What is it?

Drag your cursor to highlight the hidden text below if you can't figure it out.

This is a .38 Special cartridge filled with lead shot, also known as a "snake load." It's used for shooting snakes (preferably just the venomous kind), which can be devilishly difficult to hit with a regular bullet.

Nothing says "Merry Christmas"...

...quite like a blood tracking flashlight.

OK, I suppose that for a hunter, this is probably a legitimately interesting device. But, if you gave it as a gift, wouldn't you worry that you were implying that the recipient might not be the best shot in the world?

Glockworks

The functioning of a modern semi-automatic pistol is a thing of marvelous mechanical complexity. Pulling the trigger initiates a series of Rube Goldbergesque steps that, at a minimum, cause the firing pin to impact the cartridge, firing the bullet, and channeling the subsequent recoil energy into ejecting the spent cartridge, loading the next one from the magazine, and positioning the trigger and hammer to do it all over again – and all in an eyeblink.

Each gun manufacturer accomplishes these basic steps in slightly different ways, but few if any do it better than Glock. However, unless you are the Man of Steel, or have a really powerful laser guided cutting tool and steady hand, you'll never be able to actually watch the process in action. Well, until now, that is...

Hat tip to the weekly US Concealed Carry newsletter, which in turn was made known to me by my pal Mutt.

Weekend Wrapup

We made a quick trip to Fort Stockton this weekend for my brother's birthday, and we seemed to pack a lot into a relatively short period of time.

On Saturday morning, MLB and I rode the longbike down the I-10 service road west of town, out to the Firestone Test Track and back, which is about a 23 mile round trip. We invariably see interesting things on this route, and this day was no exception, as we spotted some dots on either side of the road close to the overpass marking the highway that leads to Alpine in one direction and Coyonosa in the other.

As we drew closer, I determined that the dots were a group of five javelinas foraging on both sides of the service road. My wife pulled out her little Canon digicam and I tried to steer and pedal us as unobtrusively as possible in their midst, recognizing the risks to doing so. After, these animals have been known to overturn pickup trucks to dispose of the occupants, and their razor sharps tusks will peel sheet metal like a paring knife on an apple. OK, just kidding. Javelinas pose little to no threat at all, unless you happen to startle them in high brush or get between a momma and her piglet or come across a big male with a bad attitude or...well, anyway, we were in no danger. They do look mean, though:

As soon as they spotted us, they headed under the fence and disappeared into the adjoining pasture. We didn't see them on the return trip, but we did spot a red fox the size of a coyote running at full speed from the pasture on the north side of the interstate, across all four lanes of the highway, and into the pasture on the south side, without breaking stride but coming that close to a nasty encounter with an 18-wheeler. It was cool to see him from a distance, but at least one Fort Stockton resident has been bitten by a rapid (Ed. OK, he was fast, as well as being rabid!) fox this year already, and my brother shot another one a couple of weeks ago at their place. I'd just as soon keep them at a distance.

Later that afternoon, we gathered up the family arsenal and did some target shooting. We also took turns on my brother's new/old dirt bike, which he acquired for the princely sum of $300. It's a 250cc Yamaha of indeterminate vintage, cobbled together with mismatching parts, but by someone who knew what they were doing because it gets up and goes.

It had been a couple of decades since my wife had ridden a motorcycle, but, as they say, it's just like riding a bike...sort of.

Nothing but pride was harmed in the process, and she was having too much fun for even that to be an issue.

That evening, we witnessed another somewhat unusual occurrence, as a large flock of buzzards arrived to roost in the topmost part of a neighbor's pine tree. They've apparently been doing this each evening for a few days, having arrived from Mexico as a part of their seasonal migration. It's a bit rare to spot a whole group of buzzards nesting like this (and it's a bit eerie to be around them, because they're so quiet...unlike those ridiculous grackles).

Ranchers claim that you'll never see buzzards north of I-10 until after the last freeze of the spring (giving us yet another harbinger of warm weather to go along with scissortail flycatchers and leafy mesquites). We had a discussion this weekend about what the buzzards did before the interstate was built.

It was a good weekend, and a good reminder why we'd really prefer to live nowhere else than west Texas.

Oh, and if you're wondering what happens when a thousand dollar wheelgun meets up with a can of Big Red, here's a clue:

I'll be the first to admit that my scowl needs work.

Kel-Tec P-3AT .380: Hands-On Review

MLB had the day off so we headed to the range to try out a new Kel-Tec pistol. The awkwardly-named P-3AT is one of the smallest semi-autos chambered for .380 ammo in the world, and as you can see below, it is indeed a tiny gun. We thought our Springfield XD Sub-Compact was small, but it looks absolutely bulky next to the Kel-Tec:

Of course, that photo doesn't really provide a good context for absolute size. Here's another photo showing how the pistol fits into my wife's dainty hand:

Neither photo gives an indication of how thin the gun is -- .77", which is thinner than my RAZR cellphone with leather case.

The Kel-Tec is not an enjoyable gun to shoot. The recoil is not painfully strong, but due to the gun's small size and light weight, it doesn't feel comfortable in the hand. Also, the long throw of the double action trigger pull takes some getting used to -- well, a lot of getting used to, especially compared to the relatively silky single action of the Springfield. Nevertheless, the gun is accurate and ours proved to be reliable, with no misfeeds or ejection problems. (Most of the reviews I've read about the gun seem to group Kel-Tec owners into two categories: those whose guns work perfectly, and those whose guns operate so badly out of the box that they send them back to the manufacturer. Fortunately, we seem to fall into the first category.)

One interesting thing about the gun is that it's quite energetic when it comes to ejecting spent casings. Some of them landed a full 15 feet and more behind us! They also come out of the gun in a rather flat trajectory so if you're not careful to keep a firm wrist and grip on the gun when it fires, the casing could fly right into your forehead, something you'd probably want to avoid. We didn't experience that situation, but I had forewarned my wife about the possibility.

Of course, the intended purpose of this gun is not for casual and frequent target practice or plinking. The P-3AT is designed for easy concealment, for self-defense purposes. The owner needs to fire it just frequently enough to acquire confidence in how it operates and shoots, and that's it.

The gun is stupid simple; it has to be, to achieve its size. The only external control is the magazine ejector button (the mag holds 6 rounds). There's no external hammer, and no external safety (which is why the gun fires only in double-action mode). There's no slide lock-back, and the slide doesn't lock open after the last round is fired. I haven't disassembled the gun yet, but it looks pretty easy, if you can figure out how to pry out the slide pin without losing a fingernail.

Kel-Tec makes a version of this pistol in .32 caliber, and it's even a bit tinier, but I've never found anyone who advocates the smaller caliber for self-defense purposes. The gun comes in three finishes: blued, parkerized, and the hardened chrome you see here. In Midland, Between The Walls sells the hardened chrome version for $275; the other finishes are slightly less expensive. Their prices are significantly discounted over those shown on the Kel-Tec website, but call ahead as they get shipments only sporadically and tend to sell out quickly.

Technorati tag: Kel-Tec P-3AT

Christmas Report, Installment 1

I won't bore you with a whole slew of Christmas photos, even though our families are quite photogenic, as I'm sure you've surmised. But here are a couple of pictures from our time in Fort Stockton.

Caution: Fashionistas at Work

First, the weather on Christmas eve was pleasant enough to permit a bit of gunplay. Lest you think that we're completely uncivilized and uncouth, please note the origin of the paper bag we used to collect the used brass and empty ammo boxes...

PetSmart, Eat Your Heart Out

Second, I assume that you've seen that cute PetSmart commercial featuring the dachshund who loved his real toy. That one was staged. We got the real thing.

That's my mother holding one of her granddogs, Peanut, who was so proud of his Christmas present that we didn't think he would ever let go of it.

Our Christmas was quite pleasant -- lots of good food, cool gifts, happy families -- a time of exceeding joy and peace. Um, well, except for that plumbing thing...

What would Annie Oakley shoot?

Would she go for a 40 cal. S&W with slide, trigger and accents in a nice anodized lavender, equipped with a teal-colored tac-light and fitted with a tiger-skin grip inlay?

OK, the real reason for this post is to introduce a Photoshop plug-in filter called AKVIS Decorator. I'll be posting a full review of this software within the next few days, assuming the Firearm Fashion Police don't haul me off.

OK, fine. But what about shoulder-fired RPGs?

Members of the Midland Shooters Association received an email notice yesterday notifying them that certain types of ammo were not to be used on the rifle range due to the potential for damage to the targets. Here's an excerpt:

The memo went on to say (emphasis mine): "So, remember, don't shoot the steel targets with steel core ammo. And, maybe we should add -- don't shoot the steel targets with tungsten alloys, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium!"

I suppose that if they want to ban the use of depleted uranium ammo, that's their prerogative, but don't blame us for increased crime involving the use of tanks as getaway vehicles.

This gives a whole new sense of urgency to the slogan, "Don't Mess With Texas."

Remind me how this works again...

I just got a warning ticket from the Blogging Police...something about impersonating a blogger. So I guess I'd better get busy and post something, if for no other reason than Jimmy Patterson has a page to fill next Monday. (That's an inside joke -- such as it is -- for the locals.)

So, what's been going on lately? Oh, here's one I never saw coming: the pneumatic Pamela Anderson is splitsville with Kid Rock. If those two can't make it, I'm not sure there's hope for any of us.

On the other hand, there's Will Smith. Now, I've always been a fan of his acting (The Wild Wild West notwithstanding), and he strikes me as a pretty decent guy, to boot, but I'm ready to join a fan club after reading his interview in Reader's Digest (yeah...so what? Wanna make something of it?). Here's Will on marriage:

I guess I'll close with the obligatory Thanksgiving report, sort of. Here's a question: what do you get when you combine a digital camera with a motor drive, a tripod, a long lens, a 2gb SD card, and a bunch of handguns? Well, for one thing, this type of thing...

That last photo is MLB wreaking havoc with our new Springfield pistol. I love the way the photo includes the dirt kicking up behind the targets.

In closing, here's another obligatory photo, this one of turkeys:

These two gobblers were striding down the middle of Rio Street in Fort Stockton on Saturday morning, following Thanksgiving. We saw the whole flock (about 10 birds) during our morning run the day after Thanksgiving but didn't have a camera with us. Anyway, they were obviously breathing easy, having escaped the dining table for another year.

OK, does this get me back on track? Even if I had to resort to quoting Reader's Digest?

Springfield XD Sub-Compact: Initial Impressions

MLB had the day off and so we headed for the shooting range this afternoon to break in the new pistol.

The range was quite busy, and someone pulled into our customary spot at the benchrest bay, so we headed the other direction, to one of the open pistol ranges. We figured that was probably a better choice anyway, since it gave us more options for target distance and shooting positions.

I stapled a couple of targets onto the backing boards and walked through the pistol's operation and safety features again, as much for my benefit as for my wife's. Keep in mind that neither of us had ever been on our own with a semi-automatic pistol, and we wanted to err on the side of conservatism (which, to be honest, is the way we approach all of our dealings with guns anyway).

I went first, so she could see the recoil and hear the noise. That short-barreled .40 caliber pistol has plenty of both, compared to the Colt Python we normally shoot (well, unless we're firing .357 ammo). My first shots were pretty dismal, as I was unaccustomed to the trigger pull, the grip safety mechanism, and basically everything else about the gun. However, the few times that I managed to squeeze the trigger when the target came in proximity to the sights made it obvious that this is a gun that will shoot where you aim it.

My wife was up next and I have to tell you that should you ever decide to become a threat around her while she's holding that little Springfield, you should make sure your next of kin knows where the safety deposit key is stored. OK, that's a little gruesome, but the point is that she out-shot me from the first magazine, and was quite comfortable with the gun from the outset. Maybe I need to invest in LASIK surgery to compete with her. (Note: I took that terrible photo with my phone, and I'm fortunate I even got her in the frame. The sun was so bright that I couldn't see anything on the screen; I just pushed the button and hoped for the best.)

I showed her how to work the ammo-loading tool and she was quite adept at that, too. She loaded and used the 9-shot magazine, and I used the 11-shot case. It's amazing how easy some tasks become when you use the tool designed to do the job. ;-)

By the time we'd gone through a couple of boxes of ammo, we were both feeling much more comfortable with the gun, and our accuracy had improved considerably (especially mine, although I had more room for improvement). MLB is going to have to continue experimenting with the right position for her non-firing hand, as it kept getting clipped by the recoiling slide. And I still need to get used to gripping the gun so that the integrated safety is disengaged. Overall, though, we enjoyed the target practice, and it was with a sense of accomplishment that we adjourned from the range and rewarded ourselves with a visit to Starbucks for coffee (gingerbread latte for her) and a shortbread cookie. Who says the West is still completely Wild?

The Gun I've Never Owned (Until Now)

I had despaired of ever finding my preferred firearm locally, until Tuesday afternoon when I received a phone call.

"Hey, did you ever find one of those Springfield's you were looking for?"

"Nope. Nobody in town has one, and no one can tell me where to find one."

"Well, I'm at Between the Walls, and they've got a new one and a used one!"

To make a long story shorter, say hello to...well, you know:

It's a Springfield XD Sub-Compact, 3" barrel, .40 cal S&W. It's shown here with the 9 round magazine; it also has an 11 round magazine that extends the grip about an inch, making it fit larger hands more comfortably.

This is the first semi-auto I've ever owned; my handgun background is strictly revolvers. It took me a while to get comfortable with the cocking, slide locking, and disassembly processes, and to fully understand the safety features and safe handling requirements. I have yet to actually chamber a round, but I hope MLB and I can get to the range this weekend and shoot a couple of boxes of practice ammo.

That is, if I don't cripple myself first. Since I have very little experience loading ammo magazines, I started shoving rounds into the holders and quickly determined that I apparently wasn't man enough to completely fill them. I just about gave myself a hernia and still could get only 10 rounds into one magazine and 8 into the other. "What a weenie," I thought.

Later, as I was going over the items in the case the gun was packaged in, I noticed an oddly-shaped piece of plastic inset in the cushioning foam. I pulled it free and turned it over in my hands, trying to discern its function. You're ahead of me, aren't you? Sure enough, it turned out to be -- drumroll -- a magazine loader, designed specifically to allow one to top off the ammo holders without a self-inflicted stroke. And, frankly, even with the loader, getting that last round into each magazine was a chore, and I had to pat myself on the back, very gingerly of course, for getting as far as I did without mechanical assistance.

I'm looking forward to shooting the gun; I've heard a lot of good things about Springfields. I'll let you know if I'll be adding my voice to the choir.

The post title is a movie reference. You did catch it, didn't you? I thought so.

Shooting a Python

Things have slowed down a bit, for the first time this summer, so I took an hour off and headed for the Midland Shooters Association range to get some target practice.

I understand there are about 1,800 members of the MSA, and, apparently, 1,799 of them had other things to do, because I had the range to myself. I signed in and headed for Range A-1, which is the 25/50 yard bench rest target range for rifles and pistols. I hadn't shot in about six months -- maybe longer -- so I was looking for something easy. And, I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

The top target is a couple of cylinders worth of .38 Specials fired at the 25-yard range. The next one was shot at 50 yards. I'm especially pleased with the latter results, considering I can barely see 50 yards, much less hit anything. I guess I should mention that I was firing a Colt Python with a 6" barrel, single-action-style, bench-rest position. The Python is one sweet firing revolver; it's much more accurate than I can shoot it, if you know what I mean.

Update: Just for the record, the bottom grouping is 4 1/2" at 50 yards.

Next time: Silhouette Range. I can't wait to draw down on a T-Rex. ;-)

Technorati tag: Colt Python

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammo

I realize that we've had quite a few recent posts on the Gazette dealing with guns, but I hope you'll indulge me at least one more.

Someone who I consider to be a friend, even though I've never met him, sent me an email last week in which he commented on the potential inconsistency between my faith in God and my plans to get a concealed handgun permit for protection, primarily while my wife and I are riding our tandem bike in remote areas. He described his satisfaction at how he'd successfully relied on God's protection while working in various hostile and hazardous environments.

I didn't take his observations in a negative way, nor did he mean them to be. Friends can raise questions like this without damaging relationships. And I have to admit that I have occasionally engaged in some introspection about my motivation and about what kind of message I might be sending to others. But I've never really felt that I'm either lacking in faith or betraying it by owning firearms and having them available for protection.

Perhaps this is a clumsy analogy, but I carry a spare tire in my Durango. I would never set out on a long trip without it, yet I've never used it in all the years I've owned the car. If I left it at home, went on a drive and had a blowout, I'd feel pretty dumb. We could argue until the cows come home about whether the flat tire was due to my lack of faith or something else, but I'd still be hitching a ride back to town to retrieve the spare.

That's how I view carrying a handgun in certain situations: it's a precaution that I likely will never need or use, but I'd feel pretty silly (or worse) if the need arose and I was without it. This goes double when I consider that I'm responsible not only for my own safety but also for that of my wife.

In any event, I think it's important to understand that I grew up around and with guns; I understand and respect them, but I don't revere them. A firearm is a tool, albeit a very powerful one. Consequently, my decision to buy a new one for concealed carry purposes carries about the same psychic weight as deciding to buy a new lawnmower. I realize that this attitude will be completely alien to some who are reading this, but that's more than likely due to the differences in our upbringings rather than a chasm between our respective moral, ethical or religious outlooks.

I do think it's important that each person work this out for themselves. For Christians, it's also important to consider the words of the apostle Paul, found in his letter to the Corinthian church, where he observes that while "all things" are lawful, they're not all edifying...some can be stumbling blocks to others. This, too, needs to be worked out with God, but the thinking about it is a good first step.

In closing, I'm reminded of the old joke about the guy who appeared before God after drowning in a flood. The guy had waved off a helicopter, then a boat, stating that he was relying on God to save him. He was ticked off, accusing God of ignoring his prayers for a miraculous rescue. God asked, simply, who do you think sent the helicopter and the boat?

Glock Watcher

OK, it's decided: the new firearm will be the seriously lithe Glock 27, a 27-oz pistol with a 3.5" barrel and packing eleven .40 caliber S&W rounds (or nine; I'll have to check our local laws about that. This being Texas, I'm sure it's eleven. ;-).

I came to this momentous decision after a couple of discussions with a recently retired FBI agent; he was quite enthusiastic about the Glock. I had almost decided on a 9mm pistol, but he advised me that many law enforcement professionals had switched to .40 caliber ammo, the latter having a bit more power while still being compact enough for high capacity magazines.

Next up -- A concealed handgun licensing course, for me and MLB. We've a couple of friends who want to take it at the same time, so it will be something of a social event, not unlike our dance classes, although with a bit more kick. (Ha!)

As I've said before, I don't feel a need (or have a desire) to pack heat everywhere I go, but I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere on our bicycle with nothing but a tire pump and my secret government ninja moves for protection.

Technorati tags: Glock 27 | Concealed Handgun Permit

Guns n' Posole

I bought another gun today. I took my 14 year old nephew to Wally World and we checked out a couple of cheapo .22 rifles, looking for something he can use for target practice and general plinking while visiting his granddad in Fort Stockton. We settled on a Savage Mark-II, which came complete with a 10x scope, cable lock and earplugs for about $130. What a deal.

The kid was thrilled beyond words, as I knew he would be. His father is, um, inaccessible, and it pretty much falls to me and his grandfather to provide the male role models that a boy needs. I'm really not very good at it, having never been a dad myself, but I figure that anything I do is better than nothing, and so far, that seems to be a viable strategy.

It's been at least fifteen years since I bought a firearm. I wasn't surprised by all the paperwork, but I was caught a little off guard when, having completed the transaction, the Assistant Manager escorted me to the front door, carrying the gun herself. Standard procedure; you don't wander around Wal-Mart armed (did I mention I also bought a brick of ammo?). If you want to continue shopping, you put the gun in your car, and come back inside. I found the whole thing eminently sensible, actually.

I returned to a house permeated with the tantalizing odor of MLB's green chile posole. It's been cooking All. Day. Long.

Remember in the Bible where Esau sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob, in exchange for some red stew? Esau would have thrown in his right arm had he smelled MLB's green chile posole. She starts with the standard posole mix, which she buys in Santa Fe, where they know about such things. She then adds a few vital ingredients, such as cubed pork, chorizo and green chiles, and sets it to simmering for hours. And hours. And hours.

Serve it up with some homemade guacamole and a stack of hot flour tortillas, and you have a meal so good that it borders on erotic.

It's been a good day, a day that could easily inspire a C&W song, preferably sung by Marty Robbins (who put the "Western" in C&W). But I'm really too stuffed (the phrase "full as a tick" comes to mind) to think about that. Maybe Scott over at The Fat Guy can come up with something.

Update - 2003-11-25:The posole recipe is now published in the comments to this post, courtesy of MLB, who claims that it's such a secret that even she doesn't always remember it! Just another way of saying, YMMV.