Baboon Pirates

Scribbles and Scrawls from an unrepentant swashbuckling primate.

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Location: Texas, United States

Sunday, August 07, 2005

No Plane On Sunday

And Very Little Posting

Long, hot day here. Almost too much effort to get up and face the world, especially knowing that every parent with school-age children was going to be out in force for the sales-tax holiday on clothing.

Face it I did, though, and made it home bearing trophies. Well, a box of ammo and a couple of on-sale gun cases, anyway. Had to pay sales tax on 'em, too. I figured they'd count as clothing for rifles, but the State of Texas disagreed.

There's just something awkward about shopping for gun cases without the rifles handy for measuring. I got a medium-sized case for the SKS, and a long one for the FN-49. Neither one fit the intended recipient. So, I changed plans, put the BRNO Mauser in the medium case, and the 1920's vintage Savage .22 bolt action in the long one. That'll do until I can find my tape measure and make some notes before going shopping again.

Anyone else loathe hard-shell rifle cases as much as I do? Not the nice & spendy brushed aluminum or walnut & brass fitted cases, but those coffin-sized plastic bastards that never fit anywhere, and don't hold the gun all that securely, either.

I need a gun safe. The closet's getting crowded, and I cringe everytime I'm shifting clothes and bump one rifle into another. Rockhauler suggested lining a closet with cinder blocks and steel plate, and installing a big mofo steel door, but I'm sorely lacking in masonry knowledge. Besides, a locking cabinet will do everything I need doing. If I had a pile of $2000 Beretta over-unders, I could see springing for a $1500 safe, but instead I'm kinda heavy on the surplus and ancient rifles, so an extra rider on the homeowner's insurance covers all those and the computers too.

OK, it's late and I'm rambling. More tomorrow.