This Video Makes Me Want To Pick Up A Browning

 If you are interested in firearms history, you likely know that there probably is not a more eminent figure when it comes to firearms patents and models than John Moses Browning. If you'd like to know some of his history, watch this video. It is just under an hour long but I think definitely well worth your time: 

 

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Range Day Today With It's Ups & Downs

By Tuesday or Wednesday of this week it was turning out to be just another week pretty much full of drudgery & boredom for me here in the Texarkana area. Had it not been for me going to Sam's Club (once my membership expires they probably can kiss my arse goodbye), running a few other errands and going in to see a doc, I would have been pretty much apartment bound all week watching Star Trek Enterprise on Netflix.

Then, when Brendan got in touch with me to tell me he was going to buy a Remington Model 700, in 308 WIN, for hunting this year, I told him if he wanted it he cold have my still new in the box Savage 111 Long Range Hunter. He hemmed and hawed only a little and said that might not be too shabby.

So, I started to get things in order for a trip to see him over in Benton, AR and to bring along the Savage 111 LRH. I also started a thread on Texas Gun Talk, a local to TX gun forum, to see what others thought about the Savage 111 LRH in 300 Winchester Magnum. Some thought it a good idea, others thought it too much gun. With the thought of it maybe being too much gun, I decided to bring along a few others in 3 additional calibers: 30-30 WIN, 308 WIN, and 35 REM. I spent a good deal of Thursday night and Friday morning into the afternoon cleaning guns, mounting a scope, getting ammo ready and so on and that was much better than being bored to tears in Texarkana (not that it is necessarily a boring town, just I have not gotten to really know anyone or the town itself yet).

On Friday afternoon I headed over to his place in Benton, got there late around 645PM or so. I had planned to leave earlier to make it to him by 4 or 5 at the latest but had to make a run to the post office before it closed. On my way there I remembered that I had some Jarlsberg and Cheddar cheeses in my fridge for him and of course, in my frenzied rush to get to the post office before closing, and then to finally shove off to his place, with getting all my guns and ammo together (well almost all of my ammo as you will see), I had left them behind. Back to my apartment to get the cheeses and out the door by 445 or a bit later. Once I got to Benton, we went out to get some burgers at red Robin. They have surprisingly greasy and very tasty burgers - both things to my liking. They also have some very strong mixed drinks of which I only had one. They also have a very cute and oerky waitress that Brendan seems to like - who knows. After the eats, back to his place and more drinking was to be done of Laird's Applejack, Some Knappogue Castle 16 year old single malt Irish whiskey, some 12 year old  Redbreast Irish whiskey, a shot of some liquor that was somewhat like Yeagermeister, and a few Bitburger Pilsners. We woke up late on Saturday morning, had some strong coffee, ate a bit of breakfast, I went to Home Depot to get some packing boxes out of which to make targets and we finally got off to a pretty late start. What the heck though - we went to the range to have some shooty goodness kind of fun.

We drove about 63 miles of so from his place to Pigeon Roost Range i he in his car and me in mine. I sat in his parking lot for 10 minutes waiting for him to come down to his car only to find out he had been right behind me as I went to my car and he had already left. Damn. I wound up turning off the highway, onto the dirt road to the range, maybe a couple of hundred feet behind him. Either he drove pretty slowly or I drove too fast but I am not telling. 

It was nice and sunny ad not too hot when we got there. not humid either. The best thing was that we had the range to ourselves. We got to business setting up targets, sorting ammo and getting otherwise ready to shoot.  I handed him the Savage 111 LRH and he liked the heft of it. Then I showed him the ammo next to a 308 WIN round and a 30-06 round. Both he and I were impressed - the 300 WIN MAG is huge compared even to a 30-06 round. I think maybe he was a little hesitant to take the first shot but he did and he then loaded up another and fired again, he liked it. In fact, he liked the Savage LRH in 300 WIN MAG very much. He only took a few shots with it, because there are no sights and no glass on it, just to check out the recoil. I did not bother mounting a scope to it because Savage said they are sending a replacement stock due to a problem of the bolt hitting the cheek-piece when trying to remove the bolt and necessitating removal of the adjustable cheek piece to get the bolt out. When I get that, I will probably pick up a Vortex crossfire scope for it or maybe something a little better from the same company.

He also tried out the Savage Axis XP. We fired several rounds through it and planned to fire a lot more since I had an abundance of 308 BUT then the glass went kerflooey. One of the internal pieces of glass near the eyepiece turned around sideways. So much for cheap scopes that come packaged on a rifle. Of course, bouncing around in a van moving from NY to AR and then in another moving it from AR to TX could have had something to do with it. A new scope needed, probably also Vortex something or other this next time around. Anyway, he liked the recoil of the 308 as well as that of the 300 WIN MAG. I think he was impressed that the much larger round had about the same kick as did the 308.

On Thursday evening, while getting ready for the trip, I had mounted a cheap BSA scope on my Remington 141, slide action rifle in 35 REM. It was set to be parallax free at 100 yards - not something I usually go for in a scope, I prefer one parralax free at 25 yards or less with an adjustable adjustable objective lens. I picked up that scope somewhere I cannot recall - maybe in a combined lot of items at one of the Hessney auctions I attended and had it on hand so made use of it. Luckily, I had the 141 sighted in at the range, at 25 yards, after only 6 shots after merely having slapped on the scope and having tightened the screws. He liked that rifle too; although, the scope was pure junk. I told him if he wanted it, he could get a better piece of glass for it and he could have the 141 since he needs a hunting rifle for this season. He was undecided. We wound up only firing only 12 rounds total through the Remington 141 and I had wanted both him and me to shoot more rounds out of it but we only had one box of 35 REM being I had mistakenly grabbed an extra box of 308 in my hurry to get going to head his way Friday afternoon and I left the second box of 35 REM on a table in my living room (remember I said I had taken almost all of my ammo). We used the other eight rounds in my Marlin 336.

When we shot the remaining 8 rounds of 35 REM ammo through my Marlin 336 we found it was off maybe 4 inches to the left; both for him and for me. I need to sight that one in again when I bring the right ammo. Seems it must have lost lost zero sometime during my move from NY to AR to TX. Oh well - next time I hit the range with it, I will make sure to have enough ammo to sight it in. Things were getting a bit frustrating what with a scope going bust and without enough 35 REM so I decided to steer things elsewhere because it was getting obvious Brendan wanted to head home.

It was a lot nicer of a day than the last time we got together there maybe a few weeks ago. Back then the temp was in the high 90s to maybe over 100 and it was humid as all hell and had us soaked from sweat - one of those days where if you are not wearing a cap, the sweat just keeps running into your eyes while firing. No we did not have caps. Today though, I am guessing it was around 87 at most and nowhere nearly as humid as the day of our last range trip. So, since we were not sweating buckets, he readily took me up on my offer of a box of 100 rounds of 9mm FMJ and got in some practice with his Glock 43. I too the time to shoot several rounds through my Beretta 950BS in 22 short. Disappointingly, I discovered that the Triple-K magazine I bought for it, at a gun show last week, was assembled incorrectly and that prevented it from being loaded with more than one round. There is an obvious manufacture flaw on one side that I had not noticed when taking it out of the package. I am hopeful Triple-K or the dealer will make good on it despite me having thrown out the clam-shell packaging and not getting a receipt. Time and an email or phone call will tell. Anyway, we also both fired several mags worth of ammo out of my Glock 30.

After we were done shooting the pistols, out of ammo for either of the rifles in 35 REM and unable to aim the Savage Axis in 308 because the scope went belly up, I brightened up Brendan when I told him I had the pièce de résistance yet to come - my Marlin 36 in 30-30 Winchester (and that I had three boxes of ammo for it). No glass on this old timer - just the original iron sights. We both shot it at 25 yards first. Each of us shot a bit to the left of center with group sizes I am conservatively estimating to have been at about 1.5 to 2 inches. Then I moved the target to 50 yards and we tried again. I am guesstimating the group sizes to have been about 3.5 to 4.5 inches across at most, which I am thinking equals minute of pie plate at 100 yards. It also shot a bit more to the left. I think drifting the front sight a bit to the left will help there, that is if it can be drifted. He was very impressed with that Marlin 36 not only because it was a nice shooter but because it still has a good deal of its original case color. I should mention that two rounds did not go bang, I was firing 150 grain Winchester Power Point ammo out of the second box of it and both rounds that did not fire came from that box. It looked like light hits or hard primers. None of the rounds in the other box of 150 grain ammo failed to fire nor did any from a box of 170 grain Winchester power point fail to fire. My guess is the primers but again, time (and other brands of ammo) will tell.

I would have tried the Marlin 36 at 100 yards but as we were firing it at 50 yards, two other guys showed up to shoot. There had been no one else there while we were shooting and the new arrivals helped us make the decision it was time to leave. We have been to that range before and all I can say is each time we shot there - me by myself once and me with him at least two other times - while others were using that range at the same time - we wound up seeing people loading standing well behind the firing line and wound up with guns pointing at us and on at least two of those occasions they were loaded. Going to a public range where there are no range officers can be a scary experience. Sometimes I point out safety violations to others, at other times we just pack our gear and leave the range because sometimes you can just feel that whatever you say will be taken with an attitude of who the heck are you to be telling me anything by the offending party. Today, even though the two guys who showed up looked nice and competent enough, we just did not want to take a chance and we called it a day. For all we knew, they (my guess is a father and son) could have been the safest shooters around besides us but we had shot enough and decided to head to Bubba Brews on route 70 near Bonnerdale for some eats.

We had a couple of appetizers and  a a couple of drinks and called it a day. I truly sucks eggs having to go our separate ways and to have to wait as Roy Rogers used to say "Until we meet again" but that's the way it is, at least for now. I am hoping we can get together in a couple oif weeks either for shooting or maybe for some fishing. Next weekend is out, Brendan already has something planned with his buddies - so maybe I'll get a TX hunting & fishing license and head out to wet a line by myself.

By the way, after a nice day shooting, when I asked him if he wanted one of the rifles for hunting season this year, he told me he might use his shotgun but really liked the Savage 111 LRH. If he wants it, he can have it but he will have to buy the glass for it. Same as for any of them that need a scope, I figure giving him a rifle is generous enough. If he does not want any of them, all the better for me.  
All the best,
Glenn B

PS: I will proof read this later. Sorry no pics today.

Selling A Voere Semi-Auto At GunBroker.com (not selling it here on Blogger)

I have decided to sell my Voere semi-auto rifle in 22LR. It was made in Germany and imported by KDF of Seguin, TX back in the 1980s. It fires from an open bolt and evidently some people find that to be an extremely alluring feature of this rifle along with the fact that further importation of them was banned by ATF in the early or mid 1980s (but existing ones in this country were not outlawed). Many if not most of these rifles were reportedly converted to fire in full auto mode but one has to wonder why since the only magazines available for them held only 10 rounds. Mine was never converted and that makes it rarer and to some a more desirable one to find.

Mine in in excellent condition, I figure at least 95% to 98% of metal finish remains. The wood has been refinished but I do not think that should detract from the value as the feature that sells these guns seems to be that they fire from an open bolt. Regardless, the new finish is nicer than the original which was pretty badly marred on one side when I purchased it. In addition, I am selling it with two magazines. Extra magazines are fairly hard to come by and relatively very expensive compared to other mags for rifles in 22LR; that is when you find one.

Everything works as it should and I have test fired it to make sure of that. Had I not fired test fired it, my guess would be that it was unfired before then except maybe for test firing at the factory. That is how little wear is apparent on the gun and on the one magazine that came with it. The other mag was purchased separately.

What drove me to put this up for auction on GunBroker was that I am tapped for cash after unexpected veterinary bills over the past month or so. I would like to recoup as much as I can to replenish my savings account. I have other guns to sell and have one or two up for sale right now but there was one other thing that convinced me to try to sell this one. Someone else just sold one on GunBroker, one in nowhere as nearly good a condition as mine from what I could tell, for $899.00. It was essentially the same exact model except its stock was checkered. Then again that one's stock also had pretty bad finish damage and its metal looked not nearly as nice as that on mine and it only came with a single magazine. You can see it here until GunBroker pulls the ad for it. I am hopeful I am not a day late and many dollars short due to poor timing. Maybe I should have listed mine last month.

I am being optimistic and I figure, since there was one person out there who would pay that much, maybe there is another who would be willing to start the bidding at about $50 less for essentially the same exact rifle but one that has a better metal and wood finish and the added enticement of an extra magazine. Maybe it will achieve my starting bid and maybe not but if it does - then maybe the bidding might go up from there because of the condition of the gun and the extra mag. Time will tell.

If you want to see the one I have up for bids, you can view it at GunBroker.com, item 785816457. Please note, it is not being offered for sale anywhere other than via GunBroker.com, in other words this Blogpost post absolutely is not an offer to sell it and is merely for informational purposes only.

All the best,
Glenn B

Paid A Visit To Volko Supply, My Local FFL, On Thursday...

...and picked up my new rifle. New to me that is, as it is a used Mossberg Model 44 U.S.(a). A bit to my dismay, I did not look over the rifle very well while at Volko Supply Co. Inc., otherwise I would have noticed that "(a)" letter designator. What can I say, I had other things on my mind at the time and was in a hurry because I would return to the same area to visit my vet, to have one of our dogs put down, shortly after my rush visit to the FFL. As a side note, the folks at Volko were pleasant and efficient once again; Victor handled the transfer for me. his is a great place if you need to do an FFL transfer for a long gun.

So, the rifle is somewhat of a slight disappointment since it has a letter designation as part of the model number. I got this rifle by way of telephone bidding in an auction. That the rifle apparently was misrepresented as the auction catalog is evidenced by the fact it listed was a model 44 U.S. and not as a 44 U.S.(a). They also had a 44 U.S.(b) up for bids and clearly listed the (b) designator I that rifle's description. So, the one I got with the (a) in the model number is a bit of a downer because it is less valuable than the one on which I thought I was bidding without a letter designator (as per The Blue Book of Gun Values).

Click it to big it.

I got it at a decent price though and am not that all that concerned. I figure it must have been an honest mistake by the auction house as I know them to be reputable. The thing is, I passed up bidding on another Mossberg 44 U.S. in the same auction because it had a letter designator, tat was the 44 U.S. (b). I had wanted the earlier version without the letter designation. Oh well, while I could raise a big stink and demand my money be returned to me and return the rifle to them, I will settle for this one this time.

It seemingly is in good condition, looking at its outsides, and has few if any problems that I can see. There is one thing that is sure to devalue it, someone evidently tried to, or actually did, drill and tap it for a scope mount, then later filled in the four holes with some sort of compound. Looks almost like plastic filler to me. I don't know if it was done right or was a botch job and then filled in but that will need some investigating on my part. The holes should not interfere with the rifle's functionality but may devalue it more than the letter designation. Otherwise it appears to be in at least Fine to Excellent condition based on NRA standards.

I will be taking it down as best I can for a good cleaning and lube, then will take it to the range to see how it shoots. If it matches the other Mossberg 44 U.S. that I have already, I will be quite the happy shootist. If it does not match he other, at least I have a spare parts gun. More about this rifle in a future post.

All the best,
Glenn B

Glorious Range Day Today

It truly was a glorious day so far today here on Long island - at least for me. The weather was great, in the low 60s when I left the house this morning around 0900 (actually left by my planned time for a change) to head to the range for some shooting. Brendan was at my side as we drove the 48 miles or so to the range. (I had thought it was 60 miles but stand corrected since I checked the odometer today.) The drive was nice, almost no traffic once we were about 1/2 way there. No idiots encountered on the road was also a plus (and let me tell you I seem to have a penchant for attracting them if they are around). The guys who checked us in at the range shop were nice. I was a bit dismayed to see that the $18 bucks we pay is only for 3 hours of shooting (longer if they are not busy and don't need the bench for someone else). It used to be that much for 4 hours. (I stand corrected again I had been certain it used to be for the whole day of shooting but the guy at the counter set me right on that.)

After we shot for about an hour or so, we met up with a friend of mine, Dennis M, who retied from my job a year or two back and that made things even better. He was the guy who asked me about the Kel-Tec SU16 that I recently wrote up on the blog. He bought a used Mini 14 (stainless) with a telescopic sight and was breaking it in for his first shoot with it. We did not get much time to talk since he probably stayed only about an hour or so, but we will meet again for another shoot in the not too distant future if all goes as planned.

There were no Range Nazis yelling at us today. In fact, the guys who were firearms officers at the range were really very nice as they usually are with one guy who is an exception and can be an ass. Yet, as I said he was not there today, or at least not bothering me if he was there. Most of the shooters today were also on the ball when it came to range safety. That included a couple of guys who came with a Boy Scout Troop and their troop leader for some shooting. They were shooting for the 1st time from what I could tell - the scouts that is and were doing okay even if they could only shoot at 50 yards. (By my estimation that is a horrendous distance at which to teach a newbie to shoot, but it is all that was available.) Surprisingly they were doing okay. I suppose the glass optics they were using helped there.

As far as shooting went Brendan and I did okay and we had a blast shooting away with 6 rifles and a shotgun that we brought along. Brendan had nothing to brag about but at 50 yards he was sighted in well enough with the scoped Marlin 336 (in .35 Remington) to hit a deer in the kill zone easily at that distance. I wanted to try the 100 yard line this time round but the range was so crowded we decided not to move from the 50 to the 100. Maybe next time. With the Remington 870, he seemed to be off his best a bit. He was hitting the target at that distance but was high and so was I. A bit of tinkering with the 870's stock open rifle sights got me zeroed in right on the money but he was still shooting a bit high. Oh well, when we hunt, if it is rifle country, I will probably use the slug gun myself and let him use the Marlin. As for me and the Marlin, we were a good combination. I was off at first and the fault was all mine. When I concentrated a bit I got 5 shots too look like a compacted clover leaf. In fact three shots basically made one hole. I was loading with three at a time, then loaded two remaining shells I had left over. I impressed myself good enough for me to have patted myself on the back.

We also had fun shooting the Russian Mosin Nagant 91/30 and the Hungarian Mosin Nagant M44. Neither is a tack driver, especially not the M44 but we would have hit a deer at that distance. Some shots would have been backbone breakers and others belly busters but all were pretty much centered. We both also shot Brendan's AK. That is a spray and pray type of gun if ever there was one. It does not seem any too accurate but we did hit paper at 50 yards and would have put one heck of a hurting on people sized targets had we been defending ourselves.

Finally there was the Ruger 10/22 All-Weather that I bought Brendan a few years back. It has a red dot sight on it and I shot okay with it using fairly crappy ammo at 50 yards. Brendan shot okay with it too. I shot maybe a large orange sized group for 20 rounds the first time around. It was shooting low so I adjusted the sight to get the right elevation but it still needed some windage work. We left that for next time. I have to point out, it was a relief for both of us to shoot something with almost no recoil at all but after about 3 1/2 hours Brendan had had enough; in fact so had I. My back, right shoulder and neck are all telling me now that maybe I should not have shot the 870 to day or stayed as long at the range with those larger caliber rifles; maybe a lot more of the 10/22 was in order for me. Oh well. Funny though, the tingling I had in my left arm up through my shoulder has gone away. That has been bothering me each time I have used the PC lately and when driving, but is gone now! At least one part of my middle aged anatomy must have gotten jarred back into place.

The ride home was uneventful - which translates to great. We made a stop at a live fowl seller and I picked up a couple of Guinea Hens for tomorrow's dinner. I am cooking - that should be an adventure of its own. We made a couple more stops so Brendan could pick up some stuff for a birthday party he was to attend and then we headed home. I suppose that tonight I'll have to start cleaning the guns all over again. Seems like I just cleaned about 4 of them as recently as this morning! Shoot em, clean em right after you shoot em, then make sure test fire em as soon as you can, and then you have to clean em all over again and test fire em again and on and on and on. It is a vicious cycle I can attest to that, but I love it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Biweekly Gun Shots 21 - Kel-Tec SU16

A friend recently contacted me to ask what I knew about a Kel-Tec rifle he was thinking of purchasing. Well, the first thought that went through my head was something like: Danger - Danger Will Robinson - Danger. I mean most of what I had heard about Kel-Tec, up until that point, was that their guns were to be avoided at all costs because they were out and out junk. I decided though to look up the Kel-Tec SU16 (the rifle in which my friend had an interest) and I was, at least, impressed if not so much with the look of this rifle as with its features. I also decided to do some additional checking - after all - it had been awhile since I had heard or read anything about them. What I discovered, is that apparently an awful lot of people think their products are great while many seemingly still think they offer low quality - it is sort of a toss up in that regard but that was what I saw on gun forums. I did see some pretty satisfied customers, who own SU16s of one variation or another, at one gun forum. What I also saw on the sites of those who have tested this gun was a different story. They all seemed impressed in a good way - no dissention there. So, while I can not relate to you any personal experience with this rifle, I can tell you something about it based on what I have gleaned by way of the Internet at the Kel-Tec site and from the online test results.

A trip to the Kel-Tec site showed that the SU16 is offered in a variety of models. There are five of them in all by my count. The lineup starts off with the SU16A, and is followed up by the: SU16B, SU16C, SU16CA and SU16D. The main differences between these models seems to be barrel length, type and location of front sight, and type of stock.

The SU16A rifle is a gas operated, semi-automatic, chambered for .223 caliber (5.56 mm NATO) . Some of the features of this rifle are: Black Polymer stock, integrated Picatinny rail, chrome lined bore and chamber, the fore-stock can fold down to form a bipod, the buttstock can hold two spare magazines, and the butt stock/trigger group can be folded forward to make the gun more compact for carry (non-firing in this mode), it is compatible with Ar15/M16 magazines. The barrel length is 18.5 inches. There is no mention made, on the Kel-Tec website that I saw, about the sights being adjustable but my guess would be they are. Unloaded weight is 5.01 pounds. It comes with 10 round mags. More info here.

If you want something with a shorter barrel they offer the SU16B with a 16 inch barrel. The website specifically states that this one has adjustable front and rear sights. The front sight adjustable for elevation and the rear for windage. Unloaded weight is 4.51 pounds. More info here.

The we move onto the SU16C. Here we move away from the folding buttstock/trigger group as this one has a conventional folding stock. When the stock is folded under, the weapon is still capable of firing. It too has a 16 inch barrel and most of the features of the above two rifles with the added features of a dust cover and case deflecting operating handle. This one also moves the front sight back from just behind the muzzle to near the front of the fore-grip (integrated with the gas block). It weighs in at 4.71 pounds unloaded. More info here.

The SU16CA goes back to the folding buttstock/trigger group. It has all of the operating features of the C model but uses the stocks of the A model. More Info here.

Finally they offer the SU16D. This one is quite a it different if only because of the 9.2 inch barrel length and the 3.71 pound weight. It utilizes a conventional folding stock (fold under) allowing the gun to fire with the stock folded. This one looks like a real Zombie Killer to me but alas I will never be able to buy one with a 9.2 inch barrel here in NY. More info here.

If I was going to get myself one of these rifles I think for practicality's sake it would either be the SU16B (pictured up at the top) or the SU16CA (pictured to the left). I am not too sure I like the shorter sight radius of the SU16CA as compared to the SU16B but I could probably live with them and I like some other features of this model over the SU16B. I like certain features of these rifles such as the fore-stock being able to fold down to form a bipod and the buttstock holding two extra magazines. If the rifles are made to a standard of high quality I imagine these features would be great; however, if quality control is lacking I could imagine magazines falling out of the stock and the bipod shaking like Jello. As I said, I have not tested these rifles but I should also point out that others have done so. Here are links to three such tests: http://www.equipped.org/Kel-Tec_SU-16_Review.htm, and: http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?board=105%3Baction=display%3Bnum=1107839748, and: http://www.ammoland.com/2009/03/26/kel-tec-su-16-223-remington-ar-rifle/ . The guys who tested them seemed pretty impressed in a good way but you can read the articles and see that for yourselves. Here is a link to an online gun forum wherein the users have rated their own SU16s.

Gun Tests Magazine also rated this gun in a comparison with a Springfield Armory SOCOM. Their results can be seen here but only if you are a subscriber. I will only say they gave it a Buy It rating and that the ammonland link above will pretty much show you their report on the SU16. (Shame on me for allowing my subscription to this magazine lag a few years back. Good for me, I just subscribed to it again. A great deal for $20 per year with paper magazine subscription and online availability of their articles for current and past gun tests.)

I would think that if I was in the market for a semi-auto in .223 I would consider the Kel-Tec. Of course, if I wanted something in .223 I would also consider a Ruger Mini-14 which in my estimation is probably a somewhat better made rifle especially now that Ruger has refined it in the past few years; my friend seemingly thought so too - he bought a Mini-14. Still though the SU16 is an appealing rifle to me, and it would make a great packable rifle for a grab and go kit or for a backpack. It would likely be a good survival gun, certainly in a caliber that could handle anything from varmints up to deer and then also be used in combat.

All the best,

Glenn B

PS: They apparently have pretty good customer service at Kel-Tec, see this.

Biweekly Gun Shots 14 - Remington Model 8

I just bought another 60 rounds of this ammo > to fire in my Marlin .336 lever gun. The round is the .35 Remington. The .35 Remington was first developed in 1906 and its development coincided with three other rounds - the .25 Remington, .30 Remington and .32 Remington (all rimless cartridges). Of all these rounds, the only one that remains popular today (and in fact commercially available as far as I can determine) is the .35 Remington. Back in the day though, all 4 of these cartridges were developed due to the introduction of a single rifle.

That rifle was one for which John M. Browning obtained a patent in October 1900, then later sold the patent to Remington. In 1906, Remington began to produce the Remington Model 8, a semi-automatic, 5 shot fixed box-magazine fed, rifle. About 80,600 of them were produced, in 6 grades, from 1906 through 1936 as per Remington (ref.). It was primarily designed for sports hunters, but another type of hunter soon became interested in it and several wound up in the hands of law enforcement officers of the day.

There were at least four features that may have made this rifle particularly appealing to law enforcement officers. One was that it was a takedown rifle which was easily broken down so that the barrel could be removed from the receiver; this made for ease of concealment and portability. The second, and a probably much more important feature, was that this rifle was a semiautomatic. A third and also very important feature was that this rifle had a hold open device. Having a hold open device simply means that the bolt is held in an open position after the last round is fired. This is an invaluable feature of any firearm used as a tactical weapon because it immediately allows the shooter to realize that the weapon is empty and it allows for faster reloading because the shooter does not have to retract the bolt to reload since the bolt is already held open. In essence it facilitates and speeds up reloading while in a do or die situation. The fourth and other very important feature was the caliber offering. The .35 Remington was a large and powerful round and it often found its way into Model 8s utilized by law enforcement of the times when the Model 8 was in production. A fifth factor, though not so much a feature of the rifle, that put this rifle in a good light with law enforcement was the fact that it functioned reliably.

Frank Hamer, one of the more famous lawmen of the years during which this rifle was produced, used one chambered in .35 Remington to end the criminal careers of two of the most notorious criminals of 1930's Depression Era America. Frank Hamer was the lead law enforcement officer in charge of, and the man mainly responsible for setting up, the successful ambush of Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. The particular rifle that he used was purported to have been equipped with a 'Police Only' 15 round (or 20 round depending upon your source) magazine, and bore serial number 10045. I imagine that frank Hamer's Model 8 must have looked much like the rifle in the above photo, which I found at http://i98.photobucket.com/download-albums/l246/TonyRumore/Mdl8a.jpg. I freely used it here because the PhotoBucket site at which I found this photo freely provides ways to share and download the photo including ways to embed it in various blogs including Blogger. The photo is credited as that of Tony Rumore.

I have seen a good number of these rifles and probably more of their replacement the Model 81 Woodsmaster (produced 1936-1950) which supposedly had a number of so called improvements over the Model 8. Many of both models that I have seen have been hanging on walls in hunting lodges and peoples homes, and others - probably the majority I have seen - have been at gun shows. Most have been in a state of poor repair. There are probably quite a few of them out there though that are in very good to excellent condition and should I ever run across one of them chambered in .35 Remington and for sale at a good price (in my estimation), you can bet your bottom dollar that if I have or can get the cash - I will be buying it (and I may go into a bit of debt to get one at that like using my credit card to get funds from an ATM - something I rarely do). Now mind you when I say go into debt, that does not mean I am going to pay an unreasonable amount for one of these. I am looking for one at a good or better yet at a very good price. Like one I might find at an estate sale where some little old lady is selling off her husband's hunting rifle collection - something in the $350 to $400 range. I may just keep wishing but sometimes wishes do come true. Of course, if I cannot find one and if I find a Model 81 that is in excellent condition at a good price - well, I just may have to settle for one of those. I am planning on going to the Great Middletown Firearm and Knife Show on September 12 or 13th and one never knows - does one!

For a lot more about the Remington Model 8 (and even about the Model 81) try this spectacular website: http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/.

All the best,
Glenn B

Biweekly Gun Shots 8 - Henry Pump Action Octagon in .22LR

I have always wanted a 22 rifle in pump action, but just have never gotten around to buying one. Most of the ones have seen over the years are many years older than me, and that is pretty darned old since I am passed the half century mark by a few. Then Taurus came out with one, but I was not impressed by write-ups I read, nor by what other shooters told me about them. Now Henry Repeating Arms Company is producing one that is a reminder of a bygone era of when these rifles were often seen and shot at carnivals, or seen accompanying boys on bicycles as they headed out down the road a ways to hunt squirrels.

Just take a look at this rifle (click on the pic to enlarge). I hope Henry does not mind me using their pic to illustrate it; it is a beauty. From the deeply blued octagonal barrel to the richly finished and wonderfully grained walnut stock, I think you have to admit it is one fine looking rifle. Besides that, what with the pump action fed by a 15 round tube magazine and it being chambered in .22LR (also chambered in .22 Magnum) it must be one heck of a fun plinker, target shooter or squirrel slayer. My bet is that it would put those bushy tails in the pot but if you prefer punching holes in paper I'll bet it would do the trick. It is not an inexpensive rifle for sure, what with a SRP of $515.00 (in .22LR), but that just makes me think it is a well made one. This would be a great find under the Christmas tree next Christmas; of course, it would also be nice as a birthday present so I could get in some squirrel hunting with it this coming fall. A man can wish, can't he!

For more info about it visit the Henry site at:

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h003tm_pumpoctagon.cfm

Of course there is a thing or two that makes the Henry Pump action rifle even more special. It is made in America, and better yet it is made in Brooklyn - and for those of you who don't know -yes Brooklyn is inside of New York City. Choke on it Bloomberg!

All the best,
Glenn B

Biweekly Gun Shots 1 - The Saiga Rifles

This will be a new feature of my blog, and will probably appear biweekly (as in twice per week - not every two weeks). It will be one in which I present pics of guns I'd like to own (or of other guns of note even including clunkers now and then). That is if I ever become wealthy enough to be able to afford them (maybe once the son is out of college but by then my wife will probably want a cruise around the world, and why not). So lets get right to it.

I am going to start out simple, with a rifle that I'd like to own right now, and one for which I have been waiting arrival at my local gun store. Ever since my purchase of a Yugoslavian SKS through SAMCO fell through because they sent me a rifle in condition other than what I ordered (and I returned it for a refund), I decided to look for something else that would be somewhat similar in price range, design and function to an SKS. I came up with what I think is a fine choice although the design certainly differs somewhat but not all that much for my purposes, and the function is just as good from what I have heard. As far as price goes, well they have gone up in price since the recent election of our 44th president.

The rifle I am talking about is the SAIGA in 7.62x39 (click to enlarge the pic). It sure looks to be a handy rifle for defensive purposes, and I am willing to bet it would be a load of fun at the range. Of course that is it would be a load of fun at the range if the price of 7.62x39 ammo ever comes back down to earth (now $399.99 at CheaperThanDirt.com for a case of 1,000 rounds). Despite the price of ammo, and I suppose due to the fact that I have some on hand in the ammo locker, I suppose I still could have a good deal of fun shooting one if they ever again become available. I mean I'd like to do my share of stimulating the economy and buying one of these for starters would be my way of chipping in to the economic stimulus package. For more info on this model go to: http://www.raacfirearms.com/Saiga.htm

I am patiently awaiting the arrival of an ordered batch of these rifles at the gun store just a few blocks from my house. Now, if they don't get in one of these in 7.62x39 before they get in one in .308, well I may just be tempted to go for one in the larger caliber. Sure it will be more expensive, and so too will the ammo over the long haul, but the Saiga in .308 sure is pretty, well at least the .308 Ver. 21 is pretty, take a look. For more info go here: http://www.raacfirearms.com/Saiga_308v21.htm. They also offer a more mundane version in .308 without the thumb-hole stock.

Of course, they also offer yet another version, in both of the above mentioned calibers and .223. This one comes with the option of a more tactical looking stock, although I don't know if it is truly tacticool enough for Mall Ninjas. I do like the look of it though, and if this one became available first, I'd likely go for it. Why am I not all that choosy about the one I'd take if they had it in stock - just that - they its the if factor! The if they had it in stock! Right now I cannot find any of these anywhere. I suppose they sold out very quickly after our latest president was elected.

The decision would not be difficult to make if they just get one of em in, but if they get all of the above models in at once with all of the available calibers, well them it may take me all of 5 minutes, a few coin tosses, a quick discussion with Brendan, and a count of cash on hand for me to make up my mind.

All the best,

Glenn B

SKS Cleaning - it was a chore

I expected to get a few of my guns cleaned and lubricated today. I sat down this morning with the Yugo SKS across my lap and commenced to take it apart. After a few minutes of this and that, I realized I forgot a step and I had to resort to my video on how to field strip it. Yes it has been awhile since I cleaned it. No problem though, a quick trip up to my PC, a fast view of the video, and the issue was resolved. Piece of cake to field strip it once you remember how to do it. While I have the instructions for disassembly and reassembly on disc, you can also find those instructions online for free. If you need such info you can find it here: http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp.

After that I went at getting it clean. Once I had it apart, and I had gotten a look inside of it, I thought - 'Oh my gosh that 7.62x39 Wolf Ammo sure is dirty shooting ammo". There was black fouling just about everywhere. I cleaned here, cleaned there, then cleaned here and there again, and again. Finally after using about 20 cleaning patches, and about 25 double ended cotton swabs, and a brass brush, and a steel brush, and about an ounce of Hoppes, and a pipe cleaner or two, it looked almost clean. As you may have guessed, that cleaning took me some time, I'd say at least an hour and fifteen minutes. Heck it never takes me more than about 15 to 20 minutes to clean one of my rifles thoroughly, so while I was taking all that time cleaning this one I had lots of time to think about why it was so dirty. The consensus of my little gray cells, both the lively healthy ones, and the slower dying ones, and even the totally pulverized ones all came to the consensus that maybe - just maybe - it was not the fault of the ammo so much as it was that I had not cleaned the darned thing after having shot it several times on various range trips. It actually took me a moment or two to remember I had been testing it.

Now there is an important point in knowing that my SKS could be fired at the range, and in between trips to the range that it could sit in my basement without having been cleaned, then be taken out again and fired again, then stored without cleaning again, then fired again, then stored without cleaning again, and on and on over the course of at least several more range trips. That point mind you is not that I am lazy about cleaning my SKS, but rather that it can and will fire when very dirty, and that it fires reliably despite the fouling. As a matter of fact, the carbon deposits on the face of the gas piston was probably as thick as two sheets of 20 lb. computer paper. That is darned thick. Yet the SKS has functioned flawlessly throughout having hundreds of rounds fired through it, then being stored, then fired again, and so forth on and on without cleanings. My guesstimate is that at least 750 to 1,000 rounds have gone through it since I last cleaned it.

Of course I do not recommend that you neglect cleaning your firearms. I only did it because I wanted to test it; I wanted to see about how long it could go without a cleaning and if it could go up to 1,000 rounds without cleaning. Somewhere in there though I lost my tally sheet. I do recall I was close to the 750 mark, and I also recall I shot it once or twice after that. It is not a picky rifle, and the gas vents stayed open and not fouled badly although things like the gas control valve, and the front face of the gas piston, and parts of the bolt were fouled almost beyond belief (yes the Wolf ammo is dirty but not excessively so, the excessive fouling was due to no cleanings). I like the fact that is can handle some dirt and still keep firing like a charm. From now on though it will get properly cleaned right after each time I fire it.

Now you may remember that I began this piece by saying: "I expected to get a few of my guns cleaned and lubricated today"; but the truth is it just did not happen. There was no time, what with all the time it took to clean the one SKS, so that is all I got done in the gun cleaning department. With relatives coming for a belated Christmas celebration, and with me needing to go to a few stores, especially to the beer distributor time was tight. Those Franziskaner Hefe Weissbiers I picked up were great, but my guns had to be put away before I could enjoy even a sip, and there is always tomorrow to get some others cleaned and they just need a routine light cleaning having been in storage. Once I get them done, I just may have to have another bier or two.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Weekend - The Get Together - The Gun Show

Saturday May 3rd has come and gone. As I had promised myself, my son, my friends Charlie and Pete and Charlie's brother-in-law Rob, I drove up to the gun show in Middletown to meet all of them except Brendan there. Brendan was supposed to come with me but could not get out of Lacrosse practice since he came with me and Linda last weekend when we visited my mom. The coach is pretty strict and I figure if Brendan is willing to go with the discipline - good for him.

So there I was driving my wife to the auto mechanic on Saturday morning at 0800 to pick up the Ford, so she could take that to work. Yep the old piece of shit Ford needed $411.00 of work pretty much precluding me buying any guns at the gun show unless I sold something first. When we got there, Linda hopped into the Taurus, and I went inside to pay. Then I was off in the Toyota (saving gas instead of using the Ford for the 85 mile, each way, trip). The Corolla made it without a hitch and before I knew it I was getting off exit 120 in Middletown (Route 211). Good thing that that was my exit, because right there near the bottom of the ramp was a Lowes. I made a quick stop, picked up a can of stain for my front door, and decided to kill two birds with one stone and also bought a couple of wood dowels, a length of yellow nylon 1/4" rope, and a Sharpie marker. Then I drove the couple of miles to the Orange County Fairgrounds and the gun show. Once parked - very close to the entrance despite the crowded parking lot - I popped the trunk and went to work.

What I was doing bent over my trunk was getting to work with marker, paper and dowels. It went something like this: Marlin Model 56 Levermatic, .22LR $150 plus NICS fee, J.C. Higgins Model 43 .22LR $100 plus NICS fee (I was told the fee could run anywhere from $10 to $45 - what a rip off). I cut three pieces of rope, tied the one piece onto each of those two rifles, keeping a piece in reserve in case I later got out the Mosin Nagant M44. I stuck the dowels down the barrels of the two 22s, and made flags at the end of the dowels protruding from the barrels with the little for sale signs I had just made up. Now I knew for a fact that I could sell these legally inside the show; but being respectful of the show promoters and the police I did something first before walking right inside with them slung over my shoulders.

First thing, I secured the trunk. Then I went to the front to look for my buddies; not there, so I paid the $8 entry fee (would have been $9 but I had a dollar off coupon - funny how the price has gone up each time I go to a gun show, but that dollar off coupon always stays only a dollar off), and I went inside. As I went in, I asked the guy taking tickets at the entrance if it was legal to sell guns in a private transaction at the show - he answered yes. Then I saw a couple of state troopers talking to a suit. I also asked them. I already knew the answer but wanted to make sure to keep it on the up and up. They said it was legal and confirmed I would have to get a dealer to do a NICS check on anyone who was not a dealer to whom I sold a firearm (I think that is technically wrong, holders of a 01 FFL or of a pistol permit don't need the check as far as I am aware). Then I took a quick walk around to look for my buddies. I did not see them, but saw a guy walking out of the show with several .50 caliber ammo cans in great condition. So instead of heading right back to the car, I asked him where he had bought them. He told me and I grabbed 4 right way since they sell out fast.

I brought them out to my car to put em in the trunk. Funny thing was those two state troopers followed me. I saw them behind me and did not realize they were actually following me at first, they made it look nonchalant. Yet after I got to my car, and had been bent over my trunk a minute or two arranging the ammo cans and other stuff in there, I came up for air and there they were about 25 feet away, both craning their necks to watch what I was doing. They both snapped their necks so fast into the other direction when I looked up I was surprised their heads did not come off. I guess those two officers should have figured I was going to sell my rifles inside, instead of illegally in the parking lot, since I had the respect to ask them if it was okay before just walking into the place with them slung over my shoulders, but there they were. Oh well, doing their jobs I suppose. I closed the trunk and left the rifles inside of it. I wonder if they were disappointed.

Then back into the show, this time to look around with a keen eye for my pals. This time I only showed my stamped hand for reentry. Once inside I kept an eye out for the guys, and suddenly there was Charlie. I called him over to me, and he let me know Rob could not make it. We both wondered where Pete was since neither of us had seen him, and I told Charlie about Brendan not being able to make it because of his lacrosse practice. We talked for a few minutes, and I decided to go back tot eh car to grab my rifles for sale. This time no police escort. I made sure the makeshift slings were secure, slung the two 22s one over each shoulder, and went back inside to meet up with Charlie. We made the rounds of all the tables. Not bad as gun shows go nowadays in this neck of the woods. I saw lots of guns for sale and that was somewhat of a surprise. Now you might think, hey wait a minute - why wouldn't you see lots of guns at a gun show? Well in recent years with all the restrictive laws put in place for gun shows, there had been a decline in sales. What wound up happening is that you would go to a gun show and see more tables of knives, beef jerky, gadgets, and books for sale than you would see of guns and ammo. My guess though was that this sale had about at least 75% of the tables showing guns for sale, maybe even 85%. That was a good thing, though I will admit the prices were sky high. No great deals at this show, well except for those two on my shoulders.

Charlie and I kept up our search for Pete as we walked around (he never showed up much to our dismay), and we kept an eye out for things we wanted or needed. Besides the ammo cans, I picked up a cleaning kit for an M1 Garand (for a buddy at work), a camo back pack (for a grab and go emergency kit), and was on the lookout for a couple of bricks of .22LR ammo. Sadly there were only two vendors selling any good amount of ammo, one was selling collectible stuff, the other shootable stuff. The one with the shooting ammo did not have even one box of .22LR ammo. Go figure - the most popular cartridge ever, and this moron gentleman was not selling any of it! As we walked around, I had a few people stop me to ask about my rifles, but only one seemed really interested. He went off to look for a dealer for a NICS check or so he said, and he said he would look for me again if he could find one. Sure enough he stopped me again later, but had a newly purchased rifle in hand; but this time he had a buddy in tow. His friend looked at the marlin, but decided against it. Charlies was off still walking around and I was looking at my Marlins big brother in .22 magnum on a table when suddenly the dealer at that table asked: "How much do you want for the Marlin?". Heck he had seen the sign, I would have thought so, but I just said $150, and he immediately and much to my delight said "sold". I completed the transaction and now had $150 for a rifle for which I paid, well let's just say, for which I paid less. Sure I could have probably asked $200, maybe even $250, but I was happy to get a fairly quick sale and be rid of it and its two after market magazines.

After the sale, I looked around for Charlie and spotted him near the front door. He was talking about picking up a pre-ban AR15 (yes NY State still has the ban). He had been holding my other rifle for me since my shoulder had been hurting, and I took it from him and brought it back to the dealer who had just bought the Marlin. He showed no interest at all in the J.C. Higgins. After having asked, it no it did not hurt to ask, I looked around for Charlie. He was one row of tables over from me, eagerly looking at a pre-ban AR15, for which the dealer wanted $1400; but for which Charlie would only go a grand. The dealer would not budge on price, not even a few bucks. Soon after that we decided to call it a day, having spent a few hours at the show. We exited, and took stock outside of what we had purchased. Then Charlie remembered something he wanted but failed to buy, so back inside for him as I waited outside. He picked up some ammo cans himself; and he also grabbed one for me as a gift. That was nice. Then just as he got back, I remembered I wanted some strike anywhere matches they were selling at a table near the front door. I picked up three boxes and a couple of waterproof match cases. Did I mention they sell survival gear at these shows besides just guns and ammo?

Then we were off, but not yet apart. We headed out to grab lunch, stopped at McDonald's,
and actually enjoyed a coup,e of Big Macs (one apiece). As we did I told Charlie again about something I had brought up inside the show - Gander Mountain. He had not wanted to take the extra time to stop there, but I explained again it was only about 1/2 mile away, and it was a store he should not miss if he had never been there. He reluctantly agreed to go with me. Once inside he did not seem impressed. Charlie is not a hiker, camper, backpacker, fisherman, boater; and we passed ost of those departments on the way to the gun department. Once there though his eyes opened wide and a huge smile broke out on his face. He pulled me aside and said 'this place is great'. Charlie got some ammo he could not find at the show and was very pleased. I picked up a rifle cleaning pad, and then went to the bait department and got 15 crayfish (food for my pet Musk Turtle). I would have also bought a brick of .22 ammo there but they wanted $19.95 for a brick of ammo that was worth about $12.00. After that we split up, Charlie headed home and I drove to Wal-Mart just up the road a bit. There i picked up a box of 550 rounds of loose federal 22LR, and 100 rounds of Federal shotgun shells for trap at a much better price than offered at Gander Mountain. While gander Mountain is on the expensive side for ammo, I will admit they probably have the caliber for which you are looking and if you need it you would probably pay the price. Of course while at Wal-Mart, I also picked up a little something for Linda. Not my usual place to shop for gifts for anyone, but on the way to the sporting goods department, I saw a nice garden figurine of a boy with fishing pole over his shoulder, pulling a wagon, the wagon holding a puppy and a bucket with a trout in it. When I got home and showed it to she who must be adored, she loved it.

So I never bought a gun at the gun show, though I did sell one, and i did have one heck of a fun time with my good friend Charlie. Too bad the others could not have made it, it would have been so much more fun had they been there. We had also wished our buddy Don could have been there, but since he lives in Wyoming now, I guess it would not have been a cost effective trip for him. We missed him too since we had been to a few shows together when we used to work with him years ago. Still though it was good to have been there with at least one good friend; and nice to think that there will be other such shows in the future when the other guys may be there too; I hope so.

All the best,
Glenn B

Carrying Guns On Campus...

...is not advised in most colleges throughout the country, and that is mostly because it is illegal just about everywhere. Everywhere that is except for Utah from what I can tell. Yes folks, in Utah it evidently is legal to carry concealed weapons onto at least some college campuses, and apparently even to class. I think that is the way it should be, and I do not see it causing much of a problem. Sure there could always be a crime of passion, or some drunk student grabbing for the gun of another; but I doubt very much there will be a school shooting the likes of the VA Tech shooting, or Columbine on a college campus in Utah that allows concealed carry.

Why, well simply because most if not all of the school shooters, and the church shooters, and the mall shooters are wussies. They are not looking for a conflict, they are looking for victims, people they can harm, and harm with little fear of themselves getting hurt. They are not brave, they are not strong, they are cowards, and are usually weak physically, and surely weak mentally. So if the chances are they are going to get cut down by someone who is armed, and who is willing to defend himself, his loved ones, his friends, his teachers (? well- you never know, I have had some decent professors) and maybe even that stranger next to him, from harm (sound familiar) chances are the evil ones will avoid such places. Of course now that I have said that, some arsehat will probably try to hit a school in Utah, but I mean it in general - and if you have half a brain - you get my point.

So what kind of a person is it who would arm him or her self while at school, and yet not cause a problem. What would make a person want to be armed at school in the first place. Well first of all the person is someone who is good, law abiding, and who wants to protect himself or herself, and as I said maybe also protect his friends, teachers and even some strangers. He or she is not paranoid, but rather someone who wants to be prepared for any eventuality for which he/she can prepare within reason. Therefore he or she is a person who responsibly and legally obtains and carries a gun, and who responsibly gets some training in how to use it to protect him/herself and others. He or she is also a person who realizes that his/her own well being is his/her own responsibility in that there can be times when we cannot expect the police to be there like magical heroes (sound familiar). He or she is a person who thinks along these lines:

"Nick says his gun doesn't make him feel immune from attack. "But I feel that I will be able to protect myself, and I'm confident in my training and my ability," he said."" (see: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/20/cnnu.guns/index.html)

He or she is not a timid, piss pants, cry baby who thinks only mommy or daddy figures, the police nanny state, should be allowed to carry guns as is apparent in my opinion in this statement:

"His confidence is not shared by fellow student Griselda Espinoza, who recently transferred to the university. Some 28,000 students attend the school, as of the latest enrollment figures.

"I feel less safe knowing that a stranger sitting beside me in class may have a gun in his or her backpack," she said.

"The only people that should carry guns are trained officials." " (See: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/20/cnnu.guns/index.html)

The only people who should carry guns are trained officials - did you just read that - it makes me sick to think that the sheep among us think that way. They are too afraid to protect themselves, and thereby believe all people should be just like they are, apparently (at least as I see them) timid, afraid and cowardly, and dependent upn the state for the fantasy of a shield of protection from all evil.

I guess that woman did not read this. Had she read it, maybe she would be of a different mindset. I can tell you something else that will put her into a different frame of mind, something that rapidly will remove her from her commie/socialista fantasy land of delusions that only the state should be armed. Can you guess what that would be? Yes you guessed it, didn't you! The next time a psycho rifle wielding maniac comes onto a campus, her campus, shooting - and there are no armed federales or judiciales around, I would be that good old Griselda will be hiding behind a guy named Nick begging him to do something to end it all. You remember Nick don't you; he's the college kid carrying concealed firearms legally on campus> he is the guy that Griselda does not think should be allowed to carry. Sad thing is that Griselda did not read my blog here; and she has apparently been brainwashed to think only the officers of the state should be armed. I would also bet she believes that calling 911 just about will instantaneously transport a 'dial a hero', or three, to the very spot where she needs them at the exact moment she needs them. I believe that law enforcement is there to help (heck I am an LEO), but I don't believe in fucking magic FM folks, but my bet is that Griselda does! Too bad she does not beleive in what Nick beleives in - silver bullets!

All the best,
Glenn B