Jimro

I remember having some time to kill in the college library and reading the first part of that short story in the "New Yorker" too, I never finished it. It seemed like pornography, not a love story. This was over a decade ago, I was 16 and remember asking how the heck that got published. Later on I learned about "liberalism" can call pornography "art". I guess maybe I was too young to really appreciate two hicks using each other for sexual gratification. Heck, I hope I never get old enough to appreciate it. Jimro

The road to hell is paved with good intentions... First off, I'm with you. The only thing to fix your situation is a commander with guts, either the Hospital commander or the Post commander. The Provost Marshall is there to enforce law, not create it. The Ft. Hood Rod and Gun club members needs to shut the hell up. Gun safety is EVERYONE'S business, remind them of that. So get your hospital commander to put his/her signature on something. This piddly BS is why we lose so many good officers to the private sector. Keep up the good fight. Jimro

I wish I had some words of wisdom that would put everything in perspective and heal the hurt. The only thing I can say is that I am honestly sorry for your family's loss. Jimro

You know the 8x57 to 308 modification with a Mauser is either a breeze or a pain, I don't know why but some m98 actions just take to the 308 without fuss, others need lots of TLC to get to feed right. Jimro

Love the "Try Burning this one..." photo, it has been saved to hard drive Jimro

I wouldn't worry about it, the rear reciever bridge is really not that important to the structural integrity of the action. The front reciever ring is what is important. Jimro

I checked ATI's sight and they list the M48 as a fit in that stock, so I guess you have to do some more inletting or check the fit between the bottom metal and the trigger to figure out why things aren't working. My suggestion, now, is to pillar bed the rear action screw. I've had the bottom metal crush the trigger so that it wouldn't function properly until I pillar bedded the action, darn near ruined the trigger. The other quick fix I've done is grind away the offending portion of the bottom metal since the all the bedding had been done, and the Timney was an upgrade for an old Husqvarna rifle. Jimro

I've filed magazines to allow them hold milsurp 30-06 rounds, it is easy enough to do and doesn't take too much off. I doubt that you'll need much more space than that to handle 35 Whelen rounds. Jimro

When a pet is that old, with that many problems, one is faced with two choices. Spend the money on the ultimately futile vet trips, Or, let the animal die with a little dignity by "putting it to sleep". I've seen both happen, and the second choice is the right choice. Folks that take the first option regret it afterwards. Don't mean to sound like a cold , but this is all the wisdom I have on aging and dieing. Jimro

myspace.com is a very unregulated free webhosting service for people. To sign up all you need is an email address, they fund their sight by selling advertising space, everytime someone clicks on an advertisement myspace.com gets a few fractions of a cent or something. I actually have an account with myspace.com and haven't experienced any "putrid filth" yet, but given the unregulated nature of the place I'm sure it exists, I don't really care for the "meet people in your area" advertisements, I'm already married. I spend most of my time there working on problems with the "Chemistry Club" and browsing through the homebrew groups and it got me back in touch with some guys from High School, so it isn't all bad. However, allowing a child unfettered access to the internet is never a good idea, the internet really is what you make of it. Jimro

The ATI stock is meant for a standard length M98, the Yugo M48 is an intermediate length action. There is a difference in the stock screw spacing. Your best bet is to get a Boyds stock for M48, or a bell and carson m96 stock and modify it for the m48 (others have done this with some success). Jimro

I actually have to qualify my earlier "yes" to the scope bases question, these will work with scope bases made for the Parker Hale recievers, but the squared rear bridge means that a commercial FN base won't work. A two piece setup might be easiest to acquire. Jimro

Al-Qaeda must have run out of training videos.... Jimro

Scratch up ANY surface and glass will stick to it. Sounds like you have a good plan of action. Jimro

Wrote her a poem, she seemed to like it. When I get back in the Army (hopefully soon) I'll be able to afford more expensive gifts... Jimro

Thanks Z, I checked numrich and the model's I could find for sale were L81~M82 on up, which if I remember correctly don't have the guide rib cutout, and they have a specific bolt that is built up on the front left split lug. I think these are the bolts that go with them. http://www.hoosiergunworks.com/images/b_ma..._commercial.jpg Jimro

Two piece bases are preferable in a hunting rifle (quicker to reload and lighter). If I were going to go with steel bases I would choose these. http://www.valdada.com/vn/ior/04d If I were going to go with aluminum bases I would choose Weaver #45 and 46 (I think those are the numbers, you can get them from sporterizing.com) One piece bases are preferable in a target rifle. I've used B-Square's weaver rail and Redfield standard one piece. FMSniper has used Ken Farrell bases and hasn't complained about them, one guy at snipersparadise.com said it put his head too far above the stock to be comfortable, but depending on your body your mileage may vary. If you are worried about strength, there are plenty of weaver style rings available. Leupold Mk4 rings are really Weaver rings that people put on picatinny mounts. B-Squares Sport Utility Rings are a great deal, as are Weaver brand rings (aluminum bottom with a steel top that hooks on one side and screws on the other). And Blue loctite is your friend, use it when installing the bases. Jimro

You can use a Parker Hale bolt, or a late war model K98 bolt without the guid rib, or you can mill/grind/turn off the guide rib of a standard bolt. Jimro

Don, A blind magazine is built into the stock, depending on the weight of the stock that automatically saves you 3.5 ounces. If the stock you want isn't set up for a blind magazine, 3.5 oz bottom metal sounds great. Either way, if you really want a lightweight stalking rifle, I'd look elsewhere than a milsurp Mauser 98 action as a starting point. Jimro

No Yes Yes Depends Yes Jimro

I would like to point out that diversity exists more as a matter of perception than of reality. After all, if you look at any milsurp Mauser sporterized into a tasteful 30-06, we would not expect to see the same rifle in any of our safes. Why? Because there exists wonderful diversity of stocks, barrel contours, sight bases and rings, as well as triggers and bottom metal, different bolt handle jobs as well. In fact I guarantee that if 10 of us put our Mausers in 30-06 side by side no two would be alike. And so I ask you with all this diversity in just Mausers do we really need to confuse the matter even more with Nagants and Carcano's? Truly there is a lifetimes worth of diversity in Mausers alone. And now that we conclude ten Mausers in 30-06 are diverse, let us move on to diversity of ammo that they shoot. Some plink with milsurp ammo, others with "The Load" (nod to Professor Karl) and others don't plink at all, they buy a box of shells, sight it in, and go hunt. And what do we hunt with our 30-06's? Porcine varieties from the small javelina to the mighty feral hog (not to the gentleman farmer and piggy terminator), whitetail, blacktail (for those of us in Alaska and Washington) and mule deer, Elk of both the Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain variety, coyote, black and grizzly bear, moose, caribou, and every other game that we can legally take. Truly a Mauser in 30-06 is the apex of diversity, different looking and performing rifles launching bullets from 110 to 220 grains rolled at home and in the factory, hunting game from a few pounds to over a ton. And we didn't even consider the differences between different Mauser models, the Turks and the Czechs, the Germans and the Belgian (MosinNagant collectors/shooters will go on endlessly about the most minute differences....). Nor did we consider the great many cartriges that you can mate with the Mauser action to have a truly superior rifle, for hunting or target. And while some may think it silly to point out all the differences amongst our Mausers in 30-06, I say to them, all the paintings in the Louvre are just color on canvas right? It is the artistry, or the functionality, that provides diversity. Jimro

You know the Navy has 400 full ride scholarships for medschool EACH and every year. The recruiter I talked to said they were lucky to fill half of those slots. Even if you only did your minimum time in the Navy to fulfill your contract that would put a doctor on the street with NO college loans years before his peers. Right now all the services are hurting for skilled medical and engineering professionals. The Air Force doesn't even have a grade requirement for electrical engineers right now, just a warm body willing to serve. But I think the answer to the Army's nursing shortage is not to attract more civilians, it is to educate more soldiers and promote from the ranks. The Army has an LPN program, why not develop a robust RN program? I realize that a four year degree is required to make it beyond captain, but a 91WM6 with 9 years of service who gets RN certified isn't going to make O4 before hitting 20 years anyways. It would free up some 91W slots as well (currently at 100% with a waiting list at the recruiters station), which would allow more fresh meat into the Army, and fill a lot of the junior officer slots with skilled professionals who are looking to finish their 20 and retire. I have a feeling the Army will fill it's senior officer ranks with senior officer material, ie bachelors and masters degree holders. Why don't you email that solution up the chain and see what happens? Jimro

I would have thought it was the winter biathalon, skiing and shooting. Jimro

http://www.sporterexpress.com/v2/ click on bases and select "Talley One Piece Rings and Bases" That is the product I used. Like I said they are hella stout, even tho they are aluminum. Jimro

I saw a real crappy Garand go for $800 two years ago, the guy who bought it traded in a custom AR to make up his lack in cash. He immediately went about replacing the worn out parts and turned it into a real shooter. So I think 500 for a good shooter is darn near a steal. Jimro