A Full Day At My Sportsman's Club

Initial Fishing Outing

Yesterday morning the 15th I got up at 04:30 to go fishing at the club pond. It's about 3 acres in size and has a stream feeding it and an outlet to maintain water levels. It is stocked with trout, but there are plenty of bass, yellow perch, and large bluegills in there, and that's what I fish for. All my tackle has crimped barbs on the hook because I do catch and release. I grabbed a quick shower, got dressed, and went outside to get the chickens out for the day and the coop cleaned. I made a commuter mug of coffee, grabbed my gear, and headed out to the club.

I got there around six, and had a line in the water by 06:15 while it was still kind of dark. Being that this was my first outing of the year, I spent some time the night before making sure everything was ready to go. The line on my reel was changed late in the season last year so it was still good. I use Sufix 832 Advanced Superline. Its a fine braided line and I get the dark green that disappears in the water. 20lb test for the size of 6lb monofilament.

I have the remains of a 600yd spool I bought a few years ago and not knowing what was left I bought another 300yd spool at Cabela's a couple of weeks ago. I have more than enough now. I also have a line winder device so it places line on my reels in the proper orientation so it pays out smoothly. The line on both of my reels gets replaced when it starts to look faded or become worn. While at Cabela's I purchased a replacement floating bass plug for the one that I lost late last year. 

Fishing at that pond in the morning seems to have a small window of activity, at least in my experience. In the dark before dawn.... nothing. After dawn and until the sun comes over the horizon and starts hitting the area is when I have my best success. I was fishing from the rocks and was casting left and right parallel to the shore. I tried a couple of different lure setups and nothing. I began using my new floating plug lure smeared with minnow attractant, and felt what I thought was a clump of weeds I snagged. I reeled it in expecting to have to clear my lure and instead found a large and healthy smallmouth bass. It had swallowed my lure and had the rear treble hook stuck a few inches down it's gullet. Luckily I had my long arm hook remover in my pocket, and holding the fish securely, reached in and down and easily backed the hook out of it's flesh. I took a good look at it and sent it on its way. It swam away in a flash obviously no worse for the wear. I smeared on some fresh attractant and started casting along the shore again, This time I got a big hit retrieving my lure from the left and boy was it fighting hard. It was pulling my line and turning the spool in the wrong direction so I tightened the drag a bit while I continued cranking. About 8 feet from shore and BLOOP! it was off the hook and gone. Oh well, that's just the way things go with crimped barbs. I went back to casting. About 10 minutes later, I got another solid hit from the left and started reeling it in. This time I landed a largemouth bass around 11 inches long. It was hooked solidly in the lip and easy to remove by hand. I took a good look at it and then sent it on its way. Back to casting left and right along the shore. WHAM! from the left side again, another large fish putting up a good fight. It broke water about 12 feet out but I could not tell what it was. Just like before, about 8 feet out and it got away. I wondered if maybe it was the same fish. I continued casting for another 15 minutes or so, but the sun was several degrees over the horizon and it was getting really bright. At about 07:20 I called it quits and went home for breakfast. I was happy to have what I deemed a successful morning of fishing in such a short time.

As the weather warms a bit, I will be heading out in my kayak, and if I can get someone else to go with me we'll get out in my motorized canoe. Life jackets are required to be worn here until June 1st, so on my last shopping trip to Cabela's I purchased a lightweight auto-inflating life jacket that will be easier to wear than the one I currently have. This will be especially necessary on cool mornings while wearing an extra layer for warmth.

An Afternoon At The Range

A month or so ago, I stopped by the salon my wife goes to in order to solicit a donation for the sportsman's club upcoming kid's fishing event. The woman that owns it is also a friend of my wife and I and was more than happy to donate to the event. While we were chatting for a while the subject of firearms came up when she asked about the club facilities. It turns out, she has had her Kommiecticut pistol permit for years, and hasn't done any shooting since she got it. Thankfully she doesn't carry a firearm because that would not be a good situation. I offered her an outing at the range and some one-on-one instruction. She told me she is usually available on Mondays and Fridays, so I told her I'd get in touch when it warmed up a bit and I had a Monday or Friday off. The weather forecast for yesterday was sunny with temps in the 70's and I had a scheduled day off, so I texted her Saturday afternoon to invite her to the range. I could read the excitement in her replies. Initially she was not going to bring any of her own firearms she would just use mine. We agreed to meet at the clubhouse at 13:30 so she could fill out the guest waiver which is good for the rest of the calendar year.

I spent the morning after breakfast getting everything together. I thoughtfully picked out a variety of firearms and associated ammo, targets, and miscellaneous equipment. My range bag had most of what I needed, but I also packed my range tote box with my toolbox/cleaning supplies, spotting scope, tripod, and a can of white spray paint. I hate the idea of having to shut down shooting a particular firearm or an entire range day for the want of simple tools or a cleaning rod, so I usually bring the tote, but sometimes just leave it in the truck. I brought seven handguns and three rifles in appropriate carrying cases. I bring ammo in this Bass Pro Shops marine dry box pictured below. It comes with three smaller matching ammo can style containers that go inside, but I use those for other items. The dual latch box holds my reload trays and commercial boxed ammo fine.

Good sized at: 18-3/8" x 12-1/8" x 8-1/4"

I met her right on time in the clubhouse parking lot. After she filled out the form, I handed her the one page list of club range rules to look over while I went inside to file her waiver. When I came out we quickly went over and discussed the rules which are pretty simple. We also discussed The Four Rules of Gun Safety. She followed me down the road to the range in her vehicle. It took a good half hour to unload my truck and get things set up the way I like them. Our handguns stayed in the cases, but the rifles went on the rifle rack with chamber flags at the rear of the range enclosure. Shooting benches were used to hold the handguns, range bags, ammo, and target supplies. We set up two target stands at defensive range of 7 yards with two targets on each stand. When instructing new shooters, it is important that they put rounds on targets. Once they get some confidence you can start moving targets back farther and farther.

I let her choose what to shoot first, and she wisely agreed on my 1935 vintage S&W K-22 Outdoorsman in .22LR. She brought her boyfriends semi-auto S&W 22A-1 and a new box of Winchester .22 ammo but wanted to start with my six shooter. I demonstrated how to open the cylinder, load it, unload it, and fire it on single or double action. I explained how I zero my guns and drew a diagram of what a proper sight picture should look like. She put a couple of cylinders through and was on paper, but high and to the right. I explained that meant she was anticipating recoil and pulling the gun to the right when she pulled the trigger. Once she settled down she was hitting in the black close to center. She then began shooting double action and did quite well. It is a statistical fact that overall, women are better marksman than men. What impressed me was her technique shooting double action. Most people creep the trigger back and try to hold on target waiting for the hammer to drop. She did the proper single motion pull of the trigger. We went down range and I stood in front of her target to show that all of her shots would have counted as center mass hits. We then moved on to her boyfriend's S&W semi-auto. I showed her how to load the magazine and put the gun in battery ready for shooting. I fired it first to see how he had the sights set and so she could see how it functioned. The sights were set for a zero hold. She then fired several mags at the second target on her backboard. She did as well with the semi-auto as she did with my revolver. We replaced her targets and wrote what gun was used on which target so she could show her boyfriend. Time to go a little bigger.

We looked at all the handguns I brought and I explained what each one was. We decided she would start with my 5-shot stainless Rossi M-88 in .38 Special. It is basically an exact copy of a S&W J-Frame Model 60 because when it was made, Rossi and S&W shared the same parent company and shared designs. The gun is only rated for standard .38 Special, not +P which is how I load my home brew .38 SPL ammo. I fired a cylinder full first, a couple of rounds on single action and the rest on double against one of my two targets at 7 yards. She then took the gun, loaded it up and let loose. She said it was pretty powerful, kinda scared her a little, but she REALLY LIKED IT and fired a couple more cylinders doing pretty well. After that was my Ruger GP-161 in .357 Magnum with a 6 inch full lug barrel. I showed her how to open the cylinder, which uses a push button instead of a slide latch. Because the gun shoots .38 SPL and .357 Magnum, she stopped me and asked about the numbers used for the different calibers and what they meant. After a brief explanation, I loaded it up with .38 SPL and fired a cylinder, half on single and half on double at the 25 yard steel plates to demonstrate. She took it and loaded it up and fired it a couple of times. I then loaded it with my .357 Magnum target loads to demonstrate, smacking the plates at 25 yards with every shot and with authority. She was amazed at the flames out the side and I reminded her that was why I explained where NOT to put your fingers when firing a revolver. She declined to fire any magnums and I told her that was her choice, no pressure to do anything she was uncomfortable with.

We then moved to shooting the S&W Governor, which shoots .45 ACP with moon clips, .45 Long Colt, and .410 shotgun shells. She quickly caught on to using my Moon Clip Tool to load a full moon clip, and my L-Cut 1/2" copper plumbing nipple to unload empties. She fired a couple of clips right on target in double action with no problem. I then loaded 3 Federal 000 Buck .410 shotgun shells for demonstration. Each one of those shells contains (4) .30 caliber round balls that group nicely from the Governor at 7 yards. She went and loaded a full cylinder of them and lit them all off in double action punching a lot of holes in her target. We were then going to shoot my SR9c in 9mm. I demonstrated loading a mag with my Uplula loader, and fired all 10 rounds at the 25 yards plates again. When it came time for her to load up, she said she was done, and that those shotgun shells kinda did her in making her arm sore. With that, we were done and packed everything back up. We stopped at the clubhouse on the way out to socialize with a few members that were there and to enjoy a cold brew. Man, that ice cold PBR tasted SOOOOO good. Hopefully the next time we get together, it will be a foursome including my wife and her boyfriend.

Range Day 3-27-24

I went to the range to FINALLY shoot and zero my new Ruger PCC-9.

Set up to use Glock mags, Magpul hand stop, SIG Romeo 5

 

 

The photo above is from before I added the M*Carbo muzzle brake which I had an issue with. Totally my fault though... I never had a firearm with a threaded barrel and I went too far with the crush washer making it useless. When I ordered a replacement washer and some extras as well as a bottle of their high temperature thread locker, the fucking USPS lost my package. M*Carbo sent out a free replacement shipment, but only one washer. Well, that was enough to get my gun running and I will deal with them to get my other 5 spares they owe me. The other thing I did was move the bolt charging handle to the left side, even though I am right handed. I can swap mags and cock the bolt with my left hand super fast. I chose to use Glock mags instead of Ruger mags for several reasons. 1) Standard Ruger mags are $45 each, Glock mags are $30. 2) Reviews I read stated almost 100% reliability using Glock mags over Ruger. 3) Glock G-17 10 round mags are longer, making them easier to grab for fast mag swaps. The Ruger 10 round mags are really short. 4) Glock G-17 mags are 10, 17, 24 and 30 round factory stick mags. I could even go Magpul drum mags if I didn't mind all that weight. Ruger factory SR9 mags are 17, and that's it. I plan on a shopping trip to a nearby Free State of America to acquire some contraband standard capacity mags.

My plan was to function test and initially zero using my 9mm reloads. My recipe is: Winchester brass, Berry's 115 grain plated round nose bullets, Winchester magnum small pistol primers, and 4.3 grains of Bullseye powder. Those rounds feed and function reliably in any semi-auto I have. Once I was satisfied, switch over to a box of Federal 147 grain HST JHP for final zero and target practice, which will be my defensive carry round in the carbine. I read several articles (this one in particular from Lucky Gunner) about using heavier bullets in pistol caliber carbines. It was a comparison of ammo and barrel lengths, and when you push certain lighter bullets through a carbine barrel, velocity goes too high for proper bullet penetration and expansion. They over expand and deform and lose penetration. I went with their recommendation of the Federal 147gr HST. All I can say is "WOW!" those rounds hit harder than I expected. More about that in a moment.

I mounted the SIG Romeo 5 Red Dot using the co-witness mount so I can always use the factory peep sights if the Romeo 5 fails. Out of the box, the factory sight was just a little low and the windage was fine. A quick adjustment with the factory supplied Allen wrench and I was dead on a 50 yards using my reloads. Next was to adjust the Romeo. While I have several scopes, this is my first red dot and I seemed to have a little difficulty with it at first. I figured it out and got it zeroed as well. A few more mags of my target ammo gave me satisfying results banging the steel plates at 75 and 100 yards holding just a little high, and on the 25 yard plates holding just a little low. Exactly what I was hoping for with a 50 yard zero. I switched to my 50 round box of Federal HST. It only required a little more adjustment of the Romeo 5 and I was happy with the 50 yard group I shot below.

Circled 3-shot group is final zero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From there it was whacking the freshly painted steel plates at 50, 75, 100, and then back to the 25 yard plates. There wasn't any difference in the amount of hold over or hold under from my target ammo. But there sure was a difference in how hard the 147gr HST rounds hit the plates. That became even more evident when I set up the milk jugs full of water. Since I was there alone there was no one to shoot a video of me blasting the milk jugs. Too bad. I set them two at a time on one of our range target stand bases at 50 yards about 3 feet apart. All the jugs flew into the air about 3 feet high and backwards when hit, which for a 9mm round surprised the shit out of me. Below are the remains on my truck tailgate.

Lungs will be blown out, just like Joe Biden says they will

While these jugs are not completely shredded like when hit with a rifle round, it is quite evident that a strike on a human (or sub-human) subject will be devastating. After all, our bodies are like 60% water, so the damage caused by the hydraulic properties of water would be similar.

The next thing I tried was breaking the rifle down and putting it back together to see how accuracy was affected. The manual says that when you put it back together, you should pull the charging handle back and let the bolt slam forward several times to fully re-seat the barrel. I did that and there was no adverse effect on accuracy. Excellent!

I burned through 50 rounds of my target ammo and 50 rounds of the Federal HST for a total of 100. There was not one misfire, hang fire, squib, FTF or FTE. The gun is easy to shoot and hold on target for follow up shots. The last thing I tried was bump firing it. No go, Joe. The recoil is either too light or the trigger too stiff. Since it uses the 10-22 trigger assembly, there are lots of after market tweaks available. Maybe a 3D printed FRT? It will someday get the Ruger AR style factory stock (verbotten in Kommiecticut... FUCK `EM!) and I need to find a proper backpack that doesn't scream "TACTICAL RIFLE INSIDE!!!" I like the Vertx Commuter but it is slightly too small, and their Commuter XL is ginormous. I'll keep looking.

This is the first gun I've bought since my S&W M&P 45 Shield in 2021. If the assholes at the ATF need to check to see if I still have it in my possession, the answer is "YES," don't bother coming to my house to see for yourself. You will not get a warm welcome.

Still Here

Miss me? I am still around, just have not had much time for the blogosphere. But I wanted to put something out for my readers.

I have one of these on lay-away awaiting my tax refund to hit my bank account.

Ruger PCC-9 with Kommiecticut approved stock and 10 round mag

I would much rather it had the AR style collapsible stock, but the tyrannical Commies in this state have declared it to be super-de-dooperly scary looking and dangerous therefore verbotten and it can't be sold here. The stock and receiver are only held together with two set screws, so it will eventually get one, tyrants be damned. It will also get five new contraband SR-9 17 round magazines from a trip to Kittery Trading Post or a gun shop somewhere in New Hampshire. I have a Mag-Pul M-LOK Hand Stop Kit (supposedly OK because it is not a vertical grip) and SIG Romeo 5 red dot with witness mount coming from Midway USA. I will also order the muzzle brake from M*Carbo which installs on the barrel threads easily. Since it is a muzzle brake and NOT a flash suppressor Kommiecticut has no issues with it (LOL even though anyone that knows firearms knows a muzzle brake suppresses muzzle flash!). 

This gun breaks down and goes back together easily and reliably so hidden in a non-descript back pack can be carried just about anywhere. Paired with my SR9c will make a formidable combination to anyone wishing to do me, my loved ones, or property harm. Once I get it put together and have it zeroed in, I will do a blog post review. I still have a post in draft mode from back in December for my Beretta Tomcat 3032 and DeSantis ankle holster waiting for the opportunity to test at the range.

On a side note, I requested my official firearms "list" from the state police firearms unit. You see, Kommiecticut has always attempted to maintain their own registration list of firearms purchased within the state. When I spoke to a woman at the agency, she told me that these lists are highly inaccurate. She also said I can add "missing" firearms to the list (HA! not bloody likely!) but none on the list in error can be removed without supporting paperwork. I won't go into detail about why I requested my list but I had reason to believe it was really fucked up, and she wasn't kidding. About half of my firearms are not listed. Half of those were private undocumented cash sales or gifts that they never would have known about anyway, but the others all went through FFL's since 1980. Even one of my recent handgun purchases from 2020 isn't on there. If I were to ever get wind of being red-flagged, you better believe there are a lot of firearms and their ammo that I will be keeping hidden away.

A Couple of Range Days

I have been hoping to do my mouse gun testing, but that hasn't happened yet. I have been to the range for other purposes that are in my opinion, just as good. This post has taken me a couple of days to write and publish. Busy-busy don'cha know!

Day 1 on Monday 11-20-23 

While I got to the range on this day, I did not get to shoot any of my own stuff. I only brought my range box with some tools, spotting scope with tripod, eyes & ears, and proper targets. Over the weekend, a fellow club member asked if I could help him zero a scope he recently mounted on a Savage Model 340 bolt action in .30-30 Winchester. The scope is a simple Simmons 4X and the turrets move in 1/4 MOA per click. He wasn't sure how to do it and wants to use it to take Whitetail Deer on his property at ranges of 100 yards or less, so I suggested going on my scheduled day off on Monday. I started by bore-sighting it in a rifle rest and then took a shot. First shot was real low but the windage was good. I cranked the elevation and took another shot. Closer but still low. Third shot after another guesstimate adjustment and I was on the target card. I use a Birchwood-Casey MOA grid target centered against a background of plain brown paper so its easier to see shots off target. I adjusted the scope one last time to get close to the center, but since this is not my rifle, I wanted the final adjustments to be done with him shooting the three shot groups. It became apparent that he needs some practice with his rifle in order to make the final adjustments. He was unable to shoot a decent 3-shot group. He said he will buy some more ammo and practice some more to get a good group for final adjustment he should be able to do himself.

While I didn't shoot my own stuff as planned today, I got to help a friend out so the day at the range was a good one, although cold. Doing any kind of gun stuff is a win in my book.

Day 2 on Friday 11-24-23

While at my brother's home for Thanksgiving, our favorite subject of guns and shooting naturally came up. My brother and his wife have several handguns (all S & W I believe), my Dad's Marlin Model 60 in .22 LR and a gorgeous Henry .22 Magnum her Dad had bought brand new prior to his passing that was still new in the box. They had not been shooting for a few years and used to go to the indoor range at Hoffman's Gun Center. The problem with indoor ranges is they don't allow holster draw or rapid fire. Plus Hoffman's makes you purchase their ammo that day to shoot on the range, so no hand loads. My SIL asked about my range and I explained the rules and regulations which are very few. It was decided that the two of them and our family friend would meet me at the range Friday morning at 10.

I got there first to open up the clubhouse since all guests are required to sign a waiver on their first visit before using the range. The waiver is good for the calendar year so after January 1st they'll have to fill out another for 2024. They showed up a few minutes later, filled out the forms, got the nickel tour of the clubhouse, and we headed out to the range. It's about a half mile drive out to the parking area by the firing line. We parked and unloaded our gear.

They liked the set up immediately. The firing line consists of a cement pad with 3 shooting benches and 3 walls and a roof with the side facing down range open. The back wall has rifle racks and a workbench. Target stands can be moved around as necessary. Swinging steel plates at 25 yards, backstops with rubber mats to staple targets to and a single 12" steel plate at 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 yards. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Range rules are pretty simple.... Col. Cooper's Four Rules in effect at all times. All actions open and no one handles a firearm when shooters need to go past the firing line. I insist on using bright yellow chamber flags so there is no question. No glass targets and no shooting targets off the backstops. No full auto, no incendiary or A.P. rounds, and all calibers smaller than .50 BMG. Clean up your targets and brass when you're done. All shooting ceases by sundown. Our club has a bar so the NO ALCOHOL RULE is strictly enforced. None of them had a problem with any of the rules, so we got busy.

When they got the Henry I had bought a box of 50 CCI Maxi-Mag in anticipation of shooting it at some point. Well, I got my chance and it didn't disappoint. I repeatedly smacked the gong at 50 and 100 yards using the iron buckhorn sights. That action is so smooth and that brass receiver is so pretty. Afterwards, I had set up 3 target stands at 7 yards for defensive shooting practice. My brother broke a "Golden Rule" of mine by carrying his S & W Bodyguard .380 for a couple of years but never firing it.... EVER! Prior to him shooting it, I field stripped it, cleaned out the gobs of pocket lint, ran a dry patch down the bore, lubed it, and reassembled it. The gun ran great for him. Our friend Kevin shot his S & W 1911, his 9mm Shield, and his Governor using moon clips and .45 ACP. My SIL did not shoot. She had been away from it so long she was nervous and apprehensive about shooting, so she just watched everyone else. Next time I WILL MAKE SURE she shoots. She really needs to shoot, because she occasionally carries, and any hesitation could be fatal.

I had some .22 CB Shorts I purchased from a guy at the club to try. In all my years of shooting, I had never shot any. First, I loaded up my S &W K-22 Outdoorsman revolver with .22 LR and popped off six rounds. OK, now the shorties. Pretty quiet and dinged the plates at 25 yards with an audible sound since they were slower and weren't drowned out by the crack of the sound barrier. I then tried them out of my rebuilt J.C. Higgins Model #101.16 which is a rebranded Savage Model 87A from about 1947 since it has the Tenite plastic stock. These rifles are also called "gill guns" because the vented receiver resembles fish gills, and "Klick-Klack rifles" because of how they sound when fired. The bolt doesn't close to load the next round until the trigger is released. Here's a video from Youtube showing the operation. That rifle also came from my brother's FIL's estate, but was missing parts. My guess is someone took it apart to clean it, did not know how to put it back together, and lost the parts. I was able to scrounge all the parts to put it back in operation. Mine actually sports the smaller charging handle used on the Savage rifles instead of the large knob on the Higgins rifles. The tubular magazine holds 15 rounds of .22 LR, and about 30 of the .22 CB Shorts. I chose this rifle because even as a semi-auto, it has provisions for firing .22 L as well as shorties by locking the bolt closed. Plus it has a 22 inch barrel so I was curious if the shorts would make it all the way through. They did just fine, and are even quieter than if the rifle was suppressed. I tried shooting it without my hearing protection and the ding of the bullet hitting the 50 yard gong was louder than the shot. Chipmunks in my front yard are all going to die this spring from lead poisoning.

I had also brought my shot timer to play with and explained to the others what it was for. No one wanted to take me up on using it because they had not been shooting in so long. I demonstrated a timed Mozambique Drill without the holster at a B27 full size silhouette target. I held at the low ready looking down at the ground, and had the timer set for random start from 1 to 9 seconds and a par time of 10 seconds. Each time I was able to put two rounds center mass and one in the head in about 3 seconds at 7 yards. They thought it was neat but maybe next time. Not sure if they were impressed or not, but showing off was not my goal anyway. We spent about 3 hours total and everyone had a good time.

PGR Mission 11-3-23

The Mission: Friday November 3, 2023, The Dignified Transfer and rendering of military honors for burial of six CT Veterans whose cremains have gone unclaimed for years and even decades.

The six U.S. Veterans to be honored are (in alphabetical order):

• TEC-5 Wilfred A. Carpentier, U.S. Army serving 1941-45. December 6, 1917-April 27, 1976, died in Derby;
• CPL Robert L. Coston, Sr., U.S. Army serving 1951-53. October 27, 1938-November 12, 2014, died in East Hartford;
• FA Michael Joseph Gruttadauria, Jr., U.S. Navy serving 1967-68. September 25, 1948-November 28, 2021, died in Hartford;
• A1C Joseph Henry O'Brien, II, U.S. Air Force serving 1951-61. January 25, 1937-August 13, 2021, died in Southbury;
• *SGT Bernice Greenstreet Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. November 1, 1923-September 9, 2007, died in Cheshire; and
• *PVT Roland H. Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. December 19, 1927- November 10, 1998, died in Waterbury.
  *A married couple

Here is a link to the story with video from WTNH TV-8 in New Haven

Here is a link to the story with video from NBC CT in Hartford

Here is a link to the story with video from FOX 61 in Hartford

There were also assorted radio, print, and online news services there as well.

 

I had been looking forward to this event for weeks, ever since I got the notice and was hoping conditions would allow me to ride "The Beast." I did the last one in 2021 and it was so awesome I wanted to be part of it again. Riding the bike means I will definitely be in the escort ride from the VA to the cemetery in Middletown. First thing was to be off work for the day which I was without having to swap shifts. I got up at 5:30 AM to take care of animals, shower, and get appropriately dressed. When I headed out at 7 AM it was only 25 degrees. I stopped for coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and hash browns at the local convenience store. It's a good 45 minute ride to the VA in Rocky Hill so I had plenty of time to eat and got under way at 07:30. I arrived a little early which was good. We hung out in the lot for a bit and got our assignments. At the VA Home and Hospital, the Patriot Guard Riders do the dignified transfer of the cremains. They all arrive in one hearse, and need to be separated and moved to additional hearses.

Because I had done this before, I was to handle an urn. Each urn was accompanied by a pre-folded US flag carried behind by another PGR member. Here is how it worked:

1) The first PGR member approaches the back of the main hearse

2) A salute is rendered and the urn is handed to the member by the funeral director.

3) An "about face" is done and several slow and purposeful steps are taken away from the hearse

4) A "column left, march" is done and the slow purposeful walk continues a few steps, where the lead member pauses briefly so that the flag bearer can execute their maneuvers and fall in behind the urn.

5) Both members slowly and purposely walk in formation to the rear of the assigned hearse and stop.

6) A left face, a few steps, and another left face and the member is in position to place the urn in the hearse as directed by another funeral director. The urn is set down and then turned 180 degrees so the name is facing outward. The member steps back and once again salutes the urn. The member then clears the area behind the hearse to make room for the flag bearer.

7) The flag bearer executes the same maneuvers and places the folded flag next to the urn in the hearse. He then renders a salute to the flag and clears the back of the hearse.

Because there were six urns and six flags, I got called up again to handle a second urn. It is an unbelievable honor to handle these cremains.

Once the Dignified Transfer was completed, law enforcement began showing up. There were two motorcycle cops from Middletown and several state troopers in Ford Explorer Police Interceptors. We got ourselves lined up for the procession to Middletown so we could head out smoothly. We hit the restroom as needed and milled around for a few minutes until it was time to saddle up. The motorcycle cops lead, followed by a state trooper, our PGR bikes and flagged vehicles, the hearses, and more state troopers bringing up the rear. The Rocky Hill, Cromwell, and Middletown police had all the intersections blocked off down RT. 99 up to the entrance ramp to CT RT. 9. As we entered RT. 9, CT State Police had the highway closed southbound so we could enter unimpeded, and the Middletown police had the entrances to RT. 9 south closed so we could get by. We got off RT. 9 at the Silver Street exit and Middletown PD had the intersections closed the rest of the way to the cemetery. We pulled in to the cemetery and were greeted by more PGR personnel standing a flag line, Middletown FD had their giant flag suspended from their ladder truck, media, veterans groups, citizen attendees, and of course.... the politicians.

The posting of the colors was a flop in my opinion. A dopey female Army E-4 at the rear of the formation did not know the proper way to carry an M-14 on "Right shoulder...ARMS!"... it was upside down. She at least had the butt in her right hand and the muzzle up in the air, but the rifle rested on her shoulder with the trigger facing up! She also did not render the proper presentation of the rifle at "Present Arms!" She stood there with the rifle lying trigger up on her shoulder the whole time. I am sure all my fellow veterans in attendance cringed as I did at this poor display of Drill and Ceremony. She had no business being front and center in such a position. The lead Sargent carrying his M-14 did it properly, and did the proper movements for present arms and order arms.

The politicians in attendance was Gov. "Jolly Ned" Lamont, LT. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Senator "DaNang Dickie" Blumenthal, and Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim. The head of the CT VA Brigadier General, (Ret.), Ronald P. “Ron” Welch and CT Funeral Directors Association President Lionel Lessard were there and spoke as well. Also in attendance was Major General Francis J. Evon, the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard. He actually came down the PGR flag line after our arrival and assembly to meet, shake hands, and thank every PGR member. He was formally introduced but did not speak. I have met him before at other events. A down to Earth guy for sure that remembers where he came from.

First off, as much of a douchebag Commie liar/stolen valor Blumenthal is, he does keep his speeches short and on topic at these events. That said, several PGR members said that if they weren't there representing the PGR, they would have definitely turned their backs when he got up to the podium, as would I. The only speech that seemed to go off the rails was Susan Bysiewicz, who takes every opportunity to play the woman card as her speech went off on a diversity tangent while referring to SGT. Bernice Greenstreet Record and her military service. Too bad the female E-4 rifle honor guard went and ruined the optic of female competence in the military, huh?

After the speeches, a single 21 gun salute was fired in honor of all six veterans, and a single ceremonial flag was unfolded, held outstretched briefly, then refolded in the traditional manner. The flag was presented to General Welch to represent the six families. The ceremony concluded shortly after and although we could stay for the actual internment of the urns, I was getting hungry and had other plans.

 

Trip to Hoffman's Gun Center

Because of this post from Pawpaw's House back on October 23rd, I decided to explore using a couple of my old "mouse guns" for backup duty possibly in an ankle holster. The older gun is a Raven Arms MP-25 in .25 ACP, and the other is a Beretta Tomcat in .32ACP. First I needed to find some appropriate defensive ammo for both. It turns out Hornady makes Critical Defense ammo in both calibers so I would have to get some. I just figured I would have to order it online. Because I was in Middletown not too far from Hoffman's in Berlin, that would be my next stop. I had no specific purchase plans, it was just that I hadn't been there in a long time and was going for a look-see. I browsed all the firearm showcases and found there to be a good supply of just about everything. As far as guns go, I believe my next gun is going to be the Ruger PCC with the M-Lock handguard, AR stock, threaded barrel, and the optional Glock mag well probably sometime before spring. When I went over to the ammo shelves.... lo and behold! the Hornady Critical Defense .25 ACP and .32 ACP in stock. Both were $24.99 for a box of 25 so I grabbed one of each. I then went over to the wall of holsters and found a DeSantis universal ankle holster made for small autos. Perfect and out the door for $101 plus change. Because of having to work all weekend, I haven't yet tried to put everything together. Once I do I will do a review post here.

A quick lunch at the Newington Burger King and I headed home. Between the frigid temperatures in the morning and being on my feet so long all day, I was wiped when I got home at 2:30 PM. I plopped on the couch with the doggos, turned on the TV, and zonked off for a bit before wifey came home.

Tweaking Those That Need It

Some background... Kommiecticut has had a magazine ban since 2013. Magazines over 10 rounds must be registered with the state and even if it is registered, you can only load more than 10 rounds in your home or at the range. You can't carry it around at full capacity where you might actually need it, God forbid. Under the ban are any ammunition feeding devices, including machine gun belts and links. Yes, even the strip of canvas that was used on WWI vintage M1919 machine guns would need to be registered. That would include disintegrating links. FYI... I do not own a single unregistered "large capacity magazine." True statement.

In this previous post I detailed the Turkish M2 ammo I purchased that came linked for an M1919-A4 machine gun. Yesterday it was too windy to do yard work, so I decided to spend the afternoon de-linking the remaining two thirds of a case and stow it in a 30 cal ammo can for future range use. But first, I decided to have a little fun and commit yet another "paper felony" in my basement. First, how the ammo came. There were 100 of these in the case.

4 rounds, the 5th would have been the tracer

 

Next, a "Kommiecticut legal" 10 round miniature belt. If I owned an M1919-A4 this would not be very much fun, or be very effective.

Here is the photographic evidence of my "felony." I re-linked a bunch of the 4 round assemblies together for a total of 89 rounds in a single belt. No schools were shot up and no one died, but how can that be? I did something so egregious and dangerous according to state officials!

Because I am a peaceable citizen, not a violent criminal. 

Only in the warped thinking of the anti-gun Commie crowd do they equate keeping and bearing certain arms with someone like me being just one step away from murder and mayhem.

The 30 cal ammo can is full to the brim. In order to fit it all, the rounds are laid in the can and stacked neatly to maximize the space. Originally I was just tossing the rounds in there but it became apparent that only a little more than half were going to fit. On my next range outing I will re-zero for this ammo and update the dope card I keep in the stock, saving most of the Greek steel penetrator ammo for....

 

Twitter (X) Activity

Over the past couple of days, a bunch of gun grabbing hoplophobes spewing their anti-Second Amendment propaganda have been appearing in my Twitter timeline. I will not link to these fucktards, you can find them by going to my profile to read my posts and replies. The brainless puke David "Camera" Hogg, K-12 School Shooting Database, Newtown Action Alliance, Students Demand Action, Everytown, Shannon Watts, 97 Percent, Kristin Song (mother of dead dumbass Ethan Song), and the Karen's known as Moms Demand Action (sounds like a MILF hookup site to me). I have hammered all of them to the point I thought I would at least get blocked if not suspended again. The majority of replies are antagonist and some are downright vicious, which leads me to believe the hoplophobes just post shit out there to spew their message and ignore the replies. That's fine.... because it lives forever in my profile.

I Could Not Just Let This Go Unanswered

From my Twitter timeline until the Newtown Hoplophobes block or report me, but it will live here forever. Up first, the original post:

I despise the whole premise of phony gun "buy backs" and in some states, guys will set up right across the street from the buy back with tables and large signs offering cash for guns. They may be dealers or just private citizens. In Kommiecticut, they would definitely find a reason to arrest you for trying that even if you were a FFL dealer. So I decided to act virtually on Twitter with this response:

 

If you look at the responses to the original tweet, every single one is negative and many are downright vicious. Tough shit to them. They are nothing but a political machine that only has one purpose, infringing on The Second Amendment rights of peaceable citizens. Nothing they ever propose will ever have any effect on the criminal use of firearms. NOTHING!!

Most of the guns they receive at these fake buy backs get are from people that end up with them from an estate and they don't want them. But in a lot of cases they have no idea what they have. I have two handguns that came to me indirectly by this route that I paid $200 for both. One is a 1958 vintage Colt Woodsman, the other is a verified 1935 Smith and Wesson K-22 Outdoorsman. Together they are worth about $2500. I did not know at the time just thinking they were just shooters, in fact I do shoot them. If you have ever seen the photo-ops from these buy back events and the firearms they receive, you will pick out some pretty rare and valuable firearms that will either be destroyed or end up in some cop's personal collection.

But, But, The Infringements Will Save Lives!

Turns out, not so much.

CT Teen Shoots Himself With Unsecured Gun

I omitted the  word "accidentally" because modern firearms never just go off by themselves. They need to be loaded, cocked, and have the trigger pulled by a person. This negligent discharge took place as the safe storage laws in Kommiecticut known as Ethan's Law (so named for another uneducated teen that blew his head off with his friend's father's gun) were expanded and the new provisions took effect on October 1st.

I have said over and over; the ONLY WAY these laws could possibly work as intended, is for LEO to constantly violate 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendment Rights by showing up at your door (hourly I guess?) to verify your firearms are properly secured. Otherwise, a firearms owner gets charged AFTER another uneducated and unauthorized user blows their brains out with their gun. But the dopey kid is still just another Darwin Award winner.

They can pass all the laws they want, I will continue to NEVER COMPLY. At night, my firearm and a spare mag are lying out in the open on my night table a foot from my head at the ready. In the morning it is unloaded and secured in the safe, and replaced with one of my EDC pistols on my person.

I am 100% positive that anyone using a firearm for self-defense going forward in Kommiecticut will be charged with these new "safe storage" laws, because the bad guy wouldn't be at room temperature if the gun storage law was obeyed.

Kommiecticut Pistol Permit Renewal - 2023

For many years, Kommiecticut's state legislature has been in control of the Demon-Craps, and the governor's office has swung back and forth between RINOs and Demon-Craps. It has been in Demon-Crap hands since 2011. It is a well known fact that the peaceable (I do not say *lawful, see note below) gun owners of this state are looked upon as political enemies by state government. How dare you own firearms? How dare you hold a permit? And good God Almighty.... HOW DARE YOU ENGAGE IN ARMED SELF-DEFENSE!? Don't you know children (depending on which statistics you look at, up to age 26) die from such abhorrent things?

I obtained my original pistol permit one month after my 21st birthday in 1983. I received my 9th pistol permit renewal paperwork via USPS in late June, with my permit to expire 9-15-23. Permits are issued for five years at $70. Supposedly taking 6-8 weeks to process. OK plenty of time before expiration.

My US Passport was expiring in December 2023. I rushed to do the renewal because of news reports of huge delays from the US State Department. 13 weeks for renewals, up to 4 months for a new application. I did not want to get jammed up without a current passport. I got two 2" x 2" passport photos from AAA for $9 and change. I completed all my paperwork for both renewals and mailed the permit certified and the passport priority mail on Thursday July 6th. Both were received at their respective destinations on Saturday July 8th.

Amazingly, I received my new passport at the end of July or early August. Shortly after that I received my deactivated old passport in a separate mailing. Nothing from Kommiecticut about my permit.

In the middle of week 8, my check had not yet been cashed, so I tried calling the DESPP (Department of Environmental Services & Public Protection) number provided on the form for questions or status. It plays a useless recorded announcement and dumps your call. Great. Next I contacted Jonathan Hardy via email from the CT Citizens Defense League about what to do. He is a leading civilian expert on Kommiecticut pistol permit issues. He reminded me of the 90 day "grace period" upon expiration and advised me to just sit and wait. The problem is, during the 90 day "grace period" you can still carry a firearm as normal, but due to state infringements post Sandy Hook, you cannot buy firearms or ammunition. Also, if you go past the 90 days you have to start the process all over again for a new permit, including the pistol safety course. You basically just send your renewal into a black hole and hope for the best. I formulated a plan for a lawsuit, but I would need standing to file. First thing I did was sign up for a Life Membership with The Second Amendment Foundation. They were going to be my go to for filing a lawsuit on my behalf for having my Constitutional Rights actually infringed upon, so I figured I should become a member first. Since I am slowly ditching the NRA, I wanted to do this anyway. Next, once my permit expired on the 15th, I was going to go to a firearms retailer and attempt to purchase a firearm, and once denied at the counter, would have my standing to sue having my Second Amendment Rights burdened and infringed. On September 11th I called a state trooper buddy of mine to see if he could find anything out for me. He got back to me a few minutes later and told me the SLFU (Special Licensing Firearms Unit) was getting slammed with 1500 mail-in renewals per day and that they are processing them in the order they were received. On that day, they were only up to July 13th. According to the USPS, mine was received on the 8th, yet my check was still not processed for payment. The 15th came and went with no permit. I had things to do the weekend of the 16th and 17th, so spending time at a gun shop was not in the cards, and I had to work Monday the 18th, so I had another idea.

I do not normally like pulling strings and asking favors especially from politicians. I did it one time before but only because my livelihood was on the line. That time, the state Department of Public Health had totally screwed up my EMT license renewal by no fault of mine. I was getting nowhere on my own and the expiration date was dangerously close, potentially putting me off the job. I contacted my state senator whom I knew personally to look into it for me. Holy shit! He went right to the top, contacting the state Commissioner of Public Health, who then immediately contacted me. I had my new EMT license in less than 24 hours after getting jerked around for months! That state senator has since retired, so this time I contacted my current state representative whom I also know personally. He is a Democrat... BUT, he knows who his constituents are and is a gun guy who does not tow the party line on gun laws. I emailed him at 11:19 on Monday the 18th and had a response by 12:46. I now had an official answer from a guy at the SLFU stating that my permit had been processed on September 14th and I should have it soon by mail. He said if I do not have it by the end of this week, to let him know directly. I immediately replied to all thanking them for the quick response, and that I would continue to wait for my permit. As of this morning, my check for $70 has been processed by my credit union and according to the USPS Informed Delivery, it should be in my mailbox this afternoon. If not for the responsiveness of those I contacted, I would have gone through with my planned lawsuit activities. I will let all involved know once I have my permit in hand and thank them once again for their assistance.

UPDATE 15:10 on 9-21-23: My new permit did indeed arrive in the mail about 10 minutes ago. As soon as this post goes live, I will be emailing my state representative, his administrative assistant, the guy at DESPP, and my state trooper buddy (on BCC) to let them know I received it and to thank them all once again.

*Lawful = Many of the formerly law abiding gun owners of Kommiecticut have been steadily turned into paper felons by the stroke of a pen since 1994, by simply refusing to comply with unconstitutional/intolerable acts making what was once perfectly legal into a crime. I have been proudly non-compliant since the state enacted its original "assault weapons" ban in 1994 all the way up to present day and everything in between. I refer to us as Peaceable Gun Owners, because we refuse to comply with Commie diktats but are not violent criminals. At least, until the state ever feels froggy enough to try armed confiscation, in which case they will turn our firearms into their fabled "weapons of war," and that will be all on them.

Range Day - Surplus Turkish M2 Ball Ammo Review

Here it is folks, the long awaited and detailed review of the MKE Turkish M2 milsurp. Details of the ammo I purchased can be found in this initial post and this subsequent post. It took me almost two weeks to just do this blog post (even though I put up others in the meantime) because of being busy and simply having no time to edit the video and finish composing the post. Online reviews of this ammo are mixed, and in the Garand Collectors Association issue of this month's GCA Journal, they did a scathing review of some horrible condition rusty/crusty MKE ammo that came in en bloc clips. A link to a PDF of the article is below.

GCA Journal Vol. 37 Issue 3 MKE Ammo Review

Now I understand the GCA's love affair with the CMP, but I have personally given up on them. Their online e-Store has been down for weeks. When the CMP got in their last supply of surplus ammo, I tried for two months to purchase my one allotted 400 round can to no avail. The last time I checked before the store went dark it was all gone. In the article they purposely went cheap, so IMHO they got what they paid for. I on the other hand had much different results.

 

Monday August 28th

Weather conditions were clear and sunny with temps in the low 80's. I don't recall wind conditions, but I was not too concerned about that for this outing. Being a weekday off work I had the range to myself which allowed me to shoot my photos and video undisturbed and go down range to set up as needed. My camera is a Nikon D5600 equipped with a Nikkor 18mm-55mm VR lens mounted on a Garrard video cam tripod for the video. For target photos I humped the camera down range.

The Rifle:

A total of 56 rounds were fired using a 1944 vintage Springfield Armory M-1 placed in a Hy-Skore rifle rest. The rest was used to make sure the rifle held consistently so recoil would have no effect on semi-auto operation. During the entire evolution there was not one FTF or FTE. I was able to recover all of my brass which is boxer primed, meaning easily re-loadable, which I will end up doing at some point when there is no more milsurp M2.

Ready to rock. Empty chamber flag in use even though I was alone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The range:

Yellow arrow is 100 yard backstop, orange arrow is 200 yard backstop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ammo:

HXP Pyrkal made in Greece headstamp HXP 69 (from CMP I believe about 2012-2013)

(3) 8 round clips

One clip for function test as my known standard and to demonstrate a proper working rifle (video)

One clip at 100 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One clip at 200 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Kurumu or MKE for short from Turkey, headstamp MKE 83 (from Tacticalshit.com)

(4) 8 round clips

One clip for function test to ensure proper loading, firing, and ejection (video)

One clip at 100 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One clip at 200 yards with 4 rounds on silhouette and four rounds on the steel gong

One final clip on 100 and 200 yard gongs (4 rounds each) using a needed slight elevation hold 

Ammo function video:

One clip of Greek HXP, followed by a clip of Turkish MKE. I did this video without a script. Note to self: HAVE NOTES FOR SHOOTING VIDEO NEXT TIME!!

What follows is a series of photos of targets and steel plates from the range session. I need to shoot more often because I can do better. I was also using the rifle rest which doesn't work all that well comfort wise on my club shooting benches. I normally use a sandbag rest.

Four rounds of HXP at 100 yards

Four hits of HXP on a 12" plate at 100 yards

 

Four rounds but only two hits of HXP at 200 yards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four rounds and three good hits of HXP at 200 yards on a 12" plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason I did better hitting the plates than the targets. I think it was because they were easier to see in the shade with fresh white paint against the black sights of the M1. The paper targets had the previous shot holes covered with 3M blue painters tape for the MKE ammo shots. The plates got a freshened coat of white paint. I use the cheapo spray paint from WalMart. Not too long ago it was $0.99 a can. Now about $4 😠

Four rounds of MKE at 100 yards. OK!

Four shots of MKE at the 100 yard plate. One hit? Sheesh!

Four shots of MKE at 200 yards. Low and left. Three hits plus one nick on the edge.

Four shots of MKE at 200 yards. Just one good hit. Arrrrgh!

After viewing the targets and plates through the spotting scope, I loaded and fired one final 8 round clip of MKE using the elevation hold. I fired 4 rounds at the 100 yard plate and 4 rounds at the 200 yard plate. I scored 8 hits out of 8 shots. I quit shooting for the day so I could end on a high note.

 

Final analysis: 

This is good ammo for target practice (but will also kill all enemies, foreign and domestic quite dead) and was a decent price at $335 for 400 rounds from Tacticalshit.com That works out to $0.8375 per round. Barely more expensive than the junk Mr. Toombs purchased for his review. I plan on recouping some of the cost by selling the M1919-A4 MG links to a collector. For me, it doesn't "feel" as hot as the HXP ammo, judged only by recoil, not a chronograph, and it does shoot lower than my standard ammo. But like with any time you change ammo brands, you just have to readjust your sights.  This is plinking and target ammo for me. I will keep the 200 yard battle zero dope handy with the HXP ammo due to it having the steel penetrator (again for killing all enemies, foreign and domestic but especially those wearing body armor) and adjust the sight according to the change for the MKE ammo.

September 5th, back to the range

I had a subsequent range day on this past Tuesday when I had another day off. Since I now have a good supply of Sierra Matchking boolits, I won't be running out of my custom loaded ammo any time soon.

"From a man they did not see, came a sound they did not hear..."

I have the B-27 and bullseye targets I used that day, but this photo below best demonstrates the accuracy I get. The paint can I used during the ammo review that I had just about emptied painting the plates on this outing. I popped that clean hole through at 200 yards. It looked like it was done with a drill and a long bit. There was hardly any paint left when I hit it. My only indication of a hit was when the can fell over. I was hoping for a big POOF of white paint.

I have decided to stop dicking around with precision shooting, and just stick to the intended purpose this rifle was built for, which it performs quite well... eliminating long range threats to my Freedom out to 500+ yards @ M.O.M. (minute of man).

Especially if the predictions of spicy times in the near future come true.

This was one of the longest and most detailed posts I have ever done. I hope you liked it and please comment below.

I Just Joined

A REAL Second Amendment rights organization, the Second Amendment Foundation

 

I paid $150 for "Life Membership" plus a $50 donation. On the signup form there is a comment section. I wrote the following:

"I am happy to join a Second Amendment rights organization that truly fights for us, instead of Negotiating Rights Away."

Didja see what I did there? 😏

The SAF is constantly suing the shit out of multiple government agencies and jurisdictions (including my own state of Kommiecticut) for trampling on the rights of citizens. I figured that since I may be looking to them for assistance in the future if my state permit is not renewed on time, I should at least become a member first. Becoming a Life Member shows my commitment to them. 

As far as the NRA goes, my current membership expires on November 30, 2027. I was in the process of paying installments towards a Life Membership when all the WLP shit hit the fan and the BOD was in turmoil. I killed the auto pay to my credit card, but because I already paid some money in I am still good for 4 more years. Too bad, because I feel their training and certification program is second to none. If they ever get their shit together I may renew beyond 2027. But most likely my membership is gonna just wither on the vine and DIE! All the crap they send me in the mail goes directly from my mailbox to the recycling bin. I also have a free membership to the CT Citizens Defense League, because the pay side has three levels that don't do anything for me. I have sent them money in the past for legal fees towards lawsuits, though.

A Couple of 2A Items

Woodstock Fair

Yesterday my wife, her Dad, and I went to the 162nd Annual Woodstock agricultural fair which always occurs for the four days over Labor Day weekend. $10 to park and $15 for my wife and I and only $10 for The Old Man. The only discount is for Seniors over 65 and active duty military with ID. This is a pretty large fair with loads of vendors, tons of food, free stage shows, all kinds of exhibits to include animals, an antique car/truck show, antique tractor and engine show. There is also a midway full of games and rides that we don't bother going into. We watched a comedy/magic show and spent a good hour plus watching the tractor pulls later in the afternoon. To me it is the epitome of the New England agricultural fair.

That said, the traditional part (pre-dating the Civil War) of Yankee New England culture that is not embraced, is the right to keep and bear arms and personal self-defense. They updated their website from the other day and somehow dropped the publication of the "zero tolerance for any weapons" statement. At the gates though, is their 2' x 2' sign stating that and other prohibitions. Once again, the *GFDZ designation is meaningless to me as I was fully armed as usual. There are no metal detectors or bag searches upon entry. I was wearing my Duluth Trading cargo shorts that have generous Velcro secured thigh flap pockets. In my right pocket was my S & W 45 Shield with the extended 7-round mag tucked in a DeSantis pocket holster. In my left outer pocket was a spare 7 round mag. All ammo was Hornady 185 gr Critical Defense in .45 ACP. On my belt in a sheath was my S & W Border Guard blade. Now, the Woodstock Fair inside the fairgrounds is actually pretty secure and safe. There are lots of uniformed (but unarmed) security personnel in pairs patrolling the grounds, as well as plenty of fully uniformed and armed state troopers. They have a Command Post set up with the CSP mobile command unit monitoring the grounds with the telescopic pole mounted cameras. The need for my firearm inside the grounds in practically nil. Also, the majority of attendees are from the agricultural community and surrounding rural areas. The indigenous populations of the blue controlled shithole cities or unruly mobs just stay away. However, the walk to and from and in the parking areas is not secure, other than being located in the little rural town of Woodstock which has a very low possibility of stupid clown world troubles. Just like when on vacation, my being armed is not openly discussed with family members, but I am sure they simply assume I am armed.

Pistol Permit Renewal Delay - Lawsuit?

At the end of June I received my Kommiecticut pistol permit renewal form. I immediately went to AAA to get a set of new passport photos. They give you two 2" x 2" passport photos for $9.50 which I needed for both my pistol permit and U.S. passport renewal. The passport expired in December 2023 and the pistol permit expires on September 15th. I took care of both at the same time since news reports out of the U.S. State Department were huge backlogs for passports; 13 weeks for renewals and up to 4 months for an initial issue. I mailed the pistol permit renewal "Certified" and the passport Priority Mail on Thursday July 6th. Both the pistol permit and passport paperwork was received on Saturday July 8th. The state department cashed my $130 check by Tuesday July 11th, and by the end of July or early August I received my new passport that expires in 2033. As of a few moments ago, I checked my online banking portal, and the $70 check to the state of Kommiecticut has still not been cashed with 13 days left on my permit. You mean to tell me the federal government has their shit more together than the state of Kommiecticut? No, Kommiecticut just likes to fuck with peaceable citizens exercising their 2A rights. It is well known that we are considered political enemies of state government.

This is my 9th permit renewal. Permits in Kommiecticut are good for 5 years, so you do the math. Back in 2013 when they passed the post Sandy Hook infringements, they made a requirement that you must have a permit in order to buy firearms or ammo. There is a 90 day grace period after your permit expires that it is still valid, EXCEPT TO PURCHASE FIREARMS OR AMMO! If I do not receive my newly renewed and valid permit by September 15th, I will begin searching for a 2A attorney (hopefully one that will work pro bono) and contacting The Second Amendment Foundation to file suit. They have created rules for firearms and ammo purchases and then fucking drag their feet processing permit renewals causing a burden on my Second Amendment rights. Attempts to contact ANYONE at the state DESPP firearms unit have resulted in recorded announcements that then dump the call. They absolutely WILL NOT process renewals in person, only by mail. I have been in contact with Jonathan Hardy of the CCDL (CT Citizens Defense League), and his advice is to simply wait. He alluded to the 90 day grace period and state police using that to delay processing. Yeah? You assholes wanna play that game? The gun hating Gov. "Jolly" Ned Lamont and that fucking arrogant puke AG William "Sum Ting Wong" Tong will be on television wailing about another lawsuit against their precious intolerable/unconstitutional infringements. As those of us that are informed found out with the Lois Lerner IRS scandal trying to crush conservative 501(c)3 non-profits, there is no need for written directives to do this kind of shit. The hive-mind of the LIBTURDS all automatically work in unison to adversely affect those that don't bend to their will.

 

*GFDZ = Gun Free Death Zone

Play Stupid Games - Win Stupid Prizes

Like the eternal dirt nap.

A Kommiecticut college student, Nicholas Anthony Donofrio age 20 was fatally shot in Columbia South Carolina where he was a student at USC. He was apparently shot trying to enter a house that turned out not to be the address he thought it was.

CT college student shot in South Carolina

The local news stories all inferred the same thing... a poor innocent college student got blasted to Kingdom Come by some gun-totin' toothless hillbilly down south. Those backwards hicks will just shoot anyone. And they shot him THROUGH THE DOOR! OMG the horror! And perhaps this will spark a national debate to repeal those horrid "stand your ground laws."

It turns out.... not so much

 

So today the story has been updated.

South Carolina Shooting Deemed Justified 

It seems that rather than say... politely knock or ring the door bell because he couldn't get in, he decided to kick and beat on the door until he smashed his way in and reached in through the broken window to access the doorknob. THAT is when he was shot once in the torso by the male resident while the female was already on the phone with 911. Having been in a similar situation, I am sure they were both absolutely terrified. I'd be willing to bet young Mr. Donofrio was also totally shit-faced, hence the lack of knowledge of his location and prudent judgement given his actions in surroundings where Second Amendment Rights are respected.

I am armed on my property at all times, and 99% of the time off site. If an individual(s) attempt to breach my perimeter, they may only have about a second to see the error of their ways and retreat before they won't have to, because they won't be able to.

Notes & Observations From Vacation

I typed these off-line into my phone when I had down time and while the thoughts were fresh in my mind. The raw notes have been refined for posting.

 

FIRST... Road Travel and AirBNB
 

1. My bedside Glock 21 with Streamlight TLR-4 laser/light combo came with me. It was unloaded and locked in a hard steel case that was tethered to the seat mounting and hidden way up under the back seat. The ammo was locked in a separate hard steel case and inside my luggage, following the rules of "no quick access" set forth by F.O.P.A. Travel across the 71 miles of Hochul's Hellhole (NY state) on I-84 to PA and back was uneventful. Traveling through PA was not a worry. Although more direct, I chose to completely avoid NJ for the obvious reasons. Those fuckers will arrest and jail anyone that dare cross their imaginary line at the state border with a firearm, regardless of how it is stored and secured. The weapon was loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 185gr .45ACP with a spare mag and placed by my bedside every night. For the entire vacation no one knew including wife, and they still don't. It keeps the subject off the table for possible future vacations. In the morning it was unloaded and secured. The only place to keep it secure when not at the house was in my vehicle, locked in the lock box and secured the same way I traveled. The ammo container stayed at the AirBNB house locked and hidden in my suitcase. AirBNB does not forbid weapons on either side; rental or renter. If you are renting out your property, all weapons must be secured and out of sight of renters. Renters are supposed to get prior permission to bring weapons onto a rental property. FUCK THAT! I don't beg for permission to exercise my right to self defense. I think AirBNB's would be the perfect target for home invaders, especially if criminals were to just use the app to locate them and then prey upon unsuspecting folks on vacation when occupied. If no one breaches my perimeter, no one gets hurt and no one will ever know I was armed. Since PA dos not honor my pistol permit, I carried an assortment of blades while out and about. Better than nothing.

2. AirBNB house: I live on a quiet rural back road. This rental house was on a very busy road that had traffic (including trucks) 7/24. The first night was tough but we quickly got used to it. Our first house was in a busy neighborhood. The next door neighbor has what looked like an old classic bike in his garage. I only saw it at night in low light inside his garage while the door was open. I waited until I saw him outside and went over to say hello and talk bikes. The guy and his wife are nice friendly people. It wasn't a 40+ year old bike but a nice 2005 Kawasaki Concours with really low miles. In low light the twin exhaust and shaft drive had me thinking something like a 1980 Suzuki GS850. Plus he had the removable saddle bags off so that also gave it a retro look. I showed him photos of "The Beast." Turns out his wife doesn't ride much either.

 

SECOND... Hershey Park

1. No weapons allowed. PFFFFT! I carried my Gerber GDC money clip with discreet blade and my Blackie Collins "CIA Letter opener." On Wednesday I accidentally also carried in S&W Border Guard in a belt sheath. I only got stopped on the way in Tuesday because of my metal eyeglass case. The guard wanted a looksee at my glasses. He said people use eyeglass cases to sneak stuff in. They never knew about any of my blades.

2. OMG! Talk about the oversexualization of children, particularly young girls. Most girls were wearing the same basic outfit from about age 8 to early 20's; high tight shorts with crop tops or baby tees. I spotted girls as young as 12 sporting cameltoes while walking around with their parents. I saw one girl of about 12 or 13 repeatedly in a ride line so I know what I saw. Too many mentally ill tranny weirdos as well wandering around instead of being committed to a facility. Day 2 at the park was a combination of roller coasters and several hours in the water park. It wasn't as warm on the second day and we froze getting off water rides. But the rides were just too much fun to care.

3. There was plenty of black and brown people but the parks were not overrun and everyone behaved themselves.



Trip to Amish country 8-24-23
 

Amish Marketplace: I'd never been to one before and it was a feast for the eyes. The meat cases were incredible. A young Amish man asked if I needed anything, but I said no, I was just enjoying the sights and how delicious everything looked. He said "We are blessed!" and I heartily agreed. Then there was the breads, pies, candy, and canned goods. Everyone was so nice and lots of samples. I bought stuff I liked; fruit preserves, some bacon jam, and some pineapple salsa. Both of my Grandmothers had these wall mount folding wooden drying racks in their houses. When I saw these for sale I had to get one for my own laundry room. $37 and NOT MADE IN CHY-NAH!

Fully extended and ready to use. No need for paint or poly

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folds down flat against the wall for storage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fisher Farm: We stopped there because of the homemade root beer. I met what I assume was the family patriarch Elim Fisher and had a nice conversation with him. He was curious where I was from and what I did for work. He told me Amish are being pushed out because of high land prices. I have never interacted with The Amish, only viewed from afar. I really like and respect them and am just a bit envious of their way of life. While I could never convert myself, I would enjoy living among them as their neighbors.
 

Kettle Village: outdoor market place with more good eats. My wife picked up a couple of jars of spicy pickles, and a pot holder for the handle of a frying pan. She makes delicious frittatas using a large oven safe non-stick frying pan, so that will make it easier handling the hot pans.

Shady Maple Smorgasbord: I am not normally a fan of all you can eat because I never feel I get my money's worth. We went on a Thursday which is their Wing/Rib Night and was reasonable at $21.99 per person with senior discount for three of us. So I just ate what I liked in normal portions. I started with a good salad loaded with my favorite veggies, toppings, and super chunky bleu cheese dressing. For my entree I got the "burnt" end of a juicy, tender brisket. A helping of smooth mashed potatoes and gravy, a heap of string beans, and a hunk of cornbread, all washed down with some ice cold chocolate milk. For dessert a serving of cherry cobbler and a cup of coffee. I was definitely satisfied without feeling stuffed and bloated. After dinner we all returned to the house to play Marbles. Guys against the girls, and the XY chromosome team dominated.

The other side is for four players. Two decks of cards for moves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8-25-23

Most of family left this morning, but we stay until 26th. We took a ride to Bird In Hand for a horse and buggy ride at Abe's Buggy Rides and took the longest ride they offer at 6 1/2 miles. Our driver was a delightful Amish girl in her late teens/early twenties named Naomi. She had been driving horses since she was very young and made it look easy. She is getting married at the end of November and we wished her well. She clarified what Elim Fisher told me about the Amish being pushed out. She said because of land prices, it is very hard for young couples just starting out to get a place of their own. Midway through the ride is a stop at an Amish bakery. I got a pecan sticky and an ice cold chocolate milk. So good! I took some great photos of the countryside with my Nikon D5600. After that we went to a place called "The Amish House and Farm" for their on-site tour of an authentic house and farm. It is surrounded by shopping plazas but once inside you don't see them. A stop for ice cream at the Strasburg Creamery in Strasburg and then over to the Tanger Outlets and the New Balance store for new sneakers. We headed back to our AirBNB for a dinner of leftover pasta that my wife turned into a cheese covered pasta bake. After supper we started making preparations for the trip home tomorrow.

 

8-26-23

Check out time is 10:00 AM, so we got up early to pack and clear out on time. We pulled out at 09:30 and headed to Gus's Keystone Family Restaurant in Mount Joy for a big breakfast. Holy shit they serve a full plate of food. I got one of the day's specials.... a Mexican Omelet. Charizo sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and melted shredded cheese. It comes with salsa and sour cream and a side of fried sliced potatoes and toast (I opted for raisin toast). Everybody's breakfast was absolutely delicious and filling so we would not have to stop for lunch on the way home. The only traffic we hit was in Kommiecticut at the NY border that went almost to Waterbury due to the shitty highways we have that are a total choke point when coming into New England. A stop for gas at BJ's and we were home by 4:30 PM. Vacation is great, but returning home to my own bed and the peace and quiet where I live feels real good after being away.

I am not very active at work because we are stuck at the station on standby most of the time, and then most of our calls are for EMS. My activity level goes way up when I have days off catching up on yard work. For all the eating I did on vacation, I also did a lot of walking and amazingly dropped a couple of pounds. All the walking did my knee good too.