Combs Spouts Off

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Posts Tagged ‘cordite’

National Ammo Day/Week

Posted by Richard on November 19, 2007

Today, November 19, is National Ammo Day. And in deference to those who have trouble keeping to a tight schedule, Nov. 17-25 is National Ammo Week. It's been dubbed a "BUYcott of ammunition," with gun owners urged to buy a hundred rounds:

The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens.  Make your support of the Second Amendment known–by voting with your dollars!

There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America.  If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that’s 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens!

The gun/ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business.  Well, not if we can help it!  And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19!

I plan to do better. I'm heading over to Big 5 Sporting Goods in a little while to pick up a 250-round "mega pack" of 9mm Remington UMC for just $49.99, and a box of 525 CCI Blazer .22LR for just $12.99.

That Tanfoglio Witness CO2 BB pistol on sale for $39.99 looks tempting, too. I don't go shooting very often; with a BB pistol, at least I could practice in the basement.

And besides, this one's powered by that evil greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. I like the idea of simultaneously thumbing my nose at the enviro-whackos and the anti-gunners.

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Cordite and Cooper

Posted by Richard on October 2, 2006

I just found out today that Col. Jeff Cooper died last week. Cooper, known as “the gunner’s guru,” was a larger than life figure whose impact on the shooting sports, combat and self-defense shooting, and related matters is inestimable. Cooper almost single-handedly created what’s thought of as the modern “conventional wisdom” regarding handgun shooting, gun safety, and combat and self-defense techniques.

Cooper was 86 and in poor health, but he continued to write prolifically and with old-fashioned elegance and charm — albeit, at times with a rather sharp tongue. I always looked forward to his monthly column in Guns & Ammo — it wasn’t really a column, but a collection of brief anecdotes, opinions, and observations on a remarkably broad range of subjects. Here are a couple of examples from the August issue:

We are annoyed by the assumption on the part of certain public figures that the citiizen should be able to prove the need for the citizen to acquire a means of protecting himself. The citizen’s personal needs are no business of the state. Liberty, when in place, grants the right of the citizen to do what he chooses, as long as he does not stamp on the rights of others. Nobody needs caviar, or a pleasure boat or opera tickets. Whether he wants these things is no business of the state. On this side of the prayer rug, the Jihadis do not see it that way. That seems to be the main reason they have declared war upon us.


Is it that the pronoun “whom” has been abandoned? Perhaps it is that the English language is too ornate for the common people.

I learned of Cooper’s death via Spank That Donkey, where Chris led off Carnival of Cordite #74 with Michael Bane’s eulogy, which you should read. Check out the many other fine posts, too — most are quite a bit less somber. They range from fun stuff to gun stuff to politics. There are a couple of serious commentaries on the Bailey, CO, school shooting — one of them mine.

Which brings me to the (apparently copycat) deadly attack on the Pennsylvania Amish school. We really didn’t need more empirical evidence that a “gun-free” designation — even with a stiff prison sentence to back it up — is about as effective at protecting our children as the casting of a magic spell over the doorway. I don’t know what more to say, except that my heart goes out to the families of those little girls.

I think I’ll close with another Cooper quote, this one posted at Michael Bane’s place by a commenter. After thinking about the terrible deeds some men are capable of, Cooper’s point seems somehow appropriate — and comforting:

The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized.

The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.

β€”Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle

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Best of Cordite, and Liberty from China

Posted by Richard on September 27, 2006

I’ve been negligent in not dropping by Spank That Donkey to check out Carnival of Cordite #73. It’s a "Best of COC" — in honor of founder Gullyborg, Chris put out the call for past participants to submit their best previous carnival entries, and he got a bunch of great ones! He’s also got bonus audio clips from "Blazing Saddles" and Ronaldus Magnus (sorry, IE users only). Drop on by, and be prepared to spend some time.

Carnival of Liberty #54 is a special event of sorts, too. It comes to us from China, courtesy of host OneManBandwidth. Imagine that — a celebration of liberty from China! OMB is pretty fearless about it, even linking to a chilling story about Chinese organ harvesting. Drop by and show your support.
 

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Cordite and cranky libertarians

Posted by Richard on September 20, 2006

For some great gun rights and self-defense reading, along with the usual unusual weaponry stuff, range reports, etc., check out Carnival of Cordite #72 at Spank That Donkey. It’s got titles like "Bad, Bad Assault Thingy," "Guns and Democrats," and "Commie Junk My A$$!" that are bound to suck you in.

Meanwhile, over at the Unrepentant Individual, Brad Warbiany wants you to "see the world through a bunch of cranky libertarians’ eyes" in Carnival of Liberty #53. It’s chock full of submissions, and they’re presented with meaty excerpts so you can get a good sense of them. Go read — you know you want to!
 

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Carnivals!

Posted by Richard on September 12, 2006

Rick Sincere is hosting Carnival of Liberty #62 this week, and as you might guess, there are some 9/11-related entries. Lots of other topics, too — check it out.

Also, check out Carnival of Cordite #71 at Spank That Donkey. If you use IE to visit, you can listen to a delightful little sermon. But with any browser, you’ll find a wealth of great links and pictures. Including the link to buy some of these fine bumperstickers:

Give Peace a Chance - Kill Terrorists

Meanwhile, Joshua Sharf promised to have the special 9/11 edition of Carnival of the Capitalists ready any time now, so just check the main page of View From a Height.

UPDATE: It’s up, so here’s the direct link to the Carnival of the Capitalists. Wow, it’s huge! From 9/11 to personal finance, there’s bound to be something to pique your interest.

UPDATE 2: Another huge collection of links, well-presented: the Carnival of Homeschooling at Principled Discovery. Check it out.
 

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Carnival time

Posted by Richard on August 30, 2006

Matt Barr at Socratic Rhythm Method came up with a really clever presentation for the entries in Carnival of Liberty #60 — it’s a Jeopardy game! "I’ll take Liberty Locales for $300, Alex." Pretty slick job (there’s a "no frames" alternative link if your browser messes up the "game board" display). And it’s not just sizzle — there’s plenty of meat in those entries.

Meanwhile, Stan White at Free Constitution put together the 4th edition of the Second Amendment Carnival. It’s a more traditional carnival, and a young one at that, but if you’re interested in gun rights and related matters, it’s definitely worth a look. Although I miss the "gun pr0n" that’s usually a highlight of the Carnival of Cordite. Speaking of the latter, I almost spaced it out — unfortunately, due to time constraints, C of C #70 is what Gully calls a "classic link-fest" with no pictures. Oh, well — some good entries. And I’ll bet #71 will have lots of cool pictures. πŸ™‚
 

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Back soon, I hope

Posted by Richard on August 16, 2006

Nothing new here — sorry. I brought my laptop back to Tenn. with me, but a mysterious config problem is preventing me from getting online via modem from my dad’s condo. Maybe later this week, I can find an alternative for getting online — I have my wireless card, I just haven’t had time to deal with it. I’m borrowing a friend’s computer for a few minutes this morning while I take a break from sitting in my dad’s hospital room.

If you’re looking for some good new posts, check out the latest Carnival of Liberty. Or the latest Carnival of Cordite. Plenty of interesting reading at both, I’m sure. 
 

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Carnival of Cordite #68

Posted by Richard on August 7, 2006

I almost forgot — go check out Carnival of Cordite #68 at Resistance Is Futile! Lots of pictures this time. Some of them are of (ahem) women who are easy on the eyes holding guns. If you’re of the male persuasion, you might find them interesting. πŸ™‚

If you’re of the female persuasion, you might be interested in Gullyborg’s exclusive news about a soon-to-be-announced .50 BMG class for women only. There will be a contest in which you can win a spot in the class, plus a Barrett .50 BMG rifle of your very own. Ladies, go for it — believe me, shooting a .50 BMG is huge fun!

Sorry, gentlemen, no contest for you — but did I mention there are chicks with guns?
 

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Cordite goodness galore

Posted by Richard on July 31, 2006

Carnival of Cordite #67 is back at its traditional home, Resistance is futile!, and Gullyborg did a great job. Of course, it helps that he got some terrific entries, including a whole slew of gun rights posts, some great pictures, reports on some new products and some odd and interesting weapons, and a couple of must-see videos. Really must-see videos.

I won’t link them directly because you really ought to check out the carnival. But, believe me, when Gully tells you that every shooter has to have one, you need to click that link and see what he’s talking about. And do I even have to urge you to follow a link involving the words "multiple machine guns"? πŸ™‚

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Carnival of Liberty #55

Posted by Richard on July 25, 2006

The latest Carnival of Liberty is up at OK So I’m Not Really A Cowboy. As host Nikhil Rao said, it’s a bit light in content, but that just means you can click each and every link, right? (I’m one of those who once again didn’t submit anything. I’ve written mostly about the war and foreign matters lately, and just didn’t see anything that seemed appropriate for the CoL.)

And speaking of carnivals, I completely spaced out the Carnival of Cordite over at Mr. Completely. It’s not too late to go by there and check out the lovely pictures and intriguing links.

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Carnival of Cordite #64

Posted by Richard on July 10, 2006

Carnival of Cordite #64 is up at Spank That Donkey, and once again, Chris put a lot of work into it and did a terrific job. Well, except for one embarrassing little mix-up. Say Uncle posted something about Hilleary being pro-gun, and Chris did a cyber spit-take: "Hillary pro-gun?"

Umm, that’s Van Hilleary, Chris — a Senate candidate in Tennessee. Go ahead and correct yourself, OK? πŸ˜‰

So drop on by, have a chuckle at Chris’ expense, and peruse the plethora of posts. If you visit using IE (hey, it’s not that bad), you can listen to the audio clips and, if you’re fast enough, maybe win a T-shirt. It’s a pretty damn easy song contest, unless you’re an ignorant 20-something kid brought up on hip-hop. πŸ™‚
 

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Gun stuff

Posted by Richard on July 4, 2006

If you’re interested in guns, shooting, and gun-rights-related matters, there are two carnivals for you to check out this week. First, Mr. Completely is hosting Carnival of Cordite #63. It is, as he acknowledged, a modest-sized carnival, but there are some interesting — and fun — posts, along with a pretty neat church sign. Check it out.

Second, Free Constitution is hosting an Independence Weekend Second Amendment Carnival. The emphasis here is more on legal and political stuff (I didn’t notice any range reports or pictures of weird old Ukrainian military sidearms). If you’re interested in arms and the law, check this one out, too.
 

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Carnival time!

Posted by Richard on June 20, 2006

Wow, there sure are a ton of interesting-sounding posts in Carnival of Liberty #50! And Dave at TuCents did a great job of organizing and presenting them, too.

You say you want more? You want gun stuff? Well, head on over to Carnival of Cordite #62, hosted by Spank That Donkey this week. If you browse over there using Internet Explorer, you can take part in a "name the songs" contest and maybe win a T-shirt. Whatever browser you use, you’ll find some great reading.

I just wish I had the afternoon free! πŸ™‚
 

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Carnivals

Posted by Richard on June 7, 2006

Yes, indeed. There is a Carnival of Liberty this week, over at OK, so I’m not really a cowboy, and it seems to have the usual plethora of pro-liberty posts worth perusing.

And, yes, there’s a Carnival of Cordite, too, at Resistance is Futile!, as usual. It links to some great gun rights info,  an "Avon ladies shot" counter, and multiple videos of miniguns in action. You can’t pass that up.

Thanks for asking.
 

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Carnivals

Posted by Richard on May 31, 2006

Just a quick reminder to go check out a couple of this week’s carnivals. First, there’s Carnival of Cordite #60 at Resistance is Futile! Gullyborg managed to put it together in the midst of moving to a new house and new ISP. Lots of links to good stuff, but no pictures (I know — you dial-up folks are cheering). I suppose they’re all still in boxes. πŸ˜‰

Then, there’s Carnival of Liberty #47 over at New World Man. Lots of good posts, which Matt organized into categories related to the Indy 500 — Gasoline Alley, Yellow Flag, etc. Pretty clever. I think he did it just so he could sprinkle in some pictures of Danica Patrick.
 

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