Hey guys, it looks like I will be moving to Massachusetts in a year or so, just wanted to introduce myself.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a Lance Corporal in artillery who was captured at the Battle of Kasserine Pass.
On my father's side, I come from 3 generations of Marines. My grandfather fought on Guadalcanal and received a purple heart after sustaining Japanese grenade injuries. My father was trained as a marksman in Vietnam-era. A knee injury had him discharged.
The Marine side of the family taught me to shoot. Unfortunately, my father wasn't the greatest guy, but my grandfathers on the other hand, I looked up to as a gods. They were my models for men and integrity.
I have been shooting long guns since I could practically stand. My hunting rifle as a teenager was a Remington 700 chamber in 7 mm mag. My bird gun was a Browning Auto 5. I only ever plinked with pistols before now.
I lost my Marine grandfather over 2 years ago. I found his serial number and tattooed it on my shoulder. Then I did the same for my African theater grandfather on the other shoulder. He's 93 and not in the greatest health. Both carried the M1911 as their service sidearm.
My dad told me if I "carried on the tradition" of joining The Corps he would kill me first, so, being interested in science, I went to college, worked 3 jobs to pay for it, now 10 years later, I am finishing my PhD in climate science and isotope geochemistry (basically using the chemistry of cave deposits and corals to reconstruct temperatures and rainfall). I study the tropical west Pacific, so I have actually "lived" in the major areas of the Solomon Islands campaign: Munda, Guadalcanal, Naru, Olasana, etc. for months. I have been on Kennedy Island. I've also been to where the Americans built a base in Vanuatu. It was emotionally overwhelming to stand where my grandfather stood prepared to fight to the death 1942.
The opportunity came for me to buy an older (early 80's) Auto-Ordinance GI configured (with the exception of an aftermarket sight) for a good price. I had wanted one forever and couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a replica of what my grandfathers had been relying on when they had been willing to lay down their lives.
Being an isotope geochemist means being mechanically inclined: it's all instrument work (when it's not grueling fieldwork). You have to be a fearless (but safe!) tinkerer. So I immediately taught myself, using available resources, how to completely disassemble the pistol, work on the sear spring.
Those of you who know AO guns know the early West Hurley AO 1911's have a bad reputation. I cleaned the gun (it looked like it had never been cleaned or really even shot), adjusted the leaf springs, replaced the firing pin return spring, recoil spring, etc. It works perfectly. I've put about 500 rounds through it.
Anyway, I know the reputation of Massachusetts and I've been doing some background reading, mostly from this site (thank you for this resource). I'd likely be moving to a town with mixed experience with LTC-A permitting (Falmouth/Woods Hole area). Just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. Great site.
My grandfather on my mother's side was a Lance Corporal in artillery who was captured at the Battle of Kasserine Pass.
On my father's side, I come from 3 generations of Marines. My grandfather fought on Guadalcanal and received a purple heart after sustaining Japanese grenade injuries. My father was trained as a marksman in Vietnam-era. A knee injury had him discharged.
The Marine side of the family taught me to shoot. Unfortunately, my father wasn't the greatest guy, but my grandfathers on the other hand, I looked up to as a gods. They were my models for men and integrity.
I have been shooting long guns since I could practically stand. My hunting rifle as a teenager was a Remington 700 chamber in 7 mm mag. My bird gun was a Browning Auto 5. I only ever plinked with pistols before now.
I lost my Marine grandfather over 2 years ago. I found his serial number and tattooed it on my shoulder. Then I did the same for my African theater grandfather on the other shoulder. He's 93 and not in the greatest health. Both carried the M1911 as their service sidearm.
My dad told me if I "carried on the tradition" of joining The Corps he would kill me first, so, being interested in science, I went to college, worked 3 jobs to pay for it, now 10 years later, I am finishing my PhD in climate science and isotope geochemistry (basically using the chemistry of cave deposits and corals to reconstruct temperatures and rainfall). I study the tropical west Pacific, so I have actually "lived" in the major areas of the Solomon Islands campaign: Munda, Guadalcanal, Naru, Olasana, etc. for months. I have been on Kennedy Island. I've also been to where the Americans built a base in Vanuatu. It was emotionally overwhelming to stand where my grandfather stood prepared to fight to the death 1942.
The opportunity came for me to buy an older (early 80's) Auto-Ordinance GI configured (with the exception of an aftermarket sight) for a good price. I had wanted one forever and couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a replica of what my grandfathers had been relying on when they had been willing to lay down their lives.
Being an isotope geochemist means being mechanically inclined: it's all instrument work (when it's not grueling fieldwork). You have to be a fearless (but safe!) tinkerer. So I immediately taught myself, using available resources, how to completely disassemble the pistol, work on the sear spring.
Those of you who know AO guns know the early West Hurley AO 1911's have a bad reputation. I cleaned the gun (it looked like it had never been cleaned or really even shot), adjusted the leaf springs, replaced the firing pin return spring, recoil spring, etc. It works perfectly. I've put about 500 rounds through it.
Anyway, I know the reputation of Massachusetts and I've been doing some background reading, mostly from this site (thank you for this resource). I'd likely be moving to a town with mixed experience with LTC-A permitting (Falmouth/Woods Hole area). Just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. Great site.
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