Birthday gun

[Flyin6]

Yesterday I turned 70

I have only ever done that once. It is unlikely I will ever do that again.

My wife thinks that is a significant number, and frankly having been a warrior with seven combat tours, it is a number I could hardly have guessed I would ever see. But here I am all golden aged and everything!

Most of my family was here. One Pre-Ranger is still on duty with the 3rd Infantry Division, and one "nearly-ranger" is all tied up with that pesky 75th Ranger Regiment training. Man, those guys are all so serious! ;-) And one really old one is stuck on a mountainside somewhere in Utah on a two-wheeled death machine.

But the rest of em were here and were crawling all over me for some time until the burgers and cake and ice cream ran out and the sleep monster came to visit.

Kat handed me a big heavy box to open. It felt heavier than a stack of cinder blocks (because it was!) On the top were two bags of lawn fertilizer...Oh, boy :-( Nest was another bag of specialized fertilizer for the pines we have :-( Then things started to change. There was this huge box of Oreo cookies. Odd, because I don't eat them but, she does...Hmmm. There were another two boxes of Reece's butter cups, not my fav but they just happened to be her favorite candy. Below that was this several-pound box of peanut M$M's that sadly, I do like and then there was a separately wrapped box. This one contained a GoPro camera! Ah, things were getting better. Below that was a myriad of boxes of all manner of Go-Pro stuff and below that one remaining box of deck shoes. I wear them out quickly and am in desperate need of a new pair. Inside that box, wrapped up in the shoe box paper was a brand-new Smith and Wesson Model 629!

[Flyin6]

I believe I just got that .44 Magnum I have been writing/talking about for the past few months!

This is nearly an exact copy of the 629 I carried in a shoulder holster as an Army Aero Scout in the early 1980's when I patrolled the East German border.

It closes the loop for me and brings me right back to that time.

It is a forever gun for me. I will carry it proudly along with my Marlin 45/70 on my upcoming western adventures.

[stlaser]

Very cool

[BobbyB]

Looks nice. Now you need to throw in on the ground and get the first scratch or scratches out of the way. It's like ripping a bandaid off, just rip and get it over with.

[oklawall]

And look it is in just in your size. Very sweet She is a keeper

[TexasRedNeck]

Happy Birthday Chief!  I have a nice recipe for that 629, having one myself.  230gn at 1450fps.  Attention getter for sure.

[Flyin6]

Looks nice. Now you need to throw in on the ground and get the first scratch or scratches out of the way. It's like ripping a bandaid off, just rip and get it over with.

OK, Sergeant...
How bout we settle for some good ole holster rash?
;-)

[Flyin6]

Happy Birthday Chief!  I have a nice recipe for that 629, having one myself.  230gn at 1450fps.  Attention getter for sure.

Care to share?
Norm, my Armee/Police buddy from West (by-God) Virginia has a special 200+ FPS 405 gr. hand load recipe he shared for that gun. I put 4-5 of them through the weapon, and, ya...A real (kicker) attention getter ;-)

[Flyin6]

One day, I'm gonna dig through my ancient 1980s Germany pics to see if I can find a photo of my original 629...

[BobbyB]

OK, Sergeant...
How bout we settle for some good ole holster rash?
;-)

Sure I suppose that'll work.

[Sammconn]

That is a nice piece there chief.

[Flyin6]

That is a nice piece there chief.

Thank ya!

It's my second as I have stated, and like, everyone I know also has one...

You probably have one too, right?

It would be a great gun for you and for what you do. Magnum handgun and all that. Btw, my first magnum handgun was actually a S&W .41 magnum in blued steel. That was a darned powerful shooter in its own right. I purchased it to take whitetail but sold it before I ever hunted with it.

[Sammconn]

That is a nice piece there chief.

Thank ya!

It's my second as I have stated, and like, everyone I know also has one...

You probably have one too, right?

It would be a great gun for you and for what you do. Magnum handgun and all that. Btw, my first magnum handgun was actually a S&W .41 magnum in blued steel. That was a darned powerful shooter in its own right. I purchased it to take whitetail but sold it before I ever hunted with it.

I have a blued 686 in 357 magnum with the 6” barrel.
Yep. We’ve all got one. lol.

[Bob Smith]

Sam, my hearing doc told me the 357 is the hardest on the hearing of most any caliber. I can hardly hear without aids and they only help a little.
Funny part is, with all the shooting I have done, the 357 is probably the least shot of anything in the safe. Hearing protection is a great thing to use but in my younger years hardly anyone wore them including me. Can’t say my hearing is gone because of shooting but it didn’t help.

[Sammconn]

Sam, my hearing doc told me the 357 is the hardest on the hearing of most any caliber. I can hardly hear without aids and they only help a little.
Funny part is, with all the shooting I have done, the 357 is probably the least shot of anything in the safe. Hearing protection is a great thing to use but in my younger years hardly anyone wore them including me. Can’t say my hearing is gone because of shooting but it didn’t help.

I’ll agree with you Bob. 
It packs a heck of a report.
My 300 is probably louder to me, but may actually not be.
I’ve lost a lot of my hearing as well.
Some from shooting.
Some from woodworking.
Some from work.
Don’t need aids at this point but don’t have a lot left before I do.

[Flyin6]

Sam, my hearing doc told me the 357 is the hardest on the hearing of most any caliber. I can hardly hear without aids and they only help a little.
Funny part is, with all the shooting I have done, the 357 is probably the least shot of anything in the safe. Hearing protection is a great thing to use but in my younger years hardly anyone wore them including me. Can’t say my hearing is gone because of shooting but it didn’t help.

I’ll agree with you Bob. 
It packs a heck of a report.
My 300 is probably louder to me, but may actually not be.
I’ve lost a lot of my hearing as well.
Some from shooting.
Some from woodworking.
Some from work.
Don’t need aids at this point but don’t have a lot left before I do.

I wish I lost all my hearing from your list, but it went the way of rotor blades and turbine engines

[oklawall]

Sam, my hearing doc told me the 357 is the hardest on the hearing of most any caliber. I can hardly hear without aids and they only help a little.
Funny part is, with all the shooting I have done, the 357 is probably the least shot of anything in the safe. Hearing protection is a great thing to use but in my younger years hardly anyone wore them including me. Can’t say my hearing is gone because of shooting but it didn’t help.

I’ll agree with you Bob. 
It packs a heck of a report.
My 300 is probably louder to me, but may actually not be.
I’ve lost a lot of my hearing as well.
Some from shooting.
Some from woodworking.
Some from work.
Don’t need aids at this point but don’t have a lot left before I do.

I wish I lost all my hearing from your list, but it went the way of rotor blades and turbine engines

Same, but J57 water burners and TF 33 did mine in. 24 years of working around aircraft and let me not forget those wonderful cart starts

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[Flyin6]

Sam, my hearing doc told me the 357 is the hardest on the hearing of most any caliber. I can hardly hear without aids and they only help a little.
Funny part is, with all the shooting I have done, the 357 is probably the least shot of anything in the safe. Hearing protection is a great thing to use but in my younger years hardly anyone wore them including me. Can’t say my hearing is gone because of shooting but it didn’t help.

I’ll agree with you Bob. 
It packs a heck of a report.
My 300 is probably louder to me, but may actually not be.
I’ve lost a lot of my hearing as well.
Some from shooting.
Some from woodworking.
Some from work.
Don’t need aids at this point but don’t have a lot left before I do.

I wish I lost all my hearing from your list, but it went the way of rotor blades and turbine engines

Same, but J57 water burners and TF 33 did mine in. 24 years of working around aircraft and let me not forget those wonderful cart starts

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To be certain, you, sir lived in the noisiest environment of all of us!

J-57: F4?

[oklawall]

J-57 : EC 135 Not all of them got the turbo fans

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[Flyin6]

J-57 : EC 135 Not all of them got the turbo fans

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Oh no...Four of em!

[TexasRedNeck]

Sorry for being MIA for a while Chief.  I’ll be at the ranch and look up the recipe and post it with my usual disclaimer.

As for the 41mag, I have a ruger Redhawk single action.  I was able to replicate the exact ballistics of that weapon in my G20 10mm by adding a more supported KKM barrel and Wolff 20lb recoil spring.  It slings 200gn Hornady XTPs at 1350.  Can you imagine that?  14 rounds of that in a semi auto?  It’s a beast.  And even with the heavy recoil spring it still throws brass 15 feet!


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[Flyin6]

Sorry for being MIA for a while Chief.  I’ll be at the ranch and look up the recipe and post it with my usual disclaimer.

As for the 41mag, I have a ruger Redhawk single action.  I was able to replicate the exact ballistics of that weapon in my G20 10mm by adding a more supported KKM barrel and Wolff 20lb recoil spring.  It slings 200gn Hornady XTPs at 1350.  Can you imagine that?  14 rounds of that in a semi auto?  It’s a beast.  And even with the heavy recoil spring it still throws brass 15 feet!


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No worries about being late, I expect that you are a bit more caught up at work these days. (Retirement will feel sooo good!)
Sounds like a cool gun!

I reloaded my .41 mag ammo, but have lost all memory of that...

The 10mm is a bit of a mystery to me...sort of like my 6.5 PRC. Speaking of that, I never realized it was a .264 Winchester magnum. one of my favorite all-time cartridges...

I'll likely start pistol reloading on that .44 magnum. 9mm is still pretty cheap over at Buds...

[TexasRedNeck]

10mm is just a longer 40 cal.  Same dies.

Actually the 10mm came first, then the limp wristed FBI folks couldn’t deal with the recoil so they started down loading it and realized they didnt need all the cartridge length….and the 40S&W was born…


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[Flyin6]

10mm is just a longer 40 cal.  Same dies.

Actually the 10mm came first, then the limp wristed FBI folks couldn’t deal with the recoil so they started down loading it and realized they didnt need all the cartridge length….and the 40S&W was born…


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1. They're listening, ya know...
2. You're not making any friends over in Quantico
3. We all are probably on some list
4. There's likely no one over there who is vindictive...:-0

[JR]

Dang, just saw this. Not sure which is better, Don kicking around at 70 or the pistola!

Yep Tex, they even had an FBI load for the 10mm, wimps. Now their back to the 9mm so they can spray and pray.

[oklawall]

10mm is just a longer 40 cal.  Same dies.

Actually the 10mm came first, then the limp wristed FBI folks couldn’t deal with the recoil so they started down loading it and realized they didnt need all the cartridge length….and the 40S&W was born…


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1. They're listening, ya know...
2. You're not making any friends over in Quantico
3. We all are probably on some list
4. There's likely no one over there who is vindictive...:-0

Any government organization that has multiple TV series about them is just trying to make the general population think they are cool. I hear a new series about the DOJ is coming soon.

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[TexasRedNeck]

Don here is the recipe. If you or anyone reading this uses it and blows themselves up, it’s not my proble
  Start low and work up looking for signs of over pressure. 

66 degree day with 84% humidity.
240 gn hornady XTP
Vihtavuori N110 powder- 21gn
Virgin Starline brass
Magtech magnum pistol primer

Highest velocity- 1477fps
Lowest 1399
Mean 1427
Average of 6 rounds

[Flyin6]

Don here is the recipe. If you or anyone reading this uses it and blows themselves up, it’s not my proble
  Start low and work up looking for signs of over pressure. 

66 degree day with 84% humidity.
240 gn hornady XTP
Vihtavuori N110 powder- 21gn
Virgin Starline brass
Magtech magnum pistol primer

Highest velocity- 1477fps
Lowest 1399
Mean 1427
Average of 6 rounds

Yea, that's cookin'

Thanks and, warning heeded!