This…

LOL…

It wasn’t until 2004 that I finally traded in the 77-year-old Argentine Colt for my first “modern” pistol, a Springfield Armory XD in 9mm.  The last decade with the “euro-pellet” (as some have called it) has been an informative one, and unless something radically changes in the decades ahead, I suspect I’ll be shooting and carrying 9mm pistols for many years to come, despite the “advantages” of other pistols.

Here’s why.

via Why Mine Is A Nine – Bearing Arms.

It is a great article and I agree with a lot of what he says, specially on this:

Once upon a time, I was sold upon the “bigger is better” theory of handgun bullets. I even—for a very short time—bought the line of gun store commandos and Internet warriors of “one-shot stoppers,” the claimed vast superiority of one caliber over another, etc.  But the reality of that argument was and is complete and utter crap.

It always has been. In the real world, where physics, psychology, and biology matter, “handgun stopping power” has always been a myth.

He goes on to explain the one-shot stops and I want to add something else.  The “easiest” way to stop somebody (without a direct shot to the brain) is to restrict or eliminate the flow of oxygenated blood to the bran. That is accomplished by stopping the heart (cessation of flow) or making him bleed a lot (reduction of flow) being the last one the most common outcome in a shooting. Obviously the more effective holes, the better and the 9 mm will accomplish that.  And remember that any pistol caliber will be  inefficient so even in the mythological .45 ACP, you will need several shots to accomplish so having plenty of BB’s will always beat “size.”

Since MHI came to exist, I think the longest running discussion has been who would be the right actor/actress for a particular character.  I decided to the casting with actors and actresses of old.

OK, I can’t find a good match for Owen.  I tried but I give up for now and wait for my memory to re-start. In the meantime:

Recommendation for Owen which I like: Max Baer Jr.

I AM AN IDIOT! Of course we have an Owen!
Anthony Quinn

Natalie Wood as Julie

Alternate: Dianna Riggs

Jimmy Cagney as Earl

Frank Gorshin as Ray Shackelford

Jack Lemmon as Milo

Robert Mitchum as Agent Franks.

Ossie Davis as Trip

Tony Curtis as Grant

An Margret as Holly

Vincent Price as Old Man Shackleford (at least one classic Monster Movie actor, right?)

Henry Silva as Lord Machado

Woody Strode as Lococo

If you have recommendations of your own for Owen and other character, let me know in comments.

Brandon Watson said he was protecting his family when his wife heard noises in the back yard on January 3, 2013: “She said, ‘oh my gosh, someone is in the backyard.’” The noises got closer and then she heard the clicking of the backdoor handle.”

In a neighborhood where weapons are everywhere, Brandon Watson didn’t hesitate to grab his own legally purchased gun. It was a decision with lingering repercussions.

…

“I announced myself, ‘Who is that? Who is that? I have a gun.’ And as soon as I said that, two red laser beams were on my chest,” Watson said. “so I looked at the red laser beams on my chest, and I fired a warning shot.”

….

“They said, ‘we just got news you shot at an officer.’ I said, ‘An officer? Nobody came to my door. What do you mean an officer? I didn’t know there were any officers in my backyard,’” he told WAVY.com.

via Man charged for shooting when cops went to wrong house | WAVY-TV.

Mr. Watson was charged, tried for misdemeanor reckless handling of a fire arm, convicted, he appealed, a mistrial was declared and went  to a jury trial where in 47 minutes of deliberation he was found not guilty.

This case is different from the usual “got the wrong house because the snitch gave any address to please a cop who in turn did not bother to check the accuracy of the info.” It was a hot call, under stress and I believe the mistake was an honest one.

But what chafes me is the after-action CYA of charging somebody just because they are afraid of a lawsuit, which is the only reason Mr. Watson had to go through this ordeal.  I believe that a simple explanation and apology would have had much better results Public relations-wise but instead the Portsmouth PD ended up wasting taxpayers’ money and harassing an innocent man making him waste his money.

At least it is good to see that the community is no longer accepting that behavior and siding with people being railroaded in the name of maintaining the appearance of a strong and just police department.

But I am impressed with the Boeing 787-9, specially the take off.

And all of the sudden I have this fear of being in the plane and the captain over the speakers saying “Hold my beer and watch this.”

VPC once again tries to pull bring back of the Gun Control’s favorite zombies. But the reality is that unless you are toting a very old revolver (or some cheap no longer in production semi auto), your sidearm will be safe enough that it may fall and not go off. Barring quality control issues, a right-out-off-the-box pistol is one of the safest tools in production.

The issue is mostly with the so-called accidental discharges one gets to read in newspapers where a dumbass tells cops “It just went off” rather than admit they were finger-frolicking the trigger of a loaded gun.  And also we have people who have actually dropped a gun and instead of letting it fall all the way to the ground, instinctively reach and grab it with a finger ending up pulling the trigger.

There is one more option and that is a gun owner who fancies himself the greatest gunsmith on earth and starts to modify a gun without really knowing what he is doing or without regard for proper safety.  a One Pound trigger pull might be cool in your imaginary neck of the Tactical Woods, but you are just asking for a bullet to take an unscheduled trip at the worst possible moment.

And of course there is that one place where all these myths come to happen: Hollywood.

PS:Pump shotguns by the nature of having a floating firing pin may go off if the shotgun falls on the stock or the stock gets a kick upwards.  Always store a shotgun with the chamber empty.

It was a Colt Woodsman made in November of 1934. My Grandfather probably bought it shortly thereafter. I know he bought it new. It was his field gun. If he went walking in the woods, it was on his hip. The right side grip panel is worn down from the brush, the bluing is worn away in places. The holster, too, shows it’s age.

My mother remembers it as the first gun she ever shot. It was always around, I shot it as a boy. When my grandfather died, it went to my uncle along with all the other guns. Years later, it was given to my mother. She gave it to me at Christmas about ten years ago.

I found the instructions, ordered new springs, and completely disassembled it, cleaning the internals and replacing all the springs. I suspect it had never been done.

I shoot it. I let my friends shoot it. When I have a new shooter to take to the range, it always goes. And it carries the memories of three generations with it.

via Borepatch: My Grandpa’s Gun.

Few items make you connect with the past like a family gun. Maybe it is because it was an object that was handled by your ancestors and in certain way it “connects you” with them. It is tangible history at a very personal level in a world that likes to forget the past.