New Waukegan Gun Range Nears Completion

A big "THANK YOU!" to Mr. Frank Orsi and all of the others who built all of this for all of us.

Members only, limited shooting for this weekend (8-lanes of their total of 22)
I’ll be using this event as an opportunity to spend some quality time with my .38 Super. 

The date of the public grand opening is not yet available.

I had a tour of the facility back in September when I signed my membership; it sure looks to be a top notch facility; a big-dollar investment. 

Click HERE for their FACEBOOK page

Click HERE for their Website

EDIT:  I took a few pictures of the Saturday morning (11/1/2014) "Range Warming" event and decided to just append them to the (above) original blog entry, along with some photos that I took back in September.  

I am going to love having this range so close to my home; it is only three miles away.

This is one big facility.  There is great potential.

This is nice.  No guessing how far the target is.  Input the distance you want to shoot and voila.  

This hightech gear does not come cheap.  

This was my lane.  I did 3 x 9-round magazines on this one target and called it a day.

Here are some other morning shooters.  This room is the 8-lane Combat Range.  

The other lanes are still works-in-progress, but should be ready in short-order.

The GTR facility is an awesome resource for shooters.

I voted today

Voting is still a priority in my life.

Let me tell you that over the past several years I have noticed quite a number of other dedicated citizens taking advantage of the convenience of early voting.  Fewer folks are staying at home and letting others make the decisions for them.  It could be my imagination, but  I could swear that I see pride in their eyes; they are part of the system; they make things happen.

Happy Halloween 2014

Per decree of our local gubmint, our Trick or Treat was held last Sunday and only for three hours.  The turnout was small and those kids found lean pickings; probably only one house in five gave out candy.  Almost nobody decorates for Halloween around here anymore.  Most all of the kids were with their parents.  I gave my leftover Halloween candy (what I did not consume) to my daughter who will be handing it out today to kids in her neighborhood.

Autumn Roses

Here is a tenacious post-frost, near-November rose bloom.  This bush died away many years ago but resurrected itself during the spring of the year that followed the death of my Mother.  It has bloomed every year since then.  Usually the blooms from this bush are finished for the year around August.  Seeing this late season blossom gave me a bit of cheer.

Below are some of my cold-tolerant “Double Knockout Roses.”   These bushes seem to bloom in clusters every 4 – 6 weeks or so from June until a hard freeze in the fall ends their season.

Review of the Aker Express Sharkskin L.W. Seecamp Pocket Holster

(This short blog entry has been over a year in the making, and that is not entirely because I am an indolent old SOB; I kinda like to see how things work out over time before blathering my opinion.  Further, this review (as with all of my reviews) is just good old fashioned "campfire talk" and not a recommendation for or against purchase.  The photos are a year old, and shot with a cheap cell phone camera.  I have a slightly better camera nowadays, but quite honestly I am too durned lazy to freshen the photos and I fully realize that my lack of talent would provide little aesthetic improvement.)

The only holsters that I know of that (legally) carry the super cool L.W. Seecamp logo are the Aker Express models, available only directly from L.W. Seecamp.  These holsters are usually "in stock" so there is no waiting list as is common with many custom holster makers.  These classy looking holsters fit all of the L.W. Seecamp (current and former production) semi-auto pocket pistols (ACP calibers .25, .32, .380).  Purchased initially as a collectable (actually I bought a pair, one right handed and one for the left), I did not think I would like carrying this wallet size holster.   I was wrong.  It works and wears very well for me.  Most pocket holsters of similar size and shape fail to stay upright in the right front pocket of my jeans; this one behaves nicely, even when I am pedaling a bicycle.

The photo below shows the side of the holster that faces toward the body.

I work and play outside a lot and it is common for sweat or rain to soak me all the way down to my pocket holster.  Moisture can readily deteriorate any holster material that is not top quality.  The construction of this Aker Express looks to be sharkskin laminated and stitched to cowhide (or possibly horsehide).  After a year of general use with a few episodes of significant abuse, IMHO my Aker Express holster is still in great shape. 

The photo below shows the side of the holster that faces away from the body.  The anti-print panel is to make the rig look like a wallet and impede printing the shape of the pistol through clothing.

The photo below shows how the anti-print panel is hinged to the side of the holster by a length of stitching; it opens like a book.  Other holster makers hinge such panels to the bottom of the holster.

Today is a heavenly beautiful Indian Summer day

Am I allowed to say “Indian Summer?”  Is there a politically correct terminology I should be using?  Perhaps we should morph it over to “Native American Summer.”   Yeah, that’s the ticket.  “Today is a heavenly beautiful Native American Summer day.”  Nah, wait a minute; I said “heavenly.”  That hints of religion and by golly, some folks will have a leaky sphincter spasm over that.

“Today is a nice day.”  I guess that’s the best I am allowed by our culture.

Man arrested for breaking the Ten Commandments in a single moment.

This is one unrighteous dude!

Sold four bricks (2,000 rounds) of .22 Long Rifle ammunition today to a local gun store

They needed the ammo far more than I did and offered a fair price.  Availability is low and prices are ridiculously high compared to a few short years ago.  That leaves me with around 6,000 rounds of L.R. still on the raft.  I’m tempted to unload all but two or three bricks (locally; this chitchat blog entry is not a solicitation for online offers).

The most often that I will be going to the range will be once a month (if they EVER get that new local range open) and I usually practice with centerfire ammo.  There no longer is any place around here for me to hunt with a .22 rifle (or a shotgun for that matter).  The older I get the less inclined I am to lay in supplies that would last me for the years when “SHTF.”

How much ammo is enough?  Darned if I know. 

Ebolaughing out loud

Gallows Humor via email and various sites.

(Hat tip to Glenn B for the one above)

GAT GUNS is offering FREE Illinois Concealed Carry Classes to ACTIVE MILITARY and their spouses until the end of November 2014

This is yet another reason why I think  highly of GAT Guns. From now until November 30, GAT GUNS is offering FREE IL Concealed Carry training classes to ACTIVE MILITARY and their spouses.

(You must be 21 or over)

ACTIVE Military members need to take only 8 hours (Parts B & C)

Spouses must take 16 hours unless they have prior approved training credit.

See the TRAINING CALENDAR for the schedule.

Do not register on-line.  Register in the store or by phone.

ARMY - AIR FORCE - NAVY - MARINES - COAST GUARD

GAT GUNS

970 Dundee Avenue,

East Dundee, IL 60118

(847) 428-4867

Gunsmoke and Hoppe’s No. 9 prevents Ebola infection

CLICK HERE for the source.

Thus far, my research shows that, in the entire history of the disease, the CDC and the WHO failed to trace a single case of Ebola back to a contaminated firearm.

I reckon it’s time to spend an afternoon cleaning some hardware.

Retired lawman Glenn B’s Mom recently passed away.

Glenn B., you have my condolences; you are a good son. 

I read his post during some introspection on the anniversary of my Mom’s last day on this earth, even though her passing was several years ago.  It was an honor to be one of her sons; she is impossible to forget.

It is natural that eventually we all will lose each other.  I reckon it is up to each of us to cherish the moments and the memories, although I think it natural that most of us wish we could trade some of the memories for a few more of the moments.