There's Gonna Be Some Changes 'Round Here...

Before I get to the changes here at Preachers & Horse Thieves, I'd like to take a moment to welcome another follower. Even though she does not appear in the "official" listing in the side bar, Jane of Virginia sounded off her presence in the comments of the last post. Her profile lists her online presence at "Rational Preparedness" : The Blog. Everybody say "hi" to Jane. While you're at it, tell me if you don't think her profile picture is the spitting image of Cote de Pablo from NCIS.

Now, moving right along, the first change I would like to make you all aware of is the new name. Not for the blog, but for the blogger. Shepherd K has been a fun name, but it's time to put it to bed. There are a couple of reasons for the decision. The main one is the likely adoption of M&M in the near to mid future. As some of you may recall, The Queen bestowed upon me the title of "Daddy Hawk" shortly after M&M's arrival. Over the almost one year since her arrival, I have come to view myself more and more as a husband / father / protector, a Daddy Hawk, as opposed to anything else. Besides, the best nicknames are those that others give you instead of ones you think up for yourself.

So, when you see a comment from a stranger named Daddy Hawk, it's just me.

We'll get along fine as long as you don't mess with my wife or my daughter.

The second change (or second and third depending on your point of view) is the changing nature of the blog. My original intent when I started writing here was to have a place to hone my writing skills, find my "voice" and share random thoughts on a variety of topics and other stuff. In other words, a general blog. Over time, I have gotten away from random thoughts and other stuff and started focusing more on my life as it happens. A diary of sorts. Part family history, part spleen venting. Looking back through the stats though, I've noticed that my most "popular" posts were the car reviews. In fact, my 2010 Ford Focus SES review is the number three entry for that search term on Google. Yeah, I just patted myself on the back. There might have been a self satisfied, maniacal chuckle or two as well.

In light of those revelations, I've decided on a two part solution. Part one, Preachers & Horse Thieves will continue to be your destination for all things related to The Queen, Daddy Hawk, M&M and the happenings at Castle Erickson. Part two is the creation of a new blog, called Daddy Hawk's Toy Box, which is where I will turn my inner twelve year old boy loose for things like writing reviews of cars, planes, motorcycles, guns, tools, books, movies....in short, anything a twelve year old boy (or girl) stuck in a middle aged man's (or woman's) body might find interesting.

The Toy Box is under development as you read this. It may be a little bit before some content appears, but I'll get something up there before too long.

Finally, I will continue to contribute to The GunDivas blog on occasion. Just under the new blogger name. Otherwise, it'll be semi-business as usual around here.

As always, I really appreciate your readership, your friendship and your comments.

Miscellaneous Bullet Point Update

Today's my birthday, and I'm just not in the mood to do a long post. So, instead, I'm just going to do a quick bullet point update.

• As of Tuesday night/Wednesday morning at 1:45 AM, I have officially applied to the law school at Texas Wesleyan University in Ft. Worth, Texas. 
• I was the walking dead yesterday because I didn't finally get to sleep until 3:00 AM.
• The Queen is "encouraging" me to also apply to SMU's Dedman School of Law.
• Whether I apply and get accepted to SMU or not, I will likely choose to go to Texas Wesleyan for two reasons: 1) TW costs $50K less than SMU over the life of the program and is unlikely to provide with $50K worth of value above what TW will provide me over the life of my career, and 2) SMU made me mad when I visited their campus...bunch of snobs.
• We heard back from the vet today about the Yakmaster's test results. No diabetes, no worms, no viruses, no obvious anything. He's slightly anemic and has a slightly elevated white blood cell count. The vet thinks he's got an intestinal flora imbalance. Bottomline, we have to find the food he WILL eat and get him fattened up while giving him some probiotics. 
• The Yakmaster hates probiotics.
• I hate spending $250 to find out the Yakmaster has an upset stomach. 
• Gunshow Sunday with number one follower Ken in Ft. Worth. One and all are welcome to join us (I'm lookin' at you Bob S.).
• I'm really, really, really wanting to come home with a new armory addition from the gunshow...
• ...but my bonus doesn't hit the bank until Tuesday.
• After Tuesday, it will be home improvement time to get Castle Erickson ready to sell 'cause I'm not taking care of a house and a wife while attending law school.
• Fortunately, the main necessary tasks involve tiling floors. 
• Unfortunately, The Queen wants to do more than just floors.
• I'll make you a really good deal on a nice 2300 sq. ft. house with 1600 sq. ft. workshop on 1 acre in a Dallas suburb in a great location.
• Today, for the first time ever after uncounted attempts, I finally won a round of advanced, four suit spider solitaire. Woohoo.
• I really need to get back into a better shape. The shape I am in is no good. I'm the heaviest I've ever been. I just had to buy a pair of 38" waist jeans (up from the 29" waist I had in high school). I joke that I have 12 pack abs.
• The sad thing is that it's no joke.
• I hate exercise. 
• I hate feeling overweight. 
• I love food.
• I am so screwed. 

Have fun. 

Gun Pr0n And A Dilemma

Okay…last post before my one year/100 post warranty expires. I need the help of my loyal readers and followers. You see, I am on the horns of a dilemma. As some of you will recall from my midlife crisis wish list post, there are several firearms that I am drooling/lusting after which, sooner or later, I will add to the Castle Erickson armory. I have since refined and tweaked that list just a little. So, please allow me to recap the updated list for a moment. Here, in no particular order, is the old but improved (since something really can’t be “new AND improved”…it has to be one or the other), list:

1) Ruger 10/22 Sporter .22LR semi-automatic rifle. I had originally listed the target version of the same rifle, but then I got to thinking about the 10/22 as a zombie gun. The target version would be nice, but the added weight would be a bear to lug around all the time. I decided the Sporter was a good compromise between the target model and the carbine model (which I find aesthetically unpleasing). Besides, the Sporter is about $100 cheaper up front, and I can always get a target weight barrel and stock to swap into the Sporter action anytime I want.

2) Ruger MkIII Hunter .22LR semi-automatic pistol. This is a carryover from the original list. I still really like the way it looks; however, I am also considering the 22/45 version of this pistol as well. I’d take either one to be perfectly honest. Perhaps even both.

3) Taurus PT1911 .45ACP semi-automatic pistol. I landed on the Taurus as my first choice for an entry level 1911 style pistol for 2 reasons: a) I’ve owned Taurus’ before with no problems whatsoever, and b) it’s got a ton of features for the price. As many an article pointed out, it’d make a good base gun for a custom 1911.

4) Ruger SR-556. This is a gas piston version of the AR-15.

5) Remington Model 700 Sendero bolt action in .308. I changed my mind on the bolt action rifle from the Browning to the Remington mainly on the strength of the fact that I’ve shot the Sendero and liked it a lot. I went to the gun store recently and compared the Remington to a comparable Savage, and the Remington just felt better all the way around. I’ve held the Browning and liked it but not enough to pay more than the Remington.

6) Glock 9mm. This is a direct nod to the zombie gun post. I haven’t decided on the full size versus medium frame yet, but I’ll probably go with the full size since I don’t plan on conceal carrying it, and I may use it to get into production class shooting sports.

7) Smith & Wesson Model 686, 386 XL Hunter or 627 V-Comp .357 Revolver. This is sort of a carryover from the first list…with options. I want another .357 revolver, and you can’t argue about the quality of the Smith & Wesson revolvers.

8) Springfield M1A Super Match .308 semi-automatic rifle. Another carryover. See the zombie gun post for more reasons why I like it.

9) Marlin 1894 lever action rifle in either .44 or .357. I have the Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44, and I want the 686 in .357. I think a classic lever gun in a matching caliber would make a great field/hunting combination.

In the “it’d be nice to have, but I can live without it category” are the following:

a) Savage Mark II BVT .22 LR bolt action rifle

b) Paraordinance 1911 .45ACP semi-automatic pistol

c) Colt 1911 .45ACP semi-automatic pistol

d) Browning or Beretta 12 gauge over/under shotgun

e) Browning or Benelli 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun

f) DPMS or Rock River DGI AR-15 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle

So, anyway, here is the dilemma…I inherited/liberated a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Mag revolver from my grandfather (the senile, 89 year old coot of a “father” to my mother who is in an assisted living home now). Even though I have the original presentation grade wood case, etc., this gun is a shooter. The bluing is worn and pitted in several places because my grandfather thought the perfect place to keep a quality firearm was under the front seat of his pickup amongst the cigar ash and empty beer cans. The gun is not hideous by any means, but it’s not going to win any awards anytime soon. Here is a picture of what it looked like up until last March:

After March, I changed out the original square butt wood grips for a nice Hogue contoured wood grip. It now looks like this:

See the difference?

The new grips make it more comfortable to shoot. However, I’m still not satisfied with its overall performance. To me, a revolver should have a six inch, fully underlugged, heavy barrel. The standard 4 inch barrel on the Model 29 isn’t bad, and it gives acceptable accuracy. However, I think it is capable of much more.

So, here is what I am thinking and the question I’d like to pose to you, my dear readers: I’m toying with the idea of having the pistol reblued, rebarreled (like a six inch ported/compensated target barrel), and maybe a little extra custom work (like modifying it to use moon clips or adding a Hiviz front sight). Does anybody think I’m crazy or that this would be a bad idea? Does anyone think I should leave it as is and spend money on getting a gun set up the way I want straight out of the box?

It's Gonna Be a Wonderful Day

Despite the fact that we all lost an hour to daylight savings this morning and the fact that I slept like a tweaker on a double dose of meth last night, I am really excited about today.

At 10:00 AM, I am meeting number 1 follower, best man and best friend (aside from The Queen) at the gun show for some well deserved drooling and hopefully good deal hunting. For those of you who are just dying to gift me with one of the firearms on my midlife crisis list, it's not too late. You can meet us at the gun show in Ft. Worth. I'll be dressed in blue jeans, a blue, long sleeved pull over shirt, and a black Margaritaville baseball cap. If all goes well, I'll be trading a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44mag (4" barrel) for one or two of the guns on the list.

After the gun show and a quick bit of lunch, it's off to mom's place (50 +/- acres of rolling hills and meadows) to meet up with more family and friends to slay large amounts of paper, plywood and other targets of opportunity. I spent an hour or so last night building some portable target holders to replace the severely dilapidated range we built several years ago down at mom's. Let's just say that it's probably not the best place for a progressive/liberal anti-gun advocate to show up today.

Photos to follow sometime this week unless someone shoots the camera.

The Day After

Day 1 of my midlife crisis.

Today started out pretty much like any of the other previous 14,610 days. I don't feel any different. I don't feel any older. In corresponding with other people this morning, it appears that this is normal. So, I know I am not in denial.

No new guns have appeared on my doorstep yet looking for a good home. I must not be as well loved as I thought, or all my readers are just as broke as I am. If just 10 readers were to find it in their hearts to send me $40 each, I could get one off the list. Come on, that's dinner and a movie. A cheap date. If you can scrounge up more readers, that lowers the contribution level considerably. I'd even send you a copy of a target shot with the new weapon. I'll even do a Mel Gibson-esque smiley face if you want.

Oh well. There's still hope that someone will show up at the gun show on Sunday, hand me one of the guns on my list and say: "It's all yours. Go forth and have fun slaying paper, varmints, zombies and liberals (which really are the same thing when you think about it)."

Constipation of the Word Processor

Once again, I find myself in the position of apologizing for my absence from the blogosphere. I’ve been a bad blogger buddy here of late again. People have, on more than one occasion, accused me of having diarrhea of the word processor. Lately, it seems to have turned to constipation. That, or I just don’t give a crap anymore.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist the easy joke.

Semi-seriously, as usual, I’ve been busier than the proverbial one armed, one legged paper hanger in a butt kickin’ contest. On top of the usual daily activities of life and work which interfere with my ability to commune with my readership, I turn 40 on Wednesday which means I’m in the middle of planning my midlife crisis.

I mean, you do have to plan those things. Don’t you? Otherwise you wind up with a crappy midlife crisis and lose your job after sleeping with the wrong co-worker in the back seat of that snazzy convertible you can’t afford.

Since I’m hopelessly in love with my wife and really don’t want to find out what God or my wife would do to me if I violated the seventh commandment, a mistress is out of the question. Besides, it’s not like I have a lot of opportunity. Working from home seriously impacts my interaction with just about everyone on the planet.

I do like cars, but I’ve lost my love affair with going deeply into debt for a $30,000 plus toy which is the price of poker for even the most basic new sports car. Drop a gently used and/or easily restorable/customizable 1970 Datsun 240Z in my lap for a reasonable price, and you might get my attention though.

Motorcycles are kinda the same thing as the car thing but at a lower price point.

Airplanes…oooo. Please don’t get me started. Even the rattiest, airworthy used airplane is going to set you back more than a new car not including the hangar fees, the price of avgas (and you thought 87 octane dino wine for your car was steep at $3.50 or more a gallon…you’re so funny) and the price of annual inspections and overhaul reserves. You might as well pick up bank robbery as a hobby ‘cause that’s about the only way you can afford to feed an airplane.

So, that leaves me with guns.

The problem with guns is that I can’t just stop at one. It kinda reminds of the Rutger Hauer movie “Split Second”. There’s a scene where Rootbeer’s partner has just encountered the homicidal creature for the first time and figures out why Rootbeer’s character has gone off the deep end. They find themselves in the gun locker at the police station ranting about needing more guns and each gun that gets picked up is “NOT BIG ENOUGH.”

That’s about the way I’d be with guns if I didn’t have other priorities. You can’t have too many or too big.

And it doesn’t help that I came across Michael Zimmerman’s list of the 10 Most Manly Guns and discovered (to my horror) that I’ve only owned 3 of the 10 (I got rid of the Glock for reasons that remain dim in my memory, but I was never very happy with it anyway). If you add Zimmerman’s 10 More Manly Guns list, I’ve owned 4 of the 20.

Then there’s this guy I know up in Utah. When the war starts, I’ll be knocking, very politely I might add, on his door. This guy has more guns than most gun stores. His basement is full of guns and ammo and reloading equipment. I mean FULL. He has two file cabinets. One drawer is .357 magnum revolvers. The next drawer is 1911 .45 semi autos. The next drawer is…you get the idea. His root cellar which is about 5 or 6 feet wide and 20 or so feet long has rifles lining the walls floor to ceiling. He estimated, conservatively, that he had over 200 guns worth well over $150,000. I’m pretty sure he had all 20 of the guns on Zimmerman’s lists. 10 times over.

And people say I’m obsessed?

All this means, of course, is that I have to rectify this as soon as possible by obtaining more guns.

Unfortunately, thanks to President Obama and a (up until recently) super majority Democrat controlled Congress, every redneck on the planet is clinging to their guns and Bibles very tightly and buying more of each at every opportunity. For those of you who slept through the chapter on the Law of Supply and Demand in your economics class, this means that guns you could have purchased for $500 a year or two ago are now going to set you back $750 or more depending on how popular it is. Some guns, like those dreaded assault rifles which are feared by so many who haven’t got a clue, can’t be touched for less than $1000. A really nice over/under shotgun is going to cost you a minimum of $2000.

So, if you’re like me and like guns…a lot, you’ll get close to the new car price point pretty quick.

Since I know my readership loves me dearly and really want to help a brother out in his quest to have the perfect midlife crisis, I thought I would submit my list of guns that I’d really like to have in case you were stumped on what to get me for my birthday or just wanted to donate some cash to the cause. Here, in no particular order of desire, are the weapons I want to add to my arsenal:

1. Ruger Mark III Hunter .22 LR (model # 10118 in the Ruger catalog). This is a pretty pistol. It’s man jewelry for those who appreciate shooting with precision. The stainless steel frame dressed with pretty rosewood grips joins up with a 6.88” fluted barrel that screams “SHOOT ME NOW, SHOOT ME OFTEN!!!!”. I was truly disappointed that the Ruger didn’t make Zimmerman’s list. I mean, COME ON, Sly Stallone and Antonio Banderas both used the Ruger, suitably modified with a silencer, as their weapons of choice in the movie “Assassins”. If it’s good enough for Stallone, it’s good enough for me.

2. Ruger 10/22 Target model .22LR rifle (model #1121). This is like the Japanese tuner car of small caliber target rifles. You can do anything with this puppy. You could easily spend $1000 customizing this gun which is a pretty good piece straight out of the box. My mom bought the carbine version of this rifle as her first gun last year, and it has me seriously wanting to trade my Marlin 60 on one of these.

3. A 1911 platform .45 ACP Government Model semi auto pistol (I’d settle for the Commander size if I had to). I haven’t quite narrowed down which particular brand and model I want yet. I might just have to get several to be safe. I have shot the Kimber and loved it. I have shot a Colt Government Model which is what started my desire for one of these pistols (years and years ago, but the memory is still fresh and crisp in my mind). I have been eyeing the Taurus PT1911 here lately and wouldn’t mind trying one since I had good luck with Taurus products previously. Of course, if there were a generous soul out there who wanted to bequeath to me a Les Baer or Wilson Combat custom 1911, I might name my first born child after that person.

4. Browning Citori over/under 12 gauge Shotgun. I don’t care who you are, this is a nice gun.

5. AR-15 or M4. I’m not picky about the maker. I have shot the Rock River Arms version and had no complaints. I know I have absolutely no need for one of these, but I don’t care. I just want one.

6. A really nice .30-06 or .300 Win Mag rifle. This is another area where I have not yet decided which one to go with. I have shot the Remington Model 700 Sendero in .308 and liked it real nice. I have heard others speak kindly of the Weatherby brand. I hear some good stuff about Savage, too. I just want a nice, accurate rifle with which to hunt deer, elk, zombies and the occasional rioter. I’m not asking for much am I?

7. Springfield M1A Super Match. I want it ‘cause it’s a way tricked out and updated M1 Garand.

8. Navy Arms 1875 Scofield Founder’s model .45LC. It was good enough for Jesse James. Need I say more?

9. Smith & Wesson Model 686 .357 magnum with a 6” barrel. I saw these when they were first released back in the 80s and fell in love at first site. At least, I fell in love with the stainless steel version with the polished wood, contoured grips.

I’ll be going to the gun show this weekend before heading down to mom’s to shoot stuff. Feel free to tag along and bestow your generosity on me. I won’t protest one bit. I promise.

*3/9/10 Update - I spent a little time on number 6 today. I think I've narrowed it down to the Browning A-Bolt M-1000 Eclipse, but I'm not sure if I want the BOSS option or not. I need to do a little more reading on that part.