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Education / Training The Bronco from Air Venturi – Part 6

The Bronco from Air Venturi – Part 6

by B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

01-18-10-02

Air Venturi Bronco.

Before we begin, I have a request from a reader in Iowa. She would like to learn more about airguns and shoot with some clubs in and around Montezuma. Any airgunners who belong to clubs in that location, could you please identify yourselves in the comments to this report, and I’ll let her know how to contact you. The sport you shoot isn’t that important. It can be field target, silhouette or 10-meter. As long as airguns are involved, she wants to start shooting.

Today, I’m looking at mounting a Mendoza rear aperture sight on a Bronco. This was my original plan for this rifle, but the cost proved too much, so I made it an option. Like all of you, I expect a Mendoza sight to work correctly on a Mendoza rifle, which the Bronco is. The problem with this sight is that it’s always too high for the rifles people put it on, and today we’ll learn how the Bronco accepts it.

No-go
The short of it is that the Mendoza sight does not adjust low enough to shoot at 10 meters with the Bronco. There are many fixes for that, such as lengthening the front sight, but that’s not what I’m reporting on today. How sad that a rear aperture sight does not allow adjustment for a distance at which many shooters would like to shoot. I’ll speak to Mendoza about this because it’s a serious drawback to an otherwise fine product. However, much like the Mythbusters, I have a fallback plan.

The Beeman Sport Aperture sight
It costs more than twice what the Mendoza sight costs, but the Beeman Sport Aperture sight does adjust lower. It isn’t currently available, but that’s being looked into. The changeover of the Beeman company ownership has left many of their products in a state of limbo that only now is being addressed.

What I’m about to describe may no longer be necessary, because my Beeman sight is at least 20 years old. I note that the one Pyramyd AIR sold most recently is already modified in the way I am about to describe.

Having a Beeman sight on hand, I mounted it and started shooting. Once again, though, it was a no-go. While the Beeman sight made by Williams does indeed adjust much lower than the Mendoza, the elevation post slide on the left side of my older sight hits the stock at some point. As I said, the new sights may not have this problem. If your sight does, it leaves you with two options.

Two options
Option one is to cut a clearance slot in the wood stock. Option two is to remove the bottom of the elevation post, which will allow lower adjustments. I chose option two, because this is a problem this sight has on a great many air rifles.

03-11-10-01
The Beeman Sport Aperture sight hits the top of the stock which limits how low it will adjust.

03-11-10-02
This is a .17 HM2 rifle a friend made up for me. He mounted the aperture sight and carved out the stock for maximum adjustability. I didn’t want to do that with the Bronco’s stock.

03-11-10-03
The bottom portion of the elevation staff is useless to this sight. I decided to whack it off.

It took a Dremel tool cutoff wheel about five minutes to slice off the unwanted bottom of the staff. Then, a few strokes of a file dressed the cut clean.

03-11-10-04
With the bottom gone, the elevation will adjust much lower. Hopefully, I’ll be on target at 10 meters.

03-11-10-05
Back on the rifle, you can see how much lower the Beeman sight adjusts. Will it be enough?

Success!
Back to the range and success at last. The pellets now drill the center of the bull at 10 meters. Anything farther will require elevation, which I have in bucket loads.

03-11-10-06
The tell-all picture. Top group was with the Mendoza sight adjusted as low as it would go. Next down is the Beeman sight before modification as low as it would go before bottoming out on the Bronco stock. Bottom group is the Beeman sight after being cut off.

So, the outcome of today’s report is that the Mendoza rear sight doesn’t adjust low enough for the Bronco. The Beeman Sport Aperture doesn’t either, but with ten minutes work, it will. I think I would keep this sight on the Bronco because it is quick and easy to use, and I even think it looks better.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

324 thoughts on “The Bronco from Air Venturi – Part 6”

  1. Morning B.B.,
    Do you possibly have a picture of the Bronco with the rear aperture sight installed and would it be possible to add it to this blog?

    Alot of your readers may never have seen one on a gun.

    Mr B.

    PS I've got a Williams from PA on my Benjamine 392 and love the way it works and looks on the gun.

  2. B.B

    Thanks for the report, I was gonna buy the Bronco along with the Mendoza Peep sight, but too bad there are issues with it on the bronco, hopefully Mendoza takes care of it! Any other peep sight you can recommend that would work well with the bronco that you know of? Thanks again.

    John

  3. A question about the front sight: How is the ramp attached to the barrel? If it is screwed onto the barrel, it would be fairly simple for the factory to offer a spacer plate and longer screws as a package together with the Mendoza peep.

    Just an idea.

    Jim in PGH

  4. B.B.,
    I've been following your blog since last summer and I'm enjoying it very much. Anyway, PA sells the Mendoza front sight with an included spacer. If only we can get any Mendoza gun with the spacer included or we can buy any of their rear sight with the spacer for the front sight included. I was thinking of buying the front sight for my RM-200 so I can use their aperture sight but $15 for just the use of the spacer is just too much so I just opted for a scope (not so good eyes anyway). Better yet if PA sells the spacer as a stand alone product. Btw, I'm a proud owner of the Bronco. I like my RM-200 (consistently 1/4" to 3/8" c-t-c with RWS Superpoint Extra at 12 yards) so much that I just knew, the Bronco will be a winner and it is.

    Ariel

  5. BB,
    Thanks so much for the dremel suggestion on the Williams sight. I've been searching for a solution to this very problem on my Marlin Model 60.

    I have the Crosman Williams Notched Blade sight from Pyramid Air. Do you know if the notched blade is interchangeable with a peep? I can't seem to find the peep attachment for sale by itself and it is also not clear how to remove the notched blade.

    Thanks, Fred from NC

  6. Re: Airgunning near Montezuma.

    The Poweshiek County Sportsmen's Association at one time had an indoor airgun range in Montezuma, but no longer. The club now has only archery and firearms ranges, although both ranges are fine for airgunning, too, but no organized shooting for airguns.

    However, if the interested person would like to discuss airgunning or do some informal target shooting with me, I'd be delighted to communicate with her.

    The 50-foot indoor range can be set up for 10 meters, so long as there are no firearm shooters on the range a the same time. The club's 100-yard outdoor range will accomodate any airgun distance.

    It would be great to find some more shooters and organize something like 10 meter competition. Right now, I shoot mostly in my basement, although I enter the Air Arena e-Matches, which I've discussed with CJ,Jr. on this blog.

    By the way, Poweshiek County (Montezuma is the country seat)is shooters' heaven: club membership is $30 a year and includes free access to both indoor and outdoor ranges (plus trap) anytime, 24/7. And, Montezuma is home to Brownell's, which has about anything you can dream up for firearm shooting.

    Contact me at: pcsashooter@gmail.com

  7. BB;

    What rear aperture sight would you recommend for a Diana 52? I have a scope on my .177 52 but was thinking of putting rear aperture sight on the used .22 52 I was able to buy for $100.00.

    Mike

  8. I'm sure there are a lot of people I like and respect on this blog/forum who will Disagree with me today, but because the vast bulk of you are thoughtful folks, I wanted to have a small say in the recent gun control debate. First the FACTS (skipping momentarily ideology and principle):

    In the US there are more than 52,000 people shot on purpose each year. Another 23,000 are shot on accident. 17,000 kill THEMSELVES. Some 10,000 others are killed (legally and illegally.)

    Together, that's OVER 100,000 people killed or injured by (non-airgun) guns. Read that again–users are FAR MORE likely to shoot and/or kill themselves, a close friend, or a family member than 'an enemy or attacker' Between 1987 and 1990, only about .2% (that's 2 in 1000!) of shootings were in self-defense (and that includes police gun use). Almost ALL homicides (and suicides) are committed Using handguns (knives are more common than rifles).

    The reason guns are dangerous is NOT the fault of the tool. We are an aggressive specie prone to bouts of depression and rage. The fact that we almost always hide or manage those feelings is not to dispute their obvious existence.

    Because most people are Rarely out of control, there's an inclination to believe that only criminals are capable of extreme indiscretion. Do you think so? Answer honestly: Has there EVER been a moment in your life that you're glad now you were NOT holding a gun? Okay, how about your friends, family, or neighbors? Were they 100% safe during the entirety of their lifetimes? How about the folks you've see on TV? Do you think all of them would make responsible gun owners AND close neighbors? Do you want them walking through your child's school or cutting you off in traffic???

    My point is that gun ownership and use should be difficult. Easy use makes for easy mistakes (criminal, accidental, regrettable). Those of us who support gun ownership should support the toughest restrictions. In the name of safety and our families, we Don't want every Tom, Dick, and Harry to have a gun–even if one of those names are our own.

    In closing, I'm asking each of you to be reasonable in this debate–and to ask your representatives and groups (NRA included) to support restrictions. We can all enjoy gun use (just like a lot of other dangerous toys) without making their use unlicensed and unrestricted.

    rob

  9. BB, I've been dying to buy the Benjamin Trail NP (non-XL). Is it worth me waiting for you to review it (that would be great and I will wait if you're planning to cover it), or are the other Ben-Trails so similar to the XL that you'll not do full articles on them?

    Also–did I hear you correctly? In order of quiet…The Avanti 747, then Crosman 1077, then Marauder, then Remington NPSS, then Benjamin Trail being the loudest? Yikes–if so, real bummer.

    rob

  10. Kevin–the facts are mostly from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) which view gun safety as a health issue and the FBI. Different studies show different precise numbers and they vary somewhat over years, but the fact that we're much more dangerous to ourselves and families has ubiquitously true. I could have cited references throughout, but that would have made for a long essay.
    rob

    • Thanks for sparing the details!
      I believe that like myself, most gun owners realize there is great responsibility involved in ownership.
      I also think we all own guns here and what you’re saying needs to be said to people considering ownership so you’re barking up the wrong tree.

  11. B.B.,

    I know this is probably way beneath you, but I'm gonna renew my plea that you please test and report on the new Daisy Model 25 BB gun, and also the new Marlin Cowboy the minute it comes out in mid-April.

    Tak! (That's "thanks" in Danish.)

    -AlanL

  12. BB and Mike,

    While the Beeman Sport Aperture is no longer available, the identical Williams FP-AG-TK is readily available from several on-line shops. Too bad it runs $20 more than the Beeman. Additionally, the FP-GR-TK sets the aperture carriage behind the mounting plate rather than on top, so it is capable of even lower positioning than the Beeman/FP-AG-TK, though the same modification to the elevation post slide may be required. Side by side: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qHlechgu_6aWOlMtmkQu7A?feat=directlink

    Even after properly locking down the mounting screw, I found the mount has inadequate grip on the scope rail. I ground and notched a piece of a SS bolt to serve as a stop pin, and don't think it would be that tough to simply drill and tap the mounting plate for a stop screw.

    Jay

  13. Rob,

    The CDC has a known anti-gun agenda. They classify gun accidents with the loosest kind of association, such as a heart attack while hunting being gun-related.

    They classify gun ownership as a disease.

    The CDC is to gun ownership what the American Civil Liberties Union is to Americans, justice or civil liberties.

    B.B.

  14. Well, BB–you have my respect and I'm sure if I knew you in person we'd get along great. My brother and I received our first 'real' gun when he was 12 and I was 10. I know they're a lot of fun, and that you can trust almost everyone almost all of the time.

    I didn't used to feel so strongly about gun control when I was a 'country boy'. But, now I live in the urban city–and I hear multiple gun shots just about every night. Trust me–you do not want angry, drunk, high, uneducated people to have guns at 3AM.

    That said–we'll agree to disagree. Just to reiterate–you're a great educator and example for gun ownership and use. But oh–what do you say to the unreasonable and uneducated?
    rob

  15. Hi B.B.,
    I just received a Benjamin Pump that I ordered. I noticed that it looked very different than the picture featured online. The Brass round air release knob is on the front under the gauge, rather than in the back as in the picture. There were also other subtle differences as well. Also I noticed that the brass fitting on the end of the braided line seems to scrape off a little bit of fine brass shavings when pulled back and released. Has Crossman recently changed the design. Any input anyone has would be helpful.
    Thanks,
    Jake

  16. To me, it's more about gun education.

    Whether you are for or against gun control, you should be for gun education.

    Young children should know about guns, and how to be safe around them.
    What to do if another child picks up a gun. When a home is safe for children and when it's not.

    Children can be taught safety issues, (and in my mind, this should be in school.. mandatory!) ..and then if they are interested, and parents approve, they can learn how to safely use guns… air on up to firearms.

    Guns are here to stay, and all people need to know about them, whether they choose to use them or not. My guess is that 1/2 of all deaths from guns both intentional and accidental, would not happen with a program like this.

    And a "wedge" issue would be taken away from the political controllers..

    just my 1/2 cent worth..

    Wacky Wayne, Match Director, Ashland Air Rifle Range

  17. rob,

    Ahhh, the CDC.

    You need to be careful when using CDC numbers. The create "catagories" especially related to firearm injuries and fatalities that can easily be misinterpreted.

    Not sure what FBI numbers you're referring to since the FBI reports their numbers to CDC and relies on CDC numbers (National Vital Statistics generated by CDC) for their statistics.

    The last comprehensive CDC report was published January 31, 2006 (Vol. 54, No. 10). Per the CDC report there were 30,242 firearm related injuries. Of those, 762 were unintentional (02.5%), 17,108 were suicides, 11,829 were homicide, 243 were undetermined and 300 were legal intervention (war).

    I'm having a tough time reconciling your numbers.

    kevin

  18. Jake; "Trust me–you do not want angry, drunk, high, uneducated people to have guns at 3AM."

    Sorry Jake but those fools have guns, they just get them illegally.
    Also, they don't worry about the consequences if they are caught either.

    The law only stops those that follow it.

    I have worked in prisons for 30 years, I have seen them all.

    Mike

  19. Anonymous/rob

    "But oh–what do you say to the unreasonable and uneducated?"

    I would say something such as; Mr. Smith will reason with you and Mr. Wesson will educate you.

    Any questions class?

    Engraving (loosely quoted) found on a Samuel Colt revolver circa 1800's "be afraid of no man no matter what his size, when in trouble call on me and I will Equalize"

    Brian in Idaho

  20. Just picked up a Bushnell Laser Rangefinder yesterday, which I think will prove its weight in gold.
    Just playing around the neighbourhood last night I was amazed how consistently I underestimated distance.
    On the other hand I have new respect for my 500 fps Slavia and B9…my favorite shooting spot, which I assumed was about 25 yards is closer to …well hell, according to the rangefinders is exactly 38 yards.
    Both guns on a windless day, holding about 3" over, will group 3" offhand.
    Maybe nothing that is going to impress Quigley…but pleased me.
    CowBoyStar Dad

  21. Rob,

    You use spurious arguments to plea for abolition of gun ownership.

    I would hope your arguments are at least well intentioned, but I have my doubts.

    Let's look at your arguments in a sane light. There are according to you 100,000 deaths which MIGHT be attributed to misuse of guns. And there are tens to hundreds of millions of gun owners. So the solution according to you and others is deprive multiple millions of decent law abiding citizens of a CONSTITUTIONALLY GUARANTEED right to save 100000 people per year?

    Want some better ideas? Make abortion illegal and save over 1 MILLION babies per year! Abortion is not a constitutionally guaranteed right!

    How about we make production of alcohol illegal and save hundreds of thousands per year? And btw…some (perhaps many) of those 100,000 gun deaths also involve alcohol use! Again not constitutionally guaranteed.

    While we are at it, let's make manufacture and use of tobacco illegal. Again hundreds of thousands to millions can be saved per year! Ditto not constitutionally guaranteed!

    Finally, while we are at it, if I WANT to kill you I can and would do it with a knife, baseball bat, car, or simply just beat you to a bloody pulp.

    Murder has been with us since the dawn of man.

    The bible details in the first book, Genisus, how Cain killed his brother. Don't say how he did it, but for darn sure he did NOT use a gun! It also details how David killed Goliath with a SLINGSHOT! And how the nation of Israel killed hundreds of thousands to millions of people in the promised land with swords!

    So let's get off it Rob. Murder is NOT the fault of the weapon of choice, nor will it be eliminated by abolishing the weapon. Nor is accidental death the fault of the instrument or circumstance of the accident. BOTH are people problems and will be with us as long as there are people.

    Wayne put it succinctly. Education would go a long way, but some people simply can't or won't be educated.

    The best solution? If you murder someone you are killed also. It's in the bible. Yes Rob, God is pro gun, pro weapon, and pro capital punishment!

    Read the bible and get with God's program Rob!

  22. BB,
    It is sad that the Mendoza peep hasn't been adjusted for more rifles yet. I've had one for over a year now and it is an excellent sight, just shoots a little high on most stuff.

  23. Fred,
    The model 60 rear sight just drifts out of the dovetail. There is a company called Techsights that makes a nice peep set for 60's and other rifle. If you go to that forum I recommended yesterday and search the Marlin Model 60 forum, there's quite a bit of information on sights.

  24. Rob,

    Very nice, I could not agree more. We should make ownership difficult for you, and only you, an average law abiding citizen so that when those “angry, drunk, high, uneducated people” show up at your door at 3:00 am you can share your vast knowledge and expertise with them. Leading by example is a brilliant way to get your point across.

    That said, I feel the need to share a couple tidbits with you. Most untrained people will shoot a handgun high and to the right, so drop down and to the left if you can. Lastly, if you wish to be taken seriously, avoid random capitalization of Letters and WORDS.

    Natural selection is a wonderful thing.

  25. Forgive me all, but while I very much enjoy most of the off-topic discussions on this blog, I believe that, just as with the unwritten rules of polite conversation around the dinner table, religion and politics should be taboo.

    -AlanL

  26. Nothing wrong with a healthy debate about gun ownership as long as everyone keeps a level head, sticks to the issue, remains polite and uses verified facts to bolster their position.

    Shouting and foot stomping are usually unsuccessful in helping me understand and respect a viewpoint.

    kevin

  27. Hi Kevin, numbers can become a diversion–so I'm very willing to go with yours as quoted for deaths. However, as to (non-death) injuries see: http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/nfirates2000.html Enter all intents, firearm, all dispositions and you'll quickly find 75,685 nonfatal injuries due to firearm gunshots (year 2000, stats have been kept and tossed different years for political reasons).

    My point is not the detail of the numbers, but the extremity of all acknowledged gun-violence related stats, the predictability of unintentional and violent assaults, and likelihood that violence is most likely to occur within ourselves, friends, and family. I also wrote again to explain after living among people who shoot rather frequently and randomly, I've concluded MORE precautions on gun possession is a better idea. While I might trust you on the range–or at your house (I'm sure I would), I do Not trust Joe-Smoe who might be drunk, high, and angry.
    rob

    Finally–just for the record–I do NOT support abolition of guns, but merely tight restrictions. My belief is that records, licenses, restrictions–and education (thanks Wayne!) will protect everyone here who uses guns thoughtfully.

    Also, I think the temper and rant of Anonymous (above somewhere) proves about half my point. Kevin–thanks for being a cordial person.

  28. Sorry, I gotta weigh in.
    I'm from Canada…lots of gun regs up here, many unreasonable.
    Personally, I wish there were a happy medium…freer gun ownership as in the U.S….but with mandatory licensing and classroom/range instuction as in Canada.
    But…why I hesitate to tell people I'm a gun owner is evident here. Rob presents, in a polite statement why HE feels more responsibilty should be place on owning guns. Plus he present facts, from what he (and many) consider to be reputable source, in a respectful way.
    And do people reply in like manner with their arguments.
    No…he's been ridiculed and heatedly vented at.
    And you wonder why the left can't be convinced about gun ownership…some comments here make me cringe.
    Shame.
    Kudos to b.b. for remaining calm.
    CowBoyStar Dad

  29. Volvo,

    Do you really believe that we would take Rob's points seriously if he did not capitalize random letters or words?

    Make it harder for the people who don't have a problem owning guns to have them while those who do have a problem have no constraints?

    Who would take that seriously?

    I tend to look at the content of the argument and not the punctuation, grammer, spelling, or bold letters, etc.

    As far as shouting and foot stomping go, people do it. And if we summarily dismiss their view points because of it then our communication skills leave much to be desired. In fact if we do that, our communication skills are much less than theirs, because at least they can verbalize theirs even if imperfectly.

    When we insist people follow our rules in order to communicate, all communication ends.

    And by the way this is pcp4me and as BB put it, this blog is in a ditz today.

  30. AlanL,

    You said;
    “An HW97K, huh? Hmmm… hadn't considered it. It doesn't have sights and it doesn't seem to pack much of a punch. So you must've recommended it for its quality and accuracy. Yes?

    Why does Pyramyd carry the HW97K as a Beeman branded rifle rather than Weihrauch? Is there any difference at all between the original German HW97K and the Beeman?”

    Yes, my recommendation was for the quality and accuracy.

    Beeman was an importer only, and back in the day about the only US source for the fine Weihrauch air rifles. The differences you notice between the two are mostly cosmetic, with the exception of power for some countries that require lower levels.
    Of the commonly available air rifle Weihrauch are the top tier, you only need to hold one to appreciate the quality in the details. Triggers, sights, end caps and so on are all of firearm quality. Air Arms has a similar reputation, but they are a one trick pony with the TX.

    If you stay with the sport, you will no doubt own a few; I was just trying to expedite the process. The RWS rifles are a nice mid level quality, so you are not doing too badly.

    Volvo

  31. Rob,

    It's important to keep some context in view when looking at large numbers from the CDC. This is also true when viewing data from any dataset. I have nothing against the CDC personally, but it's best to always remember the saying about "Lies, Damned lies, and Statistics".

    To illustrate. Using your criteria of "All Intents – Firearms" yields 75,685 incidents. As awful as that number is in isolation, it pales when compared to normal stuff such as dog bites (347,482), cuts (2,552,909), traffic (4,975,570), or falls (7,460,983). All of these numbers come from the link you posted above.

    I went through this exercise using the CDC numbers a few months ago to illustrate that the dangers of children accidentally hurting themselves or someone else with a firearm were a couple of orders of magnitude less than the dangers of children drowning in swimming pools. And yet, few people feel any inordinate fear of pools, but many feel irrational fear of firearms.

    It's not possible to ensure to keep everyone safe all of the time. And, I thank you for keeping your postings calm and level-headed.

  32. Ok–I'll give this one more try. I am Not against gun ownership (though there are lots of people I'd like to keep away from any serious weapon.) I've owned several guns since aged 10. I Sometimes capitalize words without Need. (It's probably annoying.) I do mean my comments respectfully and in the spirit of making our nation a healthier and more pleasurable place for us all. I love the forum here…and I believe (hope) there is room for someone who enjoys guns to have a position that is not endorsed by the NRA.

    Cowboystar Dad–thanks for Stand Up.
    rob

  33. To anyone who is disturbed by the sorta tangential discussion… don't worry, it'll blow over. But I could never understand how 'polite conversation' would need to exclude religion and politics. Sounds more like a recipe for DULL conversation rather than polite…

    ANYWAY – I've got something to report abou the Bronco and RM-200! They are almost the same. Differences are: lighter and shorter spring in the Bronco, no felt oil washer in the Bronco (but the pistons are interchangeable), and the way they secure the trigger/ rear of the spring are a bit different. Bore, stroke, screw spacing, cocking link, and overall barrel length are the same. Of course, the stock is different.

    A little while ago I tried converting an RM200 from the solid seal to a Maccarri small apex. For some unexplained reason velocity plummeted. I popped in a piston from a Bronco and it came back up. For some reason the gun does NOT like a parachute seal, or at least the way I did a parachute seal.

  34. PCPfor me,

    You said:

    ‘Do you really believe that we would take Rob's points seriously if he did not capitalize random letters or words?”

    No, but it would at least give it the appearance of a non rant from a troll. If you’re going to do anything you should do it well. Just like in face to face communication, if you remain calm people will at least listen no matter how ludicrous your statements.

    I try to offer help to all when possible.

    Honestly, I think we have given him enough attention.

    Volvo

  35. AlanL, I've tested the new Daisy 25 and am hoping to do a guest blog sometime pitting it against a red Ryder and my old 1894. But to give you a quick summary: I found that the Chinese gun is inferior.

  36. If the use of alcohol isn't constitutionally guaranteed, how do you explain the 18th amendment?

    Using alcohol, tobacco, and driving are all unenumerated rights covered by the 10th amendment. And all 3 kill or injure more people than guns.

    Nearly 5,000,000 people under the age of 34 are injured in car accidents, according to the CDC. Around 40,000 are killed outright. Clearly, we need more restrictions on buying and operating cars.

    'My point is that CAR ownership and use should be difficult. Easy use makes for easy mistakes (criminal, accidental, regrettable). Those of us who support CAR ownership should support the toughest restrictions. In the name of safety and our families, we Don't want every Tom, Dick, and Harry to have a CAR–even if one of those names are our own.'

    No? More than 50 times the number you believe killed or injured by guns, and 99.99% accidental.

  37. With regards to those who would like to see mandatory education before gun ownership – how do y'all feel about mandatory education before being permitted ANY of the constitutional rights? And would a policy like that stand up to constitutional scrutiny?

    We could cover it all with a course titled "The rights, duties, and philosophy of American Citizenship". It could be offered in schools or in a correspondence format for homeschoolers…

  38. " I live in the urban city–and I hear multiple gun shots just about every night."

    Why doesn't that make you want your own gun? Or have you been disarmed by urban gun-control laws?

  39. Vince,

    Thanks for the update on the modern Daisy 25. I sure hope the Marlin Cowboy (cheaper!) is better. It sure LOOKS better to me. (Sorry about the capitalization– only way to give emphasis on the blog, without the ability to italicize!)

    As for the polite roundtable discussion rules excluding politics and religion, said discourse should never be dull if the level of the conversation is high! Subtlety and double entendre are a must. Wish I had them.

    But it would seem that most of you disagree with me. The principal reason for the assiduous avoidance of these topics around the genteel dinner table is precisely to prevent the flaring of tempers that'll lead to the sudden plunging of one conversant's steak knife into the opposing party's chest!

    I guess the blog is okay, since the daggers must all be virtual…

    -AlanL

  40. pcp4me,

    I didn't say and don't "summarily dismiss view points" because of shouting and footstomping. What I did say was "Shouting and foot stomping are usually unsuccessful in helping me understand and respect a viewpoint."

    I don't "insist people follow our rules in order to communicate".

    Nonetheless, I think clear communication is critical in any debate and effective communication doesn't require foot stomping and shouting. Happens often though and from my standpoint it doesn't often add strength but rather dilutes the persons credibility and then their viewpoint.

    I enjoy visiting this blog because of the varying viewpoints, unselfish willingness to help each other and level headed temperament that's usually shown while doing so.

    Those that aren't civil are quickly dealt with and that keeps me coming back.

    Too many other forums are allowed to deteriorate into a "dogfight" that includes shouting, fist pounding, name calling and even questioning a persons lineage. Doesn't appeal to me.

    I don't think it will ever happen here.

    kevin

  41. To All

    Posted with permission, a copy and paste from my friend Nigel's email who lives in the UK. I had directed him to this blog and he is enjoying it and responded as below;

    Brian in Idaho

    Brian,
    I did check out the Pyramid Air Blog as you suggested… it’s a brilliant bit of work that.
    You chaps in the States are far luckier than we are on several counts.
    1) We are limited to sub 12 ft lbs. energy at the muzzle on air rifles without an FAC or firearms permit (which is nigh impossible to obtain within one’s life expectancy), whereas you fellas start at 11 ft lbs and go to modifying till you have wrung every last fps out of the gun. Lucky that.
    2) You can blog to your hearts’ content (or rant even) about your gun rights without fear of recrimination or even investigation by our so-named “Domestic Terror Watch” branch of MOD
    3) As for your western states, you can trek about openly on the government lands and shoot as much and with as many weapons as you like (my next vacation spot I do hope)
    And that’s but 3 of the great fortunes you all have in the States. Do all you can to preserve your rights mate… you do not want to de-evolve into the bloody mess that has become the UK.
    Feel free to pass along Cheers to all of your mates on the blog, they seem like a lively bunch.
    Nigel

  42. When sighting in a scoped air gun, is it necessary that the targets be at the same level as the gun? i.e. does having a target uphill or downhill affect the outcome and accuracy of the shot? And, does each target progressed out from 10 feet to 20 meters also need to be set at the same level? Thanks

  43. B.B.

    If you can't get the Mendoza sight to work, I feel vindicated. I hope that you speak to Mendoza. It's a good sight, and if they were willing to help you design something like the Bronco, they should be able to come up with a good fix here. I'm still in awe of you getting the Beeman aperture sight to work. The two times that I tried were failures.

    Slinging Lead, I was not disagreeing with you on any matter of substance. I saw myself more as appreciating with you the rich history of the country. And you're right that it is indeed more complicated than I made out. I had not even thought about the Magna Charta. But in addition to classical republicanism, there was also Christianity as well as liberal humanism from the Scottish philosophers which asserted individual rights (like gun ownership) as part of the self-development and enjoyment that everyone was entitled to. Classical republicanism is just one strand.

    As for the republican party, there are some things I like very much, and some things I don't like at all which is true of the Left as well. My beliefs, which are not very systematic, probably don't correspond to any particular party. I'm with you and Walt Whitman and even George Washington who were down on institutionalized political parties. I'm reminded also of a family friend, an African-American, who spent his career as a federal nurse, some of it in prisons. When he had a disagreement with an inmate, the inmate said, "You hate me because I'm white" to which our friend replied: "No, I hate all of you whatever your color." That captures some of my reaction to party machinations.

    Glad you like the film Glory! Wonderful film. I can't resist quoting a favorite passage. Denzel Washington is totally cynical after the racism he has been subject to and is down on everyone. Morgan Freeman replies somewhat like: "Don't you dare call anyone a n—. That's you if it's anyone and if you don't watch out that's all you're ever going to be." That's why I love this country.

    I don't believe that the Garand is based on the Mauser; otherwise it would not have taken decades to invent. I have read that the Garand was largely the model for the fabled AK-47. I've heard that the AK-47 copies the trigger and "raceway" whatever that means, and I've also heard that the action is similar except that the piston rod is above rather than below the barrel. The Garand also lives on in the M14 and its modifications that are being resurrected and even the piston-driven AR's. The LWRC version is apparently based on the "short-stroke" piston used by both the M14 and M1 carbine, both of which are Garand derivates. The M1 is the iconic weapon of the 20th century as far as I'm concerned.

    Rob, I appreciate you taking your stand in a polite way. Maybe it would be useful to think of "restrictions" on guns in terms of education rather than arbitrary laws. Perhaps it was B.B. who mentioned that Germany requires a lot of coursework and testing to get a hunting license. Maybe there could be a testing system that would let those with a basic knowledge and a legitimate purpose through easily while those who were not serious were stopped until they got a clue. But the devil is in the details about what sort of education and states rights. It's not an easy question.

    pcsashooter, might I suggest 5 yard shooting through a cardboard box with courses of fire that include point shooting? 🙂 It's great fun.

    Matt61

  44. I will apologize for the picture quality….my back was acting up,and I still need to get a tripod.I believe I included about 100 interesting things in a few photos!Matt61,you should definitely look,there is some eye candy for you…..

  45. OK, Now I want to comment on gun control. I did a google search on "cdc gun" then selected "cdc gun statistics" from the list and got the following shocking statistics:

    "Speed, ease of use, and ready availability have made pneumatic nail guns a common work tool in settings such as residential construction and wood-product fabrication. In 2005, approximately 28,000 (98%) of 28,600 workers injured by nail guns were men. Injured workers had a median age of 27 years.

    Approximately 4% of nail-gun injuries among workers resulted in fractured bones. Injuries to upper extremities, primarily hands and fingers, accounted for 66% of all worker nail-gun injuries. Lower extremities also were injured frequently, accounting for 24% of worker injuries."

    So, I agree we need some kind of gun control. Preferably the kind that involves the brain.

    -Chuck

  46. Level targets,

    If you sight in a gun, scoped or otherwise, it's best to use targets that are the same plane as your gun to the extent possible. It's not necessary by any means, but it greatly simplifies your elevation adjustments down the road when shooting at targets either uphill or downhill from your gun. And there will be elevation adjustments if you shoot uphill or downhill. Again, not necessary, but it does take some of the math out of the equation.

    Any gun will tend to shoot high as you change the inclination of the barrel to aim at targets either above or below the inclination you used to sight it in. Squirrel and bird hunters deal with this on most every shot up into the trees.

    Programs like chairgun will help you to determine the exact amount of hold-under necessary as you shoot higher and higher (or lower and lower). It changes with the angle of inclination (or declination) as well as the muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient of the pellet used.

    Hope this helps.

  47. Jake,

    Pyramyd Air's tech support just confirmed that the images of the Benjamin pump do not look like the pump Crosman is now shipping & that Pyramyd AIR now stocks. Thanks for the info. We'll get new images up asap.

    Edith

  48. Vince,

    Robert Heinlein, a sci fi author (Starship Troopers) and ex-military, believed that citizenship should be conferred only after a term of government service. You see that theme in Starship Troopers.

    That doesn't mean military service, either. Government service can be anything that fits with the person's beliefs. It's an interesting concept.

    B.B.

    B.B.

  49. Frank B,
    Incredible collection! You have a better collection than most museums I've been to. Are these items ones you have found yourself? I have heard of people who like to hunt those. Can't wait to see what you turn that piece of driftwood into 🙂

    -Chuck

  50. AlanL

    I have had and HW77K and currently have an HW97K, both .177.

    As pointed out earlier, the quality and workmanship are some of the best in the world.

    The 97K out performs the 77K in both power and smoothness and that's quite a statement given the Weihrauch gun quality. Neither rifle was very hold sensitive and the 97K chrony's at approx 870fps with RWS Superdomes.

    Last, the factory fitted "expansion chamber" at the muzzle is also a silencer in the U.K. and other parts of Europe. Over here, it is purely cosmetic although… the end does screw off and… if one were so inclined…one could think of some clever lining for that chamber oh say… a small hair curler wrapped in cotton that could maybe, possibly absorb some of the sound or blast noise from the shot… But, this is all hypothetical and would not be the way anyone in the U.S. would approach the potential of this device.

    Brian in Idaho

  51. Brian,

    I am becoming more and more tempted… What scope do you have on it?

    Is accuracy/behavior affected if you unscrew the end and leave it off? This would make it look like shorty carbine I would imagine.

    -AlanL

  52. BB, part of me really likes the idea of earning citizenship. After all, things that are earned are usually valued more than things that are gifted.

    But there's a down side to that. In the movie version (don't remember if it was this way in the book) one had to be a citizen to have children, for example. So it seems we'd need a clear – and acceptable – delineation of what the rights of the citizen vs. the non-citizen are. I'd have no trouble keeping guns or votes from non-citizens. But there are other rights that should not be denied any human being.

    And we'd need iron-clad safeguards to prevent the government using citizenship requirements to foster a political agenda. So maybe it's not such a good idea after all.

  53. AlanL

    The 97K is already carbine length.

    The chamber is non re-moveable as it also holds on the under-lever retaining catch, only the end cap of the chamber comes off, and it is threaded for the UK silencers to screw directly on it if desired… in the UK only of course… as we know… we would never attempt in the U.S. and your mileage may vary, past income is not a guarantee of future earnings FDIC insured… see label for side effects… maybe

    Brian in Idaho

  54. FrankB,

    Very cool. As kids we would often scour the wilderness for arrowheads, but I can’t recall finding any. We also put coins on the train tracks, and all went unfound but one. My brother being older became the caretaker of that crushed penny.
    Our entertainment was certainly low tech but very enjoyable, and all our adventures include airguns or .22’s at our side.

    volvo

  55. AlanL,

    He HW 77 & 97 are legendary guns with great finish. Since you mentioned the heft of your 54 have you looked at the weight specs on these two Weihrauch's?

    Since you seem to subscribe to the One New Airgun Per Week philosophy…have you considered that gun with the walnut stock, impeccable checkering, adjustable butt pad, legendary out of the box accuracy and has an infinite range of pellet velocity adjustment from around 560fps to over 1,000fps, weighs in at 6 lbs., and is a multi shot?

    /product/air-arms-s410-sidelever-thumbhole?m=1409

    Just trying to help. 😉

    kevin

  56. Urban gunshots,

    That was my experience in the People's Republik of Maryland. My next-door neighbor once unloaded two magazines of .308 rounds in the air towards a housing development while on a drunken spree. 47 cases were found in his front yard when SWAT arrived a half-hour later. They needn't have worried because I was covering the guy from my bedroom window with a rifle the whole time we waited. Had he swung that muzzle in our direction I would probably not be writing this blog today.

    An acquaintance of his once swallowed a 12-gauge shotgun outside our bedroom window one evening during dinner. Druggie on a high lamenting over his unfaithful wife or girlfriend who was trying to escape him, which she did when he pulled the trigger.

    This neighbor later died drunk on his couch and the property value shot up by 40 percent on our street inside two months.

    This all happened on the outskirts of Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that prides itself in the respectability of its many villages. "It takes a village…" you know.

    So Edith, a city-raised girl who wasn't hot or cold about firearms when I married her, turned into a gun-toting life member of the NRA. She learned how to shoot and we had loaded weapons in every room of the house–something I let my neighbor know very often.

    Then we moved to Texas, a state that still seems like paradise by comparison. And we both got our concealed carry licenses and we both carry everywhere it's legal.

    In terms of harm done to us, Texas is no better than Maryland, but I do note that all of our younger neighbors seem to consult with us whenever something bad happens to them. I occasionally patrol the outside of my house in the wee hours, because there are people who don't know our reputation yet. You may imagine my state of preparedness while doing this.

    The point is, freedom isn't free. Sometimes you have to take action on your own to preserve the domestic tranquility.

    B.B.

  57. Brian,

    When's that next Concorde to London again? Aw shucks, that's right, it doesn't fly any more. Ah well, there's always eBay… 🙂

    Pyramyd says 9.2 lbs for the 97K. That's surprisingly heavy for a carbine length gun. Is that right?

    What scope? Rings direct to the tube or a mount?

    -AlanL
    PS: Kevin, just saw your post when I refreshed the preview. Indeed the weight was the first thing that caught my eye. Ah yes, the ever present S-410 lurking in the background. Too bad the scuba tank weighs more than 6 pounds…

  58. Kevin,

    We all know the answer to AlanL desire for power, light weight, and low noise, but he will appreciate so much more once he has bit more experience under his belt. Seems I can recall a similar fellow not much more than a year ago?

    By the way, have you read about the new FX smooth twist barrels?

    Volvo

  59. AlanL,That drill actually is heavily worked over 95% of the stone surface.The spot that looks like a break appears under high magnification[Hund Wetzlar stereo microscope]to be the last vestige of unworked stone.Perhaps it was made so that what we would call the pointed end is actually the handle…….I honestly don't know.I have some recently acquired pieces not mounted.One apears to be a game piece!It is a perfect 3 point star,smooth,about 1 cm thick.It is about the size of a nickel.Another is an axe,presumably a hand axe which is unbroken….I love to handle and ponder these pieces!!!

  60. Volvo,

    PCP4me here.

    I have to respectfully disagree with this statement:

    "Just like in face to face communication, if you remain calm people will at least listen no matter how ludicrous your statements."

    No, I will not listen to ludicrous statements. Even if the person is polite. They tend to raise my blood pressure. Which I suspect is what happened with the anon reply to Rob.

    I think most other people will not listen to ludicrous statements either.

    But if someone is angry and loud they usually tend to draw a crowd who do listen to what they say. They say it is the squeaky wheel that gets oiled.

    I am not advocating angry and loud. My point is that we should not dismiss what some one says simply because they are angry or loud. Nor listen to drivel just because the person is polite.

    Rob was way off topic. His post was probably intended to create controversy.

    It would have been best if his post as well as the anon reply and some of the other posts about the topic had been screened and deleted without publishing. Oh but wait, if his post had not been allowed then none of the others would be there.

    I am not if favor of censorship, but Rob was trying to create controversy by posting an off topic comment like that on a forum where he knows there are avid gun owners who hate the thought of any more restrictions on gun ownership.

    I am really surprised he did not get flamed with hate mail.

    As for the Vulcan chick on Star Trek? Can we really get this forum back to air gun subjects which is why I read it?

  61. Brian

    You need to leave your cover right now. The men in black are already on their way. Your posts have been intercepted.

    Side note: Have you been to Sun Valley?

  62. AlanL

    No kidding… I actually worked on the Concorde restoration (exterior) up at Boeing Field in WA. What a beast!

    Yes, the HW's are a heavy beast but… that's part of the shooting behavior that is so pleasing. These rifles do not demand the extreme hold manipulation of so many of the springers out there. My 97 is supremely accurate, far more so than the shooter (me).

    My scope is a Bushnell 3-16 X 32mm objective with Beeman medium height mounts. Gun on the bath scale is just under 10 lbs with scope and rings. Rings are mounted to the integral 11mm dovetail on the rear of the receiver tube.

    I emailed Mr. Weihrauch several times about the HW guns and he always responds and seems a great fellow. He authenticated my serial number as one of the "later variants" that were destined for the US with the higher velocity ratings. (not a Euro powered sub 12ft lbs gun)

    These rifles are not all day plinkers if you are shooting off hand and unsupported but.. the satisfaction and pride of ownership is very gratifying, as are the .375" hole-to-hole groups at 20 meters!

    Also, I can say that I have shot the gun with the screws loose (after cleaning and lubing) and was shocked that I was still plowing pellets into a .50" hole and only realized the screws were loose due to some unusual vibration.

    I had an RWS 52 years ago and after it "killed" a scope and shook my fillings loose, I sold it. The HW97K may way as much or more than the 52, but it is supremely superior… in my humble opinion.

    It's also very quite after folks in the UK … not here of course… convert the expansion chamber into a silencer… over there… in the UK… not here.. of course

    Brian in Idaho

  63. AlanL,

    Yes, scuba tanks are heavy but carbon fiber is lighter and will give you more fills. Since the S410 rifle will give you 80 shots on mid power you don't need a scuba tank or a carbon fiber tank for quite awhile.

    Maybe the S410 in week 12 of your collecting?

    kevin

  64. Volvo,

    Yes I have heard about the new smooth twist FX barrel. It's been swaged from the outside near the muzzle, so it's smoothbore most of the way with a short rifled section toward the end. Definitely cheaper to produce!

    B.B.

  65. Volvo,

    Yes, it was about 6 weeks after your first pcp purchase with all the bling you did a guest blog on that I tried the pcp dimension of airgunning. Thanks a lot.

    All the discussion about the smooth twist fx barrels is interesting. Old technology with a new patent for creating. I'm intrigued by the accuracy reports but it's still too early in my book.

    Even with (especially with?) firearms the latest is the greatest if you are amongst the first to own it (whatever "it" is). Definition of hype?

    I'm also reminded of the newest/best golf clubs that come out every season. Each year they hit longer and straighter. Sometimes they do in some golfers hands but it's usually because they take them to the range and practice more with their new clubs than they did with their old ones.

    I hope the new smooth twist sells airguns and gets even more people into this hobby. It seems that we already have barrels like lothar walther that have potential accuracy that will be left untapped by 98% of the shooters.

    kevin

  66. AlanL,

    Check out this gallery of work. You will find 80% of rifles HWBeeman, then Air Arms, a few Webley’s and RWS’s. Generally if people are going to invest into a custom or semi-custom rifle they want to start with a quality piece worthy of the additional investment.

    The weight of the HW97K adds to its ability to not be hold sensitive. Combine that with the short fixed barrel and famous trigger and it’s hard to miss. If I ever needed to make a single shot with a Springer for a large sum of cash this would be my rifle of choice.

    It was also that accurate out of the box, however Paul was able to ad 140 feet per second to the velocity.

    http://www.springgunning.com/Gallery.html
    Volvo

  67. Slinging Lead, I don't use a spring compressor on anything, including RWS350's, 48's, and an MP513 (THAT was a hoot to reassemble!). I set the rear of the action a sturdy wood surface, point the muzzle up, hug it close to my body and push down. Never had one I couldn't do, and no major disasters. Although trying to install an unset Maccarri spring into a 94 was the closest I came to meeting my match.

    I became something of a pariah on one of the forums partly because I described how I do it. Local forum god didn't like that one bit, thought I was putting peoples' lives in jeopardy. So use this info at your own risk!

    BTW – the Mendoza's have a lot more preload than one would expect for a gun of moderate power. The RM200 had about 3.6", the Bronco about 2.9". So if you take a crack at it, be prepared…

  68. AlanL

    Volvo is correct again…HOW could I forget about the (real) 2-stage Rekord Trigger unit! That trigger is responsible for at least 50% of the accuracy potential of the 97K! I have adjusted it down to less than 1 pound 2nd stage pull but.. it is at 2.1 lbs for practical use/safety.

    Slinging Lead

    I have already moved to my secret underground lair in Couer D' Alene, Idaho…oops not so secret now! Yes, have been to Sun Valley and Bruce & Demi world down in Kecthum ID etc. Nice country over there.

    Brian in Idaho

  69. AlanL,

    If you spend more than 10 minutes on that site you're doomed. Resistance to fine spring guns will be futile. Once you shoot one of Pauls tuned guns you'll be hooked.

    Volvo,

    Wasn't it that full house hw 97 that just sold a couple months ago?

    kevin

  70. Uphill/downhill,

    A quick rule of thumb is the distance to the target is the same as if you were shooting on the level. For example a squirrel in a tall tree may be 40 yards from your muzzle, but if the base of the tree under him is 10 yards away, hold as though you were only shooting ten yards.

    This is most easily understood when the shot it straight up or straight down.

    B.B.

  71. Hi yall
    How about this,instead of restricting
    weapons that law abiding people can get we just make every individual responsible for his or her own actions?You know the way it should be! Since criminals will always ignore the law until it can benefit them by protecting them from reprisal for their actions.criminals will always have weapons and restrictive laws
    only make life more difficult for the
    folks who follow the law.This nanny state mentality is getting way out of
    control.Stop protecting criminals,stop
    trying to live other peoples lives for
    them,stop trying to ban everything that
    some idiot misuses and let natural
    selection run it's course.

    This isn't aimed at anyone in particular
    here,Just another rant from:

    JTinAL
    yall have a good day now,ya here?

  72. BB–

    Sorry for bringing a ruckus to your blog. I was carrying on a blog conversation which I had missed (until late night) from the previous couple of days. I didn't realize my POV's would stir such controversy or be rejected outright. In any case, my future reading/writing will be as it has been in the past–around the love of airguns.
    rob

  73. Bg Farmer,
    I didn’t get the e-mail, so I will check my spam folder. However, it could take awhile as I am always side tracked by the ads for the little blue pills.

    Kevin,
    Yes you were a much quicker student then myself, I was twang only for decades.

    B.B.,
    I am not familiar with the technology, but would love to see a head to head comparison of the new vs. old barrels. If the previous rifles out shoot the new ones it will endear my Cyclone to me even more. If not, well out with the old and in with the new.

  74. Volvo,

    You know what a weak, easy sell I am! Shame on you for taking such cruel advantage of me… oh gawd, HW 97K here I come… and pcp world stay away… no! NO!!

    OK, back to reality– off to school now to pick up the kids.

    -AlanL

  75. BB–
    Haha, made me smile. Love the blog…and you are right–I've rarely seen it devolve into anything mean. I'm sure it's your tending the garden that's helped.

    Can't wait for your Benjamin Trail NP review (the lighter, cheaper hardwood please). I'm praying for 900 fps and I can't hear it across the room–and aren't there gold nuggets implanted in the stock???
    rob

  76. Howdy Folks!

    Pretty clear that we all (almost) are gun-lovers and gun-toters. Yee-ha for all of us. God Bless the USA.

    Now, hows about we get started back on topics of Airguns again? Nothing controversial or that will get people wound-up mind you…

    I'll start…. The Marksman 1010 BB pistol is the finest, most accurate BB pistol ever made!

    Let the blogging begin!

    Brian in Idaho

  77. BRIAN! A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART!!!

    You're right about the 1010, except for the 'finest' part. And the 'accurate' part.

    BUT NOT NECESSARILY!!!

    We'll see if BB approves the guest blog on the 1010 that I did. If he does, you might find that your remark isn't as sarcastic as you undoubtedly meant it…

  78. Rob

    Your views here are as welcome as anyone elses. You were not rejected outright. If you pose a viewpoint here, just be prepared to defend it, with both fists. No one is shy here and hold no quarter, especially when It comes to having our rights limited. You may think the government has nothing but the right intentions in this regard. Me and some others are not so sure.

    I hope this thing didn't put a bad taste in your mouth. I may fervently disagree with some of your positions, however a heated but respectful discussion of important issues often helps people to think in directions they otherwise wouldn't. This is always good.

    I look forward to any discussion you wish to address, especially about airguns.

    The key for these discussions is to agree to disagree without writing or implying that someone is stupid, is a robot, is taking talking points/marching orders/approved arguments from such and such a source. Including the NRA. I, and I think most here, are fiercely independent people. We have our own opinions just as you do. Respect is reciprocal.

    Hope to see you around, Rob. Your opinion is valued.

  79. B.B.

    You got me on that one. I have no idea how to evaluate and compare a Mustang to the old number 11 dinner on Chi-Chi’s menu.

    Slinging Lead,

    I knew my new contacts would help. My sketch of your likeness is becoming clearer with every clue.

    Derrick38,
    Where are you?

  80. Hey Slinging Lead,
    I do appreciate the encouragement, but my last (unfisted) defense didn't make it to the board. Though I'm sure you and I would find a lot of common ground over a cold one–or at the shooting range, the issue is a hot button. And I don't want to be the one to ramp tempers or change the nature of the blog (it's BB's baby). There's probably a temperate place to discuss gun policy online, but I don't know where it is. What is with the internet? Let me know if you find it! LOL
    rob

  81. Volvo

    If what you meant was stacking pellets, the TX200 is indeed a one-trick pony. They just won't do anything else. Stupid ponies. Also I am notoriously shallow for a superhero, so the absolutely drop dead gorgeous stock really appeals to me. And it fits my chiseled mug like a glove. I have heard the HW is OK, if you are into that kind of thing.(cringe)

  82. Rob,

    "my last (unfisted) defense didn't make it to the board"

    What happened?

    I know that blogger has been burping a good bit today as some of my replies wouldn't show up for 10 or 15 minutes. In fact, Chuck commented that he was having some problems at 1:19 PM.

  83. I had a comment disappear, too. Odd stuff. Blogger is really messed up in other ways. At this point, I'm just glad it's still functioning for the posts!

    Edith

  84. Hey Bobby (BB?),

    Maybe I misinterpreted a digital glitch for censoring. I said something (cogent I'm sure!) about us all preserving our rights by understanding the wariness of gun haters…that we should reach out to them. As folks (I include myself) who like guns, we should act as ambassadors to those who don't have direct experience. Rather than being angry with each other over policy disagreements, we should be a 'big tent' and work toward agreement. Anger never helps.

    Anyway, the comment never made it to the board…I figured because BB (maybe–it's up to him) rightfully pulled it and ended the conversation. I'll post this, and BB can pull it if he chooses, or maybe my last comment just got lost in cyberspace. We'll see.
    rob

  85. Volvo,
    I'm around. I keep typing sentences then deleting them. So, I must not have anything worthwhile to say. Except the HW97K is an exceedingly fine rifle. Especially in .20 cal.

  86. Vince,you mean you made a 1010 shoot accurate?You are a wizard!The only way I got any accuracy out of a Marksman 1010 was to throw it carefully!Can't wait for your post. Frank B

  87. Guys:

    I love reading all this debate about constitutional rights stuff, but, as a scientist, we all need to get our facts straight first. This are some excerpts directly from the CDC:

    "The CDC estimated 52,447 deliberate and 23,237 accidental non-fatal gunshot injuries"

    These were ESTIMATES of NON-fatal injuries, and the figures are already 5 years old;

    "Center for Disease Control, latest figures (2005) show 30,694 firearm deaths (all races, all ages, both sexes) in the United States". (and this INCLUDES shootings of criminals by police)

    So, those are more correct versions of the "facts". In relative terms, 15,000 people die every year simply by falling, 44,000 die in automobiles, 121,000 die from other accidental injuries.

    Whatever argument you wish to make about firearms, citing deaths may not be relevant. It is not in the "top 10" list of things we die from, in a population of 300,000,000, with 2,5000,000 deaths each year, it is barely better than background noise, and I wonder if it should even be a factor in our decision-making…..

    regards,

    Jane Hansen

  88. Slinging Lead,

    Since imitation is the most sincere from flattery, I do appreciate the TX200. Like the Chinese have copied numerous HW rifles, the TX200 is the result of the same process.

    Personally I prefer the original in most cases, but I harbor no ill will against those that desire imitation crab over the real thing either. I even recall being excited by my first glass of Tang.
    As far as checkering, I had an older model that was simply adorned with cut checkering on the pistol grip, but can understand how huge fish scale stamping can have its appeal.

    Derrick38,
    Tried to visit the airgun store twice this week, but it was closed. Is all well?

    Volvo
    WV was lap dance

  89. Derrick38,
    Forgot, I know of a NOS Beeman HW97K in .20 cal for $506.00 if you are looking.

    Jane,
    Nicely said.
    Twotalon,

    You win most self control and helpfulness by adding humor earlier. I tip my hat to you.

    Volvo

  90. Volvo….
    Thank you.
    I think everyone else deserves more credit than I do. Most were probably getting pretty tired of political discussion and were about ready to just drop it and watch TV.

    I had thought about posing a question about how to best retrieve road kill for the kitchen table…snow shovel, pitchfork, bare handed, or squeegee.
    Had thoughts about asking the best way to cook a possum …guts in, guts out, hair still on, hair off, BBQ grill, oven, or microwave…and how to tell if it's done.
    Seemed like a different kind of topic was in order.
    The subject I chose got one agreement, but no disagreements. Of course some of the crowd may have had their wives looking over their shoulder (Tom).

    twotalon

  91. Volvo,
    All is going as best as expected. It's simply slow going for my 80+ yr old friend.
    I'm absolutely besieged with work at the bike shop–apparently, the sun came out. Have you seen it? Didn't we have 15 inches of snow on the ground less than a month ago?

  92. Volvo, sorry–forgot to mention, I've got a 97K right now so grab that NOS one for yourself. I've owned a HW77 and a TX200. Like yours, my TX was also checkered. I don't care for the fish scales on the newer guns so I bought a Pro Sport instead. It's very accurate, but awkward to cock.

  93. Two talon,

    Just trying to refresh what's left of my memory … were you once upon a time know as CFXguy?

    Regarding roadkill pickup, I prefer super wide spatulas, or steel dustpans. Maybe that angled, sharpened, shovel shield …

    jh

  94. Well damn weather here in SWGA, wasn't able to go test my new supply of rws hypers or crosman premier pointed (both in .22). Had thunderstorms, hail, rain and strong winds all day. Wanted to go shoot anyway but figured that would be a waste of pellets, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

  95. Sorry if this misses posts after noon today but I couldn't stand to read anymore.

    Yes this is an open, usually, polite forum and it's wide range of topics is very attractive. Once a post starts a topic that uses half the comments space and is not related to ANY (sorry for the upper case) kind of airgun topic I give in.

    If I want to read a blog about gun control I'll do so. I, as I am sure many of the readers here, have a limited amount of time for recreational reading. That's why I stopped reading comments today.

    Give it a rest!

    Al Pellet

  96. Al Pellet,
    I agree with you, even though I was one of which started all the uprest several days ago. I apologized and felt we should just end that discussion on this blog, but others I guess didn't think so. In the future I will keep my opinions on this matter to myself or for another blog elsewhere so we can remain peaceful and discuss airguns here.

  97. My,what a lively discussion group!

    Shot both my springers today (RS-2 and TX). The new Tasco scope on the RS-2 got better results than the Crosman for the first time. I was shooting at 25yds. It was a great day here in SW New Mexico.

    Interesting point brought up by Rob.
    It reminds me of a thread I started on the Airgun Arena that didn't get much response (maybe it didn't deserve one).
    My point there was that gun (read: firearm)ownership is guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. It is something we are born with here. It is not granted to us by the Constitution; it is guaranteed by it.

    So, gun ownership is a right of citizenship. But, Federal Law sets the definitions for firearms. And, while Federal Law recognizes airguns as guns, it specifically excludes them as being categorized as firearms.

    Some cities go as far as banning airguns. Not just airgun use, but airgun ownership.
    Some states define airguns over an arbitrary velocity as being the same as firearms.

    This to me presents an interesting problem. Ownership of firearms is a Federally-protected right. (MacDonald vs. Chicago is being heard right now.)
    Airguns are not firearms. So, does it follow that airguns are not Constitutionally protected?

    For many years, one of the big selling points for airguns was that they are not firearms: laws that control firearms do not apply to airguns. Thus, airguns can be mailed, shot in areas where firearms are prohibited, purchased without background checks, etc.

    But without Federal protection, isn't airgun ownership more vulnerable to Government capriciousness than firearm ownership?

    Federal Law recognizes airguns to be guns. It also recognizes they are not firearms. So are they protected under the Second Amendment?

    It is my personal observation that an armed citizenry makes a country
    safer. Street crime has declined as a result of concealed carry. Armed muggers should be more afraid of an armed citizen than they are afraid of the police. A police officer may try to warn them before shooting. An armed citizen is much more likely to simply blow the crook away, especially if he is frightened by the encounter.

    I am not trying to keep things stirred up. Just putting forth an idea to think about.

    Les

    PS: WV: houtowl. As in "there's been a houtowl by my window now, six nights in a row."

  98. So it's safe to come back to the Blog? Thanks RikiB – I was wondering where that comment went to.

    Going to rain like the Flood tonight and tomorrow. I was planning a trip to Ambler, PA by motorcycle tomorrow but that's going to be postphoned. I'll just practice shooting with the RWS 52.

    Oh, why Ambler? Because it's home to the only museum for the 3 stooges!

    Fred PRoNJ

  99. Comment to Jane about the CDC.

    About ten years ago I was working on a train crew in rural Mississippi. While connecting airhoses ("making air") between two covered hopper cars, my conductor accidently inhaled and swallowed some pellets of ammonium nitrate that had fallen into an open air hose. He showed no immediate signs of distress, but was very worried that he may have poisoned himself.
    When we got back to the office that night, sometime around midnite, I called the CDC for advice. My call was answered with a recording that they were closed!!
    Fortunately, I was able to speak to someone at the local hospital who assured me he would be OK.

    Les

  100. I won't apologize for the part I played in defending our gun rights or for asking for verification of "facts/statistics" that are erroneous when used to justify additional gun regulation.

    You can disassociate/run for cover when these debates occur but until you are willing to stand up for the gun rights that our forefathers intended for this great Country to have then you must tolerate my passion to defend them.

    You can thank me later for preserving your rights that you take for granted and naively believe will continue to exist without your voice.

    If you don't feel that your airgun rights are in jeopardy you're living in neverland.

    In the event you don't feel comfortable defending your rights, voicing an opinion or outwardly making your position known, then please give generously to the NRA anonymously. Not only will they continue to be proactive in firearm education (for youth, young adults and adults) but they will automatically inform you about pending legislation locally and nationally that will affect your rights.

    Don't be deceived. We all know that Gun Control has become a buzz topic locally and nationally. If you buy into the premise that controlling guns will control violence you're buying into a mindset that the tool is to blame not the carpenter. It's the arrow not the indian is an illusion.

    Be careful. In my humble opinion we're at a critical crossroads as a Country and I want U.S. citizens to make informed decisions about any further gun regulations.

    kevin

  101. On the iron sights: Another possible source for hunting type reciever sights for airguns, might be the New England Custom Gun Co's rimfire receiver sights. They are 1/2"(12.7mm) high, and fit 3/8" grooved recievers. Fully adjustable and made of steel. They also make one that fits Weaver style scope bases. Maybe would work on the Benjamin Trail? Been thinking that this might work for guns like the Diana's with the flat rear rail, even though they are 11mm. It's expensive though, at around $100. They remind me of the old Redfield RF receiver sights which were alloy like the Williams but set lower.Those also fit a 3/8" grooved reciever, and ocassionally turn up at gun shows. I put the Mendoza on my Diana 34, but had to make a riser for it. I made the ramp so it would accept the factory globe front sight assembly. Took me a couple hours with files, but it turned out OK. BTW, I liked the Mendoza very much. Much better than the Williams which I find to be far less sturdy for a hunting/field sight. Robert

  102. Vince

    "Spring compressors? We doneed no stinging spring compressors!" Very impressive.

    Thank you for the info. I have no need to disassemble my Bronco. Emboldened by how easy the TX was I just thought I would give it a shot if it was easy, to sastisfy my own vague curiousity. I'm going to leave it alone, so it still works when I give it to my nephew. Perhaps BB could use your tuning experience as a guest blog for part 7 on the Bronco. That would make for some good reading.

    Keep on truckin'.

  103. Volvo

    Imitation crab? Aren't those the little white sponges that are painted red on one side? I thought so. This is the first time I have heard them compared to a TX200. Ouch. Flag on the play!

    I must admit, I do like the big ugly fish scales that are so crudely stamped into the stock that some find offputing. That notwithstanding, it is more the shape and fit of the stock that I like the best. Also the finish has a very rich glow. You must own some really fine pieces if you don't like the TX stock. I dont doubt that the HWs are among the best rifles out there.

    No one desires imitation crab to the real thing, unless they have spent the afternoon licking a steam iron. Even then, I think it would be a draw. Crab and lobster are both mere excuses for people to eat butter anyway.

    WV: nonsess

  104. SlingingLead,as long as the smack talkin' doesn't extend to crawfish [domestic] you are ok with me.Actually,Surimi is Alaskan Pollock and a pretty good filler in a California roll,but I cannot consider it anything like a fried softshell crab~ Frank B

  105. Matt61

    I shouldn't have stuck my neck out like that. I may as well have said "My Kenmore electric can-opener has a really good knife sharpener in the back of it"! That would make you roll your eyes and groan, wouldn't it?

    I knew some US service rifle was based on the Mauser. I poked around my tincan upstairs and came up with the Garand somehow. Alert reader Mike corrected me this morning (ok, yesterday morning) that it is the Springfield 1903 that is based on the Mauser. I think I knew that on some level, but …nevertheless.

    When I am sitting on the couch stroking my guns, and watching the Military channel, I guess I should pay closer attention to the programming.

    Since it will rain tomorrow, I might take the barrel out of the 61 and polish the breech with a Dremel tool. I've been wanting to send it to M Melick, but have needed to save money, seeing as how some dang fool around here has been spending all his income on airguns for the past few months.

    Do you have any hair left on your arms?

  106. Slinging Lead,

    I second your motion– Vince, do tell us about tuning the Bronco. I too want to turn my Bronco into a 1650 fps shooter with a 10 grain pellet!

    B.B., Vince, just do it– Part 7.

    -AlanL
    WV: exeso !

  107. AlanL,

    I got the ball out yesterday. The nipple came out easily and I was able to put about five grains of powder behind the ball, wjhich shot it out with vigor.

    The Weatherby Mark XXII is supposed to be a wonderful rifle. There will be German-made and Japanese-made versions, I suspect.

    B.B.

  108. Slinging Lead and Vince,

    I would welcome a detailed guest blog on tuning the Bronco by Vince. I'd like to see the inside myself.

    Part 7 will be a new peep sight I have just discovered. I appears our wishes have been answered. I will show this sight on Monday.

    B.B.

  109. B.B.
    Glad you got the ball out of your rifle. You do need to clean them as soon as possible…even with 777…the fouling draws moisture and will cause corrosion. Pyrodex is the same way.

    Will be waiting to see the new peep sight.

    twotalon

  110. rikib,
    We're good multi-taskers. We can discuss gun control issues or politics, and airguns at the same time.

    I don't think we're spouting politics, in my opinion. We each, on both sides of the debate, have a sense of what we think is right and in many cases we really think the same but some of us have more buts than others.

    Also, in my opinion, gun control position as being discussed on this blog is no more politics than mandating wearing seat belts, giving a ticket for speeding, or outlawing the burning of leaves. It's going to be a long weekend.

    Les,
    The way I read it, the wording says, "…the right to bear arms…". It doesn't stipulate whether those arms are arrow heads, swords, firearms, airguns or dead squirrels. So our harmless ole airguns are probably under scrutiny especially with the advent of the newer more powerful ones being produced today.

    Oh, and I would also like to mention that, in my opinion, any other opinions given anonymously are not to be taken seriously. They are probably just trying to cause trouble. Take 'em with a grain of salt.

    -Chuck

  111. Slinging Lead and BB… yes, I did a basic dismemberment of a Bronco that Wayne sent me for service. Found a muzzle burr, and decided to do a full-zoot rip-open. Nothing super fancy, and I took pictures so I can write it up. Haven't gotten around to it yet.

  112. Frank B

    Good morning Frank. I do love crawfish, or 'crawdads' as the hick kids called them with whom I used to hunt. Creepy- but tasty. As long as the flavor hasn't been ruined with that God-awful Old Bay Seasoning.

    The problem with them is that it takes so much work to get your fill, much like crab legs. Also, like barbecue spare ribs, afterward I have made such a mess that I need a shower. Wet Naps won't cut it.

    Hmm. now I'm hungry for some reason.

    Any new airguns in your quiver?

  113. Chuck and Kevin

    Didn't you hear? The blog police have demanded certain topics be dropped. I didn't get a good look at their credentials however, those badges might be fake.

    Whenever I am bored with a topic, I scroll through it. When a discussion or blogger has grown tiresome, I ignore it. When someone says something that I totally disagree with, or offends me personally, I cry into my pillow and kick and scream like a 7 year old girl. But I get over it after a couple of weeks. And it is their right to post whatever they darn well feel, as long as it is not disrespectful. Topics be damned. Those are the rules around here as I understand them.
    Its the reason I keep coming back and many, many others.

    Are we supposed to talk about the Beeman sight that BB butchered ALL weekend?;^)

  114. Desertdweller,

    Loved your post. Could you point me to the federal code that specifically declares airguns are not firearms? I've looked but haven't found it yet.

    I ask becuase the sate of Michigan firearm code delares everything other than .177 smoothbore BB guns to be firearms. If it is rifled or can shoot a pellet, it is a firearm and is treated as such from a sales and registration standpoint. In practice, all it means is that we can't buy pistols (defined as anything shorter than 30" overall length) without a permit and registering them with local police.

    There are no state regulations on the use of them, other that limitations on kids under 18 – of course municipal regs can be pretty much anything.

    I've always wanted to reconcile these two different laws in my head.

    Alan in MI

  115. Alan,

    In 1986 there was a bill called the Dole Act of 1986 that specifically prohibited any local, state or federal government from categorizing an airgun as a firearm. It was supposed to have been made into a law, but I have been unable to find it in recent years.

    B.B.

  116. Slinging Lead,

    You want a link? Google this exact phrase, exactly as written below:

    "15 USCA" +"Section 5001"

    It's known as the Dole Act. If you'd like to just read one informative link, click here.

    Evan Nappen is a lawyer in New Jersey, and he is, in my opinion, the shooter's hero. He fights for the rights of all shooters where we need it…in court. He's also working hard to make sure airguns are EXCLUDED from state and municipal regulations because they violate the federal statute. He's written several books about gun rights. Click here to take a look at his personal website and see the man who is working day & night to keep our gun rights…and with little fanfare.

    Edith

  117. Hey Chuck,
    Hate to burst you bubble but most recent medical reports suggests that we are really not that good at multi-tasking, women are though. The studies have shown that we do a lot of things fairly well, not great, and sometimes not fully completing any. I know that sounds like me, always a million things going but nothing seems to be getting done. But alas maybe it's only me.
    I don't know too much other than what I've already posted about gun laws and don't want to bring up that can of crap again. But I do know that when I lived within the city limits I could not use my airgun, but now that I am out in the county it is okay even though my city lot was plenty big enough that no one would get hurt. Don't know how they determine restrictions. Like our street being 45mph and the surrounding streets only 30-35mph. Oh well

  118. rikib,
    re: "Don't know how they determine restrictions."

    I don't remember the word for it now. I thought it was corporal punishment but the definitions I looked up don't fit what I remember. What I remember about it is that when one person commits an unapproved act but can't be identified an entire associated group is punished to make sure somebody is. The intent is to get some sort of idea across to the group.

    -Chuck

  119. Slinging Lead,

    On the eating of crawfish.

    It's actually pretty easy, and not messy at all, but you must use the proper technique.

    There are three simple steps involved in eating a boiled crawfish, one of which is optional. First, break them apart at the abdomen where the tail joins the body. Second, squeeze the very end of the tail between thumb and forefinger while simultaneously sucking on the open end of the tail. If you do this right, then the meat will jump into your mouth. Last, to get the real experience, suck on the open end of the body and get the tasty bits along with the meat. The last step, by the way, is the optional one. Some folks just don't like yellow food no matter how tasty.

    Simple, quick, and efficient. Shrimp, on the other, shrimp are messy.

  120. Edith

    I think you meant that post for Alan in MI, but I appreciate the link just the same. I love to hear about people like this. Mr. Nappan is a guardian angel. I have added him to my list of fellow do gooders.

    There is a lawyer/cycling advocate here in atlanta that represents bicyclists who have been hurt, often crippled by careless motorists. I think his name is Doug Wilde. The courts almost always stick it to these people otherwise, because they usually have little money in comparison to the Hummer driver who ran them off the road.

    One day you will have to tell me how to embed those hyperlinks.

    Chuck

    Corporal punishment. Isn't that what they used to call Tom in the Army?

  121. CJr,
    Sounds about right! As far as what they seem do do around here. Can you believe our car insurance went up 2 1/2 years after my wife had a accident. They said the police just changed the report to read two separate accidents instead of one. Yet they were nowhere around. Go figure?

  122. Slinging Lead,

    I will have to admit I was a tad harsh in my TX200 comparison; imitation crab is really not that bad. You are correct about the butter, soak a pine cone in butter and I’d have seconds as long as it was boiled in beer with Old Bay first.

    I seem to recall a catchy jingle for Coke from the ’70, but don’t remember all the words. I believe it had something to do with the real thing?

    But in all fairness, both the TX200 and the HW97K have an equally large following. If you need to confirm this, just ask on the yellow forum which one you should buy. Also the TX does have the advantage of feeling tuned out of the box, so it is certainly the best choice for the slacker generation.

    Volvo

    (I think FrankB should be our judge)

  123. Bobby Nations,
    Your post was one of those single most defining moments in my life. I have always passed up crayfish on the menu because I never knew how to eat them and have been too proud to ask the waitress, and I have always wondered if it was safe to eat the stuff in the body. This has probably been the best advice I've gotten on this blog, second to BB's advice on the Marauder 🙂 Well, maybe there were some others in between but right now eating crayfish, crawfish, crawdads (used here in Illinois) is now high on my air rifle list.

    -Chuck

  124. FrankB,

    Softshell crab!!!

    Love'em in a sandwich with lettuce and spicy aoili but my favorite way is vietnamese.

    Ever eat softshell vietnamese style wrapped in lettuce with fresh bean sprouts and fresh cilantro leaves then dipped in fish sauce with red pepper flakes?

    kevin

  125. Oooo

    Volvo, my old arch nemesis. You think you can hatch your evil scheme by attacking me where you think I am vulnerable? Ha! Think again.

    Old Bay? Restaurants use it. To hide the smell of rotting fish.

    There is actually a good ole boy that lives down the street from me who has an HW97. He said it makes a decent oar for his bass boat when the trolling-motor craps out. He mostly just throws the rifle at the prey –if the slingshot is broken.

    Keep selling the sizzle, Volvo. I am eating the steak.

    As for being a slacker, just because I wondered what it would cost to hire someone to remove the crab meat from my King Crab legs, and separate the meat from several thousand boiled crawfish for me, should I strike it rich, does NOT make ME a SLACKER.

    I threw in some random capitalization just to chap your hide. Take that.

    Till me meet again Volvo…

  126. I weighed pellets today. My sock drawer is already organized and I needed something to do. I am preparing for an eMatch session and I want to see if equal pellet weights will help my scores.

    I sorted a random sample of the boxed .177 Crosman Premiers 10.5g.

    2 were 10.7
    19 were 10.6
    33 were 10.5
    22 were 10.4
    1 was 10.3
    3 couldn't make up their minds because they were right on the cusp of 10.4 and 10.5

    So, 33 were the correct weight and 47 were not. The bottom of the box had Aug 05, 2009 abd a very large D.

    -Chuck

  127. Soft shell crabs? Crawdads? Fake crab? Keep it. There's only ONE crab worth eating: Jumbo Florida Stone Crab. With a touch of mustard dressing. I'll only concede a distant second place, at the far end of the table, to fresh Alaskan King Crab, with melted butter and key lime juice.

    -AlanL

  128. Edith,

    Thanks for the link. That helped a lot. Quite impressive support from Mr. Nappen. We all owe him a big thanks.

    Slinging Lead,

    I figured it was for me . . .

    Alan in MI

    WV: gyrocons – Makers of illicit Greek sandwiches?

  129. Folks,

    Nobody has mentioned the Weihrauch HW95. This rifle appeals to me because it is longer yet lighter than the HW97K and has nice sights. The disadvantages seem to be the substantial cocking effort and that it's a breakbarrel instead of an underlever. I'd appreciate your opinions…

    -AlanL

  130. Kevin,

    That crab recipe sounds vary tasty. Sadly, Mrs. Volvo has never been much of a cook.

    Slinging Lead,

    If the TX200 was a steak, it would be this one:

    It was the first home cooked meal she ever made and pretty much set the stage for years to come. A warm summers evening and she invited me to her parent’s house for an intimate steak dinner for two. I could tell when I arrived that she had put effort into the occasion by the details on the formal looking table. I requested my steak medium rare and as such she served it while hers was still on the grill.

    Now I pretty much know my way around a cow, and this steak did not resemble any cut that was stored in my memory bank. “go ahead and see if it is done enough for you”. It was in fact closer to rare, but I nodded with approval. She gave a big smile, and said “please start eating while I finish cooking mine”

    Once she left, I was able to focus my attention on the slab of beef in front of me. I would have to guess it at about three pounds. My steak knife was as ineffective as CO2 in a South Pole Winter. I manage to get a piece off and in my mouth, but now my teeth are no match. I spit it out like a child with a bite of liver and hand it to the dog.

    The future Mrs. Volvo returns, and with an even bigger smile asks how it is. “Unbelievable”, I reply. “I have to ask, what type of steaks are these?” the reply “oh, I’m not sure but they looked nice and big and were a good price”. “ Do you mind if I see the package?” “ No, go ahead.” Mystery solved. I am attempting to eat RMR Chuck Roast.
    Now, at that moment I needed to make a decision, and feel I made the right one as I enjoy eating out anyway. After all, Mrs. Volvo was a Cheerleader and Homecoming Queen.

    Volvo

  131. Chuck,

    Glad to be of service 🙂

    Slinging Lead,

    You're all invited to Memphis for my next crawfish boil. And I'll introduce you to the proper way to eat barbeque ribs while you're here. Unfortunately, there's no clean way to do that, but the taste is worth the mess.

    I grew up on South Mississippi where I learned about crawfish and shrimp and soft-shell crab. Given a choice, I'll take a soft-shell crab po'boy over just about any other seafish on the menu. Crawfish, though, would be a very, very close second.

    True story. I had a buddy in college who was also from South Mississippi but his Dad was military so he lived lots of different places. When he was around 12, they were posted in the Mid-West somewhere that folks don't eat crawfish. I'm not sure if it was Iowa or one of the Idahos. One day on the way home from baseball practice, he and his little brother noticed the ditch was full of crawfish, so they went into the mud and had at it until they'd filled up their baseball gloves and hats with the little guys. They were putting them into their t-shirts folded into makeshift bags when a local farmer stopped his truck to ask what they were up to. My buddy hollered out that they were getting supper and Momma was going to be excited to see it. The befuddled local guy took pity on them thinking they were so poor that they had to eat bugs out of the ditch, so he made them throw them all back and took them to town for a hamburger. It ruined their day, but they were too polite to say so.

  132. Volvo,

    You have it good. At least your expectations were never raised very high to begin with. My mrs conned me with a superb hand in the kitchen– every time she touches the stove the result is to die for, but she never told me she hates cooking! So, out we go all the time, and only once in a blue moon, when the fancy strikes her, she works her magic in the kitchen. Go figure.

    Volvo, you have a great knack for writing. And hey, author's royalty payments sure beat those unemployment checks. Go for it!

    -AlanL

  133. In central Illinois we don't eat crawdads we fish with them and eat the fish. I don't know where you get your crawfish. Shrimp and crabs come out of saltwater, but crawfish? Here they feed out of rivers and creeks you wouldn't even want to swim in let alone eat out of. You wouldn't want to eat some of the fish either.

    -Chuck

  134. Volvo,I make a terrible judge…I find redeeming qualities where most have stopped looking.I suffer from a touch of "oppositional defiance"
    Kevin,My only change to your recipe would be the inclusion of a little concoction we call crack sauce:two parts "sri racha"garlic chili hot sauce,two parts good ketsup,one part honey…….pho ga is my favorite chicken soup!
    SlingingLead:new stuff-NIB .177 C1,NIB BSF S20 pistol,NIB .177 BSF 55D,and a Haenel 303 ex. cond.,Haenel III-284…used to be BB's!!!

  135. Question for B.B., (and anyone else that may know)…

    Hve you heard any more about these low-cost compressors you once predicted. Lately, I've taken a to bit more to PCP shooting than normal, (I have 3), and the pump IS starting to get a bit tiresome….

    regards,

    Jane Hansen

  136. Volvo

    Sorry, Couldn't hear ya. Its chilly here today, and I was just out getting another Weihrauch to throw on the fire. At least they burn good!

    I do have to give it to the Germans, they build a great car. Swedish cars on the other hand… not so much.

    Aren't you a PCP guy anyway, for the most part? Best regards, from a fellow slacker.

    Frank B

    Example of a dumb question:

    "Hey Frank B, any new airguns?"

    Sheesh. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy at least.

    How about that guy that stumbled across that Whiscombe jw85 with 4 barrels for $160? Is that something else or what? I must admit, it had my Spider senses tingling.

  137. What is going on with blogger lately? Every single word verification is some cryptic word! I need to start writing all these things down together to see if they are a secret coded message.

    WV: clays

  138. After hearing about the travails of the TX200, (was it AlanL?), I found myself wondering about warranties for this rifle. The quality control is so good that I doubt there are problems very often. But what if there are? If you're outside 30 days from purchase, you can't return it to PA. There is no shortage of good tuners. But if there is something seriously wrong, is there a company repair site? You don't have to send it to England to get it fixed do you?

    Slinging Lead, you've got me thinking about the value of algebra…. The cliche is that it teaches you how to think, but is that true? I would say there is not much use for the techniques of completing the square, factoring polynomials, the quadratic equation, word problems and so on. But I think that the main value of algebra is the abstract leap from a numerical value to a variable which can take on different values. Once you can hold this in your head, you can think of abstract relationships (equations) without worrying about specific values. Only with this under control can you go on to calculus which rachets things up with the notion of rates of change–a higher level of abstraction. Now, you're not just allowing different values for your variable; you're measuring the behavior of change itself. And this in turn brings us to…ballistics whose systematic study is really based on calculus. It's there even if you are not cranking out equations, and the playing with variables is really essential to Jane's thought experiments. So, let's break out those algebra books….

    There is also a negative correlation to prove the same point. My Dad is a smart guy who completed a career as a college professor but has always been clueless about math. His Notre Dame yearbook mentions him in the margins as running around asking for help with his algebra book upside down. A look at his old report card shows several unsuccessful efforts to pass college algebra. At army basic training on the rifle range, he heard the drill sergeant call his name and, being an affable guy, he unthinkingly pivoted his whole body in response and found himself pointing a loaded M1 at the sergeant. Various accounts over the years, have him picking himself up off the ground afterwards.

    I think master tinkerers sometimes forget that there is a population of people for whom machinery is a total mystery. There's a tendency to be like "A" students who say that everyone can get an "A" if they try hard. Not so. Once in the Washington D.C. subway, I carefully demonstrated to my Dad how to insert a subway ticket to open the gate, then grab it when it popped out. Childishly simple. "Now watch me do it," he said. And sure enough, the ticket did not appear. I had no explanation.

    By the way, there's all too much hair on my arms after my knife tests. I could be an extra in Quest for Fire.

    All, I just heard that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are releasing a $200 million mini-series on the Pacific War. I'll be out there with my M1, .45 and Ka-Bar.

    Matt61

  139. Matt61,

    Much as I would like to take credit for ownership of a TX200, sick or otherwise, I'm afraid I can't… yet.

    I believe it was Slinging Lead who had the ailing TX200, and B.B. was so shocked at this that he immediately did a blog on how to dismantle it.

    Meanwhile, I think Slinging Lead has thrown it on his fire to warm himself.

    -AlanL

  140. I forget who asked about folding knives with strong locks, but I have recommendations. Cold Steel claims to produce the sharpest strongest knives in the business, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are right. Their Voyager folders are carried by professionals and the one that I received was the equal of Frank B.'s knife for sharpness (it certainly trimmed the hair off). Their promotional footage shows people hanging their full body weight off the opened folders. I'm not sure why there is such heated criticism of the company on the web (as well as a lot of praise). Some people seem to take exception to the in-your-face promotional style of the founder. However, I would say that the grief he has taken in YouTube comments for appearing in his videos with shorts on is enough punishment for anyone….

    Also recommended are the Kershaw folders by Ken Onion with SpeedSafe technology. This is a method of assisted opening that is basically the same as an automatic knife. Popping the knife open is as much fun as working a bolt action. I would have thought there is a spring at work, but apparently not. The literature refers to a "torsion bar" technology whatever that is, but hopefully it is more durable than springs. The Speedsafe technology requires a liner lock–as a opposed to a lockback design–which is not as strong. But I don't know if there is a practical difference.

    BG_Farmer, on the subject of fantastic wires, there's an Arthur Clark story about a technology of orbiting space stations which pulls things directly up from earth with a super-strong wire. Trouble is, it's very dangerous. If you think of how a violin string can produce entrancing music, this wire that stretches out of the atmosphere produces harmonies that make people completely lose their mind. One guy is so entranced that he forgets to stand clear at the signal and while listening to the wire atop a payload, gets hauled right up into outer space….

    Matt61

  141. FrankB,

    Sounds like you've eaten softshell vietnameses style. Sriracha chili sauce is what you add to the fishsauce for dipping if you want it hotter. The plastic bottle with the green cap that you pull up to open.

    It's on all the vietnamese restaurant tables just like ketchup is in a good American diner.

    kevin

  142. Volvo,

    Hilarious story about your lovely bride.

    My introduction to softshell was about 30 years ago by a vietnamese neighbor.

    We were the last house on dead end road. Had two other neighbors on this road and one of them was a vietnamese family. All four generations lived in that home (23 people). Hard working people.

    I had a plow for snow. When I finished my driveway I would plow the road since the county never would and then plow their driveway. They would frequently have us over for dinner. Their living room was used as their dining room and they had several tables end to end and could seat about 30 people. They had added another complete kitchen in their garage and it would put some restaurant kitchens to shame.

    Lot of french influence in vietnamese cooking. Combination of cooked ingredients and raw fresh vegetables hooked me. Very little meat, lots of vegetables, tons of flavor and usually spicy hot. Always served with very cold 33 beer.

    The deep fried soft shell had a very light tempura batter. Legs are dipped in the spicy sauce and eaten first. Then you take the body and put it on a large piece of leaf lettuce, add fresh bean sprouts and 7-10 cilantro leaves then roll it all up like a burrito. Dip the "burrito" in the hot sauce and prepare for a wonderful firework of flavor. Sliced cucumbers were served to cleanse your palate and put out some of the spicy fire if you weren't used to it.

    Although we moved 17 years ago they still bring us fresh eggrolls occasionally and jokingly ask when I'll be back to plow their snow.

    kevin

  143. Matt61

    It was me with the TX200. What I think happened is that a pellet may have fragmented in the barrel upon firing. This caused a large amount of vibration initially and a substantial POI shift. The vibration subsided after a dozen or so shots but was never quite right. The initial vibration then jarred loose a set screw, I think (the only one I hadn't checked, and one I had installed into the shroud myself) The set screw slowly worked its way up into the barrel and into the path of the pellet. Accuracy went south quickly, as you could imagine. All is fine now, but let's not talk about it here. Volvo is looking for chinks in my armor.

    I like how you took what I said about students being forced to take Algebra why not gun safety? and Algebra, it was explained, expands our horizons cognitively which allows us to understand even more nebulous concepts like … calculus. (ok SOME of us) Then you tie calculus into ballistics which brings us back to shooting. Do you see what I mean about the debate thing? I know you have the library gig, but have you thought about being a lawyer, or congressman?;^) Only joking, you're too good for that.

    I graduated from college shaking and twitching from having to take two quarters of calculus. I can at least take smug satisfaction in the knowledge that I tricked two college professors into thinking that I had the slightest clue what the hell calculus was about. Then again I paid for it, so whom is the joke on?

    Are you more like a Wookie, or an Ewok? No wonder you are facinated with shaving edges on knives!;^)

  144. Wow, I read about everything in today's blog!
    Kevin, I don't know if I can get soft shell crab or crawfish out here… More detailed recipes? Once that Mr Google Translator tells me how are called in Spanish I will try your Vietnamese crustaceans. I will pass some 'ceviche' recipes in exchange 🙂

    Volvo, your tales are great. Keep them up.

    Anthony

  145. Edith

    DRINK YOUR OVALTINE! I knew it!

    Thanks for your tips earlier, I will try them when no one is watching until I get the hang of it. This is a skill I value. I hate to be redundant, but Thanks!

  146. Well folks,

    it's time to build the ark. My backyard is now underwater. There's about 10' distance from the water's edge to my basement door. This never happened until some new development behind my house and the Town building committee's decision to amend the law to allow half the property to be covered versus the old 1/3 rule.

    I had built a concrete lip around the door entrance, making it 1' higher than the ground and I believe it's going to be tested sometime tonight. Tomorrow I expect ducks in the back yard (I'm not exaggerating).

    My buddy who's a superb athlete and also one of the pre-eminent colo-rectal surgeons in the greater NY area stopped by today. Ted is a superb skeet shooter, competes in barefoot water skiing, rides a bike (not as good as me, I'm glad to say) and is just an all around nice guy. I handed him my RWS 46 and told him to try it out. From 30' away, he took a shot at the 10M air gun targets. He asked me if I could see where the pellet hit, which I couldn't. We walked up to the target and found out why neither of us could see it. He put it dead center in the x ring.

    Maybe 1 out of 10 of my shots go there, the rest will be touching it, if I'm "in the zone". Now that folks, was depressing to me. The rifle was not bench rested. His elbow was resting on a pillow, standing up and I introduced him to the artillery hold.

    Time to practice shooting some more and get the pail ready for bailing.

    Fred PRoNJ

  147. Fred in PRoNJ

    My current hometown received over 20 inches of rain during a 48 hour period back in September. Federal Disaster Area stuff. Al Roker was even on site, so you know it was serious. My house sits on high ground so we were never in any danger. The irony is I put a low ball bid on a house in the same neighborhood that I later totally rejected because of drainage problems. This house had water in the back yard for over a week.

    When I was very young my family moved into the most beautiful house I have ever lived in, bar none, in Ridgewood NJ. We lived there for a little over a year. There was a sump pump in the basement my parents were assured was "just for emergencies." Never even used they said. We had not a creek, but a brook running through our backyard. It was a great place for young boys to play. When the floodwaters came, the brook steadily crept up our sharply downward sloping backyard, flooded our basement, and our neighborhood later had about 2 1/2 feet of water in all the front yards. In the winter, we had several feet of snow, over just a couple days. But that is another story.

  148. And to tie hot sauce into an airgun blog,I put forth the following anology:Tobasco sauce is the Marksman 1010 of the hot sauce world,Sri Racha is a Whiscomb with at least 2 barrels!!

  149. Volvo,I hope you had a blast that day with the airguns!You must have felt a little like a raider of the lost arc!I sure wished I lived in Ohio when Derrick was on the phone.BB said in his blog about the C1 that it is where the artillary hold came from,and that they hardly ever show up at the shows…..Hard to believe I got one NIB…not LNIB!I am certain I am not worthy…. Frank B

  150. B.B.,

    My .22 RWS 350 arrived yesterday evening. This afternoon my lovely wife took our son to a buddy's house to play and so I came out to play. I lovingly unpacked the 350 and carefully preserved the cartons and all packing material. Left stock screw was loose, tightened it at least one full turn and a bit. The right about a third of a turn. Both trigger guard screws a quarter turn. Several spritzes of Ballistol and a thorough wipedown. Can't wait to start shooting it. I like the front sight MUCH better than the one on the RWS 54.

    The first cock felt like it took a hundred pounds. So did the second. By the third I worried about bending the barrel. Then on the fourth I lost my fear of being "rough" with it and it seemed to cock more easily. There is no release to bring the barrel back up. I load a Baracuda match. Ah, the delicious recoil! I love that sharp bang and light kick. Nothing like the dead feel of the 54, which simply whacks the pellet where you want to put it, but you don't feel much.

    I shot about 60 Baracuda match pellets freehand, 20 standing, 40 sitting, and kept tinkering with the sights.

    Slowly I got to where I was consistently hitting the black of the offical 10 meter rifle target, from 20 yards. But after every shot I can feel a slight buzz in the rifle. Not a twang, but a light buzz. Must be the spring bouncing back and forth. Not one shot ever dieseled, much less detonated. I LIKE this 350!

    Then it started getting dark and I packed up. Another quick wipedown and into the gun sock.

    Then my bride comes home and I will recount for you our conversation. After my welcoming kiss, I said, "Baby, I'm thinking of putting some of this gun stuff in your closet, okay?"
    The look I get is priceless. Finally she says, "So what did you do all afternoon?"
    "I just broke in a new gun."
    "What new gun? I thought you had that big one you liked."
    "Yeah I do, but this is a different one."
    "Why? One gun is enough! You don't need two." She doesn't know about the Bronco hidden in my closet yet.
    "Ummm, well… I promise you I'll stop at five. Not counting the kids'."
    Another look.
    "Honey, you wanna see this one? It's beautiful!" I can tell she wanted to say "not really", but I quickly make busy untying the gun sock, and start pulling the gun out.
    "Be careful!"
    "Here, honey, help me with this. Pull on this end. Gently." The sock comes off and I hand her the 350. She refuses to take it. Her hands stay by her side.
    "Look baby! Look at this stock, look at that beautiful color and the smooth satin finish. See this checkering! Look at this nice laser etching. Diana, the goddess of the hunt. Isn't she beautiful?"
    "It's a gun."
    I know I've made a tactical error. I've referred to the gun as she. And Diana. And beautiful. Bad move.
    "Yeah but… isn't it really nice?"
    "No. It's a gun."
    "Uh, okay honey. But this is a really nice one. You wanna shoot it? You'll LIKE it."
    "No."
    I sadly put it back in the sock.
    "You know," she says, "if burglars break into the house, you'll never even use one of these to defend us."
    "Uh, yeah, I know," I say, and I know there's a sheepish look on my face that I try much too late to conceal.
    "But here, look at this!" Inspiration strikes and I quickly pull the trusty Crosman 1377 off the shelf and brandish it.
    "I'll scare em off with this."
    "Now THAT I like. It's a pistol."
    I nearly drop it in surprise. "Really?"
    "Yes. It's a pistol."
    "You'll like it even more in a few days. I just ordered some nice walnut grips for it. These plastic ones are awful. You wanna shoot it?"
    "Yes, that I'll try. It's a pistol. I like pistols."

    There's light at the end of the tunnel yet.

    -AlanL

  151. AlanL,Do NOT screw this up….Don't look back just run with it!!!!!On your next purchase I suggest a 2240.Soon the barrel will be growing like Pinnochio's nose,all without the guilt of having to lie! Godspeed…

  152. BB,
    I recall a long time ago you said that rimfire barrels were made to lesser specifications than centerfire barrels. Do you know what kind of steel a stainless 10/22 barrel is made from? Is there a difference in the heat treatment process? Are the steels in rimfires just plain softer?
    Shadow express dude

  153. It's an off topic question but i was wondering what any of you use to hold pellets while you're hunting. I've tried just putting tins in pockets but i cant imagine that's good for the pellets or my stealth because of the way the tins rattle, also they are difficult to handle while you load your rifle i always seem to spill a couple in the woods. I've also just put pellets in my pockets with no tin but the skirts seem to get bent and they get debris on them. any suggestions for a convenient way of transporting pellets while hunting that also keeps the pellets uniform?

  154. Well, the water is at the door, lapping at the foundation and pouring in the basement entrance. I've placed sandbags around the entrance and on top of that 1' high concrete lip. The air rifles are 4' off the ground but I'm thinking they belong on the top floor. Next trip.

    I've taken seat cushions and placed them against the entrance of the door in the basement. Rain is not supposed to stop till tomorrow night, perhaps Monday. Folks, this is going to get real ugly!

    Quite a helpless feeling. I've placed everything I could a couple inches off the floor but don't now what else to do. Where's my snorkel and life preserver…

    A soon to be underwater

    Fred PRoNJ

  155. Anonymous hunter,

    I have used the coin purses that Fred mentioned with some success.
    While it was better than toting them around in their tin, it wasn't the easiest to use wearing gloves in the field.

    Now, I use the Crosman Pellet Loader, which holds 16 .177 pellets.
    It works amazingly well with gloves and has the added benefit of giving a consistent seating depth. I also carry a couple of hundred extra in
    a Wilkins Pellet Pouch that I picked up off of eBay.
    PyramydAir doesn't carry the pouch, so you'll have to hunt around for it.

    Some folks will take foam such as pipe insulation and mount
    it to their gun with pellet sized holes burned in it. If done carefully, they protect the pellets and keep them handy.

    Hope this helps

  156. Fred,
    We have floods here, too, occasionally. Peoria has the Illinois river that divides it from East Peoria. I have an idea of what you are going through. During floods the barge traffic has to be halted to prevent even more damage. It's amazing how much higher the water level gets when a barge goes by because of its displacement not to mention any waves generated. The sad part is the aftermath of a flood is worse than the initial event. Ours usually result in mud and sediment in the basement. I hope like heck you won''t have that.

    -Chuck

  157. Anonymous Hunter,
    This may show up somewhere else as I posted it and it disappeared. It was kinda long so I'll cut to the point. PA sells pellet holders by phillips for various sizes of pellets. They work, but to me are over priced. Once you get one you can make more modified to your own needs. I won't say anymore as this post may strangely disappear as well.

  158. I'm really wondering what is going on with this blog lately. I make a long post explaining the short comings of a product sold by PA and the post disappears. I cut the negative comments out and it gets posted twice?

  159. Anthony,
    Thanks for the encouragement.

    Slinging,
    Don’t worry; I will spare your Spandex armor.

    AlanL,
    You need to move to higher ground and gain basement storage, and then you can have as many guns as you want. Just have them delivered to a UPS Store. With my formula I was able to keep about 40 with no issues. Glad you like the 350.

    My wife is fond of shooting my Ruger Single Six with CB caps and that’s about it, the kids really liked the 1077.

    Fred,
    Any chance of running down a sump pump? Those little guys can be worth their weight in gold. Afterwards, fans, bleach water, shop vac, and a dehumidifier are about all you can do. Good luck.
    Volvo

  160. rikib,

    Your post disappearing has nothing to do with a negative review of an item that Pyramyd AIR carries.

    We've all been critical of items that PA carries and do not get censured.

    Blogger has been acting up a lot lately. Posts get eaten in cyberspace by Blogger often and I've noticed mine disappear even more often when the comments run onto more than one page.

    kevin

  161. Alan L

    Your ship has come in ! ! !

    Crosman custom shop; 2240, 10.1 inch barrel, long steel breech, LPA mim rear sight, Crosman's black perforated muzzle brake front sight,(helps prevent barrel-tip flip up), ten dollar lifetime warranty, your choice of .22 or really splurge with the .177 LW barrel, and her name lasered onto the cartridge tube.

    Have a birthday, anniversary, Easter/Passover, or any other occasion coming up? Three to six weeks build time, usually.

    I have both, (without the lasered name)and they are phenomenal pistols – 30 to 40 shots each, cock, load, bolt forward, shoot, they both like almost all kinds of quality pellets, currently .22 shoots 15.8 JSB domes at 450 fps, .177 shoots 10.6 barracudas at 550 fps, both very accurate to 30 yards, depending on the usual variables and practice. A final piece of icing on the cake is a 4×32, 6×32, or 3-9×32 Leapers Bug Buster, all of which install without the removal of either the front or rear sight, making the switch from offhand to scoped and back very convenient.

  162. JH,

    I just played with that custom shop you mentioned and assembled the config you suggested, walnut Sportsman grips, $174 with no scope or lasering. Very neat! The only thing I didn't get is the short vs. long breech. Is that for scope mounting versatility, or is there a performance difference? Also, did you get the trigger shoe? What does that do for you? Do you like the .22 or .177 better for this pistol?

    -Alan

  163. Alan L

    The 13xx and 22xx series pistols share the same stamped trigger. It is rather narrow, as you know. Couple that with a heavy pull and the trigger feels like it is cutting into your fingertip after awhile of shooting it. The trigger shoe spreads out the effort across a wider surface area. Theoretically this should improve your trigger feel and hence, accuracy. There are also a host of easy mods for improving both guns. Jim Chapman has a good page.

  164. Alan L

    I have the basic black grips on mine, only because they fit my hand best. Long breech allows for scope mounting versatility, short breech is very limited, also for me, gives better balance. No trigger shoe, just don't like them, basic trigger is fine for me. I like the .22 and the .177 equally, which one I use depends on the target, "one is for feathers, one is for fur", and the amount of wind, .22 being less wind prone than .177, the pellets I currently shoot produce almost identical muzzle energy, as B.B. has said, .177 acupunctures the target and .22 wallops the target, there is more rainbow arc for the .22 trajectory but practice compensates for that, it's the old "straighter and lighter or heavier slower and arc-ier" choice/discussion.

    Here comes the caps, DON'T FORGET THE TEN DOLLAR LIFETIME WARRANTY !, it's one of the best things about the custom shop offerings.

    Understand they ARE pistols, and while they have nailed targets at fifty yards, that's more luck and plinking fun than anything else, 30 to 35 yards is the longest I'd usually shoot them, and that takes lots of practice, a scope, and more often than not a rest, 10 to 20 or 25 yards is about my limit for offhand shooting.

    I have the luxury of having both, and choosing either for the whim of the moment, or the target-type and distance and wind and temperature and humidity and all the other variables.

    But if I had to choose one, the .177 10.1 inch LW barrel is a remarkable pistol.

    And you get a shooting companion as well.

    Cheers on your choices.

  165. rikib,

    Mods and mistakes are part of airgunning's learning curve, it's just part of the sport, as is eventually having more than one, and having quite a few dollars spent or invested, depending on the significant other's point of view.

    Alan L has an opportunity to interest his other half in joining him in this sport, an opportunity not many of us get, and so I made my suggestions, either of which will cost over $250 if he follows the suggestions, and doesn't include those beautiful wooden grips, and he has to attach and sight in the scope, a not-so-fun task even with B.B.'s detailed instructions.

    As I recall, your initial request was for ammo info, which many folks offered, not a $250 pistol, but if you're ready to go that route, there are my suggestions above, and I'm sure that many other folks will offer theirs as well, to make it even more confusing for you.

    Welcome to the wonderful world of airguns.

    Like the old potato chip commercial, you can't have just one.

    God I love this sport.

    jh

  166. JH,
    you may have come at just the right time my wife was wondering why I spent so much time blogging. She actually suggested trying out my 2240 tomorrow (we'll see how that goes), problem is. She wants me to start Farmville on Facebook with her she's been been doing it a longtime but I have stayed away from it. Don'y know what too do got to make my mind up soon.

  167. SED,

    What kind of stainless Ruger uses is something only Ruger knows.

    They don't harden rimfinre rifle barrel steel. It must get work-hardened by the hammer-forging, but that's it.

    Stainless steel is an inferior barrel steel that has gone through incredible development just to get to the current state of acceptability.

    B.B.

  168. rikib,

    Posts are not moderated before being posted. It's only after a post appears that we have the ability to see what's said & can respond. We don't delete comments just because someone doesn't like Pyramyd AIR or one of the products they sell. In fact, when someone's had a bad experience with Pyramyd & says so in their comment, I usually email Pyramyd AIR and let them know that there's a customer issue they have to correct.

    I wrote a really, really long comment last week and posted it after previewing it and editing it a couple times. It never posted after I clicked the PUBLISH button. I have no idea what happened to it.

    For what it's worth, Blogger is having some issues. For instance, we can't access any of our previous blogs. We can't see them & can't do anything to them. I just found a workaround 2 days ago, but it's far from satisfactory & doesn't solve the problem. Blogger is in the midst of changing how some blogs are uploaded and doesn't seem to have any interest in correcting problems associated with the affected blogs. So, the issue of disappearing blog comments may continue until we can move over to the new format of how Tom uploads each day's blog. Til then, comments…yours and mine…may disappear!

    Edith

  169. JH,

    Thanks again for the tips on the 2240. Since all my rifles (except the Bronco) are .22's, I'll probably stick with that caliber. Fewer pellets to manage, and I already have the 1377 in .177.

    I really like the Baracuda Match pellets in all my rifles, mostly because they're bigger and heavier, which makes them handier to my big clumsy fingers. Are these pellets maybe too heavy for the 2240? They're always clean and I never have to worry about what the skirt looks like. I load them blind.

    Oh boy, if I do this I can already hear B.B. and Kevin and Wayne cackling in the background… CO2 is a big step closer to PCP. Can I possibly be succumbing to this??

    -AlanL

  170. Hi AlanL, Volvo, FrankB and the rest of the blog,

    This morning I found half the carpet in the basement wet – no standing water! My dam at the rear door leading into the basement and my concrete dam and sandbags outside are serving to hold back the majority of the water! I dashed to Home Depot and grabbed a 12 gal shop vac just as they wheeled another pallet load to the front of the store. Very popular just now.

    I never had a need for one till now but I removed about 50 or 60 gallons from the carpet. Water is still coming in but it's stopped raining and I can see the water is going down outside. I'll post photos on Picasa later and send a link here.

    Volvo, I have a sump and pump and had been meaning to keep a spare on hand. Woulda coulda shoulda – not a sump pump to be had anywhere in Union County, NJ. Mine is running fine but it's been running continuously. With the water starting to perc into the ground, it can stop for 30 seconds or so before starting again. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that it can keep up with the rising water table otherwise the hydraulic pressure will wreck the concrete pad in the basement and then I'll have standing water.

    That and I've been fortunate that no trees have come down around me knocking out power. That would really be a son of a gun.

    But all in all, this doesn't hold a candle to those poor souls in New Orleans or who live by a river, creek or brook who are in a flood zone so I can count my blessings.

    Oh, FrankBC, I rescued the check book – send me your address off-blog.

    Fred PRoNJ

  171. Alan L

    In .22, so far midweights in 15 to 16 grains seem to be the best for me, 21 grains may slow down the fps quite a bit, you may have to go to the 14.6 inch barrel for them, and that begins to make a long pistol, try the baracudas and see what they do, to maintain 7 fpe you'll have to shoot the baracudas at 387 fps or better, and that's REALLY "slower and heavier".

    Dear Edith,

    Some time ago I discovered that if I typed and edited comments for a long time, and then hit the publish bar, the whole comment not only did not appear but disappeared entirely. Possibly there's some sort of time limit on the wv. My solution was and remains to type and edit to my heart's content, 'select all' inside the comment box, 'copy all' inside the comment box, 'refresh the page', 'paste all' back into the new blank comment box, and immediately type the wv and add my identifier and hit the publish bar. It's a pain, but it works most of the time, and when it hasn't, at least there is still a copy available to try again.

    jh

  172. Fred,
    I have another suggestion on carpet cleanup. A shop vac works great but what works even better, although more expensive but maybe more useful in your coming days, is a steam vac, which is really just a carpet cleaner. The steam part is a lie because the only hot water you get out of it is what you pour into it. I don't know how they get away with calling them steam vacs. They do a good job of cleaning carpets though, in my experience.

    Anyway, these things have really great suction, cover a broader area than the shop vac, and the holding tanks are so much easier to empty, plus you can add the shampoo to help with removing mildew and such after you get the water under control.

    The holding tanks aren't as big as the shop vac but you can use the shop vac to remove the bulk and use the "steam" vac to get deeper into the carpet fiber. Steam vacs can be rented sometimes at local grocery stores chains.

    -Chuck

  173. JH,

    I went and did it!! LW barrel, the works. She's gonna be SO surprised…

    So, which pellet do you like best for it? The Baracuda Match 177's are 10.65 grains. Too much, right?

    Thanks,
    -AlanL

  174. Fred,
    I looked at your pictures. I swear I could see ripples where fish are jumping. Looks like a good time to get those crawdads out.

    LOL the comment on the treadmill.

    -Chuck

  175. AlanL,
    Good move on the new pistol. This pistol talk is causing me to yearn for the short stuff. Did BB start this thread. 🙂 You know, when my kids got older, I would buy them presents I could play with, too. I think you should buy her an FWB next, then say "But, honey, I thought you'd like this. Well, maybe I can get some use out of it" 🙂

    -Chuck

  176. AlanL,

    Ten things not to say to your wife

    Number 10: "Honey, would you stack your shoes over there so I can get my guns in your closet?"

    The rest of you can fill in 1-9.

    -Chuck

  177. Fred,

    Picture is worth a thousand words…glad that you are ok. Chuck is 100 % correct; a rented carpet cleaner would also be great.

    Your sand bags will be most effective put into cloth sacks. The sand will hold water that way. Does your neighborhood have storm sewers or just culverts?

    Volvo

  178. FrankB,

    The other day you told rikib to space his shots out at least 20 seconds with the Crosman 2240. Why? Isn't warmer better for power/velocity with CO2?

    Thanks,
    AlanL

  179. FrankB,

    Ignore previous query– I just read on the blog that each shot with CO2 cools the pistol, and B.B. actually recommended pausing 30 seconds between shots for it to warm again. There's always a fly in every ointment, isn't there?

    -AlanL

  180. There is a really big problem on blogger today!

    Comments are not getting through except to those receiving emails I assume.

    I don't see Part 5 of the Bronco either.

    I've used both Firefox and MS Explorer and things only show up until 5pm yesterday.

    I wonder if anyone is going to see this even?

    -Chuck

  181. I notice if I add a comment all the current comments show up on the page correctly but if I just go to the site cold it stops at 5pm yesterday.

    I wonder if blogger can't handle comments over 200?

    -Chuck

  182. CJr,

    The 'problem' occurs only when over 200 comments exist. Blogger lumps them into 200-comment chunks. Click on the little blue "Newer" or "Newest" link near bottom of page.

    -AlanL

  183. Chuck,

    You need to go to page 2 of the comments. Page one is full once it reaches 200 comments.

    Go to the bottom of page one and click on "post a comment" like you always do. At the top of the page click on "Newest" that will appear in blue. You're now on page two.

    kevin

  184. Here's one for all you front-loader guys…

    I've got a 'Sprague and Marston' pepperbox pistol, NY, patented 1849. the barrel is 'Warranted Cast Steel' (I suspect the warranty has expired). I believe it's a .31 cal.

    I've got it working to the point where it'll pop off No. 11 percussion caps. Most of the time, anyway. I'm itchin' to actually try it with a real load, but have been warned against it.

    So, my question is this – a vintage pistol like this, is it safe to shoot with a low-power charge of powder? If so, how much powder would probably be safe?

  185. Vince,what a find!I am quite envious….I think 7 grains would be ok but see what BB and Bg etc… Think about it.It might be very dangerous so send it to me!

  186. Frank B,
    Thanks! Got it figured out with the help of many. I've been getting all the comments through the email feature ok but didn't realize the 200 limit on the actual site or the little blue letters. No, I don't think big blue letters would have helped either. Sometimes my mind filters out important stuff so it can keep the trash.

    Wow! Another 260 posts. Looks like we could hit 300 before tomorrow. I know, let's talk religion. That will do it.

    -Chuck

  187. Chuck,

    I don't know if you can see this comment or not. If anyone knows Chuck's email address, please copy this comment & send it to him.

    Blogger can handle 200+ comments. When you click on the "Post a comment" link at the bottom of a blog, you'll see in the top of the pop-up page that it shows 1-200 of xxx. It'll also say Newer & Newest right next to it. Also, if you look directly above the "Leave your comment" box (where you write your comments), you'll see the same thing: 1-200 of xxx and Newer & Newest. You have to click on those links in order to see all the comments. It shows only 200 comments on a page. Those above 200 will be on the Newer & Newest linked pages.

    Edith

  188. Volvo, the gun in that listing… I measured the relative width of the trigger guard, and the length of the stock in front of the trigger guard is a little over 5 'trigger guards' long.

    The Diana 27 I have here has a corresponding length of 5 trigger guards, while the Diana 25 has a length of 4.

    So it looks like you got yourself a 27.

  189. Edith,
    Thanks for your willingness to help an idiot!

    All,
    Have you read the latest slick page ShotGun News (March 20)? There are two articles in there by Tom. One is an in depth look at the FX Revolution, really really cool but I choked on the price tag, the other is on the Shot Show, some really exciting stuff showing up there.

    -Chuck

  190. I just read BB's comment….Pawnstars had a similar one come in recently!Chumlee shot it and it fired fine.Vince,if the mainspring is weak or breaks,I made a replacement spring from an old pair of bypass pruners.they had two springs in the handle that were bigger than I needed so I cut one down and shaped it with the Dremel.I think I know where the other spring is if you need it.

  191. B.B. and Vince,

    Thanks, I was hoping for a 27 as I’ve had a 25, 24, and 23 before. Did the newer 25’s have the peep sight aperture rail? That was the basis of my guess as my 25 didn’t, but then it was really old.

    I’m guessing the lack of info by the seller was an asset; I have saved searches for Hy Score 807, Beeman 100, Diana 27, Winchester 427, and so on as I would guess other do, and this would not have shown on any of them.

    Would of been nice if he had answered my e-mail however.

    Volvo

  192. Volvo,Great job spotting that great buy…..I tip my hat!As far as great minds….I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer,but have my moments of lucidity.I have no idea how he saw the comment "his way" but I'm glad he did!He never fails to make me laugh.

  193. Frank B, I didn't find it. No, no, no… far better than that. My paternal grandfather (a bricklayer) found it when he was working on a house renovation in Brooklyn in the 20's or 30's. It was stuck in a cubbyhole or shelf or something that was apparently built into the chimney brickwork, and nobody knew it was there.

    My Dad showed it to me when I was about 11 years old, and I had been itchin' to get my hands on it ever since. Dad finally gave it too me about 4 years ago, and I got it functional. When I first started working on it something (I forget what) made me think, for a moment, that it was loaded! Turns out that it wasn't…

  194. Fred,
    I've been following your rising water drama — hope you can get away with a minimum of expense and damage. I'm unjinxing your power to the sump pump (I think you shouldn't have mentioned it). After last years ice storm, I found our dependency on electricity only becomes obvious when its out.

  195. Vince,

    I would be careful with a ball in that pistol — it will raise the pressure a lot. If you must, make it a loose one. Also, keep in mind that if the mainspring is weak, the hammer may not cap off the spray up at the nipple. I assume you have looked into the bores and "chambers (breech area)" and they are clean and relatively unpitted.

    Finally, once you fire it (even once), you need to thoroughly disassemble, clean and oil it(preferably only non-petroleum oil or grease in bore).

    Since it is neat item with family history and I know you want to shoot it (and I won't be able to talk you out of it:)), I would suggest planning and documenting the event, then cleaning it until it squeaks and don't shoot it anymore. Chumlee can do what he wants; I would either not fire it or fire the minimum that would scratch my itch:).

  196. Seems like we have some science fiction fans so on the subject of gun control has anyone read A. E. Van Vogt's story The Weapon Shops of Ishtar ? It has been about 45 years since I have.

  197. Edith,

    Thanks for providing those links. I think the definition of legal status/protection of airguns is something we need to clarify and be kept aware of.

    Something I wanted to ask you: a few days ago we were discussing how to deal with being right-handed/left eye dominant. How do you deal with that, specifically when shooting with a scoped rifle?

    Les

  198. Les,

    Easy…I rarely shoot scoped guns! I used to shoot BRV (benchrest) and used a scoped gun for that, but I had a custom scope mount that held the scope way out to the left side so I had the best of both worlds…shooting RH, seeing left eye. It was great. Tom sold the gun, though.

    Edith

  199. About blog comments – After you submit, make sure that you see the yellow text bar at the top that says that your comment has been published. If not, you may have to go back to the comments box and redo the word verification.

    BobbieNations – Where in Mississippi are you? I had a college roommate from Wiggins. For spring break senior year, we were too broke to afford Florida, so we spent the week at his place. It was warm and cheap. A swimming hole is much more fun than a beach.

    Fred – Is it too late to recommend a generator? That shop-vac is just a big bucket without electricity. Also, your treadmill looks like an excellent clothes rack.

    When my ex and I were dating, she attempted biscuits. When she asked how good they were, I was smart enough to not use the words hockey and puck. Trying to think of something positive, I told her that they had a high specific gravity. Weeks later, I made the mistake of telling her what that meant.

  200. BG_Farmer, yes, I KNOW it would raise the pressure a lot! That's why I'm asking!

    I'm guessing that BB's suggestion of 5gr might be OK. No, the bores aren't particularly good… I will clean them thoroughly, though, to make sure I don't get a tight ball. Obviously accuracy is a non-issue. I'm expecting Marksman 1010-like performance or worse…

  201. No one has chimed in with a preference regarding the HW97K versus HW95, in .22. Is there any strong reason to prefer one over the other?

    Is there any consensus on what makes for a better wipedown after shooting, to store a gun for a while: A rag with Ballistol, or the Birchwood Casey Silicone Cloth?

    Thanks,
    -AlanL

  202. AlanL,

    They are very different animals.

    The 97k was purpose built with the idea of field target in mind, but works well in other applications because of the ease of accuracy it delivers.

    On the other hand, the 95 was built for affordable power, in handy size.

    Volvo

  203. Vince,

    I didn't mean to insult your intelligence. This is the kind of question where it is critical to establish a policy of caution, and I'm always amazed at who reads these things and takes away more than is in the text:).

    I trust your judgement. If you get the bore shiny clean (you might also need a fouling scraper for the breech face), and can verify that the breech area is not excessively pitted, you will be able to make a good decision. I wouldn't laugh at you if you did a remote firing on each barrel (a la proof testing) before anything else.

    Again, it is a really cool thing you have there. You're in a bigger area than me, but if you can't find something you need, Track of the Wolf is excellent to deal with for almost anything blackpowder related. Like the PA of ML'ers.

    BB,
    One thing I'm not sure of, but it looks like from the design that a patched ball might be what they used? I know you mentioned a wad, but that was for a blank charge, I assume. In this case, a ball of .2 under with a fairly thin patch might be the way to go.

  204. Thanks for all your comments and wishes and Cjr., the suggestion for the steam cleaner is a very good idea. As the interior photos showed, I've managed to hold the water to perhaps a third of the basement aka my shooting range. It's stopped raining and I believe the water is starting to recede.

    While there won't be snakes (AlanL) or crawfish jumping around, the last time I had standing water in the backyard, two ducks took up residence. They stayed for a couple of days until the water was completely gone (last spot to dry was that far corner where the bush is – left side as you look at the photo). I'll let you know if they come back. Interestingly, a neighbor called and after telling me she was sorry and wished she could help me (I told her if she could drive the pumper from the local fire house, we could pump out the back yard), she told me to sue everyone, including the town. I guess that's the American way. Stupid me, I was just thinking of getting a truckload of dirt and raising the level of my yard so the water would tend to stay by the tree.

    That tredmill was a freebie. I told my wife it was only good for walking and hanging clothes since the bed is too narrow and short to run. It does make a fine clothes hangar, though, doesn't it. So far I've not hit it when shooting.
    Well, time to go downstairs (every hour) to vacuum.

    Fred PRoNJ

  205. We seem to have passed another threshold with the comment numbers. Soon, I'm not going to be able to keep up. If the biological model of exponential growth applies, we are in trouble…:-)

    Eggrollers, I know Vietnamese food is very popular, but as a personal preference, I come out in favor of the harder shell eggrolls of the Chinese/Thai persuasion. Kevin, it's amazing what one gets for fulfilling debts. I had my own snow-clearing experience. I got my start in airguns in a small forest on the property of a couple of physics professors. It was so dense that they didn't know what to do with it, so they let me play there. I started by practicing my sword-cutting techniques with a Cold Steel machete ($5 at the time). I ended up chopping out an Alice in Wonderland maze which was fun all by itself, but I also took time to chop out a very nice airgun and archery range. You couldn't beat the setting. I felt like Robin Hood and nature in tooth and claw was all around me. While I was shooting, a red squirrel came out to bark an odd, mechanical sounding warning to me, and another time an owl flew along holding some struggling creature in its claws. If I were still there, I would probably be observing the wildlife at night with night vision.

    Anyway, to repay the physics professors for the use of their forest, I volunteered to shovel out their driveway after a Minnesota snowfall. The driveway was a quarter mile long and took all morning to clear. One of the professors calculated that I removed 2000 cubic feet of snow, and I'll take his professional word for it. Anyway, a small price to pay for the forest.

    Slinging Lead, I remember now about the TX200. Good job fixing the problem. I suppose there are enough knowledgeable tuners in the U.S. to fix any problem. Thanks for your nice comments. We librarians have to be versatile. 🙂 And I do try to bring my excursions back on topic somehow. I wish I could pass on your comments to my boss. Out of a staff of 250, we’re told that there will be six sacrificial lambs who are going to get laid off this week to meet budget cuts, and right now the library is freaked. This could definitely impact my consumption of ammo. Signs of the times. We’ll hope for the best…. No plans to run for Congress. I'm reminded of a movie about Congress made by Eddie Murphy who gets himself fraudulently elected. When he shows up, his matronly secretary says, "You going to grab my a– like the last congressman? You won't? Something wrong with my a–?" 🙂 By the way, I guess I'm more like a Wookie than an Ewok. But the hairiness is relative to how I would like to be if my blades could shave. I'm not hairy in an absolute sense…:-)

    Matt61

  206. On the subject of tinkering, I will make a prediction about the upcoming series on the Pacific War which I mentioned. One of the heroes is Sgt. John Basilone winner of the both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. I’m betting that in the coverage of his Medal of Honor feats on Guadalcanal that they will focus on his accomplishments in fighting which were considerable (and carried out mostly with a machete and a .45) but not his tinkering which played a larger role in the battle. The biographies I’ve read said that Basilone was very taken with machine guns in his training to the point of playing with them in his spare time and reassembling them blindfolded. In action on Guadalcanal he is recorded as running around barefoot in the jungle supplying and servicing his machine gun section during an attack and at some points was rolling along the ground from one to another replacing barrels, clearing jams, and fixing parts with shooting, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat all around him. Now there is a job of tinkering.

    This kind of skill was apparently not uncommon in his unit. One of his fellow soldiers who also won the Medal of Honor in that battle was Sgt. Mitchell Paige who also had an interest in machine guns. He writes that before the war, he and a buddy were trying to figure out how to improve accuracy. They had the idea that if the rate of fire could be speeded up somehow the recoil of the action would not affect the next shot; this idea is not unlike Clint Fowler’s gas regulation of the M1. Their method was to drill holes in the bolts to lighten them and install stiffer springs. I’d say that you had better know what you are doing if you try this, and I didn’t think the military looked kindly on having its equipment modified. Anyway, it worked. They got better accuracy at 1000 yards and even tied some other person known to be a legend with mortars with plunging fire over a hill at 1500 yards.

    All of this has added to my fantasy spring rifle design. First, a super-stiff chrome-silicon spring that will last forever. This will require some device to reduce cocking effort. There are obviously limits to the lever concept that we have reached. What about an assisted opening device like the Ken Onion knives? The bar-torsion method is patented. Perhaps a torsional chrome silicon spring wound around the axis of the cocking lever…. For recoil reduction, add the device from the RWS 54.

    Matt61

  207. Edith

    On the PA homepage there is a box near the top on the left with a blue border that says:

    "Welcome to Pyramyd Air!"

    That scope always looked a little off to me. Is that the mount you had? Is that your rifle? It looks like a Gamo though, so that didn't make sense to me.

    Also it could be the perspective of the photo, of course.

    Cheers.

  208. Matt61

    I saw a preview for the series you are talking about. I will definitely be watching that sitting on my couch armed to the teeth– with popcorn. It looks VERY good.

    Try not to give much attention to the work drama if you can. We had our own little witch-hunt at my job last week and I thought for sure I was in the crosshairs. Turns out, I wasn't. Much of the stress that kills us inside is over unnecessary worry, that we put ourselves through.

    What is the URL for your library blog again? Perhaps I can drive to my Alma mater and carve it into some desks at the library;^)

  209. Edith

    Thanks for clearing that up. My first thought of seeing your rig was WOW that looks difficult. I don't think I could pull that off, paralax issues seem like they would be magnified.

    Also I don't know how much I could enjoy my little hobby if not for pushing past my dominant left eyedness as far as scopes are concerned. My sight is just so bad I have to rely on scopes unfortunately. When preparing to take the shot I open and close my left eye over and over to make sure my POA isn't changing.

    Tom: Stop selling Edith's guns!

  210. Volvo

    No, I do not wear Spandex, also known as Lycra. Its back to the drawing board for you I'm afraid. I have somehow never felt the overwhelming need to look like a bleached Kielbasa, bound with electrical tape in the center, like so many cyclists. I don't understand what that is about.

    I try to stay away from fabrics made from synthetic chemicals and petroleum byproducts, as they are usually very flammable, a definite no-no in the superhero business.

    Nifty Fact: Spandex is an anagram for EXPANDS.

    As for performance fabrics, I much prefer merino wool. It is light, compressible, cool in the heat, warm in the cold, and it wicks moisture like nobody's business. Also, it tends to resist stink, known to scientists by its technical name "bacterial funk", which synthetic fabrics soak up like a sponge. The merino wool should come from New Zealand, it goes without saying.

    Talk to your friend derrick38, he will break it to you that I speak the TRUTH.

    Keep in mind I share this knowledge freely, even though you clearly are an evil-doer.

    Take this clue I have given you and compare notes with Jimmy Olson. It will do you no good. I will always be one step ahead of you Volvo. You zig, I zag.

  211. Les,
    I also am right handed left eye dominant. It is really a problem for shooting. I only shoot pistol. Both my glasses and contacts have my left eye for distance and right eye for reading. When I shoot I blink several times and try to keep both eyes open and mentally force a focal point. If I remember correctly someone on this blog had mentioned using an eye patch over your left eye, not sure if that would work or not. Good luck and good aiming.

  212. Sinking Lead,

    Honestly, at this point I think I could pick you out of a crowd at the Super Bowl, exciting Merino Wool clothing and all. I have always found wool rather unpleasant to the nose when wet, perhaps your sinusitis requires medical attention?

    As far as evil-doer status, Mick Jagger suggests you should have sympathy for me.

    Most disappointing however is that you have clearly fallen so far behind, you have drawn the conclusion that you are actually in the lead. Perhaps lugging your unreliable TX200 with you was your down fall?

    I had hoped for a worthy opponent, but alas fish in a barrel is the best I get again.

    Volvo

  213. AlanL.
    The HW97K would be considered higher quality with threaded end cap, but the HW’s share the same trigger and I would assume barrel also. It really comes down to what you need. I transitioned from an R1 to the 97 when I no longer found myself going in the field that often. The bulk of the 97 is very doable if you are just shooting on your own property. Just for fun, they still make the HW85 also…

  214. Slinging Lead,
    I was once a Lycra lover an avid mountain biker in Hawaii, but alas that was 18yrs and 30lbs lighter ago. The wool no way I'm allergic, that would have been quite painful. It was always Lycra for the mountain bike and leathers for the motorcycle. But as with all things, we are Americans and free to choose. But hey some people really don't need to be wearing lycra, I don't anymore and I accept that.

  215. Thanks Vince…
    I have both the round tin of pointed and the plastic box of wadcutters.
    I was just going to shoot them in the 48 to break it in, but they load hard.

    twotalon

  216. Randy-In-VA,

    I grew up in Brookhaven, which is about 120 miles from Wiggins. They must have different swimming holes in Wiggins than they do in Brookhaven, because there ones in Brookhaven weren't overrun with girls in bikinis. Hence, my preference for the beach 😉

    Glad that you enjoyed your time in the Hospitality State.

  217. Slinging Lead,
    I've got plenty of tech fabrics in my arsenal, but I prefer Icebreaker and Smartwool. Most folks who say they don't like wool need to try on a superfine merino garment. My wife tells me she's allergic, but she wears Smartwool hiking socks non-stop in the winter and on backpacking trips…

    Volvo will spot you, not because of the lycra, but because the cape and the underwear on the outside of your tights will give you away.

    Did you watch the final stage of Paris-Nice today on Versus? Contador is in great form–Grrrrrr! Best US rider (Leipheimer) was somewhere around 19th.

    Fred,
    Hang in there. I feel your pain.

    Rikib,
    Try a red dot sight it should help alleviate some of the sight alignment issues with the eyes.

    AlanL,
    HW97K in .20 cal. is still my top pick.

  218. Derrick38,I never used to give socks a second thought….I sure didn't ever grab the expensive ones even by accident!Then one day in an outdoor supply I found a 20$ pair on clearance,as well as some Danner lightweight hiking shoes for a good price.I popped for both cause it was long past the point where normal folks get new stuff.When I got them on,My whole outlook on life changed!!!To this day,I do whatever it takes to afford these socks,and so everyone knows,Summer is perfect for them also…it's like air conditioning for your feet.FWIW….Frank B

  219. Ahhh crayfish…we were up at the boundry water in canoes and we ate all the good freeze dried food we packed for the trip. We fished some, but not enough. So we gathered up crayfish and boiled and ate them. Tasted like dirt…oh well.

    Years later, I met a gal from New Orleans who said you should soak your crayfish in salt water overnight. Not only does the salt give them some flavor, but they spit up all the junk in their system that tastes like dirt.
    Plus their brains are suppose to be the best.

    Well…la di da.

  220. Alan L

    Re: 3/14, 1117am:

    My .177 10.1 inch LW pistol shoots ordinary baracudas and adores them.

    Some time ago on the PA 'ammo' section, B.B. wrote that in his experience, Beeman ordinary kodiaks had no "significant" difference from the match baracudas, and recommended buying whichever was less expensive at the time of purchase. So that's what I shoot. I don't even have any match kodiaks/baracudas to try and see if there really is a difference. Once the kodiaks ran out I just ordered the H&N ordinary baracudas, and they shoot spectacularly well, so I have no reason to switch. On the other hand, it is your/her choice, and "every gun has its own peculiarities". And on the other other hand (three hands make life sooo much easier) this pistol shoots almost every quality pellet very well. So have fun experimenting.

  221. derrick38

    In my business wet feet are a certainty. Starting in late fall I wear Smartwool socks almost exclusively (I've never tried Icebreaker). I'm just not going to do 8 to 16 hours being that miserable. They are warmer soaking wet than normal socks are bone dry.

    Many of those that think they couldn't wear wool will indeed be happy with merino. My brother has horrible allergies, but loves the stuff. The fibers of merino are much finer than other wools and it can be woven very tightly, making it very soft and not scratchy at all.

    I couldn't watch the race because my wife was at home. I could try and watch it all I want, she just makes sure to break my concentration every 10 minutes.

    If Lance makes it to number 8 in July, the French press will not know what to do with themselves.

    Volvo

    My sinuses are in good working order. That unpleasant aroma you speak of is coming from 3 distinct sources.
    1. Your sweater. Its filthy.
    2. Your upper lip.
    3. The aforementioned barrel of fish.

    Barrels of fish are incubators for bacteria and don't make great living conditions for the fish involved. They do make the perfect place to store an HW97 however.

    Checkmate.

    As much fun as horsing around with you is Volvo, taking turns kicking each other in the crotch metaphorically speaking, has grown tiresome and is a waste of time. For the sake of the blog I am going to knock it off.

  222. wow there are a lot of posts here tonight/this morning.

    Since there are a lot of airgunners here and many of you are probably a little tired, I just wanted to take a little time out to say:

    Look into my eyes
    Look into my eyes
    the eyes
    the eyes
    Not around the eyes
    Don't look around the eyes
    Look into my eyes
    *click* you're under

    when I click my fingers again
    you will package up your airguns and send them to me *click*

    well, I'm waiting.

    -AJ

  223. Slinging Lead,

    Edith's sight only works at one fixed distance, because it converges with the barrel both from the side and from the top.

    It was only useful for shooting BR-50.

    When I sold her gun I sold it back to Gary Barnes, the maker. She got all the money and we really needed it. She left that part out.

    B.B.

  224. BB,
    My suggestion was more for safety and ease of loading/extraction than accuracy. If it were mine and I had to shoot it, just getting a ball out of the barrel and on a target would make me happy. Also, I don't think a bore-sized ball will fit with a patch, and it seems like a pistol would be even harder to load than a rifle, or do you mean w/o patch?

  225. Bg Farmer,
    I will e-mail a few pictures of the rifle and target I shot with it just to confirm your future interest. I still believe it will do nicely.

    Slinging Lead,
    Yes I concur that it is game over. I just need to find my file now, seems my laptop has more notches than Jesse James’ six-shooters.
    Volvo

  226. good morning,
    does anyone know what the difference is between the Crossman Premier .22cal Domed 14.3 grain pellet packaged in the box compared to the ones packaged in the round tin case? reason i ask is that they are much cheaper per pellet in the tin than in the box.
    thanks,
    Ironone1

  227. I have a Diana 48 and I have achieved superior grouping from JSB 15.8 grain pellets at 35 yards. I was wondering if this pellet is to heavy for this rifle. I have heard of issues of main spring breaking and didn't want to contribute to premature breakdown. Also would like to know how hard is replacing the mainspring in this rifle and are there proceedures for this.

  228. Vincent,

    Diana mainsprings break from use. The weight of the pellet has nothing to do with it. Shoot the most accurate pellet and be happy.

    When the cocking effort becomes easier, you have a broken spring and it's time for a replacement.

    B.B.

  229. ah, ok that makes sense then for consistancy and cost difference.

    Oh by the way the new Marauder is an excellent rifle, built a quiet trap using duct seal patterned after the one sold on another site. works great and between the Marauder being so quiet and the quietness of the pellet trap no one else knows i am shooting unless they are close by.
    thanks as always,
    ironone1

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