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Gun Thread: End of August Edition!

Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!

Thanks for behaving yourselves last Sunday! As I mentioned I was away but was able to peek in from time to time making sure the place wasn't on fire. I read the comments afterward and only a few notes had to be placed into permanent records. I will be on another secret mission when you read this, but should be able to join you all in the comment hijinks.

With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?

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Featured Gun
This week our pal and aviation enthusiast RS sends in a great gun photo.

Attached is a photo of the M2 50 "stinger" on a Grumman TBF Avenger. I snapped the pic earlier this month at the Oshkosh Airshow. Not the typical gun thread photo, but it's special to me. My dad was a WWII Naval Aviator with combat tours in the Aleutians. His last assignment at the end of the war was as a training officer for enlisted men assigned to Avengers flying TBM-3W models.

Very nice, RS! I'm jealous - I have always wanted to make a trip to Oshkosh. As a matter of fact I'm currently in Pensacola, Florida , the home of Naval Aviation, visiting my 92 year-old uncle who took me flying a lot when I was a wee Weasel Pup. For those of you who might not know, the single greatest museum on the planet of the Earth, the National Naval Aviation Museum is located here, and if you are ever within 5,000 miles of Pensacola you really owe yourself a visit!

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Nurse R and IDPA
Finally! Finally you people are starting to listen to me!! Before we get to Nurse R's IDPA report, allow me to offer some thoughts.

As long as I have been writing the Gun Thread, I have tried to make it a resource and open forum for all shooters, not just those who shoot competitively. I absolutely did not want it to become Weasel's Long Range Competition Thread, but rather to offer something for both beginners and the old pros alike. To that end, I have included topics on competitive shooting but have tried my best not to make it the single focus of our weekly confab because I realize everyone has a different level of interest in the shooting sports. Some people want to simply plink and have fun and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Others become interested in improving their accuracy, speed and precision, and I have made no secret that training and practicing with an objective are the very best ways to achieve those goals.

Competition will make you a better shooter. Period. Nothing will focus your attention like having an audience and keeping score. Let me repeat that. Nothing will focus your attention like having an audience and keeping score.

Q: Weasel, what other things focus your attention as well as having an audience and keeping score?
A: Nothing. No. Thing.

You can have the greatest gear and all the skills in the world, but if you are lazy or sloppy and unfocused you will not perform well, or at the very least not up to your potential.

Many of you know I was a rifle team coach for many years. A big aspect of that job is recognizing talent and then helping those shooters develop and refine their skills over time. In the first 30 minutes or so of working with someone I can generally tell if they are serious or not. Many people want to get the results, but are fundamentally unserious and unwilling to put in the work and effort required to get there. I'm always happy to work with everyone, but frankly my expectations of their performance is typically low. There are many qualities I look for in an aspiring shooter, and many of these things have nothing at all to do with gear or trigger-pulling. These are, in no particular order; attention to detail, the ability to handle stress, listening, comprehension and follow-through, a good attitude, and the willingness to work and follow instruction to name a few.

Our pal RI Red is great example of someone who has become a very competent long range shooter. Here is the Gun Thread from a few weeks back in which he describes dipping a toe into the world of IDPA, or International Defensive Pistol Association matches. IDPA is a sanctioning organization for matches where shooters are faced with realistic real-world self-defense scenarios, and shoot for score. RI Red ask questions, listens, practices diligently, and applies what he has learned. He is a very good shooter as a result.

I have had the pleasure of shooting with our pal and delightful 'ette Nurse R on several occasions, and have recognized in her all of the necessary traits to be a very successful competitive shooter. I have gently encouraged her to pursue IDPA matches as a way to improve her skills and have a lot of fun in the process. Pushing someone to do this sort of thing is usually counter-productive, and I figured she'd get there sooner or later when she was ready. She's calm, cool and collected, and thinks her way trough problems, and finally with encouragement from others, took the plunge. Here is her report.

So, I showed up for new shooter orientation and Mark Andrew Edwards and LazyMessenger were there as chaperones. We were asked to introduce our pistols (not ourselves) and when they got to the guy wearing the Air Force hat and shirt he said "well, I was busy packing my range bag and forgot my pistol." Without skipping a beat , I said, "that's why you're Air Force." Yes, I had an Eagle, Globe and Anchor shirt on. There were more than a few chuckles.

The difference between shooting in a match vs standing and shooting at the range is profound. However, used together, I can see how one's shooting could improve exponentially.

First of all, have fun and be safe.

At the range, my focus has been on trigger control, keeping firearms always facing down range and loading/reloading my pistol. And I am so glad I have those disciplines hard wired in my brain! Standing and shooting allows you to develop the muscle memory in not just shooting, but what your actions are before you raise the pistol and after it discharges.

On the IDPA course, I was happy with the fact I did not fan the crowd, I did not have my finger on the trigger whilst scooting from section to section and I was able to load and reload without having to think while on the run. All those skills made my experience much smoother.

I did get a procedural for dropping a mag with live rounds on the course. I also shot one hostage. But he deserved it.

It was so good to know that my basics are pretty sound, and that comes from being slow and deliberate on the range when we are just standing and plinking.

During the IDPA match, I was able to focus on the situation, the maze of "walls" we had to maneuver through and the "hostages" we were supposed to avoid shooting. I was pretty slow, but hit the target (somewhere) on every shot. It was also helpful that I turned off my "super uber competitive, knock grandma down to win the race, face" and was slow and deliberate. And I even finished one scenario with ZERO deductions. That was pretty cool, 4 different targets, three shots each and four "hostages" to avoid. Under 20 seconds.

My next range trip will be even more interesting as I will be really focused on cementing all the good habits that helped me so much during the match. Speed will come.

I am so very glad I went. The guys (very few women) were very helpful and encouraging and complimentary. It's a great community of people and I will most likely be going again. Thank you weasel, CBD, MAE and LazyMessenger for encouraging me to go.

Congratulations, Nurse R!! Now for the post-match discussion and analysis.

My advice to Nurse R before going, was to move slowly and deliberately, to have fun and to not worry about scores (yet). Shooting under pressure, whether it is the ticking clock or having a bunch of onlookers, is bigly different than plinking cans off of a fence with your shooting buddies. There is pressure to perform well and myriad rules to the sport, and the first few times is nerve wracking for certain. How did Nurse do? Well, bigly excellent of course! Truth be told, I would have said the same thing even if she had performed poorly, because she had the guts to get outside her comfort zone and try something different. As for the analysis, who cares? She went out and did it and at this point that is all that matters.

I expect we will hear more going forward regarding Nurse R and IDPA shooting, and I also expect her skills will begin to advance very quickly from here. Again, match shooting requires considerable concentration and focus, something often missing from repetitive and static plinking and you cannot help becoming a better shooter as a result. Nurse R has all of the qualities needed to become an excellent competitive shooter and is well on her way to getting there. If she chooses to pursue it, and I hope she will, I am looking forward to watching her progress!

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Range Reports
First up, our pal Schnorflepuppy shares a report on a date nite range trip.

Spousal unit (who is, sadly, not an 'ette ... I'm working on her) and I attended a quarterly function at our local Freedom Store called Date Night With A Bang. It combines dinner from a local BBQ joint with open shooting lanes, free targets, and, oh yeah, 50 rounds of full-auto fire in any of a number of weapons owned by the store.

This is my first couple of magazines from my M&P Shield 2.0 at 7 yards. Still working on my trigger press and avoiding the "flinch". The taped-over holes from the first magazine were all over the place, but the open holes from the second magazine were a tighter grouping. (Except for that 1-point flyer at lower left - can't really explain it, but probably due to some latent bad habit that manifested itself.)

This would be the Thompson full-auto, either a Model 1928 or a M1928A1, with a 50-round drum magazine in .45ACP at 10 yards. It was easier to shoot than I thought it would be. The weight of the weapon balances out the recoil nicely, making it easier (not easy) to keep on target. I used the advice from one of the Weasel Acres video library to lean over the gun to keep it from climbing. I count 38 of the 50 rounds that hit the paper, including the one at top center that almost, but not quite, went high.

Next time, I'm going to wear a fedora, a suit, and a duster jacket so that the illusion of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre is complete.

Nicely done, S'puppy! Fun, huh? Thanks for sending this in for us all to appreciate!

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Next up, our pal and competitive shooter Dr. Doghouse reports on competition and the 40-yard shot!

Shooting at 40 yards has seemed particularly relevant lately, so I'm sharing my run from a local USPSA match that featured that challenge. There was a single target at 40 yards, bracketed by a pair of no-shoots. The procedure was draw, take 4 shots, make a mandatory reload, then take 4 more shots. There was a Bianchi barricade on the side of the shooting area that you could brace against if you wanted. It was a fixed-time stage with a 13-second par. You can hear the second beep in the middle of, "if you are finished, unload and show clear," so it took me about 11 seconds. I had all 8 hits on the paper (4A-3C-1D in USPSA scoring, or 30 points out of a possible 40), and the only people who beat me were shooting rifles or open guns, all with optics. I suspect the higher-level shooters (I am, on a good day, nearly adequate) were rushing their shots, rather than being more deliberate with trigger control--having nearly a second-and-a-half per shot for static shooting is FOREVER compared to the typical USPSA pace. It's true that you can only aim so much; once you have equal height/equal light or a stable dot on the point of aim, more aiming won't improve your shot. However, a cleaner trigger press with proper grip balance WILL improve your shot, by making it more likely that you're still on target when it breaks. That's what I focused on to make the most of the relatively generous par time.

For the gear heads out there, I run a CZ Shadow 2 from Cajun Gun Works with their Pro package. It's a slicked-up version of Jeff Cooper's fave commie gat, the CZ-75. Cajun does good work, too, they're worth the wait! (Just a satisfied customer, I don't have a discount code.) The only tinkering I've done is switching the fiber from red to green, adding fatter grips, and putting back the factory trigger return spring. Yes, I shoot a standard-pressure "gamer" 9mm load (125 gr boolits @ ~1,070 FPS) that will undoubtedly get me kilt in da streetz.

Finally, I echo and endorse everyone here who has been talking about making longer distances a regular part of your handgun shooting (whatever "longer" means for you, whether it's 10 yards or 100). Shoot more to shoot gooder!

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It seems as though I'm not the only one who likes the 3D animation videos of how stuff works. This week our pal That Deplorable SOB Van Owen sends us a good one on the Colt-Browning M1895 Machine Gun.

Thanks TDSOBVO!

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Kamping Korner - The EarthRoamer LTi

I had the pleasure of meeting Zack Renier, the Customer Experience Manager for EarthRomer in this video last weekend at the wedding I attended. As you will see, he is a solid guy who really knows the product, and he's a serious long-range shooter to boot! I think you will like the video, a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage.

Did you see that it has a gun safe? I'm sold!! I think, no, I know I need one of these!

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54 Days!
The countdown to the TXMoMe continues! That's right, boys and girls, the TXMoMe is a mere 54 days from today, and by now you should be rushing your MoMe attendance plans to completion. There are lots of big doin's in the works and your hosts Rancher Bob, Cow Horse Queen and Ben Had are ready to welcome YOU to the festivities! Have you signed up? Are you on the exclusive guest list, or are you one of the mentally defective people who always finds a reason to make it next year?

PRO TIP: Word has it there may be some, well let's just call them "exotic" weapons, available to shoot in Texas. I don't want to go into a bunch of specifics, but if you like shooting at a high cyclic rate, plan on bringing a box of brass case 9mm ball ammo (example) with you to Texas. Please, NO reloads!

Q: Weasel, what the heck is a "high cyclic rate"?
A: Well, it's faster than a low cyclic rate such as that found on semi-automatic weapons.

Q: Weasel, why do I want to do that?
A: Because it is mucho fun-o, and an opportunity that many of you might not have often.

As long as we're on the subject, if you aren't planning to bring a firearm and ammo, but plan on shooting, please pick up a box or two of ammo in the caliber you like and bring it to Texas. Each year we have lots and lots of guns, and even more shooters, and it's nice have the cost and effort needed to source the ammunition spread around a bit. We want to make the shooting available to as many as possible, and cover those who want to shoot but for whatever reason cannot bring ammo, so every little bit helps. Thank you!

Holy Shitballs, people. Have I not implored and cajoled you enough? Do you require additional imploring and cajoling? I challenge you to find a single person who has attended a TXMoMe and not found it to be a life altering experience. Life altering for the good even! So please quit screwing around and making up reasons not to commit and start planning on getting your ass to Texas in October!

You will see this material again, so for heaven's sake, so do yourself a favor and email Ben Had for details!

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More on Ammo for Texas
Let's talk a little more about bringing ammunition to the TXMoMe. The options are buy it at home and ship it UPS, buy it at home and ship it in your airline checked baggage, or just buy it once you get to Texas.

Let's begin with the easiest, first. Texas is awash in shooting and outdoor stores, and you really shouldn't have any trouble using this option. There are a lot of sporting goods stores on the south side of Dallas and in the towns all the way down I-45 to Corscicana. A quick internet search should return several options, and you might want to identify a couple before you leave home. Next, there is a store in Corscicana, Brinson PowerSports, that has a generally reliable stock of major calibers, although ammo is not listed on their website. I'd suggest calling first and asking if they have what you're looking for. The physical address and phone number is:

Brinson PowerSports
1931 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Corsicana, TX 75110
903-229-4330

Honestly, sourcing ammo locally seems like the most logical choice to me, but for those of you with special needs, it's pretty easy to fly with ammunition in your checked baggage. Here I am speaking in very general terms and it is incumbent upon YOU to check in advance with your airline, confirm the requirements, and comply with them.

Southwest Airlines is a popular option into the Dallas area, and I have found them to be gun friendly as far as these things go. Here is what I found on the Southwest Airlines Special Baggage webpage:

Packing Ammunition Small arms ammunition for personal use (provided it is properly packed) is permissible in checked baggage only.

The ammunition may be placed in the same container as the firearm and must be securely packed in cardboard (fiber), wood, or metal boxes, or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.

Ammunition Limits
When checking ammunition, Customers are limited to 11 pounds (ammunition plus container) per person. Gunpowder (black powder) and primers or percussion caps are not allowed in checked or carryon baggage.

Loose ammunition or loose loaded magazines and/or clips are not allowed. Paintballs must be packaged in a leak-proof container and will be subject to limited release.

So my read is that ammunition in its original cardboard container is all you need, and it does not have to be locked inside another container inside your bag as required for a firearm, and you are allowed up to 11 pounds carried in this fashion. Although the instructions are silent on declaring the ammunition to airline personnel, again as you must do when transporting a firearm, I think it's probably a good idea to do so. You may or may not be allowed to check your baggage curbside when traveling with ammunition, so be prepared for a little extra time at the counter. Again, this is my interpretation and as we all know I am mostly full of shit, so check for yourselves.

Every airline has a section like this on their website, usually found in the baggage section, and you may have to dig around a little to find it. I also recommend printing your specific airline's policy and bringing it with you on the trip, just in case you need to help the ticket agent understand how to do their job. I will say in all the years of flying all over the country to matches, I have never once had any problem with airline personnel and their rules and have always found them well informed and helpful.

Finally, if you are really a special needs shooter, our bestest buddy and pal and host RancherBob has offered to allow people to ship their ammunition to the ranch. I would recommend this only in very unique circumstances where very specific ammunition is required and neither of the other, simpler options will work. If this is you, then contact me for details. I have shipped ammunition via UPS in the past and it works, but there are strict packaging and labeling requirements and also necessitates you visit an actual UPS location rather than a retail shipping store. Also remember, you cannot ship ammunition via USPS.

Questions? Just ask!

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Musical Interlude
The Battle Hymn of the Republic with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Here's the Wikipedia entry for the Hymn.

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Gun Basics 101
Have we seen this one before? Here's the She Equips Herself Gal on tactical defense fashion.

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Cigar of the Week
Our pal and Chief Gun Thread Cigar Correspondent rhomboid brings it with another excellent cigar review. Thanks rhomboid!

The Alec Bradley Connecticut, torpedo. The Connecticut leaf wrapper is from Ecuador, filler from Nicaragua and Honduras, the latter where the cigar is made. Won't waste electrons here - this is one of my favorite cigars so far, in about a year of pretty broad exploration. Definitely on the milder end of the spectrum, but described as medium by Cigar Aficionado (they give it a 90 rating), which I find accurate. The lighter body and overall experience one expects from a Connecticut wrapper, but lots of flavor, and some depth. Flavor hints of nuts, and sweet wood, voluminous smoke, very good construction (even burn line). Definitely one for all palates and strength preferences. Available for $6 and up online.

Speaking of which, Weasel and I thought it might be helpful to list some good online sources, as with the long-standing Gun Thread ammo source list below. So here are a few. Different vendors carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines, so it's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar. There are more sites but this is a good start.

Cigarsinternational.com
Cigarpage.com
Famous-smoke.com
Cigarsdaily.com
Neptunecigar.com
Smallbatchcigar.com

Excellent as always, rhomboid! Thank you, and great idea on the list of vendors!!

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Cigar Vixen has been to Cuba!

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Link-O-Rama

I'm really very seriously not kidding around anymore. Buy Ammo
AmmoSeek - online ammo search tool
GunBot - online ammo search tool
SG Ammo
Palmetto State Armory
Georgia Arms
AmmoMan
Target Sports USA
Bud's Gun Shop

***Mail Bag***

This week's mailbag entry is from our pal WTM. Good one!

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Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!

That's it for this week - have you been to the range?