11/13/2022 - BLOG COMMENTS are again allowed and are moderated to exclude only the bots, advertisements, racial / ethnic pejoratives, and embedded links. I'll attempt to honor Chicago's historical "Bughouse Square" concept of free-speech and open debate --- spanning the curve from the far-left to the far-right. /JZ
Blogging to you from the Northeastern Badlands of The County of Lake, in the state currently known as Fatmanistan, DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP inside the heartland of the Banana Republic formerly known as the USA, WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! WARNING! ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE ADDICTIVE; EXCESSIVE USE MAY LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, REDUCED JOB PRODUCTIVITY, INSOMNIA, SOCIAL ALIENATION, GENITAL ULCERS, BLINDNESS, POLITICAL EROTICISM, AND / OR DEVIANT FUNAMBULISM. NOTICE: NO GUNS OR AMMUNITION ARE FOR SALE VIA THIS BLOG. (No, I will not trade my Colt Python for some lubricious adventures with your trophy wife and a future first-round draft pick.) CAVEAT: This blog is not suitable for viewing while at work, while inside a public library, while inside any public or private school, or while inside any public or private restroom. Do not view this blog while driving a motor vehicle or while piloting an aircraft. Viewing this blog may be illegal inside the EU, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the Third World. THIS BLOG CONTAINS (albeit often very childish) ADULT-CONTENT. DISCLAIMER: This blog is a hobby, it is not a livelihood. Even though much of what I blog about relates to firearms collecting and recreational shooting, I am not an expert (by any measure) on any facet of guns, shooting, hunting, or personal defense. Entries at this blog are akin to good old-fashioned campfire chats or post hunt bourbon-fueled barroom-bluster; I offer no opinion on what you should or should not purchase, or what you should be using or doing. What does or does not work for me could be rugged-country-miles away from your tastes and your needs. All products, places, and miscellany that I review for this blog are purchased / rented / leased at retail price by me. I do not accept payment, gifts, discounts, freebies, products on loan, distilled spirits, recreational pharmaceuticals, plea-bargains, probation, parole, Papal Blessings, Presidential Pardons, or sexual favors for doing any review or blog post. TRACKING COOKIES: Google et al stick tracking cookies on everybody. If you are online, you are being spied on via one method or another, for one reason or another; 'nuff said. You may be able to minimize your online DNA residue by using Tor and Duck Duck Go. Vive la liberté! Vive all y'all! Ante omnia armari. To each of you, thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

U.S. Court rules Zombies have free speech rights

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Click here for details.

Do zombies have Second Amendment rights too?

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The essence of today’s bipartisan Healthcare Summit

The key to passing a Health Care Reform Bill is Medical Marijuana.

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All they need to do is to promise that health insurance will pay to get everyone smoked up as treatment for an unlimited number of ailments. Send out some free samples (of the good stuff; none of that generic weed) to members of the House and the Senate; after a couple of hours of negotiating in a smoke filled room the vote will be unanimous.

Full disclosure: Same one as before, I have never touched the crap in my life.

Yeah, I am suffering from a bout of silliness today. I made the mistake of watching some of today’s healthcare summit. Now I am fighting cravings for bourbon… and a cigar. Does alcohol and tobacco qualify for coverage as psychotropic medications?

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Buying American

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When I shop, I am a label checker. I’m not some super-patriot, but I do favor goods made in the USA when the price and quality are competitive. I’ll pay more for American made goods, but there are limits, I am not a fool when it comes to my money. However, I absolutely refuse to buy goods from certain countries no matter how good the quality and how low the price. If Made in the USA is not available, I will usually favor goods made in Mexico. I never could understand why our stores don’t have more goods from our big brother to the north, Canada (other than their great whiskey).

For a couple of months now, a Sam’s Club in my area has been selling socks made in the USA. Quality and price are good; I hoarded 30-pair since I rarely find socks made domestically; I don’t expect this supply to last at Sam’s forever.

I needed another pair of relaxed-fit blue jeans in my fatboy size. The Sam’s Club had no jeans made in the USA so I had to settle for what was available. I have refused to buy Levi Strauss brand since they moved their manufacturing out of the USA to increase profit margins. The Sam’s Club did have made-in-Columbia Levi’s and made-in-Mexico generic brand jeans; I took home a pair of the generic brand for about $7 less than the Levi’s cost. Bite me, Levi Strauss. I’ll keep looking for jeans made in the USA at the right price; I may have to buy them online here. 

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Another open carry case closed

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A drunken Kentucky man, openly wearing a holstered gun, rides a horse to church. This made the congregation a might uneasy.

The horse was sober, no harm done.

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sorry, but I have a prior engagement and will be unable to attend.

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A Republican candidate for a local office, who ran unopposed in the February 2, 2010 primary, will be unopposed in the November election; the Democrats have no candidate to run against him.

Today I open the mail and find an invitation to attend a fundraiser for this unopposed candidate.

Now, just how much darned money does it take to win a race when you are the only horse on the track?

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Monday, February 22, 2010

It is time to legalize marijuana and tax it

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Come on Congress, you hypocritical bunch of closet potheads; it’s time to tax the shit and pay off the national debt. Ass, grass, or gas; nobody rides free.

(Full disclosure: Never in my entire life have I smoked marijuana.) 

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Financial doomsday is here for the state of Illinois

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It will take a massive tax increase -- and $2 billion more in cuts -- to reach solvency, group says.

Illinois is government waste and corruption at its absolute finest, courtesy of our career politicians. Please, tell me again why you don’t vote.

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Savings earning next to nothing

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Last week I called my bank and told them to move the funds from a few maturing certificates of deposit to my money market. CD rates are pathetically low so I decided to treat myself and pay cash for a new zero-turn riding mower this coming spring. I’ll still have to use the old push mower for some areas, but the new rider will take some of the punishment off my aging carcass.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Senator Evan Bayh says to vote them ALL out of office

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CLICK HERE for the story.

Heh. Bless his heart.  Bayh must read Borepatch's blog.

Yeah, it’s sure fun to dream about one big bipartisan purge, Democrats and Republicans alike. Unemployment is something they all need to experience; it builds character.

It’s time for voters to perform a royal flush.

I’ll do my part.

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Saturday, February 13, 2010

S&W Pre-lock revolvers

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Some gun jargon is causing confusion for some folks. For quite some time I have been getting a number of hits to this site with searches for “Where is the pre-lock on a gun?” or “What is a pre-lock on a gun?” Let’s see if we can help.

When folks refer to a “pre-lock Smith & Wesson” they are referring to revolvers made BEFORE S&W started installing their built-in key LOCK system on revolvers. I don’t care for revolvers with the locks and will not own one; it is a personal choice, I just think they are bugly. Some folks just do not trust the locks, they worry that recoil may engage the lock during a critical incident; I do not have the expertise to comment on this concern.

In the above photo (taken from here) the lock is the hole in the side of the revolver just above the cylinder latch and below the hammer. You put a key in the hole and give it a twist to lock the action so the trigger will not pull (NOTE: I don’t believe the lock is intended to be used on a cocked revolver; this photo is alleged to be of a lock failure). A pre-lock S&W does not have this lock.

Now, there is always a chance that I am wrong, some guns may indeed have something called a “pre-lock,” and I just have never heard about it. After all, guns have been around a long time and there have been matchlocks, wheellocks, flintlocks, caplocks, boxlocks

In fairness to S&W, there are other brands of revolvers and pistols manufactured with built-in key lock systems. Further, S&W recently has been offering some revolver models without the locks.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Rohm RG 66 .22 Magnum


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I’m not sure of when it was I bought this revolver or why. It may have been during a time in my life when I had very little money and my purchasing a cheap handgun was a better option than having no handgun. Honestly, I just do not remember. I have no idea how old it is, there are no production-history records that I can find for RG guns. Obviously, the revolver was assembled before January of 1986 when RG Industries of Miami, Florida ceased operations, but other than that, there are no clues as to its age.

This inexpensive (“cheap” if you prefer) cowboy style revolver is nothing but functional. As for durability, there is no telling without shooting it until something breaks. It may go on to fire an additional 50 rounds, it may go 500 rounds, or it may last beyond imagination. Some parts on this lightly used handgun look to be sound and well made while other parts appear tenuous. No matter how clean and well oiled all the components are, cocking the hammer generates sounds akin to sand grinding in transmission gears. This single action revolver is not something I would enthusiastically choose to defend my life. It is an expendable piece, something to keep tucked in a nook of the barn (yes, I have worked on farms and probably bought the RG for that purpose), loaded and ready for dispatching marauding critters. It has a nine-inch barrel with fixed sights and does shoot very close to point of aim at reasonable distances. The cylinder holds six rounds but anyone possessing a love of life and a lick of sense will carry it with only five rounds loaded and the hammer down on an empty chamber.




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Man shoots himself in leg outside Fla. gun store

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CLICK HERE for details

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Friday, February 5, 2010

IGOLD Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day 2010

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Starts at 11:45 AM

All Illinois gun owners are invited to join in Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) in Springfield. Please CLICK HERE for details.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

L.W. Seecamp .25 ACP

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It is time to get back to fun with guns. This pistol’s DOB is December 13, 1982 and it now enjoys the simple life tucked away as a collector’s item.

The LWS .25 is a stainless steel, hammer fired, double action only pistol with a trigger pull of roughly 12-lbs. It has a seven round magazine and is drop-safe to carry with a round in the chamber.

Some folks familiar with L.W. Seecamp pistols may never have heard of the LWS .25 ACP. Introduced in 1981 and produced only until around 1985, the LWS .25 filled an unintended niche created by our Congress. Subsequent to the Gun Control Act of 1968, new pocket pistols of good quality were scarce and the available striker-fired pistols of the day had reputations for occasionally firing when dropped onto a hard surface if there was a round in the chamber. The LWS .25 is the father of the famous LWS .32 ACP and the grandfather of the revolutionary LWS .380 ACP. Reflecting the creative talents possessed by both Ludwig and Larry Seecamp, all three LWS pistols have identical size and weight. The Seecamp .25 ACP is a rare little mouse with roughly 500 made for special Seecamp customers and another 4,500 or so made exclusively for Sile Distributors. In the wide wild world of guns, 5,000 pistols of a given name brand do not amount to a whole bunch. Serial numbers for the Sile’s pistols began around 2500. The highest serial number for a LWS .25 is 6944. Quite a few of the LWS .25 pistols had special-order serial numbers.

Unlike the highly polished finish of today’s Seecamp .32 and .380 pistols, the LWS .25 came from the factory with a matt bead-blast finish. The LWS .25 had a recoil-spring guide-rod not used on the LWS .32 or LWS .380. LWS .25s found without guide-rods have been factory altered or repaired.

Magazines for the LWS .25 are no longer made and the limited number of spares on the market command premium prices.

Click here to visit the L.W. Seecamp forum for further information on the LWS .25.

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I performed my civic duty

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It is a snowy morning. News-Radio says election officials expect a low turnout for this primary, perhaps as low as 22%. The reporter speculated that independents don’t like declaring a party in order to participate in primaries. Long ago, I learned to show up for all elections; the tax referendums are usually scheduled on dates when low turnouts are anticipated.

I “under voted” my ballot. Some candidates that I did not like were running unopposed and I did not want to add to their vote count.

Anyhow, I made my choices for the horses that I want to see the Republicans run in November. Between now and then there is plenty of time for me to find candidates, from all parties, best suited to serve my selfish interests. I’m in this game of life for my benefit alone.

Most incumbents or career politicians cannot count on my vote.

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Monday, February 1, 2010

I’m ready for the Groundhog Day Vote

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I have no hard political party affiliation; I am an Independent Voter. My voting record would indicate to most that I am a conservative, but the far right of the Republican Party lost me when they started behaving like the Taliban. Some Democrat ideas are okay, but the far left of that party makes Vladimir Lenin seem moderate. I am really a mercenary voter; I always want something for me. Yeah baby, “where’s mine?”

First thing I had to do for this primary was look over every candidate from every party and screen every issue that I considered worth a damn. To vote in the primary, I had to choose whether I want to be a Republican, a Democrat, or a Green. After some exhaustive reading, I decided my best interests for this primary are served by me being a Republican.

Next was to rescreen everyone on the Republican ballot and decide if I was going to go with the NRA and ISRA choices. Some I did and others I did not. I want to make a statement; I want to see some fresh faces.

My list is complete. Tomorrow I crawl out of my burrow to do my part, to vote.

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Be they Republican, Democrat, third party, fourth party or beyond, make each candidate earn it. Vote NO MORE GUN LAWS!

'We the Politicians of the United States, in Order to avoid a more perfect Union, manipulate Justice, destroy domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common offense, promote general Warfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Progeny, do blaspheme and eviscerate this Constitution of the United States of America." ("Zack," circa 1966 -1970)
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