Interesting

Apparently not a permanent alteration; might be nice for some scenarios. On the down side, it definitely demonstrates that the staggered column of cartridges is more practical for getting down in the dirt.

Ugly Gun Sunday

Today's Type 53 Bubba Gun (anyone know if there's a chinese equivalent for "Bubba"?) brought to you from a large circus tent full of bunkbeds on Bagram Air Fieldcourtesy of IO Global internet services, whose marketing slogans should be:

"If it sucks to be where you are, that's where we are"

"Internet service that works all of the time, fifty percent of the time"

I'll admit I got spoiled in Iraq back in '03. Having a head cook who works for General Dynamics outside the Guard not only set up a custom intranet for your company, but who also gets you a direct link to a contractor's satellite uplink through trading on an exceptional ability to make hooch from excess fruit got me on one of the fastest nets I've seen outside the US. Here, uploading a single image takes up to 30 minutes.

But not for much longer..........

Sino-Soviet Saturday

Took a break to attend an auction at the local fair grounds today. While the focus of it was various auto repair shops cleaning out their obsolete and redundant tools, there were two items of interest to me noted in the paper; a "Russian rifle, 7.62x54" and a "rifle, 7.62x39". Can't hurt to look, I figured.

After getting there, I found an M-44, dated 1944, and a Norinco SKS. Both in relatively good shape. While I was waiting for the auctioneer to get to the rifles, I got a brief lesson in rifle identification listening to bystanders. Apparently, M44 carbines are easily confused with Springfield rifles. Also, they're American made, because there's writing on the side of the receiver in English showing "the company that made them". And according to one man, at least in his fifties, speaking to his friend, no one with any sense would by either of them, because "they're old junk; only modern rifles are any good".

All that may be why I now have another SKS for the cost of $140, and another M44 for $110. A damn good price for an SKS, and a not-bad price for a bolt rifle selling for $169.99 two blocks away at the local Fleet Farm.

I'll be watching the auction advertisements a little closer from now on.

The Gore Effect

I was planning on setting aside some time to work with my AR tomorrow morning.........

but it's supposed to be about 28 degrees.

I actually have worked with M16A2s in in sub-zero temperatures. Wisconsin in February is a suck-ass place to have three days of range time. Although it was interesting watching the Colorado Guard try to shoot under those conditions with nothing but M-65 field jackets and leather glove shells for hand protection. Anyhoo, 16/ARs need extra attention when the temperature drops below freezing. Maybe things are different with the A4s and civilian models these days, but somehow I doubt it. So, if I'm willing to submit my arthritic carcass to a little cold (and in Iowa, 28 degrees is just a taste of what's to come), what would be a little easier to work with?

Why, a Mosin-Nagant 91 modified by the Finns, I suppose. Reliable and proven in winter conditions far worse than what I'll see tomorrow, and with far more thumpy goodness than my poodle shooter.

Plus, I'll bet I have the range to myself.

Latest Purchase From The MODs

Photo courtesy of The Russian Mosin Nagant Page

Last weekend our local gun club held it's annual gun show at the fairgrounds. Rotten weather diminished both the number of vendors and customers, but for our area, it was still worth going. Although the prevalent arm at these shows is the 12 gauge sporting shotgun, there's usually a small but consistent number of milsurp dealers. This time I was I was torn between an ancient Italian infantry rifle that had been arsenal(Terni) converted from it's original blackpowder chambering to 6.5mm and an impressively refurbished Soviet M-44. The Italian, which had seen a lot of wear, was missing the front sight blade, and used the Mannlicher clip system of loading. However, it was an unusual find for this area, and had an almost baroque appearance that I love in the old blackpowder cartridge arms. The price tag was $200. The M-44 was fairly common, and of standard Mosin appearance (which, in my view, is somewhat inelegant). In it's favor: Excellent arsenal refinishing, matching numbers, came off the production line in 1944, The Wife thought the wood was "pretty", I have and can easily get more ammunition for it, and $95 out the door. The M-44 won, and feels like a pretty good deal compared to the same or worse condition M-44s a couple blocks away at the local Fleet Farm for a hair under $200.