2012 Review

On this last day of 2012 it seems like a great opportunity to reflect on the past year and this blog. I had been thinking of starting a blog on some topic for quite some time and just couldn’t decide what I was going to do. Since I have a myriad of hobbies I thought it best to choose the two I was most active with and so Bangers and Mash was born.

Typically I try to keep an even keel between the firearm topics and fermentation topics and with fermentation my slant is generally to beer and homebrewing. What I’ve found interesting is what topics have been of most interest to people reading the blog. We had some drama in our area when a local broadcasting company decided it was a good idea to vilify concealed handgun permittees who were following the law to the letter and had even been fingerprinted during the permitting process. Posts surrounding those events brought the most readers in a single day. What I find interesting is posts about the BJCP Exam brought in the highest overall number of readers. I had visitors from 95 countries and one of the most frequent search terms was for “Rossi Overland” a discontinued double barrel shotgun.

I’m never entirely sure on a day-to-day basis what I will post. Some days I start with an idea in my head and expand, others it is a topic I notice elsewhere on the web which catches my attention. In 2012 I posted every single day and in 2013 I hope to do the same at least until I hit 365 days worth of posts. The weekend tends to garner less views that weekdays, but the blog averaged 37 views per day in 2012. So raise a toast to 2012 and days gone by as we look forward to 2013 and the future.

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What To Say?

I’ve been trying to find what I want to say about the tragedy in Connecticut. On one hand I want to blast the media for their nonstop irresponsible and inaccurate coverage. If they would take a break, collect their thoughts, interview a few more sources we would not have gotten minute by minute of inaccurate accounts. They might discover Bushmaster is a brand and the detachable device which feeds ammunition into a firearm is a magazine. Note to media – take a minute and remind yourself to never call it a clip again and you’ll appear so much more intelligent, the number of firearms which actually utilize a clip inside a magazine is so miniscule you’ll be correct 99% of the time calling it a magazine.

I ran into the video below from Hickok45 and while it rambles a bit it conveys much the same message which has been running around in my head. In case you are not familiar with his videos, he reviews various firearms on his range and is an excellent marksman. I don’t know what his day job actually is, but in the video he mentions being a teacher and if that is true I’ll bet he a great educator. The video is a half hour and I suggest you take the time to watch it, especially if you are someone who prior to reading my post today would have incorrectly identified a magazine as a clip.

End Of The World?

The world didn’t end a few days ago, but we are certainly living through times which seem like the end of the world. Following the election people began purchasing firearms at an astonishing rate. People who had never owned a gun before went out and got one and those who did own one must have went out and purchased two. If you go into a gun store today the shelves are barren. Trying to find ammunition right now seems like you walk into an empty arena and there in the center spotlight is a single box of .22 LR and you are glad you found it and 100 other people were lined up behind you if you hadn’t grabbed it.

I myself had bought some items at a normal price in mid-December and after the tragedy in Connecticut the prices have escalated. It became clear that selling those items on GunBroker was the best thing I could possibly do so I listed them for about $15 more than what I paid. Because supplies are so limited they sold for 3X the MSRP. My original plan was to make $25 each on the items and by putting them on GunBorker I ended up with a handsome profit. Some might call that gouging and if I had listed for what they sold for I would probably agree, but since I listed for a reasonable amount without much profit I don’t consider it to have been price gouging. Everyone made money except the buyer. The store I originally purchased from made their margin, my FFL made his fees twice, one incoming and the second when I transferred to the buyer, I made money through the auction, and GunBroker took their fees as well. Had the buyers purchased the items 3 weeks earlier they could have located the same deal I did, but since they did not, they ended up buying though the auction.

Here is what I believe is going to happen in fairly short order. The shelves will begin to be stocked again, although prices will be increased for some time. Ammunition will come first since it was already ordered and being produced. Those who paid exorbitant prices will be very disappointed. Next the firearms will arrive back in stock or at least the sought after parts. They are making them every day and so it won’t be long until some degree of normalcy returns to the market. Again, the prices might be high. Now legislation could cause some items to be highly sought after, but legislation will take time to pass and there are plenty of people who don’t want to see gun laws enacted which do nothing but give a minority of the population a touchy-feely moment and in reality do nothing to stop criminals only to regulate people who obey the law. So it isn’t the end of the world, but if you want to see affordable prices again on certain items you may have to be patient.

Eleventh Anniversary Barrel-aged Old Rasputin

On November 30 we held our annual Stout tasting and one of the top 10 was the Barrel-aged Old Rasputin. Last year or the year before it cracked the top 5. Last night I decided to dig out a bottle I thought I bought last year, but it could have been much longer since this was the Eleventh Anniversary edition. North Coast has been releasing Barrel-aged Old Rasputin for years and eventually they bottled the beer and it has become a premium seasonal release ever since.

I remember this puppy was not exactly inexpensive and the bottle is a little misleading. While it is a heavy bottle, the contents are only  500 ml or a smidge less than 17 ounces. Had I realized the beer was not actually from last year, but from a few years earlier I might have sat on it for a while longer. This was a fantastic beer with all the inky darkness you would expect, but more body than standard Old Rasputin. The barrel-aging complemented the flavors and was never boozy and alcoholic.

While the price of admission is a bit stout (pun intended), this one is worthy of the coin. We had a more recent vintage at the tasting we had and it was a bit rougher around the edges so it could be this brew can stand a bit of aging to mellow and converge. If you are a stout lover, happen to see this beer, and can spare the coin don’t pass it by since it is one tasty beverage. Well the Eleventh Anniversary was at least, 😉

David Gregory Broke The Law!

I’m sure this is old news to everyone, but on Sunday’s edition of Meet The Press  David Gregory was interviewing and Wayne LaPierre from the NRA. About 10 minutes into the program David Gregory whips out a magazine for an AR-15. Not an airsoft magazine, not a movie prop, a freakin real magazine and declares it has the capability to hold “30 bullets.” Here’s the rub, it is illegal (and I don’t mean a big sick bird) to possess any magazine which can hold more than 10 rounds in DC. Don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself:

• District of Columbia Firearms Registration
• § 7-2506.01. Persons permitted to possess ammunition.**

Now the official word being reported from the police department is “it is under investigation.” I really wonder what that means. Sounds to me like we can’t do anything about it and won’t because it happened on Sunday and it isn’t a big deal. Oh really? Not a big deal. A soldier was arrested for having ammunition in his bag. No gun, no magazine, a couple of rounds left over from a range visit and he got cuffed and stuffed. So what is the public to believe, if I play a news reporter on TV I get a free pass? Either it is a law worth having and ensuring people do not break it or it isn’t.

Anyway, I took the screen shot below from the Meet The Press Segment. Compare that magazine with the one from the internet. You tell me if David Gregory broke the law and if law breakers should be punished or not. If your answer is no, he should not be punished for blatantly breaking the laws in DC then I’d love to know why he is exempt, but the average Joe would be arrested and prosecuted. What makes him or anyone else on television special and above the law? Before you answer take into account it has been widely reported NBC contacted the MPDC prior to the show and they were told it was illegal to have a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds in the District, so they knew the law and broke it anyway.

The message I am hearing loud and clear is – we do not enforce the laws we have regarding firearms in DC.

**(b) No person in the District shall possess, sell, or transfer any large capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “large capacity ammunition feeding device” means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The term “large capacity ammunition feeding device” shall not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. (Search on § 7-2506.01)

Hillbilly Mimosa

After a recent hot air balloon ride in the mountains of NC we were served Champagne or cider for those who don’t drink alcohol. Then our host asked if anyone wanted a Hillbilly Mimosa which was a blend of the two. Needless to say he was on to something there. It’s pretty simple. Take an inexpensive Champagne and a sparkling cider and mix 50/50. I think the total expenditure for the two bottles was around $10 and you end up with many glasses of this fantastic concoction. If you like it sweeter, add more cider, less sweet, you guessed it, less cider. Give this one a whirl, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here’s hoping Santa has brought you more than you ever wanted or needed!

 

A Port In Any Storm

Long ago there was a TV show called Mad About You where they opened a bottle of port once per year as a way of celebrating. I remember wondering what port tasted like and immediately went out and got a bottle of decent quality port. Over the years we have tried many, many ports and have determined we gravitate to the Tawny variety. It has become a tradition on Christmas Eve to make a beautiful sausage and cheese plate and to accompany it with a myriad of ports, some of which we save for just this occasion. I’m already looking forward to the evening.

If you have never tried port I would suggest you sample it at a restaurant, although a fine blended port can be had for less than $20. I would also suggest you try several different types of port if you find you it to your liking. Here is a page with a good description of port types to get you on your way.

Why another assault weapons ban is no solution

I was thinking of a post on this very topic when another blog was brought to my attention which covers the subject so well there is little reason to spend time crafting similar information. The blogger is a professed liberal which should silence those who always want to label everything as Republican and Democrat, last time I checked we were all Americans. Anyway, please read this blog post which was written before the recent tragedy in Connecticut.

Why Not Renew the “Assault Weapons” Ban? Well, I’ll Tell You…

Stillwater Bronze Age

I was digging through the DBF last night and came across a hidden bottle of Stillwater Bronze Age. The beer is actually a collaboration by Stillwater and Hof Ten Dormaal and is brewed with spelt. Spelt is a really old species of wheat that in recent times has found its niche as a health food. The only other beer I can immediately recall made with spelt is Joseph Spelt Ale and I don’t recall that beer being anything special.

The Stillwater/Hof Ten Dormaal version was quite nice and light. The head lasted forever and I actually drank the last bit of foam from the glass. It wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but it didn’t pretend it was going to be crazy or wild. What we have here plain and simple was a well executed farmhouse ale with a nice complexity of malt and yeast characteristics in a light a flavorful package. I kept thinking if I had another bottle of this I would open it because it was so tasty.

I don’t recall what the price of admission was on this one, but the bottle was 375ml so I would expect around seven beans. It is certainly worth a try and is the best spelt beer I can recall. How’s that for a recommendation? 😉