Steve has the details at the Firearm Blog. Short version: buried in sand, mud, then sank in a pond – and it still works like a charm.
Interview with Julie Golob
After much drama, the full interview with Julie Golob about her guns and gear used to win the Single Stack Nationals is available in all its glory! If you have problems, you might need to empty your browser’s cache to get the episode, but I’ve tested it and it works!
Thanks again to Julie for appearing on the show, she was a great guest as always, and I hope we get to talk again soon to congratulate her on a win at Bianchi Cup!
Quest for Master Class
Back in February I achieved one of my major shooting goals – my first Master class qualification in the shooting sports. I shot the IDPA qualifier well enough to achieve Master class in Enhanced Service Revolver which was a very proud moment for me. However, I don’t really consider myself a Master class shooter yet. Sure, on paper I’m an ESR-Master, but that designator doesn’t mean anything to me until you can back it up in a major match. This is the first post in what will be a continuing series as I try to shoot my way to IDPA’s 5-Gun Master ranking, which means I’d be Master class in Custom Defensive Pistol, Enhanced Service Pistol, Stock Service Pistol, Stock Service Revolver, and Enhanced Service Pistol.
Along the way, I’m going to be documenting the training and practice that I do to help me achieve my goals for this series. However, just shooting one classifier into Master class isn’t the end goal for me. Here are the goals for the series and what I’m trying to accomplish with this.
- Shoot 5 Master class level classifiers to achieve 5-Gun Master.
- Be able to shoot the classifier fast enough to make Master class in any division on command. This eliminates the “fluke” possibility of just having a really good day and stumbling into Master Class.
- Back up my classification with match performance. You earn your Master card on a piece of paper, but it doesn’t mean anything if you go out and shoot like a Sharpshooter at major matches.
If I can make Master class via a Match bump, that would be even better. In that situation I’m still going to try and shoot the classifier into Master class just to see how fast I can do it. Honestly though, a Match bump would be preferable as it would accomplish goal 3 and get the classification I’m looking for.
I’m going to be using several different guns along the way to get these classifications. Because I believe in simplicity, I’m going to try and use similar makes/models of firearm.
- Enhanced Service Revolver: Smith & Wesson 625 .45 ACP
- Stock Service Revolver: Smith & Wesson 686SSR Pro .38 Special
- Enhanced Service Pistol: ParaUSA LTC 9mm*
- Stock Service Pistol: Smith & Wesson M&P-JG 9mm*
- Custom Defensive Pistol: Smith & Wesson M&P .45 ACP*
*These guns are tentative right now, I plan on using them for the qualifications but I’m also keeping my options open here in the event that something comes up.
Along the way, I’m hoping to become a better shooter through constant repetition. Focused, disciplined practice will help improve my performances across the board, and by sharing my progress and training with you, I hope to help all my readers improve as defensive and competition shooters as well.
The perfect accessory for your Wookie-suit
Is the new Sig Sauer P226 Gasden special edition. Only 1776 to be made. I have to hand it to Sig on this one, way to have your finger on the pulse of the firearms community.
Cinco de Mayo
I was just thinking about Cinco de Mayo after yesterday’s festivities. It’s a good thing my ancestors didn’t have a national holiday for every time they beat the French or we’d be partying year round.
Hey, I know those guys
At the Facebook page, they’ve posted pictures of the cast of Top Shot.
And yes, that is a slingshot I’m holding.
New Performance Center 625 .45 ACP
Another one of the guns I was hyped about from SHOT SHOW is the newest edition of the Smith & Wesson 625, the venerable .45 ACP revolver that is easily the winningest platform in revolver competition shooting. At the 2010 SHOT SHOW, S&W unveiled the newest member of the vaunted 625 family, the 625 Performance Center. 
Do I even need to say that I want this gun? Because I do. The usual goodies that you’d expect on a revolver from the PC, gold bead front sight, Miculek style grips, chamfered charge holes, PC action and trigger overtravel stop, oh yeah do I want this gun. Besides, I need another 625 so that if my primary match gun goes down I can immediately switch over. After all, two is one…
The new Performance Center 625, which is not to be confused with the Miculek 625 retails around $1100, however there is one on Gunbroker for about $960, which I’m seriously considering snatching up. This is a serious gun, and not one you should let sit around in your gun safe – it’s designed to be shot, preferably in IDPA or USPSA competition.
Gun Nuts Radio with Julie Golob available!
After much drama with BTR, last night’s episode of Gun Nuts Radio featuring Julie Golob is finally availalbe for download! Julie was a great guest as usual, and she had some great training tips for shooters during an impromptu Q&A session during the interview. Check out last night’s episode for all the advice and a great conversation with a great champion! Also available in .mp3 format or on iTunes for free!
Way more awesome update: BTR support tells me that the episode is fixed! If you’re trying to download it and still having trouble or only getting the first minute and a half, you need to delete browser cashe by pressing CTRL-F5. This is the fix that BTR support gave me. I haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet, so please let me know.
Update: If you’re trying to download the episode and you’re only getting about 1.5 minutes of show, I’m currently working with BTR staff to get this fixed. Of course, their definition of “working” on the problem is to not respond to my emails.
Gun Nuts Radio update
Just spoke with BTR support about the issue with last night’s episode. They said that they’re working on the archives and download support right now and expect the situation to be repaired in a couple of hours.
Thanks again for your patience!
Indiana Primary results
As mentioned, the Indiana primary elections were yesterday, with the race in the 5th District and the Senate primary essentially being the de facto elections as the Democrat challengers in those races are very likely to get stomped into the ground.
In the 5th District, incumbent Dan Burton defeated his many challengers in the Republican primary despite a tight race from Luke Messer. Dan has been a staunch friend of Indiana gun owners and will continue to defend us and our right to keep and bear arms in Washington DC, just as soon as he crushes the sacrificial lamb the Democrats throw at him.
The Senate race is actually bad news for Indiana gun owners. Senator Evan Bayh, despite being a Democrat had an A rating from the NRA and had stood in defense of our rights on multiple occasions. He was quite often a better conservative than our RINO Senator Lugar. After last night’s primary, it looks like he’s going to be replaced by RINO Dan Coats, who if you remember voted to support gun control when he was previously serving on Capitol Hill. This is the danger that we’re facing this election – while anti-incumbent sentiment is high (and for good reason) we need to be careful about replacing perfectly functional pro-gun reps and senators for squishy Republicans like Dan Coats. Admittedly, the case in Indiana is sort of an exception as Bayh is not seeking re-election, but still – don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and end up with a RINO like Dan Coats in office. The last thing we need is a bunch of spineless Republicans to get elected during this critical time.