Greetings From Southern California

[jrbauerjr]

Well, I'm almost sorry to have found this place because I think it's going to cost me a little money before I'm done. I'm Jim Bauer from North San Diego, last year I realized that my gun safe was collecting dust from my next to last move from Washington DC to Philadelphia in 1979, let alone from Philly to San Ramon in 1999 and San Diego.. Quite a long time with no shooting other than my Navy Reserve 2 weeks a year. I realized that now that I'm in my mid 70's I'd better start on my bucket list, so I signed the waiting list for my local gun club (went from 218 to 72 in only one year) and started cleaning my safe and adding a few guns.. 

Savage was already well represented, a Model 5 22 (prewar vintage), a Model 6 22, a 219 in 22 hornet and I then had to add an Axis in 30-06 and a 110E in 223 Remington.  I've only had the 219 in the back of the closet since 1968 and still haven't shot it yet, it seems to have been overlooked all these years.  So I've decided that the 219 and an old Remington Rolling Block are this years project guns. I signed up for the summer gunsmithing program at Lassen College, but it was canceled due to Covid19.  I guess I'm going to have to make due with what I've got around the house for working up the guns. I had looked forward to a full gunsmithing program and the class syllabus tells you to bring all your busted guns...

Frank de Hass's Single Shot Gun Idea book devotes a chapter to the 219 and I'll determine if I can improve the trigger pull and tear the action down. I was going to take it to Lassen and reblue it, but I found this site when I googled black nitrite finishes...   Looks like I might forget about the bluing class after seeing that beautiful 30-30.  The 219 has good wood, no cracks, so that's a easy refinishing project sitting in front of the TV with a bottle of Tru-Oil...

Anyway, looking forward to participating a bit....

Jim Bauer

[Garnett]

Jim, Welcome....and many thanks for sharing with us.  Please post some pictures of your 219 if possible.  Best wishes!

[Mike Armstrong]

Jim, Hi from a fellow Southern Californian (I live in Seal Beach, just down the coast from Long Beach). 

Raised on a ranch in Sonoma County when it was rural poverty with NO spas, wine tastings, or yoga weekends.  Moved to Wisconsin when I was 28 (for a job) and then spent much of my life chasing work all over the country except in what we used to call the Deep South (Garnett had that covered!).  Spent in 22 years in upstate NYS, a great place for shooters and hunters even with all the anti-gun BS, then retired here (I inherited a house 1/4 mile from the beach--hard to turn that down).  Been here 13 years after retirement.

Lifelong gun nut, shooter, amateur gun tinkerer, etc.  Was glad to find this website because the economy Savages are neglected in spite of being great values and great shooters.

Glad to have you aboard--good luck with your Hornet, and stay well!

Mike Armstrong

[jrbauerjr]

Mike, you are absolutely right, New York was two distinctly different states. I was born in Catskill and grew up in the Albany suburbs in Colonie. This was in the late 50's and early 60,s ... 15 miles from the Governors mansion and we shot in our back yards and went hunting the pine bush... I remember summers at my grandparents in Catskill, walking down Main Street with our 22s on the way to the hardware store to buy ammo and then off to the dump to shoot rats.

Haven't been in Seal Beach in a while, we would stay at the Navy RV park while visiting Disneyland,  had a lot of great meals in that area...I seem to be slowing down in my old age, haven't used the RV in 2 years and haven't been down to the boat this spring... Covid 19 has scared the hell out of me...

Jim

[Mike Armstrong]

Yeah, Jim, I'm a COVID believer, too--lost a hunting buddy of 21 seasons up in the Mohawk Valley (Palatine Bridge) to the virus.

I lived in Brunswick on the edge of Troy for 21 years, worked for Hudson Valley Community College for almost 20 of those.  A great place for shooters and hunters (and kayakers and hikers and general woods bums) in spite of some of the dumb gun laws.  I guess those have gotten worse since I left 13 years ago, tho. 

Maybe when we get over this virus deal we can get together and trade lies some time.  Meet ya in Escondido?  You a Calguns.net member?

Mike Armstrong