All posts by MadOgre

Weapons

Beretta Px4 Storm .45

3 Comments

I like this gun.  It felt very good in my hands, shot very accurately… Much closer to point of aim, point of impact for me… just ran “Good“.

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Good isn’t really the right word… Freaking Awesome is about right.  It felt freaking awesome.   I know the Storm isn’t a SIG or a 1911… But it’s a wonderful shooting gun.  10 rounds in the mag isn’t all that impressive, but the mag is smooth and easy to load and feels like its a higher quality piece than most other mags.
I don’t mind the Beretta Safety.  I even like it.  I don’t mind the DA/SA trigger.  I even like it.  I don’t mind the funky action – I really like it.  I’m weird that way.  But when you have a .45 that shoots like it’s launching Nerfs instead of 230 grain slugs… that’s something.  When you have a gun that puts the first 5 rounds into the same bloody hole, right where you wanted it to go – That’s awesome.  I know this group doesn’t look like its really all that much better than the Glock 30s’s group.  But the gun felt like I had much more control, and that I was placing my shots better…. It felt like that.  I knew where the bullet was going to go before I looked at the target.  I could call the shots with it.  Normally I can only really do that with a 220 or 1911… but I could with the Storm.
Now, the Storm is not up there like a SIG P220 is, or a nice 1911 is… But it’s right up there, real close.  I like this gun.  A lot.
The trigger pull could use some work.  It’s not all that smooth on the example I fired.  Which was a Range Rental Gun, that I think I was the first guy to try it out.

Five Stars, Beretta.  Five bloody Stars!

 

Government

Glock 30s

3 Comments

There was a time… 2013, where the Glock 30s was the object of my desire.   Having spent some quality time with one… I’m not all that hot to trot for it anymore.

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At 30 feet, that’s a respectable group.  But I just feel… “Meh” about it.  Not that there was anything wrong with it.  The gun shot very well.  And 10+1 Capacity of full bore .45 Auto is nothing to sneeze at.  That’s more ammo on board than a full sized 1911, in a package that is much smaller and lighter.  Trigger was typical of Glock’s 5.5 pound trigger… You feel one, you’ve felt them all.  And I know that can be altered at will thanks to our friends at Lone Wolf Distributors.  And the sights too.  The sights on factory Glocks… Why THE HELL are they so stupid?  Seriously.  They suck.  Balls.  They suck balls.
The grip needs a bit of work being rather slick in my hands.  To me, really, Glocks are project guns.  Spend some time with them, making them feel and fire how I want them too.  And then once the project is over, I just feel done with them.   I like them enough to want to play with them… But I am not emotionally attached.   Like Vegas hookers or something.

I know all the arguments for the Glocks… I do.  I sang them myself when I was drinking the Glock-Koolaide.   But… I’m just… Done with Glocks.  They are just not me.  I don’t feel that connection with them.  I don’t feel that connection with my Microwave Oven either.  But I do with my old fashioned Weber Grill.  One is an appliance that I use to get a job done.  The other gets that job done, but takes time and care… and I spend more time with it and come to love it all the more every time I use it.  Not the Microwave.  And not the Glock.

But if you like it – I understand way.  I respect your opinion.   Mine just differs.

 

 

Government

Riots

30 Comments

Sick of seeing Rioters run amok destroying cities…
Here’s what makes me angry about these. They can be stopped. They used to be stopped.
You know what stops them?
Shotguns.
Shotguns and the demonstration of the will to use them.  The Texas Rangers had a saying about this.  “One Riot, One Ranger.”  You know how one Ranger could quell a riot?  Because he wasn’t afraid to use his shotgun.  Riots ended real quick when a Texas Ranger showed up.

Such will is not long in existence in the USA. So Rioters have no fear. There will be no repercussions. There’s no reason for them to stop rioting. Why would they? In a Riot, they have all the power and control and cops can just back away. No because of fear of the Rioters… but because of Fear of Liability and Prosecution.

In the mean time, it serves as great entertainment for those that are entertained by it.   It gives the Media something to do other than dodge owning up to their lack of coverage on Hilary and Obama scandals.   And they act so shocked when they themselves get attacked and robbed.  Too funny.

Uncategorized

Pistol Needs

13 Comments

1. Ruger GP100, 4″.
2. SIG M11a1.
3. Ruger SP101 2.5″.
4. Chiapa Rhino 4″.
5. STI Texican.
6. Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag, 5″.

The Texican is really the only STI gun I really lust over. The Rhino is a strange but persistent fascination. The Redhawk is just for shear power.
The SIG is because its just about ideal for me. And the other two Rugers… would become my EDC guns.

Automotive

Harley Davidson’s 48 Breakout

7 Comments

Yeah, I’ve come around.   See, I’ll be real frank here… I used to seriously  dislike Harley’s.  Just like a really disliked Ruger.  But when I sat back and was honest and objective about what Ruger was doing these days… I had to admit that I liked what they were doing, where they were heading and pretty soon I had to admit that I liked Ruger.  I’m a Ruger fan now.  My opinion can and has changed before, so this is no shock.  I reserve the right to change my opinion when new information comes to light or the situation has changed.  Ruger changed, and thus so did my opinion.
Harley has done the same thing to me.  For some time I’ve admitted that I really dig the looks of the Iron 883 and the Forty Eights.  In fact, I snapped this photo on my phone and have kept it for about a year now.  This bike speaks to me, visually.  IMG_20150417_212500

This is a simple, stock, Harley Forty Eight.  As basic as a bike that Harley builds.  It’s basically a stripped 1200 Sportster, forward foot controls and dropped mirrors.  That works for me.  I’d take that and put Drag Bars on it, saddle leather seat, and maybe have that tank painted a different color… Maybe Cerakoted in Burnt Bronze…

The other Harley I am digging… The Breakout.

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This is Harley’s factory bad boy… Fattest rear tire they’ve ever put on a production bike.  Stretched out forks, big front wheel, chopped fenders… it’s a low, lean, angry looking bike.  I like that.  And I normally don’t dig the Low and Lean look on bikes like this.  But here, I just love it.

Why did I change my tune on Harley’s?  Maybe it was the Project Livewire test ride I took.  That opened my eyes on what Harley Davidson is truly capable of and it was as shocking to me as an Ice Bucket Challenge.   Everything I thought I knew about HD was suddenly ripped away and replaced with an understanding that I knew nothing, John Snow.  Since then, I’ve been looking, and learning, and have come to an understanding.

The other thing that changed my opinion… Harley Davidson of Charlotte.    Super cool people there.  Gun people, so I can relate… But they were all friendly, genuine, good people.  Typical of most Motorcycle people I know… typical of folks from The South… So that Southern Rider vibe you could call it.  I’ll call it that.  Honestly, it’s one of the very few Motorcycle Dealerships that I’ve ever felt at home at.

Let’s put it this way – if I could afford to buy a motorcycle right now, it would be a Harley, and it would be from Harley of Charlotte.  The only problem though is which one would I get?   Man, I love that Breakout.  But that simple “48” just does it for me.   Now, if I could get that “48” with the 103 Engine… THAT would be it.   Well, really the only downside to the 48 is the 2 gallon fuel tank.  If they made a tank that looked just like that Peanut Tank, but held 4 gallons… There we go.  With that 103…. 4 gallons and a 103… that would be my ticket.

 

 

Gear

The best of the best of the best optics, Sir.

7 Comments

If I could have my pick from the magic bag of glass carried by the Optics Fairy, I’d have to pick ELCAN.  No question.  These guys are the Swarovskis of fighting optical gunsights.

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Super clear, super bright… Everything you want in a high quality scope, all wrapped up in a super strong Combat Optic.  Wide field of view with no distortion.  Longer eye relief than competitors… wider eye box.  And a reticle that allows for extreme shooting precision.  It really doesn’t get any better than this.

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This version has a simple 1x to 4x switch.  Zoom, or No Zoom.  So the mechanism is very sturdy.    So much so it makes a Leupold seem fragile.  One of the reasons it’s so strong is that the elevation and windage adjustments are outside of the tube, and internal like most scopes…. Even the mighty Trijicon ACOG.

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Illumination is a big fat dial that fast and easy to use.  And you can see there, it’s got a set of iron sights on top.  This is probably the finest magnified combat optic you can get.

Elcan offers a bunch of variants  1-4, 1-6, yada yada yada  all good… all awesome.  There’s even a 5-20 coming out – but you gotta be Delta Mega Force to get it right now.   The only downside to these optics – is price.  They are expensive.  By expensive, I mean they are the cost of a couple really decent AR-15 rifles.   But there really and truly is nothing better to put on top of your AR-15 rifle.  But is it worth it?
If you can afford it, absolutely.  One thing I’ve learned… good optics are a force multiplier.  They can make or break your success in the field.  I’ve seen it hunting… I’ve seen it in force on force operations.  If you can see your adversary before he sees you, you win.  If you can aim precisely at a target you can see clearly, ID that target and place your shot, you win.  Good glass is critical.  I’ve tried to use cheap class.  I can see the target with naked eyes or with my binos – but can’t see the target in the scope.  It’s happened.  I’ve also seen great glass in the field and on the range go belly up because the scope just wasn’t strong enough to handle the mission.  (Swarovski Optics)  ELCAN has the optical quality and the strength.   Seriously, this is business right here.  Nothing’s better.  If you can afford it.