Tonight, I hope to make a post about the talisman of a gun and how it does not ward society from evil.
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Posted in 2nd Amendment, Blogging, civil rights, crime, fear, freedom, Pistol, Rifle, shotguns, society
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Good Gun Legislation From a Democrat
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) has proposed an amendment to a bill that will allow people who are legally able to carry a firearm in their states to be able to carry on Army Corps of Engineer land. As it it is now, I can get permission to hunt on local Corps land with a 12 guage shotgun for bird hunting. But, I could be arrested for carrying a pistol. Considering the fact that they have a feral hog problem on that land, I won’t hunt there without being able to carry something that is quick and effective against feral hogs.
Information came from http://onlygunsandmoney.blogspot.com/2011/07/rep-jason-altmire-on-self-defense-carry.html
Posted in 2nd Amendment, Amusing News, hunting
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308 Scout/Battle Rifle From A Commercial Rifle
After listening to a couple of podcasts from the Chip Monk Family Survival podcast (here and here), I decided to give my own thoughts on a low price and easily obtainable 308 rifle for defense and hunting.
I think a rifle for these purposes can start with a commercially available Stevens 200/Savage Model 10 or a Remington 700. These are commonly available new and used from less than $300.
The first thing you will need to do is determine if you want a scout rifle setup, or a battle rifle. A scout rifle will generally involve a scope with very long eye relief and/or iron sights. I think that a battle rifle has to have iron sights. For iron sights, unless you are very experienced, I would suggest taking the rifle to a competent gunsmith and having them installed. If you decide to go only with a scope, you can install that yourself.
If you go with an optic, you need to decide how to mount it. A standard optic mount will make reloading the rifle more difficult. A more forward mount (called a scout mount) will require an optic with more eye relief. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You will need to think about how you will be using the rifle before making this choice. If you go the scout scope mount route, and live where your ranges will be short, you may want to go with a red dot or holographic sight. I do have one very important piece of advice when choosing your optics. GET THE BEST OPTICS YOU CAN AFFORD. I have found that the scopes that cost less than $100 just aren’t that clear and do not last. I have found that Nikon, Leupold, Redfield and Vortex scopes give you some of the best bang for your money.
At this point, you could rest on what you have. The rifle is good for both defense and hunting. However, some other modifications you may want to consider are:
- A better stock. You can get some great stocks that will fit you like a glove.
- Paint your stock camouflage
- Add the parts so that the rifle can take detachable magazines
My number one suggestion for what to do after you get the rifle set up the way you want is buy a lot of ammo and practice shooting it.
Posted in Rifle, Uncategorized
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Making Plans For My Vacation
I am making plans for my week off (next week). So far, I have the following:
- Go shoot sporting clays on Sunday
- Go shoot my rifles one day of the week
- Friday-Sun of next week, head down to Houston to see some friends
Now the question is, what else do I want to do. I know I will be going for a bike ride, I just need to decide where:
- The White Rock Creek Trail – This has the advantages of being completely paved, very easy to ride and I can probably find someplace to eat lunch somewhere along the way.
- The Rowlett Creek Preserve – This is close to my home and very natural
- LB Houston Nature Trail – I’ve walked this trail before. It is very nice.
- Cedar Hill State Park – I really like the idea of this one. It will cost me a little more. But, will probably be near empty.
I’m also think of going hiking on this trail near my home, http://www.trinitytrailriders.org/. Unfortunately, This one does not allow bicycles, and I will have to avoid the horse apples. Anybody have suggestions on which trails I should hit? Any suggestions of other activities to do?
Posted in Uncategorized
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Texas Is Considering Legalizing Open Carry
Texas is looking at making it legal, for those who have a concealed handgun license (CHL), to carry their weapons openly. (Link to bill.) This would mean that people no longer have to have their weapons concealed when carrying, otherwise the law remains the same.
I support this bill, though I doubt I would often carry openly. There are times when due to an accident, a concealed carrier’s weapon would be exposed (wind, blows a shirt or jacket open, etc.). This is technically illegal, This law would cover those situations. Also, there are activities that make carrying concealed difficult. This would allow CHL holders to more easily take part in these activities. Some people decry that it will cause a new “wild west” to take place (Representative Lon Burnam of Fort Worth). The truth is, most states allow open carrying of firearms under less restrictions than Texas will. Others complain that they would not be comfortable around openly armed individuals. I say to bad to this. There are plenty of activities that others take part in legally and in public that I am not comfortable with. You do not have a right to be comfortable.
Posted in 2nd Amendment, open carry
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This is Why I’m Trying To Be More Careful In My Posting
I came across this article warning of a Senate bill that is trying to restrict concealed carry in the USA. The bill is S. 176 “Common Sense Concealed Firearms Permit Act of 2011.” At first, I was a little concerned, until I looked it up. This bill was read into the Senate on January 25th, sent to committee and has done nothing since then. The bill does have troubling wording. It would require all states to license concealed carry (some do not) and you would have to demonstrate a good cause for obtaining a concealed carry permit. You should not need to show good cause to exercise a constitutional right.
However, I doubt this will ever get out of committee. Even if it got out of committee, I doubt it would get past the Senate (to many Democratic Senators would lose races over this). Then, you would have to get it past the House, which just would not happen right now.
Posted in constitution, freedom, politics, Second Amendment March
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Replacing a Stock On a Rifle
I am replacing the stock on my Stevens 200 in 308. Boyds Gunstocks has finally started making stocks for the newer Savafe/Stevens rifles, so I bought one of the forest camouflage laminate stocks.
I have already discovered I will need a few things to accomplish this:
- Longer action screws. The synthetic stock Savage/Stevens rifles use a shorter set of screws than the wood stocked models. I tried to find something at local hardware stores, but they did not carry any screws that would fit (1/4×28).
- A different trigger guard. The plastic trigger guard that comes with the Stevens 200 is wider than the inlet on the stock. I am hoping the metal trigger guard is thinner.
I have ordered the needed parts from Brownells and will update after I have received these parts. I will try the rifle without bedding it. If I think it needs it, I will bed the action later.
Posted in Review, Rifle, Savage, Stevens 200
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Different firearm updates
I know it has been awhile since I consistently updated my blog. Here are a few thoughts from this week:
- While listening to the Handgun Podcast, the subject of ARs vs. shotguns came up. My thinking is that they are both valid tools for home defense. You should go with whatever tool you are most comfortable and familiar with. I am most comfortable with the AR because it is the weapon I have the most training and experience with. Others, may want to go with a shotgun or a pistol depending on their circumstances.
- I purchased an M&P 45 compact this week to replace the Taurus 24/7 that I was not happy with. I can already tell you that it is thicker than a 1911. But, it is also something I want to try carrying. As an aside, I also ordered a Comp-tac Spartan holster body for it. I already have a Spartan holster setup with a 24/7 body. I love the fact that I can just change the bodies on the holster for different pistols. However, I am a little disappointed in Comp-Tac. When I placed the order on Sunday, their site said it would have a 2 day turn around time. It did not come out of production until Thursday and it is shipping tonight. This is disappointing.
- (Edited to add) Here is a link to why I prefer Kydex holsters and pistols with safeties. Warning, there are some bloody pictures there.
Review of Taurus 24/7 Pro Compact in 45 ACP
I recently acquired a Taurus 24/7 Pro Compact in 45 ACP. I bought this as a shorter and higher capacity alternative to my 1911.
Over all the pistol seems to be well made. However, the recoild spring had rust on one side of it. I blame this on the fact that I bought the display gun at Academy.
I ran 300 rounds of 45 ACP ball ammo and 20 rounds of Hornady Personal Defense ammo through the pistol. It all ran flawlessly. However, there was one annoying problem. At 10 yards, the pistol shot consistently 6 inches low. I feel that this is not my shooting, since it does not occur with my 1911, my wife’s S&W M&P or my Beretta Neos. From doing research online, it appears to be a common problem with the 24/7 pistols and changing the sights out for after market sites does not appear to fix the problem. Also, the sights are very hard to see in even shady conditions. This is not good for a defense pistol. Since I also bought this with the thought of possibly shooting IDPA with it, I’m not happy. I find myself wondering if I should trade it in on a S&W M&P 45 (or a compact 1911) or trying to replace the sights and see if it improves things any.
Posted in 24/7, Pistol, Review, Taurus
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Started My New Garden
Thanks to some help from some friends, I built a new 8′ x 4′ vegetable bed:
The PVC pipe going around the edges is a watering system. I used 3/4″ pipe with 1/16″ holes drilled every 8 inches. A very low amount of pressure will cause the water to shoot out past the bed. I have a quick disconnect attached to a T-section. This will allow me to use the hose for multiple duties and easily drain the pipes.
The hoops with the plastic covering are so that I can turn the bed into a mini-greenhouse and start plants in there. This will also have the advantage of keeping squirrels, birds and feral cats out of the bed until the plants are well established.
Posted in gardening, preparedness
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