Mark@Sea

Yeah, and the reason is that a whole lot of people looked at a decade of declining temps, and quit buying Al's books/video. Answer me this, if the temperature has dropped on every major continent, if folks in Peru are freezing to death in the summer (southern hemisphere), Europe, America, Russia, China, and India are all experiencing record low temps, what particular spot on earth has become a blast furnace in order to bring the 'global average' up? Some folks are just educated beyond their intelligence.

Racism is getting to be like that movie field of dreams - if you really believe in it, you'll see the game. The rest of us are just gonna stand around asking WTF.

A u-haul isn't what they need to be loading....

This sort of thing used to be very common - in Stalins' time.

Make it a constitutional amendment, passed by a majority of state legislatures.

A UK paper is blaming freezing deaths on global warming. "...In a world growing ever hotter, Huancavelica is an anomaly. These communities, living at the edge of what is possible, face extinction because of increasingly cold conditions in their own microclimate, which may have been altered by the rapid melting of the glaciers." Apparently this microclimate extends worldwide. This may be the most amazing (albeit horribly misplaced) display of faith in the face of overwhelming contradictory fact that I've ever seen. If they can keep chanting "global warming" while people freeze to death, it explains a lot about their political theories. Facts? We don't need no steenking facts! Question; are they terminally stupid, or truly evil?

Mike, while home over Christmas I got my '60 Army out for a few rounds, and a visiting buddy went home with a pair of '58 remmies and a reb '44. My favorites are still the .36's though...

You're right, and thats' what I was trying to say when I called it the "Sherriffs model". The stepped cylinder of the pietta isn't historically accurate for that (1851) pistol, but then again the cut down barrel wasn't, AFAIK, made by Colt anyway. The brass-framed pistols were never made by Colt, that was an innovation in the iron-poor south. Pietta just went with the short barrel to add something to their product line. The 1849 is really a cute little bugger - the 'pocket pistol' of its' day.

I still like it, and if one comes my way cheap enough, I'll buy one. Meanwhile, when I need a pocket rocket I use a 1903 Colt. Guess its' had enough break-in, never have a problem with it.

Both are decently made pistols. I covet the euroarms piece, it has the cutouts for a shoulder stock (which I have). It is a repro of the Colt 1860 Army. The brass frame Pietta is a cut down, commonly called a "sheriffs'" model. Sorry, Moped, it isn't the pocket dragoon, which had a much smaller frame and grip, and was a 5 shot .31 caliber. Rough guess on value, assuming they are in excellent condition (check the bores for pitting) would be in the neighborhood of $85-100 for the Pietta, and 130-150 for the euroarms. They sell for more new, of course - but these are used, and not too many folks buying black powder pieces in this new era of hope and change, judging from the sales fliers I get occasionally. If you want to shoot them, you'll need some .457 round balls, #10 caps, and fffg black powder. I'd suggest starting around 28 grains per cylinder and working up to an accurate load. I'd also suggest the use of lubed wads (felt rounds).

One lesson I've learned is that AR lovers can be just as fanatical - and hard on 'heresy', as any other form of "true believer". That said, my wife, with NO experience with long guns, traded an m4gery for an m1 carbine, because the carbine felt better, fit better, and was easier for her to shoot. I was happy with her choice, at the range she's liable to need it the .30 carbine packs a heck of a wallop. Personally, I wouldn't trade an AR for a carbine, but would trade it in a minute for a Garand or M14. It's a rifle. It lends itself to lego-like modularity. The caliber isn't the best ever, nor is it the worst. I'd prefer .223 over 7.62x39, and 30-40 Krag. Maybe 45-70, depending. It isn't a deathray, nor the ne-plus-ultra of long gun design. Go with what works for you; I like the Garand, and am perfectly happy that others like the AR. I've owned and shot both, the Garand stayed, the AR moved on. Them that want to get into a p***ing contest over how much better their rifle is are either uneducated me-toos, or haven't seen how the old gal can shoot. Quick examination of the often noted differences between the two, and my take on 'em... Magazine capacity - Yep, yours holds 30 rounds. OTOH, I don't have to shoot something 5 or 6 times. Call it a draw. Ammunition weight - You can carry 2 or 3 times the ammo I can. True, but 1) I don't plan on hiking 20 miles a day, and 2) see my first point. Modularity - You can hang everything up to and maybe including a food processor onto the AR. Of course, after you do this, it weighs more than the M1, balances worse, and with the iron sights on my rifle, if I can see it, I can hit it. A nightscope would be a good thing, but other than that, I don't see much advantage. Ergonomics - The combinations of grips, handguards, stocks, sights, scopes, triggers, etc. etc. ad nauseum are nearly limitless for the AR. My take? You've got 1 chance in a thousand to find the 'perfect' combination. You'll spend half (or more) of your range time evaluating or adjusting or fiddling with something or another. I spend my range time improving my skills, not playing with my hardware. (not that playing with your hardware isn't fun, but... ) Hey, if the AR is your cup of tea, wonderful! I'll stick with coffee, thanks.

Looking at some of the stuff in the bill as it passed the Senate, I would be not-at-all surprised if a whole lot of states decided to take their ball and go home. I'm hopeful, even... because that would be preferable to what obamacare would do to our economy, our healthcare, our civil rights...

+1 Great Suggestion! Gee, people, keep it up and burglary will start to get some sort of stigma....

Well, he burglarized the wrong house, naturally he got his ticket punched. There, does that count?

The incident I referred to happened in south Florida. Unfortunately, there is no recourse, you cannot sue the prosecutor, even in very clear cut cases of misconduct - what we'd call criminal behaviour. Statistically, error rates in shootings are much higher for police than they are for joe average. I don't advocate giving police special powers to deal with gang members. Quit pushing 'politically correct' witch hunts and let common sense side with joe. Hmmm, a guy with a huge rap sheet gets his check canceled by a guy who maybe had a couple speeding tickets the last ten years? Self defense claimed? Well, what can we charge him with? Was it really self defense, or could the victim have avoided the incident? Heck, lets' throw the book at him and see if anything sticks. Seems like there are two different standards applied in court - if it is a known criminal, the jury is instructed that if there is any possibility he isn't guilty, he must be released. With Joe, if there is any possibility that he is guilty, he must be convicted. Thats' BS, it happens all the time, and it is the biggest bar to stopping real crime.

Our justice system was originally envisioned to prevent punishment of the innocent. It would work well in that regard, if it weren't for prosecutors and police who are determined to get a conviction at all costs, in order to further their career. Gang members aren't innocents. They are an evident threat. Killing, robbing - that's what they do. A while back, after a long period of threats against a citizen, a couple of (self-identified) gang bangers attempted to run over him on the street. The citizen defended himself with a firearm. A prosecutor kept him in jail for a couple of years before the trial - where the jury found him innocent. The gang burnt his house down, he lost his job and everything he owned. This is justice? This is due process? I'm with Jamie. Catch 'em in the act, hang 'em on the spot. Don't hammer the guy who defended himself. Personally, I'm a very believing person. You tell me you're going to come by and kill me sometime? I believe you. Thus I have no problem with shooting you dead on the spot. Self defense.

Due Process is the process whereby the gang member (IF he gets caught), after killing your wife at the ATM, or your kid in a driveby, takes a 2 to 5 stretch. Unless it gets plea bargained away, or the jury is intimidated. Due Process is the process where a guy with a rap sheet 4 pages long gets released back to the community, and kills again within a few days. Thats' tragic, but thank heaven his civil rights were upheld. Too bad about the victims' civil rights, but hey, thats' due process for you. As far as shooting 'em on sight, its' just too bad there isn't some means of identifying them. Some telltale marking, or clothing, perhaps...

Hey, got a couple kids and a nest of copperheads under the steps? Well, be sure and kill only the ones that are about to strike, 'cause killing them all would be wrong.

Moral relativism rears its' head. No, that approach doesn't make us "no better than them". Killing in self defense isn't murder, either - and not seeing the difference is a large part of why we are where we are today. Unless you're making the case that gang members aren't a danger to us, and gang activity isn't a danger to our society, that sentiment is the dumbest thing I've heard today. Of course, the day is young...

And the powers-that-be don't want to win either battle. If the crisis were gone, a whole lot of people would suddenly get very interested in the personal liberties we've lost. A whole lot of federal, state and local enforcement agencies would lose a very significant portion of their budget. A whole lot of lawyers would be out a steady source of income. Franklins' quote about trading liberty for safety - well, there will always be some willing to go along, as long as there is a perceived threat. Government and bureaucracy, like anything else, wants to grow - and a "crisis", manufactured or otherwise, is the best fertilizer. There is another quote concerning the best fertilizer for "the tree of liberty", yet politicians get away with multi-million dollar bribes, attacks on the Bill of Rights, influence and vote peddling, absolute ignorance of the Constitution and its' checks and balances... Hold them responsible. Not to some showboat "ethics" committee, not to a future election (where they'll simply slide over to a politically appointed position) but to the people. Treat attacks on the Constitution as a crime, instead of consequence-free treason. As for the (other) gang problem... Alexis De Tocqueville wrote that the lack of crime in America was due to the willingness of every citizen to pursue, apprehend, and when necessary punish offenders. As long as this is punished (frequently more harshly than the crime that was committed), we'll have a crime problem. When and why did 'vigilante' become a bad word? As it is, killers get made into role models instead of examples. Lawyers, judges, celebrities, and politicians practically fight to see who can get the most mileage out of "the plight" of those individuals and groups who violently attack us. The citizen who takes arms to defend himself, his family, his home or property is, in many cases, guaranteed that his life will be destroyed by the system as a punishment. Prosecutors give the criminals a pass in order to attack the innocent. At worst, they face losing an election - we face losing our lives, one way or another. Maybe thats' why the Lone Ranger wore a mask. I would, if I were in his boots.

Sue reports 6 inches and counting, been without power since 6 pm yesterday. This isn't a problem Here in Charleston, it has stopped raining. Momentarily, at least.

Ammo problem. Just a step above a squib load, not enough power to cycle the slide. Mag problems show as fail-to-feed. Cleaning mags occasionally is a good idea, too. I avoid magtech like the plague, by the way.

I swear to you, I'm not making this up... Browsing the racks (In this case their "Bargains - clearance - rack) at Barnes and Noble tonight. I had to get a picture of this... Got to tell you, I agree with the clerk... Edit: I missed it originally, but the book on the lower left... should've got that one in frame too.

Somehow, the image of a pastyfaced, skinny, vegetarian PC Santa just. You know, some people just can't recognise a golden opportunity tos hut the heck up. I hope this sanctimonius, self righteous prick doesn't have kids - or hope he does and they hear how dad hates Santa.

We actually have machetes and axes aboard to part lines. Only safe way to do it, when it is under a strain. And yes, their 'authority' extends to turning it over to regular police.