Striking while the iron’s hot is not something I’ve been particularly good at over the years. Not when it comes to those things which give me a serious case of the “I wants”, at least. When I was really into high-power rocketry, there was a pretty long list of kits on my “must-build” list. It was just a matter of putting aside enough money, then getting them one at a time. And just about every time the rocket cookie-jar was full, I’d learn the company either discontinued that kit or had gone out of business entirely…which isn’t really surprising. It’s pretty much a niche hobby when compared to stuff like R/C airplanes…this ain’t the Estes models you might have built in your high school science class. The motors start at around $20 a pop for the low-end stuff. A mid-range high power engine goes for around $50. The really big stuff gets into the hundreds. So yeah, a majority of guys in my local club appear to be retired and/or just have the kids out of the house and once again have money to burn (literally, in this case).
Not to mention a weather-sensitive hobby is not the best choice in a place like Ohio…same reason I’m not real active in astronomy anymore.
So a few years ago I rediscovered the joy of shooting, and managed to get my wife and our boys at least semi-appreciative of same. I learned to shoot properly in the Marines, and those skills never really went away. It didn’t take much range time to bring them back, which was nice to see. I won’t be taking home any trophies from Camp Perry or appearing on Top Shot anytime soon, but I can put a decent three-shot group on paper. And it’s a less expensive hobby to pursue, at least in cost of ammo vs. cost of rocket motors. $50 will buy a lot more .22LR and 9mm than it will rocket motors.
The expensive part, of course, is the actual firearm. But at least they’re a lot less fragile than rockets. I picked up a Ruger 9mm last year at a really good price – the downside was I had to wait almost 3 months for it to be delivered. And that brings me to the point of this particular rant. I hadn’t really focused on any single manufacturer over the others, but Ruger has a way of making stuff that’s precisely what I’m looking for at the time.
And apparently, there are an awful lot of other knuckle-dragging 2nd Amendment fans like me who feel the same way. Ruger just announced they are suspending acceptance of all new orders until at least the end of May. Which in corporate-speak probably means late June.
Well, crap. Guess what I was planning to do with some of the royalties from Perigee? That’s right, buy some model Ruger, specifically a Mini-14 in .223 caliber. I’d really been itching for a Gunsite Scout .308, but had to get real: I don’t hunt, and .308 rounds cost twice as much as .223.
And let’s face it: Mini-14’s are cool. Love the M-14 but can’t afford the civilian version (the M1A)? No prob! The Mini is quite handy, is based on the same Garand-type action as the M1 and M14, and eats ammo that you can get by the truckload el cheapo.
Bummer. Waiting sucks.
Rant over.
¹Yes, I’m a lightweight. That’s a good thing when it comes to alky-hol. Trust me.
The Chiles Files 