Hot

It's hot out there this afternoon.  94F in the shade on the patio and the humidity is well over 50%.  It's like trying to breathe through a wet, wool blanket.

No shooting in the back yard today, no piddling around in the shop, it's simply too hot out there, even for a Louisiana boy who spent his whole life in this type of weather.

Tonight before I close my eyes, I'll say a special prayer of thanks for the life work of Willis Carrier, the man who invented the air conditioner.

Well Done, Willis.

Best Selfie Ever

This has to be the best selfie ever taken.

No attribution, I found it surfing around the interwebs.

Is there enough there to tell what kind of aircraft that is?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Old NFO?

For Me, But Not For Thee!

The ethically challenged, hypocritical, probably criminal congressman from New York, Charlie Rangel, once again displays the arrogance and entitlement that runs rampant in our political class.

The veteran congressman denied knowing about the scandal involving bribes for concealed carry permits in New York City. However, when he heard how difficult it is for a New York City resident to acquire a concealed carry permit, Rangel responded, “If it is difficult to get a concealed weapon permit, I’m glad to hear that.”

 Pressed on the right of people living in his district to get a carry permit, Rangel reacted by stating, “I wouldn’t want them to have it,” adding, “Law-abiding citizens just shouldn’t have to carry a gun.”

 The reporter pointed out the armed U.S. Capitol Police inside the building, just a few feet away from the congressman, Rangel laughed and responded, “Well that’s a little different. I think we deserve — I think we need to be protected down here.”

Rangel deserves and needs armed protection, but the people of his district don't need armed protection.   That statement along shows the disdain that Rangel holds for his constituents.

Hat tip, Joe Huffman.

Silencers, Again

It seems that a local man was arrested for NFA violations and pled guilty recently to making and selling unregistered silencers.  It's a cautionary tale for all you garage machinists.

Durham was recorded setting up a sale of silencers with an undercover agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, authorities said. They met on May 10, 2016, in Winnfield, and the undercover agent purchased three silencers.

A silencer, (more correctly, a suppressor) is a simple device used to quieten the report of a firearm.  They can be built by any home hobbyist.  We've talked about this before. Suppressors were banned in the United States when Congress enacted the National Firearms Act of 1934 in the wake of gangland violence.  In those days, suppressors were considered nefarious devices used solely by criminals who wanted to keep their illicit activities secret.

Nowadays, of course, suppressors are considered safety devices that preserve hearing.  The don't silence a firearm, but they suppress the report to a level that doesn't pose a medical threat to your ears.  Suppressors are legally bought and sold in the US today, but you have to pay a $200 tax and register the device with the government.

I detest the suppressor law.  It places a tax on possessing a simple little mechanical device that can be manufactured by almost anyone.  But, it is the law, and we disregard it at our hazard, as illustrated in this cautionary tale.  An unregistered suppressor can cause you to spend up to 10 years in jail.

We need to change the law.  But, before that is accomplished, it's still a felony to possess an unregistered silencer.

Trey Gowdy on the Sit-In.

I like Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC).  Evidently, he had questions to his fellow reps when they insisted on the temper tantrum we're calling a sit-in.

Democrat members are certainly free to stage a sit-in and shut down House floor activities as they have done. What would be infinitely more productive would be asking this Administration and the Department of Justice in particular why prosecutions of current gun law violations have decreased under their watch. There are already broad categories of persons prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition and those lists go largely without prosecution. Now House Democrats are asking for yet another list of persons - this time without any due process rights - so this Administration can fail to enforce that list of laws too. How does that make us safer?

Great question, Rep Gowdy!

Remington's R51

I see that Remington is re-issuing their ill-fated R51 pistol.  Many sites, including The Firearm Blog are trumpeting the news:

I had high hopes for this little gun when it was rolled out prior to the 2014 SHOT show, but subsequent problems with it lead to Remington cancelling production and recalling the pistols.  I understand that they believe that they've fixed the problems now, and the first batch coming out is slated to replace the pistols that were recalled.

I wish Remington the best with this, but a lot has happened since early 2014, and it's not hard to find a single stack .380 pocket pistol these days.  Still, I wish them the best of luck with the little gun.

Now, if Remington would re-introduce their 1858 revolver in a .45 Colt conversion, that might be something to get excited about.

It Doesn't Matter

It doesn't matter that gun sales are through the roof.  It doesn't matter that violent crime is falling, it doesn't matter that the 2nd Amendment says what it says.  It doesn't matter that due process is in danger of being abrogated.   The facts don't matter.  All that matters is the narrative. Joe Huffmaan calls it GunCog, the cognitive dissonance that drives the anti-gunners.  He shares a graphic.

The underlying chart is here:

Good Job, Joe, and thanks for your efforts.

Your Risk Profile

Joe Mamma, a blogger who went silent on the internet last year, sent me a link to this article.  Written by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, it attempts to explain the dissonance in the gun control debates today.  Adams posits that your stance on gun control is based in your personal risk profile. (Bear with me), and that influence likely carries over to your political leanings.

For example, if you live in the inner city, you're likely to understand poverty and crime from a unique perspective. You are also more likely to be a Democrat.  If you are lucky enough to be fairly affluent and live in one of the afore-referenced mega-cities, (I'm thinking places like Chicago, Los Angeles, or Louisiana's own Mogadishu-on-the-River New Orleans)) you're more likely to be a Democrat.  So, your risk profile is such that if you run into a gun-toting, opportunistic entrepreneur, he's also likely to be a Democrat.  Under those circumstances, it's easy to understand your aversion to guns.

I'd note, simply from the record, that the last two Aloha-Snackbar Mohametans that shot up large crowds were also Democrats, shooting into crowds of likewise Democrats.  I use these two data points simply for reference, without attempting to draw any statistically valid conclusion.

On the other hand, if you live in fly-over country, you're more likely to own guns and use them for sport shooting, or hunting, or recreation, or any number of safe, law abiding, constitutionally based activities.  As a matter of culture, we teach our kids to handle guns safely, to shoot safely, and to respect other folks safety and property.  Our guns don't hurt anybody, unless a Democrat comes through the window of our home.

Adams sums it up concisely:

So it seems to me that gun control can’t be solved because Democrats are using guns to kill each other – and want it to stop – whereas Republicans are using guns to defend against Democrats. Psychologically, those are different risk profiles. And you can’t reconcile those interests, except on the margins. For example, both sides might agree that rocket launchers are a step too far. But Democrats are unlikely to talk Republicans out of gun ownership because it comes off as “Put down your gun so I can shoot you.”

Thankfully, we have the Constitution on our side, as we've discussed before in these pages.  And, while it's easy to understand why Democrats are trying to abrogate my rights, it's also easy to understand why I intend to fight them tooth and nail.  We have different risk profiles and view the argument from singular perspectives.  It's an interesting argument.

I know why I intend to keep my guns, and the Democrats had better consider that I don't intend to surrender a single one of them.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guns to clean and ammo to load.

The End of LIberal Thinking

Like many of you, I've been reading about the sit-in that some Democrats have staged in the House chamber for the past two days.  I understand that they ended it today, after a recess until July 5th.  Like petulant children, the Democrats are acting like spoiled brats, unable to make a substantial argument, they're willing to throw away due process to get their way.

I find it ironic that they're staging a sit-in in the People's House, a place where they have a full right to debate and legislate.  However, unable to make the argument, they act like spoiled children, demanding that due process be denied to US citizens so that they can have their way.

The erstwhile leader of this little demagoguery, John Lewis, was once a staunch advocate of civil rights.  He himself has been on secret government lists, and has fervently defended the rights of all Americans.  In this last act, he has squandered the good reputation he took so long to build.  He is now simply being petulant at not having his own way.  He's openly mocked across social media, and he's shown that he's willing to discard due process for transient political advantage.

As a minor student of historical liberal thought, I am reminded of the words of that great legal thinker, Frederick Douglass, who said that "the liberties of the American people were dependent upon the ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box; that without these no class of people could live and flourish in this country..."  It is well that we remember these words.

We have the ballot box to select our representatives, the jury box to ensure justice, and the cartridge box to ensure freedom.  The government should be reminded that We The People are the government.  Our representatives serve at our pleasure and our prerogative.  The Congress is supposed to defend the liberties of all Americans, and is sworn to uphold the Constitution, which places limits on government.  It seems that the Democrats in the House have forgotten their oaths and their duty.

Today, Kevin D. Willaimson pens a wonderful piece over at National Review, and finishes with this paragraph:

The Democratic party in 2016 is not a liberal party. It is a party that is working diligently to rescind free-speech rights on one front and to undermine due-process protections on another. It has abandoned the notion of procedural justice in pursuit of substantive outcomes demanded by its supporters, the rule of law be damned. There is a term for the armed pursuit of justice, real or perceived, outside the rule of law, and that term is “lynching.” The Democrats have lynching in their political DNA, and they seem to be unable to evolve past it. Ironically, their abandonment of due process and their flirtation with tyranny are reminders of one of the reasons why the Founders believed it necessary to have an armed citizenry.

Go, as they say and read the whole thing.

The Second Amendment is about overthrowing tyranny, and the Democratic party had best remember that.  It's not about deer hunting, or even about sport shooting.  I still have the ballot box, and I pray that I won't have to resort to the cartridge box, but I have several of those too.

The Curious Case of the Quiet Guineas.

This case occurred in northwest Louisiana during the early '80s.  I was working for another agency and working my own cases, but small jurisdictions are notorious for word getting around.  It went something like this:

It was murder, there was no doubt about it.  A Sheriff's deputy, on routine patrol happened to see a car  all alone.in the back parking lot of a nightclub.  The club had been closed for several hours, so our intrepid deputy rolled over to check on it.  When he approached the car, shortly before daylight, he saw a body slumped in the driver's seat.  Thinking that it was probably someone sleeping off a night of too-much-fun, he tapped on the glass, then opened the driver's door.

The body was behind the steering wheel and was slumped over the console.  The driver's window was up, and the door had been closed when he approached.  He noticed that the body had two gunshot wounds in the left side.  One in the neck, one just behind the ear.  The body appeared to be a twenty-something female.  She was cold to the touch, but her clothing was all in place.

The deputy stepped back, looked around, then turned and threw up on the ground.  After he composed himself, he called it in.  The dispatcher told him to stand by, preserve the scene, and start collecting information.   Help was on the way.

A few minutes later, a supervisor arrived, and a half hour later, the on-call detective arrived.  Within the next hour, the coroner's representative was on scene.  As the day progressed, she was identified, and family was notified.  Detectives learned that she was married, with no children, and that she and her husband had been going through a nasty separation.  He was known to be volatile, and carried a pistol.  She had thrown hubby out of the house, and he was living with his father out in the rural area of the parish.

Detectives went to the father and talked to him.  Hubby had left for work early that morning, after having been in the house all night.  Of course, the old man had been sleeping, but he was pretty sure that hubby never left the house, from 800 pm until daylight. Detectives went to his work site, interviewed hubby and asked specifically about the handgun he was known to have kept in his vehicle.  He had sold it to pay some bills.  No, he didn't know the guy he sold it to. Very convenient.

Detectives continued to run down leads,   The coroner reported that either one of the two shots would have killed her, and that a slug recovered from her head seemed to be a .38 caliber bullet.  The handgun that hubby was known to have carried was a .38 Special.

Detectives got a warrant and arrested hubby for the murder of his wife.  He, of course, proclaimed his innocence and a lawyer was appointed.

Thirty days later, a preliminary hearing was scheduled.  The state laid out its evidence.  The bitter separation, the threats hubby made against the wife.  The slugs in wife's head.  The handgun that was conveniently missing.  The lack of a viable alibi.   The state rested.

The defense put on the old man, the father of hubby.  Father testified that they lived in the family home place, way out in the country.  They were pretty much alone, but had one neighbor with whom he had had words.  In addition to the normal couple of hound dogs, he also had a large flock of guineas that roosted in a tree over the gravel driveway.

The guineas were the source of the friction between he and his neighbor.  Any time anything disturbed the night-time quiet, the guineas would awaken and commence to raising holy hell. The rest of the father's testimony was fairly straightforward.  His son had come in from owrk about 6:00 pm.  They ate supper, then watched television.  Father went to bed about 8:00 pm and slept soundly through the night.  When father awoke at about 6:00 am, the son was in the kitchen making coffee.

The DA has a follow-up question, "Are you sure that your son never left the house all evening?"

Father testified simply, "The guineas were quiet all night.  No one left the house, not even the dogs.  If you don't believe me", he pointed to the back of the courtroom, "ask my neighbors.  They're sitting right back there."

The neighbor was sworn to testify.  She and her husband had been complaining about the guineas for several years.  Every time a dog, a coyote, or a pickup truck crossed that driveway, they were shaken from their sleep by that damned flock of guineas.  They had complained over, and over, about those birds.  But, on the night in question, they had seen hubby come in from work and park his truck.  They also want to bed later, and slept soundly through the night.  On that particular night, the guineas were silent.  Nothing had moved on that land, that night.

The judge took a brief recess to consider the testimony.  When he returned, he said that the testimony of the neighbor was compelling.  He knew about guineas, and their habit of waking everything within the sound of their screeching when the flock was disturbed.  He told the DA that based on the guineas, he had no choice.  The guineas were silent, so the husband could not have left the house during the hours of darkness.  The judge released the husband from the bond obligation pending further investigation.

I don't recall if that case was ever solved.  I was working other cases, and lost track of that particular investigation.  But, I was in the courtroom that day, and heard the testimony set forth in the Curious Case of the Quiet Guineas.

Due Process

I covered this yesterday, but it's worth considering again.  The Democrats in the Senate came out on Monday against due process in chilling a constitutional right.  Allahpundit explains it better than I did.

The capper was Democrats voting en masse yesterday against John Cornyn’s bill that would have allowed the DOJ to block gun sales to someone on a terror watch list temporarily, with the feds able to make the ban permanent by going to court and proving that that person’s a threat. That was a compromise by the GOP; for all of the left’s rhetoric about Republican obstruction on guns, conservatives conceded that watch-listers should have their rights infringed despite not having been convicted of a crime. All they asked from Democrats was some due process. Democrats voted against the bill en masse.

Due Process is an idea enshrined in our Constitution, and Democrats voted en mass against it.  Representative Trey Gowdy lays out the hypocrisy of the administration, and Senate Democrats in this YouTube clip.



It's worth watching this government functionary sit speechless, clueless, when Gowdy asks her about due process.  This is a defining moment of the Obama administration.

Staggering Stupidity

I see that Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) has revealed her staggering stupidity about the US Constitution. According to BuzzFeed:

“The fact is, the AR-15, the gun that (Omar) Mateen used, that’s a weapon of war; it’s advertised as being able do technologically advances in killing people that previous weapons have been unable to do and somebody who is buying that kind of a weapon isn’t buying it for target shooting,” she said. “They’re not buying it to go out and hunt deer. You don’t need an AK-47 or an AR-15 to hunt deer. They’re buying it to do bad things and we need to recognize that and address it.

Staggeringly stupid, equating hunting with the 2nd Amendment.

I would ask the good Senator what other constitutional right has to be defended from stupidity, over and over and over again.  The people of New Hampshire deserve better.

Weapons Retention

If you've got a gun, you've got to keep it with you.  That's one of the drawbacks of open carry; everybody knows you've got a gun, and they might try to snatch it.  Police holsters have improved dramatically over the last 20 years.  We don't want anyone to snatch our gun, and we take steps to defeat a gun snatch.  The best defense is the defense that's built into your holster and the holster companies have gotten very good at defeating a snatch, yet making the gun very easy to draw if you're wearing the holster.

The lesson about a gun snatch is evident in this story about a fellow who wanted to assassinate Donald Trump.   His plan was simple.  Go to a rally, get close, and snatch a cop's gun.

Police say Sandford started chatting with one of their officers at the event and claimed that he wanted to get Trump's autograph. But instead, Sandford tried to take the officer's gun, and officers quickly took him into custody.

 Sandford allegedly told investigators he practiced shooting at a nearby gun range the day before the rally. When officials asked Sandford why he tried to take the officer's gun, he allegedly said, "To shoot and kill Trump."

The 19-year-old was transferred into the custody of the U.S. Secret Service

Luckily, just about every police agency these days uses a Level III holster, usually made by Safariland.  I've carried one for the past dozen years, and my holster today is the Model 6365, and that's fairly standard today. The holster requires three separate motions with the thumb before you can draw the pistol, but Safariland has designed the holster so that it is very ergonomic and natural if you're the person wearing the holster.

If you're not the person wearing the holster, your hand won't be in position to release the pistol.  Forget it.  All that's going to happen is that you're going to feel blows rain down upon you and you'll be arrested and jailed.  There's no faster way to jail than to try to snatch a cop's gun.

And, no, I'm not going to tell you how it works.  It works fine, and I'm sure that there are YouTube videos out there to help you with the mechanics of the holster.

Those Gun Control Amendments

Interesting votes yesterday on the various amendments to legislation following the Orlando shooting.

Senator Cornyn (R-TX) proffered an amendment that would "flag" a person on the government's terror watch list.  It would impose a 72-hour period where the government could make its case or not.  After 72 hours, the sale would be allowed to proceed.  As the Dallas Morning News explains:

A test vote on Cornyn’s proposal – which would have triggered a three-day investigation into the pending buyer – failed 53-47, with Sen. Ted Cruz supporting Cornyn’s amendment. The proposed amendments to the Department of Justice spending bill needed 60 votes to proceed.

Senator Feinstein was critical of the amendment.

 In the Senate Monday, Feinstein attacked Cornyn’s amendment for using the probable cause standard in order to deny a gun purchase, noting that, under his plan, the person denied the sale must be granted a hearing within 72 hours.
“This is nearly impossible to achieve within 72 hours, and if it isn’t achieved, the terrorist gets the gun,” she said.

I don't want a terrorist to have a gun at all.  I believe that we can agree on that.  Personally, I don't want a terrorist in the US, but I realize that it happens occasionally.  What Feinstein wants is the total ban, the whole enchilada.  What Cornyn's amendment did is to cause the government to make the case, and to do it in a rational time period.

Feinstein, of course, says that 72 hours isn't long enough to complete the investigation, but in my mind, if a person is on the secret terror watch list, the government should already have completed the investigation.  That should have been done before the person's name was added to the list.

The really interesting thing is that nearly every Democrat voted against the Cornyn amendment.  According to the Senate Press Gallery:

6:37 p.m. Cloture fails on the Cornyn amendment 53-47.
Senators in favor: 51 Republicans, 2 Democrats (Donnelly, Manchin)
Senators against: 42 Democrats, 3 Republicans (Collins, Flake and Kirk) 2 Independents (King and Sanders).

That's interesting.  It seems that with the exception of two Democrat senators, the rest of that party is in favor of letting the government breach a constitutional right without having the government establish probable cause.

Every cop on every beat in every city or county of the US understand probable cause.  Probable Cause is the reasonable, articulable, belief that a crime has been, or is about to be committed.  It's really a simple standard, understood universally, and not a high bar to clear.  It seems to me that if the government has my name on a super-secret, double-probation watch list, it should already have cleared that hurdle.

Police in every locality all over the country use Probable Cause every day.  It's not too much to ask that the federal government adopt is as well.

Resume Building

We dragged in last night about 2300 hours, local, after a weekend of gunfighting, telling tales, laughing and loving with good friends and old acquaintances.  The Tejano Joe Memorial shoot and fish fry are in the books.  It's over and done.  We had a ball, and I'd like to thank the North Texas Society of Gunfighters for putting on a great shoot in the blazing hot north Texas sun.

It was a scorcher this weekend, but we had enough shade, enough liquid and enough shooting to fill the two days.  And, we had sombreros, oh, Lord, did we have sombreros.

PawPaw wore his regular, wool Cav hat this weekend.  I should have put the straw hat in the car, but I didn't think about that before we left.  My bad, and you can be sure that next time a shoot threatens to be in the upper 90s, I'll have a straw hat in the car.

There were very few youth shooters this weekend, and grandson Zach was the only male youth.  So, they threw him in with the men.  The match was a 4X, which means that you had to lose four times before you had finished your day.  Zach drew some stiff opponents, to include Lightning Jesse, Brad Quick, Okie Ed, and PawPaw hisself.  His times were fast and his accuracy was good, but in the final analysis, he drew his four Xs pretty quickly.  But, he made everybody work for the win.  He was no push-over and in his matches, it came down to a single, final shot each time.  I was proud of the boy, he bantered with his opponents, made them work for the win, and earned the respect of everyone on the line.

After we left, headed east toward Texarkana, we were looking for a place to grab a bite of supper.  What I didn't realize is that the match organizers had included in their planning, a cash prize for the top shooters, and Zach had qualified to win a cash prize.  Yep, Zach won folding money this weekend, which makes him a professional gunfighter.

How many people do you know that can put Professional Gunfighter on their resume?

Father's Day

That's my old man, right there.

We lost him in 2007, and life changed.

We'e thinking about you, Pop!

Gainesville 2016

We found the range this morning, and got ready to shoot some wax bullets.  They did the "fun" shoots today and the main match will be tomorrow.

Zach shot doubles, and Texas Hold'Em.  I shot Texas Hold'Em and Shootist.

Zach shooting Texas Hold'Em.

Neither Zach nor I especially distinguished ourselves, but we did have a lot of fun.  Milady ain't much for the fun matches, and she certainly doesn't shoot the long gun, so she pretty much stayed in the shade today and visited with folks.

I did shoot in the Shootist category today with the long gun, and while I didn't necessarily distinguish myself, I didn't embarrass myself either.  I stayed alive through five matches before I got my third X.  The rig my son made for me worked just fine, and any fault today is mine alone.  Blame it on the heat, (index 113), or the competition, but I was actually relieved to get my third X and be able to leave the venue for someplace with air conditioning.

I used the leather cuffs my son made for me, and after a day with them, I see the utility.

Check out the leather cuffs; they worked great.

One of the CFDA rules requires men to wear long sleeved shirts, and I've found during competition that the cuffs on my shirts tend to get in my way.  I'm constantly pulling my sleeves up.Today, it wasn't an issue.  The leather cuffs trap the shirt sleeves and the shirt cuffs never get in the way.  They are a great addition to a cowboy outfit and you can believe that I'll be putting sweat patina on them.  I can't imagine shooting without them.

Tomorrow is the main match, and as soon as the match is over, we're getting in the car and taking the six hour trip home.  We'll take lots of pictures tomorrow, but don't look for any postings.  We'll be on the road until long after dark.

The Bacon Meme

I've seen this floating around the Book of Face, and I'm okay with it.

I've got no problem with this at all.

Gainesville

We got out of class early today, so Milady, Zach and I headed to Texas.  The North Texas Society of Gunfighters has an invitational match this weekend, and we wee invited.  We got into town, found the range (which is located behind a bar), then came over to the hotel and checked in.

The range is located at 7519 Highway 82 East, Oak Ridge, TX.  If you'e interested, come out and see us tomorrow.  We'll be there all day.  It looks to be a good gunfight.

Training Day II

Got up this morning and mowed the grass at home.  Cleaned up and went to the range about noon.   Loaded magazines with good, clean ammo and got ready to qualify.  Everyone else showed up and we posted targets, went out on the line.

Our range is in full sun.  Sun, concrete and grass, enclosed by berms.  Accuweather pegged the heat index at 110F.  Full sun, high humidity, middle of the day.  Iced water was the key today.  Lots of water.  When it was time to score targets, I had scored a 111.  Max possible is 120, minimum to qualify is 96.  Last two years with an unfamiliar gun, I scored a 105 both times, so I'm six points better than than I was for the last two years, so I'm okay with that.

We didn't shoot shotguns or carbines this time, and the firearms instructor apologized for that.  For most of the early part of the year, our range was under water in a flood, so he's playing catch-up, qualifying as many deputies as possible.  The Louisiana POST council (the state agency that certifies police officers) sets minimum standards, and we have met the standards.  Maybe next year the floods will stay away.

America's Safest Place

Here is a veteran who knows what he's talking about, talking about the AR15.  I'm going to leave this here so that I can find it later.  Y'all enjoy.



The AR15 is America's rifle.

Cute Girl

We've seen all the arguments, and some of these are getting over-wrought, but I think this one is cute.



She has a pretty smile, doesn't she?

Where to Begin?

Got home from training today, started looking at the news.

Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL) says can AR15 can fire 700 rounds a minute.  What a wretched dumbass.  No, Alan, it can't.

Yet another wretched dumbass, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), says he's open to gun control after Orlando.  I'll check with my Kentucky brethren and see if they can jack him up by his stacking swivel?

I see that John Cornyn, (R Texas) is talking with Senator Feinstein about gun control.  He's a senator from Texas.  Has he lost his mind?  I'll have to let my Texican buddies know about this.

On the other hand, though, stopping the Senate's business is not necessarily a bad thing.

Training Day

I got my training on this morning.  Every year, we have to re-qualify on several topics, as do all law enforcement agencies across the US.  Like many agencies in this computer era, we have training online that we can complete at our leisure, and our agency has embraced computer-oriented training.  Rather than sit through hours of classroom training,we can get it done online.  Most of our training is done over a computer these days, but there are several things where we still have to show up to show basic hand-on competence.

Today was defensive tactics, then First Aid/CPR/AED certification.  Tomorrow is firearms, where we burn the Sheriff's ammo.  Friday morning is driver training.  Easy-peasy, I've been doing this now for over thirty years.  The training changes from time to time, and while at the training site, I get to interact with my brethren who I don't see much during the year.

Oh, the Argument

Eugene Robinson makes the argument that "assault weapons must be banned in America.  Nothing else will do the trick.  He even invokes the Founders.

When the framers wrote of “arms,” they were thinking about muskets and single-shot pistols. They could not have foreseen modern rifles or high-capacity magazines. They lived at a time when it was impossible to imagine one man barging into a crowded room and killing more than one or two people before having to reload and surely being subdued. Today it is not only imaginable but also tragically commonplace.

Mr. Robinson is very short sighted.  When the Founders wrote the Constitution, they wrote it broadly enough that they allowed for technological advance.  Let me rephrase that paragraph in a way that Mr. Robinson might understand.

When the framers wrote of a "press" they were thinking about Franklin's press, a device that might crank out several hundred papers an hour.  They could not have foreseen an idiot such as Robinson sitting at a computer screen, spewing his screed in Washington, immediately available to readers across the globe. They lived in a time when news traveled slowly, when the press was limited to paper and ink, and  news moved on horseback.  if you had told them about the internet, they would think you truly insane.

Here's Franklin's press, Mr. Robinson.  This is what the Framers envisioned when they talked about the freedom of the press.

I'm pretty sure, Mr. Robinson, that the Founders knew that technology would move forward.  That's why they didn't limit the constitution to a particular technology. They knew we'd advance and figure it out.

Mr. Robinson goes on with other ludicrous arguments, and I'll leave others to burn those strawmen.  But, I would caution the learned Mr. Robinson.  As I wrote earlier, there are conservatively 10 million of these rifles across the United States.  That horse is well and truly out of the barn. The genie is out of the bottle.  You're not putting it back in.

In the past forty years, the AR-15 has become America's rifle.  You might as well get used to it.

Let's Talk About ARs

There is lots of bad information going around about the ever-demonized AR15, which I like to call America's Rifle.  I was reading an article today in Rolling Stone, which purports to tell us everything we need to know about the AR15 and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that sunseted in 2004.  Lots of liberal talking points there, but those of us who know our business can call bullshit on most of it.

Before we begin, you might recall that Rolling Stone magazine is the same magazine that published the infamous article about the UVA rape case back in 2014.  Thoroughly discredited from opening paragraph to ending paragraph, that particular article is upheld as a testament to journalistic malpractice.  Anyone who considers Rolling Stone serious journalism is either demented or confused, so we'll consider the source here.

This one paragraph in the newer article I was reading caught my eye.  Let's take it apart, piece by piece, shall we?

Semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 were, at one time, banned nationwide. The 1994 federal assault weapons ban prohibited most versions of the rifle from being sold in the U.S. The gun re-entered circulation after Congress allowed the ban to expire in 2004. Subsequent efforts to renew the ban, or create other legislation that would limit assault weapons, have been unsuccessful.

Funny thing about the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons ban. I didn't find that it banned many guns, and it certainly didn't ban America's Rifle.  I know that because I bought one, perfectly legally, in 2003.  I remember it plainly.  In February, 2003 I was working in the jail on the evening that two good police officers were killed in Alexandria, LA.  It was an horrific event that rocked the community, and I don't want to dwell on it except to reinforce my timeline.

In April, 2003, I learned that I would be going to training for a new assignment.  Out of the jail, on the street, working with our most vulnerable citizens.  If I needed help, it would be coming, but I'd be on my own for several minutes.  I decided that I needed to give myself, and the citizens under my charge, the best opportunity to survive those several minutes.

So, shortly after I got my paycheck, probably about May 1, 2003 I went down to the local gun shop (in blue jeans and tennis shoes) and bought myself an AR-15.  I simply walked up the counter in my jeans and told the guy to bring me a new-in-box Bushmaster.  I filled out the form, passed the background check, and walked away with my rifle under my arm.  This was during the Assault Weapons Ban.  In 2003.  Before the law sunseted in 2004.  Let's see if we can find it?

Yep, that's it, a Bushmaster XM15E2S, bought totally legally during the ban.  Another blogger of some note, Tam, has noticed the same thing.  As she says:

And what I have is a tiny fraction of an electron in one atom in a water molecule of a drop in the civilian-owned AR15 bucket. Conservative estimates have the number of these things in circulation as closer to ten million than five. The horse is well and truly out of the barn.

Tam's right.  The horse is well and truly out of the barn.  Liberal media, and liberal politicians will try to placate us and offer platitudes to make us feel better.   The simple fact is that the Assault Weapons ban did nothing.  The AR-15 is America's Rifle.  The vast majority of them in civilian hands are not registered, because in the vast majority of jurisdictions in the US, there is no gun registration scheme.

Anyone that tells you that America's Rifle was banned from 994 to 2004 is obviously in denial, confused, or lying to you, as I've easily shown here.  AR-15s were bought, sold, and traded legally during that entire time.  The law didn't amount to a bucket of warm spit, but it made the anti-gunners feel good.  Which is why it was allowed to expire in 2004.

Oh, and that AR-15 used in the Orlando shooting?  It wan't.

Rain

I get home from running my errands, after two days of watching storm clouds scud past me, and I decided that I need to put some water in the swimming pool.  So, I stretch out the hose, get the water running, and boom

Yep, rain.  Today won't be wasted.  There are still guns to clean and laundry to do, so I'll let it rain while I stay inside and keep the dawg company.

The Orlando Shooter

It's been 24 hours since I first learned of the Orlando shooting.  I'm not going to use the guy's name, but what is being reported now starts to shed light on who this fellow was.

What do we know so far?

• He was a Muslim
• He called 911 during the attack and swore allegiance to ISIS.
• He was racist and homophobic.
• Shortly after the massacre, ISIS claimed responsibility.
• Obama spent more time talking about guns than terror.
• The ACLU says it is the Christians fault.
• The Obama administration is in denial.

Of course, the anti-gun push is strong this morning. From all indications, the shooter used an AR-15 and a 9mm pistol to commit his carnage.  So, we've got to endure another round of anti-AR nonsense in the weeks and month to come.  In fact, the first thing that came up on my Facebook feed this morning was this atrocity.

I would note, for the record, that the San Bernardino shooting and the Orlando shooting were both the work of jihadis.  I'd also note for the record that neither my AR, nor my friends, acquaintances, and coworkers ARs hurt no-one this weekend.  Yet, rather than worry about violent Mohametans, the liberal press is concerned with America's Rifle.

Denial is a powerful part of mourning, and both the Obama administration and the liberal American press are in full denial this morning.  This wasn't about the rifle, this was about Islamic jihad, come to Americas shores.

Never let anyone tell you that the left isn't out to take your guns.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have firearms to clean and errands to run.

Can a Blind Man Hit A Target?

In Cowboy Fast Draw he can.

In this video we look at Tommy, a blind man, being coached by a CFDA shooter from The Deputies, a club in California. The CFDA Shooter, we call Master Gunfighter.  He's a champion on more than one level. This video is cool.  It's very cool.



Looks like fun, doesn't it?  Find a CFDA club near you.  There is a map, and plenty of information at this link.  We'd be proud to know you.

The Revolver with a Magazine Meme

The boys and I were playing around today before lunch, and I decided to go full retard on the idiot meme I've seen in other places.

Yeah, that's my 7.5" Ruger Vaquero with a G23 mag.  Full retard.

Cool Video - Make a Knife with Common Shop Tools.

If you've ever wondered how to make a knife with common tools found in most home tool boxes, look no more. This guy uses firebrick and a propane torch as a forge, and shows how to work the metal with files and an angle grinder.  And of course, sandpaper.  It's pretty cool.



Pretty good looking knife.

Paul Mauser

Commenter Bradley, asked about Paul Mauser in the post two days ago regarding firearms designers, and I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about him.  Paul Mauser lived from 1838 to 1914 and his family, more than most folks is responsible for the bolt-action rifle that we all know and love.  They lived and made firearms during the transition from black powder muzzleloaders, to smokeless powder repeaters and the Mauser design made good use of the revolutionary changes in arms design at the time.

Paul Mauser himself is credited with the Gewehr 98 and the Carabiner 98K, two rifles that still set the standard for strength, durability, and accuracy.  These designs were so influential that the United States simply stole them when they were designing the legendary Springfield Model 1903, which became the standard infantry rifle for both World Wars 1 and II.  Mauser sued the government for patent infringement and the Court awarded Mauser a judgement of $25,000.  A kings ransom at the time.

Basically, both the Winchester Model 70 of the early 1960s (pre-64) and the current Ruger Model 77 are derivative of Mausers's 98 rifle.  Of course, the Mauser 98 is still available today, both as military surplus and brand-new rifles.  The bolt action rifles of today owe a great deal of their heritage to the work of Paul Mauser.  Occasionally, Brno actions come available on the market, and the Czech company CZ owe a lot of their heritage to the Mauser designs.  Some say that their Model 452 is a scaled-down Mauser, chambered for .22LR

Paul died in 1914, but the company lived on, producing rifles and pistols for the various European military contracts that were available at the time.  Paul is also credited with designing the 7.65x53 Argentine cartidge, and the 7x57 Mauser rifle cartridge.  I still consider the 7X57 cartridge a dandy whitetail deer cartridge.  Not many American companies build rifles for it because of its unfortunate length.  It's too long for standard short actions and too short for standard long actions.  Still, it is a handloader's dream, combining good accuracy, light recoil, and a heavy enough bullet to make it almost perfect for medium game under 300 yards.  WDM Bell used it extensively in Africa to take all manner of game, up to an including elephant, but Bell was an expert shot. I do not recommend the 7mm Mauser for elephant.

Any discussion of firearms design would be incomplete with out at least a mention of Paul Mauser.

Fascinating

Sufing around the Book of Face, I often look at a page, Traces of Texas, that features photos from Texas history.  Recently, they featured a photo from 1883.  I'll let the moderator tell you about it.

Every good Texan knows that Pecos, Texas is the site of the world's first rodeo, which was held on July 4, 1883. Well, Traces of Texas reader Trey Armstrong sent in this unbelievably great photo of one of the four contestants that day, Mr. Henry Slack. Prize money for the event totaled 25 dollars. I wonder what Mr. Slack would say regarding the bull-riding extravaganzas that go on today? He'd probably nod his head in approval, I'm thinking.

And, here's the photo:

Great photo, but what I was drawn to, if the holster.

That appears to be a double loop holster. The gun appears to be an Model 1873 Colt, but it's wearing two-piece grips.  How interesting is that?  And, of course, he's making no pretense at con concealment.

How cool is that?

My Apologies.

Eye appointment today with a retinal specialist.  Nothing to worry about, but my eyes are dilated and this guy uses good eye dilation solution.  Five hours later, it's just starting to wear off, but I'm touch-typing, the screen is a blur.

Blogging is pointless.  I'll be back tomorrow.

Firearms Design

My son and I were talking about firearms designers the last time he visited.   The name Browning kept coming in to the conversation.  John Moses Browning is no stranger to the students of firearm design, whether you're talking handguns, rifles, shotguns,  sporting arms, or military arms, the name Browning is synonymous with firearms design.

But, there are others.  Bill Ruger, for example, who gave us excellent firearms, particularly revolvers, and sporting rifles.  His Model 77 is still one of my favorite bolt rifles, and we have several in the family.  We also like his wheelguns, and the Ruger Standard .22LR pistol is a gem.

Eugene Stoner, of course, of M-16 and AR 15 fame, along with Mikhail Kalasnakov who invented the enemy's rifle.  The list of firearms designers wouldn't be complete without Sam Colt, or Oliver Winchester.  Gaston Glock has had a pretty good run.

But, the point of the conversation was that we really haven't had a first-rate, bordering on genius, firearms designer in the past 50 years.  Yeah, Glock did good with his pistol, and it's made him a lot of money, but unlike Browning, I don't see any Glock rifles, or shotguns, or even military machine guns.  Don't get me wrong, I like Glock pistols.  I carry one every day, but that's al there is.  Pistols.

Of course, most firearms today are made by large corporations that have been in the business for many years.  Perhaps it's tough for a firearms designer to rise to the top of the chain and get his name out in the pubic eye.

Of course, if Glock would come out with a new carbine, say in 9mm, that used G17 mags and make it available to the public, I might change my mind.

UPDATE*** Old NFO says not to forget Ronnie Barrett!.  Good point.  Who else am I forgetting?

Hospitals Bankrupt

It seems that three hospitals in Central Louisiana are filing for bankruptcy.

 The company that owns Oakdale Community Hospital, Winn Parish Medical Center and Avoyelles Hospital filed for bankruptcy, now many in those communities are worried because the next nearest hospital is around 30 miles away in each community.

That ain't good.  These facilities are vital to their communities, but the simple fact is that Obamacare has changed the way that we get our medical care.  The days of the friendly, horseback doctor making the house calls is long gone.  This article tries to explain the impact that the ACA has had on medical care.

 In 2013, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed.  Also known as Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act set out to cover the millions of Americans without health care.  The affect however has not yet been fully realized and it’s too early to know how it will affect the bottom line of hospitals.  Patients on the other hand, have learned that despite health insurance, medical bills continue to rise for various reasons.  Ultimately, when hospitals find too many of their patients in situations where they can’t pay for services rendered, it can likely lead to hospitals filing bankruptcy themselves.

Bankruptcy does not always result in the business closing its doors, but hospitals are generally thought to be steady, rock-solid bulwarks of the community.  Many people don't consider medicine as a business model, but the simple fact of the matter is that if you've got to hire orderlies, nurses, dietitians, doctors and administrators, there has to be a cash flow so that you can pay these people.  Somebody has to pay the light bill, somebody has to mop the floors, and they're not going to show up for work for free.

Medicine is a business and free medical care simply doesn't exist.

Backyard Shooting

I went out to my wax bullet range this afternoon, to continue my frustration with the long gun.   Getting that long barrel out of the holster is a challenge.  I'm still not ready to hook up the timers yet, concentrating on draw, cock, fire without doing anything dangerous or picking up any bad habits.  After about 30 rounds, I went down, cleaned the target, then set up to shoot 10 more shots.

If I'm counting right there are seven (7) hits on that target.  There are two below the target that you can't see, and that one over to the right at 4:00.  Must have pulled that one, but shooting 70% is a good place to quit, so I took off the revolver, walked into the pool house, and retrieved a beverage.

Yeah, after shooting in the sun in 93F temps with 50% humidity, I was ready for a beer.

I noticed that the martins were busy, swirling around the corner of the yard.  Some folks have asked if my wax bullet shooting bothers the birds, and I can't actually say that it does.  Today, it appeared that they were teaching fledglings to fly, so I took out my video phone, and took a quick vid.   You can see the corner of my backstop in the lower right hand corner of the frame, and it doesn't look like the birds were bothered at all.



We've been shooting there all summer, and the martins don't seem to be concerned about it at all.

LDWF Seeking Agents

I see in the local fish-wrapper that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is seeking to hire some new Agents.  We called the Game Wardens back in the day.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is looking for people who want to be field agents.
It's taking applications through June for up to 23 cadets. The six-month class begins in September at the Waddill Outdoor Education Center in Baton Rouge.
The Law Enforcement Division's head, Col. Joey Broussard, says they're looking for men and women who love the outdoors, want to enforce conservation laws and can make it through demanding physical and academic training.
Cadets train to enforce the state's recreational boating laws, the state and federal wildlife and fisheries laws, and general law enforcement work on the state's many wildlife management areas. The academy also covers general law enforcement training required for all state law enforcement officers, plus search and rescue procedures.

I worked closely with the game wardens in Natchitoches Parish when I was a Parole Officer.  In the rural parishes of Louisiana, everyone either hunts, fishes, or traps, and often does all three.  Some of my better stories include the guys I called "Possum Cops" as the main protagonists.  Matter of fact, one of them in particular asked me one night to help him root out some night hunters in the Red Dirt Preserve, just a mile or so back of my house.

We went out to my barn, got some tomato stakes, some duct tape and some bicycle reflectors.  In the space of thirty minutes, we had cobbled together a device we could stick in the ground behind a yaupon bush that looked for all the world like a deer when you put a spotlight on it.

We went out, found a likely spot near a paved road and stuck that thing in the ground.  In the space of about four hours, we arrested three different parties of poachers who couldn't stand to drive by a pair of gleaming eyes without shooting at it.

If I was a young man, I might consider signing up with the Possum Cops, but since I'm an old, decrepit fart, I'll leave it for the young'uns.

Spectacles

It's time for new spectacles, and PawPaw has an appointment with the eyeglass doctor in a couple of hours.  It's been too long, and at my advanced age and decrepitude, it's something I'll have to schedule regularly from now on.  When I was working for my Uncle, it was something that he took care of regularly, but in the intervening years, it's something that I let slide.

One thing that I will not do is choose frames.  I look through spectacles, not at them, so I really don't care what my frames look like.  The Army used to issue me black, horn-rimmed glasses and those suited me fine.  Milady knows that if left to my own devices, I'd pick out the cheapest, ugliest frames on the wall.  She'll meet me for lunch and we'll pick out some frames that she isn't ashamed to be seen in public with.

I've successfully resisted bifocals so far, but over the past year I realize that my reading-distance vision is fading.

Getting old ain't for sissies.

Monday Meanderings

It was a basic Monday, with a to-do list, which I accomplished early.  Laundry, check.  Errands, check.  Pool maintenance, check.  Everyday things that we all do.

But, I've got an anniversary coming up, and I had asked Milady what she might like for her anniversary gift.  She normally leaves me to my own devices, but she told me she'd think about it, and this afternoon after work, she dropped the hint.  She wants a hat, so I had her look on several sites and she found one she'd like to go with an outfit she's making for fast draw banquets.

It bills out as a Victorian Black Satin Teardrop Hat, and she found it at the link.  A little time on the keyboard, and I'm done.She's making an outfit for the shoot in Kentucky in September, and she thinks that this will go nicely with it.

And, I'm off the hook for our anniversary.  I might find a little something to surprise her with, but the pressure is off.

Trailer Update

We took another step on the Town Folk Alley trailer this week.  This is going to be a portable range for wax bullet work, to introduce people to the sport.  The key is portable, easy set-up, and easy tear down.  Several clubs have these trailers across the country, and while some of them are able to dedicate a trailer to the activity, our club is small and broke at this time.

So, we're making do.  Last week I went and bought some 1" Schedule 40 PVC pipe and today my son and I started playing with it.  I had also bought some Harbor Freight drop cloths last week, and while they're really nice unbleached fabric, they're simply not big enough.  To cut the PVC to the length necessary to use the drop cloths, simply doesn't leave enough circumference on the curve.

So, after cutting the PVC pipe to a pleasing length that gives ample space for shooting (16 feet), I remembered a tarp that I had bought for another project.  It's 15'2" X 19'6", and I also found it at Harbor Freight.  It's big enough and will certainly keep a wax bullet from getting out.

It looks more like a greenhouse than a Conestoga trailer, but it will suffice for the purpose.  The silver fabric gives enough light in the trailer that we're able to see easily.

I've got some tweaking to do and some more material to buy, but I think that this tarp will work fine. Remember, it's not going down te road with the tarp installed, it will be installed once we get to the shooting site.  I need to go pick up some ball stretch cords and see how many bungee cords I have on hand, but this thing is going to work fine.

I still have wings to build and targets to make, but we've turned the corner on this trailer and I can see the project reaching completion.  This is goin to be fun.

Sunday Morning Dawg

It's been a while since I posted a Sunday Dawg, but the dog is doing well, getting older, a little slower, and he's still deathly afraid of thunderstorms.

Yesterday afternoon, we got one heck of a thunder-bumper on our acre.  The dog, of course, didn't know what to do, so eventually he decided to lie on the kitchen floor and shiver in abject fear.  It was quite heart-rending.

It's hard to console a little dog who is inconsolable.

Saturday Morning Surfing

It's been raining for the past two days, and the weather-weenies tell us that another drenching is on the way.  So be it.  The Thorn Valley Shootist Society is not meeting today, due to the weather.  We shoot in an enclosed barn, but the road in to the range is sketchy at best.  We've decided to let it dry out before we try to get back in there.

So, I'm surfing about, and someone on the Book of Face led me to a page concerning Buck Taylor, an artist and actor who has been making his living for several decades in front of a camera.  Lots of folks may not realize that Taylor is also an accomplished fine artist, with drawings and paintings to his credit.  Some of us may remember him mainly from his acting career.  Some recall Newly, from the Gunsmoke series, and others recall him as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson from the movie Tombstone.

Which leads me to one of my favorite clips from that movie, which introduces us to his character.



It's a great little clip with tons of magnificent dialogue. "He crawfished a bet and called me a liar."

But, I'm looking at his hat, which seems to be a campaign hat of some kind.  We know that the movie is set in Tombstone, AZ and the clip occurred historically sometime before October 1881.  Here's another picture of Taylor wearing that hat.

I'm looking at the crease on that hat, familiar to many of us as the campaign crease, or Mountie crease, or the Smokey the Bear crease, and I''m wondering if it was authentic to the early 1880s?

The quandry comes in because I'm looking for a tan hat correct to the period, and I'm not sure what crease, if any, was used on common hats of the period.  What do y'all think?

An Orange Bra

It seems that yesterday was National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and no one told the J-frame that rides every day in my pocket.  Of course, it didn't hurt anybody yesterday, just as it hasn't hurt anybody any day, and I pray that it doesn't have to hurt anybody today.  Yet, it's there to end gun violence in the manner that it is intended to stop gun violence.

Dozens showed up in Austin to celebrate the cause.  Dozens.  I bet that none of them were armed, trained, and ready to actually end gun violence.

Orange, evidently, was the color of the day.  Some celeb posted a pic of herself in an orange bra in solidarity.  Never heard of her, but I don't follow popular entertainment culture.  It's too shallow and self-aggrandizing for my tastes.  Click on the link if you must.

It's sad actually.  They've lost the argument and they're unable to see the result.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guns to clean and ammo to load.  Let Freedom Ring.

The New York Times and the M3A1

Surfing around yesterday, I came to a piece in the New York Times, recommending that all guns in the US become NFA items.  Strict registration, with fingerprints and mug shots for every gun owner.  For those of you unaware, the National Firearms Act of 1934 was enacted to strictly regulate machine guns, destructive devices, short barreled rifles, and other items, like suppressors and hand grenades.

The author claims that NFA34 has been wildly successful, and I suppose that from his perspective, it has.

Leaders of the National Rifle Association rarely talk about the firearms act, and that’s probably because it imposes precisely the kinds of practical — and constitutional — limits on gun ownership, such as registration and background checks, that the N.R.A. regularly insists will lead to the demise of the Second Amendment.

But, his perspective is seriously in error.  It's an infringement that makes gun owners howl.  There have been a number of consequences, not the least of which is that the number of legal, transferrable firearms is strictly limited, to the point that prices are artificially high, by several orders of magnitude.

You see, in 1986, the registry was closed.  No new guns can be added to the registry.  The market is very limited, and the loss of supply drives prices atmospherically.  For example, the simple little M3 submachine gun.  Originally put into suervice in 1943, some 700,000 were made.  It's a simple little device, crude, inaccurate, but a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.  The government paid about $20..00 apiece for them.  Nowadays, if you'd like to buy one, the selling price would be north of $7500.00, and the M3 is not a particularly nice machine gun.

What the National Firearms Act has done, is made owning a machine gun a rich man's hobby.  I certainly can't own one on a workaday paycheck.

We could talk about suppressors, simple little devices that muffle the sound a gun makes.  In many countries they're allowed as hearing protection.  Yet here in the United States, they're NFA items.  Any reasonably competent home tinkerer could make one in his garage.  Indeed, one device in particular, the oil filter adapter, lets you put a suppressor on a gun for less than $100.00.  Of course, you'll have to pay the $200 tax and register it with the BATFE.  Here is Hickok45 using one.



The NFA is an abomination that should be neither emulated, celebrate, nor advocated.  It's a pox on the 2nd Amendment.  This little adapter is a automotive part, available at Amazon.com, but possession of it with a firearm and a filter is a felony, unless you have the tax stamp.  That's an infringement.

I would remind the members of the press that talk about gun control to remember that the founders thought the press was a fixed device to print a limited amount of paper.

Should we limit the press to that technology, or should we let Freedom Ring?

I'll pick freedom every time.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have chores to accomplish.

Uberti's New Cattleman II

Uberti has come out with an "improvement" that they're touting on all the social media.  A "floating firing pin" that lets you carry the revolver fully loaded.  Heck, I'll show you the video.



Ruger perfected transfer bar ignition, a system that works great.  The original Colt pattern, of course, was unsafe to carry fully loaded.  A strike to the back of the hammer would ignite a cartridge in the chamber.  That's why all of us who carry single action revolvers long ago learned to keep the hammer down on an empty chamber.  It's worked great since 1873 or thereabouts.

The Uberti Cattleman was a fairly authentic reproduction of the Colt Peacemaker.  I shoot a Uberti in Cowboy Fast Draw and like it very much.  This new Cattleman II increases the complexity of the mechanism, one that has worked well for everyone for over 100 years.  Personally, I don't see a need for this intrusion on the original device.  As a wise man said a long time ago, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Butler Creek Mountain Sling

Some of you might recall that last year, shortly before getting in to Cowboy Fast Draw, I bought a Savage Scout rifle.  Old readers will know that I'm a fan of the Savage bolt rifles.  They're reliable, accurate, durable bolt action. magazine fed rifles priced popularly.  Fine rifles at a great price.

The one weakness I found in that rifle, right out of the box, was the carrying strap provided.   A simple piece of 1" nylon with an el-cheapo adjustment, it simply didn't fit the bill. It was simply too long, hard to adjust, and had the air of a piece of strap that Savage bought to put in a box.  I resolved to take that strap off the rifle and put it in a bottom drawer of my tool box.  It might be useful for something, but for riflery, it simply didn't fit the bill.

I also know that many people think that the only proper sling to put on a serious rifle is a Model 1907 sling for serious rifle work.  That's fine, and good leather is a joy, but I've never been trained on the 1907 sling.  I was taught riflery by the US Army in the mid '70s.  We didn't use 1907 slings.  I recall simple, cotton web straps.  Later, they became simple, nylon straps.  We learned to shoot quite well with them.

I also know that in this modern, tacti-cool age, lots of folks have invented alternate slings.  The Ching Sling, promoted by Gunsite Academy comes to mind.  There are also the single-point slings that were the rage a couple of years ago.  I have nothing against any of these devices, but little experience with them as well.  I do know how to use a conventional two-point strap.

A month or so ago, I was trolling through the sporting goods racks at a local box store, and came upon a nice, simple, nylon strap that seemed to be easily adjustable.  The placard said it was a Butler Creek Mountain Sling and the price was right.  Less than a good set of QD swivels, which were already attached.  I dropped it in the buggy and took it home.  Good, inexpensive straps are always a bargain.

I've installed it on the rifle, and adjusted it so that I can take a hasty sling.  This looks like it might be just the key to making this rifle complete.  Hopefully, next week I'll have the opportunity to get out and try it at the local range.

I'll keep you informed.

End of Watch

We lost a brother yesterday.  Evidently, Deputy Robert Johnson collapsed after roll call and died.  They suspect a heart attack.

I am praying of course, for his family.  Robert was a good cop, a friendly soul, and a fine man.  He'll be sorely missed in the department.

Update** Partial press release from the Sheriff's Office:

It is with deep sadness that Sheriff William Earl Hilton announces the line of duty death of Corporal Robert Johnson, Enforcement Division, SRO. On Tuesday evening May 31st, just after 5 pm, Corporal Johnson was loading his patrol unit at the Kolin Sub-station getting ready to go on patrol when he collapsed in the parking lot. A passing motorist saw Corporal Johnson down in the parking lot and stopped and notified deputies inside. The deputies and the motorist immediately started CPR and called for an ambulance which arrived within a few minutes. Corporal Johnson was transported by Acadian Ambulance to Rapides Regional Trauma Center where he was pronounced deceased a little after 6pm. Cause of death is unknown at this time but it appears to be heart related.
Corporal Johnson was 43 years old and had been with the Sheriff’s Office since January 1st, 1995. He currently served as a School Resource Officer at Ruby Wise Elementary School. 

Robert was 43 years old and leaves behind a wife and three small children.

Great Video

I was clicking around the Book of Face ad came to this little video by Pantaeo Productions, where Dave Spaulding talks about the current state of combatives training int he US.

What's interesting, is that he's echoing things that I've been saying for years.  The gun doesn't really matter, the trousers certainly don't matter, the brand of boots, or holster, or anything else doesn't matter as long as your equipment choices work for you.  What really matters is mindset.



If you've read much Cooper, or much PawPaw, we'll tell you that mindset is the key to surviving a lethal encounter.  Mindset matters.  Not what you're wearing, or whether you have a beard.