Registration leads to confiscation

Or worse.

Been taking a break

From the range and this weekend from simulator training.

Both arms are wore out. 

The right because that nerve stuff I whined about earlier in the year is acting up a little.  The left has some tennis elbow going on that I worry will impact the trigger finger if it gets worse.  Got that hammering in 18 inch tent stakes.

Neither of them are that bad.  But a rest won't hurt em.

Saw This

And thought, "Huh.  How soon before a blogger smarter than me fisks it to hell and back?"

Scientific American has been reliably lefty on plenty of junk of late, so I was not surprised.

Just a quick skim at work and a citation with the familiar name Kellerman jumped out at me and I closed the webpage after copying the URL.  Didn't skim for a second cite.  I'll wait for someone else to pick it apart and enjoy their efforts.

Gun Slump

Maybe, maybe not.  It's nothing but contradictions, lately.  This anonymous source says there is too much inventory, this other says sales are booming because prices are slashing, supposedly a bunch of empty tables at the Fun Show and it is easier to walk around.   Stock prices at Ruger and S&W on Wall Street are down.

However.  It does appear August of this year was a record August, according to the FBI.  It's not normally a gangbuster month.

But looking at previous years, month to month, sure NICS checks are down a little in 2017, but it's only slightly off the peak.  It's not cratering of sales.  It's not that big a slump.  Sure 2017 only beats 2016 in August and May so far, but 2016  was an absolute boom.  2017 beats 2015 EVERY month.  2015 was the previous record year!

"It's just Dems and Antifa buying guns for the Revolution, T-Bolt!"

Well at least they are pro 2A now, and maybe it will be a bipartisan issue again.

Robuts!

Saysuncle is replacing Junior with a robut.   This is how the Robut Uprising starts.



Soon, the Robuts will control everything and take YOUR job, too.

What caliber for Robut Rampage?

NFL protests

I get it.  What are you protesting, all youse?  A song?  Naw.  Cops?  Naw, it's gone beyond that.  People like me, ordinary patriotic Americans and customers?  Yup.  You hate me.  Fine. I hate you back.  And I sorta started that in the 90s, so, we good I guess.  Since I started it. 

But this was still interesting, saw it on Insta.  (the good insta)

All the arrests of NFL players this millennium.

How hum, no gun?  Right you are.  But here is the players busted on gun charges broken out.

The dark purple.

The worst teams are

Cincinnati
Jacksonville
Tampa Bay
Indianapolis
Cleveland
The New York Jets
And the Carolina Panthers

Only the Jets is in a CCW-unfriendly jurisdiction.  That's just laziness, not getting your ducks in a row so you can carry while pro-balling, fellas.  And the Jets folks coulda, too, by paying off the right folks.  Rich people are allowed gun rights in New York, after all. 

On Writing.

Thing I learned this weekend

I need to universally put a little more finger on the trigger.  No matter the platform.  Revolver, 1911, Glock, it doesn't matter.

Almost to the crease.  Not the tip, (heh) not the center of the pad, the crease.

Everyone is a critic of the guy

Even IKEA

Choo Choos

I am kinda sad I was born so late and missed the railroads.  If not the peak of passenger lines, at least to see the tail end.  And a few more steam locomotive.

In the 80s I saw a steal train pass here.

It was the last steam locomotive I would ever see person, unless I seek one out.  It was also one of the first I ever saw.  Funny how that works.

I would have liked to have seen the B&O and C&O in in better times.  And when there was more cabooses about.  Another thing that disappeared before I could say goodbye.   Saw more of them than steam locomotives, sure.

---

Do yourself a favor and don't follow the Beaver River from Youngstown to the Ohio River and then up the Ohio to Pittsburgh.  The train tracks follow the River and it is dead steel plant after dead steel plant.  Or the sites of plants.  Most of the building have been scrubbed away.

What could have magically happened in the 70s to keep those plants in place?  We still make steel in this country.  LOTS of it.  A little over half the volume we made 50 years ago, admittedly, but that's still LOTS of steel.  China is ten times bigger than us.  But before China, back then, it was other foreign sources.

Well even with gov't protections, production would not have lasted.  Even with huge union concession, the mills still couldn't have stayed open.  The plants needed to be magically modernized.  And that costs.  And with modernizations comes efficiencies, so you get the massive personnel layoffs regardless.  You end up only firing 95,000 in the Beaver/Ohio River valleys instead of 100,000.  The towns would still have hollowed out.

Follow the train and the river from Youngstown to Pittburg.

Gun content:  Steel is in guns, and bad guys robbed trains with guns, and Pinkertons were armed with lever action rifles when they broke up labor strikes.  

Seen on Ace

Coincidentally, I've been reading a lotta Mike Hammer, lately.  The first six novels.

"I killed more people tonight than I have fingers on my hand. I shot them in cold blood and enjoyed every minute of it. I pumped slugs in the nastiest bunch of bastards you ever saw and here I am calmer than I've ever been, and happy too. They were Communists, Lee. They were red sons of bitches who should have died long ago."
-Mike Hammer

I haven't gotten to that part, in the books I've put away to date.  I'll tell you when I do.  I dunno what I think of Detective Hammer so far.  He's a tough guy that knows how to use his fist.  But he named his 1911.  "Betsy".  Even though he lost it and had to replace Betsy in the second book.  It's a gun, not a girl. 

Mr.  Hammer feels fine because:

In 1967, Polish mercenary Rafal Ganowicz was asked what it felt like to take human life, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve only ever killed communists.” 

Well.

And...

That time again

KB

When I first saw this, it was just stills, as I was at work and not looking at the video.  But here is the video if you are one of the 4 people that haven't seen the S&W .500 blow up yet.



From the stills, my guess was a timing issue, but he shot it single action.  Less chance for a misalign there.  After seeing the video... Maybe a squib? 

Then I watch it a few more time.  Looks like some of the top strap banananas on the far side maybe?  Now my guess is over charged reload.  Shoulda prolly been my first guess.  If anyone sees the 'why' later, I'd appreciate a point out.

Good News and Bad News

Ok the NRA is trying to do their job and get stuff voted on in Congress.

Good News:  CCW Reciprocity may actually get a vote in the House and will probably pass

Bad News:  It doesn't apply to us folks in May Issue states.  Despite having CCW permits from two other states I will not be able to carry in any additional locales.

A qualified individual must: (1) be eligible to possess, transport, or receive a firearm under federal law; (2) carry a valid photo identification document; and (3) carry a valid concealed carry permit issued by, or be eligible to carry a concealed firearm in, his or her state of residence.

So, thanks for nuthin, NRA.

Hey, get them to pass "You Virginia non resident CCW permit means you can not carry in Maryland, T-Bolt, no matter what your home state thinks" and then get the Senate to pass it, and then get Trump to sign it, and you get a GREAT big donation from me the next day.  When you offer to send me a leather jacket for becoming a Patron or Benefactor member, I'll tell you to keep it.  Put that jacket money to better use elsewhere than just handing me swag.  I got swag.  A valid in Maryland toter's permit.  If you come through. 

Sim Training

Got to do some holster training.  First time.

All this time training and we finally get to holsters and draw training.

The manual of arms is pretty much exactly the same as when I did it for my CCW training 10 year ago.  I've practiced that, but with someone watching, now I know where I've been reinforcing bad habits.

People set the draw to numbers.  Just like military drill. Add two more if you have a cover garment.  Add two more on top of that if you have two cover garments like a button down shirt AND an unbuttoned jacket.

Things I learned:

When you go back to the draw from the 'hands up, surrender' position, tickle the kitty.  I'd never done that before.  What is that, for those like me that had a quizzical look on their face?  When your hand goes to get your gun, brush your finger tips on it as you sweep past.  Now you know where it all IS.  You feel the back strap, the grip.... for the next step is to get that grip, firm and right the first time, no shifty-shifty.  'Tickling the kitty' makes the problem of getting the right grip much simpler.  It sounds stupid, but it works. So...

Other thing I learned...  I am relatively disciplined with my support hand, but not enough, and less so with a little stress added on.  I am getting it on the grip too early, too, when the pistol is still too close in to my body.  I need to meet it when pushing out?  Still got to drill this better.  This is the third most common time you will shoot your self.  One and two are when you are drawing and reholstering, or vice versa.  Three is muzzling your own damn hand trying to support hand into place on grip and fumble-bumming.  (Ok, I am guessing at the ranking, but smart money says I am right.)

Winders

Carradine

[OOPS!  I mean Harry Dean Stanton.  I had John Carradine, aka The Velvet Fog, on the brain.  Mea Cuppa.] 

[Actually I was just checking to see if you were awake...]

As many of you know, John Carradine died, aged 91.

The only man that could make Patrick Swayze AND Charlie Sheen cry.


Well, I saw this picture of him and Kurt Russell from Escape From New York.

That sub gun impressed me back then.  Less so now.  Attaching the scope TO the supressor of a Mac-10?  How is that working out for you?

On of the nice things about the Mac-10 was you could attach a suppressor with some insulation so your support hand could grab it and steady it as you hip fire it.  I don't think even without the rifle scope, which doesn't look long eye-relief, you could grap that one, but I could be wrong.

Sorry bout that

I feel like my blog posts are less inspired recently.  Last week or two.  Sorry about that.  I guess that can happen, and it can come in waves.  I will endeavor to shake off the funk and be more interesting, seeking new angles to look at gun issues and share, like I do, and learn stuff and try to pass that on as well. 

Yes you will

"We won't be intimidated or defeated."

Well, yeah, you kind of are.  So are we.

I don't like that.

And I especially don't like the people in positions of responsibility accept that so readily.  Rolling over.

Stop acting like this is noting.  Stop placidly walking up the gangplank into the proverbial cattle cars. Stop pretending you can just absorb this and drive on.  Start acting like your way of life is under siege, because it is.  And under siege by an inferior force.  Stopping it is easy, all it take is will.  But lacking that the inferior force that is patient and persistent prevails.

If you don't want to fight back... well.... it was a good civilization while it lasted.  And I got no kids, so, if you don't care what happens to your kids I don't either.  

Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger is old school, like Bill Kristol or George Will or David Brooks before they went around the bend.  Very urban-centric and whatnot.  Almost a perfect example of a metrocon.

So it is nice to see him with a positive take on firearms in his Impromptu column.

Saw a Bogart movie

In a Lonely Place 

1950

Bogie plays Dixon Steele.  With a name like that, I figured there HAD to be gun play.  Not.  He's just a violent domestic abuser from back in the day when you can certainly punch a fella, and often get away with punching a dame.  No guns tho.  There is a murder, but that was by strangulation.

Not even the cops have guns.

Well, dang.

Acceptable levels of public interpersonal violence have changed in 65 years.  At least in Hollywood, but I think in society as a whole as well.  Sock someone now and you much more likely to be tattled on if you don't make yourself scarce.  Provided no one knows who you are.

Bogart is a relatively famous screen writer in this movie, but it's be a while since his last hit picture.  So he's wrestling with that, looking for love instead of mere lust (which he seems accustomed to satisfying at will) and you get a lot of stress on a volcanic character.  Stress leads to outbursts.  But apart from the outburst Bogie plays what could have been a awful person as a very sympathetic protagonist.  They guy had acting chops, fo' sho. 

Oh, and Violet, the harlot from It's a Wonderful Life, is his love interest in this movie.  

Republiwhats?

I can't wait until the GOP is in the majority and can pass some of their agenda items and help the country.

What good are you peeps? 

poll

That's a lotta households with guns, 120,000,000 adults with a gun in the house out of 250,000,000 total adults.  And done by the WSJ/NBC.  Not exactly a super left or super right effort there.  

I wonder if people tell the pollster that they have a gun when they don't?  Cuz if my work or my doctor or some pollster on the phone asks me I lie and say no.  If they do follow up like "I thought you talked about shooting at the range that one time."  I lie some more about a borrowed gun from a buddy or "Oh I got rid of that a few years back."

I Agree

The standards should be the same.  Voting or Gun Purchasing!  John Lott is onto something.  They are both sacred rights, and with some qualifications.

Now I'd prefer the easier way.  You show up at the polls with a photo ID that says you you are a voter, and poof, you are in.  Don't run NICS checks on voting the day of the election. 

Same with guns.  Flash you "I passed a NICS check" card in the past year and walk out with your new gun. 

Prolly should do a test case in one state first to test.  And make the card and check free to avoid the poll tax issues, like Lott mentions.  Easy Peasy. 

Dead Eye

With all this gun skool training?  I'm getting good.  Really good.

How good.

Like:



Ok maybe not that.

"You know how belt systems work with martial arts stuff?  You are doing great.  You are like a really advanced white belt right now."

Hmph.

Hmph

We shoulda declared war.  On actual countries.  I don't much care which ones.  But then we could have warred with them, gotten their unconditional surrenders, and be friends with them long ago, at this point.  Instead of still playing at scare quite "war."  Not an ideal scenario but better than the one we followed.

Gun Ownership Map

How is gun ownership in Maryland 20% while in DC, where gun ownership was unheard of 10 short years ago, 25%

This seems fishy.

Even counting security types in the District.  That often live OUTSIDE the city. 

Delaware just a bit over 5% while a whole quarter of District of Columbia? 

Now they are counting is weird, counting gun incidences and...  you know they are pulling this out of their butt, and the article mentions pretty much the same thing too.  Screwy.

They're Veterans Too

Who Pooped?

Hey what kind of scat is this?

It's less than 24 hours old, but it did get rained on over night.

The thing is, there same sort of scat was there in the exact spot a week or so ago.  Serial driveway pooper!

I'm thinking... Possum?  Doesn't look like the raccoon poop I've had to deal with.  It did have an aroma...  And it was done at night. 

Range 7 Sept.

Took the 9mm.

Upper left, four shots.  Walked it in to the center.  Had to leave it with just the 4.   Shifted to upper right for the rest of that mag.

Then... the rest.  Results mixed.  Some shots the trigger just felt... right.  Those are the ones in the center.  The ones that are just ok are a bit high, but at least they are relatively centered.  I like how my flaw has shifted.

Lessee... up at 12 is 'breaking wrist up'.  I guess anticipatory flinch.  I'm sure.  Better there than low left, but I think I can beat this.

Lots of lock backs in the middle of the magazine, but that was expected with these springs.  A little more set should help, I am told.  Magazine #2 was the best, only locking back on the last one.  Magazine #2 has always been my favorite.  #2 was the lower left target.  No distraction from having to slide release there.

We Settled This

"The debate over this is whether this clause was intended for only the militia or regular citizens as well."

Look, Tasnim Baqir, we had this debate.  Your collective rights side kept pushing it from the 1960s or so?  Like it was some new discovered angle.  It was goofy then and it is goofy now.  But none of that matters.  This debate was settled in 2007 in the Heller ruling.  Even the liberal side, on and off the Supreme Court, conceded it was an Individual Right. 

But by all means, keep attempting to re-hash a case that is already settled law.  It makes you look incompetent and wastes your time.  And since you are trying to violate people's rights the more you spin your wheels in this mud pit the better, as far as I am concerned. 

You say "Until the 1980s, there was no such thing as the 'individual rights' theory of the Second Amendment."  That is not true.  An individual right was the historical understanding of the Amendment through most of our history and was only muddled by gun controllers relatively recently.  And obviously is still trying to be muddled, as this editorial attests.  I'd cite facts, but based on how divorced from fact your editorial is, it would just bound off of you, and doing so has been done ad infinitum.  Once again, settled by Heller.  If you and the forces of evil somehow manage to overturn that ruling that still won't make the 2nd a collective right.  Rights exist outside of your wishes.

"I do believe that American citizens should have the right to carry arms. The way the conditions are these days, citizens should have the ability to protect themselves,"  Well, THANK you...  You should have said this first and had a much shorter editorial. 

Speaking of reliability

I have new spring in my magazines.  And the 9mm back.  And they found the two extra magazines, 3 and 4, so I have them to test. 

#3 mag I am looking at funny.  The feed lips are spread.  I bet it isn't long for this world.  We shall see.

The burr on the slide is corrected.  It was caused by....  bad magazines, specifically the springs.  If there is something wrong with a semi-auto, and you aren't sure why, the smart money bets the root of it is the magazines. I have spare spring on order.

The gunsmith sorta hates working on this gun because he has to test fire it later.  And he is so happy with his trigger job that he is wont to give it back.  It is a nice trigger.  Your trigger job is very nice when it makes the gunsmith that made it extra happy, I figure.

Hey...

How many photographers am I allowed to shoot with impunity?  Or people with a cell phone in their hand?  Because some people are allowed a few of those human desk-pops, apparently.

Grains

So, I got my 9mm back.  New mag springs to break in, fun to be had, let's see if I can replicate my .22 success with a centerfire pistol.

I am new the 9mm.  With .45 it's just, really, one size of projectile, 230 grain.  Sure there are 185s out there, but that is few and far between.  With 9mm there is 115 grain, 124 grain, 147 grain...

Like I said, I am new to 9mm.  Is there any noticeable difference in recoil and pistol control?  I am figuring I will get adequate penetration from a faster 115 as well as a heavier 147, but...  my initial impression is I can't tell the difference, on my end.

I remember shooting a 185 grain semi-wadcutter .45 and I could DEFINITELY notice it was easier to manage.  If you put one of those in a magazine of 230 grains cartridges I could tell you which one was 185.

I haven't attempted that with the 9mm, putting a 115 in a mag of 147.  Like I said, I don't think I should bother.

I also haven't noticed shot groups shifting anywhere dependent on projectile weight, but, with my groups who would notice...

Am I missing something here or need to do more testing?  What say you? Is your experience different? 

Instinct says to split the difference, get noting but 124 grain, 1000 FMJs, and a buncha Federal HST to test and load as defense rounds and make it the house gun when the reliability is hammered down. 

Run, Marty, Run

The country needs someone JUST.  LIKE. YOU.

Martin O'Malley for Democrat Governor of the United States

You know who played him in The Wire?  The philandering Mayor of Baltimore soon to be Governor in that show?  Little Finger.

"Oh, T-Bolt!  Don't confuse the character with the actor."

Well, part of the person always bleeds into the performance, and this guy Gillen always plays a gaping arse...  Ima bet he is a gaper in real life until he does a bunch of sympathetic roles. 

Why I will never be a professional writer

My proofreading is AWFUL.

Look Out!

Zombie Hummingbirds are after your BRAINS!

But Bacon is a Super Food

If eating bacon in view of terrists is wrong then I never want to be right.

You can meet Hillary

For a few thousand bucks.

Just a few?  If she ups it to 10k and pays in cash, I'll agree to 10 minutes.  No less, no more.  I could use the money, and I know she has it.

Because I may forget myself...

You are too rough on cops T-Bolt!

Yeah, ok.

What is WRONG with you

Frosh, long time gun banner and current Maryland AG has been a reliable leftist for some time.  But he's tripped into non-sensical.  Lost his damn mind, cuz of Trump.

Gov. Hogan, paraphrase:  "Hey if we catch a felon with a firearm we ought to maybe give him real jail time because releasing them immediately is just adding to the violence."

AG Frosh, paraphrase:  "Trump's fault!"

Specifically:

“We have a problem in our country, led by the White House, of disrespect for the judiciary and disrespect for the rule of law. I think that’s the last thing we want to do in the state of Maryland,” Frosh said.

So I guess Frosh doesn't want to put convicted criminals in jail.

Of course Frosh doesn't want to get violent gang member off the streets of Baltimore.  If anything he'd put more of them there to get more gun violence to give him more justification of more gun control in Maryland. 

Here's a thought.  Indianapolis has less gun violence than Baltimore.  It's even slightly bigger than Baltimore.  In a good year Baltimore is twice as deadly, per capita, and lately three times as deadly.  Let's adopt Indiana's crime and gun regulation regime here for a little while.  See if that moves the needle.