Handguns

After work yesterday I went and spent some of the detail money I've been making. I made a deal with my wife that I would work a bunch of details to get us back flush and build up money for Christmas, but I was going to buy a gun and accessories for same if we met our financial goals before the detail ran out.

I bought a G17 gen 4 glock, and upgraded the sights to Ameriglo night sights. I am happy with the purchase. I have carried a Glock 19 gen 3 as a work gun for 5 years. I'm intimately familiar with it, and trust in it daily. I like the platform, and accept it's limitations. It is not a safe queen or range toy, and it's not pretty.

But it's a great tool, and it is well designed for its intended task. I decided to go with the 17 because I like the longer grip. I like the modularity of the gen 4 grip as well, but the base size fits my hand best. the texture is much better than on the gen 3 as well.

I feel very comfortable with my 19, but it is owned by my department, and I really wanted a duty weapon that is mine. I don't want to have to learn another gun -even another Glock- if I ever decide to move to another department.

Looking at my handguns today, I have come to realise that I don't have a need for any other handgun at this point in my life. In fact, I have a few superfluous guns. I'm not getting rid of any, because the 3 handguns that I have that don't fill specific roles all have a place in my heart, but I don't see a need to add to my handgun collection anymore.

In the top left, you see my new G17. I hope to become as familiar with it as I am with my department's G19, below it.

Under the 19, you see a Kahr CW9, which is my constant off-duty companion.

Below the Kahr is a Ruger LC-9 that I got for a song, and is my "truck gun". I don't mind if it gets a little beat up, and it's easy to throw in a glove box when I'm going somewhere. it has a belt holster and a pocket holster and an extra magazine with it at all times, and is basically a gun to have on hand for if I ever get caught out without a gun.

Top right is a Taurus 627 Tracker in .357. It's my woods gun. I generally carry it when hunting as a backup/critter repellant/snake medicine.

Below the Taurus is my S&W 638, which is my deep concealment gun. If off-duty, and unable to carry my Kahr, the 638 slips into a pocket.

Below that is my wife's S&W model 60. It's hers, so I don't ever carry it, but it's a dandy little j-frame.

And in the middle are the "superfluous" guns. the top is a 3-inch model 36 which I just LOVE. A 3-inch j-frame is a thing of beauty that has to be experienced to be understood. it carries like a j-frame but shoots like a k-frame. It's a dream to shoot.

Below that is a grail gun of mine, a 1908 pocket hammerless. What can I say, I've had a jones for that gun forever. I finally scratched the itch, and after shooting it, I'm glad I did. It's a JMB work of art.

Lastly is my Great-Great Uncle's backup, a Ruby in 32. that gun was carried small-of-back without a holster by Uncle Roy for his working career as a Cop in Rural Louisiana in the first half of the 20th century. It has stories to tell, and considering that it may have been a relic of WWII, some of them are likely grim. I'll never get rid of that one, strictly due to the family history.

So that's the handguns. Like I said, I think I've got my bases covered in this department. I guess it's time to start cranking out 9mm on the reloading press, and hit the range!

Finally, a Post!

My lord, has it been that long? Whew! life has been like a rocket-sled on rails, to quote Jerry Reed. I have been working details to pay off a few things and put some money back for Christmas. Between work, Details, Scouts, and housework when the Wife is studying for school, I haven't had time to breathe, much less blog.

But, so goes life. At least I have an awesome one. Being a scout leader is fun, my marriage is strong and happy, and the detail I've been working is mostly fun.

I have had to put Leatherworking on the back burner lately, due to busy schedules, but I did make a shell holder for a buddy that shoots trap. His last name is Cherry, which makes more sense than seeing the shell holder without context.

Anyway, hope everyone is doing great, and the detail I've been working ends in mid-November, so by Thanksgiving, you should be seeing more around here! Have a good next few weeks! If I have time I may post a thing or two, but you'll be seeing more of me before too long, in any event.

Be safe and have fun out there, guys and gals.

Boot Shot

Pawpaw wanted an award for people who flubbed their shot during the Cowboy Fast Draw competition he's hosting next Month.

The "boot-shot" award. Heh!

Snapshots

2 weeks ago, I went north to see family. Had a blast, it was great to see everyone, I hugged necks, and my Pop helped me process around 100 lbs. of lead into ingots. Thanks, pop. I had a lot of fun standing around a fire all morning with you. It had been too long since we last did something like that.

Afterwards, I spent the week finishing up some leather projects, including a holster for Murphy's Law, because I went and saw him the following weekend (last weekend).

Spent Sunday roaming New Orleans and it's usual haunts, including battlefields, museums, and squares. We even went to an old blacksmiths shop (wink, wink, for those that recognise the picture).

Finally, I managed to make a few holsters I've been wanting to make. I've been wanting to make a brace of holsters for my J-frames. The 3 inch 36 is worn strong-side, while the 2 inch 638 is worn cross draw. I tried out the cross draw rig on the way to see Murphy's Law last weekend, and it really worked out well. You can easily access it while driving, but is still comfortable for a long ride.

Cub Scouts is really starting to ramp up, with our first campout in 2 weeks. Life is hell-for-busy right now, but we're getting a lot of fun, quality stuff done, so I'm not complaining!

Camper Progress

Painted today. Found a blue that matches the blue in the tweed of the bench. It was Bahr premium paint+primer, and I got a gallon for 9 dollars.

After 4 coats on the countertops and camp boxes (my great grandfather made the camp boxes. My dad passed them to me recently. With my son, this will be the 5th generation to use them), it was time to install the counters. Here is a picture of the interior in "packed" mode.

The idea is, the two boxes in front get removed from the camper, and get converted into tables that go outside the camper. The white box in the middle flops back (there is a piano hinge connecting them) onto the blue countertop in the rear of the photo, making a small galley kitchen. Once set up, it looks like this:

My wife spent about 2 hours giving the camper a good cleaning while I was working on the counters.

I got the gas lines re-run easily. Next is the water lines. I am soaking all the connectors, so I will tackle it in a day or so.

After the water lines are done, all that is left will be replacing the matress, and putting in a new A/C unit.

I'm pleased with the progress!

Camper tear-out

The refurbishment of the camper started yesterday. I spent about 4 hours cleaning and tearing out. When I finished, right before I closed it all down, it looked like this:

It's cleaned out, and the countertops are removed. The sink and stove are stored at the moment, and the hoses and water reservoir are removed for cleaning or replacing as needed. I checked the propane lines, and they are in good shape. Hopefully I can just replace the regulator, and be in business, there.

I cut out new countertops using 1/2 inch finish grade plywood, using the old countertops for a pattern. I found a 4' x 4' piece of plywood at the hardware store that they had marked as scrap, and got it for $3.75, so the countertops came out pretty cheap. 

Another trip to the hardware store is likely today, so I can pick up paint( Im going to look in their 'oops' paints, to see if they have a color I can stomach for cheap), water lines, a propane regulator, and various screws. 

It's coming along.

Clutter

Believe it or not, this is what productive Leatherworking looks like.

Seen on Craigslist

No crap, I legit just saw this...

https://batonrouge.craigslist.org/cto/5746845874.html

Figured I needed to share!

The Great American Road Trip: Getting Started

For years, my wife has waxed poetic about one day wishing to take a road trip down Route 66. I've humored her, but honestly didn't think it would happen until after we retired. She posited several months back that next summer would be her last free summer for probably the next 20 years. She has 2 years of clinicals for vet school, followed by 10-15 years of hard work building a practice.

She was right. In a flurry of frenzied planning, she decided that we could camp up and down the historic western road for several weeks on just a few grand. I got on board, but wasn't too excited about the prospect of tent camping for weeks on end.

But then she talked to her dad! Her dad has a glorious treasure-trove that only a true scavenger can appreciate. The family joke us that if you need it, give him a week, and my Father-in-law can find it among his stuff. She remembered that they had a pop-up camper when she was a child.

Long story short, he still had it, and didn't mind passing it on to her.

My son spent a week with him recently, to enjoy the last remnant of his summer, and when I went to pick him up, Father-in-law met me halfway with this beauty:

He did a few things to get it road-worthy. He put new tires on it, and scabbed together the wiring, and knocked the rust off the tongue, and touched up and freshened the paint. But the best thing he did? He stored it properly. You know, put it up reasonably clean, and put it under cover.

As such, it's really in pretty great shape. The cabinet tops and doors need replacing and painting, the propane regulator needs replacing, it may need a new A/C unit, it needs a new matress, and the cushions on the built-in either need replacing or maybe just a good cleaning.

I put on new tow-chains, and re-wired the brake lights today, and bought a piece of plywood to replace the countertops.

Basically, for a few hundred dollars, I'll have this thing in good shape. Hopefully, I can take it on a few trial runs this fall.

Updates will continue.

Life, Man.

Sooooo....

Things have been a little crazy lately. Let's see...

Bought a set of AR500 level III plates and a carrier a few weeks back. After the recent cop slayings local to me, I decided a set of plates were worth investing in. After I ordered them, I got a check in the mail a few days later, covering the cost of the plates, from my father-in-law. It's nice to know that he likes me enough that he wants me alive. Not everyone can say that about their father-in-law, but I have a good one.

Went to a gun show. Didn't see much of interest, but it was only a block away from Cabellas, so I went there, and came out with a new spyderco. I put a fancy "zip-tie" upgrade on it.

And my little Ford Ranger gave it up. The transmission just couldn't take living any longer. Traded it in on a used 2007 F-150 with 116k miles.

The Ranger was a good truck, but I really like my new pickup.

Making Meatpies today. Got Murphy's Law coming in tomorrow, so I gotta cook him something worth eating. We plan on going to tour the USS Kidd tomorrow.

Wow! What a busy few weeks!