BIB (Broken In Box) Gun

Here are some standard things that you need to know:
1) I have bad luck
2) I am hard on equipment
3) Things break around me.

If a rock is falling off a cliff, it's not falling toward me. It's falling towards my car. If there is one broken toy in 1000, I get the one. If there is a way for something to break that no one has seen before... well, I'll break it in that exact way- and do it when it's 2 days out of warranty.

Let me explain further in reference to guns. I send a lot of guns back to the factory for repair. I have had break on me- or gotten them NIB, BIB. Here are the ones I can remember:
Taurus PT-22: Hinge pin for the barrel broke while firing.
Taurus PT92C: Constant Jamming. Sent to factory TWICE, and still jammed
Taurus 617 .357Mag: Cylinder locked up while shooting.
Taurus 445 .44Spl: Cyl Locked up, sent back, it came back, and Cyl locked up again
(PS, at this point, I stopped buying Taurus guns)
CZ-2075 RAMI: Returned to factory for FTF problems. It went back 2 more times before they just replaced the gun
Kahr Mk9: Recoil Spring stack came apart. They just mailed me another one 2nd day air.
CZ-P-07 Duty: New in Box, mags would not drop free. CZ replaced the gun.

I'm sure there are a few others in there that I have forgotten.

All that is prologue to this fact: When my wife gave me a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44Spl this weekend as a gift, I was not surprised that it was broken in the box. Disappointed, yes... but not surprised. Rounds would not fit in the chambers. After some inspection with friends, it was noticed that the extractor star was installed slightly clocked out of time with the cylinder. That effectively blocked the chamber mouth.

So, fully expecting to fight about this from my prior experiences with Taurus and (unfortunately) CZ that I would NOT pay for shipping their defective product back, I was pleasantly surprised this morning. I called Charter, and Dee was very pleasant, listened to my problem, did not assume I was an idiot, and took immediate action to solve the problem.
Dee emailed me a shipping label to send the gun back, told me they could have it fixed within a week, gave me clear and concise directions, and apologized for the inconvenience. This has made me very happy with them so far. I understand that a bad product can get shipped out the door, and I understand that it will PROBABLY end up going through distribution and landing on my doorstep shortly afterward. But it's how they take care of the customer after the sale that marks a company that 'gets it'.

I will post updates on how this all works out as it happens.

Meditations on BUG selection

With some more recent weight loss, I have now been able to carry a Back Up Gun on a more regular basis. I've started trying out different guns and styles, and have come to 3 conclusions.

1) Crossdraw works for me. Accessible by either hand, easy to get to seated, and quick to access. Now I need to find more decent IWB crossdraw holsters. Suggestions would be appreciated.

2) I carry spare ammo for anything I'm carrying. The whole point of being prepared is BEING PREPARED. Spare ammo is part of malfunction clearance, and if I have already gotten to the point of needing a gun, then needing ANOTHER gun, things have probably gone so far sideways that I will probably need spare ammo for that second gun for a reload or malfunction clearance.

3) If your main and BUG do not share ammo and magazines, then your BUG needs to have a totally different style of reload. If you are carrying a Glock 22, and have a Glock 27 as a BUG, then you are cool. But if your main is a CZ-75, and your BUG is an XD compact.... it would be easy to confuse the magazines under stress. So, if your Main uses a double stack mag for reload then you should carry a BUG that uses speedloaders, speed strips, or even just a single stack magazine. Either carry the same reloads, or totally different.

Just my thoughts.

So, the ATF has released it's Shotgun Study

http://atf.gov/publications/firearms/012611-study-on-importality-of-certain-shotguns.pdf

I have given the study a good once over, and here are the parts that stand out:
"Therefore, we recognized that any shotgun with one or more of these features represent a “type” of firearm that is not “generally recognized as particularly suitable or readily adaptable to sporting purposes” and may not be imported under section 925"
(1) Folding, telescoping or collapsible stock.
(2) Bayonet Lug.
(3) Flash Suppressor.
(4) Magazine over 5 rounds, or a Drum Magazine.
"However, the working group determined that magazines capable of holding large amounts of ammunition, regardless of type, are particularly designed and most suitable for military and law enforcement applications. The majority of state hunting laws restrict shotguns to no more than 5 rounds."
(5) Grenade Launcher Mount.
(6) Integrated Rail Systems.
This refers to a mounting rail system for small arms upon which firearm accessories and features may be attached. This includes scopes, sights, and other features, but may also include accessories or features with no sporting purpose, including flashlights, foregrips, and bipods. Rails on the sides and underside of shotguns—including any accessory mount—facilitate installation of certain features lacking any sporting purpose.
(7) Light Enhancing Devices.
(8) Excessive Weight.
Sporting shotguns, 12 gauge and smaller, are lightweight (generally less than 10 pounds fully assembled),
(9) Excessive Bulk.
Sporting shotguns are generally no more than 3 inches in width or more than 4 inches in depth.
(10) Forward Pistol Grip or Other Protruding Part Designed or Used for Gripping the Shotgun with the Shooter’s Extended Hand
"Therefore, it is the recommendation of the working group that shotguns with any of the characteristics or features listed above not be authorized for importation."

Of Interest as well:"The fact that a firearm or feature was initially designed for military or tactical applications, including offensive or defensive combat, may indicate that it is not a sporting firearm."

"examined numerous shotguns with diverse features in an effort to determine whether any particular firearm was particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to those sports. In coming to a determination, the working group recognized that a shotgun cannot be classified as sporting merely because it may be used for a sporting purpose."

"At the present time, the working group continues to believe that the activity known as “plinking” is not a generally recognized sporting purpose."

So, this is the study, the recommends for findings and regulations. There will be something coming out soon stopping the importation of fun shotguns.

I admire the attempt at the upsell, but you picked the wrong guy.

I had to go into Brookstone the other day to pick up a gift. When I was checking out, the sales girl points to a display of overpriced, low power, LED flashlights and asks:
"Anything else? How about a great flashlight?"
Me (brief pause): "I'm good on flashlights right now."
Her: "You can never have too many. What if a hurricane hit right now?"
It took a lot of restraint not to say 'Ma'am, I have with me- right now- 3 flashlights, two knives, one handgun and spare ammunition. I also have dental floss and a magnifying glass. I am good to go for a surprise fucking hurricane.'
Instead I said "I have a good flashlight in my pocket. Thanks for the thought, though."

That's not what I expected to happen

So, there is this buzz on the interwebs that the BATFE is going to step on their own johnson again and issue a ruling that will stop the importation of Saiga Shotguns.

As I mentioned on my Resolution post, I was planning on getting one of the Saiga 12Ga shotguns sometime this year. Well, since the ruling is coming up on Monday, and I has a spare $100 in my pocket, I put a Saiga 19" barreled 12GA on layaway yesterday.

I planned on getting the 1911 first, or the Ranch Hand... but heck, the price may double tomorrow. Had to get this one locked in.

All the bad things about gunshops

So, I am in the big gunshop in my town, and I have had all the things I hate about gunstore employees happen in less than 10 minutes

I had the chance to finally handle a Rhino revolver, and also the new Ruger gunsite Scout. The sales guy treated me like an idiot and assumed I knew nothing about guns. And he talked down about a product he is selling. Moron.

And then I overheard another employee selling a pump shotgun tell the guy buying it that the racking sound will make burglars flee and turn their life over to Christ, or some such drivel. At least he talked the guy out of a pistol grip 12ga for a wife that never fired a gun.

This is why I like small shops

New Years Resolutions

I am ditching the normal resolutions this year. But here are two I'm going to make:

1) Shoot More. I have all these guns and accessories, and hardly ever use them. I am resolving to go shooting at LEAST twice a month. Also to do dry fire training once a week with both handguns and rifles.

2) Finish more of the gun projects. I have bought guns through my life with plans of what to do with them, and with very few exceptions NEVER finished them. I am going to focus less on acquisition of guns, and more on building the ones I have the way I want them to be.

However, there are a few on the 'must get' list that will be done this year.
-Rossi Ranch Hand
-a 1911 of some sort for the Centennial celebration
-Saiga 12Ga.