Today pretty much exemplifies and encapsulates what I like about the shooting hobby.  I have to admit I’ve been a bit jaded lately.  I love historical firearms and I love shooting, but I’ve been really burned out on the whole hobby for months now having dealt with a glut of the extreme(ly bad) personalities lately.  Even burning up rounds through the MG’s – something I used to relish – has been  sort of ho-hum lately.  Basically, I’d been getting kinda apathetic to firearms and the hobby in general, but today helped tremendously.

I had a day off, so I decided to spend one of the last truly nice days Michigan will see for the next six months at the range.  I ran some errands, then loaded up the car with 4 M1 Garands and my repro sniper K98k.   I wanted to take my time and really sight in the rifles well since I’d only fired one of them before (and even then it was only ~20 rounds).

The range was peaceful and quiet with a few people coming and going while I was there.  The rifles cooperated beautifully (except for one that wouldn’t cycle, but I think that’s my fault) and sighted in very quickly.  The K98 shot very very tight groups and ran like a champ as always.

As a bonus I met a couple really great guys today that were a lot of fun to talk with.  One guy really enjoyed shooting the M1′s.  The other let me shoot his muzzleloader and at 200 yards I managed to hit the upper “v” of the “X” bullseye.  I assure you, I could have put a thousand more rounds through that gun today and not duplicated my feat.  Either way it was beautiful rifle to shoot and I really enjoyed the opportunity.

So, in the end, great guns, great company, and great weather have helped lift my sagging love of the firearms hobby.

… or so I’m told.  I’ve been on a huge M1 Garand kick lately.  I’ve given the CMP countless dollars and have even picked up a few from private sales as well.  The catalyst was when I decided to order a pair of Service Grade M1′s from the CMP.  One for me, one for my newborn son (when he’s old enough).   Then, as Garands do, two turned into three turned into four, turned into seven.

I wanted one for me so I could take it out and shoot it, and the second I’ve put into long-term storage for my kiddo.  He’s probably one of the youngest M1 Garand owners in the world.  I tell him this often, but at 2½ months, I don’t think he much cares.

Anyway, my timing was perfect as the CMP has recently stopped accepting orders for service grade rifles.  I made the cut by under a week.  To say I was happy when I got them would be an understatement.  They were just beautiful rifles.  Like new wood and metal.  Can’t wait to get some time to sneak out to the range.  But, with a new little one around, that’s easier said than done.

Here’s the Service Grade Springfield Armory M1 I recently received from the CMP.  I’m calling this one mine and have set the HRA M1 aside for the little one.

 

Threatening your customers: The best way to earn someone’s business.

“We price at the lowest possible price. We will NOT consider any offers lower than our stated price. We will NOT answer email about this subject. It is just as easy for us to block you as it is reply to your message.”

Really?  Is it really necessary to threaten your potential customers?  I saw that line on a gunbroker auction today and I find it kind of offensive.  Sure, I’ve had my share of tire-kickers through the shop, but it’s part of the business plain and simple.  There are sooooo many other ways to say this without threatening to block your customers’ emails if they should upset you.  I wonder if their shop’s front door has a sign on it reading, “HAGGLERS WILL BE SHOT.”

Actually, this is a pretty good encapsulation of why I started my own gun shop.  I couldn’t stand the crusty, mean-spirited attitude that permeates a lot of the local gun shops and gun shows.  That “holier-than-thou, you should be so lucky to as even touch my wares,” attitude just burns me.  So, with that in mind, I founded Southern Michigan Arms on the basis of good customer service and – hopefully – superior pricing.  My hope is to treat all customers fairly and justly – even the tire-kickers.

And now for some other gun-related news.  The MG42 is in the care of Bob Naess at Black River Militaria.  He’s one of the – if not the - best MG42 guys in the country.  If he can’t fix the issues the gun is having, no one can.  In which case, I suppose, I have a very elaborate, heavily-regulated paperweight on my hands.

I’m hoping to expand SMA into the world of suppressors here shortly.  I’ve never done it simply because FFL dealers are the only people in MI who can possess suppressors.  That, of course, wouldn’t leave me with much of a local customer base.  But, hopefully we could price competitively enough to move  out of state sales.  At this point, I’m still researching this idea and how well it’ll play out, so nothing’s certain yet.  But, it’s at least a direction I’m seriously considering.

Hope you all have been having a great summer!