Mossy Creek Custom

I recently had a customer bring in a Taurus Model 80, .38 special revolver to me with a few minor things that needed to be worked out.  He complained of the gun locking up from time to time when he was shooting at the range.  It couldn’t be replicated with dummy rounds or empty cases, but when live ammo was used it was as if the gun would freeze up.

This type of problem is not uncommon for a revolver.  If your ejector rod becomes loose it will likely cause this type of malfunction.  Try screwing it back in with some padded pliers to correct the problem.

A few other thoughts for you revovler shooters.  You will keep your gun in good order if you treat it well.  They are very simple, but effective choices for weapons.  Don’t slam the cylinder into the frame.  It looks cool, but it can bend the  yoke.  The other thing is that you really don’t want to dry fire a revolver much at all, especially if your hammer has a spur.  This could damage the gun.

Keep them oiled and you will have  a great gun for many years.  We do advise getting them to your local gunsmith every few years for a detailed cleaning.  Hope this helps you with that tricky revolver.

We have shown you some Daniel Horner videos before so you know how fast he is.  In this speed shooting match, he takes on Max Michel who also serves in the US Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU).  With that perspective in mind be prepared to be amazed.

Many of you that read the blog regularly are probably familiar with the 5.11 Tactical Clothing Line from the Royal Robbins company.  For several years they have been the industry standard for guys that want a tactical pant without a uniformed look, and they have always been popular at most of the shooting sports matches.   I have first hand experience with many of their products from my days in the Law Enforcement community.  Their products hold up well, are comfortable to wear, and you can find them on-line for very reasonable prices.

A company you may not have heard much about is the Woolrich Elite Series.  They offer products that are similar in form and function to the 5.11 line of clothing.  We have been testing the Elite series for a while and have found them to be adequate in some areas and excellent in others.  A few of the products we really like are the Elite Discreet Pant, the Elite Lightweight Vest, and the Elite Discreet Carry Short-Sleeve Shirt.

The Elite Discreet Pant is made of rugged material, but it is missing some features normally found on tactical pants that scream tactical.  These pants don’t have cargo pockets, but they retain the large rear pockets.  They are similarly priced to the 5.11 line, and we would rate them a little better in overall look.  The one thing we noticed is they fit a little tighter than the 5.11 counterparts, but overall we would highly recommend this pant.

The Elite Lightweight vest may be our overall favorite product for those of you who want to be in IDPA or IPSC.  It differs from the 5.11 offering in that it has been scaled back to not include all of the pockets.  It has what you need, but nothing more.  For a tactical operator it may be a little slim on options, but it is much more comfortable to wear.  We love the fit and finish and think it is a great value, but it is still not for you to wear to the mall!!  Keep it on the range Rambo.

The final item that we tried out was the Elite Discreet Carry Short-Sleeve shirt.  These shirts are designed to be worn like a Hawaiian shirt for CCW purposes.  The shirts are priced very well, and the overall look is very nice.  However, we found it very hard to use for CCW purposes.  It simply prints the gun too much.  We also had a problem with the button holes on the shirts tearing after a while.  This isn’t a deal breaker because the shirts are not that expensive, but it is something to keep in mind.  Finally, if a wrinkled shirt bothers you this shirt may not be for you.  It looks great when pressed, but it wrinkles quickly.  Overall we probably wouldn’t recommend this one as something you need for your tactical/competition needs.

If you haven’t tried out the Elite Series from Woolrich, you really should.  If you are a competitive shooter, you should definitely check out the vest.  It is top notch.  As this industry grows, there will be more and more companies coming out with items specifically designed for shooters, and that means you should continue to have more great options like these.

Today I have the privilege of taking some guys out for their first real shooting experience.  We have talked about this at other times, but it is good to have a reminder on this subject regularly for our newer readers.  All of us have a great responsibility to be educators.  You have a knowledge about one of the greatest past times in our history, and for you to share that knowledge will be imperative for its survival.  Whether it’s hunting or target shooting, you can introduce people to a fun way to spend time with family and friends, but make sure you do it right.

Starting a new shooter on a 44 magnum is not a good idea.  Even though you may find it terribly funny to watch them wince in pain after the first shot, and you may even get lucky enough to see the a great mark on their face after the gun flies out of their hands, you need to start them with something that will fun and manageable.  Luckily we have the 22 long rifle.  If you don’t already own a few guns in this chambering you should.  Not only are they fun to shoot, but you won’t break the bank teaching anyone how to shoot.

It is imperative that you use something small to start, because you want to instill good marksmanship principles in your shooters as they start.  If you get them into your 10mm Glock, you will probably instill a very noticeable flinch!  After they are comfortable with the 22 long rifle, don’t hesitate to move them into a major caliber like 9mm.  Keep in mind that you are trying to work them into this slowly.  They don’t need to shoot everything you have on the first day.  If they start to regress in the major caliber, go back to 22 long rifle.

If you will be patient enough to teach someone the right way, they will likely enjoy the hobby and see the benefits of it for themselves.  However, if you go too fast, the experience will leave them wondering why they spent a frustrating day hitting nothing that they aimed at while they were pounded by guns that were way out of their skill level.

For more information check out the following articles:

Newbie Primer 1

Newbie Primer 2

Many of you are by now familiar with the XS sighting system.  These sights are unique because they are not a typical notch and post system.  The XS sights are like dotting the “i” in school.  All you have to do is place the front sight dot on the line in the rear sight.  The rear sight features a shallow “V” that helps get everything aligned.

They come in two basic variations; a standard front dot and a Big Dot.  We have been putting a lot of these on lately and are more and more impressed with them as we continue to test them.  If your eyesight gives you trouble you would want to try the Big Dot version.  If that isn’t a problem for you yet, you may prefer the standard dot.

Either way you are getting one of the fastest sights available today, and don’t believe any of the hype that they are inaccurate.  At 10 yards we have no trouble keeping all shots in a 3″ bullseye.  If you get a chance, check them out.  We don’t think you will be disappointed.

We have recently added a new page to the website that has a list of guns that we currently need.  The page will be updated as things change, but we do have some immediate needs right now.  If you have been considering one of our Shotgun packages or a Glock packages, we will accept trade for the items listed on our wanted page.  You can check out the Wanted page to see if you have something we need.

Here is the most up to date list of 2009 TN Gun Shows that we have.  I expect that these shows will be well attended like they were at the end of 2009.

APRIL 2009

4/25 & 26 Rex Kehrli Show-Smyrna (Tennessee Expo Center)

4/25 & 26 Great American Gun & Knife Show-Erwin (Nat’l Guard Armory)

MAY 2009

5/2 & 3 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (Tennessee State Fairgrounds)

5/2 & 3 Great American Gun & Knife Show-New Tazewell (Nat’l Guard Armory)

5/9 only Great American Gun & Knife Show-Clarksville (Nat’l Guard Armory)

5/16 & 17 Great American Gun & Knife Show-Newport (Nat’l Guard Armory)

5/30 & 31 Great American Gun & Knife Show-Morristown @ Hamblen Co. Fire Hall

5/30 & 31 Rex Kehrli Show-Chattanooga (Camp Jordan Arena)

JUNE 2009

6/6 & 7 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

JULY 2009

7/11 & 12 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

7/11 & 12 Rex Kehrli Show-Gray (Appalachian Fairgrounds)

7/18 & 19 Rex Kehrli Show-Jackson (Madison County Fairgrounds)

7/25 & 26 Shriners & TN Valley Sportsmen Show-Chattanooga (Alhambra Shrine)

7/25 & 26 Rex Kehrli Show-Knoxville (Chilhowee Park)

AUGUST 2009

8/1 & 2 Rex Kehrli Show-Kingsport (Meadowview Convention Center)

8/8 & 9 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

SEPTEMBER 2009

9/5 & 6 Show-Chattanooga (Camp Jordan Arena)

OCTOBER 2009

10/3 & 4 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

NOVEMBER 2009

11/7 & 8 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

11/7 & 8 Show-Chattanooga (Alhambra Shrine)

DECEMBER 2009

12/5 & 6 Bill Goodman Show-Nashville (State Fairgrounds)

A customer recently asked me where he could find some ammo here in Nashville.  He told me that several of the big box stores were completely out.  If you know of any stores with a good supply of 9mm, 45acp etc post it in the comments section of the site.

Many of you have been asking questions about the SM-1 package lately as you consider purchasing one for your needs.  Obviously it has been become a standard in the MCC lineup.  We think it offers the features that you need for a competitive price, but we thought you might be interested in hearing from a customer who just received one last week.

Hi Jeff,

Field tested the SM-1 Sat. after work.  As I said on the phone..Craftsmanship fit and finish excellent..10 of 10..Speed feed stock great..I used 00 buck, 2 brands high velocity over the counter ( 1300 fps or close) and some old buckshot I had from 2004 deer season. Not 1 ejection or feed problem in 36 rounds. Since my application was home defense ranged @  7 & 10 yards. It did what you would expect at this range. The MCC SM-1 is a high quality,  value priced,  performance package. Thanks for your work.

Sincerely,

D. M. from Tennessee

Today I had a lunch with David from LifeView Outdoors.  They are a newer company that is offering some great deals on outdoor gear of all types.  They are located in Nashville and have recently started carrying some tactical knives from brands like SOG and Benchmade to name a few.

David told me that business has been good lately, which makes us all feel a little better in the current situation we face, and that one item they can’t keep in stock is the Ka-Bar Dozier in pink.

Evidently there are plenty of women out there that know a good knife when they see one.  Don’t let it surprise you that more and more women are carrying tactical folders or that they want their knives to look as good as they perform.  Ladies everywhere have jumped into the realm of self-protection like never before.

If you are looking for a good tactical folder, or your next piece of camping gear give LifeView Outdoors a call.  With prices that are competitive with all of the box stores, you won’t be disappointed.