Imagine what it would look like if she added me to her blogroll...
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Rifles of Buddies
Chuckles and Corky are both Sport Utility Rifle deficient. They waited too long, now there are none to be had. And with possible (???!!!) AWBs being talked about, their sporting purposed rifle of choice may be even more difficult/expensive to obtain.
Hey, at least the President stimulated ONE section of the economy. And it didn’t cost the taxpayers any money at all.
Well, they weren't taxed, but the rifle prices have gone up 50%. When you can find them. There are a few starting to show back up in stores.
Anyhoo. They want an AR-10 and are agonizing over the standard choices… Is DPMS good enough? Is an AR too good, in that it is more expensive than it has to be because of the name? What about the Blurfleboomer variety? I hear the Blastomatics are just cheap knock-offs. I can’t help them, I’ve done next to no research on AR varieties. At least there is less to research when you want .308 over .223. Fewer varieties of AR-10s out there.
And there is ONE unsold AR-10 DPMS lower, Colt upper, and a few AR-15s at my gunstore, Engage. I told them. Will they do anything about it? Snoozing and losing.
Hey, at least the President stimulated ONE section of the economy. And it didn’t cost the taxpayers any money at all.
Well, they weren't taxed, but the rifle prices have gone up 50%. When you can find them. There are a few starting to show back up in stores.
Anyhoo. They want an AR-10 and are agonizing over the standard choices… Is DPMS good enough? Is an AR too good, in that it is more expensive than it has to be because of the name? What about the Blurfleboomer variety? I hear the Blastomatics are just cheap knock-offs. I can’t help them, I’ve done next to no research on AR varieties. At least there is less to research when you want .308 over .223. Fewer varieties of AR-10s out there.
And there is ONE unsold AR-10 DPMS lower, Colt upper, and a few AR-15s at my gunstore, Engage. I told them. Will they do anything about it? Snoozing and losing.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Next Range, March Trip
Dry firing is recommended, again, to help, but what do I concentrate on AT the range to improve my accuracy?
I will dryfire like crazy the night before, tho.
I have some ideas. One I won't do will be an old tip I picked up. The guy, back in the 40s, like to raise the pistol up in a line, firing when he passed over the bullseye. This, ostensibly, took care of any windage deviations, but I'd think I'd be more likely to jerk the trigger when I got close to the center. If I was good enough with the trigger to pull this trick off I wouldn't need the trick.
Another tip. Extend the pinky, like I was drinking high tea with the Duchess of Euroswallop-on-Thames. Later extend the thumb, like Fonzie. Both, on the shooting hand. Just to see. To see if I am getting some sympathetic pinching. I don't know if this is my problem, so if there is not a lot of difference I won't dwell on it. Note, the support hand will be there... uh. supporting, so one less finger gripping on the shooting hand won't impact my ability to control the firearm.
So, two non-starter things to not try or do much of? That's not a good strategy for a range session with my mind on improvement.
What I WILL do to help things is use the splatter targets for immediate results assessment. And I will go to target shoot, instead of my usual. But I've preached patience to myself in the past and not listened, so. Again, a reason to go with JUST one gun.
I will dryfire like crazy the night before, tho.
I have some ideas. One I won't do will be an old tip I picked up. The guy, back in the 40s, like to raise the pistol up in a line, firing when he passed over the bullseye. This, ostensibly, took care of any windage deviations, but I'd think I'd be more likely to jerk the trigger when I got close to the center. If I was good enough with the trigger to pull this trick off I wouldn't need the trick.
Another tip. Extend the pinky, like I was drinking high tea with the Duchess of Euroswallop-on-Thames. Later extend the thumb, like Fonzie. Both, on the shooting hand. Just to see. To see if I am getting some sympathetic pinching. I don't know if this is my problem, so if there is not a lot of difference I won't dwell on it. Note, the support hand will be there... uh. supporting, so one less finger gripping on the shooting hand won't impact my ability to control the firearm.
So, two non-starter things to not try or do much of? That's not a good strategy for a range session with my mind on improvement.
What I WILL do to help things is use the splatter targets for immediate results assessment. And I will go to target shoot, instead of my usual. But I've preached patience to myself in the past and not listened, so. Again, a reason to go with JUST one gun.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Idiots
We gun enthusiasts hang out with other gun enthusiasts. Moreso than other segments of the population. So we run into all kinds of gun owners. Most of the gun folks are good people and come in all shapes and sizes. Exercising their rights safely and responsibly.
However, we all know that one guy. Maybe more than one. Some knucklehead that is a gun owner and is so irresponsible that you wouldn’t trust them with a slinghot that had a broken elastic within 1 mile of you. He’s not a criminal (or hasn’t been caught) and hasn’t hurt anyone with his negligence yet, but it’s just a matter of time. He can buy as many guns as his wallet will allow, but rarely hits paper at the range. He thinks nothing of drinking and shooting. (For those that are confused, it goes like this: Shooting THEN drinking. And never the twain shall mix. Same reason you don’t store sodium in your shower stall with the leaky faucet. Oh, and drinking AND shooting is criminal most everywhere.)
It is guys like him (and it is usually guys) that give the whole gun culture a bad name. Anti-civil-rights people use the type (thankfully, there aren’t too many of them) to beat us over the head politically.
These types are a nightmare to us. It tempts staunch gun proponents to holler for gun rights, “Except for that guy. Take all his away and never let him touch another again. CERTAINLY don’t give him a CCW permit. He’d probably be end up hurting himself or other with sheer negligence.”
Which is why most of us accept the whole concept of shall-issue permitting regimes.
It does leave a bad taste in the mouth. ‘Permit’ is root for ‘Permission.’ As in, “you need permission to exercise your natural individual right.” I don’t need government permission to put my thoughts on this blog. Me and the local Newspaper don’t need gov’t permission to publish my letter to the editor. I don’t need a piece of paper to allow me to convert to Buddism. I don’t have to apply for some special ordinance to go to court to fight an automobile moving-violation.
I want a reasonable standard in law, not beholden to the judgment of individuals. We live in a nation with the rule of law, not rule of man. To have to rely on the judgment of a bureaucrat to determining whether I am worthy of such a privilege as exercising my right is abhorrent, and what we have to endure in Maryland. We have a standard in this state, but that stand includes a high bar and a JUSTIFICATION requirement. My justification is I want to be able to defend myself if attacked, as is my right. And the justification bar is set too high here.
But. THAT guy… That irresponsible, mall-ninja, Operator wannabe with a warped sense of self, cavalier attitude, and ignorance of basic operation of his weapons fellow. He has every right. If he meets the standards he can own and even carry around town in most places. (and the antis paint most ALL gun owners with the same color brush. Jeff Cooper, Tam, Todd Jarret, Sarah Palin, are the same as that Yahoo to the Bradys.)
So what to do? I have no real idea. It’s hard to discourage such types in our own ranks. Certainly prosecute him to the full extent of the law if steps out of line and unjustifiably hurts someone, yes. Certainly we can shun him. Shame might not change him, but it may discourage others from becoming like him. We can do this NOW. Don’t encourage gun idjits. Do encourage responsible behavior. Get training yourself. Think about the weighty responsibility you have as a citizen and act accordingly.
All this is why I sort of support the shall-issue CCW permit regime. Just for the training requirements. It won’t alleviate the burden irresponsible yahoos have on all of us, but it may help.
Perhaps it’s a marketing problem. Instead of calling for a permit, call the whole thing a “Safety Certification” which could include a proficiency test. We couldn’t let the certification requirements get too onerous and impossible to pass. That’s one way gun confiscators could get a backdoor ban. 1000 hours of classes is a bit much, but not out of the realm of something they’d try to impose. And they could extend the certification as a requirement to mere ownership. Or try to. The training should be as stringent as police training with firearms. Less so, as we are not training in the same levels of use of force because, unlike the cops, we aren’t required to endure the same level of close long term interaction with bad actors. Our use-of-force equation is much simpler.
It’s still a reprehensible Permit for a Right, but it doesn’t concede that we NEED a permit at least.
And responsible gun owners seek out training, or train themselves, and already try to cultivate the proper mental self-discipline over a lifetime.
Lack of a Safety Cert could impact insurance levels, and the capitalist financial incentives take the State our of the equation a bit.
We are not going to be a nation of Vermonts anytime soon, where just meeting the bar of legally purchasing a firearm is fine for carrying, and no further gov’t chits are needed. It’d be nice, though, if we were a nation of Tennessees or Ohios. If the nation had the same CCW policies as Ohio I’d be very happy. Our rights would be much better and permanently secured. We could argue and clamor over machineguns after, but with our rights more secure it takes a lot of wind out of the arguments sails. Political squabbling over guns could one day reach the level we currently have over a reintroduction of alcohol prohibition or slavery abolition. There are still people calling for banning booze, and slavery exists around the world and is still evil, but neither is very widespread and high up in priority on current party platforms. MADD and Coors doesn’t have the pull of the Bradys and the NRA.
Update: Click this link. Read it.
However, we all know that one guy. Maybe more than one. Some knucklehead that is a gun owner and is so irresponsible that you wouldn’t trust them with a slinghot that had a broken elastic within 1 mile of you. He’s not a criminal (or hasn’t been caught) and hasn’t hurt anyone with his negligence yet, but it’s just a matter of time. He can buy as many guns as his wallet will allow, but rarely hits paper at the range. He thinks nothing of drinking and shooting. (For those that are confused, it goes like this: Shooting THEN drinking. And never the twain shall mix. Same reason you don’t store sodium in your shower stall with the leaky faucet. Oh, and drinking AND shooting is criminal most everywhere.)
It is guys like him (and it is usually guys) that give the whole gun culture a bad name. Anti-civil-rights people use the type (thankfully, there aren’t too many of them) to beat us over the head politically.
These types are a nightmare to us. It tempts staunch gun proponents to holler for gun rights, “Except for that guy. Take all his away and never let him touch another again. CERTAINLY don’t give him a CCW permit. He’d probably be end up hurting himself or other with sheer negligence.”
Which is why most of us accept the whole concept of shall-issue permitting regimes.
It does leave a bad taste in the mouth. ‘Permit’ is root for ‘Permission.’ As in, “you need permission to exercise your natural individual right.” I don’t need government permission to put my thoughts on this blog. Me and the local Newspaper don’t need gov’t permission to publish my letter to the editor. I don’t need a piece of paper to allow me to convert to Buddism. I don’t have to apply for some special ordinance to go to court to fight an automobile moving-violation.
I want a reasonable standard in law, not beholden to the judgment of individuals. We live in a nation with the rule of law, not rule of man. To have to rely on the judgment of a bureaucrat to determining whether I am worthy of such a privilege as exercising my right is abhorrent, and what we have to endure in Maryland. We have a standard in this state, but that stand includes a high bar and a JUSTIFICATION requirement. My justification is I want to be able to defend myself if attacked, as is my right. And the justification bar is set too high here.
But. THAT guy… That irresponsible, mall-ninja, Operator wannabe with a warped sense of self, cavalier attitude, and ignorance of basic operation of his weapons fellow. He has every right. If he meets the standards he can own and even carry around town in most places. (and the antis paint most ALL gun owners with the same color brush. Jeff Cooper, Tam, Todd Jarret, Sarah Palin, are the same as that Yahoo to the Bradys.)
So what to do? I have no real idea. It’s hard to discourage such types in our own ranks. Certainly prosecute him to the full extent of the law if steps out of line and unjustifiably hurts someone, yes. Certainly we can shun him. Shame might not change him, but it may discourage others from becoming like him. We can do this NOW. Don’t encourage gun idjits. Do encourage responsible behavior. Get training yourself. Think about the weighty responsibility you have as a citizen and act accordingly.
All this is why I sort of support the shall-issue CCW permit regime. Just for the training requirements. It won’t alleviate the burden irresponsible yahoos have on all of us, but it may help.
Perhaps it’s a marketing problem. Instead of calling for a permit, call the whole thing a “Safety Certification” which could include a proficiency test. We couldn’t let the certification requirements get too onerous and impossible to pass. That’s one way gun confiscators could get a backdoor ban. 1000 hours of classes is a bit much, but not out of the realm of something they’d try to impose. And they could extend the certification as a requirement to mere ownership. Or try to. The training should be as stringent as police training with firearms. Less so, as we are not training in the same levels of use of force because, unlike the cops, we aren’t required to endure the same level of close long term interaction with bad actors. Our use-of-force equation is much simpler.
It’s still a reprehensible Permit for a Right, but it doesn’t concede that we NEED a permit at least.
And responsible gun owners seek out training, or train themselves, and already try to cultivate the proper mental self-discipline over a lifetime.
Lack of a Safety Cert could impact insurance levels, and the capitalist financial incentives take the State our of the equation a bit.
We are not going to be a nation of Vermonts anytime soon, where just meeting the bar of legally purchasing a firearm is fine for carrying, and no further gov’t chits are needed. It’d be nice, though, if we were a nation of Tennessees or Ohios. If the nation had the same CCW policies as Ohio I’d be very happy. Our rights would be much better and permanently secured. We could argue and clamor over machineguns after, but with our rights more secure it takes a lot of wind out of the arguments sails. Political squabbling over guns could one day reach the level we currently have over a reintroduction of alcohol prohibition or slavery abolition. There are still people calling for banning booze, and slavery exists around the world and is still evil, but neither is very widespread and high up in priority on current party platforms. MADD and Coors doesn’t have the pull of the Bradys and the NRA.
Update: Click this link. Read it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
PDW
Yet MORE carbine thoughts.
You never hear about combat troops, the ones that actually fight, not just lay down fire in support, ever seeking out lighter calibers AFTER they have combat experience. Even commando types that normally like and need the lighter handier types.
You never hear about combat troops, the ones that actually fight, not just lay down fire in support, ever seeking out lighter calibers AFTER they have combat experience. Even commando types that normally like and need the lighter handier types.
Still, there is a need and niche for a small compact weapon, not a pistol, and not as big as a rifle, that shoots an effective round.
THIS guy has done a lot of thought that parallels my own for carbine selection.
I like his thought process, but it doesn't match mine completely. He'd be happy enough with a tiny round like the FN 5.7 mm type used in their P-90. Kinda, but different.
It violated some of my requirements. I want a carbine that shoots a common cheapish, but effective, pistol caliber out of a longer barrel. Preferrable the same caliber that I already own. A new expensive bullet would not make me happy. And I obviously need a civilian legal version. No select fire.
If the M1 Carbine had come in .45 instead of it's own caliber I'd be as happy as a pig in poop. Reliable, handy, perfect. And perfectly non-existant.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Hot Weather Carry
More Xavier. His thoughts on hot weather carry should be listened to, since he live in that arctic wasteland known as Louisiana.
In Maryland, I am a shorts and t-shirt type of guy 4 months out of the year. Elastic waistband shorts. Only a Speedo is less practical for CCW. Though you might impress some ladies if you carry in your Speedo. Odd ladies. "Look at what THAT guy has. An odd shape, but my curiosity is piqued..."
If I carried lots I'd have to think about Cargo Shorts and a belt as a permanent wardrobe change. And probably get an even SMALLER gun. Or sport the Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless.
Or use my Maxpedition Fatboy man-purse. That Fatboy can be a year round thing, but it seems less secure than a holster. I picture a purse-snatch. Explaining to the cops that a bad guy got my multi-tool, hipster moleskin notebook with all my secret-Diary thought, a Surefire flashlight AND a gun would be the end of my dignity and self-respect. And there is also the risk of just leaving it somewhere. Horrors!
In Maryland, I am a shorts and t-shirt type of guy 4 months out of the year. Elastic waistband shorts. Only a Speedo is less practical for CCW. Though you might impress some ladies if you carry in your Speedo. Odd ladies. "Look at what THAT guy has. An odd shape, but my curiosity is piqued..."
If I carried lots I'd have to think about Cargo Shorts and a belt as a permanent wardrobe change. And probably get an even SMALLER gun. Or sport the Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless.
Or use my Maxpedition Fatboy man-purse. That Fatboy can be a year round thing, but it seems less secure than a holster. I picture a purse-snatch. Explaining to the cops that a bad guy got my multi-tool, hipster moleskin notebook with all my secret-Diary thought, a Surefire flashlight AND a gun would be the end of my dignity and self-respect. And there is also the risk of just leaving it somewhere. Horrors!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
It Came!
Guess what came in the mail? And on my 40th birthday no less.
I'm now legally recognized in 30 some states til this day in 2014, thanks to the great state of Utah.
I'm now legally recognized in 30 some states til this day in 2014, thanks to the great state of Utah.
Now I need to make plans to go to Virginia and wander around a national park, now that that is legal, but may not be long, depending on the Administration moves. After, I'll eat at a restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol, studiously avoiding airports, churches, courthouses, and bars.
Then I'll go home, locking the pistol in a case, and away from my reach while driving. The ammo for said pistol, of course, will be unloaded and locked somewhere separate. Can't be too careful with Maryland. And I'll go STRAIGHT home, no stops at a gas station to fill up or anything.
Yay! Some state organs recognize my inherent right!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Snubbie Grips
Xavier reffed this article on grip selection for snubbies. There are a plethora of choices. Hard to know what a body would prefer without testing...
Though Smith and Wesson comes with a Hogue style grip, from the factory now. At least the snubbie models I am interested in. Not the old style over-small wood grips. It may be just fine with that.
Is a snubbie on the top of the list now for 2010 purchase? That or the .22 revolver like a S&W 617 or something cheaper seem to be in the top running. My birthday is coming up, I bet even forearm averse family members wouldn't mind popping for a nice .22 revolver for me? PLEASE?! Ok, maybe not.
Though Smith and Wesson comes with a Hogue style grip, from the factory now. At least the snubbie models I am interested in. Not the old style over-small wood grips. It may be just fine with that.
Is a snubbie on the top of the list now for 2010 purchase? That or the .22 revolver like a S&W 617 or something cheaper seem to be in the top running. My birthday is coming up, I bet even forearm averse family members wouldn't mind popping for a nice .22 revolver for me? PLEASE?! Ok, maybe not.
Friday, February 20, 2009
SIG P229 Holster
I've been putting this entry off for too long.
I put out a bleg to help me flesh out some options on a possible holster for my SIG P229 DAK. If my CCW from UTAH comes through it is the pistol I'd carry in surrounding states. I have a SERPA paddle holster, but...
I'm thinking about deeper cover than a paddle style holster. Like IWB, or Inside the WaistBand.
TXGunGeek and Mike W. suggested checking out Comp-Tac Minotaur. It looks to be half plastic half leather. It has a nice feature of being VERY smooth on the leather, body side. Well spaced belt clips, too. 9 day production time.
Another option is Raven Concealment offering, and you need to get an Eclipse accessory to make it IWB.
Blade-Tech is another option I found with an internet search.
AE Pilot suggested AKJ ConcealCo. And those are all leather. I like leather. It fits in with my preference for shooting gear that has at least 70 years of field testing. Like Garands and 1911's. Leather has been tested even longer. Centuries. Price isn't too shabby, either. It has a unique configuration for the belt loop. Looks like they make up your holster when you order, so delivery might be slower than the synthetics. But hey, custom made. 24 day production time, minimum it seems. I might go here to upgrade my 1911 holster, too, because they offer a thumb-break that I prefer for 1911s.
A harder to find, pretty much custom made, but highly thought of leather holster is by Milt Sparks. Specifically, the VM-2 model. Versa Max. They are made is small batches so availability is problematic, but people that manage to land one LOVE them. They don't speicifically make a P229 DAK model, but that is probably not a problem. One of the features I really like is the spaced Kydex apart belt loops, allowing for more of a shirt tuck to better hide it. Tuckable is good. Other holster have this feature, like Comp-Tac.
Some Galco IWB P229s stuff don't seem to lend to tuckage. Those that do expose a lot of metal on the "skin" side that other holsters cover with a leather flap. It seems to be this second type would be more comfy. The AKJ and Comp-Tac have this cover protect. It's both for my skin being protected from the gun, and the gun protected from my sweat. Don't forget a magazine carrier.
Don Hume has a leather one.
Guns Holsters and Gear linked to a holster exchange website and could be a source once I decide on a model AND I am lucky to find one there.
I forget who linked me to J B P Holsters, but it is another data point. It might have been Breda that put me wise, but don't quote me. It's more for small guns, not my SIG. But you never know with a future acquisition.
As of now, I am leaning Milt Sparks, Comp-Tac, and AKJ. Galco is the runner up. In that order of preference
And remember, I am a lefty...
I put out a bleg to help me flesh out some options on a possible holster for my SIG P229 DAK. If my CCW from UTAH comes through it is the pistol I'd carry in surrounding states. I have a SERPA paddle holster, but...
I'm thinking about deeper cover than a paddle style holster. Like IWB, or Inside the WaistBand.
TXGunGeek and Mike W. suggested checking out Comp-Tac Minotaur. It looks to be half plastic half leather. It has a nice feature of being VERY smooth on the leather, body side. Well spaced belt clips, too. 9 day production time.
Another option is Raven Concealment offering, and you need to get an Eclipse accessory to make it IWB.
Blade-Tech is another option I found with an internet search.
AE Pilot suggested AKJ ConcealCo. And those are all leather. I like leather. It fits in with my preference for shooting gear that has at least 70 years of field testing. Like Garands and 1911's. Leather has been tested even longer. Centuries. Price isn't too shabby, either. It has a unique configuration for the belt loop. Looks like they make up your holster when you order, so delivery might be slower than the synthetics. But hey, custom made. 24 day production time, minimum it seems. I might go here to upgrade my 1911 holster, too, because they offer a thumb-break that I prefer for 1911s.
A harder to find, pretty much custom made, but highly thought of leather holster is by Milt Sparks. Specifically, the VM-2 model. Versa Max. They are made is small batches so availability is problematic, but people that manage to land one LOVE them. They don't speicifically make a P229 DAK model, but that is probably not a problem. One of the features I really like is the spaced Kydex apart belt loops, allowing for more of a shirt tuck to better hide it. Tuckable is good. Other holster have this feature, like Comp-Tac.
Some Galco IWB P229s stuff don't seem to lend to tuckage. Those that do expose a lot of metal on the "skin" side that other holsters cover with a leather flap. It seems to be this second type would be more comfy. The AKJ and Comp-Tac have this cover protect. It's both for my skin being protected from the gun, and the gun protected from my sweat. Don't forget a magazine carrier.
Don Hume has a leather one.
Guns Holsters and Gear linked to a holster exchange website and could be a source once I decide on a model AND I am lucky to find one there.
I forget who linked me to J B P Holsters, but it is another data point. It might have been Breda that put me wise, but don't quote me. It's more for small guns, not my SIG. But you never know with a future acquisition.
As of now, I am leaning Milt Sparks, Comp-Tac, and AKJ. Galco is the runner up. In that order of preference
And remember, I am a lefty...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Nitro Revolver
I've posted about the .600 nitro express revolver before, and shown this pic.
But you can't tell from that pic what the scale of the thing is. It even looks normal. Thanks to Saysuncle for linking to a picture with something in the background.
Now THAT is a big revolver, init? Fires cartridges the size of bananas. There are lots of guns I'd like to own, a few I'd like to shoot a few rounds out of, but THAT one? I'd like to watch someone else shoot it. And then from a good distance away.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Single Action, February Range
So check this out.
The headshots are Single Action revolver shooting. The others are aiming at the chest bullseye with a Single Action 1911 style pistol.
Two conclusions struck me.
One: If the zombies come tomorrow, grab the revolver, not the 1911. Make those headshots. Well, 5 out of 6 headshots......
Two: WHY the difference?!
BOTH are single action…
Ok, the grip hold is different. But I shoot other more DA style semi-autos better, and other SA semi-auto as poorly. SIG’s come to mind for that.
Could it be the bigger boom of the .45 over the .38? I DO shoot the .380 1908 Colt better, and the same 1911 with a .22 conversion kit on it better… But I shoot the revolver just as well single action with .357 magnums loaded. And that is nothing if not a BIG boom.
Sigh. I really need to find a REAL shooting instructor. Target shooting style. The class I took was great but it was geared toward concealed carry. I need to find out once and for all what I am doing wrong and CORRECT that bad habit. And that’s what it is now, a bad habit.
The headshots are Single Action revolver shooting. The others are aiming at the chest bullseye with a Single Action 1911 style pistol.
Two conclusions struck me.
One: If the zombies come tomorrow, grab the revolver, not the 1911. Make those headshots. Well, 5 out of 6 headshots......
Two: WHY the difference?!
BOTH are single action…
Ok, the grip hold is different. But I shoot other more DA style semi-autos better, and other SA semi-auto as poorly. SIG’s come to mind for that.
Could it be the bigger boom of the .45 over the .38? I DO shoot the .380 1908 Colt better, and the same 1911 with a .22 conversion kit on it better… But I shoot the revolver just as well single action with .357 magnums loaded. And that is nothing if not a BIG boom.
Sigh. I really need to find a REAL shooting instructor. Target shooting style. The class I took was great but it was geared toward concealed carry. I need to find out once and for all what I am doing wrong and CORRECT that bad habit. And that’s what it is now, a bad habit.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Out of Targets
The range, On Target, was low on targets and need to get more from the printer. So choices were slim.
Look at this guy!
He’s the police qualification target. I hope there is no guy out there that actually LOOKS like him. He’d be walking around innocently in public and police would see him, and tense up, thinking, “No… no… not this guy… he just looks like a target I need to qualify on, he isn’t really a target… let him be…” Such a target doppleganger would go through life with no idea how close he was to getting aired out by the boys and girls in blue.
I don’t like em for other reasons. The paper is large, so heavy, and yet flimsy. The clips to hold the targets at the range aren’t the best I’ve used, being office style binder clips. So I lost a target or two just moving the trolley back and forth. I haven’t hit the clip, yet, with an errant shot. That would be bad form. Only n00bs practicing thug-style mag dump shooting or people.
And you can't even seen the holes NOW, up close. Here it's easier to see holes:
Look at this guy!
He’s the police qualification target. I hope there is no guy out there that actually LOOKS like him. He’d be walking around innocently in public and police would see him, and tense up, thinking, “No… no… not this guy… he just looks like a target I need to qualify on, he isn’t really a target… let him be…” Such a target doppleganger would go through life with no idea how close he was to getting aired out by the boys and girls in blue.
I don’t like em for other reasons. The paper is large, so heavy, and yet flimsy. The clips to hold the targets at the range aren’t the best I’ve used, being office style binder clips. So I lost a target or two just moving the trolley back and forth. I haven’t hit the clip, yet, with an errant shot. That would be bad form. Only n00bs practicing thug-style mag dump shooting or people.
And you can't even seen the holes NOW, up close. Here it's easier to see holes:
All MagTech .40 S&W out of the SIG 229 DAK at 25 feet distance. Not great, but not shabby. I love those Birchwood Casey splatter targets.
Zombie Econ
Why those coupla posts with NO gun content in them last week?
THIS is why.
This is how it starts... Zombie banks, then zombie bank tellers then zombie band depoistors then zombie bank robbers.
Why are socialist politicians encouraging zombie banks? Because they ARE zombies!!!
Someday soon, you're gonna be ruefully saying: "I shoulda listened to T-Bolt"
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Old Ammo 2
Check these two out. The one on the left is regular ball ammo, now. The other is an odd older Remington semi-wadcutter. The wadcutter has a reputation of jamming in some semi-auto pistols, but I had no problem.
It had noticeably LESS kick and noticeable bigger and brighter flash out the muzzle. The bullet weighed 185 grain instead of the usual 230 grain. It shot better, but didn’t cut nice holes in the paper, as I usually expect such guys to do.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Pick One
I’ve reviewed the 1632 series before. New angle now.
Short summary, though: A smallish West Virginia town of 1999 is transported back in time to Northern Germany, the year… 1632 A.D. They have to survive in the middle of the 30 Years War.
Here’s that new angle that I haven’t explored, but some stories in series have.
Lots of people have modern firearms. They also have a motivation to spread those firearms among their fellow citizens. So if you have more than a couple or weapons of particular military value or a stash of ammo it behooves you, and you are encouraged, to share.
There is one gun nut type character that has a BUNCH of milsurp stuff and reloading equipment. Including quite a few esoteric calibers. He can reload, and help the community’s survival effort that way, but keep in mind, making brass cases and primers from scratch is a few years off, minimum. They’re certainly motivated to figure that out, soon, but in the meantime you have to harbor your spent cases. A Japanese WWII rifle with 32 rounds left is better than nothing, but not the ideal.
Another character is older, but his grown son was a survivalist with a few rifles and pistols stored at the house, and lots of supplies. The grown son didn’t make the trip with the town. The old guy readily gives up just about all but the revolver in his nightstand for personal protection. The half dozen or so guns were superfluous for him, but good for the town's military.
So, here is the question… Say YOU are in that position. (Readers of this blog range from Super-Gunnie with dozens of firearms, or you are just a regular gunnie and still have a few of different types. One of each, maybe) You are too valuable from some other expertise you have, or you are too decrepit and old, or you are a girl, to just take your best rifle and pistol and join the Army, giving away your others. Or you do join the Army but want to have something at home for your family's use. Which ONE firearm do you pick to keep? Forget your cold dead hands, forget the 2nd Amendment. It still applies to your situation back in time, but your neighborhood is under siege. You aren’t ordered to give up your assorted firearms, you have just decided to under the circumstances. So pick one. Just one. For yourself. And no one else. To keep.
Hard to pick, isn’t it?
Keep in mind, your SKS and your AR is VERY valuable for the war effort to keep your region of Europe safe from Cardinal Richelieu or the Spanish Inquisition (I didn’t EXPECT the Spanish Inquisition…) so there will be pressure that you NOT select that for your personal home weapon. The shotguns you might have are needed for 17th Century German troops fighting alongside your modern forces. That leaves either WIERD Rifles where there isn’t a lot of ammo available, .22 Rifles, and pistols.
If you had the only Swiss K-31 in town and 200 rounds (hence a ‘weird’ gun, in this case in that you have no commonality with other guns in town) you can go deer hunting and shoot badguys. But this is Europe. Not so many deer TO hunt. And while a great rifle for long range, you might have some trouble deploying it toward close range brigands. Hope you have a bayonet if you go this route.
For me, the Garand and M1A I probably can justify to my neighbors holding on to. And the ammo is definitely needed for the ONE M-60 machine gun that came back in time. So I can’t keep my favorites (sniff!). I have plenty of .22 ammo, so maybe the pump action .22 will keep rabbits in my pot. Not very good against rampaging Croatian Cavalry, looking to pillage my street. I have a few pistols, so one of them is probably the ONE gun I’d keep for myself.
Which pistol? I might cheat a bit and go for the 1911 style pistol AND keep my .22 conversion kit. It’s rugged and dependable. Remember, no replacement parts are a mouseclick on Midway, or Brownells, away. A steel gun with steel parts and simple springs is attractive. But I don’t shoot that pistol well with .45. This is for ME remember?
The other choice is the S&W 686 revolver. I’ll retain the brass easily for reload, and can shoot .38 or .357. I have as much of that ammo as I have .45. Enough I will probably send some of the ammo on to others. A revolver is butt simple. It CAN break, but probably won’t. It’ll be easier to keep in good condition because it is stainless steel. Magazine failure over time is a non issue. And I shoot it well. I'm leaning toward selecting this big revolver.
Whoda thunk that my first gun would end up being my last?
Short summary, though: A smallish West Virginia town of 1999 is transported back in time to Northern Germany, the year… 1632 A.D. They have to survive in the middle of the 30 Years War.
Here’s that new angle that I haven’t explored, but some stories in series have.
Lots of people have modern firearms. They also have a motivation to spread those firearms among their fellow citizens. So if you have more than a couple or weapons of particular military value or a stash of ammo it behooves you, and you are encouraged, to share.
There is one gun nut type character that has a BUNCH of milsurp stuff and reloading equipment. Including quite a few esoteric calibers. He can reload, and help the community’s survival effort that way, but keep in mind, making brass cases and primers from scratch is a few years off, minimum. They’re certainly motivated to figure that out, soon, but in the meantime you have to harbor your spent cases. A Japanese WWII rifle with 32 rounds left is better than nothing, but not the ideal.
Another character is older, but his grown son was a survivalist with a few rifles and pistols stored at the house, and lots of supplies. The grown son didn’t make the trip with the town. The old guy readily gives up just about all but the revolver in his nightstand for personal protection. The half dozen or so guns were superfluous for him, but good for the town's military.
So, here is the question… Say YOU are in that position. (Readers of this blog range from Super-Gunnie with dozens of firearms, or you are just a regular gunnie and still have a few of different types. One of each, maybe) You are too valuable from some other expertise you have, or you are too decrepit and old, or you are a girl, to just take your best rifle and pistol and join the Army, giving away your others. Or you do join the Army but want to have something at home for your family's use. Which ONE firearm do you pick to keep? Forget your cold dead hands, forget the 2nd Amendment. It still applies to your situation back in time, but your neighborhood is under siege. You aren’t ordered to give up your assorted firearms, you have just decided to under the circumstances. So pick one. Just one. For yourself. And no one else. To keep.
Hard to pick, isn’t it?
Keep in mind, your SKS and your AR is VERY valuable for the war effort to keep your region of Europe safe from Cardinal Richelieu or the Spanish Inquisition (I didn’t EXPECT the Spanish Inquisition…) so there will be pressure that you NOT select that for your personal home weapon. The shotguns you might have are needed for 17th Century German troops fighting alongside your modern forces. That leaves either WIERD Rifles where there isn’t a lot of ammo available, .22 Rifles, and pistols.
If you had the only Swiss K-31 in town and 200 rounds (hence a ‘weird’ gun, in this case in that you have no commonality with other guns in town) you can go deer hunting and shoot badguys. But this is Europe. Not so many deer TO hunt. And while a great rifle for long range, you might have some trouble deploying it toward close range brigands. Hope you have a bayonet if you go this route.
For me, the Garand and M1A I probably can justify to my neighbors holding on to. And the ammo is definitely needed for the ONE M-60 machine gun that came back in time. So I can’t keep my favorites (sniff!). I have plenty of .22 ammo, so maybe the pump action .22 will keep rabbits in my pot. Not very good against rampaging Croatian Cavalry, looking to pillage my street. I have a few pistols, so one of them is probably the ONE gun I’d keep for myself.
Which pistol? I might cheat a bit and go for the 1911 style pistol AND keep my .22 conversion kit. It’s rugged and dependable. Remember, no replacement parts are a mouseclick on Midway, or Brownells, away. A steel gun with steel parts and simple springs is attractive. But I don’t shoot that pistol well with .45. This is for ME remember?
The other choice is the S&W 686 revolver. I’ll retain the brass easily for reload, and can shoot .38 or .357. I have as much of that ammo as I have .45. Enough I will probably send some of the ammo on to others. A revolver is butt simple. It CAN break, but probably won’t. It’ll be easier to keep in good condition because it is stainless steel. Magazine failure over time is a non issue. And I shoot it well. I'm leaning toward selecting this big revolver.
Whoda thunk that my first gun would end up being my last?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Catalog, Midway
Just got the Midway Master Catalogue.
Wow!
That's a big catalogue
Now I have something to along with the Sears catalogue, out back in the 2-Holer.
Haven't gotten something this big in the mail since the days of cinder-block sized, quarterly, McMaster Carr catalogues.
Wow!
That's a big catalogue
Now I have something to along with the Sears catalogue, out back in the 2-Holer.
Haven't gotten something this big in the mail since the days of cinder-block sized, quarterly, McMaster Carr catalogues.
Magazine Woe
So the Springfield factory magazines don’t work so well anymore. Either various brands of bullets got slightly bigger, or the mag lips tightened up in the range bag. It is harder to load one of these magazines, now. What the? How did THIS happen? They travel in the bag upright in slots, not crushed in the bottom, so I doubt they’ve been shmushed.
Back when I tried Fiocchi and it did this, I figured it was Fiocchi. I can avoid a brand. But I always used Magtech, from the first round fired in the pistol.
I’ll test Remington later.
The McCormick magazines are not showing this flaw.
Back when I tried Fiocchi and it did this, I figured it was Fiocchi. I can avoid a brand. But I always used Magtech, from the first round fired in the pistol.
I’ll test Remington later.
The McCormick magazines are not showing this flaw.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Maynard
Keynesian economics is fully discredited by decades of real world experience. The whole construct is a joke that even a person whose rudimentary education never got beyond 2nd grade can poke holes in the logic of. (how is THAT for a convoluted sentence.) Keynes academic papers ranged on multiple, various, topics and were all over the place, from somewhat lucid to the clearly insane. Why did people assume that the economic system that involved half a population paid to bury money in the ground in mason jars and the other half digging up said jars as the sane cerebral vomitus of a known kook and toff? It was with great trepidation and foreboding when there was hints that Congress, weeks and weeks ago, was turning to Keynes for inspiration and intending some incredibly foolish Trillion dollar spending bill.
I was relieved to see the Congressional scheme didn’t even rise to that level.
Thank goodness Keynes was thrown by the wayside, and instead, those great and distinguished economists, Reid and Pelosi, have come up with a Trillion dollar, great-grandchild beggaring, eye-poppingly foolish, system of their own.
The deplorable Keynes should rise from the grave and shamble along to all published references to this bill, scratching his name out, with an antique fountain, wherever it is connected with THIS particular legislative stink bomb, so as to preserve his much-tarnished (but not THAT tarnished) reputation. I mean there is tarnish, but THIS? This is rust.
Fortunately, the president has to sign this bill to make it law. I am optimistic that Obama will see how disastrous this legislative dreck is, and will veto the bill toot-sweet. He is a different, NEW, kind of public servant after all, not interested in politics of the past. I have Hope.
I was relieved to see the Congressional scheme didn’t even rise to that level.
Thank goodness Keynes was thrown by the wayside, and instead, those great and distinguished economists, Reid and Pelosi, have come up with a Trillion dollar, great-grandchild beggaring, eye-poppingly foolish, system of their own.
The deplorable Keynes should rise from the grave and shamble along to all published references to this bill, scratching his name out, with an antique fountain, wherever it is connected with THIS particular legislative stink bomb, so as to preserve his much-tarnished (but not THAT tarnished) reputation. I mean there is tarnish, but THIS? This is rust.
Fortunately, the president has to sign this bill to make it law. I am optimistic that Obama will see how disastrous this legislative dreck is, and will veto the bill toot-sweet. He is a different, NEW, kind of public servant after all, not interested in politics of the past. I have Hope.
Utah
Crap!
Utah is gonna pull back some CCW instructor certs.
The guy I took the training from has to go back to Utah periodically to renew his credentials, and he told me he is due to return this year. I hope he doesn’t get hurt too bad with this. He was a good trainer
The training I received certainly wasn’t gundecked. It was conscientiously thorough, and more extensive than other state training experiences I’ve heard about anecdotally. Probably because my trainer has actually fired at people quite a bit recently and know the weight of responsibility attached.
Oh not in THIS country. He does security contracting in Iraq, protecting Iraqi elected officials from folks that do shoot at them.
I’m hoping that submitting my application in December will get me in under the wire. I hope they don’t purge their roles.
I am of mixed mind over this. I don’t like being lumped in with guys that just got the form signed without doing ANYthing else. If that happens out there, there are bound to be a few guys with Utah CCW permits that couldn’t hit the water if they fell out of a boat and are still working on shooting the first box of ammo they ever bought. I have a bad taste in my mouth to have to get permission from a gov’t entity to exercise my right certainly, but the law is the law. And people that circumvent the CCW law, wrong as it may be, might shirk other laws as well. But circumvention is a noble act of civil disobedience. But in the current climate, where we are trying to affect a sea-change (I always get effect and affect wrong… I have no idea if I used the right one there…) in public opinion by being good little boy scouts to loosen up the laws against a civil right. But, but, but… I could go around in circles on this forever.
Unless there is more changes contemplated, I am probably ok. I will renew the license, IF I get it ok this time, in 5 years without trouble, I am thinking. Hoping, certainly. With luck the rest of the country will have moved the ball further down the field in that time, even in an ostensibly ‘hostile’ political environment.
Utah is gonna pull back some CCW instructor certs.
The guy I took the training from has to go back to Utah periodically to renew his credentials, and he told me he is due to return this year. I hope he doesn’t get hurt too bad with this. He was a good trainer
The training I received certainly wasn’t gundecked. It was conscientiously thorough, and more extensive than other state training experiences I’ve heard about anecdotally. Probably because my trainer has actually fired at people quite a bit recently and know the weight of responsibility attached.
Oh not in THIS country. He does security contracting in Iraq, protecting Iraqi elected officials from folks that do shoot at them.
I’m hoping that submitting my application in December will get me in under the wire. I hope they don’t purge their roles.
I am of mixed mind over this. I don’t like being lumped in with guys that just got the form signed without doing ANYthing else. If that happens out there, there are bound to be a few guys with Utah CCW permits that couldn’t hit the water if they fell out of a boat and are still working on shooting the first box of ammo they ever bought. I have a bad taste in my mouth to have to get permission from a gov’t entity to exercise my right certainly, but the law is the law. And people that circumvent the CCW law, wrong as it may be, might shirk other laws as well. But circumvention is a noble act of civil disobedience. But in the current climate, where we are trying to affect a sea-change (I always get effect and affect wrong… I have no idea if I used the right one there…) in public opinion by being good little boy scouts to loosen up the laws against a civil right. But, but, but… I could go around in circles on this forever.
Unless there is more changes contemplated, I am probably ok. I will renew the license, IF I get it ok this time, in 5 years without trouble, I am thinking. Hoping, certainly. With luck the rest of the country will have moved the ball further down the field in that time, even in an ostensibly ‘hostile’ political environment.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Malf
So, I get an easily corrected Malfunction when using the 1911. It won’t always close all the way on the first cartridge of a magazine. Either the mag spring is too strong, or the recoil spring isn’t strong enough.
Correction at the range is easy. A light tap on the slide closes the chamber up. Correction is also unnecessary if I religiously grease the slide rails after every session.
But I’d need the input of someone with more 1911 knowledge for a further fix… A stronger recoil springm, mebbe.
I have no idea how strong the stock Springfield spring is. Maybe 16 or 18 pounds? But I do know that you can get a plethora of spring strengths out there. 12 pounds. 20 pounds? I have no idea, and could use some guidance.
The Springfield came with a full length guide rod that I disposed of for a more traditional recoil spring plug immediately.
Or maybe I just have to grease the rail religiously?
Correction at the range is easy. A light tap on the slide closes the chamber up. Correction is also unnecessary if I religiously grease the slide rails after every session.
But I’d need the input of someone with more 1911 knowledge for a further fix… A stronger recoil springm, mebbe.
I have no idea how strong the stock Springfield spring is. Maybe 16 or 18 pounds? But I do know that you can get a plethora of spring strengths out there. 12 pounds. 20 pounds? I have no idea, and could use some guidance.
The Springfield came with a full length guide rod that I disposed of for a more traditional recoil spring plug immediately.
Or maybe I just have to grease the rail religiously?
Monday, February 9, 2009
New to Blog Roll
I usually just add stuff to the blog roll as stuff strikes me, but there are two standouts I want to add.
One Blog is The Shootist, by Gordon Hutchinson. He is the author of the Great New Orleans Gun Grab and was on Gunnuts radio last week. He is a great story teller, both in print and with the spoken word. Check him out.
I like the name of his blog. One of my favorite John Wayne movies, the Duke's last, and Jimmie Stewart's last Western, and apparently the book is even better than the movie. I must check for the book at the local purveyor of print.
Colonel Jeff Cooper preferred the slightly different term: Shotist. When he didn't describe himself as a Pistolero, usually when eating corn tortillas.
The other Blog is On Second Opinion by David E. Young. He is an academic type and editor of The Origin of the Second Amendment. His blog is fact checking the erroneous assertions of those that would strip the Civil Rights of Americans.
One Blog is The Shootist, by Gordon Hutchinson. He is the author of the Great New Orleans Gun Grab and was on Gunnuts radio last week. He is a great story teller, both in print and with the spoken word. Check him out.
I like the name of his blog. One of my favorite John Wayne movies, the Duke's last, and Jimmie Stewart's last Western, and apparently the book is even better than the movie. I must check for the book at the local purveyor of print.
Colonel Jeff Cooper preferred the slightly different term: Shotist. When he didn't describe himself as a Pistolero, usually when eating corn tortillas.
The other Blog is On Second Opinion by David E. Young. He is an academic type and editor of The Origin of the Second Amendment. His blog is fact checking the erroneous assertions of those that would strip the Civil Rights of Americans.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
OUTRAGEOUS!!!
Hey Rahm? If you got a list of people that you are willing to strip the civil rights of because you consider them dangerous to rest of America, why are you letting them walk around. You can commit terrorist acts with more than an airplane or a gun. If you are gonna strip them of one civil right, might as well strip them of the others. Like the right to attorneys and trial, the right not to incriminate themselves. You're a Democrat, your thing is denying folks due process, right? It's why youse are expanding Gitmo, like you promised you would in the campaign.
Is that the difference between Republicans and Democrats at long last? One party wants to deny US Constitutional rights to foreigners the other party wants to deny Constitutional rights to US citizens and legal residents?
This speech of Congressman Emmanuel was from almost 2 years ago. Maybe he has gotten a bit more nuanced since then. Maybe he saw the Heller ruling and realized the error of his ways. Maybe I'll just relax a bit and let Obama take his Chief to task. After all, Obama promised that he'd pursue no gun control measures, and even if he wanted to, there is plenty of other things ahead in priority. Priorities like: ensuring Democrats pay their taxes. Apparently, the wealthier people in the President's party think this obligation is optional for them. Obama will straighten THEM out!
Is that the difference between Republicans and Democrats at long last? One party wants to deny US Constitutional rights to foreigners the other party wants to deny Constitutional rights to US citizens and legal residents?
This speech of Congressman Emmanuel was from almost 2 years ago. Maybe he has gotten a bit more nuanced since then. Maybe he saw the Heller ruling and realized the error of his ways. Maybe I'll just relax a bit and let Obama take his Chief to task. After all, Obama promised that he'd pursue no gun control measures, and even if he wanted to, there is plenty of other things ahead in priority. Priorities like: ensuring Democrats pay their taxes. Apparently, the wealthier people in the President's party think this obligation is optional for them. Obama will straighten THEM out!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Gov’t Stimulus
We’re on a passenger train, mainline, and we can see the bridge is out ahead. There is no stopping.
We’re gonna plunge into the river.
The President and leaders of the House and Senate are on the job and are working the switch that will divert us to the alternate track.
Some people are dancing in the aisles, celebrating that they will soon be saved. Others are rooting for them to hurry. Still others are bickering over how the bridge collapse and caused this consternation. Not to come up with solutions to make better bridges in the future, but to assign blame to their favorite boogeyman and to be mad at same for getting them into this mess. Despite their ardor, I don’t think Halliburton conspiracies, or global warming, or ‘laissez faire’ caused this, anymore than it caused the Minneapolis bridge disaster.
Other people, armed with level heads and long experience on this train, see the switchmen working the wrong switch. Harry, Barry, and Nancy are on the siding, not the line. They know HOW to work the switches, but they don’t understand WHY their favorite switch isn’t the correct one. Their efforts can’t help, and may hurt. While others dance we brace ourselves in the seat, looking for pillows to pad our heads during impact, and noting the exit locations. Some people will probably survive the disaster and we want to increase our chances.
I hope to see some of you on the other side, bumped up, soaked, but alive, on the far riverbank.
We’re gonna plunge into the river.
The President and leaders of the House and Senate are on the job and are working the switch that will divert us to the alternate track.
Some people are dancing in the aisles, celebrating that they will soon be saved. Others are rooting for them to hurry. Still others are bickering over how the bridge collapse and caused this consternation. Not to come up with solutions to make better bridges in the future, but to assign blame to their favorite boogeyman and to be mad at same for getting them into this mess. Despite their ardor, I don’t think Halliburton conspiracies, or global warming, or ‘laissez faire’ caused this, anymore than it caused the Minneapolis bridge disaster.
Other people, armed with level heads and long experience on this train, see the switchmen working the wrong switch. Harry, Barry, and Nancy are on the siding, not the line. They know HOW to work the switches, but they don’t understand WHY their favorite switch isn’t the correct one. Their efforts can’t help, and may hurt. While others dance we brace ourselves in the seat, looking for pillows to pad our heads during impact, and noting the exit locations. Some people will probably survive the disaster and we want to increase our chances.
I hope to see some of you on the other side, bumped up, soaked, but alive, on the far riverbank.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Old Ammo
So my gun dealer, Engage Armament, has a bargain table full of boxes of old ammo for sale. It looks like he cleaned out his garage of personal ammo. I paw through this table. Why?
Well for one, the ammo is on sale. There is a couple bargains in there.
Another reason is that the boxes often have the ORIGINAL price on there. Talk about depressing. $11 for a box of Remington .357 semi-jacketed hollow point? Jeez, that would be nice. Even as an old bargain table item it goes for $20 today.
Yet another reason… the ammo isn’t ordinary. I get to try out things like semi-wadcutter .45ACP ammo, and such. It’ll be nice to know.
Well for one, the ammo is on sale. There is a couple bargains in there.
Another reason is that the boxes often have the ORIGINAL price on there. Talk about depressing. $11 for a box of Remington .357 semi-jacketed hollow point? Jeez, that would be nice. Even as an old bargain table item it goes for $20 today.
Yet another reason… the ammo isn’t ordinary. I get to try out things like semi-wadcutter .45ACP ammo, and such. It’ll be nice to know.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Lies, Damn Lies, and...
We gun crazies fall into the same trap as the anti-civil-rights types and rely, some, on data collected by our own partisans to bolster our arguments. It’s hard to defend against bias charges this way.
For instance, Gary Kleck has done some good work exposing a lot of lies promulgated by those that want to disarm and control the US population. He is a good egg. He is definitely on our side.
One of his statistic is that guns are used in self defense 2.5 million times a year, dwarfing the number of times guns are used criminally. But that’s a hard piece of data to collect, and the Brady’s can just say it was all made up by a biased gun enthusiast in the pay of the so-called ‘ultra-powerful and rich gun-lobby.’
The point he is trying to make is that private gun ownership has BENEFITS. And 2.5 million is a huge benefit, outweighing the risks by an order of magnitude.
Ok, for the sake of argument, let’s call that Kleck number biased. As much as the TOTALLY made up numbers like "500 million Americans are killed by guns every year" or "every 35 seconds, a child is injured or killed by a gun" type claims that various members of the 'oppressor class' occasionally bandy about without citation. What? That would mean 900,000 children a year? Baloney. 30,000 people TOTAL people are killed a year, add 90,000 for injuries. That’s adults and children, murders and suicides and accidents. I’ll concede that any death or injury is bad, but all of life is full of hazards and no one wants to live a life completely safe and cocooned in bubble wrap.
Ok, so biased numbers all around. There side is a bit more grossly biased at times, if I do say so (all ‘biasedly’) myself. Well, if one side concedes a number the other side could accept it. If the Brady Campaign agreed that guns were used defensively 2.5 million times we’d all accept that number, right? Ok, they don’t.
But the next best thing does…
Janet Reno’s Justice Department came out with a number on defensive gun use at about the same time Kleck did. They said it was more like 1.5 million. STILL a huge number of justifiable and beneficial and rightful bearing of arms. And Janet Reno and her department were no proponents of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. (h/t to Armed and Safe and the Examiner.)
Let’s go one better, and say even they over-inflated the number by 50% and it’s really ‘only’ 1 million. It’s still at least ONE MILLION that HAS to be accepted by all parties involved in this debate! Inherent right or not, it doesn’t matter... There is still a practical, utilitarian up side to guns that vastly outweighs any down side. (plus, it IS a right, after all) Guns, despite what the banners say, aren’t JUST for murdering people. They perform a huge societal good and that can’t be denied or wished away as mere propaganda of one side’s partisans.
I’m gonna say it. I don’t like, but I’m gonna.
Thank you Janet Reno.
For instance, Gary Kleck has done some good work exposing a lot of lies promulgated by those that want to disarm and control the US population. He is a good egg. He is definitely on our side.
One of his statistic is that guns are used in self defense 2.5 million times a year, dwarfing the number of times guns are used criminally. But that’s a hard piece of data to collect, and the Brady’s can just say it was all made up by a biased gun enthusiast in the pay of the so-called ‘ultra-powerful and rich gun-lobby.’
The point he is trying to make is that private gun ownership has BENEFITS. And 2.5 million is a huge benefit, outweighing the risks by an order of magnitude.
Ok, for the sake of argument, let’s call that Kleck number biased. As much as the TOTALLY made up numbers like "500 million Americans are killed by guns every year" or "every 35 seconds, a child is injured or killed by a gun" type claims that various members of the 'oppressor class' occasionally bandy about without citation. What? That would mean 900,000 children a year? Baloney. 30,000 people TOTAL people are killed a year, add 90,000 for injuries. That’s adults and children, murders and suicides and accidents. I’ll concede that any death or injury is bad, but all of life is full of hazards and no one wants to live a life completely safe and cocooned in bubble wrap.
Ok, so biased numbers all around. There side is a bit more grossly biased at times, if I do say so (all ‘biasedly’) myself. Well, if one side concedes a number the other side could accept it. If the Brady Campaign agreed that guns were used defensively 2.5 million times we’d all accept that number, right? Ok, they don’t.
But the next best thing does…
Janet Reno’s Justice Department came out with a number on defensive gun use at about the same time Kleck did. They said it was more like 1.5 million. STILL a huge number of justifiable and beneficial and rightful bearing of arms. And Janet Reno and her department were no proponents of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. (h/t to Armed and Safe and the Examiner.)
Let’s go one better, and say even they over-inflated the number by 50% and it’s really ‘only’ 1 million. It’s still at least ONE MILLION that HAS to be accepted by all parties involved in this debate! Inherent right or not, it doesn’t matter... There is still a practical, utilitarian up side to guns that vastly outweighs any down side. (plus, it IS a right, after all) Guns, despite what the banners say, aren’t JUST for murdering people. They perform a huge societal good and that can’t be denied or wished away as mere propaganda of one side’s partisans.
I’m gonna say it. I don’t like, but I’m gonna.
Thank you Janet Reno.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
pre-range report: XD
I went to the range with a coupla work buddies. One just bought a gun and the other has been thinking about getting one for a while.
I should post a full range report in a day or two, maybe. It the usual. Better shooting than I did a year ago, but the same old flaws.
The buddy with a new pistol chose a full size Springfield XD. .45 caliber. He's happy. I'm not.
Why am I not happy? Because I shot a magazine through his and I shoot it VERY accurately. For me. Why is that a problem? I don't own one and it totally blows away my prejudices on 'the best pistol for me.' I don't WANT another pistol. But I shoot this brand so well that I can't ignore that...
It's not just that pistol. I've borrowed several peoples'. Usually full size .45's. I shoot them all consistently well, so it's not just one good gun. It's the brand. I hit the center without trying. Tuna can size groups.
What do I lack in my inventory? A sub-compact maybe? I don't own a tiny gun other than the Colt Pocket Hammerless. A sub-compact XD would take the place of the .380s on my Master List. I wonder if I'd shoot sub-compact as well as the full size? I'd have to try one before plopping down the cash for one.
I should post a full range report in a day or two, maybe. It the usual. Better shooting than I did a year ago, but the same old flaws.
The buddy with a new pistol chose a full size Springfield XD. .45 caliber. He's happy. I'm not.
Why am I not happy? Because I shot a magazine through his and I shoot it VERY accurately. For me. Why is that a problem? I don't own one and it totally blows away my prejudices on 'the best pistol for me.' I don't WANT another pistol. But I shoot this brand so well that I can't ignore that...
It's not just that pistol. I've borrowed several peoples'. Usually full size .45's. I shoot them all consistently well, so it's not just one good gun. It's the brand. I hit the center without trying. Tuna can size groups.
What do I lack in my inventory? A sub-compact maybe? I don't own a tiny gun other than the Colt Pocket Hammerless. A sub-compact XD would take the place of the .380s on my Master List. I wonder if I'd shoot sub-compact as well as the full size? I'd have to try one before plopping down the cash for one.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
How to Escape a Zombie
Oh no! I'm reliving the 2nd of February over and over again! Time to learn to play the piano, I guess.
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Here's some fresh info.
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Here's some fresh info.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Their Tools Against Them.
Reference to an earlier post...
So for us:
Target: Leftists that want to rule over us and eliminate the RIGHTS of individuals
Freeze it: The Democrat party is in the sway of Leftists that want to radically change the country. Some Democrats are not of this stripe but they are in the sway of like of Leftist Radicals that call themselves 'Community Organizers' and the like.
Personalize it: Most Democrats are good Americans, but some, like Harry, Barry, and Nancy are unreasonable, and dangerous to the best parts of our American way of life. Who are they to tell us to eat our spinach? We aren't hurting anybody. Lock violent felons (what are they, they're constituency?) away and THEY won't hurt anybody. We aren't violent felons.
Polarize it: They want to take the good intentions of most and warp it into dangerously different system where they rule, and not by consent of the governed. How about we deal with the criminals that use guns with the many laws in place, and let people that have committed no crime be left alone. You don't want the government to regulate what goes on in the bedroom, why is the contents of your gunsafe and your wallet any of their business?
So for us:
Target: Leftists that want to rule over us and eliminate the RIGHTS of individuals
Freeze it: The Democrat party is in the sway of Leftists that want to radically change the country. Some Democrats are not of this stripe but they are in the sway of like of Leftist Radicals that call themselves 'Community Organizers' and the like.
Personalize it: Most Democrats are good Americans, but some, like Harry, Barry, and Nancy are unreasonable, and dangerous to the best parts of our American way of life. Who are they to tell us to eat our spinach? We aren't hurting anybody. Lock violent felons (what are they, they're constituency?) away and THEY won't hurt anybody. We aren't violent felons.
Polarize it: They want to take the good intentions of most and warp it into dangerously different system where they rule, and not by consent of the governed. How about we deal with the criminals that use guns with the many laws in place, and let people that have committed no crime be left alone. You don't want the government to regulate what goes on in the bedroom, why is the contents of your gunsafe and your wallet any of their business?