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Dear TSA

Posted on by Caleb

The following post will have some harsh language in it, because it’s directed at the TSA.

Dear TSA,

Get your shit together. I can go to a McDonald’s in any part of the country and order a Big Mac; it will taste exactly the same whether or not I’m in Los Angeles or Sioux Falls. It is absolutely ridiculous that the experience of checking a gun is different at every single airport in America. It’s even more ridiculous that at some airports, the procedure for flying with guns directly contradicts the rules posted on your website.

I understand that you’re a federal organization staffed by the incompetent attempting to implement policies made by the idiotic in order to harass the compliant, but this is bullshit. If you were merely incompetent, I’d forgive you. You try so hard! But you’re not just bad at your job. You’re aggressive, hostile, and intentionally ignorant.

I am quite comfortable in stating that I speak for many, many law abiding citizens. Tax payers and voters. We all agree, dear TSA, that you suck. You suck worse that what happens after I eat Taco Bell at 2am when I’m drunk.

Regards,

-Caleb

revolvers

Speedloader relief cuts

Posted on by Caleb

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I was working on my speedloader reload with the HKS speedloader that I mentioned previously and I noticed that some of the rounds were binding in the loader. To test the release, I held the loader with the rounds pointed down and turned the release, no binding issues. I screwed around a bit, and noticed that the HKS was contacting the side of the Crimson Trace grip, which would make the rounds stick in the loader.

I switched out the CTC grip for the stock Ruger grip which solved the problem. As you can see, the Ruger grip has a much deeper relief cut for a speedloader than the CTC grip. This makes me thinking that the binding issues I’d occasionally get with my Comp-III loaders were due to the grip I was using, and not an issue with the loader.

I’m going to keep working on the HKS speedloader reload with the factory Ruger grips on the gun; I’m also going to relieve the CTC grip so it works with all loaders. I’d only get binding every few reloads with the CTC, but it was enough to cause me trouble during matches. The CTC grip is better than the Ruger grip as a grip goes, but the reloading issue I’ve just now discovered means I’m going to have to down-check it until I can get out danny Dremel.

self defense

Self Defense in Chicago, an Unarmed Gun Girl

Posted on by Gabby

gabby has no gun in Chicago, but she's still thinking about self defenseI’ve been working hard lately to regularly carry concealed. While spending a week in an unfamiliar Georgia city my CCW was in my purse every day. When running around my home turf of Atlanta I prefer using a small-of-the-back holster, although I may alternate to my purse if I’m jumping in and out of the car excessively. It’s easier to carry in the fall and winter because layered shirts and jackets help to prevent printing. However, I often find myself checking that the back of my shirt hasn’t rolled up and tucked behind my gun. If anyone were paying attention I’d be blowing my cover. But today I wake up in The Windy City with no gun to strap on because Illinois is still working to put in place the gun rights that they recently gave back to their citizens. What can I do to keep safe while unarmed? What lessons can I take from carrying concealed and apply when my primary weapon must stay at home?

Continue reading →

revolvers

Revolver reloads

Posted on by Caleb

I DVR every episode of Shooting USA and Impossible Shots; I don’t always watch every episode but I do when it covers a topic that I’m interested in. On Wednesday on Impossible Shots, Mike Irvine had Jerry Miculek doing some crazy reloading tricks with his S&W 625. Jerry had a throwaway comment in this where he mentioned that a time of 1.70 shot-to-shot was a good par for a revolver reload with moonclips. He further elaborated that under match conditions, anything under 2.00 was “pretty good.” That in conjunction with watching some SnubTraining videos got me thinking about speedloader reloads and the perhaps underappreciated HKS speedloader.

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For many shooters, the twist-knob HKS speedloader is the only loader they’ve ever known. It’s the most common revolver speedloader on the planet, and simultaneously the least common speedloader used in competition. There are a couple of reasons for this, first the HKS requires you to stabilize the cylinder in some way because the release knob must be twisted to drop the cartridges in. Second, because it’s not spring loaded like the Comp-III or Jetloader, the cartridges have only gravity to get them in the revolver’s chambers. That means that if your cylinders are dirty, rounds can hang up. Of course, rounds can and do hang up with the Comp-III as well.

Back to Jerry for a moment – Jerry uses a switch-hand reload, where during the process of the load he transfers the gun from strong hand to weak hand, then back to strong hand. This load works really well with moonclip guns, because all six cases are tied together with the clip. With speedloader guns, you really need to give the ejector a positive strike to get all six out of there; so the speedloader gun version of the switch hand usually involves a little bit more gun manipulation. However, watching Jerry’s reload got me thinking about the HKS for one reason – the barrel of the loader (that’s the black part, the body) is relatively short, but not too short. It occurs to me that you could do a speedloader reload with the HKS much like a moonclip reload, but with the added movement of twisting the release knob.

I messed around with this for just a few minutes in dry fire last night, using my usual weak hand reload technique but pushing my index finger through the frame SnubTraining style to stabilize the cylinder. It…actually worked pretty well, because the chamfered charge holes on the gun would help guide the rounds into place, then twist-click and everything’s in place.

I’m not saying throw your Comp-III speedloaders away, but this definitely bears some further investigation in dry fire over the cold winter.

Ruger

Ruger Announces Redesigned Red Label Over-and-Under Shotgun

Posted on by Caleb

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the launch of the newly redesigned Red Label over-and-under shotgun. Known for years as a top choice of American hunters and clay shooters for its world-renowned rugged construction and handsome American styling – the Red Label returns. The shotgun now features refined inner workings, a new center of gravity and reduced recoil. These new improvements deliver improved comfort and an enhanced shooting performance.

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Shooters that have frequented the woods, fields and clay courses know the Ruger® Red Label shotgun has been a reliable performer that swings easily. The new 12 gauge Red Label has a redistributed center of gravity for even greater instinctual swing and pointing. Two-inch extended forcing cones, maximum back-bored barrels and a soft Pachmayr® buttpad enhance the shooting experience with reduced recoil. The Red Label’s familiar, low profile receiver reduces muzzle climb because the centerline of the bore is closer to the gun’s center mass. The new Red Label makes for an extremely comfortable shooting shotgun in the field or on the range.
“After 32 years of production, we put the Red Label on hiatus in 2011,” commented Ruger President and CEO, Mike Fifer. “We knew we could employ newer technology, improve the design and deliver a better performing Red Label. We have done that and restored the Red Label as the best American-made, over-and-under shotgun on the market.”
The Red Label features an American Walnut stock with a 1.5” drop at comb and a 2.5” drop at heel. Red Label shotguns are available with 26”, 28”or 30” barrels and each model features a 14.5” length of pull. The new models retain the Red Label’s classic lines and good looks, which are further enhanced by the new stainless steel top lever. The suggested retail price for all three models is $1,399.

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Each shotgun includes a custom molded, semi-soft case, five Briley® chokes (two skeet chokes and one full, one modified and one improved cylinder choke), a premium-quality Briley® choke tube wrench and a safety lock.
For more information on the 100% American-made Ruger® Red Label shotguns, or to learn about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger® firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for Ruger® Red Label shotguns, visit shopRuger.com

About Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30 product lines. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens,” echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens®