Bullet Points

• 2009-12-13

  Migrating to Wordpress.

  The new address is BulletPointsBlog.wordpress.com

• 2009-12-11

  I love tritium.

  One thing I’ve really grown to like is tritium. Up until recently, I’d only encountered it in night sights. A little over a year ago I picked up a Luminox SEAL watch. Now I’m spoiled. I have since seen it used to accent knife handles and even flashlights (go figure). Now whatever I look at or buy, I’m thinking of how it could be better if it glowed in the dark. I really like the watch for going to the movies. My other watches either have to light up with a button or have faded before the movie is half over. I’ll probably do a write up of my Luminox one of these days. I’d love a Marathon GSAR but that’s a little ways off.

  Other watches with Tritium tubes are made by Traser, H3 Tactical, UZI brand, and several others. The knife with Tritium tubes in the handles was made by Darrel Ralph. I’ve seen pictures online of flashlights modded to put H3 tubes in them so you can find your light in the dark in case of emergency.

• 2009-12-10

  Book Review - Cartridges of the World, 11th Edition

  There are many great books about guns out there. Some are more useful to a smaller number of collectors. While it is one of the most thorough books I’ve seen, Parker Gun Identification & Serialization by S. P. Fjestad isn’t of much use to an Ithaca or Smith & Wesson collector.

  Cartridges of the World by Frank C. Barnes is a great reference. I’m reviewing the 11th edition because that’s what I have. The 12th edition came out a few months ago. I use it at work constantly with some of the weird guns I’ve seen. Need to know what the difference between a .44 Russian and a .44-40 is? How about if you can shoot standard .30-06 in your Ackley Improved chamber? What’s the smallest commercially produced round ever (actually, I’d like to write an article about that soon)? It does have something for every shooter and collector.

  One of the highlights of this book over just flipping through ammo makers’ catalogs is the info available on wildcat, proprietary, and obsolete calibers. The author also includes a little bit of history in addition to the ballistics information given for each round.

  I believe the 12th edition has a cover price of $32.99 but is available cheaper from major bookstores and online retailers. Check it out, it’s definitely worth the look.

• 2009-12-09

  Sig Sauer P250 2SUM

  Click the post title to see the article.

  I’ve liked the idea of the Sig P250 since I first got a look at one. I like multi-caliber capable guns. Whether a factory option or aftermarket modding, it’s one of my favorite features. The AR-15, the UZI, the 1911, the Glock, the list goes on. Eventually I’ve got to get one of the P250s. I really like the ergonomics of the 9mm/40 S&W Compact frame that’s out now. I’ve yet to handle the .45 ACP version in any size or the 9/.40 subcompact or full size.

  Sig Sauer page for the P250 2SUM.

  Hat Tip to Steve at The Firearm Blog.

• →

  Fine Swiss watch… err revolver.

  I got a look at one of the coolest old revolvers I’ve ever seen. The Swiss Model 1882 service revolver chambered in 7.5mm Swiss (obviously not the rifle round). Manufactured by Waffenfabrik Bern, it’s got a tapered octagon barrel, fluted cylinder, and double action trigger. The gun was produced from 1882 to 1950. The example I saw had checkered, hard rubber grips with the Swiss cross on the left panel. They later came with walnut grips. The frame has a lanyard loop and is slotted for a buttstock. It loads similar to a Colt 1873 Single Action Army by way of a loading gate and a manual ejector. To load it, you open the loading gate which disconnects the hammer. Pulling the trigger rotates the cylinder to the next chamber. You flip the ejector rod handle over so it can clear the barrel and push the ejector in and out on each chamber. Unlike most designs, the ejector is not spring loaded and must be manually pulled out to allow the cylinder to rotate again. The most unique feature of the design is how the sideplate comes off. Unscrew the retaining screw (which I believe is captive so you can’t lose it) and the whole sideplate hinges out to the side! It’s a heck of a lot easier than opening a Smith. As fine as the mechanics and action are, I don’t think I would want to carry one. The slow and complicated loading/unloading would take a lot of getting used to.

  

• 2009-12-08

  NFA info of this blog.

  I just wanted to post that I will be writing about law enforcement/military only items as well as civilian legal firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act on this blog. Like many Americans, I live in an NFA friendly state. While I don’t own any NFA items, I do enjoy shooting them at the range when I get the opportunity. Silencers, machineguns, etc. are perfectly legal in most states provided the proper procedure is followed when they’re purchased.

  Please follow the law and be careful when doing anything with firearms. Accidents and other stupid mistakes make us all look bad. Don’t give those who would like to see our right/hobby to go away anything to use against us. (End of safety/political statement)

• 2009-12-06

  I found this video on Youtube of the new Silencerco Osprey I posted earlier. Sounds pretty quiet. I’d love to shoot one of these.

• 2009-12-05

  New can from Silencerco - The .45 Osprey

  SIlencerco has a new .45 silencer in the works. The Osprey is rumored to be hearing safe when shot dry. The only others I know of that can claim to be hearing safe dry are the new AAC Ti-Rant .45 and the Knights Armament MK23 “SOCOM” but only when it is on an H&K Mark 23. At some point I hope to get a chance to shoot an Osprey side by side with a Ti-Rant, the hard part is finding either right now. .45 ACP is a very difficult caliber to silence due to the large exit hole and that the .45 is just plain loud. Because of this, most .45 suppressors must be shot “wet” with some sort of ablative medium in them (usually water, oil, or grease) to cool and slow the expanding gases.

  Just a note for those who aren’t familiar with the laws. Silencers, machine guns, etc. are legal in all but a handful of states. There is a small amount of paperwork followed by an extensive background check before one can be purchased. People who legally own NFA items are among the most (if not THE most) law-abiding citizens in the country.

• 2009-12-04

  Gear Review - Maratac Silicone Watch Band

  I received my new Maratac silicone watchband from County Comm. I bought it for my new Citizen Military watch. It was easy to fit and is very comfortable. I got the brown one for a 20mm lug. It is quicker on and off than the factory band and I like it a lot. The band has a series of holes that are used to cut and fit the strap. The snap has a few holes in it that are for minor length adjustments. I’ll try to get some pictures of the set up at some point and post them.

• 2009-12-02

  Gear Review - Citizen Eco-Drive Military Watch With Chronograph

  I just picked up a new watch. It’s a Citizen Military with chronograph (Model AT0200-05E). The MSRP is $215 but they can be found for almost half of that at several big online sources. The body is stainless steel and is water resistant to 100m. It runs on their Eco-Drive system which charges off of almost any light source. It has a green canvas band but I have a Maratac silicone band on the way from County Comm. I’m looking forward to playing around with it and seeing how well it keeps time (the manual says +/- 30 seconds per month). It is comfortable and has nice weight to it without being overly bulky. The face is easy to read and the hands glow bright when charged up. I’ll post a review of the new band when it comes in and post some followup thoughts on the watch after I’ve had a chance to wear it some more.