USCCA

This is an unpaid endorsement for the magazine published by The United Statse Concealed Carry Association. I joined the organization a few years ago with no regrets. If you carry, or are considering carry then I highly recommend the organization and the magazine.

Carry on.

Simply Stupid

This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is stupidity a contageous disease, but that it's an epidemic.

A lopsided city council vote of 39-3 calling for a federal ban on handgun ownership . . .

See the post below.

HT to Alphecca

Then venture on over to Xavier and watch the video there. Gun Bans in the UK.

"From my cold dead hands" may just be a clique to some, but to me it has extreme meaning. It'ss not about hunting. It's about defense of life and liberty, and defense against tyranny. If you think it can't happen here, then pull your head out of your ass.

Chicago Outlawed Handgun Sales in 1981

"The regular citizen in Chicago cannot go anywhere and buy firearms," says Williams, eyebrows raised. "And yet, in one year, in the 1990s, we had more than 19,000 weapons recovered. In one year. We've been averaging 10,000 weapons recovered every year for the last 10 or 12 or 14 years. And that's with a ban."

Chicago's gun laws are among the toughest in the country, . . .

And yet, in Chicago, gunfire is a routine feature of the city's dominant criminal dynamic, a deeply-entrenched, multi-generational gang system with, authorities estimate, close to 70,000 members citywide.

Bans? "That's what people do when they don't understand the problem," . . .

In the past week, there have been 40 shootings

Oh . . . Yeah . . . those laws and bans work well.

Guns and Tranquility

I once knew a guy that had issues with drainage fron his kitchen sink. It was an old house with iron soil pipe that went almost horrizontal under the floor in the basement. He didn't have the proper tools to clean out the plug, so he removed the cap from the end for easy access. He then put the barrel of a 12 gage shotgun in the end and removed the stoppage with one shot. That's nothing I'd recommend, but it worked for him.

Here's why this came to mind.

Last month Mr Long decided to install a satellite television system in his Deepwater home. His efforts to make a hole in the outside wall came to nothing because Mr Long did not possess a drill.

But he did have a .22 calibre gun.

He fired two shots from the inside of the bedroom.

The second killed his wife who was standing outside.

There's idiots in all parts of life.

-----------------------------------------
A lot of Lefties continually complain about the gun violence here in the old USA. They either lie or they've got their heads squarely up their asses.

A British man I met in Colorado recently told me he used to live in Kent but he moved to the American state of New Jersey and will not go home because it is, as he put it, "a gentler environment for bringing the kids up."

I've been to Garfield and Newark N.J. many times on business. From my perspective that's one of the arm pits of the country. People wake up pissed at the world and stay that way all day.

Brits arriving in New York, hoping to avoid being slaughtered on day one of their shopping mission to Manhattan are, by day two, beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. By day three they have had had the scales lifted from their eyes.

I have met incredulous British tourists who have been shocked to the core by the peacefulness of the place, the lack of the violent undercurrent so ubiquitous in British cities, even British market towns.

And they come from a place that has extreme gun control laws, including a ban on handguns.

Wait till you get to London Texas, or Glasgow Montana, or Oxford Mississippi or Virgin Utah, for that matter, where every household is required by local ordinance to possess a gun.

Folks will have guns in all of these places and if you break into their homes they will probably kill you.

They will occasionally kill each other in anger or by mistake, but you never feel as unsafe as you can feel in south London.

It is a paradox. Along with the guns there is a tranquillity and civility about American life of which most British people can only dream.

It might be because of getting older, but I've noticed a personal attitude change since I started carrying. It takes an awful lot to get the anger rolling these days. Maybe tranquil is the correct word.

Freedom Means Acceptance

One of the benefits of living in a free and liberty minded (I wish) society is the ability to basically do what you want as long as you don't HURT others. Those that color their hair strange colors have that right, though I think it looks ugly. Youngsters can wear their pants so low as to expose their undies, or butt cracks, though that shows immaturity in my mind. Old men can pull their pants up to their arm puts if they want, though that looks rediculous.

The flip side is that a free society also requires acceptance (again I wish) of others. For instance,
Senate lawmakers in Florida have voted to ban the fake bull testicles that dangle from the trailer hitches of many trucks and cars throughout the state. I wouldn't adorn my truck with them, though my first reaction is to laugh, but that doesn't give me the right to object to others doing that. Anyone trying to pass a law such as this needs to have their organs removed and dangled on display. Seems to me there's more important issues to consider. What someone uses as decoration is not the business of anyone.

I guess if the law passes, those truck drivers could use the real thing.

Life Getting Heavy

It started maybe 4 years ago, our run of luck that is. The Boss had her football sized organs removed, then not long after that healed she had an arthritic thumb joint removed. During that time our adopted grandaughter was sexually abused, according to the evidence anyway. Next I lost my job and we moved my dementia mother to Florida, and my in-laws in where my mother was. And then my mother-in-law died of Alzheimers just before Christmas. Things calmed down a little and I got another job, and promoted a year later to engineering supervisor. Our eldest gave us a new grandson. The Boss then lost 2 more relatives, and the first of last month my mother died. My youngest sons mother-in-law, now a close friend of the Boss probably has ALS. My youngest son lost his job due to a company take-over. And tonight we went to a viewing because the Boss's close aunt died.

It sure seems like the lows have overwhelmed the highs of late.

Sometimes life gets rather heavy.

Lies and Ignorant Voters

In every election the candidates will try to communicate their views on issues they think resonate with the voters. Those views are sprinkled with statements that are spun toward what they think voters want to hear, whether the office has the authority or not. Sometimes the spin approaches outright lies.

I love it when a presidential candidate promises to cut taxes. Let’s see, the president has the veto power but not the power to raise or lower taxes. That authority belongs to the legislature. The president can’t do squat about taxes, other than vetoing a tax bill.

Another example is the economy. Again the president only has veto authority so what, if anything, can he/she do about it? Not much really, and government shouldn’t even try. Our economic system is quite self-correcting as long a government leaves it alone.

In short, the office of president actually has very little authority to affect what most seem to want fixed. The promises are hollow indeed, since the candidates know about the limitations.
What’s even worse is that the voters swallow the swill they’re fed. The voters don’t know any better. The voters blame the president, whoever is in office, for anything they don’t like regardless if he could or should do anything about it. It’s amazing how ignorant We The People are about our own government

Light Posting Alert May 6 - 19

On May 6 the Boss and I will be boarding a plane heading for Germany. I have 2 days of meetings at the corporate office there, so the Boss has decided to join me. We're going to tack on about a weeks vacation time spread between Germany and Poland. Might be a bit of an adventure.

The Boss wanted, and now has, a laptop computer to keep in touch with the homeland by e-mail. Because of that, I may be able to do some occasional posts from the other side of the big pond.

Possible New Shooter

Got a call last night from the pastor where the Boss goes to church about handguns. Surprised? I was certainly surprised at his attitude shown me in the past. He’s not one of those completely passive types. He’s a firm believer in self-defense, even if it means taking a life. After 9/11 while sitting with me in a hospital waiting room he said something like “I won’t judge him (Bin Laden), but I’d gladly sent him to He who will”.

I took him to the range one time for a little target shooting. He had a brand new Baby Eagle 9mm he wanted to try. To be honest, he’s one of the worse shots with a handgun I ever saw, but he sure did have fun.

Anyway he wanted some advice about a handgun he bought for his wife. It seems that she doesn’t have the hand strength to work the slide on the Walther PPK he bought for her. He made the typical male mistake of buying a gun for his wife without her being there. Guns are like shoes, you just have to try them on for size before you buy them.

My advice to him was to take the wife along when returning the Walther. The first thing is to make sure she really wants a gun, and then handle many to find the make and model that fits her hand. If she has trouble working the slide then switch to a revolver. After that see if there is a rental available to try, at the range, before buying one.

I was a bit preoccupied so I didn’t volunteer to go with them. I’ll correct that in a couple of days. I’ll offer to go along because to help I need to ask her the intended purpose of the weapon and if she wants one or if it was his idea. Whether for target shooting, house or concealed carry makes a huge difference. Besides I doubt he actually knows how a handgun is supposed to fit the hand.

It’s a pleasure to help a new shooter.

Parking Lots & Guns

My last employer had a no guns policy, but failed to post the no guns sign on the doors when concealed carry became legal in the state. I suppose that was because of their blatant inconsistancy. Many of the company elite and ownership simply ignored company policy that could've gotten anybody else fired. As an example I once knocked then entered the COO's office and found 3 rifles on his conference table. I heard rumors of other executives keeping handguns in their desks. As a result it was difficult to maintain any respect for the company leadership.

That was a privately owned company and has the right to do as they want, and set any rules they want. I didn't always follow their rules simply because their own actions violated their own rules, so I lost respect for them and their rules.

I've always been a believer in the owner setting the rules of conduct on their property. No smoking you say? OK, I won't smoke. No guns you say? OK I'll leave it outside. My present employer has a no guns policy, and the appropriate sign on the door. It's not a privately owned company, but I still respect the decision, as rediculous as it may be. In this case the property is leased, so the company elite has no say in the parking lot. Yes I keep a gun in the car in the parking lot.

If there was a no guns sign at the lot entrance I'm not sure what I would do. Which has the most influence, property owner rights, or my individual rights? I ten to lean toward property owner rights because I'm not forced to be there.

But I never thought of it this way.

Clearly, the state can - and did - act to protect the right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves when traveling and in publicly accessible parking lots. It is definitely a safety issue, as a living person is clearly more important than an asphalt parking lot.

NRA believes in private property rights, but unlike citizens, corporations are discretionary creations of government. They come into existence through charters created by legislatures. Corporate interests don't override the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Damn Good Question

"We in Denmark cannot figure out why you are even bothering to hold anelection.

On one side, you have a bitch who is a lawyer, married to a lawyer, and alawyer who is married to a bitch who is a lawyer.

On the other side, you have a true war hero married to a woman with a hugechest who owns a beer distributorship.

Is there a contest here?"

From Irons in the Fire

Wish I Would've Thought of That

It's a Miracle
Use "Postage Paid" Envelopes to mail a brick to junk mailers!
Bankrupting the Brady Campaign, one brick at a time.

Students Have Rights Too

The reality is that all students have an inherent right to be armed – it cannot be forcefully removed from a determined student. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus are merely pressing legislators to bring their civil liberties in line with their existing inherent rights.

. . . . "I don't think the answer to bullets flying is to send more bullets flying."
Yes it is. It's that or die.

. . . . "I shoot everybody with a gun who doesn't have a uniform on and I then I end up shooting somebody who was a citizen with a carry permit," . . .
Now that's a superbly stupid remark coming from campus police. I suppose if a student happened to disarm the goblin, he or she would be shot by the campus police for the effort. That guy is in the wrong line of work.

Why should people that have proven themselves competent and trustworthy in safely using firearms for personal defense in the rest of society be refused that same ability within the imaginary lines that represent the confines of college campuses?
There is no reason that stands on merit. It's the unrealistic utopians that think police actually adequately protect them, or project their own inadequacies on others, who think otherwise.

Hillary Humor

Yeah Me Too

Sick of it: I'm so tired of hearing what Hillary says, and what Obama says, and what every talking head in the media says about all of it. I'm sick of the politics. It doesn't matter here. Either one, Hillary or Barack... either one would be a disaster for America. We are looking at food shortages, falling dollar, invasions of Mexicans, fuel going never before seen prices... real serious freaking issues and the media is worried about who said what about topics as frivolous as American Idol. As far as political candidates go, McCain at least is actually looking like a leader. What he has in mind to save America, I don't know. At least he isn't a Communist like the Democrats are.

Unfortunately he is a liberal. What's so surprising is that either one would have a chance against him. That shouldn't be in this country. I'm continually disappointed with half our population. Brain? Anybody got a brain?

Quote

If everyone understood science, and the scientific method, even reasonably well, there would be no such thing as liberalism.

Wonderful!

Illinois

I’ve not spent much time in the state of Illinois. A couple of engineering shows in Chicago reinforced my dislike of cities. The only other times were for a job interview and then the recent paintball games. Other than that I’ve just passed through on my way elsewhere.

Illinois is one of the least gun owner friendly states in the country. They even have gun owner identification cards that are required to buy a gun or even ammunition. They don’t have gun registration, but gun owner registration which is even worse. I find it interesting that such an anti-gun state is the only state I’ve been in that has sequential signs supporting gun ownership along the interstate highways. You’ll see a series of small signs, each containing a phrase apparently sponsored by gunssavelives.org.

When driving through the Boss finds the signs and reads them to me. She likes their message. When I mentioned how anti-gun the state is she replied “well it looks like somebody is trying to change that”. They’ve been trying for that change for decades without much luck that I can see. I suppose the real problem it that a large percentage of the population lives in or near Chicago.

This last weekend was paintball in Illinois. As soon as we crossed the state line I took my gun off my hip and locked it in the son’s glove box. I think they changed their law to allow us normal people to carry when passing through as long as we don’t exit the car. What I did probably wasn’t entirely legal but better than having it on my hip. At the motel I transferred it to another compartment for the duration of the stay in The Peoples Republic of Illinois.

My son and I agreed that if it wasn’t for state economics, the rest of Illinois would just as soon see Chicago go away. Those sheep have way too much influence on the rest of the population.

Oh, . . . And the job interview was a bust. I was used to put pressure on a temporary employee to become ‘permanent’. I don’t think I would’ve liked working or living there anyway. I especially wouldn’t like living in an anti-gun environment.

Royalty

I don't care what they say, the elected office holders in this country consider themsalves to somehow be above the law. They don't have to follow the same rules as the rest of us commoners. In their own minds they are the elite, the royal class.

The Dayton Daily News reported over the weekend that Attorney General Marc Dann authorized his driver, a concealed handgun license (CHL)-holder, to carry his firearm at all times as part of his job duties.

The driver is a defacto body guard for the Attorney General and can now legally carry wherever he wants in the state regardless of law. The law creates defenseless victim zones for the rest of us though. If you stop at a rest stop, you can have your gun as long as you don't go in the building. The same is true at the local parks I visit. I can legally carry as long as I don't enter the public restrooms. Absurd.

Empty Holster

On college and university campuses around the country, students are wearing enpty holsters to protest laws and policies that punish them if they should choose to exercise their right to self-defense. I understand there are different opinions about this issue, but it sure would be nice if both sides had some logic or evidence as backing. Unfortunately, the anti-self-defense people don't.

UNH Deputy Police Chief Paul Dean said he met with one student who wore an empty holster on the UNH campus Monday. That student applied for the necessary protest permit in advance and, by simply wearing the empty holster in class, made a professor "upset," said Dean.

I can't immagine someone becoming "upset" at the sight of an empty holster. You see, most of the anti's don't have solid footing to support their opinions. All they have is fear of innanimate objects, and the fear that others have the same lack of self-control that they have.

I'm Back

from this place.















Saturday was pumpgun people playing pumpgun people, mostly in the wooded fields. Those guys are generally a higher caliber of player.

Some played speedball on little fields like this.















We did nothing but woods play.

Sunday they had a pumpgun only speedball tournament that we didn't participate in. None of us really care for that type of game, instead we joined in open play that was about 90% semi-auto players. We stayed with pumpguns. A good player with a pump can beat an average player with a semiauto. As with most things, it's not the equipment but the preson using it that's important.

If you were expecting pictures during a game, sorry about that. I was having too much fun to mess with the camera much.

Gone For a Few Days

Tomorrow shortly after lunch my eldest son and I, as well as one of his friends and 2 kids, will be off heading west. We'll be driving across Indiana to some unknown, at least to me, place to play paintball for the weekend. All I know is that we'll be on the west side of Illinois somewhat near I-70. They're having a pump gun only weekend, so no semi-autos or full auto paint heading my way.

I started playing with a pump against semi-autos in 1994 because that was the only extra gun my ex-marine owned. I played a few games, got hooked and bought a semi-auto. Having entered the sport when I did, I've never played pump-gun vs pump-gun before. I suppose it's like going to war with everybody using bolt action rifles, but without the range.

I presently own 4 paintball guns, Tippman 98, Tippman A5 (electronic trigger that can go full automatic), Action Markers Sentinal, and a Bud Orr Sniper. The last one is the pump action.

As usual I'll be traveling with a gun, a real gun that's for self-protection. The problem is that Illinois is one of the very few states that tries to deny citizens the right of self-defense. I'll decide how to handle that situation tomorrow.

My Youngest Son

is looking for work. His employer was bought out by a company in Indianapolis and is moving the operation there, but none of the employees. His wife has a local job in marketing, combined with their new house (built about 18 months ago) and they are trying not to relocate. Unfortunately there just aren't many jobs in his field, filled or open, in this depressed area. This is one of the worse areas of the country for home forclosures.

He's looking for full time employment and/or contract work. I'm rather proud of his creativity.

Number 2

The second gun I owned, and the first I purchased for myself was a .22 rifle. I bought a Springfield, tube feed semiauto in .22 rimfire for the huge price of $35 back in 1970. I had a blast with that gun for many years. It's hard to tell how many thousands of rounds went through it shooting things like cans, hedge apples and walnuts. It also put a lot of squirrels in the pot. One time when I was walking down a wooded trail I saw 3 squirrels moving along a nearly horrizontal tree linb, all in a row. There wasn't a rest handy so I wrapped my arm in the sling and started with the last one. I got 2 of 3 moving bushy tails. I might've got all 3 except the first one wasn't quite dead when he hit the ground so I took time to finish him off before moving to number 2.

A few years later the Boss and I moved into a rental house in a city that had, at the time, the 3rd worst crime rate in the country. It was a 2 story half of a double with an open stairwell. I was working 2nd shift in a factory and going to school days. You can guess that I wasn't home much to spend time with the wife and our toddler son. Anyway, the Boss wasn't used to being by herself, especially at night. Upon finding out that there was a cat-house just down the block, she was less then comfy when the sun went down. Since my total armament consisted of a single .410 and a .22 there wasn't much in the way of self-defense tools around. I told her to stay upstairs at night, and if someone broke in wait until she hears the intruder on the stairs, then step around the corner and keep pulling the trigger until it quits going bang. 22s may be small, but 15 of the little hollow points will certainly make somebody take notice. Several months later I purchased a shotgun.

That little rifle finally gave up 18 years later. It still shot but the wear and tear turned it into a single shot. I sold it to a trapper for a few bucks. That's when I picked up the Marlin shown below. Not having a .22 in the house is just unAmerican you know. It's not really my second gun acquisition, but the replacement for same.

BAG Day

Or sometimes called Buy A Gun Day is today. If I'm not mistaken it was started by this guy to make a statement about filing tax returns. You know, the legalized theft that's forced on us by threat. I suppose the statement is that guns were used to remove one government and form this one, then just maybe if pushed too hard, it could happen again. At least that's my take.

Anyway I've never participated by buying a gun anywhere near BAG Day. I tend to buy when the fancy strikes and the price is right. This year the price is right, and with the anti-liberty folks probably controlling 2 branches of the government after Jan 1, it's time. Well so I thought. I ordered a custom assembled AR15. Unfortunately it hasn't arrived. Damn.

From Up North

Our healthcare is certainly not up to par for the extraordinary amount of tax dollars dumped into the flawed system.

And I suspect it's actually worse in the UK. So tell me again why some are pushing for government run health care?

However, it appears now the only support remaining for the gun registry comes not from the taxpayers, but from oppositions parties. We have seen the cost overruns. It currently costs more than $80-million a year to operate. We have seen an increase in violent crimes involving guns, particularly handguns which have been registered since 1934. We experienced another shooting in Montreal at Dawson College. Dawson illustrates the exact reason why the registering of guns fails to improve safety. Registering focuses on the gun and not the individual behind the firearm.

The same results are documented in Australia and the UK. So why would anyone in this country want more liberty restricting gun controls?

Gun control is the only kind of policy that we have where the proponents of it will point to its utter failure as evidence that we need even more of it.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that twisted logic. We certainly have our share.

HT to Alphecca.

Above The Law

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and the City Council have defied state statute by enacting several anti-gun measures, essentially "acting like urban vigilantes under color of law,"

The Pennsylvania Legislature has reserved the authority to regulate firearms within the state since 1974. That authority was upheld by a 1996 Supreme Court ruling in the Ortiz case.

So the mayor and city council have ignored the state legislature, thus breaking the law. What's up with that? If I ignore the legislature, I end up in jail. Not a chance that'll happen to them though, after all, they're of the elite and above the law.

Talking About Me??

. . . . a recent paper written by two sociologist PhD’s in association with the University of Oxford. In the paper, the argument is made that there is something about engineers that causes them to become murderous, right wing radicals in greater numbers than other professions.

Don't think I've ever met a "murderous, right wing radical", let alone any that were engineers, and I've met many engineers. Wait . . . I am one . . . engineer that is.

Then from comments. I too think it might just be a matter of engineers being the type of people who get things done. After all, engineers are trained to identify a problem and then solve it, not talk it to death. That may be how we're trained, but all too often there's way too much talk and not enough doing. At least that's been my experience.

The Very First

I have pictures of a few of my guns but not even half have been recorded this way. It seems to be a good idea to record not only the make, model & serial number, but also the condition just in case the unthinkable happens. Just thought I'd occasionally share with you.

My very first gun was a gift from my grandfather. At about the age of 13ish, he visited the house, which in itself was an unusual occasion. I can only recall him visiting us maybe 3 times. The rest of the time we went to the grandparents place. He and my father never got along very well. He came visiting with a .410 bore shotgun. He gave it to my father with the understanding that when he thought appropriate, the little shotgun was to be mine. I started hunting with it the very next season. It fit me a whole lot better than Dads double barreled Fox 12 gage.

Notice how low the hammer spur is? When cocked it's even closer. That was a contributing factor to my first and only ND (negligent discharge). After loosing sight of a squirrel I attempted to un-cock the hammer. Thankfully I was aware of the rules of safe gun handling and had it pointed in a safe direction, because the hammer slipped discharging the shotgun. The only damage was a hole in the ground and hurt pride.

Yep, it's a red letter Winchester Model 36. You don't see many of them around anymore.

With the death of my grandfather came the anger from my uncle. He wanted that gun, but I wouldn't give it to him. It is the only thing I remember my grandfather giving me, I just wouldn't let it go. I only own 2 objects that mean very much to me, and you're looking at one of them. I'd have to be very, very hungry to sell it, and taking it would require my demise first.

I've told the eldest son that eventually it will belong to his son, my grandson. From grandfather to grandson. That's a tradition I can live with. Hope grandson becomes a gunnie like the rest of us.

Markemanship Standards

I've heard that some states require qualifying with the gun that's carried, but until now I didn't have any proof. I have mixed feelings about that requirement. It's a good thing to be proficient with your carry gun, but even being required to get a license is unconstitutional.

Here in Ohio you don't even have to own the gun you use in training, and it's not important if you can hit the barn from the inside. The basic requirement is that you know the law, the rules of safe gun handling and you demonstrate the ability to handle a gun safely. To quote one instructor "as long as you don't shoot the instructor, you'll pass".

That might be enough to qualify for the Ohio license, but it should never be enough to the licensee.

Those states that require a minimum score to demonstrate markemanship have a good idea, but it should be up to the individual and not the state. The state has no right to set judgement standards on what is a constitutionally guaranteed right.

More Of The Same

How can you tell if a Clinton is lying?
The lips are moving.

Doesn't matter if it's Mr. or Mrs.

Trick Question

The Captain has a great post called Is This a Trick Question? Here's the topic.

Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to keep and bear arms?

I'd bet most don't actually know the correct answer. Here's a hint . . . It has nothing to do with guns.

A Little Girl Asked

A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?' The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.

'Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.

'The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?

'The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.'

In Deep . . . . Stuff

Check out this video. Priceless.

Economic Stimulus

This evening I went to the accountants office and signed tax returns. I was informed that I qualified to get $1200 from Big Nanny in "Economic Stimulus". Would've been less except I was unemployed part of last year. Makes me wonder, if they can spare it now, why did they steal it from me in the first place? Oh yeah, they'll steal it back next year. Duh.

Am I the only one that thinks this won't stimulate anything?

Licenses Are Useless Exercises

A couple days ago I voiced, well . . . typed, my displeasure at submitting to the 'ask permission process' to exercise my right. I'm not alone with those feelings. I thought long and hard about acquiring a concealed carry license. After all, the Gov doesn't have the right to stop me from protecting me and my family. The fact is, when I really felt the need, in advance, to be armed, I was armed. As they say, better to be judged by 12 than burried by 6. Then there's 'be an honest lawful citizen' voice in the back of my head that seems to get in the way at times. If I was single and without family I never would've bothered with the unlawful licensing crap. I know several who haven't. It was a hard decision, but I'm licensed.

Licensing for anything is basically a useless exercise. A license doesn't make an attorney, doctor or engineer any better at their job. A license doesn't make anyone safer driving a car, or with a handgun. Back in the dark ages I started the process of getting my PE (Professional Engineer License), but stopped half way through. I met way too many licensed engineers that were just terrible engineers. They were evidently good at test taking, but they just sucked at their job. I didn't want to be part of that group.

I haven't seen anything about licensing since, to change my mind.

After the concealed carry training that I sat through with my daughter-in-law, she was shocked that such inept people are now qualified to carry a gun. In one respect I agree that I wouldn't want to be around about 10% of them if they should pull a gun, on the other hand they have the right the same as I do. BTW those folks were obviously new to firearms. And she doesn't have the right to judge them in the least. She had some training prior to the class. I already taught her the basics at a shooting range with several of my handguns. She was using one of my guns in the class, and I wouldn't let her use it without some one-on-one education.

Licensing does not make the person any better at that particular activity, it's just a way of trying to narrow the field. That is, the more hoops required to jump through, the less that will be inclined to participate. That seems true for professional activities, but as for carrying a gun, the mutants will participate anyway.

Split Barrel

The other day I mentioned the free Ruger SuperBlackhawk in .44 Mag. It was free because of this.

The split is from frame to muzzle, on both sides. I don't think it was from a hot load because the cylinder and etc appear to be on good shape. The owner said he hit the target with previous, and the final shot that caused the damage, so it's unlikely that there was a bullet lodged in there. Basically we don't know what happened. One thing is for sure, he has quit the shooting sports due to this experience.


If for no other reason I'll keep it as a novelty to show other shooters. Interesting, Eh?

A New Baby is Coming

Last night I was informed that all the components for my new baby (custom assembled AR) has been ordered. Goody, Goody. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve awaiting Santa.

(Yes I use "Christmas". Those pushing the generic holiday crap can kiss my ass. Believe in Christ or not, I don't give a damn. It has always been "Christmas" and should always stay "Christmas".)

Vandalism or Art

Sometimes the distinction between good and bad can be a fine line or a large gray area. Grafitti on a wall can be a fine work of art and vandalism at the same time. It can be good if the owner of the wall gave permission, but bad without permission. In that cas, which wins? There's a large wall in downtown Fort Worth Texas that has a painted mural of a cattle stampede. Assuming permission was given, probably along with payment, that's an impressive work.

Back in the dark ages while standing at the urinal in a public restroom I scanned the scratchings on the wall. The act of defacing the wall of someone elses property is not a good thing, but I read the following.

Some come here to sit and think
Some come here to s*** and stink
I come here to scratch my balls
And read the bulls*** on the walls

Yes it was vandalism, but that little poem was a work of art that may forever stay in my memory.

Rest in Peace

I've been remiss about saying something about the passing of Charlton Heston. The truth is, I really didn't know what to say.

I don't know that I particularly liked his acting style, that was always somewhat 'bigger than life', in a way, but I did enjoy his movies. I especially liked Omega Man and Soilent Green. I am a SciFi nut after all.

What mostly impressed me about him was as the president of the National Rifle Association. I remember watching him calmly take a bunch of ranting and raving by an anti-gun far left liberal on national TV. He sat there calmly and listened politely to everything that was said, then calmly and politely tore the lefty up with logic and facts. I was quite impressed.

I was so impressed that I obtained a bumper sticker that says " Charlton Heston is my President". I still have it. It never saw the bumper of a car, but was displayed in my office cubicle for years. I wish he would've run for president of the US. He could've been a great one.

Thanks for all you've done and the man you've been.

Rest in peace Mr. Heston.

The TSA Strikes Again

Not only is the whole process of screening before boarding a plane a complete waste of time, energy and money, now they're suggesting that anyone traveling with a gun in their checked baggage disobey the law.

TSA:
We recommend that you provide the key or combination to the security officer if he or she needs to open the container.

Law:
The container in which it is carried is locked, and only the individual checking the baggage retains the key or combination

I knew those twerps heading the TSA were at least partially brain dead, but not this dead.
HT to The Geek.

Just Leave it Alone

“One of the biggest problems with government intervention in the economy is that politicians usually have neither the knowledge nor the incentives to intervene at the right time. . . . That is, the problem it is trying to solve has already worked itself out and the government intervention can create new problems. More fundamentally, markets readjust themselves for a reason. That reason is that people pay a price for their misjudgments and mistakes.” Thomas Sowell - - HT to Kim

If they'd just leave everything alone the capitalist, free market works everything out all by itself. But noooo they stir things up partially because they're too ignorant about how things work, and partially to satisfy the ignorant voters.

And this time is no different. They're giving what they call a "tax rebate" that we'll end up paying back to the Gov. next year. Yep, they steal our money, give some back, then take that back later. And to make matters worse they're throwing more of our money down the black hole of beurocracy to pay for all the administration.

Oh and lets not forget the proposed bail-out schemes. A lender makes bad decisions as to who and how to lend money and we, the tax payers, are supposed to give a helping hand? I have less sympathy for them than the idiots that signed away their future on variable rate loans. No sympathy at all. At least the soon to be not-home owner wasn't a financial professional. That's a weak excuse, but at least it's something.

Permit - - - NOT !

I started carrying (legally) a gun almost 5 years ago. I applied for and received my non-resident Florida license because I routinely kept a loaded revolver under the seat of the car when traveling. Every time we, the family, crossed a state line I broke another law. A year later, when the law was changed I applied for and was issued an Ohio license. One license expires in May and the other in June of this year.

To renew the Florida license I fill out and sign a notarized form, get my picture and fingerprints retaken, then send a check. Then for the Ohio license I’m required to be re-certified. That means, in my case, taking a concealed carry training class with my youngest and his wife. I take a copy of the certificate to a sheriffs department where they do finger prints and pictures to go along with a check to the state.

I tell you all this because we took the concealed carry training a week ago yesterday. There was wasted time because of a very large class, and helping some complete their Florida application. That was a little irritating but it really didn’t bother me all that much. What bothered me more than anything was the constant use of the word “permit”.

The word “permit” implies that I need government permission to carry a gun for defensive purposes. The fact is, I don’t need anybody’s permission. It’s a right guaranteed in the state and federal constitution. In fact a logical argument supports the idea that requiring a license for carry is an illegal law. So saying “permit” is wrong and just grates on me. “License” is a much better word that isn’t nearly so offensive.

Gun Enthusiest

Well, some would call me obsessed with guns, even to an extreme. I don't really agree with that sentiment, after all I only own 36 firearms.

The latest is a Ruger Super Blackhawk chambered in .44 Mag. Yeah I know it's a little wimpy compared to my favorite .454 Casull, but it was given to me free of charge. You see the previous owner had an unexplained mishap. The 7" barrel is split down the middle, top and bottom, full length. Everything else appears to be in good shape. When I get the chance I'll give Ruger a call and see if they're interested in checking it out for a possible rebarreling job. If not, maybe I'll frame it as a reminder that s*** can happen.

And BTW I'm expecting gun number 37 in a week or two. A friend (FFL holder) of my eldest son is building a custom AR to my specifications, and for my personal pleasure. I hope it arrives in time for 'buy-a-gun day. April15.

Change Over

So I've actually done it. I've created my very own BLOG for the first time.

My other posts for the past several years are over at The Beagle Express. That site was created and hosted by a friend, who has since quit posting. The only reason he's kept the server running is because I'm still using it. For a while I'll be using both BLOGS until I get a handle on things.

Beagle Express is not online as I write this. I'll add a link later. I may even copy some of my previous posts from there.