Leather Porn

I expect most of you will remember the Kilted to Kick Cancer fundraiser that Ambulance Driver started last fall. And one of the prize packages included a Dragon Leatherworks Talon. And Jay won that package. And then went above and beyond and auctioned off the contents.

Well, I happened to have the winning bid for the Talon. Dennis and I kicked a few emails back and forth about what I'd like, and he went above and beyond. (Are you noticing a theme yet?) I was curious about a color combination that he doesn't list on his site, and he was willing to give it a shot. (This, around a four-state move, and getting his shop set back up just in time for the Christmas rush!)

Last week, Dennis sent me a note saying the holster had shipped. Sure enough, it was waiting at the post office early this week, and looks even better than I had hoped.



On the left is the new holster. Molded for a 5" 1911, with a natural-to-burgundy burst and burgundy trim around a sanded stingray inlay. The "old" one on the right (also for a 5" 1911) is burgundy-to-black with black trim on a python inlay.

And vice-versa, doing what they're supposed to:


(Kimber Eclipse Custom II, 10mm; Springfield GI, .45ACP)



And a close-up of the VZ grips on the Kimber. Seriously grippy!

Safe Storage

Some states (CA, MA, I'm looking at you) have "safe storage" laws. NY doesn't, and I'm glad of it. There's no reason a stuffed suit in Albany should be able to tell me how to store my guns. I keep them in a safe to protect my investment, but I sometimes wish I felt comfortable with display cases and wall hangers.

In that vein, I got a new product announcement from Remington last night. They're introducing The Remington RAC Mountable Secured Storage System. It's designed as a surface-mounted gun lock, and locks through the trigger guard and around the wrist or grip of the weapon. Neat idea, and I can see how it could be useful.

But I see one HUGE problem: this provides no way to prevent the action of the weapon from operating. The slide on a pistol can cycle, the bolt has clearance on a rifle, and a shotgun is a gimme. The trigger is not only freely accessible, it's pressed against the lock's post. This is a recipe for a negligent discharge - as someone drops a magazine but forgets to clear the chamber, or does neither as they "just run in to the ____ real quick" and promptly puts a hole in the car door...

In my opinion, the reason to put a lock on a gun is to prevent someone from loading and firing it. Period. If you're going to use one, my preferred type of lock is the cable that runs through the magazine well and ejection port. A distant second is an "around the trigger" type, which can usually be fiddled with enough to pull the trigger at least once without ever removing the lock.

So, Remington, it's a neat product, but it's not there yet. Based on the photos and description, I wouldn't recommend one. (And I'm not going to ask for a T&E model either, because I'm just a nobody. And I sure won't spend $60 of my own money on something I wouldn't trust.)

(Mossberg tried sometime vaguely similar a few years ago with their Loc-Box system. This is MUCH more effective and appropriate, but has since been discontinued.)

What's in the box?

I got a shipping notification from LaserLyte yesterday.

There has been NO communication from them since I shipped in the (second) defective RSL.

I have no idea what's in the box that's coming, but I'll know in six days...

(See previous LaserLyte entries.)

Pale Red

I can't use the word that begins with "P" and ends with that stuff a pen is filled with, because it's trademarked by the folks at Komen... who has yanked their funding of Planned Parenthood (earmarked exclusively for cancer screenings) because of a new rule (with a new, pro-life VP) prohibiting funding of agencies under investigation. (PP is under investigation for maybe possibly using tax dollars to fund abortion services.)

MuleBreath has a pretty clear write-up on the situation. Read the whole thing (especially his links), then click on back here.

Please, feel free

Nancy over at Excels at Nothing dropped me a note asking if she could put the Kobayashi graphic from this post on her site.

Absolutely. Any of you, please feel free. If you want to throw a link to the cafepress store, it's appreciated, but not required. Boost the signal!