25Aug05

Insurance Story:

A friend recently had several of his guns burn up in a storage facility fire. They were all undocumented and purposely weren't declared on his home owner' s/renter's policy. At first, he considered them a flat loss. Then, he remembered the Armscare policy that inures to NRA membership. He applied f or compensation, documented with a notarized letter from a friend, who describ ed the pieces and when he had seen them. Several weeks later, back came a check f or $1,000.00, the policy maximum!

My friend, who, like me, detests insurance companies and their employees (for good reason) reports that he was treated well. Of course, one thousan d dollars in today's economy isn't much, but the annual premium is par t of NRA membership, so inconsequential as to be virtually free.

An incident like this is a good reminder for us all to document our valuables. With digital technology, one may have detailed images of everyt hing of value he owns, compacted and stored safely, in several places. With the removal of photo-processing middle men, it's as private as it needs to be.

/John

25Aug05

Comments from a friend on currently-available 1911s:

"It's noteworthy that most custom makers of high-end 1911s are not a ctually producing competent, serious firearms. In the context of our 'Why c an't I buy excellence?' conversation, I believe it is because those who com mand technical and manufacturing resources through which they may achieve true excellence are making icons, not practical tools. I don't need a 'pretty' gun, capable of pointless accuracy. I'm tying, unsuccessfully so far, to buy a reliable, durable, tough, practical, fighting pistol on the 1911 model. As I write this, Kimber comes the closest."

Comment: Real fighting is an ugly, cheerless activity, far from the carefully choreographed sewage depicted on television. The only thing wors e than serious fighting is unsuccessful fighting! My fighting/carry guns spend mo st of their miserable lives in a hard, ky-dex holster, in direct contact with my gritty, sweaty, and sometimes smelly body. I try to provide them with reasonable maintenance, but, in some places, diesel fuel is the only cleaner/lubricant available. Such an ugly, tormented, unforgiving existenc e calls for ugly, dependable, tough fighting implements. Pretty, temperamental, prima donnas , designed to spend their lives in humidity-controlled gun cabinets, need not

apply!

/John