Category: The Gun Thing

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

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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

Just Imagine

The Gun Thing

Here we go, with yet another of Kim’s imaginary scenarios.

Your house and all your belongings were destroyed in a fire while you were away on vacation.  Fortunately, you were extremely well-insured, and your payout will enable you to rebuild your life almost completely.

However, you decide that you’d rather move out into the boonies and live in the mountains, e.g. on a piece of land such as this one:

…and you could afford to build a log cabin such as this one on the property:

 

So having established all that — and please refrain from making any criticisms or comments on all the above, the really important question is this:

What guns would you choose to have on hand, on your new property?   (And to make it a little challenging, assume that for the first year, you only have room for a twelve-gun safe for long guns in your new house;  and your wife / girlfriend has limited you to six handguns so she can buy better-class kitchen appliances or some such nonsense.)

Note that the locale will have all sorts of critters roaming around that you may have to deal with, so choose accordingly.

My choices are below the fold.

Read more

Hollywood Useless

Media Assholes, The Gun Thing

I remember once watching a movie where the bad guy screwed a silencer on to the muzzle of his revolver (!) and how people looked at me like I was the crazy one, when I burst out laughing during what was supposed to be a suspenseful scene.

All my Loyal Readers will know why I was laughing, of course, because we are all familiar with the term and concept of “cylinder-gap flash”.

I was reminded of the episode when I saw this GIF over at Kenny’s place:

Note the initial size of the gas explosion at the cylinder gap…

Gratuitous Gun Pic – Remington 7400 (.270 Win)

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

Also just in at Collectors is the rifle for those who are leery of owning an “assault rifle”, or whose state government provides the leeriness:  the semi-auto hunting rifle of all time, in the all-time hunting cartridge.

I once had one of these exact guns, traded it for something else, and regretted the trade almost immediately afterwards.  (The fact that I remember this gun and not the gun I traded it for speaks volumes.)

I know, it only has a 5-round magazine, but 10-round mags cost only $30 or so.  And the gun itself is a decent buy at just under $800 — remember, Collectors has premium pricing so if you find one elsewhere cheaper, be my guest;  but Collectors doesn’t sell crap or broken guns.