Mar 2009
Monday meanderings.
Sitrep: gunshow vendors tell me that any autoloading rifle is like gold these days (while they can't give away bolt-action hunting rifles.) Concealed handgun licensing is at an all-time high here in Oregon (and a large percentage of applicants are from what is often referred to as the "left" of the political spectrum.) Ammunition shortages continue, as well as components such as bullets and primers.
If I didn't know better, I'd say a lot of people have joined the ranks of "clingers."
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Someone recently asked if I still had the same opinion of Taurus revolvers that I did back in 2006. Given my recent experience with the brand-new 856 model, I'd have to say yes. Nothing at Taurus has changed, as near as I can tell.
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Late last year, the ProArms Podcast broke the news that Federal was bringing back .38 Special NyClad ammunition. This load was for many years the best standard-pressure .38 Special available. The NyClad is a soft lead hollowpoint of 125 grains, coated in a nylon compound to prevent barrel leading. It is just the ticket for the recoil sensitive, and especially for the new crop of uber-light "J" frame revolvers.
My sources tell me that Federal planned to do an initial run of the NyClad in March, so it should be available soon (if it isn't already.) Unless your local dealer is particularly astute, he probably won't be carrying it - you'll probably have to special order some.
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I wish I had time to write a political/economic blog - between Washington and Wall Street, there is a huge amount of material coming down the pipes daily. (The passing reference to waste plumbing is intentional.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
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FRIDAY SURPRISE: Hubbleing.
I've written about the Hubble space telescope here and here, but I just could resist sharing this gallery of extraordinary Hubble images.
Take this one, for instance:
A nebula in the form of a hollow tube. What does it look like from inside? Sadly, we'll probably never know. In the meantime, Hubble can show us the outside, and generate wonder at what the rest of the universe holds. Not bad for a day's work, eh?
-=[ Grant ]=-
Now that's just wrong.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Filed in:
General gun
stuff
Back in the '70s, there was a short-lived craze for "pimping out" VW Beetles. Several companies made fiberglass body kits that would transform a humble Bug into something else (sort of.) One of the most popular was the Rolls Royce kit - consisting of a new hood/grill that resembled a Phantom V or Silver Cloud, complete with new fenders and headlights to finish the "look."
The trouble was that, after spending all that money, it was still a VeeWee, only now resembling Bob Hope in drag. The sad part? The Beetle stood on its own wheels design-wise, an icon and milestone in automotive development; it didn't need the fru-fru, and looked silly with it installed.
This came to mind as The Firearm Blog brought us an engraved, gold inlaid Glock:
Now, I like engraved and embellished personal arms, regardless of whether the item in question is a revolver or an autoloader. It has to be appropriate, though. A Colt Single Action Army? Appropriate. A plastic-framed self-shucker? Not so much.
I hereby nominate this Glock for Xavier's "Ugly Gun Sunday".
-=[ Grant ]=-
Bwaahaahaahaahaa!
Monday, March 23, 2009 Filed in:
Completely
irrelevant, My Life
As I mentioned last week, a family medical issue kept me traveling back and forth to the hospital. I spent several evenings sitting in an uncomfortable chair in a cramped hospital room, which is most assuredly not my idea of a good time.
On one of those visits I decided to get something to eat, and so made my way to the hospital's cafeteria. I got my French Dip sandwich (which wasn't bad, especially considering where I was) and sat down at a table, adjacent to which was another fellow eating the same sandwich.
He glanced at my tray and mentioned the food coincidence, and we struck up a conversation. He was wearing a nylon windbreaker with a logo on it, one which I didn't recognize, so I asked him about it.
Turns out that it was for a multi-level marketing company that hawks one of those "miracle" automotive lubricants. He started telling me about how his product "bonds to metal at the molecular level", and Tam's recent comment on this article popped into my head. I just couldn't resist...
Me: So, it bonds to the metal? It doesn't wear off?
Him: Right!
Me: And it bonds to both the piston and the cylinder wall, right?
Him: You got it!
Me: So, if it bonds to both, what keeps it from acting like SuperGlue and seizing the engine?
Him: [crickets chirping] Uh, no, it...uh....alters the magnetic properties of the metal molecules. It's not like glue.
Me: So it magnetizes my engine? Won't that destroy the engine's electronics? Ho do you magnetize aluminum, anyhow?
Him: [awkward pause] Well, I gotta get back to my wife's room. Nice to meet you!
Me: [Yelling as he runs for the elevator] Hey, do you have a business card? I'd like to talk some more about your products!
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Color me amazed.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and the Office of War Information (OWI) shot tens of thousands of photographs. The vast majority - and the images we most associate with their work - were in black and white:
However, there were a number of assignments which were shot in color. That number was far smaller, likely because of budget constraints, but produced some stunning images:
This article from Photo District News shows some of the portraiture from the collection. You can view the whole collection at the Library of Congress site for FSA/OWI color images. (If you click on the Subject Index, you can browse by categories.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
Quick update.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Filed in:
Blog stuff, Other resources
I must apologize for missing the Monday posting; I've been preoccupied this week with the medical emergency of an immediate family member. Things are starting to stabilize, with promising results, so (with any luck) I'll get back to my normal schedule by the end of the week.
(In case you missed it, Tam put up another Sunday Smith this week.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Our State Fair WAS a great State Fair!
The Friday Surprise, for anyone who's been paying attention, is often devoted to my love of the old and abandoned. (My arch nemesis, TomW, will no doubt be along soon to point out that revolvers fit into those categories. Thought I'd beat you to the punch, Tommy!)
Where was I? Oh, right...anyhow, many times I'll drive along a little-used road out on the middle of nowhere (Oregon has a lot of that) and see an abandoned homestead. They always get me to wondering: why did people walk away from that home? Why didn't someone else take it over? Was it a lack of something, or an overabundance of something else? Of course I never find the answers, but the questions come back with the next deserted abode.
With that in mind, It's not surprising that I found this article, Wrong Side Of The Tracks, more than a little interesting. It's an informed look at how neighborhoods become extinct, about how a single house may not always be the whole story, and how this kind of occurrence isn't confined to the hinterlands. A great read.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Wednesday wanderings.
Lots of linking to avoid thinking on my own!
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Xavier recently posted a letter from - and his response to - one of his readers. The exchange (and the comments that follow) bring up important issues in the area of Second Amendment activism. It isn't always black-and-white.
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When you've finished reading Xavier, pop over to Breda's place and read this related article she posted about a month ago. (I realize it's a bit late, and I'd meant to bring it up earlier, but just kept forgetting.)
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Rob Pincus is one of the more thoughtful trainers working today. He's got a great post up on the Breach-Bang-Clear blog about putting techniques on pedestals. Highly recommended read.
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Speaking of Rob, I discovered that he has a blog of his own. Good stuff.
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Not just techniques get put on pedestals; equipment does too. There are the 1911 people, the Glock folks, the "any caliber as long as it begins with '4' " crowd, and so on. I suppose one could accuse me of doing the same thing with wheelguns (retro pedestal?), but I'm on record as saying - more than once - that the revolver isn't the perfect tool for everyone and every purpose.
For example, a number of years ago I was engaged in an activity of some risk. For that, I forsook my beloved revolver for a Glock and all the high capacity magazines I could fit under a suit coat. I believe in picking the right tool for the job; it just so happens that, for some jobs, the revolver is at least one of the right tools.
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Rejoice! Tam has finally posted a new article over at The Arms Room. (I was beginning to think she'd given up writing about guns...)
-=[ Grant ]=-
Coffee and miracle lubricants.
Monday, March 09, 2009 Filed in:
General gun
stuff
Coffee is one of those vices in which I do not indulge. Not from any religious objection, mind you - it's just that I can't stand the taste of the stuff. I admit to loving the smell of brewing java, but coffee is one of those things that smells a whole lot better than it tastes!
Stay with me, I'll get to the point.
A number of years ago I knew a district sales manager for one of the major coffee companies. (Coincidentally, his first name was also Grant. Obviously a man of superior intellect, charm, and modesty.) Grant told me that the coffee brand with the largest market share at that time was Folgers, due largely to their "mountain grown" ad campaign.
He commented that the campaign was so much hot air, as all coffee was grown in the mountains - but people had been conditioned to believe that since a) the mountain environment was desirable, and b) only Folgers was grown in the mountains, therefore c) Folgers was the only coffee to buy.
Yes, the mountain environment was desirable, because without it there would essentially be no coffee, but no - Folgers wasn't the only coffee which was grown there!
His story came back to me this week when I received yet another email from what was obviously a salesman for one of those multilevel marketing (MLM) "miracle lubricant" scams. One of the consistent claims by all such snake oil concerns is that their product "bonds with the metal at the molecular level", that it is a very desirable thing to do, and only their product does so.
Think "coffee."
Reality time: all oils bond with metal at a molecular level, because that's what oils do. Were there no molecular attraction between oil and metal, the oil would simply slide off of the surface to which it was applied. Not drip off, not ooze off, not pour off - slide off with absolutely no trace of itself left behind. No film or residue, not a single atom of the oil would remain. Absolutely nothing.
Of course, that doesn't happen. Apply any oil to a piece of metal, then turn the metal upside down; the excess oil may drip off, but a layer of slippery liquid is always left stuck to the surface. That is molecular attraction - bonding, if you will - at work.
Those who wear glasses know how difficult it can be to completely rid lenses of even a drop of oil; there always seems to be some that stubbornly refuses efforts at removal. This is because there is a molecular bond between the oil and the material from which the lens is made, and the same thing happens when oil is applied to metal.
Molecular attraction is why the water in your coffee is in liquid form, rather than the elemental hydrogen and oxygen from which it is made. It makes metal alloys possible, and is why lubricants - all of them - work. The companies which claim their product "bonds with the metal at the molecular level" are simply saying that their oil does the same thing that all other oils do.
Admitting that fact wouldn't sell much oil (or coffee), would it?
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Generating some interest.
The combination of abandoned structures and obsolete technology is, to me, irresistible. Radio facilities, underground communications bunkers, and fortifications of all kinds fascinate me to no end.
As you might imagine, abandoned power stations would be near the top of my "can't get enough of that" list, and Dark Roasted Blend brings us a bunch.
One of them is here in Oregon - I know where the building is, but wasn't aware is was a power plant. I'm glad someone was:
-=[ Grant ]=-
Facing your demons.
I used to love shooting steel. The plates dropping, the loud "clang" from a Steel Challenge target - no matter what the venue, reactive metal targets are just addicting. This addiction, I discovered, can be broken - even if you don't want to!
A number of years back I was shooting a Steel Challenge-type match. On one stage I was watching someone else shoot when a piece of bullet jacket bounced back from the steel plate, sneaked around my safety glasses, and caught the corner of my eye. (Mine was not the only injury that day - my buddy Hunter Dan suffered a leg cut from shrapnel, and another fellow caught a piece on his cheek.)
My physical damage was minor - lots of blood, though no permanent damage - but the psychological impact was greater than I could have imagined. You see, I'm somewhat paranoid about my eyesight to begin with; always have been. I don't like the thought of anything heading straight for my eyeball, let alone touching it. (In the old days, when glaucoma exams meant a little pressure gauge touching the cornea, having my eyes checked was absolute agony.)
This close call with the jagged piece of copper left me more than a little skittish around steel targets. Ever since then, regardless of size or distance of the target, shooting a steel plate causes me to blink just as the sear releases. (The problem never occurs on paper targets, only steel.) I can't help it, and I shouldn't have to point out that it makes hitting the target more than a little challenging!
Early last year I resolved to cure this affliction. I'm lucky to have a range on my own property, and last year I acquired a self-resetting, half sized Pepper Popper. Whenever I go out to shoot, I make it a point to do so on that target first. I shoot it repeatedly, and with every shot I consciously force my eyes to remain open.
The first few times I tried this were pathetic; no matter how hard I concentrated, my eyelids always won by doing what they're designed to do - protect my eyes. As time went on, and the round count increased, it became easier to keep them open, though I still have to do it consciously as opposed to subconsciously. (The latter will only occur when my mind has been retrained to accept the idea that shooting a steel target is perfectly safe, and that nothing will happen to my precious eyesight. I'm still working on it.)
I could have just ignored the whole issue and simply avoided shooting steel targets, but a) it's not practical - they show up in the most unexpected places, and b) it's not very much fun. Instead I decided to address the issue, and I'm hoping to be in shape to finally shoot a steel match again this summer.
Whether sports, music, or martial arts, if all you ever do is practice stuff that you've already mastered you'll never make progress. When you go to the range, work on those things that you don't do well. By facing your demons with your eyes open and brain engaged, you can eventually conquer them.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Monday meanderings.
Monday, March 02, 2009 Filed in:
Blog stuff, Revolvers, Political
Action, Technology, General gun
stuff, Rifles
I'm gratified - and somewhat surprised - at the tremendous response to last week's post "Risk assessment, or lack thereof." One of the difficulties I've found with this whole blog adventure is predicting what will resonate with my readers. In some cases I've been deliberatively provocative in order to get people to think outside of their comfort zone, while in others I've tried to deliver solid technical information not readily available in the swamp that is the internet.
On occasion (as with the article under consideration) I worry about whether I'm talking over my audience, that the subject might be a bit too abstract. I'm happy to find that my readers are significantly more discerning than average.
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One complaint about the Bianchi SpeedStrips is that they're not available in calibers other than .38/.357. I'm surprised that, until tipped off by a reader, I didn't know about Quick Strips from Tuff Products. They appear to be a clone of the Bianchi product, but are available in a wide range of calibers. Check 'em out.
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You may have heard that the U.S. Attorney General called (not surprisingly) for reinstating the infamous Assault Weapons Ban. What was surprising was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's adamant refusal to consider such legislation. Mr. Obama's administration may find their road tougher sledding than they'd originally anticipated. All the better for us!
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A while back I wrote about the iPhone/iTouch ballistics application iSnipe. While it worked well, it was pretty basic; as I explained to the author, it needed some features added to enhance utility for the serious long-range shooter.
It didn't take long for competition to appear: Ballistic FTE has everything I ever wanted, and then some. It is superb in every respect; you must see the target recording function! It even has a calculator to help with rangefinding (mil-dot) reticle use. Ballistic FTE is a bargain at $9.99.
-=[ Grant ]=-