Weapons

Love for the .40

35 Comments

The Gun Community is starting to drift away from the .40.  A lot of Trainers that I respect are moving away from the .40 to the 9mm.  They can shoot faster with it.  They have their reasons… Cost of ammo is higher than 9mm, it has more recoil than 9mm, and you can get more rounds in the same size magazine in 9mm.  That’s all true.  Sure.  But I think some of them just like to wow students with Buzz Gun firing rates.  Sure, you can shoot a 9mm really fast and look like Chris Costa doing it… but you are doing it with a smaller and weaker cartridge.  The .40 has more recoil because you are putting out more punch.

In .40 I have a bullet that has a 27% increase in Diameter, heavier bullet weights.  It performs more like a .45 than it does a 9mm, yet I get roughly double the capacity of a .45 in a pistol with the size and comfort in the hand of a 9mm grip frame.  A .40 caliber will typically give up only 1 or 2 rounds from a 9mm.  Yet we have about double the capacity from your typical .45 pistol.  Considering that you are not really giving up any actual power from a .45, that’s a good trade.
The .40 is the cartridge of choice for a majority of Law Enforcement for a reason.  Police, both Federal and Local tend to be picky about what they choose to carry and usually do a lot of testing.  This is why they usually end up picking a .40.  They don’t just adopt a cartridge because it’s popular.  Let’s not forget that reason we have the .40 is from the unfortunate event with the 86 Miami Massacre.  During that event, the 9mm failed to do it’s job.  So did the .38 Special.  The result was the FBI’s search for a better cartridge.  This gave us the 10mm, which was fantastic, but too much for the Lawyers and Accountants of the FBI to handle.  S&W then developed the .40… which is where we are now.
So I do like the .40 S&W cartridge, and will continue to use it.  I don’t need to follow the typical path of going backwards.  .45 to 9, back to .45, then back to 9mm… See this goes back to the Old West days… we all had .45’s.  Then the Army went to the .38’s.  After we fought the Moros, we had the Trials of 1905 where we decided we needed a .45 again… this the 1907 trials that lead to the 1911 adaptation which served just fine until the 80’s when we went with a 9mm again.  I’m done with all that, and so is Law Enforcement… I’ll stick with .40 caliber.

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.

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