firearms

[Nix]

My 640 will be the last handgun I give up. The nurses at the retirement home will need to distract me and steal it out of my overnight bag.

It's not great at anything. It's heavier than others, It's not as accurate as others. But it is damned handy and capable of shooting full .357 Mag rounds. And carries better than most anything else.

[Nix]

Any particular reason for the 3 grn difference? Doesnt seem like enough to make a difference.

Nope. Those are just the bullets I can buy locally.

Reloading 155's is a bit tricky, since the bullet seats more deeply in the case than a standard 158gn SWC. 

[G-Dizzle]

Any particular reason for the 3 grn difference? Doesnt seem like enough to make a difference.

Nope. Those are just the bullets I can buy locally.

Reloading 155's is a bit tricky, since the bullet seats more deeply in the case than a standard 158gn SWC.

I don’t reload. I would like to give it a try sometime, maybe after I am out of school and have more time on my hands. Right now I work basically 2 full time jobs and am responsible for two dogs, a cow, pony, and 3-5 chickens on my own. Not a whole lot of spare time in that picture, although it makes me grateful for what i can get.

[Nix]

Reloading takes a little bit of thought and a good bit of attention.

You can get started relatively easily and for not a lot of money. Like most things, if you want to optimize performance, you'll end up spending some money. I'm no expert--and I talk to guys who have reloading details down to the finest degrees--but I still get great performance from simple components.

Don't think you need to put reloading off until later. You can make--and tune--great ammunition for a reasonable, up front, investment. 

[Mechanickal]

Those things are so pretty

Not in a leathal, weapon's, way.
Just in it's own engineering way

[redmond]

I thought a "Chicago Reload" was a second pistol...   

A New York reload is a second revolver.  A Chicago load is a hot semi-wadcutter hollow point.  It's quite possible to have a New York reload stoked with Chicago loads......actually...a good idea.

Got it. NYC/Chicago - both way east of here.

[Pacu]

20180405_191306 by Jason Downs

I'm building my own modern sporting rifle over the next few months. 

[ironraven]

Pacu, the Aero is a good lower- not a lot pricier than say an Anderson, but so much nicer. Any thoughts on configuration yet?

[ColoSwiss]

Here is a great shooting 22LR pistol - Ruger MKIII 22/45, the plain Jane version. The target is 10 rounds at 10 yards (sitting).

(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Great shooting!   

[Pacu]

Pacu, the Aero is a good lower- not a lot pricier than say an Anderson, but so much nicer. Any thoughts on configuration yet?

I definitely like the two stage triggers so I'm leaning that way, probably carbine length build. I like this look >>>

[Chako]

2 months ago, I found out that new IPSC regulations now prohibit Serpa II holsters from being used during competition.

http://www.nroi-canada.org/wp/2018/01/08/111/

Personally, I competed with one for my 1911A1 for one season with no issues. From my perspective, the Serpa II is a safe holster provided you use proper finger placement...but then, that goes for any holster. Either way, I was a bit distraught at the news as I wanted to use my 45 for competitions this year, wanting to put aside the 357 magnum revolver for something different. I was pained because I remember the fun I had in finding a holster that would fit my 1911A1. At the time, the Serpa II Blackhawk was the only holster I could source locally.

Well my fears were warranted. It took me 2 months to source another holster. The issue being that my handgun feature an oversized slide lock lever which doesn't fit many 1911 holsters. The local gun shop was  kind enough to order 4 different holsters, and lucky for me, one did fit. The only one that did was a Fobus Tactical holster. 

Got to love living in Canada, where getting handgun accessories is a real drag unlike the US with its over abundance of handgun goodness.

[GrandpaPatch]

@Chako I also dislike the SERPA holster restrictions that have taken place and still in effect. I use SERPA holsters for all but my P238 and obviously my Rem 877 shotgun. Makes it nice changing weapons while at the range since I use the quick disconnect system. I believe that more people need to learn some basics and drill those basics before getting 'high speed, low drag'. Which to the locals boneheads means firing a complete magazine as fast as they can. I keep telling people at the local range that I always 'train the way I carry and carry what I train with'.

Over the years I have read some articles floating around the internet and watched a few different YouTube videos regarding weapons training and weapons safety. While there is some great information out there, there are also a lot of ‘in the interest of public safety this video should have been deleted’ videos as far as I’m concerned. There are also some things that need to be clarified, but first let me remind everyone of the 7Ps: Proper Prior Planning (Training) Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

To kick things off I had to search to find to an old, but still relevant video on YouTube of a . My first thought of this video reminded me of Jeff Dunham and his puppet Walter... “Dumbass”

Muscle Memory: Muscle memory is one of those things that applies to both ends of the spectrum. Yes, muscle memory is a great thing when building up through proper prior planning/training, movements and exercises/drills. No, muscle memory is not a good thing, it is a bad thing, when piss poor performance (training) methods are utilized. You should train the way you carry and carry what you are trained with. But, to be fair to Tex here is a Again, the 7Ps can apply to Muscle Memory.

Complacency: This is the one that reaches up a grabs a hold of the well trained and bites them in the ass at the worst possible moments as this video shows. Again, the 7Ps can apply to ‘highly trained’ individuals who get complacent with their knowledge or abilities.

Accidental Discharge: This is the term that irritates me the most. I see things all the time, posted by professionals and have heard it said (by instructors) in courses I have taken who throw the term accident around to apply to almost everything that didn’t go as planned. Yes, these people are, mostly, technically correct in the use of the word. When you are talking about weapons, an accident is a mechanical failure that either causes a weapon to discharge or prevents the weapon from functioning. Most often the term ‘Accidental Discharge’ or AD is used when you get too many know-it-all discussing the latest range event when someone had their finger on the trigger and “accidentally” fired off a round.. Even YouTube is loaded with videos of ‘Accidental Discharge’ or Accidental Discharge gun’. Again, the 7Ps apply to those mislabeled ADs.

Negligent Discharge: This is the category that most people just lump into the mix with ADs. No, accidental discharges are not negligent discharges. A Negligent Discharge is when a weapon is fired, unintentionally, due to negligence of weapon handling, training and safety procedures. This is mostly the case of the untrained, unprepared and as already mentioned those who are trained, but become complacent. I will also refer here to . And again, the 7Ps also apply to Negligent Discharges.

So, what am I getting at? I’m getting back to the 7Ps and how they apply to so many things. If Tex had proper, prior, planning (training) with the holster in question, it would have prevented piss poor performance. Then this event (and the subsequent drama) would have never taken place.

Just another reminder that the 7Ps really do make a difference in this world.

[Syncop8r]

We had a term UD... I think it was Unauthorised Discharge... 

[GrandpaPatch]

We had a term UD... I think it was Unauthorised Discharge... 

I'm not sure if the term is still in use, but it was used by the US miilitary. The term was used during an investigation. They did not want to use the term Accidental Discharge during the investigation so Unauthorized Discharge was used until a determination was made.

[Nix]

We had a term UD... I think it was Unauthorised Discharge... 

I'm not sure if the term is still in use, but it was used by the US miilitary. The term was used during an investigation. They did not want to use the term Accidental Discharge during the investigation so Unauthorized Discharge was used until a determination was made.

I think it is just "negligent discharge" now.

There are no accidents; just smurf-ups.

Knock on wood, I've never had a weapon under my control launch a bullet without my prior authorization. Modern firearms do not "just go off".  Someone has to do something...which is an act of negligence in my book...so I agree with the more precise "negligent discharge" term.

I've got a friend who becomes downright anxious if there is a loaded..or unloaded firearm  in view. The mere sight of a gun is anxiety provoking. I try to explain that firearms are no more dangerous than the idiot operating them, but that fear remains. I suspect that sort of fear is the origin of the 'accidental discharge' label....and myth.

[Smashie]

In the UK forces it's also an ND

A negligent discharge occurs when a weapon is fired due to either operator error or a lack of attention to basic safety rules.

[GrandpaPatch]

A weapon is neither good nor bad. It has no inherent moral trait. It all depends on who uses that weapon. In the hands of law abiding citizens, a weapon used to stop a criminal from doing evil would be considered a good thing. The term "weapon" is not automatically a dirty word. Weapons are good in the hands of good people. As a society, we have become so politically correct and "sissyfied" that many have lost the concept of self defense.

Do you let your children play with toy guns, dart guns, squirt guns, water guns or paintball guns?

drill-gun-power-screwdriver by Grandpa Patch, on Flickr

4BoreRifle by Grandpa Patch, on Flickr



If you have the time or can make some time later and are interested in gun related articles, here are a few articles.

How fast does a butane nail gun shoot nails?

...and this

Children and Guns

...and this

Police fatally shoot man with Down syndrome carrying toy gun

...and this

The Army May Have Found Its Next Rifle In A Colorado Garage

[GrandpaPatch]

It might be safer to start walking and carrying a gun to protect yourself from doctors and cars!

Traffic deaths in the U.S. pulled back slightly in 2017, according to the National Safety Council. There were an estimated 40,100 motor vehicle deaths last year, or a drop of 1 percent from the prior year. Feb 15, 2018 Traffic deaths edge lower, but 2017 stats paint worrisome picture | In 2010, there were an estimated 5,419,000 crashes, 30,296 of with fatalities, killing 32,999, and injuring 2,239,000. About 2,000 children under 16 die every year in traffic collisions. Records indicate that there have been a total of 3,613,732 motor vehicle fatalities in the United States from 1899 to 2013. Motor vehicle fatality rate in U.S. by year. | The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).] | The Johns Hopkins authors said the inability to capture the full impact of medical errors results in a lack of public attention and a failure to invest in research. They called for adding a new question to death certificates specifically asking if a preventable complication of care contributed. Medical Errors Are No. 3 Cause Of U.S Deaths, Researchers Say. | “But what about handgun murders?” you might ask. “They’re responsible for the majority of gun murders, so why don’t we just ban them and stop worrying about rifles?” Easy: because gun bans and strict gun control don’t really prevent gun violence. Take, for example, Illinois and California. In 2013, there were 5,782 murders by handgun in the U.S. According to FBI data, 20 percent of those — 1,157 of the 5,782 handgun murders — happened in Illinois and California, which have two of the toughest state gun control regimes in the entire country. And even though California and Illinois contain about 16 percent of the nation’s population, those two states are responsible for over 20 percent of the nation’s handgun murders. Gun violence in the United States results in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries annually. In 2013, there were 73,505 nonfatal firearm injuries (23.2 injuries per 100,000 persons), and 33,636 deaths due to "injury by firearms" (10.6 deaths per 100,000 persons).]

So if I have read all of this correctly vehicles (drivers) cause 30,296 deaths and 2,239,000 injuries, while guns (shooters) cause 33, 636 deaths and 73,505 injuries. I think we need to take a closer look at our drivers license control laws!

[Etherealicer]

It might be safer to start walking and carrying a gun to protect yourself from doctors and cars!

Traffic deaths in the U.S. pulled back slightly in 2017, according to the National Safety Council. There were an estimated 40,100 motor vehicle deaths last year, or a drop of 1 percent from the prior year. Feb 15, 2018 Traffic deaths edge lower, but 2017 stats paint worrisome picture | In 2010, there were an estimated 5,419,000 crashes, 30,296 of with fatalities, killing 32,999, and injuring 2,239,000. About 2,000 children under 16 die every year in traffic collisions. Records indicate that there have been a total of 3,613,732 motor vehicle fatalities in the United States from 1899 to 2013. Motor vehicle fatality rate in U.S. by year. | The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).] | The Johns Hopkins authors said the inability to capture the full impact of medical errors results in a lack of public attention and a failure to invest in research. They called for adding a new question to death certificates specifically asking if a preventable complication of care contributed. Medical Errors Are No. 3 Cause Of U.S Deaths, Researchers Say. | “But what about handgun murders?” you might ask. “They’re responsible for the majority of gun murders, so why don’t we just ban them and stop worrying about rifles?” Easy: because gun bans and strict gun control don’t really prevent gun violence. Take, for example, Illinois and California. In 2013, there were 5,782 murders by handgun in the U.S. According to FBI data, 20 percent of those — 1,157 of the 5,782 handgun murders — happened in Illinois and California, which have two of the toughest state gun control regimes in the entire country. And even though California and Illinois contain about 16 percent of the nation’s population, those two states are responsible for over 20 percent of the nation’s handgun murders. Gun violence in the United States results in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries annually. In 2013, there were 73,505 nonfatal firearm injuries (23.2 injuries per 100,000 persons), and 33,636 deaths due to "injury by firearms" (10.6 deaths per 100,000 persons).]

So if I have read all of this correctly vehicles (drivers) cause 30,296 deaths and 2,239,000 injuries, while guns (shooters) cause 33, 636 deaths and 73,505 injuries. I think we need to take a closer look at our drivers license control laws!

Except the overall trend for car accidents is going down, despite traffic increasing (quite massively so)
Well as for the gun related death...

[ducttapetech]

 

[Gareth]

Spent a bit of time shooting a mate's rifle club.  Post war Romanian Mosin. Uberti Colt Navy (plus a percussion cap muzzle loader pistol I forget to take a pic of). 




100 yards off hand with some very ropey milsurp ammo.  Nothing at all to boast about but at least all my shots made it onto the paper.

[Nix]

Looks like some fun!

[Gareth]

Looks like some fun!

Cheers Nix.  It was indeed. 

[Smashie]

That’s not bad G

[Chako]

Yikes. I forgot how I left the small gun room last year. Just opened it up and this is what I see...



Looks like I will need to clean up the mess I left last season.     

[Alan K.]

I hope you at least cleaned the guns before you put them away.

[Gareth]

Yikes. I forgot how I left the small gun room last year. Just opened it up and this is what I see...



Looks like I will need to clean up the mess I left last season.     

   Are you sure you haven't been burgled Dan?    (not that my storage habits are any better mind you)

[Chako]

That is a whole off season buying stuff and too lazy to put it away properly kinda photo.   

I always clean the guns before and after use. 

[Chako]

I was going to ride my motorbike...but it is raining outside. So a good time to tackle that small issue of cleaning the gun room.

I bought this late last season because frankly, whenever I go to the gun range, I have a hard time finding target holders. I suppose the kind folks a the club lock them up or something. I was on the hunt for something portable so that I could care less if everything at the club is gone. I found this setup, and it should work nicely. Going to try it out something later this month.



It has been a while since I layed eyes on this GSG STG 44 Schmeisser .22 LR Semi-Auto Rifle. This is fairly accurate to the original...so it is fairly heavy. Shooting 22lr ammo out of this feels even less exciting than a pellet rifle. At lest you have a spring, or air to give you a little excitement. This rifle shoots like a rail with no recoil. If you couldn't see/hear the hole and the powder going off, you might not even notice that you fired this brick. Still a cool piece to own.





Last year, I was using a 45 ACP handgun for IPSC. I bought this X Metal 250 count box of 45 APC ammo towards the end of the season.



Here is a current look into my ammo storage lock-box. Still have the Fallout mini-nuke in there for fun.



And quick shot inside my main gun locker.



Odds and ends in holsters.



Around a month ago, I bought myself a Tipton gun vise to help in the maintenance of the short and long stuff.

[Chako]

Time also to recharge my cordless dehumidifiers. I hangt one in the ammo locker and the other in the gun room itself. They work good, and take a few hours plugged into an outlet to remove the water in them. I also found that the local dollar store sells these damp traps. I find these work really good.



Here is one I placed in the gun room a while back. Note all the humidity it pulled out of the air. At a buck 25 a pop, I tend to buy many of them, replacing them when needed.