The Warthog is Back

As we reported last week, the Para Warthog is back from the service center. The “work accomplished” section of the paperwork indicated that they installed a new recoil spring assembly and firing pin stop. They also adjusted the trigger pull to the factory spec of five pounds. When they received the gun, the trigger pull was only 3.5 pounds or so. They test fired the gun after the work with 40 rounds of ball and hollow-point rounds. They reported all functions OK.

Today, we test fired the gun with an estimated seventy rounds. Most of the time, all ten rounds went through without incident. There was one time when the round did not cleanly enter the chamber and jammed. I’m not comfortable with doing the tap and rack when that happens, so I ejected the magazine, cleared the round from the pistol, put the unspent round back in the magazine and reloaded. The gun properly functioned after that. I also paid attention to making sure that the gun got a little lube every 50 rounds or so.

I watched Todd Jarrett’s video on how smaller people should hold and fire a short-barreled .45 pistol. In the video, I believe that I’m firing the gun using the proper technique with wrists and strong-side elbow locked. In the video, you can see all ten rounds dispensing without problems.

We’ll have more to report in the weeks to come.

Panoramic Reprise – Vacation 2008

This is a quick and dirty Flash with some of the panoramas from our recent vacation. Maybe I’ll have a better one when I get some time.

Meanwhile, enjoy these views from the American Southwest.

Navajo Nation Emergency Medical Services

Navajo EMSAs we departed from our visit to the Canyon de Chelly National Park on the Navajo Nation near Chinle, Arizona, we got behind this EMS vehicle in traffic. We followed them down the road for a way when they turned down the road leading to the local medical center.

While I was looking at some of the pictures I took while on vacation last month, I got curious about them and found this on their website:

The Department of Emergency Medical Services is one of eight departments within the Navajo Division of Public Safety.

Navajo EMS is a Dedicated, Progressive Service Focused on Quality Care. Expanded Advanced Life Support Capabilities and Transport Services are Preeminent. We Consist of a Well Organized Structure of Dedicated Personnel Determined to Provide Elite Services.

The Goal of the Department is to Provide for the continued development of the comprehensive Public Safety and Emergency Medical Services System to advance the quality of care and transportation of the sick and/or Injured.

They go to say that their Department is affiliated with the University of New Mexico Emergency Medical Services Academy and the New Mexico Emergency Medical Services Bureau. Parts of the reservation overlap into Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, although most of it is within Arizona.

I-70 — Utah’s Scenic Highway

scenic I-70Every time Damsel and I traverse I-70 through Utah, we are amazed by the ever-changing scenery. We say to each other “If you don’t like the scenery, wait five minutes and it will change.”

On our most recent vacation, we joined I-70 from US 89 at Sevier, UT and drove along the interstate past Green River, UT and turned down US 191 toward Moab, UT and Arches NP. While on I-70, we drove past sweeping green valleys, majestic mountain vistas, lofty pine forests and colorful deserts. This rock formation was literally next to the interstate. Just past this giant rock, we pulled off the highway to enjoy this great panorama from a desert overlook.

panorama

You can click on either image for a supersized version. Credit Damsel for the image at the top and I composed the panorama from several images using Canon’s Zoom Browser software.

Back in Town

Just before we left on our vacation, we sent the Warthog back to the shop for them to have a closer look at the problems it had with misfeeds. Today, it’s back in our possession. We plan to follow up the repairs with another report after we have a chance to put some ammo through it this coming Sunday.

I would like to thank Michael Bane again for putting us in touch with the Para public relations representative, Kerby Smith. The turn-around this time was very fast, on the order of two weeks excluding shipping time. Way to go guys!

warthog-back

On the Nightstand

While we’re on vacation, we like to keep some of our favorite reading material on the nightstand and, you know, some things to make us feel at home.

nightstand

His ‘n’ Hers Pistols

We initially acquired this pair of pistols about six months after we got our S&W 686 .357 Magnum revolvers. We wanted to expand our arsenal with a pair of semi-automatic 9mm S&W 908 pistols. I got mine first ( a 908s – silver finish) and then about a month later got the 908 (black finish). Just this weekend, I replaced the old springs and spring guides in both pistols and then shot this picture.

pistols