[SEL] OHS gone mad (Semi-OT)

Arnie Fero fero_ah at city-net.com
Thu Dec 22 08:12:33 PST 2005


Hi Adam,

> The fences around engine compounds, IS ONLY a "guideline" for the
> current policy of which over 8000 members of the National Historical
> Machinery Assocition are a member of.

However, the EFFECT of putting forth those guidelines is to cause Aussie
engine rallys to be gift-wrapped in orange fences (and other types).
Which, I suspect has the subtle effect of conveying to the general public
that this wonderful old iron is inherently VERY dangerous.

> The association has done this (and as many companys now do) by placing
> guidelines in or in more complex terms a risk management policy you can
> effectively reduce the cost of your premium by reducing the upfront
> risk.

However, in the lawsuit-happy US of A, this has not happened nor been
found to be necessary.  EDG&TA functions like your national group and
provides VERY affordable insurance (I think priced similar to yours ~$12
/ year).  And as we all have observed across the world, there has not been
bloody carnage associated with unfenced engine rallys.  That is not to
say that the potential for violence hasn't been there.  I've seen some
women spectators in white outfits get VERY angry when they discovered that
they were now covered in black "Petter spots."  8-)))

> My grandfather said to me when he taught me to shoot, "Adam if you miss
> on the second shot it deserves to live!" yes I am a gun owner and I have
> his remington left handed side be side.

Sounds like you've come from a family with a shooting tradition.  Which
makes your question below simply incomprehensible.  Let me probe your gun
ownership a bit.  You've got granddad's side-by-side double.  OK, what if
granddad had owned a pump shotgun?  Or a semi-auto, like a Remington 1100?
That shotgun is probably the most common on US trap fields.  What about
pistols?  If granddad had owned a lovely German Luger or a broom-handle
Mauser; would you have been allowed to keep either of those beautiful
semi-auto pistols?  How about rifles?  If granddad had been a hunter of
larger or meaner game, would you have been allowed to keep his bolt action
rifle?  Methinks you own about the limit of what your government will
allow.  And if I were to guess, you may be forced eventually to live the
reality of your granddad's hunting advice; and be limited to a single-shot
shotgun.

> But what I cant understand is why in the state of Texas I would need to
> own an anti tank gun? or and M16 full auto can someone please explain
> this to me?

Ahhhh, Adam.  How can you, as a member of THIS list, ask a "why" question
about toys that includes the word "need"?  The mind boggles...

Why do I NEED a sideshaft engine?  Why do I NEED a lampstart engine?  Why
do I NEED any engines at all?  Obviously the answer is I don't NEED any of
them, but I bloody well sure as hell do WANT them and enjoy playing with
them.

So it is for full-auto weapons and destructive devices like anti-tank
guns.  I had the very great pleasure of attending one of the events at the
Knob Creek gun range in Kentucky.  http://www.knobcreekrange.com

Knob Creek is the Portland for the guys with Class 3 Federal Firearms
Licenses.  It's where they bring their biggest, baddest, and very best
toys to impress their friends (and us poor drooling spectators) and HAVE
FUN!!  And believe me, these guys HAVE FUN!!!  There is nothing quite like
firing an M2 .50 machine gun at 350 rounds per minute chewing an old car,
or refrigerator, etc. to scrap.  Well, maybe being at the controls of a
quad .50 unit, or a Mini-gun (thousands of rounds per minute), or a
flame-thrower, or ...  The list goes on and on.  As does the shooting.
Nothing dies (except the bloke's bank account), no one is hurt (except any
spectator stupid enough to not wear hearing protection), and every one has
FUN.

The US is fortunate in that responsible citizens can own and play with any
sort of weapon they can afford.  You do need to get a Class 3 FFL (costs
about $3,000 and a LOT of examination into your life).  You also need to
be very wealthy to play with those toys.  My personal dream is to someday
own an M2 .50 machine gun.  The gun would start at ~$30K after I had my
Class 3 license.  Ammo is around $1.00 per round.  So at 350 rounds per
minute, well, do the math...  The guys on the shooting line at Knob Creek
had pallets loaded with CASES of ammo.  Again, do the math.  Shipping the
guns and ammo is also VERY expensive.  For the most part, this is a rich
man's hobby.  We're not talking about some dirt-poor backwoods cracker
with an anti-tank weapon in Texas.

So, bottom line, we're talking wants not needs.  Like our hobby, shooting
is FUN!  I'm sure your parents and grandparents taught you that.  I engage
in mostly informal pistol and rifle shooting these days; mostly with
semi-auto ex-military weapons.  I used to shoot a lot of skeet, but none
of the nearby ranges have skeet ranges.  I enjoy shooting very much.  For
the very same reasons that I enjoy the old engines.  I'm sure the
environmental wackos demonize my hydrocarbon & smoke belching old engines
every bit as much as do the gun banners vilify my weapons.  Fortunatly,
our firearms ownership is protected by the Second Ammendment to our
Constitution.  Our old engines have no such protection.

> Best wishes for the festive season,

And a MERRY CHRISTMAS to you as well!!  8-))

See ya,  Arnie

PS - I LOVE threads like this.  It's the only time we get most of the
lurkers to poke their heads up and post something!  Rather than bitch
about a thread that you don't like (as your ONLY contribution to the
content of the list), why not tell us about your engine-related interests,
your collection, etc.  A simple bitch-note (without even snipping the
content that you're bitching about) is less than useless.

Arnie Fero
Pittsburgh, PA
fero_ah at city-net.com



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