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Monday, December 31, 2012

Hey a Ford Modeo!

So this morning Tam over at VFTP notes she can get a Ford Mondeo with Jaguar frippery for pocket change. Well you can now, not so much in October 2001. 



Yes it is a capable AWD ride, but it has made a list of the worst 100 cars ever.  It does have all of this going for it though.....

Sorry Tam, I commented this AM it was a 6 speed. It is a five. 




  








Here far south of the Mason-Dixon sweet tea line, this dusting of snow becomes "OMG SNOWMAGEDDON"! The car does great, but I think you are better off with your new acquisition.  

Happy New Year to everyone! 

 


 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Colt Defender AAR

Well, considering the range was somewhat of a three ring circus today I was glad to get some rounds downrange with the new Colt

How did it go? Well with a pistol with a 3" barrel and an Aluminum receiver with the total system weighing 24 ounces or about 1.5 pounds, it was sorta uh, interesting shooting the .45 ACP cartridge. 

The only advice I have is to really figure out where to grab the pistol. It looks and feels like a traditional 1911, but it is not when you pull the trigger. I ended up with this after 50 rounds. 













I will admit I have small hands for a guy, but even with the stock honking huge Houge grips, you need to figure out where your hands go and hang on! The slide stop and safety lever will beat you up if you are used to a full steel Government Model unless you figure the grip out. 

So how did it do?  As expected from the Blue Dome. The trigger is smooth with a glass like break. The Novak sights were great. It has a lowered and flared ejection port and a upswept beavertail grip safety.

It took me some time to figure it out, but I think the Colt and I are getting there. From 7 yards. 






 










You will not win a Camp Perry match with it, but after no failure to feed or fire today I will run another couple hundred rounds through it. I will carry it and trust my life to it. It will be a perfect summer carry item.  I have already contacted T. Michael Hast over at the holster site to make me an OWB and IWB holster

And if I get a lane open tomorrow, we will shoot some more! 


Friday, December 28, 2012

Thunderbirds are Go!

Gerry Anderson passed away on December 26th this year.  A talented man that made puppets and Sci-Fi cool way back then. He made the phrase "Thunderbirds are go" a common catchphrase way back then.




I also commented some time ago here about another project he headed.  The TV series UFO.

The intro Youtube clip has died from that post. Here is another



Godspeed Sir. You were a talented person that brought worlds of wonder to me way back when.  Oh, the silver miniskirts count

Monday, December 24, 2012

Santa is Slipping a Bit it Seems

I think I have been mostly a good boy this year, but not good enough to rate this gift:













What's in there? Well a new My Little Pony, derp!  Sorry, just channeling some Erin Palette

Let's see what's in the box! 



 

 













I was stunned. Santa must be loosing it for giving me such a thoughtful gift! 





 













In .45 ACP of course.  So I read the manual.  Don't laugh, but I am not familiar with what looks and feels like a 1911 without a barrel bushing up front.

I ran across some comedy gold statements in it.  Take this for instance from page 1: "This Colt product is classified by the ATF Division of the IRS, U.S. Treasury Department, as a firearm or dangerous weapon; it is, therefore potentially lethal!"  Well, duh!  But wait, there's more!  We are up to page 21 after an exhaustive description of all the safety mechanisms.  Oh, here it comes, wait for it: "These safety devices are designed and installed in this pistol to prevent accidental discharge. Of course, this Colt pistol is designed primarily to discharge bullets, and it will do this efficiently when it is loaded and you squeeze the trigger..".  That's comforting and I am glad they cleared up the fact that this pistol does not discharge unicorn tears and rainbows! 
 

For the first time in a long time I am here in stately manor instead of spending Christmas Eve with family.  It's strange. I do have a lot to reflect upon, and am very blessed. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours and a range report is forthcoming! 

I am always glad to see this room and the people that live there at Christmas:






 



Oh, hey! NFO! Can I join the cool kids club now =) ?  It's not a New Agent, but should be close enough, right? 

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Christmas Shopping and Random uh, Stuff.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope the Holiday finds you with Family, friends, and in good cheer.

This Holiday has been sorta different here at stately manor. With the big honking project at work and working weekends I did not decorate the house or have my usual Christmas party for friends. Perhaps the Lionel train will have a chance to run next year

Shopping for Christmas is usually delivered FedEx. They did not disappoint.















So you may be asking what's up with the .32 S&W Long ammo?  Well a dear friend runs a old J Frame similar to this one. 



   













.32 Long is not something you just pick up anywhere (or anything else right now). Another friend needs the .380 ammo.

So tomorrow before I run around for Christmas, I get to go to the range and try out the CT Rail Master on my M&P.  It does not fit my holster anymore with this mod, so guess what. I'm carrying a classic tomorrow. 




  











A Colt Combat Commander in a old El Paso Saddlery rig.  The M&P gets to ride in a rug in the range bag for a change.  Hope it does not get used to it!

Today's fun?  Well it looked like this.














The new HAL is singing "Daisy" just enough to keep the plant from calling me at 0430 hours on Wednesday next week.  Still need to work on points for style as they say and much remains to be done.  As they say though, "perfect is the enemy of good enough".  Hopefully next week we will get him up to a point good enough to run but not predict a fault in the AE-35 unit. 

So, if you will excuse me after a long month of work a note to my CCH students last week.  The Sheriffs Office in Meckenburg County is saying that the next date open to accept applications for permits is now Feb. 5th as of yesterday. I fear it will get worse. 

Range owners presented me a gift today after work.  

If you will excuse me, I think I will go drive the remote on the TV and try some of this.


 

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A New Toy for Christmas!

One of the problems I have procuring gifts for friends and Family is that most of them are of a sort.  If they want something they just go get it.  I struggle coming up with meaningful gifts for them.  On the other hand, some people seem to just fall right into it.  The guys that work for me nailed one today.  They brought me this:




















A big honking Plano storage box for as they say "stuff" and a really impressive DVD collection on WWII.  I love these guys!  We are still working on the big honking project and although we are not there yet, progress has occurred.

Behold:



 














Two operator workstations are live and so is the scale in the background.  More work this weekend though.  


For funner stuff, here is a Crimson Trace Rail Master in Coyote Tan finish on a Smith and Wesson M&P VTAC. 













It appears that Tacticool color "Coyote Tan" is not Tacticool color "Flat Dark Earth".  No matter.  I doubt Better Homes and Handguns will be here anytime soon for a photo shoot!  

I know of the CT laser for the M&P that replaces the removable backstrap.  I really don't want to give up my custom stippled with a soldering iron backstrap, plus I don't know which size CT uses for the laser.  I have small hands for a guy.  I like this one.    
  
So I purchased it as a gift for Mr. Curmudgeon.  I of course need to test it before giving it to him, right?  

 


 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Meanwhile in a small closet

This lives. As the tag states; "don't assume anything".



Monday, December 17, 2012

A Friend and Garage II

So the 1966 Mustang (Angie) is back from the Doctors.


















I think I heard this in the garage tonight: 1971 (Mary), You are back, how are you? I was worried! 

Angie: The ambulance driver was great and I had a good ride to the hospital.  My arteries were clogged, my stomach needed to be pumped. I also had a crimp on my main artery going from my fuel tank to the carb.  They stuck a stint in but driver says he will replace it with a new complete stainless steel line soon. I'm great now! 

I hear you met Alice, I hope you did not give her a hard time. She's young. 

Mary: The only reason you say that is because drivers friend likes you more than me! You got physical way back then with her! Look:





 















Angie: The only reason she did not do the same picture with you is because you have that Ram Air stuff in the hood and air cleaner. 

Mary: You may be right.  Glad you are back!

Angie: Me too! 


So my friend did come by and she brought thoughtful gifts and our time together was too short as always.  Laughter, conversation, always so easy with her.  I think she comes by to see if I am a good steward of her work on the 1971 and the 1966 Mustangs. 


For my friend Angie (not the car) tonight I leave this little tune.    




Anthropomorphism. Guilty as charged.




 

 
  

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Overheard in the the Garage

So after what appears to be a total fuel system contamination on the 1966 Mustang for the first time in over 20 years she was moved not under her own power today for some therapy. 

A friend made a rare visit and wanted to ride in the 2013 Mustang. I obliged and since I took the cover off of the new one it was most expedient to put her in the empty spot in the garage next to the 1971 Mustang (the car, not the friend). When I wandered by the garage door from the kitchen I think I overheard this:


















1971 (Mary): Who the H**L are you and where is my sister? 

2013 (Alice): My name is Alice and I am a new member of the Family. Your older sister is at the doctors and our driver thought it would be ok for me to sleep with you tonight. We did have company tonight you know. 

Mary: Yes I know.  She always checks on me when she comes by.  I don't know about you here!  PFFFT, kids these days with the anti lock brakes, traction control, fuel injection, cruise control. Your rims are bigger than my tires! You don't even have a spare tire!

Alice: Oh come on. Let me stay here tonight. Your sister will be back soon, but I'm your sister too. See the family resemblance? I have a honeycomb front grill just like you, see?















 
















Alice: And I have a Pony up there just like you

Mary: Yours is so big it is almost trashy you floozey!

Alice: 1971's that were not Mach I's had one almost as big as mine. So there.

Mary: Well, if our driver says so. I await your stories. Where you have gone, who has been with you. I guarantee that my stories are much more interesting.  I have been up and down the east coast.  I have had small children sleep in the floorboard and use the seat as a pillow.  I have been full of young people at a drive-in and experinced the gymnastics of the passion of youth.  I have been to the brink of the laws of physics many times.  I have brought people together and I have always got them home safely. I will entertain young stories for a while.

You have won the lottery joining this family. You take care of him he will take care of you. Both of us were pronounced dead and he brought us back. Besides, I will still turn more heads on the road than you!

Alice: Maybe so. Good night sister! 

Mary: Good night.   

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Problematic at Best!

So after being sucked into the Sirius satellite radio thing after a trial subscription on the new ride I thought I could leverage it by shoving it from online PC to the PS3. No joy. It seems that the tech people at Sirius do not want you to do this and broke third party apps written to do so.

So I get one of these as it might have some value if I can move it between autos. It has more if I can jack it into my home system. Initial testing worked like this:


 













I was impressed that I could put the magnetic antenna on the Invisible Glass wipes canister and still get a signal from inside the house.  I live in "rural" land.  No terrestrial repeaters here.  Oh yeah, the 12VDC power supply is an old friend. I built it oh, 30 years ago.  Good enough to see if all the new fangled stuff works as I intend it to. 

So I have no remote, it works but I am not stuffing the magnetic antenna on any of the old rides.  Perhaps I can leave it on the dash.  No matter, I listen to the old rides song provided by themselves!