Pick a Pair Part Three

So my friends of high esteem throw out some interesting posts. Old NFO started it and the premise is simple:


You have 5 minutes…
The safe is open, the roads are blocked and you’re going to be walking…
For miles… Just you, your BOB (50ish lbs without ammo), and whatever you pick out of the safe…
Which pair do you pick?

Then Murphy's Law (I'm told he is an excellent driver) does a part two. 

Here is my post but with some constraints. I have several bugout locations with much more hardware than is currently here, so I selected among my limited long gun "in arms" reach hardware.  One bugout location has certain advantages over the other, but I will stay with this precept. 

Without further ado:

Number 1 

Winchester Classic Model 94 in .30-30 and Colt 1911 Commander in .45ACP (with CT laser and Trijicon night sights).

Number 2

M-4 Carbine in .223 with Aimpoint Pro optic and Troy sights. Smith and Wesson M&P VTAC with CT lightguard in 9mm.

Number 3

Winchester SXP Defender shotgun in .12 ga, Smith and Wesson Model 638-3 Airweight in .38 SPL. 

Number 4

Winchester Model 9422 in .22 Magnum, Colt Match Target Woodsman in .22 LR

Number 5

M1 Garand in .30 cal, Colt Defender in .45 ACP.

That was a fun exercise guys! Thanks a lot!

 
 



 

For My New Found Hometown Friend

BadgerMedic is a paramedic in my home town of Winston-Salem. He has been there for eight years or so. He comments on the Blog here occasionally yet I cannot find his if it exists. In an effort to help him assimilate I present the following map of downtown at the zenith of RJR Tobacco's reach. This is the actual map handed to me by the personnel department at the RJR building showing me where to go for the verbal interview after having passed the written test for my skill set:

Then we get to the new plant. I was part of the commisioning team for it.



I have lived here almost as long as I lived there. I miss it. 

I don't know if you get to the north end of town on your duties, but there are people there I care about still.

Enjoy your newly adapted City! Next time I'm up I need to give ya a tour =) 


















 

Well That Was Interesting. And Somewhat Surreal.

So I decided to play tourist in my own home town last night. Holed up across from the local altar of consumerism Hanes Mall. I have not stepped foot in it for well over a decade but remember shoving quarters in machines at the arcade so many years ago. I chose a Microtel in walking distance from the Outback restaurant and tried it out. What was once an interesting concept and presentation for a chain restaurant has now become a corporate mandated "Meh". I was pretending to like it, they were too. I'll try the old Japanese Steakhouse next time and see if I get the same.

The view from my third floor window with a daybed kept me entertained for the remainder of the evening. Gah. 

Today I drove by many old haunts from back in the day and most are still there yet subtly different. The most disturbing thing was driving by Whitaker Park. RJR at one time had public tours for this manufacturing plant and had these outside of it:

Now, the fountains are drained and no activity is there. 

However today ended on a high note. I visited Mr. and Mrs. Curmudgeon and Mr. Curmudgeon and I visited a local range. He got up close and personal with "Emily" the M1 I built at the CMP.





He said he liked it but would not want to run around with one all day on his back like he did *cough* some years ago.

Food was consumed, stories were told. now I'm back at stately manor. What a great weekend so far! Next time I play tourist I'm going to hang out at either the Embassy Suites downtown so I can play with the hipsters or the Green Valley. I don't know WHO I might play with at the latter =) 

      

So a Twist on an Old Story.

Today it was decided to get this back running and on the road.

The one on the right. A 1964 and 1/2 Coupe. It has a long tortured story over the decades it has been under my care. It should have not gotten to that point or involved lawyers but it did. Supposedly I am under a condition of the settlement with the "restoration" shop that did work for me in the past and held on to the car for A YEAR while this car was viewed as an asset to the business and it was sold. The car was already in perfect mechanical condition thanks to humble efforts and the year of sitting around in a body shop killed that. 

So, if you actually want a Mustang fender emblem PUT ON BACKWARDS on a NEW NOS Fender I can tell you there is a place in Walnut Cove that can do that. 

I look forward to seeing this car on the road again. This Mustang will at the end of the day be worth more than the other four here. It has great provenance and options including seat belts, back up lights, power steering, and A/C! 

Putting this on the rear valence will be a sweet victory. 

 

Can't wait!      

Punching the Geek Card....

In case you did not know it the second pilot (the first one was officially judged too cerebral by NBC) ordered by NBC for Star Trek TOS had a very special cinematographer. He showed up for the job interview and brought no resume, no cover letter. He showed up for the gig as a favor for a friend as he was retired. When the interview ran he simply said: "I did this little thing called Gone with the Wind".  Word. Best response for that job interview ever! 


Thanks Ernest B. "Ernie" Haller. 

Oh, the studios were owned by Desi Arnaz and his wife Lucille Ball. Star Trek was filmed after they separated and "Lucy" was running the studios.

My geek card should be good for a week or so! 

This Happened Today

A really cool mashup of graphics and audio of the Apollo 11 landing. 

 

Human Laser Toys...

These arrived today at stately manor in my absence. I'll run them through the paces sometime next week. Concealed Carry Handgun class tomorrow =).

 

A Question About Perceptions....

So tomorrow I will wander off to teach a "Handgun Familiarization" class. This class assumes (correctly it seems most of the time) that the students have never touched a handgun. Much hay has been made over "gun culture version 1.0 vs. version 2.0." 

I get that. So my questions for tonight. I know anyone that wanders by here is a gunnie I think, but.....


I show up in 5.11 pants, boots, and some shirt that says I can do this. I would be a poster boy for gun culture 1.0 and SWPL. The classroom is fantastic and then I pull this stuff out:

So, my questions are: 

Should I tone down the apparel? Just show up in some jeans and maybe an Oxford shirt?

Second. If you look at the picture above you will see a preponderance of Smith and Wesson hardware. 

So, if you were taking a "this end of the handgun is where the bullet comes out" class from me would you interpret the hardware as an endorsement for that manufacturer? I do go get a Glock Gen 3 something and a Beretta 92FS from the range and present them as well, but this post is about perceptions. I only have this 5 hour class to introduce these people to this. I do tell them that I payed for everything and nothing is on "T&E" from the manufacturer. 

What say you? Mix it up more? I'm worrying too much, something in between? 

I strive to make my classes better and any feedback would be appricated. Hell, you want to sit in on a class and give feedback? I'll buy ya Dinner.   



 

Looks like Smith and Wesson gave up on Insight

For the Bodyguard line of handguns. First they seem to have rebranded them into the M&P line and then announce they are now available with Crimson Trace lasers. As an early adopter of this .380 after less than a satisfactory experience with the *-Tek something .380, I picked one of these up when first introduced.  Make no mistake, the trigger is like pulling a sled through a gravel pit, but for what it is and what it does I find it acceptable. Besides, if I put this in a pocket holster I WANT a long trigger on it. Real Estate there is probably not worth as much as I think but.....

Although I think a laser on a "bad breath" distance defensive handgun is a bit superfluous I payed for it and it should work. This is Insight laser #3 on this thing. S&W replaced it free every time. 

Interesting to see that Crimson Trace has stepped up to replace the Insight laser it seems.





Looks like a drop in so S&W did not have to change anything except the laser branding on the lower. Wonder if they will send me one and is it really a direct replacement? Looks like it.  

Oh, +1 on the "Don't look at laser with remaining good eye" stickers on the video! Heh...

Hey Murph!

Murph! We need to check this out! It is close to ya and I can teach you how to wear a sport jacket after 5PM if you want to hang out there =)You can teach me about "driving."

Sigh... Everyone is Offended Now.

So New Zealand Airlines comes up with a new safety video using swim suit models. A bunch of people get bent.





They pull the video. Sigh... I at times figure things were better when you were glad to be on an aircraft going where you wanted to go (well except with ML, I did not know where I was going but did not care). 

From 1972 here is this commercial. 




What the hell happened? Is everyone offended at everything now? I'm more offended that the #2 Engine appears to need some compressor work here. 

Some Days are Like This

First we start off with my friends at Elite Training doing what they do. Here is a qual course of fire for armed security at someplace that has a bad habit of cars moving at high speeds and taking a left turn:



Then to my friend at the range that split an order of magazines with me. 

Thanks! I always say it is not the arrow most times it is the Indian. It DOES help if you have a good arrow though!

Then back to amazingly domestic. Hey Nancy! Am I doing this right? 

Hey, I Fixed It!

After Tamera pointed out that I had installed the rear sight *ahem* backwards along with others on the M-4, I corrected it. Others chimed in here and on the book of face. Thanks. That is what makes this special. Everyone is helping me learn. That is awesome!

I posted this pic on the book of face a couple of hours ago. I don't know if people are impressed with the M-4 or the fact I actually have kitchen utensils or a legit retro bread box =) 

   



 

If One Starts Drinking the Kool-Aid...

It seems you can't stop! After Murphys Law sent me a simple link to somewhere in Idaho to purchase a kit M-4 stamped with a North Carolina address I drank. That was not enough. Now for a rear sight, an optic, and magazines. 

Aimpoint PRO red dot. Ok, so far so good. Now for the rear iron sight (or as the tacicool kids call it the BUIS). Another person from the usual gang of suspects Old NFO suggested Troy for that. Done:

 



















Now for some magazines. Many friends said the same thing. So Magpul gen 3 30 round mags to start. 

Only one thing left. I need a sling and a better collapsible stock. Commercial buffer tube here (I am a quick study if so motivated =). Need a sling too. Anyone have suggestions for my pedestrian beater M-4? 

 



 

Gun Skool!

Well, maybe not. I don't appear to have the operator operating operationally skills to do this stuff:

Anybody spot the problems here? Sigh... Its hard enough to teach the right way. I don't need this. Its not helping. 

Independence Day REPOST

Today marks the founding of our Country. Brigid comments on the sacrifice of many for us to be who we are as a Nation.

For me today was somewhat therapeutic. Remembering those that gave all. How sad that the politically correct term for today is now "the 4th of July" instead of what it is. A turn away from tyranny won with blood.

So I finished up on this:

This mark is the Imperial Japanese chrysanthemum. It was placed on this rifle to state that it was the personal property of the Emperor. Much like the Enfield that bore the mark of the Crown. 

It is interesting to note that this battle rifle had the mark of a person upon it, an allegiance to one man. This one does not.

The M1 Garand nomenclature bears no mark of a person, just a Nation. Simply put it says: "US Rifle".

My friends that gave me the Japanese battle rifle sent me an Email today: " I gave my Uncle a little heaven shout out this morning in honor of the 4th and his time served to this country". That is where it came from. The "mum" is not defaced, meaning that the rifle was not formally surrendered, some young man brought it back from horrible places and the worst of times. 

Let us never forget.  

More commentary on the M1 here.   

Happy Anniversary You Two!

A couple celebrated an Anniversary today. They have been together over 50 years. I am fortunate to know them. 

I hope they have many more years to go!

Sigh! Summer of Hardware is Over.

After the NRA-AM, the CMP M1 AMC, and building a M4, I'm done for the Summer. I do have this to show for it though.

I left the M1 Carbine with the CMP Custom Shop for a tech inspect and sighting in at 100 yds. Just got it back yesterday. It has a clean bill of health. They found the rear sight somewhat lacking and replaced it with the same period late model sight that was on it when I got it. 

So now after NFO's recommendation on a Troy rear sight for the NEW carbine and an Aimpoint PRO as well I'm done. 

I hope a mythical creature shows up here and drops a small stack of hundreds on the front porch before the Colt Collectors meeting here in October!