Top Shot 3 is right around the corner, premiering on Tuesday, August 9th at 10/9c.  Even with the somewhat lopsided ratio of drama llama to actual shooting, I’ll be watching (and hoping the drama llama goes on hiatus for season 3).  I’ve already got my favorite shooter picked out for the season – Sara Ahrens.  I had the pleasure of co-manning the WOMA booth at SHOT Show this year with her, and she is funny, beautiful and knows how to shoot.  I will be looking forward to watching her kick some tail this season.

If you’re not familiar with Top Shot Season 3’s cast of characters, here’s the “exclusive” cast intro video:

In other exciting news, we will be having a Top Shot contest with some great prizes, courtesy of the fine folks at the History Channel. As they say in the TV business, stay tuned for details!

I also wanted to take a minute to give a big thanks to all of you (including the Top Shot producers) who provided me with awesome support over the last couple of months as I made my way through the application process for Top Shot Season 4. Sadly, I did not make the cut, but no worries – I will be back with bells on (and some bigger wins under my belt) when next season’s application comes out.

One of our local television news stations is reporting that the shooting sports are now more popular than golf in Arizona, and they also mention that nationally, sporting good stores reported selling about half a billion dollars more in guns last year than golf equipment. 

I’m a bit skeptical about the claim that recreational and sport shooters have surpassed golfers here (golf has been ginormous in Arizona forever), but it’s still great news.

I’d also like to give kudos to KPHO for doing a straight story on the shooting sports in Arizona, and foregoing the liberal slanted, pants-peeing that we see so often in MSM stories about guns and/or the shooting sports. Oh, and KPHO? Here’s a tip – just because someone answers a question you posted on Facebook, doesn’t mean you have to put it on the news.

I’ve previously written about shooting the Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition model and posted a video of Rob Leatham shooting the new pistol. Check out his DrillMaster instructional video to see the gun in action and learn his approach to shooting faster. The Great One shows you how to go fast using the new XDm.

FTC Disclaimer – Mr. Leatham and Springfield Armory allowed me to shoot some free ammo through the XDm 5.25 once upon a time. Springfield Armory has a website where you too can find out where to shoot the new XDm 5.25. As noted in my prior post, I’ve placed an order through Arizona Firearms and Pawn at regular retail. If this doesn’t meet your disclosure compliance standards, please feel free to lower your standards.

Don’t forget! The Sarah Palin documentary, The Undefeated, will open in select major cities on July 15th. Here are the cities you can see the movie in on July 15th:

• Phoenix, AZ                       AMC Ahwatukee 24
• Orange, CA                          AMC 30 At The Block
• Highlands Ranch, CO      AMC Highlands Ranch 24
• Orlando, FL                        AMC Loews Universal Cineplex 20
• Kennesaw, GA                   AMC Barrett Commons 24
• Indianapolis, IN               AMC Showplace Indianapolis 17
• Independence, MO          AMC Independence Commons 20
• Oklahoma, OK                    AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
• Grapevine,TX                     AMC Grapevine Mills 30
• Houston, TX                        AMC Gulf Pointe 30

For information on theaters and links to buy tickets online, visit the Victory Film Groups webpage.

Haven’t heard of the Sarah Palin movie?
Check out Mz. VRWC’s review of The Undefeated.

Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association (ASRPA) held their annual meeting and dinner Saturday, May 7th, in Phoenix and featured Mr. Otis McDonald, of McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court case fame, as the keynote speaker. ASRPA is the Arizona affiliate of the NRA, (essentially the Arizona arm of NRA) overseeing competitive shooting, training of juniors, and other firearms related issues in Arizona since 1909.

Motivational Speaker Beth Terry was an exemplary emcee for the evening, along with ASRPA President, Noble Hathaway. Noble’s lovely daughters, Ashley, Andrea, and Payne graciously assisted with the event and the fundraising raffles that were held throughout the evening.

Sandy Froman presents NRA 100 Years of Excellence Award

During the dinner, past NRA President Sandy Froman formally presented ASRPA with the 100 Years of Excellence award from the NRA. Mr. Hathaway was joined on stage by several past presidents of ASRPA to receive the award from Ms. Froman.

One of a kind Colt Single Action Army Pistol.

ASPRA President Noble Hathaway thanked the state legislators in attendance at the dinner for their part in making the Colt Single Action Army pattern pistol the official State Firearm of Arizona. He also apologized for the minor controversy they endured, and explained that the intent of the state firearm was only to help celebrate Arizona’s statehood Centennial in 2012.

Colt SAA Presentation to the lucky raffle winner by Rep. Judy Burges, Gary Christiansen, Rep. Carl Seel, Rep. Steve Court, Rep. Jerry Weiers, and Todd Rathner.

The highlight of the evening was Mr. Otis McDonald’s very heartfelt and humble explanation of his journey to the Supreme Court. His story is one of a man who tried to make a positive difference in his neighborhood. He worked to get kids off the street and away from crime, but as his neighborhood declined and some of neighborhood kids turned to crime, Chicago banned handgun ownership. The Chicago ban left law-abiding citizens defenseless and vulnerable to criminals who defied the gun bans and terrorized the innocent. Mr. McDonald explained how he wasn’t trying to change the world, he was just standing up for what he felt was right.

I once heard Ken Blackwell say something to the effect that the Declaration of Independence states, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident’ as the Founders way of saying, ‘Any knucklehead should be able to understand this.’

Unfortunately, the knuckleheads in Chicago did not understand these truths. In passing the handgun ban in 1982, Chicago enabled the jewelry theft ring run by Chicago Police chief of detectives William Hanhardt, and the mob, ensuring the safety of the thieves. Hanhardt’s jewelry ring stole millions in the 1980s and 1990s, unopposed by their disarmed victims. The gun ban should have been named the Occupational Safety for Criminals Gun Ban. Mr. McDonald’s case was supported by an amicus curiae brief signed by 58 senators and 251 representatives, with more members of Congress signing than any amicus curiae brief in history.

Otis McDonald at the 102nd Annual ASRPA Dinner

He appeared surprised that people in a state with a Brady Campaign score of Zero would be so grateful for his efforts, but we understand how much he has done for securing our right to bear arms. The Supreme Court’s ruling will have a positive affect on gun laws and legislation for decades. Mr. McDonald appears to still be processing the full significance of his victory at the Supreme Court, where the court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the right of the individual to keep and bear arms.

Mr. McDonald acknowledged that this was just the beginning in the battle to restore even the most basic gun rights in the Chicago area, but he emphasized the role of the individual in determining the future. Throughout his talk, he spoke highly of his lawyer Alan Gura and of Alan Gottlieb, both of the Second Amendment Foundation and the enduring support of the Illinois State Rifle Association.

Otis McDonald Master Sponsors

It is amazing that ASRPA could persuade Mr. McDonald to speak to our group, and it was an honor for everyone in attendance to hear his story. It is rare to hear a victorious story of a hard fought battle to win such an important case. A case that signifies the first major national gun rights case the Supreme Court has heard since 1939’s United States v. Miller. Mr. McDonald’s message was clear – ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary, just by following through on their beliefs and trying to make their part of the world a better place.

Otis McDonald Master Donor Medal – 102nd Annual Meeting of ASRPA 2011

Visit the ASRPA website to see more photos from the banquet, check out current shooting events, and to join ASRPA today.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the many members of AZCDL and the Arizona Game and Fish Department for their tireless support of the shooting sports in Arizona.

A few months ago, my awesome competition pistol got a boo-boo, and had to be sent back to the manufacturer for some TLC.  I needed a new pistol STAT, and rather than purchase another USPSA production division pistol,  I decided it was time to pick up a 1911 so I could start training for the next Western States Single Stack Match, and to avoid becoming a One Gun Princess.

At SHOT Show earlier this year, I had the chance to run a few rounds through a Rock Island Armory 1911 in 9mm, and I remembered being impressed with both the gun and its modest price tag.  At under $500, we were willing to take a chance that the RIA would perform acceptably in a competition setting, and we liked the benefit of 9mm being more cost effective than a 45 ACP.

I was able to find an RIA 1911-A1 (tactical version with Novak style sights) at a local shop, brought it home and gave it a light cleaning, then packed it in my range bag for use the next morning. Out of the box, it performed flawlessly – Zero malfunctions, and it shot more accurately than I did.

There was only one issue with the 1911’s performance, and I noticed it about halfway through the match.  I felt a slight burning sensation coming from my right arm, and my first thought was that it was time to reapply the sunscreen.  I then looked at my arm and noticed that it was dotted up and down with red marks from spent shells repeatedly tagging me.

We took it home and figured out pretty quickly that the extractor probably needed a little adjustment.  As soon as I started taking it apart, I was really glad I had picked up a couple of tools for the 1911 – a plastic barrel bushing wrench and an extractor removal tool from Brownells.  Both tools are already invaluable to me – I don’t have to call Capitalist Pig out to the garage every 10 minutes to be my extra hand or muscle something for me (which probably makes the tools invaluable to him as well).  The extractor tool is especially handy, as one end works perfectly to get the firing pin out, and the other end has a nifty little notch that makes quick work of extracting the extractor, so to speak.  After the extractor was out, C. Pig took a look and did just a wee bit of re-profiling to one of the edges, and it’s been extracting casings away from my body parts ever since.

I got my production pistol back from the shop some time ago, but I’ve enjoyed shooting the Rock Island 1911 so much that just within the last couple of weeks I’ve forced myself to go back to the production pistol, since I’ll be shooting my first “big” match with it this fall.  I’m sure my RIA in 9mm won’t be collecting any dust though, I am already looking forward to shooting it again.

If you’re interested in learning more about the RIA’s performance, check out The Firearm Blog’s review of the Rock Island Armory 1911 in 9mm.  Oh, and I’ve done a little work on it – stay tuned for more posts on my new favorite pistol!

Disclaimer:  I did not get paid to write this, or any other posts on this site.  The kind folks at Brownells provided me with the extractor tool with no expectation of anything other than an honest review.  When I say I like it, I mean it.  If you took mine away from me (don’t even think about it), I would buy another one the same day.

We recently attended an advanced screening of  “The Undefeated”, the new Sarah Palin film that is due out in theaters on July 15th.  The filmmakers call the movie “a two-hour-long, sweeping epic…” and ” a galvanizing prelude to Palin’s prospective presidential campaign”.  I’ll call it a pretty darn good movie that despite leaving a few holes for me, gives you an excellent sense of the real Sarah Palin.

While it’s known that the movie was made to excite current Sarah Palin fans and redefine her as presidential material, I believe this film will prove to be even more valuable to the pull-my-string-I-hate-Palin demographic – those that have a negative opinion about Palin, but if you ask them why they don’t like her, you can see the smoke coming from their ears as they work to keep their head from exploding.  If you have friends and/or family members that have bought into the myths created by the mainstream media and other moonbat liberals with Palin Derangement Syndrome, but are otherwise fairly reasonable people, please take them to see this movie.   The film does a good job of giving you no choice but to look at Mrs. Palin as a human being, and I can think of several people that could use this type of re-education.

The Arizona premier of “The Undefeated” will be shown at the AMC Ahwatukee 24 theater on July 15th. You can buy your “The Undefeated” tickets in advance right here.  There’s even an 11:30 matinee showing for only $5 bucks, leaving you even less of a reason not to go see the movie.