Castle Doctrine

I'm heavily indebted to Random Nuclear Strikes (Soft Green Glow) for the links which make this commentary possible.

More, I'm indebted for this link which enables us hoi poloi to sign on to the original document. Click the link for access to theTNR article.

And of course we're all indebted to Rick Perlstein, who wrote the article which so clearly demonstrates that defending your home against violent intruders ... of any stripe ... somehow "your fault" when the results are tragic.

On November 21, at around 7 p.m., narcotics officers in vests that said police (but not full uniforms) served a no-knock warrant to 933 Neal Street in Northwest Atlanta. The resident, Kathryn Johnston--88 years old by some accounts, 92 years old by others--pulled a pistol on the intruders. The police fired on their assailant. When it was over, three officers were wounded and Johnston lay dead. The warrant, alleging drug activity at her address, appears to have been issued in error. And, although the FBI is investigating, the Fulton County Assistant District Attorney defended his cops: "This seems like another tragedy involving drugs."

Actually, it seems like another tragedy involving gun policy. On July 1, a new Georgia law went into effect granting anyone who feels attacked on his or her property the "right to meet force with force, including deadly force." Georgia Senate Bill 396 also immunizes such a shooter from prosecution and civil penalty (though not, in Johnston's case, from return fire). It's not unreasonable to suppose that, had this law not passed last summer, Johnston might not have fired on those strange men barging into her house, and she might be alive today.

(Emphasis Added)

If I found myself in the same situation, I would have responded the same way ... with gunfire against intruders who had demonstrated that they were violently aggressive.

This isn't "... another tragedy involving drugs."

Nor is it "... another tragedy involving gun policy".

It's another tragedy involving "no-knock warrants".

If you're a policeman and you come to my house to serve a warrant, I have a right to see the warrant before I permit you entry to search or otherwise exercise your duty.

In this day of terrorists and home-invasions, even the least reasonable expectation of an honest citizen should be that, when an armed and masked somebody breaks down my door and charges in with a conspicuous display of firepower, I can reasonably assume that they mean me harm.

In Army Basic Training, they teach that you might successfully run from a knife, but never from a gun.

Never run from a gun. Instead, have a gun and attack. Always attack.

The old laws which required a homeowner to retreat from an attack are not suitable to a soldier, because it will be the death of a soldier. Why should it be any different for a homeowner?

No, the tactics of attacking an attacker are sound.

The problem is the "No-Knock" warrant, and the current tendency of police to mask themselves, as if they are ashamed of what they do or they do not wish their face to be seen. What they do is shameful, at best, and misleading (and frightening) to an honest citizen subject to what can only be defined as a "home intrusion" at least.

Masked men bursting through the door of your home can only be resisted to the best of your ability, and this is what Kathryn Johnston was doing. In defense of her home, and in defense of her person, Kathryn Johnston was meeting aggressive violence with what surely seemed to be her best hope of survival.

Senior police officials who insist that their serving officers practice these aggressive, hooded techniques should be shot.

Unfortunately, it is their officers, and their victims, who are shot.

To return to the TNR article:

Expect more Kathryn Johnstons. Unnoticed by most of the national press, 2006 became the year the National Rifle Association (NRA) got its way--and average citizens in almost a dozen states earned more leeway to shoot first and ask questions later than, in some circumstances, officers of the law.

Yes, expect more Kathryn Johnstons. And expect more officers to be shot by innocent civilian victims who are only defending themselves against aggression.

"The War On Drugs" is not worth the death of innocents. When this writer seeks to make culprits of the victims , he is not pointing the accusing finger in the right direction.

Some people in this country consider those they call "Right Wing Conservatives" to be apologists for wrong governmental policies.

But you will not find a conservative who considers this policy worth the price in innocent lives.

Just ask yourself:

Who is the victim here?

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Quagmire

This is not a quagmire.


This is a quagmire.

It's my back yard.

Tonite we experienced The Mother of All Storms, which for two hours knocked out every light in the little College town where I live. Fortunately, all of the students are out of town on Winter Break, having completed Finals last week. For those of us who live and work here year-round, we had the opportunity to check our Emergency Preparedness.

No duct tape nor plastic sheeting was necessary, just a couple of candles and perhaps a few oil lamps got me through an otherwise uneventful (I thought) evening. I spent it in my nest, reading Jeff Cooper's "Garganuan Gunsite Gossip II" by the light of paired oil lamps.

I had dozed off about 9pm when I heard a knock at my front door. It was my neighbor, walking the property with a flashlight, calling to check on me and remark that "Well, we won't have to worry about that tree in your back yard any more!"

Huh?

"You mean you didn't notice?" he asked? He told me to look out my window and walked his light back through the gate.

The 25' Fir tree outside my north-facing picture window showed nothing more than a gnarled mass of roots. The ground was saturated with a week of rain, a sodden mass with standing water, and the two days of strong wind had finally managed to blow the tree completely down, leaving only the root system showing from my viewpoint. Fortunate it was that the wind had vortexted in the maze of houses, blowing NORTH away from my picture rather than some direction which would have brought it crashing into my duplex windows.

My night would have been considerably less comfortable in almost any other circumstance, with that strong wind blowing rain through my picture window.

As it is, we spent a couple of inconvenient hours in the dark. The only other damage (if it may be called that) was the cover was blown away from where it covered my "most expensive lawn ornament in town", a 1987 Porsche 944 which has been resident beside my driveway for the past year since I blew first gear and had it towed home while I saved up to get it repaired. Yes, I'm still saving. No, I have no idea when it will get fixed; I always have something more immediate to do with my money, such as pay the rent, buy Christmas presents, and go to IPSC matches.

You will notice that the view toward the street doesn't show much. The camera flash didn't go far, and the lights which usually make this front part of my yard and driveway illuminated are all out.

I admit, it doesn't take much to make my night life more exciting than usual. But we could all have done without this kind of excitement.

Note to self: tomorrow, go buy more lamp oil and extra batteries for the flashlights. I've checked my supplies, and I have no batteries or oil which are not already in the lamps.

How are YOUR "Emergency Preparedness" supplies holding out?

Bad Advice

Cooperate_with_robber

James R. Hall at Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed tells us about a robbery gone bad, and offers good advice, considering the circumstances..

just read with interest a story in Louisville’s Courier-Journal newspaper about a night club robbery [Nightclub employee shot in robbery, 21 Nov 06]. According to the story, Metro Police Lt. James "Mueller said the robber entered Petrus, on East Main Street, with a gun about 3 a.m. through an open door and demanded cash. The employee complied, but as the robber was leaving, he turned and fired several times, striking the worker once in the shoulder."

According to Hall (and we'll all find this advice eerily familiar):

... what makes these people "extremely dangerous" is the fact that they are armed and their victims are not. This is the ultimate truth that never seems to make it into most news stories. In the article, Lt. Mueller is said to recommend that "business owners and employees could go to www.lmpdasap.com to find robbery prevention tips." I went there looking for these tips and what I found made pretty good sense. There were also some "Robbery Reduction Tips" that, for the most part, were worthy advice also but, there were a few items that bordered on insanity.

For one, NOWHERE does it suggest that someone might actually arm themselves in order to have a fighting chance against an armed assailant. IN FACT, they advise against "escalating" the situation by attempting to fight or using a weapon to defend yourself!!! At this point I have to wonder, if you already have a gun in your face, what could be considered "escalation"? Another tip: "Remember: robbers seldom hurt people who cooperate with them." Unfortunately, the title character in this story turned out to be one of the seldoms!

"Escalation" is a handy word but it ignores the fact that when you have a gun in your face, "escalation" is a difficult term to quantify.

Here is an article which describes 'escallation' on an international level.

This article illustrates "escalation" on an entirely different level ... that of egregioius infringements of individual rights to privacy by your national govenment.

This is an example of the consequences when people assume that 'someone else' will protect them against violent attack.

And finally, here is what happens when a citizen realizes that nobody will protect him from casual violence, so he determines to protect himself.

You decide what is the best approach for your own defense.

Sweden Under Attack

Paralax Adjustment has an excellent short story on an Apocalyptic theme.

Family Reunion

THIS is my idea of a Family Reunion!

I bet they don't have any problems getting the whole fam-damily to show up every summer.

BTW, when I went through Basic Training in 1968, they showed us what it looked like to burnout a barrel in the M60 by shooting it continuously for over a minute.

Today ... well, you've come a long way, Baby!

On the other hand, THIS doesn't look like nearly as much fun.

(Thank you, YouTube.)

For some of us our Family Reunions look a lot more like this.

(H/T and Molon Labe' Bane)

Hezbollah Human Shields?

An Israeli think tank with strong links to the military released videos and testimony Tuesday it said proved Hezbollah guerrillas used civilians as human shields during last summer's war in Lebanon.

Duh!

Taleban Rules

No kidding, the egregious Taleban now has RULES.

Reminds me of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) report, in that they are both wonderful examples of really stupid things to say, but which reveal a great deal about their authors and their not-so-hidden agendas.

The ISG Report has 79 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and I won't add to your frustration by detailing to them. If you've read this far, you've probably already read either the report itself or commentary on the report ... which is sufficient to convince you that the authors are ... well, idiots.

The difference between the ISG and the Taleban is: the Taleban Rules are brief. And they make no bones about it, their agenda is clear.

They want to kill everybody who doesn't agree with them.

The ISG has the same goal, but they deny it.

Here are the Taleban Rules:

It is made clear that the rules are obligatory and "anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates".

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taleban spokesman, confirmed the authenticity of the rules in an interview.

Ignore at your peril: the regulations in full

Every Mujahid must abide by the following rules:

• 1. A Taleban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so that they may convert to Islam.

• 2. We guarantee to any man, who turns his back on infidels, personal security and the security of his possessions. But if he becomes involved in a dispute, or someone accuses him of something, he must submit to our judiciary.

• 3. Mujahideen who protect new Taleban recruits must inform their commander.

• 4. A convert to the Taleban, who does not behave loyally and becomes a traitor, forfeits our protection.

• 5. A Mujahid who kills a new Taleban recruit will be punished according to Islamic law.

• 6. If a Taleban fighter wants to move to another district he must get permission from his group leader.

• 7. A Mujahid who takes a foreign infidel as prisoner with the consent of a group leader may not exchange him for other prisoners or money.

• 8. A provincial, district or regional commander may not work for a non-governmental organisation or accept money from an NGO.

• 9. Taleban may not use Jihad equipment or property for personal ends.

• 10. Every Taleb is accountable to his superiors in matters of money spending and equipment usage.

• 11. Mujahideen may not sell equipment.

• 12. A group of Mujahideen may not take in Mujahideen from another group to increase their own power.

• 13. Weapons and equipment taken from infidels or their allies must be fairly distributed among the Mujahideen.

• 14. If someone who works with infidels wants to co-operate with Mujahideen, he should not be killed. If he is killed, his murderer must stand before an Islamic court.

• 15. A Mujahid or leader who torments an innocent person must be warned by his superiors. If he does not change he must be thrown out of the Taleban movement.

• 16. It is strictly forbidden to search houses or confiscate weapons without the permission of a district or provincial commander.

• 17. Mujahideen have no right to confiscate money or personal possessions of civilians.

• 18. Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

• 19. Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair on to the battlefield or into their private quarters.

• 20. If members of the opposition or the civil government wish to be loyal to the Taleban, we may take their conditions into consideration.

• 21. Anyone with a bad reputation or who has killed civilians during the Jihad may not be accepted into the Taleban movement.

• 22. If a Mujahid is found guilty of a crime and his commander has barred him from the group, no other group may take him in.

• 23. If a Mujahid is faced with a problem that is not described in this book, his commander must find a solution in consultation with the group.

• 24. It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque. Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taleban regime.

• 25. Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must receive a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

• 26. Those NGOs that come to the country under the rule of the infidels must be treated as the government is treated. We tolerate none of their activities, whether it be building of streets, bridges, clinics, schools, madrases [schools for Koran study] or other works. If a school fails to heed a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand.

27. [With alleged criminality] As long as a person has not been convicted of espionage and punished for it, no one may take up the issue on their own. Only the district commander is in charge. Witnesses who testify must be in good psychological condition, possess an untarnished religious reputation, and not have committed a major crime.

• 28. No lower-level commander may interfere with contention among the populace. If an argument cannot be resolved, the district or regional commander must handle the matter. The case should be discussed by religious experts or a council of elders. If they find no solution, the case must be referred to religious authorities.

• 29. Every Mujahid must post a watch, day and night.

• 30. The above 29 rules are obligatory. Anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates.

Signed by the highest leader of the Islamic Emirates of Afghan-istan.

Let's fisk this puppy.

• 1. A Taleban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so that they may convert to Islam.

Interpretation:
Our religion requires that we give you the opportunity to surrender unconditionally. If you don't, we get to kill you.

• 2. We guarantee to any man, who turns his back on infidels, personal security and the security of his possessions. But if he becomes involved in a dispute, or someone accuses him of something, he must submit to our judiciary.

Interpretation:
Believe it, mean it. Or we get to kill you.

• 4. A convert to the Taleban, who does not behave loyally and becomes a traitor, forfeits our protection.

Interpretation:
Live it, or we get to kill you.

• 14. If someone who works with infidels wants to co-operate with Mujahideen, he should not be killed. If he is killed, his murderer must stand before an Islamic court.

Interpretation:
We welcome traitors to their culture. Anyone who doesn't do this ... we get to kill you.

• 15. A Mujahid or leader who torments an innocent person must be warned by his superiors. If he does not change he must be thrown out of the Taleban movement.

• 16. It is strictly forbidden to search houses or confiscate weapons without the permission of a district or provincial commander.

• 17. Mujahideen have no right to confiscate money or personal possessions of civilians.

Interpretation:
(15) we get to kill you
(16) we get to kill you
(17) we get to kill you

• 18. Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

• 19. Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair on to the battlefield or into their private quarters.

Interpretation:
This is not right. We'll overlook it this time, but next time ... we'll overlook it again because we like doing this stuff, too. Okay? NO, we're not perverts. It's all perfectly natural, and we'll play while we wait for our 72 virgins and a carton of camels to be delivered by UPS. (Surely you didn't think we were talking about cigarettes!)

• 24. It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque. Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taleban regime.

• 25. Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must receive a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

• 26. Those NGOs that come to the country under the rule of the infidels must be treated as the government is treated. We tolerate none of their activities, whether it be building of streets, bridges, clinics, schools, madrases [schools for Koran study] or other works. If a school fails to heed a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand.

Interpretation:
Smoking, and banging little boys, are Not Good; but they're not all that bad, either. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.
Teaching little boys to Just Say No, however is a capital offense.
We get to kill you. Burn your school. Did I mention we get to kill you? (Not, of course, until we've whupped you to within an inch of your life. Preferrably in front of a bunch of your little-boy students.) Well, you deserve it, you capitalist running dog. Why would we continue this oppression of our fellow man, if there wasn't something in it for us?

27. [With alleged criminality] As long as a person has not been convicted of espionage and punished for it, no one may take up the issue on their own. Only the district commander is in charge. Witnesses who testify must be in good psychological condition, possess an untarnished religious reputation, and not have committed a major crime.

Interpretation:
If you're a crook, or a murderer or rapist, that's okay. No problem, Brother. But if you work against the espoused goals of the Taleban (we get to kill people), guess what?
That's right: we get to kill you.
Are we having fun yet?

• 30. The above 29 rules are obligatory. Anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates.

Interpretation:
We get to kill you, we get to kill you, la la la we get to kill you.

Columbia Cascade Section news

This information will be of particular interest to members of the USPSA's Columbia Cascade Section (CCS), which represents four clubs in NW and Central Oregon. However, the implications may be of interest to IPSC competitors in other areas because it represents the benefits of strong volunteerism in the section.

Our current Section Coordinator, Mike ("Mac") McCarter, has just been designated USPSA's Junior Coordinator, replacing outgoing coordinator Larry Houck. Mac has also a declared candidate for USPSA President. When the USPSA Board of Directors was asked whether there is any conflict of interest in the double filing, they decided that it was acceptable for Mac to serve as Junior Coordinator until the completion of the Presidential Election process in mid-2007. We're fortunate at USPSA to have such a competent, experienced and energetic volunteer available for these positions, although we in CCS are aware that we're losing so much vision and managerial ability in our local competitions.

The election of CCS Officers will be an interesting process this year, with some of our BOD running for their current offices again for the 2007 season, one (Norm) filing to advance from Secretary to Section Coordinator, a Club Rep filing to move to replace Norm as Section Secretary, and Chuck, who was Prize table Coordinator for the 2006 Area 1 tournament (a prize table of over $60,000) is filing for Competition Director.

There is still time and room for more candidates to file, and I hope we have more volunteers to come forward to offer their skills and energy at the Section level. But personally, I have a great deal of respect for the people who have already filed for office. This section can only continue to demonstrate the adage that success breeds success. A record of successful major matches, and a month-to-month presentation of quality 'club matches', brings in a consistent high number of participants. As more people are attracted to IPSC competition in the area, match fees are building the treasury of the host clubs and providing more funding for significant range improvements.

Perhaps more important, as successful matches become the standard rather than the exception, more 'quality people' are attracted to the sport. The term 'quality people' should be understood to describe people who are highly satisfied with the value of competition offered, and are willing and eager to contribute their organizational talents and time to serve in an administrative capacity.

Burn-out has always been a problem with IPSC competition. As an amateur sport, it is dependent on volunteers to do the real work of organizing matches; designing and constructing stages which are challenging, fair and consistent; establishing policies and practices to provide consistency across the section; and encouraging other competitors to step forward to make a similar contribution to "pay back" the sport which has provided them with so much rewarding competition.


The growth of IPSC competition in CCS is a reflection of the growth of each individual member club. Over the past few years, all four of the clubs in this section have re-invested their match fees in range improvement programs.

The Dundee Practical Shooters started it out with digging out new shooting bays, surfacing all bays in thick gravel (when it rains in Oregon, this is necessary to avoid slipping in mud), building new berms, building a new "Stats Shack" with electrical power from a generator, importing more porta-potties, installing a wash-up station (using water from the fast-running rill that runs through the range), pouring concrete pads, bringing in picnic tables, installing overhead cover on most stages, setting up a second Safety Area, buying more steel targets, building more props, and initiating a club-member core group known as "The Old Guard".

This last improvement may be the most important in terms of their ability to continue hosting challenging, fun matches on a monthly basis. The Old Guard members are distinguished by their distinctive shirts and hats, which they wear at every match. When competitors encounter problems on a stage (such as a range-equipment failure which requires immediate repair, or running out of tape, or discovery of a faulty timer, or a rules question which requires intercession by the Match Director), they can search out the nearest Old Guard member. That designated club representative will make every effort to see that the problem is resolved, to insure that the match continues as smoothly as possible.

It's The Old Guard designing and constructing stages, and seeing to it that they are torn down at the end of the match. (Usually, they charge an extra $2 in the match fees to pay for 'someone else' to tear down the stages, to the utter delight of often-exhausted competitors.

It's The Old Guard scheduling the matches, insuring that the stats are kept accurately and in a timely manner, serving as MD and RM, building innovative props, and seeing that match scores are posted to the internet within a day or two of the match ... often, the same evening as the match is completed.

Tri County Gun Club, in Sherwood (I've written about this club before), recently completed a HUGE range expansion program which has been advancing step-wise for serveral years. The first stage was little more than digging out a couple of extra bays and surfacing all bays in thick gravel. Some overhead shelter was provided, in part financed by private contributions from club members.

The last phase was completed in 2006, just in time for the Area 1 Championship Tournament. The surrounding hillsides were extensively dug out to make room for a total of 13 shooting bays, parking for 200 cars, and all of these surfaces were covered in thick gravel.

Berms were constructed of huge concrete blocks (similar to the "New Jersey" concrete barriers often found on interstate freeways, but of a different cross-section allowing them to be stacked and interlocked like Lego toys). The concrete berms were faced with dirt banks, to absorb the bullets and prevent the deterioration of the concrete due to bullet-strikes and the consequent splatter, spalling or recochets of bullets which would otherwise strike bare concrete.

More overhead cover was erected, and while not ALL bays yet have protection from sun and rain, most bays which are commonly used in IPSC competition have this improvement.

Some of the new concrete-bermed bays are fifty yards deep, and almost as wide, allowing a wide range of challenging stage designs to be presented there. Those bays almost invariably include a niche where a safety table can be provided for each bay. The convenience of a safety table is a great advantage where competitors can work on malfunctioning weapons (pistol-caliber carbine and practical/tactical shotgun matches are also held in this range) , practice their draw or reloading, bag and unbag safe weapons, and any other function which the IPSC rules allow to take place in Safety Areas.

They also installed a number of extra porta-potties for the relief of busy, active competitors. Speaking for the Super Senior contingent ... thank you, TCGC!


The COSSA Practical Shooter (as far as I can tell, COSSA stands for Central Oregon Sports Shooters Association) is located 22 miles East of Bend, Oregon, on Highway 20.

Because they are geographically located so far away from the Willamette Valley, which contains the other three clubs, their attendance is much smaller on a monthly basis. Added to the distance, consider that their Winter weather is much more severe than that found in the mild Valley, all of which combines to make a trip to Bend a real treat.

They joined the Columbia Cascade Section a few years ago, and one of their first acts was to add more shooting bays for a total of 13. The High Desert climate allows them to use the natural surface of the ground, which is sandy, so they don't have thick gravel in the bays.

They already have a huge area available for parking, vendor tent and other facilities, so it is easy for them to host major matches. So far they have hosted USPSA National Championship matches for two years, and the Area 1 Tournament in 2003. (I note that this took place in May of 2003, and the first day of the match we started out in a bit of snow. The local sporting goods store enjoyed a profitable run on rain gear, warm coats and waterproof boots that week.)


Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, located off "7 mile road" (take exit 228 from the Interstate 5, West of the Corvallis Exit) has, under the leadership of Mike McCarter, exhibited which must be the longest-running and most extensive period of range improvements in the section.

Starting with six muddy, wide-open bays, ARPC has (in approximate order of completion):

• Surfaced all bays in thick gravel OVER a visquine (sp) fabric base OVER a drainage system
• Used receipts from IPSC matches almost exclusively to pay for more and better targets, props and facilities on the North Range (which is the 'action pistol' range at this club)
  
• Provided 3-sided steel buildings to protect from sun and rain, on concrete pads
• Added porta-potties within a couple dozen yards of every covered bay
• Added a seventh bay, with steel building cover on a concrete pad
• Provided an internet connection to the already electrically wired and heated stats shack, so that match results can be posted almost immediately after the completion of the match
• Added 5 LARGE bays on the East side of Saddle Butte (which constitutes the 'back berm' for the entire range); some of these bays allow 50 yards depth, almost that much width
  
• In conjunction with the last bays ... which brings the total to 12 bays ... added another pair of porta-potties (at least one of which is designgated 'for ladies only')
• Added safety-tables between every other bay on the North Range
• Added CONEX or other steel-construction prop containers for some of the disciplines which use the North Range
• Placed a major emphasis on the Junior Program, to encourage younger shooters to compete. Some of the features of this local program include: providing pistols, ammunition and gear; a dedicated Junior Team coach, with scheduled practice sessions often monitored by their parents; shirts to help identify the Junior Team shooters; paid entry and transportation to the USPSA Nationals, with parents acting as chaparones
• A $2 addition to the monthly match fees pays a 'crew' to tear down stages after the monthly matches. (Note: this is usually members of the Junior Team, and their monthly 'payment' usually goes to the Junior Team bank account)

These improvements not only make monthly matches more enjoyable, but also make it possible to host Major Matches. For example, after completing ALL of the above improvements, ARPC hosted the USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals in July, 2006.





Summary:
Oregon gun clubs are active, shooter-friendly, busy, innovative, well-funded and the epitome of volunteerism. Burn-out is not a factor, because so many local participants are eager to step up to the mark and pitch you nothing but fast-balls.

The funding from increased participation, generated by better facilities and more attractive conveniences (such as tear-down crews), has kept participation levels high and competitor satisfaction even higher.

As each generation of volunteers provide fascinating, challenging matches, more funds are available to provide the next generation of competitors with bigger matches, better range facilities, and more 'important' matches.

This is the future of IPSC.

An involved, energetic leadership helps to grow IPSC competition. Wise re-investment of the match fees generates bigger, better clubs and bigger, better matches.

The Columbia Cascade Section is working hard to attract new shooters, keep the shooters they already have, and encourage a solid base of dedicated participants who are ready and willing to volunteer for administrative duties within the section.

If you are a CCS member, and you think you have something to contribute, please don't think that just because candidates already have been found for each Section office, you shouldn't file for office.

With approximately 100 competitors signed up for the Points Race alone (and remember that not everybody who competes signs up), there is a large base of participants who are available but who have not yet paid their dues by volunteering. This is your chance to pay back to the sport. Many of us help out with match set-up, or other activities. But there is no reason why you can't be part of the "Pointy End" of the spear of volunteerism. If you prefer not to give your time as a section officer, consider volunteering to help your home club by serving as a Club Rep. Many BOD members have served for multiple years, some are even holding both Club and Section offices, and they would appreciate your help

If you're not a member of CCS, the same encouragement applies to you.

Volunteer to help lead your section to a better competitive year. Or to work with your club, in whatever capacity you think would be the best way to temporarily take over for someone who has become almost a local institution. They would appreciate the opportunity to relax for a couple of years and just ... shoot!

Relax, you don't have to serve forever. Just for a year or two. Your choice. It's a great experience, and a satisfying one.

It's pay-back time.

Winter IPSC

I should have named this "The Wimpification of IPSC". IPSC in Oregon is getting thin on the ground ... which is dry, and firm and still green. We had snow one night a couple of weeks ago, but it was gone by noon.

And yet the competitive season is going into hibernation, for at least the month of December.

Dundee's scheduled match on the Fourth Saturday falls on the 23rd, and it has been cancelled because it is just before Christmas. I don't know why, something about a four-day weekend and spending it with the family.

Tri-County has a match on the 3rd Sunday, the 17th, and it will be a Concealed Carry match. Again, I heard some talk about "shoot with your coat on". Why would I want to do that? My hands will be numb anyway. Since I've given away my 9mm, I have only the Beloved Kimber to compete with in that kind of match.

(SEE the UPDATE below.)

Well, and the Taurus .357 4" revolver. Enough said about that.

SWMBO wouldn't be interested in any match where she can't shoot an open gun, and she wouldn't make the drive with me just to watch and shiver. We're invited to visit The Hobo Brasser and his charming bride Spicy (she introduces him as her "first husband") after the match, so we'll certainly drive north for that. We haven't seen Spicy in far too long, and The Hobo just might have a drop of The Jamison's in the cupboard.

But we probably will take a 'by' on the match.

Does this sound a little like the whining of a small boy who can't go outside because it's raining?

Good. You understand. Very few matches this month, and I'm pouting.

The good news is that Mac is putting on another of his excellent Second Saturday matches at Albany. Covered shooting areas, bring your space heater, the weatherman forcasts light showers and fifty four degree weather. He said the same about today, and we haven't seen rain for over a week now.

More good news, I have received my replacement Aftec Extractor from Chuck Bradley at Shooter's Connection. I'll be installing that this evening after chamber gauging the ammunition I reloaded at my freezing garage loading bench last night.

Tomorrow morning will be three or four layers of clothing (the weatherman can't be relied on even to be unreliable) and a water-resistant shell over my levis. The stumbling boots will be filled with wool socks and smelly feet, and we'll be at the range by 8am just in case the match starts early. (As if ... this IS Albany, after all, with it's traditional 9am start time that looks a lot like 9:30 by my watch. Mac has made great strides in making the start time correspond with the schedule, but once a club has a reputation it will never live it down.)

My goal for this match: Don't DQ.

I kind of forgot that one last month. I think I've picked up a bit of a reputation, too.

Speaking of which, at the Pistol Caliber Carbine match last month, Jeff was reading out the shooting order and announced me as "The Geek" instead of using my last name, which I had put on my score sheets. I asked him how he knew me. He said "You're Famous!" Is there anyone who doesn't know I DQ'd last month?

I'm kind of rushing through this tonite. Normally I don't blog on Friday Nights, as I'm busy packing my gear to go to SWMBO's place, from where we'll leave for the match in the morning. But I've got behind on my blogging. Most of the week I've been spending my evenings editing videos from last weekend. Then last night I couldn't get connected to the Internet.

I spent an irritated half-our trying to talk to Comcast today. The service technician suggested that I unplug my cable modem, let it sit for at least two minutes, then plug it in and try it again. So I worked through lunch so i could do some shopping (had to buy another 2L76 c-more battery to replace the one I borrowed from Rick last month) and get home to see if the technical advice worked.

I spent the waiting period getting all of my gear ready to load into the car, then plugged the power cord back into the socket and cranked it up. It worked!

I feel better now. Not quite as cranky as I was earlier. I'm having dinner with SWMBO tonite, getting the gun and ammunition ready for another great Albany match in the morning, and now I'm caught up on the blog stuff.



It isn't easy being Geek.


UPDATE - December 10, 2006:
No, there won't even be a Concealed Carry match at TCGC (see the comment from Norm the Ungrateful). As noted, this is 'post-season' and between the change in administration at TCGC IPSC Discipline (Norm will be the TCGC Club Rep to the Columbia Cascade Section in 2007) and the CCS (Norm has been nominated for CCS Section Coordinator), staffing was not available to put on the December, 2006 match.

Note to CCS members: there is no conflict with Norm serving as both Section Coordinator and Club Rep. Mike McCarter has been Section Coordinator for the past few years, and was also IPSC Director at ARPC. He managed to serve both positions with competance and verve, and there is no reason to expect that Norm will have any special difficulties wearing two hats. We're blessed with an abundance of competent, energetic and conscious people in this section. Look for more news about the Columbia Cascade Section volunteerism ... well, almost immediately.

Pistol-Caliber Carbine Match : MechTech Works!

I am delighted to report that the Mech Tech (MT) Carbine Conversion Unit (CCU) worked just fine in the "Pistol-Caliber Carbine Match" hosted on Saturday, December 2, 2006, at the Tri-County Gun Club (TCGC) in Sherwood, Oregon.

(UPDATE- December 4: Match scores are now available here. Good news for The Geek, I didn't actually zero any stages, although I got only 8 out of 120 points on one stage, and 3 out of 115 points on another! The low scores were not the fault of the gun, but rather a combination of an unfamiliar gun, crappy 'Polarized Filter' on the PDP1 scope which wouldn't keep its setting, and a shooter who wasn't as good as the equipment. Also, there are some videos available ... I will be adding more as time permits ... on Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.)

UPDATE - December 8:
All videos have been edited and added to the Video Album.

No, I did not win the match. I didn't win a single stage. In fact, I finished the first stage (Bay 4) down six misses and one 'failure to engage' penalty.

This was after squad-member Chris showed us all how to do it with his AR-15 type carbine, with no misses and about half the time it took ME to finish the stage.

No alibies from me about using a ten-round magazine; Chris didn't spend a lot of time trying to find the targets, trying to find a comfortable shooting position (on that first stage "Bay 4: Sniper Qualified"), the available shooting positions included kneeling, and hunkered down in a semi-crouch. I managed to expand the position choices to "flat on my butt with my heels in the air" when I tried to stand up ... sort of, after kneeling for 45 seconds ... from the first shooting box.

Maybe I'm getting old, but I find it increasingly difficult to extract myself from the kneeling position. Or any other position besides standing, come to think of it. And this match was so challenging that I found myself in either physical or competitive difficulties in every single stage.

Except the last stage. By that time I was beginning to get the hang of shooting the MT-CCU and changed my mindset from "I think I can, I think I can" to "Wow! What a rush!".

Experience counts. Also, being allowed to shoot on the move at targets which aren't 'impossibly far away' add to the shooting enjoyment when you're not ... well, when you're not me.

BACKGROUND:
Let's go to the "Way-Back Machine" to November of 2004.

That month two years ago, the Albany Rifle & Pistol Club (ARPC) under the direction of Mike McCarter hosted a "Mech Tech Match". This was a "pistol caliber carbine" match intended specifically to provide a venue for competitive use of the Mech Tech Carbine Conversion Unit.

I didn't happen to own a MechTech, but I was fortunate in that The Hobo Brasser not only owned one but it was chambered in .45 acp. His own 1911 frame (I believe it was purchased some years earlier through the mail-order company Montgomery-Ward) was not entirely compatible with the CCU. However, some experimentation before the match established the fact that the Kimber Custom frame I had been using for competition worked perfectly. We were able to not only use my range-brass .45 ammunition, but his expensive .460 Rowland ammunition with equal reliability. In fact, we could mix the two ammunition types in the same magazine without any failure to function.

About 15 competitors showed up on an icy November morning, and the result (enhanced by a fortuitous warm air front which didn't appear until after the match started) was a gleeful appreciation of the advantages of using short-barrelled, pistol-caliber long arms in an IPSC-type competitive venue.

The smaller bays of a pistol range were completely appropriate to the caliber. Relatively long shots (about 20 yards) were not a problem with the barrel multiple times longer than the typical pistol, and the course designs even provided the opportunity for competitors to attemp, and succeed in, shoot-on-the-move techniques.

Unfortunately, follow-up matches were never scheduled, so this firearm genre received no further encouragement for the next two years.

BACK TO THE FUTURE:
In the summer of 2006, The Hobo Brasser (perhaps because of his acquisition of a Beretta CX4 "Storm" 9mm semi-automatic Carbine) determined that his MechTech was 'superfluous to his immediate needs'. He offered the CCU for sale at a price significantly under current list for a new CCU, and I bought it from him.

This was a "firearm" (so-called, because it was not legally a firearms due to its lack of an action) for which I had no definable use.

I had no sights for it either; the unit came with a sight rail suitable for Weaver mounts, but no iron sight mechanism was included.

I had owned a Tasco PDP1 for several years ... again, it had never been used ... and had sold it to a friend for use on his MechTech. I checked with him and discovered that he had replaced it with another sight, and was willing to sell it to me for the same price he had paid for it. For fifty dollars, I had a fine dot-sight and upon installation it was ready to run. It took a couple of trips to the range before I had it properly mounted and sighted in, but there were no doubts in my mind that it would shoot to point of aim at 30 yards.

The December, 2006 Match:
When the "Pistol Caliber Carbine" match was announced a week prior to the match, I was ready to sign up for it immediately.

Having determined where the match was to be held (there was some confusion in my mind at first, a situation which I find increasingly common lately), I showed up at the host range at about 9am.

SAFETY:
I didn't really know much about "practical rifle matches", but I did know that (a) this was to be run under IPSC-type rules, and (b) firearms must be either bagged when off the firing line, or shown to be unloaded by implementation of a Chamber Flag.

The Chamber Flag (also known as a "Chamber Checker" is a brightly colored device inserted into the chamber of a rifle and extending beyond the ejection port, designed to exhibit to the casual observer that the rifle has no ammunition in the chamber. I didn't happen to own a Chamber Flag, but upon talking to Match Director Gary T. I determined that all rifles must either be fitted with a Chamber Flag or transported between stages and to the firing line in a rifle case or bag.

I didn't own either of these. Fortunately, checking with other shooters on the range, I found that Shaun H. had an extra Chamber Flag and was willing to loan it to me for the duration of the match. (Note to Shaun: I still have your Chamber Flag, I'll give it back to you at the next IPSC match.)

After signing up for the match, this was the final hurdle in my qualification for entry into the match.

It happens that the majority of the competitors at this match were IPSC-certified, so they were aware of the proper range commands and the standard safety rules for competition. ALL participants had competed in 'action' shooting sports. However, some competitors were S.A.S.S. competitors only, and others were 'practical rifle' or 'tactical rifle' certified only. Since the rules of competition, range commands and safety standards to which they were accustomed were often significantly different from IPSC, we decided (at least in the squad to which I was assigned) to limit Range Officer (RO) duties to those members who were IPSC-certified as Range Officers. This provided a standard criteria for safety.

In fact, although my RO experience was limited to IPSC and two "Practical Shotgun" matches, I was able to serve as RO for part of the time during the match. The rules for this match were significantly different only in the actual considerations for unloading and showing clear, and safe stowage of firearms:

"If you are finished; bolt forward, hammer down. Bolt back, insert chamber flag or bag a safe weapon." (Or words to that effect.)

The Walk-Through:
As the match director walked us through the stages in the match, a couple of circumstances attracted our immediate attention.

First, the stages didn't always fit into the bays for which they were originally intended. The reason is that the stages were much LONGER than the bays would accomodate, so the stage numbers didn't always exactly fit the sequence of the numbering system. That is, the targets were very far from the place where we were allowed to shoot at them!

Second, the stages were not as 'user friendly' as I had expected.

Specifically, there was a positive dearth of up-close-and-personal hoser stages. ALL of the stages featured many very small reactive targets at very long (20 to 40 yards) distances, and at least half of the cardboard IPSC-type targets were either moving targets, largely masked by hard-cover or no-shoot penalty targets, or required "Mozambique" engagements: Three hits on the target, at least one of which must be in the upper A/B zone of the target. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with the terminology, this "A/B Zone" is a four-inch square flap at the top of the cardboard target. The highest-scoring A-zone here is a 3" x 1.5" rectangle in the center of the flap.)

STAGES:
On one stage (I believe it was in Bay 8 - "Delta Team Standards"), there were six steel targets, six IPSC targets (at 20, 30 and 40 yards distance) mostly overlayed by no-shoots so that the only practical scorable surface was the A/B-zone, and two "Mozambique" targets at 40 yards. This was presented as a "Virginia Count" (VC) stage, meaning that extra shots (to make up misses) would be penalized!

Some "whiney old guys" (The Hobo Brasser and some Geekish fellow) raised an immediate outcry, complaining that this was an egregious misuse of stage designer authority, without quite mentioning that such a stage would be illegal under strict IPSC rules which prohibit the use of steel targets in Virginia Count stages.

The MD was only slightly apologetic, so when walking through the rest of the stages in the match there were several loud comments asking that some IPSC targets be designated "Mozambique", and other times requesting that the stage use VC scoring. The MD promised to look into it to determine whether it was too late to change the computerized scoring templates to accomodate these requests.

The remark was made that "I hope the match is as much fun as the Walk-Through was".

Immediately after the start of the match, the MD came by our squad to announce that the stage in Bay 8 had been changed to Comstock, because of the unseemly complaints of a bunch of "Whiney Old Guys". Then he changed his story and admitted that there had been a printing error on the official Stage Procedure, and it had been originally intended to be a Comstock scoring stage all along.

In truth, it was because of a bunch of "Whiney Old Men". Just another example of "You Know You're Over 50 when ... you give advice, and somebody actually seems to be listening."

Our squad of 8 men started on Bay 4, which featured steel plates sitting on the ground (and their grey color was virtually indistinguishable from the gravel on which they rested), two five-target arrays at 40 yards consisting of Bowling Pins, and a Dueling Tree whose four steel plates were difficult to see against the brown-dirt background of the berm.

Chris started out with an excellent time and got all of his hits, using an AR-16 variation in, I think, 9mm.

My run was different.

I managed the bowling pins okay, but I only even SAW one of the three plates (it was in shadow and I never engaged it.) I got the Dueling Tree plates okay, but when I tried to stand up from the uncomfortable kneeling-over-a-table position, I lost my balance and fell on my butt. After that, I merely moseyed over to the second shooting box, got the two steel plates and the dueling tree plates 'okay', but couldn't hit a bowling pin to save my life. I emptied a ten round magazine at the pins (35 yards distance) without ever seeing where my rounds were hitting, and declared myself done.

Result: 1.5 embarassing eons spent on the stage, six misses and one failure-to-engage penalty. After the first stage, I had approximately zero points.

Everyone in the squad, including the 'first match' guy, Vic, finished with a higher score. Well, I knew I was shooting for fun before I got out of bed, but I didn't DQ so I figured I was ahead of the game.

As the match progressed, I became increasingly comfortable with the MechTech CCU. The .45 round was death on plates, which was not always the case for competitors shooting 9mm. Mostly, the 9mm killed plates when hit squarely and toward the middle of the plate. Often, the 9mm rounds would not knock down ground-based 10" square plates when hit close to the ground. But with the .45, if I touched it ... it was down. My ammunition was loaded a bit heavier than required in IPSC competition (about a 180 power factor), but the blow-back design of the CCU bolt didn't absorb as much of the power as I had expected. The 200 grain LRN bullet maintained sufficient momentum to spin-down or just flat knock down even the heaviest plate, which is more a recommendation for the CCU than for my personal accuracy.

The only criticism of the MechTech design is that the blow-back bolt is so massive, it moves slow enough to demonstrably slow-down the ability of the competitor to shoot fast splits. I found myself waiting for the bold to move back into battery. This sounds like a major criticism, but in this match the targets were so far away, or so tiny, I could rarely get back on target fast enough that the delay could be said to slow me down.

However, on a close-target 'hoser' stage, thsi would constitute a competitive disadvantage compared to faster actions.

Subsequent stages featured:
Bay 9 - "Search and Destroy"
Seventeen steel targets, including a Texas Star at 30 yards. Most shooters did fine when they hit the eight-inch plates on the star, but many found that they had bitten off a bitter chew when they engaged the lower plates first. This cause the target array to rotate around its axis, imparting ore angular momentum than was convenient to hit at that distance. I was impressed in that, although some competitors didn't know the best way to engage the targets with making it spin like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, they still managed to bang-and-clang fast moving plates at even that great distance.

Bay 10 - "Fire and Maneuver"
In this stage, you had to shoot ALMOST all of the steel targets from the "Hell Hut", then engage ALMOST all of the IPSC targets from outside the "Hell Hut". Then you engaged three Pepper Poppers through a horizontal 'barrel'. Two of these three Poppers activated disappearing targets (DT); you had to engage the Disappearing Targets from OUTSIDE the barrel.

The kicker on this was that three members of our eight-man squad hit one of the activating poppers from through the barrel, but found himself with an empty magazine ... and unable to reload a fresh magazine and engage the moving IPSC target before it disappeared.

The funny/sad part of it was, the competitors went in with 40-round magazines (in once case, with a double-drum magazine holding something like 60 rounds), and were so confident in their 'everlasting ammo supply' that they either forgot to reload when they should have, or fully expected to shoot the entire 32-round stage without reloading.

Mozambique targets at distances from 7 to 40 yards. The most visually impressive display of shooting expertise on Mozambique targets was on the last stage we shot, in Bay 11 - "High Value Targets". We started out with two IPSC targets at 7 yards, starting position with the carbine resting on top of the barrel and the shooter's hands touching the rim of the barrel. Alex, at the buzzer, grabbed his Baretta Stormer in 9mm and shot two to the body, one to the head on both IPSC targets from the waist ... and got all of his hits (2-Alpha to the body, 1-Bravo, on both targets). I was the RO on that performance, and when he had completed the stage I cursed Alex for his stellar performance when I didn't have the camera rolling.

Actually, that was the most fun stage. There were plenty of opportunities to take steel targets on the move, and since it was the last stage our squad shot I was becoming fairly confident in my ability to shoot the gun. I would have loved to shoot the whole match over, which is probably a positive review of the match. In fact, the walk-through made the stages seem like difficult memory courses, but in the actual event it wasn't usually too difficult to know what you had to do to complete the course of fire successfully. Well, that was true if you weren't one of the first shooters; we all went to school on the mistakes of the first competitor on most stages.

After we completed that stage, I regaled some of the squad members with tales of IPSC competitors who had just recently move to Open division (with 25 round magazines) who confidently shot their first match in Open with full expectation of never running out of ammunition. They invariably, I recounted, ran out of ammunition somewhere during their first match; often on the first stage, necessitating a standing reload.

I found the story much more amusing than they did. Perhaps it's because they just experienced the phenomenon for the first time, while it has been a while since I committed the cardinal sin 'bad ammunition management'.

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS:
I didn't impress anybody in my first Pistol-Caliber Carbine match, but it wasn't because of equipment limitations. Instead, by the end of the match a couple of squd members complimented my perfomance given my limited magazine capability. (Not that I would have done any better with hi-cap magazines; it's not the gun that ruins your game, it's your inability to hit the targets in a timely manner.) I appreciate their encouragement despite my poor personal showing, and I hope to find more opportunities in the future to use the Carbine Conversion Unit in competition.

Actually, most of the problems I encountered were due to my unfamiliarity with the firarm and the scope (the PDP1 has a paralax filter which rotated because of vibration of the wire-frame stock, so I couldn't clearly see the targets.)

I have posted still photographs of the match at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery
( http://jerrythegeek.arpc-ipsc.org/gallery/mt06 for those whose computers or email hosts are link-challenged). At the moment, there are only a couple of dozen still photographs on this album, and they don't really show much of the stages or the action.

However, I have 26 videos (850MB in the original un-edited versions) which I will add as a sub-album as soon as I ... well ... as I edit them. Which may take a couple of days.

In the meantime, I want to express my appreciation to the Dirty Half-dozen who were willing to squad with me and, although they demonstrated no compunctions about laughing at me, were fun people to go spend a sunny day at the range with. In no particular order, they are:

• Jeff
• Vic
• Chris
• Alex
• Dave
• Gary
• Mark (The Hobo Brasser)

I made a conscious effort to film videos of each of the squad members, so please check back at Jerry The Geek's Video Shooting Gallery to see them in all their radiant glory. Except for Alex, who saved his best stage for when I couldn't take pictures. Well, all of them did that.

The Rascals.

IN APPRECIATION:

Match Director Gary from TCGC hosted the IPSC match this month, and cheerfully suffered through the criticisms of "whiney old guys" during the walk-through.

Gary also shot the match, and arranged it so that (for an extra $2 each) there was a support crew available who tore down the stages after the match so that the competitors didn't have to do it. We all appreciated it, except for the one guy who missed "the comeraderie" of tearing down the stages. Not me. I would have paid more not to suffer through stage tear-down, and it was a real selling point in my decision to shoot the match.

Most important, though, was that Gary saw the niche for this kind of match, and earned $360 into the club coffers at little expense to the club, plus got the stages torn down for under $50 ... which the participants were happy to pay. There's a lesson here for other clubs, although I can't think what it could be.

NOTE that the original reference to the TASCO PDP1 dot-sight includes a link to an image which is actually the PDP2. This was a deliberate error, because I couldn't find a reference to the PDP1 (which is no longer in production). However, the PDP2 looks very much like the PDP1, which is why I chose this link. The difference betweeb the PDP1 and the PDP2 is that the PDP1 has a 'Polarizing Filter'. This was probably provided to allow the shooter to reduce the effects of glare. Unfortunately, the adjustment ring which sets the polarizing effect tends to move during the course of fire, due to the vibration in the system caused by firing several rounds. The result is that, by the end of the stage, the competitor can't see the target clearly ... it's like shooting in the dark. By the last stage, I had learned to set the polarizing filter to 'wide open' and hold it in place with masking tape. Yes, I realize this sounds very much like an alibi. It's the best I could do on short notice, and when I come up with a better alibi I'll replace this section with the improved version.


I can't provide a comparison between the two generationally different models, but I note that the PDP1 uses a pair of A640 batteries. (I note it so I have a place to reference when I need to buy new batteries, but I forget which battery the scope needs.)

UPDATE - December 4:
If you've been reading the comments, you caught Jeff's note about who was using what firearms.

Jeff and Chris were using AR-style 9mm carbines.
Dave and Alex seemed to be sharing a Beretta Storm CX4 in 9mm.
Gary and Vic seemed to be sharing a Beretta Storm CX4 in 9mm with a forearm pistol grip.
The Hobo Brasser was using his own Beretta Storm CX4 in 9mm, and loaning hi-cap magazines to other squad-members when they thought they needed it.
And Jerry the Geek was using a MechTech Carbine Conversion Unit in .45 acp, with the frame from The Beloved Kimber and 10-round magazines.
Life is good, when you're me!

IPSC: You know you're over 50 when ....

A few years ago, the Unofficial IPSC List indulged in "IPSC HAIKU". Jeff Maass posted the results to the internet, and the response from IPSC'ers was surprising. (Thanks, Jeff.)

It's about time we tried that again, so I've chosen to publish a list of the things "You know you're over 50 when ..."

I stole the concept from the SASS Forum (my bad) but it looked like fun. So I'll try it here.

Got better ideas? Send 'em in. I'll add to the list, and attribute your suggestion unless you specifically say I shouldn't. Add suggests to the COMMENTS section of this page, or send me an email at the address listed at the very bottom of this page. Not the bottom of the article, the bottom of the PAGE.

You Know You're Over 50 When ...

1. (Geek) -You go to The Dark Side because you can't see those fuzzy sights on your Limited Gun.
2. (Geek) - On the firing line, you can see your pistol grips, you can see your magazine basepads, but you can't see your belt. Or your toes.
   
3. (Geek) - When you give advice, somebody actually seems to be listening.
4. (Geek) - You decide to shoot for accuracy, not for speed.
5. (Geek) - A new shooter calls you 'sir', and he's displaying Male Pattern Baldness.
6. (Geek) - You go to a match, and they've left your usual parking space for you ... by the privy.
7. (Geek) - During the match walk-through, you raise a finger and say "Excuse me", and the MD says "Oh geez, not again!"
8. (Geek) - Your best stage at the match involves no movement after the draw.
9. (Geek) - You win "Top Old Coot" prize for the match, and you are proud of your accomplishment.
10. (Geek) - You tell someone how long you've been shooting IPSC, and they're impressed.
11. (Geek) - You know the significance of "The Toilet Paper" version of the rule book.
12. (Geek) - You own a golf-shirt that looks like this on the back.
13. (Hobo Brasser) - You are beyond the point in the curve where ability (falling) and age (rising) cross.
14. (Mr. Completely) - You have three pairs of glasses, one pair to wear driving to the match, one pair if most of the targets are close in, and the third pair for when most of the targets are farther out. Even so, most of your shots are guesses!
15. (Your contribution here)
    

UPDATE (December 3):
I'm seeing a trend here.
So far, all of the contributions are by guys who are over 60.

I also received an email from friend Bob H. ("Antipoda") from Texas, who contends that the condition of being "over 50" is NOTHING compared to being "over 60". He's hoping to wake up and discover that 7 years and 5 months have been deducted from his age, so he is qualified to whine about being "over 50".

He is probably correct. I can attest to the fact that I didn't start slowing down until after I turned 50. But I still could see iron sights until about the time I turned 60. (Actually, a few months before my birthday.)

Perhaps I should have titled the article: "You know you're over 60 when ... ". I had thought that there would be fewer people interesting in discussing the differences between 40 and 50 than 50 and 60, but perhaps I was wrong.

Could be. I've been wrong before.

I'll let this run as "over 50" for a while, in hopes that someone will be able to pinpoint the trauma of turning fifty. And I'll detail an incident which is specifically pertinent to "whiney old men" (all of them over 60) in my forthcoming review of the "Pistol Caliber Carbine Match), probably later tonight.

Administrative: Comments by Holoscan

Last year I replaced the Blogspot comments function with Haloscan. I did that mainly to provide myself with more options to edit and filter the comments. I had been getting a lot of junk mailfrom people who were using my comments section only to tout their own "blogs", most of which were commercial websites completely unrelated to the subject matter in the article they were commenting on.

It worked just fine. Now, when I get junk mail on my comments, I can easily delete it and also ban the author from further posts. Mostly.

More important, I discovered, when I make a comment and later discover an error in what I wrote, I can correct my comment in place instead of having to write another comment describing the error and offering the correct verbiage.

Blogspot is working to improve their comment function, but when they finally catch up with Haloscan I probably won't change back because, well, by then Haloscan will have made even more improvements.

A couple of days ago, I installed one of those improvements. It's a summary of the most recent comments that appears on the sidebar, between the links and the archive directory. I had to modify the code a little bit to get the comment summary to appear against the dark blue background (comment text is in a dark grey, which keeps it subtle so it's not distracting when you're reading articles .... but it's so far down the extended webpage that you probably won't see it unless you're going more than a couple articles down the page, or you're looking for it.)

I added it mainly for my own convenience. Sometimes people comment on old articles, and I often miss them until I deliberately page through articles LOOKING for new comments. This way, it's easy to find them in the summary and then I can read, edit and even repond to them with a minimum of fuss.

Why do I care? The comments I receive on this blog are the reward I get for writing. True, I usually write because I have something to say, because I feel compelled to write. But your responses reinforce the effort. If I haven't made myself clear, or I've said something that is factually incorrect, it helps me to maintain minimum standards of quality in the text.

Often comments prompt me to either expand on the subject (cf: the MechTech article) or to write a new article on a related subject.

Most important, it's a measure of my audience. I read EVERY comment, even if I don't reply. Sometimes the comments give me a much better idea of what people are interested in reading.

I do have a statistics service which tells me how many people are reading me (summarizes the last 1100 visitors) and which articles are repeatedly read because they are are listed in search results. For example, every week I have at least 40 people who just connect to watch Travis Tomasie's "Perfect Reload", which they only find because they have searched for it.

But if a new article is of interest to people who read the blog regularly, the comments are the only indicator I have that readers are interested enough to reply.

I encourage comments. I very rarely have to delete comments, because the people who write them are courteous (with the possible exception of The Hobo Brasser) and on-subject.

In fact, most of the links on the sidebar are there for my use. These are the places I like to read, or which I frequently use as reference sources. It's easier for me to call up my own blog and then access these other websites by clicking on the link.

If you have an idea for a link which might fit within the general IPSC/USPSA Competition venue, please let me know. If I find it as interesting as you do, I'll add it to the sidebar.

Thanks for reading. And for writing back.

A case for Football Helmet Conrol?

A Florida home-owner assaulted a pedestrian with a football helmet.

The passer-by, who was innocently plying a screwdriver against the screen-door of the home, is "... nursing a bruised head ... after being beaten with a football helmet.."

This is clearly prima facea evidence that the mere possession of a football helmet is bound to drive an otherwise normal person to violence.

It's high time we, the American People, call upon our legislators to demand that they enact common-sense helmet control laws restricting private ownership of these deadly weapons.

Anyone who has witnessed a football game is aware that football helmets serve no useful purpose in the life of the average citizen. This deadly device is useful only as a blunt instrument to bludgeon our fellow man.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has studied the problem, and determined that private ownership of football helmets almost invariably leads to aggressively violent behavior.

In a study of School Associated Violent Deaths, CDC offers the following observations:

FACTS: What has research shown to date about school-related violence?

To date, CDC research on school associated violent deaths found:

• The number of children and youth homicides that are school-related make up one percent of the total number of child and youth homicides in the United States.

• Most school associated violent deaths occurred during transition times such as the start or end of the school day, or during the lunch period.

• We have also seen that school-associated homicides are more likely to occur at the start of each semester.

• Nearly 50 percent of the homicide perpetrators (this includes adults, children and youth) gave some type of warning signal (e.g., a threat, a note) prior to the event.

• Among the students who committed a school-associated homicide, 20% were known to have been victims of bullying and 12% were known to have expressed suicidal thoughts or engage in suicidal behavior.
  

Given that High-School Football games are increasingly popular (especially in rural areas, where the residents are typically less well-educated than populations in urban centers such as Atlanta, Georgia), it's clear that this is the time to remove this deadly instrument of aggression from the hands of our neighbors, who may be driven mad from the mere possesion of a football helmet, and preferably institute helmet-control measures all across this great country.

As a recent caller on a radio talk show observed:

We don't need to hit people, and we don't need to carry around guns football helmets!

Write your congress-person today, and encourage him/her to sponsor federal legislation which will protect us from unfettered football helmet posession.

Do it for the children.

NEXT WEEK: Infant Deaths due to other deadly instruments in the home.

A clear case for governmental control of buckets, water, nipples and nursing, TV, chewing gum, bed sheets, plastic bags, toys, cribs and food.

4. Deaths due to Drowning and Other Asphyxiants
In this group, 11 cases of death due to drowning occurred (10 cases in buckets of water in the bathroom, 1 case in a bucket on the balcony); the eldest victims were aged four years.

Seven infants died during nursing by choking on the nipple (the eldest victim being 14 months of age), one was asphyxiated by a plastic bag on the head, one was smothered by the bed sheet, one by strangulation with crib cording and one by strangulation with a long TV cable while playing.

Fifteen of 17 children who died by foreign body (food) aspiration were aged 0-3 years. Fourteen had died due to aspiration of food, like beans, mandarins, or pieces of apple (found on the floor or while eating). In one case, a piece of a toy was aspirated. A 16-year-old girl died by aspiration after having fallen asleep with chewing gum in her mouth.

A case for piscean control?

A San Diego Man, a trainer for Shamu the Killer Whale, was attacked by his charge during a show at SeaWorld.

Also;

An Australian fisherman has survived being stabbed in the chest by a stingray, the marine creature that killed Aussie crocodile hunter Steve Irwin two months ago, police said.

Coming so soon after the death of Steven Irwin, this is an obvious argument against private possession of ...

uh ...

er ...

Never mind.

you tube down - temporary loss of videos

Tuesday Evening, 10:20.

You Tube was off-line for two hours, performing some scheduled maintenance. If you were looking for videos tonite, go check out Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.

This post WAS just a temporary announcement, but it just occurred to me that I have a lot of edited videos (especially the most recent ones) which I have uploaded to YouTube, but not to my own video gallery.

While waiting for YouTube to come back up, I started posting some of these videos to my own gallery and put them in a separate album...


Look under the "Columbia Cascade Section 2006 Matches" menu at the very bottom for Blogspot Videos for 2006 (click to go there directly).

The link will also be added to the sidebar.

Note that these videos will ALWAYS be higher resolution (read: easier to see details) than the YouTube version, but they will also ALWAYS be bigger files, slower to download.

My webhost (Thank You Brian B!) provides download speeds at about the same rate as Comcast can take the feed, so if you have hi-speed internet access the delay shouldn't be a burden.

In the future, I'll try to provide the Gallery site address for videos which are presented in YouTube format. That gives you a choice, if you see something that seems interesting.

Yes, it takes a bit longer to upload the video to the internet (at about one fifth the download rate), but every time I present an edited video through YouTube I've already got about an hour invested in editing it, plus the time needed to load it to YT, plus the time for writing and editing the blog post. Another ten minutes added to the process isn't really that much of a burden. This isn't the sort of recreational activity one assumes without a willingness to spend a lot of time slaving over a hot keyboard.

Mothers, don't let your children grow up to be bloggers.

X Games

This is pure IPSC.

THere's no content in this post except for the stage design, and the way each person chooses to shoot it.

Twelve IPSC targets, shoot 'em as you see 'em. Vision barrier restrictions apply.

Here is the stage design. There's nothing clever about the stage, except that I didn't have a 'big stick' magazine so I knew I had to reload somewhere on the stage. As it turned out,the solution to the shooting problem I discovered was probably one of the best ways to shoot it. But I got a miss on one target, so I wasn't rewarded.

(The match scores are available here. This is Stage 6.)

I'm going to put them all together in one big file. You can decide what is the best way.

Hint the first shooter has a good solution, but it may not be the best solution.

You decide.

Mechtech: Heartache Tonight!

The Columbia Cascade Section, under the leadership of Mac McCarter, has announced that there will be a "pistol-caliber Carbine match" next weekend at the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club Tri-County Gun Club. (Saturday, December 2. Ice, snow, rain ... whatever the weather, we WILL be there!)

We did this a couple of years ago, but then it was announced under the REAL name:

MECHTECH MATCH!

A couple of months ago I bought The Hobo Brasser's MechTech (which I had used at the last MechTech match, with great glee), and I have .45 ACP ammunition left over from the summer Single-Stack Match ... because at that match I opted to take photographs, rather than compete.

I have experienced rapid degradation of my vision for the past three years, so shooting Single Stack with iron sights isn't as much fun as it use to be.

But I have a Dot-sight mounted on the MechTech, so there's no holding me back now.

If you're not familiar with it, the MechTech is an 'upper assembly' consisting of a stock and barrell, with a few frills attached.

To make it into a complete firearm, you need only remove the slide and barrel from a 1911 (or Glock) gun, slide the frame into the MechTech upper, lock it in place with the slide-lock from the pistol, and you're Good To Go.

I'm using The Beloved Kimber, in .45 acp caliber.

I've jazzed up the combination by adding a Tasco PP1 dot-sight, which makes the concept do-able for me.

The blow-back recoil system of the MechTech (including the bolt) is much heavier than the slide and recoils spring of The Beloved Kimber. The manufacturer recommends a heavy load, which is no problem for me because I load my .45acp ammunition heavy ever since I almost made Minor Power in the 1999 Area 1 match in Reno.

(When I competed in the 1999 Limited Nationals, a month after the Area 1 match, my ammunition chronographed at about 189PF; I haven't significantly lightened the load since then, except now I'm using 200gr SWC or 200gr LRN instead of my favorite 230gr LRN bullet.)


Even better, The Hobo Brasser sweetened the deal with a bucket of the robust .460 Rowland ammunition. I've already tested it. It feeds just fine in the magazines and into the chamber. I can even mix the .460 Rowland with .45 acp ammo in the magazine, and the gun doesn't hiccup.

And of course, the combination of the MechTech and The Beloved Kimber is much more attractive considering the ease of assembly.

The assembled gun is lightweight, easy to handle and (with the addition of the Dot-Sight) easy to use.

I would be happier if the reloading process was less cumbersome, but I'm not complaining.

I would be even MORE enthusiastic if the stock consisted of something more robust than a tuning fork; every time you shoot it, you have to put up with the "Twangggggggggg" in your ear until the spring-steel wire frame quits vibrating. However, the optional stock cover (a vinyl plastic jacket which wraps around the 'stock' and fastens with Velco) at least keeps it from tangling up in my beard.

The badnews is, when I first got the gun I tried to sight it in and I couldn't get it to zero. I ran the PP1 adjusting screws up so far that the came off the threads, and I was still shooting 3" low at 20 yards.

The good news is, when I went to Utah to visit my son Ben and his family, we went shooting and I adjusted the fit of the scope to the mount. Apparently, it wasn't seated into the notch in the rail before, so when I re-set the scope I was able to seat it properly and sighted it in at 30 yards with just a few shots

Ben tried it out, and consistently hit the 4" target at 30 yards. He liked it. It shoots like a .22.


UPDATE:
Due to input from Cowboy Blob, it occurs to me that this article could use some more 'straight from the source' information about the Mech Tech.

First, they (the good folks at Mech Tech Systems, Inc.) now have a different design for the stock. Two of them, in fact.


There's the telescoping stock (shown here with a Glock).
The manufacturer adds $69 to the $339.95 base price for this option. You can also buy the "retro-fit" kit for $119 to fit it on the MT you own now.

And then there's the "PolyStock Insert System" ($22.95), which I would assume provides a more rigid ... and relatively vibration-free ... cover than does the "Padded Nylon Stock Cover ($17.95)) that's on the Carbine Conversion Unit I now have.

Second, in the Technical Section of their website, MT emphasizes that your ammuntion must be 'hot enough' to reliably and consistently move the weight of the blow-back bolt. I mentioned this earlier, although I didn't emphasize it was a blow-back system. The website specifically states:

The first consideration is that the ammo must be 'hot' enough to reliably cycle the CCU with proper ejection. 'Target' loads and other pussy cat loads are too weak to do this and you can tell by the too-frequent occurrence of 'stovepipes' and other fail-to-eject phenomenon.

You can get a better idea of 'how hot' is hot enough by going to their Technical Page and refering to the table. For example, using a 200gr bullet in my .45, I need a load that chronographs to 950fps (although with a 230 grain bullet I can get by with 850fps. This works out to a power factor of about 190. These minimum velocities are measured in your 4-1/2" or 5" barrelled handgun, not through the Mech Tech.

Power Factor = bullet weight X velocity / 1000

And by the way, thanks also to The Hobo Brasser for including the comment that the match will be held in Portland, not in Albany as I had previously said. I have corrected my original error.