Group Support Please

[quicksylver]

Really did not know where to post this but here is the situation.

I went to the range yesterday, had fun, things were going pretty well.

Next to me there were a couple of 20 something shooting (of course) AR15's.

Nothing unusual there.

They would occasionally stop and wander over to watch me.

Nothing unusual there either.

After they were through and I was taking a break one asked me what the gun was I was using.

I Replied "A 1903 SPRINGFIELD BY ROCK ISLAND ,FULL DRESS, C-STOCK ,SOMEONE ELSE TAPPED IT SO I PUT A 10X ON IT"

Now this is the part I need support with.

They then looked at me and said, "WE THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT"
I took this to mean some strange unusual rifle.

Really, am I that far gone that people do not recognize a 1903 Springfield and are they THAT unusual?

Should have seen the looks when they spotted my cast bullet loads.

I guess I should spray paint it flat black.

 

[Ian]

Like what, a Savage 110 with an aftermarket wooden stock?

You should have fixed your bayonet, that REALLY would have confused the hell out of them.

 

[quicksylver]

Ian ....I will bring that with me the next time along with my helmet and leggings.

 

[Rick]

Seems to be a very common scenario all across the country. If it ain't black and doesn't shoot 600 rounds a minute what good could it be? Pretty sad actually but that's why so many manufacturers, retailers, advertisers push "tactical" so hard, it's what the youth is buying. I've seen tactical cleaning kits & other equally ridiculous stuff pushed including zombie ammo as must have items to further your enjoyment of spray & pray.

 

[fiver]

well they are getting harder to find, when was the last time you seen one in the gun store?

the new type 'gun stores' are now sales points for guns and ammo, nothing more nothing less, wait until you get the look when you mention you make your own ammo.
they all KNOW the BEST [kills me to hear BEST this ,BEST that] ammo for their gun is the 5.56 [probably the green tip or 855] and for sure not the 223 marked stuff.
I bet they thought it was some sort of tricked out Mosin Nagant [yeah I can spell it, no I can't say it] suppressed internally or sumthin fancy with that stock on it.

 

[quicksylver]

O-O-O-P-S...Did not mean to start a row here.

Just could not believe that I would see the day when someone who owned a firearm would not recognize
a 1903 Springfield in its original form.

As for availability, of the 4 lGS in a 20 mi radius there will be a couple a year show up in each one.

I believe its the lack of ammo (and price of ammo) that has caused them to lose their popularity, just like M1 Garands.

Again it was just the shock to think I was THAT old.

 

[KHornet]

When the AF first adopted the AR 15, I was the Supply Sgt. in an Arial Port Sq. with a contingent of Combat Controllers. I received 15 of the first 500 that the Air Force ordered for my Controllers. Being a former Marine, who cut his teeth on a Garand, my first thought on picking up the first one, was "what an ugly piece of crap", my mind has not changed much over the years.

With the modifications over the years, and with heavy bbls, twists to take long bullets, etc. it has become a little less ugly, but only a little bit. I have a couple of black stocked rifles but they are Savage Bolt Actions, and are pdog shooters. Would rather have wood stocks, but the price is right, and they shoot. Cast and or jacketed. For a person to call themselves a shooter and not recognize an 03, is more than a sign of the times, it is a sign that most of the AR 15 shooters are not shooters in reality! In my opinion, they are just trigger pullers.

Reminds me of the time Brad and I were at a range when an AK shooter showed up with 2 ea 30 rd. Mag, and proceeded to unload them about as fast as he could pull the trigger. He then for some reason grabbed the barrel, amd with a lot of cussing etc, left the range with the blisters forming. A prime example of a "trigger puller", but not a shooter.

 

[62chevy]

The range I goto has very few ARs showing up and when they do it's a 50 something with a 10 year old grandson in tow. My range gets a lot of black powder shooters usually elderly gents that take 10 minutes between shoots. It's a public range so not sure why I don't see more ARs.

Wait a minute does getting the at 9 or 10 am during the week make a difference.

 

[Rick]

In 1968 while enjoying some time with Uncles Marines and training stateside with the M-14 they informed us that we weren't taking those fine rifles with us to Nam. When we got over there they would be giving us a nice 22. All I could think was my god they are gonna send us into combat with 22's. Lucky me I never had to go over there. Never did shoot that 22 while in the service either.

 

[quicksylver]

When the ARs appeared I had my FFL so I bought 3 to see what they were all about.

Ugly but interesting, light recoiling, fairly cheap ammo.

Then we started to use them in the High Power(?) shoots.

I did get serious with mine as others did and still do.

BUT we maintained the same disciplines, trigger pull, sight picture breathing etc., not to mention
reloading practices and bullet selection.

It is the loss of those disciplines that I lament the most, now it is definitely pull the trigger anyway possible,
4" red dot @ 100 yds, anything within 12" @ 50yds being acceptable, who can breath through 20 rnds and as for ammo or bullets,
whatever is available.

I have to say that my NM AR is one of the most accurate rifles I own, I still shoot it like a 1903, M1 or M1A.
Spot each round.

Any body else ever hear of a loading block for an AR, it only allows one shot at a time.
Bet they don't sell many.

OOOOH for the Good old times.

SOOOOO guys its not just me, RIGHT?

 

[fiver]

nope, ain't just you.
when there is a 30+ year difference between the two participants things are gonna be seen in a different light.

I have a few different AR's.
two will shoot circles around my 1903 and 1917 and one is on par with it.
I wouldn't want to stick my hand out from behind something cause it for sure would catch a boolit out of the old girls.
but either my Armalite NM or my stag 6-H would clip a finger nail easy nuff.
I kinda miss my old Colt too.

most of the kids that show up at the range watch me a bit askew.
I sit down on the same bench right on the edge of the 50 yd line and keep to myself, they will quite often head straight for the 1 or 300 yd line and start banging away sometimes hitting sometimes not.
but usually chuckling about me shooing too slowly and too deliberately at either the 50 or 100 yd targets, and my stupid looking lead bullets.

I generally just whack the 300 yd swinging target a few times, or knock a few bowling pin silhouettes down and go back to my business.
usually some of the kids there know me and find it to be a pretty good joke to play on their buddies that don't.
I'm beginning to wonder how much soda I've made for a couple of them.

 

[williamwaco]

nope, ain't just you.
when there is a 30+ year difference between the two participants things are gonna be seen in a different light.

I have a few different AR's.
two will shoot circles around my 1903 and 1917 and one is on par with it.
I wouldn't want to stick my hand out from behind something cause it for sure would catch a boolit out of the old girls.
but either my Armalite NM or my stag 6-H would clip a finger nail easy nuff.
I kinda miss my old Colt too.

most of the kids that show up at the range watch me a bit askew.
I sit down on the same bench right on the edge of the 50 yd line and keep to myself, they will quite often head straight for the 1 or 300 yd line and start banging away sometimes hitting sometimes not.
but usually chuckling about me shooing too slowly and too deliberately at either the 50 or 100 yd targets, and my stupid looking lead bullets.

I generally just whack the 300 yd swinging target a few times, or knock a few bowling pin silhouettes down and go back to my business.
usually some of the kids there know me and find it to be a pretty good joke to play on their buddies that don't.
I'm beginning to wonder how much soda I've made for a couple of them.

None. They only drink "Craft Beer".

 

[smokeywolf]

I'm pretty far behind the times even compared to most, if not all of you fine gentlemen. I don't own a rifle or pistol that does not have a natural wood grip, stock or forend; no composites, no camouflage. All metal, with the exception of brass or bronze, is blued, nickeled or in the white.
I have no tacticool anything or even anything with a "lawyer safety" on it.

Don't mistake my lack of late 20th century firearms for disdain or even disinterest. My lack of more modern firearms may change if I can ever get moved to a part of the country where firearms are still seen as a natural component of American living.

 

[fiver]

move here.
we got 5,000 people in the county.
and about 500 belong to the local gun-club, membership is non mandatory to use the facility's.

only problem is never finding any rifle brass and only a handful of 9, 223, and 40, or the occasional 45 acp pop up throughout the year.
forget scrounging lead, it's spoken for.
unless you want lino-type, then you go talk to Mark who owns the local newspaper.

we got an 800 yd range set-up specifically for banging the silhouettes at different ranges with the old buffalo rifles.
a 100 yd 22 lr 'only' range.
a covered 300 yd 'rifle' range.
the 200-m 'stand-up and shoot' silhouette range.
and 5-6 pistol bay's.

plus you can always just drive a few miles and shoot bout as far as you can see if you want.
if your rifle is in the back window, or on the front seat, in front of the court house, gas station, bank, or the arctic circle the cops aren't called.

 

[smokeywolf]

I really like your State. Sister used to have a few acres up in the northern part of the State. But, more expensive than John and Rick's part of the country. Also, Mrs. smokeywolf wants a little less severe Winters. I'd very much like to have at least a 100 yard range in my back yard.

 

[fiver]

3 bed 2 bath house with enough room out back for a range would be in the 150-175 ish range in this area.
depending on how new you wanted it.

 

[Ian]

My 20 acres of juniper and rocks with a 4-2 pole barn house and attached shops is insured and taxed at three times that, but ought to be about 150. Damn Yankee influx from the '80s oil/cattle boom blew real estate and taxes through the roof and it never came down.

 

[Brad]

Hey, not all Yankees want to move to Texas! I will stay right where I am, snow and all. Damn Yexans, they think everyone wants to live next door to em. Sheesh.......

 

[Rick]

Hey, not all Yankees want to move to Texas! I will stay right where I am, snow and all. Damn Yexans, they think everyone wants to live next door to em. Sheesh.......

No kiddin! I have good friend that has a small ranch (50 acres) near Abilene, he tried mightily to talk me into moving there when I was looking at property here. No way, no how, no chance. I left the stinking desert behind in CA, the last thing I wanted to move into was another desert and their 110+ degree summers. Seems if he ain't complaining about heat he's complaining about either drought or flooding all the while preaching the praises of Texas. My buddy George and Ian are welcome to it, I'll stay right here.

 

[fiver]

wait why am I telling people this?

it sucks here, it snows 5-6' in the valleys and the wind never stops blowing.
you can't even staple a target up.
the fishing and hunting sucks too we actually had someone not fill their tag this year.
stay away far away.
dang they did actually raise our vehicle registration this year, almost double in fact, another raise like that and we will be on par with everywhere else.