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This summer I worked outside for 10 weeks at about 30 hours per week on a beach. During that time, I learned a lot about concealed carry in crappy conditions, and thought I might share a few of those lessons.
First- oil is not your enemy. I worked a lot in the sand carrying wood, building projects, and generally getting down and dirty. Sweat, and the oil from that perspiration was far more dangerous than any oil getting clogged up with sand. I battled rust all summer, and the only way I won that fight was by adding a light coat of WD-40 every 3-4 days that completely covered the gun.
Second- A good holster is imperative, but the material is not as crucial as you would think. I rotated leather holsters from Tapia leatherworks and Remora holsters all summer, carrying my American Classic II Government sized 1911. Even carrying a full sized heavy gun, I had no issues when carrying that gun over my appendix (as is my preferred carry method). Due to the fact that my work was actually labor intensive, over the hip carry was not really an option.
Third- Regular cleaning is necessary, but with once a week stripping and cleaning, the build up from the sand was really not that big of a deal, and it probably could have been done every other week. This was carrying a cocked and locked firearm in pretty crap conditions- and there were still no issues with excessive crud accumulation.
All said and done, I ended up with a touch of pitting I couldn't remove from the thumb safety of my ACII, but the gun and holsters held up well. Simple regular maintenance, similar to that which you should be performing on a carry piece anyway, and the environment really will have no major impact on your gun. The only real difference was the addition of more oil to prevent rust and pitting from my normal carry routine- and even that could probably be mitigated by carrying a stainless finished firearm.
14 Eylül 2012 Cuma
RIA Tactical 1911 9mm round count update
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made it to the range yesterday and was able to get some more rounds through my Rock.
Yesterday included:
50 rounds 124gr LRN
50 rounds 115gr Tula FMJ
10 rounds 124gr el dorado JHP
10 rounds 147gr Winchester silvertip JHP
25 rounds 125gr SJRN
counting the 145 rounds from yesterday, I am at 405 rounds without cleaning and no signs of the gun slowing down or having issues. I have one more range trip planned before I break down and clean it up, but 500 rounds without cleaning with so many different types of ammunition going through the gun is a testament to its quality.
Yesterday included:
50 rounds 124gr LRN
50 rounds 115gr Tula FMJ
10 rounds 124gr el dorado JHP
10 rounds 147gr Winchester silvertip JHP
25 rounds 125gr SJRN
counting the 145 rounds from yesterday, I am at 405 rounds without cleaning and no signs of the gun slowing down or having issues. I have one more range trip planned before I break down and clean it up, but 500 rounds without cleaning with so many different types of ammunition going through the gun is a testament to its quality.
RIA Tactical 9mm- finally cleaned
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I have been chronicling my RIA's shooting to see how it would fair. Today I fired 144 more rounds through the Rock, consisting of 55 124gr LRN reloads and 89 Tula 115gr FMJs. Total round count after this shooting session was 549 rounds without cleaning. The gun was still running fine all day today, I just finally cleaned it out of boredom. I feel this gun has proven its reliability at this point, and I see no point in testing its uncleaned longevity further.
I noticed no irregular wear patterns or high points while breaking it down today, and it cleaned up rather quickly and easily. I did not clean the bore, but I did clean the chamber. Counting the frangible ammo I fired, this gun has 389 jacketed rounds through it, with the remainder being lead. The only reason so many jacketed rounds made it through this gun is that A) I've been too busy to reload like a should, and B) what reloading I've done has consisted of those frangible bullets.
With a good lead load, I find bore cleaning to be a very infrequent chore that is only necessary once in a great while, and is done easily with a nylon brush and some hoppes 9. The bore is still in good shape, but is starting to show some copper build up. When it gets to about a thousand rounds in total, I may give the bore some attention, but until then - I just consider it seasoning.
All said and done, the gun went 549 rounds with only 1 failure to feed on the second round of the first magazine ever fired. That is plenty reliable for me, especially considering it did it all without cleaning. Moreover, I really prefer this gun with heavy for caliber bullets. I prefer a 6 o'clock hold, and the only ammo that gets me significantly above the front sight for POI over POA is 147 gr ammo. the 124gr stuff is really pretty close to POI = POA, and the 115gr stuff is a touch low at most practical distances.
I still maintain that this gun is an excellent buy, and have yet to find a shooter who doesn't find it controllable and pleasant to play around with. Today I was doing target transitions and multiple shots for speed, and the only other shooters who could keep up had to switch to rimfires to make the head-to-head shooting competitive.
I noticed no irregular wear patterns or high points while breaking it down today, and it cleaned up rather quickly and easily. I did not clean the bore, but I did clean the chamber. Counting the frangible ammo I fired, this gun has 389 jacketed rounds through it, with the remainder being lead. The only reason so many jacketed rounds made it through this gun is that A) I've been too busy to reload like a should, and B) what reloading I've done has consisted of those frangible bullets.
With a good lead load, I find bore cleaning to be a very infrequent chore that is only necessary once in a great while, and is done easily with a nylon brush and some hoppes 9. The bore is still in good shape, but is starting to show some copper build up. When it gets to about a thousand rounds in total, I may give the bore some attention, but until then - I just consider it seasoning.
All said and done, the gun went 549 rounds with only 1 failure to feed on the second round of the first magazine ever fired. That is plenty reliable for me, especially considering it did it all without cleaning. Moreover, I really prefer this gun with heavy for caliber bullets. I prefer a 6 o'clock hold, and the only ammo that gets me significantly above the front sight for POI over POA is 147 gr ammo. the 124gr stuff is really pretty close to POI = POA, and the 115gr stuff is a touch low at most practical distances.
I still maintain that this gun is an excellent buy, and have yet to find a shooter who doesn't find it controllable and pleasant to play around with. Today I was doing target transitions and multiple shots for speed, and the only other shooters who could keep up had to switch to rimfires to make the head-to-head shooting competitive.
Solarforce L2M body review and XM-L / XR-E emitters
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Solarforceflashlight-sales is having a sale on L2M bodies for 10.99 each. I ordered a couple (I really wish they would give me a discount, I order a ton of crap from them) and some new emitters to try out. The lights come set up for two CR123 batteries, or one 18650 rechargeable (cr123A rechargeable also acceptable).
At left, I have the lights set up in 3 (top) and 4 cell (bottom) versions respectively. In this configuration, it is easy to burn out an emitter if you do not closely adhere to the printed voltage inputs on the unit, but you also stand to really maximize the output potential of your light, while getting some really impressive battery life. Point of fact, my four cell version has an emitter capable of 3-18v input, so is currently running off of 4 CR123A rechargeable batteries each putting out 3.7 volts- for a total 14.8v max input. Realistically, I could add a body extender and run this light on 6 CR123 primaries, each at 3v for a maximum voltage on the light as per its rating. I will never do that as primary non-reusable CR123 batteries even at a good price, run $1.50 each.
Where the L2M body shines is that it comes with a divided body that though stock takes 2 CR123 batteries (standard surefire g2 sized light), one body section can be removed for single CR123 operation. This makes the L2M an extremely versatile body to buy. In addition, it comes with a flat bezel (that I prefer) and a forward-clicky tail cap.
I ordered the XM-L 1 mode LED BU 880 lumen U2 emitter, which boasts a nice input range of 2.7-9v; the XM-L 820 lumen emitter with a 3-8.4v input range, and finally the 280 lumen XR-E Q4 4-18v emitter. The XM-L line are great emitters with awesome input ranges, but are fairly expensive at 14-16 dollars a pop. The older XR-E line is honestly really all you need for most applications, and comes in at 9 bucks. Am I happy with the XM-Ls? yes- the offer a much more focused light that is brighter than the XR-E, but I doubt they are over 800 lumen as advertised, despite me testing them at near max voltage inputs.
For just under 22 dollars shipped, you could put together a nice L2M light with a respectable and proven XR-E emitter. If you were feeling particularly wealthy or had a strong desire for the latest and greatest in light tech, for under 30 bucks you could build a good light with a newer XM-L emitter.
For anyone shopping, I have also had good luck with XP-G emitters, which split the XR-E and XM-L line in cost, coming in between 12-13 bucks. If a person wanted to save a buck (literally) they could go with an older Xenon style bulb for just under 8 dollars, but frankly with LED technology being what it is today, I could not understand why a person would want crappier battery life and performance to save exactly 1 dollar in up front costs.
Overall, another good carry light body from Solarforce, and one that is definitely worth considering due to its quality tail cap and non-crenelated bezel. Considering the light comes with a variable body size that easily adjusts to the needs of the user and the sub $11 dollar price tag, and buying a couple of these flashlight bodies is a no-brainer. These are currently the cheapest aluminum bodies available from Solarforce (and the cheapest bodies over all) with most aluminum bodies coming in between $12.50-16 dollars US, with high-end aluminum and polymer bodies going all the way up to $24 or so bucks. Really, unless you need a specific flashlight body for some specific task, there is no reason not to use these.
 |
| 3 and 4 cell version |
At left, I have the lights set up in 3 (top) and 4 cell (bottom) versions respectively. In this configuration, it is easy to burn out an emitter if you do not closely adhere to the printed voltage inputs on the unit, but you also stand to really maximize the output potential of your light, while getting some really impressive battery life. Point of fact, my four cell version has an emitter capable of 3-18v input, so is currently running off of 4 CR123A rechargeable batteries each putting out 3.7 volts- for a total 14.8v max input. Realistically, I could add a body extender and run this light on 6 CR123 primaries, each at 3v for a maximum voltage on the light as per its rating. I will never do that as primary non-reusable CR123 batteries even at a good price, run $1.50 each.
 |
| 1 and 2 cell version |
Where the L2M body shines is that it comes with a divided body that though stock takes 2 CR123 batteries (standard surefire g2 sized light), one body section can be removed for single CR123 operation. This makes the L2M an extremely versatile body to buy. In addition, it comes with a flat bezel (that I prefer) and a forward-clicky tail cap.
I ordered the XM-L 1 mode LED BU 880 lumen U2 emitter, which boasts a nice input range of 2.7-9v; the XM-L 820 lumen emitter with a 3-8.4v input range, and finally the 280 lumen XR-E Q4 4-18v emitter. The XM-L line are great emitters with awesome input ranges, but are fairly expensive at 14-16 dollars a pop. The older XR-E line is honestly really all you need for most applications, and comes in at 9 bucks. Am I happy with the XM-Ls? yes- the offer a much more focused light that is brighter than the XR-E, but I doubt they are over 800 lumen as advertised, despite me testing them at near max voltage inputs.
For just under 22 dollars shipped, you could put together a nice L2M light with a respectable and proven XR-E emitter. If you were feeling particularly wealthy or had a strong desire for the latest and greatest in light tech, for under 30 bucks you could build a good light with a newer XM-L emitter.
For anyone shopping, I have also had good luck with XP-G emitters, which split the XR-E and XM-L line in cost, coming in between 12-13 bucks. If a person wanted to save a buck (literally) they could go with an older Xenon style bulb for just under 8 dollars, but frankly with LED technology being what it is today, I could not understand why a person would want crappier battery life and performance to save exactly 1 dollar in up front costs.
Overall, another good carry light body from Solarforce, and one that is definitely worth considering due to its quality tail cap and non-crenelated bezel. Considering the light comes with a variable body size that easily adjusts to the needs of the user and the sub $11 dollar price tag, and buying a couple of these flashlight bodies is a no-brainer. These are currently the cheapest aluminum bodies available from Solarforce (and the cheapest bodies over all) with most aluminum bodies coming in between $12.50-16 dollars US, with high-end aluminum and polymer bodies going all the way up to $24 or so bucks. Really, unless you need a specific flashlight body for some specific task, there is no reason not to use these.
Range Day
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I was in social studies as a sophomore in HS during the 9/11 attacks. I remember school getting cancelled after rolling as many TVs into classrooms as possible to inform kids of the news. Being from Upstate NY - it seemed distant. 2 years later I was living in the Bronx as a young undergraduate, and suddenly being a 'New Yorker' had meaning. Frankly, I don't think about it often. It doesn't bring up painful memories for me anymore than reading about Pearl Harbor does. I was insulated and isolated from the events by either time or distance, and the meaning of the events for me is interpreted accordingly.
Outwardly, I spend 9/11 as I do most any day. I note the flags at half mast and find myself reminded of a very different time in my life. To this day I'm not sure on what is and is not an appropriate response. As an American, I feel for the loss of hardworking people who did nothing out of the ordinary on a particular day and were cut down because of it. As a person, I feel guilt in not knowing how to grieve for a pain that didn't touch me or anyone I knew. My hurt came as an American who no longer had the opportunity to know thousands of other Americans - Not as a man who no longer could see his friends or his loved ones. Those are very different experiences, and frankly I'm still not really sure how to resolve those issues within me.
I went to the range today and I shot my ACII and my RIA Tac 9mm, and even a bit through my Ruger Mk II. It was unspectacular insofar-as everything worked well. No FTF, FTE, or issues of any kind with any gun were noted. Giving an in depth range report though seems somehow inappropriate today. Not inappropriate because I grieve as a person who lost a loved one, but inappropriate nevertheless. So instead I'll say simply that today was a good day. A day with good friends and good times. I've labored more over this post than most any other I can remember. Three rambling paragraphs and I'm still not sure what I want to say here - but I do believe that anyone who ever wanted to attack the west, and particularly America, would be annoyed by that, so I find it somewhat comforting to annoy those bastards.
Outwardly, I spend 9/11 as I do most any day. I note the flags at half mast and find myself reminded of a very different time in my life. To this day I'm not sure on what is and is not an appropriate response. As an American, I feel for the loss of hardworking people who did nothing out of the ordinary on a particular day and were cut down because of it. As a person, I feel guilt in not knowing how to grieve for a pain that didn't touch me or anyone I knew. My hurt came as an American who no longer had the opportunity to know thousands of other Americans - Not as a man who no longer could see his friends or his loved ones. Those are very different experiences, and frankly I'm still not really sure how to resolve those issues within me.
I went to the range today and I shot my ACII and my RIA Tac 9mm, and even a bit through my Ruger Mk II. It was unspectacular insofar-as everything worked well. No FTF, FTE, or issues of any kind with any gun were noted. Giving an in depth range report though seems somehow inappropriate today. Not inappropriate because I grieve as a person who lost a loved one, but inappropriate nevertheless. So instead I'll say simply that today was a good day. A day with good friends and good times. I've labored more over this post than most any other I can remember. Three rambling paragraphs and I'm still not sure what I want to say here - but I do believe that anyone who ever wanted to attack the west, and particularly America, would be annoyed by that, so I find it somewhat comforting to annoy those bastards.
14 Ağustos 2012 Salı
Side-saddle shell shucking...
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Now I realize that everyone will have their own preferences and opinions, but the gals and I have multiple sets of three types of firearms at the ready for our home and personal defense... pistols, Ruger SR9 and SR9c... rifles, Ruger Mini-14... and shotguns, Mossberg 500. We have many years of experience with these particular firearms and our guns have all been run fairly hard, well-maintained, and demonstrated excellent reliability.
While the guns are reliable and have different strengths depending on the situation, the gals and I need to practice regularly to be as reliable as our guns. It's been a busy summer, the excavators are reconfiguring our shooting range out back, and I'm recovering from some significant surgery... so I've been doing a fair bit of dry-fire practice and reloading drills with dummy rounds.
Our home-defense Mossberg 500s have TacStar six-shell side-saddles for tactical reloads of 12-gauge buckshot or slugs. There are various views, techniques, and opinions on tactical reloading with shotguns, but basically there are two primary methods most folks use involving keeping the shotgun up, shouldered, and in the fight with the strong-hand while the weak-hand loads additional shells.
The first method is done with the shotgun shells loaded in the side-saddle pointed down so the shooter removes a shell by pulling it up, then reaches over the top of the receiver and drops it into the open action through the ejection port.
The second method is with the shotgun shells pointing up in the side-saddle. The shooter then pulls a shell down from the side-saddle, reaches under the gun and pushes a shell into the tube magazine with the thumb while the action is closed.
I've exaggerated the moves in the pictures so you can actually see the shotgun shell. You'll also notice that in the final picture, for our standard set-up, we keep four additional shells of buckshot pointed down and two shells with slugs pointed up. This allows for tactical loading of additional buckshot over the top of the receiver and what I might call "strategic" loading of slugs as needed from underneath into the tube magazine.
So if you decide to use or integrate a shotgun into your defensive plans... however you use or configure your shotgun for home or self-defense... they have limited round capacity... so practice tactical reloading and maybe consider some... Side-saddle shell shucking...
Update: I probably should have mentioned that the TacStar Side-Saddle shell carriers were easy to install and have held up well over time. They come with all necessary hardware and screws... just use some medium thread-locker on the mounting screws... which I often do on most guns.
While the guns are reliable and have different strengths depending on the situation, the gals and I need to practice regularly to be as reliable as our guns. It's been a busy summer, the excavators are reconfiguring our shooting range out back, and I'm recovering from some significant surgery... so I've been doing a fair bit of dry-fire practice and reloading drills with dummy rounds.
Our home-defense Mossberg 500s have TacStar six-shell side-saddles for tactical reloads of 12-gauge buckshot or slugs. There are various views, techniques, and opinions on tactical reloading with shotguns, but basically there are two primary methods most folks use involving keeping the shotgun up, shouldered, and in the fight with the strong-hand while the weak-hand loads additional shells.
The first method is done with the shotgun shells loaded in the side-saddle pointed down so the shooter removes a shell by pulling it up, then reaches over the top of the receiver and drops it into the open action through the ejection port.
The second method is with the shotgun shells pointing up in the side-saddle. The shooter then pulls a shell down from the side-saddle, reaches under the gun and pushes a shell into the tube magazine with the thumb while the action is closed.
I've exaggerated the moves in the pictures so you can actually see the shotgun shell. You'll also notice that in the final picture, for our standard set-up, we keep four additional shells of buckshot pointed down and two shells with slugs pointed up. This allows for tactical loading of additional buckshot over the top of the receiver and what I might call "strategic" loading of slugs as needed from underneath into the tube magazine.
So if you decide to use or integrate a shotgun into your defensive plans... however you use or configure your shotgun for home or self-defense... they have limited round capacity... so practice tactical reloading and maybe consider some... Side-saddle shell shucking...
Update: I probably should have mentioned that the TacStar Side-Saddle shell carriers were easy to install and have held up well over time. They come with all necessary hardware and screws... just use some medium thread-locker on the mounting screws... which I often do on most guns.
You need to sweat the small stuff...
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The past week or so I've written and trashed about a dozen blog posts in addition to the other dozen or so blog posts I'm typically working on at any given point in time. I didn't really have any interest in commenting on the evil doing in Aurora as the pro-gunners provided the usual excellent viewpoints that I agree with and the anti-gunners trotted out the usual fodder... and most folks didn't change their mind or modify their lives on either side.
We've been very busy, and fortunately my beautiful, sexy redheaded wife has been takin' care of business as I am still trudging through this surgery recovery which was topped off with my first kidney stone which still hasn't passed. Nothing like a gal blowin' smoke with some diesel power to take care of yard work and such. Dang, I'm blessed with a life better than I deserve.
You see, I'm one of the most anal retentive over-thinkers that probably can barely be tolerated by most sane folks. You're not supposed to sweat the small stuff, but I do... and I think you probably should too.
Most people don't mess up on the big decisions or things in life, but they slowly drown with the small things they let go and don't attend to... like a frog slowly cooking in a pot of warming water. Face it, you're careful picking out a spouse, a car, a house... you research that sixty-inch flat-screen like you were finding a cure for cancer. On the other hand, most folks blow past those little decisions and things in life, not giving due diligence, until one day we drown in an ocean of meaningless manure that we've piled up over time.
We try to live life by design. It's no accident how we live, where we live, why we live, where we work, what we do, and why we do it. That's not to say we haven't made a lot of mistakes, but I can assure you that we have seen the fruits of our labor over time from all that small stuff and the big decisions.
Sometimes, folks just have their heads in the sand or just figure somehow it will all work out or someone, maybe something, will take care of the problems. I guess I've become tired and callous to many folks problems that are of their own doing. If you're household income is $84,000 a year and you're losing your $385,000 home and the government won't help you refinance... tough, downsize and live within your means with some buffer space. So you can't afford a decent gun for self-defense, but your monthly cable or satellite bill is $69.95... well that's over $800 a year for guns and ammo folks. Did you know that you can get your kid a Ruger 10/22 and a pile of ammo for the cost of an xBox or Playstation 3 set-up? Wonder which will still be around and working when your kid has kids?
Sports and athletics are great, but if you're spending a thousand a year on game tickets and memorabilia for your favorite team and don't have five-hundred in savings while your credit cards are maxed out... get a clue. I'm not impressed if your eleven year-old played ball in sixty-seven games and five tournaments in four different states this summer... can he or she swim? use a map? know what to do if they're alone and lost? make a fire or shelter? build something? help someone out? handle a gun? fight off an aggressor? cook dinner? work with common tools?
I really think this country is coming to a crossroads from which there will be no return. It's not red and blue states, it's not Democrats or Republicans, it's not conservatives or liberals... I think it's more basic than that. There's basically two kinds of folks in my view... those that want to take care of themselves and those that want taken care of. Unfortunately, even a lot of those in the conservative or Republican or red states want taken care of more than they will admit.
That is not to say I don't think there is a role for government. I just think the government needs to stick to the big things outlined in the Constitution and let folks sweat the small stuff. Military... yes. Government backed loans for school or houses... no. Fire and police departments... yes. Government run or backed healthcare... no. Courts and prisons... yes. Taking away my tools or abilities to protect myself and my family... no.
You have to be proactive in the small stuff. That local official you elect today may be your senator or governor in twenty years. The letter you write your congressman instead of another Facebook post that gets a few dozen likes probably has more impact for your cause. A few minutes of talking and a back rub for your spouse will cost you far less than a divorce that really resulted from a pile of little things that slipped by. Setting up a tent and building a fire in the backyard will be a better time and memory than Batman returns for the umpteenth time.
Well, shooting range upgrades, varsity tennis practice, state fair archery, the urologist, and a busted dishwasher seem to be the pressing items this week. I've been rambling on and while I'm sure you've got better things to do than read through my diatribe... though if you've actually gotten this far... I'm curious... how much would you pay to be unarmed in a dark room with a hundred plus strangers? $7.50? $11.00?
If you're not doing much, stop on by... we'll be setting up a tent and building a fire. Oh, and maybe tomorrow, think about things that are troubling you or naggin' in the back or your mind... 'cause maybe... You need to sweat the small stuff...
We've been very busy, and fortunately my beautiful, sexy redheaded wife has been takin' care of business as I am still trudging through this surgery recovery which was topped off with my first kidney stone which still hasn't passed. Nothing like a gal blowin' smoke with some diesel power to take care of yard work and such. Dang, I'm blessed with a life better than I deserve.
You see, I'm one of the most anal retentive over-thinkers that probably can barely be tolerated by most sane folks. You're not supposed to sweat the small stuff, but I do... and I think you probably should too.
Most people don't mess up on the big decisions or things in life, but they slowly drown with the small things they let go and don't attend to... like a frog slowly cooking in a pot of warming water. Face it, you're careful picking out a spouse, a car, a house... you research that sixty-inch flat-screen like you were finding a cure for cancer. On the other hand, most folks blow past those little decisions and things in life, not giving due diligence, until one day we drown in an ocean of meaningless manure that we've piled up over time.
We try to live life by design. It's no accident how we live, where we live, why we live, where we work, what we do, and why we do it. That's not to say we haven't made a lot of mistakes, but I can assure you that we have seen the fruits of our labor over time from all that small stuff and the big decisions.
Sometimes, folks just have their heads in the sand or just figure somehow it will all work out or someone, maybe something, will take care of the problems. I guess I've become tired and callous to many folks problems that are of their own doing. If you're household income is $84,000 a year and you're losing your $385,000 home and the government won't help you refinance... tough, downsize and live within your means with some buffer space. So you can't afford a decent gun for self-defense, but your monthly cable or satellite bill is $69.95... well that's over $800 a year for guns and ammo folks. Did you know that you can get your kid a Ruger 10/22 and a pile of ammo for the cost of an xBox or Playstation 3 set-up? Wonder which will still be around and working when your kid has kids?
Sports and athletics are great, but if you're spending a thousand a year on game tickets and memorabilia for your favorite team and don't have five-hundred in savings while your credit cards are maxed out... get a clue. I'm not impressed if your eleven year-old played ball in sixty-seven games and five tournaments in four different states this summer... can he or she swim? use a map? know what to do if they're alone and lost? make a fire or shelter? build something? help someone out? handle a gun? fight off an aggressor? cook dinner? work with common tools?
I really think this country is coming to a crossroads from which there will be no return. It's not red and blue states, it's not Democrats or Republicans, it's not conservatives or liberals... I think it's more basic than that. There's basically two kinds of folks in my view... those that want to take care of themselves and those that want taken care of. Unfortunately, even a lot of those in the conservative or Republican or red states want taken care of more than they will admit.
That is not to say I don't think there is a role for government. I just think the government needs to stick to the big things outlined in the Constitution and let folks sweat the small stuff. Military... yes. Government backed loans for school or houses... no. Fire and police departments... yes. Government run or backed healthcare... no. Courts and prisons... yes. Taking away my tools or abilities to protect myself and my family... no.
You have to be proactive in the small stuff. That local official you elect today may be your senator or governor in twenty years. The letter you write your congressman instead of another Facebook post that gets a few dozen likes probably has more impact for your cause. A few minutes of talking and a back rub for your spouse will cost you far less than a divorce that really resulted from a pile of little things that slipped by. Setting up a tent and building a fire in the backyard will be a better time and memory than Batman returns for the umpteenth time.
Well, shooting range upgrades, varsity tennis practice, state fair archery, the urologist, and a busted dishwasher seem to be the pressing items this week. I've been rambling on and while I'm sure you've got better things to do than read through my diatribe... though if you've actually gotten this far... I'm curious... how much would you pay to be unarmed in a dark room with a hundred plus strangers? $7.50? $11.00?
If you're not doing much, stop on by... we'll be setting up a tent and building a fire. Oh, and maybe tomorrow, think about things that are troubling you or naggin' in the back or your mind... 'cause maybe... You need to sweat the small stuff...
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