Kimber Pro Carry For Sale

Impact Guns has a used Kimber Pro Carry up for sale for $620. This is a Series 1 pistol, no firing pin safety. In other words, one of the good ones. The price is only twenty bucks more than I paid for mine. I do not know how many they have.

The Pro Carry is an exceptional off the rack 1911. It is a favorite carry gun of many. The lightweight frame makes it a breeze to pack, while the fullsize grip makes it easy to shoot and allows for full capacity magazines. If you have been searching for a Series 1 Kimber to carry, this one is your meat.

Read more about the Pro Carry here and here.

Scratch that.... They are Series II guns...

Cold Range

A frigid wind screamed across the range and gnawed right into my spine. I was shooting the Ruger MKII again. I was also putting some more lead down range with the Colt Defender and I had my Kimber Pro Carry along for the ride as a control. All of the pistols functioned 100%, and I practically had the range to myself. There were only a couple of other dedicated shooters fools out in the weather. Even the Range Officer was wearing insulated coveralls and a bomber hat.

It was really too cold to know if the Ruger was shooting to the left still, or if it was me. The wind chill sapped any ability to concentrate. Since the 45s were shooting left as well, I suspect it was me. I put about a hundred rounds through the Ruger, four magazines through the Defender and maybe two magazines through the Kimber before I was ready to retreat into the warmth of the range shack. To be honest, I don't know how the folks up North are able to train year round. I was numb.

Once I had warmed up a bit, I took the Defender to the steel plates and shot another four magazines through it. The plates were falling, the little pistol was shooting well. When I was done, I slammed a fresh magazine full of HydraShoks in the bottom, chambered a round, snicked on the safety and holstered the pistol. I dropped my hoodie over it and gathered my equipment. The conditions at the range were miserable. That was enough.

On the way home, I stopped by Wal-Mart to pick up some ammunition. I have been building up my supply for the past few weeks. Wally World was out of 45 ACP White Box in the value packs, but they still had some value packs of 9mm. I asked for a couple of them, and I placed several bulk packs of Federal 22 ammunition beside them on the counter. I noticed they had raised the price of the 22 ammunition by a dollar over the past few days.

When I got home, I removed the Ruger and Kimber from my range bag, and I unholstered the Defender. Damn. A grip screw was missing. The others were loose. I had no short grip screws for slim grips in my parts bin. I would either have to shorten one, or order some. I compared the longer screws that I had to the ones in the Defender, and the finish was different. To make it right, I would have to order parts. Cest le' vie.... I wanted a solid trigger as well. It is time.

The Paraordnance "GI Expert"

In December 2008 Paraordnance has a new single stack 1911 scheduled to appear on the gun market. MSRP is slated to be $599, an obvious move towards the market share capitalized on by Springfield's GI45 and the Taurus PT1911. Paraordnance has long been an innovator in the 1911 world. They were the first company to mass produce a double stack 1911, and they still have a viable double action only 1911 with the LDA series of guns.

I'm going to assume their new plain Jane 1911, dubbed the GI Expert, is a reliable, accurate enough shooter. That should be expected from a new gun from a company of Paraordnance's stature. This post is about asthetics and marketing. I'll progress from there.

It appears that Paraordnance is trying to make a 1911 for the first time 1911 shooter. To keep costs down, they went with a somewhat mil-specky 1911, even calling it a "GI" gun. It isn't. You can not just take a pistol and toss some upright sights on it, finish it in flat black and call it a GI style gun.

The Paraordanace GI Expert no doubt has a cast slide and frame like other Para guns. 1911 style pistols from the Philippines are no different and are half the cost. The "upgraded" Armscor guns are just as ugly too.

No GI pistol ever had a skeletonized hammer or a drilled out plastic trigger. No GI pistol ever had a lowered and flared ejection port. GI front sights were staked. GI pistols do have lanyard loops, and their mags do not have plastic finger pads on the bottom.

Now the MEU/SOC 1911 arguably has some of these items, but it is not a GI pistol. It is a custom pistol. GI stands for General Issue. The general issue 1911 was first the M1911, then the M1911A1, and finally rearsenaled mixtures of the two. The Paraordnance "GI Expert" fails at mimicking a GI gun. It fails miserably. It fails in ways that you would expect if the company manufacturing it had no appreciation for what a GI pistol is. If a buyer desires a GI style pistol for between $500 and $600, the Springfield GI45 knocks the Paraordnance GI Expert out in the first round. If the buyer wants a fully appointed 1911 in that price range, the forged frame, beavertailed, Heinie sighted Taurus PT1911 is waiting to eat the Paraordnance GI Expert's lunch and take it's cookie too.

A GI gun is more than an ugly black gun. A GI gun conforms to very specific specifications set by the US Army. There will be some who purchase this pistol thinking they are getting a GI styled gun. They are ignorant. There will be gun writers gushing over the latest ordnance from Canada, Charolette, proclaiming it to be an advancement of the GI pistol, picking up where the National Match pistols left off. They should know better.

Here's the deal........ A high speed low drag "expert" would not purchase the Paraordnance GI Expert pistol. The pistol is not "GI" or even close to approximating a general issue military weapon. The entire concept is an attempt to capitalize on a certain segment of the gun market. If this is what Paraordnance wanted to do, they would have been better served taking one of their single action single stack guns and parkerizing it. Then lower the price to compete.

For those who may have forgotten, for those who apparently never knew, and for those who will write glowing articles about the new GI Expert from our neighbors from the North, this is what a real deal GI 1911 looks like. Take a good look, a close look.

It ain't pretty, and it ain't tacticool with a bunch of drilled out whiz bang Flash Gordon knick knacks on it. It's just a big, heavy, tough as nails war pistol with rattles included, that will reliably shoot when the trigger is pulled and put a big hole somewhere near the area in the sights. That's what a GI pistol is. Others claiming the GI designation are pretenders ......... And pretending is OK. If you are going to pretend though, know the thing you are pretending to be, and imitate it well. Don't try to convince your audience that Elvis had blonde hair, that Marilyn was flat chested, or that a Llama looking conglomeration of parts is a GI pistol.

edited to add: One of my loyal readers educated me that G.I. originally stood for galvanized iron! I was incredulous, but apparently, he is correct!

Colorful Ride

I took Ilsa out for a run this morning. The leaves were cascading all over the streets, making her a bit skittish. Twice we were approached by other dogs that were not contained, although neither was aggressive.

Ilsa did very well, she maintained her composure, and stayed right where she was supposed to. I'm proud of her.

Concealed Carry and Terrorist Attacks

Topics:
Concealed Carry and Terrorist Threats
Remembering Ruby Ridge
Grizzly Bears and the .357 Magnum
Remington 185g +P .45 ACP
Ambidextrous Gunfighting

From Syd at Front Sight Press

Ugly Gun Sunday

Take a Glenfield Model 60 from a yard sale table, add a bit of imagination and a folding stock ........

"The sight is an old Aim-Point, the Real Deal, from back in the day although the mount is bastardized to make it work. I made the pistol grip from a piece of exhaust pipe and some flat steel plate. The "stock" is a bolt with the head cut off, some rod and a few nuts. I brazed it all together with an oxy/acetylene torch. The Mag-Light mounts I machined from aluminum."

Believe it or not, the builder actually took this contraption out in public to shoot it.

Very cool stuff!

Nashville Home Defense

John Lewis never thought an intruder would make as much noise as the criminal did breaking down his door. His home had been burglarized four times previously this year. This time, the intruder was armed with a pickax and a flashlight. Mr. Lewis held a .357 revolver. The U.S. Air Force veteran would not be victimized again. He pulled the hammer back.

John Lewis does not recall pulling the trigger. "The pistol went off," he said. "I had it cocked. It had a hair trigger and I touched it and it went off." Dissociation is a powerful thing after a traumatic event. The criminal, Jerry Watson was struck in the leg. Bleeding and disabled, but not incapacitated, he limped to the home next door. Responding police found him unconscious outside. Watson's rap sheet was thick, 26 criminal convictions from drugs to burglary.

69 year old John Lewis was forced to shoot an intruder in his home once before, twelve years ago. When asked whether he thought Jerry Watson learned a lesson, Lewis replied "I don't know. Maybe he did with me. I hope so. If he didn't I'll teach him again."

Home Defense in North Carolina

"If you don't come out we're going to blow your brains out," the couple told a figure hiding underneath a bedspread. Richard Osborne was holding a single shot 12 gauge on the hiding intruder. Richard's hearing was not as sharp as it once was, but his wife Phyllis had the hearing of a watchdog. She knew the sounds she had heard just a few minutes earlier were not right.

She also knew the bedspread would not be on the floor in the bedroom. Her husband Richard had armed himself with the old shotgun her father had used to slaughter hogs. "Don't shoot, Don't shoot!" the intruder pleaded as he emerged from hiding. The intruder tried to claim that the home owner's daughter had asked him to come. Richard Osborne knew better, his daughter was married to a policeman in Decatur Georgia. Next, the intruder tried to claim he was at the wrong house and just wanted to leave. Mr. Osborne told him he wasn't going anywhere, that he would wait for police. He ordered his prisoner to sit down.

Once seated, Joshuah Rutledge decided he would smoke a cigarette while he waited. Mr. Osborne told him no, that he would not smoke in his home. Rutledge decided to light up anyway. "So I took this gun and hit him upside the head with it," stated Mr. Osborne, "The cigarette went that way, his head went that way."

Police arrived to find a compliant Rutledge held at gunpoint by the home owner. Richard Osborne was not sure whether the old shotgun would fire. Rutledge had broken into another home in the same neighborhood a short while earlier. He was locked in the Gaston County Jail under $100,000 bond. He faces two charges of first degree burglary.

Story in the Gaston Gazette

Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Norton Internet Security 2009

I subscribed to Norton Internet Security 2009 this morning. It's been nine days since the trial version was installed on my computer, and I'm impressed. The actual installation was performed remotely and tweaked by a Symantec technician.

I initially ran a full system scan, and found malware including Vundo. I then disabled system restore, and I ran the scan again, and destroyed it. Finally, I went to Safe Mode and rescanned to wipe trojan blood off the walls.

Over the past nine days, it has run quietly in the background of my computer. It updates every five minutes or so, or on demand. I have it set to run a full system scan each night. The time spent running a full system scan is of course dependent on the amount of data that must be scanned, but NIS2009 manages to get mine done in 28 minutes. Work continues uninterrupted as Norton scans or downloads updates. I forget it's happening. If you are already at the brink of memory overload, you may have difficulties, but NIS2009 uses very little resources to get the job done.

Boot time for my computer is increased by approximately 30-45 seconds. Norton Internet Security 2009 also allows me to run Spybot Search & Destroy, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Advanced System Care Free 3.0.0, and AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition. I like to have multiple tools in my toolbox.

Now I know everyone has their favorites and their prejudices, and I'm sure to get a couple of "Get a Mac" comments. Cries of "Get a Mac" are little more than cries to get a Glock. In computer software, what meets one person's needs may not necessarily meet the needs of another. I am not a computer geek, although I do know my way around the guts of Windows. I use my computer as a tool, not as a toy. Norton Internet Security 2009 is meeting my needs. It continually monitors my system, staying in the background, and it doesn't impede me one bit. If you have avoided Norton products in the past because they were resource hogs, I don't blame you. They were. You might want to take a look at what Norton has accomplished with this package though. It might not be right for you, but then again, how will you know if you don't take a look? In short, Norton Internet Security 2009 works for me.

Geek.com Review

Hardware Geeks Review

CNET Review

AppScout Review

PC Mag Review

WSJ Review

The Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank

The JL421 Badonkadonk is a completely unique, extremely rare land vehicle and battle tank. Designed with versatility in mind, the Donk can transport cargo or a crew of five internally or on the roof, and can be piloted from within the armored shell or from an exposed standing position through the hatch, thanks to special one-way steel mesh armor windows and a control stick that pivots up and down to allow piloting from the standing or seated positions. The interior is fully carpeted and cozy, with accent lighting and room for up to five people. A 400 watt premium sound system with PA is mounted to project sound both into the cabin and outward from behind the windows. The exterior is a steel shell with a rust patina, and features head and tail lights, turn signal lights, trim lighting, underbody lighting, fixed slats protecting the windows, and a unique industrial-strength rubberized flexible skirt that shields and protects the wheels to within an inch of the ground, while still allowing for enough flex to give clearance over bumpy and uneven terrain. Master power, ignition, all lighting, and stereo features are controlled from a single switchboard to the left of the driver, again accessible from either the seated or standing position. Standard drive is an air-cooled, 6hp Tecumseh gasoline (unleaded only) engine, with centrifugal clutch, giving the Donk a top speed of 40 mph. This vehicle is not licensed for use on public roads, and is intended as a recreational vehicle only.

Available in time for Christmas, from amazon.com. Price: $19,999.95

Customer Reviews

Outrageous

Someone needs an ass kicking. We swore our soldiers would not be spit on again.

When officers of the law force our veterans to lick the damned ground, we have failed.

Madison Wisconsin: Two Iraq war veterans allege in a federal lawsuit they were forced by small-town Wisconsin police officers to lap up what was thought to be urine. Wisconsin National Guardsmen Anthony Anderson and Robert Schiman filed the suit against the city of Wisconsin Dells, its police chief and three officers last week in U.S. District Court in Madison. The guardsmen, both of whom have served two tours of duty in Iraq, were in the Dells for weekend training. Two police officers stopped them in the early morning of June 1.

The suit says officers Wayne Thomas and Collin Jacobson accused the guardsmen of urinating in public and pointed out a wet spot in an alley that they thought was urine. The guardsmen denied having relieved themselves there. In order to prove that it was not their urine and avoid citations, the officers made Anderson and Schiman lick the ground, the lawsuit claims. Schiman also was made to eat a plant that was drenched in the liquid, it states. The lawsuit claims a third officer arrived at the scene and was told by Jacobson, “I can’t stop laughing. Wayne just made those two guys lick their own piss off the ground.” After both Anderson and Schiman licked the wet ground, Anderson was forced to do it again after one of the officers claimed he didn’t see it, the suit claims.

The lawsuit states that Thomas, 19, was fired the same day as the incident and Jacobson, 20, was suspended for two weeks without pay. Both were limited term police officers. The lawsuit seeks $600,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for each of the guardsmen, along with other unspecified damages and costs. The suit alleges infliction of emotional distress; negligent hiring, training and supervision of Thomas and Jacobson; false imprisonment and violation of the Constitutional and civil rights of Anderson and Schiman. City Attorney James Gerlach said Wednesday he had no comment on the suit. Thomas’ and Jacobson’s attorney, Jason Baltz, did not immediately return a phone message.

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."
- George Washington

It's happening again.

Malwarebytes

I installed the latest version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.30 a few days ago. Each day since, I have updated the program and scanned my computer with it.

From dedicated2Spyware.com:

"There are loads of malware removers on the net today and most of them are lightweight applications, which usually means they’re fast and don’t have many features. One such lightweight application is Malwarebytes’ Anti-malware."

This free program has some advantages. Frequent updates are available. You can update Malwarebytes’ Anti-malware every 24 hours. It will scan all drives, or any you select. It will scan specific files with a right click on the file..

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has consistently found trojans or keyloggers on my system. What Norton Internet Security 2009 finds but is at a loss to deal with, Malwarebytes incapacitates, shreds and occasionally blasts into oblivion. It seems to be a capable adjunct to my existing software. Notches on it's belt include Trojan.BHO.H, Trojan.Vundo, Trojan.Agent, and Trojan.Downloader.

Update: I have discovered that these items "found" by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware were not threats at all, but lures to encourage free users to upgrade to the purchased version of the software. Not nice Malwarebytes.

Rod Brake Raleigh on ebay

I'll be watching this one. I expect it to close for $250 or so, but I'll watch it just the same.......

Vintage Raleigh DL1 Rod Bicycle. This is the largest size frame (24") with 28" Semiperit (Austria) tiers. The standover height is approximately 33 1/2".

This most coveted of all Raleigh bicycles comes with a Brooks B-72 leather seat, Elite headlight (Battery operated and untested) as well as the original tire pump. Everything on the bicycle is original to the bike when it was purchased new.

The overall condition is very good with no dents or dings to the fenders or chainguard. The paint has minimal scratches considering the age of the bike. There is some roughness under the paint on the fenders which may be able to be smoothed out with a good polishing. There is minimal rust which appears to be surface and should be relatively easy to remove. The handgrips have dried and will probably need to be replaced soon. All components seem to work as they should. The tires are 28 x 1 1/2" Semperits (Raleigh Tourist is written on the sidewalls) which were made in Austria and are in excellent condition.

Winning bid: US $342.50. Not bad for one that started at $24.95.

Rained Out

This morning, as I rolled the commuter bike out into the darkness, I noticed the streets were wet. The air was so fresh and clean that it did not really matter. As I pedaled to work, I wondered what the weather might do. I knew an hour later when one of my co-workers came in drenched.

When we finished cases, I went to the waiting room to gaze out the window. The skies were dark, and sheets of rain pounded against the pane. The gray haired lady watching the weather Channel told me it wasn't going to let up. Great.

I arranged a ride home, and went back later to load the bike up on the rear of the Jeep. Call me a weiner. I'm a warm, dry weiner.

Thanksgiving

In the face of an uncertain future, it is sometimes difficult to feel thankful. It is even harder to express our gratitude. What we must remember is that all futures are uncertain. In economic boom times the illusion of a rosy future is as uncertain as the dismal future some imagine now. I wanted to avoid politics, that is not what this post is about, but it is inevitable. When you are powerless to change an intolerable situation in which you find yourself, you must change the way you think about it.

For gun owners, the future of an Obamanation seems bleak. The fact is, with organization of gun owners, which is stronger than ever before, and the wrong moves by a Congress enraptured by their power and oblivious to their own vulnerability at the polls in a couple of years, control of Congress could change as quickly as it did in 1994.

As I watched my wife prepare our Thanksgiving dinner, I realized just how fortunate I was to have her in my life. I am fortunate to have good kids. Kids I am proud of, kids who I am confident will persevere and do well in life. I often feel fortunate that I have a career that will insure the financial future of my family. Each day at work though, I am reminded of my own mortality and how that security is also an illusion.

I have faced uncertain futures before. The only difference is that I had less to lose back then. Truly, it is not the uncertain times ahead that cause us anxiety, but rather the fear that we may lose the security that we believe we have. Life is not about stability though. Security is an illusion. Our individual journeys through life are inherently unstable. Life is about change.

If there is anything that can be gleaned from the whipping of the Republican Party at the polls, it is the American people's desire for change, and their desire for hope. Change and hope are not inherently bad things. Change and hope are universal, enduring concepts that are owned by no political party. Change and hope can not be cheapened by being used as political slogans. The power for change and the vision of hope are still owned by the American people, and in 2010 and 2012, the conservatives in America will be the bearers of change, and hope.

I am thankful that I live in a nation that allows true change through the political process. Even though the future is uncertain when the power for change lies in the hands of those who I feel may assault my liberties, I would rather live thus than endure a totalitarian regime in which the vision of hope is as much an illusion as my security.

It has been difficult to write a Thanksgiving post this year. In truth, there is much to be thankful for. Our reasons for giving thanks have not changed. We must simply change the way we look at them.

Guilty

Lori Drew has been found guilty of three counts of accessing a computer without authorization, with a maximum 3 year sentence possible and up to a $300,000 fine. Sentencing has not yet been rendered.

The jury could not reach a verdict on a conspiracy count. A mistrial was declared. If later found guilty of conspiracy, Drew could face 20 years in jail.

The Ruger Hole Punch

"Hey Xavier, tell about that long stainless Ruger pistol you sometimes post a picture of, OK?"

I believe the pistol you are referring to must be my Ruger MKII Government Model. Before the time of the Ruger Hunter and Ruger Competition Target, another 22 pistol from Prescott Arizona ruled the Ruger roost.

Officially known as the KMK678G, the Ruger MKII Government Model did not have the fluted barrel of the Hunter, or the slab sided barrel of the Competition Target. Nor did it come with nice wooden grips. It was a deceptively simple pistol that shot from a six 7/8 cylindrical bull barrel, and plain black plastic grips were screwed to it's sides. The take home price was usually twice that of the Ruger Standard models, hardly what could be termed a glitzy fast selling pistol.

The Ruger Government Model's grey plastic box held an extra piece of documentation, however. Inside was a 25 yard proof target, with a single hole inside a black circle. The extra cash paid for the Government Model got the buyer a pistol with a bore that was aligned with a laser and rifling with a 1-15 twist instead of Ruger's standard 1-14 twist. It was drilled for optics, and the sights were a basic Ruger micro-adjustable rear sight paired with an undercut Patridge front sight. It was a superb foundation for modification.

Over time, my KMK678G received several upgrades. The plastic grips were tossed in a spare parts bin, and a Nill grip was installed. A mix of Volquartsen and Clark Custom parts replaced the original Ruger action. The Ruger lockwork that remained was polished.

Finally, to add a bit of weight to the muzzle, I screwed on a Volquartsen compensator. The V-Comp did the trick, making the pistol stay in the X-ring with virtually no recoil. It was heavy, but if the shooter wanted to rapid fire ten shots into a bullseye, this pistol was up to the challenge. Of course, harnessing that kind of accuracy off hand was the shooter's responsibility. On bags, the pistol took care of itself.

Because it was an autoloading pistol, the Ruger Government Model could suffer flyers from time to time. Still, it was long my standard for judging the accuracy of other handguns. Indeed, when a genuine free pistol, the TOZ-35, finally came on the market at a price I could afford, it was the Ruger Government Model that I took to the range to compare it to.

The Ruger Government Model is no longer available. Originally entering production under a military contract in 1986, it has been superseded by the Ruger Competition. As a 22 pistol in my inventory, it remains a gun capable of punching a hole exactly where I want it to, as long as I am up to the challenge.

The Ruger Competition Government Model

Old Crow Medicine Show

When I was younger, I used to think you knew you were getting old when your favorite music was the stuff in the dollar an album rack with the skill saw slot cut into the cardboard album covers to prevent jacking up the retail price of discounted vinyl albums. Among those treasures I leaned to appreciate Lightnin' Hopkins, Freddy King and Memphis Slim.



I remember those days, when Country music was like a hidden cocaine habit, something you listened to behind closed doors, lest one of your sophisticated contemporaries hear it tickling eardrums and massaging your soul. It was a guilty pleasure, that you had to have lived a while, experienced a few heart aches, and faced the trials of life stone cold sober to understand. It was what one tweed jacketed intellectual and country music aficionado I knew called "the music of life."



Tonight, on the eve of Thanksgiving, with my son back at home, we stayed late into the night listening to each other's music. He has developed a fondness for a new breed of country music, one which I was oblivious to, as well as the likes of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. I listened with skepticism at first, then I realized........ The stuff is good. The music of life continues to live.

Regarding H.S.Precision

Regarding H.S.Precision, I think Tam has said it best.

Caps

"Sir...... Sir........."

I was at the bank's drive through, still in my scrubs, waiting to deposit my paycheck. I had been a long, hard 36 hours, but at least I was off work, and no longer on call. A young man, his arms covered in tattoos was motioning towards my passenger window. He had turned the ignition off of his motorcycle so I could hear him. Crap. Maybe I had a low tire. My pistol was underneath a newspaper on the passenger seat.

I checked my rear view mirror, and then..... I rolled down the window.

"Were you in the Navy?" he asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," I smiled.

"Your cap, it's good to see someone wearing one. I was in the Navy too," he said.

"Thank you for your service." It was his turn to smile.

"Where were you stationed?" I challenged him.

"San Diego, the Nimitz. I was a Bo'swains Mate," came the reply. Suddenly, the tattooed man became a landlocked sailor, a brother of the ocean.

"I was on the Midway, you might have seen her there......."

"Oh yeah, she's a museum now. There's a restaurant on the fantail."

"One day I want to take my family to see her," I mused.

If you are like me, and regret tossing out your old Navy duty station ball cap, there is still hope. At www.priorservice.com you can order ball caps for almost any modern US ship. Take a look. If you have never sailed in Uncle Sugar's Canoe Club, order one for a landlocked salt who has. You never know who it may make smile.

Long Day

Started at 0530 (5:30 AM) and ended at 2224 (10:24PM.)

Back up at 5 in the AM.

No blogging tonight.

There's Guns In Them There Hills

Topics: The Great Gun Rush of 2008
Eric Holder
Snubby Practice Drills
Moving off the Line of Attack with Jim Higginbotham
Using +P in Old Revolvers



Courtesy of Syd at Front Sight Press.

Truth

Once again, the testimony of Suzanna Gratia Hupp. Greater truth was never spoken.

Pawn Shop Circuit: Two Tauri

I stopped in Kenny's pawn shop this afternoon to see if the Colt 1903 Hammerless was still around. Regrettably, it had vanished. In it's place was a different rendition of John Moses Browning's gun designs, a blued Taurus PT1911. I didn't want to look too interested, so I asked to see the Taurus P92 that was still gathering dust.

The PT92 is a near copy of the Beretta 92 series of pistol. Some shooters actually prefer the Taurus P92 because the safety is not on the slide. I acted interested in the old Taurus while gazing at the PT1911 past it under the glass. Kenny had the PT1911 tagged at $549. That was too much in my book to pay for that pistol used.

Finally, I asked to take a look at the Brazilian 1911. When I dropped the magazine out, I noted that it was coated with what appeared to be motor oil. I locked back the slide and saw the barrel was coated with the same stuff. I am not familiar with the ins and outs of the PT1911, perhaps this was factory preservative. The barrel hood certainly appeared unblemished. Perhaps this was an unfired pistol. At $549, it should be.

I had to convince myself not to put this gun on lay away. I didn't care for the widely spaced slide serrations. The Hienie straight eight rear sight was not my cup of tea. It appeared to be installed as an afterthought, hanging over the round of the slide. I despised the lock on the hammer. Why make such a part, one that gets slammed around like crazy, delicate with itty bitty internal mechanisms? Unless they did it so the lock/hammer would immediately be swapped out, I have to question that design. The frame had a blocky front strap.

The fitting of the Taurus was excellent for a production gun. No sloppiness what so ever. The checkering on the front strap was nice. I prefer a smooth front strap, but if you like checkering, Taurus did an excellent job on it, unlike Smith & Wesson's clumsy checkering attempt on the SW1911. The checkering underneath the Taurus trigger guard is a nice custom touch, although it will certainly chew up a holster's leather. The trigger itself was very nice. Crisp.

There were enough features in the Taurus PT1911 that I did not care for. I handed the gun back to Kenny. At $549, I could have purchased the pistol new any time, any place. At $449, I might be back............

Michael Bane's PT1911 Review

Shooting Times PT1911 Review

Gun Blast PT1911 Review

B.B. Pelletier's PT1911 Review

Blogroll Deletion

I have removed Oddee.com from my blogroll. Last night, while visiting that website, it attempted to insert a trojan.Pidief.D into my computer. Next a Tidserv!inf insertion was attempted. Later in the evening and this afternoon, I confirmed Oddee as the launch pad for both these malicious programs. Oddee, you aren't worth it.

I advise all readers to avoid Oddee.com.

I advise all readers to upgrade their Adobe reader to Adobe 9.

Dark Roasted Blend....... You may be next.

Walking Running the Dog

It warmed up some this afternoon, and Ilsa was joyous as I leashed her up and rolled the old Raleigh out for a ride. We did a double dipping of riding and running, and soon she was panting nicely.

I suppose we had both been missing our rides.

+P in Vintage Iron

"I have a 1930 vintage Colt Detective Special that I inherited from my grandfather, and I want to know if it’s OK to use +p ammo in it. The factory won’t tell me anything."

I couldn't have said it better than Syd did.

Specifics on vintage S&W M&P revolver cylinders can be found here.

Kahr TA5 1927A-1

Yeah Baby! I know what I'm gettin' for the Obamanation!

Ugly Gun Sunday

Most people who have customized the Ruger 10/22 rifle learn sooner or later to avoid Ram-Line parts, no matter how attractive they may be. There is a simple reason. They are crap.

What many people do not know, however, is that Ram-Line once sold a 22 pistol of their own. The Ram-Line Syn Tech Exactor pistol is what a cross between a Kel-Tec and a Nambu would look like. It was a 15 round plastic lump of crap. The tubular steel barrel was sleeved in plastic, with a plastic sight and ventilated rib. A sliding switch on the left side of the plastic receiver did something, probably a safety. Construction is visibly shoddy, and the design is suspect, at best. If you see one, avoid it like you would avoid a rabid dog with head lice.

More photos of this quasimodo can be found in this auction.

Jammin' Colts

I went to the range alone today. It was a cold, dreary day, but at least it wasn't wet. I decided to shoot at 15 yards, and I had brought along my Gold Cup and the Ruger MKII that I had added a fiber optic front sight to.

The HiViz fiber optic front sight provided a bright sight picture, with the end of the "light pipe" gathering light and illuminating the front sight even in overcast conditions. I preferred the green light pipe, and the end of it fit into the square notch of the rear sight as though it was made for it. The glowing green dot was extremely easy to pick up, heck, you couldn't ignore it. The pistol was shooting a little to the left, with the rear leaf cranked to the right. This evening, I will readjust the rear sight base so the leaf can remain centered when on target.

As usual, the Gold Cup was willing to place a bullet right behind the one that pierced the target before....... If I was up to the challenge. I was shooting it a little low.

To my right were two men shooting a Springfield XDm. During a cold range, when we walked out to change our targets, they complimented me on mine, and wanted to know what I was shooting.

"A little Ruger and a Colt," I replied.

"Those Colts jam a lot, don't they?" they asked of me. I started to toss out a snark, but I refrained.

"It's running OK today," I replied.

A Gun Safety Class

LIFE Magazine, March 1956. An Indiana grammar school class in gun safety for children.



A cringing class is holding its breath and ears as Officer Rod Rankin aims a 30-30 rifle at can of water in a demonstration to impress kids with the destructive power of guns. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


In the same magazine article, Officer Rankin is shown holding his open revolver before a wide eyed class of boys as he teaches gun safety in the classroom.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
There is no self absorbed DEA agent, no Glock Foeties, no negligent discharges, no danger and no apologies. Instead there is learning, understanding, appreciation, and respect. Officer Rod Rankin is simply an officer of the law doing his job to serve and protect his community.

What have we become in the past fifty-two years? The world is so different now. It did not have to change. We can take it back. Protect a person today by teaching them about guns. Hands on. Safely. Effectively. Make no apologies.

I'm off to the range.

Black Monday

Global spam levels decreased by as much as 75 per cent after the neutering of McColo, a US web host that provided the foundation for most of the world's spam. In a effort of online vigilante justice, California based McColo was disconnected by its internet service providers, Global Crossing and Hurricane Electric, following a four month investigation. A report published this week identified McColo as the host of 40 different kiddie porn sites, one of which garnered up to 25,000 visitors a day, counterfeit pharmaceutical web sites, fake designer goods web sites and malware disguised as security products. Even so, there has been no announcement of any US law enforcement action against the company.

IronPort tracks daily spam volumes and publishes their findings online in real time. They showed a 70 per cent drop in spam after McColo was clipped. Unfortunately, McColo relocated overseas, hooking up with Swedish ISP TeliaSonera and has begun to re-establish itself. One fortuitous event in the forced eviction is that McColo apparently could not save their botnet.

Meanwhile, November 24 has been dubbed "Black Monday" following predictions the date will usher in the latest information harvesting malware. Anti-virus protection manufacturers have repeatedly demonstrated that the Thanksgiving holiday time shows a dramatic spike in spyware, malware, trojans and viruses as Americans begin going online shopping for Christmas presents. As more people turn to cyberspace to help them find better prices in a sagging economy, as well as to save time and gasoline, cyberthugs stand ready to virtually mug them and relieve them of their money.

Although email greeting card attachments remain a staple, cyberthugs are infecting users through more current methods. The recent presidential election was a golden opportunity exploited by criminals in cyberspace. An onslaught of Barack Obama related emails and websites offer new video clips of "amazing" Obama speeches, fresh interviews and administration predictions. An Obama sex video was another hook, as well as anti-Obama lures towards cyberinfestations. When the user attempts to view the video, they are taken to a website and told they must first download the latest version of Adobe Flash. The downloaded program is a fake, containing a trojan capable of stealing sensitive data. Modern viruses, trojans and keyloggers tansmit a detailed log of everything the victim enters into their keyboard back to the cyberthug. Passwords, credit card numbers, and even the ability to control one's own computer are compromised.

Another form of cyberthuggery that is emerging is holding the victim's data for ransom. Malware locks away access to personal files and requires a transfer of cash via the internet to restore access to the owner. Software is available that is capable of duplicating keys that appear in online photos, making even real world property vulnerable.

So what can the end user do? Many users have become complacent, considering it the norm to have some infestations of malware on their computers. Coping with malicious garbage on your hard drive should not be the norm. It is far easier to keep the stuff off your hard drive than it is to eradicate it afterwards.

If you use an Administrator account for your day to day usage, you are needlessly placing yourself at risk. This account should only be used when you want to change or install something on your computer. On Windows XP you can create three types of users, Limited User, Power User and Administrator. Use Limited User for every person on the computer and only one Administrator account, password protected for installations or system changes.

Internet Explorer is one big juicy target for cyberthugs. Switching to another web browser such as Opera or Firefox lowers your profile and makes you less of a target.

If you run Windows, keep it updated. As vulnerabilities are found and exploited, Microsoft tosses out band-aids and patches. Install them. If you are really concerned about the vulnerabilities in Windows, or if you are still trucking along with Windows 98, consider Linux instead.

Run a firewall, or two. Keep them updated. Obtain effective anti-virus software and keep it updated. Scan regularly, and become proficient in the interpretation and use of your protection software. It does you no good if it's turned off or only half effective.

Realize that very little is free. Use anti-virus software to examine attachments to emails and website downloads before opening them. If you are in doubt type the name of the program into Google and check the results for words such as "trojan," "spyware," "virus," or "malware." While viruses spread automatically, trojans require user input to install them. Resist the temptation to open and install programs on your hard drive that you have not previously researched and vetted.

If all else fails, copy your documents, or better yet, upload them to a secure cyberspace host for retrieval at a later date. Write down the password to the host. Dump your operating system, reinstall it, and learn from the experience. After all, it's only the internet.

Cybercriminals gearing up for Cyber Monday

Color Change

Regular readers will note that I have made a color change to the titles, the links and the hover colors. I'm trying to make the blog a bit easier on the eyes. I've thought about ditching the black background and going with black on white, or perhaps dark grey on light grey, but doing so would jack with the layout/images excessively. I'm open for suggestions, fire away........

Virtuemundo Fini

It appears that Virtuemundo can be declared dead on my computer. Checking into the security history of Norton Internet Security 2009, I have found that at 17:24 today NIS 2009 detected and blocked a trojan known as Vundo......... Twice.

I am surfing easily, and without any perceptible slowing of anything. Initial Windows start-up is a bit slower, perhaps 45 seconds. I think I can officially close the book on the problem I was having. Thank you to those who volunteered to assist.

In case you ever wondered what computer viri, trojans, and such look like, visit Malwarez.

Cook County Gun Control Phone Poll

From the Illinois Rifle Association:

Larry Suffredin and his cohorts on the Cook County Board are up to their old tricks again.

In order to justify passage of gun control ordinances designed to close all gun shops and ban and confiscate most guns owned by citizens of the county, the Cook County Board is conducting a telephone poll where callers can vote for or against the gun control ordinances.

Like everything else in Cook County, this poll is probably rigged. So, it’s very important that you do the following:

1. Call 1-312 -603-6400 and select Option #1 when prompted. At the next prompt, select Option #1 again. Then, when prompted to vote on the gun control ordinance, press #2.

2. You should also forward this alert on to all your gun owning friends and have them vote too.

3. You should also post this alert to any and all Internet bulletin boards or blogs to which you belong.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT OF COOK COUNTY TO VOTE!

Let’s beat Suffredin at his own game! And, save your guns.

When Seconds Count

The failure of Gun Free Zones recognized in the MSM.
Article

Barfines and Baboons

Like any good sailor, he always asked if she had her own place before he paid a barfine. She did. Barfine paid, they set out along a dirt path into the jungle. Her place turned out to be made of cardboard underneath a canopy of banana trees. She had extension cords run up through the jungle for a clock radio, an oscillating fan, and a string of Christmas lights. Even though the night was hot and sticky, the humble abode was agreeable.

They played cards well into the night, and in the morning he put on his scivies and "Philippino safety shoes" (flip flop sandals) and headed down the jungle trail for a beer and breakfast at Pinky's bar. Half way down the trail, they converged on him. Hordes of enraged baboons.

He lost both of his safety shoes in a mad dash through the jungle, across the hiway, and into the front of Pinky's. He hurdled straight through the saloon doors in the back of the bar, across the beach, under the volleyball net and swam out into Subic Bay. As he treaded water in Subic Bay, the sounds of a donnybrook arose from the bamboo structure ashore. When the noise subsided, Papa San emerged onto the beach with a baseball bat in his hand and waved the sailor ashore.

"You, Joe. You go get me more monkeys," requested Papa San. Across the pool table were the carcasses of ten or twelve slain primates. Eating was good at Pinky's and the sailor drank for half price thereafter.

There are stories that we are disinclined to share. Sometimes they are not stories at all, only wet, visceral pin point splatters in our memory. They are not chonological, and they are hard to give description to. Still, they are points of heightened humanity that makes us who we are.