New Shooter!

Well except for my youngest offspring, I've never had the opportunity to introduce a non-shooter to the pleasure of shooting but that changed yesterday! I took a friend from church who had never shot firearms except for a round of skeet 3 decades ago out to the desert, opened up the bed of the truck and introduced him to shooting. Another shooting buddy, Jim went along and brought several of his guns for the new guy, David to try out.

David had a great time, even nearly making a bullseye on his very first shot! We started him out with 22LR rifles in a couple different flavors, switched to 22LR pistols then graduated up to an AR-15 and SKS. David even sampled 2 flavors of 40 caliber pistols, a Springfield XDM and a Kimber finding that he preferred the John Moses Browning pistol over the much more modern Springfield. He really liked my Kel-Tec Sub 9 carbine and my Rossi pump rifle. He thought shooting plastic Happy Meal toy characters off of a cardboard box was great fun and he repeatedly rang a 12" square aluminum plate at 50 yards with almost all of the guns. He liked the AR-15 but didn't care so much for the SKS. He took instruction about operation and safety seriously, followed the 4 Rules carefully and generally had a great time.

It was a beautiful 50 degree day out in the desert and it felt good to be out in the open without another person or building in sight. We all shot until we were tired and had a terrific time. David doesn't get lots of free Saturdays and when he does he can generally be found with a golf club in his hand. But I hope I've kindled an interest in at least occasionally getting out and doing a little shooting. He's certainly capable and enthusiastic!

Maybe the luckiest guy ever!

Not only did CarteachO get to handle and shoot an ultra-rare Liberator FP-45 pistol, he was gifted a M1 Garand by one of his readers! Talk about firearm nirvana! The Liberator was a gun devised by the US to be dropped into occupied France during World War II to arm Resistance members. Many thousands of these guns were produced but most were never deployed and then destroyed. Most people interested in guns have read the stories about these rare pistols but Carteacho got to shoot one in his back yard!

Go read the stories!

Getting the New Year off on the right foot-

During my extended unemployment season of the past many many months, I had to clear some guns out of my locker to make ends meet. It was truly an ugly time saying goodbye to some of the guns I really treasured. Now that I'm back to work, I'm feeling just a mite more flush and so last week I decided to stop by a local pawn shop on my way home from work. And they had this little gem in the rough-





It's a Rossi Gallery Carbine in 22LR and a replica of a Winchester 62 which, (significantly) is also a John Moses Browning design. I didn't buy it right away but went home and spent he evening doing research and then went back and bought it for just 75% of the asking price the next day. It was grubby! The shiny little rifle looked as if it had never seen a Hoppes soaked swab! It had a nail in a place where a roll pin was supposed to be!

But I took it apart and gave it a very good scrubbing and it cleaned up nicely. I'm still going to re-blue some of the parts that aren't nickel plated and I have already installed the correct pin to hold the magazine tube in place. I might have to replace the magazine tube sometime down the road as it isn' perfect but for now I'm just anxiously awaiting an opportunity to take it out and see if it shoots.

It's also kind of neat that I already have a Taurus replica of the Winchester Model 63- the gun that followed this little pump from the Winchester lineup that is also a John Moses Browning design. Both of these guns designs originated here in my adoped home town!

Joshua Stevens- why not as revered as John Browning?

Yesterday I went out to the desert with my buddies, Jim & Kenny for an afternoon of shooting fun. It was my first shooting trip in almost 2 years due to the scarcity of dollars to pay for ammo and fuel to get to our favorite shooting spot.

But go out shooting we did and we had a great time. The weather was beautiful and the ground was dry so it was a perfect day to be outside. Kenny had a new AK rifle to try out and Jim brought along his usual selection including his AR. I took my SKS as I hadn't shot it since replacing the hammer spring with the stock one some time ago. And we shot a bunch of centerfire flavors of rifle and handgun calibers but eventually the centerfire guns were put away and we broke out our favorite 22 rimfire caliber guns.

And we had a blast. We shot 22LR ammo until we were tired. I had my Beretta Neos pistol and my Taurus semi-auto rifle, (a JMB design, for the record) and there were several other guns in both guy's range bags that fed the diminutive and plentiful 22LR cartridges. When the shooting was all over and we were picking up the trash, I wondered why the guy, whoever he was, that designed the 22 Long Rifle cartridge wasn't as famous or as revered as John Moses Browning is for the plethora of gun designs still in active use 100+ years after he created them.

Turns out, it was Joshua Stevens, creator of Stevens Arms, who is credited with the creation of the 22 Long Rifle cartridge. Can you think of another inventor that has been more responsible for introducing people of all ages to the joys of shooting than J. Stevens? How many people around the world got their first opportunity to learn to shoot behind a rifle or pistol designed to shoot this cartridge? This familiar and beloved round was created in 1887, long before JMB created his iconic pistol. How many of us that own and enjoy centerfire guns of any caliber still love plinking with the humble 22? How many of us have a favorite 22 gun that love or money couldn't make us part with? I'm betting we all have one, (or more) favorite 22 gun that has a permanenent place in our safe and enough ammo to keep it fed for a long time tucked away on our ammo shelves.

So let's give credit where it is due, to Mr. J Stevens of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. I'm going to research his birthdate and make it a point to buy (another) brick of 22LR when it rolls around. Maybe we all could celebrate Josh's birthday with a new brick or two of his most famous creation. And when famous gun designers are being discussed around the interweb, maybe we can remember to give Josh his credit for a great invention- the 22 Long Rifle cartridge.

UPDATE: Mr. Stevens was born on September 10, 1814 so next September I'm stocking up!

Hoppe's #9 air fresheners-

I may have to get me some of these fragrant air fresheners for myself! Ahh...

Stoopidest idea ever-

It is hard to believe that this has found enough money to actually make it beyond the napkin drawing stage. Check it out-

Another single shot rifle?

I already happily own 2 H&R Handi-Rifles, a Sportster model in 17HMR andd a fancy Ultra Varmit Fluted model in .223. They are both terrifically fun to shoot and they are prized members of my locker. The other day I wandered into my favorite pawn shop and they had another one on the rack, this one had wood furniture, a cheap scope and a really big hole in the muzzle. It was chambered in 38-55!

Now what possible reason would there be for me to own a single shot rifle chambered in a caliber with roots that date back to the 1870s, that was intended to be filled with black powder and that shoots 255 grain pumpkins downrange? I really can't think of a good reason but that didn't keep me from seriously considering adding to the others in the locker. I haven't yet- but I'm thinking about it...

BAG Day approaches!

April 15- tax day for most of you, has also been celebrated for several years now as BAG Day- that's Buy A Gun Day for those of you so inclined. So assuming that I might be back to work before the holiday, it's possible that I could participate in the celebration too.

So, if I were to buy a new gun, what would it be? The Taurus Circuit Judge revolving cylinder carbine or a used Ruger 10/22 and that M-1 Carbine conversion? Maybe I could buy an AR-15 upper receiver and barrel to get my AR built.

I suppose it all depends on if I'm back to work and how badly I want to make trips to Flaming Gorge for fishing. We'll see what happens.

UPDATE: I heard from one of my brothers that his GF jumped ahead of BAG day and bought a North American Arms revolver for herself. Good for her.

I think I gotta get one of these!

It's a M1 Carbine tribute built on a Ruger 10/22 action. Pretty slick, not too expensive and I happen to know somebody with a Ruger for sale. Hmm.

I found this over at Xavier's place.

WANT! Very much want!

Those of you that have been coming around here for a bit know that I have a major fetish for Stevens Favorite rifles. There is 1 particular Stevens out there someplace that I have been trying to locate for several years now, the one my dad gave me as a kid and that I foolishly sold years later. I already own one Savage replica that I really enjoy and I did have one original rifle that the BSU thoughtlessly disposed of some years back. But I keep searching for my old rifle and I frequently check out Gunbroker.com hoping to find it.

But just look at the Stevens Favorite I found last night-










You can see all the pictures and description of this beautiful rifle here.

What a lousy time to be out of work! If I was employed, I'd be buying this rifle in a minute!
As always, click the thumbnail pictures to see the full sized versions.

That's very curious-

I discovered today that my Taurus 1911 will not feed 165 grain hollow point ammunition at all! I don't remember the brand but it's ammo I have used in my last 45 without problem. But today I loaded 8 of them into both a stock Taurus magazine and then a Chip McCormack mag and neither one of them would feed the first round into the chamber. In every case the cartridge just rammed straight forward and hung up on the feed ramp no matter what manner of releasing the slide I tried.

I never thought that might happen with the ramped frame in that gun!

What it means is two things: 1, I need to get to the gun store and pick up a couple other brands of self defense hollowpoints and shoot them through this gun and, 2, I'll keep carrying my PF-9 until I get it sorted out.

I need one of these!

If you aren't paying attention, the SHOT show is going on in Las Vegas this week and all kinds of new guns are being introduced to the public. And Rossi has introduced a new rifle, the Circuit Judge that is so cool that I am going to have to add one to my locker. No- I don't know why I need it but it is simply too cool not to have one of my own.

For those folks that having a rifle and handgun in matching calibers, which doesn't seem to be a bad idea at all since it would lighten one's ammunition loadout, I might have to match it up with a Taurus Public Defender to go on my hip.

Aren't those cool?

My tacticool, single shot, lever action, antique replica, 22LR, urban sniper rifle-

I'll bet you've never seen a sniper rifle like this one before-


That is my Stevens Favorite replica rifle with a VistaLite bicycle light strapped to the side. I'm going to use it and the Colibri subsonic ammo I bought yesterday to dispatch the masked bandit raccoons in my backyard. I had to put the light back and to the side so that it throws some light on the front sight which I treated with a silver Sharpie for better visibility. My initial plan to mount it under the barrel lit up the target zone beautifully but I could not see the front sight at all, hence the unusual location on the left side.

The bandits are coming to the bait I'm setting out but I realized that unless they run across the roof like they did the other night, I won't know they are out there. So I'm going to install a makeshift motion sensor, wired to a light inside the shop. With that I'll be able to sit inside until the light comes on alerting me to bandits.

The Colibri ammo I purchased doesn't penetrate clear through a 1" pine board but I figure a raccoon skull isn't as thick as a pine board. And the sound of the bullet striking the board from 20 feet is louder than the discharge of the shell being fired so I don't think I am going to alarm anyone.

As always, click the thumbnail to see the full size picture.

What a nice weekend!

It's been terrific here with much too warm temperatures for November but it has been beautiful. Yesterday was a perfect "man" day- breakfast with friends at Cracker Barrel, a trip to the gun show and shopping at Harbor Freight. COuld it be any better?

I blew, vacuumed and sucked up leaves from the front yard in the afternoon until there were 2 80 gallon trash cans full. I covered up the boat motor and my engine crane with tarps and inherited a lawnmower project from my neighbor. It runs but not steadily so I saved it from an ignomious end in the dumpster and I'll figure it out over the winter.

Today was a great day at church and our pastor has asked the BSU and I to consider participating in our diocesen search convention for a new bishop. That might be an interesting challenge! We have decided anything yet but maybe it is something we could do.

I've also got the money I need for new seats for Fish Slayer! I decided a couple weeks ago that maybe I would sell my black powder pistols and so this evening I listed them on KSL to see if I could sell them. It took 20 minutes for the phone to ring! The guy that called came up from Salt Lake so it took him an hour to get here but he bought the guns! That was cool. On Wednesday when I go to Cabelas with my buddies, I think I'll be able to buy my seats. Sweet!

Now if the weather would just turn and start sending snow our way, I can start thinking about ski season!

Wanted- 1 very special Stevens Favorite rifle

Many decades ago, I received as a gift from my Dad, a 22LR Stevens Favorite rifle. It was the only gun my Dad ever gave me and I was mighty proud of it. I was probably 12 when I received this neat little rifle. Dad had searched out and found an entire rifle with an already shortened stock, just the right size for me at the time while searching for a replacement stock that he could shorten for a Stevens he already owned. Sadly and stupidly, in about 1976, I sold the rifle to an unknown buyer through my first wife's uncle. It might have been as big a mistake as I've ever made. I sold it in north eastern Ohio.

Anyway, I want the rifle back. I'm willing to pay. The rifle is unique and if anyone has ever seen it, they would recognize that the collectors value today has been ruined because the frame has been nickel plated. My Grandfather had to take the gun for a while during my ownership to make a new firing pin for it and while he had it, he talked somebody in the plating shop where he worked to nickel plate the frame and the lever. It's not polished like chrome but is a very nice shiny matte silver. I don't believe any of the other parts were plated. It also has an ivory dot tipped front sight which I now know was not the typical Stevens Favorite front sight. I believe my rifle was a takedown model.

I have searched the internet gun seller sites and auctions for a couple years. I've even advertised in the local papers back there in Ohio hoping to find the current owner without success. Before I buy a 2nd Savage Model 30 Stevens replica and build one that looks like my old rifle, I'm turning back to the internet to see if this unique Stevens Favorite can be located. Have you seen my rifle? Do you know who has it tucked into the back of a gun safe somewhere? If you do, will you please get in touch with me immediately? You can contact me any time through natemccord@gmail.com.

Awesome video- Awesome revolver!

Check this out-

You can also see this video on the Taurus web page.

I actually know a friend that has a Taurus Judge but I've never had a chance to shoot it. After watching this video I might have to go visit him with a truck bed full of fruit!

Hat tip to Ride Fast for sharing this.

The prairie dog population of Wyoming remains intact-

As Kenny and I were unsuccessful letting the air out of any of them today. We only found a few and they managed to dodge our attempts at ballistic deanimation today.

We did have a great day touring around Wyoming and Kenny had a great place in mind for our lunch, which turned out to be really very tasty, so the day wasn't any loss even if the body count hung up at zero.

In between the pending thunderstorms and 62 degree temps-

Kenny and I are going to Wyoming tomorrow with the hope of finding some praire dogs that will allow themselves to be ballistically de-animated by our shooting efforts. I just hope it doesn't rain too much because off road travel will become problematic if it gets muddy.

I think I might have to buy some of this-

I've not mentioned so far that I'm in the process of building my own AR-15 rifle, mostly because the process has only involved purchasing a Rock River lower receiver and browsing the online Brownells catalog. I figure it will take me a year of saving my lunch money to purchase all the parts I'll need to build a prairie dog killing machine, so I haven't been in a big hurry to brag about something that's right now just 1 piece of machined aluminum.

But when I do get around to buying more parts, I'm pretty certain I am going to dress my rifle with this wood stock, forearm and grip! This stuff was apparently introduced at the NRA show last weekend and I think it's neat. One of my least favorite aspects of Evil Black Rifles is the black plastic furniture and this company has a solution to that ugly and same-same look of almost all AR-15 rifles. Since I don't intend my AR to be a "tacticool" carbine laden down with lasers and flashlights and front handgrips and flash hiders, I think putting wood on my rifle will be a perfect solution.

Now I just need to pick out a color combination!

Shooting pool cue chalk at 200 yards?

Yeah, this guy does it and he has video to prove it. That seems like the kind of practice I need to try. Maybe I should start with some clay pidgeons and work my way smaller...

I need to go shooting!