Samurai artifacts

I can't say I know much of anything about these relics. They were on display near where I live, but I couldn't read the sparse placards that were written in Japanese. I know one is a katana and the other a wakazashi, but beyond that I don't know. They were probably more ornamental than anything else. Perhaps a gift from one lord to another. I doubt they've seen any combat since the blades don't show the "wear" others which I know were use in medieval conflicts. I say "wear" since even those claimed from battlefields are able to present a mirror-like finish once they've been restored.

Akins Accelerator(TM)

This is an interesting accessory. 650+rpm without a class 3 license? I had to take a good look at the website to figure out what exactly do they mean by this proposition. It sure looks like they've pulled it off. The Ruger 10/22 becomes a rapid fire semiautomatic weapon.

I wonder if stuff like this, if it becomes popular across other weapon platforms, will help facilitate banning semiautomatics in the future? If nothing else they might redefine the term "machine gun". For example, "... more than one round discharged through a single 'motion' of the hand." Where a "motion" might be a flexing of a muscle or some other stupid legal definition.

Would you buy one? What do you think?

WileyX Light Adjusting Lenses

I bought a beautiful pair of XL-1's from, of all places, the Harley Davidson distributor in Maui. I guess they are popular with riders who need good eye protection from road debris. Makes sense. I got a pair with dark, smoke-colored lenses and went online to order a pair of Light Adjusting lenses for more "tactical" uses. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. They don't adjust to light. My Dad's everyday corrective light adjusting lenses work a hundred times better than the ones from WileyX. They are too expensive for another set of clear lenses.

How to suture up wounds if SHTF

An interesting thread from Glock Talk

Try to get the wound cleaned and closed as soon as possible after the bleeding has stopped. Apply direct pressure until the bleeding has stopped. This may take some time depending on how bad an injury it was.

Flush the wounds with sterile (boiled if possible) water until all visible dirt is out of the wound.

After the wound appears clean, disinfect it with either povidine iodine (betadine) or chlorhexadine gluconate (4%). You can get this from a veterinarian supply for pretty cheap. I prefer the chlorhexadine because it has less caustic effect on the tissues. To disinfect it, first put on sterile gloves if they are available. If not, scrub your hands (especially under the nails) with the betadine or chlorhexadine. If you don't have either of these available you can use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol as a last resort. Remember, after you have your gloves on, anything you touch must be sterile or you will contaminate yourself. That means you have to make a sterile field and lay out all of your equipment on it. If you do contaminate yourself, change gloves.

If you have some lidocaine 1% or 2% now would be a great time to use it otherwise this will HURT. If you have it available, Fill a 10 cc syringe with a ~21 to 23 gauge needle and inject it about 1 cc at a time into the wound margins and the deep tissue. Wait about 3-4 minutes and check to see if you have achieved local anesthesia by poking the area with the needle. If you don't have any lidocaine, you can use a benzocaine spray but this will BURN for a few minutes after you put it on before the tissue gets numb. The lidocaine syringe will most likely NOT be sterile, so be sure and change gloves after you administer it.

Then, pour a generous amount of your chosen disinfectant into the wound. Scrub the wound with the disinfectant and some sterile 4x4's. If it is deep, make sure that the disinfectant gets deep into the wound cavity. Now make a sterile field around the wound using sterile OR towels if you have them or you can use sterile 4x4 gauze. If you don't have anything available you can boil some towels (but let them cool off before you put them on the skin!) Let the disinfectant sit for about 3-4 minutes for betadine or at least a minute for chlorhexadine. Mop up any extra solution with some sterile 4x4 gauze until the tissue is reasonably dry (e.g. not sopping wet).

Now your wound is sterile and ready to be closed. (continued)

A change of title

This used to be "The Liberal Gunner" blog.

I'm sick of that label. I'm tired of the greed-based politics. And I'm tired of people thinking that IF I were a liberal then I'd abolish gun ownership. I'm tired of people thinking that IF I were a conservative then I'd outlaw every abortion and ban contraceptives.

I was raised with certain traditions that define me and separate me from others. But, I live in a country that has taught me how to live comfortably and amicably with others. Yet, I hone my awareness and preparedness for the probable outcome of misfortune.

Somethings are worth drawing lines in the sand for. Individual rights, gun ownership, a woman's choice, rule of law, progressive taxation, and the right to education are some of those things.

So I may not fit in the "box". And I might dull the "cookie cutter". And some people may not like what I say. But you know what... I don't like people anyhow. Most folks just piss me off anyhow, on the inside. (That doesn't mean I won't listen to them though.)

Collecting Calibers?

I now have firearms in a few different calibers:

• .22 LR
• 9mm
• .40 SW
• .45 ACP
• 5.56 x 45 mm
• 7.62 x 51mm

And I'm feeling like the list is rapidly growing, especially since I'll probably soon be adding:

• 12 ga.
• .22 mag

In addition, I'd love to add a .357 mag revolver at some point. I don't think I can go wrong with any of the above mentioned, except with the .40 SW and .22 mag when times get tough.

I'm having difficulting choosing a weapon that my wife can handle, and yet will be something I can confidently carry. I'm well aware that the both of us will need more training and that's something I'm personally looking foward to. I have a feeling that the .22 LR, 9mm, and 5.56mm will be the greatest investments since I'm confident that my wife can handle weapons in those calibers. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and find that she loves the 7.62mm and .45 ACP!

Ammo to Grab
1st Connect: Survial Rifles and Calibers
Survival Bill: Survival Guns
Outdoor Life: Survival Guns

New toys

Well, I came back from the summer with:

1. Kahr PM9
2. Springfield Armory M1A Loaded
3. Rock River Arms AR-15 Complete Lower w/6-position Stock (unknown trigger)
   
4. Springfield Armory XD45ACP

My first impressions about the PM9 were:

• god this thing is small
• it is very controllable
• love the trigger
• a little rough on the finishing, especially on the polymer frame
• a pain in the ass to take-down (it did get much easier)
• gonna have to spend some time to learn how to shoot this thing accurately
• and did I mention that it was small? gonna be a great carry gun

Ultimately I had some real problems with the PM9 and I'm going to have to speak with Kahr about taking a look at the barrel and the slide. I can't even describe what happened, but I'll try. The top edge of the barrel that is between the square, chamber-end and the cylindrical barrel section has gotten "mashed" for lack of a better term. The slide now catches on the top of the deformed "detent" and the weapon fails to automatically cycle between EVERY shot. This happened soon after the 200 round break-in period. I'm really anxious about this problem. I hope Kahr will help me out here.

The M1A is a hoot to shoot. I went through about 40 round of Spanish surplus with great results. I sorta forgot that I was supposed to break-in the barrel and clean it more often, but I hope that shouldn't effect the accuracy down the road. Let me stress that I'm a new shooter and new to rifles... my third string of three-rounds was 1MOA at a 100 yards! This rifle kicks butt.

I didn't get to spend a lot of time with my XD45, but here were my first impressions with this lovely piece:

• as polymer-frames go, this thing is beautiful
• it fit my hand very well, though the grip seemed a bit long
• it points well
• great features
• accurate
• controllable
• and a hell of a lot of fun to shoot

So, I'm just dreaming about my next summer of fun, when I'll be able to get back and shoot some more. Lots to learn!

TopGlock Summer Order

Handguns—reporting multiple sales

If you sell or dispose of more than one handgun to any non-licensee during a period of 5 consecutive business days, the sale must be reported on ATF Form 3310.4, Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers, not later than the close of the business day on which you sold or disposed of the second handgun. The licensee must forward a copy of the Form 3310.4 to the ATF office specified thereon, and another copy must be forwarded to the State police or local law enforcement agency where the sale occurred. A copy of the Form 3310.4 also must be attached to the firearms transaction record, ATF Form 4473, documenting the sale or disposition of the second handgun.

A business day for purposes of re-porting multiple sales of pistols or revolvers is a day that a licensee conducts business pursuant to the license, regardless of whether State offices are open. The application of the term “business day” is, therefore, distinguishable from the term “business day” as used in the NICS con-text. Example: A licensee conducts business only on Saturdays and Sun-days, days on which State offices are not open. The licensee sells a pistol to an unlicensed person on a Saturday. If that same unlicensed person acquires another handgun the next day (Sunday), the following Saturday or Sunday, or the Saturday after the reporting requirement would be triggered, the subsequent acquisition of a handgun would have to be reported on a Form 3310.4 by the close of the day upon which the second or subsequent handgun was sold.

WTF Chuck Hawks?

I was reading an article on the web by Chuck Hawks and I was very sorry to read...

Flinching is somehow seen by many as faintly cowardly, like whining or wife beating.

Wife beating isn't just faintly cowardly... it's totally f*ckin' cowardly! How can one even equate whining with wife beating? Talk about a warped sense of analogy. If there are any who read any truth from this, they are truly sorry individuals. Please check out the article, there's no "pulling stuff outta context" here.

Doctor optic + Trijicon

I was wondering what happened to Doctor optics because their website was down, which was unfortunate because it seems like they have a pretty interesting product. Looks like others have already asked that same question.And here's a model from Jpoint Sights.

Japan pulling troops from Iraq

...Nukaga issued an order for the withdrawal to begin later Tuesday. The Yomiuri newspaper reported the target for completing the pullout was the end of July.

Polls showed half or more of the Japanese public opposed the dispatch, and many were concerned about the safety of troops in Iraq and the possibility that the dispatch would make Japan a target of terrorists.

WIMPS! Look I don't care for Japan's militarization, even if it does cost the US and their allies billions to maintain security in that part of Asia. They lost the war and have forgotten their roots. A country that claims to be passifistic? You got a lot more to prove than spending your last 60 years of protesting war. What about more than 600 years of on and off war in one of the longest lived feudal societies?

They are afraid of terrorists? What the hell aren't they afraid of. This country has more restrictions based on silly notions of what's dangerous without considering the larger picture. They are zenophobic and their social structure reflects as much within their borders.

Ahh, take your troops and go home. Whatever. Go play footsie with Kim Jong Il.

Flu crazy

It seems that the media cooks up some kind of disaster waiting to happen whenever the previous one subsides. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, riots, epidemics... etc. I'm only going to put as much energy into preparation as is likely that calamity will strike. I figure that depending upon where you live, it might only be about 3% max. So, I'll only put 3% of my money and energy into preparedness. On that note, here's a good link to a flu portal.

American Handgunner's Bugout Bag

Here's a great article from American Handgunner about what to pack for an emergency. I like the wheeled tote, but it would be better if it could be carried (relatively) comfortably on the back as well.

Wishlist: Ruger New Model Blackhawk Convertible

One of the first toy guns I played with was a Colt SAA model. One of these days I hope to have the cash for one. Prospects are good if I can save the money, my girlfriend just saw a picture of one and said that we should get a matching set even though I told her the pair we were looking at were probably $2000 each. She didn't seem to mind which is cool by me. Well, until I can own a real SAA, I might have to "settle" for a Blackhawk Convertible. These SA's look great and they can cover a wide range of calibers! I'm most interested in the .45Colt/.45ACP.

Springfield Armory M1A Loaded

I recently took the big plunge and called my gunshop to order an M1A Loaded for me. The sales assistant was a little surprised, which in turn had me surprised. I had orderd a Kahr PM9 from him a few weeks earlier and perhaps that's why he was a little surprised. Frankly it is a lot of gun for me, and I have a long way to go... I'm sure it's more accurate than I can shoot it. I'm really excited that this will be my first M1A. I'm sure I'll not regret choosing this model as my main battle rifle.

Airsoft, Part 3

I had my second day of gaming outside today. My goals were to have fun, call all hits as soon as possible, and keep learning. Things went pretty well. First I wasn't sure if I'd make it because I was sick earlier this week. Then the weather looked sketchy so I wasn't sure we'd be out today at all.

I'm still able to look at the experience as basically an outsider. In part that's due to the fact that I'm a foreigner here in Japan, so I'll always be an outsider to some degree. In addition, I'm a newb so there's lots I'm trying to pick up on the fly. Finally, it's something so out of the ordinary yet oddly familiar that it's easy to reflect upon my experiences.

I'd be almost afraid to loan these guys a real gun at the range. Airsoft give one great practice at draws, obtaining a good sight picture, stance, and tactics... but whoa... this squad has almost no muzzle discipline. Just today, I saw a guy pull the trigger on his handgun then look down the muzzle repeatedly when no BB's had shot out. All without wearing his facemask dangling around his neck. Guys also wave their muzzles around with loaded weapons in the safe zone. During one of the pre-game huddles, a guy went to load his handgun, and racked the slide while casually covering half of us with the muzzle before holstering his weapon. They have an odd habit of resting the muzzles of their rifles on top of their feet while standing around.

I'm not really worried since these guys will almost never get a chance to handle a real firearm. But I'm being very conscious about not letting a lax attitude around the airsoft field effect how I handle my real steel firearms or my airsoft replicas.

Tactical Defense

Unfortunately our airsoft nightgame was canceled, but I discovered a totally new place. My sempai, or mentor, took me to Tactical Defense. It's a small warehouse that's been converted into an indoor airsoft arena. I arrived around 8PM and played until almost midnight. During that time we played about three rounds. There were about six people per team and things got pretty crowded.

My first round was pretty depressing. I seemed to go out into the field only to be sent back to the "dead room" without getting a single hit. My second and third rounds were better being able to make a number of kills.

It's all about movement and angles. Accuracy and speed were secondary. Playing indoors is totally different from outdoors. Everyone was more casually dressed for one and the games were almost entirely played with GBB pistols. There were only two of us using AEP's, but we held our own. AEP's have an advantage that they have higher-cap mags and are quieter to use. I doubt one needs more than two regular mags to play a game. You don't get off many shots in a place that small.

I'm looking forward to spending some Friday's there and perhaps more depending upon the weather this year. It's a lotta fun for sure.

Airsoft Season Begins

Finally.

We've been having an unseasonably wet and cold spring here in K. Most of our weekends have been filled with pretty crappy weather. I went to the local hobby shop yesterday morning and found out the meeting place for the local airsoft group. Thankfully it was only a half-hour drive away.

I nearly didn't find the place. I had parked my car at a near-by school and began walking. I stumbled upon the parking lot serendipidously. The guys there were rather suprised that I showed up. The were generally friendly and welcomed me as things were just beginning.

This was their third day this year and we began with about an hour to an hour-and-a-half of maintenence work around the site. We moved the port-a-john, re-built some stairs, and set up some barricades. There were about 12 of us there.

At about 10:30 we began our first game. It was elimination-style and the only rules were that we had to use our guns on semi-auto. When I asked why, they replied that until the grasses and foliage grew in, it wasn't very interesting to just blast away on full-auto. The area was surprisingly small. We primarily stayed within an area that measured 100x50 yards. I thought the games would last longer and that we'd be farther off from our starting point, but I doubt the games lasted longer than 15 minutes with about six people on a team.

My new M-4 worked flawlessly after I discovered that I played the first game without winding my hi-cap magazine. I probably only shot off about 10 rounds. The rest of my trigger-pulls were just shootin' air. Talk about a newbie screw-up. Then during my second game I realized I had to adjust the hop-up. I keep my gun stored at the neutral-postion, because I'm under the impression that it'll last longer if I store it that way. Basically if I fired some test shots before we started, I could have worked out those kinks immediately. The other guys were firing their guns, but I was a little embarassed to join them.

I didn't use my Glock-18C AEP. I wanted to save the batteries for later, but that was stupid. Even though I had two batteries, they should have still lasted me about at least 400 shots which is more than enough for half-the-day the way we were playing. I fired a total of about 200 rounds with my M-4 for the whole morning.

Others were using M-4 variants, GBB pistols, a G-36, a couple shotguns, a couple rifles with scopes. The GBB's were very cool. I might have to get one myself ;-) but I don't want to spend any more money right now.

I brought a pair of cheap shooting glasses, but they quickly had me switch to a face mask. It was a field rule and that was fine by me. I had two hi-caps for my M-4 and only used one. I had three extra batteries, but didn't even use up my first. Granted we were using semi-auto only, but I only see myself no more than tripling my consumption for a morning of full-auto. I doubt that I'll need more than two hi-caps and two batteries for my M-4 all day long. I do need to find a better way to dispense my BB's for reloading between games. I'm pouring BB's out of a zip-lock bag right now, and there's always a few BB's that get wasted in the process. I hate the thought of dropping more BB's than is necessary.

I ended up getting hit about as many times as I made my own kills. I think I should have counted a couple of hits in hind sight. I didn't realize until half-way through the morning that I should count richochettes. To tell the truth, it was a little difficult to tell when you were getting hit, kinda. I don't want to get into the bad habit of not calling hits.

Our strategy was pretty much to rush the line as soon as we began for good position over the field. It wasn't really necessary given that we were playing elimination over capturing a base, but it was still fun. I really tried to practice constant forward/agressive movement, but it's difficult. Sometimes you get pinned down and I probably should have pulled back and flanked for a better shot.

I had a fantastic time and after I figured out the initial glitches I was able to play without futzing around with my gear. I would like to figure out my sling. It would have been nice to switch weak-side a couple of times and I found the three-point sling to be annoying at times. I can also see why Clint Smith doesn't like them. I found my saftey got switched off a few times when carrying the M-4 between games. I was very careful about the trigger, but that was pretty unsettling to think that might happen with my real M-4. I'll also need a new holster. My Glock spun around my body a few times during the game. A drop-leg set-up would eliminate that problem. I wouldn't want to reach for my side-arm and find that it's not there.

So, the guys are letting me come again. The next game, May 6th, will be at night beginning around 20:00. I have no idea what to expect. I'm wondering if I'll need a light or not. I think the team leader said that it wasn't necessary. We'll see.

Korean Museum of War

During the winter break of 2005-2006, I went to Seoul an visited this fantastic museum. I'd highly recommend giving yourself a good portion of the day to explore. While the "ancient" historical exhibits were very interesting, I was more interested in the more "modern" "gun-powder" exhibits. There are things to see inside and outside the facilities. You gotta check this place out!

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