It’s that time of year again. What to get the Gun People in your life for 12/25/11?
Books are always good. I notice there’s some resonance here at the Backwoods Home blog whenever we talk about “old fashioned” guns like revolvers. I had the pleasure of writing the foreword for Grant Cunningham’s new “Gun Digest Book of The Revolver,” and I think you’ll enjoy reading the finished product as much as I enjoyed reading the original manuscript.
I’ve known Grant for many years. He’s one of my graduates, he has impressed others he trained under as much as he impressed me, and he likewise gets great reviews from his own students now that he’s 
teaching on his own. I’ll state flatly here that in my experience, there is currently no better gunsmith than Grant Cunningham to fine-tune your double action Colt revolver these days. (He does a pretty cool Ruger and Smith & Wesson, too, and I can tell you he’s a helluva good shot, to boot.)
Very much a Renaissance man with knowledgeable opinions on everything from music to root beer, Grant is the founder of the whimsical Revolver Liberation Alliance, whose motto is “The West Wasn’t Won With a Jammed Up Gun.” He has one of the best blogs out there, one of the very few I keep on RSS feed: grantcunningham.com. Read and enjoy.
Back to the book: Grant does an excellent job of showing you how to take advantage of a revolver’s strong points, and shore up its weak points. He backs up his position with cogent arguments. You’ll also see in the book the same subtle sense of humor you see in his blog. The man knows when to be serious, and when not to be serious, and that’s just one more reason I’ve been proud to count him as both a friend and a colleague for many years.
“Gun Digest Book of Revolvers” is available through Amazon, Gun Digest or directly from Grant
Good book by a good guy and a good gunsmith.
Hi, great article as I learned about this new book, which I will buy. After reading your comments about the gunsmithing and reviewing the web site, it’s rather dsiappointing to find a 2 year wait. Almost not even worth mentioning. Thanks for the info on the book though.
Got it last week and enjoyed it very much.
Thanks for the site Mas. It’s always nice finding another good site to visit. Definitely going to pick up his book when I can. My bookshelf is starting to look like a Gun Digest / Paladin Press library… kind of wish more gun books came out in hardback however…
Revolvers or Semi’s, the guy behind the gun is so important. And the luck factor. Once again, I am reminded of the dangerous job that cops elect to do. A brave officer got caught up in the dangerous seconds of a scramble in a dark apartment. In one fraction of a second he and bad guy come face to face. Both with guns in hand. The loser is a career cop with family who could have retired a couple of years ago. He could have been preparing for Christmas. He could have been sleeping the other nite next to his wife. He could of….But instead he was responding to a call for help on a home invasion.
Excuse the reference of the NYTIMES, but they have an excellent graphic you should click on. I’ve lived in lots of places and this could have been any one of them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/nyregion/at-scene-of-brooklyn-robbery-a-police-dept-veteran-is-fatally-shot.html?_r=1
Let’s hear your take on the officer Harless situation in Canton. Why do you keep avoiding this issue and writing about such cushy subjects as Christmas presents, fitting firearms for women, cyber monday, Thanksgiving, and traditionalism?
Perhaps you’re processing a serious article about the subject for a magazine article? If so, please let us know.
This guy is still being paid. Why he was allowed on the street after his dept learned of his actions. Why is the union circling the wagons for this menace. Is the typical response for a PD for this type of actions of an officer?
I am very dissapointed in your silence on this issue. The fact that you’re avoiding this obvious topic that is right in your wheelhouse (officer interaction, laws, concealed carry, etc.) speakes VOLUMES to us all. Losing respect each and every day that you choose to avoid the subject.
In a July 2010 video, Harless can be heard saying “Don’t f#$%g move. Let me see your f#$%g hands,” Harless shouted. “I’ll kill every one of you mother f#$%ers. There’s a goddamned gun in this car. You f#$%g move, I’ll shoot you in the head.”
Harless also threatened to send the suspects “to the grave” if they moved, adding, “I’m telling you what mother f#$%er. I’ll shoot you in the face and I’ll go to sleep tonight. Do you understand me?”
In a December 2010 video Harless can be heard saying “If you scratch you balls wrong, I’m going to pull my gun and I am going to shoot you.”
According to WEWS (ABC Cleveland), an internal affairs investigation concluded that Harless violated three department rules and regulations during the December stop, and also during two other stops where he was captured on dash cam video yelling, swearing and threatening to kill people during traffic stops.
Unfortunately, he was put back on the street, allowing the shocking and violent events of June 2011 to unfold.
After the most recent incident, Harless was put on administrative leave, and later went on medical leave. (The Canton Repository reported last week that he has since run out of sick days, but is still reportedly receiving pay thanks to a special clause in his union contract.)
Last week, the hearing was again postponed. Canton Police Department Safety Director Thomas Ream told The Repository the hearing was “rescheduled because he had a scheduling conflict.” While the “he” was undefined in the article, it may just have been Officer Harless whose schedule was to blame.
You see, Officer Daniel Harless, who only 90 days ago was deemed by the Canton Police Patrolmen’s Association to be so mentally “disabled” that he was unable to attend his own disciplinary hearing, was busy last week testifying at a murder trial.
David, what you are doing right up there is essentially trolling.
With that said:
YES, the issue you’re bringing up is relevant discussion material.
YES, police and non-police alike should be outraged (and rightly so) at Ofc Harless’s actions as well as the tacit coddling he’s been receiving from his department despite IA’s investigative conclusion(s).
YES, we all deserve straight answers and appraisals from SOMEONE IN CHARGE as to why this whole mess has been (mis)handled the way it apparently has been.
However:
NO, a postponed hearing- over which Mas has absolutely no direct or indirect control- does not justify your complaining to him about it.
NO, Mas has NOT been silent on this issue; he has addressed it when commentators have mentioned it in the past- but WHAT ELSE do you expect him to say, based on the above? That the justice system is slow and/or mis-handled sometimes? That’s hardly material worthy of a concentrated blog entry.
NO, you should not be dictating to someone as to what the content of his own blog should contain. Do it on your own blog and inspire some commentary rather than trying to force it.
Take that as you will: I’m just an anti-corruption, pro-reasoned-discussion advocate.
Thanks, Andy.
David, I wrote a Christmas-oriented blog entry because…it’s Christmas time. Duh.
I didn’t do a specific entry on the Harless matter for two reasons. First, saying that he handled the stop badly is like saying the sky is blue: it’s too obvious to warrant comment. That video is already being used by some departments to show how not to handle a stop of this kind.
Second, it has not yet been adjudicated, nor have results of the investigation been released.
— Mas
I know it’s Christmas, obviously…I was commenting on the cushy subject matter being covered lately(with several examples) while ignoring the elephant in the room.
Andy…pardon me, but I have not seen any comment on this from Mas…perhaps there is a sentence or two buried somewhere in previous comments sections that I may have missed?
It is not “trolling” to question the silence of one of, or perhaps THE, leading authority on all things firearms/carry/officer/procedure/law related for this highly controversial subject. This case lands square in the middle of each of these subjects that Mas is involved with, teaches, and writes about on a daily basis.
“What else do I expect him to say?” you ask:
There is plenty he could say. He can analyze the situation and video evidence just like the rest of us are and comment on it. The actions of the officer, his partner, passenger, city council comments(outrageous), police representatives comments, Union actions and delay tactics. What could/should anyone(officer, victim, department, union, etc.) have done differently at any point along the way. What should the department have done after the first incident that would have prevented the second and third? How should the officer, and his partner, been disciplined and re-trained so that this didn’t happen again? What would the typical department reaction to such evidence be? This department apparently ignored it until it made the internet. Is this what’s going on in our police departments across the country? MUCH could be written and analyzed about this that have absolutely nothing to do with the results of the investigation.
“Second, it has not yet been adjudicated, nor have results of the investigation been released.”
I didn’t realize that you would only comment on cases after they’ve already been decided.
The video evidence is out there for all to see and analyze for themselves. We can all see what happened. I wanted to know your insight on the inner workings and processes of a police department and how typically handle severe officer misconduct, and how they should handle it differently if “typical” isn’t cutting it.
Deep down it really bothers me that this guy was allowed on the street despite the department knowing what a hot-head he is. Evidence only came out about it when it went viral on Youtube. How often does this happen(perhaps you can’t answer that single question) and why isn’t it nipped in the bud by the departments when it does happen? I wonder how many other officer Harless types there are out there…
Just for clarification:
The case against the driver for failure to notifying the officer has been dropped.
Then only thing that remains the final disciplinary hearing for the officer.
Can we expect the investigation files into the officer’s record and conduct to be released to the public? Or will we only know what was said in the final disciplinary hearing as it becomes part of the public record?
Andy is exactly right on all of the points he mentioned. David, you have a beef with Canton PD and it is justified. I have followed this case and I am not impressed in the least with how Canton has handled it, however it does not fall to Mr. Ayoob to fix your problem.
Your idea that his lack of prose on the issue is tacit approval is simply incorrect. He has a responsibility to blog facts and the fact finding is not complete. This incident will not disappear under the rug. The publicity and people (like you) beating the drum helps insure it will be handled but you need to quit beating on Ayoob. As Andy points out he has no input in this process.
Please focus your outrage on the problem and not a unconnected third party.
Back on topic…
Grant Cunningham’s book is an excellent reference for anyone who owns a revolver or is considering upgrading to one.
Mas… Great review as per usual!
Will be meeting with Grant at SHOT…. will record an interview w/ him there for the Gun Nation Podcast!
Best to you and Gail!!! Merry Christmas!!!
Doc
That looks like an interesting book. I’ll have to put it on my to-buy list.
Speaking of gifts, my wife gave me an awesome early Christmas present, and because part of each sale goes to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, I thought I’d share – it’s a pen made from two 308 Win cases! http://juniorsbulletpens.com/
Wheel guns, creative uses for old brass – now all I need is a warm fire and a cup of hot chocolate to have a great Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Jeff
Mas, I’m personally offended that you’ve not done a column condemning the increased checking fees at many banks. I am left with no alternative but to conclude that you support them. 😉
Back to the book – it really contains a lot of little gems. Cunningham’s argument that the good trigger return one develops from shooting a revolver is the reason that revolver-shooting improves other types of shooting, for instance, is the kind of thing that you can sit with knowledgeable friends and chat about. Good stuff.