| September Range Report |
[Sep. 29th, 2009|10:53 pm] |
So last Saturday, my "nicely used" S&W Model 610 arrives at my local FFL dealer from Illinois just in time for me to knock out a few chores before heading to Southside Sportsmans Club/Freedom Firearms... and the N frame makes five:
It's three pounds, one ounce - does it seem hot in here to you, or am I just weightlifting? - and as much fun to shoot at 40 feet as it is at 20:
So far, I've stuck with .40 S&W loadings (but some of Georgia Arms & DoubleTap's best 10mm stuff is on order):
I was also happy to find that my recent feed problems with my Springfield XD seem to have been caused by a mag release so dirty that it occasionally stuck. After lots of elbow grease and Break-Free CLP, I had one issue in a hundred or so rounds. It cleared up immediately with just a gentle tap on the mag. W00t!
Now, if I can just get out of work early tomorrow, it's likely that the mailman will have delivered another eight moon clips from Midway... :-) |
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| Responding to the ammo situation |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|11:41 pm] |
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It's past time to take this step, of course: I've just ordered a pair of speedloaders for my five screw K-22. Can't wait for the next range trip! |
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| June 20th Range Report |
[Jun. 22nd, 2009|07:07 am] |
Location: Southside Sportsman's Club, Battle Creek
Time of day: late afternoon
Arms: XD-40 & 357 snubby
Course: 7 & 10 yards, right & left handed
I was more than a bit tired from running the Kalamazoo Klassic in the morning, and both the 10k and 5k races at that. (I did just under 10 minute miles in both, despite IT Band Syndrome.) I was also in a hurry - needed to get in, get out and stop at a supermarket on my way to dinner at a friend's place. It took a bit more concentration to keep the front sight from wavering after a half-hour or so. Interesting note: I continue to be far more accurate with the XD than the snub or any other revolver, and tend to hit left with it (while revolver hits tend to be right.) It just chews the center out of a target.
One other interesting note: I need an XD in .22LR or a conversion kit. Three boxes of .40 S&W reloads, one box of Serbian .38 sp in LRN and an hour of discounted indoor range time results in a total cost of $80 for the trip. I bought an extra brick of .22 the next day. For $25. Can't wait for the other shoe to drop... |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|09:22 pm] |
With thanks to Desert Martini: More about Me.
Have you ever:
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die (Technically. EMS brought them back.)
(X) Been to Canada (it's next door, and often nice.)
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida (Spring Break in Daytona!)
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane (2 flights/24 hours to Delhi...)
(X) Been lost (Now I'm found.)
(X) Gone to Washington, DC (Just prior to Bro-In-Law's Iraq deployment, 2006)
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons (define 'recently')
( ) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only (Sacagawea!)
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe (Who buys that crap?)
( ) Watched the sunrise with someone (Now, a Moonrise...)
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
(X) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving (What, now that I'm too old for Airborne?)
(X) Gone snowmobiling (Overrated, after a motorcycle track day)
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Laid outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Ole Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X) Traveled by motorcycle (500 mile weekends on a crotch rocket- ow!)
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco Trolley
( ) Been to Disneyland / Disney world (I'm a Warner Bros. guy)
( ) Been to the top of an active volcano and seen hot lava
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Met someone famous (watched an idiot bother Vonnegut in an airport, once.)
(X) Caught fire flies
1. Any nickname? Sunny, goes with my surname. Seriously: I'm 'Dave' by virtue of naming.
2. Mother’s name? Janice
3. Favorite drink? Gaspari Superpump 250, Coke Zero, Riesling.
4. Body Piercing’s? Nope.
6. How much do you love your job? It has ups and downs, but I make a difference.
7. Birthplace? Flint, MI
8. Favorite vacation spot? Currently Petoskey, MI
9. Ever been to Africa ? No.
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? No.
11. Ever been on TV? No.
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No.
13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door
15. Can you drive a standard shift car? Yes, and the motorcyle keeps me current, of course.
16. Favorite pie? American Apple, of course.
17. Favorite number? Can't tell you, it's my PIN.
18. Favorite movie? Casablanca, Aliens, Le Mans, Nobody's Fool. Something's Gotta Give.
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas
20. Favorite dessert? Dark Chocolate.
21. Favorite food? Yes. Just one? Okay: chickpeas.
22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
23. Favorite brand of body soap? Lever 2000
24. Favorite toothpaste? Crest Pro Health Clean Cinnamon
25. Favorite smell? Curry - my sense of smell is poor & must be bludgeoned!
26. How do you relax? Exercise, fresh fruit, the web.
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Settled with a couple of kids - or off the grid. |
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| Day. Doctor Day. |
[Feb. 2nd, 2009|02:27 pm] |
Your International Spy Name is Dr. Day
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Your Code Name: Kneecaps
You Reside in: Hong Kong
Why You're a Good Spy: You're agile
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 21st, 2008|02:35 pm] |
Just started viewing a DVR-captured, IFC "Uncut" offering: "Eaten Alive," 1976, directed by Tobe Hooper, starring Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer and Carolyn Jones. Was delighted to see the name of Robert Englund in the credits, too.
And then the movie opened on a shot of a belt buckle, holding up a pair of jeans worn by none other than Mr. Englund. As a pair of disembodied hands entered the shot to alternately undo said buckle and unzip the jeans, a Southern-accented voice is heard to say "Name's Buck. I'm rarin' to fuck." Eventually, the speaker is revealed as Mr. Englund's character - entering a whore's room.
I'd always thought that "suffering for one's art" referred to starving in cheap lodgings, but I find that I've had to expand my definition. |
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| RIP, William F. Buckley Jr. |
[Feb. 27th, 2008|07:17 pm] |
Even in my undergrad days of reading the [B]Flint/Michigan Voice[/B] and [B]Detroit Free Press[/B] as my most regular news sources, I'd make time for [B]National Review[/B].
His example of how to agree to disagree will always inspire. |
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| One can imagine what the process of joining must be like. |
[Oct. 1st, 2007|12:16 pm] |
Given that it's a "fully-equipped open-access workshop and creative environment that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace," I suspect that purchasing a TechShop membership is an exercise involving signing waivers and reading disclaimers, one after another, for a good length of time. I noted that a class/checkout experience/skills test is required before one is allowed free reign. I'd want it that way before I'd buy in, were a franchise to open near me; it's disconcerting to think that the person using the laser cutter at the next station over might be a complete newbie.
But my buy-in would nonetheless be a certainty. I've watched too many friends trying to decide between tools for the basement shop and clothing for the children (yes, I'm kidding.) How could one resist a "Kinko's for geeks" complete with dynamometer and motorcycle lift stations, at $30 per diem or $100 per month? |
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| Yes, self-reliance is a great ideal. But. |
[Sep. 27th, 2007|11:38 am] |
Lots of smart folks like to quote Papa Heinlein's immortal words from "Time Enough For Love" concerning Lazarus Long's feelings about specialization and humans, as does Glenn Reynolds in his October Popular Mechanics column on the end of self-reliance in American society. I've uttered the phrase "specialization is for insects" on more than one occasion.
But it's time that someone made a deeper point about this paragraph (which IIRC was a chapter heading quote and not part of the story.) I can't recall if Mr. Heinlein gives us a clue to the context of the quote. Perhaps it's one of the chapters where Lazarus Long is undergoing geriatric rehab yet again, which could mean it was intended as an example of the sort of wisdom that is being passed on to the descendants who are listening to Long's recollections. Or perhaps it heads up a chapter describing Long's time spent homesteading with Dora (his great love and normal-lifespan spouse.)
IIRC, in the former case Long would have been about 2,400 years old, and in the latter about 900. In either case, it's the remark of a man WHO HAS LIVED MANY MULTIPLES OF A NORMAL LIFETIME.
Hey, I'd be a world-class neurosurgeon and an expert at tiddleywinks, too. Meanwhile, I'm going to do some prioritizing in what's left of my fourscore-plus or so years. If that means finding time for computer games instead of learning to butcher a hog or pitch manure (to say nothing of reading journal articles while waiting for AAA to change my tire, though I'm not yet that far gone...)
Well, the species will survive, I think. |
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| "The Brave One" |
[Sep. 14th, 2007|02:47 pm] |
I haven't seen it. But from what I've read so far, the plot synopsis goes like this: Talk Radio host and her MD boyfriend are set upon in Central Park. The MD doesn't make it; after her own recovery, she buys a Kahr in an alleyway for $1000 ("only outlaws will have guns") to soothe her frightened psyche. After she uses lethal force to (marginally) defend herself during a subway robbery, she discovers that private hunting is more to her taste than most folks should find comfortable...
Aww. Dammit. Now they've gone and remade "Death Wish" with a chick!!!
(What, you thought this was going to be a RKBA/Pro-2nd rant, and not a "I'm 42 and sick of seeing remakes of shit from my childhood" rant? ;-) ) |
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| I'll take their word fot it... |
[Sep. 11th, 2007|07:10 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cynical | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Won't Get Fooled Again | ] |
For a little while longer, anyway: 2008 is almost here and PoliTalk says that my Candi-Date is
Rudy Giuliani.
Funny. I'd thought I might be voting McCain in a primary again - before he decided that borders were just lines on the map. |
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| Is that all that I can be trusted with? |
[Apr. 17th, 2007|07:13 am] |
Frightening news? From a Fox News story on yesterday's massacre:
Though tragedies like that at Virginia Tech can never be completely eradicated, universities should make sure to inform their students and faculty of danger and get them involved whenever possible, said Rutgers disaster sociologist Dr. Lee Clarke.
"If somebody is very determined, given that we don't have effective gun control, they can do some damage," he said. "We're wide open, and major universities are terrific targets.
"But when the world falls apart, it's the person next to you who's going to save you. In spite of fears of panic and mayhem, people can be trusted with frightening news."
Apparently, the person next to me will be allowed to defend her- or himself... |
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| Useless and Remarkably Ignorant |
[Feb. 23rd, 2007|11:41 am] |
A friend sent me a link to a Detroit Free Press story: Armed woman: 'I'm tired of people tailgating me.' Apparently she shot at the tires of a pickup truck which she felt had previously come too close on the on-ramp. The reporter writes that "she had a permit for the gun." That's useless information, and possibly a sign of bias or remarkably ignorant questioning.
AFAIK, there are two kinds of LICENSES issued in the state of Michigan. One is for purchase (but doesn't give someone the privilege of carrying a loaded weapon while in a vehicle) and the other is for carrying a concealed pistol; 'permit' is at best a slang term and at worst a sign that the reporter's got an axe to grind. |
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| OTOH, you could call me "pollyanna..." |
[Feb. 16th, 2007|03:54 pm] |
But remember, I've been a bad boy, so it makes sense!
You Are Very Happy
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Your life is totally together, and you enjoy every day.
And you don't need a quiz to tell you that!
You know how to find pleasure in the little things...
And even when life isn't so great, you have a good sense of perspective.
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| Uh oh... I've been a BAD boy! |
[Feb. 16th, 2007|03:35 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | WASP, "I Wanna Be Somebody" | ] |
With a tip o' the hat to Chris:
You Are 28% Pure
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You've either done it, thought about it, or at least heard about it.
Luckily, there's a few things left for you to try!
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You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut
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A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image.
On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.
You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.
Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.
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| Oy. |
[Jan. 31st, 2007|04:28 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Also Sprach Zarathustra | ] |
From Wired, this story of the loss of Apollo 11 data is rather disheartening for both the engineer and the spaceflight enthusiast. That goes double if one is both, of course.
The story is well worth reading in any case. |
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| Oy. |
[Jan. 26th, 2007|04:21 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Work | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | Somnolent | ] |
| [ | music |
| | "Sweep The Leg," No More Kings | ] |
My Dad and baby sister are at loggerheads: father's heart attack has turned into daughter's disowning.
Be warned, folks. Sure, it's your life to do with as you will, but don't be shocked when your loved ones agree - and decided to 'will' you out of theirs. |
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| What a week that was. |
[Dec. 3rd, 2006|02:42 pm] |
In the last seven days, I've purchased two revolvers and sold one, registered for and completed a CCW/CPL class, flexed enough hours at work to make up for an intended Wednesday afternoon leave, and wrestled with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server for more hours than I care to remember.
So, what have I learned?
Well, for one thing, you shouldn't leave the small details to be covered by others, even those whom you generally trust. Example? After shopping for months (years really), I gave my local gun store a deposit on a fine, used Smith & Wesson model 60-4 revolver chambered in .357 Magnum, with a 3-inch barrel and S&W's target sights. Last Monday, I picked up my LPP from the Kalamazoo DPS and headed into the store to complete the transaction. I hoped to make it onto a range during the week before heading to the CCW class on Saturday, as I'd never before fired its like. In fact, my total handgunning experience was something like 100 rounds.
It was after a thorough cleaning and while prepping the gun to be inspected by KDPS that I noticed something disturbing: the plainly visible notation ".38 Special Ctg" stamped on the right side of the barrel. I swore out loud, as I'd done the research, read the reviews and knew that the Model 60 line had started some forty years ago as a .38 Special and had only recently been 'uprated' for .357 cartridges. I'd missed that completely while looking at and handling the gun at the store, even as I checked the trigger, hammer, and cylinder release. Happily, the guys at the gun store agreed to buy it back for what I'd given them and apply it towards a new model 60-15, which was the gun about which I'd just read the glowing review and only cost an additional $180. They kicked in a box of Remington 125gr SJHP Magnums, too.
By the time I got all this sorted and made my fourth trip to KDPS, it was Thursday evening and raining. Sleet & freezing rain were forecast, but I drove the 25 miles to the range anyway. I had less than a half-hour before close, so I bought five silhouettes and proceed to put five rounds in each from a different box of new ammo. I had a few minutes left at the end, so I broke out the Winchester PP rounds (+P, 125gr JHP) and put ten of them in target #5, after marking up the old hits with a pen.
Yeah, you guessed it: I ran out of there without the targets. And before you ask: yes, in the opinion of this newbie at least, it is a nice shooter. Even with Magnums, though the muzzle flash is amazing. It weighs 25 ounces according to S&W. The felt recoil, while significantly greater than anything I'd ever experienced with the larger-framed, 6-inch barreled revolvers I'd shot previously, wasn't terrible to me. Your mileage may vary: I've been known to indulge in weight training for exercise.
Another thing I've learned? Mag-Tech ammo won't ever again be in my shopping cart. I had four bad primers among the 253 rounds I've shot in the last four days, the last three being from the box of 158gr LSWC I'd bought with the gun. |
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