All posts by MadOgre

Weapons

Question Clearing House

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Here’s a quick paraphrasing of some of the more common questions I’ve been getting lately, mainly through YouTube and Facebook.  I’ll answer them here as well.

Q:  What’s been your most accurate pistol?
A:  The most accurate pistol I ever owned?   That’s easy.  It was my CZ 97B.   The gun was not perfect, but it was very very good.  Honestly, I was a total dumbass for selling it.

Q:  What’s been your most reliable pistol?
A:  Honestly most of my guns have been very reliable.  Most reliable though would be the ones I still own, my Glock 23, Springfield 1911 GI, and Beretta 92FS.  I tend to filter out unreliable guns.   The most reliable gun…. well, while none of these guns have ever – EVER – given me a jam, the Glock has by far had the most rounds fired through it and unlike any other gun I own, I’ve fed that Glock a large diet of nasty steel cased imported ammo of types I’d just not consider running through any other pistol.  So I’ll have to give the nod to the Glock, it’s just a trooper.

Q:  What’s been your worst pistol?
A:  Easily the CZ 100.   A gun that should never have been made.  Ever.  It was so bad, I may one day pick up another one just because it was such a stand out gun in my mind.   Uniquely horrible trigger that remains the worst of the worst, wrapped up in a design that is equally horrible in its own right.

Q:  What’s your favorite gun?
A:  Overall, Remington 870 Police/Tactical.  Really just any 870 with a short barrel.  I would rather have that than any other gun.  Talking specifically handguns – favorite would be the 1911.

For long time MadOgre.com readers, yes, I’ve come back to the 1911 pistol.  Again.

 

Food, Training

Considering teaching 3 new Courses.

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I’ve been thinking about three new firearms courses.   Let me bounce this off you guys and see if these would have some traction.

1.  The Lever Action Operators Course.   This course would be a focus class on the Lever Action Rifle platform, specifically Winchester 94’s, 92’s, and Marlin’s 1895’s, 336’s, and 1894 rifles.
The course would start out with the introductions, history and development… and then move to disassembly, cleaning, repairs and modifications, and then moving on to tactical applications within the weapon’s performance envelope.

2.  The 1911 Intensive.  So many Shooters have commented that they are “Not Familiar” with the 1911.  This course would fix that.  Taking someone who’s never fired a 1911 before, and turning them into someone who is both familiar and confident with the pistol.  This would start out with of course the history and development of the 1911 pistol from 1907 to present.  We’ll cover a detailed breakdown of the 1911, to full disassembly and reassembly.  Every single pin and part.  Students would bring their 1911’s and we’ll tear them apart, inspect each part, clean and lubricate each part, and reassemble.  We’ll talk about common modifications, things to avoid, things to look for, and how to make the 1911 fit you the best.  Then we’ll cover the application of the 1911 in a defensive role.   Classroom in the Morning, Shooting in the afternoon.

3.  The Grilling While Armed Tactical Grilling and Shooting.  We’ll combine two of my favorite things in one course.   We’ll start out with how to set up your grill, how to cook direct grilling and smoking on your Weber (or other) charcoal grill.  Once the coals are lit and the meat and heat are set, we’ll do a defensive pistol course.  During the breaks from shooting, we’ll cover Pro Level, Champion Grade cooking techniques so you get the most out of your Grill.  Then we shoot some more.  And then once the smoking and grilling is done – We FEAST.  So you come away from this course, full and satisfied with grilled and smoked foods, and with the knowledge to grill and smoke your own, and with some improvement to your defensive shooting.  Okay, really this is just a day of hanging out at the range with good people and good food and enjoying the Freedom Lifestyle.

Training

The Ferguson, MO situation.

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Ferguson, Missouri. Here’s my take on the situation. The Media is all over how the Police are too Militarized and are too heavy handed. True. And frighteningly so. However, take a look at the other side of this. We have a complete breakdown of society that happened within just hours. People were upset about a Police Shooting… So the response of the people there was to flip over vehicles, burn down buildings, and loot everything that wasn’t under armed guard. In their own town, in their own neighborhood, to their own neighbors. They are doing this to themselves. I’m sorry, but that has got to be contained and stopped, like firefighters fighting a wild fire. With what I’ve seen in the many videos of the rioters and what they are doing – I think the Ferguson Police were doing it right. A big show of force that communicated “This stops here”.
Then they went and jumped the shark as that power went quickly to their heads and became part of the problem themselves.
This is a situation that needs to be evaluated in great detail as to how it proliferated from protest to pure chaos. We need to see the stages and the signs and we need to break this down into lessons we can learn from.
This is Prepper School Fodder right here.
Civil Unrest is a reality that moves just as fast as a fictional Zombie Uprising. We use Zombie Uprising as an analog for Disaster Training… but guys, I’m telling you. You just saw that happen in Ferguson, MO. There’s your Zombie Uprising, so don’t tell me Zombies are not real. Because that situation in Ferguson is very real. And if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. It can happen where you live. So we need to think about that. Break that down.
Look at where you live. Imagine that situation in YOUR TOWN. Ask Your Self some questions.
1. Where would it most likely happen?
2. Can you Button Up and Hold Out, or will you need to Go Mobile?
3. If you need to Move Out, then what is your movement plan?
4. What is your Destination?
5. What are your Preps for that? Moving or Holding.
6. Who is in your Group to back you up and what is their Readiness?

You need those answers NOW. Because looking at Ferguson, you don’t have time to make the preps when things start to happen. You only have time to execute your plans.

Weapons

Open Carry / Protest Carry

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In Texas, one is not allowed to Open Carry a handgun, but you can a Long Arm.  This has lead to many incidences of guys packing their rifles into places one does not normally see someone packing a rifle.
They do this out of Protest and to try to help promote the Second Amendment.   The problem with this is that it raises many alarms and often cops get involved and it ends up on YouTube, and eventually the location in question puts up notices that no guns are allowed there at all.

I have a better idea.

Continue reading Open Carry / Protest Carry →

Food

A Good Burger in North Carolina?

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There was this list online some place… that listed the BEST BURGERS in the NATION.  Every State had some entries…. And one of the ones for North Carolina was El’s Drive In in Morehead City.

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Right off 70 in Morehead, right next to some big old hospital.  I’ve heard their advertisements on the Radio a bunch of times… and then this list shows up.  I decided I had to try it.

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This is their Double El’s Special with Slaw and Chili Sauce.  Supposedly their best burger.  Ordered a Coke and some onion rings to go with it.  The onion rings were pretty good.  The Coke was in a freaking can… and that Special Burger… It was… Special.  The chili sauce and slaw – was on so thin as to only serve to make the bottom bun soggy as hell.  You couldn’t really taste it.   The bottom bun was like a wet napkin about the third bite.  The beef – there were two paddies, yes… But they were flavorless and dried out.  So I had a Dry and Soggy burger.  You know how you burn a paddy on a grill really bad and then slice off all the burned layers?  THAT is what these paddies tasted like.   Dry flavorless meat.   Quite seriously, this was one of the most disgusting burgers I’ve ever had in my life.  At least I had a 2 dollar can of Coke to wash it down with.

All is not lost at El’s though.  I did also have an Oyster Burger.  Maybe it was good?

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Nope.  What you can’t see was that it was drowned in ketchup under that flaccid bun.  The oysters were fried waaayyy too long in the deep fat frier, and were about has tender as charcoal with bits of crust as hard as granite.  You could break your teeth on these things.  Oh, and if it being rocklike wasn’t enough… the oysters were filled with sand… and small chunks of gravel.

Overall, El’s Drive In was a most unpleasant place to eat.  Unpleasant meaning, flat out nasty.  The service was good though.  The lady was prompt to my vehicle and very nice.  But as nice as she was for a 50 year old Car Hop, I don’t think I’ll ever go back.   In fact – I really wish I didn’t go in the first place.