Winter Field Tips

(Source)

I've had a couple posts recently with some tips for dressing for the winter (see here and here). I definitely got to put some of them to use this past weekend. 

    Between the wet weather we had earlier this month (which turns the ground to a thick, sticky mud perfect for getting stuck) and other activities, I hadn't been out shooting for a bit. This past weekend, though, with morning temperatures in the teens, I decided it was probably safe to try and reach my favorite shooting spot because whatever areas hadn't dried would have frozen. I was mostly right.

    I had two main reasons for going shooting (well, other than I hadn't been for a few weeks). First was to test out the 1911 on which I had swapped out the flat main spring housing for an arched one (I wrote about that here). Second, with Idaho having such a large budget surplus, the legislature had authorized an additional tax return. Like a good, responsible person, I could have put it into savings; but being a gun guy, that just wasn't going to happen. I decided to check another off my "bucket list" of firearms and purchased a Smith & Wesson Model 317 "Kit Gun". 

    For those of you unfamiliar with S&W's kit guns, it is in reference to the small .22 LR revolvers built on the J-frame with short 3-inch barrels: the idea is that these are revolvers small and light enough for a fisherman, camper or hiker to throw into his kit and use for taking small game, to dispatch snakes or other vermin, or for casual plinking. Barrel lengths have varied over time, but mostly have been in the 3-inch range.

    Tom Clapper has an excellent history of the developments leading up to the production of the first "kit guns" and its subsequent changes (link here).  The gist, however, is that the kit gun developed out of S&W's .32 hand ejector revolvers on the I-frame but chambered in .22 LR. After some starts and fits in the early 20th Century, but in 1936 S&W released its first .22 revolver labelled as a "kit gun": the .22/32 Kit Gun, still using the I-frame designed for the .32 revolver. In 1957, with S&W switching to a system of using model numbers instead of names, the kit gun became the Model 34. In 1958, S&W began production of the an "Airweight" kit-gun using a J-frame sized frame known as the Model 43. The steel framed kit gun was converted to a J-frame in 1960. In 1977, S&W released its first stainless steel kit gun: the Model 63. 

    Production has stopped and started again on different models, and changes have led to different model designations. As Dave Campbell reported in a 2018 article, "[t]he Model 34 was discontinued in 1991 though there were a few reissues. Today it exists in two more modern configurations, the Model 317 with an aluminum frame, 3" barrel and an eight-shot cylinder or the Model 63, with a stainless steel frame, 3" barrel and an eight-shot cylinder." 

    I've long wanted a kit gun, particularly after hefting the aluminum framed/aluminum cylinder versions. These weigh in at 11.7 ounces and have fully adjustable rear sights. Today's Model 317 also sports a bright green fiber optic front sight. This particular model is popular with hikers and backpackers because of its light weight. It is perfectly adequate for protection against aggressive dogs, raccoons or other critters, can be used for signaling, and if worse came to worse, could be pressed into use for self-defense. They are pricey--especially when compared to a .22 semi-auto--which is why I've held off buying one for so long. The MSRP is $839.00. I paid about $80 less for mine at a local gun shop. 

    Since my youngest son is supposed to be practicing his driving preparatory to getting his driver's license, after we got off the highway, I let him drive the paved country road from the highway to where we turn off onto a dirt path. He was going too fast trying to make the turn off, but I did learn that my SUV will drift without rolling. Anyway, after that bit of excitement and a few seconds to recover, I exited the vehicle and was glad to learn that the mud had mostly frozen, so off we went into the desert. 

    The one thing you can count on in a southern Idaho desert is the wind and we weren't disappointed. It wasn't terrible--it wasn't near strong enough to blow over targets which is not an infrequent problem--but it was a steady strong breeze that nevertheless seemed to find every opening in one's clothing. My youngest son had forgotten his gloves, but fortunately I keep a spare pair of cold-weather gloves in my vehicle. These are some insulated gloves made by Head that I picked up at Costco many years ago. I've since replaced them for regular wear because they got a slight tear in one finger, but the insulating and waterproofing layers are still intact.

    My oldest son and I both were wearing thin gloves conducive to shooting. These were also Head brand that I picked up at Costco years ago (are you sensing a pattern, here?) that are a thin polyester and intended for sporting activities. Importantly, they are thin enough to safely use when shooting and handling firearms. Better than bare skin, but still left us with cold fingers. 

    I started with shooting the Model 317. I wanted to test its function and reliability, but also had brought along some Federal Punch in .22LR to test. If I'm going to be carrying the kit gun hiking or camping, I wanted ammo such that the revolver could be pressed into a self-defense role. The weapon functioned fine--it went bang every time I pulled the trigger--and it pretty much shot to point of aim (POA) at 5 yards. It was cold and I still wanted to try the 1911 so I didn't spend a lot of time with the revolver. Besides, I figured, if your firearm functions flawlessly at 17 or 18 degrees F, it probably will work under most any conditions. I'll do a lengthier test later.

    We spent a little more time with the Remington 1911 mostly because my kids also wanted to shoot it. My oldest son, in particular, was interested in how the arched mainspring housing would help as his Kimber has a flat one. As I expected, it pointed more naturally for me and I was, therefore, able to shoot it more accurately at a decent pace of fire. It seemed to work better for my son as well. Instead of the paper target I'd used to test the revolver, we used the steel dueling tree I'd brought out. My sons shot against each other and I shot against my oldest son. He also tried the Remington on his own. After that I worked with my youngest son using the paper target so I could bring the target up close and help him with getting a proper grip and improve trigger control. 

    There were a couple times when the 1911 didn't fully go into battery, which probably was because of the cold. Years ago I was out shooting with some friends in temperatures that were even much colder, and the best we could do was 4 or 5 rounds from a semi-auto before having feeding problems. We'd then have to put the guns inside our coats for a few minutes to warm up and shoot some more. They were having more problems than me, which I put down to them typically using more lubricant than I do. They were also having problems with their ARs. I had an Mini-14 at the time that worked without issue, but I again put this down to differences in lubing practices. My pump action shotgun I'd brought out also worked fine. But I vowed after that trip--which had temperatures in the low single digits or perhaps even colder out on the flats in the desert--that I was never again going to practice in that cold of weather.

    But back to my recent trip. Did I say it was cold with a strong breeze? The main problems were my hands, because of the thin gloves, and my ears because I had not brought a hat that covered my ears. My kids were complaining of the cold as well, so we packed up early, I drove out to the paved road, let my youngest drive back to the highway, and then I drove the rest of the way back home. I haven't told my wife about my son "drifting" the car. That's a story for his friends.

    In my earlier post on cold weather tips, I mentioned some ideas from one of my readers. He has some more tips which I'd like to share:

    A small pc cut from an old yoga mat can be used to sit on in snow and keep your ass from getting wet.

We decided to call it a day before moving to shooting some rifle so fortunately I didn't find myself sitting on the ground (although I had a shooting mat with me). But this seems a more compact solution and would work if I found myself using a formal shooting range with shooting benches and chairs. My wife hasn't used her yoga mat for a few years so I'm sure she won't notice. 

    Also, he adds: 

    There are gloves, intended for use by auto mechanics I think, available at many hdwr stores that fit tightly/ have textured grips.  I often wear a pair of these under warmer gloves/ mittens.  If I need to deal w/ something that requires a degree of dexterity, I can ditch the outer glove/ mitten and even in extreme cold have a minute or two before my hands become so cold that I lose feeling/ dexterity.  Also, I can touch metal (ski bindings, a knife blade, gun barrel/ slide, etc.,) w/o freezing/ losing skin.

    If you carry a Bic lighter, pry the little "child protection" wheel off of it.  Child proof can become adult proof in cold weather as you lose feeling/ dexterity in your fingers.  Also, keep lighter in inside pocket next to your body, as this can make a big difference in getting flame in extreme cold.

He also adds:

I always keep a few feet of duct tape wrapped around my Bic lighters.  This means I (almost) always have duct w/ me.  Further, duct tape makes OK tinder.  Not great, but workable.  (Do you know the PJCB [ed: petroleum jelly cotton ball] in a milkshake straw trick?  I learned it from a guy who went by "curdog".  I know Ellifritz posted about this, but if it's new to you let me know and I'll explain more fully.)  Finally, w/ cold hands this makes the lighter easier to grasp. 

Finally, and something that I knew better and should have done:

    I carry a thermos w/ either hot chocolate or hot tea when I know I'm going to be out for a while.  Adding half a stick of butter to hot chocolate really bumps up the caloric value and tastes pretty damn good  on a cold day.

I haven't tried adding a stick of butter to hot chocolate. I think I'll dig out my large Thermos and give it a try for my next outing.