You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid

[Gary Brantley]

I knew, deep down...that if anything would bring Tex back in here...it's be this thread!!!

You know me so well. But hey, just hold on for a bit. I'm actually completing models these days! One is awaiting a trip to the airport for pics, another is 95% done and two more are well under way. So I will also be posting some model plane pics soon. More four footers are coming!

[Gary Brantley]

Oh man, you have all sorts of goodies there Gary. That Drilling sounds very interesting and sure looks to be a very beautiful shooting iron.

Thank you sir! The Drilling is cool. There is so much history behind them. Some claims state that they were often carried as "survival" guns by Luftwaffe crews and I've read that making a drilling (from "scratch" of course!) was a "final exam" for young gunsmith apprentices. It needs a little work though. Dad shot whatever 16 ga shells he found here locally. They were a bit "hotter" than what it was actually proofed for; there is a bit of play when the barrel is locked, probably caused by those shells. And you can see a tiny crack in the wood on the right side near the hammers. That needs attention too.

The box of 9.3x72R ammunition was found in a dusty old gun shop in Temple, Texas back around 1980. I paid $22.50 I believe at the time and there's no telling how long it had been there.

Thanks again Carlos!

[Floki]

I've been wanting to put a FAL together from a parts kit. I've already built two Aks a polish tantel and a Bulgarian circle 10 that was originally 5.45 Russian but I converted it to 5.56. I have a British stern mkIII that I've built from a kit too as a pistol, just swapped the stock for a pistol grip only so it's not a SBR. It needs a new main spring, it's a lot to modify to be legal, converting it to fire from a closed bolt instead of open was a pain.

[Gary Brantley]

It sounds like you're an accomplished builder Floki. That's some great work you've done. I considered building my own FAL; it was said if one could change a car engine water pump, than you could handle an FAL build. Well, it requires a special vice fitting to hold the receiver and a special wrench for tightening the barrel helps. If one were planning one several builds, then the investment isn't that bad. In the end, I just let Randy Kline of Sledgehammer Arms Works build 'em. He is one of the best FAL smiths in the country, although there are several others who are in his league. Mark Graham of Arizona Response Systems is a good one, but he is a bit "prickly" to deal with.

One of my friend's owned the Sten before me. After acquiring it from him, I did a bit of research and found that this machinegun was originally part of a contract for Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Army. Whether it was ever delivered to them is uncertain. The old gun runs great; it's the only weapon I've ever seen that runs without oil. The British manuals even warned against it. The receivers tubes were untempered steel, more or less like conduit, and it was thought that oil would attract dirt and that would unnecessarily cause wear to the receiver tube. So, last time I had it apart, I warmed the metal with a hair dryer and wiped everything with MilTech lube. Next time I shot it, it ran like a runaway train!



Yours truly, shooting that Sten:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEJ1xRZ ... 9z&index=1

My cousin Thomas, a decorated Vietnam War veteran (two Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's badge) taking a turn. He's an old hand with machineguns; his personalized license plate reads "fitygunr" from days on the M113s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cK0xd2 ... 9z&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmIlnu5Yx8

[LyleW]

Can I come down and play?

[Gary Brantley]

We'll leave the light on for ya! Come on down!

[LyleW]

Do you have any good bbq down there? Or, should I bring some from up here?

[Gary Brantley]

[/quote]

Do you have any good bbq down there? Or, should I bring some from up here?[/quote]

From up there?!? OMG! You're comin' to Texas dude, where the best BBQ in the world is found. No, no need to bring any with you. I can hook you up. (just joking ya, I know there are some killer joints up there in KY!) You won't be sorry, but you will be full! Texans are kinda funny about 'cue. I love a good pork roast on the pit, or a fine rack o' pork ribs. But, BBQ in Texas is built around beef. Problem now is the beef is too high to buy. Last check at the supermarket, brisket was going for just under $5.00 a pound. No wonder the BBQ joints are getting $18+ a pound for cooked meat! You make the drive down here and we'll head to Lockhart, home to three legendary places; Kreuz Market, Smitty's and Black's BBQ. You'll wait in line at each one, but you'll be glad you did.

Oh well, until then, some pics from home. I think they might've appeared here before...







Bon appetit y'all!

[Stikpusher]

Now you’re talking’!!! Man that all looks delicious!

[Stuart]

Damn Tex - you've got more guns than the French Army!