Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The .38 Special gets some respect

Couple of good posts:

Thoughts on the 5-shooter

Five for sure


I'm a long-time fan of the Special and especially the J-frame:

In Defense of the 38 Special

Holsters redux

The "Ayoob Files" in the July/August American Handgunner throws some valuable light on the holster controversy.

It's the story of a 71 year old retired Marine who took on two armed robbers in a Subway.

After the criminals got the money( including the Marine's wallet), they forced the store manager and our hero into the backroom. The Marine instantly recognized the danger and looked for his opportunity to defend himself.

He was able to draw his .45 Para, kill one robber, and sent the other cretin fleeing with a slug in his chest.

The good guys won that round even under adverse starting conditions.

What caught my eye was the "tactical rig" the Marine was using to pull off this victory.

"A cheap nameless cloth holster [worn] near the middle of his back."

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Pointless blog drama

Wow. James Rummel may be many things. "Irresponsible" would be way, way, way down on the list.

New argument, old problem. What advice should experienced shooters give to newbies? This time the subject is holsters. Some people are all hot and bothered because James suggested that the cash-crunched can make do with inexpensive nylon holsters. Predictable outrage followed from the usual quarters. Most of it misses the main point, the context, that James offers his advice:

The majority of people I help are dirt poor, and I'm also trying to keep them from spending much needed cash on uneedful things.


I've bought a boatload of holsters over the years. Most of them have been low-end Uncle Mike's. I rarely use them anymore, but i don't consider the money wasted. I got to try out a bunch of styles for a bunch of different guns. Eventually i figured out what worked for me. Then i could spend good money on quality merchandise confident that i was making an informed decision.

Plus, i've known people who carried in an Uncle Mike's for years. It works for them. How do i know? Because they CARRY in an Uncle Mike's. Since the first rule of gunfighting is Have a Gun, the Uncle Mike's seems to pass the critical test.


Related thoughts here:
Don't be French


First Handgun


More good sense on self defense

Monday, June 15, 2009

Great read

You Can't Have Too Many TOOLS - A Beginner's Foray Into Reloading


I first started reloading to save money. Then, i liked the idea of loading premium bullets. For a long time, neither one was a particularly good reason. Now, with ammo prices skyrocketing and inventories low, they make sense again.

The main reason i keep at it, though, is that i have an affinity for orphan or near-orphan calibers. If you shoot the .260 Remington or .41 Mag, reloading is the only way to get the maximum utility from your guns.