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Nose Art...

So I think I'm going to get crackin' on finishing up the second Valkyrie for my long-term Air Mobil Imperial Guard project, and I need to find some good nose art for it.  I decided a while ago that my Valks will all have pretty girls on them, and the Vultures (fills the Apache roll in the 40k world...) will get sharks teeth.

Here's the piece on my first Valkyrie-

I've been poking around for a bit, but nothing on the interwebs has really jumped out at me like that one did.  Anybody got any ideas for me?

And the rain keeps coming...

The stuff hasn't let up from last night, so the range trip is in that grey area of "maybe" in hopes of the radar not lying and the stuff letting up in a couple hours.

So I'm sitting in the usual coffee shop trying to think of something to put here, other than the grumbles of postal workers and their holidays (got postal match targets to send in! grr!) and lack of fireworks last night.  Check back in an hour or so.

Update: It's raining even harder and Caleb's rubbing it in my face.

Grumblecakes.

No fireworks in Stevens Point tonight.

Independence Day

The wait... it can be hard.

Matte Stainless BattleComp and Spikes ST-T2 Heavy Buffer in route.  Gonna need more ammo... lots more ammo...

More developments in the Dairy State.

Much faster than I expected.

The DA for Jackson County has released a statement in regards to McDonald V. Chicago.  It is nearly mind boggling in regards to what he says;
(click on quote for full .pdf)

This Supreme Court ruling is binding on all states and local governments, and immediately renders some of Wisconsin’s current laws unconstitutional. Therefore, in keeping with my oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, I hereby declare that this office will no longer accept law enforcement referrals for violations of the following statutes:

Section 167.31, prohibiting uncased or loaded firearms in vehicles;

Section 941.23, prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons, including firearms;

Section 941.235, prohibiting the possession of firearms in public buildings;

Section 941.237, prohibiting the possession of firearms in establishments where alcohol may be sold or served; and,

Section 941.24, prohibiting the possession of knives that open with a button, or by gravity, or thrust, or movement.

Needless to say, the implications are huge.  I would, however, suggest that any readers who happen to live in Jackson County proceed with caution.  The DA may throw out any charges, but that does not prevent you being arrested and having your stuff confiscated.

Hopefully this is just a sign of more to come!

ETA: There's an article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website about it, and quotes the Black River Falls police chief.  Once again, somebody who should know better equates the entire OC/CCW thing to the "Wild West."  As I've mentioned before, the "wild west" type of comment is full of crap.

FN taking a page from H&K?

FN released a statement today in regards to SOCOM's decision to cancel all future Mk-16 orders-

(McLean, Va.) July 1, 2010. FNH USA is cautious in releasing any information due to the nature of the pledge to our customers.

We can, however, reiterate that the MK 16 (5.56mm variant), MK 17 (7.62mm variant) and the MK 13 Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (40mm), which make up the SCAR family of weapons, have each met, and in our opinion exceeded, all of the USSOCOM program requirements. It is also a matter of record that the SCAR has been proven to be superior to existing legacy assault rifles after numerous Department of Defense tests in both lab and field environments.

FNH USA believes the fact that the SCAR program recently passed Milestone C and was determined to be operationally effective / operationally suitable (OE/OS) for fielding, highlights the tremendous capability the weapons system offers deployed special operators.

FNH USA believes the issue is not whether the SCAR, and specifically the MK 16 variant, is the superior weapon system available today ...it has already been proven to be just that. The issue is whether or not the requirement for a 5.56mm replacement outweighs the numerous other requirements competing for the customers’ limited budget. That is a question that will only be determined by the customer.

While we know that the MK 17, to include the "common receiver" and corresponding 5.56mm conversion kit is an option, other Services and SOF components will have the ability to procure the MK 16 stand-alone rifle under the contract if it better meets their mission requirements.

In conclusion, the management and employees of FN are proud to provide this generation of special operators their first, entirely new assault rifle that meets and, in our opinion, exceeds the demands of today's battlefield.

I'm having a hard time believing that it's from FN and not H&K with the amount of "we're right and all of you suck" coming across.  "You too can have the best rifle in the world, if you can afford it!"


I'm still sticking by my feelings that the SCAR Mk-16 simply does not offer enough of an advantage over the current AR/M16 family of weapons to justify the price difference.  The Mk-17 with a multi-caliber option yes, but not the pure 5.56 Mk-16.


(H/T to The Firearm Blog)

Investment Advice?

Tam posted a rather interesting screen cap of various stock values.  I should finally figure out how to go about doing it an buy some stock in S&W.

Divorcing the Bike.

I'm not, but somebody did, and it made me laugh quite a bit.  Some potentially NSFW pics of a Giant XTC (ok, not really NSFW, but you'll understand when you see.)

Had this one on the hard drive for a while...

Range trip planned for Monday, plus fireworks and a large aperture lens on the camera at some point this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some inspiration/motivation in a few days.

Is Starbucks listening?

The cup of plain old Starbucks I got at Barnes & Noble is much better than the last cup of plain old Starbucks coffee I had back on Starbucks Appreciation Day.  Coffee may vary by location perhaps?

Wisconsin and Constitutional Carry?

Right now we can't.  At all.  But it seems like things may be changing.  Last month at the state Republican convention they (narrowly) voted to strike obtain permits to from their stance on 2nd Amendment issues.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Wisconsin, in caucus assembled, urges the Wisconsin Legislature to adopt legislation to permitting law‐abiding citizens without a felony record or a record of serious mental problems to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons;

This is a huge reversal from previous years where they simply had no stance towards 2A issues.

Another ray of hope in the overall debate is Gov. Doyle's announcement not too long ago that he will not be seeking re-election this fall.  The State Legislature has previously passed "shall issue" style legislation twice in the past, only to be vetoed by Doyle, followed by barely failing to override.  Combined with a nation wide swing towards conservative and Tea Party candidates for numerous offices, things are looking quite hopeful for it this time around.

But what is truly ridiculous, in an awesome way, is in the striking of those three words.  What that means is the official goal of the State Republican Party in regards to Concealed Carry is Vermont/Alaska/Arizona type carry.  If it were to happen, that would mean a switch straight from no carry to unrestricted carry! (Assuming the current School Zone case goes our way and the vehicle restrictions follow.)  Yesterday's Supreme Court announcement just seems to further support the cause.

It'll probably be a year yet before we see any real developments, and it almost all depends on how things go in November, but it's good to see things swinging this direction.  If you live in Wisconsin, it's definitely time to start doing your research and really pay attention to state level elections this time around.  We're a hair away from becoming the 49th state to allow our citizens the ability to truly and completely defend ourselves, now's the time!

Slipped right by me...

I noticed it the other day, intended to say something about it, and completely forgot, but it looks like SOCOM is less than impressed by their SCAR Mk-16s.  It sounds like a lot of "what can it do that an M4 can't?" as they are retaining the Mk-17s (the 7.62 version.)  I can see the ambidextrous safety and brown finish not really balancing out the loss of compatibility with "the Big Army" and other parent services.  Apparently there are also a fair number of guys who simply prefer the M4 for their 5.56 platform (I can't argue.)

I don't know why, but I've never quite warmed up to the SCAR.  I think it's a partially due to mediocre experiences with FN built M16s throughout my military service, although I have no complaints as far as quality goes for their belt feds.  Just some truly crappy M16A2s (functioned ok, fit and finish was garbage) and some meh A4s (see reverse of earlier, had a bunch with sub-par gas rings that had cycling issues.  Was quickly fixed, but should never have happened.)  I haven't had the chance to fire a SCAR, but I've handled one and it just didn't really excite me either.  Granted a lot of that was muddied by knowing what the price tag said too.  I have a feeling that if I ever play with an ACR it'll be a similar experience.

Overall, I can see where they are coming from.  My personal AR carbine has ambidextrous controls (all but mag release anyway) and is a good mix of colors, and could be tan in a matter of minutes if I felt the need.  I have yet to have an issue with the DI system (granted I'm running a mid-length system.)  The only real advantage I can see with the SCAR is that you can fold it, a wish that's left over from my days of being in a mechanized unit and having a full length M16.  I can easily see the decision that the benefits do not outweigh the price and loss of compatibility.

Oh,

in case you were loosing sleep, I did get my wheel fixed with plenty of time to have it along this week.  Although once again I'm reminded of why I need to invest in a good full set of bike tools.  $15 to replace a $1 spoke, all because it was a drive-side rear one and I don't have the tools to pull a cassette.

Late to the party.

So I did hear about the decision just as it was released, but then I had to get in a Humvee, and they are lacking in that type of radio equipment, so everybody else has had a chance to look over things and muss and rejoice(?!) and cry into their ties.  Or if you're the VPC, just say the same stupid thing a little louder because if you say it enough, it will turn true, even if completely retarded.

Uncle does bring up a good question, "what now?"  I would love to see an attack at all the crappy NFA rules, but I'm sure that'll be a ways off, despite how awesome and right it would be.  General consensus over there is a run at the various gun registries, and that does make sense and flows and everything.  It looks like Mr. Gura already has started going after Cali, which is good.  Also registration fees (comment 15) seem like a good one.  I would still love to see a loosening (ok, erasure) of NFA restrictions in the near future... 11" suppressed AR sounds like a fun build...

Apparently the Brady Bunches Wikipedia entry had some brief hilarity.  Thankfully a screen capture has been preserved at Sharp as a Marble.  Praise his noodly appendages for keeping me from taking that sip of coffee before I embiggened.  (Also, as a cartographer, I will mention that the map on said Wiki page uses a color scheme that is the opposite of what I'd expect from their point.  You'd think they'd want the least restrictive states red...)

That's really all I've got for now, going to skim the actual decision when I'm bored and having trouble sleeping, and still need a bit of time for things to sink in and settle.

Top Shot episode 4

Wow, four episodes already!

So I'm writing this as the opening credits are rolling, and I'm just going go ahead and guess that the guys with traditional military sniper training are going to do best this week.  Just seems like the nature of the challenge, and it's similar to some of the stalking training they do (loosely, but still similar enough.)  We'll see how that guess works out in a half hour or so.

I'm going to stop giving things away a little for those who haven't seen the episode yet, so further stuff after the jump.

1858

Feeling the urge...

...for a .44mag double action revolver.  Not exactly sure why, but do you really need a reason?  I'm not really well versed on revolvers, I know enough to get by without embarrassing myself, but I think it would be fun to get into them a bit, and having a friend with the stuff to reload .44mag doesn't hurt either.  Plus it seems to be a relatively forgiving caliber to cut my teeth on for rolling my own.  (Not gonna short-cycle a revolver with a light load after all...)

Any suggestions for a decent gun that's not going to break the bank?  Looking more for a duty sized gun, not a little snubby or a long hunting piece.

Meh?

Trying to think of something to write, but I just can't think of much at the moment.  Lots of little disconnected thoughts bouncing around my head, varying from hopeful daydreaming to mild frustrations.  Need more coffee I guess.

Did go to the range this morning with Cro, burned off a few hundred rounds of .22lr, and a few mags of .45acp. Nothing serious, just stress relief after a couple weeks of playing army with our respective units.  It's kinda sucky wearing the uniforms and messing around with the guns doing "army stuff" and not actually shooting things, especially when you're gunnies like us.
(On a side note, it's amazing how many people we've run into in the Army who genuinely are not gun people.  I know LE tends to be the same way, but I can kind of see that.  For a cop, his gun is ideally the last thing he's going to use in his daily job, but for a soldier, we'll not so much.  Yet there's still guys in the military that don't fully grasp how an M16 works.  Not that it's hard to understand, but they just don't take the time.)

On the up side, the shop just called, and my wheel's done.  That'll make this next week go by faster I hope.

FORBIDDEN!!!

Was going to link to a new scope development out of Israel, but Panera Bread's network says that The Firearm Blog is forbidden content, so no linky.
Steve, if you're reading this, be aware that you apparently strike fear into the hearts of sandwich makers.

Biking grumbles...

First off, when taking your bike with you on trips away from home, don't forget your floor pump if you're running Presta valves.  You only want to use a mini-pump in an emergency.  That's not the kind of workout you're going for.

Secondly, busting a spoke and finally finding a bike shop 15 minutes after it closes is possibly even more frustrating.  At least my tire wasn't flat I guess, just a bit wobbly.

Hopefully I can beg and plead and get a wrench at one of the shops at home to get it fixed before I head back down here next week.  There's just too many trails around here too explore.

-
Hopefully back to a more regular blogging schedule by July...

Fear

The La Crosse River State Trail skirts around the lot the armory sits on, so after work I went on a little bike ride (only 15 miles total...)  It's a beautiful trail from the little I've seen, a classic rails-to-trails project, so nice and gradual slopes, elevated above the surrounding marshes and swamps.  Definitely worthwhile checking out if you're in the driftless area and like bicycling on groomed trails.

However, in that short little ride, I ran into quite possibly the most frightening moment I've experienced to date while rolling along on two wheels.  I have been cut off by numerous cars, layed out my bike and slid along the pavement to avoid bouncing off a 1-ton Dodge pick-up, nearly had a knee sacrificed to appease whatever evil daemon is responsible for Mini-coopers (their mirrors are right at my knee when I'm on a bike.  It missed it by about 2 inches.)  I've had moments on technical single-track where you have a fraction of a second to realize that "keep both wheels under you" is actually some damn good advice, especially when you're looking at both of them above you and the nice big rock is quickly approaching.  I have bombed down hill on a fire road at nearly 30 miles an hour, noticing a fallen log crossing the road with only enough time to bunny-hop and hope.  I have nearly smoked a handful of trophy whitetail bucks, and countless numbers of their womenfolk while speeding through the woods.

I have had quite a few close calls in my time riding.  But nothing has made my heart jump and cause my butt to make as tight of a fist as seeing that skunk right next to the trail with his tail in the air, and his backside pointed right at me.  Nothing to do but pedal faster, hold your breath, and hope.

(Thankfully it was just posturing on his part.  The only bad smells at the end of my ride was my own stink from riding 15 miles in 90+ degree heat.)

Portage County Open Carry Picnic

Happened last Saturday, and I missed it.  I had other obligations across town that the powers that be deemed more pressing.  Slightly miffed about that, but Uncle Sam keeps waving money in my face.

(*disclaimer: I'm not trying to take anything away from my fellow soldiers, but having just gotten back in the Army two months ago, it seemed a bit silly going to a "welcome home" parade for a deployment I wasn't part of.)

The Stevens Point Journal ran a couple articles about it before it happened, one announcing it, and a second announcing the change in venue after the Sheriff threatened to enforce unconstitutional laws if it was held in a county park.  Amazingly, the Mayor of Stevens Point welcomed the group.  I guess I should say "thankfully," but to be honest, the guy never struck me as that sort.  He was listed in MAIG for a brief time...

Unfortunately, due to the other big event going on in town, the Journal hasn't gotten around to running anything about the picnic itself, at least not in their print edition from what I understand (I'm currently out of town, so it'll have to wait till Friday to confirm.)  However somebody did write a blog post on the Journal's website, and I can only imagine noodly appendages guided the writer's fingers.

Go read it.  It is outstandingly friendly to our movement, and I can't believe that it has any connection with the local fish-wrapper.

So from the trenches of the UN-dead, the UN-dying, the UN-traumatized children and NON-cowering barefoot and pregnant woman, I’ll tell you exactly what happened at the picnic; from a single mom’s point of view.

We ate hotdogs.

 There's much more too it, but overall, it's amazingly positive towards our movement, and towards any pro-carry movement, open or concealed.

All those present were fully clothed: there were no jammies, as you would see in Wal-Mart on a daily basis.

It was the most respectful crowd I’d ever witnessed. There was a handshake and a welcome for everyone; even the one woman who stopped by with her son, full of concerns and questions about the group’s intentions.

I think we can certainly chalk this one up as a win.

Top Shot episode 3

Lets take the young'n and drum up some drama!  I think there was a lot more "drama" in this episode than the first two.  Can we just get to the shooting?  Had to get that out of the system.

Looks like Blue team learned to keep their mouths shut about how practice went, that's good.  Caleb stepping up and taking charge was pretty cool too.  And seeing Blue dominate once again.  Did any of the producers work on Star Trek?  I can see how it's hurting Red team's dynamics though.  Things do start to go southward when you're dealing with that sort of attrition.

As for the competition, I kinda feel for most of the guys.  I can't shoot a bow worth crap without sights and a trigger release, and due to a bad wrist, I can't shoot a re-curve or longbow for more than a handful of targets.  I can shoot a compound for quite a bit longer though, and with sights and a release I'm pretty good.

The elimination challenge: good to see a good history aspect of the thing.  Hopefully that continues.

Mythbusters

So we all (well, us gun people anyway) tend to rag on the Mythbusters and their mediocre gun knowledge, but watching their “Top 25 Special” did give me a bit of a warm-fuzzy.  The second one featured was Kari talking about how much she likes guns, primarily cutting down a tree with a minigun.  She said something along the lines of being a vegetarian hippie from California and never even thinking she would ever shoot a gun, let alone end up loving them.

I think every time I’ve seen her shooting on the show, she has a huge smile, the kind of smile Breda was talking about the other day.  Quite the awesome.

Prettiness

Scoped out one of the local landmarks after work yesterday, Grandad Bluff. It's about 600 feet higher than the surrounding terrain. Pretty cool.  Apparently the land off on the right side of the horizon is Iowa.  Just a little further right, just off camera, is Minnesota.  Pretty cool.  Forgive the mediocre photo quality, I don’t have Photoshop on the netbook, so I had to rely on my camera’s mediocre conversion from NEF raw to .jpg…

Gunblog Glossery

In case you ever get confused.  Looks like it should cover most things.

Me-hi-co

Mainly posting this as a reminder to myself to look more into this when I get the chance and energy... but there's some interesting developments happening along that southern border.

Heh.

After talking to one of my co-workers who lives locally, the random coffee house I stopped in at yesterday is by far the largest hippie-haven of La Crosse.  Nobody seemed too offended by the gun-company stickers on my netbook or the Bravo Company hat on my head though...

Good coffee though, and not too bad a price.  $2.10 for a cup, including one refill.  There's a used book store next door too, but my checking account said I couldn't even risk poking my nose inside there... another time perhaps.