Otherwise it was a fine show, hundreds of interesting old pieces, and it's hard to say enough about how well the Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Association operates these things.
The personal take was paltry. I scored a few badly needed Case Guard boxes at less than a buck each. I also couldn't resist $10 for a NIB Jap scope, 4x32, sold decades ago by Montgomery Wards (EDIT: and/or Western Auto?) as a "Revelation." A guy can always use disposable optics. Come to think of it, I recall that some of these early Japanese scopes were rugged, not unlike Nikon rangefinder cameras.
Aug 28, 2011
Loophole AAR, Highway 86, and the Feds: A TMR twofer
(1) The deep Colt blue was mostly gone. Long ago, in the era of home-accurizing GI 1911s, someone stippled the frontstrap and mainspring housing. Otherwise it was a perfectly straight and decent WW1 1911, and at a negotiated $650, I was a buyer.
Then the federal government jackbooted my butt. Neither of the two Iowa FFL dealers I know was at the Sioux Falls show, nor were any CR holders. So I walked away, money sadly in pocket, pistol still on the Salt Lake City dealer's table.
Thanks to the feel-good FFA of 1968, my masters denied me the privilege of a perfectly harmless transaction. No irony exists in the fact that if the show had been held ten miles to the east, just across the state border, I could have bought the old war horse perfectly legally -- in the same state which officially permits me to buy, own, and carry about anything short of an NFA machine gun or whippit.
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(2) Not far from me runs Highway 86, connecting I-90 with this little resort area. It's an ancient, hilly two-lane. It arguably carries enough traffic to justify planned rehabbing.
The Iowa DOT recently held a meeting to "seek public input" (Stop that disrespectful snickering, right now!) on the plans. Landowners along the route were there to input displeasure at the eminent domain procedure which would take strips of their land on one side of the road when government already owns the land on the other side.
Our Iowa bureaucrat explained that the public land was DNR/USFWS-owned for the benefit of mosquito ponds, snakes, tadpoles, and swamp grass. True, the relatively tiny reduction would amount to a fart in a hurricane in terms of wildlife habitat, but federal law prohibited diversion of even one square inch of it. Sorry folks.
Federal law pays far less attention to forced seizure of folks' front yards. In other words, If you're a snail darter you're gold. If you're a taxpaying citizen, piss off.
---
The good doctor Ron Paul proposes to shut down about half the federal government. Sir, that would be a reasonably good start.
.
Then the federal government jackbooted my butt. Neither of the two Iowa FFL dealers I know was at the Sioux Falls show, nor were any CR holders. So I walked away, money sadly in pocket, pistol still on the Salt Lake City dealer's table.
Thanks to the feel-good FFA of 1968, my masters denied me the privilege of a perfectly harmless transaction. No irony exists in the fact that if the show had been held ten miles to the east, just across the state border, I could have bought the old war horse perfectly legally -- in the same state which officially permits me to buy, own, and carry about anything short of an NFA machine gun or whippit.
---
(2) Not far from me runs Highway 86, connecting I-90 with this little resort area. It's an ancient, hilly two-lane. It arguably carries enough traffic to justify planned rehabbing.
The Iowa DOT recently held a meeting to "seek public input" (Stop that disrespectful snickering, right now!) on the plans. Landowners along the route were there to input displeasure at the eminent domain procedure which would take strips of their land on one side of the road when government already owns the land on the other side.
Our Iowa bureaucrat explained that the public land was DNR/USFWS-owned for the benefit of mosquito ponds, snakes, tadpoles, and swamp grass. True, the relatively tiny reduction would amount to a fart in a hurricane in terms of wildlife habitat, but federal law prohibited diversion of even one square inch of it. Sorry folks.
Federal law pays far less attention to forced seizure of folks' front yards. In other words, If you're a snail darter you're gold. If you're a taxpaying citizen, piss off.
---
The good doctor Ron Paul proposes to shut down about half the federal government. Sir, that would be a reasonably good start.
.
Aug 27, 2011
Come, Let Us Loophole Together
The disbursing officer has delivered a small wad. The motor pool has assigned transportation. G2 reports sortie conditions favorable. Over the top, Lads! Westward, Ho!
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Statistically, the commanding officer of Camp J is more likely to return better armed from the Sioux Falls loophole than from any other. It doesn't always happen, but the urge is exceptionally strong this morning. He is already working on his rationalizations.
Y'see, with the end-times hurricane about to wipe out everything from Nags Head to Kennebunkport, his Federal Reserve Cartoons probably won't be worth anything Monday morning. Might as well swap them for small machinery designed to make loud noises and irritate teachers' unions.
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Maybe something cowboyish? I have a new Stetson, and a fresh complementary firearm seems a splendid idea. Something in .44-40? That would let me pretend I've just dropped off a herd in Abilene as I swagger on over to Kate's Palace.
But I also have a new Ron Paul gimme cap, so maybe I'll try to loophole an Oozie.
AAR in due course.
---
Statistically, the commanding officer of Camp J is more likely to return better armed from the Sioux Falls loophole than from any other. It doesn't always happen, but the urge is exceptionally strong this morning. He is already working on his rationalizations.
Y'see, with the end-times hurricane about to wipe out everything from Nags Head to Kennebunkport, his Federal Reserve Cartoons probably won't be worth anything Monday morning. Might as well swap them for small machinery designed to make loud noises and irritate teachers' unions.
---
Maybe something cowboyish? I have a new Stetson, and a fresh complementary firearm seems a splendid idea. Something in .44-40? That would let me pretend I've just dropped off a herd in Abilene as I swagger on over to Kate's Palace.
But I also have a new Ron Paul gimme cap, so maybe I'll try to loophole an Oozie.
AAR in due course.
Aug 26, 2011
We're supposed to learn from history, aren't we?
I just saw the latest on the mass east coast evacuations and thought it would be nice to remind local officials of one of the Katrina lessons. Don't forget to disarm the police.
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