All posts by MadOgre

Automotive

Chevy Volt

33 Comments

I read that GM is forcing employees to drive the Volt.  Some employees are opting to pay for their own cars in order to avoid the Volt.  GM is offering to pay for public and home charging and doing everything they can to get people into the Volt cars… and employees are not pleased about it.  The stunning thing about the report is that after all the reinbursments for charging and everything, GM is chest pounding that they will save millions of dollars.

How?  If GM is paying for everything, it’s spending an awful lot of money to get people into a car that people are not wanting to get in.

Here’s an idea for GM.  Build a car that people actually want.  I don’t want a Volt.  I would never buy one.  Ever.  Here’s a promise.  I promise that I will never in my life buy a Volt.  Or a Prius.  Wait, maybe I would if I could get one for less than a pound of Tannerite.  I do like reactive targets.  But I would never buy one to drive.  Pretty much very few people want a Volt.  GM has made a car that only Metrosexual Hipsters want, because they don’t really want a car.  They want a political statement.  I want a car.  A real car.  Not a rolling iPod dock, not an Entertainment Center, not an “experience” or a rolling billboard for the Leftist’s Agenda.    No computers.  No BS frills.  A simple car that is fun to drive.

GM needs to build the Triumph TR6.

Think about it.  People would want it… they would buy them and GM wouldn’t have to pay out anything.  Sporty engine, light weight simple car with good handling, engine up front driving the wheels in the back…  People would enjoy driving and would be texting less and paying attention to the road more because they would realize that actual driving the car is more fun than the distraction devices in the car.  The car with an efficient little spirited 4 banger would get great mileage and would still be fun to drive.  I’d buy one of them!

Weapons

Feeling Swampy

10 Comments

Packing the S&W M&P 9mm today.  I’ve been thinking about getting one in a .40, so to get a feel for it, I am packing my boy Kilo’s Swampy.
Everything good about the Glock is there in the M&P, but with a 1911 grip angle.  It feels good in the hand and handles more intuitively than either a Glock or 1911 for me.
I would absolutely have to change the trigger.  The stock Swampy trigger flat out sucks.  It feels sloppy and rotten. But with a little work, it does just fine. 
Still wish they did a mid sized gun, but I can live a full sized pistol.

Military, Weapons

The Marine’s 1911

13 Comments

According to the Military Times, the US Marines are looking to officially pick up an off the shelf 1911 for it’s MARSOC program.

The choice is between the Colt Rail Gun and the Springfield MC Operator.

Between the two, I’d pick the Springfield in a heartbeat.  Springfield has shown consistent quality control and a commitment to its customer base by backing up their products with the industry’s best customer service.  Everyone I know that has one of these MC Operators has been more than impressed with them.  Accurate and reliable.

One thing I don’t understand is why the Operator instead of the TRP?  The Springfield TRP Pro was the pick of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team…. a group that is a little picky about their weapons, and absolute artists when it comes to the application of those weapons.  The TRPs roll out for about 1500 bucks and the MC Operators for about 1200.  But money isn’t a question for these guys.  It’s not the rail, because we’ve seen TRP’s with and without rails.  Mayhaps the MC Operator is more reliable than TRP?  Hmmm…

Weapons

Marlin Update

13 Comments

Just a quick update on my Marlin 1895GBL, .45-70.  To recap, I bought one, and it was faulty.  The stock was loose and the action was locking up.  I only got a half a box of rounds through it before I had to send it in to Marlin for repair.
It came back from Marlin the other day, repaired and ready for action.  Some nice Freight Damage on the stock now.  Thanks a lot for that, Marlin.  I send you a new gun in and it comes back looking like an old used one.  That’s just SPIFFY, Marlin. Thanks for that, seriously.  THANK YOU.
The good news about it is that the gun function and the stock fits.  It’s now a functional firearm now.  Looks 10 years old, sure, but hey, at least it’s a gun now.  So to celebrate the return of the Guide Gun, I picked up a box of Remington 405 grain Jacketed Soft Points.  A nice heavy slug on a moderate load.  Recoil is mild.  It’s isn’t a kick, but a shove.  The muzzle blast is impressive, especially after dark.  To say it’s fun to shoot is like saying Bacon is Tasty.  No kidding!  One can easily fire multiple rounds in rapid succession, with accuracy.
But man, I love shooting this thing!  It’s a blast!  And the fact that it packs enough punch to knock down Bigfoot, it’s a bonus.
So, I have to give a thank you to the Evil One on WTA, my friend Jim Jones… He’s the one that talked me into getting this gun, and I am very happy he did.

Crusader, Optics

Crusader & Lucid, one scary accurate combination

16 Comments

Crusader Weaponry has teamed up with Lucid to provide a very good optical gunsight for our rifles.  When I first tested the Lucid HD7, it impressed the hell out of me.  It was clear, solid, and did everything I wanted an optic to do.  In fact, it did better than I had hoped.  I put it on a number of guns, trying to break it.  Including a 12 gauge with slugs.  It held up.  As far as accuracy goes, it actually improved my accuracy with my own M4.



We recommend the Lucid for the best bang for the buck solution for all our 5.56mm rifles. When you order your Bones, Partisan, Templar, or your own custom configuration, ask for the Lucid to come with the gun as a package.

Automotive, Weapons

Glock vs the 911

30 Comments

Most guys are comparing the Glock to the 1911.  I’m going to compare it to the 911…


For the last 40 years Porsche has been remaking the same design and calling it brand new, and the fans have been lapping it up and eagerly await the next version. Those on the outside look at it and see that it is the same thing.  The engine was misplaced, tacked on the rear like an afterthought outboard motor.  Every one is waiting for Porsche to scoot it in a bit to improve the car’s balance.
Glock only comes out with a new gun when someone makes a new caliber… In the twenty years of Glockdom, we have seen new generations which we are told are better than the previous ones, and the Glock Enthusiasts will happily explain it to you like evangelical missionaries.  But those on the outside look at it and see the same fault… That grip angle.  It’s wrong.  It’s not the same geometry that Saint J. Moses Browning chiselled in stone, so it can’t be right.
Now here is the thing about both the car and the gun… Like them or not, they work.  The racing beetle continues to be one of the worlds very best sportscars, as the Glock continues to be one of the best handguns.  Wrong or not, there is something very right about them.

Weapons

Benelli M4.

2 Comments

I didn’t really understand the desire to own an M4.  The magazine was limited and it was just overpriced. 
Then we got in the new civilian M4 H2O. It’s even more expensive. But this time there is a difference.
Now, its worth every penny.
You get the full capacity.  The anti corrosion coating.  And the collapsable stock… It’s the full enchilada.  It is the most badass automatic tactical shotgun in the world.

Military

Leave our Military Alone

30 Comments

First it was Michelle Obama, with a captive audience of US Soldiers basically telling them that they are all fat and need to eat salads.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be a veggie guy soon.” She quipped.
What?  They are our Warriors.  They need MEAT… They need PROTEIN.  Forget the Salads unless they ask for it and give them steaks with sides of bacon.   We need our military strong and scary ferocious.  Salads… WTF?  Does she think for a minute that anyone of those Soldiers would have been there if they had not been ordered to?

And now there is this “SS” Controversy.   To these Marines, the SS badge means Scout Sniper… and unless you are a Scout Sniper – Shut the hell up about it.  This is their right to be proud of the achievement of becoming one.  Unless you work at a Gun Shop and meet 543 Scout Snipers every day that is.  The Marine Scout Sniper Program is one of the US Military’s Elite groups.   I trained with some Marine Scout Snipers at “Long Range International” and let me tell you, they were really and truly the best shooters I have ever had the honor to spend time with.
Unless you are a part of it, you have no right to force your ignorant opinion about the matter.   Why do I say Ignorant?  Because the “SS” Badge has been used for decades and no one says crap about it.  Hot Rodders call it “Super Sport”.