"What causes Workplace violence......"

I saw this on facebook and laughed my butt off...was some funny but twisted stuff lemme tell you.

" Cause of Workplace Violence..."

 I had commented that in my workplace...that stuff has magical properties..we use them to barter favors, thank a crew for doing good...or if you are coming in late...you stop and bring in donuts.  The leads don't dock you...but you pay anyway.....it all balances out....when somebody else is late...you benefit from their oversleeping.    

     Then the next day...this appears.......compliments of the "Coffee Fund"

  I was showing the previous picture around as we were eating the still warm, melt into your mouth fresh donuts...the only way you get them is when the light is on.....  Everybody in my crew commented "whomever did the donut to veggie switch is an evil, wicked S.O.B that there would be a special place in hell for somebody that would do such a dastardly deed.......Like I said...this stuff has magical properties at work.

Helmet liners....M1 to Desert Storm....

I was surfing the internet and ran across this article about M1 helmet liners.  After reading it, I decided to drag my Army helmets out and see where they fell on this list.  

  The article is compliments of History Online..'

The M1 helmet was a unique and practical solution, compared to its contemporaries.
A separate lining system had many advantages. Being light weighted it could be used without the steel shell for guard or ceremonial duties, whilst the shell itself could also double up as a wash basin in the Field

An early liner made from compressed card.
The first liners were from the Hawley company. Distinctive in form and desirable to collectors, the Hawley liner mimicked the shell in form, and was made of compressed cardboard painted a light shade of khaki green in the inner. It was covered by a similar coloured cloth stretched over its outer surface and tucking under the rim into a bevel, a key characteristic of all Hawley liners.


White rayon was initially used for the webbing, attached to the liner by rectangular aluminium washers. An adjustable and removable rayon sweatband was also clipped into position using poppers, and featured a leather lined forehead section.
Later Hawley examples featured light khaki herringbone twill webbing with ‘A’ washers. An improved sweatband was now fully faced in lea and clipped onto the webbing.
Due to their fragility and susceptibility to damp and humid conditions the Hawley liner was replaced in favour of what collectors termther Low Pressure liners.

A composite showing different washers.
Low Pressure liners were made by the companies Hood and St Clair and were constructed of rubber fibre. The outer surface was painted olive drab and featured an air vent above the frontal rivet, a feature of all subsequent wartime liners. The air vent was also used to attach officer rank insignia. The interior was left unpainted. The material thickness is also notable thinner than all other liner variations. The webbing was as that used on later pattern Hawleys.

The dull finish of this liner is much different from the classic tortoiseshell look.
Similar to their cardboard cousins, the Low Pressure liner was soon also found to be inadequate for military use, with many later being refurbished as kid’s toys.
By late mid-war the High Pressure liners had generally replaced the older patterns and were manufactured by a host of companies. Such liner bodies were hard and made up of a composite fibre material, which could take some flexing but would split under increased pressure. As with all M1 liners their shape was a clone of the steel shell and fitted snugly into place. However it is not uncommon to see scuff marks or scratches, especially on the exposed rivet heads.


This liner’s tortoiseshell patterned interior has a classic look about it and is much sought after.
The outside surface of the HP liner was OD, reflecting the colour of the shell, but in some rare cases liners have been found where they were left unpainted. The inside of the body was left unpainted and has a ‘Tortoise-shell’ look.
It is not uncommon to find liners sporting regimental and or divisional crests and markings or even the outer surface painted in another colour; such as white for medics, military police (“Snow-drops”) or snow camo etc.
     Chinstraps were made from brown leather and featured a green metal adjusting clip, which later changed to black. After WWII the colour of the liner’s webbing also changed
to a darker green shade.

   Aside from the early examples made by Hawley, Hood and St. Clair, liners were also manufactured by Capac; Firestone; Inland; International Moulded Plastics; MSA; Seaman and Westinghouse. At the end of the war these companies resumed their peacetime role, with Capac supplying a limited number of liners for the Korean War period.

   

A Vietnam War period linerThe Vietnam War era liner was made from a thicker fibre that was more orange in appearance. It lacked an air vent and separate chinstrap, while the webbing arrangement was simplified. Instead of the helmet sitting low over the nape of the neck it was worn more level on the head. The M1 was finally replaced during the 1980s.

      Using this guide, I looked at my "old" helmet..

   I had this helmet before I joined the Army...this was my "play Army" helmet.  I really don't know where I got it from but I remember having it when I was "knee high to a grasshopper" to use a "southernism".

  I got the cover later on...I just had the "steel pot and liner sans cover."  It looks like a variation of the "Vietnam War helmet.
    

   This Helmet was what I was first issued when I got into country, I had this one for a week in Germany.

  Looks brand new....I never wore it.  I was sent back to C.I.F.(Central Issue Facility) to get more issue and they gave me this one...

  This the helmet that I was issued in 1986.  The cover was the "Woodland Camo" pattern at the time, I got the "Choco chip" pattern when I went to the Gulf.  They never asked me for the "steel pot" that I was initially issued and I hung onto it.  When I cleared C.I.F after my first tour, I turned in a "spare".  When you are stuck working in C.I.F  for 30 days you have opportunities...I snagged a "damaged" one while I was there and turned it in to clear C.I.F. and kept "mine".  When I went to my second duty station in Germany, I took the TA-50 and kept it in a dufflebag.  By this time I had purchased my own web gear and other stuff from Clothing sales and had modified it for me.  When I cleared C.I.F. for return to the world in 1991, I turned in the gear I was issued and never used.  I knew all the tricks that the C.I.F people used so I knew what to look for.  I also had a letter that my C.O wrote for all the G.I's out-processing, about "Fair wear and Tear" and the regulations that allowed for it. This kept us from having charges against our pay or having to go to clothing sales and buy new stuff to turn in so we could clear C.I.F.  He cared about the mission but he also made sure that the troops were taken care the best he could.  He was an outstanding officer and we would follow him to hell and back.   

        This is the webbing of the helmet.  it wasn't really comfortable...so many GI's would buy the circular foam padding from clothing sales to make the helmet more comfortable especially for long periods of wear.
    

In the U.S. military, the PASGT helmet was most commonly known by its wearers as simply the "Kevlar". The nickname has since been adopted for usage with other helmets. The PASGT helmet was also referred to by its wearers in the U.S. military as the "K-pot", similar in name to the colloquial nickname "steel pot" for the steel M1 helmet, which was in widespread U.S. military usage from the 1940s, to the 1970s, including the Vietnam War. The PASGT helmet was also, but less commonly, known by its wearers as the "Fritz" helmet for its resemblance to the Stahlhelm, which was the standard helmet used by the German military forces in the First and Second World Wars.

    All GI's had something on their helmet kinda like a "lucky Talisman".  I put this stripper clip guide on it when I first got in country and left it on....It is still there.  

I had found a piece of camo netting during a field exercise early in my career, it was green on one side and brown on the other and I stuck it in my gear.  When I would go on field exercises or alerts, I would pull out the camo piece and put it on the helmet and use the helmet band to hold it in place.  .  Well we got ready to go to the Gulf and they gave us the choco-chip helmet cover.  No DCU's, just the helmet cover ( We didn't get the Desert Combat Uniform until the war was over, so we fought the war in BDU's.  As I understand it later, the Iraqi's feared us because of the green uniform.  We had faced down their trainers in Europe, we were well trained and equipped and we had won.) Well when I got the Choco-chip cover, I changed out the "Woodland Camouflage",then I pulled out my piece of camo net and stuck it on my helmet, brown side out.  I know...it looked goofy but it is what I wore.  I was trying to break up the round outline of my helmet.  I also had some brown camo netting on the foregrip of my M16 Rifle.  Strange things G.I's do in a war zone.

  

3 ways to prevent an entitlement attitude with your kids.....

   I figure to change things up today,  I will go back to a regularly scheduled rant I have brewing tomorrow.  But I saw something on the facebook thingie I occasionally visit. 
     I sometimes post stuff from other people especially if I think it is really good.  This is a hard one for me...it is a parents nature to make sure their kids do better than they did.   I am sometimes guilty of this, I am very proud of my son and there is a tendency to get stuff for the kid.  I sometimes wonder if I am either too easy or too hard on my son.  I hope I strive a good balance of "softie" or a "hardass" to him.   I guess it is human nature to second guess ourselves.....

The Pics are compliments of "Google"

The article is compliments of the Author.

The culture around us has gradually shifted America’s mindset to believing that we all have our rights, including the “right” to have what we want, the way we want it, when we want it. We would call this an entitlement attitude.It’s an attitude that has led many adults to live off government handouts, and many others to think they should have in their 20’s everything that took their parents a lifetime to earn and accumulate.

When it comes to our kids, some are naturally bent more towards an attitude of entitlement than others.  Of our two oldest, one of them naturally displays more entitlement than the other simply by their personality.

But while an attitude of entitlement poses a greater threat to our children in their future as adults than it may right now, the importance of curbing it right now is vital.  An attitude of entitlement robs a person of an attitude of gratitude, servant hood, and the desire to work hard for what they have.
However, there are some things that, as parents, we can do to prevent this attitude in our kids that the world around them so naturally tries to instill.
Here are three opportunities you can intentionally give your children to help them avoid an entitlement mentality.
Give them opportunities to:

1.  WORK HARD for what they want
Who ever said that a child deserves an iPod, tablet, or game system, just because they bear your last name?  Is a parent just a Grizzly Gus for refusing to give their kids whatever they want, or are they rather just exercising good and effective parenting skills by laying down some rules and limitations.
The next time your child wants that new “something,” try one of the following:

• Let them work around the house for payment (allowance) on chores completed, etc.
• For certain items, agree to pay for the second half once they have earned the first half.  This still puts the ball in their court to take initiative to get what they want.
• Encourage them to learn a trade or develop a talent working or making something that can give them a small income. Our kids have done duct tape pens and wallets as well as mowed lawns and shoveled snow.

It’s good for our kids to earn the things they want by working to get them. That’s called real life.
Don’t expect that your kids can live in fantasy land all their childhood by getting everything they want, and it not affect them when they enter the real world of adulthood someday.  The older they get, the more this point applies.  As they get older, increase their opportunities to work hard for what they want. It’s a win-win for both of you.

Proverbs 13:11   “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”
Ecclesiastes 4:13   “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king.”

Also, encourage your kids to earn money to pay for gifts they will give to others.  This allows them to be the ones to actually give, instead of just mom and dad giving for them.
Secondly, give them opportunities to:

2.  GIVE BACK for what they’ve been given
Every child ought not to just expect that being a part of a family means an automatic right to all the benefits of a family without any contribution of their own.
If everyone in the family benefits from food on the table, clean dishes, clean clothes, and many other things, then it’s not too much to expect that everyone can contribute to cleaning off the table, washing the dishes, and folding the clothes, etc.
As much as we love our kids, sometimes we’re guilty to only give, give, give, and rarely expect much contribution in return for the overall good and success of the family. Helping our kids understand their responsibility to give back will be a preventative to an entitlement attitude.

Thirdly, give them opportunities to:
3.  EXPRESS THANKS for what they have
In addition to normal times like birthdays and Christmas, there are always going to be people who choose to be generous to your family and your kids. It may be grandparents, friends, or just acquaintances who desire to be a blessing.
In any case, it’s very important to use those opportunities to teach our kids to be intentionally grateful by giving verbal and written expressions of thanks.
Teach your kids that a handwritten note for gifts they receive is still one of the most effective forms of gratitude.  Have them make personal phone calls or home visits to people who have done special things for them.
Nothing can seem less appreciated like when someone gives of their time or money to never hear from the person on the receiving end of their sacrifice.
The more we teach our children to be thankful and to express it, the less of an entitlement attitude they will develop.
It’s not hard to spot an attitude of entitlement in a child nowadays.  You can hear it in their voice and see it on their face from a mile away. And no one enjoys it, not even the child who possesses it. It’s taxing on the child, the parents, and anyone else within earshot.
But on the opposite extreme, how refreshing is it to meet a young person who is willing to work hard, not afraid to give back, and naturally expresses gratitude?  I think you’d agree, they’re diamonds in the ruff.
What a blessing we can give to our kids and the people whose paths they will cross in their lives by nurturing into their hearts an attitude of gratitude instead of an attitude of entitlement.  The difference between the two is night and day.  One looks for opportunities to give while the other seeks only what it can take.
                        

                                         

Andrew has invested his life into Kids Ministry for over 13 years, serving at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Liberal, KS. Andrew is passionate about ministering to kids and their families, as well as equipping other parents and ministry leaders to do the same. He founded KidzBlast Ministries in 2008, which provides effective and proven resources for VBS, Children’s Church and the Bus Ministry at KidzBlast.com. 

Monday Music "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr.

I am running kinda late today and doing another "Monday Music" on a Tuesday...again....it happens, I was busy this weekend, then we had scouts on Monday and tonight.  I am pooped. 
     I remembered when this movie came out, it was real popular on MTV which played the video's all the time, the lyrics were catchy...and the line "I've been slimed" became a cultural icon.  I had a tee shirt with that logo on it.  Granted today the video would be considered "campy" or "corny" but back in 1984 it was all the rage.

"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd. Bowing at #68 on June 16, 1984, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1984, staying there for three weeks, and at number two on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, 1984, staying there for three weeks. The song re-entered the UK Top 75 on November 2, 2008, at No. 49.
It was nominated at the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song, but lost to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
     

According to Parker, he was approached by the film's producers to create a theme song for the film, though he only had a few days to do so and the film's title seemed impossible to include in any lyrics. However, when watching television late at night, Parker saw a cheap commercial for a local service that reminded him that the film had a similar commercial featured for the fictional business. This inspired him to write the song as a pseudo-advertising jingle that the business could have commissioned as a promotion. Huey Lewis sued Parker over the similarities between "Ghostbusters" and Lewis' "I Want a New Drug". The matter was settled out of court.
Lindsey Buckingham claims to have been approached to write the Ghostbusters theme based on his successful contribution to Harold Ramis's National Lampoon's Vacation (the song "Holiday Road"). He turned down the opportunity as he did not want to be known as a soundtrack artist. He mentions this on the "Words & Music" interview disc.

The music video for the song was directed by the same director as the Ghostbusters film, Ivan Reitman, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson. It features a young woman, played by actress Cindy Harrell, who is being haunted by a ghost portrayed by Parker, roaming a nearly all-black house interior with vibrant neon designs outlining the sparse architectural and industrial features until the woman finally calls the service. It also contains footage from the film and features cameos from many celebrities of the day, including Chevy Chase, Irene Cara, John Candy, Melissa Gilbert, Ollie E. Brown, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wendt, Al Franken, Danny DeVito, Carly Simon, Peter Falk, and Teri Garr; all of whom exclaim the song's "Ghostbusters!" refrain when shown. Chase appears again after Garr, but chokes on his cigarette when he tries to exclaim "Ghostbusters!"; Franken also pops up in the house before the separately framed cameos begin.
The video concludes with Parker and the stars of the film, in full Ghostbuster costume, dancing down the streets of New York City. The Ghostbusters also perform the same dance in the closing credits to the Real Ghostbusters cartoon series as well as in a trailer for the 2009 Ghostbusters video game.

Weekend scouting events..

I was unable to post earlier because we had a scouting event called the "Fall Ordeal" in our council.  It is all work and a ceremony on Saturday night.  We basically do projects around camp like clean up or improvements.  The order of the Arrow is basically a "service patrol" for the camp.  My son joined the Ceremony team, there was a "preordeal" ceremony Friday night where the candidates are asked to affirm their going through the ordeal ceremony.

Pre-ordeal ceremony team.

After being elected or nominated, candidates may participate in a call-out ceremony to recognize those Scouts and Scouters that were selected before they attend their Ordeal. The call-out ceremony may be performed at summer camp, a camporee, a call-out weekend or at a unit meeting. Candidates subsequently participate in an Ordeal, intended to emphasize service and selflessness. During the induction, "candidates maintain complete silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and are required to sleep alone, apart from other campers, which teaches significant values."  If they succeed in their ordeal the candidates are then welcomed as Ordeal members in a formal Ordeal Ceremony. 

 "Nutiket" before the Ordeal ceremony

Part of what makes the Order of the Arrow exciting are its special ceremonies that are repeated year after year for new and advancing members. Members are asked not to disclose what takes place during the ceremonies, to preserve the experience for new members. Part of the enjoyment and satisfaction of being in the Order of the Arrow derives from the activities and surprises that occur during the various ceremonies.
     The candidates arrive outside the ceremony ring and "Kichkinet" brings them into the ceremony ring and "Nutiket" ask him if they know the "admonition"

    The candidates are them led into the ceremony ring and more information is relayed to them.

 During the ceremony, one of my favorite part of the ceremony that has the most meaning to me is when "Mateu" relays the legend from the Delaware indians...

      

METEU: Years ago, in the dim ages,
In the valley of the Delaware,
Lived a peaceful tribe of Indians Ä
Lenni Lenape their name was.
Deer and bear, wildcat and panther
Through the forest oft they hunted.
On the bosom of the river
Peacefully they fished and paddled.
Round their busy village wigwams
Still the chase they nimbly followed.
In this state of bliss so happy
Many moons they lived contented.
Springtime blossomed into summer,
Summer into autumn ripened,
Autumn died on winter's bosom;
Thus the seasons in succession
Never ending seemed to pass on.

But, behold, a cloud arising
Changed how soon this peaceful aspect.
Neighboring tribes and distant enemies,
Suddenly disturbed their hunting.
Then Chingachgook, aged chieftain
Of the tribe, made quick inquiry:
"Who will go and carry warning
Of this dire and dreadful danger
To all Delawares, our brothers?"
But none wished to make the journey.

 Then spoke up the noble Uncas,
Worthy son of the old chieftain,
"O my father, I am ready;
Send me on this gracious errand.
If we would remain a nation,
We must stand by one another.
Let us both urge on our kindred
Firm devotion to our brethren
And our cause.  Ourselves forgetting,
Let us catch the higher vision.
Let us find the greater beauty
In the life of cheerful service."

Off upon the trail they started,
Old Chingachgook and young Uncas;
And in every tribal village
Some were found who were quite willing
To spend themselves in others' service.
When at last the fierce marauders
Were forced back to their own country
And peace was declared between them,
They who first themselves had offered
For the service of their Brethren,
To the places most respected
By the chieftain were promoted:
For, said he, who serves his fellows
Is, of all his fellows, greatest!
As a seed dropped by the sower
On good soil bears quick fulfillment:
So this saying of their chieftain
In their hearts found glad acceptance
And they asked that in some manner
He should make its memory lasting.

So together fast and firmly
Chief Chingachgook bound these warriors
In a great and honored Order,
Into which can be admitted
Only those who their own interests
Can forget in serving others.
And so firm must be their purpose
So to live, that their companions,
Taking note of their devotion,
Shall propose them to the Order.
We, therefore, to them succeeding
To the present day perpetuate
The names and token of this
Brotherhood of Cheerful Service
Called by Delawares: Wimachtendienk,
Wingolauchsik, Witahemui!

 
 I like it partly because I see the Movie "Last of the Mohicans" in this and it shows a person willing to risk their life in service to others and such a thing is an honorable thing for a person is willing to suborn their interest to help others.  part of the O.A. is "Cheerful Service" to work to help others.  This is one of the things I like about the Order of the Arrow. 

Ammunition evaluation....and Range time

  About 6 weeks ago, I had gotten an email from "Eric of Ammoman" asking me if I wanted to evaluate some ammunition...Well I had a lot of skepticism...but I remembered my favorite Blog Babe Momma Fargo  doing something like this and she told me that "Eric" is legit and a good guy.  So I sent Eric a list of ammo that I could shoot.  Well a week later I had a package show up:)

Need less to say, I was very excited...Kinda like a kid in a candy store:)
  

 

it was high quality WINCHESTER ammunition.  I was wondering how my rifle will handle the high quality ammunition after I have been feeding it the cheap stuff for years.   Well I made arrangements to shoot at a remote location where it was quiet and peaceful..(Thanks Mac).   Well to do a good evaluation, I pulled out some of my different kinds of ammo so there could be a good comparison.

  

  This is a sample of the ammunition I brought to the table for the comparison.

 From Left to right, they are as follows:
Winchester .223 64 grain
Winchester 5.56 M855 62 grain
Tula Arms 5.56 55 grain FMJ
Monarch 5.56 55 grain Steel case FMJ
American Eagle 5.56 M193 55 grain FMJ
Winchester .223 55 Grain Varmint X

    A bit about my Rifle, it is an AR pattern rifle chambered in 223/5.56 made by E.A. arms in LA.  I purchased it in 1991 when I first got out of the service.  The rifle was set up when I bought it as an "Original pattern AR"

  The barrel was the original 1/12 twist of the "old M16" and 3 prong flash suppressor and yes it has a bayonet lug.  I have since upgraded it several times and I love the modular design of Eugene Stoner.  You can set up the rifle based on your requirements and you can change it up when you need to.
   

   This is the configuration I had the rifle set up when I started the comparison.  The rifle is using an "A2" barrel 1 in 7 twist with the birdcage flash suppressor mounted on a "flattop" upper with the forward assist.  I am using a "Vortex Strikefire Red/Green dot sight.  I am also using brand new Troy magazines.  My old "Army" magazines have been moved to the "reserve" stack.

   The first one I shot was the "Monarch" steel case, stuff I got from Academy, very cheap and here is some information on the type of ammo.
     Monarch is not an actual manufacturer, it is Academy's house brand. The brass cased ammo is made by PPU in Serbia and the steel jacketed ammo is made by Barnaul in Russia.  I purchased this ammunition as my "last ditch" stock before the bayonet and entrenching tool came out.   Well I fired it first and it shot well,  I had no feeding problems with the cheap ammunition or the magazines and the accuracy was "ok" there was a bit of variation on the target, but for my purposes, no complaints. 
     The second group of ammunition was the Winchester M855 green tip 62 grain rounds.  I could tell a bit of difference in the sound my buffer spring made in the buttstock.  It don't sound scientific but I can tell the M855's were a "hotter" round than the usual 55 grain M193 stuff my rifle uses.  The round shot consistant and the groupings were good and the rifle and magazines and rifle functioned flawlessly.
     The next round of ammunition  I shot was  was Tula Arms.  This is the cheap ammo you can buy in Wallyworld and other places.  I bought it to fill my stock of ammunition.  I never fired it until now.  I have had no problems in the past feeding cheap ammo through my rifle...I have learned a long time ago, my rifle isn't a picky eater and will ingest whatever I load into the magazine.  Well I was surprised by the results...I had problems...I had these...

  I had several stovepipes and doublefeeds and several of these..

      bad Primers

Grouping was ok...when it fired...I could hit a man sized target if necessary...but it was inconsistant.  My troy magazines did feed the rounds like they were supposed to, but if I had to depend on this ammo in a SHTF scenario...I was in trouble.   Needless to say...I will not buy it anymore and what stock of Tula I do have will be expended ASAP and I will save my .22 adapter and .22's for after I have exhausted my stock of Tula.  I would not purchase this ammunition in the future.

     Well after the disaster of the Tula run, I switched to the Winchester 55 grain .223 Rem Polymer tip rapid expansion varmint X ammunition.  This ammo was developed to take out "critters" like prairie dogs, and other related vermin.  The round is more powerful, I can tell that from the way my buffer spring reacted inside the stock of my rifle.  I had no ballistic clay so I couldn't tell you what the wound channel would look like.  The ammunition had a soft tip so I will make the assumption that it will expand pretty well inside some critter maximizing the kinetic energy transfer and ensuring the effectivity of the shot.   The accuracy and grouping was good and the rounds cycled well through the rifle.

      I than switched up to the Winchester Super X .223 Remington 64 grain  power-point rounds, this round was designed to take on deer and antelope. I am sure they will also expand well inside some deer related animals.  They also fed well and cycled well.  The accuracy was good they grouped well for my purposes and my rifle digested them with no problems.  I was pleased with this run.

     I then switched my Rifle to its "old" upper and barrel. for the American Eagle M193 55 Grain FMJ.  I figured I would go "old School" for that ammo,  even down to the magazine:

This is one of my "army" magazines I had when I was in the service, I had these magazines when I deployed to the Persian Gulf for Desert Shield/Storm.  I had used 550 cord and olive drab duct tape to make a loop to help removal of magazines in LBE magazine pouches, they tend to bind. 
    The American Eagle ammunition functioned as it should, grouping was good and performance was consistent for the type of ammunition used.  My rifle ingested the 55 grain FMJ like it was supposed to with no jams or hiccups even with an old magazines.  Of course I didn't fill it up either so I am sure that wasn't a factor.  I used to load in the service M196 tracer in the first round and the last 2 rounds to let me know that I was nearing the end of my magazine and I would only load 28 rounds even though the capacity was "30". 
     

    

The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO) is an intermediate cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge.

    You can buy ammunition  from Ammoman, the Link is Here for ammo! for 5.56/.223

      I also had gotten some .32 Auto FMJ from Eric.  I used my little Czech CZ-50 for the Pistol shooting.

   I picked her up in Germany in the late 80's, the Czech Police had gotten a bunch of CZ-75's so these were "surplused".  The pistol rides in a East German Makarav holster.  I loaded the first magazine and the pistol ran well.  But the second run the rounds didn't feed properly.  I am not sure if it was the magazine or the ammunition.  I only have one magazine...so I can't rule out a magazine problem.  I was kinda surprised...the CZ would run anything....the Pistol is Combloc weapon and they ain't picky.
     I did notice that the ammunition discolored the brass, I think they are "hot" rounds...I wonder if that caused a "cycle" issue.

    I will locate another magazine for the pistol then rerun the test.  I have to say this one is inconclusive....But Winchester makes good rounds so I am leaning toward a magazine fault but I do want to make sure.  If you want any .32 ammo you can go Here for AMMO!

.32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as the .32 Automatic is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol. It was introduced in 1899 by Fabrique Nationale, and is also known as the 7.65×17mm Browning SR or 7.65 mm Browning.

    In conclusion, I really enjoyed the experience, of course a bad day at the range beats a good day at work.  I do want to thank Eric@ammoman.com for the ammunition and I also want to thank Mac and Jackie for providing me the venue and the camaraderie for the shoot. 

Monday Music.."In the Navy" by the Village People

I was listening to my XM/Sirius while I was having to drive to work, not ride to work like I normally do because of rain.  Well I normally leave it on the 80's channel, but there are some songs from that decade that I flat don't like and I will surf the dial as they say.  Well I landed on the 70's channel and this song just started its run and I remembered the song and the catchy tune.  "In the navy" was a good followup for the "YMCA" that was released the year before.  I listened to disco when it came out, it along with the superbands of the 70's is a big influence on me.  I still like Disco and perhaps I will use one of the songs from "Saturday night Fever"  for a future "Monday Music". 


"In the Navy" is a song recorded by American disco group Village People released in 1979. It was the last top 10 hit for the group in the United States.

  
After the enormous commercial success of their 1978 hit "Y.M.C.A." which unexpectedly became the unofficial hymn and powerful advertising tool for the YMCA, the group took on another national institution, the United States Navy. The Navy contacted group manager Henri Belolo to use the song in a recruiting advertising campaign for television and radio. Belolo gave the rights for free on the condition that the Navy help them shoot the music video. Less than a month later, Village People arrived at the San Diego Naval base where the Navy provided them with the frigate USS Reasoner, several aircraft, and the crew of the ship (with the stipulation that they couldn't dance). The Navy later canceled the campaign after protests erupted over using taxpayer money for a music video of a controversial group.

In a landmark ruling in 2012, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California ruled that under the Copyright Act of 1976, Victor Willis (Village People's "Cop"/"Naval officer" and co-composer) can terminate his copyrights to songs written by him and granted to the publishers Can't Stop Productions and Scorpio Music." Willis now owns (recaptured) 33% of his songs

Saturday activities

   A few things...Last week my son returned from NOAC, the National Order of the Arrow conference in Lansing Michigan.    

There were 14,000 scouts there, they had the conference at the University of Michigan.  The theme was " It Start With Us".  The theme promoted the belief that in order to make the world a better place..it starts with us...basically we have to start off the process.  It also coincided with the "100 days of service".    The theme also promoted the "ripple" effect.   Basically that all people can cause a ripple, by itself not much, but when combined with many others can cause a tsunami of change. 
     He had a good time and he gave me a gift:

The mug along with my other stuff in my "man cave".

 

 

 

 

 

 On Saturday Morning, I ran a BB range and a friend of mine ran the Archery range for a "Back to the Pack" event, it was a cub scout event to help the new leaders in the cub scout get trained and we basically helped keep the kids entertained while the parents did some training.   It is all good, a whole new batch of shooters, and I also exposed some new parents to the idea of shooting, they had more fun than the kids did!  While I was running the course, I always went over the "Always Rules" for firearm safety and then "what do you do when you find a real gun"?   I stress the "Don't touch...and find a grownup".  It was a good time.  I have broached the idea to council about my working the National Jamboree in 2 years as a shooting instructor.  National Jambo will be in West Virginia at "the Summit Bechel".  

     After finishing the morning events, I then drove down to camp, it was a bit of a drive, made worse after being outside sweating, getting into a cool air conditioning car....talk about getting sleepy.  But I digress.   About 6 weeks ago I had gotten an email from "Eric from Ammoman" wanting me to do an evaluation on some ammunition.  Well I was skeptical, so I shot an email to my favorite blog babe Momma Fargo whom I remembered doing something like this. and asked her if this is legit and not a scam.   She assured me that "Eric" is totally legit and a good guy and awesome customer service.  Well I responded to "Eric" and a week later I had some ammo show up..

I was like a kid in a candy store let me tell you....I quickly opened the box to see what treasures awaited me:)

 I was very happy, Some "Good" ammo....not the cheap crap I have been buying(More on the results when I do the write up next week.).  But I went  down to camp to do the shooting...it was a bit of a drive but it is totally quiet and peaceful.  I didn't want to go to the local range, don't get me wrong, it is a very good range but it is crowded and I didn't really want to be explaining what I am doing to a bunch of people, so I contacted Mac 6 weeks ago and asked him if I could use the range and he was very gracious and said "Yep".  While I was down there I met up with my good buddy Mac and finally met his girl Jackie, talk about a class act lemme tell you...and she shoots!

Here she is shooting Mac's 357 Revolver.

Mac had purchased a new AR platform rifle and he wanted to stretch its legs out.   Any opportunity to shoot is a good opportunity and we had a good time.  I did my evaluation on the ammo and will post this on either Tuesday or Wednesday.  Part of my evaluation, I switched out the uppers on my AR and went totally "Old School".  for the 55 grain stuff that Eric sent me and Mac shot an old school AR platform and was totally tickled pink

  For Georgia the heat wasn't bad  and Mac had made arrangements with a troop doing service work to add some ceiling fans to the range and it was real comfortable and relaxing.  Shooting with friends..it don't get much better.