Guns I "Need": .22 Pistol

I have an unwritten list of guns I need to buy. These are guns I desperately need for one reason or another, and I recently notched one off my list: The semi-auto large-ish caliber rifle (A 7.62x39 Vepr). It wouldn't have been next on my list but with the likelihood of some sort of gun control measure arriving soon I decided that now was the time. There are two guns that I would definitely rank higher priority in terms of practical use though, ones I have had definitive need for in the last year ever.

In terms of genuine need there were at least half a dozen times over the last year that I really should have had a.22 caliber pistol. Instead I found myself using my CZ 452 American .22 rifle that doesn't even have iron sights. Given the affordable nature of .22 caliber pistols this is something that would have made a clear cut first choice for the next gun on the list, but no one is going to ban .22's anytime soon. So what would have been among my top picks for the .22? Well let's analyze for a second.

First Criteria: Revolver or Semi-Auto?

Semi-Auto .22 pistols are extremely popular and there are a ton to choose from. Having handled and shot quite a few my interests would almost definitely be towards a Ruger Mark II, with a 6 inch tapered target barrel like the following:

I would add wood grips but that would probably be it. There are a lot of cooler looking guns out there that, but non that feel quite so solid, and elegant as this one.

However, I would almost definitely get a revolver over a .22 semi-auto.
Reason 1:
I like shooting lower power .22 variants like .22 short or .22 CB rounds to humanely dispense with intruding mice or other problematic wildlife, and semi-autos are really geared for .22LR only.
Reason 2:
I like revolvers, in general, better than semi's. Something about the revolver exudes elegance, sophistication and engineering prowess. Are revolvers simpler than semi's? No. Are they more reliable? In .22 caliber they probably are but in other calibers not necessarily. Are they easier to operate? Potentially. Are they easier to shoot or more accurate? Probably not. They just have an old world charm that really speaks to me.

So the answer to criteria number one for me is that I would get a revolver.

Criteria Number Two: Single action only or SA/DA?

For a long time I was convinced that I wanted a single action only .22 revolver, like the Ruger Single Six, but the truth is that was until I saw the Colt Official Police .22. Don't ask me why, but when I look at this picture my pulse quickens just a tad:

I need this. I don't know why. Looking around at prices I could probably get a decent one at the same price or slightly cheaper than a single six. Now it's just a game of waiting until the right time to make another gun purchase, probably a year or two from now.

The gun that is competing with the .22 pistol to be my next gun? A semi-auto shotgun.

Other guns I "need":
A deer rifle.
A muzzleloader.
A true IDPA competition pistol
An open sights .22 rifle.

If I had all of the guns above mentioned I think I would feel like I could come to a legitimate stopping place in my firearms acquisitions. Until I super rich at least.

Google Nexus 4 $30/Month

This is awesome. 

Read these 2 articles:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/android/21701/nexus-4-revisited

http://blogs.computerworld.com/smartphones/21333/google-nexus-4-carrier-options

Once you have read those two articles, and understand that you can have the best smartphone yet created, and only pay $30/month to operate this smart phone on a reputable carrier, proceed to purchase a contract-free Nexus 4 here:

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb&feature=microsite&hl=en

You will also need a T-mobile Micro-Sim card activation kit which can be purchased for 99 cents (with free shipping) here:

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/T-Mobile-Micro-SIM-Card-Activation-Kit

This same scheme could conceivably be carried out with any device that can run on sim cards, but keep in mind that T-Mobile "4g" is not "LTE" but is "HSPA+" so you could get an IPhone 4S to work on it, the Iphone 5 would work too, but the LTE would be useless until T-Mobile got their LTE Network up, which isn't going to happen for another year. 

Keep in mind though, google devices are supported for a LONG time. Having the latest version is a big deal with android devices. The latest version is an enormous leap forward compared to my current phone. (I run the latest android version on my tablet). Yes you do have to pay $300 for the phone, but it is without contract, which means you aren't trapped for 2 years. So the phone pays for itself after a few months and you can change carriers plans or whatever whenever you feel like it.

If you do go over 100 minutes talk it is 10 cents/minute. I use an average of right around 100 minutes each month right now, most of you probably use somewhat more, but even if you double it you're still only paying $40/month. No fees, only sales tax.

Anyway, I don't usually go on tirades like this but I am sick of paying $150/month for my cell phone. I ordered one as soon as they came back in stock and I am calling sprint tomorrow to tell them to stick their early termination fee where the sun don't shine. 

Walnut!

SWEEEEEET

Ignorance, Fear, Greed and Gun Control

I've been avoiding this as much as possible. Mainly because I've got a lot of work I need to get done and it's difficult enough for me to do it without writing blog posts about things that don't have anything to do with software development. I've also been avoiding this because I consider myself a rational person and somewhat of a pragmatist rather than an ideologue and the last month or so has left me feeling very lonely as fear, ignorance and greed have been rampaging across our national psyche.

I like guns. I would definitely consider myself a shooting enthusiast. I've done IDPA-style pistol competitions, I hunt upland birds as well as deer and would like to get into 3-gun shooting, long distance shooting and pretty much anything else that involves shooting a gun. I own more than a few firearms and feel connected to them the same way one might connect with their first car. I also know a lot about my guns. I know when they were manufactured, how to completely disassemble and then reassemble them. I know where and when they were designed and for the most part, who designed them. I know their limitations and I can tell when one is misbehaving or not performing like it should. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am educated about guns.

However, in a seemingly rare combination, I'm also educated about politics. I hold a bachelor's degree in Political Science and while I certainly don't have the "right" answer for any of the tough political questions facing the nation today I can think analytically about the information presented. And I have to admit the information I've been gleaning recently has been more and more disturbing as it is comes from both sides of the gun control debate.

To understand what is happening I want to introduce the different actors in our gun control drama. First you have the gun crowd. I suppose I belong to this group. These are the masses that enjoy and use guns. Second are the gun elite. These are the supposed representatives of the gun interests, and include gun manufactures, gun lobbies. Third there are the non-gun masses which includes most of the people in the US whose primary exposure to guns is through movies, tv, etc. Then there are the anti-gun folks who would like to see varying degrees of increased restrictions on guns. Finally there are Politicians.

This post is already too long and I plan on expounding on this to make several points but what I want to drive home right now is that the only common thread these groups share is a high degree of ignorance.