Cheapskate Chronicles: Drill Baby Drill Edition.

There are - when winnowed down to the honest truth - two categories of outdoor writers: the first category encompasses writers who call up the PR or marketing rep for whatever company that makes whatever product the writer is interested in to ask for a review copy of said product, and is promptly sent said product.

The second category encompasses writers who call up the PR or marketing rep for whatever company that makes whatever product the writer is interested in to ask for a review copy of said product, and is promptly sent a brochure for said product and a map to the nearest retail store.

Go on, take a guess as to which category yours truly belongs?

So in my ongoing project to upgrade my aged 870 before the start of this year's waterfowl season, one of the things I wished to add was a sling, as my old arms are getting weak and tired. Problem is, my geriatric (or vintage, if you prefer) 870 did not come equipped with a swivel-studded magazine tube cap.

I didn't want to spend the whopping twenty bucks it would take to buy one, and I knew if I called up one of the companies that manufacture aftermarket swivel-studded magazine tube caps to request a writer's sample I would promptly be sent a brochure and directions to the nearest retail outlet.

So I did what anyone of my peasant lineage and correspondingly peasant income bracket would do: I made my own.

And you know what? I discovered that you can do a helluva lot with a drill, a spare sling swivel and the kind of innovation best stoked by the desperation of an empty wallet.

Behold! The mighty hand-crafted awesomeness of my zero-cost magazine tube cap. In a day and age seemingly engulfed in a rampant orgy of crass consumerism (and one in which I'd gladly engage if I had the filthy lucre to do so) it is my small paean to the spirit of do-it-yourself-cause-you-ain't-got-no-choiceism.

And please don't point out the obvious fact that if this doesn't work I'm out the twenty bucks for a replacement magazine tube cap anyway because I've destroyed the stock one. Just give me my fleeting victory. I'll let you know if it's a hollow one first time I throw the gun across my back...