Went to the Gun Show today.

[Ben]

Bill,

Seemingly things were cheap, but your pay was such that it took just as long ( or most likely longer ) to acquire that special firearm that you wanted so badly.

I remember walking into Aero-Marine Supply in Birmingham, AL back about 63'.

They had a rack of firearms down the center of the store .
On one side were M-1 Carbines for $29.95. On the opposite side of the rack were M-1 Rifles for $49.95.

At the time, there was no way that I could come up with the money to buy either.

Ben

 

[Intheshop]

Wifeypoo and I just got back from a biz trip.We stopped by a gun store for a picnic stlye lunch.In there,picked up a gold coloured, Dupont 4759,unopened can.Paid a touch too much but is a nice souvenir?Anyway,on the bttm of the can was 1960's? grease pencil marked price of $1.80

 

[Ben]

Guess I'm telling my age now, but I can clearly remember going into the local hardware store and buying Surplus H-4831 in brown paper bags for $1.75 @ pound.

I think the store owner had a 55 gal. drum in the back and filled the bags from that drum. I always wondered what he actually paid for that drum of surplus powder ? ? ?

I killed a lot of ground hogs with that powder & my 30-06 w/ Speer 130 gr. FB , hp's before someone was nice enough to tell me that I needed a .22 CF to effectively ground hogs.

 

[Intheshop]

There's something to be said for a classic '06,130 FB,4831,and a center hit Ghog......

"where'd he go"?

 

[Ben]

Into a red vapor .........................

 

[fiver]

either way...

your as bad as we are, the girls like to use the 180gr bullets I make from 5.7X28 brass for rock chucks.
they even try them on the ground squirrels.
it's pretty good sport [for the squirrels] the argie and the arisaka they are using are good deer rifles but a 2" wide squirrel is a bit of a challenge at 200 yds.
but man when they do manage to hit one you wanna be on it with the bino's.

 

[Ben]

A few of you took some interest in my Rem. 788 stock.
Here is a photo " up - date ".
I now have all the pores filled.
This is my satin oil finish.
5 coats of finish, rubbed out with 0000 steel wool.

Super slick , smooth finish on the stock right now.
For a hunting rifle, it is probably best to leave it as it is right now.

Ben

 

[S Mac]

Very nice Ben. Field ready.

 

[fiver]

yessir ready to roll.
I like it.

 

[Pistolero]

Sure pretty, Ben. Wonderful job, and a nice piece of walnut, too.

As to the "old days" - your comments were exactly right. Took a lot of saving to afford a $36 rifle, way easier today
to buy a $500 rifle.

Bill

 

[Ian]

Thank you Ben, I feel much better now!

Beautiful job, love the satin, smooth finish.

 

[Ben]

Thanks Ian ! !

Ben