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| Conversion...........................No not that Kind!!!PROJECT In my last post I shared the hog hunting story, and what firearms I was using. This post is about customizing the handgun I spoke of in the last post. I had purchased the Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum with the intention of doing some changes to it. I love this firearm as designed by Bill Ruger who singlehandedly brought back the single-action revolver that had all but passed into oblivion until Bill's design of his Blackhawk in the 1950's. But I've never liked the stock grip on the guns. I have however liked the 'Bisley' grip.
HISTORY With the invention of these repeating handguns (revolvers) in the 1800's by Webley, Colt, Smith and Wesson and the like, also came sporting events devised to showcase the new arms and the skills of those who wielded them. One such event was started in 1859 in Wimbledon (England); a target match replete with Queen Victoria firing the first round to start the event. It was moved to Bisley in 1890, where the National Shooting Centre remains till this day. For the competition, Colt firearms, at the request of their shooting team, altered it's single action revolver of the late 1800's to a target configuation, with special grip, sights, hammer, and trigger. They called the model the Colt Bisley in honor of the event in that English town.
CONVERSION I set out to alter the gun to my liking, and purchased the Bisley trigger, hammer, and grip frame, as well as matched black walnut grip panels. Mind you I have never disassembled this or any other revolver before, save the removal of the cylinder for the purpose of cleaning. I was a bit intimidated with all the pins, screws, springs, etc. that came apart in my hand. Thankfully the internet provided enough schematics and instruction to calm my nerves once again. Having taken the standard trigger, hammer, and grip frame off of the cylinder frame, I began reassembly with the new parts. I got one thing wrong after another, as it must go back together in a particular order. With great frustration and enough time I was successful.
FINISHING I headed to the range to verify I had indeed assembled it correctly as to still be able to ignite a live round. Yes, it still fired! Back to the bench. I say 'back to the bench' because I've only done the 'assembly part'; now the 'fitting & polishing' part must be done. I disassemble again. The grip frame and cylinder frame do not fit perfectly, with about 1/16" that needs to be taken off of the top of the grip frame to make it match. I secure the grip frame in my vise, and begin whittling with a flat file, rematching often so as to not remove too much metal. When each are just about matched I break out the Dremel and it's abrasive wheels. I polish out the file marks where I've been removing metal, as well as the sides of the grip frame that still have not been polished. I also employ the use of my wife's emery board for some hand work. The abrasive wheel and the emery board both produce a brushed finish on the stainless steel that resembles the finish on the rest of the gun. I now reassemble and install the black walnut grip panels. The project is complete. I am amazed with the difference this Bisley grip makes in accuracy and in controlling perceived recoil.
CARTRIDGES My attention will now turn to load development where I will assemble my own combination of brass, bullet, primer, and gun powder to produce custom .44 magnum cartridges for hunting. More to come...
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| Hoggin'WARNING - THIS POST MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO CITY DWELLERS!
In the fall and early winter whitetail deer, goose, duck, and turkey
are hunted. But feral hog can be hunted year round. This is because
feral hog are plentiful as well as downright destructive to crops and wildlife habitat.
Feral hog are simply domestic hogs that have escaped and bred with European wild
hog.
A month ago now a friend and I were hunting for hog in 38 degree rainy weather, and he was fortunate enough to bag a 300 lbs. boar. We had to track him into heavy brush in the dark after he was shot, which was scary, but found him within 100 yards. He was a tremendous animal! He was covered with course black hair which also stood straight up on the back of his neck. He had razor sharp tusks (Texas ivory) that were 3 inches in length, making me glad that my friend had not just wounded him. We about wore ourselves out getting him to a place that we could access by truck, but with a little sweat and quite a bit of grunting we got him into the back of it.
Gutting, skinning, and quartering a 300 lbs. animal was a new experience for me and I learned a lot. Unlike domestic pork a feral hog eats acorns and various roots as his primary diet. Therefore there was little to no fat on him. Afterwards we could still hardly lift the ice chest. We carted the quartered hog to the meat processor where my friend gave instructions for the cuts he wanted.
Before you get too put off by all of this remember that this is similar to how all meat was come by back in bible days (but with arrows and spears instead of bullets). Though you might have sheep, goats, or cattle in your backyard, the processing would be about the same. Esau preferred the wild game to domestic.
I hunt with a Marlin 336 lever action rifle in .35 Remington caliber with a 2-7X32 scope.
My back up handgun is a stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk with 4 5/8" barrel in .44 magnum.
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| Always Changing RolesDuring our LifeGroup gathering last night M. Lenert led us in a discussion regarding "OUR CALLING". We discussed how calling was different from career, but that our careers could reflect our calling. We discussed how we have these inherent longings/interests/passions within each of us, sometimes even from early childhood, wanting to be fulfilled. These are sometimes even obscured by our parents wishes for us, or the track they might have us on.
B. Hoover added that in times past she mistakenly took her sense of calling from whatever role she found herself playing out at the time; roles like wife, mother, manager, pastor's wife, etc., but that she is looking more to who she IS, rather than what she DOES to figure out her calling.
We had a time of prayer afterward that God would indeed lead us each according to his dreams for our lives, and help us discover and be commissioned to fulfill our calling. During this prayer time T. Herren described a scene running through her head during prayer.
It was a panorama of a battlefield, with some on the front lines fighting, but with many others doing various and a sundry tasks to support those on the front. Some made ammo, some transported various supplies, some cared for the wounded, etc. Additionally, roles changed, with some behind the lines going to the front, and those on the front lines coming back to fill various supply roles. So no one took their sense of calling from what they were currently doing, because what they were doing could change; but all were soldiers nonetheless.
This perspective was helpful for all of us, as we all participate in a very production oriented culture, especially here in the big city.
My sense of calling goes back to when I was 21 years of age, sleeping on a garage floor in east New Orleans, and trying to build relationships nightly in the French Quarter. I had gotten to know a lot of the street people, prostitutes, and dancers from the clubs in the Quarter since me and some colleagues were there nightly for months on end. My head was reeling from all that I had been learning on the streets and from the bible, simultaneously. I knew one thing for certain - that all I was learning in scripture had vast implications for me and every person I was attempting to share the gospel with...........................................and I still do.
That sense of being called to affect others with the truths, implications, and applications of scripture has never left me, no matter what roles I have played since then, whether husband, father,
employee, manager, employer, LifeGroup leader, pastoral council member, cluster
leader, or pastor.
So, what calling is always with you, compelling you to do things differently, stirring your passion for God and others in whatever roles you find yourself in?
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| More Shooting FunWell, again I went to the range on Friday, this time with Jay Young in tow. Now some could have misgivings about putting a loaded firearm into the hands of Wild Jayman, but having spent quite a bit of time with Jay I knew I was up for it. Jay actually had a knack for punching holes in targets with lead slung at high velocities (target shooting), with both the 9mm Glock and the .22 caliber Ruger rifle. It was a great day to be in the outdoors, and I hope that more of you can join me soon. You're next Geneva!
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| Epics and Why They are SoI am a great fan of epic movies. Some that readily pop to mind are Dances with Wolves, Out of Africa, Legends of the Fall, even the mini-series Lonesome Dove.
Last week I re watched Legends Of the Fall with Patsy and a few friends. During this watching I realized why these movies move me so much emotionally. Yeah, sure the music is a big part; movie scores are an integral part of engaging and moving an audience emotionally. But primarily the congruous theme to these stories is "LOSS".
My mom is known to joke, "Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most." But in these stories-turned-epic-movies the loss seems to be that of things irretrievable.
In Dances with Wolves there is the loss of the hope that progressing civilization will stop long enough to understand and embrace the indigenous peoples of the North American continent.
In Out of Africa it is the loss of the beautiful and unspoiled wilderness of Africa, and the loss of hope in anything resembling romantic love, (along with the hope to understand and embrace the indigenous peoples of the African continent).
In Legends of the Fall it is the loss of hope that men and women could live in simplicity without being hastled by or exploited by men or women of power and prominence, the loss of hope in government being "for the people", (as well as the loss of the hope that progressing civilization will stop long enough to
understand and embrace the indigenous peoples of the North American
continent, and the loss of hope in anything resembling romantic love).
Are you starting to see a pattern here? Loss of hope, loss of security, loss of innocence, loss of love, the failings of ideals, i.e., the tragedy of life.
BTW, Lonesome Dove is brilliantly all of the above, but with a screw-'em-all response to it all, which is why I secretly wish to be a cowboy and ride into the sunset with Gus, my Colt SAA, my Winchester 1873, my best boots, my best hat, and my best gal, on my best horse, but those would be my issues and me and John Eldridge will get therapy and prayer for those soon.
The literary (and subsequent movie) critics will rightly criticize my shallowness and shortsightedness regarding these fine tales and their inner workings. But like it or not (and I don't), much of life is about loss. Patsy (my best gal) recently lost her father to what looks to be a blood clot to the lung; a quick death. Her sense of loosing her father is overwhelming, and she says she wants to awake each morning realizing it was but a bad dream. I've heard similar stories from others.
Some tell of the loss suffered by the infidelity of a spouse; the hole it leaves in you. Others tell of the abuse they suffered at the hands of an abusively broken, but stronger person, and the loss of safety, security, innocence, and sense of self, and of all they've missed of life as a result.
Like it or not, life contains disappointment, grief, hurt, death, tragedy, loss. It's not healthy to deny it. But it's hard to embrace it. I am joyous there is Someone who brings healing and redemption in His wings. We need it; the whole earth needs it. Even so, come quickly.
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