Really?

I live in a relatively safe neighborhood. We basically straddle the city/county line, and we're spared all the Really Bad crime from deeper in the city. However, we are not immune to the smaller stuff, like theft and break-ins/cat burglars. C and I always figured we were good, though. We leave our porch light on. We have a halo of light around the house that's so bright a pedestrian could spot us from a block away. We don't have junk around the yard, or leave anything in sight that could be a temptation. We have lights on timers inside the house, and have been known to leave the bathroom light on at night just for that little bit of randomness that would leave potential thieves guessing.

Basically, we're very careful to avoid being a target.

In the 10 years C has been in the house, he's never had an issue. In the 1.5 years I've lived here, I never really felt cause for alarm. Sure, we're in one of the most dangerous cities in the US, but that hasn't affected our area (yet).

On Friday, though, my opinion of this area changed.

C called me as I was walking out the door at 4 on Friday...he was agitated. He wanted to know if I was home, and if I was OK. I mentioned I was on my way to the car, and he sounded relieved. Then he broke the news. Apparently, at 3pm, 4 teenagers of dubious background attempted to invite themselves inside our home. (Normally, I would be home by around 3 or 3:15, which would explain part of C's excitement.) They failed, and left the area when they realized they'd been spotted. Thanks to nosy neighbors, the police came out (within a half hour from the first call - AMAZING, considering the size of the district and the amount of crime that occurs farther in the city), wrote a report, and left a note for us to call back if anything was amiss. When I arrived home, I collected the information they left, and walked around the house. There was evidence of attempts to get in at various points - a footprint in the garden directly under the bolted-in AC unit, a moved screen on the back porch, handles on the metal basement doors not sitting the way we'd left them - but no glass was broken. It appears they tried every window in the back, and when they realized this wasn't an option, they tried to climb onto the back porch (where they could access my office AC unit and the door leading inside to our closet room). Whomever tried to scale that wall slipped, put his foot through the screen in the window next to the back porch door, yanked off part of the floodlight, and pulled down part of the gutter.

C spent part of that evening and most of Saturday bolting down some windows, removing all the AC units that WEREN'T bolted down (like the one in my office), barring up the basement windows, and generally running around the house like a madman. He is truly shaken by this...I don't think he imagined it would happen to him, despite knowing the only crime trend in our neighborhood is exactly what we managed to avoid.

It took me awhile, BUT I think I have him convinced that it was a test, and we passed - they did not get into the house, and we've discovered the remaining weak points so we could immediately rectify them.

What gets me, though, is why they picked us. Yes, we're the youngest couple on the block, but we're also not necessarily the best target. The kids had obviously been watching the house - they didn't even bother to go to the front door to see if we were home. One would think they'd know C is "that crazy guy" who trims the trees with a samauri sword. One would think they'd know we're the loudest voice in the "lock your doors and windows" campaign we've had going for a year. One would also think they'd pick either of the adjacent homes, since one is vacant (but still has half the previous owner's furniture) and the other has open/broken windows (despite someone living there).

So, we're left with that "why us?" problem. Paranoia is currently through the roof, and I fear what may happen next. Will they come back? Will they get in this time? Will they do so with one of us at home, and just how much of a dangerous situation will this be?

I just wish this state actually considered its residents worthy of protecting themselves. It would be nice to know I wouldn't go to jail for shooting someone in the process of defending my home.

A rifle comparison video for modern rifles.

Remember this post?

I came across an updated video that discusses a similar issue between the AR15 and its growing popularity as a hunting rifle. It's been released by the NSSF as a promotional and educational video, and it's definitely worth the watch. Bonus points for Doug Painter - his laid-back demeanor on screen makes him an ideal presenter here.



I've been reconsidering using the Mauser as a hunting rifle. The usability of the AR platform really opens up the possibility of using that as a hunter, provided I get a decent upper for it.

Any opinions from my readership of 3? :)

I'm appalled.

Sometimes, I really hate my state.

Good news, better news, and bad news.

I've spoken with Del Ton at least once a month since February, and I FINALLY have something coming. My partner's upper should be done by the end of this week or early next week, and they'll ship out immediately (edit 9/2/09 - it's been shipped!). They're still waiting on parts for mine, however - they said because of the deal they were running on an A2 upper back in January, a lot of the parts I ordered aren't quite back in stock. Naturally, any change I might make to the order will increase the price - I went cheap so I could buy my partner's to his specifications. That's both the "better" and half of the "bad" news.

The good news? We put our lowers together yesterday. It took about 2.5 hours with a 45 minute break to find the front takedown detent on the man's rifle, since he lost control of it and it took off. They aren't kidding when they say to be careful! At any rate, the rogue part was found and installed (using bent-tip needlenose pliers, instead of the tool he bought). To those building their own: take your time. We didn't rush, and that was the only issue either of us had.

the before shot, with all parts laid out:


the after shot:


The other bad news? My 1911 plans have been derailed. Apparently Para DOES NOT ship their GI Expert with the spent casing, per MD law, so I can't get it. This, coupled with other bad news on Saturday (my eldest, and first EVER, pet died. RIP Delirium, you sweet little scaly kid), basically guaranteed I had a cruddy day.

Thanks, Para. Thanks a lot. Looks like either S&W or Springfield will be getting my business henceforth.

Sometimes you just can't win.

This makes me angry.

Like most people, I use Paypal (but limit my use to things I cannot purchase any other way). I know how much of a pain in the ass they can be. I didn't, however, expect them to pull this sort of crap...especially not when the raffle is in support of soldiers.

Bad move, Paypal. Bad move. I don't care if you're anti-gun...apparently you're also anti-military. I've seen suggestions that Paypal is just following the laws of California, but that's a load of bullshit. eBay is equally anti-gun, and it makes sense that eBay's politics would filter down to Paypal, since the former owns the latter.


As a sidenote - I had already been debating getting a ticket or two, and this clinches it. I'm glad Paypal won't be making money off these ticket sales...and once payday hits, I'll be picking up a ticket or three.

Boyfriends, birthdays, and firearms.

Truly, these are a match made in heaven.

My birthday is coming up in about 12 hours, and this weekend the other half took me to pick up my first .22 rifle. We ended up going to Dick's at one of the local malls, since their prices tend to be the best for long guns.

I had my choice of any .22 up to $250, but I'm picky. I had the gentleman behind the counter pull a Savage, a Mossberg, and a Marlin for me (the Ruger wasn't even under consideration due to some recent QC issues I've been reading about - it seems the chrome finish has been peeling on some of the barrels).

All were semiauto, and the Mossberg and Marlin rifles had open sights while the Savage had a scope and no sights. This knocked the Savage out of the running, so I was down to the Mossy and the Marlin. The Mossberg 702 "Plinkster" and the Marlin 795 seem equally matched - the Mossberg weighs more overall, but the Marlin is rather barrel-heavy. I'd also light to point out that both of these rifles are $130, which appealed to my inner frugal woman. The Mossberg's sights seem far better, as well, so we ended up bringing that home. It's already tapped for a scope, so if I get bored with the existing sights, I can always upgrade. For now, though, the hooded sight should be enough.

I haven't yet cleaned it OR taken any pictures, so you'll have to trust me for now. :)

Today we celebrate our independance...

Yet so many see it as an excuse to blow stuff up and stuff face 'till sickness settles in.

I woke up to a beautiful morning and wondered just what the hell is going to happen to our nation in the near future. So many people are so willing to give up their freedom so someone else can take responsibility for our nation, and it's despicable.


BUT, I'm not posting to preach. I'm actually posting to share an open letter Xavier wrote to Home Depot. Go, read.

I forgot to mention the last newbie I took to the range.

Somehow I forgot to make this post...sorry, C. I know this is all about you, and I meant to post it eons ago.

Anyhow, on with the post.

My friend C. had been having a BAD week at work, and I happened to have ammo in the locker, so I suggested we meet at the range and I teach him a thing or two about shooting pistols. His experience was limited - he'd only ever shot a long gun or two - but he at least had the 4 rules down, so I had less concern about safety than I normally would. I'd also like to mention that C has played plenty of first person shooter type video games, so I knew he'd at least have a good grasp of proper aim.

When we arrived, we rented a large-frame .22 revolver, and got to work. The revolver in question may have been a S&W, but it's been so long I've forgotten (C, if you remember the brand, please let me know). It proved to be an effective introduction - he giggled like an idiot through most of that box of ammo, and was damned accurate. I think the lack of recoil helped.

We moved up to the Bersa (I swear, she gets around nowadays!) and let him fire off a round to see the difference between the two calibers. He knew it had a stronger recoil, but he managed the difference very well. Again, he was scary accurate...so we worked on his stance. I forced him to lean forward a little, since one's natural inclination is to lean back while firing, and his accuracy got better. I insisted he work on groupings, and his accuracy continued to improve.

He seemed thoroughly pleased with the evening, and still itches to go back. One of these days, when life isn't quite so busy, I think we shall.

Next range report will likely be an introduction for either my friend R, or my cousin V. Both have expressed interest, so we're working on scheduling.

Yet another Del-Ton delay.

I called Del-Ton again yesterday. I MAY see the uppers in July. Supposedly they're working on a day for day basis (they complete one day's orders from the month they were ordered, and complete them in a day). Right now they're finishing December and expect to be into January next week.

I swear, if they weren't so polite and forthcoming with information, I would have canceled my order and taken my business elsewhere.

I understand they were swamped with orders. I understand they've had to buy a new, larger shop. I understand they bought a barrel manufacturer to take care of the 20" barrel shortage (guess what size barrel I ordered for my rifle?). What I DO NOT understand is the lack of communication. I shouldn't have to hunt them down; I shouldn't have to call them. They should be sending out mass emails with updates every month (and an opt-out link at the bottom). I know there are those who are far less patient than I am...I'm sure they're having fits over this crazy amount of delay. I'm absolutely certain they've been calling the hell out of the company - when I called yesterday morning, the line was busy and the website was slow. At what point will a company realize "gee, maybe we should be proactive about letting people know what's going on"?

I mean, I'm patient. I really am. I would just like to see the items I ordered nearly six months ago to show up at my house sometime this year, and I'd like a constantly updated ETA on the site when I log in to see my status. That's all. I hope this is a simple enough request.

Good news!

Wal Mart is starting to see ammo in their shipments. Upon my visit on Saturday, the Wally World near my parents' house had 5 100-ct boxes of Winchester .380, as well as a handful of 9mm in various brands. Apparently the consumer resale prices of ARs have gone down, as well - some folks have seen them on Gunbroker for $600 for a complete rifle.

Hopefully the panic has died down. How have your areas fared? Are you seeing more supplies in stores?