Took the old (1905) Marlin 1894 to the Happenz and kept it busy the whole weekend.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Marlin 1894 at 600 yards
Drew, you are correct. Those 32-20's are big time overachievers. What a great caliber!
Took the old (1905) Marlin 1894 to the Happenz and kept it busy the whole weekend.
Took the old (1905) Marlin 1894 to the Happenz and kept it busy the whole weekend.
2012 Happenz
Had a great time at this year's Happenz. Met some great folks, ate well, shot a bunch of dingers and milk jugs. GREAT fun.
RockRidge at 400 yards
Rock Ridge and Rowdy at 600 yards
RockRidge at 400 yards
Rock Ridge and Rowdy at 600 yards
Saturday, June 30, 2012
More VINTAGE 1894 video
One hundred and eighteen years old - an 1894 built in 1894 - still on the job and doing it with style.
And some of the highlights from the match.
And some of the highlights from the match.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Marlin 1894 - A New Chapter in an old Book
I have the good fortune to be in possession of a 107 year old Marlin 1894. I know little of its history other than the fact that it came to me from North Carolina via a consignment sale and it was obviously well (ab)used, though the mystery itself does add to the intrigue and desirability of this rifle.
Who owned it? How was it used? Where has it been?
Its configuration is very appealing to me - rifle sized, yet relatively light weight; 24" octagonal barrel; chambered in 32-20 Winchester... Near perfect in my eye.
For the time it is in my possession it will get some use as the "ranch rifle," the silhouette slayer, the dinger ringer, the critter gitter and the headliner in my safe.
It is proving to be an excellent shooter. The velocity sweetspots seem to be 1350-1400 fps (Unique, 2400) and right around 1,000 fps (W231) Impressive accuracy and a joy to shoot. Both 100 and 115 grain cast bullets are showing great promise.
Who owned it? How was it used? Where has it been?
Its configuration is very appealing to me - rifle sized, yet relatively light weight; 24" octagonal barrel; chambered in 32-20 Winchester... Near perfect in my eye.
For the time it is in my possession it will get some use as the "ranch rifle," the silhouette slayer, the dinger ringer, the critter gitter and the headliner in my safe.
 |
| 107 years old |
 |
| The standard of a rifle's handiness is defined by a levergun. This one simply shines. |
 |
| A great day in a perfect venue. |
 |
| The last time out the ol' 1894 tipped 31 targets over including a sweep of the pigs. The nut behind the trigger is to blame for the 9 left standing. |
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Ruger 10/22 Takedown
There are few rifles more ubiquitous than the Ruger 10/22. I've owned a number of them over the years but never held onto them for very long for one reason or another. They are endlessly customizable which adds to the fun and can lead to impressive accuracy.
The new Ruger 10/22 Takedown intrigued me enough to throw down the credit card and take one home. So far I'm impressed. The takedown system is the easiest to use of any I've come across - no tools required. The lock up is solid and the rifle functions reliably and in my limited testing the zero has held after several dis- and re-assemblies.
I will be installing a peep sight and I will test the repeatability of the zero when the rear and front sights are on different halves.
Accuracy is about the same as every other 10/22 I've owned - good, not great. The trigger is rather heavy and I've only tried the cheap bulk pack ammo through it which is unlikely to produce stellar accuracy, though it has performed reliably through the rifle.
I'm not a big fan of synthetic stocks but the 10/22 TD's stock is better than most I've come across. It has a nice heft and looks like it would handle rough conditions well. It also makes sense on a rifle that is likely to be stowed in a vehicle and/or neglected until needed.
The niche I see for this rifle is as a "truck gun." It's inexpensive, low maintenance, reliable, compact and versatile. The 22 is a notorious overachiever and when pressed can handle big jobs. It can easily be customized to suit the user and his needs. Ammo is inexpensive and easily carried.
I expect this 10/22 is one I'll keep. Nice going Ruger (again).
The new Ruger 10/22 Takedown intrigued me enough to throw down the credit card and take one home. So far I'm impressed. The takedown system is the easiest to use of any I've come across - no tools required. The lock up is solid and the rifle functions reliably and in my limited testing the zero has held after several dis- and re-assemblies.
I will be installing a peep sight and I will test the repeatability of the zero when the rear and front sights are on different halves.
 |
| Ruger 10/22 TD and the Marlin 39 Century Limited |
Accuracy is about the same as every other 10/22 I've owned - good, not great. The trigger is rather heavy and I've only tried the cheap bulk pack ammo through it which is unlikely to produce stellar accuracy, though it has performed reliably through the rifle.
I'm not a big fan of synthetic stocks but the 10/22 TD's stock is better than most I've come across. It has a nice heft and looks like it would handle rough conditions well. It also makes sense on a rifle that is likely to be stowed in a vehicle and/or neglected until needed.
The niche I see for this rifle is as a "truck gun." It's inexpensive, low maintenance, reliable, compact and versatile. The 22 is a notorious overachiever and when pressed can handle big jobs. It can easily be customized to suit the user and his needs. Ammo is inexpensive and easily carried.
I expect this 10/22 is one I'll keep. Nice going Ruger (again).
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
M&P 45C and the XGRIP
The XGRIP arrived today.
 |
| XGRIP with 10 round magazine |
 |
| XGRIP with 14 round Magazine |
 |
| 45C with XGRIP and Full Size comparison |
 |
I've been purchasing magazines and the XGRIP from http://gregcotellc.com/cart/index.php GREAT SERVICE and Pricing!
|
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
M&P 45 Magazines
M&P 45 Magazines are available with 8 (compact), 10 & 14 round capacities.
I purchased two more - a 10 and a 14 - from http://gregcotellc.com/cart/ which I've found to have great selection, very competitive pricing and OUTSTANDING rapid service.
The 14 round magazine has a permanently attached grip extension that my wife and I both found to be very comfortable when shooting with two hands and seems to further mitigate recoil due to increased leverage. This is something I will be testing further.
So far the function seems to be fine though I need to test more to be confident in that. The 14th round is a bearcat to load. I'm certain some will require a loading device. Inserting a fully loaded magazine into the pistol with the slide in battery (as with a tactical reload) it requires a firm tap to fully seat the magazine. There does seem to be an increased drag when working the action with a full mag on the first round and the next 13 feed more easily. It will take some testing to convince me this is 100% reliable - though so far, so good.
The 14 round magazine seems to be a very nice option for a home defense situation. It would probably serve well as a secondary magazine when in the field or for competitions when capacity isn't limited.
I purchased two more - a 10 and a 14 - from http://gregcotellc.com/cart/ which I've found to have great selection, very competitive pricing and OUTSTANDING rapid service.
So far the function seems to be fine though I need to test more to be confident in that. The 14th round is a bearcat to load. I'm certain some will require a loading device. Inserting a fully loaded magazine into the pistol with the slide in battery (as with a tactical reload) it requires a firm tap to fully seat the magazine. There does seem to be an increased drag when working the action with a full mag on the first round and the next 13 feed more easily. It will take some testing to convince me this is 100% reliable - though so far, so good.
 |
| 14 round mag - Empty |
 |
| 14 round mag - loaded |
 |
| Fully loaded Mag weight - 15.1 ounces |
 |
| Empty Mag weight - 4.7 ounces |
 |
| 10 round Mag weight - empty, 3 ounces |
 |
| Fully loaded 10 round mag weight - 10.5 ounces |
 |
| The 10 & 14 round magazine will fit and function in the 45 Compact. 14 round magazine shown. |
The 14 round magazine seems to be a very nice option for a home defense situation. It would probably serve well as a secondary magazine when in the field or for competitions when capacity isn't limited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
