So far there has been only one donation toward the Soldiers' Holiday Care package but it was a nice one. Al S., a coworker of mine and a friend, donated $50 on the first or second day of the drive. That is going to go a long way to making my assigned soldier and some others in his unit pretty happy. I already have a decent package together and if I have the time, I'll send it out on Saturday. I'll detail the contents when I send it out.
Please, if you have a buck or three to spare, think about making a donation.
All the best,
GB
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
President Obama Insulting The American Voter Once Again?
"People out there are still hurting very badly, and they are still scared. And so part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared," Obama said at a Democratic fundraiser Saturday in Boston. "And the country is scared, and they have good reason to be." (Quote source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/18/obama-voters-scared-thinking-clearly-election/)
First of all, I cannot believe how insulting this president can be regarding the intelligence of the American voter. he outright insults voters again and again and the statement above is more of the same. Are we truly to believe him that we are not thinking straight because we are scared. I hate to say it but I am scared - scared that this administration will remain in power after November. That is why I will vote for almost anyone but a democrat on election day. Now does that indicate to you that I am not thinking clearly? You see, I have gone over the accomplishments versus the failures of both the House and the Senate. I find the failures far outweigh the accomplishments. I also find that this Congress, especially under the current president, is one that swings far left toward socialism (as in the Health Care Law and as in government ownership/running of automobile companies and many other things). In addition I believe their current policies and hoped for future policies will destroy the prosperity of our nation and will destroy our Constitutional form of government. I came to these findings after long careful study of the facts. I studied the facts because I was alarmed, as in scared. I agree with the president on one point, that last sentence in the quote above, that Americans are scared and have good reason to be. He just does not want to accept the fact that we have good reasons to be scared and those reasons are his and Congress's ultra-leftist policies that may well lead to the ruin of the United States of America.
Does my being scared mean I cannot think effectively. No it does not. I am not terrified, I am not peeing in my pants in fear and trembling in a corner. I am scared more that this political balderdash and conniving will continue and it will be detrimental to our nation and so, I have thought about how to stop it from happening. The way to do that is to vote out the bums. How dare this president say we as a people are not thinking clearly if that is what we choose to do. Whom does he think he is anyway. He is not our superior, not our master, not our boss, certainly not my mentor, nor my role model and not the person to in any way control my or your vote. He is our employee and one who is doing rather poorly at his job. If he and his cronies cannot get the job done well then out they go and he best not forget it. That is about as intelligent a thinking process as anyone could produce. On the other hand, to fall for his smooth yet hollow rhetoric, his false sense of savoire faire, his bullying, his apparent less than truthfulness about such groups as the Tea Party and Acorn (both opposite sides of the coin but was he truthful about either), his seemingly hypocritical accusations about fund raising, his claims that the economy has recovered, and his attempts at winning us over by insulting us, would truly indicate someone was not thinking straight. In that case though it would probably be because they were choking on all the smoke he has been blowing.
All the best,
Glenn B
First of all, I cannot believe how insulting this president can be regarding the intelligence of the American voter. he outright insults voters again and again and the statement above is more of the same. Are we truly to believe him that we are not thinking straight because we are scared. I hate to say it but I am scared - scared that this administration will remain in power after November. That is why I will vote for almost anyone but a democrat on election day. Now does that indicate to you that I am not thinking clearly? You see, I have gone over the accomplishments versus the failures of both the House and the Senate. I find the failures far outweigh the accomplishments. I also find that this Congress, especially under the current president, is one that swings far left toward socialism (as in the Health Care Law and as in government ownership/running of automobile companies and many other things). In addition I believe their current policies and hoped for future policies will destroy the prosperity of our nation and will destroy our Constitutional form of government. I came to these findings after long careful study of the facts. I studied the facts because I was alarmed, as in scared. I agree with the president on one point, that last sentence in the quote above, that Americans are scared and have good reason to be. He just does not want to accept the fact that we have good reasons to be scared and those reasons are his and Congress's ultra-leftist policies that may well lead to the ruin of the United States of America.
Does my being scared mean I cannot think effectively. No it does not. I am not terrified, I am not peeing in my pants in fear and trembling in a corner. I am scared more that this political balderdash and conniving will continue and it will be detrimental to our nation and so, I have thought about how to stop it from happening. The way to do that is to vote out the bums. How dare this president say we as a people are not thinking clearly if that is what we choose to do. Whom does he think he is anyway. He is not our superior, not our master, not our boss, certainly not my mentor, nor my role model and not the person to in any way control my or your vote. He is our employee and one who is doing rather poorly at his job. If he and his cronies cannot get the job done well then out they go and he best not forget it. That is about as intelligent a thinking process as anyone could produce. On the other hand, to fall for his smooth yet hollow rhetoric, his false sense of savoire faire, his bullying, his apparent less than truthfulness about such groups as the Tea Party and Acorn (both opposite sides of the coin but was he truthful about either), his seemingly hypocritical accusations about fund raising, his claims that the economy has recovered, and his attempts at winning us over by insulting us, would truly indicate someone was not thinking straight. In that case though it would probably be because they were choking on all the smoke he has been blowing.
All the best,
Glenn B
Monday, October 18, 2010
Marlin XL7 30-06 - Like A Siren's Song...
...a new bolt action rifle keeps calling my name in an incessantly alluring manner. That the rifle is a budget model does not make it any less tempting to me, in fact it makes it more so especially because, while an inexpensive 30 caliber rifle, it is said to be a good one. I had sort of had my mind set on the Marlin XS7 in .308 but the XL7 in 30-06 is just about as tempting and I have found one at a really decent price of about $320. Granted, the ammo for the XL7 in 30-06 would be more expensive than the .308 ammo for the XS7 but the 30-06 also sings its own sort of Siren's Song to me in that the 30-06 is a superior caliber to the .308 and is an old time classic - among the best overall calibers in the world.
I am thinking about going for it. I really cannot afford it right now with a vacation coming up in December, plus the holidays and birthdays but man is it ever so tempting. I do have about $125 in the piggy bank and that would help. One of the only things that keeps me from jumping on it is the magazine is a blind box magazine - in other words it is an internal magazine that is integral to the rifle and it does not have a floorplate. If a round gets stuck in there it could be a witch to clear it. Then again, for the price it is supposed to be one heck of a great deal. Of course I have also been considering a more expensive Savage 11 or a Remington 700. Decisions - decisions!
All the best,
Glenn B
I am thinking about going for it. I really cannot afford it right now with a vacation coming up in December, plus the holidays and birthdays but man is it ever so tempting. I do have about $125 in the piggy bank and that would help. One of the only things that keeps me from jumping on it is the magazine is a blind box magazine - in other words it is an internal magazine that is integral to the rifle and it does not have a floorplate. If a round gets stuck in there it could be a witch to clear it. Then again, for the price it is supposed to be one heck of a great deal. Of course I have also been considering a more expensive Savage 11 or a Remington 700. Decisions - decisions!
All the best,
Glenn B
Motorcycle Insurance
I have been working on my son's motorcycle insurance for the past couple of hours. What a pain in the neck getting online quotes. Blogging to be continued probably tomorrow.
Later for you,
Glenn B
Later for you,
Glenn B
Friday, October 15, 2010
The View - Do People In This Country Really Take Them Seriously
Tell me because I truly am aghast at the thought - do folks in our country truly take seriously Whoopi Goldberg (I think just that name is ridiculous let alone her view) Wa-Wa Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd? Do Americans also lend any credence at all to Joy Behar? It is sad to think, even for a moment, that they do. All this fuss over them and the Fox News lefty/righty switching Leprechaun having it out on that show just totally mystifies me. Why make a fuss about anything they talked about or did on that show? It is plain foolish entertainment at its very best, entertainment geared toward an audience of fools - don't you think? They almost make, in my opinion, that jerk terrible talk show host Jerry Springer look like presidential material for 2012.
I have watched The View a number of times while in a doctor's office or while waiting for my car at Jiffy Lube because it was on the tube and I could not change it. I also watched some of Springer's show back when it was on, usually under like conditions. Of course, I sometimes also watch Bill O'Reilly - mostly because I want to watch the news. I am no fan of any of theirs' but have to say that compared to Goldberg, Hasselbeck, Shepherd and Behar, O'Reilly looks like a brain surgeon standing next to 4 of his patients on whom the surgeries were dismal failures. The fifth one, BW, she compares favorably to O'Reilly for smarts, she could have assisted him during those failed surgeries, but both are, in my opinion, out and out charlatans (aka: quacks).
So tell me - do a great number of American actually give them any serious consideration as pundits? If the answer really is yes - well it is no wonder why we are doomed to social, economic, political and probably military failure. We have, or at least some of you have, what I believe are blithering idiots as our mentors. It explains a lot about how an unheard of community organizer was thought to have been experienced enough to have become president. Lots of people must have believed and clung to every word these TV personalities told them. A damn shame is what it is, and a real injustice to all of us. Give me someone like Walter Cronkite any day for news commentary over any of them and someone like Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, or George H.W. Bush for leadership and someone like Theodore Roosevelt and Condoleeza Rice for mentorship.
All the best,
Glenn B
I have watched The View a number of times while in a doctor's office or while waiting for my car at Jiffy Lube because it was on the tube and I could not change it. I also watched some of Springer's show back when it was on, usually under like conditions. Of course, I sometimes also watch Bill O'Reilly - mostly because I want to watch the news. I am no fan of any of theirs' but have to say that compared to Goldberg, Hasselbeck, Shepherd and Behar, O'Reilly looks like a brain surgeon standing next to 4 of his patients on whom the surgeries were dismal failures. The fifth one, BW, she compares favorably to O'Reilly for smarts, she could have assisted him during those failed surgeries, but both are, in my opinion, out and out charlatans (aka: quacks).
So tell me - do a great number of American actually give them any serious consideration as pundits? If the answer really is yes - well it is no wonder why we are doomed to social, economic, political and probably military failure. We have, or at least some of you have, what I believe are blithering idiots as our mentors. It explains a lot about how an unheard of community organizer was thought to have been experienced enough to have become president. Lots of people must have believed and clung to every word these TV personalities told them. A damn shame is what it is, and a real injustice to all of us. Give me someone like Walter Cronkite any day for news commentary over any of them and someone like Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, or George H.W. Bush for leadership and someone like Theodore Roosevelt and Condoleeza Rice for mentorship.
All the best,
Glenn B
Early To Bed And Early To Rise...
...makes me feel like blah. Here I am getting up at 0350 to go to work early today! This sucks but hopefully it means my workday will end early too.
All the best,
GB
All the best,
GB
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Ballseye's Guns Shots 96 - My Son's New Favorite Gun (or how to shoot and possibly avoid arthritis and other related aches & pains)
I am not a doctor, not an expert in anatomy, nor in biophysics. So take what I am about to say as my anecdotal opinion and not much more, unless of course you decide to try it and it works for you. I know, it works for me and it seems my son independently has discovered it works for him too.
Two evenings ago, my son stopped down in the man cave for a rare after work visit with me; a rare visit in that after he gets home from work he usually does not want to talk to his annoying old man. Well, as it turned out, he picks up the Marlin 25MN that I have leaning up against some molding around one of the doors, makes sure it is empty, brings it to his shoulder pointing it in a safe direction and says: "This is my new favorite gun". Now one has to wonder, why would a soon to be 21 year old young man, in good shape and health, say that. I mean, he owns his own AK47 and his own AR15, he enjoys shooting my SKS, my 91/30 Mosin Nagant and M44 Mosin Nagant and sometimes has fun shooting the Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun - so I really had to ask myself why he said that. He blurted it out before I could ask him and the riddle was solved as to why this young man liked what he had probably thought was a pansy's gun just a week before. He said something to the effect: 'You can shoot this all day long with no recoil and no pain, its good to shoot it to take a break from larger calibers with lots more kick'.
Hmm, he does learn somethings without having to hear them from me. No let me correct that because he has heard that from me numerous times but never paid it much mind. Well, the last time we went shooting he picked it up and started to fire shot after shot and went through about 150 rounds or so, and 100 of them pretty darned fast with a pretty decent group at that. I think he was really impressed at how little recoil there was and at how much fun it was to shoot it after first having pounded his right shoulder with some 12 gauge slugs, some 7.62x54R, lots of .35 Remington and lots of .223 rounds. I had shot them all too, plus some 8mm Mauser out of my Yugo 24/47. I can tell you without a doubt in my mind, taking some time out between the bigger bore rifles to shoot something in .22 caliber is really a smart thing to do if you like your joints. That is why I almost always bring along a .22 caliber rifle to the range when I bring the bigger ones with me.
With me, I do it because I have had joint problems for years due to old injuries and due to Lyme disease. I have arthritis in my neck and shoulders and probably have a burr in each shoulder. I also had a cyst in my neck that probably caused a lot of the neck, upper back and right shoulder and arm pain I used to experience. I had it removed, found out it had been sitting on a nerve that runs down the neck into the shoulder and onto the arm. Since the surgery the arm is feeling better, not without pain but simply much less painful. With all these aches, pains, crackles and crunches in those areas, I decided a couple of years or more back to tone it down on the larger bore guns at the range. I started making it my routine to bring the 22s. I have a bunch of them - so why not enjoy them. I saw a lessening in pain after range days almost immediately.
Now, as I said above, I am not a doctor but I am willing to bet that some of the pain I have in my neck and right shoulder is due to the fact that I have been shooting a 12 gauge shotgun regularly ever since I started my career over 31 years ago. I have also been shooting medium bore rifles since then (some for my job others for pleasure). All that pounding as evidenced by all the bruises (from the 12 gauge) have had to have taken their toll. I am also willing to bet that had I taken it a bit easier and shot some 22 in there along the way I would have wound up with joints in better shape than they are now.
My son seems to have grasped this already, hopefully long before having developed any sort of muscular or skeletal problems like arthritis or town rotator cuffs or bursitis or whatever. What was it the weight lifters used to say: "No pain, no gain". Not for me anymore! I think Steve Reeves (former competitive weight lifter and I think Mr. Universe, and actor who played Hercules way back when) had it right when he said something to the effect of 'if your in pain, you have no brain' in relation to weight lifting. Same goes for shooting as far as I can tell - more or less. Sure, if you shoot a 12 gauge slug gun tactically in a timed event, chances are you will wind up in some pain. If you shoot a fairly large bore rifle to sight it in for hunting season, the same could be true. Same thing for any fairly large bore rifle or shotgun you shoot. The thing is though, you do not need to torture yourself to have fun while shooting, at least not if you have a brain. If you start to ache, if you hear the joints cracking, if you begin to stiffen up, anything like that, then put down the rifles and shotguns, loosen up a bit and if you really want to or need to continue shooting - then maybe you would be better off shooting something in 22 rimfire. Not only is it just as much fun as shooting the larger calibers and less painful at that, it is less expensive too. Yeah, shooting something like our Marlin 25MN in .22WMR (22 magnum) is fairly expensive with a box of 50 rounds going for around $12 to $14 but not as expensive as shooting any of the other calibers I mentioned above if shooting quality ammo. If that is still too expensive for you as an alternate to the shoulder crunching calibers, then go to a rifle in .22LR. It has even less recoil than .22WMR.
Of course, if you suffer from arthritis or other ailments that make it virtually impossible for you to shoot larger bore firearms, you may want to try to see if you can still shoot something in 22 rimfire caliber. It may be a way to still enjoy a pastime that you thought you had been forced to give up - but if you are that bad it may be a good idea to check with your doctor first. It may also be a good idea to hold off on any additional shooting, until you see a doctor, if you get any really serious acute pain while shooting.
If you treat yourself right, and don't inadvertently punish yourself and your joints, you will probably find shooting to be a much nicer experience and may find that your joints wind up staying in good shape a whole lot longer than did mine. Sure, I pointed out above, I have had past joint injuries and Lyme Disease (twice at that) and those things probably took their toll but there is no reason for me to make it worse. So, I bring along a 22 when I also have the larger rifles, heck sometimes they 22s are all I bring along. That way I can keep shooting on those days when the aches and pains start to bother me or already have been bothering me. I can also shoot the 22s on days when the pain is not there, thus probably helping to assure it will not bother me the following days. As I said, I am no doctor but it makes sense to me.
I think my son has hit on something all on his own regardless of me having told him about it countless times and him apparently not listening. Amazing how that happened - how it became his own independent observation that did not cross pollinate with my advice - but I listened to him, even if in amazement when he told me about why the Marlin 25MN has become his favorite gun. I am happy for him if it spares him some of what I have gone through. I only wish I had learned it earlier myself but then I did not have anyone around, as smart as my son, repeatedly telling me about it until I figured it out myself.
All the best,
Glenn B
Two evenings ago, my son stopped down in the man cave for a rare after work visit with me; a rare visit in that after he gets home from work he usually does not want to talk to his annoying old man. Well, as it turned out, he picks up the Marlin 25MN that I have leaning up against some molding around one of the doors, makes sure it is empty, brings it to his shoulder pointing it in a safe direction and says: "This is my new favorite gun". Now one has to wonder, why would a soon to be 21 year old young man, in good shape and health, say that. I mean, he owns his own AK47 and his own AR15, he enjoys shooting my SKS, my 91/30 Mosin Nagant and M44 Mosin Nagant and sometimes has fun shooting the Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun - so I really had to ask myself why he said that. He blurted it out before I could ask him and the riddle was solved as to why this young man liked what he had probably thought was a pansy's gun just a week before. He said something to the effect: 'You can shoot this all day long with no recoil and no pain, its good to shoot it to take a break from larger calibers with lots more kick'.
Hmm, he does learn somethings without having to hear them from me. No let me correct that because he has heard that from me numerous times but never paid it much mind. Well, the last time we went shooting he picked it up and started to fire shot after shot and went through about 150 rounds or so, and 100 of them pretty darned fast with a pretty decent group at that. I think he was really impressed at how little recoil there was and at how much fun it was to shoot it after first having pounded his right shoulder with some 12 gauge slugs, some 7.62x54R, lots of .35 Remington and lots of .223 rounds. I had shot them all too, plus some 8mm Mauser out of my Yugo 24/47. I can tell you without a doubt in my mind, taking some time out between the bigger bore rifles to shoot something in .22 caliber is really a smart thing to do if you like your joints. That is why I almost always bring along a .22 caliber rifle to the range when I bring the bigger ones with me.
With me, I do it because I have had joint problems for years due to old injuries and due to Lyme disease. I have arthritis in my neck and shoulders and probably have a burr in each shoulder. I also had a cyst in my neck that probably caused a lot of the neck, upper back and right shoulder and arm pain I used to experience. I had it removed, found out it had been sitting on a nerve that runs down the neck into the shoulder and onto the arm. Since the surgery the arm is feeling better, not without pain but simply much less painful. With all these aches, pains, crackles and crunches in those areas, I decided a couple of years or more back to tone it down on the larger bore guns at the range. I started making it my routine to bring the 22s. I have a bunch of them - so why not enjoy them. I saw a lessening in pain after range days almost immediately.
Now, as I said above, I am not a doctor but I am willing to bet that some of the pain I have in my neck and right shoulder is due to the fact that I have been shooting a 12 gauge shotgun regularly ever since I started my career over 31 years ago. I have also been shooting medium bore rifles since then (some for my job others for pleasure). All that pounding as evidenced by all the bruises (from the 12 gauge) have had to have taken their toll. I am also willing to bet that had I taken it a bit easier and shot some 22 in there along the way I would have wound up with joints in better shape than they are now.
My son seems to have grasped this already, hopefully long before having developed any sort of muscular or skeletal problems like arthritis or town rotator cuffs or bursitis or whatever. What was it the weight lifters used to say: "No pain, no gain". Not for me anymore! I think Steve Reeves (former competitive weight lifter and I think Mr. Universe, and actor who played Hercules way back when) had it right when he said something to the effect of 'if your in pain, you have no brain' in relation to weight lifting. Same goes for shooting as far as I can tell - more or less. Sure, if you shoot a 12 gauge slug gun tactically in a timed event, chances are you will wind up in some pain. If you shoot a fairly large bore rifle to sight it in for hunting season, the same could be true. Same thing for any fairly large bore rifle or shotgun you shoot. The thing is though, you do not need to torture yourself to have fun while shooting, at least not if you have a brain. If you start to ache, if you hear the joints cracking, if you begin to stiffen up, anything like that, then put down the rifles and shotguns, loosen up a bit and if you really want to or need to continue shooting - then maybe you would be better off shooting something in 22 rimfire. Not only is it just as much fun as shooting the larger calibers and less painful at that, it is less expensive too. Yeah, shooting something like our Marlin 25MN in .22WMR (22 magnum) is fairly expensive with a box of 50 rounds going for around $12 to $14 but not as expensive as shooting any of the other calibers I mentioned above if shooting quality ammo. If that is still too expensive for you as an alternate to the shoulder crunching calibers, then go to a rifle in .22LR. It has even less recoil than .22WMR.
Of course, if you suffer from arthritis or other ailments that make it virtually impossible for you to shoot larger bore firearms, you may want to try to see if you can still shoot something in 22 rimfire caliber. It may be a way to still enjoy a pastime that you thought you had been forced to give up - but if you are that bad it may be a good idea to check with your doctor first. It may also be a good idea to hold off on any additional shooting, until you see a doctor, if you get any really serious acute pain while shooting.
If you treat yourself right, and don't inadvertently punish yourself and your joints, you will probably find shooting to be a much nicer experience and may find that your joints wind up staying in good shape a whole lot longer than did mine. Sure, I pointed out above, I have had past joint injuries and Lyme Disease (twice at that) and those things probably took their toll but there is no reason for me to make it worse. So, I bring along a 22 when I also have the larger rifles, heck sometimes they 22s are all I bring along. That way I can keep shooting on those days when the aches and pains start to bother me or already have been bothering me. I can also shoot the 22s on days when the pain is not there, thus probably helping to assure it will not bother me the following days. As I said, I am no doctor but it makes sense to me.
I think my son has hit on something all on his own regardless of me having told him about it countless times and him apparently not listening. Amazing how that happened - how it became his own independent observation that did not cross pollinate with my advice - but I listened to him, even if in amazement when he told me about why the Marlin 25MN has become his favorite gun. I am happy for him if it spares him some of what I have gone through. I only wish I had learned it earlier myself but then I did not have anyone around, as smart as my son, repeatedly telling me about it until I figured it out myself.
All the best,
Glenn B
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ballseye's Gun Shots 95 - A Tisket A Tasket - What To Put In The Christmas Shopping Basket (but wait until after Thanksgiving or I may hate myself)
Here I sit, trying to think about something to write about guns or shooting or ammo or hunting something along those lines and I am stumped about what to write about. Not all that much is coming to mind and that has me perplexed because there is one thing that comes to mid but I may hate myself if I do write about it now, in October. You see, I really do not like seeing the once traditional timing of the seasons upset by bad marketing and greed in that Christmas sales begin before Thanksgiving. Once upon a time, Christmas (and Chanukah) sales did not commence until the day after Thanksgiving. That particular Friday, Black Friday, marked the unofficial start of the commercial selling season for Christmas for the majority of my life (and let me just say I am into my second half century).
I am guessing it was about 20 years or so ago that some fool decided that sales were not going all that well, of whatever it was that usually got sold during the couple months just prior to December, and that a way to improve sales would be to start selling Christmas items earlier than usual. So they started selling things about 2 weeks or so before Thanksgiving. Town or city placed Christmas lights, which also went up the day after Thanksgiving or later, were starting to pop up along avenues and boulevards weeks before Black Friday. It pissed me off then and it still does today, the only difference being that merchants do not wait until 2 weeks before Thanksgiving anymore, heck they don’t even wait until Halloween (yes it creeped that far ahead already several years ago) nor do they wait until a month before Thanksgiving or Black Friday to start merchandising Christmas. The truth is they have advanced holiday merchandising all the way up to this past weekend! I was in a Home Depot yesterday and they already had Christmas lights, ornaments, other accessories and artificial Christmas trees for sale. I am pretty sure I saw some menorahs in thee mix as well. It was, in my opinion, an unmitigated disgusting example of shop owners’ incompetence fueled by nothing other than greed and it just gets worse as the years go by. If they knew what they were doing in the first place, they would not have had to have started selling Christmas items about a month and 3 weeks ahead of the traditional Christmas selling season.
By now, you may be wondering why I said I might hate myself if I write about the one topic I had in mind to write about. No that topic is not the whole thing about how I dislike early sales of Christmas of Chanukah items. I have though figured how not to hate myself when I start to write about it here in this post, right now in mid October. The way for me to avoid hating myself if for me to say this to you before I go any further:
I am not recommending that you go out and buy any Christmas or Chanukah gifts now. Nor am I even suggesting that you start to stock up on holiday decorations (unless maybe you celebrate Halloween and want to get somejunk Halloween items now - heck Halloween is only a couple of weeks away. What I am going to do though, is to give you some things to think about along the lines of suggestions for holiday gifts for the shooter, gun collector, reloader, hunter and so on and I am going to strongly urge you that if you are going to buy any of these as a Christmas or Chanukah gift - you wait until after Thanksgiving!
So with the holidays in mind (remember only in mind - don’t you dare buy any of this stuff until at least Black Friday - or I will be sorely disappointed and may hate myself) here are my suggestions for some perfect gifts for the shooting sportsman/woman. And yes this list is a knock off of a previous one I did but there are a lot of new items added. Anyway, the list is worth repeating every year and a good time to post it isfar too long before Christmas just before hunting season:
Hunting Jacket (and if you love the person to whom you give it, make sure it I blaze orange and not fawn colored)
Spotting Scope
Nice New Rifle in his or her favorite caliber
Reloading Kit
Gun Cleaning Kit
Membership in the NRA
Gift certificate at your local gun shop or sporting goods store that sells firearms, ammo and other shooting or hunting accessories
Fine Hunting Knife
Pair of Hunting Boots
Membership at your local rifle/pistol range
Leather Rifle Sling
Case of Ammunition
Shooting Glasses
Silicone Gun Cloths
Portable Gun Bench/Rest
All Expense Paid Hunting Trip
Set of Sand Bag Rifle Rests
Magazine Subscription to a Shooting or Hunting magazine
Optical Sight/Scope
Extra Rifle or Pistol Magazines for his or her favorite gun
Brand New Shotgun
Military Surplus Rifle
Small Gunsmith Screwdriver Set
Babes (or Hunks) with Firearms Calendar
Gift Certificate for Firearms’ Related Training (such as Gunsite or Front Sight)
Bottle of Gun Oil like Break-free CLP
Deer Scent
Bore Light
Firearms’ Book (how to book, gun history, manuals, gun values, hunting are just some examples of the types of books to consider)
Shooting Vest
Paper Targets
Tree Stand
Clay Pigeons
Clay Thrower
Holsters, web gear, magazine pouches, gun belt
Long Underwear (for hunters)
All Expense Paid Trip to the NRA National Firearms Museum, or to West Point, or another location with historical firearms exhibits
Rifle or Pistol Case
Game call
Shooting Muffs
Workbench with Gun Vise
Portable Hunting Blind
Red Dot Scope
Puppy (as in a Hunting Dog Breed, make sure this is a good choice before buying)
Hunting Dog Training Accessories
ATV (yikes, are you rich, not me)
Reloading Components
Shooting Gloves
Firearms How To Video/CD
Hot Seat
Set of Decoys
Splatter Targets (like Shoot-N-C)
Hunting Day or Fanny Pack
Binoculars
Choke Tubes
Gun Safe
Ammo Cans (military surplus)
Trail Camera
Collectible Firearms Item (maybe a special gun or a collectible ammo tin, or an ammo board, or an antique decoy)
Ben Gay (especially appreciated by shotgun and big bore shooters or by hunters who spend a long cold wet arthritic day in the woods)
Oh, you get the idea. If you are not sure of which caliber, size, breed, model or other designation to get use the old standby - a gift card/certificate - but specify what you mean it to purchase.
Remember this is just all food for thought and not a recommendation to go out and try to stimulate the economy before Black Friday. By getting this info now, you have a lot of time to figure that perfect gift for your shooting sportsman or sportswoman and you have ample time to shop around for a good deal too and then to save up for it. If you are feeling particularly like you need to stimulate the U.S. economy you can even look for those perfect items with made in the USA labels or stickers on them!
All the best,
Glenn B
I am guessing it was about 20 years or so ago that some fool decided that sales were not going all that well, of whatever it was that usually got sold during the couple months just prior to December, and that a way to improve sales would be to start selling Christmas items earlier than usual. So they started selling things about 2 weeks or so before Thanksgiving. Town or city placed Christmas lights, which also went up the day after Thanksgiving or later, were starting to pop up along avenues and boulevards weeks before Black Friday. It pissed me off then and it still does today, the only difference being that merchants do not wait until 2 weeks before Thanksgiving anymore, heck they don’t even wait until Halloween (yes it creeped that far ahead already several years ago) nor do they wait until a month before Thanksgiving or Black Friday to start merchandising Christmas. The truth is they have advanced holiday merchandising all the way up to this past weekend! I was in a Home Depot yesterday and they already had Christmas lights, ornaments, other accessories and artificial Christmas trees for sale. I am pretty sure I saw some menorahs in thee mix as well. It was, in my opinion, an unmitigated disgusting example of shop owners’ incompetence fueled by nothing other than greed and it just gets worse as the years go by. If they knew what they were doing in the first place, they would not have had to have started selling Christmas items about a month and 3 weeks ahead of the traditional Christmas selling season.
By now, you may be wondering why I said I might hate myself if I write about the one topic I had in mind to write about. No that topic is not the whole thing about how I dislike early sales of Christmas of Chanukah items. I have though figured how not to hate myself when I start to write about it here in this post, right now in mid October. The way for me to avoid hating myself if for me to say this to you before I go any further:
I am not recommending that you go out and buy any Christmas or Chanukah gifts now. Nor am I even suggesting that you start to stock up on holiday decorations (unless maybe you celebrate Halloween and want to get some
So with the holidays in mind (remember only in mind - don’t you dare buy any of this stuff until at least Black Friday - or I will be sorely disappointed and may hate myself) here are my suggestions for some perfect gifts for the shooting sportsman/woman. And yes this list is a knock off of a previous one I did but there are a lot of new items added. Anyway, the list is worth repeating every year and a good time to post it is
Hunting Jacket (and if you love the person to whom you give it, make sure it I blaze orange and not fawn colored)
Spotting Scope
Nice New Rifle in his or her favorite caliber
Reloading Kit
Gun Cleaning Kit
Membership in the NRA
Gift certificate at your local gun shop or sporting goods store that sells firearms, ammo and other shooting or hunting accessories
Fine Hunting Knife
Pair of Hunting Boots
Membership at your local rifle/pistol range
Leather Rifle Sling
Case of Ammunition
Shooting Glasses
Silicone Gun Cloths
Portable Gun Bench/Rest
All Expense Paid Hunting Trip
Set of Sand Bag Rifle Rests
Magazine Subscription to a Shooting or Hunting magazine
Optical Sight/Scope
Extra Rifle or Pistol Magazines for his or her favorite gun
Brand New Shotgun
Military Surplus Rifle
Small Gunsmith Screwdriver Set
Babes (or Hunks) with Firearms Calendar
Gift Certificate for Firearms’ Related Training (such as Gunsite or Front Sight)
Bottle of Gun Oil like Break-free CLP
Deer Scent
Bore Light
Firearms’ Book (how to book, gun history, manuals, gun values, hunting are just some examples of the types of books to consider)
Shooting Vest
Paper Targets
Tree Stand
Clay Pigeons
Clay Thrower
Holsters, web gear, magazine pouches, gun belt
Long Underwear (for hunters)
All Expense Paid Trip to the NRA National Firearms Museum, or to West Point, or another location with historical firearms exhibits
Rifle or Pistol Case
Game call
Shooting Muffs
Workbench with Gun Vise
Portable Hunting Blind
Red Dot Scope
Puppy (as in a Hunting Dog Breed, make sure this is a good choice before buying)
Hunting Dog Training Accessories
ATV (yikes, are you rich, not me)
Reloading Components
Shooting Gloves
Firearms How To Video/CD
Hot Seat
Set of Decoys
Splatter Targets (like Shoot-N-C)
Hunting Day or Fanny Pack
Binoculars
Choke Tubes
Gun Safe
Ammo Cans (military surplus)
Trail Camera
Collectible Firearms Item (maybe a special gun or a collectible ammo tin, or an ammo board, or an antique decoy)
Ben Gay (especially appreciated by shotgun and big bore shooters or by hunters who spend a long cold wet arthritic day in the woods)
Oh, you get the idea. If you are not sure of which caliber, size, breed, model or other designation to get use the old standby - a gift card/certificate - but specify what you mean it to purchase.
Remember this is just all food for thought and not a recommendation to go out and try to stimulate the economy before Black Friday. By getting this info now, you have a lot of time to figure that perfect gift for your shooting sportsman or sportswoman and you have ample time to shop around for a good deal too and then to save up for it. If you are feeling particularly like you need to stimulate the U.S. economy you can even look for those perfect items with made in the USA labels or stickers on them!
All the best,
Glenn B
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first Chilean miner is out of the hole! About time there is some really good news taking up all of the news time.
All the best,
GB
All the best,
GB
NRA: Institute for Legislative Action
I just sent them a donation and am just wondering if any of my readers have done likewise. I imagine that the solicitation I received from the NRA was sent out to all members and I am sure some of you are NRA members. So tell me: Do you routinely make donations to the NRA? If not, then do you donate now and then, especially when (like this time) the donation form includes an entry form to enter a gun giveaway sweepstakes? Of course, no contribution was required to enter the contest but I donated anyhow. I figure it goes to a good cause, protecting our 2nd Amendment rights. Sure times are tough, now just imagine how tough things will get if they take our guns away. If you received the same mailing from the NRA/ILA - why not dig a just a little and do your part by way of a contribution.
All the best,
Glenn B
All the best,
Glenn B
Hermann's Tortoises Uncensored
I guess they are celebrating and who can blame them after her having won first place and him second place in the tortoise category at the Long Island Herpetolgical Society's annual show this past weekend. Of course, now he is trying to show her who is really number 1!
Right now they are both loose in the basement and he is still playing Don Juan and is still chasing her around. I suppose they are both getting some good exercise as she plays hard to get and he plays hard to discourage.
All the best,
GB
Right now they are both loose in the basement and he is still playing Don Juan and is still chasing her around. I suppose they are both getting some good exercise as she plays hard to get and he plays hard to discourage.
All the best,
GB
Monday, October 11, 2010
Reptile Show, Birthday Shopping, Visiting Family, Birthday Party, Carpet Cleaning, It's Been a Busy Weekend...
...and there was not much time if any for blogging. I took off from work on Friday to get my exhibits ready for the LIHS 21st Annual Reptile & Amphibian Show. I had tanks to clean, animals to select, travel containers to ready, exhibit tags to print up, and so on. That was in the morning and afternoon. Then it was off to the show location on Friday night to help with set-up of the exhibit and vendor tables. It literally took me several hours to get ready and to help out with the tables. In fact, it took so long that I did not have time to go shopping for my nephew's birthday gift that night, as I had planned, so I figured I would do that on Saturday after the show.
Then there was the show on Saturday. I was up at about 0530 to start putting the finishing touch on things, to make sure I had not forgotten anything and to load my car. I was at the show hall by about 0800, a half hour after it opened. I set up my table there and also set up my tanks on the display tables for the competition. Then I found out the maintenance closet was locked with no maintenance men in sight and water could only be had from the sinks in the men's room. Since I was going to display several aquatic and semi-aquatic amphibians, I needed water. I just didn't want to try to fill 5 tanks by the cup full from the washroom sink. After a few hours, I decided that would have to be the way to go, then I remembered I had brought along a hose to siphon my tanks at the end of the show. It was just the right, size so that when using my hand wrapped around one end as a coupling, it meshed almost perfectly with the nozzle end of the faucet. I held it in place, turned on the water, and filled three and a half 5 gallon buckets to get the job done. My salamander, newts, and frogs were finally on display. None too soon since the judging started within about an hour of me having completed the task. Regardless of the competition, having the animals on display was what counted, that is what folks had come to see.
Sometime in the early or mid afternoon, Brendan showed up and helped out watching my table for awhile. My friend Harry, from the LIHS, had already been lending a hand with that and thanks to them I was able to get the tanks filled without having to worry about something disappearing from my table like last year. When Brendan took over the table, I also took the opportunity to walk around to quickly check out the exhibits and to see what the vendors were selling. I had already made a couple of purchases from Slither & Swim, who had the 5 tables next to mine and which were full of herp keeping accessories, tanks, feeder insects, dry food and the like. Paul (hope I remembered his name right, I am terrible on names) is the owner of Slither & Swim and is an all around good guy, one of the nicest vendors at any such show to which I have been.
Brendan also bought a couple of items from Slither & Swim and took a look at all the other tables, both the vendors and the display tables for the competition. After awhile he told me the ribbons were being placed. We waited, impatiently, to see if our animals won anything. In all we had the following on display:
1 Anderson's Aquatic Salamander
1 Iberian Ribbed Newt
2 Blue Tailed Newts
1 African Clawed Frog
2 Red-bellied Toads
1 Male Hermann's Tortoise
1 Female Hermann's Tortoise
Our good husbandry efforts paid off. Of all our animals, only three did not take home ribbons: one of the Fire-bellied Frogs, one of the Blue Tailed Newts and the African Clawed Frog I(that was a disappointment since it is a very nice frog but they are easy to keep and that is figured into the judging). All the others won ribbons and two won trophies:
One of Brendan's Fire-bellied Toads won third place among the frogs & toads division.
The Iberian Ribbed Newt pulled in third place for salamanders, newts & sirens.
The Blue Tailed Newts won second place for salamanders, newts and sirens.
The Anderson's Aquatic Salamander won first place for salamanders, newts & sirens (our animals making it a sweep for that division). This one also went on to win best amphibian and got a nice trophy for that. I was pretty amazed and humbled to say the least. I was humbled because of the quality of the competition. There were two Colorado River Toads on display and one of them had won the first place ribbon in the frogs & toads division, thus putting it up head to head against my salamander for best overall in the amphibians class. It would have been just a bit more than a bit ironic had the toad won best in class because I had given it to Rich M. who had it on display. He surely has kept it in pristine condition, it is a beautiful animal, heck both of them are such.
The male Hermann's Tortoise achieved second place in the tortoises division.
As for the female Hermann's Tortoise - before the judging had begun, Ed (the guy who sold me this tortoise about 5 or 6 years ago) was admiring her and asked me if she was mine. I said yes she was mine. He then said he was amazed by her size as she was the largest, by far, Hermann's Tortoise he had ever seen (and he has seen quite a few having been a breeder of them for years and an admirer and keeper of them for even longer). He also said she was a beautiful animal. When I told him she was the one that he had sold me years ago, his jaw dropped, just a bit but it definitely dropped. She went on to win the blue ribbon for first place for tortoises; then she went on to win best of all turtles and tortoises at the show. That meant I was going home with another trophy. While Ed's compliments had been more than enough to let me know I have been doing something very right in caring for her, winning a blue ribbon and a trophy both surprised me and humbled me since there was a lot of tough competition out there in her class. The competition included, among others, several turtles and tortoises entered by my pal Harry. One of his turtles came in first place. That meant the judges had to pick between his turtle and my tortoise for best overall in the Turtles & Tortoises division. We always have a friendly rivalry going on for the show, and Harry took it in stride as one of us always does when the other guy wins although he did point out that my 'defective' tortoise had won over his pristine turtle! The female Hermann's Tort has some scarring on her shell, barely noticeable after a few years, where my dogs had gnawed on her like a chew toy a few years back. I gloated and rubbed it into Harry's wounds. Really though, I only rubbed it in a little although I may have gloated a bit more. It is all in fun though and next year Harry's animals will probably trounce mine.
Most of all, for next year, I am hoping Brendan will have stuck with it and that he will enter a few more animals of his own and take home a trophy. He was disappointed that 'Bill' the African Clawed Frog (the only of our herps with a given name) did not win, but thems is the breaks! There is always next year.
Of course, Saturday was not the end to this weekend. On Sunday, I drove out to my moms, picked her up, then drove the both of us to my sister's and brother in law's house to celebrate my nephews 10th. Before I could pick up my mom though, I had to go shopping for my nephew's present. Never get anything done until the last possible moment is my motto! Really, I was so tired on Saturday when I got home from the reptile show that I passed out from about 6:30 until 10:30. I had been planning to go shopping for his present somewhere in that time frame before the stores closed at 9. I would have gone days before had my sister gotten back to me to let me know if she and her man approved of what I was planning to buy for my nephew. She didn't though, so I just decided what the heck, I'll get it regardless. So I went shopping before I picked up my mom from the assisted living apartments. We wound up arriving about 45 minutes later than planned thanks to my going shopping and doing my other Sunday morning chores. Those other chores were cleaning out the car. Did I forget to mention I also had to empty out the car of tanks and such that I had not gotten out on Saturday evening after the reptile show.
We had a nice time at the party. The food was excellent, the company even better and the three three Heineken's I had right after I got there went down oh so very well. No more after those because I would be driving my mom home within about five hours of enjoying them. Had plenty of time for good eats, good conversation and good relaxation. Then it was present time and I guess I can tell you what it was I bought that same morning for my nephew's present. The it was a Crossman pump BB rifle and a jar of a thousand BBs. Me thinks, from the reaction it got, is that my brother-in-law may have more fun with it than will my nephew but of course I am sure dad will be teaching the young one and both will love it. My nephew actually seemed pretty pleased with it though it was getting a bit too dim to be shooting it and was a bit too chilly to stay outside by the time we got round to it. Next time I am there I will see how he handles it. If he does well, then when he turns 12, I may just have to give him a .22 rifle and take him to the range (such is the law in NY as far as I know, got to be 12 to shoot at a range).
After the party it was a ride back to my mom's place, then a bit more time spent with her there, then off to home for me. I was pooped. Still though, I got up early this morning. I put away all the stuff I had strewn about from the reptile show, then I got down to some serious business. I started to move furniture in my basement in anticipation of my yearly to biannual carpet cleaning down there. My man-0cave happens to not only be one of my favorite places in my home but also one of the favorite places for our pooches to relive themselves if they have an emergency. We clean up after them, of course, but it still stains somewhat so I clean it, with a carpet cleaning machine I rent at Home Depot, once or twice a year. Luckily my daughter and wife helped out a bit with collateral cleaning such as vacuuming and dusting after I moved the furniture. Then I was off to Home depot, picked up the machine and some cleaning solution and headed back home to get the job done. It took me about 2 hours of cleaning to get it done, not including the furniture moving and dusting and vacuuming. Those all added a few more hours and that does not include moving the furniture back into place. Most of it is in the back part of the basement, shoved in there with the water heater and boiler. I'll move it back later tonight of tomorrow night after I run the dehumidifier for several hours.
Wound up I moved most of thecrap stuff back tonight. Right now I am a bit achy, a bit grumpy and in dire need of a vodka and something. That is where I am going right now - to mix myself a soothing concoction and calm the beast within. Believe me, after all the stuff I did today to put an end to this weekend, the beast was pretty grouchy - it would much preferred to have rested today. Now it will settle for a good stiff drink and while I drink it I can ponder this: One of these days, the dogs my wife's dogs will get housebroken beyond accident and marking stages and the friggin carpet cleanings will become a thing of the past.
I cannot find the vodka! Damn must have moved it when I was shifting all the stuff around in the basement. I guess it will have to be a couple of cold ones - HB Hofbrau Oktberfest! Not a bad substitute for a vodka now that I think of it. I have had enough, I took all I can stands cause I can't stands no more but I ain't going for a can of spinach! Bring on those cold ones; and maybe as I takes me a swig, I'll take another look at those trophies I won to calm me nerves.
As for me - next weekend I am going hunting and my male heir will be coming along. As for you - later for you - when the beast is calmer.
All the best,
Glenn B
Then there was the show on Saturday. I was up at about 0530 to start putting the finishing touch on things, to make sure I had not forgotten anything and to load my car. I was at the show hall by about 0800, a half hour after it opened. I set up my table there and also set up my tanks on the display tables for the competition. Then I found out the maintenance closet was locked with no maintenance men in sight and water could only be had from the sinks in the men's room. Since I was going to display several aquatic and semi-aquatic amphibians, I needed water. I just didn't want to try to fill 5 tanks by the cup full from the washroom sink. After a few hours, I decided that would have to be the way to go, then I remembered I had brought along a hose to siphon my tanks at the end of the show. It was just the right, size so that when using my hand wrapped around one end as a coupling, it meshed almost perfectly with the nozzle end of the faucet. I held it in place, turned on the water, and filled three and a half 5 gallon buckets to get the job done. My salamander, newts, and frogs were finally on display. None too soon since the judging started within about an hour of me having completed the task. Regardless of the competition, having the animals on display was what counted, that is what folks had come to see.
Sometime in the early or mid afternoon, Brendan showed up and helped out watching my table for awhile. My friend Harry, from the LIHS, had already been lending a hand with that and thanks to them I was able to get the tanks filled without having to worry about something disappearing from my table like last year. When Brendan took over the table, I also took the opportunity to walk around to quickly check out the exhibits and to see what the vendors were selling. I had already made a couple of purchases from Slither & Swim, who had the 5 tables next to mine and which were full of herp keeping accessories, tanks, feeder insects, dry food and the like. Paul (hope I remembered his name right, I am terrible on names) is the owner of Slither & Swim and is an all around good guy, one of the nicest vendors at any such show to which I have been.
Brendan also bought a couple of items from Slither & Swim and took a look at all the other tables, both the vendors and the display tables for the competition. After awhile he told me the ribbons were being placed. We waited, impatiently, to see if our animals won anything. In all we had the following on display:
1 Anderson's Aquatic Salamander
1 Iberian Ribbed Newt
2 Blue Tailed Newts
1 African Clawed Frog
2 Red-bellied Toads
1 Male Hermann's Tortoise
1 Female Hermann's Tortoise
Our good husbandry efforts paid off. Of all our animals, only three did not take home ribbons: one of the Fire-bellied Frogs, one of the Blue Tailed Newts and the African Clawed Frog I(that was a disappointment since it is a very nice frog but they are easy to keep and that is figured into the judging). All the others won ribbons and two won trophies:
One of Brendan's Fire-bellied Toads won third place among the frogs & toads division.
The Iberian Ribbed Newt pulled in third place for salamanders, newts & sirens.
The Blue Tailed Newts won second place for salamanders, newts and sirens.
The Anderson's Aquatic Salamander won first place for salamanders, newts & sirens (our animals making it a sweep for that division). This one also went on to win best amphibian and got a nice trophy for that. I was pretty amazed and humbled to say the least. I was humbled because of the quality of the competition. There were two Colorado River Toads on display and one of them had won the first place ribbon in the frogs & toads division, thus putting it up head to head against my salamander for best overall in the amphibians class. It would have been just a bit more than a bit ironic had the toad won best in class because I had given it to Rich M. who had it on display. He surely has kept it in pristine condition, it is a beautiful animal, heck both of them are such.
The male Hermann's Tortoise achieved second place in the tortoises division.
As for the female Hermann's Tortoise - before the judging had begun, Ed (the guy who sold me this tortoise about 5 or 6 years ago) was admiring her and asked me if she was mine. I said yes she was mine. He then said he was amazed by her size as she was the largest, by far, Hermann's Tortoise he had ever seen (and he has seen quite a few having been a breeder of them for years and an admirer and keeper of them for even longer). He also said she was a beautiful animal. When I told him she was the one that he had sold me years ago, his jaw dropped, just a bit but it definitely dropped. She went on to win the blue ribbon for first place for tortoises; then she went on to win best of all turtles and tortoises at the show. That meant I was going home with another trophy. While Ed's compliments had been more than enough to let me know I have been doing something very right in caring for her, winning a blue ribbon and a trophy both surprised me and humbled me since there was a lot of tough competition out there in her class. The competition included, among others, several turtles and tortoises entered by my pal Harry. One of his turtles came in first place. That meant the judges had to pick between his turtle and my tortoise for best overall in the Turtles & Tortoises division. We always have a friendly rivalry going on for the show, and Harry took it in stride as one of us always does when the other guy wins although he did point out that my 'defective' tortoise had won over his pristine turtle! The female Hermann's Tort has some scarring on her shell, barely noticeable after a few years, where my dogs had gnawed on her like a chew toy a few years back. I gloated and rubbed it into Harry's wounds. Really though, I only rubbed it in a little although I may have gloated a bit more. It is all in fun though and next year Harry's animals will probably trounce mine.
Most of all, for next year, I am hoping Brendan will have stuck with it and that he will enter a few more animals of his own and take home a trophy. He was disappointed that 'Bill' the African Clawed Frog (the only of our herps with a given name) did not win, but thems is the breaks! There is always next year.
Of course, Saturday was not the end to this weekend. On Sunday, I drove out to my moms, picked her up, then drove the both of us to my sister's and brother in law's house to celebrate my nephews 10th. Before I could pick up my mom though, I had to go shopping for my nephew's present. Never get anything done until the last possible moment is my motto! Really, I was so tired on Saturday when I got home from the reptile show that I passed out from about 6:30 until 10:30. I had been planning to go shopping for his present somewhere in that time frame before the stores closed at 9. I would have gone days before had my sister gotten back to me to let me know if she and her man approved of what I was planning to buy for my nephew. She didn't though, so I just decided what the heck, I'll get it regardless. So I went shopping before I picked up my mom from the assisted living apartments. We wound up arriving about 45 minutes later than planned thanks to my going shopping and doing my other Sunday morning chores. Those other chores were cleaning out the car. Did I forget to mention I also had to empty out the car of tanks and such that I had not gotten out on Saturday evening after the reptile show.
We had a nice time at the party. The food was excellent, the company even better and the three three Heineken's I had right after I got there went down oh so very well. No more after those because I would be driving my mom home within about five hours of enjoying them. Had plenty of time for good eats, good conversation and good relaxation. Then it was present time and I guess I can tell you what it was I bought that same morning for my nephew's present. The it was a Crossman pump BB rifle and a jar of a thousand BBs. Me thinks, from the reaction it got, is that my brother-in-law may have more fun with it than will my nephew but of course I am sure dad will be teaching the young one and both will love it. My nephew actually seemed pretty pleased with it though it was getting a bit too dim to be shooting it and was a bit too chilly to stay outside by the time we got round to it. Next time I am there I will see how he handles it. If he does well, then when he turns 12, I may just have to give him a .22 rifle and take him to the range (such is the law in NY as far as I know, got to be 12 to shoot at a range).
After the party it was a ride back to my mom's place, then a bit more time spent with her there, then off to home for me. I was pooped. Still though, I got up early this morning. I put away all the stuff I had strewn about from the reptile show, then I got down to some serious business. I started to move furniture in my basement in anticipation of my yearly to biannual carpet cleaning down there. My man-0cave happens to not only be one of my favorite places in my home but also one of the favorite places for our pooches to relive themselves if they have an emergency. We clean up after them, of course, but it still stains somewhat so I clean it, with a carpet cleaning machine I rent at Home Depot, once or twice a year. Luckily my daughter and wife helped out a bit with collateral cleaning such as vacuuming and dusting after I moved the furniture. Then I was off to Home depot, picked up the machine and some cleaning solution and headed back home to get the job done. It took me about 2 hours of cleaning to get it done, not including the furniture moving and dusting and vacuuming. Those all added a few more hours and that does not include moving the furniture back into place. Most of it is in the back part of the basement, shoved in there with the water heater and boiler. I'll move it back later tonight of tomorrow night after I run the dehumidifier for several hours.
Wound up I moved most of the
I cannot find the vodka! Damn must have moved it when I was shifting all the stuff around in the basement. I guess it will have to be a couple of cold ones - HB Hofbrau Oktberfest! Not a bad substitute for a vodka now that I think of it. I have had enough, I took all I can stands cause I can't stands no more but I ain't going for a can of spinach! Bring on those cold ones; and maybe as I takes me a swig, I'll take another look at those trophies I won to calm me nerves.
As for me - next weekend I am going hunting and my male heir will be coming along. As for you - later for you - when the beast is calmer.
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, October 8, 2010
Reminder - LIHS 21st Annual Reptile & Amphibian Show Tomorrow
The Long Island Herpetological Society will hold its 21st Annual Reptile & Amphibian Show on Saturday October 9th from 10AM to 4PM. The location of the show will be Roosevelt Hall at SUNY Farmingdale in Farmingdale, NY just off of route 110. The show will consist of educational exhibits, a judged show of reptiles & amphibians, and sales of reptile & amphibians and supplies and accessories.
More information about the show can be found at: http://lihs.org/files/events.htm
Directions to the show can be found here: http://lihs.org/files/dir_suny.htm
All the best,
Glenn B
More information about the show can be found at: http://lihs.org/files/events.htm
Directions to the show can be found here: http://lihs.org/files/dir_suny.htm
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, October 7, 2010
1979 A New Beginning...
...was about to commence in my life. I would have to wait until September of that year to begin my career as a federal agent in the U.S. Border Patrol. That first federal job had me encountering more aliens than I would have ever imagined would have been possible but that is not new beginning to which the title of this post references. No, there was another new beginning in 1979 for me, one that had to do with aliens that were even more unimaginable. It was a new beginning for all of us, especially for those among us who wonder if there are others out there, or just those of us who enjoy a good, and I mean really good, sci-fi movie now and then.
It was on May 25, 1979, just 4 months and 4 days before I was sworn in as a Border Patrol Agent, that an as of then almost unheard of actress appeared in her first leading role, only the third film of her career. It was a film that would scare the peanuts out of your M&Ms (no not my quote but I forget who said it) and maybe I should have seen it as some sort of omen of what was to come for me with all of the alien chasing. Of course, by now you must have figured that the actress was Sigourney Weaver and the film was ALIEN. It was a whole new beginning for the sci-fi genre of films.
Well, I just sat down to watch it, it's on TMC as I type. I have got to say, before I allow myself to become totally enmeshed in it for about the 25th time I have watched it, that it is one of the best all time sci-fi (& horror & action & adventure) movies of all time. A good friend asked me, just two days ago, "What is the best sci-fi movie ever?" and I was unable to answer. I still can't answer that question without some serious thought of all the ones I have ever seen but I can tell you that when he asked, just as when I think of it now, this movie popped right into my mind as one of the very best.
If you have never seen it, and if you decide to watch it, try to see it in a theater that shows old movies. If you cannot, then watch it on the biggest screen television you can with a good sound system and watch it with others who have not seen it yet, at night in a dark room. You will enjoy it if you like sci-fi, just don't eat any Peanut M&Ms while or just before watching it.
All the best,
GB
It was on May 25, 1979, just 4 months and 4 days before I was sworn in as a Border Patrol Agent, that an as of then almost unheard of actress appeared in her first leading role, only the third film of her career. It was a film that would scare the peanuts out of your M&Ms (no not my quote but I forget who said it) and maybe I should have seen it as some sort of omen of what was to come for me with all of the alien chasing. Of course, by now you must have figured that the actress was Sigourney Weaver and the film was ALIEN. It was a whole new beginning for the sci-fi genre of films.
Well, I just sat down to watch it, it's on TMC as I type. I have got to say, before I allow myself to become totally enmeshed in it for about the 25th time I have watched it, that it is one of the best all time sci-fi (& horror & action & adventure) movies of all time. A good friend asked me, just two days ago, "What is the best sci-fi movie ever?" and I was unable to answer. I still can't answer that question without some serious thought of all the ones I have ever seen but I can tell you that when he asked, just as when I think of it now, this movie popped right into my mind as one of the very best.
If you have never seen it, and if you decide to watch it, try to see it in a theater that shows old movies. If you cannot, then watch it on the biggest screen television you can with a good sound system and watch it with others who have not seen it yet, at night in a dark room. You will enjoy it if you like sci-fi, just don't eat any Peanut M&Ms while or just before watching it.
All the best,
GB
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Election Time - Merry November
I don't know who wrote it, I got it in an email. I am posting it here because the email said to pass it on and that is what I am doing:
Gift wrap them and send them all home!
MERRY NOVEMBER!
'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys
They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
'On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT THERE & VOTE!!!!
That was great, wasn't it!
All the best,
GB
Gift wrap them and send them all home!
MERRY NOVEMBER!
'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys
They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
'On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT THERE & VOTE!!!!
That was great, wasn't it!
All the best,
GB
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Krista Branch - I Am America
I need to see her in concert and America needs more entertainers like her!
Just X out the annoying ad that will pop up at the bottom of the screen. Not there because of me, I guess it is a new YouTube annoyance.
All the best,
Glenn B
October A Good Time For Gardening...
...at least I think so. I got out into the garden at around nine ten this morning and puttered here and there. I also did some of the same yesterday.
Yesterday, I picked a good number of both ripe and green tomatoes and some in between. All will ripen sooner or later. I also picked a few nice banana peppers and a good number of Cayenne peppers. Then I picked most of the remaining butternut squashes, 4 of them. We still have at least another 4 of them on the vines and I figure next week or the week after for picking them. They are all still pretty green, then so were the ones I picked yesterday but those were on vines that were pretty much dead. The remaining ones are on live plants. No worry though, the greenish ones will ripen in our kitchen or down in the basement. We just leave them and sooner or later before Thanksgiving or Christmas they will be ready and yes they stay good a long time if the skin is not broken. We have a few others that are ripe and ready to be cooked and boy do they cook good. My wife makes them in a casserole dish in the oven with butter, garlic and some other spices. Bakes em till ready, then puts em under the broiler to get the top crispy. When she does not over do the garlic, they are scrumptious - one of the best vegetables I have ever eaten.
Getting back to today, I pulled out some near dead tomato plants, picked some green tomatoes (they will ripen inside brown paper bags), pulled out some more squash vines and others, dumped them on the compost pile, then planted a couple of bushes. Linda bought the bushes, two Euonymus japonicus also known as Chollipo, at different times over the summer. I just left them in their pots waiting until the fall to plant them. My uncle used to tell me it was best to plant most trees and shrubs either in early spring or in the fall, so I waited. These are supposedly evergreens though the variegated leaves are both green and yellow. I suppose they mean they have their leaves throughout all the seasons. They supposedly grow 6 feet wide by about 12 feet tall and that will be nice. Probably will piss off my neighbor if they grow over her fence but that is what monthly trimmings are for, and I always take care of that. Easy to care for, tolerant of heat and dry conditions and able to withstand the cold in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 to 9; we are in zone 6 so they probably will survive even in our backyard. I have to admit, if they keep their color and grow wide, tall and busy - they will be pretty nice looking.
As I was digging the holes for the shrubs, I found a couple of nice fat worms which reminded me I had to hit the compost pile both for compost to put in the newly dug holes for the bushes and to get some worms for my salamanders, tortoises and turtle. The very first spadeful of compost I dug up seemed to have a life of its own with earthworms wriggling here, there and everywhere. I picked out about a dozen for my critters and also took some to throw in the holes for the bushes I was about to plant. I then set the bushes in the holes I had dug for each, then filled in the holes with a combination of fresh garden soil formulated for trees and shrubs, potting soil, compost from our compost pile and soil I had just dug up from my yard when digging the holes. I watered them well, let the dirt settle, added more where needed, then headed inside to get rid of those worms. My critter collection enjoyed lunch though I am guessing that the worms may not have enjoyed being lunch. Such is life, it ends in death - often as a result of being eaten - especially if you are a worm.
Now, I am left with an area about 6 feet long between the two shrubs. Neither one is very big yet and they will probably take years to grow enough to cover that space, so for at least the next couple to few year, I have that space to fill. I guess I may as well start now when the weather is still warm enough and just cool enough to really enjoy puttering around in the yard. I will be turning the soil, adding some peat moss, some potting soil and some compost - mostly compost, and letting it all settle in over the fall and winter. By next spring it should be a regular garden-spot of Eden. Probably a perfect spot for some pepper plants or maybe some squash.
I knew that sooner or later, I would get back to the squash. I planted two types of squash this year, and only two types as far as I am aware. One was called Crooked-Neck Squash. It lives up to its name. The squash grows to about a foot to 16 inches in length and the neck twists or turn into a crook as on the end of a Shepherd's staff. They came out early and matured rapidly. Then their vines all died off. Probably picked the last of them in August. They are fairly tasty but nowhere nearly as delicious as were the Butternut Squash we had last year. I could not find any seedlings this year for Butternut Squash but luckily I saved seeds from last year. I planted them, watered them, and luckily they grew.
The thing is they grew weirdly. Last year, the biggest one was about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times the size of the smallest one from this year - see the smallest from this year in the picture - that little greenish one in the middle row. In other words the biggest one last year were close to the two lying down in the front row, maybe a bit bigger and those were the largest from last year not the average. I think the smallest one this year probably weighs a pound and a half or two pounds. Most from this year, and all from last year had a shape similar to that one too, most were more elongated or bottle necked but all similar in shape with fat bottom and less wide top. Well this year I got one squash that looks more pumpkin shaped and I figure it to be the biggest or second biggest by weight at about 6 to 8 pounds. Yep, it is a squash, and should be a butternut squash even though it does not look like one. It is definitely not a pumpkin, just has that roundish shape. Another one on the same plant is more or less the classic butternut squash shape but also much bigger than any from last year. Those are both pretty big compared to last year's crop, even though planted in a large pot instead of actually in the ground. Still, they possibly are not the biggest of this year's crop though very close if not. We got several other butternut squashes this year that are much bigger than any I got last year and one possibly bigger than the pumpkin shaped one of this year - that one in the middle of the pic. I wish I had a scale to tell which weighed more.
Maybe I did something right to the soil that I did not do last year but all I did each time was turned the soil, added composted cow manure and compost from my compost heap. Maybe we got a great batch of cow poop this yea. Maybe divine pollination was achieved. Maybe cross pollination between different species of squash happened and we have some hybrids. Maybe aliens landed and zapped them with super-growth radiation rays. Whatever, they grew to some pretty big sizes considering that last year batch looked pretty much like the ones with the bottleneck shapes in the foreground of the accompanying picture or like the one behind them on the right side in the pic (as you look at it). That shotgun shell in the foreground is there for scale; it is a 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shell.
We have at least another 4 of these beauties still on the vine. The three looking the most, what would you call that color, pale yellowish-orangepukish color are the ripe ones ready to be eaten. They have been off the vine since at least early September. They were not as green as some of the others when picked, nor were they as big, but are definitely butternut squash. So, I am wondering did I get some hybrids because at least some of the others, including that big one in the middle came from the same plant/vine. It looks like one of the others on steroids. While I wonder what they are, I really don't care, as long as they are delicious with turkey in a stuffing, or baked in a casserole pan in the oven with plenty of butter and a good portion of garlic and spices like cinnamon and allspice, or similarly roasted in the oven, or cooked on the grill. So many ways to prepare them, maybe we don't have enough of them.
We had several others growing, some got knocked off the vine when a neighbor moved them when he ripped ivy out of his garden (they were on our mutual fence with the ivy), others got knocked off the vine in high winds, others got diseased or bug infested and one or two knocked off the vines by our dogs. We probably would have had another 10 to a dozen of them. As it is, I think we have enough of them to last for a few meals and I should have plenty of seeds for next year.
Heck, I just remembered, the squash seeds I had and planted this year were not from last year's crop there was no squash crop in our garden last year. In fact, they were from the year before and still germinated his year! Last year, I did not plant anything, I was out in Tucson for the whole spring and halfway through July. Last time I gardened before this spring was in 2008.
All the best,
Glenn B
Yesterday, I picked a good number of both ripe and green tomatoes and some in between. All will ripen sooner or later. I also picked a few nice banana peppers and a good number of Cayenne peppers. Then I picked most of the remaining butternut squashes, 4 of them. We still have at least another 4 of them on the vines and I figure next week or the week after for picking them. They are all still pretty green, then so were the ones I picked yesterday but those were on vines that were pretty much dead. The remaining ones are on live plants. No worry though, the greenish ones will ripen in our kitchen or down in the basement. We just leave them and sooner or later before Thanksgiving or Christmas they will be ready and yes they stay good a long time if the skin is not broken. We have a few others that are ripe and ready to be cooked and boy do they cook good. My wife makes them in a casserole dish in the oven with butter, garlic and some other spices. Bakes em till ready, then puts em under the broiler to get the top crispy. When she does not over do the garlic, they are scrumptious - one of the best vegetables I have ever eaten.
Getting back to today, I pulled out some near dead tomato plants, picked some green tomatoes (they will ripen inside brown paper bags), pulled out some more squash vines and others, dumped them on the compost pile, then planted a couple of bushes. Linda bought the bushes, two Euonymus japonicus also known as Chollipo, at different times over the summer. I just left them in their pots waiting until the fall to plant them. My uncle used to tell me it was best to plant most trees and shrubs either in early spring or in the fall, so I waited. These are supposedly evergreens though the variegated leaves are both green and yellow. I suppose they mean they have their leaves throughout all the seasons. They supposedly grow 6 feet wide by about 12 feet tall and that will be nice. Probably will piss off my neighbor if they grow over her fence but that is what monthly trimmings are for, and I always take care of that. Easy to care for, tolerant of heat and dry conditions and able to withstand the cold in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 to 9; we are in zone 6 so they probably will survive even in our backyard. I have to admit, if they keep their color and grow wide, tall and busy - they will be pretty nice looking.
As I was digging the holes for the shrubs, I found a couple of nice fat worms which reminded me I had to hit the compost pile both for compost to put in the newly dug holes for the bushes and to get some worms for my salamanders, tortoises and turtle. The very first spadeful of compost I dug up seemed to have a life of its own with earthworms wriggling here, there and everywhere. I picked out about a dozen for my critters and also took some to throw in the holes for the bushes I was about to plant. I then set the bushes in the holes I had dug for each, then filled in the holes with a combination of fresh garden soil formulated for trees and shrubs, potting soil, compost from our compost pile and soil I had just dug up from my yard when digging the holes. I watered them well, let the dirt settle, added more where needed, then headed inside to get rid of those worms. My critter collection enjoyed lunch though I am guessing that the worms may not have enjoyed being lunch. Such is life, it ends in death - often as a result of being eaten - especially if you are a worm.
Now, I am left with an area about 6 feet long between the two shrubs. Neither one is very big yet and they will probably take years to grow enough to cover that space, so for at least the next couple to few year, I have that space to fill. I guess I may as well start now when the weather is still warm enough and just cool enough to really enjoy puttering around in the yard. I will be turning the soil, adding some peat moss, some potting soil and some compost - mostly compost, and letting it all settle in over the fall and winter. By next spring it should be a regular garden-spot of Eden. Probably a perfect spot for some pepper plants or maybe some squash.
I knew that sooner or later, I would get back to the squash. I planted two types of squash this year, and only two types as far as I am aware. One was called Crooked-Neck Squash. It lives up to its name. The squash grows to about a foot to 16 inches in length and the neck twists or turn into a crook as on the end of a Shepherd's staff. They came out early and matured rapidly. Then their vines all died off. Probably picked the last of them in August. They are fairly tasty but nowhere nearly as delicious as were the Butternut Squash we had last year. I could not find any seedlings this year for Butternut Squash but luckily I saved seeds from last year. I planted them, watered them, and luckily they grew.
The thing is they grew weirdly. Last year, the biggest one was about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times the size of the smallest one from this year - see the smallest from this year in the picture - that little greenish one in the middle row. In other words the biggest one last year were close to the two lying down in the front row, maybe a bit bigger and those were the largest from last year not the average. I think the smallest one this year probably weighs a pound and a half or two pounds. Most from this year, and all from last year had a shape similar to that one too, most were more elongated or bottle necked but all similar in shape with fat bottom and less wide top. Well this year I got one squash that looks more pumpkin shaped and I figure it to be the biggest or second biggest by weight at about 6 to 8 pounds. Yep, it is a squash, and should be a butternut squash even though it does not look like one. It is definitely not a pumpkin, just has that roundish shape. Another one on the same plant is more or less the classic butternut squash shape but also much bigger than any from last year. Those are both pretty big compared to last year's crop, even though planted in a large pot instead of actually in the ground. Still, they possibly are not the biggest of this year's crop though very close if not. We got several other butternut squashes this year that are much bigger than any I got last year and one possibly bigger than the pumpkin shaped one of this year - that one in the middle of the pic. I wish I had a scale to tell which weighed more.Maybe I did something right to the soil that I did not do last year but all I did each time was turned the soil, added composted cow manure and compost from my compost heap. Maybe we got a great batch of cow poop this yea. Maybe divine pollination was achieved. Maybe cross pollination between different species of squash happened and we have some hybrids. Maybe aliens landed and zapped them with super-growth radiation rays. Whatever, they grew to some pretty big sizes considering that last year batch looked pretty much like the ones with the bottleneck shapes in the foreground of the accompanying picture or like the one behind them on the right side in the pic (as you look at it). That shotgun shell in the foreground is there for scale; it is a 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shell.
We have at least another 4 of these beauties still on the vine. The three looking the most, what would you call that color, pale yellowish-orange
We had several others growing, some got knocked off the vine when a neighbor moved them when he ripped ivy out of his garden (they were on our mutual fence with the ivy), others got knocked off the vine in high winds, others got diseased or bug infested and one or two knocked off the vines by our dogs. We probably would have had another 10 to a dozen of them. As it is, I think we have enough of them to last for a few meals and I should have plenty of seeds for next year.
Heck, I just remembered, the squash seeds I had and planted this year were not from last year's crop there was no squash crop in our garden last year. In fact, they were from the year before and still germinated his year! Last year, I did not plant anything, I was out in Tucson for the whole spring and halfway through July. Last time I gardened before this spring was in 2008.
All the best,
Glenn B
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Ballseye's Gun Shots 94 - The Aging 870 & The Old Man's Shoulder
The aging Remington 870 struck hard against my shoulder today and my old man's shoulder middle aged, arthritic and bursitis encumbered shoulder was no match for the harsh retort of recoil from the old Remington. As soon as the butt of the shotgun slammed back into my shoulder, it felt as if a searing bolt of lightning had been sent down my arm from my shoulder to the tips of the last two fingers on my right hand. The pain, in my neck, right shoulder, arm and hand that accompanied it was almost unbearable. Then I shot again! I don't know if it was due to stupidity, machismo, the idea that it would be better on the next shot, or that I just could not put down my old friend after only one shot, or that I was determined to be ready for the upcoming hunting season. I fired two more slugs, then I put down my old friend with a grimace still on my face. The second and third shots were not as bad as the first, no more lightning bolt shooting down my arm but the pain was severe nonetheless. I had just fired the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington several times, and had also fired the Mosin Nagant 91/30 in 7.62x54R and the Yugoslavian M24/47 Mauser in 8MM Mauser, also both several times. None of them had inflicted me with even a hint of discomfort, let alone pain. I figured the shotgun would be uncomfortable, or even hurt a bit, as usual but I was not prepared for what it hit me with.
I went to shooting the Marlin 25MN in 22WMR, then back to the Marlin 336, the Mauser and the Nagant. All still no problem. I gave the shotgun a few more tries about an hour and a half or so after the first few rounds. It hurt but was nothing like the first shot, or the second and third but it still hurt too much. Then again, even the second and third shots were nothing like the first one had been, that one was by far the worst. I suppose it must have just pushed on the nerve in my shoulder just right to put my pain receptors into overdrive and to make me actually think I might never be able to shoot it again. Yes, it hurt that badly and I suppose that was in part due to my arthritis, bursitis, and the cyst removal surgery I had on my neck back in May; that cyst had been pressing on the nerve that runs from the neck to shoulder and down the arm. I also know it has to do with me not exercising enough and I guess with me getting older too. I guess maybe before I feel too old before my time, I ought to be exercising more to build up mooscles so it won't happen again too soon. If that does happen again, especially that feeling of a bolt of supercharged lightning running down my arm ending in my finger tips, well then I may have to retire the old 870 for the duration. Of course, before I would do that, I may try some sort of recoil pad added onto my shoulder between me and the recoil pad on the shotgun butt. I just don't want to give up one of my favorites guns without trying to figure out a solution to this problem if there is one.
Besides that incident with the shotgun, the range day was great. I was there with Brendan. He needed to see if the Marlin 336 was sighted in for himself and also had to shoot the 870 for the same reason. He fired only 3 shots out of the 870 and called it quits with that one for the rest of the 4 hours or so that we were at the range. I suppose I cannot blame him. He had a lot more fun with the 336, the Mosin Nagant, his Stag Arms AR15 (which I forgot to mention above that I also had fun shooting), and the Marlin 25MN. He must have fired about 150 rounds through the 25MN, and 100 of them as rapidly as I have ever seen anyone shoot a bolt action rifle. I was pretty pleased he had about a 2 1/2 to 3 group, with only about 2 fliers out of a box of 50 rounds, at 50 yards, while firing that fast. His slow fire is usually not any better, if that good, so seeing him do that well that fast was fairly impressive. He was really having a blast with it between shooting the other guns. In fact, he pretty much ended up the range day shooting the Marlin 25 MN although he took time out to fire a last few shots from the Marlin 336 - just to make sure it was sighted in for him. I think any big game that may cross his path this year, while he is holding the Marlin 336, had better start worrying now. As for the gray squirrels, he would easily take them at 50 yards with the Marlin 25MN. I can almost smell the roasting venison and the squirrel stew but I guess we first have to see some of them within shooting distance.
After the range, we stopped off at a Hooters for a late lunch. We didn't have anything like squirrel stew or roasted venison but the onion rings were out of this world, the hot chicken wings just deliciously hot, the fries were nice and crispy and only the BBQ ribs were left needing something that the waitress' ribs certainly were not lacking. After all - it was Hooters, not known for the best of food but certainly known for something to do with ribs!
All the best,
Glenn B
I went to shooting the Marlin 25MN in 22WMR, then back to the Marlin 336, the Mauser and the Nagant. All still no problem. I gave the shotgun a few more tries about an hour and a half or so after the first few rounds. It hurt but was nothing like the first shot, or the second and third but it still hurt too much. Then again, even the second and third shots were nothing like the first one had been, that one was by far the worst. I suppose it must have just pushed on the nerve in my shoulder just right to put my pain receptors into overdrive and to make me actually think I might never be able to shoot it again. Yes, it hurt that badly and I suppose that was in part due to my arthritis, bursitis, and the cyst removal surgery I had on my neck back in May; that cyst had been pressing on the nerve that runs from the neck to shoulder and down the arm. I also know it has to do with me not exercising enough and I guess with me getting older too. I guess maybe before I feel too old before my time, I ought to be exercising more to build up mooscles so it won't happen again too soon. If that does happen again, especially that feeling of a bolt of supercharged lightning running down my arm ending in my finger tips, well then I may have to retire the old 870 for the duration. Of course, before I would do that, I may try some sort of recoil pad added onto my shoulder between me and the recoil pad on the shotgun butt. I just don't want to give up one of my favorites guns without trying to figure out a solution to this problem if there is one.
Besides that incident with the shotgun, the range day was great. I was there with Brendan. He needed to see if the Marlin 336 was sighted in for himself and also had to shoot the 870 for the same reason. He fired only 3 shots out of the 870 and called it quits with that one for the rest of the 4 hours or so that we were at the range. I suppose I cannot blame him. He had a lot more fun with the 336, the Mosin Nagant, his Stag Arms AR15 (which I forgot to mention above that I also had fun shooting), and the Marlin 25MN. He must have fired about 150 rounds through the 25MN, and 100 of them as rapidly as I have ever seen anyone shoot a bolt action rifle. I was pretty pleased he had about a 2 1/2 to 3 group, with only about 2 fliers out of a box of 50 rounds, at 50 yards, while firing that fast. His slow fire is usually not any better, if that good, so seeing him do that well that fast was fairly impressive. He was really having a blast with it between shooting the other guns. In fact, he pretty much ended up the range day shooting the Marlin 25 MN although he took time out to fire a last few shots from the Marlin 336 - just to make sure it was sighted in for him. I think any big game that may cross his path this year, while he is holding the Marlin 336, had better start worrying now. As for the gray squirrels, he would easily take them at 50 yards with the Marlin 25MN. I can almost smell the roasting venison and the squirrel stew but I guess we first have to see some of them within shooting distance.
After the range, we stopped off at a Hooters for a late lunch. We didn't have anything like squirrel stew or roasted venison but the onion rings were out of this world, the hot chicken wings just deliciously hot, the fries were nice and crispy and only the BBQ ribs were left needing something that the waitress' ribs certainly were not lacking. After all - it was Hooters, not known for the best of food but certainly known for something to do with ribs!
All the best,
Glenn B
Friday, October 1, 2010
Soldiers' Care Packages - Donations Please
It is October 1, 2010. Once again, as over the past few years, I am going to start putting together care packages for some of our military personnel foreign soil or seas and I am again going to ask for my readers' help by way of donations. I have already requested, just minutes ago, that Soldiers' Angels assign me a new soldier. I specifically asked for someone in Afghanistan and asked if this time they would assign me a female since the others were all men. I figure it is both our men and women over there, so why not try to get at least one lady included among those to whom we send these packages. If they can do it - fine; if not, then to whomever they assign me will be fine just as well.
I also went out today and picked up the first items to include in the first package, I hope, with your help, there will be at least a few to several other good ones going out between now, Christmas and New Year's Day. So far this is what I have purchased for the first package:
A four pack of Merino Wool Socks (it is about to start getting cold in that part of the world)
A large box of Tootsie Roll Pops
A 48 pack of AA alkaline batteries
A 30 pack of Hershey's candy bars including Hershey's milk chocolate bars (both plain and with almonds), KitKat bars, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups)
A 60 pack of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (including a variety of chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin)
That set me back about $56.93. This is my donation so far, all out of my pocket. Any donations I receive from my readers, or others, will go toward future purchases of items to go into the care packages.
So, once again I am asking that you, my readers, help out with whatever monetary contributions you can to help make these packages something worthy of our young men and woman who are fighting terrorism, and protecting us and the freedoms we enjoy. As in the past, if you donate anything to me, every penny I receive will go toward the purchase of items to be included in the care package(s). I will also make a sizable donation to the package(s) (such as the items I already bought today - they are at my expense alone and I will probably throw in another $50 or more worth of goods that I alone pay for). I will also pay for boxes, tape (unless I use free boxes and tape), and I will pay for shipping the package(s) to my assigned soldier and his or her unit all out of my own pocket. I guess I am also paying for the gas to drive to the store and pick this stuff up. Again, any donations I receive from you go 100% toward the cost of items I put into the care packages. (Note: What I RECEIVE as a donation is what goes toward the purchases. So there is no misunderstanding, if you donate $25.00 by way of PayPal, I will use all the funds I receive, after PayPal takes their small cut, toward the items for the care packages. PayPal is not free; I get nothing of the percentage they charge but they do charge a fairly small amount for receiving funds through them. a Paypal account is free, or was when i signed up. If, on the other hand, you donate $25.00 cash, then 100% of that money will go to buying items for the care packages. (Please note, PayPal is free to sign up for and, as far as I know, still does not charge you for sending money; they charge the person who receives the money - see this link.)
By the way, these gifts are nondenominational and will be for anyone in my assigned soldier's unit regardless of religious beliefs or anything else. Regardless of it being the Christmas season, they are to be shared among the unit and with other units if my soldier and his or her unit feel generous and I hope that will be the case. I just send em out at Christmas because I was brought up as a Catholic. I am not a practicing Catholic any longer but have the Christian upbringing and still feel this time of year is an especially nice one for giving. I especially like the Christmas spirit. The Christmas spirit is not one of a stingy scrooge; it is a time for giving what you can give. I know, the economy sucks. I know a lot of people are hurting. Still, you have to realize these guys and gals are far from home, they are hurting even more than any of us and they are in some god forsaken hell holes. They surely could use some recognition from us beyond simply saying - I support the troops. No matter how tough times are, if you are reading this you have something to give - don't you?
"Money is tight, times are hard" - we have all heard talk like that recently. Remember though, talk like that is cheap but so too are the donations for which I ask. Send whatever you can to help out. Send $50 if you have it and can spare it, or send $5.00 if things are bad. Heck send a dollar if things are really that bad - then feel happy you did something because even a dollar will help make some of our boys and girls have it just a bit easier during the holiday season and the time leading up to it. I do not know about you but I don't want to be the one to send our troops a photocopied Christmas card showing Santa giving them the finger and saying "Money is tight and times are hard, so here's your fucking Christmas card"! I got that card once, I laughed until my sides hurt. Think about sending that sentiment to our troops, it quite likely would be seen in another way. Think about the message we send when we send nothing - then think about the joy we send when we send whatever we can. If it is is just a few pennies, then do it please because those few pennies will help both our troops and you.
Once I know the identity of my soldier, I will post what I can here on the blog. As usual, by the rules at Soldiers' Angels, I can only give my soldier's first name and where he or she is located (in general). If I later get permission from the soldier, I will post more info. I will also post any thank yous I receive from the soldier and his or her unit. I can tell you this without a doubt, when you and I gave in the past, when we sent those other packages, the folks on the receiving end had a better time for it. We made them smile, we made their days, we showed them that the ones here still at home really do care and they were thankful for it. Please, let's do it again - anything you can donate goes a long way toward making a soldier smile.
You can either click on the donation icon above or click on the donation icon located on the upper right hand side of my blog page. The icon in the upper right of my blog page will remain there throughout the time period I will accept donations which probably will be sometime in early to mid December. If you prefer to donate by money order, please email me for my address. I will only send my mailing address to those whom I already know. Thanks.
All the best,
Glenn B
I also went out today and picked up the first items to include in the first package, I hope, with your help, there will be at least a few to several other good ones going out between now, Christmas and New Year's Day. So far this is what I have purchased for the first package:
A four pack of Merino Wool Socks (it is about to start getting cold in that part of the world)
A large box of Tootsie Roll Pops
A 48 pack of AA alkaline batteries
A 30 pack of Hershey's candy bars including Hershey's milk chocolate bars (both plain and with almonds), KitKat bars, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups)
A 60 pack of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (including a variety of chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin)
That set me back about $56.93. This is my donation so far, all out of my pocket. Any donations I receive from my readers, or others, will go toward future purchases of items to go into the care packages.
So, once again I am asking that you, my readers, help out with whatever monetary contributions you can to help make these packages something worthy of our young men and woman who are fighting terrorism, and protecting us and the freedoms we enjoy. As in the past, if you donate anything to me, every penny I receive will go toward the purchase of items to be included in the care package(s). I will also make a sizable donation to the package(s) (such as the items I already bought today - they are at my expense alone and I will probably throw in another $50 or more worth of goods that I alone pay for). I will also pay for boxes, tape (unless I use free boxes and tape), and I will pay for shipping the package(s) to my assigned soldier and his or her unit all out of my own pocket. I guess I am also paying for the gas to drive to the store and pick this stuff up. Again, any donations I receive from you go 100% toward the cost of items I put into the care packages. (Note: What I RECEIVE as a donation is what goes toward the purchases. So there is no misunderstanding, if you donate $25.00 by way of PayPal, I will use all the funds I receive, after PayPal takes their small cut, toward the items for the care packages. PayPal is not free; I get nothing of the percentage they charge but they do charge a fairly small amount for receiving funds through them. a Paypal account is free, or was when i signed up. If, on the other hand, you donate $25.00 cash, then 100% of that money will go to buying items for the care packages. (Please note, PayPal is free to sign up for and, as far as I know, still does not charge you for sending money; they charge the person who receives the money - see this link.)
By the way, these gifts are nondenominational and will be for anyone in my assigned soldier's unit regardless of religious beliefs or anything else. Regardless of it being the Christmas season, they are to be shared among the unit and with other units if my soldier and his or her unit feel generous and I hope that will be the case. I just send em out at Christmas because I was brought up as a Catholic. I am not a practicing Catholic any longer but have the Christian upbringing and still feel this time of year is an especially nice one for giving. I especially like the Christmas spirit. The Christmas spirit is not one of a stingy scrooge; it is a time for giving what you can give. I know, the economy sucks. I know a lot of people are hurting. Still, you have to realize these guys and gals are far from home, they are hurting even more than any of us and they are in some god forsaken hell holes. They surely could use some recognition from us beyond simply saying - I support the troops. No matter how tough times are, if you are reading this you have something to give - don't you?
"Money is tight, times are hard" - we have all heard talk like that recently. Remember though, talk like that is cheap but so too are the donations for which I ask. Send whatever you can to help out. Send $50 if you have it and can spare it, or send $5.00 if things are bad. Heck send a dollar if things are really that bad - then feel happy you did something because even a dollar will help make some of our boys and girls have it just a bit easier during the holiday season and the time leading up to it. I do not know about you but I don't want to be the one to send our troops a photocopied Christmas card showing Santa giving them the finger and saying "Money is tight and times are hard, so here's your fucking Christmas card"! I got that card once, I laughed until my sides hurt. Think about sending that sentiment to our troops, it quite likely would be seen in another way. Think about the message we send when we send nothing - then think about the joy we send when we send whatever we can. If it is is just a few pennies, then do it please because those few pennies will help both our troops and you.
Once I know the identity of my soldier, I will post what I can here on the blog. As usual, by the rules at Soldiers' Angels, I can only give my soldier's first name and where he or she is located (in general). If I later get permission from the soldier, I will post more info. I will also post any thank yous I receive from the soldier and his or her unit. I can tell you this without a doubt, when you and I gave in the past, when we sent those other packages, the folks on the receiving end had a better time for it. We made them smile, we made their days, we showed them that the ones here still at home really do care and they were thankful for it. Please, let's do it again - anything you can donate goes a long way toward making a soldier smile.
You can either click on the donation icon above or click on the donation icon located on the upper right hand side of my blog page. The icon in the upper right of my blog page will remain there throughout the time period I will accept donations which probably will be sometime in early to mid December. If you prefer to donate by money order, please email me for my address. I will only send my mailing address to those whom I already know. Thanks.
All the best,
Glenn B
Ballseye's Gun Shots 93 - Gun Cleaning Kits - Real Men Prefer Brass
When it comes to gun cleaning kits, I have tried a pretty good variety of them to get the dirty work done. I try to assure I am doing it without damaging my firearms. The various parts of a gun cleaning kit can be made from quite a few different materials, some of those materials are more likely to cause damage to your guns and I think they are just best to avoid.
Of all the types of cleaning kits that I have tried, and they have been numerous, I prefer those using a brass cleaning rod as the heart of the system. (Note: the one shown is only an example, I would change and add a few things with that particular kit, which is available here.)Others I have tried have included those with aluminum rods, steel rods, steel rods coated with polymer, other polymer coated metal rods, nylon rods, bore snakes and chains. The reasons I prefer brass rods are several. First and foremost, brass is not as hard as steel. This means it is less likely to abrade or otherwise mar the breech, the chamber, the bore or the crown as I run it through the barrel to clean it. While some of the other types of cleaning rod are even softer than brass, I still prefer the brass. Aluminum is pretty good but cannot stand up to the repeated use as can a brass rod. All of the aluminium multi-section rods I have used have always started to compact at the point where two pieces screw together by way of repeatedly being pushed though the bore. They then tend to flange out forming a collar like bulge at the joint of two rods. This is not desirable as the bulged out sections are more likely to rub unevenly along the bore. While the aluminum or other softer metal is softer than the steel of the bore, repeatedly runs these bulged areas against the bore could begin to cause damage to the rifling sooner or later. Brass is hard enough that this either does not happen (at least with good quality brass cleaning rods) or takes so long to do it that the cost to replace the rods would be minimal. With aluminum, I find myself replacing multi-section cleaning rods, in my field cleaning kits, on a regular basis of at least once every year. Brass rods I have had for between 5 and 10 years have never had this problem and did not need replacing. One other thing with aluminum as compared to brass, in my experience. Multi-piece aluminum rods I have used also tend to bend and snap easily at the joints and sometimes even in mid rod. This is a much rarer occurrence with brass rod. brass is, in my opinion, a much better choice than aluminum as a cleaning rod. Note that brass rods are available in various sizes to fit different caliber barrels however, I prefer a universal cleaning kit just because I own various calibers and the universal kit makes the cleaning chores a little easier. Sadly, it is much more difficult to find universal field cleaning kits with brass rods than it is those with aluminum rods. It is not difficult to find universal kits with brass rods - just the type you would normally consider a field kit - which is the type I prefer.
As far as some of the other choices go:
While I have used them before, I now never use uncoated steel rods because of the chance of damage to the bore with repeated use of such a hard metal. As far a coated steel or other coated metal rods go, let me just say I hate flaking and peeling and scraping. Every time I have used coated rods, the coating begins to flake, peel or scrape off within just a few uses. Not only do you then stand the chance of the metal possibly scratching the inside of the bore and damaging the rifling, you now also are quite likely to have a residue of the polymer/plastic coating remaining in the rifling, or to even have larger pieces of it remaining in the bore or in the action. I sure don't want any crud left over in my guns once I have cleaned them, what about you?
Nylon rods do not flake or peel, do no damage to the metal parts and seem almost perfect. The thing is that nylon is a lot softer than steel. So as you run a nylon rod in and out of the barrel there is a good chance you are leaving very small pieces of it (probably specks to small to notice) inside the barrel. My guess would be that these specks begin to form a buildup sooner or later inside the grooves of the rifling. Now before someone goes and says that this is BS because shooting a round through the gun would force out any small particles, let me tell you that I know of at least one pistol manufacturer who says you should never shoot Nyclad ammunition through there pistols because the buildup of residue left behind by Nyclad ammo (from the nylon coating over the bullet). If it does not blow all of that out, well - I am none too certain it would blow out any small particles left by a nylon cleaning rod. They probably would be blown out but I figure why take the chance of a nylon coating being formed in the rifling. The other thing I do not like about nylon rods is that they have no spine, so to speak. They are flimsy compared to metal rods and bend way too easily. I have only used them in pistols and did not like them at all but if it is all I have on hand I use them.
Of all the types of cleaning kits that I have tried, and they have been numerous, I prefer those using a brass cleaning rod as the heart of the system. (Note: the one shown is only an example, I would change and add a few things with that particular kit, which is available here.)Others I have tried have included those with aluminum rods, steel rods, steel rods coated with polymer, other polymer coated metal rods, nylon rods, bore snakes and chains. The reasons I prefer brass rods are several. First and foremost, brass is not as hard as steel. This means it is less likely to abrade or otherwise mar the breech, the chamber, the bore or the crown as I run it through the barrel to clean it. While some of the other types of cleaning rod are even softer than brass, I still prefer the brass. Aluminum is pretty good but cannot stand up to the repeated use as can a brass rod. All of the aluminium multi-section rods I have used have always started to compact at the point where two pieces screw together by way of repeatedly being pushed though the bore. They then tend to flange out forming a collar like bulge at the joint of two rods. This is not desirable as the bulged out sections are more likely to rub unevenly along the bore. While the aluminum or other softer metal is softer than the steel of the bore, repeatedly runs these bulged areas against the bore could begin to cause damage to the rifling sooner or later. Brass is hard enough that this either does not happen (at least with good quality brass cleaning rods) or takes so long to do it that the cost to replace the rods would be minimal. With aluminum, I find myself replacing multi-section cleaning rods, in my field cleaning kits, on a regular basis of at least once every year. Brass rods I have had for between 5 and 10 years have never had this problem and did not need replacing. One other thing with aluminum as compared to brass, in my experience. Multi-piece aluminum rods I have used also tend to bend and snap easily at the joints and sometimes even in mid rod. This is a much rarer occurrence with brass rod. brass is, in my opinion, a much better choice than aluminum as a cleaning rod. Note that brass rods are available in various sizes to fit different caliber barrels however, I prefer a universal cleaning kit just because I own various calibers and the universal kit makes the cleaning chores a little easier. Sadly, it is much more difficult to find universal field cleaning kits with brass rods than it is those with aluminum rods. It is not difficult to find universal kits with brass rods - just the type you would normally consider a field kit - which is the type I prefer. As far as some of the other choices go:
While I have used them before, I now never use uncoated steel rods because of the chance of damage to the bore with repeated use of such a hard metal. As far a coated steel or other coated metal rods go, let me just say I hate flaking and peeling and scraping. Every time I have used coated rods, the coating begins to flake, peel or scrape off within just a few uses. Not only do you then stand the chance of the metal possibly scratching the inside of the bore and damaging the rifling, you now also are quite likely to have a residue of the polymer/plastic coating remaining in the rifling, or to even have larger pieces of it remaining in the bore or in the action. I sure don't want any crud left over in my guns once I have cleaned them, what about you?
Nylon rods do not flake or peel, do no damage to the metal parts and seem almost perfect. The thing is that nylon is a lot softer than steel. So as you run a nylon rod in and out of the barrel there is a good chance you are leaving very small pieces of it (probably specks to small to notice) inside the barrel. My guess would be that these specks begin to form a buildup sooner or later inside the grooves of the rifling. Now before someone goes and says that this is BS because shooting a round through the gun would force out any small particles, let me tell you that I know of at least one pistol manufacturer who says you should never shoot Nyclad ammunition through there pistols because the buildup of residue left behind by Nyclad ammo (from the nylon coating over the bullet). If it does not blow all of that out, well - I am none too certain it would blow out any small particles left by a nylon cleaning rod. They probably would be blown out but I figure why take the chance of a nylon coating being formed in the rifling. The other thing I do not like about nylon rods is that they have no spine, so to speak. They are flimsy compared to metal rods and bend way too easily. I have only used them in pistols and did not like them at all but if it is all I have on hand I use them.
A final note on gun cleaning rods. I have mentioned above, several times, the fact that use universal cleaning rod kits. besides being in a small diameter to fit down to at least .22 caliber these kits always contain multi-piece cleaning rods that you can screw together to reach the needed length to clean your firearm's bore then unscrew for storage. Another type of cleaning rod is the one piece rod. These are more expensive that multi-piece kits but are excellent cleaning rods and are usually caliber ranger specific. They are best used when you are especially concerned about about avoiding damage caused by a cleaning rod due to the flanging of the joints or about the possibility of the rod or joints snapping when in use.
There is yet another choice of cleaning tool though this one can't really be called a cleaning rod. This choice would be the bore snake. A bore snake is basically a flexible rope like tool with a weight on one end and the cleaning brush on the other. The weighted end helps it go through the bore, you then grab that end and pull the rest of it through. This type of cleaning kit is pretty compact since the snake coils inside the carrying case and is therefore good for the field. The thing is, the place you are probably most likely to wind up with a barrel obstruction is when out in the field. The bore snake is no substitute for a good cleaning rod to help rid the barrel of an obstruction. For instance, - it won't do the job if the barrel just got filled with dirt because you fell while out deer hunting and the muzzle rammed down into the soil. I have used them and was unimpressed by their capabilities at all. I don't even consider using them when I clean my firearms.
Bore Snakes are akin to bore chains and I don't use the chains either. I have seen very few bore chains ever offered for sale. The only time I have actually gotten any were with old military surplus rifles and once with an order of ammo from an online surplus dealer (it was free with my order so I took it, looked at it, put it away, remembered it, then gave it away by way of a contest on my blog).
Before I get into all of the other accessories that I use regularly to clean my firearms let me talk about a specialized little piece of brass that may save you a lot of heartache and cash If you have a rifle or pistol that is a real pain to take apart, or if you are cleaning revolvers, and therefore are passing the cleaning rod into the bore from the muzzle end first, you may want to consider picking up a muzzle guard. This is a small conical shaped tool with a hole running through it from wide end to narrower end. It gets placed into the muzzle so it appears to be evenly placed and slightly snug. Then you run the cleaning rod through the hole in the muzzle guard and down passed the muzzle into the bore. This helps protect the muzzle and the crown, from uneven application of the cleaning rod, when you clean a firearm from the muzzle end.
The next cleaning accessory I will discuss is the slotted patch holder. It is basically a cleaning rod tip that screws into the rod. it has a slot in it designed to hold a cleaning patch. These come in nylon, plastics and metal. Again, I prefer brass. Nylon and other plastics just do not hold up to the repeated pushing and pulling of a patch through the bore. A good brass patch holder will outlast a nylon or plastic one by scores of years. Anything harder than brass could damage the bore. There are universal and caliber range specific patch holders available.
There are a number of other accessories that go along with whatever type of cleaning rod you choose to get the dirty work done. I suppose the next one to consider would be the jag. A jag is another form of patch holder. It does not have a slot but usually has a small pointed end and also has a ribbed body. It is designed to push a patch through the bore with even pressure on all sides of he patch as it slides along the bore. Note, I said designed to push. It is not slotted and therefor the patch usually fall off if you try to pull it back through the bore after it already exited the other end. This is a good tool to help assure a snugger patch to bore fit and therefore to help achieve a cleaner bore. Jags are caliber specific or caliber range specific.
Next come the bore brushes. These are available in metal and nylon (or other plastic). I never use nylon for all the reasons I mentioned above and because i find that nylon brushes are not stiff or strong enough to remove fouling as well as do metal brushes. I prefer metal brushes and use Phosphor Bronze Brushes almost exclusively. These are the copper colored prickly brushes you usually find in the gun cleaning accessory section of your gun store. They are as popular as they are because they get the job done well without damaging the bore of your firearms. They come in a variety of sizes to clean just about any sized bore out there as far a commercial and military small arms go. While you can usually get away with using a universal cleaning rod to clean your rifles, you should always use the exact size cleaning brush meant for your bore when cleaning the interior of the barrel. I sometimes use one or two sizes up but only for the chamber of the firearm, the chamber being wider than the bore. I never try to force to wide of a brush down the barrel, this could result in a difficult to clear obstruction. If this ever happens to you, and you cannot clear the obstruction with a wooden dowel from the other end, then bring it to a gum smith. Never try to shoot an obstruction out of a barrel - this could rupture the metal parts and seriously injure you or even kill you. If you use the correct sized brush, such an obstruction should not be a problem. One other thing about Bronze Phosphor Brushes - they are meant to clean the bore or the chamber and nothing else. If you use them to clean the inside of your action, or to scrape rust off the outside of the gun, you will in all likelihood bend the bristles unevenly on at least one side of the brush. You may as ell throw it out once you have done that because the brush is almost useless as a bore brush after it has been bent out of shape. Even with regular use, metal bore brushes bend, usually evenly is used only in the bore or chamber. When they start to look a bit on the skinny side - replace them to assure good cleaning results.
There are other types of brushes out there for cleaning a bore. One of these is the Tornado Brush. These are offered by Hoppe's. They consist of s steel brush (yep steel just like the barrel material) with a looped spiral design with no bristle ends. These brushes are designed to snugly glide down the length of the bore and to very effectively remove fouling while doing so. I found they are also excellent it and are also great at removing rust from a bore that is frosted with it. That could be the case after firing corrosive ammo and not cleaning it correctly immediately afterward (live and learn - who knew Hoppe's No. 9 would not work for corrosive ammo residue). They are available in a variety of popular calibers. I use these brushes now about once or twice per year on my regular guns for an extra good cleaning and a bit more often, maybe 4 times per year, on my military surplus rifles. I always use them in combination with Phosphor Bronze Brushes - a few passes with the tornado then I switch over to the Phosphor Bronze Brush for a few passes. At other times I use only the Phosphor Bronze Brushes. Replace Tornado Brushes when they either start to look skinny or star to slide through the barrel to easily to be making good all around contact.
One thing, as far as cleaning accessories go, that I hardly ever use are bore cleaning swabs. Now don't get me wrong; I often use Q-tips or similar swabs to clean parts of my guns. When I say I do not use bore cleaning swabs, I mean those designed to be attached to a cleaning rod that are a permanent accessory in the cleaning kit. just see no use for them. Basically they are a cotton swab with a metal rod bass that screws into the end of the cleaning rod. Not sure of what I mean, then click on this link. They come in a variety of sizes for use in different calibers. I see no need for them, though they may help get fouling out of the grooves in the rifling a bit better than cleaning patches.
Patches, did I just mention patches. These are an important part of any firearms cleaning kit. Again, there is a variety of them available. prefer 100 percent cotton cleaning patches, one cut to fit one or two calibers up from the caliber bore I am cleaning. I try some different ones and use the size that passes through the bore snugly but easily. A snug fit assure good contact and therefor good cleaning, easily assure or helps assure that the cloth will not get stuck and require Herculean efforts, that may result in a broken cleaning rod, to clear it. I not only use the patches in the bore but on all parts of the firearm for cleaning. I tend to buy quality patches, made for firearms cleaning. Doing so helps assure I avoid some of the traits of poorer quality patches such as: being too thin to get the job done, non-absorbency, shredding apart, pilling and leaving bits and pieces of cotton behind in the muzzle.
Some other accessories I use to clean my firearms are:
Utility brushes - again I prefer metal to nylon. I use both brass and steel brushes depending on the job I need them for but prefer to use brass first each time to see if it gets the job done. The reason I use brass first is because brass is less likely to harm the finish or the steel or alloy of the gun itself.
Cotton swabs - I use only good quality swabs and prefer those with a plastic body as opposed to those with wood or cardboard. I always make sure that no visible cotton has been left behind in the bore or the works of my firearms.
Cleaning picks - I use steel cleaning picks, if I could find brass I would buy a set of them instead. I use these only for special cases when I cannot otherwise get to an area of the action or frame to remove visible fouling. I never use a pick inside the bore - NEVER. I do use a pick, or a knife or small screwdriver blade to clean behind the extractor claw on most of my firearms.
There are also the cleaning solvents and lubricating and protecting oils. I am not going to go into these in this blog post. There are just too many types to cover and I will probably dedicate a future post just to them. I may even make it two posts, one on cleaning solvents and one on lubricants. I will say this, you almost cannot go wrong if you shoot modern non-corrosive ammo out of your guns and then clean the gun with a general purpose gun cleaner like Hoppe's No. 9 and/or a product containing a copper solvent like Hoppe's Bench Rest Copper Solvent. If you shoot copper jacketed bullets this is highly recommended; after I use the copper solvent I follow up with dry patches, then once the bore is clean I again clean the bore with a patch with regular gun cleaning solvent. I do this because I have heard rumored that copper solvents can sometimes corrode the bore. I am not sure it is true; but unless proven false, why take a chance! After I have cleaned my firearms, I give their metal parts a light coating of Break Free CLP. (Note: If the manufacturer's instructions say not to oil a part, or to oil it heavily, or something other than giving parts a light coat of oil - I follow 
those instructions). As for the Break Free CLP, it is the best lubricant and protectant for the money as far as I am concerned. It can even double as a cleaning product in the event you run out of your regular solvent; though I recommend using a solvent made for cleaning instead of using a lubricant that doubles as a cleaner.
I also keep a variety of small tools on hand to help facilitate cleaning chores. Not so much as cleaning tools but as disassembly and reassembly tools that I might need to take down and put together my firearms before and after cleaning them. Tools you might need could be: a screwdriver set (especially one made for guns), a punch set, a small hammer for the ppunches, a borelight and so on. Bear in mind though: One of the easiest ways to damage a firearm while cleaning it is to disassemble in with the wrong tools and or without the proper knowledge of how to properly take it apart. So read the manual for your gun and learn how to do it right when taking it down for cleaning. Don't try to force pieces apart or force them back together during reassembly. Use proper punches, screwdrivers or other tools as needed and remember those proper tools also include the use of the right cleaning kits.
In closing, let me repeat the words of Pete G, U.S. Customs Service Special Agent & Firearms Instructor, Retired, who always reminded his shooters - A Clean Gun Is A Happy Gun! Let me just add one thing with which I am pretty sure Pete would agree when it comes to cleaning rods: Real Men Prefer Brass!
All the best,
Glenn B
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Been A Rough One...
...or two. Had a long day at work yesterday and a long one today - both working in assisting agents from another office on a case and raid. Out in the field all day yesterday then again for all of the day today. Cannot get into specifics but will say it was some ball busting heavy duty work - especially today after only about 4 hours sleep last night. I should sleep good tonight. Worked with some good people including a new agent in my office. She was a pleasure to work with since she worked hard, did things sensibly, kept things moving, and was not a prima dona. I would be happy to go through the door with her anyday even though this one was not all that potentially dangerous. Nice to see they sometimes still make agents like they used to.
Will probably blog more tomorrow and over the weekend.
All the best,
GB
Will probably blog more tomorrow and over the weekend.
All the best,
GB
I Took A Test Today - I Failed
You too can take the same test that I took today. One to see if you are cool:
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/general/2002/cool_test.htm
Don't expect too much no matter how highly you think of yourself.
All the best,
GB
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/general/2002/cool_test.htm
Don't expect too much no matter how highly you think of yourself.
All the best,
GB
Awesome Teamwork and I do mean AWESOME
If the video did not show up, and sometimes it does not, then you can also go to this link: http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/video/rpg_surgery/
It is good to know there are still those among us who think like these guys and who are out there protecting the rest of us back here. The amount of camaraderie they showed was absolutely awe inspiring. I will sleep a good night's sleep tonight knowing that their kind is watching over the rest of us. When I wake, I guess I'll have to get a new soldier assigned to me by Soldiers' Angels.
All the best,
Glenn B
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