Monthly Archives: May 2012

Crusader, Weapons

Glocks and AK’s.

29 Comments

Have to say, the guns I go to the most are Glocks, AK’s, and 870’s.
The 23 in .40, remains my most favored handgun for CCW.  The  model 20, in 10mm is coming in second.  The more I use the Glocks… the more I like them.  Not just an appreciation for the function… but liking them for the way they feel and point, the triggers…  The elegant simplicity of them… I just really like Glocks now.  I don’t know… maybe it’s the crash… but I really dig them and the more I’m around them, the 19 and 23’s stand out as the perfect handguns to me – even more so than the 1911 now.  Yup.  They crossed that line for me.  I like them more than 1911’s.  No they are not the prettiest, but they are still beautiful.  Kinda like the Girl Next Door that you grew up best friends with and there is that moment when you realize “You want that.”   That’s Glock.
My Crusader Kalashnikov is more and more my go to rifle.  I just really feel an attachment to it.  It suits me to a T.  It can hit.  It’s reliable.  Mag changes are getting much faster and everything is “Clicking”.  And I get more satisfaction out of running the Kalash well than running an AR well.
For the 870’s, my adopted Police Tactical is my favorite.  I have my other 870’s and they are cool and all… but something about that old wood furniture.  Nothing says I am going to “Jack You Up” like an old wood stocked gun… You just know you are going to get an old school beating.  The warmth it has when you handle it.  Wood is an under appreciated material to a whole generation of shooters and I find that a sad state.  Poly is fine – but Wood is finer.  Especially nice grained wood with character.  Again, Wood stocked guns have “Soul” that Poly guns just don’t have and never will.  They can’t.  I’ve said that before… And when I pick up that old Police Tactical… You can feel it has a History of Kicking Ass and all that experience is backing you up giving you some extra confidence.  A new 870 Tactical with a plastic stock – it’s like a new Police Rookie with his first pair of Mirrored Cop Shades.  The authority is there… maybe even the skill is there… But not the Character and Experience – that Soul just isn’t there.

These are my Guns of Choice.  What are yours?

Automotive

IT LIVES!!! And So Do I, again.

18 Comments


The Superhawk is now operational again. Headlights, tail and brake, and all the instrumentation is working again. I took it for a test ride, and it seems fine. Took the Hawk into town and picked up some new Fuses and I think I’m good.
I need new turn signals and a new Shifter. The shifter right now is folded back on its self and hard to shift with. This is a part that will have to be replaced. Attempting to bend it back will break it. I look at this as a time to upgrade. Racing parts, and I’ll get some LED Turn Signals, I think.

Crusader, Weapons

An all Titanium AR.

6 Comments


I was asked if Crusader could do this. WHY? Crusader builds serious use guns. Titanium would be as much as an advantage in a fighting gun as Spinners would be on the Hubs of Police Cars. Besides, Titanium has some problems. Galling and Cold Welding being among them. The rifle according the Nemo’s site is almost 9 pounds. So instead of getting one of these, how about an armory full of Broadswords?
From the video, the guy says it is “Wildly impractical for the End User.”
Hey, if they want to known for making expensive useless crap… They just unlocked that achievement. Using Titanium just to say “It’s Titanium” is rather asinine. Titanium isn’t Magic. But that’s fine for them. Crusader will remain known for making seriously excellent guns and lubricants.

Automotive

Danger

27 Comments

You have a little Near Death Experience on a Motorcycle and all the sudden you get all these people telling you that “That they told you so.”  “Motorcycling is Dangerous.” And I need to get off that “Donor Cycle and into a Safe Car.”  Most of these comments come from Good Friends and Loved Ones and people that I know who really care for me… and some people who just what to be jackasses about it.
This all just makes me scratch my head.  Do you guys even know me?  Look, I appreciate the concern and I see where you are coming from… I feel that from you and I thank you for it.  I’d give you a big hug.  But everything I do is considered to be dangerous.   My Career has been in “Doing Dangerous Things” other than doing the Tech stuff I did for awhile it’s all been rather risky.

All day long, I am in a cage.  Doing what is expected of me. Constrained and unable to do or say what I want to do or so.  I have to keep so many opinions to myself, and so many responses to myself, that some days I just feel like I’m going to explode.  I have so many demands and stresses on me.  Bills and Dues that have to be paid.  Kids growing up into adults and their needs.  A wife that has to be cared for.  Family and my Extended Family.  Promises that I’ve made to them and to friends.   I’m not going to abandon them… it’s not that.  It’s the Decompression I get when I swing my leg over my bike.  The whole “Stop to Smell The Roses” thing… On a bike, I don’t have to stop.   I can be Mt. Vesuvius level pissed off and by the time I get home I’m down to Mt. Fuji level.  I’m happier after a ride because for that brief moment in time – I am Free.  Sometimes I just want to keep riding – just keep going.
I love riding… I can’t explain it so that you will understand… Because you don’t ride.  I can’t tell you what Chocolate tastes like either.  Those that do ride, they understand.  My wife understands.  Some of my friends understand.  Imagine taking an Eagle and clipping its wings so it couldn’t fly again… THAT is what you are telling me when you say I should be in a car.  Maybe you are right.  Maybe I should be. It’s supposedly safer.  I’ll give you that.  But that’s not what it’s about.  Being Safe… Safety is an illusion.

Yes, it’s dangerous.  It’s also freedom.  Freedom is always dangerous.

 

Uncategorized

Dear Adobe

14 Comments

You are fucking obnoxious. All I need you for is to read PDF’s. Yet you are constantly updating and being a fucking attention-whore about it when you are doing it. I can’t put you into the background or minimize you while you’re do your shit… you have to be on top of everything, in my way. If I slide you over to the side, you pop back up into the center. I’m trying to write a book over here, or look at funny cat videos – and you are always getting in my face. Judas Priest, man! You are like those Mexican Porn Flier People in Vegas. Can’t walk down the Strip without those clowns snapping their little fliers in your face… Adobe – you are just like that. And then you ask me to Reboot. Really? I’m in the middle of doing something and you are interrupting me, getting in my way, and then you want me to stop what I am doing. Are you serious? This isn’t Windows 95 anymore. I am getting really tired of you, Adobe.
Knock it off or I’m uninstalling your shit.

Automotive

Crashed.

49 Comments

Could have been a lot worse… Motorcycling is dangerous.  It’s also one of the most wonderful things Mankind could ever do.  Good riding gear makes all the difference.    I had a little incident.  Speed was not involved and I wasn’t squidding.

Scrapes, Bruises, Twisted knee, bruised ribs, and maybe a broken wrist… But I’m fine.  I’ll ride again ASAP.  When you ride – always wear your gear.  Even if you are just going around the block… wear your gear.

Weapons

Beretta and Uberti

9 Comments

Take a quick look at these.  A pair of SAA Clones.

At first glance, they look identical save for the Beretta’s little medallion in the grips.  There is a good reason for that.   Both are made by Uberti in Italy… Both are Spaghetti Westerns here.  However, the Beretta is imported by Beretta and the Uberti is imported by Stoeger for some reason.   What’s interesting is that the Beretta marked gun is less money.  What makes that so interesting?  The Beretta is the better gun by far.  Let me show you why.

Here you can see the grips if the Beretta very nicely. The way they should fit.
The wood grips on the Uberti have a bit of overlap that you can see and feel. Less comfortable in the hand too.
The Beretta uses a pretty standard, but well executed, Transfer Bar Safety, allowing you to easily load and carry in all six chambers.
The Uberti's firing pin on the hammer set up means you pack it with the hammer down on the empty chamber. Which is a good theory on safety, but leaves you will one less shot to fire.
You can see the seams between the panels. Not bad at all. That's a good fit and finish here. And that little medallion looks sharp.
Huh... Not so good.

What you can’t see in the photos is the FEEL.  The Beretta feels like it’s a much nicer gun.  It feels that way, because it really is.  I’d buy a Beretta easily over the Uberti, every day, every time.  The Uberti’s… not so much.  I like the clicks in the action as you pull the hammer back.

And here’s the kicker…

The Beretta is about 40 bucks less money.
Gear

Meopta Optics

Leave a comment

There is a fairly new line of optics out.  If by fairly new you mean 80 years in the industry and people have still never heard of them.

This is a set of Meopta 10×42 HD Binos sitting next to a set of Swarovski  SLC 10×42’s.  The Meoptas are retailing for $999.99 and the Swarovski’s for 1500 bucks MORE money.  Looking through both sets, I really can’t see any difference.  Maybe the SLC’s are just oh so very slightly better.  But really I can’t see any difference at all.  Certainly not any difference I’d pay 1500 bucks more.  The Meoptas are a No Brainer Buy.  The best comparo would be to the Zeiss Conquest 10×42 which also retails for 999.99.  The Meopta is pretty much a dead ringer but I like the Meopta better in that it required less movement of the focus knob to get something far away and something farther beyond that to get into focus.  Almost no movement at all to get from Far to Further, if you know what I mean.   Considering that Meopta makes the Zeiss Conquest rifle scopes – I found this to be no surprise.  I don’t know if they are making the Binos for Zeiss or not, but they do build the scopes.  So if you’ve never heard of Meopta, you’ve probably looked through some before if not own some.  Meopta also makes a lot of other optical products for other countries.  Even other industries.  The Periscopes for Subs, Prisms for other optics companies the periscope prisms for the M1A Battle Tank, the windows in the Space Shuttle that have to take High Temp and sudden deep cooling… So they are a very technically advanced optics company.  They make everything in house, unlike some optics companies which sub-contract and dont actually manufacture anything.  (Vortex)
Looking through a Meopta Rifle Scope is like looking through any comparable Zeiss Conquest, but generally for about 200 bucks less.

I also like the fact that they throw in an iPhone Adapter for Digiscoping… taking pictures through your spotting scope.  It’s easy and it works.  Put the phone in the adapter, then putt out the scope’s Eye Cup and put the Adapter/Phone to the Spotting Scope.  Crystal Clear.

Remember how I have said that if I am going to spend my own money on Optics its going to be on Nikon or Zeiss… Throw a 3rd option in there for me.  I’m really digging the Meopta HD Binos and their rifle scopes.