9/1/09

OK, looks like we’re going with a different font this month. Whatever. So, I'd told y'all the events up to Saturday night, right? Well, Sunday morning I get a call from Aaron. Oh, John had told me that I was to meet Aaron Sunday morning at the shop to sell him the A-14 Marty had built for his B-210 so many years ago. We agree to meet at 1030 h and he’d pick it up. I dressed and was about to head out when Larry called to say he was on his way to the gun show. I said I'd meet him there after selling the engine to Aaron. I hopped in Lil' Wiggly and headed to the shop. While waiting for Aaron, I decided to have another look at the Saturn seats. I was loosening the first mounting bolt on the stock driver’s seat when he pulled up. I re-tightened the bolt and met with Aaron. We moved Shichi out and drug the engine to the door. He and I “he-manned” the donk onto the back of his truck and he tied it down. He was supposed to bring a cross member we’d supplied him to put a CA-18 in a 1200 but he forgot it. He paid me an additional $50.00 since that was part of the deal. I told them I was meeting someone and couldn't hang out and we all left. As I was pulling up to the convention center to meet Larry, Aaron called. He wanted to know about the missing valves and stuff. I had thought John had ‘splained that the engine was “as is” and told him that was the way I got it from Marty. I said we’d look for valves and stuff next time we were at the shop. I locked Big Millie up in the glove box of Lil' Wiggly and took the Hebrew Hammer inside to try and sell it. I met Larry and we walked a few aisles. No one was biting on the Hebrew Hammer and I was getting tired of carrying it so when Larry suggested going to get some lunch, I agreed. We got our hands stamped and walked out to the parking lot. Just as we walked out the door, a dude asked if I'd just bought the handgun or if I was selling. When I told him I was selling, he asked what I had. His buddy was looking for just that very thing! Turns out dude one had a .45 ACP Hebrew Hammer and dude two wanted one. I showed it to him and they asked how much. I said $400.00 but in my mind said I'd haggle down to $350.00 if need be. When dude two offered $350.00 I said yes. We went to the ATM and he got me the money. I shook their hands and bid them farewell, then Larry and I went to lunch. Back at the show, I suggested we start at the wall opposite the one he had started at and we’d work our way back to the middle where he’d met me earlier. That way if he was ready to go he could and I'd continue through to the end. This we did. OK, so earlier I'd seen a Beretta PX-4 Storm at one of the booths for $450.00 or so. Blood Bath & Beyond wanted $585.00 and I'd been seeing similar prices, $500.00 to $600.00, around. I decided that once I came back to that booth, I'd probably buy that Storm. Oh, I also was going to pick up a set of Crimson Trace Laser Grips for the Judge at another booth. We found the Storm booth first and I sat down to fill out the paperwork. I paid and went to find Larry. He was talking to another dude from the railroad. We chatted for a bit and then walked on. I did a quick survey of my money and found I was $100.00 short of the laser grip price. Being the level headed and miserly person I am, one willing to put off instant gratification until my finances can better afford a thing... wait. No, I'm the exact opposite of that. I went to the ATM and got out the money I “needed” for the grips. I waited while the dude installed a set on another dude’s new Judge and saw how it all went together. I bought the grips and we walked on again. I didn't find anything else I “needed” but Larry wound up buying some books and... well, it really isn't my place to say that he bought a Mini-14. Oops. Anyhoo, it was really cool and I was a tad jealous, but I can't afford one right now. While he was filling out his paperwork, the show ended. I was pretty whipped so I took my leave and went home. I wound up installing the grips on the Judge and “playing” with Pixie for a bit. Oh, the PX-4 Storm Pistol is called Pixie by the way. I replaced the mid-size backstrap on Pixie with the large and it fit my hamd much better. I made sure the magazines actually did swap between Space Gun II and Pixie, and they did. I was quite pleased with the purchase. Now, back to the laser grips on the Judge. I discovered a problem I hadn’t noticed at the show. The button to activate the laser is almost exactly in the wrong spot. It hits right in the middle of a joint instead of a bulgey part of the finger. In order to activate the laser you have to hold the gun in such a way that working the trigger is a pain in the ass. I did discover that shooting it “single action” it wasn't as bad though. I'm going to have to take it to the range and try it out before making a final judgment. Speaking of the range, I took Pixie to the range yesterday. I really like that gun! The first 15 rounds, at about 6 yards and a slow pace, grouped into a nice tight bunch. The next fifteen, shot more rapidly, loosened up a bit but were still within about a 3” circle with one “flyer.” I felt the flyer happen too, I flinched. Still, the group were all in the silhouette’s face and the flyer took out the left jugular vein. I think I got him. Oh, the first group were all in the upper thoracic cavity and would have made the heart into hamburger, by the way. I reloaded the two magazines with more ball ammo and took out the little dude up in the corner of the target. All shots were in said dude. I ran the target to the full length of the range and made a nice group there as well. Finally, I loaded up eight JHPs in each magazine and tested out how the gun felt with +P ammo. Recoil was not appreciably greater but the accuracy sure was. I either had two flyers which missed the paper entirely, not likely, or I put at least two bullets through the exact same holes as two others. Yeah, after eight shots, I could only count six holes. The other mag performed similarly. Oh yeah, I like that gun. I bought an “in the waistband” holster for it and went home. With the gun in its holster, I can tuck it into the folds of the chair while watching TV and be even better prepared for the fit hitting the shan. And that, gentle readers, is what I did over the weekend, and last night. Well, I think I'm going to call this a rant and go do something else. Toodles.