A Note to Retailers (nothing to do with guns)

Your textiles suck.  No, really.  It used to be when I bought a shirt, or a towel, or whatever the product; it lasted.  Usually it lasted until it just plum wore out.  Not so anymore.  I just bought my first grader a Transformer school backpack at Kohl's, which is a store I've never had an issue with before.  It lasted 1 day of school then the zipper broke.  It just wouldn't zip close, so on his second day of school he had paperwork falling out.  Same with his lunchbox I bought at Wal-mart.  The zipper broke the first day.  I bought some shoes made by a company called Jumping Beans (also at Kohl's) which I've never heard of.  They looked decent, and cost about $30.  Those lasted exactly 1.5 weeks, and the stitching where the tongue connects to the shoe is ripped, and the rubber is separating at the toe.  I don't even buy towels and shirts from Wal-mart.  The towels last 2-3 washings and they start to fray.  Shirts last a month and the buttons fall off.

It seems that anymore the stitching on cloths just doesn't last.  If it does, the buttons fall off and/or zippers break.  Which has only reinforced my belief that you usually get what you pay for.  If I buy Nike, Addidas, New Balance, etc they last until my kids out grow them.  All 3 of them.  I hand the shoes down through 3 boys, and they last.  I can pay $10-15 for cheap shoes that last a month (or Jumping Bean which costs $30 and lasts 1.5 weeks), or I can buy a name brand shoe (at the outlet for $20-40) that lasts through 3 boys.  It's the same with other cloths.  Jeans and Shirts from no-name companies only last a couple months of washing and they are so ratty and faded they get relegated to play cloths.  It's a no brainer for me.  I think in the end you end up paying the same.  You have to buy 4 or 5 of the cheap cloths to make up for 1 good article of clothing.

Sorry to say, but certain countries seem to be making crap stuff.  India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, they all seem to be pretty decent, most of the time.  But China.  They make crap, because they know we'll buy it.  I'm trying not to, but it's a struggle.  If I have 2 choices, china, and made somewhere else, I will buy the made some where else.  Retailers are part to blame.  Kohl's: you're a nice department store, but you're sullying up your name.  Stope buying crap.  Wal-mart: I've been through with you for years.  You buy and sell crap textiles.  Basically you have disposable cloths.

However I have to say I think most of the blame must fall on us consumers.  By consuming cheap crap from China, you're going to get what you pay for: Crap.  Stop buying it.  It takes looking at a label and shopping around, but start doing so.  Start mentioning to store managers and associates that you came in to buy a shirt, but all you found was Chinese-made crap.  Hold them accountable, and be accountable yourself.

Obama Bumper Sticker Removal Kit (featuring. Brad Stine)

I love this video -- Hilarious!

Spec Ops Brand Gear

Last week around Wednesday or Thursday I sent an email to Spec Ops gear telling them about my Youtube channel, and the articles I've written for AR Guns & Hunting magazine, and told them there are a couple of their products I'm interested in trying and reviewing for my Youtube channel.  So, Friday morning I hop on my computer to check emails, and there was a reply.  Whenever I see reply's to gear queries I always get a bit giddy, because usually if they reply it's because they are interested in you reviewing their stuff.  

So, I click on the message, and it's from the Director of Marketing.  He starts with telling me he's checking out my videos and has read my articles.  Then he tells me they're starting a new website, and how would I like to be a guest blogger?  IN EXCHANGE FOR GEAR.  Woooohooooo!  Do you ever feel like you've struck gold.  I love Spec Ops gear -- it's great stuff.  Durable, looks great, tough as nails, works great, and priced well -- so the average Lcpl Grunt can afford it.  They make practical, well thought out stuff.

This is a marriage made in heaven.  Robb's writing + outstanding gear.  It doesn't get any better than this.

SOG Knives

You know I'm a big fan of the Gunny. I'm also a big fan of SOG knives. So it only fitting that they come together:

It also just so happens, the gents at SOG were so kind as to send me a couple of their awesome knives: The Trident Desert Cam, and the Aegis Digi-Cam.  Both have the SAT (SOG Assisted Technology), which means they open fast.  I'm in the process of using them for EDC, to get a better feel, so I can do my youtube review.  So far, I'm REALLY liking them.  They're sharper than Condi Rice and built like brick poop-house.

M1895 7.62 Nagant Revolver

I've owned this thing for almost a year now, and just shot it for the first time last week.  The gun cost me $79, and the only place around here that carries ammo for it had it for $49 per box -- that's almost as much as the gun!.  That's almost $1 per round.  The gun shows had boxes for $35, but that's still too much.  I ended up finding ammo for it, as I've previously posted, for $21 per box.  THAT'S much better!  It shot pretty nice -- it was pretty accurate at 15 yards.  The recoil on it felt like I was shooting my Ruger MkIII .22, but it did have much more muzzle blast.

As you cock the hammer, the cylinder moves up to press against the barrel, and the way the cartridge is, the case forms a tight seal with the barrel, so all the gas goes out the front of the barrel, which explains the muzzle blast.  This makes it the only revolver in the world that can be silenced with a suppressor.  It also makes it REALLY easy to clean!

The Nagant was designed by a Belgian, adopted by the Russian military in the 1895 and carried until, I believe, WWII.  At that time it was mostly phased out by the Tokarev semi-auto.  You'll recognize the name Nagant, as it was developed by the same guy, Leon Nagant, who co-developed the Mosin-Nagant rifle that was the issue rifle for the Russian and Soviet Armies for the first half of the 20th century.

Ruger LC9: First Shots Down Range

I got in the Ruger LC9 today.  What a sweet little gun.  I put 150 rounds down range and not one hiccup.  I'll tell you though, if you're looking for a sweet shooting handgun that you can spend all day at the range shooting, the LC9 is NOT the gun for you.  It is not a beginner's gun, not your wife's first gun, and it is not a gun you buy to get your kid into shooting.  It's got some feisty-ness to it.  It's a self-defense gun, plain and simple, and is not "smooth shooting."  I fired 150 rounds in about 10 minutes, and my hand and forearm were ringing.

I love it, though.  I can't wait to take it out more.  I Shot Winchester USA, UMC, and Wolf ammo out of it.

The 2 day pointless "cool off period" wait

The LC9 came in today from Ruger for me to test and do a review on.  So, I had to fill out all the paperwork, and now wait 48 hours.  Just so I have a couple of days to "cool off" and not go out and shoot someone.  WTF is the point?  I can understand if someone is a first time gun buyer.  HOWEVER, I am not, I have quite a few firearms in my safe.  If I REALLY wanted to go out and shoot someone, I would grab one of those, NOT go to Cabela's to buy a new one.  So what's the point?  Just another stupid handgun law that means nothing and does nothing but make bureaucrats feel good about themselves.  What a pointless waist.  Sorry for the rant