The good news for July 4, 2009

[seamusTX]

No one was killed or seriously injured by the idiotic practice of shooting in the air or a random direction to celebrate July 4. At least, none have been reported on news web sites at this time.

Maybe the message is finally getting through. Or maybe ammo is so expensive that no one wants to waste it. Or maybe it was just a lucky day.

- Jim

[.45mac.40]

Jim
Moved from Palm Desert, CA...last year. So we haven't heard of any incidents there, yet.
30 minutes South of, town named Coachella, ( 90 % Hispanic // futher South is Brawley, El Centro, Etc.)) over the last
few years, afew were always Celebrating with their 9 mm.
Someone was always getting hurt.
Coachella PD, Riverside County Sheriff's Office, CHP...eventually started airing on T V, the dangers of doing so, and made
it clear of the dangers and arrest possibilities.
Like you, Guess I'm courious as to how things went this year ?!!?
Mac .45 >>>>> #:#

[dicion]

I think it is the ammo expense
Why shoot 9mm into the air, at $.50 a round, when bottle rockets are only $.10 each!

I spent most of the 4th shooting in a non-random direction, at specific targets :)

Got my AR sighted in, Shot my new (to me) mosin, and tested the effectiveness of those .45ACP Shotshells that seem the be the only thing left on shelves.

They're actually pretty decent for 0-15 foot anti-snake rounds :) But that's about all I'd say they're good at.
So, walking around in a dried up pond bed like I was all day yesterday, they were perfect carry ammo

[.45mac.40]

dicion
Good read ..
Will those .45 ACP shot shells cycle, thru a magazine full ??
My piece is a XD tactical. ( 5" bbl.)
Mac .45 >>>>>>>> ( %% )

[dicion]

dicion
Good read ..
Will those .45 ACP shot shells cycle, thru a magazine full ??
My piece is a XD tactical. ( 5" bbl.)
Mac .45 >>>>>>>> ( %% )

I had no problem with them cycling in my Kimber UCII. Which Suprised me!

They were Very lightly loaded. More of a 'pop' then a 'bang', but still cycled the slide fine. I think the casing was thin steel.
It had a plastic 'wad' in front of it to hold the shot in. Looked like #9 shot to me.
At ~10 feet, it had about a 10" pattern. Then again, this was from a 3" Rifled barrel. I expected it to spread fast.

So they were reliable enough to protect me from gettin my ankles bit, and a trip to the ER. Would definitely not recommend them for anything else really though.

[.45mac.40]

dicion
I think my Springfield XD Tactical has a heavier spring ?!?
I might as well get a box and try them .. Load a 10 rd. mag. - if N, the second rd. fails, I can charge my other 13 rd. mags. with one each rd.... shoot em' that way ?!
Going to give it a try.
Thanks !
Mac > > > > // %% //

[bryang]

Good news, Jim, I am thankful to hear it.

-geo

[KD5NRH]

I spent most of the 4th shooting in a non-random direction, at specific targets :)

I had to be at work at midnight, so I didn't get to do it this year, but a 4th of July night shoot at glowsticks is always fun. It's amazing how many pistol hits a freestanding stick can take before it leaks. They're so lightweight they'll often just move aside for glancing hits, and you can chase them around quite a bit if your backstop is safe for doing that in the dark. I used a dry wash last time, so I pretty much had a 360 range as long as I didn't shoot upward.

[AEA]

I live out in the country in a small subdivision by the lake. The guy on the next street over had some kind of cannon as far as I could tell and was shooting some heavy star shells.

I sat on the backseat of my golf cart in my backyard and watched them right above me. Here is one of them. They were kinda hard to capture on a photo.