brickhistory

I can't believe that this couldn't and hasn't been done in the U.S. since the NASA 707 tumble as mentioned in the early part of the show, but rather had to happen in Mexico (motto, sh!t, we don't really care much as long as the money's green...). That said, the show itself was decent. A little bit amateurish on some of the presented issues - nobody did the numbers before going with the C-337 as the primary control aircraft? No back-up plan for the new Marchetti sh1tting the bed? Again, this very well may have briefed and the show went for drama, but it looked half-assed. Along with the previously mentioned potential deadly jump and land in the desert. For 30 minutes. But enough with the b1tching; the whole idea was uber-cool! From the remote control design, to the crash-test dummies and in side cameras, to the jumping out the back door (sts). That was pretty cool. I was amazed that the motors kept running after the crash. Another case of no pre-brief in that event? Worthwhile effort and two hours spent, IMHO.

I'll look for the lighter charged Speer, thanks for the tip. I found that the Galco STO 440 IWB is my preference. I also picked up a in-pocket holster designed for the Glock 26 that fits really well.

Further to I picked up the 7 round extended magazine today. And now I have, essentially,.....wait for it.... a 1911. That said, this is now my all season/all purpose CCW gun. If able to conceal with a sweater or the like, the longer magazine makes for a better grip and more rounds available. For summer or other times when size does matter, in goes the 5 round magazine. No more .380 in summer and different .45 in winter. Still like the gun; trying to refine the best self-defense round for me. Went through five different types yesterday, some more manageable with the smaller magazine/grip than others. Pretty much +P stuff is out, and the Hornady 200 gr. seemed the best compromise for power and not killing my hand, sts. Shot some stuff called MAGTECH that felt good, but had such a bright flash that even in a lighted range, it was blinding. Looked pretty, but not so much, I think for real-world uses.

looks like the co is dipping again...

Indeed. It does tend to distract from Sports Illustrated or the crossword puzzle that is the flight deck mission between those two useful phases of flight. I hear some might even work on AAD...

Damn. Good guy; we can't afford losses like him. RIP to him and my prayers for his family.

Found a Springfield Armory XDS in black at Cabela's yesterday, so I snagged it. First, it and the M&P Shield are kicking the market's ass. The Walther PPS I had wanted for a while had been drastically reduced in price, no doubt to somewhat compete. The XDS sold (I should've waited) for the same price as the PPS. I debated a while about what I wanted and what I liked about the three - XDS, Shield, PPS. It finally boiled down to.... it is a freakin' .45 in the same size as my .380 PPK/S which has been my go-to pocket/summer carry! Ultimately, size matters. No opportunity to fire it yet; will write something up when I do. UPDATED with firing report: note: not my photo Ok, so I took it to the range today. Fired 100 rounds of generic 230 gr. ball and 50 rounds of Speer gold-dot hollow point, 200 gr. +P Distance ranged from 7 to 50 feet using a B-27 standard silhouette (sp?) target. This is a snappy sumb1tch to fire. Although I can hold it with all fingers on the grip, the pinkie is only about half-way and I found it sliding to underneath the magazine when pulling the trigger. It flips with recoil, not unexpectedly, but damn noticably. Sights are big for the size of the pistol and I really like the red fiber optic front sight and used that exclusively when practising for speed and initial shot placement, i.e., put the red dot center mass and fire. From 7 to about 15 feet everything went into center mass, 8 ring or better. I fired 15 rounds at 7 feet and 10 rounds at 50 feet using slow aimed fire. All 10 of those went into the cranium part of the target, so it's possible to shoot accurately using the sights as designed. The rest were at 15 feet, rapid fire (well, up to six times per...) But, this is a self-defense pistol designed for easily concealability and everything seemed to be sacrificed for that. Which is ok, it is what it is designed to be. After 100 rounds of the ball ammo, my hand was tired. After 25 rounds of the hollow-point +P bullets, my hand hurt. The last 25 were painful. The 4x4 off-road tire style grips did their job of staying put, but at the cost of a raw-ish palm at the conclusion of the day. Obviously, this is not an extended fire-fight type weapon, more for the get the immediate threat away/down with the first shots. And it does that job exceedingly well, grip grabbing and all. As I noted in my initial post, this is the same size, to within a gnat's hair, of my PPK/S which is in .380. So a trade of two rounds of .380 for the bigger hole-producing .45, especially as winter approaches and big/bulky clothing suppling some inadvertant protection for potential bad guys, and I'll take the .45 every time. (Again, I do not intend to sound all Dirty Harry and street tough. I avoid, if possible, situations where I'll be the odd man out, but you never know being in the world what could happen. This evens those odds should something bad occur.) This thing can be a pocket gun, definitely a comfortable IWB carry. I like it a lot and can replace my seasonal carry of cold weather Bersa .45 and warm weather PPK/S with one gun year round. Better for training, better for muscle memory, better for nearly everything it could be useful for. PRO: - Size; already covered. - Red front fiber optic sight makes engaging close and quickly much easier for me. - Standard appearing and functioning magazines. Although they are only 5 rounds, the supplied magazines look like any other standard semi-auto magazine. It's probably just me and I'm sure it could be overcome with training, but every time I handled (sts) a Shield or PPS in the store and inserted the extended capacity magazines - 7 or 8 rounds - just looking at the design of it made me initially insert it backwards. Dumbassness on my part, certainly, but add adrenaline to needing a reload and I'll take a lizard-brain solution every time. - Size of magazines means I'm more likely to carry a reloacd than I was previously. These things are small. At only 6 rounds in the first go, a reload is probably a good thing anyway, but I always figure that an extended bad session means I'm likely to have a bad day anyway. Still, good to have the option. - I had no issues with jams, etc. True, 150 rounds does not make for a real reliability test, but it sure is a good start. From reading here and on-line the XD line has a good reputation for reliability but to be honest, until this one, I found them just butt-ugly (don't ban me, bro'!) and couldn't make myself buy one with so many other choices out there. BTW, I feel the same way about Glocks for looks and the blocky grip angle doesn't work for me anyway. CON: - Tough to have a 300round range session for regular practice. Doesn't mean I won't, and I will, since this will be my well-dressed gun, but I won't be thrilled about it. For some, this could be the difference between practicing at all. I will have to experiment with lower-powered ball ammo and definitely for self-defense loads. The +P was all I had, but it was just too much to be comfortable. No doubt wouldn't be a factor come showtime, but I think I can do better and will keep looking. - Only six rounds at the ready. Most likely, won't need any more, but you don't have the option. Trade-off, again, between capacity and concealability. - About 1/4 - 1/2 inch too short for a full-fingered grip. A company called Pearce makes pinky grip extensions for other short magazines and is supposed to introduce ones for the XDS in October. I will trade the minor loss of concealability for a major, for me, gain in controllability/comfort. - I thought the price was a little steep. It is a seller's market right now as everyone wants the new toy and supply is so far scarce. But I think I paid about $100 more than I should have. But that was my choice so it's not the gun's fault. It is my new carry gun. Or will be once Nebraska sends me my CCW which I had to wait until today to apply.

Have I considered it? Yes. Am I gonna? Probably not. When my father passed away some years back, he had been a life-long shooter, amateur gunsmith, and, due to economics, a handloader as well. From casting bullets to scrubbing brass to assembling a cartridge, it was his hobby and his man-cave room with all the presses, dies, powder, workbench, etc. etc. I helped but found it tedious. When he passed, none of us wanted the hassle of toting several thousand pounds of gear during PCS moves, or they didn't have the room in their current house, etc, etc etc. I know the state of the art has progressed significantly since then, and the process is much faster depending on how much $$$ one wants to sink into the proper equipment. I just don't want to devote the time and money to doing it. I'm at a point where I can afford the ammo, but remember the days in the past where every dollar mattered. Old habits die hard, but now it's a time vs. money thing. I'll buy store-bought and save that amount of rapidly decreasing time left to me for trigger time and other stuff versus reloading myself. But kudos for those that do. It's just not for me.

New-ish Old School: S&W Model 21-4 note: photos from the Gunbroker auction I won. Not my personal photos. Added this to my collection and took it to the range for the first time today. I can't find the specs on it; the instructions are generic S&W revolver ones, but here goes anyway: I like blued guns with wood grips. I like the classics in both revolvers and semi-autos. This time, it was a revolver's turn. I'm also a fan of the .44, in this case, the .44 special. This revolver has a four-inch barrel, the square butt grips which do well in filling the palm to handle the recoil, but then the heavy mass of this thing does that as well. The sights are distinctly old-school, the rear is simply a channel in the top of the frame while the front is a blued half-moon that to my ageing eyes tends to disappear without a vivid contrast behind it. I intend to change the front site with some sort of gold dot which will help as well as adding one more touch of "bling" to the gun since it has the Thunder Ranch logo in gold on the right side. Normally, I'm not a fan of any sort of advertising or safety inscriptions on the weapon other than an understated manufacturer's name and the caliber, but I have to admit to kinda liking the gold on the blue. I didn't really put a lot of rounds through it because .44 special both in stores and on-line is damned hard to find if you are looking for bulk (50 rd boxes) of jacketed ammo. The cowboy loads are reasonably plentiful, but just trash the barrel, so I don't like using it. The self-defense stuff is great, but at approaching .75 to $1.00 a round, it's prohibitive for a range session. That said, I like this gun. It shoots great; DA pull is a little heavy compared to my S&W Model 29, but not unbearably. The SA is like "buttah," just like most S&W's are. The practical value of the gun is somewhat limited. It would be just fine in the nightstand or even as a holstered carry, but it is heavy and bulky. There are better, higher capacity self-defense guns available and I'd never use this for either method of use/carry. No, I got this just because I wanted it. It will strictly be a range queen, likely only taken a few times a year unless ammo gets more plentiful, but damn if it doesn't just look great. I'll keep the supplied display case in a closet, but the revolver itself will take pride of place in my big gun cabinet.

So nobody's actually read the book yet and the SEAL's a d-bag? And publishers would never add drama to gain publicity and sales for a book. One that may or may not have the details on the raid or just be by a guy who knew a guy type. I do not know the facts of this book. I do not know that this guy did or did not reveal operational TTPs. But I do think he's earned the benefit of the doubt until someone has actually read the book. And nobody has actually read the book yet.

Stop loss. Know it, learn it, live it in your scenario. With it's cousin, involuntary recall for those with any sort of inactive reserve committment.

This. While your enthusiasm is great, you, in this thread opener, have what looks like the horse-cart imbalance. While I would never equate ABM school to UPT/UNT, not everybody can do the job. Make sure you can before you start publicly looking for the advanced stages. Graduating DG or some such, getting to your first assignment and busting ass at getting MR, would carry a lot of weight for establishing your credibility. Certainly ask your Weapons Officer(s) about the school, let 'em know you are interested, but be humble and good first. Be a mission hound to get as many control opportunities as you possibly can. Not only will that help you get into the School, it will help you perform at it. It is not for the weak.

What's this?! A discussion (Slingblade voice to ON: "Some folks might call it a conversation...") on a non-traditional means of firearms production? Sorry, gonna have to ask you to stop: Next you'll be bringing up how, potentially, ATFE and other regulators could jump on this bandwagon with or without Congressional involvement. Or start regulating on each and every other part of any firearm that such "homebrewers" might need to buy to complete their homebuild.

This is how the vaunted 5,000 posts record is being achieved? Besides genuinely being ignorant of the process, I was hoping to generate a conversation here.

Sorry for the dumba$$ question, but what is the process being discussed in the AR build immediately above? I'm not comprehending the "3D printing."

In any event, should something like this ever occur, I want the option. Good possibility that I will shat myself; good possibility that the scene is too chaotic to do anything offensive; good possibility of my 1-2 rounds fired don't do much. But a Pk of .0 if I am not armed.

Renting a room or basement is an affordable option. When I first moved to DC, I was a Class B bachelor while waiting for the school to get out and my family to join me. I rented a full-up, furnished basement, with bathroom and small kitchen for $700/month. That was a while ago, but $1,600 ought to get something nice-ish. Check the Washington Post classified or Craig's List.

Advance word on a soon to be released book: "Fighter Group," by Jay Stout. ("Guinness" is a retired USMC F-4/F-18 pilot, but don't hold that against him...) It is about the 352d Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, ETO. I was asked to review and provide a "blurb" for the back cover so I was given an advance (galley proof) copy. Outstanding read, good flying, accurate descriptions of all the personalities inherent in any unit. From the square-jawed All American to the d-bag that nobody liked, especially when he got liquored up, to the crew chiefs, to the intel dudes. A lot of WWII stuff is kinda formulaic. I thought this was different. He also gets some material from the German side of various fights, so it is interesting to see both sides of an engagement and the war. I'm buying a copy when it's released.

I did 11 years in the area until receiving my pardon from the governor a few months ago... AVOID the Maryland side of the river for living. Crime, taxes on everything, general asspain all are way higher there than in Virginia. If you are going to be there as a single, Rosslyn, would be my recommendation. Falls Church would be next. This is based on your list, there are other areas that are good depending on your circumstances/budget, etc.

A lawyer and a thick skin. Separate accounts now. The other financial suggestions above are good as well. Don't forget about any insurance policies that have a cash value that she could access. Mentioned above, but the crossing of "bidness" and emotion has to be avoided otherwise it WILL cost you more and as well as hurt just as much. Unfortunately, the other party is no longer your friend and partner. At best it's an adversary, at worst it's an enemy. Sounds like you are trying to keep it the former and I commend you for that, but do not allow softness when it comes to negotiating. This is now strictly a business transaction. Don't try to tough this out by yourself. Way too many have been down this road and will be glad to have you avoid the landmines they found out the hard way. Talk to them and/or other friends that she doesn't have a connection to. Support and someone to pour a beer and say, "That sucks," is much better than the stoic, don't say nothin' to nobody route. Get a lawyer ASAP. You are too close to the situation to think of all the angles and all the details. Hire an objective professional to do that for you. 99.69% it will be cheaper in the long run for the lawyer to run this than for you to try and have your USAF job. In that case, chances are neither the divorce or your job gets done well. Best of luck.

Nice report. How about the size of the grip? With a .45, my thought would be that if you can't get all fingers on it, it will be awkward/uncomfortable to shoot? That's my complaint about a PPK or the Taurus PT series. With the shorter clip, I have to curl my pinkie under it and I don't much care for that. Is it big enough and if not, does or will Springfield make an extended magazine?

Looking forward to the XDs report. Will get it and/or the M&P Shield as soon as I'm legal again. M&P fits my hand, but .45 is way nicer than 9mm.

Walther P-1 (Or A Long Strange Trip) I finally got to shoot this today. Back in January, Bud's was running a special on these as surplus for, I think, $399, so I ordered one. My alibi was I was moving from northern Virginia in late February to Omaha, Nebraska, but as Bud's had a great reputation on-line and with me for fast service, I figured no problem. Wrong as usual. A sub-contractor was actually running this with Bud's marketing for them. Ordered, then an auto-delay of several weeks as soon as "submit" was hit. Crap... Fortunately, my FFL (hat tip to Dominion Arms in Manassas if the mods will allow a plug) agreed to hold the gun until I could get back to move my family when school was out in June. Meanwhile, I moved to Nebraska. Virginia is a very gun owner friendly state. This new one, surprisingly to me, not so much. There's a purchase permit required before you can even buy a gun which is a $5.00 gouge to get some bucks, but ok. After that, the state is ok with it. Omaha, however, is down right anti-gun. They require a new resident to register all guns with the police department (right, I'll get right on that...) and the gun license can't be used until you do register the newly purchased gun with the PD. The solution, of course, is not to buy within the city limits. A way around all this BS, strangely enough, is to obtain a CCW, which I am doing. Wait six months as a new resident, take a class, shoot, fill out way too many forms, and bam!, the purchase permit and the registration is moot. Of course, in the meantime, I can't exercise my 2d Amendment right for six months. I thank my friends across the Missouri River for stashing my firearms until I complete the hoops. Now on to this review. The pistol with one clip arrived in a cardboard box, wrapped in some wax paper inside a plastic bag. It came with one magazine of 8 round capacity. The standard grips are black plastic/bakelite. I replaced 'em with after-market wood grips as the photo shows. The guns were sold surplus, so the luck of the draw existed. I, for once, got lucky. If mine had ever been issued, I would be surprised. Not a mark, scratch, or slightest bit of wear to be found. Mine was stamped "4/80" meaning it was manufactured in April, 1980. I have never seen a firearm as completely, utterly dry and unlubed as this one. After dissembly, not the slightest trace of oil/grease/gunk could be found. The barrel was pristine and clean. Lubed and checked, it was time to shoot. The P1 is an aluminum descendant of the steel-framed P38 and is the same thing with lighter metal. This is a big gun. As big as a Government model 1911 but in a 9mm flavor. That size soaked up recoil magnificently. There was basicially none. I imagine a steel-frame version would barely buck at all. The workmanship and fit of the gun is really, really good. Nothing loose, nothing rattled, no rough edges. If I got the history right, the P38 was the first successful double-action semi-auto pistol. The slide is open-top like the Beretta M9 which I think borrowed heavily from this way back when. The double-action trigger is heavy. As in cranky lawnmower rope pull heavy. There's no "accidently" pulling the trigger on this with the hammer down. In single action, it is great. A light (for a service pistol) clean, crisp break. No creep at all. The design seemed to be idiot-proof. Like the trigger, the magazine release is not something you are going to manipulate accidently. It's a small slide-like switch at the bottom butt of the grip. Hard/impossible to do one-handed, but clever in placement and design, it only took a few magazines to get used to it. The sights are big. A white dot on the front with a smallish white horizontal line between the two sides of the large rear sight. Kinda Heinie-like, but not exactly. I'd rather just go without it, but it's already painted on, so no worries. The gun was accurate. I put 150 rounds (by the way, this is an older design so no "modern" +P or hotter loads) at a B-27 target at 25 feet. All but 2 flyaways were in the 9 ring and most in the upper 10 ring. Most were untimed, placed shots with only a few magazines used on rapid fire and/or double-action. Accuracy suffered accordingly during those. Don't know what the problem was, but at first the slide wouldn't lock back when a clip was empty. As the morning progressed, it did. Break in the springs and/or magazines? One problem that really is an issue is this got hot. At 100 rounds, the frame was hot. The wraparound wood grips helped as I imagine the side-covering only plastic grips would allow the frame in the grip to transfer that heat to my palm. At 120 rounds, the trigger was hot. By the end, it was painful and raising a blister so it was time to call it a day with this one. Take down is pretty standard; drop the magazine, slide to the rear, rotate the takedown lever down, slide forward, barrel out of the slide, and there you go. There are is a small spring on each side of the slide instead of the one in the center as in most semi-autos. Of course, since the barrel is sticking out there on its own and not inside the slide where the recoil spring can push against the mechanism, this was Walther's early 1940s way of solving the problem. One of the reasons why +P ammo is frowned upon. That and the frame isn't going to stand up to the higher pressures over a lifetime as it wasn't designed for them either. This gun does have the "hex screw" in the frame which was a way to increase frame strengh, but still, just don't do it. So, for a historical service weapon, I'm happy with it. It's well-made, it's in great shape, it shoots great and it makes the 5th Walther in my cabinet. The standard issue of the German Army and most police forces until replaced in the 1990s and later, it proved it's longevity and reliability. It would never be my "go to" gun for anything other than the range, but I like it and recommend it for the right price and in the right condition.

"GCI, great call..."