You know

Personally I haven't really been posting much as I haven't seen much point. As mentioned above it is mostly people trying to make a quick buck off others. I love watching when people ask what something is worth, and then put it up on the EE for 250$ more than the highest quote (and watch it sit for a while).

I tend to do most my posting on the Milsurps.com now, just because the tone is better and there is a lot less people coming on just to ask what something is worth. Usually it is because they have something to share or there is some sort of question they have, other than the most basic information 5 minutes on the computer would have taught you.
 
I hope Smellie makes an appearance from time to time as others have noted the man is a walking encyclopedia of Milsurp knowledge. While I have never met the man I think it safe to say he could be considered an old school gentleman that takes the time to explain and educate smallarms to us who do not have his depth and experience base. I for one thoroughly enjoyed reading his posts and hope he pops in as he sees fit and explains the whats and whys of Milsurp owning and shooting for a good long while.
 
bp2626 said:
If you think you guys got it bad you should try being a collector of Russian firearms and having the Red Rifles forum.
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I feel your pain. Its painful to read about everybody tripping over themselves to get "Finish tuned match triggers" not realizing all they are getting is a flatter spring. As far as smellie goes, I had my suspicions as to why he stopped posting along the general lines expressed in this thread and am glad to hear he is doing ok.
 
Great that he is doing well. I actually had noticed a while back that he wasn't on here any more and did a search yesterday for anything he may have posted and it has been awhile already.

I miss reading all his posts about milsurps, reloading, army life, etc... Hope he comes back some day!

Ian
 
Sure miss his input! I read every post I found his handle on. It is easy to get turned off with the repetitious posts in wrong forums. However, I can remember some dumb questions I asked when I was younger. Replies like "didn't you learn anything on your Firearm Safety Course?" are tempting to make, but don't serve the community well. What annoys me more are two or more people disagreeing and the thread escalating into and beyond the IBTL stage. Kind of like when driving your car and someone gives you the finger (deserved or not). If you just give them a big happy smile and wave it confounds them more than a response in kind.
 
bearhunter said:
It is easy for us old timers to look at how young people operate today and grimace in pain. We grew up under completely different circumstances and though many of us have kept up to some extent with the new tech age we weren't immersed in it from birth. When they post a pic of a purchase here to ask what we think of what they paid for the item, many times they are bragging about the "deal" they just got and want to show off their new acquisition. We didn't have this option other than going to a gun show or bringing people over to the house to view our displays of firearms on the wall of our hobby room. Now we have to hide everything inside locked steel cabinets out of sight.

I see a lot of firearms I have sold at gun shows or on this site come up for display/evaluation. Why not??? Mostly it is pretty decent and sometimes hard to find one of a kind stuff. They don't seem to have the mentors we did either.

My parents were completely anti firearm/hunting. I was addicted to all of it from the very first time I strapped on a set of Lone Ranger lookalike silver/ivory handled pistols in dual black holsters with accompanying silver bullets and chrome escutcheons and buckles. They were very good facsimiles of the real peace makers but of course were made of cast pot metal.

I cleaned the back of the now long gone Marshall Wells store in Salmo, BC back in 1958 for a month to pay for that rig. The owner was a great old guy but made darn sure I did a good job under the low shelves he could no longer bend over to clean under. Once I paid off the guns/holsters he came up with a mask and white hat to match. I spent the next month earning a light blue denim shirt and pants along with some black cowboy boots and a belt I wouldn't be caught dead wearing today.

I had to hide all of that stuff from my parents. They freaked later when they caught me all decked out in my finery and shouting bang at the top of my lungs at the "obviously violent psychopathic RED SKIN" that was coming at me in my vivid imagination. I caught hell for a week and they took all the stuff away from me. Then it all appeared on my bed one day after school. My mother had washed the clothes and my father decided I was going to do what I was going to do anyway. We were much more independent as kids in those days. Pedophiles were dealt with severely and locally at every opportunity so kids were pretty much safe from everything except themselves.

This site is an outlet for those young people. Just reading some of their comments brings a tear of laughter to me. So much of the old BS and garbage about firearms that was present when I was a kid is still alive and flourishing in new fertile minds.

Let them ask. They have to learn somehow/sometime. Maybe we can take out some of our time to help them. Our youth do not get nearly enough time with their peers. Many of the youngsters I meet today through my grandson are terrified at the sight of a real firearm. Take it easy on them. Don't BS them. Tell them straight.

Even we learn by reading and answering their questions. I know I have given out information that I thought was correct and have been put straight in a very positive but sincere manner by other firearms enthusiasts that have a lot more in depth knowledge than I do.

This site is an island of sanity and a cornucopia of knowledge in a sea of emotional storms. Some of you posters I know are knowledgeable old timers with a lot of knowledge to pass on. If we take it to the grave with us it is gone forever and so is a lot of enthusiasm for the sport it might have generated.

They are mostly young. Keep that in mind and be succinct but polite with your replies. Sometimes that can be tedious but it is worth it in the end.
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Great post bearhunter, I consider myself one of those younger collectors, but was raised by my grandparents and I hope I still retain the old values that were instilled in me. Sadly I believe Tinman is right in the fact people are looking make a quick buck or get a smoking deal over the historical value of the piece. I hope I can do my part raising my kids to appreciate the history and meaning of the tools of war over just what it's worth.
 
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Smellie and I have had quite a few "discussions" over many cups of coffee about the original intent of the Forum, and the direction it has headed. I will say that many of the posts here reflect the subjects of these chats, not only here, but in other websites and forums. I will say that most of my views are the same as his, and I find that I am not posting answers like I once did.

This does not mean that we will not, or refuse to answer questions or post things here or on other forums, but we both have cut back a bit.

Unfortunately, it is a lot easier to simply post a question here about a subject that has been covered by about 20 or so previous posts, than properly use the search function and look up the answer. Of course, no pictures REALLY helps to identify the article in question. This is like saying, "I have an old Ford car------what is it worth.?

As noted, SMELLIE is alive and well, and has his own reasons for not posting as frequently as he once did.
 
Tinman204 said:
Ok I just spoke with him, he's alive and well lol☺☺☺☺☺☺������
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That is great news. I was wondering about his lack of postings and was concerned.

I really miss his historical insight into the guns.

I have a Martini Enfield in 303 with Turkish markings. He could probably explain why the Turks had the rifle and how (who) they used it.
 
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Very interesting thread. Tinman204, I also stumped smellie, or at least left him without much to say about a rifle I handed him to look at when we were at Virden a couple of years back. :p

I haven't got soured yet, but sometimes I do let my crustiness get the best of me. I don't mind the "what's it worth" threads. Often, someone will add a tidbit such as variations of the gun in question, or add a link to a source of good info. The world has opened up for me as far as firearms research is concerned since I got on the internet. I appreciate the people who are willing to share their knowledge and who are so ready to share the sites where they have found good stuff.

One of the things that bug me is the quick draw "use the search function". Another is the texting gibberish. I realize that a lot of people use their smart?phones exclusively and the auto correction sometimes makes a mess of what they are trying to say. I also realize that proofreading has gone by the wayside for some. So be it. I can skip over the gibberish.

I like to see posts where people show us their goodies. I hesitate now to post up much of my stuff, mostly to avoid the negative posts. I don't need to see the picky stuff, nor does anyone else. I posted a couple of pics of a gorgeous old No.1 Mk III*. It is a beauty. One guy posts, "Why would you want to collect something like that?", and then went on to point out what he thought was wrong with the rifle. Gee whiz. Thanks for coming out.

I spend most evenings cruising CGN and often get to a few more sites, especially when someone puts up a link. I'm gone! A positive attitude will attract new people and keep them. Snotty answers won't.

Thanks to all the contributors! :rockOn:
 
Seeing as we've established that Smellie's doing well and are now discussing young'uns figured I'd toss my input in as a sort-of young'un.

While the "how do I buy an AK" and associated threads get a little ridiculous at times, the forum's one of the only places many people can learn about firearms today. A lot of the older generation don't realize that new gun owners usually grew up without firearms, in the city, and don't have anyone to ask. I came out of my PAL/RPAL course with just enough knowledge to not hurt anyone. CGN's been the number one source for learning for me - didn't know anyone growing up with more than a fudd level of gun knowledge (IE... the most knowledgeable person I knew had a gun he called the "bear fluffer; because it shoots a round so big the bear's fur will blow off him when shot with it"... it was a sportered P17 in 30-06 with a bore so devoid of rifling that keyholed at 25 yards). Smellie's one of those who knows a huge amount and happily imparts it to others in a logical and positive manner, improving the whole community. I definitely remember how excited I was to get my first rifle (a cut-down enfield, as it happens sold to me by a board member at a gunshow). I probably asked a lot of stupid questions about it, but since I wasn't overly cocky and did as much reading as I understood, the forum was kind enough to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. People posing questions often leads to my learning about subjects I didn't know existed or had thought I knew, which it usually turns out, I didn't :p .

Anyways, I've probably ticked some people off over time, most likely inadvertently as I haven't set out to make enemies, but a lot of what makes the forum such a great place is that it's somewhere we can communicate our knowledge and enjoyment of the sport with a new generation. Now I've got a decent level of knowledge and experience I'm starting to try to pass some of it on as a way of saying thankyou to people like smellie and other board members who have helped me out so much.
 
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I guess that my approach is more pragmatic than some. I come here to buy/sell, ask for and provide information, and for general amusement.

I don't need to be right, nor to have the last word. I state what I think, and regardless of what comments follow that, if I have nothing new to add, I unsubscribe and move along and let others have their way with the thread.

What's so difficult with that, especially for those who fancy themselves as knowledgeable and experienced?
 
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