I couldn't do that again

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Ever have one of those days where you pull off a feat you couldn't replicate no matter how hard you tried? I did yesterday. Yesterday I turned 28, and was feeling pretty good about myself. I had a nice day with the family and basically only did what I wanted to do (ah the luxury of youth). While tumbling some brass outside, I was playing with a quest 1000 pellet rifle and saw a bumble bee hovering above the lawn 12.5 yards in front of me. I proceeded to tell my father the ever famous 'watch this' line, hoping I could get close enough with a pellet to the bee to disrupt his flight.

son of a gun if I didn't cut the little guy in half.

 I could only find half of the bee in the yard. Set up was a stock quest 1000 with basic iron sights shooting gamo .177 'hunting' dome tipped pellets. I forget the weight.
I promptly put the gun away and shut my mouth- as I could never do that again without a similar amount of amazing luck.

I'm Back! and a Solarforce review

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 My Trip to the Balkans was fantastic, but that will be a post unto itself.

Some time ago I wrote about Solarforce lights as a reasonably priced everyday carry light. The L2 lights are one of my favorite carry options, but they can be a bit large and a little on the heavy side. The are basically the legos of lights, being quite customizable. Recently, Solarforce introduced a new polymer body. So I ordered one from solarforce-sales to test out.

First the bad- the polymer body is not compatible with any of my other L2 aluminum body parts. However, they have an awful lot of good things going for them and I suspect this light is going to make it into my carry rotation quite a lot.

Emitter options are quite broad with the L2 sized body, and for this light I went with LC-XML 3.7-8v single mode power plant.  Even though this emitter rates 3.7v as the minimum- I've had no problems running 18650 3.7 rechargeable in it with great brightness and adequate battery life. I haven't done a full discharge yet, so I can't comment on total life span, but so far I'm very pleased. The focus ring is tight enough to get some good range, but there is sufficient flood to actually see what you are doing in most any setting.

I will say that I had to change the spring around the emitter to get it to run in this body, switching to an older (and shorter) spring around the emitter body. This is of little consequence to me as I have tons of spare parts around for these lights, but not everyone has a spare parts bin for all of their assorted hobbies, so be advised it could be an issue.

The polymer L2 body is noticeably lighter than the aluminum body, and does have a forward clicky / temporary on tail switch like I prefer. However, it does not balance on the tailcap like the H3 caps I prefer on the aluminum light. Being almost a half inch shorter though than the aluminum body, I think I am starting to prefer this light already over the aluminum counterpart.

Obviously, this light is solarforce's competition to the surefire G2 body, ironically, it is one of their more expensive body options, costing upwards of 20 bucks at the time of this writing. Realistically, I would consider buying one of the kits where an emitter is included instead of buying them individually - as the combination packages generally seem to offer better pricing.




At right you can see a close up of the tail-caps. Unlike the surefire G2, which turns to constant on if you screw the tail-cap down completely, the L2 polymer body allows for full thread engagement and only uses the tail-cap clicker to turn on the light. I much prefer this style, as the G2 I've played with engages accidentally far too often for my liking.






Unlike with a stock aluminum L2 body, the Polymer does not come with a crenelated bezel. I consider this a bonus, as I used to have to sink another couple bucks into each light to switch to a flat bezel that did not cut into my pockets.






The polymer L2 comes with a white opaque plastic insert to keep cr123a rechargeables and primary batteries from rattling within the body. I find that the tube is not necessary (nor compatible) with my protected 18650s, but it does work well with the primary and rechargeable cr123s I have tried.
Overall, I'm a big fan of this new body. I think it would be a no-brainer at 15 bucks, but for 20, I think it is just barely overpriced. the combo emitter / body packages though are actually pretty good deals, with good emitter, body, and belt pouch packages hovering right around 50 bucks shipped. 
Teaser pic below of the next thing to be reviewed, I know blue is excited.

TargetsFromUs review

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TargetsFromUs recently offered me a discount on their targets. Below, you can see the three targets I ended up with along side my original walking target for size comparison. The two targets furthest to the right are half inch steel, and the black 'stubby' is 3/8 inch steel- all are AR500.

for comparison, the silver target has a 2inch circle 

I could go into detail about the superb quality of the customer service I received, and the exceptional quality of these targets- but instead I'll just say this: Before I received these hemmed and hawed about the cost of steel targets, and their application. No more. I love these things, and I'd buy them again at retail in a heartbeat, and I'm thrilled at how well I was treated.

They are just an illegal amount of fun, and they really can take some abuse and ask for seconds! For today's test, I focused on the two larger green targets on the right. I wanted to see how well they hold up to fairly high round count days, and spreading the love across four targets (I thought) would either make the day too expensive and time consuming for me, or hinder the quality of the review.

I selected the two largest targets because in talking to TFU customer service, they said they weren't sure if you could get these targets to 'walk' with handgun rounds. I figured, hey - I could find that out at least.

As was the case with my original walking target, the welds were secure and well done. As is also the case with my last walking target, I assumed if I was going to run into problems, it would be with the welds- so I intentionally shot them throughout the day, and tried to work over the entire face of the targets.




Note the heavy bead on the welds, the lack of gaps, and the secure top and bottom beads to lock the faces together.



Sadly, my range was fairly busy today for some reason, so I only got to hit the targets with pistols. Most shooting was done at 20 yards, with about a third of the shooting occurring at 13 yards (as close as I dared to venture to the steel while shooting it).  The benefit though, was I offered the guy in the bay next to me use of the steel, so they didn't only have the fire I could put on them, but also about another box of 40sw from his glock 23 (well, maybe a third of a box if you just count the hits. . . ).


Here are the two targets that were worked over today- in their last few pristine moments before I could run them out at a cease fire.

Privately owned steel targets are not that common at my range, so these two were instantly the topic of much conversation.




For shooting today, I tried to bring a representative variety of what I think people would normally shoot these targets with. I know the 22lr doesn't really put the hurt on a well made target, but lets be honest-
the majority of shooting I do is with a 22, and it would be foolish to not include it.

Anyway, I brought:

Ruger mk II 5.5inch barrel in 22LR
American Classic II Government sized 1911 in 45acp
CZ-75b SA in 40sw
Ruger Security Six 4inch barrel in 357 mag

excluding the 22, which fired all Remington bulk pack today- all other guns were shot at the steel target with a mix of factory FMJ, reloaded JHP, and reloaded lead bullets. The 40 sw also had reloaded plated bullets fired on steel. Total centerfire round count (excluding 22 obviously) was just over 200 rounds.  with the majority of those being 40 and 45 acp.

I was going to bring the 9mm AR, but frankly I just didn't have room. Not counting the camera gear or the targets themselves, my range bag weighed over 30 lbs, and I just couldn't bring myself to bring multiple range bags.  ah well- there is always next time.

target face after some abuse

Now as to the targets flipping- yes they will. Even the big bad space invader will flip but there is a trick to it. That trick dear readers, is heavy for caliber 357 magnum rounds over H110 as fast as you can fire them and hit the target at 13 yards. I got it to walk 1 position exactly 2 times with these application of stout medicine. You can get it rocking pretty well with the 45, and you can move it with the 40, but unless you are faster and more accurate on the trigger than I am, you will have trouble getting them to fully turn over.


Remember when I said I like to shoot at the welds to see how they held up? Well- they held up fine. I smacked them pretty solidly on a number of occasions, and though the face and welds of the targets are covered with splatter, the target faces remain smooth and un-pocked (is that a word?)



Here is one of the other faces on the space invader after I finally got the target to turn over. Even when you hit the corners or by the cut out eyes, these targets held up very well.

Another great thing about having multiple larger steel targets was transitions. With the two targets a few feet apart, switching between them provided me a great challenge and lots of excitement.

So the final verdict on these things? I'm just thrilled with them. Seriously, I know I sound like a broken record but I am super pleased with these targets- much more so than I am with my auto-popper. The walking target is just more fun. I will admit that I really prefer the space invader target to any of them- I find it is a large enough size to get fast hits, and I think it is just a fun target to shoot at.

Right now, TFU has a 6 inch flipper on sale for 65 bucks. The 4.5 inch flipper which I shot today, runs under 50 dollars with 3/8 inch steel- which ought to handle most anything you throw at it. My space invader target is the 6 inch model- though they do go up to 8 inches.  The 6 inch in 3/8inch steel runs under 85 dollars.

When you compare the price of these to the cost of other steel targets, they really are extremely well priced. Shipping on this order was quick and the packaging was secure.  I haven't had a chance to shoot mine with rifles yet- but I am confident they will take the abuse just fine so long as I listen to the recommended distances TFU lists for shooting bottle necked cartridges.

a representative paddle on the smaller round walking target

If you need steel, I'd really give TFU a hard look. If my experience is at all representative, I think you'll be pleased.

Kershaw: Thumbs Up & Black Gulch Review!

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I can't recall when, but some years ago I picked up a Kershaw Ken Onion series locking folder. It was a good little knife, one they don't even make anymore.  If memory serves me, street value on it was right around 20 bucks, and for the price, I was pretty content with it.


As time went on, I lost a few grip screws and spacers, and the knife got to a fairly unusable state. About a month ago, I decided to send it into Kershaw's Warranty Repair Center to see what they could do with it. They have a simple form to fill out that you must include with the knife, and you do have to pay postage to them. For 2 bucks, I was willing to take the plunge.

Two weeks later, I received a letter from Kershaw saying they regrettably could not repair my folder, but gave me 40 bucks in store credit to be redeemed from their website in lieu of the knife- which was equivilent to its MSRP.


I selected the black gulch from the Kershaw catalog, which actually has an MSRP of 45 dollars. I called to redeem my credit and pay the balance, and Kershaw just gave me the Gulch straight up for my credit- which I thought was a pretty nice gesture.

For the rest of the world who would never order factory direct, this knife costs a shade under 20 bucks on amazon.

The BG feels solid, and for a 20 dollar knife I'm pleased with it. My previous Kershaw served me as well as any pocket folder tasked with light to medium duty cutting tasks, and I find I have nothing exceptionally positive or negative to say about it- the little knife was just a tough but unspectacular cutting tool.  The BG also will fit in that category. It came with a  good factory edge, and had a surprisingly good lock-up for a knife in this price range. I was extremely pleased with how Kershaw treated me, and I would buy more knives from them in the future.



So often things are treated as consumables now-a-days, it is easy to take a 10 or 20 dollar pocket knife and give it similar treatment- however Kershaw stood by their product, and even though they couldn't fix the knife I had sent them, they went the distance to make it right and let me select a knife of equal value gratis. 



For those considering the BG, the knife is surprisingly heavy- in part due to the cast frame. As was previously mentioned, the knife ships from the factory with a well done edge and solid lock work.

The knife also includes a functional, but mildly sloppy belt holster that seems fairly well constructed, even if it is slightly over-sized.

For 20 bucks, I'd give this knife a buy- but not for any more than that. For Kershaw as a company and their customer service- I'd give them two big thumbs up.

I'm not sure if this knife is available cheaper anywhere than the listed amazon price ($19.35 at the time of this writing, and that included shipping if you are a prime member). However I consider that to be a pretty fair price for a standard, non-tactical folder that will actually see some use.

Rising from the ashes- Camillus Cutlery

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Camillus Cutlery closed its doors in February of 2007. I've lamented this loss before, as the cutlery was a staple in my life, being less than 5 miles from where I was born and raised.  Unknown to me was that the Camillus name was auctioned off to a buyer in 2009 and the knives are being manufactured again, though they are no longer produced in the Town of Camillus located in Central New York. The new knives (link) retained little of what I remember from the original lineup- with the yellow-jacket and western knives retaining the only recognizable semblances of the company's former familiar line.

The new company, Acme United Corporation, did not purchase any of the original stock and assumes no responsibility for the older Camillus knives made prior to 2007. It is sad that the majority of knives I own, all covered by a lifetime warranty, cannot be sent anywhere for service- though I can walk through the town and sit on the stoop of the former factory where those knives were made by friends and members of my community.

I know little of the new knives- though they seem to operate in a similar price point to the Camillus knives I remember. I see the new company is selling off some old stock, and lists one of my former pocket knives (20 or so dollars factory direct) now on amazon for 110. The new knives seem to be in the 25-150 dollar range, which leaves me conflicted to say the least.

Camillus did outsource some production to China prior to closing, but if you paid over 50 bucks, you had a good chance that the knife you bought was made right here in the good ol' USA. The new website features this page (link) that has an image of the factory as it still stands to this day, vacant- a shell of a town's former production abilities. I do not know where the new knives are made, and am not sure if I will buy one. Time will tell.

Putin: Obama’s sponsorship of Muslim Brotherhood a strategic threat to Russia

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Via NC Renegade

Hussein is a blithering idiot.



The Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to power in Egypt – and soon, possibly, in Syria - will have pushed to the sidelines such obvious topics as Iran and gas when Monday, June 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin on a short visit to Israel meets Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
On this subject at least, the Russian and Israeli leaders will find common ground: Both are concerned, to put it mildly, by the chain of Muslim Brotherhood governments rolling out along Middle East shores – Libya, last year; Egypt, yesterday; and Syria, tomorrow. In their view, this process is a menace to regional stability which rivals even that of a nuclear-armed Iran.

More @ DEBKA

The Bones of Fast and Furious: Hillary Clinton Deep In It?

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What if Hillary Clinton and a couple of deputies in the State Department, The National Security Council, Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the White House, and maybe Senators Durbin and Feinstein were all complicit in Fast and Furious? What if Hillary led the strategic planning? What if the administration wanted to restrict our Second Amendment rights and both she and Barack Obama told us that 90% of the weapons used in crimes in Mexico came from the United States – after Durbin and Feinstein had already set the mood for 90%? What if that statistic was more like 17% – and at least nowhere near 90% or 80% or 70%, they knew it, but they continued the lie? What if Fast and Furious was devised to walk sufficient weapons into Mexico to meet their 90% goal? What if that is the framework, the whole being of Fast and Furious

More @ Maggie's Notebook

Mom given bill to clean street after son killed by illegal alien driving drunk

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A grieving mother told a South Carolina court she was slapped with several bills, including one to clean the street after her son was killed by a drunken driver last year.

Loretta Robinson spoke on June 19 of the emotional and financial toll her son Justin Walker's death had on her as the driver Anna Gonzales, who is an illegal immigrant, pleaded guilty in the case.

Robinson told the judge she has been unable to work due to the emotional impact of her son's death, and can't pay the bills she keeps receiving from the accident even though her son was not at fault, WYFF reports.

"I had to pay to have the vehicle towed," she said according to WYFF. "I had to pay for the vehicle removed and to clean up the street from Justin's blood on the ground."

Robinson said the $50 bill to clean the street stung the most.

More @ Fox

"My people" Holder: Father born in Barbados & mother's parents born in Barbados

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The House Oversight Committee voted last week to begin Contempt of Congress proceedings against porpoise-faced Attorney General Eric Holder. Although the vote was a reaction to Holder’s stonewalling in the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal, America’s wormy, mustachioed AG has shown flagrant contempt for the popular will during his entire tenure. With ghastly consistency, he has enforced laws that appeal to his radical progressive agenda and ignored the ones he doesn’t like.

Only two weeks after being sworn in as Attorney General, Holder called America a “nation of cowards” regarding racial matters. Way to get started on the good foot and charm the socks off the heartland, fella! The only cowards I see are the spineless geeks terrified of being called “racist” and the yella-bellies who are morbidly afraid of honestly examining other explanations for disparities in crime and income besides ye olde bugaboo of “racism.”

Although the story has largely been suppressed by the leftist media’s barking megaphones, Holder’s racial double standards were made evident in his refusal to prosecute the New Black Panthers in Philadelphia for voter intimidation during the 2008 presidential election. Department of Justice attorney J. Christian Adams had claimed, “I was told by voting section management that cases are not going to be brought against black defendants on [behalf] of white victims.”

Holder’s response to the hubbub revealed his ethno-nationalist sympathies:

“The problem here is that ‘his’ people aren’t really ‘the’ people—i.e., the majority of people.”

When you compare what people endured in the South in the ’60s to try to get the right to vote for African Americans, to compare what people subjected to that with what happened in Philadelphia…I think does a great disservice to people who put their lives on the line for my people.

More @ Taki's

An Alternative Media Reality in Syria?

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In the Humpty-Dumpty world of 21st-century global geopolitics, words mean just what the media and official government press secretaries choose them to mean — neither more nor less. And not just words, but events as well: if the following article from Kopp Online is accurate, both Syrian rebels and cynical Western political leaders have successfully mastered the deceptive media-manipulation techniques pioneered by “Pallywood”.

Note: the journalist quoted in this article was interviewed before the downing of the Turkish jet in Syrian coastal waters — an event that adds another layer of intrigue to what is described below.

Many thanks to Hermes for the translation:

Eyewitness account: Media lies about Syria unveiled in an interview

by Natalia Mihailova

The independent journalist Anhar Kochnewa has been living and working for more than ten years in Syria. According to her descriptions, the situation in Syria is by no means that which the mainstream media depicts in their reports. Kochnewa was born in Russia, and speaks Arabic fluently. Her friends and neighbors are completely normal Syrians. She travels the same streets and districts of Damascus and also goes shopping there like any other of the locals in the Syrian capital. We talked with her not long ago, and also asked her about the reasons for the unrests which have been raging for so long in Syria.

The so-called Demonstrations

Were there any deep reasons for the crisis in Syria?

More @ The Gates Of Vienna

Gun Blogger Rendezvous Registration Now Open

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I now have the registration form available for this September's Gun Blogger Rendezvous. It's a PDF file, so download it, print it out, and send it in. All the instructions are on the form. I think this year's Rendezvous will be the biggest yet, and Reno's weather in September is usually quite nice for spending some time out at the different ranges.

If you've been wanting to get to the Rendezvous, then make this year you finally come to Reno and join in on all the fun!

It's a blast!

Cowboy Style Fast Draw Match This Sunday

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Along with all my other projects currently underway, one of my favorites is coming to the top of the pile this Sunday at the Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun Club here on the South end of Whidbey Island. The match starts at 9am., but getting there a little early for signup is a good idea. Everything is provided for your use, including guns, and ammo. We do suggest that you bring your own eye protection. It's not required, but definitely recommended.


The entry fee is only $5.00, and you will definitely get a number of chances to see how you match up against other shooters in the head to head competition.

Don't worry if you have never tried Cowboy Fast Draw before, as just about everyone there will be also new at it. There will be instruction before the match, and a chance to practice a bit too. To quote the Cowboy Fast Draw Association's slogan, it's "Safety first, fun second, and competition third." This match is not a CFDA sanctioned match, but we will be basically following the CFDA rules and using CFDA approved targets and timer.

So how does the match work? It's what's called a Three X Elimination, which means you will shoot against another shooter, side by side, in a best of five shots format. If you win, you move to the next round. If you lose, you get one "X" on your score card. If you get three X's, you are through for the day, and you become a spectator, so to speak! It will finally boil down to two shooters, man-on-man, for the final match of the day to decide the match winner. If we have at least three ladies, we they will also get to have their own "Ladies Only" match to decide who's the fastest lady. Of course, the ladies will get to shoot the main match too, so when it gets down to the Ladies Only match, the ladies are going to be dialed in, so it should be really close competition.

How about the equipment? The guns are Colt single action replicas, normally called the Colt Peacemaker, also called the 1873 Single Action Army. They are in 45 Colt caliber, and we use a special wax bullet, propelled by a shotgun primer, in specially modified 45 Colt brass. The guns are basically stock, although you are allowed to smooth up the action a bit. Although it's a wax bullet and a very light load, at close range it will go through 1/4" plywood, so all gun handling and safety rules will be followed. The holsters are all leather, and very similar to what a cowboy in the old West might have used. The only difference is that there is a small steel deflector at the bottom of the holster to deflect a bullet, should a round be fired while the gun is still in the holster.

How should I dress? As "Cowboy" and "Cowgirl" as possible, of course! Hats, boots, Western shirts, whatever you've got along those lines! Cowboy dress is not required, but it kinda adds to the fun!

After the match you can join us in the Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun club's restaurant and bar for a little nourishment, refreshment, and re-hashing all the "Woulda-Shoulda-Coulda's" from the match.

Just like in Cowboy Action Shooting, shooters will not be using their own names. Instead,  at signup you will choose your "alias" for the day. Me? "Mr. Completely", of course! You can pick whatever alias you like, maybe something from a favorite Western movie or TV show, then maybe change it a little to make it your own. KeeWee becomes "KeeWee Belle". Watch the video and you'll get a pretty good idea about aliases.

At the match on Sunday we  will be using targets and a timer that times the shots to the 1/1000 of a second, just like in the video above.


For more information about Cowboy Fast Draw, check out the Cowboy Fast Draw Association's website.

Come on out and give Cowboy Fast Draw a try. It's a whole lot of fun!!

Cowboy Fast Draw Match Report

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The last time we tried to put on a Cowboy Fast Draw match at the Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun Club all of the publicity for the match got fouled up and the wrong date was sent out. So, just about no one showed up. We still had fun, but it was a small crowd, for sure! This time, things went much better publicity-wise, and I would call it our first true match, with the previous one being sort of a "Testing Out" match to get the scoring and so forth all figured out.Even though there was a steel match not too far away that attracted some of our shooters, we still had ten hardy folks show up to give the new sport a try.

Two Point and Taliban Dan in an early round.

We've got the full setup, with targets with the "Start" light in the center, sound sensors on the targets to record the hits, and an electronic fast draw timer to record the times to the 1,000th of a second.

The Other Half beats Taliban out of the Holster.

We ran the match as a 3X format match. Each round you would shoot five draws against another shooter, with the best of five winning the round, and the loser getting an "X". Once you get 3 X's, you are out of the match. If it's a tie, then we would shoot one more draw as Sudden Death, to determine the winner of that round.

Taliban Dan gets the shot off first.

We had a number of Sudden Death tie breakers, and the competition was amazingly close. Not only was it a fun match to shoot, it was also a lot of fun to watch, with the closeness of the times. Everyone assumed an "Alias" name for the match, which also added to the fun!

After a bunch of really close matches, we finally narrowed it down to "Dozer" and "Taliban Dan". The final couldn't have been any closer. Taliban Dan won the first round, Dozer won the second, Taliban Dan won the third, and Dozer won the fourth.  It all came down to the final round, with each shooter having won two rounds. "Shooters on the line -- Shooters set...", a few seconds of random delay, and the start lights came on. Both shooters drew and fired, but it sounded like only one shot had been fired. Yet, the timer showed that both shooters had fired and hit their targets. The time separating Dozer and Taliban Dan was only three hundredths of a second ! WOW, what a final!! Dozer was the winner, but only by a blink of an eye.

We have scheduled another Cowboy Fast Draw Match in late June, and I suspect Taliban Dan is going to be back for a little revenge! I hope so, as it sure was a fun final to watch!

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I thought I had posted the group discount code for the rooms at the Silver Legacy for the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, but after looking for the post, I can't find it, so I guess I didn't get it posted after all.

The Group Room Discount Code for the Silver Legacy is

GBLOG12
Give them this code when you make your reservations and you will get discounted room rates and free WiFi, which they otherwise charge you for.

See you in Reno!

Gun Blogger Rendezvous Registration

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GG at Girls <3 Guns (Girls Love Guns for us Neanderthals), a regular attendee of the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, has put together a really nice interactive PDF file for filling out your Rendezvous Registration. This new form really works well, and you can fill it in on line, then print it out, put your check with it, and mail it in. The old clunky way still works too, where you download and print out the registration form by hand, but with the new form, you can fill it in on line and print it, thus saving wear and tear on your ball point pen, pencil, crayon, or Smith-Corona.



We are looking forward to this being the best Gun Blogger Rendezvous yet, so fill out your registration and get it mailed in right away. It's not that far off, and we need to get a good estimate of how many will be there in order to set up space, meals, and so forth. You don't have to be a blogger to attend, just someone who reads the blogs, enjoys shooting and guns, and would like to meet the gun bloggers in person so you can put a face to the name.

This is the year, so come join us for a whole lot of gunny fun in Reno in September!

Here's the link again for the Registration form, in case clicking on the picture above doesn't work for you.

See you in Reno................

Facebook... we'll see how it goes...

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Bloggin' is something I really enjoy... it's relaxing, fun, and I've met and been acquainted with a lot of good folks out here in the blogosphere.  Usually, I try to post a couple of times each week, because I enjoy my God, Gals, Guns, and Grub far too much to let this bloggin' thing become to much like work. 


Sometimes I have a quick thought or an interesting link I come across, but the blogosphere is filled with folks keepin' us up on the day-to-day news and affairs of this third rock from the sun... so I'm going to try supplementing the blog with a Facebook page.

We'll see how it goes... if it's a value-added fun sort of thing... we'll keep it... if not... well, we'll just recycle those electrons.  The plan is to keep the blog the main thing... but maybe the Facebook page will allow a little more conversation.

So... Facebook... we'll see how it goes...

Ruger SR9 and SR9c Centerfire Pistols

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About five years ago, my now sixteen-year old daughter was reaching the age, ability, and maturity to handle a full-size centerfire pistol for both recreation and personal defense.  Rather than everyone in the family having a different handgun with different ammo sizes and magazines, the gals and I were looking for standard semi-auto handgun that worked well for all of us.

We had quite a few different handguns already and had access to most pistols from major manufacturers in the popular and common calibers of 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP.  At the time I was really looking hard at the Glock 17 and 19 models, but the gals weren't big fans of either gun in terms of ergonomics.  Admitting my bias for everything and anything Ruger, I was still hesitant about the new SR9 due to it's early recall in the first year of production.


I purchased the first full-size SR9 about four years ago... a post recall model.  The gals really loved shooting that gun.  After a year or so we decided the Ruger SR9 and Ruger SR9c centerfire pistols would be our primary defensive handguns for the family around the home and for concealed carry.

We all have access to the same guns that operate the same way, take the same cartridge, use the same magazines, take-down and re-assemble the same way... well, you get the point... when we're together at home or out and about... our family can work as a defensive unit... not as three folks who have no idea what the other folks are trying or likely to do.

Now there's dozens of reviews already out there if you're looking for the specifications, general impressions, cool photos, and other information.  What I'm talkin' bout here is our experiences with these guns, along with our impressions and thoughts... both good and bad.


We've now had extensive experience firing several of these guns.  With over a thousand rounds through every SR9 or SR9c we own, we have had no practical problems whatsoever.  One of our SR9's now has over ten-thousand rounds through it as our primary practice gun... in fact, it is the gun I used to go after Todd Green's 2,000 Round Challenge a while back.  You can see the rules here.

I did violate his first rule because I didn't clean and lubricate the SR9 before beginning the test, we just took it out of the box, checked the bore, and started shootin'... and after about five-hundred rounds each week... we hit two-thousand... and... and nothing.  No stoppages, no stove pipes, no failure to feeds... failures to extract or eject... no broken parts, no problems.

I decided to keep going past 2,000 and after 2,619 rounds... number 2,620 ended with a stove-pipe.  We fed that SR9 Winchester white box, Federal, and American Eagle 115 grain 9mm FMJ's, Federal 147 grain Hydra-Shoks, and our current defensive handgun cartridge of choice... 124 grain +P, bonded bullet, hollow-point Winchester PDX1's.

We cleaned that dirty and gritty SR9 up and now... a few rounds past 10,200 through it... it still runs like new... and we've had only three stoppages... the stove-pipe at 2,620 and two failure to fires during the next 7,000 rounds fired with two Winchester white box cartridges that both had clear, deep primer punch marks from the firing pin... so I'm countin' them as duds.  What can I say, we're very happy with the performance of these guns.

I should also mention that this particular SR9 has a Streamlight TLR-1s weapon light mounted to the rail... as do all our home defense handguns... which has been through over 7,000 of those 10,000-plus rounds fired with the light having been on for probably 1,000 rounds without any problems from the light or the gun.


The SR9c is an excellent companion to the SR9 for concealed carry, although I've personally carried both concealed with no real problems.  The SR9c has three magazine options including the ten-round flat floor-plate option, the ten-round finger-extension floor-plate option, and seventeen-round full-length with grip extension option.  With the ten-round magazine and one in the chamber on my right side and the seventeen-round magazine on my left side... I've got twenty-eight rounds ready when carrying concealed with the SR9c.

One thing I do like about the SR9c is that it is smaller, but still feels like a full-size gun to us... unlike the Ruger LC9, the Sig Sauer 238, the Kel-Tec PF-9, Glock 26, or the Smith & Wesson Shield... which feel a bit small in the hand.  The SR9c's sight radius is only one-half inch shorter than the full-size SR9.  I typically carry our Ruger SR9's and SR9c's concealed in a Galco Cop Slot 3 holster, my Maxpedition VersiPack Jumbo, or a Fobus Holster.  I'm in the process of looking at purchasing a Raven holster and magazine holder to try out which will likely result in more new additions to the holster box. 


The triggers on all of our SR9's and SR9c's have been terrific right out of the box and I'm pleased with the consistent reset.  The precision and accuracy with these guns has been great for all three of us.  The SR9 can produce groups off the bench rest at twenty-five yards that are better than most shooters can produce off-hand at twenty-five feet.

While I'm not personally the biggest fan of three-dot sights, we still have the original sights on all of our guns...although some of those white dots have met their demise.  I've been looking at some tritium replacements, but with the weapon lights... the tritium sights seem less needed, but I may add just a tritium front sight on each gun... still in the evaluation process there and considering AmeriGlo.


Now let's talk about the good and the not so good...

The Good: The SR9 and SR9c have great reliability, incredible precision, and accuracy... while you can measure with a ruler, they are and feel slender in the hand, particularly where the web of the hand meets the grip, with a good grip texture which pleases me and the gals... a good, consistent trigger pull and break... easy break down for cleaning with no tools... you can "feel" these guns in the dark with the loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide and cocked striker indicator at the rear of the slide... we love the holes in the magazines that give a visual of how many rounds are still loaded... the rear sight is easily adjusted with a screw-driver for elevation and drifted left or right by loosening a set screw... there's a reversible back-strap insert that can be changed from flat to arched... and the guns have ambidextrous safeties and magazine releases... you can get the guns in either stainless or blackened stainless... I've had a number of students in my NRA/Ohio CCW courses use these guns and everyone who has tried them like the ease of operation, accuracy, and they shoot pretty well with them... like everything Ruger, they have a great company backing them up and are one-hundred percent made in America...

The Not So Good: These guns are available in all fifty states which means they have a magazine disconnect which prevents you from firing a round still in the chamber while switching magazines... Ruger makes both the SR9/SR40 and the SR9c/SR40c for law enforcement without the magazine disconnect... oh, don't get me started... also, the slide stop is just that, a slide stop, not a release so you have to cycle the slide fully to the rear with your hand to chamber a cartridge rather than just hit the slide release... now that is a deal-breaker for some, but I've timed myself and there is about a half-second difference for me when reloading and I'm gettin' old... so that's something else you'll have to consider about these guns... Ruger recommends you have an empty magazine inserted when dry-firing the gun, which we do for practice... and finally, I wish Ruger had also put the SR9c's front slide serrations on the SR9 to compliment the rear serrations on both guns...

While I admit my Ruger bias... I'll go beyond the rhetoric... 'cause we're bettin' our lives on the... Ruger SR9 and SR9c Centerfire Pistols...

So what did YOU do at camp this summer?

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It's been a busy week for me and the gals.  A couple of years back some of our fellow 4H Shooting Sports instructors and advisers, Bruce and Cindy, organized and offered a summer Shooting Sports Safety Camp with the assistance of our local gun club, a Friends of the NRA grant, and help from others including some dedicated club members and some fellow instructors, plus the wife and I.


It's a four-day long, day-camp for forty kids between the ages of eight and eighteen.  It includes many of our 4H Shooting Sports kids and others who are interested in learning about gun safety and shooting.  They have the opportunity to choose two tracks for the week... shotgun or pistol/archery.  We have skills levels ranging from never touched a gun to holy smokes, that kid just went twenty-five for twenty-five in that round of skeet.


The shotgun folks get to learn gun safety, all about shotguns, skeet, trap, and five-stand. On day three, we mix it up a bit and run all the kids through some archery and some cowboy action shooting on the cowboy action range where they get some pistol, rifle, and shotgun time.


Between club guns, kids' guns, and instructors' guns.... there was quite a collection of shotguns on hand for the week.  There was even a reloading and muzzle-loading demonstration.


Pistol and archery kids spent time learning pistol shooting with semi-autos and revolvers in the morning, then they moved to the archery range in the afternoon.  Yep, those are my Five Bucks: Balloon Dueling Trees in the background there.  It was a hot week, and forty kids plus another dozen or more instructors and help sure enjoyed the cooking for lunch each day.  A few watermelons skipped dessert and ended up in a lethal force demonstration too.


And every night there were a lot of semi-autos and revolvers and rifles and shotguns to clean and service.  I bet you can guess what I'm doing tonight.

The week ended today with awards, certificates, and some refrigerator art from the range.  A big thank you goes out to the Clinton County Farmers and Sportsmen Association for hosting the camp and to all the organizers, instructors, and helpers including Bruce, Cindy, Grant, Steve, Jeff, Judi, Britney, Todd, Jack, Richard, Butch, Kaitlin, Beth, Dave, and especially Rick who volunteers many hours fixing, mowing, and keeping the club and ranges in top shape year 'round.

I hope summer is beginning well for all you folks... but nothing is better than seeing smiles on the faces of kids safely shooting guns and... they all have a terrific answer to the inevitable question... So, what did YOU do at camp this summer?

PS: Don't tell the anti-gunners, but I've now instructed or assisted in instructing over one-hundred and fifty youth just this year so far and I can't imagine any of them buying into the anti-gun lies and rhetoric as the years go by.

Five Bucks: Shootin' Dum-Dums

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Sorry to disappoint some folks, but we're not talkin' about shootin' that neanderthal your daughter is dating... nor are we talkin' about shootin' zombies.  Shootin' Dum-Dums is something we've been doing for a long time because it's fun, it's challenging, and you can eat any extra targets when you're done shootin'.


Now before you laugh at this as a game for youngsters, you need to realize that this is a target requiring accuracy and precision.  Those little suckers (pun intended) represent a sub-Minute-Of-Angle (sub-MOA) target at one-hundred yards... and they're not much bigger at closer distances.  While they're a lot of fun to shoot, there's a little surprise when you hit the target dead-center.  So if you're interested in a challenge, here is what you need to do...

 
Pick up a bag of Dum-Dums at your local wally-world or grocery store.  Swing by the home improvement center or lumber yard to pick up a 3/8" or 1/2" wood dowel rod, and you can either buy a 2" x 2" x 8' piece of pine lumber or find some scrap wood at home.  The wood is to make a simple Dum-Dum target stand.

Cut the 2" x 2" x 8' lumber down to shorter lengths.  Drill some 5/32" diameter holes about 1/2" deep and 2" apart on one side of the 2" x 2" lumber.  These 5/32" diameter holes are where you'll insert the sticks of the Dum-Dums to hold'em while you shoot'em.


Next, drill a 3/8" diameter hole about an inch deep if you bought a 3/8" wood dowel rod or a 1/2" diameter hole for a 1/2" wood dowel rod at each end of the 2" x 2" piece of lumber on the opposite side of where you drilled the holes for the Dum-Dum sticks.  I like to keep my wooden dowel rod "legs" about 18" to 24" in length so the targets are above the ground and any tall grass or weeds.  Also, you can use other materials instead of the wood dowel rods, but just be aware that steel stakes or rods could cause a ricochet.


With the wooden dowel rod "legs" installed, stick your Dum-Dum target stand in the ground out on the range.  Be careful to know what's beyond your target.  Finally, unwrap and stick a Dum-Dum in each 5/32" hole.


Now, you're already to shoot Dum-Dums... and that's when you'll get a surprise we discovered several years back.

 
It's not exactly tannerite, but when you hit a Dum-Dum dead center, even with a .22 long rifle, it bursts into a small white cloud of... I guess it's powdered sugar for lack of a better or more scientific explanation.

And sometimes when you hit those Dum-Dums, they shatter... smashing and throwing pieces up in the air.  My little gal (if sixteen is still little) did the shooting for these photographs.

Shootin' Dum-Dums can challenge some of your better 4H Shooting Sports kids and those little Dum-Dums can also humble a few tactical professionals and varmint hunters when you set them out at 100 yards.  We've also drilled the 5/32" holes in a two-by-four and just set it on the ground to hold the Dum-Dum targets.

So if your looking for more fun shootin' or you think you're up to a challenge that doesn't involve zombies... try shootin' some Dum-Dums.

Go ahead and try it... and if you don't like it, you're out... like... five-bucks.