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Gun Thread: Six Frickin' Years (Plus a Week) 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!

Last Sunday the 'ol Gun Thread was understandably interrupted by current events in the form of a second attempt on President Trump's life. In this case the assassin didn't take a shot, but rather helpfully had the barrel of his rifle sticking out of some bushes which was noticed by the Secret Service. Unburdened (this time) by the inherent danger presented by a 1 degree sloped roof, the agents started shooting and chased the guy off. He was later captured thanks to the quick thinking of an alert bystander who managed to get the license number of the getaway car. We should all be thankful PDT wasn't hurt or worse. Spicy time may be closer than we think, so stay alert. Anyhoo, last Sunday was the sixth Gun Thread Anniversary and I am posting the thread from last week belatedly tonight.

Holy Atomic Anniversary Shitballs! Six years! It's hard for me to believe really. I have tried to do my best to say it during each of the last 312 Sundays, but thank you from the bottom of my dark and shriveled little heart. This place wouldn't be the fun place it is without each and everyone of YOU!

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

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IMPORTANT
TX MoMe Update for Volunteers
Yesterday I sent an initial email to those on the TX MoMe list of volunteers. If you have helped in the past or have expressed an interest in helping this year, please check your inbox. If you would like to help and have not received anything, please email me at gunthread at protonmail dot com. There is no way we could put on the show without a bunch of help and if you're able to lend a hand, we'd love to hear from you. Just let me know your name/nic and when you plan to arrive in Corsicana, and I will add you to future helper emails.

Also, hopefully by next Sunday I will have updates and additions to the scheduled events including a reloading demonstration by Oddbob and a presentation on suppressors and Short Barreled Rifles (SBRs) by Ed L.

Thanks!

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Free TXMoMe Name Tag!
Late breaking bulletin from our pal TRex on the Hobby Thread:

Cybersmythe is wise in the ways of 3D printing and is offering name tags to any among the horde who are interested. For a limited time (as long as his enthusiasm lasts), Cybersmythe is making 3D printed name badges FREE OF CHARGE for Texas MoMe attendees. These badges will come with a magnet to hold them on and will include your name and the Ace of Spades logo. They look something like this:

Think you need no stinking stinking badge? Think again. You need a stinking badge. Send a note to Cybersmythe to order yours now - cybersmythe at protonmail dot com

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FUNdamentals
A lot of you hombres and hombrettes like to shoot with red dot optics on your handguns. I find them a little distracting my own bad self, but there is no doubt they have become very popular.

Q: Weasel, what are the fundamentals of using red dot optics on a handgun?
A: I have no idea because I don't use them, but the watch-less guys in the following video have an idea.

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Gun Thread Homework
Ok, hopefully you all remember the drill. Watch the following 21 minute video on a self-defense shooting and be prepared to discuss next Sunday. The guy does an excellent job of explaining exactly how the events unfolded and his thoughts throughout the course of events. Again, let's discuss next Sunday so everyone has an opportunity to watch and think about the circumstances. Please be prepared to give your thoughts on the encounter, anything the guy did right, and anything the guy did wrong and that you might do differently. It is a very interesting scenario and I look forward to an interesting discussion next Sunday.

Q: Weasel, should we discuss this tonight?
A: No, we will discuss this next Sunday

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Guns of the Horde

Our pal and delightful 'ette misfitlibrarian shares a recent acquisition!

Recently I made an impulse purchase at a local gun show, a Springfield Armory SA-35. This is an updated version of the Browning Hi-Power and caused quite a stir when it was announced a few years ago. Jesse and I read about it, and he really wanted one, but they were unobtainable at the time.

If anyone is not familiar with them, here is a Hickok45 video:

I went to the gun show intending to look at shotguns, with no thoughts of SA-35s. But this caught my eye, I checked the price, casually strolled away to check some retail prices online. The price was better than any I'd seen, so it was a quick decision for me.

The SA-35 is chambered in 9mm and came with 4 15-round mags (and a very nice case with good mag storage). The barrel is 4.7 inches long. It's lighter than my Rock Island 1911, but has a very similar feel to me. The sights are pretty good, with a white dot on the front sight.

The next day I field stripped and lubed it. I found it considerably easier than my 1911 to field strip and especially to reassemble. No profanity was required to reinsert the slide stop. I performed a quick function check and did some penny drills to get comfortable and continue working on my trigger pull.

A week later I took it to the range for the first time. I used 124 grain ammo (as recommended by Duncanthrax). The gun performed absolutely flawlessly through 100 rounds. (The shooter, sadly, was merely adequate.) I didn't get any "hammer bite" but somehow managed to take off a bit of skin on my trigger finger - no blood, it was just odd to me. Otherwise it was FUN to shoot and felt great.

I had also brought the P365, which I hadn't shot in a long time, since I had plenty of 9mm on hand. I brought it out for 15 rounds to end my day. It was one of my better efforts with the P365, which is not saying a whole lot. Good enough that I didn't want to pitch it into the lake on the way back home.

The SA-35 is definitely going into the home defense mix, so my next goals include acquiring more 9mm defense ammo and the testing thereof.

No regrets on my impulse purchase.

Very nice misfitlibrarian! Thank you for sending this in for us all to enjoy!

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Sig P938 v. Kimber Micro 9

Speaking of impulse purchases, "you people" will recall my recent purchase of a Kimber Micro 9. I had kinda-sorta been thinking of a micro 9 for a while, saw the nice shiny Kimber, and started clicking BUY like a monkey hopped up on 8 balls. A number of people asked why I bought the Kimber instead of a Sig, and I really didn't have an answer because not a whole lot of thought went into the decision in the first place. Anyhoo, I ran into a video comparison of the two and thought I'd pass it along.

What do all y'all think?

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Smith & Wesson 686

Absolutely one of my favorites!

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Skeet Shooting Tutorial

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Texas MoMe Madness!

I'd like to bring to everyone's attention the upcoming MoMe in Texas on October 18-19. If you're in either the northern or southern hemisphere of the planet of the earth, you need to contact Ben Had for details. The dates and email links for MoMes are always helpfully included on the main page, left sidebar, so you really have no excuse!

There is an entire shooting program for both handguns and rifles over two days, world class food and drink, and the even world classier company of your fellow Morons! More on the Friday/Saturday schedule to come, so stay tuned.

Seriously, people. I have said this probably a bazillion times now. These gatherings are a really good time, and I know of no one who regrets having attended one. No kidding. Would your ol' pal Weasel lie to you? MoMe veterans will attest to the funness. Don't be a dork, do yourself a favor and get your ass to Texas! If you're a TXMoMe veteran, please encourage the scairdy-cats to join in the fun!

TXMoMe Shooting Festivities

This seems like a good time to talk a little bit about the upcoming shooting program at the TXMoMe, or the Conservative's Burning Man, as it's popularly known. What started years ago as an informal plinking session lasting a couple of hours has matured into a full program of shooting activities over two days. I have to thank Ben Had, Cow Horse Queen and RancherBob for allowing the shooting to comprise such a significant portion of the TXMoMe. From a safety and organizational perspective, I think the shooting programs last year were the best so far, and we intend to generally run the programs the same way this year. We haven't lost anyone yet and I'd really like to keep it that way.

For a while I have been conducting a Rifle Clinic on Friday morning followed by range time Friday afternoon and then again well into Saturday. We have also been steadily refining the handgun portion of the program to now include an IDPA-esque move-and-shoot pistol course designed and run by Nurse R & WBG (WeaselBuddyGeoff). There is also the usual static pistol range for those who prefer that style of shooting and a separate setup for gun-curious beginners desiring one-on-one supervision and instruction. Lastly and by popular demand, we're hoping to add a gun cleaning and maintenance clinic both days which will run concurrently with the live-fire programs. I include this thing about gun cleaning each year and it never happens, but there is always hope. If one (or two) of you out there would like to be a huge help and take on the cleaning instructor's role, please let me know. We need someone who is safety oriented and comfortable field stripping and cleaning a variety of platforms.

Anyhoo, here's a very rough outline of the schedule of events. Times are tentative and subject to modification/change. I'll move this down to a TXMoMe section below in the coming weeks and update there as necessary.

Friday, 10/18
Rifle Program
8am - 10am: Rifle Clinic (carport)
10am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Arrivals! (carport)
11:30am - 1pm: Rifle Clinic, Intro to Wind Estimation (rifle range)
1pm - 4pm: Live fire (rifle range - targets to 1,000 yds)

Handgun Program
10am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Arrivals! (carport)
11:00am - 12:30pm: Handgun Clinic (carport)
1pm - 2:30pm: Static live fire (pistol range)
1pm - 3pm: A clean gun is a happy gun (carport)
2:30 - 4pm: Briefing and Move & Shoot live fire (pistol range)

Saturday, 10/19
Rifle Program
9am - 10am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday arrivals! (carport)
9am - 1pm: Live fire (rifle range)

Handgun Program
9am - 10am: Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday arrivals! (carport)
10am - Noon: A clean gun is a happy gun (carport)
9am - 1pm: Live fire (pistol range)

Again, these times are approximate and programs may change as weather conditions and participation warrant.

You will note there are combined rifle and handgun range safety briefings both days and attendance at one is mandatory. We take your safety seriously and ask everyone who plans to shoot to please also plan on attending this important briefing. All shooters are asked to check in with an RSO (sporting an Orange Cap of Dorkiness for easy identification) upon your arrival at either of the ranges who will answer questions and direct you to an open firing position. The RSOs wield unspeakable power so it is in your best interest to be nice to them.

If you are a novice shooter, or even have never been to the range before and think guns are icky, you are welcome to shoot! Just see an RSO and they will set you up with an experienced shooter to help you. If you miss the mandatory range safety briefing which is mandatory and must be attended, all is not lost. See an RSO to plead your case, be harangued and chastised, and then spend some punishment time on the Disciplinary Range of Shame. In the interests of time and to save yourself the humiliation, please make it to the scheduled range briefings. Thanks.

Finally, please plan on stopping somewhere along your way to Texas and picking up some ammunition if you plan to shoot and aren't bringing your own weapons. Everyone is very generous with sharing, but please don't rely on the generosity of others to provide everything for you. You can really help out by grabbing a box of 9mm or 5.56mm or whatever you want to shoot.

Call for Volunteers
Help! As I mentioned above, the shooting program in Texas continues to grow, and we wouldn't be able to do it without a lot of help. If you're interested in lending a hand in some capacity, please drop me a note at gunthread at protonmail dot com indicating your date and time of arrival, and we'll be in touch. Thank You!

RSOs from prior years: Expect an email from me soon.

If you are attending the TXMoMe this year, and all the cool kids are, please keep an eye on this section for important information and updates in the coming weeks! I also want to reiterate the TXMoMe is not a gun thing with some socializing attached, but rather is a social thing with some shooting attached. If you aren't a shooter, I guarantee you will not feel out of place and will have a great time. No fooling!

Are all y'all getting excited? Weasel are!!

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Musical Interlude
Here is Filter with "Hey Man Nice Shot"

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Cigar of the Week

This week our pal rhomboid scores again with this excellent review of the Montecristo Espada Oscuro

The Montecristo Espada Oscuro is a very nice looking cigar, with a dark brown and somewhat toothy wrapper leaf known as habano rosado oscuro. It's a Nicaraguan puro and construction is cosmetically perfect. The draw on the one I burned (called a "Quillon", basically a hefty churchill size, 7 X 56) was actually sort of tight, and needed some tool work to make it acceptable. When the (thick) smoke was flowing, it was a pleasant experience with what for me were consistent flavors throughout. Though medium-full in strength, there were light earth and leather, with appearances by chocolatey notes, and a basic sweetness the whole way. Burn line needed considerable management. It's one I'll try again, as I think tight draw and uneven burn are common variables from construction in these handmades, and the overall experience was very nice. Not giving them away, though, so not an everyday kind of cigar - you can find this stick for $10, and up, online.

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!

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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?