The Gunny.
Mark Wills, Country Singer, Awesome Guy.
Mark Walters and Ted Nugent.
Oleg Volk
Three Vegas Prostitutes inviting us to their “Party”.
I wonder what sort of mess I’m going to get into this year!
Zippo
The subject of Bug Out Kits, Survival, and general Preparedness keeps coming back and I’ve noticed that all the damn time people are including “Fire Starting Kits”.
These kits are generally a Magnesium chunk, and Flint and Steel affair. So you can make little sparks to catch some magnesium shaving and tender to start a flame. Yeah, that’s all fine and well. But let me put it this way. If I’m in a Survival Situation, and I need a Flame, I want a damn Flame not some Sparks.
I used to always – Always – have a Zippo lighter with me. I wasn’t a smoker or anything, but the Zippo was a part of my EDC kit. It was nothing fancy, just a classic “Windproof” in plain stainless with “INFANTRY” scratched into it. Had it for years and years. It was one of the two things that I got at Ft. Benning… the other was a Timex watch that I still have. I would still have that Zippo if it wasn’t for TSA. Zippo, knife, a flashlight, wallet and watch. Those were always on me.
So if you already have those items on you all the time… all you need to add to your kit is a little can of fluid to refill the Zippo. Maybe some replacement flint if your are all that worried… But that’s your kit. Forget scratching for sparks… Make some FIRE.
The Zippo Handwarmer is very nice too.
Dear Beretta
I’m a fan of your guns, I really am… But it seems you have a hole in you line up that needs filled.
You guys need to come out with a simple, slim, low bore axis, striker fired pistol.
No rotational locks, slide mounted safety, or anything else that adds width. You teased us with the Nano… We know you could do it. Yes, I’m saying Beretta needs to make a Glock. Imagine a pistol with Glock-like simplicity, but with some Italian good looks and feel. Actually, look hard at the Caracal pistols. That trigger is fantastic. I could have one… And I want one… But something about it is off. I know Beretta could do a better job of it.
The action of the 92 is interesting, and applied to a striker gun could be something fantastic. If it could be done slim wise.
Old MadOgre.com Gun Reviews.
Gear: Merrell Sawtooth boots
Gear: Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II
LRI Long Range Shooting Course
Detonics Combat Master (combined)
Kimber Tactical Custom II and Tactical Pro II
Thompson Center Encore Pistol
RockRiver VS Wilson Combat(PDF Version)
Springfield 1911 Ultra Compact
NAA Guardian(.32NAA as printed in SWAT)
*With approval from CCM
Dear GLOCK
Everyone knows your guns work… and everyone knows your cheap plastic sights totally suck. Everyone that takes their guns seriously, change those sights as soon as they get the chance.
You guys are bringing out the new 30S model, pretty much to compete with the Springfield XDS… Let me tell you, this is going to come up second place to the XDS. The S is slimmer, which is the biggest complaint about the 26 and 27 which are considered chunky. The S also has the advantage that it’s coming with good sights, right out of the box.
PLEASE…
Put some decent sights on your guns!
Just so we are Clear
Because of the stupidly high crime rates in areas with super strict gun control that obviously doesn’t work… we have to increase gun control everywhere else.
Angry Rant Time
Maybe they are right. Who needs “Shoulder Thingies That Go Up”? I mean, that’s some serious effing firepower right there.
Alien Predator Weapon Tech is not to be taken lightly, for sure. But who needs it?
Let me tell you. If the Government has it, then we need it too. And here’s why. We have the Second Amendment, and this is exactly what it’s for.
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
While we can throw out the argument about Artillery and the always tossed “would you want your neighbor to have a nuke?” bs response… We can consider all Small Arms as valid and necessary for the security of the people and these are exactly the Arms that shall not be infringed so we can bear them. Penn said it best when he broke the Second Amendment down. Because the Militia is Necessary, we having just fought a war against a well regulated militia, The People – meaning us and not The Militia – will not have our right to keep and bear arms infringed.
To keep and bear…. That means to Have. To Bear, that means to be able to Carry with us. In a holster or over the shoulder on a sling, or even carried in a Low Ready Position – that is bearing arms.
What of these Arms? What are we talking about? Muskets? Certainly not. The British had Muskets, but the Colonials upped the ante with the use of cutting edge weapon technology… We had Rifles. Much more accurate than the Muskets of the standing Militia. Fast forward to today’s times. The US Military rifles are the M4 Carbine and the M16A4. These weapons should be available to the public. But they are not. This gives advantage to The State over The People. Because the people can only have an AR-15, which are Semi Auto Only Sporting Rifles which can be no shorter than 16 inches. The Military has Full Auto and Burst Fire with no restrictions on barrel lengths. If we can not have at least the same rifle as the Military – Our rights have been infringed on. Simple as that.
The big problem with this infringement is the National Firearms Act of 1934, which basically gave rise to the ATF, which is one of the most useless Government Agencies on the Planet. The NFA pretty much infringed on everyone, and insured that the Government is able to put a boot to your neck any time they wish. Ruby Ridge happened over two shotguns that had been cut off slightly shorter than the prescribed 18 inches. A Wife, a Son, and their Dog, along with a Federal Marshall, were killed over an arbitrary length decided on back in 1934. This is ridiculous. But things like that happen all the time with the ATF, because that is their business… the bullshit Dotted I’s and Crossed T’s, they hunt them like IRS Accountants and act as if they are personally insulted if someone forgets to put “UT” behind “PROVO” on the place of birth. Really, how many Provo’s are there in the USA? But that is a violation… VIOLATION!!! Punishable by FINES or the loss of your LICENSE… they can put you out of business if you make too many mistakes in your paperwork, no matter how small.
No other industry is regulated like this. The ludicrousness of this so over the top, no other industry would tolerate it… but it’s done because of the great cause of “Public Safety”.
If this country want’s Safety, it’s pretty easy to do. Disband the ATF and repeal the NFA. Use that budget to improve road signs and put up Hazard Warning systems to alert drivers of dangers ahead in the road. Or for a system that enforces the common sense of not Texting While Driving… you know… things that would actually save lives and not cost them.
Rest in Peace: John Noveske
We are saddened to learn the news of the passing of John Noveske. He was killed in a motor vehicle accident in which the details are still being investigated.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his Family and Friends.
John raised the bar in the AR-15 business and the gun industry as a whole. There are few individuals who had so much influence. He will be missed.
SIG 1911 Scorpion
For the last month, this was my Carry Gun. I kept it concealed, and when I was packing it, no one knew I had it on me. This is an all steel 1911 Commander type, with ambi-safety, night sights, and a tac-rail. Really there is nothing special about the SIG’s No tricks, nothing out of the ordinary… Just a 1911 done very well.
The Cerakote finish is solid. The gun looked just the same from start to end, with no wear marks. The color is a good one for the area of the world I live in. In the holster, the grips blend in well with wooded or desert areas.
In shooting it, the number of malfunctions was Zero. The accuracy was staggering. I didn’t get any of the shooting on video as my camera was in the backpack and riding home on a motorcycle in the cold, I wasn’t exactly wanting to spend a lot of time. But all the hits were where I wanted them to go.
The trigger pull is very crisp, with just a little take up. Very predictable, and this allowed me to really get the most out of this pistol. The only production 1911 that I’ve fired that was more accurate than this, was the SIG TACOPS, which is essentially this same gun, just in black with different grips.
I really dig the Commander Length of the barrel and slide. I also like the fact that the safety levers are not overly extended. They are longer than GI’s but stubby compared to everything else. I consider these to be about ideal. The grips give the gun a Snake Skin kind of look, and goes very well with the flat dark earth colored Cerakote. The black controls and extractor and sights, really makes the gun snap. If there is anything I would do to this gun, it would be to replace the trigger. The straight DK pattern trigger is just too different for me. I’d put in a normal GI myself.
Speaking of GI’s…
While the Scorpion is a modern example of the 1911, the GI remains my favorite configuration, and out of everyone’s interpretation of what a GI is, the Springfield GI is the best of the best. The only thing you need with the GI is a lot of spare mags and ammo. Now, I know all this is fine and well, but let me put it to you this way. If I was going to buy another 1911, I’d buy a SIG Scorpion. SIG has the highest level of quality control of any production 1911 and they don’t hold anything back.
I would really like to see SIG do a simple GI pattern gun.
My last opinion on this, as an EDC Gun… While the gun carried well enough, it was heavy and the grip frame long. It seemed heavier and larger than the Beretta 92FS, because I was using a less than optimal holster. With a good holster, such as my AdamsHolsters Sharkhide Rig, even the larger, heavier Beretta carried better. This goes for any gun – the proper holster makes all the difference.
Since the last day of packing the Scorpion, I’ve carried the Glock 23, the Beretta 92FS, my GI, and a couple others guns… and I learned something. Packing a 1200 dollar 1911, I was always conscious of it. Always aware, always being careful of it. To be honest, I found it distracting. Maybe because its a 1200 dollar borrowed pistol. But I am much more comfortable packing something I am less concerned about. This is were Glock’s win. No one cares a bit about a Glock. It’s there, and if it’s loaded, it’s going to work. Any scars it gets along the way, just add character. Which it needs, because Glocks have none.
Packing a Beretta, scars help remove the Pretty Boy look and means you can take it serious. Maybe I’d feel the same way about the Scopion if it was my own. Maybe that’s the lesson here. Dont EDC a borrowed gun.
WTF Winchester?
Winchester is rolling out a new cartridge at SHOT Show. The .17 Winchester Super Magnum. On the surface, it appears pretty spiffy. A magnum rimfire cartridge based not on any firearms cases, but a .27 Caliber Power Fastener case – Nail Gun Ammo. This bigger case allows the rimfire to kick it out there at 3,000 feet per second. That’s 500 FPS faster than the .17 HMR. That’s impressive, it really is. Kinda makes you want one, doesn’t it?
There is just one tiny .17 caliber problem though.
The .17 Hornet.
The Hornet round is firing a .17 caliber rice grain out to 3650. That’s right 650 FPS faster than this new Winchester Rimfire. So why if you are wanting a hot .17, would you stick with a Rimfire when you could gain over a thousand feet per second over the HMR by going with the Hornet? It makes little sense to me. I wouldn’t buy one. In fact, I wouldn’t buy a Hornet either – instead favoring the .204 if I wanted something that wasn’t a .22-250. But sticking with the .17 calibers, for me, it’s either the HMR or the Hornet. And that’s what a lot of gun buyers have been saying as well. You have to buy a regular sized rifle, might as well but the .204 or .22-250. Which is why we sell more .22-250’s than anything else when we are talking a Bolt Action rifle.
Savage and Ruger have come out with .17 Hornet rifles… Well, Savage has. We’ve not seen any of the Rugers that they said they were coming out. The Savages have had some gnarly magazine issues, and while they are very accurate, they just are not feeding right. That kinda takes all the fun out of them. We’ve yet to see a lightweight X-Bolt or Rem Model 7 in the .17 Hornet, which is what that cartridge needs. But would you want that in a Rimfire? I think not.
This new Winchester rimfire is doomed to fail, and fail badley.
I want to know what guys at Winchester thought that this would be a great new round, instead of bringing out what people have been actually asking for…. Cartridges such as a .25WSM. Since it’s come out, people have been Wildcatting the .300 WSM case down to .25 and getting close to .257 Weatherby performance out of their Short Actions. This is a cartridge that needs some Factory Legit backing. But evidently they would rather break out a new rimfire that no one is going to give a damn about.