Not Another One

Ah, jeez… just when I thought I’d seen everything I wanted to see about old guns (thankee Othias/Mae at C&Rsenal, and Ian McCollum on “Forgotten” Weapons), I came across 9-Hole Reviews

…and good-bye to the rest of my so-called free time.

My favorite so far:  the K98 and the K98 mounted with what Gun Jesus calls “the worst German sniper scope of WWII” (or something like that).  Of course, in the hands of a decent (!) rifleman with good eyes, it’s pretty damn good.  Note how his accuracy improves over iron sights, with a simple 1.5x scope and a German #4 post reticle.

No need to thank me — or curse me, for that matter — it’s all part of the service.

Bear Medicine

Thanks to Reader Evan M for sending this verified data about bears and handguns:

I engaged in a search for instances where pistols were used to defend against bears. I and my associates have found 37 instances that are fairly easily confirmed. The earliest happened in 1987, the latest mere months ago. The incidents are heavily weighted toward the present, as the ability to publish and search for these incidents has increased, along with increases in bear and human populations, and the carry of pistols.

The 37 cases include one that can fairly be described as a “failure”.

The pistol calibers, when known, range from 9 mm to .454 Casull. The most common are .44 magnums.

I’ve never been in bear country (I dunno if Wisconsin- and Michigan forests count), but if I were ever to visit Montana or Alaska, for example, there’s no way I’d get out of the car or house without one of these puppies :

For those unfamiliar, they’re the Ruger Redhawk (top) and S&W Mod 629, both in .44 Magnum… and inside a chest holster:

…AND my 1911 (loaded with 230gr FMJ boolets) in a waistband holster.

(Heh heh heh… a 1911 as a backup.)

Screw that bear spray bullshit.  If the Fishcops want me to use it, they can give me a can beforehand.

Gratuitous Gun Pic — Ruger PC-9 Carbine (9mm Para)

I was wandering idly through my Inbox, deleting just about 99% of it as always, when I stumbled across an ad from these guys which featured this thing:

Now, Ruger’s PC-9 has been around with us for a long time, and deservedly so.  This particular model (one of many) has been gussied up with a barrel-cooling sleeve and a Picatinny rail, and for under $650 is a pretty decent deal.

If only they made them in .45 ACP, using either 1911 mags or their own 10-round double-stack ones, I’d be seriously tempted.  But in the 9mm Europellet?  Not so much.

And I’m not the only one.

Just Be Careful, Kristi

In the face of L.A. cops being fired for refusing Rona jabs, SDGov Kristi Noem says:

“To LA County law enforcement officers facing potential firing: In South Dakota, you will not be fired for making personal health decisions. We respect law enforcement and everything you do to defend our freedoms. We would love to have you come join us.”

That’s all well and good, Governor, and let’s hope some of them take up your offer and come on up to the Mount Rushmore State.

But please make a few ground rules clear before you send them out to police your citizens, especially in terms of the Second Amendment.  While cops generally are quite conservative, I’m not so sure about California cops, because they’ve been enforcing some pretty shitty un-Constitutional anti-gun laws in the Golden Shower State and they’ll probably need a training course in SD gun laws to remind them of the “shall not be infringed” stuff.  They’ll also need to become free of the fear of seeing citizens carrying guns openly, never mind concealed.

Just a thought.

Use Enough Gun

…especially when you’re attacked by a moose:

“As he charged me I emptied my gun into him and he never stopped,” she wrote on Facebook. “I ran for my life and prayed I was fast enough to not be killed in that moment. He trampled the team and then turned for us.”

Yeah, well.  Read the piece for the details about her “gun”.

Of particular interest to me is this statement:

She said no musher would ever travel with a rifle or a large caliber gun, instead preferring to scare off animals with a flare gun. And with all the jostling of the sled, the larger guns could easily go off.

Firstly, if your gun goes off because of “jostling”, you need some training and/or a better gun.  The thought of something like this Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag going off by being jostled,,,?

Ain’t gonna happen.

As for mushers going out without a rifle or large-caliber handgun:   if what this idiot says is true, they’re bigger idiots than I thought.  FFS, even realtors carry a heavy gun when they’re showing cabins and houses in the Alaska boonies.

Damn Immigrants

…coming over here, sleeping with our Murkin wimmins, taking our jobs, and now (gasp) wanting to destroy our beloved Department of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms:

Born an Englishman but a U.S. citizen since 2006, Martin Hyde knew the danger such lists pose. He’d seen how they had been misused in England, Australia and elsewhere.

“When a government has a list of the people who own guns, it almost always leads to confiscation,” Hyde said. “When I saw this, I knew the ATF had to go – it has to be abolished or broken up. Besides, no one makes a better case for abolishing the ATF than the ATF.

“I grew up in London without the right to keep and bear arms. Englishmen were never unarmed; we were disarmed by the government. Americans don’t understand what that’s like, thankfully. Our Second Amendment prohibits the government from disarming the people, and it needs to be protected – enshrined, if you will.”

And yes, he’s become a keen gun owner since becoming a citizen.