This post by Bitter reminds me of this past college football season. As a season ticket holder, I go to a lot of Virginia Tech football games. I usually load the car up and drive down Friday night so we can get an early start Saturday morning.

For tailgating, earlier is better. The global warming machine (aka SUV) is usually packed pretty tight with the tent, grill, tables, chairs, coolers, more food than you could ever possibly eat, and other assorted tailgate gear. I've got so much crap I've actually considered getting a trailer or RV. We get out there early to get a good spot and set up. Setting up can take up to an hour.

So during the VT-FSU tailgate this year, I'm slaving over the grill when a pickup truck pulls in to park beside us. There's three people in the cab, three in the back, and about four or five more walking up behind. The oldest looks about 23. For all those people, they brought exactly three items; a keg of beer, a box of cheap wine (sans box), and bail of hay. The girls took turns standing on the hay bail and holding the wine up in the air so other girls could drink from the spigot. For some inexplicable reason, they would slap the side of the plastic wine skin after drinking from it. The guys were doing inverted keg stands.

Now for those of you who've never seen an inverted keg stand, it works like this. You (and by you I mean me*) grab hold of the keg handles while a few burly guys lift your legs up into the air. Another guy opens the tap and sticks it in your mouth. You guzzle beer while doing a hand stand for as long as you can take it, while everyone in the crowd yells something like "GO! GO! GO!"

Maybe I'm over-thinking these tailgates.

* The only saving grace was that I was able to complete my keg stand before my sister and friends could get over there with the camera.

My .30 caliber M-1 Carbine finally arrived from the Civilian Marksmanship Program. I timed my order perfectly and it arrived at the CMP Store on April 30th, the first day they began accepting orders. Its a good thing too, because they sold out less than 3 weeks later. The order was processed this week and FedEx delivered it this morning. (Thankfully it wasn't coated in cosmoline the way my M1903 was.)

The replacement Italian stock is gorgeous. I already have some USGI Mags, but will need to pick up a sling at the next gun show. This one is an Inland, who made 43% of all WWII M-1 Carbines. I can't wait for the other manufacturers to go on sale.

Here are the pictures:

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Fabbrica Armi Terni
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I wonder how many German or Jap kills it was used for.

The Washington Post spotlights Barbara Holland, the elderly author of The Joy of Drinking:

"I was getting sick and tired of being lectured by dear friends with their little bottles of water and their regular visits to the gym," she says. "All of a sudden, we've got this voluntary prohibition that has to do with health and fitness." She pauses. "I'm not really in favor of health and fitness."

But isn't it good to be healthy?

"I suppose so," she says, "but it's largely a crapshoot. The ghost of my sainted mother hovers around, talking about how self-centered it all is. They're always thinking about themselves -- how far I ran, how much I can bench-press, how I ate three servings of broccoli. For heaven's sake, get over yourself."

VCDL is having their Bloomberg Gun Giveaway tonight. Two guns will be given away to two of the first 2000 peeps through the door. You get a free raffle ticket just for showing up (first come first served). Ravenwood plans to attend.

The Event: VCDL Membership Meeting

The Place: Mason District Government Center

The Address: 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale

The Date: 05/17/07

The Time: 7:30 PM (Meeting begins at 8)

The Guns:

The handgun is a beautiful Para Ordinance PX745E:

http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=5

The rifle is a sweet Browning Varmint Stalker in 223 WSSM:

http://tinyurl.com/3avzrn

Both guns are valued at around $1000 retail.

I like Mike Adams, but he's definitely a different type of gunowner than I am. Adams is concerned that if Democrats regain control of the House, Senate, and/or Presidency that a whole slew of gun bans will be coming down from on high. To prepare for them he's set aside a nest egg to make some last minute purchase before any gun bans go into effect.

In a nutshell, here is Mike's list:

- 13 round mags for his Springfield .45 ACP XD
- Loaded Standard Springfield M1A Rifle
- Springfield 1911-A1 Micro Compact with optional light rail
- Springfield 1911 Lightweight Operator

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Adams apparently owns stock in Springfield Armory. Those are all nice guns, save for my belief that a Micro-Compact 1911 is an oxymoron. (If I'm carrying my 1911, I want people to know it!) But are any of these guns really endangered by Democrats?

My list is, shall we say, a little more aggressive and focuses on evil guns the left wishes were never made:

- Barrett Model 82A1. I heard these can shoot down airliners from 4 miles away. I'll take the semi-auto over the bolt action, because even at .50 caliber one shot just isn't enough.

- Bobcat Weapons BW-5. Its a semi-auto 9mm MP5 clone. It even has the "mock" silencer on it. Ooo.. scary!

- FN Five-seveN. It shoots a high velocity 5.7x28mm round from a tiny gun with very little recoil. The round is extra pointy for deep penetration. The media calls it armor-piercing, the Dems call it cop killer, I'll call it Charlene.

- Yugo SKS. I know, it's a cheap commie gun, but the bayonet, grenade launcher, and low sticker price make it a favorite bad guy of the gun grabbing left.

- Bushmaster AR-15. It's the black rifle of choice for beltway snipers. Need I say more?

- Smith and Wesson .500 Revolver. Because the only thing the left hates worse than a .50 caliber rifle is a .50 caliber handgun. Dirty Harry has nothing on this hand cannon.

There are a lot more, but I cannot list them all. And if I made any glaring omissions, I'm sure I'll hear about it in the comments.

A guy at work bought a Vulcan 900 Classic this spring. It's a nice starter bike and only costs $7200. My last two guns cost that much, so getting into biking doesn't seem that unreasonable.

Other than being a cheap bastard, my biggest barrier to entry is not having a garage in which to house it. Also the SO (that's significant other) doesn't like bikes at all. But I think she'd come around once she saw me in my leather chaps and skull cap.

I finally broke down and purchased a 9mm upper for my shorty AR. This is a Bushmaster SBR lower with a 7" Rock River 9mm upper attached.

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Unfortunately, this one won't be getting to the range for a little while. I was told I didn'a need to purchase the 9mm hammer. Unfortunately though, the notch in the AR-15 hammer is catching the 9mm bolt and preventing it from closing. (see the upper left of the AR-15 hammer)

I know there are hammers out there that will supposedly work with both 9mm and .223, but I'll likely just install the 9mm hammer and keep the lower in that configuration. I already have a .223 lower and don't really see the need to shoot my .223 SBR upper any way.

(Logic would say that I could just use the shorty .223 upper on my other .223 lower. But since it's not registered as an SBR, the ATF doesn't see it that way.)

For those of you who are wondering, I purchased the upper from Adco. At $485, it's a pretty good deal considering it came complete with the 9mm bolt. I didn't come with a front sight as pictured, however.

Who needs a .50 caliber rifle when you can have a 25mm. For those of you who shun the metrical system that's about .98 caliber, if I did my math right.

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I went to the theater on Friday to see 40-Year-Old Virgin. Imagine crossing American Pie with There's Something About Mary; there's a lot of sexual innuendo and toilet humor, and whoops there goes a boob. The film is filled with hilarious and side-splitting R-rated fun, as friends try to help the 40-year old virgin finally score. It's a wonderful departure from the blase PG-13 pseudo-sex that Hollywood usually offers.

There's not a lot of nudity, but there's plenty of swearing and adult themes, which is sure to make the pleasure police cringe.

Pricing for the next generation Xbox 360 has been set, reports CNET. The core (cheap) console will sell for $300, with the premium model coming in at a whopping $400. They will be backward compatible and play old Xbox games, but new games will be priced from $49 to $59. Microsoft isn't putting a hard drive in the core system, so they anticipate selling more of the premium model, which I think is a mistake.

For $100 more, gamers can upgrade to the premium edition. That package will feature, in addition to the standard equipment, a headset, remote, membership to the Xbox Live entertainment and chat network, and a 20GB hard drive for storing games, music, and other content downloaded from Xbox Live. It will also swap out the wired controller for a wireless one.

The premium edition will be known as the Xbox 360 and will have a cream-colored shell, while the lower-priced version will be called the Xbox 360 core system and will come in a light green box, said David Reed, director of platform marketing for Xbox.

He predicted that many players who will buy the Xbox 360 this holiday season are likely to opt for the premium version. "There's no question we're going to sell a lot more Xbox 360 this holiday than we are of the Xbox 360 core system," Reed said.

What's more, holiday shopping is usually done by ignorant parents. You may have kids asking for the premium system and being disappointed on Christmas morning when they find out they got stuck with the cheaper crippled version.

I purchased an Xbox, which I hardly ever have time to play. But only after they dropped the price to $200.

The 2005 Explorer Limited Edition in RedFire.

It's powered by a 281 cubic inch V8 (4.6L), has 4-wheel drive, and big 17" wheels. It has a five-speed automatic tranny, 240 horses, traction control, and it tows up to 7,000 lbs. It has leather interior, a sun roof, a 6-disk CD changer built into the dash, reverse sensing system, and power everything. The seats go back to my preset position with a flick of the keyless entry remote. It also has steering wheel controls, heated mirrors, heated seats, dual A/C, and airbags all over the place.

And with "employee pricing" and a huge cash rebate, it's all mine. I traded in my 2001 2-door model, emptied her out, kissed her goodbye, and drove this new baby off the lot.

Remember the evil looking black gun I ordered for BAG Day 2005? I'm beginning to wonder if I'll actually take possession of it before another BAG Day rolls around again next April.

I actually ordered it (and paid for it) way back in March. Bushmaster is still in the process of building it and transferring it to my dealer. They haven't even coughed up a serial number yet, so I can't even start the paperwork cycle to transfer it from my dealer to me. Throw in a month for Fairfax sheriff to get around to signing off, and 3-6 months for ATF paperwork, and it literally could be after New Year's before I get the call to come pick it up. And of course last (and certainly least), I'll still have to undergo a NICS instant background check right before I pick it up.

I bought a new Springfield M1911-A1 two weeks ago. I finally got around to taking it to the range today, along with my Taurus PT945. First I shot about 50 rounds through the Taurus. I just had the extractor replaced and I wanted to make sure it was functioning properly. A spent casing used to "stove pipe" about once per magazine. In 50 rounds it didn't mis-feed once, so it appears to be fixed.

Before removing the target, I pulled out the Springfield and after spinning it on the table, I put a full magazine through it to get a feel for the trigger and how it fired.

I was satisfied with the pull, but couldn't quite tell where the rounds were going, so I pasted a fresh target. Two 7 round mags yielded interesting results:

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Out of 14 rounds, I shot 2 strays to the lower left corner. There was one wild round from each magazine but even they ended up grouped together on the lower left. It just goes to show that even my flinch is pretty consistent. If you count them all up, there are 2 strays, 3 in the triangle on the far left, 2 more a little high, and 7 through the main group.

It obviously pulls slightly to the left. Had I brought some tools with me, I would have tried adjusting the rear site to pull it back to the center. I never have been a great shot, mainly because I'm too busy to shoot regularly. For now I'm satisfied with these results, and adjusting the sites will just have to wait until next time.

UPDATE: My biggest complaint about the 1911 was that the rounds seem to eject straight up and back at me. Nothing like a hot .45 shell casing down the front of your shirt to keep you on your toes.

If you want to turn your post-ban AR-15 into an evil, scary-looking "assault weapon", TAPCO has the 4-position adjustable stocks on sale for $23. It won't make your gun fire any faster, or make the bullets any more lethal, but it scare the piss out of the anti's.

My guess is that TAPCO is clearing out their stock to make room for the new 6-position stocks. Of course if your state passed a ban to replace the federal ban that expired last September, you're shit out of luck.

Today is Buy a Gun Day. In honor of this day, I purchased an especially nasty looking Bushmaster AR-15 shorty. It looks something like this one:

Note the pistol grip, collapsable stock, and flash hider that make it especially evil looking. It will have an SBR registered lower, with a 11.5 inch Pre Ban Heavy Machinegun Upper Receiver. The entire gun is made by Bushmaster, the evil scary company that made the gun used by the 'Beltway Sniper'.

Next I'll probably pick up this 9mm suppressed upper.

While I would still rather have a classic blue Shelby Cobra with those outrageous pipes down the side, the new Ford Shelby Mustang Cobra GT500 (what a mouthful) still makes me drool.

A 450-horsepower, supercharged 5.4 liter V-8 should push you to 60 miles per hour in the neighborhood of 4 seconds. And with a 6-speed manual tranny, you shouldn't have any trouble hitting 155 on the open road, er.. test track.

Of course the look of the car is enough to turn some heads, and sure to attract the attention of every policeman in your neighborhood.

Yeah, the only thing begging to be pulled over more than a red sports car is a red sports car with racing stripes. Stencil the word "Shelby" across the back and Barney Fife will have fantasies about pulling over Carol Shelby himself.

Throw in modern amenities like power everything, leather seats, and a 6 disk CD changer, and I'm ready to forget about the classic muscle cars and run out and buy one.

But then I've always had a soft spot for Mustangs.

There is a lot of talk going around about Buy a Gun Day. The spirit of the event is that you are supposed to buy a gun on April 15, in order to stick it to the gun grabbers. Now let me tell you why I don't participate (strictly speaking).

First of all, timing a gun purchase to a specific day just seems silly. Especially when you buy as many guns as I do. If you buy a gun in March and then again in May, does April really matter?

Second, the day is timed with tax day. I presume that many of you actually get tax refund checks, but I haven't received one in several years. In fact, April 15th is usually the day I mail off my additional tax liability to the government. This year is no different, and I'm already on the hook for several hundred dollars.

April 15th also happens to be my dad's birthday. As if paying taxes wasn't enough, I also have to shop and buy my father something. I don't know about your dad, but mine will never tell you what he wants. That is, until April 16th, when he all of a sudden unblocks his mind and remembers everything he ever wanted that you didn't get him.

Now, about my gun purchase. This week I submitted my order and paid for an evil looking gun that is sure to strike fear into the hearts of gun grabbers everywhere. Of course ordering it and paying for it are only half the battle. There is some manufacturing and paperwork involved, and I probably won't actually see the gun until this summer.

Now, I might end up buying another gun closer to April 15th, but for now, this one is going to have to be considered my BAG day purchase. Therefore, I will not reveal the nature of the purchase until April 15th.

Here's a neat project for next weekend. A borelight made from a spent .357 round.

Reader Craig writes about a cigar problem. He bought them last summer and never put them into a humidor, so they have probably dried out. Craig will be purchasing a new humidor, but first he wants to know what steps he can take to restore the cigars to their proper state.

Craig,

I am happy to offer what advice I can. First of all, lets talk about humidors. When you prime your humidor and put solution into the humidification device, the humidor should stablize around 70%. That's because the solution contains an inert chemical (Propylene Glycol) that maintains a 70% relative humidity. The water will evaporate much faster than the chemical, but as long as you keep the humidification device charged with distilled water it should maintain 70% or close to it. By the way, you can buy a gallon of PG solution for about $10-$20 at any chemistry store to make your own solution. Just mix it (not all at once) with DISTILLED water, which costs about 50-cents a gallon at any grocery store. (It makes you wonder why Aquafina costs so much doesn't it?) You must use distilled water, because it is pure H20. Spring water or tap water has other chemicals and impurities in it that will clog the pores of your humidor and ruin it.

That said, the process of rehumidifying your cigars will depend on a few things. First of all, you need to plan on doing it over a period of a few weeks to a few months depending on how badly dried out the cigars are. It is a slow time consuming process. If you try to rush it or speed it up, you are likely to ruin the cigars.

You are correct that you don't want to just drop them into a hyper-humidified environment if they are completely dried out. The reason is because the different types of tobacco absorb moisture at a different rate. The filler tobacco (the stuff in the middle) will tend to absorb more than the wrapper. That can cause the wrapper to crack or split as the cigar slightly expands. You also don't want to overhumidify the cigar and risk mold.

Your best bet will probably be to ease the cigars back into a humidified environment over time. Try to find out what humidity the cigars are at now. I'm guessing they are probably probably 30-40% depending on conditions like where you live, and your home heating system. (I used to have a house with a gas furnace that would drop the humidity like a stone whenever it kicked in. The warm dry air used to keep the house at a paltry 10%. It was so low, I had to wrap a trash bag around my humidor during the winter to keep it from sucking humidity right through the wood. Unsightly, but effective.)

Now, if you don't have a digital hygrometer, buy one, because you need to keep an eye on the humidity. What you need to do is not prime the humidor right away. Place the cigars into the humidor at one end, and your humidification device at the other. Since the humidor is not primed, the wood pores should absorb a lot of the humidity from your humidifier. That means that instead of maintaining proper humdity, your humidor will be on the low side. If you started about 30-40%, you want to aim for about 50%. You can manage this by adding distilled water as needed. Remember to keep your cigars at one end and the humidifier at the other. If you can't get it high enough, try lightly sponging the side of the wood to help the humidor out. Not too much. You aren't trying to create your own wetlands in there.

Once the cigars get acclimated to the 50% environment, gradually take them up to 60% or so. Once again, let them get acclimated for a few weeks before taking them up to 70%. This is not an exact science so you need to do some guesswork. Keep an eye on the hygrometer and try to make an educated guess as to when it's okay to raise the humidity to the next level. Once again, patience is key here.

Once you are ready to maintain 70%, prime your humidor and add fresh solution to your humidifier. Also, keep an eye on your digital hygrometer to keep it from dipping too low in the winter. And never let the humidity get too high or you risk having a mold problem, which will outright ruin the cigars.

Best of luck restoring those cigars.

The Japanese are rolling out some new concept cars and personal mobility devices. This souped up electric eight wheeler will supposedly give American/German/Italian musclecars a run for their money.

The eight-wheel Eliica from Japan's Keio University Electric Car Laboratory can scoot from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds. It hits maximum speeds of 230 mph.

Gizmodo reports that this ugly duckling has a 100-hp electric motor for each of it's eight wheels. (How's that for 8 wheel drive?) Unfortunately it cost a quarter of a million dollars and takes a full 10 hours to recharge. There is no telling how fast the batteries would discharge at 230 mph, and at 800-hp I can only imagine the pollution* this thing must generate.

Next up is a "personal mobility vehicle", which I presume is Japan's answer to the Segway.

Toyota's i-unit personal-mobility concept vehicle gets you from point A to point B in a reclining or upright position. It will be shown in Aichi, Japan, in 2005.

If you ever see me driving one of these kooky contraptions, just shoot me.

* Considering most of the World's electricity comes from nuclear or fossil fuels, I wouldn't exactly call them "clean".

International's CXT pickup truck is big. How big? Well...

Based on a platform that the International Truck and Engine Corporation uses for building dump trucks and snowplows, the CXT stands 9 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 21.5 feet long. The top of the bed sits more than 6 feet high. CXT's closest siblings are 20-ton haulers used by construction companies, governments and waste industries.

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That's camouflage paint (not mud), by the way.

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The CXT weighs 14,500 lbs, but still gets up to 10 miles per gallon and 540 ft-lbs of torque from it's 7.6 liter diesel powerplant.

If it weren't a Mac, this would be cool.

This year the Virginia General Assembly passed a law making all of Virginia's firearms laws uniform throughout the state. With the three day waiting period imposed by Fairfax and Arlington counties out of the way, Northern Virginia held the first gun show in decades at the Dulles Expo Center this weekend.

The show opened at 9 AM Saturday, with your's truly showing up a fashionable 15 minutes late. When I arrived, to my amazement I discovered that so did the rest of Fairfax county. On both sides of the door were huge lines of people, which according to Channel 9 stretched for a half mile in each direction. I picked a line and started walking. It took me a full 10 minutes to walk to the end of it, which stretched from the front doorway all the way around to the shopping center next door. The astonished look on the shopkeeper's faces was enough to tell me that they had never seen crowds this big. A full 1 hour and 17 minutes later, I was walking into the first gun show Northern Virginia has seen in decades.

It was a good show, with plenty of tables. Several pro-gun state congressmen had tables set up for this year's election. The prices weren't too bad either, very competitive for Northern Virginia.

Now when I was in college, I purchased my first gun at age 18. It was a Chinese SKS 56 that set me back $120 on my credit card. A few weeks later, I sold the gun for beer money; a move I've regretted ever since. This weekend, I remedied that. Using the evil gun show loophole, I bought a nice Chinese SKS rifle from a private collector sans any background check. It has excellent wood with a fantastic finish, the parkerizing is excellent, and all the serial numbers match. It is a 1979 sharpshooter model with the original Chinese scope attached. For those of you who are wondering, I stole it for $195. My dealer was at the show so I showed it to him. He took a glance at it and told me it was only worth $150, but I think he's full of shit. Walking around the show I had several people offer to buy it off me, but I'm not making the same mistake twice.

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The downside is that now, Kim probably won't talk to me.

While I was in Ohio this weekend, I drove up to the CMP store and picked out a few military surplus rifles. My gun safe is now home to a nice service grade Springfield M1 Garand and Rock Island M1903 rifle. They are both excellent rifles, with only limited muzzle and throat erosion. The wood has a few dings, but I shouldn't have any trouble reconditioning them. Prior to this weekend, I hadn't owned a bolt action rifle. The M1903 is quite an entry into that realm. Of course, it came covered in Cosmoline, so it's still wrapped up until I have time to clean it.

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Driving to the CMP store was definitely worth it. While service grade rifles are guaranteed to have erosions of less than 3, I was able to hand pick one with much less wear. The people there are very friendly, and thanks to Lue for giving us so much ribbing and making us feel at home. On the two rifles, I spent $60 in sales tax I wouldn't have otherwise, but saved $40 in shipping. I was tempted to pick up an M1917 Enfield, but opted to wait and see how the other two rifles turned out.

The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV is generating a lot of buzz. Still, I'm not convinced. I looked at the Escape when I bought my Explorer. In 2001 I was unimpressed by the small V-6 engine and lack of amenities. In 2004, I'm mortified by the 4-cylinder hybrid engine. Ford is going to try to market a 3700 pound vehicle with a 150 hp engine as having V-6 like performance.

It may be good for cruising around town, but when it only promises to save $400 a year on gas (30 mpg vs. 20 mpg for the V-6 gas engine), I have to say thanks but no thanks. The savings on gasoline probably wouldn't cover the increased hassle and cost of maintaining the electric power plant (very few mechanics are available to work on them), nor the danger posed by the high voltage batteries.

Although, the tax breaks ($1500) and ability to ride the car pool lane are intriguing. Who knows, maybe I'll test drive one.

In 1964, Pontiac did something no other automaker had done before. They took a mid-sized car, dropped a big block engine into it, and sold it for a bargain price. Considered by some to be the first true muscle car, the Pontiac GTO was born. The "Goat" hit it's prime in about 1968 to 1971, before finally being killed off by the 1970s gas crisis.

1968 GTO Convertable

1969 GTO Coupe

Forty years later, Pontiac is trying to recapture the glory. In the face of rising gas prices, Pontiac once again took a Corvette sized engine and stuffed it into a Pontiac Grand Prix sized car and the 2004 Pontiac GTO was born.

The new Pontiac GTO has a 5.7L LS1 engine that makes 350 horses and will get you to 60 miles per hour in just over 5 seconds. With a base price of $32,500 however it's a bit pricey for my tastes, and it still has that uninspiring Pontiac front end. And don't forget, if you select the automatic tranny over the 6-speed will get you slapped with a $1000 gas guzzler tax.

* A brief history of the GTO with photos of each year.

They say the first step to controlling your addiction is admitting you have a problem. When it comes to guns, I may have a problem. Almost exactly one month ago, I purchased an M1 Carbine rifle on a whim. Next month, I plan on stopping into the CMP store and picking up an M1 Garand. Not wanting to let the month of April pass without buying a gun, I ordered a replica Colt 1851 Navy Revolver made by CVA.

It's a black powder handgun that costs less than $100, so I don't feel too guilty. Having no children and no wife, I seldom feel guilty about spending $100 or less. Although the gun is not on my wishlist, I've had my eye on one of these for a while. I've never shot black powder, and could not decide what type I wanted, so I never bothered to add it to the wishlist. The gun is a cheap replica, but I still think it will make a nice addition to the arsenal. Given it's bargain basement price, and mail-order availability, I hardly thought twice about it.

I thought about picking up the 1858 Army Revolver and making them a set, but I showed at least a little restraint. Besides, that may have violated Virginia's one gun a month law. (Wouldn't want to be accused of arms trafficking.)

This year's Buy A Gun Day was pretty successful for Aaron the Liberal Slayer. Just like last year, I couldn't hold out until April 15th, and bought my M1 Carbine a few weeks early. Thursday just isn't a good day for gun shows, and I could not resist using the "gun-show loophole" to buy a rifle without a background check.

Getting me to buy another gun isn't very hard. When I have the money, and sometimes even when I don't, I'm always in the market for something. Here are just a few I'd like to pick up:

• M1 Garand - Nothing like a .30-06 WWII "assault weapon" to strike fear into the gun grabbers on the left. These are the guns that liberated Europe. I've never owned a .30-06, and looking at the price of ammo that's probably a good thing. I'm not too thrilled at having to stock another caliber of ammo, but I'll probably still pick one of these up in May. I'm traveling to Ohio so a stop off at the CMP store is definitely in order.

• .357 Magnum Revolver - On BAG day last year I picked up an inexpensive Taurus .38 revolver. It was my first and only revolver, and is a lot of fun to shoot. But I would still rather have a nice .357. A small frame revolver fits better into the ankle holster I wear during the summer, and the .357 packs a greater punch than the .38. Also it will shoot .38 ammo, so there isn't much of a problem picking up cheap "plinking ammo".

• Albanian SKS - Albanian SKS rifles are getting much harder to find. Back when I bought my Yugo SKS and for months afterward, I passed up on the Albanian model. Now, after not seeing them at any of the last 4 gun shows, I want one. It's not a real big priority, but I still wouldn't mind having one in the gun locker.

• .22 Revolver - This guy says that every man should have one, and that's good enough reason for me.

• Colt 1911 Pistol - I'm not sure what's with all the hoopla over the 1911. But with $1000, I could find out.

Cornershot is trying to sell their "new weapons system" that they claim shoots around corners. Actually it's a camera system that simply fits over a regular pistol and allows the shooter to aim and pull the trigger while safely under cover.

If you think the photos look bizarre, check out the sales video. (11 MB) It looks like a 1970s B-movie, complete with disco soundtrack. Also, be sure to watch for the guy that actually takes cover behind an unhappy mule.

I guess a system like this has some practical value. But the thing looks awfully damned heavy to be carrying around, and keep in mind that it only shoots pistol calibers.

I belong to a Civilian Marksmanship Program affiliated gun club, and have apparently fulfilled all the requirements to make a CMP purchase. I've got my eye on a service grade M1 Garand, but just haven't gotten around to making the commitment yet. I'm a little leary of spending $500+ on a rifle, site unseen. I'm confident that they are a great deal, but it's still a pretty big chunk of change. Especially since I just shelled out almost $600 cash for the M1 Carbine, 1000 rounds of ammo, and some new cleaning accessories. To top it all off, my taxes are due next week and my dad's birthday is coming up. Decisions, decisions...

Speaking of which, here is a picture of the .30 caliber M1-Carbine I bought last week.

UPDATE: AUGH! Now a buddy of mine tells me he's flying in from California next month and wants me to "come see the baby". I had already signed up for a once a year gun clinic down at Quantico that weekend. Decisions.. decisions.

These days there are lots of toys out there on which to spend your money; exotic cars, airplanes, boats. A wise man once said to buy land because God isn't making any more of it. If you plan on heeding that advice, you could be the first guy on your block to buy his own private island. Islands seem to run anywhere from $50,000 to $20,000,000 depending on the size and location, and I'm not entirely sure these folks aren't also selling deeds to the Brooklyn Bridge. But it looks legit, and I must admit that the idea of owning my own private paradise does sound intriguing.

Canada has quite a few islands for less than USD $50,000, one that even has it's own little cabin and a motor boat to ferry you back and forth to the mainland. But then again it is Canada, and living under Canadian tyranny doesn't sound too appealing. I think I'd rather have some place where I had sovereignty and could mount some shoreline gun batteries to defend against invaders and pirates. As long as the island has plenty of fresh water and a strong breeze to generate electricity, it might not be so bad.

The 2004 Shelby Cobra concept should definitely turn some heads on the street. The front/mid engine car should zoom to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds. Unfortunately though, that's about it. The vehicle is electronically limited to 100 mph, and comes with very few frills.

This production-feasible roadster has a 427-inspired 605-horsepower, all-aluminum V-10 engine mounted at the front of an advanced aluminum chassis modified from the rear-engine Ford GT.

It weighs slightly more than 3,000 pounds and is about as long as a Mazda Miata. There's no roof, no side glass, not even a radio. "That's the formula," said Carroll Shelby. "It's a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car."

I don't really understand the reason for building a 600 hp muscle car that will only go 100 mph. Personally, I'd rather spend my money on something a little more classic, like this 1966 Shelby Cobra.

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It may only have about 450 horses, but the classic car is a bit lighter weight. It also has the classic styling, with the pipes down the side where they belong. The conventional style exhaust on the Ford Concept is sacrilege.

In case you missed it, Ford rolled out the 2004 Bronco Concept at the North American International Auto Show. Diesels aren't very popular in the United States, but that doesn't stop Ford from trying to blaze the trail with this rugged 2.0 liter turbo diesel.

"The Bronco concept showcases significant advanced powertrain technologies, mating a 2.0-liter intercooled turbo diesel with an efficient six-speed PowerShifttm transmission and Intelligenttm four-wheel-drive system for a powerful, sure-footed off-roader," said Graham Hoare, director, Powertrain Advanced and Research Engineering. "Then comes the fun part. We've added nitrous-oxide injection for a burst of power at your fingertips."

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While big government nanny bureaucrats are busy banning the use of cellphones while driving, Arkon Resources gives us the Laptop Steering Wheel Mount.

For those pickup lovers out there who think they are being left out of the retro revolution, take a look at the 2004 Chevy SSR. Retro styling has been all the rage this year, and the SSR is full of it. Modeled after their 1947 to 1953 pickup the SSR will definitely turn some heads. As a pickup though, it may leave a bit to be desired.

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The Chevy SSR makes 300 horses and 331 ft-lbs of torque out of it's 5.3 liter V8. Cruising around town to show it off, you'll only get about 15 to 19 miles to the gallon, which is sure to make the enviroweenies cry. The compact pickup isn't exactly a workhorse though, with a truck bed that's only about 3 ft by 5 ft. With 300hp under the hood, it should be somewhat quick. But keep in mind that the tiny vehicle also weighs over 5000 lbs, so it isn't exactly the corvette of pickups like some reviewers have claimed.

Also, with a pretty steep base price of over $41,000, it is getting mixed reviews.

Last weekend, I purchase a nearly new Haier BrewMaster. A buddy of mine wasn't getting much use out of it, and offered me a good deal on the 6 month old unit, so I took the plunge. For the price of a tall cold one, he even rode with me and helped me move it in.

Here is a gift for the man who has everything. His own personal vending machine.

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Oooh.. Daddy like.

Reason 106: Xbox deflects real bullets, "real" being the 9mm variety.

A while back I purchased an AR-15 stripped lower receiver. For you gun novices, that means that all you get is a serialized hunk of metal that looks like this. Well, today I drove down to the Richmond gun show, and got a good price on a complete A2 flat top parts kit. Again for you gun novices, that means you get all the rest of the parts, (minus the stripped lower) and once you assemble them you get a gun that looks somewhat like this.

Now, you may be asking yourself just why anyone would do such a thing. Well, the stripped lower is the serialized part, so you can pick those up for between $100 and $200 depending on the make. That is the part the ATF considers a gun, and the one for which they do a NICS check. (Instant background check.) The rest of the gun is just parts and can be picked up anywhere with no restrictions. Basically that means you can take advantage of the internet and purchase across state lines without having to go through an FFL. In short, you can save a few hundred dollars.

So, I spent the better part of today greasing up gun parts and assembling my AR-15. I figure I saved about $250 by putting it together myself, and I'm starting to wonder if it was worth it. First of all the thing was a bear to put together. It only took about 3 hours, but it still needs more lubing and oiling. I never thought the thing would be this dry. I don't have the specialized tools to assemble the upper, so I had the smithy do it for me while I waited. I put the lower together using tools I had laying around the house. They have specialized tools available, but they aren't necessary if you are willing to put up with the pain in the ass factor.

I really only ran into two snags. First, the bolt catch plunger pin is too stiff. It doesn't flow very freely, and I'm wondering how that will impact performance. Also, the damned selector switch (safe-fire thingy) was milled out too far, so it will not switch from safe to fire. There is a detent that slips too far into the selector, so once you set the safety, it aint coming off unless you disassemble the rifle. That means I still need to go out tomorrow and find a new one, and then strip the gun down a bit to install it. I don't want to drive all the way back to Richmond for a $5 part, so I'll see if I can find one here locally.

After I get that final piece, and have it properly oiled, I'll be ready to test fire it. That is where I'll see if my hard work paid off, or if it blows up in my face. Wish me luck.

There is a lot of talk about the Ford GT coming out. I'm not going to cover it again, but if you want to read what I wrote about it back in April, you can find it here.

I've been wanting a lever action rifle ever since I shot my roommate's .30-30 in college. When Kevin started harping about it, and then Kim went out and bought one, I figured it was time to seriously consider taking the plunge.

So, I went to the gun show down in Dale City today, and got a pretty good deal on this beauty. It is a Browning BLR in .308 Winchester that was made in Japan (there are also Belgian models). I'm not sure what year it was made, but according to Browning, this model came out in 1971. This one doesn't have the folding hammer feature, so I'm pretty sure it is one of the earlier models. It has modest wear, but no major scratches, and the wood is in excellent shape. As you can see, it came with a scope, but what you cannot see is that it also came with three boxes of shells and a hard side case.

The best part is that I got a terrific deal on the rifle. I only paid $325, and as you can see by these auctions, they usually sell for $500 or more, sans scope, case, and ammo. Of course, I bought it from a private owner, so I got to utilize the evil gun show loophole as well.

As an aside, I also considered a pre-'64 Remington 1894 like this one. It was a .32 Special made in 1940, and had some war history to it, but the seller was asking too much for it.

UPDATE: After doing some research, the RT in the serial number indicate 1976 as the year of manufacture.

The Virginian Pilot reports that former President George H.W. Bush attended the dedication ceremony for the keel of the aircraft carrier that will bear his name. As most people know Bush was a naval aviator during WWII, and the dedication ceremony held a little surprise for him.

While a keel-laying ceremony traditionally ends with a flyover of the most powerful jets, this ceremony ended with a restored Torpedo bomber flown by a Chesapeake pilot making two rounds overhead -- much to Bush's surprise.

"It brings back a lot of memories," Bush said on his way out. "He was going full speed, 150 knots, I could tell. Low and slow, and very stable. It's so different from what these guys fly today."

If you bought one of those Girls Gone Wild videos, you could be breaking the law. Prosecutors allege that as many as 35 of the girls featured in the videos are underage, which would make it illegal to possess them. There is no telling how many times this happens in the U.S., but girls lying about their age in these sort of videos is nothing new. Perhaps the most famous incident happened decades ago when Traci Lords publicly announced her 18th birthday, years after she had made dozens of hard core porn films.

Even though she made the films voluntarily, and is now a consenting adult, her films are illegal to possess even to this day.

Finally, someone invented a digital radio recorder. Pogo's Radio Your Way is like Tivo for the radio, and can be set to turn on and record your favorite radio programs. It also has a USB port so that you can transfer files to your PC. (How long before the RIAA copyright nazis start arresting radio listeners now?)

You may want to pick up one of these quickly. Business groups like the RIAA and MPAA want to hold onto their interests in entertainment distribution, and may be quick to stifle such a new innovative product. Right now it's priced at about $150.

Wouldn't you love to have one of these to discourage road rage during your morning commute. The Cobra - Viper has a non-threatening appearance, but with the touch of a button, you can deploy a large caliber attitude adjuster.

(Photo courtesy of Ibis Tek)

The roof rolls back, and this puppy is ready for action in about 10 seconds. It's also heavily armored. They start at around $500,000, but night vision and the 40mm grenade launcher are extra.

A coupla weeks ago, my boss (V.P./Director Of Operations) came into my office and asked me if we'd seen the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour broadcasts. I had, of course. My wife and I have been hooked on the series for few months.

Mike and his wife have gotten hooked on the show too. Mike took it further and logged on to a Poker internet site to play. He then made us all log on and play one night. Since then, I've been hooked. I don't do anything anymore except play online Poker.

I WAS programming/writing Stratego for the web, Game 2 in my Nostalgia Gaming Series. (Game 1 was Scrabble. Game 3 is going to be King Oil - anyone remember THAT gem?) I WAS working on some database stuff for my department. I WAS managing my time well.

Now I just play Poker. At home. At work. Today, I called my boss' extension and got his voice mail. I said, "Mike, I need to talk to you about a problem: I've got a pair of kings with an Ace kicker on the flop. I'd like to think my kings are best but one of my opponents bet on the flop so I think he may have Aces. What should I do? Please get back to me quick, it's my turn to bet !"

Come play Poker with me at Pokerroom.com.

After reading a few of the comments on Peppermint Patty's site, I wanted to try to dispel some of the myths about Cuban cigars. Cuban cigars like Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta are not the same cigars as their Dominican and Nicaraguan cousins. When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, one of the first things he did was seize the local tobacco factories for the government. Owners of the factories fled Cuba and took with them, the knowledge, the processes, and sometimes even the seed used to grow their world famous tobacco.

Many of them set up shop the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico, and other various countries, to start rebuilding their business. With court approval, they even held on to their trademarks, which explains why there is a Cuban Montecristo and a Dominican Montecristo. They are not the same cigars, and the only thing they share is the name and sometimes the look of the band. Before the manufacturers had court approval to continue to use their former trademarks, many cigar manufacturers tried to re-establish brand names, and thus cigars like Montecruz were born.

Although Castro seized control over the Cuban cigar factories, the commie variants that he produces there now are in no way as good as pre-1959 Cuban cigars. They may be decent smokes, but the Dominican, and Nicaraguan sticks typically rival or exceed them in quality and taste. Much of the appeal for Cuban cigars in today's society stems from the U.S. embargo of all things Cuban. People assume that since they cannot have them, they must be good. With the high demand, Castro's factories have focused more on quantity and market saturization than on quality. While Cigar Aficionado noted that Cuba is starting to focus more on quality as of late, they still have a long way to go.

Not only is their quality usually substandard, but Cuban cigars demand a premium. Cubans that you buy in Canada and Europe are usually much more expensive than similar non-Cuban cigars. Not only do they cost more, but by buying Habana-made sticks, your money is supporting a communist dictatorial regime. Now, I'd be a pretty big hypocrit if I stood on my soap box and preached against smoking Cuban cigars solely on that basis, mainly because I've bought more than my fair share of them. However, I will say that outside of the prestige of having something that you aren't supposed to have, or something that nobody else can get, Cuban cigars are typically a mediocre smoke, and not worth the money.

Naturally, some Cuban varieties are a better than others. I found the Montecristo #4s, and Romeo y Julieta Excepcionales to be an excellent cigar. But when you factor in the price, you can get a much better Dominican smoke, and you don't need to travel overseas or break the law to do it.

Another problem with Cuban cigars is that there is a huge market for counterfeits. If you are buying them on the streets of Havana, they are likely to be a counterfeit label wrapped around some skunk weed. The same goes for flea markets. I saw some at a gun show a few months back that were obvious counterfeits. Aside from the label being completely wrong, the cigars themselves looked like they'd been run through a washing machine. The only thing that did look genuine was the box, but even then I didn't get a close enough look to see if the tax stamp was real or not. (To be honest, I didn't really care.)

If you are a cigar lover whose never had one from Habana, next time you are out of the U.S. you might want to try one. I certainly wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to sample something they've never had before. I'm just saying that you should beware that it may not be all that you were expecting.

Related articles:
Priming your Humidor -- 06/24/2003
A Fine Cigar -- 06/15/2003
Guns and Cigars -- 12/18/2002
Cigars are an obsession -- 10/16/2002

Since I have already mentioned my personally developed method for humidor humidification, I figured I'd offer up some of my expertise on the initial 'priming' of humidors. A collection of fine cigars can cost quite a pretty penny. With handmade cigars costing anywhere from $2 to $20 for the average stick, a full humidor can literally hold several hundred dollars worth of tobacco goodness. It is therefore very important that you take the time to care for your inventory properly.

When you first buy a humidor, and every year or so as part of routine maintenance, you need to prime it so that it will properly hold the humidity. Out of the 5 humidors that I've purchased or owned, only one has ever included instructions on how to properly prime it.

The tools you'll need are your humidor, of course, a supply of distilled water, and a clean sponge. Tap water and regular bottled water have impurities that will clog your humidor and leave hard water build up and stains. Distilled water, which is pure H20 only costs about $0.59 a gallon, and is the only water you should ever use. Similarly, your sponge should be absolutely clean. Try to use a new sponge, or have a few sponges that are solely dedicated to humidor maintenance. You don't want your cigars soaking up odors from last night's meat loaf, so leave your kitchen sponge on the back of the sink where it belongs.

Take your humidor, and make sure that it is empty. Pour about a half a cup of distilled water into the humidor, until it puddles up in the bottom about a quarter to half an inch. Use your sponge to completely soak the wooden inside of the box, including the lid. The Spanish cedar will absorb the distilled water, and swell slightly. Also coat any removable trays or inserts that came with the humidor. Don't leave the removable pieces in the humidor, lest they swell up and become jammed, or warp. Once you have a good even coat over all the wooden areas, pour the water out. Set the humidor upside down, or on one side so that it can drip dry. You don't want standing water in the humidor, so wipe out the excess with the sponge if necessary.

Let the humidor sit open for a half hour to an hour, or however long it takes to dry or evaporate. Once the inside of the humidor is dry, take your damp sponge and coat the inside of the humidor again. You should add water to your sponge if necessary, but you don't need to pour water into the humidor again, like you did the first time. Once the wood is coated, let the humidor sit open again, until it is pretty much dry to the touch. If you had any internal shelves or dividers, give them the same treatment.

Next, take your sponge and make sure it is damp, but not dripping wet. Put the sponge on a plate, and set the plate in the humidor. You may use a plastic bag, or something else waterproof, but it is very IMPORTANT that you do not let the wet sponge touch the wood. BEWARE that if the humidor is still wet, or that if you let the wet sponge directly touch the wood, you could end up with some mold or mildew on the inside. If you have any internal shelves or dividers, wait for them to dry, and put them back into the humidor so that they don't touch the sponge. They may still be swollen, so don't force them. Close the humidor lid, and let it sit overnight, or for about 12 hours. The water vapor should soak into the pores of the wood and condition it overnight.

Remove the sponge and plate, and inspect the humidor. Fill your humidification device with distilled water or solution [a mix of Propylene Glycol (PG) and distilled water], and put it into the humidor. Also put a hygrometer in there, and add your cigars. Most humidors come with an analog hygrometer, which is sometimes not very accurate. You may want to invest in a digital hygrometer. Keep an eye on the humidity. If it spikes too much, leave the lid open for a few minutes to let some of it out. If you are using PG solution in your humidification device, it should start to regulate the inside humidity to about 70% which is where you want it.

I took a trip to the Bealton gun show today, in search of loopholes. I drove my gas-guzzling, econobox-crushing SUV some 120 miles round trip. I even sped down there and back at breakneck speeds to minimize gas efficiency. Hell, I paid for that gas, it's my right to burn it up.

I didn't really plan on buying anything, but then I walked by a table, where this Romanian SAR-1 was just calling to me. I remembered Kim DuToit's April 15th "Buy a gun to spite Michael Moore Day" purchase, and was absolutely inspired. The SAR-1 is the gun industry's response to the Assault Weapon's Ban that made semi-auto AK-47s illegal. Their desire to ban the gun is exactly what made me want to buy one. Take that Senator Feinstein. Coincidentally, and unbeknownst to me, Kim took his SAR-1 to the range just yesterday.

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It came with two mags, a 10-round and a 40-round hi capacity pre-ban. It also came with a strap, and a cleaning kit that fits into the stock. I've yet to crack open that cleaning kit. There is either some magic button hidden some where, or you've got to be Mighty Joe Young to get that sucker open. Unfortunately, I bought the rifle (also known as an "Assault Weapon" by the gun grabbers) from a licensed dealer, so I didn't get to take advantage of any gun show loopholes.

The entire package was only $315 +tax. To add further insult to the liberal gun fearing wussys, I used the money from my recent tax refund to pay for it. Having overpaid my taxes last year by $338, it came to just enough to purchase this mean and nasty looking gun. Just think of what I could have bought if I was able to claim those child tax credits like other folks. Perhaps I could have gotten that Bushmaster I've been wanting.