Guns, Cars, and Tech

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  • I have more problems with .22 pistols…

    So, I went to the range with my TKD instructor and her partner yesterday so that she could get some recoil therapy.  Among other things, I took that Browning Buck Mark I bought last week.  They brought a Mossberg 500 that the instructor bought for home defense, a couple Glocks, a couple S&W airlight .38 snubbies, an AR-7, a pimped out Ruger 10/22, and a Marlin Papoose.  Fun was had by all, and I think we killed a good bit of stress.  Everything worked great, even the Bersa 9 that was giving extractor issues on its first trip to the range.

    Then, at the end, it happened.  That Buck Mark that I just bought and felt so good in my hands?  Yeah, it had a truly bizarre malfunction.  Well… um… it turned into a stainless steel Marlin Papoose.  Here’s some pics of the aftermath:

    Actually, it’s not that bizarre for me.  My last .22 pistol turned into a WASR.

    Turns out my instructor had been desperate enough in her search for a Papoose, that she bid on 3 different guns on an auction site… and won all three auctions.  When we sat down for lunch after the range session, she offered to trade me the stainless steel one plus $100 for the Buck Mark.  Knowing that she kept coming back to the Buck Mark and practically drooling on it, I agreed.

    The Papoose is a neat little rifle.  I’m surprised how accurate it can be considering that the barrel unscrews, and there’s still enough for-stock for me to have decent purchase with my support hand.  One thing that I like about it over the AR-7 or the new 10/22 take down is that it has the ability to lock the bolt open.  Also, since Marlin decided long ago to make one magazine for all their .22s, I can use the mags that I have for my 795.  I will say that the sights on the Papoose are a heck of a lot better than the other Marlin .22s I’ve owned or shot.  The front post is a bright orange plastic and has a protective hood, and I believe the rear notch is more prominent.  Which is good, since a scope mounted on the receiver may not keep center as you remove and re-attach the barrel.

    Of course, now I still don’t have a .22 pistol.  Ah well, guess that means that I’ll have to go to more gun shows (the horror!).

  • Zimmerman’s lawyers set up a blog

    http://www.gzlegalcase.com/

    Go. Subscribe.

    They also have a twitter feed and a Facebook page.

  • 5.11 Kilts!

    I realize that I’m a bit late to the party and you’ve probably read from just about everyone else, but 5.11 is taking orders for their Tactical Kilts.  They have even decided to make ’em for us fat asses that dare to have waists beyond 40″.  I’ve already ordered mine, and Naienko instructed asked me to order one for her as well.

    If you want one, I’d step on it, since they’ll stop taking orders on Thursday, March 3rd (yes, this Thursday).  After that, they say they’ll have a waiting list and you’ll have to see what’s left.

    Oh, and I’ve been trying to get WizardPC to order one, but so far no luck.  Maybe more peer pressure.

  • Despite some lingering issues…

    It looks like the server move was a good idea. At some point this morning my home server lost connectivity. Actually, I can’t talk to either of my home servers, which indicates any combination of:

  • Power failure
  • Network failure related to Comcast
  • DHCP change (also related to Comcast
  • Internal network failure, such as my cable modem or router going kaput

    • But the blog is still up! YAY!

    Now, if I can only find the time to chase down my email problem….

  • Like you and me, only better

    Transportation Licensing Commission Edition.

    Basically, some folks that work as “inspectors” for a non-police city agency took it upon themselves to start carrying badges.

    And guns.

    And install blue lights on their vehicles.

    Metro cops are NOT happy. I notice, however, that instead of arresting them, they merely confiscated the badges.

    It’s good to work for the king, I suppose.

  • New Smartphones

    So… I’ve been using a Samsung Captivate for a couple years now.  It’s the only Android phone that I’ve used to this point (my previous 2 phones were Windows Mobile), and I’ve been pretty happy with it.  Especially once I dropped CyonogenMod 7 on it so I could actually use a bluetooth headset properly with it.  I’m currently running CryogenMod 9 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

    Like I said, I’ve had this phone for a couple years, so it looks like it’s time for an upgrade.  So far, the two that I’m looking at are the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy III (which may be out early May).  The specs of these phone blow my mind.  Both have the Tegra3 quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, at least 16GB of storage space, and apparently a separate GPU.  Pretty sure my netbook that I still use has lesser specs.

    Oh, and when I bought the Captive 2 years ago, I thought it was freaking huge.  Most smart phones on the market today are even bigger.  A few by a good bit.

  • Tactical Dog Approves

    image

  • Bleg: Weapon Lights

    My home defense AR doesn’t have a light on it. This seems like a deficiency.

    I have a Magpul AFG2 (in black, which apparently is no longer sold on Amazon) so I’d like something that I can mount on the right side that has a remote pressure switch.

    I’m open to non name-brand stuff as long as it’s 1) not going to disintegrate after a few range sessions and 2) throws a good amount of quality light. Based on my experiences with the Fenix lights I’ve bought I think I can get this done for less than $100

    I’d even be open to “Hey get this mount, this flashlight, and you can buy a remote pressure switch for it over here.”

    So, who’s got an inexpensive light setup they really enjoy?

  • BAG Day Purchase

    It took a couple of days, but here is the Barrett M82 I bought:

    image

    As FarmDad quipped, “the weight is right.”

  • Because I llike to share…

    Erin has something that is probably not safe for your sanity.