Motorcycles and milsurps…

No motorcycle rides today…just a fun day at the range with some of my motorcycle and shooting buddies, and the milsurp rifles.

We get together every month or so to do this, and sometimes we let a few too many months slide by.  That was the case this time; it had probably been 3 or 4 months since we last had one of our informal matches.   We ordinarily have around 10 shooters show up.  This one was on short notice but we still had 5 of us get together.  It’s grand fun and we always have a great Mexican lunch following the match.   There’s something about having a rifle match (informal or otherwise) with firearms that are 70 to 110 years old.  It’s cool.

About this match business…it’s relaxed as hell, as you can probably tell from the targets, and it really isn’t a competition.  It’s just a bunch of guys with a common interest getting together to have fun.   Most of the time we don’t even bother to score the targets.   The company and the conversation are the best parts; we really don’t care about declaring a winner.   We have some interesting firearms, too.

Here’s a short video of Duane firing his World War II K98 Mauser…

You might wonder…why a gun article on a motorcycle blog?

Well, there are a couple of reasons.   The first is that I’m always amazed at how many riders are also into shooting.   The two interests seem to go hand in hand.  And then there’s another aspect:   The companies that manufactured both firearms and motorcycles.  There are more than a few manufacturers who have done that.

You guys and gals into vintage bikes certainly know of BSA.   The BSA initials stand for Birmingham Small Arms, and if you look closely at the emblem on older BSAs, you’ll see it’s a set of three stacked rifles…

Royal Enfield is another company with a military lineage.   Enfield was originally a British company (their motorcycles are manufactured in India today).  Take another look at Rick’s Lee Enfield rifle up above.  Yep, there’s a connection.

Hey, how about Benelli?  That was an Italian motorcycle company (Benelli motorcycles are now made in China), but they also have a line of shotguns.  Benelli made pistols for a while, too.  I have a Benelli 9mm handgun.

Iver Johnson is yet another company with a dual lineage.  They made motorcycles a century ago, and they are still manufacturing firearms.

I don’t know that Harley ever made guns, but they manufactured munitions components until very recently.  I know about that because I used to work for a company in that industry.

I’m sure there are more companies than just the few I’ve listed here, and I’m going to research this a bit more.   I don’t think it’s just coincidence that more than a few manufacturers decided to make both bikes and guns.   Motorcycles and firearms are two products with something in common:  They have a special feel to them, an appeal that reaches into our souls.  They are more than just mashed-up machined metal mechanisms.  There’s a commonality, a similarity, and maybe a sympatico between motorcycles and firearms, one that attracts both manufacturers and riders.  We see it right here on the ExhaustNotes blog (every time we post a firearms-related piece, our hits go through the roof).  I’ll post a more in-depth blog on this motorcycle/firearm connection down the road.  It’s a fascinating topic.  Maybe there’s a book in it!

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