In Jefferson, snake bites the hand that tries to save itSo remember, kiddies, if you extend the hand of friendship to poisonous snakes or liberals (which is an oxymoron when it follows poisonous snakes), expect to get bit!
Stephen Sodones spotted it along the edge of Route 23 in Jefferson, a snake just starting its precarious slide to the other side of the highway.
So the 62-year-old animal lover picked it up, hoping to carry it to safety. But in doing so, Sodones quickly learned one of nature's more important facts: Snakes bite.
What bit Sodones three times on the arm Monday night was a copperhead, which can grow to 4 feet and have fangs like hypodermic needles. No one is quite sure how big this one was.
Friday, August 19, 2005
This Also Applies to Liberals...
From New Jersey, this breaking news bulletin:
"America Lite" Whines Again...
And speaking of punk-ass bangers (with mashed), we've been following the story of America Lite's...sorry, that's Canada's continued whining about American gun laws. John Lott sums it up in today's NRO:
If you have a problem, it's often easier to blame someone else rather than deal with it. And with Canada's murder rate rising 12 percent last year and a recent rash of murders by gangs in Toronto and other cities, it's understandable that Canadian politicians want a scapegoat. That at least was the strategy Canada's premiers took when they met last Thursday with the new U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, and spent much of their time blaming their crime problems on guns smuggled in from the United States.The dweebs in Toronto have been floating an idea to ban people keeping guns in their home, lest miscreants sneak in and steal them. They wring their hands that it's all our fault, because, like, we have guns. Here's what Mr. Lott has to say about that:
With Canada's reported violent-crime rate of 963 per 100,000 in 2003, a rate about twice the U.S.'s (which is 475), Canada's politicians are understandably nervous.Canada needs to grow up. Most of its citizens are pretty good folk (especially in the western provinces, who are on the verge of revolt over the nation's idiotic gun registry plan), but the government is made up of a bunch of pathetic simpering weasels who can't understand that they're nothing but a second-string hockey team with crappy beer, too many languages and about a billion officious twits issuing rules based on the daily state of their irritable bowel syndrome. If eastern Canada keeps up its whining, I say bitch-slap the mayor of Toronto, annex the eastern provinces and give 'em to the Kurds, cleverly solving two problems at once. Put your burka on, Mr. Mayor!
Snitch Fashion Pointers
Today we ponder the social implication of the Stop Snitch'n t-shirt craze. In case you live in the Real World, that is, the semi-mythical place where 13-year-old girls don't dress like worn out street meat, all Chevies aren't 2 inches off the ground and they don't sell ultraviolent photonovellas at the local bodega, here's the news you can use:
No matter where you live, soomewhere in your local mall you can get fashionable hip-hop t-shirts that real Stop Snitch'n. Your kids will tell you it's a hip-hop thing, and that's where it probably started. It's hard to keep up with who hates whom in Rap World these days...like trying to get all the names right on a current map of Eastern Europe. So, yes, somebody hates somebody else for dropping a dime on them...probably for "impersonating someone with talent," a felony in hip-hop.
Of course, the real message of the Stop Snitch'n t-shirts is to...stop snitching. I think this shirt from eBay says it all: Snitch Killer.
Here's the skinny from Philly:
So what does it all mean? Heck, I don't know. However, I would personally like to see a t-shirt that read something to the effect of: "Kill All Punk-Ass 'Bangers." A simple succinct message that I think 99.95% of the United States could get on board with. Maybe we can get 50 Cent to write and record the theme rap...then again, maybe not.
No matter where you live, soomewhere in your local mall you can get fashionable hip-hop t-shirts that real Stop Snitch'n. Your kids will tell you it's a hip-hop thing, and that's where it probably started. It's hard to keep up with who hates whom in Rap World these days...like trying to get all the names right on a current map of Eastern Europe. So, yes, somebody hates somebody else for dropping a dime on them...probably for "impersonating someone with talent," a felony in hip-hop.
Of course, the real message of the Stop Snitch'n t-shirts is to...stop snitching. I think this shirt from eBay says it all: Snitch Killer.
Here's the skinny from Philly:
It's one of Philadelphia's hottest - and most controversial - fashion statements: T-shirts and hats that say, "Stop Snitch'n."
Those who wear and sell the shirts say it's a style, a fad, the in-look - like Jay-Z's oversize striped, button-down shirts were a few months back.
But these shirts are far more sinister, with some picturing guns, crosshairs and messages that advise, "Don't Talk 2 Police."And from San Diego, Baltimore, Denver, etc.
The implicit threat is particularly disturbing given that witness intimidation has been repeatedly cited by police and prosecutors as a major problem in the city.
So what does it all mean? Heck, I don't know. However, I would personally like to see a t-shirt that read something to the effect of: "Kill All Punk-Ass 'Bangers." A simple succinct message that I think 99.95% of the United States could get on board with. Maybe we can get 50 Cent to write and record the theme rap...then again, maybe not.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Here's a Heartwarming Story...
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
An 84-year-old woman whose San Francisco apartment was overrun by gang members has filed a $900,000 claim against the city, charging that officials failed to protect and care for her.Luckily, San Francisco has been very successful in its war on guns, disarming its citizens and turning the streets over to heavily armed drug gangs. Good job! Maybenow it's time to focus on that known urban menace, airsoft guns!
Police said in May that Gutierrez had been living for several months in her apartment at 2265 Mission St. as a virtual prisoner of six alleged members of the Sureño gang. Gutierrez was unharmed, but her apartment was filled with drugs and crack pipes, there was gang graffiti on the walls, and a gun was found in the bathroom, police said.
Signs That There Is NO INTELLIGENT LIFE Across the Pond...
As crime and terrorism fears soar, our pluckly Brit brethern continue the fight! From the Guardian:
Relatives of people killed or injured by acts of gun crime clashed with sporting enthusiasts yesterday over the government's plans to restrict the manufacture and sale of imitation and replica firearms.Oh my! It's enough to make my scone go soft! Come to think of it, maybe the British Bobbies should get airsoft guns...
Members of the Gun Control Network (GCN), many of whom have personal experience of tragedies caused by the use of illegal weapons, hit out at an international campaign being run by devotees of paintball and the similar but more militaristic airsoft shooting events. Militaristic airsoft shooting events?
Signs That There's Intelligent Life Left on Earth...
This from MSNBC:
RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina lawmakers have approved a measure that would require courts to give battered spouses something extra when they seek a restraining order — information on how to apply for a concealed weapon.ABOUT TIME! The usual ninnies are wringing their hands...so much better for unprotected women and children to live in fear — or die — from some scumbag husband than have them get a...gun! I mean, guns are bad! Guns could lead to women not living in fear, and heaven knows where that could lead!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
A Plug for COMBAT HANDGUNS
Yeah, I know COMBAT HANDGUNS is the magazine you've got to sneak out of the grocery store stuck inside a Weekly World News special edition on Nostradamus' predictions about Brad Pitt's liklihood of contracting something fatal from Angelina Jolie in Africa.
Still, I just picked up the November 2005 issue, and it actually has two MUST-READ stories in it, which is roughly 500% more than in the last edition of AMERICAN HANDGUMMER (I'm excepting John Taffin's column, which is always worth reading regardless of where it's published).
Get CH and immediately read:
1) Ralph Mroz' STREET SMARTS column.
2) Walt Rauch's GUNFIGHTING, GUNS, GEAR column.
This is what happens when intelligent, thoughtful, experienced people write columns about self-defense and guns!
Good stuff! Stop what you're doing and go buy a copy now. Be sure to get that special edition WWN on Brad and Angelina, too...if any of those African bugs get loose in America, it's game over, dude!
Still, I just picked up the November 2005 issue, and it actually has two MUST-READ stories in it, which is roughly 500% more than in the last edition of AMERICAN HANDGUMMER (I'm excepting John Taffin's column, which is always worth reading regardless of where it's published).
Get CH and immediately read:
1) Ralph Mroz' STREET SMARTS column.
2) Walt Rauch's GUNFIGHTING, GUNS, GEAR column.
This is what happens when intelligent, thoughtful, experienced people write columns about self-defense and guns!
Good stuff! Stop what you're doing and go buy a copy now. Be sure to get that special edition WWN on Brad and Angelina, too...if any of those African bugs get loose in America, it's game over, dude!
Let's Go To The Butt-Cam, Katie...
Well, there are days and there are days! And what could be better than a day partially spent having a nice young doctor examine your colon on video? I was supposed to be too sedated to watch, but drugs don't work all that well on me — I'm the guy in the operating room who counted backwards from 100 to zero...twice. It was pretty fascinating, easily better than any episode of Friends. There was one lone polyp, which I thought looked a little like a forlorn Jennifer Anniston sans Brad "Slut-Boy" Pitt...maybe the drugs worked better than I thought...
The tracking video shots of North Colon were especially powerful...I could use the video operator on SHOOTING GALLERY, for sure! He'd have to take a pay cut, though. The weird part of it was when the doctor said, "We're done here," I had this overwhelming urge to say, "Thanks, doctor, and thanks to all of you for joining us. We'll see you next week on Michael's Colon!"
The short story is that I'm healthy as a horse, except for the various and sundry abuse I've inflicted upon myself. Watch for the sequel...Knee Cam!
The tracking video shots of North Colon were especially powerful...I could use the video operator on SHOOTING GALLERY, for sure! He'd have to take a pay cut, though. The weird part of it was when the doctor said, "We're done here," I had this overwhelming urge to say, "Thanks, doctor, and thanks to all of you for joining us. We'll see you next week on Michael's Colon!"
The short story is that I'm healthy as a horse, except for the various and sundry abuse I've inflicted upon myself. Watch for the sequel...Knee Cam!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Journalism, Where Art Thou Sting?
There's a fascinating piece on the continued unravelling of the Mainstream Media (MSM) over at Jay Rosen's PressThink blog:
Of course, time bore out this thesis. Officer Friendly was replaced by some mindless functionary with a ticket book and mirror shades, and police are still trying to figure out how to get back to the 1960s — note trend to "outsourcing" minor traffic violations a la cameras at intersections, camera trucks, etc., followed by a ticket by mail, as if traffic tickets were actually forces of nature as opposed revenue generating devices put in place by your friendly local government.
The inverse relationship between strict enforcement of nickel-and-dime laws versus respect for police and policing is an example of "broken windows" thinking, small things that can make a huge difference (I refer you to Malcolm Gladwell's TIPPING POINT book for a full explanation of the theory). I think of this as "driver analysis" — what is the original push, or driver, that make starts a person on another path of thinking?
Coming back around to the original point, I think the demonstrable media "war on guns" has done far more damage to the media than it has on guns. — a point I plan to make in BULLET POINTS, should it find a publisher. Here's my thinking — for the last 40 years, MSM has constantly hammered on how gun control is A HUGE AND GROWING NATIONAL TREND. Except that it wasn't and it isn't. I can make a lucid argument that there is not and never has been a "gun control movement" in the United States. Are there people who believe strongly in gun control? Yes, of course. There are also people — probably many more people — who believe in alien abductions, but that doesn't make alien abductions a major national trend.
As the MSM began to allow their support of gun control to trickle down from the editorial to the news pages, they created a situation where the consumers of their product knew "the emperor hads no clothes." The more MSM insisted that American were clamoring for gun control, the less credibility they had. MSM began flunking the reality check. As MSM moved to second and third generation reporters who came into newsrooms with institutionalized antigun atmospheres, those reporters were allowed factual "latitude" with guns that would get them fired if applied to any other area.
Take our pal Mr. Whipple's story yesterday...how long do you think he'd have his job if he reported that the county was replacing their vehicles because the current county vehicles only had three wheels and were prone to exploding while sitting at stop signs? Even if he quoted local experts on the three wheels and exploding cars, journalistic ethics and procedures would demand — if he wanted to continue his career in journalism — that he make an effort to find out if 1) county cars really only had three wheels, and, 2) they really blew up at stop signs. Yet he was allowed to write that Glocks are "safer" than SIGS, which is demonstrably wrong, and that the .357 was the most powerful police cartridge iever, which it demonstrably isn't. That's not even counting misquoting Dirty Harry!
That's not the onlyl nail in the MSM coffin, but IMO it's one of the biggest!
And in fact, they wanted the innocence (we do just the facts journalism) and the power (we do make a difference journalism) but this could never be. We in the J-schools failed to catch that. The people on a mission never got around to justifying their mission in the language of democratic politics. They talked about it as a neutral public service instead, but speaking truth to power isn’t neutral, and making a difference isn’t just a service to others. We in the J-schools didn’t do well with that, either.I remember the first time I tried to write a magazine article. I was, like, in the 10th grade and I had a charter subscription to Car & Driver, the flashiest car magazine in the world. there was a huge national crackdown on speeders and other traffic miscreants — one of the first big pushes, I believe. I wrote a commentary that, ultimately, rigid enforcement of "minor" traffic laws would have a profound effect on people's relationship with the police. C&D's editor rightly rejected the story — I couldn't write for crap — but said they pretty much agreed with the thesis.
Of course, time bore out this thesis. Officer Friendly was replaced by some mindless functionary with a ticket book and mirror shades, and police are still trying to figure out how to get back to the 1960s — note trend to "outsourcing" minor traffic violations a la cameras at intersections, camera trucks, etc., followed by a ticket by mail, as if traffic tickets were actually forces of nature as opposed revenue generating devices put in place by your friendly local government.
The inverse relationship between strict enforcement of nickel-and-dime laws versus respect for police and policing is an example of "broken windows" thinking, small things that can make a huge difference (I refer you to Malcolm Gladwell's TIPPING POINT book for a full explanation of the theory). I think of this as "driver analysis" — what is the original push, or driver, that make starts a person on another path of thinking?
Coming back around to the original point, I think the demonstrable media "war on guns" has done far more damage to the media than it has on guns. — a point I plan to make in BULLET POINTS, should it find a publisher. Here's my thinking — for the last 40 years, MSM has constantly hammered on how gun control is A HUGE AND GROWING NATIONAL TREND. Except that it wasn't and it isn't. I can make a lucid argument that there is not and never has been a "gun control movement" in the United States. Are there people who believe strongly in gun control? Yes, of course. There are also people — probably many more people — who believe in alien abductions, but that doesn't make alien abductions a major national trend.
As the MSM began to allow their support of gun control to trickle down from the editorial to the news pages, they created a situation where the consumers of their product knew "the emperor hads no clothes." The more MSM insisted that American were clamoring for gun control, the less credibility they had. MSM began flunking the reality check. As MSM moved to second and third generation reporters who came into newsrooms with institutionalized antigun atmospheres, those reporters were allowed factual "latitude" with guns that would get them fired if applied to any other area.
Take our pal Mr. Whipple's story yesterday...how long do you think he'd have his job if he reported that the county was replacing their vehicles because the current county vehicles only had three wheels and were prone to exploding while sitting at stop signs? Even if he quoted local experts on the three wheels and exploding cars, journalistic ethics and procedures would demand — if he wanted to continue his career in journalism — that he make an effort to find out if 1) county cars really only had three wheels, and, 2) they really blew up at stop signs. Yet he was allowed to write that Glocks are "safer" than SIGS, which is demonstrably wrong, and that the .357 was the most powerful police cartridge iever, which it demonstrably isn't. That's not even counting misquoting Dirty Harry!
That's not the onlyl nail in the MSM coffin, but IMO it's one of the biggest!
Monday, August 15, 2005
Funny Gun Story...
...insofar as EVERY SINGLE WORD IN THE STORY is INCORRECT, WRONG-HEADED or JUST PLAIN STUPID! Check this story out, courtesy of the irrepressible Dean Speir at The Gun Zone:
New Glock .357 makes cops' dayThey're having a contest over at The Gun Zone to see how many mistakes you can find in the article. No doubt Mr. Whipple will soo n be back in the supermarket squeezing toilet paper!
By CHRIS WHIPPLE
Elizabeth City police officers were at the city firing range this week getting acquainted with the department's new standard-issue firearm, the Glock .357.
The department is upgrading from Sig Sauer handguns to the new Glock because the latter weapon reportedly is safer for users. It also packs a bigger punch while increasing accuracy.
Sgt. Mike Boone and Lt. Steve Terrill were at the firing range preparing officers to qualifications on the weapons this week.
Although much smaller, the .357 is marketed by Glock as the equal to the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, made famous by Clint Eastwood in the movie "Dirty Harry." The .357 Magnum was at one time the largest caliber police weapon available.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
1911 World Redux
Just a litle note to whet the appetite of 1911 guys (and guyettes) out there...tonight I saw was has to be the finest collection of 1911s in private hands in the country, including two of the guns used in the original military trials where the 1911 was selected.
An amazing collection, including a couple of commerical models I've read about but never seen "in person."
Don't worry...you'll see 'em all next season!
My job sucks...
An amazing collection, including a couple of commerical models I've read about but never seen "in person."
Don't worry...you'll see 'em all next season!
My job sucks...
Friday, August 12, 2005
This Just In...WALKEN FOR THE BIG HOUSE!
Actor Christopher Walken is running for President in 2008. If you don't vote for him, he'll beat the hell out of you, shoot you and leave your body in a New Jersey landfill.
Maybe he can get John Malkovich as his VP.
I say let Dennis Hopper run the campaign.
Maybe he can get John Malkovich as his VP.
I say let Dennis Hopper run the campaign.
Good Morning Starshine!
I love Friday, if for no other reason that, news-wise, Friday is sort of the trap at the bottom of the drain where all the sludge, rust and old hairballs collect. Here are the stories we're following at Planet Nederland World News Command:
• A priest resigns after videos show him checking into a swanky motel with a married woman. Well, am I the only one who sees this as an incredible positive for the Catholic Church? After all, Ms. Adultress is down with that "age of consent" thing, and a girl to boot!
• Another hottie high school teacher heads to the slammer for bopping a 13-year-old boy. In today's twist, she can't profit from the affair or give interviews, causing a dozen HBO executives to race to their cardiologists with chest pains.
• The Shuttle is still in one piece several days after landing! Confounding critics' predictions the Shuttle would either be parted out and sold on e-Bay or crushed into a 12 X 12-foot cube at a Mob junkyard in Jersey and shown as "conceptual art" at a swank gallery in Soho.
• No new shark attacks this week! Authorities in coastal communities in Florida and North Carolina have reportedly launched an aggressive "chumming" campaign, including passing out slabs of bacon and double-stick tape to young swimmers.
Remember, you read it here first!!!
• A priest resigns after videos show him checking into a swanky motel with a married woman. Well, am I the only one who sees this as an incredible positive for the Catholic Church? After all, Ms. Adultress is down with that "age of consent" thing, and a girl to boot!
• Another hottie high school teacher heads to the slammer for bopping a 13-year-old boy. In today's twist, she can't profit from the affair or give interviews, causing a dozen HBO executives to race to their cardiologists with chest pains.
• The Shuttle is still in one piece several days after landing! Confounding critics' predictions the Shuttle would either be parted out and sold on e-Bay or crushed into a 12 X 12-foot cube at a Mob junkyard in Jersey and shown as "conceptual art" at a swank gallery in Soho.
• No new shark attacks this week! Authorities in coastal communities in Florida and North Carolina have reportedly launched an aggressive "chumming" campaign, including passing out slabs of bacon and double-stick tape to young swimmers.
Remember, you read it here first!!!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Saving My Money for a Life...
I guess on some sad lever I'm still carrying the torch for Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MS3K), the only television show, other than the sainted Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that caused me to tear up at the finale.
Well, that's not completely true...I cried when I finally saw the series finale of Seinfeld, but only because they entire cast and crew were NOT tortured and dismembered, with the remains eventually UPS'ed to Whackytobacciestan to be made into designer handbags and sold to fans of Sex in the City.
Maybe that's why I spend my time paging through movie posters of the wretched films skewered by Mike Nelson, Crow, Tom Servo and Gypsy...
As Crow T. Robot was fond of saying...bite me!
Well, that's not completely true...I cried when I finally saw the series finale of Seinfeld, but only because they entire cast and crew were NOT tortured and dismembered, with the remains eventually UPS'ed to Whackytobacciestan to be made into designer handbags and sold to fans of Sex in the City.
Maybe that's why I spend my time paging through movie posters of the wretched films skewered by Mike Nelson, Crow, Tom Servo and Gypsy...
As Crow T. Robot was fond of saying...bite me!
Taking a Break in the Culture Wars
There is nothing more emblematic of the current American culture than those commercials on "overactive bladder syndrome," where adult women reveal that they occasionally dribble before they can get to the bathroom. As REM once noted:
I've also found myself hypnotized by Anna Nalick's hypnotic song Breathe (2 a.m.):
I can't get the thing out of my mind. It's as bad as...well...the afore-quoted REM's Losing My Religion, some sort of hypnocryptic mental meth inadvertantly burned into the ole organic RAM. "Download me," Ms. Nalick whispers in my ear. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...tunes......"
I did, however, finish my book proposal for BULLET POINTS: POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART OF THE GUN CULTURE. My agent at Wm. Morris had me go through seven iterations of the proposal, which runs to, like, 25 pages. It started circulating in NYC yesterday...now I need to breathe, just breathe, for the next 4 months or so while various and sundry editors masticate it. Assuming it sells, somewhere along the line I have to write the thing, which should actually be fun. I haven't written a book-length manuscript since my ill-fated work with a professional speaker a couple of years ago. I was willing to ghost his book for a few bucks; what we wanted me to do was actually refine his thinking...what do I mean when I say this? I'm perfectly willing to do that as well, but it costs, say, 5X what a straight-forward ghost job might cost. I wrote him a book; I don't even know whether he published it or not. I do know he still owes me money, but there you are...
So breathe. Just breathe...
"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine..."Well, I do feel fine, even as I readily acknowledge that our culture is basically acting like a Grand Slam breakfast sliding off a table in an earthquake. Every morning I watch the overactive bladder commercial, and my initial thought is, what do those actresses put on their resume? "Expert portrayal of urine dribbler..." Inquiring minds want to know.
I've also found myself hypnotized by Anna Nalick's hypnotic song Breathe (2 a.m.):
There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around.
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around.
I can't get the thing out of my mind. It's as bad as...well...the afore-quoted REM's Losing My Religion, some sort of hypnocryptic mental meth inadvertantly burned into the ole organic RAM. "Download me," Ms. Nalick whispers in my ear. "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...tunes......"
I did, however, finish my book proposal for BULLET POINTS: POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART OF THE GUN CULTURE. My agent at Wm. Morris had me go through seven iterations of the proposal, which runs to, like, 25 pages. It started circulating in NYC yesterday...now I need to breathe, just breathe, for the next 4 months or so while various and sundry editors masticate it. Assuming it sells, somewhere along the line I have to write the thing, which should actually be fun. I haven't written a book-length manuscript since my ill-fated work with a professional speaker a couple of years ago. I was willing to ghost his book for a few bucks; what we wanted me to do was actually refine his thinking...what do I mean when I say this? I'm perfectly willing to do that as well, but it costs, say, 5X what a straight-forward ghost job might cost. I wrote him a book; I don't even know whether he published it or not. I do know he still owes me money, but there you are...
So breathe. Just breathe...
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
We All Go To The Vet...
...today's fun and games was taking Bishop, our humongous greenwing macaw, to the vet to get her wings clipped and microchipped. All in all, she took it in good grace — as good a grace as an irritated macaw ever gets. Normally, I let her stay fully flighted until she gets too irritating for words...for example, there's not a pen to be found downstairs. That's because she flies around the house, spies them and snatches them all up. Then she reduces them to tiny plastic chips and ink stains on the carpet. It's her hobby, which makes more sense to me than electric trains. And don't send me any hostile email about crippling the poor animal...she can still fly just fine, just not as far and as fast. Also, it's harder for her to carry stuff, so there's a chance for whatever remaining writing implements we can dig up.
Just like visiting Busch Gardens on mescaline!
Meanwhile, back in Gun World, I got my long-anticipated package from revolver god Hamilton Bowen, which included my ancient 3-screw Ruger Blackhawk now converted from .357 to .44 Special and refinished and my "knockaround Blackhawk" in .30 Carbine.
Words escape me!
The .44 Special is everything a single action revolver might aspire to be, and it is indeed beautiful. The frame, gate and hammer were color case-hardened by Doug Turnbull, the cylincder redone with a black powder chamfer (which looks cool) and the rest of the gun was redone in a deep blue/black (the previous finish appeared to have been created by Zip-Strip and salt water). Obviously, it's now a .44 Special...the most perfect revolver cartridge in the world, by the way...with all the appropriate remarkings. The aluminum grip frame was replaced with a perfectly fitted steel grip frame; the sights were replaced with sights of Bowen's own design; the action was tuned to perfection. It was also fitted with a new base pin of Bowen's design to stop the endless Ruger base pin creep, which seizes up the gun.
And yes, kiddies, I wrote a big check for this one! Worth every penny, too.
My knockaround gun doesn't look so knockaround anymore. The barrel has been recrowned, which it badly needed; cylinder and headspace issues have been dealt with and the gun has been given his "standard issue" tune-up. It's a really nice Blackhawk now!
Does this mean I need to get another beater to abuse?
As I've said before, I think the .30 Carbine cartridge has gotten a bum rap. In the now 4/34 inch Blackhawk, it's LOUD LOUD LOUD, but a sweetheart...with .357 ballistics. It can be loaded down to approximate a .32/20 ballistics and still retain pin-point accuracy. Plus, it'll be a perfect match for that Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine that is definitely in my future, especially after spending the day at the Auto-Ordnance manufacturing facility. I know quality manufacturing when I see it!
Just like visiting Busch Gardens on mescaline!
Meanwhile, back in Gun World, I got my long-anticipated package from revolver god Hamilton Bowen, which included my ancient 3-screw Ruger Blackhawk now converted from .357 to .44 Special and refinished and my "knockaround Blackhawk" in .30 Carbine.
Words escape me!
The .44 Special is everything a single action revolver might aspire to be, and it is indeed beautiful. The frame, gate and hammer were color case-hardened by Doug Turnbull, the cylincder redone with a black powder chamfer (which looks cool) and the rest of the gun was redone in a deep blue/black (the previous finish appeared to have been created by Zip-Strip and salt water). Obviously, it's now a .44 Special...the most perfect revolver cartridge in the world, by the way...with all the appropriate remarkings. The aluminum grip frame was replaced with a perfectly fitted steel grip frame; the sights were replaced with sights of Bowen's own design; the action was tuned to perfection. It was also fitted with a new base pin of Bowen's design to stop the endless Ruger base pin creep, which seizes up the gun.
And yes, kiddies, I wrote a big check for this one! Worth every penny, too.
My knockaround gun doesn't look so knockaround anymore. The barrel has been recrowned, which it badly needed; cylinder and headspace issues have been dealt with and the gun has been given his "standard issue" tune-up. It's a really nice Blackhawk now!
Does this mean I need to get another beater to abuse?
As I've said before, I think the .30 Carbine cartridge has gotten a bum rap. In the now 4/34 inch Blackhawk, it's LOUD LOUD LOUD, but a sweetheart...with .357 ballistics. It can be loaded down to approximate a .32/20 ballistics and still retain pin-point accuracy. Plus, it'll be a perfect match for that Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine that is definitely in my future, especially after spending the day at the Auto-Ordnance manufacturing facility. I know quality manufacturing when I see it!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Reloading Strategies...
I sort of look on reloading ammo as a necessary evil, something you have to do to keep on shooting.
Yes, we're lucky enough to have the shows sponsored by Winchester, who deliver crates of ammo as part of the sponsorship, but that ammo is earmarked for the shows, public appearances and competitions. Itwouldn't be fair to burn it all up in practice. So, it's back to the presses.
My whole strategy on reloading is to make it as easy as possible, with as few barriers to pulling that damn lever as possible. Luckily, I've been accumulated reloading equipment for DECADES...if I remember correctly, I reloaded my first case, a .357, with my father's help when I was 8 years-old. Since I'm now 28 years-old...LOL...okay, I'm 55, so I've been reloading, like, a thousand years.
I will readily admit that Brother Mike Dillon changed my life. When I started competition shooting seriously, I had an RCBS Junior single stage press. If I was a busy little beaver, I could do 100 rounds an hour. A hunded rounds wouldn't even get me through a match, much less practice. I spent a lot of time in the Reloading Cave, needless to say.
My first Dillon 450 was a revalation. Nearly broke me to buy the thing, but it drastically reduced my time in the Cave. The 450 was a progressive press, but not nearly as sophisticated as today's 550 press. To offset some of those shortcomings, we came up with all sorts of Rube Goldberg fixes to, for example, get an automatic powder drop instead of having to push a big button, which, in my case, too often led to one case with NO powder and one case with a DOUBLE CHARGE.
As I spent more and more time writing about guns, I added a second 450 so I could leave my "main" 450 set up for .45 ACP with #68 H&G semiwadcutters — the presses didn't yet have interchangeable tool heads, so changing calibers was still a major pain in the butt. The RCBS Junior was the "prototyping" press for when I had to crank up specialty loads.
Of course, the Stainted Dillon knew all this stuff as well as we did, so the new 550s solved all the problems. He also offred us upgrades from 450-550 status at reasonable prices. I was in hog heaven! The 650 came about 8 years ago when I had more bucks and was shooting a billion rounds a year of .40 S&W in USPSA Limited.
SOOOOOO...my reloading bench now has three Big Blue Machines, the two converted 450/550s — one set up for small primers, the other for large primers — and the 650, set up for whatever competition round I'm shooting (right now, .357 Cowboy loads with 158-gr flat point Laser-Cast bullets and TiteGroup; I exclusively use Laser-Cast lead bullets, because they're good, consistant and available in all flavors; plus the guy who does my FFL transfers is a Laser-Cast dealer). I have a C-H "H" press I use for small-lot precision load development, and I'm currently planning to add an inexpensive Lee Turret press for those calibers I occasionally load but don't want to sink a fortune into...38 S&W, .30 Carbine, .455 Webley, .45/70.
The little Lee turret doesn't take up much space and costs about the same as a full-blown caliber conversion and dies for the 550s. For obscure calibers, I get the inexpensive Lee dies. I've had a couple of the Lee turrets in the past, and they've always delivered the goods.
Other-die-wise, I use the Dillon die-sets, with a couple of change-outs. On my primary competition cartridges, I use a Redding competition seating die and a Lee Factory Crimp die. On .40 S&W and 9mm, I use a special undersize sizing die from George at EGW. I has been a lifesaver on occasion.
Hope this answers some of the e-mail questions!
Yes, we're lucky enough to have the shows sponsored by Winchester, who deliver crates of ammo as part of the sponsorship, but that ammo is earmarked for the shows, public appearances and competitions. Itwouldn't be fair to burn it all up in practice. So, it's back to the presses.
My whole strategy on reloading is to make it as easy as possible, with as few barriers to pulling that damn lever as possible. Luckily, I've been accumulated reloading equipment for DECADES...if I remember correctly, I reloaded my first case, a .357, with my father's help when I was 8 years-old. Since I'm now 28 years-old...LOL...okay, I'm 55, so I've been reloading, like, a thousand years.
I will readily admit that Brother Mike Dillon changed my life. When I started competition shooting seriously, I had an RCBS Junior single stage press. If I was a busy little beaver, I could do 100 rounds an hour. A hunded rounds wouldn't even get me through a match, much less practice. I spent a lot of time in the Reloading Cave, needless to say.
My first Dillon 450 was a revalation. Nearly broke me to buy the thing, but it drastically reduced my time in the Cave. The 450 was a progressive press, but not nearly as sophisticated as today's 550 press. To offset some of those shortcomings, we came up with all sorts of Rube Goldberg fixes to, for example, get an automatic powder drop instead of having to push a big button, which, in my case, too often led to one case with NO powder and one case with a DOUBLE CHARGE.
As I spent more and more time writing about guns, I added a second 450 so I could leave my "main" 450 set up for .45 ACP with #68 H&G semiwadcutters — the presses didn't yet have interchangeable tool heads, so changing calibers was still a major pain in the butt. The RCBS Junior was the "prototyping" press for when I had to crank up specialty loads.
Of course, the Stainted Dillon knew all this stuff as well as we did, so the new 550s solved all the problems. He also offred us upgrades from 450-550 status at reasonable prices. I was in hog heaven! The 650 came about 8 years ago when I had more bucks and was shooting a billion rounds a year of .40 S&W in USPSA Limited.
SOOOOOO...my reloading bench now has three Big Blue Machines, the two converted 450/550s — one set up for small primers, the other for large primers — and the 650, set up for whatever competition round I'm shooting (right now, .357 Cowboy loads with 158-gr flat point Laser-Cast bullets and TiteGroup; I exclusively use Laser-Cast lead bullets, because they're good, consistant and available in all flavors; plus the guy who does my FFL transfers is a Laser-Cast dealer). I have a C-H "H" press I use for small-lot precision load development, and I'm currently planning to add an inexpensive Lee Turret press for those calibers I occasionally load but don't want to sink a fortune into...38 S&W, .30 Carbine, .455 Webley, .45/70.
The little Lee turret doesn't take up much space and costs about the same as a full-blown caliber conversion and dies for the 550s. For obscure calibers, I get the inexpensive Lee dies. I've had a couple of the Lee turrets in the past, and they've always delivered the goods.
Other-die-wise, I use the Dillon die-sets, with a couple of change-outs. On my primary competition cartridges, I use a Redding competition seating die and a Lee Factory Crimp die. On .40 S&W and 9mm, I use a special undersize sizing die from George at EGW. I has been a lifesaver on occasion.
Hope this answers some of the e-mail questions!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Moron Alert!
Sorry I missed this last week! It's an editorial by Greg Palast from the Baltimore Chronicle & Sentinel, where there is apparently no IQ test for contributing editorial content:
There are 200 million guns in civilian hands in the United States. That works out at 200 per lawyer. Wade through the foaming websites of the anti-Semites, weekend militiamen and Republicans, and it becomes clear that many among America's well-armed citizenry have performed the same calculation. Because if there is any hope of the ceasefire that they fear, it will come out of the barrel of a lawsuit.Mr. Palast, a Brit, fancies himself a thoughtful commentator on current affairs, and he won a 2005 Democratic Media Award! Here's what his site says about his most recently book:
Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy,” a book Michael Moore has called “courageous reporting.”Quel surprise!
Thursday, August 04, 2005
The Great Leap Forward!
Have been seriously on the road, but I have a few tidbits you can ONLY READ ON THE MICHAEL BANE BLOG! First, with the military trials for a new handgun looming, I made the decision to dedicate an episode of SHOOTING GALLERY to EACH of the Big Players...we started out with venerable Smith & Wesson today, and, boy, have I got the goods!
I've also gotten special dispensation from the Powers-That-Be to publish this quickie report, so I'm not breaking any confidences or embargoes!
Today I shot the new S&W M&P (Military & Police) .40 S&W semiauto, and I am profoundly impressed! The gun has been announced, but it's not yet in true production and to the best of my knowledge, this is the first published report of shooting what (in .45 ACP) will no doubt be S&W's entry into to the military sweepstakes.
I don't have the formal specs, but the gun is a full-sized semiauto (compact models will be available) available in .40 and 9mm (15 rounds in .40; 17 rounds in 9mm). It's a polymer-framed gun, striker-fired, with the now familiar trigger and firing pin safeties. The frame itself features a stainless steel subframe (for lack of a better word) for rigidity and durability — it sort of reminds me of athe current aluminum bedding systems in tactical rifles these days. Novak sights (natch); really neat fully ambi slide released placed far enough forward that your thumb isn't going to catch it and either dropt he slide on a empty round or figured out a thumb-y way to accidently lock the slide back when you'd rather be shooting. Magazine release can be swapped from right to left in seconds using only a ball-point pen.
Fire control system is one of the slickest I've ever used. It's a long DA first stroke, but it is SUPER smooth and light. The trigger has a VERY short reset, which allows you to pretty quickly work the trigger as fast as any SA around. The S&W system, when combined with the gun's STONE COLD DEAD NUTS ERGONOMIC GRIP and low bore axis, allows the .40 to be run as quickly as my two primary 9mms. I've never been a huge fan of the .40 (although for cops, it's de riguer), but the M&P could change my mind. I could not detect more recoil with the .40 than what I would expect with a 9mm of the same size. I was able to easily double tap (okay, controled pairs!), and dumped a couple of magazines flat out without the slightest bit of trouble.
Let me repeat that:
This gun is so well designed that recoil becomes a secondary issue.
Why aren't all guns this well designed?
The grip angle also makes the M&P point exceptionally well. Nationally recognized law enforcement trainer Dave Spaulding, who had a lot of input into this gun and who we decided to bring to S&W for this episode, did a lot of demo work showing that it's a pointer. If you've got hand issues, the M&P has a replaceable backstrap, a la the Walther P-99. The gun will come with three different sizes for Papa Bear, Momma Bear and the little Baby Bears. Even I could figure out how to replace the backstrap, since it has to do with removing a really neat tab on the bottom of the gun that does double duty as a guide for inserting the magazine. BTW, between that guide and intelligent shaping of the magazine well and the metal magazines, BLISTERING FAST reloads are the norm.
The only thing that gave me pause was the disassembly procedure, which involves using the tool (or a pin, or handcuff key, or...and this is unauthorized...probably your little finger) attached to the above neat tab to trip the sear WITHOUT PULLING THE TRIGGER. Then a well-designed disassembly lever is thrown, the slide stripped off and there you have it. I don't like requiring the additional tool for disassembly (and don't you DARE mention 1911s to me!). HOWEVER, this was a MAJOR requirement from law enforcement, who are tired of patching holes in their walls and ceilings. The huge plus is that with the gun locked back to easily trip the sear (and I have to confess it was an extremely simple and extremely easy procedure), the shooter can easily see that a magazine is not inserted and that the chamber is empty. I heartily admit that is a GOOD THING.
If the S&W M&P is an example of the kind of ground-breaking innovation the military trials can help create, I'd say we're in for a whole new generation of world-class pistols.
MY CONCLUSION? I'd buy one of these guns at MSRP!
I've also gotten special dispensation from the Powers-That-Be to publish this quickie report, so I'm not breaking any confidences or embargoes!
Today I shot the new S&W M&P (Military & Police) .40 S&W semiauto, and I am profoundly impressed! The gun has been announced, but it's not yet in true production and to the best of my knowledge, this is the first published report of shooting what (in .45 ACP) will no doubt be S&W's entry into to the military sweepstakes.
I don't have the formal specs, but the gun is a full-sized semiauto (compact models will be available) available in .40 and 9mm (15 rounds in .40; 17 rounds in 9mm). It's a polymer-framed gun, striker-fired, with the now familiar trigger and firing pin safeties. The frame itself features a stainless steel subframe (for lack of a better word) for rigidity and durability — it sort of reminds me of athe current aluminum bedding systems in tactical rifles these days. Novak sights (natch); really neat fully ambi slide released placed far enough forward that your thumb isn't going to catch it and either dropt he slide on a empty round or figured out a thumb-y way to accidently lock the slide back when you'd rather be shooting. Magazine release can be swapped from right to left in seconds using only a ball-point pen.
Fire control system is one of the slickest I've ever used. It's a long DA first stroke, but it is SUPER smooth and light. The trigger has a VERY short reset, which allows you to pretty quickly work the trigger as fast as any SA around. The S&W system, when combined with the gun's STONE COLD DEAD NUTS ERGONOMIC GRIP and low bore axis, allows the .40 to be run as quickly as my two primary 9mms. I've never been a huge fan of the .40 (although for cops, it's de riguer), but the M&P could change my mind. I could not detect more recoil with the .40 than what I would expect with a 9mm of the same size. I was able to easily double tap (okay, controled pairs!), and dumped a couple of magazines flat out without the slightest bit of trouble.
Let me repeat that:
This gun is so well designed that recoil becomes a secondary issue.
Why aren't all guns this well designed?
The grip angle also makes the M&P point exceptionally well. Nationally recognized law enforcement trainer Dave Spaulding, who had a lot of input into this gun and who we decided to bring to S&W for this episode, did a lot of demo work showing that it's a pointer. If you've got hand issues, the M&P has a replaceable backstrap, a la the Walther P-99. The gun will come with three different sizes for Papa Bear, Momma Bear and the little Baby Bears. Even I could figure out how to replace the backstrap, since it has to do with removing a really neat tab on the bottom of the gun that does double duty as a guide for inserting the magazine. BTW, between that guide and intelligent shaping of the magazine well and the metal magazines, BLISTERING FAST reloads are the norm.
The only thing that gave me pause was the disassembly procedure, which involves using the tool (or a pin, or handcuff key, or...and this is unauthorized...probably your little finger) attached to the above neat tab to trip the sear WITHOUT PULLING THE TRIGGER. Then a well-designed disassembly lever is thrown, the slide stripped off and there you have it. I don't like requiring the additional tool for disassembly (and don't you DARE mention 1911s to me!). HOWEVER, this was a MAJOR requirement from law enforcement, who are tired of patching holes in their walls and ceilings. The huge plus is that with the gun locked back to easily trip the sear (and I have to confess it was an extremely simple and extremely easy procedure), the shooter can easily see that a magazine is not inserted and that the chamber is empty. I heartily admit that is a GOOD THING.
If the S&W M&P is an example of the kind of ground-breaking innovation the military trials can help create, I'd say we're in for a whole new generation of world-class pistols.
MY CONCLUSION? I'd buy one of these guns at MSRP!
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