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! 

 


  . 

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! 

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! 

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? 

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.

 

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?  

 


 

Meanwhile in a small closet

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