Time for another gratuitous gun photo

Smith & Wesson 38/44 Heavy Duty (5-Inch), shipped in September of 1938 - Some collectors call this finish wear, I call it character.

For you Ruger 10/22 Owners

Through Saturday (11/23) Midway has Ruger factory 25 round magazines on sale for 19.99, the best price I have seen in a while. No purchase limits either, until they run out. Midway also has other brand 10/22 mags on sale too if you are interested. If you do buy make sure to check the internet for Midway coupon codes and save even more!

Product Review - Land Shark Leather

Yesterday I received in the mail a new holster for my Browning Hi Power. I was so impressed I thought to review it here. The holster was made by Land Shark Leather and is exceptionally done. Rob runs Land Shark Leather as a one man operation. He makes no claim that his holsters are better than the competition but that he produces a "quality product at a reasonable price." I wholeheartedly agree. I have bought a lot of holsters and seen many more over the last 20+ years. Rob's holsters are top notch and well worth the modest prices he is asking. I ordered his "Tiger Shark" model and couldn't be happier with it. It's made of premium cowhide and precisely molded for the gun. My Browning is a perfect fit. The workmanship is outstanding and extra features like the body shield are a nice touch too. I ordered the plain model because I'm a "basic black" kind of guy but he does offer his holsters in different colors and some more exotic materials if that is what you are looking for. If you are in the market for a new holster send Rob an email and see what he can do for you. Land Shark leather - highly recommended!

GUNTUCKY - YEEHAW!

Does your local shooting range have its own reality show? Mine does. I've been going there for over twenty years now and I can't say there's much "reality" in the program. Or at least none I've ever witnessed. But it's not too bad. If you keep your expectations low, if seeing things shot and blown up will make you happy, you might just like it. HERE is the premiere episode.

That other day ...

Today is also Buy A Gun day but since I've bought two revolvers and a .45 already this year I felt that was enough. If you've bought a gun recently I would be glad to hear about it though.

Things to do ...

Here are some of the things I'm doing with my money in 2013 and I suggest you do too.

What I won't be doing - SAVING - your money will soon be worth much less and eventually will be worth nothing. Don't bother saving it. Yes, have a bit of cash on hand for the short term emergences, but "invest" the rest in real goods. Putting it away in savings is a fool's game.

What I will be using my money for this year ...

1) Paying off debt.

2) Investing in food - you can buy a ten pound bag of rice for $8 right now or the same amount of beans for only a few dollars more. You can easily feed yourself for $40 a month, or less than that if you willing to grind your own wheat. It is boring to live on, no doubt, but will keep you alive and at a low cost. You should also buy other foods as supplements though, flour, pastas, sauces, canned meats, vegetables and fruits, will break up the monotony of your basic diet. There are any number of things that are still relatively inexpensive and can be stored away for a long time. Buy now before prices skyrocket.

3) Investing in lead - ammunition - buy as much as you can when you can. Some might even consider buying ammo for guns they don't have but I advise to just stay with calibers you can use yourself.

4) Investing in silver - I like "junk silver" and when I buy spend most of my money on Mercury dimes or Walking Liberty and/or Franklin half dollars. They are small in size and good for lesser purchases. Unlike newer Washington quarters and Roosevelt dimes the aforementioned coins were only available in silver and are easily recognized as such even by people that know little about the subject.

5) Investing in steel - guns - even now with the current mania it still is possible to find bargains. There are many affordable guns out there that are not the "newest bestest thing," keep your eyes open for quality guns at reasonable prices. Buy now to sell or barter with later, or you might have to give one to a friend in need. Although any gun might do, personally I would concentrate on common calibers, "hunting" or "militia" type rifles and handguns good for self-defense or concealed carry being the best choices. Quality .22LR handguns and long guns will always have a market too. For me I would much rather spend my extra money on this than on the 1% interest (if you're lucky) you're going to get on your savings account.

If I know my regular readers this is all old news to them, or at least I hope it is. For those of you already doing these things, keep them up. For those that haven't really started, get going, time is running short!

Oops ... that Genie is out ...

Stolen from Uncle, but it's so great everyone needs to link to this. How you like your magazine ban now? "Tastes like Dianne Feinstein's lunch."

Parade of hypocrites (NSFW)

My personal feeding frenzy

I have been shooting most of my life; I've 'officially' been a gun owner for over 25 years. I lived through the 1994 gun ban as well as the 2008 pre-obama buying frenzy. You might think that I wouldn't be caught off guard this time; you might think I learned my lesson already. Well, I wasn't, and I did, for the most part.

For this most recent gun buying apocalypse I was sitting pretty. Long before the last election I had all that I needed (except ammo, can't ever have enough ammo), and then I bought my SCAR 17S. I was smart enough to start buying magazines immediately, and then it began. Prices skyrocketed overnight.

When I finally counted them up I had nine mags for my SCAR but that just didn't seem right to me. So the other day I bought one more to give me an even ten. It cost me exactly double what I paid for the others just a few weeks ago. With that extravagant purchase I don't need another thing (again, except more ammo).

I'm glad I could make my own contribution to this historic event, the most ridiculous display of fear purchasing and fear mongering I have ever witnessed in all my years as a gun owner. Now, can we get back to normalcy, there are some guns I want to buy at the old prices. I certainly don't need them but would like to have them, if you panic buyers and profiteers would just get out of my way.

Cleaning day

It took me a few hours yesterday to wipe down all my revolvers. Last month I did my long guns, next month will be the semi-autos. I oil my guns twice a year and it's the only time I regret having such a large collection. Once a year (this time) I also remove the grips and apply a coat of oil underneath. I use Break-Free Collector and have for a couple years now. So far I have been very happy with the results. It's easy to use and works great! Midway has it on sale until the end of the month. I wonder what it must've been like in the olden days when my pre-war Smith & Wessons were new. Modern technology has made being a gun nut so much easier. I can just imagine trying to clean by lamplight, using Sperm whale oil ...

Memo to Hollywood

Dear Hollywood directors, producers, sound editors, whoever.

For years I have put up with your firearm inaccuracies. Guns that never have to be reloaded. Shotguns that can send a 200 pound man flying 20 feet across the room. Automobile gas tanks that can explode on contact with one magic bullet.

I've put up with these mistakes (and many others) because I know you know nothing about guns. I put up with your blunders because it's only entertainment and I shouldn't let it bother me. In certain cases, like mindless action movies, it probably even makes for a better (or at least shorter) film.

But there is a new one you're using that does bother me. In fact it's killing me. I feel I'm going to go mad every time it happens. I don't know if it has just now become popular with you guys or I just now noticed. I've seen it used in numerous TV shows and movies recently and it is driving me nuts. I'm talking about this asinine practice of inserting the sound of a gun being cocked with a striker fired pistol.

Listen, I know you probably won't get this. I don't know if you care to get this or are even smart enough to get this. I'm going to try anyway. Striker fired pistols can't make that sound. That sound you're editing in is made by a gun with a hammer. It is an entirely different kind of mechanism from a striker fired gun, which cannot make that sound. The absolute worst example, the one that nearly causes me fits, is when someone takes their striker fired gun (usually a Glock), puts it to the head of our hero, then you hear that distinctive clicking sound of a single action revolver. I'm not even going to go into why the guy has to constantly cock his gun every minute or two. But when said guy is using a modern auto pistol and it's making the sound of a revolver that dates back to a hundred a fifty years ago, well it's just too much for many of us.

So here's a simple rule that will make your production a little more real. It might even save gun nuts like myself from having a stroke. Check your bad guy's gun for a hammer, if it doesn't have one it can't make that sound!

Thanks for listening.

RB-17 revisited

It has been over two years since my original review of RB-17 gun cleaner. In fact it has become one of my most popular posts! I suppose many come to my site wondering if the company's grand claims are true. I'm here to tell you they are. Since buying this product I have used it on many types of guns, from modern Glocks to vintage S&W pre-war revolvers. RB-17 works just like they say. It cleans your gun very well, has no harsh chemicals or smells, won't harm delicate finishes, and goes a long way. I bought a large bottle two years ago and expect to get another year out of it yet. I think for the average shooter RB-17 would easily handle all of their cleaning needs. Again, I should remind you that this is a cleaner, not a preservative. After using RB-17 you should still give your gun a good coat of oil. So after two years of using RB-17 on various types of guns and finishes I can still say that yes, it works exactly as advertised. And you should know I bought this with my own hard-earned money and I'm quite happy with it, the best endorsement I can give it!

Not gone shooting

I thought about going shooting yesterday but just couldn't. Like a lot of the country we've been experiencing unusually hot weather that makes doing anything outside miserable. Although yesterday was a little better than the record high of 105 we had a couple days before it was still bad enough. Instead, I spent the day inside with the air conditioning, part of that time oiling guns that needed it. Hopefully this record heat wave will subside soon and get back down to normal hot July weather. I would like to go shooting at least once this month.

Happy BAG Day!

Well another BUY A GUN day is upon us. I showed you my purchase a little early. How about you, did you buy something? I know not everyone could participate this year but if you did I would love to hear about it.

Get 'em while you can

Have you noticed it too? During my recent visits to local shops it seemed like guns weren't staying in the display cases as long, and ammo on the shelves seemed a little thinner. Discussions with shop owners and sales people only confirmed what I was already thinking. They say business is booming.

The election is eight months away and there is not any real push for more gun control, but sales of guns and everything related are on the rise. As we get closer to November buying will only increase. Remember the panic that started with the 2008 election? There will be another, as bad or possibly worse. And it was bad. I remember some guns and ammunition selling for outrageous sums. For a while certain calibers, guns or parts weren't available at any price.

Is there some special firearm you're looking for? Or maybe a particular caliber you don't have enough of? Buy it now. Buy it now before prices go up. Buy it now while it's still relatively easy to get.

I certainly don't want to add to this but it is coming whether we talk about it or not. Ignoring it will not stop it from happening.

If there is something you want or need don't wait. At the very least you will assure you're getting it cheaper just by beating inflation. Buy now if you possibly can. It might make the difference between having what you want at a good price, or maybe having it at all.

Always remember - safety

Homeplace - Art's Stuff has a very graphic reminder why we should always place safety in the forefront of our minds, whenever we're around guns. You should go there right now and check it out.

Once you been around guns for a while it's very easy to become lax, to think that you've "been there, done that," that you're an "old hand," that accidents only happen to "newbies." But they can happen to anyone. It only takes a split second of carelessness for a negligent discharge. A split second that might change your life forever.

Remember ...

1 - All guns are always loaded.

2 - Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

3 - Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

4 - Identify your target, and what is beyond.

Pimp my gun!

HERE is an interesting way to kill hours of your time. You're welcome.

Happy Packages

Just received a box on my doorstep delivered from LaRue Tactical, only ordered it Monday afternoon. It has a very special something that I've saved up to get for a while now. No doubt the package also has extra free goodies that they are known for. Can't talk now, more later.

Organized chaos

The toy box is almost at full capacity. These photos can't even show it all. Actually it's over capacity as there is a rifle I still can't fit inside. I could probably wedge a few more small items in there though.

Of course my gun safe wasn't that big to begin with, it's a "6 Gun" model. If you know about gun safes you know that when the manufacturer says "6 Gun" they mean six skinny bolt action rifles without any optics on them. I've got six rifles in mine but they're jammed in there like sardines.

When I bought this years ago I couldn't half way fill it. I didn't know if I ever would. But you know how it is, the stuff just keeps piling up. I also use my safe for all my valuables, cameras, binoculars, etc., which only exacerbates the problem.

I have few options right now. I could buy another safe, or a bigger one - Don't want to do that, don't have the room anyway.

I could continue to leave guns out so some meth head could find them one day when no one is home - Don't like that idea much either.

Or I could just stop buying toys since I have no more room for new ones - I hate that idea most of all!

Decisions, decisions...

Question for the gunnies

How obsessive are you about cleaning your guns? With modern (non-corrosive) ammunition cleaning your gun right after shooting isn't really necessary anymore, but many of us still do. I used to be that way myself, had to clean it right after getting back from the range. But I have relaxed some over the years (or maybe I just got lazy). Now I typically clean my guns the same day or one or two days after. I know some that might wait a week or more and have heard of shooters that don't clean their guns (besides a quick wipe down) until they actually won't function any longer. How about you? How dirty does your gun have to be before you finally can't stand it anymore?