PAT the 10/22 & other plinkers

by Rob Leahy , Prescott, Arizona, Saturday, January 12, 2013, 14:09 (4279 days ago)

Yesterday, we did a little plinking on some new style steel reactive targets. My son had given me a roller with paddles a lot of fun to hit it and see it move. I enjoy finally having a place were I can shoot on my own property. It was a particularly fun time for me because my son, Jake, is down for a visit from Alaska, Jan was wringing out her new M&P 22 AR and Jake had "Pat" his old 10/22. I finally tried out my Marlin Mountie. We drove out to the range in Jan’s new-to-us Rhino. It makes a great shooting bench.
Jake also got to try out his 4" 629 that I gave him; this was my dad’s, then mine, now his. He used my Skeeter loads and rang steel with every shot. We used my 55 gallon suppressor for that.
At the last Holiday, Fermin Garza sold me a beat up & rusty Marlin Mountie for a reasonable price...he ALMOST got me shot by my wife in the process...But that's the Fermin I have come to love and appreciate like the little brother I never wanted...
I dropped the rifle at Mic McPherson's in Cortez, Colorado, on the way home. Got it back from Mic in Oct. I have Been busy as hell since. I have also been fending off calls from both Fermin and Mic about the gun- how does it shoot etc...Finally I had a chance: I loaded the tube with some .22LR Colibri ammo. The firing pin strike and the ping of the spring were louder than the shot. We could hear the clear ring of the bullet strike on steel... a real fun and accurate little carbine.
Jan’s M&P .22 : the hammer pin drifted out of place during the first magazine and being undiagnosed until cleaning, gave us fits for 75 rounds we put through it. I managed to align and drift the pin back into place. But I am not real thrilled with the too short plastic pins. I might replace the entire lower internals.
On
Christmas Eve, about 10 years ago, I picked up a nice used 10/22 up at a pawn shop. It had some of the old Tiger Birch wood and they wanted 100.00... it was under the tree Christmas morning. Jake, then about 9, asks me as he's looking at it "Who is Pat?" I looked and sure enough "PAT" is rudely scratched into the pistol grip base...unseen by me until that moment. Somewhat chagrined, I laughed and said “Every good gun has a name, un's Pat.”

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Of the Troops & For the Troops