Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Plastic Is Gold

What was it the guy told Dustin Hoffman's character in The Graduate? Something about having one word of advice and that was "plastic(s)"? I never saw the movie but did see that clip. I think he may have been right because it seems there is gold in plastic or if not gold then at least there is profit.

I recently bought a toy gun, made out of plastic, at auction for $6.78 plus $12.70 for a total of $19.48. I have it up for sale on an online auction and right now it has two bids, the high one is over $45.00 right now as I type. I must say, I did not know what it is worth; so with two quick bids on it already, I wonder if maybe I should not have set the buy it now price at $100 (which limits the high bid to only $100). If I am lucky it will go that high and I'll remain happy as long as I stay ignorant if it actually is worth a lot more than that. Thing was, I could not find another on the Intraweb of All Knowledge so, I just guessed at what I figured was a good buy it now price and decent starting bid (which was $30 minimum). Whatever, to tell the truth, I am already happy with the bid it has now.

All the  best,
Glenn B

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Zombie Killer Transformed - Just Look At It Now

Remember this:



That atrocity was/is my Mosin Nagant with turned down bolt, the one I decided to paint as a goof for a zombie apocalypse charge at a bloggershoot in New Hampshire some years back. Then, after getting it painted, I think I never used it in the charge, heck I may not have even made it to the bloggershoot but don't quote me on that.

That was back when you could still get a Mosin Nagant 91/30 for about $99.99 fairly in decent condition, so I figured what the heck - they're cheap. Having a turned down bolt, this one was somewhat more expensive, around $150 if I remember right but still I figured what the heck - they're cheap (am I repeating myself). Well, lately I've been to gun shows where I have seen Mosin Nagants of the absolutely nothing special variety, but in decent condition, selling for over $400.00! I've also seen some pretty beat up ones, even with cracked stocks, with asking prices between $300 to $350. I decided to sell the Zombie Killer at a gun show over around Dallas not all that long ago. No takers, mostly I guess because of the color even though I was only asking less than the dealers and would have taken $200 to $225. Oh well.

Anyway, I decided to strip the wood and painted metal parts and refinish the wood. That's exactly what I have been doing over the last few days to a week. Here is what it looks like now (sorry for the crappy pics, poor lighting, I'll try to remember to get better ones to repost here):





I think it came out as passable. I wish I would have matched the color of the original 91/30 wood finish but this will do nicely as far as I am concerned. Note that the paint stripper did not affect the metal except to remove the paint and that was a relief because I had no clue if it would take off the bluing. Still though, some of the metal needed some touch-up and I experimented with Birchwood Casey Perma Blue cold bluing solution. Wow, it did the job perfectly on the few spots where I used it, blended right in. It's not like I wire brushed off any rust, I left that in place and just covered some scratches and such, that stuff worked really well.

So, it now looks presentable, even saleable. The thing is now that I got it looking pretty nice again, I am thinking of keeping it. If I do go to another gun show over in Dallas, I may have to bring it along even if I don't intend selling it. That would be just to show it to the one dealer who laughed at it and me and who said he would not buy it because I probably painted it to cover a crack in the stock. The stock has some small dings but definitely no cracks. The only thing about it that may have been cracked was me for painting it up as the Zombie Killer in the first place.

All the best,
Glenn B

Corona Virus Will It Be 14 Monkeys or Resident Evil

Take your pic. I am hoping it's essentially much ado about nothing but China reportedly has been taking drastic measures, such as to quarantine the infected area among other things (over 41 million people in quarantine - source). This made me almost immediately suspect that a bio-weapon was the culprit virus. Then I learned that Wuhan within 20 miles of a bio-weapons biological facility (source); if it is then I am more convinced I may be right that a bio-weapon has gotten out.

In addition, it has been reported as being a 'new little known corona virus'. Such could have been a natural occurrence but also could be the result of a bio-weapons program. Regardless of its origin, I think the world may be in trouble as in 14 Monkeys or Resident Evil (as far as an outbreak not the zombies or monsters) but I certainly hope not; yet, what the Chinese have been reported as doing to corral this virus makes me think the worst. Additionally they are building at least one new and very large hospital (source) as a direct result of this outbreak. I mean they certainly are doing an awful lot more than they would do for the flu - aren't they!

It's not only the actions of the Chinese that are of concern in this brewing epidemic. The U.S. has also initiated drastic actions and plans to evacuate all U.S. citizens from the stricken area. More here. This just adds to my suspicions that the current outbreak is more serious than they are letting us know directly. As for them bringing back folks who are potentially infected with a deadly bio-agent - just try to remember it is the government that's doing it and yes the government is that screwed up that it would put the rest of the nation at risk to do the politically correct thing like evacuate citizens in the face of an epidemic and thus potentially cause a pandemic.


The outbreak has spread to 29 of 31 provinces (source) in China and to many other countries as well. One thing which is a possible bright ray of sunshine is that the virus is supposedly not as deadly as the flu or SARS. That may be all well and good if the Chinese are reporting accurately; however, the drastic actions they are undertaking seem to quite possibly indicate otherwise. If this is a bio-weapon - imagine if you will - initial infections seeming to be of flu like severity or less, then at a later date those who were infected become ill again with deadly result. Yeah, I know, its just imagination on my part right now but why is China taking the extreme measure they have been taking to try to control the outbreak if indeed the virus is as "mild" as claimed.

I think I need to stock up on medical supplies - alcohol being number one on the list. By the way, if you are lacking medical supplies, you may want to get them now, shortages of respiratory type face-masks have already been reported (source) in some parts of the country. Stay healthy my friends.

Edited To Add: Well, not 10 minutes at most after I hit enter to post the above, I was made aware of this article. If what it says in this is true and correct - we are in big trouble. They are now claiming an 83% infection rate and a now 15% death rate due to this virus. This actually could be TEOTWAWKI! Be prepared as best you can.

All the best,
Glenn B

Monday, January 27, 2020

So Now We Know Why The Dems Waited...

...they waited for Bolton's book. Since he and Trump got along like old enemies, I can only imagine he will try to screw Trump however he can since Trump is why Bolton is no longer in the limelight of public service.

All the best,
GB

Evidence Of Bigfoot Here In Texas?


Well, that's a pretty big foot in the ph0to, size 13 EE, but the track in the slimy red clay of Texas is definitely not evidence of Bigfoot and my foot in in the picture just for scale. As for that track, it's merely evidence that I need to be more careful when walking my mongrel Skye. Damn, I almost lost my footing and took a header when I slipped in that red Texas clay. The ground around it, within a few feet, is hard sun baked clay that even when a little wet is hard as stone. Had I fallen I might not have been able to get up!

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Oh Well...

 

 ...there went my favorite set of shooter's muffs and a few targets and such. I suppose it could have been worse; I could have left my wallet out for her to destroy.

All the best,
GB

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Politics - Who Needs Em


All the best, 
Glenn B

Hump Day or...


By the way, that was one of the best, if not THE BEST, show ever on television!

A hat tip to Artie P for the gif.

All the best,
Glenn B

Monday, January 20, 2020

The Zombie Killer Mosin Nagant - Moving Along Nicely

This is what the Zombie Killer's stock looks like now after having been stripped naked.

This is what the Zombie Killer looked like before stripping it.


I've kept at it over the weekend and today and so far all the metal parts except the butt plate have been stripped of that horrendous pink paint. I've also stripped the wood; in fact the wood is just about ready for a coat of finish. I am guessing that I am going to use a pretty dark color in keeping with the original look of the rifle - more or less. I'm thinking of getting a MinWax or similar brand of finish that has both the finish color and the poly-urethane (or whatever) already mixed into it. Then again, I may just use a finish coat for color and then some tung oil or maybe even spar varnish atop that. If I really feel energetic, I may also re-blue a few parts that need it with a cold bluing. Then again, covering them with the finish and a top coat may look more authentic.

I thought I had some finish on hand but can't find it in my apartment. Chances are I either threw it out before leaving NY or left it at my son's place in AR. No big deal, a trip to Homer's Depot is in order for later today.

Edited To Add: Well, I was at Home Depot and picked up some stain. Had to use Varathane brand - no MinWax here at Homer's. Anyway, using a nice red walnut on the Zombie Killer stock. I also stopped by Academy Sports and picked up some Birchwood Casey Perma-Blue bluing.

So, what metal was almost white now is blued (surprisingly it looks good too) the wood is stained and all that remains is putting a top coat on it. I would have sworn I had some tung oil that I brought down here from NY but I'll be damned if I can find it. Maybe it's at my son's place in AR. Anyway, I guess it is going to mean a trip to Lowes (they have MinWax brand and it appears my favorite brand Formby's has been bought out by MinWax) to get some more because I am not driving to his place just to get that and regardless of going to his place to get it (if it is there) or not going - as I recall that stuff was high gloss. Probably better not to use a high gloss on a Mosin Nagant - either a low gloss (in stock at Lowes) or satin finish would be more like the original or so I think. I'll have to mull over which to use and of course whichever I choose, it will have to be available near me. 

All the best,
Glenn B

Water Expired? Heck We Drink The Same Water As Did The Dinosaurs...

...or so I have heard it said by a noted paleontologist on a show about dinosaurs some years back. Yet, one the the four (so far) government officials in Puerto Rico, Carlos Acevedo the director of Puerto Rico’s Office of Emergency Management, who was just fired because a warehouse full of emergency supplies was discovered unused after sitting there for two years, reportedly said in part that he did not dispose of the supplies because they had expired! Imagine - water expiring. More at the source.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that the governor of Puerto Rico and many others in government (mostly liberals/democrats) accused President Trump of not supplying PR with supplies fast enough nor in good enough amounts to aid Puerto Rico after a Hurricane Maria, a natural disaster that devastated Puerto Rico couple of years ago! I also seem to recall the governor, back at that time, bad mouthing Trump while standing in the middle of a number of the supplies that the president had sent. Now these suddenly have appeared after yet another natural disaster!

Do you think maybe, just maybe, these were hidden away by his political opponents back then just to try to bolster their claims that he had not sent enough quickly enough! No - probably not - that couldn't be it - could it! My guess would be even demoncrats are not that dumb; I figure they probably were going to sell the stuff on the black market once they thought it was safe and were just biden biding their time. I have to give their seemingly inherent dishonesty at least that much credit.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Zombie Killer Mosin Nagant Just Goes To Show...

...that I am indeed THE Great Procrastinator. It was back on January 29, 2017 that I bought a can of spray on paint remover to change it from what's pictured below to its more or less original finish.

I tried selling this recently at a gun show - no takers. One dealer told me he'd buy it if he could be certain that the stock was not cracked. He said he thought that maybe that's why I had painted it. I explained I had painted it as a goof for a blogger shoot zombie bayonet charge and while he got a good laugh out of that I did not get a penny.

I will admit, I started the job back then, but that spray can version of the paint stripper was not very effective so I shelved the project - that is until yesterday. Somewhere there inside the almost two years (only 13 days shy as of yesterday) that have passed since then, I bought a can of liquid paint stripper to try again. Then, instead of starting over, I put it on the shelf only to (at most) think of starting the job again in all that time. 

Well, for some reason, a gotta get it started again bug crawled up mine arse and I actually pulled all the things I needed off the shelves and started the job yesterday. I have had to apply the stripper three times, so far, to get the paint off of the steel. I figure 99% of it or so is off every metal piece, except one, that had been painted pink (it was supposed to be a crimson red but I guess the guy who made up the paint chart was color blind). The one piece that is still pink is the forward barrel band since it is still on the barrel. I cannot figure how to get it off without removing the front sight and have no clue how to do that - so I'll probably leave it on the barrel and strip the paint off of it there.

As for the wood, that is probably going to be another story. That drab olive green paint is stubborn. That is the paint on which the spray-on stripper was pretty ineffective. I am pretty sure though, if I keep brushing gobs of the liquid paint remover on it and then wipe it off using a medium coarse steel wool, maybe even wire brushing it a bit with a brass brush, I will be able to get the paint off eventually. Of course, the varnish or whatever they used as a top coat will come off with it but that is of little concern. My guess is after I apply a new top coat the stock and hand guard are going to be very nice looking pieces of wood.

Now if only I keep at it until the job is done, it may be stripped, if not completely refinished, by Sunday. If not, then who knows, maybe I'll get back to it in another two years.

All the best,
Glenn B

Thursday, January 16, 2020

A Little Cleaning Required For...

...the two new Zastava M70 pistols, in 32 ACP, that I received today from RGuns via my local dealer/FFL. I just sold off some of my other guns, a shotgun & a couple of rifles and while i certainly did not have a glut of cash to spend on more guns, like these, there was enough to convince me I had to take advantage of the deal RGuns has on them. They were $225 ea. plus $15.00 shipping (for both). Add on my FFL fee of $25.00 ea. and I spent a total of $515.00 for both of them. Considering that they each came with two magazines, a holster and a cleaning brush - it was a good deal. It will have been an excellent deal if they are actually in new condition. As far as I can see, through the downright sticky gloominess of the Cosomolne that envelopes them, they are as RGuns claimed - new old stock or as they I think describes them better - New Old MilSurp. Whatever, they do look new and that was a darned good deal on pistols for which so far I have seen only good reviews. Now, of course, that sticky mess that is covering them could be hiding blemishes, only time and a good cleaning will tell.  As to how well they operate - only time, a cleaning and a trip to the range will tell.


That may take me several days at least or maybe until the weekend after this coming one since I am already in the process of stripping the paint off of a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that I painted as a goof for a Zombie bayonet charge at a blogger shoot several years ago. Started that this evening in earnest and must say so far the paint is coming off of the metal nicely (some metal parts were painted a deep pink. It was supposed to be red but paint container was mislabeled or the guy who mixed the paints was colorblind (or both). Anyway, I figure I'll hold off on the M70s until I at least get the metal done on the 91/30.

More on these once I get them cleaned up and to the range.

February 9, 2020, Edited to Add:

By the way, when I purchased these they were advertised as being:

"UN ISSUED NEW OLD STOCK"

These pistols are not new as far as I can tell. The fact is, to me, they appear to have been lightly used. I am in no way saying the dealer used false advertising when selling these, they were probably told they were new and maybe some in their stock were new but evidently at least not the two I received. Here is why I think so: On each of the two I bought, there is evidence of wear on the slide rails of the frame and on the inside of the slide. There also was fouling in the bore and chamber and fouling in each magazine (even though each pistol and both mags with each gun had Cosmoline (or the equivalent, on them). While the fouling could have been solely from an initial test fire, the fact of the finish wear on the slide rails and such probably indicates otherwise. Though, I suppose that could have also come from test firing but, while it is not bad, it seems a bit much to be from test firing. Each also has small scratches and or dings in the exterior finish of the slide and frame finish. 

If I was gong to associate the word 'new' with them, it would be to say 'almost as good as new'; that of course being in my estimation. All things considered though, both were in what I am guessing is 95-98% cosmetic condition and nonetheless they were an excellent deal for the price.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

I Kind Of Think They Will Not Repeat Themselves In 2020...



...that is maybe all except for Ann Colter and the reporter near the end giving the election results.


All the best, 
Glenn B

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Friday, January 10, 2020

I May Never Call 911 Again

I was out walking my dog tonight, in an open field adjourning my apartment complex (the field belongs to the complex owners). As the mongrel and I were headed back toward the apartments, I heard what I thought was a gunshot, almost assuredly from a 22 caliber handgun or so I had thought. Then I thought, 'eh, maybe it was a firecracker', then almost as soon as that thought went through my mind there were 5 to 6 rapid fire return shots of what I am guessing was a 9mm or similar sized caliber. They all came from the same direction, the apartment complex on the end adjourning the field.

I called 911. I told them where the emergency was - the operator did not ask - she just said 911 operator or something like that. I told her "shots fired" and gave her the location. I then explained that I definitely had heard gunshots at the apartment complex. I also told her I had been walking my dog when I heard them, I said I was sure they were gun shots and I was sure because I was a retired federal law enforcement officer with 32 years on the job and because I had been a federal firearms instructor for 16 years. She sent the cavalry.

I walked back to my apartment on the other end of the complex. As I approached I saw a flashlight going over the front of my apartment. Then I saw the police SUV across from it and saw the office exiting his vehicle. I said, I think you may be looking for me, I made the 911 call. He politely asked me what was up and I explained who I was and what I had heard; I also let him know I was armed. I also told him that on the way back to my apartment, I had met two other tenants who were outside their apartment who asked me if I also had heard the shots and that they both indicated the shots came from where I thought they had come from inside the apartment complex. I told the officer I would show him where I thought the shots came from. I walked back that way and he followed in his SUV and another responding officer also followed.

When we got to the corner where the other two residents had been, more shots were fired. They did not sound at all the same and came from an area definitely outside of the complex and from a different direction than the shots we had heard. I have often heard shots from that area before, they are pretty commonplace but the shots I called in to 911 were most assuredly not from that area but were from my apartment complex. 


The officers just took off that way. A few minutes later they came back. A different officer drove up to me and said to me essentially that 'The shots were from such and such a place, not in our jurisdiction.' I politely replied that those were not the same type of shots, that the ones we heard came from within the complex. He immediately snapped at me in an angry and nasty loud mouthed tone that 'Don't tell me, I just heard them'. I replied, 'You did not hear the shots we heard, they came from...' at which point a female resident of the complex a few feet behind me said something to the effect, in agreement with me, that the initial shots came from the apartment complex over there (pointing in a different direction than the shots heard by the officers). I tried to continue to say that the initial shots had not come from the direction in which the officers heard the other shots and the cop flipped out screaming at me something very much like 'Hey buddy shut up, I cannot hear two of you talking at once and I am talking to someone else' yet; he had started talking to me not to her and she had been the one to interrupt.

Regardless, the cop was an out wrong. The shots he and the other officer heard after they responded, in fact that me and the other two residents also heard SUBSEQUENT TO THE INITIAL SHOTS, were shots that are made on a regular basis from some guy(S) who shoot(s) outside of the village limits. There is no way that the shots I heard and called in to 911 came from even that general direction nor were they that far off. The shots the officers heard after they arrived were coincidental to the shots we heard at the complex but the officer knew better and I wonder on exactly what did he base that. My guess is that he based it on the fact I disagreed with him and he was a cop and me just an old bearded man with a mutt and he could not fathom how it could be otherwise than him, the cop, being right.

Well, after being nastily reprimanded, I said "Okay officer" turned away and walked back to my apartment. He did not say a thing (maybe you can imagine an officer worth his pay letting a witness who called 911 just walk away like that without checking more facts - I cannot). On my way back to my apartment, two additional residents of the complex stopped me and asked me if I had heard gunshots, both pointing to the area where I thought the original shots originated. That was at a 45 degree angle or more, at that point, from where the shots the officers had heard had come from. But the officer had known better.

I went back outside about 5 minutes after I put my dog away. There were no officers around any longer. It seems they were convinced that the shots were not from the apartment complex or at least the one officer convinced the other would be my guess. As it turns out, unless my life is in imminent danger - I see almost no reason to ever call 911 again - at least not here where I live.


All the best,
Glenn B

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys...

...not in as much that a Mississippi homeowner shot and killed a home invader on Tuesday past but that it has been decided that no charges will be brought against him. More at the source. My bet is that in my old home state of NY, every firearm I owned and all 50K+- rounds of ammo I had while still living there would have been seized by law enforcement, my pistol license suspended and me arrested and probably charged with some bullshit offense had I shot and wounded, let alone had I killed, some low life dirt bag piece of shit home invader in my own home. Even if completely exonerated though, of any wrong doing at all, my bet is it would take years for me to recover my guns & ammo.

It's nice to see the good guys treated like just that - Good Guys in free America. As for NY's abominable rights destroying laws and the tyrant who loves them: FUAC.

All the best,
Glenn B

Friday, January 3, 2020

Trump Has Got Balls Of Steel & So Far Has Been Right...

...in his decisions on both the national and international levels for the greater part of the most part. It remains to be seen though if he was right in that he ordered the assassination of  Gen. Qassim Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) elite Quds Force. That it was indeed a ballsy move; well, of that there is no doubt. Let's hope it was the right one. I say so not only because of the possible outcome(s) that attack could produce, such as war with Iran or increased terrorists attacks against U.S. forces and interests and allies but because he did it in an election year. If the outcome is not favorable, very much so, it could cost him the election. I would think it will cost him the election if things go badly for us in the way of retaliatory strikes and Iran has promised a harsh retaliation (more here). Now don't get what I just said wrong; I am not saying that I believe things will go wrong but I do think that President Trump is walking on the razor's edge. If he slips though, he does have those balls of steel to dull that edge and stop his fall.

I see very few options for President Trump and the U.S. if Iran decides and actually attempts to openly retaliate or even do so covertly. In reality, there may be only one option, and that is going to be a massive strike against the Iranian government. That would probably be in the form of air, drone and cruise missile strikes, maybe even a nuclear strike depending on how far Iran tries to push it; although using nuclear weapons may seem far fetched - as I said - it depends on Iran's response. Of course, a precisely dropped MOAB or three might do the trick without the need to go to a nuclear option.

Whatever President Trump does, should the Iranians attempt severe retaliation, it is going to have to be lightning swift (maybe preemptive), extremely decisive and very if not totally successful. My guess is that the president is fully aware of this and that he already has a plan laid out. I wish him and the U.S. a lot of luck with this one because it could go either way, it could also possibly ignite WWIII. Trump is no fool though and my bet is that he did not act rashly and has a plan, a well considered and laid out one, ready to go. May the force be with us and may we kick Iran's arse.

All the best,
Glenn B

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Colin Noir Gets Bloomberg Perfectly

 

Colin Noir gets it right again, I need to subscribe to his channel. What he calls Bloomberg at 3:03 hits the nail on the head, the only way to have maybe said it better would have been for him to add POS to the end of what he called him. 

All the best,
Glenn B 



The Twilight Zone - Have You Ever Seen What Was Meant To Be...

...the pilot of the Twilight Zone series? The 60 year anniversary of the Twilight Zone was marked by many as October 2, 2019 - 60 years to the day after the release of the first episode of the series: "Where Is Everybody". Yet, there was essentially another episode that preceded that one. That episode, as I call it, was the one Serling had hoped would be the pilot to the series. "The Time Element" should be a classic but it has been rarely seen by Twilight Zone fans. 

Do you like the Twilight Zone, do you appreciate the acting of William Bendix (The Life of Riley protagonist), of Martin Balsam (of The Naked City, Dr. Kildare and Archie Bunker's Place), of Jesse White (you may know him as the original lonely Maytag repairman), of Joe DeRita (of The Three Stooges fame in their end years) - if so, watch this episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse that aired on November 24, 1958 almost one year prior to the first episode of the actual Twilight Zone series.



All the best,
Glenn B

A NewYear - Nothing Has Much Changed Since Yesterday Except...

...we are all a day older if we survived the night.

Me I'll still be trying to diet with my weekly binges like me eating way too many carbs and a lot of sugar last night with a few beers - oh well my New year resolution is to enjoy myself!

Along the lines of enjoying myself, I've been selling some guns. How can that be enjoyable? Well, I need the money to pay off some other guns I bought recently and to maybe help pay off the gifts I bought for Christmas. Once I get at least halfway to the break even point, I'll enjoy buyiong more guns. It's my way to keep my hobby going. 

As a matter of fact, speaking of going - I'll be going to a gun show in Mesquite Texas this weekend. I plan to meet someone there who is buying a black powder revolver from me (the one seen in the header of this blog). I'll also haul along a rifle or three to try to sell at the show and maybe a pistol or two as well. I wonder if Home Depot is open today, I need some dowels, to fit the rifle barrels, onto which I can put a for sale sign for each long gun. Sling the rifles with dowels down each bore and a sign on each dowel, over my shoulder and I am a walking advertisement for two rifles at a time. 

Also sold a couple of guns on GunBroker.com recently with another one, a Mauser Chileno 1895, selling right now. Probably going to lose a little on this one, since I pad too much for it, but I need the cash. Then again, who knows, another several bids and I'll break even.

It's a new year but life goes on much the same as in the old one. 

All the best,
Glenn B


Happy New Year To All

I hope your past year was a good one and that your new year will be at least as good if not better.

Of course, if you are a demoncrat who supports the impeachment and maybe even the execution of president Trump - you screw yourself and then have a nice year.

All the best,
Glenn B