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Post by captbart on Aug 27, 2020 12:46:59 GMT -5
REAL MOMENT:
Yesterday was National Dog Day. I was out walking my pup, met a neighbor and while we talked, I reached down and petted his dog. Everything was going fine right up to the point where the Lab mix attacked my arm resulting in multiple puncture wounds (DEEP) as well as many less deep tears in my skin. Blood flowed rather freely and by the time I got home (about 10 minutes) my hand and arm were coated in blood. The dog had his shots so after cleaning up and looking at the wounds I was taken to Urgent Care and treated with heavy duty antibiotics IV and bandaged.
OK, so here's the point. We are in the middle of the pandemic with a strong Category 4 hurricane just a little off shore. That is 2 major SHTF events. Add the idiots rioting and looting and that makes 3. Then this! If I needed to shoot, it would be with my weak hand. My strong hand is so bruised that I can barely hold a handgun let alone fire it. At a time when I need to deal with 3 major events, I'm crippled to the point that I can not use my strong hand. I can't even eat or drink using my right hand.
MORAL: I spent 3 hours in Urgent care instead of finishing up my hurricane preps. Fortunately they were essentially done AND the storm missed us. My daughter and son-in-law had to go to another town to find an open pharmacy for my oral meds instead of eating and finishing their preps. Fortunately I had a current Tetanus shot (I seem to need to keep mine current!) so that wasn't an issue. I haven't spent any time recently practicing with my weak hand so I'm not confident of my ability in a survival situation. Multiple emergencies happen and just because they happen it doesn't mean you can't have another one. I learned from a Sargent in the army that unless you are currently getting shot at, things can always get worse.
Just how deep are your survival preps? If you can't handle a medical emergency on top of everything else (when 911 is not working, btw) your preps are NOT deep enough. Tetanus shot? Antiseptic creams? Blood clotting agents? Bandages that won't stick themselves into the wounds? Analgesics? A ton of medical issues. Additionally, things like using my ham radio code keys is a right handed thing for me. That will change as soon as I can get my antennas back up after the storm. That takes two good hands.
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Post by Mr.ELBlanco on Aug 27, 2020 19:29:04 GMT -5
Definitely gets you thinking, you never know when something might change your usual practice. Weak hand shooting needs to be practiced more by myself as well. I hope your dog bites heal well.
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Post by captbart on Aug 28, 2020 10:25:10 GMT -5
Thank you, sir.
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Post by tabasco on Sept 3, 2020 11:42:10 GMT -5
Wishing you a speedy recovery Capt.
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Post by captbart on Oct 23, 2020 19:18:22 GMT -5
The arm is healed with minor scaring so I got lucky. Thank you all for your words of concern.
Real gun moment: I took my daughter and son-in-law shooting the other day. He had purchased two pistols and a rifle and they needed to shoot them. He got the pistols for her and chose the rifle because she could shoot it. Well, HE has a nice new rifle and we are looking for a rifle that she can shoot. Turns out she could not use the sights on the new rifle. What worked for her was an M1 Carbine so I think I've lost a rifle but she does shoot better than I do with that rifle so maybe its OK .... maybe.
MORAL: Guys NEVER buy a weapon for someone else unless they've at least handled it and everyone agrees they can shoot it. Best is to let them shoot the purposed purchase before buying and find out if they can actually hit a target with it. Your friend (especially lady friends) may have different requirements than you and they will not thank you for dropping a grand or two on a gun they can't or won't shoot.
Just a word of advice from an old dinosaur.
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Post by captbart on Mar 13, 2021 10:56:30 GMT -5
I thought 2021 was supposed to be better than 2020! Back on the 15th of Feb I was walking our pup when I stepped on a patch of ice, fell and broke my Femur up at the joint to the hip. I've only been home about 6 days now, the rest of the time in hospital with the hip and pneumonia (after surgery) and elevated ammonia in my system and ......
When I fell, my bride was up in Wisconsin with our daughter and grand-daughter. Home alone, lying on frozen ground with no one knowing where I was or that I was in trouble. Fortunately, I had my cell phone and eventually got 911 to send an ambulance. It took me 3 tries to get to 911 and if that I failed I would not have made it. Through out history there are stories of individuals who go off alone and are never heard from again. I was almost one of them.
Moral: All of your preps are useless if you can't get to them. I'm going to have to find a new way to carry since I'm not sure my hip will support the weight of a firearm after I'm "healed". BTW, it is possible that my revolver is what actually did the most damage to my Femur as I landed on the revolver. EMTs took the guns and pup into my house since they couldn't carry them to the hospital.
If I had broken my cell phone in the fall, my fall back was to discharge the handgun into the ground hoping for help but I'm glad I didn't need to try that course of action.
Second moral: not all "black swan" events are wide spread events. A black swan can be localized to you as an individual and can be just as fatal to you, personally, as a super volcano eruption.
Take care out there guys. I passed out several times due to pain and I assure you that is NOT a fun thing to feel.
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Post by tabasco on Apr 7, 2021 10:07:21 GMT -5
Wishing you a speedy and full recovery!
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Post by captbart on Apr 7, 2021 13:54:16 GMT -5
Thanks, Tabasco. I am doing much better now; I've graduated from a wheel chair to a walker and now I am using a cane. I am getting better all the time and as soon as I can I'm going to the range and see how bad my shooting skills have gotten.
It is a scary thing to be faced with immediate and drastic proof of your own mortality.
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Post by tabasco on Apr 9, 2021 17:28:39 GMT -5
Good to hear, Captbart!
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Post by captbart on Jul 23, 2021 9:39:55 GMT -5
REAL gun moment:
I often say, " while I was born at night, it wasn't last night." Ok, maybe I was born last night. I don't usually screw up but .......
I was talking to a guy I often meet while walking the pup the other day and we got on the topic of concealed carry. He had some honest questions and we talked - so far so good. Yesterday we met in the green belt, walking dogs, and his brother was with him. He introduced us with "... and he carries too!" CRAP! So much for being the "grey man"!
Moral of this story is simple: if you don't want folks to know about your prep be VERY discrete about who you tell about your preps. The only secret is the one only you know about. The more folks who know your preps and plans, the more likely they are to interfere with you because they want some of what you have or think you shouldn't have your stuff or you owe the something.
I blew it in this case; you be more careful.
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Post by captbart on Sept 2, 2021 8:50:20 GMT -5
Real .... Terribly real ... moments:
If you have not been following the news, I understand. The media are terrible and the world is bad and getting worse. While I do not think the Second Coming is close, the world does currently look a lot like the description in the Apocalypse. One of the things YOU should be very aware of is that the deep state members are tasking big tech to urge all of us to spy on our neighbors. Facebook is now telling folks to inform on their neighbors who are "too prepared"! Being prepped is now called "hoarding" although hoarding can only happen in times of scarcity; somethings that is not, yet, the case. Inflation is high and rising, the economy is taking a beating, and the current administration is on vacation. Note that I have not even mentioned what they are doing to and with the military.
So, what does this mean for us? Fairly simple steps actually. Buy what you need with cash as much as possible to eliminate any data trail; if there is no trail the enforcement agencies can't track you. Buy what you need now with money that is becoming increasingly worthless so you can still afford what you need. Double check your security arrangements to make sure you are not exposed to some neighbor playing KGB agent and calling the police.
It is a dangerous world out there, folks, so be careful.
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Post by captbart on Oct 18, 2021 16:45:58 GMT -5
REAL gun moment:
I went to the range the other day with my son-in-law. For many reasons it was the first time I have gone in well over a year. Frankly, I was disgusted with my performance! I was still able to put rounds on the target but at 7 yards my groups with my 1911 were about 2.5 inches and that is pathetic! I will be back this week trying again but there is a moral here.
If you haven't practiced your shooting skills in a while, you are NOT as good with your firearm as you think. I hate lies but lying to yourself is the dumbest lie of all. If you carry a gun, you may be required to play "you bet your life" at any time. That means that you must be confident in your skill at all times. The only way to ensure that competency is to practice. It may be time to get some more ammo and then burn through some of your older stuff and PRACTICE!
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Post by captbart on Jun 18, 2022 17:45:00 GMT -5
Real gun moment:
I've been going to the range recently and I have discovered a horrible fact. As I have aged, I have lost some visual skills. The front sight can blur into the top of the weapon and I sometimes can't see it! Makes really great shooting difficult. I'm looking at getting better sights on all my guns.
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Post by captbart on Dec 3, 2022 12:24:08 GMT -5
Real gun moment:
Technology is great! When it actually WORKS! I took a friend to the range the other day. He was having trouble with his laser sight on his Kimber compact .45 that he carries. He had trouble hitting the target at 7 yards, never mind a bulls eye. I tried his gun, without using his laser sight, and put 7 rounds into the 3 o'clock edge of the bulls eye. Less than one MOA, so as I told him, there was nothing wrong with the Kimber's iron sights. At a different range on a different day he used my full size, Rock Island 1911 and iron sights to put a total of 24 rounds inside the 9 ring at about 15 yards. He CAN shoot but the technology got in his way.
MORAL:
If you have not used the technology on the gun, IT DOES NOT WORK. Do not play "You Bet Your Life" with hardware or tech you have not proven in practice actually works. We can get ammo now so go to the range and shoot.
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Post by captbart on May 20, 2023 10:51:37 GMT -5
Real gun moment:
Everyone knows that I am a big bore bigot; that is a given. That said, I'm planning to go to the range and rent a compact .380 auto and a small .327 Mag if I can find one. I'm finding it more and more difficult to handle my pocket 9mm due to arthritis in my hands. I'm also shopping for a SSA in .357 so I can shoot .38SPL for practice. I'm also looking into the .32 autos for backup. I really have no desire to stop using my .45s and I'll keep shooting them but for my "mouse" guns I think it is time to go to a lighter recoil.
MORAL:
A 16-inch Naval rifle is useless if you can't hit your target. Never bet your life on a weapon you can not use effectively. Once fired, YOU are responsible, morally and legally, for each bullet until it stops moving. A miss that injures or kills an innocent is, in fact, YOUR fault. Do not put that burden on yourself. Never carry a weapon you can not use effectively.
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