Jim,
Sorry to be late on my Knob Creek roundup I was indecisive as to the interest level in the past, as it concerns those mostly east of the Mississippi.
Arrived Friday morning and was shocked at how sparse the crowd was compared to past events. It was still a good sized crowd but I could actually get around and wasn’t standing room only. I am guessing that a couple of rain fronts that came through in the week previous dampened enthusiasm, along with the economy and people have been on an ammo buying spree for over a year, reduced the turnout somewhat. The sound of automatic weapons and cannons in the background was as constant and loud as ever. Didn’t spot any celebrities but usually that happens on Saturday.
1st order of business, hit up Model 1 Sales out of Texas for my 5.45×39 AR-15 bolt and carrier to complete my upper conversion build I started a few years ago. I decided against having some machine work done to a standard 5.56 bolt and went with the product designed for my purpose. These bolts are currently listed as out of stock on their web site but my past experiences and a sweet Texas Belle at their HQ let me know that there was a good chance they would have some at the creek. Purchased the bolt and carrier and engaged their resident guru in some debate, to the point, he said their bolts had an altered inside diameter firing pin hole and pin which allows the firing pin to travel much further than the 5.56 pin in order to give consistent strikes on communist ammo that seems to be all over the map in terms of primer seating production standards. So no need for a heavy duty spring to give it some umph. We shall see if this holds true. He also said that the extractor and firing pin were different from standard. Enough said, add a few of those to my bag. As soon as I got home I used an electric engraver to try and label the bolt as 5.45 for posterity. The hardened steel was resistant to my idea but I finally managed to make a dent in the parkerization if not the steel.
2nd order of business, DSA for some FAL compliance parts and adjustable rear protected leaf sights and miscellaneous parts. Apparently they were not in a mood to negotiate much since I only managed to save $40 over retail after saving several hundred last year. I must remember to dress more shoddily and practice my pitiful face for spring. While at the table I observed two elderly gentlemen drop cash for 12 DSA AR uppers. Go figure. DSA’s $3-4 FAL mags in excellent shape are a thing of the past and a wooden crate full of cosmoline and abused metric magazines a 5 for $45 was the best they had. After myself and another passerby spent a large amount of time sorting through this mess, we sweet talked the kid into getting another crate out of the truck. And finally, some minor pity as the kid let me grab 12 for $90. That probably averages out to somewhere around $7.75 per mag. Used inch pattern mags were $20 and their new USA made 30 rounder’s in metric were $25 apiece. The crotchety old guy who you had to talk to for parts and had a definite resemblance to the Soup Nazi on the Seinfeld television series has thankfully retired. That was always an extra special treat after 8 hours of travel through the night and cash in your hand.
On to Ammo. I went to Pat’s Reloading out of Ohio as they are one of my favorites. Got Aquila .223 for $318 a case and PMC for $330. Later I saw that much of their stuff had been bought by the pallet load by machine gunners or dealers. I am sure they probably brought in another load for Saturday but at the time there wasn’t much selection left. They did still have some 1,000 round cans of Israeli 9 mm loose packed SMG ammo for $199? I went around and didn’t really see anyone prices were that much better. 7.62×54 R seems to be holding steady at $75-85 a spam can and $150-165 a case. 5.45×39 communist ammo is still the best deal going for Semi-Auto self-defense rifles at $275 a case. That’s 2,140 rds for less than the price of 1,000 5.56 rounds (exponentially that is 3,000 of 5.56 for $1,000 versus 6,500 for $825). Hence, having the uppers in this caliber for your AR. Not to mention that the Russian and Chinese troops currently reported to be in Denver and Texas will likely be using this round. So that is where you go to resupply yourself. Another dealer had Privi-Partisan new .308 by the sleeve for $200 per 250 rounds. Uggh, that’s $800 per case, although I am sure there was a discount for case purchases, I didn’t ask. I was mainly there for hardware not software.
Having said that. I then went over to see Lance with all his obscure and foreign war films and books. I had to repurchase my copy of the Finnish war 1994 movie “The Winter War” which disappeared in a buddy’s divorce proceedings seven years ago. While there, I picked up a 2011 French movie with subtitles about communist members of the Resistance assassination teams in Paris during WWII called “Army of Crime”. Has been pretty good so far. Then I picked up a title from a Korean outfit? Called Well-Go entertainment. Called “Warriors of the Rainbow”. I had previous purchased a title by this group called “My Way” at my local Target store (of all places) for $12 which was the true saga of some Koreans who were drafted into the Jap army, captured and sent to the gulag by the USSR until they needed bodies, captured by the Germans and sent into a far east battalion to Normandy, and finally captured by the Americans who no doubt wondered how these guys got there. An epic on the scale of “Saving Private Ryan” with great cinematography. If you thought I liked that one, I bought the 2011, 4-½ hour international version of “Warriors of the Rainbow” for $30 and I cannot say enough great things about it. If you like war, adventure, combat movies and don’t turn into a prima donna over subtitles or beheadings, You have to put this movie on your bucket list. Just simply amazing and as good of cinematography as you are going to see. It is the true story of the subjugation of the headhunters of the interior of Taiwan when the Chinese ceded it to Japan by treaty and Japan set out to exploit it and strip it of its resources. The head hunter tribes gave better than they got but were eventually subjugated in the early 1900’s. They bided their time and finally after all the abuse they struck in 1930. Using captured Japanese weapons and their swords a little over 300 headhunters brought the Japanese forces to their knees and were only subjugated by the use of planes and poison gas. It is a movie about the last stand of a culture and has similar elements to the Last Samurai, the Alamo, etc. except is all done in the native tongues of the characters in the movie. At one point before the rebellion starts, a young lad sees the chief who is now 40-50s on his porch and goes over to him and engages in some small talk. The young man says “My grandfather says you were a great hero when you were younger” the Chief turns and looks right through him and says “What makes you think I ever stopped being a hero”. Enough said. Go watch this epic and you won’t regret it.
Picked up military issue Celox and Quik-Clot 3 packs for $25 with 2013-2015 expiration dates (which probably are good for a long time after) and some various medical equipment. Went over and picked up springs and some spare parts as well as other things. There was a character there and his company was called Forbidden Ideas who had a truck full of Mountain House cans, Wise food buckets, Aqua Rain filters etc. But I got a Civil Defense charger (recalibrator) and 2 Bendix 200 milrad dosimeters ($12 each) from him for $50. He had a package deal going for a bag of stuff with all the manuals of radiation meters, dosimeters, chargers and other stuff for $115. Recalibrating your radiation detector will cost $80 (according to this guy) and these have already had it done from some outfit in Texas.
On the way back after 24 straight without sleep, I went over what I had observed. The difference between the number of people loaded down with carts, ATVs, army mechanical mules and red Radio Flyer wagons filled with ammo was startling since last fall, but as I explained at the start, I think there is a logical reason for it. The most startling thing was the number and volume of young men 25-50 plunking down $600-1000 in this economy and being fitted for full scale body armor and ceramic plates that can withstand multiple rifle strikes. I saw multiple groups weighted down with multiple sets of the plates at a minimum of $275 a set and one table was busy all day fitting people. I actually began to feel quite under protected with multiple police style vests and titanium trauma plates.
I was actually quite moved driving down the highway at what a horrible thing this meant, as to what we have come to as a country and what is coming. It also gave me a great sense of pride that many (not enough), I do believe are preparing for battle, when it is finally brought to our doorsteps, and don’t intend to go quietly to the FEMA camps. Pastor Lindsay Williams states that there is one thing the elites have learned in the last years, they can do anything to the American people and we will do nothing in response. I hope that is not true. Other than constant prayer for the spiritual battle in the heavens going on, as always, keep the mottos of our ancestors, Sic Semper Tyrannis and De oppresso liber safely enshrined in your hearts. – B.T.
James:
I would like to add a little information and advice to Louie’s excellent primer on the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot. As a former local who still attends semi-frequently (currently living behind enemy lines and soon moving to the American Redoubt) it’s always great to see folks from around the country that attend this. I once had a problem with immigration /customs crossing into Canada and the CBP Agent’s familiarity with the shoot is what got me across. No joke. He believed my story because I could give him details on the shoot and had the accent to match. He’s an annual attendee. Awesome. I swear the nicest people believe in armed civilians. Now for the info and advice:
1. Accommodations.
The show is outside Shepherdsville Kentucky but this is just past the suburbs on the south side of Louisville. You’ve never heard of Shepherdsville and maybe never heard of Louisville so Mapquest it. No offense intended, most people I run into ask me what states are next to Kentucky. There are a few motels in “Shep” but as you go north into Louisville there are motel/hotels galore. Louisville is a convention hub and hosts The Kentucky Derby so it is well prepared for more visitors that the shoot will ever bring.
2. Parking.
Bring a 4×4. Much of the parking is in a field down by the creek. It’s soggy bottom land. It will not appear to be a problem on the first morning. The grass is all pretty and glistening with dew. When you leave and many cars have had a chance to spin that field into a mud hole…let’s just say it isn’t pretty anymore. A way to avoid this is to camp there. Then you can get better parking with less traffic on higher ground. You might even have a handful of gravel under your tires. Friendly, local rednecks make some decent go-to-town money by hauling sedans out of that field. The first time I went I was one of those sedan people. Completely embarrassed was I since I’m from there. The girlfriend had the 4×4, scout’s honor. BTW, most of them pull you for free as long as you’re the guy who crawls through 18″, or deeper, mud to attach the chain. I drove home in my BVDs. I swear I had to scuba dive under the front bumper.
3. Firearms.
You can bring your firearms to this show just like other shows. It gets inspected (for empty chamber/mag) and a zip-tie safety seal installed through the open bolt. So if you’re interested in selling or trading by all means bring your toys. You will often see a little home made Wiley E Coyote sign sticking up from the muzzle of a slung rifle that says For Sale/Trade. This is a great idea. I highly encourage folks to bring their weapons for sale or trade…particularly considering Note 5.
4. When to get there.
Get there early on the first day. If you are looking for ammo, lower parts kits, or other items that fly off the shelves…well they fly off the shelves. If you get arrive at lunch time on the first day you will be hard pressed to find 5.56, 7.62, .45, or 9mm ammo Deals. Believe it or not pallets of cases of ammo can go in a couple hours. Locals know the shoot is coming, know deals are to be had, and many come just for that early morning purchase. It can be like Black Friday. Expect prices to change on the fly for high demand items as the stock gets close to empty. Gouging does happen. I showed up looking for a lower AR parts kit for a build I was working on a couple years ago. I had been waiting for months because everywhere online was back ordered indefinitely. Ridiculous. I showed up at 10 AM and found just one table with Rock River AR parts kits. They had two empty pallet boxes (30 inches deep), and a third box that was half empty. If you show up early you can get real savings over what you will find at online retailers and in stores. Our usual plan is to get there in the morning and shop, and then return for the night shoot. Also, at the end of the day on Sunday you can find deals from vendors who don’t want to lug their stuff home. The selection will be limited but you can find gems.
5. Purchasing Firearms.
If you buy firearms from the tables under the roof, most of them are FFL dealers, not private individual sellers…so they will be going through the usual NICS check procedures.. If you’re looking for person to person sales you pretty much have to work outside of the covered area. As a matter of principle I like to avoid NICS [background checks] when possible. It’s none of their dang business what I do with the dollars I earn. I suggest you do the same, and let them enjoy their revenue decline. Watch for the signs displayed by private sellers.
6. The Main Store.
Louie is right. The staff at KCR is very knowledgeable and they have everything you ever wanted. Looking for a Barrett. I don’t know about during the show, but during normal times they provide discounts for shooters who are current or retired soldiers and marines. They are friendly but come with a thick skin. There is good natured chop busting to be had in the store.
7. Shooting the Toys.
Nothing to add there. Louie covered this like a champ.
One Last Piece. Bring a wagon. A good old child’s red wagon will save you from strain on your feet and back. Especially if you intend to buy ammo.
Thanks for letting me submit this. I also want to thank Mr. Rawles for including the Fort Knox area in his latest novel in his book series. That’s my old stomping ground and I can tell you it’s populated to behave in that exact manner. Once you escape Louisville you run smack into old-timey prepping. Not necessarily up to date on the movement, heck not much Internet access, but provident living is in the DNA. If it wasn’t so close to major population centers, and Fort Knox, I would stay for life. That was sub-MOA accuracy sir. Wet boots and dry powder ‘yall. – InvisibleSoul