shooting Team. Close but no cigar but I was a very good shooter back then. Anyway, the conditions at SSA are wonderful. I shot F-Class and NRA High Power regularly and in the am it is just perfect. Oh man what fun.

    As an aside, they had a nice clubhouse, someone always cooking in the kitchen, food galore. They had an continuous flea market going all the time with a few tables inside the event hall. Just lay your stuff down and put a tag on it with info, price and contact, and leave it there. If you bought at listed price, you put you money with tag in a box nearby and took it home. Or you call them with contact info and discuss price, then pay for it and do the same. You'd come in once in a while and pick up your cash on stuff you sold. The most honorable process I've ever seen in my life, and it worked just fine. Rifles, reloading stuff, ammo, etc all just laying there and paid for the same way. Being a city clicker, it blew my mind at the trust people had for each other.

    One of the best things was it was only about 1 mile from my house so after work most days I'd just go down and hang out with the old timers. Learned so much there it is hard to estimate, particularly about pistols. Rob Leatham stopped by one day and I spent some time shooting with him and then we had lunch together. super guy.

    Re above accuracy shooting, my best ever group at 600 was 0.65". I shot 1000yd in Alabama for years before moving to Memphis, I actually thought 600yds was easy. Youth and arrogance for you. I was shown otherwise by a number of people.
     
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  7. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 24, 2018

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    Good stuff Wryfox!

    I'm more of a high-power dabbler than you obviously are but still love it more than any other form of shooting. Youth and arrogance, yeah. I'm 61 yet can still see the sights. Vision isn't all of it though and it seems harder to be "in a shooting humor" while position shooting. Love ... love ... love rifles and admire them and their use most of all!

    An "action shot," the empty cartridge case ejected and suspended in mid-air. This was a few years back when I took someone to the match to acquaint them with high-power. Didn't have my own mat or my shootin' shoes that day.
    [​IMG]

    An even older photograph. Ummmmm ... no shooting glasses ...
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Some .30 caliber love happening on the firing line at the Central Texas Rifle & Pistol Club. Photos are a bit dated except for the M1 on the mat which was taken in October of last year. Was at a special retro "Garand match." I had big fun that day and managed 4th place even though I was rusty. Also, even though I felt as if one of the other M1 competitors had fixed a bayonet on his rifle and run it through the center of my back while I was prep'ing for the prone stages. Shot the prone stages despite the discomfort and even did quite well. Was really hurting by the time the match was over, and miserable for the 2 1/2-hour drive back home. A trip to the emergency room later that evening set me on a course that ended up having quadruple bypass surgery a few weeks later.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Plinking fun with my beloved M1. We were under attack by the invading hordes of gallon milk jugs full of water. Late afternoon summertime shooting at 190 yards according to my brother-in-law's range finder.

    I began shooting High-Power in about 1980. I happily used a Smith Corona Model 1903A3 until about 1987 when a second M1 was acquired. Shot the '03A3 about one match per year afterward, just for old time's sake. Got to drawing a crowd who was curious to see the bolt-gun put through its paces on the rapid-fire stages. I never really embraced the AR 15 for high-power shooting. Never really believed in it as a "real" high-power rifle and only experimented with mine a few times on the firing line.

    Smith Corona mfg'd Model 1903A3
    [​IMG]

    This photograph was take a few years back during some long range plinking fun with the '03A3, shooting down a canyon from the rim, 100 yards to infinity.
    [​IMG]
     
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  8. The Father Went out for smokes in ‘78 not seen since Jun 24, 2018

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    784C2B93-DFED-4D72-84F6-982061306FD7.jpeg

    For fun times. Mosin Nagant action in an Archangel stock. Has a Timney trigger in for a better feel than the old stiff 1930’s trigger. 5&10 rd magazines pretty handy also.
     
    Edited Jun 24, 2018
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  9. The Father Went out for smokes in ‘78 not seen since Jun 24, 2018

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    If I were a watch geek and needed a heater to protect my brood of watches, Glock 19 fit for all..... 15ACB416-B729-4BB6-A458-6F8990024BC4.jpeg
     
    Edited Jun 24, 2018
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  10. Mtek Jun 24, 2018

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    @noelekal I don’t think there is a finer plinking gun than an M1. I don’t know what it is about them, just fun.

    EDIT: guys, what’s your fav paper plate, water filled milk jug, etc., fun guns to shoot?

    Mine - M1, Ruger 10/22, and Python with .38 rounds.
     
    Edited Jun 24, 2018
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  11. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 24, 2018

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    [​IMG]

    Yeah, love the M1, the cartridge it shoots, its place in history, the fact that it's an ol' softy to shoot, and the good fortune I've had with the rifle and the design with both accuracy and reliability. I've fired way more rounds through the M1 rifle than any other center fire rifle. Have owned other M1s through the years, one an M1D which I later foolishly traded away and one a low serial number pre-World War II rifle. I still have its serial number written down somewhere around here. Think it dated to 1939-1940. Memory's getting hazy now but believe it hadn't ever been rebuilt. Was one of those "learning" purchases.

    Oh no! I feel a tale coming on.

    I began wanting to accumulate U. S. military arms early in my teen years. I've loved World War II history all my life. I grew up around surplus examples of U. S. military arms of all kinds (even to include a World War II M2 .50 which was made by the AC Spark Plug division of General Motors - never saw that one fired). Not long after turning 18 I'd picked up the first two rifles to be added to the accumulation, the '03A3 seen in the post above and a Krag Jorgensen and still have both. Gave $200 for the pair from Prince Jewelry & Loan on Main Street in Downtown Fort Worth, Texas in 1975. I think the '03A3 was $85 and the Krag was $115. Sounds like a fabulous deal now (at that price stack 'em up 'till I can't see over the top of 'em) but really wasn't much of a deal at all back then. Besides which, I only made $385 per month working as a commercial teller at one of the downtown banks. Not long afterward a Model 1917 came my way for all of $75. It was at this point that I got a hankering for an M1. I mean ... I wanted an M1 Garand bad!

    M1s weren't so easy to come by in the mid-1970s and were pretty costly if encountered on the rack of a gun shop or on an exhibitor's table at the gun shows. One day in about 1977 I went into my favorite Fort Worth gun shop, Donn Heath Guns out on the west side and there, amid the used long arms in the ample racks out on the shop floor, stood an M1, just into the shop and put out for sale. Why I could touch it, smell it, "fingerprint" it! I could even hear it and it was calling to me! It had a $300 price tag dangling from its trigger guard. That was considerably more money than I'd ever spent on a gun before in my life. Still, it was somewhat cheaper than most of the M1s I'd been seeing at gun shows. Oh, it had to be mine!

    I "busted a gut" (and busted the bank account) hurrying that rifle to the counter and cash register. Then out the door and home. I remember constantly looking at the rifle leaning on the front passenger's seat beside me all the way home. Home was still with my parents back in those pre-marriage days. Upon arrival that evening I gleefully took the new M1, along with some surplus European military .30-06 ammunition (headstamped "OJP '58") I had also purchased that afternoon, down the hill, through the pasture, to the stock tank for its inaugural shooting ceremony.

    I pointed the rifle at some gallon paint cans I'd set up on the bank on the other side and began shooting out over the water. I was either hitting the cans or else in their general vicinity and enjoying that first clip-full with great relish. Much to my surprise one round made the most disconcerting ringing "ping" noise and something flew out of the rifle's action and landed in the mud at water's edge.

    I never had before realized how the M1 operated or that it ejected its enbloc clip with the last of its complement of eight rounds. I thought my new rifle had blown up. Soon worked through that though and was pleased to have acquired an early grail firearm.

    Took the M1 to our old place on the lake where it made splinters of mesquite stumps at close range. I was mostly firing it for effect rather than making any attempt to zero the sights or establish any accuracy performance. Then the day came when I took the M1 to the rifle range. Stretched across the bench rest with the rifle rested on sand bags and shot it on paper at 100 yards so I could find out what my new-found pride and joy was capable of.

    It wasn't capable of much. Groups were in the 15-18-inch range with some rounds fired that never could be found on paper. The '03A3 and the Krag were both capable of 2-inch groups or even less when I was in a shooting humor. I eyed the surplus ammunition balefully.

    Ammunition wasn't the problem and that's when the learning experience manifested itself. Puzzled about this dismaying accuracy performance I began cleaning the M1 one evening in my bedroom. Pushed a .30 caliber bronze brush down the bore from the muzzle end and the brush practically ricocheted side-to-side as it traveled down the bore toward the chamber, it was so loose within that barrel. So loose in fact that attempts to scrub were mostly futile so I swabbed out the bore with patches and scrutinized it.

    The bore looked like a plowed field! Just a mass of ugly pitting. Was that a shadow of rifling down the bore about four inches from the chamber? One couldn't be certain. There was no useful bore left in the rifle.

    Field stripping, something easily accomplished with the M1, found more grim discoveries. Just beneath the wood of the stock line on the receiver were great ugly scabs of pitting. Wasn't apparent on the portions of the receiver seen outside the stock. Barrel was liberally sprinkled with more ugly pitting, some fairly deep. Trigger group was nasty with corrosion. The rifle was a barking dog!

    I'd been had. The tagged price wasn't bad but there was a reason for it. It's certain that this M1 had been fired with corrosively-primed ammunition and not properly cleaned afterward. I had to wonder though if the thing was a battlefield pick-up from the surf at Normandy or a Pacific island, spirited out of the service, and brought home without any cleaning attention whatsoever.

    Chagrined, I swapped the M1 for some now long gone shotgun at a pawn shop in Cleburne, Texas. Went without an M1 in the budding U. S. military collection for nearly a decade before obtaining the M1 I still enjoy from the DCM (Director of Civilian Marksmanship), predecessor of the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program).

    I'd lucked out with a few used gun purchases prior to that ratty M1. That M1 taught me a lesson and that is to study and learn much about the object of one's hobby pursuits before buying and thoroughly examine proposed acquisitions before laying down the hard-earned cash. "Buyer beware" applies.

    I became a savvy gun trader because of that M1 and never again suffered such a bitter disappointment.

    Have I always heeded what I learned from the purchase of that first M1 when I first plunged into the watch hobby? No, I have not and I have been burned there too ... to a crisp.
     
  12. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 24, 2018

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    That's a difficult question to answer MTek. I've spent my life "having a blast" with guns of all kinds. I can be entertained by most any of them.

    Gallon milk jugs full of lake water? I've busted a jillion of 'em. Any good high-power rifle makes for jug-bustin' most gratifying.

    Here's Mrs. noelekal irrigating the countryside, showing how it's done with the AR 15, one of those photographic happy accidents of timing and light that wouldn't ever occur again in a million attempts.

    [​IMG]

    If it's .22 Long Rifle I love it. Lots of .22s live here, rifles and handguns and all are cherished.

    Love antique Winchester lever-action rifles of any kind. The Model 1873 in .38-40 and especially the Model 1892 in .32-20 are endlessly fun, especially because those two have companion revolvers so-chambered for twice the fun. I handload for oldie cartridges so they can be shot on the cheap.

    Love consuming large quantities of .38 Special in revolvers and .45 ACP in the 1911-guns.

    Love shooting accurate rifles off the bench rest and playing around with center fire rifles and handloaded ammunition concoctions.

    Here's a dandy shot Mrs. noelekal essayed in the direction of this prickly pear cactus from 20 paces, using the old 1905 vintage Colt Single Action Army in .38-40. She's a regular Annie Oakley.

    [​IMG]
     
    Edited Jun 24, 2018
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  13. Mtek Jun 24, 2018

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    @noelekal enjoyed the M1 story and the great timing in the pic with the Mrs.
     
  14. Wryfox Jun 25, 2018

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    582594-8d1c5c9288b55a45ddb5d2e1f55ec108.jpg
    20180625_092942.jpg
    For fun times, yes...we're twins! The stock trigger was worked on by prior owner, very smooth and precise, who knew that could be done? Snagged this at a flea market for $125. Shoots better than it should. Stock is very well made.
     
    Edited Jun 25, 2018
  15. Wryfox Jun 25, 2018

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    Trust me, we've all been there. Karma comes back around though with some surprise goodies now and then. Just two years ago I found a M1 at a local gun shop for $400 with a tag that said "wall hanger". I asked about it and they said the owner did that and they had to go grab him from somewhere out back as I waited, perspiring in the hope it was not actually so. He comes out and says yeah, there's something wrong with it, we got it in a bunch of guns a guy sold us and I don't have time to look at it so I tagged it as 'wallhanger" cuz I don't know what's wrong with it. I told him(in my most earnest voice) that it wasn't worth much if it was broken. He said I'll tell you what, you can have it for $300, that's probably what the parts are worth, but don't shoot it. I said ok, took it home, disassembled and promptly found a loose primer lodged in the trigger group. There was actually nothing wrong with it. Shot great. Helps make up for the few I got taken for in my younger days.
     
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  16. Wryfox Jun 25, 2018

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    I don't shoot my '03s much anymore due to shoulder arthritis (I wonder what that is from? My orthopedists says he can't figure out why my right shoulder is so bad, and my left looks almost normal...I said "would 20,000rds of rifle shooting help explain it?".......)

    Anyway, this is one of my '03 NRA Match rifles, very fun to shoot a really old timer(1918 vintage receiver), avg'd under 1 MOA, so certainly good enough for competition. Only shot one match with it, and can't find the results but i recall it did well, I think I had trouble getting it sighted in at first and that wonked my scores. Excuse old pic...
    1903 Sporter-1.jpg
     
    Edited Jun 26, 2018
  17. Wryfox Jun 25, 2018

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    I had a nice pair, 1873 and SAA in .32-20. That was back when I thought bigger and badder was better, so I sold the SAA thinking it was a "pipsqueek". Wish I still had it, have a bunch of 32-20 ammo. The 1873 was a basketcase I got cheap($350), disassembled and plunked the parts(stock and all) in a bucket of gun oil/solvent stew a friend made up for me("that'll fix it", he said). Stayed there for several weeks and then one by one, I cleaned each part and put it all back together. Not very accurate but it shoots, .32-20 feels like a 22 in a rifle.

    The seller called it a "border rifle", describing guns that may have crossed into Mexico and no parts available so they fixed guns with whatever they had available. When I took it apart, I found the mainspring was actually an old framing nail, and it worked. Left it in there.
    20180625_101854[1].jpg
     
    Edited Jun 26, 2018
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  18. Wryfox Jun 25, 2018

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    I as well, and looking at my list, I think I may have accidentally created a collection of every Infantry rifle the US used from the last 200yrs, starting with an 1816 Springfield musket.

    Rough list developing below...typing from memory so names may not be 'official'

    1816 Springfield
    1853 Enfield
    1862 Musket
    1873 Trapdoor
    Krag Jorgenson
    1903 Springfield
    Enfield 1917 (30-06)
    Moisan Nagant(yes)
    M1 Garand
    M1 Carbine
    M1A (civilian M14)
    AR15(civilian M16)

    Might have all the pistols too...gotta look. This is fun!
     
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  19. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Jun 25, 2018

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    I expanded my original interest in World War II U.S. military arms early on when I read an article in an early 1970s "Guns" magazine titled "Kris versus Krag" which caused me to become fascinated with the U.S. Krag Jorgensen rifle and its cartridge. Hence the two-fer acquisition at that pawn shop so long ago.

    I didn't ever intend to collect farther back than the self-contained metallic cartridge arms beginning with the Trapdoor Sprinfield, didn't even intend to collect all the early variants of the Allin conversion and subsequent designs. Did come near to acquiring a Civil War Springfield on an occasion or two and now wish I had back then. Love U.S. Civil War history too.

    Of course now I'd enjoy acquiring examples of U. S. military small arms from the beginning of this nation to present. All it takes is money. Oh well, I'll have to be content to gaze at my "Flayderman's" and the slick Rock Island Auction circulars.

    U.S. Rifles on hand

    Model 1884 "Trapdoor" Springfield .45-70 ("need" .50-70 variants and cavalry carbines)
    Model 1894 Springfield "Krag Jorgensen" .30-40 (need cavalry carbine and Philippine Constabulary variant as well as 6mm Lee Navy)
    Model 1903 Springfield .30-06 (have several)
    Model 1917 Enfield .30-06
    Model 1922AII .22 Long Rifle target/trainer variant of the '03
    Model 1903A3 .30-06
    M1 Carbine .30 Carbine (Have two. A couple months ago my dad just sent along his he's had since 1945)
    M1 Garand .30-06
    M1A .308/7.62 NATO (civilian version of the M14)
    AR 15 .223/5.56 NATO (Colt SP-1 civilian version of the M16)

    U. S Handguns on hand

    Don't have a Colt Model 1873 but only a commercial 1st Generation Colt Single Action Army (sure "need" a Colt Model 1873 .45 Colt - military contract version of Colt Single Action Army)
    Colt Model 1901 .38 Long Colt (military contract version of the Colt New Army)
    Colt Model 1909 .45 Colt (military contract version of the Colt New Service)
    Colt Model 1911 .45 ACP
    Colt Model 1917 .45 ACP (military contract version of the Colt New Service)
    Smith & Wesson Model 1917 .45 ACP (military contract version of the Smith & Wesson N-Frame Second Model)
    Remington Rand Model 1911A1 .45 ACP
    Colt Commando .38 Special (WW II military contract version of the Colt Official Police)
    Smith & Wesson Victory Model (WW II military contract version of the Smith & Wesson K-Frame Military & Police)
    Don't yet have a Beretta 92 9mm (commercial version of the M9)
     
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  20. gmc1971 Jun 25, 2018

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    I think not. NFA rules allow one to own a silencer with the purchase of a tax stamp. Black Talons are obsolete.
     
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