1) The book on rifles; I've been stalling long enough.
2) Submit some articles.
3) I have owned a Trapdoor Springfield for over a year and it has yet to go to the range. I will fix that.
4) Attend a pistol course and a carbine course.
5) I want a Remington 51 and a Savage 1907 to go with my H&R Automatic and my Colt 1903. The whole set, if you will.
6) Ride the bicycle more. Get good cold-weather cycling gear.
7) Set up the frickin' reloading press, already!
Y'all stay on me about this stuff.
18 comments:
Regarding item 6: layers are your friend, but don't overdo it. Unless you're just riding to the store and back, you want to start out a bit cold because you WILL warm up. If you wear too much, you'll just get sweaty and that could make you colder.
Here's what I wear for temps ranging from 25-40deg: Heavyweight (Underarmour Coldgear or heavier) tights over bike shorts, Underarmour Coldgear mock turtleneck, cotton-poly long sleeve zip moderate weight jersey, thin balaclava (fits under helmet), and wind/waterproof gloves. I have to wear thin wool socks with the bike shoes because of the snug fit, but I put lined neoprene booties over the bike shoes (the booties zip up and are rubber soled with a hole for the cleat). For coats, I either use a fleece jacket with nylon outer lining to block some wind or, in extreme cases, a a regular fleece jacket with rain shell over it (once, while riding in temps below 20deg, I had snow form between the shell and fleece because the shell didn't breath enough).
If temps get below 25deg, I add another pair of tights, thicker socks, and glove liners.
While I'm a longtime bike geek, much of my cold weather biking gear is not bike-specific. I use some of it while hunting or enjoying other outdoor winter activities.
Chris
The Savage 1907 is a beautifully made pistol, way ahead of its time. Still reasonably priced, and you can find them still unused in their boxes. I have one with a leather "purse" shaped carry bag that leaves little doubt as to what is inside. As you may know, there are now three books about the little pistol, and sometimes they cost more than an actual 1907. Best wishes on your quest.
Numbers 3, 6 and 7 are on my list too except I haven't fired my trapdoor springfield since I was around 13-14 in the late seventies.
Y'all stay on me about this stuff.
Done my best re item 2. Doesn't appear to have worked so far, but hope springs eternal.
I too have a trapdoor and have not yet fired it. It's not a caliber known to me. About .5 inches, but the chamber appears to be about 3 inches long.
It's now on my list for the comming year.
Remington 51.
What a beauty.
Great choice.
Remington 51......one of the finest auto pistols ever.....
http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Rem51/rem51.html
Noel
When you say the book on rifles, do you mean Sharpe's "book of the rifle" from 47?
If so it is absolutely great and well written. I am glad I sprung for a signed copy.
So what is stopping you from the Springfield Trapdoor shooting? It doesn't do bicycles? I am trying to figure out if I own anything I haven't shot, and since I do have ONE, my grandfather's Bulldog, .32 rimfire revolver, I guess you can have a by on the rifle - but you look like you could really shoot that well, it is your size for sure.
As Chris points out, layering is the key in cold-weather cycling. You'll figure out the best layering for you. For example, I tried but had to ditch the windproof gloves, as I got too hot. And, I preferred the removable sleeves in case I got hotter.
Of course, I don't bike at 15 degrees. I have limits, and that's my Bourbon/Coffee/Book/Fireplace limit.
w.v.- nomperr: A preferred nom de plume
#3 first, plskthnx.
On the cold-weather bicycling, please please please get some good ice&snow tires for the velocipede, if such actually exist!
I continue to cringe every time I contemplate yer famous dismount on I-285. (which, as you averred, means there'll prolly never be another "yachting photo" of Our Tam.)
Yah I know it's only 12mph on a push bike, but I've met a guy who did himself serious brain damage falling off a bike at walking speed.
P.s. I know that carbide studs are unlawful on car tires in lots of places, but I betcha the laws are silent about their use on bicycle tires. I further betcha that nobody makes them, and that if anyone did, they would be astronomically expensive.
Re the bike: Many years ago I had occasion to speak with a Doc employed at the closest hospital to Sears Point Raceway (can't recall latest name for the track). He commented that the worst injuries he saw originate there were from bicycle racing. (He was a fellow motorcyclist, btw) Over the years, I gathered similar stories regarding street bicycle riding.
Educated guess is lack of protective gear during the normal (warm) riding season. Better gear, now. Still, not much used, it seems. I know I used to feel safer riding my Norton during the cold weather due to all the layers of riding gear I wore, trying to stay warm (late to electrically heated gear-Lucas electrics, OMG! ). Eventually, I got to the point I didn't ride if not suited up in full leathers, although I realized I was a tad more "adventurous" when fully kitted out. I just felt naked, otherwise. That included triple digit temps. As a former Dutch boss stated: "if it's too hot to wear helmet, gloves, boots, and jacket, it's too hot to ride". Problem with pedal bikes is you ARE pretty much naked in warm weather (spandex, anyone?).
wv: vatests...on a British vehicle? You're kidding, right?
Wonder if you could lace up a set of really small motorcycle rims and use ice racing tire setups.
Maybe just use sheet metal screws in bmx tires, with some sort of liner to keep the screw heads from tearing up the tube. A second tube sectioned to cover the air bearing tube, perhaps. Probably still want a second set of wheels, or maybe a second bike. Dirt bike handguards might be useful, also.
You are writing a book on rifles or buying a book on rifles?
Writing.
a link to all the books you could possibly want
http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/12/history-historical-shooting-books.html
Chuck
re: studded tires for bikes...
They exist, but are hard to find and expensive (upwards of $100/tire when the average mtb tire is $40-$60). For most folks, the tires are lost to age long before they are worn out.
I've never found much of a need for them. If it's so icy I can't ride, I don't bother. I've ridden some icy trails, but the ice wasn't constant, just patchy. On the road, if the ice is significant, I stay home. For snow, as long as I can turn the pedals, I'm ok. Traction on snow is actually pretty good, it's the friction losses that get you.
As for protective gear, there isn't anything out there that will provide adequate protection, yet allow for proper movement. A good helmet and gloves is generally enough. Downhillers have various types of body armor, but that seems to be a bit overkill for general cross country riding. In 25 years of mtbing, I've not known anyone to get significantly injured where body armor would have made a difference (hitting a tree at 30mph tough on a body).
Chris
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