Muzzle Blasts, Pt. V

The mystery muzzle in Muzzle Blasts Pt. IV was a bit out of the ordinary. Many folks have seen or even own a K-31 Schmidt-Rubin, and they've become quite popular over the last decade as they arrived on the Cruffler scene at very reasonable prices. Less common, however, are the rifles that preceded the popular K-31 straight-pull Swiss rifle. The rifle in Muzzle Blasts Pt. IV is one of those, namely, an Infanterie-Gewehr Model 1911 Rifle, full-length (and boy do I mean FULL-LENGTH):


As long as the rifle is, it actually handles quite well offhand. The straight-pull bolt cycles like greased lightning, although I hope never to need strong extraction camming to remove a stubborn fired round. This particular S-R 1911 dates to 1913 by virtue of its 352xxx serial number, with a Pensioner's "P" mark stamped on the receiver. The muzzle protector is original to the rifle, which is neat - but looking at the 45-degree crown, I understand why the Swiss felt the need for such protection. There was no paperwork under the buttplate, which was one of the first things I looked for upon obtaining the rifle. Bummer, but the gorgeous metalwork and French Walnut make up for the lack of trinkets from the previous owner. Well, that and how much fun it is to shoot on range day!

For the next Name That Muzzle, I give you the Schmidt-Rubin's stablemate in the Gewehr98 collection of boomsticks:

I've taken the liberty to leave a little accessory attached to the muzzle to perhaps assist readers in identifying said rifle...

Grub fit for a king...

Wild-caught salmon fillets were on sale at Copp's yesterday, so who was I to say no?

A little bit of butter, some lemon pepper, and off to the hot grill it went:


It took about a half-hour on the Holland Grill, but with some long-grain wild rice on the side and one of my neighbor's homemade Amber Ales, I felt like absolute royalty tonight!


Bon Appetit', y'all!

Muzzle Blasts, Pt. IV

Folks are indeed pretty darned sharp around these parts! The subject of the previous Muzzle Blasts teaser is indeed a No5Mk1 Lee-Enfield Jungle Carbine. The one in my inventory as pictured is a 1944-dated BSA Shirley (M47C) specimen, imported into the U.S. during the last decade from a cache of said carbines found in Malaysia. They sold out rather quickly, by the way.


I solved the fabled "wandering zero" problem with this example by free-floating the barrel and glass-bedding the action plus first inch of the barrel into the forestock. Make no mistakes, shooting full-patch MKVII ball ammo will really remind you that you're firing a lightweight carbine, but 123-150gr handloads in the same .303 British brass are a real delight in this particular Lee-Enfield variant. This is one of the few mil-surp firearms that I have no qualms carrying into the Wisconsin whitetail woods each fall - lightweight, quick-handling, fast reloads, and decent power. What's not to like?

Now, for the next "Name That Muzzle", I give you this seriously abbreviated image, with some extra hardware thrown in for good measure:

Spring is in the air!

I couldn't resist. The tomatoes looked so good, as did the fresh basil leaves, and the mozzarella balls...

A little olive oil, some minced garlic, and I felt like a king for a while. Bon Appetit'!

Facts I'll Bet You Didn't Know!

Probably Too Much Information, but here goes (click for full resolution version):