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Vocabulary

December 21, 2014, 8:04 am
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When I was learning the engineering-lite that comes with drafting and machine design a phrase that stuck but hard is "counter-intuitive".

I'm willing to bet that neither of my readers needs that explained to them, but just in case...

It's when the common sense or apparently logical conclusion is flat wrong.  In drafting that means that you have to do (spit) math to see the answer.

I found a related term that I think sums up so much liberal policy.

Meretricious.

Apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity.  It's also, archaically, "of, relating to, or characteristic of a prostitute."

I think of meretricious every time I hear the term "media whore."
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On Kool Aid

December 21, 2014, 8:37 am
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This recent post. was my feeble attempt to talk myself out of buying it.

Damn me for doing all the research I did on these guns.

As long as it was an epic pain in the ass to put an Apex kit into the gun, I was safe.  Since it's the later revision of the sear housing block; I was doomed.

DOOOOOOOOMED!

Completely unrelated.

Yesterday I got to use my once a decade, "husband was right!" card.
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Gun Videos

December 21, 2014, 8:40 am
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Asthma seems to be a common gunsmith ailment.

"Take your GASP punch and GASP remove the GASP roll pin."
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Used

December 22, 2014, 12:36 am
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Of the four M&P's that have come into my life, three have been used guns.

Marv's is the only one that was new.

Not that it's made one whit of difference because the three used guns weren't very used at all.

The Lovely Harvey's M&P 357 was a 2013 made gun and had some brass traces on the slide showing that it'd been shot.  May the thief burn in Hell.

The 2008 made M&P 9 we replaced it with doesn't even have the bluing worn off the barrel hood.  If fifty rounds had gone through it before I test fired it that was all that it'd fired.

My recent acquisition of a 2011 made M&P 9 is also nearly unfired.

Doesn't anyone go shooting anymore?

I can't find the exact quote but Tam once said something to the effect that you could make a gun that turns to dust immediately after firing the 100th round and 95% of gun owners would never know.

Someone paid full tare on three of these guns, took them to the range once and decided, "not for me thanks." Their short ownership didn't keep them from losing parts though.  The now stolen gun was missing the small backstrap.  Mine is missing everything from the box but the spare magazine (yet they still had the box) and the small strap was on the gun.

As an aside, because Harvey prefers the small strap I had to buy one separately and losing that part along with the gun actually hurt us worse than the loss of the gun.  I got it special for HER and now it's gone.

It's got me wondering.  When I was looking to own a Glock 17 again, most of the guns I looked at were rode hard and put away wet.  I accepted a fair amount of wear to have a Gen2 gun that wasn't priced like a new Gen4.

Is the M&P one of those guns you either love or hate instantly?  I know I was pretty ambivalent about them until I took Harvey's for it's function check.

Another aside:  To Ravenclaw Eric, this is the most ambidextrous pistol I've ever had, you can even swap the magazine release for sinister purposes.
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About That Blue Line

December 22, 2014, 3:10 am
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I'll be the downer.

I've talked about the cops numerous times.

I am in the odd position of not hating the police, but often finding myself hating what the police do.

I'm getting over my hang-up over the military look to my local deputy's uniforms because since the present sheriff took the job they've become leaps and bounds more cop-like in demeanor.  I can accept that compromise.

I've also said more than once that they are "the police" and not Officer Johnson to most people.

That whole uniform thing...  When you all dress alike you all look alike, it's deindividualizing.

The cops are an extension of The State and thus become a portion of a collective rather than an individual.

The shootings in NYF(spit)C  might be a good example of how the "thin blue line" covering up all manner of abuse and corruption for the "few" bad apples is making the "many" good apples targets.

It's a predictable consequence to it.  I've chattered around the edges of it a couple of times.

When A cop is bad ALL cops are bad to the people they're policing.  This is why when a bad cop is discovered ALL of the good cops MUST disown them publicly and loudly, because they serve the public; not the other way around.

To protect the bad officers is, at minimum, a disservice to the community they are sworn to protect and at worst a betrayal of the trust put in them.

Once the community has lost trust in the police, bad things happen.  Sometimes really bad things.

The ability to fix this problem is largely out of my hands.  Yet it can be fixed and my local sheriff has done a fair job of getting his deputies to be part of our community (even if the prick won't sign for some NFA items).

But even if your local police are paragons of virtue...  They will still interact with people from places where corruption is rife.  They will deal with "people" who've learned that the police are just another gang.

The bad apples affect the good far beyond their direct contact.  Time to be rid of them.  Perhaps the best way is to restore liability.
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Arrived

December 23, 2014, 4:06 am
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FuzzyGeff is arrived!

Let the ever expanding spiral of destruction begin!

Some gun related adventure occurred at the airport.

Because you can't CCW into the terminal, I had to disarm before going in.  When I went to open my (lockable) glovebox, there was a crunching noise and a small shower of tan plastic parts.  But it opened!  I put my gun inside and closed it up and tried to open it again...

The latch just flopped limply.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Now I'm pissed off and having to do one of my least favorite things, deal with throngs of people wandering around aimlessly chewing gum like cattle chews cud.  I loathe the airport.

The.

4.

G.

Signal.

At.

Saint.

Petersburg.

International.

Airport.

Is.

Slow.

So I am having a frustrating time of seeing if the problem with the latch is common (it is), how do you get the thing open with a broken latch (see below) and if there's any way to repair it (more than one option).  Corvette John managed to sooth me via vox while HE used a real computer to look up solutions.  Thanks! John!

The problem seems to be particularly common with cashmere interior (tan) cars.  The latch is genuine plastic (don't settle for imitation), a square stud on the side bears against a metal bar and the bar does the actual unlatching.


This is an intact latch (pic stolen from an Amazon ad selling them) GM p/n 15924033.  On the right side you can see a bit that looks like an 'E', that's the part that broke off.  The silver bar is what actually works the latch.

To get the box open again once that 'E' breaks off is simple, reach up in the latch recess with a pair of needle nose and pull down on the bar.

Once you have the box open there are two screws on the inside and you can remove the entire assembly.

Corvette John noticed, and I did too once I'd gotten home, that 'Vette people don't actually repair things, if they work on their own car at all.  They're remove and replace parts all the live long day.  I hate that solution because it's the second most expensive route and it sets you up for the exact same failure that just happened.  The vast majority of threads about this problem end with "took it to the dealer."

However, one fellow C6 owner is my hero!

TomZarbo's video on Photobucket

I skipped the hot glue because I don't think it's really needed.


Of course, I found this solution after I'd ordered a replacement latch assembly...
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The Bells! The Bells!

December 23, 2014, 2:36 pm
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Am I the only person who wants to take a spray-bottle to the Salvation Army person and use to train them like a cat to NOT ring that headache inducing bell?
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It's Like Crossfit

December 24, 2014, 6:15 am
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How do you know someone doesn't like 6.8x43?

They tell you every chance they get.
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Subjective

December 24, 2014, 7:13 am
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If it's wrong to do something, it's wrong for anyone to do it.

It the wrong is dependent on the actor, then it's bigotry on the part of the observer and not the act itself.

The media is full of such dependent wrong.  The coverage of racism and sexism is their main forte.

White person who hates people of another color: BAD.

Black person who hates people of another color: GOOD.

Man who thinks he deserves a job he didn't get: SEXIST PIG.

Woman who thinks she deserves a job she didn't get: VICTIM.

Group of people who want a manger scene in a public square: VILE OPPRESSORS FORCING THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON ALL OF US.

Group of people who oppose a manger scene in the public square:  PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!

And on and on and on...
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Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2014, 7:03 am
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Though I am not a Christian, I am still an American; and Americans do Christmas!
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Gifts

December 25, 2014, 7:30 am
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Marv got me radioactive materials for Christmas!


A set of TruGlo sights for my Gen2 Glock 17!

I've been envious of the sights he'd put on his M&P for a long time, so he figured I needed a set as well.


I think they're very neat sights.  There's a fiber optic section that gathers light from the top and presents the dots when there's light and in the dark the tritium (Genuine SWISS tritium!) shines through the fibers.


Installation was routine stuff.  Tapped out the depleted Meprolight sights with a brass punch and tapped in the new rear the same way.  Since I had an official GLOCK™®© front sight tool, short work was made of that tiny screw too.

Unrelated, Marv is exploring alternative uses for his night vision scope...

What could go wrong?

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Safe

December 25, 2014, 7:55 am
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My M&P 9 is the sku 206301.  What that means is it's a 9mm full size with normal sights, no internal lock, no magazine safety with thumb safety.

I got it because the praises sung on them were relentless and the price was rather good.

Marv and Harvey's guns are sku 209301; 9mm full size with normal sights, no internal lock, no magazine safety, no thumb safety.

Immediately after playing with mine Marv is proposing swapping the frames because he likes the peace of mind from having a thumb safety while I, being used to Glock, don't really care one way or another.

Except... I do care.  I didn't know until the moment swapping parts was suggested.  My gun came with a thumb safety, and it shall retain it!  Yes, it's silly.  If the gun I'd found in the pawn shop had no thumb safety, I'd have bought that one.  Heck, I'd have bought it with the internal lock and magazine disconnect (and removed them).

But I find I am passionate about retaining the thumb safety now that I have it.

Turns out Marv wanted a thumb safety enough to order parts as I mentioned here.

I am happy to report that his installation was successful!  And we forgot to take pictures.

The afternoon I got my gun, we immediately tore them apart to compare the guts.  I wanted to make sure I had the large sear return plunger.  We noticed that the sear housing block on both guns appeared to be identical.

Since the safety just blocks the trigger bar from moving and there was a recess for the safety's spring detent; it appeared to be a simple mod.

Remove the plugs from the frame, install the detent and spring in the sear block, install the safety with the block.

Done.

I could convert to a no-safety configuration just as simply.  I'd have to buy the little plugs for the frame, $3.10 each for aesthetics reasons.

Harvey's gun is an older version of 209301 with a plug where the internal lock would go and no slots in the frame for the manual safety (and thus no readily removable plugs).  This is because the manual safety wasn't added to the M&P until 2009 and her gun is a 2008.
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Blogger Brew And Burger

December 26, 2014, 5:07 pm
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Met up with Dan at Tampa Bay Brewing Company for lunch, FuzzyGeff in tow.

Good hefeweizen.  Good burger.  Fun company.  Music piped in from the '80's making me think I needed to get back to home room or something!


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Asthma Follow-Up

December 26, 2014, 5:09 pm
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30 Day Hold

December 27, 2014, 8:00 am
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The counties to the south do everything they can to make buying a gun burdensome.

With a state level pre-emption on gun laws, that's not much.

But the little they do squeeze in borders on the retarded.

This is where the 30-day hold on used guns comes in.  It's using the "pawn hold" and taking it to its maximum allowed limit.  The intent was for any used goods being sold to a pawn shop, but the law reads that you can apply it to any used good sold to a business that will later be resold.

So if you sell a gun to a gun shop in Pinellas or Hillsborough county, the gun shop will have to sit on it for a month before they can sell it, ostensibly to allow for a thorough check to see if the gun was stolen.

Here's where the retarded starts.

An FFL has access to shipping methods that I don't.  Cheaper methods.

Some FFL's won't accept a firearm from a non-licensee either.

If you hand your gun to an FFL to ship for you, they've got to enter it into their bound book and note its disposition when they ship it out.  Legally, the ownership changes.

In Pinellas and Hillsborough, that triggers the wait.  It's the wording of the law that trips things up again a "sale" of $0 is still a sale.
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Shootin'

December 27, 2014, 11:27 pm
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Confirmed that I got the TruGlo sights on the Glock correctly.

Confirmed that the M&P 9 shot.

The little white plastic dealie in the front sight came out, leaving me with a two-dot sight...



TruGlo to the rescue!



Installation in the Glock was easier.  I borrowed Marv's sight tool for the rear and killed my brass punch on the front.  I finished the front with a steel punch, and because I have a deft hand no damage is evident.



Now Marv and I have near identical pistols.  His is newer so it's got the tighter rifling; plus he's got the Apex duty kit in his.

I tested mine with Hornady 135gr Critical Duty and 115gr Critical Defense.  As could be expected from the slow twist rate, the Critical Duty didn't group as well, but it grouped well enough that I wouldn't feel defenseless with a magazine full; it's just the 115gr grouped much better.

Critical Defense 115gr at the 10 and Critical Duty 135gr at the 9.  The lack of a dot on the front was goofing with my elevation aim for some odd reason.  115gr DOES group better, but I'd not call the heavier round inaccurate.  I did no testing with NATO spec 147 grain.


Harvey's pistol will soon have TruGlo sights as well, Marv's Christmas present to her.  SHHHHHH!  Don't tell her.

I don't think she reads the blog...

Related to Harvey's gun, the sear block housing I bought from Midway as insurance against mine being an early small sear spring gun...  It wouldn't fit in my gun since mine is after the change-over.  However, it should work in her gun, allowing us to self-install an Apex kit in her gun, should she want one.



I am on the fence with the Apex kit for me.  I shoot well enough without it; but I like the positive reset Marv has.
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Modern Indeed

December 28, 2014, 7:51 am
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The M&P is my very first firearm designed THIS century.

It feels funny.

Especially since the ammunition it fires is a full 100 years older than the gun...
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Maths

December 28, 2014, 8:02 am
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There are occasionally times when I'm thankful I was awake in a couple of my math classes.

Last night I asked, "is my rear sight centered?"

No.  It was not.  From the side of the frame to the base of the rear sight on the left side of the gun it measured 0.109" and from the right side it measured 0.083".

I could have moved the sight to the left and measured both sides until they matched, but I can haz maths!

The distance to center is one half the difference of the measurements.

(0.109" - 0.083") / 2 = 0.013"

The sight mover uses a 3/8-16 UNC thread pusher.  So every complete rotation of the screw is 1/16" of an inch or 0.0625".

0.0625 / 0.013 is 0.208 which means about 1/5 of a turn to move the sight where I needed it.

And you thought I wasn't listening, didn't you Mr Smalling?
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10mm ACP

December 29, 2014, 6:59 am
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Arfcom never fails to disappoint...

A guy wants an M&P semi-auto in 10mm.

He really wants 10mm, but doesn't like Glocks or 1911's...

The reply I didn't make:

I really like .600 Nitro but I don't like double rifles...

I really like .458 Win Mag, but I don't like bolt actions...

Sometimes your caliber choice dictates what's available and sometimes that's a bummer.
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Not About The Clothes

December 30, 2014, 7:12 am
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I read that Mark Zuckerburg only wears a gray t-shirt because that reduces the number of decisions he has to make everyday by one.

Goody for you, Mark.

Except you can get the exact same effect with a huge variety of shirts by simply not caring which one you wear next.

I know, my way doesn't sound edgy or cool; but it's the exact same number of decisions.
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