Wednesday, November 23, 2016

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

YES, it's been awhile. I see they've reconfigured the dashboard for this blog, and we'll
see how much of a challenge that is.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

A HANDGUN THIS OUTDOORSMAN IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT! THE PEDERSOLI "ITHICA" DOUBLE BARREL .45 COLT - .410

This year at the Shot Show, a company I like, Pedersoli, who make lots of western type firearms and reproductions and some cool guns like a .20 gauge black powder double barreled sawed off shotgun (legal without federal license because it's black powder muzzle loader).

I don't own any of their guns, but I've shot a few over the years and have no objection to owning one. So it was with much delight when I read they were introducing a Double Barrel pistol chambered in .45 Colt that will later this year be chambered also for the .410 shotshell.

See the TFB review here with a picture of it. Obviously, a .45 Colt that chambers .410 is nothing new. Going back over 35+ years to the Thompson Contenders likewise chambered, single shot guns, well that's what my dad and I carried at our country places as snake guns.

At the time, we both often remarked, as did many of our friends who thought the TC's in 45/410 were a great idea, how we wished it was a double barreled gun with a follow up shot capability.

Then came along, apart from some very large and heavy .410 revolvers the name of which escapes me, the Taurus Judge and the S&W Governor. For the life of me, I can't understand why the same shell in the far lighter and smaller Governor has less felt recoil to me than the several times heavier TC. Oh well, I sure do like the Governor. It's a great handgun for a fisherman as snakes tend to hang out in fishy areas. Having a few backup shots in .45 long Colt for any hogs behind some snake shot is not a bad feature of the Judge or the Governor.

Nonetheless, I like these guns. I don't care at all at first glance for the grip style and angle. I'd rather have some sort of TV like grip
I could put a Pachmayr signature grip on, or perhaps even a grip that resembles that of a sawed off Remington 870/1000 wood grip.

I have found that shooting near 90 degree handgun grips in small shotguns (AOL's or SBS's) is not so comfortable. Even shooting magnum shells in a 18" barrel pistol grip gun I don't find so comfortable. I always preferred sawing off a wood grip off a full sized shotgun shot for that angle that it possesses.

As an aside, while I'm talking about guns I like, a few years ago at a gun show I encountered a legal sawed off Remington 1100, with the wood stock sawed off and an extended magazine. I think he wanted $350 for it. I'd like to build my own such Remington.

But I'm looking forward to this double barreled .45/.410.


Saturday, March 12, 2016

REMEMBERING ORVILLE STRICKLAND, HOUSTON DRUMMER

I've been extremely remiss in not remembering my dear friend and noted Houston drummer, the late Orville Strickland. He passed from brain cancer in Houston twenty years ago last January or so. It was early in the year and I'll google later and correct the date if I can find it.

One of Orville's relatives posted some very nice comments HERE on a post about legendary drummer Roy Brooks where I referenced Orville. Since receiving those comments recently, I began remembering some of my times with Orville, and thought I would share them for his family and many friends who might sometime stumble upon this.

I want to do some fact checking and find out some particulars about who he played with over the years. I know he did an album with a band called "The Cheaters" or "Cheaters" and have seen a copy of it years ago.

I'll post more later when I get everything I'd like to say about Orville. I'd love to have some photos of him.

Friday, February 26, 2016

HEY RUGER, WHERE IS THAT 7.62 X 54R PRECISION RIFLE WITH A 26" BARREL?

I was really hoping to see Ruger step up to the plate and make a gun in this caliber. I've read where others have requested Ruger build a gun in this caliber for various popular bolt actions like the American series.

The 7.62 x 54r is a great round, and of course it's a very cheap round. It's also an accurate long range round, one befitting the 26" or 28" barrel one would find on a post-Mosin-Nagant Russian sniper rifle in that caliber. I like the PSL rifles, and kick myself for not buying one for about 8 bills a few years ago.

Still, I really don't need a semi-auto in that caliber, I'd like a nice bolt action. And I think the Ruger Precision is a mighty nice candidate for a gun in this caliber with a long barrel.

I really like the Mosins I have, a long one and a M44 carbine. They are what they are. I like the M44 with iron sights for close range hog hunting. 

But I'd really love a MODERN rifle in this caliber and although Savage, Mossberg, Browning, Remington or any other large rifle makers take notice of this, there is a huge market out there for a reasonably priced bolt action in this caliber.

Heck, I'd like to see a Browning BAR in this caliber as well. Or an FN rifle either semi or bolt.

But Ruger would be my first choice. Make it rugged. Make it strong. My Ruger guns have lasted and lasted and lasted.  A nice Ruger Precision with a long barrel in this caliber would be a great thing to see under the tree this Christmas!

Happy New Year!... and how about that Rick Perry?

Yes I'm a Texan and a big Rick Perry fan.  My dear friend and often written about fellow on this blog named Billy Ray is not. 

Rick just got exonerated and you can find the story elsewhere via google news. I'm very happy for former Governor Perry. He's not my bro or anything, but I got to work in his campaigns for many years and got to spend a bit of time talking to him. He always remembered my name, and that of my wife. 

The night I got to spend about 4 hours sitting next to him at a dinner, about a decade ago, he was introduced and took my name tag off for a photo. We talked about his drumming with ZZ Top and Delbert McClinton at President Bush's then recent inauguration. A friend of mine who was there and who is also a good drummer said Governor Rick did a great job on the skins that night, doing several numbers with each band.

After talking for several hours, mostly about drums and drummers, he gave a speech and in the course of the evening probably greeted a thousand people as it was a large affair. At the end of the night, he remembered my name, and I had no name tag on and my date that night, a friend whose husband was ill, had not mentioned my name.

I was highly impressed he would recall my name with all the people he saw that night, after about 4 hours of hearing it once.

I saw him several years later during a legislative session at the Capital. Again, he greeted me by name. That's a great memory, and pundits attack his memory. 

I feel fairly sure, although I am a relative nobody politically speaking and I'm not a big contributor to anyone, that Governor Perry would recall my name were he to run into me at the Apple store or a gas station.

Most of my friends, other than Billy Ray, are very happy for the Governor. Rick, we feel your vindication!