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.
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ReplyDelete*Sorry* spotted Misspellings after it posted...
ReplyDeleteHey Mack;
Well Written, I knew of him, never interacted with him, but his reputation was stellar and in the end, that is all we can wish for. As far as the culture war, everytime we get someone to the range and expose them to firearms in a safe environment and they get past all the hollywood hype and realize that they actually hold a piece of "Freedom" in their hand...the sheer empowerment when they realize that they don't "Gotta depend on someone else" is when we win a bit of the culture war. But the war is long ongoing, makes the slaughter of WWI metaphorically speaking kinda a lightweight. After 30+ years, the right side of the aisle is finally starting to wake up and fight back.
I still have his blog up in my bookmarks. I still check it, hoping I don't know what. He was a great.
ReplyDelete"I still miss him everyday."
ReplyDeleteSame feeling here.
And same repeated by another half-dozen of Hognose' former commentariat when I noted the anniversary of his passing Thursday.
What I'd give to know that he knew how many people he touched.
-Aesop
It was a great blog, and a respectful one.
ReplyDeleteAmen
ReplyDelete