Gun Cleaning

Above, the Winchester 62A before disassembly. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I've said before, I love the smell of Hoppe's No. 9 in the morning.

A while ago, I cleaned the rifles used during yesterday's plinking. I limited myself to shooting the Winchester 62A .22 and the Winchester 94 .30-30. 

Above, the Winchester 62A after disassembly. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I got both cleaned and oiled this morning. I took apart the Winchester 92A as a couple of patches got stuck inside the receiver. It was easy to take apart and put back together. After taking out the patches, I did a thorough cleaning inside. It probably hadn't been taken apart and cleaned this extensively since my grandfather had it. 

Above, the Winchester 94 before cleaning. Photo by Armand Vaquer

Now both rifles are ready to shoot again.

Hot Target Shooting

Above, Larry Lucier taking aim with his .22 Henry lever rifle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday's shooting session at the shooting area of the Cibola National Forest could have gone better.

The target shooting went fine, but it was very hot outside. It must've been in the upper 80s or the low 90s out.

Three of us did our plinking: Victor Gomez, Larry Lucier and myself. I started with my Winchester 62A .22 and finished up with the Winchester 94. 

Above, the targets. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I liked the new targets, especially the ones designed for rimfire rifles. I also like the much bigger centerfire target. 

We wrapped up or shooting about an hour or so after arriving due to the heat. We then went to Denny's at the Flying J for some chocolate milkshakes and water to cool off. 

It may be better to go shooting earlier in the morning or late afternoon where there is less heat.

I will be gun cleaning today.

Plinkin' Day

Above, the stuff I am bringing to the shooting area today. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today will be the first plinking day of the year.

The weather has been warm and sunny (we have been getting some occasional rain squalls here and there). Hopefully, the ground at the shooting area will not be muddy.

I am going to use my new targets. One set is for centerfire guns. I will be shooting the Winchester 94 with .30-30 cartridges for that target. The other, for rimfire guns will be tried out with the Winchester 62A .22 rounds. 

I have already put my table and seat in the Mustang, so all I have to do is load up the guns and targets.

This Old Gun: Winchester 62a (Video)

One of my Winchester rifles is a Winchester Model 62a, a pump-action .22 rifle. It is commonly called a "gallery gun" as they were frequently used in amusement park shooting galleries. It is a fun plinker. 

I inherited mine from my maternal grandfather. It was made in 1947 according to its serial number.

The Winchester 62a was another creation by legendary gun designer John Moses Browning.

Here's a video on the 62a by Cape Gun Works:

Plinkin' On The Cheap

Above, out in Texas Canyon New Year's Day 1984. Right
to left, Arleigh Kerr, Steve Born, Glenn Thornhill and me.

With prices the way they are these days, larger caliber ammunition is a little pricey for ordinary target plinking.

Fortunately, there's a cheaper ammo for plinking that won't break the bank: .22 LR.

I have two rifles to choose from for plinking with .22 LR ammunition.

The first, is my Winchester 62A pump-action rifle I inherited from my grandfather. It was made in 1947. I shot with it last year. Still works great.

Above, the Winchester 62A. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I used to target shoot with it frequently with friends in Southern California in Texas Canyon near Newhall/Saugus. 

A friend brought along his Ruger 10/22 carbine and I liked it so much that I bought one around 1983. It is a semi-automatic that came with 10-round magazines. I later bought some 25-round magazines. I have a Bushnell scope mounted on it.

Above, the Ruger 10/22, manufactured in 1983. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So, if one wants to go target shooting, they can still do so without hurting the wallet.

Summer Vacation 2025 Ideas

For vacationing this summer, I am considering heading up to Wyoming and western South Dakota (the Black Hills region).

During this trip, I am thinking about starting off in Cody, Wyoming. I may have driven through it at one time, but I am not too sure. But Cody is worth a visit if one is interested in firearms. There is the Cody Firearms Museum - Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The museum features an extensive collection of firearms. The Winchester Arms Collection is the heart of the museum. See video above.

Also in Cody next year, is the Winchester Arms Collectors Association Show that will be held on July 11-13, 2025. This show looks to be worth attending. I have three Winchesters: Winchester 62A that I inherited from my grandfather, Winchester 94 that I bought in 2019 and a Winchester Model 12 that I bought last April. If I decide to go on this trip, I'll time it so that I can attend the show.

About the Winchester Arms Collectors Association (WACA):

The Winchester Arms Collectors Association (WACA) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation with a worldwide membership of over 3,000 individuals. WACA was organized in July 1977, incorporated February 21, 1978 in the State of Montana and has been NRA affiliated (#G8143) since 1978.

Our members are devoted to the preservation, understanding and collecting of Winchester firearms and related products as well as the role these products had in forging America’s heritage.

The Winchester Collector, a quarterly publication, is dedicated to the collecting of Winchester Firearms and related Memorabilia. It includes Winchester related articles, highlights from our shows and events, as well as calendar updates and classified ads. We encourage our members to contribute to our publications, as we showcase our members’ favorite Winchesters.

We currently produce the WACA Show in Cody, WY, and as an association attend shows in Wilmington, OH, West Springfield, MA, and Las Vegas, NV. 

For more information on the Winchester Arms Collectors Association, go here.

During the summer, there is the Cody Nite Rodeo. Cody calls itself the "Rodeo Capital of the World". The Cody Nite Rodeo is an amateur rodeo held every night from June 1 through August 31.

I am thinking about starting the vacation in Cody, then head east to the Black Hills.

Best Gun For Beginners: Complete Guide

Above, a shooting outing with friends in Texas Canyon circa 1984.

The earliest I remember going to a shooting range with my dad was when I was around 12 years old. However, before that, I took a National Rifle Association gun safety class with my Boy Scout troop when I was eleven. 

The first guns I fired were pistols. I think it was my dad's Luger. 

On my own, the first rifle I shot with was my grandfather's Winchester 62A .22 caliber pump rifle I inherited. I still have it. The first gun I purchased as a Ruger 10/22 rifle. 

One may ask, "What is the best gun for beginners?" That may be a subjective question. One will get different answers from different sources.

Here's an article from Bear Creek Arsenal on that topic.

They begin it with:

Best Gun For Beginners: Complete Guide

Guns are more popular than ever, contrary to what anti-gunners may try to tell you. America, before the pandemic, was home to around 340 million guns. The pandemic changed gun-buying habits. According to thehill.com, “Americans purchased nearly 60 million guns between 2020 and 2022, according to an analysis by The Trace, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that tracks gun violence. Yearly gun sales are running at roughly twice the level of 15 or 20 years ago.” Today’s gun total for the U.S. hovers around 393 million – we have about 60 million more guns than people! 

Accounting for the fact that many of those pandemic purchases were by gun owners, that still means that millions of folks who had never before bought a gun got into the act and became a new gun owner.

This article will be broken into two sections… first, some basic firearms information, including types of guns, pros and cons, and usage information. The final part will be some specific recommendations. It is addressed to the first-time gun buyer, but experienced shooters may find it useful, as well.

To read more, go here. 

The Eyes Have It

Last week, a group of four of us went to the shooting area for some plinking.

I mainly shot with my .410 Mossberg shotgun, Winchester 94 .30-30 and Winchester 62A .22 rifles.

After we were done, we took down our targets and the photo below is my target showing headshots from my 62A.

 

Interestingly, I got both eyes of the target. 

Plinkin' Day

Above, all ready to go. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, the gang will be heading out to the shooting area for some plinking. 

I got the guns and ammo all ready to pack into the car. I am going to shoot the three Winchesters (the 94 lever-action .30-30 carbine, the 62A .22 pump rifle and the Model 1912 shotgun) along with the Mossberg 500E .410 Pump Shotgun. The Mossberg shotgun was inherited from my dad. I didn't know I had it until last year when I found it in one of his gun cases. 

The targets have been readied and in the garage.

Thankfully, one of my friends also has a Winchester Model 1912 shotgun, so he can coach me on using it. I viewed some videos on it, which helps. 

How To Determine A Gun's Year of Manufacture

Above, the Winchester 1894 made in 1962. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever wonder when your gun, that was purchased new or used, was made?

Fortunately, with today's Internet, many gun manufacturers have online databases what will give you that information. Mostly, all one has to do is to enter the model number and serial number. 

To date, I have used such sites to date my Winchester 1894 and 62A rifles and my Ruger 10/22 carbine. I first looked up the Winchester 1894's year of manufacture while at the gun shop before purchasing. The price tag said it was a pre-1964 rifle made in 1962. I looked it up with my cell phone and verified it. I bought the rifle. I did the same with the Winchester 62A rifle I inherited from my grandfather and found that it was made in 1947. Their site can be reached by going here.

On the Ruger 10/22, I knew I bought it new in the 1980s, but couldn't remember the year. I looked it up through Ruger's website and found it was made in 1983. I had to have bought it within a year or so of that. Ruger's site can be reached here.

Most likely, other gun manufacturers have similar databases for gun owners to use. 

Winchester 62A .22 Pump Rifle

Above, my grandfather's Winchester 62A. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the past few months, I was wondering what happened to my grandfather's Winchester 62A .22 S/L/LR pump rifle.

I used it for target practice back in the 1970s and early 1980s before I bought a Ruger 10/22. 

It seems I had it in my gun safe the whole time. My dad had a number of rifles and they ended up in my gun safe after he passed away. One of them was the Winchester. It was in a cloth scabbard and I hadn't looked inside until today.

I checked the serial number and it indicates that the rifle was manufactured in 1947. 

Also checked values of the Winchester 62A with True Gun Value and this is what they say:

 WHAT IS A WINCHESTER 62A RIFLE WORTH?

A WINCHESTER 62A rifle is currently worth an average price of $736.49 new and $660.65 used . The 12 month average price is $736.49 new and $620.15 used.

The new value of a WINCHESTER 62A rifle has fallen $0.00 dollars over the past 12 months to a price of $736.49 . The used value of a WINCHESTER 62A rifle has risen $121.51 dollars over the past 12 months to a price of $660.65 .

The demand of new WINCHESTER 62A rifle's has not changed over the past 12 months. The demand of used WINCHESTER 62A rifle's has risen 7 units over the past 12 months.