Sigh....

This is my Bowling pin killer. An old Series 80 Colt Combat Commander. We have been through much together.

I'm really happy to push the timer button on you, but it always comes back to me shooting the pins. I love this thing for doing that yet now it seems the original grip safety and the trigger are not getting along. Sigh.... I have small hands for a guy and my first response was to order a Wilson Combat safety with the raised bump on the rear to insure I have disengaged it. One is on the way yet I ask you for guidance. 

I bought this new in 1986. I carried it for a long time. 

Help!

TBT- The Weapon You Have

I use it a lot when asked but I say to anyone that does so this: "The largest handgun you can conceal and carry comfortably all day in the largest caliber you can shoot well."

For a dear person to me it is this:

Smith and Wesson Model 30-1 in .32 long. She is good with it! 

Now a greater challenge to defend her life is here. No tools we have at our disposal are useful in this case. No training to be had. This is the part that is the hardest to deal with. Breast cancer and the double mastectomy is scheduled for tomorrow.

I hope you will send your prayers, well wishes, good thoughts, whatever you do in these matters on her behalf. 

I will give her another reason to come through this:

If she finds out I put this picture on the interwebz, she will do everything in her power to come through this and kill me =) 

Any Mustang Nerds Out Here?

Believe it or not, the 1964 and a half Mustang is titled to my Mother. My Father and I are trying to get it back up to speed for her now. One of the pluses is the fact that there are no shoulder harnesses on this ride. This to me is important for her recovery phase.  If you have lived through all of this the lack of a shoulder harness in the event of a wreck does not bother me.

So now we get to seat belts. They came in two flavors in 64-65 production. Delux and standard. I rummaged around the garage today and found these. 

Sadly as was the case back in the day one seat belt was cut. This is the Delux belt. Rear seat belts were a Dealer installed option. Date code of 1-64 would be correct for this ride! Correct color too. 

I can't decode this enough however:

 



















This is a build tag written on the production line I found behind the rear seat. 

Any help out here?

AR Crack!

I don't have a problem, I can quit at any time! Take this:

Add this stuff:

 And you end up with this:

I don't think I want to hang anything else off the beater M-4! Well, maybe a sling, and..... Any recommendations on a sling?



 

Another Can of Worms!

So after running the M1 Garand class I decided to broaden  my horizons. Young minds and fresh ideas and all that. I ordered a stripped lower and one of these.  

I NO NOTHING about this platform and now am faced with assembly and oh other things like optics, sights, accessories, etc. 

Any one give a guy some good advise on what to do next for this kit 'o rifle? It will be at the range tomorrow.  

Any Graphic Designers Out Here?

I need some help! Willing to pay you if you can help me and create printed marketing materials for my new NRA Personal Protection in the Home class. Shoot me an e-mail and lets talk!

Thanks!

 

Anybody have a recommendation?

For a Pelican case for an M&P 9mm VTAC? It seems I need to fly to Iowa soon!

Any Generator People Here?

Finally I get to following up on this. The manual transfer switch is installed! 

So although I can do the math and install the thing, I leave it to my friends with decades of experience. I could do it, but they make it look good! I'm not an electrician, nor did I stay at a Holiday Express the previous night. The first thing to go was a load management thing. I never agreed to it and it was here when I got here. Gone. I prefer my electrons to NOT be interrupted thanks! 

So it goes:

Wish I could show you the sweep on this PVC. They did it by sight on an electric heater. No joints or glue on this! 

On the other side of the file cabinet here is the exit to the rear of the house. Looks like this on the exterior:

The game plan is to pull a portable genset to this socket and power essential stuff if needed. Pay no attention to the train wreck to the right! 


So, does anyone have any opinions on a portable 7KW generator? Generac, B&S, etc? I would appreciate any advice.  

Can You Help?

I have never asked for anything here.  I am making an exception for a friend of mine now.  His name is Tyler and I really don't want to say that he works for me.  Technically he does, but I prefer to say that we work together. 

He is a Deacon in his church, teaches Sunday School, a devoted Husband, Father to two adopted Daughters, and a Grandfather to 1.5 Grand kids. His Family is tightly knit and his Brother and Father live within walking distance from his house. 

Our professional relationship can simply be summed up in the fact that the man is extremely talented and works hard to make me look good. On a personal note there is this from my Blog. 

He is riding a bicycle to the beach. From here to raise money for MS research.  It is a haul. MS has touched his Family and he is committed to this. Not bad for a 50 year old. He continues to amaze me. His story about his motivation is here. Me, I'm using the Company matching program to double my donation. 

If you can, anything you can give would be greatly appreciated. If you can't, I will send you a picture of Tyler as he is now riding a bike to work. Its not pretty =) ! 

Thanks!

  
 

Generators?

Can anyone offer some advice? I acquired one of these:

To wire into this:

To leave me an outlet here:

Leave the landscaping (or lack of) comments to yourself please. I'm not good at it! 

 
That I can plug a portable generator into. After researching the NEC (Article 702):

"Optional Installation of Fuel Fired Generators for
Emergency and Standby Power Supply Systems for
One and Two Family Dwellings", we are cool. 


So now the problem is what generator. 

I have researched the Briggs and Stratton, the GENERAC, and the Powermate. 

The B&S model motive power is made in China, but has an extensive warrenty network. The GENERAC is made in WI, but apparently warranty and customer service sucks. Maybe that will change now given the current political climate in that state, but I don't want to find out the hard way. 

The Powermate is powered by a Honda engine (gasoline). 

I am leaning toward it just because of the motive power. It is the Powermate PM0497000. 


Some previously noted that Diesel is more widely available  during SHTF stuff, but I have a reserve of fuel:

These will be good for at least 30 gallons of gasoline if need be. 

OTOH, there is more madness in my method. I am trying to get a modular detached garage in the back yard. I need to recover these:

 

1967 Cadillac De Ville Convertible, driven into a secure storage location under its own power back in 1988. Not moved since. For the sharp eyed people yep, that is a Firebird behind it. It was my Grandmother's. I guess I get it honestly!


The other car? The same:

A TRUE 1964 and half Mustang. 

My intent is to retrive them and stick them in the new garage. Then get them back on the road.  I don't want to replace the breaker panel in the house just to power it. I can use the generator. Excersises the generator as well. 

Anyone have any thoughts on gensets?



 

Appleseed help?

So the next two weekends are super busy. This coming one will be a new shooter class on Saturday and the full day CCH on Sunday. The weekend after that will be a two day Appleseed course. The more I can do now in increments to prepare for Appleseed the better off I will be. 

The M-1 may show up before then, but I have no ammo and I would really like for Murphy's Law to school me on the operation and give it the once over before I whip that rifle out. 

So for now after visiting the Curmudgeon at large he whips these out:

A Remington Model 742 and a Winchester Model 100, both chambered in .243 Winchester. "Two is one and one is none" for training on the road and so 300 rounds of ammo arrived today. The other component is the magazines for these rifles. I found some for the Winchester on-line and ordered two. Seeing the Internet debate on Model 88 vs. Model 100 magazines led me to simply order 2 Model 100 mags. 

I have read just about everything on what to bring and how to prepare for this, but does anyone have anymore insightful tips? I fully admit I am not a Rifle person (yet). I hope to become one though!
 


. 

Any advice?

So I am really trying to get the Glenfield Model 75 C Marlin 60 off of my bench. This is my rifle, given to me for the work I did on the other 60. My problem is this. The magazine tube ring that attaches the tube to the rifle was loose. I attributed that to the fact that the dovetail looked pretty beat up. I bought a new one and it arrived today. 

New one on the left, old one on the right. That ring is supposed to go here:

So I have heard several methods to fix this. The rifle is a beater cosmetically, but I would like to keep it around. The options I have been told about are:

Use a punch to rough up the surface of the magazine ring on the bottom where it meets the barrel.

Use a punch to beat the dovetail ON the barrel to hold the ring in place after it is installed.

Use epoxy on the barrel to raise the base of the dovetail.

Use a brass shim to go the same as the epoxy.

Any help out there? I don't know how to proceed. I think any of the above would work. 

 

Smith and Wesson Top Break!

So my Curmudgeon at large whips this out last weekend. Says he has had it for over 30 years. Wants to know if I can find anything out about it. I'm in over my head here. All I can find is serial numbers on the cylinder, top of the back strap, and butt. They all match. 

There are patents stamped on the top of the barrel. First patent seems to be Jan. 24 '65 and reissued with the last date Jan 03 '82 (I think). Hell even the big honking magnifying glass is letting me down! 

Big pictures! Click to enlarge! 

 

It will not go in to battery. It has a small bulge slightly over half way in the barrel. I don't even know what caliber it is. 

So what to do? You know I want to fire it! Clean it? Leave it alone? I know I can zip some money to the S&W Historian to find out more but I thought I would ask for some help here first (*cough, cough, Tam*)! Any would be appreciated! 

Oh the Curmudgeon has a lap top and stalks constantly! Typing is not his thing! 

Thanks again for any help you can offer!

.

Newbie Question

Lets suppose for a minute someone acquires an evil black rifle AR-15 carbine. Like so:

And they want to mount this on it:

The sight has a Weaver mount, the AR has Picatinny rail. I'm thinking I need a Weaver to Picatinny converter?

Sigh... I am a newbie to this platform, allow me to "shine my ignorance"!  Long guns I am no stranger to, this platform though I confess to being a newbie.

PS, If any Fanbois show up and say stuff like "Hey that's not even a Colt, Umarex made it!" or  "You could have at least gotten a real one and got the conversion kit for it." or "Whats a matter, can't handle a REAL cartridge?". Three words for ya: "Lighten up Francis". I can shoot this in indoor ranges, its cheap to shoot, and looks like it will be fun. Colt has farmed out lots of things in the past as well.

GRRR! I hate this stuff!

On top of what is happening to B.  which is totally unrelated, now I get this:

I have mentioned previously how I feel about this. Now news from friends about another lady about to undertake this journey:

"Marcos Bomfim and his wife Maria have received some very disturbing news.  Maria has been diagnosed with Level 2 Breast Cancer.  They met with the Dr. today and she will begin Chemo & Radiation next Wednesday.

It is a blessing that Maria caught this early because as we all know that is the key to treatment, recovery and hence a long and happy life.  She will be able to spend many years with her children and wonderful grandchildren because she was so conscientious in the early detection. 

I spoke with her last week when she first found out and as true to form for Maria she was upbeat, confident but nonetheless very scared.

Mark nor I can imagine what she or Marcos are going thru now, we can only say that we wish them the absolute best.

I do not have her email address but Marcos is going to send to me tonight in case anyone would like to get in touch with her with any hello’s or words of encouragement.

They are two of the finest people that Mark & I know and we would like to ask that you say a prayer for them as they begin this “journey”.

Godspeed Maria,"

I ask for your prayers for these friends of friends. I trust that if my friends call them friends they truly are. I have met Marcos and cannot envision how he feels right now. This will be a journey. I wish Maria a speedy recovery!

Thanks.

A friend needs help.

The Gentleman that is the head of the range I shoot at during public hours has been in the hospital for two days. Diagnosis is sketchy right now. Originally thought to be a stroke. Another MRI tomorrow.

I perceive him to be a "gentle giant", a large and self professed retired "fleet sailor" he will not tell you what that was all about, a true measure of those who served. Wicked, caustic humor directed at me that I love; he does get it back and responds that I have the skills in that arena. Yet he will always tell you about the Granddaughter that he loves dearly.

He is a true Gentleman in every sense of the word.   

If you believe in prayer, please pray for him and his family. His name is Ken.

I would miss him greatly; I can only think how much his wife Kitty and their children and Granddaughter would.

So in retrospect my week was not that bad. You have to keep it in perspective. 

Thank You!

Kelly