reasonablenut

The whole shit started brewing last weekend. I first took notice via Smallest Minority, because I regualarly check that site. According to Kevin, though, Triggerfinger and Freedom Sight broke it.

This all has to do with the general media's fear of .50 BMGs. There were calls for blogswarms and mass-email campaigns. Some people responded, such as TenRing.

In the end, it was all a big to-do about, what amounted to, just another anti-gun story. Countertop Chronicles memorialized the death of the story.

Now I've linked to 5 blogs I read and respect. But this was bullshit.

Whether CNN actually blew some minor law or not, they are going to get a pass; you and I won't. CNN probably has 5-10 consultants they can pass the blame onto, so they won't have any liability. After all, these are the people who think a rifle can grow legs, walk around, and fire at will. They're not going to take any chances with, what is legally defined as, "an inherently dangerous instrument."

From there, what did the blogosphere do? Inflated their own importance and outrage, and proceeded to attempt to incite what is, in retrospect, a very embarassing crusade against an organization that is known to hate guns.

What was accomplished was just giving credence to the argument that we are hysterical freaks who think we should be able to own fully-automatic, nucleur, weapons of mass destruction.

Additionally, bloggers, as a whole, continue to appear to be self-important, self-appointed protectors of the truth...even when they're not.

According to the latest Gallup polls, only 7% of the population know what a blog is, nevermind gun-blogs. Of that 7%, who the hell reads them?

I may catch some shit for this post, but a blogswarm isn't necessary if the Brady Bunch comes out and says that any self-loading pistol is responsible for the genocide in Darfur. Likewise, if CNN says a .50 BMG is bad, that's the equivalent of saying that Ted Kennedy wants to socialize Medicine...it ain't a surprise.

I don't have a whole lot to say tonight. If you didn't check the view from Kirk's front window, it is definitely worth checking out.

Du Toit also has a very nice analysis of American drinking.

Cowboy Blob has a nice analysis of cheap Chinese guns, that I find interesting, but would never actually buy.

Also, in the spirit of community and my sisters who oftentimes struggle in silence, lend an ear to the imbalanced state of blogging.

Lastly, I'm going to direct you to a very old post of mine for which I am most widely known. During the Chai Vang shooting incident, I had the audacity to comment on the worth of the shooter's character and whether that may have contributed to his untoward behavior. The Google hits have never stopped and I received another comment this evening. So check out what pissed everybody off and the kind of incoherent responses that issued forth.

It's been 3-4 weeks since I've made it to the range. Normally I would just bitch about the weather and my job and that would be it, but I'm attending Boomershoot this year. As such, I'm attempting to make a Ruger .30-06 with a featherweight barrel into a long range shooter. Based on the results, I might actually pull it off.

If you forgot about my Bozo looking rifle check here. If you haven't seen how much change I've dropped on the completely outrageous scope, see here.

This was the first scope I'd ever mounted without advice. It was also the first 30 mm tube and the first Ruger mount system. For weeks I was sure I had completely fucked it up. The first 3-round group I did at the range was nowhere to be found. I almost gave up at that point.

The old man did a bit of spotting for me and within the half-hour I was shooting groups like the one pictured below. Practiced at that level a bit and then moved out to 200 yards. Averaging about a 3-inch group at that range.

It was a weird range day because I was more chuffed that I didn't screw up the scope than I was with my performance.

At the same time, it's been a bit weird. I am so focused on long-range shit that there is not a lot of interaction between me and the old man. He bottomed out the sights on his Garand and got them indexed right. He was shooting pretty killer groups as well. At the end of the day, when we were all worn out, he did 3 shots through the .30-06 and I did a clip through the Garand. Of course neither one of us hit shit. Once Boomershoot comes, it will be back to spotting for each other and my gross egocentrism should diminish.

Good groups, good day. By the way, if you have the means, I highly recommend the Leupold MK4 Tactical with a Mil-dot reticle. It is a sweet, sweet scope.

This is the groups I was getting after a half hour after starting to sight in the rifle. 

I don't think I have hid my contempt for Eliot Spitzer. Some state bereaucrat who thinks he can run the country from some NYC office.

I have previously posted on the noxious Bill Lockyer. Say what you will about Spitzer, I get the feeling that he's intelligent. Not so for my buddy Lockyer. This guy got kicked in the head by a mule when he was younger or he was just born stupid. This is the guy who's flirted with ballistic fingerprinting for the last several years, even though it has failed in every other arena it's been attempted in.

Leave it to a California legislator to come up with an idea that is even more retarded than the ballistic finger-printing. Of course, Lockyer is not formally endorsing it, he has just voiced his enthusiasm for more nonsense.

...California may become the first state to require
semiautomatic pistols to stamp their make, model and serial number onto every
cartridge they fire...

... semiautomatic models produced after January
2007 to carry the innovative microstamping technology.

Now my technical knowledge may be a bit dusty, but the last time I looked at a Glock breech-face, there was a hole through which the firing pin strikes the primer. I don't understand how a firing pin could stamp all that information on a primer that is malleable by design. It sounds like this would require additional parts in the handgun.

"We expect that it will be a very valuable tool and will
help solve hundreds of additional crimes, if it's implemented,' said Assemblyman
Paul Koretz, a West Hollywood Democrat who proposed the bill.

I think the addendum that this moron is a "West Hollywood Democrat" pretty much tells you what you need to know. Maybe the feeb ought to try looking at the design of a pistol instead of watching Law & Order every week (or eight times a week, as I could never keep track of that show or its spin-offs.)

The value of matching bullets or cartridges with guns that
fired them was demonstrated by the 2002 investigation into a series of sniper
attacks that killed 10 people in the Washington, D.C., area.
Federal
firearms experts were able to link a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle found in the
car of John Allen Muhammad with incidental markings on bullet fragments
extracted from his victims.

I may be wrong, but, if memory serves, this was by no means the pivotal evidence in the case. They may have found this information after the fact, but it definitely was not the key facts on which this case was founded. Nonetheless, if police can find ballistic evidence after the fact, the press is perfectly willing to attribute the entire case to its merits.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken no position on the
measure. Attorney General Bill Lockyer supports the concept but has not yet
endorsed Koretz's bill, spokesman Nathan Barankin said.

Of course, Schwarzenegger will sign anything that crosses his desk. Lockyer, however, is just another jerkoff AG looking for headlines. He's yet to find them, but will try any moronic stunt to get there. And the more attention Spitzer gets, the more these other state politicians will follow his model.

Lately, I've been digging around in some strange places. I think I mentioned the Mil-dot slide rule. I attempted to contact the inventor, as he purportedly lived in a town not to far away from where I live. His widow passed on the news to me that she is widowed. However, she gave me several links to sites that the inventor used to post on.

While cruising those links, I found this article. The author alleges that the .308 is up to 60% more accurate than a .30-06. He makes his case well, but one line made me skeptical:

At the peak of the .30-06's use as a competition cartridge, the most accurate
rifles using it would shoot groups at 200 yards of about 2 inches

I'm not one to crap on another guy's parade, but I regularly get groups of about 1 inch at 200 yards. With articles like these, I always wonder if they are just shooting a crappy .30-06 rifle. I may be well out of my league on this one, but the .30-06 round has always served me well.

I'd like to here from both parties on this one, as to the relative accuracy of the rounds. Obviously there are people who shoot both, whose opinions I would especially value.

Kim DuToit has brought to our attention the fact that Adam J. Plumadore was killed in Iraq this last week by a roadside bomb.

Sgt. Plumadore was an instructor for the Boomershoot clinic and seems to have been an all around great guy. I've never met him but regret not having the opportunity in the past and being denied the opportunity in the future.

The last post may have had dual signals. This is a subject I am keenly interested in and I did not mean to take a piss at mathematicians.

But nobody really seems to be able to give the low down on the mil-d0t? Are there dueling theories or is it so esoteric that no one even bothers trying to explain it?

This seems to be the best long-range configuration I can come up with, and the mil-dot serves dual purposes: range and compensation.

If you think they absolutely suck, let me know why.

As some of you may know, I have been preparing myself, my firearm, and my accompanying equipment for the upcoming Boomershoot. In the progression, I have found myself immersed into the world of long range shooting. Previously, I have shot with hunters, who's fondness for accuracy does not generally exceed 300 yards or so. That's well and good.

As Boomershoot has an outside limit of 800 yards, I've taken an interest in the ins and outs of long range shooting. As such, I bought a ridiculously expensive scope, a book on long range shooting, and a slide rule.

I ordered this product through Dillon, who got it to me within three days (along with a target stand and a shooting mat.) Dillon is one of the better distributors, though their online ordering is still a bit clunky.

What weirded me out when I received the slide rule, was that the wholesaler is in Los Lunas, NM. I live in Albuquerque and Los Lunas is about a 30 minute drive. It had never occurred to me that there might be somebody in the surrounding counties who not only knew what the hell he was talking about, but had created a product so brilliant. Hell, I was in Los Lunas last week.

In any case, while I generally don't endorse products, the NM economy sucks so bad, you should buy this. I will follow up with a full report, once I figure out what the hell I'm doing. Which brings me to the inevitable question of the post.

I seem to understand the concept of the mil-dot reticle. It is not only useful to range-find but also to compensate or adjust accordingly. I read Joe's explanation of the mil-dot as well as others. The fact is, I am not that mathematically inclined.

And this is the point I fall back to. As previously stated, I sucked at Math with the exception of Geometry. However, I always argued with the teacher that you can't base science on imaginary things like points (that have no length, depth, width, area, etc.) and lines (which have no width, so they couldn't possibly exist in the real world.) This pissed people off to no extent and they argued that, even though they were imaginary elements, the entire thing could be applied to real life.

I'm a bit older and wiser and realize that people build bridges based on this kind of voodoo. I've yet to fall through a bridge, so I guess the application is sound.

To get back on point, the science behind the mil-dot makes absolutely no sense to me. However, that does not preclude it being an extremely useful application. My case is that, while I would like to understand how many rads are in a full circle, I don't think it is necessary. I need to be like my fellow pupils and accept certain questionable assumptions as truth in order to make the system work.

Nonetheless, if you information I have not been exposed to, feel free to forward it. And buy New Mexican.

Kirk over at Fun Turns to Tragedy has brought to my attention another Boomershooter. Analog Kid over at Random Nuclear Strikes has been posting pictures of the annointed weapon. He seems to have been a lot more thoughtful in his approach than your humble author. Additionally, he seems to regularly have updates on the weapon. If you wonder why I'm not blabbing like an hysterical middle school girl...well, just read the last post.

For the last 6 weeks I've been plotting the necessary machinations to make my sojourn to Boomershoot a worthwhile undertaking. Early on, I was just practicing my groups at 200 yards, trying to gain consistency. About 3 weeks ago, I scored a Leupold Mark 4 LR Tactical Scope with a Mil-dot Reticle.

Since that time, I have mounted and bore-sighted the thing. Numerous gun nuts have verified that the reticle is level, the eye-relief is right, etc. I haven't shot it.

Sometime in the last six weeks my job has gone nuts. I've got more work than I know what to do with. Additionally, the normal New Mexico fair February skies have collapsed into some kind of overcast Seattle nightmare.

I'm sitting on close to 300 .30-06 Sierra Match King Federal cartridges, the rifle's ready for the range, and I'm going crazier than a shithouse rat.

I shot a buttload of pellets last weekend, but somehow, airguns no longer have the soothing effect they once did for me.

I'm praying for clear skies.

Endnote: Kyle over at CerebralMisfire is hanging up his spurs. Drop by and let him know he will be missed.

It has been well reported that Britain has gone entirely of it's nut when it comes to weapons of any sort. It has also been well reported that crime statistics have remained static, at best, or significantly increased. But, the hysterical press coverage is something to be held in awe. Here, Brian Currie of The Evening Times seems to be showing some twitching and froth around the mouth.

Of course rifles, handguns, and hunting with dogs have all been taken care of already, so the next target is knives; "assault knives" to be exact.

NEW laws banning high street shops from selling assault knives, machetes and
other weapons could be introduced by the end of next year.

It would be helpful if someone could define what "assault knives" actually are, but Mr. Currie makes no effort whatsoever.

Over the past four years the number of incidents involving knives has risen by 350%...

This sounds to me to be a problem unrelated to availability and more to do with a culture that is degenerating. The author, however, gives no comparable statistics as to domestic abuse, alcoholism, the murder rate as a whole, or even the number of assaults per se over the last several years.

During First Minister's Questions he produced photographs of makeshift weapons, including scissor blades taped to a broom handle, to demonstrate the extent of the problem.

"Scissor blades taped to a broom handle"? What the fuck does that have to to with anything? Are we going to have a "hedge trimmer crisis" next?

Regardless, what do you do when your socialist society starts to go to shit? Turn on the fascism.

There will also be...a proposal to give police random stop and search powers...

Once again, the solution is some kind of nanny state, which taken to its logical end, means an end to liberty, one step at a time.

Gun control is a lost cause and case in point would be the people spearheading it nowadays. We all know about Carolyn McCarthy and her stand. It is tragic that her husband and son were shot, but to turn that into a lifelong assault against gun ownership is a little weird. But she get's elected every two years on the same platform, so I'll shut up about it.

Kennedys are different. It always occurs to me that Teddy should have never made it to Congress on his merits, becuase they are pathetic, but that the fat drunk had two brothers that were presidential timber. Who can predict, eh?

In any case, the son or nephew of somebody is a Rep. And he's brilliant. From the CNS report:

"Any policy maker who, on the one hand, says that they are for combating
terrorism but, on the other hand, will not back this legislation, backed by
Representative Moran, to me has a lot of explaining to do," Kennedy said "In
fact, I think it would be the definition of insanity to say that."

Well, Kennedys never do keep it to a temperate degree do they? And this one seems to be a chip off the old block.

If you don't understand, I'll clarify for you. If you want to own a large caliber rifle, you are either a terrorist sympathizer or just all out bonkers.

In addition to challenging his opponents' mental stability, Kennedy also
questioned whether his fellow lawmakers could claim to support police while
opposing the gun ban.

And don't forget, you are implicitly pro-Cop-Killing. So the next time you pick up a case of .30-06, remember that the Kennedys' do not approve.

I'm a grassroots kind of guy: start at the bottom and work your way up. Gun rights are particularly effective on this level.

In the past, I have submitted editorials about miscellaneous things (most of which have to do with my job.) I can say with certainty that I have never written to the editor.

Some folks do, and more power to them. I got this email today, which you might see on numerous other sites because they were all listed:

Dear Editor: I am a WASP, deer-hunting, heterosexual male from Smith
County,
Texas. I belong to the NRA and am a Texas State Rifle Association
Endowment member. I shoot assault rifles in matches monthly and was a
member of the 2004 TSRA National Match Service Rifle Team that shot the
101st
National Matches at Camp Perry Ohio. I teach novices and young
people
firearms safety. I've even trained US army units going to Iraq
to shoot
their own weapons. I hold a High Master NRA Highpower Rifle
classification
and wear Distinguished Rifleman badge number 1659. I
maintain a Texas
State Concealed Carry license. I am also honored and
proud to stand in
COMPLETE solidarity with my brothers and sisters in the
San Francisco chapter of
the Pink Pistols who are currently fighting AGAINST
repression and FOR the
empowerment and safety of the citizens of your city.
I agree with the Pistols
opinion. The supervisors have the issue
exactly backwards! Not only
should San Francisco NOT ban handguns, but
the city supervisors should lead the
statewide charge to secure the Second
Amendment rights for all citizens by
issuing Concealed Carry licenses to any
human being who passes a background
check and completes a brief and
affordable training and safety course. Let
me encourage the
supervisors to think in revolutionary and visionary ways.
I encourage
them to fight crime, empower oppressed minorities and the
trans-gendered,
celebrate the Bill of Rights, reject group-think and reactionary
world-views, and promote freedom, safety, and family values in the bay
area. Handgun enlightenment NOW!Robert XXXXX XXXXX, Texas

I applaud this man's pro-active approach to recent problems. Unfortunately, if you live in Texas, you will have scant effect on SF city council or the State legislature. Scream, cry, whatever, but those people can screw themselves over however they see fit. And more power to them. That is Federalist law at work. And I doubt the DOJ will step in and say that gun ownership is a birthright (I may be wrong, but...well, I'm not wrong.)

At the same time, this is illustrative but useless. Robert is well intentioned and well meaning. That doesn't change the fact that a letter like this probably marinalizes gun-owners. Linking a variety of political issues (family values, trans-genderism, etc.) only makes one look desperate to the public. The RTKBA is not linked to your minority status or your victim status; it is a right that is recognized by the founding documents.

You can piss around with it, and call it what you will. You weaken the argument by setting loose associations that will eventually be turned against you. This happens all of the time. Minorities are the "biggest victims" of gun crime. Therefore arguing that they need the 2nd amendment is tantamount to killing them.

You also have to remember, that the people cited as victims are of much lower a level of schooling than what a responsible gun-owner is.

My favorite scene from "Bowling for Columbine" was when the fat fuck was trying to cover a school shooting in Michigan. The mother was black and had been evicted in the last month. The state actually made her work a little for her bi-weekly check. And, she was not there to make sure her son did not shoot a classmate.

First off, bullshit. The mother was never married and had 2 kids (READ Not a Widow.) Additionally, she ditched her kids with her crackhead brother. On top of that, this genius decides to leave a .380 ACP pistol lying on the table.

Moore never reports these pertinent facts. Murder is due to the fact that women have to earn money and show up for jobs.

While Robert has an interesting point, I doubt the 2nd Amendment was placed as it was to protect the "trans-gendered." They can benefit from it as well as anyone else.

I think Robert misses the forest for the trees.

Kirk in Maryland, and I have been discussing current and previous knife collections. During the course of our conversations, it occurred to me that I carry about 5 knives, at any given point in time.

The given pocket knife, two pocket clip folders, a push-dagger IWB, and a boot knife. Additionally, depending on the paranoia factor, I will also carry a neck knife. Maybe I should clean this up and limit the daily carry to two edged weapons? And if, only two, what two would be advisable?

Any comments can leave out the idea of ditching the boot knife. That is essential. What else can be streamlined?

This site has become increasingly technical and egocentric (or solipsist, depending on your diagnosis.) I plan on trying to do more analysis in the future, but this has been complicated by a couple of things.

First off: Boomershoot.

Secondly: Boomershoot. Yes I've bought some new shit. That doesn't mean I will have a chance to fire it until summer. If you look at Kyle's post on the Walther, it seems he's got a pretty good bead on it. Add to that these comments, and you can add Cowboy Blob to the Walther fanlist. In other news, Kirk has posted pics of some weird WWII Swede rifle?

I shall return with a passion, sometime this week, undercutting the MSM like the limp spoiled baguette that it is.

Here's the Walther. It looks a lot bigger than it really is and the magazines are really small. Everything I like in a European gun: decocker, visible hammer, and really tight. 

Here's the new Mossberg. It is a nice configuration, especially with the pressure light switch, but I am uncomfortable with the idea of a CAR stock on a 12-gauge. After all this stock is designed for a .223 (with a buffer-spring) and I'm not sure it could hold up. 

Ran into this one today (h/t LGF). Adopt-A-Sniper allows you to make general monetary donations or you can donate tactical equipment that has been requested specifically by deployed riflemen.

The idea of a charity that puts your money where it counts (i.e. killing bad guys) seems to be unique. I can't vouch for any of the claims or content on the site, but the idea is brilliant and I plan on confirming the veracity of the fund.

I have noticed with private transactions that people are adverse to parking lots and private addresses. I've got a one up on that shit. My commercial building is privately owned, and zoning-wise, is considered to be a commercial public office. All officers of the corporation agree, that gun purchases going down in my segment is cool (I have a separate entrance as well.)

The purchase went great today. The deal was for a mutant Mossberg and a PPK. The seller was an ex-Marine who now does "fugitive recovery", "Exec. Protect", and something like Hostage Recovery. I contacted him through somebody I know at Whole Foods, where he does Security.

In any case, the guy was nuts. I consider myself to be a gun-nut, but there are people who always think you are operating with Zero-experience. Through the course of conversation, he was surprised to find out that I owned a Mossberg, an AR, and various and sundry pistols.

The Mossberg is a bit much for me on the tactical end. It has a CAR-15 stock and lights, bells, and whistles.

Pictures should be following.

Point being, gun-nuts come in all shapes and sizes, but they usually seem to be honest, nice people that do you right.

The purchase was from a nut (he explained to me the optical illusion that may result from blinking headlights, as if that may save my life), but he was fair and a generally good guy.

And in the end judgement, aren't we all a little daffy?

UPDATE: The old man is not a fan of the PPK. In fact he just calls it my PP. In my defense, I brought up that any red-blooded male my age has a yearning for the gun James Bond sported.

I never knew my father did not like James Bond movies, as, everytime TNT throws a marathon, I'm on it like flies on shit. In any case he has an interesting theory that never occurred to me.

I always considered James Bond the man. Not only did he have a cool looking Walther, but he could kill terrorists with his bare hands and always scored with the ladies (BTW, did he bed Pussy Galore or not?). The old man's theory is that James Bond liked to touch guys butts. He may have been in denial about his natural tendencies or not, because the old man's argument is that Bond girls have all the traits of women who show gay guys "the right way" or whatever.

I wrote this off immediately, but if you've ever hung out with fag hags, there is probably a kernel of truth to this. For instance, most women I know hate James Bond films because the females are objectified and never have any dynamic character development. If in fact, James Bond was gay, obviously, even the vixen women he encounters, would not rank with the male players.

I think I'm going to stop digging now. But if you think I'm insane (or the old man) take a look at the 3-day argument raging at NRO about homoeroticism in Miller's Crossing.

Shit. This update was longer than the post.

I have been offered an opportunity to purchase a Walther PPK .380 through a private transaction. Much like any man my age, I like this gun for the sole reason that James Bond carried a variation of it. It's cool looking and is compact; ideal for any 00 agent.



The pistol itself, is alleged to be in almost new condition and (tax time and all, grab your ankles) the guy is forced to part with it. His asking price is $375. This seems to me to be a reasonable deal, especially because, you know if you break out the roll of notes and he sees it, $375 is not going to be the final offer.

My only concern is the caliber. How crappy is a .380 ACP? I keep a Taurus .357 loaded with Speer Gold Dot .38 +P Hollow Points. I have some faith in that round and it won't go through 3 adjacent houses. Is the the .380 worth a shit?

This is not a caliber argument. Given the choice, everything I own would be chambered in the fat, slow, but very effective .45 ACP. This pistol just seems to be very carriable and pretty easy on the eyes as well.

Can a .380 stop somebody?