Category: Guns

Guns

It wasn’t so long ago that my brother had an online business called The Holster Shack. He sold holsters and firearm accessories, which included magazines for pistols and rifles, ammo for pistols, shotguns and rifles, scopes, range bags and all kinds of shit that firearm owners would be interested in.

I signed on as an unofficial promoter. It was my job to run the business’s Facebook page and keep people entertained. We had more than 5,000 followers. All were firearm owners and fans of the Second Amendment.  Many were current and former Military personnel and many were NRA members.

One article I wrote and posted on there had to do with my belief that firearms are weapons and should be classified as such. This started a huge argument between NRA members and Military personnel.

The NRA takes a very fierce position that firearms are not weapons, firearms are merely tools that can be used as weapons. The Military feels strongly that firearms are weapons and should never be classified as tools.

The NRA members were saying things like, “anything can be used as a weapon, anything at all.” as if this justified their position that firearms are not weapons, but tools. They’re not wrong, anything can be used as a weapon. But, when you think about it, pretty much everything is a tool.

My cell phone is a tool, my computer is a tool, my chair is a tool, this shot glass of whiskey is a tool.. All these things can be used as weapons, but they were not specially designed for that purpose.

The Military personnel in that argument felt that calling a firearm a tool and denying that it is a weapon was undermining the deadly seriousness of firearms. Of course a firearm, like everything else, is a tool. But firearms, no matter how they’re marketed–like “Uh, this one is meant for target shooting and this one is meant for hunting.”–are  designed to be weapons.

I’m very much in agreement with the Military on this. Firearms are weapons. They are designed to kill. No matter how you use them, there is no denying what they’re meant for. Firearms are serious, deadly, dangerous weapons.

Guns

This isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. I just want to talk about it, because I keep encountering people who don’t know the difference between an automatic weapon and a semi-automatic weapon.

An automatic weapon fires multiple rounds per trigger pull.

A semi-automatic weapon fires one round per trigger pull.

Automatic weapons are Military hardware and, I think, the police have them too. I think most modern Military infantry rifles have selective fire, which means they can be set for automatic, three-round burst or semi-automatic.

Since the Reagan years, it’s illegal to sell automatic weapons to civilians. Some people own them, but they were likely purchased before the ban.

I don’t mind that automatic weapons aren’t available to civilians. I see automatic weapons as wastes of ammo. Firing multiple rounds per trigger pull, you probably missed your target a few times.

I’m also fine with the idea of outlawing kits, bump stocks and whatever else that can make a semi-automatic fire as a full-auto. I had thought these things were already illegal, but then I was hearing that they’re not. So, I guess they’re legal. Which doesn’t make sense. If there’s already a ban on automatic weapons, why then are you allowed to convert your semi-auto to a full-auto?

Again, this isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. It’s just what I was thinking about this morning.

Guns

Back in November, I was talking to my dad about how I wanted to get a 24-inch slug barrel for my Mossberg 500. My 28-inch barrel just felt too long and I wasn’t crazy about the bead sights. I wanted something with a big blade sight, and since I prefer to use slugs, a slug barrel would serve me better.

I felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story as I unwrapped this gift from my mom and dad today. I switched the barrels as soon as I got home.

Guns

From left to right, the rounds are a .357 Magnum, .380 ACP, 9mm, .22lr, .40 S&W, .38 Special, 10mm and .22 WMR.

.22lr is the smallest and lowest priced. That’s why .22lr is good for target practice. But, believe it or not, this tiny caliber is good for defense too. I know, some people say a .22 isn’t going to do you any good in a life or death situation, but that’s bullshit.

As with any caliber, it really depends on shot placement. And in many cases, it doesn’t even depend on that. Your attacker would have to be special kind of nut to keep coming after you while you’re pointing a gun at him, no matter what caliber you’re using. But if he’s armed too, he might shoot back, and in that case you’ll want to put him out of action as quickly as you can.

It’s true that bigger calibers can hit the target with more impact, and the wider the projectile, the bigger the hole. But if a .22 is what you have, or prefer, it’ll do you just fine.

A nice thing about .22lr is there’s hardly any recoil. Though some pistols might not be as comfortable as others. A model I really like is the Ruger SR22. It’s comfortable in my hand and the white-dot sights are easy for me to see.

.380 ACP is about same length as .22lr, but it’s a wider bullet. .380 is about the same width as 9mm. I’ve fired .380 in a few different pistols. .380 is not a really powerful round, but one of the pistols I fired the caliber from acted like it was a .45 or something. That sucker would try to flip out of your hand when you pulled the trigger. You had to hold it extra tight.

Other .380 pistols I’ve used were comfortable and easy to handle. I like the Cobra Denali. It’s a cheap pistol, but I like how it handles. Another .380 model I like is the Glock 42.

I think Cobra may have gone out of business. I can’t find their website anymore. There’s a store page up, but that’s not the official business site they used to have. So, if you had to choose between a Cobra Denali and a Glock 42, go for the Glock. And there are a number of other makes and models that are just as good.

For any pistol and caliber, you’ll have people criticizing the make and model and telling you the caliber is worthless. They’ll tell you to buy something else. They’ll even hook their thumbs in their suspenders and boast about how much experience they have.

Don’t listen to those people. I’ve found time after time that I simply can’t trust critics. Often they’ve never even used the pistol they’re trying to steer you away from. And what doesn’t work for someone else, might work wonderfully for you.

If there’s a pistol or caliber you’re interested in, you’re the only one who can decide if it’s right for you.

Guns

I got a sling on my break-action .20 gauge shotgun. The swivels are meant for bolt-action rifles, but they work fine on shotguns like this.

I was going to put a sling on the Mossberg 500 too, but for pump and semi-automatic shotguns it’s a little different. Although the swivels I bought say on the package that they fit most pump and semi-auto shotguns, the part that you screw on the end of the tube is way too small for a .12 gauge. It doesn’t say anywhere on the package what caliber it’s for, but looks like it would be the right fit for a .410. So now I gotta get a .410 pump or semi-auto shotgun.

The other day, my dad and I stopped by the hardware store in Davison because my dad needed some pipes. The owner, Dave, was my FFL dealer. Dave was working the register the other day. He told us he’s not selling guns anymore and that he recently sold the hardware store. He’s still there for the time being, but he’ll be moving out soon.

I’m disappointed about that. I preferred to buy from Dave because he knew my dad and he’d gotten to know me. I don’t like the idea of buying guns from FFL dealers who don’t know me. Years ago, when I went to buy a shotgun, the dealer mistook my cerebral palsy for drunkenness and was asking why I was weaving from side to side. He also couldn’t understand why I had trouble reading the form or hearing him. It was explained to him, but he wasn’t convinced. He believed I was drunk or on drugs. It was pretty humiliating.

With Dave, it was easy and relaxing. He was understanding about my disabilities.

So, guess I have to find another FFL dealer.

Guns

Finally. An Uncle Mike’s size-15 IWB. I’ve been trying to find one for a while now. Every time I wanted to buy one, all the right hand ones were sold out and I’m not left handed.

I’ve had the size-1 for my .380 for a couple years. I really like how thin it is. It’s not much thicker than a shirt and it’s comfortable in my waistband. I wanted a size-15 for my 9mm because all the other IWBs I’ve tried were stiff and they would pull my waistband too tightly around my guts.

A concern people have about carrying larger pistols in thin holsters like these is the holster will not be strong enough to hold the pistol. That might be true if you’re carrying outside the waistband in a thin holster. But these holsters go inside the waistband. They’re held between your body and pants, and they’re clipped to the waistband. They’re not going to fall.

I’m telling you, with this holster I’m very comfortable carrying my 9mm in my waistband. It doesn’t feel much different than a tucked in shirt. I knew this was the holster I needed and I was right.

If you’re interested in Uncle Mike’s IWB holsters, first go to unclemikes.com and use their Holster Finder. From there, you can look up hundreds of pistol makes and models and the site will tell you which size holster is right for your pistol.

Guns