First, congrats to Uno, now the numbah one dog in America! Of course, the victory was a bittersweet one for Alf the Wonder Beagle. As her many fans know, Alf was destined for show greatness...both parents champions; all four grandparents champions; pick of the litter in a multiyear breeding plan to create the perfect 13-inch tricolor beagle. In a stunning and unexpected development, Alf grew to a massive 13 1/4 inches, ending her show career before it began and resulting in her being packed off in shame to the Provinces.
Of course, Alf confounded the nay-sayers by becoming an official Free Range Beagle, ranging the rugged Rocky Mountains in search of elk, bison...biscuits. I actually once outlined a children's book titled Alf and the Free Range Beagles, but I decided that, really, if I ever did a children's book, I would probably be struck by lightning thrown by a vengeful god.
Anyhow, back to the mundane...I have formally asked the John McCain campaign for an interview with the presumptive Presidential candidate on the topic lf guns and gun control. I have a friend in the campaign who will make sure my written request is actually read by someone high up in the campaign. I will, of course, keep everyone informed.
The George Bush Sell-Out — Impeach the Lying Bastard! — on D.C. v. Heller has infuriated not just me, but the gun culture at large...I'm trying to retain a clear head, such as my head is ever clear, on the overall election. For all my blusterings, I morally can't stay home on election day...expecially when my independent friends are telling me that, "maybe Obama would be a good thing for the country." Terrifying!
The Ruger LCP .380 has become the most successful new gun launch in recent memory — and maybe ever. The numbers are staggering — you've seen some on the DOWN RANGE Forums, and they're good numbers, with advance sales continuing at an unprecedented rate. I like this a lot, and not just because I and DOWN RANGE were involved.
My goal for 2008 is to try and get as many people to sign up for their CCWs as possible...if you can get a carry permit in yor state, GET ONE! And carry every day...every time you step out of the house. The little Ruger pocket pistol is idea for first-time CCW holders...a little secret that we all know and never talk about is that carrying a gun on a regular basis is harder than one might think. After the "new" wears off the experience, that full-sized 1911 in a Milt Sparks Summer Special weighs about the same as a concrete block. So — and I've been here myself — you get ready to walk out the door to the 7-11, a.k.a. the Stop and Rob, and you say, "Naw, I don't really want to go back upstairs, fish out the gun and holster, change belts...whoops, change pants to one that works with the gunbelt..." blah blah blah for a quart of milk.
That's why I keep a light-weight J-frame in a pocket holster by the front door. The new Ruger LCP will perfectly fill that role. So congrats to Ruger, too!
Ally and Abby, the not-so-wonder beagles, were so thrilled by Uno's win, they almost woke up to watch.
ReplyDeleteAbby, also a Missouri beagle, is wondering if the hunky champ is a distant cousin.
The secret to having your carry piece ready when you run to the stop-n-rob is... never take it off.
Not all of us have a bunker in an undisclosed location deep in the Rockies. Some of us live with neighbors WAY to close on either side.
I generally don't take off the gun until it's bedtime (or shower time).
I always have a Kel Tec P32 in my pocket (little bro to the P3AT....you know, the gun Ruger cloned) and I thought for years that gun writers were the lyingest bunch of SOB's on the planet. I got tired of all the "you can carry the 1911 concealed all the time stories". How the hell does a small frame fella who has to wear a pair of kakis and a tucked in shirt carry a 1911?
ReplyDeleteI have a liberal friend who says she will actually vote for McCain over Obama or Hillary.
Any other Rep and she was gonna vote Dem.
McCain on his web site seems to be firm on his opposition to an AWB. IF YOU GET AN INTERVIEW TRY TO GET A PLEDGE FROM HIM TO VETO! Given McCains well known Maverick streak I've afraid we will have to depend on congress not to pass a "gunshow loophole" bill if he wins.
I think the disillusioned Fredheads who are going to vote 3rd party aren't thinking things thru. Obama/Hillary is a guranteed AWB and worse.
Hope you get an interview.
M.B.
ReplyDeleteIf you talk to the McCain,ask if he likes Foriegn intervention/control of our election process(he takes their $$$$'s)?? if yes,ask why he likes UNCONSTITUTIONAL FINANCING over American Constitutionally legal election financing?
http://www.alipac.us/article-2949-thread-1-0.html
There is documentation of the Demos being financed by CHICOMS ,George Soros ,etal,as well.
What is the advantage of paying salary + expenses of our govt. reps. and then Foriegn{lobbys with American faces} Agendas pay them to do their bidding?
Ya gotta love that little .380. I think of it as the perfect gun for someone that never gets into a gunfight. Given that Kimber, Para-Ordinance, and Springfield Armory are making pocket .45's only slightly larger, the .380 looks to me like an unacceptable compromise.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime I'll stick with my ParaCCW. Every time, everywhere, all seasons. The only time I don't have it on is when I'm naked.
Anonymous@12:08 said...
ReplyDelete"The only time I don't have it on is when I'm naked."
With the .380 you don't have to make an exception.
Anon@12:08,
ReplyDeleteA Kimber Ultra about the same size as a Kel Tec P3 AT (Ruger LCP if you prefer the clone)?
Are you one of those lying gunwriters I referred to earlier?
I caryy a P3AT all the time. I have an extra mag for it and the whole outfit fully loaded weighs MUCH less than a Para carry empty.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you think it not enough gun I'll let you hold the targets next time I practice. ;)
It's interesting that Bane blithely refers to the .40 S&W as the "forty short & weak" and then advocates the .380. Sure, it's small and light and will easily fit into a pants pocket. The LCP is made by Ruger, so it will probably work most of the time. Good but not good enough.
ReplyDeleteWhen I need small and light, which isn't often, I pick a hammerless J-frame with Laser Grips. It's in .38 Special, significantly better than the Kurz. You all remember the .38, don't you. That's the one that so pathetic most police agencies had to replace it with the .357. Dressing up a pathetic caliber in pretty stainless steel and polymer doesn't make it adequate, just cute.
Anyone who thinks the 9mm Kurz is an adquate self-defense caliber, please raise your hand. Oh, sorry, I forgot. You're all dead.
Bang, bang.
No to go bonkers here, but didn't I mention the J-frame in the same paragraph?
ReplyDeleteI put the .38 Special and the .380 in exactly the same category and I consider guns in those calibers to be pretty much interchangeable. For an apples-to-apples comparison, a .380 SilverTip features and 85-grain bullet at 1000 fps; a .38 Special SilverTip is a 110-grain bullet at 945. Cor-Bon lists a .380 Glaser with an energy of 224 ft/lbs; the .38 at 256. Neither are going to the round of choice if you're going to Iraq to slay Islamofascists.
But you're not...you're going to the 7-11 for a pint of Chocolate Chocolate Chip. In shorts and a t-shirt.
Interesting enough, I have pointed a .380 Colt Mustang at a big bad man's face, and — amazingly — he didn't start laughing or make fun of me or anything. He just locked his hands behind his head, went to his knees and begged me not to shoot him...guess he didn't read the gun magazines and know he had nothing to fear!
Okay, didn't mean to be snippy...I did a whole podcast on this a few months back, where I said that when you carry a subcaliber handgun — .38, .380., .32, .22 — you need to modify your baseline tactics...think headshots and multiple hits. The realistic distances involved when deploying pocket pistols makes the head the logical target, and whether it's a J-frame or a NAA .32, you need to think bang-bang-bang rather than bang. That's why my J-frames are loaded with standard, rather than +P (or in the case of the little Ruger, .357s)...I believe shot placement and multiple hits are more important in close-in encounters than a perceived increase in "stopping power" on the part of the cartridge.
You may have a different strategy and choose to carry different guns...that's cool. I don't think one size fits all when it comes to this stuff.
mb
PS: I occasionally make fun of the .40, but not for its lack of power. I generally don't use the cartridge because I distrust it's spooky pressure curves and I don't think it buys me enough over current 9mm bullet technology to warrant the extra recoil. For the same recoil, I could have a .45.