Project GunWalker

With all the hubub caused by David Codrea and Mike V, it was time I wrote my congress-critters to call for investigations into what is becoming 'crass and dubious'. Below are the emails I fired off to them.

Senator-

In the last few weeks, a scandal has been brewing in the Department of Justice involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and gun smuggling operations in Mexico.

As you know, Border Patrol Agent Bryan Terry was shot and killed on the
Arizona border with a gun allegedly purchased by as straw purchaser in
Phoenix. It has been alleged that the BATFE knew of these operations and did nothing to stop this process, nor did they inform the Mexican government about an
operation they called 'Fast and Furious'.

It has come to my attention that Andrew Traver was scheduled to come up for
a confirmation hearing, but this was pulled by Senator Patrick Leahy.

In light of the allegations brought about by the murder of BP Agent Terry, and
subsequent murder of US government agent Jaime Zapata, serious questions need to be asked of both the DOJ and BATFE regarding what they knew, when they knew it, and why it was allowed to continue.

Senator Grassley of Iowa has taken the point on this, but he needs help in the form of more senators ashing the tough questions so the family of BP Agent Terry can get the answers they deserve.

Will you join Senator Grassley in calling for oversight hearings involving Operation Fast and Furious?

And this to my Representative in Congress:

Congresswoman-

In the last few weeks, a scandal has been brewing in the Department of Justice involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and gun smuggling operations in Mexico.

As you know, Border Patrol Agent Bryan Terry was shot and killed on the
Arizona border with a gun allegedly purchased by a straw purchaser in Phoenix.
It has been alleged that the BATFE knew of these operations and yet did nothing
to stop this process, nor did they inform the Mexican government about an
operation they called 'Fast and Furious'.

Senator Grassley of Iowa has taken the point on this, but he needs help in the form of more people asking the tough questions so the family of BP Agent Terry can get the answers they deserve.

Congressman Issa is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Along with Senator Grassley, oversight hearings need to happen not only in the Senate, but in the House as well. BATFE has asked for an increase in funding for the current fiscal year in order to combat so-called weapons trafficking into Mexico. If the accounts that have begun to appear on CBS news, the LA Times, and in the Associated Press are true, the BATFE is asking for more money to ensure more American guns go south of the border to kill untold thousands of Mexicans, and maybe even more American law enforcement personnel.

Will you call on Congressman Issa to hold hearings regarding this atrocious abuse of American sovereignty?

I wrote these emails 3 days ago, and as of right now, I have not received and response back from any of them. When I do, I'll be sure to post their responses right here.

Musings On The M9

This post over at Joe Huffman's site got me thinking. The OP was about how bad the M1911/M1911A1 are because you can't use your index finger as a point-and-shoot interface.

After reading the link in his post, I was compelled to offer my take on using the index finger as a sighting tool and the middle finger to pull the trigger.

Yesterday, it was qualification day at work. As part of my day job, I run the weapons vault and I am responsible for numerous rifles and pistols. Our duty weapon is the Beretta M9. It's a 9mm job, does a good job for what it was designed to do, and is generally a decent weapon.

I first qualified on this pistol back in 1995. At the time, I didn't know any better. It was the first autoloader I'd ever fired. (The first ever handgun I fired was a S&W Model 27 Highway Patrolman, .357 mag w/6" barrel.)

As I grew into gun nut status, some things started sticking out to me. First, was the grip. It was always billed to me as an 'any person' gun, meaning any person should be able to pick it up and start shooting. Well, the grip size is just short of being too small for Andrea the Giant. Of course, you've got to figure out a way to hold 15 rds of 9mm and having it all stick out the butt end of the pistol ain't exactly slick. I've got a fairly large paw, and it's a stretch to get my hands around the grip on this pistol.

Next thing that stands out, and in my mind totally turns me off on this pistol is the trigger. Horrendous doesn't even begin to describe it. To put it in perspective, it's like trying to squeeze a 2x4 with your index finger. When someone asks me why I don't like the M9, I tell them it's the trigger. It's got a trigger you start pulling on Sunday, and you're finally done sometime late Saturday afternoon. And that's the double action pull. If the guy in the article linked by Joe can accurately double-action fire the M9 with his middle finger, I'll spring for a beer for the guy. I know MY middle finger ain't that strong, that's for sure.

The single action pull is better, but only because you don't have to squeeze a 2x4 to get the gun to go bang. No, the SA pull has it's own issue. Namely, you have to take up 2.5 feet of slack in the trigger just to get it to the break-over point. I can see doing the point-and shoot method in SA, but transitioning from your normal trigger finger on the trigger to the middle, puts too much movement and memory in the equation. Trigger pull should be muscle memory automatic. Not a fumbling affair trying to change on finger on the trigger to another.

In the classroom before going out to the line, I try to get as much dry fire time in as I can to refamiliarize myself with just how terrible the trigger is. I have to consciously think about shooting this pistol, as I've spoiled myself on my 1911s. Something about a consistent 3-5 lb pull that has me hooked I guess.

I also have to change my shooting mechanics with the M9. I shoot high thumbs with the 1911, and being a lefty, particularly with the M9, I can't rest my thumbs where I'd like. There's this thing called the trigger bar that runs right where my thumbs rest that goes back and forth every time the trigger is pulled. Last year, this little design feature rubbed a raw spot on my right thumb. This year, I tried to rest that thumb under ledge over the trigger guard on the frame, with varying degrees of success. (And quite a bit of stopping to consciously put my thumb back where it needed to be, not where it wanted to be, damned muscle memory.)

So there you have it. The M9 (and it's civilian cousin, the 92FS) were all the rage when Detective Riggs and John McClain were running around hosing bad guys with them. In 1987. Not so much now. I'd take a Springfield XD or (GASP!) a Glock over the M9.

Side bar: Yesterday is also the first time I got bit by a slide. I was assisting a coworker in reassembling his pistol when I released the slide on mine. I was easing it forward, and for some reason known only to my left hand, I let go of it. I thought my fingers were clear, but alas, the meaty part of the middle finger of my left hand was not. At first, I thought I got pinched, but nooooo. I drew blood. So now, I've got a nice half moon cut on my middle finger that looks a lot like the rear of the breach area on an M9 pistol.

Note to self: Make sure ALL appendages are clear of the barrel/slide interface area when releasing the slide.

Done Like Dinner

So, the Wyoming House has answered the call and passed constitutional carry on vote of 49-9.

All that's left is for the Gubner to sign said bill.

The comments are running about even, with the whiny, blood-in-the-streets crowd having a slim majority in comments. This'll last until the pro-rights crew gets back from the range, I reckon. I may even head back on over there and join the fray.

Today is a good day for the state of Wyoming!

A Different Tact

With all the hoopla surrounding the adaption of constitutional carry in Wyoming, the arguments in favor and against generally follow that of most gun control arguments. On the one side, you have the blood in the streets crowd, who see any loosening of gun laws as in invitation for mass murder and mayhem. On the other side, you have the arguments about civil rights and protection.

One argument in favor of constitutional carry in Wyoming that has not been fully explored is the cost. Why cost? Because most folks don't see that aspect or it gets glossed over and forgotten in the debate.

Generally, the cost of a concealed carry permit in the state of Wyoming is $74. This includes application fees and fingerprint costs. Renewal of said permit is $50. In order to get a permit in Wyoming, if you are not a veteran or member of the armed forces, you also have to take a class. That class can run upwards of $100 or more, depending on who's teaching. So there you have it, the overall cost of a concealed carry permit can easily reach $200, if you factor in the cost of gas to get to the class if there's not an instructor in your area.

What got me thinking about this, is my brother. He's got a decent job, makes good wages, but between bills, and paying off what his ex-wife left for him in the divorce, he's got a whole of week left at the end of his paycheck. He would love to get a permit, but as I noted above, the cost is prohibitive. When you add in the time off from work he'd have to take in order to attend the class, you can see why he doesn't have his toter's slip. After you factor in house payment/rent, car insurance, gas for said vehicle, food, and clothing, that $175 for a concealed carry permit is the gold ring they may never be able to afford. And if you're unemployed, even the cost of renewal could be prohibitive.

So, he has a decision to make. Does he carry illegally and risk the consequences of getting caught toting a piece without the state sanctioned permission slip? Meaning not only could he lose his piece, he could potentially never be able to own a gun again. Or does he accept that because he's broke, he cannot legally carry a firearm to defend himself?

And it's not just my brother. There are lots of folks who find themselves in this conundrum across the state.

I see passing constitutional carry as a benefit. Not only to those who already have a permit, but to those who can't afford to get one. Are they, who can't afford the piece of state-issued paper, any less deserving of being able to carry because of their economic status? Should concealed carry be a 'rich mans' right? For most folks, $200 may not seem like a lot of money. But to those who have no choice but live paycheck to paycheck, or who may be unemployed, the ability to defend themselves by finally being able to carry a concealed weapon would be a welcome change.

A New Addition

As you can see, I dropped a poll on the site. This is in response to one Baldr Odinson and the 'poll' he put up a couple of days ago. (Which disappeared a day after he put it up because it didn't show what he wanted it to...So much for that week long poll, eh Baldr?) I'm interested in seeing what kind of reaction I get here. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, if you feel the urge, hit the poll. Leave a comment if you like.

Stand Up To A Bigot

I was going to post this as a response to this...I don't know what you'd call it, but I thought I'd drop it here. I may also post this as a response, but for now, I'm going to post it here.

A funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century. Guns got invented. That genie is now out of the bottle, and it ain't going back in. If you think that by banning guns all the ills of our society would go away, you are in dire need of some counselling. You cannot un-invent something, and you cannot make people forget the know-how to create it. Just because guns are banned, doesn't mean there won't be guns. In Chechnya for example, homemade guns abound. And not semi-auto guns. Full on, full bore, full auto machine guns. So you have to ask yourself this question. Would I rather deal with legal semi-auto firearms in the hands of law-biding citizens, or would you rather deal with backyard machinists cranking out Sten-type submachine guns for a group of angry partisans?

For those that think a few 'peasants' with spitballs couldn't possibly stand up to the best trained, best equipped, and most battle hardened army in the world, you don't know history, or current events, for that matter.

Our own history as a nation started out with a rag-tag band of patriots picking a fight with the most powerful army in the world. (I wonder how that one turned out?) A rag-tag bunch of settlers took on the second most powerful army in the western hemisphere in the 1830s. (Texas, anyone?) More recently, a rag-tag bunch of en-educated peasants took on the US Army, and WON! ( I can't remember what country that was, but the little guys wore black pajamas.) For the last 10 yrs or so, a rag-tag bunch of peasants has been kicking the largest army in the worlds' kiester. (Vladdy, phone please!) And lets not forget that rag-tag bunch of goat herders has been giving the most technologically advanced military the world has ever known absolute fits.

Now, as for registration, licensing, and means testing for a specific enumerated right, we wouldn't put up with someone telling us we had to have a permit and a background check to buy the latest Danielle Steele slobber book, nor would we put up with someone having us register and ask permission to go to church on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, or any other day of the week. As a country, we abolished testing as a means of exercising the most fundamental right of any American, the right to vote. So why, in all that's right and holy, would we subject ourselves to registering that which our country was founded on? We have the right to be secure in our homes and papers. Why would we give up the means to that security?

So, we don't put prior restraints on civil rights. Same goes for our Second Amendment rights. That states currently use a permit system means it is nothing more than a revenue system to add even more money into the states coffers. No one should have to beg the government to exercise their rights, and we rightly don't put up with that in any other context.

That you (meaning antis) don't trust others with something like a gun tells me you don't trust anyone. Which is kind of ironic, don't you think? You probably drive a car or truck that weighs in excess of 3000 lbs. You probably drive in congested traffic, and trust those around you to not run into you. Much hay has been made about the number of people killed by guns, but what is the real, true killer in this country? That distinction falls to the automobile. It's been killing people in this country at rates that are truly astounding. Yet we don't blame Ford or Toyota when someone crosses the center line and plows into a crowd of school kids getting ready to catch the school bus. Nor do we blame Jack Daniels, Budweiser, or Zima when someone gets mind numbingly drunk and plows into the local senior citizens center. We don't investigate what caused the drunk to do what he did. We don't go blaming the radio station, we don't make excuses and try to blame everyone else but the individual for the carnage. We arrest them, charge them, try them, incarcerate them, and in the most extreme cases take their life. And nobody cares that he heard voices, his girlfriend left him, his dog died, or he caught his wife sleeping with the Maytag man. We condemn the individual, not the tool used to commit the carnage.

My point in all this? Law-biding gun owners are NOT the problem. Lawfully owned, lawfully carried firearms are NOT the problem. Criminals ARE. People who, by their very nature cannot be made to register any guns they have, as to do this violates THEIR fifth amendment right against self incrimination. Passing new, onerous gun laws will not do anything to stop murderers from plying their trade. It will however, ensure a large swath of the citizenry won't be able to do anything but sit back and take it.

Pisses Me Off

What really pisses me off are these letters and articles in newspapers around the country written by supposed gunowners. They all start off the same:

"I'm a gunowner, but I don't support..."

This statement is usually followed up by inserting whatever politically sensitive firearm is on the hotseat that particular week. It could be Glock, it could be DPMS or Colt. Or it could be an accessory that is on the block, such as standard capacity magazines.

Take, for instance, a commenter named 'Boo Hoo' over here.

Typical 'I'm a gunowner, but..." response. I own guns but I don't see the need for anyone to carry one. I own guns but I don't see the need for a gun with a magazine capacity of more than x rounds. I'm a gunowner, but I don't see why anybody would need (insert politically incorrect firearm reference here) for hunting, self defense, ad nauseum.

I'll tell you what we don't need. What we DON'T need is some jagoff speaking about crap he/she willfully knows nothing about. We don't need one 'gunowner' out of 80,000,000 trying to put the rest of us in a neat little box.

One thing he mentioned in his comment to the linked story (which was about the Brady Bunch picketing an open carry meeting, go figure, huh?) was that without a gun, the nutjob in Tuscon wouldn't have been able to kill 6 and wound 20. I got a news flash for him. 19 guys with box cutters took out 3000 10 yrs ago. A whackjob with a Ryder truck, some fertilizer, and some diesel fuel killed 168 in 1995. Nutjobs half a world away are killing that many and more with a rudimentary understanding of chemistry, some nails and ball bearings, and cell phone. Is he really that dense to think that mass killing in this country would magically disappear overnight if we could just get rid of those icky guns?

I got an idea. If you feel the need to post one of them "I'm a gunowner, but..." pieces in you local cat box liner, do us all a favor.

Keep your 'butt' out of it.

All This Talk Of Bans and Whatnot

In the wake of the shooting a couple of weeks ago, debate has raged from all over as to whether our gun laws are too weak or not.

The typical poo flinging monkeys (Josh squared and Paul) have stated that gun shows, magazine capacity, and an inefficient background check system (on top of all the rhetoric the shooter never listened to or heard) were all the reasons a deranged nutjob hell bent on killing the object of his desire needed.

A couple of other bloggers, Joe Huffman and Say Uncle, pointed out that when arguing about gun control with an anti-gunner, their responses pretty much run into the 'F/U' department. In a discussion on a report out of my home state of WY becoming the 4th state to allow Constitutional Carry, the discussion turned to magazine capacity. Several commentors finally got down to the 4 letter word of the problem, need. They argue that no one 'needs' a magazine larger than 10 rds for anything. I did manage to point out that when the conversation turns to 'need' the person making the argument has lost and is showing their intellectual inferiority by doing so. I believe I said 'Your IQ is at room temperature and falling like a stone'.

In this, they are technically correct. But where they fail is that 'need' has nothing to do with it. Almost all of my rifles were designed from the outset to shoot from magazines that hold 30+ rds so I would argue that it's not need, its a requirement. My pistols, not so much. 1911's generally shoot from magazines that hold between 7 and 9 rds, depending.

It reminds me of a silly rule that NASCAR has. In order to slow things down at the superspeedways like Daytona and Talledega, they install a smaller fuel cell. 13 gallons for the super tracks vs. 22 for the rest of the circuit. The reasoning for this is it's supposed to slow the race down by making the cars have to pit for gas more often. They haven't limited the speeds on the track, they've just managed to make it more dangerous for the pit crews, as they have to deal with pitting these cars more often, placing them in harms way on pit road more often.

See any similarities to the debate on magazine capacity? Makes about as much sense, doesn't it.

When The Monkeys Fling Poo At The Zoo

Normally, when the monkeys at the zoo start flinging poo all over the place, most folks try to avoid it.

What I'm seeing and hearing all over the TV, radio, and the Algorian intertubes is a whole lot of poo flinging with not a lot of it hitting anything. And what it does hit, it doesn't stick to very well.

From Paul Krugman at the NYT, to Olbermann and Matthews at MSLSD, all the way down the Obama-bot zombies in the farthest reaches of the intertubes. In this case, it's like passing a bad car wreck on the highway. You know you shouldn't watch, but you can't help it, either.

With each passing day, with more and more evidence of the twisted mind of the lunatic shooter coming to light that paints him not as some political assassin but as the lone, deranged nutbag he was before the NYT and MSLSD took over the failed narrative.

It's almost pitiiful to watch actually. The picture that has been painted the last couple of days is falling down around them, yet they can't bring themselves to backtrack or retract what they've said. And the venom they use to defend their position is probably the most ironic thing to come out of this whole mess. Blaming a political faction and party for violent rhetoric by accusing them with....violent rhetoric.

And does Bill Maher really believe the BS he's peddling? Calling the NRA a bunch of assassins? If that were really the case, would Maher have the balls to come out on national TV and say so? Don't think so. Because if all the violent stuff the political right has been accused of were actually true, there wouldn't be a political left in this country. Projection is such a lovely thing, ain't it?

My Take On Tuscon

With all the nattering of the media classes so far over the last 3 days, has it struck any one of them the irony of what they are spewing?

I mean, they are decrying 'right wing hate speech', while engaging, and forgetting, hate speech of their own.

Michelle Malkin has a great round up of some of the more egregious examples over at her site, here.

Snowflakes in Hell has a great little reminder of the 'hate speech' that the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership has conveniently forgotten, here.

And let's not forget our favorite bigots, the 3 Amigos of gun control at the Huffington Post (Horowitz, Sugarmann, & Henigan), who can't wait to dance in the still warm blood of the victims by trying to paint the firearms community as a bunch of blood-thirsty neanderthals and push for even more restrictions on That Which Shall Not Be Infringed. (As if any of the laws they push for would have stopped this. But I digress. That's a topic for another post.)

As the saying goes, I told you all that to tell you this. There was supposed to be a narrative of what happened last weekend. It has been reported that the One was in need of something, anything to save his reign, much like Clinton had Oklahoma City. You can tell there was supposed to be a narrative by checking out what the New York Times, the Washington Post, MSLSD, the liberal talk show hosts such as Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, et al have been saying.

Never mind that within 24 hrs of the shooting we knew the nutcase in question read Mein Kampfe and the Communist Manifesto. And that former classmates in both high school and college described him as a leftist pothead. None of that matters. Every single talking head from ABC to MSLSD has been trying to paint this loon as some kind of right wing whack job. Unfortunately, with the rise of the new media and sources such as Drudge, Politico, Michelle Malkin; and talk radio hosts such as Andrew Wilkow, Mike Church, Mark Levin, and Cam & Company, they are having a really hard time trying to push their narrative like they did 16 yrs ago. Too much information is out there and Pandora ain't getting that back in her little box.

Mike Vanderboegh has publicly stated there will be no more free Wacos. After Oklahoma City, there will be no more free narratives such as that perpetrated in 1995. There are too many eyes, ears, and witnesses with an avenue to bring what they saw and heard to light. There is no way they can get away with it. Just witness what is happening in the media since Saturday.

ACLU, Guns, and South Dakota

So, earlier this week, the ACLU has filed suit against the state of South Dakota regarding the requirement that one be a US citizen to get a concealed carry permit here.

I've had a couple of days to think about it, and I'm not really sure.

One the one hand, we have a guy who has lived in Sioux Falls for 30 yrs and has not gained his US citizenship. He is however, a permanent resident alien. Nobody is telling this guy he can't own a gun. They're just saying he can't carry it concealed.

On the other, we have a states rights argument. The state of South Dakota should have the right to dictate who can or cannot get a permit to carry. Since Congress failed to pass national reciprocity in the last session, it is still up to the states to dictate who gets what.

Where this thing gets sideways is this. With the Heller and McDonald decisions in 2008 and 2010, the courts have said that states cannot ban firearms. In regards to states like Illinois and California, these decisions were a welcome change to decades of precedent regarding guns. The unintended consequence is that states that are friendly to guns like South Dakota can be knee-capped when they try to pass truly sensible gun laws (unlike the 'reasonable' ones the Brady Bunch and the VPC espouse). But with these decisions, they have effectively cut the states out of the picture in regards to firearm law. This law will be hard-pressed to remain in light of those two decisions.

First thing that really pops out at me is that he was not able to obtain a renewal on his permit until just recently? Permits last 4 yrs. If the law was enacted in 2002, even if he got his permit right before the change, he has renewed it at least once, if not twice since then. Why is it that now all of a sudden this is an issue?

Then, there's the fact that the ACLU is involved in this. It wasn't too long ago that the ACLU was against individual rights for firearms. Hell, the national leadership is still hostile to gun rights. One has to wonder if the national board is out of touch with its member state chapters. More and more we are hearing about folks at the state level making court arguments about individual firearms rights. First it was Nevada, now South Dakota.

So where do I come down on this? I'm still undecided.

Farking Computers...

So, last night I sit down at ye olde laptop to do some travelling around the Algorian intertubes. While checking my email, a popup box appears from the manufacturer of my laptop wanting to run updates on a couple of system programs, one of which was BIOS.

The first download and install goes off without a hitch. When I get to the BIOS update, all hell breaks loose. First, my mouse cursor starts acting all funny. Skipping around the screen. Then it stopped all together. So, I tried the old standby in situations like this, control-alt-delete. Nothing. Tried turning the power off. Nothing. Damn, this don't look good.

Now, right after I got that old laptop, I took it on a trip for work. While I was gone, somehow the tabs that hold the battery in place broke and I never got around to getting them fixed. Stupid me.

So, while I'm trying to figure out why my laptop has suddenly gone HAL 9000 on me, I tipped it up. Keep in mind it is not plugged in at this point. So when I tipped it up, you guessed it, the battery falls out. As soon as the battery hit the cooling table, everything went dark. No bells, no whistles, no lights, no sirens, do not pass go, go directly to jail. Crap, this ain't good.

So, after many attempts to revive the dead horse, I decided to take it down to Best Buy to see what they could do, if anything. During the trip down there, I'm thinking the worst. This thing is fragged. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

So, after the white shirted dude at Best Buy looks all over it, the consensus is...It's fragged. With a solemn report that replacing the motherboard would cost at least what it would cost to buy a new one.

So, here I sit, pounding keys on a new laptop I didn't want to buy, but had to. (When I called Mrs. Hazmat to explain the situation, she remarked that I should go ahead, since life with me without a computer would be akin to living with a junkie looking for a fix. Did I mention I love this gal?) And trying to figure out this new Windows 7 thing.

Did I mention that sometimes I hate computers?

Holiday Cuteness

If this doesn't set your 'Awwwwww' machine into overload, you've got some serious issues.

Seriously, who wouldn't love to have a pet otter (or 3) around?

(Link and pic borrowed from The Agitator himself, Radley Balko.)

Merry Christmas To All!

From all of us here at Casa De Hazmat, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

How's That Police Interceptor Workin' Out For You?

You know them high-dollar, high horse power cars that are all the rage in police departments around the country?

Yeah, well you know how to outrun one?

Get yourself a 1994 Ford Escort.

Evidently, that's what one rascally runner used to outrun two jusisdictions in my home town.

Next time you think having that tuned up 351 Windsor, 440 Wedge, or a nitrous-equipped lawn mower will help you outrun the local Po-Po, remember this: a 1994 Escort is all you need.

I Need More

At the last fun show, I picked up 380 rds of Norinco .308. 19 boxes in the original shipping crate.

I've already got a little bit of Chinese .308, but I think I need more. I was able to get 14 of the 19 boxes into the can.

Whadda y'all think? I'm not even sure how much is in the can now. Hell, I didn't know before when I put the last 280 in.

It's Official.

Kyle Orton needs to be shining a spot on the bench with his ass. Only 166 yds this game and no touchdowns in the last 2 games, I think it's past time to see what all that money was shelled out for in Tebow. I mean, it's not like Denver's in any contention for a playoff spot. Well, maybe a high draft pick in next years draft, but not even a sniff at the Wild Card.

It wouldn't be so bad if he actually TRIED or something. But come on. I've seen better acting in p0rn.

It's time to see what all the hype is about. Start Tebow.

You Know Your Team Sucks

When you know they are going to appear in highlight reels for the other team as what not to do in football and you've been scouted and been beaten on two, count 'em, TWO fake field goals. Both of which were touchdowns.

I think the joke is absolutely true.

What do the Denver Broncos and Billy Graham have in common?

They can both make 70,000 people stand up and say 'Jesus Christ'.

It is also official, Kyle Orton sucks as an NFL quarterback.

Did You Know...

That according to the producers of the hit TV show The Defenders, the reason they put serial numbers on guns is to track criminals?

Me either! Who knew?

I guess that I'm a criminal in their eyes. And here I actually like the show and its characters. A lot of respect was lost today over this.

Party Time In Baltimore

It seems as though a group of folks have a problem with firearms in Maryland, and Baltimore in particular and are all upset that the owner of the oldest gun store in town didn't jump on the Bloomberg group Mayors Against You...I mean Illegal guns 10 pt plan. The hidden part of this 'plan' is to eradicate what they term 'illegal gun sales' by having the store record the purchases made by their customers and having that information run through a database kept by some lackey.

No invasion of privacy issues there at all. Not a one.

They tried to talk reasonable, but communications broke down over that pesky little invasion of privacy thing.

So the group decides they're going to picket said store.

How does our intrepid store owner respond?

By having a party, of course!

Talk about the ultimate counter protest, eh?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day everyone. May your day be filled with the laughter and love of family and friends.

Wanted

Professional football players and coach. Must be able to compete/coach at a minimum of the collegiate level. Interested parties can apply in person at Denver Broncos corporate headquarters.

Newest Member of the 700 Club

That would be the Remington 700 club, and not the 700 club of Pat Robertson fame on the ABC Family channel.

For years I've wanted a Remington 700. My Dad has had one since before I was born. 6 months before I was born to be exact, chambered in .270 Win. That rifle has taken more game in our family than any other rifle. It's taken countless deer, numerous elk, and one moose. I also took my first two deer with that rifle. (One a side note, all this hubbub about the model 700 recently hasn't made much difference to me. Dad's got one in .270, and my brother has one in .243. In our experience, this dust up is much ado about nothing.)

Being a southpaw, decent rifles are hard to come by. Very few rifle makers offer their wares to us lefties. And even fewer still offer them in the caliber I was looking for, .308 Win. Oh, I could have had all kinds of stuff from Remington, Ruger, and others in calibers ranging from .204 Ruger all the way up to .375 H&H. But .308 was very few manufacturers list of chamberings.

My first left handed rifle in .308 was a Savage Model 10GLXP3. A decent enough gun, the Savage. Excellent trigger in the Accu-Trigger, but the rest of the gun left a lot to be desired. It was too light, firstly, and was not fun to shoot because of this. Secondly, the parts seemed to be made of pot metal. Lastly, the stock looked to be made from something besides walnut. Oh, it looked like walnut, but if I were to scratch the surface finish off, I'm betting it would've been a white colored wood under there.

Last spring, I scared up a used Ruger M77 Hawkeye in .308. Very good gun, easy to shoot with enough weight to absorb the recoil. She came with a Leupold VX-1 2-7x33mm scope sitting on top. The previous owner had glass bedded her, and she shoots like a dream.

Last Friday, I was down at the local funstore here in RC, and was ogling a newish left handed 700 chambered in '06. Nice dark walnut stock, mounted iron sights, and just an all around good looking gun. Talking with the sales dude, I was lamenting the fact that Big Green had offered the left handed 700 in every caliber under the sun EXCEPT .308 in their hunting line. The only place you could find a lefty 700 in .308 was in either their line (XCR) or the police line (SPS). On my way out the door, I talked with the owner and passed along my frustration at not being able to obtain what I was after. He didn't miss a beat in telling me that he had, in fact, put out a left handed 700 in .308 that very afternoon. Talk about a dose of cold water.

TOTAL AWESOMENESS!!! That's what I wanted to hear! So I had them put it back for me and yesterday I went and traded that Savage Model 10GLXP3 towards that 700. After adding a Sightron S1 3-9x40 scope and Leupold bases and two-piece base, the total OTD was right at $504.

So yes, Louise, I'm now a member of the Remington 700 club.

He's Hit Everything He's Aimed At, Carter

Bonus plug for an obscure western movie reference, that being John Cleese from 'Silverado' commenting on the fact that Danny Glover's character 'Mel', was shooting at a trailing possee not to hurt them, but to scare them away. He also says, after having his hat shot off his noggin, 'Today, my jurisdiction ends HERE!'.

Why do I bring this up? Well, there was an editorial in the Casper Star today talking about how great the One is.

From his 'landmark' health care legislation, to the 'financial reform', everything the One wanted, he got. Or as John Cleese remarked 'He's hit everything he's aimed at, Carter!'

Where I diverge from the letter writer is this. All those pieces of the One's legislative agenda were precisely what pushed the greatest mid-term turnover in over 70 yrs. Over 60 seats in the House of Representin'.

What the letter writer fails to comprehend is that this is not a left-of-center country. We are a center-right bunch who tend to think that the .gov needs to stay in the nifty little boundaries set forth in that 223 yr old piece of parchment commonly referred to as 'The Constitution of The United States', most notably the enumerated powers spelled out in Article 1, Section 8.

No where in this document does it lay out the foundation for the unprecedented power grab seen these last 2 yrs. Even under the most twisted of logic, these grabs don't pass the smell test. Personnal mandates to purchase? Uh-uh. Federal ownership of two car companies? Nope, not there either. Taking over student loans? Sorry, that ain't in there either.

Now, adding 4 million acres to the federal land regsiter? Can't quite see that either, as outside of post offices and military reservations, the USGOV can't own land.

See what these...folks...don't want to admit is, all of the cool little college/univeristy experiments that worked so well in the labs of their progressive icons don't work out so well in the real world. See California, where they're in the hole $40 million per day paying off pension liabilities. Or New York, where they've comtemplated a sugar tax to help pay for all those little entitlement programs that work oh so well.

Nope, they can keep all those little social experiments to themselves, thank you very much.

Whew...What a Week and a Half!

It's been a week and a half since the twins arrived. What a whirlwind! Wife spent 4 days and 3 nights in the hospital. Got the babies home a week from today, and got met by 'The Nanny' (our 10 yr old cat), who's not entirely sure about the new additions to Casa De Hazmat. She got a courtesy sniff of the little ones as soon they arrived and has since decided that whenever they're in the room, she's not.

As advertised, sleep has been something of an illusion so far. Their feeding schedule is 0600, 1000, 1400, 1800, 2000, and 0200. Which gives us around 3-4 hrs of sleep at night between feedings.

They also had their first trip to the doctors office today. So far, he's the 'big' brother, weighing in at 6 lbs, 3 oz to her 5 lbs 15 oz. He also has an inch on her, 20" to 19". There was also a noggin circumference done, but I can't remember the numbers there. All told, they are growing right along, right where they're supposed to be.

It has been a running joke since we found out the wife was pregnant that these two would probably be the most heavily armed children around. Between the AK collection and the 1911 collection, (now at 9, BTW with the addition of a Series 70 Colt Gov't in 9mm) plus a couple of shotguns for good measure, the twins won't lack for protection around the house.

The Happiest Day Of My Life

Today, I became a father for the first real time in my life. My wife gave birth to twins at 0823 this morning. A boy, weighing 5 lbs, 15 oz measuring 18.5", and a girl weighing 5 lbs 7 oz measuring 17.75".

The reason I say first real time, is that my other two children were born in my absence, the oldest (God rest his soul) was born while I was in Germany and I didnmt get to see him in person for almost 2 years. My next youngest, was born in another state.

So to be there when these two were born was a special day. The best.

Good To See My Hometown In the News

It's not very often my hometown gets a mention in anything other than statewide press, so to see this piece on a Denver website, is kind of nice.

You see, the only other times my hometown made any news outside the state was when, back in the early '80's, a guy went on a rampage through a section of town with a D-9 bulldozer and in the early '90's when an assistant principle with the high school was caught in the buff, ummmm talking, to the Welding Class teacher who was also in the buff, by the assistant principle's professional photographer husband in a local city park picnic area. (The welding shop teacher was wounded by a gun shot to the upper inside portion of his left thigh, leaving little doubt about what the enraged husband was aiming for.)

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the Gun Club in the linked article, as if you're over the age of 18, you need to purchase a membership to shoot there, even if you're just a guest of someone else.

The range is nice, shooting areas are well maintained, and it's centrally located in town. As they say, the only other approved range in the county is 10 miles east of town and it costs between $5 and $6 per gun to shoot there, per person plus target and hearing protection if you don't have any. So, the $33 per year it costs to be a member ain't all that bad.

After I came across this article this morning, it seems the City Council has done something to endear themselves to the good people of Gillette. Though it's only a tentative step in the right direction, maybe the town 'leaders' will see the light and leave the Range alone.

We'll see, I guess.

Something Don't Smell Kosher Here

Doing a little Google news wandering this morning and came across this.

A couple members of the local 5-0 are suing a gun store because someone bought a gun legally from them, that was then used to try to kill said officers.

Now, I'm not from WI, so I'm not all up on their gun laws like I am here in SD, but it would seem to me that this shouldn't get out of the starting blocks and here's why.

When the store made the sale, they did so pursuant to the applicable laws of the state of WI, and under GCA 68. Meaning, they did all the paperwork required under federal law (filling out the old Form 4473, which lying on could be a felony punishable by prison time) and from other sources waited the appropriate time also required under WI law.

Reading up on this, I found this little gem by Dennis Hennigan of the Brady Bunch. Now, I'm no scholar on things legal, but it would seem that if the gun in question was purchased from the store, and the buyer was a prohibited person, then either one of two things occurred. First, the buyer lied on the form, which in itself is illegal. The other is that the NICS check was delayed and after the mandatory 3 day wait, the sale was allowed to proceed per federal law.

(See also in the above linked piece the part about the 'assault weapon, high capacity mag, and *GASP* flash suppressor! A masterful piece of scare tactics I must say....NOT!)

Either way, I can't imagine a store with the issues that are purported to follow this one around, there would be a case where the store owner knowingly sold a gun to a prohibited person.

Like I said, something don't smell kosher on this, especially when the Brady Bunch is involved.

Un-Effing-Believable

I've been a Bronco fan my whole life. Been watching Denver games since I was old enought to watch TV. I've seen some pretty pathetic performances over the years, all those Super Bowl losses, and watched them give up leads of 30 or more points to lose in the final minutes of the game.

But todays, I don't even want to dignify it as a game, ass whupping was something I thought I'd never see. There used to be jokes about Denver's schedule. You know, playing Sister Mary's School for the Blind and Cub Scout Pack 22. But I seriously think that wasn't who they were playing, but who was actually on the team this afternoon.

Josh McDaniels challenged his teams toughness last week before the Jets game. I don't think there's any question anymore. What I saw today was a team that just laid down and died on the field.

Oh, you could say they were outplayed, and they were. By a team that could only put up 9 points last week.

There was only one time in all the years that I've been a watching your games that I was embarrassed to be a Bronco fan, and that was when they got their ass handed to them by San Fran, 55-10, in Super Bowl XXIV. Today was by far much worse. 59-14? To Oakland? Really guys? I think the only thing that could have been worse was losing to Detroit or Buffalo.

I'm not challenging your toughness, but your manhood. Man up. Play like like you've got something worth fighting for. I swear, it almost seemed like you didn't even want to play today. I realize it's the Sabbath and all, but c'mon. Does anyone on the defense even know their way to the quarterback? Does anyone on the defense know how to tackle?

Offensively, you know that little round oblong thing that the refs put on the ground at the start of every play? You know, the FOOTBALL? Yeah, that thing is supposed to stay with the folks who have the same colored shirt you have on. Not the guy wearing other team's colors, and it most definitely does not go to the guy who has a free shot at your end zone. It also does not get dropped on the ground for those same other folks to pick up. Got it?

And if you do all that correctly, could you at least try to make at least 10 yds in the number of downs given? I'm not asking much, just the occasional first down every once in a while. The punter should not be getting the lion share of time on the field unless he's holding for the kicker on a point-after or field goal.

I'm not sure how many team-low records you set for yourselves today, as I could only watch until the Raiders were already up by 38 POINTS.

Gad. Get it together.

Awww, Poor Baby

just caught the post game wrap up from the bear/giants game.

Crybaby extrordinairre, Jay Cutler got bagged 9 times in the first half, and left the game exclaiming "I'm Batman" with a concussion.

BTW, tying this from my phone, so fingers crossed...

Finally Made The Plunge

After starting out in handloading with a little Lee hand press (let me tell you doing 100 rds of .45 ACP was wondermous with THAT set up) about 4 yrs ago, for Christmas 2 yrs ago, my wife got me an RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master reloading kit.

Man, what an improvement. I could actually sit down and load ammo in a normal fashion. It works great for fine tuning loads for hunting and for precision work (not that I'm any kind of a precise marksman). Which will still be its primary function.

But doing bulk reloading was getting to be too much. When I got into the 10mm thing (on top of the .45 ACP thing) last winter/spring, ammo was scarce and components were even worse. So I bought stuff when/where I could. In doing so, I wound up with over 1k pieces of 10mm brass. Using that little RC single stage press took me the better part of 2 months to push out that 1000+ rds of 10mm.

So, I'd been really thinking long and hard about getting a Dillon. Specifically for reloading bulk ammo. But, in looking through the Blue Press (for those of you not in the 'know', the Blue Press is Dillon's catalog) it came down to either the RL 550B, or the 650B.

Decisions, decisions.

So, this past Thursday, I was walking through one of our local big box sporting goods stores and noticed an RL 550B on display. After some questioning back and forth betwixt me and the salesdude, I'm heading out the door the proud owner of a brand spanking new Dillon RL 550B press.

Cost? $50 under book. And without the shipping charges of ordering it from said catalog. Since then, I've got conversion plates for .45 ACP, .40 S&W/10mm, AND .41 Mag. The only other one I need is .308 and I'll be cranking out bulk ammo like a madman.

The sad part is, due to events this weekend, I was unable to get it set up. Between my brother showing up yesterday afternoon, a full afternoon today of watching an absolutely amazing game between my Broncos and the Titans, getting car seats for Hazmat A&B (who are due at any time I might add) and some persistent neck issues, I didn't get much done save getting the area cleared off to set it up. Maybe tomorrow.

Rest In Peace, SSgt Bryan Berky

UPDATE: Yesterday, there was a dedication ceremony in the ring of the fallen at Ellsworth AFB, honoring SSgt Berky. Here is the memorial dedicated to his memory:



On Saturday morning, 12 Sep, SSgt Berky made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, leaving behind a wife and 9-month old son.

I didn't know SSgt Berky well, but I knew him. A great sense of humor and being an EOD troop, dedicated to his job. I got the sense that being around him, you couldn't help but smile.

Lo there, do I see my father,

Lo there, do I see my mother

and my sisters and my brothers.

Lo there, do I see the line of my people,

back to the beginning

Lo, they do call to me,

they bid me to take my place among them

in the halls of Valhalla,

Where the brave may live forever

Rest in peace, brother. You have earned your place in Valhalla.

Another Hollyweird Remake

Just when you thought all the originality in Hollyweird was gone, and they couldn't possibly remake ANOTHER classic movie, along comes the Coen Brothers. You know, of 'Fargo', and 'Oh Brother Where Art Though' fame.

Here's the trailer.



Now, I'll give the brothers credit where credit is due. I've seen 'Oh Brother', and probably a couple of other of their films, but I'm out to lunch on this one.

This is the movie that gave us one of the most famous and memorable scenes from a western:



Now, in the interest of honesty, I have seen some of the recent Hollyweird remakes, and they were pretty good. 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (Side bar question: Is it still a remake if the guy who originally did the film is behind the remake?), Both of the 'Halloween' movies by Rob Zombie, and of course Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in 'Walking Tall'. '3:10 To Yuma' wasn't bad, but in the interest of full disclosure, I didn't see the original. 'Last House on the Left' was pretty good, considering, again, I didn't see the original.

Some were so awful I can't even begin to describe them, like the remake starring Sly Stallone playing the part of a gangster that was originally played by Michael Caine, or 'I Know You're Home Alone' or some such nonsense.

Will I go see the remake of True Grit at the theater? Don't rightly know. Could I keep my head out of the old John Wayne classic and watch this from a fresh perspective? Again, I don't know.

Gun Control in the 20th Century

I've long held the belief that our current crop of gun control owes it's origins with the Volstead Act.

The Volstead Act, you'll recall was Prohibition. Because of the complete ban on alcohol, organized crime exploded. As did the tools of their trade. 1928 Thompsons and BARs were the stock and trade of the gangsters of the era (Capone, Segal, Lucky Luciano), as well as the bank robbing bandits that terrorized the heartland between 1929 and 1935. Think Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, and Ma Barker.

To combat this threat, the government, in its infinite wisdom thought they could thwart the tools these desperadoes used by creating a tax on these and other weapons; most notably short barrelled rifles, short barrelled shotguns, suppressors, and any other class of firearms deemed by executive fiat to be too dangerous for the general public to own, like zip guns and cane guns.

Since the National Firearms Act of 1934, and its subsequent court case, US v Miller, the door has been pretty much wide-open, at least on the federal level. That is until Heller v DC and McDonald v Chicago.

One of the most sneaky and underhanded pieces of legislation since the Gun Control Act of 1968 was the Hughes Amendment. This little gem, while billed at being a boon to gun owners and check on the power of the ATF, actually cut gun owners off at the knees. Prior to that fateful day, one could produce an ATF form 1 and manufacture a fully automatic machine gun. Since then, only ATF certified dealers who meet specific criteria can manufacture full-auto firearms. What this has effectively done is create a market where only the truly rich can afford these weapons. Prices of full auto firearms are at a point where one has to have a lot of disposable income to afford one. No other class of firearms covered by the NFA was affected.

Think, for a minute. You're a gun owner and veteran and would like to have a fully functional M16 or M14 like the one you carried in Vietnam or Desert Storm. Unless you can afford the cost of brand new car, this is likely not going to happen. Think I'm lying? Do an Internet search for 'Class 3 weapons" and get back with me on the price. When met with a choice between a decent used car or that original Colt/Armalite AR15 for $12,000+, which are you going to make?

My thing going forward from McDonald and Heller would be to challenge the Hughes Amendment and its blanket ban on manufacture of post May 1986 machine guns. Talk about class warfare, here you have it. Only the rich can afford these weapons. Where else in our system of laws do we allow certain portions of a right to be outright banned? We don't have literacy tests for voting, you can still read books printed/written 2000 years ago, and there's no tax on going to the house of worship of your choice.

Now others will disagree with me. Fine. My argument for them is this. If I'm trustworthy enough to walk into a gun store and buy anything with a barrel length of 16" or greater (or 18" for a shotgun), what suddenly makes me so terrible that I can't be trusted with something that fires more than one bullet per pull of the trigger?

Others will scream bloody murder (pardon the pun) about their investments. I understand. But my rights are not about your investment and are not subject to a market artificially created by government fiat.

Dale Jr, Redux

I noticed that I've got a couple of visits about my screed regarding Dale Jr. Maybe one of those hits was from Junior himself.

I stand behind what I said. I love the guy to death, always had a soft spot for him even before Senior passed away. I like seeing him succeed.

But what I've been seeing from him since the BS started over at DEI between him and that thing that called herself Dale Sr.s wife, it's been a downhill spiral ever since.

My wife thinks the start of his problems began with the wreck he had at Sonoma in the Corvette that caught fire. I call BS. He won races after that, during his last stint in the Chase.

Maybe his Daddy was from a different breed. I don't know, breaking your sternum and putting your ca on the pole at Watkins Glen seems to be from a by-gone era.

The only thing I can deduce from watching almost every single race between then and now is that he has become scared of the equipment he routinely operates on a weekly basis.

Kinda Puts Things Into Perspective

Over at Lady Tam's place, it's been a bad couple of weeks. First, they had a death in the family.

That was followed by even more grim news today.

This led me to think about our family pet, Shadow.

Shadow is my wife's kitty since before I moved in. She was literally a stray from up the street. She's a long haired kitty, what they refer to as a Nermal. Fur so dark brown it's almost black and sheds enough you could literally knit another just from the hair sucked up in the vacuum or from the brush.

Anyway, in the 8 years since I moved in, as I explained in comments over at Tams place, she's become our Nanny. She will let us know when it's time to go to bed, when it's time to get up, when it's time to eat (of course), and will even comfort either or both of us when we're under the weather. She also tucks us in at bedtime before she hits her food dish before returning to the bed to ensure we're all comfy and sleeping. Shadow has also been known to let us know when we have company, whether it's of the physical kind, or when it's of the unseen variety.

And since Mrs. Hazmat is expecting twins (due mid-November, boy and girl) , she's taken to following my wife around to make sure everything's OK. From going to the fridge all the way to escorting her to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

What happened with Miss Tam and Bobbi got me to thinking what my wife and I would do if we ever lost Shadow. For sure, there would be a terrible hole in our lives. Not having our alarm clock or chaperon for bedtime would be sorely missed. But also the other things. The little things that cat owners and lovers always get a kick out of. Like running at full bore down the hallway in order to beat us to bed, only to run headlong into the end of the bed, misjudging the speed and catapult angle when attempting this feet of daredevil only cats are capable of. Or the remote control kitty spot, the one where when you scratch it just right, you can make the kitty clean herself uncontrollably for as long as you've hit the 'spot'.

My wife is very emotional when it comes to her kitty. Losing her bestest friend in the world (besides me) would literally tear her up. She and I both would be lost without her. I pray that Shadow lives a long and healthy life.

I feel for Tam and Bobbi and the loss they've suffered. I can imagine losing one pet. I cannot begin to fathom the grief that accompanies the loss of two pets in less than two weeks. My condolences on your loss, ladies, I wish there was something I could do.

Parts Bleg

I'm going to be the proud owner of a 7.62x39 AKS-47U parts kit in the next week or so. In order to expedite the Form 1 process, I'm in need of an NDS 1KP receiver.

I've contacted Harlan at NoDak Spud receivers, and he's not planning another run until maybe November.

Does anyone have a NDS 1 KP receiver they would be willing to sell me?

Just drop a comment or email me at thunderriverhomeATgmaildotcom.

Thanks!

Open Letter to Dale Earnhardt, Jr

I'm going to take a break from my usual blog fare to write an open letter to Dale Earnhardt, Jr., supposed driver of the number 88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet Impala.

I've been a loyal fan of your family for as long as I can remember, and I write this as a concerned lifelong Earnhardt fan.

Dude, what the hell is going on? I've been watching you race in the Cup series since your rookie season, and watched you win 2 Busch series championships, and I can honestly say that who ever is driving the 88 this year ain't the guy who I watched win the Daytona 500, 5 Talledega races, and 11 other events.

Seriously, when did you decide to let the guy selling T-shirts out front of the track start driving? Are you that scared to wreck that you really forgot where on the floor board they put the gas pedal? Tonight in Richmond, if there was a record for passing the most cars while heading to the back of the pack without wrecking, you would have it. The only thing I've seen fall faster than you in a race was the anchor on the last boat I was on. I've watched you have good runs, usually in the top 5-10, only to finish somewhere behind the start and park crowd. I think the pace car actually passed and lapped you, and he spent most of the night parked on pit road.

It would be very easy to blame the crew and crew chief, but they're only as good as the guy giving them information on how the car is performing. And bud, that message ain't getting through. The best and brightest at Hendrick Motorsports are at your disposal, and it's almost like you're in your own little world, completely ignorant of what your teammates are doing and what they have to offer. Three of the best drivers in motorsports are just a phone call away and it seems they might as well not even exist.

It's really telling when guys who have a limited budget and only one car in their team, yet they can somehow manage to finish higher in the race than you can.

When Paul Menard can run better than you, and he's been said to only be able to run fast enough to get in everybody's way can finish higher than you, you've got problems.

Sounds to me like you need one of those 'Ricky Bobby' interventions. Somebody needs to show you where the gas pedal is in your car, either that or Lance McGrew needs to put a bigger one in.

Dude, if you're that scared of wrecking, just hang it up. Seriously. If all you're going to do is ride around and take up space on the track, I'm sure there are some up-and-comers in the Nationwide, Camping World Truck, or ARCA racing series who would be up for the task. At least Darrel Waltrip and Rusty Wallace knew when it was time to hang it up. Because right now, whatever it is you're doing, it ain't working.

It's gut-check time, bud. Grow a pair and find the driver (not the rider) who ran away from the pack in Texas in 2000, or just go back to your party bar in North Carolina and watch the race from the comfort and safety of your couch.

If you (or anyone else for that matter) has a problem with what I've written, tough. Take a long look in the mirror and think long and hard about who you are and what you've become. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Earnhardt fan out there who is sorely disappointed in you and what's become of you.

My wife, who's a bigger fan of yours than I am says I'm being mean. I say it's tough love. Somebody has to say it, and it might as well be me.

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Wrap Up Edition

Well, another Rally has come and gone. More rounds were put down range in one week than I could ever hope to fire in 5 yrs, and I'm left with a great sense of satisfaction.

One of the best things about this week was getting to meet new folks, not only from around the local area, but from literally around the world. France, Germany, England, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries I wasn't able to personally verify. For those folks, if they weren't in the military in their respective home countries, this was the first and possibly only time they will ever get to fire a gun of any kind, let alone the fully automatic ones we had. For those folks who I had the privilege of helping out, I hope I left them with a positive image of American gun ownership and safety.

There were also several times over the course of the week where I had the opportunity to give an American their first taste of firing a gun. Some went big and tried the .50 sniper rifle, while others went with something that didn't require a lot, like the M1919 Browning machine gun. A smile and a helping hand in picking out a gun for them to shoot, coupled with the smile on their face that one shooter said "you couldn't knock off their face with a ball bat" made it all worth while.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't thank the guys who made this all possible, the fine folks from Guns of Freedom. While it was nice to get paid, what I did this last week wasn't about money. It was about having fun, helping people out, and meeting new folks. Money was secondary in everything. Don't get me wrong, money's nice, but the reasons why I did it are more important. From helping the guys out with getting Gatorade when it was nasty hot, to getting buckets to put the brass in when it was clear we were running out of room, to getting more spray oil for the guns when it was obvious we were running out quickly, it wasn't about money. I was just happy to help out.

Of course, it wouldn't be Sturgis if you didn't run into a celebrity once in a while. And I ran into some really nice guys. Brett Michaels and Rupert from Survivor are two of the nicest guys I've ever met. I hope to run into them again in the future.

Well, there you have it. I can't wait for next year.

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Day 7

Well, the 7th and final day has come and gone. Today was a little slower than the rest, due partly to Mother Nature (it was only in the mid-60s when I got there) and this being the last day of this year's Rally.

Worked about 4 hrs today, and I felt bad about leaving early. I mean, I did help make some of the mess that the crew had to clean up. But Mrs Hazmat wanted to go out to dinner tonight, and since she's been so understanding with this whole Machine Gun Shoot thing, and not getting upset with the hours I've been working, she deserved a good dinner at the Olive Garden.

So lets talk about today's festivities. As with the rest of the week, Eugene Stoner, John Thompson, and Mikhail Kalashnikov were well represented, with Uziel Gal getting to the Top 4. Had a group of Aussies show up this morning and they were a hoot. All of them were great sports in spite of the 65 degree weather and the chilly 30 mph cross wind.

Had our last obligatory celebrity sighting, as Rupert from Survivor, as well as the Big Boss (Ron Woodruff, owner of the Buffalo Chip Campground and Shooting Complex) came by this afternoon to do a little shooting. That was about the time I had to get going for home. I wish I could've stayed to watch and talk some more with Rupert. He's one of the genuinely nicest guys I've had the opportunity to meet. Got a picture with him, but as with the others, in the interests of privacy (his and mine) I won't be posting it here.

The cool thing was, we had just enough ammunition to finish out the week. When I left, the Big Boss was putting the last 20 rds through the M-2 HB. There was only about 200 rds of 8mm left for the Kitty Kat, and we had to load 7 more mags for the Uzis. Had plenty of mags for the AKs and there were 4 mags left for the Thompsons.

All in all, I think this year was a smashing success. Stay tuned, as tomorrow as I'll wrap up the week with a little AAR and my thoughts.

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Day 6

Day six was a little slower than the rest, but no less busy. Arrived to find a few people standing around eyeballing the hardware, but not shooting. That didn't last long, because within about 10 minutes of my arrival it started. It wasn't as hustle-and-bustle as the the previous days, but it was steady.

Again, the most popular guys on the line were John Thompson, Eugene Stoner, Mikhail Kalashnikov, and John Moses Browning (peace be upon him!). But we also had another addition to the popularity chart, Uziel Gal. There were a lot of folks who wanted to shoot his little creation.

Anyway, here's some pics of how much brass we went through. These are only 3 of the 9 buckets we filled this week, and we've still got one more day left.






So, to complete today's post, here's some video of some of the festivities that took place. First up is the bowling ball cannon:

Next up, is 30 rds through Ma Duece:

Well, that's it for now. I hope to have more and a wrap up/AAR posted by Sunday.

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Day 5

Wow. Day 5 came and went the same as all the rest of them. Another day of hitting the ground running at not getting a sizable break in the action until around 6. We were so busy, I didn't get the chance to get any pics.

So far, General John Thompson, John Moses Browning (peace be upon him!), Eugene Stoner, and Mikhail Kalashnikov have been the 4 most popular guys on the line. You guessed it, the Thompson machine gun (between the 1927A1 and M1), both the M1919 and M2, the M16, and the AK-47 have been the most popular on the line this year. Oh, there's been a few shoot the MP-5s, and Hiram Maxim's 1910 Russian model has had it's share of business, but compared to the other 4, they've done next to nothing.

Had our second obligatory celebrity sighting about 30 minutes after I got on the line as Jackyll and the crew from TruTV made their appearance. This on the heels of Wednesday's arrival of Brett Michaels and the VH1 crew.

As far as international support, we've had Danes, Dutch, Germans, and had all the major players of the former British Empire come through. Aussies, Kiwi's, Canadians, and we had our first two Brits yesterday. What's great about having those folks come through is this is probably the only time in their lives they'll be able to shoot something like this. As one shooter put it yesterday, when you're done shooting, they won't be able to knock the grin on your face off with a baseball bat. I can attest to this fact. I've found that the longer the trigger is held down, the bigger the smile at the end.

This year has been so much better than the last couple of years where there was a) not enough people showing up, or b) Mother Nature had other plans. The Boss has been concerned about making enough money to cover expenses this year, but based on the numbers of folks we've been seeing, I don't think he's gonna have to worry about that.

To give you an idea of how much we've been shooting this week, we've filled 6 5-gallon buckets with brass. That's not including the steel and aluminum cased stuff we've been throwing back. We couldn't even clean up the line yesterday because we had no place to put the brass.

So hopefully today I'll be able to get some pics of the festivities and get them up for y'all.

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Day 4

Hit the ground running again yesterday, had a line of folks waiting to shoot when I got there. Talking to the guys on the line, they were in line waiting at 0930. And it stayed that way pretty much all day long. We got our first real break around 6.


Also had our first obligatory celebrity sighting. Brett Michaels showed up to shoot, and was probably the most personable celebrity I've met. I got a picture with him, but in the interest of privacy, I'll be holding onto that one.


Anyway, here's a few pics of the line during a small break in the action.

Oddly enough, the most popular weapon on the line was Ma-Duece. One lady put 60 rds through her at a cost of $60 per 10.



The next most popular was 'Kitty Kat". An M1919 in 8mm with a chopped barrel. As you can see, picking up the brass at the end of the day was a little easier than the other weapons on the line.



A look down the line. Just as I was getting ready to start cleaning up, here came the entourage.




This is where we've shooting the sub-guns and assault rifles. This way other shooters on the line don't get showered in spent cases. BTW, when we were able to clean up, I filled that bucket a third of way up with the brass in this picture. That's not including the steel cased stuff that was thrown out front of the line.

So, as you can see, we've been busy the last couple of days. Today shouldn't be much different. If I can, I'll post the pics from today's shooting tonite. But if not, I'll be sure to have them up tomorrow morning. See you then!

Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Days 2 & 3

Sorry for the delay in getting the updates up, the other night saw me head into the Buffalo Chip to work the booth we had set up. Didn't know who was playing, but as soon as they started, it was pretty obvious.

If you look really close, you can almost make out Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons. Yup, ZZ Top was headlining that night. From our vantage point, they were about an inch and a half tall.

So, you're probably wondering just what actually happened at the shoot. Well, I've got some pictures of the idiot who put a camper at the back end of the range.

Here's a better picture of the baffle we installed with the help of the construction crew from the Chip.

Not much to report on Day 2, it was pretty busy when I arrived, and didn't let up until some weather moved in around 3. Once the weather moved off, it was right back at it until Mother Nature shut us down at dark.

Day 3 started the same as Day 2. Arrived to find a line of folks waiting to shoot. We were hustling pretty good until around 6. What effectively shut us down was last nights event, Kid Rock.

As you can see, we were pretty busy. We didn't even have time to clean up the brass. We weren't able to clean up until around 6 or so.

One highlight of the shoot so far has been the use of Star Targets. They're a binary explosive similar to Tannerite. When mixed, it takes a high velocity impact to set them off. .50 BMG usually does the trick.

2010 Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot, Day 1

Well, Day 1 for me anyway. The guys have been there since Friday.



Got there a Little after noon, and things were at a standstill. Seems the guy who owns the land behind the Shoot site, put a guy up in a camper at the top of the hill over looking the range, about 700 yds from our firing line.



So the owner of the range decided that baffles had to be installed post-haste in an attempt to keep the boowits from hitting this pwecious wittwe camper.



(Only one guy put any holes in the new baffle we installed, and he put two in it. The bonus is, he's a cop. Go figure, eh?)



After a 3 hour delay getting that set up, we were off and running. Had around, I dunno, about 30 or 40 come through in the next 5 hrs. Not bad.



The most popular weapon today had to be the .50 BMG rifle. Next on the list was the M1919 in 8mm.

If you look in the top portion of the pic, you can see the new baffle we installed. This was before the UMP .45 and 1927A1 each put holes in it.

Well, that's it for today, I'll try to put more up tomorrow with a report on how things went.

Thinking Out Loud

Was listening to a call-in conservative radio show today on my satellite radio and this question came up.

"What kind of impression do you think the current administration has made so far?"

What immediately went through my mind was "A divot in the forehead made by the ball end of a 2 lb ball-peen hammer."