The National Rifle Association

Really?!? The best you can come up with is the video games, the television, the movies and the handicapped? Dolts.

An armed presence at the school ... great idea. All the more to get people used to armed persons wandering about in officious capacity. Although, as a short term solution, I could be all about it. Problem is that it won't be short term.

Bah. Take your Nerf version of the world and stuff it.

I have very likely renewed my NRA membership for the last time.

Why is it...

that when an NFL footballer gets a gun and kills himself and another, the talking heads babble about gun control. But when an NFL footballer gets liquored up and kills a friend, nothing much but crickets.

The problem isn't...

that firearms exist. The problem is that godless people have no reason to behave. The problem is that too many people feel that violence is an acceptable answer to any and every issue that displeases them. The problem is that our politicians won't let a tragedy, or more appropriately an atrocity, go to waste. The problem... is that we will have a knee jerk reaction and it will again be the incorrect one.

The lazy and opportunistic will do all they can to further their agendas while the raw emotion still simmers. Lazy because they will blame a tool for the psychotic's misuse and opportunistic because their agenda cannot progress in the absence of an atrocity.

The firearm is no more to blame for these deeds than the lack of proper mental care, vio lent video games, the rock and roll or the devil made me do it...

What is to blame is a lackadaisical attitude toward firearms, toward life itself in fact, and the simple lack of morals. Firearms are not toys. Life is not yours for the whimsical taking. And morals need be no more complicated than do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It is training and education. It is holding people accountable. It is having constructive punishment for willful acts contrary to being a decent human being.

It is not further restrictions on the citizenry.

And now...

My television and reading habits are slightly altered. I will ensure that I eschew any activity possible that would lend a single cent to either Mr. Costas or Mr. Whitlock. A shame really... I enjoyed some Sunday night football and I used to think the gentleman from Kansas City was a fairly interesting read... from time to time.

But, those who wish to paint me with a broad stroke of a pen and steadily ignore the root of the problem do not need me in their audience.

Incidentally, the problem is not "Gun Culture". The problem, among many things, is broken families, the value placed on illicit mind and mood-altering substances and, to some extent, modern culture as it is. Bah... you kids... off my lawn.

The root of so many problems though is the illicit drug trade. Until our elected betters understand that its the money that can be made from this illegal trade is vastly more than just about anything else you can do to earn a living, we will continue to fail to have any meaningful impact on this "problem". By declaring war on drugs, all we have done is prop up the price structure... essentially we are subsidizing the drug trade.

Good jobs don't fix this mindset. Gun control doesn't fix this problem. Government subsidies don't fix this problem.

Common sense drug laws fix this problem. Legalize them, regulate them and tax them lightly so that we don't perpetuate the black market...

While everyone seems to be busy...

castigating the sports pundits. We should also pause and read this from Jen Engel...

I watch a fair bit of football, particularly collegiate. I tend to read the sports blurbs on MSN, especially Jason Whitlock's. This because he frequently has something to say that makes me stop and think a little bit. Is he something of a tool? Possibly.

His viewpoint about how the availability of a firearm is why two bodies have prematurely attained ambient temperature is ... in a word... premature. Blaming the object for the deed is, in another word... asinine.

Perhaps these two wouldn't be dead right now without a gun, but I would be willing to bet at least one of them would be just as dead if the only weapon in the room was a pair of fists.

So, result of disarmament... maybe... maybe one less fatality. Considering that the one (in this case, likely the aggressor) whose body temperature still exceeds ambient is going to have to explain themselves, and more importantly, live with themselves. This is a win how?

Anyone who is so disconnected with reality as to think that a gun is how you settle a dispute, is... succinctly put... disconnected with reality. This, of course, presumes that the dispute is not already elevated to deadly force for you.

While the opinions may run the gamut about the "tool-worthiness" of Mr. Whitlock, Costas has, near as I can remember, always come off as a sanctimonious ass for whom the word "tool" isn't near strong enough.

Bravo, Jen Engel, for saying pretty much exactly what crossed my mind when I first read Jason Whitlock's words a day or two ago... albeit much more kindly than I could have mustered at the time.

Edited to add...

Now that I have turned on the television I see that Michael Wilbon is cheering on Mr. Costas... people blaming tools rather than people for the misdeeds of the world... no big surprise here.

National Ammo Day

Does this count?

Not that it is an epiphany...

but...

It has occurred to me that the joy of government-mandated anything is that it is not new. And, this mandated health care thing (not counting the other 2,900 pages of the bill) isn't new... not really.

Would you like to install a suppressor on your own firearm? Get that tax stamp first.

When is the last time you didn't pay your auto insurance bill? Hope you don't get involved in a wreck or just plain get stopped... for anything.

When is the last time you didn't buckle a seat belt, because you just didn't want to? Not a big deal... See the hopes from the previous line.

When is the last time you lit up a smoke in an airport common area? TSA well, no reason to say anything but TSA.

Yeah, pretty much, me neither.

Punitive Taxation

To me, those two words describe what was upheld today. To all of you who think this is a good idea, wait until its your turn.

That's Right...

The following was sent as part of an e-mail forward, from my charming bride, that I thought was just about right...

The e-mail was titled something like "The Home Invader's Worst Nightmare"... I give to you...

The Three-eyed Monster

I have no idea whose original art this is... if anyone sees it and can tell me, I will make the appropriate reference or remove it.

Happy Birthday...

to me.

Click for a much better picture.

Freedom Arms Model 83 - Field Grade
.454 Casull cylinder on the bag.
.45 Long Colt cylinder in the gun.
Shot it today, no recoil with .45 LC.
The snap caps came with it.
The ammunition did not... it used to just be for the Colt Single Action Army.

Happy Birthday to me... along with some 454 on the way from Midway.

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. ;)

5 guns -

I'll play...

So, Robb and McThag have shared their respective lists of what firearms they would buy ... pretty much because they could, if they could. A little fanciful, but certainly worthy choices made.

My attempt at list making will be five that, should they present themselves as available, I will purchase... pretty much just to have them in the collection... Except the last one... a bit pricier than I am willing to step up for.

1. Desert Eagle Mk VII in .357 magnum... because I already have one in .44 magnum and it is a blast... Although, a Coonan is much more likely to end up here in its stead. If I ever get off my butt and order one.

2. Winchester Pre-64 model 70 in either .375 H&H magnum or .458 Winchester magnum... just because, I might make it to Africa one day.

3. Armalite AR-50 in .50 BMG... I own an Armalite AR-10 (.308 Winchester) and an AR-30 (.338 Lapua magnum) and really like them. Now, I want one in .50 :)

4. Beretta A-400 Explor Unico... I have a 391 Urika, that I am planning on trading on an A-400 so that my most used shotgun will digest 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge.

5. A classic Purdey or Holland & Holland double rifle in some God-awful caliber such as the .600 Nitro Express mentioned by McThag.

These are by no means presented in order of preference or any other such thing.

TJIC... One Year On

So, there is this guy who has some of (one in particular) his "freedoms" abused/removed/confiscated... for having the audacity to voice an opinion... One that is unsavory to some... BTW, I put quotes around freedoms because this thing is listed in the Bill of Rights... not the Group of Freedoms...

Now, the latest BAG request or Buycott is to purchase a firearm in... perhaps remembrance, or solidarity or some other such effort to commemorate the anniversary of the aforementioned event.

The pistol that I have traded for isn't here yet and the exchange was begun yesterday... so, it really doesn't qualify as a buycott item... but, I intend to show it off anyway...

10mm Auto Colt Delta Elite: There are many like it, but this one is mine.

While it is not my first 10, it has been a very long time since I have owned a 10... This one was probably made about the same time as the last one that I owned... which was the early 90's... probably. It has one bubba'd grip screw, as seen in the above picture with some wear on the bluing at the muzzle end of the frame and some wear at the back of the trigger. Other than that, it looks pretty clean. Upon disassembly, I note that the previous owner had installed a recoil buffer. I have heard good things about those and will leave it in place for now.

I never get anything done on time...

anymore. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a day late and a dollar short...

As so many others have said... lighting a candle and hoping that will change the behavior of those bent on doing us harm... well, doubtful that a candle, by itself, will accomplish the desired result.

But, using the three gun approach along with a candle to light the way... that might just do the trick.

Yeah, there are four in the picture, but the PPK, compared to the P220, the AR-15 and the Marine Magnum 870... doesn't really count. ;)

My sincerest apologies for being late to the party. And, thanks to Weer'd for the idea.