3 new (old) magazines

[alaskabushman]

Yesterday, I spent all day helping out a neighbor who's selling his property. He and his wife are getting up there in years and living off-grid it too much for them. Burned a bunch of waste wood and paper/cardboard as well as a mountain of pallets. As I was leaving he said, "go through the shop and take anything you want, it's all gotta go!". Digging around I found a few basic hand tools, a tackle box, a new foam boat seat...and then in the bottom of a box labeled "Misc" was a rifle magazine. Labeled simply "Eagle, Remington long action"...

I took it home and sure enough, it fits my Remington 7400 semi-auto, holds 10 rounds of 30-06...and is going for $55 on Ebay.

Today I spent moving rough cut lumber that my dad had purchased in a local garage. He needs to get it moved onto his own property and sorted and stacked. In the garage was a small crate, I picked it up to move it and noticed it had some old gun cleaning stuff. I asked if it was up for grabs and my dad said "I paid for everything in this garage, its all mine, take it if you want."

In the box amongst a dozen loose .45 Colt silvertips and 20+ year old Rem-oil, was a standard 10/22 magazine, as well as a teardrop shaped 50 rounder by Mitchell Arms. It still works and (mostly) feeds. $89 if you can even find them

Also in the box was a mystery. It looked similar to a Ruger Mark pistol mag, but made of plastic by Ram-Line. A little Google Fu revealed it to be a pre-ban 14 round Ruger Mark II magazine. I loaded it up and tried it out in my Mk II target model. I won't say its 100% reliable, but an interesting find. I have no idea what it's even worth since I cant seem to find one for sale on the web.

All in all, a couple productive days! What are the odds of finding 3 different magazines in two different locations, and they all happen to work with guns I own?

[hunter63]

Lottery ticket...lots of lottery tickets.....buy some.
Congrats, nice score.......

Speaking of great finds....found a 10 rd mag for the 740 30-06 (older) in my FIL stuff
He passed in 1987.
He had other guns which BIL grabbed .........any way no 30-06....even though I knew he had a Rem 740.

Fast forward....MIL still had "The cottage up north"....when she moved in to a assisted living facility.

In 2010 DW and I were tasked with cleaning it out to sell....None of the other BIL's or SIL helped out ...Too busy.

Much of the stuff was still there from 1987 was still there including FIL deer hunting clothes packed up.

Hauled off much of that stuff ....much was damaged, no one really took care of the cottage all those years.

There had been some raccoon damage in a cubby hole leading in to the bathroom/back porch entry...so I went up to check it out.....under the insulation which I had to lean on to look with a spot light.....was the gun case and the 30-06.....almost went to the buyer...

DW says...you found it, I'll keep it...the boys got all the other guns.
It's in my safe now.....I recall shooting it as a very young man dating DW....and it kicked the snot out of me at the time....
To this day that rifle is just plain "harsh"...even compared to the 7 mm mag, 45/70, 300 wsm and all sorts or single shots.

I bet that mag is the same one I found.....LOL

[1stimestar]

Very cool finds.

[crashdive123]

Nice finds. It helps to have a lot of options at home (number of guns) when it comes to striking it lucky with found magazines.

[hunter63]

or odd ammo.....LOL

[alaskabushman]

To this day that rifle is just plain "harsh"

Odd that you feel that way, my Remington 7400 is the softest kicking 30-06 I own. I have a M77 with a ported barrel that is close, but my Model 1917 kicks like a mule.

I guess it just shows that recoil is (up to a point) one of the subjective things.

[hunter63]

Odd that you feel that way, my Remington 7400 is the softest kicking 30-06 I own. I have a M77 with a ported barrel that is close, but my Model 1917 kicks like a mule.

I guess it just shows that recoil is (up to a point) one of the subjective things.

LOL..You are correct....the worst kicking firearm I own is an 870 pump, 3-1/2 Hevi shot straight up at passing geese....
That why I load a 2-3/4 #4 steel. 3" BB shot then the 3-1/2 "T' Hevi Shot....

That kinda reminds me when I miss "What a dumas....what the matter with you?,... you missed again...so I am hurtful expensive noise...that you are gonna pay ......"

Maybe it's because the 740 kicked the crap out of when I wasn't expecting it back when... as one of the first time I shot a high powered rifle.

[kyratshooter]

You guys do realize that energy out the front will equal energy sent to the back on a consistent basis and from one rifle to another with only the weight of the rifle slightly changing the equation, don't you?

The rest is how the recoil is presented to the shoulder, in a straight line, offset up or down slightly, width of the butt stock transmitting the energy to the shoulder, slow push of a shotgun or the brisk snap of a rifle....

It is all a matter of perception, a "failure to communicate" within the central nervous system.

And with that bit of wisdom I admit that I specifically hate the H&R stock. It seems to double the felt recoil of any load and I consider the H&R a last ditch emergency shotgun only to be used if no other firearm is available!

[hunter63]

I do know many larger calibers are not easy on you punching paper...and after theya are sighted in,.... don't get fired a lot.

Hunting is a whole different story.....I don't feel it of even hear the rounds going off, when locked on to a target....I just watch for what ever it is to drop.

The "clip on' forearm on the 12 ga H&R slug gun is a arm banger for sure......hunting only.

It's kinda fun digging thru junk boxes...and treasures and deals can be found at yard sales and shows.......my favorite reason for going.

[alaskabushman]

When I meant when I said recoil is one of those subjective things is that each individual has varying perception for recoil. There are several things that can influence this perception however.
Muzzle brakes, ported barrels, cushy recoil pads, well designed stocks, shock absorbers inside the stock, lead weights.....all these can create less "perceived" recoil, even if the "foot pounds" is only reduced somewhat.

The gas action on the 7400 I have seems to "slow" recoil a bit compared to my 1917. Also the 7400 has an aftermarket pistol grip stock with a nice recoil pad...every little bit helps.

Frankly I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to recoil, and the 30-06 isn't fired very often. I've settled on the 7mm-08 and .260 Rem as my favored hunting rounds and they have served me well. In fact the only deer I ever had to shoot twice was with one of my 30-06's, I tried to use every excuse known to man as to why I needed a second shot, but eventually I had to admit that it was probably a flinch.

I had an opportunity to fire a .350 remington mag once out of a model 660....not very fun. Only fired 5 rounds before I went back to the mini-14...

Thankfully our little Sitka Blacktail deer are pretty small (large 3x3 bucks might be 150 pounds field dressed) and I could hunt effectively with a .223 if I wanted to. (many around here use the .22-250)

Even though I don't shoot the 30-06's much I hang onto them for when I venture into brown bear country. Thankfully that's not very often...

[hunter63]

Lately my "go to" is a Handi Rifle in .270.....line it up, pull the trigger and watch it fall down.
It's just "handy"
Before that and still is some of the time ...Ruger 7mm mag....which came along while looking for a 30-06 bolt gun....
This rifle now is in the category of naming it "Elvira...Queen of Darkness"...and has achieved "Grandpa's magic rifle" status.

Most of my shooting these days are pistols, and the muzzleloaders.....and Nagants (cheap ammo) ....no reason...just more fun.