Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
100 Years Ago Today...
..the 1911 .45 ACP pistol was adopted as the official sidearm of the U.S. Army.
I'm at GUNSITE this week in a special 1911 class in honor of that anniversary. We'll be filming lots of stuff for DRTV, both the special presentations that are part of this superb class and some of my own observations on the 1911.
FWIW, I'm shooting my ancient Wilson Master Class Colt I used for years and years in USPSA and IDPA, and yesterday on the shooting range I remembered what an excellent gun it really is.
More when I get a chance!
I'm at GUNSITE this week in a special 1911 class in honor of that anniversary. We'll be filming lots of stuff for DRTV, both the special presentations that are part of this superb class and some of my own observations on the 1911.
FWIW, I'm shooting my ancient Wilson Master Class Colt I used for years and years in USPSA and IDPA, and yesterday on the shooting range I remembered what an excellent gun it really is.
More when I get a chance!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
A Feel-Good Story for the Rest of Us
It is perhaps emblematic of the wretched state of the world that the feel good story of the week was a deadly Egyptian cobra escaping from the Bronx Zoo. This cobra's venom, it has been noted, will kill a full-grown elephant in 3 hours or a liberal in...well, really, snakes won't bite liberals because even cobras have a gag reflex.
I for one hope the poor bastard makes it...that he slices his way through the seething rat population of NYC...breaks into the sumptuous offices of Michael "What Snow?" Bloomberg, ostensibly the city's mayor when Donald Trump is busy or in the bathroom, and goes all Bruce Willis on the Mayor with a bit o'the ole ultra-violence unless Hizzoner ponies up first class passage to whatever festering North African cesspool the cobra wants to visit first, plus a metric ton of white mice to sweeten the deal. Who knows? Maybe the cobra will end up the new President for Life in Egypt or Chief Something or Other in Libya after we finish bombing it back into the Stone Age (which, c'mon, could be realistically accomplished with a string of cheap Chinese firecrackers and harsh language). Or maybe the cobra, bereft of iodine, will contract radiation poisoning, grow to the size of a skyscraper and savage Damascus, Syria, as the first Middle Eastern Godzilla. Or, heck, maybe it'll check into the Ritz of London, become a Gadsden Flag-like symbol to the rioting hordes of Harry Potter wannabes who are really really upset that they may have to pay for their own mocha lattes and get invited to the Royal Nuptials after all as a representative of "the little people."
Godspeed, little brother!
Sorry...too much time at the airport. I did manage to get to a cowboy match with the Sand Creek Raiders out east of Denver before I was packed and delivered to DIA, and the match went great. Cold, but great. Today I was shooting a set of SASS Ruger Vaqueros in .357 tuned by Ken Griner of Griner Gunworks (http://www.grinergunworks.com/).
Man, that is one heck of a set of pistols, maybe one of the best sets of Vaqueros I've ever shot! From my standpoint the guns were set up perfectly...fast to run and 100% reliable. There are 2 keys with cowboy revolvers -- at least for me. The first is that the mainspring needs to be light enough to be cocked quickly, but heavy enough to pop even CCI primers. The second thing is that the 2 guns need to be as close as possible to identical. The Griner Vaqueros are perfect on both counts.
He also bead blasted the top of the frame and barrel for a nice flat nonreflective finish, a big deal when you're shooting fast in bright sun.
Ken's work is first class, his prices are reasonable and he doesn't have a five year wait to get work done. Check him out for sure.
My friend Stuart Barber, "Tame Bill" in his cowboy incarnation, called me today to tell me he'd stumbled into a relatively cheap Browning BSS SxS 12 gauge...sigh...so many guns...so little time. As I mentioned last week, BSSes are sort of the uber-SxS shotgun, but it's getting harder and harder to find one a sane person wouldn't mind carving up for a cowboy or self-defense SxS. The things are tanks.
Hey, whatever happened to Quadaffi's all-girl bodyguard corp?
I for one hope the poor bastard makes it...that he slices his way through the seething rat population of NYC...breaks into the sumptuous offices of Michael "What Snow?" Bloomberg, ostensibly the city's mayor when Donald Trump is busy or in the bathroom, and goes all Bruce Willis on the Mayor with a bit o'the ole ultra-violence unless Hizzoner ponies up first class passage to whatever festering North African cesspool the cobra wants to visit first, plus a metric ton of white mice to sweeten the deal. Who knows? Maybe the cobra will end up the new President for Life in Egypt or Chief Something or Other in Libya after we finish bombing it back into the Stone Age (which, c'mon, could be realistically accomplished with a string of cheap Chinese firecrackers and harsh language). Or maybe the cobra, bereft of iodine, will contract radiation poisoning, grow to the size of a skyscraper and savage Damascus, Syria, as the first Middle Eastern Godzilla. Or, heck, maybe it'll check into the Ritz of London, become a Gadsden Flag-like symbol to the rioting hordes of Harry Potter wannabes who are really really upset that they may have to pay for their own mocha lattes and get invited to the Royal Nuptials after all as a representative of "the little people."
Godspeed, little brother!
Sorry...too much time at the airport. I did manage to get to a cowboy match with the Sand Creek Raiders out east of Denver before I was packed and delivered to DIA, and the match went great. Cold, but great. Today I was shooting a set of SASS Ruger Vaqueros in .357 tuned by Ken Griner of Griner Gunworks (http://www.grinergunworks.com/).
Man, that is one heck of a set of pistols, maybe one of the best sets of Vaqueros I've ever shot! From my standpoint the guns were set up perfectly...fast to run and 100% reliable. There are 2 keys with cowboy revolvers -- at least for me. The first is that the mainspring needs to be light enough to be cocked quickly, but heavy enough to pop even CCI primers. The second thing is that the 2 guns need to be as close as possible to identical. The Griner Vaqueros are perfect on both counts.
He also bead blasted the top of the frame and barrel for a nice flat nonreflective finish, a big deal when you're shooting fast in bright sun.
Ken's work is first class, his prices are reasonable and he doesn't have a five year wait to get work done. Check him out for sure.
My friend Stuart Barber, "Tame Bill" in his cowboy incarnation, called me today to tell me he'd stumbled into a relatively cheap Browning BSS SxS 12 gauge...sigh...so many guns...so little time. As I mentioned last week, BSSes are sort of the uber-SxS shotgun, but it's getting harder and harder to find one a sane person wouldn't mind carving up for a cowboy or self-defense SxS. The things are tanks.
Hey, whatever happened to Quadaffi's all-girl bodyguard corp?
Friday, March 25, 2011
Win Michael's Chopper!
Sadly, it's not a Harley, but it does come stained with zombie blood!
It's from ZOMBIE TOOLS, makers of fine zombie fighting implements for the New World Order!
Wanna win it? Go to DRTV and sign up for the Forums! If you're already a Forum member, you're already entered.
And be quick like those 28 Days Later zoms because we're giving the chopper away MONDAY!
It's from ZOMBIE TOOLS, makers of fine zombie fighting implements for the New World Order!
Wanna win it? Go to DRTV and sign up for the Forums! If you're already a Forum member, you're already entered.
And be quick like those 28 Days Later zoms because we're giving the chopper away MONDAY!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Meeting Da
Will be spending the day on SG overhaul for 2012. Am also picking up a Kimber Solo 9mm and a Pre-'64 Winchester 94 30-30 we need for GUN STORIES.
BTW, we're going to be looking at bullet-proof vests this upcoming season in TBD/Survival, something a lot of you have asked for.
- Posted using BlogPress, a Truly Crappy App
BTW, we're going to be looking at bullet-proof vests this upcoming season in TBD/Survival, something a lot of you have asked for.
- Posted using BlogPress, a Truly Crappy App
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Skipped a Couple of Days...
..sorry...been working on changes to SHOOTING GALLERY for Season 12 in 2012. I had originally planned to overhaul SG after Season 10, but we all got caught up in the launch of the new GUN STORIES, premiering Q3 this year. Main thing is I want to take SG to the next level in quality and on the things we cover (and, yeah, tonight's Zom episode is sort of a thank you to you guys and an exclamation point on the old format).
All in all, it's coming together pretty well...my producers and I will be presenting our ideas to the Bosses at the end of this week. Once again, actual announcements are far in the future, but I guarantee you'll like where we're going!
We're also ramping up videos on DRTV...in fact, I'll be at the 1911 Commemorative Class at GUNSITE for DRTV. Busy, busy times, which is, of course, better than the option of living in a refrigerator box under an Interstate bypass.
I am absolutely amazed (well, maybe not so much) that the ATF "Gunwalker" scandal hasn't blown up even bigger. Some props are due to CBS, whom I have occasionally flayed in the past, for their tenaciousness in following this story. There's a lot of conspiracy stuff on the Internet about how high up the Gunwalker scandal goes...CBS has documented conference calls about "Fast and Furious" between the ATF and Homeland Security, the DEA, the U.S. Marshal's Service (sorry, Raylan!) and the Justice Department attorneys.
I would be truly stunned if somebody high up in Justice, maybe even Holder himself, didn't sign off on this one...we're talking about a major operation involving a foreign nation. Civil Service functionaries don't make decisions like that. I also doubt any of the higher ups will be held responsible...I suspect the political firewalls will hold.
All in all, it's coming together pretty well...my producers and I will be presenting our ideas to the Bosses at the end of this week. Once again, actual announcements are far in the future, but I guarantee you'll like where we're going!
We're also ramping up videos on DRTV...in fact, I'll be at the 1911 Commemorative Class at GUNSITE for DRTV. Busy, busy times, which is, of course, better than the option of living in a refrigerator box under an Interstate bypass.
I am absolutely amazed (well, maybe not so much) that the ATF "Gunwalker" scandal hasn't blown up even bigger. Some props are due to CBS, whom I have occasionally flayed in the past, for their tenaciousness in following this story. There's a lot of conspiracy stuff on the Internet about how high up the Gunwalker scandal goes...CBS has documented conference calls about "Fast and Furious" between the ATF and Homeland Security, the DEA, the U.S. Marshal's Service (sorry, Raylan!) and the Justice Department attorneys.
I would be truly stunned if somebody high up in Justice, maybe even Holder himself, didn't sign off on this one...we're talking about a major operation involving a foreign nation. Civil Service functionaries don't make decisions like that. I also doubt any of the higher ups will be held responsible...I suspect the political firewalls will hold.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Zombies
Set your DVR: Airtimes on Outdoor Channel: 03-23-11 at 3:30PM | 03-23-11 at 7:00PM | 03-23-11 at 9:00PM | 03-24-11 at 3:00AM
Columbus Airport Too Early
Darn! I underslept! This is what comes from going to bed early as opposed to watching infomercials at 3AM in your hotel room. Anyhow, I found the class absolutely fascinating...even as a kid I loved learning new (and occasionally random) stuff, and that wowie-zowie factor is still there even at this late date. I've never understood people who agonized over having "nothing to do."
Gunwise, I'm going to be following up on my last few shotgun posts...I'm mulling over in my head whether, indeed, the "pumps are more reliable" meme is reaching the end of its working life. I clearly haven't been expressing myself as well as I should be (or maybe I'm just not thinking as well as I should be). I think what I mean to be talking about is the huge variability of shotgun ammunition as opposed to the narrower range of handgun and even rifle ammo. Then again, let me think about it some more.
I will say that I agree with the commenters (including the inestimable Frank James) who noted that a SxS is as close to a zero-based gun out here...no quirks, no problems, bang-bang. Worked for stagecoach guards in the Old West, retro Mafioso in Sicily, gamekeepers in England...still works well. I have learned some things about SxS shoguns from shooting them in cowboy action shooting the last year or so, and some of that information transfers to a self-defense context.
The first is that SxS shotguns can have 2 rounds loaded as fast as you can single-load a pump, with a caveat. That being you need some sort of belt or holder that presents the rounds correctly for reloading (true, of course, of any reload). It's a little harder/slower to speed reload an SxS from a bag than simple grabbing a single shell for a pump or semi, or several shells that you're shifting around in your hand and you either drop them into the chamber or reloading the tube.
If I was going to keep only a double as the house gun, I might get a shotgun belt or bandoleer to hold my spare rounds. A bandoleer would be good because you could quickly throw it over a shoulder and you'd have your spare ammo ready to go.
The second thing I've learned is, shock upon shock,you generally get what you pay for. I say "generally" because the old Stevens 311s are tanks, and they're still dirt cheap. The Stoegers are okay, but you do use them up in heavy shooting. I have seen the lugs break off a well used Stoeger as it was cracked open, which resulted in the embarrassing situation of the barrels laying on the ground and the shooter holding the stock and receiver. Funny at a match...less so in the Real World.
If I was going to get a SxS as a dedicated self-defense gun and money was no object, I'd (cover your ears and eyes, classic shotgun fans!) get a Browning BSS, lop the barrels to 22-23 inches, install screw-in chokes for some versatility and get ready to rock.
I wish the Czech company Pioneer made hammerless doubles...forget "tanks;" those guns are built like destroyers.
Saw this quote on Jerry Pournelle's blog and thought it was appropriate these days...'course you all know where it's from:
Don't panic. But it never hurts to know where your towel and cup are.
- Posted using BlogPress...carefully...
Gunwise, I'm going to be following up on my last few shotgun posts...I'm mulling over in my head whether, indeed, the "pumps are more reliable" meme is reaching the end of its working life. I clearly haven't been expressing myself as well as I should be (or maybe I'm just not thinking as well as I should be). I think what I mean to be talking about is the huge variability of shotgun ammunition as opposed to the narrower range of handgun and even rifle ammo. Then again, let me think about it some more.
I will say that I agree with the commenters (including the inestimable Frank James) who noted that a SxS is as close to a zero-based gun out here...no quirks, no problems, bang-bang. Worked for stagecoach guards in the Old West, retro Mafioso in Sicily, gamekeepers in England...still works well. I have learned some things about SxS shoguns from shooting them in cowboy action shooting the last year or so, and some of that information transfers to a self-defense context.
The first is that SxS shotguns can have 2 rounds loaded as fast as you can single-load a pump, with a caveat. That being you need some sort of belt or holder that presents the rounds correctly for reloading (true, of course, of any reload). It's a little harder/slower to speed reload an SxS from a bag than simple grabbing a single shell for a pump or semi, or several shells that you're shifting around in your hand and you either drop them into the chamber or reloading the tube.
If I was going to keep only a double as the house gun, I might get a shotgun belt or bandoleer to hold my spare rounds. A bandoleer would be good because you could quickly throw it over a shoulder and you'd have your spare ammo ready to go.
The second thing I've learned is, shock upon shock,you generally get what you pay for. I say "generally" because the old Stevens 311s are tanks, and they're still dirt cheap. The Stoegers are okay, but you do use them up in heavy shooting. I have seen the lugs break off a well used Stoeger as it was cracked open, which resulted in the embarrassing situation of the barrels laying on the ground and the shooter holding the stock and receiver. Funny at a match...less so in the Real World.
If I was going to get a SxS as a dedicated self-defense gun and money was no object, I'd (cover your ears and eyes, classic shotgun fans!) get a Browning BSS, lop the barrels to 22-23 inches, install screw-in chokes for some versatility and get ready to rock.
I wish the Czech company Pioneer made hammerless doubles...forget "tanks;" those guns are built like destroyers.
Saw this quote on Jerry Pournelle's blog and thought it was appropriate these days...'course you all know where it's from:
Don't panic. But it never hurts to know where your towel and cup are.
- Posted using BlogPress...carefully...
Friday, March 18, 2011
A Speck of Paranoia
I'm interested and a little nervous about the current half-assed antigun initiative from Washington. With Greasy Joe Biden's office involved, the whole initiative, whatever that initiative turns out to be, has a little more juice. As you know, Greasy Joe's most prized legislative "accomplishment" was the Clinton AWB, which he claims much credit for.
Again, I don't think much of anything can get through the Republican House, but I worry that the Republicans might give a little ground to appear more tractable on other issues.
I think Wayne LaPierre and the NRA was 100% right to spurn BHo's ridiculous invitation to the "stakeholders' meeting" to decide how much of our rights we're willing to give up (how about, ummmmmmm, none?). But we need to pay careful attention to what these clowns are doing. I think the only thing at risk at this point are private sales, which might get tossed onto the bonfire at the last minute.
In other news, take a moment to read my friend Derek McDonald's (VP/Marketing, SureFire) response to the Force Science Institute's assertion that grip-activated lights are inherently dangerous. You can read it on DRTV here:
http://www.downrange.tv/blog/weaponlights-and-switches-surefire-sets-the-record-straight/8939/
When I read the Force Science report, I too wondered whether hardware might be being blamed for a training issue. That happens a lot...not the least of which when you read in the MSM that, "the gun just went off." Yeah, right. Unfortunately, the Force Science report isn't up on their website yet.
I would also like to put in a plug for the class we're filming for TBD/Survival, Medical Corps Combat/Field Medicine Class (http://www.medicalcorps.org/). Head guy Chuck Fenwick, former Navy medical corps with Marine 1st Recon in Vietnam, is an amazing and entertaining presenter, and I have learned a huge amount in a very short span of time...not to mention suturing my chicken. She's in recovery, as we speak. Tomorrow we do bandaging and setting fractures.
It's the kind of course I wish everyone could take (which is, duh, why we're featuring it on TBD/S)...sort of beyond first aid. And it very much has an empowering aspect – "Hey, I can do that!" – without treading on physicians' toes. Plus, I think more knowledge is always a good, good thing.
- Posted using BlogPress, an App That Works on Tuesday...usually...
Again, I don't think much of anything can get through the Republican House, but I worry that the Republicans might give a little ground to appear more tractable on other issues.
I think Wayne LaPierre and the NRA was 100% right to spurn BHo's ridiculous invitation to the "stakeholders' meeting" to decide how much of our rights we're willing to give up (how about, ummmmmmm, none?). But we need to pay careful attention to what these clowns are doing. I think the only thing at risk at this point are private sales, which might get tossed onto the bonfire at the last minute.
In other news, take a moment to read my friend Derek McDonald's (VP/Marketing, SureFire) response to the Force Science Institute's assertion that grip-activated lights are inherently dangerous. You can read it on DRTV here:
http://www.downrange.tv/blog/weaponlights-and-switches-surefire-sets-the-record-straight/8939/
When I read the Force Science report, I too wondered whether hardware might be being blamed for a training issue. That happens a lot...not the least of which when you read in the MSM that, "the gun just went off." Yeah, right. Unfortunately, the Force Science report isn't up on their website yet.
I would also like to put in a plug for the class we're filming for TBD/Survival, Medical Corps Combat/Field Medicine Class (http://www.medicalcorps.org/). Head guy Chuck Fenwick, former Navy medical corps with Marine 1st Recon in Vietnam, is an amazing and entertaining presenter, and I have learned a huge amount in a very short span of time...not to mention suturing my chicken. She's in recovery, as we speak. Tomorrow we do bandaging and setting fractures.
It's the kind of course I wish everyone could take (which is, duh, why we're featuring it on TBD/S)...sort of beyond first aid. And it very much has an empowering aspect – "Hey, I can do that!" – without treading on physicians' toes. Plus, I think more knowledge is always a good, good thing.
- Posted using BlogPress, an App That Works on Tuesday...usually...
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Second Try...
Let's see if I can get through a second draft of today's blogpost without being ZAPPED by BlogPress' nonsensical "features!" BTW, yes, I treid another app, Blogger, but amazingly, I couldn't figure out how to enter text into it. Call me crazy, but wouldn't you think that entering text should be easy in an app for blogging? Oh well, maybe it's just me.
anyhow, I wanted to talk about a note I received after I talked about my preference for pump shotguns over semiautos. The writer noted that he would give up his home defense semi, a new Mossberg, when I gave up semauto pistols and rifles.
I thought, darn, he has a good point, but so do I, so I thought I should expand on it a bit.
I totally agree that modern semitautos like the Mossberg are far more forgiving than their earlier brethren. I have an FNH semiauto that is a tank, and the new Berretta defense gun that I shot was amazing...we ran tube after tube of mixed lot ammo -- ultra light target loads, high brass field loads, buckshot of various flavors and LE slugs -- without a burp. In fact, if you were adamant about using a semi, the Beretta (http://www.beretta.com/Defence-Pistols-Carbines/Defence-Shotgun/Tx4-Storm/index.aspx?m=82&f=2&idv=46&idc=208&id=1275 ) would be my first choice.
However, this is in a home defense context. With a home defense gun, you're controlling the ammo (as my commenter said), etc. Let's think about this in a more macro context...a good pump, say an 870, will pretty much feed anything. Since I'm a competitor, I keep cases of light target loads around, plus some field loads, #00 buck and LE slugs for self-defense (my self-defense round of choice is Hornady TAPS buckshot) and some "exotics'" like short shells for various reasons. The exotics will choke my FNH and even a pump '97, but an 87 just digests it all.
Think abut a situation where ammo is in short supply or some types not even available...that can't happen, can it? Wait, t happened last year! If you've got to compromise on ammo availability, you can't beat a pump.
In the case of a really serious dislocation -- say the New Madrid Fault, upon which I've been sitting for the last couple of days -- goes Full Japan, the situation may well be ammo scrounging, and again a pump shines in this situation.
I can load a pump faster than a semi by single loading into the chamber, either cop-style up from the bottom or cowboy-style over the top. I admit that is largely a training function...as long as you keep the semi's tube filled, you're good to go. However, IDPA teaches us that sooner or later, you shoot the gun empty and you need to get it back in action fast. Single loading a pump keeps you in the fight until you get to cover and can load the tube, if necessary.
Finally, in both home defense and larger area-wide disasters, I'm a big proponent of the "lowest common denominator" for defense guns...that is, all the people in the house should be familiar with the manual of arms, including malfunction clearances, for all the standard defense gun in the house. Jam clearance on a semiauto shotgun isn't hard, but everyone who has access to the gun needs to be up to speed on it. Ditto for the pump, but a pump is so darn simple it might make more sense in a case where the Spousal Unit or older children aren't handing the gun on a regular basis...
anyhow, I wanted to talk about a note I received after I talked about my preference for pump shotguns over semiautos. The writer noted that he would give up his home defense semi, a new Mossberg, when I gave up semauto pistols and rifles.
I thought, darn, he has a good point, but so do I, so I thought I should expand on it a bit.
I totally agree that modern semitautos like the Mossberg are far more forgiving than their earlier brethren. I have an FNH semiauto that is a tank, and the new Berretta defense gun that I shot was amazing...we ran tube after tube of mixed lot ammo -- ultra light target loads, high brass field loads, buckshot of various flavors and LE slugs -- without a burp. In fact, if you were adamant about using a semi, the Beretta (http://www.beretta.com/Defence-Pistols-Carbines/Defence-Shotgun/Tx4-Storm/index.aspx?m=82&f=2&idv=46&idc=208&id=1275 ) would be my first choice.
However, this is in a home defense context. With a home defense gun, you're controlling the ammo (as my commenter said), etc. Let's think about this in a more macro context...a good pump, say an 870, will pretty much feed anything. Since I'm a competitor, I keep cases of light target loads around, plus some field loads, #00 buck and LE slugs for self-defense (my self-defense round of choice is Hornady TAPS buckshot) and some "exotics'" like short shells for various reasons. The exotics will choke my FNH and even a pump '97, but an 87 just digests it all.
Think abut a situation where ammo is in short supply or some types not even available...that can't happen, can it? Wait, t happened last year! If you've got to compromise on ammo availability, you can't beat a pump.
In the case of a really serious dislocation -- say the New Madrid Fault, upon which I've been sitting for the last couple of days -- goes Full Japan, the situation may well be ammo scrounging, and again a pump shines in this situation.
I can load a pump faster than a semi by single loading into the chamber, either cop-style up from the bottom or cowboy-style over the top. I admit that is largely a training function...as long as you keep the semi's tube filled, you're good to go. However, IDPA teaches us that sooner or later, you shoot the gun empty and you need to get it back in action fast. Single loading a pump keeps you in the fight until you get to cover and can load the tube, if necessary.
Finally, in both home defense and larger area-wide disasters, I'm a big proponent of the "lowest common denominator" for defense guns...that is, all the people in the house should be familiar with the manual of arms, including malfunction clearances, for all the standard defense gun in the house. Jam clearance on a semiauto shotgun isn't hard, but everyone who has access to the gun needs to be up to speed on it. Ditto for the pump, but a pump is so darn simple it might make more sense in a case where the Spousal Unit or older children aren't handing the gun on a regular basis...
BlogPress
I just finished a 30 minute blogpost that disappeared when I brushed the "New Post" button, located in EXACTLY the wrong place on an iPad...
DEATH TO BRAIN-DEAD SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS!
- Posted using BlogPress, a Truly Crappy App
DEATH TO BRAIN-DEAD SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS!
- Posted using BlogPress, a Truly Crappy App
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
On to Chicken Suturing!
After some excellent time with Larry Potterfield...I swear, Midway USA grows exponentially between my visits. He has an incredible French/Belgium pinfire revolver that's only a little bigger than a hummingbird...it's a tiny little jewel-like revolver in 5mm pinfire...he's looking for ammo to fire the little thing.
I have to admit that when I spend time around the Midway gunsmithing operation I have an overwhelming urge to checker a stock. Any stock!
I'm off to take a field medicine class for TBD/SURVIVAL...hoping to get out of St. Louis before the New Madrid lets go...then I'm going to suture a chicken...will post some pixs right here, of course! Suspect the chicken won't pull through.
Picked up a pre-'64 Winchester 94 30-30 for use on GUN STORIES...not a pristine collectable, but I do feel slightly lost without a 30-30 in the battery so now I can relax. I would have loved to have my grandfather's '94, but that's another story.
Saw the second cut of ZOMBIES...However it's received, I'm proud of the project. It was big fun! You'll see it next Wednesday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have to admit that when I spend time around the Midway gunsmithing operation I have an overwhelming urge to checker a stock. Any stock!
I'm off to take a field medicine class for TBD/SURVIVAL...hoping to get out of St. Louis before the New Madrid lets go...then I'm going to suture a chicken...will post some pixs right here, of course! Suspect the chicken won't pull through.
Picked up a pre-'64 Winchester 94 30-30 for use on GUN STORIES...not a pristine collectable, but I do feel slightly lost without a 30-30 in the battery so now I can relax. I would have loved to have my grandfather's '94, but that's another story.
Saw the second cut of ZOMBIES...However it's received, I'm proud of the project. It was big fun! You'll see it next Wednesday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, March 14, 2011
Working Working Working
Was in the studio all day today recording stuff and getting getting ready for Wednesday podcast day...no, I can do this, really...avoid days off...keep eyes on ball...airplane tomorrow morning...later this week I'm going to learn to suture a chicken back together...sounds sort of Pet Sematary-ish, doesn't it.
Dinner tomorrow night with Larry Potterfield, then on to chicken suturing. Followed by setting fractures.
I need a couple of days on the range. Or a week in St. Barth...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Dinner tomorrow night with Larry Potterfield, then on to chicken suturing. Followed by setting fractures.
I need a couple of days on the range. Or a week in St. Barth...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sorry Mr. President...
You are not telling the complete truth.
Every single gun owner in America uneqivocally knows that...
COMMONSENSE = CONFISCATION
Every single time!
Every time and in every place that "commonsense" gun laws get enacted, they always end up the same way — confiscation. Every time. There is not one single exception out there. So Mr. President, we gun owners are a little tired of hearing how you really really love us and how you'll really really respect us in the morning, because we know in our bones, in our DNA, how that song ends.
Every single "commonsense" gun control law suggested by our enemies has been nothing but a blatant attempt to circumvent D.C. v. Heller and strip us of our Constitutional rights. Every single one. There is nothing new in the current crop of nonsense; it is the same old crap stew rewarmed and served up yet again.
I do, however, have several "commonsense" gun laws we can all support, Mr. President, and I'm sure you'll get behind them right away — national CCW reciprocity! And here's another one — don't let agencies of the U.S. government illegally smuggle guns into foreign nations! Heck, even Eric "My People My People" Holder can get behind that one! How about respecting safe transport laws, laws that you're sworn to uphold and your home city of Chicago ignores? Maybe give ole Rahm a call and tell him that Chicago, regardless of how sleazily it operates, is still part of the United States and subject to her laws. How's that for common sense?
To borrow a phrase from the Who, "Won't be fooled again..."
Every single gun owner in America uneqivocally knows that...
COMMONSENSE = CONFISCATION
Every single time!
Every time and in every place that "commonsense" gun laws get enacted, they always end up the same way — confiscation. Every time. There is not one single exception out there. So Mr. President, we gun owners are a little tired of hearing how you really really love us and how you'll really really respect us in the morning, because we know in our bones, in our DNA, how that song ends.
Every single "commonsense" gun control law suggested by our enemies has been nothing but a blatant attempt to circumvent D.C. v. Heller and strip us of our Constitutional rights. Every single one. There is nothing new in the current crop of nonsense; it is the same old crap stew rewarmed and served up yet again.
I do, however, have several "commonsense" gun laws we can all support, Mr. President, and I'm sure you'll get behind them right away — national CCW reciprocity! And here's another one — don't let agencies of the U.S. government illegally smuggle guns into foreign nations! Heck, even Eric "My People My People" Holder can get behind that one! How about respecting safe transport laws, laws that you're sworn to uphold and your home city of Chicago ignores? Maybe give ole Rahm a call and tell him that Chicago, regardless of how sleazily it operates, is still part of the United States and subject to her laws. How's that for common sense?
To borrow a phrase from the Who, "Won't be fooled again..."
Friday, March 11, 2011
One of the 7 Signs of the Apocalypse
Commenter Shawn W. asked: "What do you suppose the commercial for the SCAR Heavy would look like?"
Shawn, brother, best I could come up with was this...at least she kissed a SCAR!
Japan
Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the people of Japan today as they deal with this disaster.
I would also like to remind everyone that, as we teach/preach on TBD/SURVIVAL that you owe it to yourself and your family to have some level of preparedness. We're not talking about the gearing up for the end of the Mayan Calendar of the Zombie (and, yes, I do joke about that), but simply to be able to get your family through a disaster and its aftermath.
At TBD/SURVIVAL we use a color code to refer to disasters of all stripe, based on their duration and impact. A GREEN level disaster is 1-14 days, say a tornado or a blizzard; a YELLOW level disaster is a 1-3 month event, say a moderate hurricane and its aftermath; a RED level disaster goes beyond 3 months and has profound societal and even worldwide implications.
We think in general people should prepare for a YELLOW level disaster -- that is, your family should be able to continue on its own without outside hep for 3 months. That means water, food, necessary medicine and medical supplies, power, heat, security, etc. to ride out a 3 month "social dislocation." At the every least, be ready for a GREEN level disaster.
A key element that we believe very strongly in is understanding your risk. This is no different than what we teach for self-defense on THE BEST DEFENSE...step one is having a realistic threat assessment of your situation, whether it is for personal defense or disaster preparedness. Do you live on a coast subject to hurricanes? Along a major fault line (hello Memphis and St. Louis!)? In a wildfire zone, along a railroad track where hazardous materials are transported, in a community near large-scale chemical plants, in harsh winter areas with frequent blizzards, in a flood plain, etc.? Is the nature of your risk such that you need to "bug in," that is, stay in your home for the duration of the emergency, or "bug out," evacuate to a safer location?
Preparedness is ultimately an extension of our personal protection philosophy...it only makes sense!
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I would also like to remind everyone that, as we teach/preach on TBD/SURVIVAL that you owe it to yourself and your family to have some level of preparedness. We're not talking about the gearing up for the end of the Mayan Calendar of the Zombie (and, yes, I do joke about that), but simply to be able to get your family through a disaster and its aftermath.
At TBD/SURVIVAL we use a color code to refer to disasters of all stripe, based on their duration and impact. A GREEN level disaster is 1-14 days, say a tornado or a blizzard; a YELLOW level disaster is a 1-3 month event, say a moderate hurricane and its aftermath; a RED level disaster goes beyond 3 months and has profound societal and even worldwide implications.
We think in general people should prepare for a YELLOW level disaster -- that is, your family should be able to continue on its own without outside hep for 3 months. That means water, food, necessary medicine and medical supplies, power, heat, security, etc. to ride out a 3 month "social dislocation." At the every least, be ready for a GREEN level disaster.
A key element that we believe very strongly in is understanding your risk. This is no different than what we teach for self-defense on THE BEST DEFENSE...step one is having a realistic threat assessment of your situation, whether it is for personal defense or disaster preparedness. Do you live on a coast subject to hurricanes? Along a major fault line (hello Memphis and St. Louis!)? In a wildfire zone, along a railroad track where hazardous materials are transported, in a community near large-scale chemical plants, in harsh winter areas with frequent blizzards, in a flood plain, etc.? Is the nature of your risk such that you need to "bug in," that is, stay in your home for the duration of the emergency, or "bug out," evacuate to a safer location?
Preparedness is ultimately an extension of our personal protection philosophy...it only makes sense!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, March 10, 2011
No Twirling Anticipated!
Okay, I have to admit it — it's not tactical, it's not "new," it's not concealable, and it's not even available in Flat Dark Earth, but I just love the Rossi Ranch Hand mare's leg-style "pistol!" I mean, who wouldn't? It was the gun of choice of the Coolest Man on Earth, Steve McQueen, as bounty hunter Josh Randall in one of the coolest television series ever, "Wanted Dead or Alive:"
It was the gun of choice of the Coolest Woman on Earth, Gina Torres, as Zoe Washburne in the Number One Coolest Television Series, "Firefly:"
And, finally, it was the gun of choice of the Coolest Actor Presently Working, Woody Harrelson, as Tallahassee in the Coolest Zombie Historical Document, "Zombieland:"
There's always been a lot of interest in the mare's leg style guns, but the issue has been until very recently the idiotic provisions of the 1934 Firearms Act. Since the gun is a pistol version of the Winchester '92, it falls under the SBR provisions of the Firearms Act and requires the paperwork and a tax stamp for ownership. (You all know that the Steve McQueen original was a cut-down 44-40 original Winchester '92, right?).
However, with the rise of cowboy action shooting and the rebirth of so many of the older guns, 1892 clone receivers have been available...these receivers were never manufactured into rifles, so by law they could be used to make original pistols. The first one's were made by Jim Buchanan, the custom gunsmith at J.B. Custom, first using receivers from Brazil, then from Chiappa in Italy (J.B. owns the registered trademark on "Mare's Leg," BTW). Jim is now offering a 30-30 version...yee-haw! There's legal heat between J.B. and Rossi-owner Taurus, as reported on The Firearm Blog, but I have no idea how that is going...read the comments as well.
Chiappa also offers their own version, the 1892 Lever Action Pistol, including a really neat take-down version, but I've only seen them at trade shows and not in the pipeline.
The Rossi versions, made in Brazil, are just coming on-line, and I have never seem a gun that attracts so much attention!
It shoots like, well, an ungainly pistol. I put some Corbon 24o-gr Hunter JHPs though it and, predictably they were hot...if you weren't seriously holding onto the forearm (if you're using a 2-handed grip), it'll snap your hand loose. One-handed, it had a pretty stout kick, but it does weigh 4 pounds with its 12-inch barrel. When I changed over to my own light .44 Magnum loads (200-gr @ 850 fps), it was a sweetheart to shoot. On a whim I tried .44 Special cowboy loads, and the little '92 fed them just fine. With the light recoiling loads, you can shoot it like a little bitty rifle, perfect if you should be set upon by a pack of little bitty people riding Shetland ponies!
I'm not crazy about the larger loop, although it's consistent with at least the last version of the 3 "Wanted Dead or Alive" originals. Given my druthers I'd like to have one roughly the size of the Marlin levers manufactured by Wild West Guns, then wrapped in leather a la cowboy action shooting guns:
Lacking that, my inclination would be to go back to a standard loop lever. I carried the gun throughout the zombie shooting in a one-off Mernickle "backpack" type holster that placed the butt of the Rand Hand under my right hand (in theory) when I reached up for it. Must say, looks considerably cooler than it works! Like being strapped in some weird bondage gear...LOL! I'm going to have go with a regular leg holster on my next foray into Zombie World. There are a whole bunch of such things around, more or less like this one from Replica Weaponry:
Bottom line? I love this gun! It's a blast to shoot, and it is death on zombies! Two thumbs up and a big ole shake of the tail feathers to Rossi!
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
New NASA Mission
I have to admit that the last landing of the shuttle Discovery was a sad moment for me, an exclamation point on America's -- or at least American government's -- retreat from greatness. As a child of the 1950s, one of the many kids who grew up on science fiction, the space program was dear to me and my friends. But I guess outreach to the Islamic nations is an important mission, especially if you have the IQ of a land slug.
I propose a new mission for NASA, one ideally suited to our reduced stature in the world...I say let NASA field a mission to the Mexican trucking industry,, helping them in their mission to destroy yet another American industry and make the roads even more terrifying than they already are. That way, NASA can hang on to more of their heritage, and once again we can hear those stirring words, "Houston, we have a problem..."
I note that the Jolly Pirates Club of the BATFE can no longer keep a lid on the "gunwalker" scandal. I have to admit that I was wrong...here WAS an "Iron River" flowing south into Mexico since 2008...I just didn't realize it was being controlled from the Jolly Pirates Club offices in Phoenix.
I propose a new mission for NASA, one ideally suited to our reduced stature in the world...I say let NASA field a mission to the Mexican trucking industry,, helping them in their mission to destroy yet another American industry and make the roads even more terrifying than they already are. That way, NASA can hang on to more of their heritage, and once again we can hear those stirring words, "Houston, we have a problem..."
I note that the Jolly Pirates Club of the BATFE can no longer keep a lid on the "gunwalker" scandal. I have to admit that I was wrong...here WAS an "Iron River" flowing south into Mexico since 2008...I just didn't realize it was being controlled from the Jolly Pirates Club offices in Phoenix.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Monday, March 07, 2011
Zombie Day 1
Didn't sleep a bit last night trying to remember details...it's a big, complicated shoot...on location now, getting ready to start hanging lights...photos when things start ramping up...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, March 05, 2011
"Operation Fast And Furious"
"Operation Fast And Furious"...what the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called their plan to allow a flood of guns into the narco-cesspool of Mexico.
In the wonderful and ultimately heartbreaking movie "The Crow," Brandon Lee as Eric Draven confronts the ruthless gang that killed him and raped and killed his beloved Shelly, gang members with names like Funboy, T-Bird and Skank.
"A whole jolly club," says Eric Draven, "with jolly pirate nicknames!"
And here we are again, the whole jolly club of the BATFE, with their jolly pirate nicknames, with real human beings' blood on their hands. Not the first time they held up their scarlet hands...Ruby Ridge...Waco...but this time the blood is a federal agent, Brian Terry, a man of honor, a man fighting a flawed battle in a hopeless war with insufficient tools because it was his job.
When will Congress step in?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
In the wonderful and ultimately heartbreaking movie "The Crow," Brandon Lee as Eric Draven confronts the ruthless gang that killed him and raped and killed his beloved Shelly, gang members with names like Funboy, T-Bird and Skank.
"A whole jolly club," says Eric Draven, "with jolly pirate nicknames!"
And here we are again, the whole jolly club of the BATFE, with their jolly pirate nicknames, with real human beings' blood on their hands. Not the first time they held up their scarlet hands...Ruby Ridge...Waco...but this time the blood is a federal agent, Brian Terry, a man of honor, a man fighting a flawed battle in a hopeless war with insufficient tools because it was his job.
When will Congress step in?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Oh Joy Oh Joy!
Just got new that my body parts have been shipped! [THEY'RE HERE! See above...] Although I had to settle for a burned face mask rather than an exploded one. Plus, a gallon of blood is waiting for me in Denver!
Oh frabjous day!
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Another Crazy Busy Day
Federal agent John Dodson says what he was asked to do was beyond belief.
He was intentionally letting guns go to Mexico?
"Yes ma'am," Dodson told CBS News. "The agency was."
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.Oh please let the ZOMBIE season closer for SHOOTING GALLERY get finished! It's gonna rock, but it's a staggering amount of work. Snowing sideways here at the Secret Hidden Bunker, but it has been warm all week. I would actually like to see snow on the day we're filming...I like the claustrophobic feel of a snowstorm.
GREAT article on Gabe Suarez's WarriorTalk on "trunk rifles"...even though I'm thoroughly sick of "warrior" anything, but I urge you to read this article:
http://www.warriortalknews.com/2011/02/the-role-of-the-trunk-rifle.html
Please read the whole thing. Frankly, I'm not crazy about a "trunk" rifle...I'd rather have the long gun at hand. I'm big on a bag laced behind the passenger seat in a car that carries the gun and ammo, a system I've tried a couple of times and like.
I'm fiddling with a Winchester '94 .44 Magnum as a long gun for airline carry. Doug Turnbull has a really nice mounting system for a Burris red dot on a '94, and I like the idea of a long gun/revolver package for travel.
HERE'S A FUNNY POINT OF AGREEMENT...today BHo, the sad, pathetic panda masquerading as the President of the United States, said he really really really believes in the Second Amendment, but that doesn't mean the U.S. can't can't take steps to control the flow of arms into Mexico...amazingly, I agree with him! I say, ABOLISH THE BATFE! This from CBS News today:
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He was intentionally letting guns go to Mexico?
"Yes ma'am," Dodson told CBS News. "The agency was."
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.Oh please let the ZOMBIE season closer for SHOOTING GALLERY get finished! It's gonna rock, but it's a staggering amount of work. Snowing sideways here at the Secret Hidden Bunker, but it has been warm all week. I would actually like to see snow on the day we're filming...I like the claustrophobic feel of a snowstorm.
GREAT article on Gabe Suarez's WarriorTalk on "trunk rifles"...even though I'm thoroughly sick of "warrior" anything, but I urge you to read this article:
http://www.warriortalknews.com/2011/02/the-role-of-the-trunk-rifle.html
Please read the whole thing. Frankly, I'm not crazy about a "trunk" rifle...I'd rather have the long gun at hand. I'm big on a bag laced behind the passenger seat in a car that carries the gun and ammo, a system I've tried a couple of times and like.
I'm fiddling with a Winchester '94 .44 Magnum as a long gun for airline carry. Doug Turnbull has a really nice mounting system for a Burris red dot on a '94, and I like the idea of a long gun/revolver package for travel.
HERE'S A FUNNY POINT OF AGREEMENT...today BHo, the sad, pathetic panda masquerading as the President of the United States, said he really really really believes in the Second Amendment, but that doesn't mean the U.S. can't can't take steps to control the flow of arms into Mexico...amazingly, I agree with him! I say, ABOLISH THE BATFE! This from CBS News today:
Federal agent John Dodson says what he was asked to do was beyond belief.
He was intentionally letting guns go to Mexico?
"Yes ma'am," Dodson told CBS News. "The agency was."
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.It's tine we shut these criminals down once and for all! Americans have died at the hands of weapons "walked" into Mexico by BATFE incompetence. President Obama...step up!
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Wednesday, March 02, 2011
I Have Charlie Sheen's Twins!
And I'm going to sell them on eBay!
No, really...maybe it was all day scouting zombie locations for next week's filming. BTW, am hearing from Marshal out at GUNSITE that Ed Head was blown away by the little SIS SAUER 9mm. Read my friend Richard's piece in HUMAN EVENTS on the rise of the little 9mms:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=42007
That's definitely a trend I called pretty well...I can't wait to get the little Kimber SOLO 9mm!
Man, I am crazy busy doing television stuff, but it's all good. A clone might be nice, though. BTW, thank you for all the kind words on today's podcast...I liked it, too. And who knew there were that many Conway Twitty fans out there?
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No, really...maybe it was all day scouting zombie locations for next week's filming. BTW, am hearing from Marshal out at GUNSITE that Ed Head was blown away by the little SIS SAUER 9mm. Read my friend Richard's piece in HUMAN EVENTS on the rise of the little 9mms:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=42007
That's definitely a trend I called pretty well...I can't wait to get the little Kimber SOLO 9mm!
Man, I am crazy busy doing television stuff, but it's all good. A clone might be nice, though. BTW, thank you for all the kind words on today's podcast...I liked it, too. And who knew there were that many Conway Twitty fans out there?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Sorry...computer issues...
Have actually been writing posts on my iPad with the BlogPress app, which I've used for over a year now both on the Pad and the phone. Strangely enough, the posts show as completed and posted, entered into the list of posts, the Twitter feed pings...and then they just disappear into cyberspace. They don't show up on the blog and the next time I open BlogPress they're not listed in the list of posts or drafts...hmmmmm....
Anyway, while I'm in a sour computer mood, I bought this Kensington carry case/bluetooth keyboard for my iPad...what a MASSIVE POS! Avoid this one at all costs...the keyboard won't stay linked to the iPad for longer than a minute or 2...amazingly annoying...will be sending this steaming pile back!
Been doing television producer-y stuff last couple of days...we need one more set of signatures before we can make all the formal announcements on GUN STORIES, including our host...and yes, we did go to Hollywood, a lot scarier than dealing with Libya, believe me! I'm also THIIIIIIIIIIIIS close to being able to make some great changes in SHOOTING GALLERY, things I've wanted to do for years. Am also actively pitching new shows, because, hey, I don't actually have anything to do...LOL!
Next week's vid podcast will be from the set of SG's soon-to-be-classic zombie episode...you guys are going to laugh big time! Marshal is covering for my pathetic ass at GUNSITE this week while I hands-on the zom episode. Our good pal Dave Biggers is running a pocket pistol event that I was really looking forward to, but Marshal's there with Ed Head sitting in for me (and no doubt doing a much better job!).
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