Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A Quandry

Maybe you could rekindle an old hobby. I found this old picture of you modelling guns from your army daze. I believe you sold them to earn money for college. It sounds like you have a whole community of customers, willing to shell out some greenbacks for pix of fine old military gunz!

I'm speechless. Dan has his finger on the trigger.

Thank you all for a fun read.

I don’t think that was me. I had a mustache back then.

A couple of things I have wanted to try but have not as of yet, maybe in retirement.
Reloading 22 rimfire, maybe with BP, maybe smokeless. There is a source for primed cases, also a place where you can buy a mould/crimper combo and priming compound to reload fired cases. Can't think of exact websites at the moment but a search should find them.
Making a 32 short or long "garden gun" by relining an old rifle or .410.
A gunsmith friend of mine is now playing with .14 caliber centerfire. I believe Shilen has barrel blanks, forgot what cartridge he based on, maybe 20 Tactical, I think he's got one source for bullets, maybe made dies?, had to make cleaning rod. If I remember 3500-4000 fps and if going after varmints, claims they just "disappear".
Good luck in your search.

Nick, I already wore that "reload the .22" idea into an obedient servant, but not with rimfire.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12274426/1

There are a few out there that have dabbled with BP in the .22, but I've not gone down that path. Yet.

Could be this .32/roundball thing has its claws in my backside, still pondering.

DD,

I only see 3 good options left.

Way I see it, you can either set up a forge and start turning out knives.
Please avoid the fantasy blades



Or you can buy the offshore boat and fish/explore the world.
If you get Ginger and Mary Anne on board, call me before you get lost.



Or...
Buy some running shoes
Let your hair grow
Go all Gump

I'd be willing to bet Dan's got at least two of those choices under his belt already.😛

Safe bet. 3 out of 3 are covered. Qualified on the point of making fancy knives. I’m more of a machete kinda guy. My forte with steel is making ordinary blades shaving sharp. However, I prefer shooting critters to running over them with the brush hog.

Maryanne is a mutt in comparison to the girlie that took part in the sailing adventure.

Back when I was a punk I did 4:19 running a mile in combat boots.

Appreciate the suggestions nonetheless.

Dan,

Probably mentioned this when we talked, but have had a .22 rimfire reloading article on my Handloader schedule for at least two years now. Have all the "stuff" to reload rimfire cases, but so far something has prevented it from happening, whether weather (the reloads can apparently be less reliable in colder conditions) or assignments on new, cutting-stuff--or much older cartridges where a suitable rifle unexpectedly appeared in my life--as they tend to do a few times a year.

But so far it looks like I might actually get it done this summer!

John, there’s a time and place for all things. Stay well, aim small!

Dan

PS: What is this “cold” thing you speak of?

"Cold" is the opposite of "hot," which I loathe--and the reason I live in Montana!

Thanks. I guess we don't get much cold down this way.

For a while I was casting, and loading, 72 cal roundballs over ffg Goex in Win "AA" hulls and shooting them out of an old Belgium double hammer gun (thinking pigs) but never got around to shooting more than paper with them.

You are running short on new things to try. Heard it told that Minneapolis needs firemen. At least til they run out of stuff to burn...

That’s interesting. I have a Damascus WC Scott 12 bore double in very good condition, and a very good supply of BP. And lots of pigs....

Tell me about the wads please.

Johnw, I’m gonna wait until that town is a smoking crater before I visit.

Fire is your friend.

I'll see if I still have my loading journal about this. It was longer ago than I care to admit.

I would use a T/C wonder wad over the powder, cut the gas seal off of plastic wads and then Alcan fiber wads to adjust column height. Regular 8 point crimp from the Mec, label the hull so there was no mistake and then go punch big holes. I remember I did shoot a bowling pin with one, actually split it. Even that little bit of plastic made a mess, but didn't shoot a lot of them in one sitting.

Thanks for that. I might get in trouble with this one !