Toon clearing

My bitching about an algorithm the other day (updated)

was because of this:
Company on Gunbroker had something up for auction I'd been looking for for a long time.  I tried to bid, and got a message "This company won't let you bid on their items, contact them." 

I did.  Basically "If you have negative feedback or no/insufficient feedback, we don't let you bid so we don't waste our time."

Pointed out that while I buy very little on GB, all my feedback was good.

The lack of response made the "Don't bother us" quite plain.

So lost the chance to buy something, maybe the only time I'll find one at a price I could afford, because "Screw new customers, go away."  Still pissed and discouraged.

Update:
The company is called Tango Yankee.  The full response when I asked why:
All bidders on our auctions are routinely reviewed and when non-payment feedback, or lack of feedback is detected they're blocked to protect our consignors from delay and expense.
I understand someone with bad feedback for non-payment or something; telling someone who just hasn't bought much, or is new to Gunbroker that "We don't want your business" doesn't seem like a good idea.

And yeah, I'm still a bit pissed about it.

Black powder cartridges are something of a pain

in the ass.

Specifically, I have a mold for a 500-grain round-nose .45 caliber bullet for .45-70.*  I'd tried a couple of smokeless powder loads, and it shot all over the place.

Tried it with black powder, somewhat better.  This was using a Federal Large Rifle Magnum primer.

Just for the heck of it, tried the same load using the Federal Large Rifle Magnum Match primer, and Shazam!  That shot great!

2.5" group at 200 yards.  Second time I've tried this combination and the same accuracy.

That group was loaded in Winchester cases that were minimum length, 2.095".  Next group was with cases at max, 2.105, and they were in more of a pattern than a group.

So the magic combination for this rifle is minimum-length Winchester cases, Federal LRMM primers, 65.0 grains 2f, and that bullet cast of 20-1 and seated so the case mouth just covers the front grease groove and crimps onto the driving band.  Do anything different and accuracy goes to hell.

But this works.  At least until the phase of the moon changes or something.



*picked up used at a show; taken care of, these things will last forever

If the Remainer clowns think this was going to change anyone's mind,

they're the truly stupid ones.

Which makes them exactly like a lot of leftists here.  Point out that that idiot 'basket of deplorables' crap from Clinton played a part- maybe a large part- in her losing, they either don't care or can't change, because they'll just double-down on "Anyone who doesn't vote our way is stupid and racist and-" etc.

One of the idiocies if "Let the system decide for us":

"If there's a lack of feedback, we block bidding by that person so as not to waste our time."
Well, isn't that wonderful.  Apparently this includes "If you haven't bought a bunch of stuff, so you have very little feedback, we'd rather not be bothered with you."  Which is a great way to not get the money someone wanted to trade for your item.

This. Is. CNN. Part 82 or so

Dumbass attempts robbery.
Victim beats the crap out of him.
CNN not happy.  And fucking stupid.
UFC fighter Polyana Viana reveals the criticisms she faced after her moment of vigilantism went viral
...
A year ago UFC star Polyana Viana took the law into her own hands.
As the man at GCT says It’s called self-defense, you simpering twit! Clearly, the author would much rather criminals take whatever the hell they want and never face the consequences of poor victim selection.

Scene from the range

as three guys are checking out. They were arguing about something involving shotguns when
"Hey, you can shoot 20gauge shells in a 12gauge, can't you?"
"NO. NEVER do that."
"Why not?"
Reasons are listed, probably with a strong air of "PLEASE don't do that".
Other guy in group: "I told you."

There are times, if I had any hair left, it would fall out.

Saturday, and temps are on the upswing for a couple of days

so if you're enjoying a nicer evening, the data can wait a while for review

About that Savage the friend picked up,

looking at the groups he's getting makes me want to find one.  That little sucker appears to be a tack-driver.

This. Is. CNN.

"They may be medical experts, but there are too damn many white people there!"

By contrast, former President Barack Obama’s circle of advisers in the face of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa was hardly so monochromatic. Neither was it so abysmal in terms of gender diversity. (Of course, to contextualize, Obama’s administration, on the whole, was far more diverse than Trump’s.)

And yet, as unsurprising as the diversity issue in the Trump era has become, it’s still worth pointing out from time to time, especially as the country approaches the 2020 presidential election in earnest.

About to turn February, which means-

this part of the country- it can go from winter to spring and back over the course of a week.  We appear to be on an upswing right now, but still chilly tonight, so

A thumb trigger...

interesting idea

Sanders doesn't want to be President,

he wants to be Joe Stalin II, Head of the Central Committee.

A piece on the problems of "You can't use our card to buy things

we've decided to disapprove of."

More Sanders staffers letting their inner Soviet out

“We would need a federal government and labor union movement that is working together to strip power away from capitalists and preferably directing violence toward property. At the end of the day, this kind of stuff will come out through practice, through the work and it’s hard for me to talk about it in the moment we live in cause I think China today is not what Mao envisioned, right it was through the practice of Chinese people doing the work to create the China today."
...
“We don’t want to scare people off, you first have to feel it out before you get into the crazy stuff…You know we were talking about more extreme organizations like Antifa, you were talking about, Yellow Vests, all that but we’re kinda keeping that on the back-burner for now.”
'for now'..

Another Democrat/gun-bigot lectures us on firearms

As audience members were heard chuckling in the background, Levine said: “In terms of the differences of the guns, the heart of the difference is how you hold the gun. It makes it a semi-automatic.” He showed his trigger finger moving, and added, “Meaning you can shoot with each finger, not like a bolt-action” rifle typically used in hunting.

“Basically, the difference between guns that go like this,” he said, extending one arm long, presumably to show holding a long barrel. “These are rifles, you use them to shoot an animal, and you can shoot very precisely.”
Del. Mark Levine

Oh yes, there's more.

These are the ignorant/lying bastards who think they know what's best for all the commoners.

I want to hear not one more damned word about my carbon footprint

from these hypocritical asshats.
On a trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, the Prince met activist Greta Thunberg and used an electric Jaguar car to travel to the Swiss resort.

But the MoS can reveal that in the 11 days before his high-profile appearance, Charles took three flights on private jets for official Government business and one on a helicopter.

After his speech last Wednesday, during which he urged world leaders to take ‘bold and imaginative action’ on the environment, he took a fourth jet to Israel for an official trip.
...
According to the Paramount Business Jet calculator, which lets passengers work out their carbon emissions, the air travel will have emitted more than 162 metric tons of carbon – 18 times an average Briton’s annual total.

Live by cancel culture,

get screwed by it.

From the Dark & Fascist State of NJ, an actual good decision?

That crinkling noise must be Hell freezing over.
Overturning both a County Superior Court and an Appellate Division decision, the law firm of Evan F. Nappen, Attorney at Law successfully petitioned the NJ Supreme Court for a unanimous Opinion released today mandating that people must be provided with hearings whenever a court contemplates denying a handgun carry permit and that such hearings must be held within 30 days.
Yes, the law still sucks in that state, but this is still good.

"If your cause is just, why lie?"

is how it's often put at GFZ; the apparent answer is 'because they can't help themselves'.

And now,
On Monday, after receiving messages of support and sympathy over the post, most of which were retweeted by the surgeon, Sakran deleted the post.

The anti-gun rights activist told The Baltimore Sun that he was advised by authorities to delete the post and to cease publicly talking about the alleged threat.
Except
According to The Post Millennial, Fairfax County Police claims they never offered Mr. Sakran such advice, nor has the surgeon filed a police report over the alleged threat.

“The Post Millennial reached out to Fairfax County Police, the local law enforcement jurisdiction surrounding Fairfax Station—where Sakran’s home is located—and media relations officer Lieutenant Webb was able to confirm that Sakran did not file a police report, nor did the Fairfax Police advise him to delete the viral tweet,” the outlet reported Monday.

“That’s just not something we do,” Mr. Webb told The Post Millennial.
Can you say "One more fake death threat/hate crime"?

I knew you could.

I am not surprised

A police officer who used a taser to defend himself when being attacked with a machete should be punished for using his weapon, a lawyer has suggested. 

Sophie Khan has been slammed after saying she was surprised the Met Police had not started disciplinary proceedings against PC Stuart Outten, 28, after he used “excessive” force against 56-year-old Muhammad Rodwan.

Audie Murphy

If there was a decoration he wasn't awarded, it was probably because there wasn't enough room for him to wear it.

They made a movie about him, and I've read that someone convinced him to play himself in it.  He showed up on the set to talk to the director, who asked who he was.  "I'm Audie Murphy."
"No you're not, you're too small and too young."
Took a while to convince him.

Scene from the range

"These bullets you sold me don't fit."

"Let's look this over...

Sir, this ammo is for .223, but your rifle is marked .300 Blackout."

"So you sold me the wrong stuff!"

Happily this happened with a coworker, and he probably handled it better than I might have.