I'm big on river and creek fishing. I grew up on it, and nothing relaxes me more than spending a day or two on a nice sloped clearing near a deep hole in a river or creek with some friends and family fishing and having fun. If there is a wadeable area nearby, so that I can engage in some in the water fly fishing, so much the better.
As I've written before, I like setting up fishing camps and having a nice few days of fishing. In my youth, fishing camps involved trot lines for catfish and sometimes bass (always) and rod and reel fishing with lures and bait for bass and crappie. You get a grill and/or a fire going and you do some good cooking. Maybe some grilled spicy shrimp, or steak or some form of Mexican or Louisiana cuisine. Just depends on what the food skill sets are.
In Texas, the fall and spring are popular times for river and creek fishing. The temperatures have dropped so it's more comfortable to fish, and although often better in the spring, I've caught some good fish in the late summer and fall as well.
But when you fish rivers and creeks during hunting season, you need to take some precautions. For example, hi vis hunter orange vests and hats are the least you should do. And I have several friends that have shirts and shorts of hi vis orange to broadcast their presence.
Deer, hogs and pretty much all other animals that drink water will be drinking at times from your fishing area. Hunters know this as well, and those who don't use stands but stalk or set up impromptu hunting areas in the brush are the ones I often worry about. And although making noise is contrary to good fishing, I'd rather not catch fish than get shot.
You want to avoid those places that are near working deer leases and heavy hunting areas. Most of my river and creek fishing is on private property owned by friends, and it doesn't hurt to go around to the neighbors or ask your host to call their neighbors to see if anyone will be hunting their land during your fishing trip. That doesn't mean some intentional or accidental trespasser might not wander your way in search of their trophy, so it's good to always have as much hunter orange clothing on as you can.
Some of my friends will have music going from boomboxes during prime hunting times in the morning and evening, just to broadcast their presence, particularly if fishing areas where it's not known if hunting is going on nearby, to keep any trespassing or accidental hunters away. It's also not a bad idea to try to stay in open areas if available, near vehicles and possibly in the fishing camp itself. Sunrise and sunset are good times for stalking fish along brushy and overgrown banks looking for an easy frog or grasshopper or bug meal, but it's also hunting time.
We had several places in the country when I was coming up, and my father always made sure we took precautions during hunting seasons like orange hats and vests if we were out at one of our places. We often walked our acreage to see what was going on in and around the land, and although we had it posted for trespassing quite conspicuously, we often found evidence of hunters in the form of spent shells and trash.
If you have the time when setting up camp, and it's the middle of the day (not a prime hunting time) it's not a bad idea to walk as much of the surrounding area as you can, particularly if you can cross the river or creek, to look for deer stands or hunting camps that no one might have told you about. If you find an empty stand, I always leave a polite note telling of our position relative to their camp and noting the areas around the river we'll be fishing.
If you hear gunshots in your vicinity and you're in camp, it's not a bad idea to set off your car alarm for a few seconds. One of my cousins who does a lot of fishing on the Brazos carries a small air horn with him, in case he's away from camp or even in camp fishing and hears a gunshot and needs to blow a few blasts of manmade noise. It's good stuff to think about.
It was driven home to me one late fall weekend in Bend, Texas fishing on the Colorado River. Some friends from Waco and I went out to one of the private fishing camps located just outside of Bend (which at that time consisted of a general store), we'd pay our fees and set up a fishing camp right on the banks of the river. I went there to Bend many times and to that particular property several times over the years, and had a favorite spot that was across the river from a high cliff with a big deep pool underneath it where fish sought shade and deeper water. It was called Big Jim's Indian something or other, but was just basically a great tract of land that fronted the Colorado river in all sorts of terrain and in some places, the folks owned land on both sides of the river.
It was a relatively wide open space on the side we camped on, with a few trees around. You could pull your vehicle right up there near the river, and most of us slept in our cars and trucks and suv's instead of tents because we could have the cars right there with us. We'd set up bank lines, and sometimes bring a flat bottom boat and run a short trotline through the deep pool. When fish were feeding we'd hit it with rods and reels of various types, and the beauty of this spot was not only the deep pool but the nice wadeable river that surrounded it, about 2' to 3' deep, which is great for fly fishing early and late.
So we were taken aback one time when a couple of hunters approached and said that despite our wearing orange hats and vests while wade fishing at dusk, they had "nearly" mistaken us for deer. They said the shade we were standing in muted our shapes and the orange hats and vests. They were kind of shaken about it, and even though they had not shot at us, they wanted to apologize. Likewise, we became pretty shaken as the reality of the situation set in. It always sucks to find out you were in danger and didn't even know.
So don't be afraid of fishing during hunting season, just be highly cautious and aware of your surroundings and wear lots of hunter orange.
Friday, September 10, 2010
I WANT ONE
A friend who is a helicopter officer with one of the larger Texas police departments came by the office today with his new work rifle. It's a semi-auto, short barrel Sig 556 swat rifle with a detachable Gemtech silencer. I didn't ask how long the barrel was, but in looking at pictures on the internet it looked shorter than the 14" military/LE version. It had a special flash hider that had extrusions that mated with the silencer so to install the silencer, it's turn and lock, not screw on.
I'm a big Sig fan, although I don't own one yet. As a Glock loyalist for the past two decades, I just didn't see the need for any other pistol than my Glock. 1911's, H&K p7s and Hi Powers basically went into storage since 1992. Yes, I would shoot them every once in a while but I was so entralled with the Glocks that nothing else really interested me, other than my stable of carry revolvers.
As far as rifles were concerned, I've been pleased with several Colt AR-15/CAR-15 and clones and an exceptionally accurate and reliable MAK-90. After having owned several AR type rifles, several M1 carbines and that AK clone (milled, not stamped please), I always thought that my quirky looking MAK-90 was the best shooting assault rifle I'd shot except for the HK's, which I couldn't afford.
And I've shot pretty much every type of assault rifle that's been in use law enforcement wise except for a Browning BAR (I have seen those shot but never shot one). Thompsons, S&W subs, the MAC series of semi and full auto pistols, Uzi, mini-Uzi and micro Uzi, various H&K guns including the Models 91 and 93 and MP5, various homemade greaseguns that were in police custody, the Ruger Mini-14 and another favorite, the M1 Garand.
The few times I have shot full auto weapons I have been amazed by their power. I've never really aspired to own one, as one needs not only a big wallet but a strong back for all the ammo you go through in a fully auto weapon.
When I began in law enforcement, we were issued a new Universal M1A in .30 caliber. Mine jammed all the time. Numerous trips to the armorer and several private gunsmiths failed to solve the problem. Unexpectedly, a Ruger Mini-14 became available and I moved on. I really like the Mini-14, it's a great shooting gun and I'd take it over an AR any day of the week. Rugers do many things very well, not the least of which being that they are reliable. Like the Glock, with a Ruger, it's a short story: Pull trigger, goes bang.
Rugers also are very durable and are often ugly as hell (I own a horribly ugly but highly reliable and accurate Ruger Security Six in .357). The Security Six has been rarely fired and I picked it up cheap when a divorcing cop buddy needed cash to pay his lawyer. He'd shot the gun a few times and put Pachmayrs on it but had the box and original grips, etc. It's stainless and you could hammer nails all day long with it and it'd probably still shoot dead on. I've shot it a few times and it shoots very well. I know for sure that in 50 years when my kids have kids this gun will be in the same condition (assuming they store it as I have) and will still be shooting. Rugers are armageddon firearms, meaning they are tough and are meant to last and that if treated with a minimum of care, will last lifetimes.
But I digress. A couple of years back, Billy Ray bought a different Sig .223 assault rifle. The folding stock goes to the side, and the gun was large and heavy. The Sig I saw today had a modernized CAR type stock, with a Sig design twist, and looked more like an MP5 than a Sig. The Gemtech my friend bought was awesome and was quite short, probably about 7 inches. He said it worked very well. I can't wait until I can shoot it. He said the action is as loud as the report when suppressed.
Of course, he had everyones favorite sight, the Aimpoint M2 on it, and he also had the "swat" handguard with rails all around. On the bottom rail, next to the handgrip, he had a $47 low end LED light from GT Distributors that I was highly impressed with. Even in the daylight, in an office with blinds open and bright light from our building fixtures, the flashlight shone brightly against the wall. I was pretty damn impressed.
I want one. I don't need a selective fire version. Talk to anyone who has been in actual firefights or served as special forces. Most will tell you they shoot mostly semi-auto to conserve ammo. Most special forces guys tell me they'd take about 200 extra rounds for their rifle and maybe 2 extra mags for their pistol on missions deep behind enemy lines. They shot semi-auto 90% of the time.
But the suppressor does appeal to me. Being able to shoot without hearing protection would be cool, and I know from experience just how quiet a .223 with a good suppressor can be.
I want one.
I'm a big Sig fan, although I don't own one yet. As a Glock loyalist for the past two decades, I just didn't see the need for any other pistol than my Glock. 1911's, H&K p7s and Hi Powers basically went into storage since 1992. Yes, I would shoot them every once in a while but I was so entralled with the Glocks that nothing else really interested me, other than my stable of carry revolvers.
As far as rifles were concerned, I've been pleased with several Colt AR-15/CAR-15 and clones and an exceptionally accurate and reliable MAK-90. After having owned several AR type rifles, several M1 carbines and that AK clone (milled, not stamped please), I always thought that my quirky looking MAK-90 was the best shooting assault rifle I'd shot except for the HK's, which I couldn't afford.
And I've shot pretty much every type of assault rifle that's been in use law enforcement wise except for a Browning BAR (I have seen those shot but never shot one). Thompsons, S&W subs, the MAC series of semi and full auto pistols, Uzi, mini-Uzi and micro Uzi, various H&K guns including the Models 91 and 93 and MP5, various homemade greaseguns that were in police custody, the Ruger Mini-14 and another favorite, the M1 Garand.
The few times I have shot full auto weapons I have been amazed by their power. I've never really aspired to own one, as one needs not only a big wallet but a strong back for all the ammo you go through in a fully auto weapon.
When I began in law enforcement, we were issued a new Universal M1A in .30 caliber. Mine jammed all the time. Numerous trips to the armorer and several private gunsmiths failed to solve the problem. Unexpectedly, a Ruger Mini-14 became available and I moved on. I really like the Mini-14, it's a great shooting gun and I'd take it over an AR any day of the week. Rugers do many things very well, not the least of which being that they are reliable. Like the Glock, with a Ruger, it's a short story: Pull trigger, goes bang.
Rugers also are very durable and are often ugly as hell (I own a horribly ugly but highly reliable and accurate Ruger Security Six in .357). The Security Six has been rarely fired and I picked it up cheap when a divorcing cop buddy needed cash to pay his lawyer. He'd shot the gun a few times and put Pachmayrs on it but had the box and original grips, etc. It's stainless and you could hammer nails all day long with it and it'd probably still shoot dead on. I've shot it a few times and it shoots very well. I know for sure that in 50 years when my kids have kids this gun will be in the same condition (assuming they store it as I have) and will still be shooting. Rugers are armageddon firearms, meaning they are tough and are meant to last and that if treated with a minimum of care, will last lifetimes.
But I digress. A couple of years back, Billy Ray bought a different Sig .223 assault rifle. The folding stock goes to the side, and the gun was large and heavy. The Sig I saw today had a modernized CAR type stock, with a Sig design twist, and looked more like an MP5 than a Sig. The Gemtech my friend bought was awesome and was quite short, probably about 7 inches. He said it worked very well. I can't wait until I can shoot it. He said the action is as loud as the report when suppressed.
Of course, he had everyones favorite sight, the Aimpoint M2 on it, and he also had the "swat" handguard with rails all around. On the bottom rail, next to the handgrip, he had a $47 low end LED light from GT Distributors that I was highly impressed with. Even in the daylight, in an office with blinds open and bright light from our building fixtures, the flashlight shone brightly against the wall. I was pretty damn impressed.
I want one. I don't need a selective fire version. Talk to anyone who has been in actual firefights or served as special forces. Most will tell you they shoot mostly semi-auto to conserve ammo. Most special forces guys tell me they'd take about 200 extra rounds for their rifle and maybe 2 extra mags for their pistol on missions deep behind enemy lines. They shot semi-auto 90% of the time.
But the suppressor does appeal to me. Being able to shoot without hearing protection would be cool, and I know from experience just how quiet a .223 with a good suppressor can be.
I want one.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
THE BLUESMAN'S CALIBER---THE FORTY FOUR
Bluesmen, particularly in Texas I have found, liked in the old days to carry revolvers in either .44 special or .44-40 calibers. I once played a gig at a club in a notorious part of Houston known as "The Bloody Fifth". I was backing a very old bluesman who was well known locally but never became a big star. When he was putting his guitar in it's square Fender case, I noticed an old Single Action revolver in a a "mexican loop" style belt holster. He grabbed the pistol and removed it from the holster and stuck it inside his coat jacket inside pocket. He mentioned something about thugs in the neighborhood might want something for nothing from him, thinking he was making big money playing music in a bar, but he said he had a .44-40 that said otherwise.
I really didn't know much about the caliber, or really the blues back then, back in my early twenties. But I knew several of the older and younger fellows I'd occasionally gig with in rough, gritty parts of town carried them. Revolvers new and old chambered in .44 special and .44-40. Every now and then you'd see a cat with a .45 1911 or S&W revolver, and you saw lots of .38 Specials. But over and over in my young years of playing the blues whereever and whenever I could, I saw older cats with forty fours. Every now and then you'd see some fool with a .44 magnum, and you knew they were idiots unless they were carrying .44 specials in those magnum pistols.
But I came to know that .44 specials and .44-40 not only had repeated mentions in blues songs, they were carried by the old bluesmen working the club circuit and traveling on the road, back when any black man with money was a target. From sometime in our American history when black men carrying acoustic guitars began to travel to make money playing "the blues", they carried pistols to protect themselves if they were of any means at all.
Here's a good wiki article on the .44-40...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44-40_Winchester
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-Four_(song)
Well I walked all night long, with my .44 in my hand (2x)
Now I was looking for my woman, found her with another man
Well I wore my .44 so long, Lord it made my shoulder sore (2x)
After I do what I want to, ain't gonna wear my .44 no more
Now I heard my baby say, she heard that 44 whistle blow (2x)
Lord it sounds like, ain't gonna blow that whistle no more
Now I got a little cabin, and it's number 44 (2x)
Lord I wake up every morning, the wolf be scratching on my door
Other bluesmen have written songs about .44.-40 caliber, which was common in the late 1800's and early 1900's as a revolver caliber. It was a popular caliber because it had both rifles and pistols chambered for it. It shot a large 200 or so grain .44 projectile at speeds in the 1000 to 1300 feet per second range. A good combination of mass (big bullet) + velocity. According to Wiki, at one time this cartridge was the most popular in America and has the reputation of killing more deer than the 30-30. No small feat.
So by the time these blues men were traveling the roads from juke joints to improptu bars in someones homes, the .44-40 caliber had been around for years. Used guns and ammo in this caliber were plentiful back then and probably good deals could be had on older single action pistols and some of the newer double action revolvers. I've seen or known more than one old time blues guitarist or musician who carried some kind of .44 caliber revolver for protection. I've seen .38's and .45's and as well as .25's and .22's and the occasional .32, with old time blues players who work the clubs on the road. But it sure used to seem that a lot of the old guys carried .44's or .44-.40's with them.
Most of those players, musicians...bluesmen are dead now. They were old as Moses when I met them in my early 20's in Houston, or in other towns. Maybe one day I find me an old single action .44-40 with a case hardened finish and the Colt rubber handgrips and about a 4 and 3/4" barrel, like the one that old bluesman had in his aged tweed Fender guitar case. I hope one of his relatives got the gun and appreciated it and all the juke joints and highways and adventures that it had been on.
I really didn't know much about the caliber, or really the blues back then, back in my early twenties. But I knew several of the older and younger fellows I'd occasionally gig with in rough, gritty parts of town carried them. Revolvers new and old chambered in .44 special and .44-40. Every now and then you'd see a cat with a .45 1911 or S&W revolver, and you saw lots of .38 Specials. But over and over in my young years of playing the blues whereever and whenever I could, I saw older cats with forty fours. Every now and then you'd see some fool with a .44 magnum, and you knew they were idiots unless they were carrying .44 specials in those magnum pistols.
But I came to know that .44 specials and .44-40 not only had repeated mentions in blues songs, they were carried by the old bluesmen working the club circuit and traveling on the road, back when any black man with money was a target. From sometime in our American history when black men carrying acoustic guitars began to travel to make money playing "the blues", they carried pistols to protect themselves if they were of any means at all.
Here's a good wiki article on the .44-40...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44-40_Winchester
Not only was there the problems of segregation and racism, but the same hazards faced by other road and train warriers in those days. Hijackers. Thieves. Con men and women. And as more than one bluesman found out over the years, that jealous husbands packing heat were a frequent danger as well.
One song I played for years with a band, called .44 Blues. Here's the wiki link about this traditional song written in 1929 and adapted by many and made famous to the mainstream by Howling Wolf, and later by Johnny Winter, followed some lyrics:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-Four_(song)
Well I walked all night long, with my .44 in my hand (2x)
Now I was looking for my woman, found her with another man
Well I wore my .44 so long, Lord it made my shoulder sore (2x)
After I do what I want to, ain't gonna wear my .44 no more
Now I heard my baby say, she heard that 44 whistle blow (2x)
Lord it sounds like, ain't gonna blow that whistle no more
Now I got a little cabin, and it's number 44 (2x)
Lord I wake up every morning, the wolf be scratching on my door
Other bluesmen have written songs about .44.-40 caliber, which was common in the late 1800's and early 1900's as a revolver caliber. It was a popular caliber because it had both rifles and pistols chambered for it. It shot a large 200 or so grain .44 projectile at speeds in the 1000 to 1300 feet per second range. A good combination of mass (big bullet) + velocity. According to Wiki, at one time this cartridge was the most popular in America and has the reputation of killing more deer than the 30-30. No small feat.
So by the time these blues men were traveling the roads from juke joints to improptu bars in someones homes, the .44-40 caliber had been around for years. Used guns and ammo in this caliber were plentiful back then and probably good deals could be had on older single action pistols and some of the newer double action revolvers. I've seen or known more than one old time blues guitarist or musician who carried some kind of .44 caliber revolver for protection. I've seen .38's and .45's and as well as .25's and .22's and the occasional .32, with old time blues players who work the clubs on the road. But it sure used to seem that a lot of the old guys carried .44's or .44-.40's with them.
Most of those players, musicians...bluesmen are dead now. They were old as Moses when I met them in my early 20's in Houston, or in other towns. Maybe one day I find me an old single action .44-40 with a case hardened finish and the Colt rubber handgrips and about a 4 and 3/4" barrel, like the one that old bluesman had in his aged tweed Fender guitar case. I hope one of his relatives got the gun and appreciated it and all the juke joints and highways and adventures that it had been on.
If that old .44-40 pistol could talk, it'd have some stories to tell I do believe.
THE COLT DIAMONDBACK, PYTHON, DETECTIVE SPECIAL AND COBRA SNUBBIES: WHERE DID THEY GO, COLT?
For many decades, Colt snubbies we the chizz, as my friend A.J. MacReady would say. When I began policing in the early 80's, my first purchase a week out of the Academy was a Colt Cobra. I still have it. A fine firearm indeed. A very pleasureable and accurate six shot lightweight snubbie to carry and shoot. It's probably the gun I've carried most over the past 30 years, with the Smith and Wesson Bodyguard Airweight being a close second runner up.
Why did Colt stop making these fine firearms? I assume they weren't selling, which sounds like a marketing problem because Smith and Wesson has been selling the CRAP outta their J frame Centennials. In fact, I've read several places where one of their five shot J frame hammerless guns is the best selling handgun of all time, and is currently the most sold gun in the U.S. of A.
I've always been a Colt man. The .22 Huntsman and Woodsman back in my youth, followed by the AR-15 and the 1911 and it's variants. I've always liked Colt revolvers, although my taste generally revolves around the shrouded ejection rod models, the more modern guns.
The Colt Python Snubbie is a big gun. It's also a gun with a supurb action that is smooth as butter. I've shot many custom firearms with serious trigger jobs, and even owned a few, but from the factory the Python was as good as any custom job I ever shot. If not better. Guys who carried Model 19's or 15's marveled at the trigger on my Python when I was a rookie. My friends and I all bought 4" Pythons when we were in the Academy. It was simply the best gun available for a street cop at the time.
Althought The Diamondback resembled the Python on a smaller frame due to the vent rib, it didn't have the excellent trigger that the Python did. It had a great trigger, like the Detective Special and the Cobra, don't get me wrong. They were 75% as smooth and nice as the Python's trigger pull. The Python just goes that extra bit to "11" to acheive perfection.
But the Diamondback .38 Special (not .357 magnum OR .38 Special like the Python) was also a joy to shoot. A steel frame, it was basically a nicer Detective Special. The Diamondback was also available in .22 caliber. Both calibers came with a 2" and a 4" barrel choice.
The Colt Detective Special and the Cobra were always, to the guys I worked the streets with in Houston, a big upgrade from a S&W. The S&W was the workhose, the cheaper but durable pistol. The Colt was all that, for a little more money, and with a bit more pizazz.
So I wonder why Colt doesn't make these guns anymore? As I said, S&W is selling them as fast as they can make them. Everyone I know who owns at least one gun for self defense has a Smith and Wesson snubbie.
Figure out a way to reduce manufacturing costs on the Python and the D-Frame Snubbies and build some self defense snubbies that the people will buy. Consider building some DAO versions of several snubbies, like the Detective Special, with a spurless hammer.
There are reasons inherant to the design quality of the Colt revolvers as to why they shoot better than S&W guns, in many cases, imho. I sorely miss seeing new Colt revolvers and the chance to buy one. You've continued making the venerable 1911, but Colt needs to continue it's revolver tradition as well.
While I'm at it, how about a single action Colt that the working man could afford? Something like $700 bucks or so? Nice rubber grips, case hardened finish, add the transfer bar safety and sell some history, my friends. I should be the CEO for Colt American consumer operations.
Maybe it's because I'm Texan and of long Texas ancestory that I'm enamored with the evolution of the creation of Sam Colt and that it should be sold by his company.
I'm a revolver guy anyway. I saw a damn nicely engraved, with gold engraving, nickle plated Colt Single Action with Ivory Grips. It was sweet and high dollar. But if'n I'd had the $2,500 they wanted for the gun, I'd have bought it over the similarly priced and outfitted 1911's and Hi Powers that were in the same case.
God made men. Sam Colt made them equal. It's time for Colt to step up to the plate and make some great revolvers again.
Why did Colt stop making these fine firearms? I assume they weren't selling, which sounds like a marketing problem because Smith and Wesson has been selling the CRAP outta their J frame Centennials. In fact, I've read several places where one of their five shot J frame hammerless guns is the best selling handgun of all time, and is currently the most sold gun in the U.S. of A.
I've always been a Colt man. The .22 Huntsman and Woodsman back in my youth, followed by the AR-15 and the 1911 and it's variants. I've always liked Colt revolvers, although my taste generally revolves around the shrouded ejection rod models, the more modern guns.
The Colt Python Snubbie is a big gun. It's also a gun with a supurb action that is smooth as butter. I've shot many custom firearms with serious trigger jobs, and even owned a few, but from the factory the Python was as good as any custom job I ever shot. If not better. Guys who carried Model 19's or 15's marveled at the trigger on my Python when I was a rookie. My friends and I all bought 4" Pythons when we were in the Academy. It was simply the best gun available for a street cop at the time.
Althought The Diamondback resembled the Python on a smaller frame due to the vent rib, it didn't have the excellent trigger that the Python did. It had a great trigger, like the Detective Special and the Cobra, don't get me wrong. They were 75% as smooth and nice as the Python's trigger pull. The Python just goes that extra bit to "11" to acheive perfection.
But the Diamondback .38 Special (not .357 magnum OR .38 Special like the Python) was also a joy to shoot. A steel frame, it was basically a nicer Detective Special. The Diamondback was also available in .22 caliber. Both calibers came with a 2" and a 4" barrel choice.
The Colt Detective Special and the Cobra were always, to the guys I worked the streets with in Houston, a big upgrade from a S&W. The S&W was the workhose, the cheaper but durable pistol. The Colt was all that, for a little more money, and with a bit more pizazz.
So I wonder why Colt doesn't make these guns anymore? As I said, S&W is selling them as fast as they can make them. Everyone I know who owns at least one gun for self defense has a Smith and Wesson snubbie.
Figure out a way to reduce manufacturing costs on the Python and the D-Frame Snubbies and build some self defense snubbies that the people will buy. Consider building some DAO versions of several snubbies, like the Detective Special, with a spurless hammer.
There are reasons inherant to the design quality of the Colt revolvers as to why they shoot better than S&W guns, in many cases, imho. I sorely miss seeing new Colt revolvers and the chance to buy one. You've continued making the venerable 1911, but Colt needs to continue it's revolver tradition as well.
While I'm at it, how about a single action Colt that the working man could afford? Something like $700 bucks or so? Nice rubber grips, case hardened finish, add the transfer bar safety and sell some history, my friends. I should be the CEO for Colt American consumer operations.
Maybe it's because I'm Texan and of long Texas ancestory that I'm enamored with the evolution of the creation of Sam Colt and that it should be sold by his company.
I'm a revolver guy anyway. I saw a damn nicely engraved, with gold engraving, nickle plated Colt Single Action with Ivory Grips. It was sweet and high dollar. But if'n I'd had the $2,500 they wanted for the gun, I'd have bought it over the similarly priced and outfitted 1911's and Hi Powers that were in the same case.
God made men. Sam Colt made them equal. It's time for Colt to step up to the plate and make some great revolvers again.
THE HIGH END ENTRY LEVEL GUN COLLECTION
My good friend of many decades, the Evil Dr. K, a noted and skilled surgeon of some reknown, has finally shown a strong interest in accumulating some serious firearms and having fun in the shooting sports. For years, as his friends all around him like Billy Ray and I expressed much interest in weapons and shooting and in accumulating firearms.
I recently wrote about how you could build a very effective arsenal for anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500, which relied largely on finding good used firearms. This post will detail a collection of guns that will cost several thousand dollars, depending on how many guns and what type are bought. I'm sure Billy Ray and I will end up hitting a gun show and/or a gun shop in Big D or Fort Worth since Dr. K lives near there and helping Dr. K assemble his arsenal.
The Evil Dr. K, who really isn't evil at all, but has been called that for years, has a larger budget. His main requirements will be simple: High Quality and Made in America. He's not enough of a firearm enthusiast (yet) to really want to spend the extra money for say a Les Baer AR-15 or a Wilson .45 1911. My recommendations to him will be a bit more encompassing than the basic firearms collection, because he'll want a variety of the guns he's seen his friends have. His first task, he already knows, is getting a gun safe.
Dr. K is a smart guy. He sees the things happening in the world that doomsayers have been predicting for years but people like us have been scoffing at.
Like me, he's pretty sure that societal collapse is not imminent but he knows that terrorist attacks, social unrest, poverty and numerous other current events could ignite either riots or some sort of man made tragedy. Not to mention a natural disaster and ensuing evacuation. The financial state of this country is horrible and our jobless are really suffering. I fail to understand why we are not penalizing companies who export jobs from the US. But that's another topic.
So part of my recommendation are items that could be included in a so-called "bail out bag" or "boogie bag". A medium to large sized duffle with an assault rifle, a shotgun, some pistols and a lot of ammo for them, in case hurried evacuation is needed.
My family has plans of where to go in case of some natural or man-made disaster and we need to flee the Texas city they live in. We've got friends with ranches and places in the far flung country, but you've got to get there first, and likely through all sorts of folks looking for someplace to go. So it's a good idea to have some weapons for protection in case things go really bad.
So here's my recommendations to my friend:
1. A HIGH CAPACITY ASSAULT RIFLE: A Smith and Wesson AR-15 clone in .223 caliber with a multi position collapsible stock. With a rebate or sale like the ones S&W and some dealers have been having, you can get one anywhere from about $800 right now to under $1,000 other times. A solid firearm and made in America. Get a few extra twenty round and thirty round magazines and lots of cheap ammo.
An equally good choice would be the reliable Ruger Mini-14, which is pretty much an M1 Carbine derivative that shoots better ammo and is better made. A folding stock can be found aftermarket for these as well. Priced at about $800 to $1,000 new depending on the store. It also takes 20 or 30 round magazines and comes in .223.
2. A good .22 rifle. For under $500, you can get the Smith and Wesson .22 caliber version of their AR-15, an extremely cool weapon. It also gives you another home defense weapon for a backup, even though the bullets are smaller, you can afford to buy a lot more of them.
There are lots of other options out there in .22 and .22 mag. Bear in mind that although .22 mag gives a bit more umph for the shot, it's bullets are much more expensive than .22 long rifles. With a red dot scope, you could do worse for a home defense weapon than the S&W AR clone .22 caliber assault rifle.
You want a .22 rifle and pistol for several reasons. One, many new and non-shooters prefer it, and if you can get them practiced for self defense with some kind of weapon, a .410 shotgun or a .22 is the only choice. Pest control as well. But I stress you can buy thousands of .22 rounds for the price of a few hundred of another caliber.
Plus, .22's are very cheap to shoot. You can shoot hundreds of rounds for the price of a box of 50 larger shells. Surplus ammo is available in some quantity for .223 and 9mm, and .38 special does not seem to have gone through the roof pricewise like other calibers.
3. SHOTGUN(S) If you can only have one shotgun in your collection, get a good name brand 20 or 12 gauge pump shotgun, preferably one with about a 18" or 20" barrel. If you live in the country you might want one with a barrel a little longer than that. The Winchester Defender or the Remingon 870 are excellent examples of this. Get a used one that was made in America if in doubt of the country of manufacture.
I'd also recommend, for wives that don't like guns but need a defense weapon, that either a .410 pump or a double barreled .410 coach gun is ideal for home defense. Get one of the bands that goes around the stock that holds extra rounds for each gun.
The Evil Dr. K has seen some of his friends with pistol grip shotguns. He'll probably want one of those too, for his bail out bag, with an extended magazine and a flashlight on it. Any shotgun meant for home defense should have a flashlight on it.
4. REVOLVERS
I'll recommend that his family get two revolvers. One, a .22 on a J or K frame Smith and Wesson sized gun with a 3" or 4" barrel. The Charter Arms Pathfinder is another good gun. A great home defense guns for those who don't like recoil or would only use a gun as a last resort and the .22 is the only gun you can get them to practice with. There are lots of nice .22's out there, and several are american made. You could even get a Ruger single action .22 for this gun.
I also recommend a J frame .38 caliber snubnose weapon. Rather than get one of the 12 oz. .357 "wunderguns", I say get a .38 special, a nice Model 40 Centennial with grip safety or an all steel Bodyguard. Either gun, by being all steel, will have less recoil. We'll have to buy some great rubber Pachmayr Compac grips for all revolvers that you have to make shooting them as enjoyable as possible. By being all steel guns, they can handle +P rounds with no trouble, and trust me on this, if you've never shot .357 mag rounds through a 12 oz. snubbie, it's not something you'll be getting in line for often.
Both of these guns can be pocketed safetly because they have either a shrouded hammer or an internal hammer, with no hammer to snag. With a nice simple IWB holster like the Bianchi #6, these small guns disappear under a t-shirt for concealed carry.
If you really wanna have a rocking revolver for self defense, the Crimson Trace laser grip is a great idea for the J and K frames. Sorta like the other rubber grips, it has an intergral laser that can be sighted in so that bullet goes where laser points. Very good for home defense and obviously great for point shooting. Since you have the money, spend the extra for the Crimson Trace for all the revolvers.
5. SEMI-AUTOMATIC HIGH CAPACITY PISTOL(S)
I suspect Dr. K may want one or more of these pistols. He's seen our Glocks and Browning Hi Powers and Colts and H-K's and lots of other guns Billy Ray and I have had over the years. Although I'd try to steer him as a novice to either the HK USP or a Sig-Sauer 226 or 229, he may end up wanting a Glock. He knows they are reliable, accurate and well made, from hanging out with us since the advent of Glocks. We've all been hanging out together since before Glocks were sold in America, and he knows how much he's heard us "glock talkin'" over the past several decades.
He may very well want a Glock. And as long as he gets some good training with a Glock, then it's a great firearm to have. Otherwise, I think the HK or the Sig is the better choice if he's not committed to some serious training, for the Glock is a different beast to safetly use and carry. For home defense, I'll recommend that he consider a flashlight/laser combo for the rail of whatever semi-auto he selects.
I suspect that after he gets his initial arsenal together, the next questions from Dr. K will revolve around concealed carry and holsters, which he as a law abiding citizen is certainly eligible to get his license. Then he and I can talk about some more guns for him, but for getting started in concealed carry, the venerable J frame and a good Glock/HK/Sig/Beretta is going to be a real good start.
I recently wrote about how you could build a very effective arsenal for anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500, which relied largely on finding good used firearms. This post will detail a collection of guns that will cost several thousand dollars, depending on how many guns and what type are bought. I'm sure Billy Ray and I will end up hitting a gun show and/or a gun shop in Big D or Fort Worth since Dr. K lives near there and helping Dr. K assemble his arsenal.
The Evil Dr. K, who really isn't evil at all, but has been called that for years, has a larger budget. His main requirements will be simple: High Quality and Made in America. He's not enough of a firearm enthusiast (yet) to really want to spend the extra money for say a Les Baer AR-15 or a Wilson .45 1911. My recommendations to him will be a bit more encompassing than the basic firearms collection, because he'll want a variety of the guns he's seen his friends have. His first task, he already knows, is getting a gun safe.
Dr. K is a smart guy. He sees the things happening in the world that doomsayers have been predicting for years but people like us have been scoffing at.
Like me, he's pretty sure that societal collapse is not imminent but he knows that terrorist attacks, social unrest, poverty and numerous other current events could ignite either riots or some sort of man made tragedy. Not to mention a natural disaster and ensuing evacuation. The financial state of this country is horrible and our jobless are really suffering. I fail to understand why we are not penalizing companies who export jobs from the US. But that's another topic.
So part of my recommendation are items that could be included in a so-called "bail out bag" or "boogie bag". A medium to large sized duffle with an assault rifle, a shotgun, some pistols and a lot of ammo for them, in case hurried evacuation is needed.
My family has plans of where to go in case of some natural or man-made disaster and we need to flee the Texas city they live in. We've got friends with ranches and places in the far flung country, but you've got to get there first, and likely through all sorts of folks looking for someplace to go. So it's a good idea to have some weapons for protection in case things go really bad.
So here's my recommendations to my friend:
1. A HIGH CAPACITY ASSAULT RIFLE: A Smith and Wesson AR-15 clone in .223 caliber with a multi position collapsible stock. With a rebate or sale like the ones S&W and some dealers have been having, you can get one anywhere from about $800 right now to under $1,000 other times. A solid firearm and made in America. Get a few extra twenty round and thirty round magazines and lots of cheap ammo.
An equally good choice would be the reliable Ruger Mini-14, which is pretty much an M1 Carbine derivative that shoots better ammo and is better made. A folding stock can be found aftermarket for these as well. Priced at about $800 to $1,000 new depending on the store. It also takes 20 or 30 round magazines and comes in .223.
2. A good .22 rifle. For under $500, you can get the Smith and Wesson .22 caliber version of their AR-15, an extremely cool weapon. It also gives you another home defense weapon for a backup, even though the bullets are smaller, you can afford to buy a lot more of them.
There are lots of other options out there in .22 and .22 mag. Bear in mind that although .22 mag gives a bit more umph for the shot, it's bullets are much more expensive than .22 long rifles. With a red dot scope, you could do worse for a home defense weapon than the S&W AR clone .22 caliber assault rifle.
You want a .22 rifle and pistol for several reasons. One, many new and non-shooters prefer it, and if you can get them practiced for self defense with some kind of weapon, a .410 shotgun or a .22 is the only choice. Pest control as well. But I stress you can buy thousands of .22 rounds for the price of a few hundred of another caliber.
Plus, .22's are very cheap to shoot. You can shoot hundreds of rounds for the price of a box of 50 larger shells. Surplus ammo is available in some quantity for .223 and 9mm, and .38 special does not seem to have gone through the roof pricewise like other calibers.
3. SHOTGUN(S) If you can only have one shotgun in your collection, get a good name brand 20 or 12 gauge pump shotgun, preferably one with about a 18" or 20" barrel. If you live in the country you might want one with a barrel a little longer than that. The Winchester Defender or the Remingon 870 are excellent examples of this. Get a used one that was made in America if in doubt of the country of manufacture.
I'd also recommend, for wives that don't like guns but need a defense weapon, that either a .410 pump or a double barreled .410 coach gun is ideal for home defense. Get one of the bands that goes around the stock that holds extra rounds for each gun.
The Evil Dr. K has seen some of his friends with pistol grip shotguns. He'll probably want one of those too, for his bail out bag, with an extended magazine and a flashlight on it. Any shotgun meant for home defense should have a flashlight on it.
4. REVOLVERS
I'll recommend that his family get two revolvers. One, a .22 on a J or K frame Smith and Wesson sized gun with a 3" or 4" barrel. The Charter Arms Pathfinder is another good gun. A great home defense guns for those who don't like recoil or would only use a gun as a last resort and the .22 is the only gun you can get them to practice with. There are lots of nice .22's out there, and several are american made. You could even get a Ruger single action .22 for this gun.
I also recommend a J frame .38 caliber snubnose weapon. Rather than get one of the 12 oz. .357 "wunderguns", I say get a .38 special, a nice Model 40 Centennial with grip safety or an all steel Bodyguard. Either gun, by being all steel, will have less recoil. We'll have to buy some great rubber Pachmayr Compac grips for all revolvers that you have to make shooting them as enjoyable as possible. By being all steel guns, they can handle +P rounds with no trouble, and trust me on this, if you've never shot .357 mag rounds through a 12 oz. snubbie, it's not something you'll be getting in line for often.
Both of these guns can be pocketed safetly because they have either a shrouded hammer or an internal hammer, with no hammer to snag. With a nice simple IWB holster like the Bianchi #6, these small guns disappear under a t-shirt for concealed carry.
If you really wanna have a rocking revolver for self defense, the Crimson Trace laser grip is a great idea for the J and K frames. Sorta like the other rubber grips, it has an intergral laser that can be sighted in so that bullet goes where laser points. Very good for home defense and obviously great for point shooting. Since you have the money, spend the extra for the Crimson Trace for all the revolvers.
5. SEMI-AUTOMATIC HIGH CAPACITY PISTOL(S)
I suspect Dr. K may want one or more of these pistols. He's seen our Glocks and Browning Hi Powers and Colts and H-K's and lots of other guns Billy Ray and I have had over the years. Although I'd try to steer him as a novice to either the HK USP or a Sig-Sauer 226 or 229, he may end up wanting a Glock. He knows they are reliable, accurate and well made, from hanging out with us since the advent of Glocks. We've all been hanging out together since before Glocks were sold in America, and he knows how much he's heard us "glock talkin'" over the past several decades.
He may very well want a Glock. And as long as he gets some good training with a Glock, then it's a great firearm to have. Otherwise, I think the HK or the Sig is the better choice if he's not committed to some serious training, for the Glock is a different beast to safetly use and carry. For home defense, I'll recommend that he consider a flashlight/laser combo for the rail of whatever semi-auto he selects.
I suspect that after he gets his initial arsenal together, the next questions from Dr. K will revolve around concealed carry and holsters, which he as a law abiding citizen is certainly eligible to get his license. Then he and I can talk about some more guns for him, but for getting started in concealed carry, the venerable J frame and a good Glock/HK/Sig/Beretta is going to be a real good start.
LABOR DAY
We've been doing some resting this labor day weekend and having some fun. At least El Fisho Jr. and I have been having fun. Mrs. El Fisho has been working hard as usual on her second and third jobs. She's like that jamaican family that used to be on the TV show In Living Color. She has like 17 jobs. She has her day job. She takes are of the kids. She takes care of me. She oversees everyones schedules and makes sure I'm with the schedule (that's like 5 jobs right there). She cooks. She cleans. She works several part time jobs that involve professional writing and in her spare time, she's also pursuing an advance degree. Plus she's always helping someone out with something or other, generally in a charitable sense.
It would be nice to be down at Port A or South Padre or to head west into the Hill Country, the fabled "Country of 1100 Springs" when, in years like this when we've had some rain, there is some fishing to be done in some pretty pristine waters.
I've been daydreaming all weekend about two upcoming trips. One will be to Port Isabel/South Padre in a couple of weeks, and we'll enjoy South Padre beaches and bays without the masses of humanity that are there during spring and summer and before the "winter Texans" come from the land up yonder in the snow belt to spend the winter in sunny South Texas.
The other trip is a nice driving journey to the Hill Country for the family to take sometime in late October or early November when it cools down a bit. I've got a good friend that's got a big place down near Leakey that I haven't seen yet. It's got live water galore, a South Texas cypress tree and rock bottom lined river and creeks with clear clear water. He has numerous springs that spout forth on his property, and the purity of the water coming out of the ground at his place is amazingly good. I've seen pictures galore, and would like to do some fishing on his property. Catfish are plentiful in some deep holes and undercut banks that he has on his property and a variety of guadalupe bass and panfish are also fairly prevalent.
It would be nice to be down at Port A or South Padre or to head west into the Hill Country, the fabled "Country of 1100 Springs" when, in years like this when we've had some rain, there is some fishing to be done in some pretty pristine waters.
I've been daydreaming all weekend about two upcoming trips. One will be to Port Isabel/South Padre in a couple of weeks, and we'll enjoy South Padre beaches and bays without the masses of humanity that are there during spring and summer and before the "winter Texans" come from the land up yonder in the snow belt to spend the winter in sunny South Texas.
The other trip is a nice driving journey to the Hill Country for the family to take sometime in late October or early November when it cools down a bit. I've got a good friend that's got a big place down near Leakey that I haven't seen yet. It's got live water galore, a South Texas cypress tree and rock bottom lined river and creeks with clear clear water. He has numerous springs that spout forth on his property, and the purity of the water coming out of the ground at his place is amazingly good. I've seen pictures galore, and would like to do some fishing on his property. Catfish are plentiful in some deep holes and undercut banks that he has on his property and a variety of guadalupe bass and panfish are also fairly prevalent.
BLATANT SELF PROMOTION
Texas Ghostrider was nice enough to ask me to do a guest post over at his blog, and I tried to write something that really expresses how I feel about the men and women in blue, the thin blue line between peace and anarchy in our society. Texas Ghostrider is a lawman, in fact, from what I know, he's the kind of guy you'd want for a partner. And to a real cop, well, there's no better compliment than to say you'd work with another man or woman as your partner. That's trust, baby.
Anyway, next time you see any kind of police officer, be they a street officer, detective, game warden, lake police, constable, sheriff, school police, highway patrol, federale or what have you, take 25 seconds and thank them for what they do. For putting their lives on the line daily for our safety. Shake their hand, offer to buy them a coffee, water or coke if you see them at the store and tell them you appreciate what they do.
Texas Ghostrider
THE BADGE MEANS YOU CARE
Anyway, next time you see any kind of police officer, be they a street officer, detective, game warden, lake police, constable, sheriff, school police, highway patrol, federale or what have you, take 25 seconds and thank them for what they do. For putting their lives on the line daily for our safety. Shake their hand, offer to buy them a coffee, water or coke if you see them at the store and tell them you appreciate what they do.
Texas Ghostrider
THE BADGE MEANS YOU CARE
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