Yeah, it beats all! Twelve months ago, even six months ago, you wouldn't catch Fred even thinking about a state rocker for California - and now he's flipped his lid, and ordered some which should arrive in about three weeks.
The "CALIFORNIA" rocker - if you haven't seen a rocker, it's a sorta arching (curved) name patch which goes above or below the standard oval RWVA patch - will allow California Appleseeders to ID each other, as we set fire - figuratively! - to that state.
Worse news of all: Fred didn't order a measly 500, like he did for Texas. No sir, he ordered ONE THOUSAND.
And he's gonna set this challenge: If we don't have 100 recruited volunteers eager enough to gain a "CALIFORNIA" rocker in the next twelve months, he will withdraw the remainder from circulation, and they go to the dumpster in disgust!
Lest you think that is an easy standard, it's not. I doubt, in the last six months, if there's been more than a dozen or two "TEXAS" rockers given out (altho I may be wrong - and Texans will be quick to let me know :'( :D).
So, Californians, ready to get up off your knees, throw off your chains, and assume your rightful place on this planet as free-born, sovereign American citizens?
I hope so. But it's up to you. And a tough choice: Not "better to die on your feet, than live on your knees" - more a "why live on your knees, when you can live on your feet?"
Bob 210 will set the standards - in Texas, if you come to a Texas boot camp, you can earn a "TEXAS" rocker. Not many people I've talked to want to go to California - especially gun-owning former Californians. But maybe Appleseed, with the help of some enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, can change that. And maybe a "CALIFORNIA" rocker may come to stand for the courage to step up and Face the Beast, to emerge from the darkness and into the light of freedom, from crouching in a cave or cellar to standing erect in the open, as a free man. It can happen. I hope it will happen.
You can MAKE it happen. 8)
California! Go forth and do good work!
This Texan is PROUD of you all, I mean y'all!! :)
(http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll175/bwanderson_308/DSC01834.jpg)
Who wants a CALIFORNIA rocker?? That's almost like asking who wants ice cream, isn't it?
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME
waving over here .............. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!
even jumping up and down ......... ME ME ME ME ME ME!
Actually, I will want two, one for each of my shooting jackets. (if I can get two that is) ;D
Now, I have to ask Bob210, What do I have to do to earn it? :o
Watch California go! Those rockers will be gone by this time next year, for sure. Hmmmm. I wonder if Fred has any South Carolina rockers in mind.........
T'would be nice, but quantity-wise, you HAVE to order more than ONE... ;D ;D
::) ;D
Hey California, Wheeler44 here, perched up here in the top left corner of the Nation.......
I'm rootin' for ya......Show them other folks how we can do it on the left coast.
I feel that at the rate you're goin' a politician would "Have to" attend an Appleseed to get elected..
Ps......I'm a watchin' and a learnin'
Wheeler44
I'm a former Californian, now a Texan. No idea how many Texas rockers are out, except (There are NOT many like them, and this one is mine!) that I have one.
Going to Arkansas next month, but if the rare California rockers are going to go out, I'll have to re-schedule and get there for an event PDQ.
Congrats, former neighbors.
JB, no fear. New England will have the last state to have an Appleseed.
Seems Rhode Island doesn't have any ranges, Maine is trying but can't find a range that will have us, and New Hampshire is about the same as Maine. NH and ME have some really nice ranges, better than anything in Mass or VT, except Army Guard ranges (our best Appleseed range up here is an Army Guard range in VT, btw).
My bet is on New Hampshire being last.
Yeah, a bunch of Appleseeders from NH, but they come to VT and Mass just to attend.
Bad enough that we're looking into a Southeast VT Appleseed, just to get them to come.
Fred, don't waste the time to consider New Hampshire or Maine rockers. Yeah, I'll have the FIRST one of them, you can bank on it, but, looking at the (lack of) success we're having getting ranges to have us, it's going to be a LONG time coming.
Isn't from a lack of trying, that's for sure.
Go figure.
Nickle, you can brag on New England all you want, but I'm still betting South Carolina will be LAST.
Heck, there will be time for Rhode Island to CLEAR LAND and BUILD A RANGE - and at a very leisurely pace, at that. :P ::) >:( ;D
Maine and New Hampshire may have pretensions, but they are sore destined for disappointment, as they are out of their league and simply don't know it.
Both states will have Appleseeds LONG before South Carolina.
JB ain't gonna get his knickers in an uproar over this, since he'll soon be in Alabama, sowing the message.
Now, I'm not saying that "SOUTH CAROLINA" is engraved on the "LAST STATE TO HOST AN APPLESEED" trophy -yet - it's a big one - over six feet tall - but if I had to choose a place to store it, it would be in South Carolina, just so we don't have to move the heavy thing twice...
;D ;D ;D
Now why are we talking about South Carolina on the California board....heaven forbid that people confuse the two places! ;D
Quote from: Fred on July 10, 2008, 09:56:15 AM
Nickle, you can brag on New England all you want, but I'm still betting South Carolina will be LAST.
Heck, there will be time for Rhode Island to CLEAR LAND and BUILD A RANGE - and at a very leisurely pace, at that. :P ::) >:( ;D
Maine and New Hampshire may have pretensions, but they are sore destined for disappointment, as they are out of their league and simply don't know it.
Both states will have Appleseeds LONG before South Carolina.
You do know that all of that is NOT something I'm proud of.
I'll add that RI will probably STILL beat NH. And, I do have folks working on NH and ME, as we speak.
I won't put any bets on SC beating NH for this "not so coveted" title, either way. And storing that trophy in SC is wise, as it can easily end up there.
I actually have empathy for our folks (from this forum) down there in SC, as they certainly have their work cut out for them, ridding the place of all that apathy. I don't envy them, for sure.
Bob, no way will anybody confuse SC with CA.
See, I've learned that the more folk's rights are restricted, the more receptive they are to this program.
The only thing that contradicts that is WY and VT, where the program is VERY active, but the rights are good. I chalk that off as folks knowing how bad it can be. See, in VT, we have MA and NY close by, and we don't want to see that happen here. NH only borders on one less than free state, and frankly speaking, many NH folks moved from MA, so they think they're safe now. In WY, there's LOTS of folks that moved there from all over, and they tend to remember where they came from. Both WY and VT inhabitants are frugal sorts, and they see the VALUE in this program.
People from CA know full well about rights erosion.
As Talon well knows, from me, it's a good natured ribbing, and folks, I'll be the first to say that all of you that have taken the time to read this are actually doing something about it.
Now, the SC contingent of this forum is working their butts off trying to get an event in SC established, and y'all should know that some of us (including Fred, btw) are pretty sure you're going to suceed.
Now, I'm not so much saying anything about anywhere outside my area, though I AM saying lots about my area.
Yup, not just SC and earlier, TX that are hard to get a foot hold in. Several New England states are far harder, and I would say I don't know why, though, truth is, I know EXACTLY why.
Quotepeople don't see the alarm
Quotedon't see the train coming at them because they are too lazy to look up from the feed trough
Talon's comments pretty well sums it up.
Now, let's get some events going in those hard to reach places. You know you DON'T have to live there to help find a range.
Quote from: Nickle on July 10, 2008, 10:53:04 AM
...
People from CA know full well about rights erosion.
Spot on. There is no motivator like loss, adversity, and the looming spectre of total disarmament.
Basically, our second amendment rights in California are thought of by most ordinary people, and most elected officials, as, at best, a reluctantly granted privilege.
A privilege indulged in at the whim of legislature, susceptible at any time to fiat denial (infringement), for any or for no reason, of our
basic human right, let alone
specific Constitutional right,
to keep and bear arms. When you deny a segment of the people their rights, they respond with activity, protest, insistence and interest in their political situation: civil rights struggle. Well, the scope of the aggrieved with respect to gun bans is not just an ethnic or racial group, it's far worse than that- bans infringe upon EVERYBODY'S gun rights. And if rights infringements are bad for a subset of the people, then they're much more heinous when applied to the whole of the people.
I sure hope that the sun doesn't set on the Second Amendment in any state where it's now shining brightly. But if you should enter a dark age, as we have, then you'll conclude that it's far better to engage in sunshine with all the momentum on your side than to fight uphill in the dark for your gun rights.
The enemies of your rights will find gun owners', and the people in general, most helpful to their disarmament agenda when apathetic, distracted and disorganized.
Appleseed is political and philosophical medecine to restore the health, due prominence and proper understanding of our Second Amendment.
For that, thank you, everybody here.
Hey! How 'bout them California Rockers? JB
Quote from: Junior Birdman on July 10, 2008, 08:09:52 PM
Hey! How 'bout them California Rockers? JB
Did I mention that I want TWO California Rockers? One for each of my shooting jackets. ;D
~SS
Will those rockers be avalible for the Instructors weekend boot camp, or are they just for the week long full boot camp?
Good question Serf . . . I'm wondering the same thing. Anyway, count me in. I'm interested.
Distribution of the rockers will be up to your state coordinator, Bob 210.
I'll hazard a guess and say he'll prob say "yes".
Since the idea is to build a solid dedicated CA group, I'd guess any qualified rifleman who's been to an Appleseed will be elegible for the rocker, the idea being to have as many "CALIFORNIA" rockers as we can get, walking around California on shooting jackets.
Quote from: Fred on July 11, 2008, 09:01:28 AM
Distribution of the rockers will be up to your state coordinator, Bob 210.
I'll hazard a guess and say he'll prob say "yes".
Since the idea is to build a solid dedicated CA group, I'd guess any qualified rifleman who's been to an Appleseed will be elegible for the rocker, the idea being to have as many "CALIFORNIA" rockers as we can get, walking around California on shooting jackets.
"Qualified Rifleman" meaning anybody that shoots a 210 or better on the AQT. That sounds good to me. Now lets get busy getting people to an Appleseed and get them qualified. 1000 rockers is a lot of Rifleman! And we gotta get rid of the first batch to order the second batch! ;D
Cool Deal......count me in.... ;D ;) 8)
Just remember to spell the "California" with a "C", instead of the "PRK" it usually gets......... :( :-\
After some conversations with some folks, the plan really is to take back this state to common sense legislation......and running away doesn't always make the best tactical decision......
And since most of the other states seem to think that Cali is such a wonderful guideline of how they should be, it doesn't make much sense for the grand kids, either....
We have more than enough icebergs out here, & I'm not going to waste every bodies time naming them.....point is, tactics are the same, whether you're here in PRK, or out in Mass......the folks that want disarmed America to be their playground keep using the same mantra.....and it works wonders with sleeping people...... :o
Meanwhile, we'll just have to hone our "sales skills" to reach the folks who have been hiding, watching, & waiting......and the folks who live in actual "gun counties" (mostly up north, although there are a few down here in SoCal)....
I like to think that Hezekiah Wyman had the right idea when his wife told him he was "too old to fight", & he merely told her to "Watch......"
I understand that better now....... ;D ;) 8)
Quote from: bob 210 on July 11, 2008, 09:41:41 AM
Quote from: Fred on July 11, 2008, 09:01:28 AM
Distribution of the rockers will be up to your state coordinator, Bob 210.
I'll hazard a guess and say he'll prob say "yes".
Since the idea is to build a solid dedicated CA group, I'd guess any qualified rifleman who's been to an Appleseed will be elegible for the rocker, the idea being to have as many "CALIFORNIA" rockers as we can get, walking around California on shooting jackets.
"Qualified Rifleman" meaning anybody that shoots a 210 or better on the AQT. That sounds good to me. Now lets get busy getting people to an Appleseed and get them qualified. 1000 rockers is a lot of Rifleman! And we gotta get rid of the first batch to order the second batch! ;D
I qualify. ;D I want one. Will we have them before JA, R-C, and I go to Winona, MN.? It would be nice to have them for that weekend. I would wear it proudly on the sleeve of my shooting jacket (in CA. too).
~SS
Give me a Rocker. Wooo hoooo California 8)
California Rocks!
Fred,
OK, so the great lakes region is not rocking just yet. How about a rocker the just says Great Lakes Region !!!
Colycat.
Ps, California, We had AS,s before you. We just do not have 15 million people near a range. Actuallly we have only 4 million in the whole state.
Why don't you post this idea on the regional board, and see what people in IL, IN, MI, WI, and MN think?
Actually "Great Lakes" would include OH, NY and a few other states as well - right?
So might want to think about "Lake Michigan" instead of "Great Lakes" - heck, I like both titles, but some states might want to wait 12 months to see if they can get a specific state rocker.
Yep, the first 100+ are on their way to the great state of California, and I want to scotch rumors right here and right now that they actually say "COMMIEFORNIA" - or ever said that - it was just a computer glitch - a conservative computer that, every time the girl tried to type in "CALIFORNIA", what came out was "COMMIEFORNIA" - so she used a different computer.
Let's keep this program moving in CA, to teach that balky computer a real lesson!
PS: Bob 210 should have them in 3-4 days...
This is such ground breaking, earth shattering news, it feels like the ground is moving beneath my feet!.......oh, wait a minute the earth is moving beneath my feet.....we just had an earthquake! WOW, these rockers are big news!!! :o ;D
5.8 on the Richter magnitude scale at Chino Hills!
So, anyone else interested in a Dixie Rocker?
California rockin' while the rockers are en route ;D
So if I pack up Mrs. Slim and take her on that vacation she keeps whining about and we head out there to California and just happen to stop by an AS and just happen to shoot over 210..... would that mean I'm now qualified for a California rocker?
Heh!! It's working.......we have "out of state" Riflemen wanting to slide back in to Cali-fornia to get an A/S token of "Rifleman appreciation"..... ;D 8) :D
What say you, Bob? Shall we let the field be open to all, or do we require a PRK ID card to prove residency?? Maybe a cell phone bill, or Starbucks membership card? :D :o : ;D
Seems we had a conversation about this very thing..... :o 8) ;D
On a personal note, I feel we are all Brothers (and Sisters) under the skin, & the bonding by cordite fumes & lead down range has melded us into one very wide spread family.......my $0.02
TTYS
Ian
Yeah, I know the feeling. My rockers are still on the dresser in the spare bedroom where they've been since the Feb. 07 RBC.
I prefer the small groups to the big patches.
Anyone who shoots a 210 or better at an Appleseed held in CA, gets a CA rocker. 8) I don't recall this much hoo ha about the Texas rockers. HMMMMM........makes you wonder. ;D
Well now, if the rest of them thar texans is anythin like Scout I reckon they just sorta let their actions speak for'em. No need to advertize with a rocker, you can tell their riflemen just by they way the carry themselves, by the way they shoot, by the way the step up to the plate without being asked.
QuoteNo need to advertize with a rocker, you can tell their riflemen just by they way the carry themselves, by the way they shoot, by the way the step up to the plate without being asked.
Actually, M1A4ME, with the current scarcity of riflemen in this country, few people have ever seen a live one - so maybe there is a need for a rocker to ID them, even if only for a short time, before the Appleseed program really revs up, and the country is overun with 'em. ;D
I will be wearing my CALIFORNIA rocker with pride, right above my Rifleman rocker, over the oval patch. ;D
I think the more we get Appleseed noticed the better for the Country. If the rocker means advertisement, I will be a walking billboard. ;D
~SS
Hey, I'll admit when I was younger I got a kick out of the expert (rifle) badge and the Honor Guard tab and all the other stuff that was attached, or hung from, the uniform. These days I get a kick out of coming in under the radar.
Besides, you'll know it's becoming popular to be a rifleman when they start counterfeiting the badges, the rockers and standing around the range tables bragging about which RBC they went to and how high their AQT scores are. It's just a matter of time. It'll happen.
The only thing they can't counterfeit, embellish or add to is their real score on an AQT, so have some ready to post so they can demonstrate their skills.
The above is written kind of tongue in cheek, but just think about how often you hear about folks who have never been in the military wearing uniforms, claiming to be ex-special forces or seals, claiming to have combat experience,etc. Sooner or later, it will happen. Only an AQT will separate the posers from the riflemen (at the range) and only their actions, not their talk, will identify them away from the range.
But for folks who like patches, tabs, rockers, medals, etc., be my guest. If it sparks questions (like the bumper stickers on my truck) or the RWVA/Appleseed t-shirts I wear then it's a good thing.
Quote from: M1A4ME on July 30, 2008, 05:16:50 PM
But for folks who like patches, tabs, rockers, medals, etc., be my guest. If it sparks questions (like the bumper stickers on my truck) or the RWVA/Appleseed t-shirts I wear then it's a good thing.
Yep, I wear the Appleseed t-shirts too, and they do get noticed. ;D
Sitting. Sitting can be tough unless you practice it a lot. I doubt many folks are much "bigger" around the middle that I am, I weigh about 315 lbs. But I can sit just fine (gotta relearn it as I get over this knee surgery) and get both elbows over the front of my knees. Due to some other medical issues I can't kneel, so sitting is an everyday thing for things other than rifle shooting.
Practice, practice, practice.
Ask the guys from the June 2007 RBC at Ramseur. I can doze off while sitting. Yes Virginia, it is possible to fall asleep on the firing line.
Arc,
You are the only person I have know who made becoming a Rifleman look easy.
Most people have to struggle and sweat.
It took me forever.
Hey M1A4ME, I am just a few pounds less than you and find that I can either get in the sitting position or breathe. Can't seem to do both at the same time. A little more practice is needed and a few less excuses to not go to yoga class with the missus. Maybe a few less meals might help too. Fortunately kneeling doesn't seem to be too big of a handicap.
Looking forward to my very own California rocker when they get here. Wooohoo!
Cheers
Quote from: M1A4ME on July 30, 2008, 05:16:50 PM
Hey, I'll admit when I was younger I got a kick out of the expert (rifle) badge and the Honor Guard tab and all the other stuff that was attached, or hung from, the uniform. These days I get a kick out of coming in under the radar.
Besides, you'll know it's becoming popular to be a rifleman when they start counterfeiting the badges, the rockers and standing around the range tables bragging about which RBC they went to and how high their AQT scores are. It's just a matter of time. It'll happen.
The only thing they can't counterfeit, embellish or add to is their real score on an AQT, so have some ready to post so they can demonstrate their skills.
The above is written kind of tongue in cheek, but just think about how often you hear about folks who have never been in the military wearing uniforms, claiming to be ex-special forces or seals, claiming to have combat experience,etc. Sooner or later, it will happen. Only an AQT will separate the posers from the riflemen (at the range) and only their actions, not their talk, will identify them away from the range.
But for folks who like patches, tabs, rockers, medals, etc., be my guest. If it sparks questions (like the bumper stickers on my truck) or the RWVA/Appleseed t-shirts I wear then it's a good thing.
Please note that in honor of our members who have lived to have their eyes get tired, I will be posting in enlarged font from here on out. Hard to read this sissy 10 point for me too....
Warning: what follows could be constituted as personal horn tooting.
Went to the range to wring out my new rifle- a Mosin Negant M44. Yugo Ball ammo, doesn't attract magnet. No bayonet on it, but still......
I am on the line, shooting off a bag, trying to establish zero so I can beat on the front sight with a hammer and a punch to get 'er in the one inch square.
Yes, yes I know. Was I wearing a pink tuu-tuu, cos real riflemen don't shoot off the bag. Hey, I got a note from my doctor, okey?
Anyway, there is this kid with a tarted up AR on the line next to me. I mean, between the ACOG and the laser, and the cost of the rifle, he had more money in hardware than I have in the car I came to the range in......
And this young man is watching me work out, and was kind of, well....... laughing at me.
Mind you, he was having a hard time hitting the 14 inch gong at 100 yards.
Then I pulled the target, got out the machinist scale and started to do my math.......He kind of watched me while I was doing it. Here is the best group of the six I shot.
[attachment=1]
He had that puzzled look on his face: the "I have a 'better' rifle than this guy. Gosh all fish hooks, why can't I do better than him" look.
You gotta know inside I am just losing it. Outside I managed to keep a a pretty calm exterior......
Then I started to shoot at the gong..... ::) You know, just to put a fine point on the whole thing for him. ;)
And ya know, he struck up a conversation with me.
Needless to say there was just a touch of the old shameless promotion for the next piru, ca shoot then and there.
No patch or t-shirt needed folks.....
End of personal horn tootin'
Those who know of my journey here can attest to the fact that I darn near came out of Ramsuer 2-ough-7 with the new handle of 'short bus'. What we do and how we do it works. Period.
Do I get a rocker, fred?.KA out
Yo, Brother Kool.......
Is this expanded text size for my benefit?? If not my iron-poor blood, my carrot starved eyes? ;D :D You bad...... ::) ;D
Was this Nagant the same one you were ravaging next to me @ our last AS in Piru? If so, it looks like you found a way to make it group a bit, just need to drift your FS over a bit more to the right......
But let me get this straight....the kid next to you with the $1200 ACOG couldn't see the 14" gong @ 100 well enough to hit it?? :o :o
We need to go to the range together more often....... 8) ;D :o I'll even wear my glasses...... ;D :D
And I'll wear my "new" t-shirt......the "Rifleman vs Cook" one......
Arc,
Good shooting there....it's my understanding that you are one of the very few blessed with a -very- quick grasp of shooting well ..... count your blessings on this.....most folks have spent years doing & practicing for what came to you in a few bricks of .22 ammo.....Amazing, and rare....... :o 8) :o
But, please be aware that for those who have suffered in the pursuit of this standard, someone "new" telling them they "aren't doing enough", or possibly "trying too hard", may come off as a bit pretentious, or possibly even arrogant. From what I've seen so far, AS isn't about alienating anybody, from the noob to the expert......
You have a wonderful gift with this new found talent.....use it wisely.......
Peace, out.
Ian
On behalf of the old people on this site (and some not-so-old, judging by complaints about "I can hardly see the 400 yard targets" on the firing line) I thank you for the enlarged, easy-to-read print, Brother KA.
However, I worry because we should be shrinking the type, making it harder to read, and thereby sharpening vision ("Man, those 400 targets are SHARP and CLEAR - looks like all the time I've spent on the site, trying to read that small print, is really paying off!"). This is the equivalent of "laying on the couch to" read - no effort, and therefore no vision development/sharpening at all...
QuoteDo I get a rocker, fred?
I would guess you'll get one, as I understand you wear a Red Hat.
I had no problem with the idea, as I was reading along in your post, nodding my head in time, tappng my foot in harmony - until I came across
QuoteNo bayonet on it
....at which time my chair came forward, my feet hit the floor, and I cursed those foul-appearing letters on my computer screen.
KA, dissing the bayo on his '44? Gadzeeks! What next? A rubber buttpad?
Someone grab that Red Hat, quick!
But then as emotions cooled, I realized - this is California, and everything's cool.
;D
Brother Kool Aid, you missed the opportunity to start schooling the lad with the AR.
We had a young man with an AR or two up this way that ALWAYS shot with a scope and bipod. And he could SHOOT some nice groups. We eventually broke him of the habit, just a few of us with our big bad .30 cal Battle Rifles (FAL's and an M14 mostly, and almost ALL of us own Mosins, especially Finnish Mosins). Yup, I won't mention his name, but he still shoots those SMALL groups, just now he uses iron sights some of the time and a bipod at 600 only.
Oh, and the font sized is reduced to improve your vision. If a couple of old farts like Fred and I can read it, you youngsters should be able to manage it as well. I was going to make it 6 point, but that might be too hard to read for now, so I made it 8 point.
Fred:
Sir! The rifles name is Milly, SIR!
That would be, as in, 'millenium falcon'.
Polish Mosin.
And OF COURSE it has a rubber buttpad. Doesn't yours?
Now. The purpose of the exercise here is not to show what a bad ass I am (which I can assure you I am not)
Look up stupendous badass in the little gunsmith's book of virtue, and you will find this guy's picture
[attachment=1]
notice what rifle HE used...
mosinnagant.net/finland/simohayha.asp
and it is in homage to him that I got the rifle in the first place.....
Homage (from the French: Hommage) is generally used in modern English to mean any public show of respect to someone to whom one feels indebted.
Slightly off topic, but still SOMSOM:
Simo Hayha used an M28 Finnish Mosin, with IRON SIGHTS.
Fred knows what the rifle looks like, as he has seen one (mine), right up close.
I sometimes bring it with me to show people that you don't NEED to use a scope to be effective, though they sometimess help those with less than good eyesight.
And, NO, it doesn't have a rubber butt pad, doesn't need it, nor does the M24 or the 91/30 I have.
The man's name was Ad Toepperwein (if I recall correctly). He is reported to have done the same stunt with a BAR.
Saw this too.
The dearest wish of Ad Toepperwein's heart was "That every American citizen in good standing shall, in accordance with Article Two of our Bill of Rights, be allowed to keep and bear arms, and that this Constitutional right shall not be infringed! No dictator will ever meddle with a whole nation of marksmen."
Quote from: Nickle on July 31, 2008, 12:58:06 PM
Slightly off topic, but still SOMSOM:
Simo Hayha used an M28 Finnish Mosin, with IRON SIGHTS.
Fred knows what the rifle looks like, as he has seen one (mine), right up close.
I sometimes bring it with me to show people that you don't NEED to use a scope to be effective, though they sometimess help those with less than good eyesight.
And, NO, it doesn't have a rubber butt pad, doesn't need it, nor does the M24 or the 91/30 I have.
;D
Hey! How 'bout them California rockers? JJB
The rockers! The CALIFORNIA rockers! You know, the subject of this thread! JB
I know that this thread has wandered a bit. (you think!) But it has been fun reading it. Check out the great lakes thread.( on rockers) They dont, at least some, dont get it. I think its a great idea, and since I am a rifleman, and Ive been to 2 CA shoots, I want a CA rocker!!! California, you made me the rifleman that I am.
Wisconsin, Colycat
Yep.....we only work with the best!! 8) :o ;D
If I think back to january 2007, and we had a map of the united states done up like some sixteenth century map of the world where the parts they wern't sure of were notated with 'here be dragons'- but of the known appleseed world instead, one of those places would have been california- a big blank space with the words "abandon hope, all yea who enter here.......
It seems funny to think that if you wanted to go to an appleseed, the closest one was a minimum of six hours away. I had to go to North Carolina for my first one.......
And now?
Mike Thompson has come into our lives, making it possible for us to have a home range. His father, Wes, started that range in another location back in the middle of the last century. They had to move because of a housing development. Got driven off, by golly. And he has seen many of the people who were there at the start of it all move out of state rather than do something about what was happening.
And then we show up. I won't say for sure, but I do believe it made him cry.
People who have the rifleman tradition in their hearts, living in the shadows, are starting to come around. Into the open. Maybe talk about the riflemen culture to people who don't know about it, where as before they felt they had to keep quiet lest they get branded a 'gun nut'.
Corona
Piru
Ridgecrest
Santa Barbara
San Louis Obispo
Moving north toward (gasp) the San Francisco Bay Area.........
Now I can't hardly leave the state, we got so much work to do RIGHT HERE.
What I see most often is something which I will call relief, when my fellow californians make it to their first shoot. Like- we don't have to hide anymore. This program is great. Etc Etc.
I say here in the golden state, we have something pretty exciting now.
Hope.
Call me an optimistic fool. But this is about rockers.... And I want to speak to that.
So, in the interest of SOMSOM, I offer this: I think it's a fine thing that fred took the time and trouble to get us California Rockers.
I will wear mine with pride, especially if I ever get the time to make it out to Scout's Place in Texas.
Used to be that a fella might find himself getting quite a bit of ribbing were it to be known he was from california and found himself in states south of the mason-dixion. Especially at an Apple Seed.
Folks in neighboring states would ask me 'So when are you going to move out of that He11 hole that is California to breath the free air of (fill in the blank)? I even had one guy tell me to put my mom in an old folks home so I could leave here. Mr. Sensitive, he was....
Maybe not so much now......
But I digress.
Lest we forget, that we even have these fine rockers in the first place is a result of a lot of people putting in the work. NOT cashing it all in and leaving.
So here it is.......
I wanna tell you a story. Maybe 'ya heard it before. But I think it bears telling again- here on the california rocker thread.....
ORANGES
Back in the day, during the war, there was much industry here in southern california related to the war effort. Folks moved here from all over these United States to work in the plants. War industry plants, to be exact.
The house where I live today was, in fact, built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. for workers who built the DC-3 and (I think) the B-25. The jobs paid well, and many of these workers were able to buy their own homes and start families.
And for many, who came from places where citrus fruit was hard to come by and expensive, one of the first things they did was to plant orange or lemon, or other citrus trees in their yards.
Now many of the original houses have been torn down. Replaced by more modern edifices. The citrus trees may or may not have been allowed to remain. Many had not been cared for properly for decades.....
Citrus is peculiar.
It sets fruit in the summer, and bears in the winter.
It needs particular pruning and feeding at times of the year that don't make sense to people from other climes.
There is leaf curl that needs to be dealt with with Limesulfer spray.
In other words, it needs to be nurtured.
At my place there is such a tree. It isn't a big tree. Maybe eight feet tall, and the same around.
When I got my place I looked at it: it was in bad shape. There was ONE orange, with a huge black spot on it the day I got the keys to this house. The leaves were yellow and curled up. There were dead limbs and suckers all over it, and I wasn't sure if I should cut it down and have a bigger yard or what...
Then I thought of the man who planted it, and the fact that he is probably long since gone to meet his maker. Dead man's hands planted that tree, and I was not going to give up on it until I had done my level best to at least TRY. Besides, in the torah, it is said to be REALLY bad JuJu to cut down a living tree that bears fruit. A sin, even.......
So the second thing I did on the first day I got the place was to cut the suckers and the dead wood off the tree to open up the canopy, put asphalt seal on the branch stubs, and spray the tree with lime.
Then there was that big bag of...... brown stuff.
You get the idea.
The second year I had a tree with actual green leaves, but it only gave me five oranges. It was health, and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to die.
Last year.....
Sufficant oranges to fill three five gallon buckets. And even as we speak, it is setting even more fruit......
Maybe you can see where I am going with this.
But to put not to fine a point on it:
I submit to you that there is a metaphor here.
That the neglected citrus trees could be thought of as the rifleman tradition and what we understand it to be a deeper indicator of in terms of our national character. It was planted by dead mens hands, just as sure as the tree stands in my yard. Many of the ones that put in the work to plant it didn't live to ever see it bear fruit.
We who come after..... we got oranges.
And that the tree gives of its fruits so generously to we who are disconnected from the thought and even the prayer that went into it being there- all we have to do is REMEMBER. Then it all comes into focus.
Feed and care for the tree. Remember the ones that plated it. Hey- we got oranges. We don't have to start from scratch.
So,
We got rockers. But we didn't have to start from scratch.
That we have the program in california like we do is as much a testament to the ones that came before us, here in the golden state, as to the fact that we have a dedicated core of individuals who chose to not only stay here rather than move out of state, but to pick up the lance that is the job of waking up our fellows. Cutting dead wood, lime sulfer spray, water, and the liberal application of that which makes things grow. Not the brown stuff in the bag- the truth of who we are and what was sacrificed so we could be all that.
Whew. The metaphor machine seems to be well oiled tonight......
It isn't exactly that hard to get fruit when you already got a tree that isn't past saving. It just needs an arborist.....
California, all of the good natured jokes aside, is not past saving.
But we got to the point of having the rockers (nice fruit) by keeping our eye on the tree, not it's fruit.
We got lots of shoots coming up. We also have many refrigerator repair men who need some shameless promotion.......
Okey everybody who wants a rocker: LETS STAY BUSY!
Brother Kool Aid at your service.......
Brother KA, that's soooo Fred-like, it's plain scary!!
You lay it all out so no one can miss the point, which is what you have to do these days, because of that smothering blanket of ignorance, apathy, and laziness.
And another thing: there are tears of weakness, and there are tears of gratitude, and there are tears of respect. There are even tears at the shame of our current dissing of our magnificent heritage and history. Hardly an RWVA instructor, telling The Story, doesn't once in a while get a bit "choked-up". There's no shame in it. Quite the contrary. To feel the spirit of those who came before us is to become immersed in - and part of - the tradition. It's a "California thing", but I predict it will be sweeping the country.
"As California goes, so goes the nation."
For the first time, those words don't strike fear in my heart.
This is all news to me. Do we here in Wyoming get one?
AND ANOTHER thing: HOLY OVERSIGHT BATMAN!
There are those among us who would have it that the only way to get a california rocker would be to attend an Riflemans Boot Camp IN california. If we were going follow the traditions/rules/proceedures that the REST of the Apple Seed Nation follows that is ::) That rockers, patches, and tabs are to be EARNED.
Hummmmm.
Er, Kool Aid, there seems to be a little problem with that.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN a riflemans boot camp here in california.
I wonder what is to be done ??? ??? ???
Here I was all excited to get out the sewing kit, and everything..........
APPLE SEED NATION- We are gonna have to revisit that one later.....
Quote from: kool aid on August 01, 2008, 01:44:10 PM
AND ANOTHER thing: HOLY OVERSIGHT BATMAN!
There are those among us who would have it that the only way to get a california rocker would be to attend an Riflemans Boot Camp IN california. If we were going follow the traditions/rules/proceedures that the REST of the Apple Seed Nation follows that is ::) That rockers, patches, and tabs are to be EARNED.
Hummmmm.
Er, Kool Aid, there seems to be a little problem with that.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN a riflemans boot camp here in california.
I wonder what is to be done ??? ??? ???
Here I was all excited to get out the sewing kit, and everything..........
APPLE SEED NATION- We are gonna have to revisit that one later.....
Fred said "Since the idea is to build a solid dedicated CA group, I'd guess any qualified rifleman who's been to an Appleseed will be elegible for the rocker, the idea being to have as many "CALIFORNIA" rockers as we can get, walking around California on shooting jackets."
"Qualified Rifleman" meaning anybody that shoots a 210 or better on the AQT. That sounds good to me. Now lets get busy getting people to an Appleseed and get them qualified. 1000 rockers is a lot of Rifleman! And we gotta get rid of the first batch to order the second batch!
You do not have to attend an RBC or An IBC to get a CA rocker. You have to attend a CA Appleseed and shoot a score of 210 or better on the QDAQT under regulation time. 8)
Quote from: bob 210 on August 01, 2008, 03:25:35 PM
Fred said "Since the idea is to build a solid dedicated CA group, I'd guess any qualified rifleman who's been to an Appleseed will be elegible for the rocker, the idea being to have as many "CALIFORNIA" rockers as we can get, walking around California on shooting jackets."
"Qualified Rifleman" meaning anybody that shoots a 210 or better on the AQT. That sounds good to me. Now lets get busy getting people to an Appleseed and get them qualified. 1000 rockers is a lot of Rifleman! And we gotta get rid of the first batch to order the second batch!
You do not have to attend an RBC or An IBC to get a CA rocker. You have to attend a CA Appleseed and shoot a score of 210 or better on the QDAQT under regulation time. 8)
Even at having only to shoot a 210 or better under reg. time on the QDAQT, that is a high bar. KA, what are you thinking? :o
The question now is do you have to shoot the score in California? Can you have attended a CA. Appleseed and made Rifleman in say AZ. or TN.? I figure this will come up sooner or later, might as well get it answered now.
~SS
Quote from: SavageShootr on August 01, 2008, 05:32:05 PM
Even at having only to shoot a 210 or better under reg. time on the QDAQT, that is a high bar. KA, what are you thinking? :o
The question now is do you have to shoot the score in California? Can you have attended a CA. Appleseed and made Rifleman in say AZ. or TN.? I figure this will come up sooner or later, might as well get it answered now.
~SS
While I'm not sure my two cents is even worth two cents, I vote you have to shoot a 210 in California. 8)
Full Disclosure: I have not yet shot a 210 anywhere on the planet. :-[
Man, thank heaven we have the equivalent of a Jesuit debating society here to soak up all that free time you should be out Appleseeding.
If a shooter is from CA and gets qualified, he gets a rocker, is what I think Bob was saying.
I think he was also saying that a shooter trained in California can, if he wants, get a CA rocker.
But maybe we should only give out CA rockers to those who are out, everyday, working for Appleseed in California, and not in front of their computer, debating the finer details of who gets what, when...(this is meant in humor and good-naturedly, and no noses will be got out of joint in reading that statement, and that's an order!).
The rockers are on the way. There's 24-hr aerial surveillance of the truck carrying them across the country - just like for those disputed ballots in Florida that were shipped from Miami up to Jacksonville in 2000. Yes sir, that's how important and eagerly awaited they are. I hope Bob 210 is ready with his riot control gear for when they arrive.
If the devil was in me, I could post the tracking number, so everyone here to track the package themselves, and know exactly when and where it is to arrive... ;D ;D ;D
California spelled with a "C", right, not a "K".
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Yep......the job is to turn around the PRK in to plain old (as it used to be!) California......
Any of you ex-pats feel like coming home to fight the fight? Turn this around? Any takers?? :o 8)
Far be it from me, relatives......
Asked and answered, as they say....
So- like the man says, LETS GET BUSY.....
Those guys up in Washington State have 19 pre-reg via shameless promotion. Man.......That's almost a full line.
;D
Thanks for all the positive PM'S and phone calls guys.
I will be starting a travelog about the upcoming journey to the IBC and AS up in Castle Rock Washington.
APPLE SEED NATION ROCKERS!
Hey- we are a NATIONAL program afterall.
Quote from: Fred on August 01, 2008, 08:16:21 PM
Man, thank heaven we have the equivalent of a Jesuit debating society here to soak up all that free time you should be out Appleseeding.
If a shooter is from CA and gets qualified, he gets a rocker, is what I think Bob was saying.
I think he was also saying that a shooter trained in California can, if he wants, get a CA rocker.
But maybe we should only give out CA rockers to those who are out, everyday, working for Appleseed in California, and not in front of their computer, debating the finer details of who gets what, when...(this is meant in humor and good-naturedly, and no noses will be got out of joint in reading that statement, and that's an order!).
The rockers are on the way. There's 24-hr aerial surveillance of the truck carrying them across the country - just like for those disputed ballots in Florida that were shipped from Miami up to Jacksonville in 2000. Yes sir, that's how important and eagerly awaited they are. I hope Bob 210 is ready with his riot control gear for when they arrive.
If the devil was in me, I could post the tracking number, so everyone here to track the package themselves, and know exactly when and where it is to arrive... ;D ;D ;D
Now Fred, Some of my Appleseed work in California has to be done in front of the computer, so put that whip away. ::)
~SS
Oh yeah, and just so you know, part of what made me want to go to an Appleseed and get involved was the stuff that was on the forum. Very important.
Now, how about those California Rockers. BIG NEWS!!! (beat you to it JB!! ;D)
Hey kool aid,
QuoteThose guys up in Washington State have 19 pre-reg via shameless promotion.
Who me? shameless? No way, I just checked my shame at the door along with my guns and ego,
QuoteMan.......That's almost a full line.
I'm hopin' for a full line and Wade is out ridin' a Bobcat as we speak, makin' the line longer to accommodate all of the shooters that are comin' Grin
(more shameless promotion) Castle Rock is ONLY 7 hours north of the California border.
QuoteI will be starting a travelog about the upcoming journey to the IBC and AS up in Castle Rock Washington.
I can't wait to read it.
QuoteAPPLE SEED NATION ROCKS!
There, I fixed it for you.
Edit to add: more shameless promotions.
California,
It looks like y'all have a great crew over there!
Keep it up!
Post some good pics of your "earned" rockers on jackets soon!
Personally, I can't wait to see them.
Go, California Go!!!!!!
Again, GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!!
I would have never thought it so.
Yeeaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!
If California can do it, for sure, there is hope.
Points of light are shining, from where I least expected it.
Brett
Quote from: Grandson of Liberty on August 01, 2008, 06:43:11 PM
While I'm not sure my two cents is even worth two cents, I vote you have to shoot a 210 in California. 8)
Full Disclosure: I have not yet shot a 210 anywhere on the planet. :-[
You are very close. A Rifleman persists, as will you. ;D