The Miller

Nations Gun Show

The Nations Gun Show is this weekend in the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly VA.

I will not be going this weekend because I will be having friends visiting from out of town.

The reason I mention it today is because of recent events in the courts. It might be busy in the future... more busy.

A federal district court in Texas overturned a 1968 gun law prohibiting the sale of handguns to out-of-state residents, granting those who live in Washington, D.C., the ability to travel to an out-of-state gun store, buy a handgun and bring it home without a middleman.

--1968, 1934, 1984, Gun control efforts are all eroding...

Ammo Age

One thing I really should have done in the past was date ammo that was going into a long term rotation.

A few years ago I started storing my .22LR in soda bottles. A 20 ounce soda bottle holds 500 rounds perfectly. It keeps the ammo handy and very dry. I like using the wide mouth Snapple bottles.

I even ran a test, keeping some in my aquarium for two months and it was still dry.

I have been shooting my old .22 recently. I picked the bottle based on the most tarnished ammo.

--From now on I will put a date on the bottle. If I ever find any to buy again...

Weekly Comic Wednesday

When Children Visit

I have friends visiting from out of town this weekend and they have small children. They will be here for five nights.

Now that my kids are adults and out of the house I am more relaxed about placement and storage of firearms in the house.

It's easy for me to clear the projects off my bench and collect the few firearms from their usual spots. I don't stash them all over the house so it's easy.

In my house knives are more of a thing. There seems to be pocket knives all over the place. Fixed blade knives, kitchen knives and even swords and axes.

--I will not put away my Zombie Gnome!

Range run duds

On Saturday when Tony and I went to the range all we took was .22LR.

I was intentionally shooting my oldest ammo. The Ammo had to be at least 25 years old.

The Remington 597 has a pretty light firing pin. And out of the 150 rounds I shot from it about 10 of them were duds. They had very clear strike marks and I carefully set them aside.

I had also brought along my HR .22 revolver and as a test I loaded up all these duds in there. I ran the entire drum 3 full times. Eventually all the rounds fired but one. Some on the first lap, some on the second and none on the third.

Only one round failed to fire after four tries, including the rifle.

I'm thinking of getting another .22 revolver.

--It was a good day.

Quotes of the Week

We have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.
– Thomas Jefferson

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.
– Pericles

Subsidies create more of whatever is being subsidized.
– Lew Rockwell

I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a disgrace, two become a law firm, and three or more become a congress.
– John Adams

People who are forever ready to charge others with “greed” never apply that word to the government.
– Thomas Sowell
I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.
– Ulysses S. Grant

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.
– Montesquieu

Silencers

Range Day

I went to the rang today for a bit of quiet fun.

This is my suppressed Ruger Mark III with the Leapers Red Dot. Got it sighted in and super fun to mag dump at 25 yards.

It is so quiet.

People always ask what it is. You basically only hear the action cycle.

-Fun Fun Fun...

Tec-22

It's Friday! Random Mostly.

It's been a long week for me at work. Not much to blog about this morning. I will only be going to work for a couple hours today and out at lunch time!

I did buy a Promag Glock vice block this week. I have one for AR15s and find it to be very damn handy. I can clamp it in my vice and hold double stacks.

I also ordered four more mags for my Glock 17. The package came yesterday with four mags for a Glock 19. That little adventure will be blogged about later. Will it be a post about good or bad customer service? We shall see...

It's 11 degrees out there right now. I moved to Virginia to get away from the cold dammit! Where is my Global Warming when I need it! They promised me global warming! Oh, sorry. Climate Change.

--I will also be doing my taxes this weekend. I will NEED to go to the range after that.

Tool for Hiding a Gun

I am always on the lookout for good ways to hide and store my guns. This vid shows you how to make a quick and easy and cheap gun magnet.

I could use a series of these on the inside of the door of my safe. I could use it to stash one behind my headboard or a bedside table.

It might even have utility in the trunk of my car.

--Plus it gets rid of that pile of hard drives I have...

Weekly Comic Wednesday

Random Tuesday

Good morning, Tuesday.

I just finished the book Friday by Robert Heinline again. I remembered enjoying it more.

I also just watched The Interview on Netflix. I am so glad I didn't pay to see it.

I am planning a full post on my new Manta Suppressor Cover. It will allow me to touch a hot suppressor to make sure it's still tight.

A friend of mine spotted me in the studio audience of NRA Gun Gurus. I was sitting in the front row. He freeze framed it and too a pic of the TV and posted it on Facebook.

I went to the range with several friends this weekend. I decided to shoot .22s.

I took some of my oldest ammo. It was probably 30 year old ammo and out of 50 rounds 5 rounds were duds and 2 had feed problems. They were lead nose hallow points. Very soft ammo.

The guy in the lane next to us had a brand new 1911 and while trying to load it's very first round it would only come half way out of the magazine. The mag would not eject and the round was firmly stuck. JayG helped the guy out and finally got the round to load. Looks like the mags will work with only 7 rounds.

--Need more coffee. I am off to work!!

Police Encounter

This guy was in Oceanside CA and open carrying a S&W .40 on his belt that was not even loaded. Open carry is legal there, but apparently he was making enough people nervous that multiple folks called the police to report an armed suspicious character. I can understand that.

I have a few comments:

This guy was lucky that he was stopped by a reasonable Officer.
Open carrying an unloaded firearm is not a good idea. It's a good way to get killed. It's like a Shoot Me First sign.
The safest place for a gun is in the holster.
If you are doing this to make a point and think this kind of activism is helping, you are probably wrong.
When dealing with the police, if is usually better to be the one asking the questions.
Answer questions politely with your own question. Presuming you are not doing anything wrong. "Good morning Officer, how are you today?" or "Have I wandered into a restricted area?" (school zone) or "I'm very safety conscious and lawful, is there something wrong?" or "I'm on a tight schedule today. If everything is cool I need to get moving."
Be polite. Not belligerent. Police can detain and release you. It's easy to justify if you act poorly.
I usually thank the officer as well for all they do. They have a shitty job and usually have to deal with assholes all day. Be polite. Know the law. Ask questions. Don't be an asshole.
Remember, Police are humans beings and can have bad days and even make mistakes. Don't put yourself intentionally in conflict with them.

--I always say this: We need more Andy Griffith and less SWAT.

Quotes of the Week

People who are forever ready to charge others with “greed” never apply that word to the government.
– Thomas Sowell

I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.
– Ulysses S. Grant

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.
– Montesquieu

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
– Will Rogers

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
– Edward Langley

What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It's not good at much else.
– Tom Clancy