Your Plastic Pal That's Fun To Be With.....

I'm speaking of the Glock, of course. That little marvel of Austrian engineering.

I made it to the range again this week. I thought I'd compare the relative merits of the Glock 19 against a Sig 229r. Both are chambered in 9mm. Both have high-capacity magazines. Both are Teutonic marvels.

The similarities pretty much end there. The Glock is polymer-framed, and is double-action only. The Sig is metal framed, and double-action/single action with a decocker. The grip angles are a bit different, with the Sig closer to a 1911 .45, and the Glock closer to....a Glock.

This is just me, of course. I shot the Sig much better. It didn't beat up my hand quite as much. I know the 9mm doesn't recoil very bad to begin with, but what recoil was there was almost unnoticeable in the Sig. The Glock was a bit jumpy by comparison. The Sig is heavier, which is an advantage recoil-wise, and a liability in terms of a carry pistol.

I placed tighter groups with the Sig, by far. The trigger felt better, even shooting double-action. Single-action was really nice. Rapid-fire groups were easier to keep on target, and the trigger reset felt smoother with the Sig.

I still have that weird problem with everything ending up left. The problem was really magnified with the Glock. The Sig wasn't as bad, or as often, but it was still there for quite a few shots. This is starting to bother me, truth be told. I don't seem to do it with a 1911, but these fancy new pistols really seem to bring out the problem.

After shooting the two guns side by side, I'd have to say that I'd pick the Sig over the Glock any day for a pure shooter. The Glock might have the edge as far as reliability under harsh conditions, but the Sig flat out-shoots it. At least, it does in my admittedly inexpert hands.

I might be tempted to try one of the Sig Pro polymer jobs. They have the frame of a Glock with the set-up I know and love with the Sig.

More practice is needed, either way.

One for the Gamers....

My mind has been evilly polluted by my two closest and oldest friends in the world. I know now what hit points and armor class are. I understand what D20 is.

Yes, I have begun participating in role playing games.

It's not like I don't have enough bad habits already.

On the up side, I've made some solid new friends, and I have something to look forward to every week. On the downside, I have a new hobby. It's not like there's enough hours in the day or anything.

At any rate, I've been corrupted enough to find this funny.

And this.

And this one's for "Nomac". This ain't going to be me. Ever again. Never trust a hobgoblin.

Israeli Gears

I haven't said anything about the whole situation over there in Lebabnon and Israel. I'll weigh in on it, I guess.

Go, Israel!!!

That should about cover it.

Well, I guess I can elaborate somewhat.

For those of you who think Israel is being too harsh, what would you have them do?

You either agree that Israel has a right to exist, or it doesn't. If it does, then the Israelis have the right to self-defense, to protect their citizens from attack, and to police their borders. If you think Israel does not have that right, then there's no sense discussing this any more.

History shows us that conceding land to people in order to forestall a war doesn't really work too well. Remember the Sudetenland that Hitler ended up with? Chamberlain thought it would stop there. Israel pulled out of the West Bank, and trouble just got closer to home.

The only way to deal with evil is to wipe it out. This is a very simple concept. Israel understands this. Their survival depends on it. Biblically speaking, the forces opposing Israel are the enemy. Pure and simple. Secularly, the forces opposing Israel are supporting terrorism, and advocating the establishment of sharia worldwide. That makes them evil, no matter what one's religious views on the subject.

So all that remains is to stay out of Israel's way, and they'll deal with the terrorism problem. They'll deal with it in the only way that will work. Break the backs of the terrorists and those who sponsor them.

Range Report

I finally made the trip out to the local range today. It was simply too hot, and shooting large caliber weapons in air conditioning seemed to beat the idea of golf. Well, it took a coin flip to decide the issue, actually. Much fun was experienced. And I still went and hit balls, so I guess I received the best of both worlds.

Since 9mm is so darn cheap to shoot, the elected firearm was a Sig 229r. I tend to do well with the compacts and sub-compacts. I can get them on target quicker, and they seem to fit my hands pretty well. I've always liked the design of the 229, but never really liked the 40 caliber version, which has been the most prevalent. The .357 Sig is an even worse round in my opinion, but it's always a personal choice of the shooter. 9mm works for me nicely, and I like the platform.

I sent about 200 rounds down range. No failures to feed whatsoever. The gun went bang every time the trigger was pulled. And the sucker shot quite well. Nothing out of the 10 ring at 7 yards. Nothing out of the 8 ring at 15 yards. In terms of the silhouette, every shot would have done the job. So that's not too shabby.

I am noticing a problem. The longer I shot, the more I seemed to pull to the left. I shoot from a modified Weaver stance, with the right foot back in sort of an l-stance. A reader on yesterday's post indicated that trigger squeeze is the problem. I think they're right. It wasn't a bad pull, but enough to annoy me. The first 25 rounds were pretty much dead on target. The rest started to drift 1/2 inch left, every shot. That's not a bad pull, but as I moved the target farther out, the problem magnified (of course). Otherwise, the groupings were tight, and pretty much where they were supposed to go height-wise. One problem is a lack of practice, which is my own fault. Another problem might also have something to do with the fact that I've been dry-firing a single-action in practice, and shot a double-action with a longer trigger pull in live fire. I think more fundamental practice is needed, one way or the other. Trigger squeeze will be practiced this week. And I simply need to shoot more.

The range is one of the nicer ones that I have been in. It was clean, well-lit, and had very nice shooting bays. It's always more pleasant to shoot somewhere clean and well-maintained. I'll certainly return.

As I was settling my bill on the way out, there were a group of obviously foreign gentlemen waiting to get on the range. I caught a glimpse of their drivers' licenses, and all were Jamaican nationals. The movie MARKED FOR DEATH leapt to mind. None of them had any apparent exposure to guns, whatsoever. The range attendant was renting them a Glock 17 to play with, and they were pretty much clueless as to its operation. More scary was the fact they didn't seem to know basic gun safety. I was muzzle-swept by one of the nimrods while he was playing with the pistol, and it hacked me off.

The attendant had recommended the Glock to them, probably for ease of operation. I just don't think the Glock is the safest option for somebody who has never shot before, but that is debatable. I can see the pros and cons. Pros might be the simplicity of operation. Cons might be the simplicity of operation. These guys really needed intensive supervision and education. Otherwise, their cool runnings might end in tragedy. At any rate, I was glad that I was finished for the day. I didn't want to be on the same range with these guys. I hope the attendant was able to work with them. They needed it. I was glad to see some new shooters getting into the sport, but I hope they are taught a few safety rules.

I definitely need to shoot a bit more, both for the practice and the pure fun of it. I had almost forgotten what fun it is. Sad, isn't it???

The .45 Live

This may not go over particularly well with fans of the .45. What the heck. I'll speak the truth as observed.

I had occasion to shoot a skunk recently. The four-legged variety. The drought in this part of the world has brought out lots of skunks for some reason. Rabies is always a concern, and we've made it a point to kill any that stray too close to the house.

Anyway, I happened on one with my brother-in-law. Hilarity ensued. To make the story short, I ended up shooting the skunk with a Kimber Ultra Carry. Not wanting to waste a good hydra-shok on a skunk, I took out the hollowpoint clip and stuck in a magazine consisting of 230 grain Federal hardball. The distance varied between 10-15 yards, depending on who was chasing who during the little engagement. It's a long story. At any rate, I connected, and the skunk folded up. The hit was pretty much in the center of the body, from what I could tell.

Well, that's the end of that, I thought. I wanted to get out of the area, since the skunk had pretty much nuked the entire site, and my eyes were watering. Then, my wife pointed out the skunk was up and running again. Two more .45's put the animal down once and for all. I felt bad for having to let the little guy suffer, even for a minute or two.

This shook my faith in the mighty .45. The 1 shot, man-stopping round that we all know and love. Apparently, it wasn't a one shot skunk-stopper.

In hindsight, this incident illustrates a couple of points. The first is that a pistol is inferior to a rifle. This would have never happened had I shot him with even a .22 rifle. Certainly one of the 7.62's, or any other rifle cartridge big enough to shoot a deer with would have worked better. At least I wouldn't have been exposed to the bio-warfare the little sucker put out, and I could have put him down a bit more cleanly.

The second is: shot placement helps. Had I shot the thing in the head, we wouldn't have had a problem. I assume the first body shot just sailed on through without hitting anything solid. The target obviously was hit, but wasn't put down. It's just awfully hard to place a pistol shot into that precise an area on a small, moving target. I was lucky to hit the body shots. I need more practice. I have shot a wild hog with the .45, and had no problem putting down the target. I think it was easier to hit vitals in that case, since we're dealing with a much bigger animal.

Third: ammunition choice was a big factor here. I made the mistake of switching from a good hollowpoint to full metal jacket, just because I didn't want to waste expensive ammo. If I've made the decision to shoot something live, I had better do what I can to put the target down as quickly as possible. I think a hollowpoint would have worked much better. It theoretically should have transferred more energy to the target, thus putting it down more humanely. I think a hollowpoint 9mm would have worked every bit as well.

Fourth: I need better sights. Black sights on a black target aren't the easiest to pick up. I did paint the front sight white, but it still wasn't as clear and quick to pick up as I would have hoped. Meprolights would have been awfully nice. Even three-dots would have been better. Anything that helps get on target quickly would have helped out. Had this been at night, it would have been even tougher to hit.

Fifth: I'm never going to shoot a skunk with a pistol again. I never got directly sprayed, but the smell was simply horrible. My clothes smelled like skunk for two days, and my shoes really absorbed the odor. I thought I was going to have to throw them away. Again, I never even got hit by the little bio-weapons factory. They definitely have a blast radius.

At any rate, I guess I learned a few important lessons from this experience.

Empty Promises

Though the Senate voted to build a fence on the border, they've now voted not to fund the fence.

In other words, they did nothing. They are allowing more border patrol agents and detention beds. But if the fence was built, they wouldn't NEED more detention centers, and could probably do with less border patrol agents.

Run every one of the bums out of office. I'm dashing off a little missive to my senators as we speak.

Traitors.

Ridiculous

The Feds want everyone to be tested for AIDS? Are they nuts?

If the Feds want to test everyone for it, I'm thinking that's a huge invasion of my privacy.

We've eaten bs from the media for years about how AIDS isn't just a homosexual disease. That's true, but its spread through the hetero community is pretty limited. It hasn't been the rampant epidemic to straight, monogamous, non-druggie people that we've been told was coming. Unless you share dirty drug needles, are bisexual, gay, are Magic Johnson, or are unfortunate enough to get a bad blood transfusion, you probably ain't going to get it. The blood transfusion risk factor is almost nil nowadays. So what does that leave? High-risk people get it. That's pretty much it.

This is just some ham-handed attempt to get more money into solving a disease that strikes a certain lifestyle. It's real easy not to get AIDS, for the most part. Don't be gay, don't shoot up drugs, don't sleep around, and you're pretty darn safe. The transmissions to clean, straight people can be directly traced back to the aforementioned homosexuals, drug users, etc. who get bad blood into the system somehow, or have babies after they've contracted the disease.

So now we're going to scare the rest of the population with mandatory testing. Punish everyone else because the deviant lifestyle brought out a plague. Thanks.

Has It Come To This??

I never liked clowns, anyway.

This is something out of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. I'd almost be too freaked out to shoot if I were attacked by a clown.

Tax Cuts Work

Here's Bill O'Reilly's report on tax cuts in last nights Talking Points on The O'Reilly Factor. I'll post below as well:

"Talking Points Memo
The truth about the rich
"How many times have you hear the left wail about tax cuts for the rich? Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the bank. Those 'tax cuts for the rich' have helped all Americans, especially the poor. Tax revenues are climbing twice as fast as predicted and the deficit is being sharply cut. That's because the so-called rich are making money in stocks and other investments, and the government is taxing that money at a moderate rate. Want more proof? President Clinton was a 'tax-the-rich' guy." In the middle of his two terms, 1995, the government took in $1.5 trillion in tax receipts. Ten years later the feds took in $2.1 trillion, 40% more. Socialist New York Times columnist Paul Krugman must be rolling over in his Princeton classroom, but lower taxes help the economy and give the feds more tax money. But this is not really about lower taxes - it's about the government taking from affluent Americans and giving to those less well off. That's what Krugman and his merry band really want. They think unfettered capitalism is bad, income redistribution is good. So please - no more 'tax cuts for the rich' nonsense. With the Bush administration spending like crazy, high gas prices, and an expensive war on terror, the USA should be in a deep recession. The main reason the country is not is because Americans continue to spend and invest. Lower taxes mean more prosperity for everyone, no spin."

The Terrorist-Friendly Skies....

I'm not flying out of Hobby in Houston. Ever. If this is what passes for airport security there.

Read this. Scream and cringe.

Via Michelle Malkin, security goddess.

Of course, hollowed-out shoes, a Koran, and batteries don't necessarily mean he was planning to blow the plane up. Or making a dry run to see if it could be done. I'm sure there are LOTS of innocent explanations for this....

Brilliant

Parkland Hospital is going to bill Mexico for Parkland's unreimbursed costs of illegal aliens' health care.

Bravo, I say!

Let's sue them for wrongful death on every illegal that kills somebody over here. For every car wreck an illegal alien causes. For every petty theft committed by a mojado. For every one of them on a WIC card, medicaid, medicare, etc.

Time to fight dirty, send in the lawyers.

Sarah Brady's Going To Want To Ban These As Well

Guns don't kill people. Crazy fools with power tools kill people.

One lone person with a legally concealed weapon might have stopped this.

I wonder if the UN conference will add an addendum regarding power tools.

Nah.

Wee, Wee, Wee, All The Way Home.......

You have to have a fairly weird sense of humor to like this photo.

Boy, did I like it.

Give Violence A Chance...

This cracks me up. A peace activist punched a guy into a coma.

Oh, the irony.

Negotiate. Try and understand their feelings. Empathize. Sympathize. But ultimately, the only way to win is to beat the @#*! out of them....

This Is One Way To Get Rid Of Them...

And it's self inflicted, that's the beauty of it all....

So let me get this straight. The liberals hate the war. They hate Bush. They hate him so much they are going to starve themselves. If the war continues, they won't eat. If they don't eat, they die. Therefore, they won't bother us any more.

This is great! We don't even have to lift a finger! Just wait about three weeks, and they'll croak on their own!

I just cannot fathom this mindset. Do they think the government cares so much about Sean Penn that they'll bring all the troops home to keep Sean from starving to death? Talk about egocentric.

Let's see: watch Sean Penn starve to death, or continue the war on terror, thereby keeping America safe. There might be a 2 for 1 benefit here, actually....

They should have started this protest years ago. The sad thing is, when they finally cave in and start scarfing Big Macs again, they'll probably sell this idiocy as the newest miracle diet.

The new Hunger Strike Protest Miracle Diet. Guaranteed results in 4 weeks.
First week caloric intake: 0.
Second week: whatever small household pests you find.
Third week: rock soup and pine floats.
Fourth week: whatever you can suck out of the carpet.
Fifth week: Go hit the buffet at Cici's; you've lost about 80% of your body weight and Laura Flynn Boyle is making fun of you.

Hamadan...Why The Supremes Got It Wrong (Or Five Of Them, At Least)

Powerline illustrates what Abe Lincoln did during the Civil War to manage to hold the Union together.

Different times, you say? Still, it looks like the Supremes managed yet again to ignore stare decisis.

Reasonablenut thinks every Muslim in the U.S. can now cloak himself in the Geneva Convention. He postulated that if we shoot one with a hollowpoint bullet in the middle of a home or business break-in, would we now have violated international law? Can we be dragged in front of the Hague for war crimes? We have a pretty good case by the Supremes now that could be used to extend it that far.

I think the UN would see it that way.

Combatants that don't wear a uniform, don't play by the rules of Geneva or any other war treaty, and WE have to play nice and give them due process? They aren't US citizens. Why do we have to give them the protections of our Constitution?

Maybe John Paul Stevens will think differently if his family is in the next building bombed by terrorists on US soil.

Global Warming Lies and Lunacy Part II

Read this. There just isn't a consensus that global warming actually exists.

Shrub-cuddlers take heed.

Once again, Michael Crichton's STATE OF FEAR gives a really good in-depth analysis of the scientific papers published on the subject, with cites that one can follow up on.

That's the inconvenient truth. Deal with it, bunny-huggers.

Close the Border....NOW!

This is disturbing, because it happened in my territory.

A woman was stalked and abducted by illegals, raped and stabbed. It's a wonder she's alive.

I would like for Kennedy, Bush, McCain, and these other open-boreder weenies to look her in the eyes and say exactly why this had to happen to her. Explain it. Whatever reason there is, it's just not good enough. It never was, and it will never be.

My wife doesn't understand why I want her packing heat. I think this article is enough justification.

I blame the government for this one. This should be laid directly at the feet of every open-borders puke that breathes our air.

What happened to this woman is their fault. And our complacency in allowing our government to keep the borders open makes it partially our fault as well. This has to stop.