USA Ammo - Reader Help

Some time back, I shot and reviewed some 9mm ammo from USA Ammo. I even wrote a follow-up.

These posts continue to be some of the most popular on this site

However, I have had some problems with shipping on the last couple of orders, and some of the commenters on my posts have reported the same thing.

I have written them several emails which have gone unanswered, but before I close the door on them, I'd like to get your take -

What has been your experience with USA Ammo?

I will comment probably once a day, and on June 25 I will forward comments and all to USA Ammo.

Thank you for your help!

Knife Review - Victorinox Swiss Army

I've carried a knife of some sort just about every day since I was 10 years old. I've been carrying a Swiss Army Tinker from Victorinox for about 20 years. Before that, I carried a Boy Scout model Swiss Army knife since about the 7th grade, until I lost it when my canoe capsized when I was on a camping trip in Ohio when I was in college.

This year for Christmas, I presented the Dauphin with his first pocket knife, a Swiss Army Climber model. He was very pleased.

Here are our knives, side by side, with mine on the left and the new one on the right:

Since it had been about 20 years since I looked the Swiss Army line, I was also pleased with the changes Victorinox has made.

First, as the photo shows, mine is shinier than his, because his side panels are a matte texture, versus the old slick plastic. This makes the knife much easier to grip when wet. I tested it and I like it.

Second, there are a few more blades on the Climber versus my Tinker model. The scissors are much welcome. My wife carries a small Classic Swiss Army, and she tells me she uses the scissors at least once a week.

The Climber also has a hook and a corkscrew, but is lacking the Philips head screwdriver.

My impressions of the Climber are very positive, by itself, and compared to my Tinker. Opening is smooth, the blades are all solid and sharp, and the miscellaneous tools are easy to open and use.

I'm still pleased with my 20 year old Tinker, too. Although one panel is a little loose, the grip is still comfortable and usable. The blades have kept their edge, although I dress them regularly.

In all, this new knife should serve my son well for the rest of his life, provided he doesn't put it in the pocket of an unsecured sweatshirt on any canoe trips.

++++


A note of thanks is due here to Sheriff Jim Wilson. Some time back he and I swapped some tweets about pocket knives, and about how I had resisted giving my son a knife, for fear that he would accidentally take it to school, and in today's Zero Tolerance world, be expelled when it was discovered.

Sheriff Jim responded simply that this might also be a way to teach responsibility.

Later, he wrote in his blog

I especially like to see a kid with a good pocket knife. It’s usually an indication that someone trusts him. And it is tangible proof that he is growing up and that the day when he will have his very own .22 rifle is not all that far off. Kids need that sort of trust and responsibility.

I think he was right. Thank you, Sheriff.

Holster Review - Don Hume H715-M IWB

Once upon a time, when I carried my Glock 17 inside the waistband, I used a cheap, non-branded split leather holster, that I bought for $4 at a big box sporting goods store while my wife was next door buying throw pillows.

I didn't carry my G17 inside my pants very often. It was painful after just a short while carrying. The back of the slide dug in, and the extended magazine release, which wasn't covered by the holster, pinched my skin whenever I moved.

A few years later I got a smaller Glock 19, and it was a little better to carry than the G17 with this holster, but not much.

+++++

Then, a couple of years ago, I was on a business trip in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and I had an extra hour before I needed to be back at the airport for my flight, so I dropped by Cheaper Than Dirt. (Actually, I made my flight plans with a trip to Cheaper Than Dirt in mind.)

I had never given much thought to a leather IWB holster, but there on the Don Hume wall was a great looking little number for the G19, priced at $22. I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.

The holster fit is just right. I use "just right" on purpose. Leather holsters are fit to the gun they hold, and not all of them are done well. For instance, I have one holster with a fit that looks really great, so that the outside of the holster looks just like my gun. But, it is fit so tight to the ejection port that the leather has been cut by the trailing edge of the ejection port by the repeated action of holstering and drawing my gun.

On the Don Hume, the interior of the holster is shaped to the G19 just enough to hold the gun in place. Retention is excellent, while the draw is smooth, with no hesitation or hold up.

Coverage of the gun is excellent as well. The trigger and trigger guard are completely covered, and the barrel doesn't extend past the end of the holster at all.

The holster rides higher on my pants than the old one did, and at first, I didn't like that. The difference isn't much - the Don Hume rides at about the trigger, and the old holster rode at the magazine release - but after some practice, I find that I can draw my gun a lot easier with more of the gun elevated.

The problem I had with the magazine release pinching into my skin is solved in this holster. While the mag release isn't covered, the holster material is thicker than the length of the release, so that it does't even reach my skin.

The top of the holster is reinforced, so that the holster is held open while it is in place in my belt, even with the gun removed. As a test, I've carried the holster empty for several hours, and the holster never collapsed. re-holstering is smooth.

The leather finish is excellent, without blemishes or streaking. The belt clip is just right, too, and holds on to my 1-1/2 inch belt without slipping off, yet isn't too stiff that I can"t easily remove it with my thumb.

+++++

Based on two years of using it at least 4 times a week, I can enthusiastically recommend the Don Hume H715M holster for the Glock 19.

The next time business takes me to Fort Worth, I'll probably pick one up for my G21.

Gun Review - Glock 17

This is the first in a series of reviews of guns I own, have owned, or have shot enough to be sure of what I'm writing. Like everything here, this is based on my experience and research. Your mileage may vary.

The Glock 17 is the full size 9mm version of the famous Glock handgun, first introduced to the US market in 1986.

I bought Bruce, my Gen 2 Glock 17, in late 1992, from a pawn shop in a small town in Alabama. According to a serial number search I did through Glockmeister, it was made in March 1990. I don't know anything more about it except the shop owner told me it was used.

I've written about it in the past, so I won't go into a lot except to say that, because of the ease of maintenance and exceptional customer service, the only original parts left are the polymer frame, the slide, and the barrel. Over the years, through the graces of the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, everything else has been replaced.

The performance of this pistol has been almost flawless. I estimate I've shot about 10,000 rounds through over the years, and in that time I have had exactly six failures, all of which were failures to extract. Three were due to a chipped extractor, which I was unaware of, thanks to a reluctance on my part to own up to the toll the ravages of time have taken on my close-in vision. Two were due to limp wristing (1 by me and 1 by my son), a failure of the shooter to support the gun to allow the cycling slide to completely extract the spent shell.

The remaining failure was caused by me shooting the pistol without a magazine in place, to see what it did. Now I know.

I have never had any light strikes on primers, no double feeds. In fact, for years, since I had no malfunctions of any kind, the only instruction I got on clearing malfunctions was watching fellow IDPA and USPSA competitors.

The only magazine problems I've had were from the older, non-fully metal lined magazines, which were since redesigned. I've replaced all those magazines.

As a Generation 2 frame, the gun has two pins (versus the 3 pins of later guns) and no finger grooves. Since about a year after I bought it, I've had a Hogue slip on grip installed. I did this more to provide repeatable indexing of my shooting hand, than as a grip aid. In fact, I find that the finger grooves on my Gen 3 Glock 19 are too close together, thanks to my unique hands - short, fat fingers, with a wide hand. (I also wear 4E shoes.) I also found that the Glock 26 I once owned was too small for my wide hands, even with an extended base plate installed on the magazines.

++++

In truth, there are four parts that I have replaced voluntarily, and not because they failed. I have installed Warren/Sevigny sights, an extended magazine release, an extended slide stop, and the (-) trigger connector, which some people call the 3.5 pound trigger connector.

Sights

About three years ago I installed Warren/Sevigny Competition Sights with the fiber optic front sights. For about 2 years I had the red fiber in the front sight, and then I changed it to the green, admittedly on a whim. I find now that I prefer the green.

I also like these sights a lot better than the Glock factory sights, especially the fiber optic front sight. They make the front sight really stand out, and they've made a big difference in my sight picture.

Extended Magazine Release

The first modification I ever did to the pistol was to install an extended magazine release, to compensate for my short thumbs. In fact, what I did was have a Glock Factory Armorer install the magazine release from a Glock 21, at the first GSSF match I ever shot, at Dallas in 1995. (That way it was factory installed and the gun qualified for Stock Service Pistol in IDPA. You see what I did there.)

Extended Magazine Catch

About that time, I also installed an extended magazine catch. This was during the time when I released the slide from slide lock with my strong hand thumb, as opposed to using the method I use now, of grasping the top of the slide with my support hand and releasing it that way. As such, since I don't (and never will) have a grip plug installed, this now qualifies as The Most Useless Modification I've Ever Made.

Minus Connector

The purpose of the (-) connector is to reduce the trigger pull of the pistol from the approximately 5.5 pounds, to something less. I've never measured the trigger pull of my pistol, but I can say it definitely lowers the pull weight. Some Glock Factory Armorers call it the 2kg connector, and 2kg is about 4.5 pounds, so I will go with that if I have to.

I only install the (-) connector on the pistol for competition or for practice, and never when I plan to carry the gun or have it available for home defense.

++++

A few years after I bought the gun, I bought a video Armorer's Course, on VHS no less. (That should give you an idea of how long ago this was.) It contained a good bit on detail stripping and cleaning and lubricating of the Glock, but the host said that about the only modification he made was to polish the barrel feed ramp. I gave that a try, and was content with it.

Until I discovered the famed $0.25 Trigger Job, so named because the cotton swabs and polishing compound required to accomplish it cost about a quarter.

Basically, what this involves is polishing all the metal parts of the Glock trigger system that contact each other, so that they are smooth, and slide easily past each other. The original method calls for cotton swabs; I used a polishing wheel on my Dremel tool. Much faster.

I've done this on all my Glocks now, and I would not own a Glock that I didn't do this to. In fact, when I bought my Glock 21 a few years ago, I let my son dry fire it before I did the trigger work, and compare that to my Glock 17, and even he could tell the difference.

++++

The accuracy of my Glock 17 has never been an issue. I figure it is more accurate than I am capable of shooting. No, it will very likely not shoot one ragged hole at 50 yards. But it will put all its shots in the A zone of a USPSA target at 25 yards, and it will put all its shots in the center of mass of an armed attacker, as long as I hold the sights there while I smoothly press the trigger. And that's all I require it to do.

++++

In the areas of reliability, durability, affordability, shootability, and customer support, the Gen 2 Glock 17 exceeds my expectations. I would recommend this gun, as well as the later Gen 3 and Gen 4 models, to shooters of all experience levels, for competition, recreation, or self-defense shooting.

I Humbly Yield the Floor

A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

Shane (1953)

Every death at the barrel of a gun is a tragedy. Whether an innocent victim is killed by a criminal, or that criminal is stopped by a law abiding citizen, or a group of gang bangers end up shooting each other, the resulting death could have been avoided, if one goes back far enough in the process.

One of the chief failings of the anti-gun crowd is their refusal to assign responsibility in this tragedy to those who are to blame. They choose to believe that, somehow, the gun - the tool - was at fault, and if all guns were eliminated, then the tragedies would cease.

Make no mistake, they will speak of "easy guns" or "illegal guns" or "assault weapons with high capacity clips and a shoulder thing that goes up," but what they really mean is all guns. Even the recent history of gun control in countries like England and Australia shows that.

Every time I read an anti-gun diatribe, I am tempted to write about it, and cite the truth - that the vast majority of gun deaths are due to criminals. You don't know how many draft posts I have saved, that are in this vein.

I forget exactly what I was reading today, but it was the same tired claim that "gun violence" could somehow be solved by more gun regulation. All I know is it got me to sounding and acting like Lewis Black - cussing and jabbing my fingers at the screen.

Fortunately, the next blog I read calmed me down. And for that reason, in matters related to who and what is to blame for "gun violence," I humbly yield the floor to Sean Sorrentino.

Many gun bloggers, like myself, choose to remain somewhat anonymous. For me, it's because my side passion might interfere in other areas of my business life, where, frankly, it should have no bearing at all.

When you meet Sean, though, he will be wearing a badge in the shape of the state of North Carolina, that says his name, and under that, An NC Gun Blog.

Sean deals frequently with legislators, anti-gunners, and pro-gun people alike, and, as he told me, he wants them to know where he stands.

I salute Sean not only for his forthrightness, but for his blog. The subject of his blog, more often than not, is to show you who the perpetrators of gun crime in North Carolina are, and what they have been up to all their life.

Sean tells you about the criminals and their records in a very civil manner. He doesn't name names, he doesn't throw stones. He just shows you the truth.

As a quasi-aside, Sean doesn't just write about guns, he shoots very well, too. He was my training partner in Knoxville earlier in the year.

So, in lieu of ranting, in the future, I will just point to An NC Gun Blog. Sean says it better than I can.

Ammo Review Follow Up - USA Ammo 9mm 115 grain FMJ

About a month ago, the cool discount site GearHog had a deal to buy $100 worth of USA Ammo product for $50. Given my previous good success with USA Ammo, I jumped on the deal.

Well, so did about 1,999 other people, so much so that, even though I placed my order for 500 rounds of 9mm as soon as my coupon was valid, it took over 2 weeks for it to ship. During that time I called USA Ammo to check up on my order, and talked with Terri there. She confirmed that they were indeed extremely busy, thanks to the coupon deal. I suppose it's a good problem to have.

One of the things that concerned me, being an engineer by training, was the possibility of quality control issues at the USA Ammo factory because of the increased pressure to make orders to meet the demand. So, I naturally wanted to be sure the ammo I would receive was consistent and of good quality

When my ammo arrived, I immediately found one difference from my previous order. Before, the ammo came in 50 round bulk boxes, but this shipment was packaged in 50 round trays inside boxes, just like other brands of ammo. I don't know if this was a conscious change on their part in response to customer feedback, but in my mind this would be better for the ammo, since it prevents damage from rounds impacting each other.

Otherwise, the ammo was the same as my previous order. I still had a few rounds left, and the new order was a shiny and clean as the older rounds.

As a quick QC check, I selected the first box in my shipment and the last box, and selected 5 rounds at random from each box. I then used a caliper to measure overall length, and I found that all the rounds I tested were the same, within my measurement capability. None of the rounds caused me to have to move my caliper.

Not being a reloader, I don't have any scales to be able to weigh the cartridges. Sorry. Maybe I should get a scale.

As a final test, I shot about 150 rounds of the new ammo this past weekend, and, despite my dismal performance, the ammo performed flawlessly. I didn't do any accuracy testing on this batch, but neither did I notice any flier rounds that weren't attributable to a really crappy shooter on the pistol.

So, in review, despite being slammed with demand following their popular campaign on GearHog, the quality of product delivered by USA Ammo did not deteriorate as far as I could tell. I am pleased by this, because it tells me that this company is serious about what they are doing.

And it pleases me because I still have another coupon, and I'm ordering another 500 rounds today.






FTC Disclaimer: If you click through to GearHog from the link above, or from the link in the right column, and you buy something, I get a commission. This deal is available to anyone who wants to sign up for it at GearHog. I did not receive any additional consideration from GearHog.

I bought all the USA Ammo used in this post, and performed all the testing myself. There has been no influence or contact in any way from USA Ammo.

Ammo Review - CCI 9mm Shotshells

At the suggestion of a Twitter follower, @EnBloc, I set out to perform a scientific test of CCI 9mm shotshells, for protection against snakes and other small varmints in the woods. I planned to measure shot patterns at normal snake distances, and, as a final test, to shoot a tube sock filled with sand to show its real power.






That is, until a three foot long Canebrake Rattlesnake surprised us the other day at the range.

So, I decided to use another scientifically rigorous method. I shot that snake in the face.


Video courtesy of @RKBArms

As you can see, the shotshell was quite effective. In my opinion, one shot would have sufficed, but a follow-up shot was administered, just to be sure.

The 9mm CCI Shotshell contains number 12 shot, and claims to shoot at 1450 feet per second. However, at only 298 foot-pounds, the recoil from the round was not enough to cycle my Glock 17, so I had to cycle the slide myself. This is important to know in case the first shot is not as effective as this one was.

I had always wondered if these loads were effective. Now I know.

Product Review - IPSC Shot Timer for Android

I've always wanted a shot timer, so I can tell if what I'm practicing is really improving my times. Until now, this has meant spending $150 or more on a "real" shot timer. But I recently upgraded to an Android smart phone, and a quick search showed - you guessed it - there's an app for that.

The IPSC Shot Timer v. 0.9.3 beta was created by Ivan Stoiliarov, and is available free at http://www.handster.com/ipsc_shot_timer.html, and through the Android Market.

This timer meets my needs, and I like it, for a number of reasons. First, the microphone is sensitive enough that I can use it while dry firing. I use it to time my draw to the first shot, and it's very good for that use. It features an adjustable lag between pressing the start button and the sounding of the buzzer to start the timing, which takes away the chance of me learning to jump the timer.

Like most timers, you can review split times and total time. You can also save strings of fire for review or download later.

Reviews of this product have complained that it doesn't work as well with live fire, because most phones' microphones are too sensitive and are overloaded. I have to admit I haven't used it in live fire yet. I will try it the next time I go to the range, and report on it then.

The Android Shot Timer is a great addition to my dry firing practice tools. And you certainly can't beat the price.

Podcast of the Week - The New Shooter Podcast

As you know, I'm always on the lookout for gun podcasts to make my 1-hour-plus commute tolerable. A new one I recently came across is the New Shooter Podcast, on the interwebz at www.newshooterpodcast.com, and on Twitter at @newshootercast.

Nick is the host, and he is what he says, a new shooter. He came to shooting recently, and decided to share that experience with the rest of us through the podcast medium.

So far, Nick has posted five episodes, and I've enjoyed all five. He starts, as a lot of gun podcasts, with a list of what he's done with guns (an admitted homage to the Gun Dudes), news, and email feedback, then he moves into a main topic.

Topics have been varied. The first episode was a very interesting interview with a documentary filmmaker about her latest project, a film called A Girl and a Gun. Other topics included how to teach first time shooters, and the Zombie Shooters Association, which I reviewed some time back.

Nick's style is easy and enjoyable. He presents a good amount of information on his topics. His interview style isn't as polished as a TV new anchor, but he's as good as most other podcasters, and I like it.

The New Shooter Podcast is a welcome addition to my iTunes subscription page, and to my commute. Thanks, Nick!

My Shotgun, Reborn

One spring day, not long after I had bought my first gun, I was at work, talking with a truck driver, while he was waiting for his trailer to be loaded. The conversation turned to guns. After all, it was spring, we were men, we were in Alabama, and I was a Gun Newbie. After a while, the truck driver mentioned that he happened to have a used shotgun for sale. Would I like to see it?

Sure.

It was a very nice pump shotgun, a 12 gauge. The wood was in good shape, and while some of the bluing on the barrel was worn, there was no corrosion. And the pump action was as smooth as glass. It had only one minor defect - a former owner had written his name on the barrel with a power inscribing tool.

I say it was a defect, but in fact, it was a blessing, because the person whose name was on the shotgun barrel happened to be the plant chief operator, and he was on shift that day. So I went and asked Lee about the shotgun. He told me of the large number of whitetail deer who were prancing in the fields of heaven because of that gun.

Was it worth $100?

Lee said he thought so, because that's what he had sold it to the truck driver for, 3 years before.

So, at lunch, I went and cashed a check (these were the days before the ATM, friends) and the shotgun was mine. And I named it Lee.

Now, I had no idea what brand of shotgun it really was, and neither did Lee. The brand name on the gun is Revelation, sold by Western Auto. I tried taking it apart, but knowing nothing about shotguns, I didn't get far.

The next day, my copy of American Rifleman arrived, and the monthly section on gun schematics and disassembly instructions featured the Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. Everything looked the same as mine, and it came apart and went back together just like in the magazine. So, Lee was really a Mossberg 500. Thank you, Lord.

+++++++

A couple of years later, after I had moved away, I went back to my old plant for a visit, and Lee (the operator) asked about the shotgun. He then told me that he had been approached by the truck driver, to try to sell him the gun back, and he had steered him to me.

Again, thank you, Lord.

+++++++

Fast forward a number of years, and a lot of trap shooting, later. Now, the bluing on Lee had gotten a little more worn, so I decided I would like to re-blue it. I bought a re-bluing kit at the gun store, read the instructions, and completely de-blued the whole gun. I sanded all the pits and corrosion out, and - no offense - I used my Dremel to erase Lee's name. Sorry, man.

Then I decided to search the Internet for info on how to re-blue guns, and I was confronted by tales of woe. It turns out that the Mossberg 500 has an aluminum receiver, which doesn't take bluing well. So I decided I needed a little more experience in gun finishing before I gave it a try.

Fast forward a little more. Okay, probably 5 years more. The shotgun sat unfinished, all that time, while I periodically thought about refinishing, and stopped, because it made my head hurt. To assuage your fears, the barrel and steel parts were well oiled, and stored in a firearms sock in my safe. The small parts were stored in a plastic shoe box.

At last, thanks in part to the false sense of optimism this blog has given me, I decided to finally refinish Lee.

After a bunch of Internet research I decided to use Duracoat firearm finish, and a Hogue rubber overmolded polymer stock, to make Lee look like his Glock brethren.

++++++

The refinishing process began with the fitting of all the parts onto the new polymer stock, to be sure I didn't need to do any gunsmithing to make it fit.

Everything fit perfectly.

I then laid all the parts out to get ready. In addition to the Duracoat with sprayer that I bought, I also bought painters tape. I also remembered back when I was researching bluing, and they told me to fill in all the holes in the receiver with Silly Putty, so the finish wouldn't get in the holes, and make them smaller.

I also got some 600 grit sandpaper for the final sanding, and some nitrile gloves to protect my hands.

I then went over all the metal parts with the 600 grit sandpaper, per the Duracoat instructions.

Here's the trigger group taped off below the parts that will show in the final gun assembly:

I filled in all the holes with Silly Putty, and taped all the threads and other parts that I didn't want to spray. I then sprayed the whole gun with the degreaser spray provided in the kit.

Here's the receiver, hanging and ready to spray.

I then mixed the paint and the hardener in the glass sprayer bottle, and shook it all for the time they told me to. Spraying with a smooth even motion, I laid down the first coat:

I also sprayed the barrel:

Three even coats, and all was done.






Sounds easy, right?



Ha!

First - the sprayer that Duracoat sold with the paint tended to sputter periodically. At random. Leaving some parts sprayed smoothly and evenly, and some running and dripping.

Actually, I'm surprised the paint stayed on, with the amount of cursing that I applied to the sprayer. I guess I'm glad the cliche isn't really true.

So, instead of letting it dry five minutes between coats like the instructions said, I let it dry fifteen minutes, and tried to sand out all the drips.

Stupid idea. All I got was rolled up drips.

Eventually, my curse vocabulary exhausted, I managed to get it sanded well enough to get three coats on, and it not look like I had welded all the parts together.

Lessons learned:

First, I won't use the sprayer that Duracoat sells again. Instead, I will invest a little more money in an airbrush sprayer and compressor.

Second - while it may work for bluing, I found that Silly Putty makes water bead up. This means it also repels paint, so that all the pin holes had halos around them, free of paint. I need to find something else to use, maybe just balled up paper.

So, while trying to sand out the drips, I also had to take out all the Silly Putty, and use the degreasing spray again. Then I could spray.

Third - in retrospect, I would not have Dremeled Lee's name off the barrel. I now think it would have lent a sense of history, which I am trying, in a small way, to preserve here.

After drying overnight, I put the whole thing together. Of course, I had to watch a Youtube video, because I hadn't done anything with this gun for 5 years. But the action is still smooth as glass, and it looks mean.

Behold, Lee, the Mossberg 500:

Podcast of the Week - the Gun Dudes

Carl, Stan, Tom, and Travis are four UPS drivers in Utah who share a love of shooting. They get together once a week and share that love with us as the Gun Dudes Podcast. For me, they are my Tuesday drive to work.

Imagine four good friends at a barbecue, eating meat sandwiches, cutting up, and talking about guns. That’s what this show is like, a sometimes irreverent mix of serious talk and general horsing around. Along the way they share some really good information, things they have used and they know work.

Now, I admit that this podcast took a while to grow on me. Sometimes the fooling around almost gets in the way of the real show, but they always come back to the topic. Somebody is almost always fiddle with a gun, and you can hear them racking the slide, working the cylinder, or handling the guns some other way. Sometimes there is a secondary topic going on with a couple of the guys. And there is always sarcasm and endless needling of each other, especially of the one or two of them who aren't on this week's show.

Because there are things they always do right, I keep coming back. They all shoot IDPA so there is a recurring focus on competition, training, and practice. Some of them are Glock guys, and they actually published the first Gen4 to Gen3 conversion chart I could find. They are also involved in Scouting so they talk a bit about training new shooters.

The show starts with the question, “What did you do this week with guns?” and each of them tells about their week. Then there are segments with news, emails to the show, and “Missfire Awards,” a round-up of miscues and gaffes, usually ending in a bad guy captured or worse. They always urge listeners to join the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and US Concealed Carry Association.

In addition to the regular segments, there is always a topic of the show. Some topics have included dry fire practice, IDPA competition, becoming an IDPA Safety Officer, taking new shooters, and various training classes they’ve taken. They also publish some videos of segments on the podcast, and they maintain a Facebook page as well.

I get a lot out of this podcast, and yes, I find myself laughing at a lot of what happens, and wincing at some of it. But despite the shenanigans, there is a lot of good information in this hour, and it’s time well spent for me.

Review - Gun Stories

Last night I watched the premiere of a new television series on the Outdoor Channel, Midway USA's Gun Stories, hosted by Joe Mantegna. All in all, I enjoyed the show a lot.

Episode 1 focused on the Government Model 1911 pistol, designed by John Moses Browning. It went through the history of the gun, from the Army decision to abandon its .38 pistol, to the competition with the Savage pistol, to acceptance and distribution. Along the way, through interviews with a cross section of gun authorities, historians, competitors, and famous personalities, the depth of the 1911's enduring legacy was firmly established.

Now, I have to admit, I had gone into the program expecting something else. Other programs produced by Michael Bane on the Outdoor Channel focus more on the firearm itself - how it operates, how to run it, how to fix it. After watching the whole show, I realize that there are probably a lot of people who are like me, who have focused our gun attention on the mechanics of guns and how they work, but not so much on how we got there. Gun Stories tells that story, and on this it delivers.

Far from being a bunch of timelines and historical footage, Gun Stories lets people do the telling. I especially enjoyed hearing Ted Nugent tell about how his father carried a 1911 in World War II and Korea. Buzz Mills, president and CEO of Gunsite Academy, told how his grandfather was issued a 1911 as part of the New Mexico National Guard, and carried one while fighting Pancho Villa, during the Banana Wars, World War II, and Korea. He also told of buying a 50th anniversary 1911 from the NRA in 1961, by mail order, for $15. And he still owns that pistol.

Given the 30 minute time frame, the show covered all it could cover. There were interviews with competitors like Gene "Evil Roy" Pearcy who told of its adaptation to improve accuracy so it could be effective in competition. Granted, no one went into how to improve the accuracy, but again, that isn't the focus of the show - you can find that out on another show, or on Youtube.

I felt the same about the transition from the 1911 as the US Army sidearm to the Beretta 92F. There was a little discussion of the 9mm versus the .45ACP, but that was more from the political perspective of coordination with NATO, not on the ballistic compromises involved. Again, since the show isn't so much about the 1911 as a weapon, but about the history of the 1911, that was okay with me. If you want that discussion, go on any gun forum and ask. (I dare you.)

Now, there was one area where I thought the show excelled - the slow motion footage of the 1911 in action was some of the best slow motion video I have ever seen. You could see the bullet leave the barrel, the working of the action, the ejection of the spent shell, down to the engagement with the extractor. Then, the stripping and feeding of the next round, all before the gun came back down to firing position. I have always imagined that this is how Rob Leatham sees his gun operate. Very impressive.

Joe Mantegna was a great host. The show style was him commenting and introducing segments, and the people being interviewed just told their stories, with no interviewer.

I look forward to future episodes, and to deepening my admiration of these guns by knowing more about their history.

That New Podcast Smell

This week, JP at the EyesNeverClosed blog posted the first episode of his podcast, the Empty Mags Podcast. If he keeps up with it, I think it’ll be a good one to watch.

The first installment was impressive, and not just because he told about this blog in the first five minutes.

JP's style is relaxed and conversational. He really appeals to me because his target audience is the everyday shooter, the regular guy or gal who owns a couple of guns and shoots for fun, competition, and self defense, not an operator. He maintains an even pace throughout the show, and he changes topics effectively.

The main topic of the first episode is deciding whether to build your first AR rifle, or build it. I won't give away his advice, but he convinced me. Give a listen and see if you agree.

Ammo Review - USA Ammo 9mm 115gr FMJ

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2, 2012:
THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN MOVED. CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATE.