OLD SHOTGUN FACINATION

What is wrong with me?  I have this thing for old shotguns.  Old, used, nicked up, and just plain beat; I do love them.  What draws a person to an old war horse with no bluing, 2-3/4 chamber, and a full choke worthless for modern waterfowl loads?  I don't know the exact reasoning, but I'd say it has to do with time travel.  Old things take me back to the time that they were made or used.  It's easy to forget how much things have changed in 50-100 years, but things were very different not so long ago.



When I pickup an old shotgun, I imagine a group of hunters out on a cold fall day hunting the abundant ducks on the Illinois River.  Or maybe a Father out hunting rabbits for the first time with his kids.

The rusty metal, the poly chokes, splits in the wood, all that turns most people off, but to me, they are more desirable than a new Benneli in full camo with a 3-1/2 inch chamber.  Sure that new Benneli is an awesome gun, but it has no history.  And history is 1/2 the reason I shoot.




I find it entertaining just to shop the used guns at my local shop.  I find so much neat old stuff.  16 gauges are always in good supply, since no one seems to shoot them anymore.  Old pump guns from Montgomery Ward, JC Penney, Sears.  Ah the glory of the department store shotgun.



Did I mention these guns are cheap?  Yes, very cheap.  It seems the shotgunning world places a premium on newness more that the rifle or pistol world.  My local shops have perfectly good pump guns for $150 $225 all day long.  And older guns tend to be built nicer in my opinion.  Walnut wood and good steel is always a plus to me, even if it does need refinishing.

LEE LOAD-ALL SHOTSHELL RELOADER

  The Lee Load-All is an economical shotshell reloader made for 12,20, and 16 gauge shells.  They are sold in a specific gauge (ie 12 gauge), but can be converted to another gauge once you have bought the loader.  Lee products have long been a favorite of mine.  They build a better mousetrap, dispense with the B.S., and make things affordable.  Lee has marketed it as the Load-All II for many years.  It's the same loader, it's just that more plastic is used these days.

Conversion kits change the load-all to another caliber

The traditional shotshell loaders made by MEC, Texan, etc, are quite pricey and don't include all the bushings you might need.  Those bushings aren't cheap if you buy a bunch of them.  Lee chose to make most of the Load-All out of plastic, including the bushings.  This reduces cost of manufacture, while still being strong enough to make plenty of shells.

I bought my first one around 1999.  I used the heck out of it and could not break it.  I gave it to my nephew when I took a hiatus from shooting, but bought a used one a few years back.  It was missing a few small parts, but Lee services pretty much everything they sell right down to the screws that hold it together.  Gotta love Lee.

Some people debate the usefulness of such a tool when you can walk into Wal Mart and buy a box of shells for around $6.50.  I shoot plenty of loaded shells.  But, I like the ability to doctor up shells of my liking.  If I want to load 1 ounce of 6 shot with a light powder charge, I can do it.


It's also important to understand that the price of shotgun shells goes way up once you get away from the promotional loads.  You may be able to buy promo loads for cheap, but they are only useful for
shooting clays and upland birds.  If you are going after turkeys or any other game where larger shot/heavier loads are necessary, you will pay a lot more than $6.50 for a box of shells.  In that case, having the ability to load your own is a real wallet saver.

The small manual that comes with the loader is full of valuable information.  Lee dispenses with a lot of the myth and hearsay and really makes loading easy.

I have loaded just about every 12 gauge shell I have ever come across on the range.  Some just don't load well.  But some load great.  Conventional wisdom says that only Winchester AA shells should be reloaded.  I used to use AA shells quite a bit, but I found that there were other options.  Remington STS shells are another excellent choice.  They are very similar to the AA, but have a slightly longer case length and make nicer crimps.  Lately I have become a fan of Federal promo hulls for reloading.  They make nice crimps and are very plentiful.

It is the crimp that is the tricky part.  And, that all boils down to getting a shot load, wad, and shell that like each other.  If there is too much shot protruding from the wad, the crimp won't close and you will end up buckling the shell.  Too little shot and the crimp just falls in and all your shot falls out.  Neither is a good situation.  Basically find a combination that works well for you and stick with it.

I have found a trick to help if the crimp falls in.  I was adding just a little more shot to the shell before crimping, but that uses expensive shot and adds significant weight to your payload.  In other words, if I'm loading 1 ounce shells and end up adding 1/8 ounce of shot to the shell just to make the crimp right, I'm no longer loading 1 ounce shells am I?  Adding a light weight filler, such as ground walnut shells right before I load the shot takes up the space but does not add significant weight or use up my costly shot.  You could use ground up paper, plastic, or anything you choose.  Shell manufacturers often buffer heavy loads anyhow, so it's not like I am advocating anything new.

The Load-All is no match for a MEC or similar loader in terms of quality of feel.  But the average shotgunner that just wants the ability to make his own shells really doesn't need more than the Load-All.  If you are at all interested in loading shotshells, get one.

Brass sizer collar can be used to resize the "brass" part of the shell.  This slows the process down just a bit.

Older units had cast metal bases

The primer feed device is optional.  I have never had one.

MARLIN 795

The Marlin 795 is a semi automatic .22 caliber rimfire rifle chambered for .22 long rifle.  It is an adaptation of the model 60 and its predecessors.  The big difference between the two is that the 795 uses a detachable box magazine whereas the 60 uses a tube magazine.  The 795 is currently sporting an 18 inch barrel and the 60 uses a 19 inch, no doubt to maintain the length of the magazine tube.



It all starts with a light alloy receiver that is completely open on the bottom.  The bolt is heavy steel and contains the firing pin and two extractors. Always nice to have two.  The recoil spring fits into a slot in the bolt and over a guide rod that fits into a slot in the receiver.  This is my only complaint about the gun.  Getting the bolt into the receiver without either bending the spring or shooting the guide rod across the room takes practice.  Other than that, take down for cleaning is a cinch.

The barrel is a fat, nearly bull, barrel with a tapper near the end.  No skinny, pencil barrel crap here.

A really great feature is the last shot hold open.  This guarantees you won't inadvertently dry fire the rifle, something that should be avoided with rimfires.  There is a difference in recoil on the last shot, just like an auto pistol.  Simply swap out the magazine, hit the bolt release, and fire away.  Why aren't they all like that?  Everywhere I look, I see neat features that I did not expect.



I had dismissed the 795 as just another cheep .22.  That was my mistake.  Quality wise, the 795 is above the crowd.  Fit and finish is great, considering the $159.00 price tag.  It is well engineered and well built.  I would put it on par with the 10-22 for much less cost.  All plastic parts are well made and do not give me the impression that they will snap anytime soon.

Simple and robust

One interesting thing is that the 795 is not available with a wood stock.  That's a shame, but the synthetic stock is quite well made.  It is glass reinforced and fits the rifle like a glove.  It sure beats the hell out of the plastic stock on my Savage 62.

Micro groove rifling is another feature that sets the 795 apart.  Marlin has long touted it micro groove barrels as superior in accuracy.  By most accounts, the 795 is very accurate.  Basically micro groove uses more grooves, but cut shallower.  Theory is that there is less drag on the bullet.  I don't know how much better it works.  All I know is the rifle hits what I aim it at.

One addition that I will be putting on it is the tech sights.  I've fallen in love with the sight picture on service rifles.  Since I cannot afford an M1 Garand, carbine, or  an AR, this will become my little carbine.

My initial shooting impression was very impressive.  I first ran American Eagle copper plated hollow points, which ran flawlessly.  Next, I tried some Remington Thunderbolts.  No issues.  Ok, so I really wanted this thing to jam.  On to the golden bullets by Remington.  Again, pop pop pop, no problems.  The only thing that would cause a failure to feed were Federal automatch, ironically.  For a new 22 to perform that well is impressive to me.  My Brother said that his 795 had a very rough feed ramp that he had to smooth out.  Mine was quite smooth, so I left it alone.  Again, attention to detail that I never expected from an under $200 gun.  Kudos to Remington for keeping this gun in production and keeping quality standards high.  Yes, Marlin is now part of freedom group.  I can't say that I am in favor of all these gun makers being absorbed by one big conglomerate, but I guess that is the way of the world.

Boyds Evolution SS Stock

Do I recommend the 795?  You bet.  It is way more than some cheap .22.  It is well engineered and well built.  With all the features on this little rifle they could charge more.  I'm glad they don't.