Flags To Be Lowered To Half-Staff In Honor of Dolly Parton

 

Dolly Parton, R. I. P.

 

7 Best Lever-Action Rifles For Deer Hunting

7 Best Lever-Action Rifles For Deer Hunting - Accurate And Reliable video from AntPrepper.

Summary:

When a buck slips through timber and gives me seconds instead of minutes, I would rather have a rifle that mounts quickly and cycles naturally than one built around shots the woods will never offer. The best lever guns still understand that reality, and the one at the top has been doing the job so well that every newer design still gets compared against it.

 

James Woods On Clint Eastwood's Retirement

Actor James Woods posted this today at X:

Some Lever-Actions In Jamestown

Above, Nandoh Munoz shooting his Henry .22 lever-action. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Out here in the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States, Second Amendment gun enthusiasts dominate the population. 

In our community of Jamestown, New Mexico, most here have firearms. With that in mind, it is not a good idea to plunder residences in the community at will. It could lead to a one-way trip to the pearly gates or the nether regions.

Our group of friends occasionally break out our firearms and head over to the shooting area. It is a small area set aside for shooting in the Cibola National Forest, which abuts our community. It is accessible by a couple of dirt roads. 

Above, Larry Lucier shooting his Henry .22 lever-action. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Readers of this blog know that I am a Winchester 94 rifle fan. I bought it seven years ago. It was made in 1962 and is in .30-30 caliber, making it a pre-1964 rifle collectors seek.

I am not the only one in our group who favors a lever-action rifle. Two of my friends have Henry .22 LR rifles that are of more contemporary vintage. 

Friend Nando Munoz bought his a few years ago in Gallup. Friend Larry Lucier had his longer (at least as long as I've known him). 

Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94. Photo by Larry Lucier.

One thing I've noticed about the Henry lever-action rifles when trying them out, they are heavier that my Winchester 94. When Nandoh tried out my Winchester, he noticed how much lighter it is. This light weight is one of many reasons deer hunters prefer it over other rifles, especially when trudging through the woods. 

Other friends like to hunt bigger game in New Mexico and favor bolt-action rifles. 

5 Legendary .30-30 Rifles Every Hunter Should Know...

Top 5 Best .30-30 Lever Action Rifles of 2026 — The Ultimate Hunting Showdown video by IronSight Reviews.

Summary:

Discover five legendary .30-30 Winchester lever action rifles and find out which one deserves the number one spot. In this video, we compare five iconic hunting rifles based on design, handling, features, strengths, weaknesses, long term value, and overall appeal for hunters.

At number five, the Rossi R95 brings practical performance and affordable value to the classic lever action platform. The Henry Big Boy X Model takes the number four position with a modern design and useful contemporary features. At number three, the Henry Side Gate Lever Action combines traditional craftsmanship with convenient loading. The Marlin Model 336 takes number two with its proven design, side ejection, and excellent scope compatibility. Finally, the legendary Winchester Model 1894 takes the number one spot thanks to its history, lightweight handling, and unmistakable place in .30-30 hunting culture.

Which one would you choose for your next hunting rifle? Let us know in the comments.

 

Pancho Villa, Guerrilla Trains, and the Winchester Rifles

The Mexican Revolution of 1910: Pancho Villa, Guerrilla Trains, and the Winchester Rifles That Ch... video from Battle Hist TH.

Summary: 

It revisits the Mexican Revolution of 1910, a class struggle that reshaped South America. The inequality under the Porfirio Díaz dictatorship erupted into a bloody civil war, with Pancho Villa, a guerrilla leader from the north, rising to become a legendary figure leading the peasant and commoner uprising.

Pancho Villa devised a new revolutionary strategy by seizing and transforming trains into mobile fortifications, transporting troops, vehicles, and field hospitals. Combined with his use of the Winchester 1894 lever-action rifle, he swiftly and decisively overwhelmed government forces, transforming Mexico into a fiery battlefield that resonated to superpowers like the United States.

 

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist. 

To start off the week, we have Rocky Burnette with his 1980 hit, "Tired of Towin' The Line." This song takes me back to the summer of 1980 when I was in Englewood, Colorado for two weeks for a two-week course at the GAB Damage Appraisal School. After the class was over, I was back in L.A. for two weeks and then left again to Detroit, Michigan for the 1980 Republican National Convention as a California Reagan Delegate.

From Wikipedia:

Jonathan "Rocky" Burnette (born June 12, 1953) is an American singer and musician and the son of the rockabilly and pop singer Johnny Burnette. Rocky is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line" which he co-wrote with Ron Coleman, who formerly wrote, recorded and performed with the Brothers Grim and the Everly Brothers.

 

Why Some RVs Last 30 Years and Others Are Money Pits

Above, camping at the West Yellowstone KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Until I had to replace the toilet in my motorhome a few months ago, my 2016 Winnebago Minnie Winnie has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned. 

It still is. It is an eleven-year-old vehicle and until the toilet needed replacing, I've only had very minor repairs to tend to, such as a stuck roof vent cover (still under warranty) and the house door lock that was busted by being slammed by wind. The awning fabric had to be replaced due to it being torn by a leaning telephone pole that I didn't see. Sooner or later, something will go bad. I've been lucky that it took eleven years for a major replacement job had to be done.

RV Travel posted an article on why some RVs last 30 years while others are money pits. 

They begin it with:

A 20-year-old RV can remain dependable, while a newer one can turn into a repair burden soon after its warranty ends. Age and price matter less than construction, care, use, and storage. The RVs that hold up for decades usually receive attention long before a small problem becomes an expensive project.

In the video at the end of the post, certified RV inspector Duane from the RV Inspection And Care channel goes into greater detail.

To read more and see the video, go here. 

4.1 Quake Hits Mount Taylor Area

Above, the blue dot marks where Jamestown is located.

Yesterday morning, while at my desk doing some blogging, I thought I felt a slight shaking sensation. That only lasted seconds before I dismissed it.

Later, I discovered that there was a 4.1 earthquake centered near Mount Taylor which is about 21 miles from Grants. 

Since Grants is about 44 miles from Jamestown, that is likely why the shaker was light. It was non-concerning since it was so light because, after all, I've experienced much worse with the Northridge Earthquake in 1994 being the most intense.

I go to Grants on occasion for doctor appointments or to Loeffler's Guns Etc.

Historically, the Grants area is known for volcanic activity, especially from Mount Taylor. There are lava formations along Interestate 40 just east of Grants.

I guess it was making this ex-Californian feel right at home.

Lever-Actions Better Than Rifles With Detachable Magazines

Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94 at Barking Spider Acre.

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of lever-action rifles, particularly the Winchester 94.

There's a debate among gun enthusiasts on what's better out in the field, a rifle with a detachable magazine or a lever-action rifle. 

The Avid Outdoorsman takes a look at 20 lever-actions that are better than anything with a detachable magazine. Of course, such debate exercises are subjective.

The article begins with:

Every few years somebody tells me lever-actions are “nostalgia guns” and that detachable magazines are the only modern answer. Then we get a week of wet snow, gritty dust, or a long hike with gloves on, and the truth shows up. A good lever gun carries flatter, rides nicer in the hand, and keeps running when you’re tired, cold, and not interested in chasing a dropped magazine through leaves.

Detachable mags absolutely have their place. But in the field—on a saddle scabbard, behind a truck seat, slipping through brush, or still-hunting timber—there are lever-actions that just make more sense. Here are 20 that consistently do.

To read more, go here. 

We Ranked Every .30-30 Lever Gun

We Ranked Every .30-30 Lever Gun — Yours Might Be Worth a Fortune video from At The Range.

Summary:

The .30-30 has been putting meat on the table for generations, but not every lever gun chambered for it deserves the same attention.

Some are classics for a reason. Others have a much harder case to make.

Which .30-30 would you put at number one?

 

The Most RARE and Expensive Guns | Antiques Roadshow

The Most RARE and Expensive Guns | Antiques Roadshow video from AntiqueTreasureHunt.

Summary: 

The Most RARE and Expensive Guns | Antiques Roadshow

Some of the rarest and most expensive guns ever brought to Antiques Roadshow were sitting in closets, toolboxes, and locked trunks. A pistol mistaken for a tool. A cane bought at Goodwill for $6.99. A shotgun captured three days before Appomattox that experts couldn't agree on a ceiling for. In this Antiques Roadshow best-of documentary, we uncover extraordinary antique firearms, their histories, and the appraisals that stunned their owners.

This episode features an early iron-frame Henry rifle valued up to $100,000, a Mortimer shotgun taken from General Longstreet's supply train, an 1851 Colt Navy presented by President James Buchanan to frontiersman Seth Kinman, engraved Colt Single Action Armys with factory letters, Pennsylvania long rifles by Christian Beck and Adam Daniels, Confederate Richmond muskets, Scottish Doune pistols, Civil War derringers, a Kunz pistol cane, a Korean matchlock tiger gun, a Japanese wall gun, and a Winchester 1894 with a Buffalo Bill connection. Along the way, experts explain how factory archives, inspector cartouches, original finish, matched pairs, and unaltered parts can multiply a gun's value or destroy it entirely.

From a $6.99 thrift store cane to a Custer-era Colt whose replaced parts cost it tens of thousands, these appraisals prove that in the world of antique arms, provenance is everything.

 

Navajo Nation Man Killed By Bear

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A bear attack in the Navajo Nation resulted in a fatality.

One may ask, "There are bears in the Navajo Nation?" Incredible as it may seem (not to those of us who live in New Mexico), not all of the Navajo Nation is in the desert. There are some mountainous areas with forests within the Navajo Nation.

We have bears in the Cibola National Forest near our community of Jamestown. One bear was hit recently by a vehicle when it tried to cross Interstate 40 near our community. Personally, I have not seen any bears while driving in Six Mile Canyon of the national forest.

The bear attack took place near the community of Crystal, which is in the Chuska Mountains.  

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported:

Black bears attacked two people in New Mexico this week, killing one, as drought conditions continue to drive the animals out of their habitat, increasing human-bear encounters.

The fatality occurred Thursday in Crystal on the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico, The Guardian reported Friday. The victim has not been identified.

It was only the second fatal bear attack reported in a century. The last was 25 years ago.

Navajo Nation police officers killed the bear, according to the report. Tribal officials did not respond to The New Mexican’s inquiry Friday about the incident.

To read more, go here. 

Rifles That Are Hard To Find But Worth Searching

Above, purchasing my Winchester 94 at Ron Peterson's Firearms in Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was on the lookout for a good pre-64 Winchester 94 in .30-30 around eight years ago (shortly after moving to New Mexico). 

Then, in 2019, I was browsing a gun store in Albuquerque for something to do (I had a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida the next day for a cruise) when I spotted one made in 1962 in great shape. I put it on layaway and picked it up when I got back to Albuquerque. It was just under $500. Today, that same rifle would fetch double (or, in some cases, triple) that amount. Thank God I got it before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

Since that time, firearm prices have climbed since the 2020 pandemic. Some rifles have even become harder to find. That is the topic of an article in The Avid Outdoorsman. 

They begin it with:

Every gun shop has that empty spot on the rack where something good should be. You ask about it and the guy behind the counter gives you the same look you’ve seen a hundred times: “If one comes in, it’s already gone.” These aren’t just collector toys, either. A bunch of the toughest-to-locate rifles are the ones that actually make sense in the field—smooth actions, sane weights, magazines you can live with, and accuracy you don’t have to apologize for.

What makes them scarce varies. Some are discontinued. Some got caught in the hype cycle and never came back down. Some are “boring” rifles that owners quietly refuse to sell once they realize what they have. Here are 20 rifles I’d keep hunting for if you want something that’s hard to snag but easy to appreciate once it’s in your hands.

The Winchester 94 made the list, which is not at all surprising!

To see what else made the list, go here.  

Camping With A Dog In Bear Country

Above, a mother bear and cub in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following doesn't apply to me (I have two cats), but I have relatives with RVs who camp with their dogs.

That is camping with the family dog in bear country. RV Travel posted an article on the fact that dogs can, and do, initiate conflicts with bears in campgrounds.

They begin with:

If you camp in bear country with a dog, you might figure Fido gives you an early-warning system. After all, he’ll probably smell or hear a bear long before you do.

A new study suggests you might not want to count on that.

Researchers examined 326 human-bear conflicts involving domestic dogs across North America. Dogs initiated 54% of those conflicts, according to the study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.

And don’t count on your dog to sound the alarm. Dogs warned their owners about a bear in only 9.2% of the conflicts studied.

This isn’t just a backcountry-hiking problem, either. While 45.1% of the conflicts occurred while people were hiking in wilderness areas, 35.3% happened in front-country settings.

For RVers traveling with dogs, that’s an important distinction.

To read more, go here. 

20 Shotguns That Were Built To Last

Above, yours truly with the Winchester Model 12
shotgun at Loeffler's Guns Etc. in Grants, New Mexico.

Having a shotgun or two (or three) in one's arsenal is something every Second Amendment supporter should have.

I have several, two of which I bought (a Winchester Model 12 and a Remington 870 Express) and the others were inherited from my dad, including a Manton 12 gauge made in the 1800s.

The Avid Outdoorsman posted a list of 20 shotguns that were built to last and proven it for over 50 years.

They begin with:

Every fall I see the same thing at the gun counter and at the range: a guy with a brand-new shotgun in a fancy box, and another guy quietly carrying a 40-year-old blued steel and walnut “plain” gun that has killed more birds than the shiny one ever will. Trends come and go. What lasts is a shotgun that feeds, fires, ejects, and keeps doing it after it’s been rained on, bounced around in a truck, and leaned in the corner of a duck blind for decades.

This isn’t a museum list. These are working shotguns that have earned their reputations over 50 years of upland miles, waterfowl mud, and the kind of hard use that shows up in worn checkering and thin bluing. Some are expensive now, some are still affordable, and a few are just heavy and boring. Still, they keep showing up because they keep working.

To read more, go here. 

Steve Hilton Vows To Fire California Energy Bosses Behind Tire Regulations

Above, GOP candidate Steve Hilton.

The firestorm continues on the new Commiefornia tire regulations.

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has vowed that, if elected, will eliminate the unelected California Energy Commission, starting with the "Tire Hag" herself, Nancy Skinner.

Above, the "Tire Hag" Nancy Skinner.

The New York Post reported:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton promised to wipe out the agency behind California’s controversial new tire rules aimed at lowering emissions — blasting what he called an bloated “bureaucracy” that is only driving up the cost of living.

“When I am in office, we are going to have affordable, reliable energy in California that is as green as we can possibly make it. That’s what’s going to happen,” Hilton said at a Sacramento press conference Thursday steps away from the California Energy Commission.

“Instead of what they’re doing now, which is fake green energy that’s gouging every California family and business.”

The rules, approved Monday by the commission, will phase out replacement tires that fail to meet the state’s new energy-efficiency standards.

According to the Tire Industry Association, average tire prices could increase from $81 to as much as $157. For a full set of four tires, the difference could exceed $300 per vehicle.

Hilton said his first step would be targeted at one individual: Energy Commissioner Nancy Skinner, who reportedly was a driving force behind the tire rules.

Skinner is listed as the agency board’s engineer/scientist member.

“We are going to fire the tyrant Nancy Skinner!” Hilton said. “Nancy Skinner is a political hack. She has no business in that seat.”

To read more, go here. 

20 Guns Around Long Enough to Stop Being Fashionable

Above, the Winchester 94 made the list (of course). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some guns have been around for so long that, without even trying, have become classics.

Guns that have done so include pistols, rifles and shotguns. The Avid Outdoorsman lists 20 guns that have been around long enough to stop being fashionable and start being classic. I have three that made the list.

They begin their list with:

Every few years the gun world picks a new “must-have” and acts like everything before it belongs in a museum. Then hunting season rolls around, a buddy’s “latest and greatest” starts acting up in the cold, and the old standby in the scuffed case quietly does the job again. That’s when you realize some guns don’t age into irrelevance. They age into classics.

These are the ones that have been carried long enough to get boring in a gun shop display, but familiar enough that most of us can run them without thinking. Some are pricey now, some are still cheap, and a few are a little clunky by modern standards. Still, they’ve earned the kind of respect that doesn’t come from a marketing campaign.

To read more, go here. 

Is The Ruger 10/22 The Greatest .22LR Rifle?

Is The Ruger 10/22 The Greatest .22LR Rifle? video from ClassicFirearms.

Summary:

Eliza, Ryan, and Jason explore the versatility of the Ruger 10/22 platform by showcasing various custom builds, including integrally suppressed barrels and different chassis configurations. The team examines how these modifications transform a standard rimfire rifle into specialized setups, while comparing performance features and ergonomics of these distinct variants at the range.

 

Primm, Nevada: About To Become Tire Capital of the Southwest

 

Primm is about to become the tire capital of the American Southwest.

California just voted to phase out roughly 70% of the replacement tires currently sold in the state.

The real price increase could hit hundreds of dollars per tire.

Nevada has zero tire efficiency laws. https://t.co/DrIneQZcdx pic.twitter.com/pqnBwL6Fij

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) August 20, 2026

Newsom Defends Tire Replacement Rules Amid Backlash

Thank God that I moved out of that crazy communist state eight and a half years ago. I knew before moving that Gavin Newsom would be the next governor (after Jerry Brown) and his notorious leftist politics.

Sure enough, California (i.e., Commiefornia) has gone to hell in a handbasket over the past eight years.

The latest in Commiefornia's quackery is the tire replacement regulations that the unelected California Energy Department unanimously voted for. 

A firestorm erupted over this and, true to his usual modus operandi, Newsom is defending the new regulations by lying through his teeth.

According to the New York Post:

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday defended California’s controversial new tire rules, insisting the sweeping environmental regulations are a win for residents — even as critics warn they could leave drivers paying more.

Speaking at a press conference in the Bay Area, the Democratic governor touted the rules approved Monday that will phase out replacement tires that fail to meet the state’s new energy-efficiency standards.

The regulations are expected to affect roughly 70% of replacement tires currently on the market, potentially forcing Californians to shell out more for compliant rubber.

Newsom, however, brushed aside the backlash and argued the changes are ultimately good for the Golden State.

Maybe it's a good thing the Democrats did this now with the November election only two and a half months away. Vote out every damn Democrat!

To read more, go here. 

When Was Your Winchester Made?

Above, the result for my Winchester 94.

When I was in Albuquerque in April 2019 at Ron Peterson's Firearms store, I spotted a Winchester 94 rifle in .30-30. The rifle looked to be in good condition and the price was right.

I was on the lookout for a Winchester 94 pre-1964 rifle and this looked to be what I was seeking. 

I went to the Winchester Arms Collectors Association website to their gun date widget and entered the rifle's serial number. I knew already that it was a pre-1964 by a couple of telltale signs, but I wanted to see its year of manufacture. 

It came up as 1962. So I bought it and put it on layaway for a week as I was going on a cruise to Key West and Havana, Cuba the following day. 

When I returned from the cruise, I picked up the rifle and took it home. 

Here's the link to the Winchester Arms Collectors Association gun date widget: https://winchestercollector.org/dates/

Bedtime Downpour

From the looks of the deck in the above photo, it doesn't look like we got any rain last night. But we did. 

Shortly after I went to bed, we received a downpour of rain. It was loud. It lasted about 20 minutes or so (or maybe I just fell asleep before it ended). 

In any case, we can use the precipitation to the drought conditions in the Four Corners region. The monsoon rains we've received this season have been a lot, with Gallup getting flooded twice. 

We are expecting about a 30% chance of rain this afternoon.

44 Magnum vs. 30-30

44 Magnum VS 30-30 | 100 Yards Hunting Range Energy Comparison | Lever Action Deer Hunting video by The Gun Dungeon.

Summary:

Taking a look at how 44 mag and 30/30 win compare to one another from the muzzle energy out to 100 yards for deer hunting 

"Don't Tread On Me" Has A New Meaning

 

This is the kind of crap we can expect in New Mexico if Deb Haaland is elected governor.

From the California Globe:

A bill to regulate car tires was passed by the California Legislature 20 years ago but never implemented.

“The California Energy Commission dusted off a 20+ year old bill to pass new rules restricting tire sales in the state,” KCRA’s Ashley Zavala reported Monday. “The CEC has not regulated tires before. I asked Commissioner (former State Sen) Nancy Skinner if she pushed it & why this sat dormant until now.”

Assembly Bill 844 “directs the California Energy Commission to adopt a Replacement Tire Efficiency Program to ensure replacement tires for passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in California are at least as energy-efficient as the tires sold as original equipment on new vehicles.”

Skinner justified the decision by the California Energy Commission “we regulate appliances, tires are kind of like that.”

Nancy Skinner is the same lawmaker who tried to ban “Bullets, the very thing that make guns deadly,” she said in a hearing in 2013 I reported on. When she couldn’t ban guns, she tried to ban bullets.

In 2013, Assembly Bill 48 by then-Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) passed the Assembly by a 46-26 vote and moved over to the state Senate.

Her bill would have banned the sale of magazine parts kits that can hold more than 10 cartridges, and require mandatory reporting of law-abiding citizens who purchase more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition within a five-day period.

So naturally, when she can’t get you out of your car and onto public transit, she will make tires more expensive and difficult to get.

Nancy Skinner is the same lawmaker who tried to ban “Bullets, the very thing that make guns deadly,” she said in a hearing in 2013 I reported on. When she couldn’t ban guns, she tried to ban bullets.

To read more, go here. 

Downpour Yesterday

Above, the Jeep during a previous storm. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday afternoon, I was watching the news when I noticed that it was raining outside.

It wasn't some light rain, it was a downpour. I then remembered that the Jeep was still outside and the seats would be drenched. 

I then threw on a hat and ran out. It was a huge downpour. I looked over at the other acre and it was looking like a swamp. I made a split-second decision to move the Jeep over to the garage and get out and open the garage door. This I did. 

The rain did not let up, the downpour continued. My clothes were getting drenched. I opened the garage door and then got back inside the Jeep and drove it in.

By now, the passenger seat was drenched, but at least the driver seat was still somewhat dry. I closed up the garage door and headed inside the house. My shirt was completely drenched and my jeans were almost so. I threw the jeans into the dryer and hung up the shirt (the shirt was cotton and would have shrunk if I threw it into the dryer). 

That was definitely a drenching downpour. No wonder Gallup was flooded twice during recent monsoon rains. Luckily, I don't have to worry about flooding as the property is on a hill. Still, it is good that the ground got a good soaking.

Now They're Coming After California's Tires

The Looney Left Report

Nanny government is alive and well in Commiefornia.

There isn't too much left for state regulators to target. Now they're coming after your vehicle's tires. The new regulations will eventually ban 70% of tires currently sold in the state.

KRCA News 3 reported:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California regulators on Monday approved new rules that will restrict what tires you can buy when it's time to replace them on your car.

In a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission voted to adopt new rules that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don't meet certain energy efficiency standards.

"This ultimately is about protecting consumers," said David Hochschild, the chairman of the California Energy Commission. "I see this as sheltering the public from higher costs in the long run."

Tire manufacturers and the commission's staff are at odds over whether this will add to the cost of living in the state. Both sides acknowledged this will no longer allow the sale of a significant portion of the tires currently sold in California.

At the center of this is a tire's rolling resistance, or how much energy a tire uses as it rolls down the road. Lower resistance means a vehicle uses less gas or electricity. New cars come with generally efficient tires, but consumers typically replace those with higher rolling resistance tires.

To read more, go here.