Scandal...squared!

I am totally in awe of the sweater of deceit being undone around the administration these days in the wake of so many scandals breaking in the news....well "breaking" is stretching it a bit, some have been building for months.

From the 80's with Scandal - "Goodbye To You". We can only hope....

Benghazi - Iam all out for impeachment on this item if what I read is true. We pretty much abandoned our embassy staff to their fates as to Avoid angering the Libyan government (that we helped gain power) by the use of military force in their country. And then tried to cover up the reason behind the attack by blaming some obscure film. And Mrs. Clinton, what difference does it make now you ask? None. What difference may had it made at the time? Possible 4 lives worth, hence the scrutiny.

Wiretapping - funny how the press so nonchalantly reports about our second amendment rights are taken away, but scream when it's found out the 'gubment has tapped it's own phones... Still, wrong is wrong and this is entirely wrong!

IRS - might as well stand for "idiots, repression and scandals"...did you rely think you would target groups that were based largely on constitution beliefs and think nobody would notice you were treating them with more scrutiny? Your fearless leader claims innocence and then invokes the 5th...yeah, nothing going on in there....kind of reminds me of 'ol Joe The Plumber...

Drone Strikes - administration first authorizes style killing of US citizens sans trial by way of a drone strike, OK, I am all for the elimination of threats to our country...but why do we give non-US citizens (who ARE terrorists) full right to trial under our laws when we catch them red handed and kill US citizens just because they are on a list and we have a window of opportunity?
Over all, not a happy time for one particular President...sorry can't blame "W" for every single activity in his 8 years and then expect to get a pass during yours....

Franklin County (Ohio) now issuing veteran ID cards.

If you are veteran living in the Central Ohio area in Franklin County (Columbus) you can now go apply for and receive a ID card specifically identifying you as such. 

Story HERE

I am on the fence as far as this goes.  I don't necessarily think its a bad idea insofar as guys who honorably served their country usually don't have any type of identification showing this to take advantage of any discount offers that they may be eligible for.  Carrying around a copy of your DD214 is not what I would normally call a very smart or convenient alternative.  On the other hand, I don't think that this is something that the county, or state for that matter should do for anybody that has served in one of the uniformed services.  I don't also like the idea that in order to get one that you need to put your DD214 on file with the county.  First off, what purpose does that serve and I have also heard about people having identity theft problems from info available via FOIA requests of this data.  It seems to me that the VA should be in charge of putting something like this together as the federal representative in these affairs.  In fact, people do get issued VA ID cards when entitled to certain types of care.  The problem is this, like everything else, the higher in government the responsibility goes, the more complex and boondoggled it also gets.  The VA is already backlogged enough as is and putting another item on their plate doesn't seem to be the answer.

My answer is this.  There are already thousands of designated DEERS/ID card centers in the military as is.  Make the cards available through them and also make the issuance of one a required part of out-processing of current personnel.   I don't think that a picture should be necessarily required, so you could even have them processed via the mail system.  I know its a lot to do to get folks a free lunch once a year at Applebees, but I feel at least its what we should be doing.

What part of the spear are you?

Lately it seems I have run across a lot of social groups on FaceBook and other places dedicated to the purpose of letting the world know that one type of military specialty (usually combat arms type) is vastly superior to every other organization in the organized US war machine, save none.  Well, this is just preposterous.  No single branch or specialty can fight by itself.  The entire machine must operate as a cohesive unit, regardless of branch or job, in order for US goals to be met and personnel and interests safeguarded.  A lot of times you will hear or see someone say or write that they or someone else was "at the tip of the spear".  Well, what does that mean?  Let's use the spear as an analogy to represent our military forces and go from there....

The spear is the brainchild of some long lost cave dweller that probably noticed that the thinner the end of a long stick was, the easier it was to stab and pin his dinner to the ground.  From there the idea just exploded across many cultures and continents, will all major pre-firearm societies utilizing some type of version of a stick with a point on them.  The spear comes in various lengths and names (from a short version - javelin, to a long stand off weapon - the lance) but all fulfill one basic purpose.  In an era before gunpowder, the spear gave you the ability to stand off against an opponent at short range.  Sure, at longer range you could engage with a volley of arrows, but when the enemy had closed on your ranks arrows could indiscriminately hit your own people.  The spear could be used to thrust out and stab at your enemy from behind a shield before they could slash at your with their sword, be used to dismount and enemy off of their horse and even thrown at them as most people seem to think they are intended to be used. The Romans used them effectively as throwing. weapons by the implementation of the pilum.  The pilum was a heavy spear with a very thin, barbed and usually softer head and shank.  Before rushing an opponent the legionaries would throw their pilums at their enemy, those not hit with them directly would have them stick in their shields hopefully.  The barbed head would make them hard to remove, and soft metal would make then bend upon impact.  It either made the opponents shield more difficult to use with the pilum stuck in it, or rendered the pilum useless to be thrown back.  Here's a short clip from the movie "300" showing the (highly stylized and choreographed) use of the Greek spear in the movie...

Back to my analogy....

The tip of the spear.

The proverbial tip....this is where the blade is the thinnest but usually the sharpest. It begins the process of wounding with the spear so that the remainder of the weapon may follow through and do its job.  In jabbing attacks aimed at taking out a specific target it can do damage all by itself by being inserted into the target and then quickly removed.

If you have ever spent your time in the military in a unit or group that makes up less than 1/10 of 1% of the total combat force, you are probably in the tip of the spear.  If you have ever suddenly realized it was 3am in the morning and you have been training for 3 days straight without any serious attempt at rest...you probably are in the tip.  If you have ever been assigned to a unit that you yourself didn't know the actual name of....you are probably in this group.  Navy SEALS, Army SF, Delta Force, Air Force PJ, Marine Recon, Rangers... you get the idea.

The flank of the blade.

Alright, they flank (or sides) of the blade are devestating to an opponent.  While the tip makes the initial cut the flanks cut for a much longer distance and can slash on their own as well, making very wide and brutal damage occur over a wide area. There is a part of the flanks that actually makes up a small percentage of the tip.

OK, enough ripping off Jeff Foxworthy for analogies.  Combat Arms guys, here is you.  Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Engineers, Cav, Air Cav, CAS...you get the idea.  Keep in mind not every single entity may solely exist on one part of the spear at all times. Lets take my hard charging Ranger friends for example.  I have already listed them in the tip of the spear as they can operate in small, very forward units performing surgical strikes or capturing airfields and the like.  In a larger group they can operate as part of a lead or key force in a larger attack, hence the flanks.   

The flanks are the combat meat-&-potatoes part of the fight.  More people designated to shoot bag guys and blow their stuff up will be here than anywhere else.  Be very proud to be a "flanker", your training will have been tough to get here and your pride hard earned. 
 

The Spine

The spine is that portion of the blade that runs down the middle and gives support and rigidity to the sharp flanks and tip.  It gives weight to the attack and keeps the blade from flexing and deviating from it intended path.  

Combat support folks...this be your area.  You are close enough to the attack to see and feel its affects first hand and even may participate in it once in a while.  But your main reason for getting your war on is to support those doing the fighting directly by medical, logistical, maintenance, transportation and other battlefield needs.  Its often said that the battle is won on the front lines and the war on the supply lines.  Don't be ashamed of that combat patch you wear for being on the FOB turning a wrench so that the guys taking that truck outside the wire had a reliable means of getting back inside later.  
 

The Shaft

The shaft is the long, wooden staff that the blade is attached to.  In not only provides the means for the blade to reach out and cut someone, it also provides valuable mass behind the attack to drive the blade home to kill its target and also provides stability for the blade while in flight if throne.  In addition it can also be used as both a defensive measure to ward off an attack or stuck in the ground to help unseat a rider, but can also be used in its own right as a weapon by striking with its tip, abet with less effect than the blade.

REMF's of the world unite!  This is where I was in the war.  The folks providing combat service support (rear, and rear-rear area) from places mostly removed from direct combat.  The "I got a combat patch for being in theater) type folks, yours truly included.  Its not glamorous work, but its important.  Nobody gets an "Combat Admin Badge" (well, got to check with the Air Force regs before being 100% sure on that) or a "Distinguished Depot Maintenance Medal"...but somebody has got to do the stuff you do or it doesn't get done.  That bullet that killed Bin Laden started out its tour of duty in theater coming off some ship most likely docked at Doha in Kuwait, was trucked to Camp Arifjan, where logistic guys took it off a pallet, put in an another log pac that got loaded on a plane for Afghanistan and was flown by MAC pilots that don't get to stick missles under the wings of their C5's.  Once in theater it was once again unload and shipped by yet more log guys until it finally ended up in that M4 in that SEALS hand and ultimately into that douchbag's brain.  Did you guys that got to go home for 2 weeks on mid tour R&R enjoy it?  Guess what, you can thank troops in the shaft for coordinating all of that "BS" involved in getting you in and out of theater with travel arrangements both to and from to ensure you got where you were supposed to.  Hopefully you didn't have a buddy killed, but if you did, it was those of us in the shaft that were charged with quickly, accurately and respectfully notifying their family.  Again, not glorious work, but stuff that needs to be done for the rest of the spear to work correctly.

So, if you served, where do you belong on the spear?  Remember there is no right or wrong answer here.  Every part of the spear is important.  Each has its role to play and relies on the others to do theirs as well in order for the opponent to be defeated.

When somebody asks me what I did in the war I can now just tell them "I gave them the shaft!!"

Goodbye old friend.....

Not a person, but a building....

The old National Guard Armory located at 212 East Wooster Street in Bowling Green, Ohio is being razed in the name of progress in order to make way for yet another CVS pharmacy, each of which seems to pop up on the urban landscape faster than the last and stands out like a red boil on the ass of the world....nothing against CVS its just that this burns my buns a bit.

The Armory has stood in that spot for over 100 years, from its doors departed young men to fight in both world wars, Korea and The Global War on Terror as well as numerous other missions of note, such as security at the 1996 Olympics and service in multiple natural disaster responses.

Apparently, that is not worthy of note.

The Toledo Blade ran an article this morning on the story noting that the armory had been used to host classes from nearby Bowling Green State University in its early years and had been host to many "teen dances"....yep, you suck TB....you suck.

Unfortunately these old armories - most built back in the first decade of the 20th century - are all going this way.  To be truthful, they have for the most part outlived their usefulness and indeed did what they were intended to do at the time.  This particular armory had not been actively used in almost a decade. Today their layout and construction is often not up to code, not handicap friendly and often not friendly either to a generation "fitness and body composition" challenged.   They looked cool, like small castles and were designed to present a formidable appearance, being built not too many decades after "the wild west" when sometimes lawlessness came down main street.  The armory itself used to stable horses as up until the 30's the cavalry was still a active part of the military. I have been told that in the 20's during prohibition that the basement was used as an informal "speak easy" for unit members during the period.

Perhaps no period of time best defined this building as WW2.  Not as much as for what it was used for (recruiting, inductions, draft boards, war drives and the like) but for the men who came here to depart for war...many of which never returned to see it again.  This armory housed members of the 148th Infantry regiment of the 37th "Buckeye" Division that saw extensive service in the Pacific theater in the war.  Six unit members distinguished themselves by earning the Medal of Honor (along with another from WW1) and countless others earned "lesser" medals to include The Distinguished Service Cross, Silver and Bronze stars and many others. The unit participated in the liberation of the city of Manilla in the Philippines from the Japanese as well as numerous other engagements in now mostly forgotten (to the general low information voter and soundbyte mentality public) battles in places with names like Bougainville, New Georgia and Luzon.

As much as a person, a building or location can instil a sense of camaraderie and friendship with a soldier.  I dare any trooper that has been assigned as a paratrooper in the 82nd to step onto Ft Bragg, an armor soldier to visit the Patton Museum or any D-Day vet to visit the graves in Normandy to say different.  Look at the vast amount of visitors that the former WTC site got in the 10 years after 9/11.  To me this armory was a "hallowed ground" type of place for me.  A way for me to link my service at the time to a lineage bigger and more important that anything else I could ever singularly accomplish...

And now its all gone.

Goodbye old friend, you will be missed....

Hi...

I'm Huey, I have a blog here that apparently I have forsaken and left go for a while.... to be fixed.

Actually I was working on a post on Mr. Colin Noir, the newest NRA spokesperson and the fact that he is a black man and how that has caused some stir online by people for and against guns.  Like I said I was working on it and then he came out with his own video that pretty much said most of what I was putting to the keyboard....

I have stated before that the 2nd Amendment applies to all Americans regardless of race, creed, religion, class, political views or what have you.  Go ahead and search for that, you'll find it here.  For those that think that the color of a person's skin has a direct correlation on how they should think...well, get over yourselves....

More posts tomorrow....going on a writing binge tonight to finish up some stuff that has been languishing in the drafts folder...

My 10/22 is "Activated"

I was in our new Cabelas the other week just nosing around the bargain section and I found a non-descript little clamshell wrapper with a BMF Activator in it, marked something like $20.  A what?  A BMF Activator is a devise that places a crank on your trigger guard of your semi-auto .22 or similar rifle that activated the trigger by means of  a rotating cylinger that pushes a "activator bar" against the trigger 3 times for every rotation of the crank.  It is supposed to approximate full auto fire but is more like shooting a gatling gun.  It does not alter the mechanics of the weapons so its legal...at least for now.  It even comes with a little copy of the (then called) ATF letter saying that it does not violate any laws. 

I have spoken before about I do not like traditional bump firing where guys hold weapons slung low and shoot from the hip as you cannot see the sights and do nor really have a good idea where your round may go, especially with the weapon moving around under only semi-controlled recoil.  As you can see from the video, I was able to use the scope on my 10/22 (cheap NC Star scope but it works on a .22) the entire time.

All in all a pretty neat little gimmick, it will not be staying on the rifle full time though.  It was nice to have a bit of fun, but .22 being scare as it is better to take aimed shots and save my ammo.

Bring the .38 back? I didn't realize it ever left....

I got an email from Handguns magazine (I subscribe to G&A and a few others that send my emails that I don't mind getting) for their latest issue featuring an article entitled "Should We Bring Back the .38 Special?"

I really never knew it left in the first place.

For years and years the .38 Special, in both normal and +P offerings, was the choice of LEO and civilian shooters alike in their protective and defensive weapons.  While relatively weak compared to magnum offerings, the .38 proved its worth time and time again in the hands of trained shooters.  There are more than a few souls on the other side that can attribute their end to a .38 slug.

I actually find humor when I read or hear somebody say that a 9mm is "bigger" than a a .38 or similar.  They both use a .357" bullet and the .38, in fact, is able to fire a larger bullet weight without any significant modification than the 9mm in commonly found ammo.  Modern powders (the cartridge dimension harken back to black powder days) and bonded HP and defensive bullets have more than shaken off any disdain as this round as "underpowered".  I would dare say that any stories found on the internet about suspects taking multiple .38 hits are similar to the same stories more recently about 9mm stopping power and can be attributed to the use of non-expanding FMJ or round nose bullets in service weapons.

You're a bad guy and I pull my LCR on you and you see these staring from their homes at you and know that 125 grains of hollowpoint will be shortly coming after you at 850-900 fps...what do, what do?  I'll tell you what to do...crap your pants!

For those that still worry about the effectiveness of the .38 Special, companies such as Buffalo Bore offer more than a few hot and exotic offers chambered in it that should assuage any angst over its use for protection.

Some people still scoff at its use since it is (normally) only chambered for revolvers, thus limiting yourself to 5-7 rounds, depending on the model and size of the revolver.  I call BS.  Sure, more is certainly better and better to have and not need than to need and not have and all that....but still 5 or 6 rounds of .38 at your beck and call is still nothing to laugh at.  And with proper training and practice the use of readily available speed loaders and strips can make the ammo "shortage" in a revolver almost a non-issue.  Every see a video of Massad Ayoob or Jerry Miculek reload?

Also, while not as plentiful as in the past (and right now all ammo in popular calibers is scarce!) you can still find plenty of ammo and accessories for a revolver chambered for it if you look a bit. 

If you notice, I ever got a speed loadeder with some old Winchester Silvertips there!

Looking in my safe I find I have 4 pistols that are chambered or can fire this round...

Yes, that is my foot....

1.  My Ruger LCR - This has been my go to carry gun over the past Fall and Winter.  I appreciate its light weight, clean and snag-proof lines and smooth trigger.  I have been carrying it with 125gr. Remington Golden Saber +P rounds with 6 on a speed strip and do not feel under gunned at all. I have replaced the front sight with a XS big dot and it comes easy onto target and minute-of-pie plate at 10 - 15 yards with it is easy to do.

2. Astra Cadix - Bought this from The Powder Room for $150 a few months ago on an impulse.  Astra was one of only a few companies allowed to produce firearms in post Civil War Spain and produced a vast array of pistols for both the military, law enforcement and the limited civilian purchases allowed.  They have not been made in decades and are not widely found, but still are out there. Basically, this a clone of a S&W J-Frame with a square grip and 4" barrel. As such it "only" holds 4 rounds in the cylinder, but as a result has a very slim profile for a "service" sized weapon. At full lockup (Cock the pistol, let the trigger fall and while keeping the trigger pulled to the rear try and move the cylinder) this is the tightest revolver of the bunch, attesting to some very good build quality. It has a unique "donut" in the grip that can be rotated to change the trigger and hammer stiffness if desired, from a stiff service use pull to a lighter target style trigger.  The only thing wrong with it is that incredibly tall, sail of a front sight is too high...way too high.  I am shooting a foot low at 7 yards.  Nothing a file and a few hours to work on won't fix, but still a hassle I have not yet taken on.  For the amount I spent on it though, it could end up a good trade gun, a charity donation to a friend in need or even a "cabin" gun at some time if need be.  Any way you look at it, its solid and reminds us never to underestimate the odd ball you find once in a while on a dusty shelf.

3.  Smith & Wesson Model 64. - I have talked about this former prison service revolver before here that I picked up for a song (about $250) a while back.  Its a Smith & Wesson, enough said.... Great night stand weapon and listed by G&A as one of the 8 most underrated defensive guns on their website...

4. Ruger GP-100 - Just got this beast as you may very well know, haven't even shot it yet...but I doubt it will not be good to go in any respect.  Big and mean, its chambered for the .357 magnum and will shoot the .38 as well, matter of fact many people carry .38+P loads in heavy frame magnum revolvers as a matter of practice to maximize controllability and power in the frame weight given. 

So, as you can see, the .38 Special has never gone anywhere it need to return from as far as I am concerned to begin with!

Gun Control Bill dies in Senate

"This was a pretty shameful day for Washington....."  ~ President Obama

"No, Mr. President, it wasn't" ~ Huey

Oh that Nelson!!

Senate Bill 649, "The Firearms Bill", was defeated on the floor of the senate by a vote of 54-46 keeping it out of further discussions in the chamber and effectively giving the President one of his biggest defeats of his tenure as similar legislation failed to pass muster in the house as well.   It included the so called "Manchin-Toomey" Amendment which would of expanded background checks at gun shows and require them for internet transactions as well.

CNN and other media outlets are touting that the NRA threatened political backlash against senators running for re-election next year and was responsible for many democratic senators voting to kill the bill.  Bullshit.  Yeah, it was probably part of the equation, but they give way too much credit to the NRA in this case where some of those Democratic senators that "flipped" were from smaller, less populated rural states (Montana, North Dakota ect..) where traditional gun owning values are still in widespread acceptance by both sides of the political isle.

Also, the same outlets are saying how lobbing trumpted popular opinion....last time I checked we didn't necessarily run this country on public opinion.  If so every time a law needed to pass we would convene a general election (like we occasionally do at the state level) and vote on it, we don't.  We elect representatives (the number based on the size of the state) and senators (2 per state to make sure the "little guys" have a equal say) to proxy our will in government.  We are not a democracy, we are a constitutional republic and the sooner people realize that the better we will all be.  So yes, even if 80%-90% of "polled" individuals (and I wonder what areas of the country are represented and how the questions are asked) support "gun control" the people that THEY ELECTED to cast the votes for them did not vote that way. 

I am not for violence in the streets and my opposition to "common sense" gun control laws is not solely based on my general disdain for the opposition (although they make it very easy to not like them sometimes).  Most of my angst over these laws is that:

A.  They are being discussed, argued over and written by people who don't understand the basic mechanical workings, physics or employment of firearms.
B.  They fail to try and enforce the laws we already have in effect.
C.  The failure of gun control measures in states and other countries to significantly alter the violent crime rate overall.
D.  The other side sucks  (OK, that's an opinion, not a reason....but seriously, have you really listened or read stuff by Feinstein et al?)

What was truly shameful in Washington yesterday is that our constitutional rights were defended and upheld and it was treated as a terrorist attack against our country by our President in the media. 

Shame on you Mr. Obama.

Boston turns into Baghdad

Feel obligated to post something about this terrorist attack....

And no, I am not going to call it a "tragedy", "incident", "crime scene" or anything else....  It is what it is.  The people/person involved knew exactly what the impact of this would be and where it would be detonated and for what purpose, its terrorism.

Now I am not going to start hypothesising on who or whom it may have been or their motivation for do this dastardly and cowardly attack.  I will let the guys with the badges and training do their job and chime in when the time is right.

I will also not try and tie this in with the government going after our 2A rights as if having somebody armed there would of prevented this.  99.99% chance that they wouldn't and using this tragic loss of life to promote that agenda is just not right, not that this has stopped many a pundant in our corner from doing so, but again I say take the high ground until the other side tries to use it against us.

I will say this, last night our POTUS swore that the culprits would face the full weight of justice..... let me just say I have some reservations about that statement.  First off, we have a Army Major in Fort Hood that was caught red handed murdering his fellow soldiers that has not faced it yet and a similar message was said last fall after Americans were killed in Libya.  Where is that "weight" in those instances?

God Bless the victims, their families and everyone affected by this attack...including many vets in other places that that all the major news outlets interject memories back into their heads that many fought to get rid of....

Caveat Emptor, Part Deux

Another tale of woe...this time from a good friend.

My friend Tom has been looking for his first pistol, an inexpensive basic 1911 that would fit in with his M1 Garand. He wanted it as GI as possible and not with a bunch of high speed bells and whistles. I have been on the look out for him for a while and sent him a link to a guy selling IAC 1911s (Turk builds) for $400 on Gunlistings.  That is about what they are worth so it sounded like a good deal.  Tom asked me what to do and I told him to contact the seller and see if he could arrange a sale and to "do the transaction whatever way he felt safest".  Unfortunately Tom sent him a money order...not good.

Its been several weeks and he has neither pistol or his money in hand.  Matter of fact the guy sent him another email shortly after receiving the money order asking for another $200 because the FFL shipping it was asking for more money to insure the shipping and such. WTF?  The guy additionally told Tom that since it cost him $40 to cash the money order he needed more money to make it worth his while.  DOUBLE WTF?!?  Seems our seller cashes stuff at check cashing stores, hence the 10% or so charge to do it.  Also, I am betting he never had actually had the pistol in hand and was going to buy it from somewhere else that would have charged tax and shipping too, as well as a FFL transfer once it got to him before he sent it to Tom....again, hence the extra fees.   Tom has asked for his money back several times but keeps getting stonewalled and delayed. 

I feel bad, down right partially responsible matter of fact.  The guy lives in Akron while Tom lives in Toledo, about a 2 hour drive for those not from Ohio.  I, personally, would have driven to pick it up or arranged a neutral meeting point in public, but again this was Tom's first time out buying one and I guess he just didn't realize that send money was a bad idea.  I have informed him to report the guy to teh Postal Inspector, but I doube he will get his money back at this point.  Sucks.

Just a few tips once again for doing these types of transactions via sites like Gunlistings and Armslist:

• Always deal in person unless going through a third party brokerage type service that will secure your money until the goods have actually been delivered.
• Always deal in cash when conducting transactions as a seller...the check doesn't always clear.
• Know what you're buying at least enough not to get burned on inflated prices for a "collector" item or such..
• Always pick a public place in a safe area to conduct business, if possible.  I have gone to peoples houses before, some in some not-so-stellar areas, but I have always been careful, maintained awareness, been armed and always had a getaway plan and route.  Public areas are generally safe during daylight hours. 
• ALWAYS make sure you are conducting the transaction legally in accordance with the laws of your state and federal statutes.  That means no conducting business across state lines without a FFL, not selling to persons that you know are unable to legally own them and such.  I, personally, generally insist to do business with other CCW holders and upon presentation of such credentials. 
• Most importantly, if it feels wrong...DON'T DO IT!  Its not worth jail time or physical injury or death for the sake of buying or selling something. If the spidey sense is tingling get out of Dodge. 

With the ongoing talk of mandatory background checks for all transactions this type of online trading may come to an end in this manner, but in the meantime you can still legally sell your private property as such....just be safe doing it. 

Last week I drove to the Cleveland area to do a trade for my GP-100.  I chose a very public area with a lot of traffic in the middle of the day to do the swap.  Before I even opened my case to let him examine my Glock I asked for both his Ohio drivers license and CCW cards and verified it was him.  I kept the conversation on track and brief, always maintained my situational awareness and left as soon as our transaction was done after thanking him. 

Generally, those doing transactions on these sites are gunnies just like I am and I generally don't have any issues. But then again, I follow my rules and don't allow myself to get burned. 

Tom is learning a hard lesson from this, one I hope none of you repeat.  Be safe and smart folks.

Relevance of time....

I met an old acquaintance from the National Guard walking into work the other day.  He is still in the guard and just recently returned from a little holiday overseas. He asked me simply if I missed being in uniform... I had a hard time replying.

Me as young man....

Do I miss being cold and wet in the dark of the wee hours of the morning lying prone in a puddle waiting for something that may or may not happen to occur? No.  Do I miss being away from family and friends with the possibility of being called off to some far off place never to return? No.  Do I miss being around others in similar situation that all have a common bond....yes.

Getting to be middle age me....

 The amount that I do miss that comaderie does dwindle over time.   When I first got out/retired it was directly after my 90 day stop loss period after returning from Kuwait.  I liken it to finishing a dead sprint in a single step.  Your momentum wants to keep you going forward after you plant that final foot.  I knew a lot of folks still in and felt a connection to the military, at least the Ohio National Guard.  Last year I lost a military acquaintance (a year ago this past week matter of fact) in a suicide attack in Afghanistan that I knew from years back, so I still have "a dog in the fight" when units get deployed, but that dog is getting older and more haggard by and by.  Most of the folks that were junior enlisted when I took off are all senior NCO's at this point, and their numbers are dwindling.  Moreover, nobody on the other side of this equation really even remembers me any more anyway.  Maybe I might get brought up at some point I would suppose when talking about a specific incident or detail from the past, but I did not leave any type of footprint behind that people would seek me out in any way.  Most of us don't.  So, as the familiar faces in the formation become fewer and fewer so does my connection to that particular organization.

Older "civvie" me staring middle age in the face and looking forward to what's next...

I think this happens to a lot of veterans from all over the services.  As the means or type of relevance a person has to an organization dwindle so does any feelings of connection or nostalgia to it.  Before you know it you're lumped into this big melting pot title of "veteran" that includes people from all branches and specialities that you have absolutely no connection or common thread with.  Sometimes you can build on the fact that you are all at least in the same group by joining the VFW, Amvets, American Legion or other groups, but really, what do you have in common?  Especially here in the "big city" where active posts are few and far between (I have looked and cannot find any near where I am at) its really not an option for me.  Seeing how the same soldiers are being deployed over and over and over, as opposed to vast quantities of new veterans being created as in WW2 and such, I do not see a huge increase in the roles on these organizations bringing them back to their post WW2 glories.

Posse time last year....me and Mark chilling waiting for the sun to set at camp...

Thank God for the Posse, that group of guys I get to hang with a few times a year on the range with a camping trip thrown in for good measure...maybe even a breakfast once in a while at Bob Evans too.  Made up of a lot of guys I used to serve with in the Ohio guard and some other faces that are vouched for by those I served with.  Solid Americans....every one of them.  We sit and discuss the "old times" and current events, much about how we lament the way things have become and are seemingly going.  They are my legion, my "kindred spirits" of a common root, the ones I can relate to because we all marched the same path at the same time.

So I guess the answer to the original question asked "do I miss it?"....yeah, I miss it...but less and less as time goes on.

Posse camp in 2 weeks.....

Turned a Glock into a 2.5lb steel rock....

Well, I didn't end up selling the G19 to finance my M9 purchase after all.... I traded it for a Ruger GP-100 .357 .... a steel rock if there ever was one.  I have a hand cannon once again!!

Got a good deal on the trade, the Ruger goes for around $600 and I had about a total of $550 in the Glock.  The G19 was test fired in June of 2010 according to the spent shell casing envelope in the box, and the serial number on the GP100 shows it was made around the same time, so depreciation costs are a wash. Then there were the extras...2 boxes of Remington .38 range ammo and another 40-ish rounds of loose ammo in a plastic ammo case (including about 15 CCI LSN .357 rounds), 3 HKS speed loaders, a el cheapo but functional cross body holster and a lockable pistol box.  Total estimated value of that package, about $750.  Yeah, I had to drive a bit to get it from a guy in Cleveland, but hey, it was the first nice day of the year (temp in the high 70's) so a good day for a drive and I still came out ahead even after gas and lunch being taken from the "profit"!

At one time I had a Ruger Security-Six .357 and foolishly parted with it.  I have regretted it ever since and this corrects that misjudgement in thinking.  The GP-100 is an evolution of the Ruger line of service/hunting medium frame guns that the Security-Six line carried.  It offers several features over that platform while still retaining the overall lines of its predecessors.

• A much more thicker frame without side panels designed to stand up to unlimited use of hot .38 and .357 Magnum rounds.
• A triple locking mechanism that includes the crane lock used on the larger Redhawk line of .44 revolvers.
• A dual spring system that keeps the hammer spring tension from affecting trigger pull.
• A "peg" grip (also used on my LCR) that eliminates the need to have 2 different guns to adapt different style grips to.  No more square or round butt decisions, just find a grip, stick it on the peg and secure.

Overall, the one word to describe these pistols is "over engineered", OK I guess that's 2 words.  Weighing in at around 40 ounces, this thing is heavier empty than the G19 with a loaded 15 round mag I traded it for.  But thats not a bad thing, that weight will really help sop up recoil from those .357 rounds on the range and in the field.

The model I traded for is technically called the KGP-141, which means its a 4" model with a satin stainless finish, adjustable sights and Hogue grip.  I would dare say its probably the most popular of the GP100 series models since I see so damn many of them.  With a 4" barrel, this pistol is not legal in Ohio to use for hunting (6" length requirement) but when using .357 rounds in it, it could theoretically take just about any game animal in the lower 48 states.  Even though I won't be hunting with it (and really I don't hunt to begin with....although I support hunter rights) I think I will go old school Elmer Keith and get some hot hard cast rounds from Buffalo Bore for it...just in case... 180gr...1400fps....783 ft/lbs...yeah, just in case....

More info and hopefully range report to follow.

So, I had this itch....bought a M9

Well, sometimes you just gotta scratch....

Since all M9/92FS are basically the same, I just found the most kick ass pic of one I could....

Bought a M9 this weekend against the future sale of my Glock 19.  What? Selling a Glock for a M9?  Yep, I love the 19 and if I could only have ONE gun that very well may be it, but the truth is I own several/many, and the G19 has kind of turned into a safe queen.  Mad Ogre has been writing about a renewed love of the M9/92FS since this fall and I guess I just kind of wanted to shoot one again too. I have shot one in the service before, matter of fact first time I ever saw one was when it was placed in my hands for qualification and I got an expert with it (its not THAT hard!).  Some things I like about it, some I don't an some are just meh.  What I got to say I like about it is this, its a full sized pistol that really sops up the recoil of the 9mm, even in +P loads. 

More to come, just wanted to tease you a bit.

Whats hotter, Atlanta or Iraq?

Gun Lobby says "Screw it"...throws in the towel

In a surprise move major elements of the gun manufacturing base here in the United States, including such giants as Remington, Colt, Ruger and Winchester have decided to call it quits amongst the overwhelming opposition to their products as demonstrated by TV commentary and polls.

"Both Rachel Maddow and Piers Morgan say we're doing the wrong thing....he's got a British accent so it must be true." stated Remington CEO Robert Nardelli.  He added that "..just the other day I saw somebody post that they changed their FaceBook profile pic to bring awareness about gun violence....you just can't argue against that type of sentiment shown by the masses".

Here members of the Remington board of directors take part in one of the companies new gun turn in programs where the company will reimburse gun owners with health care vouchers good towards Obamacare for each weapon turned info destruction.

Ruger CEO Thomas Dineen reportedly organized the surrender of his company after watching the Michael Moore documentary "Bowling for Columbine" which he described as "engrossing" and "thought provoking".  Attempts to contact him have failed so far as, according to his secretary, he has locked himself inside of his personal lavatory in his office and is to afraid to come out knowing how many guns are waiting for him in order to animate themselves and kill him in his facility.

Colt Manufacturing, of Hartford, CT, is a primary defence contractor supplying M4 carbines to the military as well as producing firearms for the civilian market.  It has shut down all manufacturing in its home state and is planning to liquidate inventory as soon as possible.  "This is Connecticut for crying out loud!" said Colt marketing director Mark Roberts "we have already tragically seen what an AR pattern rifle can do in this state." He added "we are committed to getting these assault weapons as far away from Americans as possible and are now in contract with a third party buyer to sell and ship them to the other side of the globe."  While Roberts would not discuss particulars of the deal, it has been reported that the Peoples Republic of North Korea has applied for permission to dock ships at both New Haven and Newport for the purpose of "trade" Reuters reports.

Even Glock, who does not manufacture its components in the United states but assembles them in it Georgia headquarters is calling it quits.  Company founder Gaston Glock released a press notice stating "Since my company first went into the firearms business I have made a lot of money...a shit load to be more exact.  I got a beautiful blond wife 1/3 of my age that rides horses...do you know what that does to a woman's thighs?  At this point in my life this is as good of an excuse to take the money and run as any other, so screw it....I'm out". 

The NRA has pulled all lobbyists from its DC offices and is transferring all monetary assets from its associated trust funds and coffers equally to the Brady Campaign and MAIG.   The extensive museum it once maintained is being turned into an Islamic cultural arts center and the weapons once housed there have been sent to Utah to be buried under tons of cement in an abandoned tin mine.  While he has refused to comment directly, news photographers have videotaped Wayne LaPierre sitting alone at a Fairfax bar shaking his head while drinking burbon and cokes muttering "what the fuck were we thinking?" over and over.

The only manufacturer to refuse to shut down is Hi-Point Firearms of Mansfield, Ohio.  They announced yesterday that they are now the primary contractor for the DOD and will be replacing all M4 series weapons with their 995 9mm carbines.  They have also been announced as the nations now sole supplier for law enforcement sales.

An unidentified Specops trooper upon being issued his new Hi-Point sidearm...

You want to know why I DEMAND the right to own a gun?

..because animals like this roam our streets with them!!!

Baby Shot in Stroller by Criminals Angered that Mother Didn't Have Any Money..

It's simple, shoot a baby and get killed yourself....

I do not wish to use the image of this young child to further what some might see as my own political agenda so I will not post his pic, but to say the least, looking at him and thinking what these bastards did makes me sick to my stomach.

As long as criminals like these two future felons roam the streets with weapons I too will DEMAND through my government the right to defend myself with one.   I am not saying a gun in the hand of the mother would of changed this outcome, but I am sure that not having one definitely excluded any outcome that would of resulted with the killers being shot in the head and not her son.  

British Boob request to a medic...

Yeah, she's cute, but then again women in uniform are appealing to me to begin with....

Story online about a wounded Brit soldier that asked to see the breasts of the medic treating him as he laid in pain after having both legs blown off...

Story here....

So seriously, you think if in the same position you would of done the same thing?

Not that this young lady should be expected at any point to comply (or actually to have to put up with such requests to begin with) but I think it would of been a better ending if the story read she pulled them out and he instantly came out of shock or something....but then again I like boobs.

Thank God Mark Kelly lives in Arizona....

...because when the dealer he sought to buy an AR for a "stunt" told him to "pound sand" I am sure there was some around to be found!!

That's right, the shop owner returned his money after thinking it over.  The gun in question had a state mandated 20 day waiting period since it was used to determine if it had been used in a crime or stolen.  From the shop keepers FaceBook account...

“While I support and respect Mark Kelly’s 2nd Amendment rights to purchase, possess and use firearms in a safe and responsible manner, his recent statements to the media made it clear that his intent in purchasing the Sig Sauer M400 5.56mm rifle from us was for reasons other than for his personal use. In light of this fact, I determined that it was in my company’s best interest to terminate this transaction.”

Story here...

So in response to those Axe body spray ads...."what beats an astronaut?"....

....common sense....

throbbing vein in head caused by denial of purchase....

Emma and the AK....

My friend Emma from work is on vacation down South this week with her beau visiting family in South Carolina.  She posted this pic of her with an AK at a range down that way...

Far from being just a one time deal, she does shoot occasionally at the range with her boyfriend.  She is not what I would call your typical gun supporter.  She is a fairly ardent liberal and supports the "universal background checks" that a lot of folks want to see pass apparently. She is also big on a lot of typically liberal issues like at will abortions, gay marriage, liberal spending policies and the like.  And, it goes without saying that last election I am sure she did not vote for the Mormon guy and his buck fever running mate.  Fairly easy to justify given her age, occupation and upbringing.  That being said its important to note that just because she fits the mold of "one of them" doesn't mean she is totally against guns. 

She and I don't totally meet in the middle when it comes to how they might be regulated or licensed (shudder) but at least we are in the same room on the fact that they are not uncontrollable killing machines that just being in the presence of immediately constitutes a danger.  This is good, as it means that just looking at election or poll results doesn't mean as definitive a "mandate" as some people may have you believe.  I have stated on more than one occasion that the 2nd Amendment is not reserved for one particular political slice of American.  It is not a black/white, democrat/republican, left/right, gay/straight, less filling/tastes great or what-have-you issue.  The 2nd Amendment applies to ALL of us, just like everything else in the bill of rights.  As long as I know some people we would normally call "one of them" also realize this I have hope that we can retain our constitutionally guaranteed rights against the oppression of "the enlightened ones".

And just to show she is serious...she even took out uber lib Sean Penn....

come on, it looks like him....right?

Swiss precission....

Well, as you may recall I got a K-31 from SAMCO right before we learned that my wife will not be employed in the near future, and despite my best efforts to get the order cancelled it shipped to me. After looking it over I decided to keep it. I finally got a chance to put rounds downrange with it with surplus Swiss G11 7.5x55 ammo... here was the results at 25 yards with the first 5 shots.

OK, so windage is on but elevation is a bit off (sights were set to their lowest ladder setting of 100 meters).  Still, despite the one flyer (in the first 3 rounds as it always is...wth is up with that?!!?) that is a solid group.  Given, Swiss ammo is pretty much match grade for the most part, but still that is pretty damn good for a rifle with open notch sights off of a semi-supported position from a bench.

25 yards is not that far but its far enough to judge how capable a weapon is at longer ranges.  Its the distance that soldiers in the US Army are taught to zero their rifle as a 1" group at this distance equals a 4 MOA rifle (which is supposedly a standard requirement of all US firearms).  With 5.56 ammo out of an AR a group zeroed at 25 meters (close enough in yards) will have a similar ballistic impact at 250 yards, hence its suitability for zeroing purposes for a battle sight setting.  Now, I have been told that 7.5x55 Swiss is ballistically similar to .308 as far as trajectory goes, but I have yet to find a table showing such info.  I would expect at 25 yards that impacts would be a bit low due to sight heights and such, but this seems a bit low.  Have to find out what needs to be adjusted, or maybe just try an actual 100 yard zero (didn't have quite the room for that where I was at to allow a safe backstop as well).

Either way, this rifle is a superb example of quality machining that was available at the time of its manufacture (the Swiss weren't bothered much by the war and could produce their military firearms at a higher level of quality than other European countries at the time) and also the result of pairing with quality ammo.

Yeah, this one isn't leaving my safe any time soon.

That Mark Kelly guy is funny...

Well, by this time you have probably seen this pic going around...

"I'm going to buy this AR....that'll show 'em!"

It shows Mark Kelly, CPT, USN, Astronaut and husband of former Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Gabby Giffords filling out the background check info for an AR at an Arizona gun store.  As you know, he has been near the forefront of anti-gun legislation ever since he wife was shot 2 years ago during a public speaking even outside a shopping plaza in Arizona.  He has championed the anti-2A's crusade to ban so called "assault weapons" and such, and here he is buying an AR.  His explanation?  He went into the shop to by a 1911 and saw the AR and then decided to buy it to show how easy it was to get one and he will turn it over to the police once he gets it (it was used and there is a law in Arizona requiring the state to ensure it has not been used in a crime prior to transferring possession that causes a waiting period).

Hmmmm, that doesn't pass the "sniff test" for me.

Meme of the day...

First off, why do you "need" to go buy a 1911 anyway there Captain Kelly?  Doesn't seem like that would be very conducive behaviour for someone trying to ban others from having guns now, does it?  While totally within your rights (the same ones the rest of us want to keep), its akin to Mayor Bumbleberg having a news conference on his soda ban and then going and celebrating by throwing a couple of big gulps from 7-11 down his throat.  Might not be seen by people the right way, dare I say.....hypocritical?  And also, from what I have seen this pic was taken by another customer in the store and not by some media outlet that you might bring along to document your "stunt"....hmmmm, either this was not well thought out by you....at all, or you're a hypocritical elitist who thinks that  they know better than everyone else because of their position and that the laws that they push for do not really apply to them.  That sounds more plausible to me, and everyone else for that matter.

And besides, you're a officer in the US military, an astronaut, celebrity of sorts, probably have security clearances out the wazoo and have never committed a crime....what the hell did you think was going to happen when you filled out that 4473?

Oh and here's a pic that is also going around, showing Gabby with an AR at a range before her shooting, supposedly she wanted to "toughen up" her image for her pro-gun constituents...a so called blue dog democrat.   Hey?  Is that an "assault clip"?!?!?  Chew on that fat for a bit......

The affects of the sequester cuts...

Walter Reed Medical Center ramp finished under sequester guidelines....

Nucking Futs Monday....

Who is the bigger douche of the day?

Hamid Karzai - President of Afghanistan that we put in power that now claims that we are actually working against him and are consorting with the Taliban.  Tell you what "#1 Goat Herder"...we are all just about fed up with even being in your fucking country...how about we take are ball and go home, exactly how long do you think you ass will stay in power then?  We'll take the few Afghans that are actually worth a damn, like Rambo, back home with us and you can tend to the rest.

"What do you mean I have three pointing back towards me?..."

Kim Jong Un - Wow, getting slammed on my blog twice in one week! What an accomplishment...asshole.  First off, to those that say we shouldn't have any concern about countries like Iran getting nuclear weapons, look at North Korea.  A few low level nuclear tests and missile launches over the past years and now this porky fucker wants to cancel the 50+ year old cease fire and continue the Korea War.  Well, come at us fat bastard.  We know this is a play to get us to bow to requests for humanitarian aid or something so you can feed your people and claim that it was "great leader's mercy" that saved them.  Seriously, we are tired from 10+ years of fighting now...but well prepared and trained.  What would you do if a entire US fleet popped off the coast and started carpet bombing your strip of dirt?  Think the Chicoms will help? Doubt it this time....they got as much a stake in regional stability with the West as we do.  And one last thing, you shoot first we're taking Rodman hostage...

Ashley Judd - Sure, if I wasn't married and picked her up in a bar I would take her to a seedy motel and violate her in many, many ways only legal in certain states....but she is uber liberal fucktard and wants to run against Mitch McConnell for the Kentucky senatorial seat he now sits in.  Hey, politics is politics and let the best man, or woman, win, right?  Oh yeah...hey Ashley...you're a citizen of Tennessee not Kentucky, remember?  Its not the first time that residency requirements have been taken lightly.  Remember a certain first lady that all of a sudden switched from being a good 'ol girl from Arkansas to a New York citizen just in time to be elected senator of that liberal bastion of nonsense?  Hey, if people are stupid enough to elect someone that doesn't actually have the history to represent them or their interests...well, we're fucked.  The Libs have been forging ahead with this universal version of a "shining path" that they want all of us to take...at the end of a bayonet if need be.  A vision where all of our "needs" are met by big brother in a communal paradise.   Sorry, got to envoke the "Diff'rent Strokes" theme song here....

"Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some. "

Just because something works on either liberal coast, doesn't mean it will work universally here in the "flyover lands" (that you socially mock in media until you need to kiss our asses for elections), just because you live all piled on top of one another all angry and can't trust each other with guns doesn't mean my little collection here in Ohio needs to be affected. 

Anyway, stay in Tennessee Ms. Judd....

like I said, if I could I would hop on that like a starving dog on a pork chop...and  BTW, is is by far NOT the most revealing picture of her available on the net....way to stay classy if elected Senate

The Ballad of The Black Beret....

Sung to the tune of "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Barry Saddler....

"Coffee cup...upon my desk,
Donuts are fresh....they're the best
Got stuff to type...must not delay
Another day....in the pogue brigade"

 If you can't remember the tune, hear ya' go...and shame on you!

And before I get any hate mail....I was a pogue at the end of my career....

Cruffer's Corner: The Czech CZ-82 9x18 Mak pistol

Well, if you haven't noticed by now, I have had a lot of old wood and metal on the blog over the last year since I got my 03 FFL Curio & Relic license.  That makes me a "Cruffer" I guess...than and the over 30 firearms in my bound book so far, so I decided to share a few of the more choice pieces from the collection in a series of articles I will call the "Cruffer's Corner".  No big secret revelations here about anything, most of these will be so old as to of left any secrets behind a long ways back.  You will get my opinion on them as both firearms to collect and shooters as well as maybe some historical points and practical applications that they may still have for personal defence.

It is in the last part of the preceding paragraph that this initial review is done on the CZ-82 pistol chambered in 9x18 Makarov.  The CZ-82 stands apart from most C&R weapons in that is is more on the "curio" side than the "relic" side of the term, being first fielded in 1983 to the Czech armed forces, thus making the design and features fairly useful as a modern defensive pistol.  Somebody petitioned the BATFE back in 2007 with a museum curators memo saying the pistol had value as a collectors piece (this was back before the national hysteria over guns was upon us) and viola, a "newer" C&R gun to own!

I picked mine up for $209 from J&G Sales in December with an additional magazine for $29, so a total of $240 bucks there.  For that I got a pistol in relatively good condition with some obvious wear and a tan holster, that I will go into later.  I also picked up some 9x18 ammo for it too at the time.  Bad news folks, J&G is apparently sold out of all of it save some magazines that are now $50....great times we are living in....not.

About $240 worth of Czech pistol power here...

The pistol itself is of an all steel construction and is of the direct blow back design.  This design uses the weight of the slide balanced against the energy of the round to retard the rearward travel of the slide until after a safe pressure level is reached.  In more common locked breech designs, both the barrel and slide travel backwards for a slight bit until this pressure is reached before some mechanism unlocks the barrel from the slide.  In this blow back arrangement the barrel is pinned or otherwise affixed permanently to the frame and does not travel with the slide, this, in theory, should make for a more accurate pistol all other variables similar.  I have reviewed a few blow back designs before, most notably the Hi-Point C9 and Bersa .380, on this blog.

That barrel doesn't tilt, rotate or mambo...its fixed in place.. Notice the fact that rounds pretty much feed strait into the chamber from where a mag would hold them, increasing reliability.

I should add in addition that the barrel is not only chrome lined but uses polygonal rifling like a Glock as well, no soft lead rounds need apply.

The pistol shows the more utilitarian lines of Eastern Bloc style engineering, rather than a more "appealing" side profile found on some other designs.  The nose seems to be long and skinny tapering to almost a blunt point with the angle of the underside of the frame.  It almost seems unbalanced to look at when seen in the same moment of the grip of the pistol, but don't worry, that all steel construction makes is sit firmly in your hand.

Slide locks back on an empty mag or can be locked back by the slide stop.

A rather unusual design feature of the CZ-82 is that both the thumb safety and magazine release are fully ambidextrous on the pistol with control on both sides simultaneously.  The safety is where you would expect to find it if you were a 1911 aficionado, but the click on/click off sensation and feel quite are quite different.  It is much stiffer than almost any other safety I can remember and the travel is less than half of what a 1911 safety is.  It is much easier to take it off of safe to fire than on which is something that I must say is preferable in a defensive handgun than visa versa.  The safety only blocks the trigger and does not decock the hammer.  The weapon must be cocked in order for it to be engaged.

The action is a DA/SA affair where the first shot comes after a long creepy trigger pull with subsequent shots coming off of a much shorter and cleaner single stage trigger.  Being that the safety mentioned above blocks the trigger and the fact that its not easily operated without a conscious effort, I would dare to say that this pistol would be safe to carry in condition 1, although I doubt it was ever designed to be primarily carried in this manner.

The sights consist of two white dots at the rear of the slide with a white bar imposed on the front ramp.  The sights are somewhat small compared to larger pistols and may be difficult for some to use, but they do work, and work well (more on that later).  The top of the slide between the sights is scored as to cut down on glare off of the top of the slide.

Sorry , about the best pic of the sights I took...

The pistol has a large grip with 2 checkered plastic grip panels in use.  It is a bit wide for a pistol its size, but it does hold a double stacked magazine.  The steel back strap did cause a bit of a uncomfortable sensation when shooting, but not so bad that a grip sleeve or gloves wouldn't handle it easily.  The overall grip was large enough to get a full purchase with either one or two hands with no fingers left flapping in the breeze.

Pretty chunky ass for a pistol its size, but then again the same could be said for me....

To disassemble the pistol is fairly simple. First, unload and clear the pistol and then double check (duh), then you pull down on the trigger guard until it snaps open about a 1/8".  You then grasp the slide, pull it fully rearward, lift up on it and then slide it off the frame.  The recoil spring is located wrapped around the fixed barrel and simply slides off (if it didn't come off with the slide.  No further disassembly is needed for cleaning.

If you notice the trigger guard is opened at the front of the guard, which allowed the slide to be removed.  Century Arms import markings are present...

Clean me!  Simple design.

As I stated above, the pistol utilizes a double stacked magazine holding 12 rounds of 9x18 Makarov ammo.  This capacity is what makes it attractive as a defensive pistol even today.  The 9x18 "Mak" is far from an oddball calibre, although many people here in the "West" have rarely shot it.  It was designed after WWII to replace the 7.62x25 Tokarev and 7.62x38 Nagant rounds in use at the time.  The idea was to create a round specifically designed for inside of 50 meters that maximized cartridge dimensions and also could not be used by (the then newly forming) NATO alliance.  What they came up with is a round that, on paper, falls between the 9x18 (.380 ACP) round and the 9x19 (9mm Luger/Parabellum) round...on paper.  While all of these rounds start with a "9", it should be noted that the Mak round is a few 10th of a millimetre larger in diameter so it could not be used in NATO weapons as noted before. It nominally shoots a 95gr. projectile at around 1000pfs, which puts it around where the 9x18 lies in terms of power. However, the Ruskies and pals came up with several specialized rounds, designed primarily for sub guns, that also upped the ante for pistol users as well.  And remember, this round was specifically intended for ranges around 50 meters, so it didn't necessarily have to be overly powerful.  If you think about it, we use the 9x19 round in weapons that are designed to engage over twice that distance where the resulting power would be where the Mak is at close range, and that's considered good enough in those situations.  At least one ammo maker I know of, Buffalo Bore, makes a dedicated self defence round for it using a hard cast bullet loaded to maximum pressure.  Any way you slice it as the saying goes, having a gun in any caliber is better than not having one at all.

left to right, 9x17 (.380), 9x18 Mak and 9x19 (Luger/Parabellum)

Ok, onto that holster.  Not too many folks really get excited about a surplus Eastern Bloc holster...and I am not one who does either.  But its a neat holster.  The first thing that you notice is the color, a nice light natural leather color.  Either this isn't a "tactical" holster, or they never got dyed and were shipped over "as is" from the factory.  Its quite large and blockish considering the pistol, which is good.  As the video guy points out in the embedded video below, on you belt it may or may not look like a holster...it could be a tool pouch for all anyone would know, which in certain environments would be very normal to see.  The pouch is secured by a single button and on the back are two simple loops for putting on a belt.  The pouch opens to reveal a sloping interior with two pocket dividers sewn into the bottom.  One of these will secure the muzzle of the pistol keeping it upright in the holster, and the other will keep a spare magazine in place underneath the grip of the seated pistol.  Want to switch the holster from a right handed to a left handed carry? Simple, just reverse which divider the pistol and mag are in...simply and ingenious.

Front...

back...

The dividers at the bottom...

Everything in its place....I know...a lot of pics for not being excited about a holster..

 "Well, how does it shoot?" you may be asking.  Well, pretty damn nice.  Like I said before, while the 9x18 is a bit "snappy" and the steel frame did batter the area between my thumb and forefinger a bit, its very controllable.  I shot the below target at a rapid fire (1 round every 1-2 seconds) at around 7 yards, which I consider a good self defence range to be realistic to train with. First few rounds were right in the center and then I think I got a bit cocky and sped up a bit and spread them around.

Not too shabby of a shooter...

As for a video, I am just too lazy anymore to do them with great ones like this from MAC available...enjoy

So overall, with the right ammo this would be a great CCW or self defence gun for somebody on a budget.  The problem now is that with the current craziness going on with prices and scarce availability, you might have to hunt around to get one of these.  Better yet, get your own C&R license and have one delivered to your door after filling out the paperwork and getting your licence on file with places like J&G, AIM, SOG and other places that sell these types of firearms.