The Wandering Minstrel

Like millions of free Americans, today, The Better Half and I will be barbecuing outdoors. Our menu is ground brisket hamburger patties grilled and topped with a slice of Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato and thinly-sliced onion, served in a hearty hamburger bun. On the side, we will have macaroni salad.

This cartoon, found at The Patriot Post, says all we need to know about the Memorial Day holiday.

This holiday weekend, I’ve been breaking in my new Don Hume holster for my Glock 26, “Little Boy.” To assist me, I looked up “breaking in a new leather holster” on the internet. This is what I found - a step-by-step procedure.

Note: I edited the original text a little to correct terminology errors. Clip vs. magazine and bullets vs. rounds. The eHow author must not actually be a gunnie. Other than those errors, it looked like good advice.

New handgun holsters are usually stiff and tight. They should be, because the leather will mold itself to you and your use like a baseball glove or shoe.

1. Empty your handgun and/or the magazine of any rounds.
2. Push the handgun as deeply into the holster as you can.
3. Wear the holster and handgun around the house, as much as possible. This will speed up the holster conforming to the gun and to your body. Wear a belt holster with the belt you usually wear.
4. Draw and holster the pistol whenever you find a few moments. Only through repetitive use will drawing and holstering become easier. Work any catches or snaps as well, to break them in also.
5. Twist the holster on occasion, perhaps once or twice a day for the first week, flexing the leather one way and the other. This will loosen the collagen fibers (the tough inner structure of leather).
6. Store the handgun in the holster at night. The leather, softened by a day of your body heat and sweat, will continue to break in overnight.

The holster is still tight and catches on the slide a bit but it’s getting better. I’ve only had it since Friday so I’ll keep working with it.

We’re still basking in the afterglow of recently becoming Arizona property owners. Not much to blog about today, so we pass along these links about Arizona that we found today in the blogosphere:

Ed at Hotair.com writes about the political infighting in Arizona.

Jawa has a link and webcast information on the “Stand with Arizona” Rally to be held tonight.

Charles Krauthammer comments on the Obamination’s press conference and his non-commital stance on the Arizona Boycott.

The Better Half and I won’t be able to go to the Buycott Arizona rally tomorrow in Tempe but we’re doing our own sort of Buycott - we just closed escrow on a property in Wickenburg and the title has been recorded in our names.

We’re now one step closer to being Arizonans, and in the legal sense, we are already eligible to register our vehicles and obtain drivers licenses there. We’re also able to get a PO box in town and plan to do that on our next trip when we plan to start building our new Territorial Cottage.

In a way, we like to think that Arizona Governor Brewer and the State Legislature have been getting the place ready for us by beefing up immigration and gun laws. We already can legally CCW in Arizona, as they honor the Utah Permit, which we both have had for a couple of years. We won’t need that in Arizona after the new Constitutional Carry law goes into effect at the end of July, 2010.

City of the Angels mayor and village idiot Antonio Villaraigosa called for a boycott of Arizona following their passage of the immigration bill. He has instructed the city to curtail all business with the state - except, of course, the city’s purchase of electric power, 25 percent of which is supplied by Arizona.

Image - the village idiot speaking to his fellow communists

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has called for supporters of the immigration law to contact the mayor and to tell him that they support Arizona and they oppose his boycott. I’m suggesting that if you’re planning a vacation to California or if you live here, to avoid spending any money in L.A. Avoid flying into LAX - Ontario, Orange County and Long Beach all have good airports.

You can send Villaraigosa a message at the contact information below:

 
We have been boycotting L.A. for a while now. They have an insane law on their books that prohibits the sale of firearms (and possibly ammo) within city limits. Like THAT will stop guns in the city. Yes, they’re that stupid.

Last week, I ordered this holster for my Glock 26, “Little Boy.” I had been considering carrying “Fat Man.” my Glock 30, when we go to Arizona, but I decided that the 9mm with HP rounds would be adequate. It’s also thinner and lighter than the .45 caliber pistol. I have an adjustable shoulder holster, but it’s not exactly comfortable when I carry the Glock 30 and if I wear a T-shirt, the gun prints fore and aft of my shoulder. Forget about wearing it under a tank top or muscle shirt.

So, I ordered a Don Hume IWB Strike holster custom for the Glock 26. The holster is made from cowhide leather and the belt loop is Kydex thermoplastic.

Product description:

The IWB Strike holster tuckable with a 1 1/2″ Kydex belt loop is designed as an inside the waistband that will permit a shirt to tuck between the holster and belt so as to provide maximum concealment. The holster is made of two pieces of cowhide leather for strength and durability and also features a thumb break with a safety strap.

I don’t normally tuck my shirt in, but if I ever have to wear the ol’ Sunday-go-to-meetin’ outfit, I can still pack.

From the Armed Citizen Blog:

June 1960: Sixteen-year-old John Rubel was with his grandmother in the living quarters over her Chicago tavern when they heard glass break in a window below. John raced downstairs, grabbed the cal .32 revolver behind the bar, and pointed it at a man climbing into the window. “You’re too young to use that gun,” said the burglar, and John fired, the burglar tumbling out the window and fleeing the scene. Police soon arrested a suspect with a bullet wound in his shoulder. (Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago IL)

The Obamination and the rest of the Chicago Crime Syndicate are bracing themselves for the SCOTUS decision to come soon. After that, assuming the berserk Mayor Daley doesn’t stick a gun up someones ass, citizens like young Rubel will again be able to protect themselves.

UPDATE: A current Chicago armed citizen self defense story.

Now this is HOT. Illegal in Kalifornistan, I’m sure, but if we save our dough over the next few months, maybe we can get one in Arizona.

Smith & Wesson announced the expansion of its popular M&P series with the M&P15-22P at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, a tactical pistol version of the M&P15-22 already in the product line.

The M&P15-22P will feature a 25 round detachable box magazine, adjustable front and rear sights, a carbon steel barrel and 6-inch barrel.

The full specifications include:

Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
Action Type: Blowback, semi-automatic
Lower Receiver: Polymer
Barrel: 6”, Carbon steel
Rifling: 1:15″ right hand twist
Magazine: 25 round box
Sights: A2 Style front sight; A2-style rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation; top, side and bottom Picatinny rails
Trigger: Single-stage
Weight: 3 lbs., 3 oz.
Suggested Retail Price: $585