My favorite toy
This might just be the nicest thing you see all day (right-click to embiggen):
And a close-up of the action:
About its chambering: I wrote about the 9.3x62mm “Wondernine” back here, and make no mistake, it’s an excellent cartridge.
As for the rifle itself… phew. I know it’s spendy — quality custom rifles always are — but oh man, it’s beautiful.
One less festering sore on the backside of humanity:
Florida sex offender, 33, on the run after shooting sheriff’s deputy during traffic stop is killed by homeowner as he tried to break into his house just one day later.
LOL… he tried to break into a house in Dixie County?
…as the Ukraine government belatedly realizes:
The Ukrainian government will give weapons ” to anyone who wants to defend the country”, it has said, in the aftermath of Russia expanding its war in the country’s eastern territory.
Amid reserve forces being mobilised and sent to fight the expanding Russian occupation of Ukraine’s eastern territories, the Kyiv government is taking steps to dramatically increase the supply of available fighters, promising to hand weapons to anyone willing to take up arms in defence of the nation. Joining the resistance is simple too, the government says — all you need is your passport and a willingness to fight.
Says it all, really. And it’s not even “well regulated”:
Yesterday, Ukraine’s parliament passed a bill considerably liberalising ownership of firearms for civilians and making explicitly clear this change in law was in response to the dangers the country faced. As reported, the bill “establishes the basic rights and responsibilities of individuals”, liberalises ownership, but also “increases the responsibility for their illegal use”.
Yeah, it used to be almost impossible for Ukrainian citizens to legally own guns. Funny how that works, innit?
Ah, jeez… just when I thought I’d seen everything I wanted to see about old guns (thankee Othias/Mae at C&Rsenal, and Ian McCollum on “Forgotten” Weapons), I came across 9-Hole Reviews…
…and good-bye to the rest of my so-called free time.
My favorite so far: the K98 and the K98 mounted with what Gun Jesus calls “the worst German sniper scope of WWII” (or something like that). Of course, in the hands of a decent (!) rifleman with good eyes, it’s pretty damn good. Note how his accuracy improves over iron sights, with a simple 1.5x scope and a German #4 post reticle.
No need to thank me — or curse me, for that matter — it’s all part of the service.
Thanks to Reader Evan M for sending this verified data about bears and handguns:
I engaged in a search for instances where pistols were used to defend against bears. I and my associates have found 37 instances that are fairly easily confirmed. The earliest happened in 1987, the latest mere months ago. The incidents are heavily weighted toward the present, as the ability to publish and search for these incidents has increased, along with increases in bear and human populations, and the carry of pistols.
The 37 cases include one that can fairly be described as a “failure”.
The pistol calibers, when known, range from 9 mm to .454 Casull. The most common are .44 magnums.
I’ve never been in bear country (I dunno if Wisconsin- and Michigan forests count), but if I were ever to visit Montana or Alaska, for example, there’s no way I’d get out of the car or house without one of these puppies :
For those unfamiliar, they’re the Ruger Redhawk (top) and S&W Mod 629, both in .44 Magnum… and inside a chest holster:
…AND my 1911 (loaded with 230gr FMJ boolets) in a waistband holster.
(Heh heh heh… a 1911 as a backup.)
Screw that bear spray bullshit. If the Fishcops want me to use it, they can give me a can beforehand.
…or “Why You Should Always Keep Your Bedside Gun Handy“:
An intruder broke into a West Palm Beach, Florida, home just after 4 a.m. Saturday morning and turned on the bedroom light before being shot and fatally wounded by a homeowner.
The actual article calls the corpus delicti an “alleged” intruder, but he’s nothing of the sort as a.) he was found inside the house without having been invited in, and b.) he was unknown to Our Hero. Ergo: intruder. Shot with an “alleged” gun.
Once again, note that the sequence of events was: Choirboy breaks in; turns on light to see what he can steal; is confronted by half-asleep homeowner; refuses to leave; gets shot.
And no mention of said homeowner fumbling around in a safe or bedside drawer for his gun.
Just sayin’.
