Mag-Lite LED Upgrade Review

I have always been a fan of the 3 D-Cell Mag -Lite flashlight. They have been my constant companion around the home and whenever I am on the 4X4 trail. They had two weaknesses; it was relatively easy to break the filament in the bulb, and batteries didn’t last all that long with constant use. Now those problems no longer exist.

I was at Wal-Mart yesterday and was browsing the sporting goods section when I spotted this:

A genuine Mag-Lite brand L.E.D. upgrade. I had tried an aftermarket upgrade, but it wasn’t reliable. At $18 it was almost half the price of a new L.E.D. flashlight from Mag-Lite. So I bought a few and took them home.

Here is a comparison of three lights. In the center a standard 3 D-Cell Mag-Lite with xenon bulb. On the right is a Streamlight Scorpion (similar to a Sure-Fire 6p), and on the left is the 3 D-Cell Mag-Lite with the L.E.D. conversion. As you can see the L.E.D. Conversion is slightly brighter. Coupled with the ruggedness and low battery usage of the L.E.D. bulb this product is highly Recommended.

What do shooters do for their weddings?

Why get custom cakes made of course.

First up we have this cake courtesy of Mike McGuff

Then we have this wedding cake topper from Manolo for the Brides

A must see music video from Australian Musician Beccy Cole. Apparently some of her fans don’t like her supporting the troops fighting in the Middle East. She stands by her principles and eloquently tells her disgruntled fans where to step off.

Hat tip to xavier thoughts

A couple of Beauties at the range!

Why not arm teachers?

Over the past several weeks the United States has been treated to an outbreak of school shootings. The hoplophobes cry for more gun control, but amidst those cries a voice of reason speaks out: Wisconsin State Rep. Frank Lasee, who says “To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table, Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin.”

Mr. Lasee’s proposal would require that armed staff members get strict training on the use of the weapons and he acknowledges that he would have to find a way around the Federal “safe” school zones act. This might mean sending those who desire to be armed to the Police Academy and deputizing them as reserve police officers.

Unfortunately for Mr. Lasee, his proposal is met with hoplophobic opposition by none other than the director of school safety for Milwaukee Public Schools, Pete Pochowski who says; “Statistically, the safest place for a child to be is in school, we have problems in our schools, but not to the point where we need to arm our teachers and principals. In the country we live in, we have a lot of freedom, and we have to expose ourselves to some danger to keep that.”

Mr Pochowski, what freedoms would we be giving up by allowing trained volunteer school staff to be on campus armed? In the rare case a school shooting does occur what is one of the first things to occur? The police (who tend to carry guns) are called! Why not have trained individuals on site already who can respond more immediately and possibly prevent more deaths?

During the infamous Columbine Massacre Police took 47 minutes from when the shooting began to enter the school. Even then they were hampered by an unfamiliarity with the buildings and a lack of knowledge as to the location and number of the shooters. While armed staff would not know the number or location of the shooters (unless confronted) they would be familiar with the buildings since they are there every day. Being armed, they would be able to escort students to safety and defend themselves and their charges against the predators. This would become increasingly easier as more armed individuals joined the group. Especially if they have trained together and drilled for such an event.

While many seem to question the common sense of Mr. Lasee’s proposal it is not one that should be ignored. In fact it is one that should be researched, studied and maybe even tried. While Mr. Pochowski feels that schools are the safest place for children it is also the place where they are most vulnerable to violent lethal attack. There are few if any sheepdogs to protect the children from the wolves. As we have seen too many times; waiting for protection to arrive takes precious time, during which precious lives are lost.

External links:
Fox News
BBC News
Wikipedia

The Survivalists are coming!!! The Survivalists are coming!!!

During the last decades of the 20th century there existed a movement of individuals who believed in being prepared for any contingency. They stockpiled food, water, medical supplies, sanitation supplies, books, firearms and ammunition. These people were often mis-portrayed in movies and the press as paranoid and or homicidal nutbags. In the years leading up to the year 2000 survivalism suddenly became fashionable as fears of the “Y2K Bug” manifested themselves and were hyped by the media.

Fortunately for the world, and thanks in no small part to the efforts of a lot of geeks out there, the Y2K bug never surfaced in the way we had been led to believe. Unfortunately for Survivalism the Y2K bug never surfaced in the way we had been led to believe. Survivalists once again became “those paranoid and/or homicidal nutbags” and Survivalism became something that was laughed at.

Then came September 11th 2001, followed by hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 and people once again began to consider survivalism or as it is more politically correctly known “preparedness” or “self-reliance.” Once again companies, blogs, websites and forums that cater to survivalism are seeing an upsurge in business.

Joining the ranks of companies catering to these individuals is Mossberg. Known for quality, but inexpensive firearms. They have introduced their JIC™ system (pdf) which is a nice yet incomplete survival system built around Mossberg’s well known Model 500 shotgun.

There is not much bad that can be said about the Mossberg 500 shotgun. It is robust and reliable, and what flaws it usually comes with (usually just a rough action) from the factory improve with use. The problem I have is this particular configuration and application of the shotgun. First off I’ll start by saying pistol grips are just about worthless on a Serious Social Purposes shotgun. You can’t shoulder them for accurate fire, and the pistol grip on the Mossberg makes it hard to manipulate the tang mounted safety. Meaning there is a good chance this weapon will be carried off-safe most of the time. Not a good thing!

As far as survival weapons go, the shotgun has it’s place but not as a primary weapon. You have limited range, HEAVY ammunition, abusive recoil (to the inexperienced shooter), and contrary to popular belief it still has to be aimed like a rifle as it’s pattern is somewhat small at effective combat distances. (Those who doubt the previous claim can check out The Box Of Truth for confirmation.) If I were to purchase one of these kits I would add a standard stock with a screwdriver so I could install it when I opened the tube.

The “case” the kit comes in is probably the best part of it. With a little desiccant the contents will remain rust free (I’d get the mariner finish anyway) and it can be stored almost anywhere. It can even be cached as was quite the rage during the Clinton Presidency when the hoplophobes and their willing accomplices in the Democrat controlled congress were pushing every law they could think of to curtail the Second Amendment rights of U.S. Citizens.

At some later point I will discuss in depth firearms for survival applications, but for now I just wanted to offer my opinion on this package deal from Mossberg. While I think it is a great idea, my opinion is that Mossberg missed a few things in the execution of the idea.

A study of contrasts

On Sept. 27th a man convicted of participating in a drive-by shooting was sentenced. What was his punishment? Four Weekends in Jail and 48 months of probation. Were gun control supporters incensed at this light sentence? Hardly.

Instead they were upset at the Pennsylvania Legislature because they were seeking to provide victims of domestic violence with a temporary emergency license to carry a firearm “to make sure that they are able to defend themselves.” Instead of being heralded the measure is called “Dangerous, absolutely dangerous.”

What is so dangerous about letting people maintain the freedom to defend their lives, and liberty? Was it dangerous to allow the boyfriend of the ex girlfriend of Eduardo Enrique Garcia to be armed in her apartment when Mr Garcia entered at 8:00 am? Was it dangerous for Wanna Jo Walker to be armed when her estranged husband broke into her home at 6:00am on a Sunday morning? Was Cheryl Swenson in danger because she had a .357 magnum in her possession when her abusive husband broke down the bedroom door to beat her some more? On July 2nd , 2001 this woman was lucky to have an armed relative nearby when she was attacked by her knife wielding estranged husband. Less than one month earlier this Greenville South Carolina woman was in danger because of a gun, but that gun was in the hands of her attacker. Fortunately for her, she had one as well.

Victim disarmament advocates like to claim the police are there to protect you. The reality is they are not as was upheld by the Supreme Court of The United States on June 27th 2005 in Castle Rock vs. Gonzales. Even the ever present restraining order proved to provide no more protection of the victims from harm than the paper it was printed on.

It only takes a few hours to teach or learn the rudimentary basics of self-defense with a firearm. Those few hours could save a life, even your own.

Finally a common sense law about new home developments springing up near shooting ranges.

You’ve heard the stories, a shooting range in existence for decades gets a bunch of new homes for a neighbor. Then suddenly the new residents “discover” they are near a place where people fire GUNS! OMGWTF!!! They then lobby the city council, county board or whatever to get the range closed. One of the most common tools is the noise generated at the range. Hey, if they’d allow us suppressors this wouldn’t be a problem would it?

Vermont has weighed in and said; “If you buy a house near a range, you get the noise too.” It’s like buying a home next to the golf course and being upset when a golf ball crashes through your big picture window. What did you expect?!

Are you ready for a little fun and frolick at the range?

Thanks to Guns on LiveJournal I was informed of the Zombie Squad . This organization is holding postal matches throughout the year.

What is a postal match you ask? It is a match that is held anywhere you can find a place to shoot and is based on the honor system. You take your targets, shoot them within the provisions under the postal match rules, mail them in and wait for results. They can be a lot of fun and a good way to keep your marksmanship skills sharp. They are not a replacement for formal competitions, but they are a good supplement.

More information on Zombie Squad’s Postal Matches can be found in their forums.

Awwww the poor little Hoplophobes at “The Brady Campaign to Prevent Promote Gun Violence” are upset that they weren’t invited to the Conference on School Safety.

Bush Takes On School Shootings The President’s conference gives him a chance to connect with disillusioned voters. But one prominent gun control group is crying foul.

One prominent group is unhappy about not being included. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, wrote to Bush to offer help in putting together what the group called a “comprehensive” agenda, including prevention and law enforcement policies. Peter Hamm, the group’s communications director, said the group hadn’t received a reply. “We haven’t, oddly enough,” he said. “They’re certainly having a nice conversation about making sure your child has the support they need after an incident occurs, which is laudable. But the issue of prevention clearly is not on the table for this conference.”

The NRA was also not on the list. However, you don’t see them whining.