Category: The Gun Thing

Not just the guns, but all the stuff that goes with them

Droolworthy

The Gun Thing

Shooting the William Powell Sovereign.

Here’s the gun under discussion:

I like Jonny Carter — it’s nice to see a youngin getting into the gun thing, and he is quite knowledgeable about shotguns.  More to the point, he loves shotguns and it shows in every video he puts out.  (Sadly, he is of the over/under persuasion, rather than a devotee of the proper side-by-side experience, but nobody’s perfect.)

About the gun itself:  unlike their other guns of the past, the Sovereign is made in Italy’s F. Rizzini factory — but for those who think that this is somehow a Bad Thing, let me point out that a typical handmade Rizzini side-by-side of similar specs can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $nosebleed.  So a Sovereign costing about $6,000 off-the-shelf is not a bad deal in terms of the cost : quality curve, the difference being that they are production-line guns as opposed to handmade.

Another point:  Brit shotgunners are not allowed to shoot lead shot, and as bismuth and such are too expensive, they’ve been forced into using steel shot — and for the older generations of shotguns not proofed for steel, this means eventual destruction of the barrels.  (Mr. Free Market gloomily foretells the demise of the British-made premium shotgun, for this reason.)  Which is why the Sovereign’s claim of “shooting into the future” should resonate, and rightly so.

If I had the $$$, I’d get one in a heartbeat.

Sorta-Comeback

The Gun Thing

So I got this news via Ammo.com (see sidebar for link):

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. Reintroduces the Marlin 1895 SBL Lever-Action Rifle

“We are excited to officially flip the switch and let our customers know that Marlin is back,” said Ruger President and CEO, Chris Killoy. “Since the move of over 100 truckloads of equipment and inventory back in November 2020, our engineering team took the 1895 through a complete design and production review focused on achieving the highest quality, accuracy, and performance standards. The end result is a quality rifle, produced using modern manufacturing methods, that consumers will be sure to enjoy and proud to own.”

This first model is just the beginning of the reintroduction of the Marlin brand and illustrates the improved manufacturing processes that deliver reliable, attractive firearms. These processes will result in the introduction of additional Marlin models, calibers and variations over the coming years.

All well and good.  Then comes this little sting in the tail:

Due to the anticipated strong demand and the limited quantity of Ruger-made Marlin lever-action rifles, Ruger encourages retailers to contact their distributors for availability and advises consumers not to leave deposits with retailers that do not have confirmed shipments.

Translation:  “We’re going to make these fantastic rifles again, but just not quite as many so that we can keep prices artificially high.”

And I bet they’re going to disfigure those “RM” Marlin rifles with that stupid and unnecessary Ruger warning that “guns are dangerous” (right-click to embiggen):

It’s enough to make you sick.

Not Even That

The Gun Thing

From Glenn, speaking about the latest offering from SIG:

I Do Like SIGs But This Seems More About Bling

Exactly.  They’ve discovered a market — the gadget-obsessed gun owner — and they’re milking it for all it’s worth.  And good luck to them, say I.

I don’t care for SIGs, because for some reason, I’ve never found a full-sized model that fits my hand as well as a 1911 or Browning High Power.  (And before you start making suggestions that all I need to do is try this model or that model, and all will be peace and love and kittens;  don’t bother, because I have.)

I fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the only non-1911 SIG I’d care to own is the venerable P210:

 

And the fact that I’d like to have one even though it’s chambered for the detestable 9mm Europellet should say it all.

Branch Line

Old Fartism, Resistance, The Gun Thing

Running off at a tangent from yesterday’s train of thought (about simpler cars), I need to add the following.

As Longtime Readers know well, I’ve always preferred simple, reliable guns such as  Mausers and AK-47s:

…over the vajazzled option-heavy tricked-up “operator” guns that all the cool kids are buying these days.

So needless to say, when the Great Day Of The Barricades finally comes, you’ll most likely find me lying dead on the ground with an AK-47 clutched in my cold dead hands, with a cherry-red barrel, smoking handguard and an absolute shit ton of slowly-cooling brass lying around me.

Next to me will be some amateur “operator” also dead on the ground, clutching his Mattel gun with lights, cameras, red-dot sights etc., but only half a mag of brass lying next to his corpse, because that was all he managed to get off before his supergun malfunctioned.

I’m not saying that this is the way I’d prefer to draw my last breath, of course, but under extreme circumstances (like this:  45% of Democrats want the unvaccinated sent to internment camps), it’s certainly better than the alternative:

or:

Just sayin’.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Volquartsen Classic (.22 Win Mag)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

Whenever I’ve discussed super-accurate rimfire rifles, I think I’ve given the Volquartsen folks short shrift, simply by not mentioning them — maybe because they are pretty much the guns of choice for the hard-core target- and competition shooters, and their prices reflect the degree of fit and finish that those disciplines demand.  The one below, at Collectors, is priced at just under $2,000 (secondhand), for example:

Ignoring the foul laminate stock, this is a serious semi-auto rifle, and it’s one I would gladly take out for a little garbage dump rat action — but at the price, I would have to really hate rats, and in my unsteady hands, I doubt I would do that much worse with my trusty Marlin 882 boltie in the same chambering.

All that said:  there’s something to be said for owning a semi-auto rifle that is the equal of pretty much any precision bolt-action rifle in the same caliber, and one where you can’t just buy a new one — it has to be made for you.  So at the price… it’s quite a bargain.

I’ve only ever fired the Volquartsen .22 LR, never owned one, but my memory is of a superlative trigger and rock-solid consistency.  And the one I shot just loved CCI Green Tag ammo — of course, the premium rifle would prefer the spendy target feed.

All comments gratefully received.

Thoughts On The Montana Thing

House & Home, The Gun Thing

Although I specifically asked for people not to comment on the land / house choices in this post, some people still did;  but then again, these are my beloved Readers [sigh]  who take orders from no man, and color over the lines whenever it suits.

Anyway:  the choice of land.  I wouldn’t want to live in the total boonies (I’d have picked Alaska, then), hence my choice of location.  The thought of being trapped in the house because of some sudden and massive snowstorm when I need to get my prescription filled at the drugstore does not not appeal to me.  So I’d prefer to live close-ish to a decent-sized town with at least some pretensions of sophistication because my idea of fine dining is not Applebee, and I’d like the local food stores to carry more than canned food and Kraft cheese.  It’s been a while since I was in Missoula and despite the presence of Lefties, hippies and suchlike filth, I enjoyed my time there.  (There’s no Dunkin, but that’s why online purchasing was invented and anyway, every time I go into a DD, I walk out with a dozen donuts and my doctor doesn’t support that action.)

160 acres, while sniffed at by some, would suit me because it can accommodate a 100-yard range without terrifying the neighbors.  Also, it’s a manageable size because I could put up signs on every other tree on the property line saying things like, “If you hunt past this point, you will become the prey.  Ask owner for details.”

I chose a log cabin because New Wife has always wanted to live in one.  I know about the upkeep issues, but I’d pay someone to take care of it.  As for the floor plan:  I’d use the walk-out basement for manly pursuits like cleaning guns and playing snooker.  The size works for the two of us, and it’s easier to heat or cool a smaller space.  My days of living in a 4,000-sq.ft. house are over.

I didn’t even mention my choice of truck because that would have given rise to a tributary of endless argument;  but here we are, so here we go:

 

Yes, Missoula has both a Mercedes and Toyota dealership for servicing and repairs, if needed.  I’d want a serious 4×4 in case of inclement driving conditions, and nobody has ever said the G550 doesn’t have the necessary oomph.  And the Toyota Tacoma/Hi-Lux is the pickup choice of revolutionaries all over the world, so ’nuff said.

At least nobody sniffed at my choice of guns (see below for the reminder). Read more