Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933

February 4 and it is sunny and 75 degrees. This work party is the last big one before set-up begins in just a couple of more weeks! The finishing touches on construction projects for new props for this year's EOT are completed. A little break in the action for some cowboy port saw practice. Painting is finished on a perfect day where it is warm enough for the paint to throughly dry before being put in the containers. A bunch of fence posts are refurbished and painted. Someone had a great idea. They found an old plow and used the metal discs for new bases for the posts. Banners are stretched out to make sure there is a flag for every nation that will be represented at EOT. A final review of the checklist is made to make sure everything is ready to go for set-up. At lunch Rattlesnake Slim goes through some details on what needs to happen and in what order when set-up begins. February is going to be a busy month in Arizona. The Arizona Cowboy Shooter's Association (ACSA) will be having an EOT warm-up match from February 10 - 12. Cowtown (which is just a few miles west of Ben Avery) will be hosting Fire and Ice on February 25 and 26. The Old Pueblo Shootists Association will also be hosting a warm-up match down in Tombstone on February 25 and 26. For those that do not know EOT takes place at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (BASF). BASF is a public range where everything has to be moved to and removed from the range within a set number of days. Set-up is scheduled to start on Tuesday, February 21. That is the day most of the steel gets moved as it has to be on the range before the fronts are built and block access downrange. The set-up of the buildings and props will begin on Wednesday, February 22. Lots of people come by the range to visit and many stay to help. So come on by and watch the progress of a town being built in the middle of the desert. If you have the time or inclination feel free to stay and lend a hand. Registration opens at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 26.

HODGDON POWDER UPDATE 2023 QUICK SUMMARY: In 2023, we anticipate powder availability to return to Pre-COVID conditions. Our powders will be readily available on dealer shelves and for purchase on our website. While demand has remained at a record high for now nearly 3 years, we look forward to closing the gap between demand and supply and thank you for your patience. WILL ALL YOUR POWDERS BE READILY AVAILABLE? While there are some exceptions such as our Enduron and Trail Boss powders, the majority of our powders will be easily located via various retailers.

The the single extractor 87 in the photo I posted is in the 28,000 number range. I just typed the number in the Winchester serial number search box on the Winchester site and it came back 1890. I'm to lazy to get out the three double extractor models I have to look at the serial numbers. So, sometime after 1890.

Got an email from Rock Island auctions this morning. They are saying this is an opportunity to own a well documented Savage trials gun for between $6,500 and $9,500. Most go for far more than that but this one is not in as good of condition as others they have sold. Something I learned on their website is that 181 of the 280 guns used in the trials were repurchased by Savage, completely refinished and sold to the public. For some reason this one was repurchased but never refinished. Thus its less than pristine condition.

Lump, the later and more common Winchester 87s had two extractors. The action on the ChiCom 87s is the same size as an original 87 which is why Cap put a note in the box that Winchester AAs were the preferred ammo. AAs are on average 1/16" shorter than an STS or Gun Club. The action is no where near the size of a 1901. Here are a few photos. The easiest way to identify an early 87 is to look at the fore end. The older ones have a solid front mag tube mount and one screw in the forearm. The later 87s had a barrel band and two screws in the forearm. The early 87s had one large extractor. The plate on the other side is to knock down the carrier. It is rigid and does not move. A view from the top. The later 87s have two smaller extractors. A view from the top. For SASS shooting, using modern plastic hulls, I prefer the old single extractor version. It is easier to load and extraction with light loaded SASS ammo is not an issue.

Only the two piece lever. The action is the same size as an 87.

Even the French have broken out their balloon force which was first launched in 1783.

I was just watching a news report on an attack on a Russian air base 300 kilometers inside Russia. I grabbed a screen shot off the report. That sure looks like a bi-plane. Maybe that is why the Russian air force has been so ineffective in Ukraine.

A private citizen cannot ship handguns through USPS, FedEx and some other carriers. BUT a firearm being returned to the manufacturer for repair or warranty work is in a different category.

The same reason we now have "atmospheric rivers," "bomb cyclones" and other stuff that has appeared the past few years. To make news and re-inforce the narrative of climate change. I remember in the old days here in the desert we had dust storms. Now they are haboobs. What boob thought of this? We also use to have spring rain. Now it is a monsoon. Monsoons are what you have in India - 40 days and 40 nights of rain.

It was a movie made for Apple TV+. It had a very limited theatrical release in just a few cities. It never played in my area. When I bought my new IPhone I got a trial subscription to Apple TV+ so I watched Greyhound and Ted Lasso.

As the old saying goes, "do you want some cheese with your whine?"

Website says they are still available. http://www.pioneergunworks.com/winchester-rifle-parts-22

Cat breed?

The enemy below the bus? You mean a pedestrian?

The bus or the dog?

Never mind. Found what I needed to know on your website.

You do not size it. It is undersized to fit down the bore. That is what the hollow base is for, i.e., it expands when the powder is ignited and bumped up to fill the bore. I just wipe the lube on with my fingers.

Besides the shoot sitting in a restaurant and looking at the Moro Bay rock cannot be beat.

New Abrams tanks have not been built since the 1990's. They are periodically re-manufactured. There are several videos on YouTube where the tanks are disassembled down to a bare hull and completely refurbished. Here is an article about the tanks to be sent to Ukraine. https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/01/army-readies-ukraine-abrams-tank-options-policymakers/382202/

A few pictures you might enjoy. I took another tour of the Ruger plant in Arizona when the 1911 came out. At that time the Ruger rep said the 1911 had the tightest tolerances of any handgun they produced. The slides are machined from round bar stock. The preliminary machining of the frame. The barrel is also machined from a piece of round bar stock. In an initial operation the part that will become the barrel bushing is parted off from the main bar. The bushing and barrel stay together for all subsequent machining operations. They are a matched set. Final machining of the barrel. The finished slides are selectively fitted to a frame and then proceed together for subsequent finishing and final assembly.

At the beginning of most NFL games they show a brief shot of each player. The player ALWAYS says John Doe, Alabama, Detwan Skezits, Georgia, etc. Why do they say the college or university name? Who cares? Most of them went through on a scholarship and learned little if anything that will be of use after they leave the NFL.

Maybe you should dial 911 and ask the question.

That is strange. Dillon has given tours for many years. I went again last year. They will not let you into the section that builds machine guns and there are tarps hanging in the factory so you cannot see in there.

One of the chamberings was the .41 Action Express (.41 AE). The cartridge and gun both failed in the marketplace.