NRA AM, Day 3 continued…

Posted on by April 27, 2014

In pictures…

Unbelievable miniatures… And they work too!!!

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A breathing space… for about 30 seconds…IMG_0110

Annie Oakley’s .22 pistol… As always the NRA brings out VERY interesting things from the museum!IMG_0113

And this is WHY we need to continue to fight for our rights…IMG_0119Thanks to the NRA for allowing us the access they did, and kudos to those who worked the Press Room, you ladies did a great job!  And we ‘do’ understand the network was a temp setup, and thank you for the multiple resets to keep us connected…

Dog tired, feet hurt, but I’ll be in Nashville next year; God willing and the creek don’t rise!!!

I’ll get a final recap up later as I owe a couple of folks answers to questions…

 

NRA AM Morning of Day 3…

Posted on by April 27, 2014

Did my usual stroll and chatted with various folks that are supporting the show…

From one of the LEOs- Quiet, polite, smiling folks.  Not a single problem all weekend, and none of the usual perps seen around the convention center.  Y’all want to stay a while???

From a couple of the ‘red coats’ providing directions/information- Y’all are the most polite folks I’ve seen here in years!

From some of the services folks- You folks are actually thanking us.  Haven’t heard that much before.  A lady said, “I haven’t seen a single drunk all weekend, and nobody’s thrown up in a corner anywhere!  A gent said, “y’all are very polite and clean.  Not much trash, y’all are actually using the trash cans.

My impression- As usual, very polite folks, with the occasional traffic jams caused by the scooter brigade…

The venue is a little smaller that last year, and I ‘think’ the crowd may be a little smaller.  But having said that, I think they are just as enthusiastic as last year.  Lots of families, young kids and smiles everywhere.

NRA AM, Day 2…

Posted on by April 27, 2014

Or more correctly… The usual suspects volume one…

Started off at OMG dark 30 to get to AD’s Shooter Self Care Class, as reported HERE.

Then it was asshole and elbows to get back to the convention for the NRA Instructor’s meeting… estimate 650 instructors filled the room to get updates from the NRA leadership.

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Officially, there are now just over 115,000 NRA certified instructors, and approximately 380,000 Basic Pistol Courses were taught in 2013.  The staff at NRA HQ is working hard to bring modernization to the training curriculum, both for instructors and students.  SIRT pistols are one example of that modernization… (Hint- GREAT training tool for trigger work and sight picture).

Then it was a quick run down to the convention floor for the latest round of ‘booth babes’…

IMG_1690Yep, that’s the ‘infamous’ Jay G, at the NRA booth with Bubblehead Les (frequent commenter) on the left, and Keads on the right…

And a more ‘complete’ set of pics on the ‘bread truck from hell”…

It’s actually from NEMO, and it IS driveable… They use Tommy Lifts to pick up the corners for daily driving… 🙂

Sponsored by New Evolution Military Ordanance…

DSC00895The back door says…  Non one attacks me with impunity…

And a side view, slammed to the ground…DSC00898 And no the guns DO NOT WORK that are sticking out of the front grill (or so they tell me)

And then it was off to the Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple for FOOD!  Many thank to Jack for pointing us to this place!!!

Roberta has a quick post up HERE on some of the folks there…

Additionally I saw, Murph from Lagniappes Lair, Aaron the Shekel, Daddy Bear and Girlie Bear, Jack, Keads, Cathy Jackson, Bubblehead Les, Thot PD and Pediem, JB and family, Heath and Amanda, Don. Dennis From Dragon Leatherworks, and quite a few more, at one point 50+ folks… TRULY the usual suspects… 🙂

And a follow up to a certain conversation at the blog get together at Thr3e Wise Men HERE.

Kudos to Thr3e Wise Men, good food, good attentive wait staff, and pretty damn good microbrewery beer!!!

And for Stingray, nobody was at HS Precision, and for Lawdog, the only people in El Paso Saddlery were two booth babes… 🙂

NRA AM get together… 1800

Posted on by April 25, 2014

Or when the big hand points to the 12, and the little hand to the 6… 🙂

Okay folks, get together tonight…  26th of April, 1800-2000 (6pm to 8pm for you non military types)…

Thr3e Wise Men, it’s out in Broadripple, highly recommended by the local experts.  Location guide HERE.

It’s a craft beer/Pizza place, and we have two rooms reserved, headcount 50ish, right now 44 signed up.  We can probably squeeze a few more in, and looking forward to seeing good friends again this year!

Last call… 🙂  See you there if you’re in town!!!

Busy, busy… NRA AM Day 2…

Posted on by April 25, 2014

Starting the morning off with a four hour blow out kit course taught by the illustrious AD, and TOTW who is ‘coming out of retirement’ to help out…

Then we’re off to an NRA Instructor workshop…

Pics when and if I have time…  There’s probably going to be a test involved, hope that my memory holds up 🙂

(and I don’t have to walk for four hours yea!!!)

NRA AM Day 1…

Posted on by April 25, 2014

It’s on…

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Oh my poor footsies…

Having said that, great to see a lot of old familiar faces, and looks like Indy is going to be a good show!  And it’s just flat strange to see Jay G in a suit and ‘working’ instead of hanging out with us… 😀

For a rainy Friday morning, the crowd was down a bit until about 0930, then it was like somebody let the ‘dogs’ out…

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And in the space of 15 minutes, the place was packed… Lots of excuse me, pardon me, etc.  As we all know, an armed society is a polite society!!! 🙂

Went by and said hi to Kathy Jackson, she’s been busy as hell teaching new students and is getting ready to teach a class of women instructors!  You go Lady!!! 🙂

Stopped by the Kriss booth, and they had my favorite toy there…

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It’s a SWEET small sub gun, fun switch and all… and it’s in .45 too!

And this is ‘not’ your average bread truck…

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And a ‘challenging’ steel target… AR 500 and all…

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So far I’ve got two places to hit tomorrow for folks, if you want me to look at something for ya, drop a line in comments or shoot me an email.

Sorry for my lack of commenting on everybody else…

NRA Annual Meeting…

Posted on by April 25, 2014

Let the gathering begin… 🙂

It’s funny when you realize that folks ONLY know each other by blog handles, and you have to introduce folks with real names… 🙂

Especially when you realize you’re the only one that has met all of the folks…

Off to the show!!!

YGTBSM…

Posted on by April 24, 2014

This administration has totally lost the bubble…

First, the decide to ‘downgrade’ the Army Apache helo program…

Then they decide the reserves don’t need their Apache Helos, those need to be ‘only’ with the active force due to ‘limited’ availability.  So they are pulling all the Apaches out of Reserve aviation units…

With me so far???

And yesterday they announce they are ‘giving’ Apaches to Egypt!!!

Full article HERE.

And OBTW, they’re also talking about cutting the Navy’s buy of 60R Seahawks by 50+ next year (which puts the .gov in default on the contract and the penalty will ONLY be $50M less than the full lot buy).  But it also impacts both the Marines and the Army, since they are also on the same contract…

And he’s in Japan, saying we ‘will’ support them against China, at the same time the administration is pulling 11 Cruisers off the line, including the ONLY two in Seventh Fleet???  And remember those ‘new’ ships for Seventh Fleet?  They don’t get there until 2017!!!

WTFO???

Survived the drive…

Posted on by April 24, 2014

Made it to Indy in one piece…

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Stopped by the NRA AM to get my media creds, and couldn’t resist taking a pic of this one… 🙂

As always, if you have something you want me to check on, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to track down the answer.  We’ve got a BIG media room this time, and there were already folks in there working this afternoon…

And the drivers are getting stupider and stupider… Why is it the drivers in the POS cars are the worst for speeding/being stupid???  Hell, I wouldn’t even WANT to try to drive some of those things 80-90 mph!!!  Like a beat up Isuzu Amigo, blown out exhaust, running 90+ and I think the weaving was because the steering was that loose… sigh…

And Ohio drivers… Geez… Pick a frikkin lane, OKAY??? And STAY in it for more that 30 seconds, OKAY???

Gah…

Needless to say, there were NO problems with inattention (at least on MY part)…