Gun auction AAR

Six guns sold. Four were interesting to me.

1. A silly basement project mated a breech-plugged octagon Winchester .38-40 barrel to a bolt-action receiver I couldn't identify. The bolt assembly was cobbled to fire the percussion cap. The tube had been bored out to something like .50. The mess was held together by what I suspect was a whittled-on Model 70 stock. I wanted to bring it home and give it warm milk, but passed due to price, $140.

2. A beautiful Remington 1903A3 appeared unissued, and I stuck around to a little more than $500. It brought $650.

3. A decent little Stevens Crack Shot brought $150, and I kick myself for not making the eventual buyer pay a little more.

4. A Remington 514 sported the best metal I've noticed on one of those since they quit making them in 1971, almost mint. Unfortunately the stock suffers from an old kitchen table varnish job. It's flaking, and I plan a careful hour with fine steel wool. At $85 a no-brainer.

The others were shotguns, a 16 ga. Model 12 semi- junker at $400+ and a newish Benelli pump so ugly I flirted with the concession girl while it was selling.

Overall: stupid crowd.

...fair for the Gander

At last report His Obamaness has instructed his infantry to stomp dissenters in the Senate, scrap Senate rules, and pass his health-destruction strategy under a process called "reconciliation."

That process has three distinct characteristics. (1) It was originally enacted to ensure that necessary appropriations bills get passed even when Senators are stymied by deep ideological differences, such as whose state gets the biggest unnecessary bridge. (2) It has been abused by both parties. (3) Permitting legislation with a simple majority, it defies the reason we have a Senate in the first place -- to act as a check on popular passions and demagogues who would inflame and capitalize on them.

The Obama may or may not get away with it, so maybe we should be prepared to cut Him a deal, to wit: Here's your hall pass to screw up the health-care system worse than it is, Mr. President. In return, you must instruct your Senate minions to give us reconciliation status for the Thune Amendment which, after all, was favored by 58 Senators last year.

What could be fairer?

Buck it?

In a shop session yesterday I noticed that Buck honing oil, at something over $2 an ounce, looks like, smells life, feels like and works like generic automatic transmission fluid at a shade over two bucks a quart. Just sayin'. (And, yeah, I know kerosene, three-in-one, and used 10 wt. crankcase oil work about as well as anything. And spit.)

Once in a while libertarians need to remind themselves that fraud is fraud, whether subtle or brassy, governmental or commercial. We do not often state it this way, but our philosophy operates on a premise that things will get start getting better only after we quit lying to one another.

I swear by the Almighty I didn't know gun cleaning solvents came in foofooraw lemon scents until I was idly fingering some merchandise at a local sporting goods store. Barrel Blaster by CVA. Maybe using it will help you get lucky, and I suppose it might even clean your barrel.

I doubt, however it will ever overtake the old reliable. Hoppe's No. 9 is the most powerful aphrodisiac known to man. (Do not take internally.)