[BILLY D.]

i have an m1 springfield that is my favorite rifle. it always makes me look good. it loves 47.2grs of 4064 and a sierra 168gr hpmk.

i even hunted with it ...............once. i'm entering my 7th decade of life and not quite as strong as i was 20 years ago. it plumb tuckered me out lugging that artillery piece around. so when i got back to the truck i went and got "osa" out of the case. she is my 7mm mauser, 09 argentine, and a svelte 7 1/4 #. osa is named after osa johnson the lady big game hunter. and what a lady she was. she and w.d.m. bell were what gave the 7mm mauser it's great reputation in africa. of course they were both excellent marksmen.

i understand the strange looks you get at a range when you uncase a relic gas gun. my m1 gets the same treatment......until i start shooting. then the kids drift over and start checking it out and stare in amazement.

it is quite different than their tactical, led, digital rifle. the first question they ask is, "how can you hit anything with that"? and i tell them "quite well" , thank you. then i take a seated position on the ground and pop a 4" gong at 200 meters and their teeth fall out. it is comical in a way.

i heard one fellow telling how in the army and other combat units nowadays the most important soldier there is the guy/gal who issues the batteries for all the electronic equipment. reckon that kinda makes sense.

i like all the military gas guns and the bolts from the wars. most of the guns in my inventory are rebuiolt mausers though. i guess my grandfather filled my head with the mauser legacy. the only self loaders i own are the m1 and a ruger 10-22.

i think even now the m1 and others in it's class are underated. after all it won a war.

best wishes and good shooting. let's keep the kids aware of the old days.