Still Dragging Along Under the Weather

Which probably explains my absence of blogging this week. I did get over to my Class III guy yesterday afternoon and picked up my Serbu Super-Shorty 12-gauge [note dumb look in photo above]...didn't get a chance to shoot it, though...I ended up hanging around Alan Samuel's garage watching my friend Henning Wallgren build up a couple of ARs...Henning is EAA's factory shooter and an all-around nice guy, for a Norwegian...gun guy stuff...Alan thought I should have gotten the S-S based on a Mossberg instead of the 870, because the Mossberg has the safety on the back of the receiver, allowing one to "quick-draw" the S-S from the no-longer available thigh rig, as Alan demonstrated with his Mossberg S-S. I opined that a good, smooth draw on wth a sawed-off shotgun seemed a speck over the top, but a Road Warrior-esque leather holster designed to be slung on one's back a la a claymore sword sheath would seem pretty cool. I mentioned that Hans Vang wanted to do a full Vang Comp job on the little gun, which caused Alan to laugh. "For what?" he said. "Sporting clays?" That'd no doubt give Gil and Vicki Ash an aneurysm...

The thing was made to hang on a sling, a la Keanu Reeves in the Matrix, but I can't afford one of those black leather duster-thingies.

I may try to get to the range this PM, but definitely tomorrow...I've got to film some stuff for OC Broadband tomorrow in the morning, and the way home goes directly by the range...I plan on shooting the Serbu any my new Tactical Solutions 1911 .22 conversion unit I just got back from the guys in Boise.

What does all this have to do with the real world of guns? Not a damn thing! I jusy have a thing for sawed-off shotguns. Plus, sometimes I just have to get my head out of all this "Combat Handguns" mindset — moving through an urban landscape fraught with gremlins and neer-do-wells waiting to claim my head, a man, trusty 1911 in hand, who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid...snore...need a nappie!

BTW, Project .50 BMG moves ahead! In a few weeks I'll have a Barrett M99 single shot .50, a dreadfully expensive scope, tons of new reloading gear, an equal amount of good, mediocre and downright bad advice, plus a willingness to abuse my shoulder for a DRTV series on the Big .50. Expect to see it chronicled in print in the Barrett Annual as well.

Seriously, I've put a lot of rounds through the .50, mostly through Barretts of assorted flavors, and I have to admit I really love the gun and cartridge. It will be a fun project to try and master it. My pal Alan, mentioned above, is going to give me .50 BMG reloading lessons, as he's been doing it for years both for MGs and for long-distance accuracy. His initial advice was, "Hire a reloading slave." Yeah, right! Paging Lisa Farrell! My initial goal is simply to be able to shoot the gun with reasonable accuracy at long range. Once I get that under control, I plan to work with Jon Weiler at Professional Marksmen for the long-range stuff. Here's a link to Jon's blog. Check it out...you'll learn something!