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member
I had gone out to the Storage Facility looking for something. Digging in a old tote I got to wondering what all was in was these cigar boxes, and coffee cans. Humm….The MEC and reloading stuff is “over there” in the wooden ammo boxes…
I just showed up to some friends’ house out in the country that was kinda sorta on my way home.
“Hi. I need to step out back and shoot some guns. Oh, I need some guns to shoot by the way”.
“Steve’s here – hide the brownies…!”
Oh Goody, I have not lost my touch in showing up at the right time for eats…
“I have not seen a Maryland Club coffee can in …in ages.-Said the wife.
“Husband piped up – “This old sack is from the Hardware Store that closed back before the Freeway was ever finished…”.
“Oh my goodness – this is you! You haven’t changed a bit, except for the ponytail and, damn, you had a mustache even back then…just a lot longer…you really have not aged…"
Uh…never mind shut up Steve and take the compliment…
I had a mouth full of Brownies, and washing them down with iced tea, a bit busy to be answering questions – matter of priorities you understand.
“So what are these called again?”
“Popcorn loads” I replied.
Husband tried to explain – decided it was just easier to just shoot the durn things and learn that way. One has to do this right of course, so we set tin cans on the fence.
"Some of these look a bit worn for wear – these things going to work- they safe?"
“Yeah they are safe, the hulls have just been loaded a dozen times or so…and that is candle wax on some…gives ‘em character.”
“You do it first” said the wife, sticking a .410 single shot in my hand.
“Bang” *cough*
Okay Einstein, how come I saw the shot with all that black stuff going down to hit the can?”
“I must have puffed a lot of graphite into these back when”
‘What did you do that for?”
“So kids I was teaching could get an idea as to what shot pattern looked like, it was cool and kept kids interested… if the lighting is just right with the barometric pressure and all...”
Husband tell his wife – “honey, didn’t I tell you -Steve did stuff ‘just cause’ and this was one such thing he did with kids and new shooters…
“I try to forget some stuff …especially some of the stuff about him ” Wife said.
While the husband and wife shot .410, 28ga, 20ga and 12 gauge “popcorn loads” at tin cans...
... my mind drifted back as I stood at the burn barrel and looked at the pictures found in one cigar box. I remember the 1977 Malibu, there was me with my BBQ Gun, Gov’t model of 1911 with Genuine Ivory Stocks, the ones with a special insignia. Others had the CCWs, from stainless steel Combat Commanders, Light Weight Commanders, K frames, J frames, BHPs…
...dang I miss that 870 28 ga, I wonder how many rounds that SX1 in the picture had then, that SX1 is still running with over 200k rds...dang there I am with my Citori 3bbl set - shooting the little critter event...
I tossed all the pictures, except a few. These I'll stick in a envelope put a stamp on , I figure a kid has a right to see their Mother now passed back when she was raising hell and taking money at shoots out in the middle of nowhere. There she was with her Super X Model 1, or her 870 28 ga, with some tall lanky fella , grinning one minute, dead serious expression focused on targets…
...gave 'em hell we did on Flurries down in Tx - Texas style- SX1s just a blazing, hulls ejecting, and we were trying to take money, pile hulls, wear out the fingers on the pullers - maybe even break a machine or two...
...managed to break a wallet or two that day...
*cough*
“You burned the pictures?”
“Yeah, I know what I did when I did it, no big deal- I don’t have a need to keep any. These – well I need to mail to someone that needs a memory, that is different."
“Well your loads work! Going to keep some for around the property”. Seems the wife took to these loads, even the .410 I might have put a wee too much graphite in…”
Dollar says the wife gets the kernels out of the cupboard and the husband gets to make more – any takers?
“Yeah well we got a problem with these two” The Husband said coming over – waving smoke from away from his face…*cough*
“Ha! Well way I see it; you need to get a 32 gauge shotgun…” I said.
"A 32 gauge? There is such a thing? - Wife with big eyes asked.
"Damn you Steve! Done cost me on that 28 gauge bit with the Wife...shut up about 32 gauges will you!!"
I went inside just a grinning and set these two Fiocchi’s in the bookshelf along with some other Shotgun shells displayed…
Some brownies just happened to jump in the truck – honest. Well too far down the road to turn back, I’ll manage – somehow…
Run 'em
Steve