Shooting from the Hip

In 2000, Howard Darby made quickest draw on record. His 0.252-second draw has inspired plenty of followers who wish to master the fast draw and shatter his seemingly unbeatable record.

So, how does he do it? According to the World Fast Draw Association, Mr. Darby takes about an average of 145/1000ths of a second to react. While he places the gun and “fanning” hands close to the holster, it’s not too close because you cannot have actual contact with your gun or holster beforehand.

When he is signaled to fire, he employs the “slap-cocking” method, which means the hammer will be fanned back to full-cock with the trigger pulled when the gun lines up to the target.

The most difficult part? Repeating your performance, proving you can be just as speedy during round two. That’s right: The World Fast Draw won’t let you set a record unless your second shot is within .03 seconds of your first time.

Click here to view the millisecond-by-millisecond account of Mr. Darby’s quick draw. Don’t believe what you’re reading? Watch Mr. Darby’s shooting style in the video below.

For those of us unfamiliar with the sport of fast draw, its said to be inspired by Old West gunslingers. During competitions, single-action revolvers are shot with special blanks or wax bullets. One of the fastest sports in the world, a fast draw match can be over before the average human has time to soak it all in (normal reaction time = 0.2 between 0.25 seconds).

Learn how to fast draw yourself in this five-part (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) YouTube series by Chris Gordan.

It might not fit into any gun holster and probably won’t help you win any real battles. However, if you still would like to know how to create one of the best machine guns in World War II history (according to the video creator) out of Legos, watch as he constructs the miniature gun in less than a minute.

Or perhaps you fancy full-size Lego guns. BrickGun offers very realistic kits so you can build your own. With six different kits ranging in price from $54.99 to $69.99, you could have your own Lego 9 mm (259 pieces), Desert Eagle Mark XiV (288 pieces) or even a Mac-11 (311 pieces) in no time.

Released this August, BrickGun’s latest model includes a removable magazine with a working trigger and hammer (internal). Click here to check it out.

Need a quick refresher session on concealed carry techniques? Soldier Systems has got you covered.

The military/tactical industry blog is giving away five DVDs to its readers that show the basics of concealed carry techniques. Currently only offered to EOTAC dealers, the 12-minute DVD features Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch director.

The best part: To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is send an e-mail with “EOTAC Giveaway” in the subject line by Dec. 1. It’s that easy!

Watch Mr. Smith below as he displays the three best places for a handgun.

"Pimp My Guns"

You’ve seen what they’ve done to hoopties on MTV. Now you can do it yourself virtually with a new online application called “Pimp My Gun.”

While you won’t be able to paint hot orange and yellow flames or add anything too wild (like on Pimp My Ride when a surfer dude got a clothes dryer installed in his Volkswagen Bus), you can still play with a handful of accessories.

The flash application, which is still under construction, allows gun enthusiasts to create weapon systems from scratch or make additions to guns that already exist.

From pistols to sniper rifles to machine guns, the selection of guns is as wide as the accessories you can explore. The app offers flip-up sights, scopes, tactical grips, rail systems, bipods, flash hiders, silencers, stocks, magazines and more. And if you’re wondering, about 10% of the guns are designed by 17-year-old Skipper Lee Yin Pin, the rest by the site’s owner Dr. Noob.

Not seeing your favorite weapon? The application’s creator encourages those with specific requests to just send him an email.

And without further ado, let the gun pimping begin…

(Via Gear Scout)

Last week, we gave you some of the craziest gun nicknames that have appeared throughout history. This week we offer up 36 original nicknames that all come right out of one man’s arsenal.

The gentleman, who decided it was best to remain anonymous, was kind enough to let us take a peek at his gun collection. Not only was he kind enough, he was thorough enough to remember why he gave his guns pet names like Baby Nasty and Frankenlove.

For your viewing pleasure, we placed our favorite top 10 nicknames first along with pictures and listed the remaining 26 in no particular order.

1. Baby Nasty
Manufacturer: Mossberg
Model: 500
Caliber: 12 gauge
Explanation: The smallest shotgun I own. Very capable and mean looking, too.

2. Birthmark
Manufacturer: Glock
Model: 23
Caliber: 0.40
Explanation: Bought on my birthday with serial number one less than my SS#. And it had a strange mark on it.

3. Sprocket
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Model: 93
Caliber: 0.223
Explanation: Very German looking with extra accessories. The name comes from the Saturday Night Live skit “Sprockets”.

4. Mr. Clean
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Model: 91
Caliber: 0.308
Explanation: Twenty-five years old but looks brand new and no accessories. Everything clean cut.

5. Huggy Bear
Manufacturer: Yugo
Model: AK
Caliber: 7.62 X 39
Explanation: A completely chrome-plated AK, so I named it after the Starsky & Hutch pimp.

6. Red Scare
Manufacturer: Norinco
Model: AK
Caliber: 7.62 X 39
Explanation: Very communist looking AK with dark red furniture, too.

7. Ms. Perfect
Manufacturer: Glock
Model: 26
Caliber: 9mm
Explanation: This gun is oddly perfect. Not a scratch, dead bull’s-eyes at any range, immaculate.

8. The Conservative
Manufacturer: Springfield
Model: M14
Caliber: 0.308
Explanation: This is an über-American sniper rifle that’s very military and conservative looking.

9. Trouble
Manufacturer: Glock
Model: 21
Caliber: 0.45
Explanation: Such an insanely capable, simple, durable handgun in a big round. It brings trouble.

10. Squatter
Manufacturer: Remington
Model: 870
Caliber: 12 gauge
Explanation: Ready to go at all times. It defends my house like an Oklahoma squatter.

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After spending two-and-a-half years fighting for the right to bear arms, 46-year-old James Cap was awarded a gun permit last week.

Why was he fighting for these rights? His condition as a quadriplegic made some question his ability to handle a firearm, especially because of his proposed set up. In order to aim and fire, he would need to breathe through the tube of a special device, which would have to be set up by a friend.

According to The Star-Ledger, Superior Court Judge John Pursel told Mr. Cap “I hope you enjoy the use of your firearm” right before signing the order. While the judge ruled in Mr. Cap’s favor, the debate on whether a person who is physically unable to shoot a gun should be permitted to use one.

On the story comments section on NJ.com, one person writes, “The police chief who originally denied the permit was correct. This guy (Cap) is an accident waiting to happen.”

Another commenter over at Huffington Post showed support for Mr. Cap, writing: “Thank god for some judges that understand what the Constitution actually SAYS!”

The Young Turks called the ruling “absurd” and said “I can’t have you pulling a trigger by breathing. What if you sneeze?” See the opinion commentary video below.

What do you think about Mr. Cap’s personal victory?

Infamous cougar photo by David Rodgers

While the term “cougar” has taken on a new life recently — mostly one resembling an older Monica from Friends — the latest hiccup of cougar hysteria has been focused on the original one. You know, the mammal with four legs, a sandy mane and furry paws.

What’s more, this “hysteria” stems from an e-mail that’s been passed around since 2007. Sigh.

The e-mail, which included a few snapshots of a curious cougar hanging out on a porch, claimed that this big cat was peering into the windows of a nearby home, watching children play and strongly suggested he was surveying the wee ones as potential dinner options.

A recent write up in the Wall Street Journal mentioned this specific e-mail, saying that it was passed along as “proof” that cougars are back in a big way. When comparing various versions of the e-mail, you come to realize that this exact cougar showed up on the same exact porch for the same exact photo shoot in five different states. Exactly. That’s one busy cougar.

According to The Journal, there has been 765 cougar reports in Missouri alone since 2005. But how many of those have actually been verified by Missouri’s Mountain Lion Response Team? Oh, about two.

Apparently cougar-sighting mania has been going strong in Missouri since 2006. That’s when Missouri Conservationist published this in-depth article outlining the mountain lion myth.

“We have had only a handful of confirmed mountain lions in Missouri, despite hundreds and hundreds of reports,” writes Dave Hamilton, a resource scientist at the Missouri Conservation Department. “There have been eight confirmed mountain lions since 1994. One of these was hit by a car near downtown Kansas City in 2002 and another in 2003 near Fulton.”

Despite this low number of actual confirmed cougar sightings in the state, Missouri still employs an eight-person Mountain Lion Response Team, on hand to calm any further hysteria that might arise. So, you can rest easy … until that next forward makes its way into your inbox.

In the meantime, watch this crazy video of a mother cougar protecting her young from a grizzly bear.

Galco International Headquarters in Phoenix

From the real cops and military personnel to the ones we watch on the big screen, all have at one time or another used one of Glaco’s world-famous holsters. Their products can certainly make you feel like any type of action figure. And now that you’ve been formally introduced, it’s time to get to know Galco a little more intimately. That way, if Galco ever pops up on a Trivial Pursuit question, you’ll be ready to throw down.

• $7.25 million – According to Dun & Bradstreet, a business information provider, this is how much Galco rakes in each year.
• 5 – Number of seasons the iconic Miami Vice aired in the ’80s, where the Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig garnered national attention as a recurring character — worn by pretty boy Don Johnson. And this, according to Galco themselves, is the No. 1 gun holster trivia question!
• 2,071 – The number of miles Galco’s headquarters in Phoenix are from its top competitor Safariland’s Jackson, Fla., headquarters.
• 1980 – That’s when Galco International was formally branded. The holster company was initially called “The Original Jackass Leather Company,” which kinda of has a ring to it.
• 130 – The estimated number of people who work for Galco, another tidbit from Dun & Bradstreet.
• 20 – Pop “Galco International” in YouTube’s search, and this is how many results you will find. Watch one of the results (below), an interview with Galco’s own Mike Barham about the company’s Hollywood history, as posted by Spookybacon.
• 1969 – The year Galco was founded by Mr. Gallagher. No, not that Gallagher. Richard N. Gallagher to be more precise. We apologize for the confusion.
• $49.95 – The price of Galco’s latest holster: Triton Kydex IWB Holster

Developing pet names for inanimate objects is nothing out of the ordinary, especially when it comes to possessions as prized and powerful as guns. Yet sometimes these nicknames come not from adoration, but from pure disdain or infamy. Here are five historical gun names that are, at times, a hybrid of both good and evil.

1. The Pig

It wasn’t just the M60’s appetite for bullets that contributed to its porker of a moniker. The machine gun’s substantial weight at 23 pounds and unreliability also played a hefty role. The belt-fed machine gun made its debut in 1957 and has been employed by every branch of the U.S. military since. With the ability to shoot up to 1,200 yards, the M60 can be fired accurately at shorter ranges, too, because of its design.

2. Burp Gun

This gaseous nickname for the German MP38 and MP40, according to the Urban Dictionary, comes from its resemblance to a classic gun toy that blasted ping pong balls and was manufactured by Burpco — no joke. Developed in Nazi Germany, the submachine gun was used by paratroopers, platoon and squad leaders along with other troops during World War II. Both weapons were a more simplified version of the MP 36, which was constructed from machined steel.

3. Bloop Tube

We’d be lying if we told you that Bloop Tube was the only nickname for the M79 grenade launcher. It’s also referred to as Thumper, Thump Gun, Blooper and Wombat Gun. We just like Bloop Tube the best because it’s fun to say. Originating in the United States, the M79 struck a chord with American soldiers in the 1960s calling it “the platoon leader’s artillery.” While popular at one time, it was soon replaced by the M203 because of its weight and single-shot ability.

4. Hitler’s Chain Saw

Tacking “Adolf Hitler” to any name gives it an immediate ominous connotation. However, the pairing of it with “chain saw” makes it that much more menacing. It’s probably why the MG 42 was once called the “most terrifying infantry weapons” in Nazi Germany. With the ability to fire 1,200 to 1,500 rounds per minute, it’s no wonder they compare the MG 42’s sounds to the revving of a chain saw.

5. Plumber’s Nightmare

World War II soldiers had a love-hate relationship with the Sten gun, particularly the Mark II variant, because it wasn’t the most reliable gun to carry on the battlefield (jamming, random discharging, etc.). Especially detested by frontline troops, the submachine gun earned a few names: Plumber’s Nightmare, Plumber’s Abortion or Stench Gun. Created in the United Kingdom, Stens were also used in the Vietnam War and Korean War.

(Images via Wikimedia Commons)

iBearArms iPhone Application

With a clever name and a repository of government information about concealed carry laws, iBearArms has its sights set on becoming the mobile resource for gun owners on the go.

Updated last week, iBearArms offers information on state laws for concealed weapons and other helpful tidbits such as forbidden areas, permit costs as well as government maps, phone numbers and a FAQs section.

At a cost of $2.99, the app has been extraordinarily helpful to those whose states are covered, but has garnered some criticism for not covering all 50 states.

“I would easily pay 10 times the asking price if this application included all the states,” Zion8343 wrote on AppStoreHQ.com. “This app has the potential to be the definitive CCW firearms guide — especially since it takes the information directly from the state resources.”

Despite coverage setbacks, iBearArms appears to be gaining a lot of momentum. The application appeared in the top 100 paid apps this week — two months after its release!

The states covered by the app includes:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Florida
• Georgia
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington

(Via ITS Tactcal)