Every so often I will make time to go through all the equipment, presses, dies, hand tools, etc. just to make sure Mr. Rust isn't taking advantage of something that hasn't been used for awhile.

I've had my Ultramag presses in service for about 4 years. Tonight I gave them their annual going-over. Nothing wrong but I wanted to comment to the fact that I have been using Tetra Gun Lubricant on the ram since the presses were new. They still look new and glide superbly without the black residue you get with oil. I use it on my dies too with good results, it's rare I see any rust, even on the high wear areas like the threads.

I don't know that Tetra is doing anything special for my guns, I will run a patch down the barrel now and then, they claim it reduces friction, I don't know. But it has been working well on my reloading equipment.

I've been doing that to my reloading bench this week also. Seems that every once in a while it gets loaded up with stuff that should be back in the drawers and needs a good cleaning.

While I was at it all the dies, press, powder measures got checked for rust and cleaned and lubed. I used to have some of that Tetra, but ran out last fall and am using some other I need to use up. I have a lee press and it sure turns the ram black running up and down against the aluminum body.

I have my bench set up in my workshop where I can reload and look out a couple of four by six picture windows up the canyon.

It is a nice place to sit and watch the occaisional deer in the next yard to mine.

Had the guns out yesterday to clean this is my Ruger #1. It was made in 1979 and sure has some pretty wood.

My grandbaby has firmly attached herself to it for hunting season this fall. I bought her a Remington Model seven in 308 intending to load it down for her, but it is a right handed gun and though she is right handed she is left eye dominate and shoots left handed. The Ruger #1 works well for her.

Sounds to me like grandbaby is in line for an heirloom. Good for her (and you) that she takes an interest in hunting. My son-in-law is a hunter, the only thing my oldest daughter ever shot was his bird dog....then she had to pay the vet bill. My son separated from the Marine Corp about a year ago and has no interest in hunting. My 7-year old can't wait. She's my loading room helper and wants to learn everything about it.

What is your #1 chambered for? Mine is 25-06 but I'm envious of the wood on yours. Was the detail in the wood that pronounced from day one?

It's a 1B with the 26 inch barrel and chambered in 243. I have put a coat of birchwood caseys hand rubbed finish on it and used some of their stock sheen after some fine steel wool. I'm not much into shiny finishes. The forarm carrys the same grain.

I'm not sure about the orgins of this gun. I have a friend whom owns a pawn shop and he bought out an estate from one of the Speer/CCI execs whom had died. There were a bunch of #1's. He told me that this fella had had Ruger build him a new #1 every year and this was one of those. This gun was made in 1979 according to Ruger's records. I don't know if this is true, but it does have nice wood and an excellent trigger. Nothing else remarkable about it as far as finish goes.

In the spring and summer I shoot an 8-32 Tasco target scope with fine cross hairs and a target dot. for fall and winter a 3-9 classic Weaver goes on for coyotes and perhaps a deer for my grandbaby this fall.

I have two granddaughters 11 and 12 this year whom my wife and I are helping raise with my son. We get between 500 and a thousand rounds of 22 shot a month and as much centerfire as we can load. I have a little Rossi stainless 22 pistol that both girls can take the head off a rattle snake out to about 20 feet with.

Like you they work in the reloading room and are adept at loading both rifle and pistol. There gonna be some young hunters dream in a few years. I'm already teaching them about not embarresing boy friends by outshooting them.

This is both sides of the stock.

I tend to go through cycles in my reloading room, things get a little messy so I spend about 45 mins tidying everything up, doesn't help that wifey thinks that my reload bench is the landing zone for anything that is mine around the house

My wife has learned to knock on the door before coming into the gun room. By invite only.