Gun & Prepping News #11

  Just some articles that caught my attention for one reason or another:

• "Weekend Knowledge Dump- December 27, 2024"--Active Response Training. This is Greg Ellifritz's collection of articles and videos that had impressed him in one or another, including a couple articles on revolvers, what to do if someone is following you, how to use the "what if?" game to prepare your family for a home invasion or other emergency, and more.
• "Smith & Wesson 629 .44 Magnum Mountain Gun"--Cold Bore Miracle. The S&W "Mountain Gun" is a version of the 629 .44 Magnum revolver that has only sporadically been offered by Smith & Wesson over the past few decades. Basically, it is a 629 sporting a light-weight (i.e., a tapered) barrel that is 4-inches in length with a slight chamfer of the front of the cylinder, probably intended to further reduce the weight, and a few other slight changes. It was intended to a be a lighter-weight carry gun for the backwoods (hence, it moniker). However, the overall weight savings appears to have been very slight, only shaving off two or three ounces from the 42.8 ounces of the standard 4-inch version of the 629. (Update: my Mountain Gun comes in at 39.5 oz. unloaded). The primary draw of these firearms seems to be the aesthetics of the "pencil" barrel and chamfered cylinder.
  
• More: "The Mountain Gun"--Revolver Guy. This article goes more into the history of the Mountain Gun.
  
• "Browning SA-22 Challenge Semiauto Rimfire: Its History and a Review"--Rifleshooter Magazine. The standard Browning SA-22 is a take down rifle that uses a tube magazine that fits up through the buttstock, and ejects through the bottom, making it a handy rifle and particularly well suited for left-handed shooters. I suspect that its cost was the only reason that it did not see the sales volumes of the Ruger 10/22 or Marlin Models 60 and 70. But although providing a bit of history of the standard SA-22, the article is primarily about a new model of SA-22: the "Challenge." It is designed to be a target rifle and, therefore, sports a bull barrel and scope rails. Unlike the standard SA-22, it is not a take down, however. 
• "Ruger Speed Six: A Medium-Framed Workhorse Revolver"--Handguns Magazine. Another popular revolver from back in the day. The Ruger Six series of revolvers were .357 Magnum (generally) revolvers manufactured in the 1970s and '80s using a medium sized frame somewhere between the S&W K and N frames in size and a half-under lug. This made the firearm smaller and lighter--and thus easier to carry--than the GP100 revolvers. Per this article, the three primary variants were the Security Six (which had an adjustable rear sight), the Service Six (a fixed sight version of the Security Six), and a the Speed Six (a round-butt version of the Service Six). 
• "Is .22 Mag Overrated?"--Gun Digest (warning: auto-play with loud, obnoxious music). A more realistic title to this article would have been "circumstances when the .22 Mag is better than the .22 LR," but I suppose that would have been too long. The author runs trap lines and lists two general reasons he carries a scoped .22 Magnum rifle: (i) to deal with skunks that get trapped; and (ii) incidental predator control (basically shooting predators when he chances across them as opposed to specifically going out to hunt them). In the latter regard, the author notes that "[t]he .22 WMR is the perfect cartridge for incidental varmint work because it offers more effective range and power than the .22 LR without the ear-ringing report and fur-wrecking properties of a .22 centerfire."
• "How to Hunt Safely Into Old Age"--American Hunter. An excerpt:

There is no doubt the hunting population is aging and that folks today are active much deeper into their golden years than in generations past. Still, it simply makes sense to use a little self-sufficient practicality to try to head off any problems. Older hunters are more prone to falls and other accidents, and they are less able to physically deal with major issues and injuries. They may also experience cognitive issues more often. It could be something as simple as forgetting to take along some gear they need or they could become disoriented and lost. Regardless, a little pre-planned safety can go a long way to ensure a good outcome.

While there is a lot of good advice in the article, it doesn't mention heart attacks, even though I generally see at least a couple articles every fall of hunters that have died of heart attacks. Generally this is due to being is such poor physical condition that sometimes the physical exertion can be more than they can handle. For instance, this year I read of an incident in a state in the mid-west where a hunter had a heart attack simply lugging his gear from his vehicle to a tree stand. The solution is, of course, to get regular check-ups and, if you do not regularly exercise, ease into hunting by practicing some physical activity in the lead up to hunting season, such as walking and climbing steps.

• "Prepping After 60"--The Prepper Journal. The author is a single, senior woman living on 7.5 acres in Southern California. She offers good general advice on prepping, no matter your age, along with advice about having a good attitude for those more advanced in years.
• "How To Charge a Car Battery, Step by Step"--Get Pocket. Has step-by-step instructions as well as an embedded video.
• "Ways to Prepare for the New Year 2025"--Apartment Prepper. Some of the points raised in the article:

1.   Review and Update Your Emergency Plan
   
2.   Restock and Rotate Your Emergency Supplies
3.   Set Financial Goals for Prepping
4.   Organize Your Living Space
   

 And more.