So, here’s i’m sitting in my office at the last moments of 2014.  At my fingertips is a Mac, and laying across my lap is an 870 Police Magnum. I’m in South Carolina and I am bewildered how I came about to be here.  A series of unfortunate events and fortuitous events played in such a way that I am in a place that I could never have imagined before.

A couple years ago, I was in a small old house in rural Utah, in the middle of no where.  Chopping wood and splitting wood daily.  Riding a motorcycle through snow.  Never warming up until late March. And to be honest, I was depressed as hell.  I felt stuck… trapped.  I had good friends around, but being stuck in a rut that was going to lead no where.  I found a chance to go to North Carolina, and I jumped on it.  Looking back, that was a mistake.  However I knew it was only a stepping stone.  So I stepped.

Now, I’m in a warmer place, in a new home that’s 4 times the size of that old Ogre Ranch… and the fireplace?  Runs on Gas.   I’m warm.  My joints don’t hurt.  All my old injuries don’t flair up like they used to and I’ve not had to use my cane for a great long time.   This is good.

2014 was a most interesting year.  Some of my worst lows in 2014.  Some of my best times.  I have cherished memories from 2014 now.

I can’t wait to see what 2015 has to offer.

October is coming.  The Month of Scary Movies is almost here.  Time to turn the lights off and pull the blanket up to your chin.

The problem is what horror movie to watch?

I’ve not seen a really good new scary movie in a long time.   Some start out good, or at least interesting, and then go straight to “Pants on the Head Retarded”.

I hate jump scares.  If you are a Director, and you have to use them, you suck.  You suck, your script writer sucks, your producers suck.
Found Footage and Documentary type horrors are the worst.  They are as Cliche as the “It was all just a dream” dodge.  It was unique at one time, with the Blair Witch Project and now it’s just a crutch for the unimaginative.

Hollywood is all about doing Remakes… Either remaking older films, or remaking foreign films.  You know what?  If you are going to do a Docu-Footage Horror, don’t.  Do a Remake.  Because with as little artistic credibility as you are going to have, might as well emulate something actually good.

And if you do a Remake… I’m still going to hate you.   Hack.

So what movies are we going to watch this month?   I suggest the old classics.  Black and White.  My top pick?  The Omen.

My apologies for being a bit quiet lately.  My family and I are getting ready to move to again… buying a house… and making big life changes here.  But it’s all good.  We’re excited and happy!

Trade Ins. Guys, you really need to watch your trade-ins very closely. This is an area where a lot of shops can lose money for a few reasons, or you can do your customer a great disservice.

Continue reading Be Careful with Trade Ins →

You’ve got to look at the firearms like how Hooter’s uses their lovely girls. The girls are what brings the guys in, they are not making any money from the girls themselves. Stay with me here. You have a store full of Merch. For most Gun Stores most everything else in that store is a higher Margin item than most every gun you have in inventory.

Continue reading Build the Want →

Great customer service is a perception that belongs to the Customer, not you the Retailer. For you, that is the Goal and not the accomplishment. Don’t every think you have it… because then you stop striving for it.

Continue reading Rules for Retailers →

I’ve really come back to my true handgunning loves…. Hammer Fired Guns with Metal Frames.  1911’s specifically, followed by SIG’s, Beretta’s, CZ’s, and those funky 3rd Gen S&W slab-fisted automatics life the 5906 and 4506 and 1066.   There is just something about them.  Now, the 1911 famously being the stand out Single Action.  It takes the grown for being ruggedly handsome.  If it was an actor in a leading role, it’s character would have 5:00 Shadow and 6:00 AM.

The 1911 remains the pistol of choice for a great many Pistol Aficionados.   It’s just so very good at so many things.  I still distrust 1911’s with barrels shorter than 4″, but that’s a whole other conversation.

Revolvers also fall under the Hammer Fired, Metal Framed catagory.  Interestingly, my attention has been on guns patterned on the Single Action Army, but slightly more modern.  Ruger Blackhawks, and even Colt’s New Frontier.    And with these guns, I’m more interested in the ones with barrels shorter than 5″.  4″ is ideal, I do believe.

I’ve been tinkering a lot on my guns as of late.   Playing the Kitchen Table Gunsmith.  Re-learning a great many things that I had forgotten or have not bothered with in decades.   You can really screw things up doing this.  Especially when, like me, you know just enough to get yourself in a mess of trouble.  Luckily I’ve avoided such troubles and have really pushed the limits of my skills.  The results are simply that my guns are slick and seem to be functioning better than ever.  The one thing I have never forgotten.   Take. Your. Time.  Don’t rush anything you do when you take a gun apart.  Take your time and think everything through.  Every part, pin and spring.

This new Brad Pitt movie coming out has me on edge – I can’t wait to see it.  It’s called “Fury”.  It’s a WWII Tank movie.  The only other one I can think of is Kelly’s Heroes.  (Not just a weird kinda sandwich)  Evidently it’s staring a real and actual German Tiger tank… the last one.  That’s just too freaking awesome.  The Tiger was truly full on beastly.  It’s a good thing the Germans didn’t have them in the same numbers that we had our Shermans.  Hmmm… I wonder if other nations think the same thing about our M1 Abrams tanks?

I heard on the news that an American was just killed in Syria, while fighting FOR the group known as ISIS.  My response was “Good!”  Then the report mention that the Government’s response was to issue a Travel Advisory about American’s going to Syria.  Nothing about Americans fighting along side terrorist assholes… Which evidently is fine, just don’t fly into Syria to do it.

Robin Williams’ death.  The thing that gets me about Robin Williams suicide – was all the good work he did for sick kids and all the good work he did for the troops.  He was liberal, sure, but he was a humanitarian first and foremost.   I’m just disappointed he pulled his own plug when he could have been the next Bob Hope with the USO… he could have been doing so much more with those kids.  And then is struck me.  What would people say about us like that?  What potential do other people see in us that they never tell us?   Suicide is a symptom of a very low, very negative sense of Self Worth.  This is why so many of our Service men and women choose to kill themselves.   And not just Veterans… look at the problems with Teenagers.

So I want to help that.  This Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS… Yeah, that’s all fine and all.  I did it.  So if I did it, you know it’s jumped the shark.  So I have a new challenge.   If you know someone who you think might be feeling down… Boost them up.  Tell them the potential that you see in them and help them reach that.   Warm their hearts with Self Confidence and don’t throw ice water on their spirits.