White House correspondents’ dinner

Complete coverage of the 2015 White House correspondents’ dinner - The Washington Post:

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner gets criticized yearly for being a big party where Washington bigwigs, Hollywood stars and journalists rub shoulders and celebrate themselves.

I watched the video of President Obama's Gig last night.  He was fun to watch for the first 10 minutes ... he had good writers and he is a personable speaker (why he was elected).

The last 10 minutes?  Not so much.  When he brought his Alter Ego on ... the guy with the obnoxiously loud "comedy schtick" ... I eventually tuned out.  "LOUD" and "FUNNY" aren't the same thing.

I don't mind when the Prez lambasts the Loyal Opposition.  That's his job, he's a party guy.  Bushes do it, Clintons do it, The humor there is sometimes rueful, but wry and to the point.

Video available at the link at the top of the page.

Why Unjust Laws MUST fail: OREGON SB941

Quote by John Adams:

“It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished. But if innocence itself is brought to the bar and condemned, perhaps to die, then the citizen will say, 'whether I do good or whether I do evil is immaterial, for innocence itself is no protection,' and if such an idea as that were to take hold in the mind of the citizen that would be the end of security whatsoever.”

Oregon (Liberal state politicians) are trying to ram a "Universal Registration" law down the collective throats of Oregonians, and they may succeed in getting it passed.  But only they (the legistlators) think it will be enforceable.

There's a lot  of talk about "unenforceable  (or unenforced) laws", but perhaps the legislators are not paying sufficient attention to the idea that when they make unjust laws, they make criminals out of honest men and women, They are actually undermining both the law, and the moral imperative for a nation which is based on the Rule of Law rather than the Rule of Men.

Last week, I wrote to my state representative saying that I was agains the bill to establish a "Universal Background Check" in Oreon (SB941) because (a) it was not enforceable, and (b) because if it were to be enforced, it would make criminals out of honest citizens, and (c) because it would establish a de facto 'gun registry'.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
It's nobody's business who I sell a gun to, or who I buy a gun from.  So .. thank you very much Oregon Liberal State Senators, but FOAD..  (Pound sand?)   IF you enact this law, you will make a criminal of me for doing that which I have been doing responsibly for fifty years:  legally buying and selling guns from other responsible gun owners ... which I am.

Apparently, the police (county sheriffs) who are charged with enforcing these  laws agree on both these points:
( click on the link for video:  H/T to Gateway Pundit and David Codrea)

This is entirely in accordance with the philosophy of our Founding Fathers, especially including John Adams; who was the second POTUS and wo served as VP under GW Washington.  you may have heard of them before:

But for liberals, they seem to have taken a page from The Playbook Of William Jefferson Clinton, who might have said:

'... it depends on the definition of what 'innocent' is ...."

Who decides whether we or not we are 'innocent'?

Them?      Or Us?

Who rules?   The administrators we hire (via elections) to enforce OUR rules, or the out-of-control nabobs they often turn out to be?
\
Or do we get to look at the situation, and somehow decide wheter their agendas are the same as ours?

I think they're looking for control.  We're just looking for freedom.

STI DVC series

STI Introduces Two New Competition Pistols With The DVC Series | Shooting Illustrated:

Designed around the concept of Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas, the motto of the I.P.S.C (International Practical Shooting Confederation) – meaning Accuracy, Power, Speed, the new STI DVC Limited and Open competition pistols are designed to win matches right out of the box.

(H/T: THEGUNFEED)

You thought guns were a controversial issue?

Don’t Clean Your Jeans: The Smart Way to Care for Denim - Reviewed.com Laundry:

This 18-month old article sponsored*  article about the proper technique to clean your levis has 774 comments .... the last comments were deleted by the site guardians.

The comments include ad hominem attacks, flame wars, political back-biting and a few of the comments were so naughty that they were deleted by the sponsor.

And people call gun owners  nuts?
Shooters are polite country mice compared to American Laundresses.

"No Sporting Purpose"

• Shooting the Double 1911 from Arsenal Firearms - The Firearm Blog: 

"It's a fitting 100-year tribute to the 1911"

No, it's a joke.   But the pictures are kewl!

This is a story about a twin-barrell '1911' pistol made by Arsenal Firearms'; apparently "because we can".

Who is Grover Norquist?

GOP power player Norquist steps down from NRA amid probe of Islamist ties | Fox News:

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist is reportedly stepping away from NRA board of directors activities amid allegations of ties to radical Muslims.

I'm SO out of date .. I recall Groer Norquest as being one of the very conservative comentors on National Review (online)


Glen Beck?

Who's he?  I remember him as being the guy who liked to cry on the radio.

There's no crying in Conservatism.

FOAD!

Oregon sheriff says proposed gun background-check law won't be enforced | Fox News:

"I have felonies going on daily in Josephine County. That's my priorities."

I'm waiting for a statement from Benton County Sheriff Scott Jackson in response to this email:

Sheriff Jackson,
In response to requiring background checks for firearms sales between private citizens, Sheriff Daniel in Josephine County has reportedly said: "I can't enforce that law, so therefore it won't be enforced".
How do you plan to enforce this new law?

Not that Sheriff Jackson and I are "Good Buddies" as Maynard Krebbs typified his relationship with Dobie Gillis.  The only action I've ever had with the county sheriff is going in to his office every 5 years to renew my CHL.  (They need new cameras ... lately, the pictures make me look old and bald!)

But I can't find any statement on the subject from his office, and I think this is important since we had a town meeting on Open Carry last month.

Raped in Oregon; I need a Blue Light of Security!

Gun Grab Bill Passes Senate | Oregon Firearms Federation:  (April 14, 2015)

With no surprises, the Oregon Senate today passed SB 941, the universal gun owner registration bill.

I am shocked ... SHOCKED! ... to learn that my elected state representatives voted in a bill which infringes on my constitutional rights.

There are no more private sales of firearms, without the sale being "registered" via a trip to a dealer who will run the transaction through the registration commissars.  (As if felons bought their guns when it's cheaper to steal them.)

This is the work of The Usual Suspects.  May TCHUBLA THE HORRIBLE infest their groins with the fleas of a thousand camels.

I can't even call their offices and threaten to never vote for them again;  I didn't vote for the rascals in the first place.   Hell*, they're probably out tonight having a drink to celebrate their diversity or something.

I feel so helpless, so used, so betrayed.  On the University Campus, they have 'blue lights' on poles, where someone who feels threatened can push a button and a Campus Security Unit (maybe even both guys at the same time) will immediately rush  eventually mosey to their aid.

 I need a blue light in the Senate.   Or at least in my home.

*   The lines to TCHUBLA THE HORRIBLE seem to be down at the moment, so you may experience a 'broken link'.  Comcast has reported a "regional outage" in Hell .. AKA OREGON.

Death by Taser - or a reasonable facimile there-of

This wasn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last time:

Oklahoma deputy charged in suspect's shooting death | Fox News:

TULSA, Okla. –  (April 14, 2015)  Prosecutors charged a reserve sheriff's deputy with manslaughter Monday in the death of a man who was fatally shot as he lay on the ground at the officer's feet — a shooting that was certain to raise questions about the use of volunteer officers to supplement full-time police. The sheriff's office has said Robert Bates, a 73-year-old insurance executive who was volunteering on an undercover operation in Tulsa, mistakenly pulled out his handgun instead of his stun gun and shot the suspect as he struggled with deputies.

Tulsa World TV has the incident video released by the police.

No moralizing about privileged rich guys getting to play cop without proven experience or competence.  Everybody else in world will be saying that.

I'm just saying?

When has this happened before?

Trash Shooters..

Shooting Wire: (April 13, 2015)

 LINCOLN – Target shooting at the Leonard A. Koziol Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has been permanently closed. Target shooting at the WMA in Howard County is now prohibited because of safety concerns, property destruction and excessive littering. Target shooting is permitted on most WMAs. The areas that have target shooting bans are posted with appropriate signs. Call a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission district office in Lincoln (402-471-0641), Norfolk (402-370-3374), North Platte (308-535-8025) or Alliance (308-763-2940) to find out where target shooting is banned in each district.

We've talked about this before, when other open areas have been closed to shooters for the same declared reasons.

I don't know anything about this range, or the people who use it.  Maybe there are a few Trash Shooters who ruin it for everyone.   The best we can do is, when we go to a place where it's currently "permissable" to shoot ... leave it cleaner than you found it.

Maybe that should be the FIRST thing we do.  Clean the range, and if you have any energy left then do what you went there to do.

.... The Worst Gun I Ever Bought? NOT!

10 Lessons I Learned From The Worst Gun I Ever Bought:
*(this is a quote from the cited article ... this is NOT my opinion!)*

The day I turned 21 was one of the most memorable days of my life. Not only for the legal drinks at the local Applebee’s, but for the hour-long trek to a not-so-local gun store to make the most exciting, and ultimately worst, purchase of my life—a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry chambered in .40SW.

(H/T: The Firearms Blog)

Ouch!

I guess that, in many ways, buying a new gun is something of a crap-shoot, but my one and only experience with a Kimber pistol might have been titled:

 "The Best Gun I Ever Bought".

It was 1997, I had been shooting IPSC on and off for over a dozen years, and decided it was time I got rid of that sad Smith and Wesson 659 (decidedly not the best gun I ever bought) and got myself a REAL gun!

Oregon Gun Control Advocates RULE!

Oregon Background Check Bill Hearing Biased Against Pro-gun Speakers:

LocalPDX is reporting now that in a recent two-hour hearing on the new expanded background check bill (SB 941)was less than balanced. 

 The numbers were staggeringly against the bill, many taking time off work to show up.  With only about 20% of them allowed to testify, many times being cut off way before getting into anything that resembled actual arguments. On the flip side, 94% of those that showed up to testify in favor of SB 941 were allowed to testify.  Legislators were also discouraged from asking questions of the citizens that were there to testify.  In all, according to GoLocalPDX 68 people were turned away from speaking with their elected body on a bill that will ultimately directly impact their lives..

April 10, 2015

Oregon Senate Bill SB941

2015 SESSION

Senate Bill 941  RSS FEED FOR THIS BILL

Relating to firearms; declaring an emergency.

Requires private person to complete transfer of firearm by appearing with transferee before gun dealer to request criminal background check or shipping or delivering firearm to gun dealer in certain circumstances.

(H/T: Guns Save Lives)

It's Deja Vu All Over Again,

Politicians only want to hear arguments which support the political positions toward which they are predisposed.  Have a complaint?  Step to the back of the line!

Nobody wants to hear what you have to say.  Go away. 

Measure activity  HOUSE  SENATE

• Mar 26, 2015: Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.
• Mar 26, 2015: Referred to Judiciary.
• Apr 1, 2015: Public Hearing held.
• Apr 2, 2015: Work Session held.
• Apr 6, 2015: Work Session held.
• Apr 9, 2015: Recommendation: Do pass with amendments. (Printed A-Eng.)

The Golden Rule

Fort Hood shooting victim denied benefits, despite Purple Heart decision | Fox News:

 The Obama administration has finally acknowledged that those hurt and killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings were victims of terrorism -- and not “workplace violence,” as it was previously described. But while formal recognition of that is set for Friday, when victims will receive the Purple Heart, it may only be symbolic.

I find it bizarre that a government denies it's military (who defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic) compensation for injuries while serving ... which as a matter of policy refuses to allow servicemen on duty to carry a weapon ... can deny full benefits for victims of wounds and other injuries.

Surely, some of those injured were not activly "on duty" at the time; but others were.   What's the difference between those who were actively "on duty" (an MP?) and those who were 'on base'?

 When I was in the army, when I was in a military base I was always assumed to be "on duty" even if I was not carrying a firearm at the time.

This was obviously a cost-cutting decision, made with no consideration of how the professional service men and women (the person who cut down the murderer was an MP ... but she couldn't be EVERYWHERE!) would react to this patent lack of faith.

The lesson I learned in the military is that loyalty must not only go up the chain of command, but down.  I guess Obama has no understanding of the concepts of loyalty, duty, honor and country.

We're not talking about "Stand Your Ground" civilians here; we're talking about people who were targeted specifically because they were members of the military!

BUT:

The Golden Rule applies here!

Am I as safe handling a pistols as I think I am?

I just read this article from Tim at gunnuts.net, and it made me stop and think:

When do I actually put my finger on the trigger, when I draw at an IPSC match?

I think it's not until my sights come near to aligning on the target I'm engaging, but I don't really know.

I've been competing in IPSC for 30 years now, more or less, and I teach a monthly competition safety at my home range, so I may have become slightly complacent about my draw.   Now I think, maybe I haven't been DQ'd for a "premature discharge" at a match, but am I really that good?  Or am I just that lucky?

Reginald Maulding said:

There comes a time in every man's life when he must make way for an older man.

I'm wondering if there might come a time when I should make way for a younger man?

oh.  No.  Never mind.   To hell with younger men, let them make their OWN mistakes.  I'm going to rest on my laurels and just believe that I've already made enough mistakes, so I'm not going to make this one.

Stilll ......

The All New "IGUN" ....

There are 'smart guns', and then there are SMART GUNS!

"We have an app for that".

   (Hat Tip:  The Hobo Brasser)

GUNBLOGGER: The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY

I subscribed to GUNBLOGGER.COM a few years years ago, because it gave me direct access to other blogs with which I shared a common interest:  GUNS


It was simple at the time (I thought) because I could access the link and select other blogs that I found interesting.

THE GOOD:

Recently, I found that the website had set up a mechanism which would routinely survey all member blogs, several times a day, an provide all of the most recent posts in a manner which allowed me to get a preview of each blog article, and I could click on it to see what they had to say.  If their articles weren't of interest to me, I could just scroll down to the next article.

This was (and is) A Good Thing, because I got to preview it regularly.  And I do.  I've learned a lot by reading the thoughts of these other bloggers.

Sometimes I get an early Heads-Up about an issue of topical interest to my readers, and I'll write a recap (with a link to the gunblogger article) just to keep my readers informed.

THE BAD:

CC On Campus: Laws Are Bullshit!

Push for concealed guns on campuses is gaining steam @insidehighered:

In all, seven states have laws that allow concealed guns on campus, though the details vary on who can carry where. Twenty states still ban carrying a concealed weapon on a college campus, and 23 states leave the decision up to individual colleges.

This is all touchy-feelie, but in the actual event ... you still can't carry guns on campus in Oregon .. even though State Law allows it.

WARNING:  I know I've posted this information before; more than once.  I'll post it again, just in case someobody hasn't yet heard how Univiersities (at least in Oregon, and probably in other states), unilaterally and arbitrarily abridge the law.

I worked at Oregon State University (one of those "20 states") and the laws have no effect, because college and universities are a law unto themselves.

They will NOT allow anyone to carry on campus, regardless of the status of the CHL holder.

Lee Paige Rides Again! (Senior Moment?)

MILLER: If people kill people, why do we still need more guns? - Odessa American: Editorial:
(March 26, 2015 - Odessa, TX)

Last week, it was reported that a police officer with the Ector County Independent School District accidently discharged his service weapon while trying to clean it.

 Normally, a gun going off is not news. The bullet supposedly ricocheted off a wall and into a ceiling. No one was reportedly injured and the officer was alright.

 This, however, is news because it happened while he was on duty at Crockett Junior High. The district’s explanation was the gun got wet in the rain, and while the officer was cleaning it, it discharged.

The similarity to the Lee Paige incident is ... troubling.


Because so many people seem to think that "only the police and the military should have guns, because they are trained and skilled and not scarey and, like, you know, not scarey!"

The fact is, police and military are human.  Which is to say .. fallible.

And as Fallible Human Beings, they screw up from time to time.

There's only one way to ingrain safe gunhandling practices until the good habits become second nature, and that's experience.

Well, training is important as well, but safe gunhandling is one of those skills which deteriorate if not practiced; often, under supervision, and strictly enforced by that supervision.   Obviously, none of these elements were present here.

Close Air Support and the "Flying Bathtub"

A-10 Warthog Is Out, F-15 and F-16 Are In, Says the Air Force:
(March 22, 2015)

The U.S. Air Force wants to kill the A-10 Warthog. Really, really wants to kill it. But some of the Air Force's ideas for replacing the A-10 are starting to strain credibility.

This is an 'economic' opinion, not a 'tactical' opinion.

The A-10 may be a fabulous CAS platform, but right now, it doesn't have a corporate backer with a truly vital interest in its survival. Northrop Grumman serves as prime contractor to maintain the plane, and Boeing has a contract to upgrade wings on some of the older A-10s, both of which bring in a few tens of millions of dollars annually for the respective companies. But without an actual A-10 Warthog replacement program in place, no one's making billions of dollars off of the Warthog.

Some suplementary commentary  here.

SAFETY IS EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY! (Our Worst Nightmare)

There are some uncomfortable questions that need to  answered here!

Borepatch: Complacency: All you can say is they all got lucky. If you ever work as an R.O. on a range for any event, here's the anti-complacency video of the year.

Range Officer Nightmare; and who is to blame?

Watch, think.  Then discuss:




This surprising event .. a man caught downrange taping targets after the next shooter is already halfway through shooting the stage ...

The questions that need to be answered include:

Semi-Auto Madness: GRIP SAFETY!

Sometimes, it makes me want to just chew my leg off to get out of the trap,

I find myself teaching an advanced "safety" class in a competitive sport, and I expect people who sign up to be experienced, compent and SAFE pistol shooters.

Instead, I too often discover that I am teaching basic pistol skills.

Now, when you read the title you probably thought that the phrase "GRIP SAFETY" had to do with the John Moses Browning (PBUH) design where the external thumb safety must be set 'off', and also that the grip on the support hand must be sufficiently firm to depress the "grip safety'.

No.

What I'm talking about is that it is possible with both revolvers and pistols to GRIP your handgun in such a manner that you may cause physical injury (and a LOT of pain!) when you fire it.

"Laser Sights"

I'm not really sure what the correct nomenclature should be here, but apparently Crimson Trace is the current epitome of (projected) Laser Sights for pistols.


Did you miss that?  The key-word is "PROJECTED".

We'll get back to that in a minute.

Disclaimer:  I'm not bad-mouthing Crimson Trace, 'cause I dont know squat about them.  I just figured that this was a brand name which would be familiar to most readers.  As far as I know, it don't get no better than Crimson Trace!


But if you don't work with the laser sighting technology .. if you don't practice with it, you're not taking full advantage of the technology.  So if you choose to go with that sighting system with your defensive pistol, you absolutely need to change your technique from using sight-alignment to point-shooting and then allow the dot-on-target to ensure target engagement.

Concealed Carry Readiness State Question

Consider that you're carrying a single-action pistol.  A fully loaded magazine is already inserted.  You're licensed, It's legal.  What's your readiness status?

(1) Chanmer empty, hammer down.
(2) Chamber loaded, at half-cock.
(3) Chamber loaded, thumb safety on.

What are the pros and cons?

I already know it takes at least a second or more (on the average) to rack the slide in Condition (1).

But what's the difference in time and .. well, I guess I mean "Confusion vs Safety" between [(1) and (2)], and [(2) and (3)]?

"It's Painful To Watch A Giant Tree Being Killed"

That's a comment recorded on an earlier post "Wildlife Photos", in response to a 1940-1950 era photo of two "lumberjacks" halfway through the onerous job of cutting down a tree with a diameter of over twenty feet.

The thing about my readership is that they are generally fine people with a truly droll sense of humor.   (I don't get a lot of readers who are tree huggers and PETA members, for obvious reasons.)

Anyway, it's not always easy to tell if a sensitive person might have stumbled on my website and made a SINCERE comment.

But I really liked that photo of two small men hewing mightily at a mighty forest leviathan.  Because my father was one of those brotherhood of manly men, and so were most of his brothers.   So I'm going to assume that someone who sincerely mourned the felling of a "Giant Tree" might have seen the photo, and might really have felt that that commercial act was a travesty of nature.

Or yadda-yadda something-or-other.

Anyway ....

Just like a bad neighbor, Microstamping is still there

"Microstamping" is a technique which will invariably, under all circumstances, positively stamp information about the gun which fired a specific cartridge (supposedly recovered at a Crime Scene) and thus lead the police to solve the crime.

The only problem is .. it doesn't work.

Other than that, it's perfect!

Here's the reason why Oregon NEEDS an ASSISTED SUICIDE law ..

Police say Oregon woman self-immolated, crashed car and jumped off bridge | Fox News:

 Police in Oregon say an apparently suicidal woman was being treated for critical injuries (she apparently lived through it) after she intentionally set herself on fire, crashed her car into a guardrail, and jumped 40 feet off a bridge Thursday. According to The Eugene Register-Guard, the 39-year-old woman had recently been reported missing by her family. The paper reported that a 911 caller first spotted the woman's car at around 12:30 p.m. local time. The caller told emergency responders that the interior of the woman's car appeared to be on fire, and she was driving recklessly. After the car crashed into a bridge guardrail, witnesses told police the woman jumped out — on fire — and began taking her clothes off as she ran to the edge of the span. Truck drivers tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers and another person tried to grab the woman, but she was still able to jump, police said.

-emphasis added-

... we're obviously too stupid to manage the job by ourselves!

Wildlife Photos

My friend, "Big John", is an avid shooter.  He competed in international rifle competition (I know there's a proper name for it, but it's a lot like HighPower) a couple of years ago.  He also surfs the net for wildlife photos. HERE is a link to an amazing series of photos from the Rivermen Rod & Gun Club.

Some of these just scream out for captions, so I'll include a small representative sample:

"You can take your "Task Completion Time" estimate and ...."

HillaryLove

Ready for Hillary dumps 'email poster' in 3 for 1 deal | WashingtonExaminer.com: Hillary Clinton's campaign in waiting, Ready for Hillary, is dumping its poster of the now infamous image of Hillary Rodham Clinton in sunglasses reading her Blackberry. An email sent today offered the poster, titled #Ready and that sells for $20.16, in a three for one deal for the very same price.

Where have I seen that picture before?

I'm sure .. oh, wait.  I KNOW!

Training, Practice, Experience. And now ... shame?

Tam had a good look at a loaded muzzle at a gun show, as recounted below:

View From The Porch: The Safety Dance: He mulled that over for a second as I turned away to see what was going on down Mike's way when, out of the corner of my eye, I see the cop unholster his sidearm. I got a real good look at the muzzle in my peripheral vision, and also took extremely good note of the fact that, even if his lack of muzzle discipline was appalling, at least his trigger finger was in register against the frame. Thank heavens.

One only assumes that this Uniformed Officer of the Law (you know, one of the "Only Ones") had been trained in gun safety practices and procedures.  Also that he was experienced.   So we can only conjecture about why he didn't actually PRACTICE safe gun handling.

My guess is a combination of things:

• The only time he draws his firearms is on the range, and
• he doesn't spend a lot of time on the range, and
• that time is not under the direct supervision of a Range Officer, and
• he just never got called on his shoddy skills, so
• safe gun handling was never made to be (in the words of our revered Vice President of the United States of America)  "... A Big F*CKING DEAL!"

I recognize this.   I train new shooters for USPSA competition, and I see a LOT of people who are supposedly experienced, competent gun owners.

They do some really stupid shit.  Like, keeping their finger on the trigger when moving, loading, unloading, or clearing a malfunction.  or waving their pistol around when they're distracted by non-shooting activity.  (One of the more common errors: reaching down to pick up a dropped magazine at the end of the stage without holstering their pistol ... possibly sweeping themselves.)   Or they forget that one of the primary rules is to always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

You okay?

There are four ways you can insure that people who are new to shooting guns have a 'bad experience', resulting in YOU voicing the hopeful question:

You okay?

If you hear yourself saying that, you have probably done something stupid.  And someone else will pay the price.  Either that 'other person' will never again think that shooting a gun is "a good idea", or they will think that continuing their association with you is "a good idea".

The first is problematic; the second is unquestionable.  You are a Gun Dork, and your friends will never be "OKAY".

Here are the four ways to absolutely turn your friendships .. and your prospective shooting partners .. off:

Teaching Pistol Safety: Knuckle-Duster Alert

Have you ever seen someone shoot a semi-automatic pistol with his/her thumb wrapped around his/her wrist?

I have .. and I have ALWAYS stopped it!   That's a good way to hurt yourself ... badly!

Here's how it looks (sorry, it's a staged presentation, It looks kind of crummy, but it DOES demonstrate the problem!)

Selfie Alert: It's difficult to get a good picture of your hands, when you've nestled your digital camera under your chin.  I'm sure you're all familiar with that situation.

Anyway ... looking at the user-end of a 1911 (here, 2011 EDGE from STI), you can see that the knuckle of the off-hand thumb is sticking up into ... or at least near ... the 'glide path' of the slide.

I've seen a LOT of 'new shooters' use this grip, and it's perfectly acceptable if you're a revolver shooter.

But if you're shooting a semi-automatic pistol of ANY brand, make or model ... using this grip is terribly dangerous.

A Day Late and a Shamrock Short

I'm Irish.

Well, a quarter Irish ... blame it on my Paternal Grandmother, who was a Dildine.  (That's an Irish name, trust me on this.)

And I failed to observe St. Patrick's day properly.

I was sober.

Sure, and I'm happy to drink my friends' Jameson's, but I actually prefer Canadian Whiskey (MacNaughton's) when I have to buy my own liqueur.  And that's just wrong, in so many ways.  On the other hand, I'm a quarter Scots, so perhaps that explains my moral error.

I feel I've let the Ould Sod down, somehow, by not getting stinking drunk.   I hope my family doesn't learn about this ... my daughter married an Irishman (hope that's not a racial term, like "Chinaman", which got a Fox News commentator fired) and I have enjoyed many a tipple while celebrating National Holidays.  You know, like Independence Day, and Friday?

Hopefully, my Irish brethren will forgive me for not making a public spectacle of myself.  I promise to be a better Irishman in the future.

Makin' Bacon .. the Full Auto Way!

How to Cook Bacon Using Automatic Weapons and Suppressors [VIDEO]:

Bacon. Suppressors. Automatic Weapons. These are a few of my favorite things. In what maybe the most American video ever posted to YouTube, Top Shot Season 3 champion Dustin Ellerman managed to combine all three and prevent trichinosis all in one awesome video.

Perhaps my destiny is to point my readers to quality content available on other blogspots.

But I'm not too proud to steal their videos!

Maryland Considers Bill To Confiscate Guns From 110,000 Registered Gun Owners - Bearing Arms

Bearing Arms Maryland Considers Bill To Confiscate Guns From 110,000 Registered Gun Owners - Bearing Arms:

 If passed into law, the new bill would require police to run a check twice a year in search of convicted felons with registered guns.

I was under the impression that the Supreme Court had decided that felons were not required to register firearms.  Something about self incrimination .....

PLEASE PROVE THAT YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT!

I've seen a lot of these comment approval gimmics showing up the last few months (usually on BLOGGER .. this is an improvement?)  And I just want to know?

Am I the ONLY one who can never correctly interpret th image-based text that you have to write in order to enter a comment?

I'm half blind and entirely clueless, and I think this is a monstrous conspiracy against the Farsighted Community.  Perhaps the OldAsTheHills Community, and certainly against the Clueless Community.

And I'm so tired of my computer saying "HUH?"

Luddites of the world, rise up!

When Pigs Fly: An 850 Round Burst From An M60 - The Firearm Blog

It's late at night in the jungle.

A column of patriots walk single-file down a jungle trail toward a known enemy position; this is war.

Usually led by a traitor who is familiar with the local jungle pathways, the follow each branch of the trail toward their objective: a South Vietnamese position which guards a strategic permanent encampment.

Their mission: to destroy the military position, the  Soldiers who occupy that position, and also the wives and children who live there with the husbands and fathers.  All must die, to make the point that there is NO safe place in Viet Nam.  There is no mercy; given the time, they will rape the women and slaughter the leaders of the South Vietnamese inhabitants, because Terror is their most influential weapon in this, their war on civilization.

Suddenly, there are a series of explosions .. claymore mines pour 700 rounds each of .32 caliber pellets at their cadre at the head of the line, killing the commander and the traitor who leads them as well as their most politically devote members.

And then comes the most fearsome treat: the Rat-a-tat-tat of the fearsome M60 machine gun which lays down a fearsome volume of fire which is so devestating, so profound, that there is no defense except to return a second or two of AK-47 return fire by the few survivors of the Point element .. followed by a complete route of the entire company.

For if you are not killed or mortally wounded by the initial directed-mine blast, you will surely scourged by the unfailing, if short-lived, machine gun burst.  The worst of it is that the ambushers will then pick up their machine guns and walk them through the kill zone, slaughtering all that linger there .. and then they will follow you into the night, for they are the devil incarnate and they have Hell at their fingertips.

I don't THINK so!

Magnetospeed: Obsoleting Convenional Chronographs - The Firearm Blog: Magnetospeed: Obsoleting Convenional Chronographs

Oh, that's so ... new!

So we now have a magneto-powered chronograph.  I'm so pleased.
 (What does 'magneto' mean?  sensors are rekatubg the framamjig instead of dependent on impinging light sources.  Now you know as much about it as I do.)

I do love high tech, but I gotta couple of  (okay, 3) questions:

(1)   What are the most common usages of chronographs?  I mean, in terms of number of guns/rounds per time?  Answer:  at major shooting matches where "power factor" is part of the equation, it's used to determine whether the gun is "Major Power" or "Minor Power".
(2)  How long does it take to install the thingamajig on each gun, and just how MUCH difference does it make how much difference the "... sensitivity to placement... " makes in determining the accuracy of readings ... especially when comparing one firearm to the next.
(3)  What happens when you're using the magnetospeed thingie to chronograph a compensated race pistol?

I've used 'conventional" (dependent on light source) chronographs a bit.  I even helped run the Chrono stage at the Area 1 USPSA match a few years ago at ARPC in Oregon.

The thing is, I think the greatest VOLUME of Chrongraph readings occur at competition matches, where "power factor" must be determined for each individual firearm.

Using the light-sensor style of Chronograph is problematical because (as the article states):

Conventional chronographs work by measuring the time it takes for a bullet to pass over two optical sensors. The problem with the conventional approach is that ambient sunlight affects the velocity reading. Other problems with conventional chronos is that they are big and bulky, require a tripod, need long cables and risk being destroyed by your bullets or shotgun wads.

I think that the implications inherent in that statement are perhaps applicable for the individual, but at a Major Match?  It's all bullshit.   I don't THINK so!

More on California Gun Microstamping Law from The Captain's Journal

The Captain's Journal: s Judge Upholds California Gun Microstamping Law:

A federal court has rejected a challenge to California’s gun safety law, possibly paving the way for a requirement that new guns mark the bullets they fire so they can be traced.

The Captain's Journal doesn't go far enough in describing the Ill Effects of the California Microstamping Law.

And there are some inaccuracies there.

In the first place the Microstamping does NOT encode the BULLETS, but the base of the fired cartridge.  That's an important difference.

(Scroll down for an explanation of "Encoded Ammunition", which is not the same as "Microstamping Ammunition" .. but still is almost as impractical!)

Korea: Draconean Gun Control Measures Inadequate To Keep Koreans From Shooting Each Other!

Oh my! In a Nation/State (Korea) which has such strict Gun Control Laws that a citizen cannot keep guns in their homes, people are still killing each other "In a Fit of Jealous Rage" (Pink Panther moment!)?  And the national solution is to generate even more strict Gun  Control Laws?

One cannot help but wonder how well Gun control Laws are working for them .. and whether similar laws should be applied in the U.S.

Shooting sparks call for stricter gun control:

2015/02/26:

 According to police, Kang, the shooter, who committed suicide after killing three in an act of revenge against his ex-girlfriend, used shotguns that were registered for hunting under his name at a police station armory as required by law.

H/T "Say Uncle (But They Have All That Gun Control)":

What the HELL is "Net Neutrality"

The FCC Just Voted to Regulate the Internet Like a Utility - Hit &; Run : Reason.com:

In a 3-2 vote today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to radically overhaul the way Internet service is regulated. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the commission’s two Democratic commissioners voted to move forward with the rules. The agency’s two GOP-appointed commissioners opposed them.

"Net Neutrality"

"Obvious Reasons"

I've watched this dialogue, and have NO idea what the issues really are.

Am I "The Only One" who doesn't understand the issues?

It seems to me that somewhere there must be a "Net Neutrality For Dummies" primer which gets past the jargon and actually describes the effect of one side of the dialogue vs the other.

And BTW ... what ARE the dialogue, the positions, and the roots of the controversy?

For myself, I just want to take advantage of the data-streaming provided by ... I don't know, Comcast?

That's my IP  (Internet Provider ... thank you for defining that small piece of jargon!)
... and I also like that I can stream movies, besides email.

Is that the crux of the controversy?  Is one "availability" (Broadband Streaming of Videos) contesting with another "availability"  (Email?)

Surely there's somebody who understands the issues, and can define them in terms which are not jargon-filled.

Someone?

Any one?

ISIS and END OF DAYS

Quotes of the day  Hot Air:  (allapundit)

But people don’t join ISIS, or the Islamic State, because they want better jobs with more benefits. ISIS is one of a long line of anti-Enlightenment movements, led by people who have contempt for the sort of materialistic, bourgeois goals that dominate our politics. These people don’t care if their earthly standard of living improves by a few percent a year. They’re disgusted by the pleasures we value, the pluralism we prize and the emphasis on happiness in this world, which we take as public life’s ultimate end…

The more I hear about ISIS, the more I want to re-read Tom Kratman's "A Desert Called Peace" series.

Again,

Corvair! The Love and the Bane of my life!

As "Unsafe at Any Speed" marks 50 years, Corvair values hit all-time high | Fox News:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe at Any Speed," in which the young Harvard-trained lawyer/activist did a serious hatchet job on what was a very interesting and unconventional American car. But the Chevy Corvair is clearly having the last laugh. Ironically, as the book turns 50, Corvair prices have reached an all-time high.

I owned a 1963 Corvair Spyder (the high-performance model) in College.

After I graduated, and after I came home from the Army, I bought a 1965 Corvair Corsa.  Also the high performance model.

Both were the convertible models.

Both were hot, sexy, and when they ran right they ran with the power of the Elk and the grace of the Gazelle!

Unfortunately, they didn't run that well, that often.

Both had the endemic problem of the rear-mounted engine:  when you pushed them too hard, it threw the fan belt and you had to stop RIGHT THEN and re-install the fan belt.

        If you didn't fix that RIGHT THEN .. in the words of RoboCop ... "...There Will Be Trouble!"



I carried a 1/2"  open wrench and a 5/16" socket wrench, which were the tools necessary to to loosen the idler wheel so I could put the fan belt back on track.

I also carried a spare fan belt, just in case; but it was never needed.  The fan belt was not damaged by the experience;  it just fell off into the rear-deck engine well.

The front end was the trunk.  In the winter (in the 1960-1970 period) in Oregon, we got some fearsome winters with snows six inches or more.  The snow lasted for weeks, to months.  The front of the Corvair was so light, I couldn't steer the car.  I had to put a hundred pounds or more of sandbags in the front-trunk of the Corvair so I could make it around a corner.

But I loved those cars!

162 Years In Prison For Owning A Cell Phone

Quartavious Davis, First-Time Offender With 162-Year Prison Term, Gets Appeal - NBC News.com

Amendment IV: 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.

What if you wrote to your girlfriend every day, and you were a thief, And what if the postmarks on your letters proved that you were in the towns where your thefts occurred on those days?

And what if those letters were seized by the police, and were used to convict you of crimes (of which you were certainly guilty although perhaps not provably), and you were sentenced to prison for 162 years on that basis?

Even though you had never been convicted of a crime before?

And what if the police didn't have a warrant to seize those letters?

Isn't that an infringement on the defendant's constitutional rights?

Sterile Guns, Sterile People!

1) All guns are always unloaded2) Unloaded guns are “safe.”  When  around “safe” guns, you can relax!3) When handling “safe” guns, never be  concerned with the direction inwhich they’re pointed.  After all, they’re  not really guns anymore, arethey? There is no reason to even look!4) When  handling “safe” guns, have your finger constantly on the trigger,for good  control

Last week (February 11, 2015) John S. Farnam posted an article - "Sterile Guns, Sterile People" - on his Defense Training, International "QUIPS" website.  In this commentary (which has not yet been added to his website, as of this date), Farnam criticized gun clubs which use the "WEAPONS COLD" range rule.

His postulate is that the COLD RANGE rules lead to the assumption of the mindset which he exemplifies with his (very critical) Range Rules above.


HOT RANGE vs COLD RANGE:

This COLD RANGE rule imposes a requirement that all firearms remain unloaded until the (active shooter) is actually on the firing line, and the firing line is declared "HOT" by the Range Officer/Safety Officer.  At that time, the shooter(s) may load his/their weapon(s).

[At the completion of the exercise, on a Cold Range, every shooter is required to 'unload and show clear'; each individual is inspected by the Range Officer, deemed unloaded and clear, and weapons may not be reloaded again until the shooters are once again on the firing line and under the direct supervision of a Range/Safety Officer.]

This is in direct contrast to a "HOT RANGE", where all weapons are loaded at all times.   At the end of an exercise, shooters are expected to insure that their weapons are loaded before they leave the firing line.

DEEMED UNLOADED: FARNAM IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

The condition with which Farham takes issue is typical of the lax safety measures which most of us have witnessed often at the range.  People who are inexperienced, who have no training, are all too willing to learn how to be ALWAYS safe on the range.  They take safety for granted, and they assume that their friends are just as alert and aware of the safety rules as they are.

And accidents do happen, 'anyway';  that's why they call them "accidents".



How about ... deliberately being shot at?

Winston Churchill once said:
"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."

I've been shot at, and missed, in Viet Nam. In those circumstances, one tends to hug the ground while cursing the thickness of one's uniform buttons which prevent one from melting into the earth.

That's still not quite as frightening as having a gun pointed at your belly, close up and personal; even if you are absolutely certain that the gun is unloaded.

That's why I trained as a Chief Range Officer in USPSA, so I could help people to understand that pointing a firearm ... even one which is demonstrably unloaded ... is A Bad Thing.

I've still had a few unloaded firearms pointed at me.  It's still a frightening experience.  Most of those people learned from the experience.

And so have I.

IT ISN'T ABOUT GUNS; IT'S ABOUT CONTROL!

Judge Has Yet To Rule On CA’s “micro-stamping” Law | Gunalizer:

The Second Amendment Foundation, and Calguns Foundation, await a ruling from California Eastern District Judge Kimberly Mueller. On whether she will prevent the state of California, from its eventual ban, on all new pistol sales in the state. No new pistols meet the requirement, to non-existent “micro-stamping” technology, that’s required for them to be legal for sale. This case was originally filed in 2009.

GUNALIZER provides an update to this important test case about Microstamping.

I spent a large part of my blog hours in 2008 . (that link may not work *).. from February  through July ... in a dialogue with Todd Lizotte, the developer of the concept.  During the actual interview process, I raised a lot of doubts about the ability to modify the manufacturing process from the industrial standpoint, and the reliability of the 'microstamped' data to survive and be viable for investigators of crime.

The viability of the output was secondary; the main problem then, and now, is that manufacturers find it technically unsuitable .... and legally.  If  microstamping' does not work in the real world, the onus goes to the firearm manufacture, not to the 'developer'.

This issue goes beyond New Jersey's "SMART GUN" laws.  At least the Garden State tried to tie it into a commercially available product.   California has not bothered to obfuscate their attempt to ban guns in that state for a variety of 'safety issues', which are thinly vieled measures deliberately designed to drive suppliers out of the state.  The goal, of course, is to dry up the source of firearms to their citizens.

*See below for a summary of the dialogue, and some commentary.

SNARK ALLERT! (Reloads)

Endo Mike offers a video which demonstrates the need to remain "heads up" while reloading, during a defensive firing drill.

Okay, there's a lot of Snark in the comments about using live ammunition while your partner is downrange.  Consider that emphasis on safety to be a valid criticism, and let's move on, shall we?

Seems like the people criticizing the safety issues have a point, but they're missing ignoring the point of the lesson, which is that we need to learn to reload without looking at the gun.

My experience is instructing folks for IPSC/USPSA competition, and it's just as important (though arguably not as vital) to learn to reload while watching the field, rather than the reload, in competition as it is IRL (In Real Life).

IRL, if you can't reload without watching the gun, you're going to potentially miss movement of your 'target' .. which IRL is your opponent in a gunfight.

In competition if you're looking at your gun during a reload, you're going to lose track of the targets (which are steel and cardboard cutouts).   Thankfully, they're not going to shoot back at you .. but they may be moving.  Or, the target array may be so dense that the constitute a Target-Rich Environment, and it's all to easy to lose track of where you left off shooting.  So the best thing to do is to continue focusing your visual attention on the targets, so your attention doesn't wander.

Why is that important?

This is Socialized Medicine

Anger has hearing aids are rationed by the NHS: Hard of hearing patients given only one device to be worn on left or right ear | Daily Mail Online:  (January 25, 2014)

 The NHS has started to ration hearing aids for the deaf – with thousands of people being offered only one device when experts say they need two. Specialists recommend that patients who are losing their hearing in both ears should be offered two aids, but some NHS authorities have started to offer just one to such people, in a cost-cutting exercise that saves a modest £90 per person. The charity Action on Hearing Loss, formerly the RNID, has found four hospital trusts in England and two health boards in Wales now initially offer one aid. 

That's "The Brits", today.

It's America, tomorrow, under ObamaCare.

Tuesday in Oregon

Is it still Tuesday?

check the clock .. yeah, 11:35pm, I can still talk about "Today".

We have a saying in Oregon:  "If you don't like the weather .. just wait 5 minutes.  It'll change!"



I love Oregon.  Here it is, February 17, and at 3pm I was enjoying a smoke break on my patio and looking up at Venus in the Western sky.

I had to shade my eyes with my hand to make sure it was really a planet, because the sun was really bright.  I made a note to look up Venus to make sure it was really called the 'morning star'.

The thing is .. it's February .. one week before my birthday ... and I'm standing out here in shorts, sandals and t-shirt admiring a planet.  Enjoying a sunny day.

I've been watching the news about the blizzards and such in the Eastern states, and I admit to feeling just a little bit smug.

People here were out on their front porches, chatting with friends and neighbors.  Dogs were barking,, running around in their fenced yards.  Sparrows were chasing the bees.  It's spring!

Okay, I know it's still winter, but I was thinking about my friend, the Hobo Brasser, who is currently snow-birding in Texas with the lovely Spicey O'Shea (his wife, who always introduces The Brasser as her "First Husband" .. they've only been married about 600 years but she's keeping him in his proper place of respect. ( And Mark, I know you're reading this.)   They left to avoid the winter, but honestly .. winter was last year.  This year ... winter is still last year!

Here's a picture from February 11 of last year:

... you can see, we can't always tell what the weather in Oregon will be like, just by the date.

I lived a couple of years in the Bay Area (California), and I couldn't stand it.  The weather was always the same!  GREY!

Last year I was trying to keep my car from freezing up; this year I'm catching some rays and working on my tan.

I don't know why everybody doesn't live in Oregon, but I'm glad they don't.  I resent the folks from California who move up here after they retire:  We call this the "Californication" of Oregon.

I would have shown you some pictures of the beautiful, warm February day in Oregon THIS year, but then you would all be moving here.  My rent is too high already, so please stay where you are.  I'm sure you're all very nice people, but I can't afford you as neighbors.

Please stay away.  And envy me .. that's A Good Thing To Do on a Tuesday in Oregon.

Four Minutes of Terror

Not EVERYBODY reads gunbloggers.com on a daily basis; if you read THIS blog, you should read that blogfeed.

Here's why: I call it Four Minutes of Terror

Hard to watch | Cornered Cat: In the video below, you’ll see an incredible event: a machete-wielding attacker literally hacks his way through a locked apartment door. The resident does what he needs to do to protect himself and others in the home. It’s like a scene out of a horror movie — but most directors wouldn’t use the footage, because what audience would believe that a door could be so flimsy? Or that someone with a machete would hack his way through it? Nevertheless, this really happened

(The video is embedded in the linked website; click on "Cornered Cat".)

Unfortunately, the Liberal Press contends that home invasions are rare, to the point of 'never happen'.  The video embedded in the above proves otherwise (as does this video link).

Fortunately, the family situation depicted by Cornered Cat turned out .. um, not well (the invader was shot), but the family was uninjured.  Traumatized, of course, but physically unharmed.

The police described this as a justifiable self-defense shooting.

Some anti-gun folks contend that there is no reason why anyone should have a gun.

This shows one reason why people might choose to have a gun.
It may make the difference between being a victim, or a being a survivor.

PS: I need a stronger door.

What is this "Sporting Purpose Exemption" thing of which you speak?

To protect the lives and safety of law enforcement officers from the threat posed by ammunition capable of penetrating a protective vest when fired from a handgun, the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), as amended, prohibits the import, manufacture, and distribution of “armor piercing ammunition” as defined by the statute. The GCA, however, allows for the exemption of ammunition that would otherwise be considered armor piercing if the Attorney General determines that the specific ammunition at issue is “primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes.” Interpreting the meaning of this statutory language, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has developed a framework that will apply to requests seeking a determination that certain projectiles qualify for this “sporting purpose” exemption ,,,,

There is no "sporting purpose" Exemption.

Except in the 1968 Gun Control Act (GCA):

The 1968 Gun Control Act added a "sporting purpose" test which barred imports of military surplus rifles (a goal of many domestic gun makers) and a "points system" for imported handguns which barred from importation handguns based on penalizing features (short barrels, small caliber, short overall length or height, non-adjustable sights, etc.) believed to define the Saturday night special class of handgun.

Domestically produced firearms .. not so much.

The same test can be used to define "Saturday Night Specials"  (also known as "inexpensive handguns which are affordable to the people who live in ghettos").

Actually, that definition accurately describes the Kel-Tec .380 I bought as my backup defensive handgun a few years ago. I don't see anybody trying to take that away from me. What's the difference between that, and a very expensive handgun which will accommodate  "armor piercing ammunition".

So what's the big deal?  Is my Kel-Tec a "sporting purpose" handgun, but a more expensive (and more effective) pistol requires a "sporting purpose exemption" .. because it is more effective?

"They" are still trying to limit our availability to firearms.

First it was cheap pistols, now it's pistols that can penetrate a "bullet proof vest".

Oh, and of course there's the problem of knives, which will penetrate a "bullet proof vest".  Just ask the Brits about how well Knife Control legislation works!   (see also HERE)


How many of you have a clip knife in your pocket now?  I know MY hand is up!

Just how far IS our government willing to go, to deny its citizens defensive weapons to its citizens?

ANSWER:
The federal government is not beyond any treasonous act to disarm its citizens, if they think they can get away with it.  And until we stand up and say something like "MOLON LABE"  (as states are beginning to do this year), the elected representatives of the people will keep pushing to outlaw any defensive tool available by technology.

When you have to shoot ... shoot! Don't talk!

View From The Porch: Dirty pool.: As the great Jewish bandito warrior poet spoke from his bathtub, "When it's time to shoot, shoot; don't talk." The corollary to that is "When it's time to talk, talk; don't shoot your mouth off."

Uh ... if you're going to quote The Good The Bad and The Ugly .. do it right!  (it deserves to be precisely quoted!)

When you have to shoot .. shoot. Don't talk!

Doctor No Has Left The Island

Statement from Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber announcing his resignation | Fox News:

I am announcing today that I will resign as Governor of the State of Oregon.

Personally, I'm delighted that Dr. John Kitzhaber has left the Oregon political scene. The reasons for his oh-so-timely retirement are unimportant compared with the resumption of good government to this state.

Why do I assume he will be replaced by "good government"?

It couldn't possibly be any worse.

(Expanded Fox News background available here)

Grin and Bear It

Video: Grizzly vs. Electrified Deer Carcass | Field & Stream: If you've ever considered electrifying your meat pole to keep bears off your deer, this video will make you think twice. For the Grizzly, a Youtube channel dedicated to grizz clips, posted this video of a bruin outsmarting a test set up by researchers. From the video description: "A Montana grizzly bear attempts to retrieve an electrically charged, road-killed deer. The deer is electrified as an experiment to protect hunters’ game kills and, in turn, to minimize bear-human encounters."

URL: http://youtu.be/pdM9YOYrcbs


(Hat Tip: Gary the T-Man)

Well .. isn't it?

CT Senator Says Anyone Wanting A High-Capacity Magazine Is ‘Arming Against The Government’ - Downtrend:

 It is absolutely irresponsible to even suggest that wanting to exercise one’s Constitutional right equates to a desire for armed insurgency. He’s saying that having a 30-round mag is the same thing as joining ISIS. The truth is nearly every gun owner in America is a responsible citizen, including the millions who own modern sporting rifles (AKA assault rifles) and 30-round magazines.

"Minute Men Much?"

I take exception to this blogger's suggestion that the Second Amendment completely disregards the possible need to take up arms to resist a dictatorial government.

(No, I'm not suggesting that firearms owners are ipso facto insurgents, or that equipment equivalencies are unconstitutional;  I'm just saying that quibbling about technical details are just one way of taking public attention away from Constitutional Rights and pointing that attention toward Political Differences .. which are nothing more than a lot of hot air.)

"Pay Per Mile" Vehicle Tax

Central Florida leaders to vote on pay-per-mile study | www.wftv.com

 ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Paying to drive may one day become a reality in central Florida. MetroPlan Orlando board members are considering a new pay-per-mile tax system. It’s a controversial proposal that’s getting attention from lawmakers. Instead of being taxed at the gas pump, drivers would pay a mileage fee.

Oregon tried to enact a similar tax plan several years ago.

It failed .. miserably!    And for many good reasons, not the least in that the vehicle owners objected to the intrusion and the fiscal overhead imposed on vehicle owners.

Oregon and New Jersey are (or were, last time I checked) the only two states in the Union which do not impose a State Sales Tax.

Legislators were desperate for new tax revenue, in addition to the State Income Tax.

The bill was defeated in Oregon, partly because it looked a LOT like a Sales Tax.  These taxes hit the low-income earners hardest, because their personal daily mileage are often a larger percentage of migrant, agricultural and low-income earners than of those whose "commute" is often off-set by urban transport.  Taking the bus to work may include the same amount of mileage, but is not taxed at the same level as these new 'personal vehicle mileage' measures.

Buy-A-Gun Day came early this year

I found an ad on my local gun club website offering a Marlin Model 60 rifle.  Ten-round tube fed magazine, offered at $195.

I bought it, and I'm glad!

I know the gun retails for $170, but it also included a Simmons 3-9x Variable scope (over $130), mounted and sighted in.  And a like-new soft case to carry it in.  The owner threw in a half-brick (500) rounds of Remington Thunderbolt HS ammunition.  Total value over $350, so it looked like a bargain.

When I actually saw the gun, it looked like new out-of-the box.  Bore was shiny, finish was perfect, the stock showed no signs of dings or dents, scrapes or scratches.  (It actually had some figure, which was a pleasant surprise to me!) As far as I could tell, I was the first one to actually fire it.

I met the seller at the range and shot five rounds of my own (Thunderbolt) ammunition at a tennis ball which happened to be propped up on the berm 50 feet away.  The scope was set at about 4.5x, so I took an offhand stance and nailed the ball first two shots.  It disappeared.  So I spent the next three rounds on shards of clay pigeons I could see.  Broke them all.  Off-hand.   It wasn't necessary; I had already decided that I had to have this pleasant little rifle.  It shoots better than I do; it was a bargain I couldn't afford to pass up!

Yes, I've read reviews which gave the M60 (unforgivable gun-pun) thumbs down on the trigger.  This one broke true and crisp.  No, it didn't compare with the STI pistols I use for USPSA competition, but it was crisp and non-creepy, and the trigger-pull weight was lighter than I had expected.  Apparently, SOMEONE had shot it enough to 'break in' the trigger, at least a little bit.

It has been 40 years since I shot a Model 60, and I had forgotten how much damn fun it was to shoot a scoped semi 22.

This one goes into the gun safe, and I'm hoping that The Hobo Brasser and I can go for a Sage Rat hunt this spring.  We had to cancel the one last year, due to Honey-Dew issues.

I've got a new bush-bunny gun, 1500+ rounds of high-speed ammunition, and a blood-thirst for varmints like I haven't felt for decades.

It isn't easy being Geek .. but it's a helluva lot of fun!