Gun Loving John

Diamondback 9

Great news. I have just laid eyes on a new and exciting ccw pistol. Diamondback Arms DB9 11oz .80 wide. I have carried a DB 380 for about 8 months. I must say the 9 mm will be replacing the 380. Good news also is the laser that I bought from Crimson Trace for my Diamondback 380 will fit right on the Diamondback DB9 the Pocket Protector in 9mm will make a Police officer or legal CCW carrier of 9mm an exccellent option that will utilize the same ammunition. I have ordered a pistol for testing, but if this firearm works as good as my Diamondback DB380 has I will be recommending an even more concealable 9mm than I have previously encountered. The ergonomics of the DB380 are the best of class in that the small pistols that shoot 380. I am making an educated guess that the size of the DB9 will be making its presence known with a little more umph, but I will be able to judge better after a trip to the range. Looking forward to the most concealable 9mm i have ever encountered. And I forgot.... The one I saw has night sights.

New and Exciting at SHOT

At SHOT Show and am excited about several new products. My favorite AR Company CMMG, has a new Accessory, As of yet un-named for Quick detach attach of barrel assembly from The AR. It removes both the gas tube and barrel with a throw lever. a very positive locking lu. This coud be extremely useful for special applications. I am thinking also of the urban dweller that finds nosy neighbors as he heads out to the range. If you do not advertise what is in your house when you are out, nosy neighbors are less likely to break in and steal what you have.

Firearm Attachments Part 1

I worked a gun show this weekend.   I met a lot of good Americans, and I noticed a few things.  Like Firearm Attachments.   There were Lights and Lasers, Grips and Slings, And all manner of Tactical Things.  But those are not the Firearm attachments I am here to talk about.  I am here to talk about the kind of attachments that are often free,  they require a little Do It Yourself elbow grease and time. 

That is the Attachment a person has toward his or her firearm.

Here are the best type of Attachments.  This will be a recurring theme over the next few months.  

Father Attachment.   My Dad/Grandfather had this gun it was passed to me.  That type of attachment works better and lasts longest if the father and son spent time together with the firearm being the glue or reason for the outing.  If the father had the foresight to spend time shooting or refinishing the firearm with the child all the while telling how his father  and he spent time together doing the same the son will want to pass that on for generations.   The firearm does not have to be expensive.  The time together can be priceless.  The firearm passed from generation to generation with that type of emotional investment will not be sold in a yard sale. It will be cherished. 

Next:  The Fun Attachment

Until Then keep your muzzles pointed in a safe direction.

Gun Range Dues

It is that time of year again,  when we have to begin thinking about the payout for a year of dues. Gun Clubs want to be paid for what they provide.   Dues can run the gamut between $50.00 and $250.00 per year.  

What do we get in return?   A place to shoot,  A place to meet friends,  A place to be alone and enjoy the only sport endorsed by our founding fathers.  

Let’s say the dues are $250. That breaks down to $20.84 per month or $4.80 per week or 68.4 cents per day.  A snickers candy bar at Walmart  costs 69 Cents plus whatever ungodly anti sweet tooth tax the do-gooders want to put on the candy.   For less than 1 measly ucandy bar per day you can belong to a gun range. 

Don’t get me going on the cost per month compared to what most of us pay for that Cable/Satellite TV Bill, or how much a round of Golf costs, or some other half-assed entertainment.   This is a Lifelong sport and something that can save your life.

I have absolutely no use for free loaders, None, Zero, Zip, Nadda.  So if you don’t want to join a Gun Club and want to cry on my shoulders get to stepping.  I’ve got no time for you and you will get an earful. 

Another thing I’ve noticed in 2009 is the number of Gun Clubs going to Closed Membership or limiting the number of members.  So if you don’t want to join one or stay a member then don’t,  but don’t try and tag along with me to a range when you find that the places to shoot are disappearing as they surely are. 

Think about the investment in Gun Range Membership.  It  insures our freedom has a place to be exercised.

 

Keep your Muzzles pointed in a Safe Direction.

My Second Favorite Christmas

 

My Second Favorite Christmas

I am the youngest of nine.  Six girls followed by three boys. Dad was a World War 2 veteran, US Navy South Pacific, USS Alhena.  Google it sometime.

Christmases were always a fun time.  We nine kids understood the meaning of Christmas, no, not the “Spirit of Christmas” crap that is pawned off on the world today.  The Story of the Virgin Birth , of the coming of the Savior of the World.

 Dad always got us gifts for Christmas.  He was a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that did not compromise his principles nor his belief that the Bible was the infallible Word of God. Preachers like that (the ones that will make sure you get to heaven or at least know about each and every pitfall that can stop you) do not get large congregations and work a real job during the week to earn a living.   He worked hard for a living and the earliest Christmases I remember had few gifts for every one of us kids.  They were never expensive, they were what we could afford. But the thought was there.   

The first gift I remember receiving was around the time I was 5 or 6 it was a dart gun. You know with the plastic darts with suction cups I even remember where they bought it and snuck it out to the car, on the square in Marion from Woolworths if I remember correctly.  My first gun was a blue plastic dart gun. 

But my Second Favorite Christmas was the one I’ll never forget.  It was in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 900 miles from where I grew up.  I was in the Marine Corps getting ready to deploy to Operation Desert Shield, which would become Desert Storm. When I say getting “Ready to Deploy” I mean 2-3 days after Christmas I was to be on a plane flying to Killragheadistan.  We were advised a few days before Christmas that we would be given a 36 hour liberty starting around 1200 Christmas Eve to show up back at the Camp by 0000 hours December 26.  I called home and mentioned that I had l a 36 and would be going somewhere with some other Marines. (Probably getting in the Christmas spirits, but I left that detail out.)   I do not know how the plans back home came together so quickly, but my mom and dad decided to drive to Camp Lejeune and spend Christmas with me, Apparently the rest of the family was going to postpone Christmas until they returned. 

One thing a Marine Grunt does not watch is the Weather Channel , or TV, for that matter.  It doesn't;’t matter what the weather is doing, if you are outside it is what it is.  If I had been near a TV, I would have seen the ice storm they would have had to drive through and called and told them some story about my squad’s liberty being yanked and we had to pull duty or something to keep them from braving the ice.  The braved it anyway, and looking back, I am glad they did.

We, the entire battalion, were returning from a 6 mile run, when I saw their car arrive, I ran to change into my civvies, or civilian attire, sign out and go to town.   I ran to meet them.  I told them I had a small list of items I would need before deployment. We went to Kmart and I rounded up the batteries and electric razor and toiletries, I think the bill was around 20 bucks. Dad paid for it and said,” Merry Christmas!”  We then went to a North Carolina local eatery and had dinner.   We had to drive around 40-50 miles to find a hotel.  Dad and mom got a room and they got me my own room.  Shortly after I was in my room, the phone rang, it was the front desk, “Hello, are you the Marine going to Desert Shield?”  I replied in the affirmative, “Well, thank you, and please enjoy any and all movies In the room free of charge. Merry Christmas!”  I stayed awake most of that night watching free movies.

Christmas Morning broke early.  We headed back in to Jacksonville , the car had some small problem and we found a garage that was open.  As we were driving through the Carolina Pines on a sunny Christmas morning we listened to the Charlie Daniels Christmas Special. We stopped and had breakfast somewhere, then went to Saigon Sam’s Surplus Salvage, yes; it was open on Christmas Day.  Dad and Mom bought themselves some team colors  "Chocolate Chip” Desert Camouflage and bumper stickers.  We went back to Camp Lejeune and I checked back in. They started back on their 20 plus hour ice storm laden drive. 

I, the youngest of nine ,  had my parents to myself for one Christmas.  I did not intend to be selfish and keep them to myself, it just happened that year by circumstance.  Thank you to the rest of my family for that Christmas.  

That is the story of my Second Favorite Christmas, “What is your Most Favorite Christmas?” you ask.

That’s easy; I wasn’t there. My favorite Christmas is the First Christmas, The Birth of my Dear Savior, when He was deployed to save the world from an evil tyrant.

Barack Hussein Obama's Ten point Plan to "Change" the 2nd Amendment

1. Ban use Of Firearms for Home Defense.

2. Pass Federal laws eliminating your Right-to-Carry.

3. Ban the Manufacture, Sale, and Possession of all Handguns.

4. Close down 90% of the gun shops in America.

5. BanRifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.

6. Increase Federal taxes on guns and ammunition by 500 percent.

7. Restoring voting rights for 5,000,000 Criminals including those who have been convicted of using a gun to commit a violent crime.

8. Expand The Clinton semi-auto ban to include millions more firearms.

9. Mandate a government-issued license to purchase a firearm.

10. Appoint Judges to the US Supreme Court and Federal Judiciary who share his views on the Second Amendment.

Kel-Tec PLR 22 Review

Sometimes you see a new gun and it is a must have.  I saw such a firearm at the Kel-Tec booth at 2008 SHOT Show.  It was the PLR 22. A politically incorrect plinker with a 27 round magazine.  I wasted no time and as I work for an licensed dealer I called our distributor from the floor of SHOT Show and Informed him of what as coming down the pike and asked to be placed on the waiting list. 

Well, last week it came in. I filled out a 4473, which if you accidentally type it in with the shift key depressed  is a $$&#.  Monday I picked the plinker up.  I shot it a little on Monday evening  and found that it did not function at all with Remington Golden Bullets Bulk Pack From Wally World.  It seemed to function pretty well with Federal Bulk pack.  The firearm is accurate, fun and as it comes threaded 1/2 by 28. I am sure that some of those Gun-lovers in states that allow the polite shooting of firearms will take advantage of this bargain and pair it off with a nice sound suppressor.

While the PLR 22 does not automatically stay locked back on the last round, it has a very usable button located on the bottom just behind the magazine.  

The Kel-Tec PLR 22 disassembles rather easily  using any small diameter tool that can push out a single pin.  The rest of disassembly and reassembly require no tools at all. I cannot wait for the rifle version to arrive.   As for videos of the gun in action, I let my lovely bride, Tracy, aka Pretty Pistolera, shoot the Kel-Tec PLR 22. 

  

Until next time keep your muzzles pointed in a safe direction.

Home, Home on the Range.

Tonight we gathered for an impromptu IDPA practice session. It was four close friends and Mrs. Gunlovingjohn (aka the Pretty Pistolera). It was simple practice. Five targets engaged in eight different ways. 

The Pretty Pistolera shot her first clean stage.  She is coming along nicely.  It was just 6 months ago when she started shooting.  She refuses to give up no matter how frustrating some stages are.  The progress she is making is not always visible to her as she is shooting with and against lifelong shooters.  This is something that I, and you, if you are bringing along a new shooter need to emphasize.  "Don't expect to be able to beat the person who has been shooting for 26 years after you have been shooting for 26 weeks.  Do, however, have the goal of beating them in the long run."   

My wife's experience on the gun-range with encouraging shooters reminds me of a song. Make new shooters at "home, home on the range, where seldom is heard a discouraging word."    

Til next time keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction. 

Expanding the Shooting Universe

It seems at least as daunting a task to get certain groups of other humans to grow a spark of shooting interest.  I have been whittling away at the "little woman" to go shooting for a good while. 

She went deer hunting with me once when we were dating, but that is another story when we get closer to deer season.  She was pro-gun all along, even joining in a pro-gun rally during the dark nineties.  If she were not pro-gun she would not have met the qualifications to be Mrs. Gunlovingjohn.  Being pro-gun did not mean she needed to shoot, just that she recognized their intrinsic worth.

After 12 years of solo trips to the gun range, I cajoled her into going to a match last year.  She met some good people (called shooters) and has since became one of the newest, and might I add the prettiest, members of the gun culture. 

I could go on, but she can tell the transition from a passive to active member of the gun culture a lot better than I.  The other evening I took her out for a nice dinner and pitched the idea of a firearm blog from a "girly girl's" point of view.  She got that spark in her eyes!  I gave her a name, the Pretty Pistolera.   Well, she has expanded the shooting universe. 

www.prettypistolera.com   

Read it if you are female to learn shooting tips.  Read it if you are male to get "how to get your girl to shoot" tips.

Till next time, keep your muzzles pointed in a safe direction.  

Ruger Charger

What a wonderful blaster. Ruger made a fun, affordable, not only to buy but also to shoot, firearm with this plinker.  Some afficianadoes may wonder what good is it.  Well, I have seen one of the many answers.  At a gun show a month ago I saw a person who had never purchased a firearm before fall in love with the little son of a 10/22.  He quickly filled out the paperwork and started a gun collection.  He is a family member and I was thrilled to help him along in outfitting it with a red scope and high capacity magazine I had laying around at the cave.  I already own a Charger having purchased one as soon as my local FFL could get me one. 

As for my own Charger, it is outfitted with a Truglo 2x red dot that I purchased at SHOT Show, and a Tactical Innovations Adjustable 25 Round Magazine.  This magazine rocks!  Read the link for all details but it can be fully disassembled for cleaning and replacement springs are readily available.   

We were recently at a gun range plinking a steel plate at 100 yards with the Charger in this fun and addictive configuration.

Be careful if you handle one at a gun show or gun store, you may find it is hard to put back down.