Carnival of Cordite #28

It's that time again... Welcome to the 28th Carnival of Cordite!

*     *     *

First off, a call to action, especially for Nevada readers:

It will be the nation's largest shooting park, but it needs your help!

Our duty is clear. We must all send in letters of support to show the BLM that the people want a top notch facility for shooting sports.  The public comment period is until September 28, 2005.  Please send your letters to:

Merv Boyd
Assistant Field Manager
Bureau of Land Management
4701 N. Torrey Pines
Las Vegas, NV 89130

Let's spread the word.  Tell your shooting friends about this.  Feel free to link to this site as I will publish updates as often as developments warrant.

Kudos to first timer Ah, Shoot! for bringing this to our attention.

Any Ohio readers out there?  Then you need to see the Buckeye Firearms Association!

A political action committee founded in 2002 by Chairman Jim Irvine, Vice Chairman Chad Baus and Treasurer Mary Friscone, the Buckeye Firearms Association is a non-partisan PAC promoting education and grassroots activism.  Buckeye Firearms Association is devoted to improving Ohio laws and regulations pertaining to owning and shooting firearms.  With the help of our donors and volunteers, we will elect pro-gun candidates and lobby for pro-gun legislation designed to restore and protect our Constitutional right to bear arms and the human right to self-defense.

Keep this site in mind for information on Ohio politics during the upcoming election season.

*     *     *

Some gun reviews:

Michael Bane of Outdoor Channel fame puts a trio of guns to the test.  The most exciting (IMNSHO) of the bunch is the Taurus Thunderbolt.  As Bane puts it:

Okay, here's the bottom line... this is the first gun in the country. It was superbly accurate right out of the box.  We had ZERO malfunctions.  It was disgustingly fun to shoot.  It does not need to go to a gunsmith to be dinked.  It's MSRP is less than $500.  You do the math.

Taurus is getting scary.

Here's the photo from Taurus:

I'm thinking this could make an excellent truck gun...

Uncle has a test of his own with...

The Walther P22.  He starts off with the negatives:

Its like this thing was made for California or something.

But in the end, he sounds fairly positive:

My impressions of the gun are that it is reliable, can stand up to abuse (particularly some rather nasty ammo), and is quite accurate for a gun with a 3.4 inch barrel. All this for under $300, not bad at all. I was impressed with the accuracy.  The occasional straggler aside, it was easily getting 1.5 inch groups at 10 yards with Federal and 2.5 inch groups with the CCI.

Mr. Completely also reviews a .22 auto-pistol this week:

The accuracy is probably on a par with a blunderbuss, but not likely that it's any better than that.  By looking at the targets, it was obvious that at ten yards the bullets were often tumbling end over end.  Not conducive to accuracy!  Sometimes, however, the shot went exactly as aimed, but often as much as six inches off, even from the bench rest.  If you ever have to fire a Jennings for self-defense, I would recommend having the muzzle in direct contact with what you are shooting at!

With all these faults, why own one of these? Well, if you like doing your own gun work, I think this can be turned into a pretty nice little 22.  These were cranked out rapidly to keep costs down, so most machined surfaces are a lot rougher than they should be. A few hours spent polishing and blue-printing one of these little guys could make quite a difference. I'm sure the trigger can be smoothed up considerably.  Careful bending and tuning of the feed lips on the magazines can make huge differences in terms of feeding reliability.

Why else would anyone own one?  If its only purpose is emergency backup, you are probably never firing from a distance of more than a few feet!  Accuracy is less important than compactness.  Read more about Mr. Completely's findings with the Jennings J-22 here.  And if any of you have experimented with accurizing this (or any other) extremely inexpensive firearm, please let us know!

More on e-postal handgun shooting from Mr. Completely here and here.

*     *     *

Testing of another sort:

PawPaw takes some relatives out to test factory ammo velocities:

So, it looks like my measurements are real close to the Remington factory tables. They are to be commended for putting together such a table.  I am considerably surprised at how close the velocities were.

Thank you for sharing your results with us.  And if any of you readers have reports on other popular ammunition and its performance in your own guns, please send it in!

*     *     *

But then, when you rely on these, you never have to worry about ammo:

Baboon Pirates has the scoop on some CVA knives.

*     *     *

Follow up:

For more on earlier reports from VA, we turn to Ravenwood's Universe:

The media is finally starting to pick up the story, and the ATF has admitted that the so-called "residency checks" did take place.  They also say that they will NOT happen in the future.

Sure... if they say so, and the ATF would never lie...  Libercontrarian has more.

TriggerFinger has the latest update on the Beretta case (clarification from TriggerFinger: It's not the latest update -- well, it's MY latest update, but it's still background rather than news. I don't want people to misunderstand. I'm writing about the decision in the DC Superior Court, when the case has already been appealed to the DC Court of Appeals (we lost), a petition for en banc review has been denied, and a petition for writ of certiori is currently before the Supreme Court).

*     *     *

MILITARY MATTERS:

Last week, we had an idea for a recruitment tool.  This week, Confederate Yankee thinks maybe we need to raise the upper limit on age for service.  But best of all, it looks like retention and recruitment are doing just fine.

Of course, someone is out there doing her damnedest to hurt the military, but Mr. Completely isn't buying in to her rhetoric:

Also on military matters, GOP Bloggers reports on some shoddy reporting (what else is new) from the New York Times, regarding body armor.

Hell in a Handbasket ponders the fate of the XM-8 in light of the SCAR.

And a number or readers sent in the latest from Michael Yon; I won't excerpt this one, because you need to read it all.

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!

*     *     *

I got this in the mail from the old man:

US Marine Corp Rules for Gunfighting

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite.  Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a "4."
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice.  Ammo is cheap.  Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker.  Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible.  Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win.  The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics.  They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEAL Rules for Gunfighting

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust Speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rules For Gunfighting

1. Select a new beret to wear.
2. Sew combat patch on right shoulder.
3. Change the color of beret you decide to wear.
4. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
5. Locate individuals requiring killing.
6. Request permission via radio from "Higher" to perform killing.
7. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
8. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

US Air Force Rules For Gunfighting

1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on HBO.
4. Ask "what is a gunfight?"
5. Request more funding from Congress with a "killer" PowerPoint presentation.
6. Wine & dine key Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets "strategic" and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 1345 tee-time.

US Navy Rules For Gunfighting

1. Go to sea.
2. Drink coffee.
3. Watch porn.
4. Land the Marines.

And in the interest of full disclosure: the old man spent 30 years in the Navy, and I spent 6 in the Air Farce, I mean, Force.

*     *     *

If you are interested not only in guns, but also in other forms of personal liberty, then be sure to check out the Carnival of Liberty.  And I'll be hosting the Carnival of Liberty myself next week!

*     *     *

mASS BACKWARDS may be on to something...

So... all you readers in Oregon's greater Willamette Valley area: if you have a firearm you do not want and would like it removed, PLEASE CONTACT GULLYBORG OF RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

*     *     *

Is a pump action 12 ga. an assault weapon?  Some of Toys in the Attic's commenters think so...

But if shotguns had been banned, a father and son from Texas might be dead now, instead of catching thieves.

Dale and Josh waited patiently behind a tree to catch the thief red handed.  They slowly moved closer, and when the thief placed the nozzle in his tank, they cocked their shotguns.  Josh says, "We caught him by surprise and he jumped in his truck and started the ignition." Dale says, "I shot one of his rear tires out on his truck and I ran around the other side of the truck. The passenger door was unlocked so I got in and got him distracted long enough for my son to get the key out of the truck."

Good work!  And more good work in South Carolina.

Whither Canada?

*     *     *

Here's a good miscellaneous site with info on building your own bench, plus information on downloadable owner's manuals, parts breakdown, and more.

And Geezer has some miscellany of his own.

*     *     *

HUNTING!

Mr. Completely goes after the most, ahem, dangerous, of prey.  And, once again, through sheer brute force (that is, lots of posts), he wins BLOG OF THE WEEK!

*     *     *

FINALLY!

Readers of the Carnival of Cordite may be familiar with the ongoing theme of "Chicks with Guns."  Well, Uncle informs us of a new twist, and how it is being misinterpreted.

And for those of you dying for the other sort of "Chicks with Guns," Kit demonstrates the proper technique for firing the HK-91 from the bench:

Gosh, these Carnivals would get boring fast without Kit...

But seriously... we end each week with discussion, so here goes:

What role should firearms play in the life of the modern woman?

*     *     *

That wraps things up this week!

For all you regular readers, please check out this post about some house keeping issues.  And for more information about the Carnival of Cordite, including how to submit posts, please see our main information page.

Please come back again next week, as Resistance is futile! once again hosts the Carnival of Cordite.  In the meantime, as always, keep your powder dry!

Comments

[Zendo Deb]

Firearms are the best way for the modern woman to fend off stalkers, ex-boyfriends and others who "just won't take no for an answer."

The idea that we can't take care of ourselves is Victorian era bullsh*t. We can, and anyone who reads my blog will find many examples of women who do take care of themselves - sending their abusers to the hospital or the morgue.

[Peter]

What role should firearms play in the life of the modern woman? Exactly the role she wants them to play. While I believe that everyone, man, woman and none of the above alike should have a minimum of firearms training, early like fifth grade, for safety reasons, I ain't arrogant enough to think that I can decide for any woman, much less 'modern women'.

My wife is uninterested in guns and shooting. She knows enough about them to not hurt anyone by accident and she is a good enough shot that if someone were trying to hurt her they'd have holes in them.

My daughter enjoys shooting and now, as an adult, wants to try her hand at deer hunting with my (now her?) little Marlin Carbine. I didn't mind giving up that three inch S&W Model 60 when she went away to college, I'm gonna miss that Carbine. Sigh.

[Sailor Republica]

What role do modern women play in regards to firearms?

Two words: Patient Assassins

[Mark]

As much as she wishes. They're overall the best method of self-defense against attack; and when given a chance to learn how to shoot, they usually(in my experience) find out that a: it's not that hard, and b: it's fun.

[GunnNutt]

I agree with Mark. It's a heckova lot of fun! Becoming proficient with a home defense firearm adds to a woman's sense of confidence, as does carrying one outside the home for self defense (if you happen to live in a "shall issue" state). Plus, shooters are by-and-large the nicest people.

[Geo]

You've got some great stuff here, as usual.

[Charlie]

That chick's got my gun! It's exactly my HK-91 right down to the flip-up Uncle Mike's scope covers. But mine's in the safe. I think....

Who is she!

Charlie (has the HK collapsible stock too ;)

[Kit]

You'll be pleased to know that I'm headed to a two-day precision rifle class in Billings, Montana over September 10-11 (theough http://www.pgpft.com), and John will be accompanying me. I'll see that the camera is around and maybe he can snap some action shots for you. I'll be using John's CZ550 for that one, since I'm still shopping around for The Perfect .308 Battle Rifle.

[Gullyborg]

Charlie,

Read the comment directly below yours. That's her.

Kit,

The perfect .308 battle rifle is still the M-1. The only question is which configuration do you need? Therefore, the answer is to buy one of each! Looking forward to your next photo shoot.

Speaking of the M-1, yours truly is very, very sad to say he had to sell his in order to keep attending law school. So if any of you readers out there would like to contribute to the "help Gullyborg replace his M-1" fund, please click on that Amazon box up on the left.

[infidelharlot]

What a silly and insulting question. The same place books, chairs, jumper cables, and bars of soap should play in the modern man's life.