Wisdom

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Gabe the Shootist

NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE YOU.

Even if you’re the kind of person who always returns your grocery cart. Or makes a batch of homemade soup for a sick friend. Or always calls your aging grandmother back.

Because you’re still going to be too much for some people. Or not enough for others. It’s just the way it is.You’ll be too loud. Too emotional. Too sensitive. Too intense. Too extroverted. Too introverted. Too needy. Too this or that.

You can work your butt off to be well-liked. And it still won’t be enough. But just remember, you are enough. Just the way you are. Let’s stop trying so hard to be well-liked by everyone. And start living!

Live boldly walking along the sides of those who already embrace you—the YOU you were born to be. There are people in your life right now who care about who you are on the inside and what you represent on the outside. They don’t need you to be perfect.

They don’t care if you wear the same black yoga pants every day with the same cardigan sweater and top knot. They just want you, all of you, just the way you are today.

So, it’s true. Not everyone’s going to like you even when you try your hardest to do all of the things.

Just stop trying so hard.

Open your arms to those closest to you.

And be you.

Because you are enough.

Not too much or too little.

Enough.

Written by: Angela Anagnost-Repke

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This is How You Keep Your Guns from Being Seized KEITH GRAVES FEB 23, 2024

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Gabe the Shootist

At some point while cruising social media you’ve read a post made by someone proclaiming they were “red flagged” and the cops “stole their guns.” The term “red flagged” has become an adjective for any instance of seizure of firearms by police. Some people say that the police have no reason to take a firearm from anyone for any reason and that any seizure is an “infringement.”

So why would the police take a firearm from someone? We asked officers what instigated the seizure of firearms by police and we bring those reasons here to you. Here you will find this easy to follow list of how to keep your gun from getting seized by the police.

Don’t Drive Drunk While Armed:
Driving drunk while armed is one of the biggest reasons why a gun is seized by the police. You’ll get your gun back when you sober up, but you can’t take your gun to jail with you. Some people fully expect that their gun should go with them, but that is just not going to happen.

Even police officers can’t take their gun into a jail, so why would yours come too? Jails are ultra secure facilities. Inmates have rubber like pens so that they can’t be used as stabbing instruments and other everyday items are reconfigured so that they can’t be used as weapons.

You’re gun also can’t be left in your car. In fact, most agencies require officers to remove all valuable items from a car and to be booked into the property room at headquarters so that it isn’t stolen. For these reasons, your gun will be booked at the police station and you can pick it up in the morning.

Don’t Beat Your Wife:
No one should lay a hand on their wife (or husband) in anger. If you do, you are going to be arrested for domestic violence. In some cases, the police may seize your gun(s) because it was used in conjunction with the crime. Many times I have had an abuser tell their victim that they were going to shoot them. If you say that after beating them, why would the police leave that gun behind? Expect it to be seized. You’ll have to go to court and then the judge will make a decision on whether you will get them back or not. Judicial review is a cornerstone of the constitution. You can’t cry that your rights were violated when you beat your wife, threatened to shoot her, and then had judicial review on what will happen with those guns. The constitution was followed and you just didn’t like the decision. If you’re not guilty or the judge shows pitty, you’ll get them back.

Don’t Threaten to Shoot Yourself:
Another big reason the police seize firearms are for people in crisis. When I say crisis, I mean people threatening to shoot themselves. If you have a gun and are telling people you are going to shoot yourself, your gun is going to be seized and then a judge will make a decision on when you get it back. It makes sense, right? If you had a knife and threatened to slash your wrists, the police will take your knife. If you threaten to hang yourself and have a rope, the police will take that too. Do you see a trend? There is no constitutional crisis and is all done within the law. Could you imagine if an officer left the gun behind? There would hell to be paid in the press if they turned the gun on themselves or on others.

Don’t Do a Gang Related Drive By:
In fact, don’t commit any crime while armed. If you commit a crime where a firearm is used, the gun will be taken as evidence just like if you used a knife or any other weapon. You won’t get it back if you are found guilty.

Don’t Leave Your SBR In the Motel Room in California:
One of the best replies I got on a post asking for cops to tell me why they seized guns came from a California cop. Short Barreled Rifles (SBR’s) are prohibited and a felony to possess in CA. A hotel called and said that they found a rifle in a hotel room that was vacated that morning. It turns out that the SBR belonged to a reputable manufacturer that was a salesman for the company. They just returned it nicely back to the salesman. Just to make a note, the officers could get in a lot of trouble for doing that, but like most cops they don’t agree with these laws and they did the right thing. Stuff like this happens daily, but obviously never gets reported.

Don’t Poach:
If you are poaching deer and get caught, your gun will be seized. Why? It’s an implement of the crime and is evidence. Just like any other implement of a crime, it is taken into evidence to be used in court. Like any other implement, the judge will make a decision on what will happen with that firearm.

Wrapping Up Seizure of Firearms by Police:
As you can see, the Seizure of Firearms by Police occurs in instances that are totally avoidable. The most common seizure of firearms by police occurs with crimes involving alcohol. If you go out drinking, you shouldn’t be carrying concealed. In some states that may be completely legal, but common sense needs to come into play. My favorite saying in these instances goes like this; “There’s no law saying you can’t piss in an elevator, but we all know we shouldn’t do it.” An ounce of common sense goes a long way.

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Loading the 20 Gauge. Part 1

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Gabe the Shootist

I inherited an old MEC Jr. 20-gauge loader a while back and decided to give it a whirl. I ordered some Cheddite primed hulls from Ballistic products in Minnesota. I am making a load for a 3″ semi-automatic so I bought 3″ hulls.

I dug out my .610 round ball mold I used to use for muzzleloading shotguns and cast 160+ balls from wheel weight alloy. I used this alloy instead of pure lead because there is no rifling to grab so the ball does not need to obturate upon firing. Anything hit with this 340-grain acorn sized ball is not going to know the difference.

I used a #30 bushing which drops 27.3 grains of Blue Dot powder.

Over the powder I placed 3 – .125 card wads.

Over those, I placed 2 – .500″ lubed cushion wads to take up space in the 3″ case.

I seated these in the press and inserted the round ball sprue up.

Following this, I crimped the case with the fold crimp of the MEC Jr. press. A lot of the old round ball loads you find are roll crimped so the user can see the round ball and know exactly what they are loading. I don’t have a 20-gauge roll crimping tool, so fold crimp it is.

I am looking forward to shooting these and giving them a thorough test. I think they may be just the thing for hogs and other varmints. I must add a word about using the .610″ diameter ball. My shotgun has no choke and the bore mics at .620″ so this ball will shoot just fine. The nominal bore diameter for all 20-gauge shotguns is .620″. Different manufacturers will vary slightly from this dimension. Where the problem comes is in the choke constriction. I would not shoot this through anything tighter than an improved cylinder choke because any more constriction would risk bulging the barrel. This is a standard practice for most shotgun slugs.

Disclaimer: Please consult published load data from conventional sources before loading ammunition for your shotgun. This works for me in my gun, it may not be safe for you.

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New England Firearms “Survivor” .45 Colt/ .410 shotgun

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Gabe the Shootist

Recently, I purchased a used New England Firearms “Survivor” .45 Colt/ .410. I got it for a really good price. What I didn’t get was the choke tube to make the .410 shells useful.

I mounted a scope on it using the factory drilled holes and did a bore sight for the .45 Colt ammunition. During my initial testing, I found the .45 ammo to work well. I tried a couple of .410 shells and was very disappointed. Patterns were lousy to say the least. I did some internet research and found one reference to a choke tube for a BFR revolver as a possible match. New England Firearms/ H&R/ Harrington & Richardson has been out of business since 2015, so finding an original factory part was a futile effort. I checked the usual sources for factory parts (Numrich, Midwest, Jack First, etc.) to no avail.

I looked up the Magnum Research BFR at https://www.magnumresearch.com/bfr-biggest-finest-revolver/ and found their choke tube and choke tube wrench listed “in stock” on their website.

I decided to take the risk and placed my order. A few days later my order arrived, and I am thrilled to say the choke tube fits perfectly! The proof is in the putting, so I took it out to the patterning board for a test drive. Once again, I was very pleased with this purchase. The patterns I got with the use of this choke tube are comparable to any standard .410 shotgun. Not only does this tube constrict the bore as a normal choke does, but it also stops the spin imparted to the shot charge by the .45 caliber rifling. I now have a useful survival weapon and a nice woods walker’s companion. The .45 Colt cartridge is useful for coyotes, hogs, and other critters up to and including White-tail Deer. The .410 shotshells in 3″ are adequate for small game up to turkeys at close range. I found a 20-gauge barrel on Ebay and have installed it to the SB-1 frame, this will allow another option for this gun making it even more versatile.

In closing, do not despair over a missing choke tube for your New England Firearms Survivor .45 Colt/ .410! Simply contact Magnum Research at their parent company Kahr Firearms Group to order a replacement. https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/gun-parts/magnum-research-choke-tube-wrench-bfr-aa2.asp

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Character Traits

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist

There are certain things that I do not or cannot understand that people do and because I don’t understand them I find them suspicious.

One of them is working when you could be retired. Our superintendent at the office could have retired with full benefits. Full pay, meaning he was working for nothing but his title and his job meant more to him than anything in life including his wife, family, children, and grandchildren. I know a guy who could have retired at the end of his contract when he was about 67, but instead he renewed his contract for another 5 years and if his health allows, I’m sure he would renew his contract 5 years after that. He says he loves his job and it’s so important to him that he can’t bear to leave it. I do not, cannot understand that and so I consider that to be very suspicious behavior.

People who don’t like dogs. Now I understand that certain conditions and restrictions of our lives and living quarters doesn’t allow everyone who loves dogs to have a dog, but to have a dislike and hatred for dogs I find to be very suspicious. And because I like dogs and live with dogs and travel with dogs, I find dog haters to be at odds with my lifestyle hence suspicious.

I believe everyone knows that there are good cops and there are bad cops. And for people to say all cops are good, we support everything the police does, especially former policemen who have been on the inside and know that there are good cops and there are bad cops, know that there are corrupt cops and corruption in the system. For them to have a blanket defense of every action of every policeman in the world, I do not understand that, therefore I consider it suspicious.

When I talk about anti-hunters and anti-gunners, I do not mean non-hunters and non-gun owners. Anti-hunters and anti-gunners affect my way of life by trying to force me to stop hunting and shooting. They want me disarmed so I am just as defenseless as they are. I can’t understand why they want to rule over me like that and so they are suspicious.

Coffee. The standard drink of society and socialisation where I come from. People who won’t drink coffee are people I can’t understand, suspicious.

Whiskey, beer, and alcohol in general are a wonderful thing. I don’t imbibe as often as I used to because of medical reasons, however, those who condemn the use of alcohol entirely are, well, suspicious.

Voting for Democrats. If you are a member of the Democrat party, (it is not and never was democratic), or vote consistently for Democrats under the guise of “Independent”, I cannot and do not understand you. Suspicious

If you watch the evening news and swallow the pablum without question, I don’t and I won’t ever understand that. You are suspicious.

If you practice political correctness, which I understand is the delusional belief that you can pick up a turd from the clean end, you are not only suspicious, but dangerous.

Critical race theory: see political correctness.

Suspicious behavior is just that, suspicious. I have to wonder what your motives are for the way you act and the stances you take. The above list includes only a few of the behaviors I find suspicious. Having one or two of these behaviors won’t automatically remove you from my circle, however as they add up, the distance between you and me will increase proportionately.

Posted in As we get Older, Humor, Pet Peeves & Other Rants! | 1 Comment

“Friends?”

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist

I had an experience this past weekend where I was sitting around the campfire with a bunch of “friends”. The conversation swung around to current events and all of a sudden one of the “friends” spouted off with “you guys better be quiet because you are pissing me off.” It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about the subject, but you see, he was on the other side of the subject and a couple of us were talking from a more conservative viewpoint and he has a very leftist viewpoint. And so, after he said that, he started in on his take of the event and started talking about how he would just kill everybody that was there. Shoot and shoot and shoot until they were all dead. We quickly changed the subject and went on to play nice because as the little meme says sometimes you have to shut your mouth in order to keep the peace.

Johnny Cash’s song “Oney” came on the radio a few minutes ago about how he had a boss that was constantly picking on him and breathing down his neck telling him he wasn’t doing good enough and how now that it was his retirement date, after he retired, he was going to walk in there and clobber him. I spent most of my career working between two of these f-ing “Oneys”. I am done with them, done with that kind of people, I will no longer associate with people like that. Do I think that they’re entitled to their own opinion and can differ in opinion from me? Most certainly, but they can do it from way over there. They don’t have to do it near me, and I don’t have to put up with their crap, telling me that I can’t have an opinion cuz it differs from theirs. I don’t have to put up with their crap telling me that I need to be quiet cuz, I’m making them angry. Well, when they talk about shooting everybody and killing everybody, they’re making me angry, and I got no use for that especially when the people that they plan to shoot are the people that I consider on my side of the political spectrum. And so, as the other meme says if you don’t speak out, the problem will never go away.

And I have decided that I will no longer camp, fellowship, or speak to “friend” number one who doesn’t allow me to say anything cuz it makes him angry, it pisses him off. I have no use for anybody who will not allow me to express my opinion because it’s different than theirs. That is typical liberal politically correct ideology, and I won’t do it. I won’t allow it. I will not subject myself to that kind of crap with those kinds of morons. So once again, if necessary, I am prepared to walk away. I would rather go it alone and face the challenges and adventures solo than with people that I cannot trust. Anyone who holds with political correctness and that ideology cannot be trusted to do the right thing in a time of emergency.

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…to find my soul.

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist

This quote from John Muir is very popular today. I have always felt the truth of this statement. Recently, I finished a book by Albert Bigelow Paine titled “The Tent Dwellers” and his take on finding one’s soul in the wilderness is perfect!

I cannot state this any better than he. A person needs to look in the right place to find the things he seeks. If you are not looking for what the wilderness has to offer, you will not find it and will be frustrated in your attempt.

Albert Bigelow Paine 1861 – 1937
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A pair to Draw To…….

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist
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Requirement #20 of the American Mountain Men

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist

20. Must have made a study of the lifestyle of the mountain man, frontiersman or American Indian before 1840 and must submit a report of this study to the association Capitaine.

This requirement is optional for advancement to Bossloper and mandatory for the Hiveranno degree.

This is by far the most feared requirement of the Association. A paper report must be written based on your study of any facet of the life of the mountain men. This report will be submitted with your application for advancement. I would love to see these reports published in the Tomahawk & Long Rifle as well. That is strictly a volunteer proposition, but the information gleaned in one man’s study would be beneficial for all.

To advance to Bossloper, a man must complete requirements #1 & #2 plus at least 8 other requirements.

To advance to Hiveranno, a man must complete all 20 requirements. He does not have to repeat the requirements completed to attain Bossloper.

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Requirement #19 of the American Mountain Men

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Gabe the Shootist

19. Must spend three days and two nights totally alone under primitive conditions and aux aliments du pays [“off the nourishment of the land”].

This requirement is optional for advancement to Bossloper and mandatory for the Hiveranno degree.

This seems to be one of the most feared requirements of the Association. I would recommend attempting your Aux Aliments du Pays during hunting or trapping season. Early fall can be good for gathering fruits and nuts as well. During your trip, you can possibly complete requirements 6, 9, 13, 15, & 17. Parts of requirements 2, 3, 6, 7, & 10 can be documented as well. I have heard of members doing an Aux Aliments du Pays in each season of the year and I applaud them! It is what we do! As previously stated, three days means the largest part of these days possible. “Primitive conditions” has been addressed in prior requirements.

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