Things from around the 'net.

I honestly do not recall how I found all of these today, but they're all worth checking out.

First, go check out a gallery of lady shooters throughout history.

Second, go watch this video.

Third, this is one of many reasons I love Mark Twain's work. Also, it's worth mentioning that his insults towards those in Washington generally manage to fit the bill. Still.

Fourth, Baltimore's currently experiencing the beginnings of SNOWPOCALYPSE 2010. If you twitter, feel free to search for #Snowpocalypse2010 - a lot of us have been babbling about it. So far, it's been nothing but immediately-melting snowfall. Incredibly lackluster, considering how we're already under a State of Emergency, and our lovely governor fears we'll run out of salt this weekend. Way to go, O'Failey. Putting salt trucks on the roads 8 hours before any precipitation started wasn't the greatest idea, now was it?

Finally, I have a request for my three readers. I'm in the market for a 1911. My top price is $700, and I'd like similar already-installed parts as are in the Para GI Expert (this was the pistol I intended on purchasing, but Para doesn't like the stupid casing law in Maryland, so I would have to jump through a ton of hoops to get it. Not worth it for a $500 pistol...). Halp? Will take any and all suggestions.

Have a good weekend!

Stuff I should have said a few weeks ago.

Before my grandfather passed in December, I was fortunate enough to see him one last time.

My grandfather was, until his dying day, completely "there" in mind - it was his body that failed him. He managed to retain almost full mental capacity to the ripe old age of 92. I'm thankful for this, as it allowed me to get to know him...I just wish I'd been able to get to know him BETTER. We had agreed to meet weekly to talk about his past, but before I'd had a chance to get back to the rehab hospital to see him and learn his story, he left us. It's for the best, really, since it wouldn't have been fair for him to be stuck there forever. He was the independent sort, and the idea of staying in a hospital for weeks/months/years was a nightmare he didn't want to live. I can't say I blame him.

Anyway, during that last visit, I admitted to him that I own weapons. I specified my .22 and the Mauser...I don't think he really needed to know much more than that. To my delight, he confirmed he knew what the Mauser was, and was amazed I intended to shoot it. He said I should gain a little more weight to make sure it didn't knock me over.

A kidder, he was. Gods I miss him.




ANYWAY, before I turn this into a sob story, I wanted to share this: after telling him about the Mauser and my hunting plans for it, he encouraged me. He insisted that I need to hunt, to preserve the "old ways" before the skill is lost. While no one else in my family (save my cousin) is even remotely happy I have any interest, it's nice to know Pop was all for it. I know he'll be watching over me next season, willing me to bring home meat for the freezer. I know he would love that, since he spent so many years as a butcher.


In other news, for Christmas, C gave me a scope for my AR. Now we've just gotta get a good weekend when we're not already booked to get out there and shoot the durned things.

Good news, everyone!

(I know, I know, you've got this guy's voice stuck in your head now.)

I got a call from Del-Ton on Wednesday on my way home, and a quick check to my bank account confirmed it: not only am I getting my upper VERY soon, I'm also getting a free upgraded part due to a mix-up on their end. Worthy of note: the folks who work in customer service at Del-Ton are lovely people. Really. I have yet to have a poor conversation with any of them. Maybe that worked in my favor here, as well. Who knows? All I know is I'm FINALLY getting my upper.

Range time soon...possibly with my cousin in tow. He wants to learn to shoot while he's out of school for the holiday, and if the weather holds I'll take him to the rifle range. C needs to shoot his AR, I need to shoot my AR, Mauser, and .22, and we both need some shotgun time with the new shotgun.

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.

EDITED TO ADD: apparently, in response to a lot of complaints about Paypal, gunpal now exists for your gun trading needs.

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.