Category: The Gun Thing

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

Estate Sale Update

The Gun Thing

Wow;  we did better than I expected, and even though we had to come down on the asking price in every case — I’d of course baked the discount into the ask — we got rid of all Jim’s guns but three:

Of all Jim’s rifles, this one has the most limited appeal.  Not many average members of the Murkin shooting persuasion are really aware of the brand’s outstanding reputation for quality.  Jim knew it, and it’s telling that this was his first-ever hunting rifle, and he kept it all his life.  It’s a little battered, of course, but other than the heel of the stock — which needs refinishing and a new recoil pad, it’s a peach.  If anyone here is interested in owning this one, I’ll drop the price to $600 and ship it to you, first come first served.  The question, of course, is quite simple:  where are you going to get a very good hunting rifle like the Parker-Hale for only $600?

Funny, I thought we’d sell this one quite easily because it’s chambered in the oh-so hip 6.5 Creedmoor (and we had over a case of quality Norma ammo to give away with it).  But I don’t think Texas shooters have realized the hunting potential of the Creed yet.  The ones who have, I think, have mostly gone to the AR platform.  (More astounding news on this topic later this week.)  The price of the rifle is quite firm, but if I can get it done, I may be able to get Jim’s NightForce 3-10 scope, and make a package deal for under a grand — the lucky owner would use it the way Jim wanted to use it:  as a hunting rifle par excellence.

I had to bring the price down massively on the Krag, because somehow I’d forgotten that The Layabout Sailor had sporterized the stock — hell, I was even involved when we discussed whether he should do so — so I dropped the price to $500.  (I know, I know;  but Jim was a shooter, not a collector, and he got sick of getting splinters in his hand every time he shot the gun.)  Here’s the thing:  this little carbine would make an incredible woods hunter (the short barrel doesn’t allow the 6.5 Swede to get to its optimal long-distance potential, but any range less than 200 yards and this thing would be mustard).

Other guns:  the Ruger Hawkeye African 6.5x55mm sold within a half-hour of the gun show’s opening on Saturday morning. Both shotguns went before lunchtime.  The 1911 lasted a whole day, but sold later in the day.  The Glock 10mm went at about the same time on Saturday evening, as did the Tanfoglio (CZ-75 clone) 10mm and Makarov 9×18.

The pre-’64 Winchester Model 88 in .308 Win went at lunchtime on Sunday, at close to the full asking price.  (Texans understand the value of the pre-’64 Winchester rifles — I could have sold four, I think.)

Jim’s widow “Irish” was well pleased with the several thousand dollars we raised for her.

I’ll write another time about the whole gun show experience because I have an idea which people might find worthwhile, but I need to put my thoughts together first.  Bear with me.

Late Breaking News

The Gun Thing

Combat Controller and I will be at the Fort Worth Gun Show tomorrow (Saturday 8/23) and Sunday 8/24, selling the guns and such from the estate of the late and much-missed Layabout Sailor.

There are several guns — too many to list here, but a couple are worth mentioning for their value either as hunter’s or collector’s pieces.

Cream of the crop is a Norwegian Krag-Jorgensen in 6.5x55mm Swede:

Second is a Ruger Hawkeye African, also in 6.5x55mm (like me, Jim was a huge fan of the Swede):


(does not include the NightForce scope;  double the price for the whole package)

Third is a pre-’64 Winchester Mod 88 lever rifle, in .308 Win:

Fourth is a Parker-Hale Safari Deluxe, also in .308 Win:

And fifth is a T/C Compass in 6.5 Creedmoor:

My apologies for the lateness of the notice, but our table only became available this morning.

(Also, print out this post and bring it along to receive special prices on either the above guns or on ammo, lots of ammo!)

See y’all there.

Never Justified

Anti-Gun Nannies, Rights, The Gun Thing

I see that someone in the Golden Shower State has come to their senses:

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a mandate Thursday overturning California’s “one-gun-a-month” restriction.

The Second Amendment Foundation noted the “one-gun-a-month” restriction allows law-abiding citizens to purchase only one handgun or semi-automatic centerfire rifle (or combination thereof), from a licensed dealer within a 30-day period.

Here’s the thing about this ridiculous law.

Quite apart from its prima facie  Constitutional illegality, the 30-day restriction just makes absolutely no sense — I mean, what are they trying to achieve (other than a broad restriction, of course)?  Are they trying to stop someone from arming a group or gang? (I know, nonsensical.)

As with all laws like this, it should be looked at as part of a whole.  What is intended is to make a thicket of laws like this so that the breaking thereof becomes an inevitability — and the side-benefit (to the anti-gunners) is that the people most likely to fall foul of this nonsense would be gun owners.  (We always talk about lawful or law-abiding gun owners, but what we sometimes forget is that to the anti-gun set, all gun owners are evil, and not just the criminals.)

Anyway, it’s gone away, and good riddance.  Best of all is that because of this ruling, it’s going to apply to any and all other states who have similar nonsense in their raft of laws;  and all that’s left is for the SAF guys bring suit in each of them.

Go to it, guys.

Side note:  I have more than one friend who won’t give money to any gun lobbying group like the NRA or even GOA.  But they give lots to the Second Amendment Foundation because Alan Gottlieb and his guys are doing the work where it matters most:  in the courts.

Think about it.

Interesting Concept

Gratuitous Gun Pics, Marketing / Advertising

From PSA:

Why is this interesting?  Well, I like the idea of an easy-switch barrel combo rather than having to hump two .22 rifles around (as I do) in order to get the maximum fun out of the cheap .22 LR and the added power of the .22 WMR.  (Plus there’s that space issue in Ye Olde Gunne Sayfe…)

That straight-pull bolt is an excellent idea.  (The B1 was originally marketed as a Hammerli-designed action, hubba hubba.)

But there’s a snag.  You see, Walther has made this rifle accept Ruger 10/22 magazines — excellent — and they supply three magazines with the rifle — even better.  BUT:  the ratio of magazines is:  two .22 LR mags, and only one .22 WMR mag.

And that’s the problem.  Ruger .22 LR (BX-1) mags are so plentiful that people hand them out to kiddies as Halloween favors or Xmas stocking stuffers.  Ruger .22 WMR mags… errr not so much;  you have to get them online rather than in brick-n-mortar stores.

Far better, in my opinion, to supply two magnum mags and one LR mag.  Or just up the price of the rig by $10 and offer two of each.

OR — gasp! — include two BX-10 .22 LR mags, and one of the BX-15 .22 WMR mags (15 rounds, oh my).  There’s almost no difference in price between the 10- and 15-round mags.

There ya go, Walther:  free marketing advice from a would-be customer (blocked only by poverty from being an actual customer).  Have at it.

Tell me that’s not a toothsome prospect, I dare ya.  (Maybe if I looked under the sofa cushions…)

Better yet, mounted on a nice laminate stock.  Nah, that’s asking too much.

Okay, here’s an offer to any of my Loyal Readers:  buy me one of these Walthers, and I’ll send you both my .22 rifles (the SQ LR and the SSV WMR) in exchange, including scopes and bipods.

Self-Evident

Anti-Gun Nannies, The Gun Thing

From some guy in Arizona who gets the idea (of the Second Amendment):

Arizona state Rep. Quang Nguyen (R) used an X post to warn that an American citizenry devoid of guns would soon be a citizenry without freedom of speech and property rights too.

He noted that the Second Amendment “right to keep and bear arms” is the one which upholds and protects all the other freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights. A disarmed citizenry would put in jeopardy the ability to control one’s own property, hedged in by the Third Amendment, as well the freedom to exercise rights to privacy and security, hedged in by the Fourth Amendment.

Nguyen warned that, “A disarmed populace is more vulnerable to censorship, unlawful search and seizure, and political oppression.”

Yup, we all know that, but thankee for re-stating the point, sir.

Now here’s a graphic illustration of a non-Second Amendment society:

Never confront burglars. They could be armed. They could be high on drugs. You don’t know anything about them, except that they are in your home. And you want them out.

But don’t just lie there terrified, praying that they won’t come into your bedroom.

The law allows a householder to act in self-defense. But prowling the house is not self-defense. And keeping a weapon by your bed implies premeditated intention to commit assault.

Burglars are not looking for a fight. They just want your valuables, probably so they can sell them to get money for drugs or drink. These days, with so many young people carrying knives or machetes, it’s increasingly likely that an intruder will be armed. But even so, if you go on the attack, the law will label you as the assailant.

Well, maybe.  Maybe the burglar just wants to get your stuff.  On the other hand, maybe your stuff is not what he’s after;  he’s after your life, your wife’s life (or body), your daughter’s life (or body) or your son’s life (or body).  We can debate the point forever, but the plain fact is that the criminal’s motives are unknown to everyone except him.

We — that is, our politicians as well as the public — are aware of that fact, but it appears the British have willfully chosen to bury their heads in the sand.

And the reason that their law is more on the side of the criminal than the victim is, quite simply, because the people have been systematically disarmed by the government, so the government gets to make the decisions on behalf of the public, with the result that the nation of once-Great Britain has been turned into a nation of victims.

Thanks, but no thanks.  We’ve seen what’s happened Over There, and we want no part of it.

We uncultured rubes on this side of The Pond prefer to turn criminals into victims.  And we have the law on our side.

Getting The Blues

Hunting, Vermin

Okay, I never expected to see this:

Swarms of pigs have been found with neon blue skin after ingesting life-threatening pesticides.  

The electric blue-skinned hogs were first reported in Monterey County, California in March when trapper, Dan Burton, discovered several wild pigs with blue fat and muscle.  He told LA Times: “It’s wild. I’m not talking about a little blue. I’m talking about neon blue, blueberry blue.”

The feral swine are thought to have ingested the rat poison from dyed bait or feeding off other infected species.

Wow.  Assuming that all the above is true and not some cock-and-bull story cooked up by The Usual Suspects, I’m not at all sure how to comment.

I’ve never supported using poisoned bait to keep vermin under control, for the same reason that I don’t support fishing with explosives:  a bullet has one intended target, whereas both explosives and poison are simply labeled “To Whom It May Concern” — i.e. it’s indiscriminate targeting.

However:  there are two known facts extant.  The first is that wild pigs are becoming a pest on a national scale.  In Texas, you don’t need a permit to hunt them, and when you do there’s no bag limit, wild pigs being regarded as vermin.  Texas farmers not only allow pig-hunters on their property, they welcome them.

The second fact is that the state of California has the same regard for hunters as landowners have for vermin.  California, more than almost any other state, hamstrings the practice of hunting with all sorts of nonsensical regulations, even in the remotest parts of the state.  So landowners, not wanting to draw attention from the state’s feral bureaucrats and law enforcement, simply use other means to control the population — such as poison.

I’m not saying I agree with the practice, but I sure as hell understand it.

But that pic is still some kind of spooky, innit?