Well crud

I forgot to post something.

And considering how this year has gone...  It's been 12 months of 'bat country'...  I may just hunker down and try to stay safe until it is done.

See you out on the other side?

---

Never trusted the warrior cop trend.  Not going to happen to me, tho.  A raid like this.  Middle aged white guy with zero drug history or even experience?  (But they will get excited about the guns, when those turn up.)  I might get raided because they are looking for house 41 instead of house number 14 and are after one of my MS-13 neighbors.

Trust some gunnie yahoos, less.

MAGA

So, Roberta says to me, "T-Bolt!  Are you using pre-shredded cheese in the kitchen?!  MADNESS!  That's an abomination unto Nuggan.  You saw who won the election in November.  If there is one policy of that man I can get behind is he want's to make America grate again.  DO IT!"

Because she felt so strongly about it I figured I better get in line.

There are two types of people in my life that give me advice.  Those I always safely ignore, and those that I listen closely to and weigh the implications.  Roberta is one of the latter.  I guess there is a rare third category.  People that suggest I do one thing and I automatically do the opposite and know I am making the right decision thereby.  Jimmy Carter, History's Greatest Monster lies in this special third category.  

Roberta informed me there is some... extras... in that pre-shredded stuff, too, and I might get better performance eschewing it.  Out with the grater!  For the grater good!  When a recipe calls for cheese I want to just put CHEESE in.

A homemade white sauce with cheese recipe called for parmesian and cheddar.  This would then go on pasta to for baking in ze casserole dish.  Instead of that I had to get pre-shredded parmesian.  It was all I could find.  Sad now.  I will do better next time.  But I cut back that cheese's volumetric contribution and went with Cabot extra sharp and Colby.  Just cuz.  Should be much better even with the pre-shedded.

Shredding a pound of cheese is work.

Performance improvement I'd like to see is less grease separation on re-heats as the butter takes leave of the white sauce.

Prepped this casserole Monday, cooked Wednesday, reheat Thursday leftovers and now, I report....

Good flavor, fresh and redone.  It's basically homemade mac n cheese with italian sausage and bacon, how can that go real bad?  But otherwise, still super oily, but aha!  The grease isn't butter colored.  More Trump colored.  Orange.  I tried a different variety of Johnsonville Italian Sausage.  Mild instead of Sweet.  The mild has a hint of spice and that spice is red and thus the grease is the same color as PEOTUS.  Eureka!  So I just need to do grease minimization from that sausage angle next time.  The whitesauce with cheese may be good. 

Grated Cheese.  Yes, Roberta.

Shipping

I have never shipped a gun before.  Myself.  FFLs have done that on my behalf in the past. 

But some folks find a need to ship their Taurus back to the factory for warranty work.  Hey, it does happen.  Or maybe your XD has a live round in the chamber that it won't let go of and you need to send it to Illinoise to make it not be that way.


For any of that, I am under the impression you can UPS it your ownself, legally, back to the factory.  Not to a buddy, of course.  Just to the gunsmith. 


Go to Mailboxes Etcetera and they are gonna aks you "What's in the box?"


Then what happens?  If I had to guess many places they'd be less alarmed if you said "In the box?  Gwyneht Paltrow's head."


I know enough to be extra wary and not try to tap the US Postal Service for this.  Serious bad juju going that way.


What does the UPS counter jockeys do when you say "a firearm back for repair work"?  And more importantly, does anyone have an experience trying that in a Gun Crow state like mine, or Jersey, or Hawaii, or what have you?


I don't need to ship a gun, I just wanna know what happens when you try.

Range, December Double Deuce

So lots of things I want to try.  From December 22nd

First some self examination.  I lost my concentration on the front sight.  I used to be good at that, then I was bad, and now I have got that back under control.  I am better at the trigger press.  Smooth, surprise.  That comes from ALL those trigger pulls the past year and a half.  It's not near great, but it is much much better.

I shouldn't watch Jerry Miculek videos.  I'd love to be even a 0.2 on the Miculek scale.

Things I want to do.  Shift my finger placement so the trigger is closer to the crease.  Maybe grip my support hand a little tighter.  Lock the writsts?  That's coming, but lets not be TOO ambitious this session   You have other priorities to correct before improving down that road.

Ok...  dry fire.  Hey!  I tip up on dry fire.  I used to tip down.  Aha!  That's something to see. 

So I do some shooting.  The crease helps, maybe?  Nothing dramatic.  The grip is also inconsequential, but needs to be explored more.  Still to the right of the centerline.

You know what helped the most?  That was most Leatham-Miculek inspired?  Expezially after seeing that dry fire tip up of the barrel?  Saying to myself:  "Hey, how bout we don't move the pistol at all when shooting?  Instead of tipping up, just don't move?  Until after you fire, but that's recoil and we aren't working on that right now."

THIS helped the most.  This helped me enough that I was a little excited about it.  I need to do more of that.  Second round of shot are the circled shots and the aren't all to the right of the centerline.  The first round has a lined sharpie mark, the second round is circled.  Only circled ones get to the left of the centerline as you can see.  SUre it's only six of them on that side, but it's still something 

Ciener .22, CCI Mini-max, 25 feet.  One failure to feed.  Got hungup on the feed ramp. 42 rounds fired.  Would you even count this as a 1911 wrt reliability as it is shooting .22?  I am guessing the FTF might have been avoided with more lubrication.  3 drops only.  Rail/rail/barrel-end.  That seems to juice up reliability of 1911 platforms when people stress test them online.  Don't run it dry.

My log work isn't as exact with this gun this year.  But based on the boxes of empty 22... this is 1491 rounds for the year so far.  Take that with a grain of salt.  And 150 in the 9mm.

Of the above I like #2 #4 #5 and #7.  On the second set only.  If I could do more of that and in 2017 that would be great. 

Hey! I gots to know!

Watch this flinch on the dry fire by Harry Callahan. Youtube time stamps aren't working well for me in the latest release of blogger, so fast forward to 3:55. Latest version won't let you put an ampersand when you need to in the HTML. Do you can't ampersand then 'start=235s'

What are my pistol shooting goals?

To be accurate and fast.

Ok, what does that mean?

Accurate?  Cover with a quarter accurate?  Or cover with a playing card?  Everything in the 10 ring?  Everything sorta centered?

Fast?  Fast from draw?  No, can't practice that in most local ranges.  Gonna have to find a place for that eventually.  Fast like "That one, bang!"  Well, yes.   Also second and third shot fast. Control that recoil.  Fast like 2 in that one and 2 in that one and can go one doing 2 in different ones all day.  Fast reload and malfunction clearance?  Well yes.

I tighten up when I try to go fast.  Most people do.  I need to fight against that inclination, because tense makes you miss and be slow.  Relaxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

We're also getting into some really Zen Kung-fu Tao stuff.  "To hit the center of the target you must first let the pistol move all over the target" and "Before you can hold the pistol firmly you must first learn to hold the pistol lightly" and "If you want to shoot faster you are going to have to slow it way way down..."  And the worst part of that confusion?  I understand it. 

I like some parts of Christmas Day

"Drinking the hard stuff at 9AM the morning of Christmas, T-bolt?"

Don't judge me!

I never noticed this before

Like me, Ralphie Parker is left handed. 

BLACKHAWK!

BLACKHAWK?

Best holster on Optics Planet.

Hmmm.  That could be better.  It could be worse, too, I guess.

Wait, is it worse to have a floppy nylon holster, or one with occasional issues with the trigger finger wabbling into the trigger guard on a draw when you push that little release button?  Especially under stress.

I've heard of the locking mechanism getting some grit in there on a BLACKHAWK! and just not letting go.  Which can be a very bad thing, too.

Those are bad things, but there is good things about a BLACKHAWK! holster.  The kydex is pretty strong on these.   There are other brands that can fall apart on you.

A Blackhawk! holster is certainly better than NO holster.  Shove my glock into the waistband of my sweatpants then go hit the clubs?  No thankee.

I still am not happy with the holster options for my new custom 9mm.  But that's what you get when you step off the path.  Glock?  M&P?  J-Frame?  Standard 1911 flavors?  Got PLENTY of holsters to choose from. 

Huh...

Coulda SWORE I had something scheduled to post for today. 

Kuh-nif-uh

Ever have somebody at work say "Do you have a knife I can borrow?" and then have the whole room gasp in horror when you actually produce one?  "HE'S GOT A KNIFE!  RUN!"

I carry a small unobtrusive, unthreatening, knife into my uptight hoplophobic work environment.  The one on the left.   "That's a weapon!"  Please!  If I need to kill someone I'll use my bear hands before going for the mini Skeletool.   

That's the one I usually go to.  For a placid workplace.  But it's not the only one I have, necessarily.  What if I need a real screwdriver?  Or pliers?  Hence the middle one might or might not be handy.  On my person.  Maybe.  

The scanner doesn't have very good depth of field, but yes those are 1911 grips on the one on the right.   

On this day

On this day, 72 years ago, the Belgian town was completely surrounded by German forces.  Might as well surrender, Amis....

CCI

Check the price....
It has a barcode on the back so it can't be more that 40 years-ish old.  What do you think?  80s?

Battle Horror

Ever wonder why there are no penguins at the North Pole?

Centuries of bad blood.

Careful, this might give you Christmas PTSD.

Range Report Dec 16th

This is the 'glove target'.  The glove hits are marked with a line.  Did 6 sets of three with the gloves, then 6 sets of three without and circled those.  Upper right target?   The third gloved shot is nowhere to be seen.

The circled ones were much better.  Even for a normal range day.  Often grouping all three together, consistent like.  I like consistency.  I just want to shift it to the left a bit more.

25 feet, CCI mini-max, 36 rounds, no failures.  1449 shots though the .22, according to the log books.  Failures only logged since 1200.  3 waxy buildups on #1300, #1301, and #1302.  Dud on #1354

Shoulda Saved

My North Korea drunk-post for today.

I got a range report comin.  Let me add this aside here.

You may not have noticed, but it is cold through much of these United States.  And I shoot after work with a gun that can't be taken into my nice warm office.

It was COLD.

No matter.  I keep flight gloves with me in my jacket and I have never actually tested shooting with gloves and a pistol (I have used them hunting.)

Flight gloves are thin.  Thin leather on the touch side so you have a feel for your aircraft switches and nomex elsewhere.  Nomex is fire resistant.  The gloves aren't designed to be warm so much, they are designed to save your hands when your cockpit is on fire.  They are better than nothing in the cold, plus, more dexterity!  Or is it, really?  That is what I was testing.

It is difficult but not impossible to load a .22 magazine with gloves on.  Centerfire might be easier, especially with a mag loader. 

Trigger work was noticeably worse, too.  The only gloves that might be better for shooting than these are rubber gloves, but even these good gloves feel thick as arctic mitten when trying to work the trigger.  Thumbs forward on the grip placement is also very different feeling.  After a few shot you get more used to it and some of the problems go away.

I'm glad I practiced that.

It's one of my few deviations in live fire as I work to improve my accuracy in this Shooty Vision Quest thing.  I don't do weak hand drills, for instance yet.  Just 2 hand regular stance work, isosceles now.  Trying to get consistent.   The wierd stuff I have been doing in the simulator.  But the simulator is going away next month, so weird stuff in live fire will have to appear. 

Supposed to drive

To simulator training now.  Then on to MBtGE's house for lunch.  I dunno, that ice is pretty thick...  Maybe later.

You gotta be careful.

Some gunsmithing Youtube videos are better than others.

Blackout

Saw this in the news about the North Korean Absolute Dictator that may have gone on a bender.

Citing an unidentified source, the outlet reported that last September Kim summoned the military officials after getting drunk, calling them "traitor's of the nation" for not being able to develop a military satellite.

"Not being able to develop one military satellite is the same as committing treason," Kim allegedly said during his drunken rant.

Afterward, he forced the officials to write letters of apology all night.

But when Kim woke the next morning, he was totally unaware of his outburst.

"Why are you all gathered here?" Kim said to the military officials. "All of you are old and should look after yourselves."

After hearing Kim's morning greeting, the officials allegedly cried and Kim left satisfied, believing they were touched by his kindness, the report said.

Made me think of another tyrant know for tipping a few back during breakfast.  And lunch.  And at Tea.  And dinner... supper... nightcap...

Citing an unidentified source, the outlet reported that last November Hillary summoned Democrat officials after getting drunk, calling them "traitor's of the foundation" for not being able to drag her sorry campaign across the finish line.

"Not being able to get one universally disliked crooked failure elected is the same as committing treason," Hillary allegedly slurred during her drunken rant.

Afterward, she forced the officials to write letters of apology all night.

But when Hillary woke the next morning, she was totally unaware of his outburst.

"Why are you all gathered here?" Hillary said to the Democrats. "All of you are old and should look after yourselves." [ed. yes they are up there in years...]

After hearing Hillary's morning greeting, the officials allegedly cried and Clinton left satisfied, believing they were touched by her kindness, the report said.

They don't sell too many Glocks in Maryland now

If you are going to get a gun you have to jump through the hoops to get a MD Handgun qualification license.  Forms, picture, fingerprints, training.  $100-300, depending. 

After doing all that you are gonna settle for a $500 gun? 

According to the gunstore, those that bother go ahead and pop for something fancier.  Read:  more expensive.  So Sig and HK are winners here in my home state.

That's not to say people have stopped buying quality $500 firearms.  It's just less incentive.

What if

What if...  When I pull the trigger in what feels, to me, straight back in line with the pistol thusly:

I get this:

----

But when I pull it in what feels, to me, like this:

I get more like this?

And this pushing the rounds right is some flaw in my trigger pull?  And though it FEEL like I angling the squeeze, in reality, I am really not?


Update:


How are you shooting; standing up, one hand, 2 handed, or from a rest? 
2 handed, square to the target, arms almost fully extended, elbows down, head upright and square to the taret

What is the range to the target in the pictured groups?
25 feet.  The minimum at this range.

How many shots are you taking without a ‘rest’ in between shots?

2 or 3

Can you observe via dry fire; particularly if you have a laser or bore sight you can use ?
No laser for anything that isn't DA revolver, no.

Sight picture

There are three common ways to hold that front sight on the bullseye.

Folks have gone over and over this in other fora.  Including here.

#1 is 'lollipop'

#2 I've been told is Navy hold, but I am not sure the people that told are right

#3 I don't know what that is called.  I've done it, but didn't like it.  I was shooting low then, and was doing anything to try to fix that anticipary jerk.  'Combat' sight picture?


I think folks that aren't shooting bullseye use #2, but I don't KNOW.  What do you people that can blow the center out of the target use?  Do you have guns set up to use #1 and others that do #2?

Or am I the only man in Christendom not doing Combat Sight Picture?

If #3 was the best sight picture for your gun would you make adjustments to make it #2 or #1?

If the new gun is really #1, lollipop, I may have to change it.

Ace Pic

I like this picture,

I got from here.  But Ace got it from the NRA.

Are you folks holding that low?

But it's a good visual for showing folks how to focus on the front sight.

Lots of people, me included, are drifting away from 3 dots.  For many reasons.  But at least these shown are bi-colored  You'd hate for it to looks like Green Green Red when the red is actually green.  You are gonna slice left under pressure that way, homey.

At night C could actually look good, when the muzzle is pointing off to the east.  With the red color you at least have a clue you maybe are doing something wrong.  That you want A and not B,  but with C... no indicator to clue you in when you are in a hurry to shoot the machete wielding prowler in the dark.




I'm a big believer is tritium sights but, also... maybe you don't take the shot when it is dark enough to need tritium sights because then it isn't dark enough to SEE to ID.  Like with a flashlight?  It's a big plus on the new gun for house-gun work.  Having a light on there.   It's my first pistol-mountable light.  So, 20 rounds of 9mm AND a whole buncha lumens?  Yes, please.

But the sight picture on this new gun is like this, with fiber optic strip for the green:

A bit simpler, no?  It's one of Sam's influences with all the training.  Darkened rear sights, one dot on the front only.  Biggish gaps on either side.  He wants me to focus on the front sight but not obsess over it.

Range Work

So, been shooting the new 9mm.  25 feet, 115 grain Federal.  Up to 150 rounds fired.  Only failure was the One magazine not locking back correctly, and round #10 stovepiped.  Lubed up the gun after that and no other problem since.

Dunno how many rounds through it before I got it.  At least 250.  Sam tests guns and only considers them ready for sale if they can do 250 shots without a failure.

But we'll pretend for the purposes of the log book that I am at 150.   This is one of the latest targets, all with similar results.

I circled in yellow one shot that tried to get away.

What do you see?

Upper right.

Heeling, milking, shooting flaw.  But what do you NOT see?

Nothing in the lower right.  My old flaw area.

Also, this gun shoots a little higher than point of aim.  At least that I am used to.  Shift the above four targets 3 inches left so that that group is more on the centerline....

But that has always been my goal.  When I was low and right I wanted to be left more and low I could take care of.

I'm sure Sam will have a new thing to teach me to help with that.  Whatcha bet it'll go to a firmer grip from the rather relaxed grip I have now...  We knew this day was coming.

Another possible runner up, what I am doing with the trigger finger pad.   See the .22 shots in this one.  Right, but not high.  Lollipop hold might be in my sight picture future, but play with bullet weights first.

There are two positions of this professionally tuned trigger when your finger is on it.  It's going bang or it is about to go bag.  It's hard to sneak up on the break and surprise myself.  Travel is pretty short, too. 

Did his simulator training last Saturday, too.  Always fun, but this time I reflected how I have improved my shooting in the compared to a year and  half ago.  The Vision Quest continues.

Can't play with it for a week or two, so it is back to the .22.  I am getting that one magazine tuned, the other magazines I ordered for it, and holsters made, so it is at the smith's til January, maybe.  

Yeah, kinda like that.

Have you noticed...

That pistols that USED to have on-board locking mechanisms have been quietly discontinuing them?

I think Glock had one in the grip but this was ages ago and they got rid of it ages ago and I'm not even sure of this and could be wrong and I'm not really talking about Glock.

But Springfield isn't using those mainspring housings on their 1911s...

And rumor has it S&W is thinking about dropping the zit...

Meh, I shouldn't get my hopes up.  Revolver QC out of Connecticut Massachusetts is not what it was.

Firearm Features

When very N00bish, I dwelled on firearm features I wanted in a gun before purchase.  Not from experience, obviously.  This sight style and that grip panel and the thumb safety so and the guide rod thusly.  And, of course, this model, but never THIS manufacturer... Only this caliber and no other, &c.  All picked from research, mostly online, in an attempt to maximize my potential shooting success and, as important, minimize mistakes that I wouldn't be able to live with.

The selected features didn't have that much impact on my success, and I made mistakes anyhow.

Now?  Now I am more of an advanced beginner, well on his way in his Vision Quest to be a beginning intermediate, or, dare I hope, more.  Feature requirements and preferences, while they haven't fallen by the wayside, have become less important. All those things matter less.  Just be a 'not bad' pistol and let's shoot it. 

My prejudice against Glocks is slipping away.  I didn't shoot them well, initially.  I shoot them better now.  If I won one in a raffle I might not sell it away immediately and put the proceed toward something else.  3 years ago I would.  At the very least, no need to worry about the ambi safety like I would with a 1911.  And I know how to DO safeties!  Beavertail fitting?  Oh, boy...

This is not say I don't like pouring over features and gun parts, as much as I always have.  You can't build an AR from the ground up or a 1911 from a bare frame and not take some serious thrill out of a Brownells catalog and devil take the hindmost credit card balance. It's just less important.  The gun becomes a tool.  While I like one screwdriver variety over another, in the end it is still a screwdriver and the screw needs tightening.  Most any decent screwdriver will do. 
 

Sorry bout that

Kinda in a slump.  I have some posts half prepared but my give-a-dang is a little afluttered.  I'll try to kick it into gear.

I hate this season.  Trying to look at bright parts between the stressful parts. 

Off my lawn!

The 1980s were a simpler time pic.twitter.com/X4W1qIcYIB

— Bill Corbett (@BillCorbett) December 6, 2016

Some range trips

Well, I had a magazine.  Was there 9 rounds in it or fifteen?  Let's see,  click on the 10th shot, so...  But wait!  That was a dud round.  Still, good shooting on that top left target.  Initial 9 shots, very relaxed shooter, and all inside the 9 ring.   The other targets are tres with paused between.  None too shabby except for that one, upper right.  Did a much better job focusing on the front sight.  Compared to last round, this was a good outing.  For me. All relative, of course.  That was on Wednesday the 30th, and here is the score.

First round of Tre's:  16 + 27 + 28x+ 27 + 27 =125x
Second round:           22 + 24 + 27 + 26 + 25 = 124

Is my math off?  Hmmm.  That upper left, with 9 shots, scored 86 xx

---

Then the following Sunday I went to ESS for playing with the 9mm I just got.

Oooo, lots of fun.  The trigger.  It breaks so fast and easy it feels like I am jerking it, in my mind.  Just, it goes.  Initial ranges were 3 yards, then 5, and making a golf ball sized hole.  So after 30 rounds of .22, then 40 rounds of 9mm, I am tired and the range is now at 7 yards and I start to heel and over think it.

Note to self.  Sam notices when you correct yourself.  YOU should notice it too, and remember what you did to self-correct.  Sam says it is always better when I do do so. Correct myself.  Maybe if I remember better I will have to correct myself less.

All Federal white box practice ammo.  73 rounds.  One stove pipe FTE on the 10th shot of the day, magazine 2.  Magazine 2 also leaves the last round unstripped on lockback.  Will correct it at the gun smith on Saturday.  Maybe get my new mags for it then as well.

Selling

I picked the wrong time to do so.  Ah well, better something than nothing.

I am unloading a Series 80 Combat Commander I have no use for.  Because of gunsmithing school I am flush with custom 1911s.  Plus a Gen 1 Sig 229 with that DAK trigger, in .40.  I'll be lucky to get a nibble on that.  All in an effort to take the sting out of buying this one.

One thing I am not doing is selling a problematic gun to make it someone else's problem.  Nothing wrong with either.  But what if I had a gun that just wouldn't run for me, and I didn't want it, and needed money, and buyer's should beware... Would I sell that? I dunno if my conscience would let me. I certainly wouldn't hide the problem and price it accordingly.

And I am realistic on pricing for these sound guns.  I'm not the guy that wants $1200 for his used Kimber that someone can still get for 8 bills or less.  New.  No, it is probably not a collectors item, but good luck with $1200. 

Gun Violence PSA

Did you see the gorilla?





But is that the guy that shoots up the school, or just the story that was put out after Columbine about bullied loners interested in goth and in their own 2-man 'trenchcoat' mafia?  I guess it is hard to depict Severe Mental Illness in a 3 minute video. 

Indy!

If The Walking Dead can cause a run on Colt Python revolvers...

Any of you old gunnie remember 1981?  Was there a run a breaktop six shooters because of Indiana Jones?

Die Hard is NOT a Christmas Movie

It's a heist film plus cop buddy picture.   When regular gas cost 6 bits a gallon.

But Dune, on the other hand, THAT is a Christmas movie.

Hear me out.

A 'relative' brings a gift 'box' with a surprise gift inside.

There is a Jolly Fat Man

A religious savior in a desert land

Methodical slaying of hordes of young males, hoping to get that savior caught up in the net

Wise men interested in the well being of that young savior.

Patrick Stewart is in the movie, and he also played Ebeneezer Scrooge.

A spice that smells a bit of cinnamon plays an important role, and you know they put that stuff in lattes and pies... everything.



It all FITS!  Christmas movie!

Y'all need to relax about Trump

What he says?

What 'they' said he said?

Doesn't matter.  Relax about it.  He's been talking full Trump style for a coupla years.   He's not drunk.  He's not a 8th level Dan Troll-grandmaster doing Troll-kata on purpose, either.  I bet it's instinctual, and probably not planned.

But it's just talk.  Or lies about just talk.  And it doesn't matter.

Watch what he does.   Sure the communication is important.  But, it's the pledge and the turn in magic.  The prestige is what truly matters, tho.

Hypothetical.  SCOTUS appointment.  "I'm not beholden to that list of judges I told you about last summer" ~screams!~ "My sister would make a great SCOTUS.  Or maybe Ivanka..." ~SCREAMS!~  "I nominate Ted Cruz."  ~SCRE-wait...~

You should relax.

In this totally realistic Trump scenario in a couple months... He's messed with you and me.  He's messed with the #NeverTrumps a bunch more.   He's REALLY messed with the MSM and Democrats (repeating myself).  He's made an ally and moved an enemy simultaneously.  Cruz is unconventional but would be an ok SCOTUS.  I bet Cruz would enjoy that job a lot.  And a lot more than Senator.  He might even have an easier time in the confirmation because 'Senator.'  Abbot then elevates another to be GOP Senator in Texas.  While everyone chews on the new possibility of a Senator Rick Perry, Trump is moving on to the next thing and the world scrambles to keep up with the fast pace.

The stuff he talked about didn't matter.  What he did... sorta works.  In the above.

Panic at the Kitchen Table

So I was trying to remove a stuck grip screw escutcheon on a 1911.  And I munged up the slot something fierce.  As one does when one pretend to know a little bit about gunsmithing.  I mean gunbutchery.

Oh no!  What do?  Throw the frame away and buy another.

Now hold on!  Maybe there are options.  Don't abandon hope.   You still have a chance this will come out alright with no damage to anything more expensive than a sawbuck. 

With a stuck screw sometimes tightening it a fraction of a turn will break the grip and make it easier to back out.  Or soak it in penetrating oil to loosen the threads.  Or... and be careful with this... blow torch.  Apply heat.  The expansion and contraction breaks the hold and also breaks down any Loctite that might be in there.  I said to be careful not because I am worried you will hurt yourself.  Burned skin heals.  I am more worried about messing with the temper of the metal.  Stainless steel is a bit more forgivable than carbon steel.  Try not to get the metal to turn straw or blue.

But these hints are less helpful when you have borked up the screw slot.

This was my plan.

First I would put the grip screw back in the cleaned hole with red loctite on the threads of it.  Tighten that down tight to get a good bond.  Then I'd back out that screw and hope it takes the escutcheon with it.  Sacrifice both. Plan B was to put a screw in part way from the proper side, and put another screw with a hex hole on the inside of the magwell.  Both screws touching tip to tip.  Then use an Allen wrench from the opposite whole to get the thing out of there.

Plan A worked.  But I wish I had tried B first.  That solution came to me too late, and if it had been attempted and had worked it would feel more elegant, somehow, now.

If it had failed and stripped the threads in the frame, all is still not lost.  You can add metal to the hole with a welder and re-tap the threads.  But that skill is a bit beyond me right now.

---
So, itemized, the methods for removing a stubborn escutcheon that I thought of, in order to escalation to prevent harm are:

1. tap it a few times with a non marring item (plastic screwdiver handle)
2. tighten a bit first before backing off
3. a little heat with a torch
4. soak it in penetrating oil for a week with occasional taps
5. remove all penetrating oil and apply a little MORE heat
6. two screws tip to tip, then spin clockwise from the 'bottom' end
7. red loctite on a sacrifical screw seated well inside the escutcheon, back out in 24 hours
8. spin it with vise grips
9. drill our the escutcheon with plans to perhaps add metal to the hole with a welder and retapping

I don't like the penetrating oil, normally.  But I am impatient.  

Sim Training

Is going away.

Hatfields is moving and the new gunsmithing facility won't have room for the simulator.  Which makes me sad.  I was learning lots in there.  Maybe it's time I graduated to bigger things with actual ammo.  That's the bad news.

The good news is he is even closer to the best range in the area, ESS.  Where he already does live fire instruction.

To give a fer instance on what I learn in that sim.  Sam lays down some ninja type stuffs on me at times.  You know lately I have been heeling shot with the .22.  What's up with that?  Well a good shooting instructor that knows his bidness will say "relax, do a good trigger squeeze and FOCUS ON THAT FRONT SIGHT."  I have been drifting off the sight, I realize that in retrospect.  A bad habit.  Well, on one of the plate targets in five seconds Sam comes into the Sim, tell me to aim at the smalled 'plate' on the wall, stage the trigger, then close my eyes.  PING!  Time after time.  Eyes closed.  Ping.  Ping.  Ping.  Ping.  Set up, stage the trigger, close eyes, fining the squeeeeeeeeeeeze... ping.

Dammit.

Hey, my hold and trigger squeeze are pretty good, now.  My biggest problem now may be how I look at things and how I think about things.  As Tam would undoubtedly tell me, I have too many mind.

"Too many mind, Tam?"

"Yes, T-Bolt.  Mind the gun, mind the people watch, mind enemy - too many mind...  No mind."

Been on the road

Over the holidays.  But look out burglars, now, today, isn't the time to sniff around my house.  I'll be home any second. 

Gun Banning Gun Violence Research

Down in the past 2 decades.

You know, yer buddies Soros and Bloomberg still have OODLES of money.  And they certainly have an interest in the subject.  Why wait on the feckless gov't for funds for your inherently biased rights denying research and just get the spare change out of their sofas?  They could totally fund it, and probably more generously.

First, we gotta kill all the gophers

But if I kill all the golfers they'll lock me up and throw away the key...

"I thought he said the election was being rigged!"

"Huh?!  Explain that!"

Well, the election was rigged.  Trump was just able to overcome the margin of electoral and voter fraud by a large enough margin.  I am sure the president elect can feel fine assuming he won the popular vote if you discount how the Dems are better at cheating.

Not that the popular vote matters,  If it was a popular vote contest instead of an electoral college contest everyone would run their show different.  If it was baseball instead of football you'd leave your shoulder pads in the dugout.

But that's no big thing now, the popular vote and rigging.  Water under the bridge.  If they had confirmed in 2013 that Obama really was foreign born no one was actually going to DO any of the very few possible things that even could be done.  No one was gonna put Biden in the big chair, or call up Mittens and tell him "get in the game, kid, and kick a homerun through the uprights"

Going forward, I hope Trump doesn't scroo over the economy or gun rights.  Or get us all killed.  Cautiously optimistic.  Very cautiously.

Trump is AWFUL, I am glad he won.

[More importantly, I am running out of steam on post election political posts.  Good.  There were other posts I composed then deleted.  You don't need those, to see that.  What would that accomplish? Just trying to relax a bit.  Return to normal blogging.  Fewer political post but even LESS election jobbers.  Hope for the best, expect the worst, in the meantime no more personal pity parties, tantrums, riots, gloating, or victory laps.  Just trying to abide.  The Bolt abides.  Let's go bowling.]

Handgun Marksmanship

The Experts Guide to Handgun Marksmanship.

I bought this off the NRA Palladium Press years ago.  It's mostly magazine article reprints.  Mixed reviews.

But I know more now than I did then.

Re-reading now I am catching things that I could not have caught back then.  It makes me think I am on the right track in my self improvement.

Jack O'Connor:  "the first step is to take an easy and relaxed stance," "he should be grasping the handgun lightly but firmly," "the ideal way to learn to shoot a handgun would be to go through a course of dry firing for a few weeks,"  "it is absolutely fatal to let the target distract the shooter's attention from the sight," "keep the sight looking as good as possible and then to keep increasing pressure on the trigger until the gun goes off."

All good stuff.  Stuff I read before.  And understood.  But now, with the passage of time, and some formal instruction, even the simple things are freighted with greater meaning.

This isn't the best book to teach you how to shoot your pistol.  But if you pay attention YOU might be the best 'book' to teach you how to shoot your pistol.  If you keep seeking out from everywhere things and people and teachers and instruction on how to shoot your pistol.

I wish I was a faster learner and more physically coordinated.  This process would go a bit faster.  Or that I had time and resources to work on it more than twice weekly.  Or both. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

My only requirements for this holiday are:

• Turkey
• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• And I have to SEE, at least, a can shaped gelatinous red cylinder of cranberry sauce.
• Pumpkin pie for dessert.

I am a simple man, with simple requirements.   

The bleak Trump years

I am looking forward to the return of this genre of movie being churned out.  Make me reminisce about my childhood.  Future Shock!  Planet of the Apes!  Capricorn One!  And stuff like.



I always loved that.  Made me what I am today when none of things came to pass.  Well, except the fake Mars landings.

Also, I saw a countdown clock so Prog put up for when Trump is no longer president.  It only had the four years worth.  You just jinxed us all to 8, Lefty!

On this day

In 1963.  A commie loser murdered a syphilitic, deviated prevert to keep him from spreading his preversion by conducting a top down national mutiny of preverts.  Also, he wanted to impress Fidel Castro.   After that, the Democrats lost their damn mind and haven't found it since.  Where is my mind?  Where is my mind?  Where is my mind?  Wheeeeeeeeeeere is... there!  Out in the water!  See it swimmin?

Range, November 15

Started strong this time.  Then the high and right heeling crept in over time.  Hard to measure as they were out of my usual targets.  25 feet, 45 rounds of CCI minimax .22 from when it cost $3.80, no ammo or gun failures. 

I did the center ones first.  Meh.

Top left is odd man out.  I wonder why that is?  But you see heeling again in the other 3 corners.  And I admit there was an early shift off the front sight I don't usually do.  But I corrected that when I realized it.  And I lightened up the grip.  So I don't know what I am off on.  More instruction in a couple weeks.  Maybe another practice session the week after Thanksgiving.

I need to change something up.  Maybe the pace of the shooting, between each shot.  Now it is "shoot three deliberately and slowly, pinning back and resetting after each shot."  Maybe two.  Maybe just one shot.  Maybe slower.  I can sometimes fix myself.  Correct a flaw on the go, so to speak.  And not require instruction.  This one is a little more persistent.  

Heeling... I bet it's losing the front sight.  I used to be much better with front sight concentration.  Dunno what happened.

New Gun

Remember how I said I had a hankering for an impractical 9mm a few weeks ago?  I get antsy around elections, anyway.

This hankering came out of nowhere.  I have never ever wanted a 9.  But I am on this "get better at shooty bidness" vision quest where I am taking lots and lots of training.  So I am in a weird place right now.  I am capable of committing any madness, including picking up a lighter-recoil higher-capacity firearm on my self-improvement journey.

So I did.  But not without problems.

See, it's kind of a custom gun...  Well, it actually is.  A custom gun.  It could even double as a race gun.  A double stack 9mm 1911.  Or 2011, whatever.  One of a kind.  21 round magazines. 

It's not perfect feature wise, but so?  It's pretty snazzy.  Saying it's not perfect is like saying Wayne Manor could use just one more powder room.  Maybe.  But, so?

And Sam has other ideas for it, to further customize it.  If I want. Red dot optic, wrapped around from the light rail.  A new barrel, maybe a full five inches.  .38 Super, with a compensator and I am ready for major!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Speed Racer.  Let me learn to go from a crawl to a walk, first.  And for me to iron on the dent in my wallet. 

"Those double stack 1911s can be a true heart breaker T-Bolt.  To start with you will probably have magazine issues right out of the gate."

Maybe with a run of the mill double stack.  But I know a guy.  A guy that knows how to adjust magazines and good many other things for this gun.  Because he made it. 

Ugh.  Getting into Sam's orbit has been wonderful for my shooty improvement so far.  And a huge load on my bank account too.  But so much fun. 


---

You think a regular 1911 holster that accepts the light rail will work for this?  Or is there something else too fat about a doublestack that will choke in that size holster?  Fack.  I might need a custom.  How many 2011 have that squared off trigger guard.  Dang.

Recommend a light.  Surefire and Streamlight seem to be the top two varieties, but you tell me.

---


Ooo, that reminds me.  I need to actually sell some guns.  With more than one 'custom' .45 1911, why do I have regular 1911s?  Or Sig 229s?  That will defray the cost of the above gun.

I was just thinking about it...  I now have a number of guns with truly decent triggers.  The above, the two 1911s, a good aftermarket job in my AR, a good Fulton one in my M1A, the 686 was good to start but is now better, the 2 640s are good for DA snubbies.  All the rest are just kinda regular triggers.  Might as well unload those.  Besides, those were bought whole pistols that the state of Maryland knows about.  I am hoping stripped lowers and Caspian frames confuses that bunch.  "Is is a gun or not?  Who know at this point.  Maybe... "

Used to

I have a policy where I'd take anyone to the range to do a familiarization and safety run and have some with boomsticks.  Even with liberal Democrats.  After all, we all have 2nd Amendment rights.  And maybe I can get them to see our sides point of view and they will be more circumspect before voting for gun bans.  It was a way to convert them to our side.

Or, should say, I had a policy.  Based on the rendering of garments and gnashing of teeth and deadly riots and whatnot...  Let them find somebody else.  I don't think I'd convert many on the margins, and too many of them would kick my face in in one of the 'peaceful' protests they get paid to throw.

Larry has some help.  My mood is more of a 'go pound sand down a rathole, Swampy.'

One good thing about the election

Once again, Race Bannon is in the #2 spot.  I'm sure he'll be great help to Dr. Quest.

We got one guy named Reince, sorta like Race.  Another guy NAMED Bannon, and a Veep that looks like him.

So, if Trump is Dr. Quest, and Pence/Bannon/Reince is Race... that makes Barron Johnny Quest.  Hmmmm.

Somme

Well, the Battle of the Somme ended today.  100 years ago. 

Phew, bet they were glad THAT was over.  It was only a bit over a million casualties. if you add up both sides. 

Nothing like the Battle of Verdun, though, that would go on another month, but started up 5 months prior to the Somme fight.   About the same number of casualties in that battle.  

Two million casualties from two battles that went on less than a year.  A half million dead, or so.  The numbers are staggering. 

Range 7 November

New wrinkle.  3 failures to feed in the first magazine, CCI mini-max .22lr.  There is wax blobs on the tips of these bullets.  This was hanging up the gun.  Was my car hot enough to melt these and I only now encountered it?  Maybe.  Was is 15 year old CCI that used wax and now that I am toting that older ammo to the range I am just now encountering it?  Also possible.

When I paid attention to the ammo while loading the magazines and flaking off any big bits I found, the failures went away.

Keeping up a log, now, too.  For this gun and my better, improved, 1911s.  But just this for now because I've only been shooting .22.  Centerfire in December.  Can't wait to learn something new.

Log entry:  "Ciener, 7 NOV 16, /48 rounds of CCI MiniMax, 3 FTF due to waxy buildup." Anything else I should include in the log

Anyway, here is the target:

Check out target 3.  the first 3 shot at it bracketed the X ring, the second group was higher and twelve o'clock.

Most everything else was high and right.  That's new.  Newish.  Tending high.  Did and extra set of 3 on targets 1 and 2.

Targets seven and eight were cranked out to 50 feet instead of the usual 25, just to see.  Three rounds each.

Score for 6 targets vis 8:

Round 1:  24 17 30xx 27 21 21 = 140xx
Round 2:  23 15 22     15 22 21 = 118

With actual MISSES this time, off the scoring.  Bleh.  Crappy.  I need to fix that.  Troubleshoot says breaking wrist up or heeling.  What the hell is breaking and heeling?  Hmph.  Lemme check the literature.

"The solution for either form of anticipation is front sight focus. This is a complete, deliberate focus on the front sight, not just visually, but mentally as well. If you have a flinch or anticipation problem, I recommend actually saying front sight in your head as you press the shot. Your focus on the front sight should be so deliberate that you'll find the shot has broken before you had the opportunity to anticipate it. If you find you are focusing so intently that the shot breaks and gives you a surprise, you did it right."

Fine.  Relax.  Front sight.  The basics.   It always comes back to the basics.  I coulda guessed that, and it is right.

Slow Wheels of Justice

That Minnesota cop that aired out that CCW holder is finally getting charged with a crime.  Manslaughter.  Good!  It's about time.   That was half a year ago!

But I saw this in the Washington Post's write up on it:

"Castile had a permit to carry his gun, something that sparked internal divisions among members of the National Rifle Association at the time."

 Now, I am in the NRA.  I remember lots of discussion about that at the time.  I don't remember internal divisions.  I'm not all over NRAHQ, tho, maybe there were.

I do remember liberals directing flak at the NRA back then for waiting for a few more facts to come in before making a statement on the shooting.   And when they made their statement based on what was known they were appalled an innocent CCW holder got shot by a jumpy police officer.  Something the NRA tends to frown upon in all cases.

Anyone have any knowledge on internal NRA divisions?

Or is this the Post stealing a march and injecting their own fantastical conclusions into a story instead of facts?

Yes! This!

Awesome!

CCW in New York City.  Where I get all my salsa.

Polly Ticks

My fervent hope in the near future, the next 4 years.

A gun case comes up to the Supreme Court and they put down "Strict Scrutiny" in the Clarence Thomas majority opinion.  Then another case with the same thing.  Heller 2, McDonald 2, whatever.

National Reciprocity that applies to me and applies to my carrying in Maryland.

A few quarters of 3+% GDP growth, in a row.  Enough that they consider raising interest rates up off the floor.  And all that entails.

---


That's it.  Everything else is gravy.  Suppressor for firearms in blister packs at Walmart?  Sure.  Fine.  Neat.  Sweeping away of all of Obama's executive orders and a few from GHW Bush?  Great.  Whittle down the EPA, DOE, DOE, BATF, HUD, TSA, VA, Homeland Security to nothing or near nothing because of incompetence or superfluosity or sheer waste?  Super.  Do what you can.

But move the needle on securing the 2nd and boost the economy.

"That's pretty small ball, T-Bolt.  Why not think bigger?"

Good point.  My universe is pretty small.  I guess I am just not greedy.  However Trump is almost certainly awful; he says the right things but who knows what he'll do.  And the GOP is feckless.  I am curbing my expectations for the future.

Post Election Let Down

I went grocery shopping on the 7th.

What am I gonna DO with all this past, rice, and canned good since the aftermath was less Thunderdomiam than anticipated?   Too much.

I carry a compact XD .40

"And in a Serpa holster."

I am guilty of this.  Or the idea of this.

I admit it.

I am NEW Jovian Thunderbolt, or was, and when casting about with the idea eventually getting CCW when I started this blog almost 10 years ago, and just then getting into more than cursory plinking.

It was a totally rational and sober selection process.  And it arrived at that.

I tried the other plastic pistols, and I didn't like the feel of the M&P trigger and shot the Glock poorly in comparison to XDs.

I was convinced about the big bullet thanks to research online and Jeff Cooper, but I wanted to slim it down some.  The caliber still started with a 4.

And the medium size gun instead of full size because CCW.  When not carrying concealed I wanted a retention holster and BLACKHAWK! was new and offered that nice retention button.

Well, that was many years before now, and my thinking has changed and my decision then has become a joke.  My consolation is I never did buy that XD for myself, and carry it.  I still recommended it to others, then.

What do I prefer now?  J Frame snubbie in a pocket holster is what I DO.  It's been 10 years and it still isn't practical to CCW in Maryland.  But say I lived and worked as a Linotype Machinist in Mentor Ohio instead?  The 1911s I customized in IWB holsters.  Or a Safariland lvl III at 9 o'clock.  But I don't have all the answers!  10 years in and I am still learning, still improving, and nowhere near as close to where I want to be, skillwise.  I don't NEED new and different equipment.  I need new and different me.   Working on that, still.

Safe at Second

You know what I find sorta comforting?

More than one Dem I know personally is now gun shopping.  For real.  Not making that up.  All the gun buying on our side has lead to this.  They saw us exercising a right when it was under some threat, and at a time of their uncertainty, and knowing it is less likely to go away, they want to exercise the right too.  And take responsibility for themselves.  Well, some of them.

Not that I think this guy or that want to hunt down GOP peeps.  These are reasonable people.  Reasonable enough.  But they are finally coming around on the Second Amendment.  And all because they lost an election and saw what we did when we lost an election.

At least I fervently hope they aren't the violence-initiating kind of democrats...

It's a good thing.  It makes them less likely to push for gun bannage.  It's pushback against their allies like Soros and Bloomberg. 


---

I'm not the only one that noticed this lefty interest.

One guy here is going to get a 10/22.  Partly for his kids, partly because his liberal Brother in Law wants to learn how to shoot after November 9th.  

Oh, ffs

If you refuse to wear a #safetypin bc you think it's ridiculous you're part of the problem and shouldn't be surprised if ppl call you racist

— Kaos (@katjakaos) November 12, 2016

Trump is AWFUL

I don't like him very much.

But I am glad I won.

I feel even better about him winning based on what has happened on the left since Tuesday.  There are even people on my Facebook feed that have said, "Several of my friends have been sexually assaulted by Trump voters since the election."

Hmmm.

You'd think the police reports about those would get more press.

There is a great museum in downtown Baltimore.  The American Visionary Arts Museum.  As you go around looking at the exhibits and reading the little plaques you come to a realization.  A lot of this cool stuff was created by inmates at insane asylums.  Not raving lunatics, but the kind of people that spend their days obsessively swallowing inorganic objects.  Like safety pins.

And also making intricately detailed matchstick sculptures or paper mache cars.

The nonviolent Hillary voters you hear about remind me of them.  Not that there aren't also raving lunatics among them.  And, of course, your Soros rent-a-mobs got spun up faster than I would have thought.  They are a little bit unhinged AND mercenary.  I wonder if he gives out W2s...

But most are, well not quiet, but...  Relatively harmless folks without the firmest grasp of reality.  Pajama-boys.  And now you can tell by looking at them as they assign themselves a wearable insignia.  If one of your relatives is wearing a safety pin at Thanksgiving table, look out.  They are there to ruin dinner.  

Anyway, again, Trump is awful, I am glad he won.

Another Lincoln Story

I always like this quote of his, too.

" Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

 Sounds a little bit like me, too, trying to make the actual job as efficient and quick as possible.  Just like I explained before.

"That Lincoln was a horrible tyrant and destroyed the constitution, T-Bolt!"

"Hmmm.  I see.  What part of Georgia are you from?"

"Why, I'm from Maco.. HEY!..."

In Two Years

Veterans Day is gonna be an extra big deal.

Shooting Flaw

When I work, I hustle.  Especially repetitive tasks.  Hurry hurry hurry.  It has always pleased supervisors over me on various jobs.  Mopping floors?  Fast.  Restocking shelves?  Fast, fast.  When I was a kid I'd mow the lawn at a run, almost.  "Why do you work so hard and fast, T-Bolt?"  "It is because I am very slothful, gentle reader."

Sloth?  Huh?

Yes.  I want to be done with the work.  The tedium.  I can't get out of the task.  I have a sense of responsibility.  Even when not driven to a job that sense of responsibility eventually overcomes my procrastination.  And once I set to my goal is power through it until it is done and... I can do nothing again.  Sit under a tree and read a book.  Slothful.  I want all my time to be my own, but the time I owe to someone else, I want to minimize that.  So, hustle hustle hustle.

I remember hearing a story about Abraham Lincoln as a young child.  He was sitting around reading a book and not working or helping.  Eventually exasperated co-workers roused him from laziness to try to get him to help move an impossibly large and heavy chicken coop from A to B.  The impression was that even with the extra hands of Lincoln the job may be beyond them.  Abe set his book down, picked up the chicken coop by himself, moved it, then went back to the book, quick as you please.  I thought... That's me.  That's how I do things.  If it truly was impossible I'd quit immediately. 

This rush to finish permeates everything I do, though, and always has.  It adversely impacts my attention to detail.  I don't proofread these posts as well as I should is an obvious trait.  When I sign my name the last part of it is sloppy.  That second crossed T in Thunderbolt could be more accurate on my checks for example. 

It's Sloth.

"Ok, T-Bolt, so you have a form of laziness that makes you appear to work hard and accomplish some things in record time.  What's that have to do with shooting."

I have a shooting flaw when presented with many targets that aren't TOO hard to hit, and I have pressure to go fast because of the clock, I miss more. 

"Well, that's true of most folks, T-Bolt."

Yes, but I am recognizing the WHY of missing.  When I am shooting at a target, I am moving on to the next target before I put down the popper in front me over the sights.  So I miss target 1.  That miss flusters me so it might even trigger a miss on target 2.  Now the string of the next 12 is all thrown off.  I am hustling TOO much. 

"How do you fix that?"

Well, Zen out and concentrate on just the one target in front of you.  But that doesn't obviate the need to get all the targets as fast as possible, so Zen out quickly.  It's hard.  One way is to say aloud "This one" bang.  "This one" bang.  To try to narrow the focus.  But breaking myself of the rushing habit will be as hard or harder than developing a fast but smooth trigger press. 

Democrats...

STOP HURTING PEOPLE

Metro Con

I agree with the pro-gun conservative legal immigrant at National Review:

Budget Ammo

If you had the wherewithal, why would you ever feed your gun things like Tula ammo.  Or worse?  Other than maybe as a test to see if the gun will eat it when you are desperate?

The steel case stuff.   If one box or lower quality ammo costs $9 and the Federal costs $13, ok, that is $4.  But if you don't need to pinch pennies that bad, why submit your gatt to the punishment?

Sure, you want to know what ammos the gun likes.  There is that.  I get that.  Or maybe you are a famous gun writer celebrity and are doing it for SCIENCE!  I undestand that too

Steel case stuff isn't the best for your extractor, anyway.  And those brands often stink.  Why do it?  Sure your sports car will run on that Mom and Pop gas station 86 Octane stuff, and you save some money, but...  I don't even like to put that in my old truck. 

And it's not just the combloc steel krep.  Plenty of budget brasses out there, sold cheap and loose in an ammo can at the gunshow.  Maybe you should pop for the extra coupla bucks...

COINCIDENCE?!!!

Results of the voting came in on 11/9

That's the mirror image of 9/11

We're through the looking glass here, people.

From Slate

I do think it is clear what we are about to lose. It starts with the erasure of the Obama era, which gave America its first true steps toward a more progressive, compassionate government after some three decades of conservative policy dominance—all while helping the country gradually recover from the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression.

You know, maybe most folks don't want the prog stuff.  And the recovery from an economic catastrophe didn't really happen very good, did it?  Had it, we'd be more Madam President right not. 

A little late to worry that maybe the office of the Presidency was a bit too overbearing the past 8 years, since 3 months of the same thing the other way will roll back that nonsense.  Maybe stick to my preference after that and use the Rule of Law?  But not til the pendulum gets back to the middle again.

(The headlines at Slate.com give me much Schadenfreude today.)

Hills

If Hillary had said, "I am not going to push for any gun control while president, it's just not my priority at this time," and SCOTUS had written down 'strict scrutiny' in Heller or McDonald, she'd almost certainly be president elect right now.

Listen

Things you will hear again:  How bad the deficit is.

Things you won't hear again:  How bad gridlock is.

Rule of Law

(the following I wrote a week ago in anticipation of today's expectations.  Which didn't work out.  But why waste it?)


Why do I even follow the rules?  Laws are for suckers.

Hillary, the laws don't even apply to her.  Those are for little people, like me. 

Well, medium size people.  There are people less well off than me that also do not have to follow the rules. 

Criminals in Baltimore caught with a gun?  Invariably those very serious charges are dropped.  Ignored by the city authorities.  Well, if I had pistol in my trunk and they didn't like the soft sided pistol case or the lock I used to seal it, well, they'd charge me in a trice.  Definitely take the gun.  I wonder if they aren't returning the gun confiscated by city ne'er do well when the get out of jail on bail?...

Some of my neighbors have overstayed their tourist visas.  By decades.  If they did that much rule-following.  Not only are they not discouraged from violating the rules, there are support services designed to funnel them resources, that they do not contribute to, at every level, local state and federal.  But if I feel my income taxes are taking too much of a bite this year and try to claw some of that back, that's the sword of Damocles over my head the rest of my days.

I need to not be so much of a boy scout.  Not be a sucker.  NOT follow the rules.

On low risk rules I need to violate them on principal alone.  I'm walking on the grass where the sign says not to. Throw my batteries in the trash.  Same with aluminum cans. 

On higher risk rules, I need to not be a fool.  Don't violate them without reason.  Weigh the risk carefully.  Don't just violate them without purpose.  I would never cheat on my taxes to gain $500, for example.  It's just $500.  And I am too pretty for prison.  I'd never actually vote for Archie, even though he's been dead a year.  You can go to prison for that, and so what?  This is Maryland.  The election isn't going to be close.  [Of the last landslide elections Maryland still voted for the loser (1980.)  One of only 6 states.  You gotta get to 1984 before Maryland realizes it has a good thing going for it sticking with the Republican.  The only reason we ever have a few GOP governors is because the Dems are just so awful.  Anyhoo...]  Gun law rule breaking is stickier than any of those.  I dunno where I can ignore those rules and it'd be worth the risk.  But the difference is, NOW I am thinking about it. 

Folks deciding they didn't have to follow the law has ME contemplating what areas I can also not follow the law.  Me.  Mr. Squeaky Clean, Goody Two-Shoes, Boy Scout.  This isn't the first time I've discussed this.  But it gets worse and worse over time.  ANd it's not up to me to heal the rift, it's up to them.

IRS officials that illegally targets Tea Party groups to help their side in the 2012 election?  It Martha Stewart can go to jail for being mistake on a fact in an FBI interview, then folks at the IRS can too.  That's a start.

General Patreus can get ruined, drummed out of public life, and be threatened with jail, but Hillary and Sandy Berger and blatantly, worse than Patreus, mess around with more severely classified records and face nothing.

Bill Clinton can bang underage chicks on Whore Island and headline big events, but Bill Cosby can't show his face outside.  Either forgive Cos, or run Clinton out of the public eye.

How many sports cars of his own and cars of other people is Bieber allow to wreck before they say no more?

When things like these are evenly applied.  Where ALL the big fish face the music.  When all little fish face the same music.  I'll become a good little citizen again.  But now, I am tired and I feel used.

(the system has a reprieve if the rule of law is respected again and folks are at pains to make that permanent no matter who wins and election.  but I am still in Maryland and I am still feeling ornery)

PRESIDENT Lord Business

Well.  How bout that.  I expected I'd be more hungover.

There is a bit of good news in all this.

The Media-Democrat establishment created this monster but never expected it to turn on them and rampage through the village.  Seeing the looks on their faces while he did is quite satisfying.

The Crime Family Clinton doesn't have a stake through its heart, but this will be devastating to their enterprise.

Hillary is an AWFUL candidate and an awful person.  She didn't lose because she is a woman.  She lost because she is awful.  The glass ceiling is broken but not the truly-awful-people-ceiling

George Soros is unhappy.  Mike Bloomberg is unhappy.  Both good things.

There is a chance some of the Obama lawlessness will be curtailed.

The celebrities that promised to decamp?  All of you except Samuel L. Jackson, good riddance.  Reconsider, Jules Winnfield!  The rest?  Bye, Felicia!

Speaking of Pulp Fiction, maybe the GOP will learn, now, not to put on the Gimp suit and roll over to show their belly to Democrats whenever the Dems look at them cross eyed.  We also wouldn't be here if they had more of a desire to win for their peeps. 


I am enjoying the shocked tears of the Jacobins and Leftists as they wake up this morn.

The Second Amendment might not be dead. So, too, we might see a revival in the rule of law.

Ipsos custodes

November 9th 2016.  

Dead CNN reporter in the alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach.  The capital city is afraid of me.  I have seen its true face.  Mass Ave is an extended gutter, and the gutters are full of blood and when the WSSC drains scab over all the elite vermin with drown.  The accumulated filth of all their sex and treason will foam up around their waists and all the whores and Democrats will look up and shout "SAVE US!"

And I'll whisper, "No."

It is done