Confirming charitable organizations

I think everyone gets those letters in the mail. A well assembled presentation, printed on decent paper stock, kindly asking you for a small tax-deductible donation to help their cause. I think one of the greatest things you can do as a human being is to give well to charity. But you also shouldn't walk blindly into anything.

A great tool I have found to help filter through charities is on the IRS' website.

The IRS has a publication specifically designed for listing and reviewing tax-deductible charities.

From the introduction of the publication...

"Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations described in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, is a list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. This online version is offered to help you conduct a more efficient search of these organizations."

This list from the IRS is constantly updated with all the legal and documented charities that registered with them. If you take a quick look at their website, you can search for charities by name, city, state or country. If you see the charity you searched for listed in the results field, you can be 100% certain it is a legitimate organization.

The direct link to the search field can be found by clicking here.

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Price of rising ammo in The Dallas Morning news

The Dallas Morning News has a pretty decent article on the rising cost of ammunition on their website today.

The headline is a real groaner... "Price of ammo to shoot up". But aside from that, the article is accurate on the current state of ammunition sales.

The gist of the problem is summarized in the third paragraph of the article. "The price increases began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then were compounded by a double whammy: the war in Iraq, which pushed up overall demand, and growing industrial powers such as China, which bid up the cost of needed raw materials."

The article goes on to say that some hunters are now making their own ammunition. That's a fact I can attest to from the customers I have coming in asking for re-loading parts and supplies as opposed to cases of new ammunition.

As a dealer, my cost to purchase ammunition has risen considerably. Its an increase I have had to pass on, but everything I get in still sells out. However, as some of my customers have pointed out, it is quickly becoming more economical to keep brass from the range and take the time to re-load it at home.

You know it is getting bad when even the white box ammunition at Wal-Mart has gone up in price.

There really is nothing to reloading, and when I get a good bench and reloading press of my own, I plan to photo-blog the process.

Beware of the cheap cheap ammunition, though. I am of the firm opinion you always get what you pay for. I would rather save up and get high-grade name brand ammunition with proven track records. It is always better to hit your target with one expensive round than miss with a dozen cheap ones.

The article is available through this link.

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Springfield Armory XD striker status indicator

This brief photo-blog will illustrate what the striker status indicator is on the Springfield Armory XD line of firearms. Like the loaded chamber indicator, this feature is another reason the Springfield is my daily carry of choice.


All Springfield Armory XD firearms have a striker status indicator. Located on the rear of the slide, there is a area that indicates whether or not the slide has been cocked back or not. In the photo below, the striker status indicator pin is not visible in the back of the slide. This firearm has not had the slide cocked back.

In the photo below, you can see the striker status indicator pin protruding from the back of the slide. It is a small metallic pin that stands out against the dark colored slide.


When the pin is sticking out of the rear of the slide as it is in the photo above, the slide of the firearm has been cocked back. Once the trigger is pressed, the indicator pin will return inside the slide housing.

Another great feature of this indicator is that you can feel with a quick brush of your finger whether or not the firearm has been cocked back or not. The indicator protrudes enough so you can easily feel its position, but not so far that it interferes with holstering or concealment.


Just because the indicator is out does not always mean the firearm is loaded, though. Always act on the four rules regardless of the striker status indicator says.

...and boy do I need to clean my XD.

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Springfield XD loaded chamber indicator

This photo blog will briefly illustrate the loaded chamber indicator on the Springfield Armory XD series pistol.

This is my "daily" firearm of choice. It is a Springfield Armory XD .40 Sub-Compact. The short magazine makes it very easy for me to keep on my person as my concealed carry, and the .40 is a good caliber to have. I can swap out the compact magazine (in place in the photo below) with an extended magazine so all my fingers can wrap around the grip, but that makes it a little harder to conceal in the holsters I have.


On top of the slide of the Springfield is a loaded chamber indicator. This is on all the Springfield Armory XD series pistols and is extraordinarily handy to have. In the photo below I have my thumb pressing against the indicator.


The loaded chamber indicator tells you if there is a cartridge in the chamber. When there is a cartridge in the chamber of a Springfield Armory XD series firearm, the indicator will raise above the base of the frame very slightly. When the loaded chamber indicator is up, that means there is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm, and the firearm is ready to fire. If the indicator is down, or flat against the frame, it means there is no cartridge in the chamber of the firearm.


You can visually see this indicator's position from a good distance, and best of all, you can tell by quickly brushing your finger over the slide if the firearm is ready to be discharged or if the slide needs to be pulled back to load a round. That's very handy for low-light situations and for keeping your eyes on the target.


Its also obvious form these photos that I need to clean my XD!

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