Kevin Nelson

I made a quick run up to Baldy Village on my Vstrom 650 this afternoon. To get there take Mountain Ave north from Upland and it winds into Baldy Mt Road. From there it is about 8 miles of easy curves at a 6% grade to Baldy Village. The day started off pretty gloomy, so I went with the hi-viz, as this really seems o stand out in the lower light.

I had lunch at the Baldy Mountain Lodge. The inside of the lodge was dark and unwelcoming, so I sat in the shade on the back patio. I had hot tea, and a French Dip sandwich with onion rings. Damage was $12 with tip.

The menu is the standard roadhouse pub fare. Nothing to get too excited about. Dinners start at 5pm and run about $15.

I had the company of a Stellar’s Jay while I was eating. Like most jays, he wasn’t shy and he wasn’t quiet. The Stellars looks like a Western Scrub Jay, but slightly larger, darker blue and with a black comb This pic  is what they really look like although I didn’t take this one. The lighting was pretty bad and  I couldn’t get a decent pic with my phone.

After lunch I heard some commotion from the front, and went out to see what had happened. It seemed a Jeeper forgot to set the brake on his CJ6, and it rolled across the road into my waitress Julia’s parked car. Bummer.

The Lodge appears to be a popular hangout for bikers, although not on a scale anywhere near Cook’s corner or Hell’s Kitchen. Nice little ride, though, if you don’t have a lot of time. From here, one can also take Glendora Mountain Road ( or GMR as those in the know call it) over to Azusa (no newbs on this one).

Sunday, Mike and I decided to do a Julian Run for a slice of apple pie. That plan changed, and instead we decided to explore the Anza area, south of Mt San Jacinto. From Eastvale, we headed east on 60 through Moreno Valley, then caught the 79 south where it meets the 10 fwy in Banning. We followed the 79 south as it sort of zig-zags eastward through San Jacinto and Hemet. This part of the ride, and most rides, is a little boring because it is mostly freeway and surface streets. We eventually connected with the 74 east. A mile or so out of town it begins a gentle climb through some nice turns up to about 5000 ft. This road, while not too technical, does require some concentration and attention to entry speeds on the turns, lest you go wide and hit oncoming traffic, or take a 1000 foot tumble. There is one stretch of about eight S curves in a row for about a quarter mile that is especially fun, because it’s all laid out in front of you as it winds up the mountain.

Harley folk gather at the local general store                  Yes that is a real AR15 mounted to this guy’s bike

At Mountain Center, we went south on 74 towards Anza. This stretch is a generally straight run through an alpine valley surrounded by pine forest. It’s quite scenic. We stopped for lunch at the Paradise valley café, about 5 miles outside of Anza.

                  Good eats!                                                          Pirates are welcome at the Paradise Café!

After leaving, we headed south on 351 through Anza. This road is a gradual descent through the Anza valley. The first segment is fairly straight as it winds through this rural community As it approaches the 79, the road gets progressively windier, ending in a series of gentle sweepers as it connects to the 79.

We headed towards Julian, but wound up heading west on 76 past Lake Henshaw. just pas the lake, we went north on the road to Mt. Palomar, then stopped at the Lake Henshaw observation deck, where we got a spectacular view of the valley and mountains beyond.

We left the observation deck turnout and headed up the mountain to the Palomar Observatory. I had read about this road on some riding blogs, which said it was a favorite sport bike racing route, so I was expecting it to be much hairier than it was. It was actually a pleasant ride. No blind turns or 2000 foot drop-offs, just some easy curves and plenty of alpine scenery. We got to the observatory just after the visitor center and museum closed, but we did hike up to the dome and back. It’s pretty cool looking. I’d like to go back and check out the museum on another trip.

                                                                         Chick Magnets

We weren’t to far off from sundown, so we headed down the west side of the mountain, caught the 76 to Pauma, then S16 to Temecula, the 15 freeway, then home. It was a good ride. The weather was crisp and dry, the scenery great, traffic light and food good. That makes for an excellent riding day.

www.cbc.ca

I spent a fair amount of time this morning watching the beginning of the Papal Conclave. It is really quite fascinating, even for a non-Catholic, and certainly an historic moment. I have no idea who they will pick, and I’m really not that concerned. It won’t affect me very much.

I was really annoyed by the coverage, though. I found myself switching from channel to channel just to find one where the commenters did not feel the need to fill the air with incessant chatter. I know the media hates a vacuum, but there wasn’t a vacuum; there was plenty going on, between the singing and reciting of liturgy. Even listening to the recitation of the oath of secrecy in the various different accents of this collection of cardinals from around the world was interesting.

Of the networks I watched, NBC allowed the most of the ceremony to filter through their commentary, and even had the name and country of many of the cardinals as they approached the dais to take the oath. All of this seemed to frustrate Cokie Roberts, who insisted on expressing her view that the Church should pick an enlightened, modern pope that would allow women to be ordained. Or the first black pope. Or anything that would piss off conservative Catholics. To paraphrase her “ I want them to do it my way, waahhhh”, to which the Catholic priest commenters beside her basically said forget it, it ain’t happening, especially since the conservative Pope Benedict ordained the majority of these cardinals.

My prediction- Marc Oullet, former Archbishop of Quebec.

Last Sunday I had my picture taken by a photographer from www.rockstorephotos.com while traversing the Mulholland Highway northwest of Los Angeles. I liked the photo a lot; it is magazine quality. Some of that has to do with the fact that I was in ATGATT mode, biker lingo for All the Gear, All the Time. No sweatshirt, shorts and white sneakers for this biker. It occurred to me I should do a quick rundown of the gear, from head to toe.

Helmet- Scorpion 700 EXO, purchased recently from www.sportbiketrackgear.com for a paltry $109, delivered. It’s a good quality helmet that is on sale because Scorpion has come up with some newer designs. SBTG is a great place to shop, check them out.

Jacket- Tourmaster Transition II in brown, purchased from www.compacc.com  AKA Competition Accessories, for $135 delivered, Better hurry, not too many of this great jacket left. I am 5’9” 193, and the large fits perfect. This is a stylish, comfy, 3 season jacket that offers substantial protection. It’s of the adventure-touring style, which matches well with my Vstrom 650.

Pants- AGV Sport Telluride textile pants,purchased at Chaparral Motor Sports in San Bernardino for $134. These pants are also a 3 season garment, although they would probably be fine on all but the hottest summer days. I got an XL, as AGV garments run small. They fit fine, except the waist was loose, so I had my seamstress sew extra Velcro along the waistband.

Boots- Tourmaster Response 2.0. I love these 6 inch boots. They are very comfortable, but also very sturdy. They lace up snug, and have a flap that covers the laces The styling is simple, and doesn’t scream biker boots. I have worn these off the boots with jeans and they look fine. They have reinforced toes for shifting and non-slip soles. $89 from Chaparral.

You cant see them but I am wearing a pair of River Road perforated gloves, with reinforced knuckles. A good, durable, neutrally styled glove for about $30. I recommend them.

You may be an ATGATT rider, or perhaps SOTGSOTT, but trust me on these stores. They are good. I also like www.motorcycle-superstore.com and www.motorcyclegear.com

Here is a link to my Google ( formerly Picassa) web albums’

https://plus.google.com/photos/111669874551587299330/albums?banner=pwa

Sunday I went with Mark and Craig on an all-day ride to the Rock Store, in Agoura Hills.

We met at Corky’s in Eastvale at 7am for a pre-ride breakfast. From there, we headed south on the 15 to the 91 west. Our first stop of the day was the SoCalCycle Swap Meet in Long Beach http://www.socalcycleswapmeet.com/ . Here one can find all manner of biker flotsam and jetsam, retreads, worn out, tore-up, tossed away garbage and trash. And that’s just the attendees. What they are selling is worse.

Actually, it’s pretty fun wandering around the stalls and looking at all the strange items and assorted biker odds and ends. Most of it is Harley related. I picked up a snazzy olive green long sleeve Tshirt from one of the booths. If, as they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, this event is certainly proof of that.

                One Man’s Junk                               Need a retro helmet?

Lot’s of interesting bikes here ( read: gaudy and ridiculously overcustomized).

I felt a little out of place, as this was a mostly Harley dude event, and I had left my pirate costume at home. I did get a holder for my registration from the friendly Law Tigers girl.

From there, we headed north on the 405 ( yuck) to the westbound 10 termination in Santa Monica. From there it was north Pacific Coast Highway into Malibu, where we stopped to look at the ocean for a few minutes.

We took PCH north to Kanan Dunes Rd. That wound east up into the Santa Monica mountains. From there we took Mulholland Highway down to the infamous Rock Store for lunch. Mark had said to bring you’re A game for MH, and he wasn’t kidding. From where we picked it up it’s a nasty, tight little corkscrew, with many blind switchbacks, off-camber turns and elevation changes. It’s probably very scenic; I don’t know, I never took my eyes off the road. Mix in a bunch of clueless cagers and sportbike freaks who have claimed it as their own personal racetrack, and it becomes actually pretty un-fun pretty quick.

We had a quick bite at the Rock House, which has become known as the biker hangout of the stars, for it’s proximity to LA and the occasional celebrity sighting, Leno being the most common. No such luck today. I had an OK egg salad sandwich- don’t come here for the food or ambiance. If you aren’t on a bike best to keep looking. It’s really the only reason to go here.

   Not Celebs. Famous only at OPD

Mark suggested we ride back up MH to the Lookout, a spot where you can park and watch the sportbikers race around a curve. Presciently, what he actually said was “Let’s go back and watch the sportbikers crash.”  I got some pretty decent pics, but just missed getting a pic of a guy slide out and slam into the guard rail at a decent speed. His bike was pretty messed up, but he hobbled off. It was interesting the way the people around ran out, blocked traffic, got him and his bike off the road, and swept up the debris. It was like a mini- NASCAR crew. Apparently, he wasn’t the first guy to do this.

From here, we took the 101 east to Glendale, where we stopped at Glendale Harley Davidson.

Our final stop of the day was Porto’s Cuban bakery in downtown Glendale, where we each snagged a bag of sweets to take home. The only downer here was from the beautiful city of Glendale, which insists on raping visitors with outrageous parking fees and presumably strict enforcement, even on Sundays. Cities that charge for parking suck; people that choose to fang good citizens for minor parking infractions as a way to earn a living suck more. But that’s a topic for another day.

Once we got back on the freeway east we each headed our separate ways. Great weather, great riding, and we all got back in one piece- can’t beat that with a big stick.

Go here to check out my 16 year old nephew Brian’s blog, which focuses mostly on guns. He is an accomplished shooter and writer, and that goes without the qualification “ for a teenager.” He’s just good at both.

http://briankevinnelson.com/sw-media-day-pt-ii-905

Here is a sample, I hope he doesn’t mind me lifting from his blog:

I’m a big fan of flat triggers in general, especially so in a 1911. There’s no “better” trigger shape or length, that’s just  my personal preference. There’s nothing quite like a 1.5# trigger job with a flat trigger for fast shooting.

So when I got into SASS “Wild Bunch” shooting, I decided to try the 10-8 Performance “Long/Flat” trigger on my .45 (a Kimber Grand Raptor II). I had done a 2.5# trigger job (using the stock components and a lighter mainspring), and was looking forward to trying the 10-8 trigger. Hilton Yam, owner of 10-8, definitely knows his 1911s and makes some very well thought out products.

This trigger is no exception. It’s the most solid match-type trigger available, making it one less little 1911 part for the user to worry about. There’s nothing to break or come loose, just the aluminum trigger face, overtravel stop, and the stainless steel “bow”. This particular trigger is the standard “1911″ length (as opposed to the shorter A1 trigger) and has a flat face.

The trigger itself will likely require fitting right out of the bag. This is dependent on who made your 1911. Some require less fitting than others. All I had to do was remove some material on the top and bottom of the trigger. 

Check it out and be sure to add comments.

I originally posted this in 2011, but I got a lot of comments, so I thought it worth reposting, especially with all the talk of guns and gun control. I’m sure many of these victims wish they would have had a way to defend themselves.

Race Breakdown of Serial Killers

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Kevin

           Wayne Williams                                    Ted Bundy

I recently blogged about a Latino man who was killed by a rooster at a cockfight. I commented of course at the ironic and humorous aspect of the story, then commented about the acceptance of death and violence in Latino culture, and posited as to why that might be. I was challenged by a reader, who stated that whites are just as violent and threw out the usual suspects such as Hitler, and, surprisingly, serial killers as predominately white males. The instance of serial killing is so rare that it hardly makes a blip on the overall level of violence, so I had a hard time figuring out why the reader would use white serial killers as an example of how whites are at least as violent as Latinos. If anything, it makes the opposite argument. I was intrigued, none the less.

I thought about this, and considered that perhaps the reader was right about serial killers being mostly white. Certainly the most famous of them, for example Ted Bundy and the Hillside Stranglers, were white. But I recall seeing in the news over the past year or two that the last two or three serial killers arrested in the Los Angeles area were black males accused of killing prostitutes. Perhaps the myth of the white male serial killer is just that. This called for some research.

Only a few systematic accounts of the race and ethnicity of serial killers exist. There is an exhaustive study of African American serial killers (Homicide Studies 2005; 9; 271) by criminologist Anthony Walsh, and also Eric W. Hickey’s book, Serial killers and their victims, Brooks/Cole, 1997. Walsh identified 90 African American and 323 white American serial murderers, all men operating between 1945 and 2004. (Though Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans were not included in the study, their addition would not alter the fact that most serial killers are white men.) African American serial killers made up 22% of Walsh’s sample, a figure in close agreement Hickey’s enumeration. But, as blacks number well below 22% of the U.S. population, they are actually overrepresented among the ranks of serial killers — roughly by a factor of 2.

So it turns out that while whites make up a numerical superiority of serial killers, blacks make up a much higher percentage of serial killers relative to their percentage of the population. In a study by statistician

La Griffe du Lion,  roughly 0.018 percent of adult white males, 0.033 percent of adult black males and 0.0025 percent of adult Hispanic males have values of criminality in the range of serial murderers. Using Census Bureau population estimates, the percentages translate to 13,000 white, 4,000 black, and 350 Hispanic adult males with criminality in serial-murderer territory. I have no explanation why black males would be twice as likely as white males to be serial killers. In general, they have criminality rates seven times that of whites. This might in some way explain it. I think the reason the white male as serial killer myth has predominated is because of the demographics of the victims. White female victims from middle class backgrounds get more press than black prostitutes in South Los Angeles. Movies have been made about the Hillside Stranglers, Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer. Is it just and fair that white victims are accorded more publicity? Probably not, but that’s how it is. The two movies about non-white serial killers stand out because the killers were so out of the norm. Eileen Wournos, the subject of the movie Monster, was unusual because there have been very few documented accounts of female serial killers that didn’t work with a male partner. Richard Ramirez, a not particularly interesting or clever killer, was Latino, but was more noteworthy for the viciousness of his attacks, and widespread terror he caused throughout southern California.

Arguably the most famous black serial killer is Wayne Williams, who was suspected of murdering 29 black boys in the Atlanta area. I was unable to find any reference to any movie about him. I’m not sure why this is- it’s actually a pretty interesting case.

So I suppose the reader was technically correct. Numerically there are more white serial killers. It turns out, however, that this is a result of their overwhelming superiority in numbers, and not any disproportionate predilection to serial killing. That dubious honor goes to black males.

Magnum Research Inc., Desert Eagle .44 Magnum (hint: this isn’t one of them)

My cousin in Key West tells me that she recently completed a concealed carry class, and is now in the market for a gun. Her background, as far as I know, was that she was not raised in a culture of guns, and shooting, as my brother Ken and I were. She has asked me for a recommendation for a gun to purchase. I  assume that this gun will be used for home defense, occasional carry, and maybe some recreational shooting. Having that in mind, I will pick out a couple guns I think might work for her.

As I thought about this, I realized it is not as simple as I thought it would be to choose a few guns to recommend. I have been around guns since about age 9. I have shot them recreationally, hunted with them, and carried one on and off-duty as a police officer for just shy of 25 years. They are as normal and common to me as a hammer and saw are to a carpenter. In fact, a carpenter would envy Ken and I that he could only have as many hammers and saws as we have guns. Like a carpenter, we look at guns as tools to accomplish a task. We have work guns, target shooting guns, competition shooting guns, cheap guns, expensive guns…well, you get the idea.

So I have to place myself in the mind of someone who has not handled guns extensively, and to which they might seem mysterious, confusing, scary, dangerous and intimidating. They need something simple, concealable, reliable, relatively inexpensive, and accurate at self-defense distances. Is there any one gun that meets these needs? There are several, in my view.

The trainers recommended she get a Lady Smith, in .38 caliber,otherwise known as a Smith and Wesson 642LS. It is a snub-nosed, 5 shot revolver. I don’t know what makes this one any more “lady” friendly than the two 5 shot snubbies I own, except it is available with pink grips and has :Lady Smith” engraved on the side. My cousin said she did not like it; I would say, ultimately even if this were the perfect gun for her based on her requirements, but she doesn’t like it, then pass. Having said that, I do think a short barreled 4” or less, 5 or 6 shot revolver in .38 is quite possibly the best choice for a home defense handgun. It has no safety to worry about under stress, it hold enough shots to do the job, it comes in a proven combat caliber, it is small enough to conceal, and it always, always goes bang when you pull the trigger. They are plenty accurate out to 15 yds or so; if you are shooting at someone past this range you probably should have considered other options than using a gun.

Lady Smith                                                    Smith and Wesson 442

The LS is stainless, and it is heavy for it’s size; I recommend any similar revolver in lightweight alloys such as this SW 442. Much easier to carry in a purse or bag. I also like the shrouded hammer, that won’t get snagged on things. For anyone seriously considering a small revolver, I recommend looking at Taurus. They are essentially a company that makes high quality knock offs of other companies guns, at a much better price. They are hard to beat for price and selection, especially in revolvers.

I am a huge fane of Ruger: I have had several and find them to be solid, reliable, and a good value. Here is their lightweight revolver, the LCR

Ruger LCR

The other option is a semi-automatic pistol in 9mm. I assume my cousin shot these in her class; and maybe liked them better than revolver. If so, I agree with her. My concern is that these guns are not idiot proof, no offense intended, like revolvers ( load, point, pull trigger,bang). There is a dizzying number of models, styles, variations and configurations available, so much so that it can be overwhelming. Therefore, I will simplify it by ruling out 1911’s ( don’t even think about it), anything with a double/single action trigger, and anything by any off-brand manufacturers ( including Taurus for semi-autos) due to reliability issues. That leaves the following: a Ruger LC9, a Glock 26, Springfield Armory XD Compact and the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield. Undoubtedly someone will say well what about this one, or that one, I have one and it is great. This article is geared to beginners; it must be kept simple and straightforward.

RUGER LC9 9mm. Like all the guns listed here, this one is reliable, small enough to conceal, and simple to use. It has a safety, a longish trigger pull, which is good for beginners and is fun to shoot. Very accurate out to 15 yards. it holds 8 shots when loaded. I have one and have carried it off-duty daily for over a year.  This is a good, all around gun at a very reasonable price.

Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm. I really liked this gun when I saw it a week or so ago. It is the same size as the Ruger LC9, and also carries 8 shots when loaded. It has a shorter, crisper, more Glocklike trigger pull, which I also like, but may be trickier for a new shooter until you fire several boxes of ammo through it. The Shield also has a safety.

Springfield Armory XD Compact in 9mm. Essentially a Glock clone at least in terms of how it functions. The mechanical differences that some knowledgeable folks will point out that make it different than a Glock are of no interest to a new shooter. Suffice to say that this excellent gun has been proven to be as reliable, sturdy and accurate as Glock.

Glock 26 In my view, the best all around concealed carry gun out there. It holds 11 loaded, but can carry up to 18 if you want to use a magazine from a Glock 17. It is definitely thicker and a little heavier than the other two, but not to the point of being too heavy for concealed carry. I love the trigger, and I also love the fact that there is no safety. Once it is loaded with a round chambered, just pull the trigger and it goes bang. I have had mine for about 7 years. Never once has it ever malfunctioned. The finish simply will not wear off, no matter what you do to it. It is very accurate, and due to the design, felt recoil is lower than other guns of the same size and caliber. This gun has been around awhile, and there are tons of holsters and pouches for carrying it in just about any manner you can think of.

My thoughts on gun safeties. I have had many non-gun folks question how I could carry a gun with no safety, referring to my Glocks. It is a cliché but your index finger is your safety. Keep it off the trigger and nothing happens. My thought is that a safety is false security. Would you play with the trigger of a gun with a safety? No? Why not? It has a safety, right? You don’t because that is dumb, and unsafe, and defies common sense. So why have the safety at all then? What is it accomplishing? If you are so unsafe with guns that you need a safety, maybe guns aren’t for you. And if the moment ever comes, at 2:00am when you hear someone coming in the back window, or if someone demands your car keys at knifepoint in a parking lot, will you, the person who has not shot thousand of rounds of ammo over the last 35 years, remember to take the safety off? Are you really going to practice enough to get that secure in your abilities? Of course, this assumes you will carry your gun in a proper holster and not simply drop it loose into a purse or gym bag or dresser drawer. That is asking for an accidental discharge.

Those are my choices. If I had to pick an auto, it would be the Glock. Simple, foolproof, reliable, and accurate. You can’t ask for more in a gun. Second pick- any short barreled revolver, for the same reasons. All of these guns can be had for under $500, used maybe less. What are your thoughts, gunnuts out there? Have I left anything out?

The key to becoming a good, consistent shooter is, of course, practice. Practice can take many forms, depending on what the ultimate goal of the shooter is. For me, as someone that carries a weapon at work, off-duty, and generally has a weapon available at home for defense, tactical police style shooting is what I want to be good at. That means the ability to identify a threat, draw, and place shots on target, or multiple targets, quickly and accurately.

I carry a Kimber 1911 .45 on duty, and off-duty I have several 9mm pistols, including three Glocks, a Ruger .380 and a Ruger LC9. To get the kind of practice in that I need, using these guns, would be fairly expensive, with the cheapest 9mm ammo around $10 for 50 and .45 ammo almost double that. Bulk .22 ammo goes for about $20 for 500.  What I needed was a .22 pistol that came as close as possible to the size and weight of these guns so I could get in extensive practice sessions for very little cost.

There are several options in .22 pistols. Most major manufacturers make .22 pistols that replicate their full size models in size, trigger mechanism and action. The advantage of these is that they most closely simulate the action and feel of the full size models, and usually the same holster can be used. There are also full size 1911 models in .22, as well as conversion kits that allow .22 ammo to be fired in a .45 1911 by swapping out the slide. The disadvantage for me that is the trigger pull and accuracy are less than what I wanted.

I considered these, but ultimately decided that I wanted a .22 that was extremely accurate, and had a great trigger pull. In exchange for that, I would be giving up the ability to use my holsters, as the pistols that fit these requirements don’t really mirror the size and shape of the guns I have.

Ultimately the choice came down to two pistols- the Browning Buckmark or the Ruger Mk III. Both have been around for decades, both are proven models and both come in many variations. Both are of equal quality and price. So it really boils down to feel, and I liked the shape, heft and grip angle of the Buckmark. The Buckmark has a traditional slide with grip groves, as opposed to the bolt on the Ruger that is grasped at the rear of the gun and pulled back.

           Buckmark with round bull barrel                                 Ruger Mk III

I paid about $350 out the door for mine several years ago. Prices have remained consistent since then. The model I bought is the Buckmark Standard UDX, as shown above The variations available generally have different barrel lengths, grips and sights. Which one you get is really a matter of personal preference.

I love this pistol. It is very accurate. Offhand groups at 15 yds of an inch are certainly possible, if you are up to it. The trigger pull on this gun is as smooth and light as any I have tried, and I have shot Olympic level rifles. The balance, with the slab-sided bull barrel that I have, is excellent, and pretty closely matches the feel of my 1911. I have had very few FTF, and as far as I can tell those were most likely due to light loads. I have heard that some .22 pistols are finicky about ammo, but I have had no problems with cheap .22 ammo other than the aforementioned issues that, as I stated, are quality control issues with the ammo.

The Buckmark came with one 10 round magazine, and I purchased another one online for about $20. The magazine has a thumb tab that allows you to pull down the spring and easily drop in the rounds.

I have two gripes about the Buckmark. The sights, while adjustable, are all black. In an indoor range it is hard to pick up the front sight and the target because it all blends together. I sort of solved this by applying a little whiteout to the sights, both front and rear, but I think the gun should have come with a three-dot sight. My other gripe is that takedown for cleaning requires a hex screw driver, and according to many websites, is tricky at best, and almost impossible to do correctly without risk of permanent damage to the gun, or loss of small parts. I clean mine by spraying the action with gun blast, gently brushing the bolt face and chamber, and applying a light coat of lubricant.

My main goal when practicing with the Buckmark is to improve my ability, from the low-ready, to pick up and get sights on target as quickly and accurately as possible. The Buckmark excels at this. For other aspects of training, such as drawing from the holster, magazine changes, failure drills and the like, I use my actual carry weapons. I have read that some feel that using a .22 does not adequately replicate the feel of the recoil, and recovery from the recoil for follow-up shots, of using full power weapons. I recognize this, and that’s why I feel it is important to practice with both.

                      Ruger 22/45                                

If you want to shoot a lot, and want to keep costs down, you simply can not go wrong with either the Browning Buckmark or the Ruger Mk III. Of note, Ruger recently came out with a variation of the MK III called the 22/45, that more closely resembles the grip angle, size and weight of a 1911. I am seriously considering getting one of these. I have to do some more research to see if there are holsters for it but I suspect there are.