The Miller: May 2011

Tactical Sammichs!

CMMG, makers of our favorite Tactical Bacon, has done it again with the Tactical Sammich!

"Tactical Sammiches are available in Pepperoni and BBQ Beef, the only flavors double certified* for post apocalypse survivor ration shelving. At 300 calories of pure tactical goodness, CMMG Tactical Sammiches have a shelf life of over 2 years if maintained at 80 degrees or less. The sammiches can be stored at 100 degrees for up to six months, in case you're stuck somewhere warm when the radioactive commie zombies attack."

I wish they were bigger and contained way more calories. We need massive calories for Zombies, dammit!

--I want long shelf life PB&Js! Big ones, dammit!

Range 82

I took a tour today of a membership only range that is close to my house called Range 82.

This facility is used by federal and local agencies for training primarily. During the day, because of this, Monday thru Friday, reservations are required between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM (Shooting begins at 9:00 AM).

General Membership Evening Hours:
- Tues. (handgun),
- Wed. (rifle),
- Thur. (handgun),
- Fri. (Special events, Groups)

- Saturday (handgun)
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Pistol range only (25 yard line and in)
- Saturday (rifle)
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Rifle range only (100 yard line and in)
- Saturday shooters RSVP by phone or e-mail by 10 AM

The facilities are currently closed Sundays.

I had emailed ahead and lined up a quick tour and talk with Lee Hollander, one of the owner/operators of Range 82. He was awesome.

The only negative I could see was that there was no skeet shooting. There is a small airport just up the street! What could go wrong?

Lee was telling me that their primary business was as government firearms training facility and the evening and weekend membership is recent. At only 55 members so far the range is never crowded. I will give it a try!

--And it's close to my house!

Quotes of the Day

“The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized.”

–Col. Jeff Cooper

Everyone Needs a Hobby!

I want to do this!!

--Just imagine the possible uses!!

SRM Model 1216 Combat Shotgun

I love 12 gauge semi-auto combat shotguns. Ever since I bought my Saiga 12 I have discovered how devastating they can be. They can move a serious amount of lead down range in short order.

Another candidate on this list is the SRM 1216. It has the innovation of a rotating mag that actually holds 16 rounds of 12 gauge. Check it out at www.initialpointfirearms.com. It looks simple to operate and has plenty of rails for accessories.

Model 1216 Civilian Version

12 Gauge Rotary Mag holds 16 rounds

Ergonomic, compact design along with the flexibility of a detachable magazine provides unsurpassed firepower, force multiplication, and tactical advantages.
Rotary, detachable, high-capacity magazine holding 8, 12, or 16 rounds of either 2 3/4 or 3-inch shotshells.
Semi-automatic action that self feeds following the rotation of the quad-tube, revolving magazine.
Roller delayed action provides fast cycling and reduced felt recoil.
An integrated picatinny rail combined with a three face hand-guard rail offers the shooter a broad range of options for mounting optics, sights, lights, and other tactical accessories.
Pushpin disassembly and break open design allows for easy field stripping and maintenance.
Ambidextrous receiver and controls can be set up for either right or left-handed shooters.
Length of the 1216 model is only 34 inches with a standard 18-inch barrel.
The NFA versions are 28 or 25 inches long, while still delivering a 12 or 8-round magazine.

--Could not find a price on it yet. Will update when I do. Gotta feel it!

Wild Ass An Idea #243

There was a great view on the balcony of the convention center where the annual NRA convention was held. Just in front of the Media room was the view below of this railroad bridge to no where.

You see trains no longer use this bridge. The near end In fact no longer even has tracks.

I wonder if I could buy this bridge? Enclose it, and make a 200 or 300 yard, indoor, rifle range.

What a great shooting club that would make. I would add modern, automatic, target systems. Remote monitors with close up views of the targets. It's big enough it could be multi-leveled, like driving ranges! That bridge is strong enough to hold tons of sand for a backstop and armor the range itself!

A restaurant with an observation level! A sweet gun shop!

--Wife! Get the Mayor of Pittsburgh on the phone! Stat!

Range Report

I went to the range this weekend with my son and a couple friends. We got there right at opening.

We went to Blue Ridge Arsenal, an indoor range here in Northern VA. They were talking about this range at work. The renovations and ventilation repairs are now complete.I had stopped going to this because the owner was very public about the fact that he voted for Barack Obama. The service there was really bad. They were slow, made all four of us use one lane, and they didn't know jack about guns, didn't know that my Cx4 Storm carbine used pistol ammo. The range officer was ridiculous. I will not be going there again any time soon.

Anyway...

My RIA 1911, "The Biter", continues to roll without any failures. I think it's tuned at last.
My Beretta 96D still doesn't like blunt nose ammo. Feed jams. The LaserMax guide rod LASER is in and out. I bought it in 1996.
My Cx4 Storm was loved by all. Need to buy more mags so we can spend more time shooting and less reloading.
My Glock 21 was on my hip and is still the one for the pending Zombie Apocalypse.
My Friend Tony liked my Px4 .40 the best.

My friend brought his Glock 22 .40 cal. I use to have one of these and like it way less than my Glock 17 or 21. It is one of the few guns that has have sold. I tried Mikes Glock 22. The trigger was really heavy and not smooth. Gritty in fact. It made me was to do a super clean and polish with the air compressor to smooth that thing out.

--Might be going again next weekend! My new 10/22 mags just arrived! (but not to Blue Ridge)

Add this to your BOB

How good is your First-Aid kit?

I bet it is not as cool as mine.

-Bacon makes everything better...

P.S. I have created a new category: Bacon

OC Bandwagon

Breda, Nancy and others are building up steam for June 5th (the first Sunday in June) has hereby been declared the first annual Open Carry Day for those that can do it.

That's it. Just wear a gun, and go about your normal daily routine.

The sight of regular people wearing a gun shouldn't be a big deal, and who better to normalize it than reasonably normal people?

Report back with what happens. I’m hoping there will be a lot observations that “Person goes about their normal day with a gun and nothing happened!”

It will turn into a non-event, which is exactly what open carrying should be.

--I'm in. Join me! We'll do lunch! Post pocs!

Want: RONI Conversion Kit

I have had a .45ACP carbine on my want list for a long time. I really like the idea of a Glock Carbine and I am tired of waiting, dammit! If it was available today I would buy one.

I saw the Roni Conversion Kit at the NRA convention. It was a prototype. It also had a 16 inch replacement barrel. It wouldn't require an SBR stamp. No availability date yet.

--Hurry the Hell up and sell me one damn you!

Quotes of the Day

Carole Lombard: Life Magazine, 1938.

"I’ve learned that freedom is not free and I found it. The reason the whole world sucks and America sucks less is because the U.S. Constitution…”

-- Ted Nugent

"The unarmed man is not just defenseless, he is also contemptible."

--Machiavelli

"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

--Thomas Jefferson

"By calling attention to 'a well regulated militia', the 'security' of the nation, and the right of each citizen 'to keep and bear arms', our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important."

--Senator John F. Kennedy, 1960

"The unarmed man can only flee from evil. And evil is never overcome by fleeing from it."

--Col. Jeff Cooper

Open Carry

My favorite OC Rig

I was reading today about Bredas adventure in Open Carry.

It made me think of a story.

My goto gun is a Glock 21 .45acp. My favorite holster for it is in the pic to the right. I always wear it on range days. Even if it is not my focus for that day I will put a couple mags worth though it for practice.

Anyway on that day I went to the range with my son on a Saturday morning. After we were done it was lunch time so we decided to go to McDonalds.

Without a second thought about OC we went in and while waiting in line a guy looks at my gun and asks, "Are you a cop?"

I replied in a polite, firm tone, "Are you?"

He immediatly answered, "No." Like the question was rediculous.

So I said simply, "Then why are you asking me that question?"

--He didn't say another word.

Movie: Machete

"After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss."

Machete is a Grindhouse action flick started as a trailer parody for Quintin Tarantinos Death-Proof. It stars Danny Trejo. I met Danny Trejo at a horror movie convention a couple years ago. Even got an autographed photo. Cool guy. Funny and really nice.

This Movie has a ton of firearms. Here is the list from the Internet Firearms Movie Database:

--The Miller Rating: 7 out of 10

Want: Stoeger Air Rifle

Stoeger Series of Silenced Air Rifles

I have been looking at a lot of air rifles lately. I am currently leaning toward a Stoeger Air Rifle.

I have a series of requirements.

Min 1200 fps
Projectiles .22 cal
Weight under 10 pounds
Iron and Glass Sights
Synthetic Stock
Silent, Quieter the Better
Durable
Reasonable prices

These are great shooters for rabbits, squirrels, birds and other small game. These are Great for target shooting too. They are modestly priced as well. Here is a nice list of Models and Pricing information that also contain the specs and features. They are also available on AMAZON.COM!

Crisp and Clean

When I was at the NRA Convention this year everyone was carrying. I love that. Open carry and concealed carry.

There were so many styles of holsters it was boggling. People wearing them, showing them, and selling them.

Breda bought this beauty from Galco for her Bersa with it's new Crimson Trace grip. The profile is great for the LASER grip. It is a perfect match for her belt (very important). It is made of very light and durable materials. It matches her outfit perfectly. Jeans, black belt, black gun, black grips and a black leather jacket is so hott!

This picture also shows something that I have discovered recently. Guns are easier to carry if you are fit. Breda is in great shape. She would probably disagree but I leave it to you to decide from this random pic!

I have lost about 50 pounds so far over the last year and I have found that the leaner I am the easier it is to carry. I also shoot better the better my fitness. I need to lose another 50 pounds before my generous love handles are gone. That will make my holster options better and the holsters I have more comfortable.

--And yes I got permission to post this awesome pic! Now shut the hell up!

Dragon Leatherworks

Yes, that is one big old mess of sweet, sweet, freedom. In beautiful Dragon Leatherworks holsters...

I was at a Blogger social during the NRA convention when a spontaneous modeling session broke out! I think JayG bought his new grips for the Snubbie from Hell so it matched the holster!

--Great stuff.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Dual M2s on a PT Boat

I am at a Conference in Orlando this week.

For the first time in 10 years my wonderful wife agreed to come along and enjoy a mini vacation while I had the room already.

We came down a day early and went to Disney World. On Saturday we went to the Magic Kingdom and on Sunday we went to Hollywood Studios.

The last time I was here was about 10 years ago. It was in the middle of the Clinton AWB and it was creepy how completely guns had been removed from Disney World. None in the exhibits, shows, rides, anywhere.

Guns are back.

There are toy guns in all the gift shops. Every other kid has a Jack Sparrow Pirate Flintlock gun in his belt or a Star Wars Blaster. The action shows are filled with shooting bad guys, shooting from speeding cars, the jungle guide is once again shooting the killer crocs and threatening to feed the children to them. Airplane strafe and heros open up with Dual M2's!

Well Shot Volunteer

It was however kinda hard to look close and realize that real Ma Deuce's had been converted to prop guns.

Indiana Jones even gets to shoot the sword guy again in cold blood.

The woman in the red on the left was a volunteer from the audiance and they pretended to shoot her like 15 times as she acted a dramatic death! It was so fun.

--The winds have changed. Full speed ahead!

Chicken Fried Bacon

One day they will try and ban this taste delight. That is when the real trouble will start!

--Glory.

The Real Thing

People talk a lot about "Weapons of Mass Destruction".

They talk about the death toll of 200,000 at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But if you want to bet on a real body count, my money is on the AK-47.

Simple, reliable, and available on the street in some countries for $50. I believe that probably 20 million or more have fallen before this "Small Arm".

People say it's pointless to "Keep and Bear Arms" because today's WMDs cannot be stopped. This is so very wrong. If the world goes south is not going to be nukes that take the lion share of lives. It will be small arms, like the AK-47, harvesting the lives of those that cannot defend themselves.

Gun control advocates say that this is the very reason we should ban them all. But we don't want our country to become one large gun free zone. We don't want to make it easy for someone, anyone, to come and take lives. Our lives.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." --Thomas Jefferson

-- Think of the lives that could have been saved.

Falling Down, Blogger that is...

Falling Down

It has been a weird couple of days for my Blog.

Blogger.com was down for like three days. I was unable to add any new posts. At various times comments and posts disappeared. And other times some posts were gone and not others.

Some of my scheduled posts are lost forever. Oh well.

I wasn't the only one caught in this bit of chaos. Several of my favorite coffee break web surfing sites were off line as well.

I was hoping to stack up several posts so while I was out of town on business I could drink beer WITHOUT my computer in my lap...

Maybe this is how the Zombie Apocalypse starts.

--Will this post get through? Will either of you care?

Meet the Vulture

So Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is taking autonomous robots to the next level.

The Vulture is an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle that can go up and stay up for five years without refueling or landing. How long before it is a persistent weapons platform!!??

"Vulture technology enables a re-taskable, persistent pseudo-satellite capability, in an aircraft package. The technology combines the key benefits of an aircraft (flexibility & responsiveness, sensor resolution, reduced transmit/receive power, affordability) with the benefits of space assets (on-station persistence, no logistics tail, energy independence, fleet size, absence of in-country footprint)."

--There is no fate but what we make for ourselves...

Bartel Armory Gun Safe

I am always on the lookout for creative ways to secure and stash my firearms. I had the chance to look the Bartel Armory Gun Safe.

It's a huge heavy cylinder.

The door swings in and away. Plus the whole heavy damn thing turns.

In talking to the sales guy the best idea of all was to custom paint the whole thing like a hot water heater.

Great idea.

--I will not discuss the other ways that were suggested custom paint it!

Duracoat Finishes

When Duracoat goes wrong.

As I was wandering the floor at the NRA Convention I suddenly had to shield my eyes from something that stuck out like a neon light.

It looks like a plastic toy but both the AR-15 and the belly mounted 1911 were both steel, painted with a Duracoat finish.

I swear if you walked through my neighbor with that thing, no one would look twice, thinking it was a water gun!

Now I am not recommending that you run out and paint your favorite rifle like this! The easy of doing it yourself is really great. The examples you can do yourself are really good.

--Available in matte black as well as a variety of florescent colors! Damn taggers!

Glock vs 1911 War is Over

Gunny Ermey Endorses Glock! Boo-yaa...

--He was also elected to the board of the NRA!

Want: RONI Conversion Kit

Roni has a new member of their conversion kit line that debuted at the 2011 NRA Convention. This unit has 16 inch replacement barrel for your Glock 21 in addition to the drop in carbine body. This allows the reliability of Glock to be exploited in a .45acp carbine.

One of the major advantages to this kit is that it does not require an SBR.

Roni's Glock 21 Based Carbine

I really like the ergonomics of this ugly thing. It is light weight, comfortable and adjustable, has 30 round mags available, plus it has plenty of rails for accessories.

--I would have bought one on the spot if possible. $299 for the kit!

My Next AR-15

I handled a ton of AR-15s at the NRA Convention in search of my next architecture. I am looking for specific features for my next AR-15. Weight is the theme. Lean and mean. Simple.

My current DPMS AR-15 is named Alice and is configured with the kitchen sink. It has everything: EOTech with a flip out 3x, a LASER, a tac light, bull barrel, drop front grip.

The leading contender for my next light rig will probably be a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 like the one below. It's a light 6.5 pounds. Add a nice sling, small EOTech, a drop front grip and it's done.

--Crisp and clean and no caffeine...

Mossberg Chainsaw

I read about the Mossberg Chainsaw a while ago but finally got to actually handle one.

The shooting from the hip thing comes really natural for me. I love destroying pumpkins the day after Halloween or chasing cans with birdshot.

The ergonomics of this ugly thing is kinda awesome.

KAC Chainsaw

It reminds me of the KAC Chainsaw that also looks like a lot of fun.

Especially when running at full auto. Chainsaw is a good name because it can easily cut down trees...

--Lots of fun from the hip!

Airguns

Airforce Airguns

I have had an airgun for years. The one I have is a target pistol.

Recently my brother purchased a Remington air rifle to a bit of varmint control.

The convention was full of Airguns for Adults! The pic to the right shows an example of air guns that are NOT toys.

AIRFORCE airguns run on compressed air, stored under 3000 psi or standard CO2 for paintball guns.

Very cool stuff. 1000 shots on one CO2 tank.

These were not the only air rifles for grown ups. There will be more on the others later!

--And dammit. They look cool.

More Wantables from the Convention!

The Model 700 SPS Tactical is .308 bolt action rifle, built for tack driving accuracy with a 20" heavy-contour tactical-style, threaded barrel and dual-point pillar bedding in its synthetic stock. All you have to do is add a sweet scope and a suppressor.


Remington 700 SPS Tactical

My nephew has one of these with a suppressor that not only brings the sound down but also the flash.

Caliber:	.308
Barrel:	Carbon Steel
Barrel Length:	20" (508mm)
Twist:	RH 1:12" (.308)
Empty Weight:	7.5 lbs (3.40 kg)
Overall Length:	40.0" (1.016m)
Magazine:	4 round internal box
Trigger:	Remington X-Mark Pro™, adjustable for weight


Price:	~$600

--Headed for the want list big time!

2011 NRA Convention Goodness

One of the best things about the NRA Convention is the ability to handle firearms that I may not normally get my hands on. Barrett Firearms had a big boot on the floor. The picture below is one I would buy if I won the Lotto. $11,000 as configured, with suppressor. Why the suppressor on a .50 BMG? Because those thing are damn loud. The suppressor makes it sound like a tiny .308.

They had several models I fondled. They weigh a ton, just as they should. A ton of long range justice.

Go to their website, if you have not already, and check out the wide variety of firearm configurations.

--One day I shall have one. One day...

The Phalanx Holster system

Phalanx Holster System

I like to carry my Glocks. I also like them to have the tactical light attached and so far have not found a good solution to carry it, with a round in the chamber and the tac light attached.

The Phalanx system might be a possible solution.

It has the features that I require and few I do not.

It has the trigger guard. It has the free dorsal configuration that allows a tactical light or belly LASER to be securely attached.

It has an odd version that require you to holster the gun WITHOUT one in the chamber. To upholster in this mode you push the gun downward and the holster clings to the slide. Then you rock it out and a round is chambered. All one handed. Seems to complicated to me though.

If anyone at Palanx is reading this. Please email me. I'd like to try one further but not so much that I would lay out the considerable cash to find out.

--Anyone every try these? Maybe one like it?

Osama is Dead

A team of Navy Seals were in and out of the compound where he was living. They did not lose a man. Made it out with his body and later confirmed his identity with DNA.

Out there somewhere is a soldier that should never have to buy his own drinks for the rest of his life.

When the news was announced, a flash mob rushed to the Whitehouse to celebrate the death of this evil man. Some people just need to get off our planet.

I hope there is no retaliation.

I also hope that we will be faster in the future with the whack-a-mole hunting.

--Be careful out there folks.

M14 and the Changing of the Guard

I went to Arlington Cometary recently and saw the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the first time in over a decade.

I was very close when the inspection occurred. The M14 gleamed. The white glove tests all pasted!

I just found out that JayG was there on the same day!

--Bayonets, Jay! Shiny, shiny bayonets...

Another Convert

I take a lot of shooting virgins to the range. My friend Tom is one of them. He was over 50 years old before he ever fired a real gun. Now he will be coming straight to my house when the pending Zombie Apocalypse hits!

In addition to shooting my Saiga 12 on this trip I took my Smith & Wesson Classic Hunter .44 Magnum.

It's a hammer, but he loved the recoil. He was a natural. Excellent groups. He wasn't bothered at all by the recoil, the blast concussion, the flash or the dust it shakes from the rafters.

--Too bad he lives in the peoples republic of Massachusetts!