S&W M&P Shield


Smith’s new Shield pistol is going to be a rare find this year… but if you stumble on one – SNAG IT.

It’s very compact, but because of the magazine extension, you can actually get a good solid grip on the weapon.

It’s narrow, but not too skinny as to be awkward.  M&P Lines, so it looks like an M&P, not an upsized Bodyguard… Being a Striker fired gun, it’s all M&P genetics here.  The safety lever is the only wart, but it’s a very unobtrusive one… which means actually using the safety lever is more difficult and of course completely useless.  This is a Bodyguard trait that should have been erased.

Right now, they are out in 9mm.  But they have already gone out to the allotted dealers.  If you see one and pass on it… good luck finding another one in 2012…

It’s kind of like an M&P Compact’s anorexic little sister.

The magazine holds 8, so you are not giving up much on the M&P Compact.  They said they improved the trigger of the standard M&P’s trigger… and that’s true.  They did.  But there are already people out there working on an Improved Improved trigger for it.

It’s not a straight up Single Stack… it does have a slight stagger to it.  This is why it gets as many rounds as it has, and feeds well, and gives you a bit of a funnel for a quicker reload when you need it.

Overall, I’m impressed.  S&W’s M&P line up is all excellent stuff and this gun is no different.  Let’s see, there is the new SIG 938 and the new Beretta Nano, the newest of the Sub Compact Slim Nines… The SIG is a mini 1911 and thus in a class by its self… the Nano is a Double Action.  So while not a real Apples to Apples gun, the Shield smokes it.  The only thing really like the Shield is the Walther PPS and I think the Shield is a much better pistol.  It feels better in the hand, better trigger, and feels like a more solid built gun.   And, I believe, the Shield is less money  These are about 400 bucks and the PPS is, if I remember, about 500.  That’s enough left over for a very nice holster.

Walther P22 KB

Ever see a Rimfire KB before?  I hadn’t.  Until today.  Customer brought in a Walther with a “Problem”.

The KB cracked the P22's frame and subframe is damaged.

This isn’t just from one bad round.  The customer had a second piece of brass that looked exactly like the first.

It wasn't a squib or barrel obstruction... I think the ammo was double primed.

When we have a KB, there are are two Culprits we look at… The Gun or The Ammo.  Most of the time, the Ammo is the cause.  Remington Golden Bullet Bulk Pack.  I don’t have a lot number or anything.  The Customer Cleaned and Lubed the gun, fired several magazines full with no problem and then suddenly had a jam… then another jam and the slide wouldn’t go forward with the magazine in.  Then he noticed the frame and the brass.  Looking at the brass, the way the casing was blown out like that… I think we have some cases that were double primed.  If it was fired out of battery, the brass would be blown out differently and distinctively, indicating it… in this case, the primer material in the rim blew out the rim.  A normal amount of primer wouldn’t do this, and there isn’t enough case volume for a double charge… but the pressure spike from too much primer – would do exactly this.

Luckily no one was hurt, nothing else was damaged.  We’ll see what Walther and Remington does.

Government Gone Wild

What country is this?  The US Secret Service getting hookers, the GSA going on a Vegas Binger like the guys from The Hangover or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Presidential Vacations and private jets to fly the Presidential Dog to Vacations.  The BATFE sending guns to Mexican Drug Cartells, The Department of Education buying Tactical Shotguns, and the TSA is feeling people up and stealing their iPods.

Is this our Government, or a Sacha Baron Cohen Comedy?  If this one another Country – it would be freaking hilarious… but it’s not… It’s our Government.  And it’s frakking pathetic.

Speaking of a Useless Government.  Let’s talk about Utah for a moment.  Utah passed a 50 dollar bounty on Coyotes… but it’s all held up because they can’t decide on just how to do it.  And even if they do get it all settled down… Uintah County doesn’t get any.  Instead of paying our Local Boys to bag the problematic Yotes, they would rather pay a Guy in a Helicopter.  When you break down the cost per dog, a Chopper is freaking retarded.  Too inefficient to be believable, but that’s what they’ve been spending our money on.
This needs to be put before the public vote.  This needs to be on the Ballot.  A Government Gunman in a Chopper, or hundreds of hunters across the county collecting on a pair of ears at a time.  What’s more efficient?  Just paying for the ears, or paying a gunman and a pilot and maintenance and everything involved for operating a helicopter?   And where is that chopper?  It’s only in one place at a time, flying only when they want it to.  Not out there all the time, all over the county, wherever the coyotes are stirring up problems and the money going to guys who could probably use a few extra bucks.   Where should our money go?  What makes the most sense?   I don’t think a Chopper makes any sense at all.  This should be put to the Vote.

Killer Hoodies

Geraldo is just nuts.  He blames Hoodies, which is a different take on the Travon-Zimmerman incident… but one that is about as stupid as it gets.

Speaking of Hoodies… the idea of the Tactical Hoodie caught the imagination of some of The Horde.  I’ve been thinking about this.  It’s very doable.  I have some very good ideas at different levels of Tactical.

1.  Low profile, looks completely normal on the outside.
2.  Condition Black, looks tactical on the outside, has some reinforcing matterial on the outside that would allow quick attachment of needed accessories.
3.  Fangs Out.  Using technology from motorcycle jacket armor and ballistic nylon to provide max protection in a tussel and look completely badass.

Only question though is who would be willing to buy and how much would you be willing to pay?  A normal good quality Carhart Hoodie is what, 60 bucks?  Would you be willing to go $99.99 for a Custom Made Tactical Hoodie?  I have a friend that is about to launch a Tactical Accessories Business, and he could make these Hoodies if the interest was really there for a Seriously Killer Hoodie.

Vernal Needs Food Badly

I’ve complained many times that Vernal Utah doesn’t have any good places to eat. It doesn’t. It really doesn’t. There are a few places that try, and other places that have just given up and make the same slop they’ve been making for ages and that’s all the people of Vernal know, so they stay in business.
It has it’s brighter spots. Pelican Lake Cafe is one, but it’s not even in Vernal, but down in Ouray by the Pelican Lake. Bar B’Qued is in Vernal, right across the street from the Holiday Inn Express, and it’s improved a lot… It’s not bad. It can’t touch a real BBQ joint, but it’s trying and it’s getting better. We have some of our standard chain fast food, but not the better chains.
We need a good old fashioned dirty-water hot dog joint. We need real old classic burger joint that makes things their own way. We need an Italian place. We need a destination diner… Where they love their food and are proud of it.
This is me BEGGING for a good food establishment to come to Vernal. For the love of all that is holy – come to Vernal.

S&W M&P Shield


I think I’d be interested in this in .40… I like it. An improved trigger, which the M&P line needed, in a size factor that S&W needed to get into. Julie’s hair looked fantastic too.
Okay, let’s take a closer look at the gun. I think it could have been 1/4 inch longer in the barrel… I know they wanted to hit a size point, but I think the took the barrel length dimension a bit too short. The addition of the thumb safety is unnecessary. Oh sure, it’s small enough to be unobtrusive, but it’s also too small to be really useful. It’s like a 3rd Nipple. Still, overall, I like this gun and look forward to trying it out.
Other guns it’s competing with… PF9, Nano, 938, LC9, PPS, PM9… Yeah, I think S&W nailed a Home Run Winner.

Concussion

Monday I received another concussion. Hit my head… I thought I was doing okay, headaches, but taking it easy I thought I was doing pretty well.
Today I decided to take short ride to warm up my motorcycle’s chain so I can lube it up… As I was pulling back into Ogre Ranch, I felt like I was falling to the left, so I leaned right, and very gently, very slowly, very ignobly… laid my bike over on it’s right. No real damage but a bend in the brake lever, and I popped a connector on a fairing.
As of right now, I am still dizzy as hell.

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