I had purchased a short 5 slot ERGO rail to mount a side sling attachment point on my MOE hand guards. Apparently the plastic used is very soft. I had tightened it only enough for the bolts to feel secure. This caused the bolts to pinch . . . → Read More: Rails]]> Don’t buy polymer picatinny rails for your MOE forearms. They break.

I had purchased a short 5 slot ERGO rail to mount a side sling attachment point on my MOE hand guards. Apparently the plastic used is very soft. I had tightened it only enough for the bolts to feel secure. This caused the bolts to pinch the material and all it took was one good yank for the heads of the bolt to actually pass through the bolt holes, and off popped the rail. Off to find a short aluminum one, I guess.

Which reminds me, I have a really nice gig bag with no guitar to put in it. I guess I should either buy another guitar, or modify it . . . → Read More: Carry Your Rifle]]> Advanced Armament Corp shows us some rifle cases that are designed to look like a guitar gig bag. Not a bad idea to help you be the gray man.

Which reminds me, I have a really nice gig bag with no guitar to put in it. I guess I should either buy another guitar, or modify it to carry my rifle.

H/T SayUncle

Which reminds me, I still need to . . . → Read More: Guns & Holsters & Stuff]]> I carried my Kimber Custom II for the first time in a long time today. I forgot how comfortable my HBE IWB holster is. The only time I am aware its there is when I’m sitting down, and even then its not uncomfortable, I just feel it pushing on me.

Which reminds me, I still need to get a good holster for my SP101. When I bought it, I initially just got a cheap Uncle Mikes IWB, just to protect it some – until I found a decent holster. Its basically just a piece of neoprene cloth (or similar) folded over and sewn together, and then it has a clip on it for your belt. I decided to try actually carrying with it and its actually a pretty nice holster for $14. It doesnt have the amount of cant that I like, and it has no retention of its own – but when its torqued down under your belt, the gun is going no where. I was surprised.

The pistol has two buttons that turn on the red dot,  one one  either . . . → Read More: Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380]]> I finally got to play with one at the gun counter today.  Overall I like its size,  weight and feel; and I like most of its features.  I just had one problem with it: the buttons that turn on the built in laser.

The pistol has two buttons that turn on the red dot,  one one  either side of the frame.  It can easily be reached by the trigger finger or the thumb on your supporting hand.  The problem is they are hard to push. I suspect this might be to keep the laser from being bumped on while in your pocket or holster – but you have to push pretty darn hard to get it to turn on.  In a situation where a quick draw and a quick shot are needed, turning the laser on might not be viable.

The other features of the pistol I really like.  It’s got real sights on it and a thumb safety,  which as a 1911 guy; I am very used to.

I was planning on getting one and still am,  though it won’t be until the end of the year or so.  It was tagged at $480 plus tax.

Click picture for full size.

The Chiappa Rhino is no ordinary revolver. The barrel is indexed with the bottom chamber of the cylinder, rather than the top. It . . . → Read More: Chiappa Rhino]]> It appears that Chiappa will start shipping the Rhino revolver out pretty soon. I’ve always had a soft spot for wheelguns, but this one I am not sure about.

Click picture for full size.

The Chiappa Rhino is no ordinary revolver. The barrel is indexed with the bottom chamber of the cylinder, rather than the top. It gives the Rhino very unique lines.

Chiappa claims that the lower barrel helps reduce recoil and  muzzle flip, and I want to shoot one to find out.

They will release the 2″ barrel version of this revolver first, and then it will be followed up by the 3″, 4″ and 6″ models. They will be available in stainless and black finishes. They all appear to be chambered for the .357 magnum cartridge and will be available in SA/DA and DA only configurations.

For the initial 2″ model, it looks like the price will be somewhere in between $700 and $800.

ODESSA, FL (August 22, 2010) – Zel Custom Manufacturing introduces the Tactilite T2, a magazine-fed, bolt-action .50 BMG conversion for AR-15 style rifles. The T2 utilizes a side-mounted magazine design (similar to a Sten gun) on Zel Custom’s unique steel billet . . . → Read More: Magazine Fed .50 AR Upper]]> Robb Allen shows us a whole lot of awesome – the Zel Custom Manufacturing Tactilite T2.

ODESSA, FL (August 22, 2010) – Zel Custom Manufacturing introduces the Tactilite T2, a magazine-fed, bolt-action .50 BMG conversion for AR-15 style rifles. The T2 utilizes a side-mounted magazine design (similar to a Sten gun) on Zel Custom’s unique steel billet upper receiver. As a “firearms accessory”, the Tactilite T2 .50 BMG conversion kit requires no special paperwork, background check or waiting period.

See http://www.tactilite.com/ for more information. We wants one.

I was 21 at the time, I had just purchased my first handgun months prior. I had . . . → Read More: Robbery in Progress]]> I commented on a post at Walls of the City stating that my open carry had once stopped a robbery in progress. Linoge suggested I should post about it, so here it is -along with a little retrospect and soapboxery:

I was 21 at the time, I had just purchased my first handgun months prior. I had been out in the desert plinking with some friends all day, and just left my Kimber on my hip for the drive back into town. Along the way I stopped off at a convenience store to get a drink.

I walked into the Circle K, pretty much unaware and clueless about what was taking place. A man was at the counter pointing a snub nose revolver of some kind at the clerk, demanding money. I looked up and noticed him just in time to see him turn his look towards me. I saw his gun and saw him appraising me. I noticed his eyes give me the once over, and then I noticed he locked on at my midsection. I didn’t act. I don’t remember being afraid, but I didn’t know what to do. I was frozen for that moment.

All the sudden he just put his gun down on the counter, and he ran towards me as I sidestepped and let him through the door.

Now, I grew up with guns in the house – I’ve been shooting all my life. I’ve considered them for self defense but I had never put the amount of thought and training into it that is required. At this point, I saw a man with a gun, I basically forgot I had one. I just watched him as he did what he did and ran out of the store. It was that day that I decided if I was going to carry a gun for self defense, that I had better learn to use it for that reason. I decided that I must become situationally aware of all things, at all times. This instance basically changed my life. Thank god nobody god hurt.

Back to the robbery – as it turns out, the clerk and I were both very lucky. His revolver had no ammo in it. That’s why he ran – when he saw my firearm. Not so lucky for the BG, he got caught a few minutes later – apparently there was someone in the back of the store who called 911 – I just showed up before they did.

I am also glad that I learned a very valuable lesson that day. What if he had a loaded gun? I could have put the clerks life in more danger that it was already in. I could have gotten shot and injured or killed that day. Had I been situationally aware and paying attention  I very easily could have seen what was going on inside the store, from outside the window, stayed outside and called the police. Or if I went inside and, say he was loaded and was going to point his gun at me – if I was situationally aware, I may have had an opportunity to defend myself – rather than just sit there and watch him, forgetting I had a gun like I did.

I can not stress enough how important it is for you to be aware – how important it is for you to get training. Just do it. Learn your gun, learn yourself, and learn your surroundings. As for me, now days I am constantly aware of whats going on around me. My better half accuses me of being nervous and/or paranoid. When we are out at a restaurant or in a crowd or whatever – I notice whats going on around me. It makes me feel better, and it might just save our lives.

Figuring out which firearms are and are not legal to own in MA is pretty easy (albeit stupid). Figuring out which magazines are and are not legal to own in MA is much harder. Let’s start off with the easy parts:

1. Anything with a capacity of 10 rounds or less . . . → Read More: Gun Ban]]> JayG posts about the restrictions in Massachusetts:

Figuring out which firearms are and are not legal to own in MA is pretty easy (albeit stupid). Figuring out which magazines are and are not legal to own in MA is much harder. Let’s start off with the easy parts:

1. Anything with a capacity of 10 rounds or less is fine;
2. Anything with a “Law Enforcement Only” stamp is not fine;
3. Anything over 10 rounds that did not exist prior to 1994 is not fine (i.e. S&W M&P normal capacity magazines).

Anything outside of these parameters gets significantly more difficult. Take Glock, for example. The magazines they manufactured in 2005 look very similar to those manufactured in 1993. SigArms mags are very much the same. Ditto aftermarket magazines for the Ruger 10/22. There’s probably hundreds of thousands of magazines available for AR-15 and AK-47 based rifles that fall into the “pre-ban” category by several decades; heck, rifles like the M1 carbine haven’t had magazines made since well before the ban (not USGI at least). [click the link above for the full thing]

As we all know, that is pretty ridiculous. What difference does it make if the magazine (or the firearm) was made in 2005 rather than 1993? Is the 2005 model somehow more deadly or dangerous? I just don’t understand the way the anti-gun crowd thinks.

Oh and on behalf of JayG, let me say: go to hell Mitt Romney!