Bel's New Normal

Our petty tyrant governor, John Bel Edwards, says that his his mask mandate is going to be with us for a while.

“The mask mandate, that’s just part of the new normal,” Edwards said.  “I think people need to be prepared to continue with that.  And by the way it remains a small price to pay to protect the health of our neighbors, our loved ones.”

It's a mandate, Governor, and mandates rankle freedom-loving people.  If masks were a good idea, people would wear them without your tyranny.  Shoes, for example, are a good idea, and nearly everyone wears a foot covering without a mandate.  It simply makes sense.

I wear a mask when I am out-and-about.  I keep several in the car.  I don't tell anyone to wear a mask, as hat should be a personal decision.  But, as a governor's mandate, it rankles, it pisses me off every time I put it on.  It may be a small price to pay, but any price, however noble, is a tyranny when it is mandated by an over-bearing government official.

And, the petty tyrant in the Governor's mansion still doesn't get it.  Wearing a mask will, to me, never be normal, just a representation of unchecked government power.

I will once gain challenge Governor Edwards:  When this public health crisis is over, (and it will certainly be over at some point), I challenge you to expand freedom in Louisiana with the same vigor that you collapsed freedom during the pandemic.  Reduce regulation, cut taxes, come up with a dozen creatie ways to make Louisiana the most free state in the union.

But you won't do that.  Simply because you're a petty tyrant.

Mostly Peaceful Protests

Does this look like a peaceful protest to you?



It doesn't look like peaceful protests to me.  This appears to be rioting.  Democrats are in deep denial.

Great Landing

Not sure what went on here, but an aviator told me onece that a good landing is one you can walk away from, a great landing is one where you can use the aircraft again.

It appears that this pilot made a great landing.

Watching Isaias

They've named tropical cyclone 9, Isaias.  Of course, we in Louisiana keep a weather eye on any tropical storm that pops u this time of year.  It looks like they've shifted the cone eastwrd, and it is now expected to go to Florida and then up the east coast.

That is good news for the Gulf coast, but bad news for everyone else.  My thoughts and prayers to everyone affected.  Y'all have a plan and try to stay out of harms way.

Quinton is Home

My grandson, Quinton returned last night from Fort Lee, VA.  He got here about 10:00 pm last night and we chatted a bit before I retired to bed.  Quinton is 18 years old, and chose to become a Small Arms repairer, MOS 91F.  He is currently enlisted in the Louisiana Army National Guard.

After he dropped his bags, we talked for a bit abut what he had worked on and learned.  I asked him which is favorite gun was, and he gave me a two part answer.  He said that his absolute favorite gun, from a maintenance standpoint, is the old M2 machine gun.  I concur.  It's been a favorite or everyone who ever fired it or worked on it.  It's a fairly simple design, robust and easy to understand.  It's been a favorite of GIs since 1933.

He told me that the most interesting gun he worked on was the M777 howitzer.

And, when asked the opposite, which he liked the least, he told me without hesitation, he detested the M9 pistol.  He claims that it's a complicated bit of kit, with lots of springs and maintenance problems.  He did tell me that he's a fan o the M17/M18 pistol recently adopted.  From a maintainers perspective it's simple and intuitive.  He says that he likes that pistol a lot and is thankful that the M9 is on it's way out.

I didn't think to ask him if he was trained on the 1911.  He's out a Camp Beauregard right now, turning in paperwork and meeting his new bosses.  He will hang his hat here until college starts later in August, or whenever they decide to open the dorms.

We're #1

Our governor seems proud o the fact that Louisiana has the highest per capita covid count in the US.  Look at the way he's touting it.

That's nothing to be proud of, Governor.

I'd rather see Louisiana first in education, lowest in personal taxes, first in quality of life, lowest in government corruption, and have the best roads in the nation.  That would be something to brag about, and you should get to work on each of those goals

Rather than bragging about our covid count, lets get to work expanding freedom, and increasing quality o life.  Those would be laudable goals.

But, I bet you don't have it in you.  Which is why most o us consider our governor a worthless pissant.

Deer Blind

I spent the day with my brother in law, assembling a Terrain Edge, a deer blind that we're going to use on the lease near Jena, LA.  It's a little 4X4, but it seems to be water tight, and will probably serve a single hunter well.

It's made of four plastic panels with a plastic roof, and we;ll make some adjustments to it before we take it to the woods.  We spent the morning on the lease, then assembled this little blind in about four hours.  We'll leave the protective sheeting on the windows until we get it to the woods.

Next week, we'll build a base for it, and prepare to haul it out to the lease.  Deer season is only 90 days away.

No Cops, No Enforcement

Evidently in NYC, you can buy your dope and soot up oin brad daylight on Broadway.

A cluster of junkies has turned Broadway into a shooting gallery, injecting drugs unhampered in broad daylight and then shuffling around in a zonked-out stupor, seemingly oblivious to the Midtown bustle around them, The Post has learned.

If that's the way New York wants to be, keep it there.

Mugged By Reality

Someone once said something to the effect that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.  I don't know if that's the case, but one Seattle radio host is certainly rethinking his options.

Seattle radio host and Twitter-based criminal defense advocate Paul Gallant "dunked" on President Donald Trump last month by denying that the riots are violent, then the radio host was scored on by rioters who trashed his apartment. Now he's taking up arms.

 Last night, Gallant had a sudden change of heart towards the "peaceful protestors" when he came home to his apartment complex vandalized. He found the Starbucks underneath broken into with graffiti plastered on the storefront. Cops told residents to stay away in case of explosives inside.

 "I feel like I need to buy a firearm, because clearly this is going to keep happening. Enough is enough," Gallant furiously typed.

Good for you, dude!  I hope you can find what you are looking for.  Get some training, get out to the range and learn to use it.  Welcome to the club.

Getting Woke

Inn the past couple of years, "woke" had become a thing.  Someone who was living their day-to-day lives, trying to make a good life, suddenly has a revelation about one thing or another, and wakes up to an uncomfortable fact or two.  Generally "woke-ness" has been described in liberal circles.  We may decide to modify behavior based on new knowledge, or to be perceived as being one of the cool kids.

There is another kind of woke-ness going on right now.  The sudden realization that our world is not as safe as we perceive it to be, and that the police may not be there when we need them.  That the radical, violent left wants to impose their will on the rest of us. 

Lots of folks are waking up to the simple fact that they may need to defend themselves.  A simple review of the NICS checks show that a lot of people are buying guns, and a sizable percentage of them are first-time gun buyers.  We should welcome them to the fold.

If a formerly anti wants advise, give it.  Preach safety.  Safety in all things.  Take them to the range, if necessary.  Help them make good decisions.  Teach the Four Rules.

Lots of folks are waking up to the 2nd Amendment.  We need to help them along.  They are getting work, and that's a good thing.

Wow. Great Gun Safety, Sprkey.

It seems that there is this black militia, the NFAC, (Not F__cking Around Coalition).  They're noted for recently having a protest at Stone Mountain, GA.  They showed up at a BLM protest in Louisville, KY this weekend.

Three of their members were inured in a fratricide incident.

Three members of an armed militia were shot in an apparent accident at a protest calling for justice for Breonna Taylor in Louisville on Saturday afternoon.

 The three people, all members of the NFAC, suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. The shooter was also a member of the militia.

 The group's founder, John "Grand Master Jay" Johnson, told ABC News that members of the militia were inspecting firearms prior to the demonstration when a woman's weapon was accidentally discharged. Johnson referred to the woman as a trainee.

Yeah, trainees will do that for you.  Don't let them have ammunition until they've completed Basic Rifle Marrksmanshp.

I'm all about the 2nd Amendment, and if a bunch f citizens want to march down the street with firearms, I'm okay with that, as long as they're safe.  However, if during a weapons inspection, three peope are inured, both the trainee and the inspector got it horribly wrong.

Let's be safe, people.

45 ACP at 440 yards

Big and slow gets the job done.

Seattle Police - You're On Your Own

The Chief of the Seattle Police Department has written a letter to city business and residents telling them that they can't count on the police to respond to property crimes.

Seriously.

Another link to the letter here.

This will not end well.

Ellisonn Is An Idoit

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison says that when the rapist has fled, it would be better to send social workers to the scene rather than police officers.  Original Link Here.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said it would be better to not have police officers responding to rape calls in situations when the rapist has already fled,

 Ellison stated: “If you’re a woman who’s been a victim of a sexual assault, and the assailant ran away, wouldn’t you rather talk to somebody who is trained in helping you deal with what you’re dealing with, as opossed to somebody whose main training is that they know how to use a firearm? Right?”

Wrong, you jack-wagon.

I don't know how cops in Minnesota are trained, but here in Louisiana we're trained in a vast variety of responses.  In the later years of my career, I kept files of  my training, because like most government activity, glitches occurred and I wanted to make sure my training records were correct.  Below, find a screen capture of my training in 2018, the last full year before my retirement.

2018 Police Training Certificates

By my count, I had three (3) courses on Domestic Violence, four (4) on Sexual Assault, and one (1) on Sexual Harassment.  I had one (1) course each on Firearms, Use of Force, and Making the Arrest Decision.

There is a whole lot more to police work than using a firearm.  Yes, I was qualified on the weapons, but I was also qualified to respond to a sexual assault.  I will grant that it would be good to have someone at a rape scene who might be better trained, and I would never have turned away any help I could get to assist the victim.  But, try getting a social worker out of bed at 3:00 a.m/ in a timely manner to respond to a rape scene.

I'm not knocking social workers.  They do great work, and I've worked with some fine ones.  But, the are generally not available in the wee hours.  That is why police officers are trained to take the basic first steps to assist, protect, and transition the victim to trained medical staff, while preserving evidence and laying the groundwork for a successful prosecution.

Ellison't idea is both ignorant and insulting to police officers.

Here Comes Hannah

Tropical Depression 8 has been uupgraded to Tropical Storm status, with sustained winds over 40 mph.  He's heading for the Texas coast.

All we're expecting here in central Louisiana is some rain, maybe an inch.  She is expected to make landfall sometime tomorrow on the Texas coast.

Hurricane Season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 1 each year, and the time frame of August-September is the busy season.  I see that we have Tropical Depression 8 forming up in the Gulf.

We'll have to keep a weather eye on this thing, but I suspect that we'll have a rainy weekend.

Idiocy

Evidently, Adam K. Raymond and Chas Danner are drooling idiots.  Look at this lead.

Even I, with macular degeneration, can see the US Border Patrol patch on his sleeve.  If they're unidentified, they're doing it all wrong.

H/T, Instapundit.

Trump Steps In

It appears that President Trump is tired of the lawlessness in the several US cities and is dispatching federal law enforcement to take action.

I can hear the media now.  "What authority do federal officers have to enforce the law?"

That's easy.  The basic law enforcement officer in any district is the US Marshall, who is authorized, among other things to: 28 U.S. Code § 566

(d) Each United States marshal, deputy marshal, and any other official of the Service as may be designated by the Director may carry firearms and make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in his or her presence, or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony.

That looks, to me, to be a pretty broad commission to enforce the law anywhere in the United States.  US Marshals have had that authority since the beginning, and used it frequently in the early years, when law and order was a scarce commodity.  Al a sitting US Marshall needs to do, is to deputize anyone who is working in his jurisdiction.  Problem solved.

Any media weenie who asks about authority should do his homeworrk.

More Covid Discrepancies

It seems that the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's office had lokind into the number of covid cases found in the parish and found some discrepancies. KTBS 3 reports:

MANSFIELD, La. – The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office is the second agency in Northwest Louisiana to adjust positive COVID-19 numbers because of duplicated numbers from the state.
The sheriff’s office on Monday said the total number of cases has been adjusted to 386, down from 491 last reported.
“It has come to our attention that many recorded cases in our parish are duplicated,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “This could be caused due to individuals being tested multiple times after first testing positive.”

This is the second parish in Louisiana that has had to adjust the numbers of cases due to multiple tests on the same patient.  The Louisiana Dept of Health is counting each test as a new case, when in fact, some people who test positive initially need a follow-up test to return to work.  If that second test is positive, they will need additional testing.  Some people are being counted multiple times.

By my math,  LDH is reporting 21% more cases in DeSoto parish that actually exist.  If the smaller parishes are finding that the LDH numbers are wrong, inflated by a significant amount, then what does that bode for the statewide numbers?

If these numbers are used to make decisions, then we should at least demand that the numbers accurately reflect the number of cases in Louisiana.  Not the number of positive tests.

Deep Concealment

If you are going to carry a pistol, it makes sense to conceal it.  I've heard all the arguments both ways, and while I'm a fan of open carry in very limited situations, it's best to conceal your piece.  There is no sense letting a goblin know you are carrying until it's time to let him know

I've been a big fan of pocket carry, but recently I decided to upgrade my carry gun, and bought a SW Shield in 9mm.  Before you blow up the comments, I'm not a Glock guy.  I carried one for seven years as a uniformed cop and never came to like the thing.  IT's a gun, and it shoots, and I understand the utility and ubiquitousness of Gaston's Gats, but I'm simply prefer the M&P series.

However, I needed a holster or two, and durin long familiarity with Safariland products from my police career, I ordered two.

Safariland 6378

The Safariland 6378 is an outside the belt holster with the Safariland ALS system.  The gun locks to the holster and you have to know where the button is to release it.  While it's not a deep concealment holster, it is easy to conceal with a jacket or loose fitting shirt.  This holster comes with a paddle, or belt loops, and I normally unscrew the paddle and install the belt loops, simply because I've always disdained paddle holsters.  With the belt loops installed, this is a great range, woods-cruising holster that is very secure.  During the colder months it will disappear under under a jacket.  Price?  Under $50.00 anywhere.

Safariland 27

The Safariland 27 is an old design, it's been around for a while.  But, the thing about an old design is that they tend to work well over time.  This is an Inside the Pants holster with a J hook that slips under your belt and keeps everything secure.  It's made of Safari-laminate and is lined with some sort of suede that protects the gun.  I normally wear my gun at 3:00, because that's what I'm used to, and I've never been a fan of crotch-carry.  I've been wearing this holster now for a week, and I like it a lot.  It's stiff enough that it doesn't collapse when the gun is out of the holster, but the bottom is soft enough that it doesn't dig into my my hip joint.  It simply disappears under a loose polo shirt, untucked, and very few people tuck shirts in summertime Louisiana.  The price is right as well, at under $25.00 at Midway USA.

I have some more holsters coming for this little gun, and when they get here I'll review them after I've had a few weeks to try them out.  In the meantime, if you're looking for a good hoster for your EDC, take a look at Safariland.  They've served me well for several decades.

We're Number Three!

 We're Number Three! That's not a chant you her often, but Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is touting it like it's a mantra.  He put it on his Facebook feed this morning.

We're currently stuck in Phase Two, with a statewide mask mandate, and many people expect the governor to bring us back a couple of steps in the coming days.  Cases re climbing, statewide, and frankly, we're beginning to believe that the governor doesn't have a clue.  Not one single clue about how to solve this crisis.

He's got a tough problem on his hands.  He has to balance the China virus, the economy, personal freedom, his incompetent statisticians (see yesterday's post), and falling state tax revenue.  It's a bitter brew, but he actively campaigned for the job.  I have no sympathy for him.

Some of the comments on his Facebook feed are priceless.  These people have no indication of what is happening to the economy.  For example:

then why are you letting pointless businesses open?

There are no pointless businesses.  Every business is essential to the owners, employees, and customers.  Government should not be in the practice of choosing winners and losers.

Here's another:

 Then WHY are we opening schools face-to-face??? Distance learning is the ONLY way to keep our kids safe.

Well, either you believe the science or you don't.  Current science tends to show that school-aged children are not vectors of the Kung Flu   They don't pass it to other children or adults.  Kids are at very low risk.  And, other services that schools provide are absolutely essential to a great number of children.

Because of the problem with the numbers, it seems that some people are being counted multiple times, and that's a fact.  The Governor needs to scrub his numbers and get an idea of the absolute scope of the spread of the virus.Someone is keeping a database, and it should be fairly easy to scrub the numbers.  If someone is not keeping a database, the governor needs to ask some very pointed questions about the competence of his statisticians. 

I have perfect confidence that the medical doctors and nurses re going to figure this out.  But, the governor needs good numbers, and he should absolutely insist that the be given a patient count, rather than a number of positive tests.  I suspect that those numbers would be vaastly ifferent and give a better picture of the spread of the disease. 

Anything less is political malpractice.

Monday Covid Rant

Let me start with a disclaimer:  Covid 19 is a highly infectious disease that is capable of killing people. We should do what we can to limit the spread. End of disclaimer.

On The Numbers

Having said that, can we trust what the governor is telling us?  According to the Louisiana Dept of Health Covid dashboard, the numbers currently stand as listed.

As of July 19, 2020.  Update every day at noon.

According to the Census bureau, Louisiana currently has approximately 4.6 million residents.  According to the photo above, Louisiana has conducted 1.069 million tests.  That would lead us to believe that nearly one-in-four Louisianans have been tested.  That's not right, because some people are tested multiple times.  Many employers requite a negative test to return to work.

Red River Parish, a small rural parish in north Louisiana questioned the numbers they were seeing, and did an audit of the numbers.  Red River is a small, rural parish in northwest Louisiana.  Everybody knows everybody.  The numbers didn't make sense.

Red River Parish was being told by the Louisiana Department of Health that they had 96 positive cases...but that wasn't really the case. According to a post on the Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness social media, the number was actually 58. The cases were 40% lower than what the LDH had told Red River Parish. So where were did the other 38 cases come from?

During investigation into the numbers, Red River Parish found that the cases being counted by the Louisiana Department of Health weren't actually being done by patient, but by test. Which means what? That means, according to Red River Parish, the same person who had one positive test could end up accounting for 3-4 positive tests. As they explain, once a person tests positive, they will take additional tests to show when they are no longer ill. If those follow up tests still show the patient is testing positive, it just counts as a new positive test, not that it was the same person.

So, LDH is counting positive tests, not actual patients.  Red River Parish is a small rural parish and the numbers were easy to audit.  They found that their parish numbers were inflated by 40%, then we have to ask what that means for the numbers statewide?  We'll never know, but we have reasons not to trust the numbers that LDH is showing us.  They've proven to be wildly inflated in one small parish.

On The Mask Mandate

Louisiana is currently under a mask mandate.  The Governor and the CDC claim that if we would all wear masks, we could end this crisis in a matter of weeks.  I doubt that, they haven't been right about anything yet.  In the beginning of this exercise, they told us that masks were unnecessary.  Now, they are essential.  If the science were exact, the messaging would be consistent.  It's not, and it hasn't been since the beginning.  It seems to most of us that the experts are winging it.  They don't have a clue.

I wear a mask when I need to, and I believe that any property owner has a right to set conditions for entry.  If a business requires a mask, I wear it as a matter of convenience and a matter of civility.  PawPaw is never rude accidentally.  This graphic pretty much sums up my attitude on masks.

I believe that a business owner absolutely has a right to require a mask to enter, but I also believe that a government mandate is an over-step.  The governor may have the right to require a mask , but it doesn't make it right for him to require a mask.  If a business requires it, I have an option not to participate, and leave the premises.  When the Governor orders it, it rankles me, especially when we can't trust the numbers.

In Conclusion

If the Governor wants us to believe that we are in a crisis, he needs to be utterly transparent with the evidence.  As of this writing, the numbers are simply not to be trusted.  If the Governor is relying on these numbers, he's either misleading us, or simply stupid. Either way, he needs to fix it.

Knowledge Bombs

Just 'cassse this is fun.



I agree with him on virtually everything.  Especially on revolvers.

Oh, I went out to my private range today and ran a couple of magazines from the 1911 on steel.  That big dot sight rocks!  I didn't miss a steel plate this afternoon.Just put that big dot on the target and press the trigger.

Gloom and Doom

Louisiana, oh, Louisiana.

In the midst of a national pandemic, Louisiana consistently ranks in the top tier of the worst infection rates in the country.  Our Governor, John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is doing his dead-level best to contain the disease.  The problem, is that no one knows what-the-hell they are doing, and Edwards is following the advise of "experts" who admit that they don't know what to do next, except for draconian measures that threaten the freedom and movement of our citizens.

I really believe that Edwards is doing his level best.  The problem for Louisiana is that his level best is simply mediocre.

Since April, it's been one executive order after another.  Edwards claims that his orders are based on science and the best medical advise.  The problem is that the medical advise keeps changing.  Louisiana, almost universally, is tired of it.  Tied of all of it.  And Edwards constant railing is not helping.

Louisiana has a Democrat governor and ad a (mostly) Republican legislature.  One of the facts of the law in Louisiana is that the legislature can over-ride an emergency order by a simple majority petition from either house of the Legislature.  One such petition is working its way through the legislature.

Rather than working with the legislature, and trying to help them see the reasoning behind the orders, Edwards is digging his heels in, saying "science".  He's also telling us that if the legislature over-rides his orders, he won't be able to issue emergency orders if we have a hurricane or tornado.  I think that's bullshit, and I'm calling it.  If the legislature over-rides a medical emergency, it should have no bearing on a weather emergency.

Edwards is fond of patting himself on the back, claiming that his actions are supported by Vice President Pence and the Trump administration.  When this is all over, history will judge the efficacy of his actions, but the one thing that everyone will agree on is that John Bel Edwards presided over the biggest contraction of personal freedom since Reconstruction.  That will be his legacy, and he should be eternally ashamed.

Lunacy

The New York Times makes the argument that musicians should be hired to maintain the ethnic makeup of the community they serve.

American orchestras remain among the nation’s least racially diverse institutions, especially in regard to Black and Latino artists. In a 2014 study, only 1.8 percent of the players in top ensembles were Black; just 2.5 percent were Latino. At the time of the Philharmonic’s 1969 discrimination case, it had one Black player, the first it ever hired: Sanford Allen, a violinist. Today, in a city that is a quarter Black, just one out of 106 full-time players is Black: Anthony McGill, the principal clarinet.

So what? Musicians are hired in what are called a "blind audition".  The musician plays from behind a screen, and the judges have no idea of the race, gender, ethnicity, of the musician.  All the judges hear is the music. All that matters is technical skill and talent.

If the musicians onstage are going to better reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, the audition process has to be altered to take into fuller account artists’ backgrounds and experiences. Removing the screen is a crucial step.

If the goal of an orchestra is to promote racial diversity, that makes sense.  If the goal is to hire the very best musicians possible, this is lunacy.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice.

Shooting Through Glass

What happens if you have to defend yourself  from within your vehicle.?  Jerry Miculek explores the question.



I doubt your insurance policy would cover the glass breakage.

Perspective

Stolen from PJ Media.

Over A Mask?

That video we showed last night, about the deputy fatally shooting a man wielding a knife is illuminating of a lot of things that happen in  police work.

This incident occurred on Tuesday, July 14th, evidently over an incident at a local store.  When the store employee told the man that he needed to wear a mask to remain in the business, ... well.

Police said Sean Ernest Ruis, 43 from Grand Ledge, was refused service by the store because he was not wearing a mask. During the argument, Ruis pulled out a knife, stabbed a 77-year-old man from Lansing and fled in a car, police said.

 An Eaton County Sheriff's deputy caught up with Ruis and stopped his vehicle around 7:15 a.m. The video released by Michigan State Police shows Ruis get out of his car while the deputy yells, "drop it, drop the weapon," repeatedly. Ruis repeats these calls, also saying "drop it" as he approaches the deputy.

Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said Ruis was armed with a knife and screwdrivers during an afternoon press briefing. "The deputy was backing up and the assailant kept on approaching her very quickly at the end there," said Reich. 

This was a good shoot.

In comments,  Termite notes something that police officers have known for years.

And the video looks a little.....odd. I'm not seeing bullet strikes.

Yeah, you won't generally see bullet strikes, especially when the target is wearing  a tee shirt. Many cops in fatal encounters report not seeing bullet strikes.  Try it sometime.  Take an old tee shirt to the range an put it over your target.

I'm glad that the old man who was stabbed, will probably recover, and that the deputy will probably recover.  But I'm flabbergasted that a mask edict turned into two lethal force encounters.

How Fast It Happens

A Michigan deputy pulls over a guy suspected of stabbing an old man in a convenience store.  Nice neighborhood.  Then it all goes sideways really fast.



Notice at about the 0:35 second mark, her weapon jams and she is able to clear it and continue to defend.  Notice also how she backs away, trading space for time.  Her assailant continues to attack until he finally goes down.  When he bends over, he's trying to pic up the dropped knife.

I don't know how many times she hit him, but she only stopped shooting when he assumed the universal "don't shoot" position when he became horizontal.

Sight Upgrade

In 2003 I purchased a Kimber 1911A1 for duty carry and used it as a duty pistol until 2008, when the Sheriff bought a bunch of pistols and insisted we use them.  I retired that pistol and it became a off0duty, or range gun. I'm an old 1911 fan.  While I see utility in other platforms, to include the current crop of polymer pistols, I still like the 1911 a lot.  I carried it in the Army, and have since used it for sport and recreation.

In 2017 I started noticing that I had trouble seeing the front sight of any o my pistols, and after a prescription change, learned that I have something called macular degeneration, a disease of the retina.  It poses challenges in many ways, particularly in seeing small detail in the exact center of the visual field.  We caught it early, and I'm doing what the doctor tells me, and I'm learning to live with it.  But, that problem in the center of the visual field is the exact spot I use to find the front sight on a pistol.  I needed a big, honking front sight.

A couple of weeks ago, I was casting about, looking for alternatives, and went to  the XS Sight System web page.  I started researching the system, and thought that it might be what I was looking for.  I ordered a set for the Kimber..  They came in earlier this week, so I set about installing them.

The video from XS was a big help.  I've installed sights in dovetails in the past, and it is important to remember to file the sight base, not the dovetail in the slide.  Fit the sight to the dovetail..  About 30 minutes with a set of jewelers files and I was done. 

Screen grab from XS video

I can see that front sight, and all I'm looking for is minute-of-goblin out to 25 yards or so. I think that this sight is just exactly what I need.  Next week I'll get out and do some range work,   If they work as well and I expect them to, I may have to pick up a set for my Shield.

Shipping Problems

I ordered several items last week.  Things I couldn't normally get from local merchants.  I used my normal vendors, and shipping is an issue.

One order, from Midway USA is still not in, after me being notified that it has shipped, and would be here last Saturday.  This morning, I got an email from Midway USA apologizing to their customers.

While we’ve projected estimated delivery dates as accurately as possible, there have been delays from our package delivery partners as they’ve experienced large volumes and Employee shortages. If your order didn’t arrive on time, or you received inaccurate tracking information, or both, we’re very sorry. If your order hasn’t arrived yet, rest assured it’s on the way. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience in allowing a few extra days before contacting us.

I'm going to give Midway USA the benefit of the doubt.  They've been up-front with me in the past, and I've been a customer for decades.   There's no telling how many of my dollars I've sent to Larry Potterfield.

Who do y'all trust for shipping 2A items?  I'm always looking to expand my catalog, and right now I'm looking for ammo inn 9mm Luger.

Riots? Who Knew?

It appears that Portland Oregon, is going through a phase.  A phase of riots.

According the CBS affiliate KOIN, there have been 46 consecutive nights of unrest i the city.

The riot was declared in North Portland in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Earlier, demonstrators had gathered in Kenton Park on North Brandon Avenue and then marched to the Portland Police Association Headquarters. Officers reported making arrests after protesters were blocking Northeast Lombard Street and other roads surrounding the building, refusing to leave the street after police attempted to clear the crowds.

Why isn't this in the national news?  No where does the report say "peaceful protesters".  They say riots. 

This will not end well.

Graduation

Belle and I graduated another one tonight.

Honor Grad, 3.59 GPA, with two academic scholarships.He'll be attending Louisiana Tech University in the fall.

Understatement

Yeah, I'd say that the gravel got loose.

Mask Mandte

Yesterday, Louisiana's petty tyrant, John Bel Edwards, ordered a mask mandate for all of Louisiana until further notice.  He said, on multiple occasions, that he has been very patient with us. 

With covid cases climbing, this seems to be the only course of action that he's willing to take.  Of course, he puts the onus on business, to enforce his mandate.  As he explained it, the business must insist that every customer wear a mask.  IF the customer reuses, the business will ask the customer to leave  If the customer refuses to leave, then the customer is trespassing.

He also closed the bars, because, you know, bars are evil dens of iniquity and purveyors of infection.

Truly, all he is doing is pissing people off.  Those of us who believe in masks war them.  Those who don't believe in masks don't wear them.  The governor, who uses the  unchecked, raw power of his office to force Louisiana into bending to his will serves no one.  The governor's use of his raw, unchecked power to favor one business over another does not serve the economics of the state.

Our petty tyrant says that his newest order, to limit gatherings to 50 people applies to churches, but he does not intend to enforce it on churches.  How very merciful of him.  Perhaps he should spned some more time reading the First Amendment.

John Bel Edwards is simply a petty tyrant, bending to the will of his liberal overlords. The legislature, to their eternal disgrace, does nothing to hold him in check.  They do not represent the people, indeed, they are toady's to power.

Nothing New Under The Sun

I was aimlessly clicking around You Tube this afternoon and came upon a Colion Noit video about the Army's new M-18 pistol, a variant of the Sig P320.  I wasn't aware that the Army was looking for a new handgun.  But, I never liked the M-9.

I was on active duty during Desert Storm when the Army took my 19111 nd gave me a bright, shine new Beretta M-9, right out of the box.  I wasn't impressed.  But, they told me to carry it, so I did.

Now it seems the Army has acquired a new pistol, and Colion was talking about the short slide and the regular sized frame, and said that people were asking him how it compared to the new Glock 19X.  19X? Whatthehell?  So I Googled it and found that the new Glock 19X combines the slide of the 19 with the frame of the 17, making it what they call a "crossover" pistol.  Shorter slide married to a full-size frame, and this is something new?

A shorter slide on a regular frame?  Where have I heard that before?  Oh, I remember, in 1950, Colt came out with something they called the Commander.  It has a 4.25" barrel, and they've been making it since 1950.  The revered Col Jeff Cooper (pbuh) found it eminently useful.

Oh, yeah, a short slide with a standard frame is new and cutting edge.  If you like 1950s era new.

Here's Colion's video if you want his take on the Army's new pistol.



I think I'll have another cocktail before bedtime.

Friday Sloth

Having spett all day at leisurely pursuits, and having not much to say about the current events, which I admit are out of the conversation of reasonable, thoughtful people, we spend the early evening working through You Tube, searching for intellectual entertainment.

We find ohn Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson discussing the Declaration of Independence.



Belle has declared Happy Hour.  Long may she reign.

Seen on Facebook

Consequences

I was taught as a child that everything I did had consequences.  Some good, some bad, but always consequences.  It's a central tenet of civilized life.  Thinkers have been telling us this fact for millennia.  David Crockett apocryphally said "Make sure you're right, then go ahead."  More recently, Jordan Petersen cautioned us to not try to change the world until we put our own hose in order. 

In this digital age, it's even more important to learn that actions have consequences.  The near-total infatuation with digital communication has certainly changed life in this century.  But, the old rules apply.  Actions have consequences.

Like most of connected America, I use Facebook.  But, I learned a long time ago that using it can be toxic, or it can be liberating.  It all depends on how you use it.  By and large, the digital giants (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) tend to chronicle life in ways that don't lend themselves to thoughtful discussion.  It's all instant and unfiltered.  In some ways this is good.  Instructional video is instantly available if you need to solve a particular problem. 

In other ways, it's bad.  The rights and privileges of our society holds some warning, not the least  of which is found in the Miranda warning.  You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.

Federal authorities are currently searching thousands of videos to ferret out looters, arsonists, and assailants. Perpetrators who are caught are shocked that the evidence that they once posted online in triumphant braggadocio is now being used to charge them with felonies.

It's a cautionary tale.  We live in complicated times, made more complicated by the technology that has revolutionized the way we communicate.  In every revolution there are casualties.

Spooking The Herd

There's this nice lady at church, who has been coming to our fast draw club for the past year or so, and she's getting better at the game.  She's been using one of Belle's guns, and that's fine.  We recommend that every new shooter to this game try several different revolvers because there are minute differences that make a difference.  She has finally settled on the Traditions Liberty model, and it's out-of-stock everywhere.

I found that odd, but I also find odd that used Glocks are out of stock.  Pre-pandemic, they were like gravel, you'd trip over them going into a gun shop.  Likewise, older Smith revolvers.

Instapundit links to an article by Tamara Keel, who reminds us that the American 2A enthusiast is a panicky herd animal who buys ammo in bulk when spooked.

The domestic commercial ammo supply is predicated on the average gun owner buying a box of pistol ammo every month or two to shoot up at the range and a box of long gun ammo once or twice a year for ditto. It’s not geared for everyone who owns a gun to run out and buy three cases at once.

Tam's right.  First-time gun buyers have an excuse.  The rest of us don't.   This demand shortage will be over when things calm down.  Might I recommend that if you're a gun owner that you keep, as a minimum, enough ammo for three range sessions plus whatever amount you might need for serious Bill of Rights work.

Carnge

Like many of you, I woke this morning to a Monday morning after the Independence Day celebrations, to be stunned by the amount of carnage on our city streets.  It seems that these protests have gone sideways, resulting in the deaths of innocent life, in many cases of children.



In Chicago, with 78 shot, including 14 killed, and some of those were children, we see Mayor Lightfoor is blaming guns, not the culture of murder that pervades that city.

In Atlanta, where an 8-year-old girls was shot while riding in her mother's car, the mayor says that we can't blame the police for this.

Policing the cities is the job of the mayors and governors.  President Trump says that he is willing to help, and has identified assets that can be used, if asked, to restore calm.

These Democratic mayors need to step up and get a plan to end the violence in their cities.

Heads Explode

It took me a couple or re-reads to get this article straight, but it seems like a white chick was blocking a freeway as part of a Black Lives Matter protest and was run over by a black guy driving a white Jaguar.   Yeah, let that sink in.

Summer Taylor was blocking the freeway with a small group of Black Lives Matter demonstrators on the southbound lanes of I-5, the main artery through Seattle, about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
A 27-year-old man was arrested. Police identified him as Dawit Kelete, and they say he was sober.

My first thought was : Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, but then we learn that the Washington State Police had set up a roadblock to protect the protesters.  Somehow,  Kelete got around the WSP roadblock to strike Taylor.

Wait, wait wait.  The Washington State Police were blocking the road?  Why?  It's not the state's job to provide safe-haven to protesters.

Well, as it turns out, the state police is re-thinking their policies.

Hours after Taylor succumbed to her injuries, the WSP announced it was changing its policies to arrest people who block freeways instead of letting them protest there.
The admission that official Seattle had apparently allowed the protesters to take over the freeway was met with incredulity from law-abiding folks, including one who rightly observed that “Seattle looks like a bunch of children learning not to touch a hot stove.”

Okay, so we're back to : Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

It should be both dangerous and painful to block a state highway (much less an interstate highway).  The police should be arrresting these protesters.

It Bears Repeating

I was stunned, stunned at the lack of available firearms at the local retailers this week.  I've bee buying guns, off and on, for most of my life, and I've never seen the shelves this bare.  I'm not the only one who noticed.

If soaring gun sales are a guide, millions of Americans are with the McCloskeys. This week the FBI announced a record 3.9 million background checks for June, the highest monthly total since the FBI began keeping the statistic in 1998. Adjusting to reflect checks only for gun purchases, the National Shooting Sports Foundation says this works out to 2.2 million, a 136% increase over June 2019. NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva says about 40% of these checks are for first-time gun buyers.

This correlates with what my local merchant told me.  People who, ninety days ago were anti-gun, or ambivalent,  are buying guns in unheard of numbers.  It's the first-time gun buyer who is driving the shortage.  Most of the rest of us have our guns.

We should remember on this Independence Day weekend, that we are  Americans, slow to wrath, but generally self-sufficient.  If it appears that society is going through an upheaval, then we take our safety into our own hands.  Not the law, which applies to everyone, but our own safety.

This is a warning to the Defund the Police movement about unintended consequences. The more progressives push policies that mean cops won’t be around when people need them, the more they are inviting Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves.

As Instapundit often says, "The police aren’t there to protect the public from criminals, they’re there to protect criminals from the public."

That is a powerful distinction, and those who would do us harm should remember it.

Independence Day

Independence Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Happy Independence Day.

The Holster Dance

With this new pistol, I'm obviously looking for holsters.  It's been a while since I bought a new holster, and I know that the technologgy has improved.  I know I want one good OWB and one good IWB holster.  I've settled on the OWB holster, a Safariland 6378, a holster I've used for years in other platforms.  It's virtually indestructible, has great retention when the belt loop is installed, and is a holster I am very familiar with.

The IWB holster is up in the air, and I admit that I don't have much familiarity with that type.  I'm also aware that the technology has advanced in the past decade.  A YouTube search led me to a bewildering variety of options, and I've also reached out to my son, who keeps tabs on this sort of thing.

Hickock 45 did a video about eight years ago, and while I trust his opinion, the video is eight years old.   Some videos lid me to Crossbreed holsters, and another led me to Alien Gear.  I like the Alien Gear modular system, but I'm not convinced that I'd use it  all.

What am I missing?  Some of you undoubtedly have a favorite IWB holster.  Give an old man some love and tell me what you think?

Breaking Records

The post below, where Piers Morgan whined about the number of guns sold in the US since March, is only part of the story.  US citizens are buying guns in record numbers.  In June alone, the FBI conducted 3.9 million NICS checks.  That is a record number.

I hit a couple of pawn shops today, places that normally have a nice selection of used Glocks, or Smith's or Sig's.  The shelves were virtually empty.  I later turned to one of my local merchants, Liberty Arsenal, just down the road from the house.  He deals in all types of firearms, and it's oe of those shops where you can sit and talk for hours, if you have the time.

He tells me that the last quarter has been an amazing time to be a dealer.  He's selling guns to people who, three months ago, were anti-gun.  He also tells me that NICS is backlogged to the point where if you are a fist-time gun buyer, you will probably get delayed, meaning that he has to wait three days to give you the gun.  He tells me that one 80 year old woman came in earlier this week to by an AR-platform rifle, the last he had in stock.  She will pick it up tomorrow.

I had been thinking about getting a handgun that fell between my 1911s and my Ruger LCP.  Something small enough to be unobtrusive, but with enough oomph to get the job done.  I had decided on either a subcompact Glock or a SW M&P Shield.

I carried a full-sized M&P in .45 as a duty pistol for several years, and really liked it.  I shot it well, and the hinged trigger on the M&P really doesn't bother me.  It is what it is, and I've learned to shoot it.

Today, at my local merchants, he happened to have two M&P Shields that his distributor had ust dropped off.  I quibbled a bit, then dropped a card on the table and asked for a 4473.  I was not delayed, and within ten minutes, I was out the door.

I can see, right now, it needs a sight upgrade.  And, I'll need to find some ammo, and a holster for it.

Seen On Facebook

I got out today, ran a few errands and hit a few pawn shops.  The handgun cases are positively empty.  One that I frequent had  several revolvers and one pistol in .22LR.  No Glocks, no Smiths, no Sigs.  No Rugers, for that matter.

The counter-guy told me that there has been a run on handguns, and he simply hasn't had time to re-stock.  He did have one old Webley in .455, marked at $1200.00.  I passed.

I came home and found this on my Facebook feed.

I did go over to his Twiter feed and find the post there before I put it here.  And, I'd like to tell Piers that if that depresses him, it thrills me.  Heretofore, we thought that Obama was the greatest gun salesman in history.  Now, we learn that Antifa and BLM have put him inthe shade.

USA!  USA!! USA!!

On Masks

On March 16, 2020, I encountered a woman (a middle-aged woman) wearing a mask in public.  I considered that odd, and kept an eye on her, in a retail establishment.

I am a retied cop, a senior white male with 37 years behind the badge, and with a working knowledge of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.   Masking is generally illegal in the State of Louisiana.  Depending on the circumstances, can get you three years in the Iron Bar motel.  There are exceptions.

But, for all of my 66 years on this planet, wearing a mask except at Halloween or Mardi Gras, was considered odd, eccentric, and maybe even criminal.  Today, it's a fashion statement.  Here in Louisiana we are exhorted to wear a mask as an act of being neighborly, to protect the community.

I've seen the arguments both ways, and I'm not going to debate them here.  But, I have come up with an accommodation that seems to work for me.  I bought a box of masks from Amazon, and carry one with me all the time.  If a store or venue asks that I wear a mask, then I'll comply, solely as an accommodation.  It's no skin off my back, one way or another. 

There are places that require masks, and I decide whether or not to patronize those places.  Asking me is one thing.  Telling me is something else entirely.  I don't play well when ordered to do something.

Our governor is begging us to wear masks to protect our neighbors, and I'm okay with the message and the governor begging.  Governors should beg; it should be their natural mode of communicating. Commerical places have property rights, and if they want to require a mask, then I get to decide if they get my trade.  That's the nature of voluntary commerce.

Wisdom

From the words of he master, Jeff Cooper