The Hobbit Hole XXXV - ...is Water Hot that smokes and steams.

[RosieCotton]

I haven’t seen it, but I think it’s one of the movies available to watch on-line through Netflix. Is it good?

[RosieCotton]

Er...never mind. I guess you kind of answered that.

[SuziQ]

It was good, but there were some really brutal scenes, during which I had to turn away. Interesting story, though; it was billed as a fairy tale for adults.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Actually, I've heard "Pan's Labyrinth" is kind of dark, so I've avoided seeing it. And, yes, I've heard Guillermo del Toro is going to direct "The Hobbit"... he also directed the movie adaptation of the comic book "Hellboy", which I liked.

Speaking of movies, we watched "Hot Fuzz" tonight and rather enjoyed it... slow start, but then it suddenly takes a left turn into weirdness and gets all exciting.

[RosieCotton]

I’m playing with my DVR.

So far I’ve kind of seen a documentary about blades throughout history, a cool episode of Nova about racing robot-controlled cars, and a few snips of things on Animal Planet. ;-)

[300winmag]

Tonight's Saturday Night Gun Pron (tm) features the lowly-but-historical Armalite AR-7 Explorer. This was his first commercial firearms design, and it was based on the AR-5 survival rifle designed for the Air Force.

The Explorer has been around for a long time, and was made by Armalite, Charter Arms, Survival Arms, Henry Repeating Arms, and AR-7 Industries, in that order. My first AR-7 was by Charter Arms, which made them from 1973-1990.

I plinked with it a bit, figured out how to add a sling, and then put it away. It wasn't until I was wandering through a gun show that I saw an original Armalite version, and started thinking. The Armalites (1959-1973) carried a premium price, but this was the only one I saw with the original box, or at least what was left of the box.

The box is in poor shape, and is falling apart, but it's the only one I ever saw. I bought it more for the box than the rifle.

The AR-7 is basically unchanged for almost 50 years, except for the plastic furniture. The original had the black/brown/green swirl plastic stock. I was never sure if that was supposed to be a camouflage pattern, a simulation of fancy wood, or just some random colors because "black rifles" hadn't hit the market yet. Here's another view of the stock with some photographic tweaking to counteract the extremely shiny and reflective plastic:

The actions are virtually identical except for the markings.

I continue to tweak and improve my "disaster preparedness" kit (now a backpack) as the Department of Homeland Security suggests. However, I insist on adding a knife and a gun, something they are strangely silent about. Here's the Armalite AR-7, ready to go back to the vault, and the Charter Arms one, ready to perform its patriotic backup duty.

The slick black plastic stock didn't appeal to me, so this gave me a chance to try out the non-stick Camo-Form camouflage tape. It comes in several patterns, and I chose the Army ACU.

The tape is like the non-adhesive bandage tape that sticks to itself due to its rough surface. It's slightly stretchy, and when it springs back, the layers of tape grab and hold on tight to each other without adhesive.

The tape is fairly thick, and can't take sharp bends or turns, so it's best used as a spiral wrap for round or round-ish objects. I cheated, and used one piece of tape on the lower part of the pistol grip, and held on to it until the main wrap, starting from behind the action, was able to trap the other piece of tape. I continued wrapping until it got to the end, and then cut a little away from the swivel stud.

It may not look pretty, but it does a pretty good job. First, it kills all that shiny black plastic glaring away at the world. Second, it's amazingly non-slip, and almost feels sticky, except that it's not. Finally, it deadens sound, and anything bumping against it won't give off that hollow, plastic-y sound.

Speaking of hollow, that AR-7 floats, assembled or stowed, because of the Styrofoam in all the cavities in the stock, not because it's an airtight seal.

So my Armalite AR-7 goes back to my collection as an example of Eugene Stoner's first commercial product, while the Charter Arms AR-7, with modifications, resides in my "bailout backpack". I'm just doing my part to be prepared, just like (or almost just like) the government wants us to be.

[Lil'freeper]

Yes! We’ve seen it and we *loved* it. We loved the unique approach to fantasy.

[Lil'freeper]

Actually, I've heard "Pan's Labyrinth" is kind of dark, so I've avoided seeing it. And, yes, I've heard Guillermo del Toro is going to direct "The Hobbit"... he also directed the movie adaptation of the comic book "Hellboy", which I liked. Speaking of movies, we watched "Hot Fuzz" tonight and rather enjoyed it... slow start, but then it suddenly takes a left turn into weirdness and gets all exciting.

I interpreted the dark aspect of Pan's as a message that the world is singularly unworthy of knowing about the magical otherworld entwined with ours.

Re Hot Fuzz - we DVR'd it last night to watch today. A friend at work recommended it

[ExGeeEye]

I has one.

My stock is flat black plastic, and I replaced the original all-steel bbl with a plastic one.

I don’t have a swivel stud.

I’d like to put a scope on it but I don’t want to detract from the stowability. Same goes for alternative magazine solutions I’ve seen out there.

[ExGeeEye]

...and I still want to "pimp out" my SKS, when the budget will allow-- folding stock, bipod vice bayonet, and 4x30 scope...

...and if I find myself in a jurisdiction that permits me to buy a paratrooper stock for my M-1 carbine without a pistol permit, I'm doin' it.

[DollyCali]

Snowed in here in Cleveland yesterday so during our blizzard I watched Fellowship & Two Towers.. Had been way over a year since I saw any of them.. nice

Pan’s Labyrinth is a good movie. Saw it 2 times at theater & earlier this week at home during our first snow storm

Hello to all at the Hobbit Hole.. lots of familiar “faces” here

[SuziQ]

We really enjoyed Hot Fuzz! We just have a penchant for the strange and different, I guess. We liked Shaun of the Dead, too. I didn't think I was going to like Hellboy, but I caught it on TV, and it was rather good! Looking forward to Hellboy II, but likely won't go see it in first run, waiting for Netflix, or even the cheap theater, instead.

[SuziQ]

LOVE our DVR! We sprang for the HD version this time, and it is vey nice.

[SuziQ]

I interpreted the dark aspect of Pan's as a message that the world is singularly unworthy of knowing about the magical otherworld entwined with ours.

As we were watching it, Joseph mentioned that he'd read on a forum somewhere that some thought the Captain was worse than any of the 'monsters' the girl encountered in the Labyrinth. After seeing it, I must agree. And considering it is the Fascists in WWII Spain, I can understand the idea of the world being 'unworthy'.

Now I'm curious as to how del Toro will treat The Hobbit.

[SuziQ]

Re Hot Fuzz - we DVR'd it last night to watch today.

LOL! Get yer popcorn ready!

[Overtaxed]

[osagebowman]

Morning Win-mag. Nice rifle, glad you got an ‘original’. Don’t know as I’ve ever seen one and definitely never saw a box till yours, but since I had one I haven’t looked to closely at them at shows.

Mine’s a Charter Arms version. EBR color. There always seemed to be one or two in gunshops and hardware stores when I was growing up. “And it Floats” was what I recalled from early advertisements in the American Rifleman.

Henry Rifle company makes them now IIRC, it’s interesting you can still get all the parts to repair them.

[300winmag]

...and if I find myself in a jurisdiction that permits me to buy a paratrooper stock for my M-1 carbine without a pistol permit, I'm doin' it.

Would that benighted jurisdiction be Michigan? The only place in the universe where my PS90 becomes a handgun just by crossing the state line?

If so, the cops are usually willing to look the other way for folding/collapsing stocks. No such luck with the PS90, because state laws require an overall length 2 inches longer than the feds do.

[osagebowman]

Morning OT - awww poor kitty. ‘Hard to soar with the eagles, when you stay up with owls’. Looks like a nice day, mid 40s.

[osagebowman]

Morning ExGeeEye - nice rifle isn’t it. Same reasoning I used for passing on the scope and high cap magazines. I like it in its original configuration. Should get a couple extra magazines though.