What is happening?

[Bull Schmitt]

I notice a definite quieting down in the Barracks. Is it the economy? The shortage of primers and powder? Other activities? What's happening?

Bvt Col Bull Schmitt

GAF Adjutant General

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Bull!

I've noticed it, too.  Same over on the "other forum".  Personally, I've been busier than the proverbial one-armed paperhanger with an itch in six places, juggling hot potatoes!  Aside from the physical ailments that have bothered my back since last August, cracking my kneecap in December, a vacation trip to Disney World with my daughter and her family, including a trip over to Cape Canaveral to see the Shuttle launch to the Hubble Space Telescope (haven't seen a live launch in 48 years before this one!!!), and now filling orders again, I haven't fired a shot since last June! 

Hopefully, things will come together and I can do some experimenting with a .40-65 WCF HiWall, to which I want to attach a strain gage and get some interior ballistic data, work up some loads for a M1896 Krag carbine I just acquired, and maybe even attend a match or two!

Meantime, I guess I'll just lurk in the shadows, and stick my two centavos in here and there when I have the time.

Have a safe holiday this weekend!  I'm driving down to the U.S. Air Force Academy to participate in a Baccalaureat Service for some of the graduating cadets!  Godspeed to them and all still in harm's way in the defense of Freedom everywhere! God Bless America!

Your obdt servant,

[Bull Schmitt]

Howdy Trailrider,

Been a little busy myself. Since becoming a director for our local rifle and pistol club I have learned how to put on a roof and install vinyl siding.

Have not been to a cowboy match in over a year. Gas prices stopped me last year. Hope prices will not be a problem this year. Sold my truck so have had to design and build a folding gun card that will fit in my car.

I sure hope the GAF is not losing steam.

Col Bull

[River City John]

Life does have a knack of getting in the way.
Oldest daughter got married couple of weeks ago and found out we're going to be grandparents for the first time too!

I have to admit that unless there's something that interests me I've kinda clammed up on my postings here in Cas City. (And here me being just naturally blabby by nature. . .)

Looking forward to the NCOWS National coming up first week of June in Indiana.
First time I'll have shot a firearm since the Muster last year.

I'm still around and active in reconnaissance, just not that much to report.

RCJ 

['Monterrey' Jack Brass]

I'm with you RCJ. Looking forward to seeing you at the National.

Brass

[River City John]

I consider any time spent sharing history with you Monterrey as precious time well spent.

I will do my best to be first person and 'in the groove' when I visit your and Mr. Hunt's camp.
Come visit us Nebraska Boys in camp too.

RCJ

[Drydock]

Too busy loadin', shootin', and tryin' to get a centurys worth of copper fouling out of a Krag!  Cold weather is for talking, warm weather for shootin'.

[Top Kick Ken]

Real life has been obstructing my shooting activities.  Family illnesses, unemployment, and other issues.  I still check the boards...I just haven't had too much to say.

[Charles Isaac]

I'm here, check the board most every day and looking forward to the Grand Muster in October!

We added on to the homestead and my spare time gets taken up by the finishing touches.

I have plenty of cases, powder, primers and bullets but all my .30 caliber bullets are jacketed and I need to find a vendor with sized and gas checked .311284s in stock.

Anyway, if you gentlemen are half as fun in person as you are on the board, I will be coming to the Grand Muster every year.

[Frenchie]

I stick my head in when I can. Temp work, looking for more temp work, finally joined the local range, being more politically active, it all gets in the way. Everyone enjoy the holiday and stay safe!

[Delmonico]

My Lab boards have been quiet of late also, more the time of year than anything.  First trip out this year is Rock Creek Station in 2 weeks.

Got Monday off, if it ain't storming I plan to head to our farm with the dog and go over to the cemetary for the VFW salute.

Might get some shooting in, check the zero and go out and see if I can find a woodchuck or two toward evening.  Gonna shoot a more modern rifle, made in 1900 but worked over in the late 40's.



Has a few woodchucks and prairie dogs to it's credit after it became mine, who knows what before.

[River City John]

Now I know seeing the Kitty Hawk strapped under the space shuttle would look like.

[Delmonico]

If I had the bucks I'd like one of those Lymanor Unertl target scopes with the mounts that adjust for it, the ones almost as long as the barrel.

But that 1950's vintage K-12 (I have a K-4 also for it)  in those early Weaver rings is good for now.  BTW it has one of those Springfield Armoury 22 caliber barrels like the NRA used to sell on it and the chambering is 22 Hornet.

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

Del,  Used to have a rifle very similar to yours...Stevens 44 1/2 originally in .22 Spl  by John Pope with one of his 1" target barrels around 1901 but rechambered in 22 Mag (by me in 1976).  100 yd groups usuall under dime sized for 5 shots. Greatest ground squirrel medicine I've ever seen. Got in trouble with it one time for shooting those little green rodents in the church cemetary. Never hit anything but the rodents but some older ladies frowned on the Pastor shooting up the cemetary (no sense of humor).
Sold it to a single shot target shooter back in "79" who proceeded to win many a competition with it. Wish I still had it and my "70" Roadrunner Superbird. Oh well!

Y'all have a great Summer and I'll see Ya at the Muster in Oct.

[Captain Lee Bishop]

Can't speak for everyone else, but my WW2 Jeep had fuel issues that took me a long time to diagnose, my wife had a major operation (let's just say we know we'll never have kids now and she's only in her mid 30s) and work has been a bear over the past few months. CAS has been pretty low on my list of priorities. This weekend is the second CAS shoot I've been to all year and not since February...

[Major Matt Lewis]

Busy doesn't even scratch the surface.  It seems that the Army has had me jumping thru some serious cheerio's.  I was at the range all of last week and enjoyed that for the most part.  The body armor has changed quite a bit in the 16 years since I was out.  This course was designed for a 22 year old and I am proud to say that I am still hanging in there.  There are days when I am hurting when I get in bed just to start it all over again, but the training is good.  I have 34 days left here at beautiful Fort Sill, OK then I head on off to Fort Leonard Wood.  At least there, I will be close enough to go home to the family on weekends.  

Well, I am off to bed as I have to get up at 3:30 to stand duty at 4:00

[Delmonico]

Del,  Used to have a rifle very similar to yours...Stevens 44 1/2 originally in .22 Spl  by John Pope with one of his 1" target barrels around 1901 but rechambered in 22 Mag (by me in 1976).  100 yd groups usuall under dime sized for 5 shots. Greatest ground squirrel medicine I've ever seen. Got in trouble with it one time for shooting those little green rodents in the church cemetary. Never hit anything but the rodents but some older ladies frowned on the Pastor shooting up the cemetary (no sense of humor).
Sold it to a single shot target shooter back in "79" who proceeded to win many a competition with it. Wish I still had it and my "70" Roadrunner Superbird. Oh well!

Y'all have a great Summer and I'll see Ya at the Muster in Oct.

Single shotters like these are way cool, this one will do about the same with my handload (uses 0.223 bullets)  Could not afford the other one that came up out of the same collection, High-wall in 219 Donaldson,very heavy 24 inch round barrel, maybe 10 1/2 pounds on the whole rig, a friend bought it and it will do a true 1/2 moa.

[Mustang Gregg]

Troopers, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors,

Well, I have been scare around here, too.  Actually I've been damn-near AWOL.
And I've spoken to Commander Pitspitr about it. 

We have A LOAD of extra Army National Guard duty and my DOD work going now (along with us moving our household back to the original home place which is 80 miles from the jobs, building the gun shop, building fence, clearing pastures, etc.). 
Life gets in the way sometimes. 

But we will try to make the Muster,
Mustang Gregg & Calamity JoAnne



Post Script--CJ is going to try to get a Span Am-era nurse outfit made soon. 
What other clothing would be appropriate for a a female shooter trying to fit into what we do?

[Pitspitr]

Been rather preoccupied myself recently.

The spring always has me thinking about things other than shooting, mostly Track & Field  With 2 kids competing at 2 different levels, most weekends have found me at one or the other of their meets.

(I'm going to brag for a minute here, so if that sort of thing bothers you stop reading now.) Son, J. Dawg (GAF member #202) was All-Conference in Long Jump this season and my baby, Rebecca, was Academic All-State this season and brought home 2 medals from the State Track Meet this weekend in Omaha. Both are sophomores, Jacob at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Rebecca at Sargent High so I probably have at least 2 more years of getting "preoccupied" in the spring. Ok, enough bragging.

The other reasons I haven't been as active here on the boards this spring is that we added onto the house and I've been doing a lot of the work myself. I'm changing occupations and have been trying to get enough of the work done here on the farm so that I can be at a full time job and not feel guilty about what wasn't done here at home. Last year I was appointed District Deputy for the Knights of Columbus and that takes up a lot of my time. My district covers approximately 9700 square miles so I spend some time on the road for that.

I still check this board nearly every day I just haven't posted much. And I have some unread e-mails in my in box that pertain to GAF business which I intend to answer over this long holiday weekend.

[US Scout]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one occupied with other duties.  Work has kept me hopping the last few months, and my daughter graduated from college last weekend, with a party for her this weekend.  I've been visiting a doc about my back and the efrfects of the PT is almost worse than the continual backache I had before.

Looking forward to the Muster though!  Haven't done any shooting except to qualilfy for my recent one-month deployment.

US Scout
Bvt Brig Gen, GAF