James - My Mind Won't Stop

Shootin' Steel

2012-02-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

It seems that everyone is shooting at steel these days. I can't spend 5 minutes on youtube before finding somebody shooting at a steel plate with a rifle, pistol, shotgun, etc. Seeing the videos makes me want a steel target so badly. The instant feedback of that bullet pinging off the steel plate excites me, and I'm only watching it on a 4 1/2" screen!

I made up my mind to go looking for a steel target. I soon discovered that a lot of people are wanting a lot of money for their targets, and even more for the stands to put them on. After being very disappointed, I decided that I would just shoot paper and clay pigeons until the price of the targets come down considerably. Steel targets, like anything else popular, are experiencing a price bubble, and many vendors are cashing in on the popularity of this shooting phenomenon.

To my surprise, I was able to find a local guy who is putting together steel target stands with an 8"x8" square sheet of 3/8" thick AR500 steel, which is the more common steel being used by shooters all over. This man, like myself, wanted to shoot something with more immediate feedback and fun, but didn't want to pay outrageous prices in order to get a target to shoot at. Armed with a welder and some steel he acquired, he set about making his own target stands and targets to shoot at. After hitting the range a few times, he realized that there may be a market for high quality, low priced targets like this, and he decided to make some more and put them on a local classified forum called Seattleguns.net. As I was browsing the board, I came upon the targets he was offering.

The price was right at $60, which includes a stand and the target square. The target is held up by a simple, but effective 2x4, which is anchored in place with set screws that he provides. The wooden 2x4 makes the stand rebuildable by replacing the wooden section, should you shoot it out. The target area, which measures 8"x8", is ideal for the kind of shooting that I do, which is a balance of speed and accuracy. Of course, with the right gun, I can put one ragged hole in the middle of any target at a given range, but for self defense shooting, I prefer to shoot for a balance of speed and accuracy, ensuring as many accurate hits in a given amount of time. I plan on purchasing a couple more of these targets, and after speaking with the gentleman who made them, we came up with an idea for another stand that will hold clay pigeons. My days of shooting clay pigeons on the ground may be over.

This is the target stand as you buy it. It includes the stand and the target square, all of which are durably welded up to withstand the shock of repeated shots from any weapon. The seller claims that he can shoot the plate with a 300 Win Mag at 75 yards without damaging the steel, which he did provide pictures of with a test sample he acquired.

This is a stake pocket that the 2x4 fits into. Notice it is welded and a drilled and tapped hole accepts a set screw to hold the wood in place.

On the back side of the target, another stake pocket is welded with another set screw to hold the target on the stand.

Your 2x4 goes in and gets secured in place. I painted my 2x4 black using Duplicolor VHT black header paint. For lack of better reasons, it is more visually striking for the camera. As for the paint itself, it's what I had in my garage at the time. Looks good!

The top of the stake pocket. Notice the metal strap going across to keep the target from falling down, should the set screw shoot loose.

Please forgive the look on my face. I wasn't exactly prepared for the camera to shoot so soon. This picture is for reference to actual size. I'm 6'2" tall and my SR9c is in front of the target square. My 2x4 is 5ft tall. You could get multiple targets and set them up at different ranges with different height 2x4's to serve the needs of your shooting setup any given day. Again, the 2x4 allows maximum versatility for shooters with different heights, damage from hitting the wood, and for travel by disassembling, making the target very compact.

Since I did not have an opportunity to take it out shooting with real guns yet, I took some pot shots at it with my BB gun from across the yard. As you shoot it, you can easily reset it by repainting the target area or changing out stick on Shoot-n-see style targets. Nevermind that really low shot. The gun was only pumped 3 times for that one. The rest were 5 pumps.

As more targets become available, and my friend's hobby becomes more of a business, I will have more information on how you can get one of these bad boys for yourself.

-James

The Evil Black Rifle

2012-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

I was browsing youtube today, and came upon a 5 year old video of a news report on the AR15, or "black rifle," as they said continually. It was a report on the popularity of this gun and how some groups are "concerned" that it could be a problem in America. The DC Sniper was talked about briefly, as they showed a representation of the Bushmaster AR used by him, and of course there was some bitch talking about how these are battle rifles and were designed to be used that way. Already on the verge of wanting to punch the computer screen, the news reporter talked about some of the evil features that opponents of this so-called "assault rifle" has that make it more deadly than, say a Ruger Mini 14 ranch rifle. I know that this subject has been talked about ad nauseam, but I want to go over some of these evil features and speak to them from my point of view.

I'm going to start from the business end and work my way back, as that is the order in which a bad guy might find himself staring at my rifle.

Flash hider: Some might call it a flash suppressor. It is designed to lower the visual signature of the weapon as it is firing. Somehow, a device like this makes the gun more deadly than without. Opponents of such a device say that it will make it easier to shoot the gun at night or make it so police can't see you shooting, as if the loud report of the weapon wasn't enough to clue them in. For me, having a flash suppressor isn't about making me invisible to authorities. It is a training aid. The bright flash of a weapon can scare new shooters. When I'm teaching someone how to shoot the rifle, I don't want them to be scared off by a bright muzzle flash. Lowering the visual signature of the weapon can also make a difference in a home defense situation, where a bright muzzle flash could momentarily blind me.

Vertical Front Grip: This isn't always talked about, as some owners may not opt for this device, but it has a home on the front of my weapon. Apparently, this is to give me much more control of the weapon than if I didn't have it. In reality, I simply use it as an index point for my hand. Not shown in this picture is a flashlight that I have mounted to the weapon. The VFG is placed so I can simply place my hand in the same spot every time, and helps me manipulate the UI on my flashlight without changing my grip. For home defense, this is a good thing because instead of fumbling around trying to find my flashlight button, I can quickly tap the button with my thumb and illuminate any potential threats or identify family members. I call the VFG a safety feature.

High Capacity Magazine: Often mistakenly called a "clip" by those who are complete morons (yes including some gun owners), the 30 round magazine is what I consider a "normal capacity" magazine. The magazine was designed to hold 30 rounds. If I was able to cram 31 rounds in there, that would be "high capacity." The crux of the issue is that opponents feel this gives the shooter the ability to accurately "spray" an area with a lot of bullets without the need to reload. Well, I will admit they are right about one thing. The gun can fire 30 rounds without reloading. But let's not kid ourselves here. Anyone with half a brain and a little training can reload this weapon fast. It wouldn't matter if I only had a 10 round magazine. I could reload it and keep shooting and lay down a significant amount of fire with even that. Every car manufactured after 1925 has the ability to go over 60 miles per hour. A lot more people are killed in automobile accidents every year than are killed with guns sporting "high capacity" magazines. Maybe cars should be governed to go slower.

Semi-automatic Operation: How the AR15's semi-automatic action makes it more deadly than a gun with a wooden stock is beyond me. In all honesty, if you were an intruder in my house, you'd be faced with a pump action 12 gauge shotgun.

Pistol Grip: Oh, this is the part of the video that prompted my blog entry in the first place! The reporter said that this part of the gun allows it to be easily fired from the hip. WHAT?!!! I highly doubt the DC Sniper fired his gun from the hip! This weapon was designed to be fired from the shoulder! Pardon my French, but you stupid fucking anti-gun dip shits have a warped sense of reality! Nobody fires from the hip unless they want to miss! This isn't the movies! Rambo could never have shot so many people shooting from the hip if it was reality! As for the grip itself, yes it does give the gun some control, and is part of the weapon's interface. The magazine release is located so that the magazine can be dropped without the shooter changing his grip. The rest of the weapon is designed so that all other actions can be accomplished without removing your hand from the grip. But that really doesn't matter. My AR15 could have a stick for a grip and I could still use it. I'm just as accurate with my Ruger 10-22, and it has a traditional wood stock. With a little training, it doesn't matter if your gun has a pistol grip or not. Any competent shooter knows his weapon.

Adjustable stock: Because the gun is so much more deadly with the stock collapsed. NOT! I personally feel comfortable with the stock out two positions. My wife likes it out one position. The ability to shorten the stock to make it comfortable for my 5 ft tall wife to shoot makes the gun more valuable to me. In one minute, I can be shooting at my preferred length, and then hand he gun to my wife, who can instantly make the gun fit her as well. What's wrong with that? Nothing.

I'm pretty sure I covered all the major issues, aside from the fact that opponents of the AR15 are opponents of guns in general, and for that I say suck it! As dog owners say, "hate the deed, not the breed." Don't punish me for a couple of nut jobs that should have been spotted and locked away to begin with. Most of the people who commit the kinds of crimes with these guns already had a history of criminal activity and violence. They could have been spotted and put away long ago, but your government decided that letting them out into civilization was a better plan.

I'm a law-abiding gun owner, who chooses to remain safe in my house, and wherever I can lawfully be. I choose not to be a victim. Just remember that when you are working hard at disarming good people like me, you are only helping criminals, and you are making yourself a victim. Ever stop and think the reason why your house hasn't been broken into is because a burglar might think there is a gun in there? Or did really think it was because the police would catch him? Police arrive just in time to draw chalk outlines around the victims of violent crimes and theft. Ironically, the vast majority of these crimes are committed with cheap guns, knives, and improvised bludgeoning instruments - not the evil assault rifles you are trying to get off the streets.

-James

Stinger Scorpion X

2012-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking. "Another flashlight review?" Yep! I've had this one for just under a year. It is the Streamlight Scorpion X. What an incredible little flashlight this is! And what a value!

I paid about $50 for this 200 lumen LED powerhouse. At first, I thought it might make a good EDC light, but was mistaken; it's a bit large. The main body itself is narrow, but that giant head, with that anti-roll piece machined into it, make it a bit large for pockets. Plus, it's a bit on the heavy side for EDC work: 5 ounces. If you want an EDC light, I'd look elsewhere, but for a utility light, tactical light, or weapon light, it's hard to go wrong with the Scorpion X.

The body is machined out of aluminum and as mentioned, features an integrated anti-roll head to keep it in place. NICE! The handle portion is then covered with a rubber sleeve to give this light tons of traction in your hand. The lens is scratch resistant and the beam is wide with a bright focal point.

At night, I can light up vehicles and people over two blocks away with this little thing and could easily make out license plate numbers and signs from over 4 blocks when used with my monocular. For close in work, you can lower the light output to 10 lumens, so it is not blinding to you. The two CR123 batteries will last 50 hours in low mode. In high mode, they last about 2 1/2 hours. There is also a strobe feature on the light, for those who wish to have it.

One gripe about this light is the rubber sleeve on the body. It also covers the button, and I was concerned that with use, the sleeve might rip or get punctured and allow water to get in. Well, I put it to the test. I took it out on a rainy night and conducted a series of drop tests from 4 feet, 6 feet, and by throwing it up in the air over 10 feet. How it landed was purely up to chance. It took a beating as I tossed it across the yard, let it sit on a flooded drain completely submerged for 10 minutes. It's also been mounted to my AR15, which was shot hundreds of times. So, how'd it fair?

The rubber sleeve did tear in a spot on the back of the light. This allowed some water to seep in, but it did not hurt the light because there are o-rings at the head, which protected it. I was able to find a retailer that sells replacement sleeves, so I purchased about 4 of them. I removed the damaged sleeve and installed a new one. After it was installed, I tested it in my bath tub under about 18 inches of water. Dry as a bone inside. As long as the sleeve is intact, this thing is highly water resistant and weatherproof.

Due to it's small size and light weight, I now have this mounted to my AR15 with a VTAC light mount. The narrow body required me to shim it in order to fit the VTAC. Instead of using electrical tape or something like that, I utilized the old sleeve. I cut it to the size needed and wrapped it around the light. After that, it was a matter of getting it into the mount and tightening the screws. It looks good there and is solid. You can't even tell I shimmed it.

The only other thing I can fault with this light is that it does not tail stand. The rubber sleeve and the button make it impossible for it to do so. For that, I don't consider this light a very effective wilderness light, but it makes a good tactical light.

I'm not going to say that this light is as good as something much more expensive like my Stinger LED or a Surefire weapon light, but the Scorpion is a good handheld, or weapon mounted tactical light. At $50, it is a huge value because you get a lot of light for not a lot of money. I like to consider this more of a practical light because it will fill a lot of roles nicely and does so at a low price point. I'd only suggest buying a few extra sleeves and keeping them around. At about $2 a piece, there isn't any reason not to. One last thing about the rubber sleeve is that it doesn't transfer heat or cold like metal does. This makes it very comfortable to hold in cold weather, as well as hot weather. That's something to think about.

-James

Mega Arms 2012 Project

2012-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

Mega Forged Aluminum Lower Receiver

A year ago, I took interest in the idea of building another AR15 to add to my collection. I really enjoyed the opportunity to have my Rock River Arms LAR-15 carbine custom made, and have had some fun customizing it further, but as the old saying goes, "two is one and one is none." Besides, I want to tackle another project and use some of the knowledge I've gained to make this next gun an even better fit for me.

This is where Mega Arms comes in. They make really good receivers and some other parts that would make a great foundation for my next AR. I haven't really read anything bad about them, and many people tell me that their guns are second to none. They have reasonable prices to boot. Now, you can buy a forged lower receiver for an AR15 for next to nothing these days; my local gun shop sells their own brand for about $75. This Mega forged 7075-T6 aluminum receiver costs about $125 and some change. Mega isn't some fly by night operation. They have tight quality control and use some of the best materials you can get. Their prices are pretty reasonable. For me, I want to build a rifle that can take a beating in the field, but not deliver a beating to my bank account in the process.

Mega Forged Aluminum Upper Receiver

While I'm not entirely sure on all particulars, I know some preliminary things that will help move this gun in the direction I plan on going. First off, I'm going with the A4 profile on the upper receiver. This is the same as my RRA gun, so no change there except the fact that it will also be a Mega upper receiver. Both the forged upper and lower are 7075-T6 aluminum and anodized to a hardness of 60 Rockwell. All of this information has been provided by Mega Arms' website.

So why not billet? That's a good question, and aside from the obvious answer that billet is more expensive than forged components, I had to do some research to understand the benefits and detractors for both forged and billet components. In my experience, forged components are stronger than billet components. With my background in the auto industry and engines, I know that forged pistons are stronger than cast or billet pistons. The holy grail of pistons are forged pistons with forged connecting rods, for they are strong. Additionally, with proper forging, you can get strength and light weight because of how the material is compressed. I also know that hammer forged barrels are some of the strongest in the world. We don't see many billet barrels, and if we did, they wouldn't be on combat weapons. Forged components are also lighter than billet, typically. The general consensus, from what I've read is that billet is good for sport, but the gun you take to battle with you would be forged.

Mega Billet Lower Receiver

On the other hand, billet does offer some other benefits. To start, the guns are nicer looking. Indeed, the process of machining a gun out of a block of aluminum does lend itself to more artistic lines and adds some unique flavor to the gun. With forged components, what you get is what you get. You can also have the magazine wells hogged out or include things like ambidextrous safeties, enlarged trigger guards, etc. The sky really is the limit. Critical areas can be strengthened by adding more material. It is said that billet guns are somewhat more accurate because they don't flex as much as forged guns. However, when it comes to combat accuracy, MOA precision must be tempered a balance of speed, function, reliability and weight. As forged components are inherently stronger, weigh less, and have been proven to function for years, it only makes sense to go that route.

What I want to stress is that I'm not building a race gun or a show gun. I'm not building something that will see time only on a bench, under a cover, at the range. This isn't going to be some safe queen that'll never get a scratch on her. I'm building a gun that could save my life, or the lives of my family one day. God forbid it ever has to be leveled at another human being, but should that day come, it must work. What it looks like hardly matters at that point.

Mega Billet Upper Receiver

However, there is a sort of coolness that comes from a good looking AR15. I will admit that the AR is a great looking black gun. Among other things that made me switch from the FN FAL to the AR is its good looks. Plus, lugging around 10 lbs of empty .308 rifle got annoying.

One thing I want to do is try and keep the weight down. This is tough to do sometimes because reliability demands that the weapon be tough. It's not always easy to accomplish being tough while being both lightweight and relatively inexpensive. You can have two of the three things: strength, light weight, and value-pricing. You can't have all three. In all things, as with shooting, you have to strike the balance.

The barrel is something I still need to figure out. I know two things: I do not want an integrated gas block and front sight. I have one on my RRA, and it is great, but it severely limits my ability to customize the gun, unless I take it off and get a low profile block. This is exactly what I intend to do on the next gun; go with a low profile gas block and cover it with a rail. Depending on how long a barrel I choose, I will either go mid length gas or go rifle length. I have more research to do in that department. Many say that the barrel is the heart of the gun, so I want to be careful in what barrel I choose to mount on this weapon. It would be a shame to stick a low quality barrel on a high quality receiver set.

All in all, this is my 2012 project. There will be periodic updates as I go. Remember, these are only my opinions based on my experience and research. As with anything on the internet, take what you read or see with a grain of salt.

-James

Magpul SGA Stock and MOE Forend for Remington 870

2012-01-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Last year, when I bought my Remington 870 shotgun, I knew I was going to need a new stock for it. The problem was that all the major players wanted a ton of money for it. Recently, I rediscovered Hogue's over molded offering for the 870 at a good price point, but am still waiting to see what else becomes available. If I may digress, I have the Hogue stock on my Winchester 1300 defender, and I love it. Scheduled for release in the spring of 2012 is the Magpul SGA stock for the Remington 870. This is their answer to the shotgun stock dilemma that faces Remington owners. With this stock, you can opt for length of pull adjustments as well as cheek weld position. Anyone running a high mounted optic will appreciate that. I'm pretty much dead set on irons for my 870, so the standard height may work well for me. To adjust the height, you need to buy the optional cheek riser kit, as shown here: Cheek Riser

At first, I thought it was a pretty goofy looking stock, but after getting a good look online, I'm digging it. There are some cool features that I think are big hits for Magpul. For instance, the sling mount on either side of the stock is a nice touch, as is the extra bit of polymer at the base of the grip, which will help with holding and firing the weapon in a high stress environment. Magpul claims to have a good recoil reducing butt pad. With a MSRP of $110, it's not exactly inexpensive, but it's not out of this world either. In my opinion, with the extra bonus features of the stock, it's good value.

Magpul has also answered a very expensive question with an economical solution. To be released around the same time as the SGA Stock is the MOE forend. With a MSRP of just $30, you now have the modularity you've always wanted without paying an arm and a leg for it. What sort of modularity? Well, it seems the only options we've had thus far are to hack something together, use clamps that never hold, or buy the Surefire grips with integrated weapon lights for $350+. I don't know about you, but I don't have the resources to spend that much money just to get a light on my shotgun. If that's what you like, then more power to you. I know there are some folks that believe that if it's not a surefire, it's junk. However, in my experience, that's just not the case. I've enjoyed a lot of success with Streamlight's offerings, as well as some others out there. Another digression, I'm considering an Elzetta light for my AR15.

Okay, so how do you get a light on the MOE grip? There's no rail. Magpul has integrated slots into the forend so you can add rail sections where needed. For just a few bones, I can get a bit of rail mounted where it will be useful and add something like a Streamlight TLR-1s, which is the same proven light that I have mounted on my Beretta M9A1. A TLR-1s can be purchased for under $100, and for home defense purposes, it's more than enough light. So for under $150, you too can have an effective lighting system for your home defense shotgun.

Magpul always has good ideas, and these latest are fantastic and may just be the answer to my shotgun stock dilemma. I'm glad I didn't spend the money sooner.

-James

Leatherman OHT

2012-01-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

Leatherman OHT

Just in time for my birthday this year, available this fall is the Leatherman OHT (One Hand Tool). This 4 1/2", 9.9 oz dude features 17 different functions and boasts a wicked awesome look to boot!

Functions:

Spring-action Needle nose Pliers
Spring-action Regular Pliers
Spring-action 154CM Replaceable Wire Cutters
Spring-action 154CM Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters
420HC Knife
420HC Serrated Knife
Phillips Screwdriver
Small Screwdriver
Medium Screwdriver
Large Screwdriver
Saw
Strap Cutter
Can Opener
Bottle Opener
Oxygen Tank Wrench
#8-32 Cleaning Rod Attachment
Integrated Lanyard Attachments

The knife, which actually sees the least amount of use on my Leatherman tools, is 420HC steel, which is decent, but I'd pay more for AUS-8, which would hold an edge better. However, since I never hack or stab with the large knives on my tools, I can live with 420HC.

What really seals the deal for me is that black oxide type treatment over the stainless steel body. It looks killer! I also like the details on the main body itself. You can see they engraved icons to show which main tool is where on each side. I'm not sure if that adds much more function to the tool, but it looks sick!

I also like the replaceable blades on the wire cutters. One of the reasons my old school Wave doesn't see a lot of cutting action is that the cutters are not replaceable.

As an urbanite, myself, I think the thoughtful additions of an oxygen tank wrench, strap cutter, and the spring loaded pliers are nice touches. I'm really digging the spring loaded pliers on my new Wingman, so having them on something a bit larger, like the OHT is a definite bonus.

The cleaning rod attachment is a peculiar function. The only other tools I recall this being on are the MUT and the Supertool 300. Even on those, I can't quite fathom how you are supposed to clean a gun barrel with them. If anyone knows, please comment below, as I'd be interested in learning. All the same, I have a lot of guns, so a cleaning rod adapter is a welcomed addition.

But wait, there's more! Not only does Leatherman intend to release an all black OHT, but they snuck a picture of a tan one on Facebook.

Tan Leatherman OHT

Oh, Leatherman, why must you torture me so? I can't decide which one I like better. With a MSRP of $85, I can't afford both, so I'm going to have to pick one. The problem is that I really like them both. One way or another, one of these dudes is going to find itself in my load out because they are just AWESOME!

-James

Stinger LED

2012-01-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Stinger LED

Nearly 5 years ago, when I started work in the generator business, I was in need of a good medium sized handheld flashlight to do my job. I'm in the emergency power generation business, so oftentimes I am dispatched to job sites where there is no electricity available. Since all power outages seem to happen at night, in the rain or snow, when it is windy outside, and essentially very miserable, the need for a good work light is paramount. I can't do my job without a light.

I remember the brand name Streamlight from far back as I can remember. Dad was a cop back in the 80's and he always carried a big Streamlight, held to his duty belt by a large ring. Remember those days? So when I first stepped foot on the Snap-On truck at my (then) new employer, I found myself face to face with a Streamlight Stinger. This light featured a Xenon bulb that cranked out 90 lumens. Seems dim by today's standards, but for almost 4 years, it got the job done, and it did it well. I opted for a piggyback charger to accommodate a spare battery.

Piggyback Charger

Up until last year, I was completely satisfied with the Stinger. It was rugged, impervious to weather, solvents, gasses, and it could take a beating. The anodizing, after four years, had chipped off and wore down in places, giving this light a ton of character. Though it tended to roll when placed on a flat surface, I gripped it with confidence in my hand. I had opted for the red anodizing color because I wanted to be different. It's not a tactical light... well not for me anyway. With everyone carrying pseudo tactical lights around these days, I wanted something that would stand out a little more, turn a few heads, and proclaim proudly that this is a tool for the work I do. Sadly, I lost that Stinger. I retraced my footsteps for a week trying to find it, but I fear I left it sitting on the skid of a generator somewhere, lost forever. I needed a replacement and fast.

Once again, I turned to my Snap-On dealer. Though his prices are high, the payment plan is convenient and I could get a new light without having to put down any cash; I just had to make my weekly $50 payment that I normally did. As a digression, I'm paid up, so I'm not saddled with a $200 a month payment... for now. No longer carrying the Xenon Stinger, he offered me a newer version: the Stinger LED. I had my options. I could opt for the Stinger LED, which is essentially my old Stinger with a C4 LED head, or I could get the Stinger LED DS, which also included a tail-cap for thumb activation. My dealer had to order the DS, if I wanted it, and I didn't really need the tail clicker switch. He had a LED light on the truck, with the standard button near the head. This is the setup I'm used to, so I opted for that. Luckily for me, it was also anodized in a beautiful red color.

Instead of vomiting out specifications, I'll simply link you to Stinger's website here: Stinger LED

What I'd like to do is offer up my experience with carrying and using this flashlight for most of 2011. First off, the stock photo I chose shows a hexagon anti-roll head. That's not how mine came. Mine came with a slightly larger head than my old Xenon Stinger and it is round. What Streamlight did provide is a rubber slip-on hexagon piece that fits over the bezel. This offers a bit of protection for the end of the light, which gets banged around in my back pocket as well as on equipment. It also keeps the light from rolling around. I put the piece on immediately after taking the light out of the box and have never looked back.

The light is somewhat heavy. Weighing in a just over 12 ounces at almost 8 1/2" inches long, it isn't exactly compact. However, when carried around in my left back pocket (where I normally keep it until needed), I hardly notice it. Once, I actually walked back to my work van to get it off the charger, only to find it not there. After wondering where it went, I remembered it was sitting right where I left it. So, the weight really isn't an issue in the real world. I wouldn't take this flashlight hiking with me though. I'd take my Maglite XL200 or my 4Sevens Quark Mini123.

Speaking of chargers, I was happy to learn that the Stinger LED fits in the same piggyback charger, and uses the same battery sticks that my old Stinger used. This is important because batteries are expensive and the piggyback certainly wasn't cheap. While on the subject of the piggyback charger, it does just what it sounds like it does. In the photo above, you can see the space for the light to click into. You also see a spot for a spare battery. It charges both the light and the spare battery simultaneously. I also have the 12vdc cigarette lighter plug on mine, so I can charge it on the go. It's a fast charger, so it only takes a couple hours to fully charge the batteries. I also have a standard charger that the light came with, which uses a 120vac plug in adapter, and that is mounted to the wall in my garage, should I decide to charge the light overnight instead of draining my van's battery. I'm glad I spent the extra coin on the piggyback. There have been times when I've really needed that functionality, and it augmented my effectiveness as a technician when the situation was critical!

Streamlight Stinger LED in red

Streamlight claims their Stinger LED to throw 180 lumens of light. I can't speak to the validity of this claim, but I can tell you that it is brighter than any flashlight anyone else brings to the table! The first thing normally said when I shed light on any situation is "That's a bright light!" As for how long the light lasts, I can't speak to actual run times because honestly, I don't put a stopwatch on my flashlight. Additionally, much of the light work is momentary illumination or for just 30 seconds at a time during inspections or what have you. There are times when I position the light to illuminate my work space. That is where I notice the actual run time. If the battery is freshly charged, I can normally get about 1 1/2 to 2 hours of continuous run time at full brightness. I don't mess around with lower brightness levels because 1 click on is easy and efficient. During those weeks where I'm mostly illuminating for a few seconds or less than a minute, the light will usually last a week or so before I need to change it out. The flashlight is regulated. It goes on at full brightness and doesn't dim until the battery is completely discharged. That is one of the two complaints I had about my old Xenon Stinger. It didn't seem to be as well regulated and I didn't realize just how dim the light was until I popped in a fresh battery. The Stinger LED definitely does a great job of keeping that critical light very bright all the way up until the very end. When life safety power generation is at stake, this is a very important factor. The throw on this flashlight is great. It has a good hot spot in the middle with a gradual light dispersal around the edges.

The on/off rubber sealed clicker is positive. With an average switch cycling of 20-30 times a day, 5 days a week (and the occasional weekend use) for nearly a year, I'd say it is a good design. The rubber on mine still looks practically new. What else can I say except that the click on is a solid "CLICK!" For quick, momentary illumination, one needs only to press the button partially. The only thing I don't like is that it is so easy to get into strobe light mode with the switch. Two clicks and you are there. There have been a few times I've startled myself because instead of just turning the light on, I managed to strobe. Aside from that, however, it is a good design. If you are a police officer, the ease of getting the flashlight to strobe may be advantageous to you. But for my work, strobe is not necessary. There are times when strobe is great. The Streamlight TLR-1s, mounted to my Beretta M9A1, has a strobe function, and I train myself to use it for the simple reason that if I needed to, I could easily disorientate someone with it.

For my needs, the Streamlight Stinger LED is at the high end of value for your dollar. By that I mean it is expensive. In many markets, it goes for +$100. It's not an inexpensive light by any stretch. Normally, I have a hard time parting with triple digit amounts of dollars for a stick that throws light, but there are times when it is necessary to throw money at a lighting dilemma. In my case, lives may depend on my ability to get a broken down generator back up and running at 3am when the weather is dismal at best. This is an example of a situation where spending some money on a good light is a necessary evil. This is a tool that has paid itself off over and over again by giving me an extra edge by helping me to better do my job. You can't put a price on that kind of value.

-James

Springfield XDS 45 ACP

2012-01-18T10:30:00.001-08:00

Umm, DO WANT!!!

-James

Learning about Photoshop

2012-01-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

I'm learning to use Photoshop. After learning a few small things, I've discovered that I have sort of a knack for manipulating photos. Since we have a high quality camera in the house, I am going to start taking full advantage of its capabilities. The above photo is an early sample. I plan to revisit my old photograph and shoot a new set with the Beretta twins, using a better backdrop and the camera.

-James

Beretta; a tale of two pistols

2012-01-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

Left to Right: Beretta M9A1 and 92FS

Well, I figured it's been awhile since I ranted and raved about my Beretta pistols. If only I had more money; I'd buy a lot more of them. You've seen the M9A1 (on the left) here before, but I don't think I've posted a picture of my stainless 92FS.

My love-affair with Beretta pistols (specifically, the 92FS platform) started back in late 2001. After getting my new CPL in the mail (30 days after my birthday), I drove down to my favorite gun shop with my cash in hand. In the months leading up to my 21st birthday, I had taken many opportunities to handles a lot of different pistols. I spent some range time with various guns as well. My favorite handling was the 92FS. The controls are well thought out on this pistol and my long fingers had no problem with the fat grip. I liked the mean lines of the gun and it's outstanding reputation in the military helped a lot. Back in those days, when men were men and weren't whining about carrying around 33 ounces of blued steel, a lot of cops were rocking the 92FS. Anyone that trained on this platform could easily manipulate, operate, and handle this weapon with ease. The nominal recoil of the 9mm round was further attenuated due to the sheer weight of this pistol. Fast, accurate followup shots are no problem with this beast. I digress, however. After looking at the Sigs, the 1911's, the Glocks, and many other offerings, I made my decision. The stainless Beretta 92FS got the nod. She came home with me that evening and has been my ever vigilant protector since.

I have dumped thousands of rounds out of this gun. After the first year, I decided to embark on a yearlong torture test and fire 5,000 rounds through it with nothing more than a simple wipe down of the exterior. The pistol got dirty, filthy, and loaded with carbon. But in 5,000 rounds, I experienced ZERO failures with it. Every single round that I put in the magazines fed through this monster with hell-and-back reliability. Some days, my friends and I would perform mag dump after mag dump, pushing this pistol as hard as we could. It got carried, soaking wet, dry as a bone, and even after all the abuse, it still worked flawlessly. On a cold morning, January 1, 2003, I cleaned it for the first time in over 365 days. Aside from the grip area showing some character from many hands gripping it, the gun looked brand new inside and out. After just 30 minutes of giving it a good scrubbing with Hoppe's #9, you'd never be able to tell she had so many rounds shot through her without so much as a cleaning or lubrication.

As you've read in my many entries, I have started to carry plastic guns for my normal days. With the purchase of the equally fine, and solid ready to rock M9A1, I've since retired ole reliable, and she enjoys a much needed pampered life, lubed up with Eezox and napping in the safe. Occasionally, she comes out to play, but I've come to respect this gun too much to abuse it like I did that 2002-2003 year of hell. Back then, I treated her like a whore; dumped a ton of different ammo out the barrel. Now, she gets treated like a queen. I only shoot the best 9mm I can buy through her and clean her after every range trip.

It's another gun's turn to be the whipping boy.

-James

Annual Christmas Tree Burning 2012

2012-01-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty long video, but well worth the fun we had. I spent the night at a private campground with some church friends and participated in our annual Christmas tree burning. The young men go around collecting Christmas trees (mine included) from fellow churchgoers homes and take them out to a large meadow and pile them high. Then we light them off and have some fun.

-James

Ruger SR22 Pistol

2012-01-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

For some strange reason, I check out Ruger.com every other day. I have no idea why; it's probably an OCD thing. However, this last week has been kind of hectic around the house, so I haven't been online as much. Wouldn't ya know it? I don't check Ruger's website for a few days, and they drop the Ruger SR22.

This pistol is interesting, and I am interested in getting my hands on one to see how it feels. The gun is a double/single design with an integrated decocker built into the ambidextrous safety.

Sights on this gun are a fully adjustable rear with fixed front. Interestingly, the rear sight blade is reversable so you can go from a 3-dot sight setup (my preferred choice) to a solid black blade in the rear. No indication as to whether they are plastic or not, but I'll know when I get my hands on one.

The grip is removable, and Ruger will supply two grips; a regular one and one that is swelled in the back. Shooters with large hands may appreciate the larger swell on the additional grip. You just tug it off the frame and put the new one on. There don't appear to be any pins to push out and replace. That's pretty user friendly. I just hope that the grip doesn't slide off with use.

A picatinny rail is built into the polymer frame for attachments of lights, lasers, or pistol bayonets (if that's your fancy). The rail is a nice option. I've noticed that flashlights help with recoil control, so a light on a gun with almost no recoil to begin with may make this gun recoil like a BB gun. Most importantly, for people who can't handle higher recoiling pistols, they now have the option of optimizing this gun for home defense with a light or laser.

The slide is aluminum, which makes it lightweight. Additionally, it should help the gun function properly because .22lr isn't exactly a hot round. Rumor has it that this gun is incredibly reliable. Ruger also says the barrel is "replaceable," which to me means I can buy one at shopruger.com if I needed to. I won't hold my breath though.

This gun is pretty light. At 17.5 ounces, it weighs .4 ounces more than a Ruger LC9. Could the SR22 be an economical training gun for LC9 owners? You decide. Overall length is 6.4" long with a 3.5" barrel. The max width is 1.29", as per Ruger.com.

Unfortunately, the SR22 pistol is equipped with a magazine disconnect. No indication at this time as to whether it can be removed or not. One advantage the MKIII pistol has over it is that you can get a MKII bushing and remove the MD completely. Hopefully, the mag disconnect on this gun can be removed as easily as the LC9.

The good news is that this gun does not have a mailbox flag for a loaded chamber indicator. There is a view port on the side of the barrel lug so you can see the shell and determine if the gun is loaded. Or you can do a press check. Either way, there is no need to modify the LCI or get a delete for it, because there is none.

Ruger ships this gun with two magazines and two types of floorplates: one flat, one with a pinky extension. I imagine they are as easily replaced as the plates on the LCP, LC9, and SR9c.

With an MSRP of $399, this gun is in direct competion with the Walther P22 pistol, which costs about that much on the street. It also appears as though Ruger is trying to compete with itself because the MSRP of the 22/45 is about $389; interesting. Ruger claims that this gun is available now. With all the hype over these guns, and the debacle that ensued in the aftermath of the LC9 roll-out, I'm skeptical as to if I could get this gun right now. I might have to wait awhile just to look at one.

We'll see.

-James

Kobun

2012-01-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

After a couple of days, we finally decided on a name for our new puppy. We have named him Kobun. It means "soldier" in Japanese. I have to admit, I was inspired because I own a couple of Cold Steel Kobun knives. They are neat. This dog is part family, part guard dog, and part bundles and bundles of energy.

You may notice the leash. We are potty training him right now, and until his crate arrives, we are tether training him. He went from having 3 accidents on the first day to having only one since we employed this method. After his crate arrives, he will be crate trained until he learns that he goes "potty" outside. Once he is potty trained, he will be able to roam the house freely. Until then, training continues. Just so there is no doubt, we don't just leave him alone. He has plenty of chewy toys to play with, his food (which we portion in normal intervals), his water, and we take turns keeping him company. He is loved.

We are heading out today to get him his shots. We hope to talk to the vet a little about some questions and concerns that my wife has, and talk about neutering. Then Wednesday starts obedience training. We aren't wasting any time with this dog. All our research has led my wife and me to the conclusion that Kobun will require a lot of training and discipline if we want him to be a well-behaved dog when he grows up. The good thing is that Akitas are smart dogs. The breeder that we adopted him from said just 20 minutes a day is all that is really needed to reinforce the training.

We've also concluded that there is no way in hell this dog will be allowed "off leash" when we go out because of their aloof and sometimes aggressive behavior toward strangers and other dogs. Besides, I don't need a 125 lb horse of a dog roaming freely without me being there to control him anyway.

My wife has already established her dominance over this dog. He obeys her every command very well, and he has already learned to sit still and shake hands through positive reinforcement. Currently, we are using a bell to teach him to let us know when he needs to go out and "potty."

We expect this first year with our dog to be a fun and demanding time, but it's just the sort of thing we need. We've developed a lot of patience from dealing with our son, who can be very crazy at times. Plus, our daughter is turning 2 years old this month, and she's a wild one in her own right. The nice thing about the dog is that he has taken to our kids and adores them. He doesn't show aggression to them in any fashion; he probably thinks they are puppies too. The dog seems to calm our kids down considerably. Gotta love that.

We also plan on extending the existing kennel on our property and fence in the rest of the yard. A dog run will help him to stay in the yard and protect him from passing cars and protect people who don't know about this breed of canine.

That said, I'm excited to start the new year.

-James

Our New Puppy

2011-12-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well, say hello to the newest member of our family. This little guy is a 10 week old American Akita male. He has beautiful coloration and he's very sweet. He's already taken a big liking to the women of the house, especially my 2 year old daughter.

I swear, this dog is about the most chilled out puppy I have ever seen. He's also very patient with the kids. Even though he's only been home but a couple hours, he played with my son and daughter and whimpered a little when they had to go to bed. He's a little cautious around me still, but that's okay. I'm a really big and tall dude compared to all the other shorties in the house. Besides, I'm the alpha. As long as he understands that, no problemo!

We've been considering a dog for about a year now. We wanted something that would be a good guard dog, but not be a constant barking SOB to piss off all our neighbors. We also wanted something that would be good to grow up around our kids. Lastly, I wanted a 4 legged companion for hiking around in the woods and for camping. I think this dog will be perfect for us.

Unlike the Japanese Akita, the American variety is a larger boned, more muscular dog. I met this pooch's father and mother, and they were both big dogs. The dad, standing on the hind legs, is easily as tall as I am, and I'm 6'2". They are sturdy dogs with deep bellowed barks and growls that seem to make the room rumble. But as soon as they realized we were okay, they were sweethearts. The dad was still a bit aloof to me, but I had only seen him for a few minutes. The big dogs were very gentle toward our kids.

We chose this puppy because he was the most calm of the bunch. He was also the most beautiful, in my opinion. The others were almost irresistible as well, but this one's sort of auburn brown coat with the silver double made him too good to pass up. It was tough though. The breeder had some beautiful black ones and some others with cow spots and boots on their front paws.

Now, we just have to decide on a cool name for the little guy. Until then, I'll just call him "dog."

-James

A Tale of Two Mag Pouches

2011-12-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

I read a lot of stuff about holsters. Most often, the discussion always leads to getting the proper holster for the gun. I've been really lucky in that I don't have a dresser drawer full of junk holsters I don't use. I feel that in my experience of wearing and purchasing holsters, I've made some really good choices that suit my style and preferred method of carry. However, among all the talk about holsters, it seems that carriers for extra ammo are regarded as an afterthought.

Back in the day, when I bought my very first pistol, the venerable Beretta 92 FS, I needed a good holster. I turned to a relatively new (at the time) company called Blade-Tech Industries. I ended up buying an IWB kydex holster and an accompanying polymer dual magazine pouch. This combination served me well, as I was able to carry no less than 45 rounds of ammunition on my person at all times; 46 rounds if you counted the cartridge in the pipe. I preferred this method of carry for years.

After going back to school, I didn't carry for quite some time. My employer didn't allow guns on the property and my school seemed to have a dim view of the prospect of its students carrying weapons on the campus. My gun sat at home for the better part of 3 years while I chose not to carry a weapon.

After graduating college, and getting a better job elsewhere, I moved to a town that certainly had a higher crime rate than the place I previously called home. While I have yet to experience a crime in my neighborhood, I decided that it was time to reapply for my CPL and get a new carry gun. I am a bit thicker than I was 10 years ago. Plus, I needed an excuse to buy a new gun. If you read the blog, then you know I'm a fan of Ruger pistols and Crossbreed holsters. My go-to carry gun by default is the Ruger SR9c, with the LC9 and the LCP coming up a very close second. I've made sure that my holsters are perfect for these guns.

The problem, however, is what to do with the spare ammo. I'm going to focus on the double stack magazine of the Ruger SR9. I carry one spare 17rd magazine for my SR9c. I don't carry two extras anymore because I'm confident that 28rds of 9mm are sufficient to do the job. Besides, all that extra ammo can get tiresome after a long day, and after sustaining a lower back injury 5 years ago, I like to keep it light.

At first, I purchased a leather pouch from Tagua. I thought the snap would be a good idea, but soon learned that it wasn't. The weight of a loaded 17rd magazine made the snap unsnap within minutes of wearing it. I replaced the snap with a screw and nut much like the hardware on the Crossbreed Supertuck, and converted it into a slide on belt pouch. After a year of carry with this thing, I became sick of it. The loop is much too large and with no way to adjust it, the dang thing always rode up on my side and slide around on my belt. I needed a different option.

Completely forgetting about my dual mag pouch, I bought a kydex pouch from Uncle Mikes. I like this one better, but the magazine retention is iffy and the clip doesn't seem very durable. I carried this pouch for the last month or so to give it a chance. While the magazine never fell out, the pouch has come off a few times, especially when getting into and out of a vehicle. I can't have this.

I went into my favorite local gun shop, and purchased a Blade-tech single mag pouch with a tek-lok. After initially setting the tek-lok up to my belt size, I inserted the magazine and adjusted the tensioning screws to my preferred retention. After putting the pouch on my belt and inserting the magazine, I immediately noticed a night and day difference from the Uncle Mike's design. This magazine pouch stays put! The magazine retention is much better! The tek-lok features a dual locking mechanism to keep it closed. There is no way this puppy would come off my belt. Polymer is tough stuff and I used the older style tek-lok for years without problems.

In the end, the Blade-Tech is the better choice. Even if you are on a budget, you can easily justify spending a little more on the BT over the UM design. I paid $12 plus tax for the UM design and was completely unhappy with it. I paid $19 plus tax for the BT with the large tek-lok; money well spent in my opinion. Superior retention and attachment to the belt make it worth every penny.

Pics and descriptions below:

Blade-Tech and Uncle Mikes side by side. UM on the left, BT on the right. Note the BT tension screws on it side.

Blade-Tech Tek-lok on the right with the Uncle Mike's clip on the left.

Notice the "fingers" that put tension on the magazine when inserted into the Uncle Mike's pouch. I noted that they don't provide good retention, and seem to spring the magazine out a bit. I was always re-seating the magazine when carrying.

Blade-Tech tension adjustment. As you turn the screws, it presses the entire body of the pouch against the magazine. The rubber bushings help maintain tension without the need for Loctite.

The Blade-Tech has a larger side profile, but it isn't much more. Notice the Beretta magazine in the Uncle Mike's on the left. If you turn the magazine pouch upside down, the Beretta magazine falls out. Not good.

The tek-lok is much thicker than the Uncle Mike's clip. Fortunately, the Blade-Tech only sticks out about 3/16" more because most of that tek-lok is behind your belt. All in all, I'll take the extra 3/16" for the better retention.

-James

Christmas Videos

2011-12-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

These videos were made for our family to remember and enjoy.

-James

Leatherman Wingman

2011-12-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Leatherman 14 Function Multi-tool

Every year, I am tasked with the difficult project of putting together a Christmas Wishlist. It is an arduous task that normally takes me a couple of weeks to complete. Indeed, I have a big list of wants, but how to convey that to someone else can be quite a chore. This year, I came across a neat multi-tool from Leatherman called The Wingman. At 7 ounces, it seems it would be a good tool to have around for most EDC work. Two things that made me zero in on this particular design (amongst all the great offerings from Leatherman) were the closed shape and the pocket clip. Clearly, Leatherman intended for this tool to be carried in the front pocket on a daily basis.

The shape of the tool is contoured at the ends, which makes the body index into the front right pocket of my jeans well. The pocket clip (which isn't shown in the pic to the left, damn it) is positioned to make the tool ride perfectly. It slips into my jeans easily and can be drawn quickly. After drawing, it is quick to slide my fore finger down and get a two-handed grip and open the spring loaded needle nose pliers with ease. The large blade can be easily opened one-handed with your thumb if you are careful. The blade is partially serrated, and it is pretty sharp out of the box. I was able to slice through some thick card stock with ease. The knife sliced through normal printer paper like a hot knife through butter. Made of 420HC stainless steel, it is strong enough and precise enough for the kind of normal chores you will put it to.

Tools aboard the Wingman include:

Spring-loaded needle nose pliers
Spring-loaded regular pliers
Spring-loaded wire cutters
420HC combination knife (serrated and plain)
Package opener
Wood/metal file
Scissors
Small screwdriver
Medium Screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
1.5" ruler
Bottle opener
Can opener
Wire stripper

The pocket clip is also removable, should you decide you don't want to use it. But just know that if you remove it, the tool will either float around in your pocket or you will have to use a belt pouch. I prefer the pocket clip because it's familiar to me. From all my years carrying a knife in that location, the multi-tool is a shoe-in fit for me.

My wife went the extra mile and had my name engraved on the side of the tool body, above where it says Leatherman Wingman. I like personalized stuff. It makes it mine. Besides, when you're working around a bunch of other people, having your name on the tool not only makes it easily identifiable as yours, but it helps to keep the honest people around you honest.

How I got this tool made me chuckle a bit. On Christmas Eve, we normally open gifts at my parents house. It's a tradition that we've had as far back as I can remember. Christmas Eve was the night that the whole family was together to exchange gifts. Then we got something really special that "Santa" left for Christmas morning. It's a good tradition. Anyway, I completely forgot about what I put on my Christmas Wishlist. I mean, 5 weeks ago is so far in the past. As I tore into some really thoughtful and useful gifts, I looked over to see my father open a small box that said Leatherman on it. As I'm a big leatherman fan, and owner (I have the original Leatherman Wave), I immediately stopped to see what he got. He pulled out the Wingman. In awe, I was able to get into my hot little hands and take a close look at it. "Man, this would be so cool to have," was what I said as I fondled it. I had completely forgotten that I put it on my wishlist. On Christmas morning, I was at home with my wife and kids opening more gifts. I picked up a small package that was not the right size to be a box of ammo, nor was it heavy enough to be a brick. To my surprise, I opened the package to find the Wingman sitting inside it. Apparently, my mother bought one for me, but my wife beat her to the punch because she ordered it with my name engraved on it. So, my good mother, knowing my dad likes stuff like this too, decided to give the one she bought to him instead! Now we both have one!

I already like this tool a lot. Last night and today, I've found a lot of reasons to use many of the tools on this little bad boy. Last night, I used my dad's to help set up his new Galco classic lite shoulder holster. Today, I've used mine to assemble tools that I got for Christmas, remove the peksy battery covers on the kid's toys, cut open packages and tighten stuff with the pliers. This tool really is handy for the do-it-yourselfer.

At first, I thought that the 7 ounces would be too heavy for EDC, but after carrying mine effortlessly in my pocket, I stand corrected. 7 ounces is definitely heavier than my lighter CRKT Pikes Peak knife, but I pretty much forget about the Wingman until I need it. It is amazing how much easier it is to just whip this dude out to do a small repair or adjustment on something without having to search the house for the tool, only to find out that you've spend 30 minutes trying to find a tool you've lost somewhere. If I had a dollar for every time I've had to stop everything and search for a tool I've lost, I'd be a rich man by now. The irony is that I usually find it in some place that I put it so it wouldn't get lost! With that said, the Wingman will be a great tool, and will report up on it some time from now, as I get a chance to know it better and use it.

-James

Scope Your Mosin Nagant

2011-12-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

Back in 2006, I was browsing the local Big 5 sporting goods store and a funny looking rifle caught my eye. I recognized it from the movie, "Enemy At The Gates," and immediately took interest. There were two rifles, actually. One of them was a Mosin Nagant 91/30. The other was the one that I bought, which is the M-38. This is the carbine version, and it is much shorter and handier than the longer 91/30. For $89, it was a steal. Fast forward a few years and I eventually purchased the longer 91/30 just because some guy was selling it for $100. The Mosin Nagant is a stout rifle. It's crude, but it is really inexpensive. You can buy a full size centerfire rifle in the Mosin Nagant for about $100 less than some Ruger 10/22 carbines! The ammo for the Mosin Nagant, the venerable 7.62x54R is very inexpensive to buy in bulk, so it doesn't sting the pocketbook to plink with as much as other guns with chamber offerings in .308 WIN or 30.06 calibers.

The only drawback to most Mosin Nagants that I've seen is that you can't mount a scope atop the receiver. It would interfere with the bolt operation. Additionally, considering you really have to slap the bolt around to cycle it after shooting, having a scope there would not be a good idea. The only other option is to mount the scope forward of the receiver. But how do you do it without permanently modifying the gun? Don't get me wrong. I'm not some Mosin snob that balks at even the notion of restoring something or bringing the gun up to at least the late 20th century, but I do enjoy the fine lines of this odd Russian work of art, and would hate to damage it by hacking it to pieces.

Enter the Brass Stacker scope mount!

As you can see from the picture above, the Brass Stacker mount is positioned above the rear iron sights of the rifle. All you do is remove the two retaining pins and replace them with the provided screws to attach the mount to. Simple. And for you guys, like me, who do not wish to permanently modify the weapon, you can go back by removing the screws and driving the old pins back in... that is if you remembered to save them and not toss them.

The Brass Stacker scope mount is an all steel design. There are no plastic or aluminum components anywhere, making this mount as strong as the proven weapon you know you want to mount it to. The see-through design allows you to use your iron sights even with the mount and a scope attached. That is great because should you find yourself too close for your scope, you can easily transition back to the irons. Plus, if your scope is damaged or loses zero, you won't be totally screwed. Field of view with the irons will be lost, but irons are better than no irons.

Total weight for this mount with hardware and the picatinny rail is 5 ounces. That's not too shabby for something that will need to hold up to the hellacious recoil of the Mosin Nagant. The picatinny rail is 8 inches long, which should accommodate any scope you'd want to put on top of this weapon. Mind you, the gun itself is only $100 or $115... or in my case, $89 (for the M-38). The scope mount is sold by Brass Stacker for $50. The scope you put on top probably won't be too expensive since the whole idea behind having a Mosin Nagant is to have high power accuracy on the cheap. I've heard the Mosin Nagant referred to as the "poor man's 30.06." If that really is your reason for having the Mosin Nagant, then this scope mount is probably for you. But if you collect Mosin Nagant rifles just because they are cool, like I do, then this mount is for you as well.

A closer shot of the mount is shown above. You can see the screws and nuts that replace the pins used to hold the sights in place. The screws stick out too much for my liking, so it is something I'd definitely take a cutoff wheel to and make them fit more flush. Plus, blue Loctite is a must in this application. Look at the gun it is mounted to!

Sometime early in 2012, I'll be getting one of these to put on my 91/30. When I do, I'll definitely have some stuff to say about it. Until then, buy it and enjoy it!

Scope your Mosin!

-James

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Always an adventure when it comes to my children. I think Michael has figured out why Santa is so special, but my daughter... not so much. Either way, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New!.

-James

Planning The Next Phase

2011-12-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were having a conversation about shooting, and as much as we both agree that shooting is fun, we hate the cost associated with shooting center-fire ammunition. Let's face it, the cost of shooting is going up considerably. We also agree that we both want to spend more time together at the range so we can improve our shooting skills and have fun.

Well, with family memberships at the local indoor range making attendance cheaper than paying as you go, we would be wise to invest in one. We also want to be able to just go and pop off some rounds as often as every week instead of every couple of months. However, we know that doing that with 9mm or even 38 special would bankrupt us really fast. So, the solution is simple.

Get a .22 pistol. Even better, get two of them.

I know that I may be going over ground I've already covered with this topic, but it bears repeating. The ability to train with your handgun (or one similar to it) on the cheap will encourage more trigger time because the cost of shooting a 500rd brick of .22lr is about the same as a 50rd box of 38's or even a 20rd box of self-defense 9mm ammunition.

I took the family over to one of my local sporting goods stores and we looked at a few .22 pistols side by side. I was interested in two particular guns: the Ruger LCR (now in .22lr) and the Ruger 22/45 target.

First off, let's talk about the newest addition to the .22lr line up at Ruger.com. This is the Ruger LCR. It features a lot of go-fast technology, like a monolithic polymer frame, stainless steel barrel sleeve, stainless steel cylinder, friction reducing cam, fire controls that are completely contained, and Hogue Tamer grips. I like all these features separately, but unfortunately, I just can't like the gun. It's cool. Don't get me wrong. I really like how it looks, how lightweight it is, and I love the technological advances that went into it, but it just isn't for me. The reason is because I can't naturally point it. For some reason, when I punch it out, the front sight aims skyward in comparison to the other pistols I normally shoot. I have to deliberately rotate my hands downward to get the front sight to line up in the notched rear sights. I don't have this issue with my Ruger SP-101 with Hogue Monogrips, but I sort of did with the factory low profile setup. I also don't think that the LCR would be appropriate as a training pistol for me because it does not emulate the feel of any other gun I own, including the SP-101. Plus, for as much as they want for the .22lr LCR ($450), I could buy the 38spl version. It doesn't make economical sense to me.

Enter the Ruger 22/45. The model shown is the 22/45 Target Rimfire Pistol (TRP for short) with removable checkered cocobolo grip panels. Since it is a target model, it features a bull barrel that is 5 1/2 inches long, adjustable sights, a smooth single action trigger, and it is an automatic - not a revolver.

So, what is so special about this gun that it steals the show when compared to the LCR? Well, for one, it's got some heft to it. I want something with weight. It will not only absorb almost all the recoil from the diminutive .22lr, but it weighs almost as much as my Beretta M9A1. Additionally, the sights are real. There isn't a dumb notched channel and you can adjust the rear sight for windage and elevation. As I said in my previous entry on the subject, the grip emulates the feel of more traditional semi auto pistols. The grip angle is familiar, and when I punch this pistol out, that front sight naturally rests right between the blades on the rear sight. I also like this version better than the models with integrated plastic grips. This is thicker. Oh yeah, that's better. The fact that it is an automatic will also help training, as I can practice live magazine changes while shooting. I can practice draws with it at the range, and just about anything I can do with my self defense or go to war (GTW) pistols. The thing is that since it is a .22lr, I can do all my training for far less. I do hate the magazine disconnect in this variation, but I can deal with it. It's not a self defense gun so I'm not worried about the gun not firing without a magazine in a self defense situation. This gun is a trainer. It's good for me, my wife, and for my children when they get older. Plus, at only $307, it makes economical sense. 500rds of .22lr is about $18, where 50rds of 9mm is about $15. To shoot 500rds of 9mm, I'd have to spend $150 on ammo, which is half the cost of this gun. Take this weapon out and dump 250rds a week and it will pay for itself in a couple months, including ammo. That's value.

Of course, my wife doesn't want to shoot my gun. And quite frankly, I don't want to take turns with her. Heck, I want to shoot! So, she is going to get something ideally suited for her little hands.

Since my wife's criteria for guns includes the cute factor, she's dead set on buying a pink pistol. She knows it will cost more, but it's her money, and she can spend it how she feels. While we were at the local store, she handled the Walther P22 and loved the feel in her hands. It points naturally for her, and in her words, "It is like it was designed for my hands."

She is excited about this. She's been wanting to really get into pistols, but her current lineup isn't conducive to shooting very often. She does has a New Heritage Rough Rider in .22lr, and a Beretta 21a Inox, also chambered in .22lr. Both are nice guns, but the NH revolver is an army style single action. It's more of a novelty gun than a self defense gun or even a trainer for self defense. The Beretta, as cool as it is, is sort of finicky and the sights really aren't ideal for a trainer. She originally bought that gun because she wanted something that resembled my Beretta 92FS Inox, but in a smaller package.

Eventually, she may begin concealed carry, and even though the .22lr doesn't have a reputation for being able to kill or disable an attacker, there are a lot of dead people that have been killed by the .22lr that could debate that. Plus, I'd rather she have 10rds that she could put down on target quickly and accurately rather than shooting something she can't handle. And as her comfort with pistols grows, so will her confidence and skill. Maybe, some time down the road, she will upgrade to something like a 9mm or even a 380 out of a medium gun, but for now, I'm satisfied to have her shoot .22lr and work on her proficiency rather than get into a contest of who can shoot the largest gun. Clearly she can handle a large gun. You ever see a 5ft tall, 100 lb woman shoot a 454? Watch the video below and then you'll be able to say you have.

So, I know this entry is running long, but I had a lot of things to get out there so they don't bottle up in my brain anymore. Stay tuned because I think this joint venture is going to happen very soon in 2012.

-James

Apocalypse Gear Knife Sheath

2011-12-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Back in February of 2011, I purchased a new survival knife for back country carry. I wanted to treat myself, so I bought the very tough [and expensive] Fallkniven A1. The knife itself is quite awesome. It can baton wood as if it was going through a stick of butter, yet still shave the hairs off my forearm without irritation. It's a workhorse of a knife.

The problem was the sheath that came with it. It was a simple plastic thing with a piece of nylon webbing for a belt loop. I've always been highly disappointed with the sheath that is normally shipped with the knife it is supposed to protect. You would think that a company that retails their knife for $200 would invest some effort to putting together a sheath that would appropriately compliment the blade.

Well, after thinking about it, I decided I wanted to get a new sheath that would do the knife some justice. I wanted something that would protect the knife, be easy to access and carry, and also look good. After all, what's the point of having a really nice looking knife with a junky looking sheath?

After a little research, I found Apocalypse Gear, a local maker of high quality kydex sheaths. Buying locally was important to me on this because there are so many makers out there that there really wasn't any reason not to.

After a few email exchanges, I decided on what I was looking for, how I wanted it optioned, and had a price. I paid $60 for my setup, but prices may vary due to the economy, so don't take my cost as gospel. However, you can take the quality of this sheath to the bank! What a fantastic piece!

Along one side, rivets provide not only retention and strength, but give a place to either wrap para-cord, or secure it to your pack or leg. The material used is a thick kydex that provides strength and protection from the elements, and won't expand or contract, or dry out from getting wet. At the top of the sheath, a thumb push off has been thoughtfully placed, allowing a good draw of the blade. The sheath is formed so that there is positive retention of the knife, so it will not fall out, even if carried upside down.

I opted to get a leather belt loop on my sheath as well as a large tek-lok. This gives me a few options for carry. When out using the knife, I prefer the carry the knife higher on my torso with the tek-lok attached to my belt. But for packpacking, using the leather belt loop at the top is ideal because the knife will ride lower on my thigh, thus not interfering with my pack's waist belt. Both the tek-lok and the belt loop can easily be removed, but the sheath is well contoured and doesn't require this for carry. You can also remove a component if it becomes damaged and replace just that piece at a nominal cost instead of replacing the entire sheath. Smart!

The bottom of the sheath has a small drain hole so it will not hold water; this is an important consideration in the Pacific Northwest. The rest of the sheath, along the knife's edge is firmly held tight and the quality of the finish work is fantastic. The sheath, with the belt loop and tek-lok, weigh only a few ounces, so it's not a ton of additional weight to carry around.

Apocalypse Gear can create any custom sheath for you in a vast array of colors, for seemingly any blade. If they do not have the knife you need, you can send your knife to them and they will custom make the sheath for your blade. I was lucky, and the owner was able to make mine without the need for me to send him mine.

You can also get a holder to hold a fire starter, and a pouch to carry your whet stone. I opted not for these options at the time of purchase, but will probably get the firesteel holder later on.

I've carried this knife in the sheath and it is very comfortable. I'm used to carrying pistols that weigh a lot more than my knife/sheath combination, so the weight of my knife and sheath don't bother me at all. I have no problems drawing when carrying and no problems putting the knife back into the sheath when I'm done using it. It's all one-handed, leaving me a free hand for whatever I'm doing.

If you have a good knife, but have been disappointed in the sheath, as I was, I'd suggest giving Apocalypse Gear a shot. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.apocalypse-gear.com/

-James

300 AAC Blackout

2011-12-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

Finally, this is the answer to my 30 caliber prayers for the AR15. The 300 AAC blackout. It seems that all you have to change is the barrel. Everything else, including the bolt carrier, handguards, buffer, upper, lower, and even the magazines (including the followers) stays the same as the 5.56 version! I will be watching this one to see if the price goes down and to see the longevity of the rifles with this.

-James

Upstairs Bedroom Makeover

2011-11-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

Ah, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, eat well, spend time with family, and... paint?! Yeah, you guessed it then. Four straight days off means that Lindsay and I had some opportunity to blast through a quick makeover upstairs. We converted her dungeon... err, office into a bedroom for our children!

Our daughter is finally ready to sleep in her own toddler bed, and my son climbs into and out of his crib with impunity, so it has become rather pointless. Additionally, this puts the kids right next door to us upstairs, which adds a layer of security since we will always be close by. One thing that bothered my wife about us moving upstairs was that my son was alone downstairs and it oftentimes disturbed her to think about how vulnerable he'd be if someone broke in the house in the middle of the night.

Well, fear no more because for the last month, Lindsay has been buying all we needed to make the conversion and do the swap. Her office is now downstairs in what used to be my son's nursery, and the kids will spend their first night upstairs in the cozy, freshly painted bedroom, custom done just for them.

4 years of this ugly walled nonsense, and it is finally over!

Oh, the hideousness! Notice the unpainted pony wall out the door. It is next.

The new bedroom, bathed in sky blue. Light, airy, and comfortable!

Second view of the door and closet. Kept it simple and nice.

-James

"100 LBS to Rainier," My 2nd Blog

2011-11-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

I intentionally waited until I had some content on my new Blog, titled "100 LBS to Rainier," which is a record of my weight loss, exercise, and life style change. The end goal is to lose a bunch of weight (not necessarily 100 lbs - it just makes for good reading) and then hike the entire 93 mile loop of the Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier.

Check it out here: http://100lbstorainier.blogspot.com/

-James

Thank a Vet!

2011-11-11T05:19:00.001-08:00

-James

The Mythical Magic Bullet Debunked Yet Again.

2011-11-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

This article debunks the notion of the magic bullet through an exhaustive study of calibers used in shootings over the course of years. Read it!

http://www.defensivefirearmstrainingofcolorado.com/featured/caliber/

Still believe that a 45 really outclasses a 9mm? It may look really crazy when shooting water jugs, but in the end, what handgun or caliber you choose really doesn't matter. What matters is can YOU do the job?

-James

My Son's First Day of School

2011-11-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ah, they grow up so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was holding a small newborn son, and now he is off to school for the first time! I'm proud of this boy!

-James

Dismissed

2011-10-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I took time off work to head in to traffic court. Yes, they had finally sent me a court date, long after the ticket I received, which was July 5, 2011. I had plenty of time to prepare and research, and discovered that the RCW cited by the police officer was the wrong one. I don't recall the RCW number exactly, but it covered right of way at an uncontrolled intersection - not a u-turn.

After 45 minutes of sitting in the courtroom, watching moron after moron dispute violations like driving with no insurance, licenses, talking on cellphones, and even someone arguing that they admitted they were speeding, but that they were doing a legal maneuver to get over onto a freeway on ramp at the last minute... and plenty of face palms, it was my turn.

The judge called my name, rattled off the case number and the violation cited. I gave the judge plenty of time to read the police report and so forth, and I could see he looked a little perplexed. He looked at me and said, "Do you have a statement to make regarding this?"

"Yes sir, I do." was my reply. I gave him the reader's digest version of what happened, (reference my entry titled My Ramcharger Has a Broken Leg). I then pointed out that I researched the RCW in which the officer cited me for, and stated that it does not apply to this case. The judge pulled out the big book of RCW's and took a look. He then looked at me, stamped my docket, and said, "It appears the officer cited the wrong RCW for this ticket, and as a result, I am dismissing it."

"Thank you, your Honor" was my reply.

Dismissed!

Ha!

Suck it!

-James

Two New Items on the Testing Bench

2011-10-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm knee deep in the torture testing phase of my Streamlight Scorpion X. I'll post all my findings in another entry, but my initial reason for buying the light was to use as a weapon light for my AR15. At $50, it seems to beat an expensive Surefire any day, but the verdict is still out on whether or not it will stand up to the abuse of being mounted on a bullet hose like an AR15.

Well in order to do this, I needed to buy a weapon light mount. I considered all my options, and since this is preliminary testing of this light, I didn't want to spend upwards of $100 on a light mount. I'm not taking the gun to combat - I'm simply testing the light. What chassis is used to fix the light to the gun is not important at this point. However...

Viking Tactics produce a quality piece of gear here, and at $30 shipped, it's a good price. Initially speaking, the mount is very stout, especially being that it is plastic. I know a lot of guys out there will give me shit for buying a plastic mount instead of metal, and they'll toss out all kinds of cliches and stuff like "You pay more for a reason" and "if you want to trust your life with it, you'd better buy something of higher quality like [insert expensive brand name mount here]!"

The fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter how much an item costs. What matters is: does it work? If it works well, then who cares if it didn't cost a ton of money, or have Daniel Defense or Troy or whoever's name etched on the side? The bad guy sure won't know, nor do I think he will care once I "light him up," if ya know what I mean. Besides, if plastic is a deal breaker for you, then you'd better consider selling your AR15 all together. Last time I checked, the stock, grip, PMAG's, and even some people's BUIS are plastic.

I didn't buy the light mount with any intention of trusting my life with it. It's just a vehicle to test various flash lights to see what one I want to run. However, since I'm testing lights with this mount, I might as well evaluate this mount.

One thing I can say about the VTAC mount is I really like how close it keeps the flashlight body to the weapon. It doesn't stick out a mile. It looks really slick. You'll have to pardon the use of tape to shim the flashlight. Viking Tactics includes a shim that allows you to switch from 1" diameter flashlight bodies to .80" but the Scorpion's body is .90" in diameter. Go figure.

Stay tuned.

-James

2011 Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today, we were fortunate to have a warm and somewhat dry day to get our children out to the pumpkin patch down at Spooner Farms, near Orting. Here's our kids doing what they do best - getting dirty!

-James

Maglite XL200 LED

2011-10-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Last August, I was cruising the Internet and just happened on a sale from CHIEF regarding a new flashlight offering from Maglite. It was their new XL200 LED light. It boasts 172 lumen's, and was on sale for $30, so I took interest. Noticing they had free shipping for this unit, I decided to click add-to-cart, and the rest was history. After waiting for what seemed like a long while (hey, it was free shipping after all), my light showed up to my doorstep. It was packaged in that usual sort of plastic packaging that seems to take way too much effort to open... that is until you remember to use a pair of scissors. The instruction manual was part of the packaging, so I did manage to snip a section of that off as I got into the package; no worries since the part I removed was written in French.

I took a good look at what came. The light itself has a nice sturdy aluminum body with Maglite's famous anodized coating on it. There was a battery tray that holds 3 AAA batteries. At first I thought it was a joke. How do you get 172 lumen's from just 3 AAA batteries? Most of my other lights use expensive CR123a batteries and they just suck the life out of them in no time! But Maglite insists that their new competitor can hang with the other guys.

Now, this light is not marketed as a "tactical light" per se. But I do think offers some features that all good flashlights ought to have standard these days. Before I go any further, I must put out the disclaimer that I'm by no means an expert on lights, nor can I verify the claim that this light can put out 172 lumen's. All I know is that when I click the switch on the tail cap, the light is very bright... well for a while anyway. That being said, I'm not going to bore you with technical specifics and a bunch of jargon. I won't whip out the light meter or a voltmeter to check current draw or any of that crap. That shit is all fine and well in the lab, but in the real world, what matter's is: does it work?!

Okay, let's talk about some of the stuff I think any flashlight coming out today should have:

1. Sturdy Housing. I hate plastic flashlights. For my money, nothing screams quality like something crafted out of aluminum. Aluminum doesn't rust, so even if the anodizing chips away and breaks off, the metal exposed beneath won't corrode as easily as steel would. Of course, aluminum does oxidize, but I've never seen it rust.

2. Water Resistant/Proof. Not all flashlights need be completely waterproof unless you plan on taking it diving, but at the very least, it should be able to withstand a quick dunk in a puddle or stream unaffected. It should, however, be weather proof, and by that I mean that you should be able to use it in all kinds of sloppy wet or snowy weather without it being affected in any way. The seals should be sufficient enough to protect it.

3. Chemical Resistant. Contact with everyday chemicals should not affect the flashlight negatively. With exception to the lens (which may fog if it comes in contact with something like Brakeleen), the seals and power switches should not be adversely affected by contact with skin, sweat, salt, motor oil, coolant, cleaners, etc. In my business, any light that would be affected by this is junk.

4. Good Battery Life. This is hard for high energy, high output lights to accomplish these days. Even the most expensive lights can burn through a set of CR123a batteries in just a few hours - even less if the brightness is at full power. On that note, any light that can operate brightly on less expensive, common batteries, like AA and AAA is at an advantage, even if that means sacrificing some light output.

5. Bright light/good reflector/good throw. Of course, any light can be bright, but I've noticed that some lights have really bad bulbs, reflectors, and on some LED lights, the LED light gets washed out further away. I've seen it with standard bulbs, krypton bulbs, LED's, etc. If your incredibly bright light can't throw it out where it is useful, what good is it?

6. Tail Stand. This is often overlooked, but it is so important to me. The ability for a light to tail stand makes it very useful for use when you can use the reflection of the light to help illuminate an area. As a wilderness light, or utility light, it is very important that it can stand on its tail and provide enough light for you to work hands free.

7. Stays Put. Round bodies make a flashlight roll. If you can add knurling, or machine in flats, or even add a rubberized cap over the bezel to keep the flashlight from rolling away, then that is a very good thing. Flashlights that don't stay put can get very annoying.

8. Size. Depending on the application, this may vary. But a good wilderness or utility flashlight should be pretty small. If I can put it in my chest pocket and forget about it until I need it, then that is compact. a flashlight I can stick in my back pants pocket and pretty much forget about until I need it is also compact enough to be useful. Of course, larger applications may call for a larger light. While my 4Sevens Micro123 blasts out over 170 lumen's and is the size of a film canister, my dim (by comparison) 4D Maglite LED lasts a lot longer, and can be used for self defense. Size matters, but size necessity is determined by how it will be used.

9. Ruggedness. I know this sounds like it should belong under the sturdy housing part of this list, and you are probably right. But I've seen some lights that look tough, but fall flat when it comes to internals. How much shock the internals can take is important because I don't know about you, but I do drop my flashlights from time to time.

10. Value. Value is going to ultimately be determined by the customer who bought the light. Paying an excessive amount of money for a light just because of the brand is not value - it's dumb. Getting something that works that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is value.

Okay, we have our list: 10 things that I use to see how well a light will measure up. Of course, your list may vary, but I use a flashlight everyday for my job, and I depend on them a great deal out in the woods and around the house. I may not be up on technical jargon, but I know what works and what doesn't. I also know that if a light doesn't get the job done, it gets relegated to becoming a teething toy for my son, or a baton to be tossed and twirled around by my baby girl. Well, on that note, some of my testing is done that way. Give it to a toddler. They will find its weakness soon enough.

There is only one gripe I have about the XL200; it's a roller. Yes, it has some knurling, which provides some traction while holding and operating, but if you lay it on its side, you will find out if your floor is level or not. This really sucks when you want to orientate the light to point at something you are working on when you need two hands to do the work. What Maglite needs to either do to fix this problem, or at least mitigate it, is to either machine in some flats so it doesn't roll, or do what Streamlight did and that is to have an optional rubber cap to put over the bezel that has flats built in to it. It just needs a little something to keep it from rolling away from you. Heck, even a pocket clip would be a vast improvement over the current design!

The light itself is exceptionally bright. For something that operates on 3 AAA batteries, this is truly something special. Maglite claims 2 1/2 hours of continuous light at maximum brightness. For my work, with a lot of momentary usage, mixed with times where I need the light for 10-15 minutes at a time at varying output levels, I was able to get the batteries to last to acceptable levels of output for about 3 1/2 weeks of real world use. That's not bad when you consider that my older Snap-On LED, which ran on two CR123a batteries lasted only a few days! That light has since been retired due to the fact it went through batteries like a rabid wolverine in a hen house. However, the endurance of this little Maglite is indeed impressive for the kind of work I do. I suspect that continuous night usage, while camping or fixing your car on the side of the road, may yield different results. In that case, extra batteries should be on hand - just in case (note: You should always have spare batteries, duh!). But let's be honest here. AAA batteries aren't exactly rare, nor are they very expensive. I recently bought one of those large 40ct packs of Duracell AAA batteries at Costco for only about a tenth of a cent more per battery than the AA batteries turned out to be. Now, if AA battery prices are your benchmark, then you can easily say that the AAA batteries compete pretty well. The downside is that this unit requires 3 AAA batteries whereas other mini Maglites may need only two AA batteries. But the cost benefit tips in favor of the XL200 in my opinion due to the better light quality of this powerhouse. It throws a nice solid and consistent beam of light.

To the right, you can see a picture that I took of the hotel room I'm staying in for the next few days. I know, it's kind of a dive, but I can't do anything about the accommodations that my company is willing to pay for. That beam of light, reflecting off the door is approximately 25 feet away, and even though the camera doesn't pic it up, the room was actually pretty well lit; well enough that I had no trouble reading the words on the clipboard attached to the door. A Maglite that takes 2 AA batteries would not stand a chance against this light. In the pic, I used fresh AAA batteries out of the package that are good if used by 2017. For a small light that fits in palm of your hand, I'd say that is exceptional. At $50, I'd say that is a ton of value for the money. When you factor in the low cost of usage from the small, readily available, and relatively inexpensive AAA batteries it uses, I'd say you have more than enough value to justify the up front expensive of this unit.

It's gets better too. The tailcap switch is recessed into the back of the body so that while you can click it on and off with your thumb, it can still tail stand, which I find extremely important. If say, for instance, the power goes out for a few hours. You can turn this unit on and set it up on the coffee table and it will do an exceptional job of illuminating the entire room enough so that you can see and get around, even perform tasks in the dark, all without having to ever pick up the flashlight. I would demonstrate this in a photograph, but unfortunately, the camera in my Samsung Galaxy Tab isn't that great. Needless to say, if you doubt me, buy one for yourself and see how well it works. It works the best when you have a nice high ceiling that is painted white; it illuminates a room like that very well. Additionally, I never set a flashlight down on its lens. I've accidentally left flashlights on and didn't notice until the lens melted away or cracked; that really sucks. So, for me, it's either stored with the lens up or lying down on its side.

As for sturdiness, I can say this light is pretty tough. Though I haven't dropped it from a building, or from a bridge, I have dropped it several times - some by accident and some on purpose. I did toss it across a room a few times and it has even taken a dunk in a toilet bowl (by accident of course), and it seems to work just fine. I've kicked it around, and have subjected it to chemicals like oil, grease, coolant, cleaners, diesel fuel, and other gases that I probably shouldn't have inhaled. The seals look great; no problems there. The lens has a good little scratch from something, but it doesn't distort the light beam at all. Aside from a few small nicks and chips around the bezel and the tail cap, this light looks to be in good shape, appearance-wise. Besides, a few nicks here and there add character to the light and give it a story to tell; that is, if it could tell a story.

I've saved the functionality of this light for last. By now, if you are still reading, you are probably intrigued enough to go on. While all these nifty features aren't as important, they are still cool, if you are into that sort of thing. The light employs 5 functions and a lockout. The lockout renders the light inoperable so that there is no chance of a negligent light discharge until it is unlocked. I will list the other 5 functions in order of how many clicks it takes to select them:

1 click: Full power on. However, the tailcap has an accelerometer built in, so if you hold the switch down, and then rotate the flashlight body in your hand, you can vary the brightness level from high to low. It also remembers this setting until you remove the batteries.

2 clicks: Strobe. As with the full power on mode, if you click it twice and then hold it, you can vary strobe speed. This may come in handy if you need it to signal, but don't need it to cause the recipient to have a seizure. Or you can keep it fast to disorientate an attacker or whatever.

3 clicks: Nightlight mode. This causes the light to come on full strength (or whatever output you set it to when you turned it on originally) and then dim to an extremely low output when the light senses it is no longer moving. Then, if it is moved suddenly, it goes back to full or preset power.

4 clicks: Signalling. Simply click the button 4 times. You don't need to hold it down. When you rotate the body 90 degrees, it will either turn the light on or off for silent signalling. Need to let the rebels know how the British are coming? Easy, two flashes if by sea and one flash if by land. Well, at least that's how they would have signalled Paul Revere if they had this Maglite then!

5 clicks: S-O-S. Ah the good ole distress signal. Three short flashes, followed by three long flashes, finished off with three more short flashes. The signal repeats itself until the batteries die. Add the fact that this light can tail stand, and you have a viable means of throwing a bright signal into the air that would be hard to miss at night. Any wilderness light should have this function.

Will you need all this functionality with your flashlight? Perhaps not. I find myself using the on/off feature 99.9% of the time. The other .1% was just function testing and showing it off to coworkers and friends. Then again, I'm not lost in the woods, nor have I found the need to signal anyone, or use the nightlight in my tent. But I have used functions similar to these with other flashlights, so I guess my experience with others translates over to this. The Maglite XL200 isn't your daddy's old flashlight; it's better.

For more information on this light, check out the Maglite website.

-James

Hornady Zombie Max Ammunition!

2011-10-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hornady has just introduced their new ZOMBIE MAX ammunition... just in case. There are seven caliber choices for this new green tipped ammunition: 9mm Luger, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 223 Rem, 7.62x39mm, .308 Win, and of course 12 gauge. And why not. Those damned zombies aren't going to kill themselves!

-James

Face Lift!

2011-10-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this year, I got a hold of a nice tall work bench to use as the centerpiece in my gun maintenance and reloading corner. It is a section in my basement where an oil tank used to live. Since getting rid of my old oil burning furnace and tank, the area in this section of the basement opened up quite a bit. After careful consideration and a few "conversations" with my wife (more like "may I pretty please?"), I got the area cleaned up and ready to turn into a work station that I could use year-round. This is a good thing because my garage gets terribly cold in the winter, and unbearably hot in the summer. The basement remains about 65" year round.

The only problem was that I initially set it up all wrong. I had this old wooden entertainment center down in the basement, and wanted to re-purpose it for storing my gun-related stuff. Plus, a couple of the spaces are perfectly sized for storing plastic bins with which to keep fired brass for my future reloading venture. I put the entertainment center in the corner with the work bench 90 degrees to it. At first, it was okay, but it soon became apparent that I was going to hate the arrangement. To keep the entire shelf available, I had to locate it approximately 20" away from the corner, creating a big wasted hole, and it drove me nuts. Plus, I soon hated having all my junk just nagging at me from my left. Plus, there is a large air duct that I was constantly hitting my head on; at first, I didn't think it would be an issue. Lesson learned. Things need to change drastically.

I was not happy with having to constantly turn around to get to my tools, located behind me and to my left. The entertainment center, now converted gun crap storage, bothered me, the pipe sucked, and the whole thing just felt claustrophobic. Now, I'm not really one to worry about such things. I work in confined spaces all the time. The only difference is I get paid to crawl into spaces that are clearly not intended for humans to be in - at all. The reloading corner was supposed to be a place to relax and get away from it all. Hunkered in the bunker, I was supposed to be able to beat the heat during summer because the basement remains cool all year long and get away from my wife's insatiable appetite for excessive heater use during the winter because it stays cooler than upstairs in the winter. Alas, I needed a better option. My solution came to me last Saturday when I decided to change things up a bit.

For starters, I got the entertainment center out of the way. Now, it lives further to the left of my work bench, which was relocated to the wall that the entertainment was living at. I also moved the tool chest to the corner to utilize that otherwise wasted space, and create a better flow for tool access. While I was at it, I added more daylight style lighting via 6500K heat shop lights and painted the wall behind the work bench white so the lights could work better. Now, feeling overwhelmed with so much white, I added a little color and flair with my Spencer's Gifts "Do not feed the zombies" artwork mounted in a Wal Mart poster frame.

As you can see in the picture to your left, I still have some more work to do. For starters, I need to complete the paint job on the wall and perhaps pull everything away to add a final coat. The blue Sterilite containers will be replaced with a shelf that comes up to about the level of the window above them so I can keep the work space clear of things I'm not using (like the rifle cleaning rest you see hogging up a bunch of real estate). The floor will remain the same, but will have anti-fatigue mats where I stand, and perhaps a tall enough stool so I don't have to stand all the time while working. That Ikea chair isn't high enough to allow me to work at the bench. Plus, a radio of some kind might help out too. I need to run some wires with junction boxes and a couple of light switches to tie it all in together as well. The nice thing about that is that the extra circuit used with allow me to rewire the lighting in the entire basement, as it is only one large room. A few more pieces of art hanging on the white walls won't hurt either (and believe me, I've got a lot of cool stuff to hang up).

Overall, I like this arrangement much better. The entire space opened up and I'm utilizing another otherwise useless space behind my furnace, which you can't see in the pictures. I intend to get a metal cabinet which to store powder and stuff safely. Since the furnace is a new model, and totally contained, it is safe. I also have to get a carbon monoxide detector to mount in this space since it is now totally usable. I've been spending a great deal of time down here now that I feel like I have a much bigger space. My wife likes it too because it is streamlined and not so busy.

Anyhow, as I've said, I still have some work to do, but this is a lot of good progress in a short time.

-James

Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News

2011-10-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

From Fox News.com.

Media Silence Is Deafening About Important Gun News

By John Lott
Published September 30, 2011
FoxNews.com

Murder and violent crime rates were supposed to soar after the Supreme Court struck down gun control laws in Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Politicians predicted disaster. "More handguns in the District of Columbia will only lead to more handgun violence," Washington’s Mayor Adrian Fenty warned the day the court made its decision.

Chicago’s Mayor Daley predicted that we would "go back to the Old West, you have a gun and I have a gun and we'll settle it in the streets . . . ."
The New York Times even editorialized this month about the Supreme Court's "unwise" decision that there is a right for people "to keep guns in the home."

But Armageddon never happened. Newly released data for Chicago shows that, as in Washington, murder and gun crime rates didn't rise after the bans were eliminated -- they plummeted. They have fallen much more than the national crime rate.
Not surprisingly, the national media have been completely silent about this news.

One can only imagine the coverage if crime rates had risen. In the first six months of this year, there were 14% fewer murders in Chicago compared to the first six months of last year – back when owning handguns was illegal. It was the largest drop in Chicago’s murder rate since the handgun ban went into effect in 1982.
Meanwhile, the other four most populous cities saw a total drop at the same time of only 6 percent.
Similarly, in the year after the 2008 "Heller" decision, the murder rate fell two-and-a-half times faster in
Washington than in the rest of the country.
It also fell more than three as fast as in other cities that are close to Washington's size. And murders in
Washington have continued to fall.
If you compare the first six months of this year to the first six months of 2008, the same time immediately preceding the Supreme Court's late June "Heller" decision, murders have now fallen by thirty-four percent.

Gun crimes also fell more than non-gun crimes.
Robberies with guns fell by 25%, while robberies without guns have fallen by eight percent. Assaults with guns fell by 37%, while assaults without guns fell by 12%.

Just as with right-to-carry laws, when law-abiding citizens have guns some criminals stop carrying theirs.
The benefit could have been even greater. Getting a handgun permit in Chicago and Washington is an expensive and difficult process, meaning only the relatively wealthy go through it.

Through the end of May only 2,144 people had handguns registered in Chicago. That limits the benefits from the Supreme Court decisions since it is the poor who are the most likely victims of crime and who benefit the most from being able to protect themselves.
The biggest change for Washington was the Supreme Court striking down the law making it illegal to have a loaded gun. Over 70,000 people have permits for long guns that they can now legally used to protect themselves.

Lower crime rates in Chicago and Washington, by themselves, don’t prove that gun control increases murders, even when combined with the quite familiar story of how their murder rates soared and stayed high after the gun bans were imposed.

But these aren’t isolated examples. Around the world, whenever guns are banned, murder rates rise.
Gun control advocates explained the huge increases in murder and violent crime rates Chicago and Washington by saying that those bans weren’t fair tests unless the entire country adopted a ban.

Yet, even island nations, such as Ireland and the U.K. -- with no neighbors to blame -- have seen increases in murder rates. The same horror stories about blood in the streets have surrounded the debate over concealed handguns.
Some said it was necessary to ban guns in public places. The horror stories never came true and the data is now so obvious that as of November, only one state, Illinois, will still completely ban law-abiding from carrying concealed handguns.

Forty-one states will have either permissive right-to-carry laws or no longer even require a permit.
The regulations that still exist in Chicago and Washington primarily disarm the most likely victims of crime.
Hopefully, even the poor in these areas will soon also have more of an opportunity to defend themselves, too.

John R. Lott, Jr. is a Fox News.com contributor and the author of the revised third edition of "More Guns, Less Crime (University of Chicago Press, 2010)."

NRA Plans Appeal in Federal Age Limit Case

2011-10-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

I've always believed that if you are old enough to join the military, then you are old enough to buy a handgun. Responsibility has nothing to do with age. I've known some pretty mature 18 year olds in my life. On the flipside, I still know some 30+ year old people who shouldn't be allowed to have as much as a driver's license - nevermind the handgun.

NRA-ILA :: NRA Plans Appeal in Federal Age Limit Case

Friday, September 30, 2011

Yesterday, a federal judge in
the Northern District of Texas ruled that the federal ban on dealer sales of
handguns to adults from the ages of 18 to 20 does not violate the Second
Amendment. The National Rifle Association plans to file a prompt appeal of the
court's ruling to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

"We strongly disagree with this ruling," said Chris W. Cox,
Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. "As we
said when we filed this case, adults 18 and up have fought and died for
American freedom throughout our country's history. They are adults for
virtually every legal purpose under federal and state law, and that should
include the ability to buy handguns from licensed dealers to defend themselves,
their homes and their families. Our fellow plaintiffs in this case are
law-abiding and responsible young adults. We plan to defend their rights
to the very end."

The case is Jennings v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives. A related case challenging Texas' ban on issuance of concealed
handgun licenses to adults in the same age group is still pending before the
same court.

-James

Cold Steel Heaven

2011-09-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a little knife viewing droolification for you. Cold Steel's Recon 1 knife in all it's fantastic blade configurations. From the top, you have the good ole clip point, 50/50 clip point with serrations, the tanto point (my personal favorite), and the 50/50 tanto with serrations.

Now, rather than handwrite out all the information on this fantastic little tactical folder, I will link Cold Steel's website and quote them here: http://www.coldsteel.com/recon-i.html

RECON 1® SERIES

"Cold Steel is famous for raising the bar in the knife industry and our Recon 1® tactical folders are setting a standard that's hard to beat. Why? Because they are as tough as nails and will cut like a chain saw! Every facet of their construction has been over engineered to make them as strong, durable and effective as humanly possible. The blades are made out of imported Japanese AUS 8A stainless steel that's been vacuum heat treated and sub-zero quenched and the handles feature G-10 laminate scales artfully contoured and scalloped for a terrific non slip grip. Plus, they are held together by the latest in high strength mechanical fasteners and further anchored by a 6061 heat-treated spacer. To complement their super tough blades and handles they are equipped with our revolutionary Tri Ad lock® (see page 4), which practically precludes lock failure.
To complement their tactical mission we have given each blade a tough, black, Teflon® finish. Our testing has shown this coating offers three major advantages for tactical blades. First, it helps the blade to resist rust. Second, it eliminates glare and light reflections, which may give its user away. And third, it's a superior lubricant, which causes the blade to slip through even tough material with markedly less friction. This means you can cut deeper and far longer than with a non-Teflon® coated blade. To make the Recon 1® as easy to open and carry as possible we have equipped each knife with a thumb disc and small extra strong pocket clip. This clip is completely ambidextrous so lefties please take note. What's more its small size doesn't abrade or irritate the palm under protracted use."

Okay, with a blade length of about 4" and a thickness of 3.5mm (1/7"), it is lighweight and thin enough to be maneuverable, but the Japanese Aus 8A stainless steel will be very strong for years. The overall length is just over 9" long, and 5 3/8" handle is made of G-10 laminate. Additionally, the entire knife is a shade over 5 ounces, which isn't bad for tactical use.

The triad locking mechanism is something else. When you click the link above, you will see a video of the Cold Steel guys putting 200 lbs of weight on the lock, and the knife didn't fail. Awesome! Cold Steel has a reputation for strong locking folders, and this Recon 1 is a great example of that. Of course, you can also watch them hack through a 1" thick manila rope, which never seems to get old.

All in all, at $104 MSRP, I might start trying to locate sources to get this knife a little cheaper. This knife just looks plain cool and would look really nice tucked away in a MOLLE pouch.

-James

Blowing Crap Up and Jamming a Glock

2011-09-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

A few coworkers and I had some spare time, some tannerite, a couple propane bottles, and guns. That's a recipe for fun.

Also, we managed to make a Glock 19 jam. Oh yeah, I'm diggin' that!

-James

20th Anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind

2011-09-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm dedicating this blog entry to the memory of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's epic release of "Nevermind," which sold more than 50 million copies, 25 million in the US alone. This album was the quintessential grunge rock album of my entire teenage life. While many others came and went throughout the 90's Nirvana's music stood the test of time and is still going strong today.

Here is a youtube video of the entire Nevermind album. Enjoy!

-James

Birthday Present For Me?

2011-09-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

On the 22nd, I'll be turning 31 years old. That's pretty much over the hill. So, to celebrate my midlife crisis, I think I'm going to buy the rig you see on the left. It's a chest rig manufactured by Tactical Assault Gear (TAG). They call it the Marine Gladiator Chest Rig. As you can see, it holds AR15 magazines; a lot of them. The Ranger Green rig you see here is holding six of them. That's 180 rounds of ammo around my waist! That's a lot of firepower. It takes home defense to a whole new level.

You can also see that it has MOLLE style loops sewn all over it so that I can add pouches if I want to. A fold down bib over the magazines allows me to put something there too. It has loops at the bottom for attaching crap as well. Basically, this rig is built to keep me shooting without having to go back to the safe or the truck every time I need a new magazine. The thick shoulder pads ought to help out in the weight distribution of the rig.

Another cool thing about this rig is that it also has an integrated hydration system, as shown in the image below. Water is as essential to survival as anything else, and having 2-3 liters on your back should help distribute the load better by offsetting some of the weight of the magazines. Of course, you can always add more pouches there if you want to.

The thing I like about this chest rig is that it is only a chest rig - not a full on plate carrier or vest. Being that this rig is large, it can fit over everything from my snow parka to my Buddha belly down below. TAG advertises the versatility of this rig being able to fit over body armor and such, while still maintaining a good tactical load out. Okay, well that's fine. I like it because I won't be tempted to OVERLOAD it with stuff like extra pouches full of unnecessary crap. Just give me some AR magazines, a pistol, some pistol mags, and a good knife, and I'm set. That's all I really need this for. If the shit hits the fan, I want to grab this and go. I don't want to be wasting time trying to figure out how to store magazines in a Jansport backpack or in the cargo pockets of my khakis. No! I want it all close to my torso because cargo pockets suck for storing stuff and my torso moves around the least when I'm walking, running, or moving around.

Now, this rig is a bit pricey. Coming in at a shade under $150 on Amazon.com and Opticsplanet.com, it's no small investment. But in reality, a good modular vest will cost anywhere between $80-$120, and that's for a cheaper one. Then you have to add pouches to it, and that costs more money right there. Heck, a shingle that holds only 3 AR 15 magazines can run you $30-$40 by itself. And to get the six magazines that the rig above carries, you'd have to buy two of them. And then add them to your $100 vest. That's $160-$180, and you don't even have the hydration pouch yet! So, this rig is a good deal in the long run, and will suite my pseudo tactical needs perfectly. I'm not looking for style points. I'm looking for something that works. TAG has received nothing but good reviews from people who actually make a living wearing this stuff and shooting bad guys - not some dumbass airsoft kid blogging from his mommy's basement somewhere in suburbia.

Anyhow, we'll see if I can get this puppy. It really looks like a good deal. Here is a video of this chest rig in action during a run and gun situation. Enjoy!

-James

Blackhawk Rapid Adjust Two-Point Rifle Sling

2011-09-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

I have spent the better part of a year trying to find a sling that would meet my needs for the AR15. There are a lot of sling options out there, ranging in price and complexity. What I wanted was a no-frills, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive sling for my weapon.

I have used, and still have a good single point sling for my AR, and it has its place in my kit, but for general use, I don't like having my weapon dangle as freely as a single point option does. I know the advantages a single point sling gives you, especially for reactive side shoulder firing and ease of maneuverability, but I'm not always in combat, and don't always have a need for those so-called "advantages."

What I found at the local store is the Blackhawk Rapid Adjust Two-Point sling. It's not just for the AR15, though that is a popular weapon for it. The design of this sling means it could be used on any rifle or shotgun I own. However, I wasn't shopping for any weapon I have - I was shopping for the AR. This sling went on fairly easy. There are no instructions that come with the sling, but the loops are straightforward. After a little fitting, I was able to get it mounted how I wanted it and sliced the tails off and melted the ends so it would not fray.

Wanting to utilize the quick detachment point on the Daniel Defense Omega Rail, I ran the front of the sling through a QD swivel and attached it to the fore end. I like it here because the sling doesn't interfere with the grip or flashlight mount locations. Plus, it allows the sling to have similar handling characteristics of a single point, while offering shooting stability that you get from a 2-pt sling. When I drop the weapon from my hands, the rifle rests at an angle right across my torso in an ideal position. For carrying and whatnot, the webbing on the sling is wider to help hold the load. Even though I maintain a strong hold on my weapon when holding it, I still like having that extra width on the strap.

The part about this sling that I really like is the rapid adjust mechanism. The picture of this is below:

Tug on the little draw cord, and the sling tightens up to help stabilize you for long range shooting. Pull on the metal tab, and the sling extends for carry or to get around gear or to dismount. It's a very easy system to use, and I found it coming in handy quite a bit. However, it seems to me that as soon as I found my sweet spot, I stopped messing with the adjustment and kept on shooting. The sling is very fast to use and is ergonomic. About the only thing I need to change is how it mounts to the butt stock. I plan on getting a QD attachment clamp so that the rear of the sling can quickly detach without losing final adjustment. So, if I do want to use a single point for whatever reason, it's not a PITA to accomplish. Overall, the quality is nice, the price is unbeatable (about $30) and the ease of installation seals the deal for me.

-James

It'll Be a Cold Day in Hell Before I Shoot a Glock!!!

2011-09-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

The title of this entry is appropriate for the occasion. Yesterday, I was out at the pit with some coworkers and among all the hardware available, most of which I've shot examples of before, the only other person to bring a semi-auto pistol was my good buddy and coworker Max. He brought his brick... err, Glock 19 with him.

Now, I told a guy at a gunshop before that "It'll be a cold day in hell before I shoot a Glock," as I was looking for a concealed carry option. This, of course, was at the time I was shopping around and berating the Ruger SR9 for it's fugliness as a gun.

I've shot Glocks before, and all notorious reliability aside, I just don't fancy a Glock. The grip is blocky, the ergonomics are weird, the gun doesn't point naturally for me, and the slide looks like a piece of C-channel steel that was fabricated by some Vietnamese kid. Plus, the weird serrations on the trigger don't help much. No, I much prefer the ergonomics and handling of the Ruger SR9 over the Glock any day.

This is partially the reason why I decided to run some rounds downrange with the Glock 19 in the video. Yes, I give Max a hard time about his Glock, but he takes it in stride; it was a free gun anyway. Hey, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a free Glock. I think they all should be free. But there's no way I would pay good money for a Glock either. With all the excellent choices in firearms out there (Sig, Smith and Wesson, Springfield, Ruger, Beretta, Para Ordnance, Colt, Kimber, etc) why on earth would someone buy a Glock? Unlike all the other guns listed, Glocks have no soul. It's like buying a Honda Accord because it has a reliable engine and gets good mileage. It's a sensible car. So what? The Glock seems sensible too, but no one is going to be impressed by a Glock. When I open my hard case and reveal a Beretta M9A1 with a TLR light installed, the most common reaction from people is "Holy shit! That is bad ass!" And the Beretta is a heavy, chunky gun that isn't as practical as the Glock, but who cares? Nobody will tell you that your Honda Accord is cool. You will only confirm what they already know - that you are a boring middle aged white guy. And nobody likes middle aged white guys. And when I'm talking about white guys, I really mean white bread. Now, show up in something cool, like a Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, or Dodge Challenger, and people will turn heads. Hell, even with anyone of the aforementioned way-cool cars in stock condition, people will say it's bad ass. Why? Because it is!

But Glocks aren't bad ass. They are just dull, unexciting guns that don't get my heart rate up when I shoot them. Now, I guess if you're one of those "I don't care what anybody else thinks" kind of guys, then more power to you. You're still white bread. But the whole point isn't to impress anyone else, now is it? I live to impress myself, and if buying a Dodge Viper impresses me, then hot damn. And I'd have to ask, if a Glock impresses you, then why are you still living under a rock? You have the Springfield XD, the S&W M&P, the Ruger SR series, and that's just plastic guns - and all better than Glocks, in my humble opinion.

Ah, but that's just it. It's all about opinion and perspective. For me, Glocks just don't do it. They don't. I can't stand them. In my house full of guns, not a single Glock has found refuge. That doesn't mean I think they are bad guns. I just prefer something that doesn't handle and look like a kid put a bunch of lego blocks together and painted them black.

BTW, my buddy liked the Ruger SR9 better than the Glock. Yet another believer!

-James

Never Forget

2011-09-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

I could write a blurb about 9-11, but we all know how we felt that day. So, instead, I ask you to take time to reflect on the events of that day and never forget.

-James

Blackhawk! Serpa CQC Holster

2011-09-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

With summer still in full force, I'm beginning to think fall and winter. Yep, my favorite seasons are coming up, and what better way to prepare than to buy a new holster for my gun?

Seriously though, I was actually looking to buy an outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster for my Beretta 92FS. However, when I went to Sportco today, they had no Beretta holsters, but they did have an oddly large amount of Blackhawk! Serpa holsters for the Ruger SR9. I really wasn't looking to buy a holster for the SR9, but I remembered that I have yet to buy one for it. So, this day is as good as any, I imagine. Plus, what better thing to buy for the mule gun than a holster to test out?

Honestly, I've been intrigued with Blackhawk! holsters for a while now, but didn't want to pay some schmuck $10 to deliver a $35 holster to my door. Last week, I discovered that Sportco carries a whole slew of them, so my interest as of late has reached a fever pitch. I knew I was going to buy a holster this weekend; I just didn't think it would be for the SR9.

WAIT!!! The gun in the picture is a SR9, yes, but James, the gun pictured is the SR9c - not the full size.

How correct you are! Indeed, I snapped this picture while wearing the Blackhawk! Serpa holster with the SR9c holstered instead of the full size and for good reason. It fits both! Of course, the SR9c doesn't extend all the way to the bottom, but that doesn't matter. Once I adjusted the tension for the full size SR9, I discovered that the SR9c fits just as well.

The whole point of this is to gear up for the fall/winter carry seasons. I can get away with a lot more in the concealed carry department during colder months than in the hot summer months, and for good reason; layers. Yep, more layers of clothing means that larger guns hide easier and OWB carry is just as effective as inside-the-waistband (IWB) carry. Besides, OWB is much more comfortable than IWB, period.

Blackhawk! Serpa holsters are unique in their design due to the retention system. In the Serpa CQC carbon fiber holster above, you can see the Serpa Autolock release mechanism. If you are unsure, look at the mechanism between the weapon's barrel lug and the holster retention screw. It is an L-shaped device. What it does is lock the weapon in the holster so it cannot be removed unless the button is pressed. It is pretty stout too. I tried to remove an unloaded pistol from this holster, using quite a bit of excessive force, but was unable to release the gun. Of course, as soon as I pressed the button/lever inward, the gun released effortlessly. Another part of the passive retention system is directly related to that screw on the holster. The more you tighten that screw down, the more retention is placed on the gun. With the Serpa lock, you don't need to have a crap load of retention on the gun though. If you want, it can be a little loose, so that when you draw, it comes out like butter. Personally, I like a bit of drag on the draw (getting back to gun scabbard roots here), so I cranked it down so it holds the gun a little more firmly. There is no wrong way to do it; it's just a way. Do whatever feels right for you!

Another thing about this holster is that it is speed cut for a fast draw. The holster doesn't ride up, covering part of the grip, or get in the way. On the draw, I can get my thumb all the way around the gun frame for a very secure and fast draw. In about half a second, my gun is removed from the holster and up on target, making this holster a force multiplier as far as concealed carry goes. With many other holsters, you have to compromise your grip during the draw, especially IWB. With IWB, the gun rides so close to your body that you need some material between the gun and your skin. Otherwise, it is uncomfortable after a few hours. So, in order to satisfy comfort (and increase the likelihood that you will carry), the draw is compromised. The rationale for this is that you will probably never have to draw your gun in a fight. So, knowing that 99.99999999% of the time, the gun stays holstered, you make this concession. Not with the Blackhawk! Serpa!

Since it rides OWB, with belt loops, the gun is by default, further away from your body. In fact, with some body types, the gun may not even touch the skin. Even with a spare tire around my waist, my gun barely makes contact with my body. This is great because when I drive my hand down to draw, nothing is in the way. I take a firm grasp of the weapon, depress the Serpa lock, and draw the weapon. More on the Serpa lock later. The belt loop allows you to adjust the cant of the weapon. It comes from Blackhawk! in a neutral, barrel straight down position. To adjust the cant to your liking (I prefer a FBI cant), you simply remove three screws on the belt loop mount and then rotate it to your liking. And once it is adjusted, it WILL NOT MOVE. The holster also comes with a paddle, for those who prefer that. I like it okay for range use, but the paddle pushes my weapon out even further from me, and that's a no-no for concealed carry. For open carry or range use, it would be ideal because you can put it on and remove it easily. This is especially good for car travel. However, the Serpa lock is so easy that it is possible to unholster the weapon, place it in the center console and then reholster upon exiting the vehicle, without anyone noticing. And let's be honest... who will really notice? Okay, besides me?

The Serpa is the heart of this holster. Without it, the holster is just another me too plastic holster that nobody cares about. The Serpa does two things for you. The first, and obvious, is that it provides security for your weapon. Weapon retention (and I'm not talking about how tight the holster grips your gun here) is paramount, especially in concealed carry or open carry - more so with open carry. You need to be in control of your weapon at all times and retain it. With some scabbards, the top of the holster is left open, and anyone can come up and grab the gun from you. That's very bad. You need to have a positive retention/security system in place. Be it a thumb snap, a strap a Serpa lock, a security hood, or any combination of these, a retention device, something to retain your weapon on your person, is not only important, but is mandatory. The Serpa lock does a good job at retaining the weapon in the holster until the operator unlocks it and draws the weapon. Then, when the gun is reholstered, a positive "click" is heard, signalling the operator that the weapon is now holstered and locked. You can tug on it all you want now, and the gun isn't going to budge.

But what about the second thing the Serpa lock does for you? This isn't so obvious, but it is just as important, if not more so, than retaining the weapon. This is a training reinforcement issue. When you go to draw a gun from any holster, your finger must not be allowed to enter into the trigger guard until you are on target and ready to fire. Forget Hollywood, where actors point guns at everything with their fingers in the trigger guard (IE: Die Hard and Lethal Weapon come to mind). That is an unsafe condition. Remember that scene in Pulp Fiction where John Travolta is pointing his single action semi auto at that dude in the backseat of his car, and his finger is resting on the trigger? BOOM!!! The next thing you know, blood splatter and brain matter are all over the inside of the car. Kudos to Quentin Tarantino for making that distinction. So, the long and short of this is that when you draw, and reholster, your finger is out of the trigger guard, and indexed on the side of the frame. This is the magic behind the Serpa lock. You use your trigger finger to defeat the lock and then draw. Since your finger is pointed straight out to disengage the lock, it is automatically straightened and in the ideal position to index the frame of the weapon on the draw. Neat, huh? It is fast, safe, and quick. Those attributes of a desirable quality holster.

So, testing begins. I'm wearing it right now, with a loaded Ruger SR9c in it. I'm not going to get a ton of carry time with this piece until the summer is over and jacket weather takes over. As it is OWB, it sticks out and won't hide under a t-shirt as easily as a Ruger LC9 in a Crossbreed Supertuck. But you can bet that as soon as the weather cools down, or for some reason I feel like open carrying, this holster will be on in full force. Some tests I have are not really field torture tests, but rather some domesticated everyday living ones. Getting into and out of a car without the belt loops cracking, sitting in chairs with arm rests, walking around, lounging on the couch, doing yard work, range use, etc. These are everyday activities that we tend to do frequently. As this holster is intended for concealed carry work, it should be up to measure when it comes to doing everything that goes with concealed carry, like being available when a thug rolls on you at a 7-11 to being out of the way when walking through the mall with your wife's latest shoe purchase in a designer bag in your hand... because somehow you become pack mule when it's time to hit the mall. Anyway, if this holster measures up, I will probably add more to the collection. They are reasonably priced and seem durable.

-James

How's It Shoot?

2011-09-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

In the video above, I'm test firing the Ruger SP101 after installing the Hogue Monogrip in place of the stock grip. So, how's it shoot?

To put it bluntly, with full house loads, it's still a stout snub nose revolver. However, with the larger and thicker Hogue grip, the "magnum sting" is all but gone. The extra material beneath the trigger guard made for a very comfortable grip, and the extra rubber on the back strap was nice to have. I certainly enjoyed shooting it a lot more with the larger grip installed.

Accuracywise, this grip made a lot of difference. I was able to get good purchase, so I was able to focus on squeezing the trigger and keeping the gun on target. At 7 yards, I averaged 2-3" groupings with double action slowfire. Not too bad for a gun with a gutter for rear sights.

-James

The Stock Has Got To Go!

2011-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

I wanted to throw some rounds downrange from my Remington 870, with the newly installed Mesa Tactical shell carrier. My goal was to shoot at least 50 rounds of buckshot that day, but after just a couple magazines worth, I lost interest quickly. I am not happy with the buttstock that comes on this gun. It is a horrible stock.

The grip area is too thin and has nothing to get traction. As a result, my hand moved around when firing; this was a big problem with rapid fire. The rubber "pad" on the end is a pad in the academic sense. It is rubber and if you push on it hard enough, it will give a little. But that's about it. The transfer of force into my shoulder was very harsh, especially with a magnum slug.

I also am not impressed with the fore end. It too is very slippery and it was difficult to get the gun fully racked without my hands moving all over the place.

Needless to say, these things have to go. The next time this gun is out, it will be dressed in new furniture. Hopefully, I'll be able to shoot enough rounds downrange that I'll be able to make full use of the Mesa Tactical shell carrier, which seemed to work great with the few rounds I loaded from it.

-James

Blackhawk Omega VI Ultra Initial Impressions

2011-09-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Last month, I made an entry regarding the need for a holster that would accomodate my Beretta M9A1 pistol. Ultimately, I purchased the Blackhawk! Omega VI Universal Modular Light Holster, PN# 40MLH1 in olive drab. Since I got a good deal on it, I just could not pass it up. I bought the olive drab over black or digital or brown since the area I live in is heavily wooded (well, in the woods at least).

I had hoped that the holster would arrive before my shooting trip last week, but what can you do? I got it today though. The first thing I noticed when I opened the package is that this thing is big. For some reason, the pictures online made it look smaller. I don't know what I was thinking though; it had a picture of a Beretta holstered in it. Guess I should have thought it would be large. Well, okay fine. It's big, but it seems really nice. The stitching appears to be double stitched, or even triple stitched in all the critical areas. There's enough velcro on this thing to hang a small car from a wall. The amount of adjustment this thing has is seemingly endless. It's a pretty complex holster design - no doubt about that.

After trying it on, I realized the drop down was way too low. Will have to adjust that up a bit. And I'll need to adjust the two leg straps to fit my large legs. But this evening, I spent the better part of an hour getting my big ass gun fitted into this big ass holster. Fortunately, Blackhawk thought of everything. I'll talk about some of the go-fast features of this holster:

Internal Weapon Locating Strap: On the inside of the holster, toward the bottom, there is a wide strap with velcro on it. It is used to locate the weapon up or down in the holster. This allows you to fit the holster for shorter guns, or in my case, longer guns, and have the grip in the same spot. I made the adjustment so that my weapon's rear sights are just inside the upper lip of the holster, about 1/8" down. This also leaves the entire grip completely clear of the holster so I can get a postive grip when drawing, yet still keep the trigger and trigger guard completley covered.

Weapon Retention Straps: On the back of the holster (the side that the gun's frame is located), there are two straps that are designed to provide retention for the firearm so it does not flop around the inside. They allow the holster to really widen so it can accomodate large weapon lights. Since my Streamlight TLR-1s is not that big, I was able to crank the straps down pretty tight, but not so tight that the gun has a hard time on the draw. Nope, just a quick tug and the weapon comes free. It also reholsters one-handed very easily.

Adjustable Thumb Break: I'm digging the thumb break on this holster. It can be fully adjusted up or down, and you can put the thumb break anywhere you want it. Blackhawk says to have the male side of the button towards your body for carry. This worked out for me because it allowed me to place the thumb break in a familiar location. Additionally, another strap can velcro over the thumb break for added security. This way, there is very little chance of the thumb break coming loose. So, if you intend to hike, run, climb, or just do anything outdoors like I would do, you know the weapon is very secure.

Magazine Pouch: Okay, as a magazine pouch, mounted to the front of the holster, I think it's hoaky. I would never keep my spare magazines on my strong side. It would be very ackward to reach across with my weak hand to get to it, and forget about me switching my weapon over to my weak hand. Forget that noise! So, I adjusted it to accomodate my Leatherman tool. I normally carry my leatherman on that side anyway (typically in front of my holster), so it works out well. I figure that if I'm in the woods or doing something that requires me to wear this piece of gear, I might as well have my multi-tool at the ready too.

Speed Clips: One short one and one longer one. These are designed so you can quickly attach the holster to MOLLE webbing. I'll save this little things because you never know when you might need them. Heck, my next backpack purchase will probably have them, so this would be nice.

I took all the drop down gear off (which isn't hard once you get used to it), and carried it around on my belt for a little bit. I practiced drawing and reholstering, and eventually was able to soften the thumb break strap enough so I could snap it shut with one hand. After drawing and pointing the weapon, I was satisfied with the fit of the weapon in the holster. I put the drop down gear back on, which is kind of a pain in the ass. All that velcro is very sticky and you need to use the provided plastic tool to do anything. It all gets pretty easy to do when you take the time to understand how everything interacts, but as far as holsters go, it is still fairly complicated. The holster is so complicated, in fact, that it comes with an actual Instruction/User's manual, which is 10 pages long! Most holsters I buy have a small card with care instructions and a mailer to join the NRA or something of that nature. The directions are clear enough if you read them a few times. If you can read the instructions to your VCR, you should be okay with this holster.

All in all, the construction feels great. The nylon is thick and the entire rig, while somewhat bulky, seems well made. We shall see how it holds up on my next outing.

-James

Father/Son Berettas

2011-09-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

My father, a devout wheelgun fanatic, called me up the other day, and asked me to accompany him to his favorite LGS, where he seems to know the owner quite well. So, me, sitting around the house all alone, watching reruns of Star Trek, and playing with guns, said, "Sure, why not?" I figured Dad wanted to either browse or buy yet another Ruger wheelgun to add to his ever growing collection of Ruger selection - and since I still have revolvers in my blood, I was very interested.

Nope! Not today, says Dad. Today, I am buying the "Mel Gibson Gun." Yeah, he said just that. Lately, he seems to be obsessed with "The Mel Gibson Gun," and has no shortage of opportunities to drop a quote from the movie "Lethal Weapon," where Danny Glover says, "9mm Beretta... holds 15 in the mag, one in the pipe... wide ejection port... no feed jams." Yep, that's Dad alright.

So, we walked into the store, and he zeroes in on the Beretta section of the counter, and as I began oogling a German made Sig P226, Dad says, "Look at this son - which should I get? The black one or the stainless one?" Oh, decisions, decisions! Of course, I told him to buy the black one; I already have a stainless one, and a black one would be a nice addition to my... err, his collection. Italian made gun too. Imagine that!

Of course, my birthday is coming up in three weeks and I dropped a hint about the Sig Sauer... more like said, "This is the gun you ought to buy me for my birthday." Well, that was good for a laugh. Either way, next thing I know, Dad is filling out the dreaded forms and dropping hundies (that's 100 dollar bills in James speak) like he is the super middle aged white pimp from around the way. Now, of course, you know what happens next.

Yesterday, we packed up a few of my guns, and a few of his guns, and made sure not to forget his newly acquired semi auto. Most of the guns... in fact all of the guns that Dad brought were as yet unfired by him. I've certainly never shot any of them before, but was anxious to. It was like Christmas at the range! We had all these guns that niether of us had shot before. I also brought my Remington 870, but that is a story for another entry (stay tuned). We also shot a few others that I will write about as well. But for the purposes of this entry, we shall remain on track (as if) and talk only about Dad's Beretta 92FS.

What a pistol this thing is! Of course, it didn't surprise me at all that this weapon handles and functions like a dream. I set up a makeshift target stand and taped a shoot n see target to it. After a few shakedown magazines worth of ammo (for Dad to get acquainted with it), we shot for combat accuracy at a distance of 7 yards. Dad was tickled pink with his new toy. I even have him on film stating that he prefers his new Beretta over his beloved revolvers.

Now, you have to understand something here. Dad is a wheelgun man to the core. His first duty weapon was a revolver, and was only issued a semi automatic toward the end of his police career. He didn't have enough time to really fall in love with the semi auto as I have. I've been shooting them for over 10 years now, so I know all the benefits of them. But I was able to relive the joy of falling in love with the Beretta all over again vicariously through my dad.

Now here's a man who knows his shit when it comes to guns. No, he hasn't been out shooting in a long while, but that doesn't mean he's lost his touch, Even with a eye recovering from cataract surgery he had some years back (this is what really took him out of the game), he was able to put rounds down on the paper where he wanted them. The factory 3-dot sights on his 92FS really helped out in that department.

Neither of us has exceptional eyesight. In fact, without glasses, both of us might as well be shooting with our eyes closed. But Dad could tell that I've been practicing. My groups were pretty good and all would be kill shots. Dad quickly got up to speed on his new gun and closed the groups right up, catching up with me and proving that the old man still has it in him. Impressive!

This experience has prompted me to put an entry together to talk about the Beretta 92FS. I know it has been discussed a million times before ad naseum. but a good gun is still a good gun, and despite the fact that there are lighter, slimmer, and just as reliable guns out there, the Beretta 92FS still commands the respect that other guns only ask for.

-James

Ruger SP101 Hogue Grip Upgrade

2011-08-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

When I first traded a cheap rifle for the fantastic Ruger SP101, my intention was to carry it concealed - and I did for awhile. However, after a few months, the Ruger LCP joined the lineup, and over the course of the next summer, the Ruger SP101 spent most of its time in the safe. Then, in the fall after that last summer, I had purchased a Ruger SR9c, and from then on, the little Ruger SP101 spent less and less time on my hip, and more time gathering dust in the safe. Only on special occasions, or outdoor adventures did the lil .357 find its way onto my hip. This is where the next chapter for this little revolver begins.

It seems to me that this little revolver lost its appeal as a concealed carry option. With smaller and lighter pistols sporting higher capacity joining the lineup, and with the ease of magazine reloading, the snub nose revolver seemed doomed; or did it? I began to notice a pattern for this 2.25" barreled powerhouse. Every time I took to the mountains, the SP101 seemed to find its way back onto my hip instead of the 9mm concealed carry wonder weapons that I own. Even my dedicated combat pistol - the Beretta M9A1 - was either left at home or found its way into a case for target shooting. When it comes to back country wilderness carry, I've found that I enjoy the Ruger SP101 much more than any pistol I own. Weighing in at only 28 oz, loaded, this gun doesn't seem to drag on over the course of a hiking or backpacking trip like other guns I own.

Back in the day, when all I had was a Beretta 92 FS, I had no option. I'd carry that pistol either in a holster or in a pack. After a few trips out with that 33 oz (unloaded) monster, I had no desire to carry a full size pistol into the woods ever again - and didn't.

The Ruger SP101 is built to last. It's rugged construction, stainless finish, and compact design make it ideal for carry into the woods as a camping, hiking, or backpacking companion. However, there is one thing about the SP101 that I do not like for backwoods carry: the grip. While the OEM grip profile is great for concealed carry, it leaves much to be desired in the handling department. Back in the days when I carried this gun daily, I put up with the grip because it looks good, and works well for concealed carry. For shooting, the grip is marginal at best. After a box of of 50 .357 magnum rounds, the gun was no longer fun to shoot for the day. The grip doesn't absorb recoil effectively, and the smallness of it made sure that I could not get my pinky finger around it, and my middle finger always contacted the rather sharp edges of the trigger. I thought about having the trigger guard radiused to knock off the sharp edges, and still plan on doing that. But something had to be done about the grips.

With a total change in how I intend to carry the SP101 from here out, I decided to buy the most readily available grip option out there. That is the Hogue Monogrip, which I bought at Sportco for less than $18.00 out the door. While it doesn't appear to be as pretty as the stock Ruger grip, it boasts functionality that the stock grip could only dream of.

For starters, the Hogue Monogrip allows my pinky finger to wrap around the grip, so it is a little longer than the original. The Hogue grip has finger grooves for positive feel with my hands - and the fact that they fit my hands perfectly is simply amazing. Another positive feature is that instead of my middle finger contacting the trigger guard, the Hogue grip extends forward and gives my finger a place to rest, which is extremely comfortable. The rubber behind the weapon's grip frame is thicker too, which should aid in the recoil absorption department. Another thing I like about the Hogue Monogrip is the fact that the retaining screw is at the bottom of the grip, away from my palms. This keeps chaffing down and also helps secure the grip better. The more you tighten down the screw (to a point, mind you), the tighter the grip fits against the weapon. There is absolutely no give at all with this grip. Lastly, grip has a palm swell in line with my middle finger, on both sides of the grip to give it more beef and a positive feel overall. I really like this grip. I haven't shot with it yet, but dry firing tells you a lot. I can definitely tell that I'm going to like this grip better than the old one, as far as shooting goes. I also have Hogue overmolded grips on both my Beretta's, and those grips are great.

In the photo above, you can see the new grip installed on the revolver, with the old grip shown behind it. Notice the differences? If you paid attention in the last paragraph, you can probably see all the differences. And notice all the honest holster and use wear on the revolver itself? Yeah, this gun gets used. It makes an appearance on almost every shooting trip, so it normally gets 50-100 rounds every time we shoot, and that's normally full house loads. So, it's not like this gun is a safe queen per se. It's just that now I'm more selective about when I take it out.

So that's another gun to put on the testing list.

-James

All Dressed Up With Nowhere to Go

2011-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, well I'm lying. My Remington 870 is dressed up, but we definitely have somewhere to go - to the mountains, that is. I want to get this gun fired so badly, and we have a really nice day to do so. Here are some good quality pics of the 870 with the Mesa Tactical Shell carrier installed. We'll see how I like this big boy on there out in the woods.

-James

How To Install a Mesa Tactical Shell Carrier on a Remington 870

2011-08-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

After coming home from my business trip, I found a package waiting for me - it was the 8-shot shell carrier from Mesa Tactical. Yep, an 8-shot carrier! Mesa Tactical makes a 4 and 6-shot carrier too, but I wanted one that spanned the total length of my shotgun receiver because it not only looks better, but will give me maximum shell storage in a familiar place. This video covers the installation of it. I will go more in depth in another blog entry, after I've had time to shoot with it.

-James

Addressing The Need

2011-08-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

If you have been following this blog (and surprisingly, a lot of people actually read it), then you know that I've purchased a Beretta M9A1 and mounted a Streamlight TLR-1s light to the rail. You may have also read an entry where I had it mounted to my Ruger SR9. To be honest, I really didn't like it on the SR9 - but I digress.

Well, okay, I've got the gun, mounted the light, bought a bucket of magazines for it, so I guess I'm ready for when the SHTF, right? Nope. I still need a holster for it. The problem is that it's really hard to find the right holster for my personal needs.

For me, it's not all about the most tacticool holster there is, hence the most expensive and ridiculous. It's more about practicality and economy, as well as adaptability. Now, that's a hard pill to swallow when you are sourcing a holster that will accommodate a large framed gun with a mounted light. Unfortunately, my search for something that will do all that I require, and still be inexpensive, has turned up nothing. Most of the holsters, systems, rigs, or whatever you want to call them, seem to center around being drop down thigh holsters, molle adaptable holsters (not a bad option if I was wearing a tactical vest all the time), belts, weapon specific, and I even found an inside the waistband holster if you believe that. But none of these could adapt. This holster is going to be primarily for my go-to gun for when all hell breaks loose, but I also want to be able to run other guns I have in it for when I'm using them. If I'm out hiking in the woods, it'd be nice to stuff a 4" magnum revolver in it instead of a 9mm. Instead of rattling off the crap I need, I'm going to go another route and talk about the crap I don't need. This list is much shorter than my list of needs, but it is a deal breaker for about 90% of the crap out there - including the economy priced holsters. Damn!

Before I get into the list of don't wants, I need to explain exactly what this holster is going to be used for. Aside from when the SHTF, this is open carry all the way - blatant unapologetic open carry. This holster will be used when I'm out in the back woods, hiking on trails, camping, shooting, and if the situation warrants it, home defense in a WROL type situation. Most of the time, the holster will accompany the gun for situations where I want to run it - like in the mountains.

I have no need for a weapon specific holster. In keeping with the economy theme, I've determined that a holster that can fit a few different pistols will actually save me cash in the long run because, a: I don't carry two pistols at once in the field and, b: if 1 holster can accommodate 5 pistols, that's 4 less holsters I have to buy for the application. This also opens up my pricing options, as I can justify a more expensive holster up front. Buying a single $100 holster will save me in the long run instead of buying 5 different model specific $50 holsters.

I have no need for a belt use only holster. As much as I like belt holsters, they do not always work. On backpacking trips (and I'm talking day hikes and short overnighters), I'm likely to be carrying my Osprey backpack, which has a hip belt. The downside to a belt-only holster is that it interferes with the pack's belt system and vice versa. Additionally, the interference may compromise me in the event I have to quickly draw the gun from the holster. If the padded hip belt is in the way, then I can't quite draw.

I have no need for a leather holster. Leather is great for concealed carry and even open carry in an urban setting (face it, leather is more refined looking), but leather isn't my personal choice for backwoods carry. The reason is because when leather gets wet, it tends to shrink when it dries, and it can hold the moisture against your weapon. Nylon tends to dry out faster and you can brush of mud and debris easier.

At the end of the day, there were two obvious options available to me: the Tactical Tailor modular light holster or the Blackhawk Omega VI Ultra holster. Initially, I was leaning toward the Tactical Tailor holster because of the initial price point of about $45. However, after seeing how much a drop down panel would cost (in order to get the holster off my belt and below my backpack's hip support), I'd be spending as much as other holsters that were already drop down capable. What drove me away from other drop down models is that they were exclusively drop down holster and incapable of becoming belt holsters for those time I might want them to be. The Blackhawk Omega VI ultra fits all my needs completely, but I was initially scared away by their asking price of over $100.

However, determined as I was, I found one on Amazon.com for only $67 with free shipping. Hey, now that's a good deal! Considering it is only $22 more than the Tactical Tailor holster, I figure the Blackhawk is worth it.

I'm very intrigued by the fact that it can adapt to serve as a belt holster (as shown above), a drop down thigh rig holster, and can even be attached to a molle adaptable vest or chest rig, should I desire in the future. The other benefit, from what I've read is that it can also close up in the snout so that guns without lights can be secured easily. Another neat feature is the pouch in the front. Blackhawk calls this a magazine pouch, but there is no way I'm storing my spare mags on the holster. This would be better served as a multi-tool pouch or for a flashlight, like my new Streamlight Scorpion X (more on that later).

With this holster, I hope to strike a balance between practicality, economy, and adaptability. I have read very positive reviews about Blackhawk products and will look forward to running this through its paces.

-James

Quark Mini 123

2011-08-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Many of us are familiar with head lamps. Typically, they can be had at the sporting goods stores for decent prices and they have different features, like strobe, colored LED's, and high/low power. However, once you put on the big boy pants, it's time to move up in the world of compact lighting and understand that if you really want to throw light from a small package, you need to get a 4Sevens Quark Mini 123 flashlight. Even now as I write this, my particular model is obsolete because mine will throw 180 lumens of light from it's 2.3" body; 4Sevens now offers the miniX 123, which is capable of 200 lumens! Wow!

Still, that does not change the fact that this little flashlight is 1 3/4 times more powerful than my Maglite LED 3 D cell flashlight, which compared to the quark mini 123 is more of a caveman's metal club than a flashlight. Indeed, the Quark Mini is an impressive little sucker.

This flashlight has 6 operating modes. There are 3 power levels, which are selected by twisting the front of the body within 1 second of each other. It starts on low power, which is 3.5 lumens (perfect for reading in the dark), then goes to about 45 lumens (perfect for getting around the campsite without blinding yourself or others), and then 180 lumens (which is ideal for spotting or navigating open terrain). Then you have 3 other (secret) modes, if you do so desire. These are S.O.S., strobe, and beacon modes.

The quark mini 123 runs on a single CR123 battery (note, do not use rechargeable 123A batteries). This gives it the approximate total run times in the following modes:

3.5 lumens: +-40 hours
45 lumens: +- 6.5 hours
180 lumens (210 for the miniX): +-1 hour
S.O.S.: +- 4 hours
Strobe: +- 2 hours
Beacon: +- 10 hours
Beacon Low (for miniX users): +- 50 hours

Now mine doesn't have high/low beacon functions, and I really don't need them; mine is just a beacon, and it is very bright. I rarely ever use the hidden functions of any light, but for the occasions that I do, it's there. As it runs on only 1 CR123 battery, the size is pretty small. Mine measures in at about 2.3 inches long and .80 inches in diameter. Even with the battery, it weighs mere ounces. In fact, without the battery, it only weighs .62 ounces; not even an ounce.

If there was one downfall to this light, it would be the run time. 1 hour on high is pretty short, and if you find yourself way out in the bush, you may need to pack extra batteries for extended trips. But that's the give and take with modern flashlights. They are intensely bright, but they consume batteries like crazy! That's just the nature of the beast. I'll tell you what though. When it comes down to it, light quality beats light quantity. It still runs fo 40 hours in reading mode. Compare that to the Maglite's consumption of 3 D cell batteries in 72 hours. Have you seen a CR123 battery? It's not very big. The size and weight penalty of running a 3 D cell maglite is astounding. And even though it throws 104 lumens, the light quality isn't great. Much of that has to do with the reflector in the flashlight. The quark mini 123 has a nice orange peel style reflector to reflect and scatter the light in such a way to maximize the potential of the LED.

So, what about hand's free operation? It's a flashlight - not a headlamp. True. You will need to buy a head band and mounting apparatus to make it work hand's free. Fenix makes a headband that works perfectly. Just follow the link that I put over the word FENIX. Of course, I don't run my setup as shown in the picture. I'm not a fan of the band that goes over the head. The Fenix headband ships with all the parts detached from the main band. All you do for the parts you want is thread the band throw them. It's very simple. I opted for less weight and bulk on my head, so I mounted the universal flashlight mount so the light is on my left hand side. You can also adjust it forward and backward relative to your head to aim the light in different places. I definitely recommend using a ball cap or some hat with a brim, especially if you wear glasses. Unlike conventional headlamps, which orient the light directly on your forehead, this puts the flashlight back above your ear, or just in front of it. It's a trade-off, yes, but you can also rotate the light around 360 degrees. If you need your beacon or SOS function at night, you can point it straight up to the sky and keep signaling while you are on the move. Another cool go-fast feature is that Fenix ships two flashlight mounts, so you can mount two lights and have dual zone illumination. This is handy because you can use one flashlight forward for navigation, and have one on low power for rear identification. This is especially important for nighttime backpacking because I tend to move faster than the main group. Giving them a point of reference so they can see me when I'm beyond their head lamp's illumination range is nice. Of course that means buying another quark mini flashlight.

Price wise, the quark miniX 123 can be purchased through 4Sevens at $45.00 plus shipping. A quick google shopping search shows that price is fair. You might find one cheaper on a closeout, but this is rare. These little flashlights have become quite popular. In fact, I purchased mine through the PFI store as a packaged bundle with the Fenix head band.

Now, for those of you who desire, 4Sevens does make a similar flashlight that runs on a single AA battery (and is on my short list of lights to buy) This one is obviously bigger and less powerful, but it also runs on more economically priced and readily available AA batteries. Width is not much more than the mini 123, so it will work in the same mount as it's smaller brother.

There is also an exceptional review of not only the mini 123, but also the AA as well as the Preon AAA powered pen light, conducted by youtube's famous Nutnfancy, who is notorious for beating the piss out of his equipment. If you have some time, check it out.

-James

Metallica's 20th Year of Black

2011-08-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

This entry is dedicated to Metallica's 20th year anniversary of the release of their "Black" album! Rock on!

-James

The Raminator Rides Again!

2011-08-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been too long. A month and 5 days has gone by since the accident, and yet the Ramcharger didn't really get out at all during that time. Yes, I admit it; I have been dragging ass a bit. But it wasn't just that. Fixing these old trucks gets expensive really fast, and as much as I wanted to get it up and running faster, the bank account demanded that I pace myself.

Well, today, the last major fix for the mechanicals was done. I drove it down to Discount for a brand new wheel to replace the one that was seriously bent in the accident. Let me tell you, getting above 30 mph on a wheel that bent was a little nerve racking. Now that it has the new wheel, it drives like a champ. The brakes are very good, the alignment appears to have been unaffected, and the vehicle is still very stable at highway speeds. That's encouraging, because now it has to go to the frame shop to get measured up. The outcome of the measurement will determine whether the Ramcharger gets sold or not. I'm hoping the frame is tip top. But being as that bitch hit my truck hard enough to rip the wheel and tire right off and snap the axle like a matchstick, I'm very much aware that even my cautious optimism may not be enough in the end. However...

The Ramcharger rides again! Gosh it felt good to get behind the wheel of the ole girl and blow the cob webs out of the muffler.

Should everything check out, framewise, then the next phase will be the slow process of getting all the body work done and eventually landing the vehicle in the paint booth to get shot with a new coat of paint.

-James

Don't Disregard The Revolver

2011-08-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the big brown truck came by and dropped off a little something at my front door; it was a gear/bug out bag from LApolicegear.com that I bought on a closeout. The bag is awesome. It holds tons of magazines for both my AR-15 and Beretta M9A1. As I got to organizing it the way I liked, I started thinking about the possibility that if the SHTF, all those magazines might be either lost, stolen, broken, or perhaps destroyed if things really weren't going my way. When you think of it, in a fire fight, should you be caught up in a situation where a magazine reload is necessary, you'd be inclined to drop the magazine and load in a fresh one. Of course, during an actual fire fight, I highly doubt you will spend precious seconds trying to cram an empty magazine into your dump pouch. Instead, the chances are likely that you will have to lose a magazine in order to save your butt. Over time, all this loss of mags, without recovery, on the move, and nowhere near a munitions depot is going to find your fancy semi automatic more of a single shot than anything else.

This is where the revolver comes into play. The magazine on the revolver is the cylinder, which does not get dumped in a fire fight; only the spent brass. Provided you could keep feeding this weapon ammunition, you have no need for spare magazines. Just flip open the cylinder, and cycle in a fresh set of rounds.

Of course, the revolver is slow to load, and has a very limited ammo capacity, but if you are caught in a serious bind, it may turn into your best friend really fast. Don't misunderstand me on this though. A fullsize, semi auto rifle with a detachable box magazine capable of holding 20-30 rounds is ideal. Pistols are used to fight your way to rifles. The best pistols for SHTF scenarios are definitely going to be semi autos with detachable magazines with a 15-20 round capacity, but when all your magazines are lost and broken, the ole standby revolver will be there for you.

Of course, the type of revolver is up to you. For me, the Ruger SP101 is perfect. It is small enough to conceal, it is chambered for .357 magnum, but will fire 38 specials. Ah, another consideration is to choose your revolver with a caliber you feel you'll mostly likely see in the real world. 38 special/.357 magnum seem to be the most popular SD revolver catridges out there. The weapon fits in a pocket inside the gear bag, so it can be ready to go. As for reloading, speed strips, speed loaders, and a lot of practice go a long way for you.

I personally hope that: A, the S never hits the fan, and B, if it does I don't run out of ammo or need to resort to using the revolver. But for my money, as a last resort weapon before switching to a knife or ASP, the revolver is the way to go! Just drop it and about 50 rds of ammo into your Get-the-hell-out-of-dodge bag and enjoy!

-James

You Must Smell A Winner

2011-08-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

Once again, Ruger wins pistol of the year, 4 years standing. This year, they also win rifle of the year for the Gunsite rifle.

http://www.thetacticalwire.com/story/242525

Self Defense Mindset

2011-07-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article last week about a woman who had been held up in two robberies and decided to take action and get permission from her employer to bring a gun to work. She brought a small .22 caliber handgun to work, in preparation for the possibility that she could be accosted a third time. Well, that opportunity came, and after all was said and done, another criminal ended up on a metal table at the local morgue as a result of her resolve.

I read stuff like this all the time. Someone either gets robbed or mugged, or is just proactive like me, and they decide it is in their best interest to purchase a firearm just in case something like the above scenario happens to them. Most of the time, it's no big thing. I bought my gun of choice. I carry it, practice with it, and prepare myself mentally for the day that I may need to use it. By no means do I ever hope the day comes, but should it happen to me, I'll be ready... again.

What? Again?! What's this all about?

Well, it has happened to me before, as a matter of fact. I was 22 years old. I had just obtained my first CPL about a year earlier, and bought my first pistol as my 21st birthday present to myself - a stainless Beretta 92FS. Back in those days, I prided myself on my ability to carry a full size Beretta around concealed. It wasn't much of a chore to me then; of course, I was a lot thinner in those days. But even as young and idealistic as I was, I decided that I wasn't going to become a victim at the hands of some lowlife who wanted to rob me of my hard earned money or life just to get their next fix.

I recall that I was walking home from the store; I lived about two blocks away and back in those days, I actually enjoyed walking around the city. About a block away from home, I noticed three guys standing in the shadow just past this gas station on the way home. At first, I didn't think much of it because lots of folks liked to stand in that exact spot for one reason or another. Plus, it was a busy street. Still, I decided to take precautions and switched my grocery bag over to my weak side hand so that my strong hand was free to grab my Beretta if I needed it; I would indeed need my gun more than anything that night.

Just before I got to the people standing in the shadow (this was at night by the way), all three of them walked out to block my path on the sidewalk. They approached me and demanded I hand over my grocery bag. Knowing better than to think they would just leave me alone, I tried to diffuse the situation verbally first by saying I had nothing of value and that I was just on my way home. I even asked them if I can leave, if you can believe that. They wanted nothing of it. They got closer to me (within arm's reach) and started to surround me, cursing at me for my ethnicity, style of dress, the glasses I wore, etc. I just knew I wasn't getting out of this situation without a fight. To run would be hopeless because three well built guys could eventually overtake me, and in the end, I'd just get robbed and have my ass kicked while tired.

After what seemed like forever, I gave up on trying to get them to leave me alone. At this point, my adrenaline was coursing through my veins and I could feel my body getting ready to fight these pricks. I gave one last ultimatum in an attempt to get them to leave. I told them that nothing I had was worth their lives. They laughed and the leader got in my face and started yelling at me. At that point, I dropped my grocery bag and put my weak hand out and stepped back so as to put some distance between us. I then reached down and threw my jacket back to reveal the Beretta and drew it from the holster. Faster than he could react, I brought that gun up and leveled it right between his running lights (that's eyes for those who don't know). I then told him that I didn't want to shoot him, but was damned ready to ventilate this skull if he didn't leave me alone. Mr tough guy suddenly got really friendly and played it all off like it was all in fun and they didn't mean to hurt me. I told them all to get lost and they promptly left. After I got home, I called the police and filed a report. I never heard of or saw those three pricks ever again.

Along with articles that I read of people exercising their rights to protection, I read as many articles of people falling victim to burglars, drug addicts, sexual predators, and murderers. While I'm reading these articles, one of the big questions that goes through my head is, why wasn't the victim armed? You'd think that in this "enlightened" society of ours, people would understand that the world can be a very dangerous place and that it is in their best interest to arm themselves for protection. You'd also think that those who do "gun up" would take the time to train with their weapon and prepare mentally. Sadly though, neither situation is true in many cases. People are still in denial about the reality of life and choose to bury their heads in the sand and won't arm themselves. Worse still is that some who gun up won't make the effort to train and familiarize themselves with their weapon. They just buy it and hide it away, hoping the day will never come. And their are those who, even after they arm up and even train physically with the weapon, won't prepare mentally.

That night, when I had three thugs in my sights, I was prepared to do the unthinkable. My finger was on the trigger, and the gun was hot. These three people represented a real threat to my life and well being, and should they all beat on me, I could have died that night. But I prepared. I bought the gun, learned the laws and situations on when it was, and wasn't appropriate to pull a gun, and how to use it. I also read up on the subject of killing and how it affects those who have done it, and to the best of my ability and circumstances, I was as ready as I ever was to do the job that may have needed to be done that night if the situation continued to degrade. Fortunately, for them and, more importantly, for me, I didn't need to pull that trigger that night.

The most important thing to understand about this kind of thing is that you may or may not choose to react, but having the means to do so gives you options that you would not have been opened up to hadn't you armed yourself and prepared to protect that which was most dear to you.

"Just because I can doesn't mean I will, but I can't do anything if I don't have the means." - 41magfan

-James

Practical, Economical, Devestating

2011-07-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

With the idea in my head that I should buy another shotgun for home defense, I immediately came to the conclusion that the Remington 870 was going to be it - I just didn't know exactly what configuration I wanted. In my previous entry, I explained the drool factor behind the Remington 870 Express Tactical, but after a day or so of thinking and sleeping on it, I decided that what I wanted was something more simple than that. Yeah, I know it's hard to get any simpler than a pump action shotgun, but to be honest, there is simple and then there is practical and simple. I opted for practicality over anything else. No extra points are awarded for style when it comes to home defense, and believe me when I tell you, this is as practical, economical, basic, and as simple as it gets - unless you opt for a double barrel shotgun, of course.

This weapon, my friends, is the venerable Remington 870 express 12 gauge shotgun. This one came from the factory with a +2 extension on the magazine, bringing total capacity to 7, with a round chambered. The stock is synthetic, so no worries about wood getting banged up or rotting away. This one came with the tactical fore end pump, so I can immediately at a 6-shot side saddle with zero modifications to the weapon itself (well, a pin gets replaced with a bolt, but that's an enhancement unto itself).

The question begging to be answered is, "why?" Why buy a simple scatter gun with a bead sight when you already have one just like it? Well, the answer is simple. Parts availability. Don't get me wrong. I love my Winchester 1300 Defender shotgun. It too is all synthetic with a simple bead sight. The only modifications made to it were a new set of stocks as well as a 6-shot side saddle from tac star. Other than that, it's as basic as it gets. The problem is that the Winchester 1300 has been out of production for years. And while some parts are still available, some are not. Even some things as basic as a spring or a firing pin can become scarce quickly. Let's face it - it's just not as popular as the ubiquitous Remington 870 Express shotgun. The main advantage of the Remington is that it is a current model production gun, with more variations than you can shake a stick at. Plus, the aftermarket is flooded with upgrades. So, if some time down the road, I do decide to add new sights, a barrel, slings, etc, the aftermarket is just a mouse click away; no hunting down scarce parts on obscure websites or any of that crap. I'm tired of it. If something brakes, I just want to make a phone call, give them my credit card number, and wait for said part to arrive. I don't want to go searching for days on end to find it.

The other factor was price. Oh yes, I know I'm just rolling in the dough these days, despite a depressed economy, but even I have limits on how much I can spend on these things. The Express Tactical would have run me another $150, and for what? A ghost ring on the receiver? No way! I decided to not only keep the gun simple, but keep the price down in earth's atmosphere. I just have a big problem with spending more than $350 for a pump shotgun - I just do. As simple as these things are, and as prolific as they are, they ought to be priced so that anyone, at any income level, can afford one. Shotguns are the every man's gun, and should be priced as such. So I also stand on principle by going simple with this gun. After all, you'd expect to pay more for a complicated weapon, right? My Beretta M9 has about 39 moving parts, give or take. The Remington 870 has about... what? Four? See what I mean?

And yes, I did give the Mossberg 500 and 590 a look too. I'm just throwing this out there because some people will ask why I didn't give the Mossberg a chance. Truth is, I don't like the safety on the Mossberg, at all. Yes, with a Monte Carlo stock, it's fine, but what happens when you throw on a pistol grip stock? Then what? It's unintuitive at best. Besides, I'm a fan of cross bolt safeties and this safety is familiar. Plus, I prefer the pump action slide release on the Remington better than the Mossy or the Winny. All in all, I just think the Remington is the better design of the three.

-James

Defending The Retreat

2011-07-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

The shotgun you see above this is the Remington 870. More than your run of the mill pump action 12 gauge shotgun, this is the 870 Express Tactical shotgun. Now, instead of "tactical" being thrown out to up the price into unobtainium status, the "tactical" upgrades to this shotgun are actually well thought out. For instance, the first thing I notice is the XS ghost ring sight rail attached to the receiver, which has obviously been drilled and tapped. The rail and sight alone make the weapon better as is, and can easily accept an optic of some kind. The receiver being drilled and tapped to allow this gives even more options out of the box. The second thing I see is the blade front sight, which allows better sight acquisition than a bead, in my humble opinion. Resembling rifle sights more than a shotgun bead sight, this gives the shooter the advantage of learning one system instead of two. Most noticeably, the front of the barrel has Remington's RC Tactical ported tube extension, which very much resembles a breacher barrel, which is used to blow locks and hinges off doors with frangible slugs. Most importantly, this shotgun has a 2-shot extension in the magazine tube, giving the weapon a 7 round capacity.

Now, coupled with a good quality sling system, a weapon light, and a carrier for extra ammo, this gun is a force multiplier in your personal defense arsenal. A shotgun is a very devastating weapon and packs a lot of firepower. It is extremely versatile and can be used well by the novice shooter as well as the experienced operator, and everyone else somewhere in between - like me. As a home defense weapon, there is nothing better than a 12 gauge pump shotgun. This can be added to my "very" short list.

-James

A Good Fable - Woman in a Hot Air Balloon

2011-07-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

I think a lot of the Republican Vs Democrat Arguments can be put to rest with this little gem.

Woman In A Hot Air Balloon

A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

"She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be an Obama Democrat."

"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."

-James

Prepared? Think You Are? Think You're Not? Watch This Video!!!

2011-07-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

This video was made by Nutnfancy, who frequently posts videos on youtube; mostly gear reviews and such. Occasionally, he posts some philosophy videos, like the one below. Watch this one through completely. It's very good and will help you in your preparedness efforts, philosophically speaking.

-James

Check This Out!

2011-07-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

This accident occurred in front of my parent's house. Unbelievable! Good thing my parent's decided to get security cameras. Skip to about 1:30 and watch from that point. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.

-James

My Ramcharger Has a Broken Leg (Thank you Asian Drivers)

2011-07-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

While out doing yard work today, I moved my Ramcharger to the side of my yard so the mower could get the few little bits of grass that it sits on. After clearing up the area, I got in my truck, so I could move it back to where it normally is parked.

I was going to do a quick turn around on the street, so I checked to make sure no car was coming, and I pulled out to do a 3 point turn around. After backing up to get my truck perpendicular to the street, I had just put it into drive when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye that didn't belong. I then turned my head just in time to see a grey Toyota Camry that was mere feet from the side of my truck and it didn't appear to be slowing down at all! I didn't even have time to say "Oh S" or anything like that and BANG!

The next thing I knew was that my glasses were knocked off my head and I was rattled around a bit. Fortunately, even though I was just turning around on my street, I remembered my seat belt. I put my glasses back on and looked down to see two older Asian people in the little import car.

I crawled out through the passenger door, as the space my driver door normally occupies was taken up with the front of the offending car that just t-boned me. I walked around the front of my truck, and saw both the other people had gotten out. When I saw that the force of the impact had snapped the rear axleshaft like a matchstick and the rear tire was wedged under the front of their car, I immediately got so angry that instead of having an outburst, I was very calm, but my voice was low and clear.

"Your front brakes don't work?" That was the first thing I said to the guy. Barely able to speak English, he explained that he was teaching the female driver how to drive and this was her first time. "Expensive lesson." I replied. "Do you know how fast you were going when you hit me?" I asked. The driver, who didn't speak any English, just stood there not knowing what to do. Note, the only reason I didn't ask if they were okay is because the guy asked me if I was okay (which at this point I obviously was not). Either way, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 straight away and while the dispatcher was on the phone, I asked if they needed medical attention, which they declined.

The police arrived a few minutes later and took our insurance information. In the meantime, my wife (who was working in the office upstairs) came down and told the officer what she saw. Apparently, she looked out just in time to see my Ramcharger's body rearranged by the little car, which she said was going "way too fast" for the street (note, a lot of people speed down this road).

The officer was very cool to me, and I explained that as I pulled out, there was no car in my field of vision. I didn't see any vehicle until just before it collided with my truck. The cop sort of chuckled because he said he had this happen to him just a few weeks prior. And it sucks, he sympathized.

Of course, he gave me a citation for "failure to yield." While I'm not saying I was 100% in the right for trying to pull a u-turn on the street, I'm thinking that failure to yield might be a little much when you consider there was no vehicle on the road when I pulled out. Either way, I'm going to get my day in traffic court and let the judge decide. The important part was that I did not get hurt.

The good news is, and I know it's hard to see a silver lining in this, all the damage was superficial. No structural damage is apparent. The frame, all the suspension points, seem intact. Of course, a verification at the frame shop is in order. The worst damage was to the rear axle, which the backing plate for the drum brake was ripped halfway off the axle tube. No big deal here. I can source another backing plate, hardware, brakes, and a new axle shaft off a parts truck in a junkyard - no problemo!

The irony is that the door was smashed in. The glass survived, even though the window was down. The front fender took a wallop too. I have a replacement fender and door in the garage. How's that for prepared? As for
the lower rocker panel, it was damaged inside the seams, so it can be cut out and replaced pretty easily.

All in all, this pretty much sucked. But it could have been worse. I'm just glad my truck is only down, but not out. Can't say as well for the other car. It won't be driving anymore. They pretty much destroyed it. A total loss for them, considering the year, and the amount of front end damage that occurred.

Here it is sitting in my backyard after getting pulled up off the street. I've removed the damaged brake components and have inspected much of the damage. Looks like I get to go component shopping this weekend!

LC9's Turn

2011-07-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

After giving the LCP a facelift, my Ruger LC9 was starting to feel a little left out and wanted to join the party. This barrel was not as easy or fast to complete as the LCP, but the end result is awesome. Neither of these guns looked especially nice with the blackened blued steel barrel lugs because during use, they get scuffed up and start to look worn. This process of removing the bluing and scuffing it out bright gives the otherwise boring LC9 a bit of flare. If you look closely, you can see that I scuffed the muzzle end of the gun to contrast it against the slide and add a subtle touch of custom to it. Not too bad for a half hour's worth of scuffing and sanding.

-James

Bear Creek Holsters - Everything In It's Place

2011-07-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

As many already know, I normally carry two guns as part of my concealed carry package. It's actually quite easy to carry two guns at once when you have good holsters for each. The problem is where do you put your extra magazines? Normally, this dilemma solves itself in ways that may or may not work so well. All too often, I find myself stuffing the extra magazines into a cargo pocket, or in the front pocket of my jeans, alongside my keys or cellphone. None of these methods was really ideal, but I dealt with it. I mean, the chance of needing my gun is slim enough... right?

Then I saw a really neat idea on elsiepeaforum.com, where someone had a pocket style pouch made to accommodate his Ruger LCP and LC9 magazines. Brilliant! The maker, Doug Childers, from Bear Creek holsters, makes custom leather for us gun guys. I liked the idea so much, I commissioned him for a custom mag holder, but instead of it being pocket style, I wanted something I could put on my belt instead. The pic you see is the end result of our collaboration. I know, I could have ordered it to carry two LC9 magazines instead of one of each, but being as I only carry one extra magazine per gun anyway, this was a fitting solution to a glaring problem I was having.

For my SR9c, I use a leather belt pouch to carry the spare magazine. I only need one spare magazine. I'm not heading to combat, so the need for two extra mags is small. But I guess some could argue that the need for two guns is not necessary either, but then again, they probably don't subscribe to the "BUG" idea like I do. Since my BUG is a mag fed weapon, it too needs a spare magazine. Thus, the inception of this dual caliber mag pouch. Sure, it was someone else's idea, but it is a good one.

The leather on this pouch is good stuff. The holster is handmade right here in the USA and it exudes quality. Doug Childers obviously takes pride in his work and you know he gives a damn when it comes to making his customers happy. I'm 100% satisfied and will definitely have more work for him later on when I get my 1911. After all, those extra single stacked 45 acp magazines aren't going to hold themselves!!!

-James

LCP Vanity

2011-07-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

After finishing up my chores for the morning, I decided to take the barrel off my LCP and remove some of the bluing on the exposed part of the barrel. This is the result. Ah, nothing like the subtle hint of satin two tone on the gun. It really beats the scuffed up blued surface that was. This gun gets a lot of holster use, so it doesn't get as much attention as it should. Eventually, I plan on sending the slide in to be coated with a coating to make it uber black. You can see, however, some of the slide's bluing coming off on the front. That's honest holster wear, folks. Yup, this LCP goes dang near everywhere with me, quietly doing it's job - at the ready, but so concealed.

-James

Ruger LC9 Magazine Disconnect Removal

2011-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

This video is a tutorial on the procedure for removing the Magazine Disconnect from the Ruger LC9. Disclaimer: I do not recommend that anybody remove the magazine disconnect from your Ruger LC9. This video is for information and entertainment purposes only, in response to questions regarding how I removed the magazine disconnect from my own Ruger LC9. If you perform this procedure on your weapon, you do it at your own risk and discretion. If you damage your firearm, or you (or someone else) gets hurt as a result of removing the magazine disconnect, you have no one to blame except yourself. Please note that by removing the magazine disconnect, you will render the firearm capable of firing a round with the magazine removed from the gun. I repeat, the gun can fire with the magazine removed! Please remember that all guns are always loaded, especially the unloaded ones. Never assume a firearm is unloaded. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to destroy. Your number 1 safety is between your ears. Your second safety is your finger. Keep it out off the trigger until ready to fire and is safe to do so. Your safety is your responsibility - not mine. Stay safe!

-James

Happy Father's Day To all You Dads Out There

2011-06-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day. To all you dads out there, remember just how important you are.

http://www.dadmag.com/hparticles/why_dads_matter.php

Why Dads Matter
The revolution has started. Head's up.

By Warren Farrell, Ph.D.*

On Mother's Day the most phone calls are made. On Father's Day the most collect phone calls are made.
We still think of dads as wallets-or as deadbeats if they fail to be wallets-- but reality is changing faster than the image. In the last twenty years the percentageof single dads has more than doubled, from 10% to 23% of all single-parent households. Almost one in four. Moms moving out of the home has been a headline-creating revolution; dads moving into the home has been the quietest revolution. Without the headlines, we miss the revolution. A case in point…

I am in Toronto during a Canadian tour for my book, Father and Child Reunion. A TV reporter and the cameraman are debating whether to interview me inside or out. I suggest going to a park, finding some dads, and having me comment on the differences in parenting styles. "Great idea", the reporter begins supportively, "but in the middle of a work morning, I doubt we'll find any dads".

I convince her to try. We are both surprised. There are about 25 caretakers at the playground…about equal numbers of fathers, nannies, and mothers. Turns out the reporter had passed the playground… but missed the revolution.

Just as the last third of the twentieth century was about women becoming more equal partners in the workplace, so the first third of the twenty-first century will be about men becoming more equal partners in the family. The evidence is in the next generation. A 2000 Harris Poll found that "young men in their twenties are seven percent more likely than young women to give up pay for more time with their families." A full 70% of men vs. 63% of women. Give up pay? Men? A generational shift without precedent.

Dads are, if you will, in the infancy of their revolution to re-enter the family, this time not only as money raisers, but also as child raisers. Not to out-do mom, but to do with mom. In fact, it is improbable that mothers will make much more progress in the workplace without dads sharing more responsibilities in the homeplace.

What are the contributions dads make to our children's lives? Start with girls' legendary difficulty with math and boys' difficulty with verbal skills. In the area of math and quantitative abilities, the more involved the dad is, the better both daughters and sons do. Ditto for boys' increase in verbal intelligence. And the amount of time a father spends reading to his daughter is a strong predictor of his daughter's future verbal ability. So both sexes improve in both sets of skills when fathers are more involved.

And when the children grow up? Women who grow up successful in their professions tend to have two things in common: fathers who respect and encourage them; and male mentors.

Suppose a mom has to choose between income and dad? I just finished doing expert witness testimony with a couple in which the mom was arguing that her moving the children out-of-state was fine because the children would be going to a better school and have more financial security with her new husband. We know, now, though, that father involvement is more important than either the quality of the school or the amount of money a family has. That is, children from good schools whose dads are not involved in their everyday lives do worse than children in poorer schools whose dads are involved-they do worse academically, socially and psychologically. Similarly, children from wealthier homes without dad do not do as well as children from poorer homes with dads. The specific act of moving a child away from the non-custodial parent accounts for 60% of the damage experienced by a child living without the other parent.

The implications of father involvement for social policy are staggering. We think of poverty as a major cause of vilent crime. Yet when children in homes with more income are compared to the children in homes with less income, there is no difference in the rates of violent crime if both are living with fathers. Poverty is highly correlated with violent crime because poverty is highly correlated with fatherlessness. The more dad is present, the more violent crime is absent. In brief, fathers stop violent crime; money doesn't.

In a study of teenage mothers in inner city Baltimore, one-third of their daughters also became teenage mothers. But, not one daughter or son who had a good relationship with her or his biological father had a baby before the age of nineteen. Connection with dad leads not only to preventing daughters from becoming pregnant prematurely, but also to preventing sons from creating pregnancies prematurely.

Ninety percent of homeless or runaway children are from fatherless homes. Father presence is the most important factor by far in preventing drug abuse (not drug use, but drug abuse). Overall, a close relationship with dad is the most important preventive medicine to avoid the cancer of a troubled childhood.

At what age does dad's influence begin? An Israeli study found that the more frequently a father visited the hospital of an infant who is prematurely born, the more rapidly the infant gained weight and the more quickly the infant was able to leave the hospital. U.S. studies show that by the age of six months, the more children have contact with dad, the higher their levels of mental competence and psycho-motor functioning, and the greater their level of trust and friendliness.

There are, however, many types of dads. Until recently we have known little about stepdads and single dads.
Stepdads make us think. If parenting emerges from a maternal instinct, why is it that a full 85% of stepparents are stepdads? If men are selfish and territorial, why do they give love, time and often money to children who are not "theirs". Stepdads usually deal with children who want their biological dad back, who often try to drive a wedge between them and mom. Yet millions of stepdads tip-toe through the minefields of rejection, advisers to mom with neither pay or authority.

In thirteen years of researching Father and Child Reunion, my biggest surprise was the effectiveness of single dads. Around the world, children brought up by single dads do better on twenty-six different areas of measurement (academic, psychological, social and physical health) than children brought up by single moms. Caveat. This does not mean that men are better fathers than women are mothers-single dads in the year 2000 are similar to female doctors in the 1950s: exceptionally motivated; and single dads have higher incomes, more education, and are older than their single mom counterparts. One reason, though, that children do so much better with single dads is ironic-they are more likely to have contact with their moms and feel better about their moms than vice-versa. Their dads are more likely to make sure that they have, in effect, two parents.

If dads are more effective than we may have thought, a new question arises. Exactly what makes them so effective? Conversely, if they are so effective, why are both the intact family and joint physical custody even more effective than a family with dad alone? As they say, "all that and more…" in Part II.

*Warren Farrell, Ph.D., is a San Diego-based author of Father and Child Reunion (2001), which contains the sources for each of the points in this article. He has also written Why Men Are The Way They Are and Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say, a Book of the Month Club selection, as well as The Myth of Male Power. A lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego, he has been elected three times to the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in New York City. For more about Dr. Farrell or his books, see http://www.warrenfarrell.com/.

My Son's First Shootout

2011-06-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I were itching to get out into the woods in a bad way, so we threw some sandwiches together, tossed some guns into the truck, and stopped to get some drinks on our way out to the hills above Greenwater.

Another objective for the afternoon was to get my dad's rifle sighted in, verify the repairs I made to Lindsay's Henry Golden Boy, and test out the difference it would make to shoot Lindsay's New Heritage Rough Rider SA .22 with the front sight painted a contrasting aluminum color.

To be on the safe side, we brought the "play prison" (as we call it) so the children could be corralled while the guns were out. After all, safety is of the utmost importance. As an aside, in the pic, you can see me wearing my new electronic earmuffs. These were nice because I could hear everything that was going on around me (an important consideration with kids), but the sounds of the rifles were attenuated to reasonable hearing levels when - and only when - firing.

Well, after spending 15-20 minutes getting Dad's old .22 sighted in, I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to get my son behind a .22 rifle. I've been wanting to take him shooting ever since he was born, but for obvious reasons, I never have. Well, he's three years old now, and there is no reason he can't be given the opportunity to fire a .22 rifle - if for nothing else, for the sake of being able to say that his daddy took him out to shoot when he was only three years old. But of course, if he is capable of pulling the trigger, it is time to start planting the fundamental seeds of gun safety in his brain so when he is old enough for his first rifle, he'll be ready to shoot just like his dad.

So, I loaded 10 rounds up in the Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine and got set up. I had brought a lawn chair (used for sighting in dad's rifle). so I used it to sit in so Michael could stand between my legs and I could control the muzzle of the gun while he did all the hard work of pulling the trigger and making it go boom! Yeah, hard work indeed! Well Michael blasted 10 rounds of .22 lr pretty fast, so we switched to a different magazine.

This time, I loaded up the Ruger factory 25rd magazine and let him take a crack at it. Of course, all Michael was interested in doing was pulling the trigger, laughing at the report of the weapon, and watching the spent brass fly out from the receiver. What can you say? He really likes the little things. Michael can't be troubled with actually aiming a gun - not yet at least. I wanted him to get a small taste for what a gun actually does. After all, I've been teaching him the visible parts of guns; now it is time to put my money where my mouth is and let this kid get some lead down range. He loved every second of it. And Lindsay liked getting a picture of Michael shooting a gun with a "banana clip" installed. Oh, the facebook controversy she wanted to wreak with the photo above. Yeah, not so much controversy; as of this writing there are only two replies that read something like "how cute" and "it looks like he is having fun" with a whopping two likes. So much for controversy, LOL! Either way, I knew Michael would like shooting with a "nanner clip" so that's what he did.

Well, not to be finished with shooting so early in the afternoon, Michael decided that he wanted to try the more powerful 17 HMR from Lindsay's Henry Golden Boy. So, after about 9 shots from me, he came up and begged for a crack at it. I let him have a shot. He didn't know what to think at first because he was expecting a shell to eject, but didn't because the Golden Boy is a lever gun. That's all fine and well. Lindsay also let him fire a round from it when it was her turn to shoot.

I could see that Michael was getting very interested in the whole subject, so I also let him try out the NH Rough Rider SA .22 revolver that Lindsay bought a few years ago. After seeing how well he did with it, I believe I know what his first pistol is going to be. He really enjoyed it. Even after switching cylinders and shooting .22 magnums, Michael seemed to enjoy the revolver a lot.

Michael behaved well too. He stayed behind us while shooting, stayed put when told to, kept his hearing protection on the entire time, and demonstrated the willingness to shoot. So, I think I'll take him out again a few more times this year to get him used it is some more. Plus, maybe we can work on some of that aiming that he doesn't quite get yet. Oh but he will. Next on the menu are going to be balloons that pop, soda bottles that explode, and soup cans that will fall off the fence post when he connects. With all of this fun will come a lot of lessons in firearm safety that will be delivered the way my dad taught me - bit by bit and in a fun way that is easy to understand. Hopefully, by the time he's five years old, he'll be ready for that Henry Youth gun I'm eyeballing right now.

-James

ThePocketHolster - Testing In Progress

2011-06-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Nearly a month ago, I received ThePocketHolster from TPH for testing and evaluation. Knowing I'd run it through its paces and find every unfair circumstance I could throw at it, Jason over at ThePocketHolster was confident that if anyone could find a serious flaw in his new second generation holster design, it would be me. Indeed, I haven't been doing this holster any favors. I've been wearing tighter fitting relaxed jeans instead of my normal loose fit dungarees. I've been wearing with and without the anti-print panel in a variety of carry methods, which I'll discuss in a bit. I've been drawing from it a lot, getting it wet, subjecting it to sweat and humidity, wide temperature variations, and I even left it sitting on the dashboard of my truck in direct sunlight for the better part of an afternoon. In essence, I've been abusing this holster and showing it no mercy. I've subjected it to more than most people would do. I've crawled around under my truck, dragging this holster (in my pocket) between the ground and myself, sitting on it for rear pocket carry, getting chainsaw bar oil, gear oil, motor oil, coolant, and all kinds of dirt and crap on it (as it bleeds through the denim in my jeans and fabric of my coveralls). ThePocketHolster has held up amazingly. In fact, the only real victim in all this torture testing has been the Ruger LCP that rides in it, and it developed a bit of surface rust on the laser engraved LCP lettering on the slide. But that's nothing a little Break Free CLP and a toothbrush can't fix. What we really want to know is, how has ThePocketHolster faired in all this?

Quite well.

Aside from a couple of wear marks, in the photo above, the holster has done well for itself. The coloration is still there and it is still rich as ever. I have noticed that the "ears" have flattened to a degree; the one that contacts my body in the pocket has flattened more than the outward one. I imagine that with more rear pocket/anti-print panel wear, the other one will flatten a bit too. But this was to be expected. Oh yes, Jason from TPH said he anticipated this and that's why he made them as pronounced as they are. That way, when the do flatten out, they will still have a bit of a flare to push off with your thumb.

ThePocketHolster next to the Ruger LCP. You can see some wear marks in places the LCP controls and grip ride, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Okay, let's talk about what we all want to talk about. How does it carry? Does it print? Well, we'll get to that in a second here, but I need to stress something very important with regards to printing. When I wear my cheapo Costco special Kirkland jeans, the pockets are a little on the tight side. There's not much room to get my hand in them and the seat area around to the front pockets wear on my body fairly snug. They are comfortable jeans, but they don't give ThePocketHolster a snowball's chance in hell when it comes to not printing. Even my LCP in the pocket alone prints. So, adding material through a leather holster only serves to make it thicker, thereby printing a bit more. What we are concerned with is HOW DOES IT PRINT?

So, how does it print? It looks like a wallet. With the anti-print panel in place, it looks like a wallet in my back pocket. With the panel removed, and the holster situated for front pocket carry, it looks like it's probably a cellphone. ThePocketHolster breaks up the gun profile well enough that it doesn't resemble much of anything. And yes, even in my so-called "skinny" jeans, it is hard to tell a gun is there in the first place because I've found the sweet spot in the pocket to make the whole thing disappear.

I was in Costco today wearing my newly bought Union Bay cargo shorts (which I also bought at Costco - Imagine that). I hated the way the whole thing rode in the cargo pocket on the side. The pocket is too big, it allows the whole gun and holster to flop around and with the 12 ounces (with bullets) swinging down by my knees, I just wasn't feeling very confident about the whole thing. So, I moved my lighter and smaller wallet into one of the zippered security pockets on the side and put ThePocketHolster and the LCP in my back pocket with the anti-print panel facing out away from me. I asked my wife if she could tell where I was carrying and she guessed one of the cargo pockets. She didn't even think that the LCP and TPH were in my rear pocket. She said she thought it was my wallet; AND SHE WAS LOOKING FOR THE GUN!!!

The lay person, who is not concerned with firearms, concealed carry, or anything related to the gun culture won't even notice. Of course, the white t-shirt I was wearing might have been a dead giveaway since it says, "I support the 2nd Amendment" with a big American Flag on the back, but since I wasn't carrying my normal SR9c IWB, the most logical place to look (my hip) would produce nothing but a love handle where a gun butt should be. Yeah, I did that on purpose because I did not want the distraction of my SR9c to take away from my testing of TPH in the back pocket of these shorts. The material is also fairly thin, you know for summertime wear. Again, the pockets on these shorts (the front pockets) are small and tightly cut to the body so that even my spare magazine prints. So, I decided not to front pocket carry with these and it would be really obvious that "something" was in that pocket, and it was the reasonable location someone with a shred of intelligence would have looked, considering I was clearly not carrying IWB and could not sport an ankle holster with tennis shoes and low cut socks.

I've also carried in the Napoleon security pocket in my lightweight Columbia jacket. C'mon. There is no printing there at all. That was way too easy. And since the weather is getting warmer in the Pacific Northwest, it's kind of a moot point anyway.

So, the two main carry options are covered: front pocket and rear pocket carry. Rear pocket definitely looks like a large wallet, and you pretty much have to use the anti-print panel for that since it not only aids in the deception, but locates the weapon so it doesn't rotate around behind your butt. Front pocket carry is great for even my tighter fitting jeans, but the anti-print panel (APP) needs to be removed to make it less obvious. Now, don't get all uppity about having to remove and reinstall the panel for different types carry. Depending on what gun I'm carrying and how I'm carrying, I have to make small adjustments to different clothing, belt, holsters, etc that take a few extra seconds anyway, and I can remove or install the APP on TPH in less than 30 seconds. Of course, you do need a flat blade screwdriver, but you do have a small pocket knife on your key chain don't you? If not, read this. Just make sure not to lose the Chicago screws.

While testing is nowhere near complete (I haven't abused this holster enough yet), I am pleased to say that this holster is holding up rather well and is taking everything I've thrown at it so far in stride. So, keep reading because I'm not done with this evaluation.

-James

Batoning Wood With The Fallkniven A1 Survival Knife

2011-06-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

I had to go over to my dad's house today and help him saw up the last of the wood left over from this gigantic tree he had chopped down. With limbs and branches the size of small trees, we had our work cut out for us. After finishing up the task at hand, I remembered that my Fallkniven A1 survival knife was in my truck. Funny, the FLIP camera was also there. This gave me an idea.

I had only batoned wood a couple of times before, but never on camera. I figured that going after a piece of unseasoned Douglas Fir might be a good little test for this knife. So, I took a small round and made kindling out of it.

It really wasn't that strenuous at all, and I prefer this method over a hatchet any day. It's akin to conducting open heart surgery with a scalpel vs. a sledgehammer. The knife did a great job of making small pieces that would help get any fire going. The best part is that there was no swinging blade and I didn't break a sweat.

-James

Working Mom

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. "What the heck is this entry about?" I don't normally write about this type of social issue, but my wife gets plenty of grief from her peers about the fact that she chooses to work, and have a career while being a mother. Some women, who are the champions at being stay at home mothers (otherwise women who don't have jobs while their husband provides all the income) seem to give women like my wife crap for her decision to spend 40 hours of her week working to help augment the income in our house by working a job. Somehow, they rationalize, it takes away from her ability to be a good mother to her children because she is not spending every waking minute (it seems) coddling and taking care of her kids.

I call BS on that argument!

Now, I'm not going to get philosophical or go into exquisite detail on how I feel; I mostly want my wife to know that I support her and am proud of her for the kind of mother she is. Lindsay works, yes. She has a normal 9-5 type of job that puts a decent chunk of money into our bank account each month. No, she doesn't make as much as me, but she makes enough so that our lives are better through financial security. Her money doesn't buy happiness, but is sure makes dealing with life a lot easier for us, as we do not struggle (financially speaking) nearly as much as some of our counterparts.

I also feel it is good for a person, man or woman, mother or father, to get out into the workplace and deal with their peers on a professional level. I know there is only so much I can take of those play-date groups and such, and there is only so much jibber jabber I can take from my 1 1/2 year old before I start yearning for an adult conversation from someone else - be it professional or just talking about guns or cars. Having a demanding job or career helps keep your mind sharp, focused, and grounded in the real world. When I hear these hens at church talk about working moms in a negative light, I feel pity for them because they obviously aren't living in the real world today. Oh sure, they may have gotten away with it back in the 50's when cars only cost $2,500 and a house went for $24,000, but in this over-inflated economy, a two-income household is oftentimes necessary, unless you want to live in a tiny house on a shoestring budget, waiting for the next WIC check to arrive.

Oh and another thing. If you are getting support from WIC or some other form of welfare, and you are capable of working, but don't... GET A JOB!!!

The time my wife spends away from our kids, like the time I spend away from my kids, is well worth whatever "sacrifice" that may come from being away for 8 hours a day. The fact that we have the financial capacity to get them superior health care without blowing our budget to hell is, by itself, worth every bit of sacrifice.

And it's not like our kids are being shipped off to some daycare, where they sit in a chair and wait to be fed in an assembly line fashion. No. Our kids are with their grandparents, which is beneficial to all involved. My parents get to see our kids often, the kids are loved by more than just mommy and daddy, and my wife gets the break long enough to fulfill her professional commitments and help keep the gears of this family well lubed.

Now, I know I'm ripping this off from someone, and for that I apologize, but it is so brilliant. If Lindsay spends 40 hours of the week working, what is she doing with the other 128 hours? Oh yeah, being a stay at home mom, duh! The kids come home just about the time she gets off work, and from there, she removes her career persona and picks up her mom persona. She still spends more time in a week (4 times as much) being a loving nurturing mother and parent to our children. Being a mother (heck, being a parent) is not a 9-5 job at all. It's a 24/7/365 type of deal. Don't think for a second that Lindsay would hesitate to leave work early to take care of an emergency with our kids.

I'd pit my wife's attention to detail and mothering (nurturing, care, love, devotion, etc) up against a stay-at-home mother any day. From our experiences with our son, daughter, all the books on her shelf, the overwhelming online resources she accesses, and the fact that she is willing to go to hell and back for our kids makes her the best of mothers in my opinion, and she leads by example by instilling a sense of responsibility because my kids see a mother that works for a living, and makes money with her time instead of going to play dates, watching The View and stroking herself for being so great because she stays at home listening to toddler babble all day long.

My wife is intelligent, diverse, a pleasure to be around, funny, sarcastic, very cerebral, and she takes upon herself the responsibility of working to provide a means for this family to be financially stable and secure. The health care benefits that she is able to receive from working in the health care industry take a huge burden off our shoulders because it is very inexpensive for her to insure the entire family.

Could she be a stay at home mom? Well, let me rephrase that, since she already is a stay at home mom 75% of the time anyway. Could she be an unemployed non-contributing member of society? Sure. We could do it. I make enough to keep us afloat. But we'd really have to pare down everything we have since we do live as though we are making more money that those who don't. Hey, it's just the nature of the beast. You make more, you spend more. Yeah, I don't think I'd give up living in a big comfortable house, suffer myself to pay out $500 or more a month in health care insurance, and put myself on a budget so tight that every single dollar has to be thought out and planned. Nope, that's not for me. And it would drive my wife crazy. Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness never had any to begin with. I'm here to tell ya, there was a time when Lindsay and I made very little money. In fact, our combine incomes were a little less than I make by myself now. From those experiences, and not having kids at the time, living in that tiny house, operating on a budget that made a shoestring look appealing, I would never choose to live like that again.

They say that financial problems are the number 1 cause of divorce in this country. I'd believe it. As much strife and drama as having no cash caused in our early years, I'd be amazed if financial problems weren't the number 1 cause. So why cause strife in the relationship over something so seemingly trivial as money? Because money isn't trivial. This is business. Marriage, among other things, is a business arrangement. And business is in the business of making money. Money is the grease that keeps the gears of this relationship turning. Love is an idea - an emotion. Love doesn't put food on the table or gas in the car's fuel tank. Love doesn't send my son to speech therapy (love plants the idea of sending him to therapy - money makes it happen). I'm sorry if you don't feel this way... sorry for you. People who allow themselves to become impoverished and suffer as a result, then live in the denial that somehow it is for the greater good are fools, and living that lifestyle is a fool's errand. You can stand on your moral soapbox all you want and proclaim how apostate and evil we are for sending our kids to their relatives for a time each work day, but in the end, we are building a better life for ourselves and our family. The money my wife makes with her sacrifice allows us to put ourselves in a place where we can put our kids through college, live in a house large enough to spread out and not be cluttered and confined, allows us to spend more time together on vacations away from the humdrum of life, and enjoy a few creature comforts in between. Are my kids spoiled? Probably. If you can provide them with a better life, then why not?

Kudos to my wife for working. I wish more people would work.

-James

Henry Golden Boy With Some New Bling!

2011-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

After posting online that I was completely satisfied with the service I received from Henry Repeating Arms, a member of one of the forums I frequent sent me a new barrel band for Lindsay's Golden Boy. It had a black band on it before, and it just didn't seem right with it. So, after I replaced the firing pin, I installed the new bling onto the fore end of the handguard. It looks a lot more balanced now.

-James

Watch For Updates!

2011-06-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

Kevin Next to The 550lb GM 14 Bolt Rear Axle

Everyone thinks that I have nothing but guns on the brain, but that just isn't true. For awhile, I took a hiatus from shooting, and focused on turning my 1990 Dodge Ramcharger into something as bad-azz as it looks. It's been a couple of years since the Raminatrix has received any attention, so I bought it a present; a new set of axles.

Well, "new" is such a relative term. These axles are off a 1973 Chevy 3/4 ton truck. Wait! Chevy axles? You got it! How many Ramchargers have you seen sporting a GM 14 bolt in the rear? Not many I'd imagine. This 550 lb hunk of iron came at the right price, and it will be easily modified to suit my needs. Though my needs are few, This axle comes with two of them already in place: full floating axle shafts and 4.10:1 gears. Before it goes under my truck, it will receive a disc brake conversion (to shave approx 100 lbs from it). Eventually, a locker will be installed, but I need to upgrade my wheels and tires to make it work.

So, what of the front? It's simply a Dana 44 with the same 8-lug bolt pattern on the hubs as the rear. It also has 4:10:1 gears. Additionally, the CAD (central axle disconnect) is non-existant on it. Instead, it utilizes manual locking hubs at each wheel end, which is what I want as well. Another bonus is that the tie rod and axle have integrated brackets for a steering stabilizer shock (the axle on my Ramcharger also has a steering stabilizer, but I had to install the brackets with u-bolts; kind of ghetto-fabulous).

The new axles will be sending power out to 35" tall tires, which have yet to be determined, and will feature 16" wheels, which are also to be determined. I think the most expensive part of this upgrade will be the tires and wheels. The front axle will remain stock, for the most part. Upgraded axle u-joints and better locking hubs are on the menu for it.

Stay tuned for this, as these axles are cleaned, prepped and installed under the Raminatrix.

Why Raminatrix? Because, the Ramcharger's fuel economy, like The Matrix, doesn't really exist.

-James

It Was An Accident... No, Really!

2011-06-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've been considering a pair of electronic earmuffs for awhile. The other day, I was checking out prices and reviews and happened to come across Howard Leight Impact Sport earmuffs. The pricing on these is a bit peculiar because I've seen earmuff prices in the $20-$30 range, and above $75, but nothing really in the $50 range. I decided to do some more digging and found a few rock solid video reviews online from actual users, one of which can be seen on many videos wearing them in the Utah heat, rain, blizzard, and everything else I've seen him in. He'd been wearing them for over a year now and highly recommended them as a "high value" item. Of course, high value means so many things to so many people, but for me it means that I get a lot of bang for my buck. It typically means, for me, that while the item I receive may not be the most fantastic item on the market, it is still impressive enough to purchase on a working man's budget and use for a long time.

I've already determined that earmuffs in the $20-$30 price range are out of the picture. I've read too many negative reviews relating to bad noise attenuation, electronic feedback, bad frequency issues, and worst of all, some do not shut off the microphone until after the gunshot is heard by the user. That's a deal breaker for me. After all, what's the point of electronic earmuffs if they do not shut off a gunshot blast before it reaches the internal speakers?!

Anyway, I was on Amazon.com and went through the process of purchasing, just so I can see how much it would cost to ship to my house. When I clicked away, I must've accidentally hit the enter key or clicked on the confirmation. I had closed the page before it refreshed and said "confirmed." Of course, the confirmation email came, but for some reason it filtered into my junk mail folder. I guess these muffs wanted to be bought. It wasn't until my wife told me - a few days later - that I bought them. Of course, I went upstairs to check my computer and sure enough, there was a confirmation email in the junk mail folder, LOL!

So, my new earmuffs are on their way. Like it or not, here they come.

-James

Kudos To Henry Repeating Arms

2011-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

While out shooting last week, the Wifenator's Henry Golden Boy (17HMR) experienced a failure to fire. We attempted to shoot an entire magazine worth of 17HMR through it without success - no primer strikes. I put the gun away to be inspected/repaired after the trip.

A week later, I found some time to get the gun torn down and inspected. Ever so carefully, I lifted the mirror-polished brass receiver cover away from the gun to reveal the bolt carrier, hammer, main spring, trigger assembly, and lever.

It didn't take me long to find the culprit. The firing pin broke near the tip. It could have been anything. It could have been a dry fire, overcharged round, crud causing a catastrophic interference fit - really it could have just been worn out. As an aside, this gun gets a lot of use on our shooting trips; it is my wife's favorite gun to shoot, and it has become one of my favorites as well. Side note: We don't intentionally dry fire this gun, but it does happen occasionally.

I was able to get the firing pin off the bolt carrier. I inspected the breech face, but saw nothing. Either the firing pin doesn't contact the breech face (non interference), or the firing pin punches out in the gaping hole designated for the cartridge. Either way, it does not appear the dry firing was the cause. I do, however, recall that the last shot she firing from it (before realizing it broke) seemed a little overcharged.

After a thorough cleaning and inspection of the rest of the firearm (to make sure the tip o the pin wasn't hiding somewhere inside the guts), I bagged up the bolt carrier and associated parts of the firing pin group.

I called Henry Repeating Arms this morning and spoke to a very nice woman on the other end. I told her the circumstances and asked how I would go about purchasing a new firing pin, firing pin retaining pin, and firing pin spring. She asked for some personal information (phone number, name, address) and said that they would be shipped out later today. I asked her if I needed to provide her with a credit card number, and she said that the part that broke is part of their limited lifetime warranty.

I asked her about dry firing, and she stated that occasional DF should not hurt the gun, but excessive DF will. Well, I can count on maybe two hands how many times that gun has experienced a DF in the thousands of rounds we have put down range, so I'm left to conclude it was fatigue, faulty materials, etc. She agreed and said she was sending me two firing pins, so I will have a spare. <----- Awesome!!!

Either way, Henry rifles are great guns. They are beautiful, fun to shoot, made in the good ole USA and customer service is top notch! I definitely have another Henry on my list of guns to buy and US companies to support - again!

-James

Die! Elmo Die!

2011-05-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

I think the title explains it all.

-James

Ruger SR-556E

2011-05-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

When Ruger introduced its SR556 AR15 style rifle, I was excited to say the least. A two-stage piston driven AR15 with high quality Troy components surely caught my eye, but then so did the price. With a MSRP of $1995, the street price couldn't be lower than $1400, but that was still more than I wanted to pay at the time. Additionally, I had just purchased a Rock River Arms CAR 15 style carbine and was tapped out for cash.

Now that Ruger has had the SR-556 on the market for a while, the market has responded and it turns out that I wasn't the only one who didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for this rifle. So, they introduced the E model, as in SR-556E. I guess E stands for economy or something. The difference between the E model and the regular model is that some of the extras on the regular model have been stripped off this rifle in order to attract buyers who don't necessarily want all the extra stuff that is bolted to the regular SR-556.

For instance, the most dramatic change is in the handguard accessory rail. On the original SR-556, there is a Troy quad rail handguard, with enough space to mount your optics, lights, lasers, etc. The SR-556 also features folding Troy backup iron sights - a very high quality sight setup. The other obvious distinction is the Ruger license Hogue pistol grip on the SR-556.

The SR-556E has had all of these things changed. Gone is the quad rail in favor of a slimmer handguard with a full length rail at the 12 o'clock position only. However, Ruger is banking on customers purchasing the less expensive model and then wanting to add stuff later, so they offer rail sections that you can bolt on to existing holes to customize to your liking - and I like that. Additionally, they did away with sights completely. Many customers want to mount optics on the guns and have no need for irons. But a decent set of iron sights can be had anyway, and you can now buy whatever you want instead of getting what Ruger says you'll get. Lastly, the rubberized pistol grip has been replaced with a standard Mil-Spec plastic grip.

Where it all counts is the same, however. The chrome-plated two-stage piston setup is still there. The 16.5" barrel with flash hider is the same, minus the chrome lining. I'm on the fence about that. My RRA isn't chrome lined either and it holds up well. However, you can add a chrome lined barrel at a later time. The buttstock is the same. All the other guts are the same on this E model. Essentially, it is the same rifle, minus a few accessories.

What grabs my attention more than anything else, however, is the price. Ruger's MSRP for this stripped down economical SR-556E is only $1369; a big $626 reduction over the original weapon. This is very good news, as street value is usually $400-$500 less than MSRP. Now, we're talking about a great weapon for a very down to earth price that even us average JOES (who don't use credit cards to buy our guns) can enjoy.

The part I really like about this is the opportunity to build it how I want it without having to remove other stuff. Buying the regular SR-556 would be akin to buying a fully restored and modified muscle car. Sure, it's cool as hell, but it's not exactly what you would have done, given the chance. Getting the SR-556E would be more like getting a fully restored bone stock classic and then having the opportunity bolt on a goody here, add horsepower there, etc but it is still cool as it sits. I like that.

With any luck, I can make getting this gun early next year's project.

-James

Kershaw Needs Work 1820GRY - The Unsung Hero of My Collection

2011-05-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Normally, when I look at knife reviews, I read and watch a lot of stuff about tactical this and tactical that or something about blades that look to fragile to work in the real world, but are really pretty. I read a lot about EDC, or everyday carry knives, and decided that the knife to your left doesn't get enough attention, and I figure I might do my part to bring it to light.

Enter the unsung hero of my knife collection - the Kershaw Needs Work 1820GRY. At first glance, you see that it is not shaped like most other knives at all. With a really large handle, funky dip on the spine of the blade, and a straight blade profile, you're probably thinking that this is one of the weirdest looking EDC knives you can buy. And I'll admit that it is not the prettiest knife in the world, but what it lacks in form, it more than makes up for in function.

First off, the specs. The Needs Work is a 3.5 ounce knife with a straight 3" blade that features a Speed Safe assisted opening system, which allows this knife to flick open as fast as a switchblade with minimal effort from the user. In fact, when I pull this knife from my pocket, I can flip the blade open before anyone around me knows I just pulled out a fantastic utility knife. This knife also features a locking liner to keep it opened and a belt clip to keep it in place when not needed.

Now, let's think for a moment about how such a knife is used. Well, I carry it at work, and I use it everyday. In fact, I probably find the need to use this knife almost every hour when I'm on the job site. A lot of guys at work carry around those utility knives with the disposable razor blades, and they will talk about how great they are, but from my experience with said knives, they aren't as great as you would think. Oh sure, the utility knives are good for cutting box tops or getting into things, but when you need a knife that can get around the sheathing on a piece of 0000 electrical cable, or cut a 1 1/2" rubber hose quickly, or to have something with more than 1/2" of blade at the very tip, you will come to appreciate the Needs Work knife.

The handle is large, and provides plenty of contact area for your hand, which helps out with those cutting jobs that require you to put some muscle into what you are doing. When I'm slicing around a piece of cable, I like to have that large handle secured in my palms so the knife doesn't slip. The finger grooves on the bottom are pronounced, but are not too deep, as to become a hindrance. In the words of Goldilocks, it's just right.

The blade, probably the most unique and useful utility blade out there for under $50, is a field service technician's best friend. The long 3" FLAT profile gives a lot of real estate for the work you are doing. Curved blades are okay for general work, but a flat blade makes the knife more consistent when you are using it. Plus, the flat profile is very easy to sharpen. The back of the blade dips down and seems to flow back up before coming down to the point. What pictures of the side don't show is how thick the spine of this blade is where it swoops down. it is the thickest part of the blade, and remains that thickness all the way to where it turns down toward the tip, providing an excellent location for your thumb to go when cutting around things. If you grip the blade in your hand, with your thumb facing the point, you can feel the ergonomics and it gives a very good sense of control in the hand. Rotate your hand over like you were to use a scalpel, and you now have a nice pad for your index finger to rest on, giving you the precision needed to do fine cutting jobs. Additionally, the flat blade makes it very easy to manipulate the knife at the tip because it doesn't curve upwards at all. There is also a little jimping toward the top back of the blade for those times when you want your thumb back on the handle instead of out over the blade. Indeed, it appears that Kershaw has thought of everything with this knife.

The locking liner makes up part of the knife's frame structure and positively locks the knife blade open. I have yet to get it to fail. There is also a little jimping on the movable portion of the lock so you get get a grip on it to close. The design makes it easy to close this knife with one hand.

The clip is beefy and is retained with two little torx screws. Mine has yet to loosen up and I've been carrying this thing into the field everyday for 4 years. The name brand KERSHAW is also laser engraved into the clip. As an aside, the name of the knife and MADE IN USA are proudly imprinted on the blade.

There are 6 torx screws that hold this knife together; there are three per side. Of those, the blade fulcrum are the largest of the screws and help retain the blade with almost no end play. The 4 smaller screws hold the knife from the spine and tie the entire thing together. It's a very strong design.

I'm on my second Needs Work knife. My first one was retired from field service work after I accidentally dropped it from 15 feet right onto the tip of the blade. From then on, the knife had what I called "the raptor claw" because it did chip the end a bit. But there was still 2 3/4" of blade left, so it soldiered on for the rest of the year (I carried to for almost a year with a busted tip) until I broke down and bought the one I have now. As a word of note, I still have the broken one. It's in my garage and finds use every time I'm working out there. I didn't just toss the knife. It still works great and refuses to die, even though I dish out relentless punishment for it.

While I don't normally lend out my knives, I've let a couple coworkers use it in my presence for a quick job. Everyone comments on how nicely it feels and how sharp it is. Of course, the next question is always "Where did you get it and how much?"

I think I paid a little on the high side for mine. $50 out the door off the Snap-On truck. But the Kershaw website lists it as $64, so I don't feel bad. Even at $64, I wouldn't feel bad at all because this knife brings to the table great value for the user. It is definitely the most useful of all my knives.

-James

Official Ruger LC9 Range Report

2011-05-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

On May 22, 2011, I took my newly acquired Ruger LC9 out to the woods for a shakedown test. I also brought along some other guns for comparison: the Ruger SR9, SR9c, and LCP. I will do a comparison post at another time. For this entry, I want to focus on the Ruger LC9.

First, off, let's talk about ergonomics. The LC9 is a slim gun with a very slim grip and profile. It is contoured to fit the hand pretty well. For me, it is a good feel. The gun is effortless to point and hold out. The gun aims naturally for me, and a lot of this has to do with things like the grip angle, width, etc. The controls are all within easy reach, so I don't have to try hard to get to them during operation of the weapon. Everything is within easy reach and is familiar.

The magazine is a single stacked 9mm with a finger extension for the end of the grip. You can also get it with a flat plate instead, but I prefer the extension for my large hands. As an aside, I have not noticed the extension sticking out during concealed carry on my SR9c. The LC9 magazine itself is easy to load, and holds 7 rounds. The magazine has holes in it as well as numbers to quickly show you how many rounds are left in the magazine. Since it is a single stack magazine, it too is very slim and low profile - not bulky like double stacked magazines for larger guns. It hides well in a jacket pocket and isn't heavy at all, even loaded.

The sights on this gun are perfect. They feature 3-dot drift adjustability and are easy to see and sight down on the target. They are also curved, rounded, and radiused so they will be less likely to snag on clothing or gear (or anything else for that matter), which is a nice touch. There are no sharp edges on them to speak of. As far as sighting goes, I'm fairly accurate with it. While I wasn't shooting paper this time out, I was shooting at clay pigeons, which are about 3-4" in diameter. I was shooting at a combination of ranges from 7 to 20 yards. At 7 yards, I had no problem putting the bullets where I wanted, but at 15 or so yards, the gun was shooting a touch low. No problem, I simply covered the targets with the front sight and they disappeared as I pulled the trigger.

The trigger on this gun is metal. I mentioned that because the LCP trigger is plastic. Additionally, the trigger has a long double action style trigger pull, but it is smooth all the way through. The gun broke clean and I didn't really feel any over travel when shooting it. A word of note here: In order to reset the trigger after the shot breaks, you need to let it almost all the way out. Otherwise, it will not reset and the gun won't fire. It's not something you think about though during normal operation. Most of the time, I just released it completely and went on shooting. Staging this trigger is very important for accurately aimed shots. Rapid fire on this gun revealed a lot of controllability, as illustrated in my video, where I shot a 1 gallon milk jug at social distances 7 times as fast as I could pull the trigger. Overall, I'm satisfied with the trigger on the LC9.

This brings me to my next part: recoil. Recoil wasn't bad in this gun. Granted, I'm a walking recoil absorbing machine and will make almost anything look tame, but I'm here to tell you that the recoil on the LC9 wasn't harsh or bad at all. It is brisk. I will give it that. But a brisk recoil is nothing to fear. It just doesn't have the typical push that my heavier 9mm guns have. The LC9 definitely barks when fired. Again, it's nothing to fear, nor is it punishing. It is actually quite pleasant.

Mechanically, this gun handled almost flawlessly. I do have to say that there were a couple times that the slide did not hold open after the last round was fired from the magazine, and it threw me off. But overall, it acted predictably. It did not experience a single failure to feed, extract, or fire. It consistently throws the spent cases over to the right of where I stand when shooting, and they are not all over the place. I will be watching the hold open in the future to determine if maybe a magazine is at fault or if it is the slide lock itself. Overall, it's not a big concern at the moment.

I have another shooting trip coming up Memorial Day weekend and will have another opportunity to shoot the LC9 and continue testing. Perhaps I'll have some paper targets to shoot at as well. Either way, there will definitely be more videos featuring my LC9 in the future.

Oh yes, I also indicated in an early entry that I removed the magazine disconnect. This has not affected the function or performance of the LC9 in a bad way at all. Since I removed the disconnect before firing, I cannot compare the trigger to what it might have been before. However, as it is a piece of metal that slides against the trigger's fulcrum, I can only imagine that it doesn't do any good for accuracy at all. Either way, I'm glad I took it out.

Look for another report and more videos in the future!

-James

Ruger LC9 First Shots

2011-05-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Long awaited and finally, my LC9 takes its maiden voyage in the hills of Capitol Forest.

-James

Magazine Disconnect Getting You Down?

2011-05-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking: "What the heck is a magazine disconnect?!" Well, today is your lucky day. The answer to the burning question of the days (as of a few seconds ago to you) is about to be answered by yours truly.

A magazine disconnect is a "safety device" that renders a gun inoperable if the weapon's magazine (also known in the Hollywood movie community as a "clip") is removed from the gun. It is a lawyer's wet dream of a device, developed so gun manufacturers don't get sued when some moron removes a magazine and suddenly decides his gun is unloaded prior to checking the chamber, and then pulls the trigger. This little device will either make it so the trigger won't pull or so that the hammer or striker will not drop on a live round still left in the chamber by said gun toting moron.

In order to utilize this "safety feature" to its full potential, you must first do 4 very stupid things: 1, ASSume the gun is unloaded, and not check the chamber. 2, level the firearm at something you wish not to destroy (or just point the gun at anything - it really doesn't matter). 3, Put your finger on the trigger when you are not intending to fire. Lastly, 4, pull said trigger!

Ah, but if the gun is equipped with a magazine disconnect, Joe Blow Moronhead won't inadvertently blow his wife or daughter away. The gun will seize up and will not operate. The lawyer dreamt, mechanically engineered weapon interrupting device has just saved the day, and common sense may still be left on the floor, along with the gun owner's brain and safe gun handling habits.

I was cleaning my brand new Ruger LC9 the other day, and decided that I don't like the idea of a magazine disconnect in a self defense gun. With all the unknowns about self defense situations, having something in your gun that makes it not work just doesn't jive with me, especially when it disrupts the act of firing the weapon at the bad guy.

Now, we aren't talking about some mechanical safety device, externally mounted on the gun that you can switch on and off at will (as an aside, all my safeties are always off). We are talking about something that will turn your gun into an expensive rock if the magazine is either damaged or finds itself falling out at the worst possible moment.

You see, most semi-automatic handguns are fed from a magazine that is inserted into the bottom of the grip. Normally, a small button on the side of the grip where you thumb can easily activate it. By pressing this button, the magazine is released, allowing you to put another one in if you want. While, this mechanism is great for higher capacity, faster reloads, and gives the ability to quickly top off your gun, it also comes with its own major drawback; you can inadvertently press this button by mistake, or your holster can press it, or your clothing, or whatever. This inadvertent action pops the magazine out. It may not pop it out all the way, or it may pop it out completely. Either way, the magazine is no longer making positive contact with the weapon, which means it will not feed a fresh round in the gun after it is fired... that's assuming the gun will fire at all.

I demonstrated to my wife how this could happen. I drew my LC9 from a holster and intentionally pressed the magazine release mid-draw. The magazine flung out and hit the ground. With no magazine in the weapon, the trigger would not pull back, and theoretically speaking, the gun would not fire. Of course, the weapon was unloaded during this demonstration, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the gun was rendered useless at that point. My only choice in this scenario is to either attempt to retrieve the magazine that fell out or fish for a spare carried somewhere on my person. In a critical situation, where mere milliseconds count, trying to reload before getting at least one round off can take an eternity and may end your life.

If I was ever face to face with a bad guy, and had to draw my weapon, you know I'd be firing. Why? Because the only time the gun is coming out is when I have determined that my life is in imminent danger and I'm about to die or become a victim of some serious violence. Only then will the gun come out, and it is coming out for one reason - shoot to survive.

Losing a magazine during the draw is a long shot, but it is a shot. There's a chance of this happening, even if it is almost impossible to fathom. Should that happen to me (and I'm counting on Murphy's Law to work against me), I want the ability to still fire the round that is in the chamber before I take cover and reload.

"But James!!! It is a safety device!!!"

I've been shooting guns all my life. I've owned all kinds of guns with all kinds of safeties, and some with no safeties. How often do you see a safety on a revolver? Mine doesn't have one. The only safety it has is the matter between my ears. I don't go around pulling triggers on my guns, and have developed a habit of resting my trigger finger on the frame until I actually shoot the gun; you should too.

These so-called safety devices (magazine disconnect, loaded chamber indicator, manual safety, trigger safety, striker blocker, firing pin blocker, etc) have their place. In fact, I don't care that some of my guns have loaded chamber indicators or striker blockers, etc. I don't even care that they have externally mounted manual safeties. Even though I don't use them for myself, I use them when training others. Even magazine disconnects have their places in training guns or range guns, but not in self defense guns. When the shit hits the fan, you need every advantage you can count on, and a magazine disconnect is not an advantage. It is a hindrance.

The Ruger LC9 comes equipped with the magazine disconnect. Dissatisfied with this, I disassembled the gun, and removed it. Now, the LC9 will fire without a magazine. I get the benefit of knowing that I can get that one shot off if I need to, and I get the satisfaction of knowing that my gun is no longer dummied down so that even the people from the island of Stupid can handle it.

Remember. Safety is an attitude. It is not some device installed on your weapon to make your gun safe. Your gun is safe without all this crap hung from it. What makes guns unsafe is unsafe handling and bad habits. Don't develop bad habits. Stay safe. Remember, gun safety doesn't just keep you safe. It keeps everyone safe.

-James

Duke Nukem Forever

2011-05-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hail to the King, baby! Duke Nukem is back!

http://www.dukenukem.com/full/us/#/home

-James

The Pocket Holster... Video Review Part 1

2011-05-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

-James

The Pocket Holster - Revisited

2011-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Last year, I was given the opportunity to test and evaluate ThePocketHolster for thepocketholster.com. My initial impressions were very good, and I have worn this holster consistently for the last ten months in several carry methods. It has been a very good and durable holster. I have subjected it to more abuse than the average person will probably dish out. This holster has been soaked, scuffed, dropped, hung out to dry, subject to sweat, heat, cold, and drawn from a lot. To say this holster has held up pretty well would be an understatement. Indeed, it shows its wear and a couple of the anti-print panel’s corners have dog-eared a little bit, but it is a good leather holster, and continues to find the LCP residing in it. The simplicity of this design speaks to me. I like to keep things simple.

However, not everyone seemed as pleased with this holster as I. Some complained that it would not pass the “Raminator Shake Test,” as it became affectionately known by the folks over at TPH. Some LCP’s would fall out, and some would shake out. Others still complained that some of the neato features of my holster didn’t show up on theirs. Some of the detailed forming may or may not have shown up on newer holsters. Leather thicknesses became an issue, and overall stiffness didn’t seem to be as consistent as customers were expecting. Coupled with shipping issues, as the company experienced a very high volume of orders since Christmas 2010, lead times extended further out than the company originally expected. Additionally, trying to stock all the various colors was more difficult than expected, and that didn’t help matters.

Now enter the 2nd Generation, newly redesigned pocket holster. TPH made the change from cow leather (which can vary widely in thickness, stiffness, etc) and now offers their holster in bull leather, which TPH says will allow them to produce a more consistent holster with better stiffness and uniform retention while still maintaining its shape and appearance for a long time. The new leather should allow for less variance between holsters. So theoretically, the holster I receive should be about the same as the holster you receive.

Additionally, TPH changed from water based dyes to oil based dyes, which has something to do with better coloration without breaking down the leather as much, while penetrating the pores more evenly. They also dry their holsters in a timed and temperature controlled environment to achieve uniform shrinking of the leather without affecting the quality of the dyes or drying out the leather too much.

So what does all this leather speak mumbo jumbo mean to me, the leatherworking lay man? Well, if you’re like me, you want the biggest bang for your buck. You want a product that will last, and something that will do it while looking pretty good. Now, the beauty of leather is that as it ages and wears, it takes on a lot of character. Oh, the stories a quality leather holster could tell. Now, eventually it’ll all break down and stuff, but while you use it, it has to work.

For the purposes of this entry, I’m going to go over my initial impressions of this holster. I received my pocket holster in the mail and after opening the box it came in, I found it sealed up in a zip-loc style bag, sized for the holster. Nice touch. Everything in the box was neatly packed to reduce shipping bulk and keep everything in order for the customer to receive.

Without taking it out of the package, I could immediately tell the differences and changes made to this holster. For starters, my new holster is this matte black color and it is deep and rich. Up in the sunlight, the color is uniform across the holster, and the anti-print panel is shaded to an exact match. It looks very sharp.

After taking it out of the package, I could better inspect the construction of it. I don’t know how TPH cuts their leather, but it is smooth and consistent all the way around. Next thing is stiffness. Yeah, this bugger is very stiff, yet still flexible enough to get the LCP in and out of without any problems. I imagine that with use, the holster will soften up a bit, but a brand new holster should be stiff. While the main holster thickness is about the same or a little thicker than my other one, it feels more durable.

The real difference is in the thickness of the anti-print panel. It is almost twice as thick as the original! I’m guessing this is to address the dog-ear issue that my old pocket holster developed over many hours of holster use. As an aside, mind you that a lot of times, I just left my holstered LCP in my jacket pocket, so it was constantly being subjected to the force of the holster and loaded gun pushing down into the pocket, causing the panel to roll in on the corners and sides. Still, that’s to be expected from leather so thin. But I think this is why TPH made it thicker.

The muzzle end of the holster has also been tucked in. My old holster has the muzzle end wide open. I also imagine this is to address concerns about the gun possibly falling through or crap getting into the barrel. I’m not 100% sure on that, but that’s my best guess. Either way, it seems to tie in that part of the holster well.

The thumb push off tabs have been widened and stiffened to allow very easy thumb push off. There is a lot of room to get purchase on it and push. Once you get the LCP trigger guard clear of the holster retention point up front, it slides out very easily.

Since the leather is a bit stiffer and a little thicker. The pronounced controls imprinted on my old holster are not as visible and almost appear gone on the outside. You can still feel them on the inside, and that’s what counts. However, on the new holster, I can still see the trigger impression easily, and the takedown pin and barrel lug.

ThePocketHolster’s newly redesigned logo is imprinted proudly on the holster and the anti-print panel, and I think it looks good in real life. I wasn’t convinced originally from the pictures I saw online, but the impressions are hard to see on the computer. It looks nice now that I’ve seen it up close and personal.

The little Chicago screws have been relocated to a better location. The first is still sort of in the same place it was, but since the holster cut is more pronounced, it looks better. The one that really moved was the inner screw, and it moved from the outside more toward the middle of the holster, closer to the trigger guard. I can tell you now that pinching the holster together in that location WILL provide better retention for the pistol than trying to pinch it out as far as it used to be. Very good on TPH for that consideration. Additionally, moving the screw to the middle allows them to use one less grommet in the anti print panel, which in my opinion means that you have one less area for the thing to snag or tear from. The fewer holes in leather, the better!

TPH still champions simplicity by utilizing no stitching in the holster. They simply put the leather in the press and give it the squeeze. Give me a rivet, a bolt, a screw, or even a heavy staple over stitching any day. This follows my Keep It Super Simple mantra to perfection, and it is still the main reason I liked ThePocketHolster from the beginning.

My only real concerns are that the holster will print with that thick back panel. But honestly, it’ll look like a book or some smart phone holder – anything but a firearm in your pocket. The thick leather will also help it maintain a wallet shape in your back pocket.
The screws on my old holster would sometimes loosen up. I don’t know why. I probably couldn’t wrench on them since there’s nothing to grab on the smooth side. I solved this problem with blue loctite. Just be aware that it’s hard to unscrew them after you do that. There are some thread locking compounds that aren’t as extreme as loctite though. The way I see it, you are either going to use the print panel or you’re not. After fussing with taking it on and off, I eventually just left it on because it was more convenient that way. Therefore, locking the screws down made sense to me. If you don’t want to lock them down, just check them every once in a while. The screws come pretty tight from TPH.

Well, that’s about it for an “initial impression” review. Now, I’ll wear it awhile and tell you how it works out for me.

-James

If You Aren't Angry, You Aren't Paying Attention

2011-05-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

I just found this little gem online this morning and thought I'd share. Linky

Now that you've read the article, let me say that this law is painted with too broad a brush and goes too far. The 4th Amendment already covers this issue, as stated:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Under the 4th Amendment, the authorities still have the right to enter your home, but only with probable cause. We did not need another law to tell us that.

Unfortunately, what this Indiana law basically says is that if the police attempt to gain illegal access to your home, it is illegal for you to resist. You may file a lawsuit afterward, claiming your civil liberties have been violated. My problem is that your civil liberties need not be violated in the first place. What Indiana is doing is dumbing down the law, watering down inalienable rights, and giving the government wholesale freedom to do exactly what they want without good recourse.

Do you honestly think that a lawsuit against your local municipality will go anywhere? You'll be jammed up in the court system for a long time and then of course, they will always have something they can use against you. Let's be honest here. Even the most honest citizens are probably doing something or have something that is illegal. Heck, you could get arrested for having lawn darts in my state. That's right... lawn darts. The point is that if the police (and nothing against local cops per se) want to find something wrong, they will. Enterying a home without probable cause opens you up to all kinds of problems. Essentially, the police can enter your home and then can bring you up on phony allegations later.

Now, I understand the spirit of this law, and why it was written. Some folks actually believe this is for our own good and the good of the police. Unfortunately, the path to tyranny is paved with good intentions. We are becoming more and more a police state everyday. When people do not have the right to exercise the inalienable human rights that we should all have, we move closer and closer to a place I don't want to see us go.

Another angle on this is, what if someone dressed up like a police officer and demanded access to your home? It could happen. People get pulled over by phony cops on the freeway all the time. Who's to say some burglar doesn't go down to the local surplus store and buys a badge, some patches, a fake uniform, a belt & gun , and then comes a knockin' on your door? Do you not resist? Now you have a criminal entering your home, free of resistance to do what he or she wants to do. They could merely case the joint, or in the worst case scenario, rape you and kill you while they have you locked inside where no one can here you scream.

The point is that people need to stand up for what little rights we have left to proclaim loudly that this law is an injustice and an insult to good people everywhere.

If police witness a fight inside my house, then they might have probable cause. But coming into my house because my wife and I are arguing is hardly probable cause. Will they be preventing violence by violating my 4th amendment rights? Perhaps. But I feel that will be the exception more than the rule. People argue. That's human nature. Most people resolve arguments without violence. What this law does is add an unstable element to any situation and I feel will lead to more violence, and sadly, more cops being killed unecessarily.

-James