Category: General Opinion

As a meat-eating, gun-owning, do-it-yourself kind of guy, it would only seem natural that I would also be a hunter. I'm not. However, that doesn't mean that I'm against hunting. In fact, my father hunted to feed my family when I was younger. As a boy - into my teens - I hunted varmints almost daily. Those who are critical or hateful toward hunters puzzle me. Unnatural death is everywhere - and some form of death brought those critics their last meal. Even raw vegans have to "kill" vegetables before… Read More

While attending the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting, also known as AUSA, I saw many things which were pretty cool, but did not really fit into any category I normally write about on my blog. Still, because they were cool, I will post them here. Things that no one asked for, like tracked Strykers! I might go play tourist for a while after this, so you may or may not see a whole lot more exciting AUSA coverage from me. Check out Gear Scout for more stuff,… Read More

I've had various brushes with competition shooting over the years, and every single time I am struck by how much drama there is surrounding the action shooting world. I guess that's a good way to get people interested in things - drama, that is - but it doesn't appeal to me at all. Take, for example, the recent controversy surrounding Michelle Viscusi's accession to "Team Glock." Those familiar with my blog will probably have already read my article about why Michelle is a force to be reckoned with. Many people seem… Read More

Earlier this year, I noticed an increase in the number of attacks on PMCs (private military companies) and the people they employ (military contractors). To be sure, PMCs have never been far from the point of aim of a lot of anger and resentment. But the stuff I've been hearing lately has been especially vitriolic. Why? The politically expedient withdrawal of US troops from Iraq didn't mean an end to the US mission in Iraq. To protect the infrastructure (such as the embassy in Baghdad) and personnel (diplomats, support folks,… Read More

Recently, I was having a conversation with my friend Jim about drop leg holsters. He commented that it was pretty much a sign of a new or inexperienced person: someone that had maybe a lot of experience with guns on a square range, but not much experience in the field. I agreed. So I posted a comment on Facebook: Friend: "A drop leg holster is a sure sign of someone new or inexperienced." And he's right. This infuriated a number of people who seemed to take it as a direct… Read More

I was first told about "fine motor skills" while in the military; the explanation I was given was that anything to do with using my fingers under stress was a bad idea. That doing so would not work, that I just wouldn't have the dexterity. I was told to use the bigger parts of my hand, or my fingers bunched together, to do any sort of weapon manipulation. This, they said, was a "gross" motor skill that would be better under stress, which apparently makes your fingers turn to jello.… Read More

...and each other. What do I mean by this? I mean that I grow weary of hearing about how veterans need help. I'm tired of hearing things like "Veteran unemployment is so high, why doesn't somebody do something?" Here's why. Veterans have demonstrated a lot about themselves just by being in the military. In order to join the military, you have to score (roughly, depending on the service) at least 30 on the ASVAB, which is a percentile based test. This doesn't mean that you're smarter than a third of… Read More

False bravado is often confused with true competence. Somewhere in between is something which might be defined as unconscious incompetence, a state in which someone believes that they are competent when in fact they are not. I've learned to recognize the differences pretty quickly due to some of the experiences I've had and people I've encountered. The platoon-sized unit of Marines I was assigned to put band-aids on was composed mostly of guys who had been in line (infantry) companies during Operation Phantom Fury - the second push through Fallujah… Read More

I have been collecting precious stones since I was about 10 years old. I have a sizable collection, and although I have never been a fan of brilliant cut stones (or diamonds, for that matter - I'll never buy a cut diamond), I found a few in my collection that matched up pretty well with some jacketed hollow point bullets I recently fired out of various guns underwater. Clockwise from top left, blue topaz in .45 HST 230gr, African sapphire in 9mm HST 147gr, tsavorite in .40 HST 165gr, peridot… Read More

I hope she likes them... Kudos to "obscura" for the idea.