Warbird

IF you look at the NRA ILA website I believe there is a page devoted to real and not real information floating around the web. This info has been out there for many months now popping up one in a while. The history of this goes back to sections of proposed legislation several years ago from one senator. It wasn't exactly as what is floating around now, but similar. That never went anywhere, but someone took that original concept, made it even worse and then sent it out as real. I sometimes wonder if it is misinformed ignorance or intentional cyber maliciousness. There are definitely people out there who would get a kick out of starting crap like that. The great things about access to information on the internet are the same things that can make it dangerous. If you keep up to date with the NRA-ILA website I can assure you they will let you know of any real threats.

The problem I have with that is that they do not recommend using the conversion as a carry piece. Maybe this hasn't been the experience of others. But, that is what I heard.

I have two 27's. Like them, but pretty much constantly wish they were 26's. The 9 is more comfortable in that size to me. Then again I like the 9 and the 45 and don't care for the 40.

Joe at Hero had one of these for personal use that I handled. I have no experience shooting them but I was impressed with the trigger. I have had both the Sig and the HK USP. I carried a 228 for many years. In either one you get an inherently accurate, dependable pistol. I find no discernible difference between the two in those categories. I'd say go with the one that fits you best. Personally I found the bore sight radius too high for my liking on both of them. Sur eyou can become extremely proficient with either, but for me I do not have the time anymore to practice like I used to and am able to be proficient easier with a low bore sight radius, such as found on the Glocks, my HK P7 M8 or M13 or the 1911. The downside for me on the Glock is that the bore sight radius is perfect but, the grip is too fat for my liking. I send mine to Robar to have the grips reduced. Yes I'm picky and pretty much find no perfect defense gun. I love all of mine for one thing and hate them for another. Oh well, that is my burden to bear.

While I can't really tell you much more about his shotgun than I have, meaning I haven't gotten you much closer at all to your search, I can offer you some advice on how to appreciate this fine old gent a bit more. Get yourself a nice old field grade side by side, Ithaca or LC. Find a nice old fedora, they're easy to find in good shape. I own about 30 of them at least 50 years old. Some old style pants or overalls nice old wool coat. I actually own my grandfather's old Pendleton wool coat. Take a friend and some dogs and head to a field to hunt rabbit or birds, whatever suits you. Put some lunch in an old knapsack. I guarantee you you won't ever feel closer to that old fella or the ancestors who came before him even than doing something the way they did it. I do it every year and every year love doing it more than I did the last.

Well you shant need to feel badly for not knowing it good sir I can assure you of that. I believed it so for many years. I couldn't imagine, knowing how they were constructed, that they could be anything but inferior in strength. However I was proven wrong as were many many others.

Yep and of course in that day and time you could buy a shotgun just about anywhere some store owner wanted to carry them. Co-ops had them, hardware stores had them, general stores had them. All with varying quality to suit their locals needs. Of course you also had the fine shops like Abercrombie and Fitch, and other outfitters. I don't have a count of how many companies made rabbit eared side by side, or side by sides in general, but it had to number in the hundreds. Many of those were private labels, which were made by name companies who also made the guns for these private brands. But in general there were a lot of manufacturers. Of course the cream rose to the top and there were really about 7 or 8 American companies which made an exceptional gun. Among the best being Parker Brothers, LC Smith, Lefever, Ithaca and AH Fox. And today in good shape these guns can still bring large sums of money, while many of the others even in good shape are worth next to nothing. Several of my old doubles still lock up tight as a drum after all these years. Just exceptional pieces. And going back for just a moment to the Damascus barrels. Several companies are working with artisans to make damascus barrels again with the beautiful patterns of yesteryear. So far those of us seeking out the past are failing. With all of our modern technology the many years of not creating these barrels has left a great void of knowledge and we simply cannot figure out how to recreate what they did with their technology 100 years ago. Even with all of these advances history may say it is indeed an extinct artform. Isn't that strange, it is quite oddly funny isn't it? I find so anyway.

This is simply not true. It is one of the greatest of all gun myths in existence. A damascus barreled gun that has taken care of, meaning isn't rusted through is extremely strong. A study by a couple of the classic shotgun magazines by several British doubles experts lasting several years dispelled these myths completely. These guns tested withstood loads far in excess of modern loads. Furthermore several withstood loads when fluid steel barrels failed. That being said I usually shoot damascus barreled shotguns with light loads on clays courses. And yes I do shoot them, properly taken care of shotguns. And I probably shoot in excess of 50 of them a year in one environment or another. I won't shoot a rusted one, which there are far more rusted ones out there and they are the reason for these myths. However I wouldn't shoot a rusty fluid steel barreled gun either. As for the picture, it would be nearly impossible to tell you what that shotgun is, so many different companies made them. It is an American made shotgun and it appears to be in the classic 30" length. Most people owned one shotgun and used it for everything from waterfowl to upland to rabbit.

You are correct, not Heston's. They were part of the Bruce Stern collection. Attorney and NRA Board member. I was fortunate enough to attend that James Julia Auction which went for a record for a single collection. Very neat stuff.

I don't believe Heston ever made his collection public in picture or story.

I don't know about that. I think you need more AR trigger time to develop a liking to them. They kind of grow on you if you have shot other types of rifles all your life. Some people I know never shot rifles until they were in the military and their only experiences were with the AR type platform. They had to get used to bolt styled rifles. Much of it is about comfort and experience. I like you did not care for the handling of the AR when I first started shooting it. I did not like the spring vibration and sound. I did not like the sight picture. But I had shot bolt action or old military style semi-autos for many years before I shot a AR styled rifle. They are very versatile a lot of fun to shoot, easy to carry around and very easy on the body. I have numerous old rifles, classics that I love. Most are heavy, I don't relish taking them into areas where they could be messed up and weather does effect their shooting. I hunt with double rifles. When hunting dangerous game I prefer them, being a lefty who never acclimated myself to shooting left handed guns. Everybody I knew had RH guns, everybody meaning all of my family. You can't compare a double rifle to an AR they have vastly different purposes and pros and cons. The double is also usually heavy and most of them kick quite a bit, due to their usual larger caliber. I don't see a need for a small caliber double. You don't say if you shoot left handed bolt guns or not. The AR just takes some getting used to just like anything else new.

Exactly. Much cheaper and less recoil. Not only that but also barrel life comes into play. IF you're shooting a lot of rounds you simply don't want to use 7mm rem mag. The barrel heats up very quickly. I personally know a lot of competitive shooters. None of them that I can think of shoot a 30-06. I'm sure there are some that do. However it hasn't been the standard for many years. Mot serious competitive shooters I know shoot the 308. It is cheaper still and has even less recoil and is even easier on the barrel. Though some long range shooters use 7mm or 300 rem mag, neither is really intended as a target or competitive cartridge meant for a lot of shots fired during a day at the range. When it comes to accuracy they are all accurate in potential. That depends on the quality of the rifle, the barrel and the shooter. And it is also makes a difference in what you want to use the rifle for. I use mine for hunting. I don't necessarily want the perfect benchrest gun. I also don't want a tactical rifle. I won't be attempting a head shot, I have more room to work with than that. I am more concerned with general accuracy, consistency, dependability and weather resistance. I like rugged, stainless guns which are often not the best shooters. They have synthetic stocks because I may be in the desert, or in the mountains or on the tundra, in rain or snow, cold or heat and humidity. My nicest guns don't go into the field with me. My guns for field use are also all on the same platform, with the same trigger and the same type of scope. At some point I may decide to change platforms to something else and if I do I will sell all of what I have in that and change to all of the other.

They're both excellent, versatile rounds. Ammo is readily available in either most anywhere in the world. There is no difference in options for quality rifles as every manufacturer builds on both platforms. They are both very accurate for their intended uses, hunting. If you want a classic, older rifle then the nod goes to 30-06 for what is on the market. I have both and pick up the 7mm more often. I like the flatter shooting round and find it to have a slight edge on the game I hunt at some of the yardages I hunt them. For deer from a stand around here, I think it is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. They are both classic rounds and I pretty much stick to classic rounds. I don't much go for the plethora of wildcats or newer oddities on the market. It's an debate which will never end along with the other debates that carry year after year. In truth many rounds are so similar that you will not notice the difference in them unless you really hunt a great deal in different environments and on different types of game.

It is a very moving tribute to our veterans. That's the American soldier.

Sorry I missed this one. I was out of state, but I definitely want to make the next show.

I don't know that I would say Tracy was coming out of the woodwork. He had as much as said he was running weeks ago and he had stated numerous times over the last year that he probably would run. Just because Zelnick put her name in the ring months ago doesn't mean she is the front runner and all the others are spoilers. In fact of course she put her name in to run, what did she have to lose? She ran for a state rep seat and was trounced in a primary with Joe Carr, who went on to win the general. Zelnick has the money, but Tracy certainly has the name recognition. He has a good conservative record overall, though I vehemently disagreed with him on supporting all the smoking bans. As to why the repubs gave up on his seats the last 2 elections, it's real simple. No repub was going to run w/o the backing of the party financially. Nothing indicated there was a snowball chance at beating Gordon and they weren't going to waste their money when they put it places where they could win. Gordon has not faced any serious opposition since 94. In fact he was far more susceptible then than he was was this time even. He barely won, less than 1%. He then beat that same opponent, Steve Gill, handily 2 years later. They redistricted him at the state legislature and took Williamson County out of his district and moved it to Ed Bryant's district to protect Gordon. He hasn't been challenged seriously since. I think maybe a couple of people could have beaten him this time, but not just anyone. Gordon has talked for several years about getting out. I think he thought he could win this time, but would be redistricted out next time. And even if they didn't redistrict him, his district has changed in the last few years. After so many easy elections, I imagine he just didn't want the fight. It does get tiring running every two years if you actually have tight elections each time. I can't say I will miss Bart's politics overall. He wasn't the most liberal Tennessee delegation member up there and in fact was at times more conservative than some of the east Tennessee liberal repub delegation. But, he was sure no conservative either.

Right!!! And it is far cheaper to live in Maryland or Virginia. However, considering the terrible gun laws in Maryland, Virginia is the far better option for many reasons other than just gun rights. Unless you go to a school in the District, such as Georgetown and want to live the college life, it is not a good place to live. It is also very expensive. Of the 10 years I worked in and around the District, I never lived there.

I was in Hero Gear last week and they had a Cbob 10 and a CBob 45

Because it is unconstitutional to make such a law. Laws pertaining to the election of federal candidates cannot be interfered with by states. It is explicitly spelled out in the Constitution. The USSC has been clear on it in decisions. The only way to change it and the only say states would have, would be in a Constitutional Amendment, such as was done pertaining to the election of Federal Senators, and if it passed Congressional muster states could vote and have their say.

That is why I postponed my SD pheasant trip to the 2nd week of December. It has been so wet in that part of the country this year that bird hunting has been iffy. I hunted in Nebraska last month and had some pretty good success. North of there however they have not had much luck. So now I prepare for a much colder hunt in SD . However the hunting should still be pretty good. In fact with a bit of snow on the ground and the crops out it should be really good. The only downside to it is now instead of using my uninsulated or 200 gram upland boots I may have to get some heavier uplands or go with my traditional heavily lugged 400 or 600 gram big game hunters. Their only drawback is they do hold mud easier making them heavier. Even if you keep moving walking several hours in snow or real cold weather get be chilly on the toes. Never go cheap on glasses, hunting boots or parachutes. You might be sorry if you do.

In this area most people won't have a shot at much more than 100 yards due to the heavier typical coverage of trees. A few weeks ago I hunted for grouse in upstate Michigan. They hunt deer on the same property. The country is heavy alder forest. To get more than a 20 yard shot they have to clear out some shooting paths. And you are rarely likely to even see the deer until it pops into one of these cuts. It is that thick up there. With a 30-30 especially you won't have to worry about shooting farther than 100 yards. I will first try to find a boulder or something to set my pack on and shoot off of that. If that isn't around, I will try to find a tree. My longest shots at game have come in sparsely wooded areas. In every instance I either propped my pack on a rock or used a bipod. I am not talking about a bipod mounted to the gun, but an expandable one (which works great doing double duty as a walking stick in high country). In those cases I will shoot standing only if I have to. I prefer to sit and have the bipod set high enough to sit somewhat at an angle and see right down the scope. Only as a last resort will I shoot prone, most especially with a large caliber or magnum rifle. I find use of a bipod inconvenient in this area of the country where shots are usually taken faster and the sound of setting up would run the animal off. I would say if you are sitting in a blind in a chair that a bipod might be a good solution. If in a tree stand perhaps a good solution is to sit where your knees are up in front of you and your back is supported by a tree. Rest the gun on your knees. Lastly remember how to rest a rifle. Whatever rest you use, it should always be firmly set on the forearm. Never use the barrel to hold the weight of the gun. On a lever action this has less effect than a bolt, but still can mess up your shots completely.

Excellent part the state. Have fun. I love bird season. It has already been ruffed grouse, dove, sharptail and pheasant for me this season. You will have a great time. Upland hunting is by far my favorite along with spot and stalk. I just about can't stand sitting in any stand or blind for any length of time.

When are you going? I will be going the 2nd week of December. I had planned to go 2 weeks ago, but all of the rain made it just impossible to have a good hunt. I went to Nebraska that week instead. I prefer SD in October because it is a bit warmer. But, it shouldn't be bad in December unless it is something unseasonable. And if it is, then it is. Oh well what are you gonna do. Cold is all in the mind right? That's what i always tell myself anyway. Definitely make sure you have the right gear, especially boots wise. You may already be set, but if you're not here's a warning.

Great looking gun. Looks a lot like mine.

Chiggers, Ugh! One of my coworkers got into a mess of those in South Dakota hunting Prairie rats this past summer and got covered in literally thousands of them. I have never seen anything like it. I was miserable just looking at him.