Name That Bribe!

I've got a fun new brain-twister for kids of all ages! Listen up, everyone….what do you think impeached former President and convicted liar Bill Clinton offered Loretta Lynch, ostensibly the number one law enforcement official in the United States, to save the Clinton Foundation Hedge Fund and the Wicked Witch of Chappaqua's campaign for Queen.

Here's a few just to get you started:

• A seat on the soon-to-be-formed Star Chamber
• The Throne of Swords and dominion over all the Seven Kingdoms
• Excalibur
• Her own Caribbean island and lifetime passage on Jeffrey Epstein's private plane
• A seat behind the curtain in Oz
• Bankroll her campaign to unseat Angela Merkel in Germany
• Will Smith
• The chance to become the first Reichsfuhrer of the soon-to-be formed American Schutzstaffel
• A starring roll in the next STAR WARS remake, THE REVENGE OF JAR JAR BINKS
• Her own flavor of Ben And Jerry's Ice Cream, E-MAIL CRUNCH
• Chelsea Clinton as a barge slave (note cultural reference photo above)

Michael B Re-Cast

I went for "subtle..."

"Do not wait for a national audience. Speak on any scale open to you, large or small—to your friends, your associates, your professional organizations, or any legitimate public forum. You can never tell when your words will reach the right mind at the right time. You will see no immediate results—but it is of such activities that public opinion is made.” – Ayn Rand

The War Goes On

From WaPo, "The problem with banning guns for people on the no-fly list"

Particularly when applied to the ability to own a firearm, many would argue that the no-fly list is a violation of the 5th Amendment, which guarantees the right to due process before people are deprived of life, liberty or property. During the ACLU's lawsuit, the government admitted that people are added to the list speculatively, before they've actually done anything wrong.

I got nothing for you here. My personal decision on the election is to follow the National Rifle Association's lead. I do not necessarily have an objection to the existance of such a list per se — just as I have no objection to the FBI surveilling mosques with radical Imans — my criticism is the absence of due process for the people on the list. As Bump notes in this article, the purpose of the no fly/no buy list was never keeping terrorists off airplanes or away from guns. It exists to chip away at people owning guns.

We have walked into a worst case scenario at the worst possible time. Out blood enemies have discovered something that we have known for a long time…the majority of American care as much about gun control as they do about lawn pests. Taken on its own, it is not an issue. We have a far more dedicated electorate than they do.

The only exception to this rule is the period IMMEDIATELY after attack of some sort. Suddenly, the "we've got to do something!" meme, whipped into a frenzy by a compliant, biased media. becomes a Class 5 tornado. But like even a Class 5 tornado, the storm passes pretty quickly. The numbers after Newtown absolutely stunned the antigun movement. The antigunners truly thought they had a tipping point, a fundamental change in the American electorate. Instead, we got truckloads of teddy bears and bad poetry, and the needle of public opinion didn't even move. I would say that because the public at larger, the silent majority, of you will, understand that the "solutions" offered by by the antigun movement are no different that the rites and rituals of a bizarre orthodox church, on par with casting the entrils of chickens. "Universal background checks, "assault weapons bans," increasing the subgroups of people who cannot own or purchase firearms, are little more than ritual chants, disconnected from any reality. The vast majority of the progressive left and their useful idiots know as much about guns and gun crimes as my beagle Newt knows about French cooking.

However, they have taken steps to take full advantage of that short span of time between the attack happens and people step back from their revulsion, essentially a SWAT team of swine focusing solely on emotion. That's where we are now. Every day that passes there's less and less chance of any emotion-driven drivel passing. This was, after all, a TERRORIST ATTACK, not a random shooting, not some twisted kid spun up on antidepressants living out his Klebold and Harris fantasies of running up the score. This was an attack on the United States of America by a representative fo a foreign power…it doesn't matter where he was born, only where his allegiances rest.


So we'll see what next week brings us. The war goes on.

What To Have On Your Person

From a comment on Facebook:

Greg Ellifritz and Grant Cunningham…I deal with this very issue in this week's podcast, which we decided to put up today instead of waiting until Wednesday. I agree with you that what you have on you at the time the balloon goes up is what you will have to deal with the situation. Your car may as well be on the dark side of the moon, or in Mordor. I learned this lesson years ago when I went by a client's office to pick up a check. They ushered my in, locked the door behind me and told me a disgruntled fired emplyee was on his way to "settle the score." The police had been called and were on the phone with ten…they were quoting 15 minutes. "You have a gun, right?" they asked me. "You always have a gun." I sure did…I was in shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops, and I had a Walther TPH .22 and a Spyderco Delica in my pocket. I figured if any hash was going to be settled, it would probably be mine. 

Changed my mind, it did.

I have come to the conclusion that I will start carrying a "man purse" or some sort of bag on a regular basis. Not a huge deal (especially since I live in Colorado, where everyone carries some sort of bag, backpack, etc), as I used to obsessively carry a bicycle messenger bag…I biked a lot (and will again if all this metal they've surgically implanted in my legs actually works) and I obsessively carried a Timbuktu bicycle messenger bag, in a fetching Rasta design. I don't mean to make light here, but in my own community a brightly colored bicycle messenger bag was for all intents and purpises invisible. On the bike or motorcycle, my EDC (then an STI LS9) and extra mags was in the bag. Otherwise, it the gun and an extra mag was on my person. My plan is the gun (now a G26/RMR) and an extra G19 magazine are on my person; the bag will contain the med kit, additional tourniquets, extra magazines, extra fixed blade knife, extra flashlight. Training yourself to carry a bag is not unlike training yourself to carry a gun…you treat it just like a woman's purse, where you go, it goes. It DOES NOT get left in the car! 

Key point, at least for me, gun, relaod, knife and tourniquet on my body! Extras in the bag.

"If the Second Amendment didn't exist, it might have to be invented to meet the current situation."

From "The Zero Knowledge Proof" on PJ Media.

A point I want to make this AM before the Fool In The White House cranks up his teleprompter.

I saw reports overnight, notably on CNN, with the strong implication that the terrorist was himself gay and therefore the attack might be personal in nature. This narrative plays well into the Obama/Hillary/Gun Control meme, because it de-emphasizes radical Islamism.

Ironically, this type of "mixed motivation" event came up in our research for our "mass casualty event" special (which we re now crashing in an effort to get it on the air ASAP). In fact. the "mixed motivation" model was described to us as the model for future events.

In short, both on-line and through personal "recruiters" (who we are no doubt inviting wholesale into our country), the jihadist are looking for men and women with an existing grievance or something in their lives that gives the recruiter a wedge, a fracture, to work with.

It can be the classic "honey pot," which I think is what we saw in San Bernardino. The wife radicalized her already disgruntled husband, who hated his coworkers. The shooter in Orlando, if he indeed had "gay impulses," as had been implied in the MSM, he would be the ideal candidate for radicalization. As a Muslin, he accepted the mainstream view that homosexuals must be "killed out of compassion," but killed nonetheless. If he himself found himself drawn to members of his own sex, that would create the very mental "fracture" that could be filled by jihadist propaganda. It would explain the choice of Pulse over DisneyWorld.

I think, as do my sources, that we will see more of these "mixed motivation" attacks, because from a sheer return-on-investment standpoint, it's a very cost-effective strategy. You don't have to teach anyone how to fly a plane, build a truck bomb, or even get a Genuine Johnny Jihadist Membership Card. You just have to find that fracture, that grievance, that can be expanded into a full-blown terrorist worldview. And, honestly, the jihadists are master of that very thing.

As I have said repeatedly on the podcast, once we have successfully stripped modern society of any meaning — be it religion, patriotism, family, whatever — we are left with a substantial number of people, especially young people, grasping for some sort of meaning. Our minds despise a vacuum. That's why we have the ridiculous situation we now have on our campuses. But jhadism, radical Islam, provides more than just abstract worldview…it provides a preplanned, step-by-step way of life…step on board the escalator and you never have to have an original thought again. Everything is laid out for you.

Moreover, instead of working at the comic book store and living in your mom's basement, you are a Warrior! You are part of a world-wide movement of guys who dress in black and are bad ass dudes, cutting off heads and having women slaves. You are fighting toward a climatic battle between good, the soldiers of Allah, and evil, mom, that guy at work who insulted you and the cheerleader who turned you down for a date…oh yeah, and corrupt Western culture. This is virtually a Frank Frazetta sci-fi fantasy for a certain group of young men. And for that group, that subculture, it's seductive as all get-out.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

--Sun Tzu

Hold the Teddy Bears…

I'm going to say harsh things here.

We are at war. We do not need candlelight vigils, piles of teddy bears, changes to everyone's Facebook profile pages…

We do not need to spend millions of dollars to pour though the shooter's life, writings, computers, phone records in the hopes of find some tiny bit of evidence that allows our purported leaders to a straw to grasp — "Oh, he was crazy…he was anti-gay…he was involved in workplace violence." Anything but the obvious, that we are under attack and the enemy is inside the gates. There are here, and they want to kill us, and they are willing to kill us.

Why a gay nightclub? Try this…in April, a noted Islamic scholar was invited to speak in Florida at the Husseini Islamic Center:

The Husseini Islamic Center of Sanford, FL invited Sheikh Farrokh Sekaleshfar to speak at their Mosque. Dr. Sekaleshfar says the killing of homosexuals is the compassionate thing to do. In a 2013 speech Sheikh Sekaleshfar said this regarding gays, “Death is the sentence. We know there’s nothing to be embarrassed about this, death is the sentence … We have to have that compassion for people, with homosexuals, it’s the same, out of compassion, let’s get rid of them now.” 

When Sheikh Sekaleshfar calls for the death of all homosexuals based on the tenets of Islam it can not be ignored, he is an expert on Shariah Islamiyya or Islamic Law.

It does not matter that the shooter didn't have an Official Jihadist Member Card and decoder ring; it doesn't matter whether the shooter was in contact with Afghanistan, Pakistan or Mars; it doesn't matter whether the shooter had an ISIS flag or a Lady Gaga poster tacked up on the wall of his bedroom. He was a soldier in a war of extermination…against us. It doesn't matter whether he was ordered to kill or inspired to kill by ISIS ideology. The results, blood, are the same.

As terrorism expert and author of DEFEATING JIHAD Sebastian Gorka said today, "We have to wake up. The war is here."

However valiant they might be, the police can't save you. The FBI can't save you. Obama can't save you. 

There is only one first responder you can GUARANTEE will be on the scene, and that first responder is YOU.

1) Dont just be armed, be proficient in the gun you carry! I have been flayed alive for saying you should be able to make a 25-yard head shot and a 50-yard torso shot with your carry gun.  I stand by that statement, and, in fact, double down on it. If you can't make those shots with the gun you presently carry, change guns! Get the training. Do you carry extra ammunition? I certainly didn't back in the day, but I sure as hell do so now.

2) You must have some trauma medical training, or at the very least be carrying a basic trauma kit that INCLUDES a tourniquet that you know how to use. There was a 3-hour lag time in the Orlando attack…THREE HOURS!...you can bleed out in 3 minutes. Once again, you must accept that no one is coming to save you, or the person next to you who is bleeding out. It is on you! 

3) For God's sake, be aware! I will say again that you need to think long and hard about going to events held in gun-free zones. They are killing grounds, and that will not change. It is a decision you must make on your own, and I will not go on record as saying you should break the law, but it is your choice whether to be armed or not, regardless of where you are.

4) Consider a small bag that includes addition medical gear, especially an extra tourniquet, and a spare magazine or 2. What might you need in those 3 minutes, or 3 hours, until help comes? 

5) All I've heard this morning over and over was, "We can't believe this could happen here." Believe it.  I said in my opening that we don't need candlelight vigils, and I know you probably thought that was cruel. It was, because what we need to do while we grieve is to redouble our personal commitment to protect ourselves, to protect our families, to protect those people under our care. We must do this, or we will be killed.

My team and I have spent most of this year creating a "Mass Casualty Event" for THE BEST DEFENSE. My sole reason reason for pushing this through is the save lives. We knew this was coming, and we know that this is not the last attack. We will, on my word, get the special up as quickly as we can.

YOU•ARE•ON•YOUR•OWN

We are at war. It is time for us to pick up the sword and shield. 

All Good!

Home again home again!

Walking...knee flexses and extends...hurts, but hey, not a surprise!

A Perfect Colorado Day!

The Newt and I hiked to the top of the Secret Hidden Bunker Ranch today to see if I could spy NewMexico and Newt could catch a rabbit. Nether of those thing happened, but what a spectacularly beautiful day!

I figured I wanted to hike Newt's Trail because the left knee gets replaced tomorrow, so it'll be a while before I can hike that trail again. I decided to get this done…I still have a lot of rehab remaining on the right leg, which pretty much hurts most of the time…because I'm tired of it all. Time to get it done and over with. I'll do the work, but I don't want to stretch this out any farther than I have to.

Looking forward to some semblance of normality returning at some point in the future.

Talk to you guys when I wake up!

Margarita Monday!

Went with a classic, Solerno Orange Liquer, Corazon Reposada and lemon juice. Ah, the pause that refreshes! Served it with steamed pink Key West shrimp (Old Bay, of course) and a cucumber/black eyed pea salad with Indian spices. Simple, good, ready for night night.

I'm going to link you over to TTAG, because my office computer is off and I can't directly link to the Silencer Shop and their great deal on silencers before 41G kicks in in July. Check it out.

Just a shout out to ROBAR…Freddie Blish called me about making some mods on a Glock frame a year or so ago. I finally came up with a spare G19 frame and sent it to ROBAR to cut to G26 dimension, perform their magic on the frame and do one of their carry triggers. Just got it back…WOW! ROBAR has always done superb work, and with Freddie at the helm that world class quality is a given. I talk about that Glock in this week's podcast. Plus, the only death metal band fronted by a grey parrot!

I mean, where else can you get this stuff???????

Why I Unconditionally Support Donald Trump

This is a comment I posted on FaceBook to Joe Watson, who is a good guy who doesn't believe the same things I do. I have been remiss in posting too much snark, and I think he deserved a fair answer. I thought it was worth reposting here:

Sigh...Joe, it is my opinion (and the opinion of some of the finest activists and Second Amendment attorneys — people who have been on the front lines for DECADES) that there is a good chance the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms cannot survive a Hillary Presidency with taking some brutal hits, or be destroyed altogether. Should she be elected, we will be facing an Executive, a Judicial (remember, Scalia's gone, along with the 5-4 stand on the Second Amendment) and probably a Legislative attack. Secondly, with Obama's successes in weaponizing Federal agencies, we can expect attacks from those agencies, including the IRS, the EPA, Homeland Security, TSA, not to mention a reinvigorated BATFE.

Those agencies along can do staggering damage to the gun culture without any vote in Congress. All it takes is a willingness to wield them against us.

In the face of what I know to be a guaranteed attack from a blood enemy, I do not give a DAMN what Trump said or did years ago, or whether Ted Cruz says this or that, or whether any of the Republican weasels in Congress, who have turned their back on us for years, have to say! If Trump turns on us — which I do not believe will happen based on my own research and my own conversations — so be it. We will face that and deal with it. And we'll likely be able to deal with it from a position of strength. But with Hillary it is all-out war from Day One.

Every minute I spend fighting is a minute I don't spend shooting or hunting or training, the things I love to do. I hate to say it, but when you are my age, those minutes become even more precious. Because of what I do, I will be on the front lines of this battle, if we have to fight it. I accept that, honor it and will bring my A-Game, as always. But I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am bitter that members of this Culture, this BETTER Culture, who have told me for the last 8 years that they stand with the Second Amendment, now say they stand with the Second, except when they don't.

I have repeatedly said, privately and publicly, that I vote guns. This, Joe, is what it means to vote guns. In the face of an overwhelming threat to those things we believe and cherish, I will unequivocally support the opposition that threat. My Grandfather, who was a hard man and a life-taker, told me on my 13th birthday that there were only 2 kinds of people in the whole world — people who stand, and people who don't. That's it. No shades of grey in the middle. No equivocation. He said that would be my decision as I got older, and that I would have to reaffirm that decision every day. You may not like it, and it's fair to say that none of us do, but it is time to stand.

Thoughts in 6 June 2016

First, read this:

Never Trust Anyone Who Hasn’t Been Punched In The Face 

...I think there is a certain worldview that comes from violent experience. It’s something like…manhood. You don’t have to be the world’s greatest badass to be a man, but you have to be willing to throw down when the time is right.

In a wide-ranging interview years ago I was asked for my definition of a "friend." A harder question than you might think — and this was before FB, which has certainly jumbled the definition of "friend" by reducing it to a pushbutton 'accept" or "reject."

I think it's a point to reflect on as we remember D-Day and the Greatest Generation's sacrifice. We as a country said, "This is cause worth dying for. We ask for your sacrifice to save us all." And they responded, and paid the blood price, for our freedom.

So what is a "friend?" A person who shares your secrets, listens to your whining and helps buttress your self-esteem? The guys (or girls) you share adult beverages with every Friday evening? Reasonable answers.

But not my answer. After consideration, I answered that a friend is the person who stands at my back. The interviewer, surprised, said, "Don't you think that's a little…extreme?"

But it wasn't extreme on that cold June morning 72 years ago. Ultimately all words like friendship, like loyalty, like patriotism, like love, must be backed up by deeds, or they are, indeed, just words. A generation of Americans understood that, and we honor them for it.

And we fear for our own future.

John 15:13 — "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

[PHOTO: Contrarian Traveler]

Am Posting...

…just not here. Here's a link to my post on FaceBook. I've been doing more posting there because it is just faster.

MICHAEL'S FACEBOOK POSTS!

Much easier to keep up a running commentary on FaceBook than here on Blogger. I did want to repost this one because it's important. I wrote it in the wake of the San Jose riots, where the police "stood down" so as not to "insight" [their spelling; not mine…I'd say "insight" was damned lacking here] any more rioting:

Speaking from THE BEST DEFENSE's viewpoint, mob violence is a terrifying thing. From my own experience as a "riot reporter" back when I was a Baby Journalist, I was stunned at how fast a "protest" became a "riot" becoming potentially lethal. A personal experience — at the last Weatherman above ground action, the assault on the Vietnamese embassy on Dupont Circle in D.C., it had been billed as a simple protest march. Because even back then I was paranoid, I had my own gas mask and a SHTF bag with me, as I figured it would turn into a riot, which it did. I got caught between "opposing lines," so I dove under an SUV to crawl out of the other side and get clear. My action was hastened when the car in from of the truck I was under took a Molotov cocktail and exploded. You've never seen somebody get out from under a car that fast!

My point is that once the mental balloon goes up and the crowd transitions into the pack mentality we see in the photo, it is only a very short step to lethal danger. You need to be aware of how quickly that transition can take place, and you need to THINK NOW about how you will respond. If you are taken to the ground, at the mercy of kicks from hiking boots or iron-toed work boots, you are screwed. Ditto if you're simply overpowered by the crowd.

What to do? First, be aware of your surroundings. I have seen people literally walk or drive into the middle of a pitched battle between rioters and police, then look up and start shouting, "What's going on?" Don't let that be you. Accept that even those calm "protesters" can turn like a mad dog at the right provocation. Do not engage protestors in arguments! You wouldn't poke a mad dog with a stick, would you? You wouldn't even poke a friendly dog like Newt with a stick.

Secondly, always know where your best, and fallback, exits are, keeping in mind that the mob will tow you along with it. Work yourself toward the edges, or better yet, if you have to be there, STAY on the edges!

Be armed, but be aware that unless you have an MP5 in your SHTF pack, your weapons is not necessarily going to get you out of trouble. Your brain is weapon you need here. DO NOT BRANDISH A WEAPON! That's waving red meat in front of the Khalessi's pet dragons. Instead, think of your weapon as a last ditch tool to buy you enough time to get out of the mob and behind police lines. There's a reason behind every cliche, and certainly "cut and run" comes to mind. Also remember that the police will not know YOU from THEM, and act accordingly. I've been hauled off to jail...it happens, and they've always cut me loose after we've sorted out the what's what/who's who.

Best solution...don't poke the dog with a stick; keep your head in the game; always work toward the edges...or don't be there in the first place!

REMEMBER:

YOU . ARE . ON . YOUR . OWN!!!

The Debt that Can Never be Repaid

Find the cost of freedom

Buried in the ground

Mother Earth will swallow you

Lay your body down

My thoughts today are also with my father, Robert R. Bane, USN, Pacific Theater, who could never quite find the path that would take him all the way home. Rest in peace, Dad. 

The Absent Michael Bane

Sorry…as you probably figured out, I've been on a huge production swing. In the last 6 weeks I've:

• Filmed the "Mass Casualty Event" that's going to really shine
• Went to GUNSITE and did a week of high-speed videography
• Worked with Marshal to film the first 5 SHOOTING GALLERY ONLINE episodes
• Produced a couple of commercials for Academy Sports
• Did all 3 days of the NRA Convention
• Spent 2 days at the FBI Academy filming for the Dillinger GUN STORIES ep
• Spent the rest of the week at the NRA Museum filming with Joe Mantegna
• Some other stuff I've probably blotted out of my mind

Last night I had an absolutely wonderful dinner with Steve Hunter, his daughter Amy (now working at the NRA) and my good friend Lars, who has shifted over to the political side of the NRA. It was one of those dinners that I wish all of you could have been there with us! Conversation swung wildly from politics to the Battle of Pavia in 1525 and all points in between. And yes, Bob Lee Swagger did come up.

Things should return to normal — hectic, but not completely crazy — next week, so I will continue with my blathering!

Thanks for your patience!

Guy Clark, R.I.P.

A friend, a songwriter of unsurpassed genius. Go with God, brother. Say "hi" to Merle for me.

The Guitar

Well, I was passing by a pawn shop

In an older part of town

Something caught my eye

And I stopped and turned around

I stepped inside and there I spied

In the middle of it all

Was a beat up old guitar

Hanging on the wall.

What do you want for that piece of junk

I asked the old man

He just smiled and took it down

and he put it in my hand

He said you tell me what it's worth

You're the one who wants it

Turn it up, play a song

And let's just see what haunts it

So I hit a couple of cords

In my old country way of strumming

And then my fingers turned to lightning

Man...I never heard it coming

It was like I always knew it

I just don't know where I learned it

It wasn't nothin' but the truth

So I just reared back and burned it

Well I lost all track of time

There was nothing I couldn't pick

Up and down the neck

I never missed a lick

The guitar almost played itself

There was nothing I could do

It was getting hard to tell

Just who was playing who

When I finally put it down

I couldn't catch my breath

My hands were shaking

And I was scared to death

The old man finally got up

Said where in the Hell you been

I've been waiting all these years

For you to stumble in

Then he took down an old dusty case

Said go on and pack it up

You don't owe me nothing

And then he said good luck

There was something spooky in his voice

And something strange on his face

When he shut the lid

I saw my name was on the case

SHOOTING GALLERY ONLINE

It was a pretty "gunny' week last week even though Marshal and I worked out butts off laying the ground work for SHOOTING GALLERY ONLINE, a long-time dream of ours that will be available on the upcoming OC app — anytime, anywhere, any platform.

Much, much more on that later, but I will be filming for SGO at the NRA Convention. BTW, on the broadcast side, we're wrapping up GUN STORIES WITH JOE MANTEGNA and will start filming Season 17 of SHOOTING GALLERY in June. SG is now the most successful shooting show ever, based on all criteria — ratings, sponsorship and longevity.

My 2.75-inch Redhawk .44 Magnum came back from Hamilton Bowen last week…and it is PERFECT! Hamilton did his usual masterful tune-up and added the longer Redhawk firing pin we've discussed here before. The little Redhawk also sports Bowen sights and is regulated for Garrett "Defender" 310-gr bullets at 25 yards.

It immediately goes into service as my EDC here at the Bunker, what with all the hungry bears waking up.

Secondly, I have happily finally finished debugging my Wilson Combat .458 SOCOM problem child. Of course, it wasn't a "for real" Wilson Combat complete gun…even though, yes, I wrote the book on Wilson Combat…LOL! I got the upper from Wilson years ago, just in time for the ammo crisis. So I had an upper and could not get either loaded ammo or components, so I just sat it aside for a time.

When I was able to buy loaded ammo (Wilson and SBR) and Starline finally did a run of brass, I put the project on the front bought a lower from Wilson (hey…standardization of logos) and a single stage Timney trigger and put the thing together. Whereupon it flatly refused to run…multiple feed problems from standard aluminum mags. Bill recommended Lancers, and that was better, but I still had some hiccups. As I mentioned before, I found an article that suggested 2 modifications to the mags — a half-moon cut in the front of the mag to make it easier for that big bullet to exit and slightly bending the front of the magazine lips to let the nose of the .458 sit higher than a 5.56. I gave it a try, and the problems seemed to vanish.

About that time Wilson started offering Lancers marked as .458 SOCOM…I got a couple and they work perfectly.

Verdict? The little carbine is a PERFECT hog gun, which is its intended role! I'll be doing load development while I'm laid up from Knee #2 replacement in June. Right now it's fitted with a Burris AR-1X sight, but there might be a Nightforce NXS 1-4x with my name on it in the future.

We also did a demo showing the difference in recoil in Ruger LCRs in .9mm (my personal choice), .38 Special +P and .327 Magnum. The 9mm and .38 were Corbon DPXs; the .327 Federal Hydra-shocks. Then had some fun with my JP 9mm carbine, ringing the 120 yard head plate from the bench and doing 60 yard off-hand head shots…this is with ARMSCOR ball, no less.

Finally, we found the Gunwriters' Conundrum. I had a bunch of multicolor guns from SCCY Firearms. The are all-American made polymer-framed DAO 9mms.

Truthfully, I hadn't given them much thought. But my FFL dealer, which is owned by 2 very knowledgeable, very savvy trainers (in fact, it's mostly a training facility) told me the only guns they actually stock are the SCCYs, that they've sold a ton of them and that the owners were extremely happy.

When I saw them at SHOT I realized the company was owned by a couple of friends of mine and available in the entire Martha Steward palette of colors…okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but they do have a very festive line. I looked up a number of reviews; some were very positive; some were very negative. So SCCY sent me a selection of colors, and we're going to do a long term test for SGO. But I did want to do a quick into of the guns.

Here's where the Gunwriters Conundrum comes in. The first SCCY I shot (ARMSCOR ball again…ARMSCOR is, thankfully, a sponsor), in teal, which is very fashionable, had 2 light strikes in the first 10 round mag. I had maybe one light strike per mag afterwards.

This is not a big deal to me until AFTER break-in (100-200 rounds), then it is a VERY big deal. The trigger was long, but not any heavier than a Ruger revolver. I did notice I wasn't getting the hits on my 20 and 25-yard head plates that I expected. Marshal said we needed to change colors for video, went in and came back with a purple SCCY (probably an homage to Prince). I loaded it up and it ran like a champ…same trigger, but no light strikes, no problems whatsoever. So I decided to pay attention to the trigger pull and went 5 for 5 on the 25-yard head plate and 4 for 5 on the 60 yard Action Targets torso. In fact, even with the heavy trigger, it was fun to shoot. Yes, it's snappy…all lightweight 9mms (including the Ruger LCR, the Shield, the Sig 928, fill-in-the-blank) are snappy.  It's physics…get over it. All DAO trigger pulls will be harder to deal with than the striker-fired or single-action semiautos, but someone, back in the days when the DA revolver ruled the roost, we all learned to deal with it. Ed McGivern's records weren't set with super-tuned triggers! Guns are made of plastic and steel and don't adapt very well, but we primates are whizzes at adaptability.

We used up the rest of the 9mm we had with us on the purple SKKY no problemo.

Here's the conundrum…extrapolating from a set size of "1" doesn't necessarily tell us anything, yet that's what gunwriters do routinely. We're going to do more extensive tests for SGO, and I'm going to rotate through the guns I have on hand. I will also talk to the company owners on the light strikes in the teal gun. And yes, because the company is run by friends of mine (not sponsors, but friends), I'd love to see them succeed even more than they're doing now. Further, I think there is a very real need for an inexpensive, effective EDC gun, and the SCCYs are available at an MSRP of $340, typically less than $300 in a shop.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NRA SHOW! TWO SIGNINGS — THE KAHR BOOK FROM 2-3PM ON FRIDAY AND THE OC BOOTH 11-11:30AM ON SATURDAY. Please come by and see me or I'll be sad and lonely!!!

Gosh...wondervwhat this might be????

Sneak Peak!!!!

Yes! It exists!

GUN GUY

The Rise of America's Most Influential Custom Shop, 

Wilson Combat

by

BILL WILSON

Michael Bane

With an Introduction by

Ken Hackathorn

 

AVAILABLE FOR ORDER direct from WILSONCOMBAT.COM beginning May 20th or pick up a signed copy at the WILSON COMBAT booth #4262 at the annual NRA show in Louisville, KY May 20-22. Book signing Friday and Saturday 2-4pm and Sunday 10am-Noon.

Here's Bill's presser:

GUN GUY
Bill Wilson

Authors: Bill Wilson with Michael Bane
Forward by Ken Hackathorn
Introduction by Michael Bane

Back cover copy:

This is the story of Bill Wilson and his passion for life in the gun culture, and of
his world famous company WILSON COMBAT. Bill is, what many people refer to as, a “self made man”. Starting out from humble beginnings in the small town of
Berryville, in northwest Arkansas, he has taken his passion for firearms and
shooting and turned it into a successful competition shooting career and business. Beginning with a keen interest in guns, Bill has been eating and sleeping gun stuff since the 1960s. He is one of the rare breed called “GUN GUYS” and this is his personal journey and that of WILSON COMBAT, the premier custom gun company in America.

Also included are educational chapters, from Bill, with useful information on firearm selection, improving shooting skills, firearm maintenance and handloading ammunition. Additionally, photo chapters showcasing pistols built by the early pioneers of custom 1911s and unique deluxe pistols created by Wilson Combat are included.

This unique book is a combination of educational material as well as Bill’s personal biography and the history of Wilson Combat.

Chapters:

1. The Early Years Pg 1
2. The Drive to Excel in Competition Shooting Pg 12
3. Watchmaker or Gunsmith? Pg 35
4. Couldn’t Have Done It Without Them Pg 54
5. The Need for Parts Pg 64
6. The Complete Wilson Combat Pistol Pg 80
7. Life Beyond the 1911 Pg 95
8. Wilson Combat Today (2016) Pg 121
9. The Second Generation - Ryan Takes the Helm Pg 145
10. Blessed with a Wonderful Family Pg 154
11. IDPA - Putting the ‘P’ Back in ‘Practical’ Pg 173
12. Bill’s Favorite Guns Pg 197
13. A Passion for Hunting Pg 226
14. Still Shooting After All These Years Pg 252
15. Finally A Texan Pg 261
16. Firearm Maintenance Bill’s Way Pg 272
17. Handloader, not Re-loader Pg 289
18. Bill’s Favorite Handgun Training Drills Pg 296
19. Bill’s Buds Pg 314
20. Guns of the Past Masters Pg 338
21. Wilson Combat Unique and Deluxe Pistols Pg 358

6" x 9" Hard cover, 4 color with dust jacket
386 pages
390 photos
$34.95

Some Specific Thoughts on How Those of Us in the Gun Culture Need to See the Coming Election

You know where I stand — unconditionally against the presumptive Democratic nominee. I have said that I am willing to vote for the "Best of Show" from the Westminster Kennel Club as long as he or she has an (R) after her name. That's because I vote guns, and the choice seems pretty simple to me. Let me list the ways:

• The Democratic nominee has called for "Australian style" gun confiscation if elected. Let me repeat that; The The Democratic nominee is in favor of door-to-door confiscation of legally owned firearms. 

• The Democratic nominee has stated her specific opposition the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court rulings in Heller and McDonald that interpreted the Second Amendment as an individual right. There is no doubt that should she be elected and quickly fills the currently empty seat, the Bloomberg organization, with it's unlimited funds, with push a 2A case to challenge to the Supreme Court ASAP.

• Because of the recent death of Justice Scalia, the incoming President will be able to immediately either shift or retain the 5-4 majority that passed both Heller and McDonald. Given the ages of several other Justices, the incoming President will likely have the power to change the Court for at least a generation. 

• The Democratic nominee has stated she will spend "every day" of her Presidency thinking of ways to destroy the "gun culture," e.g., "us." 

• The Democratic nominee unconditionally favors banning "assault weapons" and other non-specifiedd "guns." Any new assault weapons ban would likely be modeled on the bill proposed after Sandy Hook, which is far more restrictive and far more specific than the Bill Clinton AWB. That is, it would ban guns by name, as opposed to by some vague set of specifications, e.g. wording such as "…this legislation bans the possession all guns derived from the AR-15/M-4/AR-10 platform, or using any version, caliber or modification of the AR-15 lower and/or upper receiver and any other firearm using a operating system derived from a current military platform such as the AK-47, the M1A/M-14, etc., including but not limited to, the Ruger SR556, the Ruger AR556, the Ruger SR762, the Ruger SR22, the Ruger Mini-14…and on and on. 

• The Democratic nominee opposes concealed, open and Constitution carry and will support Federal legislation to curtail or eliminate these Fundamental rights. 

• The Democratic nominee supports universal background checks that would completely eliminate the private sale of firearms, even to family members. Under the Bloomberg Model bill adopted in Colorado and Washington and the only bill that has been mentioned as a model, the definition of the word "transfer," long defined by BATFE as "transfer of ownership," the standard BATFE still uses, would be changed to "transfer of possession," e.g. the physical act of handing a gun to anyone is defined as a "transfer" and as such must go through an Federally licensed dealer. Loaning a gun to a competition shooter whose gun has gone down or loaning a rifle to your friend for hunting season would be banned by Federal law. As originally drafted by Bloomberg's antigun attorneys, the law was so broad-reaching that, technical, it would be illegal, a felony, to allow someone to "house-sit" in your home if you had weapons locked in a safe, even if the house-sitter had no knowledge of the combination nor any other way to access your personal firearms.

• The Democratic nominee has called for he elimination of the law protecting firearms manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits and has in fact called for people to be able to sue gun manufacturers for criminals' use of stolen guns. 

• The Democratic nominee has called for a huge expansion of gun bans for "domestic violence," to include the "sexual assault" allegations built into the "Yes Means Yes" legislation currently in place on most college campuses and written into law in liberal states. This is a massive expansion of gun bans and. based on the current laws circumvents 4th and 5th Amendments Fundamental Rights. 

• Previously, the the Democratic nominee has called for the registration of all handguns and federal licensing of all handgun owners. 

• The Democratic nominee has a NRA rating of "F." From the NRA: "Hillary Clinton's extreme views are completely out of touch with the American people." 

• The Democratic nominee has received awards from antigun organization. 

• The Democratic nominee has vowed to do everything in her power to destroy the NRA, America's largest civil rights organization.

OTOH, here is the platform of the Republican nominee as it relates to the Second Amendment and guns. Every point of this platform has been backed up in speaking engagements by the presumptive nominee. It is consistent with information I gleaned from my personal conversations with Donald Trump Jr. prior to the beginning of the campaign, and it is consistent with information I have heard from other 2A activists who have had direct contract with the Trumps.

PROTECTING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN 

Donald J. Trump on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms 

The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.

The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans. The Constitution doesn’t create that right – it ensures that the government can’t take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.

It’s been said that the Second Amendment is America’s first freedom. That’s because the Right to Keep and Bear Arms protects all our other rights. We are the only country in the world that has a Second Amendment. Protecting that freedom is imperative. Here’s how we will do that:

Enforce The Laws On The Books

We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. The Obama administration’s record on that is abysmal. Violent crime in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and many others is out of control. Drug dealers and gang members are given a slap on the wrist and turned loose on the street. This needs to stop.

Several years ago there was a tremendous program in Richmond, Virginia called Project Exile. It said that if a violent felon uses a gun to commit a crime, you will be prosecuted in federal court and go to prison for five years – no parole or early release. Obama’s former Attorney General, Eric Holder, called that a “cookie cutter” program. That’s ridiculous. I call that program a success. Murders committed with guns in Richmond decreased by over 60% when Project Exile was in place – in the first two years of the program alone, 350 armed felons were taken off the street.

Why does that matter to law-abiding gun owners? Because they’re the ones who anti-gun politicians and the media blame when criminals misuse guns. We need to bring back and expand programs like Project Exile and get gang members and drug dealers off the street. When we do, crime will go down and our cities and communities will be safer places to live.

Here’s another important way to fight crime – empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement is great, they do a tremendous job, but they can’t be everywhere all of the time. Our personal protection is ultimately up to us. That’s why I’m a gun owner, that’s why I have a concealed carry permit, and that’s why tens of millions of Americans have concealed carry permits as well. It’s just common sense. To make America great again, we’re going to go after criminals and put the law back on the side of the law-abiding.

Fix Our Broken Mental Health System

Let’s be clear about this. Our mental health system is broken. It needs to be fixed. Too many politicians have ignored this problem for too long.

All of the tragic mass murders that occurred in the past several years have something in common – there were red flags that were ignored. We can’t allow that to continue. We need to expand treatment programs, because most people with mental health problems aren’t violent, they just need help. But for those who are violent, a danger to themselves or others, we need to get them off the street before they can terrorize our communities. This is just common sense.

And why does this matter to law-abiding gun owners? Once again, because they get blamed by anti-gun politicians, gun control groups and the media for the acts of deranged madmen. When one of these tragedies occurs, we can count on two things: one, that opponents of gun rights will immediately exploit it to push their political agenda; and two, that none of their so-called “solutions” would have prevented the tragedy in the first place. They’ve even admitted it.

We need real solutions to address real problems. Not grandstanding or political agendas.

Defend The Rights of Law-Abiding Gun Owners

GUN AND MAGAZINE BANS. Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. That’s been proven every time it’s been tried. Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like “assault weapons”, “military-style weapons” and “high capacity magazines” to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.

BACKGROUND CHECKS. There has been a national background check system in place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer – which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check – they get their guns from friends/family members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.

NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY. The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.

MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we need to allow them to defend themselves.

There is not one single thing in that platform that I disagree with. In fact, I could have written that. It is a nearly perfect stand on guns and the Second Amendment. This is, my friends, as good as it gets.

FROM AN ACTIVIST'S STANDPOINT...

I think you will all accept my credentials as a Second Amendment activist and my work for the gun culture...I don;t need to reiterate, but if anyone asks I will be happy to provide my comprehensive resume and, if you desire, references.

The criticism of Trump from our culture seems to center around what Trump might do based on previous statements. Once again, my personal conversations with Donald Trump Jr. — and Trump lists his children as the single biggest influences on his opinions — Trump Sr. fully understands our issues and why his earlier positions were incorrect. I believe Trump. I also believe that Trump can and does carry a handgun for self-defense. That makes him a card-carrying member of our culture. Other than Rick Perry, he remains the only Republican candidate who actually exercised Second Amendment rights.

Whether Trump like big game hunting or not, he stood by his sons unconditionally in the feces-storm they went through and he refused to back down on the conservation issues involved in big game hunting.

From an activist standpoint, if I'm going to have to fight, I would MUCH RATHER fight a turncoat elected on a Second Amendment platform than a dedicated Alinsky-ite who ran on a gun confiscation platform and has the 100% support of her party. Even if Trump pulled a 180-degree turn — which I do not believe he would do — we could stop that cold, especially if his coattails allow us to keep the House and Senate, or even one of the Chambers. We stopped the antigun initiative after Sandy Hook, after all.

But with the election of the presumptive Democratic nominee, we will be fighting an unprecedented multi-front, heavily funded, totally immoral and unethical battle. We will be facing not only the Executive and Legislative branches, but a "weaponized" Supreme Court and a full frontal assault of "weaponized" agencies, including the IRS, the SEC, the EPA, Homeland Security, another crooked Attorney General with expanded powers, BATFE and the FBI let off the leash — you name it and the successful Democratic nominee will weaponize it and aim it directly at our heads.

And quite frankly, I believe that if the Democratic Party goes "all in," something they've dreamed of for decades — if they finally decide to go door-to-door — there is a potential approaching certainty that this does indeed come to guns, to a Second Civil War that has the potential to make the first one look like a Sunday church social. The Democrats either don't know or don't care that they're juggling lit matches and sticks of dynamite. But we do! And it is incumbent on us to stop dancing around the abyss, take a step back and make this country great again.

I've repeatedly said, sarcastically, "What difference does it make?"

THIS IS MY ANSWER. THERE ARE NO NON-COMBATANTS, NO CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS, NO "STANDING ON MY PRINCIPLES" COWARDS, NO "I DIDN'T GET WHAT I WANTED SO I'M TAKING MY FOOTBALL AND GOING HOME."  YOU ARE WITH US, OR YOU ARE AGAINST US. VOTE GUNS, OR REAP THE WHIRLWIND.

An Apology as I Try to Figure Out the Best Way to Go Forward on the Internet

I have just finished a 3-week stretch of filming, including 2 weeks on GUN STORIES WITH JOE MANTEGNA and our spectacular "mass casualty event" special. Every spare moment between actually running the cameras has been time spent on scripting, production planning for SHOOTING GALLERY and working with the Advertising Department.

Today is my day off…Marshal comes in tomorrow and we start work on digital projects. That will be followed next week by a 2-day ad shoot I am producing and directing, and then I leave for the NRA Show [SATURDAY NIGHT…MICHAEL BUYS THE BEER!]. I go straight from NRA back to GUN STORIES.

PLEASE don't take this as a complaint! I love what I do and feel truly blessed to be able to do it. We received at 3rd "save" for THE BEST DEFENSE this year, a friend of mine. I believe the mass casualty event special will be quite literally revolutionary, a game changer that we all believe can and will save lives. PLus, some major changes are coming to OC Digital, changes Marshal and I have been working toward for years. Honestly, we have no idea how the time commitments are going to shape up.

But I am now trying to figure out how to re-balance my life. Rehab takes up a huge chunk of time, and the fact that I have made the decision to have the second knee replaced in early June is only going to add to this weight. Both my physical therapist and my surgeon feel strongly that the rehab of my shattered right leg is being hindered by my badly slagged left knee. I gotta suck it up and get this done or I am never doing to be able to get back in shape.

The blog gets the short shrift. I'm working on posting to the blog and FaceBook simultaneously, which will help keep this site up to date. I anticipate posting more here as I move into June. Secondly, I am pulling at least a third of SHOOTING GALLERY filming back into Colorado, plus at least a part of THE BEST DEFENSE. Yes, this makes me a major hypocrite…lol! One more sin to add to my already long list. But I've simply run out of options. I've got to get these production schedules under control, and I've got to open up some additional time for digital production. That's not to mention the fact that for scripting, I need access to my own extensive reference library and my second "reference library" of firearms and my range here at the Secret Hidden Bunker.

In 2015 I had done 150 nights out until I trashed my knee, well on track to beat my 2014 record of 160 nights out. I already have 2 international trips planned for this year.

Anyhow, I thought it was only far to bring you guys up to speed! It's all good...

And Now, This...

From Newser:

Irate Beaver 'Takes Man Hostage' 

A rogue beaver struck terror into the heart of a man making his way home late at night in the Latvian city of Daugavpils, according to a local newspaper report picked up byLatvian Public Broadcasting. The man, identified only as Sergei, says the beaver ran out of some bushes and suddenly bit him. He fell over as he tried to fight the rodent off and was bitten again as he tried to get up. In what USA Today describes as a "Kafkian nightmare," Sergei phoned police as the beaver "held him hostage" and refused to let him get up, only to have his plea for help allegedly dismissed as a prank call.

Have I not been warning you all of the Beaver Apocalypse for months, ne, years??? Be ready for the sound of slapping tails!!!!

Dick Thomas, R.I.P.

From my friend Ken Hackathorn this morning:

Just a note to inform you our good friend Dick Thomas passed away on Sunday, April 17. 

As you know Dick was a founding member of IPSC and IDPA. It was Dick who convinced Jeff Cooper to come to Columbia, MO. to teach a pistol shooting class...which Jeff turned in to an advanced combat pistol class and conference to form IPSC...as such, many of us often called Dick Thomas "IPSC Father." 

While I came up with the idea of a 3-gun match, it was Dick who pitched the idea of hosting the first SOF convention in Columbia, MO so that the Ray Chapman range could be the site of the first SOF 3-Gun match. Also, Dick was the guy that pitched the idea of a grand pistol shooting even to John Bianchi. 

We all have great memories of Dick's adventures and while he enjoyed hunting in Alaska and Africa, I remember one of his favorite South Africa hunting memories was shooting "blue-balled monkeys" from the trees with his favorite P35 Browning. 

You may wish to mention his passing on your blog.

Dick was a friend and a font of knowledge about practical shooting. I think that most of the people shooting the practical disciplines today have no idea where the sports came from, the people who spent hours and hours and not unsubstantial risks to create something new under the sun. They were heady time, exciting times and we felt that we were changing the world. I suppose we did.

And so the time of the giants passes.

Go with God, brother.

WHEW! Tired, But a Great Day!

Spent the day with my friends at Lipsey's in Baton Rouge. Great folks and friends for many years. and they have some really great guns. That Sig 220 SAO in 10mm calls out to me. And the food!!!!

Mr. Knee is tired, but it did okay today. I think I walked about 100 miles across the Houston Airport.

One of my biggest problems with writing script for GUN STORIES is I get caught up in the gun's story. This is by way of explaining why I'd going to buy a Desert Eagle in .50 AE. I  think I'm going to use it to stalk and slay steam powered locomotives...or perhaps that giant Corporate-Billboard-O-Saurus in the last JURASIC PARK movie. I'm pretty sure it'd be hell on rabbits.

If I think of everything I have to do between now and the end of May, I might go into seizures.

I Can't Believe It's Almost Monday Again!

How do these things happen?

At least yesterday I sucked it up and shot a cowboy match, my first match of any kind in almost 7 months. We chose a 4-stage local cowboy match because I figured I could survive 4 stages without falling down and wailing like a clubbed baby harp seal. Plus, as I mentioned on FB, cowboy has less movement than any of the options.

It was a perfect day for a match! Also a perfect day to see old friends I haven't seen in a year. Picking up the cowboy guns after a long period of ARs, semiauto pistols and shotguns was really really fun…I guess you can call them old friends, too. I did change rifles…when the Mirouku 1873 Winchesters came out a couple of years back, I ordered on immediately, because I wanted 1873 Winchester roll-marked "Winchester," even if it was made in Japan. Nothing against the Ubertis…I've shot the crap out of them over a decade or so, and they are fine rifles. 

When I got the rifle I sent it to Ken Griner at Griner GunWorks, who has done all my long gun work on the cowboy guns for years now. I told Ken not to completely "cowboy competition" it out, which was definitely the right decision. The Griner Winchester is smooth, smooth smooth and was a dream to shoot. Heck, a color-case hardened Winchester Short Rifle may well be in my future. Well, really I'd love to have a Mirouku Winchester 1892 in .44 Magnum after a little slicking up. Well, if it started raining money, I would go for one of my friend Val Forgett's Navy Arms Winchester 1873 factory customs — Turnbull color-case hardened, factory short-stroked, excellent wood, and a flat shotgun-styled buttplate. It is a damn nice rifle!

Anyway, I had a wonderful match, hobbling to 12th place out of 32 shooters. Luckily, one of the stages was "stand and shoot," and it gave me a chance to smoke. I have to mention that my Sweetie, who hasn't touched a cowboy gun in almost a year, finished 5th overall and first woman. And she looked cool doing it!

I am profoundly glad there were only 4 stages. The leg held up, but after a couple of hours it hurt like hell…not a big surprise to me! LOL! Iced it a lot, but last night was kinda a loooooooooooong night, to be sure.  I did a bicycle and stretching workout today, plus upper body, plus a walk with Newt, so it feels okay. Spent some time today researching the PK/PKM machine guns, since it as on the verge of raining all day, then cooked up some honey glazed salmon (heavy on New Mexico Red chii powder, light on honey…add dijon mustard to taste).

And yes, I am watching the beginning of the new season of OUTLANDER tonght, sipping a snifter of The Balvenie Double Wood, aged 12 years. It is the color of liquid gold. BTW, the battle of Culloden Moor was took place on 16 April 1746. Lotta McBane blood in the swamp!

Merle Haggard, R.I.P.

I wish a buck was still silver

It was back when the country was strong

Back before Elvis

Before the Vietnam war came along

Before The Beatles and 'Yesterday'

When a man could still work, still would

The best of the free life behind us now

And are the good times really over for good?

Are we rolling down hill

Like a snowball headed for Hell?

With no kind of chance

For the Flag or the Liberty Bell

Wish a Ford and a Chevy

Could still last ten years, like they should

Is the best of the free life behind us now?

Are the good times really over for good?

I wish Coke was still Cola

And a joint was a bad place to be

It was back before Nixon lied to us all on TV

Before microwave ovens

When a girl could still cook and still would

The best of the free life behind us now

Are the good times really over for good?

Are we rolling down hill

Like a snowball headed for Hell?

With no kind of chance

For the Flag or the Liberty Bell

Wish a Ford and a Chevy

Could still last ten years, like they should

Is the best of the free life behind us now?

Are the good times really over for good?

Stop rolling down hill

Like a snowball headed for Hell

Stand up for the Flag

And let's all ring the Liberty Bell

Let's make a Ford and a Chevy

Still last ten years like they should

The best of the free life is still yet to come

The good times ain't over for good

Who Knew? There Actually ARE Limits!

From The People's Cube:

San Francisco Furry Parade denied permit: 'too weird' 

San Francisco, CA - San Francisco is the City of Love for some, but it had little love for the Furries when they asked for a parade permit. Not only did the authorities deny permit, they told the furries that they were demented and should never visit the city again. It came as a surprise to all of us that they would respond with so much hostility to something so progressive. 

Currently, San Francisco city are sued by FENEC Adventures, Anthrocon Inc, and Anthropomorphic Arts and Education, Inc. for civil rights violations.

Mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, explained: "We have our limits. It applies to people who think they are animals and engage in bestiality. These people are freaks and should be dealt with accordingly. If I had the power, I would put them in the nuthouse. San Francisco is going through some wild times already; we don't want to make it way too wild. There's plenty of existing diverse groups they can join instead of creating yet another freak show.” 

One area resident opined, "We already have weird gay orgies at Folsom Street Fair with people dressed up as animals and acting like animals. How is this any different?”

Of course, it was an April Fool joke, as Furries are an important and respected part of the pantheon of progressives, unless of they're rubbing up against you and they're all icky-sticky like. But who am I to judge? They're certainly not nearly as weird as Chelsea Clinton.

Oddly, I was driving to Boulder one day a few months ago and right in the middle of some ranch land, where I expect to see the resident flock of wild turkeys, a group of Furries were having what appeared to be a tea party. It was very Alice Through the Looking Glass, not something one sees on the fringes of Cowboy World. Of course, Furries may actually be a political party in Boulder, whereas a few miles north in Wyoming they'd be a food source.

I considered stopping, since I am nothing if not the soul of diversity and I figured your average Furry could make a wicked pot of tea. But, upon reflection, I decided to check my privilege and roll on.

I expect more of this sort of thing as American continues circling the Great Drain of History, life being a cabaret, ole chum, and all that. 

Talked to Hamilton Bowen yesterday ("talk" being a euphemism for "email"). He's got one of my 2 1/2 inch .44 Magnum Redhawks he'd been doing a little housecleaning on. One of the hold-ups has been while he searched for a manufacturer for extra-long firing pins for Redhawks. A typical issue with the ingenious single spring system that operates for both the hammer and trigger (unlike the Super Redhawk, which went back to the more traditional mainspring/trigger spring system) which makes tuning the gun problematical. Sometimes reduced power springs work perfectly; sometimes they introduce the occasional light strike, which is not good for a gun designed as back-up for dangerous game…really really needs to go bang when you need it to go bang.

Hamilton's solution  [Ruger Redhawk Ignition Problems] was to install a longer firing pin and, paradoxically, a heavier spring.

For all of its utility, however, the Redhawk has a Achilles heel in the form of weak ignition due to its unique main/trigger spring arrangement, firing pins and the transfer bar safety system. It is not unknown for box-stock, brand new guns to suffer from weak ignition in certain circumstances, even with factory ammunition. For a gun that is often carried afield as not only a primary hunting weapon but a back-up gun, this is a serious shortcoming and must be addressed. 

The dual-action spring system, while ingenious, is often part of the problem since, to reduce felt single-action pull weights, owners have employed reduced-pressure mainsprings instead of tuning the sear surfaces for improved trigger action and weight. Using any sort of reduced mainspring in a standard Redhawk is inviting trouble. The Super Redhawk, on the other hand, has a separate trigger return spring which can be changed for a reduced-pressure part without jeopardizing actual ignition power through the hammer. For this reason, the Super Redhawks are viewed as more dependable and easier to tune. Properly handled, standard Redhawks will still tune very well but one should be mindful of the potential for ignition trouble and be especially careful.

There are several interrelated considerations. The usual industry standard (if there is indeed such a thing) for firing pin protrusion is around .050--.055. Few Redhawks will achieve this unless the transfer bar clearance in the hammer is minimized which will help. Even then, many simply don't have adequate protrusion Long firing pins will usually make up the difference and give guns dependable ignition. In rare instances, even this is not enough, no matter how close to minimum is set cylinder endfloat and headspace or how late the DA cycling drops the hammer. More spring tension is necessary. Bowen Classic Arms produces both 30# and 40# springs to replace the factory 20# part. While these springs rates may seem high, due to the compounding of leverage in the Redhawk action, this is necessary to achieve appreciable increases in hammer velocity. Even with the 40# spring, neither the single nor double-action modes will increase in weight a great deal and will be well within acceptable limits for field use. Some reduction in SA pull weight is possible with simple sear tuning typical of most proper tune-ups.

Eventually, all my Redhawks will be "Bowen-ized," just to be sure.

You guys know that I'm a fan of Redhawks, because all-in-all they're the "blunt trauma" of the revolver world. They lack the grace and the superb trigger pulls of my Smith and Wesson .44s, or the packability of single actions. But they have the singular appeal of a sledge hammer, the tool that works when all others fail. I have more rounds through my 4-inch .44 Magnum Redhawk than the snub, and I've just started shooting the .45 Colt/.45 ACP moon clip version.

I've always thought that if you were traveling in troubled times, there was a 2-handgun solution if you chose not to carry a rifle (I think I wrote about this 4 or 5 years ago). The first gun would be your EDC piece and  EDC holster. Second gun would be something like a .357, .44 Magnum or .45 Colt revolver with a vertical shoulder holster. If you had to kit up, your EDC would be on your strong side and the big boomer under your left shoulder. Make sure you have a backpack for essentials and extra ammo, a heavy duty "tactical" belt and a set of suspenders (Kyle Lamb's are excellent).

I thought abut this for the simple reason that if we have had a loss of civility sufficient for you to carry an rifle openly, the Schumer has seriously hit the fan, and possibly you should have considered driving, maybe a Bearcat loaded with gear and Mike Seeklander. The advantage of the 2 handgun system is that you can stay reasonably "gray," especially if you avoid the "Choice of Operators Everywhere" backpacks. There's plenty of choices these days.

My personal gun choices would be a G19 and a Redhawk .44. The backpack would include spare mags for the Glock (either the factory 33s or the Magpuls) and a box, maybe 2, of .44 Magnums, half 240-gr JHP, half Garrett dinosaur killers. The advantage of the Garretts is they'll penetrate…probably tank armor. Gives me firepower or longer range, more heavily penetrating options.

Thinking out loud…