A Tremor in The Force

Today's range session resulted in one, and only one, F.A.S.T. run under nine seconds (8.22 seconds and my best time ever.) I shot it clean although I felt like I was totally out of control, particularly while shooting the 8" circle with four rounds. I don't remember looking at the sights, but I must have; otherwise, even at 7 yards, all four rounds would not have landed in.

It's little things like this that give me hope.

The rest of the efforts resulted in the usual fumbling about the ten second mark.

I also signed up for a class with Todd Green today... "Aim Fast. Hit Fast." Looking forward to that event.

LaserLyte Trainer

I just got this thing. It emits a very short pulse of red laser light when the hammer falls.

The short time I've used it already indicates that it will pay dividends. One simply cannot have too much trigger control and as we all know, that's where it's at.

I have the companion target on order as well and will report on it then.



LaserLyte

Is Anyone Else Looking Forward to the 8th?

Light a Candle

I am.

A Very Generous Offer

A Girl and Her Gun has made a very generous offer to any female out there, who hasn't received any previous firearms training, to help them pay for some firearms training.

The odds of an old(er) brute like me, living in a relatively crime-free area of the country ever needing a handgun are remote. My gender, ingrained situational awareness and physical size don't make me a likely target. (I still carry though as I'm told the Devil doesn't make appointments.)

Unfortunately, as we all know, women, regardless of where they may live, are much more likely to be targeted by the criminal element. This is why I am a huge advocate of CCW. I firmly believe it is women who stand to benefit the most from concealed carry.

Those who choose to carry though, must know deep in their heart they will pull the trigger should it ever be necessary. Otherwise, leave the gun at home.

If you know a gal who meets the requirements listed above, get her entered in the drawing!

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma Research Foundation

It's pretty sneaky stuff. Get your pressure checked. It's quick and painless. Just a little puff of air.

waaah-BOOM!!

The range session today was interrupted by an extraordinarily loud BOOM! The air smelt of sulfur and my left cheek stung a little. The 1911 wasn't locked back but the slide wasn't fully forward either. A wisp of smoke curled out from the ejection port.

My hands stung a little.

Just two mags into the session and I felt like the gates of Hell had just opened.

Fortunately the CQB appeared to survive the blast in one piece.

The poor little Tripp CobraMag's guts were blown to who-knows-where. (although I did find what was left of the floorplate later on.) I calculate that the mag internals were ejected at approx 23,458 FPS and brushed the palms of my hands ever so slightly as they ejected.

No wonder my hands stung.

No doubt it was a double charge of W-231.

Playing with the SDB when I got home, I found that if I jittered the ram handle up n' down a little with the ram fully extended, it was possible to dump more powder into a case. This happens when the primer tube decides to dump its load into the SDB, tying up the press but good.

I normally push the "reset" button in such cases and dump powder out of cases etc and start all over when such a malfunction occurs. But somehow something slipped by.

I've been reloading for a strong 45 years now and this is the first mishap. Up until now, my experiments led me to believe it wasn't possible to double charge a case on the little SDB but today's experiment proved otherwise.

The SDB is a great little press but the primer feed is a little hokey, depending on a small plastic ring to hold back the horde of primers in the feed tube. It is a wear item and they DO wear out regularly.

Maybe it's time to upgrade to the XL650? I've been lusting after one for years now.

So other than some mildly abraded hands and 7 little wounds on my left cheek, I came out of it in good shape. I did find the case. It was blown out just ahead of the web, the classic "blow out." I don't know what I did with it though. Probably pitched it over the fence in disgust. (I was in moderate mental disarray for a few minutes.)

It's not something I want to repeat though. Ever.

Heinlein on Labels

"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." -- Robert Heinlein

"If in doubt, post a Heinlein or a Cooper quote." == me