Builders,
This week brought the magic Florida spring combination of rain and warm weather that awakens all the snakes. Below is a 26″ “juvenile cotton mouth” ( they have greenish tails ) who greeted me in the workshop, and then made a bee line for the crawl space under the house. As unpleasant as chasing him was, it was better than trying to sleep thinking about all the ways he could get in, or having to worry about him crawling in the clothes dryer hose for a little night time warmth. Living in rural Florida has things to be vigilant for, but in our neighborhood none of them involve humans.
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An interesting pattern that kind of looks like a bunny. The coloring makes me think digital desert camouflage had to be inspired by this.
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Bottom view, different pattern, green tail evident
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Topside view.
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Common tools of rural Florida, L to R ;
H&R 1871, 20 gauge 3″shell, 20″ (modified) barrel. Great all around yard tool, thumb break and powerful ejector allow opening and closing with one hand and loading with other. 6.5 pounds In an era of liability suits, it is nice to have a firearm actually designed with no safety, because you used to be able to expect people not to point loaded guns at themselves or others. Purchased new in St. Augustine sporting goods store.
Savage 24C, 1980s vintage. .22LR over 20 gauge 2-3/4″ shell (cylinder bore). 18″ barrels. An American classic in a rare compact package. Very well balanced, surprisingly accurate with .22 shorts. 6.75 pounds. Purchased used at a pawn shop in Green Cove Springs.
Ruger anniversary edition 10/22, .22LR, 16″ barrel. This isn’t modified, it came from the factory this way. It is a take down model with the short threaded barrel. The only thing I added was fiber optic sights. I have owned a number of 10/22s in the last 30 years, I had more fun from simple ones than modified target guns. 5.25 pounds. Purchased at Jacksonville gun store.
Note, all the firearms above were made in America. Contrary to media myth each purchase required a full background check (which the buyer pays for) Lying on the form will get you arrested, likely before you leave the parking lot. Felon’s can not buy guns in Florida again. The media wants to portray my state as lawless to fit their narrative, even if it has nothing to do with reality.
The Ruger Mini-14 is in .300 Blackout, it is on loan from a friend. It is much better than the one I owned in the 1980s. Even using 220 grain subsonic ammo it is still loud without a can on it.
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That’s a biggun’ for a Copper Looks fat. Once @ Ft. Leonard Wood we found an 18 incher, max. behind our WWII/Korea barracks before morning formation while he was still a little cold…had a big bulge in the middle. Whacked with stick and opened w/pocketknife revealed a turtle…not too many snakes here in SW CO at 7200 ft. Have a 10/22, the nice one with walnut stock bought back in the 80’s. Fooling with trigger, sear, etc. to get a nicer pull, filed a tiny bit too much and had fun one afternoon a few years ago with it as an automatic bullet eater. Scared the prairie dogs, but not accurate. Filed back in some ‘ledge’ and all ok. Savage .17 is fun for ‘dogs @ 200 yds or more….decent gun with, again, some filing, smoothing of the bolt and a lot of tweaking of the clip to get smooth action and feeding. Works great! Like a mini
’06. Very susceptible to wind, however. Seen that a certain tractor oil filter available from NAPA can make a nice ‘can’.
I made a correction, after Dan pointed it out:, Both Copperheads and Cotton mouths have green tails when they are young. The same pictured is actually a cotton mouth.
The best way to deal with the background check is get a Concealed Carry License. My last handgun purchase (in Florida) only required that as proof of my suitability to own a weapon and I walked out the door with my new purchase. The license itself did require a fingerprinting and background check, at my cost, but that became a onetime expense rather that recurring.
Nice array of Spring Cleaning tools you have for the yard. With regards to the H&R only a fool would trust a safety anyway and point a loaded gun towards another person and there is no such thing as an unloaded gun.
That is a nice collection of yard tools.
Still have my first 12 guage, H&R single shot, 1970 K Mart 39.95 still have the box with price tag on it. A gift from my father on my 12th birthday, won a lot of turkey shoots with it. Dispatched my first of many deer with it, it’s priceless to me. Dan-o
Recall fondly the early Savage 24 my father gave me when I finished my military training. Rifled for the .22 Winch.Mag. I tried an expansion test with a couple pounds of potters clay. Very scientific I thought. But instead of the expected illustrative hole the hollow point disintegrated the clay and left just a smear. Expensive clay it was too..