Because this thread NEEDS PICS!!!!
(I literally dropped off a conference call when I heard the doorbell ring - I knew exactly what it was so I didn't want to see the dang sticky on the door).
Everything is in amazing shape. The mags and pouch look brand new, and the rifle itself is immaculate.
So... Just thought I'd restate (I've mentioned before) why I ponied up for this gun:
a) It's a neat gun and I wanted one. I wanted a CZ, not a US assembled parts gun (nothing wrong with the CSA's - they're good guns - I just prefer going to the source).
b) It's complicated:
Few things in the past decade have irked me more than the stunt Miramachi pulled with reclassification. I believe in Democracy, as flawed as it is. In a Democracy, we elect representatives to make the rules. We may not agree with who gets elected, or the rules they create, but it's a fairer system them most. Our elected officials make the rules, and then the bureaucracy and police then go and enforce the rules. What absolutely should never happen is the un-elected bureaucracy or police being able to make the rules that they then go and enforce. That's the antithesis of a democracy. And that's exactly what happened with reclassification. The RCMP changed the rules, then set out to enforce a new rule they created. And that upset me very deeply. It put a great many law abiding people at serious risk of criminal charges, for absolutely no good reason. And it put Wolverine Supplies, its ownership and staff, equally at jeopardy.
As a community, Firearms owners stood together and saw the injustice of it, and forced change. Wolverine Supplies was a part of that stand, they stood with us, and fought for us, even though the risk to them was greater than the rest of the community. They risked their livelihoods and freedoms to fight for us. And that's not an overstatement. When you look at how the RCMP acted in the days after reclassification, its very clear that the company was at risk. It would have been far easier for them to "tow the line" in exchange for a pass on the risk of any charges. But that's not what they did. They stood for their rights, and our rights.
So when this shipment was announced, it was a no brainer. Of course I was going to do everything I could to get one. It isn't just about wanting a shiny new toy. It's also about the statement it makes to put cash on the barrel head, to support a dealer that supported us and fought alongside us.
I own a lot of guns. "Between 50 and 100" if you really need to put a number on them.
There are exactly 2 of them that are not now, nor ever will be, for sale.
One is a Winchester Model 50. My dad bought it new in box back in the 50s, it was "the shotgun in the closet" the entire time I was growing up, and when he got too old to hunt anymore, it became mine. I still hunt with it, from time to time (in spite of having newer and fancier shotguns), and it will be passed on to my daughter when the time is right.
The second is the 858. The politics around this gun are clear. It is very much a symbol of the rights we struggle for as a community.
So, thanks Mr. Wolverine, Grumpy, and everyone at Wolverine Supplies. You fought the good fight, we won a minor victory, and gave us all, even those who weren't able to get one of the guns themselves, a symbol of what we're fighting for.
Like I said earlier "gonna be a long long weekend"
