Militia Men

Since we are slowly turing this into a gun blog, I figured I'd share some gun porn as well. I haven't gotten the black gun jones yet but I am in process for my CCW permit. Picked up my new SA XD 40 SC last week. Only addition I will make is a Crimson Trace laser and either a Crossbreed SuperTuck or MTAC IWB concealed holster. I highly recommend Gunbroker for all your online shopping needs.
Heres my heat....

10 round clip

12 round clip

Show and Tell

Since John and James seem to have hard ons for black rifles all of the sudden I figured that I would show mine off. I opted for the full size edition with competition barrel. Right now I am using the post and dot sites and can fill in a 1 inch bullseye from 100 yards out. The handle is removable and the front site folds down if I decide to get optics at some point. The stripped lower is from Olympic Arms with all Colt guts and a Colt upper.

As for me buying a complete rifle, you forget that my wife is a M-16 servce rifle cleaning and repair kit by herself and I am sure that she would be willing to give a few lessons at Founders Day (for a nominal charge of course).

I also picked up this little gem a few weeks ago...

.30 Calibre M1 Carbine circa WWII. I am looking for 30 round clips for this and must say, with the stock folded and shooting from the hip, this thing is awsome. This is the paratrooper edition and I am considering getting a full size M-1 Garand if I can find a deal, not that any of you care.

If anyone wants to go in on say a Sherman or something else big and cool let me know.

So you want an AR-15? (Part II)

As Daniel pointed out, the executive branch is seeking to institute another neck slapping weapons ban. This probably isn't going to help your chances of finding parts. I did manage to find a local store that had some complete uppers in stock, and ended buying a Stag Arms 2H.



Attaching the upper and lower is simple enough.







Now, I'm not a big fan of that handguard. So I think it's gonna have to be replaced soon with a free floating rail.

Is that it? Probably not. Aside from the handguard replacement, there's still the matter of optics, flashlight, etc. You know--critical items. This is getting expensive.

Road Trip: Founders Day 2009 Update

Original post

The chapter has put up the schedule here.

It's sounding like we'll have quite a showing based on what I've heard so far and some of you can begin to expect some harassing emails/calls from me very soon.

Airport security

I see James has added a poll on the blog entitled, "Should John bring das boots to Founders Day?"

I'm inclined not to.

1. I'm not sure we need any drunks trying to speed drink out of heavy glass. You could lose a tooth...
2. In case we didn't cover it, while we were in Starkville last month for the alumni conference I happened to win an unexpected door prize--a brick from Old Main. The coolness factor dropped once we hit airport security in Jackson. The brick was in my carry-on bag, and it looks like people don't bring bricks on commercial flights very often. The person tending the x-ray machine must have thought I was smuggling a brick of cocaine. Of course they proceeded to search the bag while James and I explained the historical significance of the brick. Unimpressed, the head guard told me that he couldn't allow me to carry a brick on the plane as it could be used as a weapon (meanwhile another flyer is waived through with a large glass award plaque). He assured me that I could take the brick on the plane--it just couldn't be carried on. The conversation went roughly like this.

   me: So you're saying I have to go check my bag.
   guard: That's an option.
   me: If I can't carry the brick on then I pretty much 
       have to check my bag.
   guard: Yeah, that's an option.  You can check your 
          bag if you want to.

Now, I'm still unsure of what my other options were. I guess I could have checked only the brick, which doesn't make too much sense as I'd still have to wait at baggage claim for the small pile of rubble to come tumbling down the conveyer in Austin. I will point out that the guy was very pleasant. I just couldn't follow the logic.

Anyway, we were on Continental and they charged me $15 for the bag check. I'm a little wary of bringing anything out of the ordinary with me in the future. If they didn't like a brick, I doubt they're going to like my two glass shoes.

So you want an AR-15? (Part I)

James tells me Luke recently became the proud owner of an AR-15. It just so happens that James and I are in the slow process of building a couple ourselves. James has tasked me with documenting our trials and tribulations for the benefit of Michael and anyone else that's interested in joining our little club.

Luke bought a complete rifle, and we're partially assembling ours. What's up with that? Buying the complete gun is certainly the easiest way. We went to the gun show in Austin on Sunday and it looked like most were running around $1200+. You can probably find them for less (perhaps sub 1k depending on what you want). This route also requires little explanation. Hand over some money, walk away with cool firearm.

From here onwards are my notes regarding our assembly process. Like skinning cats, there's more than one way to build an AR. The first thing you'll find right now is that parts aren't as plentiful as you'd like. Something must have happened last year that caused a run on firearm purchases. The supply shortages also mean prices might be higher than in the past.

(Rant: If you read any of the AR-15 forums you'll probably see people complaining about "price gouging." Which I think is defined as: Exceeding the amount of money I have determined which you must accept in exchange for what I want. But enough of my basic economics theory.)

What do you need to buy? We started with a stripped lower receiver. We're using one from DPMS, but I suppose they're all mostly the same. It has a serial number on it, and if you buy it from a store you have to go through the same process as if you were buying a complete gun. You don't have the same issue with the other pieces, so you can order them online and have them shipped to your house if you want.

Cool, you now have an expensive, useless aluminum block. From here you could buy a kit that has everything else you need. Here's an example

http://www.del-ton.com/Rifle_Kit_p/rkt104.htm

That's too easy, so for us the next purchase was the lower parts kit. It contains all the stuff you need to jam into the lower receiver (e.g., trigger, springs). There are instructions for assembling this mess here. It also helps to watch these videos beforehand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA_Vkb2UB1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq4KfUaVp8M

I guess the hardest part for me was getting the pin for the bolt catch assembly started with the huge hammer I was using.

James was kind enough to give me a Command Arms collapsible butt stock for my birthday. I also picked up a 20 round Magpul magazine. I think some 30 round mags are called for eventually.

That's where it stands for now. A bigger, useless object.



From here you could buy more pieces and build the upper, but I'm leaning towards buying a complete upper assembly.

Examples of some complete uppers.

Rock River Arms
Stag Arms
CMMG
Lewis Machine & Tool

LaRue Tactical in Cedar Park (right outside of Austin) makes parts, but the price for an upper is a little on the high side for this project.

I've skipped a lot of things to consider. There's plenty of information at ar15.com. Here's an example of advice you can find on various forums regarding brands, etc. This one mentions being Cali-Legal so maybe this will apply to Michael.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showpost.php?p=1073614&postcount=5

I should also note that I'm planning on starting with a rifle chambered for .223/5.56 NATO. But there are other calibers you could go for. We saw some AR57 uppers at Red's Indoor Range a couple weeks ago. These shoot a 5.7x28mm cartridge, but the uppers were close to $700 I think.

Breaking up is hard to do.....or Is It?

Well as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After 14 wonderful years, I have ended my love affair with smoking. I am proud to announce that today is my 28th consecutive day without a cigarette. To the layperson, that is 4 weeks!

Why did I do it you ask? I honestly don't know. When it comes down to it, I love smoking. I suppose the only good answer I can come up with is that I know it is bad for me. Aside from that I love everything about it.

How did I do it you ask? Easy. 4 weeks ago I checked my luggage in at LAX as I prepared for my trip to the Philippines. Once my luggage was on it's way to the underbelly of the plane, I stepped outside, smoked my final cigarette and proceeded to board the plane bound for the land of little people. It wasn't easy but a steady diet of rice and Asian Tang sure helped. I know I know.....you are all curious to hear what I mean by Asian Tang. By Asian Tang, I mean the orange Tang drink. While on vacation, one of the resorts I stayed at tried to pawn off the powdered Tang mix as freshly squeezed Florida orange juice. I knew when I tasted it that something was up, but it wasn't until the next morning that I noticed one of the servers behind the bar mixing powdered Tang mix with water in a pitcher named “OJ”. Busted! But anyways, I digress.

So what does all this mean? It means that I must now retrain my body to function without a Marlboro in my hands. There are many things that prior to 4 weeks ago I had never experienced sober (without a cigarette). I started smoking at 15 so activities such as driving, drinking, gambling and sex are all things that I now get to enjoy smoke free. On a side note, all of those activities are much better enjoyed with a cigarette, but I'm hopeful that in time that will all change.

In closing, I am sure the time will come when I will smoke another cigarette or perhaps even a pack or two (upcoming trip to Starkville), but having experienced this 4 week hiatus, I am confident that aside from those few instances here and there that I will be able to stay the course and continue my journey of being smoke free.

Breakfast Idea

I wish I would have gotten a picture of this, but it was too early in the morning for me to be thinking clearly.  Last weekend in Starkville, John made me take him to Zaxby's at the end of the evening for a late night snack.  He was "asleep" before we I pulled out of the parking lot and pretty much stayed that way until I woke him up when we got back to the hotel.

Once we got into the room I proceeded to chow down on my chicken strips and John went directly to the bed.  Being the good brother I am, I put his meal in the refrigerator so he could potentially enjoy it later (or the next day).

When we woke up in the morning I told John that his Zaxby's was in the fridge and he immediately went for it.  I asked if it was still good and he told me it was frozen.  I guess the fridge must have been jacked up a little too high, but this did not seem to deter him too much as I could hear him crunching the fries.  John decided to let the rest of the food defrost while he showered and I went to check out the breakfast provided by the hotel.

When I came back to the room, I told John that they had biscuits and gravy for breakfast and that maybe he should try some of the hot gravy on his chicken tenders to counteract the coldness.  He did and I sat jealously watching.

So if you ever have some frozen Zaxby's chicken tenders be sure to try them covered in the gravy from the Comfort Suites breakfast.

Don't Mess Up a Good Thing

I was checking out The Reflector and ran across a story titled Sororities suffer stereotypes.  Go ahead and take a minute to read it.

Hey Dummy, what are you trying to accomplish by criticizing one of the most sacred jewels of the college experience?

My advice for the sororities: Modernize with deliberate speed. Gone are the times of Victorian angels of the house. Our country is in desperate need of more Hillary Clintons and fewer Paris Hiltons.

Really?  

The next time you are riding with that escort on your way to the date party, lean over and whisper into his ear, "So, what's your opinion on Barack Obama's foreign relations policy?"

Which would immediately have your date planning his escape route for the evening.

My advice is take advantage of the situation you are in.  Enjoy the beautiful scenery and friendliness of your female classmates at MSU.  You just don't like the Southern Belles?  You can easily move to many other parts of the US where the girls don't act like that...just don't go messing up the good thing they have at Mississippi State.

Starkville Trip Wrap Up

Some random thoughts and comments from our trip to Starkville last weekend:

• The alumni events would be a lot cooler if they served alcohol (at least at the banquet portion...maybe not so much at the Saturday 8 AM events).
• You should check out the new Templeton Athletic Academic Center on your next trip.  It's really nice.
• Everyone seems really excited about our new coach.  He was entertaining when he addressed the alumni association as well.  One of the questions Mullen fielded from the audience was along the lines of, "...anyway you could get Tebow to come with you to MSU..."
• The Rock Bottom bar needs to do something about the lack of running water in the bathroom.
• What is the red stuff splattered on the walls in the bathroom at Up Your Alley?  Looks like a crime scene in there.
• As John already mentioned, why would you stand around on the street (at both of the bars mentioned in the last two bullets) when The Grill is sitting empty 1 block away?  Kids these days.
• The Mossy Oak store in West Point is not as cool as I remember it. 
• Speaking of kids these days; some students ended up drinking at our table and we quickly figured out we were all from the Coast.  So they started running through the name game to see if we knew any of the same people and it went something like this:
  Girl: Do you know Person X?
  Us: No
  Girl: Do you know Person Y?
  Us: No
  Girl: Do you know Person Z?
  Us: Look, we're a little bit older than yall.
  Girl: When did you graduate high school?  Like 2000 or 2001?
  Us: Try 92, 96 and 96 (Curtis was with us)
  Girl: Oh
• You know how much John loves people.  I'm amazed he's so dang friendly after he gets drunk.  John ended up going to eat dinner with two of the kids from the last bullet point minutes after that conversation.  When he got back I asked if he even knew their names...he did not.
• Some things never get old.  One of the kids from the Coast left her camera on the table and left the bar.  Curtis went ahead and took a couple pics of his rat brain so she'd have something to ponder the next day.  We did eventually find the girl and return her camera...she was ecstatic that we returned it.  Too bad she didn't know it was tainted.
• You should get involved with your local MSU alumni if you're not already.  Sometimes it's hard for John and I to drink by ourselves at the game watches and I'm sure you've got officers near you that feel the same way.  And if you don't have a chapter...start one...you'll be the president.

Liquor Alert

If you're looking for something to alternate with your Sweet Tea Vodka. Three Olives has Root Beer vodka. I've been mixing it with Diet Sprite, and it's not too shabby.

The Grill

This is James at the Grill a little after 10 PM last Friday. Note the crowd.



They booted us out a couple minutes later. Turns out the kids would rather stand around some bars on University these days. I couldn't believe they took their nachos off the menu years ago, and they didn't have Coors Light on tap this time (also an inadequate supply of Bud Light Limes).

The cheese sticks are still good though.

Baconized backtoms

Check it out

Super Bowl....Blah

Super Bowl Sunday just isn't the same today since I'm sitting at home instead of there at the game.  First, golf was ruined for me when some of you a-holes bought clubs for me, and last year Nunnrey took us to the Super Bowl and that will never be the same either.

That was a good time though and here are a few pics from last year.

Note: This is actually Nunnrey (above) and not Jeremy Shockey just in case you can't tell. And both pictures below are from after the game.

Hotty Toddy Revisited

You may remember a post from November about an Ole Miss guy flagging me down on the highway in my original post called Hotty Toddy.  Today John wanted to swing by Lowe's after hitting the gym this morning.  On our way out of the store, one of the employee's asked how much I'd sell my t-shirt for?  My t-shirt was a Superbowl shirt from last year.  I asked why he would want a year old Superbowl shirt and about that time he also noticed that I had an MSU cap on and said that he went to Ole Miss.  That explained his desire for my t-shirt since he has a man crush on Eli.

Anyway, we were standing out in front of the store and he pointed at his vehicle which was the same Toyota that pulled up next to me in my original posting.  Just can't get away from this guy.  Ole Miss beat up on MSU yesterday and now this dude is hassling us at Lowe's.