Gunning and Strumming

A Great Honor

2010-01-07T15:30:00.004-06:00

One of the best parts of being a nurse is some of the people you get to meet and care for. I count it a particular honor to care for veterans, as I have the utmost respect for all- young and old.

A few days ago I recovered a gentleman who was a WWII vet and survivor of D-Day. I thanked him for his service and shook his hand.

"That must have been terrible", I said. He just shook his head and looked down. What could he say?

I'm always in awe when I'm around such a person. He's just a regular guy- no different from anyone else. Yet 60-something years ago he was a young man with a rifle, running like hell on a beach of death, hoping just to make it out alive.

How often I forget that for every minute I stand in this country, a hero has fallen in my place. Someone has paid the price for me, for America, for her freedom, and for her ideals.

If you are reading this and you have served our country past or present, I thank you.

Another Great Read

2010-01-07T15:19:00.004-06:00

Recommendation for another book: Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.

If you don't know the story, Marcus Luttrell is the surviving member of a Navy Seal fire team that was operating in Afghanistan in 2005. When his team came under attack, they engaged in a long firefight that claimed the lives of 3 Navy Seals, as well as over a dozen other special forces soldiers that attmpted a rescue. As of this writing, that day became the largest single loss of life in US special forces history.

Marcus recounts his Navy Seal training, events leading up to the fatal mission, and describes in detail the firefight that ensued. He covers the week he spends in Afghanistan waiting for rescue, and his life afterwards.

I read this book in 2 days. It is heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. Its a must read.

Homeowner Lessons

2010-01-07T11:20:00.011-06:00

As a newer homeowner, here's some lessons I've learned:

1. Home inspectors don't catch everything.

2. Turn off the water before disassembling a faucet.

3. Measure your PVC pipe before tackling that new garbage disposal install.

4. If you fail to measure that pipe, you won't want to brave a blizzard because its 1/2" short.

5. I hate plumbing.

6. Snowblowing in the wind: An exercise in futility.

7. If your wife won't let you buy a toilet plunger because "we can get one when we need one", try to convince her that's not good reasoning. Its embarassing for the house guest who creates the "need".

8. If swearing is not your vice, and you wish to keep it that way, avoid plumbing, dryer vents, and all other projects requiring tools.

9. Replacing outlets is easy, anyone can do that.

10. Replacing ceiling fans seems to be more difficult for me.

11. A Dremel is quite useful.

14. Don't cheap out on an electric drill.

15. Forget flowers, dinner, and cards. Actually finishing a long promised project around the house scores just as many points with the wife.

16. Its easier- and maybe even cheaper- to replace an entire doorframe and door rather than one piece, should a dog choose to eat half of said frame.

17. Pop in the garage in the winter = a mess on your clean new door and frame.

18. Store unused potatoes in your small basement laundry room with high humidity. Then watch em' grow and take over a small, forgotten corner.

19. Measure twice, cut once.....I'll still screw up.

20. Measure three times, cut once, tweak the cut a little.....still wrong.

21. Measure four times, cut once, return to hardware store for more wood, call father and father-in-law for advice, measure 6 times, walk away, eat some toast, return, measure twice more, cut once ever so delicately......ahhhh there we have it!

22. Your wife has the best opinion on decorating.

23. I hate plumbing.

That's all for now!

AR 15

2010-01-06T16:16:00.005-06:00

Well heck, its been....May of 2009 since I posted. I'm sure this blog has been declared dead.

But ah, resurrection!!

I recently bought an AR-15. Olympic Arms UM-1P. 20" bull barrel, JP muzzle brake, JP gas block, 6 position adjustable stock, Wilson trigger, free float handgaurds, winter trigger guard, adjustable cheek weld. Its a super gun.

However, it is not for me. I want a lightweight carbine. This gun is a bit heavy, meant for a bipod and nailing prairie dogs from 300 yards away. As such, I am selling the rifle, to get something I'll shoot. Closet queens have no place in my home. This is a good gun for target shooting and hunting, but not the kind that I do.

If anyone is interested, its on gunbroker.com. Buy it now is $1500. Reserve is lower.

Broken Glocks and Revolutionary Repair Techniques

2009-05-17T01:43:00.003-05:00

So, in my usual pattern, I haven't blogged for over a month. I have two problems: A. I really want to have a popular, well read blog and B. I'm too lazy to consistently write a blog.

Those two things work in opposition.

Also, I cannot find the charger to my camera batteries, so I can't take new pictures. But moving on.......

The Mighty, Untouchable, Unyielding, Perfected, Flawless Glocks failed me. And they failed me hardcore. On a day of shooting with an old college friend, My Glock 17's slide began to fail to lock back after the last round was shot. Thinking it was a magazine problem, I began cycling through my various magazines to find that every single one had the same problem.

In the meantime, my friend was trying out my Glock 23 and had several stovepipes. Now, I'm not one of these "Glocks are perfect, they never fail ever!" kind of guys. I know that every gun is susceptible to failures. They will likely all malfunction or break at some point. Glocks are no different, and while I own and shoot them, I think there are superior firearms. These just happen to be paid for.

But I'm telling ya, mine just never have failed. I know they can, they just haven't. But suddenly, I have 4 stovepipes in about 15 minutes on my G23 and my G17 is being fussy too.

After find that every mag on my G17 had the same failure, I decided it was not a magazine problem. I gave up, and began to shoot my G23, which then also experienced the same failure- the slide does not lock back after the last shot.

In frustration I stepped back to gather my thoughts. What could be wrong here?

1. All the mags I'm shooting are quite new, so I don't think I'm having a catastrophic coincidental failure of 10 magazines.

2. Double checked my grip- not limp wristing, hiting the slide release, etc.

3. Inspect guns- appear to all be in good working condition- no obvious broken parts as it pertains to the mag/slide lock.

4. I was shooting a new kind of ammo. Winchester Win-Clean Brass Encased Bass. Okay.....this could be something. I switched back to the ammo I've always used- same problem. Doh.

5. To my knowledge God is not angry with me and playing a joke on me.

So I give up, pack up, and go home a bit puzzled.

Then, it dawns on me.

An idea so crazy, so revolutionary, so fresh that it just could be the solution.

The light bulb lit up over my head as I thought, "You know, I haven't cleaned those guns in a long time......I've shot hundreds of rounds since the last cleaning".

At about 10pm I set about at my garage workbench and cleaned up my guns.......

.....The next morning I ran by the range before work.........

Hallelujah its a miracle- they work just fine. Amazing what a little cleaning will do. So for all the "Glocks never fail, never rust, don't need cleaning, can survive nuclear fallouts and then make a super baby with a penguin and start a new planet in another galaxy" people out there- bad news. Glocks are mortal.

And, prefer to be clean as it turns outs.

Found: Ammo

2009-03-21T23:05:00.009-05:00

As the ammo shortage continues, I keep checking the stores. Specifically, I've been watching for self defense ammo to return. I have been threatening to switch to a different type, as it seems Hydrashocks aren't appearing for awhile.

Stopping in a large local sporting goods store yesterday, I saw that 5 boxes of 40 S&W Winchester SXT in 165 gr. had appeared. At $19.99/box, I bought them all. Since I carry my Glock 23 so often for defense, these will work fine. (I'm down to a box and a half of Hydrashocks.) I will run one box through my gun to ensure they work, and use the rest for carry. That will last me awhile longer.

I don't hear about many people carrying this round, but for $20/box in today's market, I'm willing to go with it. Besides, I have confidence in just about any modern self defense load as long as I know it runs through the gun. Something is better than nothing, and I'd rather carry a fresh magazine of a round no one is particularly excited about than a magazine full of really old, tarnished, dinged up rounds of a more popular variety.

While no Hydrashock is around in 40, 6 boxes of 147gr. Hydrashock 9mm appeared, so I took all those off my shelf for my Glock 17.

I also picked up 300 rounds of Winchester White Box in 9mm, as well as the last 6 boxes of American Eagle 40 ammo- 3 boxes of 180 grain, 3 boxes of 155 grain.

Looking at the receipt from the last time I bought ammo, I see that the Winchester White Box has risen $3/box in less than 2 months. Wow.

I also saw that another large sporting goods store, the one I frequent most for ammo, is going out of business. I was quite saddened and was instantly reminded of our country's current situation. Of course, the shelves were completely bare of ammunition. They do have some holsters I have my eye on, but they are only 10% off right now, I'll have to wait and see if they're around when they drop the close-out prices even more.

For now, I was glad to find 220 rounds of self defense ammo, and another 600 rounds of target ammo. Though, my wallet really ached when I put it back in my pocket.

The Logic of Instruction

2009-03-19T23:35:00.006-05:00

Stuff like this kills me. I bought a Shopvac for my little dryer vent problem at my new house.

I get the shopvac out, pop the wheels on, and I notice that the box says I need to install the wheels per the included instructions.

But there are no instructions......

Oh, the manual must be in the actual vacuum tank. I take off the top lid of the Shopvac to find instructions and 4 screws. Here's the instruction manual:

Okay, so step one is instructions on how to open the vacuum tank. Problem being: the instructions that contain step one are inside the tank that they are assuming you don't know how to open!

I love this stuff!

Congrads! You're a Homeowner! PS- your dryer is broken.

2009-03-19T23:13:00.007-05:00

Not sure what I paid my home inspector for right now. A couple days into being excited about my first home (which is fairly move-in ready), I noticed that the exhaust vent had become disconnected from where it fed out of the house. No big deal. This looks like a job for H.I.T.

While looking it over, I noticed it looked wet next to my dryer. I couldn't really see, as it was dark, so I grabbed a flashlight. That's when I found that the tubing leading from the dryer exhaust had been torn, and the dyer had been spewing hot, wet dyer lint all over behind the washer, dyer, and into the storage area below our steps.

How long it has been doing this, I do not know. I pull out the dyer, begin to look at things, and realize that though the vent is torn, all the tubing is still completely clogged with lint as well. Not to mention the dang this is set up with several sharp turns = fire hazard.

Just found a great excuse to buy a Shopvac.

What slays me is that just before closing, we asked the sellers to install a radon mitigation system. The system was put in just adjacent to the dryer. So either the home inspector missed the problem, or whoever installed the mitigation system didn't bother to bring it up, or both. Nice.

As I went about rectifying the situation, I vacuumed out the tubing and piping that vents the dryer. A couple pipes were hard to get at to see, so I took pictures to check the progress. In that process, I found my inner endoscopy nurse. These look a little bit like images from the Tin Man's last colonoscopy.

Everything looks fine Mr. Tin Man. Just a few small polyps. That's normal for your age. Some new aluminum foil flexible tubing, some aluminum tape, a few clamps, and good vacuuming, and you're on your way.......

Now That's Handy......

2009-03-19T23:08:00.004-05:00

Hmmmmm......wonder if I can get one of those installed.........

Where Have Thy Been?

2009-03-19T23:08:00.002-05:00

Once again, its been awhile between blogs. Where have I been?

I bought a house.

'Nuff said.

Range Report: Mossberg 835

2009-03-19T23:02:00.004-05:00

Finally got my Mossberg 835 out to shoot for the first time. We had to head down to Iowa for our first bridal shower (first of 4). Fortunately, I was expected only to make an appearance and say hi, then my fiance's uncle, cousin, brother, and I went clay pigeon shooting.

The Mossberg functioned flawlessly. I had never shot trap before, but caught on quickly. I missed the first clay, then hit most after that. I did discover that the gun has a plug in it, and I was limited to 3 shells at a time.

Of course, to ruin the day, one of our party had his brand new Fausti 20 gauge over-under that he had just won. $1400 gun he just won....I never win stuff like that. Now that was a fun gun to shoot.

Anyway, my Mossberg worked, which I was happy about. Like many Mossbergs the pump was a bit "loose"- can anyone out there help me out with some suggestions?

Range Day and a New Shooter

2009-02-28T22:32:00.009-06:00

A buddy of mine has been thinking about getting a handgun. I offered to take him with me for some time at the range just to get the feel of shooting a bit. He agreed, and we set it up to shoot today.

We started at my place, where we reviewed the 4 laws of gun safety. We then ran through the basic functions of the pistol and how it works. After that we progressed into some basic marksmanship. He was worried about looking foolish on the range. I said to him "As long as you're safe, you won't look like an idiot. You can shoot terrible, but if you are safe people will respect you." I sincerely hope that is the attitude that all shooters carry.

My friend shot reasonably well for his first time. Ideally, we should have started with a .22 pistol, but I just had him start with a 9mm (Glock 17). He struggled with anticipating shots, flinching, etc. I had him shoot a magazine with dummy rounds to help him see what he was doing.

He did fire a couple magazines of 40 S&W through my Glock 23 as well. I will have to say, I quite enjoyed helping my friend begin to learn to shoot, and to handle a weapon safely. Its something I would like to do more of. While not an expert at anything, I love teaching and helping people learn something I might be slightly more proficient at....whether it be guitar, singing, medicine, shooting, or bowling (wait....my high bowling score is 108. Cancel bowling). When doing any "teaching" on shooting, I believe its of the utmost importance to stress saftey and responsibility.

I even loaded up some dummy rounds, which I haven't done in awhile, and was surprised to find there was still a bit of a flinch in my pulls. I was concentrating mostly on slow fire today, as it seems my accuracy has suffered as of late. I believe I am struggling with over travel, as many of my shots are driven left, despite my best efforts to not "milk" the grip.

At close distances, I was no problem. In fact, my buddy looked at me in amazement when I could so effortlessly put rounds through the X at 10 feet. If only I could continue that with rapid fire at twice the distance.....

At 25 feet rounds were placing fairly well with slow fire. I was satisfied with this.

At 50 feet, my groupings are trending up and left, the the target's X is quite safe from the lead I sling at it. While not overly concerned about nail-driving at 50 feet from a self-defense standpoint, the USPSA meets I shoot in have a few more longer shots, and I find that in a hurry my shots do not group at all. Hence, my trigger pull continues to need work.

All in all, a great day at the range, 200 rounds fired, several pieces of paper laid to rest, a fresh shooter with new skills in his hands, and everyone home safe. Satisfying and delightful.

I only wish I could say that for the movie we rented: Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicholas Cage. Do yourself a favor. Don't rent it.

But Not Here.....

2009-02-28T21:57:00.004-06:00

Often enough, when people talk to me about carrying a gun, many of them think its acceptable, but don't see any reason why they or I should carry.

Living in South Dakota, surrounded by generally good midwest people, having a gun around for self-defense seems unnecessary to most.

Its true, if you avoid dark alleys and certain parts of town at night, you're generally safe.

But things are changing. This week, in my town a man walked into a Fryn' Pan restaurant armed and began an 8 hour standoff with the SWAT team. News story here. Fortunately, he ordered everyone out of the restaurant, and no one was injured.

However, my fiance, my parents, and I have been to that restaurant a couple times in the last year, and we easily could have been in that situation, and what if he had been more careless with others' lives?

In addition, there's been a couple shootings where someone has died this year in my town, and I know several people whose homes have been burglarized.

Me? I feel safe most of the time. If I could know for certain when, where, and how I'd be in danger, I'd just never go there. Since that is an impossibility, I exercise my right to legally and responsibly carry a gun. I have a permit, I've received instruction, I train often, and I am religious about safety.

As for the Fryn' Pan......lets hope they still keep making those really good sweet rolls......

Time to Change

2009-02-23T14:56:00.001-06:00

Dropped by the range for about 15 minutes today to shoot off my carry ammo and rotate in fresh stuff. 26 rounds of 40 S&W and 10 rounds of 38spl.

With my G23 I was combat accurate. I didn't pound a hole through the X, but firing double and triple taps from high ready put shots where they needed to be.

I shot so horribly with my J-frame, I could hardly believe it. I am too embarrassed to put a picture of the target up. I sat at the range and dry fired over and over. I make no excuses, its trigger pull. While all the shots hit a man size target, several were abdomen and arms. I barely considered myself combat accurate. I left the gun at the store to have a lighter return spring in, hopefully to help my trigger pull.

Being somewhat new to shooting for self defense (vs. leaning back and haphazardly target shooting), I need to continue to shoot and develop my skills. Switching back and forth from the Glock to the J-frame is an odd adjustment, but must be done.

Still, no excuses, the gap is in the shooter, not the equipment.....

Ammo Shortage Update

2009-02-23T14:45:00.000-06:00

Made the rounds (no pun intended) around the stores today searching for ammo. Specifically, I've been looking for Federal Hydrashocks in 40 S&W, which has been my carry ammo.

None.

One sporting good store happily has had plentiful target ammo in several brands for most common calibers, so that has not worried me (though price has gone up).

Hydrashocks for .38spl are usually still around here and there, which is fortunate as I often carry a J-frame revolver. When I found 6 boxes of 40 S&W in Fargo, I should have bought them all. I only bought two.....

I'm considering changing what I carry in my Glock, simply due to the fact that a local gun store always seems to have plenty of self-defense ammo available in everything but Hydrashocks.

Milk Jug? Milk Mug.

2009-02-15T13:05:00.000-06:00

Don't know why, but milk just tastes better from a coffee mug.

The Pocket Problem

2009-02-15T12:20:00.001-06:00

When I bought my Smith and Wesson 642, I bought it with the intention of frequently pocket carrying. I thought I would pocket carry....all the time. The salesman at the gun store promised it would disappear into a pocket, and indeed, he produced a j-frame revolver from the front pocket of his jeans. I had no idea it was there. Perfect.

I, however, am struggling with pocket carry. It seems I have no pair of pants which accommodate the revolver in such a way that it "disappears" into a pocket. While I don't wear the biggest, baggiest jeans on the planet, I certainly don't wear skin tight cowboy jeans.

In an Uncle Mikes pocket holster, it seems to still print a fairly obvious pattern through a pair of jeans. I can always identify a cylinder and a grip.

However, most people aren't specifically looking for a gun, and may not see those things. However, it still seems to leaves a fairly large.....uh......bulge.....for lack of better term, in my pants pocket.

So, while I may be able to carry and not obviously have a gun, I still look like I stuffed a Cornish game hen down my pants. That is a far cry from the revolver that disappears into my pocket.

I do have several coats that work just fine, though my favorite coat does not have deep enough pockets, and the grip sticks out. To carry with that jacket, I must keep my hand in the pocket at all times.

So, suspicious looking hand in pocket at all times, or small fowl in the pants.....this seems to be my dilemma. It was hard to capture in pictures, but trust me, its quite obvious.

Hence, i carry IWB most of time.

To Do/To Acquire List

2009-02-14T20:43:00.001-06:00

I need to slow down on my purchasing. Instead of buying everything with every extra dollar I have, I need to make a list, prioritize it, begin saving, and acquire or do things one by one. This list I'm sure is subject to change and become reprioritized, so I will edit this post as it is changed.

In order as of 2/14/09

1. Better CCW Holsters. I need better holsters for my G23 and S&W 642. I'd like an IWB for each, and an ankle holster for the G23. Thinking Milt Sparks, but I may downgrade to Galco Summer Special for money's sake. I'm taking comments and suggestions. I'd like to keep each holster under $100.

2. Trigger Work. I'd like to do a drop in Ghost Rocket 3.5# connector on both my Glocks, and put a lighter trigger return spring into my J-frame revolver. This will probably get done soonest, as its the cheapest thing on my list.

3. Night Sights. Probably Trijicons on my G23.

4. Glock 26 vs. S&W M&P 9mm compact. I'd like a semi-auto that I am more apt to carry. I'm finding the grip on my G23 too long. Since I shoot mostly Glocks, I'm leaning toward the G26 to keep a uniform platform/trigger, but the M&P is just looking really good. Used is fine, I would like the gun to have night sights and a good IWB holster.

5. Deer Rifle. Something simple, probably in 270.

6. Pocket Pistol. I'd like one of those tiny 380 pistols for when I really need something small. Probably a Ruger LCP.

7. Home Defense Shotgun. Again, nothing fancy. Just a plain, short barreled 12 gauge. Load it up with 00 buck. No pistol grips or anything, just the gun.

8. AR-15. Actually, will probably build one from Del-ton Inc. This is getting to be a ways out in the future now. Doesn't have to be real fancy. 16" barrel, probably a forward pistol grip. Eventually, I wouldn't mind a red-dot sight, but I need to learn to shoot iron sights well first.

9. 1911. I'd like 1 or several 1911 guns again. Wouldn't mind reclaiming the Kimber Custom II I sold.

Kindered Idiots

2009-02-14T20:30:00.000-06:00

It was 6pm when I finally strolled into Target today, Valentine's day, to get a card for my fiance. A gentlemen in his 50's approached the cards the same time as I did. We slowly gave each other a sideways glance, made eye contact, and smiled.

"We were supposed to be doing this a lot earlier, weren't we?" I remarked.

"Well, at least we're here, right?", he asked.

Right.

New Poll

2009-02-14T17:09:00.001-06:00

Shooters- check out the new poll on the right of the page. How much do you shoot a month?

Helping Shop

2009-02-14T11:39:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine has never owned a gun nor has shown any interest in shooting. After the election, he calls me and tells me he'd really like to buy a 9mm pistol. I was fairly surprised buy more than happily agreed to help him shop and then teach him what I know about safety and shooting if he buys one.

But helping someone "find" a gun is tough, especially when they aren't sure what they want. Having recently bought a house and with a baby on the way, he is understandably budget conscious. Yet, he hasn't really set a firm price range.

So what we have is: 9mm, semi-auto, reasonably price. Purpose: home defense, possibly some plinking (no intention to carry concealed).

Search results: a dizzying array of possibilities. Seems like price is the driving factor, though he's not willing to buy complete junk. At least we've ruled out Hi-points for starters. He's also not buying a new Sig Sauer, or a 1911 style 9mm.

But really, what a prospect. Since he knows nothing about guns, I feel obligated to come up with options. Its always a matter of "find something that fits your hand and shoot it and see if you like it."

Not always so easy in SD. Not a terribly large amount of people own handguns. There is only one store which allows you to rent and fire guns, but they only have a fraction of the selection to try.

Originally, he seemed bent on a new S&W Sigma, which I steered him away from. I'm not sure they are built to last. I encouraged him to consider used- a quality gently used gun is better than a cheap new one. He has been very interested in the used Sigs I wrote about in my last post, but they are in 40 S&W (which he is not opposed to). For that price, he's near the price of some decent new 9mm guns though.

n consideration is myriad of new and used guns: Sprinfield XD, Smith & Wesson M&P, S&W 99, Glock, Taurus, Sig, Browning Hi-point, Beretta, FNH, Tangfolio, EAA, Stoeger, the bigger Kahrs, and on and on and on......

At the end of the day there are many decent guns in the running, all seemingly in a price range he's willing to pay for. He's really in a win-win- they would all be fine. He indicates that he knows he wants one, he knows he is going to get one, and his wife has okay'd it, he just can't quite bring himself to write a check.

Oh well, guess I have a great excuse to window shop.

Gun Show

2009-02-14T11:22:00.000-06:00

pent about an hour this morning buzzing through a gun show here in town. First hour of the first day of a gun show.....beyond crowded.

It took me under 5 minutes to end up childishly grabbing at a couple guns like a kid at a candy store before being shooed away by 3 mustached men yelling "display only!" Leave it to beaver.

I hate it when I look like an ignorant kid, since I'm regarded that way often enough. Sometimes I think I'd like some grey hair. Maybe it would buy be me some credibility. Careful what you wish for....

In my defense, there was no "display only sign" up.

Gun shows in South Dakota tend to be...less than impressive. There was plenty of junk, as always. Lots of racks with fairly priced guns, but not a lot of deals that would drive you to buy.

I was hoping to find some Glock mags for my G23 a little cheaper, but they were all the same price as any store, and since I paid $5 to get it, it wasn't worth it. Maybe you're supposed to haggle those things. I'm bad at haggling.

I did find one booth- a company that buys police carry guns and refinishes with duracoat. They had some Sig Sauer P226's that looked very fine, internals looked very good. 1 mag and night sites for $525. Brand new that's a $900-1000 run.

Since police guns get a lot of finish wear, but aren't actually shot a lot, they can be a nice find if you don't mind the cosmetics. After a refinish they looked brand new. Was I in the market for a DA/SA handgun, I probably would have walked away with one......

Sugar Buzz

2009-02-14T03:04:00.001-06:00

Let's see here.....

Late night, no patients in the unit. Check.

2 cans of diet Mountain Dew. Check.

1 large heart-shaped monster cookie delievered by fiance. Check.

2 generous pieces of apple crisp. Check.

.......Yup. I've got a bit of a Sugar Buzz goin'.

There is some insulin about 20 feet away from me..........Nah.

Mossberg 835

2009-02-14T02:45:00.001-06:00

Finally, I have my first shotgun. Its also my first long gun in something other than .22lr. To see the story of buying it from the old man I named Joe, click here.

The gun I bought was a Mossberg 835. Its used, the cosmetics are probably 85-90%. Its internals look great. That's exactly what I was looking for. A slightly used, decent pump action. Its old enough that it is still finished with shiny lacquered wood, which I love. Not the cheaper looking stuff you see today. This gun came in at $175 even.

To be exact, its the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag. 28" barrel, built-in Acu-choke, accommodates shells up to 3.5" You can find specs from the company here.

I still haven't shot the thing (lets hope it works!), but have several offers to shoot clays soon. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at pheasant and duck this year. I've never hunted birds, so should be a new experience for me.

I am debating buying a second slug barrel for it, cutting it down to 18.5", and using it as my home defense shotgun. Then, when I want to go sporting I'll pop on the longer barrel. I'm emailing Xavier to get his opinion on this.

I'll post an update after I've shot it. Cheers

A rainy day, an old man, and my first shotgun

2009-02-14T02:01:00.000-06:00

The story of how I came across my first shotgun.....

I've wanted a shotgun since last fall. After having bought 4 guns and selling 2 in less than a year, I was an a bit of a hold. Well, my fiance approved me of one more little splurge before we buy our house and realize we have no money. All I wanted was a reliable, decent pump shotgun. No bells and whistles, it just needs to work. And used is totally fine. Right off the bat, I was looking at Remington 870s or a Mossberg. Like the rest of the world. I don't deviate much.

So, I'm at large chain sporting good store, looking through a rack of used shottys. Several Remingtons that I liked, including one b-e-a-utiful wingmaster, but I told my fiance I was aiming to keep it under $200. The wingmaster was $299. I debated. Moving down the line, I found a Mossberg 835 in nice shape which seemed promising, and rang in around $220. I'm milling and looking, when an old crotchety man with giant glasses and large hearing aids hobbles up to me. He had on an old grey coat, grey velcro shoes, and a grey plaid hat. He had a half smile as he handled the guns with swollen arthritic knuckles.

"Looking for a good shotgun?"

"Yes, sir, I am"

"I've got one I'm trying to get rid of", he tells me in a loud voice.

While sporting a kind and gentle demeanor, "Joe" as I'll call him was quite hard of hearing. With great difficulty I asked him what he had, and he informed me he had a Mossberg 835, and his gun was in "a hell of a lot better shape" than the guns in the store. He told me $175 was his price. The store had another 835 for $179, but it was in pretty beat up shape, and the action told me it was used, abused, and tired.

I informed him I was willing to look at the gun, and Joe and I headed out to his car. With great care he mounted the escalator heading down mumbling "my hunting days are long over" while I prayed he didn't fall on his face. We headed out through a light drizzle to an old grey Oldsmobile parked in a handicap space. Apparantly, this guy likes grey. Hopping in the passenger side, I was presented with a soft gun case.

Quickly, I unzipped the case, expecting to find an old, beautiful, pristine gun in the gauge of 12. I saw a flash of a corncob pump. Good sign, gotta love the ol' corncob. It took a bit of effort to follow the 4 Gun Laws in the cramped old car as I removed the gun, opened the action, and checked the chamber. Excitedly, I read the barrel to confirm my findings.....

"20 Gauge. Coast-to-Coast"

What!? I tried not to look annoyed as I said, "Sir, I believe this is a 20 gauge, and it appears its not a Mossberg".

"What!?" Joe said, tipping forward to see the gun and almost butting heads with me. Sitting back, swinging an arm, and looking a bit confused Joe blurted, "I got the wrong damn gun. That's the grandkid's gun".

"Well sir, I'm really more interested in a 12 gauge."

"I can be back in 10 minutes with the right gun" he tells me. Honestly, I sort of want to tell this guy to have a nice day and be on his way.....I kept thinking of that beautiful old Wingmaster that cost more money that I was allowed to spend. Being a bit of a sucker and bad at saying no, I agreed to wait.

Like a cop on stakeout, I waited in my car, watching in my rear view mirror for Joe to return. 10 minutes. 15 minutes. 20 minutes. Okay, 1o more minutes and I'm out of here. Really, I'm hoping he decides not to come back.

With 5 minutes to spare Joe slowly pulls back into his same parking spot, struggles out of the car, and produces a different gun case from the trunk. I tell him I'd rather look at it while standing under the open door of my SUV trunk, as its safer to handle, and he agrees. This time its the right gun. Mossberg 835. Not old and vintage, not brand new. Not mint condition, but not beat to heck.

Perfect.

However, being a bit distrusting, I'm thinking "what if thing doesn't work". Joe reads my mind and assures me "it works as well as it looks". Well, its looks about 85%. I'd like it to work 100%. He informs me he shot it last a year ago, and it hasn't even had a box of shells fed through it. Offering his phone number as proof of his confidence, I am still unsure. After all, this guy could be giving me a fake number, or fake name. I'm too polite to ask for ID though. I don't want to offend this man, just doubt him in the private recesses of my pessimistic mind.

None-the-less, I get the feeling that he doesn't prowl large sporting good stores to sell broken guns to young men. I decide to risk it on the old man.

Still, walking back to his car, I inconspicuously write down his license plate number. Just in case.

Back in his car, I write a check signing it in my usual manner: first initial followed by a big scribble. Joe eyes my check with a bit of suspicion.

"You going to sign this?"

"....I did"

"The bank going to cash it with a signature like that?"

"Well, yes....they always do. If you have any troubles, you call me and I'll make it right immediately."

Joe shakes his head with true disappointment.

"Young America", he sighs......

......I guess trust has to go both ways.

At least the serial numbers are still there.

Cleanin' Time

2009-02-14T01:51:00.000-06:00

After some time at the range, and with an upcoming USPSA competition, I needed to get the fleet cleaned up. There's something so enticing about the smell of gunpowder and solvent......I love it. Its quite wonderful to get in there, scrub up the guns, rack the slide of a freshly oiled pistol....I wonder if they make any candles in that scent........

Stupid Cupid

2009-02-14T01:43:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here in the PACU at about 1:45 am. I'm going to a gun show at 9am and it dons on me......its Febuary 14th. Who's idea was it to have a gun show on Valentine's Day? Is someone purposely trying to tick a bunch of wives off, or what?

High Sierra Gear Review

2009-02-13T23:03:00.000-06:00

I'd like to put my two cents on in High Sierra gear. Of course, I am just a lone blogger, and to my knowledge, no one has actually read my blog since November, so it goes without saying that High Sierra has no investment in me and my opinions are strictly my own.

I really like High Sierra stuff. High quality, holds up well, for the most part works well, and has a great price tag.

I first discovered HS as a brand several years ago when I bought a backpack online. I had never heard of them, but the pack was the right price. They offered gear with all the bells and whistles other brands had for half the price. I ordered the bag and took a chance.

I've been using that book bag for 3 years solid, and it is 95% of its original condition. I used it daily in college, I've packed for quick overnight trips, and have taken it on short hikes. It comes with me to work daily and literally gets tossed on the floor under the nurses station, kicked around, slung around.....generally abused. It has held up tremendously. Literally the only thing that has any issues is the velcro closure on the little cellphone caddy. After 3 years of constant use the velcro has frayed and doesn't work if much pressure is applied to it. But, that took three years to occur. The bottom, straps, and zipper show no wear.

I can't remember, but I think I paid somewhere between $30-50. It has rip-stop like construction, good zippers, a laptop compartment, an mp3 player cubby, a cellphone pocket on the shoulder straps, and a sad version of a hip belt and chest strap (it works buts its not too substantial). Really, it has the material, features, and build of a $100+ bag. Also, while not built for CCW, it has a padded pocket in the front that perfectly holds my Glock 23 or J-frame revolver. They don't seem to make this particular bag now, but it looks very akin to this one, only with a laptop compartment and no hyrdation sleeve.

I also have a HS internal frame hiking pack (Explorer 55). Find info here. Its a very standard 55 liter top loading pack with internal frame. Like the backpack, it is very well built, using "Duralite" material, and has all the feature other packs do. Both bags have a padded mesh vented side that goes against your back, allowing for airflow. It has help up extremely well in 3 hiking trips. It also includes a rain cover, which I have not seen in most affordable packs.

This bag is good, but not perfect. The zipper for the bottom sleeping bag compartment is difficult at times, and I'm hoping it "breaks in". Fortunately, I only tend to access that compartment once or twice a day. I'm not wild about the top flap. Unless the bag is loaded to the brim, when cinched tight it pulls to the rear so extremely it almost doesn't cover part of the bag, which is not a huge deal since it has a cord locked storm cover inside. Its almost more of an aesthetics thing than a real problem.

The kicker is that I don't really care because this pack only cost $60! That is literally a fraction of what most comparable bags cost. And, given I've tested it, and have complete confidence in how it holds up, its a complete steal for the price.

The main downside in all HS bags I've found is that they like straps- a lot. Every bag is loaded with cinching straps to tighten down loads and hoods and everything- but so much and with so much extra length that one finds them self with a host of nylon tentacle-like extensions hanging from their back. Occasionally, I will fold up the slack and rubber band it together.

On the whole, however, I find High Sierra gear to be extremely rugged, well built, reliable, and long-lasting. I would highly recommend their product. Given the few negatives- a few extra straps and some difficult zippers- you can sure save a few bucks for an overall well built product.

H.I.T.

2009-02-13T22:50:00.001-06:00

I have entered myself into an old and presitgious institution; H.I.T. or, Husband In Training. A self imposed course, I'm trying to develop into someone that could actually be useful around the house. Its a well known fact that when I pick up a tool, my IQ drops by 50-60 points. Tim Taylor, the accident prone host of Tool Time in the show "Home Improvement" is dear to my heart.

I'm fairly proud of recent achievements however, including hanging Christmas lights (successful and injury free use of a staple gun) and the unclogging of a sink.

A side note on the sink. After 4 bottles of Drano didnt' work, my dad suggested I take apart the elbow under the sink and clean it out. So I did.

It was the most disgusting thing I've ever done.

And I'm a nurse.

I was close to vomiting as I cleared out the foul, putrid clog in the sink, feeling like quite the man with my floral printed kitchen gloves. Nothing oozes manhood like kitchen gloves and flowers.

But hey, sink works like a charm now.

Found: Ammo

2009-02-13T22:34:00.000-06:00

Not suprisingly, there has been quite the ammo shortage as of late. Finally over the last couple weeks ammo is appearing in stores again. I checked a chain sporting goods store and happened to hit them right after they had gotten a huge shipment of ammo in. For four weeks prior, they recieved 1 (50) round box of ammo each week. I picked up several boxes of 9mm, and a couple of boxes of 40 S&W which were on sale, which I could hardly believe since the availabilty is almost nill. I also picked up one box of 38 spl. That coupled with the 4 boxes of 40 my friend was able to pick up for me actually brought my overall horde to around a thousand rounds. I suppose I'll shoot a little now.

Self-defense ammo, however, is still quite difficult to find. On a weekend trip to Fargo I was able to score a couple boxes of Federal Hydrashocks for my Glock 23, which I was happy to find. Hydrashocks for the .38 spl are still handy in most stores here.

As of last night, my local Wal-Mart had 4 boxes of 9mm, 2 boxes of .38 spl, and no 40 or 45 ammo.

I would love nothing more than to drop a large amount of money and majorly stock up on ammo. A fast approaching wedding, honeymoon, and house purchase is preventing it. At least my fiance is quite good to me and lets me pick up ammo in moderation.

No Comment

2009-02-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

Found at a local museum in a silverware display. Made me giggle. Typical man I guess.

The Big Purchase

2009-01-27T05:27:00.000-06:00

Of course, the main reason I don't have any new toys to talk about on here lately is because I made a big purchase.....

....in the form of a diamond. I got engaged in the beginning of December. We also bought a house a couple weeks ago.

The Big Purchase has been made. Suddenly, I have gone from a single 20-stomething male with tons of expendable income to thinking "How can dry beans be so expensive". I've got from guitar shopping to worrying about radon mitigation systems overnight.

Oh well, its okay. She's a wonderful woman. She's supportive of my hobbies, interests, and ministries. Most guys say "get your toys now before your married" but my girl is pretty cool about stuff......

Great Read

2009-01-27T02:16:00.000-06:00

Recently I've become marginally obsessed with CBS' "The Unit". As its based off a book, I read that book.

"Inside Delta Force" Is a barely sub-400 page book by Eric Haney, one of the first Delta force operators in the late 70's. A first hand account of the formation, selection, training, and life of Delta Force and its soldiers, its a fascinating book. Few books can hold my attention, let alone demand it, but I plowed through this book in no time. If I could read a page quick on the can, then by gum I did.

Sounds to me like a Delta force soldier is one part Army Ranger and one part Spy. Then again, Delta is supposedly highly secretive, so one must wonder, what isn't in this book?

If you are at all into pistol shooting, the training section of this book alone will leave you in awe. Imagine training with all live fire, shooting into a room full of your buddies, planning to hit the mannequins just inches away from their heads. Crazy.

Political Ranting

2009-01-27T01:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, I just need to get the Obama complaining out of my system. Here goes.

First off, this guy got elected promising people we needed change. Duh. We need a plan for the economy. Duh. Now this guy is president and I'm not sure he has a plan yet.

I flipped on the the TV on Friday and he's talking about the economy. And he's still babbling about how we need a plan and it needs to be this and that....but the guy still has no freakin' plan! Its exactly what I feared about the guy.

Also, he's very quickly backpeddling on many of his stances. Though usually covered heavily by the media, he very quietly signed an order to repeal a Ban on federal funding of abortion groups, an issue which he craftily managed to make everyone happy on as he ran for office.

And don't even get me started on the people he's appointing to important positions. Its a nightmare.

Guantanimo Bay...whatever.

Screw the gun control stuff, I think he's hopeless on a host of issues. Doesn't matter how good he sounds on the podium of he doesn't know what he's doing in the Oval Office.

I'm pretty much afraid for us.

Ammo Shortage?

2009-01-27T01:45:00.000-06:00

It would seem that in the days post inaguaration of our new fearless leader Barak Obama,

there is a possible ammo shortage. Looks like everyone is buying up all the ammo they can. My buddy, a police officer called me and let me know there was a "cops only" sale at a local sporting goods store, and he could get me 10% off ammo.

"Sure I said, pick me up 500 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of .40"

When my phone rang on the day of the sale, I almost knew what my friend was calling about.

"There isn't one round of 9mm in this whole store"

Crap. I should have seen this coming. All I've got at home is 100 rounds of .40 and 20 rounds of 38! Crap!

"Is there any 40 ammo?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah"

"Okay, pick me up a couple hundred rounds"

Turns out there was only 6 boxes left of .40 ammo in the store, of which 4 became mine. Had I known it would be that short, I would have bought all 6. I've been trying to trim the budget after buying a house and and getting engaged.

I jumped online the next day to check a website for ammo, and was almost horrified to see that 7 out of 8 pages of 9mm ammo was sold out!

I've been so busy helping my dear and wonderful fiance plan a wedding and buy a house that I didn't put any thought into the whole Obama thing....and now I feel like I've been caught with my pants around my ankles.

Until there's more ammo out there, I'm not shooting much, I'm just hoarding what I have. So much for my indoor USPSA competitions that just started up again......

Knives- A Man's Cutlery

2009-01-27T00:43:00.000-06:00

Breaking away from guns for a bit, I thought I'd write a post about the knives I use. Just like guns, I do not have an endless collection, just a few that I use regularly. It should be noted that I do not really carry knives as weapons or for self defense, I carry them as a tool to use. I think its great to have a good knife with you, always a use for something. Also, while I like to buy decent knives, I certainly don't spend a fortune on the most amazing thing out there. I buy decent quality stuff that's affordable. I'll start with the smallest and work up the largest.

Camillus Sizzle

This is my "everyday" knife I carry around with me pretty much whatever I do. Nice little knife, assisted opening, 2.5" blade made of Aus8 stainless. I bought it as a gift to my brother, and liked it so much that I kept it. Has held a good edge, and its a nice size to carry around....a little blade to do random little everyday tasks. The one downside is that mine has a partially serrated edge.....when I bought it I thought that was great, but I have really grown to prefer a completely straight edge. They are discontinued but are still out there for sale. I bought mind for around $35

CRKT M4

I've had to warm up to my Columbia River Knife and Tool M4. At first, I can't say I liked the thing, but now I love it. It was my first decent knife I bought, and I think I expected it to slice through steal. Having generated realistic expectations about knifes, I know very much appreciate it. The blade is made of Aus8 stainless and bead blasted. It has a positive extra locking system that I like when the blade is open. The edge is hollow ground with a drop point.

I like this knife because its slightly larger and more robust, I feel I can take on serious work with the thing. It also has a thick enough spine that I would feel comfortable using to baton wood, etc. I have taken this camping/hiking and would feel good if I was lost and this is the knife I had at my side. I take it with me when I'm outdoors- plinking, dayhiking, or when I'm beboping around doing things where I might want a decent knife. It has a thin handle which is nice for my smaller hands. The one downside is the pocket clip can dig into the hand a bit. Overall, a well constructed knife. Does need sharpening a couple times to get a really good edge. They are around $90 new but I found one on sale for about $40 on REI.com

Benchmade Rant Drop-Point

I really like this knife. I've only had it for about a month. This is my larger, more robust knife I plan to bring on full-out hiking/camping/hunting trips. It has a 4.5" blade made of 440c stainless. Obviously, it also has a drop point. It came right out of the box with a really nice razor sharp edge. It has a finish that I can't explain....its like a bead-blasted but yet different. The appearance would remind you of corrugated steel. The handle is a very large textured santoprene handle. Actually, the handle is probably getting too big for me....it has a large palm swell that feels like it could give me blisters. I've only used it on a winter camping trip, so I had gloves on. It comes with a leather sheath that is well built, but is a but finicky on how it slides in. Thus, it doesn't easily resheath without looking- which is probably my biggest bummer.

On the trip though, it did a great job of splicing kindling, whittling, cutting rope, doing some kitchen duty, overall it was great. I would feel more than good in having this on my side if I got lost and was in a survival situation. Also would make a good knife I think for hunting and skinning. I've seen these anywhere from $45-70. Mine was in the middle.

Note: if you happen to google this, the knife was redesigned recently. Subsequently, there's lots of pictures out there of the old ones. The new one (that I have) is the Mel Purdue designed Rant DPT

Rant DPT on bottom, Fallkniven F1 on top.

Other things:

I also frequently carry around a Leatherman Fuse and a Swiss Army knife. Both great. I registered for a Leatherman Wave in my wedding gift registry, we'll see if I get lucky :) Great fiance to let me register for that, huh?

Back in the Saddle

2009-01-27T00:16:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been off this thing for almost 3 months. I think that's long enough to declare it officially dead. Just like my college radio show, I'm sure I had about zero faithful followers, but its nice to pretend someone is reading this stuff. I'm not sure I can resurrect this but I'll try.

I guess I have an excuse to be gone. I've been a bit busy. I got engaged in December, and just bought a house. I got a raise at my church job, which also means they want me to put in a little more time there. Busy busy.

I am going to have at it again. I think part of my problem is I was blogging 90% about guns and ammo, which is great, but I was running out of steam. I don't have an endless collection of things that go bang, and as such, I was running out of things to say.

So, that said, I am going to expand the things that I talk about, and I think I'll start with knives.....

She is Blind

2008-11-04T22:12:00.001-06:00

America spoke today, and proved its blind folly by choosing Barak Obama as the next president. We cannot see through the cataract of this momentary financial situation, and have made a desperate choice. Obama will do good things for the economy- at the expense of the liberties and basic practices of this great nation. Pray that the leaders of this nation will make wise decisions, and not allow the many foolish policies Barak wishes to institute.

Guess its time to look into that AR.

Can't see the Forest

2008-10-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

Well, in an overwhelming stew of political opinions, its time to throw mine in. First, I'll just say it, I'm a McCain/Palin man and its not just because they are pro-gun.

I am amazed by the support that Obama is receiving. Sure, we need change. No doubt. Economy is falling apart, absolutely. George has failed us? I'd say yeah, and I voted for the guy.

But what kind of change do we want? Can Obama fix the economy? Maybe. I think he could probably do some good things. I think our country's financial state may improve with his leadership.

But at what expense?

There are some things more dear than the dollar. There are things more precious than our checkbook. There are things that need to be protected beyond our IRA.

America. What it is, what is was founded to be, what it could be. A repair of a fractured economy crafted by Obama's hands would come at the expense of our country's integrity. Obama is dangerously un-American, flirting with socialism, and would be bad for the heart of our great country. And no, its not because he's black and has a name like Barak. I'm not that ignorant.

He is a confident and poignant speaker. He carries himself with grace and ease. He exudes a feeling of calm that immediately seems to quiet even my worries. But in these hard times, its quick to fall in love with the image that is Obama. However, while he carries himself in a way that is reassuring- I fear what he'd bring to America.

The fact is that right now, people can't see the forest through the trees. We are so caught up in gas prices, stock markets, failing retirement funds, and bad home loans that we are blinded. Obama looks like a giant dollar bill floating down to save us and we are grasping at it with all abandon. Anything that doesn't look like George Bush is an oasis and we are desperately running toward it.

But perhaps, its just a mirage. It looks so good, seems so real- we need a taste of that refreshing water. I fear though, that Obama will give us nothing but a mouth full of sand.

We want a better economy. We want out of Iraq. We want to be comfortable and happy again. Obama may fix a battered economy, he may pull us out of a war but....

What will the bottom line mean for your checkbook? Many call him a socialist.

Do you see him as our Commander in Chief? John McCain has been in battle.

Does he support the moral compass of America? Our morality is in shambles.

Is he the best thing for America? Or is he more interested in change for the sake of change?

Will he protect Constitutional rights or rip them away? Americans have had the right to bear arms since its conception, and Obama is heavily anti-gun of every kind.

Choose wisely. Think beyond today. Think beyond your hurting checkbook. Any new president will enact healthy change for the economy. Don't crucify McCain because you think he's George Bush. Don't drink the sand. Stop and look through the trees. See the forest.

Man Nurse

2008-10-10T00:20:00.000-05:00

My great-grandma, bless her heart, always refers to me as a "Man Nurse".

"Are you still going to be a Man Nurse" she would always ask me while I was in school.

"Yeah Grandma, its the only kind they'll let me be"

She would reply with an approval because all those women need someone to help lift, people are just too darn heavy now.

I can't say my main motivation to take up nursing was to help other women lift stuff. What is it about nursing anyway- this reverse sexism thing?

There are male nurses but never female nurses.

I thought maybe the world was getting over that until I started working in the PACU. The first time I was in the locker room, I headed over to a rack of scrubs and found this:

Man Nurse = Man Pants. Now where is that Man Top.....

Competition Rig

2008-10-10T00:11:00.000-05:00

Well, my competition belt finally arrived......2 days after the last meet of the season. It took almost a month. I have a Safariland bucklelss 2 layer belt- one inside the pants loops and one out.

Right now I have an Uncle Mike's Law Enforcement paddle holster but I'll be replacing that. Not sure exactly what yet.....maybe something Safariland or maybe just a Blade-tech. I don't want a race holster because that is nothing like what you'd actually have in real life.

I'm using Comp-tac mag carriers. They do the job. I need to get 1 or 2 more.

Nobody's Perfect

2008-10-09T23:57:00.000-05:00

Well, you can't place them all perfect, can ya? My first target from the first time I shot a G17. See lower left.

Glock 23

2008-10-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

After selling one of my guns I used some of the money to finance a new purchase. Glock 23.

Yes, thank you ladies and gentleman, Tarak has again joined the bandwagon. What? This is his second Glock? Pathetic.

Whatever, they work.

I bought this gun with the purpose of carry/self defense. I wanted something bigger than my J-frame and in a larger caliber, but a little cheaper to train with than a 45. It rides in my nightstand. It often has a place in the bag I'm carrying. Now that its fall I can carry in an IWB holster with a sweatshirt, heavy shirt or coat if I want. Also looking forward to taking it hiking/camping/backpacking as it holds up well in the elements.

Featured above is my strongside nightstand-type holster by Cheap-Target-Nightstand.

I plan on replacing the terrible Glock factory sights, of course. I'll be getting different sights on my Glock 17 for competition, and will pull the nightsights off of that and put it on my new G23.

Fit and finish is all fine and dandy. Came with the usual: case, 2 mags, speedloader, lock, paperwork. It cost $499. Its chunky in my hand- there are certainly any number of guns that feel better in the grip, but I'm used to my G17 for competition, so I wanted the same platform for a carry gun. Its comfortable enough.

Shoots as well as I can shoot it. I would have to say it does have quite a bit of snappy recoil that took some getting used to. Made my wrists hurt a bit after about 150 rounds.

After some slow fire I worked on point shooting at close ranges, as that's what I anticipate I would need it for. After a bit, my groups began to clean up. At first, they were all over.

I have a cheap nylon holster that it sits in in while in various bags, etc. I picked up an Uncle Mikes IWB holster for $10 that actually works fairly well, though the cheap Velcro release leaves much to be desired. I will be getting better holsters for it. For ammo I have 185 gr. Federal Hydrashocks, which is in pretty much any gun I carry.

Overall, I'm happy with the 23 and think it will serve me well for its intended purpose.

What Have I Done??

2008-10-09T20:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it.

I sold my 1911. My only 1911. Why? Well, this year I have bought 3 very nice guitars and associated gear, 3 pistols, quite a large amount of shooting gear, I've exponentially increased what I've spent on ammo, and I got myself completely set-up for backpacking and took two trips. That's a ton of money I spent on hobbies people. And I wonder why I struggle to buy a house. We are talking thousands. Two of my guitars alone brought me in around 5k. That's fine and good, this stuff will all last a long time if I take care of it.

In the meantime I wanted a carry/home defense gun that was larger and had greater capacity than my J-frame, but wasn't as large and heavy as my Kimber 1911. I also want new sights and trigger work on my Glock, would like a shotgun, and an AR-15. Well, see above paragraph. I just can't keep digging my my pockets for more guns this year.

It seems I wasn't shooting my 1911 often, nor did I seem to enjoy it much. I like shooting Production class in IPSC so I was sticking with the Glock. Also, I really wanted that carry/defense gun and felt I couldn't wait.

So, I sold my 1911.

And now I'm freaking out. What was I thinking? Maybe I was thinking, I don't know. All I know is, suddenly a 1911 seems like the best gun in the world, and I don't' have one. A 1911 is now way up high on my gun wish list. In fact, I'll most likely get a shotgun, then a 1911.

The only question is this: What 1911? I need to wait and see what happens with competition next year. I may decide I need a full size since that's what so many people use. But, if not....if I am digging the Production thing, then I think I want a commander size 1911. I'm thinking either Colt Combat Commander or a Kimber Pro.

Though I'm still full of doubt and sadness, I will give my new Glock 23 a fair review. Besides, it is working out well for me and its intended purpose.

2nd USPSA 2 Gun Match

2008-10-05T22:21:00.000-05:00

I shot my second full 3 Gun USPSA match today. Talk about a day of fun! My only bummer is I love to shoot pistol and we just don't shoot that match. My score and overall performance was overwhelmingly better than my first match.

My times were better, I never had a target I failed to engage, I didn't have hits on any no-shoots, and I only had one miss in 5 courses of fire. That is remarkably better. I still am not happy with how well I'm shooting pistol when I'm on the timer, I'm pulling my shots.....everything is still hitting center mass, but still has room for improvement.

I'm finding more and more and more that trigger pull is so essential, even more so when you're "under fire". Just that steady, smooth press. If I try to shoot 100 miles and hour and abandon all accuracy then its worthless. There were several stages that if I had slowed down just a tiny bit- added maybe 5 seconds to my total time, I would have scored higher due to better hits.

I did, however, have one of the best single times on the steel plates in my group. Draw, engage to plates, move and engage 3 more, under 6 seconds :)

So all said and done, I scored 3rd out of 6 in my division. I scored 3rd on 3 different courses of fire where I was just chasing some very good shooters.

The bad news....the outdoor season is over :(

Missing in Action

2008-10-05T22:20:00.000-05:00

So, if anyone does actually read this, you'll notice its been a long time since I've posted. What can I say, I've been lazy. I have lots of stuff upcoming to post about- shooting match, sold a gun, buying a gun, needing new sights, trigger jobs....so stay tuned.....

New Blog

2008-09-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I have mulitple people that want to read my "funny" blogs but dont' want to sift through the "gun stuff". Thus, The Beehive has been born. Check that one out if you want a laugh.

Gym. Rats.

2008-09-23T14:07:00.000-05:00

I decided I better have one of my semi-annual trips to the gym today so I can justify my $40 a month membership. Also, I'm just getting fatter so its not a bad idea.

As my sebaceous glands pour forth a fountain of sweat, I take stock of the situation around me. Old lady on my left. Pregnant women doing aerobics on the basketball court. A decrepit older man crawling off a weight machine with help from his cane. A host of buff, muscular men hefting very large amounts of metal.

Still I feel good about myself until I lock eyes with the man I'm calling Herman. Herman is easily mid-60's with thick brown plastic frames surrounding his very large glasses. Those glasses are older than I am. He wears a large orange sweatshirt and brown pants. He holds himself up by his forearms on an apparatus which suspends his legs and supports his weight in such a way that his neck has disappeared. He looks like a 65 year old Simon Birch.

He locks eyes with me and holds the stare for a moment as he effortlessly raises his legs forward and up in a sort of backwards mid-air sit up, demonstrating far more abdominal strength than I.

And I feel ashamed.........

Changing My View

2008-09-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

Recently I was going to be receiving a patient. 58 year old with Down's Syndrome, Alzheimer's, Personality Disorder, OCD, and a history of being combative.

Very quickly we decided not to recover this patient in the usual open PACU bays, but in one of our private rooms.

The patient is brought in, he is intubated, and while be for awhile. He is still completely out of it after receiving ketamine, midazolam, and anesthesia. He is 100% unresponsive. I settle in close by his side where I can monitor him and his airway. I chart away, thankful for a chance to do paperwork right away, but also with an ominous feeling that when this guy wakes up it will be with bravado. I have gloves, a syringe for the ETT, and suction on standby. His caregiver arrives, sits in a recliner and turns on the TV.

She is watching ABC's "The View".

Have mercy! Could there be any worse show on earth? It is torture. The slow, rhythmic, misty breaths coming from my patient's T-piece puff off as a time keeper. Each breath is chalk mark on my cell wall reminding me that this is going to be a long recovery. Anything has to be better than The View. I can't believe women watch this.

I feel like I'm sitting in the hen house listening to five old birds cluck. No words, just angry clucking....

Creepy Massage

2008-09-22T22:24:00.001-05:00

I was just musing about my first massage. It was a birthday gift in college. But I'm pretty excited for it. Who doesn't want a massage? I check into the Salon ready to go, but already feeling a bit....odd. I mean, for me, its a bit invasive.

I'm ushered into a small massage room. Its what you expect. Dim lights, cheap fountain in the corner, reeks of incense. There's a shower in the corner full of stuff....I hope its not for me.

"Go ahead and take off as many clothes as you want. A lot of people go naked, but some people just strip to their underwear."

...

As much as I want? What I want to wear is a goose down parka while some stranger caresses my jiggling body. I want to not feel like a beached whale and have someone I don't know start feeling me up. But, I suppose the massage will be less effective that way. And lets just come out and say it. At this point, I'm in college, doing the saving-yourself-for-marriage thing, and I'm the v word. That's right virgin. So virgin Chris is stripping to his skivvies, crawling into a bed in the middle of the room, and waiting for a burnt-out hippie named Marge to come rub him down.

And in walks Marge.

You think the burnt-out hippie part was a joke? No. 50-something white woman. Frizzie hair adorned with dreads and beads. A dress that could only be made of hemp, or possibly the beard hairs of a goat. You know, the kind of lady that only drinks from a Mason jar, doesn't own a car, makes her own soap, and works by the light of a natural beeswax candle.

In a sultry, dusky, Mary Jane influenced voice she coos, "Is this your first massage?"

"Yeah".

"Oh, that's wonderful. Would you like some music on?"

"Sure."

"What do you like?" At this point, I had just joined the college jazz band.

"Well, I like jazz"

"Okay, I'll put some on".

Apparently, we have miscommunicated at this point. To my horror, Kenny G begins floating ominously from the $25 boombox on the counter. I shiver slightly and decide its okay.

"How's that?" She asks. "Uh....great. Great. He's good" I sputter.

"Okay, I'm going to begin." Oooookay.

I begin to be rubbed and massaged and kneaded by Marge. Kenny G wafts seductivly through the air as Marge engages in oil-laden strokes of my legs. Kenny sings to us......Ba da da ba da ba da, ba da da doo....... It does feel nice. However, full body means....well a lot of the body. 90%. But you know, even if you don't drive to Houston, you can still feel a little country at the Texas border.

Suddenly, my body is confused by mixed messages and she rubs my thighs.

Mmmmmm....

Mmmmmm....

MmmmmmMARGE! SICK! No! Retreat!!

Ba da da ba do be da, ba doo bee dwoo da.......

You are not helping me here Ken!

And yet, it feels good. Thighs being rubbed....good......Marge touching me....bad.....Baseball, cold showers......

Fortunately, its time to flip on to my stomach. She's now massaging my back and its feels good. My face is in the little open donut thing facing down, but my eyes are closed. I'm oblivious for a moment to the word. Hence, I don't notice as she sits on a stool facing me, her legs under my face. I don't notice that her hemp-dress-concoction has a slit in it. I don't notice that the slit in her dress is really quite high, that perhaps her woven wonder has fallen to each side of her legs. I don't notice I'm the in the lap of.....luxury.

Until I open my eyes...

To a suprise....

Margie's thighs.

The Burning!! The pain! Why doth thy dress part in such high flight? My nose is in the holy of holies here, and I want out! Suddenly, "Danger Zone", the theme song from Top Gun is flying through my head and I'm wondering if its possible to get "the clap" in my nose.

But suddenly, praise my maker, the massage is over. Like an embarassed youngling I wait with the covers pulled tightly until she leaves the room. I get dressed. I'm given a water bottle. Apparently they notice the sweat on my brow. Should I be smoking or something now?

I'm ready to leave and before I can get through the door Marge fires out, "Hey, what are you doing right now?"

No way. This lady did not just ask me that......

"Uh, not much."

"Could I get a ride somewhere?"

You've got to be kidding me. I am finally free of a rather awkward hour, and its instigator needs a ride. But I'm a nice guy. "Sure."

I give Marge a ride to the mechanic about 10 blocks away, she thanks me, and reminds me to drink plenty of water or I'll be sore. Yeah but what about the psychological damage lady? As she gets out of the car, I feel like I should be asking,

"So....do I call you sometime?"

...I choose instead to say thank you, and pull away a bit faster than the speed limit.

Patriot.

2008-09-22T22:19:00.001-05:00

I love this country. Its true that she is sick; she is broken. But I love her. Don't take her for granted.

First Shooting Match

2008-09-22T21:51:00.001-05:00

I finally shot my first competition match. USPSA 3-gun. Shotgun, Ar-15, pistol. I had a blast. So here's the deal. I felt good about how I shot. For a beginner, not bad. I have never held an AR-15, and I haven't shot a shotgun in about 12 years. I shot the AR pretty well, scoring some difficult hits. I shot the 12 gauge with no problems but loaded very slowly. Pistol was fine. In the end, however, I placed last in my division. I think it was okay. One course I was 8/11 and ahead of some fine shooters.

I did, however, get several "good shooting" comments from better shooters. One of the really good shooters said, "You know, for being brand new, you're really pretty good at this". That was reassuring. I'm definitely looking forward to shooting more. Now I need sponsors so I can afford to shoot often! I'll be checking out some matches in Omaha, NE this fall, and will compete in winter indoor league here in Sioux Falls, SD.

Beauty

2008-09-18T23:16:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, if you stop for a second, and look past the busyness, you remember we live in a beautiful world.

Shot in the Wallet

2008-09-18T23:16:00.001-05:00

This Sunday I'm shooting a 3 gun match at the local USPSA club. Pistol, Shotgun, and AR-15. Ran to the store to get the ammo I need. I bought cheap stuff (not Wolf cheap, but its not a bag full of Hornady or something).

200 rounds 9mm

60 rounds .223

25 rounds #7.5 shot lead shells

$80+

I hate that.

Accessorizing

2008-09-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

I think I finally understand women and all their accessories. Purses, earrings, shoes.......

For men its called...gear! Shopping for it, comparing it, buying it.....even organizing it all. I think I love gear.

This week I've had a blast picking up new stuff:

Uncle Mic's range bag. What a great little bag for 45 beans. Holds plenty of ammo and all my gear for shooting. Its my first range bag actually designed to hold shooting gear and I love it.

Also picked up some Peltor Tactical 6s electronic muffs. Looking forward to trying those out. I'll probably review them after I've warn them shooting.

Starting getting the beginnings of my competition rig. Stuff I'll being using for USPSA and hopefully some IDPA too. I have some Comp-Tac single mag carriers and an Uncle Mike's Police Gear kydex holster for use with my G17. The comp-tac stuff is okay. Will do the job. The holster is a little disappointing. I've loosened the tension screws as much as possible but it still draws pretty hard. I think I'll be ordering a Safariland 007 holster- it will work for USPSA and IDPA. I also already ordered a Safariland double buckleless belt, but it won't be here in time for the last competition of the season.

Will be picking up at least one more 17 round mag for the Glock this week. Also picked up some snap caps......pretty much any little thing that looks good, I've been grabbing up! Here's to gear!

You know You're a Male Nurse If....

2008-09-17T22:24:00.001-05:00

You know you're a male nurse if......

...the "Personal Care Kit" (aka first aid/med cupboard) for the employees of your unit has more space dedicated to feminine hygiene products than anything else.

....there are pumping rooms for your co workers. And its not for pumping iron.

Ammo Shifts

2008-09-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

I love to shoot. I'd probably shoot every day if I could.....with a host of different guns.

But alas, the price of ammo. Its crazy. I used to only shoot every few months....3-4 times a year.....200 rounds each time. So less than 1000 rounds per year.

I'm trying to shoot a lot more without breaking the bank amidst my other hobbies (expensive guitars, backpacking). I'm probably shooting 300-500 rounds a month, and I'm just starting to dip my toes in this compeition thing.

So, I've been picking up hours at work just to pay for shooting/competing. I find myself measuring pay not in dollars/hour but rounds/shift.

I can sign up for "critical call" on Saturdays. I get $70 just to stay in town and be on call, time and a half if I get called in. Just being on call is probably 350 rounds.

Thus, the "Ammo Shift".

Life Skills

2008-09-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

Recently, a new Nursing Assistant joined our department. She is in the Air Force reserve. She is a jet mechanic.

You know, sometimes you hear people trying to sell the military: "Join the military, and you'll learn all kinds of useful skills for life."

So I asked her, "how's that jet mechanic thing helping you out?" It of course is not. I asked if any skills transfered like fixing a lawn mower or someting. Nope.

I can just see it now....

"Honey, I asked you to fix the vacuum"

"I did"

"It sucked the carpet off the floor..."

"....So?"

"It shot it out the back and fired off a missle!"

"Yeah, we've been having trouble with that....."

Loaded?

2008-09-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Recently, I made the decision to begin carrying a concealed weapon. If you are someone how knows me, and followed this link from facebook or something, and think I've gone crazy, check out My Stance on Gun Ownership and Use for a thought out description of why I think this is wise.

Anyway, my family was not so crazy about this idea, but I got them to accept it. They knew I was buying a S&W J-frame, etc. So my first weekend I came home after I bought it, I was carrying. No one noticed.

The subject came up, and somehow I mentioned I was ordering a better holster. "Holster?" Dad says. "Then everyone would see it."

I decided maybe we just need to take all the fear and mystery out of this, and talk about it. I revealed I was carrying, with the plan to unload the gun, show it to them, discuss it. I proceeded to safely unholster the gun, point it away from everyone, and unload 5 rounds of .38spl.

"Its loaded??!!" bursts out my sister. "Why would you carry a loaded gun?!"

........Why on earth would I carry an unloaded gun? That's called a $450 paperweight.

The Four Gun Laws

2008-09-16T22:20:00.000-05:00

1. Treat every gun as if its loaded.

2. Never point the muzzle at anything you do not want to destroy.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.

4. Be sure of your target, what is in front of it, and what is behind it.

If followed religiously, these 4 rules will prevent any inadvertant disharges/damages/or deaths related to a firearm.

My Stance on Gun Ownership and Use

2008-09-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been taking a lot of heat for my gun hobby and "obsession". Now its true, I've ruminated a bit on guns lately. I'm a passionate person, when I find something that captivates me, I do tend to focus on it a bit. Truth be told, my recent surge of interest is the result primarily of the financial freedom required to purchase and shoot said weapons. AKA, I graduated from college two years ago and actually have money now.

Indeed, I am not obsessed, but have been under a bit of scrutiny. You see, in South Dakota, everyone has a closet full of shotguns and rifles. Hunting anything that moves in encouraged and understood, but bring up a handgun and its as if you confessed to terrorism. In fact, a few years ago, while eating lunch with my coworkers on an ICU nightshift, I caught quite a bit of grief.

"Handgun? Why do you need a handgun? You going to rob a bank?"

No. I'm not going to rob a bank. But I do support gun ownership, use, and carry. And so, I present My Stand on Gun Ownership and Use. Warning, this may be long!

1. I believe in gun ownership. I believe that adults who have not been convicted of felonies or have committed acts to otherwise prove irresponsibility or major mental illness have the right to own firearms. This country exists because normal people were armed, and were therefore able to fight Britain and establish the USA. I do not live in paranoid fear of our government or fear of hostile takeover by another country.

However, I do believe a responsibly armed citizenry is healthy, and is the proud tradition of our country. Indeed, our country owes its existence to the ownership of firearms. In fact, the first shots fired in the Revolutionary War were resultant from the attempt to disarm a local militia so that they could not fight for their freedom.

2. I believe in the use of firearms for personal protection. I believe that if the life of yourself or another is clearly threatened and endangered, the use of firearms is just and acceptable. I do believe there is a difference between murder and self defense. Thus, I believe in the right to carry; whether open or concealed. I do not have a Napoleon or Rambo complex. I do not wish to see people killed for the mere act of sadistic violence or the feeling of power.

I believe this use must be reserved strictly for the defense of life and limb. I do not support shooting a thief who is running away from the house, drawing a firearm when one feels a bit "scared", or going into obviously dangerous situations if they can be avoided. I believe in the avoidance of confrontation if possible. Owning a firearm does not take the place of common sense, awareness, and wisdom.

I do believe in situations such as Virginia Tech and the Omaha, NE mall shooting that citizens who were armed, trained, and competent with firearms could have prevented or limited deaths and injuries.

The world seems to be in a state of declining morality, with an increasing disregard for life. I do not live in paranoia; however with increasing crime, an uncertain economy, and more awesome acts of violence, I believe it is prudent to be armed and competent with a gun. We do not know what tomorrow holds.

Again a gun is never, ever, ever, ever to be used or even drawn from its holster unless there is a clear and obvious threat to life. Period. No one should know you have a gun unless they are trying to take your life.
3. I believe in responsible firearm ownership. Owning a gun does not make one armed. It is my opinion that most "accidental" gun deaths do not occur because of the innately dangerous characteristics of guns. I believe it is due to ignorance and irresponsibility. See The Four Gun Laws.

If one makes the choice to own a gun, I believe it is their responsibility to become competent with it. Shooting instruction, practice, and knowledge of the gun is a must. This is doubled for one that wishes to carry in public.

Wise decisions must be made. A loaded handgun in the nightstand may be appropriate for me, but I have no children in the house. Holsters must be used. We must consider not only ourselves, but those around us. Guns must be stored responsibly, used responsibly, and never treated as toys. Note that all my comments regarding ownership and use come with responsibility, training, and competence. It is not acceptable, in my opinion, to own a gun that will ever be used for defense, hunting, or sport, and have never trained with it.

Do not carry without a permit! Follow local laws! Know what is appropriate and legal!

4. I do not believe gun ownership increases gun crime. I believe that the majority of gun violence is committed by criminals who operate outside the law. Increasing gun control, making it difficult for law-abiding adults to own guns, and driving up the price of ammunition will not, in my opinion, decrease gun crime. Only rarely do we see an average, decent person who snaps and goes on a shooting rampage. This is an unfortunately rarity which receives heavy press. Take away guns, other means will take their place. Bombs, etc. Crystal Meth is reeking havoc on the nation but we have not made the components illegal. Nor have we outlawed cars. Alcohol Prohibition is what birthed organized crime and terrible violence.

In fact, I believe that disarming the general public will only provide an easily preyed on populous for criminals. They will have guns. We will not.

5. I believe in gun ownership for sport. When respected and used correctly, guns make up for an enjoyable sport that many engage in. Clay pigeon shooting, competition handgun shooting, rifle ranges, and hunting are enjoyed by many around the nation.

6. I believe in gun ownership for utility. At the end of the day, guns can bring home the bacon. Hunting is sport, but can also provide food. If the world around us crashed (again, I am not paranoid), firearms can be used to secure sustenance.

7. On Religion. I do not believe that any of the above mentioned clashes with my christian belief system. If the taking of a life is based soley on self defense, I do not see interference with biblical commands. There may be an argument waged on the grounds of "turn the other cheek". However, this would likely gather varying opinions.

Kimber Custom II

2008-08-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well, what can you say about a nice 1911 style gun? It is, of course, great. Accurate, feels good in the hand, and everyone says "Ooo, those are a nice". Now I know there are plenty of people that think a 1911 is only good if its a Colt or Springfield or whatever. Around here, Kimbers are very well liked.

Story time.

I had no desire to own a 1911 or a .45acp in any format. I thought the former was old, washed up, clunky, and heavy, and the latter was just huge. However, I was scheduled to go on a hiking trip in possible "bear country" and thought I would like to bring something a little stronger than 9mm. I decided to get a .45acp, and since I was stupid and wasn't thinking about the fact that they come in all sorts of polymer based pistols which are quite affordable and light- I set out to buy me a 1911. Price was everything so I settlted on no other but....

Taurus.

I had been to 3 different stores, everyone recommended a kimber, but I thought, nah, too much. I headed to a store and had them cracking open a Taurus for me. While they were, I saw a gun I hadn't noticed before. It was another Kimber, the Kimber Custom II. And it wasn't so darned expensive!

The Kimber was $699, the Taurus was $549. There were two things I wanted in my 1911- beaver tail and nightsites. It had a beavertail. No other decent brands that I stumbled across did. Sure, the Taurus had all the bells and whistles- including nightsites- and I'm sure its a fine gun- but I didn't need every option.

I'm thinking at this point...$150 to upgrade from Taurus to Kimber. If a good gun lasts a lifetime......$150 isn't a big deal. And I'd say the Kimber has a better chance at longevity. Though nightsites would be another chunk of money, I decided to go for it. Kimber it was. The salesmen were happy to upgrade me I'm sure.

And thus I discovered 1911s! Or should I say, I discovered what a trigger pull can be? The 1911 is an old design, but man does it make for a good platform. The Kimber shoots well, and I love the trigger on it (of course).

Suddenly falling in love with the look of an ol' 1911, I immediately ordered rosewood grips for it. Though they have the Kimber logo on, it seemed to give it more of a classic look than the black rubber. I also added Trijicon nightsites since I planned on using it as a defensive type gun.

The darn thing shoots amazing. My friend who is a police officer took me out shooting. He shot a Glock 22, and I shot my Kimber. Now, of course he is at a natural disadvantage against me with a totally different trigger. And I don't think the average policeman would want to carry a 1911. But the long story short is I shot quite a bit better than the policeman. My groups were really quite great.

The only drawback- hollowpoints. I've only tried one type of HP, but I get at least one failure to feed in every mag. That's right, every mag. I need to try some other types though, and intend to. For now, there are FMJs in it.

Ironically, I never took it hiking, as I determined bears were not the primary worry, mountain lions were. Since weight was a huge deal, I ended up taking my G17 with DPX rounds.

Since that was the case, I debated selling, and even had a proposed buyer. Everyone was saying, "don't sell that gun", and I knew it might be a mistake. I intended to sell, fully knowing that someday down the road, I'd get another 45. Well, decided making a buck now and spending 2 later didn't make much sense. Even my non-shooting girlfriend hi-fived me when I decided to keep it.

The only bummer- have you seen the cost of ammo lately? .45acp especially is just crazy. That was another driving factor to sell (really the main one). But, I'm young, and hopefully my income will increase. However, the cost of ammo has me seriously considering reloading, so I am keeping an eye out for used stuff for sale.

All in all though, really can't go wrong with this one!

Glock 17

2008-08-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

Say what you will, I'm just a huge 9mm fan. I love it. 9mm, 9X19, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Luger...a rose by any other name is just as sweet. 9mm is by far my favorite caliber to shoot. I think its fun, has very manageable recoil and muzzle flip while still being an effective round (yes many would argue that.) I don't remember who, but someone on the internet once mentioned that he was being heckled by a .45 shooter about his "weak 9mm". His reply is that if the 9mm is so ineffective, perhaps the gentleman would stand back and allow him to double tap two rounds into his chest. This ended the discussion.

I have a friend in police reserves who frequently teases me about my "wussy" little 9mm. She loves her tough 40 S&W. But when I asked her and her deputy husband if they were interested in joining competition shooting, she said "No, 40 ammo is getting way to expensive". Guess what? Mine's cheaper!

Which brings mention of the benefit that can't be ignored: it is a more affordable caliber to shoot these days.

I would love to have several weapons chambered in 9mm. Right now I have one. I had a Springfield XD, but I sold that as I wasn't a huge fan of the trigger.

While not a complete Glock guy at heart, I stumbled across a good deal on one so ended it up getting it. Used but absolutely flawless, with nightsites and 3 mags for $500. I had my eyes on Berettas and Sigs, which I probably still prefer, but like I said, it was a deal and I just ended up getting it.

So I joined all the little lemmings with my full size, 9mm Glock: G17. It everything you hear. Its chunky but actually fits my hand pretty well. My XD, M&P, Beretta, Sigs all feel better, but the G17 still feels fine. Shoots where I point it/where my terrible trigger pull aims it. It eats any ammo. Its impossible to get the thing to rust.

At first I was not really impressed with the stock trigger pull. It felt heavy and it just seemed hard to shoot well with it. However, after buying and shooting my S&W 642 with its very long hard DA pull, the G17 feels like an absolute hair trigger. Its changed my perspective quite a bit, and now I enjoy shooting it more. I think I will probably get the famous Glock trigger job with a 3.5# connector. I can get pretty decent groupings with it now that I've shot it a bit.

After mentioning that, I feel inclined to clarify the purpose I have for this gun. I bought it with the idea of getting into USPSA and (hopefully someday) IDPA in the stock/production divisions. If I was carrying for defense, I'd leave the trigger as is, but it is going to be a range/competition gun. For self defense I use the above mentioned .38spl, and in my nightstand at home is my Kimber Custom II.

Overall, this is a good gun. But due to my love for the 9mm round, I'm sure I will end up with a different (or additional) gun in that caliber. If I'm shooting a caliber I love, then I want a gun I love. Beretta, Sig, CZ, and HiPower are the main contenders. Recently, I had a chance to look over and dry fire a Ruger SR9, and that seems like it has real potential.

Smith and Wesson 642

2008-08-25T17:59:00.001-05:00

As promised, I picked up an S&W arlite revolver in .38spl today. I actually got a 642 instead of a 637. Check out that story (and accompanying fiasco) here. This a review of the gun I purchased. I got it for $450. They sell the 637 (exposed hammer) for a constant "sale" price of $399. Bummer.

So, I bought my my 642, an assortment of ammo, and hit the range. I've only ever shot a .22lr revolver at this point. I was kind of in for a surprise.

The gun, at first glance and inspection, is quality like you'd expect from S&W. The trigger is a very heavy double action as would be expected on this kind of gun. Sights are nominal but, we're talking close range self defense. Everything is kosher as far as fit and finish. I suit up, head into the range, and load up.

Somehow, I expected the recoil to be just like my 9mm. It wasn't. This thing is defiantly for self defense....5 rounds, maybe one reload, and done. Any more than that, and a guy's hand starts to hurt! This light little aluminum frame doesn't stop much recoil. The guys at the shop recommended some Glaser 100 grain Pow'r Ball and I'll just say it.....Holy Crap! You could feel those in your chest even behind the gun. Those suckers kicked compared to what I was used to. Even my Kimber 45 has less recoil than this sucker! Guess that's what all steel will do for you. After 50 rounds, I needed a break! I found myself anticipating and jerking the gun like I haven't done since the first time I shot. I was almost afraid of the shot because of the pain it was causing, and my shots were flying everywhere. They all hit the body, but they hit every single part.

I put it down and switched to my Glock 17. Up to this point, I thought the stock Glock trigger was a heavy pull and wasn't a huge fan. Suddenly, this thing felt like a hair trigger. My first round went off almost on accident as it seemed like nothing to pull. It took me a couple clips to get things back together. Soon I was shooting fine again and getting good groups.

Back to the S&W. I collected myself, got back in long DA mode, stopped being a baby about recoil that was more than I expected and got back to work. Very soon I was shooting decent groups with fairly rapid fire at what I consider to be appropriate self defense range (10-15 feet). I shot some American Federal in 130 grain, Federal Hydrashocks in 129 grain, Black Hills Ammunition in 158 grain, and Glaser Pow'rball in 100 grain (kicks like a mule). After about 130 rounds of .38spl (plus 100 rounds of 9mm), I was getting a blister, my hand was sore, and it was time to be done.

As far as concealment, I'll have to say I find that it doesn't quite disappear into a pocket like you hear about. I bought a Galco IWB holster (clip style) and an Uncle Mike's #3 pocket holster recommended by Xavier. With a thin T-shirt the IWB holster provided okay coverage. Very often it was apparent there was something under my shirt, but not a gun. Honestly, the clip showed through the shirt more than anything else. I think I might look into a different IWB. I shopped for groceries with the IWB, and I could help but feeling a bit...exposed. I was adjusting my shirt constantly, only helping to draw attention.

The pocket holster in my shorts was quite bulky. It was very obvious there was a large something in my pocket, but again, not necessarily a gun. (spaaaare the puns and jokes) I've only tried this with one outfit combo (thin T-shirt and shorts) so we'll see how it goes. Unfortunately, no one in town seems to sell any leather pocket holsters.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased. Thus far, its just not as concealable as I'd hoped. I will have to work on that. Fall is around the corner, so all the shirts will help. But, it beats carrying my .45 or G17

Gun Shop Battle

2008-08-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

Recently, I picked up my first concealable gun. For the review on the actual gun, click here. This post, is the story behind choosing it......

I headed down to the gun shop I frequent today, where they were holding a 637 for me. Bought it, along with ammo and a holster. I head back toward the range and stop at a table to get everything together. Who walks up but their shooting instructor who I had recently met and was planning on taking instruction from. I had discussed getting the 637 earlier with him.

So he strolls by and I say "Hey ____, I picked up my concealed gun finally".
He looks for two seconds, looks straight and me and says "Why'd you get the one with the hammer?"
"I thought you said it would be fine."
"If you're not going to pocket carry"
"I'm going to pocket carry a lot"
"Well you do whatever you want"

....well what is a guy supposed to do. I bring it back to the counter, say I might want to exchange for a 642. And so the battle began.
"Why?" The guy who sold it to me said slowly and obviously annoyed. I explained my conversation with the instructor, which I thought made sense. The salesmen proceeds to tell me how much I'll hate the trigger on the 642 and there's no point.
Okay, so......"You're telling me its a bad idea?" I say. "Yeah", he says.

About this time instructor walks up, they exhange glances at each other, and its obvious we are now engaged in a small battle with me in the middle. The solution is simple, just get what I want, and they both agree. Except, I don't know what I want. I have two different people telling me two different things, and I don't know who to listen to. It should be mentioned that the salesmen was actually rooting for a gun that was $50 cheaper. I'm standing there, angel on one shoulder, devil on the other, pulling triggers over and over, slipping guns in my pocket,pulling them out at varying speeds and angles, trying to make a decision. I'm going crazy.

As they both battle for who is right, they keep telling me to just pick what I want, while they both stare at me. Now I'm picking sides?

In the end I side with the instructor, and ask to exchange for the 642. Though cordial, the salesmen is obviously not happy, as his hands are shaking the entire time he is working the exchange.

Now, what right does he have to be mad at me, other than I picked the other guy's advice? It should be mentioned that both of these guys have been my patient in the PACU recently and they both remember it. I think, they should be extra nice to me! I gave them pain medicine in their time of need!

All I know is, I started a fight in a gun shop. That's the last place I want to be in the middle of a fight, especially when I can't shoot my weapon because I'm returning it.......

Meet the Parents

2008-08-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

Ever seen that movie "Meet the Parents"? Its always been relative to me because of the male nurse jokes. I've even had a 70-some patient call me Gaylord once. Nice.

Now its relative to me for a new reason: the parents! I've never had very good luck with parents of girl's I've dated, particularly the father. In fact, I dated a girl in college who, despite a year and a half relationship, never gave me the time of day. Oh well.

For the past 16 months I've been dating a great girl named Nicole. I met Nicole's parents a year ago or more, and they are great people. Very welcoming, very nice, over all a good experience. With one exception....they are exercise freaks.

I am not.

A great portion of their life seems focused around exercise, health, and sports.

Much less of mine is.

I'm terrible at sports. Terrible. Horrendous. Its just not in me. I watch a track meet and get winded. I see a basketball game and sweat. Get the picture?

I do enjoy some of them though. Recently, my girlfriend bought me a tennis racket. I've never touched one, but we went out to the court and tried. After an initial hour of rage, I began to enjoy myself.

And that brings us to today's story.

We spent the weekend and my girlfriend's parents, and they wanted to play tennis. I've turned them down on their various offers to join them in the basement for Saturday workouts, so I figured I'd give them a game of tennis. Should be fine. After all, in my family if we say "let's go play some tennis" it really means "let's go leisurely hit a ball around". I can do that.

Wrong.

"let's play tennis" means "lets play tennis". Doubles, all the rules, right into it. Chris can barely swing a racket, and he's playing doubles. With the sports family. I don't even know the rules or how its played!

"Chris, switch sides"

"Chris, switch sides"

"Chris, switch sides"

"Deuce"

"........What?"

Is tennis made up by drunk people? You do one thing right and you get 15 points? Where does that come from. And Deuce, Love, Advantage? Aren't all of those heartworm medicines?

So Chris is swinging his racket, looking like a foot. The ball goes 1 of 2 places. Straight into the net, or over the fence and halfway to the car. I served at least 15 times before I knew where I was serving to.

"Out."

"Out."

"Where the heck is out???!!!"

At this point, I can't help but feel a bit out of place. We finish, and they are very good about it all. I go down to the room I'm staying, and for the first time really notice the sports themed wall paper boarder, the posters of sports stars, and the designs for basketball shoes sketched by her brothers when they were young.

"One of these things is not like the other, one of things just doesn't belong".......I think it might be me. Suddenly, I truly notice my gut and my scrawny arms. I'm realizing, I hope they are cool with me the way I am, because I'm sure different. I can play the guitar better than average, I sing pretty well, I understand medicine, and I am on okay shot with a gun. But I'll always be a little bit like the guy from "Meet the parents".....not quite sure where I fit in!

Feed the Children

2008-08-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

Recently I pulled all my ammo out of my range bag just to see what I had laying around. I'm feeding a .45, a 9mm, .22lr, and Monday I'm picking up my .38spl. In fact, I already bought ammo for it, since ammo at the shop/range is a bit more spendy. So, I picked up some Hydrashocks and some cheaper ammo in the same grain so I can buy it and walk straight back to the range. : )

Not long ago, I was at a church service where they were showing pictures of what an average family ate in a week from several different cultures. It was a lesson in both the type and the quantity of food. Let's just say America eats a lot of....crap.....but we all knew that.

Long story short, I thought it would be fun to put up pictures of what my "family" eats.

I'm guilty of buying a lot of cheap ammo (WWB, American Federal, Blazer) for range time. It let's me shoot a bit more. I have Federal Hydrashocks for all my defense rounds. The gun in my nightstand is a Kimber Custom II, though I have not fed enough HP's through it yet to feel confident that they will feed when it counts, so for now there is roundball.

I also have CorBon DPX (made in my state) as well as some Remmington HPJ for the 9mm. Hydrashocks are recommended by everyone I talk to, but a lot of people here are really getting into DPX. The gunshop I frequent, as well as a former Secret Service agent/self defense instructor I met all dig DPX.

Like so many parents, I struggle to afford to feed my children as much as I want to. I find I must freqently skip meals because the cost of ammo is so high. I'd love to feed them 3 times a day, 7 days a week, but right now we're living off 1-2 times a month. Tragic. All my guns look gaunt, skinny, and malnourished. They lack the signs of serious wear that a yearn to give them. This life is not fair......

Carry Gun

2008-08-18T19:38:00.000-05:00

Put some money down for my first carry gun. I'm going to pick it up next week. I'm doing a concert this weekend so I'll make a bit of money I'll put toward it.

Thought I'd just join the band wagon, so I'm getting a S&W 637 airlite (.38spl).

I know, I know. Everyone has one and its not a 45.

Should be a nice little carry gun, though. Eventually, I'll get something a tad larger, but right now I'm confident I can carry this in most circumstances. I don't really want to carry my full size Kimber or Glock 17, and I'm not willing to buy the biggest plaid flannel button-up shirt from walmart just so I can pack a cannon down the sidewalk. A .38spl will do just fine.

Hopefully in a couple weeks I'll be taking some instructions from a former Secret Service agent and personal defense instructor. Looking forward to that!

Taking suggestions on the "best" round to carry. (Xavier, you out there?)

Lunch with Big Mike

2008-08-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

The other day everyone at work was clammoring about Michael Phelps and his diet. He has to eat 8-10,000 calories a day.

"How does he eat that much?" They say. "He must eat all the time and be so sick of it."

Apparantly, no one has heard of Big Macs and Ben & Jerry's. 10,000 calories? No problem. Suck down some of that stuff and you've hit the mother load. Seriously. I sat down the other night with a little bit of ice cream.....1200 calories before commercial time.

Heck, a double cheesburger, large fries, and large pop gets you to 1870. Wash that down with a small tub of dairy product and you're at 3,070! Three meals a day = 9,210, and we haven't even snacked yet people!

So, all Mikey has to do is hit McDonald's and he's hit his calories, no big deal.

....of course, there are possible side effects:

1. Horkin' cookies in the pool. 5/10 point deduction.

2. Slower speeds due to drag coefficiancy created by bat-wing underarms.

3. Over lubricated intestinal tract leads to embrassing incidents with razor suit.

4. Occupation of 2 lanes in the pool not encouraged

5. Dead by 30.

Other than that, I think I've solved ol' Mike's dilema.

Colt Single Action .22lr

2008-08-17T13:30:00.001-05:00

I decided to take pictures of my oldest gun. I found this just wasting the years away in my grandma's closet. Its a Colt Single Action Frontier Scout .22lr. I think its from the 70's. Its old. Its dirty. Its fun.

When I found it, I had never held a revolver. Ever. I had no idea what to do with it. It took me 5 minutes to figure out how to load it. Then I didn't dare shoot it, who knows what shape it was in. I was sure it would explode, taking with it my youthful face, banishing me to a leper-like existence. You could feel grit when you pulled the hammer back. There was rust and pitting everywhere.

I took it home (dorm room at the time) to clean it up. Except, I had no idea what I was doing. I decided I needed to completely take it apart. I started removing screws and parts at random. Bad idea.

Eventually I found plans for it on the internet, printed them out, and taped parts where they belonged. I cleaned it up.

And now reassembly. Not good. Remember- I know nothing about wheelguns at this point. Long story short, it took me 3 hours and multiple attempts at getting the trigger back together. Sweating, stringing together impolite phrases (think the father vs. the furnace in "The Christmas Story"), and slowly becoming inebriated from cleaning solution in a small room, I battled. Twice I had it all reassembled only to realize the trigger wasn't working.

But eventually I got it. I took it out, shot it nervously, and was happy to find it worked, it did not explode in my face, and it was accurate.

So now I have this old gun. Its not pretty. The blueing is worn everywhere and the cylinder is full of bright silver spots where I took rust off. But dang it, Grandpa's old gun is kind of a fun little thing, and I might just make me a believer in the revolver, even with the smallest of bullets.

If anyone knows where and how I could get grips that would be a little nicer than the old plastic ones on them, let me know at: gunandstrum@hotmail.com

Pawn Shops

2008-08-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

I really don't like Pawn Shops. They make a living ripping you off. I just walked through one hoping to find some sweet gun deals.

A used Glock w/2 mags and case for $480? Are you kidding me? And it was definately used. I'm not even going to waste my time haggling that.....I can go down the road and they will offer me a new one for $500 if I just glance half seriously at it.

And have you ever tried selling anything at a Pawn Shop? There is virtually no point. As I sift through this mountain of Ipods, nasty guitars, and completely overpriced guns, I realize, people must really be desperate for money.

How all these people on blogs slip into pawn shops and find these amazing gun deals, I'll never know. They aren't here.

Then I realize there is perhaps one good deal there. DVD's.

I still didn't buy any.

Asian Menus

2008-08-16T15:48:00.001-05:00

You never know what an asian restaurant will serve.

Note you can get Crap for $3.95......

....Guess that explains the price of gas.....

I just want to know: How many pieces do I get?

First Post

2008-08-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

So, after spending viturally 3/4 of my Saturday shift at the hospital thumbing through Xavier Thoughts, and all the other blogs linked to his blog, I decided to start my own.

And so I sit with my laptop in the recovery room waiting for appendectomies and fracture repairs realizing.....what the heck do I talk about?

1. Guns. Yes of course. I love me some guns. My problem: I have 3. The blogs I go to serve as display for a host of guns beyond reckoning. So once I report off on my 3, I'm in trouble.

2. Guitars. My other passion. I have 4. Fine pieces of wood.

3. Nursing/Medicine. Mulitple thoughts here. Will return to that soon I'm sure.

4. Faith and the Church. Have some ideas there too.

5. Random thoughts. Ah, finally, something I have in abundance. Oodles of guns are to gun showrooms as unlimited random thoughts are to my cranium.

My only hope is this blog has more readers than my college radio show had listeners (which would only take about 3). Stay tuned. Peace out.