Real Man’s Day 2011
Real men don’t eat quiche and, it seems, they also do not eat the 18-inch Hoagie sandwiches nor drink (all) of the beer set out for them when they are distracted by an over-abundance of guns, ammo, and bombage. The 34th annual Real Man’s Day, hosted at an undisclosed location by an undisclosed real man on October 22, 2011, was a reverberating success. For a nickel, I’ll tell you what was the cause of that reverberation.
No, it was not caused by a very large firecracker. The arsenal on hand for RMD 2011 varied widely—from bolt-action .22 rifle to semi-automatic AR-10—and one real man either had a very quick trigger finger or that was an automatic weapon.
Most of the excitement, however, was centered around a Barrett M82 .50 caliber “anti-material rifle.”
The .50 caliber rounds were a handful, but recoil was kept in check by the muzzle brake and spring-loaded barrel, not to mention the mass of the gun itself.
The M82 is typically fired from the prone position, as shown in the next photo. Note the sideways-to-slightly-rearward blast from the compensator.
But, my favorite gun was a 40-year-old Ithaca pump-action 20-guage—repeatedly raised by D.M., apparently almost effortlessly, to pick off clay pigeons. Many thanks to T.H. for over an hour of hand-tossed flying pottery.
After the cases of clays had finally been emptied, one final toss was made. This time the flying target was a laptop computer that had outlived its useful life. There was no telling which of the several shooters missed the airborne computer, since everyone shot at once, but it may have been … none of them. Here’s a look at the remains:
So, what was it that caused the four-wheelin’ old-fart to stop by and offer anyone a nickel to tell him what made his house shake? Tannerite, which is a trade-name for what is approximately 85 percent ammonium nitrate granules and 15 percent aluminum, titanium, and zirconium hydroxide dust, shaken (not stirred), and detonated with a bullet fired from a high-powered rifle. Ask for it behind the counter at your favorite gun shop.
And finally, don’t be caught with your pants down. Be on the lookout next Fall for the latest trend in distressed denim clothing, including: Birdshot Brand No. 8 Distressed Denim Pants, from the bush to your toosh, we’ve got you covered. (see U.S. Patent No. 7427299)