Tag: General Hardware

Springfield XD(M) 3.8

Checking Springfield Armory’s website I found that they introduced a new pistol, the XD(M) 3.8. It appears to more or less be an XD(M) with a 3.8 inch barrel and different slide serration.

Right now it only appears to come in 9mm but I’m sure .40 S&W will be coming along shortly. Although it’s being marketed at concealed carry it appears the grip is still the standard XD(M) length at the gun takes 19 round magazines. Personally I can conceal a 5″ barrel no problem it’s the grip of the pistol that I find most difficult to conceal. But that’s just an observation. Overall the XD(M) 3.8 doesn’t appear to be anything groundbreaking but may be a nice addition to the line.

Great Kindle Update

It’s no secret to anybody that knows me that I read, a lot. To this end I jumped on board the Amazon Kindle shortly after the release of the original unit. Sadly due to a slight handling problem with certain entities at airport security who’s organization’s initials happen to contain a T, S, and A my original Kindle has a non-functional screen.

So I overnighted a new Kindle 2. After first I was rather disappointed about having to do so since there was never really any feature on the Kindle 2 that justified the upgrade in my book. Well that all changed with the latest software update released for the Kindle 2 (both GSM and CDMA versions) and Kindle DX.

Although the Kindle DX included native PDF support from day one the other models lacked this feature. This update brings native PDF support to the line (except the original unit). The Kindle has always had the option of reading converted PDF files but I’ve not had good luck with conversions of any document that was even remotely complex.

But reading a PDF on such a small device is rather impossible unless you could change the screen orientation to landscape mode. Guess what the new software update adds that feature as well.

I’ve been running the update for a week now and feel I can give a good review of it. The native PDF support is great. So long as you read the PDFs in landscape mode that is. In portrait orientation the PDFs are scaled to the screen making everything too small to actually read. I’m not surprised about that nor do I think it’s a problem. I’ve read several complex PDF files including the IEEE specification for 802.3at and they render perfectly on the Kindle. Loading PDFs doesn’t take dreadfully long and switching pages is no slower than native Kindle files. Overall it’s a great addition.

The update was also supposed to increase the battery life when wireless is enabled. I only turn the wireless on long enough to purchase and download new books so I don’t know what difference this update made in that realm.

But this update, in my opinion, brings the Kindle from a 1.0 device to a device ready for the mainstream. Booyah.

FBI Looking To Bust Somebody Up

So getting back into the swing of things has been slow. I’d apologize but hey this is my site and I can do as I please. According to The Firearm Blog the FBI is looking to acquire some equipment guaranteed to fuck somebody up.

The FBI is looking to acquire some 20mm cannons. For what? Who knows. But we do know one thing, 20mm of shell will hurt anything that gets struck by it. Maybe the FBI is looking into hunting dinosaurs.

Izhmash Shows New AK Prototype

When The Firearm Blog says they have big news they mean it. It seems Izhmash has introduced a prototype for their updated AK series of rifles. The updates are certainly a case of evolution not revolution but when you’re platform for evolve is the ever prevalent and legendary AK-47 there isn’t much need for a revolution.

The first noticeable improvement should make the tacticool people out there happy, rails. Yes when somebody said the AK needs more rails Izhmash listened. The dust cover now has a rail running along its top. Likewise the dust cover is now hinged to the front and has a locking lever that holds it on to the rifle. This is apparently to prevent a loss of zero on optics mounted on the dust cover rails. Likewise the hand guards are now covered in rails.

The AK prototype also has a new safety by the trigger which should be easier to manipulate than the standard AK safety/selector switch. The prototype still has the old safety on it but being it’s a prototype that could be left on or taken off in the final design. The rear sight has an adjustment knob instead of the old slider that was used for elevation changes.

Anyways head over to the Firearm Blog as they have a lot of pictures and go over more details.

The Truth Behind the FN FiveseveN

Well the media is at it again. They are proclaiming the FN FiveseveN to be a high powered “cop-killer.” Well Says Uncle points us to a story that reminds everybody that the FiveseveN is nothing more than a slightly more powerful .22 magnum.

See the Brady Bunch way back when were proclaiming that commercial 5.7x28mm ammunition could penetrate body armor. This was bullocks though as the ATF showed. The only ammunition in 5.7x28mm that can penetrate body armor is SS190 AP which civilian can’t get. Why can’t they get it? Because it’s considered armor piercing ammunition under United States law. From Title 18, chapter 44 of United States code we get the following:

(B) The term “armor piercing ammunition” means –

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a
handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence
of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of
tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or
depleted uranium; or

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber
designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a
weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the
projectile.

As the Cheaper Than Dirt post mentioned SS190 AP ammunition has a steel core. Since the round can be shot out of a handgun this makes SS190 AP ammunition armor piercing under United States law and therefore not ammunition any civilian can purchase as the Brady Bunch tried to say.

The FN FiveseveN is nothing more than a slightly more powerful .22 magnum. It’s not a “cop killer.” Anyways Massad Ayoob already mentioned he can’t find a single case of a police officer being killed by this weapon.

Who’s the Hero of Russia

The Firearm Blog brings some good news. Russia has bestowed its highest award, Hero of the Russian Federation, upon a man we all know and love, Mikhail Kalashnikov.

This was awarded on Mr. Kalashnikov’s 90th birthday. It’s good to see the man who invented the most popular rifle to ever exist is getting his due recognition.

So Much For the Barnes and Nobel Nook Lending Feature

In the post I made previewing the Barnes and Nobel Nook eReader device I mentioned the lending feature. Well it appears the lending feature is completely gimped.

Well it appears each title you have can only be loaned out once and only for 14 days. Note that the wording seems to imply you can loan a title once period, not once per person. The other strike against this feature is a book can only be loaned out if the published allows this behavior. I can officially strike that feature off as something cool.

I Guess They Aren’t So Perfect

N.U.G.U.N. has a post informing us there is a new advertisement from Glock. Apparently they are claiming a “next generation of perfection.” Funny I always thought it something was perfect you couldn’t improve it. In fact an inability to improve something is the definition of perfection.

Well Guns, Holsters, and Gear says this is an advertisement for an upcoming line of Glock pistols with adjustable grips. Interesting theory I guess. If true there are going to be a lot of people who are going to be eating crow. One of the noted advantages of XD(m) owners is the fact the back straps can be changed out to fit your hand better. Glock fanboys say it’s just another useless doodad to break. Well if Glock heads down this path I will be laughing my ass off.

Being I have a Glock 30 I can say it’s not a perfect gun. It’s a very nice gun but certainly not perfect. The 10 round magazines are a pain in the ass to load (that last round just doesn’t want to go into the magazine), I find the trigger inferior to the one on my XD, and although the gun is physically smaller than the XD it’s slightly heavier. And before any Glock fan claims the added weight is a certain sign of better quality remember the 1911 is heavier than your Glock.