Category: The Gun Thing

Not just the guns, but all the stuff that goes with them

A Limey In San Antonio

The Gun Thing

I’ve watched the lanky Jonny Carter on many an occasion, but this, his first trip to the U.S., was all kinds of fun to watch.

For those who don’t know the tall Englishman’s background, Jonny is a first-class shotgunner and a man who not only loves his craft, but knows his guns — and his obvious enjoyment of the Gun Thing makes for lovely entertainment.  (I first talked about him earlier this year.)

He lands in New York (!), and heads to the Beretta store in Manhattan.  (I don’t know why he would, when he’s already toured the factory in Brescia, but clearly the man can’t resist a shotgun.)

Then, after a little fun time with a Garand and M1 Carbine, it’s off to the main event in San Antonio.  Enjoy Part 1, and then the Nationals.  (What I found really interesting was his reaction to American shotgun ammo — way too much recoil for his taste.)

And then he makes the haj to Gordy’s in Houston, where even he’s impressed by the fine shotgun collection.

Watch, and enjoy.  He certainly did.

There’s about four hours of viewing for y’all, just in these links — and there would be far worse ways to spend a morning.

And just for the record, I absolutely hate the way Jonny’s bespoke shotgun looks;  that pistol grip?  Ugh.

Whine, Whine, Whine

The Gun Thing

Here we go again:  another “OMG-I-went-to-the-gun-show-and-found-this-sweet-little-gun-that-I-didn’t-really-want-to-buy-but-I-did-and-it’s-all-YOUR-fault, Kim!”  story.

This was from Reader Mike S., who happened upon this little sweetheart at an Evil Loophole Gun Show recently:

Okay, in all honesty, Mike did not blame me for his weakness in the face of gunny beauty.  What he said was:

“I’m gonna keep it, and hug it, and call it George. Will go well with my other .22 pistols.”

Can’t argue with that philosophy;  I’ve done it many a time myself (“George”?  never), so I can’t yell about that too much.

But the next time someone comes crying to me about his latest gun purchase and blaming it on my influence, I’m gonna call his wife and tell him what he really paid for it.  It’s no good trying to lie about it and say “It’s just an old gun:  I got it for less than a hundred bucks.”  I know differently.

Case in point:  here are the latest High Standard offerings from Collectors…

Damn it.  Now I want one.

“Less Jus’ Defun’ Da Po-Po”

Crime, The Gun Thing

In the face of rampant crime and such, one gas station owner has had enough:

“They are forcing us to hire the security, high-level security, state level. We are tired of this nonsense: robbery, drug trafficking, hanging around, gangs,” Patel said.

The guards he hired wear Kevlar vests and train regularly, maintaining firearm proficiency.

Prior to hiring the guards, Patel’s car was vandalized and an ATM was stolen from his gas station.

Best part:

But FOX News notes Patel’s observation that crimes – including loitering – ended once he hired security.

I bet they did.

If the cops can’t or won’t enforce the law, then it’s up to us ordinary folk to push them aside and take law enforcement back into our own hands.

The only people who would object to this action (other than the criminals) are government flunkies and hoplophobes.

Quote Of The Day

The Gun Thing

On concealable guns:

“Any gun that’s not the size of  the Glock 17 is not going to be easy to shoot.” — Bill Wilson

Oh yeah, Bill, tell it like it is.

He calls the teenies “pocket rockets” and refers to them as “talisman guns” — i.e. people who carry them while not expecting to use them, but falling foul of the “any gun is better than no gun” trope.

I guess I’m guilty of that myself every time I strap on the S&W 637, the only difference from the talisman carriers being that I actually have practiced drawing and shooting the 637 — a lot — while the same isn’t true of the typical of those people.

Of course, I often feel the same way when I strap on the Browning High Power instead of the 1911, but let’s not go back into the “manly” vs. “Europellet” cartridge argument.

No More Gun Lists

The Gun Thing

Yeah, I was pulled deep into the magazine wells of Teh Intarwebz, and ended up watching the Outlaw listing his Top 10 Guns You Can Bet Your Life On.

And I don’t disagree with any of his choices, to any degree of difference other than choice — as he puts it, guns that you like and are familiar with, as opposed to an equally good option but in a different platform (AR vs. AK, for instance; he prefers the AR, I prefer the AK, but I have almost no experience with the AR because I served in a different country’s .dotmil).

Also, given how much he shoots and how many more guns he plays with, I’m going to state with the utmost conviction that his opinions are going to be much more worthwhile than mine.

And given that I’m a cantankerous Old Phartte with way too many prejudices (fuck off, Glock), Chris’s opinions are even more reliable than mine.  So whereas his recommendations for a gun are more likely to be based on solid testing and experience, mine are going to be the same five guns, every single time, because a lifetime’s shooting of those five has imprinted them deep in my psyche and I’m not likely to change them.

What guns?  Oh, come on:

  • 1911, Browning P35, CZ 75, SIG 210 and Beretta 92FS for centerfire semi-auto handguns
  • Python, S&W 65 and 686, Ruger GP100 and Ruger Blackhawk  for revolvers
  • Mauser 98, Mauser Mod 12, Mauser 1896, Winchester 1894, and AK-47 for centerfire rifles
  • and so on.

If you couldn’t guess at least four out of my five in each category, you haven’t been paying attention.

So I’m not going to be doing any more gun lists because my opinions are no longer that relevant.  Let the young gunslingers have their day on EeewChoob.

Two Old Guys Chewing The Fat

Friday Feature, Movies, The Gun Thing

…about revolvers, and what they love to shoot.

What’s so different about this one?  It’s Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson.

“Shooting should be fun.”

That episode was Ken’s favorite guns to shoot.  Here’s what Bill likes to shoot.

“Every gun guy should own a Model 19 Combat Magnum.”

And then if you want still more Hackathorn and Wilson, here’s an earlier episode, about 1911s.

“Rarely does the capacity of the gun have anything to do with the outcome… unless you’re a really bad shot.”  (Although it should be said that Bill Wilson himself carries a Wilson SFX-9 with a 10-round mag — and a 15-round backup mag.  And nobody could call Bill Wilson a bad shot.)

I could listen to these two gun guys talk all day.  And in putting this post together, I did.