Mark@Sea

Abominable, that's an excellent question. The OP listed a few choices, all battle rifle types. I've owned at one time or another almost all of the ones he listed. I still own a FAL, an M1A, and a Garand. The FAL and the M1A can be very good choices - but a good one is going to run well over 1000. The best of the M1A's are built with GI parts; Springfield exhausted their supply some time ago. The Garand is as or more accurate than the others listed, reasonably priced good surplus ammo is available, all parts are GI, new barrels/parts are easily had. Two downsides to the Garand: Mounting a scope correctly is a pain, and you cannot top off an 8 round clip. You can eject it and load another, though. You can get or make a clip to hold 5 rounds for hunting. Finally, how many things can you think of that you'd have to shoot more than 8 times with 30-06? So considering the $ factor, the Garand is a better deal (the SKS isn't even in the running). He can get a fine rifle, a good supply of ammo (without which the M1 is still a dam' fine club), stay under budget and still hit maximum coolness factor.

Service grade Garand from CMP - $595 +shipping Greek surplus 30-06 from CMP - $55/240 rd can $220 for 960 rds +shipping Turner Saddlery sling - $45 + shipping Easy hits in the black to 500 yards with iron sights - priceless.

Tungsten, it helped me a lot! I've got narrow bandwidth out here, and I couldn't get the previous version to load. This version is coming up in 5 minutes or so, a great improvement. Thought you'd like to know.....

Hi Sheepdog, The "buttstock thing that goes up" can be used in the prone position. Some like it, some don't. The elevation knob can (and should be) adjusted. Sight in at 200yds. Loosen (do not remove) the screw holding the elevation knob. Rotate the knob (only - don't move the sight itself) to line the appropriate yards indicator with the line on the sight housing. Tighten the screw holding the elevation knob. Get yourself a little piece of paper. Record the number of clicks (with a given ammo) needed to be centered on target at known distances (2, 3, 5 hundred, etc). Tape this to the side of the stock. Waterproof as desired. Instant ready reference. Scope mount; I recommend that you use the blue locktite. The M1A/M14 is hard on scope mounts. Steel 3 point mounts are desired. The rifle can be match conditioned, greatly improving accuracy, trigger pull, etc. There is a very good manual available on that subject. If you want it done really well, there are about 3 guys in the country who are artists with this model. Do not GRIP with the forward hand. Relax the fingers, allow the rifle to rest on the palm. DO get a sling. Good luck, welcome to the wood and steel brotherhood.

Fair winds and following seas, Shannon.

I saw some nice bolt action 22's today. CMP has some Mossberg Gov't M44 .22 target rifles (with Lyman diopter sights, heavy duty stocks and bull barrels) for $175. They're in pretty good condition. Can't beat the price. I thought about getting one, but I'd already picked out an M1 carbine and a really, really nice garand. (the garand looks unissued, I swear). You can find CMP on the internet, go through the process, order it and have it delivered to your door. Specify one thats' blued, not parkerized.

Savage and Remington are neck and neck... you might also consider the CZ .22's - I have a couple. Fit, finish, and accuracy are superb.

This Saturday the CMP will be setting up at a gunshow in Hampton. I have the eve watch, so I could go - but no wheels... Guess it is good I avoid the temptation.

Hey, thanks for the offer. I hope to be on here fairly often, depending on operations. Spent my last Saturday on the range with Sue; she got some practice in with carbine, shotgun and pistol. She really likes the laser grips. Nice warm feeling knowing she can handle any little issues that might pop up. Just hope I can keep her from posting the photo of me with her carbine.

Watch the news? I bet independent station owners and distributors do - and they were (like the rest of us) hearing 'refineries shut down', '$5 gallon wholesale', and 'stations out of gas'. We're in the southeast. What refineries do you suppose the local distributors buy most of their gas from? The refineries in Galveston, or the ones in north Jersey or the west coast? You're an independent distributor, or retailer, for gas. Sure, you've got thousands of gallons in the storage tanks, but you have to charge enough to replace those thousands of gallons, plus something we like to call 'profit'. If you suddenly hear that the gas you are selling right now for $3.50/gallon is gonna cost over $5 to replace (that 'wholesale' thing) - what are you going to do? If you don't hike your price to cover your expected expenses, you'll be very popular for the day or so you still have product to sell, but then you're gonna be out of business. If you adjust your prices to fit the situation, you're a price gouger. This past weekend - well, from Thursday night when I filled up in Norfolk, and through Sunday evening when I filled up again for my wife to return to Kingsport, I stopped at 5 or 6 stations for gas, in both TN and VA. The average I paid was 4 bucks a gallon (and the station asked that purchases be limited to 10 gallons). One station was out of regular. Considering that the wholesalers are having to find new sources, that reduced supply coupled with higher demand ("I heard the gas is going up, better get all I can before it does") inevitably leads to higher prices, I don't think we saw much real gouging. I think the most of it was a free-market reaction to real-world conditions. There is an alternative, of course; soviet-style central economic control. Give congress more control of the petroleum market, and you will find yourself shopping for a horse and buggy.

I had a month off, and nearly a month in Norfolk, allowing me to come home every weekend, and it has been fun. Enjoyed shooting with you guys! Got orders to USNS Lewis and Clark, reporting Monday morning... and I suspect it will be 6 or 8 months before I'm home again. This will put a big crimp in the E. TN shoot - it can't be helped. Maybe Marswolf will get around to shooting at that billboard across the highway

Still waiting on orders; if I don't have any by this afternoon I'm headed home for the weekend. Four tanks from here to home and back. Don't need any problems like this!

How about a 6.5x55 Mauser? Lighter recoil, very accurate, and will take down a deer with no problem.

A little birdie told me that CMP will be sold out of M1 Carbines by the end of September. This is a deal that can't be beat, please jump on it if you've been considering it. CMP is still selling Garands, as well. Anyone attending the last Kingsport shoot can attest that these rifles are capable of outstanding accuracy and can be a real joy to shoot.

For the very helpful young lady who handled my order a day ago, I am posting a photo of my wifes' carbine.

I have a couple of old boy scout hatchets - forget who made 'em - the handle is of a piece with the head.

Strickj, multiculturalism is a social disease. I'm not quite sure how "live under our laws in our country" equates to Christians persecuting others, or to Hitler, fascism, and genocide, but I can't wait to hear your reasoning here. Really.

I had Steve (steves gunz) work his magic on a new EMF 1892 clone (.357, stainless, 20 inch saddle ring carbine). He gave it an action job, a winchester metal follower, and removed the funky safety. I installed a Marbles tang sight on it, and bought some very nice walnut furniture for it. All this was for my wife, who of course decided (about a month afterwards) that the rifle for her was one of my CMP M1 carbines, so it now sits in the closet, unloved. The rifle is a joy to shoot. Cycles very easily (one finger on the lever), handy, fairly accurate with the regular sight (probably better than I am, I just never got used to buckhorn sights) and very acceptable with the tang sight. Lightweight (5.5 pounds?), very handy, recoil with 38's is nil.

I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl, and she said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, "If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?" She replied, "I'd give food and houses to all the home les s people." "Wow - what a worthy goal." I told her, "You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house mow the lawn, pull weeds, then sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. When you're finished I'll take you over to the grocery store where the home les s guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food or a new house." She thought that over for a few seconds 'cause she's only 6. And while her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Why doesn't the home les s guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?" And I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party." Her folks still aren't talking to me.

Drill several holes through the platters.

Clean out your pm's. Tried to reply this morning, and feel very rejected. Anyway, made it back to Norfolk okay, just a bit sore from dumping the bike Saturday. Dang gravel! I've got a bit of road rash from knee to shoulder, not too bad. Sue landed on me, though, so she's fine, with one little boo-boo. I've contacted that site about getting 'mini-1911' checkered walnut grips for the .32 Llama, and we'll see how that turns out.

Yet another demonstration of how biased the media is, and how unhinged the left can be. The farther they push this (and just watch, they will) the worse they look. Beautiful girl, beautiful mom, the girl is keeping the baby and marrying the father, I don't see a problem here.

Sounds good, Cody. No worries, no hurry, it'll be here when you're ready for it. Make a copy of your applications - in future, you'll be able to just copy the info right over.

SSS

Hussein was a tyrant, and a bit mad. He continually violated the terms of the cease-fire (which, by the way, sort of highlights the fact we were still 'at war', from Gulfwar1, just in a ceasefire, as peace terms were never reached between Hussein and the coalition). He provided support to Al Queda, he used chemical weapons against his own citizens and the citizens of neighbor states - Iran and the Kurds (yes, I know the Kurds are considered part of Iraq, but from a historical/cultural viewpoint, they are as much a part of Iraq as Georgia is part of the former soviet union), WMD's were found (and totally ignored by the libtard media). He was, in fact, pursuing materiel required for nukes. The "troofers", conspiricy idiots, peaceniks - well, you have three choices. Educate, ignore, or laugh your arse off. Just highlights one of the worst things about our culture today - we've made it possible for stupid to prosper.