Divemedic

Gun Talk

Today is annual firearms maintenance day. This is the one day of the year that I spend going over each firearm in the gun safe, making sure it is in working order, and then placing them back into the deep sleep until they are needed, or until next year, as the case may be. Are the night sights still bright? Are all batteries either removed or working? Does the firearm need cleaning? It takes 4 or 5 hours to give all of them the once over. If a firearm needs repairs that take more than 10 minutes or so, then it gets red tagged and goes on the ‘to do’ list. With that out of the way, here is a filler post about firearms:

Choosing an EDC is a personal, opinion driven choice. Each of us has that one handgun that we like to carry, and none of them are wrong, because it’s a matter of opinion. Unless you carry a Taurus Judge, but even then, I know a woman who shot a rapist 5 times with one. He was found by the cops, dead in the bushes about 100 yards away. That’s a story in itself.

The only bad handgun choice is the one that is so poor that you leave it at home and wind up not carrying anything.

All handguns are a tradeoff. They have low power, short range, and don’t have as much firepower as a long gun like an AR-10 or an AR-15, as well as not having as much punch as say, a shotgun. We carry handguns because we aren’t sure whether or not we will need one, but it is useful to have one just in case. The chief advantage of a handgun is that it isn’t inconvenient to carry- not like a long gun, which is a pain in the ass to carry everywhere.

Remember, you carry a handgun in case you might be in a gun fight. If you KNOW you will be in a gun fight, endeavor to not be there. If that is impossible, bring a long gun and bring a friend with a long gun, if possible.

There is no such thing as “knockdown power” in a man portable firearm. Any firearm that produces enough force to “knockdown” a target will also, thanks to Newton’s laws, knockdown the person firing it. With that being said, there are a number of considerations that went into me selecting a firearm. The most important of them (in order of importance) are reliability, how accurate I am with that firearm, concealability, capacity, and the caliber.

I have owned a good variety of handguns. According to my logs (yes, I keep a log of every gun that I have owned in the past 20 years, but sadly don’t have a list of anything from before that time.)

  • Beretta: Tomcat
  • Colt: Combat Commander
  • Glock Models 17, 19, 26, 27
  • Kimber Pro Carry, Eclipse Custom, Ultra Carry 2, Raptor
  • Para: 1911 Black Ops
  • Ruger: P-95
  • Smith and Wesson: Models 59, 5906, 4506, 4566, 4586, 637, 642, 686. M&P models 22, 9, 9c, 40, 45, 45 2.0, Shield models 9mm, 40S&W, 380ez, 45, Shield plus, Bodyguard
  • Sig Sauer models 220, 226, 229 in 9mm and in 357 Sig, the Mosquito
  • Taurus: PT45, Millenium

If a handgun has any sort of failure- whether it is a soft primer strike, a failure to feed, eject, or any other failure more than once in every thousand rounds, it isn’t a carry gun that I will rely on. It becomes a safe queen that is fun to shoot on range day, but won’t get close to EDC status.

Reliability

I found the 1911s to be too finicky, requiring customization and a good amount of work, and even then they weren’t reliable enough to bet your life on. Some of them are jamomatics- they jam every 50 to 100 rounds. Others are better, jamming only every 250 rounds or so. That still isn’t good enough. I’ve heard tell of 1911s that are good shooters, but most of those are $5,000 or more custom jobs, or the owners are constantly fussing over them, replacing springs and such. Still not good enough.

The Smith and Wesson Model 59 (my very first handgun) was not drop safe. I dropped mine once and it went off, shooting a hole through my dresser and into the wall.

The Third Generation Smith and Wessons are all of the ones with 4 digit model numbers- 4506, 5906, etc. They had a nasty problem- there were times that you would pull the trigger when the hammer was back, and nothing would happen. The hammer would stay back and not move. I don’t know why, but it would happen periodically. That was it for the Third Generation Smiths. I stopped carrying them after that happened a couple of times. This problem bugged me so much, that I didn’t buy another Smith and Wesson handgun for 15 years, and that one was a revolver.

Accuracy

The Glocks are good handguns, but I just don’t like to shoot them- they don’t feel good in my hand. I still have a few, but they just don’t go into the EDC rotation. The Ruger felt like holding a brick. For those reasons, I am just not as good at shooting them as I am others.

Concealability

The full sized and even compact handguns just aren’t concealable enough in Florida’s casual, hot weather dress. For that reason, we are limited to the subcompact and smaller handguns most of the time.

The Sig Sauers are great handguns, and I put a few trophies on the wall shooting IDPA with them. I loved shooting the 229 in 357 Sig. Hitting targets was almost intuitive with them. At one point, I was buying the Black Stainless version of them 2 or 3 at a time at a steep discount from CDNN, but that was so long ago that I was getting 357Sig ammo for $125 for a 1,000 round case. The 229s are no longer available from there. Still, they are a bit too large to be concealed very well, so you don’t see me carrying them very often.

Likewise, the Smith and Wesson 686 is an L frame revolver. It’s as hard to conceal as a full sized auto. I have toyed with getting a shoulder rig for it, but never have. That large of a handgun with only 6 shots is just a non-starter for me. It’s fun to shoot, but I likely will never carry it.

Capacity

The 642 is a five shot revolver. I don’t like carrying it unless there is no other choice. Still, it’s better than carrying one of the 380s, which I will also do from time to time.

The Shields in 45 have only one round more at a capacity of 6, unless you carry the extended mag to get 7. Now the extended mag makes it easier to shoot for a person with large hands, so it’s still a contender.

The Shield 40 has the same issue as the 45, bit with less power. So it’s largely out.

Caliber

The Beretta Tomcat was only a .32ACP. I got this one in a trade, where I traded a S&W 642 with a customized trigger to her because her hands would hurt using the Tomcat. I only carried it when nothing else would do. Since it wasn’t really suitable for carry, I eventually sold it.

The Sig Mosquito and the M&P 22 are not of a caliber that is suitable for carry. They are out.

What’s Left for EDC

For those of you keeping track, we are now left with the Smith and Wesson Shields and the 642, a J-frame revolver.

Those are the handguns that are in the EDC rotation. They meet all of the criteria that I have for an EDC handgun. The 642 is one I carry in either a pocket holster or an ankle holster. It was my favorite to carry when I worked night shifts on the ambulance. Strapped inside of my left ankle, it met all of my criteria and it was comforting to know that I wasn’t an unarmed target carrying valuable drugs in a bad neighborhood. This handgun was also written about my Marko when we were discussing whether or not the J-frame revolver was still relevant.

My favorite is the Shield Plus. The one l like is the ported Performance Center model that has a red dot on it. There will be a post on that tomorrow. It’s main drawback is how hard it was to find good leather for it. I went with a custom holster from Milt Sparks, but there was an 8 month wait to get one.

Even so, each of my handguns gets an occasional test drive, and some of them do get carried from time to time, but the 642, and one of the Shield Pluses are my main EDC handguns.

By Divemedic, ago

More On Enrichment

More on the critter who randomly fired into a crowd celebrating Halloween in Orlando: He had a felony record for grand theft auto from last December. There is a record of him attending elementary and middle school, but no record of high school, meaning that he was a dropout. We don’t have much else to go on, because juvenile records are sealed in Florida.

This is an example of the absolute waste of DNA that has become a large segment of our nation. I am reminded of the quote from Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, comparing raising children to housebreaking dogs:

“Mr. Dubois, you have to! You scold him so that he knows he’s in trouble, you rub his nose in it so that he will know what trouble you mean, you paddle him so that he darn well won’t do it again — and you have to do it right away! It doesn’t do a bit of good to punish him later; you’ll just confuse him. Even so, he won’t learn from one lesson, so you watch and catch him again and paddle him still harder. Pretty soon he learns. But it’s a waste of breath just to scold him.” Then I added, “I guess you’ve never raised pups.”

These children were often caught; police arrested batches each day. Were they scolded? Yes, often scathingly. Were their noses rubbed in it? Rarely. News organs and officials usually kept their names secret – in many places the law so required for criminals under eighteen. Were they spanked? Indeed not! Many had never been spanked even as small children; there was a widespread belief that spanking, or any punishment involving pain, did a child permanent psychic damage.

These juvenile criminals hit a low level. Born with only the instinct for survival, the highest morality they achieved was a shaky loyalty to a peer group, a street gang. But the do-gooders attempted to ‘appeal to their better natures,’ to ‘reach them,’ to ‘spark their moral sense.’ Tosh! They had no ‘better natures’; experience taught them that what they were doing was the way to survive. The puppy never got his spanking; therefore what he did with pleasure and success must be ‘moral.’

By Divemedic, ago

Shenanigans

Police cut off voting at 1345, when it was supposed to go until 1630. Why isn’t the press going nuts over this? Because its Quakertown, PA. The city is 94% White, mostly Trump voters.

I want to point out that the woman in this video isn’t an election official. She is a Democrat who is posing as one. Look at her badge very closely.

Similar stories are playing out all over Pennsylvania- in areas containing white, mostly Trump voters, the voters are being turned away from the polls. Election officials are excusing it by saying those being turned away can apply to receive a mail in ballot.

“We are aware that, due to a miscommunication, individuals in line to apply for an on-demand mail-in ballot were briefly told they could not be accommodated. In fact, these voters were given the opportunity to submit mail-in ballot applications today.”

Applications. Will those applications be approved, ballots filled out, and mailed in time to arrive for election day, 5 days from now? Of course they won’t be. That’s why they are doing this.

Let Republicans demand ID in order to vote, and the communists scream that voters are being disenfranchised. Let the left cut off voting three hours early and turn voters away, and it’s a long and grueling process.

The left, as well as the Federal bureaucracy, cannot and will not let Trump become President. They are terrified of what he will do if he regains power. The cheat, the fix, is in.

Still, there is a chance that I could be wrong, and you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take. I am going to vote this morning.

By Divemedic, ago

The Timing is Beautiful

After this week’s post where a fellow nurse reported my so-called (in her opinion) poor patient care, I got a surprise email telling me that I am being promoted, effective Saturday. This was a huge surprise, being that I was just promoted in August. While I am sure that this was not related in any way to my argument, it just feels like icing on the cake.

I am waiting to see what kind of raise comes with this.

No, it isn’t a management position, but it does mean more money and prestige.

By Divemedic, ago

Frustrated

A comedian at the NY Trump rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. The left is going nuts, calling the comment, and by extension the entire rally, “racist.”

  • Puerto Rican isn’t a race.
  • Puerto Rico IS an island of garbage. I have been there- and it is indistinguishable from a third world shithole. That has nothing to do with the race or ethnicity of the people there. They could be as white as Norwegians, and I would still say that the place looking like that would still look like a shithole floating island of garbage.

From my post of 2022:

Puerto Rico is a socialist disaster of a state, and if we are being honest, the entire island more closely represents a third world shithole than it does the US. I’m talking politically and visually. The tax rates are high, with a corporate rate of 37.5%, a personal income tax at 33%, and 11.5% sales taxes. On top of all of that, residents also pay US Social Security taxes, but not Federal Income taxes. In exchange, the US pays about $40 billion a year to Puerto Rico. In all, the government of Puerto Rico takes in about $12 billion in taxes, plus the $40 billion in US Federal money for a population of about 3.6 million, or about $14,400 per capita.

I would like to see the place get cut loose to become its own country. I just don’t see the benefit that the island gives the US.

Trivia fact: 1 in every 4 people who reside in Florida are originally from New York, Puerto Rico, or are illegals from Central and South America. As Wilkow says: “You can’t bring there to here without here becoming there.”

I am frustrated listening to, and arguing with, morons.

By Divemedic, ago

Just a Criminal Gang at This Point

In April of 2023, a Kissimmee Police officer illegally and without a warrant entered the home of a man. The cop claims that he saw the man push his father, so the cop attempted to arrest the man, using force by kneeing the man in the face and shooting him with a Taser more than 7 times. The force used did extensive damage to the man’s face, breaking his nose and requiring dental work.

When questioned about the incident, the chief of police had this to say:

The video was surprising because the knee spikes went against training. However, she said the repeated use of the taser was within what’s considered proper use to gain compliance.

“I couldn’t see it on the video, but I will take Officer Baseggio’s word that he saw what he thought was a battery,” Holland said. “And so with that being said, he doesn’t know if he was going to go arm himself.”

As a result, the cop got an 8 hour suspension. That is the end of it. Or so it seems. It turns out that there was much more to the story.

It turns out that the cop lied on his incident report, as well as intimidating witnesses to tell the story of the incident in a way that was favorable to the officer and his actions. As a result of that, he was indicted by a grand jury on charges of felony battery, misdemeanor battery, official misconduct, solicitation for perjury and two counts of tampering with a witness. He was fired as a result.

Still, that isn’t the entire story. It turns out that while the AG’s office was investigating the rogue cop, they were questioning his fellow officers, and 11 of them lied in official statements in order to protect and cover for him. Those 11 cops were also indicted, and as a result both the chief and deputy chief of police were terminated.

As I have said before, the bad cops lie, abuse their power, cheat, and steal. The so-called “good” cops will lie and cover for them, which makes them all bad cops. At this point, the only difference between most police and a criminal gang is that the cops have badges and immunity.

I repeat what I have said before- we as citizens need to demand one of two things:

  • Eliminate qualified immunity and force police to get malpractice insurance
  • Pass a law that any lawsuit against police for unlawful behavior against citizens be paid directly from the police pension fund.

Make cops have skin in the game.

By Divemedic, ago

Not the Same

An NFL player gave an interview while wearing a MAGA hat. Now the left is losing it:

The problem isn’t that Kaepernick was presenting a political opinion. What he did was take a knee during the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting the flag, and by extension, the country. When called on it, all he and his followers had to say was “It’s just a piece of cloth. Get over it.”

Well, it isn’t just a piece of cloth. Until you understand nuance and see that there is a difference between disagreement and disrespect, you don’t have the ability to engage in a productive discussion on this. So instead, you resort to throwing down the race card. I refuse to play that stupid game.

By Divemedic, ago

Mailbag

This week in comments and in email responses to this blog, I have received no fewer than 12 threats to my career, my life, or other rants about how they are going to “get me.”

I’ve been called a “boomer halfwit,” despite the fact that I am not a boomer. You see, to everyone that is currently under 25 years old, everyone over the age of 30 is a boomer, because they are too ignorant to understand that boomer is a slang term for “baby boomer,” which is the term for the generation of people born between 1946 and 1964.

  • The greatest generation was the one who won WW2. They were born from 1901- 1924.
  • The silent generation were those born between 1925 and 1945.
  • Gen X (for the tenth generation, from the Roman numeral X. Kids, ask your parents) were born from 1965 to 1980.
  • Millenials are those born from 1981 to 1996.
  • You babies who were born from 1997 to 2012 are called Gen Z, because this generation spent more time learning about trannies than they did Roman numerals.

Who is the halfwit? The person who claims I was raised by a member of the greatest generation? Or the dumbass who doesn’t know how wrong they are?

About half of the attackers called me a coward for blogging under a pseudonym, even though they posted their screed without even using a screen name. I use a pseudonym because you little asshats are constantly trying to find my employer in an attempt to get me fired, writing my registrar trying to have me deplatformed, or sending me death threats. See the skank that tried to do that last year who then complained that I doxxed her and threatened to sue me.

On the death threats front. This blog gets a death threat from a lefty about once a month. I’m armed everywhere I go. That’s all I have to say on that front.

I don’t approve such comments. Not because they disagree with my opinion, but because they violate rules 2 and 3 of this blog.

By Divemedic, ago