Once my tax return gets deposited, I'll be ordering our uppers. Yes, I'm excited...they're actually in stock right now, and we'll be able to get our rifles put together and locked up before anything bad happens on the legal end of things.
After that, I'll be able to start shopping for the revolver and shotgun. Wee!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Well then.
Good luck, guy. You talk a good talk, but you've promised us the world. May you do the best you can while actually upholding the Constitution, like you've promised...and may the next 4 years be educational and positive for you and your family.
I need a drink.
I need a drink.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Related, but only slightly, to the previous post...
My partner calls the Stoeger the "ZombieKiller 2000," and recently emailed me this picture (click to embiggen):
Aww. <3
Aww. <3
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Range report and a bit of applause for a parent worthy of it.
My partner, two friends of mine, and I decided to hit the indoor range this afternoon. It was rather crowded (not surprising), and lots of different individuals were filtering in and out. More on these folks later. I also gave myself a reminder to find a S&W Model 36 with a 3" barrel at some point...that, or the Taurus equivalent. The last time we were at the range we rented this, and I found it an utter joy to shoot.
We brought the house firearms with us, and our one friend brought two long guns and a pistol.
Hokay. So. Let's keep in mind for a moment that I am female, and rather petite (5'4", in thick-soled shoes). I also have short arms and small hands.
From the inventory we brought with us:
Colt 1911 Government in .45 = Big Effing Pistol. Fun to shoot, if you already know how. I don't think I'd have been able to handle it early on in my firearm experience. This thing is a bloody hand cannon. I think I may shoot it more, but I'm going to want to be wearing driving gloves or something similar to protect my hands. My partner installed an extra bit on the grip that literally makes my hand feel like ground beef. It works for him, though, so I will make do.
Stoeger Coach Gun in 12gauge = DO NOT SHOOT if you're built like me and don't want shoulder ouchies. Thanks to the shot size and the barrel length, I had a hard time controlling it, and only got one shot off before I handed it over to my partner. It rocked me back hard enough to deter me from wanting to shoot it again. I shot 2 3/4" shells...I cannot imagine the 3" ones! At least I know I can handle the recoil if I had to shoot it. Besides, it's not like one would need to aim a shotgun...with buckshot/bird shot, just point it in the general direction you want the pellets to go, and you'll hit ... well, everything in front of it.
Bersa Firestorm .380 - this is my pistol (my friend also brought his with him today). I haven't been to the range in over a year, and it shows. I really need to work on breath control and grouping. Must start picking up ammunition when I see it so I can practice more. I also hope to convince a lady friend of mine to come out with me sometime soon - she's expressed interest, and I think shooting the Bersa would be a good way of introducing her. I'm certainly glad I purchased this as my first pistol, as it fits.
Also shot a friend's old semiauto .22 rifle and Saiga .410:
The .22 is, as always, a blast to shoot. I can't wait until I get mine. These have no recoil whatsoever and ammunition is cheap, so it's easy to just blast through a full clip (or tube, in the case of this particular gun) in seconds. I believe it jammed once, but this is due to age and not being cared for or shot once in quite a few years. This belonged to my friend's girlfriend's father before he passed away, and it hadn't seen the light of day since. It has some rusting in the tube, and just needs a good cleaning.
The Saiga was fun, but it made me feel like a hobbit for having such short arms. I doubt my sweatshirt, long-sleeved tshirt, and coat had anything to do with that. ;) I need to work on my upper body strength before we get our ARs built...I know I'll need far better control than I currently have. It also seems to be a tad finicky with some parts...it wasn't ejecting properly, and my friend mentioned he'd had problems with that before.
Now, for my observations of the crowd today.
First of all, I saw two GSG-5 rifles in the span of an hour. Is it just me, or are people realizing how awesome these rifles can be? It's a rifle with the look of an MP5, but shoots .22LR, so it's CHEAP AS HELL to take to the range. I intend to get one of these eventually, assuming they're not banned.
There were a pair of ladies in the lane next to us who definitely drew my eye. They were shooting what appeared to be all 9mm handguns. The shorter of the two was teaching the taller how to shoot...I couldn't help but grin. I love seeing more ladies at the range, especially one as competent as the shorter of the two. The taller asked lots of questions, paid attention and adapted her shooting style based on the critique of her friend, and seemed to really enjoy herself. I like that.
In fact, there were maybe 6 or 7 ladies at the range today. Almost all of them were enthusiastic about being there, especially one young lady in particular.
While we were in the lobby, waiting for two lanes to open up, a gentleman came in with his 10-year-old daughter. It was her first day at the range, and as I watched her and her father, I noticed something different about her.
She listened.
Her dad explained the 4 rules in a way she'd understand, and she paid very close attention to every word he said. He pulled out a .22 revolver (I didn't notice a brand...it seemed either relatively new or very well cleaned) and showed her how to use it. He opened it, showed her where the ammunition goes, showed her how to open and close it, and asked her to hold it. She seemed rather comfortable with it, so they rented a lane, bought a couple of targets (the adhesive kind that shows neon green when it's been hit), and took their lane. They ended up 2 lanes down from us, so I was able to watch her. She never tried to take off her glasses or ear protection, never pointed the gun anywhere but at the target, and showed complete concentration when it was in her hand. She didn't appear to jump when the booms were more BOOM than CRACK. Her composure was better than most new ADULTS at the range.
All in all, I was impressed by this child...and her father. I mentioned to him later that I thought it awesome to see such a young girl behave so well, particularly when it was absolutely necessary. I also applaud his constant dialog with his daughter - he asked her repeatedly if she was having fun, if she wanted to leave, if she felt comfortable, etc. If cameras were permitted inside the range I'd have gotten a picture of them. It was just too cute. She had this mop of curly blonde hair, and she was wearing a SKIRT, of all things. I'm guessing it was probably an after-church father-daughter bonding day. In any case, she's not the girl I'd have expected to see at a firing range.
They left a bit before we did, but they were still in the lobby when we settled our bill...I recall hearing her father ask her if she wanted to go back. She answered with an enthusiastic yes.
I hope to see them again soon.
We brought the house firearms with us, and our one friend brought two long guns and a pistol.
Hokay. So. Let's keep in mind for a moment that I am female, and rather petite (5'4", in thick-soled shoes). I also have short arms and small hands.
From the inventory we brought with us:
Colt 1911 Government in .45 = Big Effing Pistol. Fun to shoot, if you already know how. I don't think I'd have been able to handle it early on in my firearm experience. This thing is a bloody hand cannon. I think I may shoot it more, but I'm going to want to be wearing driving gloves or something similar to protect my hands. My partner installed an extra bit on the grip that literally makes my hand feel like ground beef. It works for him, though, so I will make do.
Stoeger Coach Gun in 12gauge = DO NOT SHOOT if you're built like me and don't want shoulder ouchies. Thanks to the shot size and the barrel length, I had a hard time controlling it, and only got one shot off before I handed it over to my partner. It rocked me back hard enough to deter me from wanting to shoot it again. I shot 2 3/4" shells...I cannot imagine the 3" ones! At least I know I can handle the recoil if I had to shoot it. Besides, it's not like one would need to aim a shotgun...with buckshot/bird shot, just point it in the general direction you want the pellets to go, and you'll hit ... well, everything in front of it.
Bersa Firestorm .380 - this is my pistol (my friend also brought his with him today). I haven't been to the range in over a year, and it shows. I really need to work on breath control and grouping. Must start picking up ammunition when I see it so I can practice more. I also hope to convince a lady friend of mine to come out with me sometime soon - she's expressed interest, and I think shooting the Bersa would be a good way of introducing her. I'm certainly glad I purchased this as my first pistol, as it fits.
Also shot a friend's old semiauto .22 rifle and Saiga .410:
The .22 is, as always, a blast to shoot. I can't wait until I get mine. These have no recoil whatsoever and ammunition is cheap, so it's easy to just blast through a full clip (or tube, in the case of this particular gun) in seconds. I believe it jammed once, but this is due to age and not being cared for or shot once in quite a few years. This belonged to my friend's girlfriend's father before he passed away, and it hadn't seen the light of day since. It has some rusting in the tube, and just needs a good cleaning.
The Saiga was fun, but it made me feel like a hobbit for having such short arms. I doubt my sweatshirt, long-sleeved tshirt, and coat had anything to do with that. ;) I need to work on my upper body strength before we get our ARs built...I know I'll need far better control than I currently have. It also seems to be a tad finicky with some parts...it wasn't ejecting properly, and my friend mentioned he'd had problems with that before.
Now, for my observations of the crowd today.
First of all, I saw two GSG-5 rifles in the span of an hour. Is it just me, or are people realizing how awesome these rifles can be? It's a rifle with the look of an MP5, but shoots .22LR, so it's CHEAP AS HELL to take to the range. I intend to get one of these eventually, assuming they're not banned.
There were a pair of ladies in the lane next to us who definitely drew my eye. They were shooting what appeared to be all 9mm handguns. The shorter of the two was teaching the taller how to shoot...I couldn't help but grin. I love seeing more ladies at the range, especially one as competent as the shorter of the two. The taller asked lots of questions, paid attention and adapted her shooting style based on the critique of her friend, and seemed to really enjoy herself. I like that.
In fact, there were maybe 6 or 7 ladies at the range today. Almost all of them were enthusiastic about being there, especially one young lady in particular.
While we were in the lobby, waiting for two lanes to open up, a gentleman came in with his 10-year-old daughter. It was her first day at the range, and as I watched her and her father, I noticed something different about her.
She listened.
Her dad explained the 4 rules in a way she'd understand, and she paid very close attention to every word he said. He pulled out a .22 revolver (I didn't notice a brand...it seemed either relatively new or very well cleaned) and showed her how to use it. He opened it, showed her where the ammunition goes, showed her how to open and close it, and asked her to hold it. She seemed rather comfortable with it, so they rented a lane, bought a couple of targets (the adhesive kind that shows neon green when it's been hit), and took their lane. They ended up 2 lanes down from us, so I was able to watch her. She never tried to take off her glasses or ear protection, never pointed the gun anywhere but at the target, and showed complete concentration when it was in her hand. She didn't appear to jump when the booms were more BOOM than CRACK. Her composure was better than most new ADULTS at the range.
All in all, I was impressed by this child...and her father. I mentioned to him later that I thought it awesome to see such a young girl behave so well, particularly when it was absolutely necessary. I also applaud his constant dialog with his daughter - he asked her repeatedly if she was having fun, if she wanted to leave, if she felt comfortable, etc. If cameras were permitted inside the range I'd have gotten a picture of them. It was just too cute. She had this mop of curly blonde hair, and she was wearing a SKIRT, of all things. I'm guessing it was probably an after-church father-daughter bonding day. In any case, she's not the girl I'd have expected to see at a firing range.
They left a bit before we did, but they were still in the lobby when we settled our bill...I recall hearing her father ask her if she wanted to go back. She answered with an enthusiastic yes.
I hope to see them again soon.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
happy new year!
hope everyone's hangovers have at least gotten a little better by now...
i managed to remain hangover-free, but that's only because we made tons of food for dinner. steamed shrimp, OMGBESTDELMONICOSTEAKEVER, and some mashed 'taters for extra alcohol absorption. 2 bottles into our champagne stash and i still felt nothing (which is saying something, since i'm a complete lightweight).
so. get rest, eat something, and hopefully everyone who has to go to work tomorrow will feel OK by then.
i managed to remain hangover-free, but that's only because we made tons of food for dinner. steamed shrimp, OMGBESTDELMONICOSTEAKEVER, and some mashed 'taters for extra alcohol absorption. 2 bottles into our champagne stash and i still felt nothing (which is saying something, since i'm a complete lightweight).
so. get rest, eat something, and hopefully everyone who has to go to work tomorrow will feel OK by then.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Breda Fallacy: I need a bigger stocking.
The Breda Fallacy: I need a bigger stocking.
i agree with her.
i also found a video that makes me giggle lots:
enjoy. :D
i agree with her.
i also found a video that makes me giggle lots:
enjoy. :D
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
On religion
I don't tend to discuss my religious views.
Ever.
Because most of the time, people would look at me funny, and attempt to commit me.
So, instead, I read. I read blog posts my friends make as they go along their religious journeys. I read about various religions, new and old. I respect the strength of faith that allows an individual to firmly believe in their chosen religion...and I wonder what led them down the path they've taken. I find myself in the midst of religious turmoil from time to time, and that usually spurs on this thought process.
For the record, I was raised Roman Catholic. It's an alright religion at its core, but I feel it misinterprets a lot of what is printed in the bible. I also disagree with a lot of its teachings. I find myself drawn to more Earth-based religions...I suppose it has to do with the reality of the planet. I can see it, touch it, hear it, smell it. I see it change, and I respect that without it we would not exist. I don't question how we came about, as I wholeheartedly believe in evolution. I also believe there are other planets like ours, full of life and potentially intelligent species. It just seems more realistic, to me.
What are your opinions? Where do your beliefs lie?
Ever.
Because most of the time, people would look at me funny, and attempt to commit me.
So, instead, I read. I read blog posts my friends make as they go along their religious journeys. I read about various religions, new and old. I respect the strength of faith that allows an individual to firmly believe in their chosen religion...and I wonder what led them down the path they've taken. I find myself in the midst of religious turmoil from time to time, and that usually spurs on this thought process.
For the record, I was raised Roman Catholic. It's an alright religion at its core, but I feel it misinterprets a lot of what is printed in the bible. I also disagree with a lot of its teachings. I find myself drawn to more Earth-based religions...I suppose it has to do with the reality of the planet. I can see it, touch it, hear it, smell it. I see it change, and I respect that without it we would not exist. I don't question how we came about, as I wholeheartedly believe in evolution. I also believe there are other planets like ours, full of life and potentially intelligent species. It just seems more realistic, to me.
What are your opinions? Where do your beliefs lie?
Friday, November 7, 2008
"evil black guns"
My partner and I recently put our paperwork in to purchase stripped AR15 lowers from a local gun shop. We intentionally went in to get them BEFORE the election because we feared the inevitable price hike (and potential ban after January).
While we are waiting for the paperwork to clear, I've been talking about the purchase with friends online, in the hopes of getting info about what would be a good upper and stock combination. Because of the method of discussion (blogs and forums), the conversations were open to non-gun-owners...and, unfortunately, they are generally not too keen on educated, intelligent discussion about firearms.
Some people have even expressed disdain over potentially coming to visit, because of our soon-to-be-built "evil black rifles." I've reminded them time and again that a gun in a closet/safe/on another floor cannot and will not hurt them, and they say "oh yes i understand" but fail to see the truth of the statement. I've told them that while the guns can seem scary, the only thing scary about them is the person behind the trigger - again, they say they understand, but refuse to really understand. Frankly, I'm getting sick of explaining and reexplaining my side of things.
In light of that, I'd like to educate the general populace about firearms, and just how scary these "assault" rifles can be...and just how wrong these people really are. Please enjoy the video.
This video discusses the power behind various calibers...and may be an eye-opener.
Remember...I'm not a gun hoarder, and I'm not out to murder someone. I keep firearms for personal protection, for a sense of freedom, and to give myself a stress relief by going to the range and firing a few rounds at paper. For me, there's nothing more mentally settling than forcing oneself to calm down, focus, breathe, and squeeze that trigger. Sometimes it can put me in a better mood faster than sex...it's instant gratification, but it provides a lasting effect.
While we are waiting for the paperwork to clear, I've been talking about the purchase with friends online, in the hopes of getting info about what would be a good upper and stock combination. Because of the method of discussion (blogs and forums), the conversations were open to non-gun-owners...and, unfortunately, they are generally not too keen on educated, intelligent discussion about firearms.
Some people have even expressed disdain over potentially coming to visit, because of our soon-to-be-built "evil black rifles." I've reminded them time and again that a gun in a closet/safe/on another floor cannot and will not hurt them, and they say "oh yes i understand" but fail to see the truth of the statement. I've told them that while the guns can seem scary, the only thing scary about them is the person behind the trigger - again, they say they understand, but refuse to really understand. Frankly, I'm getting sick of explaining and reexplaining my side of things.
In light of that, I'd like to educate the general populace about firearms, and just how scary these "assault" rifles can be...and just how wrong these people really are. Please enjoy the video.
This video discusses the power behind various calibers...and may be an eye-opener.
Remember...I'm not a gun hoarder, and I'm not out to murder someone. I keep firearms for personal protection, for a sense of freedom, and to give myself a stress relief by going to the range and firing a few rounds at paper. For me, there's nothing more mentally settling than forcing oneself to calm down, focus, breathe, and squeeze that trigger. Sometimes it can put me in a better mood faster than sex...it's instant gratification, but it provides a lasting effect.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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