Thursday, November 19, 2009

Update to Random Thoughts # 8: Yet another Mosin

Hey guys, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a new development in my firearms purchasing quest.

I mentioned a couple days back that I was planning to buy another Mosin rifle, well something better came up and I will be buying a CZ-82 9x18mm Makarov pistol sometime next year. I figured the price of either Mosin rifle was a bit high and I was right. The shop had the rifles for sale at $179 for either the M44 or the M38. That is a bit too high for me and instead I will save up a bit more and buy the CZ-82, a firearm that is actually worth the high price tag.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the Mosin M44 and M38 are very nice rifles, but when I can find a better deal on a firearm, you better believe I'm going to go for it. I will, however, buy another Mosin as soon as I can, but for now the CZ-82 is the firearm I'm focusing on.

That'll do it for this update. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Previews of what's to come on 12-Gauge Chimp's Blog

Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a list of whats to come on the site.

1. In a few weeks or so, I will be bringing you an update on which Mosin rifle I end up with. It'll either be that M44 or the M38 and I'll do a review and a range report sometime after that. ( See above update )

2. I have an oppurtunity to restore my Mossberg bullpup to factory specifications. I have contacted someone at a collectors organization devoted to Mossberg shotguns and they have a limited supply of parts for my particular gun. So hopefully I can get the parts I need and bring my bullpup back to it's original factory appearence.

3. My search for a genuine kukri continues. I have found a couple sources for kukris in the US and also I have contacted a kukri maker in Nepal, but so far it looks like I'm going with the ones in the US, due to shipping costs. It's something like 38 bucks just for shipping from Nepal to the US. Combine that with the cost of the kukri itself and the total comes out to about 90 bucks.

Anyway, that's going to do it for the previews. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day, everybody !

If by some chance a vet reads this, thank you for your service. If you served in WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm or the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are a hero in my book and I am humbled by the sacrifies you make or have made to make the country safe.

If you know a vet, please let them know what they mean to you, thank them for their service, buy them a drink or something.

Veterans of the United States Military, my name is 12-Gauge Chimp and I salute you.

Also, please take some time to remember those who were killed in the recent shooting attack at Fort Hood. Thank you.

This is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Random Thoughts # 8: Yet another Mosin

Hey folks, it's your old pal 12-Gauge Chimp back again with a new set of random thoughts.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later, another Mosin will soon find its way to my collection. I sold my Nagant revolver to a friend and now I have an empty space in my gun collection, so that means I must fill the void with a new gun. This is where the Mosin comes in.

A local gun shop has a small number of Mosin M44 carbines in stock and I will be purchasing one in the coming months. Now I have an M91/30, but I've been looking for another Mosin for sometime now. Besides, it gives me a reason to buy another gun.

The Mosin M44 was created to fill the need for a compact rifle in the Red Army. They had tried to fill that need with the M38 carbine, but reports came in from troops who wished for a bayonet attachment, which the M38 lacked. In steps the M44 with its side folding bayonet. Early on in the war, the Russians mainly issued the M91/30, but soon would issue the M38 and M44 as alternate rifles to the troops as the war went on. It was not uncommon to see entire units armed with the three different Mosin rifles.

Well that's pretty much it for this edition of Random Thoughts. I'll be sure to update you all as to when I get the M44 and I'll even post a review and eventually a range report. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

Update: The shop that has the M44s now has a limited stock of M38 carbines. So now I'm torn between buying the M44 or the M38. I'll post another edition of random thoughts soon and let you guys know which rifle I end up with.