MArooned

Camporee AAR...

2012-01-29T12:29:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was TheBoy's first exposure to Boy Scouts in the wild. He's been to a Troop meeting as part of the requirements for crossing over; but yesterday was the first time he'd actually participated in an event. The District Camporee is this weekend, and the WeBeLoS II Cub scouts who will be crossing over in March were invited to participate in the events on Saturday. They had a dozen or so stations set up where the scouts were to use their skills to solve particular riddles, overcome obstacles, or just perform a silly task in order to move on to the next station.

The stations were set up to challenge the boys and to make it fun, and they went through each station twice (with the second run-through being more difficult in some way). The stations were set up all over the Scout reservation, and we hiked 5 miles over the course of the day easily. TheBoy brought a friend with him who was interested in Boy Scouts, and the two of them were laughing and running around the campsite (the Boy Scouts were camping out, even in January), when all I wanted to do was put my feet up around the fire...

I think I'm on the hook for Boy Scouts, too, after this...

That is all.

SHOT Show Blogroll Update...

2012-01-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

There's a good number of folks that I met at SHOT 2012, and I'm going to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the blogroll. I'll also use this time to add a few new blogs I've found since my last update (yeah, about that "once a week" thing...)

Folks I met at SHOT:

Richard from BlueSheepDog. Richard was my editor at Guns, Holsters, and Gear, and is just as nice in person as via e-mail. It was great to meet him and Randy in the press room - never underestimate the value of obsessively checking name badges to see if it's someone you know... :)

Alan Korwin from Gunlaws.com. Alan shared bread (literally and figuratively) with me at the gunblogger dinner during SHOT.

Destinee from FateofDestinee. Keep an eye on her - she's smart, funny, and is a breath of fresh air in the pro-gun movement. Her podcasts are engaging, entertaining, and informative.

Mr. Completely. I met Mr. C. in the press room the first day at SHOT, and one of the first questions he asked me was "When are you going to Gunblogger Rendezvous?" It's not in the cards this year, but I'm going to add it to the list of meets to make!

Ron from When the Balloon Goes Up. Ron made our blogger dinner, and accompanied Gene and I on the walk home from the Venetian. I figure anyone that can survive a 2 mile walk through the streets of Sin City with me is good people...

Dennis from Gunspec. Gunspec, Dennis explained, is a new online utility to help folks find guns, gun parts, ammunition, and other accessories. He's full of enthusiasm for the business, and operates out of New York, so I empathize with a fellow oppressed brother...

Chas from the Southern Rockies Nature blog. I met Chas at the blogger dinner, and happens at these events, didn't have nearly enough time to talk to everyone that I would like.

Chris from the Internet Movie Firearms Database. What's not to like about a guy who started a gunnie resource for all the guns in TV and the movies? Chris was a lot more laid back than I expected someone from IMFDB to be... :)

Kevin from Misfires & Light Strikes/TeamGunblogger. Kevin was our community organizer - a role I was happy to leave to someone else - and had the exquisite pleasure of trying to ~~herd cats~~ arrange things for the group. Thanks Kevin!

Jackie from Great Satan Inc. Jackie, one half of Great Satan, Inc., lead to a rather humorous exchange. I had moved down to the other end of the table to say hi and to chat with Jackie, Kevin, and Mr. C., and during a lull in conversation Jackie asked me what kind of competition shooting I did. I responded with "You mean you haven't heard of the new 'minute-of-berm' stage?" Thanks AD...

Chris The Firearms Coalition. Chris joined us all for dinner, regaling us with stories from The Gun Rights War, which Chris was kind enough to give me a signed copy for review. Thanks Chris!

Kenn from Black Man with a Gun. I managed not to squee (too bad) when I realized that I was standing in line next to THE Kenn Blanchard.

Frank James from Corn, beans, spent brass, an empty page and a deadline. Frank caught me off guard at Media Day when he called out "Hey, you're JayG. I read your blog!" while I was standing in line at the SlideFire booth. I turned, looked, and realized who it was saying those words...

I know there are more folks that I met at SHOT; I apologize if I've forgotten anyone (and if I have, let me know in comments!).

There are non-SHOT related blogs I need to add to the 'roll as well:

JB on the Rocks.

Zombie Rush.

Last Refuge of a Scoundrel.

I have GOT to stop going so long between updates... Welcome aboard everyone!

That is all.

Free Gun!

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Just so you know, SIG SAUER is giving away their shiny new P224 sub-compact.

Win the P224

It's always a good day when you can win a new gun...
That is all.

Serendipity...

2012-01-27T14:00:00.001-05:00

Heh. My Friday Gun Pr0n is just about to be eclipsed by the DGC...

FarmDad send me this one last night in Gunblogger Conspiracy chat:

Slaton man kills home intruder

One person is dead and two are in the hospital after a Slaton homeowner interrupted, and shot, a home intruder Thursday.

Fred Melcher, 69, was entering his home on the 1400 block of Lynn Street when he and Edith Ayers, 51, interrupted an intruder. Authorities say Melcher knew the intruder and believed he was being robbed.

"Knew the intruder" is wide open for interpretation. Could be someone who'd done work on the house, could be a neighborhood kid, could be someone he knew from work. In any case, the recently-reduced-to-room-temperature goblin was in Melcher's home uninvited and was redistributing Melcher's belongings. When confronted, he started shooting. There's precious little reason to believe this is anything other than a 100% good shoot.

Dead Goblin Count: 249

And this one comes from reader Tim:

Police: Midwest City man fatally shoots intruder

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (AP) — Police say a Midwest City man shot and killed a man who kicked down the door of his home.Police Chief Brandon Clabes tells The Oklahoman (http://is.gd/tTxvdx ) that the shooting happened at about 7:45 a.m. Thursday. Police say the man grabbed his gun after hearing his dog growling and two hard kicks on his front door.

Yeah, kicking in a door in OK will get your @$$ shot. Especially if you have a gun in your hand. More reasons for carrying all the time, even in your own home - how much time does it take to kick in the average front door? 5 seconds? 10? Enough time to run upstairs and unlock the gun from the safe? Doubtful.

Carry your guns, people.

Dead Goblin Count: 250

(only one less than the Gun pr0n!)

That is all.

Follow-ups...

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

A couple quick follow-ups to recent posts. First off, in comments to my Maxpedition Gearslinger Malaga review, commenter CSM asks

Could you post a picture of how you have the Malaga rigged with pouches and camera. Thanks

Ask and yea shall receive!

Malaga with pouch

That's the Maxpedition EDC pouch strapped to the front. It has slots for pens and pencils, interior pockets for business cards, and even a clip for keys. Put the pack down and it's easy access to the small things you need walking around.

Camera pouch

Here's a shot of the 5" cell phone holster strapped to the front strap of the Malaga. This is an extremely useful setup for a cell phone, especially one with a built-in camera - it's handy for taking quick shots that don't require the large camera. Or you could listen to music without running wires all over the place.

Another angle

This one was taken using the camera on the iPhone. One could theoretically take pictures surreptitiously. Just remember to mute the camera sound effect...

And several folks asked about the shotgun magazine system. The company that makes this system is Adaptive Tactical out of Idaho (the gentleman I spoke with was based in CA, but the company itself is in ID for the better business climate. I need to get in touch with him for an interview about that...). I'm guessing that since the system is called the "Sidewinder" that it's the same as the Knoxx Sidewinder...

It's sold as a complete unit rather than as something you would put on yourself; time will tell if they start breaking out the kit itself or not. The MSRP put the price about $200 or so over a standard pump action shotgun, whether the "off-the-shelf" price closes that gap remains to be seen. For an extra $100 or so, it might be worth it as a novelty; however with either the 5-round box magazine or the 10-round drum magazine selling for $70 each, it's a pricey proposition.

Not that I'd say no to picking one up for testing, mind you...

That is all.

One More SHOT Show Post...

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of the interesting things that I took away from SHOT Show was how similar, in many ways, the show was compared to other professional conventions I've been to in other industries. You're either standing at the booth all day long, or you're walking around the convention center checking out the competition, chatting up the folks that do business with you to see what's new and exciting, or walking around collecting schwag. Well, there's a lot of schwag at SHOT Show...

See this bag?

Media Day bag...

Looks pretty full, because, well, it is:

...full of schwag

It's funny looking at the various and sundry items that companies put out to increase awareness of their brand. Pens. Shirts. Travel mugs. Stickers. Keychains. It's all the same between the firearms industry, scientific instrument manufacturers, or automobiles. Finding the perfect way to get your company's name noticed is the holy grail of marketing. The flash drives with the media kits are excellent ideas; the red one to the bottom left is from Yamaha and is also a Swiss Army knife - very clever! (and, as the Yamaha rep told us, if you forgot and left it on your carryon, he said to break off the flash drive and keep it, look up his info, and e-mail him for another one. That attention to detail can make the difference in sealing a deal).

And let's face it, we're all about the schwag...

That is all.

A New Cunning Hat!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

My #1 blogdaughter is awesome. But you all knew that. However, she's outdone herself this time. She made me a cunning hat just like Mike's!

Thanks Nancy!

Jay-ne

Man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything.

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #251

2012-01-27T06:00:00.002-05:00

Commenter mrmacs sends in today's gun pr0n:

Nice Trio!

I'll let mrmacs describe them:

Franchi SPAS 12. 12 gauge semi-auto/pump shotgun with 8 + 1 capacity, fixed stock, 2 3/4 in. shells. No longer in production.

MSAR STG-223 semi-auto 5.56x45 bullpup rifle with Vortex StrikeFire scope. Switchable left/right ejection with proper bolt. US-made clone of the Steyr AUG. No longer in production. Purchased on Buy Ammo day.

FNH USA FNP-40, .40 cal semi-auto. A previous Buy-a-Gun Day purchase.

The SPAS has always interested me. The ability to choose between semi-automatic fire and pump-action has advantages - you can load up slugs and really crank out the firepower on semi-auto, or switch to buckshot/birdshot/etc. without worrying about the action cycling or not. If I could choose, I'd find one with the folding stock, just because it gives the antis the vapors. The MSAR/AUG is functionally no different than my Bushmaster (or a wood-stocked Mini-14 for that matter), but it wins style points from DieHard. And the FNH? Well, it's hard to argue with a toaster...

Nice pic, mrmacs; thanks for sharing!

That is all.

More Compensating...

2012-01-26T14:00:00.002-05:00

Reader 1911A1 and GBC commenter Spike sent me this story:

Cops: Man, 65, kills teen who knocks him off bicycle

A 65-year-old man who was knocked off his bicycle by three teenagers on a Pennsylvania trail shot two of them, killing one, police said according to reports.

The Reading Eagle newspaper said the wounded teen, 16, was taken to hospital and the third, aged 15, was taken in for questioning and was later committed to a youth center.

Another story indicated that the three teenagers were trying to rob the man, and knocked him off his bicycle and started beating him to accomplish this goal. That's gun control right there, folks. A 65 year old man at the mercy of feral teenagers who would viciously assault him for the change in his pockets. Luckily, he took measures for his own safety and security and protected himself, so rather than bleeding to death on a bicycle trail somewhere, it was his attacker who suffered.

Gun control: Because a 65 year old man beaten to death is morally superior than a teenaged goblin bleeding out after a failed robbery attempt...

Dead Goblin Count: 248

That is all.

Couldn't Make This Up If You Tried...

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Gingrich vows to establish a colony on the moon

COCOA, Fla. — Newt Gingrich is promising to establish a permanent base on the moon by 2020 if he's elected president.

Gingrich, the former House speaker, told an overflow crowd gathered on Florida's space coast Wednesday that he wants to develop a robust commercial space industry in line with the airline boom of the 1930s. He also wants to expand exploration of Mars.

Yeah. Moon colonies. The staple of 1950s sci-fi. That's our forward-thinking Newt! Next on the Gingrich agenda, flying cars. Actually, he could get himself elected supreme potentate for life if he could create an actual working holodeck...

I've actually got to hand it to Gingrich here. I mean, there's pandering, and then there's this. This takes pandering to an entirely new level, a height heretofore only seen in the most fevered pitches of Al "I invented the internet" Gore when he's trying to sell more carbon credits so he can afford the premium fuel his houseboat burns by the barrel.

Don't have the technology? No problem! Don't have the funding? No problem! We'll all hide under a pile of coats and hope everything works out! It doesn't matter as long as he's telling folks what they want to hear! Gah. I wouldn't buy a used car from this snakeoil salesman, let alone vote for him.

Welcome Obama 2.0, the version that doesn't have to worry about re-election...

That is all.

Of PDWs and 1911s...

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

So I posted my AAR on Day Two of SHOT Show 2012, which was a little on the SIG-intensive side, and I get a presser in my inbox about two new items from SIG SAUER. Coincidence? You be the judge... Contained in the presser was a shot of the Adaptive Carbine Platform (ACP):

SIG ACP

and the new Fastback Nightmare 1911:

SIG 1911

As much as I want to deride the ACP - because it takes a perfectly usable pistol and adds so much weight and bulk to it that it becomes unwieldy - it intrigues me. It strikes me that it could be a decent house gun - with a dialed in red dot sight it should be good to 25 yards, certainly the maximum distance one could expect inside one's home. The extra weight would assist in recoil, and the model with the sling could be useful when things go bump in the night.

And I do have to admit that the 1911 is pretty darn slick looking...

That is all.

Something New in Your Browsers...

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you'll cast your eyes URL-ward, you'll note I've pulled the trigger (HA! A gun pun!) on the new URL for MArooned. It's set up so that (theoretically) it will redirect you here if you come in via the stuckinmassachusetts.blogspot address, so if you really don't feel like changing, that's fine, but for those of you (like your humble host) with an anal-retentive streak, you'll want to note the new and improved URL in your links and whatnots.

That's www.ma-rooned.com, not www.stuckinmassachusetts.blogspot.com - a net savings of 20 characters! :)

A shiny new non-incredibly long URL! What will they think of next?

That is all.

SHOT Show Day Three AAR

2012-01-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

Fourth and final part in a series. Part one, Media Day, is here, Part two, Day One on the floor is here., and Part three, Day Two on the floor is here. This is my third and final day on the exhibit floor at SHOT Show 2012.

Thursday, my last day at SHOT Shot 2012 (it went until Friday but the flight home left at 10 AM, which gave me enough time to check out and get to the airport...), I was starting to get the pattern down. Wake up, shower, shave, get dressed and packed up for the day; hoof it downstairs to the McD's in the hotel for a large coffee, and hightail it out to the bus tour area for the bus to the convention center. I knew where everything was, I was in sync with the time difference, I had the routine down.

As all business travelers know, that means that the trip was just about over...

My first stop took me to the North American Arms booth to see what was new and/or exciting. Turns out they have "Cub Scout" revolvers. What does that mean? It means they have:

Blue

and

Gold

Heh. They also have a new model out for target shooting and varminting, the Sheriff:

Sheriff

Next up was the Colt booth, to check out the magnificent Gatling gun:

Colt Gatling Gun

The gentleman behind the Gatling gun was the caretaker, who pointed out the emblem:

Gatling Badge

Boy, but that one would have been fun on range day...

Next up were tactical shotguns:

Tactical Shotties

The Stevens line of home defense-themed shotguns; these are part of the Savage umbrella now. There was also a company there that made kits for the Mossberg 500 to accept a detachable magazine:

Shotguns with Magazines

Boy, that's tempting...

There were guns with optics:

Glock with Micro T-1

Well, technically, this is a mock-up (Glock-up?) to showcase the new Micro T-1 light from Aimpoint. It's really slick:

Aimpoint View

The sight is really small but gives a very clear dot that's just blazing fast to pick up. I imagine this would be a fun sight to play with in a steel challenge course...

And the non-sequitor of the show:

High Tech SAA

Yep. A Freedom Arms single action revolver with a Leupold red dot sight. See? I'm not the only crazy one out there...

And, lastly, some generally neat stuff:

Confederate 442

Another custom Smith & Wesson revolver from the folks at Lew Horton Distributing.

Zombies!

Yes, you guessed it, even more zombie stuff!

Big 50

Steyr HS 50 .50 BMG bolt action rifle - with side-loading magazine!

Not Your Dad’s Buck Knives

More stabby for Roadkill. These are Buck knives - they're not just Dad's whittlin' blades any more!

300 Blackout

Closing out is the new SU-16 from Kel-Tec in .300 AAC Blackout.

Thus closes out my coverage of the 2012 NSSF SHOT Show. I had an amazingly good time at the show, managed to not get escorted off the premises for hecking the GA guys or the HS Precision folks (their booth was about as empty as it was at the two previous NRA conventions...), and took nearly a thousand pictures. More will be cropping up from time to time; this is by no means all of them...

Now, to plan for the 2012 NRA convention next...

That is all.

Water Is Wet! Dog Bites Man!

2012-01-25T14:00:00.001-05:00

Hundreds of Capitol Hill Staffers Didn't Pay Taxes in 2010

As Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich parse the details of their individual tax returns, hundreds of Capitol Hill employees are taking taxpayer dollars to the bank without paying their share.

Internal Revenue Service data show that 3 percent of Senate staffers and more than 4 percent of House staffers owed taxes in 2010, adding up to about $10.6 million in unpaid taxes. More than 98,000 civilian federal employees were delinquent on their taxes in 2010, adding up to more than $1 billion in taxes owed, according to the IRS.

More than $1 Billion. That's pretty significant. UT Rep. Jason Chaffetz has introduced a bill that would require any federal employee found deliquent in their taxes to be fired - although it doesn't specify "from a cannon". What's interesting is that right now, only IRS agents who fail to pay taxes get canned - meaning that the IRS is held to a higher standard than the folks who make the laws. There's a lesson there, I just know there is.

There is one significant drawback to this failure to pay taxes: if these folks persist in dodging the tax man, they might end up tapped for the Obama administration...

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Add Another One... Err, Two!

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Not one but two additions today. First up, from FarmDad in Gunblogger Conspiracy chat...

Resident shoots, kills intruder in home

DANA POINT – A resident shot and killed an intruder after confronting him inside his home late Monday night, authorities said.

Officials are still investigating the circumstances behind the shooting, but say the resident was asleep in his home when he was awakened by noises just before 11 p.m. Monday.

Now, this is California, so the comments get into the "oh why did that evil vigilant homeowner have to kill that poor misguided person", but what's surprising - or not - is how many comments were supportive of the homeowner's actions. It's really hard to second-guess someone's actions in a case like this, but one thing is certain: The goblin was in the man's home. If he had stayed out of the home, he would still be alive.

There is only one person responsible for the goblin's death: The goblin.

Dead Goblin Count: 246

The second story comes from reader Kevin:

Police: Would-be Rally’s robber killed by eatery worker

As one robber allegedly grabbed an employee and the other brandished an Uzi-type weapon, a Rally’s co-worker took quick action, firing at the would-be criminals inside the Gary store early Jan. 11, officials said. The pair ran west, their alleged robbery attempt foiled.

One of the suspects was found dead in a nearby vacant lot the next afternoon. He had been shot and allegedly killed by the Rally’s worker, investigators learned.

Kevin points out that while this was in the Chicago Sun-Times, it happened in Gary, Indiana - which, you may remember, held the title of murder capital of the US for a while. It's interesting that the official police statement was that the shooter was in fear for his life - just a hunch, but I'm guessing that the shooter responsible for this addition won't face any charges. Also, please note that, yet again, the goblin was a prohibited person, yet was using an "assault weapon" despite being legally barred from owning firearms.

Another depressing example of the utter, complete dismal failure of gun control - fortunately redeemed by a private citizen taking responsibility for their own safety.

Dead Goblin Count: 247

That is all.

New Ad!

2012-01-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

If you'll cast your eyes rightward, you'll see a new MArooned supporter in the list. Michael of the eponymous Michael's Holster Site and I have done some horse trading, resulting in a new ad on the sidebar for Michael and something shiny in the mail for me... Yes, I'm being coy, because Michael has created a one-of-a-kind holster for me and I'm waiting to receive it before I say anything else. I've reviewed Michael's Executive II here at MArooned, and it has become my go-to holster when I'm carrying the Snubbie from Hell™ or the Ruger LCR IWB...

So go check out the many fine offerings from Michael!

That is all.

MArooned Product Review: Maxpedition Gearslinger Malaga

2012-01-25T08:00:00.002-05:00

After hauling around the Gearslinger for an entire week, I wanted to get down some initial impressions. I carried it through four airports (Logan, Houston, Las Vegas, and Denver); hauled it to Hoover Dam where it was Xrayed and brought into the bowels of the earth; and hauled it through Media Day and three whole days of SHOT Show. The Malaga is an exceptionally good sized pack - I fit my iPad, bluetooth keyboard, and Nikon D3100 digital SLR camera (in a case!) in the Gearslinger with room left over for batteries, chargers, and other items, and still had room for books and notepads. It's not going to carry all the gear you're going to need for a week long hike, but if you're looking for something to haul the basics around in comfort, the Malaga is up to the task.

(image from Maxpedition site)

Setting up the Malaga, I only added a couple items. I put an EDC pouch on the front of the pack for small items I might have need for in a pinch, like pens, pencils, knives, and a small tool set. I also strapped a 5" cellphone holder to the sling for instant access to my iPhone, an invaluable addition for having the phone handy in an instant. It makes taking a quick picture very simple, with no fishing around in a pocket or reaching under a coat for a belt clip needed. Properly set up, I could even rig it to take pictures (or video) with the push of a button while on the move...

Where the Gearslinger line really shines, though, is in the comfort and ease of carry. I went a week carrying this pack for 10+ hours a day for four days straight, and only a handful of times had to stop and take the pack off for a rest. Given that I'd pulled a muscle in my left shoulder - exactly where the pack rests - that's nothing short of miraculous. With the camera carried in front and the rest in the pack, the weight distribution was extremely favorable. Adding another pouch or additional material might change that, and the only further addition I might consider at this point is a water bottle carrier (and yes, I know that the Malaga is set up for a CamelBak system, but the water bottle carrier allows for a greater range of options.

I'll revisit the Gearslinger Malaga later on in the year after I've had more opportunity to really wring every last drop out of it. The NRA convention is coming up in April; we've got a family vacation in Wisconsin planned; hiking along the Cape Cod Canal while camping; and other events will test the carrying capacity and all-day comfort of the Malaga thoroughly. The Gearslinger might cost a little more than a standard backpack, but offers more versatility with add-ons and durability to last for many adventures.

The Maxpedition Gearslinger Malaga is tough, rough, ready, and easy to hump around all week long - what more could you ask for?

That is all.

SHOT Show Day Two AAR

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Third part in a series. Part one, Media Day, is here and Part two, Day One on the floor is here. This is my second day on the exhibit floor at SHOT Show 2012.

The first stop was at the Charter Arms booth, because they had this out front:

Charter Arms bike

It's a custom-built Charter Arms-themed chopper put together by the Orange County Chopper guys. The Charter rep was telling me that Paul Sr. was walking around SHOT earlier, and I found it pretty amazing that a motorcycle manufacturer from NY (not gun-friendly) would build a custom bike for a gun company from CT (also not gun friendly) and it would be covered by a guy from Massachusetts (ibid)...

They had the new Pitbull on display:

Pitbull

And I took a shot of how it works:

Pitbull action

Pretty ingenious. The video I shot last week didn't do it justice - you really need to use both hands and hold the gun so that the cylinder angles downward for the casings to fall out. It looks to be a viable way of holding rimless cartridges in a revolver; time will tell if it catches on. I suspect folks will be happy to not have to moon and de-moon brass...

Right across from Charter was the Victorinox booth. The Victorinox rep overheard me talking about wanting a Scout-themed knife and pointed me to this display:

Scout knives

And, having had one of the earlier models as a kid (and I still have it somewhere in the attic), I was drawn to the monstah:

Victorinox kitchen sink

We learned that the all-plastic magnifying glass was one of the few concessions to cost-savings - but better that than something that might affect the quality of the original Swiss Army knife. Victorinox was one of the best booths for interacting with reps who seemed genuinely enthusiastic about talking to media - even us new media types.

Next up was the SIG SAUER display, a sprawling spread that encompassed several acres (at least it seemed that way). First stop: the brand new P224, Sig's new steel sub-compact semi-auto:

224 for size

I figured the best way to show off the size would be to take the same shot with the mid-sized P229:

229 for size

And I just had to take a shot of this custom P226:

226 bling

Not a huge fan of the gold, but otherwise it's a gorgeous gun and must be an amazing shooter. My P226, which is easily old enough to drink, will handle everything I put through it (even rounds burped up by other 9mms) and still put everything easily in the black at 25 yards. This will most likely put it to shame...

They had several of their new ACP (Adaptive Carbine Platforms) available:

The OTHER ACP

The jury's still out on this set-up in general; personally, I don't think it's worth futzing around with the NFA stamp to have something that's not quite as handy as a dedicated carbine. I can see it being useful for private security forces that can maintain their own private armory (but not custom full auto), but other than that I'm not sure how much extra it brings to the table to warrant the ATF scrutiny.

And they had their new .50 BMG on display:

SIG50

Boy, howdy, but that's got to be an amazing rifle.

Beeeg chamber

I'm surprised you can't see daylight through that monster chamber...

Lastly, I know folks were curious about the new P938, the 9mm big brother to the .380 ACP 238. I got a shot of the two side-by-side:

X38

The 9mm version is barely larger than the .380 ACP; I suspect the 938 will be quite the hit once it hits the shelves of your local gun store. The version I tried had a somewhat gritty trigger, which I was assured was due to the speed with which the unit at SHOT was made available (I believe the quote was "that's one of the only two existing models in the world"...)

Around this time we broke for lunch, taking refuge in the Press office and taking a few moments to collect thoughts, update Facebook and blogs, and grab another coffee before heading back into the fray. My traveling companion for the week, Dr. Gene Garris of America's Radio Show, had to leave that evening to return home, so we decided to hit the first floor of the convention center before the day was over.

First stop was the Elite Defense booth, where they had this ingenious new bag:

Three gun case

It's set up for police departments that issue carbines and shotguns - the center compartment is meant to hold body armor and such while the two long arms ride in padded compartments on each side. The entire bag is customizable, with velcro compartments and magazine pouches that can all be removed to have one enormous bag.

Next up we took in some of the firearms on display.

Did you know Iver Johnson is making pistols again? They're in the 1911 business, and apparently taking design cues from indigestion medicine...

Pepto IJ

We encountered the new Bersa BP9CC:

Bersa 9mm

And two of the drool-worthy micro-9mms from Rohrbaugh:

Mouse that Rohrbaughed

Next it was a walk down gunsmithing row, where we saw some really nice stippling jobs on display, like this one from Barsto:

Glock frame upgrade

or the fine work from the guys at Powder River Precision who specialize in XD custom work:

CustomiXd

And lastly, a shout to the fun-loving folks at Coonan Arms. I like these guys, because they have a sense of humor about what they do - for instance, one of their ads proudly proclaims: "Coonan .357 Magnum pistol. If you're looking for your first gun, this isn't it". I love that.

They had this:

Purple Coonan

Because pink was just so passé... And their standby camo:

Camo Coonan

And finally, this beautiful competition gun:

Target Coonan

*Sigh* Someday I will have a Coonan .357 Magnum...

That wraps up Day Two of walking the floor at SHOT Show. Day Three, to be covered tomorrow, was my last day on the show floor and the only day I walked around solo. I managed to cover more ground, but with much less focus. Thanks for walking with me, Gene!

Only one more day of shoe-leather wearin' work!

That is all.

Is It My Birthday or Christmas or Both???

2012-01-24T14:00:00.001-05:00

Several folks have e-mailed me to let me know that J&G Sales has VEPR magazines in stock.

$30 for a 10-round .308 Win magazine isn't the worst I've seen, and certainly the best for the VEPR, especially for an in-stock magazine. They're going to make the folks selling magazines for $75+ very unhappy, as with the increased supply, the demand will drop, but hey, that's capitalism. I'll probably pick up a couple 2-3 magazines to have on hand - right now I've got one plastic Russian 5-rounder that came with the gun and one plastic Russian 10-rounder that I picked up last year as well as one 10-round aftermarket metal magazine; it'd be good to have a few more mags on hand *just in case*.

Unless, of course, the good folks at J&G Sales wanted to send a couple units my way for testing, of course...

That is all.

(and FYI, it *is* Tam's birthday, so stop in and wish her a happy birthday today!)

Surprising!

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Tim Thomas Skips White House Ceremony

BOSTON (CBS) – Bruins goalie Tim Thomas declined to attend the team’s Stanley Cup celebration with President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday.

Thomas, who is known to support the Tea Party, told Bruins General Manager Peter
Chiarelli months ago that he would not attend the event due to his political differences from the Obama administration.

I'm guessing Thomas is getting close to retiring, because a move like this is what we like to call "career-limiting". It's a lot like Curt Schilling showing right-leaning tendencies; despite being the local sports hero for their particular game, politics is personal and personal is politics here in Massachusetts. Thomas can expect a cool reaction from the fans - this is a state that voted nearly 2/3rds for Obama in 2008. The statement from the Bruins organization doesn't seem terrifically enthusiastic about Thomas's decision, either.

Here's what Thomas had to say on his Facebook page:

I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.

Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL. This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT

Amen, Tim, Amen. Now can I convince you to run against Scott Brown?

That is all.

Another Candle...

2012-01-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Reader Mike sends in a story about another child victim of gun violence:

18-year-old killed during apparent burglary had history of theft

DAYTON — An 18-year-old shot and killed during an apparent break-in had a history of thefts and burglary starting when she was 15, according to police records.

Rovena Turner of Dayton was shot Saturday afternoon after she threw an object at a man inside the house in the 1900 block of Burbank Drive.

Got that? She broke into this dude's house, and upon confrontation by the homeowner, assaulted him. He responded with appropriate force to stop the threat to his life, which was fatal to his attacker. Too bad, so sad. It's unfortunate that she forced him to have to make that decision, and it's something he's going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

And of course, to the Bradys, this is another "child killed by gunfire"...

Here's the kicker, though:

According to police records, Turner was first arrested in 2009 for stealing $15 from a neighbor. Later the same year, she was accused of stealing money and a cell phone from a wheelchair-bound resident of a nursing home. One year later, she was again arrested for stealing $35 from a cousin. According to that police report, she told the relative she stole the money, “Simply because I can.”

"Because I can". There's your 99% right there. Too bad it got you killed, but better you than some innocent person. Which, let's face it, is exactly where this type of attitude often ends up. The goblin gets bolder and bolder, as each transgression of the law is punished less and less. Eventually they feel invincible, and start growing more and more belligerent.

Or, they meet an armed citizen and join the count...

Dead Goblin Count: 245

That is all.

Decisions, Decisions...

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, after getting home from SHOT Show, I realized that I should think about getting some new business cards. Which got me to thinking about redesigning my business cards - the new hawtness is a QR tag on the card, which makes a phenomenal amount of sense, frex... Also, it's time to think about a shorter, easier-to-remember URL. So I looked around, found that, sadly, www.marooned.com is not available, and asked for folks' thoughts for alternate URLs.

Well, thanks to a generous offer from Chris at Domain.com, I now have three shiny new domains:

www.ma-rooned.com
www.maroonedmedia.com
www.stuckinma.com

I've ordered them in no particular order (okay, they're alphabetical...); which of them is the best fit for the blog?

That is all.

SHOT Show Day One AAR

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Second part in a series. Part one, Media Day, is here. This is my first day actually walking the exhibit floor at SHOT Show 2012.

Day One. Got up, showered, and out the door by 7:30 AM, a little later than I was hoping but still with plenty of time to make the show before opening. SHOT opens to LEOs at 8:00 AM and the remainder of attendees at 8:30 AM, and it's about 15-20 minutes by bus (it's all of two miles, but Las Vegas traffic is something to behold...).

Had an interesting experience on the bus ride in: I got one of the last few seats on the bus, and a few more folks piled in right before we left. One gentleman made it to the back to the seat next to me, and we got to talking as the bus ride got underway. As it turns out, we have a mutual friend in "Bushwack" - and Bushwack had e-mailed me to BOLO for his friend Tim! Tim called Bushwack and put me on the phone so I could say hi. The internet can be a small place sometimes...

I knew I was in the right place when I walked in the door and was immediately greeted by this:

WANT!

Yep. An AK with a chainsaw bayonet. Oh, how I've thought about such a beast, only to find out that it's gloriously real... Zombies were the "in" thing this year, with zombie targets, zombie knives, zombie ammunition, zombie clothing, zombie 401Ks, etc. Bright green and traces of red and grey were all the rage pretty much everywhere you went.

One of the things I liked was seeing different manufacturers exhibiting a sense of humor. You'd think that the manufacturer of this fearsome looking rifle:

BFG 50

would be pretty darn serious, right? Well, Serbu Firearms is very serious about the fine firearms they make, but they have a sense of humor, too:

Peace through superior firepower

SHOT Show features hundreds of exhibitors, from huge conglomerations to small businesses and everyone in between. While they're all there to sign contracts and attract customers, many are quite willing to spare a moment and chat about what products they sell and what makes them special. Here's some folks that took the time to talk to your humble scribe:

Got Steel?

MGM Targets, out of Caldwell ID, makes a number of steel poppers and other reactive steel targets. I chatted with them for a bit about using steel targets for new shooters as an extra hook, and they explained the workmanship and detail that go into every target they manufacture.

FirstLight

First-Light USA makes a variety of application-driven handheld lights and accessories, and demonstrated how their "Liberator" series works in the above picture. It's an interesting concept: the light is held in the off hand, leaving the strong hand free for the firearm. This allows the two to be separated for different purposes or brought together quickly to identify threats. It'd be neat to try one out, that's for sure.

SRS Shotgun

Vang Comp Systems takes a great thing - the Remington 870 shotgun - and makes it even better. They fine-tune shotgun barrels to increase accuracy and reduce recoil, choosing to improve the wheel rather than re-invent it. The shirt that gentleman is wearing? It's an overlay of an actual pattern out of one of their shotguns at 50 yards using 00 buckshot. Damn impressive.

Airsoft was *huge* at the show, with at least a half-dozen different manufacturers present. There was a humorous exchange at one of the booths, where they had an airsoft version of the Magpul FMG-9 - I missed that it was an airsoft gun, and mused that it appeared to be a semi-automatic version of the famous subgun-that-almost-was. They had this, as well, which made me smile:

Interesting model

Yes, that is an airsoft version of a TT-33...

Sharp and stabby things were well-represented at SHOT Show (this is for you, Roadkill!):

Zombie knives

Some of Ka-Bar's new "Zombie" line of knives, along with some other Ka-Bar offerings underneath.

High-end stabby

Ontario Knife Company had an impressive display of cutlery as well. There will be more stabby pics later, too, Roadkill...

About this time I was getting hungry, so a quick sandwich and off to the press room to regroup when I ran into this guy:

Lars!

Lars and I had a running gag where we would randomly snap pictures of each other (leading to the shot in the inset here where I look like a raving lunatic, not that it's any different than any other picture). I ran into Lars several times throughout the show, and each time one of us would "get the drop" on the other and snap off a pic. There's a reason I keep my iPhone in a holster...

Some random shots from the afternoon while walking the floor:

K-POS

The FAB Defense K-POS Pistol-to-carbine conversion kit was a prominent attraction at the show, featuring a rapid conversion from a pistol to a (SBR) carbine utilizing the accessory rail. It's an interesting concept for security forces and bodyguards, but does require the NFA stamp for a short-barreled rifle.

Crayola Cuffs!

Pink. It's not just for Bersa grips any more.

Shhh

GEMTECH had both suppressed handguns and a suppressed M240 machine gun. Neat. And quiet.

Taurus Ouchie

Taurus now has a polymer-framed small revolver in .357 Magnum. Sprechen zie ouchie?

And lastly, I thought that these guys really went for the gusto:

Trifecta Draw!

I'm generally not a fan of the "booth babe", even less so in Vegas (Look, if I want to see scantily clad women, there's about a zillion places on the strip), but Magnum Essential Equipment pulled all the stops to get you into their booths: a scantily clad model, a cool giveaway (laser engraved dogtags - very cool!), and free beer. I joked that all they needed was bacon and it would implode in a black hole of awesome.

That about wraps up Day One of walking the SHOT Show floor. There's still two more days to cover, and lots more pictures, but we'll leave that for tomorrow and Thursday (keeping things chronologically rolling, so to speak). There were two floors covering an entire city block - each floor - worth of stuff, and in three days I didn't get to see everything. What's here is what stuck out the most in the 800+ pictures taken...

Man, my feet hurt just writing this AAR...

That is all.

Not Too Far Off...

2012-01-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

This just in...

Purported Bonnie and Clyde guns sells for $210K

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two guns thought to have been used by bank-robbing fugitives Bonnie and Clyde have snatched $210,000 at an auction in Kansas City, Mo.

The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/A9BRHg) reported an online bidder from the East Coast on Saturday bought the weapons believed to have been seized from the outlaw couple's Joplin hideout in 1933.

Given that a transferrable Thompson runs between $25 - $50K, $210K for both guns given the provenance is actually somewhat of a bargain. The article doesn't state, but it's interesting that the guns just came up for sale now. It'd be hard to imagine that they were still being held by the state after nearly 80 years, so the assumption is that it's a collector selling the pieces. It's possible that the poor economy caused some collector to have to sell off part of their collection.

The Obama Recesssion: More guns on the street.

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Slap (Credit Card to Buy) Leather

2012-01-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dennis e-mailed me his good news:

Dragon Leatherworks is in its first Retail Store!

Dragon Leatherworks is in its first retail store in Oak Ridge, Tennessee!

For those of you in the area, now you can purchase the fine Dragon Leatherworks line of holsters right off the shelf! No waiting! Instant gratification! How can you argue with that? Of course, for those not in the area, there's still online ordering, or you can meet up with Dennis at the 2012 NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis to talk with him about holsters.

Congrats, Dennis, on the first (of many) retail placement!

That is all.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

...and if he were alive today, he'd be kicking Gaston square in the Glock...

John M. Browning Day Celebrated in Utah all week.

January 23 was John Moses Browning's birthday. All of us at Browning are proud to celebrate -- along with gun enthusiasts everywhere -- the birth of the person known as "the greatest firearms inventor the world has ever known."

Browning was responsible for the following firearms:

U.S. M1895 Colt-Browning machine gun
FN Browning M1899/M1900
Colt Model 1900
Colt Model 1902
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer (.38 ACP)
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32 ACP)
Colt Model 1905
Remington Model 8 (1906), a long recoil semi-automatic rifle
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket (.25 ACP)
Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless (.380 ACP)
FN Model 1910
U.S. M1911 pistol (.45 ACP)
Colt Woodsman pistol
Winchester Model 1885 falling-block single shot rifle
Winchester Model 1886 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1887 lever-action repeating shotgun
Winchester Model 1890 slide-action repeating rifle (.22)
Winchester Model 1892 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1894 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1895 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1897 pump-action repeating shotgun
Browning Auto-5 long recoil semi-automatic shotgun
U.S. M1917 water-cooled machine gun
U.S. M1919 air-cooled machine gun
U.S. M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
U.S. M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun of 1921 ("Ma-Deuce"!)
Remington Model 8 semi-auto rifle
Remington Model 24 semi-auto rifle (.22) A.K.A. Browning SA-22
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Superposed over/under shotgun
Ithaca Model 37 pump-action repeating shotgun

I have six of these; how about you?

That is all.

Defining the Genre...

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Heh. Stretch sends in this story, which really epitomizes the entire category...

Flaming-horned bull fatally gores man in Spain

MADRID (AP) — A flaming-horned bull trampled and fatally gored a man early Saturday during a festival in eastern Spain, an official said.

Large balls of flaming wax are traditionally affixed to the beasts' heads before they are let loose to rampage through squares and narrow streets in such festivals.

It's sad that someone died, but I really have a hard time working up the giveashit-o-meter here. This wasn't some dude randomly walking down the street who got mistaken for someone else in a drive-by goring; this is someone participating in an extreme event where a half-ton animal is taunted into a full-blown stampede. It's a lot like someone falling off a ledge in the Crisco Annual Greased Rock Climbing Challenge.

No word on whether the Brady Coalition to End Stampede Violence has released a statement yet...

That is all.

SHOT Show Media Day AAR

2012-01-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

I wrote this while sitting on the plane on the last leg of my flight home, a 3+ hour flight from Denver to Boston. Figured I'd put down some more notes about SHOT while they were still fresh in my head (and to keep my mind off the concept of hurtling through the sky in a giant metal tube while lightning tries to strike us...) :) There's three days of walking the floor plus Media Day to cover, so I'll cover each day individually.

Monday: Media Day. The bus arrived at 8 AM to pick us up to bring us to Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club for SHOT Show Media Day. The line for registration was long, but moved quickly; we were signed in, given media badges, and sent off to forage amongst the exhibitors brave enough to set up shop for the ravenous writers, bloggers, and other media-type folks who had signed on for Media Day.

Most of the major firearms and ammunition manufacturers were represented at Media Day, as well as gear makers, optics companies, target manufacturers, and outdoor enthusiast organizations. From Smith & Wesson to the CMP, if the company has a stake in people getting outside and partaking in some outdoor activity, chances are there was someone there with something to sell them. Ah, sweet, sweet capitalism!

All of the companies had literature and media kits up for distribution; some had hats, keychains, shirts, lanyards, and various other promotional items which were ~~snapped up by the ravenous hordes~~ much appreciated by the attendees. Of particular note were several types of hearing protection and eye protection kindly offered by the SHOT Show organizers - while I had brought along my own eyes and ears, it's good to know that I would have been covered if I had left those items home.

There were three distinct sections set up once we cleared the exhibitors area: pistols and carbines, long distance rifles, and shotguns. The pistol and carbine areas had primarily steel plates set up for shooting fun (and some of Zombie Industries's new Zombie targets which are simply too much fun!); long distance rifles were primarily paper, with spotting scopes to track success. Shotguns, naturally, had clays for busting, with different trap and skeet setups for the truly brave...

I misspoke in my first Media Day write-up; SIG Sauer was at the Media Day but at a shooting position that I overlooked. It's too bad, as they had the P290 present for shooting as well as some of their other new firearms. I also missed the Chiappa display, which is a real shame as I've been very interested in trying the Rhino out to see if the under-barrel design really works as well as others have mentioned. Obviously, they're not on the Approved Firearms Roster, so it'll be a while before I get a chance to shoot one...

Springfield had a few 1911s and their new XDs; Remington brought both the blued and new stainless R1 1911s; Glock had their stalwart model 19, 21, and a 32 present - I got to shoot .357 Sig for once (Mike W. eat your heart out...) There was a Turkish manufacturer present with what appeared to be Beretta 92 clones and a 1911, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try either out.

XDs

R1 Stainless

Glockity!

Samco

Ruger had their new LCR22 on the line, but it was too fouled up for general shooting when I got there. I tried out the new SR22, which seems pretty much like the Walther P22 and the SIG SAUER Mosquito - it's a scaled-down version of the SR series with a hammer and safety to differentiate it from the centerfire versions. They also had several SP101s (38 Special and .22LR) and an SR9 full size for review.

Charter Arms had several of their Undercover line of .38 Special revolvers, including the Pink Lady which Caleb was unable to bring himself to shoot... They had one of the new Pitbull .40 S&W revolvers, but it was not available for shooting when I arrived on the line. There was also a Bulldog on the line for getting your big bore revolver goodness on.

Colt. Oh, Colt. Colt brought a gorgeous blued Gold Cup National Match, a Commander, a SWEET New Frontier in .45 LC (WANT!!!), and one of the new Mustangs. I am not exaggerating when I say that every single handgun on the Colt bench was an absolute joy to shoot and made even my meager efforts look good. Hey, when *I* can ring a metal silhouette target at 25 yards with a Mustang under rapid fire, that's one helluva gun right there.

Colt 1911s

Colt Classics

Nice 'Stang!

Crimson Trace also had an area staked out, with several laser- and light-equipped firearms to try out. They had a Ruger SR22 with a trigger guard laser that was so accurate it was almost boring - any target you could see, you could hit. But then again, that's what we've come to expect from CT... They had a pretty smart idea: at about 50 feet they had a covered area with targets under it for the red laser sights, and the 25 yard line was clear for the green lasers. It was a simple yet very effective demonstration of the benefits of the green (while still showing that red could be effective at the closer distance).

Need a CT for the 57mm, Wally?

Nice setup!

Slide Fire had one of the biggest lines in the pistol/carbine area with their innovative stock that allows rapid fire of semi-automatic rifles. The design is simple, yet hard to master - in order to get the most out of the Slide Fire stock, you have to hold your trigger finger still while *gently* pulling forward on the forend. Both actions run counter to traditional rifle shooting, and it takes a couple of magazines to get the action down as a rule. Once you get the hang of how it works, though, you're making sweet, sweet noise out of currency...

SlideFire

Check that brass!

The biggest line of the day, though, was at the KRISS booth. They had not one but two of their subguns buzzing happily away on the line, resulting in staccato .45 ACP goodness echoing up and down the firing line while folks waited 20+ deep to try it out. There was so much wonderful shootie goodness to try out that every time I looked at the line for the KRISS carbines, I decided to go to another booth and try them out rather than waiting, and missed the opportunity to try one out.

KRISS SBR

The line stretched to Terra Haute!

On the rifle line were bolt action rifles from Ruger, Winchester, Browning, Savage, and Remington (who, along with Colt, had their AR-pattern rifles available in the pistol/carbine area). Winchester had several lever action rifles on the line, and Ruger had their new American bolt action rifle available. The rifle line was pretty busy, but it was clear that pistols and carbines were capturing the attention of the crowd.

I know him!

We broke for lunch mid-afternoon, although some folks continued to shoot even through lunchtime. It's always fun to sit down to a wonderful lunch (and they really put on a *fantastic* spread, with burgers, dogs, chicken, and steak tips as well as salad, chips, and pickles!) with the sound of gunfire for background music. More than one person commented that the "dinner music" was helping with digestion...

As the afternoon wore on, and we got closer to dusk and the close of media day, the shotgun field beckoned. I'm not by nature a trap shooter, but the Butler Arms XX12 that I had the good fortune to try out was simply amazing. I was hitting single birds and even doubles like an old pro, even though my experience has been limited to "redneck trap" and the occasional bird at a bloggershoot here and there.

XX12

The other *HUGE* buzz pertained to the AR-pattern 12 gauges by Akdal. They had classic A2-styled rifles, wild patterned zombie guns, and even one with a skull and crossbones pattern with a muzzle brake of DOOOOM. They were by far the most popular attraction on the shotgun field, which is no small feat considering that there were some serious dedicated guns for shooting on that line.

AR... Shotties?

There was one highlight of the day that had nothing to do with shooting. Yamaha brought some of their four wheelers for folks to try out, and after a brief safety briefing, the standard legal waiver, and being outfitted with safety gear, we were off and about the Nevada desert on four wheels. I've ridden a motorcycle for seventeen years, and can safely say that the Yamaha four wheeler is just as much fun as any motorcycle I've ridden - including the mighty Valkyrie! I only wish I'd been quick enough to get a picture of Lars on the four wheeler - I thought he was going to ride off into the sunset.

A huge thank you to NSSF and everyone who brought something for us to play with. Media Day was an incredible hit with everyone, and being able to handle, shoot, and generally paw over guns that we've only read about is invaluable. Each manufacturer had reps on hand to discuss the firearm or accessory being utilized, and learning firsthand from the folks that design and manufacture the product helps increase both awareness of the product as well as familiarity. Which, of course, breeds WANT WANT WANT...

Now that I know what to expect, the next Media Day is going to be even better!

That is all.

Disturbance at the Waffle House...

2012-01-22T12:49:00.002-05:00

Both Bob and reader Kevin sent me this delightful little vignette:

Customer shoots robbery suspect at SC Waffle Shop

(AP) SPARTANBURG, SC — Authorities say a customer at a South Carolina Waffle shop pulled a gun and shot one of two men trying to rob the restaurant.

The Greenville News reports (http://grnol.co/AkoQDk ) that the shooting took place early Saturday morning inside a Waffle Shop off Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County.

Don't mess with a dude and his waffles. He might just shoot you over them... As Bob points out in his post, this is the same Sheriff that encouraged his residents to get their concealed carry permits and carry guns in response to rising crime rates. What a refreshing statement, a stark contrast to "we discourage self-help" on display here in Massachusetts and other nanny states. Rather than call 911 and die, this Sheriff would rather see folks pull 1911s and live.

I like the way he thinks a lot better than Martha Coakley...

Dead Goblin Count: 244

That is all.

Shorten My URL!

2012-01-22T08:31:00.002-05:00

I handed out close to 200 business cards at SHOT Show this past week, meaning that it's time to start thinking about another printing. There are several substantial changes I want to make, like adding a QR tag to the card as well as incorporating the shiny new banner from Robb Allen. If I'm going to be redesigning the card, one of the things I want to do is get a custom (read: non-blogspot) URL for the blog, specifically something shorter (so I will no longer be jokingly referred to as "www.thelongestURLontheinternet.blogspot.com"...).

Unfortunately, "www.marooned.com" is taken (but not currently in use), and "www.marooned.net" is being auctioned at a price you'd need to smoke crack to agree to, so my options are limited. I'm looking for something that incorporates the "marooned" aspect as well as significantly shortening the link itself.

I've got a couple ideas of possible URLs to use, but I'm not married to any of them. The criteria are that they incorporate "MArooned" or "jayg" in some way, and don't approach the length of my current URL (IOW, no "www.jaygismaroonedinmassachusetts.com"...). I thought I had a winner when I set up a Wordpress back-up blog with "stuckinmass" until Unc pointed out that it looked like "stuckinmyass.com"...

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas are all welcomed; and if you're the person that owns "www.marooned.com", let's talk!

That is all.

Welcome Home...

2012-01-21T11:56:00.002-05:00

This is but a small sampling of what I have in store in the following weeks...

That's the pile of follow-ups from SHOT I need to get to in the coming days/weeks. There's folks to add to the blogroll/add to the list of "Bloggers I've Met"; there's industry folks to contact about T&E samples; there's general contacts to add to the ol' Rolodex (who remembers those???); some info to pass along... Lots of stuff to do, so little time to do it.

I might have everything followed-up on by the time the NRA Convention rolls around...

That is all.

Wanna Feel Old?

2012-01-21T08:58:00.003-05:00

So, last night, my father-in-law picks us up at the airport. I get the luggage loaded in his van (Yay minivans! We got four large suitcases in the very back! Much better than the Sentra we rented for the week where the kids had a bag between them and carry-on bags in their laps...), and climb in for the ride home. All of a sudden, I hear "Sweet Child 'O' Mine" from Guns 'N' Roses start playing on the radio (you all know that guitar riff, admit it...)

The radio was set to "Oldies 103", the local "Oldies" station...

Yep. "Appetite for Destruction", the hard rock/heavy metal opus recorded in the hair band era, is now playing on the local oldies station right along with Elvis, The Beach Boys, and Frank Sinatra. Cogitate on that, Steinmetz... This is how our parents felt hearing The Doors and Jimi Hendrix on oldies. GNR hit the music scene in 1987 with "Appetite for Destruction", making it 25 years old - a genuine "oldie".

To put it in perspective, "Welcome to the Jungle" is as old to my son as "Rock Around the Clock" was to me at his age...

Now where did I put my cane and Geritol?

That is all.

Home Again, Home Again...

2012-01-20T23:23:00.001-05:00

Well, almost... Riding home from the airport right now; managed to survive another round of "hurtle through the air in a giant metal tube"... While the week was a lot of fun and definitely worthwhile, there's nothing quite like being home.

Hopefully there won't be any surprises waiting for us...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Just for Alan...

2012-01-20T16:36:00.001-05:00

Colorado chili has beans...

That is all.

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SHOT Show Never Ends...

2012-01-20T15:34:00.003-05:00

So, I'm sitting on the plane to Denver when the Mrs. hands some snacks across the aisle to me for TheBoy. As we do the handoff, the guy waiting to take his seat jokes "hey, can I have some snacks?" I look at his shirt and he's with LMT and reply "Lewis Machine Tool? Sure! What do you want?" We exchanged cards and he tells me to give a shout if I need any parts; I respond by handing over my last card and saying "give a holler if you need anything reviewed"...

Always workin' it...

That is all.

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Toto, We're Definitely Not in Mayberry Anymore...

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Saw this at SHOT this week. More than a little concerned that there's a market for it...

Barney's Bitchin' New Wheels...

It's a Ford F550 heavy duty chassis with armored body - complete with turret, mind you - because you just never know when you might take incoming mortar fire out in the field... Everything right down to the wheels is tactical and bulletproof - and we weren't allowed to photograph the interior. No word on whether Mayor Bloomberg is going to outfit these with anti-aircraft guns...

Note to the LEO community: When we say we fear the militarization of our police force, THIS is EXACTLY what we mean.

That is all.

Homeward Bound...

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

By the time this post goes up, I should be strapped into a large metal tube preparing to hurtle through the air at ridiculous speeds to get myself home. Only two take-offs and landings before I'm safely back in the Volksrepublik, and I've got to say, as great as Vegas is, I sure will be glad to be home. I'm going to have a LOT of followup to do, a lot of leads to chase down and folks to e-mail about this and that, as well as adding new folks to the blogroll. (Side note: If you're not following FateofDestinee you should be - she's smart, funny, and knows her way around firearms. And she's a college kid!)

Anyways, it'll be good to get home, even if home is in the Volksrepublik of Massachusetts...

That is all.

SHOT Show, Day Three in Review

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my third and final day at SHOT show, finishing a week jam-packed with meeting new folks, making connections in the industry, and fondling new guns and gear. In no particular order, here are some thoughts on the third day of SHOT Show 2012:

After three days, four if you count Media Day on Monday, I was pretty much finished. I had walked the convention floor dozens of times, handed out close to 200 business cards, and generally had my fill of spiels and presentations.
Speaking of business cards, note-to-self: Order new cards for the NRA meeting. Incorporate the shiny new header as well as a QR tag...
As much as I may wish it wasn't true, the "booth babe" is still alive and frequenting the booths of gun shows. I lost count of the number of silicone-enhanced, micro-skirt wearing women "helping" out in various booths; it's a testament to the adage that sex sells and the predominant gender of show attendees. It's worth noting that the "major" manufacturers don't have booth babes, folks...
There are a *lot* of "tactical" gear manufacturers out there, with 5.11 Tactical and Tru-Spec being the industry standards. From pants with lots of pockets to molle straps on toasters, if you can dream it, chances are someone's already made it.
Speaking of Tru-Spec, R. Lee Ermey sure gets around. Glock, Tru-Spec, SOG; the Gunny has his USMC hands in a lot of pies - and that's a good thing. We need more Gunny.
Speaking of Glock, I picked up several new window decals for the (now paid off!) Dodge Eartf**ker. Driving through Cambridge is going to be eminently more satisfying now...
There's a lot of really cool schwag being given out at the shows: pens, flash drives, keychains, knives, hats, shirts, hearing protection, etc. It's especially interesting because it gives me ideas for my 9-5 job as well. Schwag is schwag - most of it really is independent of industry.
Holy smokes, there's a lot of beer at SHOT. Seemed like every time I turned around, someone was hosting a Happy Hour or having someone hand out free brewskis. This is also not dependent on industry, there's just more of it at SHOT. I felt kinda odd hitting up a manufacturer for T&E samples with a beer in my hand... (But not that odd. The rep had a beer in her hand too...)
Lastly, this last piece really encapsulates what SHOT is all about. I'm sitting in my seat on the shuttle bus heading back to the hotel. Start talking with the guy sitting in the seat next to me - turns out he's an IPSC guy from IL, who also happens to run a company that makes bullets. He asks me what I do, I hand him my card, he's going to see about sending some bullets for testing. I get off the bus at my hotel and run into a gentleman from CA who's starting a new optics company. He can use the exposure and hands me his card, saying "call me for some samples". Two leads and I had already mentally closed out the "salesguy" part...

It was a great time, but I sure am glad it's only once a year!

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #250

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, here's something that I saw at SHOT that was just too cool for school:

Is that a???

and

Yes, yes it is!

Yes, that is a .22LR version of the German STG-44, the original assault rifle. American Tactical - the same folks that introduced the GSG-5 .22LR version of the MP5 - have come out with a rimfire version of the first true assault rifle. It's semi-automatic, of course, and comes with 10-round magazines (at least for now; it looks like a 25-round magazine will be available in the future).

Yep, add another one to the *WANT* list...

That is all.

Very Cool

2012-01-19T17:21:00.002-05:00

Stopped by the Lew Horton booth, because I have to see my MA folks, and they had this beauty sitting on the wall:

Smith & Wesson model 442 with beautiful walnut grips and a "Dont Tread On Me" theme. Coiled rattlesnake, DTOM on the backstrap, and a single spade on the grip. Best of all, it was a no-lock variant - priced the same as a standard 442. They had a similarly dressed out 642 as well, with the snake and DTOM in black.

Yeah, I'd like to add one of these to the armory... (I've said that a *lot* this week...)

That is all.

SHOT Show, Day Two in Review

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the Press room getting ready for Day Three of SHOT Show, and figured I'd recap Day Two quickly. Yesterday was divided between the first and second floors, with more of the smaller manufacturers on the first floor and the larger ones on the second. Obviously there are always exceptions, but for the most part there's a pretty clear delineation between the two.

Some random thoughts:

The folks at Victorinox were *super* nice, very friendly and happy to talk about their products. They have a line of Scout-related knives (which makes perfect sense) that really caught my attention; but the one thing that really jumped out was talking to the rep and she pointed out the custom knives with mammoth ivory scales - and didn't seem the least bit apologetic. It was refreshing to see the lack of PC faux humility...
One of the great things about talking to the smaller manufacturers is that more often than not, you're talking to the owners of the company and/or the folks who actually designed the item. Stopped by the Rohrbaugh booth and looked at the nametags of the two gentlemen answering questions, and sure enough, they're both named Rohrbaugh.
The guys at Coonan Arms have a great sense of humor - they've got a marketing piece out decrying their .357 Magnum pistol as responsible for the end of the Zombie Apocalypse, for one; they also proudly declare: "Looking for your first pistol? This isn't it." It's great to see a manufacturer that doesn't take themselves too seriously - see previous post with the Mossberg lever action.
I've been here for two solid days and I haven't seen even half of the exhibits. I've more or less conceded the law enforcement side of things; choosing to focus mainly on the major manufacturers and what's new and exciting. I've got eight hours to fit everything in; I certainly can't get everything, but at least I'm going to try...
One of the side effects of being at SHOT is that I'm pretty well isolated from outside events. I wake up, shower, dress, get to the show, and I'm on the go until dinner time (which, coincidentally, is much closer to bedtime with the time difference...) I've missed the latest goings-on in the political world, and with the way things are going this year, I can't say that's a bad thing...
I've taken well over 400 photographs so far, and expect to have a serious overload when I get home to the main PC and can download everything and get it posted. I've been trying to use both the Nikon as well as the iPhone (don't tell the GA guys!), with the iPhone being used for on-the-spot blogging and the Nikon for later, with more attention paid to image quality (although I won't be threatening Oleg any day soon...) when using the DSLR.

Plenty more to come in the next few days - stay tuned!

That is all.

Need Your Support...

2012-01-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today is January 19th. One year ago today we learned about the fate of MA blogger TJIC, who had his Second Amendment rights illegally infringed in retaliation for words he wrote in the aftermath of the Gabriele Giffords shooting. TJIC - although never charged with a single crime, let alone convicted - had his MA LTC revoked and was declared "unsuitable" to own firearms. Because of the arbitrary and capricious manner of MA LTC issuing, there is no reason whatsoever needed to revoke one's permit other than the nebulous "unsuitable person" criteria...

In support of TJIC, we recommend that everyone go out and get something related to the Second Amendment. Could be a firearm, could be ammunition, heck, it could even be a $5 pack of targets. Just go out and get something related to the Second Amendment (A Lahti would be nice...). Show support for TJIC and the unAmerican way in which his rights were stripped completely without due process, and show it in the manner most directly related to the situation.

Stretch already complied:

You know who designed that?

I'll let Stretch fill you in on the details:

Browning Hi-Power/P-35
Belgium made.
A finish unknown to me. Possibly ceramic.
3-dot sights.
13 rounds of 9mm goodness that says "My .45 is in the shop."

Any thoughts on the proof marks in the left photo? Store owner says he thinks it was a milsurp weapon but I can't find any country or unit markings.
Thoughts?

She's a beaut, Stretch, and thanks for your support...

That is all.

Very Interesting!

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Had an opportunity to take a quick video of the new Charter Arms Pitbull, the new .40 S&W revolver available from Charter Arms:

It's got a secondary catch so that there is no moon clip needed to extract the rounds from the cylinder after firing. As can be seen in the video, you have to be careful to eject downwards or the extractor rides over the round entirely, so if you want fast reloads you'd be better served with moon clips.

That's an intriguing design - I'd love to get the chance to try this out!

That is all.

Tactical... Lever guns?

2012-01-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've got to hand it to the good folks over at Mossberg. They've taken tactical to the extreme:

EBLG!

Telescoping stock. Black synthetic furniture. Rails. This is the lever gun as designed by, well, me. There's fancy muzzle brakes, too, which is pretty funny considering that two of the three models are .22LR. And, of course, since the guns are lever action and the magazines are tubular (i.e. non-removable), they are 100% ban compliant.

Why, yes, I will be asking for a T&E sample; why do you ask?

That is all.

SHOT Exclusive...

2012-01-18T17:20:00.001-05:00

Got a look at something new from SIG SAUER:

SIG SAUER P938. Only slightly larger than the P238. It's heavier than a LC9 or PM9, but it feels really solid, and has the same 1911-like action of the P238. The trigger on this model was a little on the stiff side; it will be interesting to see what the production models are like. If they can smooth it out just a little bit, they'll have a real winner here.

Boy, I really hope they make this one MA compliant...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Obviously, No Darkness Here...

2012-01-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

SOPA: Getting around the blackout

Web users woke up this morning to find that, as promised, several prominent Web sites had gone dark or put up messages asking visitors to contact their members of Congress to vote against two online piracy measures: the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act.

Most notably, Wikipedia has gone dark. Any visitor to that site sees a shadowy “W” and a message saying, “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge.”

I'd like to say that I'm posting out of some desire for non-conformance, but it's really just that I missed the boat here. Everything going on and all, I just plain missed it. I see that Wikipedia has gone dark for the day, limiting the ability of folks to find general information, which is a valid point; Google has blackened their logo and asked folks to contact their CongressCritter; also valid points. There's simply no need for the .gov to be sticking its nose inside this particular tent, especially when work-arounds are so simple and plentiful.

It is interesting note where these companies draw their lines in the sand, isn't it? As soon as they come under fire, they're quick to rally together to protest government intrusion. It's also interesting to note that the sponsorship of the bill - by a Republican, thanks a lot guys - is noted prominently, and much less so that the Democrats on the committee are going right along with it. I have no idea whatsoever what the Stupid Party thinks it's going to accomplish with this idiotic stunt except to cement the idea in people's heads that the GOP is the party of big business as well as Big Brother.

Way to go, morons.

That is all.

SHOT Show, Day Two, Take One...

2012-01-18T12:00:00.003-05:00

So, today dawns with the realization that one of two things need to happen:

1. I need to walk a *lot* faster and talk a *lot* less to folks - not a fan of this, as the Sands is pretty crowded and I really enjoy talking to the folks manning the booths for the most part; or

2. I need to narrow down my field to at least cover what's been asked of me first, what I'd like to see second, and everything else third.

I did manage to cover a few things yesterday, but nowhere near as much as I was hoping to cover. I had a fascinating discussion with a police supply company about Tasers and how they work (more in depth later; there's some great pictures to go with that as well). I had a chance to talk to the very good folks att MGM Targets about their products, especially the auto-resetting steel. I even had a few moments to chat with the very friendly folks at Arsenal Arms about their product line. I know for a fact I just started to scratch the surface about the zillion new and exciting products coming out this year.

I even got a chance to chat with some friends from the NRA (more on that later) including sitting with Lars Dalseide at NRABlog, who went ahead and made me famous on the internet with a lovely photo... He (gently) chided me for not linking to the fine gun pr0n they're been producing on their "Curator's Corner" - an oversight I intend to correct soon (I would say this week, but this Friday is going to be a little on the tricky side, what with flying all day and all...). There's more to come on this, to be revealed in the coming days and weeks. I'll just leave it that I'm excited at what the future holds...

One of the really great things about this show was encapsulated in the visit I had at the Serbu booth. I got to talking with one of the gentlemen at the booth (and I forgot his name; sorry; but I *did* get his card...). Turns out he is the engineer responsible for the new semi-automatic Serbu .50 BMG rifle as well as the carbine version of the single shot. He had some custom pictures available that he was happy to share with me, and was supremely pleasant and willing to chat with folks - even those of us from the [insert ominous pause here] blogging community. I was afraid to ask about a T&E sample, simply because I was afraid I might get one. And then I'd have to feed it...

Plenty more to come, but right now I need to get out on the floor...

That is all.

Some of the Best News So Far....

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Was this:

Yes. Arsenal Arms is importing the VEPR again. New VEPRs hopefully means new magazines, or at least companies making more magazines. There's also talk of kits to remove the thumb hole stock with something more useful...

More news to come!

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Surprising News...

2012-01-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Agent loses appeal over accidental shooting video

WASHINGTON – A federal agent who accidentally shot himself while lecturing children on gun safety lost his appeal Tuesday in a lawsuit over release of the video that subjected him to ridicule on the Internet and late-night talk shows.

Lee Paige sued his employer, the Drug Enforcement Administration, after video of the 2004 accident in Florida appeared in the news and went viral on the Internet. The video shows Paige shooting himself in the leg just as he displays his firearm and tells a gathering of about 50 youth and their parents, "I'm the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock 40."

Wow. I would have put money on him getting something out of this. I mean, this man's livelihood has been effectively reduced to "guy who makes balloon animals at children's parties", because he's certainly not working in law enforcement after that video... He's become the poster child for poor LEO handling of firearms with this careless act, and the kids in that demonstration are very lucky he only injured himself. If it had been a CCW who "accidentally" shot themselves, think they'd still be out of jail?

At least now, finally, he's being held accountable for his lapse in judgment...

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Another One for the Count!

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

misBehaven sends in this one from the great state of Texas:

HPD: Suspect killed during break-in

HOUSTON - A suspect accused of forcing his way into a southwest Houston apartment has been killed, investigators said.

Houston police said the deadly home invasion happened around 8:45 p.m. Thursday on Oakmoor Parkway and Airport Boulevard.

Again, the facts as reported are pretty thin, but it's worthy of note that we have a home invasion at a time where folks are pretty certain to be home. Again, it's left as an exercise to the reader what the two men had planned, given that they had to have some inkling that when they broke in, it was likely at a time when folks would be home and awake. Maybe they would have seen the error of their ways and repented of all evil - or maybe they would have killed everyone inside to leave no witnesses.

Relying on the good graces of someone already willing to break the law to get what they want is not a survival strategy.

Dead Goblin Count: 243.

That is all.

This Is SO Me It Hurts...

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of the first things I came across when I walked into SHOT was this:

Zombie Saw!

The guy who was handling this was a little perplexed at my reaction to this (I think I laughed just a little too loud at the zombie chainsaw) - until I showed him my blog business card with the Snub-a-rooney.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, it really works:

Truly, I have found my people, and their song involves chain oil...

That is all.

Notes from the Floor, Part One...

2012-01-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned briefly before, SHOT Show is a lot bigger than I had originally anticipated. One of the smaller rooms is about the same size as the main room at the NRA convention - and there are two whole floors of rooms. I've been here for four hours and only covered one room. Yikes.

Had my first "bloggers aren't press" experience at one booth. I asked if I could take a picture of one of the items, and the person working the booth asked if I was Press. I replied "Yes, I'm internet media" and the response was distinct that "oh, bloggers aren't press." Out of all the booths I visited this morning, that was the only place that even vaguely questioned the "Internet" vs. "Press" credentials. I think I'll live...

What's also interesting, and by "interesting" I of course mean depressing, is just how few items are actually made here in the United States. Pretty much all of the clothing available as well as most of the optics are outsourced; a telling indictment of how hard it is to find true "Made in the USA" items. Another interesting note is that many companies are still located in "freedom-averse" states like CA or NY - but not a single one from Massachusetts (no, I haven't hit the S&W or Kahr booths yet...

Lots and lots of pictures taken - despite the dire warnings, I haven't come across a company yet that wasn't very responsive to pictures. It's interesting to see the difference between small and large companies - in several cases I was talking to the company owner, usually the person that started the company. In larger outfits, I was talking with folks that seemed to have little interest in talking to folks about their products, and that's pretty disappointing.

(Yes, I am refraining from naming names for the moment. Don't want to condemn based on a single interaction...)

Shorter Jay post: OMG! OMG! OMG!

That is all.

SHOT Show, Day One, Take Two...

2012-01-17T14:41:00.001-05:00

Bigger is better:

Yes, this was taken with Wally in mind...

That is all.

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SHOT Show, Day One, Take One

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Holy smokes. SHOT is a lot bigger than I expected! Here's one of the first of many pictures from the show:

Because nothing says good time like .50 BMG...

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Shoulda Lit A Candle....

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, the Bradys are going to hate the story reader Kevin just sent in...

Girl, 15, wards off burglars

TEXAS CITY — A 15-year-old-girl turned the tables on a pair of intruders early Saturday afternoon.

At 12:52 p.m., Texas City police received a call from the girl saying there was somebody trying to get into her house in the 7300 block of Meadowlark.

OMG! A child got her hands on a firearm! That gun wasn't safely stored! She could have gotten hurt! The Brady bunch would have you believe that she would have been better to have had the gun locked away out of sight where she couldn't get to it in time than run the risk she might use it irresponsibly.They'd rather that young woman cower in a closet and hope the men don't find her than for her to have the best tools available for being safe. They'd rather she learn to vomit on cue to discourage rapists, as well...

No, I think the outcome in this story was much better than anything the Bradys could ever propose...

That is all.

Shoulda Called Obama...

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Stretch sends in yet another story of an illegal immigrant committing the crimes that average Americans could be committing...

Child injured in Brookline crash, illegal immigrant driver faces DUI

BROOKLINE (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A five year old child is recovering after a crash involving a man who police accuse of driving drunk, crashing the car, and then fleeing the scene. Authorities also say that driver is an illegal immigrant driving without a license.

Police responded to the corner of South and Newton Street in Brookline just after 10 P.M. on Friday on reports of a crash. When they arrived to the scene, police discovered a car had hit a utility pole. A man was sitting outside of the car holding an injured young child.

The only consolation - and it is a VERY small one indeed - is that they didn't hurt someone else's child. It's a horrific tragedy that a young child was injured as the result of poor choices made by someone they should have trusted, of course; however at least in this instance the horror is confined to a single family, not another innocent family.

I'd wager the driver is released pending deportation hearings and then disappears, and 20 miles down the road a new town is going to have a resident crime wave move in. We seem to be dealing with illegal aliens that commit crimes in much the same manner as the Catholic Church dealt with molesting priests - send them somewhere else so that they're no longer your problem.

Meanwhile, the streets of Massachusetts continue to be filled with more and more drunken illegals with no licenses...

That is all.

Media Day at the Range AAR...

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Media Day at the Range courtesy of NSSF. Dozens of manufacturers gathered at Boulder Rifle & Pistol range to exhibit their wares to hundreds of media representatives. There were celebrities present as evidenced by yesterday's post; firearms manufacturers by the score, and many new firearms to try out. Here are some random thoughts and observations on the day:

At one point, stopped by the Kriss booth. At least twenty people were waiting to try the carbine and SBR. Next to Kriss was Browning & Winchester, which had very little waiting...
The new Ruger SR22 is smaller than I expected - it's sized similar to the Sig Mosquito. It's not quite a full sized piece, but it shoots fine. It's just not quite a direct rim fire equivalent to the SR series...
Cool happening of the day: standing in line to try out the Slide Fire stock and someone walks over saying "hey, you're JayG! I read your blog" and it's none other than Frank James himself! I think I kept the fanboi squee to a dull roar...
Slide Fire: seems like a neat idea; but took some getting used to. There's two things you need to do to get it to work, and both are pretty counter intuitive: You need to keep your finger on the stock unit - not the trigger - and you need to hold the forend loosely and push out gently. Once you master this, the unit works pretty darn well.
I fired guns from Springfield, Charter Arms, Ruger, Glock, Colt, Remington, Winchester, Browning, and numerous other manufacturers that my feeble brain is forgetting right now. Hitting the silhouette steel target at 25 yards with the Colt Mustang in rapid fire was exhilarating...
Notably absent from the range (at least that I could see) were Smith & Wesson; ~~SIG SAUER~~*; CZ-USA, and Kel-Tec.

More - much more - to come once I can upload pictures. My favorite moment of the day came from the shotgun section - first off, there's a killer AR-based 12 gauge from Turkey that's rocketing to the top of the "When I move to America" list - it makes Abomination look like a toy... Second, I forget the manufacturer, but there was a serious high-end semi-automatic shotgun that I was breaking clays with left and right that was just sublime. I think I forced myself to forget the name so I don't try to buy one...

It was an excellent day all around, and yes, Iain did lick my head again...

That is all.

ETA: Caleb informs me that SIG SAUER was indeed at Media Day. Mea culpa!

How's My Day Going?

2012-01-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

You tell me...

What is my major malfunction?

That is all...

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And Another One!

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Reader Thomas F. sends in the first DGC addition of the week:

Man shot, killed after breaking into Chadbourn home

CHADBOURN, NC (WWAY) -- A Columbus County man is dead after being shot during an alleged home break-in. Investigators are trying to figure out if the man was shot by a resident of the home or his own partner in crime.

Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning residents of this home on North Wilkes Street in Chadbourn say two men forced their way in. They kicked in the door, knocking the frame loose. On the other end a frightened resident who was willing to defend himself.

News reports later confirmed that the homeowner did in fact fire the fatal shot; one can only wonder if the "eye-witnesses" all had red-tipped canes. According to witness testimony, Our Hero fired only one shot, yet managed to hit two goblins, one severely enough to kill him. That's why a 12 gauge is such a great tool for home defense - at short ranges, it dumps a severe amount of energy...

Dead Goblin Count: 242

That is all.

Media Day!

2012-01-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Media Day at the range. Well over 100 firearms manufacturers, ammunition companies, and gear providers are making their fine products available to literally hundreds of media types (both new and old, internet and print). We're being bussed to a range for a good chunk of the day to shoot ammo we don't have to pay for through guns we don't have to clean (YAY!).

Yeah, it's a tough job but someone's gotta do it...

I am going to try to provide real-time updates as best as possible. On-the-spot updates will take place mainly through the magic of my portable Elf Box (thanks to LawDog for that phrase!) - meaning that the pictures won't be top-quality, but they will be immediate. I've never been to SHOT nor Media Day, so I have no idea what to expect with regards to actual access - either for pictures or for shooting - but I'll do my best to bring the latest and greatest to MArooned.

Or I might be having too much fun shootin' stuff and post a huge update tonight - it's kinda up in the air... :)

That is all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Worthy Idea...

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Friend, blogshoot attendee, new gunnie, and all-around good egg Brad_in_MA notes that the first anniversary of "L'Affaire TJIC" is this coming Thursday. He has a simple proposal for everyone that posted their support of TJIC: A buycott similar to Buy A Gun Day or Ammo Day. Show that you stand with your oppressed brother TJIC by (legally) purchasing items to support our Second Amendment enumerated right.

Because of words that he wrote and nothing more; words that targeted no one nor incited anyone to violence; with no record of violence whatsoever, TJIC found himself rendered unable to legally exercise his Second Amendment-protected right to keep and bear arms. Because of something he wrote, which was not sufficient to charge him with a single crime, he had his firearms permit pulled with no avenue for appeal or review.

Go out and support TJIC and your local fun store at the same time on the 19th. Let the powers-that-be see yet another spike in firearms and related items; they seem, based on recent news, to pay great attention to large gun or ammunition purchased (provided they're not running guns to Mexico...). Perhaps seeing thousands (or more) Americans preparing for their own defense will make someone take note...

And hey, at the least you have a shiny new gun and/or extra ammo!

That is all.

Notes While Heading to SHOT...

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

I wrote this while I was sitting in the airplane on the way to Las Vegas for my first visit to the NSSF-sponsored SHOT Show. I've talked to folks that have gone before, and the general consensus is that it is the proverbial "eating the elephant." It's two entire floors of the Sands Convention Center filled with anything and everything to do with anything even tangentially connected to the shooting sports, hunting, law enforcement, or outdoorsman activities.

Sounds like my kinda place...

There was a tempest-in-a-teapot shortly before the start of the show dealing with credentialed media and who certain folks thought should or shouldn't be invited to attend with media privileges. The manner in which it was delivered was brusque and off-putting, but there's an underlying kernel of truth to the rant. It's very easy to start a blog, put up a post about guns, and call oneself a gun blogger; whether that appellation fits, though, is where the problem lies.

Really, it boils down to the blogger behind the blog. Someone who knows little about firearms will quickly find themselves schooled should they talk above their knowledge base (says the guy who has been schooled himself by Tam on more than on occasion). Folks who get into the writing gig just to worm their way into free schwag are also easily spotted (and no, despite all appearances to the contrary, present company is excluded...) and given appropriate credence whether their reviews are sincere or not.

I've bought a number of items based on nothing more than the recommendations of my fellow bloggers; the Gearlslinger pack I brought here from Unc; the iPad I'm typing on now from Alan; there are tools in my gun toolbox based on recommendations from many folks around the gn blogosphere. Ditto some of the firearms in the armory. I know that when I review something, it's entirely possible that someone might part with their hard-earned cash based at least in part on my say-so. I try to keep that in mind and be as impartial as possible; I don't want my recommendations to make promises *any* product can't keep.

The next week promises to be full of new and exciting products from some of the leaders in the industry. Sure, there will be a lot of variations on a theme, with many offerings based on the 1911, the AR-15, and polymer-framed semi-automatic pistols; there will be numerous "zombie" themed items, pink hardware, and other industry standards. But we should also see some new items: a press release from SIG SAUER indicates their first sub-compact handgun addition to the full-size P226 and mid-size P229, among other things.

And even us "nobodies" can report on it...

That is all.

Las Vegas...

2012-01-15T10:52:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me how Las Vegas was. I tried to think of a proper response, but all I could think of was:

Take every cliché, every trope, every overdone Hollywood boilerplate movie about Las Vegas. Then triple it. Even then Vegas is way beyond that.

It's loud. It's bright. It's crowded as hell. There's no open container law, so folks are just walking around drinking. The crowd is either 20 something or late 50-something - there were very few people in our age group there. Apparently the push to make Vegas more family friendly is over - there's very little for kids to do and pretty much anything puts you into a casino, where they're not allowed.

But it is kinda neat at night:

Many more pictures to follow. We're going to do Hoover Dam today and walking the strip in the daytime, and then tomorrow the SHOT Show madness begins. I figure tonight we'll get some good pictures of the Strip (yay! Unburied the good camera!) and then there will be some better pictures... Especially at night - the above picture doesn't do it justice...

If there's one thing for sure, Las Vegas is truly a one-of-a-kind place...

That is all.

Sittin' In An Airway Station...

2012-01-14T07:38:00.002-05:00

...got a chicken for my destination...

Made it to the airport and through security, and have ~ 45 minutes to spare before hurtling through the sky in a big metal tube. Expected arrival in LV is 4:15 local time, at which point our air travel odyssey will be (half) over; meaning that only half the panic will be left... (your humble host is petrified of flying...) We took an extra day to do the tourist thing before SHOT starts, so tomorrow will be spent doing lots of gawking and taking of pictures...

Should have lots more to say later, so stay tuned!

That is all.

SHOT Show Gunblogger Dinner Update...

2012-01-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

ExUrbanKevin has posted an update about the proposed gunblogger dinner during SHOT Show.

What: Gunbloggers (and commenters/lurkers/etc.) either in town for SHOT Show or locals meeting up to hoist a pint, nosh something yummy, and sit around and jaw for a spell.

Time: Tuesday, January 17th. 7:00 PM (Note to self: *NOT* EST)

Location: Grand Lux Café in the Venetian

Why: Why Not?

Thanks to Lila for the suggestion, and to everyone else for comments on where to go and what to do.

Hope to see lots of folks at the dinner!

That is all.

PC Backlash?

2012-01-13T12:00:00.004-05:00

From the BLNN, we read a story about a politically incorrect happening...

Tucson school board votes to do away with Mexican American studies program

The school district in Tucson voted Tuesday to dismantle its Mexican American Studies program that had left critics wondering what exactly the course taught participating students.

“There was no clear curriculum and it currently serves less than 1 percent of Tucson students,” Andrew Le Fevre, a spokesman for superintendent of public instruction, said. He said the classes were poorly supervised and students would get extra credit for things like attending protests and bringing family members along.

Wow. It wasted money, served a tiny percentage of the school population, was poorly defined, and they cut it anyways? Toto, I don't think we're in Massachusetts any more! It's heartening to see that there's still some modicum of common sense somewhere in America; that there are still holdouts to fiscal prudence over feel-good do-nothing PC bullshit. The natural protests abound, including violence threatened against the Hispanic board member who voted to kill the program - of course, accused of being a sellout, because he should naturally support the program because of his ancestry, right?

Not be judged by the color of their skin - or their heritage - indeed.

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Neat Gear Review!

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Chance reviews a new holster from Galco at Shooting Illustrated.

The price is very reasonable, and from the review it sounds like it carries very well. Even if you pick it up to have as a "when things go bump in the night" holster, it's a great deal. With the Crimson Trace LightGuard, you've got a small, compact weapon light that doesn't add a ton of weight and bulk to your sidearm; now there's a decent holster built specifically with this in mind. (Gee, if only there was another gunblogger who liked sticking things on his firearms to try this out...) :)

Go check out the article and take a read - it sounds like a winnah!

That is all.

Two, Two, Two Adds in One!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

A whole bunch of people sent this one in, and it's a REALLY good one...

Florida senior citizen shoots, kills suspected burglar

A senior citizen in Florida shot dead a would-be burglar at his home early Thursday morning as the suspect was trying to gain entry into the Daytona Beach home, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.

The 82-year-old homeowner woke up at 6 a.m. after hearing someone at his backdoor, the report said. He armed himself with a .45 automatic and fired a single shot through the door, the report said. The suspected burglar was hit in the abdomen and likely died minutes later.

Again, it's necessary to point out that the anti-gun forces would rather this octogenarian had faced an adversary with a hammer and a ski mask with his bare hands rather than a .45. They would rather see someone's grandfather - a man who recently lost his wife - at the mercy of some goblin with a lack of respect for the law (and other people's property). They would strip us of the best tools for self defense and force the weak to rely on the good graces of folks that already break the law - never a winning combination.

The crowning jewel in the story is the quote from the Chief of Police:

“The 82-year-old resident did something that the criminal justice system couldn’t do,” said Mike Chitwood, the chief of Daytona Beach police. “And that’s put this burglar out of business this morning.”

Notice the distinct lack of "we discourage self-help" in the chief's statement...

Dead Goblin Count: 240

And Bob sends in one from a little further north of the previous:

Lake Waccamaw store employee fatally wounds man during robbery attempt

LAKE WACCAMAW - An attempted armed robbery at Waccamaw Outdoor Supply on Wednesday ended with the alleged robber critically injured from a single gunshot, Police Chief Scott Hyatt said. The suspect died hours later.

"A masked suspect came in with a weapon - not a gun, a weapon - and there was an exchange between the employee and the suspect," Hyatt said. "There were employees and customers in the store at the time. It was not a customer who did the shooting."

It's interesting that the Chief felt the need to annotate that the weapon used by the goblin was not a firearm, but it's all good - the clerk will most likely not be charged. What folks don't often realize is that convenience store clerks are - as a group - more likely than police officers to be killed on the job. Easy cash and a desire for no witnesses means that desperate folks take desperate measures. The more crooks that catch a bullet, the more we hope fewer goblins will try the "easy" score...

Dead Goblin Count: 241

That is all.

Friday Gun Pr0n #249

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Heh. This one was almost numerically accurate, too... I mentioned earlier this week getting a new T&E gun. No one guessed the correct model; Brad_in_MA guessed something in the proper caliber, though. Here's the new gun:

Moar .45 ACP Goodness!

That's a SIG SAUER P250 Compact in G-d's Own Pistol Caliber (.45 ACP). It's a DAO, hammer-fired, polymer framed double stack semi-automatic with a modular design - not only can the slide and barrel be swapped out for different sizes (and calibers), but the frame as well. There's a "functional mechanism" that's the actual firearm (the part that's serialized) that can be taken out of the current frame and placed in a full-size or subcompact frame (with the matching slide and barrel, natch).

It's quite an intriguing concept, and with any kind of luck I'll get a chance to play with the different size options and possibly other calibers as well. I've had excellent luck with the .22LR conversion kit for my P226, which swaps out literally in seconds and allows inexpensive rimfire shooting through a standard duty gun - $0.03/round .22LR vs $0.20/round for 9mm (or $0.25/round for the .40 S&W P226). Being able to change grip size is also rather interesting - it's only one firearm, but it can serve double duty as a carry gun and a home defense pistol.

I'll be putting it through its paces and giving a full report down the road...

That is all.

Wait. Full Stop.

2012-01-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

The NYT is making sense. Stop the world, I want to get off...

Internet Access Is Not a Human Right

FROM the streets of Tunis to Tahrir Square and beyond, protests around the world last year were built on the Internet and the many devices that interact with it. Though the demonstrations thrived because thousands of people turned out to participate, they could never have happened as they did without the ability that the Internet offers to communicate, organize and publicize everywhere, instantaneously.

The article veers off later into the "responsibility" of those that make and maintain internet hardware and related systems to insure that their devices work for the betterment of mankind, etc., but the fundamental point is valid: claiming that [transient piece of hardware] is a right is doomed to fail, whereas the broader concepts backing up that [transient piece of hardware] will endure. It's the big reason that the whole "The Second Amendment means you can own a musket" argument is so infuriating.

Those evil dead white European-descent males that wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights didn't just take a look at what was commonly available on the the street and toss them in. They didn't say that people had a right to use a printing press to say whatever they wanted - or to shout things out in the town square; they recognized that it was the right of the individual person to speak their mind without fear from governmental retribution that was the key issue. They didn't think that people should be allowed to own one specific type of firearm - and bear in mind, during their lifetime they watched significant advances in weaponry with the advent of the rifle.

The underlying human right - that which cannot be granted by a government, simply recognized - that is the fundamental issue here. We have a natural, inherent right to speak our minds, to provide for our families, to live our lives without undue intrusion by the governing body. This is the bedrock principle upon which this country was founded, and yet we've been arguing over semantics for most of our nation's existence. With gun control efforts stretching back to Reconstruction; with wealth redistribution efforts starting in the Depression; to the new catchphrase of "[insert important good or commodity] is a human right" - all of this takes away from the intent of the Bill of Rights to delineate controls on the government.

Which, of course, is their intent all along. Designate something a "right", and there's an implied obligation of the government to force - at gun point, remember - society to embrace this "right". ~~Romney~~ObamaCare comes readily to mind. Health care, despite our best wishes, is not a "right". We're free to seek our living in order to afford it; but health care as an institution is goods and services provided by another entity. Saying that it is a "right" means that we all need access to it - which in today's parlance means that the .gov should force providers to give it to us for free if necessary.

And what does the .gov get out of this? Very simply, they get more power. They provide this "right" to those that have not earned it, and then those that have not earned it become increasingly dependent on the government for more and more "rights". The government, by dint of being the body that enforces equal access to "rights", acquires more power through laws designated to facilitate each new "right". That they happen to pick up more and more fans of "give me something because it's my right" who will vote for the proper lizard is a happy side effect.

The only right we truly need is the right to be left the hell alone.

That is all.

Thanks to Yankeefried for sending the story in!

Maybe The Problem Is You...

2012-01-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

PISSED sent this in. Apparently I'm getting too mellow.

Burglar caught on camera entering a Middleboro home

MIDDLEBORO, Mass. -- A burglar was caught on a home security camera as he entered a house in Middleboro.

The video shows the suspect knocking and then walking through the unlocked side door. It happened around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon when the homeowner was out.

Emphasis mine. You will understand more in a little bit...

My wife doesn't understand why I get so upset when I find doors unlocked in our house. This is why. Your home doesn't necessarily have to be a fortress, but taking very simple precautions like locking your damn doors can thwart most casual burglars. Why should they waste time and effort breaking into a house if the place next door has unlocked doors? Kicking in doors is dramatic and all, but it also sets off alarms and such - and in free America, paints a target squarely on the goblin's torso.

This is what got me:

“It’s the third year in a row that we’ve been broken into. My husband decided to put the camera in so that every time someone comes in to the house he’s actually triggered by e-mail and it’s a drop cam, we can see anybody that comes in the house,” said Iarrobino.

Maybe your house is getting broken into so often because you leave your damn door unlocked?

Yes, the criminal is at fault here. Yes, you should be able to leave your door unlocked without fear of some scumbag walking in and stealing your stuff. However, what should be and how life really is rarely intersect, and taking very simple, basic precautions like locking your doors when you're going to be out of the house (really, you should lock your doors at all times) is just plain common sense. To complain about your house being broken into repeatedly, though, while leaving the door unlocked is beyond belief...

Someone, please, introduce "cause" to "effect" here...

That is all.

WAAAAAY Too Close To Home...

2012-01-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Yikes. I used to take my kids to this park...

Source: 2 Killed In Apparent Murder Suicide At Haverhill Park

HAVERHILL (CBS) – Two people were killed in an apparent murder suicide at a park in Haverhill on Wednesday, a source told WBZ-TV.

When investigators left the scene at Winnekenni Castle just before six o’clock Wednesday evening, they took with them the cars that earlier this afternoon were surrounded by crime tape. They are the same vehicles that were spotted by the groundskeeper’s young son and one of his friends around one this afternoon.

The cars are both from out of state - but different states at that. The reporting is scant at the moment, but authorities are saying that there is no danger to the community. It's hard to tell, with the light reporting so far, whether this was something nefarious or something different. With the two affected parties from two different states - separated by MA - it's unlikely to be a crime of chance; the castle is fairly close to a major highway but not known much to non-locals and folks not steeped in the minutiae lore of the North Shore.

This is a *very* small park, with a recreation of an English castle as the focal point. It's popular with parents of small children, as the lake upon which the castle sits has walking trails for getting in some exercise and a large play area with slides and swings and such for the kids. The castle is popular with the Renaissance types, with weddings available in the summer time; it's also quite popular around Halloween, with the "Haunted Castle" being a big draw.

It's likely that we'll never know what transpired that led to this event. Crime reconstructionists should be able to divine which was the murder and which was the suicide; determining if this were mutual (i.e. two despondent teens; two elderly friends in failing health; etc.) or not (bad divorce; online meeting gone wrong; jilted lover; etc.) will be much harder. Barring a note or other background being discovered, this may become one of the local mysteries that the locals use to scare newcomers to town...

It's just jarring to see something like this in a place you know...

That is all.

Life Imitates "Total Recall"

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, I'm flipping through the news and I come across this story:

Minivans of the Future Appear in Detroit

Two very different visions of the future of the minivan made are on display at the 2012 North American International Auto show.

The Nissan e-NV200 combines the battery-powered drivetrain of the Nissan Leaf with the platform of the company’s small conventional van that will be serving as New York City’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” starting in 2013.

Well, when I hear "Taxi of Tomorrow", what naturally comes to mind but "Johnny Cab"?

Johnny!

Then I found the picture of the Nissan e-NV200:

Envy? I Think Not

The resemblance is uncanny!

That is all.

MArooned: Bringing Gunnies Together...

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I got an e-mail yesterday from a reader, Chris. Chris just joined the USMC (thank you for your service, Chris!) and had a most interesting coincidence Seems he happened to find something in common with one of the other Marines in his boot camp. I'll let him tell you about it:

Greetings Jay,
I've been a longtime reader and gun nut who is also cursed by living in the People's Republic of Mass (and especially resentful after spending 4 years of college in the great state of Texas), though not for much longer.

I was never much for contributing or trying to introduce myself into the group but I recently had an experience too priceless not to share with a good friend of yours, a one Mr. Heath. I myself also just graduated from MCRD Parris Island in the same platoon as our friend Heath.

Our introduction was certainly memorable, out of all the people places and activities in the world the two of us meet in the middle of a pitch black, 5 mile, night hike through the piney woods of PI in the middle of the Crucible. Being a jovial fellow (and the hike being more than a bit boring) he came over and said hello to the new guy in the platoon (another long story). Guns and shooting soon came up and he asked if I ever read any blogs and who. The first one that came to mind was JayG....to which he of course responds "Oh really, yeah he's awesome. He stays at my house all the time." -insert jaw drop- Of all the things I didnt expect at boot camp, meeting another blogger who routinely hangs out with all the guys I've been reading for years ranks pretty damn near to the top. Needless to say the rest of the hike was filled with talk of 1911's, Monster Hunter, zombies, Larry C-George H-Marko-Sayuncle etc etc, why obama sucks, vicious circle, and even once (though im ashamed to admit i forgot the context) the epic "Take off and nuke the site from orbit...its the only way to be sure" was tossed out...i feel it may have had something to do with DI's. We even dubbed one of the guys in our fire team the Combat Wombat. Definitely one of the most memorable times of boot camp. Can't wait to delve further into this world where maybe for a change I won't be the most deranged person in the room...maybe

Chris, (now) PFC USMC (still kinda excited about that)

The internet is a surprisingly small place, apparently; at least the gun blogosphere part of it. It's not terribly surprising that a 'net-savvy gunnie living in MA might happen across my blog; it is, however, pretty cool and amazingly coincidental that he happened to be placed in the same platoon as my brother-from-another-mother Heath. What are the odds that a gunnie from MA would wind up in the same platoon as a guy from OH that happens to be friends with another gunnie from MA?

Like Stephen Wright would say, "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it"...

That is all.

When Will We Gun-Happy Americans Learn?

2012-01-11T14:00:00.002-05:00

Oh, wait...

Prosecutor shot dead during German trial

BERLIN-- German police say a 54-year-old defendant shot and killed a prosecutor during his trial in the Munich area.

Police spokesman Guenther Beck said the man opened fire Wednesday afternoon in the Dachau administrative court trial. The alleged shooter was on trial over claims he paid his employees improper wages.

[scratches head] Okay. So you were on trial for improper payment of wages. I have no idea what German law is on the subject, but I'm pretty confident that whatever punishment might have been doled out for not paying your employees correctly is going to be significantly less than, oh, say, premeditated murder. I have no idea what German gun laws are - there are few German shooting enthusiasts who frequent the gun blogs, if any of you can help out here - but I would wager they're more restrictive than most of the USA.

No law will prevent such events - they can only offer punishments severe enough to discourage folks from undertaking such events.

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Three Days, Five Additions...

2012-01-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

The Big Guy sends in yet another DGC addition (possibly two) out of - wait for it - Texas.

S.A. man kills home invader, wounds another

SAN ANTONIO -- A man is dead and two more are in the hospital following a home invasion that turned into a gunfight early Wednesday morning at 8219 Quail Creek, police say.

The homeowner told police he heard a knock at the door and then some commotion around the garage just before 5:00 a.m. Thinking it was suspicious, the man got his shotgun and went to see what was going on.

It's interesting to note that the homeowner had a shotgun while the assailant had an AR-15 pattern rifle and yet the homeowner prevailed. Five to eight rounds of 00 buckshot vs. 30 rounds of .223 and he still managed to kill one and put the other one in the hospital. He took a round to the face (ouch!) which while still quite serious does not appear to be fatal. It sounds like he walked into his kitchen, saw the dude with the rifle, and opened fire - proving Tuco's adage that "if you're going to shoot, shoot"'; hesitation on the homeowner's part would most likely have changed this story dramatically.

Mindset is just as important as caliber, possibly even moreso.

Dead Goblin Count: 239

That is all.

And On The Lighter Side...

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Not all dispatches from the BLNN are infuriating. Some are kinda funny, if you can ignore the dark, almost pathologically criminal side of human nature... Enjoy!

Report: N.Y. School Employee Faked Daughter's Death for Costa Rica Vacation

NEW YORK – A New York City school employee has lost her job over accusations she faked her daughter's death so she could take a vacation to Costa Rica.

The Daily News says a school official became suspicious of the forged death certificate. A special investigator's report says it had different fonts that were misaligned.

Yep. She faked her daughter's death so she could go on vacation. Not only that, but she had her other daughter call the school and report that her sister had died. You can't find quality parenting like that just anywhere! "Honey, you call that school and lie your ass off to them! Mama needs a Costa Rican vacation!"

What's really interesting is that they discuss the misaligned fonts as some sort of forensic CSI breakthrough, but miss the main point:

She allegedly told school officials her daughter died in Costa Rica so she could spend 2 1/2 weeks there in March 2010.

A Costa Rican government official later confirmed the document was a fake, noting it dated from 2005.

So while school officials are poring over this document to determine whether it's legitimate or not, they apparently missed the fact that this woman was going to a funeral in 2010 for someone that died in 2005. Man, things really do work different in Costa Rica, I suppose. You wonder what would have happened if she had just called in sick for two weeks - she certainly wouldn't have gotten in any legal trouble, and while she might have gotten fired, she might also have just been reprimanded...

I guess that's what happens when the documents are fake but not accurate...

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Amusing Anecdote...

2012-01-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Was recounting to my brother-from-another-mother Heath last night a funny story from last Saturday's Northeast Blogger Winter Social dinner, and just had to share.

So we're winding dinner down, and a few of us wanted to go play pool afterwards. I asked our waitress if she knew of any pool halls in the immediate area, and she stopped to think about it.

"Well, there's a couple, but they're in a rough section of town. I wouldn't want to send you guys there."

Yeah. To a table of gunbloggers. By sheer numbers any establishment we entered would automatically become the safest place in northern New England. I was good, though - I managed to avoid overtly laughing at our very nice and capable waitress. As soon as she walked away, I had to turn my head and laugh...

Well *I* thought it was funny!

That is all.

They'd Rather I Had A Candle...

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ex-UPS Worker Gets 100 Years for Home Invasions

GREENBELT, Md. – A man awaiting trial in the deaths of a mother and her daughter has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for crimes committed during dozens of armed home invasions and burglaries.

Jason Scott was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. A judge said he'll be remembered as one of the "most hated" people in the county and that he was a "tsunami" of crime.

Read the article. This dude was an honest-to-goodness psychopath. Armed home invasions. Carjacking. Child pornography. And, finally, like so many psychopaths, eventually murder. He used the information he received working for UPS for choosing his victims - if that doesn't scare you, it should. They know your address, they know when you're home (or not), they've got valid reason to get up close and personal with your home and possible home defenses.

And yet there are still those who think the best way to deal with psychopaths like Scott is to take away my guns and light a candle.

People like Scott - those that completely and utterly eschew the moral and legal code that allows society to function as it does - are the very reason we are armed. As much as we might wish it were otherwise, there are those among us that do not abide by the rules that define us as civilized. They would rather prey upon those weaker than themselves than stay within the confines of what is considered legally and ethically correct - and by "weaker", we often mean "follow the rules to their own detriment"...

And those of us who acknowledge that evil is out there are ridiculed as "knuckle-dragging neanderthals" and "beer-swilling rednecks." Because we are not blind to the ugly side of humanity, we are mocked and shamed by those who consider themselves our moral superiors - as though there is anything approaching morality in allowing evil to walk unfettered among us. They call us paranoid for taking steps to provide for our own protection, even though case law proves that the police are under no obligation to do so.

If you were to suggest that you don't believe in fire extinguishers or smoke detectors because "that's what the fire department is for", you'd be thought a loon. If you never clicked your seatbelt because "well, if there's an accident the EMTs will fix me up", people would think you were taking unnecessary risks. If you didn't have health insurance because "that's just for sick people", folks wouldn't be too sympathetic should you require hospitalization. Yet all of these things are simple precautions against statistically unlikely events - much like carrying a firearm because you might encounter a goblin.

As Mr. Scott proves, goblins can find their way into even the most bucolic little 'burbs - so be prepared!

That is all.

Another dispatch from

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Time for Another Rousing Installment!

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite game: Guess what new gun I'm getting!

I've got a new T&E gun in the works, my first for 2012. It will join the two Smith & Wesson M&Ps as well as the Ruger SR9c and LCR in the testing queue, is in a caliber I'm already testing, and comes from a company I've done T&E work for in the past. It will be revealed this Friday as Friday's Gun Pr0n. Folks in GBC and those that attended the Northeast Blogger lunch and dinner are ineligible to guess... ;)

So, who wants to take a guess what the new gun is?

That is all.

And Another One!

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Greg sends in the latest addition (four adds in two days!):

Alleged burglar fatally shot by homeowner in South Everett

EVERETT, Wash. -- An alleged burglar was fatally shot at a home on Monday morning. The incident occurred at a home in the 10500 block of 21st Ave. SE at approximately 11:47 a.m.

Snohomish County sheriff's deputies said the homeowner found the stranger in his home, and a confrontation ensued. During the argument, the homeowner opened fire, hitting the alleged burglar. The person was pronounced dead minutes later.

I'd imagine this wasn't a home invasion, this was a simple case of "hey, you're not supposed to be home at this hour of day" kinda thing. First thing Monday morning most folks are at work, so what better time for a goblin to ply their trade? The article is extremely short on details, except to say that WA allows for self-protection (unlike here in MA where self-help is discouraged...) and that there have been a recent increase in burglaries and car break-ins.

At least there's one fewer goblin to be concerned about...

Dead Goblin Count: 238

That is all.

Tuesday Campaign Pic, Part 26

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for the weekly campaign poster. With the primaries in New Hampshire today, the election season is into full swing, so let's help Teleprompter Jesus get all the attention he deserves...

Go with the flow...

Make sure the word gets out about the stellar economic stewardship of the Ø!

That is all.

Yeah. Gun Control Works...

2012-01-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Watch this, and then tell me that any form of gun control will work...

That looks to be about $30 worth of hardware from any home improvement store. Length of pipe, some springs, and standard gate hardware, and this guy built a working 12 gauge shotgun. Might not be good for more than a couple of shots, and the reloading takes a while, but the Liberator was only a single shot, too... I don't know that I'd trust my life to it, but if it was all I had, it beats harsh language seven days of the week and twice on Sunday...

The genie is out of the bottle. Has been for well over 100 years now. The knowledge to make working firearms and ammunition is out there; has been out there; and will not go away despite the most fervent wishes of those who would see us at the whim of the government's monopoly of force. Banning all firearms will no more remove them from society than Prohibition removed alcohol or the present "War on drugs" removes cocaine and pot from our city streets.

Make guns illegal - and make no mistake, that's exactly what the Bradys and VPCs and such want - and only criminals and the State will have arms. Criminals by definition do not abide by such silly things as laws, and the State has never written a rule that it didn't exempt itself - and its agents - from being subject to. Even assuming we could repeal the Second Amendment and rid the US of all firearms, even if we could magically remove the knowledge of gunpowder entirely; the goblins will use knives, bats, and fists against the law-abiding.

Like a smart bahstahd says, gun control is what you do instead of something...

That is all.

Walking The Floor...

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

SHOT Show opens a week from today, and I'm planning on being there when the doors open. 1,600 exhibitors. Two solid floors each the size of a city block. In-booth specials. Sessions designed for the shooting enthusiast, gear monkey, or gun writer. 332 exhibitors under the "Firearms" tag alone. Outdoor apparel. Hunting gear. If there's anything related to the outdoors, shooting, hunting, or otherwise, chances are there are several dozen companies competing to have the best offering for it...

I may have to wrap my head in duct tape to keep it from exploding...

I've got three days to explore it all. I imagine there will be some running involved... I'm curious what folks are most interested in hearing about, though - there are certain manufacturers I intend to ~~pester~~ visit, but I'm wondering what everyone else is curious to discover. Is there a hot new wundernine waiting to be released by a new player? Is a certain Floridian company going to release another new and exotic firearm, only to be plagued by distribution issues? Is another major manufacturer going to release yet another shotgun-caliber revolver?

All of these questions - and more - may be answered next week!

Anyways, if there's something in particular of interest, some manufacturer whose wares should be more fully explored, or a new company to be investigated, give a holler. This is my first time at SHOT Show and I'm wide open for suggestions on what to cover. Obviously the major manufacturers will be grilled to find out the latest models approved for sale in MA, but aside from that I'm pretty open in my explorations. Give a shout if there's something in specific you're curious about, or if you just want to make me wander around the floor aimlessly...

Besides, it's Las Vegas - I'm going to need to walk the floor a couple dozen times to work off the buffets!

That is all.

Milestones...

2012-01-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

A couple milestones to celebrate today:

1. Unc just rolled his blogometer over 7 million hits. Seven million. Wow. I think I'd have to keep blogging well into my 70s to hit that...

2. My #1 blogdaughter is celebrating her second blogiversary. *sniff* My little girl is all growed up. Well, figuratively. She's a tall drink of water, that one.

Go, read, and celebrate!

That is all.

Just Go Read.

2012-01-09T14:00:00.001-05:00

An Open Letter To The Anti-Gun Folks

Seriously. Go read the whole thing. I won't even try to add to it, it's that's good; all I will say is that I am proud to count myself among her people. I will work harder in 2012 to remain one of those people.

Please, just go read.

That is all.

Headlines We'd Rather Not See...

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

3 Men Arrested for Violating Weapons Export Laws

LOS ANGELES – Authorities have arrested three Philippine nationals on charges of violating arms import laws by selling a grenade launcher and other weapons to an undercover officer.

The men were charged under the Arms Export Control Act in a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in the Central District of California.

A grenade launcher and fully automatic weapons? Haven't we been told these were readily available at any gun show in the continental United States? I am a little curious about the "sniper rifle", given that most high-end accurate rifles are bolt-action or semi-automatic at most - it would seem to be more of a question of import permits rather than gun laws violated. It's actually rather surprising - it would seem that this would be the perfect match for the Øbama administration in their quest to arm Mexican drug gangs...

It does bring to mind numerous questions, like how many of these shipments are not intercepted? How many actual, honest-to-goodness machine guns and such are finding their way into the hands of gang members and other undesirables? It's folly to think that the only illicit substances being funneled to the various gangs are drugs. Despite the bleating of the Bradys and such, true automatic weaponry is quite rare in the US - the gang that could come up with an significant advantage in firepower would rule their turf...

Just when you thought you ran out of things to worry about...

That is all.

This has been another dispatch of the

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

Unmitigated Awesome...

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Stretch sends in this little bit of awesome:

Run *that* up your flagpole

I'll pledge allegiance to bacon!

That is all.

What Makes Monday Better?

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

...Why, a whole slew of DGC additions, of course! Commenters Kevin and Bill'o'Rites send in the latest additions to the count.

Home invader fatally shot, Houston police say

An armed man was fatally shot after he tried to force his way into a home in south Houston, police said late Friday.

The man was killed in an exchange of gunfire about 7 p.m. with somebody inside the home in the 10900 block of Roandale. He was the only person who was hit, Houston police said.

Gotta wonder about the mindset of someone kicking in the door in Texas, given that they're the highest donors to the DGC...These types of additions are starting to get more common, which is both good and bad - good, in that the honest, law-abiding folks are keeping themselves safe by taking responsibility for their protection; bad because goblins just don't seem to get it.

But then again, if they could learn from their mistakes, they wouldn't be goblins...

Dead Goblin Count: 235

Man shot in Rockford home invasion identified

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man who was charged in May of domestic battery, unlawful restraint and criminal trespassing only to have the charges later dropped, was found dead after a home invasion Thursday night.

Troy Deshun Perkins, 26, was identified Friday as the man shot to death during an attempted home invasion reported shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday in the 1100 block of 12th Avenue.

Sounds exactly like the kind of guy who would benefit most by being added to the count, doesn't he? Reading the rest of the report, he's been in and out of prison for the past decade - so you could argue that the state killed Perkins by not actually keeping him behind bars when he was supposed to be incarcerated...

Dead Goblin Count: 236

Maxton man killed in apparent home-invasion robbery attempt

LUMBERTON - A man trying to force his way into a Maxton mobile home in an apparent home-invasion robbery attempt was shot dead during a struggle, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.

Derrick Ray Chavis, 27, of Contour Lane in Maxton, was killed in the shooting at a home on Nina Drive shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday, Maj. Howard Branch said.

The story gets a little convoluted, but it seems like the guy that pushed his way into the house took a round or rounds to the body in an eventually fatal manner. I've had a few friends who lived in mobile homes, though, and the use of a long gun would be difficult to say the least - gotta hand it to the homeowner for having the willpower to see it through...

Dead Goblin Count: 237

That is all.

SHOT Show Meetup...

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, SHOT Show 2012 begins in a little over a week, with folks trickling into the Las Vegas area in about a week's time. We're heading out on Saturday, getting in a day as a family in ~~the gaudiest place on earth~~ ~~Sin City~~ Vegas and surrounding area before daddy gets sucked into more than two city blocks of the latest and greatest in gunnie goodness.

Numerous folks have expressed interest in getting together for dinner one night during the week of SHOT Show. Wednesday night is out, as there's an event that night that a good number of folks are attending, but other than that it's pretty open. Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night are open, and ExUrbanKevin over at Misfires and Light Strikes is trying to pull something together and has a poll up for time and place.

Now, I've never been to Vegas - hell, this will make the first time in my 40 years on this planet I've ever been more than one time zone away from home. I'm guessing that there are more than a couple places where a rowdy group of folks could get together for good food, a few adult beverages, and stimulating conversation. I'd wager that pretty much anywhere we picked on the strip would be fine.

Anyone local - or just a frequent Vegas guest - have any suggestions?

I've been to blogmeets in New England, OH, MD, and FL, and they've all been great. The venue may change; the players may - or may not - differ; the locale may or may not be hospitable to folks what like to talk about guns, but every single time I've gotten together with members of my chosen tribe it has been a wonderful time that's over far too soon. I'm eagerly looking forward to SHOT Show and seeing all the cool new guns, gadgets, and gear that are poised to roll out in 2012; I'm even more excited about seeing some old friends again and meeting up with new ones.

So, who's going, and when and where are we getting together?

That is all.

The Cobbler's Children...

2012-01-08T14:25:00.003-05:00

Gunsmith extraordinaire Wally is fond of referring to the "Cobbler's Children" when asked about his own firearms projects - the professional [insert here] is so busy taking care of others that they neglect their own. Hence why my pic is last - I was too busy writing up the rest! Okay, so I just wanted mine separate, but I thought it made an interesting segue...

Darkness-B-Gone

Smith & Wesson M&P45 with LaserLyte pistol bayonet (natch!) rail, and mini-light and a LaserMax Uni-Max rail-mounted laser sight. Okay, so the pistol bayonet isn't part of the home defense set-up (it won't fit in the underbed safe with it on), but the laser helps aim and the micro-light lights up the night...

And 21 rounds of Winchester Ranger 175 grain .45 ACP +P frangible rounds for any goblins caught in the glare...

That is all.

No Darkness Here...

2012-01-08T11:53:00.005-05:00

In response to Weerd's counter-protest, folks have been sending in pictures of their carry guns and candles and/or posting them on their blogs.

Here's a roundup of folks who won't be relying on candles:

Cher's contribution

Cher's other half Mopar has this:

Glock 23, Surefire, and Kershaw Leek. The little pump shotgun to the right represents the Mossberg 500 nearby, and also happens to be a lighter.

Jason in MN sends in his set-up:

Here are my two carry weapons. The first is a Glock 23, loaded with 13+1 rounds of Cor-Bon Pow'R Ball .40 S&W and two spare 15-round magazines carried in a Safariland magazine holster. The other is a recently acquired Ruger KLCR-357. I have a pocket holster for it, and have an OWB slide holster on order, but I am currently evaluating carry ammunition at the range prior to carrying it.

Dr. Feelgood adds this:

Here is my submission for the candle lighting event. My CZ P01 wears some newish wood grips, and it rides on my hip in a Crossbreed Supertuck with 15 rounds of 124 grain JHP 9mm ammunition. The deterrent effect suggests that it prevents a bit of violence just by being there. If pressed into service, it may even save lives. I doubt that the votive would be as useful, though it might make our GFW friends feel that they're close to ending violent crime. With a candle. That's lit.

Scott has multiple ways of lighting things up:

Jay, since you are talking about keeping safe in the dark, I figure we should have more than a candle. Here is a late addition to the “Light a Candle”program. My EDC M&P 9mm w/Streamlight TLr-1, 34 rounds of 124gr +P PDX1 carried in a Raven Concealment Phantom light compatible holster and mag carrier.

JFT has a nice pair:

Here is my submission for the candle-right vigil. Oleg I ain't, but it's what I can do with what I got.

9mm Walther PPS loaded with 124 gr Hornady XTP, carried in a Minotaur MTAC holster. S&W Bodyguard 380 loaded with 90 gr Hornday FTX, wrapped with a Hogue Handall Jr. to tame the little dog's bite, carried in a DeSantis Super Fly pocket holster.

Yancy is not afraid of the dark at all:

Bubblehead Les is well-heeled against that which goes bump in the night:

Here's the shot for the Light the Candle. I've already fed it to Brother Beard, but since you wanted to spread the Wealth, here's the breakdown. First, in one of Dennis' Dragonleatherworks Fuglys is my Police Turn Smith 4043 (in .40 S+W). That my EDC gun. The Baby Browning is my Uber Discrete/Pocket/Back Up gun. Yeah, yeah, I know its in .25ACP, but it beats a Sharp Stick. It's riding in an old Alessi Talon. The "Snubbie From Hell (Great Lakes Edition)" is my Dan Wesson .357 with the 2" barrel. It's home is a Galco Pro that I modified. It is the Gun I slide into the House Coat when I let the Dogs out at 3 in the Morning; or when it's Snowing Badly, it fits into my Parka. I can shoot it with Gloves on, something some of our Southern Friends don't have to worry about in the Winter.

Now for the Stabby Things. The smaller knife is a CRKT M-16 that I ground the serrations off (I hate those things! If I Need a saw, I'll use a Saw). It's my 3 Season Knife. But for Winter and Gloved Hands, I like my K-Bar Zilla. And the Cold Steel Sword Cane is for my Bad Knees, and those places that have "No Guns Allowed!", like the Tilt-N-Kilt. Hey, I DO have a Sharp Stick!

Chad has this against the dark:

Here's my candle and carry gun....the knife is a Kershaw Tremor, the gun obviously a glock 23.

And Rob's nice lookin' rig:

We also have links!

I'll have mine up shortly...

That is all.

First Contests of the Year!

2012-01-08T09:28:00.002-05:00

Aaron has the monthly rundown of what's up for grabs.

Lots of good stuff of for grabs (more for those of you who live in America, but I digress...). Go click through, sign up for some free stuff, and let me know if y'all win something! Unc had first dibs on Colt's recent contest, so it could happen to you!

Go. Click. Win!

That is all.

And check back later for a mondo "Light a candle" update.

Northeast Blogger Dinner Live Blogging...

2012-01-07T20:00:00.001-05:00

Sitting at a table with Mopar, Cher, TOTWTYTR, Doubletrouble & Mrs., Yankeefried & Mrs., Marko, libertyman, Weerd and Mrs., zeeke42, JD & Mrs., SCI-FI & Mrs., Christina, LWJ, Old Windways, and Nathan. The scent of BBQ is making everyone hungry, and I just had an appetizer of fried pickles.

Is Blogger meet. Is good.

That is all.

Want to Make College Even More Meaningless?

2012-01-07T14:29:00.002-05:00

D.C. Lawmakers Propose Requiring Students to Apply to College

Lawmakers in the nation's capital have floated a plan to require high school students to apply to college or trade school -- even if the students have no interest in attending.

The proposal is a bid to ensure students in the troubled Washington, D.C., school system at least have the know-how to navigate the admissions process.

Riiiight. Because nothing motivates a student to learn like being forced to do something. What's next? A bill requiring people out of work to get jobs? Or, more likely, a bill requiring businesses in the DC area to hire anyone that applies. It's just the logical extension of what this "lawmaker" has learned already: when the only tool you have is a gavel, every problem starts looking like a law that needs to be made...

Vote Democrat! It's easier than thinking!

This has been another dispatch from:

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

That is all.

Special Saturday Edition!

2012-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Several folks, including the official MArooned news network, sent this in:

Police: Cleveland business owner shoots and kills a man during argument

CLEVELAND - A Cleveland business owner shot and killed a man after police said the man made threats during an argument.

According to Cleveland police, the incident began late Thursday night when the owner of “The Kitchen,” an Internet café located at 6816 Superior Avenue, had an argument with another man over food.

When the imbecile who has watched too many John Woo movies meets a determined store owner with a shotgun, the man with two pistols is a dead man... It's hard to tell what must have gone through this dumbass's mind (before the 00 pellets, of course) - what did he think he was going to accomplish with the pistols? He obviously had no intention of shooting anyone; is this another case of magical thinking? Even with that, did he think he was going to commit a felony and walk away scot-free?

In any case, he found out the hard way that when it's time to shoot, shoot - a lesson the cafe owner obviously *did* know...

Dead Goblin Count: 234

That is all.

This has been a BLNN dispatch.

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

60 Second Northeast Blogger Winter Dinner Update, Final

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

A quick reminder a little more than 24 hours ahead.

The Fourth Annual Northeast Blogger Winter Dinner Social meet & eat will be at KC's Ribshack in Manchester, NH (837 Second Street, phone number 603-627-7427) at 7:00 PM EST on Saturday, January 7th. Ask for the "JayG" table. I made sure to ask them to put us *waaaaay* in the back...

See you tomorrow at 7!

That is all.

Which Board Is The Globe Using?

2012-01-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

A dart board, or a Ouija board?

Boston Globe endorses Huntsman in Republican race

(Reuters) - Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, trailing in most polls in the volatile Republican presidential nominating contest, won the endorsement of the Boston Globe on Thursday, days before a primary vote in New Hampshire.

The Massachusetts-based newspaper, with a sizeable readership in the neighboring state that holds a primary election on January 10, praised Huntsman's solid credentials and a "far-sighted" vision on issues such as renewable energy, education and immigration.

Make no mistake, this is a definitive finger-in-the-eye to Mitt Romney, proving that no matter what you say or do as a (theoretical) "R" in Massachusetts, the Globe and liberal elite (but I repeat myself) will miss no opportunity to shiv you in the back. Romney paved the way for ObamaCare nationally and passed draconian gun control measures as MA governor, and yet still could not garner the (meaningless) support of the Boston Globe.

The Boston Globe's endorsement of the GOP nominee - any GOP nominee - should be viewed pretty much like the President of Ford endorsing someone for the head of Chrysler, really. The Globe's pick is almost certainly going to be the weakest candidate possible; either through a lack of name recognition, general unelectability, or a combination of factors. Much like the Globe waited 0.005 picoseconds after John McCain got the nod before they stabbed him in the back, it's a rock-solid lock that they'll endorse Obama in November.

I can't help but point out this part:

"With a strong record as governor of Utah and U.S. ambassador to China, arguably the most important overseas diplomatic post, Huntsman's credentials match those of anyone in the field," the Globe said in an editorial.

He's certainly more qualified than Barack Obama was in 2008 - hell, he's arguably more qualified than Barack Obama right now...

That is all.

Help Us, Oh Gunnie Wan Kenobi...

2012-01-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Friend, mensch, blogshoot attendee, and all around good egg Brad_in_MA needs help for a friend:

Jay,

My buddy who we'll call Irish has a Browning Auto-5, 3" magnum edition, that will not properly cycle. It's a beautiful piece, the blue finish on the metal is rich and deep and the stocks can best be described as purrrr-teee. The gun's manual says to shoot steel shot ammo or 3" magnum loads. Irish has tried all the premium steel shot loads he can find and even tried magnum-charged 3 inch, 1 1/8 oz solid lead slugs. Nothing will get this gun to properly cycle. The gun has been thoroughly cleaned, oiled an reassembled. When working the action manually it cycles just fine and doesn't feel particularly stiff nor does it feel like anything is binding.

If you or any of your readers can help out with some suggestions on what Irish can do next that would be most appreciated. After all, it would be great to get that old Browning up and running again.

Browning Auto-5 - also known as the Remington Model 11:

Any help y'all could give Irish would be greatly appreciated!

That is all.

I Hate Being Right...

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Scott Brown stabs us in the back YET AGAIN...

Sen. Brown: I support Obama naming consumer chief

BOSTON—U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said he supports President Barack Obama's decision to name Richard Cordray as the nation's chief consumer watchdog despite the objections of Brown's fellow Senate Republicans.
The Massachusetts Republican said in a statement Wednesday that while he would have preferred that the appointment go through the normal confirmation process, the political system is "completely broken" in Washington.

I'm chokin' on my own rage here.

Note to Soon-to-be-Ex-Senator Brown: When you say "If we're going to make progress as a nation, both parties in Washington need to work together to end the procedural gridlock and hyper-partisanship," you need to remember that you're allegedly working with a President who has gone on record as saying "I refuse to take `no' for an answer".

Caving in ≠ compromise.

That is all.

This has been a BLNN dispatch.

(image courtesy of Robb Allen)

MArooned

Camporee AAR...

SHOT Show Blogroll Update...

Free Gun!

Serendipity...

Follow-ups...

One More SHOT Show Post...

A *New* Cunning Hat!

Friday Gun Pr0n #251

More Compensating...

Couldn't Make This Up If You Tried...

Of PDWs and 1911s...

Something New in Your Browsers...

SHOT Show Day Three AAR

Water Is Wet! Dog Bites Man!

Add Another One... Err, Two!

New Ad!

MArooned Product Review: Maxpedition Gearslinger Malaga

SHOT Show Day Two AAR

Is It My Birthday or Christmas or Both???

Surprising!

Another Candle...

Decisions, Decisions...

SHOT Show Day One AAR

Not Too Far Off...

Slap (Credit Card to Buy) Leather

They Say It's Your Birthday...

Defining the Genre...

SHOT Show Media Day AAR

Disturbance at the Waffle House...

Shorten My URL!

Welcome Home...

Wanna Feel Old?

Home Again, Home Again...

Just for Alan...

SHOT Show Never Ends...

Toto, We're Definitely Not in Mayberry Anymore...

Homeward Bound...

SHOT Show, Day Three in Review

Friday Gun Pr0n #250

Very Cool

SHOT Show, Day Two in Review

Need Your Support...

Very Interesting!

Tactical... Lever guns?

SHOT Exclusive...

Obviously, No Darkness Here...

SHOT Show, Day Two, Take One...

Some of the Best News So Far....

Surprising News...

Another One for the Count!

This Is SO Me It Hurts...

Notes from the Floor, Part One...

SHOT Show, Day One, Take Two...

SHOT Show, Day One, Take One

Shoulda Lit A Candle....

Shoulda Called Obama...

Media Day at the Range AAR...

How's My Day Going?

And Another One!

Media Day!

A Worthy Idea...

Notes While Heading to SHOT...

Las Vegas...

Sittin' In An Airway Station...

SHOT Show Gunblogger Dinner Update...

PC Backlash?

Neat Gear Review!

Two, Two, Two Adds in One!

Friday Gun Pr0n #249

Wait. Full Stop.

Maybe The Problem Is You...

WAAAAAY Too Close To Home...

Life Imitates "Total Recall"

MArooned: Bringing Gunnies Together...

When Will We Gun-Happy Americans Learn?

Three Days, Five Additions...

And On The Lighter Side...

Amusing Anecdote...

They'd Rather I Had A Candle...

A New Cunning Hat!