Call

Sorry for my absence. Please enjoy the previous posts and archives.

Colt Recall Update

On Tuesday of last week I filled out Colt's online request for a new Defender recoil assembly. I received the unit in a bubble wrapped plastic envelope today. Decently fast service.

I'm not wanting to send in the other two pistols for a thumb safety replacement under Colt's recall. I don't mind sending them in, it's just that I don't want to have to wait at the house to sign for the package when it returns. I can replace the New Agent thumb safety myself, if Hartford will just send a new recoil assembly my way for it as well. I will have to give them a call and see if they will. Doubtful, but you never know.........

Ugly Gun Sunday

Happy Independence Day, Don't puke up your hotdogs......

Clear that Chamber!

Be advised, this is not Xavier's hand...... Warm regards for recovery should be directed to the actual shooter in question.

"I decided to share my accident from a couple months ago. Glock 19.

I was "sure" I had cleared it. Clip was removed and empty on the table. I reached across the table aiming at the wall to drop the hammer so I could complete disassembly and was resting my left hand on top of the slide, slightly forward such that (apparently) the edge of my palm was down in front of the muzzle.

The huge loss of skin must have been from the muzzle blast. Well, the pictures speak for themselves. The wound is now closed and looks pretty good, but the nerves have not completed healing and the hand surgeon says it will be another two months before my hand and little finger feel normal again.

I share, hoping that my experience will help others realize that no matter how old you are and how many years of experience you have, it just takes a momentary lapse of concentration to do stuff like this ... or worse.

Like I told my understanding wife ... nothing anyone can say will teach me anything more than I learned the hard way. But fire away if you must. I am just hoping this helps someone else learn / re-learn the easy way ... never let anything or anyone make you lose your concentration and focus.

And no I don't blame the Glock. This is MY fault and my fault alone. The Glock is not a hard weapon to clear."

A Dollar Seventy-nine

Prelude:

Yesterday, as I was starting an IV on a patient in preparation for sedation, I noticed a tattoo on his arm. It was a Japanese koi. The sweep of the fins and the old but delicate line work told me this tattoo was not the crude marking of a stateside tattoo artist. The old man I was inserting the IV catheter into was a stoic sort, grizzled and grey haired with bulging eyes. He did not flinch as I slid the 18 gauge needle under his skin and into his radial vein.

Later, as the old man awoke in Recovery, I walked over and said "Reveille Sailor, all hands on deck. Time to heave out and tryst up." He smiled through the evaporating post surgical mental fog and pain .

"How did you know I was a sailor?" he muttered in slurred speech.

"Well, with that haircut, I knew you were no Marine," I replied. "I recognized your tattoo. Okinawa or Honshu?"

"I was on the Bon Homme Richard , CV-31, did a couple of world cruises and Korea. I got the koi in Yokosuka."

"I was on the Midway, home ported out of Yoko," I told him. "The honch was still hopping when I was there, but the exchange rate made it kind of expensive."

After he was more awake, we talked about his surgery a bit, I let him know what his recovery would entail. Before he rolled out and I went to the cafeteria, I told him "Thank you for your service."

"No, son," he replied. "Thank you for yours."

Update to today, and an open letter to Home Depot.

Dear Sirs,

Today, I went in your store to purchase two air conditioner filters. I do not normally shop at Home Depot because several years back your store refused a return on an item that had been purchased the same day, and did not function. Never the less, since Lowes and a local home owned hardware store were out of the size filter I needed, I decided to let bygones be bygones, and give your store another chance. After all, what could go wrong with an air conditioner filter?

As I entered your store, I took note of a sign at the entrance heralding a ten percent discount for active military, reserves, retirees and veterans. "That's nice," I remarked to my wife, as I went to the heating and cooling aisle, "I'll have to ask for that."

I found my filter, and I picked up a spare as well and approached the register. As the young cashier rang me up, I asked for the 10% discount for veterans. She asked to see my driver's license. This was rather confusing, since I was paying cash. Then she said she needed to see ID to confirm my status as a veteran.

I informed your employee that I do not normally walk around with my DD214, but I would still like the discount, because I was indeed a veteran. Now most people would take one look at me with the military style haircut that I still wear, and the posture forged into my spine and know that military service was in my background. A veteran isn't hard to spot, and the monetary figure in question with this transaction was one dollar and seventy-nine cents. $1.79. After a couple of misguided remarks from your cashier and a conversation with the manager, I was awarded my dollar seventy-nine.

I served six years active duty. I served ten years inactive. I fought in one war, and a couple of campaigns. I have 123 days of actual combat, and numerous days that qualified for combat pay and hazardous duty pay in my military record. I am a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I served with distinction and honor. I am a veteran. One dollar and seventy-nine cents.

The slight I suffered from your cashier is minor. My purchase was small, and my military service relatively insignificant in comparison to others. In our city, we have numerous veterans. Some served in World War II. One was held prisoner by the Japanese, suffering brutal torture and starvation. Others served in Korea. Two were held captive in Hanoi, and still bear the scars from torture they endured while trying to survive. Many who live in our city fought in Vietnam. Younger men and women have fought in the Middle East. They have come home missing limbs and broken. They struggle to regain the life they left the United States with.

Suppose a Marine who lost a leg in Iraq, proudly walked into your store on a titanium prosthesis to purchase lumber for a project and asked for the discount you are offering. Lets suppose the purchase was two hundred dollars. Would the twenty dollars offered make up for his sacrifice? No.

Suppose a gentleman who served in Burma as a volunteer under General Claire Chenault, as a Flying Tiger, who was shot down over the South China sea, and who swam among sharks for three days awaiting rescue was to come into your store to buy a two dollar tube of caulk. Would the twenty cents you allowed him make up for his sacrifice? No way in Hell.

What about the husband who is struggling on a fixed income who hopes that the five dollars he will save on his fifty dollar purchase in your store will help him and his wife make ends meet? Is the fact that he still walks on crutches after having his legs broken in multiple places by his Japanese captors enough to prove he is a veteran? Does he need to contact the Department of Defense for a copy of his service record to present to your cashier?

These men walk among us. They are shopping at your store. They are our fathers, our grandfathers, our sisters, brothers, and our sons and daughters. They are real, and they do not carry an ID card to prove they are a veteran. They might be a tattooed biker, an accountant, a doctor, a waitress, or an unemployed vagrant with dreadlocks and a drug habit. If they served they are all veterans. Your cashier should not question the service of any of them. Not one. A discount is a poor excuse for a thank you. More over, a discount becomes less when the person receiving it must prove they deserve it. When that person must meet your standard to receive your corporate "thank you," then the gratitude is meaningless. Neither I, nor my brethren have anything to prove to Home Depot. You can keep your discount until you learn that it is no thank you without genuine appreciation.

At this point, it appears that your offering is no more than an apathetic and cynical advertising gimmick devised to take advantage of the service that others have given our country. You, and the employees you place in your stead before the public may not know what a veteran is, and you may not care. That is fine by me, and by thousands of other veterans. Using our military service and our sacrifices for your financial gain, however, is unacceptable.

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Independence Day. Your store will be open for business. It is my sincere hope that you will educate your employees in what constitutes a veteran and what constitutes appreciation. It is apparent Home Depot does not understand the meaning of either.

Sincerely,
Xavier

Please feel free to circulate........

A Phone Call

Ring ring! Ring ring!

"This is Xavier, may I help you?" I always answer the cellphone like that in case it's a physician I work with. My daughter finds it amusing at least.........

"Hey Xav, he accepted your offer, five o'clock OK?"

"Roger that."



More later.........

Colt Recall

Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC has determined that the Slide Lock Safety and the Recoil Spring Guide Pad in certain Colt model pistols were not manufactured to Colt specifications and must be replaced. All of these Colt models were sold after March 2007 and the range of serial numbers affected by this product recall is as follows:

1911 WWI Replica (O1911) From: 4597WMK To: 5414WMK
1918 WWI Replica (O1918) From: 1001WWI To: 3431WWI
New Agent (O7810D) From: GT01001 To: GT04505
Combat Elite (O8011XSE) From: CG10000E To: CG11293E
Defender (O7000D) From: DR33036 To: DR35948
Talo Night Defender (O7000NDF) From: NDF0001 To: NDF0400

It seems the thumb safties and the recoil guide rod pads are a bit soft.

Damn. My WWI Reproduction, my Defender and my New Agent all fall within that range.

More information here. At least I don't need to send the Defender in.........

Tripod

Last week I researched and ordered a tripod to last me for the rest of my life. What I recieved is a tripod I will surely hand down to my son or daughter. The Manfrotto 055X Pro is one solid piece of equipment. The three section legs are aluminum, with positive locking lugs. The center support quickly goes horizontal if desired.

The Joystick head (322RC2) is the cat's meow. It postively locks in any position when the trigger is released, and it has a quick release to attach onto the bottom of the camera. A locking cam secures the quick release, and a pin lock secures the cam.

The price from Amazon was extremely competitive, and the free shipping was lightning fast. Count this as one of the best investments I've made.......

Ugly Gun Sunday

Smith & Wesson actually marketed this hotrod Model 36 as a limited edition.

What have we become?

Shooting Rifling

Ever want to photograph the bore of a gun? Go here and read.

More on Jerome Ersland

The victim tells his side of the story.

One thing is certain. Antwun "Speedy” Parker would be alive today if he had stayed at home playing with his X-Box. He's dead because he decided to rob a pharmacy.

Ersland Case Updates

Updates on the Jerome Ersland case available here.

Ugly Gun Sunday

For people who want to pay extra for extra ugly......

The 1912 M1911 and other Heirlooms

"This sounds like a setup...don't go alone !" commented C4.
I wasn't worried, the email came from an friend since childhood. When I got off work yesterday, I drove the 40 miles necessary to visit my old friend.

After the usual Southern pleasantries, talk turned to the pistol at hand, and my friend removed it from a ban money bag. I looked the M1911 over, and found it to be 100% original except for the magazine. The rounded rear sight and the ball cut slide are two features that I really like on the old M1911s. Sadly, my Black Army gun lacks both. The old war horse being offered had not seen much actual firing; the rifling was still sharp (if dirty) and the gun had the original barrel. Most of the finish wear was the result of time, not carry, and not abuse.

My friend was simply acting as a broker to facilitate a deal, and I soon learned that the owner was not uninformed. I had cash in my pocket, but I could not pay what he hoped to get for the pistol. I gave a couple of combination offers, trades of firearms and the ability to buy the M1911 back at the same price in the future, and I left it at that. Perhaps the owner, knowing that my word is my bond, will take me up on the offer in the realization that it gives us each the opportunity to own and regain a bit of history we could not otherwise afford.

Talk turned to catching up on each other's lives, and my friend's son Lee brought out his prized possession. Lee has an appreciation for fine firearms, and is a responsible shooter who never turns down an opportunity to blast away steel or paper. For a year before his twenty-first birthday, he would wistfully rhapsodize about the AR he wished he could build. Little did Lee realize that his father and a gunsmith friend were taking notes. On his twenty-first birthday, Lee was presented with a gift that is destined to become a family heirloom. A gift from a father that unequivocally recognizes his son as a responsible man.

These are the admirable qualities of the gun culture. It's a world where people are recognized by what they do, their actions makes them who they are. The honor among men (and women) is what makes the gun culture what it is. And it is that small fact, that honor, that is lost on those who would try to destroy the second amendment. Of course, what would they know of honor? If they trusted their fellow man, they wouldn't be worried about his guns.

Interesting email

"I know you to be a colt man Zav. This is a 1911 colt 45 issued to U.S. Military in 1912 Serial # 8345. He says good condition. I am not up on that sort of thing. If you are interested I can have at it at my place next week. I'm not a pistol guy , just wanted to give you a crack at it if you wanted to look at it. I've not seen it I 'm just relaying . Not mine but an old buddy I'm sure you'll know."

More later, I'm certain........

The Nikon Coolpix S52

Several people have asked me (as if I would know) what point & shoot digital camera they should get. Really, it's kind of like asking what gun to get. It all depends on the person and the job they want the camera to do. I just upgraded my Canon point & shoot digital camera to a Nikon. I had purchased the Canon Powershot A520 in a pawn shop for around $89, and it has been a good camera. It is, however, a 4 megapixel camera and I was wanting more performance and portability.

I wanted to be able to shoot large, sharp images that could be printed if desired, or cropped down if needed. I wanted a point & shoot camera that could take discreet candids. I did not want a telescoping lens that would give away the fact I took a photo. I wanted a camera that would allow me to turn off the beeps and clicks, and possibly the LCD screen. I wanted at least eight plus megapixels so I could crop as needed, and I wanted it all to be pocketable with no fuss.

I found all this in the Nikon Coolpix S52. It comes with Nikon's vibration reduction system, a 9.3 megapixel CCD digital sensor, and an aluminum body. The light hits the sensor through a 6.3-18.9mm f/3.3-4.2 lens, equivalent to a 35mm film format of 38-114mm. The Nikon S52 has multiple modes and programs, and can be set to run however the photographer desires. The image size selection ranges from 3456 x 2592 to 640 X 480. The ISO range is from 100 to 3200. The images are stored on a SDHC card. The Nikon S52 allows the photographer to select their own white balance. It will shoot continiously at 0.9 fps, record WAV movies, and it has a timer function. Prices for a new one seem to fall between $280 and $400 for this little powerhouse camera.

However, the best thing is Adorama.com has Nikon factory refurbished S52 cameras for a hundred bucks each. $100. One Franklin. Free shipping. Refurbished? Damned right. That just means it got past the Nikon quality inspection process twice. To make my new candid snapper even more discreet, I blacked out all the chrome with electrical tape and black paint. I put black tape over the flash just in case. I have considered a sticker, or maybe a label of some sort to disquise it even further. Perhaps a MP3 player type control on the front along with a set of headphones, or maybe a Blackberry looking cover. We shall see........

Lomo Photography

A Conciliatory Request Denied

District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure has denied a request that Jerome Ersland of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma have access to weapons while he is out on bail for defending his life in an armed robbery attempt. Mr. Ersland, a pharmacist, shot and killed a teenager, one of a pair, who burst into his workplace demanding drugs and money at gunpoint.

"District Attorney David Prater asked the judge to allow Ersland to have access to a gun at work in case the pharmacy is robbed again. The prosecutor said his position "sounds crazy” but he insisted that under the law Ersland has the right to defend himself and others at the pharmacy. At one point, spectators in the courtroom clapped in support of his statements.

The district attorney said he worried crooks now will know it is "open season” at the pharmacy if Ersland is there. He also said Ersland could be fired.

Prater said the pharmacist would not be in court if the two robbers had not come into the drugstore. The judge said, "Then, why did you charge him, Mr. Prater?" The district attorney replied that Ersland went too far."

Prater was referring to the video tape evidence that makes it appear that Ersland returned to the pharmacy, picked up a second handgun, and shot the wounded robber five more times before calling 911. "I’m the one who filed the charge so my butt’s on the line," the District Attorney declared in court. Prosecutors maintain the wounded teen was unarmed and unconscious on his back when he was shot five more times. Mr. Ersland states he acted in self defense when the suspect tried to get up. The actions of the criminal at the time the shots were fired are off camera. The coroner has determined the initial head shot was not the mortal wound.

Jerome Ersland is out on $100,000 bail which was posted by his supporters in gun rights organizations and veteran's organizations. He is a disabled veteran from Desert Storm who wears a back brace and has his back pain controlled with morphine. He is being charged with first degree murder.

A legal defense fund has been set up for Mr. Ersland. Donations can be made to the "Jerome Ersland Defense Fund" at First National Bankd and Truct of Chickasha, 302 W. Chickasha Ave or P.O. Drawer 1130, Chickasha, 73302.

More Charges in the Ersland Case

Two adults have been arrested and charged for their role in the robbery that led to Jerome Ersland having to defend his life. Fourteen year old Jevontia Ingram has been identified as the second teen involved, the one who actually carried a gun into the pharmacy.

Emanuel Dewayne Mitchell, a thirty-one year old felon who was released from prison last Summer has been arrested, along with forty-three year old Anthony Devale Morrison. The two adults, known by the teenager's mother, gave the boys a gun with no ammunition, and instructed them on what drug to demand during the robbery.

The two adults as well as the fourteen year old are charged with first degree murder. More here. Don't watch the video without a bottle of Pepto Bismol at hand. I have embedded it here at the request of a couple of readers.

Five Bucks

Elliott Firby was driving home from his job as a night shift letter sorter at the post office when he noticed two teens in a black truck. The truck slowed to let him pass, and then began following him. It was 2:45 AM. "Something is fixing to jump off," stated Mr. Firby at a press conference.

Mr. Firby continued to his home, and after he parked in his driveway, he got out to open the gate. The black truck reappeared and a man with a shotgun hopped out and confronted the postal worker. "Give it up sir'" the armed criminal said politely as he pointed the deadly weapon at the innocent man. Mr. Firby fell to his knees and reached towards his wallet, which only contained five dollars.

A mere five dollars would no doubt only infuriate the criminal with the lethal weapon. Elliott Firby's life was being threatened, and would likely be extinguished over five dollars. His wife, asleep inside their home would likely find her dying husband in a pool of blood because some punk was too stupid and sorry to get a job. Rather than give up his life for under an hour's wage at minimum wage, Mr. Firby did what he had to do.

A year prior, Mr. Firby and his wife had applied for and received their concealed carry licenses under Florida's shall issue legislation. Elliot Firby pulled his .380 pistol from behind his back and began firing. He shot the criminal in the abdomen, and then fired again as the felon ran towards the truck. The bandit made it to the truck, and it sped away into the night. "You have to do something to protect yourself," Mr. Firby says. "The police can’t be there all the time."

911 was called, and a police investigation began. Later in the early morning hours, a sixteen year old appeared at Sarasota Memorial Hospital with a bullet wound. Brandon Ellis was dumped at the emergency entrance from a black pick-up truck. Surveillance cameras captured the black pick-up truck on film. The partner in crime, Cadareus Ray was arrested as a result. Of course, the media is making note of the fact neither criminal had a previous record, and both were star athletes. I'm sure their relatives will appear soon to relate they were on their way to church to feed hungry lepers when the cruel Elliott Firby began shooting at them for no good reason.

There was blood in the Florida streets, but it was not the blood of innocents. Mr. Elliott has not been charged. Under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, he is a free man. He is also a man who still breathes. "He was looking at dying," stated Sarasota Police Captain Bill Spitler, "and he has every right to defend himself."

Damned right he does.

A Comment to comment On

A quick note: this is not my story. It appeared in my comments, and I thought it deserved a more prominent place on the blog. It was obviously written shortly after the occurrence, when the adrenaline was still coursing through the writer's veins. I have reproduced it here as it was in my comments. Follow the links to the gentleman's blog for more.

Xavier -- First time I had to draw my gun in self defense tonight. just posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance:

TERRIFYING
I've never had to draw my gun in potential self defense.

Until tonight.

11:30 p.m. EST I'm in the family room watching 300. Daughter #3 (11 yr old) fell asleep on living room floor watching a DVD. Her mom dozing off on the couch. Daughter # 2 (21 yr old) in her bedroom getting ready for bed.

Front door is mostly closed but open enough to let cool night air in until my own bedtime.

Daughter #1's Good Infidel Dog (feisty little fox/rat terrier) is visiting for a couple weeks while said daughter is taking late night classes in Philly.

Suddenly that dog goes absolutely apeshit.

Groggy wife thinks he needs to go out and do his thing. Leashes him up, opens the door. . .

and is face to face with someone getting ready to come in. As she describes him a light skinned male wearing a hoodie with hood up. Best look she can get in the dark.

She let's out an "Oh Jesus Christ!" and slams the door. Daughter # 2, who came to the living room when she heard the dog, screams at the top of her lungs. Daughter # 3 keeps sleeping.

People, this is where training with your weapon, rehearsing in your mind over and over again what you would do if this then that comes into play.

I'm out of my lazy boy, drawing my gun from my hip (ok, for those of you who want the details, tonight it was a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight loaded with Cor-Bon 38 SPec. +P hollowpoints coming from a Don Hume J.I.T. Slide Holster). Up the steps my arm clearing the stairs wall gun eye level pointed at the front door.

There's my wife and daughter, screaming and staring at the closed door.

For anyone who has heard that in such a situation you get extreme tunnel vision let me assure you it is true. My focus is on that door, wife & daughter just to the side.

Training training training.

No apparent threat gun still drawn right to the bedroom flip on the light. Dammit missed the switch knocked the cover off the thermostat (more training needed) grab the shotgun (again -- for those of you detail minded - Remington 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge pump action 22 inch barrel loaded with Remington #3 buckshot). Back to the living room.

All in under 10 seconds.

My wife calls 911, since we don't know exactly where the foiled intruder has gone nor whether he had any friends lurking nearby. The police are here within 5 minutes, take the information, don't question the gun on my belt, and tell us there had been a breakin across the highway a little earlier this evening. They will be patrolling the area.

So. Lessons learned/reinforced:

Know your weapons, Know where they are and how to get to them. Go over it again and again in your head. If this then that. Practice drawing them until it becomes reflexive.

Despite their quick response a gun in the hand is STILL worth more than a cop on the phone.

Be prepared to pull that trigger. Strangely I felt no fear during the incident and knew I was ready, had I seen someone within my home, to counter that threat. Of course the adreneline rush I'm experiencing right now is like no high you can get from any drug. Might be awhile before I can get to sleep.

Little dogs making big noise are worth a million bucks.

Can't stress the training enough. I remember when I first handled a sidearm, shaking as I tried to load it. Now it's second nature. But had I just bought a gun and never practiced with it I would have been far less useful in this instance.

Gun control statistics are bullshit. This is one drawn gun incident that will never be reported as such because no shots were fired. How many more like this for every time a shot is fired in self defense?

In truth, my wife was the one who scared off the perp, though we didn't know it at the time. She did exactly the right thing by slamming the door, screaming and getting my attention. But it could have played out far differently with a more determined intruder. Might not have had time to get to the shotgun.

In the house, that sidearm on your belt is your first defense but also primarily intended to buy you time to get to something far more substantial if possible.

In an event like this, pandemonium and chaos will ensue.

The rest here.

Holga Lens on a Digital Camera

45 Auto

I know it's greedy, but for the first time in months, I found 45 ACP in Wal-Mart. Winchester white box is my target ammo of preference. The boxes were still priced at $31.98 a box, but there were Xeroxed signs up stating there was a limit of six boxes a day per customer on ammunition. I asked the saleslady for some "45 Auto." She opened the glass case while asking how much I wanted.

"As much as you will give me," I replied. She had nine boxes on the countertop when a manager arrived and curtailed my joy. I purchased six and took them to the car. Then I put on a windbreaker and cap from the backseat, and I went back inside. She sold me the other three boxes.

Happy day!

An email

Ugly Gun Sunday