I should write here more often but I just never seem to make time.
The match with the Texas Star was awesome. They had some really awesome stages that were a complete hoot to shoot. I placed about like I have all year. Bottom Third. This winter I'm going to attend some bullseye matches. I'm just not shooting accurately enough. Hopefully bullseye matches will help me focus on breaking the shot with more precision.
For Christmas I got myself a case feeder for my Lock and Load press. It's pretty cool. Now I just need someone to fill primer tubes for me and I'll be able to load ammo faster than I shoot it.
I also purchased a Tuck This by DeSantis. Less impressed with this holster. It's really just a slip cover and does just fine holding the gun in normal walking around. But will allow the gun to fall out with vigorous activity.
Today's pet peeve. Magazine Disconnect Safeties. Why does anybody think this is a good idea? It complicates the action of the pistol making for a rougher trigger pull. Usually keeps the magazines from dropping free for reloads. AND makes the gun useless if you are performing a reload. Stupid, Stupid, STUPID. I hope Ruger get's their head out of the their ass soon. I'd love to buy some of their new pistols but not until they get rid of magazine disconnects.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Life sucks
As I move through life, I make friends. My life seems to get better and better. Then one of those 'friends' stabs me in the back. Now I'm angry and when I'm angry everything that happens seems magnified. Little crap pisses me off. Everyday is hard. I pull back from everyone. Even knowing what is happening doesn't seem to help. I hate this fucking shit.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Reasons
One thing I really disagree with in a lot of the blogs I read is the reasons for terrorism. Religion rarely has anything to do with killing people. Don't get me wrong. Religion is great for motivating low level troops and public propaganda. It's a really stupid reason to spend large chunks of your resources and thousands of lives. Osama wasn't interested in religion, although he certainly played lip service to it. He was interested in the huge inequities in his native land and the oppressed people of Palestine. Say what you will about horrible things done to the Jews, they've done most of those things to the Palestinians as well. There are no clean hands in that mess.
Time and again religion has been used to cloak the true reasons for war. If you really want to know why wars happen, follow the money.
Don't believe me? Look at the crusades. Sure, religion was used as the excuse but land for generating income was the real goal.
Time and again religion has been used to cloak the true reasons for war. If you really want to know why wars happen, follow the money.
Don't believe me? Look at the crusades. Sure, religion was used as the excuse but land for generating income was the real goal.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Ten Years
Ten Years after 9/11. That day my son was upset that his cartoons weren't on. "Some plane ran into a building." I walked into the living room just as the second plane hit. I didn't feel angry that day. Sad yes, angry no. Maybe that is what is wrong with our country.
Today my son is back from basic training. He'll finish High School, then AIT, then college. Maybe it really has been ten years.
Today my son is back from basic training. He'll finish High School, then AIT, then college. Maybe it really has been ten years.
Classifier Match
Last Saturday I ran the bike over to Bozeman to compete in a Classifer match. I had an average day. One squib round cost me a stage. That sucked. I did really well on stages that were Virgina Count or Timed Fire. And pretty bad on stages that were Comstock. This tells me one thing that I can't seem to get through my head no matter how many times I say it and think it:
SLOW DOWN AND GET YOUR HITS!
You really can't miss fast enough to win.
SLOW DOWN AND GET YOUR HITS!
You really can't miss fast enough to win.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Random Things
I know who I'm voting for next election cycle. The Non-Incumbent ticket. If you've been there before, I'm not sending you back.
Living without Dr Pepper... SUCKS
Reloading is more difficult than it appears.
Living without Dr Pepper... SUCKS
Reloading is more difficult than it appears.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Why training extends to all your gear and not just your gun.
http://pistol-training.com/archives/4926
That looks like it hurt! So, an Negligent Discharge that caused a self inflicted wound. What cardinal rule of gun safety did this very well spoken gentleman commit? Keep Your Booger Hook Off the Bang Switch Until the Sights are on the Target!
I've heard people complain about Serpa holsters in the past. I've owned them for two different guns. I've never used one for concealed carry because they are just to bulky to hide well. I use them on the range. I've never accidentally ended up with my finger on the trigger. Nor have I accidentally lit off a round. That doesn't mean it'll never happen.
I work diligently to prevent it, even going to so far as to avoid 1911s. Not because I don't like them or think they are unsafe, but because I don't want to complicate my manual of arms. Incidentally, Sig slide releases are in the same place as 1911 safeties. I've specifically trained myself not to ride that lever. Completely at odds with the 1911 manual of arms. That training habit would be just as dangerous to me as this man's was to him.
None of my carry guns have any form of manual safety. Under stress I don't want to think about which gun I'm carrying, I just want to know that when I pull that trigger, it's going to go off. Training back to back with two different holsters and two different guns is going to mess up your reactions and motions. That, IMO, is what really caused this accident, not a particular brand of holster.
That looks like it hurt! So, an Negligent Discharge that caused a self inflicted wound. What cardinal rule of gun safety did this very well spoken gentleman commit? Keep Your Booger Hook Off the Bang Switch Until the Sights are on the Target!
I've heard people complain about Serpa holsters in the past. I've owned them for two different guns. I've never used one for concealed carry because they are just to bulky to hide well. I use them on the range. I've never accidentally ended up with my finger on the trigger. Nor have I accidentally lit off a round. That doesn't mean it'll never happen.
I work diligently to prevent it, even going to so far as to avoid 1911s. Not because I don't like them or think they are unsafe, but because I don't want to complicate my manual of arms. Incidentally, Sig slide releases are in the same place as 1911 safeties. I've specifically trained myself not to ride that lever. Completely at odds with the 1911 manual of arms. That training habit would be just as dangerous to me as this man's was to him.
None of my carry guns have any form of manual safety. Under stress I don't want to think about which gun I'm carrying, I just want to know that when I pull that trigger, it's going to go off. Training back to back with two different holsters and two different guns is going to mess up your reactions and motions. That, IMO, is what really caused this accident, not a particular brand of holster.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
4th of July tidbits
Did you know that the Continetal Congress voted to declare independence on July 2nd? This was a big vote, these folk's vote was treason. Treason wasn't any safer then than it is now.
So why do we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day? That was the day they ratified Jefferson's Declaration and sent it off to the king.
Yellow journalism isn't new either. British papers used three full columns to talk about British General Howe kicking our ass off Bunker Hill, but only three inches were devoted to the Delaration and those three inches were satire.
Jefferson's original Declaration was a bit longer than the one Congress ratified. Each change they made cut Jefferson like a knife. The lesson? Never write a document that is going to be reviewed by a committee. I think this is still good advice.
Washington wasn't a very good military man when he was appointed Commander and Chief. Fortunately he knew it and the British were very arrogant. Otherwise we'd probably still be a British colony.
So why do we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day? That was the day they ratified Jefferson's Declaration and sent it off to the king.
Yellow journalism isn't new either. British papers used three full columns to talk about British General Howe kicking our ass off Bunker Hill, but only three inches were devoted to the Delaration and those three inches were satire.
Jefferson's original Declaration was a bit longer than the one Congress ratified. Each change they made cut Jefferson like a knife. The lesson? Never write a document that is going to be reviewed by a committee. I think this is still good advice.
Washington wasn't a very good military man when he was appointed Commander and Chief. Fortunately he knew it and the British were very arrogant. Otherwise we'd probably still be a British colony.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Montana Grand Lodge AF&AM
I went to Grand Lodge this week. It was the first time I've gone and I went because as the JW, I've now got a vote and a obligation to spend it wisely. Several interesting things were brought up this year by various GMs and guest speakers.
1. The level of rhetoric has never been higher. And the level of respect for the person on the other side of the debate has never been lower.
2. More and more, nobody is looking at the larger picture. All politics might be local, but the effects of local actions are not confined.
3. Consequences are often hidden until long after the decisions have been made.
4. Nobler thoughts and well considered actions might just save the world.
I hope that I and my fellow countrymen are up to the task because the end game is never pretty and rarely worth the cost.
1. The level of rhetoric has never been higher. And the level of respect for the person on the other side of the debate has never been lower.
2. More and more, nobody is looking at the larger picture. All politics might be local, but the effects of local actions are not confined.
3. Consequences are often hidden until long after the decisions have been made.
4. Nobler thoughts and well considered actions might just save the world.
I hope that I and my fellow countrymen are up to the task because the end game is never pretty and rarely worth the cost.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday Night Practice
Went to practice on Monday night. There is something of a debate at the range these days. The silhouette shooters, action pistol guys, and cowboy action guys have done a great job dividing the range up among themselves so they can all play their respective games. But now the range is making some changes. First, a berm on the west side of the pistol range. Handy, right now if you were driving to the rifle range and a ND happened on the pistol range there is a very real possibility that there would be damage to your car or worse. All the berms need to get taller as well. All this costs money and moving and adding berms changes the way the pistol bays will get used. After listening to two hours of debate last night I've come to a couple of conclusions, old guys don't like change and young guys don't think about others unless forced. As for the berms, it's still up in the air except for adding the west berm.
Pistol practice went pretty well. On my last run of the night, I ran the course in 15.71 with three misses. Without those misses it would have been the highest score of the night. With the misses, it came in third.
The P226 is getting more and more comfortable. I've got my loads figured out and the trigger is starting to disappear from my conscious control. When I don't have to think about the trigger press, that leaves more attention for sight alignment, ammunition management, and moving through the course. As for the trigger, I try to take some time every month and make sure that my fundamentals are strong so even though I'm not thinking about the trigger, my trigger finger is still 'Doing it Right."
Pistol practice went pretty well. On my last run of the night, I ran the course in 15.71 with three misses. Without those misses it would have been the highest score of the night. With the misses, it came in third.
The P226 is getting more and more comfortable. I've got my loads figured out and the trigger is starting to disappear from my conscious control. When I don't have to think about the trigger press, that leaves more attention for sight alignment, ammunition management, and moving through the course. As for the trigger, I try to take some time every month and make sure that my fundamentals are strong so even though I'm not thinking about the trigger, my trigger finger is still 'Doing it Right."
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Boolit frustrations
Well I cast a bunch of bullets today. Casting is certainly cheaper than buying bullets and much cheaper than buying ammo. But like all things in life there are tradeoffs.
1. Time. I cast a batch this afternoon. I started the melting pot at 1:30 pm. I shut it down after casting a full load of lead at 2:45. Then I lubed all the bullets and sized them while they were still wet. It's messier that way, but I hate waiting. They all went in the dryer at 3:40 pm. I haven't counted this batch but I expect it's somewhere between 3 and 4 hundred bullets. That may seem like a lot but I'll have to do it all again before the end of July.
2. Consistency. I use scrap lead. Now the mold I'm using supposedly drops 124gr bullets with pure lead. This latest batch I cast dropped them at 118gr. The load before that was 115gr. The one before that 113gr. These weights tell me I'm proabably getting closer to a pure lead alloy. That also means the bullets will be softer. There are a couple of ways I can deal with this. I could stop using scrape lead and buy or make good alloys. Expensive. I could buy ready made bullets. Also expensive.
I choose to deal with it by being very careful in my load development. First I test the hardness. Even at 118gr they should be plenty hard enough for any minor load I care to use. First I'll try my last load, 4.2gr of titegroup seated out pretty long. This is under the max load for 124gr rounds and the worst thing it will do is lead up the barrel. Accuracy is the next problem. If the load is too hot, it'll strip off in the rifling and tumble. If the load is to light it will fail to fully expand into the grooves and cause the same problem. Titegroup has a narrow range of acceptable pressures so it's doubly hard to control. Changes as small as .2 grains will seperate the upper limit from the lower with a given lead bullet.
Off to the test bench.
1. Time. I cast a batch this afternoon. I started the melting pot at 1:30 pm. I shut it down after casting a full load of lead at 2:45. Then I lubed all the bullets and sized them while they were still wet. It's messier that way, but I hate waiting. They all went in the dryer at 3:40 pm. I haven't counted this batch but I expect it's somewhere between 3 and 4 hundred bullets. That may seem like a lot but I'll have to do it all again before the end of July.
2. Consistency. I use scrap lead. Now the mold I'm using supposedly drops 124gr bullets with pure lead. This latest batch I cast dropped them at 118gr. The load before that was 115gr. The one before that 113gr. These weights tell me I'm proabably getting closer to a pure lead alloy. That also means the bullets will be softer. There are a couple of ways I can deal with this. I could stop using scrape lead and buy or make good alloys. Expensive. I could buy ready made bullets. Also expensive.
I choose to deal with it by being very careful in my load development. First I test the hardness. Even at 118gr they should be plenty hard enough for any minor load I care to use. First I'll try my last load, 4.2gr of titegroup seated out pretty long. This is under the max load for 124gr rounds and the worst thing it will do is lead up the barrel. Accuracy is the next problem. If the load is too hot, it'll strip off in the rifling and tumble. If the load is to light it will fail to fully expand into the grooves and cause the same problem. Titegroup has a narrow range of acceptable pressures so it's doubly hard to control. Changes as small as .2 grains will seperate the upper limit from the lower with a given lead bullet.
Off to the test bench.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Match Results
I felt like a shot pretty well today. However, lots of really good shooters showed up as well. I shot about 35% as well as the top shooters who were there (who were really dang good). That makes me a solidly D class shooter. That's the bad news.
The good news is, it's pretty easy to get improvement on that. Simply improving my reload speed by 0.5 seconds would probably get me into the C class.
Things to work on in dry fire-
Reloads
press out
double taps
Things to work on at the range-
Accuracy - C zone hits really hurt.
Focus- I need to be able to call my shots. It's the only way to know if you should take another shot at that target.
The good news is, it's pretty easy to get improvement on that. Simply improving my reload speed by 0.5 seconds would probably get me into the C class.
Things to work on in dry fire-
Reloads
press out
double taps
Things to work on at the range-
Accuracy - C zone hits really hurt.
Focus- I need to be able to call my shots. It's the only way to know if you should take another shot at that target.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Pistol Match Tomorrow!
Went to the range tonight to chrono all my various loads and help set up for the match tomorrow. All the rounds made power factor, which is awesome. When I load I aim for 135 pf. 125 is minimum but give yourself some room. It would suck to show up at a match and fail equipment check.
The bad news was, I was one of only a few that showed up for set up. Setting up for a match is a pain in the butt. Everything has to be measured and most of the stuff is made out of steel. Steel is heavy and my back and shoulders are telling me all about it. Advil for me tonight.
The bad news was, I was one of only a few that showed up for set up. Setting up for a match is a pain in the butt. Everything has to be measured and most of the stuff is made out of steel. Steel is heavy and my back and shoulders are telling me all about it. Advil for me tonight.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Local Match
I've got a USPSA match this weekend. I didn't think I was going to go because we had a family camping trip planned. Unfortunately the snow level is still at about 7000 feet and our proposed hike was going to take us up to 10k. A great recipe for an adventure, not so much for a family camping trip.
The stages for this match look like fun. A couple of them will start with the gun on a table unloaded. I've never done a stage wear I didn't start from the holster. Hopefully it won't mess me up to much. I've been thinking about ammo all day. Do I go with factory ammo? Do I use the lead rounds that I used for steel last week? Do a finally bite the bullet (so to speak) and work up a new load using Titegroup?
Well, the Titegroup option is out, the match is tomorrow and that doesn't leave me enough time for testing. I think I'll build some with Titegroup tonight and work with them during the Monday night practice.
The leads performed well last week and I do have 300 of them on hand. I'll probably run these as primary and have a 100 or so factory rounds in case I have problems.
Incidently the reason I want to work with Titegroup is the economy. Titegroup is under $20 a pound and a charge for 9mm is like 5 grains or less. That means at least 1500 rounds per pound. That's a pretty dang good price per bullet. The downsides? It's a very small charge so you risk a double charge. It's also a very tight range from minimum charge to maximum charge. Typically less than half a grain. There is no margin for error. I think I'll do dinner and then do some slow and steady loading while weight each charge.
The stages for this match look like fun. A couple of them will start with the gun on a table unloaded. I've never done a stage wear I didn't start from the holster. Hopefully it won't mess me up to much. I've been thinking about ammo all day. Do I go with factory ammo? Do I use the lead rounds that I used for steel last week? Do a finally bite the bullet (so to speak) and work up a new load using Titegroup?
Well, the Titegroup option is out, the match is tomorrow and that doesn't leave me enough time for testing. I think I'll build some with Titegroup tonight and work with them during the Monday night practice.
The leads performed well last week and I do have 300 of them on hand. I'll probably run these as primary and have a 100 or so factory rounds in case I have problems.
Incidently the reason I want to work with Titegroup is the economy. Titegroup is under $20 a pound and a charge for 9mm is like 5 grains or less. That means at least 1500 rounds per pound. That's a pretty dang good price per bullet. The downsides? It's a very small charge so you risk a double charge. It's also a very tight range from minimum charge to maximum charge. Typically less than half a grain. There is no margin for error. I think I'll do dinner and then do some slow and steady loading while weight each charge.
BTC
Got a letter from the oldest kid. He's at basic training. Sounds like he's had some ups and downs in his first week.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Powerfactor Show
I want to give a shoutout to a podcast that I've been listening to lately.
The Powerfactor Show
They may not be the prettiest people I've ever met, but the level of knowledge is incredible. These guys know the shooting sports and know how to explain it. If you are serious about action pistol shooting or you want to get serious, these are the guys you should be listening to. It's way more fun than reading the rule book.
The Powerfactor Show
They may not be the prettiest people I've ever met, but the level of knowledge is incredible. These guys know the shooting sports and know how to explain it. If you are serious about action pistol shooting or you want to get serious, these are the guys you should be listening to. It's way more fun than reading the rule book.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Match Results
Came in third in production division and thirteenth overall. I'm not super happy with my results. But I don't have many rounds down range with this gun. POA/POI now appears to be on top of the front sight as opposed to right in front of it the last time I shot it. Loads shot today were 147gr lead flatpoints over 5.0gr of HS-6, 1.149 OAL. I'll have to check it against my usual practice load.
Steel Challenge Match today
Next weekend is camping with the family, and the weekend after that is Grand Lodge. And the weekend after that is Imperial. Last shooting I get to do for a while. Hope the kids don't get bored.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
How I became a gunnie
I was raised by my mom. No guns, no hunting, no Boy Scouts. Nothing. Complete mama's boy. I'm sure you're all surprised that I got beat up on in school.
After I moved out, I went with a friend to the local BLM land and shot his shotgun and Ruger Vaqero .44 mag revolver. What a monster gun. I don't recommend anybody every pick that as a first gun to shoot. Damn thing nearly broke my wrist!
A couple of months later I bought my first pistol. A Ruger P95 that had just come out that year. The first and as far as I know only gun to ever have an all plastic frame. Glocks have little metal inserts in the rails as does every other plastic gun that I've taken apart. It's a tank and was probably a bad choice. My hands are small and I had a lot of trouble keeping a good grip on the gun. About that same time I picked up a Mauser '98 chambers in .308 and a Marlin Model 60. Those were my guns for about 10 years. I shot on occasion but never seriously.
Then I had kids. Now kids are funny things. They'll change your life. All of a sudden there were creatures that depended on me 100% for safety, food, and shelter. I had food and shelter pretty well figured out. But safety? I was, in my opinion, lacking. I got serious about self defense. I got my carry permit, added a shotgun and a mini 9mm to the arsenal. I got a range membership and started toshoot regularly. I started my 'box o'holsters.' Once I got comfortable with my guns, carry became a daily activity.
About two years ago my Mauser started having trouble with the safety. The hammer would drop when you took the safety off. It was time for a new gun. What to get? Well, I didn't want a bolt gun. This is a new century after all and I didn't want an AR. To easy. I ended up with an FNAR. An ugly gun, most people will agree. But it shoots far better than I ever will. I always laugh when people talk about mediocre accuracy. If you can shoot off hand or even prone and outshoot the gun, you should be on a team doing it for a living.
So now I had a 'hunting rifle' that could also double as a serious apocalypse gun. The bug had a good grip on me now. A Sig P239 that was just too good a deal joined the fold. Another PF9 was added when the first one needed to go back to the factory. Then an SD9, which is a good gun, but not for me. It was rapidly traded off for a Sig P226, which may very well be the last pistol I buy for a very long time.
I also added a Rock River AR to the stable. It's a cheater gun. It just amazes me just how much gun you can get for so reasonable a price. Easy to shoot, dead nuts reliable, and accurate to a fault.
So there you have it. The making of this gunnie.
Adding a ping back to Jennifer, since she started this one.
After I moved out, I went with a friend to the local BLM land and shot his shotgun and Ruger Vaqero .44 mag revolver. What a monster gun. I don't recommend anybody every pick that as a first gun to shoot. Damn thing nearly broke my wrist!
A couple of months later I bought my first pistol. A Ruger P95 that had just come out that year. The first and as far as I know only gun to ever have an all plastic frame. Glocks have little metal inserts in the rails as does every other plastic gun that I've taken apart. It's a tank and was probably a bad choice. My hands are small and I had a lot of trouble keeping a good grip on the gun. About that same time I picked up a Mauser '98 chambers in .308 and a Marlin Model 60. Those were my guns for about 10 years. I shot on occasion but never seriously.
Then I had kids. Now kids are funny things. They'll change your life. All of a sudden there were creatures that depended on me 100% for safety, food, and shelter. I had food and shelter pretty well figured out. But safety? I was, in my opinion, lacking. I got serious about self defense. I got my carry permit, added a shotgun and a mini 9mm to the arsenal. I got a range membership and started toshoot regularly. I started my 'box o'holsters.' Once I got comfortable with my guns, carry became a daily activity.
About two years ago my Mauser started having trouble with the safety. The hammer would drop when you took the safety off. It was time for a new gun. What to get? Well, I didn't want a bolt gun. This is a new century after all and I didn't want an AR. To easy. I ended up with an FNAR. An ugly gun, most people will agree. But it shoots far better than I ever will. I always laugh when people talk about mediocre accuracy. If you can shoot off hand or even prone and outshoot the gun, you should be on a team doing it for a living.
So now I had a 'hunting rifle' that could also double as a serious apocalypse gun. The bug had a good grip on me now. A Sig P239 that was just too good a deal joined the fold. Another PF9 was added when the first one needed to go back to the factory. Then an SD9, which is a good gun, but not for me. It was rapidly traded off for a Sig P226, which may very well be the last pistol I buy for a very long time.
I also added a Rock River AR to the stable. It's a cheater gun. It just amazes me just how much gun you can get for so reasonable a price. Easy to shoot, dead nuts reliable, and accurate to a fault.
So there you have it. The making of this gunnie.
Adding a ping back to Jennifer, since she started this one.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Condition 3 carry
Wow, what a pretentious phrase! Condition 3 means carrying your firearm without a bullet in the chamber but with a full magazine. This is perfectly viable as long as you have both hands free. Imagine a case where you end up in a scuffle and are holding off your attacker with one hand. You can draw your firearm, but how are you going to shoot it? Some fancy maneuver where you catch the rear sight on your holster and rack the slide one handed? It could work, maybe. Lots of people practice it for when one of their arms in injured Condition 3 is great for people that are not ready to have a loaded gun on their belt. Either because they don't trust their holster yet or mentally they just need more time.
The biggest proponent of condition 3 carry? The military. Their threat environment is very different than a civilain or a police officer. Let's review:
1. In a base.
2. With armed soldiers on the wall.
3. Overhead air support.
4. Lots of noncombat speciality people running around that are supposed to have a gun but probably haven't shot one since basic training.
Loaded firearms in this environment just don't make sense. The guys on the wall are going to take the immediate threat giving the rest of the base lots of time to arm up. In short the threat of somebody mishandling a firearm is a far more likely than the threat of getting into an fire fight.
Of course if I had a rifle platoon taking care of my perimeter security I wouldn't need a loaded gun either.
The biggest proponent of condition 3 carry? The military. Their threat environment is very different than a civilain or a police officer. Let's review:
1. In a base.
2. With armed soldiers on the wall.
3. Overhead air support.
4. Lots of noncombat speciality people running around that are supposed to have a gun but probably haven't shot one since basic training.
Loaded firearms in this environment just don't make sense. The guys on the wall are going to take the immediate threat giving the rest of the base lots of time to arm up. In short the threat of somebody mishandling a firearm is a far more likely than the threat of getting into an fire fight.
Of course if I had a rifle platoon taking care of my perimeter security I wouldn't need a loaded gun either.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Steel Challenge
There is a Steel Challenge match next weekend. TOWMBO is going to be out of town, perhaps the boys and I can sneak out and I can shoot this one.
Day Camp 2011 p2
First day of Cub Scout Day Camp is complete. I taught six groups of 12-14 kids the basic of map and compass use. No wonder I'm tired. Missed pistol practice last night. With a match coming this weekend, I'm bummed about that. Had some torandoes move through the area last night, glad I missed that.
*Political Statements Ahead*
I believe in global warming.
There, I said it. When reading on the internet, you're going to have a hard time finding a gun blogger that thinks that global warming is real.
I guess I should state that global warming is just a catch phrase for 'the climate is changing.' The gulf stream is not running like it has since we started keeping track of it. Winters in the interior are getting colder and the summers are getting warmer. We have seen above average rainfall for the past several years after receiving very little for the last twenty.
Now, what should we do about it is a completely different question. First you have to start with the premise that we can do something about it. Nobody has convinced me of that. I do know that 'carbon credits' and other methods of taxing energy usage don't make a lot of sense. This kind of thing actually hurts innovation by forcing the private sector to spend money on taxes to current usage instead of investing that money on increasing efficiency and energy savings. Solar, wind, and other energy sources are more expensive that gas, coal, and natural gas.
This will not always be so. When gas rises through six dollars a gallon and stays there, other forms of energy will step in to compete. It won't be the good old days, but it will be more efficient.
And that is what change really is.
Until a new energy source comes along to truly compete with fossil fuels, do yourself a favor and work on conservation. Insulate that house and drive less in a smaller car. These things will save you money now and in whatever the future brings.
*Political Statements Ahead*
I believe in global warming.
There, I said it. When reading on the internet, you're going to have a hard time finding a gun blogger that thinks that global warming is real.
I guess I should state that global warming is just a catch phrase for 'the climate is changing.' The gulf stream is not running like it has since we started keeping track of it. Winters in the interior are getting colder and the summers are getting warmer. We have seen above average rainfall for the past several years after receiving very little for the last twenty.
Now, what should we do about it is a completely different question. First you have to start with the premise that we can do something about it. Nobody has convinced me of that. I do know that 'carbon credits' and other methods of taxing energy usage don't make a lot of sense. This kind of thing actually hurts innovation by forcing the private sector to spend money on taxes to current usage instead of investing that money on increasing efficiency and energy savings. Solar, wind, and other energy sources are more expensive that gas, coal, and natural gas.
This will not always be so. When gas rises through six dollars a gallon and stays there, other forms of energy will step in to compete. It won't be the good old days, but it will be more efficient.
And that is what change really is.
Until a new energy source comes along to truly compete with fossil fuels, do yourself a favor and work on conservation. Insulate that house and drive less in a smaller car. These things will save you money now and in whatever the future brings.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Summer
Summer has come to Montana with a vengeance. It's hot and that means the snow is melting. Grab your sandbags people. It's coming.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Proud
Tomorrow my oldest son goes to Basic Training. It's been a time for being with family and friends. It will be nine weeks and a lifetime before I see him again. I wish that I could go back and do everything again. Some changes maybe, but mostly I'd like to go back and do it again. Good times and bad, he's my son and I can hardly wait to see the man he is becoming.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Open Carry
So, around the intertubes. People are talking about an open carry day. I like open carry, it's more comfortable, it hopefully desensitizes people to guns, and if done right, it promotes gun owners and normal, friendly people.
I won't be participating this year. I believe that if I am going to open carry, I need a retention holster. Something with a thumb break, or a hidden button device. And it shouldn't be black or menacing.
None of my holsters fit those requirements. The Serpa is a good holster. Which is good, but it's also used by a local PD and I don't want people to think I'm a cop. It's also black. With a black gun. Not the impression I want to make.
Maybe next year, with a pretty gun in a nice brown holster. Hopefully with some nice tooling so as to show off instead of looking menacing.
I won't be participating this year. I believe that if I am going to open carry, I need a retention holster. Something with a thumb break, or a hidden button device. And it shouldn't be black or menacing.
None of my holsters fit those requirements. The Serpa is a good holster. Which is good, but it's also used by a local PD and I don't want people to think I'm a cop. It's also black. With a black gun. Not the impression I want to make.
Maybe next year, with a pretty gun in a nice brown holster. Hopefully with some nice tooling so as to show off instead of looking menacing.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Why can't they be white?
Or at least eggshell? TOWMBO wants to paint the living room. I can't say that I really mind. The current yellowish beige sucks. But why do the walls need color? If you paint them white, everything goes with them! You can accessorize all you want because nothing will clash. Plus it'll brighten the room better than anything else. But no, it has to have color. I'm living in a green house and soon my living room will be green as well. ugh.
I wanted to spend the night at the range and post some good data on some of the handloads I'm using. But instead I got to cook dinner for the family and listen to completely irrational chatter about paint color. Maybe tomorrow.
I wanted to spend the night at the range and post some good data on some of the handloads I'm using. But instead I got to cook dinner for the family and listen to completely irrational chatter about paint color. Maybe tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Personalizing your weapon
In my limited experience, I've owned the following pistols:
Ruger P95
Kel-Tec PF-9 (2)
Sig P239
S&W SD9
Sig P226
I've had that P95 going on fifteen years now. About the only things I did to it was adding a Hugh slip on grip, which I removed and buying a cheap nylon pancake holster. Junk. It's been a good gun, I just never really loved it. A great gun if you want something that will shoot forever and doesn't attract thieves.
The Kel-Tecs got treated a little better. Kel-Tecs are kit guns. The moldings aren't very smooth and you spend some time making them better. I bought an armalaser RSS, and two custom leather holsters. But these are work guns. Designed to disappear no matter what you are wearing. Cute, but not lust worthy.
The P239 is IMO an ugly gun. The two tone is nice I guess. When I bought this gun, it came with everything. Lasergrips, three nice holsters, ten magazines. I really haven't had to do anything to it at all. The previous owner had already gone to all the work.
The SD9 was an impulse purchase. I didn't really need another 9mm, but the price was just too good. It got a couple of holsters. I blacked the rear sights. But there wasn't anything else to do. It's handsome as plastic guns go. But I didn't shoot it that well. I didn't like the way it pointed. I sold it. The first pistol I've ever done that with.
The P226 is another story. It needs night sights. It's brand new. Nobody else has ever owned it. I'd love to put stainless control levers on it to accentuate it's gorgeous black nature. The new E2 lines are reminiscent of the CZ75. It fits my hand as well as the Jericho 9mm. I love the way the slide stop falls under my thumb. With no shift in my grip, the force of inserting a magazine magically chambers the first round. Here is a gun I can love. It's big, it carries a lot of rounds. It's going to get beautiful gun leather and possibly a tactical light. Right now, this looks like the last pistol I will ever buy. I love that I can get a .22 upper for it. Or a .40 S&W. If that isn't enough, .357sig. Perhaps a P229 might find it's way into my gun cabinet. But not before I've made this pistol my own.
Ruger P95
Kel-Tec PF-9 (2)
Sig P239
S&W SD9
Sig P226
I've had that P95 going on fifteen years now. About the only things I did to it was adding a Hugh slip on grip, which I removed and buying a cheap nylon pancake holster. Junk. It's been a good gun, I just never really loved it. A great gun if you want something that will shoot forever and doesn't attract thieves.
The Kel-Tecs got treated a little better. Kel-Tecs are kit guns. The moldings aren't very smooth and you spend some time making them better. I bought an armalaser RSS, and two custom leather holsters. But these are work guns. Designed to disappear no matter what you are wearing. Cute, but not lust worthy.
The P239 is IMO an ugly gun. The two tone is nice I guess. When I bought this gun, it came with everything. Lasergrips, three nice holsters, ten magazines. I really haven't had to do anything to it at all. The previous owner had already gone to all the work.
The SD9 was an impulse purchase. I didn't really need another 9mm, but the price was just too good. It got a couple of holsters. I blacked the rear sights. But there wasn't anything else to do. It's handsome as plastic guns go. But I didn't shoot it that well. I didn't like the way it pointed. I sold it. The first pistol I've ever done that with.
The P226 is another story. It needs night sights. It's brand new. Nobody else has ever owned it. I'd love to put stainless control levers on it to accentuate it's gorgeous black nature. The new E2 lines are reminiscent of the CZ75. It fits my hand as well as the Jericho 9mm. I love the way the slide stop falls under my thumb. With no shift in my grip, the force of inserting a magazine magically chambers the first round. Here is a gun I can love. It's big, it carries a lot of rounds. It's going to get beautiful gun leather and possibly a tactical light. Right now, this looks like the last pistol I will ever buy. I love that I can get a .22 upper for it. Or a .40 S&W. If that isn't enough, .357sig. Perhaps a P229 might find it's way into my gun cabinet. But not before I've made this pistol my own.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Don Hume
I've been trying to figure out exactly what holsters I want to buy for the P226. I've got a Don Hume on the way. It should be here tomorrow. This isn't any cheaper than the holsters I usually have Erik over at SideGuard make for me. However, I don't have to wait six weeks to get them. I'll probably have Erik make me an IWB for it. The question is, appendix carry or 4 O'clock? The butt on the P226 is so large that I'll have to have a pretty extreme cant on the holster to wear it on my strong side. But the 4 inch barrel means that appendix is going to require a perfect storm of pants, underwear, junk and belt to be comfortable. I might get a Tuck-This II to play with before throwing down on the custom leather.
Memories
Our youngest son really wanted to do something for Memorial day. When I was a kid we would go put flowers on the grave of some distant Aunt that I never new. My mom always acted like it was some big chore. At least that was the impression I always got. With no other dead relatives that I am aware of, we went to the military cemetery and watched the presentation of the flags, the bagpipes, and the twenty one gun salute. While we were there we walked the older parts and placed flowers on the old neglected graves that no one seems to care about any more. We found a Masonic section with a stone monument in the shape of the Masonic alter. Lilacs aren't really the correct offering. Next year I'll have my sprig of Acacia and perhaps a lambskin apron. Well done good and faithful servants. This city wouldn't be here without you.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Weekly Practice
In preperation for weekly practice. I ran all my reloads through a Lee factory crimp die. This seemed to help a lot but I still had some problems with failure to go fully into battery and rounds that were difficult to extract.
Tonight's course of fire had two silhouettes and two small steels on the right at 10 yards. Then you ran 15 yards to the second box and engaged two more silhouettes and two large steels at 10 yards on the right. My firt run was about 20 seconds. My second was 14. By the end of the night I was under twelve. Accuracy improved on every run. A very good night of practice!
Total rounds tonight: 200
Total through the gun: 400
I did clean the gun after tonight's practice. I know what you are thinking: What about the 2000 round challenge?
Well there are three major reasons:
1. I shoot lead. Leading the barrel isn't the norm for a defensive handgun.
2. I don't like to depend on a gun that isn't in tip top shape. Cleaning the gun makes sure that I don't end up having a gummed up gun when I need it most.
3. I like cleaning my gun! I know very CDO of me (alphabetical order, duh).
Tonight's cleaning was pretty basic. I ran a dry patch on a jag through twice to pull out the lead. Wiped the rails down to check for wear. Brushed the breach face and chamber area. Stripped all three mags because they all hit the dirt tonight. Relubed and put it all back together. Total time, about 20 minutes.
Tonight's course of fire had two silhouettes and two small steels on the right at 10 yards. Then you ran 15 yards to the second box and engaged two more silhouettes and two large steels at 10 yards on the right. My firt run was about 20 seconds. My second was 14. By the end of the night I was under twelve. Accuracy improved on every run. A very good night of practice!
Total rounds tonight: 200
Total through the gun: 400
I did clean the gun after tonight's practice. I know what you are thinking: What about the 2000 round challenge?
Well there are three major reasons:
1. I shoot lead. Leading the barrel isn't the norm for a defensive handgun.
2. I don't like to depend on a gun that isn't in tip top shape. Cleaning the gun makes sure that I don't end up having a gummed up gun when I need it most.
3. I like cleaning my gun! I know very CDO of me (alphabetical order, duh).
Tonight's cleaning was pretty basic. I ran a dry patch on a jag through twice to pull out the lead. Wiped the rails down to check for wear. Brushed the breach face and chamber area. Stripped all three mags because they all hit the dirt tonight. Relubed and put it all back together. Total time, about 20 minutes.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Range Time
Well, after careful measurements it is obvious that this gun has a tight, but standard chamber. Even one ten thousands over will cause the round to hang up. Fortunately the Lee Factory Crimp Die will bring the rounds into spec without much trouble. I"ve backed the crimp part of the Die all the way out. Because I shoot mostly lead rounds, crimps can be very problematic as they will have a tendency to undersize the round. This is just to take the 'Glock' bulge out of the case.
In 200 rounds I had:
1. Squib load. Very embarrassing.
a. Two failure to enter battery. A light tap solved the problem. These were on rounds that I didn't factory crimp.
2. Three failures to lock back using magazine number three. Hopefully it will settle out.
3. Awesome little one inch groups at 15 yard. On a couple, all five rounds were touching. And this load is just my generic 135pf USPSA load.
4. Rapid fire kept everything in the 8 ring without any trouble at all. The gun comes back on target quickly and without any drama. It appears that I'm pushing to the left a touch in rapid fire. Probably because this trigger is so much closer to the grip than I'm used to. It's a trigger to die for and I won't change a thing.
Other thoughts.
I've been shooting enough iron sight rifle stuff to be irritated with the "combat sight picture." For those of you who haven't heard that term, with a defensive handgun you simply place the front sight right where you want the hole and if you've gotten everything else right, that's where the hole will be. I really prefer the six o'clock sight picture, where you place the target right on top of the front sight. When shooting for defense it's much easier to cover the target, but when checking loads, or trying to get feedback on fundamentals, a six o'clock hold is better. I may get a taller rear, or adjustable rear to make it shoot the way I want. I wanted to get some Warren Tatical sights anyway. :)
Normally I'd require a lot more rounds down range before a gun goes in the carry holster. But normally a gun doesn't shoot this well right out of the box. This Sig is everything I wanted it to be, but I didn't expect it to be this good, this fast.
In 200 rounds I had:
1. Squib load. Very embarrassing.
a. Two failure to enter battery. A light tap solved the problem. These were on rounds that I didn't factory crimp.
2. Three failures to lock back using magazine number three. Hopefully it will settle out.
3. Awesome little one inch groups at 15 yard. On a couple, all five rounds were touching. And this load is just my generic 135pf USPSA load.
4. Rapid fire kept everything in the 8 ring without any trouble at all. The gun comes back on target quickly and without any drama. It appears that I'm pushing to the left a touch in rapid fire. Probably because this trigger is so much closer to the grip than I'm used to. It's a trigger to die for and I won't change a thing.
Other thoughts.
I've been shooting enough iron sight rifle stuff to be irritated with the "combat sight picture." For those of you who haven't heard that term, with a defensive handgun you simply place the front sight right where you want the hole and if you've gotten everything else right, that's where the hole will be. I really prefer the six o'clock sight picture, where you place the target right on top of the front sight. When shooting for defense it's much easier to cover the target, but when checking loads, or trying to get feedback on fundamentals, a six o'clock hold is better. I may get a taller rear, or adjustable rear to make it shoot the way I want. I wanted to get some Warren Tatical sights anyway. :)
Normally I'd require a lot more rounds down range before a gun goes in the carry holster. But normally a gun doesn't shoot this well right out of the box. This Sig is everything I wanted it to be, but I didn't expect it to be this good, this fast.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Possible Problem
The new Sig P226 feels like it was built for my hands. I seem to shoot Sigs better than any other gun I've tried. This one is no exception. Unlike my P239 which seems to love any bullet you happen to feed it. This one is young enough to be a picky eater. Picky enough that about 10% of my reloads won't even chamber. Hopefully the super tight chamber will loosen up as the Nitron coating inside the barrel gets worn down.
END OF THE WORLD!
Good thing I didn't run up my credit card. Looks like I'd have to pay it off. No end of the world today folks, go back to your lives.....
Friday, May 20, 2011
New Gun
Sig P226. Born May 11th, 2011. Brought home May 19th, /2011. No range time yet. Hopefully sometime today. Bought it at my favorite LGS. Beartooth Cash & Gun. A great supporter of the local shooting sports! Price was the same as the internet, but I didn't have to pay shipping on top.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
SD9 Update
I've got about 3000 rounds through my SD9 at this point and it's time for it to move on.
This has been a pretty good gun. I had some problems with the sights loosing up with I solved with locktite. But it's just not quite right. So I found it a new home. James, I hope it treats you good.
Things I liked about this gun:
1. Striker fired. Consistent trigger pull from first to last, excellent feedback on the reset. Perhaps a little too much over travel.
2. Fits M&P Holsters. Going with this gun is a Serpa, a custom leather pancake, and a MTAC. All fit beautifully.
3. Wonderful grip. I have small hands and this gun was perfect. 16+1 in a grip that rivals a 1911.
4. Light weight. The polymer design made all day carry a dream
Things I didn't like:
1. Light weight. With a full magazine the gun came back on target fast, by the end of the string it was noticeably harder to control.
2. The sights coming loose. And eventually the front dot lost it's radioactive goodness. S&W made it right and it went to it's new home with a brand new front post.
3. Trigger reset, just a little long. The M&P has a shorter reset, but it's almost impossible to feel.
What now? Well, I've got a new gun to pick up. That's a story for another day.
This has been a pretty good gun. I had some problems with the sights loosing up with I solved with locktite. But it's just not quite right. So I found it a new home. James, I hope it treats you good.
Things I liked about this gun:
1. Striker fired. Consistent trigger pull from first to last, excellent feedback on the reset. Perhaps a little too much over travel.
2. Fits M&P Holsters. Going with this gun is a Serpa, a custom leather pancake, and a MTAC. All fit beautifully.
3. Wonderful grip. I have small hands and this gun was perfect. 16+1 in a grip that rivals a 1911.
4. Light weight. The polymer design made all day carry a dream
Things I didn't like:
1. Light weight. With a full magazine the gun came back on target fast, by the end of the string it was noticeably harder to control.
2. The sights coming loose. And eventually the front dot lost it's radioactive goodness. S&W made it right and it went to it's new home with a brand new front post.
3. Trigger reset, just a little long. The M&P has a shorter reset, but it's almost impossible to feel.
What now? Well, I've got a new gun to pick up. That's a story for another day.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Pet Peeve
There is no such thing as 'Common Sense.' Common sense is stuff you learn from a lifetime of experience and as everybody has different experiences throughout their life, there is nothing common about it at all. ie. most people know not to stick a fork in an outlet, but I've seen a kid do it and somebody that comes from a culture with no electricity isn't going to know it. Don't depend on common sense to get you through life, let alone an emergency. Plan on running into things that you know nothing about and proceed with caution.
That is all.
That is all.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Good Day
Hung out with a friend today helping him set up his Dillion 650 press. It's different from my Hornady. I like the case feeder, their primer mech is superior, the indexing is perfect. The powder measure sucks, I don't like the separate seat and crimp operation. It's a wash. Both units have nice features, both will run fast enough to pay for themselves. It's been said before, choose red or blue and pick 'em.
We were building 45 ACP rounds today. I think we should seat them a little longer and add some powder. We had some pretty extreme velocity fluctuations and the seal wasn't as tight as it could be. I did get to shoot a Glock 21 today. I got to be the guinea pig, the load was mild and I had no worries. It was a Gen 2 model that feels like a 2x4. It's hard to make a double stack .45 that I can fit my hand around, Glock fails, even with the new short frame models.
With my 9mm I had an awesome day. The lower recoil meant that I hardly noticed it after running through fifty full house .45 loads. Today was a real breakthrough. I could tell that my sights are a little off. POI is to the right. At 25 yards, I had to hold about 4 inches left to hit the center of the target and I made a nice little cluster right in the middle of the target. When I had a miss, I called it even before my sights came back on target. I'm super happy with how I shot today and super excited to be adding .45 ACP to my reloading abilities.
We were building 45 ACP rounds today. I think we should seat them a little longer and add some powder. We had some pretty extreme velocity fluctuations and the seal wasn't as tight as it could be. I did get to shoot a Glock 21 today. I got to be the guinea pig, the load was mild and I had no worries. It was a Gen 2 model that feels like a 2x4. It's hard to make a double stack .45 that I can fit my hand around, Glock fails, even with the new short frame models.
With my 9mm I had an awesome day. The lower recoil meant that I hardly noticed it after running through fifty full house .45 loads. Today was a real breakthrough. I could tell that my sights are a little off. POI is to the right. At 25 yards, I had to hold about 4 inches left to hit the center of the target and I made a nice little cluster right in the middle of the target. When I had a miss, I called it even before my sights came back on target. I'm super happy with how I shot today and super excited to be adding .45 ACP to my reloading abilities.
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