Crankin' It Up

The Victor Military Band performs Texarkana, and Young America Hornpipe, on this recording from June 14, 1918.

See The Sig Sauer Samples!

Sig-Sauer 522 Commando

Sig-Sauer sent five guns to Reno for the Gun Blogger Rendezvous attendees to sample:  P226 Extreme in .40 S & W, Sig 522 Commando, Sig 1911-22, Sig P220 Diamond Plate in .45 Auto, and a 1911 Ultra Compact in .45 Auto.

Sig Sauer 1911-22

The 1911-22 was getting plenty of attention, and it's the model that sort of grabbed my heart.  The Sig rep loaded Stingers in magazines as long as I wanted to shoot this beauty, and others were lining up to do the same.  It has a great trigger, just as you would expect of a gun with the Sig logo, and it never missed a beat all day.  It comes standard with an ambidextrous safety, and it is available at retailers for around $400.  This 1911 would be a great companion for your .45 to make practice more affordable. 

Sig Sauer P220 Diamond Plate

Sig Sauer P226 Extreme

 

Sig Sauer Ultra Compact .45 Auto

The Sig 522 Commando was at one of our steel stages, and everyone enjoyed double-tapping steel plates with it. The last shooter in the video is Molly, shooting the P226 Extreme in .40 S & W. You read all kinds of opinions on recoil in the various guns and calibers, and it was educational to watch Molly shoot. She probably doesn't weigh 100 pounds, but she handles what most would classify as "Snappy" recoil with no problem, bringing the gun back onto the target to shoot again without hesitation.  Proper stance, strong grip, good training, and lots of practice could work wonders for all of us.

Pet Priorities

We attended a fundraiser for some local, private animal shelters recently, and I knew it was mistake.  There were a lot of animals in need of a home, but our place is pretty well stocked with pets already, and we aren't in a good position to take in more.  This calico kitty was pretty tempting, though.  Calicoes are always good-natured. 

 These Mountain Cur pups would have made good companion dogs for our watchdog, Jack, but Jack still has HeyJoe for company, so that would not work out right now.   We rescued a little dog like the one on the left over thirty years ago, and named him Doodles.  We found a good home for him, and he made a fine addition to the family that took him in.

And then, there's this.  We don't have to look for animals; they keep showing up.  This handsome cat is Rambler, who has been hanging around for most of a year.  I have been working with him so he now answers to his name, and I can touch him without being mauled. (All Cats Are Always Loaded.)  Another week or two and I should be able to pick him up so he can make a trip to the vet for tutoring.

Hickok 45 Reviews the Ruger Gunsite Rifle!

One of the tempting new products from Ruger is the Gunsite Rifle in .308/ 7.62 x 51 Nato. I won't say much about it, because Hickok45 pretty well covers it in this video that he recently posted, but I must say that I am impressed that he and the rifle are hitting a 15" gong at more than 200 yards with iron sights, while he is standing flat-footed, without even using a sling to steady his aim. It speaks well for Mr. Hickok,and this great rifle by Ruger. There has been some talk on the internet about the choice of magazine in this model, and many question why Ruger did not use the M-14 magazines that are commonly available. Ruger said that there is variation in those magazines, depending on makers, and of course, engineers developing a product don't want wild cards thrown into the mix. That is very understandable. If you read about guns online, you will find that M-14 magazines can be used in Model 77 Rugers, simply by doing a little fitting with a die grinder, and locking it in place with the trigger guard, so you might want to check that out if you are so inclined. Anyway, it's a great little package, in a caliber that can handle most situations you might run into, so sit back and let Hickok45 demonstrate it for you.

Revisiting The BIG Fairbanks Gas Engine

We posted a video of this engine a couple years ago, and we recently shot it again as it was being fired up. It doesn't go on the first try, which is a bonus for spectators. Note that it is lit off by flipping the ignitor.

Ready, Willing, and Able

Back To The Old Grind!

And Now We Come Down To The Wire!.... SOLD!!

Today is the final day to bid on this beauty from Sig-Sauer; the auction closes at 9 PM Eastern Time. All proceeds from this sale go to Soldiers' Angels to benefit wounded warriors, courtesy of Sig-Sauer who donated this one-of-a-kind engraved 1911. There are some serious bidders interested in this gun, and if you want it, you should click over and keep an eye on the bids. The winner gets a unique, extra high quality pistol, and will be providing several laptops to folks genuinely in need.  Many thanks to Sig-Sauer for this generous donation to Soldiers' Angels!

Update!  It brought $2876!   You can see it by clicking the photo or the other auction links in this post.

Not My Victrola

While checking the dates on some of my record collection, I saw an obscure title on 78Discography. I clicked right over to YouTube and did a search, and quickly found this song that I haven't heard for more than forty years. Many Thanks to Pax41! Isn't the Internet wonderful?

Weekend Steam:

The first engine we checked out at Boonville was this great little Kitten. We visited with Mr. Lindauer who brought it and were rather astounded. He lives a mile from the site of the Kitten factory at Ferdinand, has three full size Kitten engines, and then he built this free lance model. He knew many of the men who worked in the factory, and I bet he has a wealth of knowledge from those friends.

Like many of the exhibitors at steam and gas shows, Mr. Lindauer does not use a computer, but we gave him a card so his grandkids can show him his picture on the internet. Thank you for bringing your engine to Boonville, Mr. Lindauer!

Going For A Strong Finish!

What do you get when you cut down a tree?   Why, a place to grow another tree, of course.  Forest products week is almost over, and we have been celebrating by slapping paint on barn boards, stacking firewood, picking up nuts, and burning hot dogs with wood.  I will finish up by teaching a couple of quick chainsaw courses at the Dixon Springs Ag Center on Saturday.