Joe

Joe Papworth, K8MP

Howdy from Joe’s Place!

“The Gunfight at the MP Corral”

Few folks will recall what happened here. You won’t find it in any history books. Perhaps an old newspaper clipping would tell the tale. You might even find an old timer who witnessed the showdown, now known as The Gunfight at the MP Corral. A challenge had been thrown down by The Clanton brothers, Mic and Rhombic, (aka Rhom); The McClaury brothers, Milford (aka Milli) Claiborne, and others. Quick to answer the threat were the Erp brothers, Watts, Cal, (aka Calculated), and Mor-gain. Doc Helical, a faithful old friend of Watts’, joined his friends to even the odds. At around 3 PM on that fateful day, Team Clanton waited at the MP Corral. They failed to take advantage of the prep time they had to install good antennas, opting instead to “Run what they brung”. It was a decision that proved to be disastrous. Team Erp had no choice but to run what they brung. In the end, it was more than enough. As Watts, Cal and the others approached the corral, they saw each Team Clanton fighter standing with a Colt 45 in one hand and a QRP rig in the other. Not only were they out-gunned, they had downed a few too many Colt 45s to be competitive. It was no contest. Watts was packing his trusty ol’ Collins KW-M1- Carbine. Rohm keyed his rig but his signal was obliterated by Watts’ Collins. Cal brought his Classic J-38 Special. When Mic keyed up, Cal used his signature Flex Draw and smoked the front end of Mic’s receiver. Doc carried his Springfield M1903 which was fitted with a genuine Hiram Percy Maxim silencer. Milli Claiborne never knew what hit him. Ol’ Doc Helical silently stole his frequency. Mor-gain showed up with his Hansen-Woodyard End-fire Special. The McClaury brothers tried to double-team him by keying up simultaneously. Mor- gain aimed his end-fire array at them and melted their antenna jacks. The rest, as the saying goes, is Ham Radio history. Similar confrontations happen every weekend on the amateur bands. Are you ready?