Ugly Sweater 5K

Daughter #1 and I tend to find a 5k to walk when she is back around Christmas time. Two years ago was a Color Run which was a lot of fun but none were going on in this area.
Color Run

She found an Ugly Sweater 5k in Tempe for us this year. The charity this year is Save the Children. Samuel Adams was a corporate sponsor for the run, so my hats off to them for backing the charity.

Yes that is a banana suit along with muscle tights. Our thought was - why not!

Hawkins 54 Kit Gun

I mentioned earlier that I had picked up a kit gun for cheap from a fellow whose relative never assemble it. All the parts are there. I am took a few pictures along the way.

Unfinished, ready for 1st coat.

I an using Minwax Antique Oil Finish on this one also. I like this finish as it dries hard but is not glossy.

1st coat

1st coat drying

2nd coat

2nd coat

2nd coat

Quite a bit of sanding was done after the 2nd coat.

3rd coat

3rd coat

3rd coat

4th coat

4th coat

4th coat

4th coat

This is just about where I want to be. I think one more coat after a quick steel wool. and it is assembly time.

None of the brass got buffed and polished as it is planned to just let it tarnish naturally.

Assembled! The barrel is Mud Brown Flat Cerekote.

Finish is not high gloss nor was it desired to be so. This one is going out in the field.

I love the double trigger on this. You can set it so that the final drop is almost a hair trigger. Almost, as I won't set it that far!

Were the rear sights traditionally adjustable for elevation and windage? Hahaha!

I hate the way I did the ramrod. Needs a coat of walnut oil stain and will get one soon. This is attention grabbing and detracts from the overall looks.

I still hate it!

That is a white Cerekote dot on the front sight.

My trusty helper, AJ, has been assisting every step of the way. He actually belongs to daughter #2 who is in Okinawa with her Marine hubby. AJ has become my shadow and thinks that he is also my protector!

Finally got the ramrod a color that looks decent.

Now to get some loads together for the Blogger Shoot on the 10th!

Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills

I was drawn for a muzzle loading hunt in the Santa Rita Mountains which I have frequented for the last 34 years and have taken a few deer over the years.

Very little sign was seen where I usually hunted that coincided with not seeing much in the way of deer. I slow walked and glassed (not in that order) some of my super duper secret areas to no avail. Where did the deer go? It is no concerning that deer were not seen right away but it is of concern that little or no deer sign ( you know, poop and tracks) was there. Food/water was good in these area. One area I snuck up to the following day was a bedding area that usually looks like the deer had quite a party. No sign - none. I did find sign of illegal traffic in these particular areas. Looks like the illegals are busting the bedding areas on a regular basis.


Nice view out towards the Baboquivari range.

 






Might rain today.


My usual areas are between 6,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation where you have some nice pin oaks and other goodies for forage. Most of this was on the west slopes. The following day found me kicking around down in the washes and amid the ocotilla. There I found sign and did see a few does. The last days of the hunt were spent driving the Bull Spring Road (not maintained for public use) and hunting Josephine Canyon area. Very little sign. One area where we have camped previously was near the stream and every day deer would walk through camp on their way to water and forage the benches. We called them the 11 o'clock does as you could just about set your watch by them.

I sat a hillside above this area glassing, saw nothing and decided to try something different after a few hours. Coming down the hillside I had to take a leak, took of my gloves and noticed my wedding band was missing. I have lost enough weight that my ring was loose. Crap, I forgot to take it off and put in on my key ring! The next few hours were spent searching without accomplishing anything. Usually, when you are distracted doing something else with the rifle slung, you briefly see a nice deer without the opportunity to shoot. We call that luck - bad luck that is. Did not find the ring or get surprised by that turty point buck.

The next weekend after my season was over, I returned to the place with a friend. We both took discriminating metal detectors and searched the places I had been that particular day. We also searched down hill of where I was on that one steep hillside as a bounce could be possible that could put that ring 20 yards downhill. No ring. I may go back for another pass with the metal detector.

Thar's gold them thar hills but no deer!

Win 24 Part III

Well, the Winchester Model 24 SxS is finished or I thought it was. I found a slight crack in the forearm wood. It looks that it could be glued and clamped. I don't know if the glue will end up showing on the outside which would require refinishing the piece.
First coat of Minwax Antique Oil Finish. A bit of sanding was done after this coat to try to take out some of the scratches and dings. Probably removed about 80% of the marring on the stock but it is a field gun from 1939. I decided to not sand that much wood off for the scratches. The dings will remain until I decide that it is really needed to make this look that pretty. Dings will require some sanding, steaming, drying, sanding and recoating.

Time for coat number two.

Back together again!

There will be a short wait while waiting for pheasant season!

I Hear My Name Being Called

I like to fish. I am sure that you asking yourself if that is supposed to be some grand revelation on a biblical scale! Well, it is probably not a revelation of any sort to those who know me. While working on the furniture for the shotgun and smokepole, this swam into view.

Note the boat in the background.

 These strange objects became visible through the murky depths while hanging things up to dry on the porch. This a fish cleaning board, stainless steel fillet glove, and an old scrub pad that seem to be reaching obscurity and overgrown by the Queen's Lace.

The view of these objects and implements brought a twinge of nostalgia as the fish have been without me for a couple of years. Life gets in the way sometimes.

In the evenings when the wind has dropped and it is almost dark, I hear faint voices from the darkness that was upon the face of the deep. I have I heard, "Don, where have you been? We are lonely. Come fish the tranquil waters."

Regardless of whether the voices come from the deep or from deep inside my head, we have lively conversations! Got to go fishing soon!!!!!

O.K. Corral Goes Hot!

Two hurt when live bullets used in Arizona Old West show

Well that reenactment got a little more real when someone went with live ammo instead of blanks! Looks like the pre-show weapons check has to get a bit more serious.

Win 24 Part II

 

 

 

It's alive! Even without the aid of the Wee Free Men, I was able to re-assemble it only to find that the left barrel still did not work right. Pulled the stock again so that I could see the inner workings and the left sear was not engaging all the way. It had actually moved as far as it mechanically could. The right was tight.

I was checking to see the chokes on the barrels as they are on the underside and not visible when assembled. Odd, the front trigger was on the full choke and I remember that modified was first up before. I looked at the triggers again and there is a slight difference of about a millimeter or so in the height of the "bump" (technical term) on them where the sears ride. Could it really be that simple? Drifted the pin out, swapped triggers, pin back in and it works as it should! It is a bit tight from having the cerakote applied but that will wear in. Not bad for a shotgun made 1939. We are ready for hunting.

 I will pull it apart again later when I am ready to do the stock on the Hawkins kit BP rifle and do them both with the MinWax Classic Oil Finish. Steam a few dents out and new finish on this walnut stock will complete this one.

I now know more about the innards of a model 24 than I ever really wanted to.