My fascination with old and abandoned things often leads to dreams of great discoveries. Though I've been to a few abandoned places - all of which are pretty well known, at least locally - I'm handicapped by geography. Here in rural Oregon, there just aren't many such places.

There weren't enough people here to have produced a large urban/industrial base a century ago, our technological history doesn't go back much more than 175 years in any case, and we've never exactly been a hotbed of military activity. Thus my dreams of being the first (or, at least, one of the very few) to visit such a site remain elusive.

Other people are more fortunate. A British film crew just last year found the remains of the Aqua Traiana headwaters, the beginnings of a lost aqueduct that once supplied Rome with fresh water. It's beautiful and amazingly well preserved, and all lying below a pig pasture near the village of Manziana, just northwest of Rome.

What gets me is that they found it - in the best Indiana Jones style - by discovering a hidden door in an abandoned church.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned, dammit

Just because something's old, doesn't mean that it isn't useful. That's the apparent philosophy behind one of my favorite places to spend money: Lindsay's Technical Books.

Lindsay's primary business is reprinting out of print and public domain books on a wide range of technical topics. If you want to learn how to run a lathe, construct things out of sheet metal, do chemistry experiments, build a radio, embalm a body, repair a locomotive, make paint, or just about anything else from the last century, Lindsay probably has a book on the subject. That book, most likely, will only be available from them.

Some of the titles are obscure while some are better known, and occasionally you'll find one that was once considered the standard in its field. One of these is the classic "How To Run A Lathe", by the South Bend lathe company. Many older machinists started their careers with that book, and Lindsay's is the place to buy a fresh copy.

(When I was barely a teenager and apprenticing as a watch & clockmaker, one of my primary references was a book called "The Watchmaker's Lathe" by Ward Goodrich. At the time it was widely available, but went out of print a number of years back. Lindsay acquired it, and now reprints that classic title. It's a bit disconcerting to see a book from my personal past being sold by a purveyor of "antique" information!)

A small selection of their books are current, commercially available titles, while others are specialized works that would have no other sales venue were it not for Lindsay's odd clientele.

Of course they have a website (www.lindsaybks.com), but don't expect much. First, only a small fraction of their titles are on their site - you need to request a printed catalog to see what's available. Even then, you won't receive a comprehensive catalog, but after a few quarterly issues you'll have a pretty good idea of what they've got.

You can order online, but it's in the form of a secure email: you type in the catalog number and part of the title - no point & click or shopping cart at Lindsay's!

They're not convenient, can be downright cantankerous (spend some time rummaging through the site for a taste of their collective personality), but they're always fun and educational. When the latest Lindsay's catalog comes in the mail, I've been known to drop everything just to browse their latest offerings. If you have even a passing interest in technology gone by, I guarantee you'll find a way to spend money with them, too.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: books

Back in 1999 there was a Titan missile base for sale in California - Chico, if memory serves. If the salesman's information was to be believed, it was it great good condition, unlike most such abandoned facilities. I was fascinated by the possibilities of one of those huge complexes, but it was my brother who came up with the bright idea to buy the thing, convert it into a "Y2K Survival Community", and sell condos to rich people skittish about the coming millennium.

He figured that the three silos - each 150 deep and 55 feet in diameter - would net 45 condos of about 2,300 square feet each. Were there that many gullible millionaires who could be relieved of their money, if they could be assured that their families would survive the coming catastrophe? People in Hollywood are infamous for their susceptibility to even wilder schemes, so it seemed plausible.

Of course we never got beyond the talking stage, and as we all know nothing much happened on New Years Day 2000. It was fun to speculate and scheme, though!

That was as close as I ever got to one of those behemoth underground complexes. I've always wanted to visit one, but never have, and thus have settled for doing so vicariously.

Just as I did with this and this from www.terrastories.com

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

An email popped into my box on Monday which asked "do you have a favorite knife steel?" As it happens, I do!

Oregon seems to be a mecca for knife enthusiasts. We boast what is reputedly the largest knife show in the world (the annual Oregon Knife Collectors Association show), along with a stellar list of native knife companies: Benchmade. Kershaw. Al Mar. Gerber. Lone Wolf. Columbia River Knife & Tool.

If that's not enough, Oregon is home to some of the greatest knife designers and custom makers, people like Bob Lum, Wayne Goddard, Bill Harsey, Butch Valloton, Jess Horn, and Ron Lake - as well as a veritable army of well regarded "up and comers."

With all this edginess around me, is it any wonder I have an opinion?!?

I've owned knives made from D2, O1, 1095, VG-10, ATS-34, 154CM, S30v, and probably some I've forgotten about. Of all those different materials, from a number of different makers, my favorite steel is one most people consider pedestrian: Sandvik 13C26 (and its derivatives.)

Sandvik steels are made specifically for cutlery, and boast an exceedingly fine grain structure. When properly heat treated (in the area of 58-60 Rc) they make a blade that holds an edge surprisingly well, won't chip like some of the more esoteric types, and is still easy to resharpen. As an all-around daily use steel, I've not found anything that will surpass it.

I know it's not very exciting, and it's not sexy, and it's not high tech. It just works well at cutting things, which is what I want my knives to do. My knives get used every single day around the farm, and I want blades that perform well under such heavy use. Sandvik steels do so, well enough that I actually seek out those manufacturers who use the stuff.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: knives

I'm no vexillologist, nor do I play one on TV. I am, however, fascinated by historical flags. The synthesis of design, color, and history make them irresistible (to me, at least.)

Take the flags of the American Revolution, for example. Everyone knows the Gadsen flag:




Far fewer are familiar with the Fort Moultrie flag:




Only serious history buffs, however, will recognize the flag of the First Continental Regiment:




See more flags of the American Revolution.

Flags of the world (don't click unless you have lots of spare time to burn!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

In case you weren't aware, my background includes a stint as a watch & clock maker. That's where I learned my precision machining skills, and honed my ability to deal with very complicated devices in which each part has to work perfectly.

I've always been fascinated with timekeepers. I'm not all that keen on the sway they hold over our lives, and I'm hardly obsessive about the flows and uses of time, but the mechanisms (and the way in which they transmit information to humans) intrigue me. Over the years I've owned some unusual clocks, but Dark Roasted Blend brings us a great article on some really "out there" watches and clocks.

(I'm a little surprised that they didn't include one of the iconic "mystery clocks" of the 1960s, and one of my all-time favorites, the Jefferson "Golden Hour" clock:



Somewhere in my pile of old clock parts I have one of these. Maybe I should dig it out and get it running again - it would look great on my desk!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

I've written about the Hubble space telescope here and here, but I just could resist sharing this gallery of extraordinary Hubble images.

Take this one, for instance:



A nebula in the form of a hollow tube. What does it look like from inside? Sadly, we'll probably never know. In the meantime, Hubble can show us the outside, and generate wonder at what the rest of the universe holds. Not bad for a day's work, eh?

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: nasa

The Friday Surprise, for anyone who's been paying attention, is often devoted to my love of the old and abandoned. (My arch nemesis, TomW, will no doubt be along soon to point out that revolvers fit into those categories. Thought I'd beat you to the punch, Tommy!)

Where was I? Oh, right...anyhow, many times I'll drive along a little-used road out on the middle of nowhere (Oregon has a lot of that) and see an abandoned homestead. They always get me to wondering: why did people walk away from that home? Why didn't someone else take it over? Was it a lack of something, or an overabundance of something else? Of course I never find the answers, but the questions come back with the next deserted abode.

With that in mind, It's not surprising that I found this article, Wrong Side Of The Tracks, more than a little interesting. It's an informed look at how neighborhoods become extinct, about how a single house may not always be the whole story, and how this kind of occurrence isn't confined to the hinterlands. A great read.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

The combination of abandoned structures and obsolete technology is, to me, irresistible. Radio facilities, underground communications bunkers, and fortifications of all kinds fascinate me to no end.

As you might imagine, abandoned power stations would be near the top of my "can't get enough of that" list, and Dark Roasted Blend brings us a bunch.

One of them is here in Oregon - I know where the building is, but wasn't aware is was a power plant. I'm glad someone was:



-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

In 1936, an audacious Henry Luce changed the way we looked at the world. He took a staid publication, gave it a new, photojournalistic makeover, and created the legendary LIFE Magazine.

Luce hired the best photographers he could find, and sent them out to cover whatever was interesting - if not always the biggest story. LIFE became the must-read periodical for the next several decades, owing to a combination of superior illustration and good writing. People of my generation, and those of the previous one, can easily remember at least one great LIFE photo - if not a whole bunch. That's what LIFE was about, and it is not too great a stretch to say that LIFE defined American photojournalism.

Many of LIFE's photographers would become well-known, like Margaret Bourke-White...




Alfred Eisenstadt...




Gordon Parks...




Ralph Morse...




Robert Capa...





Joen Loengard...




Co Rentmeester...




...as well as many more whose names weren't as familiar, but were stupendous "shooters" in their own right. LIFE was THE gig to have, and it attracted (and got) the best talent.

Now, in the digital era, Google and TIME have teamed up to bring the entire LIFE photo archive to the web. The hundreds of thousands of images in the LIFE vault are being digitized and indexed by Google as fast as their scanners will scan. At this moment, only about 20% of the collection has been archived - but more photos are added every day, and they hope to be finished with the project in mere months.

The collection includes everything - photos that have been published, and those that haven't. You'll get to see images that didn't make the "cut", those that weren't good enough to be published, as well as those iconic images for which LIFE was so well known.

Visit the LIFE/Google archive at this link.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: photography

I've written before of my appreciation for the mighty Saturn V rocket. It was, for my generation, perhaps the singular embodiment of American achievement. It showed the world what we were capable of doing when we set our mind to it, in a most spectacular fashion. (Quaint patriotism? Perhaps. I'm not normally prone to such things, but the launch of a Saturn V was always a huge event when I was a kid, and occasionally I miss the "old days." Somehow the Oprah Show isn't on the same level of accomplishment, but many people in this country apparently believe it to be!)

The Saturn V - the largest rocket ever made, and the crowning glory of Dr. Werner von Braun - celebrated its 41st birthday this week. It didn't need any candles, being able to provide fireworks all by itself!


Here it is, November 9, 1967, just before coming to life for the very first time. Happy (belated) Birthday, Saturn V!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: nasa

Growing up on a farm it was necessary to know how to tie a knot. One had to be able to secure a load in the back of a pickup, lash a load of hay to a trailer (we didn't have those ratcheting tie-downs back then), or tie a tent down to it's pegs. It's not as if I learned a whole passel of knots, just a few well-proven ones that were useful in our day-to-day endeavors.

Knots can be both functional and beautiful, though, and in the last year or so I've learned how to do some fancier braiding and knot-tying. A lot of my inspiration comes from Stormdrane's blog - he's always finding neat things to do with cordage!

Spend some time on his site; it's fascinating and somewhat addicting. (Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go order some more paracord...)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Some of you may remember that I have a thing for old, abandoned places. You may also remember that this predilection most emphatically includes mines. I've been in a number of them with my buddy Dan, or my cousin Tim, or both of them. (In fact, they got me into mine exploring: "hey, Grant, if you like old buildings you'll LOVE old mines!" They were right.)

It was with great joy, then, that I found the Abandoned Mines of NY/NJ site. Nice layout, and the pics are beautifully detailed. Go, and prepare to be captivated.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

So, where was this picture taken?



Italy? Scotland? Switzerland, perhaps?

Nope. This is the Middle East. Yes, it is! It's the beautiful country of Lebanon.

Hard to believe? What's hard to believe is that people go to Dubai instead of Baalbeck!

I have good friends who are from Lebanon; from them I've learned a great deal about the country, the people, and the history. Lebanon is truly the jewel of the Middle East, with a beautiful coastline, verdant valleys, and ski resorts. (Yes. Skiing. In the Middle East. With real snow on real mountains, unlike the artificial stuff that attracts crowds in Dubai.)



Why, you may ask, is Lebanon known for war and strife instead of scenery and recreation? The answer would take pages upon pages of explanation; let's just say that when a healthy national pride is replaced with violent sectarianism you get hell instead of paradise. The Lebanon of the late 20th century (and, it appears, the 21st as well) was closer to the former than the latter, which tends to explain why the mention of the country brings to mind bombed-out Beirut instead of the gorgeous Bekaa Valley.

Rather than dwell on the negative, run over to Dark Roasted Blend and marvel at the pictures.

-=[ Grant ]=-

I don't know why, but today's other feature about the vegan strip club seemed the perfect lead-in for this!

As I've mentioned, I'm not a "hunter" in the sense that most people use the term. Trophies do not interest me; I've never had my picture taken with a kill, and don't foresee the day when I would. For me, hunting is about eating. (I subscribe to the school of thought that claims "vegetarian" to be an old Native American word for "lousy hunter.")

At the same time, I'm also a bit of a health nut. I eat organic food whenever possible, not because I believe in any leftist/communist causes but because I care about my health. I'm uncertain about the long-term effects of the processed chemicals that we put in our bodies, and do whatever I can to reduce or eliminate them. Thus, the organic food - including delicious meat - in my diet.

(As an aside, it's always interesting when my wife and I go shopping in the local healthy food emporiums. Everyone in those havens of collectivism dresses in the trendy eco-friendly fashions of the minute. My wife and I, to put it delicately, do not. I'll admit that we do tend to stick out a bit amongst that crowd, but we would no matter what we wore.

Just by looking one could tell that we're not like the sheeple that populate those places, and it's as much about attitude as anything. One time she whispered in my ear "do you realize there are only two guns anywhere near this place, and we've got both of them?" I replied "I wonder how many of these people would faint if they found out!" We then chuckled softly yet maniacally as we went about our shopping.)

Forgive the digression.

As it happens, one of the most organic sources of protein available is wild game. Meat which has been harvested from animals in the wild not only tastes great, but is great for you. I won't bore you with the numerous studies which show various kinds of game having more good things and less bad things than factory-raised protein, but the facts are clear: wild meat is good for you.

It is odd, therefore, that some of the most vocal anti-hunting shills in the world wear their organic diets as badges of honor while denouncing some of the cleanest, purest foods available. It seems to me that if one is truly concerned about eating a healthy diet, one must of necessity either grow, or hunt, one's own meat. Hunting is the proactive approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle when one does not have the real estate on which to raise their own.

(Of course, I don't want to get a trend started, else there wouldn't be any of that delicious and nutritious game left for me!)

-=[ Grant ]=-
A proud member of PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals

There are guns that we want - perhaps even "need" - but don't happen to have. This is not about those.

This is about the gun which consumes large amounts of our subconscious thought, in the way that the opposite sex did in high school. Though we desire others, one remains a constant; a gun that, it seems, we've always wanted and always will. Perhaps one day our dream is fulfilled, perhaps not - but it never goes away.

Admit it: you have one. We all have one.

Me? It might surprise you to know that mine is not a revolver. Don't get me wrong - there are a number of wheelguns I want but don't yet possess, the specifics changing a bit over time. My dream gun, though, has remained unchanged for many years now. That is the way of dreams.

My dream gun is a Mannlicher stocked bolt action carbine in 6.5x55 Swedish. Why? Romance, plain and simple. (That's the great part about dreams - they don't have to make any sense.)

Since I was a kid I've seen pictures of the lone hunter standing on a ridge, peering through binoculars at some unseen quarry, with "my" rifle perched on his knee. A graceful yet purposeful gun, lithe of line, whose mere presence brings gentility to the wilderness. (I told you it was romantic!)

Open up a hunting book from the '50s or '60s, and you'll probably see that picture. I have, more times than I can count. That's the reason I want one.

Of course I can recite all the technical justifications for owning my dream. I rationalize that it would make the perfect hunting rifle (which it would); the 6.5 Swede round is well suited for the game we have in North America, and it's one of my very favorite target cartridges to boot. The light weight and short barrel would make it wonderful to carry and even better to swing on target; it would be the perfect tool for "snap shooting" and tramping through our dense coastal rainforest. Yadda yadda yadda.

But, at the end of the day, it's all about peering off into the game-filled distance with the Dream perched ever-so-photogenically on MY knee.

Someday.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Someone emailed and asked me to detail my reloading die setups. With pleasure!

For handgun rounds, my setup for .38 Special is typical (and, not surprisingly, my most-used.) The sizing die is a Lee carbide, which I've had for decades. I would prefer an RCBS die in this spot, primarily for the better decapping pin system and easier handling of it's knurled body, but the Lee is perfectly serviceable (and I'm too cheap to spring for the new die.) For certain other calibers I have RCBS or DIllon carbide dies, and as I mentioned last time I find them all acceptable - but my favorite remains RCBS.

The next station on the press carries a Lyman "M" expander die. The Hornady powder measure, like other progressive press measures, has an integral case expander, but I still prefer to expand using the Lyman die. It expands in a unique manner that reduces lead shaving and promotes straighter bullet seating, and it works as advertised. (I do reload a number of calibers for which I don't have "M" dies; for those I rely on the expander in the powder measure, which works perfectly well - the "M" die is just in a class by itself.)

The bullet seating die for all calibers is the Hornady with the sliding bullet alignment collar. It is, hands down, the best seating die I've used. That sliding collar definitely helps bullet alignment, especially if the bullet tips a bit on the way up into the die. The bullet seating depth is precisely adjustable via a convenient knurled knob, and they have a micrometer seating adjustment available as an accessory. Absolutely "best in class" in terms of features.

I never crimp in the seating die. I know, most people do, but I've found that crimping separately results in significantly better ammunition. In .38, I use the superb Redding crimp die. This die is unique, in that it applies a slight taper crimp first, then a roll crimp. It produces the best .38 ammo I've ever made, and would not be without it for any cartridge where I want to squeeze out that last little bit of accuracy.

For all other pistol calibers, I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die. It is different than any other crimp die: it has a carbide sizing ring that sizes all the way to the base of the case, which is difficult to do in the initial size/decap process. Then it applies a taper or roll crimp (depending on the cartridge.) The neat part about the crimp stage is that it is adjustable via a knurled knob, making it a cinch to get exactly the right amount of crimp. The combination of to-the-base resizing and perfect crimping make the FCD (as it's known in reloading circles) great for all calibers, but an absolute must for rounds going into autoloading pistols. If you're having trouble getting your reloads to feed, the FCD will solve the problem. (If you're using a Dillon sizing die, which doesn't size are far down the case as others, the FCD is especially useful.)

For rifle rounds I've taken then same mix-and-match approach. (For those who don't reload bottleneck rifle cases, there are two approaches to resizing: full-length and neck only. Cases going into autoloading or lever-action repeating rifles must be full-length sized for proper feeding. For a bolt-action or single-shot rifle, you can get away with just resizing the neck of the case itself. This results in much improved brass life and simplified reloading, as lubrication isn't needed.)

As mentioned last time, my preferred sizing dies are Redding and RCBS, for a combination of finish, smoothness, and decapping pin arrangement. In full length dies I've decided to limit my choices to RCBS and Redding, mainly because I haven't been all that happy with Lee's internal finish. If neck sizing only, Lee's Collet Dies are actually quite nice - I've had pretty good luck with them, though I still prefer Redding or RCBS because of Lee's decapping pin design.

When I'm reloading for rifles, I use the same technique that I do for pistol rounds: I don't seat and crimp in the same operation, as most rifle reloaders do. As I mentioned before, I've found that seating and crimping separately results in better quality ammunition, with more consistent seating depth and crimp tension.

Again, the seating die of choice is Hornady - their alignment collar is just as important for rifles as for handguns, and works just as well. I adjust the die body so that the crimping ring never touches the mouth of the case, thereby using just the seating function. I buy a separate seating die to do the crimping, and simply remove or adjust the seating stem so that it never touches the bullet. I've found - again - the RCBS and Redding seating dies are the best in terms of crimp quality. They don't shave brass from (or deform) the case lips when they're adding a heavy crimp, which both Hornady and Lee seating dies do. (This isn't important for a single-shot rifle, but for a tube-fed lever action it sure is!)

Sharp-eyed readers will note that I mentioned Lyman only once. This is because I have very little experience with their products other than the "M" die. Their external finish seems to be a notch below RCBS and a couple below Redding, though as mentioned I am impressed with the performance of the "M" die. Readers with more extensive Lyman experience are encouraged to comment on their other offerings.

As you can see, there is no one maker of dies that has everything I want; I'm forced to pick and choose the best for my needs and desires. It's taken me a long time (and no small amount of money) to get to this point, but I'm quite happy with the results!

-=[ Grant ]=-

From the comments and emails I've been getting, there is a resurgence of interest in reloading. At the price of factory ammunition, I can see why!

I'd like to touch on some things that Jerry brought up in Monday's comments. Yes, I have rather extensive experience with Lee, Dillon, and Hornady progressives. Frankly, each will produce identical ammunition; properly set up, there is no qualitative difference between the cartridges that come off any of those brands. If someone is having problems with the quality of their ammo, switching press brands is quite unlikely to help!

The primary difference among press makers comes in the ease of operation and long-term durability. In my experience, Lee presses require a somewhat higher level of mechanical aptitude to run (and keep running.) They also have a higher percentage of wear-related parts replacement, though to be fair every press has certain pieces that need replacement at regular intervals. It's just that Lee's tend to be more integral to the operation, and have slightly shorter life spans.

Again, a Lee will produce fine ammo - you'll just have to "fiddle" a little more to get it to do so. (Jerry, don't lose hope - bottleneck pistol cartridges like the .357 SIG are notoriously difficult to reload, no matter what press you use!)

Jerry also asked about dies. In carbide pistol dies, I like RCBS, Lee, and Dillon, in roughly that order. Lyman and Redding carbide pistol dies are fine, in a single stage press. The problem with them is that their carbide sizing rings have a very small chamfer at the edge of entry. When operating a progressive press the larger, rounded chamfer of RCBS, Lee, and Dillon dies results in much smoother case entry into the die.

This does have a downside - the larger the edge radius, the further up from the cartridge base the case is sized. That means that the bottom of the case doesn't get sized as much, which can cause feeding problems in autoloading pistols. Dillons are by far the most radiused, which is why I place them at the last of my "preferred" list. Lee and RCBS, in my opinion, have a much more "balanced" approach between feeding and sizing. (The Dillon dies, however, have the very best decapping pin arrangement and Lee the worst. I guess you just can't have your cake and eat it too!)

The only pistol dies I don't like are Hornady's. Their TiN coating, while hard enough for the task, isn't as polished as the carbide rings the others use. Their dies require more pressure on the press handle, and are noticeably less smooth. In fact, the only die I've ever had that scratched cases - gouged them, actually - was a .38/.357 Hornady TiN sizing die. (Hornady's bullet seating die, in contrast, is the very best I've used. This goes to show that no one - and I mean no one - does everything right!)

In rifle dies, all seem to produce accurately sized cases. However, there is a big difference in the internal finish. Redding dies, not surprisingly, are the best - very smooth, very consistent, very nicely made. The RCBS dies are good as well, but some of the Lee dies I've tried have been a little rougher than I would like. I haven't had a scratched case with a Lee die, but handle effort seems higher than the others. They certainly work well enough that I don't feel a burning need to replace those that I have, but when I buy new dies I'll stick with Redding and RCBS.

One of the nice things about RCBS rifle dies is their decapping pin arrangement. Hornady makes a carbide sizing button to replace the stock steel button on the RCBS decapping rod, which makes internal neck lube unnecessary.

(Why not just use Hornady rifle dies? Their decapping pin arrangement stinks. The only brand better than RCBS in that regard is Redding - who make their own carbide buttons. See why my rifle die preferences are RCBS and Redding?)

-=[ Grant ]=-

I recently received an email wherein the author took me to task for recommending the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP as the tool for the 'serious' reloader. His claim was that 'serious' reloaders always use Dillon, and nothing but.

Sorry to have to disagree.

My definition of 'serious' is the ballistic experimenter, not the appliance operator. Someone who reloads for a number of both pistol and rifle calibers and does a lot of load experimentation (different bullets, powders, cases, and primers) is, in my mind, far more 'serious' than the person who simply constructs a single caliber/bullet/powder charge. Yes, I'll grant you that it's arbitrary, but it is (after all) my prerogative to do so!

For the person who fits my definition of serious, the Hornady press remains the progressive tool to beat. (Of course such a person also needs at least one single stage press, preferably a Hornady that takes the same LnL die holders.)

Allow me to illustrate. I've become (belatedly, perhaps) a fan of the .30 WCF cartridge, also know as the "thirty-thirty." (My odyssey from high-speed, pointy-bullet cartridges to the pudgy .30-30 is a story in itself. I promise to recount it sometime soon.) Aside from developing the "perfect" 170 grain hunting load, I've also been working up a very light load.

This project is to give me a 100-yard load to use against animals intent on raiding our henhouse (amongst other things.) This load needs to be accurate, effective enough to kill a coyote-size animal at 100 yards, low recoil, usable in a repeating rifle, and QUIET. (Not that I have neighbors that are looking in the windows, but I like to be considerate. Besides, if I have to get up in the middle of the night to dispatch an unruly varmint intent on dining at Che Chicken, I don't want to cause my ears to ring for the next 12 hours!)

When I conceived of this project I consulted Ed Harris, whose knowledge of such loads is perhaps unparalleled. He suggested an oversized, dead-soft lead bullet over a small quantity of fast-burning pistol powder. The current long-term test is of a 115 grain flat-point lead bullet of about 5 BHN hardness, sized to .311", over 4.1 grains of Alliant Red Dot powder. This gives me a load that is just under supersonic at the muzzle, and from a 24" barrel about as loud as one of the hyper-velocity .22LR cartridges.

Once the load passes final testing, I plan to make a whole pile of 'em.

The Lock-N-Load system has proven to be a real time saver in developing this load. The quick-change dies in the single-stage press make it much easier to put together 5 or 10 at a time for testing; when the load is settled, I'll just stick those dies (already adjusted and ready to go) into the progressive AP and crank out ammo! Nothing is as flexible, and when you're doing things that are somewhat out of the ordinary you need that kind of flexibility.

Enough about presses. In this project I needed to bell the mouths of the .30-30 cases ever so slightly, so that the very soft slug could be seated without shaving. Ever tried to buy a .30 caliber mouth flaring die?

After searching I found the answer: the Lee Universal Case Expanding Die. It has a couple of interchangeable flaring spuds, one for small caliber and one for large, which go inside of the die body which is then topped with a threaded adjuster. You simply turn the knurled adjuster knob for the precise amount of flare you need - and you can vary it in incredibly small increments. Frankly, I wish I'd found this thing years ago - it would have saved me tons of time and effort.

Of course, mounted in a Hornady LnL bushing I can pop it into any press setup as needed, so I don't have to buy a dozen of the things!

Lee comes under fire on the internet forums for being the low-cost gear supplier, but they have a lot of products that are both well made and absolutely unique. The Universal Case Expanding Die is one of them, and every serious reloader needs one on his or her reloading bench.

(Ooops, there goes that word again...!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Last Friday I linked to an article that described what I don't like about my home state of Oregon. Today, I'm linking to a terrific Dark Roasted Blend article on something I truly treasure about Oregon: our great scenic drives.

I must say that this article is a surprise. We're so used to reading about "great" drives along the California coast, when we know that our coastline is both more beautiful and more accessible. It's great to finally get some well deserved press, not to mention being ranked among the world's most beautiful roads!

(Did you know that the Oregon coast is open to everyone? That's right - the entire coastline is public property, and there are very few spots that are not easily accessed. Take that, California!)

Terrific article, great pictures. Thanks for the plug, Avi!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: oregon

Today I thought I'd give you some feedback from my Adventures in Online Shopping.

When I factor in my diminishing free time, the price of gas, and the distance between everything in my locale, it becomes faster, easier and often cheaper to shop online. From clothes to chainsaw parts, before I do anything else I check the net - and very often, I choose the BBToJ* over my Suzuki.

Most of the time my virtual transactions occur without a hitch, but on occasion there are problems. Of course, at the other end of the bell curve are those companies that go out of their way to make the faceless exchange a surprisingly pleasant experience.

Size and reputation have no bearing on the shopping outcome, even online. I've had some of my worst purchases from some of the biggest web stores, and some of my best from little mom-and-pop sites. It's tempting to think, on encountering a small, amateurish site, that it is not a place you want to spend your money. Like those great yet undiscovered restaurants, what you see on the outside may not be a good indication of what ends up on your plate!

Take my favorite knife seller, Ragnar's Ragweed Forge. This has got to be the ultimate example of a minimalist site, put together on the cheap and devoid of the e-commerce niceties we've come to expect. No shopping cart here - just a (secure) online form you fill out by copying and pasting the catalog number of the items you want! (Back in the '70s, there was a local chain, a precursor to the Costcos of the world, called Prairie Market. Its claim to fame - remember, this is pre-UPC code times - was that you had to write the shelf price on every item with a grease pencil, so the checker could ring you up.) What you get for your work at Ragnar's is a superb selection of hard-to-get knives, terrific prices, reasonable shipping charges, and fast delivery. Ragweed Forge is almost a legend on the knife forums, and for good reason.

One little place I've come to like is Sage Creek Outfitters. Located in Idaho, it's a small outdoor and hunting supply company with a nice website that belies the personal service they deliver. Their prices are generally good, they actually have the items in stock, and they are FAST! I've never had such fast shipping from an online vendor; part of that is their proximity on our eastern border, but it's still surprising when their packages show up long before I expect them. Great folks, and their customer service is as good as anyone's.

I recently discovered Have A Life Outdoors, a small retailer that handles primarily Gransfors Bruks and associated products. (Gransfors needs their own blog post, but in the meantime - if you want the best axes and hatchets in the world, Gransfors Bruks is the choice.) Again, they're working hard to make a success of their little niche, with a good stock and rapid order turnaround.

We heat our house with a woodstove, and with 11 acres of woodlot I'm always buying some sort of logging equipment or chainsaw part. My two favorite stores are Bailey's and Amick's. I've never had a problem with either, they always ship promptly, and their pricing is better than I can get locally - if I can even find the item. (That's the reason I started doing business with them in the first place - my local outlets rarely have what I need in stock. I hate to hear the term "I can order that for you" - my response is "so can I!") Bailey's stock is aimed primarily at arborists and loggers, while Amick's is more of a general outdoor power equipment source. Both are great places to do business.

Then again, all of the companies I've mentioned have been terrific. Kudos to all!

-=[ Grant ]=-

* Big Brown Truck of Joy, aka UPS. A generic term for any delivery service.

As a child of the West, I'm generally not one to get excited about the upper-right quadrant of our country. I've visited the northeast, and in general am not all that attracted to the region. However, one thing the inhabitants of the region have that I'm quite jealous of are layers of old infrastructure, just waiting to be explored.

In the distant past my job occasionally required me to travel to upstate New York. Even the things that residents of the area consider commonplace - say, the remnants of the Erie Canal - just fascinated me, because of the long and storied past of that engineering marvel. Thus I spent a large portion of my "off" time visiting local museums and historical attractions.

On one visit to the Rochester area, I took the time to follow the Canal's path from there to Tonawanda. Since I was in the "neighborhood" - literally just a few miles - I made the short hop up to see the fabled Niagara Falls. (It must be said that even I, somewhat jaded by close encounters with much higher waterfalls, was amazed at Niagara Falls. It's worth the trip.)

At the time I wasn't aware of the history of power generation at Niagara, let alone the extent of the abandoned facilities that were literally right under my feet. I am now, and boy would I like to go back and see some of it!


Courtesy of www.vanishingpoint.ca

Check them out at vanishingpoint.ca, which is a great site for urban explorers.

-=[ Grant ]=-

I got an email the other day, asking in effect "why just revolvers?" I dashed off an answer (with so many emails demanding a response, it's hard to write essays for each one.) I always feel that I haven't done the subject justice, so here is yet more about why I choose the round gun over the flat one.

Why revolvers? Because I like them! I like their lines, their reliability, their accuracy, their power; I like their history, and that they are prototypically "American" firearms. (I like lever action rifles for that same reason.)

I like revolvers because they can be made to fit the hand in a way a slab-sided pistol never can. I like them because of their almost Zen-like operation: the cylinder goes 'round, the gun discharges, and when the operator wishes, the process is repeated. I like them because you can see what's happening; because they are easy to load and unload.

I did not come to these opinions quickly or easily, you understand. When I was a kid, all the other kids wanted a Colt "Peacemaker" and a Winchester '94. Not me - I looked in the Sears catalog (yes, they carried guns when I was a kid) and dreamed of owning a .45 auto and an M1 carbine. I was definitely a contrarian from the start!

It wasn't until my advanced years that the lure of the revolver affected my soul. (Though, as I've related in past posts, it was more of a challenge to my ballistic manhood than an intellectual appreciation. Introspection came later.)

Oh, the best thing about revolvers? They aren't made of plastic!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Many people, it seems, do not know about archive.org. It is an online digital library of old (public domain) photos, music, movies, books, and much more. It is an absolute goldmine for anyone who likes to peruse life from another era.

Let's say, for example, that you want to see Thomas Edison's 1910 film adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein." Not a problem - archive.org has it.

If it's old or obscure, I always look for it first at archive.org; it should come with a disclaimer, though: "Warning! This is a site that can literally eat up hours of otherwise productive time!"

Check it out.

-=[ Grant ]=-

If you've been reading this screed for any length of time, you know my fascination with old and abandoned places. WebUrbanist, a site that deals with various cultural scenes and artifacts from all over the world, has sometimes fed this addiction of mine.

This time, they have a collection of great abandoned sites right here in the good ol' US of A.

Now, just to prove to you that I'm not "all hat and no cattle", here's a shot of an abandoned mine I ran across in southern Oregon:



Yes, it's full of water. You're looking at the roof supports, which are about six feet above the floor. No kidding.

(There was an old sign on the entrance that read "extreme danger - do not enter." Ya think??)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

Holy cow, it's Friday already! I've been so busy, it didn't dawn on me until mid-morning that I had a blog post due today!

Here's one that I really like - stop-action photography of water. Take a look - it's not what you think!



(I was going to write a clever introduction to the work of Harold Edgerton, but you'll just have to research him yourself.)


-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: photography

When I was in college, it was fashionable amongst a certain segment of the student population to walk around carrying a copy of the New York Review Of Books. The aim, of course, was to appear worldly and sophisticated to people who recognized the title, but didn't themselves read it.

The great secret was that very few of the people carrying the NYROB around, treating it as an icon of sophistication, ever actually read the thing either!

Many people buy copies of Musashi and Sun-Tzu which they never read, but which certainly look good on their bookshelves and serve to create a certain image. It helps, of course, when people quote common passages from Art of War or Book of Five RIngs without ever having read them in their actual context.

So it is with Meditations on Hunting by Jose Ortega y Gasset. It has been called "the most quoted work in sporting literature", but it appears that no one has ever actually read the thing!

Allow me to digress for a moment. My own hunting experiences are relatively few compared to many who read this blog. Though my father hunted, and I accompanied him at times, it was always a subsistence kind of affair: he hunted because we needed the meat. He would go out, get his deer (or elk), and that would be the end of it. He never took pictures of his kills nor kept trophies; hunting was a means to an end (to eat) rather than an end in itself.

As an adult, I wrestle with this. I don't need to hunt, meat being readily available otherwise, and so have chosen not to (save for necessary agricultural activities, such as pest and predator control, which aren't really hunting.) Despite this self-defined comfort, there has always been a gnawing at the back of my mind: what am I missing? Did my father derive anything other than protein from his hunts; was there something more profound at work? (That my father always hunted solo, eschewing the elk camp and its beer-fueled antics, left me suspecting that there might be.)

I wanted clarity on the subject, and thought that Ortega might be able to provide it. Color me surprised when I could find no one, even seasoned and experienced hunters of my acquaintance, who owned a copy. Our library system, which spans the largest city in Oregon to the most backwood hamlet, did not list it in their holdings. How odd! Such an important work, well known and oft-mentioned, yet no one seemed to have actually encountered it.

So, when the Second Edition of the Wescott translation of Meditations recently came out, I availed myself of free shipping on Amazon and ordered it. Finally I would get to see what all the fuss was about!

The book springs from Ortega's contention that life comes to us (or we to it) essentially empty, and it derives whatever meaning it has from the choices that we make relative to each situation in which we find ourselves. To Ortega, life really exists at the boundary of man and his surroundings, those surroundings to include our own thoughts and feelings. Hunting is such an interaction, and creates meaning by virtue of what it requires of the hunter.

The chase, the stalk, and yes the kill, all have great importance to the experience; missing any one negates the hunt's meaning. Ortega contends that the tension created by the sequence is an essential part of the experience, and without the unease created by the death of the animal that sequence becomes a farce, devoid of any meaning. This is the genesis of his most famous quote: "one does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted." Do not, though, assume that quote to be a substitute for the book - there is far more contained in that simple statement than is readily apparent, for it only hints at Ortega's complete philosophy.

(Like the poseurs I mentioned at the top, walking around with the NYROB poking out of their pocket, the passage is often intoned by those who have never read it in context. Having now digested his whole treatment of the subject, the statement by itself seems a caricature.)

It's important to understand that Meditations isn't about hunting as much as it is about man's relationship to the hunt. Remember that Ortega was a philosopher by training and occupation, holding a doctorate in the subject and chairing departments at Spanish universities. Thus, he's not a hunter who waxes a bit philosophic, but a serious philosopher who looks at the act of the hunt and reconciles it with his overall point of view.

As philosophers go, Ortega is surprisingly readable. Make no mistake, though - if you hated studying philosophy in school, Meditations may not be your cup of tea. It isn't about shooting deer, but about allowing the mind to learn more about itself. It requires introspection, an ability to deal in concepts rather than kinesthetics, and thus may turn off some people. However, his work is illuminating enough - even for the average person - to make it worth the effort.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Meditations on Hunting and take whatever length of time you need to digest what Ortega wrote. I think that you'll come away with a better understanding of yourself, and a clearer picture of why you choose - or not, as the case may be - to hunt.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: books

Well, definitely not in these!

Owing to my unnatural fascination with old and abandoned things, I find the concept of an aircraft boneyard to be absolutely irresistible. The most famous of them is no doubt the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center outside of Tucson, but there are others.

The Russians have such things, too, and they can be a fascinating glimpse into the "other side" of the Cold War.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: abandoned

If you've hung around here for any length of time, you've noticed that on Mondays and Wednesdays I try to keep the blog somewhat on the topic of firearms, preferably on revolvers.

Today is not going to be one of those days.

Why? I was so busy over the weekend I didn't even get a chance to think about the blog, let alone write anything! Well, that - and the fact that my elbow hurts like heck!

As you may recall, I'm suffering from a very painful occurrence of tendonitis in my right elbow. So painful, in fact, that it hurts to type! As I mentioned last week I took it fairly easy for several days, and was feeling vast improvement until I did something so innocuous that I am startled at the outcome. It involved a Junkyard Dog.

No, not the kind you're thinking of - this kind of Junkyard Dog.

As it happens I live equidistant from the knife companies of Kershaw and Benchmade (and, by extension, the firms of Gerber, Leatherman, and Lone Wolf Knives. I guess you could call this "Edged Alley"!) Over the years I've bought many Benchmade knives, and generally avoided the Kershaw brand. Kershaw just didn't have the quality of blade that I desire in my knives, and despite having met Pete Kershaw himself I was never persuaded to carry one of his products.

When Kershaw moved a lot of their production from overseas to right here in my own stompin' grounds they got my interest, but not enough to make me want to put one of their products in my pocket every day. It was when I found that they were transitioning from the use of cheap 440A and 440C steels to Sandvik steels that I became truly interested.

(Bear with me - this does eventually get back to my tendonitis!)

I have quite a bit of experience with Sandvik blades, particularly with their 12C27 steel as used in the famous Swedish Mora knives. It is, in my estimation, one of the better 'all around' steels that one could use on a general purpose knife. It holds an edge well, is very resistant to breakage, and is easy to sharpen. The fact that there were almost no folders made out of that superb yet underrated steel annoyed me greatly, and I was left to console myself with my Moras.

It was when I found out that Kershaw had gone to Sandvik steel (13C26, a very close relative of 12C27) that I decided I had to have one. The Junkyard Dog II had gotten rave reviews over at Bladeforums, so I decided that I was to get one.

(Luckily my wife intervened, and got one for me as a gift, thus saving me from the guilt of buying it for myself!)

It arrived at the end of last week, and from the start I was smitten with it. Fit and finish is quite good, easily up to the Benchmades that I own, and at the price point it is astounding. I haven't gotten a chance to resharpen the edge and really test it yet (any factory edge is downright primitive compared to what a few minutes with a set of stones can achieve), but I expect great things.

The trouble is that the blade is really quite heavy, and flicking it open delivers a solid "whack" to one's muscles. I was absentmindedly doing that while watching television the other night: opening and closing it repeatedly, just because it's fun to do. After about a half-hour of such foolishness I found that my elbow was as sore as it ever was, and then some!

So now you have, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story."

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: knives

It's confession time: I'm a geek. A card carrying, spent-all-my-high-school-time-in-the-library, know-how-to-use-a-sliderule geek. I love computers, think physics should be taught in kindergarden, and generally find technology of all kinds (modern to ancient) fascinating.

Seems I'm not the only gun blogger to claim that moniker: the infamous Tam purports to be a geek, too - but is she? Is she really? Oh, yeah, she makes a big deal about her old computers - but did she ever have a DEC PDP-11/70 (running RSTS, no less) in her garage like I once did? I think not!

I, on the other hand, can prove my exalted status beyond a shadow of doubt, as I possess the ultimate geek credential: an amateur radio license. No, not your simple no-code-Tech paper, but a real I-passed-the-Morse-code-test-and-have-HF-privileges-to-show-for-it General class ticket. In the world of the terminally socially inept, the ham radio license is Da Bomb. Let's see you beat THAT, Tam! Hah! Hah-hah-hah!

(I think I've been reading far too much Mogambo Guru. But I digress...)

This nerd calling-out is just a pathetically unimaginative way of introducing today's topic: an abandoned Ionospheric Research Station hidden deep in the Ukrainian wilderness. You see, such installations are all about antennas, and any ham radio operator worthy of the title is really into antennas. I sure am; I have books about antennas, have pictures of antenna installations, and generally love looking at anything to do with antennas - the more esoteric, the better!

They don't come much grander than this one, courtesy - once again - of that web site for all geeks, Dark Roasted Blend. (If after viewing the site you have an irresistible urge to buy a pocket protector, I cannot be held responsible!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tags: old.technology

As I promised, here are some more reloading accouterment that I've been playing with this year.

I finally got tired of my haphazard brass organization and decided to do something about it. At Wal-Mart I bought some Sterilite 6-quart plastic containers, which just happened to fit neatly on the shelves in my reloading room. Into the containers went all of my brass, and wonder of wonders - I can see what's in the box! (I have, of course, labeled them as well.)



Big plus: I can see how much of each I have; no more digging through cardboard boxes! They've really made dealing with brass much more pleasant.

Here's an idea that someone gave me (though for the life of me I can't remember who it was.) At my local pet emporium I purchased this cat feeder, which has now been turned into a self-feeding bullet dispenser!



Much better than a tray/bin/overturned box for those long reloading sessions. Cost: $4.95. I'm looking for Dillon to have them made up in blue plastic, with a price tag of $19.95. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Sheesh, lighten up!)

Some months back I reported that I was experimenting with new bullets and powder. I'd been using the Rainier Ballistics plated bullets for some time, but could never get acceptable accuracy from them. (This is, as I was to learn, not an uncommon complaint with the product.) When my stock finally got low enough, I started looking around for a better but affordable "bulk" bullet for general use and gun testing.

I came across a polymer-coated lead bullet put out by Master Blasters, and gave them a try. I've gone through about 5,000 now, and am fairly happy with them. They are a definite step up accuracy-wise from the Rainier, though they're by no means a top-flight match slug. (For occasions when I need better accuracy, and can shoot lead, I continue to rely on the superb bullets put out by LaserCast - still the ones to beat, in my book.) They are, however, reasonably priced and the company is fairly quick to ship.

Along with the new bullets, I changed my "everyday" powder. I'd used Hodgdon Universal Clays for years in 9mm, .45 ACP, and .38 Special +P loads. It is a great powder for those uses - extremely clean (the cleanest I've used), and good accuracy. When I started loading standard pressure loads in .38 Special and .44 Special, however, a problem cropped up: Universal doesn't like light loads! Once the loading density falls to a certain point, unburned powder grains become a certainty. They really foul up a cylinder, and always find their way under the extractor!

I searched for a powder that would burn cleanly and completely, even with relatively mild loads. I ended up with Alliant Red Dot, and it has performed very well. It's a bit sootier than Universal, but burns completely in all loads - even very light .44 Specials. I've used Blue Dot for years in Magnum cartridges, and was impressed by it; the Red Dot is just as impressive. (I'm not a fan of Alliant Bullseye, which I've always found far too dirty, but the "Dot" line is really quite nice. The fact that you can readily identify it in the powder measure - they really do have red flakes and blue flakes mixed in - is a nice bonus!)

Happy reloading!

-=[ Grant ]=-

This last year I've been using a number of new reloading tools and components. I'm generally one to "stick with what works", but that doesn't stop me from looking for something better!

Late last year I bought a new Hornady Lock-n-Load progressive press (known as the "LnL AP".) This is a five-station auto-indexing press with a motorized casefeeder. I bought it after becoming disenchanted with my Dillon and Lee presses - though I can always find something to like about any press, I'd prefer to have all my favorite things in one press which means I can never stop looking!

(Just so you know where I'm coming from, I've often bemoaned the lack of a true high-grade reloading press. No, Dillon fans, "Big Blue" isn't it! If you've ever used a Star Universal, you'll understand. If you haven't, well, go back and read my recent article o you need a trigger job?">Do you need a trigger job, and substitute "press" for "trigger" - the rest of it is the same!

You may well ask why I don't use a Star if I'm so hot on them. Well, it's because they're out of business and there are precious few parts and accessories available on the secondary market.)

Back to the topic....the LnL AP uses the Hornady bayonet-mount die system, in which the dies are put into adaptor sleeves and adjusted, then simply popped in and out of the toolhead where and when needed. Frankly, when this came out I thought it was the biggest gimmick I'd yet seen. Using the press for a year has convinced me otherwise. It is incredibly handy!

For instance, I often have the press set up for loading .38/.357. It's not at all uncommon to need to prep a few pieces of brass to test actions or extractors or some such thing. I can just pop the needed die out of the toolhead, then pop it into the single stage press (which I've fitted with the Hornady adaptor and adjusted so that the presses have exactly the same die position.)

It also makes doing in-press changes easier on a progressive press. For instance, I can have a die adjusted for .38 Special, and a die adjusted for .357, and simply swap them in/out where needed. The same goes for the powder measure; I can decide to put it in a different place on the toolhead to accommodate production changes or simply to experiment. You can't believe how useful the system is until you've used it - and once you have, you don't want to ever give it up!

I've come to the conclusion that if one is a SERIOUS handloader - that is, reloading for numerous cartridges and constantly experimenting - the LnL AP is the most flexible and most efficient choice in a progressive press. As I said, I've owned Lee and Dillon presses too, and while they both have their strong and weak points the Hornady is just in a different class. Great piece of gear.

Over the years I've used a number of reloading dies, and no one set has had everything I wanted. I've gotten to the point that my die sets are now pieced together with the dies that I like best, not what a manufacturer has decided to give me.

In handgun sizing dies, I prefer (in order) RCBS, Lee, and Dillon. I love the Dillon's spring-loaded decapping pin, but hate their low profile, hex-shaped bodies. (Great when permanently mounted in a toolhead, rotten if you frequently remove/replace/adjust them.) The RCBS is much better in the handling department, worse for the decapping pin; the Lee's decapper likewise is awful, but at least their body is tall enough to get a grasp on - even if it is smooth and a bit prone to slippage in one's fingers.

(I should take this opportunity to say that Lee's lock rings suck. Then again, so do Dillon's, Lyman's, RCBS's, and Redding's, though admittedly not as much. All of my dies, regardless of make, have for years worn Hornady lock rings, and the first thing I do with any new die is to ditch its lock ring and give it Hornady ring.)

I've recently started using the Lyman "M" series expander die, as opposed to the expander plug in the powder station. It sizes most of the case to just a hair under bullet diameter, then has a slight "step" to bell the mouth so that the bullet isn't scraped when seating. This is said to promote straighter bullet seating, and in that regard I believe it does. For me, though, the great part is that the cases seem to "grab" onto the bullet when you insert it into the mouth. Unlike with a plain flare, the bullet won't tip as the case starts moving into the die. You can even put a pullet into the case mouth and advance between die stations with no tipping! This is another product that I thought might be "more show than go", but I've grown to just love the thing.

While we're talking about seating, I think the best seating die is Hornady's, and no one else is even close. Their sliding bullet collar is a great idea for helping to straighten bullets as the case goes into the die, and their seating adjustment is very precise. All of my seating dies - handgun and rifle - are now from Hornady.

I don't crimp in the seating die, preferring to do that as a separate step. I've used Lee's Factory Crimp dies in the past, no matter what other dies they were with or what press they were on. I've been very pleased with their smoothness and ready adjustability, but this year I started using the Redding Profile Crimp die for .38/.357. It puts a taper crimp on the case, then a roll crimp at the very end. It is of top quality, like all of Redding's products, and produces the most consistent, best-looking crimps of any die I've ever used. I'm hooked.

The major thing I dislike about the Hornady press (and Dillon's, for that matter) are the primer tubes. I much prefer the Lee tray loading primer feed, but of course I can't use that on the LnL AP! I've found a solution in the form of a neat little tool from Midway called the Vibra-Prime. It's a battery operated collator that fills the primer tubes for you! Now to be fair, Dillon has a bench-mounted device that does the same thing, taking about 2 minutes per tube and costing around $200. The Vibra-Prime was about $30, and does the job in roughly 20 seconds. Hmmm...no contest there!

Sadly, I'm told that Midway has discontinued the device because of "poor sales." If you're tired of loading primer tubes one-by-one, call Midway and tell them you'd like to see the Vibra-Prime reintroduced!

That's about it for the hardware side. I'll write soon about the software (bullets and powder) I've been using this year - I've made some changes there as well.

To be continued...

-=[ Grant ]=-

I like honeybees. Compared to their shiftless relatives, the combative yellowjacket, honeybees are a happy and productive insect. Of course, the reason I like them so much is because they make one of nature's most perfect foods: honey.

The inside of their hive, where they produce that golden nectar, has always held a fascination for me. I remember as a kid occasionally getting a large honeycomb and chewing on the honey-filled wax, wondering just how the little creatures managed their magic.

Well, one person thought of a way to watch. I present you with the Bell Jar Beehive:



Click here to see the rest of the amazing pictures!


-=[ Grant ]=-

I'm always in need of small containers of various types to hold oils, cleaners, parts, screws, and other miscellany. They can be hard to find locally, but specialtybottle.com carries a huge selection.



I've used small clear top tins like this for many years; they are invaluable for many types of small parts. I bought my supply of them a long time ago, and recently started running low. I despaired about being able to find them again, but luckily they're in stock!

-=[ Grant ]=-

I'm looking to purchase a Mateba MTR8 (not the Unica "autorevolver") and a Manurhin MR 93, as pictured in today's "Revolver Aesthetics" article. If you know of one, or happen to run across one, please let me know!

-=[ Grant ]=-

We all know the baggage carried by the brand "Volvo": "Vegetarian." "Boring." "Safe." "Comfortable shoes." "Risk-averse." Volvo as a company seems to do little to dispel the image they have, as it's certainly been successful for them.

There is another side to Volvo, though - the take-no-prisoners, rough-and-tumble side, represented by their superb line of all-terrain military trucks. The best known of these models is the C303, better known as the "Laplander."



The Laplander is a very boxy 4x4 vehicle, similar in design to the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer but a bit larger. Powered by the superb Volvo B30 inline six and possessing front and rear locking differentials, it it has proven itself more than a match for the toughest terrain. Look at the ground clearance under the rear axle!

The C303 has developed a worldwide following of passionate enthusiasts, though (sadly) there aren't a lot of them here in the U.S. Now I'm not usually one to lust after a mere vehicle, but I've wanted a Laplander for years. I don't know whether it's the need to possess something no one else does, a psychological deficiency that compels me to seek attention, or just a desire to annoy my ever-so-yuppie neighbors, but I want one. Yes, it's probably impractical as a day-to-day driver; yes, the fuel economy is nothing to write home about; yet I still want one!

Check out some of the Laplander's many fan sites:

http://www.volvoadventures.com/Laplander_C303spec.html
http://www.volvoc303.co.uk/


-=[ Grant ]=-

The "buddy movie" has become a staple in Hollywood's bag of banal plot staples. They've given us cop buddy movies, firefighter buddy movies, private eye buddy movies, superhero buddy movies, and even suicidal women buddy movies.

In the hands of a master, though, even a cliche becomes fresh and intriguing. The master, in this case, is Akira Kurosawa, and the movie in question is the superb "Dersu Uzala."

Dersu is a Nanai hunter who befriends - and is befriended by - Captain Arsenyev, who is leading a surveying expedition in Siberia just after the turn of the 20th century. Dersu is the quintessential mountain man who is completely at home in nature, while Arsenyev (and his crew of soldiers) are distinctly out of place in the vast wilderness. Dersu becomes Arsenyev's friend, showing him not just how to survive in the unforgiving landscape but also a bit about the meaning of life.

Watch this clip, and note how Dersu not only sees subtle clues around him, but how he cares for those who he may never meet:



Their friendship grows out of mutual respect, not bravado; what they share is a heartfelt concern for the land and the people who inhabit it, as well as the welfare of each other.

The movie is based on the autobiographical novel of the same name, written by the real Captain Arsenyev about the real Dersu. Kurosawa had read the book and desperately wanted to bring it to the big screen, and in the 1970s finally got his chance - spending two full years filming in the wilds of Siberia. The result may, as some critics have suggested, be Kurosawa's most beautiful (and certainly most underrated) work.

Because it is a true tale, this movie teaches us more about the nature of friendship than anyone in Hollywood can fathom. There are no plot twists and no happy ending; like life, it proceeds at its own pace up to the poignant conclusion (which itself brings up back to the start of the film, reminding us of the cycle of life.)

I saw this film many years ago, and I remembered it as being a great story. Understand that I'm not a film buff - frankly, I find it hard to sit through a whole movie - and certainly not a big Kurosawa fan. That it is one of only a handful of films I actually want to own tells you that it is something truly special.

Thanks to the generosity of a close friend I now have my own copy, which I will treasure. The film is hard to find, but it is worth the search. If Nessmuk means anything to you, Dersu Uzala will be one of your favorites too.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Before Honda, before Kawasaki, Yamaha or Suzuki, motorcycle racing was dominated by the great Italian marques. Legendary companies like Gilera, Moto Morini, and MV Augusta held consecutive world titles, some of which would stand for years. All of these makers had their adherents, but the undeniable "big boy" of Italian motorcycle racing was Moto Guzzi.

The company was formed when three friends - Carlo Guzzi, Girogio Parodi, and Giovanni Ravelli - were serving in the Italian Army during World War I. Part of a flying unit, they had complimentary skills: Guzzi was a talented, though as yet amateur, engineer; Ravelli was an up-and-coming name in racing before the war; and Parodi, like his successful father, had demonstrated business acumen. The three agreed to pool their talents and form a company to make motorcycles. Ravelli, sadly, was killed only days after the war was finished, but Guzzi and Parodi soldiered on to form the company they'd all dreamed about.

Guzzi designed the machines and Parodi (whose father financed the enterprise) handled the business aspects of the fledgling firm. They knew that the key to commercial success was a reputation in racing, and thanks to their combined skill they were almost immediately successful at both. Only four months after their first prototypes were completed, company rider Gino Finzi picked up first place at the prestigious Targa Florio - a win that surprised the industry.

The company rapidly expanded their pool of engineering talent, and they would flex their muscle by making amazing motorcycles: a magnesium-cased, supercharged 250cc; a 4-cylinder supercharged 500cc in 1930; and a 3-cylinder supercharged 500cc machine in 1940. Despite these advances, their racing reputation would be made with their more pedestrian - but wonderfully engineered - single cylinder twin-cam motorcycles.

Those bikes quickly came to dominate the 250cc and 500cc classes, racking up win after win. In 1934 they cemented their hold on the top 500cc class with their introduction of the two-cylinder 500cc bicilindrica, which allowed them a spectacular win in both the 250cc and 500cc classes at the Isle of Man TT race in 1935. in 1953 they entered the hotly contested 350cc class, again with a twin-cam single, and won every World Championship until 1957.

By the mid-50s, though, they were losing ground in the "top dog" 500cc class. The twin-cam singles were decidedly out of date, while the bicilindrica had been inexplicably killed off in 1951. Guzzi needed a new bike that could not just take on the increasingly successful Gilera and upstart MV Augusta designs, but would rule over them.

Chief designer Giulio Carcano put his considerable talent to work, and what emerged in 1955 stunned the world: a water cooled, 500cc V-8 motorcycle. With dual overhead cams and a separate carburetor for each cylinder, this audacious design pumped out a then-unheard-of 72hp at a scarcely believable 12,000 rpm. Guzzi was ready.



Sadly the tire, brake and suspension technology of the day weren't up to the demands of the magnificent engine, and the otto cylindri never achieved the success intended. Moto Guzzi retired from racing entirely at the end of the 1957 season, and the bike was shelved. This didn't stop it from leaving a stumbling block for its rivals, though - in its short 2-season career it set several lap speed records which would end up standing for more than two decades, a parting shot to those who would succeed them.

Today only two authentic examples remain, both in the possession of the Guzzi company in the picturesque Italian town of Mandello del Lario. They occasionally fire one up for a demonstration run on their test track behind the factory. The sound of the engine is unmistakable, and reminds us that there was a time when Italy did, in fact, rule the world - or at least a small part of it.

-=[ Grant ]=-

I'm sure that by now you're quite tired of hearing about my interest in abandoned, secret, and underground places. I love exploring such things, and rarely turn down the chance to visit an old mine or poke around in the ruins of Fort Stevens, right here in Oregon. The older, danker, and creepier they are the more i like them. I can't explain this fascination, not even to myself!

I've been thinking that perhaps I've touched on this subject a bit much, and thought that it was only fair to give some balance - a counterpoint, as it were - to this keen interest of mine. Just so you know that there are some places I definitely don't want to explore, I give you abandoned bio-chem warfare facilities.

Yikes!

-=[ Grant ]=-

I've previously mentioned that I have a fascination with abandoned places, and even more for abandoned/mothballed spaces that are underground.

Well, the folks over at Dark Roasted Blend have some amazing pictures of old underground facilities around the world. You won't believe the Tokyo Storm Water System! (OK, it's not really abandoned, but it's still awfully cool.)



(As you might have guessed, I'm a fan of the History Channel's show Cities of the Underworld. Check it out!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

I may have mentioned that I spent a period of time in the early 80s as a commercial photographer. Honestly, I didn't make it all that far; though a good technician, I wasn't creative enough on demand to sustain a career. I did learn a lot, though, and I took some of those lessons and put them to good use in other areas of my life.

One of those lessons - and one of the most important - came in the form of an article written by Ben Helprin. I have a copy of this hanging above my workbench, where it serves to inspire me. I don't know that I'm yet at the "master" stage of revolversmithing, but I work every day to get a little closer to that ideal.

While obviously photography-centric, this is a profound article for which you will no doubt find applications in your own life. Enjoy!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Expert or Master - What's the Difference?

by Ben Helprin

At the top of every craft, there are masters and experts. The difference between the two was defined by Will Connall (master photographer, photography teacher, and former head of photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California) this way:

"Let me", he said, "use the exacting art of platemaking as an example." (Platemakers are the skilled craftsmen who produce printing plates for books and magazines.) "If you ask an expert how he produces the negative for a fine plate, he'll answer: "that's easy. First I choose the correct size glass plate for the negative I want. Then, I compute the surface area of the plate and, holding it absolutely level, I pour exactly one ounce of emulsion for every 40 square inches of surface precisely onto the center of the plate. Then I rock the glass side-to-side and front-to-back, exactly the same amount each way, to spread the emulsion evenly. When the plate is dry, I load it into the copy camera, adjust my lights so that the original art work is absolutely evenly illuminated and, with the level of illumination that I use, expose the plate for 20 seconds. I develop the plate for precisely five minutes, process it normally, the end up with a perfect negative for reproduction.

"Now," said Connall, "let's ask a master the same question. He'd reply: Oh, that's easy. First I choose the correct size glass for the negative. Then, I compute the surface area of the glass and, holding it exactly level, I pour one ounce of emulsion for every 40 square inches of surface exactly onto the center of the plate. Well, no, that's really not true. Sometimes I use more than an ounce of emulsion per square inch. Sometimes less. It depends on the original copy. And sometimes I don't pour the emulsion exactly on center. I'll swirl it across to get a different spread. That also depends on the copy. Anyway, after I pour the emulsion, I rock the plate side-to-side and front-to-back, exactly the same each way, to spread the emulsion evenly. But sometimes, of course, I don't want the emulsion spread evenly. Again, it depends on the copy. I might want to rock the plate more to one side to get the emulsion heavier there, or rock it more to the front...anyway, I rock it, dry it, load it in the camera, and light the copy exactly evenly - unless of course I want to slightly shade a corner to knock it down, or highlight a portion of the copy to lighten it up. I'm not sure exactly how I'll light it until I do it. But after it's lit, I give it a 20-second exposure. Well, not always 20 seconds...."

And so it goes. Each step of the master's procedure depends, not on a set series of exacting rules, but on the interrelationship of the medium, the copy, and the desired final product.

What does this have to do with photography? Well to begin with, it doesn't mean that you can forget technique or be sloppy in your execution of it. As Will Connall noted, every master had first to be an expert. Without that initial perfection of technique, they could never advance to the master's stage.

Will's apocryphal examples were, however, meant to point out that technique is by no means the be-all and end-all of photography. Technique is the base from which you build. But the product itself, the photograph, must go beyond set rules of technique or composition, or anything else that says "this, and only this, is the correct way of producing a photograph."

Look at the work of master photographer Ansel Adams and compare it to the thousands of technical experts who attempt to imitate him. The large majority of Adams' imitators do not understand expressive content, they understand only technique. The do not trust their inner feelings, the trust only a rigorous set of technical rules.

A creative photograph is a very unique personal statement, and the technical aspects of that statement must depend on what you, as an artist, want to say. Thus, the perfect exposure isn't always one the reproduces the tonalities of a scene in exactly the same manner they originally appeared, but one that reproduces them in exactly the manner you want them to appear. Nor is the perfect print the one that always exactly matches the contrast of the paper to the density range of the negative, but the one that exactly matches paper and film to the contrast as seen by your inner eye. As Paul Klee said, "the purpose of art is not to reflect the visible, but to make visible."

So, look at your recent photographs. Are they technically perfect? If not, you still have a lot of work to do to reach the "Expert" stage. On the other hand, if your work is technically perfect and perfectly boring, if it is indistinguishable from everyone else's technically perfect work, then you have a lot of even harder work to reach the Master's stage.

If you're into the weird and esoteric, if strange machines and odd places intrigue you, check out Dark Roasted Blend. It's a site that showcases an incredibly eclectic range of, well, things.

The way I was introduced to the site was a link to their entry on "Creepy High Voltage Installations" in the former USSR. Absolutely great stuff!

I could browse this site for hours. (Check out the Tatra car!) You can bet I'm subscribed to their RSS feed!

-=[ Grant ]=-

An email I received yesterday revealed that Brownells (purveyors of all things pertaining to gunsmithing and gun accessories) has purchased Sinclair International, the manufacturer/retailer of top-end reloading gear.

For years I've wondered why Brownells hadn't gotten into the reloading equipment business. They carry darned near everything else related to shooting, but there was a significant gap in their product line. The folks over at Midway, who have the reloading business covered completely, added gunsmithing tools to their line a number of years ago. I'd always thought that to be a "shot across the bow" of Brownells, and expected some sort of response. This would appear to be it!

The acquisition of Sinclair will fill the holes in their product selection very nicely, and serve to solidify their position in the marketplace. It will be interesting to see what new products show up as a result of the combination of these two great companies.

-=[ Grant ]=-

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the idea of carving (or whittlin', as we called it.) My dad occasionally whittled a whistle, my uncle did a spoon now and again, but the object that fascinated me the most was a short wooden chain that my grandfather had hanging on his wall.

The idea that one could gouge out a series of links, with no breaks, from a single piece of wood seemed incomprehensible to my young mind. It seemed almost like magic!

Today, of course, I understand how its done, but now marvel at the patience necessary to complete such a task. The little chain that captivated me pales, however, in comparison to this:



That item was carved from a single pencil! There's more to see over at The New Shelton Wet/Dry blog. Check it out!

-=[ Grant ]=-

...but they can sure be his undoing if they aren't right!

It's taken me years to assimilate this fully, and I still backslide occasionally, but the old saw "quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten" is so true!

Nowhere is this more evident than in the fine garments from Filson. Filson is an old-line outdoor clothing maker located just up the road in Seattle. (Yeah, it's a long road up there, but you get the point.) Filson has been making top-drawer clothing since the days of the Yukon gold rush, and many of their current designs actually hail from that era. "Tried and true" has never been more appropriate!

Filson became known for two materials: "mackinaw wool" and "tin cloth." These are incredibly rugged, durable fabrics that have no synthetic equivalents. A "tin cloth" coat will literally last generations, and I have a "mackinaw wool" coat in my (small) collection that is at least 40 years old and still in perfect condition despite having been worn in some very rough conditions.

Styling? What styling? The traditional Filson garments are functional above all, and whatever style they have derives solely from their function. The result is a look that has come to be known as "northwest casual", and to my eyes looks as good as it works.

This tremendous gear is made right here in the good ol' US of A. Needless to say, quality of this level is not cheap. It is, however, worth every penny when you're out in the cold and wet, and traipsing through vegetation that would shred even the best that Columbia or The North Face has to offer. After all that, you can hand it down to your children, who will get the same service out of it!

It's worth noting that Filson was purchased by an investment group a few years back, who promptly introduced a line of imported garments. Some of us watched with horror, convinced that our beloved Filson was going the way of another once-quality maker from this area - Pendleton - in transferring production overseas. Thankfully Filson's new owners didn't succumb, and kept those items traditionally made in Seattle right where they'd always been. They added new items made overseas, but at the same time introduced new items made in the US as well! While I'd prefer seeing everything made here, kudos to Filson for striking what is probably a pragmatic balance.

Just look for "Made in the USA" in the product description - Filson still proudly declares those items that are!

Filson is going to be featured on John Ratzenberger's "Made In America" show next Tuesday, June 12, on The Travel Channel. You can be sure I'll be watching!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Unless you're using a Lee reloading press, one of the biggest bottlenecks in reloading is the chore of filling primer tubes. It is definitely a time waster, and anything that can speed up the process is welcome here!

Yes, I know all about the Dillon primer tube loader. It only works with Dillon tubes, isn't all that fast, and is really expensive. Luckily, the folks at Midway came up with a solution: the Frankford Arsenal Vibra-Prime!

This little doohickey takes a package of primers and, with the pull of the trigger, loads their own primer tubes - which, happily, easily interface with Hornady, RCBS, and even Dillon presses.

This thing is fast - easily 2 or 3 times as fast as it's Dillon competition. The great part? It's only $32.99! Check it out.

-=[ Grant ]=-

So, let's say that you were going to buy me a new cel phone. What do you think I'd want?

How about a Blackberry Pearl? Too "Geek bondage." A Motorola Razr? They are SOOOOOO 2006. Nokia N80? If I wanted a slide-out I'd buy an RV. The Apple iPhone? Tempting, and it would go great with my Macs, but no - there's something even better.

The cel phone I really want is the Portable Rotary Phone from Spark Fun Electronics. Inside this antique is a fully functional cel phone module that utilizes all of the phone's original parts for their intended purposes: the handset, the dial, and even the two-bell ringer!



My Father, who was an inveterate prankster and a telephone company employee, would've loved this thing. It would be just the ticket to out-annoy the clods who use their phones in restaurants, and imagine the looks you'd get in meetings ("sorry, but I have to take this call.")

Besides, the whole retro-dial thing goes perfectly with my revolver persona, don't you think??

-=[ Grant ]=-

I fell in love with the short story format back in high school. While I cannot stand reading a whole novel - non-fiction isn't really my "thing" - I do enjoy the short story. It forces the author to work carefully on character and plot development, and requires the reader to concentrate on the storyline.

While my favorite author in this format is Stephen Vincent Benet, Mark Twain proved himself a master of the short story. One of my favorites is "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg."

Hadleyburg enjoys the reputation of being an “incorruptible” town, known for its responsible, honest people that are trained to avoid temptation. However, at some point the people of Hadleyburg manage to offend a passing stranger, and he vows to get his revenge by corrupting the town.

You can read the entire story online, or you can download it as an e-book.

Enjoy!

-=[ Grant ]=-

A regular reader informs me that the Nessmuk classic, "Woodcraft and Camping", is available online as a .pdf file - completely FREE!

"Woodcraft and Camping" at Outdoors-Magazine.com

If you haven't yet gotten a copy, you now have no excuse!

-=[ Grant ]=-

You know, I had a pretty darned good childhood. I grew up on a small farm, outside a small town (I remember when the town passed the 1500 resident milestone) that was nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Range.

After chores were finished and if there were no other pressing jobs to be done (like hauling hay), I got to do what I wanted. I could go down to our pond and fish, or take off with my friends Dan and/or Tom for an overnight camping trip - all with very little administrative (parental) hand-wringing. Even a two-day trip up the river and into the woods wasn't out of the question, though such an outing did prompt some worrying from my mother.

Not a bad way to grow up!

Living as I do in suburbia, I long for the time when we would run into the forest with little more than a small tent, a blanket, a sheath knife, maybe a couple cans of baked beans, and a fishing pole. (If we planned our trip into a particular area that we knew contained several small caves, we didn't even bother with the tent.) Woodcraft, such as shelter building and fire making, was an expected part of any well-balanced upbringing. I miss those days.

I have found a way to keep the hunger for simpler times at bay: I curl up with Nessmuk.

What is a Nessmuk? Properly, the question is phrased "Who is Nessmuk?"



Nessmuk was in normal existence one George Washington Sears. Sears was a slight, asthmatic individual who was born in 1821 in Massachusetts, and spent much of his life - at least, that portion when he wasn't working just to finance his next adventure - in a canoe or on a boat or in the woods.

He was able to combine his love of the outdoors and his considerable talent as a writer by having narratives of his adventures published in Forest and Stream magazine.

He wrote two books, Woodcraft and Camping, which are still in print - combined into one volume titled Woodcraft and Camping (no surprise there, right?!?) It is still available to this day, which must be some sort of record in the publishing business. (Another book, called Adirondack Letters, is a compilation of his articles in Forest and Stream.)

Woodcraft and Camping is not a thick book, nor is it solely a "how to" manual. It is the collected wisdom and insights of a man who lived just to be able to commune with nature. Nessmuk wrote in a beautiful, lyrical style that makes the reader salivate with the desire to get out into the wilderness.

At only $6.95, I believe it to be one of the greatest bargains - as well as one of the "must haves" - in outdoor literature. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who enjoys living in and exploring the wilderness, or even just dreaming about it!

Woodcraft and Camping at Amazon.com
A short biography of George Washington Sears
The Adirondack Letters online edition (free!)
Wikipedia entry on Nessmuk

-=[ Grant ]=-

I admit it: I'm a bit picky about things. Just how "picky" depends on what the "thing" is, but on the whole I suspect friends and family would describe me as being on the "anal retentive" side.

This extends to my clothing. A number of years back, when I was playing the keep-up-with-the-rest-of-the-yuppies game, I spent a lot of money on Italian suits and expensive ties. Over the years, as I've gotten wiser (and perhaps a tad more miserly), I've looked at clothing for its functional qualities rather than fashion. It's not as though I don't care how I look, but I don't care if I impress anyone with my style of dress.

How the clothing works for me in my lifestyle is more important than anything else. As a result, I've come up with something of a "uniform" - clothing that I've chosen because I like the way it functions. I always wear long-sleeve button-front shirts with two breast pockets - and those pockets must have button flaps. I'll settle for snaps, but I absolutely abhor Velcro! (Yes, long sleeves even in the 95+ degree temperatures of summer. In my mind, you can always roll the sleeves up - but you can't roll a short-sleeve shirt down for the winter!)

Suitable shirts are easy to find, but pants are another matter. I like cargo pants; again, I want the flaps to have buttons or snaps only. What's more, they have to be durable - I wear my chosen clothing everywhere from hiking to range training to getting groceries, and they see a lot of wear and tear. (I've torn out the corners on leg pockets and worn holes through front pockets in as little as six months!) Of course, they have to fit me well in the bargain - both with and without carrying a handgun on (or in) my waistband.

As you might imagine, I wouldn't be writing this diatribe if it were easy to find pants that met my requirements! Most cargo pants seem to be built for mall ninjas and yuppies who rarely venture beyond a Starbucks - their thin, soft material just doesn't hold up to heavy wear, particularly outdoors. Late in 2005 I bought yet another couple of pairs of a brand I'd not tried - they lasted a mere seven months. This was getting to be expensive! I resolved to find the toughest pair of cargo pants I could.

I started looking at Cabela's canvas "Nailhead" pants - which, sadly, were discontinued this fall. The Carhartt line looked promising, but their construction quality wasn't really any better than any other cargo pants I found. The new Woolrich "Elite" line has been getting a lot of press, but the material was a bit thin for my taste (and the price tag.)

I own some original Royal Robbins pants and shorts that must be 10 years old, and I thought that they might do the trick. Of course, those garments have been spun off to a new company, 5.11 Tactical Wear - and the quality has gone away. I examined a pair, and they weren't built nearly as well as my old Royal Robbins examples, despite having a premium price tag. (I guess you have to pay for that "tacticool" look!)

Wandering through my local farm store, I chanced upon some pants that looked promising: the new Riggs "Ranger" work pants from Wrangler. The material is 10oz ripstop canvas; all pocket attachment points are double thickness; the knees are double thick; the front pockets are made from heavier material than my last pair of pants were; and the cargo pockets have snap flaps, which are also anchored to a double thickness of fabric.



Other interesting features: the right cargo pocket has a couple of outside sleeves that hold a folding knife and a cel phone, while the right hand slash pocket has a reinforced corner edge to clip a knife to. This this prevents wear of the pocket edge, which is a nice touch. The back pockets (which I never use) are lined with Cordura, which makes them darned near wear-proof. Finally, they come in odd sizes - I wear a 34, but with an IWB holster they're too small and a 36 is too big - 35 fits perfectly, and Riggs are available in that size.

I picked up a pair, and I must say I'm impressed. They are far better built that your average "tactical" pants, and they look good too - not as "military" as some are. They're available in several colors, and sold by all kinds of stores all across the country so availability isn't a problem. (There are at least a half-dozen stores within 10 miles of me that carry the Riggs line!)

Suggested list is $39.99, which is really a bargain for a garment of this quality. If you're looking for a great pair of cargo pants for serious use, check 'em out!

Riggs work wear by Wrangler

-=[ Grant ]=-

Regular readers are already aware that I have this "thing" for personal flying machines. (See here, and here, and here.) I admit it, I'm hooked.

AirScooter has announced that their personal helicopter, the AirScooter II, will finally be available for sale in 2007. Weighing in a roughly 300lbs and flying at 55 knots, the helicopter features simplified controls that use no foot pedals - even amputees will be able to fly!



There's a great video of the craft in action that you can see here.

Of course I want one - but the price is likely to be in the neighborhood of $50,000. It's up to you, folks - order some custom gunsmithing, and lots of it! Papa needs a new 'copter!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Regular readers may have noticed that I have a "thing" for flying. This is somewhat contradictory, as I simply cannot abide flying in an airliner. However, the thought of flying a personal aircraft is immensely exciting to me - and the more personal the craft, the more it intrigues me!

Back in the 1950's and 1960's, the Army experimented with personal flying machines as a way to increase troop mobility. Several different approaches were tried - some were even successful - but the Army ultimately decided that the concept itself had sufficient drawbacks to keep from being adopted.

The most recognized of the entries - and my favorite - was the VZ-1 "Pawnee":



The Pawnee, though, was only one of several designs. This article at Damn Interesting gives you all the poop on the various approaches to the Army's requests.

(Oh, and of course I want one !)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Jay Leno has one (two, actually.) In 1924, it ran on kerosene, developed 1,000 ft-lbs of torque, got 15+ MPG, had a top speed of over 100 mph, and had an engine that ran at 900 RPM while traveling at 75mph.

What was this remarkable vehicle? The Doble Steam car! The Doble was the pinnacle of steam automobile design, and even today remains a marvel of engineering. Steam, for those not familiar with the "antiquated" technology, produces phenomenal, linear power with almost no noise. I've long been of the opinion that a modern steam car, taking advantage of advances in metallurgy and computer control, could be economical, powerful, and clean. What's keeping Detroit??

In the meantime, check out this article on the fantastic Doble. (Oh, and be sure to ignore the idiot commentary from one of the readers, who opines that the steam car is impractical because of the "dangerous" high pressure boiler. The Doble used a flash boiler, which doesn't contain a large quantity of high pressure steam. If it burst, the only result would be a sudden drop of power and large cloud of water vapor. Maybe he works for one of the Big 3 - it would explain a lot!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

OK, I admit it - I'm a sucker for the idea of personal aircraft, though I do not own one. Ultralights, autogyros, hang gliders - I love 'em all, even if I've never flown in or on one!

Of course the ultimate would be owning a personal helicopter, and it looks like it may now be possible: the GEN H-4 personal helicopter! For about $30,000 and a week's worth of assembly work, you can have a helicopter that weighs only 155lbs and cruises at 55mph.



Yeah, I want one!

-=[ Grant ]=-

In the late 1700s, Professor Georg Christoph Lichtenberg noticed some interesting patterns forming on the dusty surface of a charged plate. He showed the unusual works of natural art to his students and peers, and through time they have become known as Lichtenberg Patterns. The same patterns can sometimes be seen on the skin of people who have been struck by lightning.

Formed as the result of high voltage discharges on, or within, insulating materials, Lichtenberg Patterns can today be captured permanently by discharging the output of a linear accelerator into a Lucite block. The resulting three dimensional fern-like patterns are strangely fascinating!

This website shows and explains the process. Very cool!



And you thought science was boring!

-=[ Grant ]=-

I've always wanted a flying car, and every few years I get my hopes up only to have them dashed by more vaporware. Will this be the one that finally makes it?

The Transition is designed for jumps of 100 to 500 miles. It will carry two people and luggage on a single tank of premium unleaded gas. It will also come with an electric calculator (to help fine-tune weight distribution), airbags, aerodynamic bumpers and, of course, a navigation unit with a global positioning system.

-=[ Grant ]=-

I recently stumbled across The Ten Ring, a great firearms blog by Denise and Bill. They describe it as "A blog by two self-described gun nuts. One who started as a liberal and the other who started as a conservative. We helped each other grow and thrive over the past nine years."

You've got to start by reading their eight-part series "On Being A Gun Nut." It's some of the best prose I've ever read about firearms ownership. Part VII, about being a female gun nut, is particularly good. Don't miss it!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Here's another great firearms link carnival: from the Free Constitution blog comes the fourth installment of the Second Amendment Carnival. Check it out - lots of great links!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii made quite a number of photographs prior to the communist revolution of 1918. What makes them unusual is that they are in vibrant color!



Prokudin-Gorskii invented the technique to do this. What he did was to shoot 3 nearly identical black-and-white negatives in rapid succession - through narrow-band red, green and blue filters - then show them on a screen through those same red, green, and blue filters to produce color images. With today's digital techniques, it is possible to assemble these images and view them easily.

During my photographic career, I experimented with his technique with marginal success, but of course modern color films and papers made this cumbersome process superfluous. At the time I was playing with this, I did not know that Prokudin-Gorskii had invented it. It was, after all, the tail end of the Cold War, and very little was publicized about Russian technology. It wouldn't be until the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the disintegration of the Iron Curtain, that such things became known.

Today, the Library of Congress has one of the largest, and the only digitally reproduced, portfolio of Prokudin-Gorskii's groundbreaking work. Absolutely fascinating to view, and a "must see" for history and technology buffs!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Thanks to the precision machining abilities of the Swiss, we now have the world's first revolver that presents a greater hazard from choking than from firing!

I'm not sure whether I'm more amazed with the workmanship, or that police organizations in this country are so imbecilic as to believe that this thing actually constitutes a hazard. As one blogger put it, someone armed with a Sharpie marker is more dangerous!

So, in salute to the vacuous hand-wringers in our media (and their sycophants everywhere), I hereby resurrect the feel-good mantra "won't SOMEBODY PLEASE think of the children?!?!?"

(You heard it here first, folks!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

NASA maintains a great website called "Astronomy Picture of the Day". As the name implies, they put up a new picture each day, along with a plain-language explanation by an astronomer.

Be sure to check out their archives - there are some terrific pictures in their collection. Sure to pique anyone's curiosity about what is beyond our little world!

Here's one of my favorites: The Eskimo Nebula.



Sometimes my wildest imaginings pale in comparison to reality. This is one of those times.

-=[ Grant ]=-

If you've read the "About Me" page, you know that I spent many years as a clock/watchmaker. Consequently, I like timepieces - and sometimes even really odd ones.

At the Indianapolis Children's Museum is a water clock - in fact, the largest water clock in North America! I'd really love to see it in action, particularly at 12:59.



That's cool - but a bit hard to fit in your house. How about something a bit easier to deal with? How about a bar code clock on your laptop? Neat bit of programming; now if someone can just program a Widget like that...

(Sorry, Windows users - Widgets are a Macintosh thing.)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Have you been following the story of Kyle MacDonald? He started a year ago with a single red paperclip, with the stated goal of trading up in a series of transactions to a house. It was an ambitious plan, and this week he achieves his goal.

Now, I just wonder; could I use the same idea to trade my way into one of those juicy Korth revolvers? Hmmmm.......

-=[ Grant ]=-

You've gotta check out p d b , another gun-centric blog from a pretty sharp cookie who works in a video game store. Yeah, one of those juvenile repositories of self-absorbtion and lack of sunlight-derived Vitamin D. Who'd have thought that there were actually active brain cells in a place like that?

Great read...I'm subscribed to the RSS feed, of course!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Damn interesting, that's how!

This is a site that I read regularly. Damn Interesting has regular stories about (surprise!) interesting - and usually little-known - events and happenings in the world.

This entry details an almost-forgotten radiation accident at Los Alamos shortly after World War II. Why did it happen? Someone got careless and ignored safety precautions, proof that even a PhD doesn't shield you from the laws of physics.

As I read the story, the parallel with shooting became obvious. Even the best-trained shooters get careless, or decide that the rules don't apply to them. The result is usually a negligent discharge, sometimes with tragic results.

Georges Rahbani, the best combat rifle instructor I know, says "seemingly obsessive preoccupation with safety is the mark of the professional." Be obsessive - follow the rules, and make sure everyone around you does too. Safety is the first thing that you should think of when you pick up a firearm, and the last thing you think about as you put it down. Don't get complacent: THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Tamara K.'s "View from the porch" blog. Her tagline: "They report, I deride."
A great blend of guns, humor, gun pictures, and lots of dumb people to ridicule. Great reading from a gal who works in a gun store and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

(Hey, any blog that Oleg Volk reads is good enough for me!)

-=[ Grant ]=-

Just when I think I've seen it all, someone comes up with yet another unique use for Google Maps.

Go to this site, input a UPS/FedEx tracking number, and iSnoop will generate a Google map showing where the package is, and an RSS feed that sends the up-to-date tracking info to your RSS reader!

What else can be done with Google Maps? Check in next week...

-=[ Grant ]=-

Markoo Kloos writes a blog called "the munchkin wrangler" (no typo - he doesn't use caps on the title.)

One of his posts is titled "why the revolver?" (again with the no caps.) It's a great treatise on the joys of the wheelgun, and well worth bookmarking.

-=[ Grant ]=-

When we think of images of World War I, we think "black & white." But color photography, though in its infancy and quite expensive, did exist - and was used to capture images of the event and environs.

This site has a number of pictures taken by the French during the last two years of "The Great War." Wonderful slices of history, and rarely seen.

One of my favorites:



This picture show Swiss soldiers standing guard at the border with France. Switzerland, as you know, was neutral during the war; images of their soldiers during that time period are a bit hard to find. To find one in color is a rare treat. (If you look carefully, you can tell that the picture was taken through the chicken wire that served to delineate the borderline.)

I must say that it's a bit unnerving to look through these images, and not because of gore or mayhem (there isn't any.) Black-and-white pictures are an abstraction, which is why photographers like to dabble in the medium. Color, on the other hand, is "real" - it is a record, where black-and-white is an interpretation. These pictures draw you in, and make the situations being captured on film a bit less theoretical. They are almost haunting...

-=[ Grant ]=-

If you don't yet know about Steve's Pages, you need to. Here you can download PDFs of an astonishing array of firearms manuals. Actually, not just firearms - but reloading equipment, optics, and even high-end flashlights like SureFire.

One of those "must-have" additions to your bookmarks!

-=[ Grant ]=-

Great idea - turn them into a lamp! From the TechEBlog comes this:



Says the builder: “The pile of CDs that had been massing in my room was growing to epic proportions. So I decided to make myself a CD lamp. The circular base was actually cut using a template on a table saw, then sanded after clamping it in a drill press. The cold cathode lamp is from NewEgg. “

And to think I've been throwing them away all these years...once again, proof that I have no creativity whatsoever!

-=[ Grant ]=-

One of my childhood dreams was to build a submarine out of our above-ground diesel tank, and use it to explore the bottom of our pond. Despite the fact the the pond was only 8 feet deep at its deepest, the dream persisted.

Needless to say, I love the current generation of small research submersibles. Here are some great videos of an erupting volcano on the sea floor, taken from the Jason II sub as part of NOAA research.

(The site is very popular, so you may need to reload a couple of times to see the video.)

-=[ Grant ]=-

What brings on this question, you ask? Well, I'm sitting here considering yet another of my afflictions: fountain pens. Yes, those old-fashioned writing instruments that no one uses any more.

Except that people do use them!

I re-discovered the joys of writing with a fountain pen about a year ago. My interest was kindled by the fact that the most indestructible writing inks are available only in a bottle - from a company called Noodler's Ink. This stuff is so fraud-resistant that the only way to obliterate it is to literally dissolve the paper from under the ink.

Thinking that would be great for check-writing, I unearthed the fountain pen I'd been given as a gift a couple of decades ago. Now I had another weapon in my tool chest against identity thieves! But a funny thing happened: I discovered that writing with a fountain pen is, in and of itself, a wonderful experience.

A fountain pen lays down ink with NO pressure required - less even than the best rollerball. That means that, instead of a chore, writing becomes effortless and non-tiring. If you write a lot, a fountain pen will be a godsend to you aching hand muscles! The fountain pen is also more expressive; the ink also has "shading", which means that each different stroke produces differences in saturation or width. The "look" of a fountain pen's work is unmistakable.

As if that wasn't enough, fountain pen inks are available in hundreds of different colors - just the different shades of blue which are available is staggering! Blacks? You'd be surprised at how different a simple black can be from maker to maker - and there are still browns, greens, reds, purples, oranges...well, you get the picture.

You have a wide choice in pens, too. Of course there are the great vintage pens, but there are also dozens of manufacturers of new fountain pens from all over the world from which to choose. Prices range from $2.99 to multiple thousands of dollars, with most falling between $50 and $300.

Intrigued? Your first stop should be the Fountain Pen Network discussion forums, where you can learn all you need to know. From there, go explore dealers like iSellPens (my favorite place to get real bargains), Pendemonium (sellers of my favorite color of ink, Noodler's Legal Lapis - be sure to check out their color charts), and Swisher Pens. There are lots of others, but these will get you started.

Hey, a fountain pen even makes my chicken-scratching look good!

-=[ Grant ]=-