Military Monday - Guest Post "Do you want to be a warrior today?"

So, I'm back form a quick trip to the beach. While I was there, I somehow found us a co-author for this thing. I'm that hard up for content and Pudge is desperate for attention. What's the worst than can happen?

Posted below is a short bio of our new co-author and his first piece concerning the warrior mindset, which I figured is most appropriate for military monday. Moving forward, we'll have some more guest content from Pudge and I'll be sure to denote who is who. Thanks for stopping buy. - Counter Jockey

I’m currently employed by Uncle Sam as a girl scout hat wearer. My handle is Pudge because well, we all know how nicknames always make perfect sense. I grew up in God’s country (the Midwest) where I learned how to hunt and eat anything that moves and some things that don’t, tame horses, build loud cars, and generally be a red blooded American. While attending a school for wayward boys along the Hudson River I was blessed to meet my wife, who we’ll call Red (this nickname does make sense) and she has been putting up with me on my venture to plummet out of airplanes, help others when I can, and constantly trying to find a new part of my body to break. Due to Red and Jackie being best friends I was unfortunate enough to get roped into Mack’s gang of hoodlums and have been doing my best to make him proud since.

Pudge looking all tacticool

Mindset- Do you want to be a warrior today?

I feel that this is a fitting topic for my first attempt at writing. If I’m going to do something then I want to excel at it. I know we all start somewhere and today I start here with blogging. So, I start with what is one thing I know; how to be a warrior. It doesn’t matter if I’m out in the middle of the desert trying my best to dodge bullets while making sure the other guy doesn’t or making supper for my family, I want to win at it. I want to first give credit where credit is due; I was scrolling through the gamut of gun gurus and a post from Ronin Tactics caught my eye. It made me think about how all of us gun/survivalist/prepper/insert name here guy are always looking for a new piece of gear or new skill that can make us a better warrior. But sometimes we forget that the most important piece of kit we can have is our minds and it is unbelievable what your body can do if your mind is prepared.

There is always someone out there preparing to kill one of the great sons or daughters of America. They do not always have good gear, good tactics, or good training but they have a belief it is what they are supposed to do. We think with all our cool gear and other stuff war is easier but it still comes down to mindset. Did I work my ass off today so that I can be better prepared for what may come? When I wake up in the morning do I say yes when I ask myself; do you want to be a warrior today? Everyone has their sayings but what matters is can you take that and make it yours? I ask myself do I want to be a warrior today so that I can protect my God, my Country, and my Family. Protection doesn’t just mean from harm. Can I show my son as he grows how to be a man? Can I make sure my wife has everything she needs? Can I be a leader and mentor to the men I am blessed and honored to lead?

No matter what you do in your daily life be the best at it. Be a warrior today. Be a warrior everyday.

A Year In

So, I've been uploading some thoughts and musings for a year now. Please don't go back and read that very optimistic daily schedule and then add up the total post counts. Oops.

Oh, well. Been a good year. Changed jobs. Paid off the car. Kept Jackie around for a whole year of marriage. Bought a bunch of guns and accessories.

Thanks to everyone who stopped buy and left a comment. Thanks to everyone who put me on their side bar list. I'm much appreciative.

Two Years Gone

Two year ago today, a great friend of the gun culture left our world. I like to think that perhaps the big op, the final battle between good and evil, what have, needed a Weaponsman of the first order. Perhaps Saint Michael got a deal on CZs.

I never met Kevin, except virtually. I stumbled a cross his site while looking at info on building an M-4A1 clone. In the comments I mentioned that I too was building one. We discussed where to put the AN/PEQ-4 on an old quad rail, that being the platform of the early part of my service and the tale end of his.

Speaking of comments there, some truly great intellectual discussion occurred there, providing the exception to the rule of never reading the comments. I believe that was the only place on the internet where flaws in U.S. machine gun doctrine and usage (Kirk) could be discussed alongside why the Mk 23 pistol was cool but unwieldy. (Boat Guy)

And his world wide audience was great. Aussie metallic silhouette shooters and Rhodesian expats. Beat up tankers and dumbass fratboys turned infantry officers all commented there. So did Tam and Ian. Pretty bleeping cool.

I miss him terribly. My buddy Pudge currently wears the girl scout hat. And what's funny is that we like to get drunk and watch The Green Berets. I can nearly repeat it word for word. So can he. And Kevin could too.

I speak often about the culture war for the preservation of firearms ownership in this country. It doesn't matter whether or not we can own post '86 machine guns, not really, but if we can assure that when an old Widow walks into a gun store and is treated with respect and dignity, we win. She needs to be shown that not all gunnies are raving anti government wackos. And she doesn't need to be hand an Airweight with purple Hogue grips on it. Someone needs to take the time and show her how that Shield EZ .380 works and explain why it's a good choice. That is how we win. That grows the gun culture.

And in a way, I like to think Hognose would appreciate that. He certainly addressed everyone of his visitor's comments with respect, humor and wit. Sort of a force multiplying action for the gun culture.

I miss him everyday. I like to think he's happily elbow deep in CZ parts with a Tiger Moth parked out front to tool around in.

Weapons Wednesday - Gaming the Glock

So, two weeks ago I got a pretty cool opportunity through work. I got to go to Glock Armorer School. For free. Heck, work bought dinner and Glock bought lunch. Can't beat that.

So, Glock School is kinda basic. A Youtube search, some patience, and some innate mechanical ability will teach you most all the technical aspects of the course. That being said, how some ever, it was nice to learn the why behind certain design elements and production principles.

A lot of fun. Met some like minded peeps and shook hands with National and International LEOs. Nice for networking and what not.

However, I think the coolest thing I learned, or rather had reinforced, was what not to do to any weapon that will be a duty piece or a dedicated self defense gun.

Glocks run great out the box. As do S&W M&Ps. Both auto loaders and six guns. And so do H&K VP9s. And so do FN 509s. And the Beretta APX. And the Walther PPQ. And the Ruger American. And the Steyr M9A1. And the Remington RP9.

What I'm getting at is that if you were to go to a modern big box store and buy a polymer framed, double stack DAO gun from a reputable manufacturer you'd get a perfectly adequate service pistol. Have I mentioned how irrationally angry I get talking about the bleeping M-17?

Now, this does not take into account the cost of mags, aftermarket support, decent night sights, holsters, hipster points, spare mags, spare parts, spare mags, cool hats, or spare mags. Did I mention spare mags? Oh, and don't forget recoil springs.

Most people in the American gun buying public will never shoot out a recoil spring in a DAO polymer stryker fired gun. But then again, most Americans never made Eagle Scout either. Be Prepared.

My belabored point here is that most people will never outlast nor out shoot their modern day shootin' iron. The big fail points will be magazines. Followed distantly by recoil spring assemblies/guide rods.

A few extra of those on hand will do all you need.

After that, the best thing you can do to your home/self defense piece is, and quoting the late great Dave McCracken here, is wear marks on it from practice.

That $200 Crimson Trace laser would be much better spent on 500 rounds of UMC 115 grn FMJ and enough range time to shoot it up.

We live in a great time of cheap, reliable handguns. And cheap, reliable ammunition. And we squander it on things like guide rod lasers and Punisher skull back plates

Go shoot. Get ya self a good tourniquet. Make sure you got at least five, preferably ten standard capacity magazines in reserve. And shoot your damn carry ammo at least once a month. Those 124 grn Gold Dots are gonna shoot different than that Blazer Brass 115 grn stuff.

Rotate your carry ammo. Shoot the bejesus out of your gun. Get to know it. Be comfortable both with it's manual of arms and how it breaks down. And after a couple a thousand rounds of that; maybe we might talk about changing that disconnector. Maybe.

As an aside, I got to meet Shane Coley at Gun School. Cool dude. AMU shooter. National Champion. And he runs a stock Glock for Production Class. And it works. Be like Shane. Shoot stock. Except for sights.

Tsundoku Tuesday- Fearing the Worst

Tsundoku - The act of buying books to stack with other unread books

So, a bit of a twofer for tactical reading today. And not really reviews at that, more like a hearty friendly recommendation.

First off, if you haven't read "Patriots" by James Wesley, Rawles you probably ought to go do that.

Major Rawles was an intel guy who got suitable paranoid during the early 90s and decided he wasn't going to eat his dog with the Wal Mart ran out of food. Oh, and he likes battle rifles and -1911s, so most of y'all should like him.

Don't think of "Patriots" as a novel per say, even though it is decently enjoyable, but think of it as the introductory manual on what books, bullets, beans, and band aids to buy before the zombies come.

"Patriots" is also the start of a series that is most enjoyable, as well. I can take no blame if your significant other gets mad at you after you feel the urge to start buying all the ammo and all the magazines. Be Prepared.

My other book recommendation today is a straight novel, however, it kind of turns into a horror story. And makes you what to refer to the above recommendation and buy enough diesel, seeds, and bottle water to colonize Mars.

"One Second After" by William R. Forstchen is a dark thriller concerning the after effects of a major EMP strike on the continental United States. It is bleak. It is scary. It is eye opening.

Don't start it at night and don't start it if your significant other is away on business.

"One Second After" is also the start of a trilogy which if anything should keep you from deciding to off yourself while your reading the first book.

America has always been a nation of individuals whom prize self reliance. The two above tomes certainly strive to build upon that and help the citizenry maintain self reliance moving forward.

Military Monday - Major Blows Edition

The world is a lesser place. Lieutenant Colonel R.E. Cole has left us. Hopefully, to go pilot some hugely strategically important raid in the final battle of good and evil. The Good Colonel was a right good stick, so I'm sure he could fly a B-47 or B-21 if the situation arose.

LTC Cole was GEN Doolittle's co-pilot during the Doolittle Raid on the Japanese mainland in early '42.

I often subject my friends, my wife, and my friends' wives to several selected rants. These generally concern things such as how we should have relieved Wake, why the F-8 kicks ass, why we should have let General Pershing press on all the way to Berlin, and why the Doolittle Raid was not in fact nothing more than a morale victory.

We all know that the American Navy kicked the crap out of the IJN at Midway. However, most people fail to stop and think as to why FADM Yamamaoto was so insistent on forcing the American fleet into a decisive engagement.

Simply put, ole' Isoruku was mighty embarrassed that the damn Yankees were able to sneak a carrier task force within 600 miles of the Homeland, launch a strike, and escape unnoticed.

Sort puts a damper on that whole mighty invincible Imperial Navy thing he had going there.

And also, I like Bill Halsey as much as the next guy. I really do. Whatever his faults at Leyte; they were more than eclipsed by his success off the 'Canal. And hell, nobody ever seems to think about how He took the Enterprise from one side of the Pacific to the other in late '41 and blew the hell out of small Japanese forward positions.

But I don't think he was the right tactical commander for what would become the Battle of Midway. Admiral Spruance was a textbook example of the right man in the right place. I don't know if the Bull would have been successful there as the old destroyer skipper was. And the reason a Black Shoe was running a carrier task force was because Bill Halsey was laid up at Pearl with a skin condition. A skin condition exacerbated by the last seven months of running back forth across the Pacific making life hard on the IJN, including getting Jimmy Doolittle and his boys close enough to give it the old college try.

Oh yeah, back to the good General. Jimmy Doolittle was the 1930s equivalent to Elon Musk. Except without the recreational pharmaceuticals. The guy was smart, charismatic, and damn could he fly. Another thing that grinds my gears is the characterization of him as a cowboy hothead who somehow got his B-25s off the deck of the Hornet by the seat of his pants. Bullshit. The guy was a brilliant engineer. He knew what he was doing. And practice it to hell and gone down on the panhandle. Oh, and he was in the lead plane of the raid, LTC Cole as his co pilot, so therefor was the first guy to take off. Leading from the front and all that.

In short, the raid was well planned and well executed. Not some half ass morale stunt. Oh, yeah, and it helped us win at Coral Sea, which was a very near run thing.

Now you see, the Japanese had not been defeated nor even seriously challenged at sea prior to their attempt to take Port Morseby. So, when pre war regular 1st Lt E.E.McElroy in his Mitchell bomber put a 500 lb GP bomb into the light carrier Ryuho, the IJN simply shurgged and decided to make to great effort in getting her prepped for their upcoming foray down south. One more IJN flight deck might have put a hex on the whole damn thing.

So, yeah. LTC Cole was the last of the Doolittle Raiders. And that truly sucks. They were brave men who went deep early in the 1st to turn the ball game around. We were privileged to have them wear the uniform.

Sunday Stories -Heartbreaking Hudson

So, I've been on a hiatus for a while. The major renovation at work continues apace. Which means lots of OT and lots of long days. Which means not so much writing. And as previously discussed the new gig has a bit more stringent social media policy so therefor online customer shaming isn't as easy.

I've got a couple of quasi drafts drawn up for the upcoming weeks concerning assorted books you ought to read before the coming collapse and how yes, Cletus, we really are winning the culture war. Kinda.

But today, I'm gonna sorta rant, sorta eulogize a pistol that was too good for this world.

Hudson MFG has filed for bankruptcy. And it really blows. And what really blows is the reaction from the firearms community as a whole.

I guess I'm a bit sensitive seeing as how I worked through the death of Gander Mountain; but, that being said, for the population that likes to chest beat about how polite they are there sure wasn't a whole hell of a lot of sympathy for the folks at Hudson.

And it further sucks because it just reinforces the notion that the only pistol worth developing or buying anymore is a DAO Stryker fired polymer double stack gun.

Yes, the Glock is a great gun. But the design is 40 years old. Times change. Technology progresses.

Just because you're a troglodyte who dislikes anything new doesn't mean you should besmirch a company that made the first innovative pistol design this century.

I hear a lot of worries about firearms reliability behind the counter. In some ways it's funny what people will find to worry themselves half to death about.

And the rush to get a new product out the door often leads to the first consumer being beta testers.

And I don't know how to fix that. I'm just bummed that I'll never have a H9A.

And I fret for Cy and Laurie who seemed like good folks.

Perhaps KE Arms will lead a rebirth.

I hope so anyway.