It only struck my little gray cells, when I saw these, that the USBP was founded in the same year as that of my mother's birth. How that never sank home before was merely because for most of the time I had no clue when the BP was founded. Maybe I had heard that at one time but I guess it went in one ear and out the other and thus I never linked the two before seeing the info for these enchanting pieces of firearms craftsmanship and Border Patrol history.
BALLSEYE'S BOOMERS
Friday, April 12, 2024
Thursday, April 11, 2024
If His Last Words Were:...
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
The Viewership of The View...
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Almost, Kind Of, Sort Of, Another Bridge Catastrophe
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
I Ordered A Pair...
Sunday, March 31, 2024
A Small Easter Miracle...
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Not Only Is Biden The Worst President Within My Lifetime...
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
The Bridge Collapse
Friday, March 22, 2024
As Moscow Burns...
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Dimwittedly Ignorant
Monday, March 18, 2024
If It Was Completely 100% Legal For Me To Just Go Out To Shoot Someone (a hypothetical)...
Monday, March 11, 2024
New Toys
The other firearm on which I had the high bid is a Henry U.S. Survival rifle; both are from the Hessney Auction Co.. Although they had it listed as a Charter Arms AR7, it is supposedly as new in its box and the box clearly shows it to be a Henry. Time and delivery will tell on this one. I think this one has only one magazine but as luck would have it, I already had two extra magazines for it.
I already have a U.S.Survival rifle, so this latest one will be redundant but more than one is almost always good. They certainly are not the most accurate of rifles but I found that by switching the aperture of the rear sight from the larger to the smaller one fine tunes the accuracy to be acceptable to my satisfaction. I probably could hit a squirrel at 15 to 20 yards, probably even out to 25 yards with my old one but only since I used the smaller rear sight aperture.
For the life of me, I do not understand why they don't wipe down the blades to get rid of the smudges. |
It is a 12" metal beer tray. I have one other old beer tray from Piels beer. One of these days, if I ever buy a house when & if the market goes down some, I will display them on the walls. I'd like to add Schaefer, Blatz, Miller High Life, and Schmidt's to my collection. Even though I have never enjoyed this particular brand they bring back memories of when tin trays were the norm in my hangouts of old. They create a nice aura of nostalgia, I think and some like this one are quite colorful.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Donald Trump Is My...
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Shots Fired - ...
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Film Noir Should Have Been Named...
Monday, February 26, 2024
Henry U.S. Border Patrol Commemorative Rifles - A Step Closer To Being Mine
I just ordered two Henry Big Boys in .357 MAG/.38 SPL. These are commemorative rifles for the 100 year anniversary of the U.S. Border Patrol. I have to say this was not an easy decision for me as they're setting me back a nice chunk of change but I figure one that remains a safe queen will have become a good investment should I ever decide to sell it; maybe the other will be a shooter or a better yet a shooter & a family heirloom. Right now, I need to hope I gave them my correct class number at the USBP Academy to verify I was a Border Patrol Agent. Of course, the only certificate of graduation that I cannot find from my carer, is my BPA diploma! I do have my class photo, showing a what I thunk are a session & a class number as 231/131; I used 231. So if I get declined for the wrong class number, I'll have to' change it to 131. I know the session is 131 so I am assuming 231 is the class number. I hope so, the less complications the better.
Here are some photos of these beauties; Henry makes truly nice looking firearms.
It only struck my little gray cells, when I saw these, that the USBP was founded in the same year as that of my mother's birth. How that never sank home before was merely because for most of the time I had no clue when the BP was founded. Maybe I had heard that at one time but I guess it went in one ear and out the other and thus I never linked the two before seeing the info for these enchanting pieces of firearms craftsmanship and Border Patrol history.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Cop Shoots At Handcuffed Suspect In His Police Vehicle After Mistaking Acorn Hitting His Vehicle As Gunshots
Friday, February 16, 2024
Henry Has Just Announced Four U.S. Border Patrol Commemorative Rifles
Henry has announced four commemorative rifles to honor the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Border Patrol. Two for the USBP & two others for the USBP under CBP. Being I started my career as a BPA in 1979, back when BP Agents actually did their jobs, I may get both of the USBP models; yet, I must say the following because of what BPAs are doing today:
What a sad time in the history of the Mean Green that Henry has chosen to come out with these. Instead of doing the jobs for which they were hired or quitting in mass protest, BP Agents are now, as I see it, aiding and abetting the entry of illegal aliens under the direction of the criminal, U.S. Constitution violating and hating, mindless president who has sold out America, Joe Biden. If I was a BP agent now, I would quit in protest. I think every one of the current BPAs should quit or at the least stage a sick-out for a week. I am serious that I would quit;. no doubt in my mind. I did when I was in Customs, over much less, and only went back after a week or two of supervisors and agents urging me to return. My GS even coming to my home a couple of times to do so. The patrol today, is a disgrace as I see it. We have lost the battle and it seems are about to lose the war and our country because they choose to obey the man responsible for destroying our sovereignty and our country's place as the greatest nation on Earth.
Well that said, I guess I need to add something about these rifles. They are being offered only to current, retired or former Border Patrol Agents. There is a model in 22 LR and one in .357 MAG/.38 SPL being offered for the Border Patrol prior to it becoming part of CBP and another one of each caliber for the Border Patrol after the creation of CBP - why they are doing that is beyond me - there is and has been only one U.S. Border Patrol regardless of which department and parent agency it has been under since it's creation.
Ain't they sweet. |
The ones in .357/.38 have a brass receiver, the ones in 22 have a nickel plated receiver but for some reason Henry is calling it a Golden Boy (I always thought only their rifles with solid brass receiver were considered Golden Boys). Regardless,I am considering a big money layout for either one of each of the regular USBP models (even the idea of getting a CBP model disgusts me) or possibly double that and getting two of each of the USBP (non-CBP) models. I asked my son what he thought of such an investment and he probably rightly told me it would be very risky especially in light of the possibility that Henry could possibly remove their sales restriction of selling them only to BPAs and thus making them available to the general public if they do not sell enough of them. That would suck and probably reduce the value of them. If however, they are only ever sold by Henry to current, retired or former BPAs, that could keep their value high and they are not cheap. The 22 LR versions are $800.00 each and the .357/.38 are $1,150.00. Those are supposed to be the discounted prices. The thing is, if you buy other of Henry's commemorative models - they currently retail for a bit less than that from what I have seen - so where is the discount except off of MSRP. It really is no discount at all as I see it, if similar commemorative models actually sell for less; then again no others are USBP models.
Then
there is the fact they are calling the 22 LR version a Golden Boy and
as per their own page describing a Golden Boy the USBP commemorative in
22 LR seems to be anything but a Golden Boy because the receiver and
butt plate are nickel finish and not brasslite & brass respectively
as they are on a Golden Boy! Check out their description of the Golden
Boy here: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/golden-boy/. Then look at the
USBP Commemorative models here:
https://www.henryusa.com/news/henry-salutes-u-s-border-patrols-100th-anniversary/.
Bet you were wondering when I'd get around to that link.They are simply
something I'd love to own but even just two will take a big bite out of
my bank account and knowing myself, if I buy at least one in one
caliber, then I am also buying at least one in the other.
Still though, they are very nice looking and the temptation to buy at
least one of each - damn my finances - is exceedingly strong and my will
is weakening.
I asked my son for some advice as to what he thought of me buying two of each of the USBP (non CBP) models. He mentioned that they might later be sold to the general public, and thus could be a risky investment. He is probably right but the temptation to buy a pair of each is almost as strong as the urge to buy just one of each model. So, I sent an inquiry to Henry to ask if they might ever be sold to the general public or if they will remain on sale only to BPAs and to ask about serial numbers. I inquired as to whether or not these rifles would have a run of serial numbers exclusive to them. I asked that because I want to know, if I buy one, or more, in each caliber, can I get serial number in one caliber that will match the serial number of the other caliber. I also asked if there is a serial number run specific to these guns, would it be possible for me to get one in each caliber ending with what was my three number call sign when I was a BPA (that would be truly excellent). Hopefully they will reply soon and still have the ones with my number in stock if they can do that last thing. If they can do the last three number bit, I am pretty sure to bite on at least one matched pair with my call sign as the last three digits.
I have to add one last thing, not so much about these rifles but rather about the year the Border Patrol was established. I don't know how I missed this all these years, I entered on duty on September 29, 1979, but the founding year of the BP was 1924 - that was the year of my mothers birth. Sold, I am buying at least one, probably two of them and maybe four.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Just Got Back From Walking Skye, My mongrel...
Monday, February 12, 2024
Must-Have Gun Tools?
I think a sonic cleaner is a luxury and completely unneeded in a kit of gun tools. I have never, I repeat never, used a sonic cleaner in my shooting lifetime and that has been over 60 years long so far. I own a gun or two or three that is/are over 100 years old and I am certain their parts have never been in a sonic cleaner and never will be as long as I own them. So please, explain to me why it was a must-have for me in all those years; yet, I never have used one and my firearms work just fine.
It also seems to me a boresight is a luxury. I sight in my rifles the old fashioned way, bang-bang-bang adjust as necessary - then bang-bang-bang until I get it right. I start close in and work out to further distances. I like some good old shooting to get it done, it's fun. Of course I could always boresight a rifle by aiming down the bore then adjusting the reticle of a mounted scope to be on target all without a laser boresight. I guess a boresight is nice to own and convenient to use maybe even much more efficient but it most certainly is not a must-have necessity.
Of course other scope mounting/adjusting devices are also not necessities. They are certainly nice to have but truth be told, I did just fine mounting scopes for many a year after my 50s once my vision became less than optimal. I purchased a torque wrench only within the last two years, same for a scope mounting kit with the level and other tools. Nice to have and makes the job of mounting a scope easier and more precise but not must-have tools. Th same goes for a gun vise. I got my first one two or three years ago. Wow does it make a very nice difference but for many years I used my knees or someone else to hold the gun while I worked on it. I did with what I had.
Placing jags & bore brushes separate from cleaning rods almost makes it seem as if you could not find another appropriate item to take a number in your pick of ten 'must-have' tools. Let's face it - brushes & jags are part of a must-have firearms cleaning kit, as is a cleaning rod and as are cleaning brushes (brass & steel - not bore brushes but hand held brushes that resemble toothbrushes). You purposefully excluded patches and swabs - go figure they are tools like any others that fit into a cleaning kit and add pipe cleaners to that list (if you have ever cleaned a Yugoslavian SKS you may understand why I include them but they also come in quite handy on many other types of firearms). A complete cleaning kit is thus considered by me to be all one tool with accessories or a tool group as far as I am concerned but if you want to make them separate then why not have jags as one item and bore brushes as another and cleaning patches as another and add swabs & pipe cleaners to the list and solvent and had held cleaning brushes as another and you could just keep going.
Somethings you seem to have excluded or maybe have forgotten are: pin punches (these are gun tools of relative necessity in my mind), a hammer with combination brass head and nylon head, a pair of needle nose pliers is another, a hemostat is another, a bore light is another, a telescoping rod with a magnetic end is another excellent tool to have around but maybe not an essential one until that tiny screw or spring falls under something to heavy to move but yet can be reached under by the magnetic tipped rod to retrieve the lost item. I'd also say a Glock tool but any correctly sized pin punch will do. I'd likely add a 1911 wrench (not necessary maybe but sure makes disassembly and assembly easier). I also find a small multi-function knife to be a very useful and a must have item in my firearms tool kit. Depending on what type of firearms you have sight tools (both rear and front) could be must have items. For instance, it is pretty much a necessity for the rear sights on Glocks and a Glock front sight tool is also a good choice for a Glock owner. Of course there are also sight tools for rifles like AR-15s and AK-47s.
Lest I forget and while these are probably not considered tools, I think some of the most essential things to have when it comes to working on guns are manuals, exploded parts diagrams annotated to describe each part, and firearms books detailing assembly and disassembly of guns. The books can be expensive but you can often find greatly discounted used editions on sites like eBay. Manuals can also be expensive but if you have a currently manufactured firearms, many manufacturers offer manuals you can download from their websites. Even if you do not have a computer or smart phone, you can go to almost any public library and download them or print them there for a nominal fee at most. I currently have well over fifty such books and manuals. Some of my manuals are from the original manufacturer as those that came with the gun, others are after market so to speak such as those salmon colored ones for which I cannot recall the publisher. I have many for guns I do not even own, they may come in handy some day when I buy my next gun or the the next one after that or if I am looking for a particular manual I do not have, I may be able to trade one I already own for the one I need.
As for not using the kitchen table - well pardon me if I did not make a lot of money in my early career and lived in tiny studio apartments for a few years and the only work area that I had available was my kitchen table or the floor. Believe me it was better using the kitchen table while sitting in a chair than trying to sit on the floor and work on a gun. It always amazes me how well meaning gun folks offering advice often seem to expect everyone is as well off as are they and that they assume every gun owner has or must have things like a separate work area with a work bench. Many folks do not have those luxuries, heck they may not even have the basic tools both you and I mentioned. Thus they do with what they have but I'd at least hope they acquire the basic tools for any gun they own. When I used my kitchen table, I made sure to cover my table with a plastic/vinyl tarp when cleaning guns on it and I still cleaned the table very well once I was finished. There are several brands of supposedly nontoxic gun cleaning solvents available making use of the kitchen table less of a hazard nowadays. You do the best you can with the best you have, that is what makes the world go round."