Now For Something Entirely.....Cheap

With dove season rapidly approaching, I needed something with which to defend myself from the close-range doves that occasionally come to close for a regular shotgun. I thought that one of those Bond Arms derringers would be the ticket until I saw the prices that they are getting. They are right proud of those derringers! Frugality demanded that I widen my search for something that would be more agreeable to my wallet. Lo and behold! What did I find but this.......really ugly, cheaply made, inexpensive, and strong, derringer - the Leinad Cobray FMJ 45LC/410 derringer. The pistol barrel has about an 1" or so of rifling and will accept only the 2.5" .410. I already read that the 45LC will keyhole in about 10 yards and that the shot will cover 30" at about 7 yards.

There is nothing smooth about this gun. I bought it along with the conversion kit to turn it into a ugly, cheaply made, and inexpensive single shot shotgun. The kit has a small frame style stock and a smooth bore barrel that will accept 3" .410 along with the 45LC.  

This one is not really any good as a CCW. There is no half-cock setting. The safety is a transfer pin that blocks the hammer back a almost full cock and requires both hands to take the safety off. One hand is needed to pull back on the hammer and the other to push the safety. It is definitely not safe to carry with the hammer down as the firing pin will be right on the primer. I already saw where some ingenious person had "solved" this safety issue. He took a strip of metal and inserted it between the hammer and frame. It was bent at the top so that it did not drop into the gun. I made some out of 1/4" brass strip and it works great. You can load the gun, put the strip it, and lower the hammer. You are now in a safe, loaded condition where you can draw, pull the hammer back, flick your wrist to kick the strip out, and pull the trigger. Look out doves, here I come! Wonder if I could get a daily limit with one of these.......

Diet of Hope VI

Here I am, pinning up my Gold Heart for 100+ lbs weight loss. I am down 122 lbs total and I think that it is time to go for stabilization and call it good. Great plan and wonderful people!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Keep those Doggies Rolling!

I believe that I have covered the highlights of our trip to Okinawa. I returned from Okinawa, went to work for three days, flew to San Angelo, helped pack Daughter #1's stuff in her SUV, drove to Colorado Springs, and then flew back to Tucson! Daughter #1 had asked for company on this drive to her next clinical as part of the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program at ASU. We jokingly refer to this as the "good" ASU (Angelo State University). I will fly back to Colorado Springs in mid August and reverse the trip. Rolling........

After that quick run, I really was having a bit of travel lag. There seemed to be a longer adjustment period to get accommodated to the normal sleep schedule. This is probably because I was up longer on the return trip from Okinawa. I was up the entire trip and we arrived back in Tucson midday. I think that I stretched the trip time an additional 6 hours or so making for a grand total of 32 hrs awake. Just a bit to long for this cranking old man.

I had no real lag problems going to Okinawa. We stayed up the whole trip there, arrived about 9PM, got a bite to eat and went to bed. Easy.

I see that the McMann Roadrunner Gun Show has a new venue in Tucson, Sabbar Shrine. It is July 11th & 12th. I will be in Chandler on the 10th & 11th for the Red Cross of Constantine Southwest Regional meeting. Rolling......... That means that I can go to the show on the 12th as we will return to Tucson that morning. Rolling.....

Okinawa Day 12 - 14

We went South to go to the Naval Underground (Japanese Headquarters) and then to the Peace Memorial Museum. 

 The Naval Underground was interesting in that it was the last bastion as the Japanese retreated South from US forces. The headquarters was formally more central in Shuri. They used the Okinawans as forced labor to excavate the tunnels. It was all done by hand.

 Then we were off to the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. Photos were not allowed in the museum proper.

There is a field of monuments with the names or the people (including the Americans) who died during WWII on the island. This was a proper lead in to our Memorial Day.

Link to photo album pass = Okinawa

Okinawa– Day 13

Pack it up. We also went over to the neighbors for dinner. It was enjoyable. It finally decided to rain steadily. We have been so lucky in that the weather has been agreeable the whole trip.

Okinawa– Day 14

Off to the airport. I understand the Japan had a 5.2 earthquake about the time we were landing in Narita. We did not even feel it so we were probably in the landing process.

We got the house about 4PM Tucson time and everything was fine. I ran off to the grocery store for lunch supplies after unpacking. I needed to get a few things before I sat down and passed out!

Okinawa Day 11

This day was a loaf around day. We went to the mall for dinner at the Kunigami Fisherman’s Wharf. I had the one person seafood course that had Salad Bar, Garician Boiled Octopus, Seafood Sausage, Seaweed and Anchovy Focaccia (bread), Kunigami Fresh Seafood Paella, and Homemade Teppan Crepe Suzette with Vanilla Ice Cream. All the courses were great! The chef decided to give me extra ice cream helpings probably figuring that I would have help. He was right!

Every so often, I would some teenager snicker behind me as I walked through the mall. I'm not sure why. Couldn't be the hat or that I am 6'7".