DMark

Your 1903A3 was produced in July 1943.    The barrel date will be located on the top of the barrel right behind the front sight.  There are several parts of the rifle that can be ID as to its production, but that requires a detail inspection.     I'm in the Mt. Juliet area and would be more than happy to look over your rifle and provide whatever insight I can in regard to its condition and correctness.  Since I already own several 03s, you won't have to worry about me trying to low-ball you to buy it.   Best of all....., if found to be in good condition we can go shoot it!   

Well once the Braves fell to about..., what was it like 20+ games behind, I started looking around for somebody else to pull for.   I was really liking the Blue Jays after they signed David Price and with R.J. Dickey on the team there was a good Tennessee connection.   Once they went away, I got to thinking that maybe the movie Back to the Future Part II that predicted the Cubbies would sweep the World Series had it right.  Well...., maybe next year Cubs Fans!   So.......   Its KC for me.  I can't see the Mets getting past that Royals bullpen

Bringing down the Hate upon those running dogs in Stage 2....... ........., Too Bad I so locked in on those mutts that I didn't see the two other FULL SIZE targets to my right. Those cardboard punks were so unimpressed with my shooting that they must have figured that it was safe enough to take a picture!!!!!!! "Down Ten & a Failure X 2" :wall:

Well Done to the TAP crew!  :up:   I had a great time - - - well except maybe for that center mass head shot on the no-shoot!  :yuck:

Corner Pub @ North MJ Road and Lebanon Road.   Chicken Fried Steak and the Meatloaf are awesome!   Also the lunch @ Houston's Meats is very, very good.  Ask for the thick-cut fried bologna sandwich.

  You mean that airsoft thing really works?  :stir:

  Maybe....., Maybe Not.   I'm betting most folks will find that trying to control the wobble-zone while standing and using a 4x scope at the 200 yard line is easier said than done.   However, the question I have already asked using the CMP Instructor email is in regard to using variable power scopes like the ELCAN SpecterDR 1-4x.  SOCOM units are using that scope and its beginning to be found in regular units.  So its an issued optic for the service.  I haven't heard back from the CMP on that one yet.   Even if variables are approved, I don't see a lot of shooters running out and buying the ELCAN at $2K+.  However, a company like Primary Arms could developed a clone and that would be a game-changer.

Couldn't figure out a way to hang a good weapon light on my Itty Bitty 5.5 inch barrel 9mm upper. So I fixed that problem by going out and getting a Colt 635 upper. :cool: Good thing I had some drop-in rails for it. I was planning on keeping it all old-school Iron Sight Retro...., but I'm thinking that Joe's comment about little tiny reflective dots might cause me to bring out the NVGs and an IR pointer!

  You only time you need a BUIS is if you were issued an EOTech!  

I like the change.  :up: I didn't shoot a non optic M16/M4/M4A1/HK416 during my last 10 years in the Army. Today I have to backward train a new competitor to shoot with iron sights. I often see multiple combat tour veterans who have never fired an M16A2.  

  Tell Kristen that she is now officially a full citizen of the Great State of Tennessee.   :up:   Connecticut will never feel the same to her now that she has felt the real meaning of Liberty!  

FINALLY - - - Optics and Collapsible stocks allowed in CMP Service Rifle Matches!  :woohoo:   Details here........   http://thecmp.org/2016-cmp-rifle-and-pistol-rule-changes/   Yup, this is a Big Deal and long due!  I think its a good thing.  These CMP rules more or less lets everybody shoot what ever they bring to a match so long as it has a 4.5 pound trigger and no muzzle break (military configuration is flash hider only).   However, I am surprised that they didn't break it out for irons and optics.  My guess that this is the beginning of the transition away from iron sights.  This is sort of like when the NRA no longer required that the bullet be loadable in the mag for slow fire stages.  This led to the long and heavy 5.56 rounds that killed off the M14...., since the only real advantage that the M14 had was its heavier bullet at the 600 yard line.   The NRA will have to follow along for its High Power Rifle matches or it will be left to a few old diehards who refuse to come into the 21st Century.   I'd be interested in seeing what the AMU comes up with to shoot the EIC matches.   Hmmmmm...., I do have this spare flattop upper!  :dirty:

I shoot FT/R at the Tullahoma rnage (AEDC) with an AR in .223 Wlyde for mid-range matches (600 yards).  I have a ton of .223/5.56 data from shooting service rifle at the 600 yard line, so that is one of the main reasons I went with that round for mid-range.  Also, sometimes I get a wild-hair and drop the bi-pod and sling-in to shoot prone.   However, for FT/R the 1000 yard matches are indeed dominated by the .308.  There are some folks shooting the heavy .223-.224 Berger 80-90g Match VLD bullets at 1000 yards, but from what I have seen, out of bolt guns.   Here is a link to the ORSA website.  Its an outstanding range complex.  Contact them for F-Class info.   http://www.orsaonline.org/index.asp

When I read the title...., my heart skipped a beat.  :eek:   I had this premonition that you had retired the FAL and was going to an AR with a .300 BLK load that would still make the power factor for IMF Heavy Metal. 

  The SOG one has a FN roll mark and "Made in Belgium" where the Buds' HP is a newer production Browning (the importer) "Made in Belgium, Assembled in Portugal" firearm.   FN began assembling HPs in Portugal in the early 70s.  The HPs roll marked FN were made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal but never marked like the Browning ones. The only guns roll marked "assembled in Portugal" are the Browning brands intended for the US.   So to some collectors, the SOG HP is higher value because it is the non-US model for the Europe market.  

  Yup, Number 4 buck might do the trick next time!   I was so focused on the slug stage (where my old 870 shines) that I didn't even think about having any heavy shot with me for long plate shots.   What I should have done was safe the shotgun and then go full old-school Bullseye Shooter and take those plates with .45ACP.   

If you didn't get a chance to make it to this match you missed a good one. Good weather, Great Stages, Lots of fun running and gunning! Lots of reloading for THIS GUY who (feeling waves of nostalgia) decided the night before to run his old Scattergun Technologies 870 pump shotgun and a single-stack 1911! And Robert...., remind me of this chart next time and how using a cylinder bore on the Stage 5 far plates will double your overall match time! :cry:

    That was the reason I asked the question in post #8 of this thread.     You referenced SOs (IDPA) instead of ROs (USPSA) so I was dazed & confused - - - Not that IDPA HQ couldn't have tweeted out another one of their "OH, BTW Joyce has made another Rule Charge" that morning for DQs!  :squint:   Reckon you should have been at GGC shooting Robert's Shotgun/Pistol match!  :taunt:   

  Upon further review the call on the field of a DQ has been reversed.    - By rule a DQ can only be applied for a discharge Over a Berm   (IDPA rule 2.2.3.4).   The shooter (OP) will not be charged with a locked thread.    Please reset the stage and the timer.    The reshoot will begin upon my command to "Load & Make Ready."

  Where?    IDPA or USPSA?

Hmmmmm......,   Might be something that one of my J-Frames might like.   This might be the solution to all those "Church-Ladies" who always want to give you a hug after the service.   Yea...., I've had a couple of those kind folks recoil away like they just touched the devil after getting a surprised "felt something" from my waist!   :rofl:

John,   Perhaps I'm being far too critical.    The design of all of the stages was good, but perhaps that many prop stages at night should be reconsidered for next year's match.    I do feel that stage five with the smoke generator in the car was unsafe.  The smoke was so thick and heavy that it was hard for the SO to see the shooter much less where their hands and firearm was.  Our squad was the first to shoot it so perhaps the smoke was at its highest volume.  I think Gerry gave the next squad's SO a heads-up about our concern with the smoke.

Something just isn't right about this story.  :squint:     Was the Naval Officer under orders to be armed while in uniform off base?  That is very rare in public, only done for security while transporting high value or sensitive items (or prisoners).  Also, when you are under orders to be armed off base (off post for us Army guys) its a point A to point B sort of thing, so side trips to a Waffle House isn't part of the plan.    Or...., was this some member of the Navy who was OCing his personal firearm.  That would be against regulations.  No personal item can be worn as part of the uniform unless its on an authorized list (like personal sunglasses, watches, rings, etc., etc.).  I would also bet that the Navy has standing orders that its members cannot CCP or HCP while on duty and in uniform.

If they really, Really wanted to add value to accuracy, I wish they would also award multi hits in the zero down zones.   In other words, say each target on a stage requires at least two hits.  If you hit the target with three shots in either of the zero down zones, the extra zero down hit would subtract one second from your overall score for that stage.    Would it make that big of a difference in a match, maybe - - - maybe not.   However, I think it would reflect the current methods of instruction among the Military/LEO/and armed professional trainers to keep shooting until the treat goes away.   AND agree with you Jcoop on adding 10 seconds for a hit on a NT.  5 for the bad shot and 5 for the lawyer that will be coming after you!    OH...., AND ONE FINALLY THING!   Fix one of the most common areas of confusion to new shooters about scoring.  Have the newer cardboard targets marked zero (-0), Plus one (+1), and Plus three (+3) since we're adding time.  I have never understood why it was called "down" when we where doing a "plus-up" to the time.   

This might help some - - - BUT be aware that some unknown ATF bureaucrat sitting in a remote office cubicle could completely change the meaning of the English language at any moment and turn all of the Green checkmarks into Red Xs.