Three Cheers For The Red, White And Blue!!

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wdcav1952

wdcav1952

Activities Manager Emeritus
Joined
Mar 18, 2004
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Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA.
OK guys and gals, it is time for our First Annual July Independence Contest!!

This contest was suggested by our very own Master Scroller Jeff Powell, known to one and all as workinforwood. Jeff is putting up some of his totally awesome scrollwork blanks as the grand prize for the winner of this contest. We are working on some runner up prizes and will announce them later.

The formal name for the contest is The Casing Pen Challenge. Jeff wanted to keep the rules simple so here they are:

You must use at least the first 3/4" of a 30-06 or 308 casing. This is the section that a bullet would press into. You can use the entire casing, or multiple casing. You can use any kit parts to combine, as well as any other alternate materials. The only true rule is that first 3/4" of the casing must be used and it must be a real casing, not a man made on a lathe piece of brass.

After much discussion, Jeff and I decided to allow our Brit members to participate even though the contest celebrates our independence from their tyranny!! :curse::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

The contest will start on July 1st and run through the 31st. At that time, a secret panel of judges will pick the top 5 casing pens. The IAP members will vote on these pens to determine the winners.

I will open a thread in which to post the pens on July 1st. Post your pen with as much detail/bragging as you like. This thread will be ONLY for posting pens, no NPGJ posts will be allowed. Repeat, if you don't enter a pen, you can't post on the contest thread.

Now, here is the fun part!! If, and only if, you post a pen in the contest, you can trash talk about your fellow contestants as much as you like, remembering the rules for decorum on the site.

Alright all you casing pen artists, get to planning!!!
 
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After much discussion, Jeff and I decided to allow our Brit members to participate even though the contest celebrates our independence from their tyranny!! :curse::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I don't think any of our members were PERSONALLY involved!!!

They should be OK.
 
I'm not so sure about that Ed:biggrin: Some of the Brits are as old as the hills and could have been around back then. :wink:

Mmmmm.......and perhaps I should remind Cav and Jeff that some of us celebrate your independence too:devil: But for the exact opposite reasons that you guys do:party: :biggrin: ( Just kidding:wink: )

I wonder where I can get hold of some casings???:confused: They are as rare as hens teeth on this side of the pond:eek: And what is a 308 ??? I thought that was a Peugeot car??:confused:
 
skiprat said:
And what is a 308 ???
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The .308 round is also a 7.62 for all non firing purposes. Your own British Enfield rifles use the standard .308 round, although you want to be careful not to get it mixed up with the Lee Enfield which fires a non-standard .303 round. Although for our purposes, it won't make much difference.:confused:
 
wolftat said:
The .308 round is also a 7.62 for all non firing purposes. Your own British Enfield rifles use the standard .308 round, although you want to be careful not to get it mixed up with the Lee Enfield which fires a non-standard .303 round. Although for our purposes, it won't make much difference.:confused:
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Er, thanks for clearing that up for me I think:confused::biggrin:

...and Ed, the image of why you might be appreciative just boggles the mind and probably couldn't be explained on this family site. However, I'm glad I could have been of some assistance:eek::biggrin: I could send you some little blue pills once the novelty of the flute wears off :wink::biggrin:

Dawn, I did not write the above paragragh. One of the mods must have changed it:biggrin::eek:
 
FOR A WHILE, you can get by with, pretty much, anything.

Dawn hasn't set foot on planet earth since she got the flute. Walking on air!
 
No problem Skip. I had to reread it myself to be sure that it was equally confusing and full of information that is not really needed. If you would like, I once wrote a 4 page report on a firing pin....totally captivating. :hypnotized::sleepy:
 
wolftat said:
No problem Skip. I had to reread it myself to be sure that it was equally confusing and full of information that is not really needed. If you would like, I once wrote a 4 page report on a firing pin....totally captivating. :hypnotized::sleepy:
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I don't know much about guns and even less about firing pins, but I had NO IDEA they were big enough to put that much text on one!!!
 
Neil ...
A four page report on a firing pin! Damn, that right there is scary ... Oh wait, was that in the days when pages were the size of business cards and font sizes were up around 14 point?

I am really intriqued as to just what the ultimate use of your report was?If you care to be a bit more descriptive ... or not.
 
Dang! I just got a sack full of .44 mag and now I can't use them for the first opportunity that came up. Any chance of opening the requirements to allow .44 mag?
 
Crashmph said:
Dang! I just got a sack full of .44 mag and now I can't use them for the first opportunity that came up. Any chance of opening the requirements to allow .44 mag?
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Sure, you can use the "Dirty Harry" cartridges to make a pen holder on which to display your contest entry made of either of the specified 30-06 or .308 cartridges! :biggrin:

Seriously, this contest will stand as Jeff outlined it. If there is enough interest, we may do a Dirty Harry pen contest at a later date.
 
Interestingly the .44 mags were from my deer rifle. LOL. Now I will have to get my hands on some of my mother's 30-06. And yes my mother hunts too. One big redneck family. LOL!
 
Fred said:
Neil ...
A four page report on a firing pin! Damn, that right there is scary ... Oh wait, was that in the days when pages were the size of business cards and font sizes were up around 14 point?

I am really intriqued as to just what the ultimate use of your report was?If you care to be a bit more descriptive ... or not.
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No sir, it was full size 8.5"x 11" sheets with standard type. My superior wanted a report on a problem and that was the only problem I could find. Since he was so much fun to work for and had me doing this for his entertainment mostly, I did the best job I could and sent it to him in triplicate. It could put anyone to sleep, he never bothered me for anything so ridiculous again. I am sure the ultimate use of my report was to help fill a circular file and to show a higher ranked member that I was ready, willing , and able to do as I was ordered and waste as much time and effort as possible on something that was not really worth a second thought. I miss that, things are much more efficient where I work now and if I had to do the same thing now, a simple single paragraph would suffice.

Edit: Let me change that to a single sentence." The firing pin was bent and was changed out successfully."
 
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I"m no casing expert, but I will be attempting to defend my prizes. Not only should this be a lot of fun, but it should inspire people to think outside the box. I'm pretty sure if you just take a bullet and put an antler section on top..you have no chance. Thanks Cav..and thanks for clarifying the rules are what they are and not changing. The rules are very simple and clear.
 
Thank You

I'm constantly reminded why I enjoy this place so much:biggrin:

I've had several emails and PM's with offers of casings and even from folks that I don't know:eek: You guys are really great !!! Thank You:wink:

If Ed doesn't bash them with a hammer first, then I'll have a go at entering Jeff's contest. I know Jeff's stuff is cool, but I'll enter just to have a dig at some of the heartless old cronies that were so cruel to me during the last contest!!!!! ( Sob, sob :crying::crying:) :mad: I haven't recovered from that abuse yet:frown: Could be years of therapy:biggrin:
 
If people need casings, there are several members in the classified that can hook you up, and it appears Ed can hook you up too. You don't have to buy a casing with tube and tranny and all that, just the casing. There's guys that will sell you bullets for nibs, pre-drilled or not that you also can get. It's much cheaper for them to sell those than it is for a pre-made half a pen. I don't bother with the whole powder coat thing either. I polish and wax, that's it. I like the pen better as it ages and tarnishes.

For those of you that have never made a casing pen. Don't be afraid. Your imagination is your only limit. I am starting a thread in the advanced pen turning forum for tips to assist you in your venture...advice to help you be inspired to play.
 
In addition to the assemblies I have for sale in the classifieds, I have some 308 and 30-06 brass "once-fired" casings. The only processing they have had is depriming and resizing. I also have bullets available that have been drilled for cross, although they could be drilled for parker. I have plenty to go around, over 1500 casings and 300 bullets with 1000 more bullets on order.
 
John (Chuckie) -- drop me a PM if you need a few nickel plated ones. I have a box in the garage of spiffy new unprimed ones.
 
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skiprat said:
I'm constantly reminded why I enjoy this place so much:biggrin:

I've had several emails and PM's with offers of casings and even from folks that I don't know:eek: You guys are really great !!! Thank You:wink:
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KenV said:
John (Chuckie) -- drop me a PM if you need a few nickel plated ones. I have a box in the garage of spiffy new unprimed ones.
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Now I will have to agree with Steven. Thanks to KenV!

John
 
The rules are very simple. you must use the front 3/4 section of a 30/06 or 308 cartridge. That is the only rule. What you do with that section is up to you. You can add other types of bullets into the mix, it doesn't matter. You only just must use that front 3/4" section of one of those two cartridges, and it must be part of the actual pen/pencil, not just screw it to a piece of wood and stick a pen in it like a desk holder. You can use the entire 30/06 or 308 cartridge if you want, but you do not have to. So you can glue a 300 winchester on the back of a 308 cartridge, or stick a 44 magnum on the front of a 308 cartridge to be a nib or whatever. You can even take (8) 30/06 front sections and make a flower out of it, as long as it writes.

So no Butch..doesn't have to look like a cartridge pen when finished, as long as the judges can identify that you used the required part in your pen.
 
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