Hello everyone,
As John said I live in West Virginia, it's the Harpers Ferry zip but actually an unincorporated area called Shannondale, between the Shenandoah river and the Virginia border. Blue Ridge Mountain country.
I lived most of my early life in New Jersey (born in Kentucky) so I wasn't into guns (a NJ sheeple). I joined the Navy in 59, first year on a cruiser and the rest on a submarine (diesel electric) and got out in 62. That's when I started my working career as a auto mechanic (when cars were easy to fix). Moved up to trucks and then to heavy equipment then moved back to KY where I ended up as a master mechanic for a railroad contractor. In 78 I went to work for a railroad heavy maintenance equipment manufacturer as a field service rep. Did that for 11 years then joined the track equipment dept. at Washington Metro (got tired of traveling). Spent a year as a mechanic there before becoming a vocational training instructor (started getting lazy and tired of grease). Then I became the network admin for the Track and Structures Dept (even lazier).
When I moved back to KY in 75 is when I became interested in shooting. Bought my first gun, a Charter Arms Bulldog 44 spec. Plinked with that for a while before acquiring a Marlin 30-30 and a sa 357 mag revolver. When i went to work as a field rep I moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and joined my first club (Wilton Rod & Gun). I was introduced to IHMSA there and I loved it. Studied hard and got my FFL and NY gunsmith license. That's also when I got into reloading both made it cheaper to shoot. Competed in IHMSA matches in several states in my service area the east coast. Nice when your employer pays for the travel, meals and hotel bills.
When I moved to NY and started competing a shooting buddy introduced me to computers. I carried a portable with me every where I went. Began to learn programming for databases with dBase. the experience I gained helped me get the network admin job at Metro where I stayed until I retired in 2008.
It was at Metro that a coworker introduced me to castbullet benchrest. I shot one match and that's what I have been doing ever since. Now not only am I the new web admin but for the last five years match director at Fairfax R&G in Manassas, VA.
That's about the sum of my life, hope I didn't bore anyone.
Ed, love your cleaning solution. There's a gallon jug of it at the Leetown range. BTW I'll accept your kind offer. How's Logans Roadhouse in Martinsburg sound?
Well closing for now thanks for all the kind words.
Mike McLaughlin (mike0841)
PS: Ed haw come I've never seen you at Leetown? If you only shoot military I'm sure Scott can accommodate you.
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