Dr. StrangeGun, or how I suddenly felt guilty about the title.

Ok, I just wanted to remind everyone that the doc isn't an actual doctorate, the name and title of the blog is a play on Dr. Strangelove. That's painfully obvious, I know, but I have great respect for those who have gone through the collegiate vetting process, particularly in the sciences, and I've always cringed a bit when i get called "doctor" in real life.

My actual credentials are an associates degree in computer science, about a year and a half worth of drafting/mechanical drawing/CAD courses, and an insatiable, autodidactic thirst for knowledge and this strange ability to put machines together in my head and eventually get them out on paper.

Though, one of the long-term goals is to get the hell out of computer science (it kills the fun, really) and get into mechanical engineering, automotive or firearm if I can help it. UT's in my future, when I can afford it.

Speaking of affording things, the Para is back from Shannon with two sizes up of link in it and locks up tighter than some of the high end 1911's I've picked out of our cases, and when I've got $40 I'll get it off the shelf. Till then, I'm deprived. I suffer from a pesky condition called 'responsibility' and I'm dumping all my money into major debts whenever I get paid.

Any mechanical engineers out there offering advice for how to get started in this litte career shifting project?

Almost perfect. Almost.

Seems that the primer wipe issue with the Para 10mm isn't so much spring weight as it is lug engagement, or it's lack thereof. It's back in the shop now, to have the barrel fitted properly.

Para got lazy.

Some little updates to keep it fresh.

Well, a few things have happened in my little funky world of firearms, and I figured that I'll tell you about it just because I haven't posted since... er... July.

That's mostly because I don't have a camera to *show* you what's going on, but I may fix that soon. Anyways:

1. The '56 Colt OP has been repaired by Joe at the shop. It locks up like a bank vault all the way around now thanks to a new hand and fresh timing work. Unfortunately I've only shot it once since and it didn't group, it patterned... I need to take it out again and verify that it wasn't me or the castoff ammo I used in it.

2. I managed to locate a stock for my Arisaka, another sporter that's in much better, actually beautiful condition with one caveat; there's a crushed spot at the very front of the forend. I also just now noticed that the front sight is rotated to the left about 15 degrees along the barrel axis, which means either the guy who worked on it before I rescued it was a ham-fisted moron or... well, that's about it. My guess would be that the barrel was cut and set back without sweating off the sight fixture and replacing it. That also opens the question up of whether or not it's still a 7.7 Arisaka, I'll have to have the chamber cast to find out for sure.

3. Tonight I'm bringing home a pristine 1974 CZ-70 in .32acp. That leaves only two "common" pistols out of the CZ collection, a 38 and a 97. Once I get those two I can hunt down a Fox, a Duo, maybe a 50 and an 85... the CZ Fox is probably unobtanium, but would be quite slick as it's an early '20's vest pocket semiauto .25 with a FOLDING TRIGGER.

4. I have a new carry gun at work... a Para Ordnance P16-10. No, I don't mean 16-40... it *was* a 16-40, but not so much anymore :) I tried it out yesterday with some hornady XTP (200gr, 1080fps) and it was as accurate as I could shoot it and the recoil was surprisingly soft. Wiped the primers like a son-of-a-lorcin too, even with a heavier recoil spring, I'll source down a 30 pound mainspring shortly. McAdamSandwich tried it out too and liked it greatly, and once I have a heavy mainspring I'm looking forward to beating it senseless with some of Double Tap's 135gr, 1800fps loads :) Can you say "fireball"?

I'm fairly secure that unlike my previous carry choice (S&W 432PD .32H&R Magnum) that I won't have to wait very long at all for a cluster of COM hits to do their dirty work on a goblin, if need be. 6 .32 magnums are sufficiently deadly, 17 10mm rounds are...

...let me put it this way, it's cracking eggs with a hammer. However, that ignores the fact that hammers do indeed crack eggs, and rather well at that.

In ither news, that part of my brain that does internal CAD work is still in hyperactive mode and I've now got two different pistol designs and a concept for a gas-op rifle action floating around my brain with no real way to get them out. I *really* need to just suck it up and drop $200 on a melamine table with a horizontal beam and start drawing some of this stuff. Of course, that much would almost get me a copy of AutoCAD, which I do have training in.... hrmm.