Working Late Tonight...

...in advance of tomorrow's "Flash Mob" scenario filming for THE BEST DEFENSE...today we did multiple attacker sims, sort of as a prelude. There are truly not enough hours in the day. We'll also be filming some DRTV stuff later in the week.

Last couple of road trips have been with the Ruger LCR, trying to remember what it was like carrying a small frame revolver all the time. I'm sort of coming around to Walt Rauch's great line on an early SG, something to the effect that a small frame revolver's greatest weakness as a concealed carry gun is also its greatest strength -- it doesn't "print" as much as a semiauto because it's cylinder breaks up the lines if you're carrying the gun in your pocket.

A big BTW...the end of next week I will be in Columbia, MO, filming SHOOTING GALLERY 2012 openings and closings in front of a studio audience at the Midway USA Studios. At this point, I do not know whether free tickets will be available, but WATCH THIS SPACE (and, of course, DRTV!). Hopefully, I'lll know in a couple of days.

I LOVE the opening song in tomorrow's podcast! Lemme know what you think...

Gotta go back to work...

Meanwhile, Back in Paradise

-- Post From The Road

For You FAL Fans...

...a stack of forged receivers at DS Arms...



-- Post From The Road

A Graphic Representation of "Tipping Point"

The new Gallup poll, released today, chronicles what we've been saying...there has been a societal change regarding guns:

A record-low 26% of Americans favor a legal ban on the possession of handguns in the United States other than by police and other authorized people. When Gallup first asked Americans this question in 1959, 60% favored banning handguns. But since 1975, the majority of Americans have opposed such a measure, with opposition around 70% in recent years.

For the first time ever, there is more opposition to a new AWB than support.

Conclusion?

A clear societal change took place regarding gun ownership in the early 1990s, when the percentage of Americans saying there was a gun in their home or on their property dropped from the low to mid-50s into the low to mid-40s and remained at that level for the next 15 years. Whether this reflected a true decline in gun ownership or a cultural shift in Americans' willingness to say they had guns is unclear. However, the new data suggest that attitudes may again be changing. At 47%, reported gun ownership is the highest it has been in nearly two decades -- a finding that may be related to Americans' dampened support for gun-control laws. However, to ensure that this year's increase reflects a meaningful rebound in reported gun ownership, it will be important to see whether the uptick continues in future polling.

Yep...we've tipped...This is consistent with changes we've been seeing over the last few years. Perhaps people have noticed that gun control never works, that concealed carry doesn't translate into "every intersection a Dodge City," and that gun that might not mirror your grandfather's hunting rifle aren't evil.

This is a good thing.

Grinding Through Meetings...

...after a travel day, but all good. Snowing at the Secret Hidden Bunker; Alf the Wonder Beagle is beside herself, as she is crazy about snow. I'm glad at least one member of the household is. As we say up near The Wall, "Winter is coming..."

I've been following several Internet threads on various home defense subjects, and I think the thing that jumps out at me is we need to remember ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL! I remember the first time we did a house-clearing type episode of SHOOTING GALLERY, we went to great lengths to explain that, ideally, you lock yourself in a safe room, aim ye olde blunderbuss at the safe room door, call 911 and wait. However, we explained that in the Real World, where we all more or less live, there were legitimate reasons for ignoring that advice, such as kids, visitors, etc. Sometimes you gotta walk down that hallway, and we've tried to show you how to get it done. Still, we got dis'sed all over the place for being "unrealistic."

Ditto on the fact that I am an unrepentant fan of lights and lasers. I've heard the "give your position away" argument many, many...MANY...times. Here's a hint...in your home, the bad person already has a pretty good idea of where you are. This ain't the jungles of Vietnam...if you break into a house at night, the homeowners are likely to be in bed, generally in the bedroom as opposed to, say, the kitchen. Yes, homes are different, but talk to some people who break into homes and you'll quickly come to understand that homes are not THAT different.

I have advocated (and taught) flickering the laser as both a warning to the miscreant that the homeowner is armed AND in possession of a tool to facilitate his or her ventilating said miscreant. The bullet where go wherever the red dot is, whether the person holding the gun is John Wayne or a small person of the female persuasion. This eliminates the, "I don't think you can hit me with that thing" argument for the bad guy.

As to whether a light needs to be on or just intermittent, the answer is, "Depends on your situation." Lots of kids, pets, rats, whatever, leaving lots of crap all over the place, better to burn the light than fall on your face. We saw that working the outdoor simulators at GUNSITE, where the footing can be very dicey. Falling may well be a greater risk that being targeted because of the light. Use enough light to guarantee you remain standing! Also, our much-repeated caveat on gun-mounted lights deserves another mention...for civilians, a firearm-mounted light should always be considered a SECONDARY light source to a handheld light, so you don't point the gun at someone or something you might not want to kill or destroy (sound familiar?)

Home for a Bit...

...from my visits to gun companies. It gives me a chance to talk to company execs before the craziness of the SHOT Show. Yes, advertising has a lot to do with it...TV is an advertising-driven medium, and those guys pay the freight for the shows...but it's also a chance to talk about what's going to be introduced at SHOT, what's in the works, etc. If I have the time, I head for the factory floor...gun factories are cool.

Meanwhile, America is fretting on Tattoo Barbie:

I think people are afraid the Tattoo Barbie will break up Biker Ken's marriage to Hollywood Barbie, or something like that. No wait...something about that sounds familiar...BTW, Alf the Wonder Beagle is particularly taken with the Barbie Dog disguised as a cactus...Alf think the cactus disguise would allow her to get close enough to an elk for a drive-by.

I Love This!

On Legal Insurrection, a funny note on how liberals are not like us.

In our universe, the answer to Nick Kristof's tweet is, "Bang!"

Interesting Day!

Was at Colt today and had my first chance to handle the new Colt Mustang .380s (sorry...no pixs on this...was on short schedule). As you guys know, I've been a big fan of the Mustang...I had one redone by the old Scott, MacDougal Associates back in the late 1980s/early 1990s and used it as my designated pocket pistol (in a Jerry Ahern pocket holster) for years.

Anyhow, was talking to one of the Colt engineers on the little .380, and I pulled one off the test line just to get a feel for it...yes, they're starting to move into the pipeline. Frankly, it is a much tighter gun than my original, and the SA trigger pull was excellent...again, arguably better than the one I carried for years. Sights were better, too. I think I'm definitely going to get one...I wish they'd remake one of the little Government Model .380s...9mm would be even better!

And never, ever let me in the Colt Custom Shop! It makes me want stuff I'm never going to shell out the bucks for!

AAC "Honey Badger"

They just posted photos on their blog...

A Quickie Catch-Up...

...but first, the opening sentence from Stephen Hunter's newest thriller, SOFT TARGET, coming on December 6:

"The bullet hit Santa Claus beneath the left eye."

Well, there you are! You're going to buy it, aren't you? Then, as usual, you're not going to be able to put the darn thing down until you finish it (which I haven't done, BTW, although it kept me awake and reading on an entire transcontinental flight!). I will have a review and, depending on when we start filming GUN STORIES Season 2, maybe a video interview with Steve when we get a little closer to the release date. The book is in the Swagger-Verse, featuring Ray Cruz, introduced in DEAD ZERO.

I see that Colt is going to be entering a version of their Rail Gun in the upcoming Marine Corps (that would be "core," like the apple, as opposed to "corpse," like an inarticulate no-nothing poser might say) competition for a new pistol for Force Recon. Interesting, because Force Recon is currently using up the last of their hand-built 1911A1s. Expect every major manufacturer to put a .45 into those Trials.

If you recall, I liked the Rail Gun I used at GUNSITE a year or so ago so much that I bought that specific gun, the first Colt I'd purchased since my Wilson Combat competition gun back in the mid-1980s. It's a very nice 1911, and, heck, the Marines would be used to the way it works.

I also note the AAC PDW I talked about a while back is coming to fruition. It's a 6-inch barreled AR-platform gun in .300AAC Blackout with a really innovative sliding stock. The gun's designed for a subsonic version of that round but would be fully functional with the hotter variants. Speaking of AAC, I got an email from Brother Dick Heinie when I was vacationing that he's rounded up a slide and a barrel from Nighthawk Custom to build me a threaded barrel 1911 upper with his high fixed sights for suppressor-equipped guns as an adjunct to my Heinie 1911. Recall I was blown away by AAC's John Hollister's Nighthawk .45 ACP fitted with a Ti-Rant suppressor. Probably be a bit until I get the suppressor, since I'm still waiting for paper to clear on a couple of others. At Knob Creek I was told that Class III paperwork is running 120-180 days.

Sigh...

is there any moment so profoundly and sadly bittersweet as the return home from a wonderful vacation? Well, in my case the return at least to the home country if not the specific location designated "home."

My Sweetie and I went to London for 10 days, not to do anything special, but visit museums, sample authentic English ales and generally try to take a deep breath before the sprint to the SHOT Show. It was designed to be low key -- hence my absence from the Internet -- and it succeeded wildly. Maybe I should consider not waiting 4 or 5 years before taking any time off.

I'll be talking a little about the trip on this week's podcast, especially the armory at the Tower of London and the Holland & Holland Gun Room (c'mon, couldn't let those opportunities get away, could I?).

I failed in my search to capture he elusive Herbert Johnson "Poet" fedora, progenator of all Indiana Jones hats. Rather, I found the hat, apparently the last of its kind in the British Isles, in a hi-zoot shop just off Bond Street. It was, however, not my size. Well, simple solution...

"I'd like to place an order for a Poet in my size, and you can ship it too me when it arrives."

"No," said my shopgirl.

"No?"

"No, absolutely not," she said.

"I'll pay in advance, including shipping..."

Steady shaking of the heat...no, nein, nyet, etc.

"How might I buy one of these hats in my size?" I ask

"Be here when the next shipment is delivered," she responded, checking her phone to see if Hugh Grant had called...apparently not...

"When will the next shipment be here?" I asked...seemed like the logical follow-up question, eh?

"We don't know," she said. "They just show up now and again."

"Now and again..." Well, okay. I decided to temporarily shelve my quest (although I've read rumors of an operation in New Zealand that finds old Herbert Johnson "Poets," rehabs them and them, I don't know, sells them to leaders of the Western World or the prop masters for "Dr. Who") and went to a store that actually sold hats. Bates Hats, founded in the late 1800s and the favorite of Tom Jones (also dating from the late 1800s), specializes in class Brit top hats, and I found a MAGNIFICENT grey one...pixs when it gets delivered.

Meanwhile, I come home to find Wall Street occupied by 1968, the U.S. Forest Service launched into another of their pathetically regular antigun jihads, and U.S. troops in Uganda..can't turn my back for a minute, I swear! Not to mention that the Secret Hidden Bunker had its first snow.

As I said before, sigh...


-- Post From The Road

Knob Creek!

Will be there Saturday & Sunday!

Say HI!

MB & the Hound...

...of the Baskervilles..



-- Post From The Road

Hang On...Hang On...

Am still out among the stars...and what is that strange feeling???? Relaxation?

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! Must be related to the beer!

Back soon with stories galore!

And, BTW, with a new book from our friend and star on GUN STORIES Stephen Hunter! That's something to look forward to!

On the Passing of Giant...

Back In The Day, I got to spend some time at the MIT Media Lab...I thought I knew a lot, but these guys blew me away. "You have no idea what's coming," they told me, circa 1988 or so. "The guys at Apple are real smart..."

So I'm in a foreign city, and I wonder what that building across the street is. I turn on the iPhone, point its camera at the building and in a few seconds it tells me the building, it's history and where I am...

Thank you, Steve.

Off Planet!

...for the next 2 weeks...expect light blogging! If I get a wifi connection, I'll punch something up. In the meanwhile, stay safe out there!!!


-- Post From The Road

SURVIVORS — Book Bomb Day!

Go to Amazon and buy my friend Jim Rawles' (from Survival Blog) newest book, SURVIVORS.


Help him hit #1!

My Brother Gets His Hand Slapped...

He who laughs last, etc...

From Drudge:

ESPN yanks Hank for comparing Obama to Hitler
Hank Williams, Jr., the voice famous for asking millions of football fans whether they’re ready for some football, has been pulled from tonight’s broadcast of “Monday Night Football” over a comment he made on Fox News this morning. 

Williams, who sings the lead-in song to the game each week, criticized the president for his golf summit with House Speaker John Boehner this summer.

“It would be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli leader) Benjamin Netanyahu,” Williams told “Fox & Friends.” 

USA Today, among others, picked up the quote, speculating on whether the comparison would get Williams booted from the broadcast . 

This afternoon, ESPN released a statement to the affirmative: 

“While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.”

You're always welcome on SHOOTING GALLERY, my brother! I believe this isn't the first time ESPN has fired you...how many millions did it cost them to get you back last time???

Lazy Sunday...

Hubba-hubba!

...watching "River of No Return," perhaps not Robert Mitchum's greatest role. That's what lazy Sundays are for, though. Managed to eek out a top ten finish in Cheyenne yesterday, largely because of a pretty consistent rifle and finally coming to grips with the Browning BSS double. Makes me feel a little better about my less than stellar performance in the IDPA Worlds. I'm trying to figure out a way to work a little defensive pistol competition into my now-brutal schedule. Not sure whether it's possible or not, but am going to give it a try. I think I talked about it on the podcast, but it's hard (at least for me) to do a couple of shooting sports at the same time.

At this stage in my career...I was tempted to say "late" stage in my career...LOL!...cowboy is my absolute favorite. I love the transition between guns (and can certainly see the huge appeal of 3-Gun). If 3-Gun had hats...

I did drop a note to Wayne Novak abut changing out the sights on the SR9s, the gun I would like to stick with.

Autumnal AR

We did a day of filming for a new opening of SHOOTING GALLERY...it was a lot of riding up and down about 1000 yards of road on a borrowed Beemer, as my Honda Magna was having a bad day. I had my old SG-yellow AR strapped to my back. At one point a sheriff's car drove past. He saw the AR, stopped dead in the middle of the road and apparently called it in (I could see him on the mic). After a couple of minutes, he drove away, because Colorado is an open carry state.

Actually, that particular AR has been a crash test dummy over the last few years. It's a plain vanilla M4-styled carbine from J&T Distributing we built on Season 1 of SG back in the Clinton Ban days when no other show would even touch a nasty black rifle. The old Cav Arms provided the SG-yellow furniture (including a non-collapsable stock to meet the looney requirements of the AWB). Eventually we disabled the trigger to use the gun as a drone to demo with. I always liked the little gun because it's light and fast...I've got a new bolt with one of the miracle coatings waiting for a gun, and I think there's a Timney trigger around here somewhere, so I thought I'd put the gun back in service later this fall (in my "spare" time, LOL!).

Lot of interesting rumors flying around the Internet about the entire BATFE being thrown under the bus to save B-HOs political appointees as "Fast & Furious" burns hotter, brighter and closer to the White House:

Multiple sources, including sources from ATF, DOJ and Congressional offices have said there is a white paper circulating within the Department of Justice, outlining the essential elimination of ATF. According to sources, the paper outlines the firing of at least 450 ATF agents in an effort to conduct damage control as Operation Fast and Furious gets uglier and as election day 2012 gets closer.

Make no mistake about it...AFT needs to get thrown under a bus. It has aways been an agency in search of a mission ever since "revenuers" stopped busting up whisky kegs and started carrying tape measures to see if gun barrels were of legal length...certainly the agency should have been dissolved after the Waco disaster. However, the higher-ups involved in "Fast & Furious," which has claimed hundreds of lives in Mexico and the deaths of 2 American agents while committing an act of war against a friendly power, need to pay. And pay big.