Ruger's Big Announcement

Michael Bane said on his podcast this week that Ruger has a big pre SHOT Show announcement. Of course, we are talking about one of Ruger's product introductions that always preceed SHOT Show. Well, it sounds like it will come a little earlier this year.

I'm intrigued. Maybe it will be a SIG Cross clone.

Credit: SportsmansFinest.com

And by the way, SHOT Show is cancelled.

SIG Cross Recall: Credit Where Credit's Due

I don't know why, but none of the posts and articles that I've seen have identified the source of the "online video in which a single Cross bolt-action rifle displayed a potential safety concern."

Maybe that is because all of the sites that have published the news about the recall have copied and pasted the notification and have, basically, release SIG's words as their own. Maybe, the writers don't like the outlet and/or person's that have produced the failure in the SIG Cross rifle. 

So, let's dive in:

The Problem:

As stated by SIG on SigSauer.com:

"Sig Sauer has viewed an online video that presents a single CROSS Bolt-Action Rifle with a potential safety concern. This gun has been returned to Sig Sauer and upon evaluation it has been confirmed that the rifle exhibited a delayed discharge after the trigger was pulled. Sig Sauer has decided to issue a safety recall in order to implement a modification to the firing action to address this potential safety concern." 

The Reporting:

From TheTruthAboutGuns.com:

Actually it is a direct  quote. So nothing nefarious going on here.

From AmericanRifleman.com:

"This safety recall comes after SIG Sauer viewed an online video in which a CROSS rifle exhibited a potential safety concern with a delayed discharge. The rifle in question was sent back to SIG Sauer, where it was confirmed through evaluation that the issue was related to the rifle and not ammunition. The CROSS rifle in question exhibited a mechanical issue in which the striker had a delayed release after the trigger was pulled."

That looks like a paraphrase with maybe some knowledge of the actual video. So, American Rifleman might have been avoiding the source of the malfunction alert.

So, not to go into sharing tons of quotes and paraphrases, it looks like there is some just running press releases, some sloth, and maybe not trying to give some love to a media competitor.

Who Deserves Credit:

It's the NutNFancy YouTube channel. I don't really know his "street cred," I think it is US Air Force or something - and that he actually has had a YouTube channel reviewing guns and gear for quite a while. You have to watch the video. It is telling - from minutes 26:00 to 31:00.

Revolvers Are Great: Interlude (Part 2)

PREVIOUS in series: Revolvers Are Great (Part 1)

While skimming through my Facebook feed, I saw a post from the I'm with Roscoe group. The group member shared a picture that included this beauty:

Credit: Sportsman's Warehouse (Taurus 692 "Essential")

It looked so cool that I thought this Taurus 692 with additional cylinder and crane was photoshopped. Nope, it's real. While looking up information, I discovered an article on Personal Defense World about taking the Gunsite Academy revolver course with the Taurus 692 ported edition.

Credit: Personal Defense World

Bell only made one modification to the gun - a Hogue Monogrip ...

Credit: Amazon.com

and he used Black Hills .357 Cowboy Action Shooting cartridges.

Yes, the article is about the revolver, but William Bell's write up about the course includes how the course covers "Cooper's Color Code" and "interrupting the 'OODA Loop' of an attacker." Being reminded of Col. Cooper's Color Code and being introduced concept of effecting someone else's OODA Loop as a tactic is really intriguing.

Resources for further study:

Wikipedia article on "OODA Loop"

Col. Jeff Cooper's Color Code

Revolvers Are Great (Part 1)

Well, we are in a holding pattern for my wife's pistol-purchase permit. And my wife doesn't want to hear a thing about guns - for her - until she can get her hands on some and buy one that day.

In the meantime, I had been convinced that she would end up with a single-stack 9mm or .380. Now I'm not so sure. She shoots revolvers well, and she likes how easy it is to see that they are loaded. Also, I'm getting intrigued by revolvers again. I haven't had one for a long time, and I might even consider getting one - or two - for myself.

Besides my wife's attraction, why the change of heart? I'm concerned about capacity, but single-stack guns don't have much anyway. So then I was considering a Ruger Security-9 Compact, which is pretty thin for a double-stack gun and doesn't weigh too much. But more weight is more weight. 

Also, on a totally frivolous note. I like the idea of a derringer back up to a .38 revolver.

Back to what my wife wants.

She really liked the .357 Magnum Ruger LCR. But it's a little pricey. She shot the J frame lightweight S&W and thought it was okay. I was not all that impressed with the Taurus revolvers. They all seemed to weigh too much, but I kept seeing ads for this thing:

The Taurus 856 Ultra-Lite. 

And I was at a gun store and handled the polymer Taurus Public Defender. And the trigger was - good!

And my wife wants a gun with some color - if possible. So more wheels started turning. Though some semiautos have a pallette of colors. 

credit: GunsWeek.com, Taurus Spectrum

 

Some revolvers are even gaudy.

Credit: Charter Arms, Undercover Lite

And some revolvers are in colors that might be acceptable to my wife.

Credit: TaurusUSA.com, 856 Ultra-Lite

NEXT in series: Revolvers Are Great: Interlude (Part 2)

Gun YouTube Alternatives (UPDATE 11/18/20)

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Boatswains: Trader Joe's Cheap Double IPA

I keep buying this beer, and lord, I want to like it.

"Boatswain Double I.P.A. Indian Pale Ale Twin Screwsteamer"

I like the the alcohol content: 8.4%. That's great! But the aftertaste lingers for hours. It's got a good head, though.

This beer is fine, as in OK, and it is nothing to write home about. At $4.99 a six pack or $9.98 a 12 pack or $0.84 a beer or $0.84 for 1 oz of alcohol it's fine - just fine.

So fine, OK, I really do like it. It's not great, but it is "serviceable."

Stats:

Gravity: 8.4% Alcohol/Volume or 17.15

IBU: 75

Appearance: Amber

Style: Double IPA

Violence Is, Well, Violent

 It seems that, once attacked or threatened, most people are too shocked by the affront to immediately mount an effective defense.

Like Michael Bane often suggests and blatantly states, you need a plan for actions against assaults before you are actually in a defensive situation.

In addition to that sage advice, I think you need to curate the mindset needed to deal with a situation that might maim or kill you. Many of us could develop very quickly the rage necessary to prosecute blood-thirsty revenge, if someone harms us or a loved one. But could we instantly fight off an assault, when we are attacked?

"... when it's time to fight, you fight like you're the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark… and brother, it's startin' to rain."

- Christopher Woods, Rash'Tor'R

Fire Acting Director Regina Lombardo for conspiring against a civil right.

 https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/fire-acting-director-regina-lombardo-conspiring-against-civil-right

Acting Director Regina Lombardo accepted contact from candidate Joe Biden, or representatives of Biden, and has signalled her intention to further violate the civil right of U.S. citizens and other legal residents of the U.S. that is expressly protected by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and is a natural right.

Specifically, Lombardo intends to further regulate or make illegal by fiat pistol braces and 80% lowers.

It is our belief that: (1) Lombardo is practicing creeping incrementalism, (2) does not support the 2nd Amendment, and (2) is violating her oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Thin Double-Stack Sub-Compacts: Down The Rabbit Hole,

 My wife wants to get a handgun for CCW. In the past she was dead set on the Ruger LCR. Now she is open to a semiauto and likes the Urban Carry holster.

Well, I was thinking about going gun commonality with her. Whatever she gets I'll eventually get. No problem. 

But then the wheels started turning. I set on the Kahr CW9 as a benchmark for some reason - for my wife. Thin, full-length grip, light.

So, the Kahr CW9:

credit: Kahr.com

Height: 4.5"

Width: .9" 

Length: 5.9"

Capacity: 7+1 (Compatible with 8+1)

Weight: 17.7 oz

But then that gun commonality thing in the family went by the wayside. Or did it? Could I steer her to a thin doublestack? 

Ruger Security-9 Compact

I became really intrigued by this gun, when I compared it to the Kahr CW9.

Ruger Security-9 Compact:

credit: Ruger.com

Height: 4.35"

Width: 1.02"

Length: 6.52"

Capacity: 10+1 (compatible with 15+1)

Weight: 21.9 oz

So, it is bigger in a couple dimensions -but not much bigger.

Possibilities.

Trump Is Still Your President

 

It's 11/10/2020, and Trump is still your president.

Oh, and Biden is NOT "president elect," even though he paid too much for a backdrop that said so.

Next Biden's going to claim: "I'm emperor of my toes. See! They do what I say ... Where's my pudding!?!"

Constitution Party

 A coworker asked me what the Constitution Party is, since he saw a candidate for president on his ballet.

So here goes.:

Wikipedia Constitution Party article

Political Junk Mail

 

Background Photo Credit: SFWeekly

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." - Pericles

Local Wal-Mart Ammo Sales Suspended

UPDATE: An Answer. See Below

UPDATE 2: See Below

Went into Wal-Mart today. Checked out the ammo aisle.

I asked an employee if they had stopped selling ammo. She said, "All I know is they just locked it all down."

Possibilities

1. The local store actually stopped selling ammo.

2. The current Tropical Storm Zeta incursion has caused a "lockdown."

3. Wal-Mart is anticipating unrest around election day.

Well, apparently Wal-Mart doesn't want their guns and ammo to get looted as a reaction to the election. So Wal-Mart pulled the merchandise company wide.

Wal-Mart Yanks Guns amd Ammo - The Truth About Guns

Apparently, you can still get guns and ammo Wal-Mart. You just have to ask.

Western Journal

"Lightweight" Commanders: Love of the .45 and The .45 Deception!

LAST POST: "Lightweight" Commanders: A Little Personal History

Back when I devoured printed gun magazines and annuals religiously, the .45 ACP cartridge was king. It seemed like all the gun experts - which in my experience they were actually gun writers - thought that round was what everyone needed to use.

To their credit, handgun bullet technology gave the win to .45 ACP at the time - if you ignored revolvers and the .357 magnum cartridge. But that was the time that autoloaders had really hit their stride, and the police world was following the FBI down the .40 Short & Week road.

An Examples

Let's start of with an actual expert. Clint Smith, cofounder of Thunder Ranch, wrote an article in 2007. He covered his aversion but respect for polymer guns. He appreciated the handgun reviewed, and you would see him using one in training sessions for years to come - festooned with fighting-tiger "nose" art. I really wish I could find a picture of that Springfield XD.

Credit: Ichiro Nagata, AmericanHandgunner

Here's his take on caliber in the article:

"I don't care where or what handguns are made of, or even how they look. Any handgun takes a big step up on my ladder or judgement if the thing will simply function, and do it all of the time. So the plastic I could start to live with, sort of, but the caliber - sorry. Anything with a "4" and only an "0" after it ain't for this boy."

So nowadays, Smith would say that is just his personal preference, yadidadida. And now he carries a very nice 1911 - in .45 ACP.

Oh, The Great Betrayal!

I wish I could find the article, but it was a while ago - let's call it a decade - and the author revealed a dirty little secret of the gun industry - or at least gun writers. He said that, though the writers held .45 ACP up on a pedestal, that they all fell back on J-frames for daily carry. 

Credit: Wikipedia.org

The implication was that carrying a big .45 was a pain, it should be done, but a J-frame was easy to always carry or to at least to fall back on. 

So what's a gun buyer to do? Back to Clint Smith:

"Carrying a gun is not supposed to be comfortable; it's supposed to be comforting.”

NEXT: "Lightweight" Commanders: Choices

"Lightweight" Commanders: A Little Personal History

I have been enamored with 1911s ever since I handled a Colt 1991 at a Denver gun store back in the '90s.

Credit: NorthwestFirearms.com

I handled a Glock 17 at the same time, and I hated it.

Credit: ReducerRecoil.com

My love shifted to the Colt Commander after a few years. And I'm talking about the original Commander which was later referred to as the "Lightweight" Commander, when Colt felt fit to introduce the all-steel Combat Commander.

There's of course a little back story that is slightly apocryphal, disjointed, and of course morphs over time. 

Let's see here!

I always like handguns. I starting getting Guns & Ammo magazine when I was in junior high. I thought the Ruger No. 1 was really cool for some reason, but it was definitely the handguns that drew my attention. And holy crap! I just scanned the entire Guns & Ammo homepage, and low and behold there were no handguns.

I remember looking through Gun Digest and the Shooter's Bible (back when they were both exclusively giant tomes listing all the guns that the manufacturers were will to pay to have listed in the annuals plus articles covering "new" developments and historical perspectives.). I was often drawn to the 1911 derivatives - and the ones that most often attracted me were the Colt Officer ACP models.

Credit: Colt, Defender (Series 80), current rendition of the Officer ACP

Accelerate a few years forward, and the darlings of the gun press circa 2000 were .45 ACP guns. .40 S&W was the new it caliber. But the gun press and industry experts were still enamored with the .45. Any gun manufacturer that upsized their .40-caliber and 9-mm guns to .45 ACP were on good terms with the experts.

The Para Ordinance Warthog was a perfect example of .45 ACP being the end all be all. The Warthog gave you 10 rounds of the big, slow-moving bullet from a small, heavy, thick, 1911-style gun.

Col. Jeff Cooper (Ret.) was a respected gunfighting expert. His gun of choice - even after promoting the 10 mm Bren 10 - 

Credit: IMFDB.org, Gunsite Edition

was the Colt Commander. I think it was the Combat Commander, but I am not totally sure.

Credit: Colt.com, Combat Commander (Series 80)

A Little History: Colt Commander

For those unfamiliar with the story, the Colt Commander was introduced in 1949 or 1950 - depending on whom is telling the story. The original Commander was lightweight. It did not take on the "Lightweight" name until the all-steel Combat Commander was introduced in 1970. But the most startling fact to some is that the original aluminum-framed Commander that was introduced in 1950 (or '49) was a 9mm gun!

Back To Recent History

For many, many years, .45-ACP ammunition was the darling of the handgun industry. Every manufacturer eventually introduced a version of new guns in .45, and the industry press almost always chose a cartridge that started with a 4 and ended with a 5.

Their dirty little secret was that, yes, the bee's knees was the .45 ACP, but most of them were secretly always carrying J-frame sized .38s.  

Back To Me

And really thinking back to that gun store visit, I remembered something. After that visit to the gun store where I handled the Colt 1991, I really wanted the Combat Commander version of that gun - or the Springlied Armory version.

GunAuction.com

I guess that I was concerned about the massive recoil of the .45 ACP from a lightweight package. That was before I bought a snubnose .357.

NEXT: "Lightweight" Commanders: Love of the .45 and .45 Deception!

Join the NRA

UPDATE: October 23, 2020

I finally bit the bullet and did it. I joined another gun-rights organization. I'm still a proud member of the NRA, bit the 2nd Amendment crowd needs to put its eggs in more than one basket.

Wayne LaPierre has overstayed his welcome. The State of New York has some legitimate claims against the NRA's top brass and definitely wants to neuter the organization. But the NRA is made up of million's of members and is a multi-faceted group that offers much value to its members and other fellow citizens.

But there are other organizations that are better at providing more targeted services for our natural right, and they are smaller and more nimble and are able to move quickly.

One such organization is the Second Amendment Foundation. As of last week, they are one stronger.

But again, the NRA is still vastly important. They provide tons of safety training, sponsor many events where gun owners exercise their rights, actively lobby legislatures, and make legal challenges to unconstitutional laws. I'm still a member. You too should maintain your membership or join the NRA. 

ORIGINAL POST: January, 2013

You might not like everything the NRA says. You might not like what Wayne LaPierre said about video games. You might not like that the NRA wants the federal government to fund putting police in every school on a short-term basis. You may want the NRA to help with mental-health research. There's a lot you might not like about the NRA, or that you want the NRA to do something, but the NRA is the 800-lb gorilla for gun rights.

I put a note on my calendar to ask my wife tonight to get an NRA membership. She hadn't had one for a while. I didn't have to ask. The NRA is now 4,300,001 strong.

And I'll be joining my second gun-rights organization shortly.

Obama threw down the gauntlet and sniped at gun owners right after Sandy Hook. The NRA launched the first real volley. Now Obama has loosed his return fire in this pitched battle, throwing one of the NRA's missiles back at us ("school resource officers", "a police officer in every school").

The NRA is a special-interest group, no doubt. It is my special-interest group. It defends a vital natural right enumerated in the Bill of Rights. I defend a vital natural right.

I am the NRA.

Time to write some letters, again. Congress, state house, governor, sheriff, etc, etc, etc.

Doomy Biden

 

"A dark winter is coming. C'mon, man."

- Joe Biden, plagiarizing Game of Thrones and Cornpop 

Halloween Hide and Seek

 

Time to play hide and sever!

Halloween-decoration fail.

Beware the man who only has one gun ...

 

Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it. - Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch

American Tactical Nomad: Unboxing

First In Series: ATI Nomad: Ordered

Previous In Series: Nomad Mock Unboxing ... Coming Soon

I picked up this shotgun from a local gun dealer several months ago, so this is a mock unboxing.

The ATI Nomad is an 18"-barreled, break-action, single-shot, folding shotgun. ATI lists it for $109.95 on their website. I got it for $99 out the door including taxes and shipping. The actual price I paid before the government bite and S&H was $83.

The Box

When I was at the gun counter getting my Nomad, I noticed that there was a hole in the side of the box, when the clerk took the gun out of the box to show me the shotgun. The hole was where the trigger could hit the box.

There was also interior damage to the box, but the box still protected the gun at those points. I'm surprised the box actually held together. I can visualize that the box was part of a pallet stacked 15 high with a variety of Nomads and was wrapped, dropped in a cargo container, trucked to a port, left Turkey on a container ship, trucked to American Tactical's home office in South Carolina, and then was recklessly shipped to my FFL. I'm surprised the box actually held together on the last leg of my gun's journey.

Internal box damage circled in red.

According to American Rifleman magazine, the Nomad is manufactured in Torun, Turkey for American Tactical.  I am assuming that Torun  Arms is the actually manufacturer, because it is the only shotgun manufacturer that I can find in that town.

Stuff

A manual, cable lock and instructions, and a ketchup-sized packet of Lucas Oil gun oil were included in the box.

Basic Operation

The trigger guard doubles as a sliding release that opens the action. The shotgun can be relatively easily opened one handed, but I am wary of closing it one handed by flinging it shut. Does it have an inertial hammer safety? Rebounding hammer? That's something to look into. There are no external safeties on the gun. I am also concerned about wear between the trigger guard and the screw that retains it, because the trigger guard slides back and forth.

Sliding action release and some very-early wear.

The Nomad folds neatly in half giving it a folded length of 20 3/4" and a depth of 7 1/4" from an overall length of 34 1/4". It is interesting to note that this shotgun can be folder a little more compactly (depth: 7"), but that pushes the trigger guard/action release to the rear. I wonder if that would weaken the release spring over time, if it is stored that way.

Folded Nomad with after-market shell carrier; slot for trigger guard in forestock.

Fit and Finish

The butt plate is held on with two screws and feels just about as hard as the synthetic. stock.

Things seem to go a little south when looking at the sling "swivels." The rear one is screwed directly into the plastic stock, and it's not straight. I didn't bother to tighten it in order to straighten it, because I don't know if I'll keep it, replace it, or just take it out. 

The front sling attachment can actually "swivel," but it doubles as the forward-stock screw, so I plan on leaving that one alone. It is also interesting to note that the rear sling attachment is plastic molded over a screw, while the forward one is all metal and does "swivel" back and forth, but that "swiveling" is really a loose screw.

Front sling attachment; front forestock removed.

The lettering and logo are nicely does, and the shotgun has been oiled. But there are a couple places of poor finish. The finish on the end of the barrel is worn, and the paint on the lower front edge of the trigger guard is chipped.

Ergonomics

Everything seems fine, but the cheek weld feels like a wooden sword against your fact, and it seems a little low.  I'll have a more detailed opinion after I take this Nomad to the range.

Accessories

You can easily fit some of the universal shotgun stuff to this gun, but I think the stock might be a little narrow to fit slip on butt pads. The receiver is drilled and tapped on both sides. It would be interesting to see what type of scope mount would fit the Nomad.

Overall

For a sale price of $83, my copy of the Nomad is one hell of a gun. But when I shoot it, it's probably gonna kick like a mule, because it only weighs 5 pounds. So I bought some lower-recoil 12 gauge ammo. I'm hoping the Nomad will hold up.

Specs

SKU: ATIG12NMD18

Action: single shot, single action, break action

Gauge: 12 (3" chamber)

Capacity: 1

Choke: fixed

Furniture: synthetic

Overall Length: 34 1/4"

Weight: 5 lbs

Folded Length: 20 3/4"

Folded Depth: 7 1/4"

MSRP: $109.95

NEXT: ATI Nomad Accessories

19 Crimes. THE UPRISING

 

I was easily drawn to this wine, since I had tried others of their varieties, and for a rum-barrel-aged wine the price seemed just right especially at $4 off making it $9 a pop.

For a rum-barrel-aged wine, the jammy, strong flavor with "enhanced" alcohol flavor seems to fit. BUT the rum flavor did NOT sing through.

Then I perused the label. Only a PORTION of tje wine deposited in the bottle is actually rum aged.

Disappointing. 

Nomad Mock Unboxing ... Coming Soon

It is really taking me a while to do an unboxing article for the ATI Nomad I bought months ago.

I promise I'll get it done real soon. I got to get it done before I festoon it with too many accessories.