My Favorite Rifle!

Which rifle do you grab when you're headed out to the field the most often? I know you have a favorite, I also realize that over time that favorite can change. It certainly changes depending on the occasion although if you're hunting deer; do you have a go to gun?

I've always loved lever actions & have over the years migrated primarily to Marlin's. I grew up around them and in my later years have come to appreciate what "was" a great firearm manufacturer. They were made affordable where a working man could save up and buy one for hunting without getting a loan from a bank.

Back in 2009 I wanted to get back into lever actions and I had my heart set on finding a used 1998, 1st year Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70. Couldn't believe that the 1st local gun store I walked in had one. Yes it was over priced but it went home with me and I was once again hooked on the rifle that won the west - a lever action, lead spitting cannon.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this is that one rifle I grab most often for Deer or Hog hunting. Yes I have several other lever actions but I keep coming back to this one. I'll also be using this for coyote hunting next month.

This rifle like all of my Guide Guns & Outfitters is factory ported with 18 & 1/2" length barrels. They are all five shot rifles with one in the chamber and I think they feel more natural to me than the newer AR's. Mind you, I don't have anything against them, I just have my preferences.

Getting back to your go-to-gun, what do you grab? Leave a comment, I'd like to know what your pick is.

1895Gunner

My Favorite Wheel Guns

Do you even carry a wheel gun? Today many people carry what they view as “maximum” kill power and the largest ammo capacity they can get their hands on. I don’t look down on that idea by the way, I just prefer simple, reliable wheel guns for Every Day Carry (EDC).

There are a large number of manufacturers to pick from and I’m not going to walk through them, you know who they are. Everyone has their favorite as do I. That being said I’ll jump right into two that I carry. Both have their purpose and I trust both to always work flawlessly.

My favorite for EDC is my Smith & Wesson Model 642 Airweight. It’s a perfect pants pocket carry although many prefer to carry it Inside the Waistband (IWB) or ankle. This doesn’t have an exposed hammer making it snag-free which is important for quick deployment when needed.

 

 

I also like that although this is a 38 special, you can fire + P rounds in it bringing it very close to 357 Magnum performance if you choose. I reload all of my ammo and have had great success with 125gr lead and jacketed hollow points. Just a fun gun to shoot regardless of which round you choose.

 

I find the gun to be 100% reliable under harsh conditions, fires every time even after shooting all day long without cleaning. It’s probably one of the most used “J” Frame revolvers on today’s market. They come in blued & stainless models. I would rate the workmanship on my model as a 10 out of a 10 point scale and the functionality as the same, a 10. A beautiful firearm that backs its looks up with reliability & functionality!

 FEATURES

• Lightweight Alloy Frame for Easy Carry
• Stainless steel barrel and cylinder
• Snag-Free Enclosed Hammer
• Rated for Continuous +P Use

 

Specifications

SKU: 163810
 

Model: Model 642

Caliber: .38 S&W SPECIAL +P

Capacity: 5

Barrel Length:

Overall Length: 6.3"

Front Sight: Integral

Rear Sight: Fixed

Action: Double Action Only

Grip: Synthetic

Weight: 14.4 oz / 408.2g

Cylinder Material: Stainless Steel

Barrel Material: Stainless Steel

Frame Material: Aluminum Alloy

Frame Finish: Matte Silver

Purpose: Concealed Carry, Law Enforcement & Military, Personal
Protection, State Compliance

 

 

My second choice of carry revolver covers extreme conditions but is a much larger model. It’s the Taurus Model 4510TKR-3SSR. Stainless, Ported hand cannon. If you know anything about the Judges, they fire both the 45 Colt cartridge (slightly lighter than the 44 Magnum) & the 410 shot shell with so many configurations of ammo that it can stand against almost anything.

 

 

This five-shot wheel gun isn’t an easy “concealed carry” gun however I can pull it off during fall, winter & early spring. I can carry all year long if I choose to open carry which is legal in my state if you have a conceal carry license. Be aware that this bigger gun weighs more than two pounds empty and therefore you need a good holster to carry comfortably all day.

Again I reload everything that I shoot so the 45 Colt rounds and the 410 shot shells come off my reloading bench. There are so many configurations between the two types of ammo that I can stop rattle snakes to the most tweaked out coke heads if needed. Easy to handle with any round loaded this is such a fun gun to shoot, easy to aim & control.

 

Most people think of short barreled hand guns as nothing but close quarter protection however this one is so smooth, I can reliably pull from holster and quick fire five rounds of 45 Colt into 16” target at 50 yards.

Although this model is no longer manufactured, there are plenty of new models of similar design ready for purchase. I would rate the workmanship on my model as a 9 out of a 10 point scale and the reliability & functionality as the same, a 9.

 

 

Specifications

Model: 4510TKR-3SSR
Finish: Matte Stainless Steel
Status: Discontinued
Caliber: 45 Colt/410-ga (2.5" chamber)
Grips: Rubber Grip
UPC: 7-25327-60712-0
Capacity: 5
Weight: 34.56 oz
Barrel Length: 3"
Frame: Medium
Action: SA/DA
Front Sight: Red Fiber Optic Fixed
Length: 9-1/4"
Grooves: 6
Safety: Firing Pin Block, Transfer Bar
Trigger Type: Smooth

 

 

 

 

Gun Shows, I’m Always Tempted

Since you’re reading this blog I’m assuming that you have attended at least one gun show in your lifetime. Me, I get weekly emails of shows scheduled throughout the state I live in. Every weekend there are at least two shows within an hour’s drive time.

I know many folks my age (recently retired) that have given up on the gun shows due to varying reasons from too costly for admission (& parking), nothing but crap on display or too controversial these days to be in attendance.

Me, I can’t wait to attend. I mean who could resist looking at such a variety of long guns and handguns? I’m very, very much into lever guns and am always on the hunt for “that one”, you know – everybody has “that one” that they have been looking for over many years. For me that would be an affordable Marlin 45 Colt Cowboy (pre Remington).

That one rifle aside, I just love looking at what’s available on the market any given weekend. I do agree that there are more distracting items for sale these days than one may have experienced a decade ago like eye glass cleaning booths, cheese & cracker vendors, etc. There are also more knife vendors than gun sellers at some of the shows with many of these selling cheap, flea market knock offs.

But I digress. I like Knick knacks, anything to do with the loading/shooting sports. I’ve also found that I have a real affinity for leather items like ammo pouches, old cigar boxes, arrow heads, Silver Dollars, Brass, Powder, Lead, Copper Jacketed, Steel Shot, Primers, Plastic wads – and on & on.

To tell the truth I no longer really go to gun shows for guns. That may sound sacrilegious however I did say I was retired. I could explain another way by saying that there aren’t too many Marlins that I don’t own already. Yes one could always “need” another gun however I’m pretty satisfied with my collection other than that one elusive model I mentioned earlier.

Regarding the price of shows, it isn’t unusual to pay anywhere between $8 and $15 to gain admission here in Georgia, depending on location and size. It doesn’t matter the cost so much as the distance. There are at least four shows every weekend across the state but most are too far for me to travel to.

But enough of me, I’d like to know more from you on what you like to look for beyond the obvious guns at the shows. I can dig through bins of “stuff” on one table for half an hour. What drives you, what are you searching for when you attend a show?

Don’t hesitate to leave a comment – I’d really like to know just what you’re looking for!

 

WMA Hunting in NW Georgia - 2016

I was fortunate to hunt NW Georgia this year for the first time since moving here in early 2015. I’ve spent most of the last year & ½ remodeling the home we bought – but that is another story!

I’m use to hunting Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) and have had mixed luck in these public hunting grounds. That being said this year was a brand new experience with all of the hills & hollers. Previously I hunted flat lands mixed with swamps and palmetto’s. I did some pre-season scouting but couldn’t get back in where I knew I wanted to hunt due to distance and locked gates on WMA roads.

Google maps is a great source for visually looking at potential hunting areas and I didn’t hesitate to use that tool again this year.  I was able to find hardwood stands easily mixed upon the evergreen pines that far outnumber the hardwoods here. The WMA we decided to hunt was a short 45 minute drive from the homestead called the Paulding Forest WMA. It’s a 25,707 acre paradise for a deer & bear hunter.

I wasn’t sure what to expect regarding hunting pressure during season, some WMA’s are filled to the brim with hunters leaving you with small “shooting lanes”. More often than not while sitting in a stand I have experienced hunters walking through “my zone” busting any chance of seeing a deer. That in and of itself is why many folks won’t hunt a WMA. Not knowing any land owners yet up here I had to hope for the best and just go at it.

I’m not sure why however this particular WMA we chose to hunt only has two seasons, one 4 day season in November and a 3 day season in December so opportunity is limited in tagging out. My BIL and I picked a spot for the first four days next to some food plots planted by the Georgia game commission. Although there was plenty of sign we only heard deer in the dark while sitting in stands never getting the opportunity to see any during daylight.

We left a bit disappointed after those first four days in November with hopes of a better December hunt. We both knew that we would have to change our plans based on what we experienced with hunting pressure at our first choice for the stands.

We did some more Google Earth scouting during the wait for the December hunt and found a spot we were both very excited about. We knew we would have to get there early the day before the hunt when they open the gates to stake out our claim, and the plan came together.

Early that December morning I met my BIL at the grocery store and we proceeded to buy groceries for camping. When we were convinced that we bought enough to survive we headed on the road to our destiny. Lo and behold we got there in time to drive in to the hallowed hunting grounds. You know the funny thing about Google Earth is it doesn’t show boundaries of the WMA. We found this out after setting camp, heading into the woods to scout for the next morning only to come across posted no hunting signs. Depression can come quickly.

I quickly downloaded a free app on the iPhone that did show the WMA boundaries and confirmed the signs. This quickly forced us to change direction and Wala – an even better place to call my hunting zone!  This only four hundred yards of hiking from camp. You know, sometimes things happen for a reason.

I decided to hunt from the ground for these three days versus using my tree climber. I did say that the hike was only four hundred yards however I didn’t mention it was almost straight up and down did I? This being a new thing to this sixty year old hunter coming from the flatlands of Florida. Now I confirmed why I chose to hunt from the ground. Saved me from hauling that on my back up & down the hills and hollers. When I got to what I thought looked like an excellent spot to stop I was winded but enjoyed the exercise since it was 23 degrees that first morning. This spot was overlooking a holler that was close to 300 foot deep with three ditches running into one big dip – all hardwoods with nearly every leaf on the forest floor. When daylight came on opening morning I knew I was by myself with nature. No signs of anyone else for a loooong way off. Nobody else had hiked into this zone and as I thought of how I would try to haul a deer out of this holler; it came to me why nobody else was around.

 

I’ll end this by stating that this was a buck only hunt and all that I saw were does but I had the hunt of my life and intend to go back to this exact spot next season. What a beautiful place. At one point I had three does trot by me within seven yards without ever seeing me.

 

This brings me to what I wanted to get across to the reader. There is nothing better than being one with nature while hunting. Your senses are at their highest while trying to hear deer walking in the leaves and the smells of the forest are not quantifiable. I find myself totally at ease regardless of what is going on in the world. I recommend getting out there even if not to hunt. Just go and enjoy the sights & sounds and smells. Life in a forest couldn’t be any better.

 

 

 

Marlin Lever Action Picture Collection

 Decided to have a little fun pulling a collection of pictures of my Marlin lever guns together to share. Some have come and gone however I won’t forget them. My favorites have always been the Big Bore Guide Guns & Outfitters with factory ported barrels & straight checkered American walnut stocks.

 

Model 1895G: 45/70 Government Guide Gun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Model 1895GS: 45/70 Government Stainless Guide Gun

 

 

Model 1895M: 450 Marlin Guide Gun

 

 

Model 444P: 444 Marlin Outfitter

 

 

 

 

Model 336D: 35 Remington Guide Gun

 

 

 

Model 1894P: 44 Remington Magnum Trapper

 

Group pictures:

444P & 1895G

 444P, 1895G, 1895GS, 1895M

 

 

Marlin Model 410 Lever Action

 



 

Designing a New Gun Room

So we moved to Georgia, after retirement and picked a home that could use some updating. That alone sounds like a lot of work however I looked at the opportunity for a new Gun Room. You know, the kind of room where an older gentlemen can read great hunting & safari books, tall tales about finned monsters caught in streams and of course looking at and handling gun stuff…

I still enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting & hunting so I had to incorporate a bench for such scientific endeavors. Secret load notes hand written and filed away from prying eyes of close buddies and the like.

The list of priorities was long but alas budget and square footage always play their hands in the process. My list of course included a leather sofa and reading chair, bookshelves, fireplace and big screen TV and a nice spot for a reloading bench. Vertical gun racks and plenty of storage for primers, powder, bullets, dies, etc…

I was able to pre-plan the room to some degree since much of the drywall wasn’t up yet. Electrical outlets and switches placed just right for utility, new paint, baseboard and doors and flooring. This was fun to envision and install.

Security was considered and maximized however I won’t go into those details for reasons you could assume.

I may be a bit premature posting this since I’m still waiting to finish my rifle racks and still have plenty of stuff to hang on the walls but here we go. I'll be sure to revisit when completed....