Random thoughts from flyover country

Tuesday, March 31

World's Biggest Gun Show this weekend!

This weekend, as usual, I'll be going to the Wanenmacher's Tulsa Arms Show at the QuikTrip Center (formerly the Expo Square building, formerly the International Petroleum Exposition Building) at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. Even given the hours the show will be open, it normally takes almost two full days to really see everything. I'm going to check with my next-door-neighbor the police officer to see if he wants to go, but his weird hours may prevent it. I took Andrew to his first gun show* a month or two ago, and he was like a kid in a candy store. He might go completely nuts if I can get him to the Wanenmacher Show.

Several years ago, I rented a table at the show to liquidate a large amount of reloading supplies that my wife's late cousin left to his sister. After paying rent for the table, I was able to give his sister more than $1,000.00 in cash. I'm still looking to liquidate a bunch of rough stock blanks for the do-it-yourselfers out there.

Tips -

1. Look at the tables for "Do Not Handle Without Permission" signs before you go fingerprinting somebody's stuff. Even if you don't see a sign, it's good manners to ask before picking up the "BelchFire .78 Magnum" that you've never seen before.

2. Take some cash with you because a lot of the people with tables don't take plastic or checks.

3. Wear walking shoes or hiking boots. Eleven and a half acres of concrete are hard on the dogs. Sneakers don't provide enough support, and you'll be worn out before you get half-way done if you wear cowboy boots.

4. Take something to drink with you unless you like paying $16.00 a gallon for pop at the concession stands.

5. As a corollary to 4., take a break and go out for lunch. There are a number of fast food places nearby from McDonald's and Burger Street to McAllister's Deli. There is an all-you-can-eat Mexican restaurant named Casa Bonita which has a big rep. The best place to eat for gun-show-goers, in my opinion is Jim's Coney Island just north of 21st Street on the east side of Harvard. Coneys, yeros, baclava. It's all there; it's all good.

6. If you see something that you just have to have that might be somewhat rare, like a modified choke 28 inch vent rib barrel for a Browning Sweet Sixteen, get it. You can either carry it or take it out to the car, but if you don't buy it, it won't be there when you get back. (This is something that my brother learned the hard way.)

7. If you are buying ammunition in bulk, either take it to the car/truck right then, or ask the guy if you can leave it for later pick-up.

8. If you take guns to trade/sell/have appraised or just want to be seen hauling around a really cool gun, please watch where and how you handle them/turn with them or show them to someone else. Some of us don't want to get brained by the barrel or stock of your rifle/shotgun or have it pointed at us. We may react...badly or rudely.

9. If you hear someone behind a commercial dealer's table telling someone that "Taurus," for example, makes all the "Smith & Wesson" revolvers, don't be afraid to ask the moron what S&W builds in that nice factory in Massachusetts.

I'll see you there.

ECS

Monday, March 30

But I didn't want to buy stock in banks or auto companies!

Who else thinks the bailout of banks and automakers is a bad idea? How dare the Federal Government buy stock in banks (preferred stock at that which has no voting power) and interfere with the operation of private companies by forcing out CEOs? When will some government functionary come tell me I can't raise my voice to my grandson when he screws up for fear that I'll hurt his self-esteem?

We can't afford the "bailouts," and I'm not interested in giving our government more powers that the Constitution doesn't.

ECS

Saturday, March 28

Snow Day! (Update)


Wow! Springtime in Oklahoma! It started snowing around 10:00 am and is still snowing with the occasional flash of lightning and clap of thunder. So far we have about 5 inches of snow at my house.

Must be all that global warming.

We ended up with 6 inches of snow in Owasso. Out west at Fort Supply, Oklahoma, they had 25 inches with drifts 6-10 feet. The roads off the major highways are a sloppy mess. It's supposed to freeze tonight which will cause the roads to be icy. I'll probably have to take my daughter to work in the morning.

Bed time.

ECS

Tuesday, March 24

Range day

On Saturday my daughter, my brother, and I went shooting. My first order of business was to zero the laser in the Crimson Trace grips on my former TPD Smith & Wesson Model 681. Since this revolver is my wife's "house gun," I zeroed it at 25 yards with .38 Special +P 125 grain Remington semi-jacketed hollowpoints. Once I got it dialed in, I checked the strike of the rounds at "living room range." It's good. My wife is very happy with it now.

Then, some practice with my carry guns at 3, 5, 10, and 25 yards just to keep my hand in. I was satisfied with the palm-sized groups I shot with the Smith & Wesson Model 13 shooting .357 Magnum 125 grain Remington semi-jacketed hollowpoints and with the Taurus 85SSUL shooting .38 Special +P 135 grain Speer "Short Barrel" hollowpoints.

After that, I shot up about a box of HotShot 98 grain 7.62x38R Nagant ammunition from my 1929 Tula arsenal Model 1895. I'm amazed that the Nagant lasted so long in Russian/Soviet military service, but I think it will do nicely for small game hunting. Besides, it makes a good counterpoint to my Mosin-Nagant M38 carbine in 7.62x54R.

Finally, I shot the Mosin-Nagant over my Chrony. At 10 feet instrumental distance, 147 grain "light bullet" Bulgarian ammunition clocked an average of 2622.52 feet per second yielding 2,245.49 foot/pounds of energy. The 203 grain Barnaul soft points were slower at 2289.46 feet per second but generated 2,363.30
foot/pounds of energy. At the plinking range where we set up, I hit everything at which I shot, but the 100/200 yard benchrest range was jammed so I didn't get a chance to shoot for groups.

Take a friend shooting this weekend.

ECS

IndyMedia anti-1st Amendment trolls attack!

Well, brave Anonymous from IndyMedia has decided to defend the indefensible behavior of the cowards who attacked the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Berkeley. Then, he/she/it decided to attack me personally because apparently, he/she/it doesn't like guns and believes that people like me need guns to "feel manly." Like the rest of the cowards on IndyMedia who remove any posts contrary to their myopic "world view," Anonymous is convinced that Berkeley is the United States when, in reality, it isn't even a pimple on the ass of California.

Just for their edification, "moral victory," "making a statement," etc., all translate as "lose." That makes them "losers."

My other anonymous friend reported that the IndyMedia "turds" deleted his comments as well. Those are the actions of cowards who will not tolerate the voicing of any opposition to their weak-minded beliefs, who will shout down people saying things they don't want to hear, and who denigrate their betters, who are those who risk their lives to defend this country and the cowards' right to be stupid.

That's the way I see it.

ECS