First Year of Blogging

Time flies... it's been one year since I started this web log. When I started it, I figured that I would use it to give my opinions on current events. I have done a little bit of that, but not too much. Why? Well, I like to write about positive notable things and perhaps things I personally think are cool rather than rant about things going on that annoy me. The headlines tend to relate to negative subjects or things that get blown out of proportion. I'd rather give a review of a movie or CD than complain about something. However, there are things that get to me. So how about a non-specific, unsupported by example, end of 2005 rant?

So what aggravates me? Well, the media continually aggravates as does "political correctness" in general. We need to realize that an American citizen, by definition, is politically incorrect. I think our political systems do a lot to make this nation inefficient. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather live here than anywhere else in the world. Still, I have a hard time believing that all the senators, representatives and judges are clueless. I am sure they are working towards certain goals. These agendas are the cause of the seeming lack of common sense in government. Our Constitution is quickly becoming a meaningless document because of loose interpretation. It is as if the document was written in some foreign language that needs translation. Not for nothing, but American English has not changed so drastically in 230 years. I have read transcripts of scholars debating the change in meaning caused by placement of a comma in some reprints of our Constitution's second amendment. Gimme a break people! "Inalienable" and "...shall not be infringed" still mean the same today as they did during the era Lincoln refers to as "Four score and seven years ago." Our forefathers had much more sense than those in power today.

Just to clear it up for anyone who still doesn't understand: The Constitution of the United States does not grant it citizens their rights... it is a document that limits the rights of the government over the people it represents!!! Your rights, your inalienable rights, were yours as soon as you came into this world.

There also seems to be a movement in this country to stick it to authority. That tendency not a bad thing, but it seems to be operating incorrectly here lately. We can see where this came from if we think about it. This country was founded so that someone more powerful, the English King, could no longer make the rules. It is simply "American Human Nature." We see this at every level of life. From one's Kindergarten teacher, to their supervisor at work, to our President... it is never hip among one's peers to agree with the one in power. At some point though, the desire of the people of this country to not be taken advantage of became a need to have special treatment. For decades, minorities have pushed against discrimination so they could be treated just like everyone else. Now they push for special treatment that separates them from the majority. I understand that we cater to the individual in this nation, but the majority should have its needs met once in a while. The ACLU selectively fights for only certain Constitutional rights. They support NAMBLA... nuff said.

And another thing... frivolous lawsuits have apparently become the new pastime for this nation. I realized a long time ago that our "legal system" has nothing to do with right and wrong, but rather, what can be proven. Any technicalities that arose from the need to protect the possibly innocent have been twisted and are now used to get truly guilty offenders off the hook. Legitimate victims have a tougher time getting their deserved compensation than the guilty have with getting out of trouble. Anyone can do anything they want to you if you can't afford to pay a lawyer and go after them.

Our moral standards are completely out of whack as well. I don't think I even need to explain.

The entertainment industry has gone down the tubes. What happened to all the good music and the people that actually played their instruments? TV has become a substitute for so many levels of life. Nowadays people are more interested in watching Survivor or The Apprentice than spending some mental power thinking about more important things that actually effect their lives.

Can we put down our cell phones for a while?!? Who are you talking to at 7:30am as you drive in front of me, below the speed limit I might add, and swerve in and out of your lane. Hang up and stop making me late to work!

Let me get this one off my chest... LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH! I think this statement by Roosevelt makes a lot of sense:
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

- Theodore Roosevelt 1907

I may have to edit this post as I didn't intend for it to go this way when I started typing. I intended to write a "Year in Review" type of thing related to my Blog entries, changes I have made to it, what I have learned, etc. This was just how I was feeling today I guess... but what do I know?

Animusic 2 Review!

Animusic 2 is the sequel to Wayne Lytle's 3D computer animated music masterpiece Animusic. If you've never seen Animusic, you are in for a treat. You will see fantastic virtual instruments playing music in a very realistic way due to the way the animations are created. Being a fan of music and 3D animation, this stuff is right up my alley. All the music is written by Lytle and played through very realistic sounding MIDI instruments. This digital information is then used to "drive " the motion in the 3D animation software. This technique allows for the physics to be controlled in a very detailed, precise, yet automated way that looks natural. The Animusic team explains it this way: "Rather than reacting to sound with undulating shapes, our animation is correlated to the music at a note-for-note granularity, based on a non-real-time analysis pre-process. Animusic instruments generally appear to generate the music heard, rather than respond to it. At any given instant, not only do we take into account the notes currently being played, but also notes recently played and those coming up soon. These factors are combined to derive "intelligent," natural-moving, self-playing instruments." That about says it all I guess. Lets get on to my review then.



Five robots "get their groove on" in Starship Groove.

Starship Groove:
This selection is the first on the DVD. The characters from this piece are featured in the DVD menus and on its cover. Basically, they are the "face" of Animusic 2. These guys play on a stage that is actually a starship floating through space (hence the title). Two robots roll around playing synth pads attached to their chests, tapping them with their hands. Two more bots are attached to drum set and provide the percussion for the song. A fifth guy in the back plays some kind of electric harp thing. As the robot musicians play their instruments, different things light up around the spaceship stage. These guys are cooler than the average Animusic "instruments" because they seem to have more personality. As they play, these guys bop around and shake their heads as if they are real people digging the music they are playing. When certain musicians stop playing, they still bop around until their turn comes up to be more active. The song is happy sounding, but does have some minor key sections and odd time signatures here and there.



The Mr. Stick character gets a little more versatile adding wheels and pogo action in Pogo Sticks.

Pogo Sticks:
This selection features familiar Mr. Stick type characters, but with an upgrade... these guys are on wheels! Also, the character is no longer limited to stringed instruments as percussion instruments (drums, xylophones) are incorporated. These guys roll around on a wood track bouncing and playing. Changes in the music sections correspond with the characters making a trip through a dark tunnel where they begin to glow. Not a lot of lasers or lighting special effects here, but the environment they travel through is complicated. The song is dynamic and percussive, with slow and fast parts. The xylophone introduction section has a funk feel.



This crazy stringed instrument looks like a living thing as it plays in Resonant Chamber.

Resonant Chamber:
OK... this one is kind of creepy in a way. There is a weird instrument featured in this one that is wooden and resembles a cello, guitar, asian instrument, and a couple fretless basses all mashed together. There are places where strings overlap and necks and the resonant wooden bodies of the instrument meld together. So what's so creepy? Well, the wooden "fingers" that strum the strings or hammer-on the frets look very organic. Picture a crab or tarantula walking on the neck of a guitar. The instrument seems very organic... like it is alive. The playing is very accurately depicted as well. The dominant section of the song features an alternating 4/4 - 6/4 tempo with a "walking" feel. There's a mix of heavy and tranquil sections throughout.



Catherdral Pictures is a blend of a famous classical piece and some eerie Danny Elfman sounding stuff.

Cathedral Pictures:
This piece is set in a cathedral with a pipe organ on steroids. This thing is huge and fires light out of it sound holes. There are other wind instruments as well as harpsichords style ones, a large xylophone, a rock bass and a rock drum set. This is especially cool since this piece is a reprise of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." The peaceful classical standard changes feel to an unsettling progressively arranged orchestral score. I thought of Danny Elfman's stuff during this one. Eventually, the peaceful classical mood returns to the music and is emphasized by some pyrotechnics inside the church. Man, if there were fireworks in my church, I'd probably go more often!



Pipe Dream Two is a new song with the same instruments from the infamous Pipe Dream piece in the original Animusic.

Pipe Dream 2:
The original pipe dream was such a cool idea, I guess it is a no wonder why Wayne Lytle felt the urge to bring it back for Animusic 2. He uses the same virtual set and instruments, but the song they play is different. In Pipe Dream, all the instruments are assembled out of PVC looking frames and balls fire out of other pipes to play the strings or percussive instruments. These balls bounce off the instruments and fall into another open pipe somewhere on the set, presumably to be recycled into the system. A circular gold xylophone is the trademark instrument here and it is joined by a travelling wood xylophone, a spinning drum mount, chimes and some odd instruments where one ball bounces off a string, another string and a bongo drum during its travel time. Very cool song, very complicated physics.



Fiber Bundles uses flowing light to make music... one of the coolest tracks on the DVD.

Fiber Bundles:
This has to be my favorite one! In this piece, a bunch of fibers hang from the ceiling and make their way down to connect to the various instruments on the stage. Through these tubes come light that triggers the instruments. This works sort of like fiber optics in that the fibers glow, but the lights appear more like flowing liquid that glows. As this liquid "pours" into the container that is the instrument, it makes a sound. Enough liquid light flows to carry out the length of the note. This proces gets pretty crazy during sections where there are rapid notes playing because it creates a visually overloading (in a good way) light show. Some of the light actually fires out of the fibers to run the drum set in the center. The song sounds very ambient but eventually rocks out. There is even a techno/trance secion here and the light show aspect makes it look like a rave party. Very cool song, extremely complicated lighting effects and physics. Like I said... this one is my favorite.



This mind boggling drum solo features three gyroscopic drummers navigating around a complicated drum kit structure.

Gyro Drums:
Unbelievable... cant really explain this one... you have to see it. A drum set connected to multiple levels of rings is played by three drummers who are also connected to rings. These rings are arranged in different levels and rotate around each other like an atom's electron shells. The drummers rotate on their rings and play a dizzying coordinated solo that would make drummer Mike Portnoy motion sick. This one is too complicated to digest in one viewing. The quad view (full scene from one angle, and a camera centered on each of the three drummers) makes for an even more complex viewing experience. Please focus on one of the four screen sections unless you have a barf bag near by... you have been warned.



An ancient temple comes alive with lasers, lights and progressive rock in Heavy Light.

Heavy Light:
An ancient Aztec looking temple forms the stage for this piece. It extrudes to reveal lazers and other beam generators beneath the stone. These play a very mystical song with a heavily synthesized progressive rock sound. There is a lot going on as usual. Stone blocks raise and lower, revealing instruments below the surface. Lasers and lights fire into the night sky. Glowing masses of light (think ball lightning) fire to trigger drums and gongs.

The Animusic series is awesome and a must have for any animation or music fan. It is no wonder that a member of Yes, the producer of Pink Floyd and members of Kansas are on the record praising the work of Wayne and his team. The style of music he writes is very progressive sounding and created in a very progressive way... digitally. So look this stuff up on www.animusic.com and buy some DVDs! You will not be disappointed. Please help to send some monetary support to this renaissance artist and his company. He deserves it and besides, I want there to be an Animusic 3!

Local weather forecast on the night of November 29th.

Do We Have Seasons Anymore?

Hi all... just checking in to say it is unseasonably warm in this neck of the woods. Take a look at my local weather conditions above... 61 degrees Farenheit. Keep in mind that it is around 11:00 PM on November 29th. The month of December starts in 25 hours. We are supposed to be in winter right now. Do we even have seasons anymore?

The trees got all confused this fall. We have had a couple of cold snaps overnight (near and even below freezing), but it has been mild. Usually I get to see the green leaves change their color to red, yellow, orange and tan and look really beautiful for a while. This year, they all just turned brown or stayed green and fell off the trees. I have been keeping an eye out during the day to find a spot where I can get a nice autumn photo. No luck.

The Grand Canyon

A view of the Grand Canyon from the Desert View observation point.

This past September I traveled to Arizona to attend a firearms academy. After my classes were complete, I stayed a few extra days because I wanted to see the Grand Canyon. The Canyon has the reputation of being such an awe inspiring sight. I had to see it! My Dad and I made the two hour drive north to Grand Canyon National Park from where we were staying in Paulden Arizona. Along the way, we were treated to some scenic views and I took plenty of pictures. Little did I know... my camera was about to get a work out!


Map of the Grand Canyon's South rim.

We drove through the park's main entrance and up to our first observation point. As we pulled in to park, there was a break in the trees and there it was... the Canyon. My Dad put the car in park and took the key out of the ignition as I gasped. My mouth was open... my eyes welled up with tears. It was beautiful. There were many feelings and thoughts going through my mind at the time. My trance was interrupted when my Dad turned to me and said jokingly, "You know you can get out of the car, right?" I laughed at myself for being so awestruck and got out.


My first ever view of the Grand Canyon.

It was just so big! This huge canyon was the first place I had ever seen that seemed unspoiled by humans. Looking down into it was like looking back in time. Trees and shrubs grew where they could and rocks perched precariously on outcroppings. I could hear the screeches of hawks and saw them soaring 7,000 feet above sea level... and I was looking down at them! Nothing but a 3 foot wall of stones separated me from the edge of the canyon. If you walked to the left or right of the viewing area, you could walk right out onto the edge. I was surprised that there were no signs warning you not to fall into the canyon. I guess if you were stupid enough not to notice the big hole in the ground, you'd probably be too stupid to read a sign. Nope... you had to take personal responsibility for yourself here. That was a refreshing realization. Looking into the Canyon gave me a feeling of freedom.


Looking through the trees.

My Dad and I went from observation point to observation point along the Southeast rim of the canyon. I took photos with my Pentax K-100 and my Sony digital camera. I made sure to put the camera down and spend some quality time quietly taking in the view with my own eyes. I was amazed every time we stopped at a new point. It looked like a completely different place each time. At one of the points, a crow flew up to my Dad and I and just stared at us. He did not fly away when we moved around and was very tame. I looked over and said, "He wants some food." My Dad walked over to the car and took out some grapes and this guy followed him! He ate a few, then collected some in his mouth only to jump straight up into the air and open his wings, letting the wind blow him back into the canyon. Very cool.

The two of us wound up at a smaller viewing station with nobody else around. My Dad and I just sat there on the edge not saying much. We stayed for a while in no rush to be anywhere. I realized at some point that the air I was breathing would probably be the cleanest air I would ever breathe. Ravens flew past us at eye level 10 feet away and I could hear the air passing through their feathers. We had a little Kodak moment there taking in the scenery. My Dad probably has no idea how special that moment was to me... just the two of us sitting there. I'll remember that for a long time.

We moved on to some of the more popular observation points. There were many more people around. We met someone from Brooklyn there… go figure. I took a lot of nice pictures during the day, but the light was starting to lessen as the sun began to set. Since there were no clouds and it was kind of hazy, I didn't really get any nice sunset photos. You have to see it with your own eyes; the camera doesn't do it justice.


This guy said he didn't mind being in the photo.

The Grand Canyon was so amazing that I'm sure I will go see it again some day. Maybe next time I'll check out another part of it. There is so much of it to see!


Looking over the edge into the Canyon.


Panorama of the Canyon.

Gunsite's Intermediate Defensive Pistol (350)

Gunsite Academy entrance at sunset

Last year I was inspired to start this web log by a trip to Arizona. During that trip I attended a pistol combat school called Gunsite and felt the need to record my experience. I had so much fun out there and learned so much, that I returned this year for the next course in the Defensive Pistol series - number 350. This time around, my father and I took the class together. He had completed the 250 course a few years ago, so we were able to attend the 350 together (having both completed the prerequisite 250 course). It was a lot of fun taking the course with him.

The 350 course was a different from the 250. It was a lot faster because the instructors were building on things we had learned in the 250 course. There were fewer lectures. Sure... we still got the standard safety lecture and a bit of a refresher on the 250 techniques, but then we were off and running. All of the students were very safe and handled their firearms well. It really showed that we had all had one course under our belt already. People "got it" very quickly when the instructors showed us something new. The smaller class size, 15 students this time around, also helped the instructors cover topics more quickly. There was no need to split the class into two "relays" like we did in my 250 (with 25 students). The square ranges have 16 stations, so we were covered with one to spare. There wasn't much downtime, but we did take a lot of breaks to "hydrate and urinate." After all, the average temperature for the week was 85° F during that week in September. Far different from the near freezing temperatures I had to endure last December during the 250.


Gunsite students on the firing line

Our instructors were Dean Caputo (course range master), Lamonte Kintsel, and Chris Weare... all three were great guys. These men posses a wealth of knowledge and experience. What's so great is that they never make you feel like you are beneath them. The instructors are excited about passing on their skills to students and are very encouraging and patient. They want you to do well and have fun while you learn. They correct the students in a manner that is very sensitive to the natural anxieties we all feel when we are students trying to learn in a performance driven course. They really do create a great learning environment.

The students were from varied backgrounds, but there were a lot of "professionals" in the class. We had police officers, a Sheriff, a few National Guardsmen - the rest were firearm enthusiasts like me and my father. No women in the class this time though... bummer. The students brought mostly 1911 variants like I did, some Beretta 92FS's and I did see a Springfield XD, a Heckler and Koch P7, and a couple of Glocks. Several people had issues with their pistols. I did have a few jams... two from limp wristing that were totally the fault of my bad form and one from a wobbly magazine follower that failed to feed a round properly. On the whole, my Kimber TLE II ran great for nearly all the 900+ rounds I fired. I'd still bet my life on it... the pistol itself is fine. At the end of class one night, we found that my Dad's slide stop had broken, but not in any way that impaired the gun's ability to fire. A trip to the 'smith in the morning for a replacement part and the thing was good as new.

My Dad and I got to do some cool things while we were there - very cool for us since the ranges out here in NY where we usually practice are very restrictive. When the instructor announced that we would be drawing and shooting "on the move", I had a big grin on my face. Always wanted to do that. We walked forward and backward while shooting. The important thing there was to do a heel-toe type of walk so your body wouldn't bounce around to much and jostle your gun. Once we had the walk down, each of us had a turn walking across the range perpendicular to targets facing our left or right side (we tried both ways). The instructor called out which ones to shoot. We then had to pivot our torso and fire without changing direction or stopping. We also did a diagonal walk, walking progressively closer to or further away from the targets we were prompted to shoot. Again, we tried this twice with targets to our left then right sides. Then there was the close quarters firing from there retention position. Here, your pistol hand forearm is against your ribs and your wrist is rotated at a slight angle (so your body does not get battered by the slide during its rearward travel). Your non-firing hand is placed palm against the back of your head and your elbow protrudes forward to help fend off the attacker.

There was another exercise during the week where we fired on 4 separate targets, each marked with a different number and placed at different heights and distances from the student. The instructor called out a number and you fired on the randomly chosen target. Simple... right? Then there were the moving targets that passed by you from left to right. Those were fun. We did the familiar El Presidente drill and the Donga drills as well during the week.

We learned how to fire from behind cover while making ourselves less of a target to our imaginary enemy. The targets were about 75ft away and steel, so you could hear if you hit or missed. We each ran through three different cover options and tried a few different stances and positions at each. I tried shooting a pistol from the prone position during this lesson (and earlier in the week), but wasn't really comfortable with it. It seems they dropped that position from the 250 when I took it so it was new to me. While it is a very stable position, I was having trouble getting into it and firing with my hearing protection in the way. The earmuffs I wear have huge cups that cover your ears and I had difficulty leaning my head against my arm to get a sight picture. It was still fun to try something I had never done before.

Another thing I'd never tried was gun handling with a single hand... and my left hand at that! I am right handed so my left is my weak hand. We learned how to get the pistol out of our holsters on our right side with our weak hand, bring it up on target, release the safety and fire. We learned how to change mags and rack the slide on our leg or belt in order to clear jams or load. It was fun, but I was a little nervous using the "wrong" hand. Even though I have some dexterity in my left fingers from playing guitar, my left hand is pretty awkward when used for anything else. Trigger finger management was a problem for some. Even though you are using your weak hand, you still have to keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are on target and ready to fire.

We ran a bunch of simulators during this course. The indoor simulators were more of a challenge to navigate than in the 250. One instructor said he "saw my gears turning" at certain points when I was trying to decide on the best way to approach certain doorways and hallway intersections. Some of the choices were hard to make. The outdoor simulators were cool too. We were instructed on how to navigate the rocky terrain of a wash without tripping. We were also coached to avoid the tendency to crouch while searching for targets outdoors... it limits your line of sight and makes for labored breathing.


A student from another class running an indoor simulator

Night simulators were a part of this course too. We had a lecture on the different types of tactical flashlights available and a run through of the techniques for using the lights in concert with a firearm. We did a little work on the range and then moved on to the simulators. Night simulators are a whole different ball game! In the house, your flashlight casts shadows that play tricks on your eyes. Glaring of the beam off the walls screws up your night vision. Working the light and the gun while opening doors and trying to reload is a bit tricky. The outdoor night simulator gave me a new respect for cops that have to chase after or search for someone at night... especially in country areas like the Gunsite grounds. When that flashlight is off, you see nothing! When it's on, anyone can see you from a mile away! The searcher is definitely at a disadvantage.

The culmination of the simulator training was the force-on-force training where you get to interact with a real person acting as a threat. We used special pistols that fired a soap/paint pellet. The weapons that fired them were replicas actual pistols so you could use a Glock or a 1911 or a Sig, etc. The weapons function the same way. I won't spoil the simulation and tell you exactly what happened, but when it came time that I decided I need to pop the bad dude, my pistol jammed. I performed a tap-rack malfunction clearance and managed to snag the protective glove I was wearing in the slide. Eventually I shot the guy, but I guess the hits weren’t good enough because he charged me. I shot him two more times while he came at me, blue paint splattered across his chest and the instructor ended the scenario. During my debrief, they told me that during the whole thing, I planted my feet and never moved. I never tried to seek cover while a 6 foot tall guy decided to charge me even though he was staring down the barrel of a (paintball) gun. Better to make mistakes in a simulator though. The number one lesson: "Distance is your Friend."


Force on force simulator

We did the student shoot-off at the end, a Gunsite tradition. It took a long time as we were very evenly matched in skill. Nobody consistently outshined anyone else. We all won and lost at the same rate it seemed. The old adage proved true... "He who wins the (gun)fight is he who made the least mistakes." The slight bit of pressure caused by friendly competition is enough to throw you off. Imagine if you were fighting for your life. All the more reason to stay aware and stay out of a deadly situation. The best way to win a fight is to not take part in it. If someone brings the fight to you, you'd better be the one to make less mistakes during the encounter.


Me at Gunsite

Supply and Demand?

What a difference a day makes...

I am just getting around to posting the photo above, which I snapped about a month ago. It was taken the day after the one shown in my previous post entitled "I've Got Gas!" There I complained a bit about the unnecessarily increasing gas prices. Who knew they'd be that much higher just a day later!?

The photo above is from September 2nd and documents the highest price I saw per gallon of super unleaded before I left for my trip to Arizona (more on that in a future Blog post). Luckily, my tank was full when I left and prices had fallen a bit when I returned 10 days later and continued to do so. I didn't need to fill my tank until about September twenty-something.

The price per gallon had leveled off at about $3.19 and nine-tenths of a cent (okay $3.20) for super unleaded and stayed there for a couple of weeks. This morning I was happy to see $3.159 (okay... okay... $3.16) up on the board at the station.

Even though the price is much lower than it's been, it's still higher than it should be.

I've Got Gas!

These prices are nuts! 

OK... recently I was thinking about not having posted to this weblog in a while. I just haven't had anything worth commenting about. This morning, gas prices went up from yesterday's prices by 25 cents or more per gallon. I decided to share my feeling of shock. The highest price I saw today was $3.56 per gallon (super unleaded). I am sure the same station was selling gas for 60 cents less per gallon the day before.

No true economic force works that fast. These changes are purely emotional and not based, in a strict sense, on the theory of "supply and demand" that we heard so much about in high school. Sure, the refineries damaged by hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast area are causing a fuel shortage scare, but come on! Aren't we smart enough to see past this? I could see a gas station owner jacking up prices when it cost him A LOT MORE to fill up his underground tank and was therefore forced to pass it on to consumers. Luckily, I gassed up earlier in the week. These increased gas prices haven't affected me yet because my tank is full. Why then are they affecting my local gas stations? Just like myself, I am sure he didn't buy any fuel since yesterday. If it's not costing me any more to drive my car than it did yesterday, then why is it costing him more to pump gas than it did yesterday?

What worries me is that we have crossed the $3.00 line. If people get used to seeing that big number 3 up on the price signs, they may forget that anything over $2.50 seemed outrageous to them at the start of the summer. If the government taps the reserves, will prices drop drastically the next day? I think not. The reason that will be given is that it takes time for the increased production to affect the market.

So let's recap... negative things have immediate effects on economics but positive things "take time" to result in economic improvement. Got it?

My FAL in the grass sporting a new Belgian style handguard (refinished since the photo to remove the white swirlies) and a real magazine. 

FAL Range Report

So I finally made it to the range to fire the newest addition to my firearms collection, my DS Arms FAL rifle. This is their STG58 model, a copy of the Austrian version of Fabrique Nationale's Light Automatic Rifle (Fusil Automatique Leger). It fires the 7.62mm X 51mm NATO cartridge (nearly identical to .308 Winchester). For more info on my rifle, scroll down to look at one my previous post or click here. The following range report will span three separate visits to two different ranges.

My first trip out to test the rifle was at a range very close to me. I was mainly interested in function checking the rifle. All I wanted to know was... will it work? At this particular range, they have a "5 rounds in the magazine" limit, though you can bring and load up as many mags as you want. Another requirement there was that you have to fire rifles from a seated position. I generally like to fire from a standing position. Once in a while, if I get tired, I'll take a break and fire seated for a bit. To me, it isn't very practical to shoot from a seated position (with a rest) unless you are trying to adjust a rifle's sights. Last time I checked, soldiers didn't set up a shooing table, stool and rest when they found themself in the midst of a battle. This business of slings, gloves, spotting scopes, rifle scopes, special "blinder" glasses, custom barrels, expensive match cartridges, etc. is a little too much for me. Don't get me wrong, a friend of mine fires an AR competitively in 600 yd. matches with all this gear and I applaud him for it. It's just not for me. That said, I did try the bipod out, using it for most of the time I was there. What a hypocrite I am. Well, maybe not. The Austrian STG58 was issued in the field with a bipod as standard equipment as far as I know... a soldier "in the field" would have that option. I am very much a "stock" shooter. I don't need a bunch of gadgets hanging off my guns or in my range bag. The farthest I'd go as far as customization is adding night sights to a pistol.

Back to the range report... I chose to shoot at a point where the target was 50 yards away. I was using an 8 inch diameter red target. I fired aligning my front sight with the center of the target. The cartridges fired, the action cycled, the brass ejected, mags fed well. Yup, the rifle functioned just fine. I found that all my shots were waaaay high though. I'm talkin' six to eight inches high at 50 yards. The rear sight was set at the 200 yard notch when the rifle shipped... guess they weren't kidding. Having no tools with me to adjust either sight, I accounted for the height by aiming below the red circle. This method of estimation has too much room for error and variation, especially where the vertical axis is concerned, as you are not keying off of anything real and basically pointing the rifle at an imaginary point "off the paper". After a little practice, I managed about a 3.5 inch group whose center was was two inches above and two left of center. "That's fine for now," I thought, "I'll adjust the sights later." Just wanted to make sure the DSA build was functional. Accuracy will come later.

I only went through about 60 rounds of the South African 1970s surplus ammo I had bought. It seemed to work fine. Sure... it isn't match ammo, but I am not a match shooter. While I was cleaning up, I managed to find one of my spent brass shells. Most of them landed about 15 feet away at 2 o'clock. Hopefully I didn't upset the other shooters. Anyway, the mouth of this case was very dented from being flipped into the receiver during extraction. This made me realize I had completely ignored adjusting the gas system. No wonder the brass was going so far; this thing was operating too hot! It was set "mid-way" on the dial at 3.5. I made a mental note to open up the exaust port next time I fired it.

I cleaned the rifle that night and noticed it wasn't really all that dirty after the 60 rounds. I got the gas rod and plug pretty clean and shiny (used a small dab of Flitz). The bore took a bit of work to get clean, much longer than my pistols, but eventually cleaned up okay. I probably could have spent less time cleaning it, but I'm a neat freak. The slight wear I obseverd on the rifle's internal parkerized parts gave me some helpful hints on what areas needed lube. I had previously lubed up the FAL before my first firing session after a series of educated guesses on where lube belonged based on the way the parts moved in relation to each other. I wasn't far off regarding where lube needed to be.

Fast forward one week and I am back at the range again. This time I'm with my Dad (he brought his M1 Garand) and we're at a range 45 minutes away with less restrictions. I could shoot standing up there! I adjusted the gas system. The hold open was engaging up to a setting of 6.5 but seemed to reliably feed at 6. The rifle is set at 5.5 now and it's happy. The brass ejects at half the distance it did before and lands consistently.

Next was the sight adjustment. We got stuck at a 100 yard shooting point and we could barely see where I was hitting even with binoculars. The sun was behind the targets and they were all in shadow which didn't help. The targets were about 6 feet lower than our shooring position, adding to the problems. I had to start aiming at objects placed out on the sand/dirt backstop at 150 yards and even then I only managed to adjust my horizontal axis. The rear sight requires a screw driver to adjust, so that was no problem. However, I still don't have a front sight adjustment tool. Couldn't get the tip of a bullet in there either like they show in the manual.

The rifle consistently hit spackle bucket lids out at 200 yards shooting offhand from standing. This is the distance I suspect the sights are set for. I tried some "rapid" fire which, at this range is limited to about 1 round per second. I was amazed at how quickly you can get the FAL back on target. This thing pops up and a bit right when I fire it (no sling), but comes back pretty easy. I'm about 5' 8" and weigh about 150 lbs. and this thing is no problem for me recoil wise.

The 11 pound rifle did start to get heavy after a few hours. A bad wobble developed when trying to aim due to some muscle fatigue. Sure I can get something lighter like an AR, but I am working hard at convincing myself that I am not into them. I am putting off firing my friend's because I might love it. This will help me hold on to my money and prevent the addition of another bullet caliber into my collection. Also, ARs are just too common at the range. My FAL falls between the M1 guys and the AR guys historically speaking. I've never even seen anyone with an FAL out here on Long Island... but I know you guys exsist!

3rd range trip... I wound up at the same 50 yd. shooting point as the 1st trip. I thought my front sight post would need to be raised to bring my shots down a bit. Still no front sight tool, so I set up two targets on top of each other and aimed at the base of the lower target (4 inches below that target's X) figuring I'd impact somewhere on the top target. Low and behold, my shot landed level with the center, but far right on the bottom target. I found the sweet spot I guess and I think I was positioning my head a bit differently in relation to the sights. If I lolli-popped the base of the target on the top of the front sight post, I could hit where I wanted... i.e. near the center. I worked on my horizontal sight adjustment and finally managed to pull off what you see in the target below. Hey it's not the best for only 50 yards, but I'll take it being that I am not used to this rifle yet, had no scope or sling. I was firing seated with a little help from the bipod though.

So what did I learn?

- The FAL is a very robust weapon platform and not obsolete by any means.
- The FAL is simple to operate and reliable.
- It is big and heavy, but that seems to help lessen the recoil to a very manageable level.
- I really like the idea behind the adjustable gas system.
- This thing likes to eat! I put about 120 rounds through it in one sitting (2nd trip) and it wanted more.
- South African surplus 7.62mm X 51mm is just fine for me. I'll get more soon.
- The attached bipod comes in handy and is worth the extra weight.
- I am glad I bought it, glad I went with DSA, and glad I got the STG58 rather than the SA58.

Target from 3rd range trip with FAL. Distance is 50 yards firing seated with iron sights and a little bipod help. Sharpie included for scale. 

My new rifle... an STG58 FAL 

My DS Arms STG58 FAL

I have recently purchased another firearm... an STG58. This is the Austrian version of the Light Automatic Rifle known as the FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger). This rifle was developed in Belgium by Fabrique Nationale and, in its various iterations, has served as the main battle rifle for over 90 countries. It has been put to use by Britain, Canada, South Africa, Portugal, Australia, West Germany, Turkey, Brazil and Israel to name a few. This rifle was almost adopted by the USA to replace the M1 Garand. It did well in the trials, but the M14 (a rifle based on the M1) was adopted instead.

It is a very robust piece of hardware, built to withstand a variety of harsh battlefield conditions. It fires the 7.62mm X 51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) rifle round. A double stacked 20 round magazine is standard, although 30 round, 10 round (shown in the photo above) and 5 round magazines are available. The action is known as a "tilting breechblock" and operates by way of a gas piston driven by gas pressure tapped off from the barrel. The amount of gas that enters this system is easily adjustable by way of a gas regulator "dial" located near the front sight. This is a key feature of the rifle, allowing for efficient recoil management as you can set it to push the piston just hard enough to cycle the weapon, minimizing wear on the weapon and lessening the recoil experienced by the shooter. The system also provides a way to adjust the rifle's performance for a variety of ammo and levels of weapon cleanliness.

I have liked FALs for long time. I remember being much younger and watching war movies with my Dad. Once in a while, an FAL would pop-up on the screen. The aggressive look of the weapon always prompted me to ask, "Hey... what kind of rifle is that?" I had always envisioned a "real rifle" as part of my firearms collection. I am not too crazy about the AR-15, though I may own one some day for historical reasons. They do have their place, but I wanted something that fired a bigger round than a .223 (5.56mm X 45mm NATO). A .30 cal was better in my mind. No AK or SKS for me though. The only other rifle that impresses me (other than the FAL) is the Hechler Koch G3/91 style rifles. Seeing an ad for a JLD Enterprises PTR-91 got me started on the road to buying an FAL. In researching that rifle, I came to the conclusion that the FAL was the better choice. That's fine, since I had been a fan of the FAL before I even knew what an HK was.

I finally decided to go with a DS Arms built STG58. The company builds this rifle from used surplus military parts and adds in their own receiver and some other new parts to comply with the US import regulations. Like many gun laws, these regulations were/are a total farce and have led to a number of perfectly legal workarounds so people like me can own these semi-auto rifles. I was a bit nervous about spending $900 on a rifle equipped with military surplus parts, but the next rifle in their lineup, the SA58, was $1400! I could not justify spending an extra $500 for a new barrel and a few more new parts. The majority of the SA58 is made up of the same quality (military surplus) parts that you'd find in an STG58 anyway. Metal is metal... who cares if someone carried a hunk of metal around before I did.

Some stuff about this rifle... It is semi-automatic obviously. It is finished in a rough dark grey-olive colored phosphate finish. The stock and pistol grip are a shiny black polymer. The foregrip is an Austrian style made of pebbly textured black polymer, not metal like the original. You burn your hands less with plastic. I will replace this with a Belgian style fiberglass reinforced polymer handguard because I like the look of that one better. The rifle also has a folding bi-pod that's pretty neat. The front sight is adjustable for "elevation" and the rear peep sight can be moved along a ramp into different notches that correspond with different distances. The rear sight can also be adjusted left or right to change horizontal point of impact (windage). There is a carry handle integral to the Type I receiver. It shipped with a 10 round magazine, though all FAL mags are "pre-ban" because just about all FAL mags you can find were manufactured way before 1994. I guess DSA was playing it safe as New York is one of the least gun-friendly states (lucky me). Oh yeah, I also had to buy a gun lock in order to leave the store with the rifle. I guess I can add that to my collection of locks. The rifle also came with a US made fully legal Austrian style long muzzle break (not a flash diverter). This has been silver soldered onto the threaded barrel.

This weapon disassembles super easy. On this style of FAL, there is a take-down lever oriented vertically near the stock attachment point under the rear sight assembly. Push this lever, and the gun breaks open on a hinge very similar to the way some shotgun open for loading. You can then pull out the bolt carrier and bolt assembly by way of an attached rod referred to as the "rat tail". Once this is out, you can slide out the top dust cover. The bolt comes out of the bolt carrier easily and you can remove the firing pin without any special tools. Just ahead of the gas adjustment dial is the gas plug knob which, when rotated 3/4 of a turn, will allow access to the gas piston and piston spring. Once removed you can get into the channel that the piston rides in and clean it. I've read quite strict advice that no lubrication of any type should enter the gas chamber as it may dangerously increase the pressures there. Some people suggest very slight coatings of lube to keep the parts from rusting in storage. On my initial inspection disassembly, I compromised and wiped down the piston rod with Flitz metal polish which removes oxidation on metal and leaves a light coating of oxidation inhibitor. The abrasiveness of Flitz is negligible in my opinion.

So there it is, my first real rifle. I can't wait to fire this thing! I will post a range report when I finally go. Check out the photos below.

Side view of the DS Arms STG58 

The business end of an STG58 FAL 

Left side of the rifle showing charging handle, magazine, bolt hold open lever, safety lever and disassembly lever 

Front sight, gas plug and adjustment dial, handguard and bipod attachment 

Austrian style (US made) long muzzle brake 

The cover of Dream Theater's latest release, Octavarium 

Dream Theater's 8th Album... Octavarium

Dream Theater is one of my favorite bands and they've just released their 8th studio album called Octavarium. This is a "local" band in a way as most of the members are from Long Island. They play progressive metal, a style of music that is a cut above other forms of metal in my opinion. Typically, progressive metal bands feature virtuoso players who are incredibly knowledgeable about music theory and song writing. Their sound and musical arrangements are usually very complex and they can pull off the sound quite well on stage. Usually, prog bands sound just like their albums while playing live, unless they choose to embellish or stylize their songs. Synthesizers are usually part of the mix in prog bands.

This band is home to one of my favorite drummers - a man who can give Neil Peart of Rush a run for his money. His name is Mike Portnoy and he's from Long Beach, Long Island. The band's guitarist, John Petrucci, is another one of my favorite musicians and hails from King's Park, Long Island.

Unfortunately, I am not too excited about this release. I don't know... they just seem to be coasting a bit now. I may need to give it several listens to get into it though. All I know is I didn't listen to it on the way to work the morning after I bought it. I've always liked Dream Theater for the Music, not really the vocals. It seems that the vocals and keyboard are given the more control of the songs on this album. They may be trying something different... or I am just mistaken. Overall, I'm just not really impressed with this album when compared to other things they've done. Don't get me wrong... these guys are more impressive on a bad day than any act you hear on the radio. They just seem to be putting out stuff recently that is not on par with their earlier stuff as far as complexity and high-level playing. It's just unimpressive as far as the Dream Theater music scale is concerned... they have set the bar pretty high for themselves though.

My feelings on this release are especially disappointing seeing as I have pretty much written off the music of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, two of my favorite virtuoso guitarists. They seem to have fallen victim to the "just lay down a rhythm track and jam over it" approach to song writing. I expect better from them. I was hoping this Dream Theater album would restore my faith in my musical heroes.

Anyway, the album art is pretty cool and features symbolic imagery focusing on the number 5 (number of band members) and 8 (8th album... Octivarium... you get it). Back to the music now... I think most of it will grow on me... but several of the songs will leave me saying, "What's up with this?" for a while. Let's go song by song:

Track 01 - Root of all Evil: This song is one of the cooler songs on the album. It contains some riffs from their previous release, Train of Thought and follows the aggressive feel of that album. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a leftover from the time when they were writing/recording Train of Thought. I like listening to it... it has a good groove. The guitar solo is a little low in the mix... the keyboard solo is stressed more. There's a cool moment of keyboard interaction in there for a few seconds. 4 of 5

Track 02 - The Answer Lies Within: This is a ballad that reminds me of some parts of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Mostly piano, background guitar and even some orchestral stringed instruments. Not to sound harsh, but I usually skip this one. 1 of 5

Track 03 - These Walls: I like this one. The heavy parts sound a lot like the style of Linkin Park. No rap, scratching records, or monotone screaming blonde haired dude though (good thing). There's a 6/8 - 5/8 time thing going on in this one. The drums during the quiet vocal parts feature a lot of cymbal and hi-hat work by Portnoy making the section a lot more interesting. This song is more radio friendly than most of their stuff. Maybe I'll actually hear it on the radio some time soon? 4 of 5

Track 04 - I Walk Beside You: This is one of those encouraging feel-good ballads that belongs on a movie soundtrack. It's pretty quiet in the verse. Portnoy fills this in nicely with some cool drumming. It's okay I guess, but a little too "Wind Beneath My Wings" for me. Some sections remind me of Rush's Presto album for some reason. 3 of 5

Track 05 - Panic Attack: This song is a 5/8 time metal monster. It's kind of odd, but it reminds me of a song my friend Walter wrote for acoustic guitar. They ripped off my boy's riff! I always think of that when I hear this song. There's some good keyboard - guitar stuff in here and some nicely fitting Petrucci finger acrobatics. The occasional high pitched vocals in this one that don't seem to fit. I really like this one in spite of that though. Good solid Dream Theater head banging song. 5 of 5

Track 06 - Never Enough: This song is kind of weird, but I like it somehow. It's hard to describe this one, it seems to mix musical styles. This one is very "progressive" in my opinion... just... different. It has a lot of cool parts that I like to hear. The changes are arranged very well and everything fits. The drums are really cool in this one. I like this one too. 5 of 5

Track 07 - Sacrificed Sons: This song is the albums political activist song. Because of that it's along the lines of "The Great Debate" and "In The Name of God" and deals with terrorism. It's a little eerie sounding and there's an odd time jam in the middle that's cool I guess. 3 of 5

Track 08 - Octivarium: This song is the epic of the album, clocking in at 24 minutes. It has a very Pink Floyd-ish beginning that lasts nearly 4 minutes before heavy guitars kick in. They are then replaced by an acoustic guitar and a flute section. Then the vocals come in. Awesome drums, subdued guitars and piano This song also reminds me of parts of Six Degrees. This song is kind of slow, but I can foresee it growing on me. It has a lot of cool things going on musically. I like the keyboard solo. I'd have to say that this is classic prog. It may not be my favorite as far as their epics go, but I have to give them credit for it. It is has some cool ideas. Cool guitar-keyboard interaction. 5 of 5

In writing this review, I listened to the each song very carefully while typing my thoughts. It's better than I gave it credit for when I started this according to my number ratings. On my initial listen I was disappointed, but this album may grow on me. Still, I don't find myself saying, "Man, I want to hear (insert any song here)." There's some things I don't like about it, but overall I guess the DT guys can be proud of themselves. It's not good for bands to keep doing the same thing all the time I guess. You can read some other reviews of the CD here.

I've just found out that John Petrucci's solo album, Suspended Animation, has been released I am looking forward to hearing that. I have heard most of the songs on it performed live during the G3 Tour he was a part of. This was over 3 years ago and he announced at the show that these songs would be featured on his new solo album. I've been waiting for a long time John! That's okay... Eric Johnson made me wait a long time for his "new" album too. It comes out Tuesday and I can't wait.

All right... all right! I'll give Octavarium another chance!

Episode III movie poster 

Star Wars: Episode III review

DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM...SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

So I went to see Episode III of Star Wars, the last film in the "prequel" Trilogy series. In short, it was better than Phantom Menace (Episode I) and Attack of the Clones (Episode II), but nowhere near as good as the original trilogy. Sure the special effects are better, but the story and the acting in the modern Star Wars films leave a lot to be desired. Perhaps it is because the original trilogy holds such a special place in my heart from having watched it so many times growing up. I just can't get into the new films as much.


About the Story:

Episode III's story line was the best of the prequel trilogy. This may be because it focuses on a serious and someone dark theme - the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader. I did like how the plot evolved causing Anakin to question his Jedi masters when they put him in certain positions he felt to be unethical. Anakin became confused about whom he should trust and the motivations of the Jedi council. Upon learning the identity of the elusive Sith lord (Palpatine), he attempted to do the right thing by turning him in, but his Jedi training would not allow him to accept the execution of Emporer Palpatine by Mace Windu. After all, Palpatine had become very friendly with Anikin.

Through most of the film Palpatine had been egging Anakin on to disobey the Jedi council. It was no secret that Anikin was dissatisfied with his mentoring. This was a major theme during Episode II. In that film, he expressed on numerous occasions that he felt he was being held back. True, his abilities were great and his skills strong. What he was lacking was the emotional stability to progress any further toward the title of Jedi Master. Anakin refused to see this and instead took the attitude that his mentors were jealous of his exeptional skills. Palpatine agreed with Anakin, telling the young Jedi what he wanted to hear and pretending to befriend him. Obviously this was all manipulation. The secret emotional attachment of Anakin to Senator Amidala was another strong factor causing Anakin's emotions to get the better of him. His premonitions of her death created much fear in him. He could not resist the idea that learning the secrets of the Dark Side of the Force may be able to prevent her death.

There were other sub-plots as well. The capture of General Grievous, the politics in the senate and the continuation of the clone wars. These were all secondary though.


Special Effects:

The special effects in this movie were out of hand. Every shot in this film had some kind of CGI something going on in the background or the foreground. Look out the window behind the dialoguing characters and you'll see a highway in the sky full of spaceship traffic. Maybe there are computer generated robots or aliens in the room talking with the characters. There was always something going on. These CGI guys are really starting to show off now with all this grutuitous stuff.

The battle scenes were unreal. Whether in space or on some planet somewhere, there was just waaaaay to much to focus on. This movie must be watched several times just to grasp the awesome computer graphics. And then there are the lightsaber battles. They are much more exciting than those in the original trilogy, but suffer a little from Matrix-ism. That's okay I guess... these are Jedi masters. Nobody needs to tell Obi-Wan that "there is no spoon" if you know what I mean.

The sounds were really cool as well. I consider sounds to be special effects... they're just auditory rather than visual. Sounds are a very important part of making the unreal that much more believable. Many of the sounds in sci-fi films like Star Wars a are not things you have ever heard, but they follow the rules of sound that we are used to. All except that "no sound in space" rule. That one has gone out the window long ago as far as sci-fi space movies are concerned.


What I didn't Like:

Well, there was some goofiness in this movie. I have to admit that the comic relief was less corny than in Episode I or II. They still managed to throw in a Tarzan vocal coming out of a wookie swinging on a vine. Then there was that iguana thing that Obi-Wan rode on. That was pretty dumb. Then there was Natalie Portman's dialogue. I think she has the potential to be a great actress, but these love story lines they give her make me sigh and shake my head in disapproval. At least the Han Solo - Princess Leia thing worked. What was up with General Greivous' wheezing and why were his innards so unprotected?

I also had a problem with they way they felt the need to tie EVERYTHING together. It was just too neat. Why did Yoda have to know Chewbacca? I don't even really know the neighbors at the end of my block. Why did Obi-Wan have to be the reason for Darth Vader becoming "more machine than he is man" as explained in A New Hope (Episode IV)? Why did something have to cause the emporer to be come all wrinkly and pale and why was he so goofy and Mad-Hatter like when he entered Dark Side mode? The other thing I noticed is that they use any excuse to show off some new location. A lava planet, a forest planet, a planet that looks like a refrigerator case in a florist shop. True this was done in the original movies, but it just seemed more like a "look what we can make on a computer" type of thing. The Darth Vader "Nooooooooo!" thing was just stupid and he looked like Frankenstein's monster at one point.


What I Did Like:

As I said before, the special effects (though sometimes a bit overboard) were cool as were the sounds. This movie had a better story. I liked the serious and somewhat dark nature of this film. I liked the young Jedi in training that tried to protect senator Organa. I liked Greivous' four lightsabers at once fighting technique. Yoda was awesome... you know what I mean if you've seen the movie. The vehicles were really cool and started to evolve into the Empirial look we are used to seeing in the first group of films. The blockade runner made an appearance, albeit slightly modernized. They should have done this with all the "new" Star Wars films... slightly modify the old look instead of making the stuff from the prequel look more technologically advanced than the stuff in the original trilogy.

This movie is fun to watch; I've seen it twice so far. It is definately on my "DVDs to buy" list.

Springfield's venerable classic, the M1 Garand and the modern HK MP5 

Fun day out at the range.

Recently I had a really fun day at the range. My Dad and I went to the Calverton rifle-pistol range out on Eastern Long Island. I hadn't been to this outdoor range in about 10 years or so. Since then, they have made it look a little nicer than I remember. We went on a weekday so it wasn't so packed... the shooters "ran the range" as there was no dedicated Range Officer.

I fired my 92FS and did poorly for some reason. I don't know what it is about that pistol, but I just can't use it nearly as well as the 1911. All that means is that I have to shoot it lots more (smiles). I left the 1911 at home that day but I brought the CX4 Storm. I'll say it again... that thing is ACCURATE. I had to shoot some stuff out at about 75 feet to make it fun. I was shooting a soda bottle someone left out at the far end of the handgun backstop. I even managed to tag it while it was tumbing through the air from a previous shot.

I guy from a few stalls over came and asked if he could try my Storm. He said he was thinking about buying one. I let him try it and he liked it. Then he offered to let me try his Bobcat, a clone of the HK MP5. I had been eyeing that thing since he got to the range and accepted his offer. The MP5 shoots 9mm pistol rounds and can be seen in movies like Lethal Weapon and any thing else where there are SWAT teams or Navy S.E.A.L.s fighting close quarters battles and shorty AR-15s / M16s are not suitable. Anyway, he had a bunch of stuff on this thing. He had some kind of long barrel and shroud, a vertical fore-grip, a light with pressure switch, an a $350 Trijicon ACOG reflex sight. The dot sight worked pretty well... but $350! I fired it well, but it had more recoil than I expected from 9mm rounds and felt like its internals were rattling around. Maybe all the attachments were vibrating or something. I also didn't like the vertical foregrip. It felt very foreign and tended to unbalance me a little. Still, it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't drop $1400 on that pistol caliber carbine though. Besides, I like my $700 Storm better.

The real fun was getting to shoot my Dad's M1 Garand. This rifle was used in WWII and the Korean War by American armed forces. It is a classic. It fires the Springfield 30.06 rifle round. My Dad had not taken it out in a while, but wanted me to try it as I was planning on purchasing a .30 caliber rifle (this one) and he wanted to see what I thought about a high power rifle round. You know what I thought? I loved it! It was a lot of fun to fire something out at a target 600 ft away and hit it. Actually, I was not shooting paper targets, but some leftover stuff people had placed out on the berm to shoot at. Using the iron peep sight setup I did pretty well. We had some problems with the cycling of the action. It wouldn't travel rearward far enough to eject a spent case, so i had to cycle it by hand. Seems the gas tube port was fouled. Nothing a little cleaning won't fix.

So I had a great day and am looking forward to the arrival of my DS Arms STG58 which I have since ordered. It is the Austrian version of the Belgian FN-FAL chambered in 7.62 x 51 NATO (or .308 Winchester, depending on what you'd like to call it). Yup... only 6-8 more weeks before I get it. I can make it... I can make it.

Beretta's CX4 Storm pistol caliber carbine 

My Beretta CX4 Storm

"Man that thing looks weird... I'd never want something like that!" That was my reaction upon seeing Beretta's pistol caliber carbine named the CX4 Storm. Geez, the name was even corny! After seeing the Beretta Neos a while back, a ray gun looking .22 cal pistol, I thought "here we go again." Actually the Storm looked less like a sci-fi space gun and more like something that should be on a rifle rack in Tim Burton's version of the Bat mobile. All black plastic and swoopy lines. You can thank the designers over at Giugiaro Design in Italy for the look of both the CX4 and the Neos. Yup... definitely too silly looking for me to take seriously enough to consider buying. The Beretta 92FS I own is great, but this Storm is a little too weird... right?

So one day I am at my local range and I see a guy come in with a soft case that obviously had some type of pistol caliber carbine in it... no high power rifles allowed at this indoor range. Maybe it's a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 or a Hi-Point carbine? Then the thought of that weird Beretta carbine popped into my head, but I pretended not to be interested. After all, that gun just looks weird. Well pretty soon I noticed some Beretta 92 magazines getting unpacked out of the guy's range bag and he had no pistols for them to go in. That could only mean one thing - he definately had a Storm in that case.

I went back to shooting my 1911 and could hear that Storm firing two stalls away. I started to get curious and found myself standing behind the guy while he was shooting. I noticed ne had a red dot sight on it and was working on getting it zeroed. I tried to be subtle though and ran back to my stall whenever he picked up the screwdriver to adjust the red dot. Didn't want to get caught looking at something I was telling myself I would never want.

I packed up my stuff and as I was getting ready to leave he saw me looking over. He gave me a big grin, cocked his head to the side and said, "Wanna try it." I said nah, I was just checking it out. He then said, "Yeah... everyone always looks at this... c'mon." He quickly showed me the controls, loaded 5 rounds in a mag and handed the carbine over. I then proceeded to send all 5 rounds fired into the center of the target a the end of the range. I thanked him very much and offered him the use of my Kimber Custom TLE II (a 1911 style pistol in .45 caliber), but he said he has a 45 already. I left the range with a grin thinking, "how could I have looked down on that Beretta carbine without trying it?" I was hooked now, I had to have one. It was comfortable, accurate and easy to use.

I started researching the Storm online, reading the positive reviews and nodding "yes" in agreement. I decided I would buy one with my 2004 tax refund from Uncle Sam. I started having second thoughts about it though. I could get a pistol caliber carbine for much less. The Storm cost about the same as a handgun... and I'd be getting a whole rifle. Plus it was a Beretta and I already had plenty of compatible 92FS magazines and 9mm ammo around. Sure it would cost some bucks, but I already knew I would like it. I decided to go through with it, but didn't make it to tax time. I bought one for myself in March of 2005 and I am happy I did. There was a little hassle with the gun store under charging me by $100 and then asking me to come back and pay the difference. I am also still having some static with them related to an incorrect magazine included with the Storm when I bought it. Hopefully it will work out though. The CX4 Storm also came in a hard case with a cleaning kit, sight adjustment tool and a single side rail (in addition to the integral slide-out front rail).

Anyway, the carbine is great. My first target with a brand new rifle yielded a single ragged hole (OK... there were a few fliers, but not many). I duplicated this performance at the range's distance limit of 50 feet. I was very satisfied. Not much kick at all out of this thing, follow up shots are quick and it is ACCURATE. No need for a red dot. The iron (plastic) sights work great and are a long and short range peep sight setup that is fully adjustable.

Ammo went quick that day. I started loading up my pre-ban mags with 10 rounds at a time instead of 15 just to pace myself. I was having too much fun! Not one malfunction and I couldn't miss with the thing. My Father and Brother have tried the Stom and they both like it... the three of us have slightly different tastes in firearms, but all agree that the Storm is "a good one."

Disassembly for maintaining the Storm is super-easy... no tools required. Pull the mag out, cock the hammer back (be sure it's unloaded and leave it cocked back), push out the center retaining pin, pull the two halves apart, pull the bolt all the way to the rear, remove the cocking handle, and slide out the bolt assembly. That took about 4 times longer to type than it does to actually disassemble. Looking at it in pieces, you'll notice that the Storm is mostly plastic... I say polymer... makes me feel better about it. The bolt slide rails, the trigger, the HAMMER and the outer shell are all polymer. On each part of the rifle, there is some metal with the serial number engraved (lower half, upper half, rail attachement area, barrel, and bolt assembly).

The cheesy plastic cleaning rod included with the Storm works okay, but it is almost the exact diameter of the chamber. I've found I can't use a lot of patch when cleaning with it. Hoppes No. 9, a brush and patches for the barrel, CLP to clean the bolt assembly, a little grease on the rails, STP's Son of a Gun or Armorall for keeping the plastic outer shell looking nice.

So the gun I said I'd never own is now part of my collection and I do not regret it at all!

Gordon Freeman and his babe.