Uncategorized

Rethinking the Glocks: The Model 23 RTF2.

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I knew I was going to catch some flak from my 1911 Brothers out there for selecting, of all guns, the Glock in a .40. The Anti-1911. You wouldn’t believe the amount of flak I’m catching from work! They have been merciless. Let’s just say I don’t work at a Glock Shop. Guys, I am not turning my back on the 1911. I am still a 1911 Guy. But before I am a 1911 Guy, I’m a Gun Guy… which means I like guns… all guns.

The Glock’s biggest criticism is that it’s ugly. Many owners think it beautiful. Regarding the Glock’s beauty. I’ll be the first to say… it’s not Pretty. However the Function of it is what can make a Glock absolutely gorgeous. The low bore axis helps reduce muzzle flip. Combine that with that funky grip angle that helps return the gun to point of aim faster… now lets add in what really is a fine trigger pull… consistent and the same every time… with a super short Trigger Reset… And it’s simple. Nothing complicated. Nothing “trick”. It’s about as straight forward of a mechanism as it gets. The Glock really is the whole enchilada when it comes to Function. That’s why I am going to give the Glock another chance. I didn’t contact Glock for a Review gun, I ordered one for my own outright purchase.

When my Glock 23 arrived, I took off my SIG P229R and picked up the Glock. I had to carry it. I loaded it up with some 165 grain PDX1’s from my SIG Mags, and tucked it in. I know I usually advocate the test firing of your carry gun with your choice of carry ammo, but in this case, I had no concerns. There are 3 lines of guns have always felt comfortable with right out of the box. HK’s, SIG 22X series, and of course, Glock. See, I’ve owned a Glock before. A Gen1 17. I’ve been to this rodeo before… I know the Glock well enough and have always respected it’s reliability.

I dismissed them when the Gen2 came out, and I’ve not paid any attention to them since. They just didn’t feel right in my hand. The RTF2 grip feels much better to me, I don’t know why. I started looking at the Glocks again when we got in a 17RTF2 and I thought, “You know, this isn’t bad at all.” I’ve got friends who are into Glocks and they all kept recommending them. A lot of guys I respect recommended them. LittleLebowksi from WeTheArmed.com is one of them, but the kicker came Las Vegas. At SHOT Show, my friend Mark Walters and I sat down at Ceaser’s Palace and we had a good conversation. During which Mark gave good testimony about his favorite gun, the Glock 23. It was a convincing argument. I promised I’d give Glock a second look. So I did.

I borrowed a Glock 17 and shot several magazines through it. After a few mags I got used to the grip angle. It shot just as I expected it would. Reliable and predictably accurate. I had no problem with it. However I’m just not all that interested in a 9mm. I’ve become reacquainted with the .40, a caliber I used to stake my life on back in Virginia. My 229 is incredible with the .40 when it comes to shootability, but it’s heavy. When I carry I do the “AllDamnDay” Carry and that usually means from 6AM to 10PM. That’s a long time to have a Heater strapped on. As much as love the SIG P229… and I really do… I want (no, not need… just want) a lighter gun for all day carry. A mid-sized gun, not a compact, not a mouse gun for pocket carry… a Mid sized gun in a mid sized caliber. From Glock that means Mark’s beloved model 23. The balance of form, function and firepower is just perfect for what I was looking for. The Glock 23 is just “it”.

The RTF2 grip texture is said to be too rough, but it does perfectly what it was designed to do. Lock the gun into your hand so it wont slip. Oh, it does that. But it isn’t “Fabric Friendly” so you gotta watch what you wear over it, and you sure as hell want to wear something under it… it can be… abrasive. But when you draw the gun, and it’s in your hand. It’s going nowhere.

The large Tritium front sight post of these Warren Tacticals.

The trigger is one of the things that Glock Owners like to brag about. It’s worth bragging on, because it’s pretty dang good. The pull is consistent, shot to shot. But the trigger reset is what really sets it apart. The distance which you let the trigger move forward, to where it resets so you can fire it again… very short in the Glock. One of the shortest, if not the shortest resets on the market. What this does for the shooter is to allow that trigger to be run quickly and efficiently… which makes for fast and accurate shooting. Something Glocks are very good at. When I roll into an IDPA match, I note who’s shooting Glocks. More and more frequently it’s the guys with those Glocks that are on the tops of the Leader Boards.

ADAMS HOLSTERS
Accuracy? That goes without saying. Glocks are going to just as accurate as any other service auto. And when it comes to practical accuracy, they can be even more so. From the holster to putting rounds into the target, they are just as fast as the classic old 1911 while shooting groups that rival John M Browning’s Masterpiece. This is why so many Law Enforcement Agencies have adopted Glocks. Combine this accuracy, the utter reliability, and the simplicity of the Glock system, you have something a Department can issue to all its officers with little more training necessary than with a service revolver. Many departments have reported improvements in qualification scores overall after a Glock adoption.

Does this mean I have gone over to “The Dark Side”? Why, yes, I think it does..

Weapons

S&W Bodyguard .380

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It’s been some time since my last article for Concealed Carry Magazine. I’ve been meaning to write one sooner, but to be perfectly honest, most of the new concealable handguns that have been coming out have just not sparked much of an interest in me. I’ve been bored with most of the options out there and no one wanted another Compact 1911 article. Most of this time off I’ve been packing SIG C3’s and 229’s and all year I’ve been packing a G23-RTF2 and that has all been from Mark Walter’s bad influence on me.

At SHOT 2010 I trudged through the show looking for something that peaked my interest enough to review. As I looked at all the new guns on the market, I really struggled with the malaise that’s been plaguing me when it comes to small handguns. That was until I walked into the S&W booth. They showed me their new Bodyguard BG380. Instantly my Spock Eyebrow went up. What’s this? A little auto pistol that I want to go shoot? Since Kahr hasn’t come out with a 10mm MK10 pistol, this would do.

While the BG380 is the same size as the other pocket .380’s that have dominated CCW handgun sales for the last two years, the new Smith is different. The difference comes from the whole feel of the gun. It’s as if S&W took an M&P pistol over to Walt Disney and put it in their “Honey, I shrunk the thing” machine. Normally when you shrink something, you lose a lot of qualities other than just size and weight… much like the Doberman Pincer shrunk to Toy Pincer size gives you a twitchy, fickle, and delicate thing. These Micro M&P’s are just as serviceable and snarly as the original… just in pocket size.

The most unique feature of the BG380 is the in-frame laser module. Insight Technologies makes it for S&W and we’ve not seen anything similar out there. The Module, should it fail, is replaceable. It’s fairly bright, but not as cohesive as other laser aiming devices from other companies. This isn’t a problem as this pistol isn’t meant for any longer range shooting, but I would have liked a more powerful laser. If I was Crimson Trace or Viridian, I’d be working on my own module to drop into the Bodyguard. The limitation on power comes of course from the batteries, and having the batteries within the frame as they did it makes me scratch my head. You can only shove so much battery in there. I’d have rather engineered the weapon to carry the batteries in the floorplate of the magazine and had power contacts on the sides of the magazine body. Dewalt knows how to do this, it wouldn’t be hard and they would have been able to use more battery. More battery is a good thing.

Some shooters argue against lasers as unnecessary gadgets. It’s true that a laser isn’t a necessary thing, but any device that gives you any sort of an advantage in target engagement or intimidation is a huge benefit… especially with pocket sized guns. Another thing some guys claim, is that sights are unnecessary to such small guns. However I checked the law books and I didn’t find any exceptions to gun laws or liability of gun use for small guns. You launch a bullet out of a small gun, you are just as liable for where it goes. And for a pocket gun with the purpose of defensive use, that bullet needs to go exactly where it will do the most work. Shot Placement is even more critical in small defensive guns.

The pistol its self is just the platform from which the projectile is launched… and the BG380 gives you a small, concealable platform that you can have on you at all times, or just when greater discretion is required. The only thing one is giving up with the BG380 is power. I can’t let this review go by without mentioning that I consider the .380 Auto round to be the minimum cartridge which I deem as acceptable for defense. It falls someplace in the Force Continuum between “Harsh Language” and 9mm. I would only use it when guns of greater caliber are not an option. While I am not a huge fan of the .380 auto, I must admit to being a fan of the Bodyguard. It’s cool, it’s reliable, it works. It’s an absolute buy for those looking for a pocket pistol.

Uncategorized

Ender’s Game

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The movie was fantastic.   I read the book when I was young, and my sons have as well.  We were not disappointed.  We all enjoyed it a great deal.
Well acted, well directed, good casting, and awesome effects.
The story is solid.  A good morality tale.

The ending of the conflict had an important dialog.  Normally I’d agree with Harrison Ford’s Character that Winning was all that mattered.  But Ender’s response that how they win is more important.  This is true in any War based on Political Agenda.  World Wars I and II were both Political Wars.  The Civil War and our Revolutionary War were Political Wars. In these, “How You Win” is critical.  Look at WWII specifically.  Germany and Japan, who were our biter enemies, quickly became our allies.  How You Win is what made the difference here.  Look at WWI, how the Allied nations in that case is what set the ball in motion to start WWII.  Many reasons for this, but allow me to oversimplify.  The Allies were poor Winners in that conflict.  Ender went the extreme route to Poor Winner, by the utter destruction and genocide of the enemy.

We see that pretty much as the goal of our Enemies now.  The extremist Muslims who vow extermination of everyone that is not Muslim.  As a result of these statements, a lot of guys I know have said the same thing in reverse… That we should exterminate the Muslims.  This is the wrong tact.  The wrong direction.  And it’s counter to our beliefs as Americans.  America is a Mixing Pot.

The talk of killing Muslims just because they are Muslims makes me ill and disappointed. We shall fight to defend, certainly. But only to defend. We kill only to protect. We do not engage because someone has a different belief system than our own. We do not shun someone because they come from a different corner of the world than our own ancestors who came here from a different corner of the world.

I enjoy Orson Scott Card’s works, and Ender’s Game was the first of his that I read.
I’ve had a few chances to meet OSC.  Sat in on a lecture on writing once.  Interesting fellow.  While I do not agree with him in certain political areas, I do like his work.

Weapons

All New

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What really bugs me about the Gun Industry is how they change one or two small details and act as if it’s something completely new.

Take a look at SIG Sauer.  They have the TACOPS 1911, which is a great gun.  They Cerakote it tan, change the grips, and all the sudden it’s a “Scorpion” and thus a completely different gun.  Some rifle makers will change the stock, and now it’s a completely different model.  For the most part, the gun is only cosmetically different.  Yet the gun companies wave flags of originality and claim innovation.  Look, if you are using off the shelf parts that have been on the market for over a year, you should not be allowed to use the word “Innovation” or anything in a thesaurus that is similar.   Worse yet, the Gun Writers out there who have to review these things.  Never mind that its the same damn gun with different cosmetics… these guys have to write another 2,000 words with photos on how this is something new and fresh.  And they publish those articles and people buy those magazines and it’s all just rehashed shit from 20 years ago.  I’m not naming names but I swear to the All Holy that I read the same rifle article 20 years as I just read in a new magazine 20 minutes ago, with the only difference being the freaking handguards.  Its the same thing.

christian_bale_as_bruce_wayne_and_batman__drawing__by_p_shdw-d665959

I was going to say Clark Kent and Superman, but I hate Superman… he’s a Douche.  But look at Bruce Wayne.  League of Shadows Ninja, and then changes costume to become Batman.  Really only cosmetically different.   Bruce Wayne could still kick your ass without the Dark Knight costume.  He doesn’t need the costume to perform.  And just because he is in the costume, doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a better fighter.  He’s no tougher, no stronger, or any smarter while in the bat-suit.
Who else does this a lot?  Kimber.  Freaking hell, they only make like 3 different 1911’s but given them different skin treatments and all the sudden you have guns from 699 all the way to 1400 without any special Custom Shop work… just cosmetics.
Poor Gun Review Writer.   This is one of the reasons I stopped writing gun reviews.  I got really jaded and sick of rewording the same review for the same gun that’s just had a small detail difference.
Kimber Custom II.  Kimber Target II.  Same flippin gun, just a different rear sight.  But according to Kimber, it’s a whole new model.
Now, I’m not busting Kimber’s nuts on this, or SIG’s… because so many other gun makers do it too… they all do it.  Accept for Taurus, who has so much CQ issues, everything they make is totally different.

Imagine if you will, if the Auto Industry worked in the same fashion?  This car is the same as that one, but this one has XM built in, so it’s a totally different car!  We call this one the Stallion, and this one the Tornado Hunter!  See, it has a pin stripe too.  (Well, they kind of do… looking at the Subaru and Toyota sports car, but that’s another subject)

No, people would not tolerate this in the auto industry.  Yet it’s SOP in the Gun Industry.  I like what the Car guys do those… They have Trim Levels.  Same car, with a series of steps in upgraded add on features that go from basic to fully loaded.
The Gun Industry should look at that model for awhile and think about it really hard.  Because right now it’s just ridiculous.

Now, I understand that a gun company needs to make new stuff to sell more stuff.  But I think these guys are going about it all wrong.  Let’s look at to examples.
Glock.  They make the same damn gun in 3 sizes in common calibers and that’s it.  That’s what they do… because they’re Glock.  The do what they do and they do it very well.  You don’t hear about quality control issues with Glock. You don’t hear about anything other than “It’s a Glock”. And they sell and sell and sell to the point that Glock’s Marketing effort is about like the Maytag Repairman’s schedule.  Because you know what you are getting with a Glock… Your getting a Glock.  Now look at SIG.  The P250 the P2022, the 229, 228 M11 226 MK25 and they are all different and you really don’t know what you are getting anymore with SIG or anything from SIG wearing that badge… I’m saying this because I love SIG and really I’m feeling like they have let me down.  Lost their way.  Looking more at Cosmetic Themes than keeping a tight ship… because I’ve seen some SIG’s with some serious issues that should not have been there.
Some guys have said they wished Glock was more colorful or fabulous like SIG is.  When really I’d like to see SIG act more like Glock.  The worst thing Glock stamps their name on is those disposable pens they give away.  SIG’s?  That could take all day talking about.  You don’t know what you are getting with SIG anymore and that’s a shame.

 

Gear

MacBook Pro

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I have turned to the Dark Side.  I acquired a MacBook Pro.  In fact, I’m using it right now.  Can’t you feel the elevated smugness?

Overall my impressions are very positive.  It’s new and shiny and mysterious.  Everything is an adventure of discovery… such as “Where the hell did my video download to?”  And “What is OSX Maverick?”  And “I keep hitting the wrong key!”  This is going to take some getting used to… but I’m digging things about it.  A lot.

Such as the fact that my Drift HD camera I was so excited about getting earlier this year, finally allows me to edit with audio.  Before, no matter what I tried, I could never get the audio track.  Seriously, the audio track disappeared.  I tried 5 or 6 different Converters to change formats and such, with no luck.  Huh, iMovie opens it, edits it, and guess what?  I can hear it.  Imagine that.  So this is going to allow me to deal with HD movies all the better.  I’m excited.

Other things about the Mac, well, I’ll learn to get used to them.  Such as a sudden desire to sip Chai Tea and sneer at Muggles.

This is the 13 inch one, because I prefer a laptop to be more compact… it has the latest OSX version on it.  An I7 Processor, and has a ton of Ram and Gigs and can basically is the envy of all the other MacBook Pro owners who does not have the latest and greatest.  Carrying it out of the store, there was bowing going on.  “Yes, you filthy masses… I have the Shiniest Apple.”

Egads, the Mac Effect is already turning me… I suddenly must go to a Starbucks, occupy a table, and roll my eyes at everyone coming in.

 

Food

Disappointing.

20 Comments

Breakfast Burritos.   I’m a huge breakfast guy.  The whole “Most Important Meal Of The Day” is a tradition that I follow.  Those are words I live by.  Yes, I live by those words.  And they have never failed me.  And of all the breakfast foods one could have, my favorite thing to eat in the world in the morning… The Breakfast Burrito.   Food of a Loving and Caring God.
And there are none to be found in this area.  I’m not going to say that North Carolina doesn’t know a good breakfast… they have that Southern Breakfast thing down.  Grits and Eggs, all that and then some.  But they don’t know a good Breakfast Burrito.  At least not that I have seen.
Now, I did hit a Sheetz gas station chain with the fancy touch screen menu that lets you pick what you want in the burrito – and that was good. Namely because I was able to pick what I wanted in the thing.  Other than that… Every breakfast burrito I’ve had in North Carolina, and Virginia for that matter, has been somewhere between Poor and Terrible.
Let me put it this way… they have been so bad here, that they make me miss the horrible breakfast burritos made at the IGA Deli behind Basin Sports in Vernal, Utah.  Because those, as nasty as they usually were… you could ever once in awhile get one that was just “MMMM!” and it was delicious and made right all the disappointments before it.   I’ve not had that in a Breakfast Burrito since I’ve been here.

Closest thing is Sonic.  You know Sonic… the red button and the car hops that bring the food to your car.  Yeah… they have their Super Sonic Breakfast Burrito, which is okay.  But the problem is that Sonic hasn’t embraced the BB. So they don’t care.  So they don’t fill the BB like they could.  They make them small and thin and filled with disappointment and regret and after eating one you are still hungry, but not enough to do a second one.  This morning I had one from Chic-Fil-A.  Now, they do make a good chicken sandwich, I’ll give them that.  But the just really need to avoid attempting a BB.  Because what I had this morning was probably the worst thing ever.  McDonald’s little cigarette thin things they call Breakfast Burritos, while just stupid, at least taste better than the shame Chic-Fil-A rolled into a stale flatbread.    And McDonald’s.  Just… stop.  No… I mean it… just stop it.

Government

Jeremy Clarkson is right.

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Some years ago Jeremy Clarkson said upon returning home to the UK from a trip to the US, that he was glad to be back in a free country.
This statement of course, pissed me slam off.  How dare that pompous imperial claim that the ultimate nanny state of the UK, was a country with more freedom and liberty than the great US of A.  That arrogant unmitigated asshat.  That jowly overstuffed, jean wearing, Corvette Driving, cowboy boot strutting, clown of a man… would be proved right by our own Government.

Here we are, years later.  Our Government has attempted a take over of the Auto Industry.  Has taken over 1/6th of our Nations Economy and has told us to buy their Insurance or Else.  Our phones and emails and all other forms of communications are recorded for use against us.  Drones are in the skies above us.  Our Police Officers are pointing guns at us.  Our Military is told that we are the bad guys, those of us who go to church on Sunday and might read the Drudge Report.  We are the problem, and more Government is the solution.

And Jeremy Clarkson is right.
Damn that man.

I was comfortable being smug knowing that he was wrong and that he had to cope with security cameras at every corner and “Health and Safety” was always looking out for him.   But he’s only Monitored when he steps out of his front door, or gets behind the wheel of some car with more than 10 cylinders.   In the UK, the Ministries really don’t care what he does unless he breaks a law.  And now I sit back and wait for the CIA and the NSA to message me that I made a typo here and that they agree with me.   Because I know now that here in the USA, freedom is only an expensive illusion.  We are the problem, more Government is the solution.  (Homeland Security just let me know I dropped a letter “Y” on “they”)

I however believe that the Government is the problem and that we are the solution.  Unfortunately no one is going to throw the switch.

Uncategorized

Morally Justifiable

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Couple weeks ago I went through my DVD collection and pulled out all my Rated R movies.  These movies were put into a box, leaving only the lesser rated movies.   The purpose was to clean out any movies which did not uplift or teach a valuable and morally justifiable lesson.
After reviewing the films remaining and those removed, I quickly found that the R rating was no watermark for judging a movie’s content.  Some movies I put back on the shelf.  Some for the lessons or historical perspective or moral object lessons provided… Rob Roy, Saving Private Ryan…. among others.
And then I looked at the rest that remained… Films rated PG-13 and such “Safe” movies.  Many were light minded, vapid, or every bit as deserving of an R rating due to content and language.   Many had no historical lessons or held any moral justification. Many I felt were more spiritually damaging than some which had been culled.
I didn’t have time to finish the filtering… but will do so later.  But my goal is to leave movies which have a purpose.  Talking about this with my Bride, we determined that the deciding factor would be “What lessons do we want to our sons learning?”  Movies, like literature often carry lessons for life.  These can shape one’s views and opinions which can effect future moral decisions. Don’t try to tell me that Film is a weak medium and has no effect on Character.  Film is visual literature and literature helps mold Character one way or another.
Take a look at the films in your homes.  What lessons are you getting from them?  How is that R Rating matching the lessons you want to share with your prodigy?
My Grandfather served in World War II. Saving Private Ryan, while a work of fiction, gives a very realistic interpretation of some of the things my Grandfather experienced or witnessed.  The story it’s self walks through a series of some things that had actually happened in that war.  And while no documentary feature, I feel it is a good example of that era in history.  It also tells of of the moral of service and sacrifice and duty to causes higher than one’s self.  That’s just an example of a rated R movie that is probably worth keeping.  I’m keeping it.
Mormons as a whole try to avoid R rated movies in general.  But I tell you what… I’d rather my kids watch The Patriot or The Last Samurai than Dumb and Dumber or Twilight.

Automotive

Where Pontiac went wrong.

22 Comments

I’ve seen a lot of classic old cars lately.  One in particular stood out to me.  A GTO.  Everything good about Pontiac started out here.

GTO

Small car, simple, reliable, clean lines, and a nice big fat powerful engine.  This is a winning formula.  But Pontiac drank the Koolaid of their own greatness, bowed to the pressures of Parent Company GM who force fed them crap like they were Tail End Charlie in The Human Centipede.   But Pontiac used to be good… and at times along the way, shown absolute brilliance.

Pontiac’s catch phrase was “We build excitement”, and after that was “Wider is Better”.  Unfortunately “Excitement” meant that they took something totally coma-inducingly boring, and threw on some plastic body cladding to make it wider.  This was utter failure on every level.  At no point now one had the guts to tell upper management that they were all complete idiots.  The G8 GXP was absolutely awesome.  But it came too late.  The 2004 GTO was the first time since 1967 that the Brand really looked at it’s self and said that they needed to get serious again.  Shortly there after, they brought out the Solstice.  Which was great, but was a close miss.  It was almost there.  The Solstice was also run as the Saturn Sky… Which was a solid hit.  Can you see the difference?  The Solstice looks like it was swollen from a food allergy, where the Sky looked lean and mean.  This small, light, efficient sports car may not have sold all that well, but they did sell to those that appreciated the concept.  The Sky’s are demanding a premium price still, where several of the Solistici that I’ve seen have been selling for a deeper discount.
But where did Pontiac go wrong?  What happened to that Excitement?  2001 happened.  Pontiac released the Aztek.  Worse yet, the Design Team of the Aztek was not abducted and executed by firing squad as a sacrifice to the Gear-Headed Gods of Horsepower and Torque.  Pontiac keep pushing the Aztek through 2005.  Which means they kept backing it and hoping that it would take off with a sudden appreciation for it and Dan Colen paintings.  I had a friend that was a Pontiac Salesman at a Dealership.  I asked him what the hell was wrong with Pontiac.  He just shook his head and quit the next day.  This was about 4 months after the Aztek had come out and landed at his dealership.  He had worked there for 12 years.

Another guy that left Pontiac –  John DeLorean.  He’s the guy that gave us the Pontiac GTO and tried to do many other awesome things at Pontiac until 1969, when he was sent to Chevy.  But when LeLorean left, that was the death knell for Pontiac since no one after him had enough balls to keep the brand alive.  Look what happened to Pontiac after he left… The Firefly, the 6000, the Sunburst, the Wave, the 3rd Gen “Tempest”… don’t even get me started on the Montana. And then that Aztek.  

None of them had the Excitement that the Pontiac Badge tried to sell.
So where did Pontiac go wrong?  They didn’t find the next John DeLorean.  John went on to bigger and better things… He build the 1.21 Gigawatt Time Machines (that only produced a measly 130 horsepower at the wheels) and then he went and originated the Breaking Bad concept.
Pontiac needed a Rockstar Lead Singer… but never found another.  They were Guns and Roses after Axle left.  They were David Lee Roth after Van Halen left.  Pontiac was doomed.

GM should have set Pontiac apart from the rest… made them their performance marquee brand.  They really had something special and they crushed the life out of it, slowly, cruelly, like keeping an unloved child locked in a basement all it’s life, until it dies and gets buried in the back yard in the middle of the night.  Shame on you, GM.  Shame on you.

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