Disabled & Shooting

Effexor

2012-02-28T07:56:00.002-05:00

Or Teva-Venlafaxine to use the non trade name is one of the meds I take as an anti-depressant. And it is a horrible, horrible drug. Don't get me wrong, it works fantastic but if you miss a dose....holy shit.

Dizziness, nausea, headaches and a bunch of other stuff. I dunno why I let the doc talk me into it but I certainly need to stop taking it. Gotta see him this week anyways, so I'll ask him about going to a half dose.

Last dose I forgot I was in bed for hours with a headache, damn near a migraine.

Compartmentalization

2012-02-05T06:32:00.002-05:00

Probably spelled ot wrong.

Anyways its one of those skills that is required to function in the military and in general. Being able to shove nasty shit aside until you can deal with it later.

Unfortunately the military and society in general is terrible at helping with the "later" portion. Why? I wish I knew. But when you have PTSD it becomes next to impossible to do it on your own, keeping a journal is one way. Which I guess is what this is.

Hey Look What Arrived In The Post...Part 2

2012-02-03T21:05:00.004-05:00

So first impressions were confirmed. The pic on the left is from the last mag we fired, kinda hard to see but five in the head and five in the arm is pretty good and what I hoped to get out of it.

Had two malfunctions, both looked like it was ejecting while feeding and carved two notches into the casings. Might have been the ammo but out of a 100 rounds fired with a brand new gun I'm not disappointed.

My son fired three mags as well and had a blast, he loves it!

Hey Look What Arrived In The Post...

2012-02-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

A Kel Tec Sub-2000 (9mm). My wife went off to Florida for a week and as a consolation prize, I got this. Something I've been eyeing up for a long time. Come on, who doesn't want a rifle that folds in half?

Anyways, it's first trip to the range will be tomorrow to shoot some paper zombies in the company of a new friend but so far first impressions are good.

It feels solid, something I was iffy on given the large amount of plastic but the fore-stock is on good and tight and when unfolded it feels rock solid. No wiggle. It's awkward to cock but hopefully that will diminish with use. If not I'll get a smith to make me one that is slightly longer.

Pretty positive so far, hope it holds up after tomorrow.

Yup

2012-01-06T17:54:00.001-05:00

Inspired by the recent "reclassification" of the AP80:

Bullets!

2012-01-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

The local guy got in the 170 GR. FN I asked for, so I'm looking at 100 of them in there little green box.

Planning on loading some up today. Thanks to Hodgdon to making their data publicly available.

Another Year, Another...

2012-01-01T18:52:00.002-05:00

...Something. I actually don't know where I was going with that.

Anyways, we were all sick over xmas, the kids vomiting and pooping and Val and I still have a persistent hack. So nothing exciting happened. Truthfully, I really don't care for christmas. All the in your face "buy, buy, buy!" and the "put the christ back in christmas" stuff is fairly obnoxious but the kids enjoy it so I at least try to make an effort.

Val got me the Lee 50th Anniversary reloading kit so I've been busy trying to figure it out. Unfortunately when I went to mount the press today I discovered that I need 3 5/16" bolts that didn't come with the kit.

And it's New Years Day, which means no hardware stores are open. Grr...

Oh well, still a few days till the local guy gets my bullets in.

So I Guess The US Will Be A Police State?

2011-12-15T19:58:00.003-05:00

Link

Right, so I don't care what part of the Occupy/Tea Party divide your on. This is bullshit and if Obama doesn't veto it, he's a piece of shit. End of story.

My sympathies to my southern neighbours and if you ever need to E&E across the border, I have a couch.

Range Day, Sister in Law Edition (Videos)

2011-12-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

Prepping, Gold & Silver

2011-12-06T18:38:00.002-05:00

As I'm sitting here at my kids Ju Jitsu xmas party, I find myself pondering the interest preppers have with stockpiling gold and silver.

Now I can understand having some small pieces (coins?) if you need to be fast and light but for home I tend to think that diapers, diaper cream, canasten (you wanna be a chick with an infection post collapse?) or even sheet metal would be easier to trade.

Range Day, Sister in Law Edition

2011-12-05T14:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, My wife, kids and I took my sister in law and her boyfriend to the range. She has never held a gun in her life (probably never seen one either) and he hasn't fired since he was young. I gotta say that it was one of the most enjoyable days I've had in a long time.

The SiL and I never really got on, different backgrounds, different hobbies, different outlook on life but she's improved a fair bit over the last few years, as have I. And she was shooting within ten minutes of arriving, it was great to see all the misconceptions she had disappear.

Her BF loved Thumper (my 870) and insisted on trying some slugs and buckshot, "wanting a bruise for work"

We took my wife out for dinner afterwards and had a great time laughing over dinner.

Oh, and the zombie targets were a great hit.

Compassion Fatigue

2011-12-03T10:54:00.002-05:00

At some point, most of us with PTSD (and physical disabilities) will have to deal with "compassion fatigue"

It's basically depression in a spouse or loved one brought on by looking after you for years. My wife was diagnosed yesterday. There's of course medication that can help but the best thing is to give her a break. Take it as an opportunity to pay back all the love and attention that she gave you. Help out with dinner, the laundry, pets, kids etc.

Last night we stopped at the butcher and got some chicken breasts with cheddar and broccoli stuffed in them, 45 minutes in the oven and a tin of beans made an easy meal that gave her a break.

Tomorrow her sister, her bf and I are taking Val to the range and then dinner.

Zombie Targets

2011-11-29T08:47:00.001-05:00

We found them at a local shop, so we got two packs. One with just zombies and another "hostage" style pack. We're bringing my sister in law and her boyfriend on the 10th of Dec and I think he'd enjoy them.

Shooting shouldn't be all serious business.

Winter and Survival

2011-11-21T19:37:00.003-05:00

It's my favourite season and hopefully we'll soon have a blanket of snow. But with winter comes new issues, especially if you have less then ideal circulation. But I remembered a thing an ex-infanteer taught me in 2000.

You take your groundsheet (or poncho), wrap yourself in it and hold a light arctic candle under it. Warms you right up in a couple minutes. Those 36 hour candles you can get at Canadian Tire work decent as well.

Of course it's just a temp thing and not a substitute for a proper snow shelter but it'll warm you up if you need to stop.

Remembrance Day

2011-11-12T07:44:00.003-05:00

I meant to do this yesterday but my head wasn't in the right place.

For me, Remembrance Day is bittersweet. I managed to make it out of the military alive and crawl out of my own personal hell where others didn't. Some of them dear friends.

And for the past ten years I haven't gone to a ceremony. I could not get myself out of the door, mentally I mean. So I have a moment in my house. Part of it is shame, I think. Survivors guilt. Part of it is that I'm afraid of running into guys I knew, and the inevitable war stories that bring back stuff I try and forget.

Regardless, it's important that we not forget, not out of any sense of "they fight for our freedom" as is the current fad, but so that another generation of young men and woman don't have to endure the horror.

For Donny, Chris, Kevin, Dad and Grandpa, I will remember.

Range Day 01 Nov Part II

2011-11-04T09:59:00.006-04:00

<---The target from 01 Nov, taken by my phone on my couch. You can see where I ended up walking the rounds up the target as I adjusted my sight. Fortunately a nice member had some scrap paper handy so we could mask the target stand or I never would have gotten this far.

The new stock is excellent, much more ergonomic and seems to eliminate most of the push into the shoulder, leaving only the muzzle rise.

The surplus ammo though...ugh. A thorough cleaning is certainly required unless you want the gas system to rust closed. Very, very dirty.

I had to break off to go pick up the kids but I'm hoping to finish sighting in next week.

Range Day 01 Nov

2011-11-01T08:07:00.002-04:00

Sasha makes her debut today, alongside Thumper (870) and Aleksandra (9'er Domestics SKS).

Finally, it's been a busy weekend/halloween and I need to unwind.

"If it saves just one life"

2011-10-27T08:09:00.004-04:00

That was the mantra for the LGR and the firearms act. If it saves just one life, it will be worth the cost. We'll just set aside the fact that no insurance company in the land would pay out two billion or that the government itself doesn't consider you to be worth anything near that much, disability and death awards are capped in Canada.

But what if it was responsible for taking a life?

http://christopherdiarmani.com/3963/canadas-firearms-act/windy-wendy-cukier-bill-c19-sky-falling-sky-falling/#more-3963

I'm not going to steal this gentleman's thunder but read the linked post, it's pretty disgusting.

In addition, Rangebob on CanadianGunNutz kindly granted me permission to quote him but there are a lot of posts and numbers. So if anyone is interested in the minutiae behind the law:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6286193#post6286193

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=599554

AK vs AR vs Mosin

2011-10-26T18:45:00.000-04:00

Found it here.

AK-47: It works though you have never cleaned it. Ever.
AR-15: You have $9 per ounce special non-detergent synthetic Teflon
infused oil for cleaning.
Mosin-Nagant: It was last cleaned in Berlin in 1945.

AK-47: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from inside.
AR-15: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from 600 meters.
Mosin-Nagant: You can hit the barn from two miles away.

AK-47: Cheap mags are fun to buy.
AR-15: Cheap mags melt.
Mosin-Nagant: What's a mag?

AK-47: Your safety can be heard from 300 meters away.
AR-15 You can silently flip off the safety with your finger on the
trigger.
Mosin-Nagant: What's a safety?

AK-47: Your rifle comes with a cheap nylon sling.
AR-15: Your rifle has a 9-point stealth tactical suspension system.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has a dog collar.

AK: Your bayonet makes a good wire cutter.
AR-15: Your bayonet is actually a pretty good steak knife.
Mosin-Nagant: Your bayonet is longer than your leg.

AK-47: You can put a .30" hole through 12" of oak.
AR-15: You can put one hole in a paper target at 100 meters with 10
rounds.
Mosin-Nagant: You knock down everyone else's target with the shock
wave of your bullet going downrange.

AK-47: When out of ammo, your rifle will nominally pass as a club.
AR-15: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a great wiffle bat.
Mosin-Nagant: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a supreme war club,
pike, boat oar, tent pole, or firewood.

AK-47: Recoil is manageable, even fun.
AR-15: What's a recoil?
Mosin-Nagant: Recoil is often used to fix shoulders dislocated by the
previous shot.

AK-47: Your sight adjustment goes to 10, and you've never bothered
moving it.
AR-15: Your sight adjustment is incremented in fractions of minute of
angle.
Mosin-Nagant: Your sight adjustment goes to 2000 meters, and you've
actually tried it.

AK-47: Your rifle can be used by any two-bit nation's most illiterate
conscripts to fight elite forces worldwide.
AR-15: Your rifle is used by elite forces worldwide to fight two-bit
nations' most illiterate conscripts.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has fought against itself - and won every
time.

AK-47: Your rifle won some revolutions.
AR-15: Your rifle drove Saddam out of Kuwait.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle won a pole vault event.

AK-47: You paid $330.
AR-15: You paid $900.
Mosin-Nagant: You paid $59.95.

AK-47: You buy cheap ammo by the case.
AR-15: You lovingly reload precision crafted rounds one by one.
Mosin-Nagant: You dig your ammo out of a farmer's field in Ukraine and
it works just fine.

AK-47: You can intimidate your foe with the bayonet mounted.
AR-15: Your foes laugh when you mount your bayonet.
Mosin-Nagant: You can bayonet your foe on the other side of the stream
without leaving the comfort of your hole.

AK-47: Any fool can be taught to field strip it.
AR-15: Anyone with an IQ over 160 can be taught to field strip it.
Mosin-Nagant: What's field stripping?

AK-47: Service life, 50 years.
AR-15: Service life, 40 years.
Mosin-Nagant: Service life, 101 years, and counting.

AK-47: It's easier to buy a new rifle when you want to change
cartridge
sizes.
AR-15: You can change cartridge sizes with the push of a couple of
pins
and a new upper.
Mosin-Nagant: You believe no real man would dare risk the ridicule of
his friends by suggesting there is anything but 7.62x54 R.

AK-47: You can repair your rifle with a big hammer and a swift kick.
AR-15: You can repair your rifle by taking it to a certified gunsmith,
if it's under warranty!
Mosin-Nagant: If your rifle breaks, you pick up another one.

AK-47: You consider it a badge of honor when you get your handguards
to
burst into flames.
AR-15: You consider it a badge of honor when you shoot a sub-MOA 5
shot
group.
Mosin-Nagant: You consider it a badge of honor when you cycle 5 rounds
without the aid of a 2x4.

AK-47: You can accessorize you rifle with a new muzzle brake or a nice
stock set.
AR-15: Your rifle's accessories are eight times more valuable than
your
rifle.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's accessory is a small tin can with a funny
lid, but it's buried under an apartment building somewhere in
Budapest.

AK-47: Your rifle's finish is varnish and paint.
AR-15: Your rifle's finish is Teflon and high-tech polymers.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's finish is low-grade shellac, cosmoline, and
Olga's toe nails.

AK-47: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for a stiff
shot of vodka.
AR-15: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for hot dogs
and apple pie.
Mosin-Nagant: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for
shishkabob.

AK-47: After a long day the range, you relax by watching Red Dawn.
AR-15: After a long day at the range, you relax by watching Black Hawk
Down.
Mosin-Nagant: After a long day at the range, you relax by visiting the
chiropractor.

AK-47: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to hold your
rifle over your head and shout "Wolverines!
"
AR-15: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to clear
your
house, slicing the pie from room to room.
Mosin-Nagant: Late at night, you sometimes have to fight the urge to
dig a fighting trench in the yard to sleep in.

AK-47: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Mikhail
Kalashnikov.
AR-15: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Eugene
Stoner.
Mosin-Nagant: Are there even photographs of Sergi Ivanovich Mosin and
Leon Nagant?

Long Gun Registry To Go?

2011-10-24T18:25:00.003-04:00

It certainly looks like it will, it's been on the schedule for Parliament the last two days but keeps getting pushed back for other (and really more important business). I will welcome it's demise, look for more on that later, as I have more stats to sort through then I thought.

With it though comes a concern; are we going to be subject to police confusion on what is and is not a Restricted firearm?

Police already don't seem to know the difference, whats to stop them from impounding my SKS until they figure it out? I'm hoping for a full colour manual so they can look at the pictures and description rather then tie me up for a week on a matter they should already know.

Sasha...

2011-10-24T17:04:00.004-04:00

...will be picked up tomorrow. You can't see it but I'm doing a little dance in my living room.

And yes, I name my guns. We had to do it in basic and it sort of stuck. So my Type 56 will be named Sasha, which apparently means "defender of mankind" in Russia. And yeah, I know she's Chinese but spiritually she's Russian.

Well OK, she was designed in Russia. I realize it's kind of silly to assign human characteristics and meanings to an inanimate object.

I will take pictures of her, with a focus on how much more ergonomic the pistol grip is in comparison to my wifes.

It's Never Simple

2011-10-20T17:41:00.001-04:00

So I got my SKS, my ammo and the parts but the only thing that went together properly was the front sight. I cracked the wooden hand guard on the gas tube trying to get it off.

So I bundled it all up and took it to a local smith. Nice gentleman, ex-military, should be ready Tuesday.

No more DIY for this Sig Pig.

Half Way There

2011-10-18T20:06:00.004-04:00

One of those days

2011-10-13T08:37:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I get an inkling of what my grandfather lived with. Not the war, thats something I would never claim to understand, but living everyday with PTSD and everything that comes with it. The memories of friends you'll never see again, the nightmares and the guilt.

He came home, burned his guns and used to drink in the corner. And I wish I had the opportunity to know him better. Sometimes I wonder what we would have talked about, or if we would have just sat.

But as a friend once told me; "don't carry the dead, it'll kill you"

And he's right, our fallen brothers, sisters, friends and family would want us to live. And be happy.

Fantastic

2011-10-13T07:53:00.001-04:00

SKS Build

2011-10-12T20:00:00.003-04:00

Well "build" is kind of generous but "SKS part swap" doesn't have the same ring to it, now does it?

I found a deal from a local company offering a Chinese surplus SKS plus 1400 rounds for what in Canada is a decent price. Now I love the SKS but the stock is just not that great for a guy with a buggered hand. So I ordered a Tapco stock (OD Green) to get a pistol grip.

While I was at it, I figured I may as well do it up the way I want it. So I ordered a Williams peep site, a fibre optic front sight, a vented handguard and a buttpad.

Now I certainly haven't drank the tacticool kool-aid but it's not that easy to find a nice wood thumbhole at the same price as a Tapco.

This should also fill the void in the safe left by my Mosin and provide some long time fun.

Pics and range report to follow once everything has arrived and been assembled.

Redneck? White Trash? Hillbilly?

2011-10-10T08:22:00.001-04:00

Canadians have an odd view of firearms and those who use them. To the average Canuck, we are rednecks, hillbillies, white trash, cousin fuckers, etc.

It doesn't matter if none of those labels apply, its the perception and many people are happy to apply it to you.

But I ask you, if your the one who has to judge people based on a hobby...what does that say about you?

We're all countryman, there's no need to marginilize people based on such a trivial issue.

Back In The Groove

2011-10-09T11:58:00.004-04:00

Well, more or less anyways. I had to fly out to spread Oma's ashes, a simple thing that caused much stupid drama thanks to a fuckwit of an uncle. But there's one in every family.

Yesterday Val, the kids and I packed up and went to the range. Didn't send much down range, it's hard to do actual work with kids and no spotting scope (I forgot it) but fun was had by all.

Val informs me that she requires a scope for her SKS, so we're exploring some options. And I've decided for sure on Skinner Sights for my 336BL, the scope just doesn't do it for me.

We also met a nice Asian gentleman who was taking his girlfriend out for the first time. He had one of those CZ 858's in 7.62x39mm, nice little gun with bakelite furniture! I also handled his older Savage Scout in .308, without the accu-stuff. Sold me on that for a later date.

Reminded once again that I probably wouldn't have talked t him in any other settings. And sometimes it's fun to mock people who are aghast that someone would use a CZ 858 for hunting.

Oma

2011-08-19T10:35:00.003-04:00

The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,
the freshness of the morning,
the dew drop on the flower,
speaks to me.

The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
and the life that never goes away,
They speak to me.

And my heart soars.

R.I.P. Adriana Howell "Oma"

Savage Scout or Reloading Kit?

2011-08-13T08:55:00.003-04:00

I have this interest in the "scout rifle" concept. Or as my wife puts it, "your obsessed with buying guns."

I just think it's a neat idea and Savage offers it in 7.62x39mm, one of my favourite calibres and it means sharing ammo with the Mrs.

But...I should really start reloading, before I drown in the spare brass I'm collecting.

Dunno anything about the kit though, what to buy, what to avoid etc.

Range Day Vids

2011-08-07T09:01:00.004-04:00

A friend asked me to video the Marlin next time I went out, so Thursday I did.

Also, some slugs.

*Note to self; stop buying stuff with "High Velocity" on the tin.

Range Day, 27 July

2011-07-30T10:18:00.002-04:00

I had a fit of conscience and decided to cancel the JR Carbine and get a Marlin 336BL and a M0ssberg Mini Super Bantam 510 in .410 for the kids and Wednesday was range day. I asked the company I bought the Marlin from to look it over so I didn't get a dud and I'm happy to report that it functions fine. I put about 20 rounds through her with no issues, though I had neglected to bring a rubber mallet and dowel to adjust the windage.

Why companies bother with buckhorn sights anymore is beyond me but I plan on replacing it with a Skinner sight or perhaps a Williams FP Reciever.

The Mossberg had a few issues, notably it doesn't feed 2 1/2 inchers reliably but seems to do 3 inch fine.

The day ended with a conversation with an older English ex-pat who was out checking his .44 mag handloads in his Marlin. As I was pulling out the gate I realized I should have asked if he wanted to fire mine, and if I could fire his.

A Retraction

2011-07-30T09:53:00.002-04:00

I commented earlier that the Left doesn't want our guns, but it seems I might have been naive in my assessment. Rumours are flying fast and furious on CGN that the RCMP are encouraging manufacturers to hold off on shipping products to Canada because the Restricted and Prohib lists are going to "be updated"

That's got plenty of people worried that there current firearms are going to be re-classed and seized. The Ruger Mini-14/30 have long been on peoples hit list thanks to the massacre in Montreal and now Norway. Despite it being one of the most popular sporting arms sold in the country.

So it's letter writing time again. And when I got back into the hobby, I had dreams of not being hassled and just enjoying myself...

Healing & Support

2011-07-24T08:30:00.005-04:00

All the hobbies, guns, pets and toys in the world won't help you unless you have some support in your struggle. I'm fortunate to have a wonderful woman in my life that never gave up on me, she stayed through all the darkest parts, the morphine addiction, the alcoholism, and the abuse.

And it's to my shame that I totally forgot to credit her on this blog. Valerie never gave up, even when it would have been far easier to walk away.

Lots of guys in my situation lose their wives and end up spiralling down hill and never recover. Plenty of my friends in fact.

But even if you aren't married you still need support. Family, friends, etc. They will push you, they will make you angry and you will want to cut them off from you.

Don't.

They do it out of love.

So to my wife Valerie, thank you for staying and lets have another wonderful 11 years.

Jerky!

2011-07-17T08:29:00.003-04:00

It is done, well mostly. The last of my wife's batch is in the dehydrator right now but all the stuff I did is finished.

So far eight people have tried it (if I include myself) and so far everyone liked it. I shall need to get more meat if it keeps disappearing at the rate it has been. 4lbs didn't make as much as I thought.

Maybe 10lbs next time. I want to put some away with the jam.

Get A Dog

2011-07-14T06:48:00.006-04:00

This is only partially related to PTSD or firearms but I think I would be negligent if I didn't mention it; get a dog.

I have two. A Golden Doodle and a Great Pyrenees.

A dog will never judge you, it doesn't care if your sick, healthy or in between. It won't play head games with you.

It just loves you.

And that can be a great help if you have PTSD. And if you have PTSD and you shoot or you hunt, you can take your dog with you.

Whoops...I forgot to mention something important.

Dogs are good conversation starters, like an unusual firearm or a car. People will come up and ask you about your dog or want to introduce their dog to yours. This is good, it puts you on ground your comfortable with (you know your dog) and takes away some of the pressure to come up with something to say. That's a problem I have a lot when I pick the kids up from school. With the dogs it gives me something to say and focus on and takes away some of the anxiety.

Flinching

2011-07-14T06:38:00.004-04:00

I have a pretty serious flinch going on with my Mosin. Just my Mosin, I can fire anything else in the safe but him. Part of it I'm sure it that I can actually see the cocking piece moving back as I apply pressure to the trigger and the anticipation of getting kicked in the shoulder is causing me to flinch.

I'm not really sure how to address this other then having my wife load it for me and putting some blanks or snap caps in at random. The issue will hopefully go away for good once I get around to buying an after market stock. The issue stock is fine for a person without a buggered wrist but I need something more ergonomic.

Having him has certainly given me new appreciation for the Vets of the past though. You'd have to be one hard man to fire that thing every day.

I Must Have One

2011-07-13T20:56:00.005-04:00

There replacement magazine caps for the Remington 870.

Maybe #10 or #6.

"Feel Free To Create Your Own Registry"

2011-07-12T10:05:00.004-04:00

A spokesman for the federal Public Safety Minister has told the Province's to feel free to create their own long gun registry should the Federal one be scrapped as planned by the current CPC majority.

The Feds later came out and said that they will not assist the Provinces nor provide any of the current registry information to them, citing privacy concerns.

Folks on CanadianGunNutz are already losing their shit, calling it a betrayal of CPC promises. And in a sense they are right. If you promise (for over a decade) to abolish the current registry and then turn around and tell the Provinces that they can start there own....well don't be surprised when people think your wearing more then one face.

I've already emailed my MP to register my protest. Given that Alberta could not opt out of the federal registry and that firearms are governed under the Criminal Code (purely a federal responsibility) I don't see how any of this will fly.

But time will tell.

The Stupid....It Burns....

2011-07-12T09:35:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to post the whole article but to summarize an Arizona State Senator pulls out her revolver and points it at a reporter to show off her laser sight.

It was loaded but her finger wasn't on the trigger.

Ugh. You shouldn't be pointing a loaded (or unloaded) firearm at anyone unless you intend to end their life. "My finger wasn't on the trigger" is no excuse.

If she had wanted to show off the laser she should have unloaded it in view of the reporter, had him verify the weapon was cleared and then showed him the sight.

People like this ruin it for the rest of us.

JR Carbine

2011-07-08T11:59:00.005-04:00

I ordered a "Just Right Carbine" this morning from Ellwood Epps in Orillia. A couple things influenced this choice over waiting the estimated 9 weeks for a Kel-Tec SUB 2000:

1. Adjustable stock means my 10 year old can use it and possibly my 8 year old.
2. C7 style controls means I'm already familiar with the safety and mag release.
3. Cocking handle is located in the conventional place.
4. Already comes with rails, meaning I don't have to get a kit ala the Kel-Tec.

The only problem with this choice is that I'm having a tough time finding iron sights online that aren't folding. I intend to put an AR style carrying handle/rear sight on it but I would prefer to have a fixed front as well. I suppose I could suck it up and use a folding front, might be handy at some point.

When it arrives I'll probably just put a BSA 4x scope on it that I have laying around until I reach my decision.

Anyone have any suggestions?

I suspect Odysseus might.

They Took Our Guns!

2011-07-06T11:31:00.003-04:00

Just a brief word on the constant fear of Canadian gun owners that the left wants to take our guns. From the NDP platform:

5.7 Hiring More Police to Protect Your Community
• We will keep our communities safe from crime by investing in
a balanced, effective approach based on prevention, policing,
and prosecution;
• We will ensure that communities have the resources they
need to invest in crime prevention programs, particularly
those targeting youth, by increasing federal support to crime
prevention initiatives from $65 million to $100 million
per year;
• We will work with the provinces, territories, and First
Nations communities to provide stable, multi-year funding to
eventually put at least 2,500 new police officers on the streets,
and keep them there permanently;
• We will give parents, teachers and police more tools to protect
our children by making gang recruiting illegal, and establishing
a comprehensive Correctional Anti-Gang Strategy to ensure that
prisons do not serve as “crime schools” to train
gang-involved offenders;
• We will create new, stand-alone offences for home invasions
and carjackings;
• We will enact, the so-called “Lucky Moose” bill – a law that
would allow citizens to detain criminals within “a reasonable
amount of time” after a crime is committed;
• We will ensure that appropriate care, treatment, and
interventions are available for mentally ill offenders in prison,
as recommended by the Correctional Investigator of Canada.

That is the only thing I could find in their platform (available to download from their website) that even remotely touches on anything even near the issue.

They don't want our guns, they may want to continue registration (and they do based on the last vote to can it) but they don't want to take them.

I'm not going to comment on the plans of the current Liberal Party as the last election effectively rendered them irrelevant. But I will say that they had over a decade to take them and they only imposed registration and licensing. And handguns have had registration since 1934. We still have access to handguns.

So sit down, suck back and reload. Relax. Firearms are part of our culture and heritage and despite the efforts of some folks, we still have them and we always will. Focus your ire on the registry and lobbying for less restriction. The "they want our guns" makes us sound paranoid and crazy.

It's not helping.

What The Heck Is This?

2011-07-06T09:45:00.003-04:00

On the muzzle of the shotgun?

It's from Drive Angry a movie about a guy who escapes from hell bent on revenge...or something. I haven't finished it yet, I spent the first ten minutes or so trying to figure out what the heck he has on the end of his 12 gauge.

I know it's not a very good picture, I'll see if I can get a screen shot later on because in addition to the odd teeth on the end it's also got ports all around the muzzle, sort of like a pepper-pot muzzle break.

I'm thinking some sort of door breacher but it's not a subject I'm all that familiar with.

Tis Independence Day

2011-07-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July to my American neighbours. And to the Americans serving alongside my countryman in Afghanistan and elsewhere, stay safe.

UTS-15 Bullpup Shotgun

2011-07-02T05:58:00.003-04:00

Good idea, brilliant in fact. Bullpups don't get enough credit or interest in my opinion and I certainly would have liked to have one instead of the C7.

These guys seem to have almost all the options on it that I would want, I especially like the fact that they have swap-able chokes. Something the Kel-Tec doesn't seem to have (not 100% on that).

An option for a slightly longer barrel would be nice but what I'd really like is if someone would out out one of these with a box mag. Yes capacity would suffer but in Ontario a shotgun has to be limited to three rounds for hunting. So it would be a simple matter of having a mag pinned and off I go.

For hunting in dense cover, I think such a thing would be ideal.

Mind you at 2000$ or so with tax, I could buy a whole whack of 870 barrels and shells.

Canada Day, Range And An Old Comrade

2011-07-01T19:17:00.003-04:00

I don't do crowds, not well anyways. So we invited a friend of my son's and his father along to the range today. Neither had fired before but were interested (show me a 10 year old boy that isn't interested). So we pulled everything out of the safe, including the flintlock and drove the 1 1/2 hours to our range.

It went better then I could ever have expected. My son's friend was pretty thrilled to fire our .22lr and his father fired everything we had except the shotguns, they were fixing up the trap range and they had to go before the crew was finished.

Interestingly the guy who manages the trap range is an old comrade of mine from my days in Petawawa. "Small world and getting smaller" he says. So we shot the sh*t for a while and found out how people we used to know were doing and he showed us how to use the new mechanical skeet thrower.

I got to fire my 870 project for the first time and am pleased with the result. My hand and arm are sore but not as much as they would be with a standard stock. I'm more thrilled about running into an old friend though. Brings back memories, good, bad and in between but I have a huge smile on my face and I'm tired in a good way.

You know the kind?

Canada Day!

2011-07-01T06:38:00.001-04:00

Happy Canada Day to all my countryman at home and abroad. And for all my comrades in the sandbox, stay safe.

Kel-Tec SUB 2000?

2011-06-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

Anyone have any experience with these? I stumbled across them a couple weeks ago and I'm intrigued. The pistol grip is pretty much a necessity for me and I've always had a thing for rifles/carbines in pistol calibres. 9mm is the only version I've found up here (Wolverine Supplies) but I'd not turn my nose up at .40 S&W.

I'm curious if the folding aspect of the weapon affects the accuracy. Now I'm not expecting to shot dimes with it but it would be nice to know that it could be relied on for it's designed purpose if required.

Rem 870 Project Update

2011-06-30T08:35:00.000-04:00

After much back and forth (mentally) on what stock to purchase, I stumbled onto my original intention at a local gun store. You know the type? Smells like minnows, worms and musty old stuff? Saved myself a good 30$ shipping.

A Remington ShurShot. I haven't fired it yet but I can already tell from handling it that it will be a big help. The pistol grip is much more comfortable for me. Why don't these things come standard?

The best part is it took me all of ten minutes to swap them out.

The second item was much easier to find. Le Baron's, a big gun store in Ottawa had some fibre sights that fit on over the rib and bead with magnets.

I chose green because in my experience it shows better in bright light. But it came with several reds that I may try later on. Looking forward to shooting tomorrow with friends and seeing how all this compares to my previous 12 gauge, a Stevens 350 (Chinese Ithaca clone).

Whoops...

2011-06-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Dumby...

The funny thing is if he had left it unloaded he would have just been charged with impaired. As it's totally legal to drive around with a firearm on the seat. Just has to be unloaded.

Bet he was shooting road signs. Seems to be a popular thing to do around here.

Using The Hobby To Heal

2011-06-10T18:11:00.000-04:00

I have PTSD, as a result of the same incident that crippled me physically. The how and the why of it aren't all that important, what is important (to me anyways) is that I used firearms and the range to heal.

I bought a Traditions flintlock a few years back as an easy intro to the hobby, they don't require a license or anything here so you can just walk in and buy one. And I found that the simple act of going to the range and spending time with my wife shooting put me in a good mood. Rather then sit in my house and play on the Xbox, I got out and actually talked to people, a flintlock is a great conversation starter.

We progressed to getting our licenses and once my doc signed off on mine (if you spent a couple years as an alky and a morphine junkie, the government wants a professional opinion) we picked up what interested us and got out.

It introduced me to people I would otherwise never have talked to. It gets me outside and even if I go and fire one round, it puts me in a great mood. Or potting clays with a little .410, big shite eating grin.

Now my doctor, my meds and I all deserve credit but I reserve the lions share of kudos to a couple hundred yards of grass and a four hundred year old design.

*Oh and the date is out of whack in that picture. I forgot to set it.

Project #1: Remington 870 Express

2011-06-10T16:26:00.000-04:00

I have a number of firearms, a Model 1891/30 Mosin being my favourite but I've run into a bit of a snag being a fan of rifles and shotguns with a bit of power; it's hell on my wrist.

So after a bit of poking around the interwebs I decided on a Remington 870 Express to convert to something a little more friendly to my issues.

Current ideas include:

-Replacing the stock...er stock with a SureShot thumbhole
-Replacing the bead with a TruGlo
-Purchasing a slug barrel or rifled choke

Now only the first one is strictly necessary to make it easier to handle for me but I've always been a fan of the "utility gun" concept and with two kids to feed there isn't a whole hell of a lot to spend on oodles of guns.

Pictures to follow as I get things together.