Lunch at a Counter! - NOT Gun Related (not even a little bit)

Dearest readers,

A friend of mine is having a fund-raiser to get himself a wheelchair that he can't afford.  He has a job and pays his own bills, and rather than asking the government to give him some of your tax money for his chair, he is asking the community if they can help.

I respect this, and this is how I wish things were done.

Please visit his fund-raising site, and please, I understand times are hard, so if you can't donate, just give him a share of Facebook.

Thanks ahead of time.

Here's the link:

Lunch at a Counter!

Help me get the wheelchair that would change my life.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lunch-at-a-counter

Housekeeping: A Few Quick Notes

Amazon:

I am an Amazon Affiliate which means I make a (small) commission when you purchase something by using the Amazon links on this page.  It does not increase the price you pay by one single penny, it only puts a few pennies in my pocket.  I only make the commission if you click the link directly from this blog and then purchase said item.  All Amazon links on this page are set up that way.

I can tell you that the reason I promote Amazon so heavily is not for the money (I think I've had one commission to date).  It's actually because I use the heck out of this site.  Let's face it, shooting is not the most main-stream activity in this country anymore, as sad as it is to say.  And then within the sub-set of Americans who are shooters, those of us who are into tactical gear and learning better self-defense and concealed carry techniques are a minority still.  My LSG (Local Gun Store) might have a tac vest on the rack, but it won't be of the same quality as the Condor vest I bought from Amazon.  I pay a little shipping, yes, but really the prices are reasonable.  You won't find me buying candles or shoes or something I can get locally from here, but for the specialty stuff, Amazon can really be a life saver.  Does your LSG carry Level III ballistic plates?  I doubt it.  

LuckyGunner:

Same as above, really.  Click link here, go there and buy stuff = I get a little commission.

Subscriptions:

There is a little blank at the right side of the page that says "Follow this page by email!".  I know that sometimes I don't post very frequently, so a good way to be aware of new posts here is by submitting your email address in that blank.  It's a time-saver, really.

Comments:

I don't get enough of them.  At least not nearly as many as I'd like.  Most of my comments have been from people I already know in the "real" world, outside of the blogosphere.  

Are you at a coffee shop in Berlin reading this right now?  Are you in a mortar-riddled air base outside Kandahar?  Please!  Comment!  I want to hear from you all. 

I'm even open to requests of what kinds of articles my audience might like in the future.

More Articles to Come:

I recently gained access to some new shooting friends and a new shooting area on private property owned by one of said friends.  

(Sorry about the crop.

No photo release for the minor.)

Here is a list of upcoming articles:

AR-15 Gets a Light

Setting up and Using a Condor MOLLE Vest (multi-part article)

New Boot Knife Setup

(Possibly) Night Work with my AR and M&P

Readers, please stay tuned.  I plan to make this an eventful spring and summer 2013.

And as always, wherever you are, thank you for reading.

-Gun Guy out.

Federal Gun Ban

Friends, most of us are likely old enough to remember the Clinton era assault on weapons that were mis-labelled as "assault weapons".  Do you remember going to gun shows and seeing those cool 30 round magazines for your AR-15 and not being able to buy them because they were "law enforcement and military only"?  Do you remember not having a flash suppressor because that magically made your AR a blood-thirsty killer?  I do.  I remember many of these things.  I also remember that the "pre-ban" magazines that were still available to civilians kept climbing in price.  I do not blame the distributors, because I would charge what the market will bear, just like anyone else would.  I blame the federal government and a simple piece of federal legislation that was signed into effect with the stroke of one leftist pen.

Imagine if your 30-rnd PMAG had to have been manufactured before a certain date or you would not be able to buy it?  Friends, right now they are selling for $22, give or take a buck or two.  Imagine if you were paying $66 for the same 30-rnd. magazine, and that is if you were lucky enough to find one.  I hope this country never takes another step in that direction, trampling on our rights, but I don't trust the government, and I don't think we have a good reason to, given their record.  In the last few weeks I have purchased 4 PMAGS by Magpul.  I went to the website like I normally do, but I could not purchase them there.  The website said that demand is at "crisis levels" and they are only delivering to distributors.  That is why I put up this post.  Several distributors are on Amazon, so you can still get these magazines pretty easily online.  I'm posting the links for your convenience, as well as my own:  if you click my link I do receive a small percentage, so thank you in advance.

PMAG

Ranger Plate

As for you pistol mags, I'm still looking for a good supplier.  I carry a S&W M&P .40c as many of you know, and magazines are fairly pricey from the manufacturer.  I have yet to find any on Amazon.  As soon as I secure a good supply I will let you know.  The Clinton-era bans limited capacity to 10 rnds, so my compact would be safe, but if you have an M&P full-size of any caliber, you should seriously be looking for extra magazines right now.

Are you feelin' Lucky? I am.

Have you ever tried an online ammo retailer?  I just finally got a chance to try LuckyGunner.com and I have to say their service and product are second to none.  I won' pull any punches:  they are an affiliate of this blog, but I do purchase ammo from them.

I try to support my local gun stores as much as the next guy, but I think we've all had a sad experience or two trying to find ammo.  It's hard for a small shop to keep all the calibers stocked, when you think of the huge diversity of ammo available.  I remember one day when I went to pick up some .40 caliber hollow points and there were none.  Things like this happen at the big box shops, too, especially when something is new or popular.  Enough complaining, now let me tell you the bright side of the alternative.



Everything you see at LuckyGunner is in stock.  Your order will ship today or the next business day.  You can expect to see variety (Do they stock 458 Lott at your local store, for example?).  And I encourage you price shop them.  Even their by-the-box prices are going to beat your local store's prices, and if you want to stock up on a lot of 500 to 1,000 rnds., you will be happy here.

My wife and I recently took a trip to the range with some .40 cal. PMC that got from LuckyGunner, and we had a blast.  First we sorted everything out and loaded up.

Then we sat down and got to work.  Frankly, at this range, I'm just happy to keep it on the paper when I'm using my little M&Pc.  The PMCs I got from LuckyGunner were exactly the quality you'd expect and every one went bang the first time like I hoped.  It's just good therapy to send small projectiles down-range at high speeds.

All in all it was a great day and much fun had by all.  We broke plenty of paper and even had some fun with one of those orange reactive targets that hops when you hit it.  Now I'm saving up for something bigger, like a 1,000 brick of 9mm for the wife's M&P full-size.

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe: Beauty to This Beholder

Foreword:  Crossbreed Holsters has not endorsed or funded me, this review or this blog in any way.  My only relationship with them is as a customer.

I can't say that I was ever dissatisfied with my previous EDC (Every Day Carry) holster, and I don't remember precisely why I began the search for a new one.  I think it was a consequence of the hottest summer the Midwest has seen in recent memory and the perspiration it brought about.  Anybody who's ever gone for a walk on a balmy summer afternoon with an In Waist Band (IWB) holster knows the amount of moisture that can collect on your weapon.  Additionally, many of the semi-sharp edges that may not have bothered you in the dryness of winter will soon start to chafe your skin under more humid conditions.  As you may remember, my EDC pistol is a Smith & Wesson M&P compact in .40 caliber.  This pistol has sharp cocking serrations at the rear which stick up above the top of many holsters and they can really hurt if you're walking and sweating.  So began my search for a superior concealable holster.

Crossbreed SuperTuck

I've seen the Crossbreed SuperTuck advertised in all the gun magazines, but that isn't always the best endorsement, so I continued my research on it.  A quick search of the net reveals an extremely high satisfaction rating, both with the holster and the company that makes it.  I also recall a wise old CCW instructor who showed me a SuperTuck during my CCW class.  His recommendation alone warrants the SuperTuck a closer look.  At the time I did not have a budget for another holster and I thought the SuperTuck was way too ugly for me to ever own, so I put it aside and did not look back for a long time.  If there's one thing I've learned in life it's this:  listen to the old folks, they just might know something.  This was one of those times when that lesson proved valuable.

I found the Crossbreed website extremely easy to navigate and the SuperTuck a highly customizable product.  They have a selection of clips available for the SuperTuck depending on your given application: the most concealable option fastens the clips to the inside of your belt by means of hook and loop, the second most concealable option has a small lip that wraps the bottom edge of your belt for retention, and the presumably least concealable clip is the standard SteelClip, a simple clip that wraps over the top of the pant and over the top of the belt, causing the weight of the pistol to rest on your belt rather than your pants.  I went with the over-the-belt option, but additional clips can be purchased separately and swapped back and forth with a simple Phillips-head screwdriver (the "plus screwdriver" for non-technical folks).  You can purchase the SuperTuck in black cowhide or natural horsehide, with or without a combat cut, left- or right-handed.

Before you can hit the "Place Order" button on the Crossbreed website you will see a warning that these products are handmade to order and may take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive.  I received mine in a mere 9 business days.

I chose horsehide due to it's denser grain and higher moisture resistance since this is intended to be a summer holster, and I chose to forgo the combat cut in the hopes that this would leave more leather between me and the pistol.  Both of these hopes have been fulfilled by the final product I received.

My first test was trying the holster around the house and I did need to adjust the position of the steel belt
clips on order to get just the right cant and depth.  I can say this without reservation:  the SuperTuck is made for adjustment.  Each clip has a possible 4 positions to which they may be independently adjusted.  You can cant this thing backwards, if that's what you're really looking for. I found I like just a little more cant forward than the kydex was set to already, so my Supertuck is riding in the first hole from the top on the front and the second hole on the back.  Once I got that out of the way I was ready to hit the street.

My first real surprise came while out about town.  I realized half-way through a marital shopping marathon of searching for the perfect something-or-other (was it a top? a pair of shoes?) that I had completely forgotten I was carrying a pistol.  I stopped in the middle of the store and pondered, with an expression that must have projected serenity and calm, whether or not I could sense the pistol on my hip.  I found that yes, there was a slight weight on my strong side and if I shifted my weight from foot to foot I could feel it.  Other than that my only signal was a slight pressure on my side, but it could have been a firm pillow just as easily as a steel and polymer pistol.  For the next couple of weeks I tested out my SuperTuck in the rather laid-back environment of suburban St. Louis.  The only possible negative I noticed is that the leather portion of the holster did creak if I moved in certain ways.  It was not annoying, it only happened intermittently, and the website forewarns of this possibility during the break-in period.

My next trial for the SuperTuck involved sand, water and muck in abundance.  Destination: the Missouri River, about 25 miles south of St. Charles.  To get to my favorite little fishing hole I park at a public access to the river and walk approximately a half-mile along the bank through rocks, sand and Missouri bottom land gumbo.  I'm usually there by sunup so heat is not an issue, but lately the nightly low temperatures have been in the 80s.  By the time I reached my fishing hole I was warm, and by the time I was ready to leave for home I was dripping in sweat.  With most IWB holsters, the left side of my pistol would be soaked as thoroughly as my clothes, but not so with the SuperTuck.  To my amazement, I could detect no moisture anywhere on the pistol except for the lower portion of the grip which extends past the horsehide.  In fact, the sweat only had a positive effect:  the holster no longer squeaks.

Crossbreed Gun Belt

If I sound like I'm fawning over this product, it's because I am.  So rarely these days does a product of any sort meet one's expectations, and even more rarely still does a product exceed them.  Not only is the SuperTuck everything I had hoped and more, it has raised my expectations of holsters in general.  In the very near future I would like to try their Gun Belt.

Long Break

Have been on a long break, barely keeping my skills up. I am learning the art of bass fishing and it is consuming quite a bit of my free time and resources.

Looking for Material to Review

I would love to get my hands on a Chiappa Rhino to review.  Anybody around St. Louis, Missouri feel like meeting me at a range?  I'm sure I have something you'd like to shoot, so we can trade, and I'll bring ammo for both.

Anybody in St. Louis have any other interesting firearm?  I'd love to give it a shoot and post.

Thanks.

Gun Guy Out

What They Have Been Reading

Well, I said I wouldn't conjecture, but I was asked to by a reader, so here goes.


In my last entry I mentioned in passing that I believe the congressmen Paul to be the last serving congressmen to have read any part of the U.S. Constitution, but I wouldn't conjecture as to what the others had been reading.




Please note, this is just my opinion based on what I have observed of the political sphere since sometime around 9/11.


The rest of our congressmen and women have been reading The New York Times, and they have read it so much that they have confused it with the Constitution.  How else do you explain the state we are in, where political correctness takes precedence over liberty, where anything can be done in the name of security, and the Bank rules even the politicians by controlling the currency and acting as the people's financier?


How is it that a law abiding citizen of this country cannot be trusted with his sidearm at the post office, or while picking up his child from school?  How is it that the free citizens of this country are no longer qualified to exercise the right of self-defense?  When our lives are threatened, we are expected to dial 911 and wait for the appropriate emergency response team as dispatched by the operator, as if I, a layman, would douse an attacker with water or shoot a house fire between the eyes.


How far we have come indeed.


I close with a quote by men far more educated than myself:



"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns,
the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of
a constitutional privilege."
Arkansas Supreme Court, Wilson v. State, 33 Ark. 557, 34 Am. Rep. 52 (1878)

Ron Paul Introduced Pro-gun Legislation

Normally I actually post a write-up, but here's an important exception.  I'll let you read the full copy over at "The New American".

I don't want to rip up their work, but here's a teaser from "The New American":

The release continues, “It’s time to say NO to criminal safe zones. And a great place to start is the blatantly unconstitutional Gun-free School Zones Act.”

Please read the full article at the following link.  Hopefully this is something we can all get behind.  And if you don't know, Rep. Ron Paul and his son Sen. Rand Paul seem to be the last serving Congressmen to have read any piece of the United States Constitution.  I will not conjecture on what the others are reading.

Full Article HERE:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/8463-ron-paul-introduced-pro-gun-legislation 

Please read, and let freedom ring. 



Edit:  Just found more info.  They have the full text over here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h112-2613  

It's titled "H.R. 2613: Citizens Protection Act of 2011"

Protect Yourself? Not at Walgreens.

I am an NRA member, card-carrying, and I read my "American Rifleman" magazine every month.  One of my favorite sections is "The Armed Citizen" so I usually head there first.  Right there in the August issue I saw this snipped about a pharmacist, Jeremy Hoven, who was fired for using his legally-carried concealed weapon to defend himself, his co-workers and Walgreens' inventory from 2 armed robbers.

I followed the citation and went over to The Herald-Palladium, a newspaper up in Michigan, and they confirmed the same facts.  The original article can be found here:
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/07/21/local_news/5741185.txt

The synopsis is this.  The store was robbed by gunmen.  Employees complained to Walgreens management that they needed better security at the store.  Walgreens ignored these complaints, so Hoven went and got his concealed carry license and a pistol.  The next time the store was robbed, Hoven picked his moment.  When the robbers tried to coerce the employees into the back room of the store (a tactic that often leads to execution), Hoven fired on the robbers.  The robbers fled, no employee was harmed, the police arrived and made their report and no charges were filed against Hoven.  So Walgreens fired him because he violated company policy by carrying a firearm to work.

WALGREENS:  This is not acceptable.  It is despicable.  If you don't want employees to carry a weapon to work so they can defend themselves, then you, Walgreens, are responsible for hiring armed security to protect them.  Mr. Hoven broke no law when he carried that weapon, and not only did he protect himself and his coworkers from harm, he also protected your precious cash.  You are despicable backstabbers who would rather see your own employees die than violate your company policy.  This is truly a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees.

I will not set foot on Walgreens property again until you extend an apology to Mr. Hoven, offer to give him his job back, and change your policy to allow your employees to carry concealed weapons where legal.  I will also use any means at my disposal to promote a boycott against you and to promote any and all of your competitors until these demands are met.


Walgreens customer service can be reached via the following means (please be sure to share your opinions with them, I know I will):

Web:  

http://www.walgreens.com/marketing/contactus/forms.jsp?h1=Customer%20service%20&h2=Other%20service&h3=Corporate&h4=consumer

Phone: toll-free (800) 925-4733
7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday thru Friday

Address: Walgreen Company Consumer Relations
1411 Lake Cook Rd, Mail Stop #L428
Deerfield, IL 60015

Cold Steel Recon 1 Et. All

This blog tends to be mostly about guns and accessories, but the fact remains that gun people tend to be knife people, so this won't be too far out for a tangent.


I am a die-hard fan of Cold Steel knives, and just about anything else they produce, such as OC spray, throwing stars, walking sticks, spears, even the bokken they make out of polypropylene.  You see, I used to have to satisfy my cutlery needs with whatever was available at the local big box store because it was all I could realistically afford.  Once I got into Cold Steel knives, it opened up a whole new world of affordable, high-quality knives that have remained by my side constantly for several years.  


My constant companion is the Recon 1 with a tanto point and half-serrated blade.  Sadly, I lost my first one after about 7 or 8 years, but promptly replaced it with the updated model they currently sell.  I would challenge anyone to find a better folding knife for that price.  Really, if you think you have one, post on the comments here and I'll gladly check it out.  The Recon 1 in any form has the most solid locking mechanism of any folder I've ever owned or fondled;  as soon as it locks into place you would swear you were holding a fixed-blade knife.  Another feature I treasure on the Recon 1, which it shares with many other Cold Steel knives, is the placement of the pocket clip.  It affixes to the very rear of the handle, hanging the knife hinge-down in your pocket.  If you think about it, this allows the user to deploy the knife more rapidly, without having to transition grips after taking it out of the pocket.  Most folders hang in the pocket hinge-up, which requires the knife to be flipped in the hand before it can be deployed.  I should also mention that the steel on the Recon 1 holds an edge through an incredible amount of use and even abuse.


In the field I always carry my Kukri or Kukri machete.  It's amazing how well the machete version hacks and cuts, even though it is considerably less costly than the full-blown Kukri.  I do admit a certain fondness for the regular Kukri.  It swings like a machete and cuts like a hatchet.  

















Another great blade to carry in the great outdoors in the Finn Bear.  If you look around, one can be had for about $15 and they are rock solid.  It is nothing but a steel blade and a polypropylene handle, so there's really nothing to go wrong.  My father and I put them through their paces 
harvesting Boletus mushrooms in the Colorado Rockies, digging through dirt and stones to extract them.  The Finn Bear is great to have around for rough, dirty tasks that you know are abuse of a knife.  They are tough, cheap, and clean up easily.  I keep one in my glove box in case I get surprised with an unexpected fishing trip.  They are great for cutting the heads off of fish or scraping scales, but are not thin enough to cut fillets.


I could go on and on about all the Cold Steel products I've bought and tried.  I have never once been disappointed by a Cold Steel product.  I've never received anything from them that had any defect whatsoever, or had to be returned for any reason.  Some of their blades can be pricey, and I've never tried a lot of their really top-end stuff.  One day when I can afford it I will buy a Hatamoto.  Sadly, I just saw that they have been discontinued, so maybe somebody can make me a nice deal on a used one.


Now, to very briefly rant:
COLD STEEL, PLEASE LISTEN:
I really want one of your AK-47 knives.  They look a lot like an improved Recon 1.  I especially like the bone-breaker strike point on the hilt.  The only reason I do not already own this knife is because you do not offer it with a half-serrated blade.  I am just an old farm boy and I can't carry a folding knife unless it has serrations.  So please, either add a bone-breaker to the hilt of your Recon 1, or offer an AK-47 with a half-serrated blade.  Either way, it would be a great excuse for me to buy some more of your awesome knives.

PS

If you want discount prices, Cold Steel sells certain products on their Special Projects page.  Same quality, straight from the manufacturer, just less money.

http://www.ltspecpro.com/

Monster Hunters International - In Stores Now

You might think this is a bit of a deviation from my normal themes, but please bear with me.

The author, Larry Correia, is a gun guy, and that comes out in his novels.  The first novel of his that I read was actually on a thread over at TheHighRoad.Org.  The thread is called "Welcome Back, Mr. Nightcrawler" if you want to search for that over on THR.  This later turned into a novel (Dead Six, in the link at left).  He is one helluva good writer and you can tell he knows guns when you read his stuff.  He also does Three Gun competition.  Very cool guy, as well as super-nice the few times I've corresponded with him.  I consider him salt-of-the-earth.

Link to his blog:
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/

Now for the unabashed attempt to make a couple of pennies from Amazon.com.  If you're going to buy one of his novels, and I highly recommend them, I hope you click on the links below or the links in this post.

Thanks, and happy reading!


Edit:  I just thought I should mention, for those of you who don't think werewolf books are cool.  The Monster Hunter series does involve monsters like vampires and such.  They shoot them, it's pretty cool.  If that doesn't strike your fancy, you will still like Dead Six.  In a nutshell, it's about some covert-ops type guys who hunt terrorists for a living.  You will not be able to put it down, I guarantee.

Bed Side Holsters?

Has anyone actually used one of these?  I typically just shove a holstered pistol between the mattresses, pointed in a safe direction, and take it with me in the morning.   A family member of mine has decided they need something a little more dignified than that method and I've just never used any of this equipment.

Please, if you've used one of these Holster Mate deals, add a comment there at the bottom and let me know how you like it.  Thanks!

It looks like the way to go is to buy the bracket here and then just hang the holster of your choice on there and you're in business.  It does appear that you either need a holster that clips over the top of the bracket, or you need some sort of belt or strap to wrap around the bracket if your holster has no clip.

This version comes complete with affixed Yaqui-style holster.  The possible downsides:  You can't take the holster with you, it stays on the bracket.  Sometimes if I hear a bump in the night, I'll take pistol and holster.  

Additionally, if the holster wears out at some point, you're looking at a lot of DIY work to attach another one, or simply purchasing another bracket.  I think I'd go with the plain bracket and just put whatever holster I want on there.  KISS, right?

I would, however, carefully consider the placement of this bracket.  I know some fool somewhere has hung one facing the inside of the bedroom where it invites someone to shoot you while you're sleeping.  Please, if you use one of these, place it carefully, preferably between the bed and the wall.

(A couple of inexpensive holsters below)

Excuses, Excuses

I just wanted to take a moment to let my readers know why I dropped off the face of the planet for a while.

We recently moved to the country and have been busy with that.  Also, I have been involved in several time-consuming side projects.

I have not forgotten about the blog, I've just taken a short-term break.  Expect more posts around mid- to late-August 2011.

Thanks for your patience, and please visit our new affiliate, LuckyGunner.com.  They are a great source to keep your favorite weapons fed at reasonable prices.

Sof-Tuck Available at Amazon

The Sof-Tuck is available on Amazon.