Review: Walther America Customer Support

As some of you may remember from a previous post, my purchase of the Walther P22 came with 4 magazines. The mags were all in good shape with 3 of them having a flat base and 1 of them having the finger rest.

As it turns out, Walther had upgraded the mags over the years to resolve a feeding issue with the earlier ones. It so happened that one of my flat base mags is an earlier magazine that was prone to feeding issues. On a whim, I decided to call Walther America's Customer Support number (1-800-372-6454 ) to see if they would be willing to exchange the mag. (Note: Walther America is really Smith & Wesson. S&W is the official importer of Walther firearms in the US and handles all Walther inquiries and customer support issues.)

I spoke to a nice gentleman and explained to him why I was calling. He advised that it would not be an issue to replace the mag. He asked that I send the mag back to them with a note regarding the problem and they would replace it for me. I sent the mag back to Walther America with my letter. In the letter, I asked them to replace the mag and also asked if it would be possible to replace it with a finger rest magazine (as I preferred the finger rest mag over the flat base mag and both magazines were the same price).

I finally received the replacement magazine today...and guess what? Walther America did replace it with a finger rest mag!



A big thumbs up to Walther America's Customer Support!

PS - The mag does have a bit of shipping grease on the follower and spring. I'll need to clean it out prior to trying it out at the range. I wouldn't want any of the grease to get onto the rounds and possibly gunk up the barrel.

Review: Jack in the Box Mini Sirloin Burgers

Not exactly baked pork chop rice, but here's a food review for you.

If you've been watching the NBA playoffs on TNT, ESPN or ABC, you've undoubtedly seen the following commercial from Jack in the Box:



I don't know about you, but the commercial brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

Anyways, the other night, my wife and I didn't feel like cooking. We were hungry and wanted something fast & cheap. The first thing that came to mind was Jack and his Mini Sirloin Burgers.



I ordered the Mini Sirloin Burgers combo while the wife ordered the Sourdough Jack (her favorite). The Mini Sirloin Burgers come in a small container - 3 burgers in all (as pictured above). If you've ever had White Castle Slyders, the burgers are about that size. However, there's a lot more beef to the Mini Sirloin Burgers.

Overall, the burgers were good. The sirloin was tasty/flavorful, but a bit dry. The sirloin is definitely a step up from the beef found in the Jumbo Jack or Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. The grilled onions were sweet, the buns were nice & warm, and the burgers weren't drenched in ketchup. If the Mini Sirloin Burgers remain on the menu, I'll definitely be ordering them again especially since you can get a $1 off coupon for the Mini Sirloin Burgers (either the combo or just the burgers).

Tipton Snap Caps

Like with the Walther P22, I wanted to minimize (if not eliminate) the need to handle live 9mm ammo in the house as I get accustomed to the P99. With that in mind, I picked up some Tipton Snap Caps.



These are going to come in handy as I get accustomed to the following:

• Loading & unloading the 9mm magazines
• Cocking & decocking the P99
• Practicing with the AS trigger by dry firing with a snap cap in the chamber

Symantec Products for Free* from Fry's Electronics

If you are in need of an Internet security solution (antivirus & firewall), system utilities, and an imaging program for your household computers, look no further than this Fry's Electronics deal.

The package deal Fry's is selling for $70 includes:

• Norton Internet Security 2009
  
• Norton SystemWorks Basic Edition 12.0
  
• Norton Ghost 14.0
  

You'll need to send in 2 rebates for $50 and $20 (respectively) and this package comes out as FREE.

I currently use NIS 2009 and have been happy with it. The daily micro updates of the virus definitions, the nearly automatic firewall, and website authentication with a Norton Toolbar in the browser have given me no reason to complain. It also seems to be much faster (performance wise) than the 2008 version. I didn't buy this particular package from Fry's, but I did get it for FREE (also after 2 rebates) from Staples earlier this year.

Shopping Tip: Never purchase your antivirus, firewall or computer utilities programs/applications at full price (unless you absolutely needed it that moment). Wait for the manufacturers to offer the multiple rebates so you can get it for FREE! Save the $40-$90 you would have had to spend on something else - like dinner and a movie with your significant other.

Review: SKB Gun Bags

For those of you who don't know, SKB is a company that makes bags and cases to protect items during travel and storage. SKB makes a wide variety of cases - from cases for musical instruments & pro audio equipment, optics, and sporting goods to case for industrial applications such as for the military.

I knew that SKB made pistol storage cases, but it wasn't until I went to Turner's to pickup my Walther P99 that I realized that SKB also made gun bags. I actually bought one from Turner's, but subsequently returned it as I couldn't justify spending $32 on a single gun bag. Luckily, I was able to find the SKB gun bag cheaper on Amazon.com. In fact, I bought two gun bags:

• SKB Dry-Tek 9" Handgun Bag
• SKB Dry-Tek 12" Handgun Bag
  

The total for both SKB gun bags was only $6 more than what the single bag from Turner's cost. To boot, I also received free shipping from Amazon. Well, the bags came in today, so I thought I'd share some pics.



Here's the 9" bag that's going to hold the P22:



Here's the 12" bag that will hold the P99:



The SKB gun bags are extremely high quality. The gun bag is made of Dry-Tek padding to keep your firearms dry and it is double-layered to protect them from damage if you should drop it. Each gun bag has large zippers and a slide-through system where you can padlock the bag (as required in the state of CA when you are transporting your firearm in a vehicle). In addition, there are two exterior pockets - one on each side of the bag - to hold magazines and other accessories.

Overall, I would say that the bags are well worth the money. Sure, you can get less expensive gun bags; but if you already spent hundreds of dollars on your firearms, why not spend a little bit more to properly store your gear and know that both your firearms and gun bags will last much longer.

Walther P99 Slide Disassembly

Field stripping the Walther P99 is a breeze. It's much easier to strip and put back the P99 together than the Walther P22 as the P22 requires a plastic guide rod to put the slide back onto the frame.

P99 Field Strip


P22 Field Strip


Beyond the field strip, however, I'm at a lost. I really wasn't sure how one would get to the decocker, extractor, etc. Luckily there was a link from WaltherForums to the following video by Thorn on how to properly disassemble the slide of the Walther P99. Enjoy!

The Trials and Tribulations of Blue Thunder

I'm certain I'm not the only person who names his car (or at least I hope not), but I've had Blue Thunder now for 9 years. For the most part, Blue Thunder has treated me well. Sans the typical routine maintenance and some upgrades I've done over the years, Blue Thunder has been reliable and really only failed me on 2 occasions:

• Coil pack failed when I got onto the freeway
• Mass air flow sensor failed
  

Unfortunately, I haven't been as kind to Blue Thunder. There's a fair amount of small knicks and bumps that have accumulated over the years. This includes:

• Front and rear bumper damage - done by other drivers and myself while parking
• Scratched and damaged rear wheel wells while maneuvering around tight spaces
• Door dents
• Damaged rims
  

The suspension and steering rack are beginning to feel its age now. The steering rack has developed a leak and needs to be replaced and the ride gets more rough with each year. However, since I take the bus to work now, I've held off on getting it replaced and merely top off the power steering fluid when necessary.

And since I really only drive on weekends, a new car would be out of the question. Besides, since I'm married, the next "new" car I can look forward to will be my wife's car after she gets the new car. Just saying...

Happy Easter!

Walther P99 Comes Home

Well, the 10-day wait is over and the Walther P99 is in my possession!



As I stated previously, it's a first generation 9mm P99 that was made in 2003. It has a black polymer frame with a titanium coated slide. It came with 3 backstraps (of which I'm currently using the smallest backstrap) and 4 10-round magazines. It's had about 1,500 rounds through it already, so there's probably no need for further break-in. The trigger is silky smooth and the barrel looks great. The only issue with the P99 is some black specking on the titanium finish. Per the WaltherForums, this is an issue with the titanium finish and the main reason why Walther discontinued it. The specks don't bother me as it has no impact on how the gun operates; however, I will keep my eye on it. If the specking develops elsewhere on the slide, I'll have to consider getting it refinished.

Anyways, getting the P99 was only the first step. Much like the rest of the country, ammunition has been hard to come by here in Los Angeles. When I picked up the P99, there was no 9mm on the shelf of the Turner's store where I did the private party transfer. I struck out at a few other stores as well such as Big 5 Sporting Goods and Walmart. I finally found a 50 round box of Federal Premium Tactical HST (at Martin Retting) to use as self defense ammo and a single box of Winchester White Box (at a Turner's) for the range. Hopefully, the WWB will be in supply soon as I plan on taking a few more of Greg Block's handgun courses using my P99 over the next few months.

One of the main items I liked about the P99 (besides its looks) is the Anti-Stress trigger system. It's quite unique and is a bit too complicated for me to explain properly. However, here's a helpful YouTube video that explains it quite nicely:

Filet-O-Fish Fridays at McDonald's

For those of you who are Catholic/Christian/Jewish, I'm sure not being able to eat meat on Fridays during Lent/Passover can be a minor inconvenience. It was probably with this thought in mind that McDonald's started Filet-O-Fish Fridays where the Filet-O-Fish is offered at $1.29 (rather than the $3+ regular price). Without this promo, I'm sure McDonald's would lose about 25% of their Friday sales as one would probably avoid the chain altogether during the weeks leading up to Easter/Passover.



Well, today I had a craving for Filet-O-Fish and made the 4-block walk during lunch to the McDonald's near the office. When I got there, they were quite busy - 2 registers were open and each line was 5 persons deep. Each and every order before me involved a Filet-O-Fish and the workers were churning them out at a rapid pace.

When I finally got to order, the woman was quite surprised to hear me say, "May I have 1 Filet-O-Fish to go please?" She gave me a surprised look and asked, "Only 1 Filet-O-Fish?" I said "Yes" and she quickly gave me my order. Good thing I only ordered 1 as here's the nutritional breakdown:

Fish Filet Patty	120	50	5	0.5	0	25	150	9	0	9
Regular Bun	150	20	2	0	0	0	270	28	1	4
Tartar Sauce	90	80	9	1.5	0	10	110	1	0	0
Cheese	25	15	2	1	0	5	115	1	0	1
Total :	380	170	18	3.5	0	40	640	38	2	15

I had no idea that the bun has more calories than the fish filet patty! Makes you wonder if you can actually order the Filet-O-Fish protein style - that is in a lettuce wrap instead of the bun. I'll have to ask the next time I order one.

Anyways, the Filet-O-Fish tasted fine; but oddly enough, I think it's missing something. There's just something about it that doesn't remind me of how it tasted when I was a kid. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but it's just a bit off. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Update: As I guessed, Filet-O-Fish Fridays ended after Easter was over. I guess I'm back to ordering the McDouble.

Lacoste Coupon: 25% Off $100+ Purchase

For those of you who wear Lacsote, the company has their Friends and Family offer going on right now. They're offering 25% off your purchase of $100 or more. Hurry, because the offer end on Monday, April 13, 2009.



Just make sure you enter in "FRIEND09" at checkout.

Enjoy!

Open Carry in California is Legal

As a reader pointed out to me, I was mistaken in my previous post about CA not allowing for open carry. Per CaliforniaOpenCarry.org's FAQ:

Is Open Carry Legal in California?

Yes. However, there are many restrictions, but generally as long as your firearm is not concealed, and not loaded, and you are not in a prohibited area ("school zone", post office, government building), then it is legal.

I'll have to do more research regarding the laws in Los Angeles as that's where I reside. However, I wanted to post this correction and thank the reader for pointing this out to me.

Free 26-issue Subscription to AutoWeek

For you car buffs out there, get a 26-issue subscription to AutoWeek for FREE!

Click here for all the details.

Enjoy!

ATM Card Skimmers

I spotted this story about ATM card skimmers today. From the post at Gizmodo:

he inspected the slot of the current ATM he was using and realized that it had a false plastic cover attached to the slot. The amazing thing about the cover was that the translucent green plastic matched the card reader slot perfectly, meaning that it was made specifically for Chase ATMs...he found an extra mirror attached to the vandalized machine that the other ATMs didn't have. Drilled into the mirror was a tiny pinhole with a camera inside, directed at the PIN pad.

Just a warning that if you typically use the ATM to do your banking, be careful and be vigilant. Inspect the ATM machine before you proceed to use it. Don't let these crooks steal your ATM PIN and card info!

Review: CCI Mini-Mag HP & CCI Stinger

As I posted previously, I put 250 rounds through my Walther P22 and the CCI Mini-Mag HP's & CCI Stingers performed flawlessly. No jams, no fail to fires, no fail to ejects. Being that this was a .22, I was concerned about potential FTF's and rounds not loading properly, but my P22 ate up the CCI ammunition.



I put 200 rounds of the Mini-Mag HP's and 50 rounds of the Stingers through the P22. I can tell you that the Stingers do have more 'kick' to them - the felt recoil was stronger when using the Stingers. I mixed the rounds in the mag and whenever a Stinger was shot, I could definitely feel it. You could see it too as the flash from the Stingers was definitely brighter.

Per CCI's website, the velocity generated by a Stinger vs the Mini-Mag HP:

• At muzzle - 1640 ft/sec vs 1260 ft/sec
  
• At 50 yards - 1292 ft/sec vs 1104 ft/sec
  

The energy generated by a Stinger vs the Mini-Mag HP:

• At muzzle - 191 ft-lbs vs 127 ft-lbs
  
• At 50 yards - 119 ft-lbs vs 97 ft-lbs
  

I realize these measured figures are probably for a rifle, so the numbers will differ for a handgun. However, I definitely felt a difference with the Stingers.

As one of the YouTube videos I embedded on a previous post about the ammo for the Walther P22 suggested, I'll be using the Stinger as a self-defense round only. The P22 is rated for high-velocity ammo, so the Mini-Mag HP is just right for consistent use at the range. The Stingers are "hypervelocity", so I'm going to assume that it packs a bit more powder. At this point, I'm not inclined to shorten the life of the P22 by putting too much pressure through it with the Stingers.

This works for me as 100 rounds of the CCI Mini-Mag HP's at Walmart cost about $6.47, while 50 rounds of the CCI Stingers run about $5.47. For $1 more, I'm getting 50 more rounds and that just means more fun at the range.

Basic Handgun Class

The day finally arrived and I took the Basic Handgun Class offered by Greg Block at Burro Canyon Shooting Park in Azusa, CA.



The class was roughly 6 hours in length:

• 2 hours of lecture - Fundamentals of Firearms Safety, along with the skills necessary to properly handle a revolver and semi-automatic pistol; understanding of what a handgun will do, what it won't do, and why it works the way it works.
  
• 4 hours of shooting - Proper Stance and Grip, Sight Alignment, Sight Picture and Trigger Control; rapid fire/combat shooting with multi-target drills on life-size paper silhouette targets. Every student is required to shoot 250 rounds with their handgun.

I had the smallest caliber gun in the class with my Walther P22 shooting .22lr. Everyone else either had a 38 revolver (as provided by the instructor) or brought their own semi-automatics which were either .45's or .40's. In fact, when one of the instructors (there were 4 instructors for 9 students) pulled out my P22 to inspect it, his exact comment to me was, "Oh, how cute!"

Anyways, my Walther P22 was a champ. It ate up all 250 rounds (200 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and 50 rounds of CCI Stingers). All rounds fired flawlessly - no jams, no FTF, no FTE, etc. I couldn't say the same about the other students' semi-auto handguns: a few jammed, some needed lube half way through, one even got a squib. The cute Walther P22 was just fine....thank you very much!

All in all, it was a very good class. I learned a lot and corrected a lot of things that will help my shooting. The biggest thing for me was my sight alignment (I had a tendency to focus on the target immediately after having acquired the target via the sights) and trigger pull (where I tended to pull the gun slightly to the left when pulling the trigger). As the class progressed, I was able to slowly correct these issues and my shot placement improved to where I was either hitting the target or within an inch of the target.

If you're in Los Angeles and looking for a basic handgun class, I would highly recommend this class. It's well worth the money to pickup these fundamentals and I'm looking forward to my next range session to further hone what I learned from Greg.

PS - If you have never been to Burro Canyon, it's located in the San Gabriel Canyon of the Angeles National Forest. There is absolutely no cell phone signal/reception up there, so be prepared to be away from it all the entire time you are there. Restrooms are just porta potties; and according to the schedule on the doors, they are serviced once per week.

Walther P99 Joins the Family

Well, I haven't owned my Walther P22 all that long but I've already made another purchase - a Walther P99 9mm. Like the P22, I purchased the P99 used and got a good deal. Here are a few pics from the previous owner:



It's a 1st generation P99 from the early 2000s and in very good condition - relatively clean (a bit of specking on the slide near the decocker), barrel looked great, trigger was smooth, and it fit perfectly in my hand. As you can see from the pictures above, the slide is titanium and the frame is black. The P99 is truly the P22's big brother.

Now if I can just find 9mm ammo (in bulk) for range time, I'll be set! I don't take possession of the P99 for another week, but I can't wait.

Passenger Etiquette from The Chronicles of Bus #10

As a bus passenger there is basic etiquette that you want to abide by:

• You give up your seat for the elderly
• You give up your seat to the disabled
• You give up your seat to women with children or women who are expecting
• You give up your seat to someone who is carrying a ton of stuff
  

During the ride home this afternoon, I noticed the following situation:

A woman who appeared to have Tourette syndrome got on the bus. The bus was half empty, but she wanted to sit in a seat that was already occupied by a man in his mid-40's. She hovered over the man for a few minutes and kept asking him if she could sit there. The man refused, telling her that the seat across from him was free and that she could sit there. She kept asking and the man kept refusing. He got so fed up with the woman that he finally said, "Stop hovering over me. You're making me very uncomfortable." She ended up taking another seat.

I don't know about you, but would it have killed the guy to give up his seat and sit elsewhere? It's not as though the bus was full and there were no other seats available. It's also not the first time that I have noticed that this guy would not give up his seat. He just tries to ignore you in hopes of not giving up his seat.

What happened to basic etiquette? What happened to treating others the way you would want to be treated? All I can say is, "What goes around, comes around." He'll get the same treatment one day and no one is going to feel bad for him.

The man eventually exited the bus a few stops before she did. Immediately after he got off the bus, the woman stood up and took his seat. She wanted that seat badly.

"House of the Dead: 2 & 3 Return" for Nintento Wii

For those of you who remember the House of the Dead arcade game and enjoyed it as a kid, I just picked up "House of the Dead: 2 & 3 Return" for the Nintendo Wii.



My wife and I don't have many games for the Wii; in fact, the only other games we have are Wii Sports and Guitar Hero 3. Well, my wife has fond memories of playing House of the Dead with her younger brother when they were both growing up, so I couldn't pass this up.

To really simulate the old arcade experience, I ended up purchasing 2 Wii guns, called the Wii Shoot Active Gun, off of eBay. The Wii Shoot Active Gun is made by a British company called Venom and are not available in the United States. I liked this gun for 2 reasons:

1. The cost for both guns, including shipping, was less than $18
2. The gun is shaped like a Walther P99 (my favorite gun)

So far, we've only used the Wii gun a few times with HOD and it takes some getting used to. I do like it and hope that it improves my HOD game play and scores! Both my wife and brother-in-law are kicking my butt and I'm looking for redemption.

If you really want a unique looking Wii Shooter Gun, check out Venom's Sega Licensed Hand Cannon for "House of the Dead: Overkill"! It's also not available in the States, but I've seen them available on eBay and Amazon.