It’s unsolicited, but here it is, anyway: leave the GOP. Give your two weeks notice. Because you are always going to be portrayed as the problem, and the solution is always going to be that you need to shut your clownish pieholes. Not only that, but you use your franchise in a way that simply isn’t helpful, voting in primaries the way you do for candidates that don’t have the cross-over appeal of electable candidates like Mitt Romney, who though he wasn’t elected, electable though he was, is not to be blamed for the election loss, having outperformed Senate candidates (who are OUTRAGEOUS EMBARASSMENTS) in Missouri and Indiana.
— And that fact, that Romney carried those states but the Senate candidates whose disgusting and archaic clinging to pro-life dogma (which, incidentally, is written into the GOP platform, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually serious about that shit — that’s just so you’ll join their coalition of hypercharged centrism) did not, is PROOF that it is social conservatism and the purists who are holding back the GOP. Nevermind that those candidates weren’t given the GOP’s support in those states, while Romney was, which tends to problematize the “science” behind that fact. Because shut up.
So. If you’re going to ignore my advice, here’s the only way forward for you: stop voting your conscience. Stop voting for candidates in primaries the GOP establishment — who incidentally is also not to blame, even though they control everything from the message to the convention to the GOTV campaign to the money doled out to candidates to the way the primaries are set up — hasn’t vetted for you. Always stick with the incumbent, because even if he or she isn’t voting in your interests and doesn’t really represent you (or, in the case of Lugar, doesn’t even bother to live in your state), he or she is a better alternative than the Democrat, and your refusal to vote for someone who doesn’t represent you will ensure that someone who doesn’t represent you will be elected. And that’ll be your fault, particularly if that someone isn’t wearing the team colors.
Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz — these were all flukes. Sure the GOP establishment actively worked against them in the primaries — not their fault, though, because they were merely sticking with incumbents and centrists with crossover appeal, which is the only way to win, unless you are any one of the liberal Republican Senatorial or House candidates they backed who lost, or you’re George H. W. Bush, or Bob Dole, or John McCain, or Gerald Ford, or Mitt Romney — but ignore that: the fault for any loss is yours. It’s your clownish extremism. Your having adopted and taken seriously a stance written into the party platform, when everyone knows that’s just there as a sop to you. Try some fucking loyalty, why don’t you?
The President can defend legislation that would require health care professionals to deny a baby born alive after a botched abortion medical aid. That is, infanticide. Nothing extreme about that. The Dems can push legislation that turns human exhalation into a pollutant that they’re entitled to regulate, turn puddles in your field into navigable waters that they control, and tell churches and their members that they must subsidize abortifacients that they require be made available. Extreme? Posh. That’s progress!
Meanwhile, moderate centrists can push legislation as governor that requires people to purchase health insurance — effectively turning them into subjects of the state — and then they can be elevated as the only “electable” GOP candidate, put up against a man who adopted the same plan nationally, repudiate that plan while never repudiating their own, and that is deemed an effective campaign strategy that you bitterclingers ruined with all your social conservatism and concern over actual issues.
Because you just don’t get how DC works. Or how the press, like it or not, is like a force of nature and will always and forever control the narrative — and fighting it is fruitless. This isn’t about you. “We” would have won but for you. This is about taking one for the team — getting electable moderate Republicans into office, where they govern in ways that you don’t want, but they can at least do it on your behalf, wearing your team colors. Staying at home, or voting your conscience in a primary, these are simply not things that “we” can tolerate if you wish to join our big tent. As its doormats, sure. But at least you’re inside.
So you have a choice to make: either surrender your principles, keep your mouths shut, and help the team out by supporting the candidates and message it tells you to (and no, they needn’t do the same for any candidates you nominate, because you were stupid for nominating the clownish haters who represent your hateful clownish views in the first place, and they are perfectly within their rights to sabotage those campaigns, even though EVERY SEAT IS SO IMPORTANT WE MUST WIN IT), or else get out.
Me, I’d choose the latter — hell, I already have — and I’m not even a social con. But I’m also not Karl Rove’s bitch; Hugh Hewitt is not the boss of me; and Ann Coulter has long since become a parody of herself — and I don’t plan on compromising my principles because I’m told that’s the only way to win representation.
Yes, I voted for Romney because I wanted Obama out. I felt the need to stop the socialist express in DC. Evidently, the GOP establishment (whose fault this wasn’t, and besides, they don’t even exist) didn’t feel the same pressing need, actively attacking Akin, retreating from Mourdock (who is a damn fine conservative, incidentally), withholding money from Bachmann, screwing West, and on and on. But that’s only because they wanted to teach you a lesson. About How Things Work and Who’s In Charge. It was tough love, you see, meant to puncture your idealist bubble so that you can come to understand that elections aren’t about principles, they are about soundbites, focus groups, likability, and consultants.
Sadly, for all their hard work and solicitousness, I’m still a “purist.” So let the pragmatists have the GOP, I say. Lord knows they would win everything always if it wasn’t for social cons and constitutional True Believers (just ask them!) — if we would just get in line and adopt the left’s paradigm or get out of the way altogether. Because by adopting the left’s paradigm we could have two left-leaning parties, but at least the lesser left-leaning of the two would hold all the power. And in the end, that’s what matters, right?
Submit or be scapegoated in perpetuity. Or else get out. Your choice.
(h/t Blake H)
Bleh.
Becky died on this day last year.
I say again, bleh.
Jeff, yeah, I voted Romney even though here in CA, it was a given that Obama would win.
I should have stuck with writing in Sarah Palin.
“Stop voting your conscious” should probably be something else.
I voted for Gary Johnson — a pro-life libertarian. As a pro-lifer and a libertarian, I liked that option. Screw Romney. Seriously, I feel clean. Pure, almost.
Off-topic, we are now going to acquire some arms, in this order:
Scattergun (thinking Mossberg 500 or similar pump-action, but willing to consider others). I would want something that could do double-duty as home security and hunting, if possible.
Pistol for me (automatic, 9mm .40 or .45, depending on value)
Pistol for her (still considering; could go .38, .357 or 9mm. She’s shot a 9mm and it works fine for her)
Long gun of some sort. Thinking 30-06 0r .308
I know we’ve talked about these things a lot, but I would appreciate suggestions. We are going to pull the trigger (so to speak) on the shotgun and at least one of the pistols in the very near future. The wife has been reading survivalist websites and I would like to go ahead and make some purchases while she’s willing.
Most social cons I know are hopelessly trapped in the GOP prism, because they have been brainwashed into believing the GOP is their only hope of getting Roe v Wade overturned. At least that’s the drift I pick up.
They need to abandon the GOP but I don’t think it will happen, to be honest.
It’s a lot like the way black people are hopelessly entranced by the Democrats.
I’ve been reading survivalist websites too, what a coinky-dink! I started my food storage this past weekend! threw out some of my shoe collection and replaced it with rice beans canned goods bottled water ramen noodles etc
and you know when i’m relinquishing shoes, i’ve finally accepted what’s coming
Thomas Edsall: The Culture War and the Jobs Crisis
“Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz — these were all flukes.”
So how bout we convince the DeMint Train to make the Tea Party his official hub and see if we cant create a few more “flukes”
You People Trackin Me?
A .357 has a lot of bark and recoil. Luckily, one can always shoot .38 or .38 +P rounds in it. So, unless size and weight matter, I would just get the .357 and have that option of using more powerful rounds. However, as always, the best idea is to find a way to shoot them before buying. A gun that makes you flinch when you shoot it is worthless.
Between the 308 and 30-06, I would tend to lean towards the 308 because the rounds are everywhere, but the 30-06 has a huge following as well, and the cartridge has a bit more power and distance to it. For the 30-06, though, you will likely be looking at bolt or lever action guns only, as there are very few semi-autos (M1 Garand, for instance) in 30-06 as the cartridge is long and requires the action to move further than a 308.
One step ahead of you, Jeff. I did so last Wednesday. I’m through supporting the Republican Party at the national level. The RNC can get stuffed.
I’ll still support the Republican Party of Texas, though, because they have a proven record of competence and they don’t treat their base with contempt. And those Republican politicians who do are quickly shown the door.
Slart, .22 LR is probably the best all around gun. Excellent for small game and will work for self defense, if necessary. Cheap to shoot and cheap to stockpile ammo for.
On a side note, I just picked up a Savage bolt gun chambered for 22 WMR. I can drive a nail with the gun at 100 yards and the ballistics are outstanding. (2200 feet per second muzzle velocity)
Anyway, after the .22 LR, 7.62 NATO (.308 Winchester) is probably an excellent round. That and 5.56 NATO. (.223 Remington) I mention these calibers due to the ubiquitousness of firearms chambered for these rounds. I’m a fan of 45 ACP, but, 9mm is extremely common and cheaper to shoot than 45 ACP. Glock’s and 1911’s are everywhere, so, either one should work.
If you’re interested in .38, I suggest buying a revolver chambered for .357 Magnum and shooting .38 Special +P out of it.
Anyway, my two cents. That and a $1.93 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Ok,
Sometimes I’m guilty of just skimming Jeff’ pieces and missing part of the message but I think I would have picked up on a gun reference.
Help me out Mr. dash-d ;)
On Twitter I just found out that socons are responsible for DOMA, the Patriot Act, the TSA… Because Clinton. And because Bush was an evangelical, and evidently only social cons voted for him. Or are at least responsible for all his flaws.
Wow. You bastards really are destructive.
We are the eyes in the sky, looking at you. We can read your mind.
I warned you about that Twitter thing Jeff,
You knot that it’ll make you go blind don’t ya?
Alan Parsons is electable. Get on board for the big win!
Alan Parsons/Meat Loaf 2016!
Will this be followed by My Advice to Fiscal Conservatives?
knot=know
See even just reading about somebody reading twitter is getting to me. ;)
Fiscal conservatives are fine, so long as they vote for moderate Republicans who spend compassionately and they don’t bitch about debt ceiling increases like whiny little Hobbits.
Don,
I’ll be in Columbus next weekend for a soccer tournament.
What say we flush out Big McG and get together to say a toast for Becky?
Sorry, I’m backing Dave Mustaine from here on out.
Slart, I adore my Mossberg 500 with its minor modification. When SHTF, the first two things I grab will be that and this.
Yeah, I was thinking of doing the .357 for just that reason. She can shoot .38 through it all day unless I am mistaken, and be able to hit what she aims at.
For 9mm I am looking at one of the SIGs. It seems to have outstanding safeties, and I can shoot it pretty well.
As I am not too afraid of bolt-action rifles, I may go 30-06. I may, however, heed the advice to get a .22LR gun first. Or maybe .223. I am leaning in the direction of having our small-caliber rifle shoot the same ammo as our third pistol, if possible; there are lots of .22LR pistols out there as far as I can tell.
Thanks!
Becky died on this day last year.
I remember that, Donald. It was just one of a series of awful things that happened to people in the dextrosphere.
Some anniversaries do nothing but suck.
It absolutely cannot be the case that Romney lost because it was close and they cheated, just as Hewitt said they would. (In general, that is. I have no idea what he says this time around, because I can’t listen to him anymore.)
It cannot be the case that we lost the culture war long before Romney lost the election.
It cannot be the case that Romney hired a bunch of bottom-dwelling scum-suckers who cooked the numbers to make him think he was doing just fine.
It definitely cannot be the case that Romney wasn’t handing out free cookies and Obama was.
Submit or be scapegoated in perpetuity. Or else get out. Your choice.
Decisions, decisions…
Oh yes he is
Is it okay if I stay registered as GOP so I can vote for those few decent candidates that come up every now and then in the primaries? I certainly won’t give them a dime of my money, so I’m not really supporting them.
Is it okay if I stay registered as GOP so I can vote for those few decent candidates
I registered as a Republican to vote against Bob Bennett in the primaries and for Mike Lee. That alone was worth the tiresome junk mail.
“Catch-22,” the old crone said, in her italian accented english.
That’s the only reason I stay registered as a Republican.
Well, that and also to avoid ending up at the top of the prospective juror pile.
Romney got out-hustled in a base-turnout election.
Bullsplat. Are you really going to tell me that each of those Dem votes represent exactly one warm body?
This is the Chicago machine: Obama’s reelection was a foregone conclusion. And even if the Democrat majority is a bald-faced lie, the fact that nobody will blow the whistle or prosecute or even demand answers in a loud voice is still evidence that we live in a corrupt nation with a corrupt populace.
“the fact that nobody will blow the whistle ”
Wouldn’t it take just one Romney voter to file suit in one of those PA districts that reported 100% Obama?
Wouldn’t it take just one Romney voter to file suit in one of those PA districts that reported 100% Obama?
Exactly what will be the result? The judge will nullify the results and call for a do-over? What?
If rape baby ideology is rejected in missouri where can it win?
Exactly what will be the result?
Hopefully somebody goes to jail. I guess that’s about all I could hope for.
.223/5.56 is easy to shoot, and like .22LR, makes up for what it lacks in stopping power in quicker follow-up shots.
Were it me, I think I’d be inclined to start with the long gun instead of the shot-gun. Especially if you’re thinking semi-auto. They won’t be getting any cheaper and Second Amendment notwithstanding, their future availablility is indeterminate. Hand-guns will go next, shot-guns last.
“If it isn’t close, they cannot cheat.”
The election should not have been close. It should have been a landslide victory for Romney.
The GOP did the same thing this election they did with McCain. Romney played for the “mushy middle” without solidifying base support. Base support was taken for granted, because the Romney team definitely had the “who else are you going to vote for?” mindset. The Romney team took it for granted everyone in the GOP understood just how bad Obama is and that was reason enough to vote for Romney. Evidently, the Romney campaign was wrong.
Plus, how many of the base were turned off by the GOP attacks on Akin? The GOP did not do itself any favors with voters, because, I suspect, the attacks by the GOP on Akin were perceived as the typical “business as usual” crap by the GOP.
When the GOP attacks a candidate for an inarticulate remark rather than going after a demonstrably corrupt senator, there’s a problem. And there’s no way the GOP did not know McCaskill is completely corrupt.
I’m saying if Romney had done a better job turning out his base, the fraud wouldn’t have had the same impact Di.
True dat.
Not true, Blake. It was the icky godbotherers. Don’t blame Romney or the GOP establishment. That’s just a panicked and false conclusion. I know because I’ve read it on the internet.
The twin Devils of Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock cost us control over all that crazy big government revenue that we don’t have! Fucking pious pricks!
And Mitt Romney is the Bill Walsh of politics, not Denny fucking Green!
I’m an icky godbotherer who voted Romney, yet it is still my fault.
Sounds strangely familiar. It’s almost like an old refrain being trotted out again. Don’t tell me, I’ll figure it out. Is there a 4 year cycle involved in this reprise?
FWIW, and I’m not a Ruger salesman (though I should have bought some stock)
The Boss at Home has decreed that I may purchase more boomsticks and assorted goodies. The current roster is two Ruger items, both worth looking at:
Ruger 10/22 (we have the Takedown). As someone said elsewhere, a 10/22 is like a frypan. Every home should have one. The Takedown’s has a stainless barrel, and when disassembled, will fit in a backpack. Putting it back together takes 20 seconds. Ruger make 25 round clips for it. Semi Auto. Cabelas will be selling them discounted on Black Friday. Simple, and it works. No wierd features.
Her carry gun is a Ruger LCR chambered .38. Alloy frame, hammerless, so it’s light, but as you might expect, recoil’s correspondingly greater, but it goes bang. Easy to clean and maintain. If you can’t resolve a situation with 5 rounds, you probably won’t have the opportunity to resolve it with a handgun anyway. She’s still getting used to the sights, but it’s a revolver. Everything’s gonna happen within 8 yards anyway.
New toys on the list.
Shotgun. I’m conflicted over the Mossberg 500 and the 930. When you’re dealing with a situation at short range, and you’re pumped up with adrenaline, I’m wondering whether she (or I) will remember racking etc. It looks to me like the 930 is available in most of the configurations of the 500. The 930 (which autoloads) might be a better idea unless it’s much more prone to F2Es. Anyone with experience on this?
Back to Ruger for the ‘Long Gun’. I’m in a relatively heavily wooded part of my state, so there’s no chance I’ll need to get out there and deal with a situation where the target is half a mile away. Maximum realistic range would be a few hundred yards or even feet, so something with a carbine-type length is appealing. I’m jealous of Jeff and his SCAR, but this state’s still got its own AWB, so if I want a military style weapon, I have to remove all the dangerous bits like the folding stock and the lethally dangerous bayonet mount. So I started looking around and my current front runner is a Ruger Mini-Thirty (chambered 7.62). I know 5.56 has ‘superior ballistics’, but I don’t care. If I have to take a middle-of-mass shot at 200 yards into something a bit bigger than a whitetail (IYKWIMAITTYD), I’d rather have something that makes a bigger hole so he bleeds out faster. I’m getting conflicting information on just how tolerant modern Mini-Thirtys are of steel-cased ammo – so again, if someone has experience, I’d be grateful to hear your expereinces. Assuming something like Silver Bear works OK, then I’d probably go for the tactical version of the Mini-Thirty which doesn’t look at all ‘tactical’ except it has a shorter barrel. Fired one last weekend. Nice feel, the stock sights are pretty good for the range I was using, and it won’t scare the neighbors. Looks very similar to a 10/22 to the untrained eye.
Handgun for me – will have to wait. That’s a choice that’ll take a lot of soul searching and time at the local gun store.
They are who we thought they were! And we let ’em off the hook!
Emmett, horseback opinion: steel cased ammo should be okay, unless the gun gets hot. Then you may run into issues with the case not extracting properly. Lubricating the cases should take care of the problem, but, lubrication and primers generally don’t go well together. Which means lubricating as you use the ammunition. However, if you have a round hang up during the extraction process, you’re risking a broken extractor.
“Karl Rove’s bitch”
Funny Story: Karl Rove spent over $100,000,000 of SuperPAC money getting 2 out of 10 big tent independent friendly centrists elected or reelected. He practically pissed his pants on Fox news when the bad news landed and he had a camera pointed at him. He argued with them about unfairly calling stuff too early and they just looked ta him like he was a cranky seven year old who needed a nap. Nobody is lining up to suck Karl Rove’s dick right now. God just stepped on him and left a sneaker tread on his face.
Ruger’s “tactical” model’s have flash supressors.
There’s a well developed* aftermarket for folding stocks, rail mounts and other tacticool accessories, should those be legal in your state, and that’s your thing.
*Nowhere near as developed as the market for the AR platform, but developed enouugh.
Aftermarket magazines have never been consistently reliable and it’s probably besst to stick with factory mags.
Karl Rove is the anti-Atwater.
That is all.
The Silver Bear stuff is nickel-plated steel – not lacquered – which I understand is one of the potential sources of problems.
The other, a bit more worrying is that they *say* that a lot of the cheap russian ammo has harder primers on them and they’re seated deeper, which is a shortcut to common F2Fs.
I really don’t want to get into reloading, but firing a lot of brass 7.62’s gonna get expensive pretty fast.
“If rape baby ideology is rejected in missouri where can it win?”
What has the center won?
The center got donkey-stomped in California.
Since I don’t live in a swingstate, I was spared the political advertising shitstorm until the last week (and all Romney’s surrogates did then was run a rather tepid ad about how lousy the economy was), so I don’t know what Romney’s general election campaing looked like compared to his primary campaign.
Am I right in assuming that Romney ran harder and more ruthlessly for the GOP nomination than he did for the Presidency?
A reprieve from the mocking of their betters. Who believe that having a cheese burger on Mondays may cause the earth to explode in a fiery ball of carbony death.
Y’all are going to be really sorry you made fun of good men like Hank Johnson when Guam flips over and everybody drowns.
Ernst yeah, that’s true.
I’m not that enamoured of the whole ‘tacticool’ school, and in the case of the Ruger, I think that it’s gonna be hard to ever make a ranch rifle look ‘cool’. The appeal for me was the shorter barrel length.
If I wanted ‘cool’ I would go for one of these (even though it’s ‘only 5.56’).
SFW unless you’re in a blue state
From what I’ve heard, one of the complaints about Ruger’s Minis is the firing pin can break on those hard primers, and Ruger insists that the rifle be returned to them for servicing.
–Broken pin, no problem, send us your rifle.
–can’t you send me a firing pin?
–nope
–can’t I just send you the bolt assembly?
–nope
It’s all anedotal stuff. Some people run thousands and tens of thousands of rounds of all types through their minis without any problems. Others run into all sorts of problems regardless of the type of ammo they use.
Or good women like Sheila Jackson Lee when the Mars Pathfinder finds the flag that Neil Armstrong planted back in ’69.
Fat lot of good that’ll do me when the food riots start.
I want one of these to be my first 7.62 rifle. I have no idea if it’s any good. I suspect that bullpup is not a great idea. But I like looking at it a lot.
http://mob225.photobucket.com/albums/dd197/dr_lutovsky/Tanks_Guns/KelTec_bullpup.jpg?t=1242019308
Think of a ranch rifle as discreet open carry Emmett.
As it happens, I have a Ruger Mini-30, and like it a lot. And there’s a LOT of 7.62x39s running around, so ammo hasn’t been a problem or outrageously expensive.
I also have two Ruger 10/22s. Ruger rifles are quite good.
You’ve got a few options, Emmett.
There’s an aftermarket firing pin available through Midway (I think)
Buy two and keep the second for parts
avoid case-hardened primers.
Ambush a reaving zombie goblin and take his gear to supplement your own (God forbid it comes to that).
Wonder how that’d play in our town? It went marginally Romney this time, but is usually about 70% blue. We have lots of hedgies and insurance people here and none of ’em liked being threatened with pitchforks.
I’m warming to the idea of something non-scary like the Mini. I wonder if there’s an aftermarket supplier of less-destructable, slightly longer firing pins?
Protein Wisdom.
Are there any questions it can’t answer?
The argument for bullpups is that you get a rifle length barrel in a carbine sized package. I’ve never handled one, so I haven’t the first clue what the manual of arms is like with the magazine well behind the trigger and pistol grip.
And then there’s the whole supressor rigamorale….
Just noticed that the first link is from Robert Stacy McCain’s blog. When did he join Team Establican?
Mike,
I thought Stacy was redirecting the ordnance directed at Romney for losing the election to the more culpable target; namely, the republican party.
He did state up-front Romney wasn’t his preferred candidate but he supported him in the general election. The thrust of his argument was that the Republican brand is so damaged that it didn’t matter who the candidate was.
He’s upset with me. He won’t be bullied. He’s just being sober and trying to fix the problems. And he wants inaccurate assessments out of the info loop. Like, for instance, the ridiculous and now scientifically provable idea that Romney ran a bad campaign, or that the GOP establishment has any culpability. It was clownish bitterclingers who killed what would have been the marvelous administration willing to nibble around the edges of the Leviathan. All for something so stupid, like a belief in the party platform, including the bit about abortion.
They let their pro-life stance show. In public, no less!
The problem with the firing pins (if there’s a problem) isn’t the length, it’s the thinness, and maybe the soft-steel.
Case-hardened primers in milsurp/milspec ammo is about preventing slam firing in select-fire capable assault rifles.
The mini is a civilian sport utility carbine built the SAAMI standard. If you stick to brass and avoid commie milsurp, I would think you would be okay.
But I’m a researcher, not a practitioner, so listening to me is like taking legal or medical advice from a guy who stays at Holiday Inn Express.
Branding is good. Only see all of life through that prism. Hot iron, burnt flesh. Lifestyle! Heroes!
He stated it was damaged, Danger, by clownish people picked by the GOP voters in the primaries. Or at least, that they are a symptom.
When in fact it’s been damaged by years of moving leftward, and letting the left frame each new lurch that way as the benchmark for “extremism” — while they themselves can move even more
left.
But don’t listen to me. I’m a failed academic, pseudo-intellectual, and stay at home dad with violence always on the brain.
Slartibartfast, lots of good related commentary in a couple of recent threads. A reiteration of my $0.02 follows.
Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 Express are both good pump action shotguns. Shotguns for self defense tend to have barrels about 6-10″shorter than those for hunting, trap or skeet. You can use either for both purposes but with more limited effectiveness as the longer barrel can be a problem in tight quarters and the shorter barrel won’t be as effective for hunting. There are some combo models that have swappable barrels. The tactical varieties can have 7+1 capacities, whereas most hunting shotguns have 5+1, and generally have plugs to limit that to 3+1 if you are in fact hunting. Check your local laws. Then of course, there’s birdshot to buckshot and lots of different loads, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.
The Ruger 10/22 is a fine weapon, lots of them around, reliable and inexpensive. There are, of course, lots of options, depending on how much you want to spend. Absolutely get a .22 long gun for practice and training as it is much, much cheaper over the long run. And you probably want to get a basic scope and practice shooting with and without the scope. Standard magazines have 10 shots, but it is pretty easier to find magazines with 30 shots now, and some ever larger, though I personally wouldn’t trust anything larger than that not to jam when you needed it.
You probably do want a larger caliber bolt action long gun for longer range accuracy and power. I have been quite content with my Browning A-Bolt .270 WIN. Some folks like larger calibers, but I don’t expect to ever need one. The next step up is to an AR platform. This is the weapon carried by soldiers and there are so many variants as to make your head spin. After some comprehensive research, Jeff went very high end with his SCAR. You decide if that’s what you think you need. You can hunt with AR platform weapons, but their shorter barrels are a decided drawback over longer bolt action rifles. Like I said earlier, check the other threads for lots of useful discusssions.
For handguns, some of the same principles apply. Get a good .22 for practice. After that, the sky’s the limit from .38 specials up to .45 ACPs. I favor Glocks for reliability, durability and capacity. You can dry fire a Glock for practice all you want without doing any damage to the weapon.
Couple of PSAs, get good eye and ear protection. If you purchased a gun before the expiration of the Assault Weapon Ban in 2004, note that magazines are now available with greater capacity than they were when you purchased your gun, e.g., a commercially available Glock 22 (.40 S&W) came with magazines that hold 10 rounds prior to 2005. Now a commercially available Glock 22 comes with magazines that hold 15 rounds.
On firing pins, assuming (big assumption) that replacing one is an hour’s gunsmithing time, I’d probably buy a few and get a buddy of mine to replace them as needed.
Maybe I’d luck out and get a Friday Gun that fires Berdan-primed pretty well. After I get used to the gun, I can’t imagine firing more than a few thousand a year thru’ it.
Danger, I think the pertinent question is this: Who is responsible for the damage to the Republican brand?
The GOP may ask the question, but the GOP damn well not listen to any answers other than answers approved by the DNC/MSM.
Even if a semi-auto long gun isn’t in the budget right now, high cap magazines are an investment opportunity.
Kind of like ammunition these days.
Jeff has that in common with Doc Brown
he said teasingly,
“This fact must be explained by anyone who wants to scapegoat Mitt Romney, to say that mistakes by the campaign or weaknesses of the candidate entirely explain what went wrong in 2012.”
Could be that I was reading too much into the “entirely” in his opening, cus he had a point there. On second reading though he got off course and his conclusion isn’t supported by his evidence. Or better put the selectiveness of his evidence led him to a faulty conclusion.
So back to writing Mr. cus I’m listening (and if you don’t I’ll have to embarass you in front of your kids by opening a can of aca-danger on your psuedo-porch;)
Hey, Stacy –
Did Lugar and the GOP establishment actively oppose Romney in Indiana? Did the national GOP denounce Romney and withdraw all support from him in Missouri?
Kinda shoots your “Mitt did better than . . .” argument, doesn’t it, dumbass?
Emmett- The mini is an excellent choice, and since there’s 2 of you, I recommend the .223 for the simple reasons of less recoil and cheaper ammo. As far as shotguns go, you cannot beat the 500 Moss. Practice with it, you’ll get so good at racking that it’s almost as fast as an auto. OH!! as an added bonus, it’s capable ( although I do NOT think you’d like it) of shooting 3″ magnum shells. seriously, do not do this.
As far as long guns go? half a mile is doable ( or even more if you have the proper optics ) with a Ruger M77 chambered in .257 Roberts. It’s bolt action, mauser style. Hope this helps.
Anyone know anything about the Sig 522? I know Jeff was looking at the S&W 15-22, but I’ve heard good things about the Sig offering in terms of quality.
I have the S&W 15-22. I’d recommend it.
Just a couple of things:
Gitcher guns while you can, Outlaws. There is more rumbling on the newz about ‘assualt weapons’, which is eveidently anything that fires a projectile. Including Nerf guns.
Missfixit, you can ask at your local Walmart’s bakery counter if they will let you have their 5 gallon frosting tubs (that come complete with lids and are food-grade safe) when they are empty. They usually throw them away, so if you don’t mind washing and drying them, you’re good to go.
This is kind of funny: my state recently passed an open-carry law effective November 1 of this year. In the bulletin at church this weekend there was a notice from the bishop’s office asking parishoners not to carry in the church buildings. Kind of a check your shootin’ irons in the parking lot piece of advice. Beats me if this is being observed by anyone since most people who carry don’t talk about it like gang-bangers do.
Re the 10/22 They should be given to any law abiding citizen that wants one. 10 carwashes? here you go!! Congats mr. and Mrs, it’s a boy/girl here you go!! Seriously they are that good.
I hear ya Ernst, it’d just be nice if we could act like adults and analyze this with the goal of executing the best future course of action. Monday morning quarterbacking the election probably won’t get us there.
Five Gallon Frosting Tubs Fuck Yeah
Heh. Just clicked that link to lwrci I posted further up.
“Yay! Magpul gripz!!!!! Just what we need!”
What I *meant* was the M6-A2, assuming someone was going to buy it for me.
I have to say though, all the fighting over the AR-15 platform and all the companies just makes me dizzy. Aside from the obvious stuff like fit and finish, and whether the gun has direct impingement or piston systems, why the huge disparity in prices? For any particular price point range, there seem to be 5 or 6 companies with what look to me, pretty much identical products.
I know choice is good, but how the hell can anyone choose? How much ‘better’ is a $2,500 AR-15-pattern boomstick than a $1,000 (ignoring cost of optics, etc)
Danger, I’ve been so busy trying to sound like I know my guns from my nuttery, that I don’t remember what I said for you to hear.
No kidding, happy. Makes you want to order a sheet cake, right?
AR-15.com Emmett.
Copy your question and ask them to explain it.
Some people set up the AR with mil-spec parts, and some use parts that have tighter tolerances. The guns with piston systems cost quite a bit more from what I’ve seen. However, it’s debatable if you are really getting that much more gun when you pay so much.
Supposedly what you’re paying for is greater accuracy. But that should only matter to competition shooters.
goblins, don’t care if the double-tap to the chest that made them dead goblins can be covered by a quarter or by a jar lid, and neither should you.
Unless your double tap disables his arms. Then you should worry you might get bit to death before you can correct your shooting.
Emmett, have you looked at Ruger’s SR-556?
Ernst,
To be honest, I was reluctant to pimp yet another Ruger product. Especially without waiting a day or so.
I picked one up at the toy store, and compared it to the LWRC M6-A2. The center of gravity on the SR-556 was a few inches further forward than on the LWRC, and it weighed noticeably more, so clearly, there are differences between AR-pattern guns.
It was early on in my AR-pattern research, so I didn’t compare fit and finish that closely, but I really do wonder if something in the $1,000 range isn’t going to be every bit as good (for my purposes) as something nearer to top-of-the-line equipment like the LWRC. As I mentioned before, I’m in Connecticut, so I have all these hoops to jump thru’ with their dumbass hold-over of the AWB.
On the up-side, full auto weapons are OK, as long as they’re ONLY full auto. How frickin’ stupid. Single fire, full auto, NO select fire.
I can theoreticaly own and use a suppressor if I kiss someone’s butt sufficently that I’m allowed to have a threaded barrel.
Not sure I can justify something like a 30-cal BMG. I know I couldn’t afford to keep it fed with ammo.
Maybe when I win the lottery.
Connecticutt is a good place for the urban camoflage of a Ruger ranch rifle.
I have a Remington model 740 in 308 but they also come in 30-06 and 270 Win. also. The new version is the 750. There are 10 round magazines available for my model and I assume the new one also. This is if you want a more hunting style rifle. I have mine because it was my father’s.
“my state recently passed an open-carry law effective November 1 of this year.”
One more reason (I’ve lost track of the number) that Okies are (much more than) OK with me.
I was stationed at Tinker AFB for four years and I can testify you won’t meet better peeps anywhere
So…KEEP FIRING LEIGH!!! (but just not in church, cool?)
Crank-D, Dicentra: I’ve stayed a republican just for those reasons.
One habit I’ve taken up is returning the pre-paid envelopes empty, so the GOP Establishment bastards have to pay the return mail cost. A small defiaance, but it satisfies the soul.
Leigh: I think I’d have to ignore their request and carry to church anyhow. Just for the tiny possibility that there might one day arise a situation in which I could pull out a 1911 and proclaim “YOU CANNOT. PETITION. THE LORD. WITH PRAYER!”
Possibly punctated with a shot up into the belltower, ringing the bell.
It’d be legendary.
That would be epic, John.
Unfortunately, our Chief of Police belongs to my church and I know for a fact that he carries in church. Just out of respect, I’d have to let him take the first shot.
Then it’s on!
The most enthusiastic pro-life unity I’ve witnessed was from the Liberty movement. Highly pro-military too.
Just no gungho hoorahism, plus legal pot.
One must have one’s priorities.
We’ll remember that this cycle the Team R sites underwent a palpable shift from Cain through Perry through Santorum to Romney, getting more establican as the tide progressed, a tide moved by fear.
None of the usual ‘sphere ever went classically liberal. Palin was always their laughingstock. By election day they were all of the same accord: Romney was it. Even some ostensibly anti-authoritarian writers beseeched voters to abandon third parties.
Fear and intimidation.
I hoped Romney could pull it out and then give anti-authoritarians a place at the table. I was wrong twice.
So, I am looking at the Ruger 10/22 Target Rifle, and it seems to be out of stock most places but Bass Pro.
So, it’s off to Bass Pro with me.
Most other scoped 22 semiautos are sold out. And, holy crap, .223s are sold out pretty much wherever I look.
The more I read the arguing over this election the more convinced I become that we don’t have a cohesive coalition.
I’m not only talking about the establishment/grassroots split either.
Gotta chime in on the tactical shotgun of my choice…the Remington 870. I bought an 870 Express Magnum, a goose-turkey hunter, and built a tactical shotgun from that, with a little help from a friend. Can’t do any better than with a weapon that’s first-choice of most police armorers in the nation.
Why the Target model?
Curious, not criticizing.
Sick as a dog here in west Georgia, but thought I’d chime in on this.
Georgia is one of those states that doesn’t record your party alignment when you register to vote; the only ways to express a party alignment are to join a county party organization (which I did in 2000 but left not many years after), or to consistently vote in one party’s primaries (and primary runoffs, if there are any).
Georgia has a long history of one-party rule, which has reasserted itself after about 2002 when Republicans first won the gubnership and one house of the General Assembly — so even voting consistently in GOP primaries doesn’t send much of a message, and skipping them would send none at all.
Best I can do is, when I encounter some survey that asks my party alignment, I answer “none” or whatever passes for it.
that we don’t have a cohesive coalition.
moochers/producers is a line in the akin diet
We can’t win, bh, because we can’t attract voters who give a damn about anything but their own best interests. Until this Republic faces some very self-inflicted tough times, we will continue to lose every election. Unless there’s a way to make the majority of people realize that voting self-interest is not the same as living free, that there’s a cost to everything, and that people in government who claim to care about you are lying through their teefs, but will say whatever you want to hear to advance their one-party agenda.
No particular reason other than some of them (target model among them) have scope mounts and others don’t. It’s a nicer barrel, but I am not sure that I need it.
Damn, but that rat-faced Petraeus sure could keep himself surrounded by some fine-looking hooks, eh?
Scope mount would be a good reason.
Have you looked online at all, or are you keeping it old school, so to speak?
but will say whatever you want to hear to advance their one-party agenda.
“We shall go on to the end, we shall mock them
fightin France, we shall mock themfighton the seas and oceans, we shall mock themfightwith growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall mock themfighton the beaches, we shall mock themfighton the landing grounds, we shall mock themfightin the fields and in the streets, we shall mock themfightin the hills; we shall never surrender“After perusing Ruger’s website, it seems that all 10/22s come with a weaver rail, some already installed atop the reciever, but not all 10/22s come with iron sights.
What do you want to bet that that Broadwell broad had good reason to get territorial serr8d?
I think I captured the essence of Jill Kelley.
And didn’t get bit~!
Oh. Wrong hook.
Petraeus is round shouldered and short. He must be a sparkling conversationalist.
I don’t think we could agree on a platform before we even attempted to attract new voters.
You must consider the character of these new voters. They just don’t make ’em like they used to.
I hear what you’re saying and agree with it, serr8d.
Think it’s worse than that though. Even if there were a healthy body politic, I don’t know that we’d have a banner for them to flock to.
We so often speak in generalities when we talk about what needs doing but when it comes to specifics we’re so often split amongst ourselves anyways.
Speaking of platforms, I had forgotten about the floor fight at the convention until just now.
Have to wonder what running roughshod over the party faithful did to turnout.
In the best of hands, best.
[…] Vendors GOP Mammon and Power Contingent to SoConsNovember 13, 2012 By Mark Shea Leave a CommentYou’re losing your looks, honey. Get out.Most ironic part: still too much conscience voting for this guy. Conservatives need to prostitute […]
I suspect the previous linkback is from a site that has badly misread my post.
I have been looking online. cheaperthandirt.com and other sites. Unfortunately the folks selling guns cheap also tend to be cheapskates where it comes to their website, so things like reviews and fine details are lacking.
Which is why I am heading to Bass Pro Shops today, and probably the gun range tomorrow to see what they have in stock, new or used.
I am not averse to buying a used rifle.
It really pisses me off, though, that .223 seems to be almost completely overcome by military lookalikes (probably mangled the terminology, there), which seems to have driven the cost up on everything else in that caliber. Sucks, it does. My choice would be .223 if I had to make one in the smaller calibers.
But now I’m looking at .17 rifles, so I am still waffling.
“It really pisses me off, though, that .223 seems to be almost completely overcome by military lookalikes (probably mangled the terminology, there), which seems to have driven the cost up on everything else in that caliber. Sucks, it does. My choice would be .223 if I had to make one in the smaller calibers”
The funny thing is that most of the semi-auto AR-15 clone craze (and the AK clone craze) happened under (and because of!) the assault weapons ban( just like the lightweight compact 10+1 double action pistol craze). Sure you could only get two tactical features per rifle but sales really kicked up and so did prices.
yeah. i don’t get it – they are both married and he’s not filthy rich is he?
I will be honest. I hold very ingrained stereotypes about military guys being incapable of faithfulness to a spouse (from repeated examples of this, living near a base and seeing it on a massive scale, “wheels up rings off”) and i could never figure out how the noble desire to serve a country also happens to coincide with a rabid desire to stick your junk in every available female.
Remington used to make a .223 pump action rifle called the 7615, which was a variation on the still available 7600. You might be able to find one of those if you looked around.
Have you tried lookinghere yet Slarti?
Slart.
OMG, it’s all your fault – you put me back on the Ruger kick again! Mini.14. .223 caliber ranch gun.
I really should get a frickin’ medal from Ruger for all this shameless pimping. I personally hate cheaperthandirt’s website so hard, it stops me thinking of doing business with them. Gunbroker.com’s not much better from a presentation point of view, but it’s more like ebay for boomsticks. At present, they’ve got dozens for sale, including sales by individuals, if that’s your thing.
Don’t underestimate youtube for reviews – like all things youtube, some submissions are better than others. The comment I made earlier about Cabela’s Black Friday deal on the 10/22 Takedown – it’s on their flyer, so they’re going to have them in stock, if somewhere like gunbroker’s not to your tastes.
You know, there’s a lot to be said for a good ‘ol fashioned .30-30 lever action.
Cabela’s has one of the best in stock selection of firearms I’ve ever been around should you have one near you. Much better than the local Bass Pro Shop.
We don’t have any Cabela’s nearby, unfortunately. The nearest one to me is in southern Louisiana.
What state are you in, Slart?
He could be in Georgia (as I am) and the nearest would be in Louisiana.
I gave Mark Shea (the author of the pingback above) a little what for (along with several others) in his comments section.
Hopefully, he’ll execute a course correction; but regardless…
KEEP FIRING JEFF!!!
“Sick as a dog here in west Georgia,”
McGehee,
I’ll be in your AOR next weekend, could I bring you some Chik-fil-a Chicken Soup?
I could recruit Donald and we could discuss how to time the transiton from circling the wagons to Damn the torpedos.
Oh, almost forgot to add my echonet ident:
dangerdaveoc at gmail dot com
FL
No Cabela’s in Orlando area, or anywhere else in FL. It’s hell, I tell you.
Mark Shea updated his article and included an apology to Jeff.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/2012/11/gop-mammon-and-power-contingent-to-socons.html