Whine.

I am sick unto death with some exotic variety of SHOT crud. Panic is fueled by the fact that Vegas is knee deep in Chinese tourist celebrating the Lunar New Year.

I hope it's not Hunan Coriolisvirus.
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P210 Carry...

"[T]he new P210 Carry features a slate of changes to make it more suitable to the job of concealed carry."
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Desertification

Three days in the desert and already my bodyweight is probably sixty percent dry-ass dead skin cells.

This is my third year of covering SHOT for RECOIL, and since they put us up in a hotel right across the street from the convention center, I didn't bother bringing a blaster.

Gasp. Shock.

Look, I know some people...plenty, actually...roll dirty in Vegas, but considering that practically my entire time here is spent either in the hotel or the convention center or walking between them during normal business hours, I'm pretty comfortable with my Vegas odds and a can of pepper spray. Besides, this trip is pretty much the only time I fly without checking guns, so it's interesting to see how normies experience air travel. (Curbside baggage check, for instance, is not normally a thing I get to do.)

Also, I haven't worn a belt in three days, which is really novel for me.

Hotel POTUS at sunrise, as seen from the 28th floor of Treasure Island

Automotif CLVIII...

In the parking lot at Sig's media range day was this cool '00-'02 Z3 3.0i. Manual transmission, the cool M-style secondary gauge panel, and a sweet bronze color with matching top.

Also, it's weird that just walking past a car in a parking lot can make a person homesick.
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Companion

Canon EOS M6 & 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM

Un-cropped photo, composed on the fly. I only had the time for the one shot. Pure luck.
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In theory, theory is the same as practice...

Aesop writes to defend the drop-leg holster:

Sit in a car, a delivery van, or a semi rig cab, and show me your IWB or appendix-carry draw, against, say, a robber or carjacker.With your seatbelts on (in observance of the law, natch), and maybe wearing a jacket, just to make it interesting for you.

Okay...



Here's me from strong side under an open-front cover garment...

Well, actually there I was more concerned with getting the muzzle off me then drawing. Because the answer to the problem isn't always "Hey! Quick! Go for the gun!" But even with my seatbelt fastened, my draw from seated isn't terribly slower than standing, and the only difference is I lean forward a little.

We won't even talk about where that IWB is digging into you all shift...

Oh, please, Aesop! I've driven on I don't know how many all-day-long cross-country roadtrips with a strong-side IWB holster. IND-to-ATL, IND-to-MSY, IND-to-OKC, IND-to-ABQ, IND-to-FOE, and that's just in the last couple years, and not counting shorter ones to TN or OH... Make sure you don't buy crappy belts and holsters and that they fit properly.

...or where your appendix carry muzzle is pointed, sitting in a vehicle seat.

If you're carrying AIWB correctly, it should be pointing at the seat. If it's pointing at anything else, you need to fix yourself.

Then he pimps the supposed virtue of the low-rise thigh rig for driving:

Now, sit in a car seat, same conditions, and tell me where your hand falls on your upper leg:
unless you've got gorilla-length arms (which you'd need to get to any ankle rig), that'd be right where this holster sits. Handy. Readily available. Not pointed at your junk.
Five stars.

Uh-huh, Aesop, that is indeed where your hand naturally falls.

Now mime moving your hand backward from the holster like you're trying to draw the pistol. What happens to your elbow? Hits the seat before the muzzle is even clear, doesn't it?

Can you see why dudes who were issued dropleg Safarilands would use vest mounted holsters for mounted patrols?

I don't know how much you carry there in California, vehicularly or not, but you're saying a lot of things that sound really good in theory...until you pressure test this stuff in practice.

Lightweight and small, but powerful...

As a means of sneaking a spare backup body along on travels, I'd sling a crop-sensor DSLR around my neck with a travel zoom on it. It didn't get counted as a "carry on" so I had a backup body along in case one of my work cameras went toes up (since it could use my good lenses), and one that didn't take up space in with the actual camera gear at that.

With an 18-135mm EF-S travel zoom on it, I also used it to snap pictures at the airport or out the plane window.

Thing is, even on a small Canon Rebel body, like the T1i in the picture above, it's a lens the size of a beer can mounted on a single-lens reflex camera.

The camera body has to be a certain minimum size because it needs room for the mirror box and pentamirror that make an SLR an SLR. Further, despite using a "crop" or "APS-C" sized sensor, which is a fraction of the size of a 35mm negative, the flange diameter of the Rebel's EF/EF-S lens mount was dictated by the size of the 35mm film it was meant to work with.

Enter the mirrorless EOS M6, the silver camera on the right in the top photo. By dispensing with the mirror box and its associated eye-level optical finder, the camera is made much smaller.

And despite using a sensor that is the same physical size and resolution as current Canon Rebel DSLR's, the M6 uses the new EF-M (for 'mirrorless') mount, which has a flange diameter optimized for the APS-C size sensor. That's why, despite having the same Image Stabilization feature as the 18-135mm lens on the Rebel, the even longer 18-150mm EF-M mount travel zoom lens is the size of a little V8 juice can instead of a beer can.

Plus, with an EF-to-EF-M adaptor thrown in my camera bag, it can serve the same backup body function as the Rebel, and be a lot smaller hanging around my neck in the airport.
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Too many containers...

>be me

>go digging through S&W boxes to find the one for the 2" 64 you're taking to the gun shop today for extra SHOT Show shekels

>find box for 3" Model 610 you sold years ago and realize you could have made an extra hundred bucks

>dammit

Also, um... Hey, Shootin' Buddy? I found the box for that nickel Model 38 no-dash I sold you back in two-thousand-aught-nine or whenever.
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Buried Lede

Federal dropped a presser announcing a new line of CCW-oriented ammunition, called "Punch", and marketed as "personal defense ammunition". While LE ammunition such as Federal's HST Tactical is fine for CCW use, the difficulty of performing well on the more difficult portions of the FBI barrier protocols requires solutions that aren't necessarily as important for a CCW bullet.

Engineering a bullet that will hold together, penetrate, and expand after encountering plywood, laminated auto glass or sheet metal requires various methods of locking the jacket to the core that require extra manufacturing steps and extra cost. A bullet that will do well in just the bare gel & heavy clothing parts of the test is easier and cheaper to make.

I mean, I'm still going to carry HST, but I found something interesting in the press release:

“Concealed-carry permit holders, especially new shooters, need an uncomplicated answer to the question ‘What ammo do I need for self-defense’,” said Federal Handgun Ammunition Product Manager Chris Laack. “Things to consider such as function, reliable ignition, barrier performance, terminal performance, ballistics and other considerations are a lot to digest for most people. What some consumers really need to know is it will function in their gun, every time, and that it will be effective stopping a threat as quickly as possible. Punch is our easy answer for them.”

Most concealed carry permit holders are less concerned with factors such as barrier penetration through steel, plywood and auto glass and more concerned about choosing a bullet that is engineered from the ground-up to stop an attacker and work effectively in their chosen firearm. And, as the data shows, Punch bullets perform well in the tests that matter most to the average shooter—penetration and expansion through bare gel and heavy clothing. Federal has made Punch ammunition a natural choice for concealed carry.

What’s more, Punch ammunition features Federal’s smooth-feeding nickel-plated cases, advanced powders, and the sealed reliability of high-quality, sensitive primers. With Punch, self-defenders can be assured its components will do its job when it matters most.

The five new Punch options include a .380 Auto 85-grain offering with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet per second, a .38 Special +P 120-grain load at 1,070 fps, a 9mm 147-grain load at 1,150 fps, a .40 S&W 16-grain load at 1,130 fps, and a .45 Auto 230-grain load at 890 fps. What’s more, all these loads will be available immediately, and with MSRPs from $15.95 to $20.95 per box of 20.

Check out the highlighted portions. If the .380 is getting those velocities out of LCP-size guns, that's a big deal. But personally, I'm looking at that claimed velocity for the 147gr nine. If they're getting supersonic velocities out of a 147gr bullet from a 4" barrel, that's a spicy meatball. Then again, it could be a typo like the "16-gr" .40 cal bullet. (It's 165gr, almost certainly.)

Looking forward to getting some and testing it.
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BBF

I've never tried using back-button focus. I should give it a whirl and see how it works for me.
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Dumb Holster #1

Why is your ankle holster connected to your belt?

Your leather-working skills may be aces and the craftsmanship might be superb, but your holster idea is dumber than an acre of fungus, dude.

I was in a conversation elsewhere regarding holsters that caused me to actually go looking for this image, or one like it, on the internet. On purpose.



Drop holsters are some of the most frequently misunderstood and poorly configured holsters out there. Basically, unless you're wearing a plate carrier or LBV or something that interferes with a normal belt mount, you should probably leave the drop-legs to Hollywood space pirates and B&W cowboys.

If you find yourself needing to wear a real one for one of the above reasons, here's how to look like you know what you're doing:

Photography is not a crime!

Well, it's not every day I find myself on the same side of an issue as Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, and yet here we are:

There is no good reason that credentialed press should be blocked from thoroughly covering the impeachment trial & documenting it for the public.

We must honor the freedom of the press. To not allow photography of the transfer - along w/ many other limitations - is unacceptable. https://t.co/VuWq1b7PDb

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 15, 2020

As a matter of fact, still photographers were entirely blocked from covering the historic proceedings yesterday, when the articles were formally presented to the senate:

According to a report from Roll Call, Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael C. Stenger are putting in place restrictions that will allow just a single video camera to be present in the room. No still photographers will be allowed to press the shutter and no audio recordings will be allowed.
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Unfortunately, these restrictions likely mean photographer David Burnett won't be able to use his now-iconic 4 x 5 film camera to capture the transfer of articles for the third impeachment in U.S. history.

The Automotive Dark Ages Late Medieval Period

An option-ed out '82 LeBaron Medallion ragtop could balloon the MSRP to better than double the base 2-door's $8.5k. That was nearly three grand more than a BMW 320i and darn near Corvette money. https://t.co/A5GPaNPKNG

— Tamara K. (@TamSlick) January 16, 2020

Feels Good In The Hand

One of the most trite pieces of advice given to prospective first-time handgun buyers is to "go to a gun store and try holding a bunch of different ones to see which one feels good in your hand".

Not only does "feeling good in your hand" have zero to do with how well you'll be able to shoot the gun, it also has no bearing on whether you have the hand size or grip strength to safely load and unload it.

Claude has a point:

"For those who are helping a prospective purchaser, demonstrate the technique but then place the pistol in a sterile (unloaded with slide forward) condition and let them do their own evaluation without comment or coaching."

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The Fun Loophole

If there were any cool foreign cars you wish they were importing back in 1995, good news! They're cool for individual importation this year, thanks to the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988!
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Trying something new...

Instead of trying to do everything at the last minute, I think I'm going to start getting stuff ready for SHOT today. Do some laundry and get at least the basics packed, for starters. I've already got to the point where I keep a separate bag of travel toiletries in the suitcase, and I've checked it to make sure it's all good and nothing needs replacing. (Can conditioner go bad? I don't think so?)

I need to pull the MacBook Air out and make sure that it's all updated, not just the OS but Word and P-shop, too. I don't want to run into this scenario I had at NRAAM:

I'm also going to throw all the spare camera batteries on chargers and round up the actual kit I'll be using for the show and make sure it's all packed.

Both those Sony bodies are gone, so I'll be falling back on using Canons for work stuff until I can afford a secondhand Sony a7 III this summer, after the a7 IV's cause the used prices to tumble. I just couldn't face another range day or show floor with a pocket full of batteries, and the a7 III has apparently better than double the battery life of its predecessors. (The a7 II would burn up almost five full FW50's in a busy day's work. It was a marginal power source for their APS-C cameras, and totally overwhelmed in the full-frame bodies. Photogs with the early original gangsta a7's would sometimes take the battery door off to make swapping fresh batteries in faster.)
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Brick & Mortar Retail in the Crapper, Department Stores Hardest Hit

While big box stores are apparently doing okay, online retail is putting the boot to traditional department stores. This past holiday season was no respite for brands like Macy's and Kohl's...

JCPenney's sales at stores and websites open for a year fell 7.5% during the holidays compared with last year. Kohl's and Macy's sales dropped slightly, and Macy's said it will close 28 stores. Victoria's Secret sales at stores and websites open for at least a year fell 12% and its parent cut its earnings forecast. 

JCPenney's results raise "continued questions about the chain's long-term viability," Neil Saunders, analyst at GlobalData Retail, said in a note to clients Thursday. "Once loyal customers now avoid the chain and shop elsewhere."

Our local Macy's is a goner. The Super Target across the parking lot likely finished them off. What's ironic is that the Macy's was a freestanding stump of what used to be the enclosed Glendale Mall, which began life as an open-air shopping plaza before being turned into a covered mall in the Sixties, then demolished in '07, replaced with Target and its parking lot.

(The mall had a cluster of penguin sculptures which have migrated to a new home at the Indianapolis Zoo.)
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Ran When Parked

When I was a kid, a local landmark was a row of C-130's painted in Libyan air force livery, backed up against the fence of the Lockheed plant by the highway.

Built for Libya in 1972, the Nixon administration nixed the delivery of the planes when Col. Muammar started getting cozy with the Soviets all terrorist-y, so there the planes sat. Eventually, they were moved away from the fence line and...well, out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.

They surfaced in the news again during the early days of the Libyan civil war. Apparently they were still on the grounds of the Lockheed plant, or at least the complex it shares with Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the former NAS Atlanta (now General Lucius D. Clay National Guard Center), just off in a field you couldn't see from South Cobb Drive.

I was relating this tale to a friend on Facebook this morning and went scrolling around on the Googlesat map and...holy crap, they're STILL THERE, tucked away in a couple fields. Half of them are blocked in by an L1011 and a P3, both of which look like they've had their motors pulled.

You'd think that whoever's running Libya these days would have put them up on Plane Trader or eBay Motors or something by now.
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I used to think I understood it...

“Nie mój cyrk. Nie moje małpy.”

So, some juvenile delinquents were doing juvenile delinquent things in a neighborhood park in Reno, Nevada. A couple of neighborhood residents, one James Upton and another man, took it upon themselves to go and get involved.

Upon contacting the youths, according to the police report:

Upton took video and photos of the four juveniles "appearing to be suspicious to him and his neighbors, but doing nothing criminal."

Whereupon said juveniles piled into a car to leave. At this point, the unnamed neighbor blocked their vehicle in from the front, while Mr. Upton blocked their vehicle in from behind. The juveniles piled back out of the car to confront the neighbor who'd blocked their passage, and Mr. Upton got out of his car and approached to get more video.

And then...

"Upon doing so, one of the juveniles approached the defendant in an aggressive manner with his hands clearly visible and nothing in them," the report said. "At that time the defendant drew a concealed handgun and did willfully and unlawfully use force against the juvenile."

Upton fired three to five shots, hitting the sixteen year old in the leg twice.

Upton, formerly a Captain in the Nevada Air National Guard before his experiment in neighborhood policing, was arrested and booked on the charge of Battery with a deadly weapon. He was found guilty this past October and was just sentenced to up to six years in prison.

Dude lost his commission, is now a felon and a prohibited person, is out probably middlin' six figures in legal fees, and is staring at up to six years in the big house, all because he thought his carry permit was a Batman badge.

The part that gets me is that even after the kids got in their car to go, Batman and Robin decided to pass up an easy exit to the whole affair, and instead chose to escalate by blocking the car. In what universe was that a good idea?
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