Old Lang's Sign?

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A New Year's Toast!

Mom and Dad were married on this date in 1948.  Everyone that came to the wedding had to chain up to get there and back home.  I have one of their wedding presents, and I fired it up today for you all to enjoy.  Their friend Pete Jeffries gave this to them.  He was born in Tennessee, moved to Iowa with his family when he was a young man, and farmed all of his working days except when he served in the Army during World War II.  He liked orange soda, and once drank a guy under the table who bet him he could drink more beer than Pete could soda. If you're going to be famous for something, that's not a bad record.  Pete encouraged me to go to college and get a degree, and I have been thankful to him for many years because of that.  He was a good guy.  You can see His Obit Here.

Here's his toaster:

Happy Anniversary, Mom!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger's auction this week is one of the ever-popular .44 Magnum Carbines  This one is the commemorative model marking the end of this carbine model.

This auction is proving the popularity of these little brush guns.  Late Tuesday night it is up to $1500.  Take a look and at least read all about it.  100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Light Foundation.  This fine little rifle sells mid-day, Wednesday, December 31, 2014.

$1500

A Tale Of Two Tauruses

 Taurus Poly PT-22, and steel-frame PT-22

A couple years ago my Mom bought a Taurus PT-22 Poly pistol at Skunk River Arms near Sigourney, Iowa.  It is a cute little pocket pistol that doesn't weigh twelve ounces.  Dan, the proprietor, warned Mom at the time that she should run a brick through the little gun before she relied on it.  We went back to Washington, she gathered up a pile of .22's, and we found that Dan was right.  The Taurus had regular malfunctions 'till we got to 300, then it started running right.

My brother-in-law wanted a pistol that he could carry in his pocket without interfering in his busy work day, and he settled on a PT-22.  The one he purchased is the steel frame version, and I told him to run rounds through it until it was broken in.  I went with him to the range and stuffed magazines for him.  It ran right from the very beginning.  The only time it failed to work was when we had dud rounds from packs of bulk ammo.  



Encouraged by his success, B-I-L purchased another PT-22, this one is the Poly version.  He brought it down to the farm to break it in over the holidays.  He ran into frustration; I saw deja-vu.  This little gun couldn't go through an entire magazine without stove-piping or mis-feeding.  We persisted.  A little past 300 rounds, it began running right.  The only ammo that causes trouble is Remington Golden Bullets, which don't feed well from a fully stacked magazine.  It runs standard velocity, high speed rounds, and hyper velocity rounds without a hiccup now.

If you are thinking a PT-22, keep our experiences in mind.  The poly version weighs 11.3 ounces; the steel version is about 1/2" longer and weighs an ounce more.  The steel frame version seems to run better out of the box, but of course you should run a brick through either one before you decide to rely on it.  If you get a dud round, you're going to be hurting in an emergency.  The little slide is hard to rack, and this gun does not have an extractor. Duds have to be removed by tipping the barrel up, and coaxing the round out with the tip of a pocket knife or nail file.

Loading the PT-22 is easy.  Insert the loaded mag, drop a .22 LR round into the chamber, and click it shut.

Clean the breech face, feed ramp, and chamber after every shooting session.  A dirty chamber will cause malfs.

Clean the slide face, and the firing pin channel.  Do not use heavy oil on the firing pin. Oil the slide with a good light oil.  B-I-L uses Ballistol on his guns, and they never stutter.  I use PB blaster for cleaning, and Marvel Mystery oil for lube.  Whatever you use, oil the slide on one of these every couple weeks if you plan to carry it.  Oil runs away, and a dry slide is not your friend, especially on a little pocket .22

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Easy, Big Fella!

There have probably been more 1911's hurt by a Dremel than have been helped.  Fight the urge.  When you can see your deburring this easily, you have probably done too much.

Back To The Old Grind? (Clean, Lube, and Shoot a bunch of rounds through your new toy before you start messing around in it. Fight the urge, and talk to a good pistolsmith.)

What Was It Linus Said?

I think it was "Everybody should be issued a banjo when they are born."  I'll second that!

Not My Victrola

Let's wind up the year with one of my Dad's favorite bands; Ben Bernie's Orchestra, playing a well known Roaring Twenties song, Sweet Georgia Brown.  All the way from 1925.

Ralfy's Whisky Of The Year

Visits with Ralfy are always educational and entertaining.  His website is near the bottom of our blog list under Whisky Reviews by Ralfy. 

Weekend Steam

A Brand-New Advance Engine!  This is pretty neat, and it is producing about twice its rated horsepower on the flywheel.  This is a repro of a 6 HP engine, so it would have been rated around 18 HP on the flywheel.  It is putting out around 40 HP on the Prony brake.

There and Back Again

We went to St. Louis today to spend Christmas with Susan's sister and her kids (Adults now.)  We listened to Christmas songs on the radio all the way up and back, and it made the trip easy.  This is one of our favorites from our little journey, and of course we watched the Grinch when we got home.

Sneaky...

. 

Susan asked for an A.M.Leonard Garden Scoot, and that is what's in the package; it says so right on the box.

She sure was excited as she started slicing it open.

But, What's This?  This isn't part of a Garden Scoot!

It's a Redcoat!  Note that a 25 yard steel AQT is sitting on the dining room table.  That is Pattie's.  I gotta tell you; that box was hard to carry in with the Garden Scoot and more than 30 pounds of steel added to it!  Susan will be shooting 1/4 mile before you know it.  Many thanks to Brian of Rifleman Training Targets for the quick service getting this great target to us!

Merry Christmas!

100 Years Ago...

...Governments have never let it happen again.

Crankin' It Up Rerun

Brat gets the week off for the holidays.   Merry Christmas!

Taking A Few Days Off...

...and working for the Man at home.  The end of the year always has a pile of cases that must be sent off before New Years, and today I gave an entire day to the Boss.  Many cases went out the door, and the relief is great at our house tonight.  Now we have some time to collect firewood!  It's actually fun, what with the log splitter and our Kubota RTV.

And This One, Too!

Too much fun!  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas To All Of Our Blog Family!

We are going to stay off the 'puter on Christmas, so here are a few songs for our friends that drop in Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas, and thanks for stopping by!

Ruger' Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger has posted a 10 1/2" Super Blackhawk this week, from 1983.  The generous folks bidding on this one have run it up too high for me (as usual), but go have a look, and maybe you will want to bid.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance. The hammer falls on this sale mid-day, Christmas Eve, 2014.

$1775

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Any Month Of The Year

Oyster mushrooms are always a pleasant surprise when we find them.  They will pop after a rain any time when it is above freezing, so we literally pick them in every month of the year.  We have had them at Thanksgiving, and this beautiful bunch appeared in in December this year.  In warm weather months you have to find them before the little black beetles consume them, and squirrels love them, too.  They keep well on the wood where they grow this time of year, and with the leaves down they are easier to spot.  This bunch is growing on a downed black oak limb, but they will grow on a variety of woods.  We have found them on hickory, ash, willow and cottonwood.  Carry a sharp knife, and string to lash your knife to a long stick, just in case the mushrooms are out of reach.

UPDATE!!

 They were Heavenly.

Must Have Been A Monday

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Weekend Steam: Treat Yourself!

I haven't had one of these for many many moons, but I remember it is pretty good stuff.  There is a picture of a locomotive in here somewhere, just to make this post legal.

Crankin' It Up With Brat The Cat

 Maud Powell is a fascinating artist, and was a pioneer in in recorded music who began recording classical violin for Victor in 1904. You can read all about her HERE, and you can purchase copies of her recordings HERE. 

Always Putt-Putt-Puttering Around

Our friend Gary keeps finding fascinating old iron.  This is his latest; a Lockwood-Ash marine engine.  These were popular in the days before outboard motors came along, and they are still popular in Louisiana.


I doubt that Gary will be taking this down the Mississippi, but the Kaskaskia would be smooth sailing, without any barge traffic. A neat feature of these old 2-stroke engines is that they are reversible. The timer sits up front, and has a lever for the operator to use in adjusting the timing, and for changing the direction the engine runs.

OK, OK, But How Much Did He Steal?

This is a self-writing joke: Bazillion admitted he burglarized a building in Dahlgren.

Engine Crank-Ups

Engine show season may be over until Spring, but engine collectors are a hardy bunch and they have their own private little shows during the off season.  This video (by Rob Gill) is from Rob and Bob Gill's Crank-Up last week.  They had a lot of wheels turning, good food, and good times for their engine friends.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Take a DEEP breath before you check out this auction; and you will have to put on your big-boy pants before you up the bid.  This Ruger No. 1 Varminter is attracting collectors with deep pockets, leaving us little people in the dust.  But, it's still worth a look.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and the hammer falls mid-day, Wednesday, December 17, 2014.

$4530.00

A Little Visit With The Mailbox Engine

We all piled in the family car today and visited our friend Gary Bahre at his engine shed so we could see first-hand his progress on the 8 HP Bessemer.  We shot several pics, and just a little video.  The cylinder  is out for surgery, and it now has a sleeve installed.  The intake and exhaust ports have to be cut, and the rings have to be fitted, then it will come back to Gary.  He has his parts assembled to build a new rod, and that will be happening soon.  Stay Tuned!  It will run again!

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Heavy Duty!

 Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Third Sunday of Advent

Weekend Steam: Let's Hop Across To The Isle Of Man!

November e-Postal Scores Are Up At Danno's Blog!

Danno, the November  host for the Mr. Completely e-Postal contest has posted the scores, and my Mrs. is one of the big winners!  Danno and his son still need to shoot their targets, so he is extending the contest until we restart the Postals next spring.  Click Here to see the scores, and if you haven't entered, Click Here to print your target and read the rules. 

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

Hoodoo Man is a great dance record from May, 1924.  Brat has been in the doldrums of late, and hasn't danced for us in many weeks.  This record got his attention and he marched back and forth half a dozen times.  The record ended, and I discovered that I hadn't pushed the Record button.  Oh Well.  I changed the needle and cranked up again, and the second time I played this record he acted like the Looney Tunes Singing Frog.  Trust me, he liked this one, and you will, too.

The Skies Of 1914

We grew up with images and stories of Great War dogfights and fighter pilots, but in 1914 the airplane was still in its infancy. The Germans flew the Taube until 1916, mostly for reconnaissance missions.  It used wing warping rather than hinged control surfaces, but it had a 6 cylinder, 120 HP Mercedes up front.  Its maximum speed was only 62.5 mph, and of course it did not have an electric starter like this reproduction airplane has.

I was first exposed to the Taube in an old Geographic magazine from the Great War era, and it is a picture that sticks in your mind with its bird-like wings. Robert Service even mentioned it in the afterword to his book Rhymes Of A Red Cross Man.

Once more within the sky's deep sapphire hollow
I sight a swimming Taube, a fairy thing;
I watch the angry shell flame flash and follow
In feather puffs that flick a tilted wing;
And then it fades, with shrapnel mirror's flashing;
The flashes bloom to blossoms lily gold;
The batteries are rancorously crashing,
And life is just as full as it can hold.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

This week's Ruger is a spiffy Stainless SP101® in.38 Special that would go great in your waistband, or in someone's Christmas stocking.  The price isn't going too wild, so CLICK OVER to Ruger's Gunbroker page and have a look.

100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance.  The hammer falls mid-day, Wednesday, December 10, 2014.

$855!!! This gun is still in Ruger's catalog, and the suggested retail price is $659, so you could probably buy one of these new for under $600, plus sales tax.  The purchaser of this auction item also has to pay the Pittman-Robertson tax, which is based on the distributor price when the gun was built. Well, People's Good. 

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Rough And Tough Mondays

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Second Sunday of Advent

.22 LR IN STOCK!...

...at Natchez Shooters Supply(CLICK).  It is Standard Velocity, $3.91/50.  With shipping it will be around $57.00 per brick. Don't delay.  We bought a couple of bricks last month, and it is tight shooting ammo.

Weekend Steam: North Pole Express!

The Midwest Central sold out five weekends in less than three days, but you can still go and watch the trains run.  This weekend and two more.  Click over to Midwest Central to check the schedule.



One thing this world could use a few more of is tripods....

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

LiveryStable Blues is a lot of fun with the horse laughs thrown in, and the wear on this disc shows that the original owners really liked it. 


Livery Stable Blues by TrueBlueSam

Christmas Presents For The Rifleman In Your Life!

These steel targets will look familiar to anyone who has attended an Appleseed Clinic.

They are an all steel version of the AQT (Army Qualification Target) that you shoot to qualify for a Rifleman Patch.  The silhouettes are slightly smaller than the black portion of the paper targets, and if you can hit them at 25 meters (82 feet), using your sling from prone, sitting, and standing, you should be able to score 210 or higher at your next Appleseed.

The target has simulated 400, 300, 200, and 100 meter silhouettes, plus the 1" square.

You can call the number, or e-mail to order.  You can also click over to the Facebook Page to see more photos, including the full-size target, which can be shot at 100 to 400 yards with .308.  Check it out if you have a place where you can shoot a quarter mile.

A Nice Fairbanks...

I was looking back through photos, and found some raw video from Pinckneyville that hadn't been used.  This video was shot in 2011, and it's a pretty good engine, with lots of parts exposed.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

This week Ruger is donating one of their classic Stainless Single Six Convertibles.  The Single Six always feels good riding on your hip when you are out and about on the farm or ranch, and the .22 Magnum cylinder can handle just about any varmint you run into, short of a bear.  This one was built in 1988, and was returned to the factory for unknown reasons.  Click Over to Ruger's GunBroker page to read all about it and place a bid.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and the gun will sell mid-day, Wednesday, December 3, 2014.

$705

Tuesday Turbo Boost

A little something to help you shake off all that overeating you probably did; and I'm not quite ready for Christmas music yet. Barnum and Bailey's 'Favorite.'