New-Old .45s

Well, with the economy in the dumps, but its not like I haven't been trying.  I've acquired a couple of new irons, one a carry piece, the other a cowboy action revolver that I really don't need, it was just too good a deal, yeah, one of those...

At the last Indy 1500, I picked up an Officers model Rock Island as I noted previously here.  I did a few things to it, I dropped in an STI trigger and cleaned up the area where the spring guide and slide stop reside as it had quite a bit of flashing or remnant metal that was causing the slide stop to pop out under firing (not a desired thing).  I dropped in a new slide stop as a precaution and put on a pair of double-diamond rubber grips from Kimber, something I picked up from reading Xavier's blog (oddly, he recently posted his own compact 1911).  I agree with him in that there really isn't anything comparable in grip and comfort.

So far, I've put over 600 rounds down range with it and aside from the slide stop issue and some horrible ammo I bought at the 1500 (don't buy "factory reloads") it has nary a problem that weren't on me.  Ejection and feed are positive and the gun shoots accurately enough (better than I).  I also am loving the smaller form factor while carrying, it is a very handy pistol that disappears nicely on my side (like a deck chair on the Queen Mary).

The only thing I'm thinking of doing is replacing the sights, the mil-spec sights really don't pick up well under certain circumstances, though I do find them mostly adequate.  The problem is, what do you go with?  Novak makes a rear that fits the rear government dovetail, but I don't think they make a post sight for the front.  A lot of folks rave about the Yost hardball sight, but I don't see it being much better than what's on there.  Trijicon makes night-sights, but getting that front post sight staked without breaking the vile is nigh impossible without Trijicon's $300 tool and that seems a bit steep to me.  I have found the King-Tappan form Kings Gun Works may just be what I'd like to try, it isn't flashy, but does provide visual cues to help a shooter out.  If anyone has a suggestion that won't require milling of dovetails, let me know in the comments pleast.

The second shooting iron I recently acquired is a Ruger Tank Vaquero in .45 Colt and 4 5/8" barrel.  I really didn't need it, but the price and extras the fella was offering were too much for me to pass up.  This gun was manufactured during the first year of Vaquero production in 1993.  That's pretty neat, for me anyway, it certainly was very well taken care of and certainly wasn't used in CAS, that's for sure.  My guns that are less than 7 years old are showing wear from use, but then they are Rugers, so aside from holster wear, you wouldn't know the difference.  I'm very pleased with this gun as it is beautiful for a tank Vaquero and it completes my second set of shorter barreled Vaqueros (I had a 5 1/2" version).  BTW, if anyone out there has another 4 5/8" Vaquero in .45 Colt they would like to trade for a 5 1/2", let me know, I wouldn't mind matching up barrel lengths.

All in all, its been a pretty decent month and I picked up a couple of nice guns for under $1k, guns that I'll USE more importantly.  I don't like having guns that don't have jobs.

The Deal

Rep. Mike Pence on the bailout.

"I must tell you, there are those in the public debate who have said that we must act now. The last time I heard that, I was on a used-car lot," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana. "The truth is, every time somebody tells you that you've got to do the deal right now, it usually means they're going to get the better part of the deal."

Pence’s humor aside, all I hear from the guys who want to pass this bailout is that the alternative is unthinkable. Well skippy, if you want $700 Billion to hand out to the very idiots who mis-managed this whole thing down the shitter in the first place, I’d suggest you start convincing me by laying out exactly what the alternative is because I happen to think that handing out $700 Billion to morons IS UNTHINKABLE!!!

Wild Bunch Rig

Last month I shot my first Wild Bunch match at Pleasant Valley. I had a great time and a lot of fun. I wasn't very happy with my set up so I decided to come up with something different.

I stated with the notion that a boarder town gunfighter who opted for the new wiz bang auto loader wouldn't settle for a military flap holster. So I decided to improvise just like that gunfighter and cut off the flap.

I purchased an army surplus flap holster for next to nothing ($18) along with a leather knife case ($3). I cut the flap off of both the holster and the case. I then used some leather thread and stitched the top of the holster back together and fitted the knife case to the magazine by getting the case wet and letting it dry with a magazine wrapped in plastic inside the knife case. I then cut the back of the holster and knife case open enough to except an old 3" western cartridge belt I had lying around. The rig looks western enough and the holster presents very well allowing you to get your master grip on the gun well in advance of the draw stroke. Of course now I just have to get a chance to use it. Oh, and don't pay any attention to the 1911. It's not Wild Bunch legal, but it was all I had for the picture.

Newb 101

It's important to know when you're dealing with a new shooter. I got a snort out of a post on a local gun board today when the new shooter had this to say about a handgun he tried out.

"I didn't really like the grips but everything else felt great on it."

I'm trying to restrain the sarcasm, this is a new shooter, but you HAVE to know that a proper and comfortable grip is paramount to shooting well. You need a good grip, trigger and sights, everything else is gravy.

Toy Show

The Indy 1500 Gun & Knife show is going on this weekend so I went toy shopping and came back with a new one. It's nice to go in with a lot of options for what you'd like to have. I wanted a large bore wheelgun for carry, an officers model 1911 in .45ACP, I'm always looking for a snubbie .357 it seems (stainless) and I could have been convinced to purchase an AR15. This was just the guns that I wanted, let alone reloading and accessories...

I came back with a RIA officer's model. I had seen one in a pawn shop about a year ago and thought about getting it to play around with, just to know more about them and to see if the smaller version could be made into a carry piece for me and my ginormous hands. Turns out after handling this one at the Gun Show, I have to admit that it is a handy little piece that fits my hands remarkably well. Why this RIA over a whiz-bang Kimber Ultra Carry or Pro Carry or Colt Agent? I didn't want to spend $800-$1,000 to satisfy my curiosity. Besides, my short list for a 1911 includes reliability and accuracy, both of these have been achieved on the RIA's that I've handled. This particular model sports a commander hammer and beavertail grip safety, so it is essentially carry ready with the only upgrade I might consider (besides grips) is a set of sights and I'm not convinced yet on those.

Anyway, I'll post pics when I can and get out to the range for testing soon.

(pst, yes I know the image above is flipped, blame Armscor)

W00T!

Heller got his gun permit from the DC Overlords.

Congrats Mr. Heller and thanks.

Have A Shot

Not lead shot, rather a shot of Bourbon. I don't pretend to be a person of refined taste, but I do know what tastes good and being as how one of our fellow shooters works for Brown-Forman, we occasionally get to sample some of the finest spirits available. One such spirit is my current favorite bourbon, Old Forester Signature 100 proof. While Jack and Jim are fine for mixing, they don't really sit well with me as a "sipping" whiskey. Old Forester Signature has a beautiful amber color and a spicy taste with a subtle backdrop of fruit (I told ya, I ain't refined!).

The really great thing about OFS is that it won't bust your wallet. At about $18 a bottle, you can't get a better Bourbon, the only problem you'll have is finding it if you aren't from the Kentuckiana area. I live just close enough that our large liquor store carries it.

Also, I realize the good folks making this Bourbon can't proclaim its medicinal qualities, I have no such restriction. I was having what I now think was some mild food poisoning and felt really bad, so I took a couple of glasses of OFS before going to bed and woke up the next day as good as new! So there you go, Bourbon, is there anything it can't do?

On Caliber & Myths

I wouldn't be a gun blogger if I didn't weigh in on the fairly recent gun blogosphere ramblings on caliber snobbery and some outright 1911 mis-information.

First of all, Syd at Front Sight, Press has an anecdote of a .380ACP not penetrating a skull. This compells him to proclaim his unconfidence of the .380 as a man stopper. First of all, yes, the .380 is an anemic caliber compared to the mighty .45ACP, but does it make it unworthy? I say no and here is why. I carry a 9x18 Makarov in my front pocket a lot, now the 9x18 round is an over glorified .380ACP, why would I carry such a loathesome caliber over say a .45ACP or .357Magnum? Simple, because it fits me best.

The Makarov pistol is a compact semi-auto that is absolutely reliable, fits my hand(!) and carries 8+1 and another 8 on my hip in full view because it looks like a Leatherman. It is quite litterally, the only gun I can get into a pocket, fits my hand, is reliable and in a reasonable caliber (it ain't a .32 for Pete's sake).

Why not a J-Frame .357 or similar? Believe me, I'd LOVE to have one of those little fireballs, but I have a hell of a time wrapping my huge paws around one of those little suckers. I've fired Judge's 640 in full anger and the gun tries to rotate in my hand so much I can't be confident of reliably hanging on to it during a stressful moment. The Makarov fits me and I'll have it on me when I can't or don't want to carry the K-Frame .357 or a Government .45ACP (my other carry pieces).

About that 1911. Some knuckleheads has it in their head that 1911 are tempermental, malfunctioning POS's that require many $$$ of gunsmithing to make right before you can carry them. BULL! I have three and have handled many more and they all work great. I have a Colt Mark IV that i've not done anything to the feed mechanism, a Kimber that is likewise unaltered and a Rock Island that is lock stock. They run, period.

The ONLY issue with them is that you HAVE to have a good magazine for them. This isn't such a problem with most semis because there aren't that many magazine choices, you get the factory mags and Pro-Mag and that's about it. The 1911 however, WOW does it have magazine choices, every Tom, Dick & Harry makes one and it is usually an "improvement" over everything before it. Rest assured, if your Blastomatic 2000 (thanks Tam) had 2,000 different mag manufacturers and 500 different frame manufacturers and examples that are nearing 100 years old, you'd have issues with mags.

So, if you don't have a 1911, what are you doing here? Go! Go now and buy one! Also, don't let some interweb jockey shame you out of carrying that fart gun, they have a purpose so get your mousegun freak on!

The Hero of Canton

As much as I detest these things sometimes, Firefly (Serenity) is one of my favorites and I can't figure out whether I'm please to be a "Jayne" or not. I suppose since he is my favorite character, I'll say I'm pleased. Just watch your back Malcolm Reynolds!

PS, I think a rousing rendition of the Jayne song is in order

You are Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)

Although you can be a good fighter and good at protecting others you are not very bright sometimes. Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 70% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 55% Wash (Ship Pilot) 50% Alliance 50% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 45% Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 45% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 45% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 35% Inara Serra (Companion) 20% A Reaver (Cannibal) 20% River (Stowaway) 15%

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Wild Bunch Fun

Saturday I made it down to Pleasant Valley for the first time this year. I won't try and explain the crazy schedule I've had this year, lets just say it's the 3rd time I have managed to shoot Cowboy in '08 so it was good to get down to my "other" club.

Pleasant Valley has a "Wild Bunch" category started by Jose and this was the first chance I had to shoot the category. I borrowed Jose's Rock Island Mil-Spec and his 97 and shot my Marlin for the match. I had a tanker's shoulder holster for the 1911 and I kept the magazines in my pocket. Not the best set up by a long shot, but I was only there to have fun.

Speaking of fun I really enjoyed the category. I got to shoot fast and except for one stage when I failed to lock out my elbow I was perfect with the pistol. I also had a little malfunction on the first stage and it's nice to see that all of those malfunctions drills I've worked so hard on over the years just run on their own without me having to think about it.

I wouldn't shoot the category on a regular basis because it would interfere a little with the way I do things int he real world, but a couple of times a year would be a blast. I would like to be able to fully load the 97 off the clock and see how the category compares to the other fast categories. I think it's hard to convince people that reloading is always slower then switching guns, they don't call it a "New York Reload" for nothing!

If you are looking for some 1911 shooting with your cowboy come on down to Pleasant Valley, you can even bunk in the clubhouse and shoot the whole weekend. Tell 'em Judge sent you.

I'm Not Surprised

Syd at Front Sight Press asks if anyone is surprised that The Chicago Tribune has come out in support of Mob Boss Mayor Daley's stance on Heller being wrong, however, they don't think the city (not my the city, thankfully) should fight the ruling insisting that you can't fight a SCOTA rulling. Gee, you think? The paper would rather Chicago take the same tact that DC is taking in making it very cumbersome to register and firearm and impose ridiculous restrictions upon them in the home.

It's nice to know that d-bags like Daley and his cohorts in Chi-town will gladly c-block your constitutional rights when they see fit. Hey! They know what's best for us right? We the unwashed masses shouldn't be thinking of such lofty plans as being able to defend ourselves against criminals that the nanny state classifies as "victims" and sends them on their merry way as long as they stay away from their gated communities.

Remember, this is the same political womb of arrogance, corruption and greed that the Obamassiah was birthed from.

Aggrigate This

There's a new gun blog aggrigator at http://www.gunblogs.org/

So you can get your roundup of, well roundups. Whoa!

Damn Right Skippy!

Every once in a while one of your congress critters does something to make you believe they might actually have your best interest at heart. Indiana Rep. Mark Souder has a well-written letter to the WaPo editor in which he reminds the WaPo and everyone else that DC is subject to the constitution and the rulings of the Supreme Court the same as the 50 states are. It amazes me that anyone would conceivably argue that DC isn't subject to such, those same people are probably the same dimwits that are trying to give enemy combatants civil rights under our constitution. Why wouldn't they want citizens of the US of freakin' A to have them?!?!

Anyway, way to go Mark!

PS Rep Souder has entroduced a bill to end DC's resistance to the Heller ruling.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Ok, Jose is going to take me to task for this one, but damn it I don't care. It's got nothing to do with cowboy and its not relevant to guns, but if you are a fan of...well anything good, then you are going to love this.

Joss Whedon continues to prove that you don't have to do what everybody tells you to do. Just do what you do the best you know how. Oh ya it doesn't hurt that it's got Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion in it.

Check it out at one of my favorite blogs Blowing Smoke.

Got A Receipt For That?

There's no corruption like Louisiana corruption, apparently. This story from Louisiana Sportsman Magazine charges that some NOPD cops are still taking guns from lawful citizens, this time though, during traffic stops. They apparently ask the citizen if they have proof of ownership and when the citizen indicates they don't, the cop takes the gun and doesn't issue a receipt for it. There's a word for that, unless I'm mistaken, they call it stealing. I really try to keep the side of the officer in mind on many such stories as the press is usually biased against the Police more often than not and I have good friends that are cops, but damn! This just pisses me off when someone uses their position of authority to steal from people.

I wonder what happens if after having a gun stolen someone were to call 911 and report an armed robbery by someone impersonating a NOPD officer? Do we ever hear from that person again?

Hat Tip to Dave Hardy

What Next?

If you're like me (and why wouldn't you be?), you're always wanting a new gun(s). What I want continually rotates as I see new toys and the latest greatest ubergun. I, thankfully, don't get too caught up with fads or hype on new guns, the latest Blast-o-matic 2000 doesn't hold much interest usually. No I get an itch that needs scratched usually because I have a need for a particular task or I get curious about a gun and wonder if it is better or why a lot of others think its so great.

Curiosity has lately led me to crave a Ruger double-action revolver. You see, I love my Ruger single-actions and to date I've only craved S&W doubles, but the lure of a SP101 or GP100 is that I'd like to compare them with the S&W line and have first-hand knowledge of them rather than simply snub them on faith. I'm sure they are serviceable firearms and sure, they're ugly as dammit, but are they capable of performing as well as a S&W? Does the trigger smooth out as well? How's that sight picture? Do they carry well?

So I put them on the list of guns I desire, not at the top mind you, but if a deal is found, I may just part with my hard earned dollars.

FWIW, here's my list as of this morning, in no particular order (yes, it changes that much):

Ruger double-action (.357)
AR-15 (a receiver will do)
Old model Ruger Vaquero (.357; 4 5/8 barrel; stainless; X2)
Old model Bisely Vaquero (anything but .44; X2)
Remington 1100 tatical (or some adequate house 12 guage)
1911 in Commander configuration

Sombrero Girl

This is just about as cute as you'll ever want to see. Judge's little darlin' took a liking to my sombrero even though I'd just worn it on a 93º day (yuck! said momma). I had to post this picture as it was just too darned cuddly and if you are privileged enough like me to know this young lady, count yourself blessed.

I think you need to get her a proper fitting hat there Judge (or Dina) and get her down to the range so's she can see where her daddy and Uncle José go on Saturday and have as much fun as we do!

New Blog/Shooter

A new blogger/shooter, Pretty Pistolera has posted video of herself in practice for IDPA. Including advice she's received from her fellow shooters. I'm no range instructor, but I'd add that she should practice jam clearing the proper way every time, tap-rack-bang and not just pull the slide back because you know its a dummy round, it won't ever by that easy in competition or a gunfight.

I'm sure Judge will have much more advice, it'll even be useful.

BTW, keep sticking that butt out, that's fine form right there.

Pretty Pistolera shown here practicing for IDPA

PS Welcome to the blogger/shooter world. If only more wives were interested in shooting...

4th Of July

Happy b-day America, or what's left of it. I spent most of the day reloading ammo and I got a lot of it done, I would have done more if MCSports weren't closed and I coulda got more Clays. Reloading seemed fitting on the 4th for some reason.

A huge pizza for dinner at Mother Bears and a cigar (Carlos Torano 1916) with my pard Judge topped off a pretty good day.

The Best Line of Range Week

This has to be the best line I heard all week at range. During lunch one the the instructors from another department was doing a little in-service training with one of their officers. He was teaching one-hand malfunction drills and in response to the confused look the student gave him regarding how to reload the pistol with one hand he said:

"Wouldn't it be great if someone would invent something you could put your gun in when you didn't want to hold it."

I almost choked on my root beer.