A brief video showing the unboxing of the latest addition to my pistol collection - a Beretta Model 3032 Tomcat with an Inox finish. I hope to get a bit of shooting enjoyment out of this one. If I decide to carry it, it will serve as a back up to my current every day carry pistol a Glock 26. The thing is though I have the perfect backup pistol to match to my Glock 26, that backup is a second Glock 26. It obviously uses the same mags, has all the same exact controls on it, fits well in concealment and thus makes the perfect backup pistol to my EDC. Anyway, if I ever have a need for a second backup it may well be this Beretta.
Edited To Add: The video was deleted because as my ever watchful son pointed out, I showed the invoice and the invoice showed my home address. I'll post a new video when I get the chance. Now, anyone who saw the address can always come to visit me but I recommend letting me know ahead of time and coming during daylight hours after me telling you it's okay to stop by. Coming in the dark hours unannounced - well you do so at your own risk ;>)
Wow two videos added to YouTube in a single day, I must be on a roll.
Hat tip to Mike G about the info on this model having problems with cracked slides, current info is that the problem was resolved but as you learn in the video Beretta is still recommending against higher velocity/higher muzzle energy ammo.
This is a video I made, according to my info on the file on my laptop back in December 1979. I only got a Glock 17, the pistol shown in the video in December 2017; so either the date is wrong or I traveled back in time without knowing it to make the embedded video. Regardless this shows three different ways to activate a Glock slide (and many other pistol slides) to load or unload it as necessary in a combat situation or even merely at the range or at home. There are many other ways to activate a slide, the ones are show are common methods used when both of your hands/arms are fully functional. Someday I may do a video on various ways to operate the slide when only one of your hands is functional (for instance the other hand is badly injured) but I'll need to recruit someone, like my son, to film when I handle the pistol for that type of racking the slide. Anyway, enjoy the video at hand (no pun intended or was it);>)
Last weekend, I bid in a Hessney.com online Sportsman Auction. I know this may come as a shock to some but I almost did not bid on any guns. Yes the word almost was in there so of course I bid on some guns and I had the high bid on one of them. That one was listed as a High Standard - 12 Ga. 2.75" Pump, 28" Mod. Barrel. It is probably a Flight King Field grade model. No clue do my little gray cells have as to why I bid on it except maybe that the auction bug bit and bid on it.
It is a nice looking slide action shotgun. Not exactly anything for which I had a need but it is something I can use for trades or whatever if I decide not to keep it. Chances are though, I will keep it at least until I, THE Great Procrastinator, take it to the range to see how well or not well it functions. I probably would have made a wiser move had I bid on a couple of 22 LR rifles that were up for bids at around the same time. They were less expensive, would have been much easier for me to shoot considering Arthur I. Tis is my constant companion and me not needing anything to rile him up as a 12 gauge will do.
Then yesterday, I decided to treat myself to what I guess I should consider a Father's Day gift from me to me even though Father's Day was not taken into consideration when I bought it. I had been thinking about, somewhat frequently, getting myself an Inox Beretta Tomcat 3032 in 32 ACP. Don't recall exactly how or why it came to mind yesterday but when it did I just happened to stumble across one going for a few cents under $400.00.
This is not the actual one I am going to get but was a stock photo of it I found online.
Since they usually go for around $540.00 plus shipping I jumped right on that one and ordered it. I almost ordered two of them but being I had almost 8K of credit card debt last month, I figured I had best take it easy and purchase only one of them. Tonight I ordered a couple of spare magazines and a couple of boxes of ammo for it (already have about 1K of 32 ACP for it). The mags I ordered are not the seven round mags that normally are in the box with the Tomcat 3023 model; instead they are 8 round mags with a grip extension for the new Tomcat 30X model but are backwards compatible with the older model 3023. The new 30X model comes with a threaded barrel, the higher capacity mags with grip extension and the mag release on the new model is on the frame behind the trigger as opposed to being in the lower rear portion of the left grip panel as on the 3023. I'd prefer the new mag release but the ne 30X model is going for about $650.00 and I was much more comfortable with mine costing just under $400.00 shipped to my local FFL. As for the extra mags I ordered for it, I ordered them directly from Beretta because Beretta was nice enough to be giving a 25% Father's Day discount on them.
I like my Berettas, this new one will be the 20th Beretta pistol I have owned and will bring my current number of them to 11 more than any other brand that I own right now. The ones I currently own, including the new one not yet delivered, are: a Beretta 92SB pistol, two Beretta 92FS full size pistols, two Beretta 92FS Compact L Type M pistols, a Beretta Model 70S in 22 LR, a Beretta 70S in .380, a Beretta 84 in .380, a Beretta 87 Target in 22 LR, a Beretta 950BS in .22 short and the new Beretta Tomcat 3023 in .32 ACP. The ones I already have are all very good to excellent in the accuracy department, are very reliable (the 92 series pistols feed any ammo I have ever put through them and I love them all with the possible exception of the of the model 84 which is not quite as accurate as the others but is still more than good enough in that department. I am pretty sure that the Tomcat will make an excellent backup pistol - one that I can pocket carry in the Texarkana heat without worrying that it will wind up being corroded by sweat since it has an Inox finish (Beretta's trade name for stainless steel). If I like it as much as I like my others, I may also have to pick up the 30X model. Time, my bank account balance and uncontrollable buying impulses will tell. So much for my New Year's resolution to stop buying any guns this year; I have bought at least seven of them so far.
... is how they list information about ammunition that they have for sale. They list not only the brand name, the caliber, the amount of rounds, the cost and normal stuff like that which you would expect to see but they also include information about the ammo that most other retailers do not include. Specifically they include a chart showing the following information, if not for every type of ammo they sell then at least for most of them.
What I particularly like about that is the information about the muzzle velocity and the muzzle energy. Normally, I'd expect both of those to be higher for JHP ammo (self defense ammo) as opposed to FMJ (target ammo). The thing is when it comes to certain brand of ammo, like Sellier & Bellot, their numbers seemingly are always higher as compared to other brands. So their ammo is hotter or performing at a higher velocity with more muzzle energy for each round. As it turns out Sellier & Bellot FMJ (target ammo) ammo winds up being faster and more powerful than most other manufacturers JHP and FMJ ammo in 32 auto. For instance, the above listed Sellier & Bellot FMJ ammo compares to Prvi Partisan JHP (self defense ammo) like this:
The Prvi Partisan ammo is within SAAMI standards (Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) for muzzle velocity and muzzle energy; however,
the Sellier & Bellot ammo seemingly exceeds those standards as I understand
it after reading this article by Chuck Hawks. Thus, it seems to me, the Sellier & Bellot 32 Auto ammo may be unsafe to fire in most if not all of my pistols. Who woulda thunk it! I don't know about what you would expect but I would not expect a major ammo manufacturer to make ammo that might blow up my pistol. I am none to certain that what I just wrote is correct but it seems to be a genuine concern to me; so, I intend to check into this further. Sellier & Bellot has been one of my go to brands when I can get it and that is all because it is usually more powerful than any other brands I can find but I'll be damned if I continue using it if I find out it is unsafe. Here is what Mr. Hawks had to say about it:
"Almost all .32 ACP and .380 ACP semi-automatic
pistols are blow-back operated, not locked breech designs. In these pistols
only the mass/inertia of the breech bolt and the pressure of the recoil spring
keep the action closed during firing. These are carefully calibrated to the
anticipated pressure of the cartridge for which the pistol is chambered. Any
increase (or decrease) in the cartridge's MAP can create an unsafe and/or
unreliable condition.
In other words, these cartridges are intended to be
loaded within a narrow range of pressures that cannot be exceeded if the guns designed
to shoot them are to operate correctly. Since any handgun used for personal
protection must, above all, be reliable, I recommend against the use of
ersatz "+P" ammunition. Stick with ammunition loaded to SAAMI specifications."; (source). I am hopeful I can contact Mr. Hawks to determine if the S&B ammo is safe to use in my pistols or if I should avoid it. For now, I am going to order some of the Prvi Partisan ammo.
Dazed & confused about this am I but I am willing to learn more about the subject especially with the goal of preventing a catastrophic failure in any of my pistols and preventing possible injury should such a failure take place. So, if you are truly in the know about this subject - please be so kind as to clue me in with references if possible. In addition, if you are aware of contact information for Chuck Hawks, I would appreciate you letting me know how to contact him. Thanks.
You know she was having fun; just look at her smile:
I have to add that I love the way she reacted by turning to whomever she was with to give that awesome grin while at the same time keeping the pistol pointed in the right direction - downrange. Someone apparently taught her well because many folks wold turn not only their head but the gun as well and it would wind up pointing in a very unsafe direction. No problem with that here though, good discipline on her part. Plus she is one heck of a good looking lady and how can I not appreciate that!
Subsequent to the Trump administration's ban on bump stock with the ATF falsely claiming they turned a rifle into an automatic weapon, and that bump stocks themselves were machine guns (source), Michael Cargill, the owner of Central Texas Gun Works in Austin, TX filed a lawsuit against the federal government to fight the ban. Well, on Friday June 14, 2024 - the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) found the ban to be unconstitutional by a 6-3 vote ( more at the source). This is not only excellent news relative to bump stocks but will likely become extremely important case law in future cases of all sorts in which a government agenc (like the ATF) attempts to write the laws themselves which is in sum & substance what ATF (a member of the executive branch of government actually did relative to bump stocks. Only the Congress can legislate new federal laws and much of the findings in this case if not all of them were based upon that Constitutional restriction on the government. So, ATF and other federal agencies will not be able to change or create federal law relative to anything.
Thus I imagine the pistol brace ban will also be found unconstitutional. Other devices banned by ATF such as a trigger crank - once popular for rifles like the Ruger 10/22 may also be found to fall under this SCOTUS ruling and thus become legal again.
I think all gun owners owe Michael Cargill a lot of thanks. In fact I went to his business web site intending to send him a thank you message but the Contact Us capability on that site is temporarily out of service. I am guessing because many folks must have overwhelmed it with thank you messages. Anyway, if you want to try to send him a message, this is his business website address: https://centraltexasgunworks.com/. Listen to what Mr. Cargill says about it here.
Now for the sharks to smell the blood in the water and file a class action lawsuit against the government for all those who followed the law and destroyed their personally owned bump stocks by order of the Constitution violating ATF.
...at my son's house about 150 miles from my apartment. Skye, my beloved mongrel is with me. So too are Winnie & Hilda my son Brendan's puppies. At what I am guessing is around 50 pounds each so far, they are more than a handful. Chubbs, who is Nikki's dog (my son's girlfriend) is absent being cared for by a relative of Nikki. Brendan & Nikki are in Germany as are my wife, daughter & grandson. Brendan & Nikki have left me here to care for their home, protecting it from all sorts of ruffians like thieves, burglars, squatters and other scoundrels. I'll be here for around ten days until they return; the rest of the clan will stay there for something like another few days to a week longer.
The only things I have to look forward to - besides the puppies being a pain in my arse (actually more in my lower back and hips) and a pain in Skye's back, as they constantly jump up on us - is not having to do much of anything. I like that last part, as it says on one of my favorite shirts 'I'm not lazy, I really like doing nothing' or very close to that. So, I will feed & water the dogs, let them out to do their necessary stuff, let them back in walk without taking any of them, except maybe Skye every couple of days, for a walk. I'll clean my messes and do the dishes and stuff but that is about it; oh yeah, I'll take out the trash and put it curbside as needed. I'll also take care of my two Hermann's Tortoises which accompanied Skye and me on our trip. Other than that, I will be a couch potato for the duration. I am surprised I am even writing this.
Right now all three hounds are doing what I like them to do most - sleeping. That is a very good thing and Skye likes it as well. I prefer the peace & quiet. Me, I have been eating a couple of oatmeal-raisin cookies and watching television on Amazon Prime. The specific show I've been watching is Monsieur Spade - Season 1. It's a show about the infamous fictional detective Sam Spade who gained a huge following due to the one and only story in which he was featured by his creator Dashiell Hammet. That story was a novel called The Maltese Falcon which of course was later brought to the silver screen starring Humphrey Bogart in a masterpiece of film noir and character acting. It is possibly the most enjoyable and best film noir ever. Certainly one of my favorite Bogart films and probably my favorite of all I have ever seen of his movies, with each The African Queen or The Treasure of the Sierra Madre a tied as a close second.
The current series depicts Sam Spade years after retirement, or at least years after he has fled San Francisco and relocated to a small town in, of all places, the French countryside. The lead actor Clive Owen is not the character actor that was Bogart - Bogart properly and marvelously portrayed the character of Sam Spade of the novel (even though in the original story he had blonde hair as I recall - yes I read it - and it & the film are true to one another in most other regards). In fact, my guess is that Clive Owen never once read the story or watched the movie because his portrayal of Sam Spade misses the mark by a million miles in my estimation.There are no other references from which to copy the character of the Sam Spade that was created by Hammet; sadly he only wrote 5 novels and Sam Spade was only in that one and sadly it seems to me that Owen does not have a clue how to mimic Bogart as Spade. Yet, the show Monsieur Spade is pretty good nonetheless if, but only if as I see it, you can get over the fact that this character no matter what he is called is not much at all the Sam Spade of infamy that was portrayed in The Maltese Falcon.
Maybe, if the mood strikes me strongly enough, it will get mine arse in gear to head to a local range to shoot the Remington Model 81 on which I had the high bid in an auction at the end of April. I brought it and about 40 rounds of 35REM ammo for it along with me. I also have an AK,a Remington 870 12 gauge with rifle sights and two Glock 26 pistols. One never knows when the zombies might become restless or when civil war might break out. About the only other things that might get me out and about away from my house sitting duties are food shopping; although, there is plenty here for at least a week I think, going to Costco to stock up on supplies to bring back to my apartment when I leave here and maybe a trip to the G&S gun show in Conway, AR this coming weekend. Wish I had known about that before leaving my digs; I maybe would have packed a few more rifles & pistols and then would have tried to sell them at the show. As it stands now, all I can do is buy something because I am not selling any of the guns I have with me and the chances of me buying any guns is almost zero because I am strapped for spending cash.
I titled this post "Here I Sit..." but that is about to change because I am about to lay me down and take a nap.
