[Willie Lowman]

I keep a few guns loaded and ready to go in case something goes bump in the night. I got to thinking about them earlier today so I thought I would share some of my stuff with TFL.

My bed side gun is a Glock 24C with a Surefire x300 light. I keep a Surefire executive elite with the gun as well as a spare loaded mag. The mags are loaded with Golden Sabers that I got on sale about 8 or 9 years ago. Each round has probably been chambered at least twice in that time due to unloading for handling and whatnot. The batteries in the lights haven't been changed in over a year. I don't know about the x300 but I know the es elite can drain batteries by just sitting there. Also the 24C has a ported barrel that makes it obnoious to shoot in an indoor range with hearing protection on. In a house room it is bound to be terrible. I changed pistols about a month ago when I traded off my old bedroom gun and haven't gotten around to changing it out again.

My "we need a bigger gun" gun is a AR 15. It's a Noveske with a EOtech sight on it. It is loaded with 55 grain JSPs of a variety that I recently learned don't penetrate well in gel. Not too big a deal, I have some 64 grain Nosler BSB ammo I haven't gotten around to loading into mags yet. I sighted the EOtech in at 100 yards with some handloads a year ago. The iron sights I sighted with some factory ammo at 30 yards I think. There is a nice two point tactical sling on the rifle that seems to get caught on everying in the house if I don't bother to throw the sling over my neck and shoulder first. It only takes 15 seconds to turn the sight on, get the sling on and go back to what I was doing. No problem, right? Nothing bad could happen in 15 seconds.


I wrote this post not for a critique of my guns or the state of my stuff (I have changed ammo and bateries etc.) but to point out that you out there in internet land might stop and take a long hard look at the gear you may have to bet your life on. Perhaps that old shotgun in the corner could use a few drops of oil. Maybe your carry gun has ammo in it that is older than it is. Stop, take a moment to see to a little maintenence on your weaponry.

I know, I know, your guns are all spotless and never fail.