This is  a complete tragedy: Ranger Fatally Shot at Mt Rainier.
1/2/12 update: Law enforcement did a good job protecting the visitors and campers, although I still would be concerned about visitors  out there not necessarily in concentrated areas or numbers. Despite the 100+ LEO's out there they were still at severe risk. I don't there is much doubt they would be dead if they had run into the assailant.

As someone who regularly camps at Skate Creek (just outside Rainier National Park) it is a reminder of why I carry a firearm when out there.

Remember all the rhetoric about how the Rangers would keep you safe? Best intentions aside, when someone is bent on hurting others they will find a way, regardless of laws.

Officials were so concerned about the safety of the Park Visitors that they actually would not let them leave because they were afraid for their safety while LEAVING.

What about the folks in the campground, the people hiking, the people outside of the Park's boundary?

That could have been me, or my friends and family.  That's why we camp armed.

I am sorry to report that Mike Willard of SwampFox Ammo has passed away. He made some awesome full power 10mm ammunition that I have written about. He was also a gentleman who helped the shooting community and his customers. May he rest in peace.

http://www.stoudenmiredowling.com/dowling/detailinfo.asp?intProdID=414

William Michael Willard
Florence, SC
William Michael Willard, 50, of Florence, SC, died Saturday, November 5, 2011 at his residence.

Mr. Willard was born on October 10, 1961 in Walton County, GA, a son of the late William L. Willard Sr. and Nancy Ann Seabolt Cooper. He worked for SOPACKO in Mullins for the last nine years and was a member of Union Baptist Church in Marion. Mr. Willard enjoyed spending his free time boating with his friend, Buddy Cooper, taking care of his dogs, and being an avid gun enthusiast.

He is preceded in death by his father.

He is survived by his mother, Nancy Seabolt (Phil) Cooper of Florence; a sister, Pam Willard (Dane) Davis of Florence; brothers, William "Les" Willard, Jr. of Florence and Lynn (Cindy) Willard of Mt. Pleasant; two step-brothers Dale and Derrick Cooper; seven nieces; two great-nephews; and one great-niece.

Funeral Services will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, November 10, 2011 in the chapel of Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.

The family will receive friends 6-8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Florence Area Humane Society, PO Box 4804, Florence, SC 29502.

Please sign the quest book for Mr. Willard at www.stoudenmiredowling.com.

Good question! I am hesitant because I don't know how thick they are and I am have not held a pair of aluminum grips.  I emailed them and got this back:

Thank you for your interest in Hogue Grips! We appreciate
you taking the time to contact us. We do make grips for your Browning Hi Power. The Hi Power has been made since 1935 and stayed very consistent through out the years in frame size. The exception would be a BDA or BDM model, these won't fit at all. There is the occasional frame that has a
small safety lever that can make it difficult to install the grip. But
if you relieve that area on the grip, you will be just fine.

 

Interesting, because we know that there is a difference between the forged and cast frames. However, I am encouraged that they say that the grips CAN be relieved.

They look nice though (pic from the Hogue website -  click pic to enlarge):

UPDATE 12/16/2011

I got another email from Hogue which said:

I've heard from past customers before that some of our competitors don't fit quite as well as ours. However, since you have had the issue before you may want to try the rubber grips first to see if there is anything that needs to be done. It's not a large investment financially and then you would know for sure as to whether there could be a fit issue regarding those. The G10 isn't as customizable as other materials.

Interesting (!) and good advice too.

Got some questions about the grips that I previously on my HiPower. They were the Herrett Grips that I got from CDNN for about $30. They actually fit pretty well. Since I had them off I put them on a stock FN HiPower and took a few pics. CDNN is out of them, but check around, I thought I saw them for sale from C&S.

I think that they look better on the flat black pistol. Sorry for pic quality, still haven't put my light box back together.

(Click on pic to enlarge)

Since I know folks are going to ask about fit on this modern cast frame pistol (mid 2000's) I thought I would snap a pic. The grip feels like it fits, but after examining it, it does need some fitting. The current fit does not impact functionality but I will fit them if I am going to leave them on this pistol. In fact, if I hadn't snapped the pic I would have never noticed.

(Click on pic to enlarge)

Hello all,

Here is a pic of my HiPower with a new set of VZ Grips' Pro Slims on them. First, their service was great, I got the grips in 3 days after receiving a confirmation email and a tracking #.

But, before you run out and buy a set for your HiPower you should know that they didn't quite fit either of my mid-2000's FN HP40. I assume that the current generation frames for the 9mm are the same. :(

Strangely, it did fit my 1968 T-series. I say strange because according to VZ's website it should fit late 80s+ pistols. Anyway, as for my intended target my mid-2000s MkIII--

The left panel front (towards front strap) does not sit flush against the frame. The right side is pretty close, but the stop of the tang (rear of grip) doesn't quite line up. You can't really tell in the pic though.

I am disappointed because the grips are clearly VERY high quality. The material is strong and thin. The texture is not very aggressive or sharp. They would have been perfect. Well,  Per VZ they cannot be fit,  I am to send them back for a refund. Too bad -- they looked great. Sorry for the pic quality, my light box is disassembled.

(Click pic to enlarge)

update 12/7/11 -- I had some questions about the fit, and I actually did take some pics. Here is the one that shows the gap the best.

(click pic to enlarge)

Good grief. The city of Seattle is now requesting that the state Supreme Court review if the the state's firearm preemption (RCW 9.41.290) makes city government ineffective to protect citizens.

Gee..if that's the case then really state law can just be disregarded. Oh wait..that's what the city of Seattle does anyway. They knew their handgun ban was illegal when they first passed it. The former mayor is gone, but apparently the current administration is no different. Ironic that citizens are supposed to obey the law, while the city itself won't.

"The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality."

You tell me what is unclear about this?

Article: Seattle asks state Supreme Court to allow gun ban

PRESS RELEASE

What is interesting is that appears to be a snub of FN who has tried to market the FNP, FNX (and forthcoming striker FNS) to law enforcement. I would be curious to see if the FNS was evaluated, or if perhaps did not meet the specific requirements. For those not familiar, FN is in Belgium and a world renown firearms maker holding many, many, many, U.S. Military contracts. You can see pics of my FNX, the FNS, and my HiPowers (even Browning marked HiPowers are made by FN) on this site if you use the search bar.

Regardless, congrats to S&W! 20,000 9mm's!

Text follows:

Smith & Wesson(R) Secures M&P Pistol Contract From Belgium Federal Police

NRA-ILA :: Twelve Big Wins for Gun Owners

Friday, November 18, 2011 The final conference report on the combined Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science (CJS) and Transportation/Housing/Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bills—also known as the “Mini-Bus,” was passed by both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate,  and has been signed into law.  One of the most important ways that Congress has protected the Second Amendment is through a number of general provisions included in various appropriations bills.  Many of these provisions have been included in the bills for many years—some of the provisions go back almost three decades.  This conference report is no exception, as it contains 12 provisions that strengthen the Second Amendment and protect the American people. Specifically, the conference report makes PERMANENT the following protections: Firearms Database/National Gun Registry Prohibition.  No funds may be used to create, maintain or administer a database of firearms owners or their firearms. This prohibition has been in place since Fiscal Year 1979, and prevents the federal government from establishing a national gun registry. Former Firearms Dealers Information Retrieval Prohibition.  No funds may be used to electronically retrieve personally identifying information gathered by federal firearms licensees. The provision prohibits the creation of a gun registry from dealers’ records that are required by law to be surrendered to the federal government when a dealer goes out of business. This provision has been included since FY 1997. Information Gathering Prohibition/24-Hour Destruction of Records.  A prohibition on the use of funds to retain any information gathered as a part of an approved instant background check for more than 24 hours. This provision protects the privacy of law-abiding gun buyers by prohibiting gun buyers’ personal information about legal gun purchases from being retained by government authorities for more than 24 hours after a firearm background check. It has been included since FY 1999. In addition, the conference report adds two NEW provisions designed to bolster our gun rights and protect the Second Amendment from unelected bureaucrats who would twist the law to facilitate their gun-control agenda. Prohibit Funding for “Gun Walking” Operations.  No funds may be used to knowingly transfer firearms to agents of drug cartels unless U.S. law enforcement personnel control or monitor the firearms at all time.  This amendment is designed to prevent the Justice Department (or any government entity) from spending taxpayer dollars on “gun walking” programs like Operation Fast and Furious. Shotgun Importation Protections.  Prohibits the Department of Justice from requiring imported shotguns to meet a “sporting purposes” test that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) has used to prohibit the importation of shotguns with  one or more features disliked by the Agency, such as adjustable stocks, extended magazine tubes, etc. Finally, the conference report RETAINS the following provisions: Curio and Relic Definition.  A prohibition on the use of funds to change the definition of a “curio or relic.”  This provision protects the status of collectible firearms for future generations of firearms collectors. Physical Inventory Prohibition.  Prohibition on a requirement to allow a physical inventory of Federal Firearms Licensees.  The Clinton Administration proposed a rule in 2000 to require an annual inventory by all licensees. While the Bush Administration eventually withdrew the proposal, Congress has still passed this preventive provision every year since FY 2007. Business Activity.  A prohibition on the use of funds to deny a Federal Firearms License (FFL) or renewal of an FFL on the basis of low business activity. This provision prohibits BATFE from denying federal firearms license applications or renewals based on a dealer’s low business volume alone. Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer.  A requirement that any trace data released must include a disclaimer stating such trace data cannot be used to draw broad conclusion about firearms-related crime. Firearms Parts Export to Canada.  A prohibition on the use of funds to require an export license for small firearms parts valued at less than $500 for export to Canada.   This provision removed an unnecessary and burdensome requirement on U.S. gun manufacturers that was imposed under the Clinton Administration. Importation of Curios and Relics.  A prohibition on the use of funds to arbitrarily deny importation of qualifying curio and relic firearms. This provision ensures that collectible firearms that meet all legal requirements for importation into the United States are not prevented from import by executive branch fiat. Transfer of BATFE Authority. A prohibition on the use of funds to transfer any duty or responsibility of the BATFE to any other agency or department.  This provision was written in response to a Clinton Administration plan to transfer firearms enforcement to the FBI or Secret Service.  It also prohibits the Executive branch from skirting the will of Congress by allowing another agency to implement policies the BATFE is prohibited from implementing.

Copyright 2011, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.

I was recently invited to join DVOR.com which is affiliated with opticsplanet.com which I have received excellent customer service from.

Like ProMotive.com it a group membership site which offers discounts on select vendor products. The variety is smaller than ProMotive but it is mainly firearms related. Some of the items I noticed were well priced - for example Blackhawk holsters, Trijicon NightSights, etc.

Update 2012: DVOR has become more an "event sale" rather than a permanent store front. They run daily specials that are sometime very good. What is available in the store front changes dramatically so if you don't log in regularly you might be surprised. I get their daily sale "event" email and log in based on my interest in what specials they are running.

Here is an invite link (it is free) if you want to check it out: DVOR.com invite

*02/22/2012*
I just got a 5.11 Rush Delivery (tactical messenger bag) to fit a 17″ laptop. It retails for $99 and bought it through DVOR for $65. Bag review forthcoming…Great price and customer service!

You know you live in a state with a high tax rate when a major manufacturer comes out with a "tax relief" rebate to cover your tax and the max reimbursement rate of 8% doesn't cover what you pay. We pay about 10% here in the Pacific Northwest. Oh well, still a good deal if you are looking at getting a Browning...I would love a Citori but don't have the $ at the moment. Oddly, Buckmarks which I would consider getting in the near future, are excluded.