I’m a web wonk, a gun rights activist, 1911 pistol fanatic, life-long gun nut, writer, artist, woodworker, guitar player, and devoted caretaker for two German Shepherd Dogs. I’ve been married to the same woman for 27 years and am still in love. Have two sons who make me crazy sometimes, but of whom I am very proud.
Favorite guns: The M1911 pistol, S&W revolvers and particularly the snubbies, Ruger 10/22 rifles, Winchester lever guns like the 1894 and the 1873, and Remington shotguns.
Favorite Movies: Pat Garret and Billy The Kid, The Lord of the Rings, Casablanca, Midway, Bugsy, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Big Sleep, Fantasia, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Star Wars, Sink the Bismark, Sands of Iwo Jima, Dr. Strangelove, The Rock, X-Files
Favorite Music: Hendrix, CSNY, Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, B.B. King. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Roy Orbison, The Doors, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Leo Kottke, Sarah McLachlan
Favorite Books: The Bible, The Lord of The Rings, Dune, Neuromancer, the phone book, Clawson’s Collector’s Guide to the M1911 Pistols, Aristotle’s Metaphysics, The Fear and the Loathing in Las Vegas, Plato’s Republic, Being Your Dog’s Best Friend, The Teachings of Don Juan, The Doors of Perception, The Modern Technique of the Pistol, Carlos Hathcock: Marine Sniper, Time Enough for Love
Note: This blog has no connection or relationship with a firearms academy in Nevada with a similar sounding name.
Hello. I stumbled on your site while looking for a vendor for Rock Island 1911’s. Very interesting.
I’m nearly 60, just retired from a very unhappy job working in a PA state mental hospital.
Retired a little early due to the extreme illness of my wife.
Have been a handgun shooter for over 35 years, shooter period for over 50.
Formerly a hippy bar band musician, college dropout several times, enlisted in the Army in the middle of Vietnam, for the 82d Airborne Division.
Always thought of myself as a liberal, or at least a lefty, certainly not a conservative…I still hate the right, but I’m a rabid gun rights guy, and I have no idea what I am as far as politics go, just that I don’t much like any of them-Politicians, I mean.
Have 9 S&W’s, 8 of them revolvers, 2 of them snubs, and an old Beretta .25 auto. Expect to get more for my birthday in August.
Also a guitar/bass player/singer taking time to finally learn to play the harmonica in my dottage.
Interesting site. Thanks for taking the trouble.
Mark
This is the first time of all the reading and poding I have done here, I have ever read the about me
Sounds like me except I don’t think I am a Web Wonk
Whats a web wonk?
Really though
If you have an interest in guns ,gun rights,and the interesting things being said on the web about guns.
This is the newsletter you would want to subscribe to
I look forward to it more than a magazine subscribtion
A web wonk is someone who spends weeks at a time pouring over php scripts and wrestling with MySQL servers. “Hi, I’m Syd and I can’t stop building web sites.”
Thanks for you note.
Interesting, your first post was dated 11/25, that’s my birthday.
Close to the first post, I am 60, retired from Federal service currently working as a security officer. Firearms instructor and range officer. As I age, I slowly reduce my inventory. I had 18 .45s at one time and am down to 11. As an instructor, I have to have additional firearms for students as not everyone is a .45 fan right away. I always bring 22s. 38s. 357s, 9mms and .45s. Worst part of giving a class is coming home and having to clean everything-ugh!
Looks like a nice site, I look forward to receiving the newsletter.
Thanks for your efforts.
This is the best site of it’s kind. You have done a fantastic job, keep up the good work…
I came across your site about a year ago. Very good site and I have gotten a lot of very helpful information from it. I am an avid shooter and did not realize that there were any other type handguns other than a Colt 45 gov mod or a Para Ordinance 1911 45 until lately. Are you sure that there are others out there?….I am working on being a web wonk or what ever it is called. (Can ya tell what my prefered handguns are?)
Thanks for all the great information you are providing.
From the U.S. of Texas
I cam across your website while researching recommended calibers for CCW. I used to carry a duty weapon when I was law enforcement some years ago, but had never carried a CCW.
Your website is very informative! I read “Selecting a Pistol for Concealed Carry” and found you hit all the good points with a good amount of non-bias. Without fault, I did notice from the article that you favored the .45 ACP over other calibers — you stated that a few times.
This is a wonderful sight! I have bookmarked it! Keep up the good work!
You sound like my kind of guy. I’m sorry if my other post was a little off-message, but I get a little frantic when it gets ANYWHERE near presidential election time. I fear my government. So much so that I refuse to put my name on the Brady lists. I deal FTF only, because I don’t want THEM bashing my door down in their search for the dreaded law-abiding citizen in possession of a firearm. The patriots and geniuses who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights would be very sad at the state of affairs right now. The more I read and study, the more it seems that the politicos feel that they can abrogate the Constitution at will, as long as it’s the politically expedient flavor of the month. All it takes is some psycho to kill people in a mall or school and all of a sudden the parrots come out spouting “Guns are Bad”. One armed citizen in the right place could have stopped many, many bad things in the past few years. I’m also a life-long NRA member and gun-nut. H. Clinton will sign any gun-ban she can get her hands on. The only one who even seems reasonable seems to be Huckabee, and he might not be electable. I don’t know who to back. Any thoughts on the matter?
Just came across this site this morning.
Thanks for doing it, it’s very informative and I really like that fact that you can respond to what you read.
P.S. - I’m a woodworker too. Jewelry boxes, pens, custom furniture, just about anything except cabinets. Mainly exotics, but once in a while some domestics.
Wow if we lived near one another we should be hanging out
I did like the Dune Movie (the second one)
hi syd
have always love this site and have passed the good news to select friends..
you do a good job. i do!
regards
jim whitt
Well, Syd - I have no idea when / if you will see this but I greet you and salute you, and your 300 pound Samoan attorney. Just ran across the site today, and it is exceptional!! I understand your need to back away from the demands of writing & editing & posting, and have no doubt that your priorities will place some of your freed-up hours to use with your bride & family. So I wish you all the best, whatever your endeavors may be, and ask God’s blessing on you and yours.
I’m definitely a web wonk, as that’s how I make my living. I especially appreciated 3 Syd’s definition. That would be me.
I just found you today, and I’ll definitely bookmark you. You’ve got some great websites, with tons of useful information.
Bio: 55 (and 3/4!), married for 20 years, with a son who is my shooting buddy. We are partial to 1911s and heavy barreled .308 bolt rifles, but we own a number of other pistols and rifles too.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Syd,
Pat Metheny! That’s good - Kudos for The Sight M1911 - din’t know you were behind, it’s listed as one of my favorits.
Shoots the M9, 45 ACP is “no go” here in the kingdom!
German shepards are THE dog - grew up on a farm with dogs, horses, and good places for shooting and hunting.
best regards
Bjørn
Hello;
I am thinking of buying a revolver, perhaps a 357 mag., but wondering with the difference between single action and double action, which one should I consider. I’m 60, soon to be 61 but feel I should get one soon. Been told for most uses a shorter barrel would be sufficient, but I do like to shoot targets for relaxation and was thinking about a longer barrel. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks,
David
Came on site searching frames size colt detective .38sp…
D frame looking for some new grips….Some interesting
and imformative stuff…..Fortunately i live in TX but the cost of ammo has taken much of a life long enjoyment away..
On a fixed income many things come before pleasure and i
want to keep my better half of 37 yrs till death do us part..
Will be reading this site on regular basis,,,,thanx for diligence!!
Syd,
Over the past six months I have been gearing up to purchase my first handgun. I have read your articles on several other sites and have found your advice invaluable.
Rightly or wrongly, I have chosen a Llama 380 for my first purchase. It looks enough like a full-size 1911 to be intimidating to the average unenlightened thug that I may encounter but at the same time is confortable for me carry concealed.
I have taken your advice and am training with a competent instructor to become proficient in the use of my new weapon. In the past I have relied soley on my military training to protect me and my wife but as I have aged I do not feel that my presence alone is enough deterrent. Or perhaps the world around me has just gotten more violent.
Although, I do not nor have ever feared for my personal safety, I have always believed that one should be prepared for any eventuality. Two tours in Nam gave a great respect for my survival.
Thanks again for your wise advice.
Hi Syd,
I just discovered you blog and I feel right at home. Odd, because I’m a canadian neo-con who doesn’t own a gun. However, internet debates on guns turned me around three years ago, and since my dad is a hunter (.410 mostly), I’ve started wondering what my Government has against legal guns. Don’t we all know that illegal handguns are a problem, not the legal ones?
It’s kinda lonely up here in my beautiful province of Quebec when you’re surrounded by liberals. It’s just good to come across people like you. Cheers!
Keep up the good work.
PS: Two movie suggestions for you:
Ronin -with Jean Reno and Bob Deniro
No Country For Old Men -by the Joel and Ethan Coen
hey im 16 and im writing a repot about shootings and just happend to come across this website i found some of the info very interesting but not quite what i was looking for. for a girl i know alot about guns and hope others find this site helpful.
I’m very impressed. Shooter growing up in TX. Strayed from handguns in early adulthood. In my 50’s seen enough evil in world to return. After CCL training carried Glock-19. IMO tough to REALLY conceal. LEO friend into’ed me to Ruger LCR. Now in 60’s and ALWAYS pocket carry unless illegal and seriously train 200-400 rounds/month from 21 feet down to arm’s length.
Absolutely loved your Snubnose section. Haven’t fired J-Frame in decades but would love to compare trigger pull’s. Be safe & continue great website! Thanks.
Hello Syd,
For a few of years now, I have been following your work and have been impressed with your 1911 knowledge and wonderful insights.
I am an artist & like you, a 1911 aficionado. I have been designing, making & selling custom 1911 grips for the past 8 months. A couple of months ago, I took the plunge & also started my own blog site.
Keep up the good work! Let me know if you need custom grips.
Best regards,
Ray
http://www.customkillergrips.com/
http://customkillergrips.blogspot.com/