Not working... it just isn't working...

Up after a long solid crash into sleep - didn't even hear the end of the Blues I had started listening to....

Well, I am up early because it didn't work. My new Marlin 795 LTR (Liberty Training Rifle). I had such high hopes. But a semi automatic must feed correctly every time, must only fire when the trigger is pressed, must set the round off with the strike, must extract and eject the round or brass cleanly, and must feed correctly again. That didn't happen, I will start by blaming me, Earl. And then quickly decide that a good cleaning and examination of the rifle is due.

For sure I am not going to use Golden Eagle TARGET Eley Prime 22 Long Rifle ammunition from Mexico. I will save that for my single shot target rifle where it has done wonderfully. Nope, I will test my other 22lr stuff, and hope to buy the recommended brands one day, as soon as I find what works best I will buy a bulk of it.

The rifle works, when it works. Solid shooting, the sights adjusted well and I was on target by the end of the first sighting square exercise - but I didn't wait to hear IMC. I had some sling problem, changed to GI web sling and settled into a string of problems. First one was not always feeding a round, second one was the stove pipe where the case didn't clear the ejection port before the bolt was coming back catching it. Then we had unfired round stuck in chamber, no extraction. Had to rod those out two or three times. Totally unsatisfactory.

Having a long history with firearms, I know things go wrong, there are immediate action drills, and how to clear the firearm and reload is critical skill set. There really are reasons that bolt action and revolvers are often trusted more than semi automatics. The same reason that the bayonet is absolutely the best addition to personal defense on a rifle. I had fired about one hundred and twenty rounds by the end of a short almost Winter day, day one of the Appleseed at Moxee, Washington. And to top it off, the rear sight fell off, but by that time I was finished with shooting for the day and got my camera out.

Now for that secret part of shooting sports, the fun and adventure of fixing all my perceptions and problems with the rifle, the ammunition and the shooter. I will be back to get Rifleman with that firearm, yes, that is coming.