Nope, the Goracle is not involved.
Since we've got some new readers (and a chatterbox commenter in the form of Josh) there can be times when the noobs are confused by tossed-off references by long-time readers.
This post will be a little Daily Double. Yesterday Barb mentioned a penchant for something other than rings and x's in her target choice: Josh - I'm rather fond of shootng at Barney, personally - as I'm sure that John and BillT will be happy to tell you :-)
I'm going to save myself 1000 words here.
The is the Basement I was talking about last week, Josh.
My response was... buy your own range, works for me? I meant it.
As Denizen Ry demonstrates, shooting off the back deck.
I've still got some mortars (2inch, 3inch, and 4.2inch Australian war-used ones) to pick up which will fill out that mortar corner pretty completely....
I know that I haven't quite played fully to type for our new visitors regarding gun-blogging. So, I'll correct that by reprising a post that covers the topic pretty thoroughly - and note, that if you are appalled and horrified, and *just sure* that this couldn't be legal here in Kansas, please read the Standard Disclaimers (also linked at the bottom of this post). One of the reasons I started blogging was to point out that there are many more relatively normal people who collect firearms than you realize. And that they might live next door to you, and yet you've never once been threatened, nor felt threatened. It actually all morphed from a presentation on gun collectors and collecting that I gave my Rotary Club - entitled, "Nuts in your Neighborhood" to this blog.
If you can't read it - the guy on the *right* is Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
Now, on to some gunbloggin'... CDR Salamander was watching Brit TV some time ago, and claimed that he found out what I *really* do for a living.
Heh. If I told you what I really do for a living, I'd have to cut your head off and put it in classified storage. You wouldn't like that. It's dark in the safe, and smells funny because of the stuff they put in there to keep the mold down.
Nah, if I was in that bidniz, it would go more like this...
*Ahem, koff, koff*
[smarmy announcer/telemarketer/car salesguy voice]
"Taking down a small country? have annoying neighbors? Revenooers snooping around the still? The Arsenal At Argghhhh! has all your pest-control needs in one stop!* Aside from the usual selection of Small Arms, we also have a nice selection of Crew Served Weapons to choose from!
We have an extensive selection of spare parts! We service what we sell! Need to recon that target, without getting your head shot off - we can help! Gotta get through some wire to get to the party? We've got your stuff. Worried about pursuit after dirty deeds done cheap? We can help! We've got stuff to get you in, stuff to knock 'em on the head quietly, and stuff to slow up the pursuit! All in one neat package!
Got people snooping by whatever it is you'd rather they not find? Got a defensive position you need a little coverage in the dead space for? Concerned about detectability? We have a whole selection of anti-personnel mines to choose from. Anti-armor mines by appointment only, please. Need to be able to reach out and touch someone? Especially people who hide behind stuff so you can't just shoot them straight up? We have a wide selection of medium and light mortars to choose from, with a wide range of ammo choices!
Need help with data computation? We've got you covered there, too! So, bit off a bit more than you can chew? Need some help with bunkers and armored vehicles? We've got a large selection of recoiless rifles and rocket launchers, and RPG systems that can meet your every need! And don't let us forget our extensive grenade selection!
Need some extra reinforcement for that basement bunker? We got it. Have a mess of troops to mess? We got it! And for you, CDR Salamander, today only - a special deal for the Naval Infantry! Straight from MoD stocks - the staple of Brit boarding parties for many years - the Lanchester!
With bayonets! So, call me. We'll do lunch!"
[/smarmy announcer/telemarketer/car salesguy voice]
Oh, and, as usual. The Standard Disclaimers apply - in short, meaning that nothing in those photos is illegal in Kansas, a fact which may not be true in all states and Borg Collectives where you are reading this. And all those really scary looking things are legally inoperative. Shockingly, our Governor recently allowed us to overturn a law dating from 1934, and most of them, in shootable condition are now legal for private ownership here in Kansas, just as they are in surrounding states. However, while we're comfortable, we're not rich, and we couldn't afford them if they were all functional weapons. Last time I saw a price for a shootable Vickers machinegun for example, it was in the $21,000.00 range. A shootable MG42 was in the $40k range. Ergo, mine don't shoot, and can't shoot, and are legal in this state under the old laws. Things that look like artillery are all demilled to the spec required when they were imported or surplused - meaning they have bars blocking the bores, no firing pins, bore-sized holes cut in the barrels (some artfully concealed) and no way to return them to serviceable state without doing more damage to them than has already been done. And the explosive devices - are inert, no explosives present.
Hey, people, I *live* there. I don't even maintain large stocks of powder for reloading or shooting the black powder weapons. Stuff's dangerous, I only have on hand what I can use. And yes, the ones that do shoot, save a pistol or two in the upstairs in our child-free home, are behind a locked door.
My wife spends way too much ime watching silly shows on Home & Garden TV. If she wants decorating ideas, all she has to do is visit The Castle
The Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg is another model home full of decorating tips.
I suspect other spouse could also benefit from these beautiful examples of happy homes.
Alas, they won't listen.
Speaking of such things, there's another Christmas party come up Jan 3rd in St. Joe if you and Beth would care to join us. Same deal as last time - lots of socializing, snacking, showing off new goodies and, of course, shooting.
Frank - you nailed it in one :-)
Barb - I just have to get you all to show up together, instead of in dribs and drabs.
Though I suppose we could organize a postal shoot...
Merely the most eclectic.
Dear Abbey,
I just applied for my purchase permit to buy my first firearm. I'm still undecided between a Remington 870 Super-Mag, or the H&K USP .40. As you can tell, I haven't decided between a shot gun and hand gun yet. Regarding the hand gun, what do you recommend? The priority is safety, which is why I really like the safety set up on the H&K. Glocks have no safety, so they're not an option. Do you know anything about the Beretta PX4? That's a close second, but I haven't fired it yet.
So, if you had a choice would you rather own a shot gun or a hand gun for your first weapon? And if you chose a hand gun, which would you own first?
A postal shoot would be fun, for sure. But having had the chance to visit the Castle in person (was that as a drib or a drab?), I definitely would love to get the gang together :-)
John's collection is not just about the quantity (and why would #82 need to worry about size, ennywho). I love the stories that accompany the pieces, and the loving attention to detail.
Hope we didn't scare Josh off, though. He's been awfully quiet...
Of course, he might actually be working or something.
Abbey thinks it's a false choice. You want *both* a shotgun and a handgun. Not to mention a nice selection of rifles and carbines. Mortars, rocket launchers and RPGs are also nice, but certainly not all situations lend themselves to those choices.
Abbey sez, "Whenever possible, beg, borrow, or rent a range of handguns in several calibers and try 'em all out, to see which one fits your hands, your eyes, and your needs best." It doesn't matter how powerful the the handgun, or how well recommended the weapon is if *you* can't hit your target reliably and consistently.
Abbey's fave, the Polish Vis35 for example, is not a choice for everyone - but for Abbey, it shoots just fine, even at 50 feet. By contrast, Abbey absolutely *hates* Glocks. Ick ick ick. They just don't fit our hand comfortably, and consequently, we don't shoot that well with them. But we also admit a preference for older iron, such as this Inglis Chinese Contract Hi-Power over those young whippersnappers. But other people lurve Glocks and other more contemporary iron, including Barb, BCR, and KCSteve, so you should certainly give the youngsters a fair shake.
As for shotguns - Abbey wants to know your intended usage. Home defense? Birds? Deer? Hippies? It all *matters* when choosing a shotgun.
Heh. Yeah. Shooting off the porch was fun. Though I think I'll have to help you set up something a bit longer than a 10m range at some point.;)
He isn't kidding about the ap mine collection either. I still remember the mini-lecture, for the most part, not verbatim or anything.
Though I still think I might want to try shooting lefty if I ever get another chance to play with The Arsenal again. Less trig to do in my head with the sights because of the left eye dominance thing, and I'm quasi-ambidextrous.
ANd based on bruising induced I'd say my fave was the SKS followed by the flintlock conversions---they're long and give me the oppurtunity to actually use the sights instead of trig guesswork.
I like the basement better than the armory on the ship. On the other hand, nearly everything on the ship worked, usually....
The thing about shotguns though, is that you need to balance the load to the quarry. El's ammunition would also need to be in line with use. A nice 20 gauge over and under with skeet loads for plinking hippies; you don't want to kill'm, just piss im off. You got bear in the garage with your wife yelling about the garbage, you could use a 12 gauge pump with slug barrel and the plug out for 5 rounds. For taking the tires off a biker's bike that keeps coming around to date your daughter, a nice goose gun 30 in barrel pump with steel #4.
This could take some thought. I may have to go down to Effinger's tomorrow to talk to Phil the gunsmith and touch guns and see.
Peace on Earth, good will toward men...and women too.
See? Fishmugger's got his priorities straight.
I can't remember if I've seen that particular basement armoury before, but it's a thing of beauty. You have any Gewehr 43s in there you might be willing to part with?
Ah, Barney the purple dinosaur...Barb must have CHILDREN, yes? I happen to have a sister, myself, and I remember when she would watch Barney videotapes.
Well, just one videotape.
4 or 5 times a day.
So I've had similar urges. Mine centered more around the potential flammability of such a large, fuzzy thing...hey John, you have any flamethrowers in that basement there?
(Oh and you certainly didn't scare my off...I like this site, and yes I comment a lot, but I've got flying to do, friends and family to eat out of house and home, and trips to go on...Palm Beach International Raceway January 10-11, hooray!)
There is a particular corporate Barney aversion among my friends in the Redmond area, especially those who had to do tech support for the Actimate Barney doll. Some of the dolls apparently made fine target practice.
Of course, before him it was big-bird, and I'd imagine the old Howdy-Doody probably took one to the noggin at some point. There's just something really gratifying about killing toys and annoying TV characters... Hmmm, this sounds like the egg of a marketing idea: An entire line of targets and such designed just for baby-boomer hobby-shooters: Barney, Big Bird, Batman (from the 60s TV show), Wesley Crusher, Tweety Bird (really), Dr. Zachary Smith AND Will Robinson, the Taco Bell dog, Pee Wee Herman, and my all-time-favorite-wanna-see-done-in-hundreds of ways: Poppin'Fresh! I hate that little doughslug more than any other fantasy creature--even more than the alka-seltzer kid and the coppertone-tan-dog.
Hmmm, I think I'd better stop before I get the nut-job chasers on my trail...
http://www.jihad.net/
And I think you've got an excellent idea. I'd be a customer! I think you should add Scooby Doo to your product line.
Thanks for reminding me that I have some pictures to send to John The Armorer from Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown from my vacation this year with she who expects to be obeyed.
http://www.missdynamite.com/comics/spgm/index.php?spgmGal=ep.%20one&spgmPic=3&spgmFilters=#pic
http://www.missdynamite.com/comics/spgm/index.php?spgmGal=ep.%20one&spgmPic=4&spgmFilters=#pic
Warning: Artist is definitly not conservative in his portray of violence or sexuality, also his portrayal of US forces might cause issue. So consider yourself warned. If you do insist on exploring be aware that his art improves considerably, be also aware that works not featured on his site by him go from "innuendo and nudity who cares" to straight drawn porn.
I was actually trying to make the point that your collection, while a wonderful thing, isn't really all that unusual, at least here in 'flyover country'. While we know that some of your readers from further away probably don't.
And I'm not a Glock fan myself - ergonomics are bad for me as well. When I bring one up it's pointing a good 10 degrees lower than I want it to. I'm also not fond of the cleaning regimine because it allows you to do a stupid thing. To take down a Glock you have to pull the trigger - not a problem, same thing on lots of guns. But on the Glock you first must move the slide back approximately 1/8" - and no more. This means that if you've been really careless / stupid you could have a live round in the chamber. Proper procedure means you never will but dozens of 'accidental discharges' every year say otherwise.
Me, I like my XD's - better ergonomics (for me) than the Glock and on them you have to lock the slide all the way back before pulling the trigger as part of the takedown so it's much harder to be stupid.
Of course the ever-indulgent wife loves her little G26 (9mm 'baby' Glock) so I still have to clean a Glock. Which I do carefully, just like with any of our other toys.
El,
As the others have noted, when you're talking different types of firearms it's not an either / or situation. To put it in what might be more familiar terms, sub-compact car <> pickup truck <> tractor trailer.
I'll also tag on to the suggestion to try out different pistols before buying - you can tell if a gun's really wrong for you just by handling it at the store but without firing it you can't tell if it's right or not. And one suggestion for when you do go shooting - double-plug. Wear ear plugs with ear muffs over them. This will greatly reduce the noise of the shot which will reduce the percieved recoil. That way you pay more attention to the actual recoil and don't wind up rejecting a really nice, soft-shooting pistol just because it's noisy.
For a home defense shotgun check out the Mossberg 'Just In Time' kits. It's a nice 12-ga shotgun with a 'cruiser' or pistol stock along with some accessories in a storage tube. They have a 'Marine' version with a stainless steel gun and a 'regular' version. The Marine one includes a multi-tool and the regular one has a small survival kit. For either one you'll find it much more comfortable to shoot if you swap the regular pistol grip to a "bird's head" grip. The regular grip cocentrates the recoil into the web of your hand, right at the base of the thumb. Not real pleasant. The bird's head grip transfers all the recoil back into your whole hand / arm and feels much nicer.