Hickok45 Introduces Pistol Caliber Carbines To New Shooters

Hickok's videos are always enjoyable to watch, and they are great instructional videos for new shooters and geezers, too!  Pistol caliber carbines and rifle caliber pistols are great for those who like to load their own ammo because a handloader can tweak the performance of the ammo to fit the firearm.

Brass Man Bart Strikes Again...

...With a couple of old railroading numbers. Great Stuff, Brass Man!

Do Not Go Into A Mob...

Do not let a mob stop you.
If a mob stops you, be alert for people touching your vehicle.
If they attack your glass, this is your last chance.  You have to fight and drive.
The people in the mobs plan to stop you, remove you from your car, and beat you to death.

Joe Rinaudo's American Fotoplayer; Hang Onto Your Hat!

Joe Rinaudo has a YouTube channel where you can go if you need to energize.  This is a California Gold episode to acquaint you with this maestro.

Water Main Project

Our county's water company is upgrading its crossings with the CountryMark petroleum pipeline, and we had a good show out of it at the south end of our property. Everything was well coordinated and the pieces fell in place with no problems.

Tuesday Torque: Starting And Running Old Engines...

...with great sound! Hearing old engines come to life is always a joy.  Many Thanks To Merle for another great pick!

Socializing The Fosters

Godiva (the blonde Schip) moved upstairs many weeks ago and has made great progress.  She has assimilated into our pack and now we are worrying about hurting her feelings when she moves on to her forever home. Last week we brought Betty Boop (above) and Sisko upstairs.  We move their kennels into our bedroom at night and we weren't sure if we would get any sleep the first night.  They cried for quite a while, and Jack tried to hide in a corner to get away from the noise.  The next night it took just a few minutes, and last night they settled down quickly.  Housebreaking is coming along great, and all three of the fosters respond well to their names.  We will be putting new writeups about these dogs on Midwest Schipperke Rescue's Facebook page this week.  There are always more people wanting Schipperkes than there are dogs, but that allows us to place dogs in the best homes for them.   If you are wanting to adopt a Schipperke, fill out an application with Midwest Schipperke Rescue and submit it to Michele Kasten at Schipnut58 (at) yahoo (dot) com.  Back To The Old Grind!

Roaring Twenties Music: Margie, Original Dixieland Jazz Band

This is the recording that started Margie on the road to fame.  It was written by Con Conrad and J. Russel Robinson of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, who recorded it in 1920. The song was named for Eddie Cantor's five year old daughter, and Eddie recorded it in 1921, where it stayed on the top of the charts for several weeks. Vaudevillian Frank Crumit also had a very popular recording, and the song has been covered by a multitude of entertainers. The piano roll is a QRS recorded by the composers.

Is That A Good Luck Charm In Your Pocket... (Repost That Bears Repeating!)

or a disaster waiting to happen?  Is your .380 going to throw lead when you need it to do so, or is it going to choke on pocket lint?  We had company over the weekend, and I asked the husband if he had cleaned and lubed his pocket pistol lately.  Nope!  I said, "Give it to me and I will take care of it for you."  I guessed it would be worthy of photos and I was not disappointed.  Lint on the trigger, lint stuck to the side of the magazine and inside, too.

The barrel was fuzzy.  It definitely needed to be disassembled.

The slide catch and the hammer were both loaded up with lint, and also the mag well.

The underside of the slide was also covered in lint and a bit of powder residue.  So, we know this pistol has been fired and put back in its holster dirty after the last range trip.  I cleaned up all the dirt and lint and then lubed the little LCP II properly, even using my special blend of grease on the rails so the lube doesn't run away.

Our carry guns are not magical talismans.  They are tools and you should attend to them on a regular basis.  Guns have reciprocating and revolving parts that need to be oiled or greased to run properly, in spite of the torture tests that gunwriters love to do.  Pockets, pocket holsters, and lint all wick away oil.  The gun you lubed two months ago is probably dry by now.  The need to clean and lube is double for little pocket guns like the LCP and LCP II.  They are light, and require a firm grip to operate properly.  If you do not keep them in top operating condition, they are likely to fail you when you need them most.  You also need to practice with these little guys regularly, and make sure your grip is up to snuff so you can empty entire magazines without getting stovepipes.

Just in case you haven't read it, Grant Cunningham's article on lubrication is linked:   Here.  Be serious about your ability to defend yourself.  Criminals think about their work all the time.  We should do the same for our safety.

Weekend Steam: C & O 1309 Arrives At Cumberland, Maryland, 2014

Many Thanks to Merle for sending his great picks!  I will have to do some research and see how this project is progressing.

Serious Sandbox Skills!

The county water company has a big project going.  The EPA decided that all the water main intersections with Country Mark's petroleum pipeline should be upgraded.  You can see the water main in the wall of the trench; it crosses just above the oil pipeline.  The upgraded line passes under the pipeline and is enclosed in a steel casing that is 60 feet long.  They had to dig a long trench 8 feet deep to put that in, and it has been interesting to watch the process.  We have a little slide and video show we will post later so you can share in the excitement.

Brass Man Bart: El Capitan March!

Brother Ben has posted a new one, and his description lists seven instruments that he plays.  I am also hearing a cymbal and a triangle in this, so now he is doing percussion, too!  Great Stuff, Brass Man!