I actually don’t know much about Finntroll (other than they’re named after a “food library“), but I thought this video for “Under Bergets Rot” was pretty cool.
Month: June 2010
Comp-Tac Goodies
My order from Comp-Tac came in. Lots of goodies. I’ll talk about each piece over the coming days as I get a chance to try things out. I’ll try to have pictures too.
I’ll start off with the mundane.
I picked up a spare Minotaur body. I’ve been using the “slide” bodies for a while because I have Springfield XD-9’s of different slide lengths so when I first bought the holster I wanted that flexibility. Now that I’ve settled on carrying a 5″ gun (yes, concealed carry with a full-sized gun… it’s not hard for me to do), I wanted to move away from the slide shell because it doesn’t protect the front sight. It was OK with the 4″ gun (but not full protection) and the 5″ is fully exposed. So I picked up a proper 5″ body. Slipped it on. Adjusted. Works like a charm.
One thing I noticed. The previously purchased MTAC holster had some issues with how the shell was shaped. This new shell is more like my original MTAC shells, which I prefer. They still expose the magazine release button more than I care for, but it seems reasonably done this time around.
Pictures! All pictures taken with my iPhone, and all are clickable for a larger picture.
That’s the first MTAC I purchased. Been wearing it for about 2 years and you can tell it’s well-worn and conformed to my body. Lots of sweat in there (and I do condition and protect the leather) and still holding up well.
Because I knew MTAC #1 was getting well-worn, I ordered another one some months ago. What you see above is the backing and clips from MTAC #2 but now with the new full-sized shell. This leather backing was less “shaped to my body” than #1, so I figured it’d be a better place to start with the new shell given the leather will now conform differently due to the new shell.
This is MTAC #2 with full-sized shell compared against the slide shell that I originally purchased with #2. You can notice the obvious length difference, but what’s more important to notice is the “northeast corner” of the shell. Notice on the slide shell how it protrudes further? There’s a bit more of a lip there, which at the time they said was done to help reholstering (if I remember correctly). I never found it helped nor hindered that aspect, but it did make the mouth a bit bigger above the beltline… which could be useful, or could just get in your way. One of the first things I noticed about the new full-sized shell was it lacked this lip. I don’t know why, but I’m happier without it.
Here’s MTAC #1 with the XD-9 Tactical (5″ barrel). You can see how much the front-end protrudes and how the front sight is fully exposed. If you had a factory front sight it’d probably not be an issue, but with my Dawson Precision fiber optic front sight, it could snag on the draw or just the fact it’s exposed to getting banged up. Notice as well the tab fully covering the magazine release button?
And here’s the new one with the full shell. Notice the partially covered magazine release button? They did that because people wanted the ability to drop their magazines while the gun was holstered. I never found this to be a problem, because the XD has an ambidextrous magazine release, so I always just pushed from the other side. But, maybe someone has a custom gun or can’t get back to the other mag release. *shrug* I don’t like the lesser protection of the mag button, but I’d reason in practice it will work out alright.
iPhone 4 teardown
Important lessons from a gunfight
Jay discusses a gunfight they reviewed in police academy class.
Well worth the read for those that care about self-defense and survival in a confrontation.
6.8 flip flop
I’ve been thinking more about the 6.8 rifle.
I’m now starting to lean towards keeping it. I can tell because I’ve been thinking about what things I need to get in order to do handloads for it. 🙂
I’m not 100% sure I’m ready to go there just yet. I want to take it hunting and get some results before I really commit. Granted, the results are impressive as it is, but I want to see for myself especially in terms of how it works for my kids. After seeing how Oldest handled the rifle at the range the other day, it’s evident he could handle it. But to go bigger (e.g. .308)? I’m not sure about that right now. So… here we’ll sit for now.
I will say tho, I’ve been thinking about changing the optics.
I’m looking at the Trijicon AccuPoint 2.5-10×56 with Mil-Dot crosshair and probably amber dot (TR22-2). Of course, it’s expensive as all get out (MidwayUSA presently lists it at $825) and then I’d also have to buy a mount (LaRue has something), but the reason for this particular model is hunting in low light or no light situations (e.g. getting that deer just at the end of the day’s time window, hog hunting at night, etc.). It should be ideal for that application.
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3.
Much win.
Movie itself was good. I liked how it brought closure to the series as well. Lots of subtle things they did in the writing. For example, from the get-go you felt how things were falling apart (the “staff meeting”). Or the little jokes, “You’re an accessory!”. Some of the bigger jokes too, be it Ken or the tortilla (that had me rolling with laughter).
Very happy to have seen it. I’m sure it will be out on DVD and Blu-Ray in time for Christmas, and I’m sure all 3 movies will be packaged in some sort of special collectors series. I’m sure I’ll pick it up.
Class AAR: AT-2A Home Defense Tactics
Last night I had the pleasure of attending KR Training’s AT-2A: Home Defense Tactics course.
The class is what it sounds like: a class about home defense tactics. While a some of the material is stuff you get via other KR Training courses (e.g. AT-1A Low-Light Shooting covers “night” and flashlight techniques, some building clearing issues), what makes this class novel is the presentation. AT-2A is not a range course but is held at the home of a student. This changes the presentation and feel of the course. First, the number of students is small due to the logistics of people going around a home. Second, while Karl does instruct and there is “lecture”, the format ends up being a lot more interactive and full of discussion and Q&A — the smaller class size and the nature of the class just lends to that. For example, Karl would take us into a room and discuss a defensible position in the room, and while doing that some furniture might be moved to create a better position, then each student would take up positions and see how they actually worked out, asking questions, discussing pros and cons.
For the homeowner hosting the event, it’s of course very informative because it’s their house getting reviewed and analyzed. As for the rest of us, the techniques remain the same and you go home with a sense of what to look for. Homework is looking at your home and figuring out how it’s going to work. Some spots in the home may be good, some bad, some ugly. Some things may be able to be changed, other things may just be situations to avoid. You learn how to deal with quiet situations, worst-case situations, low-light situations. How to set up the house, how to deal with common criminal activity (e.g. don’t make things inviting, make their life difficult because if it’s hard, most criminals won’t bother… they want what’s quick and easy).
A good class and most informative.
Comp-Tac Service
I’ve ordered lots of things from Comp-Tac.
I just made another order from them; in fact, it was two orders. The thing was, I originally ordered a few things then shortly after submitting that order I realized I needed something else. I wondered if the orders could be combined. Well, they could but due to their process it would cost $20. However, the lady on the phone said I could add a note in the comment field of my order about the other order and request if possible for the orders to be combined. There was no guarantee of that, but there was no harm in asking.
My first order was ready to go and marked as “in shipping”, but it never left. I suspected they were going to try combining. Eventually I receive two emails saying the two orders have shipped, then a third email saying that the orders were able to be combined and that we’re refunding the shipping charge from the one order.
So overall it took a day or two longer than “guaranteed”, but I made a special request of them and they were able to fulfill it. So I have no complaints about the turnaround time, and nothing but praise for the special attention they gave to my orders.
That’s the main reason I keep going back to Comp-Tac. Sure, they have good products and without that I wouldn’t bother at all. But what keeps me going back is the high quality of customer service they provide.
Anyway… when the gear shows up, I’ll blather about it then.
If this was a joke, it might be funny… but this is just sad.
“McDonald’s is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children,” Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group said in a statement. “McDonald’s use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children’s developmental immaturity.”
The group is the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
It undercuts parental authority?
If McDonald’s handing out toys undercuts a parent’s authority, then that parent has no authority (or backbone) to begin with. If you want to help your child develop in a mature manner, learn how to say “No” when Junior whines for a Happy Meal.
Good fucking grief.
I can’t believe shit like this is happening. These people are off their fucking rockers. I’m not saying McDonald’s is some bastion of healthy living (and frankly I think their food is rather bland), but this Stephen Gardner is way out there.
It’s never our fault and always someone else’s, especially if they’re a big corporation;we can’t and won’t take responsibility for ourselves or our children; self-control doesn’t exist.
The pussification of America continues.
BTW, CSPI is fairly well-founded as being full of shit. Witness here, and this whole website devoted to their bullshit.
Penn tells it like it is
I like Penn & Teller for their comedy and magic.
I really like their show, Bullshit!
And this article demonstrates why I grow more and more fond of Penn Jillette. (h/t Uncle)
Stuff From Hsoi 