The Columbia, SC State newspaper breathlessly reports this morning that a recently deceased Lexington County man, thought to be a "survivalist" has an arsenal that included...gasp...100 rounds of .223 and 4000 rounds of .22 LR and a pound of black powder!!
Explosives were inside the house and in storage buildings outside, said Lexington County sheriff's spokesman Maj. John Allard.
The deadly store included:
- Seven live hand grenades
- Two live German World War II-era hand grenades
- One live Japanese World War II-era hand grenade
- 40 hand grenade fuses
- 100 rounds of .223-caliber tracer rounds
- One pound of black rifle powder
- 4,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition
- Three kits that could be used to convert AR-15 assault rifles into fully automatic weapons
- 60 practice grenades that can't be detonated
Authorities also found various trip wires, two 4-pound bags of sulfur, two ammunition canisters and a thermos containing an unidentified chemical.
Now I will go as far as saying that having 7 or so live grenades around the house is not only illegal, but generally considered not a great idea. Especially if they're vintage WWII. Live. Grenades. It's odd that they focus more on the ammo than the "kits that could convert assault rifles into fully automatic weapons".
One of the commenters notes that the based on the "reporting" he had nothing to shoot any of the ammo with. My guess is that the nephew should start digging around the back yard looking for the really valuable stuff. Probably at least 3 EBRs and at least 1 .22 buried back there somewhere with some junk silver.
And come on "arsenal" ? - I've probably got 2000 rounds of .22 in the trunk of my car. GASP!
I am so hooked.
Really nice people. Excellent instruction. Capital "F" Fun.
I was a little flaky on the first CoF - this being my first time shooting with a timer. I could come up with 4 or 5 other excuses to go along with that one, but let's just say I did not score well. 3 targets at about 10 yards - 2 shots to the body and 2 to the head. 1 reload. My 2nd shots were almost all 1s or 3s and I missed several head shots. Boo.
I calmed down a bit, slowed down a bit, and started getting some zeros on the remaining Standard Exercises. Consistently. Even on the head shots. Go me!
My shiny moment was finishing a strong-hand/weak hand drill (3 targets - 10 yards - 2 shots strong hand - 1 shot weak per target) with zeros across the board.
Many of the Sportsmans and Aim Right team shooters demonstrated amazing speed and accuracy. I've got a lot to learn before I shoot a qualifier. Because oh yes, I will be shooting a qualifier. I gots me a hobby now.
I thoroughly enjoyed the company of the other shooters and had a great time. I've got to get another cover vest though - mine is a little tight across the back and there's no easy pocket to drop a magazine into after a Reload with Retention or Tactical Reload (Look at me with the lingo).
And...practice.
Florida Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson on the Republican Party: "They're not going to be winning the Nobel Peace Prize themselves anytime soon, they probably wish that there was a Nobel Prize for fear, a Nobel prize for hatred, a Nobel prize for racism, you know then they'd be in the running."
I don't consider myself much of a Republican anymore, but I do consider that Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) is a sack of crap.
Posting has obviously been light. Busy with work and not too much to say.
2 cool things in the mail in the last 24 hours:
and
Now I can carry in Georgia, Alabama, and West-By-God too. Amongst others
Michael Nichols, a National Geographic photographer, rigged up a ridiculous camera setup that was strategically lowered from the top of a 300-foot tree to the ground in order to get an astoundingly tall (and downright breathtaking) shot.
from Endgadget
Mulliga at Shangrila Towers reviews the Kershaw Skyline. $40 at Wal-mart.
Parents originally called police in early September, saying a man was at the bus stop in Cornelius early one morning, said Maj. David King with the Cornelius Department. The parents provided a description of the car, but it left before police could get there.
On Sept. 22, they got another call from parents. This one said the man taking pictures was back, and this time they had a license number.
I think that probably covers roughly half of my paranoia as a father and an American. Good grief.
The freedoms we enjoy as Americans are secured to us against violation by all levels of government. State and local politicians should be on notice: the Second Amendment is a normal part of the Bill of Rights, and it is coming to your town.Man oh man is that made of Win.
Marko makes the definitive statement concerning the child rapist Polanski and those who would defend him:
Roman Polanski is a child-raping shitbag, and anyone who puffs up and defends that piece of garbage in any way needs their moral compass severely recalibrated, preferably with a framing hammer.
The whole Polanski affair has just reaffirmed what I’ve known for a long time: When it comes to defending one of their own, Liberals are just as capable of hypocritical excuses for shitbaggery as Conservatives.
Defending the indefensible? Asshats.
Congrats to Frito-Lay on making South Charlotte smell like greasy chips for 30 years!
I enjoy eating almost all of their glycemic-index wrecking, cholesterol maxing, cruddy fingerprint leaving crunchy potato-based goodness, but if the wind is right, there is a 2 mile stretch of my daily I77 commute guaranteed to make you throw up a little in your mouth. Courtesy of the fine folks at Frito-Lay.
Today I got to take my only friend in Charlotte to the range. I won't call him a first time shooter, but it's been some time since he's shot anything, and by his own admission his last outing was of the "let's shoot those cans with my roommate's Glock" variety.
We met up at Firepower on my lunch break and spent a quality hour in lane #2. After we reviewed the 4 Rules and I was confident he could follow them (and recite them back to me) we started off with the Smith & Wesson 63 to warm up.
I just replaced the J-Frame's factory wood grips with a set of Pachmayr Presentation Grips that I found used for all of $12. This was a major, major improvement to this fine pistol. The factory checkered wood grips look cool and "vintage-y", and the stag grips that came on the pistol look cool too - not so great for the shooting though. Using the budget Federal Bulk-pack ammo I was getting respectable groups all the way to the wall.
My friend warmed up quickly to the revolver, and it turns out he has a bit of an eye for shooting. He'll probably be better than me (not much of a challenge there) before too long, once he gets rid of his flinch and works on his stance and grip. He was getting everything in the 8 ring or better, with a few outliers.
Next up we brought out the G17, and he really took a shine to the Glock. Both of us were shredding the inside of the 9 ring with 2 precious boxes worth of American Eagle FMJ from my cache. My "tacticool" Streamlight TLR-2 laser-flashlight combo turned out to be a little out of adjustment, so we did not use it much, except to get the laser roughly lined up on center.
Then we used the only ammo we bought from Firepower - a box of PMC .38 FMJ ($18.99 - ouch) to see how he did with the S&W 642 that is my current carry pistol. Even after I warned him, he was surprised by the recoil and report, but adjusted quickly and enjoyed the big bang from the lightweight 5-shot revolver. We shot all 50 rounds with the silhouette target at about 15 feet.
After that we switched back to the Model 63, picked up a bullseye target and shot some CCI 22. I am very happy with the new grips on this pistol, and the CCI ammo is much more accurate than the bulk stuff. My friend had some issues adjusting back to the .22, probably the anticipatory flinch - but when he used the last 10 rounds of 9mm in the Glock to finish up our trip he was back on target.
"...if you ever have interactions with police officers involving charges brought against you, it is highly inadviseable to make any sort of public statement about them until they have been resolved.
In other news, anyone who complains about the lack of regulation concerning firearms is a bleeding idiot."
@Bitterb and @SebastianSH at SnowFlakes have dug up the connection between MAIG & the Brady Campaign.
Nice work!
If you're going to be digging through someone else's car, in their garage, at or around 3:30 in the AM - you might get shot.
Great quote on the radio this morning from a neighbor went something like this...
"This never happens in our neighborhood! Well, at least not in this section"Radio news said the homeowner claimed to have fired at the robber as he fled, which is not the ideal. He hasn't been charged with anything yet.
Maybe he should have gotten in his car and chased him first. That was sarcasm.
Marko accurately describes the goings on at the U.N.
Any organization that turns over the podium to an avowed terrorist sponsor, a bugnuts insane Holocaust denier, and a chunky vest pocket tinpot Marxist has a severe credibility deficit. All that was missing was Kim Jong Il walking in with Fidel’s limp husk in tow, and you would have had 90% of the world’s heavyweight asshole dictators all in one spot.Read the rest of it.
I am amazed that this guy isn't facing charges. The dead asshat robber's family is certain to sue though.
A law enforcement source had told the Observer that McClure told investigators he chased the robbers who broke into his home because he wanted to shoot out the tires of their getaway car. He ended up in a confrontation and killed Marcus Fluker, one of at least four teens who broke into McClure's home that Saturday afternoon and held him and his wife at gunpoint, authorities say.
The law is clear that shootings can be justified inside someone's home after someone breaks in. But McClure drove after the robbers, plunging the case into more of a gray area, legal experts told the Observer.
from the CO
This is generally not a good idea. Not getting the "Clean Shoot" tag, but good for Mr. McClure.
Mecklenburg District Attorney Peter Gilchrist this afternoon issued this statement regarding a fatal shooting earlier this month:
The investigation into the shooting death of Marcus Fluker by Mr. C.L. McClure has been completed and turned over to the District Attorney's Office. The investigating officers utilized a procedure established by this office which allows departments to request that we make the charging decision. This procedure can be followed when investigation indicates probable cause to arrest is present but officers have questions and request we review the evidence they have gathered in order to determine whether charges should be brought.
On August 22, 2009, 76 year old C.L. McClure was sitting in his basement room cooling off after cutting his yard. At approximately 12:30 in the afternoon, he saw a young black male walk past the door of this room. He thought it was his grandson coming by to see him. When he didn't come into the room, Mr. McClure walked to the door to see what he was doing. He was greeted by a young man with his face covered and armed with a weapon.
Mr. McClure was told to get on the ground. He was duct taped and robbed of cash and jewelry. Another man entered into the basement as well. Mr. McClure was asked who and what was in the main house. Mr. McClure told them his wife was upstairs and to please not hurt her. One man left the other stayed. Mr. McClure's wife was also a victim of this home invasion when they entered the home and took items from there as well.
After a brief period, the other man left and Mr. McClure got off the ground, retrieved a gun he had in the basement, and went to check on his wife. He saw a number of young men running from his house into the woods. From previous break-ins at his residence he believed that the robbers were running to a vehicle on the other side of the woods. His wife told him she was okay and he got into his vehicle. His intention at that time was to get to their car before they did and to shoot out the tires to immobilize their car until the police arrived.
As Mr. McClure approached the area where he thought a car might be parked, there was no car, and instead he saw all the young men running towards him. At this point he fired a shot in the air in an attempt to scatter them away from him and his vehicle and back into the woods. Instead, they kept running towards him. Some passed in front of his car and some behind. As Marcus Fluker passed his car he began to turn towards Mr. McClure. McClure, an Army veteran, had identified the weapon pointed at him at his house as some type of automatic weapon. When Fluker turned towards him he thought he was about to get “sprayed” by fire from this automatic weapon. He fired at him. McClure did not know if he struck him because Mr. Fluker turned back around and continued to run. At this point, McClure no longer felt in danger and did not fire his weapon again.
After the police arrived they went with Mr. McClure into the apartment complex where the individuals had been last scene. At this point, it was learned that Marcus Fluker had been struck by a single gunshot wound. At the place where he was found there was no gun. This location was not secure until the police arrived.
The investigation of this case recovered two firearms taken from Mr. McClure's home and it is clear that Mr. Fluker was one of the individuals involved in the home invasion robbery. As a result of these events, Mr. McClure's 70 year old wife suffered a heart attack.
In making a decision as to whether to charge Mr. McClure in this case, the District Attorney's Office has considered all of the above facts as well as the law of self defense.
The only eyewitness to this shooting is Mr. McClure. The physical evidence corroborates what he told detectives. His idea to find the vehicle and try to delay the escape of those who invaded his home did not make him the aggressor nor did that take away his right of self defense. Mr. McClure believed that his life was in danger and fired in self-defense. It is the burden of the State in a criminal case to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a charged individual did not act in self defense. The State cannot meet that burden in this case as it appears from all the credible evidence that Mr. McClure feared for his life.
If you read all of that you may note that the Observer makes it appear as if Mr. McClure chased the robbers in their vehicle before executing one of them. The Observer also fails to mention the fact that Mrs. McClure suffered a heart attack as a result of the home invasion. I sure hope she is OK.
I now gladly add the "Clean shoot" tag .
It's still not a good idea to go chasing after asshats like that.
I successfully made it through the entire auction for this Para CCW LDA .45 without bidding or buying now. Whew.
It seems like a good deal though at $649, and I am waiting to hear back from the seller if there is a box and extra magazine included.
I'd really like to get a full size LDA instead, as I don't plan on using this as a carry gun - more of an experiment to see if I like the trigger pull or not. Cosmetics aren't a big deal to me normally, but I suppose I should at least pay attention to the looks if I there is a chance that it may not remain in the cache for very long.
Meh. I really should be looking at more budget appropriate hardware after my Crimson Trace spree last month.
Maybe I should review what I've already got instead.
The US House of Reps has joined the US Senate in voting to remove funding from the ACORN hot mess.
Senate vote Monday: 7 Nays
| NAYs ---7 | ||
| Burris (D-IL) Casey (D-PA) Durbin (D-IL) | Gillibrand (D-NY) Leahy (D-VT) Sanders (I-VT) | Whitehouse (D-RI) |
| Baldwin Becerra Brady (PA) Brown, Corrine Butterfield Capuano Carson (IN) Castor (FL) Cleaver Clyburn(SC) Crowley Cummings Davis (IL) DeGette Delahunt Doyle Edwards (MD) Ellison Engel Fattah Filner Fudge Green, Al Grijalva Hinchey | Hirono Holt Honda Jackson (IL) Jackson-Lee (TX) Johnson, E. B. Kilpatrick (MI) Kucinich Larsen (WA) Lee (CA) Lewis (GA) Lynch Markey (MA) McCollum McDermott McGovern Meeks (NY) Mollohan Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Nadler (NY) Neal (MA) Olver Pallone Pascrell | Payne Polis (CO) Price (NC) Rahall Rangel Roybal-Allard Rush Sánchez, Linda T. Schakowsky Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Serrano Sherman Sires Slaughter Stark Thompson (MS) Towns Tsongas Velázquez Waters Watson Waxman Wexler Woolsey |
Much to my surprise Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) voted "Aye". Jim Clyburn's "No" vote is so utterly non-shocking that it defies description.
Huey found a link to a free 1 oz. trial bottle of WeaponsShield CLP
I looked it up online and if you were to buy this it would be $9.95 + shipping. You simply can't beat this deal.
A $9.95 value free for the asking! Click on the pic for the manufacturer's link.
Of course there's always a catch. George is hoping that after the first vial of this you'll want to buy more. I have yet to shoot with it on my weapons but I used it to clean and oil a couple of pistols to test and it seems like pretty good stuff. It has a more dense viscosity than normal military grade CLP.
Head on over to Huey's Gunsight for the oh-so-very-easy instructions. And while you're there, be sure to check out the rest of his blog.
SoundJam is the app that Apple originally bought to turn into the multimedia/handheld software juggernaut we know today.
A 60-year-old woman blind for nine years has regained useful vision following a rare operation in Miami in which surgeons removed one of her teeth, drilled a hole in it, inserted a plastic lens into the hole and implanted the tooth-lens combination into her eye. It's the first such operation in the U.S., they said.
from The CO
What?!?
For the record: As a lifelong Southerner who somehow managed to grow up not a racist, I can say without any reservation whatsoever that Jimmy Carter is an idiot and an embarrassment to his former office, his country and the region most associated with him.
You, sir, may leave. Any time it suits you is fine.
This cracked me up and disturbed me at the same time.
Apparently in Ghana in the 80s, entrepreneurial-minded guys would drive around from village to village with a VCR, projector, and generator and create a sort of mobile cinema.
In order to promote these showings, artists were hired to paint large posters of thefilms (usually on used canvas flour sacks). The artists were given the artistic freedom to paint the posters as they desired - often adding elements that weren’t in the actual films, or without even having seen the movies. When the posters were finished they were rolled up and taken on the road.
once again from the N(ever)SFW Filmdrunk.
I haven't regularly read LGF in years.
WTH happened to Charles Johnson?
I saw that there is some sort of brouhaha amongst some of these Big Time Blogger types so I went back for a visit.
Sad.
LGF was a gateway blog for me back in the day. It wouldn't shock me more to go read Lileks and see that he was now devoting his time to furries.
Longtime Charleston SC Mayor Dick Riley oversimplifies Mayors Against Illegal Guns:
"We're against illegal guns, so if anyone is opposed to our position, then they are in favor of illegal guns,"
from the Post & Courier
At least Columbia's Mayor Bob isn't running again. One less bigot on the roll.
I saw this somewhere-
Overheard in heaven: "I thought you'd be bigger".
I'm a fan.
Matthew has posted more Dark Arts for Good Guys goodness over at Straight Forward in a Crooked World.
The highlight of my morning so far is the updating of my iPhone to v3.1. Woo. Hoo.
JayG has lots of 9-12 goodness. I wish I could have been there.
Regular posting to resume tomorrow as Major Family Medical Issue is mostly dealt with at this point.
Continuing the Citizens/Journalist's Guide to Firearms meme I am happy to pass along this slightly modified by Robb version :
from Sharp as A Marble - original post Sebastian
"The Thinking Man's Nick Nolte". Or is Nick Nolte the thinking man's Gary Busey?
from FilmDrunk (Never Safe For Work or the easily offended)
Jacktion!: Gary Busey goes commando when he rides a horse, and wears jockey shorts when he goes to war.
Crapbasket: Gary Busey chops down cherry trees just so he can lie about it.
Michelle07: Gary Busey makes guitar fingers whenever he talks about the Wild Fire.
Jacktion!: Gary Busey’s favorite food is macaroni necklaces and cheese.
Michelle07: Gary Busey sends emails on an electric typewriter. They all say, “Yahtzee!”
Crapbasket: Gary Busey thinks the Navy Seals are what keep water out of submarines.
Donkey Hodey: Gary Busey’s Easy-Bake oven has a self-destruct button.
Påüłÿ Ðąηgęrσűşľγ: Gary Busey throws glass houses at rocks.
Donkey Hodey: When Gary Busey hears a voice played back through an answering machine, he always says “Do I realy sound like that?”, even if it’s not him talking.
Jacktion!: Gary Busey convinced Huey Lewis not to call his band The Jews.
Crapbasket: Gary Busey’s baby ate a dingo.
Crapbasket: Gary Busey’s ringtone is him doing the entirety of Pink Floyd’s The Wall on the kazoo.
Moose: Gary Busey’s motto is: “Never put off today what you’ve already done tomorrow”.
As requested, here’s my analysis of the night A Glock 27 Saved My Stupid Ass in 1996. I mentioned several times in the post that it is my sincere belief that I did everything wrong that I could have possibly done, and even one good choice would have prevented the assault on my cranium and subsequent bleeding. Let’s take a look at the long list of bad choices the 22 year old me made back then.
On a whim one night, I decided to walk down to work to see what the hike would be like and maybe catch up with a couple of friends. I had intentions of walking to and from job as parking in 5 Points is terrible in general and an epic fail if you have to work there.I had worked in bars in 5 Points for 3 years at that point, witnessing many assaults and calling the police on aggressive homeless vagrant types several times myself. I did not think this out very well. I am walking around in Cooper’s Condition White - unaware, unprepared. Oblivious. I should have been paying attention.
I didn't find any of my friends, and after a couple of beers I hoofed it back up the hill that led to my house. Not a bad hike at all.It’s late, dark, and I had at least 2 alcoholic beverages in an hour. All of this is fine tailgating for a football game, and might not be a particularly big deal in this case if I wasn’t by myself. Taking into account the history of violence in the area, I should have been in Condition Yellow if not Orange. (Being armed with something other than overconfidence would have been nice too. Practice that Krav Maga kids) I decided to walk home from an area somewhat notorious for aggressive panhandling and muggings. By myself. Guess who’s still in Condition White.
Almost to my street and displaying a tragic utter disregard for situational awareness, I was caught unawares by a shady looking dude on a BMX bike as he pulled up next to me and asked me if I had change for a twenty.I displayed a total lack of situational awareness. My memory is too foggy for me to speculate what was running through my mind back then. Probably women or money or how the latter made the former more interested in me. I should have been checking my 6. Instead I get bushwhacked by a lightweight on a kids bike. I realized later at the hospital that if he had been armed with a gun he could have shot me in the back of the head and I never would have seen it coming. For years afterward I got cold sweats thinking about that.
His sudden appearance startled me so that instead of barking at him to stay back, I merely replied "Sorry dude, I've got no cash at all".It starts getting uglier now. Since he’s already well inside my personal space, I should have immediately faced him, barked a healthy “Stay back!” and circled away until I could put some distance between us. That might have scared him off, or at least given me a few seconds to get into a fighting mindset.
Instead of watching him take off in the other direction, I confidently crossed the intersection where he had stopped me and made my way up to the next street which was my own.I all but opened the door for this guy and let him in. Hell, I’d hit me in the back of the head too with this much opportunity! This is what I mean about not making even one good decision (thank you alcohol). I did not choose to confront the bandit until it was already too late and he had and was using the advantages that I had gift-wrapped for him. I should have manned up earlier, or just ran the hell away.
I continue to be lucky by having a thick skull, but these days I make my own luck by being aware of my location, the nature of my surroundings and living in Condition Yellow (for the most part - I will admit to being vulnerable at tailgating parties and the pool).
Robert mentions in the comments from the original post -
“But you did do two things correctly. You didn't shoot when you didn't have a good shot, and you didn't shoot him in the back which probably would have caused you a lot of grief.”He’s right - but these choices were made after the attack had already happened. By not taking a shot (or 10) at him as he ran I avoided lots of serious headaches later, but these choices didn’t change the fact that I was all bloody in my front yard.
Laser make something go boom. Still no Blastech DL-44 for me yet.
According to Boeing and the US Air Force, that happened over the White Sands Missile Range on August 30th, when an C-130H aircraft equipped with the Advanced Tactical Laser (or ATL) locked on to an unspecified ground target and fired the 12,000lb high-power chemical laser to make the target disappear from the face of the Earth.
from Endgadget
Gary Busey. I can't get away from this guy this week. Behold the Gary Busey Fractal, complete with "I'm Your Worst Nightmare Butthorn".
from Filmdrunk (NSFW)
Oh how I hate "anitvirus" scareware. I must walk at least 1/month FUW (Friend Using Windows) through getting this kind of crap off of their PC...
Malicious pseudo-environmentalists have come up with a new social engineering tactic aiming to improve the profit margins of their fake antivirus software releases - by promising to donate $2 from every purchase for saving the Amazonian green forests.
The new scareware template branded as “Green-AV Premier Edition 3.0” is pitched as the “World’s First Antivirus Which Cares About the Environment” and goes for a hefty price of $99.99, in comparison to other scareware brands whose price tags vary from $49 to $79.
from Zero Day
After posting my glocklove comment over at his site, Huey asked me about how I once used a firearm to save my life.
I don't think my lifesaving story is too terribly compelling. It's chock full of dumbassery on my part. But here it is, warts and all. Cue the italics.
I was working as a bartender in Columbia, SC and had just moved to a dilapidated old house about 2 blocks up Devine Street (the main drive) from the 5 Points "entertainment district".
On a whim one night, I decided to walk down to work to see what the hike would be like and maybe catch up with a couple of friends. I had intentions of walking to and from job as parking in 5 Points is terrible in general and an epic fail if you have to work there. I understand that this has not changed.
So...I didn't find any of my friends, and after a couple of beers I hoofed it back up the hill that led to my house. Not a bad hike at all.
Almost to my street and displaying a tragic utter disregard for situational awareness, I was caught unawares by a shady looking dude on a BMX bike as he pulled up next to me and asked me if I had change for a twenty.
By shady, I mean all of 5'2 and 125 pounds with crazy hair, a surplus woodland camo jacket 3 sizes too big (this is June in Columbia, SC approximately 112 degrees at 10:30PM) and, of course, sunglasses. At night.
His sudden appearance startled me so that instead of barking at him to stay back, I merely replied "Sorry dude, I've got no cash at all". The truth. And the standard response to the multitude of 5 Points panhandlers.
Here's where I made my 2nd (or 3rd, but there's so many) mistake: Instead of watching him take off in the other direction, I confidently crossed the intersection where he had stopped me and made my way up to the next street which was my own.
As I reached the next corner, I stopped and did (what I now know is) a "Crazy Ivan" to see if he was following me. He had made it about halfway to where I was, stopped his bike and was merely looking at me. Instead of telling him to move along, piss off or get lost (4th mistake) - I decided that I'd be better off confronting him closer to home (soooo young and dumb -at least the 5th mistake if you're counting).
I had my car keys in my pocket and my car was parked about 100 yards away on the right hand side of the street, facing away from me with the drivers side door closest to me. I knew that somewhat unsafely stowed under the drivers seat of my car was my loaded Glock 27.
Foolish young Brian takes a left and walks a bit faster (how many mistakes was that?)...off of the well lit main road and down the poorly lit side street, thinking about the motions that he will have to use to get the car door open. Hands on keys...fingers on car key...take the keys out and put them in the door...open door, leave keys in door and reach for the pistol.
That is what I was thinking when I should have been chasing this guy off.
About halfway there I turn around over my right shoulder to see if he's still following me and WHACK, I'm on my hands and knees in the middle of the street. He's hit me with something, but I have a very large, very hard head and I am not unconscious, but dazed and bleeding profusely. So naturally I begin cussing him.
I cuss him as I get to my feet. I cuss him as I stagger towards my car. I cuss him as I scrape my key up and down the side of the door, trying to get the door unlocked.
He's riding around me in circles, looking around to see if anyone has heard me.
I get the door open (still cussing him) and fall on my knees to dig under the seat for my unsafely stored (in battery too - ugh -sorry SC law) Glock.
I found it and pointed it at him weak handed, but he saw the gun and was already hauling ass back up towards where he hit me (with a @#$% brick, we found out later).
I tried to get a bead on him with the intention of shooting him in the back as he rode away, but fortunately for him I couldn't get a good sight picture due in part to my double vision from the blunt force trauma to my skull.
Rule 4 saved that guys life that night.
That's it really. All of that probably took a minute and a half.
I stuck the Glock in my waistband and staggered up to the porch where I freaked out one of my roommates who was reading a book on the couch by sticking my bleeding head through the front door and asking for some help. She and my other roommates' boyfriend took me to the hospital where they stapled me up. No painkillers because I had those beers earlier. Ouch.
The police never caught the guy. We moved out of the house a couple of months later after getting robbed.
That was 13 years ago this summer. I was very, oh-so-very stupid and very lucky.
I'll never sell that Glock.
Added: I'd like to point out that I did not do even 1 thing correctly as these events transpired. If I had made even 1 better decision this would have never happened. I'll post a list later - I've been uncommonly prolific today.
23 MacBook Pro laptops, 14 iPhones and 9 iPod touch handhelds.
Just in from the GRNC: NE CCW reciprocity with NC.
GRNC Update 09-03-09:
NC Permit Now Good in Nebraska
RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH NEBRASKA
http://www.ago.state.ne.us/media/Recognition_of_State_Concealed_Handgun_Permits.pdf
On August 31, 2009 Attorney General Jon Bruning of Nebraska issued a memorandum to Colonel Bryan Tuma of the Nebraska State Patrol, informing him that they had completed their review of the fifty states and the District of Columbia and included a list of the states with which Nebraska had reached concealed handgun reciprocity agreements with. North Carolina is now among that number.
The benefits of the concealed handgun reciprocity law engineered by GRNC which passed into law in 2003 continue to accrue even now. The work done by fine members of the General Assembly such as Rep. MARK HILTON who was the primary sponsor and those of you who didn't let their representatives of your support goes rewarded.
Nice.
The ever-enjoyable JayG posted his revised want list today and asked his readers what their list looks like. I commented that all I really wanted was a P3AT or LCP.
Upon further reflection I have decided that was a lame comment. I have created a list of pistols and rifles that I could conceivably afford at some point in the far, distant future.
Brian's Want List:
Pistols:
Longarms:
Huey's got a great love letter to Gaston Glock's love it or hate it (me=love) polymer and steel implement of self defense. His comments on the Manual of Arms:
"Due to the internal safeties system on their pistols, the manual of arms to operate a Glock is fairly straight forwards. Learning it on one pistol pretty much ensures that it is learned on others in the series. Being a striker fired pistol their is no second strike capability on a bad primer hit, so the tap-rack-bang drill is very important to be learned with Glocks, but this also applies to any semi-auto pistol as well."
That's just one of the reasons that my primary carry gun is a G27 and my "Some Day I Will Compete" Pistol is a G17.
Great post.
Here's my email to Bob Behanian at WMBF who wrote this a couple of weeks ago. (Hey-I've been on vacation alright?)
Mr. Behanian - I write in reference to your article "Criminals travel to SC to buy guns" - http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=10861386
This is a particularly good example of bad reporting. Did you actually air this?
I ask because the only number you site is "5th" from the Brady campaign report from last month. Who are all of these "Criminals (who) travel to SC to buy guns". Do you have a specific example of any criminal purchasing a firearm (any firearm) legally in SC and then committing a crime? Are you aware that criminals also purchase knives and baseball bats and may use those to commit crimes in SC too?
If you're going to just use generalizations, why not say something like "Criminals commit crimes with weapons from a variety of sources" which is nearly as lame as the teaser-friendly "Guns are falling into the hands of those who shouldn't have them."
Who are the "some" who "argue South Carolina's laws aren't strict enough"? The Brady Campaign? You can do better than this.
Thank you.Brian
anothergunguy@gmail.com
http://anothergunguy.blogspot.com/
twitter @another_gun_guy
Gary Busey jumping down from the rafters shouting, “I’m your worst nightmare, butthorn!”
The best 4 minutes on teh internets today.
SC Rep John Spratt (D) to actually meet with constituents on ObamaCare in Sumter today and Rock Hill tomorrow. I am so glad they provided all of the advance notice so constituents could make arrangements to be there.
The York native plans to discuss the health care plans, then take questions. Attendees will be asked to write any questions on a slip of paper at the door and put them in a box that matches their position, whether they're for, against or undecided. A moderator will draw names.
from the Observer
Here's a tale detailing the process of using Back To My Mac to catch the thief who swiped your Mac.
"...the victim used his replacement MacBook Pro to screen share with the stolen device, and even watch as someone filled out an online form to find a job, displaying an address, social security number and phone number."
Dumbass thief took a pic of himself with the iSight too and left it on the desktop.
from TUAW
Congratulations to Tam on 2 Million hits. Uncle's been blogging for 7 years. I am a fan.
From Joe Huffman's View From North Central Idaho I learned this morning that Nebraska now has reciprocity with South Carolina. I share his sentiment below:
"I don't think I have ever been in Nebraska and I don't have any plans to visit in the foreseeable future but if I did I could carry when I went there. I'll sleep a little better tonight. Not so much because I can now carry in Nebraska but because thousands of other people can and will. That makes them a little bit safer and the anti-gun bigots a little bit more demoralized."
I am disappointed to note that according to SLED:
As of September 12, 2008, states with which South Carolina has reciprocity are:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Reciprocity with SC is not a 2-way street though. I'd love to see Georgia and West-by-God Virginia on this list someday.
I found "NC Senator shoots intruder" buried in my massive, massive backlog of Uncle posts that I missed over my vacation.
A North Carolina attorney representing state Sen. R.C. Soles said his client acted in self-defense when he shot an intruder at his home.
Attorney Joe Cheshire said Monday that Soles used a pistol to shoot the 22-year-old at his home and the incident was recorded by security cameras on the senator's property.
Authorities say Soles shot Kyle Blackburn Sunday night when he and another man tried to kick in the door of Soles' secluded home. Nobody has been charged.
Blackburn was listed Monday in fair condition at a South Carolina hospital.
Soles has had a series of confrontations with former law clients in the past two years. He called for help from local police at least nine times to ward off men who were charged with trespassing.
Soles is a Democrat Senator representing Brunswick, Columbus, and Pender Counties "Down East" (as they say). The shooting is just one of all sorts of incidents connected to the Senator. At first glance this would appear to be a clean shoot - we'll have to wait and see.
I haven't read any of the Twilight books or seen the movie. I have no intention of ever doing so. Most of my attempts to avoid anything Twilight related have been thwarted by relatives and neighbors, to whom I present this:
How Twilight Should Have Ended
My short-awaited signed, autographed copy of MHI and kick-ass patch arrived while I was on the vacay. Looks like Jay G got his copy as well. "Squeee!!!"
I am halfway through the book - up late last night reading instead of blogging.
It is so refreshing to read another fiction author who accurately describes firearms and their use. It's even better that Larry Correia writes great characters that talk like real people too.
I managed to squeak in under the deadline for the patch contest with this remarkably lame offering. Not bad for 15 minutes in Photoshop, but it is not some of my better work. I am still deciding whether to vote for myself or not. Hopefully there will be another contest for the next sequel to MHI and I can come up with something better.
So much has been going on in my absence. Fear not faithful reader. Normal posting to resume today. Only 74 articles to go on the reader.
Blogging and tweetage to be lighter than the normal very light as I am on vacation. I'm 3 days in and haven't even opened my Google Reader to see what's been happening with all of my (gradually reciprocated) blogroll. I'll probably have to pull a "mark all as read" and just catch up piecemeal as sorting through 1000+ posts has little appeal to me right now.
For the record, I am vacationing in a state that has CCW reciprocity with my homestate of South Cacalacky.
Maybe I can make a little dent in it tonight. Shouldn't take but another 30 minutes...right?
Maybe I'll just read Tam.
And Snowflakes and Uncle.
And Borepatch and Tbolt and Robb and this is why I haven't made it into the lobby until tonight.
UPDATE:
An hour and 1 cocktail later...
And Breda and Kevin and Marko and Joe Huffman
and who am I kidding - I normally cannot go a night without reading , Rawles (or JWR, if you prefer not to use the , )
and last but certainly not least James.
oh yeah one more: Steve
Done. Going to go to bed now. Last thought - isn't it a bit odd to refer to these nice people by their first names when I have never met them? Probably.
#10: Repeat after me, “No, I don’t need that many rails. Lead me not into temptation.” Rails on a gun are like a clean shirt: they attract the oddest things.
A Dixie Carpetbagger is now on the roll and in the reader. Adding at least another 10 minutes to daily reading.
Some idiot got shot dead trying to rob a guy and the Observer refers to the dead robber as the victim. Really?
from the Charlotte Observer via the Rock Hill Herald. Emphasis mine
The intended victim of a robbery turned the tables on his attackers early Friday in Lancaster, fatally shooting a man, police say.
The victim was identified by police as Jarkevious Ingram, 18, of Lancaster.
Police say Ingram and two other men tried to rob Edward Patterson Jr., 34, as he arrived at his home on Culp Street about 1 a.m. Friday.
According to police, Ingram and Patterson got into a struggle, and Patterson grabbed the gun, shooting Ingram. Neighbors reported hearing several shots.
Ingram was taken to Carolinas Medical Center, where he died. Patterson drove himself to Springs Memorial Hospital, where he was transferred to Carolinas Medical Center. It is unclear how Patterson was injured.
Police said Friday afternoon that an investigation into the case was continuing.
Victim? No.
Suspect? Yes.
Likely recidivist? No longer.
Here's Senator Lindsay Graham's response to this letter, asking him NOT to vote for the confirmation of Judge Sonya Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Dear Brian:
Thank you for contacting me regarding Second Amendment rights and Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you on these important issues.
I have announced my intent to support Judge Sotomayor, in both the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the floor of the Senate, because I believe she is well-qualified for the position. As you may be aware, Judge Sotomayor's nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 28, 2009, and awaits consideration by the full United States Senate.
I understand your concerns regarding Judge Sotomayor's record on Second Amendment rights. She was questioned extensively on this point during her confirmation hearings. Judge Sotomayor acknowledged and pledged to abide by the precedent established by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment confers an individual right of gun ownership. In making my decision to support Judge Sotomayor's nomination, I considered how she might rule on a variety of issues, including gun rights. I weighed her past rulings, education, and statements on judicial philosophy, both in and out of the courtroom, to determine whether she was qualified for the position of Associate Justice. I also considered her character and the uniquely American story that her life presents. Finally, I studied whether there was anything about her past actions which would be serious enough to disqualify her from sitting on the Supreme Court. Finding none, and believing her qualifications to be exemplary, I chose to support her nomination.
I believe my record of supporting legislation which protects the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans is clear. I joined 54 other senators, 250 representatives, and former Vice President Cheney in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to argue that the long-standing District of Columbia (D.C.) handgun ban is unconstitutional. Additionally, I cosponsored an amendment to S. 160, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act, which would conform D.C. gun laws to the requirements set out in the Heller decision. I have also cosponsored legislation, S. 371, which allows concealed carry reciprocity. Finally I was proud to cosponsor an amendment which restores the right of law- abiding citizens to possess, carry, and transport concealed weapons within a national park area or national wildlife refuge area. This legislation was signed into law by President Obama on May 22, 2009. I assure you I will continue to look for ways to protect the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. If I may be of further assistance to you or your family,please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
Lindsey O. Graham
United States Senator
At the end there he mentions his support of the Thune-Vitter amendment (although oddly not by name) like I'd not heard of it - even though I mention it by name in my letter, clearly marking this as his form letter for "gun people". Sigh.
I'll give Lindsay and staff credit for not ignoring me completely and at least having some pro-2nd Amendment credibility. He really dropped the ball on this vote though.
For the record - I prefer the nigh-on instant response from Senator DeMint, via email. As a comparison, it is safe to say that Graham bought it and DeMint did not, safely neutering any influence the Republican Senators from South Carolina might have on the proceedings. This is not the first time this has happened and likely won't be the last.
Sebastian's post about Clubs got me thinking about joining the Charlotte Rifle and Pistol Club. It sure isn't cheap, and on top of the financial commitment, there is a time commitment as well. I will learn more when I actually get to go to an orientation, as I was unable to attend the most recent event and I will probably have to wait until September to get the ball rolling on the rest of the process.
Lot's of potential +pluses. The ranges look magnificent in comparison to what I am used to at the local commercial establishments (which aren't bad at all) and the moderately inconvenient Waxhaw location is just as far as the outdoor rifle range at Pappy's although it's in another direction.
I don't know if I have the time and $ to belong to more than one gun club as the Central Carolinas Shooting Club seems to be more my style. Decisions.
NC Senate Bill 928, “The Castle Doctrine” (For more on how Castle Doctrine strengthens your right to defend yourself, click here.) remarkably passed the Democrat-controlled NC Senate on 14 May of this year.
It has since languished in the NC House where it will face 3 committees as opposed to the typical single committee hearing where, if passed, it would head for a vote by the full chamber. This is due to the efforts of:
"Rep. Deborah Ross (Wake), the virulently anti-gun chair of the Judiciary I Committee...(who) maintains she is hearing “non-controversial” bills first, but doesn’t explain what should be “controversial” about a bill which simply reinforces the right of lawful citizens to protect themselves from imminent death or serious bodily injury. Indeed, if SB 928 is so “controversial,” why did it pass the Senate by a vote of 42 to 2?"
Act now North Carolinians!
Contact Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson) at Hugh.Holliman@ncleg.net, 103 Sapona Road, Lexington, NC 27295, or 336-956-1385.
Contact Rep. Deborah Ross (D-Wake) at Deborah.Ross@ncleg.net, 425 S. Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603, or 919-832-6508.
For the record: the pretty stag grips on the S&W M63 that I got off of gunbroker are going back in the box.
Dumbass here forgot to swap the "fancies" out for the factory grips before heading to the range for the first time in weeks and the results were not surprising in the slightest. It was hard to work the kung-fu grip on the tiny little things.
I had a great time blowing through my box o' cheap Federal .22LR and once I warmed up and switched to the higher-end Winchester stuff I managed some decent groups.
I need to make some money so I can spring for a trigger job and some nice chunky grips.
Total price for 30 minutes at the range: $12 (+ maybe $5 worth of ammo). I can barely take my other pistols out of the bag for $17. Win.
UPDATED: these are OTW - old set of Pachmayr grips for a square butt K frame for a whopping $14. I hope the factory grip screw works as one is not included with these. Got to dig that green shag carpet though.
Iowahawk has a guide for identifying Town Hall Astroturf Agitators. Hysterical.
Remain strong, citizen, for the day of their comeuppance is near! Patriotic spontaneous volunteers from MoveOn.org, Organizing For America, HCAN, SEIU, AFSCME, ACORN, NPR, and MSNBC have all pledged independent grassroots efforts to spread the word about the health-hating tricksters and their transparent astroturf agitation campaign!
In local news, U.S. Congressman John Spratt (D-SC 5th) - a CapNTrader - is surprising precisely ZERO of his constituents by not planning to hold any Town Hall meetings to discuss ObamaCare (another link here). Which is a pity as I'd love to go see some of the people that keep electing him, as I've never met anyone who voted for him.
Of course, I mostly hang out in gun shops.
My favorite gun shop is moving closer to my house! Aim Right is moving to downtown Fort Mill.
Well it’s finally going to happen
We are MOVING
The Gun shop will relocate to Main Street Fort Mill.
The new address is 237 Main which is at the top of Main Street.
Should be in and ready to sell guns by the first of September.
We look forward to seeing You there.
Fatjak & the boys
Jack has informed me that the "big moving sale" is "Buy 1 for the price of 2". Ha.
from the Chucktown Post & Courier "Brady Center critical of S.C."
Now I am jut shocked. SHOCKED I tell you. I simply cannot imagine why the Brady Center would be "Critical of SC"...
In 2006, lawmakers passed a bill that extended legal coverage under the Castle Doctrine, in which residents can use deadly force against intruders to protect themselves and their property. Someone's business or a car in danger of being hijacked became areas covered by the legally recognized defense.
Oh. There is that. And...
South Carolina is not shedding its reputation as a gun-buyers' haven, Brady Center senior attorney Daniel Vice said.
"Unfortunately," he said, "in South Carolina it is very easy for dangerous criminals to get deadly weapons."
Wow. Just like anywhere else, it's easy for dangerous criminals to get "deadly weapons" in South Carolina, just not LEGALLY.
Brady officials consider South Carolina a weak gun-law state because of the ease of getting firearms over the counter. Among their arguments is that there are no limits here on monthly purchases, and the lack of background checks required at gun shows.
Yawn. Nobody listening. Old news.
However this is actually the least biased gun story I've seen in print in some time. Good on you Schuyler Kropf, you've exceeded my expectations by not merely regurgitating Brady talking points, but adding the NRA response without a trace of a sneer.
Love the comments too.
If there are so many pro-gun folks in SC that take the time to write well-thought-out comments to stories like this, why does it seem like there are only 3 or 4 gunbloggers from SC?
Another update to the "Dark Arts for Good Guys" series from Straight Forward in a Crooked World (which is made of Win).
Matthew's latest entry:
Dark Arts for Good Guys
Dark Arts for Good Guys:Bribery
Dark Arts for Good Guys: Bribery Part II
Dark Arts for Good Guys Series: Flight & Fight Part 1
Dark Arts for Good Guys Series: Fight & Flight pt II
Dark Arts for Good Guys: Flight Plan
Things you need to know and hope to never have to use.
Online donations through PayPal are a huge part of our fundraising. They shut down our entire account-not just the raffle button—for twelve hours right in the middle of an email fundraising push. Looking at the Terms of Use, we couldn’t understand where we’d gone wrong, but we had to immediately remove the raffle so we could get back online ASAP. This just breaks our hearts because we were so excited about the tremendous fundraising impact the Gun Blogger Rendezvous raffle was already having.
Bare or bear with me. Managed to pick up a couple of days leave and I ran for the beach. Ran. Outer Banks NC, Hatteras. Beautiful.
National Shooting Sports Foundation Awards $245,000 in Grants to Shooting Facilities
NEWTOWN, Conn.-To encourage the development of new marketing strategies that will motivate people to go target shooting and hunting, the National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded grants totaling $245,531 to 12 shooting facilities around the country. This is the second year that NSSF has distributed funding to qualifying target ranges through its Range Partnership Grant Program.
"Research tells us that millions of Americans would like to try target shooting and hunting, and the place to get started is at one of the thousands of shooting ranges across the country," said Steve Sanetti, president of NSSF, trade association for the firearms industry. "These grants will help shooting range managers implement creative marketing strategies that will introduce newcomers and reactivate former shooters so they can enjoy lifetime activities that are fun and can be shared with family and friends. Time and again we see that when newcomers go target shooting, they like it-a lot. We just need to help get them started."
Said Melissa Schilling, NSSF's manager of recruitment and retention, "These grants will help to test measurable projects that, if successful, will be shared with shooting facilities around the country."
Thirty-eight proposals in all were submitted by shooting facilities nationwide. Some of this year's grant recipients proposed projects in partnership with organizations and agencies associated with recreational shooting and hunting.
The 2009 Range Partnership Grant Program recipients are as follows . . .
Mid-Carolina Rifle Club, Rocky Creek, Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve and Little Mountain Gun & Supply, Inc. (partnering with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources), Columbia, S.C.--$67,000
Project: Develop model methods for improving public awareness of, and accessibility to, shooting ranges in South Carolina.
There you go.
