One of Those Days

What's the best thing to do on a Friday afternoon? Well this Friday, I decided it wasn't work.  I had found a shop selling AR lowers for $100 and off I went to Lawguns in Indy, a new shop that opened this week.  I got there and met Anthony who was eager to take my business an after pleasantries, I started on my 4473.  While filling my form out, the phone constantly rang and another customer came in for uppers.  The shop isn't much right now, but it appears they'll be carrying mostly AR type stuff.  I picked up a couple of accessories for my AR and bid Anthony good day.

Off to Beech Grove Firearms!  I had heard great things about this shop and it is a very nice place with a lot of wheelguns and as good of stock of firearms and ammo as I think you can have right now.  The shop is clean, bright and friendly, the prices are a bit on the upper end of reasonable, but they have stock.

On the way home, I got to craving a cigar and so I stopped by the only good cigar store I know of on the South side of Indy, the Pipe Puffer.  It's probably a good thing I don't live in Greenwood as this place would see me a LOT more.  The Cigar selection is very good with pretty much all the major brands represented and a nice selection of each.  The cigars are kept in their walk-in humidor in perfect conditions, so you get a top-notch smoking experience.

The Puffer also has areas for customers to lounge while they enjoy a smoke, think a small tavern that serves smokes and not drinks.  I would have sat in one of the comfy looking leather chairs or sofas had the place not been absolutely packed with folks enjoying the afternoon with friends and tabacco.

All in all, it beat the living hell out of being in my office and one of my ARs is decked out and I've got parts for another complete AR.  Go me!

Stage Strips?

Is this an alternative for cowboy shooters at the loading table?  Reloading strips have long been a part of CAS, providing a convenient way to keep track of the ammo you need for a stage without having to carry a box up to the line or back to your cart after you've loaded.  Tuff products have done what Bianchi won't, make speed strips Quick Strips for .41-.460 calibers.  Now if they made them in 10 or 5 round versions, I think they might get some traction in CAS, they aren't exactly period, but then a bright blue plastic box isn't either.

If these hold .45ACP, I might have to get some for WildBunch since I gave my leather strip to Judge (actually, he pilfered it) and .45ACP will fall out of the wooden ones I've made.

Hmm....

H/T to Les Jones

ATWS

I'm pretty certain Judge should get one of the new Trijicon ATWS to mount on the 30-30 levergun he just got.  I'm sure it wouldn't cost so much and what is more natural than a state of the art, thermal imaging sight on a 105 year old design?  I don't know how much it costs, but with the economic wizardry going on right now, I'm sure Judge could pull it off.

H/T to The Firearm Blog

Ammo Recall

I guess they're spoofing gun owners, but they're also spoofing the media, so I'd say that's fair and balanced, besides, I can laugh at myself.

Pig Gun

Jose hasn't been the only one buying guns, but he as definitely opened up the distance. I finally decided to sell the AK and since I promised if I ever sold it I would give the original owner first dibs the AK made it's way home. I bought a microwave range hood for the house and with the money left over I spent it on a new lever gun.

I have always loved the .30 - .30 lever guns and I've been wanting a short handy rifle with a small scope that was quick to acquire. I've been told this is called a pig gun so I guess that's what I wanted. As you can imagine these are pretty hard to find.

Well thanks to Jose I located a Sears 54. The gun is in great shape and I don't think it has ever been shot. It's got a 20" barrel which is longer then I wanted, but the price was good. I plan on having the barrel cut down to 16.5 inches and with a leather butt wrap, ammo loops, sling, and lever wrap from Kirkpatrick Leather I'll be pretty close to set. I think I will also add an aimpoint to the set up and I will have my pig gun.

Public Enemies

This movie opens July 1st and while I realize it'll be a Michael Mann cheesefest, the thought of 1911s, 1897s, 1887s, Brownings, car chases and oh yes TOMMYGUNS is too appealing.  It just went to the top of my want to see list. 

Public Enemies OFFICIAL TRAILER

Oh happy day!

Today was the first time all year the weather was cooperative for a range trip.  Sunny and 73 degrees will do nicely.  I loaded up a few 1911s, a few hundred rounds of ammo and headed North. 

Today I had a new horse in the stable, this past week I picked up a Colt 1991A1 off of an individual in Indy and she's a beaut.  I've never been much for blued 1911s, but this one I fell head over heals for the moment I opened the blue Colt box.  I now had my real Wild Bunch pistol.  The 1991A1 is Colt's "el-cheapo" 1911 with none of the frills of the higher end guns, standard grip safety, thumb safety and spur hammer.  The ejection port isn't lowered or flared, the only thing that they put on it that would be considered an upgrade is a set of white dot sights.  This is quite possibly the only niggle I have with the gun, I'd prefer a set of hardball sights, but I ain't complaining.

The Colt shot and functioned flawlessly as it should.  I fed it 230g FMJ factory and some 185g LSWC that I had loaded.  It didn't care witch round was in the chamber, it just spat it out and grabbed the next round.  I also tried a variety of mags, from cheap-ass surplus mags to CMC Powermags to the original Colt mag, again, the Colt didn't give a rats ass.  In fact, all the 1911s I shot today went without a hiccup. 

The other guns I brought with me were my carry officer's model and a couple of Government RIA's.  I was asked by Judge to find out why his RIA shot about 4" high and 2" right at 10 yards.  So I brought mine along and swapped upper parts until I eliminated everything but the slide.  Looks like it needs to take a trip back to Armscor.  After diagnosing the culprit of the RIA's woes adn about two hours and 250rnds later, I called it all a success and headed home.