M1 Garand (camp fire)

[Sixgun]

Yep Pitchy, a gun in every corner in Freedom......pretty much like it is here.

Looks like today is gonna be a "dead day". Dogs are sleeping.....winds not blowing.....Not much going on...my favorite and only daughter stopped over. Her and mom are out there probably plotting on how to get my cash.....---6

[OldWin]

Sorry I ain't around much fellas. Going steady with everyone here.
Been having a great visit. Didn't hunt today. Had snow to clean up, made a dump run, and some other need to's.
Apparently, I can't hunt ALL the time.
You boys seem to have a handle on everything.
It's gonna be a long winter up here. Not a good time to start a settlement.
Well, if you don't like cold and snow.
Deer are scarce, but I did cut some moose tracks yesterday.

[Pitchy]

Glad your having a good time buddy, have a great Thanks Giving everyone.

[GunnyMack]

Our snow is about all gone here, leaves are about 95% off the trees. I spent a couple hours blowing leaves this morning... Have I mentioned that I HATE leaves?! Took longer than usual, I had to keep throwing a toy for Parker. She is really starting to play fetch with seriousness.

Six they are plotting how to SPEND your money!

Ya can't eat eat tracks Jay but seeing sign helps keep ya focused.

[Sixgun]

NASA is calling for a long and cold winter...let it come

Gunny....the best way to take care of leaves is to use a blower and get the leaves out in the open...then give em hell with the Kubota. Or....even easier....blow the leaves from a particular tree back around the base of it...and let em rot.....or....blow em to an area and light em up. I favor the Kubota as it puts the leaves back with into the soil. While neighbors are spending big bucks for companies to spray their lawn, I let nature do it for free.


Big thing here...my daughter, who is 37, has a masters degree in bio-chemistry, makes more money in a week than I did in a month......FINALLY got her own car insurance and....a car in her name. Hurray! Hope my other half don't see this post. I think I'll celebrate by buying another 86.

Buzzards are eating the dead groundhog I fished out the other day.
j

[OldWin]

Glad your having a good time buddy, have a great Thanks Giving everyone.

Thanks buddy!.
Happy Thanksgiving to all you guys!

[GunnyMack]

Here is why I have so many leaves. Arrow is pointing at my roof.

20181121_151741-600x1233.jpg

I'm surrounded by a few hundred acres of oak,beech,maple trees. Normally I grind em up with the mower but now that I have the yard fenced they pile up where I cant get to them. Also have very high acidic soil up here so leaving the leaves is bad for what lawn I have.

[Sixgun]

Yep! Guys, have a great Thanksgiving!---6

[GunnyMack]

Are there wild turkey ( not in a bottle) in Maine or do we have to import one for next years Thanksgiving in Freedom?
Hope everyone has a great day today with family & friends!

[OldWin]

Are there wild turkey ( not in a bottle) in Maine or do we have to import one for next years Thanksgiving in Freedom?
Hope everyone has a great day today with family & friends!

There are, Gunny.
They were extinct for well over a hundred years, here.
The state re-introduced them about 20 years ago and they really took off. Nobody thought they would make it except in the southern part of the state. They kept working farther and farther north over the years and now it seems like they are everywhere.
I've had bunches of up to 20 on my lawn here in town.
Then again, I've had several moose, too.

[GunnyMack]

Well then we have next years Thanksgiving covered!

Just got home from my buddy's farm, every Thanksgiving they have a ' Shoot Shyt' , whole family shows up to shoot clay birds, eat drink & bs. I brought Parker along so she could hear gunshots. No problems with it! She heard the 1st shot and dragged me right up to the line and was happy as a clam! So now to put her on birds this weekend!!!

[Pitchy]

Glad your having fun Gunny, pretty quiet here Norma`s cooking away for just the two of us.
I`ve been looking on ebay for a nicer looking stock for my M1 but i think i`m going to order the new walnut stock set from CMP looks pretty nice.

[OldWin]

That sounds like a great tradition, Gunny!
Not here today. It's zero and the wind is blowing about 20mph.

Whole gang is here. House is packed with everyone and their dogs.
First time in a bunch of years all the kids made it home.
Very thankful.

[Old Ironsights]

What Six said makes sense.
I know we talked about it earlier, Pitchy. My M1 was a CMP, but I got it from the guy that bought it. And it had been a while after he got it.
They probably are getting down to the rougher ones, and the nice ones are pricey.

As I recall, ole Six has a nice one. I couldn't get it under my coat with all those Colts or I'da grabbed it for you.

That's how I got my '42.

Wood is new, but otherwise the gun is solid.

[GunnyMack]

I dont know if Boydes has M1 stocks or not. If they do you could get a colorful laminate stock.

[GunnyMack]

Boyd's does have M1 stocks, no laminates just walnut.

[Pitchy]

Took a look but after ya buy the hand guards and put all the metal on it would cost far more than the CMP set for 157.00
Thanks for the link though Gunny.

[GunnyMack]

Sure thing Pitchy!
I like fancy wood so I would do a higher grade. It's a shame they dont have laminated for the M1, some of those colors are wild looking.

[Pitchy]

The butt end of the stock that`s on it is chewed up pretty bad, i`ll keep it with the gun but i like a good looking gun also.
The CMP set comes with all the metal so it should be a easy switch, we`ll see.

[GunnyMack]

I started making .50 ammo

20181122_163258-600x800.jpg

Made from Cherry

[Pitchy]

Say now that`s really cool.

[GunnyMack]

I made that just because I could. I took dimensions off of a fired 50, then found OAL for milspec FMJ and I had the bullet length. The profile may be off though, it's a VLD.

[GunnyMack]

Brrrrrrr- 9 degrees here this morning! Even the girls had a bit of urgency to come back in the house.

Hope everyone is done with their food coma? I know I ate just enough yesterday, cheese & crackers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, turkey, taters, corn, peas, stuffing, and of course dessert! No wonder I was dozing off at 7 pm!

[Pitchy]

Not so cold here 32 degrees this morn, ate good and watched football all day yesterday.
Son is bringing his portable welder over later so i can do a bit of welding on the out door stove if it isn`t raining or sleeting.

[GunnyMack]

Nothing more handy than a portable welder!


I know some listen to Alice's Restaurant on thanksgiving but what we always listen to is:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4xMYeYOuR8
We always listen to it on the 4th of July. I think most will laugh, especially Sixgun! It's along clip.

[Pitchy]

My wire feed is portable but it`s 220 v and i can`t get that over by the stove, he has one that`s 115 v.
I gotta have music going.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qWvgEwhrA

[Pitchy]

I think i`ve decided against putting new wood on the Grand, it`s a old war horse that should be left alone.
Maybe get another someday.

[fordwannabe]

Pitchy, I wasn’t going to say anything because it’s your rifle BUT, I would leave it as is. Like all of us each scar, dent, scratch, and boo boo is a bit of history. They show a character of never give up and keep fighting (because it was a battle rifle) even when nicked up, scratched, wounded. Regular hunting guns should be pretty battle rifles that are pristine don’t do it for ME, a battle rifle that’s got some honest wear and tear reminds me of the Johnny Cash song ragged ol flag. But I get sentimental at times. No offense meant you do what makes Pitchy happy but since you mentioned not changing the wood I thought I would through my two cents in. Beside you two old veterans(you and the Garand) look in about the same condition and match pretty well. Thank you both for your service to this country.

[GunnyMack]

Tom you made a GREAT point! I whole heartedly agree. If You were turning it into a match rifle then I'd say get new wood but Tom's words of wisdom have made me think differently...

[Pitchy]

I agree thanks fellars for the kind words of wisdom.
That`s what changed my mind i sat and looked at it and thought those gouges and scratches came from some guy dragging it over the ground in battle.

[GunnyMack]

Ol Sixgun must still be in a food coma!!

[Sixgun]

I'm here,....I'm here...slow day......that Pitchy and that kleptomaniac from Maine sent down their cold weather to me and Master Gunny. Shyt, it was 18 last night and it took some of that Osage Orange to keep the house warm. Gotta go an blow some leaves...I noticed a few minutes ago, returning from the post office, my neighbor got himself a new back pack Stihl blower. That makes me jealous as my Stihl blower is a hand held one....so I'll go out there and ask him how much he paid or just beat him up and take his. He is 76 but I think I can take him. His son, a swat cop may be able to take me though.

I'll do the "Pitchy Diplomacy".....offer him a rum and Coke and when he turns his head, I'll swipe his new blower.


On another note, last month I drove 45 miles to get pure gas...no ethanol.....I was not prepared and only bought 5 gallons. I'm going back next week with an empty gas tank on the Jeep and stock up. That stuff really makes your small engines run like a champ.----6

[fordwannabe]

You are correct Sir. We are fortunate that ONE gas station around here has no ethanol fuel... and really lucky it is only a mile away. All I run in our small engines.

[Pitchy]

43 degrees today, melting all my snow.
We`re making another marble machine more complicated, got most of it done may finish it tonight not sure.
Six is sending some stuff, he`ll have to be the town Santa, thanks buddy.

[2ndovc]

I agree thanks fellars for the kind words of wisdom.
That`s what changed my mind i sat and looked at it and thought those gouges and scratches came from some guy dragging it over the ground in battle.

My M1 is a bit banged up and has mismatched stocks, but I decided years ago that I liked the " Been there, done that" look of it. It doesn't affect the super shooter ability of the Old Winchester one little bit. I always prefer a military or old Winchester with a few scars. One of my favorite quotes has always been; " Scars are like tattoos, but with better stories".


jb

[Sixgun]

Geeze....looking at that picture gives me the shivers....Gunny's pic of all those leaves. To avoid an overwhelming mess, I give it an hour a day.......now I know why he uses a plow...but after you plow, you get the neighbors leaves.

Fortunately, for me, the way the wind blows, my neighbor gets at least 50% of mine. On the other "wind side" of the property, which is non yard...wild.... I have nice pasture fencing that keeps most of it where it falls.

Dang Pitchy..I hope I got the right package to you. For real...no BS.....two weeks ago we had to order a new $90 battery for our FIOS back up system and because the Fed Ex driver is stupid and could not get his truck between the driveway barriers which are twelve feet apart. He left the battery at the end of the driveway and someone stole it at nighttime. So I got the same box, filled it with rocks and a half shovel of horse shyt, taped it up real nice and put it back at the end of the driveway...and low and behold, no one stole it, after sitting there for four days. I brought it back to the house and I hope that's not the one I sent Pitchy. The horse shyt is wrapped up real nice in newspaper and Saran Wrap to keep it from smelling. If you get that one Pitchy, don't eat it...it's not jerky.---

[GunnyMack]

[Pitchy]

Got the marble machine done, need to stain and lube it yet.



Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au5z0uOZe2E

[Sixgun]

Pitchy,
This is what I thought I sent ya...naaa...not really.....I sent ya the right stuff. I took this pick before I packed it up. Man, was I hoping they would steal it.....I threw it in the burn pit last night.----6. Ooooo.got to check out this new marble machine.

[Sixgun]

Pitchy...that marble machine looks like the deluxe version of the other one. To me, it's a work of art. Mom really liked it. Even our one dog was looking at it.

Down this way there are places where they have speciality auctions. If you packaged up your creations and came on down you could leave with lots of bucks.....just look at all of the Garands you could go home with.---6

[Pitchy]

Glad that`s not what`s coming
I`ll get it stained tomorrow and take another picture.
Thanks Six.

[Sixgun]

Brainstorming tonight....The has to be a way to whip those big shots at the club at the 2-500 meter silhouette matches. I've used the .223 with heavy match Sierra's and the .308 with the 168 match bullets. They all use the 6.5 Creedmore but I think the game can be won with a .22 centerfire but the bullets need to be fast.

I'm taking a heavy barreled varminter Remington 700 I have in 22-250 to the gunsmith on Monday and I'm gonna have it rebarreled to 22-250..there! That makes sense even though the 22-250 barrel I have on the gun has less than 2000 rounds out of it and still hits clay birds at 500 meters but....but..it has the very nasty 1-12 twist......the 53 gr. Sierra match bullets are prone to wind deflection so.....I'm gonna do what I have not seen the other guys do.......put a 30" barrel with a 1-7 twist on it and have it throated for the 77 grain bullets......mmmmmm. I'm thinking 3300, maybe 34 with the long barrel and 4064----6

[GunnyMack]

Now you are thinking Six! Less recoil than the heavier calibers, more bang per pound of powder too.
I have a 22-250 I put together on a Rem 600 Mohawk action. Bastogne walnut thumbhole stock. 6.5-20x 30 yr old Simmons silhouette scope & it's a tack driver with 55 BT's and SXSP's. Shot a lot of pasture poodles with it.

[Pitchy]

Got some stain on it.
Just finished fighting with a Grand combination cleaning tool, dern pin wouldn`t come out that holds the brush or rag pin in then broke a bit off trying to drill it out.
Finally got it straightened around after much aggravation.

[GunnyMack]

Were ya cussing? Always helps if a cuss!!

[Pitchy]

Me cuss

[Sixgun]

Were ya cussing? Always helps if a cuss!!

I knew a guy who instead of cussing, he smashed stuff. One time, in the eighties, he got mad at a 750 double pumper carb and smashed it on the cement floor. I was there and laughed, "hey John, let's have a beer!"

Will,
What twist did you put in that 22-250......I see your shooting 55's. What twist do you think would be the best with 69 gr Sierra matchkings. I'm thinking the 69s over the 77's because I don't want to give up too much speed. 1-9 1-8 1-7 ?

I'm thinking 30-06 necked to 22 caliber with a 1-7. Then I can launch 69 grainers 4,400 fps and no one will be able to beat me. I may have to put on a new barrel at each match but what the hell, it will be fun and I could always scrap out the steel for .05 a pound!

Pitchy....what till you get the Osage Orange...you will be able to make a cork screw out of that wood. Man! I can see it now....you,will have a marble machine that you will be able to use bowling balls. Instead of retuning the balls for another trip up the "ladder", maybe you can have them deposited on a catapult that automatically wings em at your neighbor!

2:00 and I ain't done nothing yet...been up for an hour and a half.

Tracking number..... 9505816146268327169867 ---6

[Sixgun]

Pitchy,
That brush is a chamber brush...shyt.! I have a few here...next package.

But....it won't be needed. I never use them as we are not fighting in the dirt and snow etc. ---6

[Pitchy]

Hows it coming UPS,USPS ?
Thanks again i`ll post pics when it arrives.
After more research about the Garand combo tool, the one i got has a aluminum permanently or used to be which goes in the bore to hold it straight for removing something.
The guy sent along a new brush and that`s what threw me, o well it will work.
I know Six, just wanted one for historical reasons.

Something else i did order, looks handy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZvqB-YeN20

[Sixgun]

Pitchy,
That item in the you tube video is another item that I classify as "a solution to a non existent problem". It's for clean freaks without much else to do in their lives. Maybe it's because I have other shyt to do but when I clean a gun that I cannot clean from the breech, I just turn the gun upside down on the first pass or two and let the junk fall to the ground.

As I'm pretty much of a clean freak ....but not overly clean freak......I have a separate air line from the garage on down to the gunroom......I consider an air line to the gunroom a 100% necessity. If I forget to plug in the proper line or have the wrong pressure set and it's raining, snowing, wind blowing 100 mph and the only thing I'm wearing are my underpants...I WILL go out the door..to the garage and get air. For most jobs I like about 70-90 psi as I can adjust down if I want to in the gunroom.

As you know, most lever actions accumulate foreign matter and nothing works as good as compressed air.

Now.......on to another project for YOU...MR. PITCHY!!!! You know those Ethiopian clips you have? You can do some experimenting with them via You Tube videos. This is a five rounder I bought but you can make about any quantity size you want, even a single loader if you so desire.

When loading single, I find it just as easy to stick one in the chamber by my fingers. Like the ammo I sent ya...one at a time or you can load the whole block up...don't matter.---6