Skillet 1, Bad Guy 0

Talk about a complete misread in the victim selection process.

With all the security camera footage out there of brawls and such floating around the Algorian Intertubes, I wish if there was footage of this beat down, someone would post it.

What Did They Think Would Happen?

So, the state of South Dakota, in it's infinite wisdom, sentenced a man convicted of 1st Degree Escape to a minimum security prison in Sioux Falls.

Guess what happened?

I had to re-read that article 3 times before it sunk in. 

Talk about a face-palm moment, eh?

Safety Equipment

Or Why I Now Severely Dislike Non-Ruger Single Action Army Pistols

And Got a New-Found Respect For Shooting Gloves

So there I was, getting a customer ready last Wed (9 Aug) to shoot a Taurus SAA in .357 Mag.  (We had another SAA, a Ruger Vaquero in .45LC.)

One feature of the Taurus is that unlike the Ruger, the cylinder does not unlock when you open the loading gate.  Meaning you have to move the hammer to half-cock in order to load the gun.

Now, I'd been using the same gloves since the previous Sat (4 Aug).  That Wed was going to be the last day for those gloves, as they were loaded with gun oil and other detrious that one accumulates when spending all day for 5 days around machine guns.

Picture this: 

Gun is now loaded. 

All 6 holes in the cylinder are full. 

I've done this countless times all week. 

Pull the hammer back, gently pull the trigger and ride the hammer down into the frame...

BAM!

I felt something hit my right hand hard, like a ball bat or something.  First instinct kicks in and I look down at my right hand expecting to see...nothing out of the ordinary.  Look closer:  No blood.  Thank God.  Rip the glove off...all 5 digits are still there.  Index, middle, and ring fingers are numb; like right after you slap a flat surface hard.  But no blood.  Holy Crap, did that just happen?

The only casualty?  The glove itself.  Fortunately, I'd moved my hand far enough out of the way that what I felt was muzzle blast.  Which is was split the middle finger of my right glove.

Whew!  Replaced the round that damn near blew my middle finger off, got the guy through his shooting, and went and had me a moment.  Grabbed a Gatorade (this was closer to noon than quitting time, or it would've been a beer) sat for a minute to collect my thoughts and composure, cleaned my shorts out, and went back to work.

So what happened?  The best I figure it, with all the oil in my gloves, coupled with the fact the pistol was stainless and smooth as a baby's hind end; that, and one-quarter second of inattention equals a ND that could have had disastrous consequences.

At least they're not calling me Stubby.  The best thing to come out of this was that everyone took safety a lot more serious afterwards.

My advice to you:  Never skimp of safety gear.  Whether it's shooting glasses, hearing protection, or gloves.  Make sure you have replacements for everything.  If it looks like it should be replaced, replace it.  Sooner rather than later.  Eyes, ears, fingers, and even your life cannot be replaced. 

(P.S.  From that point on, I took my sweet time loading that gun.  I figured out how to load it WITHOUT putting the hammer in half-cock.  So I now have a new-found respect for the non-Ruger SAA.  But I still don't like them.)

Been Awhile

Sorry it's been awhile since I put anything up here.  Truth is, life intruded.

My job got real at the beginning of July.  A C-130 ran out of air south of here and bellied in in the southern Black Hills.  Unfortunately, 4 people didn't get to go home for the 4th of July that weekend.  Two people, however did.  So the month of July was pretty much a wash.  14-16 hour days spend trying to coordinate stuff for the crash site and folks who were trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Then, last week was Rally Week.  Which meant that my once a year gig at the Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot was back up and running.  More on that in another post.

So, in my absence, some whack job shot up a movie theater trying to live up to the legend he'd created in his own mind of himself.  Much hay was made of what he used, and the howls from the anti crowd were long on wind, and short on anything in the way of facts.  From everything I read on the subject, the fact that he supposedly used a 100 round drum for his AR probably saved more lives than he eventually took.  Thing is, my wife once asked me when we were headed to a movie a couple of years ago why I felt the need to strap on my piece, just to go to the movies.  Guess what?  She knows why now.

Then some racist nut bag went and shot up a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.  No word on what HE used, but if it had been some sort of scary looking rifle, the howls would have been even louder from the long on wind, short on facts crowd.

Then, to round it all out, some leftist ass-munch goes and shoots himself up a pro-life joint in DC.  Two things stand out here.  First, how could this happen in DC?  I'm betting this goon forgot to register his shootin' iron with Metro PD.  Second, why is it that we hear about all these supposed 'right wing extremists' that are all ready to get their Second Fort Sumter on, but yet most of these mass shootings have been perpetrated by left-nuts.  Why is that?

So, to leave on a good note, I am now the proud new owner of a Kimber Super Ultra Carry.  Man, this one nice pistol.  I've had the gun for exactly 2 weeks now.  Put 50 rounds through it during some down time at the Shoot.  How does knocking off bowling pins at 30 yds with open sights sound?  I'll have more on this little shooter in the future, but man, is it nice.

Got to say, I love the bobbed frame.  My Dan Wesson 10mm has a bobbed frame and both fit my hand like a glove.

Anyway, I hope to have a recap up of the Shoot sometime this weekend.  Spoiler Alert:  It was a blast!