Enfield #4 MK 1 Rifle - The Order Is In...

...and soon I will be out around $265-$270 including shipping but that will be okay because I will have myself an Enfield #4 MK 1 Rifle. I can only hope it will be as nice as either of the top two in this pic, which is a pic of some of the actual rifles that have been available at Classic Arms. I sent them a copy of my C&R FFL last week and today when I called it took all of about 3 minutes, maybe , for me to place my order for this fine piece of British military history.

I will also be out another $81.19 for 100 rounds of .303 British 180 grain, soft point, brass cased, boxer primed, non-corrosive ammo. I could have done a lot better buying mil-surp ammo with corrosive primers but I figure if this rifle comes with a nice bore - why ruin it or take the chance of ruining it. Chances are though the bore will be dark as opposed to shiny and if so then later rounds may be the surplus stuff. The particular ammo I ordered is coming from an outfit called Ammunitiontogo.com and was manufactured by Prvi Partizan in Serbia. Ammo from Serbia will be a first for me, hope it is fairly good quality.

It took me a long time to save up for this rifle and most of my money went on our new car so I consider myself lucky to be getting anything. I have some more cash stashed away for a more modern gun but am waiting on that for now and can have fun with this one when it arrives. I had debated on an Enfield or another Mosin Nagant (actually was thinking of getting 2 of them) but Classic Arms has exactly zero Mosin Nagants despite a web page making them seem available. That was a disappointment because their site shows some really nice ones with all matching numbers. I hope they get them again soon but tend to doubt more of them on on their way. So, as I said, I'll have fun with this one. Only one by the way because it was about double the price of a Mosin Nagant for one of these.

I'll put out more on it when it arrives, probably next week. I hope to shoot it next weekend but don't know if I will be able to do so, I may have to wait 2 weeks before going to the range again. That is because I am going under the knife tomorrow to have a cyst removed from inside my neck near my carotid artery. Oh joy - that may put a damper on things depending on how long I take to recuperate. I am hopeful it will not be all that long because my trigger finger is already itching for some range time fun with the Enfield


All the best,
Glenn B

New Gun Blog Link

Found another good gun blog tonight by way of a comment left at The Breda Fallacy in a post about a newt. I would not have figured breda for keeping a newt but have to admit the I like her even more now. One of the folks leaving a comment in her post about the newt also has a good blog. See it here:

http://gungeekrants.blogspot.com/

I also placed a link to the site on my blog roll.

All the best,
GB

If This Turns Out To Be The Policy of ICE...

...all I can say is, in my personal opinion, that it will be an absolute disgrace. The 'it' is this: "Top Official Says Feds May Not Process Illegals Referred From Arizona". Bear in mind that President Obama, and his political appointees such as Mr. Holder, Ms. Napolitano, and Mr. Morton seemingly keep on telling us what a great job the federal government is doing in stemming the tide of illegal aliens crossing our borders. Now we have Mr. Morton, an underling of Ms. Napolitano, reportedly saying, in essence, that one of the main agencies tasked with enforcement of Immigration and Nationality laws may not do its part to enforce the laws of the United Sates of America IF THOSE SAME LAWS ARE ENFORCED BY A BORDER STATE and the border state wants to turn over illegal aliens to the custody of the United States of America!

Oh please tell me, as a private citizen, that these people will be out of office come the January following the next presidential elections or sooner (by way of some legal means). As a private citizen, I have never been so disgraced in my life by what my government has been doing. As if that were not enough, can you imagine, even for a moment, being pro-legal immigration, strongly against illegal entry into the U.S. by aliens (I will not call them immigrants because I will not insult those people who legally immigrate here nor will I insult those waiting to come here legally), very much pro the United States of America, a federal law enforcement agent who is an employee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a person who started his career in the Border Patrol! I can because that describes me.

I have to do what they tell me to do at work, within legal and ethical guidelines, and I do my job without prejudice or reservation as long as it is legal and ethical because it is my duty. Yet, I do not have to like it personally. Personally I am ashamed to admit to anyone that I am part of, what I see in my opinion, as this huge immigration mess that I believe will lead to the downfall of our nation if not reined in soon. Not enforcing the laws already on the books, and allowing illegals to remain here without threat of removal or deportation, is not helping at all as I see it in my personal opinion.

I just said I do my job because it is my duty but I have another duty as a private citizen and that is to vote. I cannot tell you how to vote, I cannot endorse a candidate nor can I endorse a party. I can tell you though what are my hopes for our government and how I will vote and I will vote to get these folks out of Washington, DC because I hope for a better America where the people who come here do not commit a crime as their first act on U.S. soil. I can also say this, you should remember things like, what I believe are, the immigration failings of our current administration. Remember them all the way through the next two major elections, the first for Congressional seats and the next for the presidency.

All the best,
Glenn B

Watch This and Be Afraid - Very Afraid

No way to embed the video here, so click on the link and watch the very informative video. I am shocked that the mainstream media is finally getting it. How about you, are you getting yet?

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438021/

Demand that your elected officials fix this or vote the bums out in November.

All the best,
GB

A Kirschwasser and a Couple of Weissbiers

What could go better after having chopped down a tree (well I got about 1/3 of the job done today with a hand saw), albeit not a cherry tree, than some fine German Kirschwasser (Cherry Brandy) made in the Black Forest? Wait, please don't tell me - I know - some Kirschwasser and a couple of hefe Weissbiers. The way I anticipate my muscles and joints to start aching tonight or tomorrow, sort of like the tree must have felt, I figure a nice neat dollop of Kirschwasser and a couple of biers will hit the spot and maybe also smooth out some knots in my muscles before they get to stiff like a tree's. Of course, if I drink a bit more than what I plan to imbibe then I may wind up turning into a stiff, or at least wind up sort of zombie like anyway.

Kirschwasser, although called a brandy, tastes nothing like any brandy that has ever passed my lips before. It is much more akin to the home stilled white lightning like concoction that my friends' dad used to make down in his basement. Good old Mr. Stiene (hope I spelled that right, as I remember it was not Steine but Stiene but those days are hazier now than they were even back then) had a still set up right in the basement next to the older of his two son's room, right there next to the washer and dryer if I remember right. He would be sitting there when we went over to hang out with Gas (one of his two sons) and every time he saw me he invited me for one and one always turned into two! Two wouldn't be a concern except for the fact that the clear as pure water liquid refreshment that he had dripping out of that still, drop by drop, started at about 125 proof and went all the way up to about 160 or 170 depending on the batch. I always thought the best stuff was right at 132-136 proof - funny how I have remembered those numbers after all these years but I have to admit the stuff was memorable. He basically fermented fruit peels, and other bits of fruit he gathered from fruit he and his wife grew at a summer cottage they in owned upstate NY. Mrs. Stiene would make preserves, and things like Apfel Strudel (sometimes a whole one just for me) and Mr. Stiene would turn the leftovers into a stairway to heaven or at least into one heck of a good tasting drink that cured the common cold as I recall. If I was coming down with the sniffles or other cold signs, I did not have em anymore after two shots of that magical elixir.

But I digress, so let me get back to the Kirschwasser. It is very much like what Mr. Stiene used to make. I love it. The particular brand I was able to find lately, after not having had any in probably 5 years now, is made by Alfred Schladerer (amazing I could spell that without looking, must be the German in me). It is 82 proof, nowhere near the stronger homemade stuff of my younger years but tasty indeed. I used to drink what I think was another brand, or at least a stronger version of this brand. It was around 90-100 proof as I recall though that was long ago and I could have that wrong. Regardless, it is one heck of a drink - somewhere between white lightning and rubbing alcohol. Now that may not seem like much of an endorsement but it is, really. You see, the first time you have it, you will probably think of either the rubbing alcohol taste on an oral thermometer or maybe rocket fuel - or both. As you settle back and get used to it, it grows on you or at least inside of you as it warms your soul and so does your liking for it grow. That is of course if you have a taste for things like neat whiskey. I say neat because it is the only way I have ever drank this Teutonic elixir. I suppose you could mix it with fruity juices or sweet sodas and it would taste great, it would probably make a super fine ingredient for a fruit punch, but I like mine straight and as I said it is the only way I have ever let it pass my lips. By the way, despite the name of Kirschwasser (literally cherry water) there is not a hint of cherry in it that I can taste. Of course that was the same with Mr. Stiene's home made magical elixir, you would never have guessed it was made from things like grape peels, peach peels, apple peels and the like.

Now, while I just said I drink it straight, I must also point out that Kirschwasser is a wonderful accompaniment to biers, especially to weissbier of the hefe (yeast) variety. I have already written, more than once, about my love for weissbier so let me just end this post here so that I can run upstairs and grab the two I have waiting for me in the freezer. They should be just about perfect by now, just like the Kirschwasser that I have been enjoying while I have written this post.

Remember - drink responsibly and legally!

All the best,
Glenn B

A New Gun Should Be Coming Soon...

...and while it will not be a new gun as in newly manufactured, never before been fired, it will be new for me. My dreams of a new rifle in .308 may be on hold for awhile longer being we just bought a new car for cash last week. And by new car I mean yes new right out of the dealer's lot, fresh from the factory with only 23 miles on it and those were mostly from driving from one dealer who had it in stock to my dealer. So all the money I saved while I was out in Phoenix has already been spent and that was only enough to cover a bit less than 1/4 the price tag. The rest came out of our bank accounts leaving them pretty depleted. Still though, I have managed to squirrel away some cash for a rifle, maybe even two or three of them if I am frugal. Of course i do not mean top shelf rifles although one may yet wind up being a newly manufactured and brand new never been fired before rifle (except maybe for a test firing at the factory). The other one or two though will have to be much less expensive and something along the lines of military surplus.

That said, let me also say I have one or two in mind. They are so much in mind that I tried to order them today from Classic Arms. The thing preventing a sale was they did not already have a copy of my C&R FFL so I had to email them that first. I called them about 20 minutes after I emailed them a copy but they were not able to open it to check it because the woman who usually does so was busy. I thought I'd get back to them again before they closed today but I got carried away with clean-up after chopping down about 1/3 of a Japanese Maple Tree in my back yard (maybe I'll do the rest next week since the shoulders are aching because I only used a hand saw). When I remembered I was supposed to call them it was already about an hour and a half after they had closed. Oh well, come Monday, I guess I'll be placing my order.

What I am planning on ordering are one or maybe two Mosin Nagant, Russian, 91-30 Hex Receiver Rifles of Tula manufacture. Supposedly all serial numbers will match, I am only ordering these if that is the case otherwise I may order a single Enfield instead. Two of these, in what sounds like excellent condition will go for $260 plus shipping. Not $260 each but $260 for both of them, not a bad deal on two rifles. You can see hem here:http://www.classicarms.us/firearms.htm. Scroll about half way down the page to see them and a description of them. I am not getting the ones with the laminated stocks, but with the hardwood stocks. I will add the extra $10 a piece to get them both hand-select. Hopefully at least one will be really-really nice and a keeper. The other one, maybe I'll keep or maybe I will sell. Such is the way of a collector. buy more than one to make sure you get a nice one and maybe then keep both or hold onto one for a future private sale when you need the bucks. Of course, I may well have it forever (at least my mortal forever).

I already have two other Mosin Nagant rifles. One is a Russian 91-30 with a bent bolt in good to very good condition. The other is a Hungarian M44 in fine to excellent arsenal rebuilt condition with all matching stamped numbers. They are fun guns to shoot, the ammo is inexpensive if you shoot mil-surp, and they are one of the easiest guns to detail strip that I have ever owned.

Now if they do not still have the ones I want (they do show them on their website so I have my fingers crossed) then I may go for an Enfield #1 MK4. They go for a substantial amount more at almost $240 each but they too are great and fun guns to shoot. I have never owned one but have fired ones that friends own. Nice rifle, a workhorse of the British army from before WWI up through the 1950s. I suppose time will tell once Monday rolls around (Classic Arms is not open on the weekends).

All the best,
Glenn B

GunPal Is Not GunPal Anymore...

...because they have changed their name to GPal instead.

Here is, in part, what they say about it on their web site:

"GUNPAL is now GPal" and "As our userbase grows, so must our appeal." Maybe they really mean in order to make their userbase grow, they need to appeal to more folks. I mean, WHY CHANGE THE NAME TO APPEAL TO OTHERS SINCE IT WAS ALREADY WORKING SO WELL AS TO MAKE THE USERBASE GROW!

That name change made them lose their appeal for me so I asked them to close my account and remove my information from their files. I sent them an email explaining I was dissatisfied with the name change because I believe it to have been indicative of a less than forthright showing of support for gun owners and also asking them close my account. They sent me a reply almost immediately afterwards but as I see it they are not sticking to their guns so I asked again that they close my account.

I apparently deleted my original email to them about this issue but I do have their reply to me and my second email to them. So, I am copying them below for you to read if you want to do so. As for me, well I cannot use Paypal to make or accept payments for firearms related transactions and I will not use GPal, so I suppose I'll have to stick to the old fashioned method of using a Postal money order.

**********

From: support@gpal.net
> To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
> Subject: GUNPAL SUPPORT Ticket [#206132] SUPPORT TICKET: XXXXXXXXXXXX
> Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 09:49:26 -0700
>
> Support Ticket #206132
>
> Dear GLENN BARTLEY,
>
> Sorry you feel that way, but it couldn't be further from the truth. GPal is and always will be committed to supporting second amendment rights. That will never change. The CEO and all top execs and other founding employees at GPal (myself included - and I'm the President) are avid firearm enthusiasts who will never waver in our commitment to serve this community. However, if you wish to cancel your account over a prediction you have about something that may or may not happen years down the road (and certainly will not happen), I suppose that's your choice. It was a pleasure serving you and I hope you will change your position when you realize GPal will always be dedicated to upholding your rights when others will not.
>
> Your business is extremely important to us, we sincerely hope this response has answered your questions. If not, please reply directly to this email or create another ticket via the support request on the GUNPAL website.
>
> Thank you for choosing GUNPAL, the leader in transaction-neutural payment processing.
>
> - The GUNPAL Support Team.
> http://www.gunpal.com/
> support@gunpal.com

RE: GUNPAL SUPPORT Ticket [#206132] SUPPORT TICKET: GBARTHGWT@MSN.COM‏
From: glenn bartley (XXXXXXXXXXXX)
Sent: Mon 5/17/10 8:18 AM
To: support@gpal.net

Gpal,

The thing is even though you say you will not change your support of the 2nd Amendment, it is apparent you are already stepping back from it by removing the word "Gun" from your company name in favor of making more money without it being there out in the open. If you were so committed to gun owner rights as you say you are then you would not need to change your name to appease a wider base of people, including those who are not supportive of gun rights, yet that is exactly what you have done no matter how much you want to say it is not what you have done. You have bent over backwards to appease those who are neutral and those who do not support the 2nd Amendment to make a buck. You could have kept the name and tried other marketing ploys to get a wider base while still letting people know - up front - that you are strong supporters of the 2nd Amendment!

As I see it now, the GunPal name was fine for you to begin your business, so you could lure in firearms owners with your gimmick of a name, and now once you figure you have attracted enough gun owners you change the name and want to appeal to everyone including those opposed to 2nd Amendment rights. I sort of figured it was coming when I first saw your home page on the Internet. Any site using a name like GunPal and having a race car picture on its home page instead of a picture of something to do with firearms was obviously not what it seemingly claimed to be or at least not as strongly as it claimed to be. Now you have proven it to me. Sure, you still accept any type of legal transactions but you first came out as a gun owner friendly site - so much so, and so proud and supportive of it, to call yourselves GunPal. Too bad you did not have the courage to stick to your guns.

Let me ask you this: Could you imagine the National Rifle Association removing the word rifle from its name and changing it to the National R Association to appeal to a wider base? Think about it, think about how lame it would sound to gun owners. Think about what you would have thought and about how you would have reacted to it had the NRA done that. It is just what you have done to your own name, so what should gun owners think about you?

Now, I do not see why I should support you. Your name change is just like any other change that has come about in the world where guns are concerned but where the bottom line was not gun rights but money in someone's pocket. Change a name to make more money - so if you found out you could make millions why not change a policy or two also for your profit. Maybe you won't, maybe as you say you will always be a strong advocate of gun rights but on what should I base my belief or disbelief of that? Should it be based upon what you say or what you do? I choose to believe what you do or have done is the best indicator of what is to come. Your removal of 'Gun' from the company name then is a harbinger of things to come as I see it. So please, go ahead and remove my account from your service.

Thanks,
Glenn Bartley

**********

Notice anything funny about their reply to me. They have changed their name to GPal to appeal to a wider customer base, however; they keep using the GunPal name throughout their reply such as by calling themselves the GUNPAL support team and telling me thank you for choosing GUNPAL. Whom are they trying to kid? I guess when using the Gunpal name seems convenient to them they will keep using it. I signed up for them because I believed they fully supported the 2nd Amendment and gun owners. That would have meant that they would have always been right up front about it but now they have become squeamish about using the word gun in their name I have to wonder how long it will be until they drop firearms transactions as being allowed when using their service. Maybe that will happen and maybe not but I do know for sure that they are not being up front about showing their support for the gun owning community and remember this is seemingly what they based their whole service upon when they started in business and why I and probably why thousands of others signed up for their service. So why should I support them now that they are not that up front about it. They may not be sticking to their guns but I'll stick to mine.

All the best,

Glenn B

Ford Taurus For Sale SOLD...

...and it sold to the first person who came to look at it. That made me quite the happy camper yesterday. I asked for a decent price and I accepted 90% of what I was asking as the selling price. A cash money sale, what could be better than that.

Craiglist is not such a bad thing after all. I put an ad on Craiglist late yesterday afternoon. I got about 6 phone calls and a couple of emails yesterday, and the person who bought the car was the 2nd person to call me on the phone and the only person to come look at it today. I guess the fact that we maintained the car pretty well was a big selling point. No major dings, dents, scratches and it ran just fine. Some minor things needed to be fixed like a loose door panel and maybe a squeaking belt (only squeaked when the car was started cold and only one quick squeak at that).

The car will be missed, heck we have owned it since December 1996. It was a good family sized car and reliable transportation for whatever duty it needed to fulfill be it a trip to the grocery store, a back and forth to school, or a cross country trip down to Virginia. It made many a trip to upstate NY for hunting and fishing trips that is for sure. I won't miss it all that much I suppose but I think Brendan may miss it a bit more even though we now have the new Hyundai and still have the old Corolla. Quite some years ago he started calling it the boat. For some reason it gave that kind of impression of itself and I suppose that compared to the Mazda 323 that we used to have and then to the Corolla it seemed like a pretty huge boat at that.

I can only hope it gives the new owner a couple to a few years of reliable transportation and I imagine that if they perform regular maintenance as it should be done then the car will last at least that long.

All the best,
Glenn B

Why I Haven't Bought A New Gun In Way Too Long

Anyone who reads this blog on a fairly regular basis knows that time after time I write about my plan to buy a new rifle soon, in fact I'd like to buy two or three of them that I have in mind and a shotgun too. Then there is that reloading equipment that I have been studying for several months now. I will buy the reloading equipment fairly soon but am still not too sure when I will be getting that new rifle for my collection. When it comes to the reloading stuff, well - I was given a gift back on Christmas (or was it my birthday last year, yeah I think it was then) to buy a reloading kit. So that money is kind of set aside. I was also able to save up about 4 grand in recent months - and all that money went into the bank too. So what is keeping me from buying a gun.

Well, I sot of made a promise to my son that I would buy a new car this year. Our 1996 Ford Taurus has seen better days. It is in no way on its last legs but is is very old and requires a new minor repair about every 6 months or so and sooner or later (probably sooner) it will need some form of major repair. The time is right for a replacement. So last week we went out again, one of several times over the past year, to look at new cars. We finally found what we were looking for - a Hyundai Elantra with a manual transmission (not easy to find on Long island or in NYC) and I plopped $500 down on it. Today the car should be ready and we will be picking it up. So as soon as I finish this, I have to get ready to go to the bank to pick up a cashiers check for just over $16,500 (out the door) to pay for the car. My bank accounts will be all but depleted. It took me a long time to save that money and it took less than 45 minutes of sitting there with the dealer to spend it. I knew what I was willing to spend on the car we were looking at, which in fact was about $150 than I should have spent but as I said we have looked for quite a while without being able to find one with a manual transmission and I did not want to travel far and wide to find one. When we started looking, I was pretty sure the car would cost about only $14K in total but we changed gears a bit and bought a different model the Elantra Touring Wagon instead of the sedan. It is a nice car, good on the gas, will be okay as a family car even with 4 dogs, and is probably somewhat better for the environment as compared to something like a Cadillac Escalade or an Abrams Tank. Add to that the facts that it is pretty much loaded in its base configuration such as having 4 wheel anti lock brakes, traction control, stability control, tire pressure monitoring, front and rear side mounted airbags, remote keyless entry with alarm, A/C, a 172-Watt AM/FM/XM® Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with 6 speakers (2 front-door-mounted speakers, 2 tweeters and 2 rear speakers), an iPod®/USB/Auxiliary input jacks and other stuff. It also came with a beige interior, maybe not my top choice but much better than the other option - a black interior (cloth seats). Imagine me getting the black interior with 4 dogs. My wife would have killed me but not before making me clean out the dog hair.

Not a bad deal for the price even though I over paid about $150. The fact that the dealer found one only minutes after we got to the dealership was worth the extra expense. Several other dealers told me they either could not find them or there would be an outrageous premium to order one with a manual transmission even though the manual is normally much less expensive than the automatic. As a matter of fact, we stopped at another dealer just minutes before the one where we made our deal and that first dealer told me the car with a manual was almost impossible to find even though it was the base model. He told me the only one available in NY State was in Albany and it would likely cost an extra $3K to buy it. Another dealer told me I would have to go to Virginia to buy one with a manual because folks in the big city areas just don't go for em so there is no demand up this way. Yeah right! We were off from the first dealer we stopped at last Saturday to the dealer who finally found one for us within 5 (maybe 10) minutes of our plopping our butts down next to the saleswoman's desk.

So now it is off to pillage the family bank accounts. Then, once armed with a cashiers check, we will be off to the dealership to kiss the money goodbye and welcome a new car into the family. I'll hand my son the keys and ask the question - North, East, South or West! Then off we will go....Hopefully we will drive to a nice gun shop somewhere so I can look at new rifles and at least keep the dream going that someday soon I will be buying a new one. Maybe, just maybe, there will be enough left over to buy a rifle. If not, then I will just have to start saving all over again and as soon as I have enough for the rifle I want I'll have to buy it. Otherwise I am sure something else will come up to gobble up my money and just keep me dreaming about a new gun.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 58 - Marlin 25MN - 22 WMR

There is a mystery behind my Marlin 25MN, not anything sinister, nor anything really important but a mystery nonetheless. I'll be darned if I will ever be able to solve it and it is of so little consequence to anyone but myself that no other sleuth would take to endeavor it. The mystery is this: Why has it taken until tonight for me to write it up? (And a new mystery is why the pic cam out vertically when it was formatted horizontally - Blogger glitches I suppose!)

I just can't figue it, probably never will. Of course, not that it matters to you but it sure has me scratching my head in wonder. Now you may be wondering why it should be doing this to me. The answer to that is simple - the gun is a great yet inexpensive rifle and is loads of fun to shoot and I love to write about stuff like that and to share my experiences with you. It's what keeps me shooting, what keeps me writing and no doubt what keeps many of you reading this blog. So here it is at long /last, a piece about the Marlin 25MN.

The Marlin 25 MN is a bolt action rifle that feeds .22 WMR from a 7 round box magazine. It comes with, or I should say came with as it is no longer manufactured, an adjustable open notch rear sight, a blade front sight on a ramp, blued steel barrel and receiver, a bent bolt, a wood stock checkered at the fore grip and pistol grip, a set of swivel studs, and a single 7 round magazine. Its weight is right around 6 pounds by my best guess; that is the same as the currently produced Marlin 925M which is quite similar in appearance and probably in design and function from the looks of it. You can see the currently produced 925M here:

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/22WinMagnum/925M.asp

The round fired by the 25MN is the .22WMR, possibly better known as the .22 magnum. It is basically a huge 22 rimfire round when compared to others such as the 22 short, 22 long and 22 long rifle. Its larger size lets you reach out somewhat further with it than would a .22 LR and also packs a bit more wallop than its smaller cousin. That translates into it being a better choice for hunting or so you would think. The truth be told, more rifles in .22LR are probably used for hunting small game than are those chambered for the larger .22 WMR and the reason is probably completely due to economics. Ammo for a gun in .22 WMR is usually much more expensive than comparable ammo for a .22 LR - in fact it usually sells for about 35% more than that for a .22 LR. I suppose most folks do not think the advantage in power is worth the difference in price.

Me, I like the .22LR but I had to have at least one rifle in .22 WMR and the marlin 25MN was a great if inexpensive choice. I don't remember what I pad for it but it was not expensive by any stretch of the imagination. probably under $200. Well now, I just got curious and dug up the receipt from my files. I bought this one on May 29, 2000 (only 19 days short of ten years ago) and the actual full price, including sales tax, was $151.54! It has been well worth every penny of that amount plus the extra ammo I have laid out for ammo as compared to rifle in .22 LR. I am not saying it is better than a .22 LR, what I am saying is that I have enjoyed it very much and think it was a good investment as far as fun and utility guns go. I have bagged a few squirrels with it, and in that department the 3x12 x 40mm scope I had on it until last night almost made it a veritable tack driver. Note I said almost. No complaints as to accuracy though, I can say that without a doubt. It shoots darned good at point of aim I can tell you that.

As for the scope I had on it, there is another mystery. The scope has a sticky black substance all over the outside of the tube, on the scope rings, on the focusing rings, on the windage and elevation knob covers, just everywhere on the outside except on the glass. I cannot recall for sure if this had that rubberized feel on the outside surfaces but I do know for a fact that rubbery stuff was never on the covers of the sight adjustment screws, nor was it on the scope rings which were from another manufacturer and are anodized aluminum. I don't remember it on the tube either but there could have been a rubberized coating on the focusing rings. It is possible that stuff degraded and got on the rest of the scope but it seems evenly distributed as if something got sprayed on the outside of the scope. Funny thing is there is absolutely none on the rifle, not on the metal and not on the wood. I do not know what it is but I do know is is very difficult to remove. I have tried soapy water, Goo Gone, and rubbing alcohol. Only the alcohol seems to dissolve it at all and then it needs a lot of rubbing to get it off. I will try lighter fluid next. I keep wondering if I did something stupid like spraying it down with WD-40 after it got wet - but I try to avoid using that stuff unless it is an emergency and it is all I have. Could have happened after a hunting trip but I doubt it. maybe I certainly never sprayed the scope with anything like Gun Scrubber - wonder if Brendan did - I doubt it though because he probably would have told me. I have no clue what caused it or what it is except that it is sort of gunky, extremely sticky on the scope body and focusing rings and so on, and that it is black as jet. Hopefully I will get it all off successfully - as in removing it does not adversely effect the function of the scope. If not, I will be in the market for a new scope for the Marlin 25MN. Yes, remember that rifle, this was about the rifle until I drifted off on the scope.

Needless to say by now, the rifle seems made to have a scope sitting on it. Yes, it has open iron sights as I said earlier (maybe they are plastic) but they seem pitiful once you see this rifle with a nice looking scope on it. Scope or not, it is still a good shooter - I cannot deny it that accolade. It is just a fine rifle for plinking at cans, punching paper, or knocking a squirrel out of a tree at about 25 to 50 yards distance. If you get the chance to own one, don't pass it up.

All the best,

Glenn B

School Is Almost Out...

...and that means it is no wonder that I have been feeling like taking a road trip as of late. No, of course, I am not in school but my traveling companion, fishing buddy, fellow canoeist (the few times we go) is about to be let out for the summer so the time is right. Come to think of it, he mentioned something about a road trip recently and now that we stopped by a kind of local Hyundai dealer today and put some cash down on a new Elantra Touring Hatchback/Wagon (or whatever they call it), I suppose a road trip to break in the car would be in order. Nothing extravagant - maybe the arctic circle up north in Canada or maybe Alaska - only kidding. If we go I am pretty sure it will be much closer to home though not too close. Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley come to mind, or maybe FL if I can get the time off, or even just good old upstate NY. Then again, maybe someplace that Brendan has never been to before such as Bar Harbor, ME or someplace both of us have never been to before like Mackinaw, MI or Hannibal, MO (think big catfish). If we do go for a road trip soon, hopefully it will end up near a good fishing hole with a canoe outfitter nearby and us with a couple of sticks and a can of worms.

All the best,
GB

A Family First - A Master 's Degree

Today was undoubtedly one of the proudest of my and Linda's lives. Today, our daughter Celina graduated with a graduate degree, a Master of Science, her major was in Education specifically geared toward teaching History. She is the first in our family, on my wife's side and on my side, to have achieved this accomplishment as far as I know. To put it into words and to say I am very proud of her would be a gross understatement. To tell you the truth - at a celebratory dinner today - words almost failed me. I got up to give a speech, I had something in mind a few minutes long, but all I said was that I was proud of her for her family first and I told her she brought great honor on our family. Then again, now that I think of it, it was not words that failed me, it was that those words said it all in one sentence and that having been said, for once I shut up and, we then all toasted her success.


Nothing at all else needed to be said, she got it - she knew how both her mom and I felt, how her brother felt, how everyone in the family felt. We were proud of her beyond description. It is a good feeling knowing your children are achieving the real American dream (of parents' anyhow): That our children are going to do better than we did. There may be no better feeling in the world! Now, I expect she will move on with life and teach our community's children something about what made us what we are still today, despite tough times, the greatest nation on the face of the earth.

The top pic is of Celina and her mom, the other is of her boyfriend, Celina and her brother. My pics with her are on another camera and I have not seen em yet.

All the best,
Glenn B

Willie Nelson In New York City at the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom

Saw him there tonight (now actually last night on Thursday the 6th) and he was absolutely excellent. I have been hoping to see him again ever since I saw him perform in a place I think was called the Palomino Club somewhere in New Mexico way back in the late 70s. I got my chance last night and took it. The money I spent on the ticket has got to have been the best money I have ever spent on entertainment in my life - I mean that most assuredly. Great , great singer and he was backed by a great band. Funny thing is, I am pretty sure that NYC was not on his 2010 tour. For some reason he played here and cancelled for somewhere in PA tonight (or so I heard someone say after the show who had tickets for the one in PA. Add that to the fact that I found out about the show pretty much on a fluke and you can bet I was one lucky guy.

I've got to hit the hay so I can get up early for my daughter's graduation for her Master's Degree tomorrow, but I will write more about Willie over the weekend. Before I go just let me say, man oh man I am happy to have gotten another chance to see him - great show.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 57 - Accidental Discharges of Another Nature

If you are at all familiar with guns and with firearms safety then you know that the best way to avoid accidental discharges is to keep your finger off the trigger, treat each gun as it were loaded each time you pick it up or handle it, keep firearms pointed in a safe direction and on and on. That way you don't actually shoot someone because you made an avoidable mistake. Then again there are accidental discharges of another sort when it comes to firearms; ones that can come to pretty dismal conclusions and yet are not caused by any violation of the regular firearm's safety rules. I won't go into them all here but will tell you about one type of accidental discharge of which I was a victim earlier today - or maybe I should say that one of my rifles and a gun case were the victims.

In our home we have four dogs. Dogs and guns have always seemed to go together from police and military canine units to Labrador Retrievers and Pointers afield with hunters. My dogs, well they have no particular use for guns, it is not like I take our 2 Chihuahuas hunting nor the 2 mutts for that matter either. I don't think I have ever had one of the dogs around while shooting though they sometimes come to visit me in the basement when I am cleaning them. They give an almost disinterested sniff now and again but that is it. Since they exhibit no love or overwhelming curiosity for them (at least none that I knew of until today) I was never all that concerned about leaving a rifle propped up against a wall or one laying on the floor in an open gun case. Heck none of them are loaded when I leave them around like that so it was not like one of the pooches was about to knock one of the guns over then step into the trigger guard and onto the trigger and shoot anything - like my butt - right? Just say "right" because I can tell you now that isn't what happened.

Today, just before I was leaving for work, I decided to put away a sort of prize rifle that I had out. It was laying there just as described above, in an open gun case , the case laying on the floor. I bent over to grab it without giving it much more than a glance and as soon as my hand was around the barrel just in front of the breech I realized it was wet. I took a look and saw what looked like beads of condensation on the metal. "Whoops", I thought, "I should not have left it out so close to the floor with it having been so humid the past couple of days". I was just straightening up, thinking I would give it a quick wipe off and a dab of oil when my eye was caught by a discoloration on the gray foam liner of the gun case. It was a spot about 2 or 3 inches in diameter and it would have been directly under the part of the barrel that was wet. Then I noticed 2 other such spots. They were kind of amber colored. I knew what it was and you probably know too by now. "Yech" was my next thought, that along with some rather expletive comments that flashed through my mind and somehow also managed to escape my lips.

One of our little darlings, one of the Chihuahuas, decided to relieve itself right there in my gun case and right atop my precious Remington 513-T Matchmaster, not once but three times. My grip was shifted immediately so I was no longer holding the wet part of the gun, you can bet on that and win for sure. Yes, these little demons are housebroken - more or less. The thing is when they are let outside to go, the female needs to be watched until she goes, she sometimes even need be encouraged to go with the word "make" and pushed back out into the yard when she tries to head across the patio to the door. When she finally gets the idea..., well even then she takes her time about it. The male is pretty good, he almost never has an accident but he will sometimes mark his territory inside - something he does with much less frequency than when young (having his masculinity removed did little to curb this behavior either). I figure the female was the culprit because of 3 little circular stains/wet spots. When the male goes he leaves a wet spot and a trailing end to it sort of like a comet - if you don't know what mean you don't know squat about dog anatomy or that adult male dogs (for the most part) don't squat!

I took the rifle in the back room, loosened the single screw that holds the barrel/receiver assembly to the stock and took it apart. Then I wiped it dry and then oiled it down with Breakfree CLP (great stuff because when I came home tonight and gave it an inspection there was not a speck of rust on the metal). After cleaning off the rifle, I just closed the gun case. I cleaned the foam liner tonight in hot sudsy water in my basement sink, now it is hanging to dry. Lucky for me, the foam which got wet was not either the actual liner of the top or bottom of the case but a third piece, a sort of filler piece, that came inside the case and that I never removed. It was still soaked tonight in the same spots but that liner must have super silica in it because it retained the wetness not letting it seep though to the lower layer (which is actually glued to the bottom of the box and would had to have been torn out to clean). That was really a spot or three of luck for me! Now, that middle piece of foam is hanging to dry. Once dry, I will let the dogs have a go at it to see how interested they are in sniffing it. I figure that if they pretty much ignore it then that means I got it cleaned up well enough.

Now the reason this probably happened is because the female, as I said, is sometimes reluctant to go outside and needs prompting. Why - because she is scared of everything. Not terribly so but enough to distract her while she is out and supposed to be doing her thing. So she needs coaching. She does not always get it if just left out for a few minutes and I guess that is our fault. They are my wife's babies, and sometimes i act as if they are not also my dogs so I don't have much to do with em except petting and letting em out back and feeding them now and then. My wife and daughter walk them 99.9% of the time and also let them out back more than I do. just not long enough though. The female Chihuahua needs more time out there and more watching over to make sure the mission is accomplished. Otherwise, accidents happen - accidental discharges at that - and just imagine the damage that could have been done had my rifle barrel sat in that wet spot for the remainder of the day, maybe even more than a day. You can bet the barrel would have been pitted in a short time because it had been pissed on and you can also bet I would have been pissed off.

Something like this could have some miserable results but yet it is easily avoidable. I suppose first and foremost, it is avoidable by making sure the doggies get enough time outside. Secondly, it can be avoided by making sure not to leave any guns around that could wind up in the line of fire of one of those accidental discharges of a different nature. I am taking aim on making sure it does not happen again.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 56 - A Seasonal Gun Care Tip

Winter has passed taking it snows with it, or should I say leaving them in the form of melted run off. All that water has filled the reservoir and eventually will be recycled through evaporation and wind up in the atmosphere until it once again turns into precipitation and rains or snows down on us. Spring has sprung, as a matter of fact it is well sprung and getting warm. as usual, in many places in the USA, Spring is a rainy season. With the added warmth of its lengthening days you can bet those days will be more humid than even the most snow covered days of the harshest winter. That humidity has a way of gathering and remaining in certain parts of our homes like basements. I don't know if you realize it but something else also gathers in basements and that something else would be guns. Sure, plenty of folks who keep guns do not keep em the basement but many do. The combination of blued steel and humidity in a basement, or in any other room where you get both at the same time, can become a nightmare for the firearms enthusiast. Not only will the higher humidity of he spring and summer seasons lead to the potential for gun metal rusting but it also can lead to the distinct possibility of your ammo stores being effected.

There is a simple preventative/cure for this and I make sure to utilize it in addition to regularly cleaning and oiling my firearms. I store all my firearms with a desiccant like silica gel. It is relatively inexpensive, does a great job of wicking up humidity and keeping it away from your firearms, and works for years and years if you care for it properly. If you are like me and depend on silica type products to keep your firearms in good condition by preventing rust, now is the time to make sure that your desiccant packs are ready to absorb as much moisture as possible. If you have the type I do, with a small color coded indicator, then you can tell if they contain too much moisture and require to be heated in order to get them working to full capacity again. On the type I have, if the indicator turns from blue to pink it means that the absorption limit has been reached and the silica packs need to go in an oven at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2 to 3 hours. If you have the same type of desiccant but do not have a color coded indicator tab you may want to heat your desiccant packs about once every 2 or 3 months (make sure to follow manufacturers instructions).

I have three desiccant packs in my oven right now. One has an indicator tab with three dots that are blue if at full potential to absorb, to 1, 2 or all 3 turning pink dependent upon how much moisture has already been absorbed. Another has a single dot that also turns from blue to pink as above. The other does not have an indicator tab at all. After about 3 hours or so, I will carefully remove the desiccant packs from the oven. Note I said carefully. They claim it is non-toxic but I am not about to take chances. So when I place them into the oven, I put them atop some aluminum foil. When I take them out I grab the foil and take them out on it. I am careful not to let any silica dust, that may have worked its way out of the packs, fall into the oven. Then after they are out of the oven, I let the oven cool then sponge it clean just to make sure. never had a problem with it, just being cautious.

Once the packs are out of the oven, I let them cool off. Then I place them into the containers where I store my guns or ammo. I keep one in my gun locker, one in my ammo locker and have one that I keep in an aluminum carrying gun case. Note I said I have the stuff inside the containers in which I store ammo and guns. You could probably use this stuff to try to keep a whole room less humid but would need a lot of it and it would not work as well as it does inside an enclosed container like a gun locker. You need X amount to dehumidify or absorb moisture from Y-cubic feet. It is sold in various sizes and when sold there is usually an indication given as to in how many square feet each size will be effective.

Does it work - really? This stuff works, I would swear by it it works that well. One year that I forgotten to rejuvenate it in the oven. I had about three guns rust somewhat, and the wood stocks on two or three rifles get moldy. It was a humid year. After I cleaned all the firearms and rejuvenated the desiccant by heating it, the problem did not recur. In years when I have not forgotten to rejuvenate it I have never had any such problems. I don't forget anymore, once was enough. If by chance you use this stuff, and you have forgotten to recharge it by heating it - now is the time to get it done. If you do not use this stuff in storage with your firearms and ammo, and live in a humid area, then now may also be the time for you to buy some. It is readily available at guns shops, probably at places like Home Depot (I'll have to try them someday they may have a good deal on it), and online. Some places you can get it online are:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=6944/Product/SILICA_GEL_PAKS

http://sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=359233

http://sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=180353

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#desiccant____-_1-2-4_8-16-32

All the best,
Glenn B

Times Square: How Did I Tell You The Politicians Would React!

I told you that our politicians would in essence probably bend over backwards to avoid linking the bombing attempt in Times Square this past weekend to any Muslim Extremist groups. I did not mean they would avoid linking it to such groups if there was no evidence of a connection either, I meant they would avoid it even if there was such evidence. I also told you they would be sure to get their man, without any pushing from the public, if he was a U.S. Citizen like a militia type - you know - like a white guy from the rural areas of our nation. So how have they actually reacted to this bombing? I will not say it is just as I said, I will report and let you decide:

They have released a video of a "white" man walking down the street away from the area of the vehicle, who stops, turns around, takes of his shirt and puts it into a bag he is carrying and then continues on his way a few steps and looks to the right over his right shoulder. They say they are focusing on this man but readily admit he might not be involved - yet according to some reports - the police commissioner says the man "furtively" put the shirt into the bag. I watched the video, available here:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Police-Release-Video-of-Potential-Bomb-Suspect-92645799.html

I certainly can only see what you can see in it, maybe the police have a bigger and better copy, I am sure they have one that they have enhanced and probably have at least a few others since this is the area with the most video surveillance in NYC. Even with only this one to view, I must say, yes it looks as if he took something off like a shirt or sweater and put it into his bag. It also looks as if he was wearing another shirt under that one. Maybe he was being evasive or maybe he was hot. Taking off a shirt is not much to go on, since there were so many others in the area too but the way he turned around when he did it makes me also think he may have been looking for something behind him. Could be something, could be nothing. Tell me though, did that man do anything furtively - again - maybe or maybe not.

Note though they stress he is a white man. What does that connotate (or connote if you like the more modern word) in the minds of most Americans in a situation like this - I would think either a homegrown terrorist or a psycho. They must have a really good view on their tape to know he is not Asian (as in from places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and so forth where many people are white but their race is still Asian) or that he is not Hispanic. Of course, many Hispanics are white but their use of white here was purposefully done, I think, to take the heat off of certain groups because most people do not readily associate white men with those certain groups. That is just my personal opinion, what do you think?

As I move along, and get back to reporting and letting you decide, here is a bit of news about some evidence that has come up since the bombing. Yes, I am referring to the taped message claiming to be from the Taliban which claims responsibility for the bombing attempt. How did the politicians react to it? Here is a quote from mayor Bloomberg of NYC:

"So far, there is no evidence that any of this has anything to do with one of the recognized terrorist organizations."

No evidence! I suppose a message from the Taliban is not considered evidence because somehow the whole concept of evidence has changed under the watch of this ultra-liberal mayor. Now mind you, the way the report is written one would think the mayor said this after the message came out and I base what I am writing on that presumption. Of course, there is evidence, it is the message itself. There may be no other evidence to support that message, there may be other evidence to cast doubt on the message making it doubtful evidence, but it is evidence even if weak at best. What kind of a putz would say that this message, one claiming responsibility for the bombing is not evidence? Would it be one who does not understand the difference between the words evidence and proof (and Mayor Bloomberg most assuredly understands the difference) or would it be the kind who is a politician and who is trying to avoid having to say this may be connected to a certain group of terrorists? You decide.

Now sure, this all could change at the drop of a hat. The guy in the video could come forward to identify himself to police and tell them his legitimate reason for having been there - like maybe he just got off work. Then something else could come up to further implicate certain terror groups and the politicos could turn toward other suspects. Then again, the 'white man' in the video could be a home grown kook of the anti-everything right or left wing extremist types and they could have something really good on the video (of course he could also be a light skinned Pakistani and the tape could be real) but tell me, as it stands now, does it seem Mayor Bloomberg - for one - is bending over backwards to avoid saying this may have had something to do with Muslim extremism.

Before I close, let me make something clear. I am not bending over backwards to implicate Muslim Terrorists in this attempted bombing. I am not implicating any group. I believe we have to wait for the evidence to be in and analyzed with objective standards used to do so before anyone should make claims as to who did this. By the same token though, I am also saying that we should not eliminate any group before the same is accomplished. Too bad the politicians seemingly don't think likewise.

All the best,
Glenn B

Today in History - A Trip To The Moon...

...and I am betting that none of you knew today was the anniversary of a lunar voyage, in fact the first one ever. Well really now, it is the anniversary not of a real lunar landing but of the very first science fiction film and it was called Le voyage dans la lune and debuted on May 2, 1902 (or October 4, 1902 , or September 1, 1902 all depending on the source you quote or the country of release) I prefer the October 4th date (the date of the US debut) because that makes it a Libra like me but I went with today's date to add it here as a Today In History post instead of having to wait. I do not know which date is correct but the nod for most quoted seems to go to the September 1, 1902 date. Regardless of the date, even if today was not the debut date, the film is worth a blog post and I am posting it today.

I was going to say that I had never seen it, then checked GOOGLE and there it was, not at YouTube as I had expected but at Google video (which I did not know existed). All I can say is Voila! I have seen it now and I love it. Much like sci-fi movies of today, this one was about a small group of scientists/adventurers who head off into outer space, land on the moon, are then accosted by hostile aliens from another world but manage to escape and return home to earth. In the short span of this film are included many of the same things we see in today's films including the space ship, beautiful scantily clad babes, strange worlds, adventure, danger, beautiful scantily clad babes (remember this was 1902 and those are short shorts by anyone's standards), aliens, hostility, violence, humanity overcoming all comers, and so on. For the most part, these movies have changed only in as much as they seem more realistic today, have bigger budgets, and somewhat sexier babes with just a bit less clothing. As I said though, this one had all the basics and I imagine it made the kids and sci-fi buffs of that other time as thrilled as I was the first time I saw Alien.

Of course, being as old as it is it is also corny beyond compare when you look at today's sci-fi movies but yet I think it was worth watching anyway - if just to see the first one ever. I am a bit of a sci-fi buff, I especially love movies and shows along those lines and even though this one is a silent film classic and only 14 minutes long, I think you might love it too if you love the genre. Here it is, with narration (that I am supposing was added many years later as this was a silent film), for your enjoyment.



I may or may not watch it again but I will be certain to watch many more films of the sci-fi genre; films that this one, the first one, spawned to thrill us and chill us.

All the best,
Glenn B

Be Careful...

...out there my friend. My guess is you got called out on this. I hope you brought your Sonic screwdriver set! You know who you are!

Later for you,
GB

The NYPD...

...has officially called it a bombing attempt and Commissioner Ray Kelly said that an improvised bomb was dismantled by law enforcement. It sounds to me like an amatueurish attempt but even at that, had this gone off there probably would have been lots of deaths, injuries and damage.

This is one of the most video covered locations in the USA so chances are they will spot the culprits on camera and catch them quickly. Let us hope so.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Bomb Or A Vehicle Fire...

...causing a panic in Times Square in the heart of NYC's Manhattan Theater District? Take your pick but as I sit here and watch on the TV news as I type let me tell you with all those officers standing around with hands in their pockets, I hope it is not a bomb.

The low down so far, as per Fox news and CNN, is that at about 1830 (6:30PM) a tee-shirt vendor alerted a NYPD Mounted Police Officer of an abandoned vehicle with smoke coming out of it (a Nissan Pathfinder). A later search reportedly found propane tanks and a container of gasoline inside the Pathfinder. There was reportedly also a possible timing device found in the vehicle. So was it all a bomb or is it a case of over reactive imaginations. If it was a bomb - thank goodness it did not go off a good eye on the cop who spotted the smoke. If it was not a bomb - well okay then - I would rather have them over react than not and then have it explode when they thought it was nothing.

The thing is, if this does turn out to have been a failed bombing attempt, and if the the evidence points to Muslim Extremists - and I am not in any way shape or form saying that there is any such evidence right now just saying IF it does develop - then the time has come to prepare yourselves for more of this on our shores in very short time - in my estimation. Why do I think so. Because of the failed subway bombing plot in NYC (for which the bums were just convicted), because of the Colonel who shot up the military base not all that long ago. If this too is linked to Muslim extremism then the fever of it is here and firmly planted and you had better be prepared to deal with it (legally) and to deal with with spineless politicians and bureaucrats who may again try to have you basically ignore it. If it is here, then we need to take action and that action should be, in my opinion, legal, swift and strong to counteract it. We do not need to become another Paris with mobs of Muslim extremists youths firebombing cars and beating people. We do not need to become England where Sharia law is now, at least in part, the law of the land. We do not need to become plagued by terrorist violence like Israel. We need to get rid of the problem swiftly and decisively and legall. Round ups and deportations may be called for of all illegal aliens from certain nations, and more scrutiny of those legally here, but that is my absolutely personal opinion (as is everything else in this post).

Again though, that is only if this is related to terrorism - and caused by terrorists especially Islamic Extremist types. Of course, it could be terrorism of another ilk, like those home grown wackos who blew up the federal building or the ones who recently plotted to kill a police officer then attack the funeral of the officer to kill more officers. I don't see us needing to do much to wake up our politicians because if American citizens are involved I have no doubt our politicians will act swiftly, they always are ready to denounce what they call right or left wing extremists. It is just that I have my doubts if they are Muslims as to the response our politicians will have - just look at the shooting by Major Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood. He screamed out the name of his so called glorious god while he killed and they don't want to call it Muslim extremism. Shame on them and shame on us if we let that happen again.

Then again for another time, maybe it was just a burning vehicle with propane tanks for a restaurant and extra gas in a can and yada, yada, yada... I suppose we will know more as time goes on. As for me, I tend to think it may be the real deal, they have been at it all night long. In addition, I just heard the car and plates do not match; a not all that uncommon event in n NYC but quite the coincidence with the fire, the propane, the gasoline, the so called possible timer and the place where it was parked (one of the most crowded night spots in Manhattan). In closing let me say - real deal alert - but probably an attempt by a rank amateur. Let's hope either that or nothing but coincidence and a vehicle fire.

All the best,
Glenn B

Spring Fever....

...may have struck me in more ways than one. I have been pretty sick with what I thought was just allergies but now figure more likely to have been a probable sinus infection. Along with the sinus thing I had muscle and joint aches and pains and a fever the past few days. Started mildly with aches on Tuesday, had me feeling terrible on Wednesday and Thursday but I kept going. That was until yesterday when I took off from work because on Thursday night I had a recorded fever up to 101.5 and I figure it probably hit around at least 103 based on how hard I was shivering when I awoke in the middle of the night. My teeth were chattering so hard I figured it best not to try to use the mercury filled glass thermometer between them.

I am feeling much better today though still somewhat under the weather. I am sort of , my sinuses still ache as do my joints and muscles but I was well enough to head out to Home Depot where that other type of spring fever hit me. Once there I headed straight to the garden department. Much to my dismay, by this time of the spring, they no longer sell flats of started tomato plants and I had to settle for individually potted plants. That went for almost every plant I bought. Usually I buy my tomatoes and most other plants by earl to mid April and have them planted by then. No such luck this year since I only got home from Phoenix on the 17th (which was a Saturday and meant that weekend was virtually shot for stuff like this). Last weekend I just did not get it done. Today - Home Depot was mobbed.

Despite the crowd, I was able to maneuver pretty deftly and pick up what I needed with ease. I facilitated my shopping by planting my cart out of the way and leaving it there, then walking back and forth to it with items I got off the shelves; that was after I had put 6 bags of manure and one huge bag of potting soil onto it. In all I spent $103. I picked up two 18 pot flats of Petunias, 1 flat of Marigolds, 1 potted African Daisy, a pot of started Straight neck Squash (they did not have our favorite - Butternut Squash), a few tomato plants, a pepper plant or two and some parsley and sweet basil. There selection was somewhat lacking but during other years I shop for the garden starting in April and go through part of May instead of trying to get it all in one day so some things they probably had in April are no longer available and other may still be yet to come. After Home Depot I stopped at a local garden center and bought another tomato plant and two Portuguese hot pepper plants.

Once home I unloaded the car with my daughter's help. The whole deal, driving - shopping - unloading, took me 2 hours and 15 minutes and I am now pooped. I guess I am still really run down from whatever it was that ailed me. So for now, I am taking it easy. I'll kill and hour or two and then it will be out in the garden for me. Bushes need trimming, the lawn needs cleaning up and mowing, the vegetable gardens needs to be turned, have the composted manure added, and then have the plants planted, pots need refilling and petunias need to be potted and on and on.

All the best,
Glenn B

Ballseye's Gun Shots 55 - Reloading Kits - Time To Make A Decision...

...and if you know anything about reloading, I could use your help.

Now that I am back home from Phoenix, and since I have read the ABC's of Reloading, I am ready to pick up a reloading kit. The ones I am considering are listed below. Note, I am not going to necessarily buy them from Midway USA but am just using links to their site because they have all the ones in which I have an interest right now. Once I decide on which one to get, I will shop around for price, for example Cabela's has the RCBS kit at about $23 less than Midway.

Here are the ones I am considering right now:

1. Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic Single Stage Press Kit -
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=749997

2. RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=646599

3. Lyman Crusher 2 Single Stage Press Expert Kit
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=283295

4. Lyman Crusher 2 Single Stage Press Deluxe Expert Kit 110 Volt
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=724116

5. Redding Big Boss Single Stage Press Deluxe Kit
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=897117

Feel free to leave comments, based upon your own reloading experience, about which you think is the better deal.

Thanks,
Glenn B

A Revolution Of Sorts May Not Be As Far Off As I Thought...

...after all just watch the video at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRp7Y9fyEpw&playnext_from=TL&videos=GxNDvZRc36k&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh%2Bdiv-1r-6-HM

Now, tell me - that is if you are a working and tax paying American Citizen - whether or not this video gets your blood boiling even if it is supposed to be comedy - which I truly doubt. It disgusts me because so far only Bill Maher has had so called comedy, that is really poorly disguised political commentary, as tasteless as this before and because apparently a lot of people really feel exactly the same way - that they deserve the fruits of the hard working tax payer for nothing. I think the person in the video probably truly believes all she is saying whether or not she is a YouTube wonder. I also think a lot of other leeches people in this country feel likewise. It may be time to stop them in their tracks before they suck the rest of us dry because all too soon it will be too late.

I hope more liberal socialist bloodsuckers people, who feel the same way as the lady woman in the video will make similar videos and inundate us with them. Keep them coming and make them as vile and as base as was, in my opinion, this one. Pump em out at least several times a month or more, right up through November. The revolution that comes may not be violent at all, except maybe for the politicians who shoot themselves after their fiefdoms crumble in the elections in November and the other side takes control of the government, but I do think it is coming in one form or another. With people like this out there, sucking the rest of us dry, a revolution seems inevitable - after all it would be self defense of a sorts - wouldn't it? Mind you, I am not condoning a revolution, not a violent one anyway, just predicting one. Hopefully it can be accomplished in the voting booth.

All the best,
Glenn B

Shooting Plans Shot Down...

...by one of the shooters because he got home from a night out at about 0600 and slept until about noon. Oh well, I guess that is youth for you. I don't think he was out drinking either just hanging out with friends otherwise he would have slept longer and anyway he said he wasn't. Oh well, next week. Of course we had a long father son talk, it lasted about 6 hours - really it did. Sometime in the mid afternoon, I got him into the car but only after asking him a question in the house first. The question was: "North, east, south or west?". After asking several times and just telling him to pick one he picked north. That was our direction once we got into the Ford.

We headed up to Clarence Fahnestock (I would swear they have recently changed the spelling of this name) Memorial State park off of the Taconic Parkway and route 301, about 1 1/2 hours from where we live. Once there we parked at one of our favorite ponds and decided to take a hike, then proceeded to check out the pond on the first stretch of our hike. We spotted several Red Spotted Newts, most males with their enlarged tails for the mating season. We did see at least one female in the act of mating with a male as another male swam by to investigate or maybe to try to steal away the female for himself. We also saw quite a few sunfish, and I spotted what looked like some sort of a gar. I later checked and saw that only the Longnose Gar is found naturally in NY but they usually are found in rivers or streams. This could be a transplant or could be a natural but I suppose also could have been a pike or pickerel although I doubt it because it had that distinctive gar like snout and appeared to be silver in color. We also saw a couple of green frogs and a lot of newly hatched insects skirting the water's surface and providing food for the frogs, fish and newts.

On we went into the woods and up an unmarked trail toward another pond I knew of that is by my estimation about 1 1/2 miles into the forest. We got there after a short detour. The detour was simply us following one trail a bit too far without breaking off onto a smaller less used side trail that led to the other pond. While on our trek we came across an old abandoned and flooded mine entrance, a chipmunk or two scampering about, several small birds fluttering here and there, and a forest that was coming to life with new buds and leaves opening all around us. It was pretty amazing how almost bare the trees looked compared to some along the highway just 15 miles or so south of where we were in the park. That was great as it was because it gave us some views of the park we have not seen before. While Brendan may not remember the vistas all that well, I have been visiting Clarence Fahnestock State Park for many years, since I was about 9 years old or so. I love it there, it is truly a wonderful getaway from life in or around NYC. I have taken Brendan there before, but I do believe it has been too long since he was there with me for a fishing trip or a camp-out. Hopefully that will be something we can fix this spring, summer and fall.

We walked, we talked, it was good being together with one another after my having been gone for so long while I was in Phoenix. The bonding thing is always good suppose and when you can do it in wonderful surroundings like the forests of NY state then it is all the better. We finally arrived at that other pond, stayed for a short spell admiring the sound of some Canada Geese in the distance. at first, I did not see them at all but Brendan with his younger and keener eyes told me where they were and I finally caught a glimpse of them after having searched them out for several minutes. We watched the pond surface and saw several fish surfacing and even jumping. Whether they were jumping to get away from a predator like a large bass or to zero in on and gobble up an insect on the surface we did not know. While there we also heard the call of a few frogs. Two sounded like green Frogs to me though Brendan thought one was a Bullfrog. As we left we also heard another frog out in the woods, maybe a Spring Peeper but I am not sure.

We made our way back to the car only to realize we had stayed on the wrong trail when we should have taken another fork back some ways. It did not matter as I was sure this trail came out on the road on which our car was parked. In fact it brought us closer to our car than i thought it would have done. Thing was there were a few signs on the trail saying it was closed due to dangerous conditions. I suppose the fact that the two dams,on the upper pond near the road, were both out was the reason for the signs. We made our way over or around the one further from the road and the other one we avoided because it did look to be pretty dangerous and we crossed the stream under it on a bridge of stones that someone had been nice enough to have built. Only reason we stayed on that trail once we saw the signs was because we were so far from the one we should have been on and it was getting late enough to worry about darkness falling if we turned around and went back and had any other delay.

Once back on the road we headed right to the car only a short distance away, maybe even closer to the car than where the path began that we had first set out on. Not a bad mistake taking the 'wrong' fork in the trails as we did. We met a fisherman and his lady companion and their large canine friend. he said he had been trying for trout with no luck. I have fished that pond for over 45 years and have not once pulled out a trout or seen anyone else do it either. Maybe he was misinformed that it was stocked with trout, or maybe that is a new thing. I am sure that even if he did not catch any fish he had a better time than he would have had at work - unless maybe he fishes for a living.

After that it was homeward bound for us. Once we were back in the neighborhood so to speak, we stopped at a local Chinese restaurant and had ourselves a small feast. That made for a nice way to end our day spent together. Hopefully though, the next time we plan to go to the range we will actually do it. Still though, I have absolutely no complaints about how the day turned out and i think neither does Brendan.

All the best,
Glenn B

Going Shooting Tomorrow...

...even though I had hoped to be going fishing. Of course, since I will be shooting with Brendan it will be a good thing nonetheless. He will be trying out his Stag Arms AR rifle for the first time since he got it back from the dealer who supposedly sent it to the factory for repair. The dealer says they put a new front sight on the rifle at the Stag Arms factory but failed to give my son any documentation to that effect. For all I know he slapped on some after-market piece of junk hoping it would solve the problems that Brendan was having with the rifle. We will see what is the effect and I will be sure to contact both the dealer and the factory to make sure it was indeed the factory who worked on the rifle. Sound cynical on my part - you bet-ya it does because I do not trust this dealer as far as I can spit into a gale force wind. Prior dealings with him you know!

Whatever the case, we will have fun shooting, more fun if Brendan's Stag is shooting where he aims. I plan to increase our fun by bringing along a decent variety of what we have to shoot. I figure to tote along maybe a couple or three of our 22 rifles, probably a Nagant, maybe my SKS and Brendan's AK47 and if I am up for punishment then I'll bring the 870 too.

I'll let you know how it turns out and if my memory serves me well tomorrow in the AM then I'll remember to bring my camera along to take pictures to show to you too.

All the best,
GB