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 is about to become the tire capital of the American Southwest.
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) August 20, 2026
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
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.
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| 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/
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 | 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
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.
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| 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.
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.
The .30-30 Nobody Wants (But Outkills Everything in the Timber) video by Jacob Miller.
Summary:
Frost on the rail.
Forty yards of timber.
A buck steps out of the laurel, and the rifle in your hands is a .30-30 that nearly every modern ballistic chart says has been obsolete for decades.
The charts aren't wrong.
The .30-30 drops harder, carries less energy, and gives up long-range performance to cartridges like the .30-06 and 6.5 Creedmoor.
But a South Carolina wildlife biologist recorded 603 shots at 493 deer, and his results suggest we've spent a century measuring the wrong thing.
Winchester 62A POV firing video by Tenacious Trilobite.
Summary:
Original Winchester Model 62A chambered in .22 LR. Interesting action, and quite a pleasant little gun to shoot!
Document in Epstein files shows NM Governor candidate Deb Haaland rode on Jeffrey Epstein's jet video by KOAT.
Summary:
Another New Mexico politician found in Epstein files
KOAT Action 7 News is your home for New Mexico breaking news and weather. For your latest New Mexico news and weather visit: https://koat.com/
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| Above, the Winchester factory circa 1960s. |
Gun brands have been around since at least the 19th Century. Some are still with us while others fell by the wayside.
The ones still around may have new or updated guns that may (or may not) be improvements over the tried & true. Some brands have been taken over by corporate giants.
The Avid Outdoorsman took a look at 20 gun brands that aren't what they used to be.
They begin with:
A famous name on the side of a gun can carry decades of expectations. Shooters remember the rifles their fathers owned, the handguns that filled police holsters, or the shotguns that seemed to appear in every hunting camp in America.
The problem is that gun companies change. Brands get sold, factories close, classic models disappear, and entire product lines shift toward completely different buyers. Sometimes the new guns are actually better. Other times the old name survives while much of what originally made it special is gone. These 20 American gun brands are very different companies today than many longtime shooters remember.
To read more, go here.
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 The Seeds (later known as Sky Saxon and the Seeds) with their hit, "Pushin' Too Hard." I saw them live at a dance in the Girl's Gymnasium at Hawthorne High School at the ripe old age of twelve with a friend (Jeff Willis) in 1966.
From Wikipedia:
The Seeds are an American psychedelic garage rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, best known for their highest-charting single "Pushin' Too Hard". The band's classic lineup featured frontman Sky Saxon in lead vocals and bass guitar, along with guitarist Jan Savage (born Buck Jan Reeder), keyboardist Daryl Hooper and drummer Rick Andridge. In 1968, the band changed their name to Sky Saxon and the Seeds, with Savage and Andridge departing the band. They went on to release a handful of additional singles.
In 1989, the original lineup of the band reformed for a handful of live dates in the US.
In 2003, Saxon was persuaded to reform the Seeds with original guitarist Jan Savage (who departed part way through a European tour the same year due to ill health). Releasing two further studio albums, Saxon-led versions of the band continued to tour the US, UK, and Europe up to Saxon's death in 2009.
In 2017, founding member Hooper reformed the Seeds with a lineup of past and new members; they released a single in 2021 and continue to tour to this day.
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| Above, camping at a commercial RV park near Crater Lake National Park in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Once upon a time, it was cheap to camp and the necessity for making reservations was rare. The only place we had problems in getting a campsite was in the late-1950s to early-1960s was at the state park at Morro Bay. Only one out of three times did we get a campsite (it was in 1959, I think). That was a trip with my maternal grandfather, paternal grandparents and my parents. The other trips we ended up at a motel.
State and national parks charged very little for someone to pitch a tent or pull into a campsite with a trailer or truck camper.
Nowadays, it has gotten more expensive to camp in state or national parks and reservations are necessary. It is easier to obtain a campsite at a commercial campground near a national park than it is to get one at that national park.
Now, people have choices on where they camp in their tent or RV. Thanks to the federal government, commercial campgrounds and RV parks have sprung up.
This is the topic of an article in RV Travel by Chuck Woodbury.
He begins it with:
Suddenly, it seems to me, I am an elder citizen. This isn’t something I anticipated happening so soon 30 or 40 years ago. Back when I began traveling with an RV, when I was in my early 30s, the idea of me reaching retirement age was an abstract idea. “Growing old” and “forever” were easily spoken in the same breath.
Surprise: Time flew!
Now, as an older member of the RVing community, I know a few things that today’s content creators don’t know. They can’t. They haven’t been around long enough. They’re not old and wise like me. (I write that with a smile.)
When I began RVing, thousands upon thousands of campgrounds were free or just a few dollars a night. They were mostly public campgrounds—Forest Service, National Park, State Park, and community parks. For anyone who had an inkling to build an RV park as a business, it was hard to justify: How do you compete with “free” or “almost free?”
Back then, services in public parks, including campgrounds, were mostly funded by our tax dollars.
Then one day, with tax dollars not so plentiful, to balance their budgets, parks began to set fees for services, or raise existing ones. I remember when I worked my college summers for the Forest Service, installing little cash boxes at campsites in the Tahoe National Forest. Campers selected a site and deposited a dollar bill into the box for each night.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the two Rossi revolvers I own. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I have two revolvers, both are Rossi. One is a five shot .38 special that I keep loaded with snake shot rounds (we have rattlesnakes here) and the other is a six shot .38/.357 magnum. I used the second one during my armed security patrol days.
The Avid Outdoorsman posted an article on 20 revolvers that people ignored until they became expensive.
They begin it with:
Every gun shop has a “used revolver” shelf that turns into a lesson in human nature. For years, certain wheelguns sat there like forgotten tools: too heavy, too old-school, not enough rounds, not enough hype. Then the market shifted. Police trade-ins dried up. Companies “updated” designs or dropped lines entirely. Movies and nostalgia kicked up demand. And suddenly the same revolver you could’ve bought with spare cash now takes real money to replace.
This isn’t a victory lap for collectors. It’s a reminder for regular outdoorsmen: boring, durable guns have a way of becoming desirable right after you let one go. Here are 20 revolvers that got shrugged off until the price tags started hurting.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, Bob Weekes and I at Jerry's Cafe in July. |
When we finished, we went up to the cashier to pay our tabs. While there, we were told that Jerry's will be closed for two weeks for cleaning and maintenance or for various other things.
I joked that we will be going through "withdrawals" during the closure period, which get a good laugh from the cashier lady.
A Gallup family owns three restaurants in Gallup. They are Don Diego's, Grandpa's Grill and Jerry's Cafe. Don Diego's and Grandpa's Grill had already taken their sabbaticals and now it is Jerry's Cafe's turn.
It looks like we'll have to find alternative eateries for our Friday dinners. Most likely it will be Grandpa's Grill or Genaro's.
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| Above, 2017's Great American Eclipse. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Back in 2017, I drove up to Idaho to see the Great American Eclipse. Although the drive was long, it was well worth it to see.
On Wednesday, a total solar eclipse took place and cruise lines had special cruises for people to travel to areas of optimal views.
According to Travel Pulse:
On Wednesday, a total solar eclipse swept across portions of the Northern Hemisphere, as the Moon passed directly between Earth and the Sun and briefly blocked the Sun’s disk. The path of totality stretched from the Arctic through Greenland and Iceland and across Spain, with the surrounding regions experiencing a partial eclipse.
The event drew millions of skywatchers, including many who watched from cruise ships positioned along the eclipse’s path. With ships able to move into areas offering favorable views—and the open ocean providing an unobstructed horizon—cruising offered a particularly memorable way to experience the brief darkness of totality.
To read more, go here.
In the U.S., here are the upcoming solar eclipses (source: CBS News):
The next solar eclipse visible in the United States will occur on March 30, 2033, but totality will be limited to Alaska. The next total eclipse over the contiguous U.S. will happen on August 22, 2044.
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| Above, driving to Ouray on the "Million Dollar Highway." Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
One of the most scenic roads is the Million Dollar Highway just south of Ouray, Colorado. I have been on it several times during the past few years.
It is a narrow one-lane road (one lane in each direction) with no guard rails. My Minnie Winnie takes the road just fine.
There are some roads that aren't quite friendly to RVers. RV Travel posted an article on why some folks driving RVs don't drive the "scenic route."
They begin with:
We all love a good scenic drive, right? Discovering an ideal RV scenic route can make for an unforgettable experience. For some of us, scenic drives might be our favorite part of RVing. Twisty coastal roads, winding mountain passes, red rock canyons—the views can be hard to beat. But seasoned RVers know something many newbies don’t:
The most beautiful RV scenic route isn’t always the best one when you’re hauling a big, heavy, slow, home on wheels.
In fact, the smartest RVers often intentionally avoid the scenic road in favor of the safe, stress-free, and equipment-friendly one.
Here’s why—and how to make the call when planning your own trip.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, rain may arrive while I am having dinner today at Jerry's Cafe. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It looks like we may be getting some more rain in the Gallup/Jamestown area.
So far this week, we got some decent amounts of monsoon-generated rain in the area. They also seem to have put out the Four Mile Fire in the nearby Cibola National Forest.
Today's rain (about 50% chance) will hit at about the same time I will be at Jerry's Cafe for dinner.
Here's the forecast for today from the National Weather Service:
One of the most popular movies ever was Sergio Leonie's spaghetti western, A Fistful of Dollars (1964). Besides ushering in the spaghetti western genre, it also was the movie that began Clint Eastwood's rocketing to stardom.
This post focuses on the firearms used in A Fistful of Dollars. As many other westerns over the years much of the firearms used were anachronistic to the years depicted. The movie is set in the 1870s, but the guns used didn't arrive until 20-something years later.
Still, despite historical bloopers, the movie is still very entertaining.
So, here's a video on the "Guns Used In A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)."
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| Above, the John Wayne whiskey decanter I got at a Payson, Arizona antique store. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
As a general rule, I will stop at an antique shop while out traveling in my RV if it is a large store with eye-catching items displayed in front.
I can easily recall two specific antique stores I've made purchases at. One was in Cortez, Colorado (Antique Corral) and the other was in Payson, Arizona (Explore the Attic). At the Cortez store, I bought a wrought iron key holder. At the Payson store, I bought a John Wayne bust whiskey decanter.
RV Travel has posted an poll article asking readers of they visit antique shops while traveling. I replied, "Yes, sometimes."
The article begins with:
When you’re out with your RV, exploring cities and small towns, do you like to visit antique shops? There are some incredible places across the country and across North America where you could easily spend an afternoon wandering through antique stores, flea markets, and dusty old barns packed with treasures.
And, really, antique shopping and RVing seem to go pretty well together. You’re already traveling through towns you might never otherwise visit, so why not stop and see what’s hiding inside that old shop on Main Street? You never know what you’ll find. It could be a beautiful piece of furniture, an old camping lantern, vintage postcards, Pyrex dishes, records, signs, books, tools… or something completely bizarre that you absolutely do not need but suddenly cannot imagine leaving without.
To read the full article, go here.
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| Above, Wyoming's Devil's Tower National Monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
There is one state in the lower 48 states that has been deemed the most "outdoorsy" state in the U.S. Based upon my experience with it, I have to agree. It is a fun place to travel in and with plenty to see and do.
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| Above, whitewater rafting the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. |
That state is Wyoming. My most recent visit was last summer.
Travel + Leisure took a look at different states and posted which ones are the most "outdoorsy" states to enjoy.
They begin with:
It’s easy to picture coastal states like California, Florida, or Maine when thinking about the best of America’s great outdoors. And while those destinations are undoubtedly stunning and offer tons of water-based activity options, what if we told you the most outdoorsy state in the country is actually completely landlocked?
A new study by RV rental company RVezy analyzed all 48 states in the continental U.S. for which there was available data using five sources—AllTrails, Google Maps, Campsite Tonight, Summit Post, and the National Park Service. It evaluated 12 metrics measuring access to outdoor recreation, with applicable factors calculated per 100,000 residents. Walking trails, campgrounds, and percentage of public land carried the most weight at 10 percent each, followed by hiking trails and state parks at 9 percent; mountain biking, road biking, horseback riding trails, and water sports access at 8 percent; waterfalls and national parks at 7 percent; and ski resorts at 6 percent.
“It’s one thing to have beautiful landscapes, but another to have the infrastructure that allows people to explore them safely and easily,” said RVezy founder Michael McNaught, in a press release. “From my experience, the best destinations are the ones that offer flexibility. You might go for a hike in the morning, paddle in the afternoon, and camp under the stars at night. States that rank highly in this study tend to offer that kind of all-in-one experience, which is exactly what travelers are looking for.”
Wyoming ranked No. 1, taking the top spot in three of the 12 metrics: hiking trails, horseback riding trails, and access to national parks. With the second-lowest population density of any other U.S. state (only Alaska has fewer residents and more land), Wyoming’s population of roughly 590,784 leaves a lot of nature to explore, with not nearly as many crowds.
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| Above, Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
To read more, go here.
Everyone Wants a Winchester 94... But They're Missing This video by Frontier Files.
Summary:
Ask any hunter which lever action rifle won the West and he says the Winchester Model 94. He is right about the sales and wrong about the gun. The Marlin Model 336 in 30-30 usually wins.
Eight rounds, judged on what a hunter actually pays for. Browning's 1894 lockup against Marlin's solid top receiver. Top ejection that fights a scope against side ejection that never had the argument. Micro-Groove rifling, the 35 Remington, the post-64 collapse, the Remlin years, and the Ruger comeback out of Mayodan. Then the round everyone came for: Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Eisenhower and a hangman's rifle in a museum case.
There is a 30-30 in an awful lot of American closets. Tell us in the comments which one is in yours, then subscribe for the real hardware told straight.
The Gunsmith Who Warned America About the Winchester Model 94 video by Arms Archives.
Summary:
The stories nobody wrote down. Who handed you your first gun, what he did for a living, and why he took that one off the rack. We're putting that world on paper while there are still men who can say it right.
From 1894, the Model 94's receiver was forged from solid steel, machined, polished, and blued to match the barrel. It was a working man's rifle. It cost eighteen dollars. They finished it like that anyway.
By 1964 the receiver was pressed out of powdered metal.
It would not take the same blue.
Between 1902 and 2006, three warnings came and went about that rifle. Not one of them was said out loud. And the first one was given in a drafting room in New Haven, Connecticut — sixty-two years before anybody touched the steel.
This is the story of John Moses Browning, the Utah gunsmith who drew every rifle and every shotgun Winchester sold for nineteen years and was never once on the payroll. No salary, no title, no desk in New Haven with his name on it. He built a gun in Ogden, carried it into the plant, handed it across a desk, took the money, and went home to start the next one. Most of what he carried in was never built at all. Winchester bought it anyway and put it in a drawer, so nobody else could have it. He knew. He never asked.
In January of 1902 he stopped coming. He never explained himself — not to a newspaper, not to the trade, not once in the twenty-four years he had left. Eighteen months later Winchester put its side in writing and mailed it to every dealer in the country: the company would be perfectly able to get along without the Brownings, and would probably be better off without them.
Winchester was right. That's the part nobody tells you.
There's a way to tell which side of it your rifle was made on. Look at the serial number. Under 2,700,000 and the receiver was forged and milled. Above it and the steel changed. You can usually see it without the number — hold the receiver up next to the barrel in good light. If they're the same deep blue-black, it's the old steel. If the receiver reads gray or slightly purple against the barrel, it isn't.
Go find yours and look. Then tell me in the comments which way it went, who handed it to you, and what he did for a living.
1975 Interview: Former Gov. Ronald Reagan with Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes:
If War Starts Tomorrow — The Only Lever Gun That Matters Costs $400 video by Dale Hutchins.
Summary:
If War Starts Tomorrow — The Only Lever Gun That Matters Costs $400. In a world full of complex tactical gear, expensive accessories, and trend-driven rifles, the true answer for reliability, self-sufficiency, and hard times has been hiding in plain sight for over a hundred and thirty years. Discover why the legendary lever-action chambered in thirty-thirty Winchester remains the ultimate practical choice for your household without breaking the bank.
From navigating used market gems like the J M stamped Marlin to understanding why simple mechanical reliability beats batteries and fragile gas systems every single time, this breakdown cuts straight through the sales pitch to give you the honest truth. Learn the four essential questions every defensive and hunting rifle must clear before you spend your hard-earned money, and why patience in the used market can land you a dependable workhorse for around four hundred dollars.
