I'm baking salmon with tomatoes and basil tonight. The basil and tomatoes are the last from the garden. I took a brief break from writing today to process the sauce tomatoes into freezer-sized bags for marinara and chili over the winter. I also replaced the triggers in 2 Glock frames and tested out a couple of crossdraw holsters. My G26 slide is on the way back from Suarez International fitted with a Trij RMR, so I put the SI "flat and straight" trigger in the G26. I put the Apex trigger in a Gen 3 G17 frame that'll usually carry a .22 conversion unit from Tac-Sol. Will keep you all informed on which works best for me.
Yesterday, of course, I got a root canal, since I'm in the middle of my Festive AutumnFest 2015. Maybe tomorrow I'll accidentally punch a screwdriver into my ear. I never liked fall anyway…smells too much like death to me. OTOH, it is beautiful here at the Bunker. For the mule deers, I think we're close to the rut starting…the does are all over the place, and the little bucks are frisky. Only seen one big boy near the property, and he wasn't interested in the does yet.
But had a good hike with the beagle today, and the leg lifts are going great. And thank Good for gin and tonic!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
I've Warned America, But No One Is Listening
From the UK Guardian:
US film of parachuting beavers found after 65 years (it's OK, they survived)
An Idaho historian has uncovered 1950s footage of a bizarre wildlife experiment when beavers were packed into travel boxes and dropped from a plane
I always suspected that, somewhere there was a cadre of Tier 1 beavers, bad ass mo-fos with beards, dip and big teeth, trained by the United States for nefarious purposes (or porpoises, as the case may be). Google "beaver attacks on the increase" and know fear. If I lived in Belarus, which is infested with psychotic beavers.…well, I wouldn't live in Belarus. I mean, who would, if they had a choice?
I've been on top of this beaver crisis since the beginning. And no matter how much I push, push, push, it keeps spreading.
Meanwhile, the United States is sprinting toward the Apocalypse and apparently there's not a damn thing any of us can do about it except worry about beavers and buy ammunition. From Fred, who makes me look politically correct, Wimp Nation:
The United States has become a nation of weak, pampered, easily frightened, helpless milquetoasts who have never caught a fish, fired a gun, chopped a log, hitchhiked across the country, or been in a schoolyard fight. If their cat dies, they call a grief therapist. Everything frightens Americans.
Then maybe read this by Robert Zimmerman on The Coming Dark Ages:
Sadly, everything depressed me to the point that I just did not want to pass it on to anyone. I am someone who is hopeful, who believes in freedom, who is willing to fight to the death for the right of someone I disagree with to speak their minds.
Unfortunately, I come from a different age. The age we are entering is a new dark ages, where knowledge and truth are not the goal, and keeping people silent and oppressed is the number one ideal. I find that a conclusion difficult to post about.
Of course, just because the Democratic Party now supports door-to-door firearms confiscation, just because university campus have been come punch lines, just because…oh hell, just because, I wouldn't worry or anything.
I just work on my rehab and accumulate more ammunition before .Gov goes ballistic on "ghost ammo."
BTW, here's another site I like, which you can read while I'm dragging ass My friend Kevin Brittingham from Sig Sauer got a Scottish red stage, and I have to say it's on my list.
I think this Christmas I'm going to get all my friends Tactical Candle Holders from my good friend Tom Hine's ODIN Works. I'm thinking of doing a big DRTV feature on ODIN Works, as soon as I don't have to walk to Boise. Tom does amazing work and is a true visionary in this industry.
Friday, October 23, 2015
In the Midst of the B-S Tsunami, Some Good Gun News!
So a couple of years ago as the SHOT Show was winding down, I ran into my old friend Gary Ramey, who wanted to talk about concealed carry. Gary and I have an interesting history…when he was at USA Shooting as their media guy and I was working with NSSF on some events to raise the visibility of the U.S. Olympic shooting team, Gary and I cooked up the idea to get a major arms manufacturer to do a special USA Shooting version of a popular gun, with some of the proceeds going to the perpetually cash-strappped Olympic team. The results speak for themselves — Kimber's special edition 1911 led that company to become the largest contributor to USA Shooting in history, and many other gun companies followed suit.
Yes, I know everybody and his dog Fred have taken credit for concocting that deal…Gary and I are certain they're all 100% right! LOL!
I worked with Gary when he headed up Beretta in the U.S., and we've remained good friends over the year. So that day at SHOT Gary asked a simple — and odd, to me — question:
If you had a blank slate, what would your ideal carry gun look like?
About the same time, I saw Rob Pincus and waved him over. Gun guys love stuff like this! So me and Rob and Gary blue-skied a single stack 9mm, available with or without a redundant safety (that's me), available with the option of a longer slide, since the length of the slide is not so much a determining factor for CCW as the length and shape of the grip, striker-fired, polymer-framed, east to disassemble (without pulling the trigger), etc. Gary took notes.
At the end of the conversation, Gary said, "What would you guys think of me building that very gun?" Great idea, but I believe I was honest about the long string of barriers to successfully bringing an independent gun to market.
Gary just kept smiling.
At NASGW next week Gary's Honor Defense will premiere their line of CCW 9mms. I am not only very excited for my friend, but I'm impressed as all get-out with the gun. He assembled an advisory board of experts and —get this! — listened to them!
After a long conversation yesterday, Gary did a quickie iPhone video of the disassembly and sent it to me. I've asked for his permission to post it here.
Marshal's and my plan is to get a full video report up as quickly as possible.
Congratulations, Gary! Great job!
Another great sign and milestone in the path to normalizing silencers. From the American Suppressor Association, the industry lobbying group:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Suppressor Association (ASA) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) by Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05). This historic piece of legislation will remove suppressors from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA), replacing the antiquated federal transfer process with an instantaneous NICS background check. The HPA also includes a provision to refund the $200 transfer tax to applicants who purchase a suppressor after October 22, 2015.
This is a very important step, because it shows how far the drive normalization has come. As you know, SHOOTING GALLERY has been on the forefront of this drive since Season 1, when we called for all LEOs issues AR-15 pattern carbines to have access to silencers.
I suspect this first initiative won't succeed — it should, since we voted this clown car full of fools into office, but hey, they haven't done anything else — and should it actually succeed, the Other Fool will veto for certain. But is it s very important start!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
A Long Day
Some days seem more like grinders than others. Today was like 2 10-ton stone milling wheels being turned, slowly, by arthritic aurochs on thorazine.
It's supposed to rain for a couple of days. When it stops, I'm going to go outside and shoot some .22 pistol. Am ordering suppressor for Sig MCX tomorrow, so that's exciting!
Best of luck to all my friends at the Trijicon Challenge at Rockcastle this week!
Saturday, October 17, 2015
No Really…It's Not Me!
From the Telegraph:
Who's a pretty boy then? Man cuts off his ears to look like a parrot
Ted Richards, 56, has already had his face and eyeballs tattooed, next he wants a surgeon to turn his nose into a beak.
Oh, you are so not getting a cracker from me! I love my parrots, except on the occasions when I consider barbecued macaw, but even though I am a self-identified llama, I've never actually wanted hooves…well, perhaps that's a personal failing.
Sorry for the absence…been a dreadfully busy week! I had crews all over the country filming on multiple series. Everything went off perfectly! I am so lucky to work with guys like John Carter and Jeff Murray and such a great group of people. Thank you all for covering my sorry ass!
For the first time since the surgery, I worked filming Friday and Saturday. Friday we filmed all day with suppressors, thanks to Jeremy Mallette from the Silencer Shop. It was great fun, and I was blown away by the Silencer Shop's software system for making silencer purchases easy [WARNING: Silencer Shop is a sponsor! But I believe so much in their system I'll be doing direct plugs on the podcast…the first time I'm ever done that….and no, I'm not being paid directly for that!]. Their system is a HUGE step forward!
After Friday, I am also SOLD on the Sig MCX 5.56, especially suppressed (we were using a YHM Phantom suppressor rather than a Sig, but I will be ordering a Sig SRD next week. Didn't notice the trigger as much running the gun (although I barely got to run it!), but I still think there's still a Geissele Super 3-Gun solution in this rifle's future. Definitely my 3-Gun rifle for next season (note optimism). Yesterday we were using the supplied irons, but today I went to a new Trijicon MRO…more on that later, but initially extremely positive. Used the lower third BUIS co-witness height mount, but may go to full co-witness. Will have to try it both ways.
In truth, I probably overdid it Friday…the most frustrating thing to me right now is how easily I get exhausted. Friday night was painful. Today we kept it a lot more moderate, so I don't feel as if I was run over by a train. Funny story though….my producer today used to produce for Animal Planet, so he knows Colorado flora and fauna. We were walking down one of the only flat paths on Bunker property, which runs past some dense bushes and rocks, when we both heard the telltale buzz and both of us just froze. We moved VERY SLOWLY backward until the buzzing stopped…definitely not a bullsnake imitating a rattler! My Sweetie stepped into the house and returned with the 870 new broom that swept clean.
Friday I also got a chance to shoot one of my favorite guns in the world. Remember when I built up the stainless Ruger Mark III for NSSF Rimfire? I added a Tac-Sol 6-inch threaded barrel, then I handed the gun over the Dino at Majestic Arms, who did (dare I say it?) a majestic job on the Ruger/Tac-Sol. Dino is a great undiscovered treasure for .22 Ruger owners. His magazines with aluminum baseplates are perfect and wood grips just beautiful! I absolutely loved the gun! Then we made an editorial decision to shoot and film the match in Idaho in the soon-to-be-discontnued "Manual" class with a revolver and bolt action rifle.
Friday I put rounds through it with a Tac-Sol suppressor…I have been privileged to have a lot of .22 pistols in my life, and I truly believe this is the most perfect .22 pistol I've ever shot. You'll see more of it on Marshal's and my new Internet project. It's sort of weird to "rediscover" a gun...I set it aside when we went to a revolver for the show, and I haven't been on top of rimfire for a few months. I'd love to see NSSF open the competition to suppressed guns! It makes a lot of sense, especially for a competition that reaches out to juniors and families!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Where I Admit That Bill Baker Was Right
1) I'm not putting down fanny packs. I actually like fanny packs as off-body carry devices and have used on in the last couple of weeks. I do have a couple of over the shoulder bags that I want to experiment with next week.
2) The scariest thing so far is the loss of mobility. I've said, "Get off the 'X'" a lot of times over the years. I've practiced moving and shooting for a long time…if I can just buy a couple of seconds on the bad guy's OODA loop, that's all I (hopefully) need.
But what if that option is removed?
The reason I'm in this fix is because my knee failed. What should have been an embarrassing and ouchie everybody has a good laugh fall ended up in emergency surgery and 3-4 months of rehab. The knee failed. My quad is now stitched back to my kneecap (and pieces of my kneecap had to be cut out!), and until it is fully healed, it will fail again. There is damn little I can do about that. Regardless of which angle of the circle I choose to move, as soon as I put a lot of stress on the knee the quads will rip loose. I have had this explained that as WE ARE NOT JOKING ABOUT THIS, MICHAEL! Yes, I can make myself blow though the pain, but yes, I will end up on the floor anyway.
So my strategy has to shift. Yes, I need to plan to move toward cover, but it's not going to be a sprint. I am not motion stable. I am currently using a Ka-Bar aluminum cane most of the time, which is a formidable weapon in its own right (and I've already started working with it). I have shifted to carrying at least one auto-opening knife. I need to be able to deliver force immediately, to figure out a way to buy that 2 seconds on the other guy's OODA loop.
3) The Zen of the Shoulder Holster. I've learned a ton about shoulder holsters in the last few weeks. First off, right now I am wearing a Ken Null SMZ shoulder holster. I've been wearing it for several days…it is the lightest, most comfortable shoulder holster I have EVER used. It is also the most irritating. The release involves pushing, twisting, holding your mouth in a certain position, and mumbling something from The Book of the Dead. It's quick when you get it. You're dead if you don't
It conceals under a pullover shirt…amazing!
Right now I am carrying a Ruger LCR in 9mm, the one that loads from moon clips. I believe the LCR will stand as one of the greatest small revolver ever made. The trigger pull is world class for a small frame revolver; my experience with 4 of them has been that they are fiercely accurate and easy to shoot. I believe the polymer frame soaks up some of the recoil. I have shot them in .38, .357, 9mm and I have one of the new .327s waiting at the FFL.
By way of comparison, I own S&W, Charter Arms and Taurus snubs. I have shot numerous Colts, Chiappa Rhinos, Rossis and some of the real exotics. The Ruger LCR is the best snub I've ever shot.
[BS WARNING: Ruger is currently a sponsor; at various time both Taurus and Charter have been on board. I have visited the Ruger, Colt, Taurus, Rossi and S&W factories]
Still, the LCR puts them all to shame. I had considered carrying the new .327 because:
1) I like the cartridge, hence,have a bunch laying around
2) Six shots instead of 5
However, my friend Bill Baker called me out on that. Bill is a fine instructor and shooter in his own right. He and I go back to high school together, and I once had a thing for his sister.
Bill asked quite legitimately why, as someone who has been a big proponent of 9mm revolvers, I'd choose a .327 over the moon-clipped 9mm. I think the words "full of dookey," or something of that nature, were mentioned. He noted that I had been a proponent of 9mm revolvers, largely because of ammunition compatibility and the ability to use moon clips. So, he asked, "What's changed?"
Answer…nothing. Hypnotized by new gun and a caliber I'm fond of. OTOH, I have both an LCR and a Charter Arms in 9mm, and I opted to carry the LCR with a few extra moon clips.
The Null SMZ is the equivalent of the pocket pistol I would normally toss in my pocket as soon as I put my pants on. For the first couple of weeks, when I was on 2 crutches, I opted for a very different shoulder holster option. As I have mentioned here and on the podcast, Robert Humelbaugh of Survival Sheath Systems is, I believe the absolute genius of the shoulder holster.
This is redundant, but a few years back I asked Robert of build what i might call a "bug out" system. It consisted of a shoulder holster for a 629 .44 Magnum snub (the one I have was built by Jim Stroh of Alpha Precision and was a gift from my father). I would carry 2 speedloaders and on the off-side a unique SSS design to carry 24 rounds in an elastic pouch, along with the knife of your choice.
The idea is that if you gotta fight a war, you could fight it with what you had on your person. I know we all echo Clint Smith and say the purpose of a handgun is to fight your way to your rifle…but what if you can't? For the first few days, there was no way I could get to the heavy hardware. Here's an example…there was one day my Sweetie spent the day at a match. I'd just started walking with both crutches, but I was as slow as molasses at McMurdo Station. And terrified of dropping the crutches.
With the SSS "bug out" set-up, I had fighting tools — a .44 Magnum, 36 extra rounds of ammo and a 4-inch Buck Knife — with me all the time, and I didn't have to wrestle my crutches to get to them. When my Sweetie loaded me into the work truck for a trip into town, I threw a shirt over my t-shirt and it concealed perfectly.
Right now Robert is working on 2 new shoulder holsters for me…One for a Glock G26 on the left, with a spare G17 mag and a Spyderco Yojimbo 2, Michael Janich designed, on the off-side. He's also doing a chest holster for the Gemini Custom 3-inch Wiley Clapp GP-100 .357. It is a wonderful gun, and I think it would make a great hiking companion (yes…I am being optimistic). I have one of the SSS chest holsters for my .44 Charter Arms Bulldog, which replaced my S&W 296. Unfortunately, I smacked the Bulldog against a barricade and snapped off the front sight, which was a pinned-in plastic unit. It's still at the gun doctor having a steel replacement fabricated.
Once again, talk to Robert if you need a shoulder holster for a specialty issue. He is wonderfully creative, and his work is 100% first class.
I have a solid working unit I've used with my 4-inch Ruger Redhawks, a leather vertical shoulder holster made by my dear friends at Ted Blocker. Blocker made my cowboy leather, and I've used it for many, many years. It's more of a hiking/backcountry holster and I've easily concealed it under a fleece vest. Until I trashed my knee, it was my bear season hiker. I expect to be using it more.
I feel like I/m just tarting to scratch the surface of shoulder holsters; I'll keep you guys involved as I keep learning.
BTW, something went bump in the night tonight…not a big deal…a wind came up and knocked down a tree branch. As if by magic, my LCP 9mm was in my hand…once you get a grip,so to speak, on the SMZ result, it is fast!
2) The scariest thing so far is the loss of mobility. I've said, "Get off the 'X'" a lot of times over the years. I've practiced moving and shooting for a long time…if I can just buy a couple of seconds on the bad guy's OODA loop, that's all I (hopefully) need.
But what if that option is removed?
The reason I'm in this fix is because my knee failed. What should have been an embarrassing and ouchie everybody has a good laugh fall ended up in emergency surgery and 3-4 months of rehab. The knee failed. My quad is now stitched back to my kneecap (and pieces of my kneecap had to be cut out!), and until it is fully healed, it will fail again. There is damn little I can do about that. Regardless of which angle of the circle I choose to move, as soon as I put a lot of stress on the knee the quads will rip loose. I have had this explained that as WE ARE NOT JOKING ABOUT THIS, MICHAEL! Yes, I can make myself blow though the pain, but yes, I will end up on the floor anyway.
So my strategy has to shift. Yes, I need to plan to move toward cover, but it's not going to be a sprint. I am not motion stable. I am currently using a Ka-Bar aluminum cane most of the time, which is a formidable weapon in its own right (and I've already started working with it). I have shifted to carrying at least one auto-opening knife. I need to be able to deliver force immediately, to figure out a way to buy that 2 seconds on the other guy's OODA loop.
3) The Zen of the Shoulder Holster. I've learned a ton about shoulder holsters in the last few weeks. First off, right now I am wearing a Ken Null SMZ shoulder holster. I've been wearing it for several days…it is the lightest, most comfortable shoulder holster I have EVER used. It is also the most irritating. The release involves pushing, twisting, holding your mouth in a certain position, and mumbling something from The Book of the Dead. It's quick when you get it. You're dead if you don't
It conceals under a pullover shirt…amazing!
Right now I am carrying a Ruger LCR in 9mm, the one that loads from moon clips. I believe the LCR will stand as one of the greatest small revolver ever made. The trigger pull is world class for a small frame revolver; my experience with 4 of them has been that they are fiercely accurate and easy to shoot. I believe the polymer frame soaks up some of the recoil. I have shot them in .38, .357, 9mm and I have one of the new .327s waiting at the FFL.
By way of comparison, I own S&W, Charter Arms and Taurus snubs. I have shot numerous Colts, Chiappa Rhinos, Rossis and some of the real exotics. The Ruger LCR is the best snub I've ever shot.
[BS WARNING: Ruger is currently a sponsor; at various time both Taurus and Charter have been on board. I have visited the Ruger, Colt, Taurus, Rossi and S&W factories]
Still, the LCR puts them all to shame. I had considered carrying the new .327 because:
1) I like the cartridge, hence,have a bunch laying around
2) Six shots instead of 5
However, my friend Bill Baker called me out on that. Bill is a fine instructor and shooter in his own right. He and I go back to high school together, and I once had a thing for his sister.
Bill asked quite legitimately why, as someone who has been a big proponent of 9mm revolvers, I'd choose a .327 over the moon-clipped 9mm. I think the words "full of dookey," or something of that nature, were mentioned. He noted that I had been a proponent of 9mm revolvers, largely because of ammunition compatibility and the ability to use moon clips. So, he asked, "What's changed?"
Answer…nothing. Hypnotized by new gun and a caliber I'm fond of. OTOH, I have both an LCR and a Charter Arms in 9mm, and I opted to carry the LCR with a few extra moon clips.
The Null SMZ is the equivalent of the pocket pistol I would normally toss in my pocket as soon as I put my pants on. For the first couple of weeks, when I was on 2 crutches, I opted for a very different shoulder holster option. As I have mentioned here and on the podcast, Robert Humelbaugh of Survival Sheath Systems is, I believe the absolute genius of the shoulder holster.
This is redundant, but a few years back I asked Robert of build what i might call a "bug out" system. It consisted of a shoulder holster for a 629 .44 Magnum snub (the one I have was built by Jim Stroh of Alpha Precision and was a gift from my father). I would carry 2 speedloaders and on the off-side a unique SSS design to carry 24 rounds in an elastic pouch, along with the knife of your choice.
The idea is that if you gotta fight a war, you could fight it with what you had on your person. I know we all echo Clint Smith and say the purpose of a handgun is to fight your way to your rifle…but what if you can't? For the first few days, there was no way I could get to the heavy hardware. Here's an example…there was one day my Sweetie spent the day at a match. I'd just started walking with both crutches, but I was as slow as molasses at McMurdo Station. And terrified of dropping the crutches.
With the SSS "bug out" set-up, I had fighting tools — a .44 Magnum, 36 extra rounds of ammo and a 4-inch Buck Knife — with me all the time, and I didn't have to wrestle my crutches to get to them. When my Sweetie loaded me into the work truck for a trip into town, I threw a shirt over my t-shirt and it concealed perfectly.
Right now Robert is working on 2 new shoulder holsters for me…One for a Glock G26 on the left, with a spare G17 mag and a Spyderco Yojimbo 2, Michael Janich designed, on the off-side. He's also doing a chest holster for the Gemini Custom 3-inch Wiley Clapp GP-100 .357. It is a wonderful gun, and I think it would make a great hiking companion (yes…I am being optimistic). I have one of the SSS chest holsters for my .44 Charter Arms Bulldog, which replaced my S&W 296. Unfortunately, I smacked the Bulldog against a barricade and snapped off the front sight, which was a pinned-in plastic unit. It's still at the gun doctor having a steel replacement fabricated.
Once again, talk to Robert if you need a shoulder holster for a specialty issue. He is wonderfully creative, and his work is 100% first class.
I have a solid working unit I've used with my 4-inch Ruger Redhawks, a leather vertical shoulder holster made by my dear friends at Ted Blocker. Blocker made my cowboy leather, and I've used it for many, many years. It's more of a hiking/backcountry holster and I've easily concealed it under a fleece vest. Until I trashed my knee, it was my bear season hiker. I expect to be using it more.
I feel like I/m just tarting to scratch the surface of shoulder holsters; I'll keep you guys involved as I keep learning.
BTW, something went bump in the night tonight…not a big deal…a wind came up and knocked down a tree branch. As if by magic, my LCP 9mm was in my hand…once you get a grip,so to speak, on the SMZ result, it is fast!
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