well, sign me up for another Watch list

I did it, I have found my way onto another list...I think...

Yeah, I know, there's no way of KNOWING that I got on a federal watch list, but considdering that just a few weeks ago we got our Concealed Carry License...but on Saturday I went to the Mid-Atlantic Arms Collectors Expo...so off I go to meet a co-worker who was going to watch my back (aka, make sure I didn't spend my entire yearly income on guns...and I easily could have.) but I showed up early and was getting some really strange looks at the main entrance...I mean psycho looks...well, turns out I was wearing my RB6 t-shirt at the wrong entrance and the Fellowship of Christ people who were walking past me could smell the "evil" on me...but after paying $8 to park, it was nice to know I wasn't the only one getting gouged....and they gave me a $2 bill for my change....wtf...but you can look at Sicrik's blog for that, he shares my opinions on the use of that funny money.

so back to the proper entrance to the show....around the back of the building, past the service garages, across a muddy field, and in through a door that was, until recently chained closed with large chains and several padlocks....it would have been creepy and a bad sign, but I know the Farm Show Building, and have been going there since I was a little kid...so it was odd but no bad omens yet... at the main door was the normal NRA recruiters stationed to scare away the Hitler Youth who always show up at these things. but on the inside, it was several hundred tables and vendors from all over the east coast. A few I recognized, but a few were new to the show.

I had my list in hand of what I was looking for, and I found almost all of them....but limited myself to only 2 of the 10....but it still hurts that I had to walk away from that M1 Garand...but it was only $2500.....grrr....still kicking myself....and another guy with 4 racks of M1 Carbines for $750....but I had to resist....first on the list but the last to acquire was a Taurus PT 24/7 9mm. there were a few of them at the different vendors, and I finally settled on a 4" in mat finish...the staneless steel was nice, but I have a weak spot for blued steel. but it really is a beautiful gun, it fits my hand perfectly and has alot more safety features than the glock....I especially like the chamber loaded indicator, the hammer indicator, and the key lock system. it was a nice deal too, about $75 under MSRP.

The next on my list that I found on one of the last tables was one of my must have, colector's guns... now the stock is a bit beat up, but it is completly mechanically sound. yes I am a proud owner of a Lee Enfield rifle. already drilled for a scope mount suggesting it may have been a sniper rifle at one point....10rd mag and chambered in .303 British...btw I had to find ammo elsewhere and ended up paying almost $2 a round for 40 rounds....yuck....but it should help justify a reloader....

I have been researching to track down the meaning of the stamping marks on the reciever, barrel, and trigger guard, but I will have to do a little more cleaning and close examinations to determine anything.

and while I saw more than a few Taurus Judges and Mossburg 500 Persuaders. I couldn't justify the extra to take one home....yet....but one that caught my eye was a little Springfield .32cal 4 shot revolver...just big enough to fit in the palm of my hand...and for what the guy was asking, it would have been a good buy....but again, I just couldn't justify it....and it wasn't on the list.

so, after the guys I'm with picked up a GSG 5, we are heading for the door and I see something odd....an ammo can with an $80 price tag on it....at first I thought it was some guy trying to rip people off because this thing was beat to hell....but curiosity go the better of me...I asked the guy why $80? his response was "well I sold my 9mm for a .45 ;ast year and I don't need the ammo anymore." ...'..wait, its full of 9mm ammo?'...well, not full, I mean there are about 750 rounds in there, all new, not reloaded, I just never got around to using them...." (in case you don't know, that's about .09 per round, when market price is close to .30 per round) so now I'm lugging about 60lb of 9mm ammo, a Lee Enfield, and a Taurus automatic past the NRA recruiters who all offered to help me carry my stuff, and while I would have loved the help, it was a matter of pride to haul all of my treasures back across the pothole riddled lot, through thte muddy field and all the way out to the middle of nowhere where I parked in an attempt to avoide the bible beaters who occupied the majority of this massive building.

but one thing I did not see that has me disappointed, I was looking for a cheap little Ugo SKS to pack in storage and let appreciate...but I didn't see a single one...normally there are hundreds of them at these shows. they are selling for $70 a piece, tables stacked 7 feet high with them....but not this year...it's odd...but not too surprising.

So now what?....no that's not a "I regret my purchases" question, I'm wondering, do I restore this Lee Enfield to all its previous glory, or do I leave the dings, dents, and occasional scratches as a testiment to the hells that it has seen, the fields of war where it served, and the men it helped protect since it was released from its forge?

Anyway, that was my weekend.

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