Lawyer Matt Murphy's Message On Newsom's Commutation of Death Sentences

My "honorary sister" sent me the following YouTube video.

Lawyer Matt Murphy gives a powerful message on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's commutation of death row prisoners.

If people think that the Democrats will allow life imprisonment without the possibility of parole to continue, they are sadly mistaken. Murphy said in the video that there are bills before the legislature to end it. This means that former death row prisoners can be released from prison if a bill passes. 

After viewing the video, please pass it on to family and friends, especially those who live in California.

Winchester M12: The Shotgun the Army Kept for 50 Years

Winchester Model 12: The Shotgun the Army Kept for 50 Years video from Gunroom Ledger.

Summary:

Winchester Model 12 history: the shotgun the Army kept for 50 years, from the Winchester Model 12 trench gun of World War I to the riot gun of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The Winchester Model 1912, sold as the Perfect Repeater, was designed by Thomas Crossley Johnson after the older Model 1897, and the trench gun with its slam fire made Germany protest in 1918. The WW1 trench gun, the WW2 trench gun and the Winchester Model 12 riot gun served the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Army, until the Remington 870 and the cheaper Model 1200 ended the pre 64 Winchester era. US military shotgun history and gun history: the Model 12 trench gun, the Ithaca 37 and American guns in four wars.

The Model 1912 trench gun and riot gun were made in New Haven, Connecticut, by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, with a hammerless takedown action, a tube magazine, a heat shield and a bayonet lug. Winchester Model 12 slam fire, the Hague convention protest of 1918, the trench guns of the Marine Corps in the Pacific and Korea, and the pre 64 Model 12 that collectors hunt today: this is the US military shotgun history of the Model 12 trench gun.

If your father or grandfather left a Model 12 in the gun cabinet, this is the story of that shotgun too.

What Would Wyoming Choose As Its State Gun?

Above, some Winchester 94 rifles on display at the Cody Firearms Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As been reported here and elsewhere, the state of Idaho voters voted on an advisory measure on what gun should be the official state gun.

The Winchester 1873 got the most votes with the Winchester 94 coming in second. 

Where does this leave the state of Wyoming? They have yet to designate an official state gun despite being a gun-friendly state. Why?

Cowboy State Daily has posted an article looking into this question.

They begin it with:

Idaho became the 12th state to approve an official state gun last week. Wyoming has yet to do so but Bob Budd says the Model 1894 Winchester rifle might be a good fit. "You can’t find an old Wyoming family that doesn’t have at least one,” he said.

Despite being one of the most gun-friendly states in the nation, Wyoming has been beaten to the punch in the race to name the Model 1873 Winchester, also known as “the Gun That Won the West,” as its official state firearm.

Idaho voters on Tuesday gave the Winchester Model 1873 the most votes in a nonbinding advisory question about which firearm should become the state gun. The Idaho Legislature would still have to pass a separate law to make the designation official.

If it does, Idaho would become the 12th state to designate an official state firearm.

Wyoming isn't one of them, but some lawmakers tell Cowboy State Daily they might be interested in starting the process — probably with a bill before the Legislature.

Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, noted one possible snag: Wyoming has so many firearms enthusiasts, could voters narrow it to just one, or even a shortlist?

“I don’t know if that bill would ever pass, because I don’t know if we could agree (on which firearms to choose),” Byron said. “And I say that with a smile on my face, because it would probably be one of the best bill debates I’ve ever been through."

Even so, he said he’s not opposed to the idea.  

To read more, go here.

Hemingway's Garden Urinal

Above, Hemingway's urinal in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2019, a friend and I took a cruise to Havana, Cuba. En route, we stopped in Key West, Florida for a day's worth of shopping and exploring. 

One of the things I did while in Key West was to visit the Hemingway Home & Museum. It was basically a self-guided tour of home, grounds and his office. 

Above, Sloppy Joe's Bar where the urinal once resided. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the things I saw while exploring the grounds was an old urinal that Hemingway lugged home from a bar. The bar, Sloppy Joe's, was undergoing renovations in the late 1930s and the urinal would have likely been put in a dumpster. So, Hemingway liberated it.

That is the topic of an article in Secret Miami.

They begin the article with:

When you think of Ernest Hemingway’s time in Key West, you’re likely picturing the famed novelist hunched over a typewriter in his studio or perhaps deep-sea fishing on his boat, the Pilar.

But when exploring the grounds of his former residence — now known as The Hemingway Home and Museum — one of the most unique artifacts you’ll find isn’t a first edition or a fishing rod. It’s a porcelain urinal he actually dragged home from a bar!

To read more, go here.

A bit of trivia: There's also a Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana, Cuba. 

"Godzilla Minus Zero" Roars Big At The Box Office

Above, the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios in Setagaya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla Minus Zero has taken the box office by storm.

It has made so much money in its opening weekend, the only question I have is, "What's Toho going to do with all that money?" 

It will be interesting to see how much money it makes once the current theatrical run is completed.

The Guardian reported:

Japan’s most recognisable film star shows no sign of losing its ability to captivate global audiences, after Godzilla Minus Zero – a foreign language film – swept to the top of the US box office on its opening weekend.

The film – the 39th in a franchise stretching back to 1954 – generated $63m worldwide, including $31.6m in the US and Canada, where it set a record for opening weekend receipts for the biggest live-action foreign-language film. It is shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

Filmgoers were just as enthralled in Japan, where the sequel to 2023’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One set a domestic record for a live-action film, according to the Kyodo news agency.

At this time, all one can say is CONGRATULATIONS TOHO! 

To read more, go here.

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

To begin the week, we have Styx and their 1973 hit, "Lady" from their album Styx II. They are still active today.

From Wikipedia:

Styx (/ˈstɪks/) is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. They are known for blending melodic hard rock guitar with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established themselves with a progressive rock sound during the 1970s and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

The original line-up comprised Dennis DeYoung, James "J.Y." Young, John "J.C." Curulewski, and brothers Chuck and John Panozzo. Debuting with Styx in 1972, the band usually released an album every year throughout the 1970s. Styx II (1973) had the sleeper hit "Lady", a power ballad, which reached No. 6 in the US, helping the album make the top 20. "Lady" was also a top 20 hit in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Equinox (1975) and Crystal Ball (1976) reached the US top 70 with Equinox featuring "Lorelei", a No. 6 hit in Canada. Crystal Ball was the first album with Tommy Shaw, who replaced Curulewski in late 1975.

10 Rifles and Shotguns That Actually Belong In Bear Country

10 Rifles and Shotguns That Actually Belong in Bear Country (#1 Isn't a Rifle) video from Ranked Iron.

Summary:

From fifty yards, a charging bear can reach you in under four seconds. In 2016 two Forest Service workers near Sitka had about four seconds from first sighting to first shot, and the rifle they carried was a .375 H&H that the agency itself issued for bear defense. So which long guns actually belong in bear country?

In this video we count down ten rifles and shotguns for bear country in 2026: the Winchester SXP Marine Defender, Rossi R95 Trapper .45-70, Tikka T3x Lite Stainless .30-06, Savage 110 Bear Hunter, Big Horn Armory Model 89 in .500 S&W, Benelli M4, Henry All-Weather Side Gate .45-70, Winchester Model 70 Safari Express, Marlin 1895 Guide Gun and Mossberg 590A1. For each one we cover what it is built for, what published reviews and tests found, the honest downsides and roughly what it costs. Prices are fall 2026 estimates based on maker list prices and change often, so check your local gun shop. The ranking is our own opinion. Carry bear spray as well, and check the firearm rules of the land you will be on. Which one would you carry into brown bear country tomorrow?

Is the 30-30 Enough For America's Deadliest Predators?

Is the 30-30 Enough for America's Deadliest Predators? (Grandpa's Deer Rifle vs Bears) video from Caliber Verdict.

NOTE: A couple of bears were recently killed near my subdivision by vehicles on Interstate 40. This an important read for my neighbors.

Summary:

Arizona, 2023. A 300 pound black bear attacked a man on his own land, and a neighbor ran for his rifle. In millions of American homes, the rifle by the door is a lever-action .30-30. So is grandpa's deer rifle actually enough for bear country?

In part 3 of our Long Gun Series, we take the .30-30 Winchester, born in 1895 alongside the legendary Model 94 lever action, against nine of North America's most dangerous animals. We cover the lever guns people actually carry (Winchester 94, Marlin 336, Henry), why .30-30 bullets are flat-nosed, why a deer bullet isn't a bear bullet, a viewer's real hog encounter, and why the .30-30 lands two steps below the 12 gauge slug and the .45-70 against the grizzly.

Every animal gets one of four verdicts: Comfortably handled, Adequate, Marginal or Not enough.

Can Texas Democrats Repeal Constitutional Carry?

Tuesday's election results has opened a lot of cans of worms around the country. People who, stupidly, elected Democrats may see some of their rights taken away or drastically modified.

This is especially the case in the state of Texas where Texans have the right of constitutional carry of firearms. Texans who voted for Democrats may have "buyers' remorse" if those rights are taken or modified.

Yahoo! News reported:

Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa (D-Texas) cannot repeal Texas' constitutional carry law by executive order. Changing it would require legislative action, and any replacement would still face state and federal constitutional limits.

That distinction matters after voters elected Democrats to several statewide offices Tuesday, including governor and lieutenant governor, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Republicans retained a majority in the Texas Senate.

Hinojosa opposed constitutional carry in a New Yorker interview published October 21, saying "people should have a background check to carry a gun."

It will be interesting to see if the Democrats try to repeal constitutional carry, along with reactions to it. Will "all hell" break loose in Texas? Stay tuned!

To read more, go here.

Finishing The Week On A High Note

Well, thanks to my screening of Godzilla Minus Zero yesterday, the dismal week (thanks to the election) at least ended on a high note for me.

As I mentioned previously, the theater (Red Rock 10 Theaters in Gallup) was around 80% full and the audience applauded the movie during the end credits. The audience was comprised of Native Americans along with Hispanics and Caucasians. This I found interesting as Gallup has a population of around 20,000 along with a sizable Navajo and Zuni population in the nearby reservations.

Nice to see all kinds of Godzilla fans. Red Rock 10 is a nice theater with stadium seating with reclining seats. They are roomy as well. I generally see two movies a year there. There isn't too much that perks my interest coming out of Hollywood these days. The last movie I saw there was EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert back in March.

I headed over for the 12:15 screening immediately following our usual Saturday breakfast gathering at Grandpa's Grill. The timing couldn't have been better.

Things are going to quiet down a bit as we are approaching the holidays. I noticed that gasoline prices around Gallup are $3.65/gallon. That's a nice improvement. 

Today will start off with breakfast at the El Rancho Hotel and then grocery shopping in Gallup. 

Lest I forget, we're deep in autumn. It is 34 degrees outside. 

Back From "Godzilla Minus Zero"

Above, Red Rock 10 Theaters in Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little bit ago, I returned home from Gallup to see Godzilla Minus Zero at Allen Theaters Red Rock 10. I went to the movie following the usual Saturday breakfast with the boys at Grandpa's Grill.

The auditorium was about 80% full (definitely a good sign) for the first screening (12:15) of the day. 

On the movie itself, Godzilla Minus Zero takes place two years after the ending of Godzilla Minus One. Tokyo was a little more built up following the end of World War II. Most of the cast from Godzilla Minus One reprised their roles. Takashi Yamazaki directed the movie.

Either I missed it or it wasn't explained, but at the end of Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla exploded into pieces, but he returns in one big and full-sized monster. It was likely his powers of healing and regeneration. It only took him/it two years to do so.

Above, the Godzilla Minus Zero poster at Red Rock 10 Theaters. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I found Godzilla Minus One a more satisfying movie. It flowed much better story-wise. Godzilla Minus Zero, while it was enjoyable, had too much exposition and not enough monster action. It also seemed disjointed in comparison to Godzilla Minus One. Still, even with its flaws, it is much more satisfying than the Legendary Pictures Godzilla movies. The audience all applauded the movie when it was over.

The special effects were great. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the movie gets an Academy Award nomination for them. There's a lot of blood in the movie, so I can see why it was rated R.

With all the above said, I am wavering on a grade. It falls somewhere between an A and A-. But maybe that's just me. It was a good couple of hours of kaiju mayhem on a Saturday afternoon.

Arizona: Anti-Gunners Taking Aim At 2A Rights

Above, yours truly out target shooting near Lake Havasu last year. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

It has often been said, elections have consequences. Arizona voters are bringing the following on themselves. Arizona has been Californicated.

We're now starting to see this come into fruition, and it is coming from the state of Arizona. The Democrats will control both houses of the legislature along with the Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who got herself re-elected. 

Democrats are coming after the people's Second Amendment rights when they take power next year. 

The NRA-ILA reported:

Just 24 hours after Election Day, anti-gun lawmakers in Arizona signaled plans to pursue gun control in 2027, leaving law-abiding Arizonans to face the harsh reality that a consequential legislative session lies ahead.

According to a November 4 report from the Arizona Mirror, Representative Nancy Gutierrez (D-LD18) identified "gun safety legislation" as a key priority. With anti-gun Governor Katie Hobbs securing a second term and Democrats poised to take control of both chambers of the Arizona Legislature for the first time in 60 years, it should come as no surprise that Arizonans' Second Amendment rights are under threat.

Past (failed) legislation can be expected to be re-introduced in the upcoming legislative session.

They include:

• restrict certain semiautomatic firearms and magazines
• impose additional background check requirements on private firearm transfers
• mandate permits and training for concealed carry
• establish waiting periods for firearm purchasers

I purchased my Remington 870 Express in Arizona and was able to immediately take possession of it as soon as the payment and paperwork were completed. If the Democrats impose a waiting period on gun purchases, this will no longer be possible.

To read more, go here.

My Guide to Buying Used Guns

My Guide to Buying Used Guns video from GunBlue490.

Summary:

Thousands of great used guns are available every day, but know how spend wisely, and get a good gun while avoiding mistakes.

Everyone Wants a Lever Action Rifle…

Everyone Wants a Lever Action Rifle… But They’re Missing This video from Gun Verdict.

Summary:

I bet if you walked into a gun shop today and asked the guy behind the counter which lever action you ought to buy, nine times out of ten he’s going to point you toward something in .357 Magnum. Or maybe a .44 Magnum. Or, if you look like you want to impress your buddies at the range, a big ol’ .45-70 with a threaded barrel, a rail on top, and a black stock that looks like it came off a spaceship. And I understand why. I really do. Those are great rifles. I’m not here today to talk anybody out of them.

"Them!" Remake News

"Make me sergeant and charge the booze!" This was a famous bit of dialog from the original movie Them! (1954). It is a movie in which giant ants caused from nuclear radiation appear in New Mexico.

Them! is one of the most cherished science-fiction movies of the 1950s. Now, it has been reported that a remake from Warner Bros. may soon be green-lighted. 

From Screen Rant:

Now, in an interview with ScreenRant's Tatiana Hullender on the AFI Fest red carpet, Giacchino was asked about an update on Them!'s development. The director/composer confirmed that he and the studio are "still pushing it forward," explaining that the delay in getting the sci-fi horror remake off the ground has been in part to "the mergers" and scheduling conflicts, but teased that the path is becoming clearer:

Michael Giacchino: Now that the dust is sort of settling, we’re re-getting into it and my hope is that, yes, this is a movie that will get made and we’re doing the best we can.

This is one remake I would definitely go to the theater to see!

To read more, go here.

Gun Rights Advocate Expects Sales Surge

Now that the Democrats crushed the GOP in Tuesday election, there is one thing that will surely take place as a result: increased gun sales. Democrats tend to become "Salesmen of the Year" for gun dealers whenever this happens.

Before the Democrats take over federal and state legislatures and state governorships, it is expected that people will be flocking to gun and sporting goods stores to buy up guns and ammo. 

The Center Square posted: 

(The Center Square) – Expect a surge of gun sales, but also gun control legislation after Tuesday’s dominance in midterm election by Democrats in the U.S. Congress and in various states where the power is shifting to liberal politicians.

That’s according to Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Chairman Alan Gottlieb.

Tuesday’s election saw Democrats win seats across the country. Gun control groups heralded the wins.

“This wave of progress flipped control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, a rare shift seen only twice before in the last 70 years,” said a statement from Brady United, a gun control advocacy group that endorses candidates for elected office. “We witnessed red, blue, and purple states and districts across the country reject the Trump administration’s assault on public safety and the lawmakers who push deadly policies that prioritize gun industry profits over people’s lives.”

But, Gottlieb said it’s not just control of Congress Democrats won, they also are set to snag trifectas in states like Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Elections have consequences, some not to the liking of Democrats. 

To read more, go here. 

Recycling Campaign Yard Signs

Now that the election is over. What to do with campaign yard signs?

Well, I have a solution, one that I have employed since moving to New Mexico: gather them up and use them for target practice at the shooting area.

Yes, those old campaign signs come in handy (nothing like recycling, eh?) when going out to the range. They work great as targets themselves or stapling or taping bullseye targets on them. 

I've used them for pistol, rifle and shotgun shooting. If they aren't too badly chewed up, they can be used again. 

So, don't let those campaign yard signs go to waste! 

Cibola National Forest: Raunch The Lockets!

It looks like we'll be having a missile launch over the next few days. 

Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest will be closed for public safety due to a missile launch from White Sands, New Mexico. This is just in case the missile decides to come down in the area. 

In the map below, Six Mile Canyon is within the area marked in red.

The U.S. Forest Service posted the following on Facebook:

 

Idaho Voters Choose Winchester Model 1873

If I were a resident of Idaho, I would have voted for the Winchester 94 as the official state gun. But the Winchester 1873, "The Gun That Won The West", won in the non-binding advisory vote.  

The Winchester 1873 was a good choice, though. 

On the vote, The National News Desk wrote:

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Idaho voters chose the Winchester Model 1873 rifle as the official state gun, according to The Associated Press' projection.

The rifle received 31.2% of the vote, and the Winchester Model 1894 ranked second with 25.5% as of Wednesday afternoon, with 91% of the vote in, per the AP.

The other four options were the 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver “Peacemaker,” Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle, Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol, and M1 Garand rifle.

 To read more, go here.

10 Hunting Calibers With Shockingly Soft Recoil

10 Hunting Calibers With Shockingly Soft Recoil — And the 1894 Round Softer Than a Creedmoor video from Hunt Forge.

Summary:

The softest-kicking cartridge on this list didn't even make the top three.

And the one that did win was adopted before the thirty-aught-six existed.

If you've hunted long enough, your shoulder keeps its own record. This is the countdown of 10 hunting calibers with shockingly soft recoil, ranked by one rule you can say in a breath: a cartridge must still carry about 1,000 ft-lb at 500 yards to reach the top three, and inside each group, softer always ranks higher. Along the way: the .244 that lost a war over rifling twist, the .30-30 that sat in a century of deer stands, the 7x57 Jack O'Connor loved, and an 1894 cartridge that calculates softer than the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Every recoil number is calculated free recoil from one published table, not felt recoil. We tell you exactly what that means, where the data is strong, and where it isn't.

 

Socialist Projected To Be New L.A. Mayor

Above, Los Angeles City Hall and the Moon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This appears to be a case of good news and bad news.

L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman appears to have ousted Mayor Karen Bass.

The Hill reported:

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman (D) is projected to become the next mayor of Los Angeles after ousting embattled Mayor Karen Bass (D) after one term, according to Decision Desk HQ.

The race was called Wednesday evening with Raman leading by about 26,000 votes—roughly 3 percent—out of 784,262 votes cast, per DDHQ.

That's the good news. 

That's also the bad news. 

Also from The Hill:

Though she campaigned on being independent from DSA in her decision making on the City Council, her political affiliation makes her the city’s first socialist mayor.

Los Angeles sure has come a long way from the days of Sam Yorty, Tom Bradley and Richard Riodan. Raman is basically Zohran Mamdani with boobs.

To read more, go here. 

The Democrat Agenda

 To all of you dummies out there that elected Democrats, I hope you are looking forward to the following:

THE ELECTION IS OVER: NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS

Above, the U.S. Capitol. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The NRA-ILA posted the following on the (no doubt) upcoming battles over our Second Amendment rights now that the Democrats have won both houses of Congress. 

This is after usually reliable red state voters turned their backs on protecting our Second Amendment rights. This especially goes for the state of Texas, which seemed to have been annexed by Commiefornia. 

They begin with:

While the complete picture from the 2026 midterm elections is still emerging, the results, to say the least, were not what gun owners wanted. Anti-gun forces took control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. They will also wield trifecta control of state government in the former pro-gun stronghold of Arizona and even in Wisconsin. The governorships of Georgia and Texas, as well as their respective houses of representatives, may also be poised to flip into anti-gun hands.

Yet make no mistake, this election was not a referendum in favor of gun control. Indeed, most Democrat candidates – from the party most likely to support gun control – took pains to avoid the issue in highly contested races or tried to portray themselves as moderates on it. And while national gun ban lobbies like Everytown and their billionaire patrons like Michael Bloomberg spent heavily to obtain these results, their campaign ads tended to downplay gun control, if they mentioned it at all.

Polls showed gun control was not a significant factor motivating voters this cycle. Their chief concerns centered on the economy and cost of living.

To read the full article, go here.

NRA Election Post-Mortem Message

The National Rifle Association (NRA) posted the following on X (formerly known as Twitter) yesterday:

Election results may change the political landscape, but the NRA's commitment to defending the Second Amendment remains unchanged.

The work to protect our rights continues.

 

Space Heater Massive Recall

Above, the space heater now under massive recall. Photo from RV Travel.

When I was camping at the Route 66 RV Resort last month when I was in Albuquerque for Mia Asano's concert, I was using my space heater the following morning to take the chill out of my motorhome.

Well, the space heater died after 15 years of service. Now I have to buy a new one. I bought the space heater in Topeka, Kansas at a Walmart near the RV park I was staying at.

Above, the space heater that died last month after 15 years. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following is rather timed nicely. It is on a massive recall of some space heaters due to fires. This is one brand and model I'll be passing up!

From RV Travel:

Almost 340,000 space heaters are under recall in the United States because of fire and burn risks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced the recall of DREO model DR-HSH015 sold in the U.S. Another 36,300 heaters were sold in Canada.

To read more, go here. 

"Godzilla Minus Zero" Starts Friday

Now that the midterm election is over, I can now look forward to seeing Godzilla Minus Zero that is starting Friday.

According the summary from Allen Theaters Red Rock 10:

War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant.

Watch Godzilla Minus Zero at Red Rock 10 - Gallup in Gallup, NM. This movie rated R, runs 2h 30m, is listed as Science Fiction, Horror, and Action. Use this page to review current showtimes, choose tickets, check movie details, and get directions to this cinema.

Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Jun Kunimura, Miou Tanaka, Sakura Ando, Masami Nagasawa, Min Tanaka, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Munetaka Aoki, Sae Nagatani, Wes Wing

I was thinking about seeing it after my usual Friday dinner with Bob Weekes, but the times for the showings aren't convenient. So, I will likely see it Saturday instead.

To read more, go here.

At The Barber Shop

Above, inside Lake Havasu Bass Tackle Master gun shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little bit ago, I returned home from a jaunt into Gallup to get a haircut and to have a Blake's Lotaburger sausage breakfast burrito. 

While at the barber's, my barber expressed concern that with Deb Haaland election yesterday as governor and with the Democrats' increased members in the legislature, our Second Amendment gun rights are in jeopardy. Every time I go to barber, our conversations center on guns. He's a gun collector and he took a phone call over a planned shooting range on a friend's property while I was in his chair. 

My response was to start buying ammo and guns now, before she takes office. He said he might start doing so. He mentioned a recent trip to Bullhead City, Arizona. I said he should go to Lake Havasu. The city seems to have as many gun stores as the San Fernando Valley has nail shops. 

He can't understand how stupid people can be and the way they vote. He's not alone. 

Why John Wayne's Winchester Is Smarter Than You Think

Why John Wayne's Winchester Is Smarter Than You Think video from GunRank.

Summary:

John Wayne's famous Winchester in Stagecoach (1939) was the wrong model for the movie's Old West setting. Hollywood knew it, and kept choosing the Model 1892 for half a century anyway.

And the National Firearms Museum's own catalog quietly breaks the most repeated story about Wayne's rifle.

Hank Mercer runs the Winchester Model 1892 through the Prop-Room Test, GunRank's five-question framework (Era, Supply, Blank, Hand, Frame), to show why the "wrong" rifle was the smart choice for a working film set. You'll learn how to tell a Model 1873 from a Model 1892 in a clear freeze-frame, what museum records say about Wayne's large-loop Winchesters from Stagecoach to True Grit, and where the famous stories run past the evidence.

Stay for the end: the federal registration detail the museum records on the Stagecoach rifle, and what a published two-rifle account adds to the story.

No load data, no prices, no sales, no modification instructions.

Inside: The anachronism collectors spot · The Prop-Room Test · Supply and the five-in-one blank · John Browning's thirty-day promise · 1873 vs. 1892 spotting guide · The large loop and its disputed origin · Wayne's Winchesters in museum records · The "one rifle" legend · The two-gun account · The Rifleman parallel · KEEP IT HONEST · Verdict

The famous John Wayne Stagecoach twirl: