Civil War ???

I doubt it, but being prepared is a good thing.

Will there be civil war over government infringement of rights? I don't think so, we the people will continue moving the line back one step at a time, daring the bully to cross, only to step back again when he does.

What can one man, or a small group of men do? Basically nothing but stand the ground and die.

A co-worker once told me that he pays very little attention to who gets elected or what they do in government because it has no effect on his daily life. I suspect that's the attitude of the over 99 percentage of our population.

It will take a lot more than Ruby Ridge or Waco to get the population moving. It will take hundreds of violent government actions across the nation in a relatively short time period. Even the sheep dogs will be reluctant to put their families in harms way.

The Boss thinks it's on the way however. She's encouraging me to buy ammo for my battle rifles and defensive hand guns. She's talking about maintaining a minimum of 1,000 rounds for each rifle. She wants to get training for concealed carry, and a license. I suggested carrying without it to keep her name below the radar. She rightfully said that being married to me has her name on the government list because I'm definately a target for the government gun grabbers. Can't argue with that one.

She believes that when it happens, friends and relatives will flock to our place because I have arms for more than just the two of us. For that reason she's been looking into food supplies for long term storage and water purifying systems.

She believes that we're approaching 'the end of times', and that our society will fail.

She knows I will not register myself as a firearms owner. She knows I will not hide nor surrender my guns. She knows where my line in the sand resides. And bless her heart, she'll stand with me.

Maybe Left Handed

The Boss and I took the dog for a walk in the park the last 2 days in a row. We can really tell a difference in the mood of our Siberian Husky when we get regular outdoors exercise. Sometimes most of the walk is in silence and sometimes the Boss and I chat away. You'd think that after 38 years of marriage there'd be nothing left to talk about. Not so. The antics of our Fed government has given us a lot of subject matter of late.

Tonight I was surprised by a question from the Boss. She wanted to know where and when the next concealed carry class is. Say what? I thought you didn't wan to carry a gun? With the government pulling their crap I want to start carrying a gun all the time, she said.

We have an opportunity here, a challenge to overcome. She's right handed and just had surgery removing a bone from the base of her right thumb. Shooting right handed isn't possible for at least another 6 months. As soon as we can, she'll try shooting left handed. I wonder how that'll go.

Evil in Power

Our new King has declared that we must save and invest, yet he signs into law bills that adds about 1.2 trillion dollars of debt for this year alone. That's 1.2 trillion over and above the 0.5 trillion he inherited. This year the national dept will be tripled. In one year? Do what I say, not what I do? What ever happened to capitalism, the system that has served us so well for all these many years? The Evil party is killing it.

The least they could do is quit giving away money in foreign aid if they're going to steel that much from the tax payers. Oh yeah, also quit supporting illegal aliens.

Since the Evil Party took control of all of the Fed government it's been like a bunch of sharks in a feeding frenzy. They're using any excuse they can find to spend, socialize and spend some more.

Now they've passed a bill in the senate(?) that adds 120,000 people that will be paid volunteers(?) to some organization. They did take out the mandatory part . . . . at least for now.

Did you know that the Mexican violence problem is our fault? The VP said so anyway. How can the political left be so hateful of this country?

How much of this can we tolerate?

I Like The Old 44 Special

Way back in the dark ages when men were 'real men', the king of handgun cartridges was the 45 Colt. It was hands down the most effective chambering a guy could carry on his hip. Even the military agreed, to the point of adopting the .45acp in the 1911 pistol. The 45acp was designed to match the performance of the 45 Colt.

A little comparison.
45 Colt - 5-1/2" barrel, 240gr, 900 f/s, 432 ft-lbs
45acp - 5" barrel, 240gr, 900 f/s, 432 ft-lbs
45acp - 5" barrel, 230gr, 900 f/s, 414 ft-lbs

So why would I buy a revolver chambered for the 44 special? Other than I can get it in a frame small enough for me to shoot double action with one hand, it closely matches the performance of those guys above.

44 special - 6-1/2" barrel, 240gr, 900 f/s, 432 ft-lbs.

Mine is of the 4" barrel persuasion because I have no intention of carrying it concealed. I have a 3" barreled 45acp for that, and it holds 7+1 instead of 5 and is easier for me to conceal than a revolver. If I can ever get the wife to consider carrying, this revolver will fit in a purse, even with the 4" barrel. Besides " a pistol should never have a slide" according to the Boss.

So why not a small frames .357Mag you ask?

357Mag - 6" barrel, 125gr, 1500 f/s, 624 ft-lbs

That looks really good doesn't it compared to the others above. I happen to own a 357Mag with a 6" barrel that's set up for hunting. I can't shoot it one handed and double action so it's not useful as a home defense gun. I've loaded 357 cartridges like that 125gr load above, and I believe, but not yet proven, that you won't come close to that velocity from a 2" barreled revolver. In smaller framed revolvers, that I can shoot one handed, I've never seen one with anything but a 2" barrel.

Unless proven differently, I think the old 44 special in a small, short barreled revolver is superior to the 357Mag in the same sized revolver. It even has less felt recoil.
--------------------
The above are Max loads from an old Sierra reloading manual.
-------------------
My 357Mag hunting load is;
357Mag - 6" barrel, 158gr, 1250 f/s, 548 ft-lbs (chronographed)

That's enough to cleanly take a deer broad side at about 120 yards, and penetrate from shoulder to butt at 20 yards. Yep, I've done both.

Grotesque ? ? Hardly

What can be done to protect families, students and everyday people from such insanity? Do any experts know workable solutions? Gun-lovers always contend that the only cure is to let others carry hidden pistols, so they can shoot back at murderers. But that would make America even more grotesque.

I'm sure that your chosen experts DON"T know any workable solutions.

We've been told for decades that criminals should be rehabilitated. That's a feel-good notion that's been failing throughout those same decades. Violent and life long offenders are routinely given a good-talking-to and let out on the streets to strike again. Sometimes it's a simple matter of crowded conditions. I suggest the present Fed administration spend some of that construction money on prisons.

"Such insanity" can be traced back to single parent homes and welfare. Those children lack proper parenting and are taught that they deserve anything they want for free, by the welfare system. Then some come from households of lazy parents that 'gave' their children what they wanted without making them work for it. Later, when they don't get it, they rebel in a violent manner.

Gun lovers do not claim that defensive weapons is the only cure at all. We would all be overjoyed if the world in which we live was actually as safe as some think it is. But being real Americans that take responsibility for ourselves, we acknowledge what the real world is like. We insist on being armed for our families protection. That responsibility is very real to us. It' not something that we run away from and put on the shoulders of another.

Self-defense is far from grotesque. It's individualism, the most important trait that allowed this country to prosper. Grotesque is running and whimpering, while mutants slaughter people.

Other advanced nations don't suffer this gun madness. While America had 11,624 gun murders in 2004, Sweden had only 37, Australia had 56, England had 73, etc.

That's right, cherry pick your statistics. The total number means nothing. Those countries have much smaller populations. Look at the violent crimes as a percentage of population and you'll find, for instance England, has more violent crime than here and it's grown every year since their strict gun control was enacted. Hell, in that country self-defense is a crime. Oh yeah, and the definition of "murder" is probably different than mine.

. . . . a mentally disturbed young man with a .45 caliber pistol entered an Illinois church and killed the pastor during his sermon. His gun jammed and he stabbed others, also slashing his own throat.

All the most draconian laws in the world wouldn't have stopped this tragedy. If I was there with my .45 there would be a good chance that fewer people would've been hurt. The pastor where I occasionally go has asked me to please carry when attending. If the above should happen, he wants the chance to surrvive.

The Name is Different

So now "The King' is asking for the authority to step in and control/interfear with large businesses that are not banks insured by the FDIC. You know, entities that are too large to let fail.

If I remember history correctly there was another guy who was elected and continually given/allowed to take power from the people. The people were disarmed, the military became the police and businesses controlled 'for the good of the state'. He was a great salesman, elected in hard economic times, and most loved him as a king.

His name was Hitler.

It's Coming

Glenn Beck, FOX News channel, reported that US military was used as law enforcement in the town of Samson, Alabama. He also reported that the mayor and governor said they didn't request military help, and that the White House refused to answer the inquiry. He then reported thare's a battalion of US Army stationed (deployed) within the US for the purpose of handling disasters, natural and/or man made, and to resolve civil unrest.

Do we now have a king over us subjects? Isn't this type of thing one of the reasons for the revolutionary war?

The John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 expanded the President's authority to declare martial law and seize control of National Guard units from state governors. Luckily, these provisions were repealed the very next year. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the executive branch . . .

So we have US military deployed within US borders, and a coming effort to disarm the civilians. We shouldn't have the means to protect ourselves you know. The authorities will do that for us. You don't have to hit me over the head. I can see what's coming.

AR Accuracy

Even though my chronograph went dead yesterday I was still able to do some experimentation with the AR. Now I've been shooting that battle rifle as often as I can, but I've never checked it for accuracy. I assumed my misses were due to human error because it just has to be more accurate than my SKS and probably the CETME too. Right? The HoloSight is quick but not necessarily the most accurate sight around, so I mounted a 3-9 X 32 scope to check accuracy off the bench.



Here are the results of a 4 shot groups at 100 yards.



PPU 5.56X45 55gr M193 -> 3-5/8"

American Eagle (Federal) .223 55gr -> 4-3/4"

Remington .223 55gr -> 4-1/2"

Winchester 5.56mm 55gr -> 3-3/4"

American Eagle (Federal) >223 63gr -> 3"



Notice the best group size was 3". That's on par with my SKS using the cheapest ammo I can buy. I was expecting an AR to be about half that. I didn't have time to try changing the location of the flash hider. I'd expect that to have some effect since moving that weight will have an effect on the natural frequency of the barrel system. I'll try that next time.



The picture below shows the barrel with the flash hider removed. It's a little hard to see, but it's rough on the end, almost as if it was done on purpose. Sporting rifles are machined, and sometimes recessed where the bullet exits. The general wisdom is that doing this increases accuracy. Could it be that if it was cleaned up, I'd get better accuracy?



Before getting that done, I'll try moving the location of the flash hider. It's easier and less expensive. I think I'll try that before testing any hand loads. Besides, that will give me an excuse to do more shooting, as if I really require an excuse.

A Dying State

All political governments fail. History shows no exceptions. Political governments are always founded by force and fraud, rule by force and fraud, and inevitably fail by force and fraud. Worldwide, political governments are no different, and this time they are all failing at once: Their 100% fraudulent monetary system has caught up to them.

So here it ends: Congress authorizes debt, Treasury prints the debt bonds, and the Federal Reserve buys them, with money created out of thin air.

When we have a fixed amount of goods and services and we have a rapidly increasing number of dollars, prices go up and up and up, until the goods are gone and nobody is able to replace them. Hyperinflation is a common feature of dying states.

When the existence of the political state is at risk, which it is financially, we can expect all manner of lies and threats, and the use of force wherever they can get away with it.

And the really, really sad thing is that we once had a free market system that was self-correcting. The government just can't keep their fingers out of the pie. They just can't help but muck it up.

Heinrich Himmler

"Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA – ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the State."

~ Heinrich Himmler; Reichsführer-SS

Sounds like a lot of todays Democrats doesn't he? Naturally having guns does not serve 'the state', that's not the point. The point is to serve The People, and make the state think twice before acting against The People.

Today The People are getting pissed at the state. The state has grown and is growing more obnoxious, maybe to the point that a little bloodshed is required. One of the founding fathers predicted that The People will again need to throw off tyranny for liberty.

With the present condition of our country, some are predicting a civil war. If it should happen I predict it will be us against them. It will be The People traveling to Washington to replace, by force of arms, those now in power. I know a few chomping at the bit to get-it-on.

And that's why We The People have a great need of arms.

Idiot Confidence

Huckabee did his show from Elkhart Indiana, of almost 20% unemployment and Obama fame. The bottom line message was fix the banks, suspend all income taxes for at least 3 months, and get the government to leave all else alone.

Government screwed us, causing the economic problem in the first place, so how can anyone have confidence they'll get anything at all right this time. Only the idiot has such confidence.

Our government is so inept, they can't even remember what lies they tell, especially Dodd.

Bulldog Barks

I fired the 4" Bulldog .44 special today for the first time. The trigger could be smoother but it's actually fairly decent for a $425 revolver, and accuracy seemed very acceptable as well. I shot some off the shelf reloads and some lead semi-wadcutter hollow points.

I set up the chronograph and found the reloads to be in the 640 feet/second range, then the battery died. By feel alone, the hollow points were quicker.

At first a thought accuracy sucked. Then I remembered that it's been 2 months since I did any shooting, and then I realized that I was shooting at the 50 yard bank. So I guess bullet impact inside 12" wasn't all that bad with inexpensive factory ammo.

About Time

I flipped through an old gun magazine (from 2006) earlier today while sitting on the can. That's what magazines are for isn't it? Anyway, in it was the announcement that Charter Arms is introducing a revolver that will chamber rimless pistol cartridges without needing moon clips. Well recently I looked at Charter Arms website and didn't notice this product being offered. I now looked again and found this. Charter Arms Rimless Revolver (CARR) will be available in April 2009! I wonder what the hell took so long.

Correction - I thought for sure it was in an old Guns & Ammo from 2006. I looked there again and didn't find it. OOps!! Thanks to a readers e-mail.

Charter Arms will first offer the .40 S&W followed by the .45ACP and 9x19 mm Parabellum (the 9mm Parabellum revolver will also chamber factory .380ACP). All three Rimless Revolvers (9mm, .40 and .45) will be rated for higher velocity +P loadings.

I bought a .44 Bulldog because I have a .44 Mag and reloading equipment for that cartridge, that will also load the old .44 special. The same is true for the 9mm and .45acp. If I'd known about the above I might've waited and bought a 9mm or .45acp instead of the .44 Bulldog. Then again probably not.

Get'n Some Lead

I happen to have about 500 rounds each of 9mm and 45acp loaded and on the shelf. That's a bit more than usual for me, but with the shortage of everything gun related I decided to shop for bullets. Thankfully I still have more than a pound of powder for each and few thousand primers. Anyway I managed to get 2 hundred .45 bullets delivered. Midway has most everything on back order. They claim a new shipment is coming by the end of the month. I placed an order for 500 more .45, 500 9mm bullets and a couple hundred .357 & 454 bullets. Maybe, just maybe I'll get them the first part of April.

I never dreamed there'd be a run on ammunition components like this. Are we actually getting ready for a shooting war like the Boss thinks?

Near Cleveland Ohio

Fox 8 ran a poll on their website asking, "Should you be allowed to carry a holstered gun in public?" As of this writing, the answers were strongly in favor:
Absolutely: 92.7%
No really sure: 1.2%
No way: 6.0%

And maybe that's why it is legal to carry openly in Ohio. Most fo The People don't have a problem with it, and believe the 2A is a natural right.

Good News

St. Patrick’s Day found 65 members of Congress sending a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, advising him that they were not going to support any attempt by the Obama administration to renew the ban on so-called “assault weapons.”

These House members also made it clear that the gun control lobby has deliberately misrepresented the type of firearms it wants banned.

There seems to remain in Washington a little spark of integrity.

What To Do??

"And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, polkers, or whatever else was at hand? After all, you knew ahead of time that those bluecaps were out at night for no good purpose. And you could be sure ahead of time that you'd be cracking the skull of a cutthroat. Or what about the Black Maria sitting out there on the street with one lonely chauffeur – what if it had been driven off or its tires spiked. The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!

If... if... We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation. We spent ourselves in one unrestrained outburst in 1917, and then we hurried to submit. We submitted with pleasure! ........... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward."

~ Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago: 1918–1956

http://www.lewrockwell.com/gaddy/gaddy53.html
I will not hide my weapons. I will not surrender my weapons. I will not surrender my liberty.

More 'Change'

Not that I care all that much, Big Nanny is going to throw away the money they steal from us anyway, but the Feds are having a hearing about the AIG bonus payout today. I suppose they have the right to tell AIG to do anything they want. The Feds own 80% of AIG, and as the majority owner they have rights not normally allowed in this country. This is a 'change' that is another step to tyranny. Sharia law won't be far behind. Islam is already stepping into the vacuum. Never thought I'd see it happen here.

Not Yet But Soon

I called the guy about the new Kahr PM9 and Keltec P-3AT yesterday. He called in the order, but the salesman didn't order them. There's no big hurry, I called because I wanted to make sure I had cash available when the time comes. He told me he'll call in the order again today, and hopefully have them by the end of the week. He's ordering a Kahr PM45 for himself.

If you have small hands, I highly recommend these for hand fit. I'll let you know about performance after I've tried it out.

Strange Thing

I crawled out of bed this morning, groggy as usual and limped to the shower. The limp is due to erthritis in my right hip' It gets stiff at night. The gout that hasn't flared since November, thanks to drugs. As soon as I stepped out of the shower my legs and arms started shaking It was like every muscle in my limbs went into spasms. I mangeged to get dressed between the shaking attacks and into the kitchen where the Boss witnessed one of the attacks. I sat in the family room and shook while she called into work for me. The shaking didn't stop until around 10AM. That was an hour ago. I feel weak, but if nothing happens for another 2 hours, I'll head on in to work.

Damn that was strange.

I Will Not Comply

The Democrats current gun-ban-list proposal

I happen to own 4 on the list. They can kiss my ass.

Remember, the first step in establishing a dictatorship is to disarm the citizens.

Carried in Church Today

Well, . . . I took the Boss to church, stayed for the service, and the roof didn't cave in. They had a chili meal afterwards as a bonus. I love chili, so I sampled 3 different types. Yum. Yum.

During the service the pastor mentioned the recent church shooting. During the meal the Boss told him that I'd never let that happen, and the brother-in-law said something about allowing guns in church. The pastor said 'you don't see a no-guns sign on the door do you"? I explained the Ohio law that makes it illegal to carry in church without permission, then he said the brother-in-law and I have permission. I told him that's good because I was carrying at the time. He didn't have a problem with that at all.

It's refreshing to be trusted as a citizen, without the attempt at being controlled as a subject. The no-guns sign doesn't stop me from carrying very often. As far as I'm concerned they are unconstitutional and a violation of my civil rights.

Ass-Backwards

Why is it that so many of us forget that We The People are the authority and the real security of our homeland? When a threat of violence exists, the last thing that should be done is to disarm The People.

Tighter gun control and stronger law enforcement in Southwestern states were recommended Thursday by lawmakers concerned about drug violence in Mexico possibly spilling across the border.

Getting Prepared

I've been married close to 38 years, and I've never seen the Boss so concerned about the future. She's always been the most positive, roll with the punches sort of person. But now she's actually concerned about the type of world, society or lack of society, that's in the not so distant future. She's convinced that we're in for an economic armageddon, and anarchy do to the total collapse of our society. This is partially do to our present government, and the belief that Iran and/or Islamic terrorists will nuke several of our largest cities.

A couple of months ago she was concerned that we didn't have enough ammunition, so I bought more. We now have at least 1,000 rounds for each of the 3 battle rifles (SKS, CETME, AR) and 400 rounds each 9mm and 45acp. I suspect that will be my minimum inventory from now on.

Now she has me looking at long term packaged foods and water purification systems. She said we'll get rid of a lot of the stuff in the basement to make room.

Yep, she's that serious.

Quote of The Day

Our "stimulus package" amounts to trying to fill up the river by pissing into it.

So says the Boss.

I Now Own a Bulldog

I've considered buying a Charter Arms Bulldog for quite some time now, but never did because for me a semiauto is a better carry piece. The thickness of the cylinder and fewer rounds contained are a big drawback. Today I bought one anyway, but not the 2" barreled version for carry. I got the 4" version to keep around the house, and just for fun.

Several months from now, when the Boss has use of her hand again, I'll convince her to give the little 5 shot .44 special a try. She once told me 'pistols should never have slides'.

.45acp Carbine

I happen to own four 1911 .45acp pistols. For about a year now I've been considering converting one of them to a carbine. Mech Tech makes a kit that converts the lower of either a Glock or a 1911 into a carbine. The price starts at $350 and goes up from there depending on accessories.

What's the word on the street? Heard anything good or bad about them?

Health Care

I caught the last part of Glenn Beck on FOX News tonight while changing clothes after work. I usually don't get home early enough. But I digress. He had a doctor who was charging uninsured patients a flat $76/month. They could visit as often as required for that fee, but the state got involved. To keep practicing medicine he now also has to charge an additional $33 per visit if the patient is sick. He doesn't want to charge the $33 fee, but he's required to do it by the state. Yep, government sure looks out for The People.

When asked about health care costs the doctor stated something I've suspected for a long time. He estimates that only about 30% of the money spent on health care is actually used for medical care of people. 70% goes to bureaucracy. If government takes over health care does anyone actually think it will get better? Not me folks.

Memory is a bit fuzzy, but if I recall correctly there was a time in my lifetime when the Fed froze wages nation wide. So in order to entice new employees companies started offering better benefits instead of direct pay. People started going to the doctor more often, and having more tests because they were insulated from the actual costs. That was the beginning of skyrocketing health care costs. Basically that means that the uninsured, and those with less benefits end up getting shafted because the autoworkers, etc., get great benefits.

All that's changing now. The news has reported that Delphi retired salary employees have been cut off. Yep, no pension or benefits. Horrible management decisions and not enough working employees to pay for the retired employees. I don't know who was the most stupid, management or the unions. I guess it doesn't matter. Between the 2, they've managed to cripple, if not out right kill the U.S. auto industry.

Carry in Church? - You Betcha

I'm not much for going to church. Actually I dislike it greatly, but this Sunday I'll be going because the Boss can't drive, as yet, after her surgery. She's missed being there, so I'll be driving her and sitting among the group. Hopefully the roof won't fall in.

This guy says. I attend church several times a week. Ohio law forces me to disarm each and every time I do. If a law is unjust and violates out civil rights don't we as citizens have a duty to disobey? I for one will be carrying in church this Sunday. Here in Ohio the law prohibits CHL-holders from attending worship services (or even entering the building) while armed, unless they have received special permission from church/synagogue/mosque officials. And obtaining this permission is exceedingly hard to obtain once the officials consult their uninformed, liability-conscious attorneys and insurance agents, who seem to labor under the false impression that an accident by an armed citizen is more likely than a violent attack by a crazed madman.

My risk of having a legal problem is rather small because (1) I've gone shooting with the pastor and feel certain he doesn't have an issue with me carrying, (2) I haven't asked to draw attention to myself and (3) I carry concealed so it's doubtful that anyone will notice.

My brother-in-law is back from his 6 weeks in Florida. He attends this same church. I wonder if he'll be carrying.

Thoughts on Confiscation

To all elected officials, sheriffs, deputies, marshals, constables, sundry law enforcement officers, and military personnel. As a Vietnam era veteran and former peace officer myself, I respect your service and understand that most of you value our Liberty as much as any citizen. For the few who may not fully comprehend what that means, this is a reminder that as a condition of your employment as one of our public servants, you were required to swear an oath to defend the Constitution of these United States of America. We the people who employ you, take this oath seriously and regard any breach of same treasonous.

Be advised that hereafter your sovereign employers will consider any order to disarm private citizens, in any jurisdiction within these United States, a brazen act of treason. Further, any officer who obeys such a treasonous order, and attempts to confiscate our arms, is himself engaged in an act of treason. Keep in mind, “I was just following orders…” never has been, and never will be, considered a valid defense for treason. Anyone receiving such an order has the solemn duty to arrest immediately the traitorous fool who made it; and, most regrettably, any fellow officers inclined to execute it. Failing that, it would be advisable to resign and get out of a conspicuous uniform immediately.

For those arrogant enough to think government has the overwhelming force and would prevail, think again. We take our Liberty seriously. Unlike the unprepared and baffled citizens of New Orleans, do not expect us to cower in our homes awaiting your arrival. . . . .

Don’t even think about violating the Posse Comitatus Act and trying to field our military forces against us. It is unclear how many would violate their oath and fire on American Patriots defending their right to keep and bear arms, but we would prevail in the end anyway. . . . .

. . . . . Respect for authority is deeply ingrained in many; but there frequently comes a time in a man’s life when honor and self respect demand that we stand up on our hind legs and bellow in rage at injustice and the forces of tyranny. We are fast approaching such a time and our birthright as freemen will be seriously tested.

What a Sham

I knew that the economy was and is measured by the GDP, gross domestic product. What I didn't know is that government spending is part of the GDP. So the Obama cure(?) for the poor economy is part of the measured results. That's scientific BS folks.

The government spending a lot of money will automatically raise the GDP, just because they're spending more, not because it does anything to help the situation. He'll look like a hero automatically. Nothing but smoke and mirrors.

HT to The Geek in post Why Economists Like the Stimulus

On The Side of Liberty

I've always suspected that if it came down to the government against We The People, that at least some of the military and police would pick the side of liberty.

1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people

2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects - such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.

3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control” during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext whatsoever.

10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Haven't heard of the Oath Keepers before, but I'm glad they exist.

Fix The Fence

A little humor via e-mail.

Three contractors are bidding to repair a fence at the White House. One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Minnesota.

All three go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, “I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Chicago contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, "$2,700."

The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"

The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence."

"Done!" replies the government official.

And that, my friends, is how the new stimulus plan will work.

At least I wish it was just a joke, and not a sad joke on us.

38 Special or .357 Mag

Last week, while visiting one of the local gun shops, I struck up a conversation with a salesman. He said the trend of the day is for a semi-auto primarily in the 40 S&W for concealed carry. When I mentioned the 5 shot Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special he wasn't impressed. His preference for a carry gun is a 5 shot stubby in .357 Mag. His rational is "why wouldn't I prefer the power of the .357 Mag?"

To each his own I guess. I couldn't shoot many holes in his rational, but I wonder if a 2" barreled revolver actually realizes the power of a .357. Will the inevitable velocity reduction of a short barrel reduce the magnum round to that of the 38 special? I tend to think it will, that's why I recommend newbies buy the 357 but carry 38+P ammunition. My thinking is less recoil, less flash and similar velocity.

I know through experimentation that I loose 150 feet/second just by shooting my .45acp loads from a 3" barrel instead of the standard 5". That doesn't bother me because the old .45 is effective because of bullet size, and not necessarily velocity. The advantage of the .357 over the old .38 is velocity, so a significant reduction in velocity just might turn it into a .38 with a large muzzle flash.

My son and I discussed this very issue this afternoon, and he had a great suggestion. Let's try it and see! He has one of the original Dan Wesson kit guns in .357 Mag. His .357 has 3 or 4 interchangeable barrels. The shortest is 2". He's going to load some Winchester 125 grain bullets at magnum levels and we'll shoot them over the chronograph using different barrels. We'll then know how much velocity is changed by barrel length.

Is there really a difference between the 38 special and .357 Mag from a 2" barreled revolver? We'll find out.

Just for the record I carry a Walther PPK .32acp, Llama MicroMax .380 or a Kimber UltraCarry .45acp depending on the situation. Most of the time it's the Kimber .45 on my hip. I have a Keltec P-3AT .380 and Kahr PM9 coming soon.

Not Cool

I guess I haven't been paying attention lately. Engineers are supposed to be logical thinkers, problem solvers, and trained observers. Well I guess I've failed the observation test. I didn't notice the total lack of revolvers available in the local stores until I went looking the other day. With some exceptions, the only revolvers are the tiny 38 and 357 variety that might be used for concealed carry. I remember when 4" & 6" barreled magnums ruled the handgun world, but no more.

The newest local gun shop also has an indoor range and class room. Every CCW class has been filled to the gills for as long as the place has been open. Looks to me like the locals are into the 'legal' carry of guns. Having all that traffic certainly helps their sales, of small revolvers and semi-autos. I'd bet the other 2 shops are also benefiting from the carry epidemic. In this case, the epidemic is a good thing. The semi-auto is the weapon of choice for most that carry because of the slimmer profile and they hold more cartridges.

Then again revolvers are simply old fashioned. I've recommended a revolver to more people than I can remember. That's been based on the much simpler manual of arms that's better for those that won't shoot on a regular basis. And just about every time, the new buyer ignores what I say. They're just not cool, even when for a lot of people a revolver is the best choice.

PS:
The fourth quarter has generally been a good quarter for licenses issued, but demand in the waning months of 2008 was stronger than anyone expected.

Looks like the Obama was good for more than gun & ammo sales.

The 10,668 regular licenses issued was an unprecedented 111% increase over the same period a year earlier. There were more licenses issued in the last three months of 2008 than the last quarter of 2006 and 2007 combined.

That's almost 11,000 new Ohio gun toters in 3 months. Hurrah!!

As a record number of Ohioans started carrying guns last year, Ohio's crime rates dropped.

Less than one half of one percent have ever been revoked, and among that small number are many CHLs revoked because a license-holder died or moved out of state.

More people carry and the crime rate drops. And those carrying are significantly more lawful that the general population. It's not about crime, it's about control of the citizen.

I will not register my guns. I will not register myself as a gun owner. I will not surrender any of my guns, not even a worn out 22. I will not be controlled like a lowly animal.

Revolver - Intermediate Power

Since the Boss was doing OK, and sleepy I stepped out this afternoon for some window shopping. I own a Ruger Security Six .357Mag, a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull and most recently a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44Mag. Up until the 44 I didn't notice the big gap between the 2 double action Rugers.

I went window shopping with an intermediate power caliber in mind. I was looking for a 44, special or Mag, 41Mag or 45Colt double action revolver. I found a couple of S&W revolvers in 10mm that were interesting and couple of .44Mags. Neither fit my hand very well. The 5 shot .44 special Charter Arms Bull Dog was a good fit, about half the price, and will be considered.

I haven't handled the Ruger Redhawk as yet, nor the Taurus. I suspect the Ruger will be a better fit than the Taurus or the S&W. That's why my other double action revolvers are Rugers. The trigger reach is a little shorter.

The Good & The Bad

After visiting the 3 closest gun shops noted above I spent some time with my broker and financial adviser.

He showed me the history of several stocks that are among my mutual funds portfolio. Each one, and there were several including a large bank, showed paying dividends at or above historical levels, but with share prices at a 10+ year low. If you got the money, now is the time to buy stocks, not sell them.

He also showed me that the dollar has gone up in value, and gold has dropped. He believes this indicates we're at or very near the bottom of the trough, though it'll take a couple of years for things to start improving.

That's the good news. The bad news is that my portfolio has dropped in value by about 40%, thanks to Obama. He showed me a chart that shows that every time Obama announces one of his proposals, the stock market drops. In fact, the stock market decline increased when he was elected.

This is direct evidence that his reported approval rating of 60% is pure bullshit. Middle America doesn't trust or approve of his economic, soon to become, disasters.

He's hurting the stock market, which is a good indicator of confidence of The People. He's also putting the hurt on my retirement funds. Unless he gets his finger, and the other Evil Party's fingers out of the pie, we're in for a long painful lesson concerning the effect of socialism. And I may never be able to retire.

Bath Time

This morning I helped the Boss take a bath. Unfortunately this was not so enjoyable as in the past. Her right hand in a cast, and very painful, put a damper on the whole experience.

Gender Specific

Contrary to the actions, and therefore beliefs, of the Boss, there is nothing gender specific about putting gasoline in a vehicle.