Life is hard

[norton]

Crockett

I watched a  you tube video last night of two guys who crossed Alaska on Honda 90's.

It lasts about an hour, but it's a hoot.

You might want to check it out.

Now there are two who have done something interesting.  

On a personal note

Crockett, here is a project I recently worked on.  It's a Southern Poor Boy .40 muzzleloader.  I built it from Track of the Wolf Components several years ago.  I neglected to "open up" the dovetailed slots under the barrel that secure the stock to the barrel with pins.  I took it apart, opened them up and now the pins can move under recoil.  they were being held tight and eventually broke.  I replaced the pins, except for the one nearest the muzzle.  The stock hole that I had originally drilled was now too large and required a larger pin-a nail that is-I have read this was a common repair during muzzleloading times.  

this thing shoots nice groups with a cloth patch and 40 grains of FFF Goex.

I also built a replica Northwest Trade Gun smoothbore from supplies purchased from T.O.W.  I had it out to the range yesterday to try out some shot loads.  Normally I shoot solid ball from it.  

Top photo is my .40 caliber poor boy

Bottom photo is my Trade Gun with a target shot off hand at 25 yards.  

 

[Biff]

28 minutes ago, crockett said:

 

Negative. Not a single new member in 6 weeks! Biff posted several times, now he wasn't online for 5 days.

 

I coded and ran my own forum. If TBS stays on this track, it will be dead in a few years at best.

Just pulled up a little 3rd party stat. Keyword Gaps are search relevant words or phrases leading to external content. Have a look at the keywords. That's what TBS is "known" for right now:

 

 

 

Exactly the type of content I was talking about when it comes to the nonstop negative, politically motived repetitiveness that is sticking around like a dirty bubble gum to your shoe.

Also, those times where you could trick the SEO bots and crawlers into better ranking by faking lots of content with links and low text content are LOOONG gone.

Granted, you don't know anything on the topic on how to maintain let alone grow a forum.

 

 

 

I have not been active here mostly because I am old and sick, but I haven’t been active anywhere. I have noticed that there are a lot of forums that are near dead, and the ones that are active, are becoming odd, or have members that ridicule others. They look for ways to dig into others.

I am on RugerForum.com too, which has resuscitated itself with some new forum software. But, after an initial rush of activity, I expect it to fall off dramatically. I think that there is a lot of fear right now in America, and people are avoiding gun forums. 
 

It is difficult for me to write anything that is not political, because politics is ruling the day. I see things going on in America that are really foreboding, so that’s what I generally write about.

[crockett]

13 minutes ago, Eric said:

Guys, I'd appreciate it if you stopped the arguing.

FWIW, I've made my opinions known on the meme and similar content here. I've also said that if that is how most folks want to participate here, I'll allow it. That aside, I've made it pretty clear that I don't want people taking shots at each other. I appreciate the concern for the site's well-being, but arguing with each other is not going to move things in a positive direction. Please guys, try to relax and enjoy each other's company. There is plenty going on to wind you up IRL. Let's not drag that strife onto the site.

I've been building and running forum websites for more than a quarter of a century. I know what makes them tick. I know what's wrong and right with this one, but my resources to address the problems here are stretched pretty thin. My primary focus right now is keeping the bills paid, mine and the site's. I haven't had much time to dedicate to the site lately as it is. I don't have the time or energy to deal with a feud between you guys. Please.

Merry Christmas, folks.

That pretty much reflects what I see, what I assumed about your position, and the current state.

While the way I argue my point once its being questioned may not be wrapped in cushy framing, at the end of the day I just hope for better QUALITY content all-around. Less is more. Seeing tadbart or Walt posting photos of their new properties and the plans they may have gets me excited. Yet another pedo / meme / Dems suck thread make me feel bad and question why I stick around.

One personal photo, story or plan says 100 times more than some random meme or photo that has been posted in one shape or form 20 times before.

So yeah... yall take from it what you want, going to drop this topic now.

[crockett]

13 minutes ago, norton said:

Crockett

I watched a  you tube video last night of two guys who crossed Alaska on Honda 90's.

It lasts about an hour, but it's a hoot.

You might want to check it out.

Now there are two who have done something interesting.  

On a personal note

Crockett, here is a project I recently worked on.  It's a Southern Poor Boy .40 muzzleloader.  I built it from Track of the Wolf Components several years ago.  I neglected to "open up" the dovetailed slots under the barrel that secure the stock to the barrel with pins.  I took it apart, opened them up and now the pins can move under recoil.  they were being held tight and eventually broke.  I replaced the pins, except for the one nearest the muzzle.  The stock hole that I had originally drilled was now too large and required a larger pin-a nail that is-I have read this was a common repair during muzzleloading times.  

this thing shoots nice groups with a cloth patch and 40 grains of FFF Goex.

I also built a replica Northwest Trade Gun smoothbore from supplies purchased from T.O.W.  I had it out to the range yesterday to try out some shot loads.  Normally I shoot solid ball from it.  

Top photo is my .40 caliber poor boy

Bottom photo is my Trade Gun with a target shot off hand at 25 yards.  

 

 

Now we are talking!

Finally some gun content

Your .40 caliber poor boy rifle is clean! I never looked into muzzleloaders, but one day I will. Are primers for muzzleloader available these days? Granted, a handful lasts much longer.

[crockett]

32 minutes ago, Biff said:

It is difficult for me to write anything that is not political, because politics is ruling the day. I see things going on in America that are really foreboding, so that’s what I generally write about.

Its only ruling the day because we let it and because we consume way too much of it. I can turn off FOX news, Breitbart or any of the left wing channels. But when I get bombarded with the same crap around here, my last option is to turn off TBS as well. And I'd hate that because I have made friends with some around here (well, on GT) a long time ago.

I recall long talks in DMs with folks like Jack for example and a bunch of others like Will from Utah. Those topics had been so rich and deep. Will and I had a reloading thread running on GT that lasted 2 years with countless upload ladders, hundreds of photos, statistics, citations from books. We set new FPS records for the caliber, tested aftermarket barrels, analyzed powders on an microscopic level. So many people joined that thread. Then the left wing trolls showed up and took over the other site. And now we are down to re-acting to the left wing crap in an echo chamber. Say what you want, that ain't right nor good, let lone productive.

[minervadoe]

1 hour ago, crockett said:

One personal photo, story or plan says 100 times more than some random meme or photo that has been posted in one shape or form 20 times before.

I wrote five science fiction novels.  Number six is still 'a work in progress' after five years.  I made a web site to promote the novel and then I got certificate in Internet Programming and Development from UCSC extension to improve my website.  The website still sucks.  I do not want to work on it since the master plan is to finish the current book and combine the previous five into an anthology.  Then, tailor the web site to that.

http://chronosscifi.com/index.html

Former silicon valley product management type guy here.

Since I'm retired, I want to keep my mind active.  So I bought a clarinet last year and practice at least an hour a day.  I upgraded to a Yamaha 255 this year.  Again .... work in progress ...

I go to the gym and lift weights two days a week.  I ride a bike (or an exercise bike) five days a week.  At one point in the 90's, I added it up and I'd ridden over 100,000 miles at that point.  I got a black belt in aikido way back then too (something like 4,600 hours of training).

I grow kale and tomatoes in my garden.  I'm going to try my hand at bok choy this year. 

I've been shooting my Ruger Redhawk .357 a lot lately, and as a project, I focused on improving my weak hand shooting.  Progress documented here ...

http://chronosscifi.com/ruger357GridJS.html

[norton]

1 hour ago, crockett said:

 

Now we are talking!

Finally some gun content

Your .40 caliber poor boy rifle is clean! I never looked into muzzleloaders, but one day I will. Are primers for muzzleloader available these days? Granted, a handful lasts much longer.

Primers can be found.  I bought 3 tins this fall from a local sporting goods shop.  #11. Caps.  Of course the two guns I have pictured are flintlocks.  Issue today is that Goex, the blackpowder company that manufactures much of the BP sold in the U.S. shut down operations due to a fire and announced it will not rebuild.  But you can shoot percussion guns with synthetic powders like Pyrodex and 777 so for those it's not an issue.  For flintlocks synthetics just do not work.  

[Eric]

1 hour ago, norton said:

Crockett

I watched a  you tube video last night of two guys who crossed Alaska on Honda 90's.

It lasts about an hour, but it's a hoot.

You might want to check it out.

Now there are two who have done something interesting.  

On a personal note

Crockett, here is a project I recently worked on.  It's a Southern Poor Boy .40 muzzleloader.  I built it from Track of the Wolf Components several years ago.  I neglected to "open up" the dovetailed slots under the barrel that secure the stock to the barrel with pins.  I took it apart, opened them up and now the pins can move under recoil.  they were being held tight and eventually broke.  I replaced the pins, except for the one nearest the muzzle.  The stock hole that I had originally drilled was now too large and required a larger pin-a nail that is-I have read this was a common repair during muzzleloading times.  

this thing shoots nice groups with a cloth patch and 40 grains of FFF Goex.

I also built a replica Northwest Trade Gun smoothbore from supplies purchased from T.O.W.  I had it out to the range yesterday to try out some shot loads.  Normally I shoot solid ball from it.  

Top photo is my .40 caliber poor boy

Bottom photo is my Trade Gun with a target shot off hand at 25 yards.  

 

 

I have a Thompson Center .54-caliber Hawken rifle that I built from a kit, back in the nineties. It was a lot of fun to build & finish and it is extremely accurate. TC has a number of features added to their rifles that I like, such as a one-inch section of smooth bore at the end of the muzzle, so you can fully seat a minnie ball / modern slug fully in the bore, before you ram it into the rifling in the barrel. This means a consistent seating and great, repeatable accuracy. I've put a lot of rounds downrange with it.

[crockett]

4 hours ago, minervadoe said:

I wrote five science fiction novels.  Number six is still 'a work in progress' after five years.  I made a web site to promote the novel and then I got certificate in Internet Programming and Development from UCSC extension to improve my website.  The website still sucks.  I do not want to work on it since the master plan is to finish the current book and combine the previous five into an anthology.  Then, tailor the web site to that.

http://chronosscifi.com/index.html

Former silicon valley product management type guy here.

Since I'm retired, I want to keep my mind active.  So I bought a clarinet last year and practice at least an hour a day.  I upgraded to a Yamaha 255 this year.  Again .... work in progress ...

I go to the gym and lift weights two days a week.  I ride a bike (or an exercise bike) five days a week.  At one point in the 90's, I added it up and I'd ridden over 100,000 miles at that point.  I got a black belt in aikido way back then too (something like 4,600 hours of training).

I grow kale and tomatoes in my garden.  I'm going to try my hand at bok choy this year. 

I've been shooting my Ruger Redhawk .357 a lot lately, and as a project, I focused on improving my weak hand shooting.  Progress documented here ...

http://chronosscifi.com/ruger357GridJS.html

 

Nice! That's what I call an active lifestyle. Wish you'd be living around my neck of the woods, I'd love to go to the range with you, sit around a couple reloading presses and share some thoughts on product design. We have some very similar interests. I started my company with product design and coded my own websites. Also a DAN holder here, German Jujitsu, which entails some aikido.

What happened with your hand? Will it recover eventually?

When I broke my wrist, I uploaded a bunch of soft recoiling wad cutters for my Ruger GP100 in .32 Long, so I know what you are dealing with.

Dirty bullseye but very accurate. 25 yards:

 

 

[minervadoe]

1 hour ago, crockett said:

What happened with your hand? Will it recover eventually?

The tendon in my middle finger got swollen through overuse (rock climbing, hand exercisers, etc.).  That tendon ran through a tendonous loop, which is referred to as a pulley.  What happens is at certain points in the finger's range of motion, it gets stuck.  There are several things that can be done.  First there are finger stretches that you can do.  Second, the finger can be splinted (especially at night).  If that fails you can get a cortisone shot.  That seems to have worked with my latest problem that cropped up this year.   But last year, on my right hand, we had to go with the solution where a plastic surgeon actually snips the pulley.   The pulley is a vestige from our simian ancestors whose fingers were one digit longer than ours.  We have other pulleys farther back in the hand that are necessary.

Here's the kicker.  The malady is called trigger finger, which is confusing for a shooter describing this problem. 

I seem to be recovered.  My right hand still had swelling for about a year, but it functioned okay.  Then, this year, my left hand had the same problem, but a cortisone shot (in the tendon) seems to have fixed that one. 

1 hour ago, crockett said:

Also a DAN holder here, German Jujitsu, which entails some aikido.

As a pure art, aikido can come up short, so knowing a little jiu jitsu style ground work really is a good idea.  I've got a couple  of years of high school wrestling so I always felt confident that I could handle someone shooting a double leg take down on me.  Well, except that I got old..  That sucked.

1 hour ago, crockett said:

When I broke my wrist, I uploaded a bunch of soft recoiling wad cutters for my Ruger GP100 in .32 Long, so I know what you are dealing with.

Nothing wrong with that group.  I really like the double action pull on Rugers.  I can't shoot my S&W 686 double action anywhere nearly as accurately as my Match Champion or my Redhawks.  Single action is a whole different animal though. 

 

1 hour ago, crockett said:

Wish you'd be living around my neck of the woods, I'd love to go to the range with you, sit around a couple reloading presses and share some thoughts on product design. We have some very similar interests.

We can make do with what we've got.  The Intrawebs are a pretty good compromise for collaborating. 

 

1 hour ago, crockett said:

When I broke my wrist,

I chipped a carpel one time (put it in a cast for a couple of months to keep the chip from floating in where it might fuse).  When I looked at the X-Ray, it looked like a joint that you don't want to mess up.  Is yours going to heal okay?  Do you shoot with both hands?  It was interesting to get serious about shooting with my weak hand.  I'd sometimes shoot five rounds with it at the end of a session.  So I felt very comfortable shooting with it.  But it was like looking at a process from a very very objective outside point of view.  For example, when I shoot weak handed (lefty) hard recoil is still a problem.  My approach to not building up a flinch is different with this hand than it was forty years ago.  I do fine with the Glock 20, Redhawks in .44 and .357.  But, the Glock 29 is still a no no.  It'll come in time..

[Lazy R]

Go out and do stuff. Life is easy when you get a gimme like I did a month back. The truck's only a mile and a half past the rock butte. An easy one in our normal situation, which is why I'm smiling. Plus my kid carried most of the meat in his pack.

Last year Ajay got one down about as far back as we get. It was a grueling march out, a good 4 miles over the hills and dales. That was a Life is Hard day. The last mile we'd go a couple hundred yards and just sit in the snow looking at the truck way out there and rest. Got hard to get up on our feet again. Ten degrees out and sweating. But damn did the beer taste good.

 

[crockett]

11 hours ago, minervadoe said:

The tendon in my middle finger got swollen through overuse (rock climbing, hand exercisers, etc.).  That tendon ran through a tendonous loop, which is referred to as a pulley.  What happens is at certain points in the finger's range of motion, it gets stuck.  There are several things that can be done.  First there are finger stretches that you can do.  Second, the finger can be splinted (especially at night).  If that fails you can get a cortisone shot.  That seems to have worked with my latest problem that cropped up this year.   But last year, on my right hand, we had to go with the solution where a plastic surgeon actually snips the pulley.   The pulley is a vestige from our simian ancestors whose fingers were one digit longer than ours.  We have other pulleys farther back in the hand that are necessary.

Here's the kicker.  The malady is called trigger finger, which is confusing for a shooter describing this problem. 

I seem to be recovered.  My right hand still had swelling for about a year, but it functioned okay.  Then, this year, my left hand had the same problem, but a cortisone shot (in the tendon) seems to have fixed that one. 

As a pure art, aikido can come up short, so knowing a little jiu jitsu style ground work really is a good idea.  I've got a couple  of years of high school wrestling so I always felt confident that I could handle someone shooting a double leg take down on me.  Well, except that I got old..  That sucked.

Nothing wrong with that group.  I really like the double action pull on Rugers.  I can't shoot my S&W 686 double action anywhere nearly as accurately as my Match Champion or my Redhawks.  Single action is a whole different animal though. 

 

We can make do with what we've got.  The Intrawebs are a pretty good compromise for collaborating. 

 

I chipped a carpel one time (put it in a cast for a couple of months to keep the chip from floating in where it might fuse).  When I looked at the X-Ray, it looked like a joint that you don't want to mess up.  Is yours going to heal okay?  Do you shoot with both hands?  It was interesting to get serious about shooting with my weak hand.  I'd sometimes shoot five rounds with it at the end of a session.  So I felt very comfortable shooting with it.  But it was like looking at a process from a very very objective outside point of view.  For example, when I shoot weak handed (lefty) hard recoil is still a problem.  My approach to not building up a flinch is different with this hand than it was forty years ago.  I do fine with the Glock 20, Redhawks in .44 and .357.  But, the Glock 29 is still a no no.  It'll come in time..

 

Remember those days when an injury just healed in a week or 2, when we used to be young? Now you deal with some crap for a bunch of months, and after a short break of a week, the next issue shows up. Whoever came up with this failing-health-over-time concept needs a beating.

"Luckily" I broke my left wrist and that was many years back, but I wasn't able to rack a slide for a couple years. I broke the bone that takes the longest to heal. Its called Scaphoid, and it only has a very limited blood circulation. They put a titanium compression screw in it. To this day I have limit strength in that wrist. Opening a tight bottle cap can cause me to have pain and issues for 2 weeks. So I'm still motivated to find handguns and loads that wouldn't hurt my wrist.

The times I could shoot my .500 Magnum are over, that's for sure. I can shoot my G29 / G40, but racking them is still no fun, so wheel guns really come in handy, as you know.

I haven't been to the range in a while due to the China virus but I plan to go before Christmas. I'll probably load up some .327 Federal Magnum. They are still harmless to my wrist, but get close to .357 Magnum performance. They shoot flatter too.

Had to use a bone growth stimulator for a long time...

 

 

 

 

[crockett]

10 hours ago, Lazy R said:

Go out and do stuff. Life is easy when you get a gimme like I did a month back. The truck's only a mile and a half past the rock butte. An easy one in our normal situation, which is why I'm smiling. Plus my kid carried most of the meat in his pack.

Last year Ajay got one down about as far back as we get. It was a grueling march out, a good 4 miles over the hills and dales. That was a Life is Hard day. The last mile we'd go a couple hundred yards and just sit in the snow looking at the truck way out there and rest. Got hard to get up on our feet again. Ten degrees out and sweating. But damn did the beer taste good.

 

 

 

That grin really tells the story lol

Wish I had some mountains around for hikes. Every time I go to Vegas for the SHOT show I get some hikes in. I love Red Rock Canyon.

 

 

[Lazy R]

I love hiking around out in the badlands.

[minervadoe]

43 minutes ago, crockett said:

I'll probably load up some .327 Federal Magnum. They are still harmless to my wrist, but get close to .357 Magnum performance. They shoot flatter too.

I have to confess that that round has caught my interest of late.  Probably not any room in the stable for another gun any more though.  I windows shop, but I just don't feel the need to buy.  I just load powder puff loads in my other cartridges. 

43 minutes ago, crockett said:

The times I could shoot my .500 Magnum are over, that's for sure.

Nowadays, my .44 Magnum loads are barely hotter than .44 Special.  I no longer feel the need to feel the heat of the round on my face, right before I realize the gun is now pointed at the ceiling.  Like you said, sitting around the reloading presses and sharing ideas. 

I have 1,000 X-treme Bullet company 125 grain copper coated .357 rounds.  I would have preferred 158 grain since it would be easier to not exceed 1,200 fps with those.  I finally settled on a Unique load which will be similar to .38 Special +P.  I feel pretty strongly that my trigger finger problem started when I shot 50  full power .357 magnum loads through my Ruger SP101.  My hands definitely took a beating on that one.  Another error from my misspent youth that never healed properly.

[crockett]

1 hour ago, minervadoe said:

I have to confess that that round has caught my interest of late.  Probably not any room in the stable for another gun any more though.  I windows shop, but I just don't feel the need to buy.  I just load powder puff loads in my other cartridges. 

Nowadays, my .44 Magnum loads are barely hotter than .44 Special.  I no longer feel the need to feel the heat of the round on my face, right before I realize the gun is now pointed at the ceiling.  Like you said, sitting around the reloading presses and sharing ideas. 

I have 1,000 X-treme Bullet company 125 grain copper coated .357 rounds.  I would have preferred 158 grain since it would be easier to not exceed 1,200 fps with those.  I finally settled on a Unique load which will be similar to .38 Special +P.  I feel pretty strongly that my trigger finger problem started when I shot 50  full power .357 magnum loads through my Ruger SP101.  My hands definitely took a beating on that one.  Another error from my misspent youth that never healed properly.

 

.327 Revolvers are good for 5 calibers: .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal Magnum.

The trigger on the 101 is stiff and rough to pull. Own a 101 in .327 as well and I hate shooting it.

 

[Walt Longmire]

1 hour ago, crockett said:

 

.327 Revolvers are good for 5 calibers: .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal Magnum.

The trigger on the 101 is stiff and rough to pull. Own a 101 in .327 as well and I hate shooting it.

 

I have a Ruger single action in .32 H&R magnum.

[Walt Longmire]

On 12/4/2021 at 8:42 PM, MO Fugga said:

Pics, foo! 

Went out there yesterday with my gran daughter to show her, and didn't take the camera. I'll get some soon after this blizzard has passed. I'll be plowing and hauling snow for the next several days.

[Walt Longmire]

On 12/4/2021 at 8:42 PM, MO Fugga said:

Pics, foo! 

Went out there yesterday with my gran daughter to show her, and didn't take the camera. I'll get some soon after this blizzard has passed. I'll be plowing and hauling snow for the next several days.

[minervadoe]

5 hours ago, crockett said:

.327 Revolvers are good for 5 calibers: .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal Magnum.

The trigger on the 101 is stiff and rough to pull. Own a 101 in .327 as well and I hate shooting it.

I got a second SP 101 in .22 for my wife to practice with.  The trigger pull is even harder.    Not one of my favorites. She won't shoot it.    .... can't really shoot it ....

[crockett]

13 minutes ago, minervadoe said:

I got a second SP 101 in .22 for my wife to practice with.  The trigger pull is even harder.    Not one of my favorites. She won't shoot it.    .... can't really shoot it ....

 

Talking about it, I think I'll do a trigger job on mine.

 

 

 

[crockett]

PS: just bought this spring kit:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/302410415320

 

[holyjohnson]

On 12/4/2021 at 2:25 PM, minervadoe said:

Been there, done that, got the website to document it....

https://chronosscifi.com/naturePics.html

i like The Birds.

[tous]

2 hours ago, crockett said:

PS: just bought this spring kit:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/302410415320

 

When replacing the strut and trigger return springs on GP-100 type revolvers, be sure to test the new strut spring with a variety of ammunition .  Ideally, hand load some samples with Federal, Winchester and CCI primers to make sure that the new spring has enough whack to reliably ignite the cartridge.

Rapidly cycle the pistol double-action to make sure that the lighter trigger return spring operates as expected.

I agree with everyone that states that the SP-101 trigger is terrible.

 

[MO Fugga]

7 minutes ago, tous said:

When replacing the strut and trigger return springs on GP-100 type revolvers, be sure to test the new strut spring with a variety of ammunition .  Ideally, hand load some samples with Federal, Winchester and CCI primers to make sure that the new spring has enough whack to reliably ignite the cartridge.

Rapidly cycle the pistol double-action to make sure that the lighter trigger return spring operates as expected.

I agree with everyone that states that the SP-101 trigger is terrible.

 

I owned a stainless snubby once. It was a fun little gun. Those 158 hardcast weren't much fun, but challenge accepted.