Cards.

Okay, just finished Christmas cards.  Still waiting on current addresses from Old_NFO, Christina_LMT, The Nerds (but they don't read this blog). So, I've got that going for me.
 

New collection addition....

I actually bought this like a couple of months ago, but one thing and another and work and I'm just getting it home today.  They guy I bought it from swore up and down it was chambered in .30-06, and then said it was made in 1903.  Which didn't add up to me.

The serial number checks for a 1903 birthday, so.... confusion.  So, when I was able to pick it up from my FFL, I took one look at it and took it to my gunsmith to have a chamber cast made to find out what caliber it actually was.

Yes, I checked the barrel. It's marked .30US.  Yeah, see, back then they were in the midst of changing nomenclature on how they denoted ammo. So, while we all know and love the .30-30 and .30-06 and .30-40Krag, back then they were called things like .30WCF and .30Army and .30Gov't and .30US.

Oh and just to throw a little more confusion in the mix, in 1903 there was the precursor to the .30-06 called the .30-03 of all things.  The .30-06 was basically a cut down case length on the .30-03.

Yes, I'm incredibly oversimplifying it.  You want to learn, go read a book people!

So, chamber mold seemed to be the smart thing to do.

Anyway.  I'm pretty sure the guy didn't know what he had.  Considering the three holes on the side of the receiver aren't just cut willy nilly like he thought.  They were the saddle ring hole and two holes tapped for a Lyman sight system.  Score!

So, here she is. A Winchester 1895 born in 1903, chambered in .30-40Krag

The ad for Colt is just there because I was so excited to finally be taking pics, I forgot to move it.

Today is Veteran's day.

Whether you call it Veteran's Day, Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, etc. Whatever you choose to call it. Today is the day we honor those who have chosen to serve their country.  I've heard many who've served say that those who haven't can not understand what those who have, have done, I don't know about that.  I do know that all of us who have served share a brotherhood.  We may disparage one service or another, there are jokes out there about each service that I swear go back to when Og and Gog were slinging rocks at each other across the cave. But we all share that brotherhood. 

I want to thank my brothers and sisters in arms for their service and sacrifice.

They've all given some, and some have given all.

Aepilotjim
US Army, Blackhawk helicopter crew chief
'85 - '88

Gather 'round...

everybody! We've got a cure for what ails ya!  Why, this little bottle I hold in my hand (for external use only) will guarantee cure the following, or DOUBLE your money back! It'll cure Acid Reflux Disease, Acne, Allergies, Antisocial Personality Disorder, ADHD/ADD, Altitude Sickness, Alzheimer's Disease, Andropause, Anorexia, Arthritis, Aspergers Syndrome, Asthma, Autism, Back Pain, Bad Breath, Baldness, Bed wetting, Bladder Cancer , Bone Cancer, Brain Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cancer cancer! Why, this little bottle is probably the most important bottle you'll ever buy! I wouldn't lie to you folks! It'll cure memory loss, canker soars, Depression, diarrhea, burns, Gout, even Hemorrhoids! No infectious disease known to man is immune to my patented (pending) oil!  This oil, extracted from common southwestern rattle snakes, yes, I said snakes, my friend. This little bottle of snake oil.....

Right, you get the idea.  It's snake oil. And nobody out there in their right mind believes in snake oil cures.

So, why do so many people believe that big government or even bigger government will cure everything?