So talk of Mk19s against zombies lead to the mention that it's not the ones without a top half you need to worry about, but the ones with no bottom half. They're down there crawling around on the ground, under all the regular Roamers, and next thing you know, biting your ankles. (Did I mention my girlfriend's pretty awesome?)
So the light bulb came on, and now these have been added to the anti-zed needs list.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
CMMG Ambi AR Upper
Packed full of modularity-
Target price of $135 including two panels. Very unique concept, I hope it works out well.
Target price of $135 including two panels. Very unique concept, I hope it works out well.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
More SA-20
Mossberg has them listed on their site, MSRP $510, and 1.5lbs lighter than the 930 SPX. My only complaint is the 20" cylinder bore barrel; I'd rather have it either minimum legal length(HD) or threaded for chokes (comp).
However I still think it'd make for a great novice gun for smaller shooters (ladies feel free to weigh in on that!)
However I still think it'd make for a great novice gun for smaller shooters (ladies feel free to weigh in on that!)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Mossberg Tactical Semi 20ga
I love my big 930 for blasting, but I also highly respect the 20 gauge with the right load, especially for smaller shooters who may be more recoil sensitive or have issues with the weight of a full size 12ga (the G&C 930 beastly gun is, well, beastly.) The little 20ga 870 I snagged not too long ago has quickly won a close place in my heart, not only for being so darned cute, but for being such a lightweight and handy little gun. I also feel a semi-auto shotgun are a good idea for home defense, especially for those less prone to actually practice.
So I'm pretty excited to see that Mossberg is going to be offering a "home defense" version of their SA-20 semi-auto 20ga shotgun.
My only complaint, offhand, is that they've got 20" barrels. I'd prefer the shortest legal length for a house gun. However, ghost ring sights, optic rail, and light ready tri-rail up front are perfect ideas. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for one of these.
So I'm pretty excited to see that Mossberg is going to be offering a "home defense" version of their SA-20 semi-auto 20ga shotgun.
My only complaint, offhand, is that they've got 20" barrels. I'd prefer the shortest legal length for a house gun. However, ghost ring sights, optic rail, and light ready tri-rail up front are perfect ideas. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for one of these.
Jit-t-t-t-t-t-t-ery
I'm in the middle of a stretch of overnights at work, and it can be a rough time. Tonight I brought along my Bailetti Mocha Express and some cheap, but strong, fine ground beans; and filled up my nice leak proof cup with about 10 ounces of espresso and 6 ounces of hot water to concoct some insanely strong coffee like substance, or my "Americano from Hell." The upside is I'm not feeling like I'm about to crash into a brick wall at 30mph (which would probably anger my boss...) but at the moment I think my eyeballs are vibrating. I do need to get some quality espresso beans though. Might have to try some of this stuff.
First Timers
Noticed a couple blog posts around the intertubes regarding first time shooters, and more importantly, how much fun they had.
It's no stretch to say that introducing new people to the shooting community is by far the most fun I ever have at the range (and that's coming from somebody who's spent quality time with Ma Duece and a full can of government funded ammo...) The overwhelming sense of accomplishment in helping show that guns are fun, and not scary, helping someone gain the self confidence and empowerment of an effective means of self defense, and, most rewarding, that giant ear-to-ear grin that comes after that first shot with a serious gun. All fantastic feelings.
I think I'm overdue for taking some newbies out to the range...
It's no stretch to say that introducing new people to the shooting community is by far the most fun I ever have at the range (and that's coming from somebody who's spent quality time with Ma Duece and a full can of government funded ammo...) The overwhelming sense of accomplishment in helping show that guns are fun, and not scary, helping someone gain the self confidence and empowerment of an effective means of self defense, and, most rewarding, that giant ear-to-ear grin that comes after that first shot with a serious gun. All fantastic feelings.
I think I'm overdue for taking some newbies out to the range...
Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911
100 years ago today, the US Army adopted JMB's .45 caliber automatic pistol as the standard sidearm for it's soldiers.
The M1911 has since evolved, however the basic design remains one of the most (if not the most) pistols in use today. Not too many other designs can claim that sort of a following (and the bulk of the ones I can think of are JMB designs of some sort...)
Not much else to say that hasn't already been said about it, so I'll just toss up some 1911 porn from the blog archives.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Rip Shears
Saw these over on SSD, it's a seatbelt cutter that attaches to a pair of EMT shears-
Solidly in the "why the hell didn't I think of that?" category.
It just really caught my eye since I'm trying to figure out a good way to pack all the crap into this new fangled CLS bag the army issued me, including two pairs of those type of shears and a separate Benchmade safety knife. It would be pretty nice to just have one of those attached to the pair in the front tear-away pocket on the bag...
Solidly in the "why the hell didn't I think of that?" category.
It just really caught my eye since I'm trying to figure out a good way to pack all the crap into this new fangled CLS bag the army issued me, including two pairs of those type of shears and a separate Benchmade safety knife. It would be pretty nice to just have one of those attached to the pair in the front tear-away pocket on the bag...
Taurus Conversions on the Horizon?
A little tidbit of info from Guns, Holsters, and Gear:
"Although Morrison said he would not reveal any of the new products, later while he was talking about ammo price increases, he made mention of being able to shoot .22 LR ammunition in Taurus pistols with the same trigger pull, etc."I don't have any Taurus handguns, but I think the idea of a .22lr conversion kit is a good one.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Don't try this at home.
Surefire Hi-cap mag (x5) and a slightly modded M4 (heavy barrel and non-standard gas tube.)
A regular gas tube would melt into a pile of molten goop after that.
Surefire has done some mods to the design to hopefully get better reliability in more ARs (they were originally designed around Colt M4s.) Unfortunatly this means the release date is pushed back to the end of June.
(h/t Gear Scout)
A regular gas tube would melt into a pile of molten goop after that.
Surefire has done some mods to the design to hopefully get better reliability in more ARs (they were originally designed around Colt M4s.) Unfortunatly this means the release date is pushed back to the end of June.
(h/t Gear Scout)
Tiny Sniper Rifle
is Tiny.
It's popped up in a few places around the blogosphere this morning, but it's too cool not to mention. I mainly like it because my Dark Heresy character has the 40k equivalent. (Started with a "Roth Pattern Lasgun," which is a bullpup, and payed the Thrones to have it upgraded to a Long-las. Yes, I'm a geek.)
It's popped up in a few places around the blogosphere this morning, but it's too cool not to mention. I mainly like it because my Dark Heresy character has the 40k equivalent. (Started with a "Roth Pattern Lasgun," which is a bullpup, and payed the Thrones to have it upgraded to a Long-las. Yes, I'm a geek.)
Bore Snakes
On sale at Amazon. I tend to keep a couple of the major calibers in my range bag, and .223 type ones on board my ARs (plenty of room in an A2 stock, and the Magpul ACS stock has just enough room to cram one in.) It's nice for blasting a little CLP down the bore and following up with the snake.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Weather...
Freezing rain, sleet, and lighting so close it scrambled the radio in my car on the way home. I had to chip off at least a quarter inch of ice on the windshield just so I could get going, and thankfully I made it home before it got too covered again (the wipers are still under about an inch...) And I have to work at 7am. Welcome to spring in Wisconsin.
Tactical Tailor Mini-MAV
A while back I was looking for a small rig to carry a few AR mags and a couple handgun mags. Nothing complex, just a way to carry ammo and avoid the gear overload a full out load bearing vest can generate. A good chest rig.
A while back I snagged a Chinese AK chest rig for under $10.
It's a great set-up, in theory. Three 30 round AK mags, and four grenade pouches. I don't regularly carry grenades, so those pouches are usually empty though (except when I dressed up as an Afghan for Halloween. Then they were great for my wallet and cell... Man-Jammies don't have pockets...)
Most importantly, it's simple, and hold just enough for a quick response scenario. I actually tend to keep it in the trunk of my car, as a WASR makes a great trunk gun. My only complaint is that there's no way of swapping out at least a couple of the grenade pouches for a couple pistol mag holders of some sort without extensive modification of the rig (OK, not that extensive, but not MOLLE convenient.)
So I decided that I wanted a small rig for 3-4 AR mags, in single holders (ever try going prone with double pouches?) and at minimum, one spare double-stack 9mm mag. MOLLE is great, since modularity is dang nice, and if I were to switch from an AR to something else, I would only need to swap pouches instead of the whole rig.
So I poked around the ol' interwebs, and in a mildly round-about way, came to the Tactical Tailor's web store. Tactical Tailor was not a new name to me, and I doubt to many others. They've built up a good reputation for putting out quality American made gear, and backing that gear with great service.
What was new to me was their "Mini-MAV" chest rig platform. A simple MOLLE platform slightly smaller than the trusty Chinese rig, but sporting a ton of improvements. So I ordered me up some Multicam goodness and looked forward to the brown truck of happiness dropping it off in a couple weeks.
First impressions are everything, and the Mini-MAV did not disappoint. Read more after the jump-
A while back I snagged a Chinese AK chest rig for under $10.
 |
| It's the best photo I can find... but it's a rather ubiquitous item. |
It's a great set-up, in theory. Three 30 round AK mags, and four grenade pouches. I don't regularly carry grenades, so those pouches are usually empty though (except when I dressed up as an Afghan for Halloween. Then they were great for my wallet and cell... Man-Jammies don't have pockets...)
Most importantly, it's simple, and hold just enough for a quick response scenario. I actually tend to keep it in the trunk of my car, as a WASR makes a great trunk gun. My only complaint is that there's no way of swapping out at least a couple of the grenade pouches for a couple pistol mag holders of some sort without extensive modification of the rig (OK, not that extensive, but not MOLLE convenient.)
So I decided that I wanted a small rig for 3-4 AR mags, in single holders (ever try going prone with double pouches?) and at minimum, one spare double-stack 9mm mag. MOLLE is great, since modularity is dang nice, and if I were to switch from an AR to something else, I would only need to swap pouches instead of the whole rig.
So I poked around the ol' interwebs, and in a mildly round-about way, came to the Tactical Tailor's web store. Tactical Tailor was not a new name to me, and I doubt to many others. They've built up a good reputation for putting out quality American made gear, and backing that gear with great service.
What was new to me was their "Mini-MAV" chest rig platform. A simple MOLLE platform slightly smaller than the trusty Chinese rig, but sporting a ton of improvements. So I ordered me up some Multicam goodness and looked forward to the brown truck of happiness dropping it off in a couple weeks.
First impressions are everything, and the Mini-MAV did not disappoint. Read more after the jump-
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wish in One Hand...
Despite how much you hope, there don't seem to be magic elves that are nice enough to come edit photos for you while you're sleeping.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"Snort!"
Hey, CNN, since this war was half your idea in the first place, can't you at least go 72 hours before switching sides?So glad I didn't have a mouthful of coffee at that point...
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Shiny!*
Apparently Raven Concealment Systems have made some improvements since my last order.
First impressions - the profile of the M&P makes for a much more secure feel to the holster than the Sig (more bits on the left side of the gun to provide texture) and the soft loops are a massive improvement over the "paddle clips" of old.
I'll get some more pictures and more words in the next couple weeks at some time, but to sum it up, at first impression, the wait was well worth it.
*Been watching a bit of Firefly as of late...
Friday, March 18, 2011
"Always Have a Knife"
Robb Allen is finally learning the lesson my Grandfather taught me nearly 20 years ago, the title of this post. I can forget my phone or wallet at home, and it's a mild inconvenience, but I feel naked if I don't have my pocket knife. Needless to say, I hate flying (how am I supposed to open the dang peanuts!)
There's just too many reasons to carry a good pocket knife.
There's just too many reasons to carry a good pocket knife.
Die Snow...
I had to drive a couple dozen miles to the next town north for a dental exam (apparently the DOD doesn't contract any of the dozen or so dentists in town...) and between the warm-ish temperatures and light rain, all the vast fields of snow were generating some pretty impressive banks of fog.
It made interstate driving kind of suck, but seeing the steam rising up off the snow made me think of the snow's soul rising up from it's melting body, and I'm rather ok with the idea.
On a side note, since I was close, I ducked into Gander Mountain to drool (being effectively broke, I wasn't in any real danger.) They had a basic black ACR there, and the guy behind the counter didn't even know what it was, and they had the front sight mounted backwards, but it was a lot lighter than I expected. The price tag made me laugh though. Also fondled a S&W .380 Bodyguard. If I do decide to pick up a tiny .380, that'll probably be the one, it felt pretty good in my hands, and has the full compliment of pistol controls, and the laser is a fantastic idea on a tiny gun with tiny sights like that.
It made interstate driving kind of suck, but seeing the steam rising up off the snow made me think of the snow's soul rising up from it's melting body, and I'm rather ok with the idea.
On a side note, since I was close, I ducked into Gander Mountain to drool (being effectively broke, I wasn't in any real danger.) They had a basic black ACR there, and the guy behind the counter didn't even know what it was, and they had the front sight mounted backwards, but it was a lot lighter than I expected. The price tag made me laugh though. Also fondled a S&W .380 Bodyguard. If I do decide to pick up a tiny .380, that'll probably be the one, it felt pretty good in my hands, and has the full compliment of pistol controls, and the laser is a fantastic idea on a tiny gun with tiny sights like that.
Warp Speed 5 Captain!
Is not the speed to reholster in. Caleb talks about the importance of holsters, and most importantly, why "speed reholstering" is bad.
He also touches on the concept of the "hard stop" after shooting. It's a good idea, and I think including a "search and assess" in with that is a good habit to get into.
He also touches on the concept of the "hard stop" after shooting. It's a good idea, and I think including a "search and assess" in with that is a good habit to get into.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Let There Be Light
I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of a white light on a defensive gun. One of the biggest reasons people don't is because it can make the gun more difficult to conceal.
Well, holster makers are catching up.
Well, holster makers are catching up.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Just Another Reason
Coffee is a thing of wonder and deliciousness. Studies show it may reduce the occurance of strokes.
.38 Snubbies
"It's about as narrow-purpose as a handgun can be, and tricky to shoot well: the sights are hard to see, not to mention the basic physics problem of trying to hold a sub-1lb. object steady with two fingers while pulling a 10+ lb. trigger, all the while knowing it's going to smack your hand like a ball bat when it does go off? I mean, if you were trying to frustrate a new shooter and turn them off on shooting as a pastime, could there be a better gun to give him or her?"And-
"Sure, snubbies live up to a lot of their selling points (It's small! It's light! It'll fit in your purse!) but no one ever seems to tell women what it feels like to shoot one. So let me say it right now... It sucks."I do think I should pick one up at some point, just to show people these things. They may be a great sollution for somebody who's familiar with firearms, but are far from a great novice gun.
Uhg....
Halfway to the office and realize my wallet's sitting on the desk... at home...
Gonna be a rough day.
Gonna be a rough day.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
True...
"...wind turbines are nothing but prayer wheels for suburbanite Buddhists."Probably not the answer, just like Tam says, but I do think they're neat to look at...
That being said, the overall idea of cutting back nuke power because of one record setting series of events is plain stupid. I heard Germany is shutting down a bunch of theirs until they can go over their safety procedures. Somehow I doubt they'll have the problem of a Top 10 earthquake (5 times stronger than the plants were designed to withstand...) followed by a massive tsunami knocking out the backup generators to deal with. Overall Japan just happened to get bit by Murphy hardcore, and it's no excuse to hobble your own infrastructure half a world away.
AR Lube Tips
From The Shooter's Log. My only added comments are that unless you're in a complete dustbowl (like great chunks of A-stan) you really can't run it too wet. That being said, I tend to just hit the points the article mentions with some good gun grease and blast some CLP in there when it gets gross (which is often... I hate cleaning guns.)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Handy-dandy Guide to NFAs
From the ATF. I do like the art, it's quite tasteful. No pistols with VFGs though, as Uncle points out. Those count as AOWs too.
New(ish) Resource
At least new to me. Power Factor Show has a good series of videos to help you get into shooting games.
(H/T Caleb)
(H/T Caleb)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Malfs
Game winning and life saving. Caleb has a post on the CTD blog on malfunction drills, complete with a video (with the naughty word edited out) that's well worth checking out.
Lulz at the Drunks
When the cop asks if you have any beer in your backpack, it's key to remember the mesh water bottle pocket does a poor job of hiding a Miller Light can.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Still Alive
Just working night shifts the tail end of this week, and I don't sleep well to begin with. Rest assured, I am well insulated from the insanity to the south for the time being. (Although I think I may need to consider keeping my gear packed and uniforms ready...)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Builders and the Butchers
I don't know why, but when I listen to them I can't help but think of MHI
. Just that certain vibe to it I guess.
Somebody with skillz should make a sweet video of that song with the scene where they're assaulting the cargo ship full of vampires and wights...
. Just that certain vibe to it I guess.Somebody with skillz should make a sweet video of that song with the scene where they're assaulting the cargo ship full of vampires and wights...
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Quality...
"We've probably allowed more guns into the country than we've stopped."And now they're begging for increased funding. Why do they still exist again?
I make myself laugh...
Forgive the crap-tastic webcam pic, but I thought it's pretty funny that I'm sitting in a hippy haven type coffee house (seriously, there's a guy on the other side of the joint with a "Card Carrying ACLU Member" sticker on his laptop who I've heard ranting and raving about the Governor several times...) posting things on my gun-centric blog and wearing this shirt...
The pure political incorrectness of the back alone should cause an aneurysm in somebody here.
It's also the first time I've ever turned the webcam on on my little Eee PC, and I've had it for almost a year...
The pure political incorrectness of the back alone should cause an aneurysm in somebody here.
It's also the first time I've ever turned the webcam on on my little Eee PC, and I've had it for almost a year...
Right Around the Corner!
Time seems to have been flying at an increased velocity lately, and Jay G's post just made me realize that B.A.G. Day is coming up awful fast. I think I might have to run out to the fun store next week and start thinking of things. The Kel-tec PF-9 seems tempting for some reason...
Cufflinks
And other bits of cool jewelry.
I actually have been wanting to get something like those to go with my tux, but the only ones I found were horribly expensive. These are easily affordable, and come in a much larger variety of calibers.
This post is really of a reminder to myself this coming payday...
I actually have been wanting to get something like those to go with my tux, but the only ones I found were horribly expensive. These are easily affordable, and come in a much larger variety of calibers.
This post is really of a reminder to myself this coming payday...
Monday, March 7, 2011
"Happy Monday!"
Says Magpul. Gen 2 MBUS sets now shipping.
Design features include a lower folded profile for better optics compatability, spring detent for consistant front sight height, and a N.A.W.S. (No Aperature Window Sight) option by folding both rear aperatures down (for close quarters "framing" sight picture.)
Price remains comparable to Gen 1 MBUS, and comes in the standard Magpul colors.
Design features include a lower folded profile for better optics compatability, spring detent for consistant front sight height, and a N.A.W.S. (No Aperature Window Sight) option by folding both rear aperatures down (for close quarters "framing" sight picture.)
Price remains comparable to Gen 1 MBUS, and comes in the standard Magpul colors.
Awards!!
Ok, just one. Six over at The Warrior Class has bestowed the honor of the "Stylish Blogger Award" onto me.
I have no clue as to the origins of the award, only that I noticed it popping up at random places around the interwebs in the last couple weeks, and had a sinking suspicion it was simply a matter of time.
I guess part of the award is to go on to tell all of you seven random facts you may not know about me, and then pass it along to 10 other bloggers. I may take a page from Breda though, as I don't know if I can even think of 10 other bloggers that I think are worthy and haven't already gotten it. Well see how it goes after hashing out a handful plus two worth of randomness.
1. I didn't have a driver's license until I was 19. All through high school I biked everywhere, and simply didn't have a need for it.
2. I worked in a bakery making donuts at one point. I was a freshly minted "combat veteran," and felt like breaking stereotypes and got a job. I was hired on the spot because two employees walked out that night and my friend who worked there said I was looking for work. I ended up putting in my two week notice one week after starting. Not because the job sucked (not that it didn't...) but because I landed a job doing DOT contract surveying work for exactly twice the pay, and with daylight hours. I still didn't eat donuts for over a year after that though.
3. I lettered in Theater in high school.
4. I was a certified EMT-B at one point in time. I never actually did it as a job though, apparently doing your clinical hours in a combat hospital makes you over-qualified when the local ER is looking for a glorified CNA.
5. I'm mildly dyslexic, especially with lists of numbers. So of course my first job in the Army was as a Surveyor. Extra point of hilarity, 7 of the 10 Army soldiers in my AIT class were dyslexic. You'd think they'd check for that for surveyors...
6. I can't swim. I never learned how, and I float about as well as a submarine with a leaky screen door (I used to say "about as well as a rock," but then I took a Geology class and learned some volcanic rocks actually do float, so a random rock has a better statistical chance than I do.) Yes, I own a kayak, but I always wear a PFD when I'm in it.
7. I'm lactose intolerant, which really sucks living in Wisconsin.
As to passing it along... meh, too chain letter-ish for me.
.22lr For Self Defense?
Every now and then (less often lately, thankfully...) I notice the search term "M&P15-22 for home/self defense" (or something much like that) pop up on the site tracker. Every time I kind of cringe a little at the thought that someone is seriously thinking along those lines. Then I see stories with lines like this-
Granted, one of them is still listed as being in critical condition due to chest and abdominal hits, but they were still able to effectively function after being hit, and those hits were so insubstantial that they were not immediately noticed. Combine that with the flaky reliability inherent to trying to cycle dirty, rimmed ammunition with mediocre QC (necessary to the amount pumped out) and you're only setting your self up for failure.
I know for over 90% of you guys this is like preaching to the choir, but it still seems like it needs to be addressed every couple months or so.
Police say the men did not know they had been hit and began chasing Garcia down Mussey on foot.A guy pulls a .22lr handgun of some flavor and starts shooting at a couple other guys on the street, and hits the two a combined 5 times. They didn't even realize they'd been shot until they had been hit until well after the adrenaline wore off. They were still able to chase the guy down and detain him until the police showed up.
Granted, one of them is still listed as being in critical condition due to chest and abdominal hits, but they were still able to effectively function after being hit, and those hits were so insubstantial that they were not immediately noticed. Combine that with the flaky reliability inherent to trying to cycle dirty, rimmed ammunition with mediocre QC (necessary to the amount pumped out) and you're only setting your self up for failure.
I know for over 90% of you guys this is like preaching to the choir, but it still seems like it needs to be addressed every couple months or so.
I tend to agree.
SayUncle in regards to Project Gunrunner-
"I tend to think it’s the empire building. Create a problem, be the solution, and get funding."Sounds about right. The ATF has seemed to have lost a bit of power and sway in DC as of late, and I can see the higher-ups pushing for something to maintain their relevance.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Support Libertarianism
By buying these brands. Apparently the Koch brothers give hippies raging screaming fits (despite their support of Gay rights, the legalization of drugs, and stuff like that...) so there's a push to boycott certain brands they're heavily invested in.
Of course the cyclist in me saw COOLMAX® fabric, and the range rat gunny in me saw CORDURA® fabric right after that. Also it's something to note that the first half of the list reads like a building contractors shopping list, and I thought building new houses was good(?) Seriously though, that list is probably 90%+ of what's in your closet, plus what that closet is made of.
(H/T SayUncle)
Of course the cyclist in me saw COOLMAX® fabric, and the range rat gunny in me saw CORDURA® fabric right after that. Also it's something to note that the first half of the list reads like a building contractors shopping list, and I thought building new houses was good(?) Seriously though, that list is probably 90%+ of what's in your closet, plus what that closet is made of.
(H/T SayUncle)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Magpul Mag Limiters
For the 20 round PMag.
Magpul announced they're available. They limit the 20 round PMag to 5 or 10 rounds for those places that limit magazine size for hunting. They are not permanent, simply replacing the locking plate under the base and blocking the follower. Five round here, and ten here.
Magpul announced they're available. They limit the 20 round PMag to 5 or 10 rounds for those places that limit magazine size for hunting. They are not permanent, simply replacing the locking plate under the base and blocking the follower. Five round here, and ten here.
It's a Matter of Politeness
Not about quietly slaying things left and right. Like a few other groups I've heard of, South Korea is now issuing suppressors to their troops to cut down on noise complaints from people living near live fire training areas. There's also the side affect of being safer for the soldiers ears (hearing loss is one of the biggest contributers to the veteran disability pool here in the US...)
Wyoming Adopts Constitutional Carry
Gov. Mead signs the bill into law. It goes into effect in July, bringing Wyoming's carry laws in line with Vermont, Alaska, and Arizona.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Rolling Ads
I just got this email a few minutes ago-
NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg has teamed up with the liberal gun hating group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, to launch the anti-gun rights truck tour. The truck will features a mobile clock that will count the number of American lives lost due to gun violence since the Arizona shooting, but ignores how many more times guns save lives.If I wasn't effectively broke, I'd probably head down. I'm off tomorrow too...
In the next 2 months the anti-gun truck will make its way across the U.S., stopping in most major cities. The anti-gun rights truck is part of a comprehensive and well-orchestrated campaign to snatch away your Second-Amendment Rights.
CCRKBA (Citizens For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms) has teamed up with SAF (Second Amendment Foundation) to stop Mayor Bloomberg’s campaign dead in its tracks. They have a truck featuring a billboard that says "2,191 Americans Use Guns Every Day In Self-Defense." That truck will follow Bloomberg’s truck and attack Bloomberg’s lies in every major city in America.
http://www.ccrkba.org/?page_id=2523
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. was contacted yesterday by the SAF to let us know that the truck will be in Milwaukee TOMORROW, Thursday March 3rd. The truck will be making a stop at noon at the "Chase Plaza" (corner of Water St and Wisconsin Ave) in downtown Milwaukee. See a photo of the truck here:
http://mail.conservativecontacts.com/cimages/07420b31bb1ad57ce57cefa0e77ff021/1494_02.jpg
Please consider stopping down to join the rally and show support for the right to keep and bear arms. It would be great to have many members down there to network and answer questions that the downtown lunch crowd might have as the truck makes its stop in Milwaukee.
If you can make it down and have any questions feel free to drop me an email. I work downtown and can suggest possible places to park etc. FYI the general vicinity of Water St. and Wisconsin Ave. is NOT in a school zone.
Carry On,
Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
nik@wisconsincarry.org
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Intrigued...
Oleg has a couple photos up of the DDuplex slugs in the 20ga. variety. Supposedly great expansion and decent penetration. These could turn the little 870 into a formidable house gun. I'll have to look into them...
The Walther P1
There was brief mention a couple months ago that I had acquired one. Now that I've caught up with life (mostly) and had a chance to take it to the range and make sure it works, I'm finally getting around to a more in-depth post about my newest gun.
In 1938, Germany adopted the P.38 handgun for military service, joining twenty-seven various handguns adopted between 1914 and 1945. Approximately 1,200,000 were manufactured during the span of WWII, and the design was adopted by the post-war West German Army, as well as numerous police units throughout the country. The design also has a great historical significance, as it was the first double action automatic for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1957 the Bundeswehr (German Army) adopted an updated version, the P1, which is little more than a P.38 with an Aluminum-Alloy frame in place of the original steel frame. This lowered manufacturing costs, and also lowered the overall weight of the pistol (840 grams down to 770 grams.) The design utilizes a short-recoil operating system, with a tilting locking block that mates the barrel to the slide at the start of the firing cycle. There are two small recoil springs that run along the sides of the frame and inside the slide, rather than a single large spring around or under the barrel as typically found on semi-auto pistols.
Users of the M9 will be familiar with the system, and it's no accident that the open slide design on the Baretta is reminiscent of the P.38's open design. The M9's locking system is a copy of the P.38/P1 system. (I do, however, like the P1. The M9, not so much.)
A problem with the operating system and recoil spring combination became apparent when the frame material was switch to the more brittle aluminum. It was found that cracks would start to form around the area of the locking block and front of the recoil springs, and a steel cross pin was added to the later manufactured P1s to help alleviate the problem. It is suggested that you avoid firing +P ammunition through aluminum framed P1s.
My example was built in April of 1979 and saw use in the West German Army according to the markings. It was imported by I.O. Inc., and sold by AIM Surplus.
The overall fit and finish of the pistol is what you would expect from a Walther, that is despite being an Army issue gun, it still shows a high level of care in the machining, and a nice even finish throughout all the parts. Either the Germans took really good care of their pieces, or they seldom left the holster. (The later is quite likely, given they were jokingly referred to as "eight warning shots and a well aimed throw" according to some.) While the finish is a more utilitarian parkerizing rather than blued, it is still a nice even finish.
The I.O. Inc. import mark is cleanly electro-penciled along the bottom of the exposed portion of the barrel. AIM Surplus also included two magazines and a Flectarn holster with each gun (the holster requires a German web belt however. I am contemplating finding another one (they're cheap) and replacing the funky plastic clip with some regular belt loops or something.)
My only complaints in regards to the design are a matter of preference, That being the slide mounted safety/decocker, and the mag release.
The safety, on one hand, is very positive and easy to manipulate. Unlike some slide mounted safeties it is easy to reach with your thumb (assuming you're a righty) and moving it to the safe position will also decock the hammer. My complaint stems more from the fact that I'm a 1911 shooter at heart, so the positions are backwards. I can't count the times I've embarrassed myself on the range with my other Walther (the P22) by flipping it to safe and pulling the trigger. All I can say is there's a reason the Hon. JMB built his the way he did.
The other problem, the mag release, is also a European idiosyncrasy that this American will never fully appreciate I guess. It's the long standing heal clip type.
I suppose it qualifies as "ambidextrous," but it definitely slows down your reloads. On the plus side, we also had the CZ52 out at the range the same day, and when compared to it's mag release, the P1's seem amazing.
The P1 does have the distinction of the first loaded chamber indicator that I didn't find more annoying than of use. It consists of a simple spring loaded plunger that protrudes from the rear of the slide, just above the hammer, when there is a round in the chamber.
Marty did find a problem with the indicator though, as once during firing the slide failed to return to battery, and a sharp tap on the rear of the slide can be a bit painful when there's more or less a nail sticking out. No blood was drawn, but it looked like it smarted a bit.
I also found that the bottom edge of the slide can be a bit painful if you've got bigger hands and aren't wearing gloves. Some blood was drawn during that magazine. I just need to be more mindful of my high-thumb grip when shooting this one.
Aside from the little bit of a learning curve, the operating system and tail heavy design makes for a surprisingly pleasant shooting pistol. The somewhat wide (for a single-stack 9mm) grip spreads the recoil out nicely, and the rearward balance point makes for less strain on your wrist during extended sessions. The relatively light slide also keeps the muzzle flip to a minimum, much less than what I had expected due to the overall balance of the gun.
As this was simply a "familiarization" range, we didn't test for accuracy (the target stand uprights at that range are made from giant cardboard tubes the local paper mill uses to make giant reams of paper, so they sort of self destruct in the winter...) but it was good enough to peg some bowling pins at 7 yards.
The double-action pull is obviously an early design. While smooth, there is some noticeable stacking and it maxes out my trigger pull gage, placing it in the 10+lbs category. Single-action is a crisp 5-6 lbs, well within the realm of "service pistol." The feeding angle between the magazine and chamber is quite shallow, and aside from the one failure to return to battery (possibly user induced) it ate 80 rounds of Winchester White-box 115gr. FMJ without any other issues.
Another point of interest is that the extractor is on the left side of the gun, so the empties tend to get flung in the opposite direction of most autos.
Overall, I'm more than pleased with this gun, and it is a fantastic addition to anyone's collection. Plus it's C&R eligible, which is always great (who doesn't enjoy the big brown truck of happiness delivering fun right to your door?)
In 1938, Germany adopted the P.38 handgun for military service, joining twenty-seven various handguns adopted between 1914 and 1945. Approximately 1,200,000 were manufactured during the span of WWII, and the design was adopted by the post-war West German Army, as well as numerous police units throughout the country. The design also has a great historical significance, as it was the first double action automatic for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1957 the Bundeswehr (German Army) adopted an updated version, the P1, which is little more than a P.38 with an Aluminum-Alloy frame in place of the original steel frame. This lowered manufacturing costs, and also lowered the overall weight of the pistol (840 grams down to 770 grams.) The design utilizes a short-recoil operating system, with a tilting locking block that mates the barrel to the slide at the start of the firing cycle. There are two small recoil springs that run along the sides of the frame and inside the slide, rather than a single large spring around or under the barrel as typically found on semi-auto pistols.
Users of the M9 will be familiar with the system, and it's no accident that the open slide design on the Baretta is reminiscent of the P.38's open design. The M9's locking system is a copy of the P.38/P1 system. (I do, however, like the P1. The M9, not so much.)
A problem with the operating system and recoil spring combination became apparent when the frame material was switch to the more brittle aluminum. It was found that cracks would start to form around the area of the locking block and front of the recoil springs, and a steel cross pin was added to the later manufactured P1s to help alleviate the problem. It is suggested that you avoid firing +P ammunition through aluminum framed P1s.
My example was built in April of 1979 and saw use in the West German Army according to the markings. It was imported by I.O. Inc., and sold by AIM Surplus.
 |
| The steel cross pin can be seen between the take down lever and slide release. (Also Photoshop magic has happened to the serial number.) |
The overall fit and finish of the pistol is what you would expect from a Walther, that is despite being an Army issue gun, it still shows a high level of care in the machining, and a nice even finish throughout all the parts. Either the Germans took really good care of their pieces, or they seldom left the holster. (The later is quite likely, given they were jokingly referred to as "eight warning shots and a well aimed throw" according to some.) While the finish is a more utilitarian parkerizing rather than blued, it is still a nice even finish.
The I.O. Inc. import mark is cleanly electro-penciled along the bottom of the exposed portion of the barrel. AIM Surplus also included two magazines and a Flectarn holster with each gun (the holster requires a German web belt however. I am contemplating finding another one (they're cheap) and replacing the funky plastic clip with some regular belt loops or something.)
My only complaints in regards to the design are a matter of preference, That being the slide mounted safety/decocker, and the mag release.
The safety, on one hand, is very positive and easy to manipulate. Unlike some slide mounted safeties it is easy to reach with your thumb (assuming you're a righty) and moving it to the safe position will also decock the hammer. My complaint stems more from the fact that I'm a 1911 shooter at heart, so the positions are backwards. I can't count the times I've embarrassed myself on the range with my other Walther (the P22) by flipping it to safe and pulling the trigger. All I can say is there's a reason the Hon. JMB built his the way he did.
The other problem, the mag release, is also a European idiosyncrasy that this American will never fully appreciate I guess. It's the long standing heal clip type.
I suppose it qualifies as "ambidextrous," but it definitely slows down your reloads. On the plus side, we also had the CZ52 out at the range the same day, and when compared to it's mag release, the P1's seem amazing.
The P1 does have the distinction of the first loaded chamber indicator that I didn't find more annoying than of use. It consists of a simple spring loaded plunger that protrudes from the rear of the slide, just above the hammer, when there is a round in the chamber.
 |
| Empty |
 |
| Loaded |
Marty did find a problem with the indicator though, as once during firing the slide failed to return to battery, and a sharp tap on the rear of the slide can be a bit painful when there's more or less a nail sticking out. No blood was drawn, but it looked like it smarted a bit.
I also found that the bottom edge of the slide can be a bit painful if you've got bigger hands and aren't wearing gloves. Some blood was drawn during that magazine. I just need to be more mindful of my high-thumb grip when shooting this one.
Aside from the little bit of a learning curve, the operating system and tail heavy design makes for a surprisingly pleasant shooting pistol. The somewhat wide (for a single-stack 9mm) grip spreads the recoil out nicely, and the rearward balance point makes for less strain on your wrist during extended sessions. The relatively light slide also keeps the muzzle flip to a minimum, much less than what I had expected due to the overall balance of the gun.
As this was simply a "familiarization" range, we didn't test for accuracy (the target stand uprights at that range are made from giant cardboard tubes the local paper mill uses to make giant reams of paper, so they sort of self destruct in the winter...) but it was good enough to peg some bowling pins at 7 yards.
The double-action pull is obviously an early design. While smooth, there is some noticeable stacking and it maxes out my trigger pull gage, placing it in the 10+lbs category. Single-action is a crisp 5-6 lbs, well within the realm of "service pistol." The feeding angle between the magazine and chamber is quite shallow, and aside from the one failure to return to battery (possibly user induced) it ate 80 rounds of Winchester White-box 115gr. FMJ without any other issues.
Another point of interest is that the extractor is on the left side of the gun, so the empties tend to get flung in the opposite direction of most autos.
Overall, I'm more than pleased with this gun, and it is a fantastic addition to anyone's collection. Plus it's C&R eligible, which is always great (who doesn't enjoy the big brown truck of happiness delivering fun right to your door?)
 |
| Or cute girls with guns for that matter? |
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