3-10-10:  I was going to order something Monday... but because of this ID Theft crap, it's just not possible. But if one of The Horde has a copy... I'd like to borrow it.  Magpul Dynamics The Art of the Dynamic Handgun.

Open Carry on the Front Burner in Orem Utah... on the Campus of Utah Valley University. UVU is a school I used to go to way back when. That's the school where I got kicked out of a Philosophy class because the Professor didn't like my politics. But that's another story. In this case, we have a Student who is packing open. He has for a long time, three semesters. But someone called the cops on him. The cop tells him he can't... he can't because someone called the cops. So if someone calls the cops, a gun owner loses his Rights? That's what this cop is saying.

The law in Utah is pretty simple here. You have the right to Open Carry. If you have a permit, you have the option of packing Open or Concealed. If you don't have a permit you can pack Open if there isn't a round in the chamber. Either way – you can pack open. Let's watch the next video.

I'm not going to run down the cop here... he wants to keep the peace... but here is what the cop should have done. “Hey bud, we got a call someone was packing a gun and that looks like it's you. Oh, you have DXG .44 Super Blaster? Those are sweet. Have a great day!”

“You are causing Alarm.” No, he wasn't. He was carrying a ladder and moving posters. What happened was someone didn't like the fact that he was exercising his legal rights, and the cops didn't like fact that this guy was educated about the law and didn't just automatically give up his rights because the cops told him to. I don't think I know the cop... but I'm very disappointed that a Utah cop was stepping on someone who was within his legal rights.

3-9-10:  Local Computer Repair: I used to work for a local computer shop called “AM Computers”. I was the Lead Tech there. We had two other good techs and a great guy running the front counter. We could have rocked whole area and captured service contracts and the whole nine yards for everything around here. But the owner had another employee who he liked better... She ran off customers, and ran off the good employees... and has kept his business at a subsistence level. It's crazy that she's still there... We'd order a part on Monday for a repair... but the order wouldn't get placed until Friday most of the time. Or come Monday she's say she didn't get the order for the part and it was the tech's fault for something or other so she couldn't order the part... and of course she couldn't ASK a tech anything... she'd just drop the ball. So she's make the techs look bad for something totally out of the techs control. It was ludicrous and every good tech has left AM Computers. Everyone that knows AM Computers questions the relationship there between those two... and also questions how the shop is still even open. They have nothing to sell, not even Cables or RAM, let alone the custom computers we used to build... and their service sucks. They might as well close shop. I hate saying that as I enjoyed working there.
I went back to AM Computers the other day. Wish I didn't. I had in the past, called and asked for a fresh download and burn of the latest Ubuntu Linux distro. Usually it takes about an hour and I can go pick it up. Well, there is a new kid there. I called in the AM and he said he'd have it that afternoon maybe. Well, he didn't get it done. Next morning, no call. So I go in after I ate lunch and he said he downloaded it, but then reformatted the machine he downloaded it to. Wow. That was great. No, no thank you. I'm good. So I called this new shop in town. Techris Design... in the old Alltel building across from Video Movieland. Ted got the latest version down and burned to disk Riki Tiki and it worked flawlessly. How simple of a request was this? Any shop could have done it. I could have done it myself but didn't want to buy a pack of blank disks for just one. Next time I'll just do the ThumbDrive thing. Anyways... If you are in the Uintah Basin area and you need some Computer Service. Go to Techris Design. Because Ted knows what he's doing, wants his business to grow... and biggest bonus of all... She doesn't work there. The shop's new location there is still being put together.... the move is still in process... but he still managed to get the job done. If I need some computer work done – I'm going to Techris Design.

Bad News: Monday I got my paycheck and deposited it and found we had been in overdraft... deep... turns out we had a lot of unauthorized charges that caused a cascade of overdraft fees that ate up my paycheck. WTF?>!#@!)$@&(*(@^$*^*^&%!^#%*^&(!@!!!! So because of this mess... I couldn't pay mortgage or any of our bills... this situation is what one could call “Screwed”. I'm not happy about this. In fact, because of this, I am having to sell my SIG C3. This will all work out, but in the mean time we're just not having a good time.

Good News! March 20^th, our Defensive Handgun Course is going to be at the Buckskin Hills Range, just outside of Vernal, Utah. Unfortunately, right now driving to the shooting bays would be very much like Mud Bog Racing... lots of spinning tires, mud up to the door handles, and lots of rigs getting stuck. Hopefully by the 20^th, the range will have dried out. If not, I've got to find an alternate location with better access.

Kinda Disappointing News. The question is “Do I want to Run for Office, or do I want to Win?” If I just want to run, I could always make that run for the State Senate. Information has come to light about the level of support my opposition has and the amount of funds he has access to. Quite seriously, there is no way in hell I could win. I could run and make a go of it... make a good showing... but I'd lose. He has about a thousand dollars to my every one. And there are people here that have much more, that want him where he is and will keep him there. Now is just not the time to attack that target yet. In the future, yes, but right now... not a chance.   I want to win... so I'm going after what I have a chance of winning... State Representative. Once there, I can work my way into a position where I can take a better shot at State Senate and nail that one when the time is right. Sun Tzu's advice... and I'm going to follow it. I'm going pick that battle when I'm ready... I'm not going to battle him on his turf on his terms when he has all the advantages. So I am going to run for what I can win and then come at him from out of the sun.

Cafe Rio: I had been craving something... Tortilla Soup. Had to have it. So for lunch I finally went and got some of that amazing soup. Oh man it was delicious! I know, I normally get the steak burrito... but I was craving that soup like mad... and it hit the spot perfectly. I felt good all day after that. Some warm and spicy soup just makes the day better.

3-7-10:  Interesting things happening within the US Army in regards to their rifles. There is an Improved Carbine Competition announced now, and what's more, they did not specify caliber. Hmmm. Interesting stuff considering comes on the heals of FNH losing the SCAR contract. This opens up a couple things I'm hopeful for. First, is the ACR and second is the 6.8SPC. Remington is pushing very hard to enter the military machine. I think their efforts are well placed and the investments Remington has made in the tactical arena are very shrewd. Remington, or Big Green as it's known in the hunting community, has always been about Hooves and Horn hunting. They've done very little with the Military as they have had almost zero interesting in warfighting. Because of demand for an accurate bolt action sniper rifle, they've done that much... but Remington just never had their hearts in it. All the sudden we saw Big Green putting out a lot more tactical rifle options and then they jumped both feet into the Sport Utility Rifle market by bringing in Bushmaster and DPMS and then they buy AAC, the makers of some very nice Gun Mufflers. It was also a pleasant surprise to find that they have even developed there own type of Multicam camouflage specifically for combat and not hunting. Now, a company like Big Green isn't going to make these moves without some idea that its going to pay off.

There are a lot of things here I can't talk about as I don't want to burn bridges of confidence... but let's recap what's going down.

FNH lost the contract for the US Marines for the M249 SAW. FNH lost the contract for the SCAR rifles. FNH had also just given the middle finger to all FNH stock dealers by going to a Distributor Only business model... which means dealers of FNH can no longer buy direct from FNH, and we now have to buy from a Distributor... So this added middle man increases the price per gun to the consumer and dealer alike. In a nut shell, there is no longer any money for the dealer to sell FNH guns anymore. Why bother? We will see FNH sales drop off like Mel Gibson's career. I would no want to be an FNH investor right now. This is going to force internal cut backs at FN, which could reduce their production capacity... which could further jeopardize other contracts for them.

Back to Remington... They have geared up big time and want that Military Contract business. When the Military picks a weapon, Civilian sales for that weapon surge. Special Forces picked the SCAR and all the sudden that became the hottest rifle out there. Individual SCAR rifles sold for as much as six thousand dollars... every SCAR we had on the shelf sold real damn fast. Demand outstripped the supply. And now SOCOM dropped it? The popularity will drop as well. Expect to see used SCAR's in the rifle racks within a year. Remington's offering, the ACR however, has been highly anticipated since it was first introduced under the Magpul banner. People wanted it... and that desire has only grown. The ACR is out under two flags now. Bushmaster for Civilian Sales, and Remington for Military. The fact that they have established this organization shows they are ready for what will come. FNH loses the SCAR contract, the Army announces an Improved Carbine Competition... there is the Open Door that Remington has been planning on. Did they know that door was going to open for them? Maybe they did. At SHOT I saw a lot of Military guys hanging around the Remington booths – something I've never seen before. And some of these Officer's were quite candid about their opinions of the SCAR and the ACR rifles. Officers that talked to me off the record were extremely impressed with the ACR and Remington both. The Military wants the ACR.

Regarding Caliber, the Military knows it needs more of it. The 5.56mm has been running for over 40 years now and only impresses those that don't use it for combat. The Officers I spoke with about the SCAR and ACR also spoke highly of the 6.8 SPC cartridge. It shoots a bigger, heavier bullet which means it hits harder. Just what the Military wants. However this doesn't mean that the 6.8 SPC is going to be selected. But it's an option.

Between the 6.8 (which is a .270 diameter bullet, but much shorter that your standard .270 bullets we all know and love) and the 6.5 that is often mentioned in the same breath, the 6.5 does outperform in terms of trajectory and retained energy... it has a higher BC so it makes for a better projectile for longer range shooting – just what the Army is looking for. But I don't think the Army is going to pick the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. That's kind of a done deal on that count. Now, that doesn't mean the Army couldn't find another 6.5... something totally new could be developed. The door is open... just who and what goes through it is going to be very interesting.

3-2-10:  Looks like FNH has just lost the SCAR contract with SOCOM. Reports have been coming in that this decision was long in coming and FN did not make good to resolve SOCOM's issues with the weapon system. This leaves room for the Remington ACR, which Remington was ramping up for big time and strutting around with some Military Officers who were more than happy with what they have found in the ACR. It's my prediction that SOCOM is going to be running some ACR's very soon and that eventually, the US Army will be running ACR's. Hopefully, eventually we will see the ACR's in 6.8 SPC in the hands of our warriors.

Don't laugh. When I predicted SOCOM was going to drop the SCAR, I got a lot of laughs... well, I'm laughing now. Eat Crow. You know who I'm talking to. I think the 6.8 is going to come along as well. I don't know for certain if the ACR is going to be the gun of the month with SOCOM, but it's my guess that it will be. You don't see a company like Remington jump with both feet in to the tactical game, giving Civilian ACR's to Bushmaster and keeping Remington on the name plate for Military ACR's... Remington is up to something big time. Those guys that saw the booths at SHOT know what I'm talking about. When you see military officers hanging out with guys from Remington, you know something is up.

My Brother and Sister In Law asked “What AC/DC song are you?” Simple... Crank the volume and buckle up:

In mid April I'm going to be going to I.C.E. Training's Combat Focus Shooting Instructor course. The location is Virginia Beach. I'm really looking forward to that. Not only is this probably the best Firearms Instructor course in the country right now, but it's in VA Beach. That means fresh seafood. Yes, I am a foodie enough to consider the trip just for the fresh seafood almost worth it just for that alone. However, getting to work with the I.C.E. Crew and developing myself as an Instructor is going to be fantastic. What is this going to do for us out here? It's going to align Crusader Training with the I.C.E. Combat Focus Shooting, so we will be able to offer that program which espouses everything that Crusader Training is all about. So look for a dynamic change to Crusader's Training Program after that.

Speaking of Combat Focus Shooting... get on iTunes and look up the Combat Focus PodCast. I downloaded them and I'm listening to them all. Let me tell you... this is good stuff. Lots of good PodCasts on there... get them... listen to them. What else are you going to listen to? Pop-Music?

Elk: If more people tasted even half decent Elk steaks or roasts... Beef would be shunned. The good restaurants would not serve beef... they would serve Elk. Buffalo is making some good inroads into fine dining... and Buff is good... damn good... but so is Elk. Just as good, if not better. This stuff is so good, makes you never want to eat a beefsteak ever again. I just did a simple pan-fry of some Elk, with nothing more than salt, pepper, and a little minced garlic rub... it was so tender, I could cut it with a fork. It was so juicy, and I had even fried it well done. Last time I did up some Elk Burgers, it was so good it even shocked myself. Buffalo makes for a slightly better burger on average... but I could go either way. Beef just isn't that good to me anymore. I keep mentioning Buffalo, because its' more accessible to the average person. But if you get the chance to snag some Elk, jump on it.

Living with Glocks: Here I am, having been living with Glocks for awhile now. I have not broken out in strange rashes. My guns have not spontaneously gone thermonuclear. What has happened, is that I've shot and I've hit my targets, and I've not had to think about the gun. Just the target and where my front sight post is. That's all I've had to worry about. Glocks just don't have the drama and slight elements of unknown and doubt. Very boring. They just point and hit. This is almost like arguing that Vanilla is the best flavor of ice cream. Perhaps it is. Now these qualities are also there in any SIG P22X series guns... and I still love my 229... but the Glocks are doing the same thing, but in a lighter weight package. If SIG made a gun like a Glock 23, I may never have given them a second look.

The weather out here is still freezing at night, but during the day, there is a lot of melting going on. This means pretty soon we will be able to get out and do some good old fashioned prairie dog hunting... and I'm really looking forward to that. Break out Killswitch, my beloved .17HMR.

3-01-10: The Princess and The Ogre:  I've had some strange assignments in my career. One of the strangest was the bodyguarding detail of a very high profile VIP back in 1998. Princess Diana. No, not her... her dresses. There was a little shindig going on at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. This was to be a very high brow, upper crust affair. As I approached the Jefferson, I noticed all the cars around the front... Nothing less than 80 grand was allowed, or so it seemed... and the only thing with less than 12 cylinders was an 8 cylinder Ferrari. I wasn't even sure if I could afford to walk through the door. Dressed in black BDU's and strapped with a big HK on my hip, no one stopped me. I had to look official and scary. That was the request. The value of the dresses were in the Millions of dollars... each... so this was a serious thing. Inside I made straight for the security office and got the lay out and the names of everyone on the staff, along with photos. Once I knew who was official there, I went and met with the contact people who were held up in a room at the end of a hall... not a bad location. After I met with the people, who were very uptight, I was informed who could enter and examine the dresses if needed, and the proper procedure for touching one of the Princess's Dresses. White Glove treatment to say the least. I was also informed that I had Room Service on tap, whenever I needed anything, no limit. Hey, that's not bad! Especially when the Club Sandwich was 20 bucks. After everything was settled down, I set up my tools. I small closed circuit TV and camera... this was before the neat wireless stuff we have today, so I did have to punch a small hole through a wall for the cable, but was worth it... I had a good view of anyone walking up the hallway. I put the monitor on the table next to a shotgun and a spare pistol.

It didn't take long before I was kicked back, boots on the bed with linen that had a thread count higher than all the sheets at Ogre Ranch put together. Watching TV, watching the monitor.

Room service was great. Those club sandwiches were tiny, so I had plenty of them. Caffeine was delivered in tankards. Shrimp Cocktails. A lobster tail. And more club sandwiches. I was stuffed. Every time anyone approached the door, I had my face sheets out and I knew the name of who was bringing me food before they got to the door.

It was about eleven thirty when a face I recognized, but wasn't on my sheets approached. She knocked three times. I didn't open the door. “Sorry, you are not on the list.” She begged. “Mrs Rivers, I'm calling hotel security to have you removed... you are not coming in this room.” She through a total hissy fit to include stamping of feet and throwing something that I later found to be a shot glass. “Bugger off!” I yelled through the door and she pouted as she walked away, listing to the side as she went.

It was about two thirty in the morning that the TV had gotten stale and I was too pumped up on the Fien to sit still. I did pushups. I was bored. I felt like a dance. So I stood up, brushed off my black BDU's, looked at the white gloves ( I wasn't kidding) and said screw that... I took the first one around the waist and proceeded to dance... a waltz. I can waltz like Fred Astaire, but you'll have to take my word for that. This was a benefit of marriage to a dancer... she taught me well. I made sure I took the time to dance with each and every dress, up close and tight.

After making sure that each dress was back in its original position and looking just fine, I ordered some desert... some sort of red berry dish that was the most expensive thing on the menu. I had to celebrate the occasion here.

At seven Am people came up the hallway... all Authorized... so I checked names and let them in. Things got hectic in there, so I packed up my gear, pulled in my CCTV and put it all in my jump bag. I was almost done. Just had to wait for my relief. Before he arrived however... a news crew from the BBC arrived and were let in. Not only did they want to shoot the dresses, they wanted to shoot me. So I was asked to stand outside the door, looking brutish. Easy enough. So evidently I was on the BBC in a report about people loosing their shit about some dresses. My relief showed up on time and I was out of there...

The Princess was a fine dance partner.

2-28-10:  In defense of the .40: Without going in to a bunch of irrelevant back story... Let's just say that I'm the only guy at the Gun Counter that will have anything to do with the .40 S&W cartridge. I've heard all the arguments against the .40 from every side, from every perspective. It's not as powerful as the 10mm. It's not as big and heavy as a .45. You might as well shoot a 9mm. Yeah, I've heard all that... and while so many guys are ranting about what the .40 is, they haven't been bothered to look at what the .40 is.

I've said in the past that the .40 is not a cartridge that I'd recommend to any new shooter. It's a more harsh round than either the 9mm or .45ACP. Higher pressure, snappier recoil, and even louder... it's a sharper recoil that can cause a bad flinch response in novice shooters. And it's more money per box than 9mm. So you don't get to practice as much for the same money. For the price of 2 boxes of .40 you can get 3 boxes (almost) of 9mm. Yeah, that's all well and good. But for a defensive round, it's better. For a competition round, it's better. Basically, for serious use, the .40 is better. You can argue that on WTA all you like... please do. Prove me wrong. However, I've seen plenty of steel plates that needed multiple 9mm hits to get to fall where .40 and .45 had no problem knocking it over.

Let's look at some numbers and I'll try not to be boring. Looking at a round I like, and one that you can look up the numbers on as well... the 155 grain XTP from Hornady. 1180 feet per second, with 479 ft-lbs. Okay, that's a mid weight round, so lets look at a midweight .45, same bullet type. The 200 grain XTP. 900 FPS with 360 ft-lbs. Looks like the .40 is no slouch in the power department. Let's look at the Defensive Power Factor on these. So we take the .40... 155 grains times .40 caliber, times velocity, divided by 1000... 73.16 DPF. Now the .45 scores a DPF of 81. Looks like the .45 wins. Does that mean the .45 is the better weapon? Not so fast, my friends. Lets take the platform into consideration. My newest .40 is the Glock 22 Gen4 with a 15 round magazine... +1 gives me 16 rounds on tap. That gives me a Total DPF for the Weapon of 1170.5 and the common .45 platform, 1911 8+1... for a Total DPF of 729. So you can see, clearly that the .40 doesn't need to take a back seat to the .45. Showing these numbers to a co-worker, his response was to pull out a spare magazine... “I can reload”. Oh, yes... I forgot... you can't reload a .40... oh wait... what's this? Another 15 rounds? Yes, I can reload too. No, the .40 doesn't need to ride in the back of the caliber bus. It's not a second class cartridge. Now, this isn't just a capacity is king issue... While I said that the recoil is sharper than 9 or .45... it does feel sharper... but recovery from recoil is quicker. I can put sights back on target faster with a .40 than with a .45. This gives me an advantage. Of course, with 9mm, that would be even faster yet, but with the .40 I find a better balance of all these factors... power, capacity, and speed. That balance is why I like the .40.

2-26-10:  I spent some time Thursday really taking a closer look at the Springfield XDM 3.8 pistols. I had seen advertisements and I gave a quick look at them at SHOT... and I initially dismissed them. But having spent some more time examining them I've changed my mind about them. The regular XDM is sporting a rather long barrel and slide. This makes the M model a very large pistol. Because of that barrel length, I don't think it rides well on the belt. The 3.8, much like a 1911 Commander, rides much better and feels better in the hand. You are giving up an inch of barrel and sight radius, but I honest think these are well spent sacrifices. The gun points just as good, if not better than full sized. If I was to buy a new XD, this would be it.

We ordered a Crimson Trace laser grip for a customer's SIG P229. Then the guy changed his mind, so we ended up being stuck with the grips. So having nothing better to do than to play with guns and stuff... oh, wait... that's my job... I pulled out a 229 and installed the new grips. I like almost all the Crimson Trace stuff... CT grips are great. A long battery life, no new holsters... it's fantastic. But the way CT built the 229 grips, I just don't care for the side buttons on the grips. The pressure switches are different... and I don't quite like them. That's just me. However I do like the idea of CT grips on a defensive weapon. Anything that can potentially help you get on target and anything that makes the gun more intimidation... I see that as an advantage.  So while I don't like the side buttons... this combo is a winner.

2-24-10:  Some more thoughts on the well zeroed rifle. The biggest mistakes casual riflemen make is in negligent zeroing. Your rifle's zero is the foundation that ever shot is built on. Once the rifle is made, and the scope is properly mounted. You can have the best equipment and ammunition known to man kind now or in the future, and it's all useless if you shortcut yourself on the zeroing.

At 100 yards, you place the crosshairs on a target, and that is exactly where that shot should go. Precisely. Most guys will do “About two inches high at 100” and call it good. This is not good enough. You need to be absolutely precise here. Because any degree of “Off” here, is compounded down range. Even if you want a 200 yard zero... get dead nuts on first at 100 yards. Then go to a two hundred yard target and you should put in your dope and be on at 200 yards.

Write down what that dope is. Then go to 300 yards and do it again. Record that dope. Do this again and again, pushing out and recording each step. Once you map out your dope, and you know what your rifle is doing... this process will pay dividends when you actually get out and want to put rounds on target at range. But you have to start out at 100 yards.

You don't need any special equipment.... you don't need a Lead Sled. You don't need a shooting vice. What you need is careful attention to your basic fundamental shooting skills, and to take your time.

Ice Fishing Question: “Do you have any longer ice fishing rods? Like one that expands?” No, they are all that short. “But how do you cast with such a short rod?” That one took 2 Advil and 1 Tylenol.

You can keep your Snickers. Selling a .50 BMG rifle is more satisfying. The most satisfying is actually buying one. That is what really satisfies.

Training Course: March 20^th, Defensive Pistol. 9AM. Location is TBD and will be announced later. Course tuition is $200. Round Count is 300 rounds.

Bold Claim: “You could cover the group with a Quarter at One Thousand Yards”. Really? Because anything under 10 inches is pretty damn remarkable... and if you get a group under 6 inches, you are probably a champion. So that “Cover with a Quarter” sized group... You'd probably be on the cover of shooting magazines all over the place.

2-23-10:  One of my favorite things in the world: A well tuned, perfectly zeroed rifle. As the old saying goes, “Only accurate gun are interesting.” Well, that's only partially true. Accurate guns are more interesting. We are in good luck as a Gun Community. Many off the shelf rifles are very accurate right out of the box. Even from just 10 years ago, Rifle makers have come a very long way. These modern rifles are offering consistent accuracy out of the box, that is on par at least with most so called “custom rifles”.

Better barrel making, better stocks and bedding, and better triggers that can be adjusted by the owner and not a gunsmith. These things have put a production gun ahead of curve. Especially Savage, who is making the most accurate rifles you can buy, at relative bargain prices. Remington at the reputation for being the best... but Savage has blown them away. Now, some modern Custom Makers – what they can put out now. Borders on the Miraculous. TacticalRifles.Net... you should see what those guns can do. To say they are Amazing would be like saying a Bear driving a Tank that fires Sharks would be Awesome. Most custom makers are just buying off the shelf parts and assembling guns that don't necessarily shoot all that great. In know one company that does custom guns that are very popular, and they look cool, and they feel slick, and light, and have great lines... but don't actually shoot very well at all. An off the shelf Savage for a fraction of the price will easily out shoot it.

Production 1911's. I've been examining production 1911's as they come from the factory... open the box... and I'm impressed by 4 companies. Springfield Armory has continued to produce solid and reliable 1911's for years now, but what sets them apart is the remarkable consistency of quality. In fact, they have improved and out of all the 1911's we sell at the store I work at – they are the only company that we have had absolutely Zero problems with their guns. Springfield gets Top Honors this time around. Right up there is SIG with the GSR series and Dan Wesson. These guys are building some of the best production 1911's you can buy for any price. Dan Wesson's Bobtail Commander put higher end guns to shame. Now they don't make it anymore, having replaced the Bobtail Commander with a Valor series gun for about 300 bucks more... but it's going to be a dang good gun too. My own GSR 1911's from SIG have proven to be more than Match Grade Accurate. Solid and Tight as a Bank Vault. These GSR guns never fail to impress me. What is even impressing me more and more, are the simple 1911's coming from Taurus. These guns, while a little rough, wear in very well and shoot with reliability that is astonishing. Really, no one is making a bad 1911 these days. But Springfield, SIG, and Dan Wesson are my top choices for Production guns.

2-20-10:  Should Al Gore be Charged? This was a question that I was hit with the other day... I think on FB... but it's a good question. If someone was to promote a fraud and capitalized on that fraud, that's illegal. Al Gore owns (in part or in whole I don't care which, but he benefits) a company that sells Carbon Credits. He promotes Global Warming which gets people to buy into this Green Movement crap that involves buying Carbon Credits for yourself and your friends and your company. Millions of dollars worth.  Global Warming has been proven to not just be a sham, but that it was a known sham to those that were promoting it. That's straight up Fraud. Al Gore has made a lot of money because of that Fraud. He betrayed this country... he played on our fears!  And he made bank on our fears.  The way I see it, this is the same thing as an Investment Broker getting people to buy certain stocks. That's illegal as hell. I was chastised that this was Free Speech and that I don't like it because I don't agree with the politics. No, this isn't a Speech issue. This is a Fraud issue. This is a Criminal issue. The way I see it, this is just like Bernie Madoff. Al Gore should be tried for Fraud.

The issue of Open Carry is huge right now. Because of a Police Officer in California's Facebook posts the issue has come to Center Stage for a lot of Gun Owners. Wyoming is about to pass open carry into law, and Georgia is looking at it too. Utah allows it, if you are Unloaded or you can carry open and loaded if you have a Concealed Permit. (WTF?) Open carry is permitted in a lot of states... but that fact is just not widely known and it's not usual to see a guy walking around with a gun on his hip and not be in a Blue Uniform. The Public is just not used to seeing it. Just because you don't see something very often doesn't mean it's not legal. Just like seeing something happen all the time doesn't mean it is allowed... just that it happens. Such as driving 85 MPH on I-15... sure, people do it constantly, but that doesn't mean you can't get pulled over for it. However there is a big difference here. If you drive 85MPH you get a ticket. If you Open Carry you can get tackled by cops, held at gun point, handcuffed, interrogated – all for doing something perfectly legal. This is not right. Mas Ayoob, on Armed American Radio last week (3^rd hour) talked about the Cops perspective and why they do that. And I can see his point. I am a Police Academy Graduate, Colorado POST Certified and National Park Service Law Enforcement Ranger Certified.... I was trained in the art of Caution. However, I am very Libertarian and I don't believe an officer should use force just because you are packing open. The officer should look and see, the dude is buying milk and bread... he's not brandishing, making threats, or acting like an Airline Passenger. Should the Cop even bother to question him? No. I don't think so. He can observe... but if the person is within his rights – leave him the hell alone. Just because he has a gun doesn't mean he is a criminal. Just like driving a car does not mean you are going to violate traffic code. And that's not even a good analogy there, because driving is a privilege and not a Constitutionally stated Right. We have the Right to speech and due process of the law... and to our guns... to Keep and Bear Arms. That means we can own them and we can carry them and this is not something a State can restrict. I look with suspicion at anyone who wants me disarmed. Why do you want me defenseless? Why do the Cops want to dog pile on an 80 year old man because he's packing open? That was a case here, in Utah, some time ago. Old guy in a grocery store... flying tackle by multiple officers. Why? Someone called the police. What was the guy doing? Milk and Bread.

Why is this important? Because our Rights are being ripped away by social pressure, people who don't understand the law, people who don't like our Constitution, and by cops who don't know the law – but should considering their job is to enforce it.

Is there risk with Open Carry? Sure there is. There is risk in anything we do. Ted Nugent said that people who open carry make themselves targets. Yeah, but so does driving a nice car or wearing nice clothes. That doesn't mean we should drive 1989 Chevy Cavaliers and dress like vagabonds.

Is there benefit to Open Carry? Absolutely. Armed American Radio (link in the side bar) will be talking about a case that happened recently where two men, eating a meal, open carry, thwarted what would have been a violent armed robbery... lives were saved. Sure, it could have been a bad situation and it could have gone a different way... but it didn't. What if those guys had Drive Through instead? How many people would have been hurt then? We don't know. There is no way to tell. We only have the results. The robbery didn't happen and the criminals are in custody. Simple as that. Those are the facts and you can speculate on the What If's and you can prattle on about alternative reality... but Open Carry stopped crime. How many times a day does open carry stop crime? Because bad guys don't always report that they didn't commit a crime because of a gun owner.

“Yes, I'd like to report that I elected to not commit a crime... yes... there was a gun owner there... no, I was going to rape that chick... No sir, didn't do it... there was a gun owner.”

Uncommitted crimes are hard to track. In this case, the criminals copped to their intent to police and we know exactly what happened. A very interesting case and AAR will be talking with the people involved. Listen in. Tune In or Log On.

Glock 22Gen4. On WeTheArmed.com and on Facebook (“George H Hill” there) I've talked about the Generation 4 version of the Glock 22. At SHOT I wasn't that impressed with the new Glock, as I didn't see a big enough difference in it. Well, I have one now, and after spending some quality time with it... I do see the difference. Especially with out any backstrap on the grip frame. You can add a Medium or a Large backstrap to it... but I like it without anything on it. It feels very good and the texture doesn't grab fabric, yet offers a very solid grip. It points – and I hate to say this – it points better than a 1911. I can't believe I said that. I really can't. I feel like I have betrayed my religion. But it's true. Oh, I am still in love with my 1911's... this is the Mormon in me coming out – there is room enough in my heart for multiple guns. But yeah, I am really liking these new Glocks. I went and pulled our a regular “Gen3” Glock 22 and 23 and held them... nope. I don't like them. The new RTF2 and Gen4 Glocks, I really do like them.

Speaking of Facebook. I'm going to cut back on the time I spend on it. I'm going to hold myself to only hitting FB once a week. I'll open FB and if it is set to show that I am Online – holy crap. I'll get nailed with Chat Boxes springing up faster than I can close them. So if you see me as being “Online”... it's probably because I didn't close it fast enough. Anyways, I don't mean to offend... I just don't use the Chat feature very much. Not that I don't want to talk with you guys... but that is what my Email is for. I don't Instant Message on any service. But once a week to check in on friends... and that's going to be about it. FB takes away from time where I could be more productive. I'm going to use it starting next month to post campaign news.

2-18-10:  Strange stomach bug. Went to bed Monday night feeling fine... woke up with my guts feeling bloated and like they are on fire and boiling at the same time. A very interesting sensation. Went to work and it just got worse. Boss sent me home. Which is a good thing as I've spent the majority of my unexpected day off face down into big white bowl with swirling water. It got progressively worse all day and through the night. This isn't the day I was looking forward to. I have things I need to get done, but The Missus is insisting I stay in bed. I am not happy. At least I can catch up on emails and some reading.

Continuing that train, now it's Wed, and I still feel like my innards are waging a civil war against my outards. This is the most unpleasant illness. I could describe what's going on... but I'd rather not, and you would rather not hear it. Seriously... this is a nasty bug.

The only thing that is making me puke more, is the BATFE's raid on Sabre Defence. The fact that they came in, closed them down for a day, and started going through everything – that's fine. If the ATF things something's amiss – that's what they do. However, to search individual employees and the individual employee's privately owned vehicles – that crosses the line. Unless the ATF had a warrant that specified employee's personal vehicles... this crosses the line. This goes from enforcement to thuggery. If the warrant didn't have that in it. Usually they don't. This coming in on the heels of the ATF's raid on Cavalry Arms and after 700 + Days of confiscated property... CavArms has given up the fight. Between Cav Arms and Sabre... I'm calling Shenanigans.

Update: Okay, word has it some Sabre employee's were steeling and then selling guns parts. That explains it and is why they were searching employee's cars and such. Carry on... but the CavArms deal still smells.

Glock Talk: The bug is spreading. After I took the plunge with the 23RTF2, and reported that the water is fine... I've received reports that no less than 11 other shooters have since taken the plunge as well. Some have gone to the 19, the same gun in 9mm but the rest have taken on the .40 cal 23. All reports have been positive and in agreement with my assessment. The small and light weight package, with good capacity and still be very shootable... this is a very good CCW weapon... one of the best to be perfectly honest. Here is a thread on WTA regarding where one of the guys talks about his experience with his new G23. Here is mine. A friend of mine has sent me a couple drop in replacement parts to improve the trigger. I've not put them in yet... I had been too sick to mess with it, but I may do so later. Actually, I'll do it when I get my 22Gen4. That way I am not without a good carry gun. I could carry one of my SIG's or something else... but I'm sticking with Glocks till they become natural and the use of them is unthinking. Then I can go back to my normal rotation. Hmmm... That gave me pause. If the 23 is such a great carry, why would I want to carry something different? This is a dilemma.

2-13-10:  In Good Company: I've been accused of being a “Gun Slut” many times. Hell, if I had a dollar for each time, I'd buy another gun. I was reading a recent article by Massad Ayoob about this very subject... and I was nodding my head the whole time... I've had the same experiences and the same conversations. Mas has admitted that he is a “Gun Slut” just like I am. Laugh it up all you want, but I'll carry a number of different weapons, different calibers, different action types. It's taken me longer to develop proficiency with everything... sure... but after years of shooting... I'm perfectly comfortable with damn near anything I pick up, and my score cards show that I pretty much don't even lose a beat anymore. I really don't even care about what is on my hip as long as I have no doubts about its function and accuracy. I'm not going to use the term Gun Slut, because it's not Family Friendly Language that I'm trying my damned to work on. Dang it. But I'll use the term “Multi-Gunner”. The whole “Beware the Man with One Gun” thing is great if it's 1895... or even better if you only have One Gun. Great excuse for being stuck in a rut. Give me anything. If it shoots bullets or shotgun shells... I'm all over it.

One of the worst things you can do is to have a strong opinion and voice it publicly. So that's what I'm going to do. I like Savage Rifles. I like SIG and I'm digging Glocks now. I like Federal and Hornady Rifle Ammo. I like Zeiss and Nikon scopes. I like Winchester pistol ammo for Defense and CCI Blazer Brass ammo for Plinking. I like Crimson Trace. I like Trijicon on everything. These are things I like... I'm not one of those guys that identifies himself by what he Doesn't Like, but I do have things I certainly like more than others. But hey, this is just my opinion.

Shotgunning: Last couple days have been crazy tactical shotgun days... I've been selling a crazy number of tactical shotguns... a lot of police tactical shotguns and brand new tactical shotguns... and they all have one thing in common... they are all Remington 870's. Gotta love it. Hell, I even got one too. The Police traded in some of their old guns and I picked one up along with several members of WTA. These things are cool as hell... and I'll take a picture of mine later... when I get a new digital camera. (I need another one that can do stills/vids and has good sound.) There are few weapon systems that feel so raw... so primal... as a tactical Remington 870. They are just “Right”. And these police guns... with the wood stocks... Classical Tactical. Love it.

2-11-10:  The Bushmaster ACR is shaping up to be an incredibly popular rifle... it's been the one rifle that has generated the most buzz, the most interest and the most inquiries... initial reports of extremely high costs has turned some people off, but not all the ACR's are that expensive. When the standard version streets, the price will be much more reasonable. As a result, I'm expecting the ACR to be the #1 Rifle through the rest of 2010 and past.

One thing about the ACR, when I examined the ACR's at SHOT, I noticed that the system has a lot of friction in there. The bolt and bolt carrier system is good – but it has a lot of friction in there.

Crusader Weaponry is offering a special ACR Package. The ST-1ACR Package. This is the permanent Slipstream treatment applied to the internals to slick that ACR up and make it run like a striped ape. A Slipstream Lube kit is thrown in, and you get a super fast turn around time... $99.99. Contact Joseph at Crusader Weaponry for details!

Allow me to be honest about my handgunning. I am better shooting in Low/No Light that I am in Day Light. My shot groups are tighter and over all, much more consistent. Why is that? Because in the dark, my front sight post glows with friendly nuclear warmth. I can see it. Clearly, easily... I know exactly where my front sight post is. Now, during the day, I try to see that front sight and evidently I sometimes lose it. My eyes are not as “HD” as they used to be. I need new glasses, this, I know. I know... I'm running the same lenses for 5 years now, maybe a tad bit longer. But still. Even if I get some new lenses with an up to date prescription, I still need some help with that front sight.

The obvious choice is the Ashley Express Sights – Sorry, 24/7 Sights. The Big Dot. Some guys really like them, as do I... But not this time. The sights I'm thinking about were suggested to me by Baxter... Warren Tactical Sights, with Tritium of course. The big “Dot” and the nice wide and deep rear notch allows a good view of that front sight. I like that. In fact, the more I look at it... the more I like that. Those just might be damn near perfect for me. I know I'm not the only person who has a problem with seeing the front sight as I'm not the only one who has said he shoots more accurately in low light. These might just be the solution for all of us.

This also illustrates to me the importance of Front Sight Focus. The technique of focusing your eyes on the Front Sight Only is the key to handgunning accuracy. Your eyes can not focus on 3 things at the same time in 3 different focal planes... Human Eyes just can't do that. We can only focus on 1. However our eyes are very good at spacial relationships. You can let the rear sight go blurry, and the target blurry, and you will be able to center that sharp focused front sight on the target and make good solid and accurate hits. Everything else in handgunning is secondary to this.

Dang it.   Hey, remember that cool little digital camera I had that I used to make all the vids and photos with?  Yeah... I miss that camera.  Another Mule Deer casualty.

2-10-10:  Today sucked.  Okay, so I get to work and find a visit from the ATF. Nothing goes right all dang day. Get sick at Lunch and end up puking my guts out on the side of the highway just outside of town. Then I hit a mule deer and kill it and mess up my truck so now it's only barely drivable. Then I come home to a whole mess of bad news all around. Today SUCKED.

However, there are upshots... a number of police shotguns came in that I've been waiting for... I found Winchester PDX1 loads are very effective... I ordered a Glock 22 Gen4 with night sights... (that was before the hitting of the deer) I found out I just might have a tax return this year.

In the mean time, anyone want to buy some 1800 dollar Swarovski EL 10x42 Binos for 1200?

2-8-10:  I watched the Super Bowl and for one reason, I'm sorry I did. Oh, don't get me wrong... I enjoyed the game. The Colts started out playing some perfect football and Manning was throwing passes like a Sniper. That final interception was amazing and from that instance, the game was over... I don't care that I lost a bet... that's fine. That was some good football.   What ruined it for me was Audi's “Green Police” commercial. Made me want to puke.  What sort of Liberal Crap is that? This Green Movement has gotten out of hand. Hey, I respect the environment probably more than most Liberals, but I don't make as ass out of myself over it. ( I do that over other things) I've dug around the more Donk areas of the internets and found that the Liberals are literally having Joygasims over this Audi spot. I am very displeased with Audi. Then there is this guy. Teabag America? Really? Being “Green” doesn't give anyone Moral Authority. It doesn't give you a Moral High Ground. What it gives you – if you believe it – is an excuse for Liberals to Dictate their flawed (proven fraud) Ideology and to take away my Liberty... to take away my Freedom. That, I don't stand for. And the fact that Audi, a car brand that grew up in, has done this sort of commercial... It's going to be a long time before I drive an Audi. I used to have Audis, Rallied Audis, made out in Audis... and they pull this? Bullshit. This is worse than Jeep's Anti-Hunting commercial from a few years ago. Let's set this record straight. American Car Makers have been more “Green” than Toyota, Honda, and Audi could ever hope to be. And they get no credit. American car makers have more High Efficiency and more Hybrid cars than all the other brands together. But you know what? Green doesn't sell cars. Screw Green. The only green I like is British Racing Green and Olive Drab. I don't even want to look at another Green. Green doesn't sell except to Liberals and Liberals only want to drive Priuses and Subaru Outbacks. Ford needs to come out with a counter Campaign. BLACK and RED... Because those sell cars. Talk to Car Guys, and they will, in short order, talk about Performance Cars... and you ask them what color... Black or Red. Crank up some AC-DC playing Back in Black with the image of the new Mustang GT (with some new factory independent rear suspension) power sliding across the screen leaving a cloud of smoke... with the tag line “Let the Hippies buy more Carbon Credits” as the car roars off into the distance. Tell me that wouldn't sell some cars. Audi and Toyota can be as Green as they want... American Car Makers need to do what they do best – Being BadAss. Because that's what sells American Car. And all you fluffy self righteous hippies out there, if you really were “Green” - you wouldn't be buying and driving cars anyways... your attitude and moral high ground doesn't mask your hypocrisy with me.

2-5-10:  Thursday afternoon my Glock 23 arrived. When it did, I took off my 229 and picked up the Glock. I had to carry it. I loaded it up with some 165 grain PDX1's from my SIG Mags, and tucked it in. I know I usually advocate the test firing of your carry gun with your choice of carry ammo, but in this case, I had no concerns. There are 3 lines of guns have always felt comfortable with right out of the box. HK's, SIG 22X series, and of course, Glock. See, I've owned a Glock before. A Gen1 17. I've been to this rodeo before... I know the Glock well enough and have always respected it's reliability. However I dismissed them when the Gen2 came out, and I've not paid any attention to them since. They just didn't feel right in my hand. The RTF2 grip feels much better to me, I don't know why. I started looking at the Glocks again when we got in a 17RTF2 and I thought, “You know, this isn't bad at all.” I've got friends who are into Glocks and they all kept recommending them. A lot of guys I respect recommended them. LL from WTA. At SHOT Show, my friend Mark Walters and sat down at Ceaser's Palace in Vegas and we had some good conversations. During which Mark gave good testimony about his favorite gun, the Glock 23. It was a convincing argument. I promised I'd give Glock a second look. So I did.

I borrowed a Glock 17 and shot several magazines through it. After a few mags I got used to the grip angle. It shot just as I expected it would. Reliable and predictably accurate. I had no problem with it. However I'm just not all that interested in a 9mm. I've become reacquainted with the .40, a caliber I used to stake my life on back in Virginia. My 229 is incredible with the .40 however it's heavy. When I carry I do the “AllDamnDay” Carry and that usually means from 6AM to 10PM... That's a long time to have a Heater strapped on. As much as love the 229... and I really do... I want (no, not need... just want) a lighter gun for all day carry. A mid-sized gun, not a compact, not a mouse gun for pocket carry... a Mid sized gun in a mid sized caliber. The Glock 23. I really like the S&W M&P series, but they don't have a Mid Sized gun. The regular gun is too big and the Compact is just too dang small. The balance of form, function and firepower is just perfect for what I was looking for. The HK P30 in .40 is awesome, but almost twice as much. The CZ P-07 Duty? That's one I just don't like. The Glock 23 is just “it”. The RTF2 grip texture is said to be too rough, but it does perfectly what it was designed to do. Lock the gun into your hand so it wont slip. Oh, it does that. It isn't Fabric Friendly so you gotta watch what you wear over it, and you sure as hell want to wear something under it... it can be... abrasive. But when you draw the gun, and it's in your hand. It's going nowhere. Accuracy, well, I wasn't shooting for accuracy today. I just wanted to “feel it”. The trigger, the recoil, the action... it shot very well. Sharper than my 229 of course. Being lighter that was to be expected. But the recoil was very manageable. For a novice shooter, it might be a problem. But I found it to be just what I expected. Zero malfunctions. Of course. Not only is this a Glock, but a Slipstreamed Glock at that. I was pleased with the accuracy on such a cold day, off hand, unsupported. It shot as well as can be expected under such conditions. 14 rounds of Forty Firepower, in a package that is light enough to pack all day, yet big enough to shoot well. I'm quite pleased.

Does this mean I am going to get into a Gen4 22? Why, yes, I think it does.

This week I've been testing out a new holster for my SIG P229R. ADAMS HOLSTERS. The rig is well made, hand boned, and made to fit the gun snug for retention. The 229 carries very well using this rig and more importantly, all week, I've not been “Made”. Now, I work at a gun counter were everyone I work with is very good at spotting concealed weapons. No one knew I was packing. That says a lot. And it's a good looking rig. I like it. This is a keeper!

2-1-10:  Okay, I knew I was going to catch some flak from my 1911 Brothers out there for selecting, of all guns, the Glock in a .40. The Anti-1911.  You wouldn't believe the amount of flak I'm catching from work! They have been merciless. Let's just say I don't work at a Glock Shop. Guys, I am not turning my back on the 1911. I am still a 1911 Guy. But before I am a 1911 Guy, I'm a Gun Guy... which means I like guns... all guns... I can appreciate the beauty in Form and Function in all of them. Just like looking at a Pretty Lady, I can appreciate the Blondes, the Brunettes, the Red Heads... all different kinds of Pretty Ladies out there. See, I'm Married. I can only have one wife... but I can have a lot of different guns... so why not enjoy as many guns as I can? Now, regarding the Glock's beauty. I'll be the first to say... it's not Pretty. However the Function of it is what can make a Glock absolutely Gorgeous. The low bore axis helps reduce muzzle flip. Combine that with that funky grip angle that helps return the gun to point of aim faster... now lets add in what really is a fine trigger pull... consistent and the same every time... with a super short Trigger Reset... And it's simple. Nothing complicated. Nothing “trick”. It's about as straight forward of a mechanism as it gets. The Glock really is the whole enchilada when it comes to Function. That's why I am going to give the Glock another chance. I've not been replaced by a Pod Person... I'm still The Ogre... but one that has learned to evaluate things differently. I might decide that the Glock is still not for me. Or I might grow quite fond of it. Who knows.

These things come in Threes: First off, a good friend, Thernlund of WTA almost got shot in the head by a Negligent Discharge. Read about that here. An inexperienced shooter picked up a rifle, and while doing so, pulled the trigger, breaking all the Firearm Rules all at once. We are all very glad that T is okay. T is an important member of WTA, one of the behind the scenes Crusaders, and a friend.

The other instance happened at one of ToddG's recent AFHF training courses. A negligent discharge that resulted in a self inflicted gunshot wound. Read about that here. In this case, the student didn't mind his trigger finger placement as he was reholstering his pistol, and the gun discharged. The bullet passed through his calf and didn't hit anything substantial other than muscle tissue and pride. The student will recover fully... physically. Most likely the pistol was a Glock or an M&P. Whatever the gun was, there was a mistake made which is why this is negligent discharge. I don't like the term Accidental Discharge... “AD”. There are no “AD's”. There are only “ND's” with someone looking to blame something else for his negligence. This wasn't the fault of the gun... this was an Operator Error which resulted in the negligent discharge. And this is something that could happen to anybody.

Guys, I've said it before and I'll say it again... handling weapons is like handling snakes. The moment you disrespect them... take them for granted... the moment you are not paying attention... that's when they can bite you. And they bite hard. When you are handling weapons, you have to pay attention. Keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel. Don't Disrespect The Gun. Now I said these things happen in Threes... We've had two strikes here... Don't be the Third!

The 4 Rules of Firearms Safety:

1.  Handle all firearms as if they were loaded.

2.  Never point the gun at anything you're not willing to destroy.

3.  Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you have made the decision to fire the weapon. (On Target, On Trigger. Off Target, Off Trigger.)

4.  Know your target, and know what is beyond the target.

No, I'm not going to comment on Obama's dumbass State of the Union speech. Our friend Larry Correia has done that job perfectly. I'll give the nod to his expert fisking. But did Obama really BOW to the Mayor of Tampa? Are you fucking kidding me? Bowing to a Mayor? The President of the United States bows to no one. This President bows to everyone... pathetic.

OGRE TRAINING:
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