Walther P22

I took some photos of mine and posted them yesterday.  Now that I go back and look, I realize just how beat up that poor little gun is, and it's simply amazing that it's still running.

I purchased that piece in spring 2006.  I was at Gander Mountain with Dad waiting for him to do the paperwork for a little Ruger .22lr pistol all of us children had pitched in to get him for Father's Day, and the little Walther caught my eye, and felt good for such a tiny gun.  I often joked it was so cute it followed me home.

Since then I have come to despise the plastic sights (seriously, there's no hope in Hell of it holding a zero, the rear stripped out years ago, and the front one pops out if you look at it crosseyed... at least it did until I super-glued it in place.)  The slide wear from the trigger bar and slide stop on the usual spots, and I'm amazed it hasn't cracked in half yet.  It's often just tossed in the top of my range bag going to and from the range, or in a pocket on one of the tacticool rifle cases, so the finish is beat to snot, and the polymer frame is knicked and chewed up all over the place.

It often fails to strip the next round from the mag, and the slide locks back on an empty mag about 40% of the time.  However I clean the thing about as often as I change the oil in my car, that is to say maybe every 3,000 rounds; and even then it still cycles about 90% off of random bulk .22lr.  That's simply amazing for a semi-auto .22lr anything.

I could probably count the number of range trips the little thing hasn't come on with a single hand, and I couldn't even begin to guess how many people have shot that very pistol as their first pistol ever.  It's also taken a handful of rats from my grandpa's scrap pile (probably the best snap-shooting practice I've ever had.)

But even though it's pretty rough and blooded, it's still kind of cute after all these years.  Now if somebody would just make decent aftermarket sights...

P22

Apex Tactical J-frame Kits

Looks like the myth of the ".38 snubby beast from Hell" is slowly being chipped away.  Caleb reports Apex Tactical announced a drop in trigger kit to smooth out the little gun's pull-

This thing completely changed the dynamic of the pull on the J-frame, instead of being super heavy and stacking towards the rear, it just rolled straight through with a clean, easy break.  It was much more like the trigger on my tuned up 625 than any J-frame trigger I’ve ever seen.

Word is they were selling them for $20 at the NRA show, I'd watch for them soon on Apex's site.  If it's anything like their M&P parts, it'll be a no-brainer to drop this into your J-frame.

ETA: Apex Press Release

Good Riddance

Source

So after a short night's sleep (for some reason I was a bit keyed up after my shift ended at 11...) and some time for reflection on last nights announcement, I'm still giddy as a school boy with a new BMX.

The big thing; a strong reminder to the bad guys that these sheepdogs don't back off.  We get your scent, you're going down.  It may be a few years, but we don't back down.  I can only hope there's some guys holed up in caves losing even more sleep now.

The big thing in my mind, assuming it's really truly him, is what's going to happen with Pakistan.  As just about everyone with an ounce of sense has been saying, there's not a snowballs chance in Hell they didn't know he was there at some level.  If you needed more proof that Pakistan's military's got issues:  This. Is. It.  Combine that with the knowledge that he was in a relative mansion, not cramped up in some dank cave, and I know I'm less than happy with Pakistan at the moment.

I also wonder how much notice we gave them about going in, and how much "asking" for permission there was compared to just telling them.  Perhaps the prior point weighed heavily on that decision.  "You dun' effed up, and we're gonna fix it.  So sit down and shut up."

Tactically, this doesn't change a thing.  He'd been so busy hiding and so far removed that he was no longer in the approximation of a chain of command they operate with.  It is, however, a massive psychological blow to Al Qaeda, and just as massive of a morale boost to our guys and gals if facebook statuses are anything to judge from.  Just like I told Cro, keep your heads up (and don't party too much!)

Bin Laden Dead?

(Just going to update this post for now...)

Just breaking... damn I hope it's true.

BBC, Fox...

Waiting for a press conference from the Pres...

Appears that he was killed outside of Islamabad, located through the use of good human intelligence, and was nailed in a drone strike a CIA(?) moved in and got into a firefight, killed him, and secured the body.  The body is in our hands and DNA has been confirmed....

LA Times is calling it a "CIA-led operation"...

Pres is saying it wasn't a drone strike, but face to face firefight, no losses on our side.  Ballsy... I mean admitting that we sent guys in... that could be interesting in the long run.  No casualties on our side.

If that team is ever in Central Wisconsin, I'll gladly buy them a round or 3...

I'm going to go celebrate a little before bed... expect more tomorrow.

Seems People Don't Forget Some Things

Like stupid PR moves.

Sorry, can't come in to work...

Trapped under a fierce tiger, I don't dare wake him.

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Just Days Away...

From a new Smith & Wesson, and it's probably not what anybody thinks.

S&W M&P22

It's up on the S&W site, msrp $419.

It's go to know a price.  Hopefully I'll be picking one up this summer.

Is the 9mm THE Round?

That's the question over at The Truth About Guns.  The super-compact 9mm is quickly eclipsing the tiny .380 for the small CCW piece, and I tend to agree with the idea.  If you can make something controllable and reliable at a similar size in a "real" caliber, fantastic.

So, is the 9mm the round?  And I'm not talking just for tiny CCW guns, I'm talking for the "go-to" carry round.

My daily carry piece is a full size Smith & Wesson M&P9.  One of the reasons I went with the M&P is that the two largest law enforcement agencies in the county where I live (both the city police dept, and the county Sheriff's Office) carry M&Ps.  However, they both carry .40S&W models, and I still stuck with the 9.

Why?  The .40 has proven to be a great fight stopper, one of the City boys put two into a goblin's center mass a couple years back and he was done before they even got to the hospital.  (This was after he'd be tazed a couple times, yanked the leads out, and been OC sprayed.  Also had a known violent background, especially against LEOs.)  So why did I go with 9mm Parabellum?

There a couple reasons.  The first, availability.  9x19mm is the single most common handgun cartridge in the world by some accounts.  Just about anybody that carries pistol ammo carries 9mm.  To go along with this, 9mm is also noticeably cheaper than .40S&W, .40's pushing close to .45acp in price.  I figure if I'm going to pay .45 prices, I may as well shoot .45.  But I like to practice, so paying 2/3 the price for standard ball is going to win me over any day.  9x19mm is still the cheapest centerfire ammo I know of.  It's pretty well agreed that shot placement trumps bullet type every time.  More practice equals better shooting, and more consistent shot placement.  Price is important.

The constant criticism of the 9mm comes from stories on the frontlines.  Soldiers apparently regularly shoot tiny middle-easterners (really, they're little guys) with a full mag, only to watch them shrug them off like mosquitoes and keep coming.  While I don't doubt this may have happened with a highly motivated and drugged up insurgent, I don't think the fault lies solely in the diameter of the bullet.

The US military has long limited themselves to FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) loads of 115 grains 124gr loaded to +P speeds.  This load tends to go really fast, and the fully jacketed ball does not expand.  Even if it slightly deforms it will be prone to over-penetration, and a bullet that goes through your target and continues downrange is just wasted energy.

I regularly shoot 115 gr. FMJ at the range.  It's cheap and plentiful, and doesn't beat the shooter up.  But when I leave the range, I switch back to 124 gr. JHP (Jacketed Hollow Points.)  You can get 9mm loaded all the way up to 147 grain, but I like the 124 grain for the balance between mass and velocity.  The 124s tend to travel faster, which can aid in more consistent expansion, which is the entire concept of hollow points.  In my M&P, I can carry 17+1 of them (I always just carry 17 though due to WI's stupid laws.)  If I can't take care of it with 34 rounds of that, I done screwed up.  The data I can find for the rounds I have show a regular penetration of about 12" and expansion to over half an inch.  I feel pretty confident in that.

So do I think 9x19 is the be-all-end-all of handgun cartridges?  Maybe, but something better could always come along, and it may not fit your exact needs.  Most importantly though, I trust it.  I don't feel under armed when I'm carrying my gun (well, I'm much more comfortable with a rifle, but that's another matter.)  It may not work for you, but it works just fine for me.

Raven Concealment, Take 2

So I've had enough time to get the feel for the new Raven Phantom I got for the M&P9, a and a couple range trips to give it a good shake down.  The giddy, childlike "new toy" excitement has worn off, but it has been replaced with plenty of contentment.

Originally I thought the extra controls and lumpy bits on the side of the M&P were what gave this holster a much more secure feeling, however upon further inspection, I found Raven has added a small dimple to the light area of the holster.

This little dimple creates a small catch right behind the light's bezel, and makes this holster feel about 3,000 times more secure than the old one for the SigPro.  I guess I wasn't the only one who wished for more retention on the light models.

Also, there had been reports of older Raven products cracking, and to help Raven switched to a thicker Kydex for their holsters.

I have a feeling this additional stiffness is also a bit responsible for the more secure feeling.  I hear that they can still make them with the thinner Kydex if you're worried about concealment issues with the thicker material, however I don't think the difference is enough to matter.

As I mentioned in the past, the old style "paddle clips" were not the most comfortable option, and I also had one break on me.  The old style clips are a thing of the past now, and Raven has switched to an OWB Soft Loop snap system.

I much prefer these to the old "paddle clips" and to any other actual paddles I've used in the past.  The gun sticks out much less, and while concealment isn't a worry for me yet, it's nice to not have it sticking out and catching on things.  They may take a couple seconds longer to put on or take off the belt, but they feel quite secure and keep the whole thing from flopping around nicely with the right belt.  In this case, a 5.11 re-enforced model that came free with some pants. It's a little big (I wear it on the smallest hole...) but looks good and is holding up well, and the price was right.

The loops themselves are made of a tough rubberized material and Military-grade snaps, and is adjustable for belt width.  I expect these to hold up for quite a while.

Raven has also changed the material of their standard belt loops from formed Kydex to an injection molded plastic.

Less prone to breakage, and also universal.  The old ones had distinct left and right loops.  The little Raven logos are a nice touch.  (Also, the new mag pouch is the same thickness Kydex as the old.  While it makes a great range pouch, it's not what I've been running for daily carry however.  I have a much more comfortable option I'll mention in a couple days.)

As some of you may know, I live in Wisconsin, so concealment has never been high on the list of things I look for with a holster.  The biggest reason I went with RCS was that they make a holster that holds my gun with my light attached.  I've done enough low light/no light training to greatly appreciate a white light on my gun if I have that option (and yes, I think one day of it was enough to appreciate it.  However more is needed to affectively use it.)

I know that plenty of the people looking at these are worried about concealing, so I tossed on a good cover garment and snapped a few pictures.  In this case, a button up cotton shirt with a textured weave.  ($15 at Khol's and the girlfriend says it looks good too!)

Not bad for a full size gun with an attached light.  Granted, if I lift my hands above my head the bottom of the holster is exposed, but I could adjust the soft loops to make the holster ride higher.

So, are there any downsides to RCS's stuff?  Well, I ordered this one the first week of November 2010, and it finally was in my hands mid-March 2011.  It also wasn't cheap, holster, mag pouch, and soft loops plus shipping came out to around $130.  Compare that to Comp-Tac, who I ordered a new holster for a gun I should be getting next week on Tuesday, and the package was dropped off at the post office yesterday(and it's red!)  Too bad they don't make light holsters...

Bottom line - if you're looking for a quality Kydex holster, with great modularity and carry options, especially if you carry with a light, and are willing to wait a few months; Raven Concealment Systems is worth taking a look at.

Factory 10/22 Hi-Caps?

Well I'll be! 

Photo from Ruger

It's about time.  Could this be a sign that the market has spoken loud enough to penetrate Ruger's ears that have been deeply buried... somewhere... in regards to allowing mere civilians to have higher capacity magazine?

Ruger already has them up on their online store at $29.95, comparable to other extended 10/22 mags on the market.

I Need More CAS!

Apparently there's rumblings of bringing in more Close Air Support in the guise of "Counter-Insurgency Aircraft."

It seems that despite how sexy the newest, fanciest fighter jets are, they're not what we need to fight wars these days.  I guess we've just gone too overboard with air superiority... poor fighter jockeys awesomed themselves right out of a job...

It looks as though the prime candidates are the T-6 Texan II and the Super Tucano.  From my uneducated ground pounder view it sounds like they want an A10 that can remain on station longer (those jets guzzle fuel a lot faster than a prop engine.)  This does make sense, but from what the locals told me back during my time in A-stan, the tried and true Warthog has an immense psychological effect as well as packing a ton of whoop-ass. "(Spiny blade motion)No good. Woosh (sweeping hand motion) Good! (Two thumbs up,)" as the nice Afghan told me as we watched a pair take off from BAF back in '05.

Personally, if we're going props and bombs, I like the first one Tam mentions.  Nothing quite compares to a pair of radial engines going all out on a low pass, and 8 .50s in the nose sounds pretty good for strafing runs.

FR Shemagh

I do love my cheap cotton one, but I can definitely see the usefulness of a Flame Resistant one.

May Try This Sometime...

Although I'd be wary to try it in a semi, and maybe even a pump.  I guess it's just another excuse to look out for a nice double?

(It's also briefly mentioned in The Art of the Tactical Shotgun...)

NRA Grassroots Workshops

The NRA is holding some workshops/meetings to discuss the pending CCW legislation in WI-

For Concealed Carry To Become a Reality, NRA Needs Your Help!


Attend FREE Workshop and Help secure the Right-to-Carry Concealed. It’s time for Wisconsin to join free America!

Dear Wisconsin NRA Member:

During last November’s elections, NRA members and gun owners throughout the Badger State sent a clear message to elected officials that a strong Right-to-Carry law must be a legislative priority. Residents of Wisconsin sent their legislators to Madison to secure their freedom.

To ensure we are prepared to meet the challenges posed by anti-gun forces and answer questions our members have about this legislation, NRA-ILA Grassroots will be hosting a series of workshops throughout the state. Please plan on attending to learn more about the bills, as well as what you need to do as gun-owners to assist in our efforts.

At this meeting, NRA-ILA Staff will discuss the bills, as well as what each of you need to do to ensure victory. NRA State and Local Lobbyist Darren La Sorte will be on hand along with NRA-ILA Grassroots Staff to lead the workshop.

This meeting is absolutely free and beverages and light snacks will be provided. The workshop will run about 60-90 minutes. Please make plans to attend one of our events and encourage your fellow NRA members and Second Amendment supporters to attend as well.

Here are the details for the upcoming workshops:

Eau Claire
Tuesday, May 10th
6:30p.m.
Gander Mountain
6440 Sculy Drive
Eau Claire,WI 54701
(715) 834-4594
http://nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=eauclaire2011

Milwaukee (Richfield)
Wednesday, May 11th
6:30p.m.
Cabela’s
One Cabela Way
Richfield, WI 53076
262-628-5700
http://nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=Richfield2011

Wausau (Rothschild)
Thursday, May 12th
Gander Mountain
6:30p.m.
1560 County Road XX
Rothschild,WI 54474
(715) 355-5500
http://nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=Rothschild2011

To register for this free event, please visit the link under the location closest to you above, or call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-VOTE (8683).

We look forward to seeing you!

Yours in freedom,
NRA Institute for Legislative Action

http://www.nraila.org/

I've registered for the Wausau(Rothschild) one, since it's closest, and pending a change in the work schedule, should be able to make it.

I'm going to assume that with Gander Mountain being an Open Carry Friendly business, that that should be ok as well.

Random Photo

Just turned out really good, and it's awesome to see my oldest nephew getting that excited about bicycles (which is awesome, since I'm fixing one up for him.)

'Nother Good Quote

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

~Thomas Jefferson

Android Shot Timers

Tonight I discovered there's a beta version of the IPSC Shot Timer in the Android store.  There's been an iPhone shot timer for a while, but the Android version had been dragging it's feet on coming out.

Right now I'll try out the free app and put off the $150 or so actual shot timer for a bit.  I can get a lot of ammo for $150...

Good Quote...

From a random thread on ARFCOM-

I know a lot of you are wondering how a person like myself would purchase a handgun. I went to Virginia Tech during the shooting, and after the whole ordeal and sleeping with a chair against my door for two months out of fear, it dawned on me that I could be helpless and naive or I could face the reality of what the world is really like and take matters into my own hands. (emphasis mine)

Regardless of the other stuff involved in the post, that sentence alone is worth remembering.

Shot Timers

Recommend me some good ones.  The CED7000 is looking pretty good to me.

They Do Exist

And at $6 a box, I had to snag some.

I don't see the problem...

Watching TV with the girl last night...

"Quick, what kind of gun was that?"
"A Sig P226."
"It was only on the screen for half a second!"
"...It's a common gun......."

Girls and Guns

I take some time off and miss the recent "everybody's blogging about" thing...

Apparently some asshat (I love that word...) thinks women shouldn't be shooting.

Uncle already summed things up pretty well (go take a look if you haven't already.)  The primary thing is that factual evidence shows women are the fastest growing segment in the firearms industry, quite the opposite of the NRA's efforts failing as Heyl seems to think.

Overall though, it's a shame they don't have comments enabled on the original story, that would have made for some good reading.  I'll have to tell Marty to read it, although I've got a feeling some strong editing would be required if I was to post her response...

I also need to get together a group of new shooters.  MandaFern (the girlfriend) has never shot anything more than a BB squirt gun and is really excited to try something more, and the more the merrier.

"Weekend"

I just finished a 12 hour overnight, and now it's technically my "weekend," so forgive me if things are a little slow around here today...

Merry...

Easter?

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Walking Dead

Target's got season one on DVD on sale for $10 this week.  I picked it up yesterday.

GemTax Day

In, er, celebration of income taxes, Gemtech is paying the $200 privilege tax on their Trek-T 5.56 can for you if you order before the end of the month.

>:P

Finally crawling into bed (night shifts suck...) and the weather people say I should be waking up to 5-8 inches of "heavy, packing snow" throughout this afternoon and my next shift.

Hopefully one of these days I'll wake up and find myself in a place that remembers what spring is...

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Salute Products

Anybody have any experience with their stuff?  I like the idea of a springy steel target, especially since my usual range has close to zero maintenance (the target stands usually last about a month, or until the first hard rain...) Plus a nice "DING!" and some movement can make for a more enjoyable range session in my opinion, especially with newer shooters.

I'm eying up the Small Spring Base combined with an IPSC MiniMe...

If anybody's run their stuff before, feel free to chime in!