Celebrate Diversity Unto Death

From the always readable Mark Steyn at NRO Online:

Celebrate Diversity Unto Death

Best bit:

You'll recall the cringe-making response to the massacre by the embarrassing General Casey, the Army's chief of staff:

"What happened at Fort Hood was a tragedy," said Gen. Casey, the Army's chief of staff, "but I believe it would be an even greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty here."

The fact that a grown man not employed by a U.S. educational institution or media outlet used the word "diversity" in a non-parodic sense should be deeply disturbing

Another Gun Show, Another Mossberg

Crawled all over the gun show in Lima on Saturday. Looked at several tempting pieces. The Colt 1903's from last month were still there. One fellow was selling a pretty well worn Marlin 70P Papoose 22LR rifle. That's the one you can carry disassembled in a bag and put together quickly. I've seen much nicer for what he was asking for it.

For the first time, I looked at older, classic Mossberg shotguns. I saw two bolt actions, one 20 ga the other a .410 that tempted me. The 20 ga had the variable screw type choke. The .410 had a fixed 3 round internal magazine and a fixed full choke. I've wanted a .410 for a while, but will probably wait a little longer.

The rifle I did pick up was a 151K made in the early 1950's. It's a tube-fed 22LR semi-auto. I can't wait to get it out to the range if the weather ever cooperates.

Gun Show Eve

I'll be going over to Lima Saturday morning for the Tri State Gun Collectors gun show at the Allen County Fairgrounds. Plan to meet up with a friend, tour the tables, fondle guns, and then have lunch. I don't have any acquisition goal in mind - other than picking up something cheap and fun.

Dismal Library Science

As anyone who's unsuccessfully gone to their public library looking for books like Jonah Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism" or entire subjects like "shooting" knows, books are still banned in America. Yet every September, libraries set up the same shop-worn display featuring "Catcher in the Rye" that suggests that it's the DAR and John Birch Society that want to keep us ignorant. It's amusing that today's most effective censors are the Birkenstock-shod public servants setting up the display.

“Banned Books Week” should truthfully be called “Books Banned Without Our Approval Week”.

Old Bag of Nails Pub in Delaware, Ohio

Although not a brewpub, the wife and I enjoyed the Old Bag of Nails pub in Delaware, OH on Saturday. Their website says they have one opening soon in Mansfield – this is good news indeed. I’m not sure what the definition of a “chain” is with respect to restaurants – there are 11 open or soon to open in Central Ohio. The All-You-Can-Eat Fish and Chips is especially tasty. Their selection of beers on tap was better than most places – and better than their Gahanna location.

Recommended.

Found! Aguila 22LR SSS 60 Grain Ammo

I finally found a box of the Aguila 60 grain 22LR SSS ammo. I bought the last box they had on the shelf at Blackwing Shooting Center. I see that Carteach0 is less than impressed with this round. It still seems like a round that would be so fun to shoot that it’s worth buying a 1 in 9” twist aftermarket barrel just to have a rifle that could do it justice.

I Believe that Children Are the Future

Shooting will be an extinct sport - practiced only by government employees - unless we actively introduce kids to the sport. I believe this firmly. And yet...

The Greatest Generation was hardly unacquainted with firearms and they gave us the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Almost Went to a Gun Show

Intended to go to the Medina Gun Show this weekend. I got on the road and decided that the conditions were bad enough that I didn't want to go that far north and that far off the interstate. So I diverted to Fin Feather Fur in Ashland.

"The Fin" had some attractive specials in their flyer for January. I was especially interested in the discount on 8 pound jugs of powder. However, they were out of the flavors I was looking for. There were no specials on ammo.

I went from Ashland to Shelby and stopped by the Sportsman's Den. Their website says that they won't be publishing a sales flyer until March. My guess is that Mr. Obama has generated so much business that they really don't need to lure shoppers into the store. I didn't see anything that I had to have there, but their prices and service are generally good.

Neither store had what I was looking for: Aguila SSS 22LR 60 grain ammunition. I'll have to keep looking.

Awesome Customer Service - Havlin's

I have a fondness for Mossberg .22 rifles that goes back to my childhood. I bought a 350KA the other day that somehow lost it's magazine on it's way to me. I ordered one from Havlin's on Saturday night. Monday morning I got an e-mail telling me that their operations would be shut down from Tuesday through Friday this week due to their attendance at the SHOT show, but that my magazine was shipping that day.

The magazine arrived two days later (Wednesday) and fits perfectly.

These folks are first rate.

Brrrrr.

Hopped in my car this morning, opened the garage door, started the car and drove in to work. During the three mile drive my car adjusted to the temperature dropping from around freezing to about -15. It groaned and creaked like submarines do in the movies when executing a crash dive.

Ballistic Soulmate

Just saw the Gunbroker ad on Shooting USA. I've not seen any of them before. Looking them up at You Tube it appears they've been out for a month. I can't imagine how I haven't seen one before tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkf-W4dAHtY&feature=related

Good stuff.

Winter Blues

I live in the great void of North Central Ohio. The nearest indoor range is 50 minutes away in Delaware. Blackwing is an awesome range, but just a touch too far away to go there during the week. The club I belong to is five miles away, and has well maintained grounds and 25 ft, 25 yd, 50 yd, and 100 yd ranges. However, they're all outdoor and under a bunch of snow. I'm tired of Winter already.

A Break in Blogging Already?

Didn't mean to blow off several days. I was in Columbus at my part-time job the last three days and had sporadic internet access.

Had hoped to visit Vance's Shooting Supply, but was talked into dining with coworkers both nights. Enjoyed hops and malt with both meals.

Newest Member of the Family

I returned to my friendly neighborhood merchant of death this afternoon after work and made a purchase. I opted for the classic beauty that is the Mossberg 350KA. Six pounds, 23.5" barrel, Monte Carlo stock - I'll need to pick up a magazine for it, but otherwise it's perfect. I haven't taken any photos of it that aren't terrible - but I'll keep trying.

Why Bucyrus Zeughaus?

My family and I live in Bucyrus, Ohio – so that part is pretty straight-forward. I enjoy firearms and have a few, so "arsenal" or "armory" might be appropriate. However, I don't sell or work on firearms for a living - and most of the armories and arsenals on the web do.

The foreign language I know best is German. It was my minor in school and all of our children were born in Nürnberg when we were stationed there. One of the features of German is that many, many words in German are identical or greatly resemble their equivalent in English – such as “Arsenal”.

In Nuremberg (the English spelling) there is a minor landmark in the old city, the Nürnberger Zeughaus. “Zeughaus” is an archaic word for “Arsenal” and this was the old armory built in 1588 – of which only the front gate survived/was restored after World War Two.

A third alternative would have been “Waffenlager”, but that has a whiff of “Grossdeutschland” that I’d just as soon avoid. In contrast, “Zeughaus” calls to mind cheerful, nutcracker soldiers in bright, shiny uniforms. Who could object to that?

Ruger 10/22 Tire Kicking

Stopped by our town's lone merchant of death today to see what he had in the way of previously enjoyed Ruger 10/22's. He had several. I looked closely at a stainless model with a synthetic stock. That seems like the most utilitarian choice. He also had a Mossberg 350KA on hand. That honestly has more appeal - except for the whole "closet full of accessories" advantage that the Ruger has.

My Wandering Want List

Long ago, my only stated goal was to have an example of every center fire US Army rifle - starting with the Krag and ending with AR-15. In all that time I’ve acquired a Garand and a Bushmaster DCM AR-15. I’ve picked up several other firearms for various reasons in that time, but don’t have an acquisition strategy beyond “Wow! That’s cool!” That’s how I have a couple of trap guns, a few surplus rifles, and a brace of CZ pistols.

I really must focus.

Lima Gun Show AAR

The Gun Show in Lima did not disappoint. I saw four Colt 1903’s that caught my eye as a result of Tam’s power of suggestion. Still don’t know enough to be a discerning buyer, but I’m working on it. Also looked at an Inland M1 Carbine for a decent price, but the bolt wouldn’t lock back and the rear sight was non-standard and wobbly. I love the Carbine because it’s fun to shoot - so anything wrong with it that would make that hard or unwise was a deal breaker.

Also saw several Mossberg .22’s that beckoned - especially a 42TR smoothbore. Not sure what I’d use it for, but that’s hardly the point.

Lastly I checked out the Ruger 10/22’s on offer. I don’t yet own an American Volksrifle, but I will soon. It truly is, in Breda’s words, the Garanimal of guns. I’ll have to have a much better understanding of what’s a reasonable price for these things before I pick one up.

If there's a common thread running through this post it's that I need to visit a lot more gun shows so that I know what I'm looking at - and what the going rate is for what it is I want.

Lima Gun Show

Plan on travelling two hours to the west on Saturday to visit the Tri State Gun Collecters Gun Show in Lima. It's generally a great show - better than the last several I've been to in Columbus.

Looking to pick up ammo and enjoy the free atmosphere while I still can. Of course, I can't be blamed if a rifle chooses to follow me home.

Hello World

It's my hope that this blog will be better maintained than the last one - although in fairness to myself, I quickly determined that OPSEC was the better part of valor in that specific case.