Gun Thread: Mother's Day 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 Hallmark Shitballs! It's our festive annual Mother's Day Edition where it only seems fitting to pay tribute to the shooting Mom's in our lives, so Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mom's out there! In fact, all the shooting 'ettes deserve a special day of their own, don't you think?! Ma Barker, pictured above, certainly fits the definition of a shooting mom... or did she? While there is some question regarding her level of participation in the "gang" bearing her name, some of her sons were unquestionably familiar with firearms. In any event, it's an interesting story, some of which is chronicled at the Oklahoma Historical Society's website, and Wikipedia even has some interesting things to say on the subject.

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

FUNdamentals of a Good Guy

I think this is the appropriate place to remember our pal Jim Sunk New Dawn, who passed away this week. I first met Jim in person at TXMoMe II when and where he became not just a friend, but an integral part of each subsequent TXMoMe's shooting program. Jim could do it all; whether serving as an instructor, a coach, an RSO or just happily sharing his knowledge of guns and shooting in general. No task was too large or small, and Jim helped countless shooters have a good time on the handgun and rifle ranges with a big smile on his face all the while.

Jim was one of the most generous people I have known. Not only did he freely offer his decades of experience gained as a military and competitive shooter with good humor, he was constantly and quietly doing something kind or selfless for those around him. I was able to observe some of these efforts first-hand and was constantly amazed at the innovative ways Jim found to do nice things for others.

Jim loved the people of this blog and was a great friend and supporter of the Gun Thread, and like so many others was taken from us far too soon. Please join me in remembering him in the comments tonight.

Until next time, Amigo.

I suppose it's possible part of the RSO's job is checking that people have signed in and paid for range time. The guy with the group was immediately a wee teensy defensive, and then RSO guy upped the ante by bucking-up and looking for a fight. Seems to me like a case of two knuckleheads which never mixes well with firearms.

So what do you all think? When is it a good idea to check your ego and attitude? Have you had an adversarial encounter at the range? Let's discuss in the comments.

10mm vs 45 ACP!

Q: Weasel, how does the Large Hadron Collider work?
A: Same as a Small Hadron Collider. Duh.

Highway Patrol

This week's episode is Mother's March (for crippled children)

2025 NoVAMoMe

Note: One of the great joys of NoVAMoMe season, at least for me, is being able to cut and paste the entire block of text below and haranguing you to attend the event. Are you attending? Are you focusing on the fundamentals of attending?

Alright, guys and gals, the long awaited and highly anticipated details of the 2025 NoVAMoMe are here! That's right, I finally got my act together and updated the information page for 2025, and need to go over a few details. First, the date is June 21st, 2025. Nextly, my bestest blog buddy bluebell and I have decided 2025 will be a year of NoVAMoMe simplification, and want to pass along the changes from prior years.

First, no more registration and no more advance charge for food. If you would like to attend, send an email to WeaselBell Productions, and let us know. You will be directed to a sekrit webpage with all of the details. We do ask once you have decided to attend to let us know so we can coordinate an expected count with venue management. Once there if you are hungry or thirsty simply order from the onsite menu and pay separately. Cash and credit cards accepted. Next, although fun, we have decided to take a break from the raffles and mug sales this year. Depending on how it goes, that may be something we bring back in future years. While your generosity is always appreciated, with no prize table, please leave donations and contributions at home, but bring your appetite for a great afternoon spent with your imaginary online friends.

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, remember to check your spam folder if you don't receive a reply email.

Thanks.
bluebell

Seriously, just send an email then go to the website with the password provided. 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.

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

Cigar of the Week

This week our pal rhomboid scores again with this excellent review of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature

Arturo Fuente is one of the big and honored names in cigars, and their Hemingway line is very popular. I tried the Signature, a 6 X 46 figurado (pointy at both ends), which sports a handsome Cameroon wrapper. Binder and filler both from the Dominican Republic, where it is rolled. Smoke was ample, draw was easy, burn line required some management to keep straight (I tend to manage the line when trying a stick for the first time, as wrapper plays a big part in overall profile). For me things started off with wood notes, a subtle sweetness, and a tangy finish. By mid-stick, wood and leather dominated, with the sweet note making intermittent appearances. A solid medium in strength. The Hemingway Signature can be found online for $9 and up.

Excellent, rhomboid! Thank you!

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!

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!

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?

posted by Weasel at 07:00 PM

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