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March 27, 2008

H&I Fires 27 March, 2008

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

You're advertising here, we should get an ad at your place...

Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).

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Okay, who ever did this is a freaking moron: Possible hate crime in Lenexa, KS against Muslim clerk Seriously, around here we might like the Wahabi enemy of our nation dead, but it doesn't mean that everyone that is Muslim is a Wahabi or is a freaking spy/covert operative for bin Laden. .Update: Arrest made. We don't jack around with stuff here. Though, my guess is, this guy is known to the police as a local trouble maker or his vehicle license plate was visible since they were able to identify him from a surveillance video without requesting assistance from the general public.

On a local matter, Kansas City has been struggling with their budget and threatened to cut off the Liberty Memorial and National WWI museum. They asked the Federal Government to take over, but no knows as yet that they could or whould take on the responsibility. .
-Kat

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Time for a Castle Argghhh! Arms Room update. The rifle racks were initially loaded at random, as we brought the rifles into the New Castle from the Auld. I've finally started to get them thematically organized (for example, Russian weapons - though it includes non-Soviet SKS's), so as to be not quite so confusing to casual perusers of the Armory. -the Armorer

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Today is Denizenne Bad Cat Robot's (aka the Snarkatron) Natal Day. As my gift, I sent her this... the weather she loves so well! -the Armorer

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A poll from Gallup that will make BradySchumerStein unhappy. But not completely. 73% of Americans believe in the individual right interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. And though a solid majority of even non-gun-owning Americans believe the Constitution guarantees an indvidual right - 49% of the respondents also want more restrictive gun laws... so, there ya go. -the Armorer

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10 Commandments can stay, again. These folks won't give up. After what turns out to be a Solomon type split ruling that said monuments of a certain age could stay on government property and not violate separation of church and state (blah...I hate that because that is not in the constitution), these folks have been trying to get the age and history aspects over turned so all of these monuments have to be removed. They don't know what they are doing and the Supreme Court, as has been the case with the 2nd Amendment, is trying to balance the community's interests, the history and the re-interpretation of the Constitution by these numbskulls. But, these folks don't want compromise or balance.

They want it their way. I want it my way. Keep your cotton picking hands off of our memorials. If you can't figure out the historical significance of the 10 commandments on a court house lawn outside of some bogus idea that it is inflicting a state sanctioned religion on people, you are not worth the salt I'd pour on a slug.

And, in other news, the Afghanis are angry with the Taliban for forcing their cell service to go down. Even some other Taliban are angry, too, because, you know, its hard to call in the position of some American dogs when you can't get any cell service. The Taliban are running the show and said they would consider having it turned back on.

And that should tell you the state of Afghanistan right now. The alleged "out of power" Taliban decides when the phones work or not. - Kat
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Good reviews of the Sadr/Badr/Basra situation at Abu Muqawama:
Town called Malice

More on Basra

Also, don't miss a US "contractor" (apparently, anyone can become a war profi-- er, contractor) provides 40 year old, degenerating ammunition to the Afghan army under a $300 million Pentagon contract. Please note, Kat does not believe that all contractors are war profiteers. Just the ones that are trying to rip us off, damage the war effort and may result in getting some of our men and women killed because their Afghan counterparts can't help fight off an attack with their decrepit weapons and ammunition. Prison, please, or maybe a firing squad.
-Kat
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US to inventory nuke stockpiles. Heh. We Cold Warrior Nukular Soljers just shake our heads in bemusement. How slack have things gotten? At least the Army is out of the business of nukes - and oh was I happy when I no longer had to deal with the bleedin' things... well, I guess I still do, in some ways. -the Armorer

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Denizens | Permalink | Comments (18) | General Commentary
Comments on H&I Fires 27 March, 2008
Maggie briefed on March 27, 2008 9:52 AM

Happy Birthday BCR -

Here's a windchime for your yard to identify you as someone who messes with the enviroment and has a large carbon footprint.

Boquisucio briefed on March 27, 2008 10:16 AM

Since I'm an old-fashioned kinda guy, I thought that you'd like one of THESE. This gizmo, should aid you to peramble in style out there in Ecotopia. Happy B-Day BCR!

Boquisucio briefed on March 27, 2008 11:25 AM

Heeeey - Don't line me up against the wall; just take me to the back of the shed for a caning if you haffta.

Being involved in the bidnez, we used to come across many rusty bits of pieces. Some of the lots we came accross from old forgotten bunkers would make anyone shiver.

However, we would refurbish many serviceable although be it "shop worn" boom-boom thingies. After a thermo assay of the propellants, and Comp-B, many a-times all the old rounds would need were a change of fuzes, maybe a change of primers, and a good coat of new shiny green paint before being resold.

kat-missouri briefed on March 27, 2008 11:34 AM

mm...Boq, seems like they weren't doing much refurbishing based on the described conditions of the ammunition.

Boquisucio briefed on March 27, 2008 11:51 AM

The Vulgar-Bulgars and Greeks Bearing Gifts are notorious for pulling such shennanigans. The lots in questions may have been funneled through shady ginns like them.

AFSister briefed on March 27, 2008 12:02 PM

The news about 40 year old, degenerating ammunition being sold to Afghanistan will have Charlie Wilson and Gust blowing great big balls of black and green steam out of their ears. This is exactly the sort of stuff they prevented Egypt (and a few other countries) from doing back in the 80's during their secret war.

Boquisucio briefed on March 27, 2008 12:34 PM

One last thing... pity that I can't open the original link to that post. Where I am right now, I can't access anything ending in blogspot. If that contractor was based out of anywhere near the DC Metro Region, I'm sure to personally know the principals involved in such con game.

bad cat robot briefed on March 27, 2008 3:58 PM

Thanks for the lovely presents, guys! Except for the solid H20; that I'm sending back COD with extreme prejudice. Now I'm off to drink a 'rita the size of my head. I'll probably see Cousin of Ninja Spider, SugarButtons -- any messages?

kat-missouri briefed on March 27, 2008 6:01 PM

Boq...AEY Inc out of Miami, Fl

Seems like a serious "middleman" contractor who has little or no experience in the field, but apparently made some contacts and decided to make some moolah.

Boquisucio briefed on March 27, 2008 7:48 PM

Miami, say no more.

Miami is a nexus of fly-by-night artists. Who wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between an M27 Link and an M56 7.62x39mm Rifle. All they do is rush in and close the deal. Like a pack of hyenas, they all leave in their wake a path of crumbs and bones for someone else to tidy-up. It doesn't surprise me one bit, that upon finding the item that the client required, they rushed-in and filled the order without caring to know the state of the wares. They could as well be selling Chinese TV Sets to Ghana; it would all be the same to them. Happened all the time under my watch.

The DC Area in the other hand is a hub for better established dealers, doing much of their business with Allied Military Attaches at Embassy Row/Massachusetts Avenue Corridor.

Brad briefed on March 27, 2008 10:51 PM

Whats the rifle to the right of the last Tokarev, the 2nd from the end? Looks like a muzzleloader of some kind, with an older Enfield next to it?

Justthisguy briefed on March 28, 2008 7:28 AM

Ok, BCR, who rescued me from a horrible digestion, here's some intellectual re-inforcement for your prudent decision to arm yer self.

Boquisucio briefed on March 28, 2008 7:33 AM

Miami - A Sunny Spot for Shady People.

John of Argghhh! briefed on March 28, 2008 8:15 AM

Whats the rifle to the right of the last Tokarev, the 2nd from the end? Looks like a muzzleloader of some kind, with an older Enfield next to it?

I should be mean and say "SKS" because that's what's next to the last Tokarev... But I won't - the rifle next to the last SKS (an Albanian version of Simonv's carbine)is a Snider conversion of a Tower 3-band Enfield, followed by a Long Lee Enfield.

AFSister briefed on March 28, 2008 10:00 AM

*sigh*
I forgot to look for presents last night! My company blocks all the FUN sites, so I have nothing to offer but WereKitten's wild imagination.

Brad briefed on March 28, 2008 4:14 PM

I should be mean and say "SKS" because that's what's next to the last Tokarev...

I thought about that but the handguard and magazine threw me off.

About the Chinese ammo story, the guy says its Hungarian in an article at Foxnews and they have a picture. I'm wondering if this guy is buying/ordering surplus ammo from gun shows and web sites and reselling it, especially with the mention of "brown paper wrappers". Wish I'd thought of that for $200 million...

John of Argghhh! briefed on March 28, 2008 4:32 PM

The Albanian SKS is SWWBO's favorite. It appears to have been made on Chinese tooling, and the Albanians not only ran the wood farther out, they made the charging handle like an AK charging handle.

They're pretty nicely made rifles, and that one shoots very well.

A lot of the 7.62x54 rounds I saw pictures of in the article looked like copper-washed "Silver Tip" ammo which is a Hungarian type. The corroded brass rounds, harder to say. Gotta see the headstamps. But yes, he certainly could be buying that ammo from US importers.

Gun Trash briefed on March 29, 2008 2:32 PM

Well, shoot, I've got ammo older than that. I feed Kynoch 7mm to my two Chilean 95s and the headstamp shows a manf date of 1938. They love it.

A FWIW observation from 25 yrs of shooting/collecting milsurps: It seems to me that that the 40s & 50s Commonwealth* milsurp ammo seems to handle long term storage better than Turk, Yugo, or some other Sov Bloc stuff. There are exceptions, of course.

*That doesn't apply to POF or Indian milsurp ammo.