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Getting back to my roots.

By The Armorer on March 2, 2005 | | Comments (26)

In light of comments in the post below, it is obviously time to drag this thing back up into the light for all you not-long-time readers. This is just a periodic post for relative newbies to the site who don't realize the real reason I set this thing up was to share my collection with the world - and point out you don't know what the guy next door has in his basement... but that doesn't mean he's a nut. As the blog has morphed over time, now and again I've gotten a little too wrapped up in the politics and the war - and, well, yes, work, too - and I've strayed a bit from my roots. Well that and the great parties the Denizens throw in the comment sections now and again... Please don't stop, Denizens! It makes it fun when sometimes it's real work to maintain (fought off 1,780 spams today, for example... but 132 got through and had to be slain inside the Keep!).

With great hubris I too have made the mistake that many celebrities make - that my opinions on things political somehow matter more than others. Well, not really. This is more the equivalent of standing on a soapbox at "Speakers Corner".

Anyway - for you guys who are here because you heard that John of Argghhh! actually sometimes talked about guns and militaria - here's the navigation map to The Story So Far. They link to the appropriate archives by topic. I'm working a new post on the evolution of the Vickers Machine gun - but these things take time! In fact, here's proof - I have the collecting jones so bad that I actually tracked down this - an actual Australian Army inventory sheet - so that I could fill this (procured buck-nekkid empty three years ago) so that it looked like this.

pltbox_web.jpg

Hi-res click here.

Anyway - here's some linkages to the discussions - where it says "The Arsenal" is a link to the photo-archive. (always available on the sidebar)

Rifles
Pistols
Sub-machine Guns
Machine Guns
Gun P0rn: A Naughty Expose' of the fiddly-bits.a>
Artillery
Grenades
Helmets
Ammunition
General Militaria
Guns by Nation

And, of course, there is always the direct link to the Imperial Arsenal itself!


Visitors should also note the following caveats:

Periodic Goblin Warning (SM)

As a service to Goblins who are considering Seizing The Arsenal (this excludes LE types: y'all come with a warrant, knock [no no-knocks, please, the front door is expensive], take what the warrant specifies and we'll talk about it in court - just please take care of 'em, you know, periodic cleaning, oiling, etc. They're used to being spoiled like that) here is a periodic warning on Why Trying To Steal My Collection Isn't A Good Idea.

Note to thieves trying to figure out where I live: Once you do that, you've got to get past the living interior and exterior guard, the security system (hint, cutting the phone and cable WON'T help), and finally, if I'm home - me. WonderWife (TM) v3.x is also right handy with the Winchester M97 trench gun. I like that one because it's handy, will blow you into large chunks, but not pass through the walls of the house to annoy my neighbors. Hardwood floors, so clean-up is easy. I'm a reasonable fellow, if you surrender meekly or run away, that will be fine. Not interested in killing or maiming anyone unless you are dumb enough to attack me or my family. The furry members count as family, BTW. Do that, then I will clean the gene pool. Plus guys, impressive as it looks, it's not as valuable as you might think - and it would be very hard to move, since you would be flooding the market. Not to mention the fact that every dealer within a (classified) radius would have a list of serial numbers and descriptions within 24 hours (ain't the internet great?). Oh, yeah - did I mention that robbing licensees is a federal offense? The feds don't go overboard after little stuff, but whacking this collection would likely garner their interest - so choose your accomodations! Plus 'bangers won't like these - the ones that look like they can shoot a lot - can't, and many of them won't work properly if you hold them sideways like they do in the movies.

So, go find an easier target, eh? No - better yet - get a real job that has better fringes.


Periodic Disclaimer for anti-gunners and law enforcement surfers (I don't mind you LE types) Heck, I don't mind the anti-gun types until they start trying to send LE types to take 'em away... here we go with the Periodic Disclaimer (TM):

Everything you ever see in photos here that I own is fully legal to own, federal, state, and local - WHERE I LIVE! Your mileage may vary, such as living in the Borg Collectives of California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, etc. Though ya might be surprised to find out what's legal where you live. I am a licensed collector (which isn't a license to collect, just to receive via the mails), and that only applies to curio and relic firearms. Fortunately, that's about all I want to own. On these pages I will from time to time share my toys, much like Kim du Toit does.

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26 Comments

By Boudicca on March 2, 2005 3:16 PM
You know you are a long time reader of Castle Argghhhh! when: You can nearly recite word for word the Periodic Disclaimer for anti-gunner and law enforcement surfers. *grin*
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 4:33 PM
And we appreciate our long-suffering Denizens! Even if you did skip the party yesterday!
 
By Neffi on March 2, 2005 5:59 PM
hmmm I see a transmission link for the '48 Studebaker coupe in one of those boxes, and a left-handed Veeblefetzer adjusting tool. And an inverted Tesla conjoining rod...
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 6:37 PM
So *thats* what those are. I wondered.
 
By Neffi on March 2, 2005 6:49 PM
You have dam good stuff, John- the Arsenal is muy impressivo those of us with 'a collection on a budget' are only jealous hehehe
 
By Barb on March 2, 2005 7:11 PM
John - I like the Disclaimer, particularly the part about the furry members of the house being family! And on the soapbox thing - you are better than most any other 'moderated' forum (such as a radio talk show) for encouraging conversation and discussion on a wide variety of topics. I hope the folks who come here mostly for gun pr0n don't feel that the occasional comment party gets too out of hand ;-)
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 7:13 PM
Barb - as I told the one grumpy emailer... unlike radio and tv, he can just scroll past it!
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 7:18 PM
Well I haven't seen it before (and skimmed most of it anyway as I'm not planning a break-in or lawsuit anytime soon and have better things to do with my time than to turn you in to the feebs) so I don't mind.
 
By Cricket on March 2, 2005 7:20 PM
I believe in the RKBA. Many many years ago when I was a young teenager (19), I was visiting some friends in CA. It was a hot midsummer night (well, in the south bay a heat wave was 80 degrees but I digress)and I was awake past midnight. I heard some scraping and footsteps, and I barely turned my head to the window. What I saw froze my blood and I could not scream. I was paralyzed with fear. A man was at my screen window, with a knife, poised to cut his way in. Just then, my friends' dog came around the corner, growling with deep anger and chased the intruder off. As soon as he was distracted, I rolled off the bed, low crawled to their bedroom and they were WAY ahead of me. He had a .357 magnum and she had a .22 pistol. He didn't want to tangle with the dog, but he just leaped the fence and was gone. This perp came back twice more and the third time they fired warning shots into the ceiling. He took off and was never heard from again. But that first night was my intro to personal safety. The next day, L taught me how to take apart a .45, and how to load and clean both a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol. He taught me to dry fire using a pencil until I got my glitch worked out and could hit the bull's eye. N, his wife, is an excellent shot and well, even though I believe in the second amendment, I never worried about it until now. That was for other people. Not anymore. I don't want my kids to have to worry about their personal safety, but I also don't want to them to be targets. I don't have an arsenal, but I have some weapons and I know John would howl with laughter if he heard what they were. However, they mean responsibility to me and I take the 2nd seriously. So, if any of the castle ladies pack some heat, share with this little old bug what you learned and why.
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 7:21 PM
And I concur with Barb - it's your blog - talk about what you want. If folks come back, you know you're doing something right, neh???
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 7:28 PM
I don't own a gun and have never felt the need to buy one, but if I lived somewhere where I needed one, I would like to think I could go out and buy one. And I have no objection to others owning one. I grew up with guns in the home (hunting rifles) and have fired one before. I'm not afraid of them - I just never thought of having one. I almost bought one once when the Unit was overseas, but the kids were too young to teach about safety and I was afraid they'd get into it and there would be an accident. At that point in my life I was in my early 20's and wasn't that careful 24/7 - my youngest boy wandered into a neighbors' bedroom once and picked up their pistol (which didn't have the safety on, by the way) and was loaded. I never forget that day. So it wasn't worth it, to me, after seeing my toddler with a loaded pistol in his hand. One second of carelessness is all it takes and I wasn't sure I had what it took to ensure their safety - my boys were curious and climbed like little monkeys. But I know it's possible to be safe with guns in the home. I just didn't want the responsibility.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 7:30 PM
C'mon, Cassie... you know we try to gauge the crowd. We *need* our claques! But yeah, aside from a weak self-image that's pretty much how things run 'round here.
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 7:31 PM
...of course we're talking about a woman whose youngest boy unlocked her tool chest and drilled three little holes over his bed with her favorite push drill before neatly locking it back up again... sigh...
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 7:31 PM
Cricket - I never laugh at people's choices. I may not concur with them, but ya gotta work with what you can handle and what you can afford. And treat 'em all as dangerous.
 
By Cricket on March 2, 2005 7:31 PM
Well, having seen the Arsenal and a portion of the disclaimer elsewhere, I decided to read it and go to the links. Blogs are free speech. Iffen I don't like it, I scroll past. Here, though, the only things that make my eyes go out of focus is when the jet jockeys and chopper jocks start talking about lift and physics in relation to enemy identification and I think to myself: That is why they are paid the big bucks.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 7:38 PM
Cassie - your experience with the pistol and the kid are important considerations. Congratulations on making the prudent choice for the situation. Many people don't. And I don't keep loaded weapons. That's my compromise.
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 7:53 PM
I think that's what played into it for me. The only point for me in having a weapon was for protection. And if it was going to be any good, it kind of needed to be loaded - I wasn't going to have time to stop and load it if someone broke in. But with small children around, I didn't want to keep a loaded weapon in my home. So it was rather a catch-22, since I was afraid I wouldn't be vigilant enough (others might, but I was afraid I wouldn't, given the inquisitiveness of my boys). And though I'm extremely conscientious about big things, I'm the kind of person who often leaves caps off things, so I just didn't think I ought to take that kind chance. But if we ever move to the country where there are no police, I'll get a big dog and a gun in a heartbeat. It's the difference between feeling relatively safe and knowing you need to rely on yourself.
 
By Neffi on March 2, 2005 7:59 PM
My pieces are loaded, always. I keep one in my bedstand, one in the bookcase near the front door, one in a hidden compartment in the Jeep, and I carry a Sig in a paddle holster (legally). But my kid is grown and gone away... my daughter (at UTSA in Texas) is a crack shot with a revolver and practices regularly. She is also thoroughly familiar with the TX laws regarding use of deadly force, and mature enough to pack the heat (years of training and exposure, courtesy her Old Man). Obviously, this situation isn't for everyone... and might be unnecessary. But then- a convicted child molester just recently went on a rampage down the road in Denver, raping five women and children (known)in three days before being caught. I believe in being ready...
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 8:03 PM
What is it Bob Heinein said..."an armed society is a polite society"? That always made me laugh.
 
By Cassandra on March 2, 2005 8:05 PM
HEINLEIN... argghhh
 
By Boquisucio on March 2, 2005 8:29 PM
Residing here at The People's Republic of Suburban Maryland, you hafta be coy about poking 158gr. of LRN's; even in the defense of your own home. Couple of months ago, a home owner in the same county, got prosecuted when a fiend broke into his own home. Thank God the jury saw the light and did not convict. No one should go through so much headaches, sleepless nights and legal fees trying to justify the defence of your own family. At least I'm not 3 miles down the road in DC, where even peashooters are verboten. John, thanks for reinviting me into your Armoury. 'Tis many moons since I poked my head into the nether cubbies of your collection. Thanx
 
By Justthisguy on March 2, 2005 8:56 PM
Sir, and Ma'am: I do wish y'all would put a stouter door, and a better lock, on the likker locker. When the Maenads and Scruples get going, I just want to hide in a corner, having first grabbed a shiny pretty weapon to take apart and reassemble to distract myself from their shrieking and howling.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 2, 2005 9:00 PM
JTG - noted, but it doesn't work. Bad Cat Robot gave the little weasels handheld Dimension Doors. Bill's working on a fix, but he used the wrong screws and the gizmos fell apart from the vibration due to the dancing. Boqs - you pretty much just confirmed why I should post a variation on this post more often!
 
By Justthisguy on March 2, 2005 9:10 PM
Understood, Sir. We have, I betcha, all of us, been wrongly screwed (morally, if not physically) at one time or another.
 
By Barb on March 2, 2005 10:31 PM
Cricket - Both Hubby and I have handguns, not for any particular protection event, just 'cause. His 'n' hers handguns for protection, several rifles for hunting (which are going on the sale block soon, doubtful we'll hunt anytime soon with 'em), and shotguns for trap shooting. Don't pack yet, in the sense of carrying concealed - because I want to take a class before I do. It's on the to-do list, though :-)
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 3, 2005 6:30 AM
I have never been wrongly or badly screwed physically, as even bad is good. Morally, I've been raped. No-lube, prison nightmare raped. But I got over it. Though the perpetrator survived and prospered. The Multi-verse is a cruel mistress without conscience or care.
 
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