Watches and Wheel Guns

So I probably have the best girlfriend ever... between the recent exchange and her birthday gift to me, I'm sold.

A few months ago I was drooling over a watch while she was out dress shopping or something.  Now I can't stop looking at my wrist every 30 seconds...

You really have to see it working to fully appreciate it.  All sorts of little moving bits, and the back is also crystal so you can see the winding pendulum and more little moving bits.  It's so delightfully Steampunk-esque,  and so much dressier than any of my other watches.  It's awesome.

I also got myself something, filling that annoying void in the armory of a .22lr revolver.

It's definitely a case of "you get what you pay for," but overall it's not bad, and the double action pull is nowhere near as bad as everybody says on this one.  Hopefully that's not a sign of weak springs and it'll go bang tomorrow.  I'm not a fan of the look of the grips, but they feel great, so we'll see how that goes.  On the other hand, the sight picture is simply fantastic!

Now off to play silly games and get rid of these so I don't get fat!

Chocolate-Espresso-Bacon-Awesome-Cakes!

Happy Birthday Mr. Colt

Back in grade school at some point you get an assignment to figure out what famous people you share a birthday with. Of course all the other kids picked some relevant celebrity or such, but I found a much cooler person that I shared today with.

Samuel Colt was born July 19, 1814, and went on to refine the revolver, which in turn dominated handgun designs for quite a while.

I find it somewhat fitting that I'll be going to pick up a revolver for myself today, even though it doesn't have a little pony on the side (although I do lust after a .22lr Diamondback... but have you seen the price on those these days!? Someday...)

ATF & Mexico Update

From Say Uncle.

Blaser WTF?... er R8 Professional Tracker...

It may be because I'm a year older today, and that much more senile, but what would somebody want a rifle with a stupidly short sight radius and magazine disconnect "safety" for?  Oh yeah, and you have to cock it by hand.  It doesn't say that there's a decocker or anything, so I'm assuming you have to work the bolt, and cock it in a separate action.

Baking...?

Yup, baking.  Tasty surprise for the fellow geeks for tomorrow's gaming night in celebration of my birthday (and as an excuse to make them.)

I won't say too much more, as one of them reads here on occasion, but let's just say it is a true embodiment of this blog, as it involves bacon and espresso.  Gunnies love bacon, and espresso is just concentrated coffee goodness.  The girl and I whipped up a batch last week to test the recipe, and lets just say I can't wait for more of them.

Corruption

Talking to Dan about setting up a range trip the other day (he got a .44mag S&W a couple months ago, and I haven't shot it yet...)

Me- So what are you doing Wednesday?
Dan- I work until 3, but I'm open after that.
M- Cool.  The girl works until 4 or so too, so I'll run it past her.  She may get upset if she misses the chance to pop off some rounds out of the little 10/22.
D- Sounds good.

So later that evening she swings by work on her way home;

Me- So Dan and me are thinking of a range trip Wednesday...
Amanda- (Before I can even finish the sentence...) You told him I work until 4 right?
M- Yes.

Yeah, she's pretty awesome like that.

Hyperstealth Photos

I mentioned the stuff a while back, and SSD has a couple photos of it.

Too cool if the stuff actually works that well.

48 Hours...

Hopefully that'll change soon with the ccw permits... At least it'll be good start to the birthday!

Stock photo for those curious.

Humid...

That's all on the outside of the window...

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Enter Post Title Here

About two-thirds of the way through a double shift today, but planning on running up to Gander Mountain in the morning to track down something revolver-like, chambered in .22lr, and double-action.  Will likely end up with a Taurus 94 of some flavor (most likely 4" barrelled in stainless judging from what's usually in the case.)  I'd rather have a S&W, but I can't bring myself to pay what people want for their .22s these days (and the stupid hole in the side pisses me off to no end...)  The Taurus isn't a bad looking gun either, just not as nice as a Smith.

If I go up there tomorrow morning, fill out the paperwork, and pay for it, I can go back on Tuesday to actually take possession of the thing; which will make for a good start to my birthday.

Five-point-two-five hours to go...

New Media vs. MSM

Caleb posted a bit this morning about the MSM (Main-Stream Media) failing miserably with the whole ATF gun smuggling story.  He makes some good points, primarily that those MSM outlets are pretty much the walking dead.

The last paragraph really hits the whole point home though:

Of course, that doesn’t mean that we as bloggers should now sit around and pat ourselves on the backs either.  Because the problem is now that we’ve established that online media generators are the future, how do we forge that path forward into credibility?  I’m not talking just about the gun blogosphere either, but rather the entire world of online media/journalism.  Are bloggers the new investigative journalists?  And a better question, or at least one that interests me is how do we collective put CNN out of its misery?  I’ve got lots of questions, but not a lot of answers.

To be honest, I don't have any more answers than Caleb.  At this point really it's just "keep it up."  Bloggers keep blogging, readers keep reading.  Tell your friends to check out your favorite blogs, and support those bloggers that write them.

Gov. Walker on New CCW Law

H/T- RTB

Daily Gov't Gunrunning Update

From Uncle.  I figure if the MSM isn't going to cover it, we may as well circulate the crap out of it in the ol' blogosphere.

*Smack* "NO!"

House committee passes Amendment to defund illegal Obama Firearm Sales Reporting requirement.

It's refreshing to see the system of Checks and Balances actually checking and balancing every once in a while.

Give me a few...

I've got comic books to catch up on, so I'll be back later.

NRA WI CCW Workshops

Just got this in the ol' inbox-

Right-to-Carry a Reality in Wisconsin! 

Find out more at our upcoming briefing!

Attend a FREE Workshop to learn about the Wisconsin Right-to Carry legislation recently-signed by Governor Scott Walker. During this workshop you will also learn about how you can support the Senators who supported Right-to-Carry during the upcoming recall election. 

DEAR WISCONSIN NRA MEMBER: WITH GOVERNOR WALKER’S SIGNING OF THE PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT ON FRIDAY JULY 8, RESIDENTS OF THE BADGER STATE WILL FINALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES BY CARRYING A CONCEALED FIREARM FOR SELF DEFENSE. 

In advance of the new law taking effect, NRA-ILA headquarters staff is hosting a series of workshops to provide you with information on what you need to do to obtain your permit and what this new law allows you to do. NRA-ILA Campaign Field Representative Nate Nelson will also be in attendance to brief you on volunteer opportunities for the upcoming recall election. 

We need your help to support the Senators who helped make Right-to-Carry a reality in Wisconsin! 

We have won a major battle with the enactment of the Personal Protection Act but there is much more to accomplish in the fight for your firearms freedom. The future of other legislative priorities such as the Castle Doctrine is completely dependent on the outcome of this summer’s recall elections. You can help make the difference!
These workshops are absolutely free and beverages and light snacks will be provided. Each 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! 

Please plan on attending one of these upcoming workshops! Here are the details:

Fond Du Lac

Tuesday, July 19^th

6:30 p.m.

Ramada Plaza

1 N. Main St.

Fond Du Lac, WI 54935

(920) 923-3000

http://www.nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=FondDuLacWI2011

Seymour

Thursday, July 21^st

6:30 p.m.

Boxbees’ Banquet & Buffet

N6744 County Hwy. C

Seymour, WI 54165

(920) 833-2924

http://www.nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=SeymourWI2011

Baldwin

Friday, July 22

6:30 p.m.

The Orchard Restaurant, Sports Bar & Banquet Facility

(In “The Barn”)

571 Hwy. 63

Baldwin, WI 54002

(715) 688-6666

http://www.nraila.org/workshops/Register.aspx?ID=BaldwinWI2011 

To register for one of these free events, please visit the link under the location closest to you, 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 Actionwww.nraila.org

I'm hoping they'll hold one in the Central Wisconsin Area (like Gander up by Wausau again...)


If you're near one, it should be worth checking out.

More Gunrunner/Gunwalker/Fast&Furious...

...or whatever it's called this week.  Anyway, Uncle has a bunch more updates and links dealing with the ATF's gun smuggling shenanigans.

It also seems the NRA and NSSF are less than amused by the new long gun reporting rules.

Beaver Tails

Source

Not quite...

Source

There it is.

Vuurwapen Blog has up a good video showing the effectiveness of the Beaver tail add-on backstrap Glock has developed for the Gen4.

It's always good to see a major company listening to the end users, and one of the largest complaints about Glocks has always been the grip angle and lack of a beaver tail.  S&W included a fantastic one on the M&P series, and I'm sure their sales also drove Glock to look into it more as well.

I like beaver tails on pistols.  Way back when 5 years ago or so...) I had the opportunity to shoot a genuine 1911.  Not a 1911A1, but the WWI issue 1911.  I've got pretty good sized hands (it comes with a 6'4"+ frame...) and it took a great big chunk out of the web of my hand with the first shot.  It hurt, but I finished off the mag before grumbling about it and going back to my Kimber with the extended beaver tail and bobbed hammer.

Bite-free living!

I believe beaver tail grips give you more control too.  They let you get your hand up higher into the gun, much along my mantra of "get as much meat on the gun as possible," and spreading out the recoil impulse over a larger area, reducing muzzle flip.

I don't think the Glock factory piece is available yet, but there's a couple other alternatives out there already, SSD mentioned this one yesterday (keep an eye out over there if you're interested.)

Don't expect to see a Glock in the G&C Armory anytime soon though.  A simple beaver tail is a long way from making me like them.  I'll stick to my M&P and SigPro for my tupperware needs.

Game Photos

Finally got around to playing with some photos from the Brewers game on the 4th.  They turned out pretty well (amazing seats help) so I thought I'd share.

It only took her 23 years, but MandaFern finally got her game ball (Morgan's last foul in the bottom of the 9th... last foul ball of the game.)

I've got a bunch more to work through, but if anybody wants to see more, let me know and I'll toss them up here when they're done.

Wisconsin Carry CCW Summary

Nik just sent out a great summary of the applicable laws and information on where Wisconsin Carry stands on things.  Seeing as I've just been plain too busy to put together my own stuff, I'll toss it up here.

Greetings in Freedom.


On Friday July 8th, 2011 Governor Scott Walker signed a "shall-issue" concealed carry bill into law.

The majority of the provisions in the law take effect in Novermber. The Wisconsin Dept. of Justice will be administering the program.

The original SB93 was a constitutional carry bill. The senate committee passed a modified SB93 that had an optional permit for concealed carry within school zones. Unfortunately, that modified "constitutional carry" bill did not survive the full senate and it was amended to a "shall-issue" type system. Once the "shall-issue" legislation passed the senate it was clear that constitutional carry had no chance in the legislature this session and in a judicious consideration of our members time, we did not believe further action/legislative contact from our members was required or would have any effect on the final legislation so we did not send any action alerts during that time as we waited to see what the final bill included.

Under the new law you will continue to be able to open carry without a permit in the places you can now. You will also be able to open-carry in your vehicle provided you do not cross a school zone. You may continue to conceal carry in your home and business as you can now, but in other places you will effectively be required to get a permit in order to carry concealed. The permits cost $50 and are good for 5 years. The renewal is slated to cost $25. The Dept. of Justice is suppose to have application forms available on Sept. 1st. We will send further updates when they are.

There are a great deal of specifics to the law which I won't write a novel here to describe, but the following links provide you legislative analysis of the bill. I encourage members to read through these and if you have any questions, I encourage you to join our facebook group (from facebook search "Wisconsin Carry") and pose your questions there. Due to the volume of recipients this email goes to I will not be able to respond to individual questions in a timely manner.

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lc/publications/im/IM2011_10.pdf

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/2011-13Bills/2011_06_09_SB93_LC.pdf

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/insession/insessiondocs/lcmemos/SB-93LCMemo.pdf

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/galloway/Pages/concealed-carry.aspx

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/enrolled/sb93.pdf

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/sen11/news/images/0930_001%20FAQ.pdf

In order to obtain a concealed carry permit you will need to have proof of training and pass a background check. There are a number of specifics with regard to the training, but in general here is what qualifies:

-The hunter education program established by the Department of Natural Resources or a substantially similar program that is established by another state, country or province and that is recognized by DNR.

-A firearms safety or training course that is conducted by a national or state organization that certifies firearms instructors.
-A firearms safety or training course that is conducted by a firearms instructor who is certified by a national or state organization that certifies firearms instructors or who is certified by the Department of Justice.
-Documentation that the individual participated in organized shooting competitions or completed military, law enforcement or security training that gave the individual experience with firearms that is substantially equivalent to a course or program described above.
-Documentation of completion of small arms training while serving in the U.S. armed forces.

Wisconsin Carry intends to develop a training course that will qualify for the requirements of the law that we will offer at no charge to members. We do not want anyone to be unable to exercise their right to carry in the manner of their choosing because they cannot afford or do not have access to training. Please keep in mind that Wisconsin Carry is a 100% volunteer non-profit corporation so the time it takes us to put together that class may not be as quick as some will desire.

Once you obtain the permit, you will be able to carry in the manner of your choosing (open or concealed) everywhere you can currently open carry IN ADDITION to within "school zones". Carry remains prohibited on school GROUNDS for everyone (permit or not).

If you are a Wisconsin resident, you will need to get the Wisconsin permit. Your non-resident permit from another state cannot be used as your permit. It is my understanding that it can be used as proof of training if it is from a state that required training to obtain their permit.

This information is just a basic overview of the shall-issue legislation that was signed into law. You should not rely on it as legal advice. As always, you should read, research and understand the law completely. The above links will allow you to do so.

I will be sending another email shortly to discuss the past year's successes and failure as well as the future goals and initiatives of Wisconsin Carry.

Carry On,

Nik Clark
Chairman/President - Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
www.wisconsincarry.org
nik@wisconsincarry.org
facebook: search "Wisconsin Carry"
www.youtube.com/wisconsincarry
www.twitter.com/wisconsincarry

Project Gunwalker

Larry sums things up and makes some good points.

It's just a shame that all the talk around it is really only in gun circles and not more the general public...

SB93 To Be Signed Today

Gov. Walker is slated to sign Senate Bill 93 (Wisconsin Personal Protection Act) into law on July 8th.  Once signed, the law will go into effect November 1st, 2011, finally allowing Wisconsin residents the ability to carry concealed weapons.

The NRA has compiled a "fact sheet" covering most of what this all entails for us here.  The key things include what qualifies as "training."

A Musical Break

They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba

On Belay

Got called up to cover for the climbing director at camp this morning... it was fun, but sucked up all my free time before catching a minors game with the girl and heading in for the graveyard shift.

Back in a bit...

We'll call it a wash...

We may have lost, but our pitcher got a grand slam, our seats were awesome, and Manda got a game ball. Awesome-sauce.

On the way home now after spending way too much time at Cabela's.

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Burned Out...

Worked 24 of the last 48 hours as of 2300 tonight... good times.  Off to Milwaukee to catch the Brewers' game in some sweet sweet 5th row seats care of IAVA (pretty close to home plate too.)

If you watch the game you might see me!

Range Time

The 10/22 has apparently been claimed...

Although she could use a stock with a slightly higher comb than the factory one (any suggestions would be appreciated.  Also a sling-ready one would be nice.)  Fern has a small face and the TechSights are a little tall for her.

On the upside, she says she likes the iron sights better than the red-dot for general plinking.  I like the red-dot for first time shooters, as it's simple, but if they show more interest, then I'd rather they master irons before getting much into optics.  This'll work great with Fern, her archery background has her more interested in bullseye-style target shooting more than tactical stuff, so it suits her fine.

I fully stripped down the little Ruger before the range session as well, and noted the new finish they're using seems a bit thick on the inside of the receiver, and was actually chipping off inside.  I think this may have been part of the reliability issues I've been having with this gun.  I scrapped off as much as I could inside, and am contemplating just polishing out as much as I can in the not so distant future.  Yesterday it only had two failure-to-eject type malfs, much better than past sessions.

Fern also caught her first piece of shrapnel when I had her shoot the SigPro at the steel target... tiny bit of bullet jacket came back and smacked her in the forehead.  Thankfully it only left the tiniest of cuts, and didn't even bleed.  She immediately took her finger off the trigger and kept it pointed in a safe direction, even though the slide was locked open (last round) but decided that was enough 9mm for the day.  Eye pro is important when shooting steel!

MHA Reminder

Monster Hunter Alpha (Earl's story) is up for preorder and will be shipping in a couple weeks.  Larry's pushing to try and boost sales as much as possible (seems there's some stiff competition in the "urban fiction" genre around the release time.)

Just a reminder, if you use one of the above Amazon links, I gets me a cut, which is cool and helps me get some cool gear to review for you guys (like a chronograph... I need one of those) but if you want the ultimate cool, autographed copies are available here.  If you're cool like me though, you get one from each and that way you have a "loaner copy" to get your friends hooked on the goodness without beating up your signed one.

Speaking of Quick-load Mag Options

Speed-loader to load AR mags straight from a 20 round box...



Cool concept.  Lately I've been using 100 round "value packs" of American Eagle... they're $30 at Fleet, but wouldn't work with that concept.

Quiet Around Here...

Decided to catch up on some reading and go for a bike ride today, and will be heading to the range momentarily (the girl's been dropping hints that she wants to go again... hooray!)  Hopefully I'll be back in earnest tomorrow.