Sunday, April 30, 2017

NRAAM

One of the nice things about the NRA convention that I am also not present at... It get's a lot of great extra frenetic activity from Snowflakes in Hell.

 Always appreciated.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Vidja games

This might draw my interest

In the 90s, I was too busy working for a living to get involved with computers.  Lifting heavy things, being sure the beer tasted good.  I missed most of the games from then.  Doom.  Wolfenstein.  Starfox.  Half Life 1.  Battletech

But then I got a job in computers.  Because they pay better than lifting heavy things and at the time they were hiring anyone that could spell 'HTML.'  I ended up getting a machine that could play video game properly, all for my ownself.  And a cable modem.  The first two games I got just by looking at the pretty boxes on the shelf at CompUSA was Morrowind, by local Bethesda games, (and that lead me through the years to Skyrim and Fallout 4...) and Medal of Honor, a WWII first person shooter.

I was hooked on both.

Now eventually WWII fell out of style in the video game realm.   Understandable.  Everything can be overdone, and WWII was.  Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, and Battlefield moved on to more modern or futuristic settings.

But now Call of Duty is releasing a new WWII game.  And I am interested.   Though I don't have the time and twitch reflexes of 15 years ago, I will prolly still play it...




Friday, April 28, 2017

"You should get some training"

Said like, "You should finish your broccoli."

Aw, mom, do I have to?

Actually, it's not necessarily said that way, but that's the way a lot of people hear it, no matter how it is said.

Last time I was out with Sam he was his usual gunsmith self and watching out for noobie to be sure they didn't point the muzzle to their 9 o'clock, where we were standing.  He suggest there are training options to make them learn more, but he did it like... well... a gunsmith.  All knowledgeable and serious. 

It's how he weeds out the uncommitted.  Being all gruff.  Did it to me when I first went in the store.  "Naw that gun sucks, there is nothing I can do for it at a decent price."  It did suck, and it will be expensive to make good.

But that's neither here nor there.  Back to the subject:  Training.

It's not broccoli.  It's dessert!  Training is fun!  Sure, some instructors are awful.  You know what?  There are other instructors.  Try another one.  I get a lot of enjoyment out of training.  And my pace of improvement is glacially slow.  Still a blast to do.  I've got to overcome some inertia and find more instructors to try out. 

Anyway, I told those people at the range.  The noobs.  You don't just learn stuff and safety.  It's also fun.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Range 22 APR, training

These were not in-a-hurry double taps:


His shots are the upper and lower left, and upper right.  Mine are the center, and my finals are in the lower right.

10 count, steady pace, no rush.

I did another target, but don't have it, before this with more ten counts.

His two flier low and left?  Prairie doggin'.   Looking at the target not the front sight.  He was shooting a stock Glock...  19? 

While I shoot a string he watches me.  He notices when I screw up but then CORRECT myself, mid string and bring em back toward the center.  So, some progress there.  Shoulder is still fatiguing me even more than I usually tire, but even with that, not too bad.

All of those are at 5 yards with my Ciener .22.  I think it was 5.  Might have been 7.  The other target was at 3.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Double Tap psychology

It takes a while for people to share this detail about their shooting, but it may very well be universal.

What are people thinking about, when under time pressure, between the first and second shot?  Outwardly, a person may appear calm and professional and their fundamentals and recoil management are sound.  But between the ears other things are happening. 

First it feels like you have less than a tenth of a second.  You prolly have more (in my case, lots more) But it feels like less than a tenth.  But the experience seems to go like, in that fraction of time:

!BANG! 

"Whoa nelly, those 9mm rounds sure pack a punch!  Phew!  Ok, ok, ok, you gotta get the next round off before the target carboard turns 90 degrees.  Get about it.  Where is that sight picture?  Aw it is all messed up and my grip shifted a smidge.  C'mon!  Get that sight picture back!  Where is it?  Hell just FIND the front sight!  HURRY!  Where is it?  Where?!  Ok, there it is.  It's sorta in the neighborhood.  I still don't know where the rear sight got to but no time to worry about that now!  Oh, at least you have the trigger prepped.  When did you do that?  Nevermind, no time!  GO!  Now..... presssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss..."

!BANG!

And sometimes you omit the press part.  And there the rear sight was, all along.  And now, the 9mm doesn't pack that much punch.  And your second round hit ok on the target anyway as long as you didn't jerk the gun around on that trigger press.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Well, that's not good


A tiny burr.  On the slide stop notch.  A common enough problem with double stack 1911s.  Which is why I recommend only getting a double stack built by a gunsmith that takes it as a personal affront when this happens.

What causes this?  The magazine, I am told, but don 't fully grock yet.  With double stacks it's always the magazine.  If something is wrong, the magazine did it.  That magazines need tuning to the gun, just to start. 

Good news!  In the shop move Sam found two more mags for this gun, bringing my total to 4. 

Fun fact, there are two styles of double stack frame.  The Caspian machined casting, like this.  And STI has a two part frame for their version, the 2011.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Auf Deutsch

When suppressors are legal

I'm....

Well, not gonna get one.  None of my guns are threaded.   I'd have to GET something with threads.

Wait, I've done gunsmithing.  Maybe I could fit a barrel myself?  Hmmm, that underlug is tough...

It's not like I don't like suppressors. A .22 and a .45 would be neat. I don't see the point on a .223 or .308. But I'd find the other kinds, the .22 and .45, fun to use. They just aren't as high a priority for me.

I'd much rather get to CCW like you people.  CCW everywhere.  Like on the Metro.  Because I don't want to be stabbed without a chance. Those of you living in more friendly jurisdictions care less because you got yours. But as long as people in New Jersey can't tote a concealed Glock inside their waist band then NONE of us are free.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Eggs Woodhouse

Every morning.


Hobbies and Vocations

The one over arching theme I have learned.  Woodworking framing, carving, turning, blacksmithing, brewing, shooting, typewriter repair, gunsmithing, chairmaking...

When you are a novice, half the fun is the gear accumulation.  Don't knock this.  I think you may have to do it.   And when you are a novice you often can't afford it, but you accumulate anyway.

Then, as you get more proficient and skilled, you need less and less of the gear.

ALL those carving chisels and whatnot.  And in the end you need a drill, 4 simple chisels, and a carving stone. You might only need 2 chisels and a sheet of sandpaper.  

Saturday, April 22, 2017

New Wrinkle


I can't put my hat on with my right hand. Or wipe the snot from my nose onto the sleeve of my forearm. The arm just doesn't do that anymore. Less pain, some nerve tingles, but range of motion is tightening up. And this is with twice weekly physical therapy. Hmm.

You know Charlie Walser? Has the place east of Sanderson? Well you know how they used to slaughter beeves, hit 'em with a maul right here to stun 'em... and then up and slit their throats? Well here Charlie has one trussed up and all set to drain him and the beef comes to. It starts thrashing around, six hundred pounds of very pissed-off livestock if you'll pardon me... Charlie grabs his gun there to shoot the damn thing in the head but what with the swingin' and twistin' it's a glance-shot and ricochets around and comes back hits Charlie in the shoulder. You go see Charlie, he still can't reach up with his right hand for his hat... Point bein', even in the contest between man and steer the issue is not certain.



Friday, April 21, 2017

What Caliber for Old Man

Being all stove up on the right side, and memories of Archie as he went for a 78 year old man that might have been able to take me, to somebody that couldn't keep the old folks home nurses from making off with his beer as they could come and go when they pleased and he no longer had any say in how he could conduct his life...

Eventually Ima get old.  I'll probably sell off a bunch of gun while I still have my faculties and a use for money.  But previous generation of T-Bolts tended to last a while.

I know what my first gun was.  I wonder what my last one will be?  Before I give up even that last one and move out of my home and independent living and into a hospice or assisted living facility where someone else has a key to my residence and doesn't permit firearms.  By that point I'd probably be useless defending myself with a firearm.  If I wasn't useless I'd have no call to check into such a facility.

Gone is the Garand.  Gone is the Model 11s.  Gone the .22 squirrel gun of my great great grandmother.  Just one left.

There will be the last gun I ever own.  Some day.  What will that gun be?  Probably a 1911 pistol of some description.  If my hands go pulling a revolver trigger will be harder than the hard part of a 1911.  Racking the slide.  I hope it is S/N TBOLT001.  Maybe 002 or 003.  003 will probably be a single stack 9mm.  001 and 002 are .45 frames.  .22TCM is another thought for it's light recoil but hot round.  Hope it won't come to that, needing lighter recoil, but, at least the option is there.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Again with the nothing

Less pain and more tingly up and down the gimp arm cuz of the gimp neck.  So, progress!

Gonna try to get some training, 10AM, Saturday.  So, that to look forward to.

Lots on TV.  Archer, Fargo, MST3K, Samurai Jack.  I need to watch the cable one and dump the TV portion of the cable bill down to 5 channels.  Why still have some TV channels?  So I don't have to deal with Comcast returning their cable box and remote. It's one of their way to screw peeps over "You never returned the remote, that's a $50 surcharge for a 9 year old remote."  My TV bill shouldn't be my LARGEST utility bill.  But that's just me.

So, polish off the TV shows and wonder what I'll do when Rick & Morty comes out.  Maybe get Hulu +.


Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Gun Control Klaxon



The gun banners would love to make every public shooting in the news an argument for this cause, allowing them to ban all firearms everywhere, even cops and soldiers, but not every story has legs on it. Here is what they need.

  • Lots of sympathetic innocent victims.   Then need as much blood as possible to dance in.
  • The shooter should be white.  If the shooter is from an oppressed class that can distract from the gun-ban message.  
  • Multi racial and very young, preferred.  They can cite the shooter as racist, while also highlighting a charismatic little 11 year blonde girl.  Double whammy.
  • The gun can't be some old style gun.  Scary looking modern semi-auto are best for them.  Especially if it was on a ban list once before but isn't anymore.  A five shot revolver is inconvenient to their message.
  • It's best of the shooter has no professional gun training.  Their mid-course incremntalist goal is to ban guns for those not trained in their use, then ban guns of the professionals.   Ban for me, today, but for cops tomorrow.  So, no ex-cops or military vets.   Unless they are crazy.  The gun banners can work with crazy.
What am I missing?  

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Wonder what the poor people are doing...

If I ever won a billion dollar lottery, obviously I would engage many servants.

A valet, a driver, a groundskeeper and staff, a housekeeper and staff, a chef, a gun-bearer for my safaris.  Somebody to assist in the raising of my orchids.

But I would like to retain a brisket-smoker so I never run out of properly prepared beef.  Day or night.



Excuse me, won't you?

WOODHOUSE!  MAKE EGGS!

---

I would also have Follies.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Yeah

Don't do that.  I don't care how good the clothes are.  I don't care if there are really blanks in the gun.  Mistakes happen.


Sunday, April 16, 2017

Typical Weekend.

Linger in bed.  Maybe read or check Facebook on the tablet. 

Coffee.  Quart size French Press.  From ground beans.  To avoid the caffeine withdrawal headache and to repair the liver after a night of drinking, if applicable.

More computer checking while coffee-ing.  News.  Blogs.   Youtube. 

Breakfast.  Usually a brefass sammich.  4 strips of bacon, cut in half, in the oven.  Then two egg in those ring thingies.  Thomas' English muffin.  American cheese.  Pulpless OJ.

Than watch an MST3K episode from the 90s.  I don't know about this new season.

By then it is Afternoon, time to do whatever needs to be done.  Or nap.  Whatever.  

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Buy A Gun day

Whatja git?

I need more .22 and 9mm HST. 

.600 Nitro

Revolver...

Friday, April 14, 2017

Survival Hooey



I like this.  Clear logical eyes on something most all of us that might read this blog like to 'what if' in their heads about.

The common narrative of preppers.  We are heading to disaster.  If it's just on Great Depression worth, ok, we can weather that.  But what if it is Great Depression x5?  The dollar goes to zero overnight. There is a week til the grocery stores are empty, and the gas stations run out.   Then, the hungry boil out of the cities.  So you better be in Idaho.

That's how it is supposed to go.  Like night follows day.

But what if it doesn't go that way?  Is it really likely to go that way?  Well probably not.  Arguably it goes in the opposite direction.

What gets people out of cities?   In modern times.  This isn't France 1940.  Think Damascus, Sarajevo, Mosul, and Beirut.  Multi faction war lord style civil war in the bad ones, over years and years.  Some people fleeing, but not like a devouring horde of locusts.  Lots of people hunkering down.

What if the Rule of Law collapses?  That article covers that.  Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does power and power brings its own order. 

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Range Day.

I had 15 rounds of 115 grain American Eagle in mag #2.  They weren't locking open the slide on the final round.  And a box of 124 grain American Eagle to test.  115 grain Federal white box and 147 grain American Eagle have given no problems in the past.

I suspect American Eagle has a lighter powder charge compared to Federal, but I have no chrono to test that theory.



Except my Federals are FMJ.  Same company, different practice ammo formulas, I guess.

So let's test...

Nope.  Fails on both.  Only worked to lock back once on 124, right after a re-lube.  Gonna have to test 147 another time.  Maybe a cleaning first...


Airlines

People ask me why I don't fly commercial.

I love flight.

Well, it's not just about the flight, now, is it?

---

The REAL villains are all those other passengers on that flight.  After Untied Flight 93 on September 11th I thought it was understood that the proper response when there are a small cadre of thugs on your flight, injuring people, is to rise up.  Those three 'cops,' if that is indeed what they were, should have been a grease spot, right then.   

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

He would have, you know.


Martin O’Malley: I Would Have Beaten Donald Trump in General Election

See what lead us Marylanders?

Shoot a little or a lot

Sometimes I am jealous of Tam.

She shot 150 rounds in that typical-for-her session.  And her quality is just fine.  Round 1 or round 150. 

My quality sloughs off after that many. 

When doing the simulator I could pull down 200 trigger pulls or more, but I am not fighting recoil.  Still 200+ trigger pulls in 20 minutes is a lotta finger work and you those finger muscles and forearm muscles notice it.  Often, Sam was trying to get me to muscle fatigue to get me to fall back to fundamentals.  If you are exhausted you have to slowdown and try to do the job with the least effort possible.  And concentrate on that trigger pull.

Sam also wants me to mindful with live fire.  Train often, but don't reinforce bad shooting by staying after you are tired.  Even if it is just a bad day, after 10 rounds that just aren't there...  Better to pack up, come back the next day.

Short round counts on purpose. 

So I am lucky to get 50 rounds a session.  With pain and with that current training philosophy (subject to change). It doesn't cost anything at my main raing.  I can go every day, shoot for 3 hours, pay the same as going once a month for 30 minutes.   It's a yearly membership thingy.  I only pay $1.05 and that is for a target.

And part of my problem is this neck issue.  It's bad recently, but it has been contributing to pain, at some level, for over a year.  Since before 2013 or before probably.

The true worry is, what do I do if I go to a different trainer and go through a 500 round count training evolution?  That would suck.   Training 50 rounds a week might help me compared to the guy that goes to the range 3 times a year

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

PT tortures

4PM, on a Tuesday or Thursday in April?

I am at physical torture for my bum neck.

It not all bad.  I live the cervical traction thingy.  It's like this, but electrical instead of pneumatic.  10 minutes of 20 second cycles.  10 seconds pulled, 10 seconds relaxed.  I could nap.  And I feel better after.


It's the exercises that will make it hard to sleep tonight.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Just to see

I went ahead and got a bag of beans from Black Rifle.

I coulda swore that was a Medium roast bland.

Anyway, $12 for the beans, $8 for shipping.

But it is pretty damn good coffee.  The beans are largish and not greasy.  Brews up nicely in the french press and yields a dark pleasant brown color.  The color is rich, and so is the flavor.  Not the best cuppa Joe, but pretty dang good.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Only Targetting the Innocent

Gun banners only pass gun control laws that apply to the innocent.

It's only for innocent people, like you and me.  If we cross one of the thousands of gun laws they will hang us out to dry.   By design.  You and me, we aren't dangerous to the police.  Not like real criminals.

Real criminals, if they violate a gun law, that is just ignored.  Gun laws don't apply to actual predators and felons.  The cops and the courts don't enforce those.  And the people worried about guns don't concern themselves with that application.  I fact they need more criminals committing gun crimes to gin up support for gun bans for the rest of us.  As usual it's about control of all of us, not about the guns, per se. 

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Not sleeping well

Stupid PT exercises.  I sleep great with just the stretches part.  Add the exercises and no bueno.

There are few position I can be in that are comfortable.  Sitting at my computer at home is one of the bad ones.

The desk at work is not so bad, luckily. 

But hey, how about that target this week?  I am really coming along.  "Get a 9mm, because lower recoil"  You know, when you shoot nothing but .22 for 18 months 9mm seems like a LOTTA recoil. 

Friday, April 7, 2017

Suffer

Three post yesterday.  Hurt today.  Sparse blog.  Hard to think up junk.

Go go Gorsuch.

I stay in Maryland to help to make Maryland as gun friendly as say... Indiana?  If we all make Maryland as good as Indiana then Indiana will have nothing to worry about.  

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Dub Dub Won


Nobody understands WWI.  Now or then.  It's pretty much:

  1. The Schlieffen Plan, lots of army movement for a couple months
  2. Settles into Trench Warfare
  3. Then nothing really happens for years except people dying
  4. Gas Planes Tanks U-Boats
  5. More dying
  6. The Americans show up
  7. More meat grinder
  8. Then the war ended... somehow?  I mean we weren't in Berlin and they weren't in Paris or anything...
  9. I just don't know
  10. Then everyone got the flu and dying intensifies
  11. Shut UP, Wilson
  12. Then the Americans go home and there is no beer
If you have those 12 points, you pretty much know more than 98% of everyone.  You don't even need a 14 point plan.  Dang fascist.

WAR!

Against those dastardly Huns!

100 years ago, today.

Range 5 APR 17

Not too shabby.

First, some mechanicals with the 9mm.  The slide didn't lock back with one round still in there, waiting to go into battery.  5-6 times, no issue with mag #1.

When using 115 grain Federal 9mm, the slide doesn't lockback on empty, tho.  147 grain it locks back as it should.  So, strong spring, wrist too limp, or just not enough oomph in the momentum with a light pill.  Interesting.  I purposely bought multiple weights of projectile from the same ammo maker to test what this gun 'likes.'  No malfunctions beyond that lockback not happening.

Mag #2 has 15 rounds of 115 loaded for next time.  Remember that, T-Bolt.

Now the target.



First the .22 to the face.  That 'flyer' at 10 o'clock?  Called that one.  2 and 5 o'clock I don't remember those.  I was just impressed I noticed the one.   Also, not favoring the right side of the centerline as much as usual  Good.

I am favoring the right side with the 9mm.  As I get tired I go further and further high and right.  And with my neck issue I get tired sooner.  This issue has probably impacted my stamina negatively for over a year, but worse now.  The gun shoots higher than my point of aim, which is fine. 

Coincidentally, everyone there had chosen this exact same yellow silhouette target to shoot at.  Four of them side by side at 25 feet.  And I felt really good about my skills in comparison.  I was definitely 99th percentile in that little room. 

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Regular Capacity

So, the Trace is all undie-soiling that there is an uptick, sposuhbley, of 'large capacity' magazine getting confiscated by the Po-Po in the course of their duties.  Much to the chagrin of State since the state officially frowned upon bigger-than-10 round magazine back in 2013.  "But those are supposed to be verboten!  Why are criminals now seeking them out?"  Well, duh.

Little background.  Most of Maryland, spezially the populous parts of Maryland, you are less than an hours drive to another state.  States with gun stores.  It is only illegal to sell or give away magazines inside the state.  Not illegal to have.

Since the Police are under siege and going with a Ferguson effect, homicides have skyrocketed, especially in Baltimore.  Sanctuary policies bring in more MS-13 types.  Dem pols don't have the police's backs, so crime goes up.  More homicides (even the liberals admit it is up 40%).  So, the rate of Glock 17s being used is probably proportionately the same, but there are just more killings.  More Glocks found at the scene.  25, instead of 25, say.  So that looks like more high cap mags, right?  4% increase!  Crisis!

What absolute bushwa.  So why did they publish absolute grade A baloney?  Start of a campaign to ban 11+ round magazine in Maryland outright, mebbe?  Slowly tighten the gun ban screws.  Sure sure.

It is next to impossible to restore rights statewide legislatively because Democrats and their hostility toward civil rights.  We rely on judicial solutions.

C'mon Trump.  Up your nomination game, chop chop.  Before I can't even go to the local range with my new pistol in case anyone snitches on me.

Hey, Dems, you passed gun control and the murder rate went up 40%  Repeal gun control and see if it goes down 40%.


"The majority of the handguns accepted 9mm or .40-caliber ammunition.  As The Trace and The Baltimore Sun reported, as larger, more lethal rounds became the favorites of legal gun owners, they veered into criminal marketplaces as well."

Don't tell them the legal gun owner are trending down to the smaller ammo.  Glad they don't know about my .45.  At least that gun only has 8 round mags....

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Still got nuthin

Remember that Ike pic was a boon.  Or you would have gotten yesterday's the day before.

More PT.  Wow, that nerve pinch make that arm weak, for no reason at all.  But they put me through my paces with rubber band and more stretches and what not.  I might try the range on Wednesday.

But what to bring?  The 9mm.  It's new, and recoil is ostensibly lighter.  Plus I want to have fun with it.  It's been out of my hands more than it's been in.

"Ft Hood shooter threatens to go on hunger strike because the civilized world hates Sharia."  Good.  Hurry up and stop eating.

"Susan Rice illegally used the IC to spy on Trump and Trump's team for political purpose."  Kinda figured it was something like that.  Is Sulu going to apologize to Rep. Nunes now?  Robert Redford is right, this is just like Watergate.

"USA Today endorses Gorsuch for SCOTUS"  I guess Schumer was wrong and Gorsuch is actually mainstream.

Monday, April 3, 2017

sigh

Not going to the range really saps my blog fodder.

What other updates can I give you?

I have never finished my 1911.  I need to debur the grip safety and install the sights.  That's it.  Easy peasy.  But the thing is stratched all to heck and back.  I was hoping for a metal finishing class.

The .22 conversion kit on my old Springfield frame?  Yeah, that's not good for the sear and hammer hooks after a while, so I keep an eye on it.  It's the factory sear.  If it goes bad, so what?  I want to learn how to do sears and hammers on my own. 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

SHAEF

Look at this image.
























General Omar Bradley
Admiral Ramsay
Marshal Tedder
Ike
General Montgomery
Marshal Tafford
General Bedell Smith

Patton wouldn't be there even if he was in town.  Too low ranking, he.  This is the next tier up.  This is February of 44, and Patton was in the doghouse still, a little bit, anyway, but training up the 3rd Army.

More stars at those cheap, worn wooden felt top tables than there are stars in the sky.  Commanding millions of men to fight and die using maps pinned crookedly to the wall.  Sitting in plane hard metal chairs without armrests under 2 bulbs.

Billions upon billions spent.  It would be trillions today.  And these men shepherding those massive resources on furniture barely acceptable to teenage boys today playing Dungeons and Dragons in their parent's basement.

Do you think when seven 4 stars meet at the Pentagon or in Bahrain the room looks that sparse?  Would they stand for it?  Maybe.  Maybe if they were 2 to 5 years into such a big war for survival, they'd be humble enough and frugal enough.

A war that big, commanded in that room.  To think.


Saturday, April 1, 2017

WoWS

So, Larry Correia and Tam play a tank computer game.  I was a Navy guy, so I play the same company's warship game.

World of Warships.

They pay close attention to detail on the ships and try to get all the fiddly bits right.  They look great.  And they perform similarly to how they performed in real life.  A slow 1904 cruiser is slow, an Iowa battleship is fast.

The way it works is, you select a tier one ship and you join a squadron and fight another squadron.  You use guns and torpedoes and ramming to cause damage, and smoke screen and spotter planes to hide or see farther.

It's mostly about ship to ship gun duels, so... yay.  Guns.

There are aircraft carriers in game you can play, but no subs.  No missiles.  No ship after WWII, for the most part.   But also nothing much before 1900.  As you gain experience you can progress through the tiers.  Some ships you can play never left the drawing board in real life.  Frex:  the Montana is the US line's tier 10 battleship.

When you are matched up the grouping is in tiers.  So you could in a Fletcher class Destroyer fighting alongside a teammate in a Yamato class Battleship.   But you won't get to gang up on a USS St Louis cruiser.  You are tier 9 and 10.  The St Louis is a good ship, but only tier 3 and would wither in seconds.

I refuse to play any of the Japanese ship lines, though they have superior torpedoes.   The Japanese killed my grandpa.  So they get no slack from me.

My favorite ship, so far, is the USS Cleveland, a very good all round performer.  Here it is in New York on St. Patrick's Day, needing a new coat of paint.