New to the Group
Howdy folks. As the title implies, I'm new to the group and got here due to some searching for 410 information that lead me to discussions here on The Firing Line. I'm still working on the rest of the information I was searching for but kept getting interrupted by folks wanting me to introduce myself here on this thread.
So here I am. I've lived in and about the central valley of CA for the better part of my life with a long career run down at the central coast working for PG&E at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Got put out to pasture a few years back due to complications of 37 years of diabetes. Health not going so well these days, but I've left everything in God's hands. He's the one with the plan anyhow so I figured I'd just follow along. My very first guns was a Winchester model 37A in 12 gauge on the day after my 18th birthday. (Most places are closed on the forth of July). Then my first handgun(s) was on the day after my 21st birthday, a Ruger Security Six and a Ruger Redhawk in 44 magnum. I've been a shotgun and a Ruger fan ever since.
I'm a life member of the NRA, NSSA, GOA, and an annual member of SASS. My first run at firearms gaming was practice trap every Wednesday nights. I'd always see the older crowd shooting skeet, so I told my shooting buddy that by golly I was going to give skeet a go. Thinking they were a bit of a snooty bunch (they never talked to anyone else but skeet shooters) I found out quite the different story. They bent over backwards to lend a hand and give me pointers. Too much so, as I finally had to tell them to pass on the sustained lead vs. the pass through shot vs. four feet lead hear but only a 2.5 lead there. I knew that I was going to have to see or rather feel what it was like to actually hit the birds at the various stations before I'd have a mental picture of what it looked like not to miss (I already had plenty of pictures of that). I started with a 28" modified 1100 and only hit 4 of the twenty five targets. I then shot a borrowed gun (Pirazzi I believe) and hit 16 of twenty five. Not bad for a beginner. This was before I found out that I was holding a gun that cost over ten thousand dollars. I quickly passed the gun back to the owner. Then I took out a hack saw and cut the barrel down to an even vent post (around 21 inches as I recall) and met my future machinist buddy who milled the barrel flush and remounted the sight bead. I also took of around 2 inches of butt stock. I was laughed at, but I never shot out of the twenties ever since that modification.
Then I had a run at PPC and ended up smithing the other department folks guns more that I shot myself. Got pretty good at gun tinkering and got my FFL to do it legal and all. At one time or the other I've owned just about every type of gun one could own. The it was marriage and kids and time flew by until the kids were almost grown and out of the house and I took up SASS shooting. That was the shortest run of firearms sports I've ever been involved with since my health started taking a dump. I no longer could hold up a long arm long enough to get a sight picture. I had what was called diabetic shoulder. That's where there is insufficient blood flow to the ball joint of the shoulder. This happens in the hip as well although it hasn't got me there as yet. That and I was now needing a cane if not walker to get around. Adds a lot to your stage times in SASS by moving with a walker and not being able to hold up a rifle or shotgun. So I quit and sold all my gear.
My firearms now constitute just revolvers with the longest barrel being 5.5 inches and the next runner up with a 3" tube. I had a couple of long barreled handguns set up for hunting (I had hoped to go with my son one last time to shoot pig). Never happened though. I still get to tinker and here is one of my latest projects with an Old Army now in 45LC. It's worth a look.
http://s563.photobucket.com/user/5kwkdw3/library/Inter works of the Birdshead Grip
I have mainly double action 357 or 38's in Ruger, a couple of J Frames and two Ruger single actions, all stainless and all with Hogue grips (use to live just a few miles from their main plant). My next gun and maybe my last (if my wife has anything to do with it) is a stainless Circuit Judge. Only a fluke allowed them to be sold in California. CA has a big nasty law stating There shall in no case by any means be a revolving shotgun in the state of CA. Well the Feds interrupted them and said, but we have determined that this gun is a revolving rifle, not a shotgun so therefore you must sell them in your state unless you want to mess with interstate commerce which is a Federal item to worry about.
This coming right after our dear Governor signed into law a law prohibiting out of state ammo purchases. We were going to have to be licensed to be able to purchase ammo with a monthly quota (3000 rounds I think?) and have to fill out a bunch of paperwork at our local Ammunition Dealer. The fifth Circuit Court threw that law out stating that it messed with interstate commerce, a Federal item. So they didn't want to go down that same road and chose to allow the Circuit Judge come into the state. I know a short lived thing when I see it so I immediately got my name on one at my local dealer and will be reloading brass defensive loads for it. Four pellets of #000 buck, MagTech hulls, Ballistic Products innards, CCI 300 primers, and I'm still out in left field when it comes to powder. Aliant 410 powder looks like it might make the cut? I need confirmation though.
That's about it. I know a little bit about a lot of things when it comes to firearms and always looking to learn more. This site looks very promising in that regard and it's a pleasure to be here. Smithy.
eek:yeah, I know), just wanted to introduce myself & say that I love this site.