Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Supreme Court Takes 2nd Incorporation Case

This morning, SCOTUS agreed to hear the Second Amendment case on the Chicago gun ban that may or may not lead to the incorporation of the Second into state laws. This from AmmoLand:
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether strict local and state gun control laws violate the Second Amendment, ensuring another high-profile battle over the rights of gun owners.

The court said Wednesday it will review a lower court ruling that upheld a handgun ban in Chicago.

The Supreme Court last year struck down Washington D.C.’s gun ban, but the question remains whether states and local governments fall under the same requirements.
You can start your background reading at Volokh Conspiracy.

Our side of the case will be argued by Alan Gura, who did such a superb job before the Supremes

New Book for Uncertain Times!

My friend Jim Rawles of The Survival Blog has his newest book available on Amazon: HOW TO SURVIVE THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: TACTICS TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES.

Aside from the world's longest title, expect a thoughtful, intelligent look at a controversial subject. Today is Book Bomb Day — Jim would like to raise his book's position on Amazon...so buy two books today...one for you, another for a friend!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Janich Cuts Up




-- Post From The Road

Cane 2




-- Post From The Road

Cane Basics

Big part of TBD Season 2



-- Post From The Road

Muggings-R-Us




-- Post From The Road

New Stephen Hunter Novel Coming!

For November release...I just got an advance copy yesterday. We'll be making a big deal of the release on DRTV!


-- Post From The Road

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sharp Things

You probably figured this out from these blog posts, but by popular request we're doing more knife stuff this season...



-- Post From The Road

Janich looks for Nirvana...




-- Post From The Road

Another Role Player bites the Dust




-- Post From The Road

Fun With Cameras

Janich frightens the camera, a la Chuck Norris...



-- Post From The Road

Raisin' Cane!





Director Tim Cremin does his favorite scene from "Young Frankenstein."


-- Post From The Road

Meanwhile Back in the Dojo




-- Post From The Road

Sunday, September 27, 2009

One Final Sunday Funny...


From XKCD, "Tornado Hunter"

N-Frame Exorcisms

I spent the morning doing exorcisms on a couple of my N-Frames, including the hapless 329PD with the Amazing Self-Engaging Lock. While I would never recommend that you do this yourself...in fact, I would GET DOWN ON MY HANDS AND KNEES and BEG YOU not to ...there's a great YouTube video that shows you how to go about it. Keep in mind that should you remove the locking mechanism, you must not sell the gun until it is replaced, so save the little LOCKED flag or add the gun to your permanent collection. And remember, a "lock" is not a "safety device." All locks can be compromised...how do I know this? Meet Mr. Sledgehammer. That's why I keep my guns in a great big heavy steel box anchored in concrete.

The problem, as I've stated before, is the tiny spring that supposedly tensions the "LOADED" flag and keeps it from riding up is insufficient in handling the recoil of a heavy bullet hot load in a lightweight frame. The flag bounces under recoil, and in the worst case the bouncing flag catches the hammer as it falls, jamming the revolver. This creates a VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION — the hammer is under spring tension and there's a live round underneath it. I've cleared this jam a couple of times, and I'd prefer not to do it again. I suggest backing off the strain screw and release the mainspring tension WHILE KEEPING THE GUN POINTED DOWNRANGE and your hands out from in front of the barrel before addressing the jam.

Speaking of things that occasionally don't work, Brigid at Home on the Range has had some problems with her Blackhawk Sherpa holster:
I've worn this holster for over a couple of years, not daily certainly, but on regular weekends out in the city, drawing from it enough for practice until I found it easy to use. The SERPA button is very lightly sprung, I'm guessing by known weights of single action trigger pulls it's probably just a little over a pound. Point being, it's light, and doesn't require must of a conscious effort to operate it, no tugging or strength of hand, so I never noticed any impediment to a natural, instinctive draw stroke.

The holster has not been exposed to any heat or conditions that would warp it. It's not dirty. I wasn't doing a one-handed reload where I might have inadvertently inserted the gun in the holster facing backwards (when you do that I understand the tension device in the holster can lock behind the front sight, locking the gun in the holster.) I don't pull up on the weapon at all before or while pressing the button. I drew exactly as I've drawn it hundreds of times, having bought a couple of these over the years.

The SERPA button just stuck.
Because I'm not an LEO and don't have a specific need for a retention holster, I don't particularly like mechanical retention devices...it adds one more little thing that can break. For a regular carry holster I like some kind of tensioning screw I can adjust. For a field holster, I'm not adverse to a retention strap...I have one on the FA crossdraw I use for my packing Super Blackhawk .44.

Getting Ready for Halloween!

I cribbed these from Pole Dancing in the Dark:


1.When it appears that you have killed the monster, never check to see if it's really dead. It isn't.

2.Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke.

3.Do not search the basement or attic, even if the power is out.

4.If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language that they should not know, shoot them immediately. Shooting them will save you much grief in the long run; however, it will take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared. This tip also applies to anyone who speaks with someone else's voice.

5.When you have the benefit of numbers, never pair off and go alone.

6.As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.

7.Never stand in, on, or above a grave, tomb, or crypt. This rule also applies to any other house of the dead.

8.If you are searching for something that caused a loud noise and find out that it was just the cat, get the hell out. Expeditiously.

9.If appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits. Again, get the hell out.

10.Do not take anything from the dead. No matter how much you like it, it's bound to disagree with you sooner or later.

11.If you find a town that looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around.

12.Don't fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you're sure you know what you're doing.

13.If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice--more if you are of the female persuasion. Also note that despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

14.If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination with blood, glowing eyes, increasing hairiness, and so on, kill them immediately.

15.Stay away from certain geographical locations, some of which are listed here: Amityville, Elm Street, Haddonfield, Transylvania, Nilbog (you're in trouble if you recognize this one), anywhere in Texas where chainsaws are sold, the Bermuda Triangle, and any small town in Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

16.If your car runs out of gas at night on a lonely road, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to use the telephone. If you think that it is strange you ran out of gas because you thought you had most of a tank, shoot yourself in the head. You are going to die anyway and most likely be eaten.

17.Beware of strangers bearing strange tools like chainsaws, staple guns, hedge trimmers, electric carving knives, combines, lawn mowers, butane torches, soldering irons, and ice picks.

18.If you discover that your house is built upon a cemetery, now is the time to move in with the in-laws. This rule also applies to previous inhabitants who went mad or committed suicide or died in some horrible fashion.

19. If there are supernatural elements going on around you, don't have sex. Especially if you are a blond.

20. If you are a blond, dye your hair! You have a much better chance of survival if you are a brunette, or redhead. (I guess we don't taste as good or something...)

21. Stay out of cornfields, woods and bodies of water. These are locations where no one will hear you if you scream, or if the do hear you, they will never find you in time.

22. Stay out of big old scary looking mansions, nothing good ever comes from your visit, no matter how considerate a houseguest you are.

23. Never back slowly down stairs, around corners, or through doorways. You have just been where you are coming from and you should know that the threat is not there.

24. If the phone goes dead just when you are about to call for help, don't waist time jiggling the receiver cradle and shouting "Hello" into the receiver. Giving away your position while masking the sounds of the opponents approach is NOT a good tactic.

25. For Heaven's sake, listen to us Moors residents when we tell you to "Keep to the roads, lads!"

26. Stay away from dusty old tomes with questionable fabric covers.

27. Never try to read aloud from books when they are written in some obscure dead language, even if you are a linguistics expert. There are reasons why certain languages are dead.

28. Never say, “It could be worse,” because it will get much worse.

29. Never turn your back on stuffed animals, dolls or clowns. They may seem innocent enough, but they are really demons laying in wait.

30. Do not try destroying same dolls, animals or clowns with fire, water, or exorcism, as this only pisses them off. Just resign yourself to the fact that your life is over.

31. Never invite a ghost or spirit to show itself. It may think that you want it to stay and will make itself at home…

32. Never go camping in the woods on Halloween.

33. Ignore the others who say it will be fun and never go to one of those creepy looking traveling funhouses on Halloween, either. Boo!

34. If the phone rings, don't bother answering it. Go curl up in a corner and resign yourself to the end. It's the killer and he is already in the house, or is outside watching you.

35. If you forget/drop/lose something while a monster is on the loose, it probably isn't the wisest idea to go looking for it later. This principle especially applies to cats.

36. Beware of people in masks. It might not actually be a mask...

37. Never investigate old broken down mansions, especially in Texas. In fact, it’s best to stay out of Texas, New Orleans or any sort of swamp like area all-together.

38. Don’t ever watch unfamiliar and bizarre videotapes.

39. Never let the little bitch out of the well.

40. Never trust computers with little girl avatars

41. Never stroll from room to room, searching for your boyfriend/girlfriend whilst simultaneously calling their name.

Example:

"Tommy? Are your in there? Tommy? Is that you?"

And...if this is happening immediately after sex, resign yourself to your fate immediately and dispatch yourself before the monster gets the chance.

42. Never be the only person at a supernatural outing (whether intentional or unintentional) wearing a red shirt.

43. Never have sex with the overtly horny camp counselor. She will inevitably die first, but you can count on being next in line

44. Donald Pleasance shows up, just recognize you're in a whole lot of great big trouble.

45. Never help a clown out of a drain hole - all clowns are evil!

46. Don't make fun of or play with dead things.

47. If you see a town that looks deserted except for children, do not try to 'help' them - they will eat you.

48. If you walk into the local abandoned-looking church to seek help or shelter, and you notice that the crucifix is mounted upside down, turn around and go back outside as quietly as possible.

49. Never have sex in the bunk beds of recently renovated summer camps.

50. Whenever you land on a distant planet and find some objects that look like eggs, leave them alone.

51. Do not allow crewmates back aboard the craft if and after you have found a hideous parasite attached to his/her body.

52. Be forewarned that a gun is only good for ALMOST killing the monster, never for COMPLETELY killing it. Be sure to have an extra weapon, preferably one with "flair" (a knife, a harpoon, a heavy box, razor confetti, pop tarts...)

53. Don't open the closed door, especially if you hear scratching, heavy breathing, or the voice of a dear relative whom you THOUGHT was dead.

54. Never bathe, especially when in the house alone.

55. If you are a female, never expose yourself. Easy women die fast.

56. Never camp or build homes on Indian burial grounds.

57. If the Toshiba suddenly says out of context, “I understand quantum theory, but what is this thing called love?”, get the hammer immediately. - wahsatchmo

58. Stuntman, if you beam down wearing a red shirt also wear a false beard. That way you can be paid to die again wearing a false mustache in the following episode.

59. No need to open a strange bag or parcel because you think it may contain a bomb. It will.

60. When the hero says it is too quiet the monster has found you. (A.M.Swallow)

Frank James on Concealed Carry

From his blog...as always, Frank cuts to the chase like a laser beam:
Handguns, by definition, are a compromise....and in many instances they are a poor compromise.

The question is in what areas do you personally compromise?

In my view and for self-defense, the most important element in the equation is instant accessibility in a lethal force situation. Anything less and the gun is virtually worthless. You can't go "Kings X" and take a time-out while you retrieve your self-defense blaster from its child-proof storage container in the closet of your bedroom. You HAVE TO HAVE IT IMMEDIATELY when you are 'blind-sided' by the aggressor whether you are on the street, or coming out of the bathroom of your home.
Read the whole thing...

Critical Issues of Zombies...

From the now all-red Land Down Under:
If schlock horror cinema has taught me nothing, and it hasn’t, it’s that the slow and the dull-witted, the unimaginative and the zombie fodder extras are all going down in the first 15 minutes of the opening reel. So while the rest of you are trapped in your barricaded offices and boarded-up homes reading this on your flickering fading Internet connections I shall be long gone, laughing my rich piratical pirate laugh as I drive out of the dust-choked city in my commandeered six wheel paramilitary vehicle, plowing through hordes of the dusty Undead, sparing nary a backward glance as the Religious Maniac tumbles from her precarious perch at the back of the vehicle into the clutches of the Zombie Horde (possibly pushed out by the Evil Hot Chick as a rationing measure after stronger than anticipated overnight demand for Hamburger In A Can – a little extreme admittedly but, you know, her Evil is only matched by her Hotness
). Bring on the Zoms!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Udall Endorses Shooting Ranges in Colorado

I'm going to come down on the "good on you" side of this one:
WASHINGTON — Taking advantage of National Hunting and Fishing Day, Sen. Mark Udall will announce proposed legislation today that would funnel more federal dollars to help states build public shooting ranges.

Public target ranges are in short supply across the West, and informal ranges that pop up in their stead can create safety hazards.
Udall has taken some substantial heat for being insufficiently committed to gun issues; I personally ripped him hard when he was a Congressperson for being too tied to the coattails of the reprehensible Diana DeGette.

However, since he was elected Senator Udall has stood with us on a number of issues, including national park carry and the Thune Amendment on reciprocity (and yes, I know the charge that Colorado's Senators made sure the Amendment didn't have the votes before they cast theirs). He has been a steady voice for more opportunities for shooting and against USFS restrictions on shooting on public lands.

I've said before that we need to reach out to Democrats because, in the pinch, far too many Republicans took us for granted and ultimately failed us. I wish that all our "friends" believed in the Second Amendment the way that we do, but I'm also pragmatic enough to accept friends wherever I find them.

So thank you, Senator Udall!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Carry Gun Redux

Some thoughts related to the previous post...the key to a carry gun is having a gun you're willing to carry. Sounds pretty simply, doesn't it? The reason that it's harder in the Real World than in the previous sentence is that the decision to carry a gun is often made on a purely intellectual level with very little thought given to the Real World issues — the carry system to be used (which is a whole other discussion on the person's physical make-up, level of fitness, etc.), the way the person is required to dress on a daily basis, the person's level of expertise with guns in general, the specific gun to be carried and the carry system, daily transit time in in automobiles and/or mass transit, time available for training, shooting and tactical practice, perceived and actual threat level for the people involved, home and family situations that impact the potential CCW carrier, local, regional, state and federal laws that apply in the person's area, and on and on.

I once wrote an article for SHOTGUN NEWS that was titled "I Carry a Gun; Maybe You Shouldn't," the gist of which was that if you failed to look at all the issues surrounding concealed carry in advance, you're likely to end up one of those thousands of people who leave their carry gun in a drawer at home, because it's a pain in the butt to strap the thing on.

I think it's fair to list several of the myths about concealed carry, weapons choice, carry systems, etc., and see if we can poke some holes in them:

MYTH: I need to carry a larger caliber gun because of the higher potential for a one-shot stop.
REALITY: One-shot stops are the province of rifles, not handguns. Given that fact, the question becomes how quickly can you place multiple shots in the "kill" zone? Forget a .45 ACP — I know people who can run an S&W .500 Magnum loaded with mid-range loads like a staple gun, but the real question is, can you? Assuming multiple shots are going to be necessary in a self-defense situation. how quickly can you deliver those shots with your caliber of choice? Faster is better.

MYTH: I'm going to change the way I dress to accommodate my gun/carry system of choice.
REALITY: No, you're not, because for most people the way they dress on a daily basis is a function of their external lives rather than personal choice. In other words, we dress the way we need to dress for our workplaces and our perceived need to be accepted within our social strata, and it is EXTREMELY hard to change within those contexts. Secondly, we have the whole issue of an "installed base" — we already own lots of clothes, and replacing them is often a lot of money. What often happens is the new CCW carrier ends up with 2 Hawaiian shirts and a pair of 5.11 "tactical" cargo pants that eventually join the gun in staying at home.

MYTH: Everyone knows an IWB is the best carry system for most people.
REALITY: I would add, "for most people who look like Clint Smith or Ed Stock." Not most people who look like me, or my Sweetie (who has a waist and breasts) or 80% of the rest of the country.

MYTH: Anything else "everybody knows..."
VARIOUS REALITIES:
• On a bet I once walked through the middle of a police convention wearing a front-mounted fanny pack sagging from a big gun in it...nobody even gave it a second glance.
• A photographer's vest doesn't scream "gun," it screams "tasteless," which is just fine with me.
• Mouseguns bad? Better a mousegun than no gun...I have Real World experience on this point.

There's lots of others, but I gotta go to work!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Is There an Echo in Here?

From the Insights Training Center blog, on 9mm vs .45:
In our thought-experiment, we are going to shoot a bad guy (BG) who is posing a deadly threat towards us. We will assume he is reasonably motivated and doesn’t just quit upon seeing our gun. We will assume that our first shot is a mortal wound to the heart (thus subsequent shots are largely irrelevant). We will assume that there are no spinal hits or effective head shots (which, regardless of caliber, would be instantly incapacitating and so pointless to consider).

Common wisdom is that properly adrenalized and motivated individuals can continue to function for up to 15 seconds with a fatally damaged heart. We will also assume that the shooters can both shoot 3 rounds per second (0.33 splits) and their reload times are 3 seconds.

In our first case, we will assume the BG drops in just 5 seconds. In this instance Shooter #1 (1911) will shoot 7 rounds. Shooter #2 will shoot 16.
I used to talk a lot about 9mm vs .45...my rationale for carrying a 9mm was the follow-up shots...lotsa bullets delivered in the same timeframe as a few shots. Now I pretty much agree with M.D. Creekwood at the Survivalist Blog:
Personally I think the whole stopping power debate is a load of crap and a waste of time. Get a reliable weapon and learn to shoot. Simple...
Key point — when you leave the house, HAVE A GUN WITH YOU! Every time; every day.

Understanding Political Differences

Courtesy Wolfe's Blog.

Style Points

Sure, he's had the Michael Jackson Makeover and when he talks he wanders more than a 1956 Rambler with a flat tire, but you gotta give Moammar "SPELL MY NAME, FOOL!" Khadafy style points for his cadre of hot female bodyguards. From the NY Daily News (along with the pix):
Libya's "Brotherly Leader" Moammar Khadafy will be invading midtown Manhattan this week surrounded by a gang of fetching "gun girls."

The dictator's pistol-packin' posse of 40 to 50 women bodyguards -- sometimes called his "Amazon Guard" -- will be part of his massive 150-member traveling traveling entourage for the UN General Assembly session, U.S. officials said.

Along with live weapons, the guards will bring their bad-girl reputation
. Hey, works for me!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Disaster Prep

Good piece in Popular Mechanics on disaster prep...4 key points that I totally buy into:

Prepare for the worst
Keep cool in a crisis
Hang in there
Outlast the aftermath

They also have an unconventional list of things for your survival kit, number one of which is beer. Amen to that!

A Kinder, Gentler Deer Hunting

FLASH! Cowboy Action Shooting World Champion Jim Finch, a.k.a. Long Hunter, has decided to change his CAS alias to "Deer Whisperer" after discovering an uncanny ability to walk up to deer on Texas ranch, scratch their little antlered head and convince them to willingly climb into a stew-pot of their own accord.

"I'm having a little trouble with the does," says the Whisperer, "because just like humans girl deer appear to be a lot smarter than boy deer."

Finch said he plans to plant a portion of his ranch in oregano, jalapeno and cumin plants in the hopes of pre-seasoning the deer for chili before he talks them into the pot.

"My goal is to just add pinto beans and simmer," he says.

An earlier experiment with javelinas nearly turned lethal since, apparently, feral hogs don't tend to pay much attention to casual conversation.

"Besides," Finch adds, "who wants to be known as a 'pig whisperer?''

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Racing the Snow...

"Evil 1" Ruger Charger 10/22

I gotta do a morning run to Boulder ahead of tonight's predicted upslope snowstorm, which is supposed to dump as much as a foot of snow on us. I figure that if I make a special trip, it guarantees that the storm will pass us by. That is, at least, my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

I really liked the little Ruger SR-22, but it's hard not to like a new .22 rifle. Here's the key points I'm going to be covering in tomorrow's podcast, and they go back to the whole issue of "what is a rifle?" that we talked about in the whole AR-15 imbroglio. For young people today and for so many of our veterans of Iraq 1 and 2 and the current conflicts in the Middle East, "rifle" means "M-4," rather than a traditional walnut and steel bolt gun. Their — and now our — whole paradigm for what a rifle is has changed...NSSF has a great video making the rounds on YouTube on this very subject, titled "The Modern Sporting Rifle."




Paradigm shifts tend to echo through a lot of levels, and the SR-22 is positioned to take advantage of that shift. There are more 10/22s out there than any other .22 rifle in history, and they sell at a brisk level for all the same reasons they originally did — simple to operate, inexpensive, capable of extreme accuracy and a huge aftermarket parts selection. Now there's a 10/22 option for the new paradigm. I have a friend who recently bought a .22 for his young son...the father wanted classic blued steel and polished walnut; guess what the son wanted?

The AR-15 platform is also one of the most versatile and ergonomic platforms ever created...as we've said repeatedly, it was designed for young men with no firearms experience who needed to be ramped up very quickly. The 10 years of the Clinton Gun Ban had an interesting unintended consequence...since the big players were effectively out of the black rifle market, it opened the door for literally hundreds of small innovators, inventors and AR-15 enthusiasts to create and sell their products through the growing power of the Internet. we're all repeating the benefits of that explosion of creativity.

Likewise, the 10/22 has evolved in all sorts of directions Ruger didn't necessarily anticipate when they introduced the gun in 1964, a .22 rifle "designed to avoid all the usual banalities," as Bill Ruger said to Jack O'Conner at the time. The 10/22 quickly became one of the first "kit guns" in the sense that users started immediately customizing the little rifle, a path that was later followed by 1911 enthusiasts (by necessity) and later the hordes of AR-15 fans. Events like the 1990's Chevy Truck Team Challenge (which became the Sportsmen's Team Challenge) and later the ESPN Great Outdoors Games bumped the 10/22 into an elite (and sometimes quite exotic) target rifle, capable of breathtaking accuracy in the hands of masters like Lones Wigger and Jerry Miculek.

The 10/22 has been morphed into everything from a very strange pistol (the Charger, with a suppressor the coolest pest elimination device ever!) to a hand-cranked twin-barreled Gatling gun. Visit the Custom Ruger 10/22 gallery site to get your mind blown. I especially like the "Evil 1" Charger on a Nordic Components frame, pictured at the top of the blogpost. In short, the 10/22 became a palette for people's custom gun dreams long before the AR-15 followed suit. The SR-22 brings the two together, and I'm interested in seeing where it all goes from here.

The big hit for the SR-22 will be, I believe, if the Ruger Rimfire Challenge series really takes off the way Ruger (and I) hopes it will. Their shooting this year's championships in Morro Bay, CA, this weekend, and Ruger hopes to have 10 matches up around the country in 2010.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Summertime, And the Livin' is Easy...

Apparently the catfish froze last night, etc. Well, this is a spiffy end to summer! As the sun continues to remain quiet while we all perversely prepare for global warming, I think I'll go build a snowman...oh no, wait...isn't building a snowman now against federal law, because snowmen are so, well, white and male? Maybe I'll build a postracial snowperson, spraypaint it green and orange and blue...that is, if I can get a union card...oh no, wait...that would be two union cards, construction and painters...maybe I'll just take a nappie...

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Nippy Up Here...

...at the Secret Hidden Bunker in the Rocky Mountains...hard to believe that it's still the tail end of summer. Coming home from the match yesterday along Peak To Peak Highway, all the huge stands of aspen were at peak color...it's honest-to-goodness breathtaking, hundreds of acres of gold scattered among the evergreens. Lots of tourists taking pictures, too.

My Sweetie is suffering from my last week's head cold (even though she shot superbly at yesterday's cowboy match), so I went out this AM first thing and got her homemade donuts from a coffee shop built into 3 beautifully restored rail cars from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The Old West is never that far away here in Nowheresville, CO, which is one of the many reasons I live up here.

BTW, I was pleased with yesterday's match...I had my fastest match ever and shot it clean — no misses — to boot. Of course, since I shot it clean I was probably going too slow. I was running .38s (actually .357 cowboy loads from Black Hills) out of my two 50th Anniversary Ruger Blackhawks (C&S tuned) and 1873 Cimmarron Texas Brush Popper from Long Hunter. BTW BTW, my partner Marshal Halloway was in Texas the last few days filming a Long Hunter cowboy action shooting training video, for which I am honored to say Long Hunter, Jim Finch, has asked me to provide an introduction.

At yesterday's match one of the regulars, Onray, has a pair of guns he'd got in a sweet trade...2 Ruger Vaqueros in 38-40, one of my favorite calibers, with a second cylinder in .40 S&W. The one gun I handled at the match was clearly a custom piece — bead-blasted stainless finish and a really slick trigger job. I know there was at least one run of 38-40/.10mm dual cylinder Ruger single actions through Buckeye distributors, but I thought they were based on Blackhawks, not Vaqueros. But Lee Martin, who knows everything about single action anythings, references a very limited run of 38-40 Vaqueros for Davidsons back in 2002/2003.

I told Onray that now he's on the hook for a 38-40 rifle so he can shoot the guns in competition. "Already looking," he said.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Saturday Funnies

From Days of Our Trailers:
The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

It’s so bad, I ordered a burger at McDonalds and the kid behind the counter asked, “Can you afford fries with that?”

The economy is so bad that CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.

The economy is so bad if the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

The economy is so bad Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.

The economy is so bad McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

The economy is so bad parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children’s names.

The economy is so bad a truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .

The economy is so bad Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting..

The economy is so bad Motel 6 won’t leave the light on anymore.

The economy is so bad the Mafia is laying off judges.

The economy is so bad Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen

Friday, September 18, 2009

Shown Here DEAD!

Save your eulogies...I'll be back!

This Should Be...


...the Official Logo of The Michael Bane Blog!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

We're Hard on the Role-Players




-- Post From The Road

Robster on the Attack




-- Post From The Road

Dead Diner!




-- Post From The Road

Pistol Caliber Carbines

http://hellinahandbasket.net/?p=525

Hell in a Handbasket has an interesting take on pistol caliber carbines:

<>

You already know I'm a pretty big fan of pistol caliber carbines as self-defense alternatives. The current crop of lever guns is amazingly good, and of course Marlins have been around so long the first versions were used to plink dinosaurs...


-- Post From The Road

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Brief Interlude of Actual Gun Stuff


Steve over at The Firearms Blog is reporting that at least in Europe, Sig has entered the AR-15 market:
I had no idea that Sig Sauer were making AR-15 / M16 rifles but my DSEi spy spotted this prototype SIG516 1 PDW at the DSEi 09 expo. It features a 7" barrel, putting it firmly in the PDW class, and chambers the 5.56mm NATO.

UPDATE:

The SIG516 Tactical Rifle line has three different models:

SIG516 PDW : 7" barrel. A personal defense weapon (pictured above).
SIG516 CQB : 10" barrel. A Colt M4 Commando equvelent.
SIG516 BASELINE CARBINE : 14.5" barrel. A M4 Carbine equvelent.
SIG516 Patrol. 16" barrel.
SIG516 Tactical Marksman: 16" barrel A squad level sniper / designated marksmen rifle.
SIG516 Precision Marksman: 20" barrel. Possibly a true sniper rifle, or designated marksmen rifle.
They are all piston operated and feature an adjustable gas regulator like the Ruger SR-556.
Ummmmm, okay. Should they roll this platform into the U.S., it will compete most directly with their own Sig 556, yet another piston-operated 5.56 and a really nice (if heavy) carbine in its own right.

TBD: DOWNBLOUSE

Wiring roleplayers...



-- Post From The Road

Caption Contest!!!


What do you suppose the lovely Whitney is getting ready to say to Michael Janich???

Beer Bottle Polka

You'd be surprised how hard it is to break a beer bottle...


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Nighthawks at the Diner







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Pain Is Good

Today is beat up on Rob day...










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George Jones Memorial barfight









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Another One Of Thise Days

Where our intrepid Director of Photography inadvertantly Super-Glues his ring finger to the bar while attempting to repare a Hula Girl car icon while we're waiting for the role players to show up. Michael Janich performs the knife surgery...You know, I couldn't make this stuff up...



-- Post From The Road

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rest in Peace

I note the passing last weekend of Linda Rawles, wife of my friend and SURVIVAL BLOG author Jim Rawles. My heart goes out to Jim and his family in this time of trial.

Ride the Wild Surf!

Me and DP Brandon Green get ready to "go ride the surf some 30...millimeters...high..."



-- Post From The Road

More Dead Janich

He dies so well...



-- Post From The Road

Big Time TV!

Yes! We have a dolly! The sky is the limit...



-- Post From The Road

Monday, September 14, 2009

This Is How We Roll!

Brandon Green, director of photography for TBD, in his usual state...



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I Meant "Pincus..."




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Janich discovers Pincus...

...makes $23.56 more than he does!



-- Post From The Road

That's Right!

It's THE BEST DEFENSE filming time again!


-- Post From The Road

Very COOOOOL...

...new gun coming next week...keep your eyes peeled on DRTV!


-- Post From The Road

BTW

Am hearing handgun sales are starting to slow across the board, although demand for certain models remains fierce.

Taurus' .380, the TCP, will be hitting the market momentarily, adding to the Itty Bitty Pistol Sweepstakes...


-- Post From The Road

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Jeeeeeez....

I inadvertently tuned into CNN today where I learned I was a racist because I think Barack Obama is a lying low-life socialist thug from the political cesspool of America. Who knew?

Anyway had a wonderful time at the match today, and the .44s perked right along. I got lots of comments to the effect of, "Got enough powder in those bad boys, Wolf Bane?" The first stage, I thought that feels weird...then I realized it was recoil! Okay okay...not that much recoil, but more than a .38 Super IPSC gun...

I'm going to spend some time this fall getting reacquainted with recoil, I promise. I want to put a few thousand rounds of .44 Magnum downrange and get fully comfortable with the round again. Back in my impetuous youth I launched enough hot .44s to give me semipermanent carpel tunnel, homage to Elmer Keith and all. I thought 240-grain JHPs were fun...I figure if there's a chance I get to Africa with a .44 handgun, I want to have it dialed in pretty good in my own head.


Friday, September 11, 2009

Man Up!!!

After a whole year of cowboy action shooting with wussy .38 Special loads that, if you were quick like bunny, could slap the bullet out of the air as it left the barrel, I have decided to MAN UP and shoot my .44 Specials in the last cowboy match of the year for Boulder Rifle Club.

I'll be shooting 2 Ruger .44 Special Blackhawks, the Lipsey's specials, which are exactly like my 50th Anniversary .357 Blackhawks that I usually shoot. These are just wonderful revolvers, and if you don't have one there are still a few around. Mine have been tuned by the great Jim Finch, Long Hunter, who is a Master of Rugers. The rifle is a Legacy Sports Puma .44 Magnum M92 redone by Steve Young — a.k.a. Nate Kiowa Jones — at Steve's Gunz, the best '92 mechanic in the country. This is the rifle I've used in the last two Wild Bunch matches, which require major caliber lever guns. I'll probably use Winchester Cowboy .44 Special 240-grainers in the match; the rounds power factor out at 180, IPSC Major, a bit more thump than the .38s.

The absolutely positively incredible leatherwork is from Shelly at Ted Blocker Holsters, one of their Buffalo Hunter rigs. It was love at first sight when I saw it, and not only is it exquisitely done, it is faster than all get-out. Note that I am going to a strong-side and a weak-side holster instead of the usual strong-side and cross-draw I've been using. I don't think I'm giving up anything, and it's so much easier to manipulate (no "cross-draw dance!").

I'll try not to shoot myself in the foot! After a week of pathetic sulking with my head cold, it'll be totally great to shoot a match!

By Popular Demand

Cedar Ridge Saddlery holsters, as I mentioned on the podcast this week. Check out the floral carving on the dropped-offset! Both are for 5-inch 1911s.

Baxter Black on America


Thanks to Marshal Halloway for the link...

9-11-09

I would say never forget, but we have forgotten. This column from novelist Ralph Peters says it better than I can (or maybe have the heart to write). Read the whole thing:
Eight years ago today, our homeland was attacked by fanatical Muslims inspired by Saudi Arabian bigotry. Three thousand American citizens and residents died.

We resolved that we, the People, would never forget. Then we forgot.

We've learned nothing.

Instead of cracking down on Islamist extremism, we've excused it.

Instead of killing terrorists, we free them.

Instead of relentlessly hunting Islamist madmen, we seek to appease them.

Instead of acknowledging that radical Islam is the problem, we elected a president who blames America, whose idea of freedom is the right for women to suffer in silence behind a veil -- and who counts among his mentors and friends those who damn our country or believe that our own government staged the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

Instead of insisting that freedom will not be infringed by terrorist threats, we censor works that might offend mass murderers. Radical Muslims around the world can indulge in viral lies about us, but we dare not even publish cartoons mocking them.

Instead of protecting law-abiding Americans, we reject profiling to avoid offending terrorists. So we confiscate granny's shampoo at the airport because the half-empty container could hold 3.5 ounces of liquid.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Obama IS a Liar, So What's the Big Deal?

The idea of the Democrats censuring anyone for anything short of the serial killings of children, puppies and baby seals and/or genocide is laughable. Joe Wilson, you're my hero!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Suffering Through Wednesday


I swear my nose is going to fall off...the consequences of my Pandemic Head Cold! OMG! Am I going to look like Michael Jackson? Can I Velcro it back on if it falls off? What if Pokkee-san the Tailless Cat mistakes it for a mouse and eats it? I suffer piteously...I suppose I could go negotiate for some cold medicine from local Walgreens, but then if I I got it I'd probably just cook up some meth with it and use the money to buy ammo.

Here's a pretty good piece on guns from a cop...read the whole thing, because he's right...they're not magic talismans!
What do you do? Do you have a gun? Where is it? Is it loaded? Is it locked away or gun-locked? What are your chances of surviving an attack without a weapon compared to having one?

I’m not saying go buy the gun. I’m saying that if you already have one and you haven’t shot it or cleaned it in, let’s say, the last year, or if it is in the closet, unloaded and/or locked down, the fact is, you will not be able to get to it in time.

Crooks are deathly afraid of being shot. They don’t like being bitten by dogs or locked up by the cops, or going down with the swine flu either, but they really don’t like being shot.

Criminals pick on the weak, and yes, the naïve, and those that will offer the least threat to them as they commit the crime. If you have a weapon, clean it up, oil it up, shoot it and then decide if you need to have it in the home. That’s a tough question if you have kids.
Good read...BTW, I had a thought early this morning while I was holding a tissue to my pathetic nose pretending to sleep. A few weeks ago a commenter ask me a perfectly good question on custom guns...what do you do with them? I think I answered something to the effect that I use all my guns, especially the custom ones. That was an okay answer, but not the real answer.

For a lot of us, custom guns are therapy. Essentially — a word I use too much — putting together a custom gun, which takes place in your head long before it gets carved out of steel, uses up a huge amount of available RAM. And while you're pondering front sight options for a single action revolver, you're not thinking about work, about your huge to-do list for tomorrow, about your next steps in the intricate dance of business. The meticulous sifting of options, the dozens of choice that go into a custom gun, are soothing. It's helps take one's mind off not only work, which is my particular disease, but the fact that my country is crumbling around me and it's 14 months before we can take steps to stop the disaster-in-progress.

Certainly, we have an end use in mind for the custom, but in custom guns as in many things in life, the journey is more important that the destination. And every time I pull the trigger on the trick piece, I get to relive a little of that journey. It's a lot cheaper than a shrink — although I once had a shrink with great legs and short skirts who was on the balance worth the money — and when the therapy session is over, you've actually got something you can hold in your hands!

And no, the graphic novel cover above, lumbering toward a 2011 movie with Robert Downey Jr., has nothing to do with this post!

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Where's the Insider News?

Gosh, I don't know! I was talking to my friend Walt Rauch a couple of weeks ago, and he asked me the same thing. "Is anything going on?" he asked. "I don't hear anything." My answer was, neither do I. Part of this is the Dog Days of summer...most of the industry are starting to ramp up for SHOT..get the catalogs in production, hammer out the photography for brochures, etc. Plus most of the major players have been sitting on new products while the white-hot black rifel market burned itself out, followed by the traditional summer sales slump. A lot of what is be trumpeted as "new" are in fact previously announced products that are finally getting a place in the manufacturing queue.

It goes without saying that all of us in the industry have our favorites...some of that favoritism is based on hard, cold dollars — companies that spend a lot with our respective television shows or magazines tend to favor the people involved with that media. Sometimes it's based on people we've worked with for decades. I try really hard to reach out beyond my circle...why I spent time last week with Mossberg (not a sponsor), TASER (not a sponsor) and Springfield (not a sponsor). One of my best friends is an executive at Glock (not a sponsor), and we talk weekly. Same with lots of other executives.

In some cases, however, my "insider" status is a little too insider — I am under a series of non-disclose documents on new products or upcoming developments. Also, I'd like to point you toward the podcast...last week I talked about a meeting in Boise with the guys from Tactical Solutions, Primary Weapons Systems and MGM Targets talking about where we thought the industry was and where we're going...as a rule, I focus a lot of that kind of information on the podcast, a BEAST that MUST BE FED!

RE: Sig, I don't have a clue. There was a change in Sig marketing, but I made it a point of going to New Hampshire to meet with the new folks, talk to Sig Prez Ron Cohen and generally make sure they understood that at least on my side we still had a relationship.. We've all been very cordial at various trade shows, etc., yet I no longer even get press releases from Sig, much less T&E product. I've talked about the situation with my friend George Harris, head of the Sig Academy, and he's as puzzled as I am. I can only conclude that stuff indeed happens.

Monday, September 07, 2009

Coulpla' Days Off...


...as I'm sure you guys have figured out. Back tomorrow with slurs, innuendo, baseless gossip, slander, and tasteless insults...

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Harumph...Grumble...Saturday


But first, to the larger issue of greater caliber, this:
State police have charged a self-proclaimed Civil War buff with accidentally firing a 2-pound cannon ball through the wall of a neighbor's home.
William Maser, 54, of Georges Township, told Channel 11 News that his hobby is recreating Civil War cannons. He said he's been doing it for over 30 years. Maser said he was firing a cannon Wednesday evening when the ball ricocheted and hit the house about 400 yards away.
Police said nobody was hurt by the cannon ball, which slammed through a window, struck a medicine cabinet and a wall before landing in a clothes closet.

Maser is charged with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
Now, the Four Rules as applied to canons:
1) ALL CANONS ARE ALWAYS LOADED ALL THE TIME NO KIDDING EVEN THE ONE IN FRONT OF THE GRANGE HALL THAT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE SINCE ROUGHLY 1868 AND IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH BIRD POOP!
2) DO NOT POINT THE CANON AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WISH TO SEE OBLITERATED, TOTALLY DESTROY, SMASHED, BLOWN TO CRAP, DEADER THAN A DEAD PARROT, CROAKED, WHACKED, GROUND TO DUST OR HAVE A GREAT BIG HOLE POKED THROUGH IT!

3) KEEP THE MATCH AWAY FROM THE TOUCH-HOLE UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO ENGAGE FRENCH PRIVATEERS OR SHIPS FLYING THE "JOLLY ROGER"!

4) BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET, WHAT'S BEHIND YOUR TARGET, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOUR TARGET, WHAT'S NEAR YOUR TARGET, WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO YOUR TARGET, YOUR TARGET'S CLOSEST FRIENDS, LARGE BUILDINGS IN NEARBY COUNTIES, OBESE CHILDREN IN THE SAME AREA CODE AND ADJACENT STATES!
Okay, follow those rules and the only people to suffer will be those damn French privateers and the occasional pirate. On a similar subject (you'll get the connection in just a minute), Brillianter blog is addressing the critical issue of pistol bayonets:
I can’t think of a situation where I need this, nor one where it would look cool. Some people have made the “weapons retention” argument, but I remain unconvinced. This is about as useful as a fish bicycle.
Ha! Shows what he knows! As A Genuine Gun Expert, I can tell you categorically pistol bayonets come into their own while repelling boarders! I don't know about you guys, but here at the Secret Hidden Bunker we're spot on when it comes to repelling boarders. The big issue with pistol bayonets, of course, comes when using them in pocket carry...it is far too easy to cut an artery in the groin region when carelessly repocketing the bayonet-equipped pistol, which will result in bleeding out rather quickly. At the Secret Hidden Bunker, we recommend mounting the bayonet-equipped pistol in a forward position on the 6 0'clock rail of an AR, giving one the benefit of both a bayonet and a pistol premounted on the AR! Thirty rounds of 5.56, 19 rounds of 9mm and a bayonet...bring on the dastardly UN troopies!

This mounting position may, however, require relocating the Tactical Coffee-Maker to the 9 o'clock rail (which seems to me more appropriate for coffee anyway).

Friday, September 04, 2009

Mo' Is Better!


From Ammoland.com:
Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008.

So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

This latest jump in background checks show that Americans are solidly in-favor of keeping firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens and clearly shows that proponents claiming the USA wants more gun control are blatantly wrong.

Gun Owners Say No to Gun Control with their Wallets
The increased trend of Americans buying firearms at a record pace was once thought to be a one time fluke caused by fears of the new Obama administration expressed lust for more gun control. But now 10 months in and the wrongly named “fear buying” has now become the norm as law abiding US citizen exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear firearms by the millions every month with no sign of slowing down.

The bulk of the buying has been concentrated on the following types of guns or calibers:

• Semi Auto Handguns
• Revolvers
• Ar15s and all variants of the Black Rifle
• .50 Caliber

1.17 Guns for Each Person
Conservative estimates of legally owned guns in the USA put the number at 355,029,250 million guns in the USA. That is 1.17 guns for everyone in the USA. God bless anyone who tries to invade the USA…

Crime Rates Falling
The most stunning in all of this is that we have not seen an increase in crime, murder rates have fallen across most of the USA and Americans have shown that they can be trusted with firearms ownership. This is directly in contrast to what the national media and gun control supporters would have us believe.

Gun owners you are clearly the majority!

Yellow Aspen

The harvest is past
The summer is ended
And we are not saved
Jeremiah 8:20

I thought I'd up the level of discourse on my blog for about 10 seconds before I got back to insulting people...to the best of my admittedly old memory, this is my first Biblical quote! So anyway, I get home from North Carolina and the high aspen are starting to turn golden...way, way early. The Weather Service says we can expect a warmer-than-normal winter because of global warming; the Old Farmers Almanac says we're going to freeze our 'nads off. Me, I'm stocking up on new down stuff in the pre-season discount sales...last winter was brutal and long.

So Showtime is getting ready to roll-out Lock 'N Load and Spike is dedicating 2 hours to a straight knock-off of THE BEST DEFENSE. History's working on a TEOTWAWKI series (quoting me), producers of some of the other channel gun shows opening acknowledge SHOOTING GALLERY as their inspiration...the world is changing, and my shows seem to be on the cutting edge. In fact, I got an email from Larry Potterfield this AM that said, remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I do wish that imitation was accompanied by a check. LOL!


Thursday, September 03, 2009

Back in the World!


Back from a week at U.S. Training Center/Blackwater at the the advanced shotgun seminar put on by Mossberg. Had a wonderful time...any day breaching doors with a shotgun is a good day. Mossberg shotguns are what they are...tanks...the ultimate pieces of debugged self-defense technology. They're also willing to get out there and produce some exotic stuff still available for civilians, like the Roadblocker above or the too-cool Just-In-Case gun in a tube. Yee-haw! We filmed a full day for SHOOTING GALLERY's 10th season, including my personal worst simulation.

I've been trying to think of some excuses for my miserable performance on a ship-storming scenario...the only thing I can claim is that I've been traveling so much that I'm simply exhausted and my brain needs a hard reboot. I found myself in the middle of the sim going, "What the frack?" Jeeeeeez. I somewhat redeemed myself to myself in the final competition, where I was narrowly (2 seconds on a 115 second course) bumped out of first place and winning a gun by Eric Poole from Intermedia, who is in fact a much better shooter than me. Things were going swimmingly on the run-and-gun shotgun/pistol course when I got cocky, missed a close-up plate with the 14-inch NYPD Mossberg 590A1 pump and had to pick the shot up. That was the difference.

Loved the 14-inch NYPD 590, BTW. 3-dot night sights (yeah, I could do without the rear dots) with the rear sight on the rear of the barrel rather than the receiver, shorter fixed Speedfeed stock. I would happily replace my trick Vang 870 with the NYPD gun once I got the tax stamp and had Hans Vang re-do the barrel just on principle. First shot in the competition was a 50-yard slug shot on a 12-inch plate after performing a buckshot to slug ammo transition. I hit it first shot no problemo, despite the shorter sight radius.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

This Week's Zoot Suit!

Perfect for Date Night...




-- Post From The Road