An Argument for Octagon Barrels

I've been trying to learn to produce low-cost, YouTube videos.  It's a lot harder than it looks.  A little 8-minute video on the argument for octagon barrels took me seven hours.  You do not want to see the out-takes.  But, I feel pretty good about it.  Lots of editing.



Time for a stiff drink.

Dr. Ford's Coast-to-Coast

Hot Air is reporting that one reason Dr. Ford wants to push the hearing back (aside from the obvious delaying tactic) is that she doesn't like airplanes.  Well, okay.  I love airplanes, but I don't like commercial flying because TSA has made it a cattle-herd process complete with squeeze chutes and cattle prods.  Flying commercially these days sucks.

Driving across the country is always an option  But, I learned years ago that driving across the country in as little as 50 hours.  That's right.  50 hours.  Two days.  I learned this interesting fact back in the late '90s when I was doing long-distance motorcycle riding.  The Iron Butt Association documents those rides.

It is entirely possible for Dr.   Ford to start her journey in CA o Friday night, and be in Washington on Sunday night.  Check into a motel, get a few hours sleep, and be at the hearing on Monday.  The question is not whether it is possible, many have already proved that the journey is possible.  The question is whether Dr. Ford is willing to make the effort.

The Iron Butt Association requires that a rider make the whole trip in command of  the motorcycle.  In Dr. Ford's case, it would be easier.  She could have a co-driver help her across our great country.  But, it's entirely possible to leave California on Friday and be in Washington on Sunday. 

Let's Have Some Fun

If you're tired of politics (and who isn't?) lets have some fun with riles.

Courtesy of the Gunny.



Now, don't you feel better?

Veritas Update

Project Veritas is getting air time and the administration is taking it seriously.  From Fox News:



I'll be at the football field in another hour, but I'm happy that O;Keefe is on the job.

TGIF

The political wold has gone batshit crazy over this Kavanaugh thing and the news has descended almost into parody.   Feinstein's office says that they've been receiving some really nasty phone calls and emails.  I bet so.  Others are calling for her censure, which makes a better case than just calling the office and giving her a good cussing.  Her handling of this entire matter has been despicable.

But, it is Friday, and we have a local football game.  So, I'll be in the stands tonight, cheering on the home team and talking politics with some of the other curmudgeons who attend.

Go Panthers!

Project Veritas Strikes Again

Yo'u might remember James O'Keefe, and his Project Veritas, a bright light that shines on government corruption.  In his latest video he takes on the Deep State and the Socialists, and the Social Justice Warriors and all the folks in government who are actively trying to resist President Trump's agenda. 

I'll bet that he has a lot of the Obama-era types crapping their pants.



We have to root these guys out, and O'Keefe is doing a wonderful job.

Well... Just Wow!

The decapitated corpse that was found on a judge’s doorstep in Aurora, Illinois has been identified as belonging to a notorious pedophile who was recently allowed to walk free on bail by the judge, according to reports.

Sounds like someone is sending several messages.

Hat tip; Say Uncle.

The Big News

The big news, obviously, is all Kavanaugh, all the time.  It's interesting that we're supposed to believe a woman who is sure what happened, but is not sure when or where or who was there.

I've been a sex crimes investigator,(and recently got in-serviced on sex crimes)  and I generally want to believe a woman when she tells me that she has been abused.  But, she has to help me build the case.  In the context of Dr. Ford, I feel that she's a pawn of the Democrats, a convenient foil for their ambitions, which is despicable. 

In this particular case it's been... ~35 years?  I'm sure that no physical evidence is left, and so we're left with witness corroboration, which so far appears to be slim.  35 years is a long time to re-visit the crime scene, even if we knew where it was.  So, we're left with the talking heads and endless speculation.  I did watch one video that was pretty good,



Give it a watch.  They bring up some good points.  But, in the end, I'm left with the feeling that Dr. Ford is an unwilling pawn of the Democrats, which makes then especially despicable.

Kavanaugh's Accusers Crumble

Some stunning developments.  It seems that even after Chuck Grassley bent over backwards to give Dr. Ford a chance to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she has now declined.  Byron York, over The Examiner gives a good timeline of the events from the past week.

Evidently, Dr. Ford thinks that next Monday is too early to testify.

Banks suggested Ford is simply not emotionally ready to appear. "Since coming forward, her life has been turned upside down," 

Just exactly what did she think was going to happen?  Dr. Ford is a PhD professor of psychology, so she should at least have an inkling of the processes involved.  Also, she's 51 years old, so she should have had time to process whatever incident may or may not have occurred.  I mean, c'mon.  You make the accusation at the last minute, and you're not willing to testify about it?

 Senator Feinstein, of course, is a complete piece of work.  Now, she's complaining about a rushed process and questioning the veracity of the accuser.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee who has known about the Ford allegation since July, complained of a "rushed process." But Feinstein fed an atmosphere of uncertainty Tuesday when she said of Ford's allegation: "I can't say everything's truthful. I don't know."

This is looking more and more like a Democrat kerfluffle to delay the appointment of an esteemed jurist simply because the Democrats don't like his judicial philosophy.  Others are calling this despicable tactic as being reminiscent of Berea and Stalin's tactics, but I don't go that far.

Uncle Joe Wrecks It Again

It looks like goofy Joe Biden may be thinking about a 2020 run at Presdent Trump, and while that might be amusing, it certainly seems like a waste of time and money.

He thinks Trump supporters are "dregs of society".



Yeah, we've been downgraded from deplorables to dregs of society.   Good luck with that, Joe.

Lyman 17

I bought a Sharps reproduction in 2002, and got familiar with it over the course of a couple of years.  Wrote about the foibles of loading black powder here.  After a couple of years, my interest moved to other things, so the Sharps got put in the cabinet and became a safe queen.

Last weekend, younger grandson was asking questions about rifle actions, so we went to the safe and took out some samples.  I grabbed the big Sharps, and during the intervening discussion, I was holding the rifle with the barrel vertical and felt something hit the back of my hand.  The Lyman 17 globe sight had disassembled itself.

We found the sight insert and the locking sleeve and attempted to put it back together again, and found that the locking sleeve is stripped and won't hold tight.  It looks like it's time to order another Lyman 17.  The rifle came out of the box with a nice, silver blade sight, but it really needed a nice globe sight for the best accuracy, and the Lyman fit the bill.  The next time I make an otder from Brownells, I'll have them drop one in the package.

Birds Head Grips

The era of the 1870s-1890s was a remarkable period on many levels, not the least of which was the rapid progression of firearms design.  I've been doing a little bit of research, and found some interesting stuff.  The first one is here:

The 1877 Colt Double Action Revolver
by Ed Buffaloe

Most likely, the Colt Double Action revolver of 1877 was a response to the introduction of the Webley Bulldog pistol in 1872, which was already being imported into the U.S. by late 1873.  The Webley was a double action pistol with a two inch barrel, the original version of which held 5 rounds of .44 center fire ammunition.  It was well received in the U.S. because it was well made, reliable, concealable, and relatively cheap compared to a Colt or a Smith & Wesson, plus it was “self-cocking,” advertised (in later years) as being able to fire five rounds in three seconds.  This gun almost demanded a response from the premier American gun manufacturers.

More at the link.

But, there is a post over at The Firing Line forum on poinnt, and one user, Mizar,  posts an interesting revolver with the following quote:

"Colt Single Action Army manufactured in 1880, and inspected by David Clark, and thus stamped with DFC on frame, bbl, and cylinder. No US markings found, and were thus most likely obliterated." Quote from the Facebook post.

If that is true, we know of t least one example of a Colt 1873 that had birds head grips.   This topic certainly bears more study.

Asked and Answered

Is Dianne Feinstein the Most Corrupt Senator in the United States?

Probably, but that is a pretty high bar.  You realize that we're talking about Democratic senator?

I didn't realize until early this morning, but this whole Kavanaugh debacle smacks of the Anita Hill allegations about Clarence Thomas.  History may not repeat itself, but it surely rhymes.  This is straight out of the Democratic palybook.

Feinstein sat on that letter for months, had plenty of  opportunity to bring it up, and waited till the 11th hour to make the stunning revelation.  The accuser is a piece of work as well.  She also had plenty of time to make those allegations.  From what little I've read, the woman in question is a PhD professor of something-or-other at a California university.   She is certainly educated enough to know that there is a time limit on everything.   In most wedding ceremonies that I've attended, there is an admonition to the witnesses to "speak now, or forever hold your peace".

I understand that some survivors of sexual assault need time to process the injury and indignity of the assault.  It takes time.  Make the complaint as soon as you are  comfortable.  But, know that in the public eye (and in the law) there comes a time when that complain expires.  It's over and done.  We've moved on.

But, regarding Senator Feinstein, she may not be the most corrupt Senator in the US, but she's certainly in the running.  Personally, I find her despicable.

Leadership Matters

Leadership matters.  In the military, in civil politics, in corporate life,  it's all about leadership.

In natural disasters, leadership is especially important.  Getting the electricity turned on, getting the stores re-stocked, and getting people back to work.  That takes leadership.  One recurring success story is the ability of Waffle House to be up and running as soon as possible, to feed people who are hungry, and to restore a sense of normalcy to a situation that is decidedly not normal.    That's leadership.

The CEO of all Waffle House is IN Wilmington. All 5 are open and he has been personally serving 1st responders & thousands of customers. That is how leadership works! Can your boss do your job and would he/she be willing to do it? Let's all eat there soon! 

They've brought in generators to restore service to the stores, they've gotten the people back to work, and they're serving customers and first responders who might not have a hot meal available.   Trust me when I say that in a natural disaster, when the power is out and you're working to help people who desperately need help, it's comforting to know that a hot meal is available.  That Waffle House is able to get up-and-running so quickly is a testament to the quality of the leadership of the organization. 

Sunday Lunch

Yesterday, Belle said that she was craving red beans and rice, so when we ran e errands, we picked up two pounds of good Camellia red beans ad three pounds of Conecu sausage.  Last night we put it all i the crock pot, covered it with water, and let them bubble all night.

Today, we made a pot of rice.

Before we gathered for lunch, Belle made a big cornbread, and the dog took a nap on the shop floor.

After lunch, grandson Lucas said that he'd really like a root beer float for dessert.

That's how we spend Sundays at PawPaw's house.  Cooking, eating, and hanging out.  Now, it's late Sunday afternoon.  Belle is doing laundry and I'm enjoying a vodka tonic.

Why I Carry

There is this piece, over at The Week, where the author opines that police officers in America should not carry guns on a routine basis.  The article sounds like parody in places, but I believe that the guy is serious about his hypothesis.  Or, at lest he believes that he is being serious.

What would happen if American police officers carried whistles instead of guns and dressed in old-fashioned blue uniforms instead of outfits that make them look like they are about to ask us how long we've had these droids? Would the country descend instantly into a chaos of looting, arson, and mass murder? Or would we just go on with our lives, commuting to jobs, raising children, watching sports, whatever — the same routine, albeit with a little bit less of the low-key anxiety that comes with seeing cops with weapons?

He goes on to detail a tragic, police-involved shooting in Dallas,   It was a tragic, bizarre set of circumstances where an officer shot a man who is by all accounts, an innocent bystander.   The officer has been charged, and jailed, and the incident, though regretful and horrific should not be used for any policy discussion.  You can read about it at the link above.  Even from the author's perspective, the facts are strange and likely to not be repeated.  Here's the link, again.

We carry guns because bad guys shoot at is.  The most common officer-involved shooting follows what is basically the rule o 3-3-3.  That is 3 shots, 3 yards, in under 3 seconds.    It's so very fast that sometimes we fail to appreciate that we are in a gunfight until it is over.

One of the best illustrations of this phenomena might be this video, produced by the Los Angeles Police Department as part of an officer Use-Of-Force investigation.    It shows very graphically what a gunfight looks like and the speed at which events unfold.  It also shows the thoroughness with which most agencies conduct their investigations.  Spoiler alert:  this video is graphic and not for the faint-of-heart.



Thus is why the police carry guns.  This is why I carry a gun.  This is also why cases like Heller and McDonald are so vitally important.  The Framers got it right with the 2nd Amendment.  We as Americans have a right to defend ourselves, and this extends to the police.  Gunfights are short, brutal and deadly.  We have the right to protect ourselves, and that's why I carry a gun every day.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to the shop to play with a recipe I've been looking at for a while.