Category: “Aw shucks

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“Aw shucks A Victory! You have to be kidding, right!?!

The Great Crate Debate Gifts From Africa By Jeff “Tank” Hoover

It all starts in Africa …

I guess I was first exposed to large wooden crates from watching Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoons. Poor nemesis cartoon character Wile E. Coyote would order some hair-brained contraption from Acme, Inc. by letter, and a large crate would magically appear in minutes. Talk about great service!

My next exposure to large freight was “A Christmas Story” when the father wins a contest and a large crate appears. The father sees the stenciled Fragile, painted on the crate and famously mispronounces it, “Fragilly.”

It’s a classic line for the fishnet stockinged leg lamp he unveils to his boy’s bewilderment and his wife’s dismay. Anyway, I never thought I’d receive a large, wooden freighted crate. Roughly 40 years later, a trip to Africa presented itself in 2019, to be exact. I was invited to hunt in Botswana. It was closed to hunting for years and was just reopened because of a new government regime change.

It was my first international trip. John Sheehan, a fellow writer for GUNS Magazine, was a part-time professional hunter for an outfit in Botswana and invited me on a two-week safari. Since it was my first trip abroad, he suggested using camp guns rather than dealing with bringing my own. It was a wise move for a first-time trip, making the experience easier and more relaxing.

Heads, horns and hides are prepared for the Taxidermist.

After the taxidermist, the heads/horns are crated for shipping.

Kalahari Safari

I’ll never forget my first trip. From the flight to the drive to camp, and enjoying my first starlit sky over a cold beverage. There’s a saying that if you wish to return to Africa, you must see the Southern Cross constellation. Believe me, I was asking John to point it out for me, as Africa is a special, magical place for many. I think you either love it, or don’t care for Africa. There’s no in- between. I think if you ever wondered what the world was like when it was created, Africa would be a good place to go, as much of it is still untouched.

I went to Botswana the last week in August through the first week in September. This is springtime in the Southern Hemisphere and a beautiful time to be in Africa. The hunt was an unadulterated success. Then COVID hit. We all got sick in camp, but we recovered, figuring it was just the flu. Within months, the border between Botswana and South Africa (SA) closed for 2 years. My hides and skins were in the salt room, awaiting transit to South Africa. Other circumstances occurred, further delaying transport of my trophies.

There’s a saying in Africa called TIA. It stands for THIS IS AFRICA! It means whatever happens, happens; just go with the flow, and it will eventually work out. My trophies eventually make it from South Africa to a taxidermist, and the regular two-year wait starts. This includes completing the taxidermy work and then crating the heads for shipment.

This is where the first debate starts. Are you better off having the taxidermy work done in Africa or the States? Shipping will be cheaper since your crate will be smaller, but taxidermy is cheaper in Africa than in the States.

It’s basically a wash and up to you, price-wise. I chose to have the taxidermy completed in Africa. Unfortunately, the long delay caused hair slippage on all my hides, meaning I needed replacements.

I ended up mounting only half my heads to save costs on replacement hides. Something to consider when choosing where to get your work done. Replacement hides are cheaper in Africa than in the States.

The crate top is opened and memories come flooding out as you admire your trophies.

Bon Voyage

My trophies were crated and shipped in a large shipping container. The container must be full to ship; otherwise, it’s delayed until it is loaded on the vessel.

From South Africa, it heads to Houston, Texas, where NFG inspects and stamps the heads for clearance. My heads were then flown to a local airport and then freighted to my house. Ironically, it was a total surprise when they arrived (TIA), and I was leaving for Africa the following day for another hunt. Anyway, six years later, my Botswana trophies found their way home.

Hanging the heads can take a lot of work.

Uncrating

It’s the big moment! The crates are assembled with plywood and screws. A cordless drill comes in quite handy for this task. Let me tell you, when you finally pop the lid, it’s all worth it! The long wait and the expense of taxidermy and shipping fade as memories flood out of your crate. These are your animals, and they’ve made the long journey to their new home, where you’ll admire and love them. Many will think you’re Looney Tunes for doing so, but that doesn’t matter.

These heads represent a long trip and how far you’re willing to go to do something you love. Some won’t understand, other than another hunter, why your memories mean so much hanging on your wall. That’s fine. To each their own. Let me tell you, it’s a pure pleasure and honor to admire these beautiful critters.

Once hung, you’ll be able to admire them daily.

Hung Up

Most have hung whitetail deer in their homes. Hanging African heads is a different animal, har har! The shoulder mounts are huge. We built an addition on our house over 20 years ago, tying into the roofline of the second-story house. This provided an 18-foot ceiling, sloping down to 8 feet on the far end, 20 feet away.

Luckily, a contractor friend helped me hang the heads using scaffolding. It’s the safest way to hang the large heads. Horns are slipped off larger species to make shipping more efficient, then slipped back on during hanging.

Then another crate appears.

Recycle Projects

The plywood crates/screws are great for making shelves, further reminding you of your African Safari. The stenciled paint of the taxidermist, your name, and the African address add mystery and coolness to any project you choose to make. I’ve made a few shelves for the garage from my first shipment, and will make larger, heavier ones with this shipment. Crate goodies are the gift that keeps on giving.

More memories arrive.

It never gets old.

A beer before departing for another trip to Africa.

The Do Over

Would I do it again? You betcha! I have no regrets and am enjoying my African animals immensely. Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, but for those who understand, it’s pretty darn cool!

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“Aw shucks EVIL MF You have to be kidding, right!?!

US Marine Steals 2 MILLION Rounds Of 5.56 Ammo & Javelin Anti Tank Missile Systems!

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“Aw shucks Well I thought it was funny!

Pity it was’nt my wifes Cat (Named by me -TFC)

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“Aw shucks All About Guns Gun Fearing Wussies

Why Everytown Is Worried About SCOTUS Hearing An ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Challenge by Mark Chesnut

Everytown Is Already Panicking Over the Supreme Court’s AR-15 Cases

Banning so-called “assault weapons” has been the top priority of various gun-ban organizations, including so-called Everytown for Gun Safety, for the past few decades. After all, these “weapons of war” are truly “evil,” they say, and Americans would be much safer with a law saying nobody could own them.

It seems, however, that with the recent announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear an “assault weapons ban” case next session, gun-ban groups just might be well aware that their sacred bans run afoul of the Constitution. Why else would they be so worried now that SCOTUS has agreed to take up such a case?

Everytown is throwing a fit — because they know the constitutional argument doesn’t favor them

Everytown is a prime example.

“Today, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, which involve reckless gun lobby challenges to Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut laws restricting assault weapons — weapons that are frequently used in our nation’s deadliest mass shootings,” Everytown stated in a press release reacting to the announcement.

Janet Carter, managing director of Second Amendment litigation at Everytown Law, then jumped into the nuts and bolts of the half-truths the organization relies upon so heavily.

“Assault weapons cause massive devastation,” Carter said. “They are the weapons of choice for mass shooters. These laws are critical public safety measures, and they are consistent with the Second Amendment. Six federal appeals courts have rightly upheld assault weapon and large-capacity magazine laws, and we urge the Supreme Court to follow suit.”

32 million AR-15s means “common use” — full stop

Here’s the problem with Everytown’s argument — and why they’re worried they’ll lose before SCOTUS.

The Supreme Court in both the Heller and Bruen decisions ruled that the Second Amendment protects arms that are in “common use.” And the question of whether AR-15s and other semi-autos are in common use is easily answered.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there are more than 32 million AR-15s and other guns considered “assault weapons” by gun-ban advocates in private hands in the United States. Obviously, that’s in “common use.”

Rifles account for 3% of homicides — AR-15s are a subset of that 3%

On a more practical level, so-called “assault weapons” account for a miniscule number of murders in the United States each year. According to FBI statistics, rifles of all kinds are used in only about 3% of homicides by firearms, and AR-15s and other semi-auto rifles are only a subset of that 3%.

Handguns cause most gun homicides — but nobody’s calling for handgun bans anymore

Of course, handguns are used in the vast majority of murders by violent criminals, but you don’t hear the gun-ban groups calling for a sweeping handgun ban. That’s largely because most Americans don’t support such a ban, a fact that the anti-gun group Brady knows all too well.

Brady used to be called Handgun Control, Inc., with its main emphasis on trying to ban private ownership of handguns throughout the country. When it became apparent that the public vehemently disagreed with their stance, they not only changed their emphasis, but even had to change their name to try to become acceptable to the masses.

When Brady gave up on handguns, gun-banners pivoted to AR-15s

When they gave up on banning handguns is when gun-banners turned their sights to so-called “assault weapons,” despite the unarguable fact that they are very, very seldom used for criminal purposes. Ultimately, gun-banners want to ban something, and the AR-15 and similar rifles are the latest target.

Everytown Panics as SCOTUS Takes Up AR-15 Ban Cases

If the SCOTUS case goes our way next session, it will be yet another loss in a long list of anti-gun defeats. Maybe, they’ll just pack up, go home, and leave America’s lawful gun owners alone as we head into America’s next 250 years.
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“Aw shucks

Glory By Will Dabbs, MD

Here we see an American boy in his natural habitat.
This is the way we were all designed to be raised.

I get to indulge in a little fiction from time to time. I do love it so…

Malcolm Mabry’s was a hard life. It is invariably difficult being a 12-year-old boy. Testosterone is a toxin, and it is painful building up that initial tolerance. And then there was Misti.

Misti was his 15-year-old sister. She was mere weeks away from her sixteenth birthday. Then she would be able to drive. Misti reminded Malcolm of this fact constantly, quietly infuriating him. Despite the three-year age difference, he was hands-down the more responsible of the two.

The Mabry kids were homeschooled. That brought its own challenges. Malcolm’s parents held fairly traditional values. They didn’t even have cable TV. Malcolm spent his free time exploring the wilderness and drawing. He likely could have been content with that had Misti not kindly pointed out how secluded, mistreated, and put upon they both were. Her attitude was corrosive.

Both kids had friends through church, but most of those friends went to real school. As a result, they seldom had anyone over. They lived twelve miles from town on a secluded farm. They called it a farm, but it was really just a big stand of timber. They had considered chickens, but Misti had put her foot down. She was not going to live in a place that raised chickens. Malcolm’s parents weren’t exactly sold on the idea, anyway, so they let her win that one.

Malcolm’s mom was a disciplined woman. They did school according to a rigid daily schedule. That meant starting early and running late. The farm was their playground, science lab, and food source. They harvested game in the woods and caught fish in the pond that served as their backyard. They didn’t need wild stuff to live—Malcolm’s dad had a good job. However, his parents wanted the kids to have those skills. Misti pushed back at absolutely every opportunity.

The past Christmas had been epic. Malcolm had gotten a rifle—a Ruger 10/22 with a Tasco scope. He was thrilled to get it. Misti got a cell phone. It was a hand-me-down from her mom, but it had service. That phone was Misti’s ticket to freedom. She lived on the accursed thing. Malcolm’s parents consoled themselves with the realization that it was going to happen eventually anyway.

Every day, they ate lunch, did an hour of math, and then took a break. Misti invariably spent hers on her phone. At 1:30 sharp, Malcolm took what he called an explore. He would slip into his mud boots and wander the farm, just being a boy. An hour later, he came back sweaty and tired. That was the point.

The 10/22 really is America’s utility gun. Most shooters start out on such a piece.

He had done this for years. When he was a little kid, he carried a knife, the edge of which his dad had ground down in the workshop. When he got a little older, he graduated up to a BB gun and then a pellet rifle. Ever since Christmas, he had been authorized to pack his .22. Malcolm’s dad had been in the Army and impressed upon him what a weighty responsibility this was. Malcolm took that responsibility seriously.

Malcolm and his dad hunted together with some regularity. He had already killed two deer, a turkey, and a bunch of squirrels. His mom called squirrels tree rats and reviled them on principle. However, they still ate whatever they shot. Malcolm’s dad would not tolerate anything less.

Malcolm once came home boasting of having shot a turtle. His dad listened patiently to the story and then gently explained that taking life was a big deal and something that should never be done frivolously. The point was made without bruising Malcolm’s feelings unduly. From that point forward, he only shot stuff he would eat or venomous snakes. Venomous snakes were always fair game.

Malcolm’s dad was at work, and his mom was in town buying groceries. When the school clock read 1:30, Malcolm was rabid to get outside. Misti’s company had become extra-tiresome. His explore was incongruously both invigorating and exhausting. After around fifty minutes, he broke through the treeline surrounding his house and was surprised to see an unfamiliar vehicle.

There was a beat-up white van parked some twenty yards from the house with the back doors askew. Malcolm had left the garage door open. More curious than alarmed, he watched as a tall man with a shaved head emerged from the garage carrying his dad’s chainsaw. The man put the saw in the back of the van and then went back into the garage. Moments later, he emerged again, this time carrying his mother’s microwave

The Ruger 10/22 rifle is the most popular rimfire rifle in the world. More than five million copies are in circulation.

That’s when he remembered. This same man had shown up unannounced at the front door the week prior, claiming to be a handyman. Malcolm’s mom had sent him on his way, rightfully claiming that they had no work for him. However, that evening over dinner, she admitted that the guy gave her the creeps.

Malcolm, for his part, had no idea what to do. Then the man came out again. This time, he was carrying Misti.

Malcolm could see that his sister was struggling. Her hands and ankles were bound with black duct tape, and there was another piece over her mouth. She looked terrified.

He saw the man toss Misti roughly into the back of the van and reach to close the back doors. Malcolm dropped down onto one knee and formed a support with his left hand against a sapling, just as his dad had taught him. The boy steadied the rifle and studied the scene through the scope.

Malcolm’s heart was leaping out of his chest, but he was a hunter. He knew how to manage that. He could now see the tattoos on the man’s bald head clearly. For the briefest, tiny moment, the man stood erect and motionless after shutting the van doors. Malcolm placed the crosshairs over his ear, raised the sight about two inches to account for the distance, punched off the safety, and squeezed the trigger.

There was no noise. For a moment, Malcolm thought the gun had misfired. However, the big man crumpled behind the van as though hit with a sledge. Malcolm snapped the safety back on and pulled himself to his feet before tearing down the hill toward the van, the man, and his sister.

Malcolm would later explain that everything had unfolded too quickly for much conscious thought. The local sheriff sympathized. A week later, Malcolm Mabry was the most famous 12-year-old on Planet Earth.

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“Aw shucks

The Sun is Finally Setting on the British Empire This Year

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“Aw shucks Allies The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People

British Dad Reacts to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 🇺🇸 (I Was Not Ready)

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“Aw shucks Allies Well I thought it was funny!

Which country never ruled by the British? by Daniel

Here are the members of this 22 exclusive club, the countries that Britain hasn’t invaded (and that should maybe be a little wary now):

Andorra
Belarus
Bolivia
Burundi
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo, Republic of
Guatemala
Ivory Coast
Kyrgyzstan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Mali
Marshall Islands
Monaco
Mongolia
Paraguay
Sao Tome and Principe
Sweden
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Vatican City

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“Aw shucks

The Millions Of Americans That Are Secretly Arming Themselves RIGHT NOW!

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“Aw shucks All About Guns Cops Gear & Stuff You have to be kidding, right!?!

Man Successfully Registers Potato as Silencer Stephen Gutowski

A gun equipped with a potato silencer / Zach Clark

“TATE001”

That’s the official serial number of what appears to be the first legally registered 9mm potato silencer, according to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) registration form obtained by The Reload. It’s registered to a man named Zach Clark, who said he pulled off the feat as an act of defiance against the National Firearms Act (NFA).

“It’s a good way to highlight to normal people that like, ‘Yeah, this is dumb,’” Clark told The Reload. “This whole law is kind of dumb.”

The spud suppressor may be the most remarkable result of the NFA tax cut enacted at the beginning of the year as part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which made the cost of registering suppressors $0 and opened up the floodgates.

The ATF saw more NFA electronic registration requests on New Year’s Day than at any time in its history. The lower cost of compliance, combined with a recently-digitized process, has made new kinds of suppressors–including disposable or even meme designs–more viable than before.

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) informed NSSF that on Thursday, January 1, 2026, alone, an unprecedented surge in e-Forms submissions were being processed,” the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry’s trade group, said last week. “That total was approximately 150,000 e-Forms.

For an eye-popping comparison, last year, ahead of the $200-to-$0 tax change, typical daily volume on e-Forms for suppressors, SBRs and SBSs would hover closer to around 2,500.”

While the NFA requires registration of all sound-suppressing devices that attach to a gun barrel to be registered with the ATF, it provides a process for people to register their own homemade designs.

In the same way that somebody buying a suppressor from a store would have to fill out an NFA registration form and get the ATF to approve it before taking possession of the device, a home builder has to submit their intent to build one and get approval before actually constructing the device.

Clark went through that process with his potato suppressor design. He said he made sure to keep potatoes out of his house while he waited to hear back from the ATF.

“As of this moment, I have the serialized washer, and I have the potato, but I haven’t put it together,” he told The Reload. “There’s a manufacturing buffer on that from approval; you have to wait. Plus, that’s a whole thing of like, what is your manufacturing intent? Does it count when you’ll buy the potato? Is it having any potato in your house? Any potato products?”

Potato silencer registration submission form
Potato silencer registration submission form / Zachary Clark

While Clark’s registration effort is something of a troll, gun-rights lawyer Matt Larosiere noted it isn’t entirely a laughing matter.

“The terms ‘firearm silencer’ and ‘firearm muffler’ mean any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm.

So, the definition is pretty broad with respect to a silencer itself, as opposed to the definitions covering silencer parts,” Larosiere, who has dealt with many NFA registrations over the years, told The Reload. “We can see this going way back to ATF’s precursors deeming the XM177 moderator a ‘silencer,’ even though it barely reduced muzzle report.

On the other hand, we’ve seen ATF consistently take the position in determination letters and when giving expert testimony, that a pillow or potato, when used ‘for’ diminishing the report of a firearm, are in fact ‘silencers.’”

Larosiere said it doesn’t really matter how significant the noise reduction is, either. What matters is whether the “device” is for reducing the noise or not.

Which is relevant because Clark isn’t the first person to have the idea of strapping a potato to the end of a gun in order to suppress the sound of gunfire. At least a few YouTube accounts have tested whether spuds can effectively silence gunshots, with unimpressive results, including a test by licensed manufacturer SilencerCo.

(It’s not clear whether those potatoes were officially registered with the ATF or not.)

Additionally, there is some history of people misusing potatoes as suppressors in the real world. There have been several cases where people have attempted to use improvised potato silencers in crimes, with one case wrapping up as recently as last year.

One incident was reportedly inspired by a Hollywood depiction of a potato suppressor in season four of The Wire.

Some lawmakers have also warned that the ATF’s interpretation of what constitutes a silencer is overly broad and could include potatoes. In 2022, Republican Congressman Daniel Webster warned, “anyone with a potato in their home could be committing a felony” in a newspaper piece.

Clark said that history was on his mind when he decided to submit his potato silencer registration just after the ball dropped on New Year’s Day.

“This seems to be what the ATF has run with historically,” he said. “Anything you could put on the end of the device that could, even if it’s only a single time, suppress the noise of a gunshot, they consider that an NFA item. It’s very similar to how you get the goofy historical samples of a rubber band or a shoelace being considered a machine gun, right?”

He reasoned that if he could be arrested for having an unregistered potato silencer, then it must be possible to register one as well.

“There was definitely some precedent to it. And, you know, and the argument is, if you can arrest me for possessing a potato suppressor, and I’m constitutionally allowed to have a potato suppressor if I go through the process, then I should constitutionally be allowed to register a potato.”