My new toy!

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Picked up my new carry gun on Monday, a Ruger SR 1911. I'll pop a few rounds this weekend.




It feels pretty nice. I'll admit that I hadn't anticipated spending quite this much on my carry piece, but the pistol came highly recommended (not to mention being in short supply!). We shall see .....

And the manual of arms is the same as I remember it, but it has been a long time!

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I've got to admit ...

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... I just don't get it.

The AR-15 platform is a good design (just like the AK is); it's reasonably accurate, it's reasonably light and it lends itself to customization well.

And as good a weapon system as it is, I just don't understand the fascination with AR builds.

The latest is a Home-defense AR build, by Shooting Illustrated. I'm not sure what the difference between a home-defense build and a tactical build is, but it looks like a standard build to me.

Now I can see putting different parts into an AR for a special use rifle; better triggers for a match or tactical gun, or better barrels and such. But I just can't see that the AR is magical.

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Interesting points about ...

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... why to carry a Glock:

There is not another gun I own that I would shoot for a week training class without cleaning and expect to run. There is not another gun that I would adjust sights on at the range with a carbide punch. And there is not another gun that I would carry to the range drop on purpose as part of a test and carry home!

The post details four reasons why Balloon carries a Glock. I can't argue with his reasoning, but I just can't shoot Glocks well (and the Hi-power clone I do carry is the limit of my hands). Single-stack single action pistols are what I shoot best, and are what I'm used to.

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BOLO

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It looks like the next episode of "Person of Interest" (Nov 17) will feature a rare suppressed pistol (as best as I could tell), a Welrod.

The Welrod also figures prominently in chapter 32 of Mike Vanderbeough's Absolved. But be careful reading it ... you'll be accused of some sort of geriatric militia plot to talk someone to death.

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The 3% ...

... should keep this information in their back pocket:

Among the reasons for his being pro-gun (he owns a lot of them): A friend of his, along a lonely stretch of Texas highway a few years ago, was kidnapped and nearly raped. Luckily she had a pistol in her pocket, a little .38 revolver, and with it plugged her attacker in the stomach as he was unbuckling his pants.

“And the lesson is: the police cannot be everywhere all the time, they are not omnipotent, and we don’t want them to be,” writes Kelly. “

The link describes liberals who own guns.

Food for thought ...

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More women ...

... and guns:

“I think I surprise a lot of people, because I wear heels and pearls almost every day,” Herron said Tuesday, during a trip to the shooting range at Shooters Express in Belmont, where she is a member. “They’re surprised that I like to shoot, but even more that I like rifles and machine guns.

“I think it’s a lot of fun.”

Women are where the future of firearms rights is.

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Minutea ...

I am a minutea fiend. My wife chides me on telling her how to build a clock when she only wanted to know what time it is.

In that spirit, if you've never reloaded, or want to know more about reloading, taking a look at David Tubb's Highpower Rifle Reloading is worth your while.

And yes, my wife told me that it fits me to a 'T'!

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300BLK

AAC had developed a new round, called the 300 Blackout, whose design criteria is ... interesting, to be sure.

It appears to me that the designers wanted to squeeze 7.62x39 ballistics into a round that would, with minimal-to-no modification to the AR platform. And I guess that in that regard, they've succeeded. But I ask ...

Why?

I'll reprint the design objectives:

DESIGN OBJECTIVES
• Create a reliable compact 30-cal solution for the AR platform
• Utilize existing inventory magazines while retaining their full capacity
• Create the optimal platform for sound and flash suppressed fire
• Create compatible supersonic ammo that matches 7.62x39 ballistics
• Provide the ability to penetrate barriers with high-mass projectiles
• Provide all capabilities in a lightweight, durable, low recoiling package

So the first two and the fourth criteria are the biggies - shoot a .30 caliber round out of a standard AR magazine while retaining a 30-rnd capacity, and match the ballistics of the 7.62x39 round. Mission accomplished.

The other three seem like marketing goals to me, since the optimal platform for sound and flash suppressed fire, that can penetrate barriers with high-mass projos, all in a lightweight, durable, low-recoiling package can be many things to many people.

The 300BLK will be competing with the 300 Whisper (aka the .300 Fireball) for customers. Needless to say, fan boys will buy anything (and that's what keeps a lot of companies afloat). As far as general acceptance, demand - coupled with manufacturing capacity - will determine whether this round gets a foothold in the market.

But again, I ask why? I'll try to take on all the reasons I've seen so far.

.223 isn't legal to hunt with in some locales. - Specifically mentioned were coyotes (I suppose due to the ranges that may come into play). I'm not sure why limiting your ballistics to the 7.62x39 range helps you, except that you're now able to use your AR lower and mags, but your scope won't be useful unless you're able to use 'Kentucky ' windage. It would seem to me that you'd invest in a .308 bolt action if you're looking for a .30 caliber solution for hunting. And to modify a favorite anti phrase, why would you need to retain 30-rd capacity?

The 300BLK has been submitted for SAAMI approval - OK ... big whoop. It's possible that the 300 Whisper was never intended to be approved, relying instead on the niche market aspect of the cartridge. And I'm not up to speed on what's involved in SAAMI approval, but I'm sure it involves a bit of cash, something that Mr Jones probably didn't want to put out.

300BLK would be cheaper than an AR-10 w/mags and optics. - True, but that's comparing apples to oranges. An AR-10 is .308 caliber, so chosing the 300BLK over the .308 doesn't make a whole lot of sense, because you can't get even close to the .308's ballistics. And unless you throttle the 300BLK down to .223 levels, you'd have to get new optics to fit anyway ... so all you're saving is the cost of mags.

Which begs the question: are you planning for TEOTWAWKI? Because if you are, the old adage KISS comes to mind. The more utilitarian a weapon, the more simple (by necessity) it must be. This is why I own an FN FAL ..... it's a battle-tested rifle, chambered in a battle rifle cartridge, and it's not tricked out (iron sights, and stock furniture) that I can't not do anything with it. I may not be able to do a lot of things really well, but that's the nature of the beast.

Like I said before, squeezing 7.62.39 ballistics into an AR platform is .... well, ok ... I guess. I'm familiar with the AR platform from my military service, and it's an o-k platform (I'm not passionate about any 'platform'). Can't see what all the hoopla is about building 'sniper' rifles, and tack-drivers and pseudo-benchrest rifle on the AR platform. And actually, I suppose what bothers me most is one of the reasons I'm not a fan of college football fans; it's the fanboy aspect that really turns me off. 'My AR-platform tack-driver will beat your any-other-kind-of-rifle, hands down.

Ok ... you may have a butt-load of money to engage in your masturbatory indulgences, and that's cool.

Just don't hype it as the (next) great White hope.

300BLK vs 300 Whisper? Ok ... have at it!

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Now *this* is awesome

Breda points out that guns come in all shapes and sizes.

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Gotta watch those "experts" Updated!

If someone from a gun-controlled paradise like New York claims to be an expert, watch out:

"You could take someone out with one of these scopes in the dead of night from up to a mile-and-a-half-away," [Dietl] said. "I have friends in Iraq who use these. These are the real deal."

The scopes in question are 4x gen3 night vision scopes - a mile and a half? Clearly my skills aren't nearly as good as officer Dietl's.

4 power scope for long-range night time sniping my ass!

Not to mention Dan Wasserbly, supposedly a weapons expert for Jane's, claims that the Raptor 4X Night Vision Weapons Sight is so "advanced the average U.S. soldier wouldn't use one."

Oh Danny boy, the average soldier wouldn't use them because they're of limited utility to the average soldier, not because they're so advanced (and they're Gen3, not the uber-advanced Gen4).

We're surrounded by idiots.

Update: Others have noticed.

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Another nice one

From Uncle comes this list of the 5 most ridiculous myths about guns:

Even in gun-crazy America, most of us aren't shooting things as part of our day-to-day routine. So most Americans actually know very little about guns. Hollywood writers realized this a long time ago and, being writers, used it as an excuse to never do any fact-checking ever again.

Heh.

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Damn you, Uncle ..... damn you!

He's just too quick! And has a good link to the concept of battlesight zero/max point blank range.

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Bushmaster ACR drawing

Seen at Uncle's ......



Yes, it's very cool, but it made my brain hurt!

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Just for fun

Here's a little on what happens when you fire a pistol underwater:



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Library bleg

Breda (Queen Reference Librarian, All Hail!) recently donated an Eddie Eagle DVD to her library, and looked for other firearms-related books. In the comments, lots of suggestions to donate books to the library.

What 5 books would you donate? Or would you donate magazine subscriptions?

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There's hope for the media

I would like to relay something that just happened to me, a good something.

A couple of days ago, the local ABC affiliate had a story about a marijuana bust, in which there was also a machinegun confiscated. Now, I watch ABC because it's the least objectionable network to watch, and the local affiliate has been hiring a great crop of eye candy (not to mention I'm pals with one of their reporters). And my ears perked up at the mention of 'machine gun'.

But when they went into the story, they listed the 'machine gun' as a "Mack 10".

WTF?

So I went onto the affiliate's web site to look further, and the ATF hasn't even decided on whether to charge the guy, so to me, it's looking like the firearm may not be full-auto after all.

Then Chris Cuomo was on the national news telling us how easy it was to get a grenade launcher. I wish!

So I bitched to the news director in an email, and got a rather frank response.

Apparently, the director says he can't do much about what ABC does, but he sent my e-mail to the others in the newsroom, having this to add:

Subject: FW: Comments about two stories last night (Jan 27)


I will give Mr. [redacted] a detailed reply, but first I want to share his note with everyone. It perfectly illustrates the point [redacted] and I have been making about the level of gun sophistication in the (...) viewing area and the requirement we face as journalists to rise to the challenge. To be clear, I am not saying we got the Mac 10 thing wrong – I’ll dig around on that question – just that we have many, many viewers who will not respect us if we regularly reveal a lack of gun smarts.

[redacted]

So maybe I'm not the only one sending pointy e-mails around.

In his reply, the director also notes that my e-mail comes at a time when the newsroom was already planning a gun education session with the staffers, and my comments only bolstered his case.

Now that seems like progress to me.

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I've got to take exception

Updated with a mea culpa: It just occurred to me that I used the wrong term when I went off on Sebastian. That's how the Affliction works sometimes.

Sebastian had a post where he illustrates PZTD (Prag Zero-Tolerence Defects):

Nothing like associating legal gun purchases of legitimate collector pieces (a gold plated Desert Eagle is a wall piece, the kind you lock behind a nice piece a glass in a nice felt lined display case) with a term generally associated with people who have large sums of cash and few ways to convert them into legitimate, untraceable assets (gang members and drug dealers).

All because a dealer called the 24k gold-plated Desert Eagle pistol in .50AE, a 'bling' gun? You mean, he told the truth. That doesn't fit into the NRA-approved PZTD commandments (Thou shall not make the gun community look like fools).

I read the whole article, and that comment was near the end of the article (where most articles put things that contradict the authors 'spin'), and I don't think it was out of place at all. A gold-plated Desert Eagle is a 'bling' gun.

But firearms dealers shouldn't talk to reporters? How would a curt 'No comment' sound to the general public? Or 'All the local gun dealers refused to talk to us about this (insert firearms-related issue here)'? Or maybe firearms dealers should go through some sort of guerrilla PR training before they talk to any reporters?

I personally don't know any actual pistol shooters who would buy a gold-plated Desert Eagle pistol. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who does so is an individual with large sums of cash wanting to convert it into a legitimate asset. I can't see anything covered on soft, 24k gold being able to withstand the rigors of firing, and I'm sure that doing so ruins the collector value of the firearm. Even if I were to win the lottery, I can't see spending 2 large on something that's going to sit in a case, or on the wall. All of the firearms I own are meant to be shot, accurately and repeatedly.

Now this is not meant to disparage firearms collectors. I've always drooled over the commemorative .45's in gold plating - I just don't have the disposable income to start and fill a collection of them. But I can't see where in a collection, the gold-plated Desert Eagle fits, save a Desert Eagle collection, or a 'bling' section.

Someone enlighten me!

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'Automatic' machine guns?

Found at Uncles, this story on those extra-dangerous automatic machine guns:

Two men terrified a Plaid Pantry clerk in Southeast Portland by pointing an automatic machine gun and demanding money from the cash register.

Ah .... so they 'terrified' the clerk. That's how they knew it was an automatic machine gun, 'cuz automatic machine guns are extra-evil looking (LRRH-Grandma, what an automatic machine gun you have! BBW-The better to terrorize you with, my dear! Muahahahahaha!)

And these people vote, dude!

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Obligatory - More guns, less crime

This is a few days old, but kinda newsworthy. Christian Science Monitor has a piece on new FBI data for the first half of 2009:

After several years of crime rates holding relatively steady, the FBI is reporting that violent crimes – including gun crimes – dropped dramatically in the first six months of 2009, with murder down 10 percent across the US as a whole.

Of course, the usual players are saying that guns make no difference one way or another, and maybe they don't.

What's for sure is that more guns don't equal more crime ...... more people willing to do criminal things equals more crime.

Unpossible!

I thought rocket launchers were, like, illegal:

When officers went inside, they found something that made them concerned enough to call the bomb squad.

They found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. It can shoot a missile nearly 1,000 feet through buildings and tanks.

I'll let the imbecilic stats on the capabilities pass, since most authorized journalists can't get simple firearms right, let alone light rockets.

But this was in Houston ....... probably got it at a gun show!

h/t WND

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