Tuesday, February 24, 2009

True beauty...

I was spending a little quality time with a Smith & Wesson 22a, a Ruger 10/22, my snubbie, and my Taurus 1911 at a local indoor range this afternoon. The rifle was there since it's difficult to find a place to really train with a fighting rifle in a metro area as large as mine. The pistols were there because I've been carrying those two hanguns a lot lately. The plinkster was there because every handgunner needs to spend some time with a .22.

I started out with some rifle drills. Using the iron sights, I ran a target out to 25 yards with some 3x5 cards taped to it and practiced my target acquisition. After that, I did a little pure target shooting at 50 yards. The rest of my time was spent running the F.A.S.T. drill from Pistol Training. While I was shooting my 1911, one of the older gents in the next stall asked if my humble (but amazingly accurate and reliable) Taurus was "an old girl." Granted, it has a decent amount of wear from being both carried and shot a lot and some WWII grips on it, but very little else about it says "authentic." I told him about it and let him shoot it, which he really seemed to enjoy. Shortly after, he brought out a real GI with all of the appropriate government markings and a lanyard loop. After that, he showed me a Series 80 Gold Cup. I'm very much in lust for both of those guns (even if I couldn't use the front sight on either one).

Monday, February 23, 2009

Wish List

I would hate to live life without having a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun. I suggest that anyone remotely interested in defending themselves have at least a handgun and either of the latter. I'm fortunate to have a few of each in plenty of different flavors. For handguns, I have some 1911s, plastic fantastic GLOCKs, some wheelguns, and a couple of .22s for training. As far as rifles, I have 22s, SKSs, an AR, and tons of old Mil-Surp bolt guns. For some reason, I've always had either pump-scatterguns and coach guns (that's a different post entirely).

Knowing that I don't need any more weapons and I should be spending my spare money on ammo, training, and other supplies has not stopped me from compiling a wish list. Here's where it stands for now:

1. Taurus Raging Bull in .44mag

It's a big black gun that shoots big loads and makes a big noise. If I had another gun in .44 I would have already purchased the Taurus because I hate having only one gun in any given caliber.





2. H&R Buffalo Classic in 45-70 gov't




I wanted this as soon as I held it. We don't hunt much buffalo in TN these days, but there are plenty of neighboring states that will let me hunt deer with this during their primitive weapon season. Plus, it's a 45-70, and that's just about as manly as the 7.62x54r.

3. RIA 1911

For the money, these appear to be the best deals going in the 1911 world. I never need a reason to buy another if the money is available.







4. Glock 21

















I don't have one yet. I do have a decent stash of .45acp laying around, though.












Honorable mentions to the Marlin model 45 Camp Carbine, any good lever-action carbine in .38/.357, and any single shot in .223.

wow... guns really do kill people. /snark

"Philadelphia Police officer John Pawlowski was not killed by Rasheed Scruggs -- he was killed by the .357 pistol that Scruggs was using. Take away that gun and Scruggs is just another thug with his hands in his pockets. And good-looking family man John Pawlowski might be alive today."

This is from the article titled "Let's get the gun lobby furious." I can't say that I'm feeling as much anger about it as I am exasperation. If you replace the words ".357 pistol" and "gun" with "rock," "bat," "knife," or "car," the argument becomes silly in my judgment.

Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Jesse Stone characters have taught me many things, one of which is that anyone can kill anyone else given the right circumstances.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Ruh Roh...

I just read a story that made my tinfoil helmet fit a little tighter. Seriously, does the Secret Service have any right to request a search of this man's house because a police officer wrongly stops him, misinterprets his sign, and violates his First Amendment(Amen) rights?

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Blog-envy

I wish I had written this.

More Commercial Appeal info...

It looks like The Real Gun Guys have done a much better job than I have. Anyone with any common sense should know that pointing out where the guns are is not a good idea when the county's mayor is clamoring for harsher illegal carry sentences.

Problems with too many criminals carrying guns mean there is a demand in the criminal world for guns. Get it? The criminals are the problem.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tuesday roflcopter

I can't believe I just found this....

http://www.assaultweaponwatch.com/


http://www.geocities.com/robert_frenchu/guns_watch.html

On Home Defense



My home defense philosophy is pretty simple. If I am at home and awake, I have a handgun on me and a shotgun by my nightstand. If the weather is cold, the chances are good that I'm carrying a Government-sized 1911. During the summer, I have to conceal a little more carefully. For me, that means a J-frame. Once I return home, the snubbie goes in the safe and I get out a 1911 or a Glock 17. Once it is time for sleep, the handguns go into a safe and the only readily available weapon is a shotgun. Usually, it's an 870. I have Benellis, but I've trained for so long with Remingtons that I see no reason to switch. Since we all know how reliable and versatile the 870 platform is, allow me to introduce the newest "beater" 870. It started out life about the same time as I did (e.g. the mid 70s). The stock and internals are all stock. I cut down the barrel and removed the Gawdawful Polychoke, added an old Choate mag extension from the parts box, replaced the mag spring with a Wilson Combat, added a TacStar sidesaddle, and will get about installing the fiber front sight today.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Thanks, guys.

Okay, Commercial Appeal. I see what you're doing. I want to thank you for publishing all of the information regarding my handgun carry permit. Really... I do. Allow me to return the favor by publishing some personal and "public" information about your staffers.

Joseph Pepe, President and publisher
3195 Wetherby Cv S
Germantown, TN 38139
901-737-8784


Steve Tomb, VP of Operations
1846 Wildcreek Cv
Collierville, TN 38017
Phone Unpublished


Chris Peck, Editor
21 Belleair Dr
Memphis, TN 38104
901-276-8314


Otis Sanford, Editor/Opinion & Editorials
3396 Park Ave
Memphis, TN 38111
Phone Unpublished


Eric Janssen, VP of Digital Media
8996 Stratfield Cv
Germantown, TN 38139
901-358-7007, Home
901-212-3597, Cell


Scott Sines, Managing Editor
2136 Wentworth Ln
Germantown, TN 38139
Phone Unpublished


Daniel Moehle, VP/Chief Financial Officer
3172 Devonshire Way
Germantown, TN 38139
901-757-5911


Karl Wurzbach, VP of Sales and Marketing
3098 Bentwood Run Dr
Collierville, TN 38017
Phone Unpublished


Robert Jiranek, VP of New Business Development
175 Waring Rd
Memphis, TN 38117
901-251-1810


Bob Pinarski, Advertising Director
3961 Herons Landing Ln
Arlington, TN 38002
901-867-5294


Denise Holman, Manager of Classified Advertising
720 Litty Ct 103
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone Unpublished


Paul Jewell, Marketing Director
1439 Vance Ave
Memphis, TN 38104
901-272-1458


I'll edit as I find out more about criminal backgrounds, property taxes, birthdates, etc... Until then, I have some letters to write.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ugh... here we go

I should mention that there is very little likelihood of my state restricting handgun ownership. With the exception of carrying into a location that serves alcohol for on-site consumption or a properly posted business, we can carry pretty much anywhere. Hell, we can even open carry if we wish. However, in an expected but nonetheless asinine ruling, the Second Circuit ruled today that the Second Amendment (Amen) cannot overturn state bans on guns. Let's hope a proper test case makes its way to the top of the docket before the makeup of the SCOTUS changes.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Yes, I'm Metrotactical

I was listening to Breda and Caleb on Gun Nuts radio tonight and finally realized that there's a label for men that prefer to look fashionable while exercising their RKBA: Metrotactical. Being metro offers a host of advantages like an increased element of surprise, better luck with the ladies, and the the lovely look of surprise on the face of of your roomie when he discovers just how well your Government-sized 1911 was hidden. The downside is that shopping becomes even more of a chore than it was before, because you have to take the largest gun you'll try to conceal and your BUG to the mall (which, given the malls in my town, is standard anyway). Shoes that look good must also be tested for grip and support. Belts? That will wind up with its own post soon.

Just be aware that not all gunnies wear cargos, boots, and a team GLOCK shirt. Better yet.... never mind.

Around the horn...

Stocks slumped Tuesday, with the Dow industrials ending at a 3-month low, as the government's bank rescue plan failed to reassure investors burned by the 14-month old recession.

Whodathunk that Hope and Change weren't going to go over well on Wall St.? Government-manufactured inflation usually has such a positive impact. Allow me a moment to explain something. The federal government is responsible for regulating commerce, not the economy.

Bad economy forcing immigrants to reconsider U.S.

This is a story about Pablo, a Guatemalan living and working in the US illegally, and his struggle to make ends meet while supporting his family back in Guatemala.

I'm all for lowering the number of illegals in the US. I just hate that this is one of the first truly useful tools we found.

Gun Shows

The Antis would have you believe that Gun Shows are places that allow deranged lunatics and criminals to walk in off the street and prepare for their next massacre. The more jaded gunnies seem to rattle on about the ratio of jerky and cheap knives to guns, ammo, and accessories. I have to admit that even I, a true Elmer, never understood the allure of them when there were so many good shops in the area.

This all changed after I bought my first SKS. I came to love the everyman appeal of old Commie guns like the SKS and the Mosin. I was taken with the idea of owning a $100 gun that would outlast me. When the time came to add an M44 to my safe, I figured I would try the gun show since I was having a hard time trusting someone in a warehouse to pick out the best one for me. I'm picky about my ugly old guns.

To finance my first Gun Show, I sold one of my .22 handguns to a new shooter so that he could practice with it and use it to introduce his wife to shooting. He decided to meet me at the site and pay me there (after fondling the newer and shinier version of all the guns I let him shoot during our first few visits to the range, no doubt). I told him to keep an eye out for a Mosin-Nagant M44 and any non-express Remington 870. The Remington was destined to be the platform for my first dedicated HD scattergun and the Mosin was destined to be the platform from which I would unleash the two-foot muzzle flash of the über-manly 7.62x54r.

Much to my surprise, my new shooter had located 4 or 5 of each before I had even entered the building. After finding the best from each lot and legally purchasing them sans paperwork, I discovered the true beauty of the event. It wasn't the ability to locate everything on my wishlist (if I recall, I was also looking for original GI grips for my 1911, a muzzle brake for my AR, and some cheap x39 and x54r) and it certainly wasn't the cheerful disposition of the exhibitors. It was the realization that I was in a building surrounded by people that were a lot like me: free, proud gunnies. That day, I vowed to attend a Gun Show at every possible juncture.