we had a gorgeious day here , sunny and 77 , tomorrow will be mid to high 30s , just goes to show weather people have no clue , i liked it and wish it was the satart of a warming trend that would continue but i know better , its march , a blizzaed is around the corner 

At the range all day with Doco Overboard, His wife & one of his daughters

No internet there so we shot riffles instead.

I got to try one of his martini builds with some .303 reduced load lead rounds, the thing was a sweet pussycat.

Then we did a little "Horse Trading", while the wives had a kibitz.

Yes, it was a nice way to break hibernation for all of us I think.

I was able to get him something he needed, & I had, but couldn't use, for something he had a surplus of. but didn't have a use for by trading something I could always use!

Its nice to do a "my handshake is my word" deals, where everybody wins a little, nowadays.

today didnt get above 36 with a bitter north wind if we didnt have schools on the trap fields all day we would have had 5 customers , as it was the kids got a dose of what to expect in the next few weeks , the range had a fair turnout , but today we were 40 degrees colder , it was cloudy and looked like it would snow , next weekend we reopen for the season , the high schools start shooting their leagues , we lost my counterpart at the clubhouse over the winter and the search is on for a replacement ., im covering it all till that happens , will mean a lot of hours to start , but im ok with it , i have a couple events i will use the cash for , 

^^^ THIS,

also this is why they aren't held (mostly) anymore

we are talking nearly 100k kids these days in the program , i know we dont retain a large percentage in the ATA trap shooting but we get a percentage and then there are those that quit when their parents quit paying but start again after they get their roots set and are able to afford it , 

its a sport that put all competitors on equal footing and has no real advantage of sex or personal stature , if you can shoot well , you can win , everyone can play , put in the effort you can succeed 

Spent an hour or two putting an S&K weaver scope mount, rings and 3x9 scope on my father's No1 MK3 over the weekend and bore sighting it.  Time to take it to the range to get it dialed in.  These stocks don't really lend themselves to a good cheek weld with a scope and these were the lowest rings I could get my hands on.  Will be delivering it back to him when we take the kids for a visit to the grandparents for Easter.  :)

Sunday was cleaning, coralling cats and more cleaning. Spring time stuff, you know.

Wait 15 minutes to let the Ammonia do its job, then run a patch soaked in Hoppe's No. 9 through the barrel, if I see blue I rinse and repeat, sometimes 50 to 60 times so this is a multi day process per rifle.  I finish off by running an oil soaked patch to protect the bore. 

A few get the JB Bore Bright treatment too.  Fortunately I've got a smart TV in my shop so I've been watching S.A.S Rogue Heroes, Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, 1950's science fiction movies (they're the best!), and war documentaries to pass the time.

Try the Hoppes Elite copper remover.

No ammonia & you can leave in the bore overnight.

I swab the bore till thoroughly wet, let it sit muzzle down overnight. The next day brush & path out daily, repeating as needed. About 12 minutes a day!

Paul, when it comes to AR's, cleanliness is next to Godliness!  Thank you for going home to retrieve your un-FTR'd 1941 Long Branch No.4 Mk I to show me.  It was a thrill to see it!  I'm currently working my way through Lance's new books and so far the LB No.4 Mk I's he's detailed have all gone through the FTR process to become No.4 Mk 1/2's so yours is a rare beast for sure!

I used clean barrels the same way, alternating Hoppes 9 and Sweets.  But it sounds like you’re mixing these two solvents at the same time in the bore? That, I have not done.

I’ve become less aggressive with barrel cleaning over the years.  I do much less scrubbing and give time for the Hoppes 9 to do its work.  I mix Hoppes and Kroil in a solvent bottle about 4:1 ratio and use it for my routine cleaning. Hit the bore with Eliminator about every 800 rounds or when I think copper is building up.