Back home

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Ben Blaney

Oh yeah, no worries. They've got IR flares, chaff and proper guns these
days. You'll be fine.

Unless...

Look, it's probably nothing, but check the ticket. If you're booked
"turret class", then you might want to see if you can blag an old copy
of the 80's 'Star Wars' game. Just for practice. "In the unlikely
event..." and all that.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

Funnily enough, the septics find it most amusing that I've never shot
a gun of any kind in my life.

 

Shit *I* find it amusing. My school had it's own range!!

'Hog

 

'Hog wrote

The only shooting I used to do at school was round the back of the bike
sheds with Quick Hand Suzie.

 

My school was, naturally, boys only. One was never stuck for a good hand
job though.

'Hog

 

'Hog scribbled:

The priest? But why hand and no blow?

 

Priest! may you burn in hell.

'Hog

 

<AOL>

And we had Lee Enfield 303s, until the government them all away in
1972[1], boo-hoo.

[1] The IRA was getting uppity and Plod inspected our school armoury
where we had a couple of hundred 303s. Security was a cheap padlock on
the door, and chain running through the trigger guards' secured by more
cheap padlocks.

They took away the 303s and left us half a dozen for training porpoises,
and shooting went down to .22s. Shame.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

We used to train with those in Army Cadets during the mid 70s. I can
still strip and rebuild one blindfolded, as I demonstrated to a mate
who bought a decommissioned one about 4 years ago. No doubt I could
still do the same with an SMG and GPMG.

Our cadet detatchment was based in the old barracks keep in Kempston.
We had a proper full-fat armoury there. We did .22" shooting on the
indoor range up in the loft of Bedford barracks and .303", 7.62mm etc
was done at the Grafham range and Bisley. I shot at county level for 3
years whilst a cadet.

 

that was *after* your eyes went, eh?

 

Pedalbin says...

My eyes didn't show any signs of being wonky until I was 24, that's
when I first wore specs.

Curiously, I shot left handed when I was much younger, even though my
right eye is dominant. It just felt more comfortable with the SMLE No.4
Mk1 that I preferred. Cocking the weapon was a PITA though, but I got
used to doing that cack-handedly with my left hand. When I trained with
SLRs and SMGs I found firing from the right to be much easier.

 

'Hog scribbled:

<fx : gets sausages & burgers ready for BBQ>

 

Interesting. We were also taught to strip & reassemble blindfold, but
I'm sure I couldn't do it now.

I did fire one of the 303s before we lost them, and the recoil was
terrible.

I got marksman status on .22s, but somehow they weren't the same.

 

Never had that, however, I quite enjoy the challenge of accurate
shooting. When it all works I am not a bad shot but pretty
inconsistent. If it had ever been less hassle to have a firearm I
probably would have, all a mute point since the spoil sports have
stuck their oar in.

 

My experience too, I fly a lot and a few years back used to need to go
to LA about once every six to eight weeks. At the time my manager was
very parsimonious so only ever allowed me to book fixed economy tickets.

I think I only missed being upgraded on a leg of one flight out of about
10.

I think you need to look like a very regular flier. I think that's the
key.

However given the current travel policy I benefit from I haven't flown
economy for the last couple of years. Well, excepting one occasion when
they'd canceled 3 out of 4 flights to Germany one afternoon and I only
managed to swing an economy ticket on that one rather than not flying at
all.

Then again, I flew enough to get three BA gold cards last year so they
need to look after me.

I try to stutter a lot and use my best yokel accent. Pretty much got it
off pat 100% of the time for the past 40 years now.

 

Yep. We found a box of ancient .303 ammunition (dated 1918, iirc) which
had a much heavier kick than the more 'modern' stuff - which was not
exactly new, either.

 

Yeah, sorry about that

 

<sip>

Coo, Mr P, where have you been?

 

LOL yeah and about time too!

'Hog

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

Busy. v.busy. Still am.