REPEATING CROSSBOW

[Lew Hodgett]

Now that was one lucky shot or a damn small buck.

Lew

[Lew Hodgett]

My dad's dream bird gun was a double barrel 20 ga with a modified and full chokes.

Never got one, just didn't do enough bird hunting.

Lew

[Morris Dovey]

| My first shotgun was an Ithaca SuperSingle. | | Had a lever on it like a Model 95 but it was only used to open the | breech. | | Learning how to shoot with a single shot was how we all were raised.

I bought an already old Winchester .410 s/s for my kids to learn with - and required that they take the firearms safety course before they started hunting. At the end of the course, kids were invited to bring a shotgun and five shells for a bit of post-graduation skeet shooting.

Most of the kids showed up with their dad's 12 ga pump - and a some of 'em actually managed to hit a couple of pigeons.

When my oldest's name was called, he stepped out carrying his five rounds and that old 410. There was a real buzz, a couple of guffaws, and considerable snickering. He looked pretty serious and I could tell he didn't feel very comfortable with what he was hearing.

Two or three minutes later, after stuffing the fifth spent shell in his pocket, he turned around and grinned at the (now /very/ quiet) spectators. He was five for five.

I'm still grinning.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Swingman]

That bucks head was a hellava lotter bigger than the squirrels I'd been hunting for a year with that rifle.

I was nine, was deer hunting with grown ups for the first time, was put purposely out of the way in a stand where you couldn't see further than 25 yards, was instructed not to shoot unless the deer was standing still and I could get a clear head shot. I'm sure they thought I wouldn't see a deer, much less get a shot.

When that buck walked under my tree I was shaking, _bad_, but all the parameters were met ... bingo, the only one to get a buck on that trip.

On that same trip I won my first $10 bill from one of my Dad's friends by hitting a beer can at 50 yards with an old Remington rolling block 45/70, and the second on the very next shot ... after he too had said "lucky shot". :)

[J T]

Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 9:44pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Swingman) doth sayeth: My first, at the age of nine (times have changed), was a Winchester Model 69 bolt action .22.

Changed indeed. Mine was at age 11 (I think I have a few years on you), one of tose Savage over and unders, .22 on top, .410 on the bottom, selecter button on te side rater than on the hammer. Used, of course, for the not so insignificant sum at the time, of $15. Never could hit a damn thing flying with the .410, damn thing was full choke. The .22 on the oher hand, was stiffened by the shotgun barrel, and was dead on, used that for squirrels rather than the .410 - never did belive in shotguns for squirrel hunting. Song gone, and not really missed; got a nice single shot, bolt action, rifle awhile back and mode mods to suit me. Got me a nice 12 ga pump, with a 19" barrel, too - always did like stand alone equipment. LOL

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[Swingman]

(64) If you do, my sympathies ...

IOW, no need to aim, just face in the direction of perceived danger ... basically why, in RVN, I shitcanned the M16 & .45 TOE issues and commandeered an M-79 and a boatload of buckshot rounds.

[J T]

Sat, Jun 30, 2007, 12:10pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Swingman) did poseth: (64) If you do, my sympathies ... IOW, no need to aim, just face in the direction of perceived danger ... basically why, in RVN, I shitcanned the M16 & .45 TOE issues and commandeered an M-79 and a boatload of buckshot rounds.

67 next December.

If I recall right, I got in-country just in time for TET '67. I was fortunate enough to be issued an M-14; love those things; shot expert, every time. On the other hand, never saw an M-16 I sould sight in, period - POS. Plus my non-issue .45, another love. Road trips, especially at night, were much more relaxing with my non-issue M-79, and

2 or 3 bandoleers of buckshot rounds along. Before I left country I was trying to convince my room-mate to get ahold of a M-60 for me. LOL

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[Swingman]

Hehe, know the feeling ... along with the M79, I "misappropriated" a 60mm mortar (strictly to use for illumination rounds - _hated_ those night attacks), and four (count 'em, 4) 50 cal machine guns, none in our TOE, but combined a great comfort on a dark night when you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

[Morris Dovey]

In different contexts I liked the M-1, hated the M-14, liked my 'greasegun' (but not the .45 sidearm), and liked the M-16 (well enough to buy a Sporter-1 with a Bushnell 3-9X scope when I got out).

I like the /idea/ of quad-50's, but doubt that I'd much have much enjoyed jumping with one :-)

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Swingman]

Two years "training" with one in the Corps at Texas A&M in the early 60's (and in one summer training camp actually firing the damn thing) ... "reliability" personified. Could probably still field strip one, blindfolded. :)

The weapon during my Basic/AIT/OCS days ... at least it was accurate, as I manged to fire "Expert" with it every required qualification, although one blew up on the rifle range right next to me in Basic, blinding, for life, the young recruit who was firing it.

M3? ... never messed with it, although there were a few "base camp commando's" who carried it in RVN. Like having a fully automatic .45 caliber pistol, IIRC.

I would love to have brought my service .45 back with me like my WWII veteran Dad managed to do. He still has his. Not very accurate, but would have served well in some of the streets around this urban cess pool today. :)

Threw it away immediately I was assigned to an ARVN Ranger Battalion and "acquisitioned" the aforementioned M79, which I carried for the next 13 months; light, fit under your arm pointing which every way you were looking, and would cut a small tree down, and there was not much need for a rifle when you can't see 50'.

Neither would I ... but just the sound of them working out _almost_ made you feel warm/safe inside. :)

How's the woodworking going ... doesn't seem to be much happening around here in that vein lately?

[Morris Dovey]

A little better than that, but not by much. It was strictly a close quarters weapon, but hard to beat when you were way too close to way too many unfriendly people - the normal environment for my MOS. I was glad to have it, but expected that if I ever needed to use it the best I could hope for would be proper escort across the rainbow bridge.

| I would love to have brought my service .45 back with me like my | WWII veteran Dad managed to do. He still has his. Not very | accurate, but would have served well in some of the streets around | this urban cess pool today. :)

The one time I thought a handgun would be of any use I went off-post and bought an old (serial number < 450) Walther P-38. I still have it. For that job all I needed to do was encourage a relatively small number of unfriendly folk to keep their heads down until I was on the ground.

| How's the woodworking going ... doesn't seem to be much happening | around here in that vein lately?

Well, the stuff I'm working on falls mostly into the "same old - same old" catagory. In off hours I've been trying to nail down the final details of my fork lift and (this weekend only) develop a gambrel roof design for a friend. Not very inspiring stuff.

I did dig out a small (very small) single-shot crossbow pistol that my dad made (out of mostly cherry and oak) when he was about 16. I'd pretty much forgotten about it until this thread popped up.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Lew Hodgett]

The standard by which all other close quarter weapons should be judged is a sawed of double barrel 10ga loaded with double 00 buckshot, IMHO.

You only get two shots, but what a harvest.

Remember the old TV western from the 60s'?

Lew

[J T]

60mm mortar (strictly to use for illumination rounds - _hated_ those night attacks), and four (count 'em, 4) 50 cal machine guns, none in our TOE, but combined a great comfort on a dark night when you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Nah, obviously someone misplaced them, and you were only safe-guarding them until te rigtful owner(s) showed up.

On occassion a Teddy Bear just doesn't quite provide all the comfort needd for a secure night's sleep.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[J T]

Sat, Jun 30, 2007, 3:03pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Morris=A0Dovey) doth sayeth: In different contexts I liked the M-1, hated the M-14, liked my 'greasegun' (but not the .45 sidearm), and liked the M-16 (well enough to buy a Sporter-1 with a Bushnell 3-9X scope when I got out). I like the /idea/ of quad-50's, but doubt that I'd much have much enjoyed jumping with one :-)

I liked the M-1, but loved the M-14. For one thing the M-14 doesn't go SPROING when it's empty. Had a M-2 carbine fo awhile. Damn thing would jam about the third round, every time, on full-auto. But on semi-auto it was as dependable as yu could want. Took out te selector switch after a bit. Used to carry a bag full of 30 round magazines taped in 3s.

Knew of a guy in Ohio, I believe it was, think he's deceased now. Had a quad .50 mounted in the back of a truck. I think the only place he fired it was at Knob Creek. I am not envious of too many people and what they own, but in that case I have to admit I was just a little bit envious.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[J T]

Sun, Jul 1, 2007, 4:15am (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Lew=A0Hodgett) doth sayeth: The standard by which all other close quarter weapons should be judged is a sawed of double barrel 10ga loaded with double 00 buckshot, IMHO. You only get two shots, but what a harvest. Remember the old TV western from the 60s'?

The Brits, fighting Communists in Malayasia, years back, came to the conclusion that a .12 ga, with # 4 buck, was preferred for close range. Denser pattern among other things. I'll go along with them. Against people that is, for lions I believe the choice is still 00 buck. MY personal choice for lions is an air rifle, and staying out of countries where they have lions running around wild.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[Tom Watson]

I like a 1903-A3 Springfield.

If you know what you are about, you can do a lot of damage with it.

I own two.

I like them both.

They are both very accurate.

I also like my Colt 1911.

I do not like plastic pistols, like the Shlocks.

1911's are notoriously inaccurate - unless you own one and know how to hold them.

Mine is not worked - it is stock.

I still shoot good groups at fifty.

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

[Lew Hodgett]

Still remember my first experience with that beast.

Had just turned 16, and went to the local NRA outdoor range one day.

Found some members shooting outdated armor piercing ammo, provided by the gov't, at targets about 200 yds out, just to get rid of it.

They offered to let me shoot.

Took a sight, squeezed off a round, and the kickback skinned the hell out of my nose.

Never made that mistake again.

Lew

[J T]

Mon, Jul 2, 2007, 7:30pm [e-mail] (Tom=A0Watson) doth sayeth: I like a 1903-A3 Springfield. I also like my Colt 1911. I still shoot good groups at fifty.

Ah yes, got gifted one (mail order) when I was 13. Cost a whole $35. Beautiful condition, I could pop beer cans off-hand at 100 yards no prob. Then when I was in the Army my old man "improved" it by filing the sight notch deeper, because he was shooting it high. Pissed me off. Finally had to get rid of it because I was really hurting for cash while raising my two sons on my own.

Had various .45s at different times, but the last two were a Argentina Colt, mint condition, and a 1911. Got rid of them for te same reason as my Springfield.

The only plastic pistols I've shot were water pistos. Most of them worked out very well. I make do with a Ruger wonder nine. Works nicely, at the range for my CCH had about 7 rounds thru the 8, 9, and 10 rings. I attribute those to single action the first shots. The rest punched a fist sized hole thru the X ring. It kinda makes up for not being a .45 with its 15 round magazies.

At fifty what?

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[J T]

Tue, Jul 3, 2007, 12:30am (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Lew=A0Hodgett) doth sayeth: Took a sight, squeezed off a round, and the kickback skinned the hell out of my nose.

Hehehe I knew enough that never happened to me. No M-1 thumb either.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton