Beretta M-9 from United Arms Designs

The newest design available from United Arms Designs, the Beretta M9: 

Available on Tote Bags, Mousepads, Teddy Bears, Travel Mugs, Women’s Apparel, Men’s Clothing, and more.

Beretta M9 Handgun Tote Bag Beretta M-9 Handgun Jumbo Tote Bag

Beretta M-9 Handgun Mousepad

Beretta M9 Handgun Teddy Bear

Beretta M9 Handgun Ceramic Travel Mug

Beretta M-9 Handgun Women's Fitted Spaghetti Strap Camisole

Beretta M9 Handgun Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Available from United Arms Designs, by Printfection and United Arms Designs, by CafePress.

The Gun and Its Development

 The Gun and its Development (Ninth Edition)

“First published in Great Britain in 1881 and subsequently revised nine times between that date and 1910, The Gun and Its Development traces the fascinating history of weaponry from the obscure, ancient origins of the slingshot and the bow; the invention of the crossbow, possibly around 1000 A.D.; the introduction of gunpowder into Europe in the fourteenth century; the development of sporting and military guns over the centuries thereafter; and the rise of modern, factory-mass-produced firearms in the early 20th century.

“Individual chapters cover early to modern handguns; gunpower ignition methods from fuses and flintlocks to percussion fulminates; shotguns; hammerless guns; ejector guns; the history of the firearms industry; manufacturing methods and their development in Britain, America, and elsewhere; how to use and handle different types of guns; ballistics; the development of rifling and smokeless powder; and much more.

“Copiously illustrated with photographs and marvelous engravings, The Gun and Its Development is the classic, authoritative reference work on the subject, certain to be of great interest to marksmen, hunters, gun collectors, and anyone interested in military or industry history.”

from www.livevideo.com posted with vodpod

Gift Certificates Available
Just in time for your Christmas and Hanukkah Gift Giving!

Have you waited until the last minute to pick out your holiday gifts?

Have you decided to give the gift of a custom firearm, and you know that it could never be finished in time for Christmas?

Know that you want to give the gift of a firearm, but don’t know exact what he wants?

Give a Gift Certificate from United Arms Service!

Suggestions that a Gift Certificate can be used for:

• Use for any general gunsmithing service. (Repair, sight installation, accurizing, etc.)
• Custom DuraCoat application.
• Special order any stock firearm from our list of manufacturers

Or the Ultimate Gift:
A Custom Firearm Built from the Ground Up!

Any Amount Available
No Amount Too Large

Available starting at $50

Customized Gift Certificates Available
Call or Email with your Request

To Order

Download Gift Certificate Order Form (.doc 46k)
Printer-Friendly Web Browser View

Call: 724-266-3400
Email: Sales@unitedarmsonline.com
Fax: 724-266-3401
Mail: United Arms Service
2301 Duss Ave, Ste 31
Ambridge, PA 15003

Order Deadlines

To Ensure Arrival by the end of Hanukkah (December 12th)
 Last Day to Order using Overnight Shipping: December 10th

To Ensure Arrival by Monday, December 24th, in time for Christmas:
 Last Day to Order using Standard (U.S.P.S.) Shipping: December 16th
 Last Day to Order using Overnight Shipping: December 21st

United Arms Service
Custom & Tactical Gunsmithing

UAS Newsletter – Web Browser View
UAS Newsletter – Download (.doc)

Greetings

There are many new things happening at United Arms Service.

First and foremost, you will soon see that our website will be undergoing an extensive redesign. I have received various complaints: “the website is difficult to navigate”; “it is too difficult to find what I am looking for”; “your content doesn’t change frequently enough, where are the photos of your more recent work?”

I heard your complaints and I listened!

I am redesigning the flow of navigation flow and our nav. menus so that it will be easier to maneuver through the pages of our site, and find the information that you are seeking. I have also made our search engine easier to find.

I am also working on a massive upload of new photos of our work. If you are a customer — you might find a picture of your gun on here!

One new service that we have already started is our Weblog! Check it out and add us to your RSS Reader.

Other improvements that are coming soon include:
Downloads
Pennsylvania Hunting Season Information
Gift Certificates in time for Christmas and Hanukkah
Biographical Information

Our website is soon to be the best that it has ever been — and I’m excited!

Can’t wait to show it to all of you,

Very truly yours,

Rachelle DeMunck
CEO

We have a gun show this month. Hope to see you there!

Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association
November 17th and 18th, 2007
Saturday: 08:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 08:00 – 16:00

The Blade Runners Ice Complex
Harmarville, PA

Directions

Bladerunners Ice Complex, Harmarville, PA

Directions from North:
Take I-76 (PA Turnpike) East toward Pittsburgh to Harmarville (exit 48). Bear right onto Freeport Rd. Make the second right onto Alpha Drive (next to Wendy’s and Denny’s).

Directions from elsewhere:
Take Route 28 to Harmarville (Exit 11). At the end of ramp go straight to first stoplight; make a left and then a quick left at Primanti Brothers. Follow straight past Ladbrokes to ice rink. Or I-76 West to Harmarville (exit 48).

I had a conversation today at the gun show that gave me something to think about. Actually, this was something that I’ve been pondering for a while now.

How do you describe yourself? What is your identity?

If someone asks you, “Who are you?” — What do you say? How do you finish the statement, “I am a….”? What is your label?

As is usual for these gun shows — the flow of traffic can be erratic. For some periods of the show, you can be sitting behind your table, bored out of your skull; then there can be times when there are flocks of people around your table, and you can scarcely keep up with all the questions that are being bandied about.

Being Sunday — historically the slower of the two days of the show — there were many lulls where there weren’t many visitors passing by my table. As is common, I struck up a conversation with the vendor who had the table next to me. The topics of our conversation were varied and random.

At one point, the discussion turned to hunting and fishing. My neighbor said that fishing was his favorite hobby and pastime. I mentioned that I did not have any experience with hunting — but my dad was also an avid fisherman.

As we were talking, I expressed what could only be termed the “Philosophy of Fishing”: When Fishing — you don’t always catch something. If you always caught something, then they would call it Catching — not Fishing.

At this — he said that I “must be a school teacher” because “I was so smart”; and that I was “quite the philosopher”.

At this point, a customer came to his table and started inquiring about some of the rifles that he had on display, so that tangent of our conversation came to an end.

Left to my own thoughts — my first reaction was, “Why can’t this be my job? Why do I have to be ’something else’?”

But then I realized: “What label do I attach to what I do?” There is no easy description to attach to myself.

It is something that I’d been pondering, in the back of my mind for awhile now. For instance, when filling out a survey or questionnaire that asks for my profession — I was often a little bit stymied as to what to put down.

I mean, Alex can say: “Master Gunsmith”. My sister can say “School Teacher”. My dad was able to say “Printing Press Operator”. My grandfather was able to say “Dairy Farmer”. My friend, Mark, can say “Computer Programmer.”

All definitive, distinct titles that unequivocably answer the question: “What do you do?”

Data Entry Clerk, Executive Assistant, Laboratory Animal Caretaker, Truck Driver, Customer Service Representative — all of these offer succinct descriptions of my past professions.

But what am I now?

“Business Owner” — sounds vague and somehow …. unsatisfying.

“CEO” — sounds too grandiose. (My personal favorite phrase to describe the breadth and depth of my responsibilities is “Jane-of-All-Trades”.)

I finally hit upon the perfect title for my profession — I am a Firearms Dealer. A deceptively simple title to encompass my growing devotion and interest in firearms.

After I finally settled upon a title — I wondered, why can’t this be my job? My profession — why do others assume that this is only a secondary interest for me?

To continue:

I had a gun show today. The day began with a less-than-auspicious start.

I was up late last night. I worked at my “real” job until 19:00. I arrived at the shop at about 19:30. I had to unload the organized chaos that resides in the trunk of my car, load up the guns I was taking to the show, and organize my paperwork.

By the time I got myself home and ready to go to bed, it was 23:30.

For some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep. I was still awake at 01:00. At 04:30, I was awake, thought I’m not sure if I had slept or not.

My alarm went off at 05:15; I finally dragged myself out of bed at 05:45.

I was out the door and on the road at 06:00.

I had planned on an hour for transit time (a generous cushion, but what proved to be a wise choice), so that I could arrive with an hour to get set up for the show’s opening at 08:00.

It’s never a good sign when: You get up in the morning and the foremost thought in your mind is, “Man, I can’t wait until the end of the day so I can go to bed.”

I followed PA 989 out of Ambridge, thinking that it was actually a nice day for a drive. I watched the sun come up, thinking (in a somewhat sado-masochistic way) that I missed this from when I used to drive a truck: watching the light slowly grow over the treetops.

As I drove, my low fuel light came on. I debated whether I wanted to wait to fuel until I got to Harmarville.

I decided to fuel before getting on the Turnpike, a decision that probably prevented a bad morning from getting completely hellish.

On Freedom-Conway, I belatedly realized that I was passing a gas station. By the time my sleep-fogged brain registered it, and I slowed down enough — I couldn’t make the turn into the final driveway, due to construction.

I continued on, and hit the Shell station, the last station before getting on the ‘pike.

I got on the turnpike, at some point my brain went into auto-pilot. However, where I was auto-piloting myself, I have no idea.

I passed an exit, and had a niggling flash of, “Oh, that looked somewhat familiar. Did I miss my exit? Nah….”

Then I passed over a big bridge over a big river. All the while, I’m thinking, “Errr… I don’t think I remember that from the last time….”

It all looked vaguely familiar. I’ve been to the gun show out here in Harmarville twice. Beyond that, I seldom travel this section of the pike. I’d been out this way to Irwin once, and it’s the way I take to drive to Northern Virginia.

All in all, a route that I’ve taken just often enough to have it be slightly familiar — not completely new, but not often enough to really know where I’m going.

I pass a service plaza.

Again, I’m thinking, “I don’t know that I remember that…”

I come to the exit for 376. I know this isn’t the exit, so I go to the next one.

I have a moment of utter panic when I see a sign that says, “Next Exit 63 miles.” Then I realize that it in fact is warning me that the next service plaza is 63 miles.

I finally arrive at the Irwin exit. As I’m coming off the ramp, I realize this is most definitely not where I want to be.

All the same, I ask the toll attendant the best way to get back to Harmarville: Pull a U-turn and re-enter the turnpike.

I get back on the turnpike. Amazingly, I can still admit to myself that it is a nice day for a drive. I decide that my exit must have been the Pittsburgh exit after all. The next exit is ten miles up, so I’m calculating 20 miles out of my way — not too bad.

I jump off at the Pittsburgh exit — realize that this still is not right. I ask the toll attendant — I have to keep going west one exit.

I have managed to go not one, but two exits out of my way. Not 20 miles, but 40 miles.

Just Shoot Me Now.

I make another U-turn, and get back on the turnpike.

I return back to the Allegheny Valley exit, sure enough — this is it. No wonder that it looked familiar when I passed it 30 minutes ago.

I’m realizing to be thankful for small favors. What if I hadn’t been prudent, and not filled up my tank before getting on the turnpike?

I finally arrived at 07:15.

I find another small blessing in that I am able to find a parking space right across from the check-in door, although I am seething with the knowledge that I would have been here at 6:40 if my brain had been paying attention to where I was.

I guess it all turned out for the good, because I was able to get my table set up (mostly) before the show opened.

I originally considered titling this entry: “Someone Please Shoot Me Now.”

However, I realized that, given my vocation — that the above headline is not entirely appropriate. However, I have long contemplated beginning to publish a blog. Among my self-imposed obstacles was a fear.

I think I can best summarize this fear as a fear of offense, or perhaps a fear of alienation.

To explain: As I mentally wrote my potential blog articles, I realized that my possible subjects spanned the entire gamut of audiences.

To put it mildly, my collection of interests is…. diverse.

But I decided that, in the end, you can’t please everyone. The only compass that I can follow is to be true to myself.

I am somewhat reluctant to describe myself as such, for fear of braggadocio — but I can probably be best described as one-of-a-kind.

When I thought of my topics, I considered my potential audience(s). I contemplated censoring myself. I had concerns of alienating readers.

Suppose a woman discovers my blog due to our shared interest in quilting: reading my tales of Misadventures With Math (cutting, and re-cutting, and re-cutting…); Log Cabin Quilt Designing; Mon Seul Desire (my future unicorn quilt); and Sewing for Mental Health. When she logs on to read my latest quilting adventure, she finds my next post to be a discussion of various concealed carry options for my Para Ordnance LDA .45.

Suppose a man starts reading my blog because of our shared interest in firearms and shooting; reading about my stories of target shooting; second amendment news; firearm reviews; and new firearm projects. When he logs on to read my latest post and he reads about my latest idea for a quilting project that I’m planning to sew with applique images of FN FS2000’s and FN PS90’s.

What if I have offended my quilting reader because she is staunchly in favor of gun control? What if my firearms reader discounts my authenticity because I am writing of women’s interests?.

But then I realized that I was stereotyping my readers. What’s to say that my quilting reader would not be interested in guns? What’s to say that my firearms reader would not be interested in handcrafts?

I should know, of all people, not to make assumptions. I also realized that it is impossible to please everyone

The obvious, immediate answer is to publish separate blogs for each of my interests. However, I would end up with a veritable library of blogs in that instance. In addition, there is a good deal of …. “cross-pollination” in the entries that I have planned. In my life, as disparate as my interests may seem — everything is interconnected, the different aspects of my life cannot be so easily pigeon-holed.

My concerns about this have proven to be a stumbling block for me, impeding me from fully utilizing my blog. I have finally decided upon a compromise.

I very well may be violating some “rules” by proceeding in this fashion — but this is my decision:

My “complete” blog is my personal blog: The Fox and the Hedgehog. That will be my main blog. (Read the Biographypage, and it will explain the provenance behind the title to my blog.) If you are interested in quilting as well as firearms — that is the blog that you will want to subscribe to.

My sewing and quilting blog is The Nomadic Quilter. If you are only interested in sewing, quilting and textiles; and would prefer not to read about guns and hunting — this is the blog for you.

My firearms blog, the blog for my business is Custom & Tactical Gunsmithing, by United Arms Service. If you are only interested in firearms and weapons; and would prefer not to read about fabric and embroidery, this is the blog for you.