Updates and Misc

Since I'm battling the various colds and flu that are making the rounds in my family, today's post is going to be a recap or update of some of my older posts. This is the beginning of my 6^th year of writing here, and it takes more concentration than I can muster right now to come up with new material, so please accept my apology for not having anything new to say. 

UXO in the News

I wrote about the dangers of UneXploded Ordinance a while back, and it looks like they are still being found in various places. 

• A WW1 grenade made the trip from a potato field in France to a potato chip factory in China. The field the potatoes had been grown in was a WW1 battlefield, complete with trenches that had been filled in, and 100 years later they're still finding live munitions from that war. I'm amazed that the grenade made it through the harvesting machinery, the packaging, and shipping half-way around the world without detonating.
• A WW2 grenade was found in Florida by an man “magnet fishing”. He tossed it in the trunk of his car and drove to a local Taco Bell before deciding to call police. This is a good example of how the stupidity of others can place you in danger.
• A WW2 mortar round was pulled out of a river in England by another magnet fisherman. It's common for people using magnets to find discarded firearms when trawling through the mud in rivers and lakes. The length of time the firearms have been in the water will determine their value as weapons, and they will likely have been used in the commission of a crime and/or were stolen. Those “unfortunate boating accidents” where people have lost their firearms do happen on occasion.

Permanent Matches #2

I picked up a round version from Amazon. Other than lacking the sharp corners of the square ones, which tend to wear on pockets, there is no functional difference. Cosmetically I actually like the round ones better, as the striker bar is attached to the side of the tube which means it won't roll away if you lay it down. The design and manufacture is very similar, so there should be no difference in how they stand up to my testing.

BCP Discord

My attempt to foster communications between writers and readers about 6 months ago was a dismal failure. Other than a few of the other writers and maybe two readers, there has been no activity on the server since I started it. The Discord server is still active and I get notified if anyone uses it, but so far most of the activity has been spam-bots looking for places to advertise porn sites. I may reach out to a wider audience in the near future just to see if anyone is interested in the idea.

Guns
I did acquire a new-to-me EDC pistol that is currently being tested. Initial findings for the Springfield XDS-45 are:

• Common ammunition with my other EDC guns
• Lighter than my alloy-framed 1911A1
• Extended mags carry 7 rounds, standard mags carry 5
• The 3.3 inch barrel is as accurate as my 5 inch barrel on the 1911A1 
• With a standard magazine, the pistol is a lot easier to carry IWB than a 1911A1. 
• Holsters are not as common, but the two I have work well enough.
• The fiber optic front sights helps my old eyes acquire a good sight picture, even in moderately low light.
• It has a grip safety similar to my 1911s, so I feel more secure carrying it in Condition 1 (cocked with a round in the chamber). This is just an old habit, but I do like having the extra safety.

Once I get rid of this virus that is making life miserable, I'll get back to new content. I keep doing my research and finding new things, so I have a few years' worth of writing left in me. If anyone has questions or topics they'd like to see covered, please let us know by commenting below, dropping us a note on our Facebook page, or try out the Discord app (https://discord.gg/5NvEWZd).