Saturday, June 07, 2008

STEPHEN CAMP - HOLSTERS

UPDATED SUNDAY - JUNE 8, 2008

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An HBE IWB Holster for 1911's

By Stephen Camp

It's probably a pretty safe bet that the longer pistoleros have been involved with "the addiction", the larger their holster collection grows. In my case, the number of holsters may very well exceed the number of handguns I actually own and many find their way into "the box," a final resting place for holsters that just don't "work" for me.

Just as many of us continue to search for "the perfect handgun", something that I'm becoming more and more sure doesn't exist, our interest is piqued when we see what might be a "perfect holster". We think about it and often as not, buy one. Sometimes we achieve nirvana and sometimes we have to add a new member to "the box".

In some instances I've had darned good luck with production line holsters such as the old Bianchi Askins Avenger, but generally speaking we still pretty much get what we pay for and sooner or later, a goodly number of us wind up buying a holster from a custom maker. I've had very good luck with custom leather from Lou Alessi, Garrity Holsters, and HBE Leatherworks. Eric Larsen's IWB (Inside-the-Waist-Band) Com 3 holster for the 1911 will be the focus of this post.

Here is the maroon leather holster from Eric Larsen's "HBE Leatherworks". I wore this holster with the SA Mil-Spec 1911-based pistol for several days to see if it actually "works" for me or if it might find its way into "the box." This holster has a 15-degree cant, but other options are available.

The Mil-Spec fit snugly in the HBE Com 3 but after a few days, it loosened only to the point that the pistol could be easily drawn, yet not move about when holstered. The holster did not fade, was not easily scratched and did not fade onto clothing.

The holster's snap-type belt loops made it easy to wear or remove the holster, a need for some folks who lawfully carry concealed and the loops never inadvertently became unsnapped. The distance between the loops worked fine with several pair of pants with regard to their pant loops. This distance also allows the holster to more easily form to the body for greater comfort.

Of prime importance to me was whether or not the holster would move or shift from its original position. This one did not, a good thing indeed.

Clint Smith reportedly said something to the effect that, "Handguns are not meant to be comfortable. They're meant to be comforting". While I agree with that statement in theory, I believe that the reality for most of us is that we'll have our comforting handgun on our person more often if we can do it comfortably.

I found the HBE Com 3 quite comfortable and predict that it will more readily allow my comforting .45 to be present when it might not otherwise be.

The 1911-based autoloader, particularly in .45 ACP, is held in high esteem by a great percentage of defense oriented shooters. At the same time, I doubt that John M. Browning's initial design parameters for his great military sidearm included concealability. It is on the large side and compared to more than a few of today's handgun choices, heavy. That said, this handgun continues to serve its masters well and remains a most popular choice in defensive hardware.

A good belt and holster can go a long way in making this pistol both comfortable to tote and hard to spot, while still being readily accessible. For me, the Com 3 appears to be just such a holster.

Mr. Larsen advises that the holster's back panel is made of 7/8 oz. steer back strap hide for sturdiness. The front is 5/6 or 6/7 oz., depending upon the hide characteristics he is using. He advises that this molds and shapes well without being too thin for long service life. I will also add that the holster is not too thick, a trait important in IWB designs. Stitching is done with polyester thread to resist UV and is resistant to wear and sweat, which is a definite consideration for an IWB holster. Black thread is used because it doesn't fade with time as can thread that has been dyed.

The Com 3 holster fits the pistol snugly and I believe that it is unlikely that the pistol would "launch" during either a foot chase by an officer or any vigorous activity the wearer might be engaged in. At the same time, the weapon is easily drawn. It was no problem for me to get a proper grip on the gun while it was still holstered.

The Com 3 completely contains the muzzle of the pistol. It does not abrade skin, something most will agree is important in a concealment holster intended for daily (and nightly) use.

Here is the Com 3 being worn. It conceals well and made it very easy to conceal the 5" "forty-five automatic" beneath but a loose-fitting shirt. It stayed in place hours upon hours and was as comfortable as any IWB holster I've tried…and better than a great many others…that are now in "the box."

I definitely am not much of an artisan at anything and am certainly not a holster maker. A holster that I'd make would probably resemble a sausage sack than anything else, but I truly believe this to be a holster that will serve both well and long.

Mr. Larsen has suffered some rather severe personal setbacks in the recent past, but things are improved vastly and he advises that he's working hard on catching up previous orders. I asked how long the wait might be now for a Com 3 and he advised 3 to 6 months. He also advised that he would be most happy to take questions. (Depending upon options available to the buyer, cost starts at $89.00, which includes Priority Mail costs. Holsters requested in exotic hides such as alligator will take longer and cost more.)

Contact information as well as information on the Com 3 and other HBE holsters can be had at his site:

http://www.hbeleatherworks.com/

Take a look. I think you might just like what you see.

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« A drought-ravaged farm in California is put up for sale for commercial development, May 8.
(Getty Images)

California Enduring Yet Another Statewide Drought

June 5, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com

Areas of northern California are experiencing their driest spring in recorded history. Why the big dry?

After two years of below-average rainfall and a scourge of wildfires last October, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a statewide drought. This proclamation will allow water officials to ration supplies and to shift water around the state more rapidly in an attempt to curb the situation.

“We must recognize the severity of the crisis that we face,” the Republican governor said Wednesday at a news conference. “For the areas in Northern California that supply most of our water, this March, April and May have been the driest ever in our recorded history.”

California’s six-year drought that ended in 1991 was declared the worst ever at the time. It was followed by heavy rains, massive flooding, and heavy growth of grass, shrubbery and weeds. This heavy undergrowth fueled the flames of dangerous and devastating wildfires later that year.

Now Schwarzenegger is saying that areas of northern California have experienced their driest spring in recorded history.

Whether droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, race riots, or budget deficits, California keeps getting hit by disasters; and these disasters keep getting described as the “worst ever.” Many have wondered and are wondering if the state is under a curse.

California’s current situation vividly illustrates the penalty God said would come upon those who turn away from His law. Only God can prevent such disasters. His words in Amos 4:7 are, “… I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.” California has been alternating between “worst ever” droughts and massive floods. For more specific information on exactly what California is being punished for, read “Is California Under a Curse?” by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.

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June 7, 2008

Water-Starved California Slows Development

PERRIS, Calif. — As California faces one of its worst droughts in two decades, building projects are being curtailed for the first time under state law by the inability of developers to find long-term water supplies.

Water authorities and other government agencies scattered throughout the state, including here in sprawling Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, have begun denying, delaying or challenging authorization for dozens of housing tracts and other developments under a state law that requires a 20-year water supply as a condition for building.

California officials suggested that the actions were only the beginning, and they worry about the impact on a state that has grown into an economic powerhouse over the last several decades.

The state law was enacted in 2001, but until statewide water shortages, it had not been invoked to hold up projects.

While previous droughts and supply problems have led to severe water cutbacks and rationing, water officials said the outright refusal to sign off on projects over water scarcity had until now been virtually unheard of on a statewide scale.

“Businesses are telling us that they can’t get things done because of water,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said in a telephone interview.

On Wednesday, Mr. Schwarzenegger declared an official statewide drought, the first such designation since 1991. As the governor was making his drought announcement, the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County — one of the fastest-growing counties in the state in recent years — gave a provisional nod to nine projects that it had held up for months because of water concerns. The approval came with the caveat that the water district could revisit its decision, and only after adjustments had been made to the plans to reduce water demand.

“The statement that we’re making is that this isn’t business as usual,” said Randy A. Record, a water district board member, at the meeting here in Perris.

Shawn Jenkins, a developer who had two projects caught up in the delays, said he was accustomed to piles of paperwork and reams of red tape in getting projects approved. But he was not prepared to have the water district hold up the projects he was planning. He changed the projects’ landscaping, to make it less water dependent, as the board pondered their fate.

“I think this is a warning for everyone,” Mr. Jenkins said.

Also in Riverside County, a superior court judge recently stopped a 1,500-home development project, citing, among others things, a failure to provide substantial evidence of adequate water supply.

In San Luis Obispo County, north of Los Angeles, the City of Pismo Beach was recently denied the right to annex unincorporated land to build a large multipurpose project because, “the city didn’t have enough water to adequately serve the development,” said Paul Hood, the executive officer of the commission that approves the annexations and incorporations of cities.

In agriculturally rich Kern County, north of Los Angeles, at least three developers scrapped plans recently to apply for permits, realizing water was going to be an issue. An official from the county’s planning department said the developers were the first ever in the county to be stymied by water concerns. Large-scale housing developments in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties have met a similar fate, officials in those counties said.

Throughout the state, other projects have been suspended or are being revised to accommodate water shortages, and water authorities and cities have increasingly begun to consider holding off on “will-serve” letters — promises to developers to provide water — for new projects.

“The water in our state is not sufficient to add more demand,” said Lester Snow, the director of the California Department of Water Resources. “And that now means that some large development can’t go forward. If we don’t make changes with water, we are going to have a major economic problem in this state.”

The words “crisis” and “water” have gone together in this state since the 49ers traded flecks of gold for food. But several factors have combined to make the current water crisis more acute than those of recent years.

An eight-year drought in the Colorado River basin has greatly impinged on water supply to Southern California. Of the roughly 1.25 million acre-feet of water that the region normally imports from that river toward the 4.5 million acre-feet it uses each year, 500,000 has been lost to drought, said Jeff Kightlinger, the general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Even more significant, a judge in federal district court last year issued a curtailment in pumping from the California Delta — where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet and provide water to roughly 25 million Californians — to protect a species of endangered smelt that were becoming trapped in the pumps. Those reductions, from December to June, cut back the state’s water reserves this winter by about one third, according to a consortium of state water boards.

The smelt problem was a powerful indicator of the environmental fallout from the delta’s water system, which was constructed over 50 years ago for a far smaller population.

“We have bad hydrology, compromised infrastructure and our management tools are broken,” said Timothy Quinn, the executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. “All that paints a fairly grim picture for Californians trying to manage water in the 21st century.”

The 2001 state water law, which took effect in 2002, requires developers to prove that new projects have a plan for providing at least 20 years’ worth of water before local water authorities can sign off on them. With the recent problems, more and more local governments are unable to simply approve projects.

“Water is one of our most difficult issues when we are evaluating large-scale projects,” said Lorelei Oviatt, the division chief for the Kern County Planning Department. In cases where developers are unable to present a long-term water plan, “then certainly I can’t recommend they approve” those developments, Ms. Oviatt said.

As the denied building permits indicate, the lack of sufficient water sources could become a serious threat to economic development in California, where the population in 2020 is projected to reach roughly 45 million people, economists say, from its current 38 million. In the end, as water becomes increasingly scarce, its price will have to rise, bringing with it a host of economic consequences, the economists said.

“Water has been seriously under-priced in California,” said Edward E. Leamer, a professor at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. “When you ration it or increase its price, it will have an impact on economic growth.”

The water authority for Southern California recently issued a rate increase of 14.3 percent, when including surcharges, which was the highest rate increase in the last 15 years. In Northern California, rates in Marin County increased recently by nearly 10 percent, in part to pay an 11 percent increase in the cost of water bought from neighboring Sonoma County.

Interest groups that oppose development have found that raising water issues is among the many bats in their bags available to beat back projects they find distasteful.

“Certainly from Newhall Ranch’s standpoint, water was a key point that our opponents were focused on,” said Marlee Lauffer, a spokeswoman for Newhall Ranch, a large-scale residential development in the works is Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. The City of Los Angeles, among others, has opposed the development.

To get around the problem, Newhall Ranch’s planners decided to forgo water supplied through the state and turn instead to supplies from an extensive water reclamation plant as well as water bought privately. Other developers, like Mr. Jenkins, have changed their landscaping plans to reduce water needs and planned for low-flow plumbing to placate water boards.

Mr. Schwarzenegger sees addressing the state’s water problem as one of his key goals, and he is hoping against the odds to get a proposed $11.9 billion bond for water management investments through the Legislature and before voters in November.

The plans calls for water conservation and quality improvement programs, as well as a resource management plan for the delta. Among its most controversial components is $3.5 billion earmarked for new water storage, something that environmentalists have vehemently opposed, in part because they find dams and storage facilities environmentally unsound and not cost effective.

The critics also point out that the state’s agriculture industry, which uses far more water than urban areas, is being asked to contribute little to conservation under the governor’s plans. As more building projects are derailed by water requirements, the pressure on farmers to share more of their water is expected to grow.

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« Dry native vegetation near Los Angeles, Calif., exposes the dire drought situation—the worst for L.A. on record.
(Getty Images)

Drought Deepens in Los Angeles

June 8, 2007 | From theTrumpet.com

As summer begins, Southern California is already experiencing unprecedented dry conditions.

Los Angeles officials, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, urged residents to cut water consumption by 10 percent as Southern California gets baked by its driest year on record.

A combination of a third of the average rainfall in L.A. since last July, low snow levels in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and drought along the Colorado River is causing dry conditions across the region, according to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Adding to the arid mix are weather forecasters’ predictions of a summer of record-high temperatures. Mayor Villaraigosa is concerned a “perfect storm” is brewing that could spell disaster for Southern California residents.

The mayor’s call for conservation is the first water-reduction goal the city has issued in more than a decade. Mandatory water rationing is also a possibility for residents, something that hasn’t occurred since 1991.

Timothy Brick, chairman of the water district, said it was the first time in the water district’s history that “there are critical dry weather conditions occurring concurrently in our service area of Southern California as well as in the watersheds for our Colorado River and State Water Project water supplies.”

Southern California imports half its water from the Colorado River and rivers in northern parts of the state. Due to a late-developing La Niña, climatologists fear another dry winter, which would negatively affect the water supply in the Colorado River Basin.

Although these dry conditions are unprecedented, they certainly weren’t unpredicted. The Golden State has been ravished by natural disasters and drought conditions more than ever before. God blesses and curses nations because of their actions. These weather conditions beg the question: Is California cursed?

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Water crisis to be biggest world risk


By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Last Updated: 11:56pm BST 06/06/2008


A catastrophic water shortage could prove an even bigger threat to mankind this century than soaring food prices and the relentless exhaustion of energy reserves, according to a panel of global experts at the Goldman Sachs "Top Five Risks" conference.

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WHEN WILL YOU FINALLY GET IT - ITS PRE-ORDAINED BY G-D...

LEVITICUS CHAPTER 26

יט וְשָׁבַרְתִּי, אֶת-גְּאוֹן עֻזְּכֶם; וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-שְׁמֵיכֶם כַּבַּרְזֶל, וְאֶת-אַרְצְכֶם כַּנְּחֻשָׁה. 19 And I will break the pride of your power (YOUR MILITARY IS BROKEN); and I will make your heaven as iron (NO RAIN), and your earth as brass (NOTHING WILL GROW).
כ וְתַם לָרִיק, כֹּחֲכֶם; וְלֹא-תִתֵּן אַרְצְכֶם, אֶת-יְבוּלָהּ, וְעֵץ הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her produce, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

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ats54534_tinfoilhat.jpg
A man wearing a tin foil hat


ats45944_imageinformationiconyt41.gif

A tinfoil hat, also called a TFH or aluminum beanie, is headgear made from sheets of tinfoil. Some believe that tinfoil hats will shield the brain from outside influences such as mind control. Lead is, however, claimed to be the ultimate protection for those who want to avoid mind invasion.

Tinfoil hats have become a symbol of the paranoid and sometimes the conspiracy minded.


Wednesday, June 04, 2008

UPDATED 6-6-08 NEW KEL-TEC PF-9

UPDATED FRIDAY - JUNE 6, 2008

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AMERICAS FUTURE ?? = GALLON OF GAS = $12.+

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CODING AMMUNITION - MUST READ

GO TO www.actionsbyt.typepad.com

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THIS IS A MUST READ

Are You Watching the Food Riots?


Global civil unrest over skyrocketing food prices gives us an unpleasant glimpse at what human nature can do. By Joel Hilliker

Watching civil unrest and riots spreading nation to nation like a communicable disease raises some important questions. We do ourselves no favors by ignoring them.

Rising energy and food prices are hitting pocketbooks worldwide. Developing countries—which tend to be the most populous—are being hurt worst, as staple foods grow too expensive or too scarce. Global grain supplies are dangerously low. Exporting nations, out of self-preservation, are getting stingy and turning the export spigot way down.

The resulting hunger pangs are being felt around the world. Why? Because they’re turning up on our television screens—in the form of angry protests, which are turning into violent food riots and social breakdown. Several African nations, including Egypt, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, have had citizens killed in riots. There is talk the government in Bangladesh could be toppled over soaring food prices. Unrest is breaking out in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and South America. In the Philippines, armed soldiers stand watch over rice distribution. Closer to home for Americans, demonstrations have seized Mexico and Haiti. The World Bank’s president estimates that 33 nations are at risk of “conflict and social unrest because of the acute hike in food and energy prices.”

That’s a lot of suffering. And suffering tends to bring out the worst in human nature.

It’s easy to click away or change the channel when you’ve got plenty to eat yourself. But America and other First World nations are hardly invulnerable.

Even in America

In fact, food rationing has already begun. At certain Costco stores across America, store managers have said no to shoppers wanting to purchase more than their allotted amount for certain food stuffs, including flour, rice and cooking oil. “Due to the limited availability of rice, we are limiting purchases based on your prior purchasing history,” read one sign in a store in Mountain View, California. In Queens, New York, quotas are being imposed on oil and flour purchases.

For over 12 years, the Trumpet has warned of food shortages gripping the United States; now, they are starting to arrive.

Stockpiles of wheat in the U.S. have hit a 60-year low. And 60 years ago, America had a population of less than half of what it does now.

The Department of Agriculture says that in the year ending May 31, U.S. wheat inventories could be down 47 percent from a year earlier, to 6.6 million tons. That means there is a U.S. emergency wheat reserve supply of only about 43 pounds per person. And low supply means high prices.

The dollar is quickly losing value, and the U.S. is more dependent on foreign food production than ever. Already, grocery bills are rising quickly. Coupled with energy prices pushing skyward, more and more Americans are feeling the pinch.

Not yet a pinch like Indonesians are feeling—but then again, Americans are used to a far higher standard of living. Suffering can be relative.

Also, that higher standard of living means we have much further to fall.

Look at those riots spreading globally, and ask yourself: What if grocery prices got completely out of reach here at home?

What If?

What if the convenient food ran out—if Americans by the millions faced boarded-up fast food joints and grocery stores with empty shelves?

What would happen if gasoline first became too expensive to afford—and then too scarce to find?

And in this age of nuclear terrorism, what if far more sudden and catastrophic disruptions multiplied these problems?

How much patience would Americans exhibit? For how long would they peacefully suffer such conditions?

How well would they work together under the rule of law?

Perhaps the vast majority would bear up relatively well. But what about the rest? And how long before the criminals emerged?

The reason these questions are so important to contemplate is that the Bible actually prophesies such terrifying circumstances besieging America—as well as Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other affluent countries.

Try to envision it.

Imagine that the U.S. economy continues to slump. The dollar is shedding its value. Factories are shutting down. The number of homeless and hopeless grows in the cities. Shipping grinds to a halt as companies close and energy prices climb.

The inner-city poor are hit hardest. Charity efforts are unable to meet demands. Lines form at grocery stores for dwindling supplies of food at rising prices. Some, desperate for sustenance, resort to crime.

Racial tensions and resentment against the government escalate. Police officers are trapped between restoring order and being indicted for discrimination. As more people are victimized, both by economic depression and rising crime, emotions boil over.

The evils of human nature begin to emerge in force. Riots and looting break out in a handful of cities.

And then, capitalizing on this edgy atmosphere, terrorists detonate a crude nuclear bomb in New York or Chicago.

Eighteen thousand people are instantly vaporized. Power is out; the sanitation system has been disabled; there is no water; electronic communication from the area dies; information is blacked out; interstates clog with city-dwellers desperate to escape and suffering the first symptoms of radiation sickness.

Emergency units from neighboring states rush in to tend to the untold tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands who are slowly dying from radiation exposure, straining state and federal crisis management resources to their limits within days. Vast mobs of refugees migrate to neighboring cities.

The ripple effects of the strike further paralyze the country’s already-crippled economy and overtaxed police force. Effects are felt nationwide. Reports emerge of people starving to death in what until recently was the most prosperous nation on Earth.

As disorder mushrooms, government intervention buckles. Urban predators go on the offensive. Gangs take over. Pillaging and rioting increase. Buildings burn in the night. The worse the violence and burning become, the worse the famine gets. The worse the famine becomes, the more intensive the violence gets.

In the midst of the chaos, reports emerge of a spreading sickness. Unsanitary conditions in the city have facilitated an aggressive outbreak of cholera and a particularly deadly influenza virus. People begin dying in dozens, then hundreds. Then, the diseases begin popping up in neighboring cities—spread there by the refugees. A massive quarantine effort is needed, but with local law enforcement at its breaking point and the military already maxed out, only so much can be done. The plague spreads, and with it the crime.

Don’t Be Caught Unawares

This is only one of a thousand possible scenarios we may soon witness. Independent analysts and federal officials are imagining such eventualities based on observable evidence in order to plan their responses and to mitigate the devastation.

What these individuals don’t realize is that—barring national repentance—these disasters are prophesied to claim the lives of an enormous number of the people within our borders. Read our book Ezekiel: The End-Time Prophet to grasp the severity of these forecasts (available free upon request).

The human mind rejects such scenarios—even after we have seen them play out to no small degree in New York and Washington on 9/11, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Naturally we want only to put such thoughts out of our minds. We want things to stay as they are.

It is because of this tendency that Jesus Christ warned specifically, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day”—that is, the period of destruction just ahead of us—“come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).

That day should not come upon you unawares; it need not ensnare you. The same great God who is measuring this destruction of America and the nations of Israel also seeks your repentance. And to those who truly turn to Him with supple hearts, He offers individual protection—escape—from the worst of the coming storms (verse 36).

There is purpose in prophecy. In the midst of terrifying and tumultuous events, prophetic warning is nothing less than our Creator reaching out to His creation.

A terrible period of darkness is prophesied to occur. But also prophesied is that within this darkness—shining in a sin-sick and war-weary, increasingly terrorized world—would be a burning light: a bold message calling for repentance and proclaiming, beyond the darkness, the glow of eternal hope.

Luke 21:27-28 declare that hope to the disciples of Jesus Christ: “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

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FROM www.rense.com

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G-D IS VERY ANGRY

Storm clouds move over the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 4, part of a line of severe storms that moved through the Mid-Atlantic region. Storm clouds move over the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House in Washington, DC, on June 4, part of a line of severe storms that moved through the Mid-Atlantic region.

By Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images
Severe weather system causes 3 deaths across USA

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The Kel-Tec PF-9 Pistol

by Ed Buffaloe

Kel-Tec PF-9I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my PF-9 ever since I bought it. I managed, through sheer luck, to get one of the first 100 produced. I appreciated how small and light it was to shoot the powerful 9mm parabellum round. The gun has a double-action-only trigger with a fairly stiff trigger pull. Still, the trigger pull is better than on the Kel-Tec P-11, which is the other 9mm pistol manufactured by Kel-Tec. The P-11 has a double-stack magazine, but it is fatter than the PF-9 and in my opinion the trigger is terrible.

I’ve come to believe that for personal defense a double-action-only trigger is probably better than a single-action. I have a tendency to occasionally fire a round accidentally with light single-action triggers. I’m sure this could be trained out of me, but in an emergency situation the last thing in the world I would want to do would be to shoot someone accidentally.

The PF-9 feels good in my hand, whereas the P-11 does not. That is the bottom line for me. It took me a while to get where I could hit reliably with the gun. You have to exercise a certain amount of trigger control to be accurate with it--pull the trigger back and hesitate slightly, steady your aim, then fire. But I recently took the gun out after a long interval of shooting other guns, and was fairly amazed that at 8 yards I was able to produce a group smaller than my fist.

Kel-Tec PF-9 in handOn the Kel-Tec Owner’s Group website you will find a long list of problems that have been found with the PF-9. There is no doubt that the gun was released before it had been thoroughly tested. I won’t go into all the problems that arose and were eventually addressed by Kel-Tec, but suffice it to say that I had to send mine back to the factory twice, and it still has a minor issue that may require me to return it a third time. On the other hand, Kel-Tec offers a lifetime warranty on all their guns, and I’ve generally found them to be prompt and reliable in their repair service. Plus, if you are looking to buy a brand-new PF-9, all the bugs have been worked out now and the gun is really an outstanding bargain. At this writing, the suggested retail price is $333, and you can sometimes find them cheaper at discount gun dealers.

The PF-9 has a frame made of light-weight polycarbonate, an inner receiver and rails made of aluminum, and a barrel and slide made of steel. A single connecting rod links the trigger to the sear on the right side of the gun. The hammer must be reset by the action of the slide moving to the rear, putting it in a half-cock position, from which it is then possible to fire the gun by pulling the trigger. Should a round fail to fire, the slide would have to be worked before the trigger could be pulled to make the hammer fall again. The gun comes with a finger extension baseplate for the magazine that allows you to get all three fingers around the grip, should you prefer it.

To recognize the advantages of the PF-9, you should examine the table below, which lists some concealed carry guns in my collection and allows you to compare their size, weight, and power. You will note that with the exception of the Kel-Tec P-32 and the North American Arms derringer, the PF-9 is the lightest pistol I own. All of the guns that are close to the weight of the Kel-Tec are either less powerful or carry fewer rounds or both. The Colt Mustang and Charter Arms Undercoverette are both close in weight, but the Colt shoots the .380 and only carries 6 rounds, and the Charter only carries 5 rounds, though it does shoot the reasonably powerful .32 H&R magnum. The Kel-Tec is also slimmer than both other pistols and shorter than the Charter. Bottom line, it is a much easier gun to carry than all but (what I consider) back-up guns, and is more powerful and carries more ammo than guns with similar carryability.

Gun

Weight Fully Loaded

Length

Height

Thick-
ness

Barrel
Length

Action
Type

Cartridge

#
Rounds

Springfield Micro Compact

38.45 oz

1090 g

17 cm

13 cm

3.2 cm

8 cm

SA

.45 cal

6+1

Glock 36

27.85 oz

790 g

17.8 cm

12 cm

2.9 cm

9.3 cm

SA

.45 cal

6+1

Glock 27

27.7 oz

786 g

16.5 cm

12 cm

3.2 cm

8.3 cm

DA

.40 cal

9+1

Kel-Tec PF-9

18.1 oz

513 g

14.9 cm

11.2 cm

2.5 cm

7.8 cm

DA

9 mm

7+1

S&W Model 27

35.15 oz

997 g

20.3 cm

14.8 cm

3.7 cm

6.2 cm

SA/DA

.357 mag

6

Colt Detective Special

27.6 oz

782 g

17.9 cm

11.8 cm

3.6 cm

5.2 cm

SA/DA

.38 cal

6

S&W Model 36

25.9 oz

733 g

20.3 cm

12 cm

3.4 cm

7.5 cm

SA/DA

.38 cal

5

Remington Model 51

24.05 oz

683 g

16.8 cm

11.2 cm

2.4 cm

8.7 cm

SA

.380 cal

7+1

Colt Mustang

20.45 oz

580 g

14.3 cm

10 cm

3.6 cm

6.8 cm

SA

.380 cal

5+1

Charter Arms Undercoverette

20.7 oz

587 g

17 cm

11.3 cm

3.3 cm

5 cm

SA/DA

.32 mag

5

Kel-Tec P-32

9.85 oz

279 g

12.9 cm

9.1 cm

2 cm

6.3 cm

DA

.32 cal

7+1

North American Arms

5.25 oz

149 g

10 cm

5.6 cm

2.3 cm

2.6 cm

SA

.22 cal

5

The sizes listed above are with the grips I have chosen for the guns--some are factory and some are not.


Sure, if I think the terrorists are going to attack on Monday, you can bet I’ll be carrying my Glock 27 and a few other choice weapons, but for everyday carry, I’m going to go with what is comfortable, reliable, and reasonably accurate.

Generally speaking, the more powerful a gun is, the bigger it is and the more it weighs. There are definitely trade-offs in having a light, powerful gun. Weight helps to absorb recoil, so a light, powerful gun will generally have considerable felt recoil. This is definitely true of the Kel-Tec PF-9. It kicks. But not uncontrollably. I would not recommend it for most women.

When I took my sister out shooting, the gun she liked best was the Colt Mustang because it has virtually no recoil and she could work the slide. She could barely work the double-action trigger on the Smith & Wesson Model 36. The Colt Detective Special was better, but she still preferred the Mustang. She couldn’t pull the trigger on my Kel-Tec at all, nor could she work the slide.

Ron Graham HolsterIn regard to recoil, I find that the recoil on the Kel-Tec PF-9 is enough that it bites my trigger finger a little. If I’m going to shoot more than a few rounds, I generally wear a glove. I bought a smooth trigger shoe for the gun, which helps a lot, but I had to glue it to the trigger, because otherwise the recoil will eventually make it fall off the gun. Glueing the trigger shoe on meant I had to modify the frame so the trigger assembly could still be removed with a permanently attached shoe. Information on how to do this is available in the Tec Werks section of the Kel-Tec Owner’s Group website.

Some big guys carry their PF-9s in their pockets, but that isn’t feasible for me. I bought a Ron Graham belt holster and a spare magazine carrier, which have both worked well for me. Later, I made an inside-the-waistband holster that has become my preferred way to carry the gun. There are plenty of other options for a gun this small. I’ve carried a number of different guns over the past few years, and it seems to me that the most comfortable carry guns are both slim and have small grips. If the grip is too large, it tends to dig into my side when carried in an IWB holster. The Kel-Tec PF-9 fits both these criteria. It is close to being the perfect compromise between size and power.

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www.actionsbyt.blogspot.com

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www.hipowersandhandguns.com


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http://www.lightningarms.com

www.mouseguns.com

www.trippresearch.com

www.wowtexas.com

http://www.spw-duf.info/links.html#guns


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www.thetrumpet.com

www.staceydean.org

www.seecamp.com

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Barack Obama Is Not a Christian

By Cal Thomas
Syndicated columnist/FOX News Contributor

Religion is a topic that makes most journalists uncomfortable, unless they can expose hypocrisy — as in preachers who speak of virtue while carrying on an affair — or outrage such as Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the doings at Barack Obama’s now former church in Chicago. Most journalists think taking religion seriously might require them to study the claims of various faiths and too many of them have already decided this might lead them to a faith higher than themselves or politics and they don’t wish to take such a journey of personal discovery.

That is too bad, because such an attitude exposes one of the main gaps between most Americans — who believe in God — and most journalists, who don’t.


An exception is Chicago Sun-Times columnist Cathleen Falsani, who interviewed Obama in 2004 for her book, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People “and asked him specific questions about his religious beliefs.

“I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” said Obama, who has declared himself a Christian. But then he adds something that most Christians will see as universalism: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”

Falsani correctly brings up John 14:6 (and how many journalists would know such a verse, much less ask a question based on it?) in which Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That sounds pretty exclusive, but Obama says it depends on how this verse is heard. According to Falsani, Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God.” (her words)

If that is so, Jesus wasted his time coming to Earth and he certainly did not have to suffer the pain of rejection and crucifixion if there are ways to God other than through Himself.

Here’s Obama telling Falsani, “The difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There’s the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they’re going to hell.” Falsani adds, “Obama doesn’t believe he, or anyone else, will go to hell. But he’s not sure he’ll be going to heaven, either.”

Here’s Obama again: “I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people, and they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of heaven.”

Any first-year seminary student could deconstruct such “works salvation” and wishful thinking. Obama either hasn’t read the Bible, or if he has, doesn’t believe it if he embraces such thin theological gruel.

Obama can call himself anything he likes, but there is a clear requirement for one to qualify as a Christian and Obama doesn’t meet that requirement. One cannot deny central tenets of the Christian faith, including the deity and uniqueness of Christ as the sole mediator between God and Man and be a Christian. Such people do have a label applied to them in Scripture. They are called a “false prophet.”

I hope some national journalist or commentator with knowledge of such things asks Obama about this and doesn’t let him get away with re-writing Scripture to suit his political ends.

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BS Protector