39TDS

Nope, not a gunsmith. Just had the misfortune of falling for the hype the Americans give out for Marlins and mistakenly buying into it. Sold now but I had a lot of work to do to fix it first. By the by, but I bought it off a dealer in South Yorkshire who told me it was "a nice little gun that he had had a go with and it shot quite nicely". I believe this to have been a lie because it didn't work. I wish I had taken it straight back but it was 130 miles away, I also wished I had fired it first (because I wouldn't have bought it then). Still, I guess it taught me something, Americans have a misplaced fanatasism about Marlin underlevers, gun dealers don't always tell the truth and gunsmithing isn't so difficult to pick up if you are desperate.

Yes, and if it was a Marlin I could tell you how to fix it. FTF (fail to fire) can be cured by reducing the area of the firing pin. File a bit off so there is less metal towards the centre of the round ie. it hits more on the rim. Marlins have a rebound system as an extra safety feature, there is a spring pushing the hammer back into place. Reducing this spring lets the firing pin hit the round harder. Sometimes the firing pin can be a bit peened over where it hits a stop if excessively dry fired. This lip can hinder the pins travel, stopping it hitting the round hard enough. Not sure what cycling problems you had but fail to eject is usually caused by the claw not engaging with the edge of the round. Can be "sharpened" with a file. All the above is how to cure a Marlin and I have done all of them with great success. Changed a gun from rarely firing or ejecting to being pretty much 100%. I have never looked inside a Browning (or at the outside either for that matter)

If you don't want to do it any more then just stop. Plenty more fish in the sea to murder.

Stick to pest control species then. It is very easy to justify killing them. I love shooting but I can't bring myself to kill anything other than pests, rabbits, pigeons and magpies are just about my limit. I have only shot 2 foxes in all my life (48 year old farmer) and don't really intend to increase that tally. I can shoot geese as much as I want but have never shot at one. Pest control is how I get it to sit easy on my mind.

It very much does go up in a flash, and then it is gone. If you are ever in a situation when a stubble fire is about to catch you up it is a very good plan to run through the fire itself. There's not much going on behind the active front apart from a bit of smoke. As a last resort I would do it, better than being burnt.

I went away last weekend for a few days fishing with my son. We found a lovely spot about 4 hours drive north of Brisbane. Now doesn't that sound so much better than a canal in Yorkshire? Carp fishermen regularly spend £1500 on tackle and £25 on a ticket. I spent £25 on tackle but it cost me £1500 to get there.

Very occasionally the first shot will hit the target. This isn't relevant as you will just empty the mag anyway.

Milk is already cheaper than bottled water, and if that doesn't change soon then all our milk will come from abroad. I suppose TB in the national dairy herd will not be a problem when there are no cows left.

That doesn't seem to be a factor in the debate.

My house was very expensive. I do not have a mortgage and it is worth 10x what was paid. A rather eccentric purchase at the time but worked out well.

It would last me a weekend if the missus is here. Never known anyone burn so much fuel. I'm not complaining, she lights the fire and carts the logs into the house. Reckon I burn 25 tons a year heating a big old farmhouse to just above freezing, not "walking about in your undies" temperatures. Had it lit a few times but not every night yet. I just put another jumper on instead. I reckon cordwood under a tarp but so the breeze can get through is a damned good way to store logs. I cut and split them from under the tarp and reckon them to be at 15% moisture within a week from then. In comparison, my furniture in the house measures at 15%. Meter costs about £15 off ebay etc if anybody wants to know.

Yes, and it is very effective. Remember to close your eyes just as you pull the trigger, the soil flies everywhere.

My missus is one of the dumbest people I know, lovely girl but not much going on upstairs. I once told her I fancied going to IOM to see Douglas. She was quite irate and insisted I didn't know anyone on IOM, least of all someone called Douglas. I keep myself amused by making up the most ridiculous tales, she always believes me. Usually goes off and tells her mates too.

A friends father was stabbed to death in a similar situation. I think that puts things into perspective.

nice pic

Thought I saw some recently. Must admit it didn't really register that it was a bit early. I have orchards and they are full of them most winters. Winter before last they chose the maize stubble up the lane over my offerings.

Why do people shoot at them

Nope

I doubt there are many professional gooseberry growers on this forum. I have 10 acres of them and also produce and sell somewhere around 30,000 gooseberry plants each year.

Je ne regrette rien

I would leave it until the end of October at least, if possible. The leaves will probably still be on them even then but they will be OK. I would dig out with a spade rather than a fork, the fork can only lever them out and roots will get broken. A spade cuts them off nicely but don't go too close to the main trunk. A foot away would be plenty, you can shake the soil off carefully or just transfer the whole lot to a new hole. Trim back about a third of the bush trying to remove branches that will droop onto the floor and try to open out the centre a bit. A little bit of nitrogen fertiliser in late spring/early summer and they should fare well.

NFU

Well done, it's a big boost to yourself when you do summat like that. Nice one.

+1 Not sure that I wouldn't have done the same though.

It's a blue moon tonight too.