First up is an article from the Rapid City Urinal about an accused kiddie pornographer convicted and sentenced for, get this, buying pot from some under aged kids and getting the book thrown at him for providing mary ju auna to minors. Can't make this stuff up.
Next is an article from the national desk about some gang bangers who made a critical mistake in their victim selection process. Not catastrophic, as nobody was ventilated, but you've got to wonder about a criminal who targets someone to car jack and then finds out it's an off duty Pittsburgh cop.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
OMG! Gun Laws Loosened! OMG
That's the gist of this reprint from Fox News. The piece does a fairly good job of highlighting some of the gains around the country at the state level, as well as some at the national level.
But when we get to Kristen Rand of the VPC, we see someone coming down with a case of the vapors.
The AP goes even further, explaining that their recent 'studies' on CCP holders committing crimes is growing concern.
I love that part about using only 100 incidents because there were "too many to keep track of". I'd like to see all of these 'incidents' she's referring to. Bear in mind that many of the incidents they probably discarded were law-biding permit holders defending themselves against attack. Much like Mrs. Donna Jackson of Oklahoma. (Special tip o the hat to Kevin Baker for the link!) Or that permit holders commit crimes ate a much lower rate than the general public. But that never stopped the VPC from getting themselves worked up into a lather before.
My favorites of the piece are about Tennessee's new laws on guns in parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol. (See Uncle's round up of the circus, here.) I mean, really? They've got all these people in TN to interview on these topics and they come up with two seniors, aged 69 and 71 respectively, to comment on these two laws? Not knocking the senior citizen crowd here, but couldn't the AP have gotten someone a little younger to puff and crow about these two laws? I'm sure there's no shortage of lefties in Memphis or Knoxville, or Murfreesboro, or somewhere who have something to say about it.
But when we get to Kristen Rand of the VPC, we see someone coming down with a case of the vapors.
"They shoot each other over parking spaces, at football games, and at family events", Rand said.
The AP goes even further, explaining that their recent 'studies' on CCP holders committing crimes is growing concern.
A Violence Policy Center project has mined news reports to find that more than 100 people have been killed by holders of handgun carry permits since 2007, including nine law enforcement officers. The project originally intended to list all crimes committed by permit holders, but there were too many to keep track of, Rand said.
I love that part about using only 100 incidents because there were "too many to keep track of". I'd like to see all of these 'incidents' she's referring to. Bear in mind that many of the incidents they probably discarded were law-biding permit holders defending themselves against attack. Much like Mrs. Donna Jackson of Oklahoma. (Special tip o the hat to Kevin Baker for the link!) Or that permit holders commit crimes ate a much lower rate than the general public. But that never stopped the VPC from getting themselves worked up into a lather before.
My favorites of the piece are about Tennessee's new laws on guns in parks and in restaurants that serve alcohol. (See Uncle's round up of the circus, here.) I mean, really? They've got all these people in TN to interview on these topics and they come up with two seniors, aged 69 and 71 respectively, to comment on these two laws? Not knocking the senior citizen crowd here, but couldn't the AP have gotten someone a little younger to puff and crow about these two laws? I'm sure there's no shortage of lefties in Memphis or Knoxville, or Murfreesboro, or somewhere who have something to say about it.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Times Just Can't Get Over Itself
In keeping with the predominant theme for today, we continue on with our 'deny due process' theme by bringing you an op-ed from the New York Times.
They too can't believe that because your name may appear on a super secret list that you have no way of knowing you're on and have no way of getting it off, you should be denied a basic civil right.
While they are correct that you can be barred from boarding a plane if your name appears on this 'list', you have no constitutional right to fly on a privately owned aircraft. Your right to move freely hasn't been abridged, although it may have been cramped a little. No, they use this argument to push the idea that because the government thinks you can't be trusted to walk down a jetway you can't be trusted to own a firearm.
43,533,000 NICS checks were run during the time frame mentioned (2004-2008) in the linked piece. Of those 43.5 million checks, 676,000 (or 1.5%) were denied for a myriad of reasons. The Times claims 963 people who appeared on the watch list attempted to purchase a firearm (98 of whom were declined, or 10%) and were not blocked. Now, if I crunch the numbers here, those 963 people represent a statistically insignificant amount of overall background checks conducted between 2004 and 2008.
So according to the NYT, a statistical anomaly is reason enough to screw the law-biding out of a civil right without due process. But suggest that they should have to register their keyboard, and LOOK OUT!
They too can't believe that because your name may appear on a super secret list that you have no way of knowing you're on and have no way of getting it off, you should be denied a basic civil right.
While they are correct that you can be barred from boarding a plane if your name appears on this 'list', you have no constitutional right to fly on a privately owned aircraft. Your right to move freely hasn't been abridged, although it may have been cramped a little. No, they use this argument to push the idea that because the government thinks you can't be trusted to walk down a jetway you can't be trusted to own a firearm.
43,533,000 NICS checks were run during the time frame mentioned (2004-2008) in the linked piece. Of those 43.5 million checks, 676,000 (or 1.5%) were denied for a myriad of reasons. The Times claims 963 people who appeared on the watch list attempted to purchase a firearm (98 of whom were declined, or 10%) and were not blocked. Now, if I crunch the numbers here, those 963 people represent a statistically insignificant amount of overall background checks conducted between 2004 and 2008.
So according to the NYT, a statistical anomaly is reason enough to screw the law-biding out of a civil right without due process. But suggest that they should have to register their keyboard, and LOOK OUT!
An 'Authorized Journalist' To Be Commended
You know, there are quite a few 'authorized journalists' out there who don't get it, and quite frankly never will. They will editorialize all day long about the evils of guns and the people who own them.
But Bill McKewen seems to have seen the light. In Kalifornia of all places. It sounds like he lives in an area of the state that still respects the rights of the law biding to do what's right. The County Sheriff seems to understand what's at stake, when they say "a society is safer when responsible people bear arms." She not only understands, but actively supports it. Carrying permit applications in her car? Wow! Is this really Kalifornia?
It's nice to know that there's some sane people in Kalifornia, and maybe there's hope yet for that state. We can talk about the 'assault weapons' thing later, but knowing that someone who used to carry the water for the Brady Bunch et al has come around is too good to pass up.
But Bill McKewen seems to have seen the light. In Kalifornia of all places. It sounds like he lives in an area of the state that still respects the rights of the law biding to do what's right. The County Sheriff seems to understand what's at stake, when they say "a society is safer when responsible people bear arms." She not only understands, but actively supports it. Carrying permit applications in her car? Wow! Is this really Kalifornia?
It's nice to know that there's some sane people in Kalifornia, and maybe there's hope yet for that state. We can talk about the 'assault weapons' thing later, but knowing that someone who used to carry the water for the Brady Bunch et al has come around is too good to pass up.
I Loves Me Some Gun Control...NOT!
So the Washington Post is all atwitter about Mayor Bloomberg's latest 'poll' that says that it's the NRA's leadership that is holding up sensible gun laws. You know, the kind of laws that always seem to put out the law-biding but never seem to have any kind of effect on those that break the law. As Say Uncle would say, gun control is something you do instead of something.
Funny, I never got a call.
To answer the question, no. I do not support giving guns to terrorists. However, I also don't believe that because a name appears on a mythical watch list that everybody knows about but nobody's seen should disqualify anyone either. We have a tradition in this country of a thing called 'Due Process'. I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure there has to be something done in a court of law before your rights can be revoked. What this evokes is the lists from 1930's Germany where you were placed on a list and you didn't know it until you got a knock on the door from the neighborhood Gestapo agent with his good buddies in black uniforms with neat little skull and crossbones on the cap and twin lightning bolts on the collar.
Never mind the 'gunshow loophole'. That's been covered ad infinitum across the gun blogosphere. But the ability to deny a civil right simply because your name appears on a secret list, that's downright scary. I don't care how many 'gun owners' they find to trick into answered the question their way.
Funny, I never got a call.
To answer the question, no. I do not support giving guns to terrorists. However, I also don't believe that because a name appears on a mythical watch list that everybody knows about but nobody's seen should disqualify anyone either. We have a tradition in this country of a thing called 'Due Process'. I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure there has to be something done in a court of law before your rights can be revoked. What this evokes is the lists from 1930's Germany where you were placed on a list and you didn't know it until you got a knock on the door from the neighborhood Gestapo agent with his good buddies in black uniforms with neat little skull and crossbones on the cap and twin lightning bolts on the collar.
Never mind the 'gunshow loophole'. That's been covered ad infinitum across the gun blogosphere. But the ability to deny a civil right simply because your name appears on a secret list, that's downright scary. I don't care how many 'gun owners' they find to trick into answered the question their way.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Somebody Fogot to Tell Him His Side Lost
Seems the Bangor Daily News employs an intellectual power house by the name of Ken Horn. Mr. Horn's big complaint with the second amendment is that it doesn't apply to the little people, but only those who fall into that golden category of "Only One" (h/t to David Codrea for his ever expanding 'database').
His piece is a vertibable cornucopia of anti-gun memes. National Guard is the militia? Check. Less guns equals less crime? Check. Restricted access to certain scary looking rifles? Check. Law-biding gun owners responsible for arming criminals? Check.
I won't go through the piece, the fine Mainers who frequent the BDN already beat me to it. Pay particular attention to commenter 'PECRockland'. He does a pretty decent job of hamstringing the "intellectual" Ken Horn all by himself.
His piece is a vertibable cornucopia of anti-gun memes. National Guard is the militia? Check. Less guns equals less crime? Check. Restricted access to certain scary looking rifles? Check. Law-biding gun owners responsible for arming criminals? Check.
I won't go through the piece, the fine Mainers who frequent the BDN already beat me to it. Pay particular attention to commenter 'PECRockland'. He does a pretty decent job of hamstringing the "intellectual" Ken Horn all by himself.
Sometimes Their Pet Laws Bite Them In The A...
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has its knickers all in a knot over access to Brady/NICS information. They postulate that had there been something in place, the terrorist at Ft Hood wouldn't have been able to do what it was he did.
So what do they do? They reprint an op-ed from the Washington Post that was published almost a week ago (28 Nov, WP, vs 3 Dec, AJC). Oh, they were cute about it and changed the title and all, but hey, why write your own when you can dust off somebody else stuff and pass it off as brand-spanking new.
Sebastian over at SIH did a pretty thorough job of destroying that argument here when it first appeared on the Wa-Po.
The one thing I would add is that none of what they want (or currently have) would have stopped this, short of locking the nut case up when he first hit radar screens. (Any guesses as to how that would have gone over with the ACLU crowd?) Having a purchase flagged and denied because of somebodies suspicion smacks of jealously. I think the AJC wants a quasi-intelligentsia apparatus reminiscent of the Stasi or the KGB and are pissed because they can't have it...yet.
So what do they do? They reprint an op-ed from the Washington Post that was published almost a week ago (28 Nov, WP, vs 3 Dec, AJC). Oh, they were cute about it and changed the title and all, but hey, why write your own when you can dust off somebody else stuff and pass it off as brand-spanking new.
Sebastian over at SIH did a pretty thorough job of destroying that argument here when it first appeared on the Wa-Po.
The one thing I would add is that none of what they want (or currently have) would have stopped this, short of locking the nut case up when he first hit radar screens. (Any guesses as to how that would have gone over with the ACLU crowd?) Having a purchase flagged and denied because of somebodies suspicion smacks of jealously. I think the AJC wants a quasi-intelligentsia apparatus reminiscent of the Stasi or the KGB and are pissed because they can't have it...yet.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Trip Report
Well, ye olde Savage is now certified. Went out hunting white tail with my father in law Thanksgiving Day. Bagged a flat-top buck at about 40 yds using 150 gr Remington Core-Lockt ammunition.
We first got eyes on him on a hill side about 75 yds away. Couldn't quite make him out as my tag was for any anterless deer (relax, it wasn't until we started cleaning him out that we discovered our 'doe' was a slick top buck; and besides, the regs said any male or female deer without antlers) and I wanted to verify what I had. I started moving towards him and he turned and walked down into a creek bed.
Thinking he might get away, I started moving towards the creek. Next thing I know, he's 40 yds away looking right at me. At this point I could clearly make out there weren't any signs of horns on his head. I slowly knelt down and assumed my shooting position: kneeling, supported off of one knee and waited for him to turn either left or right so I could get a clean kill shot. He turned to my left and it was all over with but the crying.
Shot went in through the front part of his left shoulder and exited behind his right shoulder and down he went and didn't take another step.
When it was all said and done, I got about 30 lbs of meat out of it, not including heart and liver, which are all bagged up, intact, in my freezer as we speak.
We first got eyes on him on a hill side about 75 yds away. Couldn't quite make him out as my tag was for any anterless deer (relax, it wasn't until we started cleaning him out that we discovered our 'doe' was a slick top buck; and besides, the regs said any male or female deer without antlers) and I wanted to verify what I had. I started moving towards him and he turned and walked down into a creek bed.
Thinking he might get away, I started moving towards the creek. Next thing I know, he's 40 yds away looking right at me. At this point I could clearly make out there weren't any signs of horns on his head. I slowly knelt down and assumed my shooting position: kneeling, supported off of one knee and waited for him to turn either left or right so I could get a clean kill shot. He turned to my left and it was all over with but the crying.
Shot went in through the front part of his left shoulder and exited behind his right shoulder and down he went and didn't take another step.
When it was all said and done, I got about 30 lbs of meat out of it, not including heart and liver, which are all bagged up, intact, in my freezer as we speak.
Monday, November 16, 2009
A New Yorkers View On Us Little People
There are soooooo many things wrong with this article I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start out at the beginning and go from there.
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Our New Yawker starts off with what seems like a tribute to veterans and then devolves into the War on Terror (clue to Mrs Rubin, there's no more War on Terror, it's an overseas contingency operation, didn't you get the memo?) and telling everyone the NRA is in the midst of it's own 'War of Terror'. I'm sorry, did you just assert that a specifically enumerated Constitutional right is the source of 'terror' in the United States? Did I read that right?
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Our New Yawker starts off with what seems like a tribute to veterans and then devolves into the War on Terror (clue to Mrs Rubin, there's no more War on Terror, it's an overseas contingency operation, didn't you get the memo?) and telling everyone the NRA is in the midst of it's own 'War of Terror'. I'm sorry, did you just assert that a specifically enumerated Constitutional right is the source of 'terror' in the United States? Did I read that right?
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"This Veterans Day, above all, has demonstrated that the US War on Terror and the NRA's War of Terror have consequences."
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Yup, I guess I did. She then goes on to equate being a veteran with being a mass murderer. So I guess, myself and the MILLIONS of men and women who have served this country for periods from 2 yrs to 40 yrs are now murderers in the making. I mean Timothy McVeigh was a vet right? So was the DC Sniper. I guess that seals it, doesn't it.
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Then we find out that on any given night, 130,000 veterans are homeless. After going from the Iraq/Afghanistan war to all veterans is a bit of a stretch. I'm pretty sure that most of the personnel who have deployed in support of OIF/OEF are not homeless by any stretch of the imagination. But hey, if it helps get your point across, who am I to get in the way, right?
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"At least 121 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been charged with a killing after returning from the war.
On any given night says New Jersey Senator Menendez, 131,000 veterans are homeless, of which 10,000 are in New York City and northern New Jersey. Indeed, one-fourth of all homeless in America are veterans "home" from the war."
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But now we get to the meat of this hit piece. See, we can't blame the Muslim terrorist who shot the hell out of Ft Hood, no we have to blame everything and everyone else except the turd who did the shooting. See, it can't be his fault because he had 'secondary post traumatic stress disorder' From Charles Krauthammer:
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"After all, secondary PTSD, for those who believe in it (you won't find it in the DSMR-IV-TR, psychiatry's Diagnostic and Statistics manual), is known as 'compassion fatigue'."
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It seems Mrs Rubin thinks this shooting was the result of a failure of policies, namely 'gun control'.
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So the shooter walked into a gun store, after the investigation of him by the federal powers-that-be decided not to investigate him further, and bought a Fabrique-Nationale Herstal 5.7x28mm pistol. Which is still a perfectly legal action in every state in the union (although it's becoming a major PITA in some, namely New Joisey). A pistol, our intrepid editorialist assures us is a 'cop killer'. Never mind that not one single cop has been killed with it, that the ammuntion that made it a 'cop killer' is not legal for any civilian to own, and the 5.7x28 is ballistically comparable to a .22 mag, but the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership says so, so it must be true. Don't believe me? Just ask them, they'll tell you.
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She also goes on to draw the line that this bloodbath would have been averted if that stupid George Bush and that dastardly Republican congress hadn't allowed the 1994 assault weapons ban to expire. Because as we all know, the pistol used by the shooter would have been illegal, right? Well, maybe the 20 round magazine would have, but not the pistol itself. According to her, all these mass shootings since 2005 can be laid directly at the feet of the expiration of said ban.
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The rest is typical screed from tired old talking points. At this point, I've given more attention than I probably should have to begin with. If you want, go on over and check out the rest. But I'm warning you, don't have anything light and easily throwable or had anything to eat. You're liable to throw something or lose your lunch after you read it.
Another Educated Idiot
From the stately confines of the University of Indiana comes Josh Kraus, critical thinker extraordinaire and future something-or-other.
Young Josh's editorial in the student paper seems to indicate he's in total lockstep agreement with all the other anti-gun zealots in that he doesn't think his fellow students are trustworthy enough to protect themselves with the effective tools available because, as he states so eloquently "college campi are special places where hormones rage, academic demands loom, and substances beckon."
What our intrepid editorialist has conveniently forgotten is that these same hormone infested, stressed out, and drunk classmates of his can do what he advocates against after they cross some magical boundary that divides the real world from his 'special place'.
Fact is, with forced disarmament on college campuses around the country, it's not hard to find examples of crimes committed against students on campus either by fellow students or total strangers not affiliated with the college. Virginia Tech is but one example.
Now, nobody is advocating that ALL students be armed, but get real. There are hundreds of students at any given campus who are CCW permit holders who, given the chance, would carry to and from class on a daily basis and no one would be the wiser. I don't know how many times I've had to get in someones behind because they were just sure that when a gun law was loosened, there would be blood in the streets or people getting shot for asinine things like parking spots.
Reality is, those things that have always been predicted when gun laws are loosened have turned out to be wildly overstated fantasies of those who did the predicting.
Perhaps young Josh should concern himself with getting a good education and stop worrying about lawful people carrying lawful concealed weapons. He'll sleep much better at night.
Young Josh's editorial in the student paper seems to indicate he's in total lockstep agreement with all the other anti-gun zealots in that he doesn't think his fellow students are trustworthy enough to protect themselves with the effective tools available because, as he states so eloquently "college campi are special places where hormones rage, academic demands loom, and substances beckon."
What our intrepid editorialist has conveniently forgotten is that these same hormone infested, stressed out, and drunk classmates of his can do what he advocates against after they cross some magical boundary that divides the real world from his 'special place'.
Fact is, with forced disarmament on college campuses around the country, it's not hard to find examples of crimes committed against students on campus either by fellow students or total strangers not affiliated with the college. Virginia Tech is but one example.
Now, nobody is advocating that ALL students be armed, but get real. There are hundreds of students at any given campus who are CCW permit holders who, given the chance, would carry to and from class on a daily basis and no one would be the wiser. I don't know how many times I've had to get in someones behind because they were just sure that when a gun law was loosened, there would be blood in the streets or people getting shot for asinine things like parking spots.
Reality is, those things that have always been predicted when gun laws are loosened have turned out to be wildly overstated fantasies of those who did the predicting.
Perhaps young Josh should concern himself with getting a good education and stop worrying about lawful people carrying lawful concealed weapons. He'll sleep much better at night.
Oh Boy, Here We Go...
From across the pond comes an interesting item. Seems the folks at FN Herstal over in Belgium have developed a tattle tale for your gun. The version they talk about appears to fit in the grip of a standard AR platform, but can be adapted to any gun.
Now, your local constabulary can stop you and plug your gun into their little "reader" and be able to tell exactly where you've been, what you shot, where you shot at, and what you had for breakfast for the last 3 days (ok, I made that last one up).
This ought to give you pause. As is hinted at in the article, the limits to this technology are scary. This is what they've been waiting for. Smart gun technology. The only thing missing is the remote off switch so if you don't have 'permission' to use your weapon, you won't. You can bet it won't be far away.
Now, your local constabulary can stop you and plug your gun into their little "reader" and be able to tell exactly where you've been, what you shot, where you shot at, and what you had for breakfast for the last 3 days (ok, I made that last one up).
This ought to give you pause. As is hinted at in the article, the limits to this technology are scary. This is what they've been waiting for. Smart gun technology. The only thing missing is the remote off switch so if you don't have 'permission' to use your weapon, you won't. You can bet it won't be far away.
Custom Delta Elite Part II
Took the Delta out yesterday (Sunday) to make sure everything functioned. Had some issues with the manual safety and the trigger was giving me fits at the range.
Got her home, completely shucked her down to the frame and made sure everything fit correctly. In doing this, I fixed the issue with the manual safety and the trigger.
The last thing to do was to ensure the tang blended correctly with the grip safety and make sure the right side of the manual safety wouldn't dig into the web of my shooting hand. Man, it didn't break the skin, but it sure hurt like hell.
The last thing mechanically I've got to do is knock the tops off the hammer and sear pins to ensure the right side of the safety sits flush to the frame and do a little more custom fitting so that manual safety doesn't get me any more.
Then for the aesthetics, I've got a set of Night Hawk grips coming for her to finish her off.
Got her home, completely shucked her down to the frame and made sure everything fit correctly. In doing this, I fixed the issue with the manual safety and the trigger.
The last thing to do was to ensure the tang blended correctly with the grip safety and make sure the right side of the manual safety wouldn't dig into the web of my shooting hand. Man, it didn't break the skin, but it sure hurt like hell.
The last thing mechanically I've got to do is knock the tops off the hammer and sear pins to ensure the right side of the safety sits flush to the frame and do a little more custom fitting so that manual safety doesn't get me any more.
Then for the aesthetics, I've got a set of Night Hawk grips coming for her to finish her off.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A Little Custom Work
Last spring, I restored a 1944 Remington Rand 1911A1 to its former glory as a warrior's pistol.
This got me to thinking about maybe tackling something a little more complex. Well, last month I got a Colt Delta Elite in 10mm. One thing I don't like about standard Colt 1911s is the grip safety. The way it's configured doesn't lend itself to my shooting style, which is to get as high as a grip as I can and then some. I tried this grip style on my RR 1911 only once, and I've got the scar on the web of my left hand for the effort.
What I got from Ed Brown was:
Beavertail grip safety w/memory pad
Commander-style hammer
Sear and disconnector
Flat checkered main spring housing w/mag well
Ambidextrous safety
Main spring
The trigger is from STI and is polymer. It required a little bit of custom fitting to make sure it cleared everything. This was the very first thing I did when I started. I figured I'd start easy and work my way up from there.
The one part I was most worried about was the beavertail grip safety, as this required firing up the old Craftsman bench grinder. I took me a couple of minutes to make up my mind if this was what I really wanted to do. It was, and I did.
Following the instructions included with the jig I bought, I got the grip safety roughed in, then spent the next hour working with various jewelers flat files to get everything to fit right. The one thing that guided me in this part was the fact I didn't want to take too much material off and ruin my project before it ever got off the ground. In fact, I was downright paranoid about it.
Then I spent the next couple of hours (ok, more like 4 or 5) getting everything to fit right. The only thing I really had any problems with was getting the new ambidextrous manual safety to fit. I think I disassembled and reassembled the guts of the Delta Elite about 35 or 40 times checking fit and cussing when things wouldn't go back together the way they were supposed to.
This got me to thinking about maybe tackling something a little more complex. Well, last month I got a Colt Delta Elite in 10mm. One thing I don't like about standard Colt 1911s is the grip safety. The way it's configured doesn't lend itself to my shooting style, which is to get as high as a grip as I can and then some. I tried this grip style on my RR 1911 only once, and I've got the scar on the web of my left hand for the effort.
Obligatory before pic
This is what led me to make my first attempt at customizing a 1911. I got the parts from Ed Brown (no paid advertising or anything here FCC) last week and set out today to make my project come to life.
What I got from Ed Brown was:
Beavertail grip safety w/memory pad
Commander-style hammer
Sear and disconnector
Flat checkered main spring housing w/mag well
Ambidextrous safety
Main spring
The trigger is from STI and is polymer. It required a little bit of custom fitting to make sure it cleared everything. This was the very first thing I did when I started. I figured I'd start easy and work my way up from there.
The one part I was most worried about was the beavertail grip safety, as this required firing up the old Craftsman bench grinder. I took me a couple of minutes to make up my mind if this was what I really wanted to do. It was, and I did.
Roughing in the grip safety
Following the instructions included with the jig I bought, I got the grip safety roughed in, then spent the next hour working with various jewelers flat files to get everything to fit right. The one thing that guided me in this part was the fact I didn't want to take too much material off and ruin my project before it ever got off the ground. In fact, I was downright paranoid about it.
Then I spent the next couple of hours (ok, more like 4 or 5) getting everything to fit right. The only thing I really had any problems with was getting the new ambidextrous manual safety to fit. I think I disassembled and reassembled the guts of the Delta Elite about 35 or 40 times checking fit and cussing when things wouldn't go back together the way they were supposed to.
The finished product
After all that, I finally got everything finished, put back together and function checked. Man, I'm good. This turned out way better than I had any right to expect. I look at her and I almost don't want to shoot her. But shoot her I will, probably tomorrow. I can't wait to check out that STI trigger. Just dry firing a couple of times for function, it's wayyyyy better than the stock job. I can't wait.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A New Addition
Gots me a new member of the family today, a Colt Mark IV, Series 80 Delta Elite 10mm. Picked it up for a song via Gunbroker last week, if you call $800 for an early model 4 digit serial number Delta Elite a song, and she arrived at the funstore this morning.
Took her, and my wife, out this afternoon to test fire the new pistol and expose my wife to shooting large bore semi auto handguns.
First, the Delta Elite. Shot to point of aim at about 60 ft, no issues with feeding or ejecting. Matter of fact, ejection was pretty, shall we say energetic. Unlike my Ultra Raptor which seems to hit me 3 times out of seven somewhere on my head with dead brass, this one was up and over my head and out about 10-15 ft behind me to the right. I didn't put out any paper, as this was a shakedown cruise, just to feel her out. In the coming days, I'll be upgrading some things on her like grip safety, mainspring housing w/mag well, trigger, hammer and sear, ambidextrous safety, main spring, and disconnector. I'll post how things go as I go.
Now Mrs Hazmat. This being her first time shooting large bore semi autos, I was worried, but not too terribly, as she's done excellent with her Mosquito, my CZ 50, and the two .25 ACPs she's shot. I don't know why I was even worried in the first place, as everything she's shot that had a little kick to it rifle-wise she ate right up. But she ponied up to the bar so to speak, and shot my XD .40 sub compact, the Ultra Raptor, and the new Delta. Of the three she shot tonite, she didn't much care for the XD as it had too much muzzle flip for her tastes. I think maybe a 9mm or a standard sized .40 might be a better fit for her in that department. She didn't much care for the Delta, as it had a little too much snort for her. She did, however, take a substantial liking to the Ultra Raptor. I'm thinking that there may be a compact .45 in her future, that way she won't be running off with the Raptor when I'm not looking.
The next thing we're going to work on is getting her CCP. Fortunately, here in South Dakota, it's not too much of a hassle. $10 and a trip to the county sheriffs department and she'll be all set.
Took her, and my wife, out this afternoon to test fire the new pistol and expose my wife to shooting large bore semi auto handguns.
First, the Delta Elite. Shot to point of aim at about 60 ft, no issues with feeding or ejecting. Matter of fact, ejection was pretty, shall we say energetic. Unlike my Ultra Raptor which seems to hit me 3 times out of seven somewhere on my head with dead brass, this one was up and over my head and out about 10-15 ft behind me to the right. I didn't put out any paper, as this was a shakedown cruise, just to feel her out. In the coming days, I'll be upgrading some things on her like grip safety, mainspring housing w/mag well, trigger, hammer and sear, ambidextrous safety, main spring, and disconnector. I'll post how things go as I go.
Now Mrs Hazmat. This being her first time shooting large bore semi autos, I was worried, but not too terribly, as she's done excellent with her Mosquito, my CZ 50, and the two .25 ACPs she's shot. I don't know why I was even worried in the first place, as everything she's shot that had a little kick to it rifle-wise she ate right up. But she ponied up to the bar so to speak, and shot my XD .40 sub compact, the Ultra Raptor, and the new Delta. Of the three she shot tonite, she didn't much care for the XD as it had too much muzzle flip for her tastes. I think maybe a 9mm or a standard sized .40 might be a better fit for her in that department. She didn't much care for the Delta, as it had a little too much snort for her. She did, however, take a substantial liking to the Ultra Raptor. I'm thinking that there may be a compact .45 in her future, that way she won't be running off with the Raptor when I'm not looking.
The next thing we're going to work on is getting her CCP. Fortunately, here in South Dakota, it's not too much of a hassle. $10 and a trip to the county sheriffs department and she'll be all set.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Little Soul Searching
With all the hoopla over what happened yesterday at Ft Hood, I've held off commenting on the incident out of respect for the families of those who were casualties of the shooting.
But the more I read about it, the more I can't help but wonder why this doesn't happen more often. I mean every US military installation in the world is a "gun free zone". The only people who are allowed to 'carry' weapons on base (besides the base cops [civilian and contractor] and resident OSI/CID/NCIS special agents) are those who live in base housing, and only then they are allowed to 'carry' it from their house on base to the range or wherever they're taking the weapon and back. There is no concealed carry on base. Did I mention that everyone who lives on base must resgister their weapons with the base?
I found this out the hard way as one time I was going on base and had forgotten to remove my regular concealed carry piece from under the drivers seat of my truck. As luck would have it, I got stopped at the gate for a random vehicle search, and they found it for me. When I handed them my CCP, I was politely, but tersely told that my permit was not valid on base.
Now, I can bring a firearm on base, but it must be unloaded, cased, and the ammunition cannot be stored close to the weapon in question. Which kind of negates the whole defensive firearm aspect of concealed carry, don't you think?.
My initial reaction to what I was told was not for my defense while on base, but for the time I spend commuting to and from the base. I make a couple of stops coming and going from base and it's at these locations that I get nervous about not having my carry piece on me. I never dreamed (although I should have) that I may need it on base. This whole mess has me rethinking my threat-based decision-making paradigm.
That's not to say I haven't done it in the past. I teach foreign weapons familiarization and when transporting $25k worth of firearms, I'm not going to do it unarmed. It's the same mindset that goes with transporting military arms. When you have so many, the courier must be armed. I'm the same way. There's no way I'm going to give up $25k worth of firearms without a fight, I don't care who you are.
So this has me thinking, just how far do I want to push the issue?
But the more I read about it, the more I can't help but wonder why this doesn't happen more often. I mean every US military installation in the world is a "gun free zone". The only people who are allowed to 'carry' weapons on base (besides the base cops [civilian and contractor] and resident OSI/CID/NCIS special agents) are those who live in base housing, and only then they are allowed to 'carry' it from their house on base to the range or wherever they're taking the weapon and back. There is no concealed carry on base. Did I mention that everyone who lives on base must resgister their weapons with the base?
I found this out the hard way as one time I was going on base and had forgotten to remove my regular concealed carry piece from under the drivers seat of my truck. As luck would have it, I got stopped at the gate for a random vehicle search, and they found it for me. When I handed them my CCP, I was politely, but tersely told that my permit was not valid on base.
Now, I can bring a firearm on base, but it must be unloaded, cased, and the ammunition cannot be stored close to the weapon in question. Which kind of negates the whole defensive firearm aspect of concealed carry, don't you think?.
My initial reaction to what I was told was not for my defense while on base, but for the time I spend commuting to and from the base. I make a couple of stops coming and going from base and it's at these locations that I get nervous about not having my carry piece on me. I never dreamed (although I should have) that I may need it on base. This whole mess has me rethinking my threat-based decision-making paradigm.
That's not to say I haven't done it in the past. I teach foreign weapons familiarization and when transporting $25k worth of firearms, I'm not going to do it unarmed. It's the same mindset that goes with transporting military arms. When you have so many, the courier must be armed. I'm the same way. There's no way I'm going to give up $25k worth of firearms without a fight, I don't care who you are.
So this has me thinking, just how far do I want to push the issue?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Lock N Load
Saw a couple of the episodes of the new Showtime series Lock N Load. Eye opening, at least to the antis, but not really any surprise to folks who go into gun stores on any kind of basis.
What strikes me about the series is these are just regular people walking into a gun store. Some have never been around firearms before, some have mediocre experience and some are life long gun owners. This includes men and women, boys and girls. I would venture a guess that you could probably duplicate this series in just about any gun store in the country.
And it's not just life in the store. On last nights episode, the owner/proprietor goes out shooting with a couple of kids, shooting both .22 rifles and pistols. Good on him. In the other episode I saw, he got his butt kicked shooting clays with what he thought was some broad who walked into the store, but who turned out to be the Grand Poo-Bah of ladies shotgunning.
After watching these two episodes, I think if Showtime puts this out on DVD, I might have to pick it up, since I personally don't have Showtime at home. And I would encourage those who think gun stores are the den of evil incarnate on Earth to watch a couple of episodes, you might learn something.
What strikes me about the series is these are just regular people walking into a gun store. Some have never been around firearms before, some have mediocre experience and some are life long gun owners. This includes men and women, boys and girls. I would venture a guess that you could probably duplicate this series in just about any gun store in the country.
And it's not just life in the store. On last nights episode, the owner/proprietor goes out shooting with a couple of kids, shooting both .22 rifles and pistols. Good on him. In the other episode I saw, he got his butt kicked shooting clays with what he thought was some broad who walked into the store, but who turned out to be the Grand Poo-Bah of ladies shotgunning.
After watching these two episodes, I think if Showtime puts this out on DVD, I might have to pick it up, since I personally don't have Showtime at home. And I would encourage those who think gun stores are the den of evil incarnate on Earth to watch a couple of episodes, you might learn something.
Monday, October 26, 2009
A New Term
Whilst out trying, in vain I might add, to do my part to decrease the elk population of Wyoming, I stumbled onto an epiphany of sorts.
One night while sitting around the tent imbibing some of Adolph Coors' master works and discussing the problems of the world in general, and the state of American politics in particular, with my father and brother, I came to a sudden realization.
I am not a Conservative.
I am not a Libertarian.
I am not a Republican.
What I am is a Fundamentalist American.
What does it mean to be a Fundamentalist American? Well, first off, I have a deep appreciation and love for America, what it means to be an American, and a belief that we are in fact a decent and moral nation.
I believe what the Founders put down on paper, both in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution, is how it's supposed to be. That the "Living Document" argument is a stupid one. The writers and framers of the Constitution put in place a mechanism to change it and using the courts to do the dirty work to change portions that they either don't like or have to clout to change on their own is as they say, chickensh*t.
That rugged individualism isn't just some nifty little catch phrase, it's what made America what it is today. People like my grandfather who survived the Great Depression doing jobs that most modern Americans squish and squirm at doing as "beneath them", and who went on to do great things. Not great things in the sense he invented something and became rich and famous, but great things like helping to build a small northeast Wyoming cow/jerk water town into something besides a cow/jerk water town.
Or the man who was larger than life when I was growing up. A Mountain Man. Real life, no kidding mountain man named Timber Jack Joe. I met the man growing up, he was an icon in Wyoming lore, harking back to the days of Jim Bridger and Kit Carson and Jedediah Smith. He was not a"re-enactor", but a man who believed in all his heart in rugged individualism.
I believe in what I was taught from a young age: that you are responsible for you, and not anyone else. Seeing as now we get a constant barrage of being our brother's keeper and that somehow, propping up failure is a noble thing. Failure is just that, failure. That is how life is lived. If you don't fail, you don't learn. Doing the same tired things over and over and expecting different results each time is, to put it mildly, stupid.
So there it is, my epiphany. Fundamentalist Americanism. I'll add more on the subject in the days and weeks to come, but for now, I thought I'd share this with everyone, just to get it off my chest.
One night while sitting around the tent imbibing some of Adolph Coors' master works and discussing the problems of the world in general, and the state of American politics in particular, with my father and brother, I came to a sudden realization.
I am not a Conservative.
I am not a Libertarian.
I am not a Republican.
What I am is a Fundamentalist American.
What does it mean to be a Fundamentalist American? Well, first off, I have a deep appreciation and love for America, what it means to be an American, and a belief that we are in fact a decent and moral nation.
I believe what the Founders put down on paper, both in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution, is how it's supposed to be. That the "Living Document" argument is a stupid one. The writers and framers of the Constitution put in place a mechanism to change it and using the courts to do the dirty work to change portions that they either don't like or have to clout to change on their own is as they say, chickensh*t.
That rugged individualism isn't just some nifty little catch phrase, it's what made America what it is today. People like my grandfather who survived the Great Depression doing jobs that most modern Americans squish and squirm at doing as "beneath them", and who went on to do great things. Not great things in the sense he invented something and became rich and famous, but great things like helping to build a small northeast Wyoming cow/jerk water town into something besides a cow/jerk water town.
Or the man who was larger than life when I was growing up. A Mountain Man. Real life, no kidding mountain man named Timber Jack Joe. I met the man growing up, he was an icon in Wyoming lore, harking back to the days of Jim Bridger and Kit Carson and Jedediah Smith. He was not a"re-enactor", but a man who believed in all his heart in rugged individualism.
I believe in what I was taught from a young age: that you are responsible for you, and not anyone else. Seeing as now we get a constant barrage of being our brother's keeper and that somehow, propping up failure is a noble thing. Failure is just that, failure. That is how life is lived. If you don't fail, you don't learn. Doing the same tired things over and over and expecting different results each time is, to put it mildly, stupid.
So there it is, my epiphany. Fundamentalist Americanism. I'll add more on the subject in the days and weeks to come, but for now, I thought I'd share this with everyone, just to get it off my chest.
I'm Baaack!
Well, another hunting trip has come and gone and the elk population of south-central Wyoming is still intact. Skunked again. But at least this time I got to SEE elk (two cows and a calf, although their siting was a complete accident), as opposed to most every other time when it's just a vicious rumor they're there.
On the plus side though, I got to spend some quality time with my father and my younger brother. And, even though we didn't get any elk, we did manage to kill a rather sizable quantity of beer.
I'll try to post some pics of our home away from home for the past two weeks so everybody can see what we were up against.
On the plus side though, I got to spend some quality time with my father and my younger brother. And, even though we didn't get any elk, we did manage to kill a rather sizable quantity of beer.
I'll try to post some pics of our home away from home for the past two weeks so everybody can see what we were up against.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I'm Off...
No, really. I'm off to attempt to thin the elk population of south-central Wyoming for the next two weeks.
I'm taking my Savage 10GLXP3, my M1A, and my brand spanking new 4" S&W Model 57. And just to make sure the anti's have enough to slobber over, I'm also taking my new Draco pistol with me. What I love most about Wyoming laws is they have no magazine restrictions. So I'll also have two 30 rd Polish polymer mags filled with 154-gr soft points. Why? Because I can.
Anyway, I'll post the outcome when I get back.
TTFN!!!
I'm taking my Savage 10GLXP3, my M1A, and my brand spanking new 4" S&W Model 57. And just to make sure the anti's have enough to slobber over, I'm also taking my new Draco pistol with me. What I love most about Wyoming laws is they have no magazine restrictions. So I'll also have two 30 rd Polish polymer mags filled with 154-gr soft points. Why? Because I can.
Anyway, I'll post the outcome when I get back.
TTFN!!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
What A Day
It's been a good last 24 hours. I've received my Utah carry permit in the mail and the Galco holster for my 4" Model 57 Smith arrived yesterday.
On a related note, what the hell is up with the availability of .41 mag ammunition and components? I mean, if you listen to all the gun writers, nobody likes the .41. It doesn't have the snort of the .44 and it's not as sexy as the .357. If you listened to the writers, nobody should have them.
Evidently, someone forgot to tell everyone ELSE. 'Cause loaded ammunition is almost as easy to find as hens teeth, and components, well jacketed bullets anyway, are almost as easy to locate as the loaded ammunition.
Sheesh.
On a related note, what the hell is up with the availability of .41 mag ammunition and components? I mean, if you listen to all the gun writers, nobody likes the .41. It doesn't have the snort of the .44 and it's not as sexy as the .357. If you listened to the writers, nobody should have them.
Evidently, someone forgot to tell everyone ELSE. 'Cause loaded ammunition is almost as easy to find as hens teeth, and components, well jacketed bullets anyway, are almost as easy to locate as the loaded ammunition.
Sheesh.
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