On The Range #86: The Masters 2013 IDPA Match

Yesterday I shot in my first sanctioned IDPA match, The Masters 2013, at Brock's Gap Training Center in Birmingham, AL.  It was ten stages of both fun and frustration.

All of the SOs, saving one man on one stage, were great.  This one guy stood out as an asshole, but fuck him.  The other SOs were wonderful even if they all had a variety of styles and mannerisms.

The stages were all challenging and fun, my favorite being one that was set up to mirror the scene from The Outlaw Josey Wales in which Clint Eastwood comes out of a general store, hands full, to find himself confronted by a group of Union soldiers.  As they stare each other down, he says, "Are you gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"  You, of course, are Wales.  That was also probably  my best stage overall.

I ended up 16 out of 20 in Stock Service Pistol/Sharpshooter, and 104 of 140 total shooters.  I wasn't dead last, so I'm happy about that.  I shot about middle of the pack with the SSP/Marksman, which is what I'm used to.

I was almost disqualified on a stage for possibly unsafe muzzle work.  One SO saw it, one didn't.  The one who didn't decided I could rerun the stage after the stop call.  Personally, I'm not sure.  The stage required me to back up and then run down the 90 degree line.  My muzzle typically goes where my eyes go and I didn't look past the 90.  A few of my squad mates spoke with me after and said I was close but didn't break it.  Anyway, I was very conscious about it the rest of the day.

Overall, it was a good match.  I had fun, but by the end I was exhausted.  My allergies were driving me insane.  I had a runny nose for most of the match and was eating Claritin at lunch (which helped not at all for once).  Match results didn't come out until late and I was in bed by 8:30 last night so I didn't see them until this morning.

The Glock ran perfectly though out the entire match.  I the match using Winchester Ranger 127gr. 9mm +P+ JHP, my carry ammo.  I bought it for the same price I see PMC 115gr FMJ going for so I figured I might as well use it and have the extra oomph for steel activators.

I'm looking forward to the next club level match later this month, and I may look into shooting a few more sanctioned matches around the southeast.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll be shooting my first sanctioned IDPA match.  I'm excited as hell and also a bit nervous.  I'm hoping that since I barely classified as Sharpshooter I'll run with the top Marksmen, but in the end I'll be happy as long I don't place dead last.

And if I do place dead last?  Fuck it, that's a hell of a lot better than people who didn't enter at all.  

It's ok to be envious.

My evening is going to consist of good pizza, a smoke in the cigar shop, and then Iron Man 3.

A Good Friday Night.

I got off work a little early today so I made my way over to my favorite cigar shop, Cigars and More in Trussville, AL.

They were having a Rocky Patel and XiKar event tonight that I was hoping I'd be able to make it to.  There was a decent crowd and the reps from XiKar and Rocky were great guys.  They had some good deals going so I picked up a box of cigars and a v-cut cutter I've had my eye on for a while.

I also got some nice extras with my purchases including seven free cigars, a hat, a cool t-shirt, and a  XiKar travel ashtray.

I sat around and smoked a couple of good cigars and had some good conversation.

If you're in the Birmingham, AL and and looking for a good cigar and great atmosphere to enjoy it in you should definitely check out Cigars and More's locations in Trussville, Hoover, or on 280.  I'm partial to the Trussville location but they're all great places.

Kilroy was here.

OldNFO gives us a interesting bit of history from WWII.

Robert's Picks

Books:

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (excellent)

American Sniper:  The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFlice (good)

Locked On by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney (good)

Movies:

The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey (excellent)

Zero Dark Thirty (very good)

Code of Silence

Heros or Thugs?

A lot of accolades are being heaped on the Boston PD and FBI for their actions in tracking down and apprehending the suspects in the bombing of the Boston Marathon.  People were dancing in the street and celebrating the law enforcement agencies' actions.  Have we really come to the point where a warrant-less search of a home is worthy of praise?

How many people's rights were egregiously violated?  And the people of Boston celebrated this?  The last suspect was caught AFTER THE LOCK DOWN ENDED when a homeowner noticed something suspicious on his property after the government thugs allowed him to leave his home.  Yes, I said thugs.  If you are a LEO and performing illegal searches of persons and property YOU ARE A THUG.   

Protecting and serving?

Oleg Volk opines that the above photo is why civilians should be able to have claymores and grenades.  Seeing it myself, I can't say I disagree with him.  

Oh, you brought me milk to go with my 4th Amendment violation?

Again, as I've asked in the past, how am I supposed to trust the police when they violate citizens rights at the drop of a hat?  There was a MINOR bombing in Boston, something that other countries see every day and this country sees once in a blue moon and the Bill of Rights gets thrown right out of the fucking window?  This is what generations of soldiers fought and died for?  For my freedom to be forced out of my home at gunpoint so that police could search it without a warrant?

Frankly, I'm starting to believe the only thing the Boston PD and the other LE agencies involved are good for IS delivering milk.  

On The Range #85: Brownells AR Mags Suck and Fail

Back in January I placed an order for 10 of Brownells 30 round aluminum AR mags.  They're fairly inexpensive.  I've heard only good things about them in the past so I figured they were worth the investment.

My first range trip with them was very disappointing.  I loaded three mags and only got through one without any failures.  I was using cheap Monarch brand .223 ammo, but I'd never had issue with it before.  The only thing I could think of was that maybe the lacquer on the ammo was hanging up on the sharper feed lips of the aluminum mags and causing the repeated failures to feed.

Today I took the rifle back to the range with two of these aluminum mags, one loaded with M193 and the other loaded with Monarch ammo.  I also took a Pmag loaded with Monarch and a steel E-lander mag loaded with Monarch.

I shot out of a Brownells magazine first.  I could not get through a V-Tac 1-5 drill without a failure, and had repeated failures to feed every round or couple of rounds until the magazine was empty.

Ugh.

Following the Brownells magazine I immediately loaded the Pmag and shot two 1-5 drills without a single failure of any sort.  I dropped that mag and loaded the E-Lander and again fired two 1-5 drills without any failure.  Both magazines functioned flawlessly.  This eliminated the gun as a potential source of the problem.

Nasty.

I loaded my second Brownells magazine, this one with the M193, and again experienced repeated, continuous failures to feed.  I was about halfway through the mag and experiencing a failure to feed after every round fired when I decided to stop.  

I've only to date tested 3 of the ten magazines Brownells shipped me, but that's a 30% failure rate already.  I'll eventually shoot out of all of them (I do intend to keep them if for no other reason than to practice my failure clearing).

The Brownells aluminum AR15/M16 30 round magazines that I received are made of suck and fail, and I will not recommend anyone purchase them unless they are looking for magazines to deliberately induce failures for training purposes.  

On The Range #84: Beta Test Trainee

A friend of mine has been working on her firearms skills under my tutelage.  Today was the fourth time she has ever been shooting.  She's been working on dry fire as homework since her last session and it really showed in her shooting today. 

She has grip, stance, and sight alignment down.  We're just working on trigger control and she has really improved there, too.

Poppin' a zombie.

I think next session we'll add a little more distance, maybe multiple targets.  In the near future I want to start on some holster work.  I'm really impressed with her progress and how quickly she has improved from the last time we were on the range a couple of weeks ago.

The post in which I play the part of "That Guy."

First, this is about Boston.  In all seriousness I'm very sad for the people of Boston.  That said, I have some insensitive and cynical things to say about what is clearly a terrorist attack on another of America's major cities.  That stuff will be after the break, and you can stop right here.

Why the 'Pro-Gun' Language in Manchin-Toomey Isn't.

In a nutshell, any government agency not under the direction of the Attorney General can create a gun registry.  FOPA no longer applies if the mere possession of the firearm you are transporting is punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.

More and in better detail at The Volokh Conspiracy.

BAG Day is tomorrow.

I'm actually getting a return this year, but since I didn't know that until last week I probably won't have it in to participate this year.  On top of that my return is only going to be about half of what I need to buy what I want, a S&W E-series 1911.

 Must have a light rail.  Wish the bobtail version came with a rail.

I'm also considering Glock 30SF.  I just joined GSSF recently and I've got a coupon but the damned thing isn't good until I've been a member for a year.

Small gun, big holes.

Payday is Friday.  Depending on how big my check is, if I get my return back, and if I can find one I might be buying that 1911.  Then again, if I can find one I may just buy another Glock 17...at least that way I'll have a few more magazines!

On The Range #83: Renewing an old friendship and disappointments

One thing I've noticed about the ammo situation since December is that 9mm is almost non-existent and when you find it it's about the same price as (or even more expensive than) .45 ACP.  I decided that I'll be hording the 9mm I can find reasonably priced for the time being and I'm going to shift back over to my RIA 1911 for carry and probably some competition as well.

I've fired one magazine through the 1911 since last year so today I took it out and shot Dot Torture at 3 yards.  I changed my grip for shooting the Glock and I found that this worked well on the 1911  too.  I managed to score 46/50 which I think is not bad for a gun I've fired 8 rounds out of in the last year.

I had two issues with the 1911.  I had one Failure To Feed with one magazine.  I was doing a reload and using the slide release rather than racking the slide manually.  I didn't have this problem again but made note of the magazine.  I also had one mag that would not lock the slide back towards the end of my session.  I also made note of this magazine.

I'm planning on buying a few more 1911 magazines as well as a case of .45 ACP.  I really need to rotate my carry ammo out and I'm thinking of going with Remington Golden Saber 230gr. JHPs.

I'd have really loved to say the 1911 performed flawlessly, but it didn't.  The issues I had aren't anything that makes me uncomfortable carrying it for defensive purposes though, and that's after a year of carrying a Glock.

My disappoint today came when I was shooting my AR.  I recently received my order of 10 Brownells aluminum 30 round AR magazines.  Now, I have never had an issue with my AR except for one or two light strikes with cheap Monarch brand ammo.  Today, however, I had close to 10 Failures To Feed with two different magazines.

The rifle is relatively clean and well lubed.  The ammo I've fired literally a thousand times with only one or two hard primers.  The only thing that was different today were the magazines I was using, and I had the issue with two of them.  It was unnerving to see a gun I've never had any real issues with fail over and over again.

My conclusion for now is that the issue is with the magazines.  I'm going to do some shooting with the other seven I have using different ammo and I'll use one or two other magazines just to rule out issues with the gun.

I'm really disappointed because all I've heard about the Brownells mags was good.  Of course, my RIA 1911 won't run with Wilson Combat mags so it may be that my AR just doesn't like these.  Time will tell.

I'm rich!

I got visit from the big brown truck of happiness today:

Brownell's 30-round AR magazines

My fellow Alabamians, contact your state senators in support of SB 286!

From the NRA:

Earlier this month, NRA-supported Senate Bill 286 passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan 7 to 1 vote. This omnibus firearms bill could be considered on the Senate floor as early as Tuesday, April 2 and your state Senator needs to hear that you support SB 286. Please contact your state Senator TODAY and respectfully urge him or her to support SB 286, along with any pro-gun amendments proposed by the bill sponsor or cosponsors. Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.

SB 286, sponsored by state senators Scott Beason (R-17) and Roger Bedford (D-6), seeks to restore and protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Alabama by addressing the following issues:

• No employer may prohibit the otherwise lawful possession, transportation or storage of firearms or ammunition that is kept out of sight within a locked or attended private vehicle of an invitee who is otherwise permitted to operate or park that vehicle on the property. This would allow employees to carry a firearm during their commute to and from work.

• Repeals the requirement to obtain a pistol permit in order to carry a pistol in a vehicle. (Note: this would not allow for concealed carrying in a vehicle unless a valid pistol permit is possessed.)

• Shifts the current “May Issue” concealed carry permit system to a “Shall Issue” permit system and requires that a sheriff must issue the carry permit within thirty days. Should someone be denied a permit, a written denial must be provided and that applicant would have an opportunity to appear before an appeals panel.

• A permit to carry a concealed pistol shall be good for one to five years (to be decided by the applicant seeking the carry permit).

• Requires sheriffs to use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct a background check on concealed pistol permit applicants.

• Allows for all other valid state-issued permits to carry a concealed firearm to be recognized in Alabama.

• Strengthens Alabama’s firearms preemption statute by reserving for the state legislature complete control over regulation and policy relating to firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories in order to ensure that such regulation is applied uniformly throughout the state.

It is critical that you make your voice heard! Please contact your state Senator TODAY and ask him or her to support SB 286.

I'm happy to see that my state Senator is a co-sponsor of this bill.

The Greatest Handgun Caliber ever made!

Videos from AmmoForSale.com:

9mm
.45ACP
.40S&W

Funny stuff!

Robert's Picks

Books:

We Few by David Weber and John Ringo (good)

Spellbound by Larry Correia (very good)

No Easy Day:  The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer

Sister Time by John Ringo and Julie Cochrane (good)

Movies:

Kill The Irishman (excellent)

A couple of new knives.

I recently picked up a CRKT SPEW and a KA-BAR Last Ditch knife.  I've been interested in both for a while.

Both came in razor sharp with a fine point.  I've rigged up the Last Ditch knife with some paracord so that that I can wear it underneath my belt.  If you weren't looking for it you wouldn't find it.  The SPEW can be worn as a neck knife but I think I'll be carrying it on a belt.  I've never been a fan of neck knives, just not comfortable.

I'm looking forward to carrying these and using them.

Random bits.

Work has been kicking my ass the last couple of weeks.  The good part is that my next couple of paychecks should be on the high side which is good because I need to build my savings back up.

Monday I went gun shopping with a friend.  She's wanted to purchase a pistol for a while and I figure it would be a good to go around and have her handle a few.  One of the stores had a Kahr CM9 which fit her well and she really liked.  She's planning on picking it up as soon.  I'd actually like to get one for myself.  It'd make a great pocket pistol for me.

I did a little shooting today with the Glock using some commercially reloaded ammunition from a company called Zero Ammunition in Cullman, AL.  I only fired 50 rounds but it functioned perfectly.  It's about the only affordable 9mm ammo I've found and it's carried by a locally owned ACE Hardware of all places!

On The Range #82: First Time Shooter

Yesterday I was doing a little plinking with a friend when another friend asked if he could bring his daughter to do a little shooting.  Of course, I said yes.

She had never shot a real gun before so her dad brought his Ruger 10/22 and I broke out my Browning Buckmark.

She's still on the small side so we gave her plenty of help.  I worked on keeping her safe and helping her enjoy herself.

Shooting the Browning Buckmark

Shooting the Ruger 10/22

Shooter 2.0

I think she was a little overwhelmed by the whole situation her first time out and since it was spur of the moment the set up wasn't perfect but I think she still had fun and we'll have to get her out on the range some more!

The Mako Group: You got my money, where are my magazines?

Edit:

I was contacted by a rep from The Mako Group today. He explained that my original message to them was never received.  We had a pleasant conversation, my concerns were laid to bed and I'll be happy to business with them in the future.

Civilian body armor.

Excellent article here.

WSJ: Gun owners need to take responsibility

For criminals stealing guns and teenage suicides.

That's what I get from this article posted on Twitter by Rob Pincus.

Pincus says it should make us 'think.' It made me think the writer is an idiot who hates the NRA. According to him the NRA ignores irresponsible behavior by gun owners that allows guns to fall into the wrong hands.

It's very much a hit piece aimed at the NRA. It ignores all of the training the NRA offers and promotes that has helped reduce gun accidents. It ignores the fact the the NRA encourages members to take the actions to safely and securely store their firearms.

The article also seeks to blame gun owners for tge suicide rate among teens completely over looking the fact that there are industrialized first world nations with near total gun bans that have higher rates of suicide than the US.

if a criminal steals a gun it did not 'fall into his hands.'  It does not matter how the legal owner of the gun was storing it (I find it highly amusing that he thinks a kid can't figure out the combination on his handgun safe or that a criminal can't walk with it.)

If I'm at fault for a criminal stealing a gun out of my nightstand that I keep in the big locked box I call home then I guess rape victims shouldn't 'dress that way.'

Tumultuous Adventures Preparedness

I enjoy teaching people to shoot.  I love being there the first time someone pulls a trigger.  Even better is the smile on their face when, with just a little guidance, they hit the bull's eye for the first time.  

Teaching, in one form or another, is something that is dear to my heart.  I was nicknamed 'The Professor" at one of my first jobs because I never stopped lecturing on one subject or another.

So, I've decided that I'm going to offer my services as a firearms trainer.  I'm starting small with just the basics.  As I learn and grow as a shooter I'll offer more.  

I've started another blog that will be dedicated to this new venture.  You can find it here.  I've also started a Facebook page here (a like and share would be appreciated if you're on Facebook).

On The Range #82: Recoil Therapy

I decided that even though my supply of 9mm is limited I needed some range time with my Glock.

I started out today by shooting Dot Torture.  The fact that I've not been shooting nor doing much dry fire was apparent when I scored 37/50.

I followed that by firing 3 Bill Drills and 3 Mozambique Drills, all at 7 yards.  I only shot one of the Bill Drills clean, but I only dropped one shot out of the other two and they were all under 4.5 seconds.

I shot two of the Mozambiques clean and all but one under four seconds.

I shot a FAST Drill with one miss on the 8" circle resulting in a score of 10.38.  Still a novice score, but not bad.

I wish I could do this once a week but I don't think it's in the cards.  I may start working a lot with my Browning Buckmark and doing a lot of dry fire, maybe do Dot Torture every other week.

I can get 9mm, but the price is prohibitive.  I might go for it anyway.

Repeat after me class...We do not fire warning shots!

I AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL THESE MOTHERFUCKING WARNING SHOTS.

If you fire your gun then you have used deadly force.  The assumption will not be that you fired a 'warning shot;' the assumption will be that you missed.

If you, or a third party you are defending, are not facing death or grave bodily injury do not fire your fucking gun.

Also, if a LEO reads you your rights, SHUT THE FUCK UP.  That's what we call 'a clue.'

This, ladies and gentleman, is why you need to get professional training and educate yourself on the laws pertaining to self-defense.  It's not your responsibility to me, or to society.  It's a responsibility to yourself so you don't do something out of ignorance and royally fuck yourself.

This guy didn't hurt anyone, so I don't think he should face criminal charges, but anyone paying attention should know that the law isn't about protecting good people and punishing bad people.  It's about creating criminals, and maintaining control.  I say good luck to him.

Let this be a lesson to the rest of us.

South East Blogshoot?

Sounds like a good idea to me!

The worst and the best moments of your life.

The worst moments of your life will be those in which you feel truly alone.  That is, not literally alone, but to be severed from everyone, even someone sharing your bed.

The best will be when you find yourself perfectly in sync with another person.

I'm 28. Relatively young. I've experienced the first once, and the second countless times.

That perfect sync isn't a once in a lifetime thing, but it isn't all that easy to find either. I've got forty to fifty years left if I'm lucky.  I hope to experience it at least once more before this ride is over.

Damn, I'm a maudlin bastard at times.

Close call for Mas Ayoob.

The helicopter he was riding in crashed landed in a Florida swamp.

Details here.

Update on Amazon Vendor "Acme Approved"

First, Amazon immediately refunded my money and offered to let me purchase the item again with free 1 day shipping.  I did so and from Acme Approved because I'm willing to allow a second chance.

Not long after placing the order I received an email from Acme Approved.  They apologized for the mistake and said they were refunding the price of the replacement item and sending it to me free of charge.

That, my friends, is how you make repeat customer!