Kahr CW-380

Kahr CW-380

            Not so very long ago, presumably to cash in on the quite understandable popularity of micro-mini-.380 pistols, Kahr introduced the P380.  Though it quite frankly looks bigger than, say, the Kel-Tec P3AT or that (in my humble opinion) blatant copy, the Ruger LCP, it is in all honesty about the same size, overall (.4” taller and .3” shorter front to back).  It weights slightly more (9.97 ounces vs 7.75 ounces), but I can drop either on in a pair of walking shorts or even lounge pants (hey, don’t judge) and tote it about without a problem.  What the Kahr has that my previous favorite lacks are a set of serious, very usable yet low-profile sights.   It also features an external slide lock.  I don’t mean some itty-bitty vestigial “feel-good” bit of metal added as a last minute touch of feature creep.  I mean it has a real, usable, full “combat-style” slide lock.  More in a bit on why that is important beyond the obvious like cleaning and, oh, say attending pretty much any shooting classes where the range-master will insist you lock your slide open to prove it’s empty --- oh, yours doesn't lock back?  So sorry, no refunds, please leave now and get a real gun.  Okay, it wouldn't likely be that bad, but not being able to lock your weapon open to “show clear” could make the difference between your weapon (i.e. the one you’re actually going to use in real life) being accepted for a carry class and not.

Kahr CW380 & Kel-Tec P3AT - Two Tiny .380s

CW380 literally fits in the palm of the hand.

            A friend of mine had one when he moved back into my fair state and I had the privilege of shooting it.  I loved the way it shot, not too snappy, very accurate, uber-smooth trigger, etc., etc.  What I didn't like was the price.  I mean, I could make my quarterly house insurance payment (in a hurricane prone area, south of the arbitrary “flood zone”) for the price of a P380!  Gadzooks, man!  What was a miserly professional gun-toter like me going to do about this?!  Well, not to worry, as I have previously purchased two, count ‘em TWO Kahr .40 caliber pistols (K-40 Covert and PM-40) for quite a bit below retail (admittedly they were slightly used … two mags fired through the former and two rounds fired through the latter before they went up for sale for cheap).  I’m a Kahr fan and seem to be a magnet for good deals.  Or so I was.  I couldn’t find such a sweet deal on the P-380.

            I was not alone.  Kahr apparently realized this was a problem and introduced their CW line.  These are essentially the same pistols with some cost-saving steps taken in manufacturing which bring them more into line with the average middle income budget, no need for a second mortgage (I jest, but the full-on K, MK, P, and PM series are quite pricey … think SIG-Sauer P226 pricey, but like those, well worth the money).  So, what are these drastic cost-saving steps, you ask?  What butchery or sad lack of fitting does it take to cut a couple hundred (or so) bucks off the cost of an otherwise fine firearm?  Well, the CW line features, in lieu of the polygonally rifled barrels of the other series, Ye Olde Standard button-rifled barrel.  You know, like most every quality firearms manufacturer uses and is quite happy with.   Oh, yeah the marking on the slide?  On the higher end models these are laser etched.  The CW line makes do with simple roll-makings (which are, to me, much more crisp and clear) … again, just like most every other firearms manufacturer.  Oh, and they only come with one magazine.  Annoying, but certainly a problem easily sorted.  Those are the only differences I can find.  Chime in if you personally know more.

            So, weekend before my Wedding Anniversary/Valentine’s Day, there was a local gun show.  Since my retiring last year after an illustrious (or at least stress-filled) 25+ year police career, the chief of a local tiny town and long-time friend of mine chased me around asking, demanding, insisting, and pleading, and eventually plying me with booze until I agreed to take a part-time post with their police department (“VERY part-time” I insisted … she just laughed, and laughed …).  I’d just finished my first month of “I thought this was supposed to be part-time work!” and had, as happens, a fist full of money.  More importantly this was unbudgeted money.  As happens, there was a local gun show that weekend.  Joined by my friend, the P380 owner, I set about on a quest to find me a cool new shooting iron.  About two hours later I came home with a brand new CW380.  A quick online check showed Kahr mags available from Kahr directly for about $40 each.  Midway USA had them for something like $28 each which I found much more reasonable.  I even paid for the faster shipping because I might be a miser, but once I spend money, I’m rather impatient.  I also picked up some A-Zoom aluminum snap caps (5-pack) of .380 for function testing and getting used to the trigger until I could get some range time.

            Next I did some side-by-side comparisons of my new pistol to my other two aforementioned Kahr .40s.  My CW380 looks like a shrunken version of my PM40 in virtually every detail.  Actually, in comparing them, I was reminded just how incredibly tiny my PM40 is (yes, it’s a brute to shoot, but we all have our crosses to bear).  When looking at the two one is apt to think, “Gee, that little .380 is only a little bit smaller than that .40, so why not just carry the .40?”  Why not indeed.  Once we see how much thicker the PM40 is when compared to the CW380 however, we can see how in many types of pants (jeans, say) the PM40 can print rather significantly and anything that can cover that print will be big enough to cause a lot of suspicious or at least curious looks at that pocket.  The CW380, roughly the same thickness as the P3AT (.2” thinner than the Kel-Tec, actually), lends its self very well to deep cover concealment and as that nearly perfect “always gun.”

CW380 and PM40 

PM40 & CW380 - which do you think fits in a pocket better?

            Five days went by and I was finally able to get to my preferred shooting range.  First, a word about Kahr pistols.  The manual says to load the first round out of a magazine into an empty chamber by first locking back the slide (THIS is that other reason slide locks are important on Kahr pistols), inserting the loaded mag, and tripping the release.  This is sage advice, especially with a new pistol and failure to heed this advice caused nearly all my troubles on the range.  When loading from the traditional sling-shot method I suppose I either did not pull the slide completely to the rear or inadvertently let my hand ride it forward a fraction.  I had very, very few problems loading as the manual said to do it (when all else fails read the bloody directions, y’know?).   Kahr also recommends a 200 round break-in phase.  Yep, you are expected to put a couple o’hundred rounds though their pistols before trusting them with your life.  Crazy, right?  I mean, why not just grab a hunk of machinery made by fallible human hands, toss in whatever load strikes your fancy and just drop it on a pocket.  WRONG!  N-E-V-E-R trust A-N-Y firearm, especially a new one (or a very well used one) without a test period that should include some of the ammo you intend to carry in it.  Back in MY day, EVERY semi-auto was expected to go through that 200 round break-in phase.  Malfunctions were expected (and happened) but the repeated use smoothed bearing surfaces, wore away tiny burrs, and soon the whole thing was polished up inside and ran like you expected it to.  We've been spoiled by Glocks and SIGs and a few others but honestly, I've seen most top brand pistols have trouble out-of-the-box.  Some just needed breaking in, some were apparently “Monday or Friday guns” (you know, crew in a hurry to leave for the weekend on Friday and still hung over come Monday) and needed to go back to the factory for rework or replacement.

            So, internet pundits’ ravings and rants aside, I have no problem with a break-in period because I intend to give all my new and new-to-me such a trial.  Mine, by the way, broke in with 100 rounds.  First up, I ran some Blazer Brass 95 grain FMJs through it, then some Remington 95 grain FMJs, a few Winchester “flat points,” their “White Box” FMJs, and last some of my cherished stash of carry ammo:  Federal 90 grain Hydra-Shoks.  Accuracy was fine with all.  To be honest, the pistol could shoot better than I could as I had in my new contacts and they don’t do well with near vision.  So, I made do with low-powered reading glasses to get a mostly clear sight picture and a very to extremely blurry sight picture.

            First, the bad.   Yes, I had some feeding issues.  Mostly I had failure to go fully into battery and a simple push on the rear of the slide was all it took to set things back right again.  I had maybe five or six what are to me uniquely Kahr feeding failures.   It’s almost like the cartridge is too long and it wedges with the upper part of the tip just inside the chamber, the tip of the rim seems to be at the bottom of the extractor and no amount of pushing, or finagling will get it seated.  The only way to run it is to do what you should do anyway, tap-rack-ready (tap the mag to be sure it’s seated, rack the slide to clear everything and reload, and then re-evaluate the target/threat/situation).  Those cleared up before the end.  Again, I stress, the piece was brand new and began to get pretty dirty from the assorted (old) ammo I was putting through it.  Once, about 2/3 of the way through all of this, I ran an impromptu patch through the chamber and the problem did not repeat.  Ejection was positive but not overly energetic.  By that, I mean the empties got clear, life was good, and I didn't get whacked in the forehead with the brass.  I had a couple of weird stovepipe-like jams where the empty was caught long ways between the breech face and the top of the chamber mouth.  These instance were almost certainly my fault and were due to my grip as I kept falling back on my standard duty-pistol grip (support hand mainly holds the weapon, firing hand is just there to pull the trigger, firing hand thumb across base of support thumb, support thumb alongside the frame, pointed at the target).  This is not going to work with such a small and snappy pistol.  Felt recoil was not at all unpleasant (less than my Kel-Tec P3AT) but you must really grip this little blaster so that its slide and springs do all the work.  Hold a bit too loosely and … well, if you don’t understand that, you probably don’t need to be carrying such a weapon.  Some careful study showed that the two-handed "duty pistol grip" as described above allows a minute gap between part of the tiny backstrap and the shooting hand resulting in a less than fully secure hold.  This, I've found to be the case with most if not all micro-mini-guns.  You have to HOLD them VERY FIRMLY and they are really meant for quick one-handed shooting, not careful two-handed aimed fire.
            By the last three mags, I had no feeding issues whatsoever.  One mag stovepiped the last round.  The next did that weird Kahr lengthwise stovepipe.  The last simply did not lock back after the last round was fired.  Those are all primarily symptoms of my grip relaxing a bit on the last round.  As I was concentrating on shooting tiny groups with my aforementioned visual issues, I could well have eased up my grip.  This did not happen when I was shooting fast, one-handed combat-style at various targets.  In fact, when shooting it fast and one-handed, after the first few mags went through it, I had zero problems.  This is not a target pistol or a range pistol.  It’s meant to be pulled and fired one-handed (though it is capable of quite good accuracy).

            Next, the good.  The little pistol is VERY accurate.  From 21 feet I tore up the center of the target (mini-silhouette).  I often as not got two rounds in one ragged hole.  This pistol is far more accurate and its sights far more usable than anyone has a right to expect such a weapon to be.  Part of the credit goes to the excellent and very smooth DAO trigger.  I could hit “Pepper-poppers” from 25 yards with boring regularity.  As often as not I could hit them from 40 yards.  50 yards … well … a man just has to know his limits, I suppose.  Actually I was shooting a bent ‘popper that functioned as a gong.  Chances are, even if I hit it, I’d not have heard the “ding!”  But lacking firm evidence to the contrary, we’ll call the fifty yard shots misses.  I’m not proud … much.  Recoil, as I said, was mild, especially for a tiny .380 pistol.  Actually the front and backstraps of the grip are very aggressively checkered and gripping it hard enough to ensure no error on my part was far less comfortable than actually firing the weapon.

First 15 rounds scored me a 100%
 on our BUG/OD course!

Hard to tell, but that's SIX rounds
(fired from 7 yards)

Up to 18 rounds in by this point (7 yards)
 - gotta count the holes very carefully.

I kind of lost count at this point.
I was up to either a total of 4 or 5 mags.
Point is, if the bad guy is at across the living room range, he's toast. 

            Magazines fall free and fresh ones go in smoothly.  After a while, I could load from slide lock by pulling the slide the rest of the way back and releasing it smartly.  This is good as not only do I shoot left-handed but that is the proper way to reload from slide-lock under stress as lock levers take much finer motor skills than you’re likely to possess in such times.

            Yes, I like my new CW380.  After this last outing it is riding in my left front pocket in a holster I made for it.  The two spares are in the opposite side pocket in a repurposed nylon card wallet.  No, I don’t worry about a possible stovepipe on the last round.  Why?  Because I’ll be bringing the weapon up close into my “work space,” dropping the empty mag, ramming in a fresh one, and racking the slide.  It makes no difference whether the slide is locked by its latch or an empty casing.  That is assuming I will even have the opportunity in a gun fight to reload.  Honestly, if there are multiple threats closing and they don't scatter after I start shooting, there likely won't be time for reloading.  In any event, there were only three such FTE issues throughout my 100 rounds of shooting.  Thus I wager Ejection Issues won't be an issue over the next 100 rounds or less.  So, I have my summertime main gun, my “always gun,” and the boon companion to my other two Kahr pistols.  I think I made out well indeed!  J

           

A quick 3 shots at a target of
opportunity (7 yards)

Another target of opportunity
and another quick 3 shots.

**** UPDATE! ****

     I've now had this little wonder for almost a year and have had more range time with it.  I've learned a couple of things.  First off, do NOT feed it steel cased ammo unless you want to spend the afternoon performing malfunction clearance drills.  Second, I am now convinced all of my earlier issue were simply due to my grip.  Shooting one-handed, even rapid fire has produced zero malfunctions (so long as I wasn't "trying to save a few bucks" by shooting steel cased .380 ammo).  Shooting two-handed using the old "Cup and Saucer" hold produced excellent groups and 100% reliability.   So in my case the "break-in period" was to break ME of shooting it like a larger duty weapon.  I have several carry weapons on rotation (particularly now that I'm back to purely Retired LEO status now) yet this tiny Kahr CW380 winds up in my pocket (and occasionally in my waistband) more often than just about any other firearm.

  

Are You Freakin' KIDDING Me?!

This morning I had some extra time (a bit of a rare occurrence), so I sat down to sort through my e-mail and have that distraction out of my way before officially starting my day. The first e-mail I opened was a legislative alert from the NRA. I was shocked to see an alert for us in the great state of Alabama. Our state is a very gun-friendly state (though our concealed carry permits are still technically at the discretion of the sheriffs). It seems one of our state representatives had proposed a new law for Alabama. He and his buddies want everyone to register their "automatic and semi-automatic" firearms.

A part of my personality that has served me well personally, but sometimes caused me absolute havoc professionally is my compulsion to ensure that "solutions" have some actual pre-existing problems to solve before they are implemented. I also believe that "less is more" insofar as rules, regulations, and laws go. This proposed law (HB600 in case anyone wants to look it up), flies in the face of that.

Just what problem, pray tell, is supposed to be solved by this proposed legislation? Wait, let's read http://www.legislature.state.al.us/SearchableInstruments/2007RS/Bills/HB600.htm...

Section 2. (a)(1) Any person who possesses an automatic or semi-automatic weapon shall register the weapon with the Department of Public Safety pursuant to the procedures established by the department. The registration shall contain a description of the weapon that identifies it uniquely, including all identification marks, the full name, address, date of birth, and thumbprint of the owner, and any other information that the department may deem appropriate. The department may charge a fee for registration of up to fifty dollars ($50)

Okay, so now law abiding citizens who want to own, or want to continue to own such firearms would be required to register them with the Dept. of Public Safety in order to still be law-abiding citizens. Criminals, of course, can just keep on being criminals. Naturally there is a fee involved. Excuse me, but I know a lot of people for whom a $50 fee is just not manageable. These are the very same people, by and large, who have the greatest need for instant, effective self-defense. I've been gun-shopping with people for whom $50 or less made the difference between buying a gun or not. So now they'll either settle for an even cheaper, less reliable, less powerful piece, or continue to do without. Is that, perhaps, one of the intentions of this legislation? Let the aristocracy be armed, by damn, but not the peasants. Didn't we, y'know, fight some bloody war some 231 years or so ago to escape that kind of mentality?

Let's look at that bill a bit more closely, shall we? First off, what are they considering a "semi-automatic or automatic" firearm?

Section 3. For purposes of this act the term "automatic or semi-automatic weapon" shall mean a weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, a succession of bullets so long as the trigger is depressed or until the ammunition supply is exhausted or a weapon that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, without the need to manually operate a bolt, lever, or other firing or loading mechanism. The term does not include any firearm modified to render the weapon permanently inoperable.

Well reach into your box of politically correct Crayolas, grab the one labeled "Right Winger" and color me with it. I think ol' Mr. Todd (one of the drafters of this bill) needs to take a look at the laws on the books. First off, automatic firearms are registered and tightly regulated, thank you very much. The process for getting one is rather, shall we say, involved. Fingerprinting, submission (I so hate that word) of said fingerprints and paperwork to the BATF&E for approval, pay a $20 0 non-refundable tax, submit (there's that word again, my fellow subjects) paperwork to the head of law enforcement for your area (and he/she can say "no" just because he/she feels like it), wait 6 weeks or so and then, if all goes well, you have your automatic weapon. Oh, yeah, did I forget to mention the weapon its self will cost you THOUSANDS of dollars, and unless you are a dealer or a government entity, it must be made prior to 1986? Yep, no one can just go buy a new automatic weapon. They are all old and getting older and more worn out all the time. A quick search showed me that "cheap" in the legal full-auto world is about three grand or more with much more being common. Yeah. Gee. I'd hate for someone to go through weeks of background checks, spend thousands of dollars, get local approval, pay a tax stamp and think it was okay to shoot up a school 'cause he didn't have to register the already registered gun with the Dept. of Pubic Safety. Sheesh.

The definition of semi-automatic in this bill could be construed to include revolvers. I suppose one might argue that turning the cylinder constitutes operating a "loading mechanism." But it is done by the pulling of the trigger which is why in the early days of double-action revolvers (when all you have to do is pull the trigger and not cock the hammer first), double-action revolvers were sometimes called "automatic revolvers." This is, of course, not to be confused with the couple of old attempts nor the one newer one to make a revolver that was literally a semi-automatic. I'm speaking of the designs like the Webley-Fosbery among others, but again I digress. In any case this section of the law tells me the Honorable Mr. Todd et al. did not do their homework. I think it should be a crime, punishable by forced deportation and eternal banishment for a politician to draft or support a bill when he obviously is wholly ignorant of the subject he wishes to legislate. Guns laws should not be written by people who do not understand guns, use-of-force, real self-defense, true-crime, and some history. I mean, I don't want people who specialize in gun laws making agricultural statutes, or for the Dept. of Agriculture to start telling the State Hwy Dept. how to pave a road. Sheesh. But now it appears our state is following the example of our national legislature and some folks with ZERO understanding are trying to pass feel-good laws. I shudder to think.

Okay, before I get off on yet another tangential rant, let's look at this bill again and see what teeth might have come in it:

(2) The department shall maintain the information received from each registrant in an automatic or semi-automatic weapon registry and information contained in the registry shall be released only to law enforcement officers.
(b)(1) Failure to register an automatic or semi-automatic weapon is a Class A misdemeanor.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1), failure to register an automatic or semi-automatic weapon is a Class C felony if the weapon has been used by the person in the commission of a crime.

Ah. Gee. Now I feel better. NOT! So, those of us who choose to exercise our rights to self defense (and the privilege of hunting, etc.) and thus own such weapons as fall under this broad statute would then have to register our guns or become instant criminals ourselves. Now why would any gov't entity want to know where the cool guns are? Tell me that? Why would they want to know who has them if not for the express purpose of being able to come get them? I'm sure it'll start innocently enough. Maybe they'll FINALLY get around to cross-indexing mental health histories (though boy will that ever be a can o'worms!). Then it'll be the state boys showing up in your doorstep:
"Excuse me, Mr/Mrs. Gunowner. Our records show that you have a .22 caliber rifle, and a .22 caliber rifle registered in your personal arsenal. We checked your insurance records and found you went to a psychiatric counselor last month for "stress counselling." We have deemed you a danger to the public. We are now entering your house to seize the guns listed as well as all others we find in the exhaustive search we will be able to perform."

Hmm ... silly me, I thought this was The South! Ah, well, I'm thinking maybe this bill will die the death it so richly deserves. Two other bills are pending as well. One will make it a bit easier for us to buy firearms across state lines (in states surrounding our own) and likewise, allow those who live in those states to do so hear. In this day and age of interstate travel, those "no across state lines purchases" laws are antiquated. Let's make it work and generate some tax revenue. There's some good lads. Another bill being submitted (there's that bloody word again)for vote is one that would make specifically illegal acts by state and local governments gun-grabs during emergencies like what we saw in New Orleans post Katrina. For the three people on Earth who don't know about this, once the New Orleans area was hit by the storm, the authorities in N.O. set about seizing all firearms from residents. Mind you, the same authorities were having to import police and military from around the country including the private contractor agency, Blackwater just to begin to get some order restored. I shudder to think how many violent acts were perpetrated upon the citizens of that city who were reduced to unarmed sheep by their alleged protectors.

Anyway, if the legislation passes, such totalitarian acts will be specifically forbidden under the Alabama law. Cool, huh? This would also, I would think, bring some serious questions about that first bill ... if we're not going to confiscate, then why register? For that matter, since people bent on murder usually aren't concerned about lesser crimes, why bother with this whole registration business anyway?

For those who live in this great state (and it is, in fact, a great state), call and/or write your state congressmen. Tell them only two kinds of people seek anti-gun/gun-registration laws (Utopian-minded, tree-hugging morons and Totalitarian Imperialists), and we True Patriots tolerate neither. If I have, by my above comment offended anyone in those two categories, then go hug a tree or club someone into submission. That ought to make you feel better while the rest of us seek to foil your plans.

It's About FREEDOM, You Fun-DUH-mentalists!

Okay, yes, I'm from the buckle o'the "Bible-Belt." Yes, yes, I'm a proud Southerner who was raised in a Christian home. That said, I was also taught to think for myself, to ask "why" as often as possible, and not to just accept things blindly. Where am I going with this? You'll see, just buckle up (that's kind of a psudo-pun ... in reference to my "Bible-Belt" comment? ... never mind).

It comes, I'm sure, as no surprise, that we've lost, over the years, many a fine, brave veteran. Many are buried in national cemeteries. The Veterans' Administration issues them and even, as I understand it, those buried in private cemetaries nice headstones all embossed with the fallen hero's emblem of his/her religion of choice. What's that you say? The fallen one in question was not, in fact, a Christian? He was, say, Jewish? Well, that's no problem. The VA will just slap a handy-dandy Star of David on the headstone and there ya go. Do what? He's Muslim? Okay, we'll just wheel out handy-dandy, VA-approved emblem number 17 and put the ol' crescent and star right up there for all to see. Ah, your loved follows the faith of the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii? Gotcha covered there, too M'lovely, right here with approved religious symbol number 34. OH! I see ... I got it wrong. He was a member of Sufism Reoriented (whatever that is, but hey, First Amendment, by Damn!) it's the Aerosmith-lookin' symbol number 21 (actually, I rather like this symbol, being a life-long fan of Aerosmith, but let's not bring that up just now and sound like I'm being disrespectful ... 'cause ... y'see ... I'm NOT!). Yes, they have you all set ... so long as you are a member of one of the 36 (now 37) approved religions. Yes, yes, they ARE numbered.

Now, then, let's see ... what's that, Ma'am? You say your husband, a veteran like all the others, fell in service to yours and his (and OUR) chosen nation is a follower of Wicca? Dear God, woman, are you MAD?! We can't be having that now, can we? It'll be just one step away from pandemonium! Anarchy will rule! We'll be forced to .... Eh? What's that? Oh, I see Madam (No, not YOU, Ma'am, I'm speaking to the lady whose husband was NOT a heathen), you say your and your husband were ... oh, dear ... you're Humanists, eh? Well .. I-I see .. yes, we have you covered too, with symbol number 32. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, Ma'am. No, look, I'm sorry we have NO symbols for Godless heathens like ... pardon me ... Yes? You in the back? Oh, your fallen son/daughter/loved one was an Atheist? Oh, well ... okay ... yes, yes we do have an approved religious symbol for ... Godless ... heathens ... like ... you. But YOU, Ma'am, YOU and YOUR kind of Godless ... no, let's not have any of that "Goddess" baloney. Yes, I KNOW the Hindus get Shiva, but we can't upset hundreds of millions of people from a genuine religion. YOUR loved one died a heathen and a heathen he/she/they shall remain! Let them lie in an unmarked grave!

... Or so it went until recently. It hath finally been decreed that yea, verily, yea the Wiccans can have their star upon their gov't approved, issued veteran's headstones. It's about bloody time! I knew the ACLU had to be good for SOMETHING. I guess even the Devil can get it right occasionally, eh?

Check out the story at: http://www.wsbtv.com/family/13032268/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=nationalnews

List of the 37 approved religions ... er, I mean, a list of the 37 religions that the Government recognizes ... no, no, I mean a list of the 37 faiths from which you must choose if you are to die for your country and want them to give you any semblance of the religious freedom that you died to give others ... No, I ... aw, Hell, just go here: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

Yes, our nation was founded in Christianity. But it was founded in the interest of religious freedom. We are not supposed to have a state-sanctioned religion (or, I should think, a mere list of 37 approved religions). Don't our military people give up enough? If they find happiness as ... whatever ... give 'em that bit of last peace, okay? I mean, if you'll recognize atheists, why the HELL can't you recognize Wicca, a religion of nature, and peace and ... well ... of a lot of seemingly Christian values, actually ... just remove the fun-DUH-mentalist notions and some of the civilization-eradicating, genocidal tendencies of some of it's more "enthusiastic" followers and you might be surprised how nice the religion is.

Yes, I'm southern. Yes, I'm Christian (if any church will have me now ... have me, darn it, not change me). But I support this decision. It's about bloody time.

--- Over and out (for now).

Peace at last? We shall see. ;)

Being a Sheepdog

Lately, and not surprisingly, we've been hearing a lot about the Virginia Tech shooting. The press call it a "tragedy." No, it is not a tragedy. It was a massacre, a mass murder, and what's more ... it was preventable. Okay, it was at least more manageable. So many people seem to be just flabbergasted that the shooter could do this ... after all ... the college is a "weapon-free zone!" Um ... yeah. See, laws are just words on a piece of paper. Laws do not protect anyone. I know, I know, our laws are designed to protect us ... whooptie doo ... I challenge you, the next time one of you is attacked, or cheated in a business deal, or see some thug stealing your beloved yard gnome, run up and show them the criminal statues that make the act illegal. Explain to them that they are obviously misguided and confused. Tell them they obviously can't be doing whatever it is that they are doing "because the law says you can't!" Y'know, that litany we used to whine out, "But that's against the rules!" didn't work in kindergarten, and it won't work now. Laws are really just there so there is some legal avenues of retribution against the evildoer(s), or to protect the next victim by giving society a way to lock up the bad guy ... after your yard gnome is stolen, your accounts are emptied, and you are lying bleeding in a gutter. Those bits of ink upon the paper of the vaunted books of law will not leap forth from their bindings and smite your attacker/cheater/yard gnome stealer with righteous fury and holy indignation. My boys-in-blue brethren and I, in all likelihood, will arrive to pick up the pieces and write our reports after you've been victimized. So, recognize the real world is a jungle and you can be either hunter, prey, or protector. Hint: Neither of the first two are good options. ;)

A friend recently sent me an analogy comparing those of us who protect ourselves and others (not just cops, but anyone who has the "Warrior Spirit") to sheepdogs, and those who bleat and whine and get eaten by the world to sheep. I'm not sure of the origin of this "Sheepdog" analogy, so I'll say at this point only that it's not mine. If I'm infringing on anyone's copyright, please let me know!

M'kay, that said, the analogy goes something like this: Sheep trust the sheepdogs to protect them from the wolves. They know some of them will be eaten, but protection is purely the job of the sheepdog and the sheep can't be bothered to look out for themselves or any other sheep. The sheep don't particularly like the sheepdogs. After all, they look kinda like the wolves (liken this to our society ... I carry a gun, same as the criminals, I'm willing to fight, to draw blood, to be bloodied ... same as the criminal. I've got that hunter's look, same as the criminal ... only I'm hunting the "wolves" not the "sheep"). The sheep are kept in a sort of order by the sheepdogs (even sheep only like to be lead so far, but sheep can't lead themselves. Even if a sheep rises to the top, he'll likely be challenged). The sheepdogs take care of their sheep and take care of their own expecting help from nowhere. Be a sheepdog, not a sheep.


My own words on this several years ago, and now modified (I originally used the word "shepherd" instead of "sheepdog") went something like this: "I am proud of my choice. I chose to be sheepdog and I am doing my best to protect you from the wolves. When you criticize me, remember, if you chose to be a sheep then being eaten by wolves is part of your job!" Some praised me (fellow sheepdogs) some ... got really, really pissed!

Anyway, that's why I titled my blog (for now) "Sheepdog." Makes me wonder how many hits I'll get from people lookin' for information about their favorite canis familiaris. I'm such a tricky bastard, eh? LOL!

Okay, given my heritage, I think I'm more of an Irish Wolfhound, but hey ... I've only got so much material to work with here and if we start breakin' up the breeds, there are gonna be some who declaire themselves cats and think we all live to serve them. Some will decide they're birds or fish so none of the rules apply to them, whilst others will declair they are cattle, not sheep, and since their ancestors were brought here hundreds of years ago, we owe them a bunch of money. Or ... something. So ... yeah ... anyway ... sheepdogs it is.

Recently, on a mail list I subscribe to, a poster and fellow badge toter stated he thought it a mistake to let any non-LEO (Law Enforcement Officers) carry guns. I pointed out that my petite wife usually carries a pistol (at least one) whenever she's not at work. Federal regs prevent her from carrying at work, though in her industry that law hasn't physically stopped certain disgruntled people from doing so ... go figure. She has a flashlight/impact weapon thingy and unlike most, knows how to use it (and has the muscle to use it). She has pepper spray and again, unlike most, knows how to use it. That's all well and good for last-ditch stuff. But if she's attacked by a big ol' determined attacker, I don't want to say over her grave, "Well, kids, know that Mama had the moral high ground." I don't want her to be trying to tap out 9-1-1 on her cell phone and submit to ... whatever ... while waiting for help that won't get there in time. I want her home, intact, safe and sound and for the bad guy to be laying in a heap or in a morgue somewhere. I seem to remember implying the question if my fellow list member would be willing to guarantee his presence to keep her or anyone else's loved one safe. Thus far, no answer. Great. Once more my blindingly simple logic has pissed off someone else. Ah, well. Can't please everyone, eh? ;)

Introduction

Greetings.

    Welcome to my blog.  I was born and raised in the glorious southeastern U.S., Alabama specifically. This is where I still reside. Living here and being raised as a free thinker has given me a somewhat different view than that of many whom I hear speaking in the media lately. For one thing, I'm a Conservative (ooooh! No! One of THOSE! Egad, Ethel! It's a Conservative from Alabama! Run! Run like hell! We're only safe 'til the banjos stop playing!). Yeah. I'm a dude from Alabama and guess what? I can read, write, and think for myself ... just like most folks from "down South." Gadzooks, how I loathe stereotypes.

   If that sounded like I have a wee bit o'attitude, well, that's probably because I do. I see the south portrayed in movies and on TV as a backwards haven for inbred idiots. It's actually amazing how many famous and influential people are from the south. These include award winning authors, singers, actors, politicians (hey, there are a few good ones ... at least not wholly evil, anyway. Statesmen are better though. Statesmen are dead politicians. ar, ar, ar).

   Now, then, I did not start this blog to defend the Real South from the world. Well, not entirely, anyway. I started this to give me some place to dump all my rants and views. I'm pro-gun, pro-life, pro-freedom. I think misbehaving brats should be spanked. I hate drugs but I think there are WAY too many people serving sentences that are WAY too long for simple drug charges and are thus clogging up the system. I think the "war on drugs" has allowed for some erosion's of personal freedom and things have been taken WAY too far. I think it is MY responsibility to defend myself, my family, etc. from an attacker and it is the police's job to clean up afterward and determine if my actions need further "judicial review." I mean, it's nice and all if they DO get there before you are attacked. But then you should ask ... just how, exactly, did they know you were going to be attacked? From whence came their clairvoyance? No, it's YOUR job to be ready to defend yourself, your loved ones, and to an extent, your community. Too bad I seem to be in the minority with that view, eh? Oh, what's that? I don't understand? No, really, I do. See, I've been a cop for ... oh ... not quite two decades now. I've spent more time than not as a detective and my specialty seems to have become working violent crimes. I know first hand how rare it is for one of us to get to you before someone hurts you. In fact, often times, until someone hurts you, there has not been a crime committed so there's really not anything me blue-wearin'-brethren can do. Sad, I know, but true.

So, welcome, again, to my little corner of the web. Read all you want, comment (no, don't bother ranting or railing at me ... I invite intellectual debate, but keep your bumper-sticker/T-shirt slogans to yourself), and hopefully enjoy.