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Not to be rude/snarky/whatever, but about time! Good prices should not have to come at the cost of a substandard customer experience, but that often seems to be the case… In any case, his prices are hard to beat, and now the website should be a lot easier to use, so give him a look. Ever since my Walther PPS hit the market a couple of years ago, there were always questions as to whether or not Walther / Smith & Wesson would ever get around to increasing its caliber selection (currently 9mm and .40S&W caliber) to include the tried-and-true .45ACP. At this point, though, the answer appears immaterial – Springfield Armory beat them to the punch:
The overall design looks remarkably like the PPS I carry almost daily, with the exception of a more-standard magazine release and takedown lever, and my 9mm variant can take 6, 7, and 8 round magazines – Springfield will definitely be missing the bus if they do not offer a “full grip” magazine that solves the “dangling pinky” and adds another round or two. It is always interesting to see how firearm manufacturers move… Ruger has made an industry out of copying other companies’ designs, rebranding them, marking them up, and laughing all the way to the bank; in this case, Springfield Armory took a Smith & Wesson concept to its natural conclusion, since S&W showed no indications of doing so themselves. This is why I love things like the KRISS… Oh, and regarding the title, what moron in charge of marketing at Springfield Armory decided to name their new handgun using the same string of letters that was previously, and still is, used to describe multiples of a previous model of handgun? Now, when someone says “XDs”, are they referring to two-or-more “XD” firearms, or the new, .45 subcompact? Contagion This arrived in the mail today:
For those keeping score at home, the date on the invite is only four days ago. *headdesk* Nice challenge coin, though… Thanks for the thought, Crimson Trace! Got one lightly upgraded, lightly used A&K Masada in black for sale. Taken it to 3-4 games, put maybe 3k-4k BBs through it (I am not a spray-and-pray-er). 1x CNC Hop Up Unit (the original was plastic, also have the CNC Air Nozzle that came with it, not installed). Yeah, I know, not much. The rifle will include its original PMag-ish 300-350 BB magazine (this is NOT an official MagPul magazine), all original parts (original barrel, original hop-up unit, etc.), original documentation, and original box. Consistently chronos between 360 and 370 using .25g BBs with the tightbore barrel. Has one small scratch on the right side that is easily fixable with a sharpie.
Asking $310 OBO for rifle + hop-up unit ONLY. Prefer face-to-face at Dead End Airsoft or in the Knoxville region; I have the original shipping material, though, but that will be extra (whatever UPS charges). (Note: This is, of course, the airsoft version of this gun, not a ‘real steel’ model.) As I probably have mentioned (and probably will keep mentioning), I was not at SHOT Show this year, but that does not mean I was not keeping fairly close tabs on those who were. Here is a brief rundown of all the news and pictures that caught my eye. Over the past almost-three-years now, I have been monitoring the "coming to America" story for the Israeli-made Tavor, all the way back when it was announced, through the updates, past the failed attempt at unveiling it at the 2010 SHOT Show, and, finally, to the doors closing on the company that owned the company that was going to import them. Well, there might be some potentially good news on that front:
There are apparently a few kinks to work out (specifically barrel length), but I could totally see myself selling my AR-15 to snag one of these. Oh, and the not-so-funny thing of this entire saga? The Tavor is for sale in Canada, and qualifies as "NON-RESTRICTED for hunting, target shooting". Yes. In Canada. One of the countries that freaks out about firearms in general. BATFE, you are well and truly broken. On the other hand, this is a story that waddled its way past my sensors some time ago, but I never got around to posting about. I have always had a hankering for a Saiga shotgun – not out of any particular utility, but rather because a removable-magazine-fed shotgun seemed like an interesting idea, and it gives "gun control" extremists raging hissy fits – but how would you feel about an AR-15-pattern semi-automatic shotgun:
Unfortunately they are made over in Turkey, so 922(r) compliance is still somewhat important, they went with a one-piece polymer stock-and-lower which removes any chance of putting an adjustable stock on it (though the pictures at the first link show adjustable stocks, so I have no idea), and there are no indications of whether or not larger magazines will be forthcoming, or even possible, but if you really, really want to maintain your "manual of arms" commonality, this could give you that. Finally, I like rails on my firearms. You know that, I know that, and it is ok. Looking back, with the experience I have from railfarming, I probably would have gone a different direction with my money/mass, but you never learn until you do, and here we are. So with those credentials established, my reaction to this might somewhat surprise you:
No. Just… no. They had me vaguely nodding along with them, or at least humoring them in the name of catering to the "tactical" market, right up until that Gawd-awful, ripped-from-the-pages-of-a-Tapco-catalog grip. What the hell is that? Lever-action rifles are classy, classic designs, and then they go and bolt something like that to the back end of one? I mean, sure, the rails are already a travesty to the wood-and-blued-steel crowd, but they could have at least put the structural ridges on the inside, and then done some sort of MagPul/Glock-esque texturing on the outside. And why the hell did they put rails on the bottom and sides, but not the top? If you are going to go railfarm, go all the way. I am not really in the market for a new caliber at the moment, but if I were, it would not be for something dressed up like that. And that is all I have at the moment… One of these days I am going to make it to this show, though, speaking of, who all is going to the NRA Annual Meeting this year in St. Louis, 13-15APR? It is only a nine hour drive for me, and I could probably carpool… You have no idea how tempting it is to show up to my next airsoft game sporting one of these and one of these, and wearing my very fine hat, appropriate eye protection, and other suitable attire. The airsoft community seems even more irrecoverably locked into "tactical" than the "real steel" market these days… sure would be fun to mix it up a little. Not only did they not take government bail-out funds back when Big Brother was buying up car companies like Monopoly properties, they are also the one of the few car companies, and the only American car company, to oppose SOPA. Good thing they and Hyundai continue to make interesting cars… (‘Course, my days of buying cars new off the lot are probably over, so the point is moot.) So Stoeger has had their Side-by-Side Double Defense for a couple years now, and I have always kind of wanted one because coach guns are awesome and, hey, rails, and that was all well and good. Now apparently they have a Over-Under Double Defense, and I still kind of want one because of that classic, “I mean business” profile and, hey, rails. So now, like I said, I have to ask – when is the “Quadruple Defense” coming down the pike? Because, damnit, that is a shotgun I would buy at the drop of a hat just to have. Alright, if you were one of the lucky winners in the Soldiers’ Angels Fundraiser and Giveaway, and I was responsible for your prizes, they are in the mail:
Sorry for the delay, but consider yourself lucky that one of those “helpers” did not end up in a box to someone… Though, speaking of, if I crossed my wires somehow and you got something you were not supposed to, or did not get something you were supposed to, please let me know. I lack a dedicated shipping department, and those little grey blurs do not help. If your prizes were coming directly from a manufacturer/dealer, they should already be in touch with you; if not, please let me know. Once again, I would like to thank Dragon Leatherworks, Michael’s Custom Holsters, Crimson Trace Corporation, Militec, Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT), Elzetta, FlipSide, Armory Racks, DIPSTIX, Sean Sorrentino, Say Uncle, and Empty Mags for supporting this fundraiser with awesome prizes, and thank our donators for giving so much money to Soldiers’ Angels. I dare say this half-baked idea of mine was a success! Here is to hoping the authors of Doghouse do not live in Massachusetts and own firearms, because with a comic like that (complete with the bonus alt text of "Do they really not think heads will roll?"), well, the precedent is not pretty. In other news, I love that comic, especially in light of recent events; unfortunately, it does not look as though the morons responsible for SOPA/PIPA have learned from the experience yet. I struggled with Atlas Shrugged Of course, I never imagined she was going to be this right this fast:
I am just about speechless. Just about. Duly-elected Representatives Dennis Kucinich, John Conyers, Bob Filner, Marcia Fudge, James Langevin, and Lynn Woolsey should never be re-elected to their current positions – or any positions within any American government – but you and I both know they will be. Why? Because those petty bureaucrats are not the problem, they are just a symptom of the problem. By dint of our very means of running it, we, the American people, receive the government we want and deserve. We just keep re-electing self-absorbed, megalomaniacal scum because our scum is better than their scum, because they promise our state money, because they help us with pork barrel projects, because they keep "social" programs alive, because we are told they are "electable" and other options are not; and then we have the nerve to act "surprised" when, predictably, scum exposes itself as scum. When someone shows a marked disdain for the Constitution, for free-market economies, for freedoms, for liberties, for all those things that once made America a great country, and you re-elect them, you are no longer permitted to be astonished that they just go on doing what they were doing before. Which is pretty much exactly why I am voting Third Party in this coming Presidential election, as well as any other election where I am dissatisfied with both the incumbent and his/her challenger. I simply do not care any more if someone arbitrarily dictates whether or not a certain candidate is "electable"; I only care about what kind of job he or she will be doing in office. Honestly, if more people paid attention to / cared about that, our country would be in a lot less hurt right now. Just to break out the partisanship, though, it almost goes without saying that all of the meddling authoritarians behind this proposed bills have "D"s after their respective names, and it is no surprise that this comes after Our Glorious President took it upon himself to kill not only a cheaper source of oil, but also a massive job creator. And to completely switch tracks for a moment, does anyone see a problem with folks who may not necessarily understand anything about the oil industry being allowed to arbitrarily set "reasonable" profit levels for that industry without any oversight or actual direction as to what "reasonable" may or may not mean? Furthermore, given that $0.184 of every gallon goes to the Federal Government as an excise tax, when are we, the people, going to formulate a "Reasonable Taxation Board" to control government taxes, or a "Reasonable Income Board" to control congressmen’s income, or a "Reasonable Legislation Board" to strike down blatantly idiotic legislation such as this? It seems like that time is rapidly coming upon us. (Courtesy of The Freeholder.) Conan the Barbarian (And he did not say the line, which is just about an unforgivable offense.) Regular – or, hell, even irregular – readers of this weblog are probably more than familiar with my rebranding of "gun control" supporters as "anti-rights cultists" but go ahead and slide back there to re-read that particular post to get everyone back on the same page. All good? Great. So, really, that was just an exercise in me stretching the definitions of a few words in order to cast my opponents in a negative, socially unacceptable light, right? Wrong. I meant every word of what I said almost a year ago now, and I contend they are even more poignant today than they were in the past; here are a few reasons why, courtesy of my fellow pro-rights activists.
If you honestly believe that a "gun free zone" will actually keep out a criminal intent on murdering someone with a firearm, or will cause him to somehow surrender his firearms before he commits that crime, or if you honestly believe that one state not honoring a criminal’s carry permit (if he has one at all) will stop him from entering that state, you are thinking no more rationally than the sign-wielding fool below:
You are allowing yourself to be deluded by the belief that a sign and an arbitrary, invisible line will somehow cause a violent, sociopathic, probably psychopathic, murderer to somehow rethink his methods and his motivations and adapt them according to your desires. That is not sane. That is not logical. That is pretty much the very embodiment of "blind faith", especially since there is precisely no evidence to support it. And as such, it is, by definition, an "unconventional belief" – after all, convention indicates that if something works, are some sort of indications that it does, in fact, work. Sure, we may not understand the precise mechanics of why it works, but at least we know it functions. This cannot be said of "gun control" as a whole, and it surely cannot be said of "gun free zones". Furthermore, per the definition established by the Supreme Court in D.C. v. Heller, "gun control", and specifically the banning of firearms in specific locations, is an "unconventional" belief, in that the Second Amendment explicitly protects and preserves the individual right of all law-abiding, of-age Americans to own firearms "in common use for lawful purposes", such as handguns, shotguns, semi-automatic magazine-fed rifles (aka "assault weapons"), and so forth. As I said, "gun control" supporters are operating off blind faith that verges on religious zealotry – not only do they know they are right (despite the absence of any evidence whatsoever demonstrating their right-ness), but you should have to live according to their beliefs, damnit*! In any case, couple that single-minded fervor with charismatic (in their own minds) leaders who are capable of riling up their followers into a (supposedly) righteous, frothing-at-the-mouth rage, and, hey, look, a cult. Speaking personally, I prefer to have my world view shaped by facts, rational thought, logic, and actual hard evidence, rather than the deranged rantings-and-ravings of charlatans whose continued employment literally relies on more people being shot and killed by firearms. But maybe that is what sets me apart from anti-rights cultists… (* – When I phrase it like that, maybe "cult" is too gentle of a word… perhaps "inquisition"?) Hopefully you noticed that this weblog “went dark” for 12 hours earlier today. Did you take the time to find out why? If not, feel free to watch this video now: Or read this explanation:
Oh, and, yes, I am voting for the net. Which means I will NOT be voting for either Lamar Alexander or Bob Corker for any future office at any level of the United States Government. The only way to stop stupid laws like this one from even being proposed is by voting out those morons who propose, support, or endorse them. By now, you are probably well aware of the difficulties Paul Helinski, the president (?) of GunsAmerica and current sufferer of faragosis, is having comprehending how the internet works. Well, just over two days ago, I issued the following challenge to my readers:
… And today, on the first day of the actual SHOT Show, shortly after the doors opened, I received my first picture:
No, that person is not me – I could not rationalize the cost, time, and vacation necessary to make a full going of that event. In fact, I am not even sure who that person is. However, I, as a "nobody" with fewer than a thousand hits of traffic a day, a weblog only a few years old, and a Compete.com ranking that looks more like the population of one of the top 30 largest cities in the States (for reference, lower is better), was able to reach across the country and put a nice little thorn in the side of an apparently incorrigible jerk, courtesy of an enterprising reader. Kind of cool how that works. Of course, you know what this means – one more patch is still available for the claiming! Oh, and Paul, my original offer still stands – make a public apology, hitting all three necessary parts, regarding your words at the NSSF/SHOT Show weblog, and all of this will… well, be reduced. At this point, the posts I have written are so deeply impacting Google hits now, I doubt I can make them "go away" entirely any more, but that is rather your fault for dragging your feet. Speaking of, does anyone know if H-S Precision is at this year’s SHOT? (Many thanks to the pictured intrepid reader – your patch will be in the mail shortly!) Got cammies (or any other kind of outdoorsy gear/clothing)? Is it waterproof? Why not? (And, no, that stuff will not make it 100% waterproof, but it sure as hell beats your average cotton weave, and no, it will not significantly alter the coloration of the fabric you use it on (in fact, it seems to be designed not to). This post brought to you by a particularly damp airsoft game.)  |
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– Yes, I know the government is going to show itself to be staffed and run by fear-driven, self-absorbed children should an emergency like that ever arise, and, yes, I know society is going to pretty much implode along the way; I do not watch movies for reality, and given that this one lacked anything approximating "suspense", "mystery", or "intrigue" (simply because it was such a believable foreshadowing), the best I can say is "meh". 
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