Gun Thread: Happy Father's Day!! [Weasel]

My Dad passed on many years ago, and we went shooting together exactly once. One of my biggest regrets is he didn't live to see some of my accomplishments later in life simply as evidence he'd done a good job as a parent, and that at some point I eventually got my head out of my ass. I sure do miss him.

Did you go hunting or to the range with your dad? Did he teach you how to shoot? If you're the dad now, what sort of things do you do together with your kids? Not the big things, but what sort of small everyday things that really matter?

Moving along to other things...

What's wrong with this picture?

Nothing is wrong with this picture!

It's the same thing - only different!

I love the as-issued Garand so much, I bought this little sawed-off feller a few years ago when I had the opportunity. It's an M1 "Tanker" model chambered in .308 Winchester by Arlington Ord., sometime in the 1990's. A shortened Garand was a concept weapon during the latter days of WWII, but never made it into production. Although a small number of prototype rifles were assembled and evaluated by the War Department, they were never issued to troops for a variety of reasons.

Instead, the "Tanker" model became a marketing ploy by several different importers much later and were assembled from parts likely returned from Korea or in some cases, the Philippines. Often looked down upon by the purist M1 collector, this rifle is a hell of a lot of fun to shoot, it's very accurate, and the fact that it isn't absolutely original doesn't bother me one little bit. Opinions and reports regarding the quality and functionality of the customization seem to be all over the place, with some importers doing a better job with the modification than others. The ones modified by Blue Sky were apparently very unreliable. I've never had a problem with this Arlington Ord., - it works flawlessly. It's such a popular idea that Fulton Armory is still making some very nice (and pricey!) examples today.

So what do you think? Do you feel customizing a Garand is an affront to all that is good and decent, or does it look like fun to you too?

Taking a road trip this summer anywhere near Springfield, MA? If you are, then a trip to the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and Museum is in order. The collection of weapons there is truly remarkable. If you are even remotely interested in firearms, it's worth a visit! For the armchair traveler, a searchable database of their collection can be found here and here.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here's a Fox News article on "gun free zones" and the Virginia Beach shooting. Evidently, one of the victims was worried about the lunatic shooter and had discussed bringing a gun to work with her now widowed husband. Yes, I know technically it was the city employees who were prohibited from carrying weapons inside the building, not visitors, but I seriously doubt that distinction matters much to all of the dead city employees. It was a de-facto "gun free zone" which I think is stupid, retarded, bullshit. The person or persons who set these policies should be held responsible.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm a fan of revolvers (I'm old) and the Smith & Wesson brand in particular. Here's a nice review of the Model 19 and a new offering from the S&W Performance Center.

Link-O-Rama

Article: "Tanker" Garand
Shuff's Mini-G
Ammunition Store Father's Day Sale!
GA Arms - Father's Day Free Shipping!
Powder Valley Free HazMat on orders over $159
Hurry! 20% Off Black Rifle Coffee!

Sorry. Technical difficulties. Back Next Week!

Please note the new and improved gmail account morongunthread at gmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!

That's it for this week - have you been to the range?

posted by Open Blogger at 07:00 PM

| Access Comments