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Gun Thread: NoVAMoMe Registration is Open 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!

Holy Celebratory Shitballs! How in the ever-loving hell did it get to be 2024 NoVAMoMe Registration time?

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

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2024 NoVAMoMe
Alright, guys and gals, the long awaited and highly anticipated opening of 2024 NoVAMoMe registration is upon us! That's right, registration for the event of the season is open, which means you can register to attend! You see, in order to attend, you must first register, and then wait for June 8th, and then attend! It's really more of an application to attend based on whether we like you or not, but what have you got to lose?!

Q: Weasel, your world frightens and confuses us. How do we, how do you say, register for the NoVAMoMe?
A: Welp, given the intended audience we've tried to keep it pretty darn easy!

First, check your calendars for June 8th, 2024, and cancel anything already planned. Good so far? Then simply send an email to WeaselBell Productions expressing your interest, then sit back and anxiously wait for a reply. Our pal and most delightful 'ette and MoMe Hostess Extraordinaire bluebell will review your application and relevant permanent record notations to decide if you're NoVAMoMe material. If you're one of those selected, you'll get a reply with a link and secret password to the registration site containing all the pertinent details. Look these over and complete the simple registration form, following the PayPal link provided at the end of the form to make your payment. The $30 pp fee covers appetizers, dinner (BBQ Chicken, hamburdogs, sides, and dessert) plus an unlimited amount of fun! Since we must guarantee a headcount to the caterer, all registrations must be made online by May 26th. We are not accepting payment for registration at the door. You do not need a PayPal account to register and can pay with any major credit card.

A NoVAMoMe PSA from our pal bluebell

Hi folks - just a quick PSA. If you write for info about the MoMe, please give us a few words in the body of the email just so I know you are a Moron and not a spammer (moron). I do receive spam on this email account because it's sitting right here in my nic, so that's why I'm asking. I don't want to give our details to a spammer. Also, once registered, remember to check your spam folder if you don't receive a confirmation email.

Thanks.
bluebell

HINT: Try not to sound crazy in your email to bluebell.

Seriously, just send an email, go to the site with the password provided, fill out the simple form, and make your payment. If you forget, a link to the email is on the main page, left sidebar. If you do not sign up, bluebell will be disappointed. Weasel will be disappointed, too, but it's bluebell you need to worry about.

Win a Dream Date with Weasel!
Due to popular demand, we are again conducting a separate raffle for a Dream Date with Weasel This fabulous prize includes an entire day of shooting and personalized one-on-one handgun & rifle coaching and instruction at Weasel Acres on a mutually agreeable date with yours truly. The lucky winner will be able to not only bring and shoot their own weapons, but also try out a variety of WeaselWeapons using WeaselAmmo!

We will end the day with dinner at a good Mexican place in nearby Appomattox. The winner will be responsible for their travel to and from Central Virginia, hence the separate drawing.

Don't be a pathetic girly-man loser, register today!

Q: Weasel, anything else for 2024?
A: Why I'm glad you asked! There are in fact TWO things to mention for 2024.

First-o, we are again having a pre-party get-together the afternoon/evening before the main event. Details at the registration site.

Dos-o, we are again offering a NoVAMoMe commemorative mug for 2024 available only to NoVAMoMe participants!

We sincerely hope you can join the festivities. I promise you this event is as laid back and non-anxiety inducing as humanly possible, and nothing makes me happier than to meet new people who have been reluctant to join in the past. If sitting on the sidelines and just observing is your thing, you can do just that with zero pressure from anyone. I hope some of the past NoVAMoMe participants will jump in and share their thoughts on the event to inspire the scairdy-cat lurkers out there to throw caution to the wind and sign up!

That's it, people. Email WeaselBell Productions today!

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Fundamentals

Guess what?! Fundamentals time!!! To-date we have covered stance, grip and sight alignment.

Q: Weasel, what is left besides yanking on the trigger like a monkey hopped-up on 8 balls?
A: You're not ready for trigger work. You can't handle trigger work.

Have you been practicing and building on the fundamentals covered so far? Every time you are introduced to a new or different skill or concept, it must be practiced to commit it to memory and this process never stops. Have you gone to the range and really focused on the things we have covered so far? Are you taking range notes on the things you have tried, noting what has worked and what hasn't worked? If not, why not? Shooting is a fun and interesting hobby, but to do it well certain skills must be learned, practiced and kept current. If you are the sort of shooter who goes to the range once a year for funsies and doesn't much care about results, then just skip down to the SEH gal section now. No point in reading further. However, if you are someone who wants to achieve a level of basic competency, and then maintain and improve upon it, you need to practice frequently. There isn't a shortcut, or 'one weird trick' that is going to help you.

Tough Love Department
And for Pete's sake, buying the latest 'new' gun isn't going to change much if you don't know how to shoot the gun you already have. I'm serious people. If you are having trouble or are not seeing repeatable results, buying a new gun to fix the problem is only going to give you less money for ammo and two guns you can't shoot. The problem is very likely you. It's never a popular discussion, but one I have had with a lot of new shooters on rifle teams. Chances are, spending a bunch of dough on the latest and greatest thing is only going to show results if you are already performing at a more advanced level. Learn the basic fundamentals of marksmanship, apply what you have learned on a regular basis, and all the other stuff like small groups and impressing range babes will take care of itself. Then go get a new gun.

So where does that leave us? Ah yes, trigger work.

I shoot with the trigger in the center, or maybe very slightly past, the pad of my index finger, which I think is the general consensus of how you're supposed to do it. I pull back smoothly and steadily until any slack is taken up and I am ready to break the shot, then continue past the break and pause for a second or two before allowing the trigger to reset. During the entire process, I am focusing all of my brain molecules on some aspect of fundamentals and not jiggling the gun around in the process. That's it. That's what I do and it seems to work for me. For those paying attention to their breathing rhythm, I try to time the shot about 95% of the way through the exhale. The reason? I do not want to end up waiting until the bottom of the cycle and then holding my breath as everything gets lined up if any final adjustment is needed.

Let's look at a couple of videos.

Will you look at that watch!

Tell time from space!!

SEALs need to tell time too! This guy makes some very good points.

One final (ha!) point from WeaselDoctrine; taking a bag o' guns to the range is fun, but is not at all conducive to developing and mastering basic marksmanship skills. Every gun has a different feel, whether it's from caliber and recoil, grip, sights or trigger mechanisms. Shooting three or four different guns in a single hour-long range session isn't training, it's really just confusing the issue. They all feel different because they are all different, and you are doing almost nothing to reinforce any of them into your memory, because the training is not additive. Rather, you have shot a lot of valuable ammo and received very little in return in the form of fundamentals development because each time you pick up a different gun, you're essentially starting from scratch. Splitting up your range time into little 10 or 15 minute segments firing different weapons gains you virtually nothing, and you will be hard pressed to reliably recall specifics of any of them.

If you're serious, focus on one thing at a time. Just my .02.

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Guns of the Horde
First up, our pal Hairyback Guy shares a real beauty!

Here are pics of my Springfield Armory SA48 FAL in 5.56. Springfield Armory brought about 700 of these into the country back in the 1990s and every once in a while you will see one pop up for sale. Exactly like a FAL in 7.62, except the barrel and bolt face are of course different as well as a magazine well insert welded in place for 5.56 magazines. Weighs about 10 pounds but is a great shooter and very accurate out to 500 yards. Had wood furniture on it when I got her but I like the standard FAL buttstock and Brit pebble grain handguards which I installed along with a standard FAL flash hider.

Ho-Lee Crap! That right there is a good looking rifle! Anybody else jealous? Thanks HbG!

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Gun Thread Homework!

Ok, this was fun a few weeks ago and a lot of you chose to participate, which does my old withered heart good! So I am going to ask you to watch this short video presentation sometime this week, and return next Sunday prepared to discuss your thoughts. Please don't comment on it tonight in order to give everyone who is interested a chance to watch and participate in the conversation. You will have a week to think about your reaction when in real life the decisions are being made in seconds.

This video is from an attorney in WA who gives the legal perspective on what you can and cannot do when your car is surrounded by a mob of peaceful protestors. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to place yourself in the driver's situation and decide what you would have done a) without first watching lawyer-guy, and 2) what if anything you might have done differently after watching lawyer-guy.

Bonus Question: Do you know the relevant law(s) in your state? How does it differ from what was described in the video?

I hate to say it, but as this year goes on, I think the likelihood of our seeing these situations again will only go up. I truly believe it's a very good idea to think of these sort of scenarios and what your reaction might be in advance.

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How Can You Go Wrong?
Best selling gun? You decide!

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Neat-O
A cane pistol for crippled shooters.

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Hanging Out With Hickok45

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Killers From Space!

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Musical Interlude
The world lost Dickey Betts recently. Here is The Allman Brothers Band in 1972 with Ramblin' Man. RIP Mr. Betts.

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Gun Basics 101
New video from the She Equips Herself gal! This week's video is from the series on finding the perfect carry gun.

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Cigar of the Week

This week our pal rhomboid scores again with this excellent review of the Foundation Olmec Robusto

Foundation Cigar company's founder and blender Nick Melillo loves him some history. Several of his lines and individual sticks are named for historical objects, periods, or civilizations. I reviewed his Charter Oak shade (named for a famous tree in his home state of Connecticut) here a while back.

The Olmec (robusto, 5 X 50) has a toothy ( = somewhat rustic finish, with veins) wrapper, a dark chocolate brown from the San Andres region of Mexico. The Olmec civilization is believed to be among the first users of tobacco, and inhabited this region. Binder is Nicaraguan, filler "undisclosed". It's softly box-pressed. Construction is nice, burn was even, lots of smoke. The company considers it full-bodied, I'd say at least the stronger end of medium-full. For me the flavor started with a brief period of classic maduro cocoa notes, but soon shifted to predominantly earth, leather, and some hint of a spice I can't put my finger on (surprise!). I'd bet more sophisticated palates would pick up a lot more, and would enjoy this one. The Olmec maduro is available online for $13 and up.

Excellent, rhomboid! Thank you!

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Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.

Cigarsinternational.com
Cigarpage.com
Famous-smoke.com
Cigarsdaily.com
Neptunecigar.com
Smallbatchcigar.com
Bobalu Cigar Company
Cigarbid.com
Nicks Cigar World New!

A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid

Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!

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Ammo 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
American Elite Ammo NEW!

***Mail Bag***

This week's mailbag entry is from our pal WTM. I'm somewhat surprised this wasn't a game changer. (fyi - Weasel hates the term "game-changer")

Are there any historical weapons that were complete failures? Oh yeah. This weapon (The Krummlauf) was a German invention that was supposed to allow soldiers to shoot around corners. It seemed like a great idea, but it was a total failure. It would break after 150-300 rounds making it useless for long term use. The bullets would shatter in the gun causing a "shotgun" effect. It was a disaster of a weapon that never did any good.

Source

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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?