First gunshow of the year.

SR22's everywhere. Kinda surprised. Low of 295, high of 330. Almost bought one. May still if I can find a trade to take in. Maybe Sunday. Got something new to take to the range tomorrow, though. Sigh, another M&P. A 9c Talo edition, traded one gun for it plus some cash. 425+ tax was the price before trade. New enough to not say "stainless" on the slide, just like the 9mm FS.

Remember the incident in Canton Ohio?

Well, it resulted in the officer being fired.  Wonder if a civil suit will be pressed for the threats he made? Not that Holder's (Hi DHS!) InJustice Department would find this to be a violation of the Barlett's civil rights.

Light a Candle to Stop Violence

Counter vigil from Weerdworld. As he and others point out, just lighting a candle to stop one form of violence is short sighted. Here is part of my effort for victims of violence:

Here is my M&P40c with a Crossbreed Supertuck. Notice holster wear and mag scratches. Both get out and used at the range as often as possible. Practice is required with a firearms- shooting skill is perishable, and so are you.

This is the 40c's bigger in size but smaller in caliber brother, the M&P357. Rides in the same holster, and normally sports a 40 S&W barrel for commonality with the 40c, as the full size mags work in the smaller frame. And it came with both barrels in the box.

And here is the third M&P, in 9mm. With +P loads, the performance is very similar to the 40 S&W with 2 extra rounds per magazine(17+1).

This one won't fit in the holster, or the photo.

Eco friendly green everywhere!

   The small minded out there would leave us unable to use, let alone own, any of these. In other, "enlightened" countries, i.e. Britain* or Australia,  knee jerk reactions to incidents similar to what happened in Tuscon, AZ last Jan 8 were used to disarm (yeah, well, Fudd guns don't count) both countries. Wonderful gun bans existed in such progressive countries as the Soviet Union and Germany of the Thirties. That turned out great. For those in power. Not to mention our own Jim Crow gun control laws and the anti Irish/Italian Sullivan act that exists in New York City to this day, now in its 101st year. Or Illinois, Jersey (You can't have a Red Rider BB gun, you need a mother-may-I-card just for that. Seriously) Mass, Commifornia, and any others I have left out.

  So I light this candle for those who have no choice in the manner of their defense.

*Don't get me started on British self defense laws. If someone attacks you in your home, give them tea, crumpets and your life, because the government there will punish you for giving a criminal trespasser so much as a paper cut. And heaven forbid you aren't home at the time, because the government will assume that the thief lives there and you have no right to remove them if they "move in". For a country full of castles, they sure need a doctrine about something..... 

Less cold range time

Today the shooting range was much warmer than last time. 25 degrees! I seem to have developed a new tic when shooting the M&P's- touching the slide lock so the last round does not stay open. It happens right after I shoot a 1911. Yes, thumb high is what I'm doing, but wrong. I need more dry fire time holding it correctly. Another interesting thing popped up as well. If I think the words, "focus on the front sight, jackass" after a miss, I usually hit the steel plate I previously missed. This was working on the 50 yard plate with the M&P9. Heck, that gun has gotten to where if I do my part, rarely do I miss a plate. Even when going from plate to plate. I hope I wasn't chanting "front sight" out loud, but a couple of times I hit the 15, 25, 40, 35 then 50 yard plates in succession and even surprised myself.

About 400 rounds today. 150 through the 9, 160 spread between 2 40's, mostly the M&P40c, and 90 through the 2 1911's. May be time to lose one 1911 for something that starts with a "G". Or a 22LR of some type.

Hell hath frozeneth overeth.....

The Des Moines Register has published a CCW article that did not go straight to the Brady Bunch for scare quotes. Would have been funnier if they had a quote from one of the hardcase sheriffs that necessitated the modernization of our carry law. They did get the usual dig about wanting range time included in the permitting process. My tinfoil hat sensors are tingling a little, but for now I will accept that one article isn't a total ideological poo fest.
ETA-This was above the fold page one news.

Yes. That is blueberry.

Dad is working his way thru the flavors . Not like I'm going to drink Daley, I mean Coke.

Airgun range time....

I picked up an Umarex M&P air gun last weekend. Mostly for practice, and fun, of course. Plus the range closes for holiday break, so I'll need something to shoot.

Like these sorry cans, or that mangy pumpkin. The box is actually sitting on a roll away trash can, with plywood behind it to deflect the BB's down. I have two containers, I'll need to make two traps to set on them.

The trigger on the pistol is not an exact copy of the M&P, but it is close. The take up is stiffer, but the break is not as bad as the real thing. I actually hit a little right and up if in a hurry with it. The mag is sturdy, made of metal. It is a pain in the butt to load, and I hope the clip that holds the top bb in does not wear out. No blowback action, but the barrel moves forward to load the bb (hence the stiffer trigger), then drops back to fire the round.
At 5 yards, I could slow fire under an inch unsupported. Or practice moving and shooting. And shooting while moving. That may come in handy; there is a USPSA match Sunday. Not that two times trying it make me great, far from it. But I can hit a can more often than not, that is worth something. Something small.

12 degrees outside? Range time!

Decided it was time to play in the snow. Okay, the 1 inch of snow. Ran the M&Pxs in the cold. Sure, it's not -10, but what the heck. Think I had one fail to feed anything with the M&P9, with the nasty Remington 250 count special box. Tap rack bang, so might be time to clean some mags. Or my gloved hand touched the slide release. It just turned 1k today, with 1 cleaning at 250 and minor wipedowns/patches through the bore being the extent of the maintenance it has received. The 357 with the 40 barrel fired its carry ammo that sat in the truck all week. And some of the Fed elcheapo 100 rounders. Nothing to write home about there; no mess ups.

My M&P40c rang the 15 yard large target with every carry round in the magazine. And the next mag of el cheapo hit too. I wonder if the fact that I had been IWB carrying it right up until I shot it made the difference there? The other guns were cold, often cold enough to need gloves on when loading the mags. Thank you thick callouses.

Once I or the guns warmed up, I tried transitions between targets, didn't do perfect, but nothing to be totally ashamed by. By my poor standards, anyway. And I bought something that may help with my shooting. That will be for another post.

Occupy DM steal from the poor give to themselves .

65 year old man evicted. So the local ows crowd decides to help themselves to his stuff. Nice work 47%.

Nice opinion you got there.....

Glad someone is defending your right to have it. Love the tired military industrial complex line. So many other government/industrial complexes exist today. Sounds like the professor is pissed that the College Republicans (oh, the humanity) are the ones collecting money to make care packages for soldiers. Probably pissed no one sends him a care package for teaching the unwashed masses in Ames (shudder) Iowa.

How can I send a care package to the guys at Gitmo*? Our guys, not the opfor. I'm thinking a bible, airline bottle of Jack, and some pork jerky would be a start. Or Tactical bacon...... That puts me on a list for even thinking about it.


*Aw, is that still there? Golly, that was one of the hopey changey things that actually was brought up in the campaign of '08.

So I'm hanging out at the gun counter...

Stopped at Sportsman's Warehouse to, well, waste time on a family free Friday. They still had one Black Friday Umarex Colt Rail Gun. Me really likey, but not in the cards this year. While I'm drooling over it (yeah, I'm weird) I got to listen to some interesting conversations......

Counter guy answers phone. "Yeah, we have a 12 gauge with with scope for under $300(?)." Pause. "Well, we are low on slugs, opener is tomorrow. And you will need to sight it in.......Really..." Click.
To me and the couple next to me- "He wanted to go deer hunting for the first time in his life tomorrow, wanted a gun with a scope, and was going to sight in in tonight (7 pm)!"
Cop (dispatcher, I think) standing next to me- "What range is he shooting at; I'd like to go there."
Me- "The no passing zone by my house all the other tools shoot at...."

I'm still fingering the Umarex, Cop's hubby (CH) wanders off to find ammo for the Judge she is buying. You know where this is going. Comes back once to ask, "What does ACP mean?" Gets the answer, comes back with a box of .45 Auto. Counter guy doesn't say squat. I wait, make jokes about the deer hunter guy, finally.....

Me- "So, is that box of ammo for the Judge?"

CH-"Yeah, that other stuff was ACP so it wouldn't work."

Me- "Umm, you need .45 Long Colt."

CH, to counter guy, not trusting me, "Does this take .45 LC?"

Counter guy, finally looking at his box of ammo, "Oh, yeah, you need the .45 LC we keep (hide) over there."

CH- "Boy, that stuff is expensive."

Me- "!"
My true reaction- buy the LCR, Bodyguard, or SP101 they have on sale then. Quit telling your wife it will be easy, you don't have to aim, all the stupid cliches all rolled into one. Wow, I only thought those were ghost stories people told on the internet.

What the heck, I only chip in when I like a gun. No need get someone pissy over pistol choices. Or worse, screw up a sale and get chased away from the gun counter. I'm to the point a couple of the guys (and one girl) just start handing me the new, cool stuff as soon as they see me.....

Not an ammo sale, but.....

Safety glasses are half price this week at Menard's. And they left the gloves on sale even though it is 10 degrees out this morning .
I'm happiest that I can breathe without cold medicine. I hate those wonderful holiday bugs that knock you down. The gunshow last weekend may have had awesome deals, but I was in no state of mind to brave the ridiculous crowds. From what I saw browsing some of the cheaper guys large crowd pricing was in full effect .