We got quite a few trades in this week and I picked up a distributor exclusive that is interesting. Used guns that came in this week were a 4 inch 500 S&W, Cimmaron 1866 in 45 Colt, HK USP in 45, Glock 23, Stoeger Luger in 22lr, a Ruger Single Six 22 mag, Savage 340C in 30-30, a Beretta 92s, and a Winchester 94 in 30-30. New guns this week were an ADL Laminated Remington 700 in 270, a couple of Bersa 380’s, Taurus 94 in 22lr, Remington 700 SPS Tactical in 308 and a Ruger Vaquero in 44 mag. Ruger had dropped the 44 mags when they went to the smaller frame New Vaquaros but one of my distributors got a hold of some and they have been good sellers. Mt Sports is offering and Remington 700 SPS in stainless in 257 Weatherby Mag. I have a couple those showing up this week sometime.
I did get out Thursday and shot my Rem SPS Tactical in 223 and was really happy with how it shot. I put together 10 different test loads with 55gr Ballistic Tip, 50gr TNT’s and 60gr Sierra Varminters. It really liked the 60gr Varminters with 2015br powder. My best group was around 3/8’s so Im going to load some of those this week and head for Wyoming Thursday and see how they do on Dawg’s. I guess Im not surprised it liked the heavier bullets better with the 1 in 9 twist but I’ve never shot dawgs with that heavy of a bullet. Im curious to see the results. Im not happy with the new Remington trigger though. It adjusted down ok, but I think the old one was better. Now that I know the gun shoots well I’ll end up replacing it. I’ll let you know how it does in the field this week. Go check out all the new stuff on our site at www.orchardshardware.com

-Mike

For those of you that dont get to visit our store we have alot of interesting trades going in and out of here. We recently bought 2 Churchill “One of One Thousand” rifles. Both have 3 leaf Express Sights, beautiful walnut stocks, case hardened grip caps and have Redfield scopes on them. From all I have been able to gather these we made for Interarms by Churchill for their 20th Anniversary in 1973. The 2 we have are serial numbers 31 and 32 and are engraved on the top of the barrel “Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd 7 Bury Street, St James, London, England” The side of the barrels are engraved “Custom Made For Craig Fox Huber” I did a search on his name and there is, or was, a gun writter by that name. I have no idea if they have any connection, but these are beautiful rifles and there isnt alot of information about them out there. According to the Blue Book they only produced 100 total. If anyone has any more information about these guns please email me at mike@orchardshardware.com
We got some other trades in this week. A Browning BLR Stalker with the Boss, a Sig P239 and P229, both in 40 S&W. A perfect Ruger #1 in 338 Win Mag. Chuck’s (the owner) Remington 700 XCR in 375 H&H fresh back from Africa where him, his son Dan (Jr) and daughter Shannon made short work of everything they aimed at. A Remington 700 BDL in 25-06, Walther G22, and Springfield 1911 all came in this week too. Go check our website for all the new guns www.orchardshardware.com
I did get out and shoot some Dawgs a few weeks ago and put the High Wall Winchester in 223 and the Barnes Varmint Grenades through the test. Both worked well, but Im thinking the Grenades still need more speed. They seem to perform just slightly less at 223 velocities then the Nosler Ballistic Tips. I actually sold the High Wall after the trip and bought one of Remingtons 700 SPS Tactical’s. I get bored pretty easy and this is a very sad (and expensive) hobby to have when you do…haha I havent shot the SPS yet, but I have test loads ready and am just waiting for some good weather on my days off, which doesnt seem to be in the plans this Spring so far! Im hoping to go back up to Wyoming and get some pups next week so it better be nice Thursday! haha I’ll let you know what happens and how this new gun performs
-Mike

I am constantly checking our distributors for deals and this week they had some good ones on Remington rifles. We got in some 700 BDL’s left hand models in both 7mm Ultra and 300 Ultra. We running them at $649.99. They also had some 700 XCR’s in 375 Ultra we are selling at $799.99 and we will even give you a box of ammo for it! I dont have to tell anyone what ammo has been doing lately, its amazing how fast its going up and Im not sure if its done yet. I also picked up a couple of 700 CDL’s in 35 Whelen we have for $699.99. We have always sold Whelens well, I hope this doesnt mean Remington is dropping the caliber. I still have a few of the now discontinued 700 Light Varmints in 221 Fireball left. I have one personally and its one of my favorite guns for doggin. Im heading for the hills of Wyoming Thursday to pop some and my Fireball will hopefully get lots of action. Im also taking up my new, and unfortunatley discontinued, Winchester High Wall in 223. Im going to try pushing some the Barnes Varmint Grenades faster then my Fireball can and see how well that bullet performs. I got pretty good results last year with the Grenades out of my Fireball, but I wanted to see more so thats how I justified the new gun. We will just call it research…..haha We got in some more of the Ruger Chargers also this week. They have been great sellers. Go check out all of our new and used stuff at www.orchardshardware.com I’ll let you know how the shooting goes Thursday with the dawgs and the new guns. Im hoping for great results.

_Mike

The owner of the store, Chuck, has stolen his son-our store computer genius, Jr, and taken him on a pheasant hunt in North Dakota. So we will getback to regular updates next week. I can tell you though I just wrote our Benelli, Franchi, Stoeger and Uberti deal for 2008 and Benelli has some new guns coming out. The new Legacy Sport is really nice. Its the standard Legacy with a high rib, ported barrel, high grade wood and extended tubes. We have our first one already and its beautiful. There is going to be a Ultralight 20 gauge too next year. I got to see one and it shouldbe a big seller. The rep says they should be shipping before the end of the year. The rumor of a 20 gauge Stoeger 2000, a 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge 2000, and a Franchi I-12 in 3 1/2 seem to be just rumors for the moment. If I hear anymore I’ll let you know though. We have been doing lots of trades so next week the update should be really good. Check it out at www.orchardshardware.com I’ll let you know how the pheasant hunt goes for the boys too. Hopefully they are having a great time. Jr has been working so hard he hasnt even been able to go shoot Prairie Dogs this year. Thats a crime!

-Mike

We just got in some limited edition Ruger #1’s in 6.5X55. This is the 4th run that Lipseys has had made up in a #1A with stainless steel barrel and action with walnut stock. They are very good looking guns. The run is limited to 250 guns and I have managed to get ahold of 6 of them, of which 3 are already gone. 6.5X55 has a pretty loyal following and I dont expect them to last long.

Last year they did the same configuration in 35 Whelen, that was a popular run. Its too bad Ruger doesnt pick up on this idea and do like Remington did for years in the 700 Classic series. Lots of people out there, including me, and interested in seeing a few of the older and less popular calibers make a come back. I would love to have a #1B in 300H&H. Im not sure why, other then I like the caliber, have brass and dies….and no gun….thats not right..haha Stop by and check them out if you get a chance

-Mike

Wow, did I just post a lot of new guns on the site. Here is what we got interesting in the last two weeks:

Used:
Springfield XD 9MM $349.99
Uberti Cattleman 45 Colt $199.99
Springfield 1911 Mil Spec 45 ACP $449.99
Remington 1100 12 Gauge 3 Inch $399.99
Taurus Gaucho 45 Colt $329.99
Ruger Mini 30 SS 7.62X39 With Swift 3X9 Scope $499.99
Ruger #1 220 Swift $599.99
Ruger #1 223 $599.99
Ruger #1 25-06 SS/Laminate $649.99
Ruger #1 7mm Mag SS/Laminate $649.99
Remington 700 SPS Varmint 22-250 $449.99
EMF 1892 Hartford 44 Mag $349.99
Magnum Research Desert Eagle 50AE $999.99
Browning ABoltII With BOSS 270 $599.99
Remington 7400 270 $429.99
Browning Buckmark 5.5 Target 22LR $299.99
Thompson Center R55 17 Mach2 Blue/Laminate W/Scope $399.99

New:
Kel Tec P3AT 380 $249.99
Ruger #1A SS/Walnut 6.5X55 Limited Run $999.99
Ruger M77 257 Roberts $529.99
Sig P220R3 Carry 45ACP With Night Sights $779.99
Sig P220C3 Compact 45ACP With Night Sights $799.99
Hi Point Carbine 40 S&W $229.99

Check out the whole list, as always, at www.orchardshardware.com/new.html

Mike was a busy guy this week it seems. He did a bunch of buying and trading now we have a bunch “new” used guns on the shelf this week. Here’s a short list, you check out more at www.orchardshardware.com/new.html. Talk to you next week!

Browning BLR 308 $549.99
Hi Point Carbine With Scope 9MM $229.99
Browning BPS 12 Gauge $299.99
Remington 700 ADL 7MM $449.99
Ruger SP101 357 $349.99
Rock River Commando 1911 With Night Sights 45ACP $1099.99
Springfield M1A 308 $1199.99
Browning Sweet Sixteen 1950 16 Gauge $999.99
Browning Light Twelve 1953 12 Gauge $899.99
Miroku 38 Spl $499.99
Remington 870 Marine Magnum 12 Gauge $449.99
Ruger 10/22 International 22LR 1969 Walnut Stock $499.99
Ruger Mini 14 1975 223 $499.99

This week has been great for trade guns again. This weekend was nuts, people everywhere, just the way the boss likes to see it..haha I finally got them all sorted out and heres what we took in a Remington 870 Marine Magnum, an older 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge in great shape, Ruger Super Blackhawk, another Browning A5, we now have 3 nice ones on the shelf, Remington 700 ADL in 243, Browning Buckmark, Ruger 22/45, and a Mossberg 500 in 20 Gauge. Today I took in a Colt Series 80 45 in nickel finish, a Navy Arms Schofield in 45 Colt, and a Ruger I have never seen or heard of before. Its a US marked model SS48L in 38 Special. I went out and did some research on the web and all I could come up with is that it was built only for one year in 1980 and the Navy and Air Force bought them. Im not even sure what to price the thing yet, but it is cool. Go check out our website www.orchardshardware.com for all the latest guns. We update every week but we get stuff in everyday….even stuff I didnt know existed…haha

-Mike

Well, my weekend is coming up and instead of working on my house like I have been for the last 6 months I think Im going to knock the dust off my guns and try out some new loads. I have some of the Barnes Varmint Grenades Im trying to come up with the final load for in my 221 Fireball. I have popped a few prairie dogs with them and they did well, but I want to push them a little faster and see what they will do. At Fireball speeds they seem to perform about the same as a 40 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Im guessing a little more speed and they will be great. Im still working on loads for my 6BR too. We had a custom Remington 721 come in the store I couldnt pass up, being the sucker I am for odd stuff. Its got a wood stock, stainless barrel, has been glass and pillar bedded. So someone spent some money on it. Thats the great thing about dealing in used guns, someone else spends the money to build them and when they are bored you can pick them up alot cheaper. So far this gun like the 70 gr TNT’s really well. It will shoot under 3/4 inch and Im betting I can get it down a little more with some tuning. And also being the sick gun guy I am, I recently bought back my Magnum Research rifle in 222 Rem. It shot well and i loved the gun so Im not sure why I sold it the first time. Something much have come along I needed at the time. Just this morning I took in a Remington Model 7 with a laminated stock, heavy stainless fluted barrel in 221 Fireball that is really nice. I would love to test this one out. Yesterday we also took in a Ruger Gold Label in on trade. They are beautiful if you havent seem on in person. I would love to take this out and shoot it too but Im not sure its ever been shot so I’ll leave it alone. Chuck has threatened to do the same and his Trap league night is coming up so you might see him out there with it. Im not sure why Ruger is having such a hard time getting these guns out and I have been told there will no production of Gold Labels in 2007 at all. Not a good sign. Usually when they do that kind of thing they get discontinued not long after I hope thats not the case because it really is a nice gun and if they ever do a 20 gauge it would sell great. This Gold Label will be out for sale today so if you out cruising around come by and check it out. It will be here as long as the boss or I havent taken out to play with it

-Mike

If our website guy was anybody other than me I would totally fire him! Haha. Well after realizing today I still had the May sale posted on our site and the last gun update was in mid-June I was totally embarrassed!! So, please accept my apologies… million excuses but I’m back on the horse.

In case you didn’t see the site, this month’s sale is Dollar Days. You can check out the full circular online by CLICKING HERE. The new guns page is updated also check out the stock by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks for staying with us, even if we have kind of a slow webmaster!