Firecracker... BOOM! (the zombie apocalypse thread)

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semioldfart

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Next [mold] victim. This was my granddad's. I just cleaned this up to kill the mold. Never going to shoot it it, was just trying to keep it from spreading cooties and give it some dignity.

Took forever to find any markings. I've only cleaned the mold with vinegar then alcohol and clp on the metal. After finding the markings though... its a Winchester Thumb Trigger. Sometime from 1904 to 1920 from the markings i believe. Grandad was born in 03 so this was quite likely his own boyhood rifle.

Then, I don't know why, I looked up the value .. apparently these are a thing. An absolute cherry one went for $4k. Even in this horribly rough condition it might fetch as much as my M1 for the right person. I regret even looking it up because I had no intention of selling it, however... my grandad would beat me with it if he knew it had value and I'm trying to house and feed his great grandson and i refused to sell it for sentimental attachment. He was an immensely practical and frugal man

Unfortunately this isn't likely to sell quickly on consignment, it's kinda got to be a WINCHESTER collector. To most of us its just an old rusty youth gun with a broken stock. I'm not really sure what to do about that stock given the collector value. The repair is at least 60+ years old, but the pins have worked loose now and it's wiggly.

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Pilgrim

Pilgrim

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semioldfart said:
So i was mulling over the Cricket I bought 25 years ago.... only once i had a kid he's a lefty. Its my possum popper. Its be nice if it was a repeater to feed cb's but ... if i replace it with a bolt gun there's still the lefty issue..

Tonight it hit me .. Lever gun!! Rossi makes a synthetic stock lever 22lr. Thats got to be the ultimate ambidextrous manually cycled 22lr. Stick a reflex sight on it (for corruptin yutes) and run CB's... i think we might can fight off a tin can invasion with that
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I’m mostly right handed but my dominant eye is left. I’ve shot right-handed rifles left-handed all my life, but a lever action is the great equalizer in that respect. The Ruger 10-22 is also a nice option, inexpensive and semi-auto, also compact and doesn’t need a lot of room for storage. A small scope on one works nicely. I find the heavy bolt action of the 10-22 a bit distracting, but an everyday 22 is a 50 to 100 yard rifle anyway. My dad had a Marlin 22 lever action take-down model (the “Golden Mountie” with the gold-placed trigger) and it was a very nice rifle indeed.
 
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semioldfart

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I have a 10-22 but the desire for an ambidextrous manually cycled gun is driven by 1) training a new shooter who's never fired a gun, and 2) I want a repeater that will feed CB's. Two completely separate goals (well, I'd probably start my kid with CB's, but they're also my go-to for dispatching four legged porch pirates) I've been using the single shot for that - but the other night I had multiple coyotes in my front yard - within 10 yards of my front door.

I'm strongly leaning towards a reflex sight - it'd be great for both the dispatching gun and also teaching my son. Yeah I'm a die hard peep sight guy - it's a crime manufacturers still default to leaf sights over a century after we knew they were superior, but ... I'm trying to set this kid up for success.
 
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Pilgrim

Pilgrim

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semioldfart said:
I have a 10-22 but the desire for an ambidextrous manually cycled gun is driven by 1) training a new shooter who's never fired a gun, and 2) I want a repeater that will feed CB's. Two completely separate goals (well, I'd probably start my kid with CB's, but they're also my go-to for dispatching four legged porch pirates) I've been using the single shot for that - but the other night I had multiple coyotes in my front yard - within 10 yards of my front door.

I'm strongly leaning towards a reflex sight - it'd be great for both the dispatching gun and also teaching my son. Yeah I'm a die hard peep sight guy - it's a crime manufacturers still default to leaf sights over a century after we knew they were superior, but ... I'm trying to set this kid up for success.
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I have a peep sight on my Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage. I find it much more friendly to my old eyes than standard buckhorn sights. My daughter once asked me if I had a hunting rifle (she was going out hunting with her boyfriend) and I got it for her. She said "Dad, there's no scope!"

I responded "See this? It's a peep sight. You will be surprised how well it works." She got a deer, and when she got home, I asked "What do you think of that peep sight now?" :cool:
 
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ponchonlefty

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Pilgrim said:
I have a peep sight on my Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage. I find it much more friendly to my old eyes than standard buckhorn sights. My daughter once asked me if I had a hunting rifle (she was going out hunting with her boyfriend) and I got it for her. She said "Dad, there's no scope!"

I responded "See this? It's a peep sight. You will be surprised how well it works." She got a deer, and when she got home, I asked "What do you think of that peep sight now?" :cool:
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simple is good. less is more sometimes. i've never had a scope. i would like to try it though. how far you think a peep sight will hit the target? ive shot the eyes out of a wendy's cup at 30ft. 22 rifle. i don't know if that is good but i was impressed with myself at the time.
 
Andyman

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semioldfart said:
I have a 10-22 but the desire for an ambidextrous manually cycled gun is driven by 1) training a new shooter who's never fired a gun, and 2) I want a repeater that will feed CB's. Two completely separate goals (well, I'd probably start my kid with CB's, but they're also my go-to for dispatching four legged porch pirates) I've been using the single shot for that - but the other night I had multiple coyotes in my front yard - within 10 yards of my front door.

I'm strongly leaning towards a reflex sight - it'd be great for both the dispatching gun and also teaching my son. Yeah I'm a die hard peep sight guy - it's a crime manufacturers still default to leaf sights over a century after we knew they were superior, but ... I'm trying to set this kid up for success.
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Pardon my ignorance, what are "CB's"?
 
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semioldfart

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CB's are a primer only 22LR (or short) round - it shoots a 30gr or so bullet around 700-800 fps but it's very low noise - like suppressor without a suppressor. I wouldn't hunt with it but its fine for dispatching trapped small critters. Most semi-autos won't cycle them, or worse since most 22lrl semiautos are blowback and it just lacks sufficient recoil to completely cycle so it can jam
 
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semioldfart

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My first centerfire was an 8mm Mauser. I thought I'd been kicked by a mule. Second shot that muzzle was flapping in the breeze as i pulled slack. A few years later I shot an entire 70rd bandolier in one afternoon. It wasn't bad but the next day the goose egg was pretty sore
 
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semioldfart

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An interesting Mauser story - in 1914 an Irish rebellion occured against the brits. This author smuggled a boatload of M1871 11mmm Mauser rifles on his private yacht. After the skirmish the brits rounded up all the men with bruised shoulders.
 
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semioldfart

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340 grain bullet. I know it's black powder but I'm not sure which end of that I'd rather be standing on.
austria-13.jpg
 
Pilgrim

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semioldfart said:
My first centerfire was an 8mm Mauser. I thought I'd been kicked by a mule. Second shot that muzzle was flapping in the breeze as i pulled slack. A few years later I shot an entire 70rd bandolier in one afternoon. It wasn't bad but the next day the goose egg was pretty sore
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My first center fire rifle was a 1911 Swiss Schmidt-Ruben 7.5MM. It's a mile long, has a ladder rear sight, set up to shoot up to 300 yards and the Swiss weren't kidding. Straight stock, metal butt plate and delivers a solid smack in the shoulder on every shot. I still have it, although it's for sale at a local gun shop. My "hunting" rifle is a pre-war Savage model 99 in .300 Savage with a peep sight.
 
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