10 Weapons You Won't Believe Are Legal
More Mob Violence In Chicago. 28 Arrests
Illegal Hops Fence While Senators Tour Mexican Border
Colorado Dems To Rape Victims: Lie Back And Enjoy It
North China Marines
21,000 On No Fly List
Terrorist Watch List Hits 1 Million
ACLU Facts About The Terrorist Watch List
Awesome Russian Karate Video
The Gun Industry Employs More Than GM
Recon Marines Train For New Roles
Pentagon Watchdog Doubts Army Needs New Carbine
"40% Of Gun Sales Made By Private Sellers" Is An Outright Lie
Christians Tortured In Egypt
US Gift Of F-16 Fighters Headed To Egypt
If You Don't Support Bloomberg's Gun Control Scheme Then You Hate Jews
$100,000 Challenge For Video Or Audio
Concealed Carry Permits Up - Violent Crime Down
Man Hunts Deer In Walmart Parking Lot
Squatters And Looters Over Run Sandy Victims
A Look At Life On The DMZ
Lanza Did Not Have An Arsenal
Lanza Was Not A NRA Member
Miller: Finally Some Answers About The Sandy Hook School Shooting
New Navy Ship Lacks Firepower
Teen Mob Action Takes Over Chicago's Gold Coast
White House Scrubs First Daughters Ski Trip Report
The Obama's Unending Summer Vacation
Blinded By The White
Bats, Hammers, More Used In Teen Brawl
Twenty Year Hiatus In Rising Temps Has Climate Scientists Puzzled
Obama's New Auto Emissions Tax
Right To Post Birth Abortion Argued For By Planned Parenthood?
No Purple Hearts For Ft Hood Victims Of "Workplace Violence"
Police Want Logs Of Your Text Messages
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Posting My E-mail
I guessed that when I posted my e-mail on this site there would be a lot of contacts.
I really had no idea. America is truly the land of opportunity.
Apparently there are lots of West African bankers that are willing to send me money if I send them a finders fee first. What a deal!!! If you see this blog disappear then you'll know that I took them up on the offer and am now living on a beach in the Caribbean.
I also learned that I'm irresistible to women. Who'd have thunk it? Hundreds of them are waiting to send me pics, and chat with me at a moments notice. Life is good. It's nice to have options.
There's also a few medical experts that have offered to grow my penis 3-4 inches. That should really come in handy after I get all of that West African money, and contact my adoring women.
I guess its' time to take them all up on their kind offers. What could possibly go wrong?
Yep, the world is my oyster.
I really had no idea. America is truly the land of opportunity.
Apparently there are lots of West African bankers that are willing to send me money if I send them a finders fee first. What a deal!!! If you see this blog disappear then you'll know that I took them up on the offer and am now living on a beach in the Caribbean.
I also learned that I'm irresistible to women. Who'd have thunk it? Hundreds of them are waiting to send me pics, and chat with me at a moments notice. Life is good. It's nice to have options.
There's also a few medical experts that have offered to grow my penis 3-4 inches. That should really come in handy after I get all of that West African money, and contact my adoring women.
I guess its' time to take them all up on their kind offers. What could possibly go wrong?
Yep, the world is my oyster.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Gun Control Myth O' The Week
Adam Lanza couldn't have committed the Sandy Hook massacre if he didn't have an Assault Weapon. That's what politicians and the media tells us. Actually that's also what I was told by an acquaintance last week. One has to wonder why some people still believe this. I suspect that their emotions are over riding their logic on this topic.
I'm sure that the massacre was made a lot easier by his choice of a weapon that used normal (30 rnd) capacity magazines, but in reality just about any firearm would have worked. He could have used a Glock, and had a pocket full of normal 17 rnd magazines. Even 10 round mags would have been sufficient.
To be honest, Lanza could have used a 5 shot revolver and a pocket full of speedloaders. It's not like he was facing a lot of opposition.
The killer fired about 150 bullets during his killing spree. Even if he had used ten round magazines, the body count would have been the same. I doubt that the children would have rushed him during a reload.
The AR looks scary to many uninformed people, but it's clear that this weapon wasn't needed for the massacre at Sandy Hook. A 100 year old M1911 with the normal 7 rnd magazines would have done the same job. A Glock or even a J frame .38spl would have worked. Adam Lanza could have used Joe Biden's shotguns and gotten the same results.
For some reason the anti gunners believe that inconveniencing a shooter and making him reload a couple of extra times is going to stop mass killings.
Adam Lanza wasn't successful in his murder fantasy because he had an AR15. He was successful because he was unopposed.
I'm sure that the massacre was made a lot easier by his choice of a weapon that used normal (30 rnd) capacity magazines, but in reality just about any firearm would have worked. He could have used a Glock, and had a pocket full of normal 17 rnd magazines. Even 10 round mags would have been sufficient.
To be honest, Lanza could have used a 5 shot revolver and a pocket full of speedloaders. It's not like he was facing a lot of opposition.
The killer fired about 150 bullets during his killing spree. Even if he had used ten round magazines, the body count would have been the same. I doubt that the children would have rushed him during a reload.
The AR looks scary to many uninformed people, but it's clear that this weapon wasn't needed for the massacre at Sandy Hook. A 100 year old M1911 with the normal 7 rnd magazines would have done the same job. A Glock or even a J frame .38spl would have worked. Adam Lanza could have used Joe Biden's shotguns and gotten the same results.
For some reason the anti gunners believe that inconveniencing a shooter and making him reload a couple of extra times is going to stop mass killings.
Adam Lanza wasn't successful in his murder fantasy because he had an AR15. He was successful because he was unopposed.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Checked Out Some Local Gun Stores
I was off today, and had nothing better to do than tour the local gun stores. There are 4 within about 20 minutes of my home. I'm not counting Dick's Sporting Goods (2 within 20 minutes also) since I am trying hard to boycott them.
This is what I saw this afternoon. 3 out of 4 stores had Assault Weapons in stock. There was a nice mix of AR's, AK's, and even a few FAL's. The prices were extremely high, and I wouldn't buy any of them for the prices that were listed. Windham AR's that sold for $800 a few months ago were over $1200 at this time. Fully assembled lowers (CNMG) were close to $500.
There were a few Glocks, XDMs, Beretta's, etc. present as well. No M&P's were spotted. Most of the stores even had magazines, but I cannot swear that they could match them to every model of Glock, XD/XDM, etc. that was in stock. There were plenty of revolvers and M1911's.
AR and AK mags were easy to find if you aren't picky about brands.
3 of the stores had overpriced ammo. The average cost for .45acp (ball) seemed to be about $27 per box.
.40S&W wasn't much cheaper, and no one had any 9mm.
A small amount of .223 and 7.62x39mm (Wolf - $13 per box) was available, but the prices were a bit high. I didn't see any 5.45x39mm in my travels.
The guys behind the counters reported that things have slowed down. I was riding around during rush hour and most of the stores only had a handful of customers present. A few weeks ago it would have been impossible to even see the gun counter.
As I think back on today, I realize that I didn't see any 9mm or .22lr ammo in stock anywhere.
No Magpul 30 rnd mags were available. A few GI magazines were present. Lots of Pro Mag stuff was on the shelves.
Prices on everything other than revolvers are still way too high in my opinion.
I've been in Walmart twice this week. As usual, they still only have ammo for hunting rifles and shotguns. If you have a 25-06, 7mm or 30-30 then Wallyworld is the place for you.
Hopefully we're seeing the end of the panic buying. I wouldn't say that the stores were all well stocked in regards to firearms but things are definitely better. Of course the only reason that anyone had any ammunition is because the prices are too high for most of us that know better, and there's a limit on how many boxes can be purchased.
So things are looking a little better at this time. If there's another mass killing and more Feinstein stupidity then we'll no doubt go back to empty shelves.
This is what I saw this afternoon. 3 out of 4 stores had Assault Weapons in stock. There was a nice mix of AR's, AK's, and even a few FAL's. The prices were extremely high, and I wouldn't buy any of them for the prices that were listed. Windham AR's that sold for $800 a few months ago were over $1200 at this time. Fully assembled lowers (CNMG) were close to $500.
There were a few Glocks, XDMs, Beretta's, etc. present as well. No M&P's were spotted. Most of the stores even had magazines, but I cannot swear that they could match them to every model of Glock, XD/XDM, etc. that was in stock. There were plenty of revolvers and M1911's.
AR and AK mags were easy to find if you aren't picky about brands.
3 of the stores had overpriced ammo. The average cost for .45acp (ball) seemed to be about $27 per box.
.40S&W wasn't much cheaper, and no one had any 9mm.
A small amount of .223 and 7.62x39mm (Wolf - $13 per box) was available, but the prices were a bit high. I didn't see any 5.45x39mm in my travels.
The guys behind the counters reported that things have slowed down. I was riding around during rush hour and most of the stores only had a handful of customers present. A few weeks ago it would have been impossible to even see the gun counter.
As I think back on today, I realize that I didn't see any 9mm or .22lr ammo in stock anywhere.
No Magpul 30 rnd mags were available. A few GI magazines were present. Lots of Pro Mag stuff was on the shelves.
Prices on everything other than revolvers are still way too high in my opinion.
I've been in Walmart twice this week. As usual, they still only have ammo for hunting rifles and shotguns. If you have a 25-06, 7mm or 30-30 then Wallyworld is the place for you.
Hopefully we're seeing the end of the panic buying. I wouldn't say that the stores were all well stocked in regards to firearms but things are definitely better. Of course the only reason that anyone had any ammunition is because the prices are too high for most of us that know better, and there's a limit on how many boxes can be purchased.
So things are looking a little better at this time. If there's another mass killing and more Feinstein stupidity then we'll no doubt go back to empty shelves.
Monday, March 25, 2013
In The News
88,000 Fail Firearms Background Check, Only 44 Prosecuted
DHS Buys Another 360,000 Rounds
Anti Gun Hypocrite Gets Armed Guards Even Outside Of The US
Russians Climb An Egyptian Pyramid
NY's 7 Round Magazine Limit Dies An Embarrassing Death
Almost 4 Million AR's In America
M2 Machinegun Accuracy In WW2
America's Rifle: The Rise Of The AR15
The Owen Submachinegun
Gun Control Hypocrites
Universal Background Checks Are Coming In The Senate
Man Gets 3 Years In Jail For Pulling Unlicensed Gun On Burgler
Universal Background Checks: The Liberals Holy Grail
The Obama Economy
Comcast Bans Gun And Ammo Advertisers
Abortionist Comic
Press Rushes To Exonerate Gov On Fast And Furious
When Are Citizens Justified In Deposing Their Government?
NEA Spends Over $300 Million For Campaigns
Kid's Bulletproof Backpacks
Tactics: Someone Is Following You
Jim Carrey Mocks Gun Owners
Andrew Breitbart's $100,000 Challenge
Trooper Indicted In Roadside Cavity Search
Gun Owners, Sportsmen Generate $882 Million For Wildlife Conservation
So Called "Logic Of Gun Bans"
The Next Big Thing In Gun Control
Taurus PT-145 Review
DHS Buys Another 360,000 Rounds
Anti Gun Hypocrite Gets Armed Guards Even Outside Of The US
Russians Climb An Egyptian Pyramid
NY's 7 Round Magazine Limit Dies An Embarrassing Death
Almost 4 Million AR's In America
M2 Machinegun Accuracy In WW2
America's Rifle: The Rise Of The AR15
The Owen Submachinegun
Gun Control Hypocrites
Universal Background Checks Are Coming In The Senate
Man Gets 3 Years In Jail For Pulling Unlicensed Gun On Burgler
Universal Background Checks: The Liberals Holy Grail
The Obama Economy
Comcast Bans Gun And Ammo Advertisers
Abortionist Comic
Press Rushes To Exonerate Gov On Fast And Furious
When Are Citizens Justified In Deposing Their Government?
NEA Spends Over $300 Million For Campaigns
Kid's Bulletproof Backpacks
Tactics: Someone Is Following You
Jim Carrey Mocks Gun Owners
Andrew Breitbart's $100,000 Challenge
Trooper Indicted In Roadside Cavity Search
Gun Owners, Sportsmen Generate $882 Million For Wildlife Conservation
So Called "Logic Of Gun Bans"
The Next Big Thing In Gun Control
Taurus PT-145 Review
Friday, March 22, 2013
Gun Control Myth O' The Week
We Have 30,000 Gun Murders Per Year
We don't have 30,000 gun murders per year. What America has is 30,000 gun deaths. Some will not find that distinction very important, but the difference will become evident.
Bear in mind that these numbers are rounded and fluctuate a little from year to year. There's not that great of a change however.
About 16,000 of our 30,000 yearly handgun deaths are suicides. These tragic but one can hardly claim that a gun is needed to commit suicide.
Roughly 14,000 deaths remain, and these are largely murders. I'll leave out the small percentage of gun deaths that include self defense and law enforcement shootings.
Let's break down the remaining 14,000.
A little over half of these gun deaths are criminals killing other criminals. Perhaps I'm heartless, but I see this as a win for society. Others may believe that these murdered criminals may have gone to cure AIDS, help little old ladies across the street, and set up charities for the homeless. I however suspect that they would have continued their crime careers. Most would have continued to prey upon law abiding citizens. These 7,500 deaths are nothing to mourn in my opinion. I suppose if I raised a murdering POS felon, I'd think differently.
We're now down to the remaining 7,500 gun deaths. This category includes the murders of innocent men, women, and children. These are the tragedies. There's no getting around that fact.
It is however worth remembering that this is 7,500 out of over 311 million citizens. To put this in perspective, we lose at least 32,000 people per year to motor vehicle accidents and medical errors kill over 44,000 - 98,000 people.
We don't have 30,000 gun murders per year. What America has is 30,000 gun deaths. Some will not find that distinction very important, but the difference will become evident.
Bear in mind that these numbers are rounded and fluctuate a little from year to year. There's not that great of a change however.
About 16,000 of our 30,000 yearly handgun deaths are suicides. These tragic but one can hardly claim that a gun is needed to commit suicide.
Roughly 14,000 deaths remain, and these are largely murders. I'll leave out the small percentage of gun deaths that include self defense and law enforcement shootings.
Let's break down the remaining 14,000.
A little over half of these gun deaths are criminals killing other criminals. Perhaps I'm heartless, but I see this as a win for society. Others may believe that these murdered criminals may have gone to cure AIDS, help little old ladies across the street, and set up charities for the homeless. I however suspect that they would have continued their crime careers. Most would have continued to prey upon law abiding citizens. These 7,500 deaths are nothing to mourn in my opinion. I suppose if I raised a murdering POS felon, I'd think differently.
We're now down to the remaining 7,500 gun deaths. This category includes the murders of innocent men, women, and children. These are the tragedies. There's no getting around that fact.
It is however worth remembering that this is 7,500 out of over 311 million citizens. To put this in perspective, we lose at least 32,000 people per year to motor vehicle accidents and medical errors kill over 44,000 - 98,000 people.
In The News
The Truth About MIM
XM25 Pulled From Warzone
What The First Family Costs Us Yearly
FOX Has 3 Times More News Than MSNBC
The 20 Best Quotes From CPAC 2013
US Helping The French In Mali
340 Sheriffs Refuse To Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws
Secret Service Has Accidental Discharge Near Iran's President
DHS Could Have Cut Costs Without Releasing Felons
Wrong Fuel Put Into Obama's Limo
Gov Pays To Study Duck Dicks
Going Back To The Clinton Budget
More Fibbing From MSNBC
10 Things Libs Talk About But Don't Understand
Not Much Fact Based Reporting On MSNBC
How Not To Look Like An Amateur Shooter
The Government Doesn't Need Real Warrants For Search And Seizure
CO Theater Shooter Converts To Islam
XM25 Pulled From Warzone
What The First Family Costs Us Yearly
FOX Has 3 Times More News Than MSNBC
The 20 Best Quotes From CPAC 2013
US Helping The French In Mali
340 Sheriffs Refuse To Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws
Secret Service Has Accidental Discharge Near Iran's President
DHS Could Have Cut Costs Without Releasing Felons
Wrong Fuel Put Into Obama's Limo
Gov Pays To Study Duck Dicks
Going Back To The Clinton Budget
More Fibbing From MSNBC
10 Things Libs Talk About But Don't Understand
Not Much Fact Based Reporting On MSNBC
How Not To Look Like An Amateur Shooter
The Government Doesn't Need Real Warrants For Search And Seizure
CO Theater Shooter Converts To Islam
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Not At All Gun Related
Absolutely Beautiful
More Perfection
I have just a few points to make.
1) Yum
2) Want
3) Yum
4) Um... this is borderline NSFW depending on the idiots you work with.
More Perfection
I have just a few points to make.
1) Yum
2) Want
3) Yum
4) Um... this is borderline NSFW depending on the idiots you work with.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
In The News
Ninja Groin Shooters In Chicago
No Ammo Or ARs At Dick's
SWAT Derp
The List Of School Hysteria Over Toy Guns
The Great Green Con
Savings Confiscation By Government
DHS Ammo Purchase
Spending Already Up Over $30 Billion This Year From 2012
Colt Shuts Down Production, Buses Employees To Protest
10 Things That You Never Thought Through About Concealed Carry
US Stockpiles Small Pox Drug
Schumer's Gun Transfer Ban
Gang Banger Kills Baby, City Council Calls For More Gun Laws
All Cultures Are Equal?
3rd Day Of Rioting
Obama Willing To Trade Guns For Votes?
I'm In Love With An Anti Gunner
US Gun Violence Costs $12 Billion Annually, Report Finds
Brooklyn Teens Riot
Ford City Riot
More Looting
Pakistani Soldier Stoned To Death (Religion Of Peace)
Why America Isn't The Only Country That Wants Guns For Self Defense
Quality: 1911 vs Glock vs Taurus
Why The 1911 Doesn't Suck
Low Information Voters
How Gun Control Ends: Not With A Bang But A Whimper
1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo, Homeland Security?
20,000 Pages Of Obamacare Regs, Over 7 Feet Of Red Tape
Group Asks States To Track Citizens Ammo
Ammunition Accountability Act (Old News)
The Unions vs Obamacare
Christians Abused In Pakistan
Taking False Credit For The Energy Boom
No Tools For The Next Financial Crisis
The President Needs A Food Taster?
South African Gun Culture
Why Do You Need A Gun In South Africa?
Straw Man Gun Laws Rarely Enforced
ICE Admits That It Released Serious Offenders
DOJ Admits That AWB Won't Curb Crime
Who Makes The most At The Pump?
No Ammo Or ARs At Dick's
SWAT Derp
The List Of School Hysteria Over Toy Guns
The Great Green Con
Savings Confiscation By Government
DHS Ammo Purchase
Spending Already Up Over $30 Billion This Year From 2012
Colt Shuts Down Production, Buses Employees To Protest
10 Things That You Never Thought Through About Concealed Carry
US Stockpiles Small Pox Drug
Schumer's Gun Transfer Ban
Gang Banger Kills Baby, City Council Calls For More Gun Laws
All Cultures Are Equal?
3rd Day Of Rioting
Obama Willing To Trade Guns For Votes?
I'm In Love With An Anti Gunner
US Gun Violence Costs $12 Billion Annually, Report Finds
Brooklyn Teens Riot
Ford City Riot
More Looting
Pakistani Soldier Stoned To Death (Religion Of Peace)
Why America Isn't The Only Country That Wants Guns For Self Defense
Quality: 1911 vs Glock vs Taurus
Why The 1911 Doesn't Suck
Low Information Voters
How Gun Control Ends: Not With A Bang But A Whimper
1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo, Homeland Security?
20,000 Pages Of Obamacare Regs, Over 7 Feet Of Red Tape
Group Asks States To Track Citizens Ammo
Ammunition Accountability Act (Old News)
The Unions vs Obamacare
Christians Abused In Pakistan
Taking False Credit For The Energy Boom
No Tools For The Next Financial Crisis
The President Needs A Food Taster?
South African Gun Culture
Why Do You Need A Gun In South Africa?
Straw Man Gun Laws Rarely Enforced
ICE Admits That It Released Serious Offenders
DOJ Admits That AWB Won't Curb Crime
Who Makes The most At The Pump?
Benchmade Mini Griptilian Review
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| 556 Mini Griptilian |
The OD green version above was purchased about two years ago, and two pink versions for my wife and daughter quickly followed (look up the sex offender data base for your neighborhood and this will answer why). After buying three of these knives, it's safe to assume that I both like this this line, and blow a lot of money on toys.
Specs:
Blade Length: 2.91" (2 7/8")
Blade Thickness: 0.100"
Overall Length: 6.78"
Weight: 2.56 oz.
Blade Material: 154CM Stainless Steel
Blade Type: Modified Drop Point
Carry Method: Pocket Clip, Tip Up, Right or Left Handed
Locking Method: Axis Lock
Opening Method: Thumb Stud
Handle Thickness: .510"
Handle Material: Valox With Stainless Steel Liners
The Benchmade Mini Griptilian was my first EDC knife that cost more than $30. I always considered a pocket knife to be somewhat of a disposable item that was meant to be thumped on, abused, and replaced when it was lost and/or destroyed. More expensive knives were never considered until I ran across the Mini Griptilian. I bought one, and then ended up ordering two more for the family. A friend was even convinced to buy one after handling mine. I've never met anyone that didn't like these Benchmades. It is easy to see why.
It's a well thought out design. Most will approve of it, and very few owners will have any real complaints.
It's ambidextrous with dual thumb-studs and a version with a thumb-hole is available. There is a reversible pocket clip for left or right handed carry. It's only tip up carry which shouldn't be a big deal for the majority of knife owners.
I haven't had to sharpen my OD green model yet.
A coworker recently abused his same OD model 556. The Mini Griptilian was basically used as a Stanley knife to cut through some material that was laying on top of a steel table. Needless to say the blade was screwed up, but the edge came back after about 15 minutes on an Edge Pro Apex.
Shortly after giving my daughter her serrated pink version (not shown), she cut through every piece of cardboard that she could find at work. The factory edge lasted a decent while, but she persevered and eventually dulled the hell out of it as only a kid can. I brought the sharpness back after A LOT of work with a couple of Arkansas stones that I've had for years.
Oddly enough she didn't do much to the serrations. They held up pretty good. Only the edge was dulled.
The edges hold up well, but expect to eventually put a lot of work into sharpening the blade unless you have a really good system.
The Mini Griptilians come very sharp from the factory. I'd compare them to the same level of sharpness that my Kershaws, CRKTs, and Spydercos have. It's not in the same class as my Cold Steel knives (which are scary sharp and are evidently cursed to cut the owners).
I like the modified drop point blade. It does everything that I need of it. Benchmade has several other versions of the Mini Griptilian. A sheepsfoot or tanto version is available. As I stated above, you also have the option of an thumb-hole instead of the dual thumb-studs. All are hollow ground.
I have yet to see any rust on the pink Mini Griptilians. The Daywalker and I had to have a talk last year about taking $85 knives swimming.
The coating on the OD version has held up pretty good so far.
BTW, when I write that the 556 Benchmade is $85, I should say that it WAS $85. It now seems to run from $85 to $105 depending on the model. I'd suggest checking out Nutnfancy's YouTube channel for discount codes if you're purchasing online.
The handle has a very good shape, and fits my hand well for such a small knife. The blade has a little jimping, and there's also jimping on the the stainless steel liners for about an inch along the back of the handle. Benchmade even added an inch (or so) of jimping where your index finger rests.
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| Lots Of Jimping On The Model 556 |
This really helps to lock the 556 into your hand. There's a little checkering molded into the Valox handle scales as well. Someone put a lot of thought into this design.
I have no complaints about the traction. None, nada, zip, zero.
The blade centers perfectly, and there's no movement either side to side or front to back when it's deployed.
The Axis lock can be pulled down, and the blade will quickly open with a flick of the wrist. You can also use the thumbstuds to slowly open the blade, or speed it up with a wrist flick. Deployment is easy, and as fast as you want it to be.
The 556 is very well made, and has a solid feel despite the light weight. There's nothing "Cheap" feeling about this knife. That's a good thing as it's relatively expensive for most people.
Here's a quick summary of the pros.
It comes sharp from the factory (I've seen some manufacturer's knives that don't) and holds an edge very well.
The handle is excellent for such a small knife, and gives outstanding traction.
There is a good blade to handle ratio. I absolutely hate it when there's a huge handle and a tiny little blade. That's just a waste IMO. It's not an issue with the model 556. There's no leftover room in the handle. There is as much blade length as there can possibly be for the handle size.
The 556 is a very strong design, has stainless steel liners, and still only weighs 2.6 oz. You won't leave it behind due to the weight.The Axis lock is one of my favorite lock designs. I don't have an issue with liner locks on a quality knife, but I prefer Benchmade's Axis Lock or Spyderco's Ball Lock
The 2.78" blade should be legal in most of the nanny states, but it's up to you to check your local and state laws.
You can find this model at almost any sporting goods or gun store.
Choices abound. Colors, sizes, and blade shapes exist for every potential buyer.
There's a lanyard hole that most of us will never need. If I was using this knife in any kind of environment that might lead to it's loss, I'd definitely use it. Boats come to mind.
There 154CM Stainless Steel offers good corrosion resistance.
The knife is ambidextrous, and shows that Benchmade luvs the wrong handed members of our society.
One handed operation is easy for deployment and closing the blade.
So what's not to like? I only have one real complaint. I'm not a fan of the pocket clip. It works OK and has perfect tension, but doesn't allow for deep enough carry IMO. I prefer something more like that on the SOG Mini Aegis shown to the right.As you can see, The knife clearly shows when using the manufacturer's pocket clip. If that's not a big deal to you then I'd give this knife a perfect rating (even though I always prefer 3.5" blades). BTW, if you wear tight pants, the knife may print a bit. My daughter wears skinny jeans, and the outline of the 556 usually shows. It's not much of a problem with my baggier pants.
I recently decided to make a couple of almost perfect Mini Griptilians into what I think a perfect 556 should be. The pocket clips were removed and replaced with this.
I'm a lot happier with the modification and would highly recommend it.
There's at least three different versions of the aftermarket pocket clips, and they all allow for much deeper carry than the factory version. For some it really doesn't matter. Others might find themselves working in an office environment that doesn't allow knives. You may not want to call attention to the fact that you have an EDC blade, and there's always some idiot around with an irrational fear of pocket knives. It's often better to ask forgiveness instead of asking permission to carry a knife at work. As these aftermarket clips look more pen like than the originals, it's easier to get by without anyone wondering what that is hanging out of your pocket.
I highly recommend the Benchmade Mini Griptilian. If I could turn back time, I'd probably get the 3.5" version though. Other than my usual complaints about the clip, I cannot find anything bad to say about the 556. Even though I prefer a larger blade (at this time anyway), this knife will do everything that I need a knife for.
The cost will be prohibitive for many, and let's be honest. You can get 3-4 Kershaws (OSO Sweet, Volt II, Clash, etc) for the same price. If you can deal with the cost of the Mini Griptilian then I think that this would be a good knife for just about anyone that appreciates quality and a fine blade.
Now for some more pics (just because that's the kind of mood that I'm in).
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| Aftermarket Clips On Mini Griptilians |
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| Another Aftermarket Pocket Clip |
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| Perfect Blade Centering And Jimping Is Shown |
Other Gun And Knife Reviews On This Blog
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Types Of Anti Gunners
This post will have an ongoing edit as I get time to work on it, and run across more gun ban supporters. While most of us know a few antis, we don't think about the different breeds in this very diverse group. I'll start this off with a few of our more common foes and add more later. Add a comment if I've missed your favorite.
The Hypocrite
I don't need to spend a lot of time on this one. It's obvious who they are. They're the politicians that are surrounded by their own security force and feel that others should be disarmed.
Gun owning Hollywood types that favor gun bans also make the list. Many of them have made their fortunes off of movies about guns and violence. Somehow they feel that it's someone else's fault when a madman dresses up like one of their characters and shoots up a room full of people. They blame the gun manufacturers, NRA, gun owners, etc. The fact that they've contributed to a culture of violence escapes them.
The rich and powerful NYC CCW holders who believe that the little people don't need firearms or concealed carry permits are a commonly known foe.
This list can go on and on. All of us can name a few dozen anti gun hypocrites.
The Fudd
This is generally a gun owning gentleman who's taste in firearms runs toward blued steel and walnut. He favors the more classic hunting rifles and shotguns. Polymer is not for him. If he owns a handgun then it's a revolver or perhaps a M1911. The Fudd has owned guns his whole life and strongly supports the 2nd Amendment if... your guns look like his.
He'll throw you under the bus in a heartbeat if you have one of those evil looking Black Rifles or an AK. He doesn't know much about either weapon, but he knows that no one needs more than 5 rounds to kill a deer.
The Fudd is the anti gunners greatest friend whether he knows it or not.
The Fraidy Cat
This man or woman has an irrational fear of firearms. He/she is scared to be around them, and may throw a full on hissy fit or tantrum after being exposed to a gun.
Most of us have a healthy respect for firearms but realize that a rifle, pistol, or shotgun is just a tool that should be handled with care. They don't operate themselves.
The Fraidy Cat has no problem hurtling down the highway at 70mph while sitting over 15 gallons of gasoline, and eating a Big Mac. The FC is even fine with having electrical outlets near the tub, and a light fixture over the shower stall. Firearms however are some form of terrifying mechanical boogeyman.
The Fraidy Cat is very selective in picking his/her fears and often enjoys making a scene.
The Professional Gun Banner
This individual makes a decent living advocating more gun laws and bans. The PGB will usually own a firearm or two, and the odds are great that at least one will be on the proposed ban list.
The Professional Gun Banner knows that most of his/her proposals are useless, but nonetheless remains committed to the cause and their paycheck. The PGB and The Hypocrite have a lot in common. The PGB however is more like a paid professional Hypocrite.
The MSNBC Viewer
This person is generally uninformed about the firearms debate. He/she can recite whatever gibberish, or talking points they heard on Maddow's, Sharpton's, or Schultz's program last night. They cannot however form an opinion on their own. The MSNBC Viewer can only deal with the most simple explanation, and doesn't consider anything other than the propaganda that they're fed. Any source other than MSNBC (or perhaps CNN) is considered to be biased and/or racist.
Their information and theories sometimes come from sources other than the mainstream media, if that source will help to re enforce their opinions and world view. Comedy shows are sometimes used in lieu of the media for information.
When you hear an anti gunner quoting Chris Rock's skit about making bullets $5,000 each then you know you're dealing with a MSNBC Viewer.
The Big City Mayor
This anti gunner is known to many of us. For the purpose of saving time and space, I'll include the city council with The Big City Mayor.
The BCM often manages a crime ridden cesspool of a city. Chicago comes to mind. The city usually has a culture of crime, corruption, violence, poverty, and excuse making at all levels.
It may or may not have gun bans in place. Regardless of existing laws, crime rates will be high, and The Big City Mayor will place the blame on the gun industry, 2nd Amendment supporters, and gun owners. The inhabitants and those running the city refuse to share in the blame for their murder rates.
So why blame outside forces for an internal problem? The most common reason is that politicians wish to keep their jobs. If they told the truth, and urged their residents to act like responsible citizens, they would quickly be voted out of office.
Another common reason is fiscal mismanagement. These broken, mismanaged cities are often on the verge of bankruptcy. The possibility of suing a gun manufacturer for millions of dollars is very tempting.
Obviously there is some over lap between The Big City Mayor and The Hypocrite.
The Cultist
The Cultist is often a gun owner, but believes so deeply in an official that he/she is still willing to support more gun control or sit idly by while new bans are being implemented. This person innocently believes that anything their leader does is right, just, and for the good of the nation. Obviously their ruler is above the politics and pettiness that other politicians suffer from. Devotion is what gets The Cultists through the day. Their faith is strong, and they can often be heard quoting some inane statement that their leader said in the past.
This group tends to ignore the news, or self censor the information that they consume. A Cultist often becomes angry when others doubt in their leader's honesty. The irony is that they may actually become violent if those they support are disparaged in any way. If facts, statistics, and history are presented in an opposing viewpoint, The Cultist is likely to fly into a rage.
They're usually irrational, and the odds of finding one with an IQ over 80 is low. Be very wary when dealing with this kind of anti gunner.
The Holier Than Thou
Other than The Cultist, The Holier Than Thou is probably the anti gunner that most of us deal with on a daily basis.
How best to sum up this person? They have a great deal of Fraidy Cat in them, and there's quite a bit of MSNBC Viewer present too. Odds are good that you'll find at least a smidgen of The Cultist present in their personality as well.
The Holier Than Thou anti gunner doesn't see a need for private ownership of firearms for self defense. They are however, fine with calling someone else with a gun to protect them. It's not so much that they are anti gun. They're strongly anti self reliance. These individuals don't want the responsibility of protecting themselves, or their families. It's the job of the government, police department, etc.
You'll often hear them talk about giving up firearms, "For the children." They're very proud of that. Of course they're only willing to give up rights that they aren't using. The Holier Than Thou is a strong believer in giving up someone else's rights. Would you like an example of this?
Ask them to give up their internet privacy, or home computer to help stamp out child pornography and they'll scream. Make a small change to an abortion law and the cries will deafen you. They'll only go so far, "For the children," apparently.
What is really amusing is the THTT that keeps a baseball bat for home defense. Apparently he/she feels much more pious bashing in an intruder's head with a bat than shooting them with a Glock.
The Parasite
This individual may have been an asset to their community back in the day. They are currently looking out for No.1, and are more interested in keeping an extremely comfortable lifestyle instead of actually helping their people or cause.
The Parasite makes a very good living screaming racism, sexism, etc. loudly, and often. Whether or not it's applicable is not an issue.
So who is The Parasite. It's the feminist (often politician, news woman, etc) that believes a woman's best defense against a rapist isn't a pistol. It's peeing on herself or perhaps vomiting.
It's also the "Civil Rights Activist" that believes in disarming his own people, and leaving them defenseless. Watch the news in NYC, DC, Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Richmond, etc. You'll see a lot of people like this.
His/her community may reside in drug and crime ridden inner cities. Crushing poverty is a likely cause of most of their ills. Culture is largely to blame for this poverty. This anti gunner could walk the streets of Chicago organizing neighborhood watches, urging kids to stay in school, urging babies to stop making babies, telling parents to act like parents.
Instead, The Parasite finds it more convenient to whisper those suggestions one day per month while loudly blaming others for the other twenty nine. Everything is always someone else's fault.
Whatever form The Parasite takes, there are a few universal traits. He/she isn't really concerned with helping their people, neighborhood, city, etc. They are most interested in making a paycheck off of the suffering in their community and helping themselves. If they do a little good along the way then that's a bonus, but it's not the most important thing to this individual. Another payday is what matters.
The Victim
I have some sympathy for this anti gunner despite their desire to limit or take away my 2nd Amendment rights. That doesn't mean that I won't oppose them whenever possible.
This anti gun advocate is the victim of a crime, and it's very likely that a gun was used by the mugger, rapist, killer, etc. Instead of rationally focusing their anger at the trash in our community, they transfer their rage to an inanimate object... the gun.
It's hard to reason with The Victim. They're operating on emotions instead of logic. They may one day turn into The Hypocrite, The Fraidy Cat, or even The Fudd. Odds are greatly against them joining our ranks.
The Grieving Family Member
Some of the descriptions above were a little snarky, mean, or even humorous. That won't be the case with this final category.
The Grieving Family Member is just that, someone that has lost a loved one. There's nothing amusing here, and these people have my deepest sympathy. I disagree with their politics in regards to firearms, but understand why they believe what they believe.
The GFM has experienced a loss, and suffers from crushing grief. They may never recover from the loss of a loved one, and want to punish someone... anyone. The criminal/s are likely already dead. Cho, Lanza, Kazmierczak, etc. come to mind.
Someone must pay, and if can't be the actual killer then it must be the object that he used. The family's anger is now aimed at anything related to the gun industry.
They don't care about logic, facts, statistics, or history. You may out debate them, but you won't be able to reason with them. The Grieving Family Member just wants a new law. It doesn't have to be effective. They just want it.
The GFM may find themselves being used by other anti gunners such as The Big City Mayor or The Professional Gun Banner.
The Hypocrite
I don't need to spend a lot of time on this one. It's obvious who they are. They're the politicians that are surrounded by their own security force and feel that others should be disarmed.
Gun owning Hollywood types that favor gun bans also make the list. Many of them have made their fortunes off of movies about guns and violence. Somehow they feel that it's someone else's fault when a madman dresses up like one of their characters and shoots up a room full of people. They blame the gun manufacturers, NRA, gun owners, etc. The fact that they've contributed to a culture of violence escapes them.
The rich and powerful NYC CCW holders who believe that the little people don't need firearms or concealed carry permits are a commonly known foe.
This list can go on and on. All of us can name a few dozen anti gun hypocrites.
The Fudd
This is generally a gun owning gentleman who's taste in firearms runs toward blued steel and walnut. He favors the more classic hunting rifles and shotguns. Polymer is not for him. If he owns a handgun then it's a revolver or perhaps a M1911. The Fudd has owned guns his whole life and strongly supports the 2nd Amendment if... your guns look like his.
He'll throw you under the bus in a heartbeat if you have one of those evil looking Black Rifles or an AK. He doesn't know much about either weapon, but he knows that no one needs more than 5 rounds to kill a deer.
The Fudd is the anti gunners greatest friend whether he knows it or not.
The Fraidy Cat
This man or woman has an irrational fear of firearms. He/she is scared to be around them, and may throw a full on hissy fit or tantrum after being exposed to a gun.
Most of us have a healthy respect for firearms but realize that a rifle, pistol, or shotgun is just a tool that should be handled with care. They don't operate themselves.
The Fraidy Cat has no problem hurtling down the highway at 70mph while sitting over 15 gallons of gasoline, and eating a Big Mac. The FC is even fine with having electrical outlets near the tub, and a light fixture over the shower stall. Firearms however are some form of terrifying mechanical boogeyman.
The Fraidy Cat is very selective in picking his/her fears and often enjoys making a scene.
The Professional Gun Banner
This individual makes a decent living advocating more gun laws and bans. The PGB will usually own a firearm or two, and the odds are great that at least one will be on the proposed ban list.
The Professional Gun Banner knows that most of his/her proposals are useless, but nonetheless remains committed to the cause and their paycheck. The PGB and The Hypocrite have a lot in common. The PGB however is more like a paid professional Hypocrite.
The MSNBC Viewer
This person is generally uninformed about the firearms debate. He/she can recite whatever gibberish, or talking points they heard on Maddow's, Sharpton's, or Schultz's program last night. They cannot however form an opinion on their own. The MSNBC Viewer can only deal with the most simple explanation, and doesn't consider anything other than the propaganda that they're fed. Any source other than MSNBC (or perhaps CNN) is considered to be biased and/or racist.
Their information and theories sometimes come from sources other than the mainstream media, if that source will help to re enforce their opinions and world view. Comedy shows are sometimes used in lieu of the media for information.
When you hear an anti gunner quoting Chris Rock's skit about making bullets $5,000 each then you know you're dealing with a MSNBC Viewer.
The Big City Mayor
This anti gunner is known to many of us. For the purpose of saving time and space, I'll include the city council with The Big City Mayor.
The BCM often manages a crime ridden cesspool of a city. Chicago comes to mind. The city usually has a culture of crime, corruption, violence, poverty, and excuse making at all levels.
It may or may not have gun bans in place. Regardless of existing laws, crime rates will be high, and The Big City Mayor will place the blame on the gun industry, 2nd Amendment supporters, and gun owners. The inhabitants and those running the city refuse to share in the blame for their murder rates.
So why blame outside forces for an internal problem? The most common reason is that politicians wish to keep their jobs. If they told the truth, and urged their residents to act like responsible citizens, they would quickly be voted out of office.
Another common reason is fiscal mismanagement. These broken, mismanaged cities are often on the verge of bankruptcy. The possibility of suing a gun manufacturer for millions of dollars is very tempting.
Obviously there is some over lap between The Big City Mayor and The Hypocrite.
The Cultist
The Cultist is often a gun owner, but believes so deeply in an official that he/she is still willing to support more gun control or sit idly by while new bans are being implemented. This person innocently believes that anything their leader does is right, just, and for the good of the nation. Obviously their ruler is above the politics and pettiness that other politicians suffer from. Devotion is what gets The Cultists through the day. Their faith is strong, and they can often be heard quoting some inane statement that their leader said in the past.
This group tends to ignore the news, or self censor the information that they consume. A Cultist often becomes angry when others doubt in their leader's honesty. The irony is that they may actually become violent if those they support are disparaged in any way. If facts, statistics, and history are presented in an opposing viewpoint, The Cultist is likely to fly into a rage.
They're usually irrational, and the odds of finding one with an IQ over 80 is low. Be very wary when dealing with this kind of anti gunner.
The Holier Than Thou
Other than The Cultist, The Holier Than Thou is probably the anti gunner that most of us deal with on a daily basis.
How best to sum up this person? They have a great deal of Fraidy Cat in them, and there's quite a bit of MSNBC Viewer present too. Odds are good that you'll find at least a smidgen of The Cultist present in their personality as well.
The Holier Than Thou anti gunner doesn't see a need for private ownership of firearms for self defense. They are however, fine with calling someone else with a gun to protect them. It's not so much that they are anti gun. They're strongly anti self reliance. These individuals don't want the responsibility of protecting themselves, or their families. It's the job of the government, police department, etc.
You'll often hear them talk about giving up firearms, "For the children." They're very proud of that. Of course they're only willing to give up rights that they aren't using. The Holier Than Thou is a strong believer in giving up someone else's rights. Would you like an example of this?
Ask them to give up their internet privacy, or home computer to help stamp out child pornography and they'll scream. Make a small change to an abortion law and the cries will deafen you. They'll only go so far, "For the children," apparently.
What is really amusing is the THTT that keeps a baseball bat for home defense. Apparently he/she feels much more pious bashing in an intruder's head with a bat than shooting them with a Glock.
The Parasite
This individual may have been an asset to their community back in the day. They are currently looking out for No.1, and are more interested in keeping an extremely comfortable lifestyle instead of actually helping their people or cause.
The Parasite makes a very good living screaming racism, sexism, etc. loudly, and often. Whether or not it's applicable is not an issue.
So who is The Parasite. It's the feminist (often politician, news woman, etc) that believes a woman's best defense against a rapist isn't a pistol. It's peeing on herself or perhaps vomiting.
It's also the "Civil Rights Activist" that believes in disarming his own people, and leaving them defenseless. Watch the news in NYC, DC, Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Richmond, etc. You'll see a lot of people like this.
His/her community may reside in drug and crime ridden inner cities. Crushing poverty is a likely cause of most of their ills. Culture is largely to blame for this poverty. This anti gunner could walk the streets of Chicago organizing neighborhood watches, urging kids to stay in school, urging babies to stop making babies, telling parents to act like parents.
Instead, The Parasite finds it more convenient to whisper those suggestions one day per month while loudly blaming others for the other twenty nine. Everything is always someone else's fault.
Whatever form The Parasite takes, there are a few universal traits. He/she isn't really concerned with helping their people, neighborhood, city, etc. They are most interested in making a paycheck off of the suffering in their community and helping themselves. If they do a little good along the way then that's a bonus, but it's not the most important thing to this individual. Another payday is what matters.
The Victim
I have some sympathy for this anti gunner despite their desire to limit or take away my 2nd Amendment rights. That doesn't mean that I won't oppose them whenever possible.
This anti gun advocate is the victim of a crime, and it's very likely that a gun was used by the mugger, rapist, killer, etc. Instead of rationally focusing their anger at the trash in our community, they transfer their rage to an inanimate object... the gun.
It's hard to reason with The Victim. They're operating on emotions instead of logic. They may one day turn into The Hypocrite, The Fraidy Cat, or even The Fudd. Odds are greatly against them joining our ranks.
The Grieving Family Member
Some of the descriptions above were a little snarky, mean, or even humorous. That won't be the case with this final category.
The Grieving Family Member is just that, someone that has lost a loved one. There's nothing amusing here, and these people have my deepest sympathy. I disagree with their politics in regards to firearms, but understand why they believe what they believe.
The GFM has experienced a loss, and suffers from crushing grief. They may never recover from the loss of a loved one, and want to punish someone... anyone. The criminal/s are likely already dead. Cho, Lanza, Kazmierczak, etc. come to mind.
Someone must pay, and if can't be the actual killer then it must be the object that he used. The family's anger is now aimed at anything related to the gun industry.
They don't care about logic, facts, statistics, or history. You may out debate them, but you won't be able to reason with them. The Grieving Family Member just wants a new law. It doesn't have to be effective. They just want it.
The GFM may find themselves being used by other anti gunners such as The Big City Mayor or The Professional Gun Banner.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Ammo Shortages And Serialized Bullets
Most of you probably haven't heard about the scheme to serialize ammunition, and require background checks for its purchase. The idea has been floating around for a few years, and some politician will express an interest in it every few moths. Luckily it hasn't gained any traction thus far, but in today's environment it's likely that we'll hear about it again.
Ammunition accountability is one of those feel good proposals that is raised after every mass shooting. The plan is to serialize each individual bullet and casing with a unique serial number. Ammunition buyers would fill out paperwork, and have a background check done whenever they buy ammo. This would be much like a gun purchase from a firearms dealer.
Naturally there's quite a few problems with this idea. The first one is the current shortage of most ammunition. The manufacturers are producing every round that they possibly can, and most of us are still unable to find ammo. The major manufacturers have stated that it would take them a week to produce the same amount of ammunition as they do in a day if they were required to serialize bullets. You can imagine what this would do to the supply and price.
I suspect that the current ammo drought would look like a time of plenty if ammunition accountability became the law of the land.
It's a given that ammo prices would greatly increase. One has to wonder if this program is merely a means to price some people out of the shooting sports, and self defense. I find it amusing that any new law regarding abortion or voter ID's is an attack on that right, yet new gun regulations that make firearms ownership more difficult is, "Common Sense Gun Control."
Then there's the paperwork. Background checks for gun sales can take minutes or days at this time. This is largely due to the increased demand driven by panic buying, and the potential for bans. Regardless of the reason, we're seeing background checks take longer because so many are buying firearms.
Now imagine that every ammo purchase required a background check. Most of us only buy a gun or two per year. Many only buy a couple of firearms in their lifetime.
Everyone buys ammo though. Some purchase thousands of rounds per year if they're regular shooters. Hunters, target shooters, those taking training, and those seeking to defend themselves would all have to go through the system. It wouldn't matter if you're buying a single box or a 1,000 rnds. You would be required to go through the same firearms purchase system for every box of ammunition that's bought.
There would be extremely long waits at the ammo counter. That's a given. It usually takes about 20 minutes for my 4473 to be filled out and checked over (before it's ran) when I buy a gun. I can only imagine how long the wait would be at Walmart when everyone has to wait on background checks when purchasing a few boxes of ammo. I'm picturing the lines at Disneyworld when thinking about this.
Suppose the budget is cut for the offices that do these investigations. This happened in my state (VA) several years ago when we had an anti gun governor. The system backed up as waits for approval took half of a day. Again, this was just for gun sales. Imagine the backlog if every box of ammo required a check and no new funding was implemented.
Ammo serialization is registration. There's no other way to say it, and those defending the scheme cannot pretend that's not the intention. In order for the program to work, all of the ammo purchase forms must be turned over to the government. They must have the information to match the purchaser with the bullet or casing recovered at a crime scene.
The issue that most of us have is that the government will now know what caliber of firearms you have, and how much ammo you buy per year. This is a bit intrusive. I buy ammunition for the entire family as shooting is our thing. I also buy it for the new shooters that I take to the range (they reimburse me). It's not hard to see that someone like myself would end up being flagged in the system.
Then there is the effectiveness of the serialization scheme. Ammunition would be made and sold on the black market just like every other illegal material. Reloaded ammo would be available to the career criminals that always plague our society. The bullets would no doubt come from their own molds and the cases from the floor of the closest range. As the serial numbers on recovered cases would be in the system, we'd see innocent people have their doors kicked in by the police.
So how hard is reloading? Not at all. Remember that we have high school dropouts creating meth labs in their homes. Only a fool would believe that reloading would be beyond their skills. Just as there is a black market for drugs, there would be a pipeline for powder and primers in the criminal world.
Let's talk about reloading. Ammo serialization would essentially make reloading illegal. Once again we would see law abiding citizens punished for the crimes of others.
Online ammo sales would also be illegal. This would do a couple of things. Naturally it would make ammunition more scarce. The lines and inconvenience at the local gun stores and/or Walmart would be massive, and convince some retailers not to sell ammo.
There would also be added costs for the manpower involved in a store having to run checks on bullet sales. This would be prohibitive for many businesses unless they greatly raised their prices.
We'd see most of those that sell ammunition dropping this product.
BTW, did I mention that there's literally billions of rounds of ammo already in the hands of American citizens? Have I stated that it will last for decades if stored at room temperature?
A lot of people haven't heard of Ammunition Accountability. That will change. None of these gun control schemes ever go away. They're recycled every few years under a different name or by some new politician. The articles below are a couple of years old, but the information is still relevant. We'll see this program surface again, and gun owners should remain wary.
Ammo accountability is just another backdoor method of registration, and a means to inconvenience people into not buying firearms and ammo. You could actually say that it's a way to strip a civil right from citizens under the guise of crime control.
Am I really concerned about this program today? Not really. The anti gunners have plenty of other schemes that they're trying to pass. We should concentrate on opposing them but still remain vigilant for new feel good laws like Ammunition Accountability.
http://www.wnd.com/2008/12/83210/
http://rightsoup.com/the-ammunition-accountability-act-proposed-legislation-in-18-states/
Ammunition accountability is one of those feel good proposals that is raised after every mass shooting. The plan is to serialize each individual bullet and casing with a unique serial number. Ammunition buyers would fill out paperwork, and have a background check done whenever they buy ammo. This would be much like a gun purchase from a firearms dealer.
Naturally there's quite a few problems with this idea. The first one is the current shortage of most ammunition. The manufacturers are producing every round that they possibly can, and most of us are still unable to find ammo. The major manufacturers have stated that it would take them a week to produce the same amount of ammunition as they do in a day if they were required to serialize bullets. You can imagine what this would do to the supply and price.
I suspect that the current ammo drought would look like a time of plenty if ammunition accountability became the law of the land.
It's a given that ammo prices would greatly increase. One has to wonder if this program is merely a means to price some people out of the shooting sports, and self defense. I find it amusing that any new law regarding abortion or voter ID's is an attack on that right, yet new gun regulations that make firearms ownership more difficult is, "Common Sense Gun Control."
Then there's the paperwork. Background checks for gun sales can take minutes or days at this time. This is largely due to the increased demand driven by panic buying, and the potential for bans. Regardless of the reason, we're seeing background checks take longer because so many are buying firearms.
Now imagine that every ammo purchase required a background check. Most of us only buy a gun or two per year. Many only buy a couple of firearms in their lifetime.
Everyone buys ammo though. Some purchase thousands of rounds per year if they're regular shooters. Hunters, target shooters, those taking training, and those seeking to defend themselves would all have to go through the system. It wouldn't matter if you're buying a single box or a 1,000 rnds. You would be required to go through the same firearms purchase system for every box of ammunition that's bought.
There would be extremely long waits at the ammo counter. That's a given. It usually takes about 20 minutes for my 4473 to be filled out and checked over (before it's ran) when I buy a gun. I can only imagine how long the wait would be at Walmart when everyone has to wait on background checks when purchasing a few boxes of ammo. I'm picturing the lines at Disneyworld when thinking about this.
Suppose the budget is cut for the offices that do these investigations. This happened in my state (VA) several years ago when we had an anti gun governor. The system backed up as waits for approval took half of a day. Again, this was just for gun sales. Imagine the backlog if every box of ammo required a check and no new funding was implemented.
Ammo serialization is registration. There's no other way to say it, and those defending the scheme cannot pretend that's not the intention. In order for the program to work, all of the ammo purchase forms must be turned over to the government. They must have the information to match the purchaser with the bullet or casing recovered at a crime scene.
The issue that most of us have is that the government will now know what caliber of firearms you have, and how much ammo you buy per year. This is a bit intrusive. I buy ammunition for the entire family as shooting is our thing. I also buy it for the new shooters that I take to the range (they reimburse me). It's not hard to see that someone like myself would end up being flagged in the system.
Then there is the effectiveness of the serialization scheme. Ammunition would be made and sold on the black market just like every other illegal material. Reloaded ammo would be available to the career criminals that always plague our society. The bullets would no doubt come from their own molds and the cases from the floor of the closest range. As the serial numbers on recovered cases would be in the system, we'd see innocent people have their doors kicked in by the police.
So how hard is reloading? Not at all. Remember that we have high school dropouts creating meth labs in their homes. Only a fool would believe that reloading would be beyond their skills. Just as there is a black market for drugs, there would be a pipeline for powder and primers in the criminal world.
Let's talk about reloading. Ammo serialization would essentially make reloading illegal. Once again we would see law abiding citizens punished for the crimes of others.
Online ammo sales would also be illegal. This would do a couple of things. Naturally it would make ammunition more scarce. The lines and inconvenience at the local gun stores and/or Walmart would be massive, and convince some retailers not to sell ammo.
There would also be added costs for the manpower involved in a store having to run checks on bullet sales. This would be prohibitive for many businesses unless they greatly raised their prices.
We'd see most of those that sell ammunition dropping this product.
BTW, did I mention that there's literally billions of rounds of ammo already in the hands of American citizens? Have I stated that it will last for decades if stored at room temperature?
A lot of people haven't heard of Ammunition Accountability. That will change. None of these gun control schemes ever go away. They're recycled every few years under a different name or by some new politician. The articles below are a couple of years old, but the information is still relevant. We'll see this program surface again, and gun owners should remain wary.
Ammo accountability is just another backdoor method of registration, and a means to inconvenience people into not buying firearms and ammo. You could actually say that it's a way to strip a civil right from citizens under the guise of crime control.
Am I really concerned about this program today? Not really. The anti gunners have plenty of other schemes that they're trying to pass. We should concentrate on opposing them but still remain vigilant for new feel good laws like Ammunition Accountability.
http://www.wnd.com/2008/12/83210/
http://rightsoup.com/the-ammunition-accountability-act-proposed-legislation-in-18-states/
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Their Propaganda vs Ours
This was a pretty interesting video. You learn a lot about another culture from their propaganda.
I'll be honest. I don't see a lot of difference between this video and some of the programs I watch on MSNBC.
Monday, March 11, 2013
In The News
Combat Handguns vs Snubbies
Gun Grabbing Hypocrite
New Combat Scope For Marines
DHS Is Buying Even More Guns
Confessions Of A TSA Screener
Gun Banner Buys AR15 And M1911
Media Ignores The Story Behind The Jobs Report
Ohio Voter Rolls Are Bloated
Smart Guns Fantasy
Gun Control Hypocrite Buys AR & Mags After Testifying For More Gun Laws
Bills To Raise Firearms Taxes
North Korean Television Propaganda About USA
Obama Election Most Likely Won Through Voter Fraud
AWB Just The Beginning
Parks Dept Trying To Make Cuts Feel Worse
No Jews On NYC Jury?
White House Aides Owe Back Taxes
46 Million On Food Stamps
Unemployment Rate Drops... 130,000 More People Quit Looking
A Great Rant And Truth
Gun Grabbing Hypocrite
New Combat Scope For Marines
DHS Is Buying Even More Guns
Confessions Of A TSA Screener
Gun Banner Buys AR15 And M1911
Media Ignores The Story Behind The Jobs Report
Ohio Voter Rolls Are Bloated
Smart Guns Fantasy
Gun Control Hypocrite Buys AR & Mags After Testifying For More Gun Laws
Bills To Raise Firearms Taxes
North Korean Television Propaganda About USA
Obama Election Most Likely Won Through Voter Fraud
AWB Just The Beginning
Parks Dept Trying To Make Cuts Feel Worse
No Jews On NYC Jury?
White House Aides Owe Back Taxes
46 Million On Food Stamps
Unemployment Rate Drops... 130,000 More People Quit Looking
A Great Rant And Truth
Sequestration
Where to begin? Let's discuss what the Sequestration is and isn't. It isn't really a decrease in spending despite so many of us using the word "Cuts."
The 2013 spending will be at least the same as that of 2012. There will still be an increase in our government spending both this year and the next (and on and on). The Sequester only cuts 2.4% from the spending increases. This 2.4% is roughly $85 billion. About $44 billion of that will be in this year.
So let's put that $85 billion in perspective.
We have a $3.6 trillion dollar budget.
We are currently borrowing $85 billion dollars per month from ourselves. That's right. We're buying $85 billion dollars of our own debt on a monthly basis. For some odd reason those that used to buy most of our debt are pulling back on their purchases.
They're now buying gold. I won't even go into what that says about their faith in our economy and economic plans.
We cut $700 billion dollars from Medicare in order to help fund Obamacare. Somehow those that are worried about the cuts today missed the memo on the Medicare cutbacks in 2009.
The 2013 spending will be at least the same as that of 2012. There will still be an increase in our government spending both this year and the next (and on and on). The Sequester only cuts 2.4% from the spending increases. This 2.4% is roughly $85 billion. About $44 billion of that will be in this year.
So let's put that $85 billion in perspective.
We have a $3.6 trillion dollar budget.
We are currently borrowing $85 billion dollars per month from ourselves. That's right. We're buying $85 billion dollars of our own debt on a monthly basis. For some odd reason those that used to buy most of our debt are pulling back on their purchases.
They're now buying gold. I won't even go into what that says about their faith in our economy and economic plans.
We cut $700 billion dollars from Medicare in order to help fund Obamacare. Somehow those that are worried about the cuts today missed the memo on the Medicare cutbacks in 2009.
Obama Pardons The Sequester. Supporters Cheer
I thought that I was just an average guy, but apparently I've been going through life as an interviewer for the last 5 years.
After watching these videos it's apparent that Obama's supporters are universally uninformed (the nicest way to say it).
At least their behavior was acceptable. I consider it better than what I see from most of their peers on the Left. This small group should be congratulated for knowing how to behave in public.
Yes, I'm setting the bar very low and trying hard to find a redeeming feature in the people above. It came down to behavior or hygiene.
I've watched this video a few times, and just don't get that Chris Mathews tingle.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
In The News
100,000 Christians Flee Egypt
US Gives FIghter Jets To Egypt
41% Of Dems Believe That Obama Should Be Able To Kill People On American Soil
FL Spring Breaker Pees On Officer's Lunch
How To Cure Common Shooting Mistakes
Hell Yeah... How It Should Be Done
Another Anti Gun Politician With A Criminal Record
S&W's Earnings Trippled Last Quarter
White House Lying About Halting Vaccines Due To Sequester?
Anger Management Classes Before Being Able To Buy Ammo
Islam 101
New Jobless Rate: Little Change Since 2012
Vz58 vs AK47
Tyranny Not Around: 2nd Amendment Not Necessary
Veterans Cannot Be Trusted With Hi Cap Mags
Police Can Be Trusted With Hi Cap Mags
Feinstein Thinks All Vets May Have PTSD\
Protesters Burn Christian Homes In Pakistan
Letter From A Red Neck Farm Kid In The Corps
Pro Gun Voters Put Heat On Dem Senators
The Truth About Assault Weapons
Are You Black?
Saudis Sentenced To Death By Crucifixion And Firing Squad
US Gives FIghter Jets To Egypt
41% Of Dems Believe That Obama Should Be Able To Kill People On American Soil
FL Spring Breaker Pees On Officer's Lunch
How To Cure Common Shooting Mistakes
Hell Yeah... How It Should Be Done
Another Anti Gun Politician With A Criminal Record
S&W's Earnings Trippled Last Quarter
White House Lying About Halting Vaccines Due To Sequester?
Anger Management Classes Before Being Able To Buy Ammo
Islam 101
New Jobless Rate: Little Change Since 2012
Vz58 vs AK47
Tyranny Not Around: 2nd Amendment Not Necessary
Veterans Cannot Be Trusted With Hi Cap Mags
Police Can Be Trusted With Hi Cap Mags
Feinstein Thinks All Vets May Have PTSD\
Protesters Burn Christian Homes In Pakistan
Letter From A Red Neck Farm Kid In The Corps
Pro Gun Voters Put Heat On Dem Senators
The Truth About Assault Weapons
Are You Black?
Saudis Sentenced To Death By Crucifixion And Firing Squad
Friday, March 8, 2013
Ruger LCR Leads The List
I was looking at the stats for this blog and see that almost 25% of my traffic is for the Ruger LCR review. The Kahr CW9 review is up next and is followed by the Kimber Stainless Target II. The fourth most viewed post is my write up of the S&W Airweight.
Three out of four of the most viewed topics on this blog are reviews of CCW guns. This reinforces what I'm seeing day to day. A lot of people are getting concealed carry guns, and I have several people ask me about getting their CCW permit every week.
We are becoming a very well armed society.
Three out of four of the most viewed topics on this blog are reviews of CCW guns. This reinforces what I'm seeing day to day. A lot of people are getting concealed carry guns, and I have several people ask me about getting their CCW permit every week.
We are becoming a very well armed society.
Buck Vantage Review
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| Buck Vantage Select - Small |
Blade length: 2.63" (2 5/8")
Overall length: 6.25"
Closed length: 3.75"
Handle material: Glass reinforced nylon
Pocket clip: Tip up carry, reversible, stainless steel
Deployment: Flipper
Blade steel: 420HC
Weight: 2.3oz
In spite of this knife's good qualities, I give it a "Meh." It's just not for me.
Let's start off with what I like about this Buck Vantage Select. It's very sharp out of the box. This should be a given, but I've gotten a few dull knives over the years. It is always a surprise and a bit disappointing. That's not an issue with this folder.
Lock up is tight on the Vantage. There's absolutely no movement when the blade is deployed.
It is an attractive knife without looking gaudy or tactical. Sometimes you don't want to carry something that screams ninja/operator/Rambo. Coworkers can sometimes be stupid about pocket knives, and this is more office friendly than some models on the market.
The handle while small, has a good shape.
Blade centering on this knife is good.
The pocket clip is reversible for left or right handed carry. It's attractive and allows for deep carry. I really like the clip design on this little EDC knife, and wish that my other knives had a pocket clip that was this good.
BTW, you're stuck with tip up carry. That will be non issue for most buyers.
In case you didn't notice, this is a liner lock. I have a bunch of different EDC knives, and have never had an issue with a blade utilizing a liner lock. I've seen a few cheap flea market liner lock knives that could not be trusted to remain locked open.
This has not been my experience with Buck (or Kershaw) knives, and I trust them. Then again, I don't use my folders that hard. Get the right tool for the job. If you need fixed blade strength then it should go without saying that you should probably get a fixed bladed knife.
While small and inexpensive, this knife still feels solid and well made. I'm sure that the stainless steel liners, and tight lockup are the reason for this. I hate a loose, wobbly knife. They don't exactly inspire confidence while being used.
Deployment is fast enough if you give the Vantage a good flick of the wrist. I like flippers, but am not really partial to any particular deployment mechanism.
The Buck Vantage comes in two different sizes and three different quality levels. I'll let you browse these sites since they sum it up better than I can.
Blade HQ
Buck Knives
The size, handle material, and blade material are the obvious components driving the price differences.
This is a lightweight knife that carries very deep. It's easy to forget that's it's there. The Vantage is sharp, and holds an edge well. You can't beat the price. There's a lot to like about this knife.
It's not perfect however, and it has a few things that I'm not crazy about.
1) I'd prefer a blackened clip. It doesn't make sense (to me) to have a shiny pocket clip on a knife that carries this deep. That's an issue that's easily fixed so it's not a biggie.
2) The blade on this Buck is short, and I usually prefer at least a 3" blade. A 3.5" blade is just about perfect in my opinion.
I knew what size the blade was when I bought it so that was my mistake. It was just too good of a deal to pass up. Buck has a version with a 3.25" blade for those that share my views.
I see this model as kind of a gentleman's folder. Most could carry it for office use without causing a lot of pants wetting hysteria from some of the more sensitive and over reacting members of our society. Every job has a few people that would rather spend the day making scenes, and throwing hissy fits instead of working. Pulling out a large folder just gives them another float in the crazy parade.
3) The handle is slick. It's a lot smoother than I like on my knives. It has a good shape, and that helps somewhat. There's a lot of Vantage models with different textures, and handle materials. I'd spend a few more dollars and get one of them if I could do it over again.
4) Blade centering can be iffy. I bought this Buck at Bass Pro Shops a couple of years ago and had to go through the entire rack before finding one that had decent blade centering. The rest looked like they were rubbing on the liners. This one is good, but I suspect that there were a lot of disappointed people that bought their Vantage's without being able to pick and choose.
I was back in Bass Pro Shops about a month ago and (knowing that this was coming up) went through the rack of Vantage Selects. All of them appeared to have perfect centering. It appears that Buck got the problem resolved. If I remember correctly, the manufacturer addressed this in a YouTube Shot Show interview. I'll post it if I run across it again.
5) Blade deployment can sometimes be poor. The flipper works OK if you can really give your wrist a hard flip. The flipper stud (?) needs to be slightly larger in my opinion.
You'll notice that the blade has a thumb hole instead of the usual thumb stud. The hole is kind of small and close to the scales. This makes it a little more difficult to use your thumb when deploying the blade. The 2 5/8" Vantage Select is a small knife, and it's hard to get around this. There's only so much blade material available for the thumb hole.
I put a zip tie through the thumb hole and this works great. You get very fast deployment when using the zip tie instead of just the thumb hole.
With the zip tie, it's even possible to use the wave method to open the blade when pulling it from the pocket. Be warned that it may wave whether you planned on it or not.
6) There's way too many choices (sarcasm). Buck has a lot of different models, sizes, colors, blade and handle materials. What to get?
7) When you buy a knife, defensive use is always a consideration. Hopefully it is never needed for this role, but you can't help but think about it.
The blade is short. Deployment is pretty good with the zip tie but may be iffy without it. The grip panels are too smooth. As a defensive blade this is a very mediocre (at best) pick. The 3.25" Vantage would clearly be a better choice if self defense is considered. To be perfectly honest that's too short as well (so sayeth the internets).
As I said earlier, I would consider this version of the Buck Vantage to be a gentleman's folder. I'd carry it in an office environment but would much prefer the larger version for EDC. A model with a better grip texture would be a huge plus for me (and after looking at Blade HQ's page, will probably be ordered).
I wouldn't want to use this model regularly with wet, sweaty, or oily hands.
Obviously I'm not a fan of the handle texture.
So that's it. This is a good little knife. Buck makes a better version that costs a few dollars more. That's the one that I would buy if I had to do it again. There's nothing wrong however with this model if you need a small, lightweight, and quality blade.
This little Vantage Select will do almost everything that I need a knife for. In spite of that I find it hard to get motivated about this folder. I just can't get past the slick scales and short blade. Hence the "Meh" rating.
This knife was passed on to a friend that likes it a bit more than I do. Had I kept it the Vantage, it would have ended up in an get home bag, tool box or glove compartment. I would probably have pulled it out when I had a job that would trash a more expensive knife.
Had I bought one the 3.25" models with better textured grips it would no doubt be in my EDC rotation.
Past Gun And Knife Reviews
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
In The News
Download This Gun
3D Printing Hi Cap Magazines
$100,000 Challenge
Picking A New Handgun
Obama's Golf Weekend Could Have Paid For 341 Furloughed Fed Employees
Every Single Bit Of Gun Advice Biden Gives Will Get You Arrested
NRA's New Contributor
170 Million Lost Jobs?
Hi Cap Mag Video Goes Viral
New Holocaust Info
Hunting Shotgun On The Ban List?
2012 Was Record Year For Handgun Permits
$6 Trillion Added To The National Debt
TSA Hiring Freeze Will Cause Slow Down & Longer Waits For Ass Checks And Gropings
Gun Control Has Historic Roots In Disarming Blacks
Piers Morgan Acts Like An Ass... Again
Final Protective Fire
Christians Under Attack In Egypt
Obama Admininstration Arms Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Webley Revolvers
Whiskey Accidently Flushed
Obama Signs Executive Order Ordering Sequestration
Glock Issues With The KPD?
DHS Purchases 2,700 Light Armored Vehicles For?
3D Printing Hi Cap Magazines
$100,000 Challenge
Picking A New Handgun
Obama's Golf Weekend Could Have Paid For 341 Furloughed Fed Employees
Every Single Bit Of Gun Advice Biden Gives Will Get You Arrested
NRA's New Contributor
170 Million Lost Jobs?
Hi Cap Mag Video Goes Viral
New Holocaust Info
Hunting Shotgun On The Ban List?
2012 Was Record Year For Handgun Permits
$6 Trillion Added To The National Debt
TSA Hiring Freeze Will Cause Slow Down & Longer Waits For Ass Checks And Gropings
Gun Control Has Historic Roots In Disarming Blacks
Piers Morgan Acts Like An Ass... Again
Final Protective Fire
Christians Under Attack In Egypt
Obama Admininstration Arms Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Webley Revolvers
Whiskey Accidently Flushed
Obama Signs Executive Order Ordering Sequestration
Glock Issues With The KPD?
DHS Purchases 2,700 Light Armored Vehicles For?
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