Last time I went up there was in January. This time it was just Dave and I, and the pooch. I took a few things up there to shoot, including one rifle that I've modified myself (click these for higher res. shots).
On the left, a Romanian 5.45x39 that I rebuilt with a new gas block and sling loop (from a late model East German AKM), a Bulgarian front sight post, and an East German muzzle break. It's also got Russian plumb colored furniture. It's being rebuilt to resemble a very early model AK-74 from the mid 1970s, and it's about 80% finished. When the Russians began adopting this heat resistant plastic furniture, getting away from the laminated wood they'd used since the late 40s, they adopted this plumb color. I like it a lot.
In the center is the same Hungarian AKMS, shooting 7.62x39, that I had back in January, only I've switched out the furniture since then. I replaced the solid Hungarian wooden grips with a refinished laminated Polish lower and a Russian upper, and a plastic pistol grip. I think it's more attractive set up this way. On the right is the same Polish Tantal that I shot in January. There had been an issue with it when I shot it before. Every time I shot it I had to push the trigger forward again with my finger. Turns out my gunsmith had forgot to reset a spring when he was putting it together. I reset the spring after talking to him, and wanted to test it out again. It also shoots 5.45x39.
Dave decided to shoot some antiques. He's into old stuff. The long gun is a Winchester 73, made in the 1880s. the revolver on the left is a .44-40 single action (same caliber and dates as the rifle).
The one on the right is a Ruger .44 Magnum made in the 1960s. We set up targets and started plinkin' away from about 100 yards.
We worked on our own targets, and then switched off rifles.
His groups are a lot tighter than mine. He's been doin' this sort of thing a lot longer and has a steadier hand.
I'm too shaky to be a real marksman, but I killed the shit outta the target at this range. They'd a been bleedin' bad. It was easy to tell the different holes made by the different guns. That .44-40 made BIG holes. 5.45x39 is like a .22 (it's Russia's version of our .223). Anyway, mine aren't really designed for marksmanship. More for sprayin' lead. Maybe one of these days I'll try that little modification, but I never said that.
This time the dog stayed with us, but kept her distance when the revolvers came out. You remember, last time she took refuge in the truck and slobbered all over the gear shift. We remembered to close the truck door this time.
On the way back to Dave's house, he stopped at a barn and said "You might like some of these". He reached into a dusty, dilapidated box and pulled out belted .50 and .30-06 blanks.
DAMN, was all I could say to that! A buddy of his found them on a hunting trip years ago, abandoned on the side of a trail on Ft. Hood. They're dated to the 1980s. Couldn't believe it.
Dave's house is like a museum. His upstairs is unfinished, and he's got his collection of 18th and 19th century guns on the walls. Most are authentic, but a few are reproductions.
He's a Civil War and Mexican War reenactor, and a pack rat to boot.
His sympathies lie to the southern side of things, where he's traced his ancestors. He knows which battles they fought in and where a few died. Makes it a bit more personal I guess. I joke with him from time to time, calling it "the war of the rebellion". That usually gets a "Hey!"
Anyway, after we shot we went to town and got some BBQ, and then I drove home. It was a nice Saturday afternoon on a beautiful day. Hope all of your Saturdays were as fun.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Went up to Gatesville today to shoot again with a buddy.
Posted by FHB at 10:55 PM
Labels: buddies, dangerous, guns, therapeutic
13 comments:
Looks like a good time. Your friend has a hell of a collection.
I'm envious :)
Ah, man....how nice! Thanks for taking the time to share the pics. I love the antique guns and all the War of Northern Aggression stuff. Makes me feel at home!
Glad you had a blast (no pun intended!)
Daughter and I had an outstanding meal at the Rainforest Cafe at the MGM Grand and then took in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka". (Locals half-price at the moment)
Outstanding show! Absolutely incredible.
Then Silver had to ride the Manhattan Express roller coaster at New York New York (I felt guilty for using their valet service while planning on spending oodles of cash at MGM), last time we were there (a few years back), she was too short to ride it!
Finally a dream fulfilled...I wish all dreams were that easy.
She's still pretty shrimpy, though!
Have a great Sunday, FHB!
Man, I sure hope your buddy has a good alarm system - I feel so insecure with my stuff hanging out in plain view.
What makes him feel so secure?
He lives a bit out in the country, pretty far off the road, in an area that really doesn't have a lot of crime. Still, he feels secure because he's never been robbed. One you get screwed once, all the shit goes down off the walls. Also, todays robbers don't want his old stuff. They want the sort of stuff I have. And yes, I'm looking seriously into getting a big safe. There's folks in Waco that make nice ones. I see them at gun shows all the time. I'll go up there and have them make the one I want, and then have them deliver it. I just need to stop buying guns long enough to save up for it.
good post, good time, and good pics
Hope you go again soon.
Hey, thanks for comin' over.
FHB
Have you looked at Stack On safes, I am not talking about the key lock sheetmetal ones. These are a full blown safe. Empty mine weighs about 300 LBS. But you fill with stuff and it would be an all day job to move. I think I paid about $400 a few years ago.
Just a comment, man. That AK-74 looks great, but if you really want it to be true 70's, it needs the laminated wood furniture. The Soviets did not officially go over to the plum furniture until 1984, and the first experimental models in 1983. Since you have the early brake (used 1978-82, if I remember correctly, but possibly earlier as well), and the really early gas block (the angle was switched from 45 to 90 degrees in 1976-77, due to problems with bullet shearing) the rifle to be historically correct needs the laminated furniture. That is, of course, only if you want to be a purist moron like myself.
Anon - Awesome comment dude! Thanks. I rebuilt this rifle from the Romanian original, as you probably guessed. It came with an AKM type slant gas block, so to keep from having to drill another hole, I installed an East German late AKM/early AK74 style (and E. German muzzle brake). Just love the way it looks, and it makes it more authentic this way.
And I have the laminated wood on another rifle, but just love the plum colored plastic. So, rather than be really authentic, I went for what I like. Your points are well taken, and maybe one day I'll swith them around.
Thanks for comin' around. Love the comment.
That's fine by me. Even though I say this, that or the other thing, I don't really practice what I preach all the time. I have a bulgarian 74 that I threw a set of plum on, and I love the color, too, but mine isn't quite prototype either. I have the later two-piece brake on it, but some of the parts don't quite look soviet enough...guess I'll have to wait for a bigger paycheck. To be honest, if I was in your position I would do the same thing, since the Soviet laminated stock sets I have seen run in the $350 range. So, like I said, you got a great piece, man. It looks a lot better than most wannabe AK-74s I have seen at gunshows.
Out of curiosity, what make of 5.45 ammo do you use in that?
Oh, and I had better correct myself. The first plum furniture appeared in 1985, not 1983, though they had the plum mags as early as 81 or 82. The zig-zag brakes were 1979-1983, and the block was changed in 1977. Of course, this is just another proof that I am a freak. I am actually correcting minor errors in a previous post on someone else's blog! I will go cry now...
Dude, you've got to stop bein' anonymous! It's too much fun hearin' from ya. Anyway, yea, I try to be authentic, but don't let it get in the way of doing what looks cool. If I had the money, I'd have all original, authentic stuff, in a big fat safe. As it is, I have to build it myself, or have someone build it. The first time I ever saw the plum colored furniture was when they had the coup attempt on Gorby in, what was it, 91 0r 92? There were soviet soldiers runnin' around Moscow with plum colored furniture on their guns, some with mixed plum and laminated wood grips. Blew me away. Cut out a picture from Time or somethin' and saved it. With my first '74, early Romanian import with a crooked gas block, I put all the real Russian plum grips on it I could find at the time; butt stock and lower handguard. It had a Russian laminated wood upper and a Romanian red/plum colored pistol grip that looked as russian as you could get. That was the first time I switched out the AKM stule gas block for the late AKM, early '74 style, and straitened it in the process. I had to shim the front sight post with sheet metal to get the Bulgarian parts to fit the smaller Romanian barrel, but it worked out like a charm, and was fun as hell to shoot. Loved the hell out of that rifle, till some bastard broke in here and stole it a year or two ago. May he and the bitch who bore him burn in hell, not that I'm still upset over it or anything. The rifle you see in this post is my replacement. I've since picked up another 5.45 and have plans to rebuild it as an E.German gun, or maybe something else. We'll see.
As far as Ammo, I buy what is usually on sale at sportsmansguide.com, or other spots. Russian made usually, though I've recently seen Polish for sale. Have several thousand rds sitting around, figuring the bastards will probably ban it one day, just to screw with us. Need enough to last.
Seriously, you need to stop by more often and stop bein' anonymous. Anyway, thanks for comin' by again.
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