South Dakota...

appears to be getting something right. - Edit to add that the Governor vetoed it.


"The South Dakota Legislature has given final approval to a measure allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a permit as long as they have a driver's license and otherwise meet state standards for owning guns. The Senate voted 22-11 to pass the bill, which was approved earlier by the House. It will become law if signed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. State law does not require permits to own guns, keep them in a home or business or carry them openly. However, state law until now has required that people have permits to carry concealed guns. The bill would let South Dakota residents carry concealed weapons within the state without a permit if they have a valid driver's license and would meet current requirements for getting a concealed pistol permit."


received in an e-mail from my Momma and probably grabbed by her from the Pierre, SD newspaper, The Capital Journal. Yep, here is the link.

This actually means little to me as South Dakota recognizes my Alabama permit, and, I am, therefore, covered when I go home to visit. But, it is nice to see more people not giving a fuzzy rat's butt about the average citizen being armed, and not just outside their pants for the whole world to see.

1944 mfg Remington Rand 1911A1

with some fairly unfortunate modifications...

Of course, without the modifications, this would have been at least a $1500 gun and probably would not have been in the gun case. As it is, with the re-parkerize, the pac grips, the goofy rubberized mainspring housing and the damn pac pad on the bottom of the General Shaver, probably original, magazine... it was worth a LE trade-in Beretta 96 and a little bit of cash.

Shoots great, hope to have the correct grips for it soon, will probably hunt down a magazine that does not have two tapped holes in its floor plate, and am searching for the correct, 8 ribbed, arched mainspring housing. And, this finishes my search for a 1940's 1911.

It does have the correct HS stamped barrel, checkered trigger, checkered hammer, checkered thumb safety and Edit... The mag release is appropriately checkered and the slide release is ribbed.

The Honest Gun Owner Tag

Edit... I meant to put this in the post to start with... The idea came from Zach

Well, as always, I am slow and behind and late... anyway, here goes...
1. If you can go on about the esoterics of innumerous models of AR- / M- / XM- / C### numbered rifles and how your various builds are going. You, sir, are an honest gun owner. McThag

2. If you refuse to wear cloth that covers your legs, tote a pistol with you while you are fishing and have the resolve to not go purchase every neat little whiz bang that comes along, you... yes you, are an honest gun owner. Robb

3. If your wife rearranges your gun gear and you are too many thousands of miles away to prevent it, you... and your wife... are honest gun owners. Greg & Beth

4. If you host a series that works to shine the light of truth on "Gun Death" prejudices, and you put up with my tired, non-talkative @ss that couldn't remember your damn name at the Central Florida Blogmeet last year... You, sir, are an honest gun owner. Weer'd

That covers people that I have met that still run a blog, that I am aware of. All decent folks, who by chance I was privileged to meet. All seem to be good folks, and more than a few of who I look forward to seeing again when next my wife and I travel to Tampa to visit her folks. This, of course, presumes that they wouldn't mind hoisting a beverage with yours truly. ;)

5. If you don't even know what the hell a blog is and you mentored me in my youngest years... then you, yes, you, my step-father Charlie and my momma Linda... you two are likely the most honest gun owners I have ever known.

Starbucks

because I like their coffee. Drove out of our way today... because we appreciate a corporation that doesn't feel the need to be a nanny.

And, in related news... I found a 1944 Remington Rand 1911A1 tonight... price tag... $600... yeah, for real. What's wrong with it... some one has reparked it covering every marking except a real faint "No." and the serial number, replaced the grips with Pacs and has replaced the mainspring housing with some rubberized flat p.o.s.

Fiddled with that stupid gun for the better part of an hour and finally, walked away from it.

Of course, a few miles down the road, I called them and told them to stick my name on it and I would be back for it.

Such a sucker for a 1911 I am and I have been hunting a 1940's (specifically 1941 to 1945) version for awhile now.

And lastly, yeah, my wife and I went to the gun store on Valentine's day. ;)