Author Archives: David Bookstaber

Online Backup: Mozy

Anyone who uses a computer should subscribe to online backup. Right now, Mozy is both the best and cheapest online backup service out there.

If you create any content on your computer that you would like to keep, you have to back it up. A single hard drive can fail at any time. A single computer can get corrupted, stolen, or destroyed. If you are diligent, you can create periodic backups that allow you restore lost files to some point in the past. But if you are a regular computer user you create so much content — MP3’s, digital photos, Email, etc. — and change it so frequently, that even recent backups will miss things. I had a primary hard drive fail last year, and even though I made a practice of Ghosting it to a backup drive at least once a month, I still lost several weeks of Email and some new work that hadn’t been checked in.

If you are clever, you can rent offsite storage and write scripts to regularly and automatically update critical files. But dealing with open files, versioning, and graceful restores are all non-trivial tasks. Mozy has taken care of all of that, and $55/year is eminently reasonable for unlimited personal backup.

Shotgun: Mossberg M590-A1 12ga.

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If you think bigger is better, you’ll love shooting 12-gauge, which is .72 caliber, and which is so ubiquitous that ammunition is both cheap and plentiful. And if you’re going to get only one 12-gauge shotgun, get the $500 Mossberg M590 (Model #51663). Everything on this gun is Military-spec, built to last and keep on working. As many GI’s can testify, this is a shotgun you can take to war and back.

The beauty of a pump-action shotgun is its simplicity and reliability. Malfunctions are hard to induce yet easy to clear (usually by just turning it on its side and racking the slide as hard as you can). They can take a lot of neglect and keep working. I opted for the variant with “ghost-ring” sights, which stand up from the line of the barrel, but which I have found are rugged and don’t really get in the way of anything, yet enable accurate shooting at longer distances.

This shotgun has a 20″ barrel (shortest legal barrel length is 18″) and the largest possible magazine in its frame, capable of holding eight 2.75″ shells. It does not have a tight choke like sporting guns (which constrain the spread of the shot to keep the pattern accurate at longer ranges), but I have still taken it trap shooting and been able to reliably dust clay pigeons. If you only keep one gun in your home for defense, this would be the one. After all, as any defensive firearms instructor will tell you: The only reason to keep a pistol is to fight your way to a rifle or shotgun. And given the hazards associated with overpenetration in a residential setting, a rifle is not something you would like to have to discharge in an emergency.

Theboxotruth.com features excellent penetration tests and anecdotes: Even small caliber handguns can penetrate every wall in your house and keep going into your neighbors’, but buck shot will be stopped by a few walls. Birdshot, for example, turns into a relatively harmless hail of BB’s after 70 yards or so even with no barriers.

If you do want to reach out and touch something at a distance, rifled slugs can be accurate out to 100 yards against man-sized targets. With my M590 I chronographed Wolf Performance Rifled Slug ammunition — 2.75″ shells firing a 1 ounce slug (that’s 437 grains!) — at 1390 fps (with a stdev of 21 fps). Those were relatively easy to shoot. If you really want to hurt your shoulder or impress your friends, pick up Winchester Hollow Point Rifled Slugs. I chronographed them at 1490 fps, but they are so painful to shoot I wouldn’t recommend them in this gun. (Maybe in a good semi-auto where the gas system can absorb/dampen a lot of the recoil.)

One last feature of 12-gauge guns: You can pack a lot of interesting loads into the shells. Hi-Vel has a number of examples.

Target Pistol: Browning Buck Mark .22 with Gemtech Outback-II Suppressor

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Quality .22 ammunition is under $.03/round and offers both negligible recoil and great accuracy. Which makes it the ideal cartridge for target training.

Of course, since it’s hazardous to shoot a gun without a suppressor, you will probably want to buy a pistol that can be easily adapted to use a suppressor. I actually shopped for my suppressor first.

Suppressor

Given the hassle and cost in acquiring a suppressor, I figured it would be wise to get a removable (threaded) can in case I wanted to use it on different guns. Which made this an easy choice: The current standard in removable baffle .22 suppressors is the $300 Gemtech Outback-II. As with any “Class III” NFA device, you have to pay an extra $200 to the feds and wait months for the BATFE to review your fingerprints and transfer application. And if you live in one of the sixteen states that forbid private ownership of suppressors, all you can do right now is petition your government to stop restraining your right to own this safety accessory.

Gun

A lot of people buy Walther P22’s, which cheaply and easily accommodate a threaded end for attaching a suppressor. But after reading some reviews criticizing the accuracy and trigger on that model, I decided to step up to either a Ruger Mark III or Browning Buck Mark. And between these two the deciding factor was the following: The Ruger design integrates the receiver with the barrel, which means that the barrel itself falls under all of the federal firearms restrictions, and therefore any replacement threaded barrel would have to be purchased through a FFL dealer. In contrast, the Buck Mark barrels completely detach from the gun so they aren’t regulated.

I bought a Buck Mark Camper – the model with the cheapest barrel I could find – for $275. Then I paid another $200 for a 4″ aluminum-clad “Trail-Lite” barrel with a threaded end, from Tactical Solutions. I could have instead paid $100 to have Gemtech (or many other gunsmiths) thread the original barrel, but the Trail-Lite has the distinct advantage of significantly reducing the weight forward of the trigger, so that gun stays very balanced even with the silencer hanging off the front.

I was originally thinking of getting a longer barrel to increase accuracy. The problem is that longer barrels increase muzzle velocity. Regular .22s shoot right around the speed of sound, and as soon as a bullet breaks the sound barrier it adds a “sonic crack” to the sound signature, which a suppressor cannot control. The goal with this gun is to keep the bullet subsonic, and my final configuration delivers: I chronographed dozens of Federal 40gr Champion High Velocity rounds at just over 1000fps, with a stdev of just 7fps. (The speed of sound in standard atmospheric conditions is 1100fps.) And in the end, this setup seems to be as accurate as a shooter can be with conventional notch-and-post sights.

In order to enhance indoor, low-light shooting I upgraded the standard black front sight post with a $30 HiViz fiber sight. It stands taller than the regular sight, but still within the range of the standard rear sight’s adjustment. For practicing at home I bought a $50 “Do-All Bullet Box“, which reliably traps .17 and .22 rimfire bullets. I shoot only in my garage, and would seriously recommend against shooting in living spaces: .22 bullets are typically unjacketed balls of soft lead, which spall when they impact anything, leaving shards of lead everywhere. It’s easy to dump this out of the bullet box, but some of it is going to be vaporized into the air. Also, even though the suppressor traps most of the propellant gas that normally blasts out the muzzle, there is plenty of leakage out the ejection port and one can smell it when I’m done shooting in the garage.

The gun itself is a pleasure to shoot. It has nice beefy grips (though these would not be well suited to shooters with smaller hands), and a light, crisp trigger with minimal travel and reset. The magazines can be painful to load without a $4 speedloader, so be sure to pick one up.

Shortcomings

This is the hardest gun I have to clean, which is a shame because it’s also the cheapest to shoot, and also because unjacketed .22 rimfire seems to be the dirtiest ammunition this side of black powder. Cleaning requires unscrewing two screws and dislodging the recoil spring from the rear post and then the plastic firing-pin assembly from the slide. None of these steps are easy to do. And you’re still left with that rear post on the frame, which prevents you from easily cleaning the barrel from the breach end without undoing a third screw to completely remove it. (And I read reviews that said this is easier to clean than a Ruger!)

Car: 2007 Mazda 6 Sport Grand Touring Wagon

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With the manufacturer kicking in an extra $2000 in incentives during November 2006, it was a great time to buy. I found a dealer who agreed to trade for one of only two GT wagons in the entire region, and give it to me for 1% above invoice, resulting in a before-tax cost of just $25,000 for a loaded car that rolled off the assembly line in September.

One of Mazda’s slogans is “Always the soul of a sports car,” and judging by this wagon they live up to it. First of all, I have to say I love the look of this car, inside and out. Right now it is the best-looking wagon you can buy in the U.S. One of my big concerns was that it would be a rough ride on its 18″ wheels, which are shod with very low-profile P215/45 tires. But the suspension in this thing is a dream: It locks on to the road and corners like it’s on rails, yet soaks up imperfections with all of the aplomb of the best German sports sedans I’ve driven.

The powertrain is very slick as well. The 6-speed automatic shifts extremely smoothly, and turns out EPA economy of 20mpg City / 27mpg Highway — acceptable for a 3500 pound car. (And though I doubt the EPA tests encompass this, I should also note that in a day in which most highway cruising is done above 85mph, that extra tall gear can make a real difference for fuel economy. This car does 2600rpm at 80mph and 3000rpm at 90mph, which still isn’t as tall as I think appropriate for a sixth gear.) I had hoped that by this point CVT transmissions would be widespread, but I guess this 6-speed is a decent approximation.

The engine is a 3.0 liter V6 rated at 212hp, and even though it is a product of Ford, Mazda has tied it together with a decently responsive control system: Floor the accelerator and there is just barely enough of a pause to let you know you’re driving American, but then it spins up to the redline at a respectable rate. Torque is sufficient to just about break the tires loose on a dry road. The engine emits a satisfying growl at high RPMs, yet stays very calm during cruising.

Interior fit and finish is good, even by the standards of near-luxury cars costing $10k more. I am extremely sensitive to squeaks and rattles, and so far am happy to have not detected even the faintest one I am thrilled to have a tilt AND telescoping steering wheel, which for the first time in a car I actually own has allowed me to arrange the cockpit to give my 6’2″ frame a perfect driving posture.

What’s missing?

The Grand Touring package leaves it nicely loaded, including such almost-essential amenities as HID low-beams, heated seats, automatic climate control with air filter, auto-dimming mirror with Homelink, alarm, etc. I could do without the moonroof, but that seems to get thrown into the mix anytime you step above a base trim. Features I wish were available, but which are not: Memory seats and mirrors, Vehicle Stability Control. And two features they have no excuse for omitting: Tire pressure sensors, and an exposed audio input to the sound system (e.g., for MP3 players).

I love this car, but it’s not perfect: It has a wide turning radius — the widest I can remember in a car. There is some highway tire noise as one gets up to a reasonable cruising speed. (I imagine that most low-profile all-seasons generate a good amount of road noise, but that higher-end cars carry an extra few hundred pounds of noise insulation.) Like many other cars, when the gas tank is a few gallons from the top it emits sloshing sounds, which disappear as the gas level drops. Finally, I was dismayed to find that the rear door is just two inches too small to admit a half sheet of plywood (which is 48″ on a side).

Reservations

Mazda’s reliability seems to be nestled down there in the middle of the pack. I wasn’t heartened to find a United Auto Workers sticker on a rear window advertising that this car was assembled with union labor. (Though I suppose that means I can park it downtown without having my tires slashed.) So I’ve made an allowance of around $1,300 to buy an extended warranty. I’m still working on the warranty issue; stay tuned for a report as soon as I’ve decided between EasyCare (offered through the dealer), Ford, and WarrantyDirect.com.

Why buy a sedan when you can get a wagon?

My salesman said that the only reason Mazda continues to make wagons is for the Canadian market. Indeed, I had a hard time just finding a single wagon to look at, and the dealer was only able to locate two in the Grand Touring trim in the entire region. Which just goes to show how stupid American car buyers can be.

The wagon configuration of this car is fabulously useful. The cabin volume is 98 cubic feet. Pop the split rear seats down and you have 60 cubic feet of cargo capacity. The clever cargo cover easily retracts, removes, and even remounts on the folded seats to set up another cargo divider right behind the front. Even if you never shop at Costco or Home Depot, I don’t see what you lose by owning the wagon: It weighs just 100 pounds more than the sedan, and has the same performance characteristics.

Why buy an SUV when you can get a wagon?

So if Mazda can hardly move any wagons, what is it they can move? As with every other nameplate, the answer is their new compact SUV: the CX-7. Which I mention only as an amusing contrast with their wagon: The Front-Wheel Drive version of the CX-7 weighs 200 pounds more than this wagon, gets commensurately lower mileage (19/24 vs 20/27), and actually has (marginally) less cargo capacity than the wagon! Meanwhile, the higher center of gravity seriously compromises handling.

So what do you get with an SUV? Towing capacity, and ground clearance. So if you have to tow something, the wagon won’t cut it. And if you need to drive through drifts of snow more than 7 inches deep, the SUV will give you another inch or two. But in each of these cases you also need All-Wheel Drive, which adds another 200 pounds to the vehicle weight, and further reduces fuel economy.

The last rationalization of the yuppie buying the compact SUV is that they need it for bad weather. But I would wager that putting a set of M+S (Mud-Snow) tires on a FWD car will do more to get a suburbanite through any level of snow that is safe to drive on than an AWD car with all-season tires. After all, AWD does not give you any more traction for cornering or braking, and it’s your ability to turn and stop that keeps you safe.

Semi-Auto Pistol: Glock 17

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9mm is the cheapest defense round you can buy, with FMJ cartridges widely available for under $.10 apiece. The Glock 17 or its slightly smaller, more concealable sibling, the model 19, are the best way to carry and shoot this round.

The Glock semi-auto design is so simple, so widely recognized, and so thoroughly proven, that this pistol wins based not only on simplicity but also on ubiquity and durability. The polymer frame keeps it very light. The slide is also the only semi-auto with a factory spring light enough for my wife to reliably cycle. Cleaning, if necessary at all, is a cinch: You remove the slide, pop out the recoil spring, remove the barrel, scrub and lube them all, and then put it back together. Show above is a first generation Glock 17 from the mid 1980’s. I don’t know how many thousands of rounds have gone through it, but that’s the extent of its cleaning, and I can’t remember ever having a non-operator-induced malfunction.

You can buy a new Glock for under $500. Put tritium sights on it for another $100. Get a holster, load up its 17-round magazines with cheap ammunition, and get to a range to hone your skills. For defensive use, especially if you don’t have a military or police background, you owe it to yourself to get some professional training. Local NRA-affiliated organizations or shooting clubs should be able to steer you in the right direction. (I qualified expert on the M9 in the Air Force, and subsequently spent 3 productive days at the SigArms Academy’s Concealed Carry course for civilians.)

There are a plethora of semi-automatic pistols on the market. Right off the bat I rule out any with an external safety: A well-designed handgun is drop-safe, so it doesn’t need a manual safety. The gun’s operator keeps the gun safe by keeping it holstered, and when it is unholstered the operator keeps it safe by not pulling the trigger unless he wants to discharge a round. I also rule out guns with exposed hammers or double actions: These are unnecessary complications that may be fine for competitive shooters, but which should not be brought into the equation for civilians just trying to acquire or maintain basic competency.

The only drawback to the Glock series is that it uses “double-stack” magazines, which means the grips are larger and not suited to people with small hands. If you have small hands, find a single-stack gun that fits you — that’s more important than any other feature.

Finally, if you don’t already have a safe, buy one of these and bolt it into a cupboard or closet. (You can find them on Gunbroker.com for under $100.)

Update: this is a photo of a third generation Glock 17. Its frame has more aggressive grip moldings as well as a front rail for attaching lights and laser sights — in this case a Streamlight TLR-2 unit that combines both.