I'm not sure, but I think it may be a simple blowback action. It states that there is no gas system to clog/malf.
If these can be confirmed to be reliable ... man. I don't know that I could pass one up.
Edit: Let's see if I can link a pic...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
More AR Uppers...
...in crazy calibers. It seems that Military Gun Supply is making a new upper for the AR-15 ... in 5.7x28! And to top it off, it utilizes the P90's 50 round mags and ejects out the bottom of the old mag well.
I'm not sure, but I think it may be a simple blowback action. It states that there is no gas system to clog/malf.
If these can be confirmed to be reliable ... man. I don't know that I could pass one up.
Edit: Let's see if I can link a pic...
I'm not sure, but I think it may be a simple blowback action. It states that there is no gas system to clog/malf.
If these can be confirmed to be reliable ... man. I don't know that I could pass one up.
Edit: Let's see if I can link a pic...
Saturday, March 29, 2008
S&W M&P-15 ... In 5.45x39?
This is just crazy. Assuming it's true of course. It'd definitely be one way to stock up on cheap ammo nowadays.
Fact or Speculation?
It occurred to me while watching the History channel today that they seem to have a propensity to present as scientific fact subject matter that, to my admittedly uncertain knowledge, is as yet unproven and still quite speculative.
Has anyone else gotten this impression or am I just being paranoid?
Has anyone else gotten this impression or am I just being paranoid?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Geek Quiz ... Blame D
Courtesy of a young lady, who managed to score really badly (or really well depending on your point of view), by way of D...
79% Geek
I actually only had a couple of the trivia type questions that threw me. And I realized my family's lack of tech savvy is holding me back somewhat.
79% Geek
I actually only had a couple of the trivia type questions that threw me. And I realized my family's lack of tech savvy is holding me back somewhat.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Well, Finally!
Del-ton has finally "shipped" my order. I say "shipped" because their website shows that it has shipped and gives a tracking number ... that UPS doesn't have on file. I'm hoping that it's a simple case of the package being picked up but not scanned into their system yet.
I say finally because this all started back when I placed my order on February 6th, 2008. And now, 35 business days later, it ships. If you care to go back and look, that's 50 calendar days.
And all this aggravation could have been avoided if they'd just 1) Update their website to show out-of-stock items; or 2) Contact folks who have chosen out-of-stock items. Instead of just queuing the order to "backorder" with no notification beyond looking up the order details on their website.
Unless this kit is spectacularly good quality and/or they do something to make up for the delay, I think this will be the last time I order from them.
I say finally because this all started back when I placed my order on February 6th, 2008. And now, 35 business days later, it ships. If you care to go back and look, that's 50 calendar days.
And all this aggravation could have been avoided if they'd just 1) Update their website to show out-of-stock items; or 2) Contact folks who have chosen out-of-stock items. Instead of just queuing the order to "backorder" with no notification beyond looking up the order details on their website.
Unless this kit is spectacularly good quality and/or they do something to make up for the delay, I think this will be the last time I order from them.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Intriguing Proposition
South Park Pundit makes an intriguing proposition on his blog. It is in direct response to an article written by a woman who has stated: "... before we reach for a gun, we should be able to reach out our hands to others and try to manage problems through talking, instead of pulling a trigger, because pulling the trigger only eliminates the problem, temporarily."
SPP:
"I would propose that we conduct an experiment, under rigorous laboratory conditions, in order to gather evidence, one way or the other, empirically.
In one room, we have a woman with a concealed gun. In the other, we have a young woman who is the debate team champion. Take two violent sex offenders, and put one in each of the rooms with the women. Start the timer. See which one can "temporarily" solve their problem ..."
Think we can get any takers?
SPP:
"I would propose that we conduct an experiment, under rigorous laboratory conditions, in order to gather evidence, one way or the other, empirically.
In one room, we have a woman with a concealed gun. In the other, we have a young woman who is the debate team champion. Take two violent sex offenders, and put one in each of the rooms with the women. Start the timer. See which one can "temporarily" solve their problem ..."
Think we can get any takers?
Gunpowder and Lead Music Video
Interesting. This is an amateur video done to the song “Gunpowder and Lead” by Miranda Lambert. I saw this at Tam's and just had to comment.
Okay, we have a young lady who has an abusive (ex-)boyfriend/(ex-)husband who has just been released on bail, presumably arrested for roughing her up (or at least it happened before he was arrested). She anticipates that he will be returning to her (their?) home to continue with said abuse.
So, in preparation, she purchases beer and cigarettes. Huh? The cigarettes, I might could understand. I could even understand the beer if she was holding off until after the confrontation. I don’t drink but I’ve heard that others do to “take the edge off” after a stressful event.
But she’s apparently breaking out the alcohol beforehand. Not a smart idea if you’re expecting a fight. Especially one where firearms are involved.
But, okay, maybe she’s one of those folks who need a little liquid courage to make sure she can do what she’s planning. One beer while waiting might not be too bad. At the very least the alcohol would have been processed enough to be under the legal limit for intoxication by the time the law shows up.
So, everything that’s gone on up to this point isn’t much out of line…right up until she grabbed the shovel. And again, I have to say: Huh?
Lemme get this straight. This guy has knocked her around, been arrested (for something), and she thinks she needs to shoot, shovel, and shut-up? Why hasn’t she at least started the process for a restraining order? With that and his history, there’s nobody who’s gonna think she did this for any reason other than self-defense.
But now that she’s pre-dug a grave (with a snow shovel? But I digress.), it’s looking an awful lot more like premeditated murder.
Not to mention that there’s this big truck belonging to the deceased that’s just sitting in her driveway now.
I really don’t understand this notion that seems to be prevalent in popular culture these days that any use of a firearm on a human being is something to be ashamed of and to hide. He hit her previously, apparently tried to force his way in, presumably to continue his mistreatment of her, and was stopped using the most effective tool for the job at her disposal. Why does she feel that she’s done something wrong that needs to be covered up?
I’d ask someone to explain this to me, but I think the answer’d tick me off.
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Lawdog's a Little Upset
And rightly so.
This is exactly what I was talking about earlier. It's the same, sad story, just the names are different.
This is exactly what I was talking about earlier. It's the same, sad story, just the names are different.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Visiting The Family
I spent Thursday night, Friday, and most of the day Saturday with my parents. Got to visit with my sister, brother, and his wife as well. Enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Dad and I have been talking quite a bit lately about a number of topics and we've had a few disagreements. Most of these have been caused by the outlook on life that I've come to accept in the past few years.
The basic gist of what our disagreements center around is my belief that one should be personally responsible for one's own safety/security and as long as you aren't infringing on anyone else's rights, you're fine. That sometimes directly conflicts with dad's belief that some intervention is necessary to protect people from themselves.
I'm not used to disagreeing with my dad on much of anything. As a kid, I generally accepted his opinion on matters as the "gospel truth" so to speak and that habit followed me as I matured. I'm pretty sure it's a side effect of my lack of experience and natural tendency to defer judgement on matters I know little to nothing about to others I trust. It's made for some interesting adjustments in my thinking that I'm still in the process of understanding and building around. Unfortunately, my inability to adequately throw thoughts into a cohesive verbal response on-the-fly has been hampering my ability to communicate to him the reasons for the conclusions I've reached on several matters.
The reason I bring this up is that I've recently read a couple of posts put together by the Munchkin Wrangler that I'm pretty sure dad and I would be at odds over. My inclination is to let the free market sort itself out and for government to have as little power as is necessary to make sure everyone plays according to the rules. The rules being "no infringing on the rights of others".
I'm now beginning to truly understand why folks use the phrase "heartless libertarian".
Dad and I have been talking quite a bit lately about a number of topics and we've had a few disagreements. Most of these have been caused by the outlook on life that I've come to accept in the past few years.
The basic gist of what our disagreements center around is my belief that one should be personally responsible for one's own safety/security and as long as you aren't infringing on anyone else's rights, you're fine. That sometimes directly conflicts with dad's belief that some intervention is necessary to protect people from themselves.
I'm not used to disagreeing with my dad on much of anything. As a kid, I generally accepted his opinion on matters as the "gospel truth" so to speak and that habit followed me as I matured. I'm pretty sure it's a side effect of my lack of experience and natural tendency to defer judgement on matters I know little to nothing about to others I trust. It's made for some interesting adjustments in my thinking that I'm still in the process of understanding and building around. Unfortunately, my inability to adequately throw thoughts into a cohesive verbal response on-the-fly has been hampering my ability to communicate to him the reasons for the conclusions I've reached on several matters.
The reason I bring this up is that I've recently read a couple of posts put together by the Munchkin Wrangler that I'm pretty sure dad and I would be at odds over. My inclination is to let the free market sort itself out and for government to have as little power as is necessary to make sure everyone plays according to the rules. The rules being "no infringing on the rights of others".
I'm now beginning to truly understand why folks use the phrase "heartless libertarian".
"Deputies heard gunshots followed by silence and an open phone line."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
These People Make My Teeth Itch
I listened to the last 30 or so minutes of the Heller arguments this evening. I was honestly quite perturbed by the general acceptance of "reasonable regulation" by all sides of this case. I just don't get how people cannot recognize that "reasonable regulations" only apply to persons who already are law-abiding. And that no number of laws passed will keep firearms (or any inanimate object for that matter) out of the hands of people who are willing to break the law. And obviously they've already decided to break the law, otherwise we wouldn't be worried about them having firearms.
These restrictions simply tie the law-abiding's hands behind their backs in the face of unrestrained evil people.
You can't prevent evil people from doing evil things. The best you can hope for is stopping them once they start. And the more good folks on scene, with the best tools and training to do so, the better.
The other thing that struck me is the number of comments that basically state "The more guns there are, the more violence there will be."
Once again, I'm confused. We trust people to operate 1.5 tons of machinery travelling at 80.67 feet per second every day with minimal training. For the year 2000, there were 43,354 deaths due to motor vehicles. That same year, there were a total of 28,163 firearms related deaths (this includes suicides, murders, and accidents).
Where are the calls for "reasonable restrictions" on automobiles? Where are the cries of "Ban cars! It's for the children"? The calls for only professionally-trained government-approved drivers to be allowed to own cars? After all, there is no Constitutionally recognized right to operate an automobile. It should be relatively easy.
Oh, but cars offer more to make life better than to make life worse? Well, take a look at this. It is estimated that guns are used in self-defense 2.5 million times each year. That's around 6850 times per day. So for 2000, the ratio of good to ill for guns is essentially 88.8 to 1. That seems to be resoundingly more good than ill to me. (See here for the source of these figures.)
I know the answer of course. It's the simple fact that, unlike vehicles, people have stopped utilizing firearms as a matter of course in their everyday lives, mostly out of a false sense of safety and security provided by the extremely thin veneer of civilization that we humans have taken to hiding behind. And because people don't use firearms, they don't understand them. And what they do not understand, they fear.
As a for instance, take the now-defunct Assault Weapons Ban (a misnomer in and of itself). The FBI's statistics found that, not only did the ban have no discernible effect on the number of crimes committed with the targeted weapons, these weapons were statistically insignificant in comparison to other weapons used in crimes. So much for the claimed "weapons of choice for criminals."
But I digress. I was speaking of the "More guns, more crime," chant that is so often heard by those who wish to ban or restrict firearms. The fact of the matter is, there have been numerous studies that show that the implementation of right to carry laws almost universally result in lowered crime rates per capita. Professor John Lott, Jr. has written a book on this very subject. It's called More Guns, Less Crime.
And finally, in closing and on a personal note, these reasons have absolutely nothing to do with my decision to carry a firearm. My decision is hinged on this: If someone attempts to harm me or mine, I will stop him. Whatever it takes, I will stop him or I will die trying. And since I'd much rather it be him doing the bleeding and/or dying, I'm going to use the most effective tool available to accomplish that end. No matter what other people may think or believe, I know that self-defense is a human right. A right that is inherent to all people simply by virtue of being born. And it is also a responsibility. A responsibility laid upon the shoulders of all people by their creator.
It is a right that I claim as my own. It is a responsibility that I willingly accept.
These restrictions simply tie the law-abiding's hands behind their backs in the face of unrestrained evil people.
You can't prevent evil people from doing evil things. The best you can hope for is stopping them once they start. And the more good folks on scene, with the best tools and training to do so, the better.
The other thing that struck me is the number of comments that basically state "The more guns there are, the more violence there will be."
Once again, I'm confused. We trust people to operate 1.5 tons of machinery travelling at 80.67 feet per second every day with minimal training. For the year 2000, there were 43,354 deaths due to motor vehicles. That same year, there were a total of 28,163 firearms related deaths (this includes suicides, murders, and accidents).
Where are the calls for "reasonable restrictions" on automobiles? Where are the cries of "Ban cars! It's for the children"? The calls for only professionally-trained government-approved drivers to be allowed to own cars? After all, there is no Constitutionally recognized right to operate an automobile. It should be relatively easy.
Oh, but cars offer more to make life better than to make life worse? Well, take a look at this. It is estimated that guns are used in self-defense 2.5 million times each year. That's around 6850 times per day. So for 2000, the ratio of good to ill for guns is essentially 88.8 to 1. That seems to be resoundingly more good than ill to me. (See here for the source of these figures.)
I know the answer of course. It's the simple fact that, unlike vehicles, people have stopped utilizing firearms as a matter of course in their everyday lives, mostly out of a false sense of safety and security provided by the extremely thin veneer of civilization that we humans have taken to hiding behind. And because people don't use firearms, they don't understand them. And what they do not understand, they fear.
As a for instance, take the now-defunct Assault Weapons Ban (a misnomer in and of itself). The FBI's statistics found that, not only did the ban have no discernible effect on the number of crimes committed with the targeted weapons, these weapons were statistically insignificant in comparison to other weapons used in crimes. So much for the claimed "weapons of choice for criminals."
But I digress. I was speaking of the "More guns, more crime," chant that is so often heard by those who wish to ban or restrict firearms. The fact of the matter is, there have been numerous studies that show that the implementation of right to carry laws almost universally result in lowered crime rates per capita. Professor John Lott, Jr. has written a book on this very subject. It's called More Guns, Less Crime.
And finally, in closing and on a personal note, these reasons have absolutely nothing to do with my decision to carry a firearm. My decision is hinged on this: If someone attempts to harm me or mine, I will stop him. Whatever it takes, I will stop him or I will die trying. And since I'd much rather it be him doing the bleeding and/or dying, I'm going to use the most effective tool available to accomplish that end. No matter what other people may think or believe, I know that self-defense is a human right. A right that is inherent to all people simply by virtue of being born. And it is also a responsibility. A responsibility laid upon the shoulders of all people by their creator.
It is a right that I claim as my own. It is a responsibility that I willingly accept.
Quotes of the Day
In looking for info on today's hearings on Heller v. DC, I have run across a few quotes that begged to be commented on.
The first is a comment that was listed by the Associated Press. The title is Reactions to Gun-Ban Arguments. The quote is one that scares the living crap out of me.
Acting D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles: "In my view, the ultimate issue here is can the city impose reasonable regulation on a constitutional right? There is no constitutional right that is not subject to reasonable regulation."
Forgive me, maybe I'm just dense. But see, I was taught that a right is not something that can be regulated or denied. If it can be, then it's not a right. It's a privilege. But then, I'm not a politician. Apparently, their vocabulary has different meanings than, you know, ... English.
The second comment is from "a coalition of park rangers and park service retirees" quoted in an article covering a proposed piece of legislation that would allow the carrying of loaded firearms in national parks. They claim: "There is simply no legitimate or substantive reason for a thoughtful sportsman or gun owner to carry a loaded gun in a national park unless that park permits hunting."
...
HUH?
My first thought when I saw this was that the group must be made of rangers who never left their offices. I can think of any number of "legitimate and substantive" reasons for carrying a loaded firearm in the wild. The first ones that come to mind are bears, mountain lions, snakes, rabid animals... (That's even ignoring human predators who use the isolation of these parks to commit crimes.)
I suppose they think I'm just not a "thoughtful" gun owner. But quite frankly, I don't think I'm the one who's not thinking.
The first is a comment that was listed by the Associated Press. The title is Reactions to Gun-Ban Arguments. The quote is one that scares the living crap out of me.
Acting D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles: "In my view, the ultimate issue here is can the city impose reasonable regulation on a constitutional right? There is no constitutional right that is not subject to reasonable regulation."
Forgive me, maybe I'm just dense. But see, I was taught that a right is not something that can be regulated or denied. If it can be, then it's not a right. It's a privilege. But then, I'm not a politician. Apparently, their vocabulary has different meanings than, you know, ... English.
The second comment is from "a coalition of park rangers and park service retirees" quoted in an article covering a proposed piece of legislation that would allow the carrying of loaded firearms in national parks. They claim: "There is simply no legitimate or substantive reason for a thoughtful sportsman or gun owner to carry a loaded gun in a national park unless that park permits hunting."
...
HUH?
My first thought when I saw this was that the group must be made of rangers who never left their offices. I can think of any number of "legitimate and substantive" reasons for carrying a loaded firearm in the wild. The first ones that come to mind are bears, mountain lions, snakes, rabid animals... (That's even ignoring human predators who use the isolation of these parks to commit crimes.)
I suppose they think I'm just not a "thoughtful" gun owner. But quite frankly, I don't think I'm the one who's not thinking.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
I Love My Family.
Well, my family's come and gone already. We ended up staying up til 11 watching Jericho on Sci-Fi. I've recently gotten into watching it and there was a marathon on Friday night. Mom and Dad actually seem interested in the story. Sis fell asleep. She was tired and a little cranky that the folks had her drive on the way down.
We had a lazy start to the day Saturday. Mom got up around 7 or so and made breakfast. After that we went running around and I got to see the booming metropolis (/sarcasm) of Greenbrier for the first time. We saw a small shop that advertised rabbits, ducks, and colored chicks. That managed to send my sis on a "little friend" kick. She kept telling the folks she needed a bunny to cuddle since her roommate moved out.
We kept an eye out for tractors for sale for Dad and small pickups for sis. After that we went back to my place and played Uno until lunch. (Do we get up to some crazy fun or what?) Actually, it was a lot of fun.
For lunch we went to a Chinese buffet that a co-worker had taken me to previously that was really good. Something must have happened between then and now, 'cause the food was not that good. It was greasy, soggy, or just plain bleh. Folks didn't care much for it either. Sis didn't seem to have an opinion.
We went back home and tried to find my waterheater. I'd complained to Dad previously that it was set too low and never made it above lukewarm. We searched the entire house and finally found it ... embedded inside the kitchen cabinet corner. There's no way to get at the thing without major effort that would likely end up leaving the cabinets looking like crap. Oh well.
Sis had insisted on a tie-breaking hand of Uno (her and me) and Mom wanted one last chance to win a hand. That hand ended up lasting over half an hour. By the time we finished, it was time for them to go. I helped them load their stuff and saw them off.
About 20 minutes later, I got a phone call from Dad. Mom had left a prescription in the fridge and they were on their way back to get it. I headed out and met them about half-way. We said 'bye again and went our separate ways.
I love my family.
We had a lazy start to the day Saturday. Mom got up around 7 or so and made breakfast. After that we went running around and I got to see the booming metropolis (/sarcasm) of Greenbrier for the first time. We saw a small shop that advertised rabbits, ducks, and colored chicks. That managed to send my sis on a "little friend" kick. She kept telling the folks she needed a bunny to cuddle since her roommate moved out.
We kept an eye out for tractors for sale for Dad and small pickups for sis. After that we went back to my place and played Uno until lunch. (Do we get up to some crazy fun or what?) Actually, it was a lot of fun.
For lunch we went to a Chinese buffet that a co-worker had taken me to previously that was really good. Something must have happened between then and now, 'cause the food was not that good. It was greasy, soggy, or just plain bleh. Folks didn't care much for it either. Sis didn't seem to have an opinion.
We went back home and tried to find my waterheater. I'd complained to Dad previously that it was set too low and never made it above lukewarm. We searched the entire house and finally found it ... embedded inside the kitchen cabinet corner. There's no way to get at the thing without major effort that would likely end up leaving the cabinets looking like crap. Oh well.
Sis had insisted on a tie-breaking hand of Uno (her and me) and Mom wanted one last chance to win a hand. That hand ended up lasting over half an hour. By the time we finished, it was time for them to go. I helped them load their stuff and saw them off.
About 20 minutes later, I got a phone call from Dad. Mom had left a prescription in the fridge and they were on their way back to get it. I headed out and met them about half-way. We said 'bye again and went our separate ways.
I love my family.
Friday, March 14, 2008
... Like A Chicken With My Head Cut Off
D came over after work today. We ran around town hitting the Whole Hog, Home Depot, and a local outdoor retailer. We went back to my house and swapped out the safety on my 870 to the old style without the J-lock. It's much more positive than the stock safety. I also received the springs I ordered for my 1911.
D showed me how to remove the magazine catch from the frame. Unfortunately, after getting the trigger in, I managed to bugger up the brand new screw head on the magazine catch by getting in too much of a hurry to look at the layout carefully. Now the mag catch is in but I don't know if I'll be able to get it out without destroying the screw completely. And the catch is very rough. It tends to stick in the half engaged position.
I've decided I'm going to have to check out a guide to reassembling the 1911 before continuing further. I'd hate to screw up another part.
***
My parents and sister will be coming in tonight around 8pm or so. They'll only be able to stay until tomorrow due to my sister's boss messing up her schedule and her having to work on Sunday morning. But it'll be good to see them.
***
Del-ton's website showed my order as "Payment Declined". I kinda freaked out and immediately called them to find out what was going on. It turns out that if an order takes longer than 30 days in their system, it automatically declines the payment. The lady I spoke to (didn't catch her name, she said it too quickly to make out) told me that she'd run the card manually and everything was fine. She said that the kit had gone to the shop and should ship on Monday. So, I should be in business before the end of next week!
D showed me how to remove the magazine catch from the frame. Unfortunately, after getting the trigger in, I managed to bugger up the brand new screw head on the magazine catch by getting in too much of a hurry to look at the layout carefully. Now the mag catch is in but I don't know if I'll be able to get it out without destroying the screw completely. And the catch is very rough. It tends to stick in the half engaged position.
I've decided I'm going to have to check out a guide to reassembling the 1911 before continuing further. I'd hate to screw up another part.
***
My parents and sister will be coming in tonight around 8pm or so. They'll only be able to stay until tomorrow due to my sister's boss messing up her schedule and her having to work on Sunday morning. But it'll be good to see them.
***
Del-ton's website showed my order as "Payment Declined". I kinda freaked out and immediately called them to find out what was going on. It turns out that if an order takes longer than 30 days in their system, it automatically declines the payment. The lady I spoke to (didn't catch her name, she said it too quickly to make out) told me that she'd run the card manually and everything was fine. She said that the kit had gone to the shop and should ship on Monday. So, I should be in business before the end of next week!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Del-Ton Update
I called Del-Ton this morning just before noon. They didn't answer so I left a message with my info and question (what parts/options are backordered). I didn't get a return phone call but the question ticket I submitted last week was replied to around 3:30 this afternoon.
It turns out that the CTR stock is what was holding up progress. Del-Ton is backordered on the black version but had the OD and dark earth versions in stock. I was told that I could switch stock options if I so desired. (Why does that sound vaguely financial?) Anyway, I requested that the dark earth version be substituted. It's gonna look a little strange with it being the only dark earth colored piece of furniture on there.
I may see about swapping over to a dark earth pistol-grip. The forearm will be the Yankee Hill railed forearm, so no color options there. I just wish I'd known about this before ordering the Tango Down grip and P-Mags.
Edit: I can get dark earth rail covers for the handguard. With a similarly colored pistol grip, it should look pretty sharp, even with black mags.
It turns out that the CTR stock is what was holding up progress. Del-Ton is backordered on the black version but had the OD and dark earth versions in stock. I was told that I could switch stock options if I so desired. (Why does that sound vaguely financial?) Anyway, I requested that the dark earth version be substituted. It's gonna look a little strange with it being the only dark earth colored piece of furniture on there.
I may see about swapping over to a dark earth pistol-grip. The forearm will be the Yankee Hill railed forearm, so no color options there. I just wish I'd known about this before ordering the Tango Down grip and P-Mags.
Edit: I can get dark earth rail covers for the handguard. With a similarly colored pistol grip, it should look pretty sharp, even with black mags.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Ammo's In
UPS dropped my package off on my doorstep about 2:45 pm. There it sat until I arrived home at approximately 5:10 pm. While it worked out fine this time, I'm not sure I like that $315 worth of ammo was sitting unattended on my front porch for almost 2.5 hours.
Georgia Arms went above and beyond on packaging. The box it arrived in was small but well-sealed. Then I opened it up and found that they'd shipped the ammo in ammo cans! They even went so far as to label the cans with the quantity, caliber, and bullet type. Upon opening the cans, I saw that they had included those air-filled bags for padding and had placed a layer of newspaper below that to keep the ammo from puncturing the bags. Kudos indeed to GA.
The ammo is shiny, shiny new! I haven't even touched it yet for fear of tarnishing the brass.
Now if Del-ton would just ship my rifle kit ... grumble, grumble.
Georgia Arms went above and beyond on packaging. The box it arrived in was small but well-sealed. Then I opened it up and found that they'd shipped the ammo in ammo cans! They even went so far as to label the cans with the quantity, caliber, and bullet type. Upon opening the cans, I saw that they had included those air-filled bags for padding and had placed a layer of newspaper below that to keep the ammo from puncturing the bags. Kudos indeed to GA.
The ammo is shiny, shiny new! I haven't even touched it yet for fear of tarnishing the brass.
Now if Del-ton would just ship my rifle kit ... grumble, grumble.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Who's Got Ammo?
I've got ammo! Georgia Arms has sent me a tracking number for my order. Pardon me while I happy dance. ... Okay, happy dance over. Now I've got to test this stuff out and see if I've just wasted my money or found a new supplier for my habit.
BTW, does anyone have a suggestion for where to get a relatively inexpensive screwdriver set with hollow-ground blades for gunsmithing? Specifically something that will allow me to change out the mag release on a 1911. I'm afraid I may have ruined the screw head on my 10mm trying to detail strip it.
BTW, does anyone have a suggestion for where to get a relatively inexpensive screwdriver set with hollow-ground blades for gunsmithing? Specifically something that will allow me to change out the mag release on a 1911. I'm afraid I may have ruined the screw head on my 10mm trying to detail strip it.
New Addition to the Blogroll
Gah! Blogger is giving me error messages when I try to post. I'm about to get upset, here.
*Edit: There we go!*
I'm adding another blogger to the roll call today. If you've got a few free minutes, I suggest you go check out Laurel's blog "Politics Guns and Beer". I'd say she's my dream-girl but her husband might take exception to that. So let's just say she's really cool.
*Edit: There we go!*
I'm adding another blogger to the roll call today. If you've got a few free minutes, I suggest you go check out Laurel's blog "Politics Guns and Beer". I'd say she's my dream-girl but her husband might take exception to that. So let's just say she's really cool.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
AR Kit Update
Well, it seems that Del-ton got in a bad batch of barrels from their supplier. Some other folks on THR have had their merchandise back-ordered almost as long as I have. That's fine. I'd much rather them take some time to get it right than to just ship crap out.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Out of Pocket
Hey folks. As the title above says, I've been a little out of pocket the last week or so. I've had time to post but just plain didn't think about it. My bad.
Anyway, all of my Amazon orders have arrived. I still don't have the rifle kit I ordered back at the beginning of February, so I can't really comment on the usefulness of most of the items I ordered. I will say that the TangoDown battle grip is built like a freaking tank! It may be difficult to get it to go onto the receiver but once it's on, it should be incredibly sturdy.
The Knoxx Spec-Ops NRS stock is another very sturdy piece. I was a little disappointed in that it required an extra-long ball-end Allen wrench to install and it doesn't appear to accept other types of AR-15 style collapsible stocks (the "buffer tube" is too large). But other than these two admittedly minor gripes, I'm tickled with the stock.
I also ordered and received (very quickly I might add) an adjustable trigger from Red Star Arms for my Saiga S-308. All I can say is, "WOW!" I spent an hour or so yesterday, first installing the trigger, which took all of 15 minutes (because I'm a retard) and then fiddling with the adjustments until I got it just right. The old issue that I had with the G2 trigger group from Tapco where the bolt wants to hang when going back into battery was once again rearing it's ugly head. But it wasn't as pronounced as with the G2 originally and the rearward movement of the bolt was much smoother. I honestly think this will wear in quite nicely. I'll just have to shoot the heck out of it!
That won't be too big of a problem, either, as the trigger pull now is swee-eet compared to the old FCG (fire control group) and I've placed an order with Georgia Arms for 250 rounds of .308 Canned Heat. I've also ordered 500 rounds of .223 Canned Heat and 3 more PMags from Mississippi Auto Arms. That should put me in fairly good shape once Del-ton gets their act together.
I went and visited my brother and his wife up in Fayetteville this weekend as well as R in Rogers. R, D, and I all went and requalified for our CHLs (concealed handgun licenses). R's and my licenses expire at the end of next month, so I really need to get the paperwork together and sent off.
While we were up that-a-ways, we stopped by Ozark Armory in Springdale where I drooled over several different pistols. I really, really wanted to drop the coin for the SIG 220 SAO they had there. But I thought about it extensively and decided that I'll have to wait until Ghost Products, Inc. introduces their CZ-97B thin grips. If those make the 97 a little more hand-friendly for me, I'll probably just stick with it. After all, it's more accurate than I am, which isn't saying much, mind you, but I know it's got the mechanical accuracy there. It was the pistol that my friend P's brother embarrassed me with at 15 feet a few months back.
I didn't walk away empty-handed however. I picked up a well-used AutoOrdnance 1911 in 10mm for right around $335. The gun's definitely seen better days but I think most of the wear is superficial and/or minor in nature. A trip to the smith and a little TLC and it should be like new. I believe that I'm gonna try out the XS Express Sights on this one as it needs new sights anyway.
Well, that's been my last several days. Hope yours have been as enjoyable.
Anyway, all of my Amazon orders have arrived. I still don't have the rifle kit I ordered back at the beginning of February, so I can't really comment on the usefulness of most of the items I ordered. I will say that the TangoDown battle grip is built like a freaking tank! It may be difficult to get it to go onto the receiver but once it's on, it should be incredibly sturdy.
The Knoxx Spec-Ops NRS stock is another very sturdy piece. I was a little disappointed in that it required an extra-long ball-end Allen wrench to install and it doesn't appear to accept other types of AR-15 style collapsible stocks (the "buffer tube" is too large). But other than these two admittedly minor gripes, I'm tickled with the stock.
I also ordered and received (very quickly I might add) an adjustable trigger from Red Star Arms for my Saiga S-308. All I can say is, "WOW!" I spent an hour or so yesterday, first installing the trigger, which took all of 15 minutes (because I'm a retard) and then fiddling with the adjustments until I got it just right. The old issue that I had with the G2 trigger group from Tapco where the bolt wants to hang when going back into battery was once again rearing it's ugly head. But it wasn't as pronounced as with the G2 originally and the rearward movement of the bolt was much smoother. I honestly think this will wear in quite nicely. I'll just have to shoot the heck out of it!
That won't be too big of a problem, either, as the trigger pull now is swee-eet compared to the old FCG (fire control group) and I've placed an order with Georgia Arms for 250 rounds of .308 Canned Heat. I've also ordered 500 rounds of .223 Canned Heat and 3 more PMags from Mississippi Auto Arms. That should put me in fairly good shape once Del-ton gets their act together.
I went and visited my brother and his wife up in Fayetteville this weekend as well as R in Rogers. R, D, and I all went and requalified for our CHLs (concealed handgun licenses). R's and my licenses expire at the end of next month, so I really need to get the paperwork together and sent off.
While we were up that-a-ways, we stopped by Ozark Armory in Springdale where I drooled over several different pistols. I really, really wanted to drop the coin for the SIG 220 SAO they had there. But I thought about it extensively and decided that I'll have to wait until Ghost Products, Inc. introduces their CZ-97B thin grips. If those make the 97 a little more hand-friendly for me, I'll probably just stick with it. After all, it's more accurate than I am, which isn't saying much, mind you, but I know it's got the mechanical accuracy there. It was the pistol that my friend P's brother embarrassed me with at 15 feet a few months back.
I didn't walk away empty-handed however. I picked up a well-used AutoOrdnance 1911 in 10mm for right around $335. The gun's definitely seen better days but I think most of the wear is superficial and/or minor in nature. A trip to the smith and a little TLC and it should be like new. I believe that I'm gonna try out the XS Express Sights on this one as it needs new sights anyway.
Well, that's been my last several days. Hope yours have been as enjoyable.
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