The S&W Shield.

I don't understand the gun market anymore.

I have a Glock 26.

Its compact.  Holds 10+1 with standard mags but I bought a grip adapter so I can use Glock 19 mags with it (15+1).

Now everyone is rushing toward basically what I consider wheel gun specs.  A mag with 7 rounds plus 1?  It doesn't make sense to me.

This gun will probably be a best seller but I'm still confused.  How many rounds/mags are enough?  I've walked out the door with my modded Glock 19 mags in my G26...used standard G26 mags...and then if I'm headed toward a wild and wooly part of town I'll take one modded G19 mag with two of those same mags as backup.

What is the right number?  Do you even need a backup mag?  Oh and before you bombard me understand I realize that the biggest point of failure is your magazines but do you actually need a backup if you properly maintain your weapon and mags?

Just curious.  Time to do more Google searches.

The All Americans (82nd Airborne) down range.

Photos by Sgt. Mike MacLeod

Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division kick up dust while returning to their base in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. While agriculture is the most important industry there, much of southern Ghazni is arid desert.

A combined team of paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and Afghan police move toward a compound to search for a suspected weapons cache in the early morning of April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. The police and paratroopers have been training with each other for several weeks.

A combined team of paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and Afghan police prepare to rush a compound for a suspected weapons cache in the early morning of April 8, 2012, in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan. They are using the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle as a shield against potential enemy fire.

A paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team returns to his base in Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province in front of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, April 8, 2012. His brigade took over the Polish mission in the area in early April.

I'm geeking out over the "Prometheus" movie...

I'm really geeking out about the new "Prometheus" movie.  Check out these new graphics that they've released on the fan site.

Kinda cool (IMO).

F-35A aerial refueling pics.

An F-35A Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing soars alongside a KC-135R Stratotanker and an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the unit’s first joint strike fighter air-to-air refuel mission April 11. Lt. Col. Eric Smith, 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations and first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot, flew the mission. The 33rd FW is responsible for F-35 A/B/C pilot and maintainer training for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and in the future, at least eight coalition partners

We spoke softly. Now its time for the big stick!

via Military.com

China deployed a third ship Thursday in an area of the disputed South China Sea where a tense standoff with Philippine vessels has dragged on, sparking alarm in Manila.
Chinese and Filipino diplomats have been scrambling to resolve the dangerous impasse at the Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines that erupted Tuesday. A Philippine warship attempted to arrest several Chinese fishermen accused of illegal entry and poaching, but was prevented by the arrival of two Chinese surveillance ships.
One of the Chinese ships blocked the entrance to a lagoon at the shoal, where at least eight Chinese fishing vessels were anchored. The Chinese ships also ordered the Philippine warship to leave Scarborough, claiming Chinese sovereignty over the rich fishing ground.

OK.

We've tried nice.

Our own State Dept keeps trying nice.

But now its time to bring out the big stick.  And in 2012, the big stick is the USS Teddy Rosevelt along with its task force.

China needs to be taught the limits of its powers.  The Teddy would go a long way in giving that lesson.

A vid-cast on the MV-22 crash.

LCS will prevent future wars?

Hmmm.

Everytime I think I have a role figured out for the LCS, the Navy leadership utters a few words that makes me think we have idiots in charge.

Check out these tidbits from an AOL story...

Even the LCS contingent soon to start operating out of Singapore will focus on exercises, port visits, humanitarian assistance, and counter-piracy operations with Southeast Asian partners -- taking that burden off the more war-worthy carrier, cruisers, and destroyers based in Japan.

and...

 So while the LCS will be the Navy's most numerous future class, it won't be much of a warfighter. No less an authority than the Pentagon's independent Department of Operational Test & Evaluation has officially warned that "LCS is not expected to be survivable in a hostile combat environment." That's despite the Navy having significantly toughened survivability standards in the middle of building the first two vessels, retrofitting improvements at a major cost in time and money. All that work simply brought the LCS up from commercial survivability standards to what the Navy calls "Level I," equivalent to existing minesweepers, patrol boats, and supply ships, which are expected to last long enough for their crew to get out alive if the ship is damaged but not to keep on fighting after they take a hit. Destroyers and carriers, by contrast, are Level III.

I mean seriously?

How is a ship with a max crew of what...75? Going to properly respond to a humanitarian assistance crisis? HA's require manpower, heavy equipment and helicopters...plenty of all 3. The LCS is limited in everyone of those categories.

How is so small a ship with limited firepower and armor going to even handle the primitive pirates operating around the world...pirates that will have RPG's and Assault Rifles?


I seriously wonder if our current military and political leadership actually believe some of the nonsense they spout.  And to think...I just gave them credit for knowing how to play the politics game.