Hi-Power Comeback

I wasn't always a gun guy. My father occasionally hunted small game and I carried on that tradition, and then expanded to deer.  I think it was 1990 when the Feds put a 10 round limit on magazine capacity. At the time I had a .22 rifle, .410, 20ga pump and a .357mag.  I had no real need or desire for anything else, as a hunter. The Fed passing that law started my journey being a gun guy. I went to a gun show and handled multiple handguns that took magazines that held more than 10 rounds. I bought a FEG Hi-Power because it held 13, and seemed to fit my hand best. I also bought several spare magazines. So screw you government!

To this day, the Hi-Power is my favorite. I've recently read that FN, Springfield and EAA are reintroducing my favorite all time handgun. I've been checking the local shops, but haven't found any. I really want to handle one before I commit to buying.

Over the years the number of guns I own have grown. Sometimes just because the Fed doesn't want me to have them. 

If you lock 2 guns in a dark closet, they are bound to procreate. 

Front Sights

Have become an issue for these old eyes. To help, I recently had XS sights installed on 2 of my carry guns. I like them. I've heard that they're not very good for longer ranges. I disagree.

Taking the general idea farther I decided to invest in front sights for both the Keltec SUB-2000 and the AR. Both now have red dots, but if battery failure, then the irons become necessary. Besides, the irons may be pressed into use if there isn't time to activate the red dot. I purchased a couple of larger front sights, chevron, to make the irons easier for these old eyes. They are now installed, but I haven't had the opportunity to try them at the range.

My SKS has a foreward mounted red dot. I doubt a more visible front sight is available for it.

My CETME has a PA low powered variable with illuminated reticle. So I think it'll be fine.

Brass Check

 We happen to have 3 pistols chambered for the little 380. A Keltek P3AT, Bersa and the Llama Micromax.  I posted earlier about the little Llama.  Anyway, yesterday I noticed a lack of brass for reloading 380, so I looked hard and found some that I can order. Well, if ordering brass, am I short on any others? So I opened the tub to do a quick check.  And found more 380 brass than I thought. So I won't be ordering any.    But . . . . 

Doing a quick inventory showed I'm a bit short on 7mm Mauser brass. I don't shoot that rifle very often, but I sure want more than 20 rounds on hand. 

At The Range

 A while back I posted about my little Llama Micromax 380 having feeding issues. I noticed a protrusion from the bottom of the bolt face, below the extractor, as if maybe the machining operation was not complete. I applied a small rotating grinding tool and reduced the protrusion. I couldn't get all of it with that tool. At the range yesterday, there was an increase in reliability. The next step is to remove the remaining metal (probably with a hand file) and try shooting it again.

My Keltek sub-2000 is a fun little foldable carbine in 9mm. Having old eyes in an old body, I decided to mount a red dot sight. Using a 45 Deg. offset mount that fits into the slots of the picatinney top rail still allows it to fold. Adjusting the sight yesterday was problematic. Later I noticed that the offset mount had loosened. I think the set screws were digging into the polymer rail. I'll try putting a metal shim under the set screws.

Allow ? ?

I understand that the Ukranian parliament has voted to allow citizens to carry guns. It took an invasion! I carry a gun on my person practically every day, and I keep several 'evil' long guns in my house.  Citizens of the USA are better prepared to defend this country than probably every other country on this earth.

I think the 2A was intended as a last ditch defense from our own government, but there are other applications.

First Day Travel Challenges

 The first week of January I hitched the trailer to the truck and we headed south, on our way to the Florida Keys. The first day was a challenge. 

1-   I was just getting over diarrhea from medicine to kill my sinus infection, and the Boss was feeling really bad.  

2-   I activated the hydraulic leveling jacks in preparation to hitching the truck, but nothing worked. Not known to me, there's a switch that isolates the trailer's 12 volt battery. Instead of being kept charged by the house power, it was dead. The hydraulics are powered by 12 volts. So it was 1:00 before we hit the road on the first leg, that was estimated to take 6 hours of driving.

3-   I-75 near Lexington Ky. was closed a day before we were to leave due to heavy snow. When we left it was reported as clear. That was almost the case. For several miles the pavement had thick ice, with intermittent small clear areas. It was rough as all hell, reducing our speed down to about 40mph.

4-   We arrived at our first overnight stop very late. I think it was around 9:00 or 10:00. The office was closed, but a map showing where to park the trailer was posted. Misreading the map put us in a dead end, in the dark, where my fatigue and inexperience didn't allow me to turn around.  I saw a way of driving forward, making a turn between 2 trees. In the dark I didn't see that one was originally dual trunked, with one cut off a few feet from the ground. The trailer caught it just in front of the axles. There was no functional damage, but it did a fine job of bending and tearing thin sheet metal.

Thankfully, our trip got a lot better from then on.

Road Trip

The first week of January I hitched the 5th wheel trailer to the truck, loaded the Boss and both dogs, then headed south.  We made reservations at several RV parks for the trip. I set it up for 6 hours maximum road time using mapquest. This is our first long road trip, and in the future I'll schedule less time/distance between stops. Pulling a 36ft 12,000lb (empty) trailer is more tiring than driving a car. Professional truck drivers probably think I'm a wimp.

The Boss has wanted to go to the Florida Keys, so we spent a week there, after 4 days of travel. Then on to Lakeland Florida where my sister and her family live, for a couple of weeks. And now we're on our way, sort of, back home to Ohio. Our homeward journey was planned to be 2 night stops and 3 days. Then the winter storm intervened. So now we're spending extra time in central Georgia.  No way do I want to pull this trailer across the mountains if the road has snow or ice.