I'll build the other one whenever my paycheck(s) come in. Other than that, it's more or less radio silence. Posting on the boards, but mostly, not here. Time for another anonymous relaunch, I suppose.
KsR
September 20, 2009
Well, crud.
I find myself in the unenviable position of having to sell my last complete 1911. No, I don't want to. I'll let you fill in the blanks as to why, so as not to incriminate myself with any one person who should have paid me weeks ago. A few real bloggers might still have me on RSS feed, so if you know anyone who wants a Custom CCO, it's here.
I'll build the other one whenever my paycheck(s) come in. Other than that, it's more or less radio silence. Posting on the boards, but mostly, not here. Time for another anonymous relaunch, I suppose.
KsR
I'll build the other one whenever my paycheck(s) come in. Other than that, it's more or less radio silence. Posting on the boards, but mostly, not here. Time for another anonymous relaunch, I suppose.
KsR
December 17, 2008
left handed and carefully
this blog post is brought to you sans capital letters, thanks to a belt sander that snapped the front half of my index and middle fingernails off on my right hand. thankfully it did a rather neat job, minimal flesh mangling. i'd post gruesome pictures, but I didn't think of taking any before the bandage was clumsily self-applied. your loss or gain, as you see it.
there's a lesson here, and it's all about not getting your fingers stuck in the belt sander.
work will continue, painfully. even less typing than usual, etc.
ksr
there's a lesson here, and it's all about not getting your fingers stuck in the belt sander.
work will continue, painfully. even less typing than usual, etc.
ksr
December 14, 2008
Holding Pattern
Everything but work is on hold right now - there's no rest for the AK building business right now, we are in full swing 5-6 days a week. There is no shortage of buyers for every rifle we build. Purely as a matter of record, Obama has no right saying that those who are buying the guns "have enough guns" until I can tell "them" they have enough laws and taxes. I'm sure others have said that in wittier fashion this past week, so "what they said."
Those who know me know that delays, stops and starts and slowdowns in my writing are not new - but after a couple months of unemployment in this economy, I'm sufficiently motivated to put the job first, even if it screws over my writing time. Nothing to say right now, anyway - Brownells hasn't emailed me back, so my purchases from them are on hold, any Remington info is "on hold" and all H-S Precision did was pull their apology from their site. So, industry news is thin until SHOT it would seem - I'm sure I'll have lots to geek out about then - I'll be too busy working this year to go, but next year is a definite attend.
The other good news is that my long-term endeavor to write fiction may finally be bearing some fruit, in short form. We'll see if it sticks, I'll be bothering editors for input and/or money in a few weeks.
KsR
Those who know me know that delays, stops and starts and slowdowns in my writing are not new - but after a couple months of unemployment in this economy, I'm sufficiently motivated to put the job first, even if it screws over my writing time. Nothing to say right now, anyway - Brownells hasn't emailed me back, so my purchases from them are on hold, any Remington info is "on hold" and all H-S Precision did was pull their apology from their site. So, industry news is thin until SHOT it would seem - I'm sure I'll have lots to geek out about then - I'll be too busy working this year to go, but next year is a definite attend.
The other good news is that my long-term endeavor to write fiction may finally be bearing some fruit, in short form. We'll see if it sticks, I'll be bothering editors for input and/or money in a few weeks.
KsR
December 10, 2008
The one-solution gun
I will throw this tidbit out there.
Over the past two weeks, I've been working every end of AK rifle building, as opposed to just helping out. From de-milling parts kits into usable parts, into complete, 922r compliant rifles, finished, test fired and ready to ship, if it's part of the process, I've done it. The one thing that stands out from everything else in my mind is this. The solution to "how do I..." is nearly always "Hit it" and when it's not "Hit it," it's "Hit it harder." The few rare exceptions to this rule are always "Grind some off."
Old front trunion stuck? Hit it with a hammer.
Handguard too tight? Hit it with a hammer.
Gas tube stuck? Hit it with a hammer.
Barrel pin needs to come out? Hit it with a 3 ton pneumatic hammer.
Barrel needs to come out? Hit it with a different 3 ton pneumatic hammer.
Old rivet not moving? Hit it with a hammer and a punch.
The compliance-length piece of welded-on tubing on the muzzle needs to come off so a real flash hider can take it's place? Hit it with a hammer.
Folding stock needs to come out of rear trunion? Hit it with a hammer and a punch.
Folding stock doesn't lock both open and closed? Open it all the way, and then, you guessed it, hit it further open. It'll work.
Rear trunion needs to come out of old, torch-cut receiver? Grind some off the pins AND hit them with a hammer and a punch. And then hit the trunion out with a hammer.
That's just disassembly.
Everything to do with putting one together also involves hitting nearly every bit of it with a hammer, and if you can't figure out why something won't go where it should, doesn't fit, or isn't quite in there, rest assured, if you go ask one of the building gurus, they will without fail reply. "Just hit it a little harder, it'll go in then." or, if not that, "just need to grind that bit there off." I heard there was some welding on the muzzle devices to get to legal length, but I can't imagine how that could be, as it doesn't seem to involve any hitting OR grinding.
Virtually every part of this gun can be built by a complete idiot, and the more you hit them, the more you fix them. It's genius in it's simplicity. Try THAT with your favorite AR15 sometime, take a 5lb sledge to a part that won't quite go.It'll break, and the AK will get repaired, if you hit the right part.
No wonder my arms feel like spaghetti. I love this job.
KsR
Over the past two weeks, I've been working every end of AK rifle building, as opposed to just helping out. From de-milling parts kits into usable parts, into complete, 922r compliant rifles, finished, test fired and ready to ship, if it's part of the process, I've done it. The one thing that stands out from everything else in my mind is this. The solution to "how do I..." is nearly always "Hit it" and when it's not "Hit it," it's "Hit it harder." The few rare exceptions to this rule are always "Grind some off."
Old front trunion stuck? Hit it with a hammer.
Handguard too tight? Hit it with a hammer.
Gas tube stuck? Hit it with a hammer.
Barrel pin needs to come out? Hit it with a 3 ton pneumatic hammer.
Barrel needs to come out? Hit it with a different 3 ton pneumatic hammer.
Old rivet not moving? Hit it with a hammer and a punch.
The compliance-length piece of welded-on tubing on the muzzle needs to come off so a real flash hider can take it's place? Hit it with a hammer.
Folding stock needs to come out of rear trunion? Hit it with a hammer and a punch.
Folding stock doesn't lock both open and closed? Open it all the way, and then, you guessed it, hit it further open. It'll work.
Rear trunion needs to come out of old, torch-cut receiver? Grind some off the pins AND hit them with a hammer and a punch. And then hit the trunion out with a hammer.
That's just disassembly.
Everything to do with putting one together also involves hitting nearly every bit of it with a hammer, and if you can't figure out why something won't go where it should, doesn't fit, or isn't quite in there, rest assured, if you go ask one of the building gurus, they will without fail reply. "Just hit it a little harder, it'll go in then." or, if not that, "just need to grind that bit there off." I heard there was some welding on the muzzle devices to get to legal length, but I can't imagine how that could be, as it doesn't seem to involve any hitting OR grinding.
Virtually every part of this gun can be built by a complete idiot, and the more you hit them, the more you fix them. It's genius in it's simplicity. Try THAT with your favorite AR15 sometime, take a 5lb sledge to a part that won't quite go.It'll break, and the AK will get repaired, if you hit the right part.
No wonder my arms feel like spaghetti. I love this job.
KsR
Astounding
It's downright astounding how very little blogging one gets done working second shift, 4pm-midnight, than when one works 8-4. I miss all the really good news of the day, the one totally awesome scoop I had Sunday has to stay under wraps a bit longer, and there's damn all interesting to write about for the 30 seconds I'm awake between Work and Bed.
Fear not, I'll get use to this "Wake up at noon, work till midnight" thing if it kills me. It may. Until then, light blogging, until I wrap my internal clock 8 hours clockwise around the dial.
KsR
Fear not, I'll get use to this "Wake up at noon, work till midnight" thing if it kills me. It may. Until then, light blogging, until I wrap my internal clock 8 hours clockwise around the dial.
KsR
December 7, 2008
RIP, Forrest
Forrest J. Ackerman, the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland. the original father of all monster magazines, and one of the largest contributors in monster cinema fandom, has passed away, apparently peacefully. The best, and best-informed tribute(s) to his genius, warmth and community impact, can be found here and here at Ain't It Cool news, including a Peter Jackson remembrance. I'm not too tough of a "gun guy" to say that this is very sad to a geek like me, and he will be missed - because he, too, was a monster, Sci-Fi, and horror geek. I never met him, but everything I've read so far tells me I would have liked him. I was aware of him years ago, as a writer's agent before I was born. and my first visit to Adventurecon brought me closer to understanding just what it was about the rubber and fur monsters of film that made him tick. He was the agent for both Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov when they were young writers, and without him, we may never have had their early works.
He also owned one of the largest collection of movie props, memorabilia and art, and apparently was always gracious enough to give a tour of it in his mansion. If you ever read Famous Monsters, or ever appreciated B-Grade monster movies of yesteryear, then take a minute and read up on the biggest figure in the monster flick genre, 4S Ackerman - He will be missed.
KsR
He also owned one of the largest collection of movie props, memorabilia and art, and apparently was always gracious enough to give a tour of it in his mansion. If you ever read Famous Monsters, or ever appreciated B-Grade monster movies of yesteryear, then take a minute and read up on the biggest figure in the monster flick genre, 4S Ackerman - He will be missed.
KsR
Everything You Like Sucks, Part 2!
Marko, Wrangler of Munchkins, hands out more equal-opportunity derision, this time, your favorite cartridge has all it's flaws laid bare. I suspect he's just being exceptionally funny for the Sitemeter hits, and considering that the first discussion turned into Kung-Fu Beretta 92 disassembly, I'm sure someone will take Round 2 overly seriously as well.
Have fun,
KsR
Have fun,
KsR
December 6, 2008
On a lighter note - Beerblogging!
When you realize you consider Stone to be a general baseline, Ruination to be a bit hoppy, and Sierra Nevada to be just good, general beer-type-beer, you are used to drinking some really bitter IPA. Clearly, I have crossed the hop barrier - two years ago, I was drinking High Life, warily trying this new "Sam Adams" stuff, and my first Sierra Nevada reminded me of a mouthful of lemon rind. Now, Sierra's just a good thing to have 12 of chilling in the fridge to accompany a good book and some cheddar.
Yes, it may be a Guinness glass, but Guinness is like a chocolate milkshake compared to Stone. Good stuff - and c'mon, miles better than US Guinness. I actually probably would have gotten Ruination this run, but Friendly Neighborhood Alcohol Store was out, though I did match the Stone with an Arrogant Bastard Oaked, just for the hell of it.. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
I'm going to try some next stuff next week, so, if anyone who has any recommendations for any other good IPAs I can get that in Knoxville, that won't break the bank, feel free to leave your best brews in comments.
KsR
Yes, it may be a Guinness glass, but Guinness is like a chocolate milkshake compared to Stone. Good stuff - and c'mon, miles better than US Guinness. I actually probably would have gotten Ruination this run, but Friendly Neighborhood Alcohol Store was out, though I did match the Stone with an Arrogant Bastard Oaked, just for the hell of it.. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.I'm going to try some next stuff next week, so, if anyone who has any recommendations for any other good IPAs I can get that in Knoxville, that won't break the bank, feel free to leave your best brews in comments.
KsR
As regards the Non-Apology
Chris at Anarchangel has the ultimate post-flame wrap up, and makes it eloquently clear how much worse a non-apology designed to protect Horiuchi is far more damaging to them than none at all. I was hitting things with a very big hammer for about 10 hours today, and never got a chance to remember to weigh in with Brownells, but that's Mondays' task. I don't care if I pay an extra $50 total in shipping, every part I need will be gotten direct from EGW, Cylinder & Slide, Ed Brown, and everyone else I need 1911 goodies from. I will ask for a supervisor, let them know that I'm publishing a 1911 build on my site, inform them of my parts list(currently in excess of $600), and let them know that as long as they carry H-S Precision products, I will terminate a 7-year purchasing relationship based solely upon it.
I will also have to write Tommy Milner at Remington, via email tonight with a link to this post and let him know that although I appreciate his efforts, and the amount of openess and responsiveness he's shown in responding to our concerns, that we expect Remington to repsond to H-S Precision's insincere, cop-out apology as they did Jim Zumbo's initial insincerity. Only if Remington, Brownells, Midway, and all of H-S Precision's other customers receive as much pressure and negative publicity as us gunnies can bring to bear on them, will we see a change in H-S Precision's completely unacceptable non-apology.
Don't drop it, guys. The second insult is far, far worse than the first, and they are not one of us just because they build rifles. Don't let them off the hook, and they will be forced to change their tune and fully recant, no matter how much it personally galls the President of H-S Precision.
Make your calls, write your letters. We win PR battles inside the industry far easier, because people know we buy their product or avoid it based on how they respond to criticism of those who represent them.
Edit: Milner emailed. I will keep you updated.
KsR
I will also have to write Tommy Milner at Remington, via email tonight with a link to this post and let him know that although I appreciate his efforts, and the amount of openess and responsiveness he's shown in responding to our concerns, that we expect Remington to repsond to H-S Precision's insincere, cop-out apology as they did Jim Zumbo's initial insincerity. Only if Remington, Brownells, Midway, and all of H-S Precision's other customers receive as much pressure and negative publicity as us gunnies can bring to bear on them, will we see a change in H-S Precision's completely unacceptable non-apology.
Don't drop it, guys. The second insult is far, far worse than the first, and they are not one of us just because they build rifles. Don't let them off the hook, and they will be forced to change their tune and fully recant, no matter how much it personally galls the President of H-S Precision.
Make your calls, write your letters. We win PR battles inside the industry far easier, because people know we buy their product or avoid it based on how they respond to criticism of those who represent them.
Edit: Milner emailed. I will keep you updated.
KsR
More H-S Derision
HS Precision responds, by basically not responding:
To Our Valued Customers:
H-S Precision has received comments relating to individual testimonials in our 2008 catalog. All of the testimonials focused on the quality, accuracy and customer service provided by H-S Precision.
The management of H-S Precision did not intend to offend anyone or create any type of controversy. We are revising our 2009 catalog and removing all product testimonials.
Sincerely,
The Management of H-S Precision
Yeah, that's hardly acceptable. "We're so sorry you got all offended"? I used to work for a guy whose apologies all consisted of "I'm really sorry that I said you were an idiot, while standing where you could hear me. That was poor judgment on my part, I really should have said it in front of your coworkers." I hated working for that smarmy prick, and would never give my money to anyone who acted like he did.
H-S Precision just made the very short list of fully-irredeemable companies, for apologizing only because his mom was standing right there telling him to say he was sorry. I hope that FBI contract from 2006 makes up a lot of their business, because the civilian shooter knows a total lack of sincerity when they read it. What Tam said, get a McMillan stock, and keep H-S Precision on the permanent boycott list. The entire staff can all go collect unemployment, just like everyone else who makes stupid business decisions in a bad economy does. Stupid ought to hurt.
Sent them this via email, feel free to borrow it.
To Our Valued Customers:
H-S Precision has received comments relating to individual testimonials in our 2008 catalog. All of the testimonials focused on the quality, accuracy and customer service provided by H-S Precision.
The management of H-S Precision did not intend to offend anyone or create any type of controversy. We are revising our 2009 catalog and removing all product testimonials.
Sincerely,
The Management of H-S Precision
Yeah, that's hardly acceptable. "We're so sorry you got all offended"? I used to work for a guy whose apologies all consisted of "I'm really sorry that I said you were an idiot, while standing where you could hear me. That was poor judgment on my part, I really should have said it in front of your coworkers." I hated working for that smarmy prick, and would never give my money to anyone who acted like he did.
H-S Precision just made the very short list of fully-irredeemable companies, for apologizing only because his mom was standing right there telling him to say he was sorry. I hope that FBI contract from 2006 makes up a lot of their business, because the civilian shooter knows a total lack of sincerity when they read it. What Tam said, get a McMillan stock, and keep H-S Precision on the permanent boycott list. The entire staff can all go collect unemployment, just like everyone else who makes stupid business decisions in a bad economy does. Stupid ought to hurt.
Sent them this via email, feel free to borrow it.
To My Stock and Rifle Supplier:
We have received your so-called apology for using Lon Horiuchi, a man who murdered Vicki Weaver under color of law, as a spokesman delivering a professional testimonial for your products. All of the so-called apology focused on the the fact that you didn't mean to offend anyone, but you'll take it back because we're touchy.
Clearly, the management of H-S Precision did not intend to actually apologize for a gross error in judgment and taste. We are revising our 2009 purchasing plans to include your competitors, and will boycott your products wherever they are offered for sale.
Sincerely,
The Prior Customers of H-S Precision
December 5, 2008
A Deafening Silence from H-S Precision
Remington steps up to the plate, and promises to...have a talk with H-S Precision. It's a start. At least, they said they (Remington) fully disapprove of the use of Horiuchi as endorsement spokeman, and are being very responsive to customer response on this issue. Whether or not their pressure on H-S will have any impact is another matter that remains to be seen. They certainly aren't being responsive to customer input, especially when you consider that the entire internet is vilifying them at the moment, even me:
"In other news, Internationale Gesellschaft Farbenindustrie A.G. has attained a glowing endorsement from Dr. Joann Kremer, MD, on their new insecticide..."
H-S Precision has not responded to my 2 polite emails, nor anyone else's yet that we know of. I don't know if they think that saying nothing on the subject will make it go away, but I don't think that's the way the Internet works. After this long, the lack of response is more damning than either sheepish admission of error, apologetic admission of bad judgment, or even an outright, defiant refusal to recant on their endorsement. They might be expected to take a day or two over a holiday weekend to put together properly spelled and vetted press release/apology to soothe the masses, but it's well over a week later, without a peep.
All I can say is, keep after them, bloggers. Write them, call them, above all, contact the people they sell to. I'm going to call Brownells tomorrow, and let them know that the H-S Precision product they carry has delayed my upcoming 1911 parts order - indefinitely, or until I decide to find everything elsewhere. I'd call Midway too, but I don't buy anything from Midway. I'm also going to write Milner at Remington, and tell him thanks. With enough pressure from the people they ship not one, but truckloads of stocks to, they may yet see the light.
(I would say to contact your local FBI Field office and inform them that, due to your personal feelings on the matter of their spokesman, you refuse to be fired upon by any FBI agent using an H-S Precision rifle, but they would just put you on some sort of list. Lord knows I don't need to be on any more lists.)
KsR
"In other news, Internationale Gesellschaft Farbenindustrie A.G. has attained a glowing endorsement from Dr. Joann Kremer, MD, on their new insecticide..."
H-S Precision has not responded to my 2 polite emails, nor anyone else's yet that we know of. I don't know if they think that saying nothing on the subject will make it go away, but I don't think that's the way the Internet works. After this long, the lack of response is more damning than either sheepish admission of error, apologetic admission of bad judgment, or even an outright, defiant refusal to recant on their endorsement. They might be expected to take a day or two over a holiday weekend to put together properly spelled and vetted press release/apology to soothe the masses, but it's well over a week later, without a peep.
All I can say is, keep after them, bloggers. Write them, call them, above all, contact the people they sell to. I'm going to call Brownells tomorrow, and let them know that the H-S Precision product they carry has delayed my upcoming 1911 parts order - indefinitely, or until I decide to find everything elsewhere. I'd call Midway too, but I don't buy anything from Midway. I'm also going to write Milner at Remington, and tell him thanks. With enough pressure from the people they ship not one, but truckloads of stocks to, they may yet see the light.
(I would say to contact your local FBI Field office and inform them that, due to your personal feelings on the matter of their spokesman, you refuse to be fired upon by any FBI agent using an H-S Precision rifle, but they would just put you on some sort of list. Lord knows I don't need to be on any more lists.)
KsR
December 4, 2008
Other people writing what I should have written.
What the title said - Links to things that other people wrote that I totally would have written first, if I hadn't been so busy saving the world at the time. So, they're slackers for not helping me save the world, but well spoken.
Tam brings the good advice, in brief, about why and how you should carry your damn gun.
Marko brings the funny, and explains why everything everyone likes sucks, and is, in my opinion, 100% objectively correct. I used to sell them, I should know...
It's unlikely that more than a fraction of you who currently read my blog got here via someone other than SayUncle, so you probably already saw it, but I'll say that he brings the logic hammer down on Katie Allison Granju, as I notice he has done before.
There- credit issued where credit is due, and hopefully I'll personally be more prolific next time. For those of you following along via RSS, this blog is now totally Feedburner'ed Up.
KsR
Tam brings the good advice, in brief, about why and how you should carry your damn gun.
Marko brings the funny, and explains why everything everyone likes sucks, and is, in my opinion, 100% objectively correct. I used to sell them, I should know...
It's unlikely that more than a fraction of you who currently read my blog got here via someone other than SayUncle, so you probably already saw it, but I'll say that he brings the logic hammer down on Katie Allison Granju, as I notice he has done before.
There- credit issued where credit is due, and hopefully I'll personally be more prolific next time. For those of you following along via RSS, this blog is now totally Feedburner'ed Up.
KsR
In lieu of actual written words...
Instead of doing any actual blogging today, I'm photoblogging.
Specifically, because I know it will make you Crazed Post-Election Panic Buyer types drool, look at all these AMD-65 "AK-47 style" rifles, just sitting there in a pile waiting to get their final finish applied! Mmm, bet you'd like to get a couple dozen of those right about now, eh? Man, I just had my hands all over about a hundred of them...too bad they're all sold - at a really good price. Imagine my evil laugh right about here.
No, seriously, torment aside, they ARE already sold. When I know that we're going to build some that aren't spoken for, then I'll tell you when and where to find them. Until then, just suffer and wish you had some.
And back to the grindstone.
Edited to add: A little known fact, firearms manufacturing uses a greater SPU (Sparks Per Unit) than any other industry, with the exception of those purpose-built factories use solely in 80's music videos.
Here is a rare snapshot of a firearms manufacturer adding sparks to a gun part.
Sparks make up 28% of all firearms components, a higher ratio then used in any other commercially manufactured product. If you're a gun owner, be sure to thank you local spark supplier for their contribution to your favorite firearms!
KsR
Specifically, because I know it will make you Crazed Post-Election Panic Buyer types drool, look at all these AMD-65 "AK-47 style" rifles, just sitting there in a pile waiting to get their final finish applied! Mmm, bet you'd like to get a couple dozen of those right about now, eh? Man, I just had my hands all over about a hundred of them...too bad they're all sold - at a really good price. Imagine my evil laugh right about here.
No, seriously, torment aside, they ARE already sold. When I know that we're going to build some that aren't spoken for, then I'll tell you when and where to find them. Until then, just suffer and wish you had some.
And back to the grindstone.
Edited to add: A little known fact, firearms manufacturing uses a greater SPU (Sparks Per Unit) than any other industry, with the exception of those purpose-built factories use solely in 80's music videos.
Here is a rare snapshot of a firearms manufacturer adding sparks to a gun part.Sparks make up 28% of all firearms components, a higher ratio then used in any other commercially manufactured product. If you're a gun owner, be sure to thank you local spark supplier for their contribution to your favorite firearms!KsR
December 2, 2008
Damn technology
I'm just now attempting to read blogs via RSS feed. Yes, I know what they are, how they work, and have for a while. I just preferred to go directly to people's pages to read their stuff so they know I'm there.
BUT, I've gotten to the point where I'm trying to 'skim' 20+ blogs a day, and it's a lot of clicking and cross-referncing, and getting lost in other people's blogrolls. So, giving RSS a try for a bit. Right now I'm in crotchety old man mode with it, grousing and looking at the feed careful-like, as if I don't half trust it...we'll see it if gets around to convincing me.
KsR
BUT, I've gotten to the point where I'm trying to 'skim' 20+ blogs a day, and it's a lot of clicking and cross-referncing, and getting lost in other people's blogrolls. So, giving RSS a try for a bit. Right now I'm in crotchety old man mode with it, grousing and looking at the feed careful-like, as if I don't half trust it...we'll see it if gets around to convincing me.
KsR
December 1, 2008
Distinct Improvement
Today was a chores day, so no Monday blog for you. More tomorrow.
However,
This is, in point of fact, Change I Can Believe In. TM
Thanks, Unc!
KsR
However,
This is, in point of fact, Change I Can Believe In. TMThanks, Unc!
KsR
November 28, 2008
Another Horiuchi Product Endorsement
In response to Snowflakes in Hell's challenge to produce Photoshops that are, if possible, even more tasteless than the original use of Lon Horiuchi's endorsement to sell precision rifles, I got to work on my best effort:
Hopefully HS Precision will find this entire debacle( of their own design) incredibly embarrassing, very quickly, and back up on linking themselves to one of the most distasteful individuals ever to escape justice, faster than something that backs up really fast. Until then, boycott, call, and mock. It's the American Way.
KsR
Hopefully HS Precision will find this entire debacle( of their own design) incredibly embarrassing, very quickly, and back up on linking themselves to one of the most distasteful individuals ever to escape justice, faster than something that backs up really fast. Until then, boycott, call, and mock. It's the American Way.
KsR
November 27, 2008
Thanks anyway
I'm thankful that we have everything we need in the fridge to lay out a heck of a spread today.
I'm thankful today for my beautiful wife, who will be in charge of pumpkin pie. I get to cook everything else - which is excellent.
I'm thankful that my extended family made it safely through their recent move.
I'm thankful that I don't have to go anywhere or buy anything tomorrow. It's gonna be nuts out there again.
I'm thankful that I have the freedom in this great country, the God-Given right, to arm this headless Cornish Game Hen with a steak knife, and make him patrol my kitchen counter.
These are the things that really matter.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Edit - Wish me luck, folks:
KsR
I'm thankful today for my beautiful wife, who will be in charge of pumpkin pie. I get to cook everything else - which is excellent.
I'm thankful that my extended family made it safely through their recent move.
I'm thankful that I don't have to go anywhere or buy anything tomorrow. It's gonna be nuts out there again.
I'm thankful that I have the freedom in this great country, the God-Given right, to arm this headless Cornish Game Hen with a steak knife, and make him patrol my kitchen counter.These are the things that really matter.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Edit - Wish me luck, folks:
KsR
Magpul ACR delayed, Internet has total meltdown.
Wide release of Magpul's modular ACR rifle has been delayed once more, to receive feedback from Military customers, in the interest of submitting it as a competitive entry into the next service rifle trials for the United States Army if 2010. "Select" customers(people who give you useful feedback) are set to receive rifles in 2009, but your local gun shop will not see one in the next 8 months or so, at least. Subsequently, a large portion of the internet gun buying community, namely AR15.com, has experienced a complete and total breakdown when they heard the news, screaming "Boycott!" "Liars!" "Fascists!" "In league with Obama!"
Now, this move actually makes sense to me, since say you're Bushmaster, working with Magpul, and you invest millions or tens of millions in tooling, development, parts and testing, on a rifle that not only has a large group of people waiting for it, but could also arguably be one of the top contenders for the entire US Military contract. You want it to work perfectly, and you want it to have the features they say you want. If you do all this, and win the trials, and can still bypass the not-inconsiderable amount of political pull Colt's General Keys has with the Army brass, you just might get the powerup, and win the game, as the kids today are saying. The military contract is, after all, a big deal, and a lot of money. It makes sense to dedicate resources and development time to not just selling your rifle to some people, but all the people you can.
However, the Internet refuses to hear any of it. They are convinced they were somehow guaranteed an ACR rifle before Obama could ban them, and it is Bushmaster's responsibility to begin civilian production of the ACR right this second, so they can get one before the President Elect even takes office. Because I think we all know his first act as President will be to unilaterally promote, sign and pass an assault weapons ban, right? I mean, look at all this crying. You'd think someone came into their house and took all the guns they have away, instead of just delaying a potentially-cool, but still basically ethereal future rifle to make it commercially viable to a wider audience.
Look, I want one, too. I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't looking forward to buying an ACR, and was hoping to get one soon. At least, until I saw two people trying to light their cigarettes on it at once. That was kind of a weird moment in an otherwise cool video...
However, it was not the only rifle in the world that moved 5.56mm through the air with reliability and precision, nor even the only one with a piston system. or the record, I want to buy 3 ACR rifles as soon as they become available. I fully support Bushmaster and Magpul in taking as long as they, in their expert opinion, require to make the product as safe, reliable, accurate, sturdy and salable as possible. If doing any of those things takes more time, then it will have to take more time, regardless of expectations of an earlier delivery date. They want a return on their investment of parts, time and labor, more than any of us want to by one. They're not delaying it to fuck you over personally, no matter how important to the manufacturing process you may believe yourself to be.
Personally, I say that if the US Military, in any capacity from Big Army to tiny groups like Delta, adopts an ACR rifle or variant, that's an awesome piece of news for everyone involved, including civilian customers.
- It means the rifle is good enough to pass the trials, and merit use by the armed forces, not just to look cool on FutureWeapons or Youtube.
- The company that makes them has every reason to continue with tons of production, so everyone can get one readily.
- Customers both, Civvie, Mil and LE can expect spare parts to become much more plentiful and available nationwide.
- The more are produced, the more likely prices will drop.
- And even if the US Military doesn't adopt an ACR in 2010, if Magpul and Bushy say they need to make changes to make the rifle ready for Military trials and adoption, who here really thinks that they would be better served with a pre-improvement prototype? Changes are made for a reason, and no company waiting on a return on their investment will ever delay one more day than necessary to start recouping their outlay, unless they have to.
This is a delay, made for a practical reason. It is not the end of the world, or supreme betrayal. It even means a better rifle for everyone when it is completed.
So simmer down, go ask the guy you sold your AR15 to so that you could by a rifle you've never seen in person, to sell it back to you, and wait. Guess what - you're still very likely to get one. Oh, and for those who are reading this, possibly thinking that I'm safely talking smack about the boo-hooing on Arfkom behind their backs, I already let them know about this post, in that thread.
KsR
Now, this move actually makes sense to me, since say you're Bushmaster, working with Magpul, and you invest millions or tens of millions in tooling, development, parts and testing, on a rifle that not only has a large group of people waiting for it, but could also arguably be one of the top contenders for the entire US Military contract. You want it to work perfectly, and you want it to have the features they say you want. If you do all this, and win the trials, and can still bypass the not-inconsiderable amount of political pull Colt's General Keys has with the Army brass, you just might get the powerup, and win the game, as the kids today are saying. The military contract is, after all, a big deal, and a lot of money. It makes sense to dedicate resources and development time to not just selling your rifle to some people, but all the people you can.
However, the Internet refuses to hear any of it. They are convinced they were somehow guaranteed an ACR rifle before Obama could ban them, and it is Bushmaster's responsibility to begin civilian production of the ACR right this second, so they can get one before the President Elect even takes office. Because I think we all know his first act as President will be to unilaterally promote, sign and pass an assault weapons ban, right? I mean, look at all this crying. You'd think someone came into their house and took all the guns they have away, instead of just delaying a potentially-cool, but still basically ethereal future rifle to make it commercially viable to a wider audience.
Look, I want one, too. I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't looking forward to buying an ACR, and was hoping to get one soon. At least, until I saw two people trying to light their cigarettes on it at once. That was kind of a weird moment in an otherwise cool video...
However, it was not the only rifle in the world that moved 5.56mm through the air with reliability and precision, nor even the only one with a piston system. or the record, I want to buy 3 ACR rifles as soon as they become available. I fully support Bushmaster and Magpul in taking as long as they, in their expert opinion, require to make the product as safe, reliable, accurate, sturdy and salable as possible. If doing any of those things takes more time, then it will have to take more time, regardless of expectations of an earlier delivery date. They want a return on their investment of parts, time and labor, more than any of us want to by one. They're not delaying it to fuck you over personally, no matter how important to the manufacturing process you may believe yourself to be.
Personally, I say that if the US Military, in any capacity from Big Army to tiny groups like Delta, adopts an ACR rifle or variant, that's an awesome piece of news for everyone involved, including civilian customers.
- It means the rifle is good enough to pass the trials, and merit use by the armed forces, not just to look cool on FutureWeapons or Youtube.
- The company that makes them has every reason to continue with tons of production, so everyone can get one readily.
- Customers both, Civvie, Mil and LE can expect spare parts to become much more plentiful and available nationwide.
- The more are produced, the more likely prices will drop.
- And even if the US Military doesn't adopt an ACR in 2010, if Magpul and Bushy say they need to make changes to make the rifle ready for Military trials and adoption, who here really thinks that they would be better served with a pre-improvement prototype? Changes are made for a reason, and no company waiting on a return on their investment will ever delay one more day than necessary to start recouping their outlay, unless they have to.
This is a delay, made for a practical reason. It is not the end of the world, or supreme betrayal. It even means a better rifle for everyone when it is completed.
So simmer down, go ask the guy you sold your AR15 to so that you could by a rifle you've never seen in person, to sell it back to you, and wait. Guess what - you're still very likely to get one. Oh, and for those who are reading this, possibly thinking that I'm safely talking smack about the boo-hooing on Arfkom behind their backs, I already let them know about this post, in that thread.
KsR
The Jackson Gray Raptors, Company A
This is historical revisionism I can support, because it's really alternate history - Dinosaurs fighting for the South, or maybe just eating the North, in Natural Bridge, Virginia. My road trips need more stops like these, and less novelty NASCAR shirt warehouses. From the same guy who brought us Foamhenge, he's got a life size diorama of several scenes of Bluecoat massacre, by a lost underground valley-full of Cretaceous-Era dinosaurs.
I truly believe that all people, everywhere, regardless of how they feel about the War of Northern Aggression, can agree on one thing:
This is awesome.
KsR
I truly believe that all people, everywhere, regardless of how they feel about the War of Northern Aggression, can agree on one thing:
This is awesome.
KsR
Italian Internet? Illegal!
Yes, you read that right. The most recent legal ruling in the area surrounding Rome not only supports the 2001 Italian law stipulating that your blog is an illegal clandestine newspaper, subject by punishment of up to 2 years in the local Pizza Pokey or a fine, but now states that most of the internet activity in Italy is probably illegal under the same restrictions. It would be hilarious if not so incredibly sad and last-century. Here's hoping that outrages the common man enough to push for fairly severe reform, in the meantime, there's about 5 million .it websites that are all technically subject to fines for their owners, and removal.
Giuseppe Giulietti - "current logic means that almost the entire Italian internet, by its very nature, could be considered illegal – "stampa clandestina" – which is a complete contravention of the democratic rulebook".
Way to go, Italian Justice System. I mean, yeah, you're corrupt, we get it, and the guy who got punished was blogging about your favorite protected group- the Mafia, but that's exactly why you should not have the ability to shut him up under color of law.
This is what you get when you set up a mandatory Government registration addendum to your "Freedom of Speech" Law. Anyone here want registration for anything else we hold to be a right?
KsR
Giuseppe Giulietti - "current logic means that almost the entire Italian internet, by its very nature, could be considered illegal – "stampa clandestina" – which is a complete contravention of the democratic rulebook".
Way to go, Italian Justice System. I mean, yeah, you're corrupt, we get it, and the guy who got punished was blogging about your favorite protected group- the Mafia, but that's exactly why you should not have the ability to shut him up under color of law.
This is what you get when you set up a mandatory Government registration addendum to your "Freedom of Speech" Law. Anyone here want registration for anything else we hold to be a right?
KsR
November 26, 2008
HS Precision Flaunts Lon Horiuchi endorsement.
In what some scientists are now referring to as a "monumental fuckup," HS Precision has used a letter of endorsement from Lon Horiuchi(FBI, ret.) to promote their brand of precision rifles. Lon Horiuchi is best known for shooting of Vicki Weaver in the head as she held her child in her arms, back in 1992 at Ruby Ridge. In response to this move by HS Precision to link themselves with a precision shooter famous for shooting a lady in the head, the nation's firearms owners issued a brief, impromptu statement. This statement reads, in part:
"Seriously, what the fuck are you thinking, you-"
In all seriousness, I sat down, actually found a physical piece of paper, a stamp and an envelope, and typed up a brief note explaining to HS Precision that their decision to link their products with an endorsement by a man who represents all that could be criticized in Federal law enforcement - the lack of accountability or redress of wrongs for the murder of an unarmed woman, promotion internally after the incident - is a grievous mistake, one that assures that not only will I avoid all HS Precision products from this day forward, but make sure that anyone I discuss them with, will will do the same.
Go ahead, give them a call yourself:
H-S PRECISION, INC.
1301 TURBINE DRIVE,
RAPID CITY, SD 57703
(605) 341-3006 TEL
(605) 342-8964 FAX
Hat tip to Tam, where I first saw this.
"Seriously, what the fuck are you thinking, you-"
In all seriousness, I sat down, actually found a physical piece of paper, a stamp and an envelope, and typed up a brief note explaining to HS Precision that their decision to link their products with an endorsement by a man who represents all that could be criticized in Federal law enforcement - the lack of accountability or redress of wrongs for the murder of an unarmed woman, promotion internally after the incident - is a grievous mistake, one that assures that not only will I avoid all HS Precision products from this day forward, but make sure that anyone I discuss them with, will will do the same.
Go ahead, give them a call yourself:
H-S PRECISION, INC.
1301 TURBINE DRIVE,
RAPID CITY, SD 57703
(605) 341-3006 TEL
(605) 342-8964 FAX
Hat tip to Tam, where I first saw this.
November 23, 2008
The CCO Build Blog - Part 2
As an addendum to my determination to painstakingly document every step of the CCO Build process, yea, even to the point of boring you with technical details, I've got another build- relevant image to share.
This is most of the discarded parts from not one, but two of the little CCO beasties, now all in one place, at the same time - see my previous post on the Build for decent reasons on why these items get passed over for this project. For whatever reason, be it quality or simple preference, these parts go online at a reduced rate, to partially fund the replacements I want - every little bit helps.
KsR
This is most of the discarded parts from not one, but two of the little CCO beasties, now all in one place, at the same time - see my previous post on the Build for decent reasons on why these items get passed over for this project. For whatever reason, be it quality or simple preference, these parts go online at a reduced rate, to partially fund the replacements I want - every little bit helps.KsR
November 22, 2008
Who ya gonna call?
Sometimes, and only sometimes, life really does seem lifted from the movies. In the case of Mitchell J. Thomas, Buffalo PD, I'm gonna say Training Day might be our nearest approximation. If the guy at the front door doesn't want you bringing a gun inside his club, this is not how you respond:
"Who you gonna call? You gonna call me. I'm gonna come here, I'm gonna show up, I'm gonna come up here with some guys, and we're gonna check everything and shut this place down."
And then whip out your firearm, and "wave it around" at the people who work at the club.
Ahhh, good times. At first, I was going to go for the easy joke about him whipping out his "piece" at the club, ifyaknowwhatImean, wink wink, but that Indecent Exposure might honestly prove to be less embarrassing for this poor example of common sense in his near future.
KsR
"Who you gonna call? You gonna call me. I'm gonna come here, I'm gonna show up, I'm gonna come up here with some guys, and we're gonna check everything and shut this place down."
And then whip out your firearm, and "wave it around" at the people who work at the club.
Ahhh, good times. At first, I was going to go for the easy joke about him whipping out his "piece" at the club, ifyaknowwhatImean, wink wink, but that Indecent Exposure might honestly prove to be less embarrassing for this poor example of common sense in his near future.
KsR
November 18, 2008
And speaking of Colts
What's this?
(Click to enlarge)
Why, it appears it might be a project that's going to take a little while!
I'm probably not the first person to liveblog a 1911 build step by step and part by part, but it might be fun to try. Updates as they occur.
EDIT - Links? To me? Ok, I won't put this followup in a separate post, you can read it here, oh ye Newly Linked Readers.
I bought a Colt Gunsite Concealed Carry Officer's model used last week, for a decent price. It already had the night sights I prefer, XS Big Dots, and the price was good enough that I could pull out anything I don't care for or don't find up to spec, and replace it, which is what this project is all about. Many things will be discarded.
* Slide - Colt 4.25" Commander Length slide, in blue. Forged construction. Already cut for Novak Low-Mount Night Sights, XS 24/7 Big Dots installed. The XS sights will stay, saving me about $100.
* Barrel - Colt 4.25" Commander Length barrel. Also forged. Works just fine - this is not a match gun, so a Kart replacement would be a waste of time and money.
*Frame - Colt Officer's length frame, Aluminum. Also forged. The alloy framed 1911 can be tricky - they don't wear out as fast as some alloy defeatists claim, but there are things to watch when buying one used. Some polishing and discoloration, copper deposits, etc. on the feed ramp area of the frame is normal, any gouges or removed material is not. Using a magazine with a metal-follower that can travel forward and scrape the feed ramp is bad, and will be a death sentence for reliability in these guns. As long as the hardened surface of the frame, the anodizing, is intact, rounds will roll up the feed ramp for years. The moment the integrity of the anodizing is compromised by scraping or "polishing", and the much softer, "stickier" aluminum underneath is exposed, then you are going to have have issues. Even if you polish down the gouges in the ramp, and re-anodize the whole thing, it's still possible and likely to have removed enough material in the process of reshaping the ramp, to make problems later a worry.
This is why Kimber, Springfield and Para use fully ramped barrels in their alloy frame 1911s, even though they're not as intrinsically reliable as a conventional ramp like this one. So, even though the ramp on this gun is A-ok, as it's under 500 rounds fired, I will be cutting into the frame to install a nifty little steel feed ramp insert made by EGW, eliminating the worry over using the alloy frame almost completely, and keeping the weight savings. More on that later, when I do it.
Extractor - EGW HD extractor - solid at the rear for strength, with a fully re-thought and redesigned hook. These have been good to me in the past on other guns. Almost any extractor will work in a 5" 1911, but the increased speed and reduced travel of the Commander length slides dictate that best results come from carefully tuned and tough 1911 extractors, like the EGW or the Ed Brown Hardcore.
Trigger - 10-8 Flat Trigger. Feels good, consistent pull. I fitted this one to the frame myself, and will adjust overtravel when the lockwork arrives.
Beavertail - Colt Factory. it fits the frame ok now, and since I'm going to have the pistol frame entirely Type II Mil-Spec re-anodized before I'm done, I can afford to do a little fitting of beavertail to frame, even if it removes some surface material in the process.
Mag Catch, GI Guide Rod, and Thumb Safety - Colt Factory, for now. The safety is cast as most are, but it's not MIM, and I actually like how the Colt safety feels. I also kept the pins, though they may be replaced by an Ed Brown Pin Upgrade pack.
What got discarded, for replacement? I'm glad you asked!
Trigger - short, not comfy for me.
Slide stop - Bar stock, and well made, but I prefer a style, like the Wilson Bulletproof, that has a bit of a shelf to it, but not a big, goofy extended stop.
Lockwork - The hammer's machined barstock, the sear and disconnector? MIM. I'll be moving everything in the lockwork to Cylinder & Slide or EGW parts.
Mainspring housing - Plastic. Eech.
Extractor - Fine, made from barstock as well, but I like the EGW better.
Barrel Bushing - actually wiggled a good deal, front-to-back in the slide, when I pushed it. I can do a better fit than that with a drop-in from EGW, and match it with a recoil spring plug.
Firing Pin - I'll get a titanium one, and make the gun drop-safe, like Springfield Armory does.
Firing Pin stop. Colt makes them from stampings, and this one actually looked kinda chewed up, even with a low round count. I will get a machined one to replace it.
Then to put it all together, tune, pick out a whiz-bang finish like IONBond DLC or Cobalt plate.
Every time I do something, I'll take a picture, and post the process and results here, as I do them. Your comments are invited and appreciated.
KsR
(Click to enlarge)I'm probably not the first person to liveblog a 1911 build step by step and part by part, but it might be fun to try. Updates as they occur.
EDIT - Links? To me? Ok, I won't put this followup in a separate post, you can read it here, oh ye Newly Linked Readers.
I bought a Colt Gunsite Concealed Carry Officer's model used last week, for a decent price. It already had the night sights I prefer, XS Big Dots, and the price was good enough that I could pull out anything I don't care for or don't find up to spec, and replace it, which is what this project is all about. Many things will be discarded.
* Slide - Colt 4.25" Commander Length slide, in blue. Forged construction. Already cut for Novak Low-Mount Night Sights, XS 24/7 Big Dots installed. The XS sights will stay, saving me about $100.
* Barrel - Colt 4.25" Commander Length barrel. Also forged. Works just fine - this is not a match gun, so a Kart replacement would be a waste of time and money.
*Frame - Colt Officer's length frame, Aluminum. Also forged. The alloy framed 1911 can be tricky - they don't wear out as fast as some alloy defeatists claim, but there are things to watch when buying one used. Some polishing and discoloration, copper deposits, etc. on the feed ramp area of the frame is normal, any gouges or removed material is not. Using a magazine with a metal-follower that can travel forward and scrape the feed ramp is bad, and will be a death sentence for reliability in these guns. As long as the hardened surface of the frame, the anodizing, is intact, rounds will roll up the feed ramp for years. The moment the integrity of the anodizing is compromised by scraping or "polishing", and the much softer, "stickier" aluminum underneath is exposed, then you are going to have have issues. Even if you polish down the gouges in the ramp, and re-anodize the whole thing, it's still possible and likely to have removed enough material in the process of reshaping the ramp, to make problems later a worry.
This is why Kimber, Springfield and Para use fully ramped barrels in their alloy frame 1911s, even though they're not as intrinsically reliable as a conventional ramp like this one. So, even though the ramp on this gun is A-ok, as it's under 500 rounds fired, I will be cutting into the frame to install a nifty little steel feed ramp insert made by EGW, eliminating the worry over using the alloy frame almost completely, and keeping the weight savings. More on that later, when I do it.
Extractor - EGW HD extractor - solid at the rear for strength, with a fully re-thought and redesigned hook. These have been good to me in the past on other guns. Almost any extractor will work in a 5" 1911, but the increased speed and reduced travel of the Commander length slides dictate that best results come from carefully tuned and tough 1911 extractors, like the EGW or the Ed Brown Hardcore.
Trigger - 10-8 Flat Trigger. Feels good, consistent pull. I fitted this one to the frame myself, and will adjust overtravel when the lockwork arrives.
Beavertail - Colt Factory. it fits the frame ok now, and since I'm going to have the pistol frame entirely Type II Mil-Spec re-anodized before I'm done, I can afford to do a little fitting of beavertail to frame, even if it removes some surface material in the process.
Mag Catch, GI Guide Rod, and Thumb Safety - Colt Factory, for now. The safety is cast as most are, but it's not MIM, and I actually like how the Colt safety feels. I also kept the pins, though they may be replaced by an Ed Brown Pin Upgrade pack.
What got discarded, for replacement? I'm glad you asked!
Trigger - short, not comfy for me.
Slide stop - Bar stock, and well made, but I prefer a style, like the Wilson Bulletproof, that has a bit of a shelf to it, but not a big, goofy extended stop.
Lockwork - The hammer's machined barstock, the sear and disconnector? MIM. I'll be moving everything in the lockwork to Cylinder & Slide or EGW parts.
Mainspring housing - Plastic. Eech.
Extractor - Fine, made from barstock as well, but I like the EGW better.
Barrel Bushing - actually wiggled a good deal, front-to-back in the slide, when I pushed it. I can do a better fit than that with a drop-in from EGW, and match it with a recoil spring plug.
Firing Pin - I'll get a titanium one, and make the gun drop-safe, like Springfield Armory does.
Firing Pin stop. Colt makes them from stampings, and this one actually looked kinda chewed up, even with a low round count. I will get a machined one to replace it.
Then to put it all together, tune, pick out a whiz-bang finish like IONBond DLC or Cobalt plate.
Every time I do something, I'll take a picture, and post the process and results here, as I do them. Your comments are invited and appreciated.
KsR
Colt in the 21st Century
I saw a question from Onegoodshot on 1911Forum.com, and decided to pitch in and lend my input on it:
_________________________________
_________________________________
Please.. how come we don't see more Colt 1911's? 1911 freaks seem to like them.. They are competitive price wise, they have alot of model choices.Why don't we see more of them? Even S&W has gotten serious about their 1911's. Sig has gotten serious with their newest offerings. Why don't I see Colts? Does anyone KNOW THE ANSWER... I've read and heard the rumors and BS, inquiring minds want to KNOW.
_________________________________
There's a variety of reasons that I've encountered in the last several years in firearms retail, but the biggest reason is that when you walk into your local, non-pro gun shop, you're more likely to see new Kimbers, than any other 1911. Why? They advertise like crazy, get lots of front page glossy-magazine articles, they introduce a new model once a week, and have acceptable quality, as far as the customer who's going to buy knowing nothing more than he wants the one he saw in the ad. I've had brand new customers that asked for Kimber by name like a Coke, all they know about it is they saw the article, or their buddy Steve has one, or they think they look good. They have lots of free, glossy promotional material, and the gun dealer loves being able to hand out free 40 page catalog ads that sell what he has on the shelf. Kimber doesn't work with distributors, but they have low minimums to start up a dealership, and incentives to add more for the Master Dealer discount._________________________________
Your results will vary by location and the local demographic they serve, but the next most likely 1911 to be seen on an 'average' distributor's shelf is Springfield Armory, because they're carried by most distributors, and their Mil-Specs and GI models are pretty much a guaranteed sell at anything close to MSRP. The Loaded models are the closest competition, in terms of features, to the mid-level Kimber. Then there's some S&W and Para, which vary in popularity from state to state and town to town. Higher up, for more educated/better paid customer, there's (was)RRA/Les Baer/Wilson/Ed Brown/Nighthawk, and so on, with the accompanying quality, features, and price point. Then you've got the true custom guys, which doesn't enter into this discussion much, unless you count the fact that, unlike 40 years ago, many of the "name" smiths take a choice of a quality bare frame and slide, a blank slate to build on, as opposed to the USGI/Colt Commercial/Series 70 being the gold standard for a custom 1911 build.
Colt doesn't market like Kimber/Para/Springfield, nor do they aspire, outside the custom shop, to turn out a majority of their production as high-dollar semi-custom pistols. Colt has a cachet all it's own, a name that is probably one of the best known nouns in the USA, but the demographic for the Colt name is not currently the just-turned-21 shooter who absorbs American Handgunner, ads and all, like the Gospel According to St. Marketing. Colt quality is very much a reality, but they're in a different market now than when the XSE models were announced. 1911 customers are being presented with a combination of excellent promotion, and smart thinking on the part of the companies that are offering features like beavertails, checkering, low-mount night sights, ambi safeties, etc. out of the box, and for roughly the same price as a basic blued 1991. LAGS features (Latest and Greatest Syndrome) like light rails, or CT Lasergrips, aren't offered from the factory at all.The XSE models are an option, but in many cases, a mere $100 difference, and the cosmetic/features gap between the XSE or standard Colt and it's closest competition, means you'll sell 3 Springfields, or 4 Kimbers, to every Colt stocked.
For many stores who don't strongly promote Colt and instruct their salespersons in why and how to do so, this disparity in sales would be the ONLY reason a non-specialty store would need to stock many more non-Colt 1911s. You turn you money over faster, and then you make it back faster. If the Colt takes a week to sell for any of all of the reasons I listed, and the Kimber takes 2 days, you make 3x as much, stocking and selling 3 Kimbers in the same week as you do the Colt.
Colt buyers, since they don't have great swatches of marketing to rely on, nor the slickest in new features on the majority of models, bank on their reputation of quality and resale value. This is fine on the one hand, because people who don't want anything but a Colt, don't buy anything else. But, they're no longer the only game in town any more, and the nostalgia/mystique method doesn't reach the SWAT demographic, nor the hangers-on. They might buy a Colt because Dad told them too, but they might not if they're told they'll need to drop it off for gunsmithing to get an ambi safety put on, and sorry, they don't make that model with checkering from the factory, $200 plus refinishing.
I don't want Colt to reinvent themselves as a Blacktical Whiz-Bang Spec-Ops machine, as it would surely backfire on those who love them for the stately prestige of carrying a Colt, but the discontinued Gunsite models are a perfect example of what the current Colt 1911 would need to be to compete with and beat the Kimber/Springer/Para market, while keeping the WWI repros readily available as well. Whether they can do this, and make new consumers aware of their commitment to both quality and the features modern shooters demand, I don't know. I sincerely hope so.
Edit - Bonus! The purview of this post deals with retail sales, more than anything else, but if you want a very in-depth overview of where Colt is and what they're doing in a business sense, read the 2006 factory visit report. Long and worth reading.
KsR
November 1, 2008
Flu update
Go get your flu shot. You don't want this year's flu. The wife and I passed it back and forth for about 10 days now, with fever, coughing, and aching. Avoid at all costs.
KsR
KsR
October 20, 2008
Don't ask.
I registered to vote through Barack Obama's website - Downloaded the PDF, mailed it in, and so forth. I've been getting amusing email updates for a while, browsing through, grinning, and deleting.
And today they called.
"Good evening, KingsideRook - this is Campaign Worker So-and-So, and we wanted to ask if you'd be supporting Barack Obama this election?"
"Hmmmm...I don't think so" C'mon, ask me why, do it...
"May I ask-"
"Because he's a socialist."
"Thank you sir, have-"
"I'm voting for Bob Barr! Wahahahaha!"
And he hung up on me. The nerve.
That's about as juvenile as it gets, but it was fun, and he wasn't going to just sit there and let me disasemble "Barack's Free Ponies For Everyone" platform for him in a logical fashion. When you've got the sniffles and a fever, anything is a potential source of mindless humor.
KsR
And today they called.
"Good evening, KingsideRook - this is Campaign Worker So-and-So, and we wanted to ask if you'd be supporting Barack Obama this election?"
"Hmmmm...I don't think so" C'mon, ask me why, do it...
"May I ask-"
"Because he's a socialist."
"Thank you sir, have-"
"I'm voting for Bob Barr! Wahahahaha!"
And he hung up on me. The nerve.
That's about as juvenile as it gets, but it was fun, and he wasn't going to just sit there and let me disasemble "Barack's Free Ponies For Everyone" platform for him in a logical fashion. When you've got the sniffles and a fever, anything is a potential source of mindless humor.
KsR
How to ruin your favorite song in 3 easy steps
Step 1 - Pick a song you like a lot. Maybe pick your favorite song, it can be just something irresistibly catchy, or something that you associate with really good memories. If it has important emotional significance to you, all the better!
Step 2 - Set it as your wake-up alarm on your cell phone. You must be too lazy to change it for this step to work.
Step 3 - Wake up to it every morning for 6 months.
With any luck, you will feel a completely unbidden and disproportionate anger rise inside you every time you hear that song, anywhere, ever, because you now associate it with the end of good dreams and warm bed, and the beginning of another crappy day at work.
It worked for me, and with just a few simple steps, and some attention to detail, it can work for you too!
For reference, the song I ruined in this manner is Teardrop by Massive Attak, by no means my favorite song, but one I used to like. I don't dare change it to anything else, because I don't want to ruin another song, and it's still a little better than angry beeping - anything is better than angry beeping in the early AM.
KsR
Step 2 - Set it as your wake-up alarm on your cell phone. You must be too lazy to change it for this step to work.
Step 3 - Wake up to it every morning for 6 months.
With any luck, you will feel a completely unbidden and disproportionate anger rise inside you every time you hear that song, anywhere, ever, because you now associate it with the end of good dreams and warm bed, and the beginning of another crappy day at work.
It worked for me, and with just a few simple steps, and some attention to detail, it can work for you too!
For reference, the song I ruined in this manner is Teardrop by Massive Attak, by no means my favorite song, but one I used to like. I don't dare change it to anything else, because I don't want to ruin another song, and it's still a little better than angry beeping - anything is better than angry beeping in the early AM.
KsR
Revolver Ring
Let's kick this blog off with an oldie-but-goodie, the revolver ring.
I wouldn't use it for anything serious, as it's a pipsqueak cartridge in a complex, slow-to-fire little mechanism but it rivals the Palm Protector in terms of nifty concealability in the category of "old guns I'd like to own and show off occasionally." Found on the Curios page here, there's also a padlock gun and a Zippo lighter gun, among others.
Trivia - the URL ends in .be, which means the site is hosted in Benmark.
KsR
I wouldn't use it for anything serious, as it's a pipsqueak cartridge in a complex, slow-to-fire little mechanism but it rivals the Palm Protector in terms of nifty concealability in the category of "old guns I'd like to own and show off occasionally." Found on the Curios page here, there's also a padlock gun and a Zippo lighter gun, among others.Trivia - the URL ends in .be, which means the site is hosted in Benmark.
KsR
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