Cowboys and Indians--with pics of me

Well, how about Country boys and Ishapores?

The Indian Enfield before and after:
You can see another Ishy butt stock of the same color as mine started for comparison.

Some other highlights:





I didn't realize it at first, but this is my 500th post on this blog. So in reward (or punishment) for sticking around so long with me if you want to see a pic of me, holding this rifle, you have to click here. Said I'd never post my picture on my blog. Oh, and disregard the work clothes.

Mr Fixit

Here's a tip or three

When you start a project that involves disassembling something, whether it be a motorcycle, a music box, or even a certain Ishapore Enfield Rifle, try, TRY, TRY, to keep all the various parts together. Take some type of container like a box or even better a plastic bin and put all the small parts inside so they will be there when you get ready to put it back together.

After you have worked and taken every single little screw and widget off whatever it is you are taking apart, try, TRY, TRY not to just walk away and leave it all in pieces for oh, say a year or so.

And if you just can't help yourself and ignore the above tips, then listen to this one:

Do not get a wild hair and go on a cleaning spree in the shop where your various parts are located, cause sure as God made little green apples, your gonna loose some of them.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to fax yet another order to Springfield Sporters.


Mr Fixit

I did a bad thing...

We made a car fire on the highway. After it was out, and I had my crew reloading the gear and hose, I talked to the owner to find out what happened. I asked if he had had any work done on the car lately, and he said yes, today in fact.

Oh, so who worked on it and what did they do I asked. He said "Some Dude" had put in a stereo system about 3 hours prior. The fire started in the area of the dashboard, where the wiring is/was.

When I arrived back at the station, while doing the report is when I did the bad thing.

I gave him official status. Sumdood that is. I referred to him in the report by name. Right after I quoted the owner "...some dude put in the radio....." I went on to explain that "Sumdood was not an employee......Somedood offered to work for pay...."

He is no longer just an Urban Legend. He is official. A person. He can now be tracked by more than rumor. The trail begins here.

If we can just get a good description maybe.....but I fear he will be like Carlos the Jackal. We know he is a real person, but finding him and stopping him could take years.

Bear with us folks, we're trying to stop him.

Mr Fixit

Bedding the Enfield

If you are an Enfield Purist leave now, you won't like what I've done. I have been told it amounts to raping and pillaging in the eyes of some.

So be it. It's my rifle.

So far I have cleaned the cosmoline out of the stock, cleaned the metal and painted with Duplicolor High heat Enamel with Ceramic which was baked on. The stock was refinished with Tru-Oil. And now, I'm bedding the stock.

I've read and researched and am doing it. A few quick photos of the front of the action area:

before:


I used a dremel tool to cut some mechanical locks for the material, then cleaned it with alcohol.

And after:

I also had to repair the recoil lug area of the stock:

Before

and after:

Those last couple pics don't look a lot better, but believe me they are. Fact is the recoil lug on the rifle was only contacting one side of the stock. I built it up and now have good contact on both sides.

Normally, stocks are bedded to improve accuracy, but not this time. This time, the stock was in such bad shape that I felt I had to bed it just to get it to fit well. Soon we'll see how it all looks.

Perhaps she needs a name....


Mr Fixit

More on reloading

Thanks for all the help so far, please keep it coming.

To clarify a bit perhaps;

The need/desire to start reloading is based on the fact that (A) I can't find ammo for some of the rifles I own, and (B) some of the ammo I can find for the other rifles is expensive. As it is right now, I have a rifle that would be hard and ridiculously expensive to buy ammo for, therefore I can't shoot it. Having a rifle I can't shoot is totally unacceptable.

Strings, I would justify getting started reloading by being able to load some hard to find ammo such as .303 or 7.5 Swiss. But, I would also (since the equipment is there anyway) load for the others that I have i.e. .223/5.56, 7.62/.308, and possible 9mm and .45 assuming it would be cheaper. I don't think right now I could load 8mm or 7.62x54R cheaper than I can get surplus so for now those would be left alone.

Jim Bob, believe me I wouldn't fiddle around. I just wouldn't obsess over most of my hand loads. Finding a load that would deliver minute-of-man accuracy at 500yds would likely be the end of my load development. The major percentage of my reloads would be for fun plinking. I can see that I would develop a few 'pet' loads for hunting or maybe target work, but mostly I'm happy with the accuracy of store bought ammo.

I would like to be able to take some time and load to have a 'stock pile' for when it's time to go shoot.

And I fully understand that saving money is not why I would get into reloading. But I would be spending less than I would otherwise by buying 'ready rolled'.

Jim Bob, thanks for the offer, drop me an e-mail at thefixitshop@gmail.com.

Thanks all
Mr Fixit

Hope that helps a little.

Tell me about reloading

As my 'collection' increases, I find that I have firearms that have no readily available and inexpensive supply of ammo.  Things like 7.5Swiss, and .303 Brit. come to mind.  I sold a very nice MAS 39/56 a while back because I could find no ammo at all.  So that has had me thinking about the reloading game.

Many years ago I used to hang out with my older cousin all the time.  We walked no telling how many miles in the woods together, hunting, fishing, shooting.  Many a time we would go to the local store and buy multiple bricks of .22 each for a days fun in the woods and down to the river.  One of the things I watched him do a few times was reloading for his varmint rifle.  All I really remember was that it seemed tedious, weighing each powder charge, measuring  each case.  Based on that, I have not wanted to get into reloading.

But looking into things a bit, I see that he was  looking for supreme accuracy.  I want bulk ammo.  Big difference as I understand it.

So, oh most knowledgeable readers, please tell me about reloading.  I'm looking at the LEE BREECH LOCK CHALLENGER PRESS KIT, or something very similar.

A few questions:
Can I use one powder for all or most rifle rounds (.308, .303. 6.5x55, 7.5Swiss)?
How much 'extra' equipment will I have to buy, in addition to the kit?

At what point is it economical to reload, and when is it better to buy factory.

I'm looking at being able to shoot, not match grade accuracy.

Looking forward to hearing about this.

Mr Fixit

Yesterday was baking day

Lots of baking going on yesterday. Last night was the Cub Scout Bake Sale, so I prepared a couple of items. A nice gingerbread loaf, that honestly I wanted to keep it smelled sooo good. And second was a giant 14" chocolate chip cookie, decorated with icing and a Fleur de Lis.

The other thing I baked yesterday was the stock for my Enfield. In a new "oven" I made.

I took a shipping box that one of my rifles came in and sat it on a stand horizontally. I put the pieces of the stock inside that still had lots of cosmoline in them, and put an old hair dryer in one end. I let the hair dryer blow through the box on high. I figured that it wouldn't get as hot as a heat gun, but hotter than in a black trash bag in the sun.

Every 10 min. or so, I took the very warm stock out, and wiped the cosmoline off that was seeping out of the stock with acetone. Folks, this worked like a charm! After about an hour, the stock was no longer weeping oil. I gave it a good rub down with acetone and brought it inside the house to dry.

This is what it looked like when I got it:


and this is what the stock looks like now:


The clip holding on the rear of the top stock was coming loose from the wood, so I used some Accuraglass on it:

Coming along nicely I think.

Should be adding oil in a few days.

Mr Fixit

EDIT: Uncle readers welcome! More on the Enfield here.