Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

The big Missoula Gun Show was this weekend. Its the biggest in the state so attendance is de rigeur. I was trying to be a good boy, I really really was. But, sometimes things happen.

I was walking along the aisles and a casual acquaintance from previous shows called to me from behind his table. I said hi and we chatted a while. As I was chatting I started playing with some of the stuff on his table. Specifically, a Browning HiPower. Blued with Pachmyer grips, adjustable sights and comes with seven magazines. Price? $475.

You like the HiPower, he asked?
Yeah, I have a few, I replied.
Make me an offer. Im in a bargaining mood.

Now, I had no desire to get another P35. I already have a few. But, just to be polite we did the dance some more.

I dunno, man. I’d just lowball you and then your feelings’d be hurt.
:::shrugs::: Worst I can do is say no.
Okay. How about $400?, I think ’surely he won’t take $400 for a genuine Browning…’
Done.
And in my head Im thinking…’crap, I dont think I even have $400 on me. I wasnt expecting him to go for it!’. So I quickly borrowed $50 from a friend and took away my new pistol. Its a used but very clean later model HiPower. Belgian/Portugal, although my other ones are Belgian/Belgian. This one would be a nice candidate for a little tweaking over at Cylinder & Slide…mostly, I like the guns ’stock’ but I would swap out the sights and add a bit more pronounced safety lever.

So I put away my new toy and wandered arround promising myself ‘no more purchases’. See, Im a cheap guy and no matter how good the deal I always have guilt and buyers remorse afterwards. And yet….

Sitting on a table was a Ciener Atchisson .22 conversion for the AR-15. Actually, there were TWO. One looked older than the other. One was missing the magazine. Hmmmm…wouldja take less for the pair, especially since one is missing a magazine?

Next thing I know, I have two AR-15 conversion kits in hand. (Actually, one is an M16 kit since it features the parts necessary for functioning in a full-auto. [note that the parts dont make the gun full auto, the gun has to be fully automatic to start with]) Wandered a bit more and -surprise- found a guy selling these magazines. So, I’ll probably keep one kit and sell the other to help defray the costs.

Last item I picked up was a 14″ .44 Mag. barrel for my Contender. That was really a luxury purchase but it’ll be nice to haul around in the woods this year instead of a nine pound rifle. Currently I have a Contender carbine in .30-30 with a Choate stock and it weighs maybe four pounds. Its a delight to carry in the woods for long periods. But, a gunnie needs something to play with every once in a while and the price was right.

Other than that, there were no real interesting purchases. I did unload a few cases of MRE’s. Since I got dealer status with Mountain House I found that a case of MRE’s takes up a space that can hold much more days worth of food using the MH product, so I figured Id thin down my stash of MRE’s a bit. I singlehandedly lowered the prices of MRE’s at the gun show.

Took the P35 to the range and it shot wonderfully. I forget how much I like those things. I carry the Glock but thats because of its durability and price. But, the Glock has no real character…which is fine for what its intended to be – a simple functional tool – but the P35 has some style and character to it. Too bad theyre (normally) so expensive.

The .22 conversion kits were tricky. They need to be cleaned very badly and I think I need to experiment with different types of ammo. The bulk Federal didnt doo a very good job of cycling things. I very much want to get these kits running smoothly.

Today is my day off from work so Im off to Goodwill to stock up on canning jars at $0.15 ea. My new canner will arrive Thursday.