Posted on 05/28/2007 12:08:28 PM PDT by holymoly
Wounded veterans got some recognition Saturday, and vintage rifle enthusiasts got some competition at the same time.
The Howell Gun Club in Marion Township hosted an event for M1s for Vets, a nationwide group that donates World War II-era M1 Garand rifles to veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who were wounded in action.
Rain may have dampened turnout, but about a dozen shooters protected from the rain by a shelter took aim at paper targets at a distance of 100 yards.
Steve Larson, a veteran of the Air Force, came all the way from Marne, west of Grand Rapids, for the event. He said he appreciated the historical value of the rifles, and was passionate about the opportunity to honor wounded soldiers.
"Knowing that this very rifle could have been at the Battle of the Bulge or at Normandy ... there's a historical and nostalgic import to it," he said.
"Other than my wife and child, M1s for Vets is the most important thing in my life," Larson added. The rifles are "a tangible token of appreciation for those who have sacrificed."
The group which has three chapters in Michigan has given 91 rifles to wounded veterans who expressed an interest in shooting. Dave Dieball, who helped organize the event, said the recipients are screened so that only those with an interest receive them.
Joshua Sparling, a Port Huron man wounded in Iraq, was set to receive an M1 on Saturday that Dieball had purchased and restored himself.
Dieball, a Vietnam-era veteran himself, said he took the gun completely apart in order to restore it to like-new condition. He said he got involved in M1s for Vets to prevent the negativity that some veterans experienced after returning from Vietnam.
"It's a small token," he said. "We understand how important it is for someone to say, 'Hey, thank you.'"
He said he spent "lots and lots of hours" restoring the gun.
The M1 is a semi-automatic gun, meaning that it can fire eight shots without reloading. That distinguished it from the guns issued to German infantrymen in World War II, which had to be reloaded after every shot. The M1's rapid-fire capabilities has been credited with helping the Allies win the war.
At nearly 10 pounds, it is also heavier than today's weapons, making it more challenging to aim. That didn't seem to be a problem for Larson, whose shots zeroed in on the middle of the targets.
Larson was planning to go to Jackson later in the weekend to present another M1 to another vet, and has traveled as far as Wisconsin and Virginia for similar events. Not only are the guns a symbol of appreciation, wounded vets can also get some therapeutic benefits from shooting them if they already had an interest, he said.
"It's recognized as a kind of therapy for soldiers who like to shoot," Larson said.
M1s can be purchased by civilians through the federal Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter Dan Meisler at (517) 552-2857 or dmeisler@gannett.com.
I'm trying to avoid undoing the work my chiropractor is trying to accomplish.
I’ll bet it is. I remember being in my favorite ammo shop and some guy walked in bragging what the .17 will do. I haven’t heard of anyone complaining of accuracy problems with any make or model. Have fun with that one.
Bought mine about two years ago for around $400. Fed Ex. One of the Greek loaners. Stock looked like crap, but the metal was absolutely pristine. So I refinished the stock, and now use it during functions with the local Marine Corps League. I was wanting to get another one, so we’d have two for our Honor Guard, but right now that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
My wife is especially fond of shooting 17M2 from my CZ 452 Varmint. Her "baby" is a Magnum Research MLR-1722 in 17M2 with the "pepper" finish Barracuda stock.
Rain for the last week and the range is flooded. I hadn’t been able to find any lead cast bullets for a month without paying through the nose. I finally broke down and bought 3000 for the .45 auto. Wouldn’t you know it by the next week, the ammo store was back in production so I bought another 2 grand. I won’t get caught short like that again.
With rain comes reloading all those empties. I was able to load about 1200 this weekend. A good start.
I’m going to try to do a little better this season at IDPA.
I had hoped that winter would be a fine time for reloading here. The garage is really too cold at that time. Summer is fine...if the garage door is left closed. Once opened, the hot, dry air makes the garage unpleasant again. In San Diego I did most of my reloading on Sunday nights while listening to Drudge on the radio. Evening temperatures were always fairly comfortable. Not so in Idaho. I can't even count on the local radio station to have Drudge. They pre-empted him for a NASCAR race last night. No big loss. He was stuck on finding a replacement for Rosie O'donuts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.