Journey to Mt. Saint Helens

This was my first experience with Mt. Saint Helens in the Spring.  Snow still covered the mountain in early June.  There were no wild flowers to speak of and we saw very few animals except for a lone coyote climbing in the hills.  The wind was blowing but the sun was shining and the mountain, or what was left of it, was completely visible.   It still looks like a moonscape here.  The trees have not yet come back.  The explosion was 31 years ago and it still looks like it happened yesterday.

In our journey to the mountain, there were several places to stop in and view different films of that fateful day in May 1980.  There are geological exhibits that you can walk through, and the forests leading up to the mountain are all labeled with when they were replanted.  Some date back to 1980 while others are more recent.  It takes about an hour to get to the first Vistor’s Center driving north on I-5 from Portland, Oregon and makes a great day trip.  As long as the weather is clear, it will be well worth your journey.

New Hearing Protection a Big Hit at Media Day

I am just back from Media Day at the Range.  It is held every year as a pre-event to the Shot Show for media professionals.  I had the pleasure of trying some new electronic muffs from a company by the name of Electronic Hearing Protection, EHP for short.  These muffs are some of the most comfortable ones I have ever used and they work very well too.  I was impressed with how easy it was to hear everything around me except the loud noises created by bullets from pistols, rifles and shotguns!

EHP President, Denny Snyder, was there at the booth answering any questions and was very gracious in loaning me a pair of pink, yes pink, muffs to take on the range.  One lady that tried the muffs told me that these were the most comfortable muffs she had ever worn and she had been shooting for 25 years!  These muffs are very padded and do not pinch your head.  They are also comfortable at the temples.   EHP muffs come in a multitude of different colors, including bright orange, lime green and camo, or choose the plain black ones.  Me, I am going for hot pink!  For more information go to http://www.ehphearing.com

New GLOCK GEN4 Pistols at Media Day!

Glock unveiled two new pistols at Media Day at the Range today.  A pre-event to the Shot Show, this is where you can do our favorite thing:  Shoot other peoples guns with other peoples ammo!  Hot off the production line were two new pistols from GLOCK:  The G22 GEN4RTF in .40 caliber and the G17 GEN4 RTF in 9mm were available for test firing!

Both guns feature the Multiple Backstrap System (MBS):  The standard grip has been reduced approximately 3mm.  GLOCK includes two additional backstraps, a medium size which adds approximately 2mm, and a large size adding approximately 4mm.  The trigger housing pin initially mounted on the gun works with the medium backstrap and GLOCK provides a large trigger housing pin for use with the large backstrap.  An MBS tool is included for removal and installation of the trigger housing pin.  Both pistols also have the GEN4 Rough Texture Frame (RTF), giving a firm positive grip.

For all of you shooters that prefer to release your magazines on the right side of the gun instead of the left, the guns feature a reversible, enlarged magazine catch .

Recoil has been greatly reduced by the Dual Recoil Spring Assembly.  I shot the GEN4 and then shot the GEN3 for a comparison, and I was very impressed with a much smaller amount of felt recoil in the new pistol.

I have to confess that I work for GLOCK Professional, but I am also a competitive shooter, and I can tell you that I really think GLOCK has a couple of winners here.  If you liked your GLOCK before, try these new additions and see how much more you enjoy shooting one!  If you haven’t ever tried one, now you have a reason to see one for yourself!

For more information:  www.glock.com