NEW SEASON STARTS TONIGHT!

For COWBOYS and TBD/SURVIVAL!

This week's video podcast

The New Normal

This is an excellent piece on America post-Heller & McDonald from Glenn Reynolds, who runs InstaPundit. Here's the punchline:

Nonetheless, the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment decisions have made a major difference. In particular, they have offset the gun-control community’s longstanding effort to “denormalize” firearms ownership — to portray it as something threatening, deviant, and vaguely perverse, and hence demanding strict regulation, if not outright prohibition. That effort went on for decades, and received much media support. Two decades ago, it seemed to be working.

But with the Supreme Court saying that it’s clear the Framers regarded individual gun ownership as “necessary to our system of ordered liberty,” that effort must be seen as a failure now. Gun ownership by law-abiding citizens is the new normal, and the Second Amendment is now normal constitutional law. It will stay so, as long as enough Americans care to keep it that way.

Read the whole thing. I think the legal decisions are emblematic of the overall social change we've been talking about for the last year or so. We — the gun culture — are the new mainstream, the new "normal."

Rand Custom Hats...

In Billings...the Mother Church...



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SCOTUS Rules! Second is Fully Incorporated...

...into state law via the 14th Amendment. This is huge, as is the opinion (214 pages). It'll takes us days to digest this, but Chicago's gun ban is toast as of this morning. Here's the statement from the NRA's Wayne LaPierre:

Today marks a great moment in American history. This is a landmark decision. It is a vindication for the great majority of American citizens who have always believed the Second Amendment was an individual right and freedom worth defending.

[...]

Victory is when law abiding men and women can get up, go out, and buy and own a firearm. This is a monumental day. But NRA will not rest until every law-abiding American citizen is able to exercise the individual right to buy and own a firearm for self defense or any other lawful purpose.

Justice Alito wrote the decision on the 5-4 (the Heller majority) vote.

On the way to the airport...more as our experts have a chance to analyze the decision...

There's a Zombie on Your Lawn

Custer lost...

...again. Hey, immortality is expensive!


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Real Bird Reenactment...

...on the banks of the Little Big Horn...freaking incredible!



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Update from the field...

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Meanwhile, Back in Montana

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Michael's Last Stand...

At least this week! Am on the way to Hardin, MT, to film the reenactment of Custer's Last Stand...I have ti on good authority that the 7th. still wanting for Gatling guns, will once again go down in flames. I'll keep you posted.

Was surprised and pleased with End of Trail, which topped out at 541 shooter. Next year SASS may have to cap the match if they want to keep it on a single weekend format. As I said earlier, I saw more women and young people than I've seen at any big match. SASS appears to have weathered their flat spot and gotten back to their fast-track growth. I know the local new shooters' seminars are pulling 60+ people, and my friends in Cali tell me their running cowboy new shooter orientations once a month at 50+ shooters. We're averaging more than 100 shooters at the monthly matches (and there's a cowboy match every weekend somewhere in the Front Range) and next week's regional championships, Hell on Wheels in Cheyenne (see you there?) will draw more than 300 competitors. It all bodes well for cowboy and competition in general.

Next Wednesday marks the new season for both COWBOYS and TBD/SURVIVAL.

Both shows have been completely "retooled" for the new season...I'll be talking about the changes in the shows on this week's podcast and video blog. So first listen in, then tune in to see what you think of the new season. On the whole, I'm really pleased...our goal is to raise the bar every season.

Gotta go get on the toy airplane for the flite to Billings...

A Quickie Before I Pass Out from Exhaustion

No SCOTUS McDonald decision today...expect it Monday...

Some thoughts on the Potterfield/Midway big contribution to the Bianchi Cup...first, Larry is to be hugely hugely congratulated for backing the shooting sports. Everyone in the industry — everyone in the culture — benefits from the growth of the shooting sports. Larry has set the bar, and I'd like to see the parts of the industry who have had a hands-off relationship with the shooting sports, even as they benefited from our money, step up and follow Larry's example.

I totally agree with his decision to focus the money on Production...unlimited/open shooting has proven itself to be a dead end. Aside from a dwindling number of participants, no one cares. In all the sports, production, stock gun classes are booming.

Will the Bianchi Cup achieve the national success that's envisioned? You tell me...since John Bianchi conceived the Cup, the landscape of sport shooting has fundamentally and irrevocably changed. When the Cup started, the practical shooting sports were in their infancy; now action shooting sports rule the roost. Based on participation, the top shooting sport in America is trap, followed by cowboy action shooting, sporting clays, Glock Sport Shooting Foundation and the various flavors of practical pistol.

The shooting sports that the Cup was conceived to bring together — PPC, fledgling IPSC and bullseye — have in the case of PPC and bullseye faded into relative obscurity or in the case of IPSC significantly morphed. Also consider the changes in the gun culture itself. Self-defense/CCW are the driving wheels and will be, I believe, for the foreseeable future. That's where the new shooters are coming from. And, as we've talked about before, they're not necessarily like us Old Skol Guys.

As I mentioned in an early post, I've seen more women and young people here at End of Trail in NM than I've ever seen at a big match. The big SASS clubs are running new shooter clinics with 60-100 people on a monthly basis. USPSA is experience a growth spurt and it's routinely filling out its national championships, and the Glock GSSF is huge in its own right. IDPA is rock solid, as are sporting clays.

Is there a place for a national competition that brings together shooters of all disciplines? I think yes. The question is what that competition needs to be.

Thoughts?

EOT Wild Bunch...

....had 5 USPSA Grand Masters shot it...winner was 16 year old cowboy shooting flash "Last Chance' Morales
...

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EOT

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EOT

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At End of Trail...

And there are more women and young people shooting than I've seen in years!


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Some Thoughts on the Midway USA $100,000 Bianchi Contingency Money

You probably already know this, but Larry Potterffield has ponied up $100K as contingency prize money for Bianchi Production division. Obviously, this will provide a major jumpstart for the NRA Action Pistol program, as well as drive some of the big players into Production. What I hear is that the details of how the money is going to be allocated/awarded is not yet finalized...there are a lot of ideas on the table at this point.

The top 5 Production shooters this year were:

1) Kyle Schmidt, 1856-121x

2) Enoch Smith, 1835-123x

3) Dave Sevigny, 1833-119x

4) Phil Strader, 1819-102x 

5) Vance Schmid, 1812-100x

Any of these guys could break 1900, especially with the allowed modification of match barrels. I talked to Dave Sevigny at the Cup this year, and he was ambivalent about leaving his box-stock Glock — the gun he built his sterling reputation on — behind for one with a match barrel and different sights. Still, he's too much of a great competitor not to realize that a fitted match barrel will be de rigueur for the top competitors starting next year.

Here are the original specs for Bianchi Production:

• 3.2.1 Production Firearm — The intent of this rule is to encourage the use of production firearms as manufactured and promote NRA Action Pistol Shooting at the “Grass Roots” level. Accordingly, in order to keep this class from becoming an “Equipment Match” , Single Action only pistol are prohibited.

A Production Firearm is a semi-automatic handgun or revolver which is or has been a catalog item readily available to the general public equipped with factory notch & post sights. All standard safety features of firearms must operate properly. The firearm shall have no visible internal of external modifications except as follows:

(a) Grips may be replaced or modified to fit the competitor’s hand or to facilitate loading. Checkering, stippling, grip tape and grip sleeves are permitted.

(b) Barrel length may not exceed 5.35 inches for semi-automatic pistols and may not exceed 6 inches for revolvers.

(c) Wide “target” style hammers and triggers, if included on the firearm as originally manufactured, are permitted.

(d) Only open sights may be used. The front sight must be a non-adjustable post sight. The rear sight may be adjustable if the firearm was originally manufactured with an adjustable sight. Sights may be replaced but they must use the original dovetail cuts and must retain the original configuration of the firearm. Fiber optic sights are permitted.

(e) Barrels may be replaced with original factory barrels with the same configuration of the original barrel.

(f) All production firearms must fire the first shot of every stage double action.

(g) Trigger weight may not be less than 3.5 lbs. In any mode.

(h) External finishes, either protective of decorative, or other non-functional embellishments. (i.e. Such as engraving, inlays or inscriptions) are permitted.

(I) Holsters must be designed for carry and suitable for everyday use. Competition, race type and open front holsters are prohibited.

The following firearm modifications are prohibited:

(a) Single action only firearms

(b) Custom-shop firearms.

(c) Changes in the original factory sight configuration of the firearm are prohibited. Front adjustable sights are prohibited.

(d) Peep, ghost, optical, electronic, Bo-Mar and Aristocrat type sights.

(e) Thumb rests, orthopedic grips, grip or magazine extensions. No part of the grip may encircle the hand.

(f) Compensators, ported or weighted barrels.

(g) Race type holsters.

So that gives you a pretty good idea of what the top Production shooters will be using next year as this goes forward. Of course Dave (and Women's Production champion Randi Rogers) are in the Glock camp; SG regular Phil Strader and B.J. Norris, one of the greatest shots ever, Doug Koenig, and new S&W team member Jessie Abbate will be running the S&W M&P platform. With that kind of money on the line I'd be surprised not to see Jerry Miculek running a Production revolver. If you remember, there were a few years revolvers dominated Bianchi, and a great master like Miculek is always a threat.

I'd be surprised if Max Michel, probably the hottest pro shooter this year, didn't sign on with one of Sig's trick 226s. Should be interesting to see how it shakes out!

Ruger LCR .357

Finally got some trigger time with the Ruger polymer-frame .357 LCR revolver today with Hornady 158-gr .357 self-defense loads. Yeppers, it bucks a bit. But quite honestly it doesn't buck as much as metal-framed ultralight .357 snubs. The only consensus we could come up with is that the polymer frame is absorbing  a portion of the short, sharp recoil impulse. It's not super pleasant to shoot with the heavy loads, but you don't get a snub as your primary range gun. And it's got the same superb DA trigger — the best on any snub I've ever handled, and I've handled a whole bunch.

If you're at all recoil-sensitive, I strongly suggest you chose the 17.1 ounce .357 over the regular 13.5 ounce .38, then shoot .38s in the heavier LCR. I shot 158-gr Hornady .38+P self defense loads in the .357 and it was controllable and painless. Regular .38s would be downright pleasant to shoot,. I'd kill to have one of these in .22LR (take note, Ruger...pleeeeeeeease...).

Seen in Passing...

Festive LCPs?



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The World's Greatest .22

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