The Joys of a 55 Year old Milsurp Rifle

Don't get me wrong. I really like my SKS: there are times though where I wish I had saved and scrimped more for an M-1 or an AR-10 (I prefer the .308 round) or some other longer range weapon.
Today at the range was enjoyable though. It always is for me. I took to shooting like some do to sports. My only weakness (and I think most have similar) is the standing position. I can do it but not with any real accuracy.

So why am I being sarcastic? I had two Popped or Peirced primers today. One the Primer blew into the carrier housing and jammed me up so I had to do a field strip to get it out. The other one just filled my face full of smoke.(luckily the round cleared the barrel. It hit the creek at 50 yards so you probably could have snatched it out of the air it was moving so slow.) Granted neither of these things is the fault of the rifle but of my using 30+ year old ammo. The problem with the rifle was caused by the blow back of that last popped primer. The gasses cooked the firing pin spring and the firing pin bent during the extraction. Not a big problem since the parts are only $40 from Murray's in Texas. Thinking that it might not be a bad idea to order two and keep one in the cleaning kit "just in case".

This was todays results.(Target size is 11 1/2 X 17". At 250 the sight post covers the whole thing up. LOL The black Bullseye is 8"dia.) This is about the limit of this little round. 250 yards from a supported prone position. After 250 yards though the 7.62X39 peters out pretty quickly and starts to drop like a stone. The Ballistics chart show a drop of almost 5 feet at 500 yards.

I was going to go to the gun show today but decided that I need to concern myself with other endeavors for now. I have a good source for Milsurp ammo and that is one area that I really need to concentrate on for some time. I am thinking about getting a bolt action Mosin Nagant and this place carrys that round too. Who knows, I may run across something even better and jump on it the same way I did the SKS.

In other realms of the interwebs, Mike over at Sipsey St is hammering the mouse and keyboard today with lots of good articles and links to other good articles. I spent about 2 hours over there before posting here. Go Enjoy. Talk more tomorrow.

We Have come full circle,

I have been saying it for sometime now that we have come full circle in the Racist Department. Obama's recent pick for the supreme court is showing that yet again. I wasn't saying anything on it until I saw this cartoon this morning.(regular link here)

Knowing what she stated at Berkley should be enough to make her not eligible for the seat. She is not a blind justice by anymeans. I haven't anything else to add to that.

F@CKIN "A" RIGHT!!!!!

Total Survivalist Libertarian Bitch Fest Posted this today. I don't watch any Television at all so I would have never seen this nor heard about it since you know CNN nor MSNBC wouldn't cover it since it would offend the Latino's of the nation(legal and not legal ones)

I don't know how many times I see complete disregard for Flag etiquette in this country. I see them in Horrible shape and faded and no one ever does anything about it. If you report the issue the police won't do anything about it since its on private property and they wouldn't have a clue what statute to write a ticket for anyway.

It disgusts me some days.
I remember a ceremony for an old flag while I was in scouts. Yes we burned the flag but with great fanfare and more than a little mourning. It was a big deal to us. Its still a big deal for me today. The flag had reached a point where flying it would have been an insult to the country it represented. Once the old flag was 'laid to rest' the new flag was posted and flown with just as much ceremony.

This guy did something that REALLY needed done and while he may have pushed the envelope, I think He made the Point VERY CLEAR. Its still America no matter what the whiny jerk off on the hill wants to apologize for. Its still America no matter how many Mexican immigrants come here (legal or non). You want to show respect for your country like that? GO HOME! This is my country and I won't tolerate it being belittled like that from a jerk that is living the American Dream but wants Mexico to stand tall.

The Hermit was right.

I had this piece I was working on in Word that I bailed on to head out to make some cash this morning.

I come home and proof read what I had and decided that what I had was 'crap'. There is so much going on and it is being covered by others with much more eloquence and depth than I.

The only comment that I shall retain from that endeavor: "Why am I surprised that a Racist President pushing a socialist agenda would assign a racist gender profiling Judge to the Supreme Court? "

Asking myself that I find, "I am not surprised."

All I can do at this point is maintain the course of Preparedness as Best I can in a crap economy while unemployed. This is actually easier than I first thought it to be.'

COMING EVENTS:

Gun Show this weekend and I have some Lucre to use. :) yay me. Frugal is the key word here and I may drive some vendor nuts triple checking rifling and actions but Hey, I will get the most for every dollar I put forward.

Long post coming.

Have a lot to say about things in the news today but I need to let it all Gel up before I post about it.

Answers then questions.

Hermit asked in a comment what kind of shows I do. Well as a musician I am a bass player but that is such a foregone skill that I doubt I would be able to carry a tune now; now days I am an “audio engineer’ aka The Sound Guy for pretty much whatever comes across the stages that I work. I was a touring Audio engineer for several years in theater (black Gospel plays) Rock n roll (kind of a shotgun definition there) and varied local and semi national events dependent upon what the Sound company that I worked for picked up along the way. From George W Bush to Malcom Jamal Warner I have had something to do with entertainment and Political sound since 2001.(further back than that but that was when I broke onto the national scene.) Usually one offs other than the occasional tour.
Bush in Troy Ohio 2004 campaign. over 100,000 in the crowd. 2 day load in for a 20 minute speech. We were TIRED after that one.

Now here is my dilemma: I retired from the sound scene 3 years ago to attempt (and Fail) at saving a relationship; lost a lot in the process including a house and my dogs. Now I am approached by the manager of a Regional act that has potential; they are asking me to go back out on the road to bring these guys up out of the mess of other potential national acts. They are going out on the Van’s Warped tour and will be out for roughly 2 months with the potential of picking up Follow up tours in the fall. These tours are bus tours typically but I do not believe this band is “Bus potential” yet so they would be in a Van till they proved a following. Here is where the real issue is for me. Its not the Van/Bus question. Both have a lot of downsides: the bus only makes them more palatable. My issue is that I am now awake to what is going on in this country and when you are on tour your whole world is what is behind that backstage door and leaves little to no room for ‘keeping up’ on current events. I am not worried about maintaining a relationship obviously since I am still single. I have a rather cheap apartment and a Good Respectable landlord so living here on the interims wouldn’t pose a problem.( just blows paying rent on a place that you ‘sleep’ in once or twice a month.) (another thought brings the question "how much is the promoter just blowing smoke up my butt?". Wouldn't be the first of that situation.)

Another aspect of this equation is my education. When I quit the road the last time I went back to school for IT. I wanted to do something with a fixed schedule and have a ‘normal’ life for once. Now I have been doing this IT schtick for about a year and half though the bottom seems to have dropped out with the economic situation. I am on the short end of the stick too since there are more out there with more experience than I in a flooded market.
Guessing I am going to wait and see. Things are going to fall in place one way or another and I shouldn’t be losing sleep over things out of my control

Lessons in Chemistry at the rifle range.

Went to the range today to verify that the changes that have been made to the rifle are for the better. (crowned barrel and trigger )

Fouled the barrel using the nastiest stuff I have.(Czech Milsurp) then changed over to the Hungarian ammo. Here are the first 10 from that.


Had a couple of flyers but not too bad all in all. Its strange but as the barrel heats up the rounds start to drift down. I am zeroed for 250m which puts my POI at 100m almost 5" above center.

Now its hot out today.(usually I am at the range in the wee hours of the day to beat the heat and late bloomers.) and humidity is about 80%(or more) so I am taking my time on things. 10 rounds heats up the gun pretty good and makes holding it 'interesting' sometimes. Especially if it has been resting in the sun for a few(such as the walk to the targets). So the sun is beaming down on the benches. Ammo box next to the rifle: me completely oblivious to the obvious.

(you can probably see where this is going but its not as bad as it could be.)

So I go back to the benches and fire off 10 more. First three I check. Where are my impacts?!?!!??! I borrow a guys Scope(my binos are only 14X, good enough for spotting but not enough to find a 'stray' hole on the paper if its not in the splatter zone) WHOA! about 9" and 8" left. WTF?

I go ahead and fire off the last 7 in that mag and wait for a cease fire. Here are the results for that.


Heres a tip that I have never had to deal with before. KEEP YOUR AMMO OUT OF THE SUN! Its not that it can 'go off' What it does do is changes the burn rate of the powder. I was zeroed in for 2400fps apx A guy further up allowed me to shoot one round through his Chronometer and a heated round was shooting at nearly 3000fps. The cheap bullets used in these rounds gets unstable very quickly at those speeds and starts to yaw almost immediately. Now in the heat of battle I wouldn't be concerned about it but if I were using this for hunting and putting meat on the table I would be. (granted if I were hunting it would be cooler out too so moot point)

There were lots of friendly shooters out today. One guy up a couple of benches had a Garand and a Mosin Nagant. He let me shoot the Mosie once. Nice rifle. For the price that these are going for its a very tempting piece too.(would be more tempting if it were semi-auto :) ) Very hard hitting rifle. Much harder than the SKS but then it is nearly twice the size or that round too. I would say the equivalent of a .308 and since the rounds are nearly the same not surprising.

crazy day- will post more later(like sunday)

Actually had work today for a change of pace. That and a job interview late in the day. Been rather hectic.

Ran 22' of header board and had to custom cut 14 trusses for a Faux roof for one of my landlords rehabs. Not complaining since it is allowing me a chance to use some 'rusty' skills and putting cash in my pocket. Feel the Vitamin D pumping through my veins too. Lots of sun today and I need it badly. (biggest complaint about IT work. Fluorescent sunshine stinks)
Tomorrow is more of the same then I have a show at the club till 2AM, and a repeat performance on Saturday. Luckily I can sleep in on Saturday morning since I will feel like hamburger after a 20 hour day.

So G'luck to me on the Job front and happy happy joy joy for cash in hand. WOOT!

Will post my fisk of the speeches made today by Obama and Cheney on Sunday. Still absorbing those.

THIS had me going a bit today.

On Irate Nation, Eagle posted this letter

Letter From A Dodge Dealer
Letter to the editor
5-20-9


My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and operated business in Melbourne, Florida.

My family bought and paid for this automobile franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second generation to manage this business.

We currently employ 50+ people and before the economic slowdown we employed over 70 local people. We are active in the community and the local chamber of commerce. We deal with several dozen local vendors on a day to day basis and many more during a month. All depend on our business for part of their livelihood. We are financially strong with great respect in the market place and community. We have strong local presence and stability.

I work every day the store is open, nine to ten hours a day. I know most of our customers and all our employees. Sunshine Dodge is my life.

On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009.

Without the Dodge franchise we can no longer sell a new Dodge as "new," nor will we be able to do any warranty service work.

Additionally, my Dodge parts inventory, (approximately $300,000.) is virtually worthless without the ability to perform warranty service.

There is no offer from Chrysler to buy back the vehicles or parts inventory.

Our facility was recently totally renovated at Chrysler's insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage at Sun Trust Bank.

HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN? THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY.

This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. We did NOTHING wrong.

This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy. This will also cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? This is a total economic disaster.

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

I beseech your help, and look forward to your reply. Thank you.


Sincerely,
George C. Joseph
President & Owner
Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu

Original link on American thinker.

Here is my response.

I think Mr. G Joseph just got his wake up call.

I am not being facetious either. Sad to see this crap pouring from the hill like it is. I am reminded of an abscess on a cat: it grows and grows till it bursts; the garbage that comes out is instant death or really slow lingering death to any small creature that comes in contact with it.(size determines time) This is a problem that has been coming for sometime now: the abscess is leaking. I would have to say it started LONG before GWB, Clinton, Bush1 Heck even before Reagan. Reagan was the Cobalt rod in the core to keep things from going critical but his time was too short lived.(and unfortunately gave birth to the Brady bunch, thanks Hinckley you wack job)

My doctor has a piece of advice he gives on occasion. 'Let it ride out.' You are going to be sicker than a dog for awhile and weak as a kitten for sometime thereafter but in the end you are STRONGER for it.

We needed to do that when the economy started tanking last year. I knew we were in trouble when there was suddenly an extra $600 in my account last year. Stimulus my A$$. 93% of Americans used that money to pay bills. Nothing to encourage production, nothing to encourage growth. DEBT.
Says something about whats really going on eh?

Currently we are past the 50% mark. Just over half of the people in the US have a job working for the .GOV. The other half are interspersed in Private sector, Entreprenuers, manufacturing, contstruction, etc. The real question arises then. What do we produce that the rest of the world would want to purchase?(key word here is 'want')

For the last few decades it was our money. Not our cars, technologies, or any other thing that we still produce something of.(sorry Apple and Microsoft. Operating systems don't count as they are considered Intellectual properties not materials.) MONEY.

Now we are lending to ourselves to pay off our debt. How is a house to stand when the foundation DOESN'T EXIST?
I know how. The people. Stop basing the economy on Fiat paper and base it on the people. In order to do that then the people are currency to be bought and sold as needed.

How ya like them apples?

I don't.

Wake up call.

I realize that some of my 'rant' is not backed by any fact finding. I could write a treatise on this with all of the links that I have collected since things started going south. I choose not to at this point on that (and this site) since we are all pretty much just giving vent to pressures that could drive someone insane if contained. There are better writers out there that are paid to do this and they do quite well at it. I will just rant.

Stepping back in Time

Just a little step back in time for me. Back when I lived in the Peoples Republic of Californiastan I was into this little band. Oingo Boingo. More for the Music dynamics then the content but now that I look back on it and hear it again. I realize that Danny Elfman was a hard core Conservative.
This song is what shows it.

There's nothing wrong with Capitalism
There's nothing wrong with free enterprise
Don't try to make me feel guilty
I'm so tired of hearing you cry

There's nothing wrong with making some profit
If you ask me I'll say it's just fine
There's nothing wrong with wanting to live nice
I'm so tired of hearing you whine
About the revolution
Bringin' down the rich
When was the last time you dug a ditch, baby!

If it ain't one thing
Then it's the other
Any cause that crosses your path
Your heart bleeds for anyone's brother
I've got to tell you you're a pain in the ass

You criticize with plenty of vigor
You rationalize everything that you do
With catchy phrases and heavy quotations
And everybody is crazy but you

You're just a middle class, socialist brat
From a suburban family and you never really had to work
And you tell me that we've got to get back
To the struggling masses (whoever they are)
You talk, talk, talk about suffering and pain
Your mouth is bigger than your entire brain
What the hell do you know about suffering and pain . . .

(Repeat first verse)

(Repeat chorus)

There's nothing wrong with Capitalism
There's nothing wrong with Capitalism
There's nothing wrong with Capitalism
There's nothing wrong with Capitalism

the new economy to come.

Zonation on Pajama's TV nailed it yet again.

Go watch. You may even end up staying awhile as there is more.

Check out some of Bill Whittle's stuff while you are at it.

Marksmanship

The Hermit has a post on a book that I haven't read since 1990 when I was on float to Kuwait. Excellent read for those that did and those that didn't/haven't served.

One of the points in the book talks about time on the rifle range. This is a key point to being a Marine. They don't fail you for not shooting expert but they strongly encourage it. The one thing that was noted then (in the book) and was noted in 88 while I was in BootCamp was that the southerners and the 'hillbillies' were more often than not(by a large margin) the ones that took expert.
Why? I think its more that we are more comfortable around firearms than most. We grew up with them and for many of us our first big gift was a firearm of some sort. My first 'gun' was a daisy BB gun and it only grew from there.

Even today I keep either a pump pellet gun or break barrel pellet gun around. They are my 'trainers' for helping teach the basics to new shooters and they reinforce proper habits on veteran shooters. Some may prefer the .22 for this but not me. The pellet 'hangs' in the barrel longer on an air rifle and forces you to hold position steadier for your follow up.

For those that would like a refresher on the basics HERE are some links to an old Army training film. They cover the basics of position, site picture, windage and elevation adjustments, proper shooting technique, calling your shot, and Proper sling usage. (I go back and forth on the sling but tend to use a 'hasty sling' since it does help, especially in the higher powered rifles.) One other advantage of using air rifles for training is in locations. Most cities will frown upon firearms usage in the city limits. With an air rifle you can set up a decent backstop and shoot out to 25 yards and not get looked at funny(well not by the police anyway). 25 yards is fine for getting the basics down and learning to get 'zeroed'. The real training comes in play at the 300 and 500 lines but if you don't learn enough at the 25 you are wasting time and ammo on the others.

An excellent Air rifle for Plinking and Critter control is this one. You can sometimes find them at Wallie world for the same price. Dual caliber .177 and .22 so practice can be cheap and still have the ability to use this on critter control. I use the .177 for target practice as the bullet travel is comparable to a regular rifle and the .177 is dirt cheap. The .22 is powerful enough to take larger game in hunting if you use the right pellets. I haven't personally tried it but one person claims to have killed beaver with this pellet. Pictures say a lot and his are no exception. Cheap practice is still good practice so long as you practice the right things. THE BASICS. This is a great way to stay on top of good shooting and with the right purchases you can get some High quality shooting in for under $200. (side note: For those, Like me, that prefer Iron sights; there is a peep sight for this rifle available that is similar to that on an M1)

One thing I found 'funny' today about that post is that I was looking at a new (well new to me) Long range rifle today. I have been bouncing around on some and keep looking at some of the Communist bloc rifles. (only because of budget not desire) I am looking at this and this. Now I am partial to Semi-automatic and always have been. Both rifles use the same ammo and it is comparable to the .30-06 in range and power(and has the benefit of being available AND relatively cheap) All of this is going to have to wait till I am working again but I can plan now.

Disclaimer. I do not have any affiliation with any of the links posted other than knowing quality products on a budget. I do heartily reccomend them through experiance though.

Just a thought on history and the future.

Quote:

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly... It would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be hightly rated. Thomas Paine

How many are born into "Freedom" now-days actually understand the concept? Is it any surprise that the majority can be persuaded by a Charismatic Character claiming to be able to take care of "all of the problems"? How many understand that the troops aren't necessarily fighting for our freedom at this point but that of a country that cares not one wit for freedom? Though they aren't fighting for our freedom now, they may be soon enough. We may be right there along side of them. We may even have to make the first moves and hope that they see the dedication and join us.

There were three things that were considered 'unalienable' by the founding fathers. Jefferson had to compromise on the third to appease a group but those ORIGINAL three things were LIFE, LIBERTY, and PROPERTY. The compromise changed it to Pursuit of happiness(which is unalienable but is only definable on an individual basis and very circumstantial) Life is the easiest to define. Liberty can be subjective. Our current majority doesn't seem to realize that the 'Liberty' they have chosen is sitting on a very slippery slope to Fascism.

How willing are you to TRULY understand the cost of FREEDOM? Freedom is the costliest of all as it may take the other two unalienable rights to 'purchase' it. Are you ready to write that check?

Pacing the Floor, Need a job.

Some days you wake up and find that things are so terribly wrong with the world that you start pacing the floor like a caged animal hoping to find some new route out of the cage. You look at the people around you and want to grab them up and scream in their faces to WAKE UP! This is not America the way it was intended.


" It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime, what better place the here, what better time than NOW."

I am headed out to do a show tonight and I am hoping that my mood improves. Its getting harder and harder to be civil.
I think that getting a full time job would improve my outlook but I also wonder if thats just some type of denial on my part. I can't go back to sleep and not see what is going on in this country. Every day it gets worse.

Sounds of Summer in the 'Hood

Sitting on my porch smoking(I know BAD!) listening to the sounds of the world around me. I don't think anything bad was going on but I did hear the sound of a 12 gauge in the distance. 2 rounds about 4 seconds apart. Then up the road, someone popped off about 8 rounds of .22. Hard to mistake that crack. Most definitely not firecrackers.

No sirens so It was probably just fun shots going off. Its way to early to hear the 9's going off. Those usually wait until after the bars are closed and the 'bangers are feeling cocky enough to "defend" turf or settle some scores.

New Years Eve here was quite interesting. I actually called it an early night even though I didn't need to. I was awoken to the Gunfire. Not really surprised at all but the quantity of it was surprising to me. I even went on to the front porch and shot 3 rounds into the yard for giggles. THEN I heard it. Someone in the neighborhood had a Full AUTOMATIC. Probably AK since it sounded like 7.62X39 going off. I had my muffs on so I couldn't tell if there was that 'Clack' of an AK going off but I know Full Auto when I here it. It may have been a bump fire but I doubt it in this case. There are several military familys in the area and I know that during Kuwait we had quite a few that were successful in bringing back 'trophies' .

To bed with me though. I have a show tomorrow so Its going to be a long day/night for the grumpy cuss. LOL

Range report. (stupid Diogenes)

Well when I came too this morning it was not to a coffee maker or an alarm clock. It was to the crack of thunder. Lovely. NO range trip for now.

Well of course I checked email and read my daily's and surfed the job sites and Craigslist. That took about an hour or so and still RAIN Grrr.

Back to bed. (the only advantage to being unemployed.)

Awoke a couple of hours later to


CLEAR SKIES WOOT!

On to the range.

Cold range not a person in sight on any of them. Range master is taking a nap in the office. DOUBLE WOOT!

Set up my targets and fire off 20 of the wolf black box to warm up the barrel and get her a little fouled. I have found that this rifle likes to be dirty and won't shoot for squat without carbon in the barrel.
First 20 are kinda scattered about but all about 6 inches above center. I expected that and I am trying to get the POI 3.5" above POA at 100m. Thats my Zero for 250m
Ok. Now its time to see if things tighten up.
10 rounds with the Czech ammo.

WTF! 8" target and only 3 on paper and nothing showing a problem (like breathing or trigger jerk.) Now is when I realize that I was stupid. I only brought 10 rounds of each and nothing more. Now I have to move on no matter what.

10 rounds Hungarian.

better. But now everything is to the Right of center and sitting about a 6" pattern.
Grr. Make no changes and move on.

10 rounds of Wolf.
WTF! now I am back on center and high. at least that much is being consistent.

10 rounds Winchester SP

first three rounds. Look down range and don't see anything on the target.

Luckily I am still the only one on the range so I just put a clip in the carrier and walk down to see what the heck is going on.

The target is centered on a 2'X 3' backboard. The three rounds I shot are right on the upper edge of the board and within 1/4" of each other. That's 16" high on center. Seeing the placement I know that this is not me but a setting somewhere on the rifle. Just for giggles I return and shoot dead center bottom of Board. Three rounds.

Dead center of target.

I start to look over the rifle to make sure that nothing is loose or came out of adjustment. Nothing out of whack. Since I mainly shoot the cheap stuff I leave the settings alone and fire off the last 4 rounds.(still kicking myself over that one) By this time there are a couple of guys unloading gear and setting up so I just pull my targets.

I didn't take pics this time since I not only failed to take spare ammo to recheck myself; I also forgot the camera. The targets tear to much removing them from the back board so no pics there either.

Looking on the net it seems that there is a difference of only 2 grains in bullet weight between the milsurp stuff and the Winchester 122v124 but there is also a difference of 2 grains in powder. The Winchester is most definitely hotter. AND newer. the milsurp stuff I have is about 30 years old. It still shoots but it definitely has lost some 'ummph'

After seeing the difference that newer ammo makes to the equation I am seriously considering reloading in the future. Even though I had to give it some Tennessee windage to get on center with the new ammo the pattern was amazing. 7 rounds in the red center and not touching the edges. If I had more of it I would have been able to shoot the center out of that target. Sadly this is not a good time to be considering reloading as a hobby since it has become so much harder to find the components. While I was packing up one of the guys there asked if I had seen any large rifle primers in the stores.

The other aspect of that is I would rather reload something with a more standard case. Like .30-06 or .308 the 7.62X39 case is a bear for primers and bullets.(.310) I do like the way it shoots but I think if I am going to reload I want something that has a little more Range to it.

NOTE: Having seen what the New ammo can do I am perfectly happy with this rifle for hunting. Especially in the midwest were I Highly doubt that I will be making 100+yard shots. Maybe out west there would be a need to upgrade but not here.

Range Trip

Since my last range trip I made a couple of modifications to the SKS. I recrowned the barrel since I noticed that the end was slightly deformed when My Neighbor knocked it off its hanger. I noticed that it had changed in windage but hadn't equated it to any damage to the barrel.
The other modification was in the firing pin though that shouldn't effect the ballistics of the rounds. This mod is only to insure that I don't experience the notorious slam fire that the SKS is known for. I added a spring to the pin also to insure that it returns to nuetral position each time. Sorry, no picks since my camera completely sucks on close up picks. You wouldn't have been able to see anything meaningful anyway.

Goals for this trip. Insure that the rifle is functioning correctly first and foremost.
Second is to shoot 10-20 rounds of each type of Ammo that I have and compare the results. The reason behind this: to determine what type of ammo I will prefer.
I have available Hungarian Milsurp. Czechoslovakian Milsurp and Russian Wolf black box. I Can get any of the three fairly easily though the source comes and goes at times. I know that the Wolf ammo is not the greatest and I hope to prove that the actual milsurp stuff is better even though some of it is nearly as old as the rifle itself.(haven't yet had a Dud round that wasn't caused by me changing things in the rifle. lol )

So off to bed with me so that I can get an early start and get my shooting in before the range gets busy.

Repost from Irate Nation.

this is in response to "war is Hell" from American Thinker.

We cannot stop a Holocaust without inflicting pain. We cannot end the Gulag without hurting people. We cannot free slaves without the horror of civil war. We can be silent, passive, and helpless in the face of evil, and, perhaps, survive. But we cannot stop evil without fighting evil, and that battle cannot be conducted without hurting people.

And that's the truth that has hindered so many in this endeavor to stop the Infringements upon the US population. No one that has any conservatism values wants to hurt another human being, not intentionally anyway.

Sadly we are headed to a place where many will be hurt, maimed, and or killed. In masses that make many of us hesitant even when justified. We still hold our principles of right and wrong above our own heads. At some point our values will be outweighed by need to "fix" the problem. Then we will be absolved of any guilt in our endeavors.

The current PTB don't seem to have the same principles. They operate as if above the law. Maybe they are above the Law of the Land but they will eventually find out that the law of Man still applies to them quite well. When that day comes I hope to be still breathing as I REALLY want to see the looks on their faces when they realize that they can bleed for their crimes.

I would rather strife in my time that my children can live in peace. I think that was Samuel Adams that said that but it fits very nicely with my thoughts today. I posted to my blog today due to the feelings that I am having. They were spurred on by [URL="http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97374"]report[/URL] of a man that was arrested and detained while they did checks to see if he was on the watch lists. The reason for this was that he had a Gadsden Flag bumper sticker on his Truck. No other reason needed since Janet Napolitano issued her edicts on what an Extremist is.

We are no longer free in this country. Make no mistake. Within a year if not sooner, People will start to 'disappear' in the night. The courts won't be anymore full than they are now because Habeaus Corpus is going to go the way of Posse Comitatus in this country. There will be no warnings.
And to speak out will put you on the lists faster.
[URL="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97489"]It won't only be what you say in public either.[/URL] Just reading these pages will get someone paying attention to you.[QUOTE]As noted above, the DHS has compiled a long list of folks the government considers terrorists. The bill, if enacted, would allow the attorney general, a documented gun-grabber, to deny millions of Americans due process. “[Rep. King] would deny citizens their civil liberties based on no due process,” Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, tells WorldNetDaily.[/QUOTE][URL="http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/36685"]http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/36685[/URL] for the rest. It even mentions that if you voted against Obama you may be on the lists. Now if that isn't Chicago styled Politics(AKA Mob Tactics) I don't know what is.

The PTB want this set up so that things can be done quietly without undue attention. They don't want the sheep to get nervous. Anyone that fights back will have a news report similar to that Guy in Pennsylvania that killed the three cops. I have a thought on that but I am not going to touch upon that here.

War IS hell. War within a country by separate Ideologies is even worse. But there will be need for it. We aren't going to fix this in the courts or the Ballot box. Sorry Glen Beck. Its just not going to pan out how you are wishing for. THEY won't let it. Force is the only thing that's going to get rid of them.

A little Anxiety going on today.

Today is Week 6 in the unemployment department. This ROYALLY SUCKS!!

Maybe I have a certain bias going on with the things I read but I am starting to get more than a little paranoid about the state of this country. I KNOW that our freedoms are being eroded away. Everyday I read about another infringement upon some citizen somewhere in the US and it only makes me more angry. I am slowly getting to the point that I don't want to haul my rifle to the range because I am afraid that some Gung-ho Trooper or Sheriff may pull me over and start running checks to see if I am on the "terrorist watchlist". I haven't a clue if I am on it or not nor will they come out and let you know. I guess the logic behind that is If you play by their rules then you haven't anything to worry about. Problem with that logic(if you want to call it that) is you need to know what the rules are to play by. The rules that I have been seeing mean becoming a slave to the System. NO THANKS. I like my life (other than being unemployed) and haven't any desire to change it other than where I live. Honestly, Texas is sounding better and better to me every day.

I think that what makes me the angriest is that I know this is the best country to live in for Freedoms. I have been to other countries and while I liked the Philippines it's not somewhere that I would want to live.

Ask yourself this: If you are pulled over, for any reason or none, do you feel comfortable telling the officer NO? No to answer their questions of where you are going or where you are coming from? No to Look into your PERSONAL Vehicle even if you aren't hiding anything?
Lets take it one step further. What if you are walking down the street in your town and a police officer asks for your ID? Out of the clear blue for no other reason than you are walking in a public place. Would you follow the request or tell them to take a hike?
I am guessing that a vast majority of the US would answer NO to all of the above questions. Yet if you look at the Laws that WERE ours, you would have every right to ignore those requests. NOW if you do they have every reason to assault you and arrest you. They can claim that you were impeding the legal system. Resisting arrest etc etc. These changes have encroached upon us so slowly that we hadn't considered how much has changed in this country. If these things had happened after WWII there would have been an uprising. Now we just bow our heads like good little dogs and whimper that we don't want to get hurt. These are people that call themselves "Public Servants" but who is acting like the servant here?

In the words of V: There is something seriously wrong with this country.

I am about ready to bail on Society somedays and just head to the hills and wait for the gunshots in the distance to tell me its time to come back and fight for whats right. I probably won't do that but man is it tempting. Especially when I am feel afraid to step outside and do things that I like to do that Are still legal(well at least the law against it hasn't been made public yet)

Think I am gonna call it an early night tonight and try to sleep off my paranoia.

LAZY and no Excuses

Its been a couple of weeks since I last updated. NO EXCUSES.

Unless you also show that I have spent the last week trying to get a truck with a FUBARed clutch back on the road with little to no money. LOL the advantages of being a McGyver are an untold advantage when you're BROKE.

So today despite weather reports claiming absolute Crap weather I went to the range. Its been since April 22 since I was last there and I had done some more fine tuning to the SKS trigger assembly. So here is the report of that.
(note: I was good. I didn't go hog wild with blowing Ammo down range. Just enough)

Key notes on rifle. removed one more coil off Trigger spring during hiatus. Rifle had been knocked off wall by Rude neighbor that can't figure out how to close a door and not slam it. In fall it 'dinged' the rear sight enough to bend one ear. Fixed this and prayed that it wasn't completely screwed.

Two Targets at 100M. 8" black splatter type. Firing Wolf black box so I am not expecting tight patterns. 15-25MPH gusts from left rear. Line is cold.(on a saturday WOOT!)

First round. Click!
Dammit. Now the trigger spring is too light and not hitting these damned Berdan Primers hard enough. Clear the chamber and check the round. No other issues so I reload it first in line to try again.
BOOM! Now thats what I wanted to hear. 3 clicks left and center.
Next round fires no issues. again 3 clicks left.
Go ahead and finish off that mag while the wind started picking up. One thing that I don't like about this range is that with the Berms cross winds can actually effect elevation too. The last 4 rounds out of the mag are 2 inches right and 7 inches High. This isn't because of a trigger jerk either. I know the difference. Reload a mag and the wind drops off.(at this time two 'shooters' arrive)
Target 2 back to the same area I was at before the wind. No its not the rifle or me getting 'jerky'. Call a cease fire so that new shooters can set up and I can change my targets.

Long story short. in the next HOUR I get off 2 20 round mags in rapid fire and target acquisition while 'Shooter Boy' 5 spaces down monkeys with his scope that he didn't set up at home. I am trying to be nice since during cease fires you have to leave the rifles 'bolt open' on the bench while you step behind the line. After one hour and this dude hasn't fired one shot I decide that I am done. Done being nice and done shooting for the day. Cease fire! I get flipped off.

Least to say we both left at the same time. The range master saw it and gave this guy the Boot. I didn't have to say a friggin word.

Rule one. When going to the range have your shit ready to use. If its not DON'T do it on the line. Thats just friggin rude. Granted I had a 'light trigger' going on but I didn't stop shooting. ( 5 FTF's in all and all of them fired second time through. Added two spacers to the trigger spring when I came home to bring the tension back up. Will recheck laters and take a couple more with me 'just in case')

Meanwhile in my Home life, Still unemployed and now going on the Public Dole. Not a proud moment in my life. Discussion on it can be found here.

David Codrea is asking for some sympathy that I am willing to lend to the best of my abilities. When you get a chance go check him out at Examiner. Going to set up a link in the side bar for future use (when and if this blog takes off LOL )