Things I’d Like To See Them Make

This is a random list of items I'd like to see made.  They'd make life nicer.

If you know of a product that meets one of these description please let me know about it by clicking here.

Power adapters for the various red dot sights that would allow you to power a sight with standard AA batteries instead of the often hard to find 123, CR20xx, CR1/3N, and the like.  It would consist of a 2-cell AA battery holder with an appropriate battery compartment cap that would replace the normal battery and run the sight from the AA batteries.

Plastic bottles for firearms lubricants the diameter of a "123" size battery so that a supply of lube could be kept in a "123" size storage compartment.  Would have to be 16.5 mm in diameter and about 40 mm in length. There seem to be plenty of 17 mm diameter bottles (too large) and 14.5 mm bottles (a little too small) but nothing the right size.

Quality alarm clock with the following features

• multiple alarm settings so you could program three (3) different wakeup times

• keypad for setting times so you don't have to scroll through the clock

• multiple alarm tones, from nice to nasty.  CD, iPod, or an SD card based music player would be OK too.

• full display dimming so you can adjust the display to be barely visible in a dark room without any glare—perhaps via photo cell.

• battery backup

Small,  inexpensive, thermostatically controlled inline hot water heater that would give you instant hot water and then taper off as the hot water in the pipes reached the faucet.  Similar to the hot water taps available to make coffee but running at a lower temperature with an automatic heater shut off when hot water gets to its intake.

Desktop PCs sold with just a clean, bare-bones up to date OEM OS and no unwanted junk. Base PC should include dvd/cd burner/reader, multiple flash card reader, ability to handle at least 2 SATA hard drives in addition to 2 SATA DVD/CD,  fast graphics, 10/100/1000/wireless/4G networking, a minimum of 6 USB 3.0 (4 rear, 2 front panel) and 2 - 4 GB of RAM, in a compact, space saving case.  Interfaces (graphics card, network, sound, etc) should be on cards or snap out modules on the board so if something fries the whole board doesn't become useless.

A similar idea for laptops.  In my mind a laptop isn't a portable desktop so how about something truly portable.  The "netbooks" are close but lacking in some features.  How about a rugged, 10-12" high def screen, about a 2 GHz processor and 2 - 4 GB of memory,.  A real operating system (not a crippled stripped "starter" one), 250-300 GB high speed (7200 rpm) SATA hard disk (or an SSD one), included internal or external CD/DVD drive, 4 USB 3.0, SD card reader (internal or external), 100/1000/wireless network and WiFi/4G, and headphone/external speaker only sound.  Add in 5-10 hour battery life, in a rugged light weight package.

Simple, reliable, PC backup software.  How about some reliable software that will back up your entire PC and the operating system onto any drive equal to or larger than the original and that will give a guaranteed 100% working restore on any drive the same size or larger as the original.  Most of the current crop of software doesn't and usually require various incantations and spells to work properly.

Quality cell phone without all the crazy features.  Just give me GREAT range, sensitivity, voice quality, and ruggedness, along with an address book with easy PC backup without expensive aftermarket software, text messaging, and an appointment calendar and alarm.  A 2+ MP  camera would be acceptable but not necessary as it's nice to have an emergency camera.

Cell phone base receiver for the home that actually works  that would allow you to answer cell phone calls on your normal wired house phones.  A handy thing for those who have dumped their land line.  There are apparently a few devices like this but reports of their reliability are not inspiring.

Speaker phones with echo suppression so you don’t sound like you’re in a barrel.

Garage doors with a fold down/drop down bottom section with a screen so you could lower the door to get shaded ventilation and still keep critters out.

Automobile engines designed so you can easily get to and remove/replace the oil filter and other frequent maintenance stuff.

Automotive air conditioning units with an easy way to flush out the drip pan to avoid the musty odor they frequently get.

Very low rpm setting for ceiling fans that would just barely move the air (and be absolutely quiet).  Ditto for a standard floor or desk fan.

A telephone with a call blocking feature that would send out the “non-working line” 3-tone code when listed numbers called rather than just a busy signal.  This would help get your number off of auto dialer lists as it would be reported as a non-working number to their computers.

Automobile windshield top tinting that would cover the area around the mirror and extend past the visors to prevent the "sunlight laser effect" when low angle sunlight gets around the edges of the visors.

High beam dashboard indicators and other dashboard indicators that could be dimmed along with the rest of the instrument cluster so you are not blinded with a bright blue or other color light when using high beams or cruise control at night.

Dual head chronograph.  A quality chronograph with 2 sets of sky screens that would allow simultaneous "muzzle" and down range velocities that would work at up to 600 yards or more.  Wireless if possible down range.

An improved  true WYSIWYG web authoring application similar to MS's Front Page that would be easy and intuitive to use and that generated tight HTML code rather than pages of bloated code, and allow easy image handling and table creation/updating within the program.

I'd like to see the following ammunition offered.

.22 Hornet / K-Hornet Rimless.  All the fun of the Hornet in a rimless case for better feeding in bolt action rifles. Of course the .221 Rem Fireball would do this job nicely too and has a .223 case diameter but hey, everyone's introducing new cartridges.  Maybe a slightly shorter cased Fireball in keeping with all the rage about "super short" cartridges.  The "K" hornet would give you about 2900 fs with a 45 gr bullet.

.25 Rimfire. 60 gr  Loaded to .22WRM pressures this would be a nice alternative to the .17 RF rounds for those who prefer heavy bullets.

6.8 mm SPC +P.  Well not really a +P but loaded to the original GI performance of 115 gr at 2700+ f/s for use in GI, SPC II, and DMR chambers

30 carbine 93 - 95 gr JHP.  With a properly constructed and shaped 93 - 95 gr bonded core JHP bullet at 2200 f/s this (along with the 110 gr JHP WW  and Corbon DPX  loads) would make nifty small game, home defense, and police carbine rounds for the handy ubiquitous M1 carbine.

.30-06 250 gr.  For where deep penetration is desired

.401 WSL +P.  A modern high pressure version of the old .401 Winchester Self Loading cartridge.  The original round was a little weak for its size (200gr @ 2100 and a 250 gr @ 1870) running at around 35K CUP.  Loaded to a realistic modern pressure level of say 45-50 K psi some interesting performance (a 200 gr @ 2450+ or a 250 gr @ 2100+) could be achieved in a compact rifle.  Maybe a rimless version of the .460 S&W cartridge instead

.41 Special Police 180-200 gr JHP.  A similar round to the .41 Mag police round but with a shorter case of .38 SPL length, for use only in a non-magnum capable service revolvers.

.45 Auto Rim 200-230 gr JHP +P.  The power of the .45 Colt in a more compact package

10 mm ACP Magnum (a.k.a.10 x 31 mm)   A longer cased 10 mm ACP round (like the Winchester .45 and 9 mm Magnum rounds) for use in semi-auto carbines. A 180 gr @ 1800+ from an 16" bbl carbine would be nifty.  While it has been produced in very limited quantities some good marketing would help.

Inexpensive, reduced loading, rifle cartridges.  Not just lower velocity but  with either light weight jacketed or lead bullets at velocities of about 1150 f/s for use as quiet plinking or training rounds.  Similar in concept to the old military "guard" or "gallery" loadings.

Sub-caliber chamber inserts that would hold the internal cartridge in place so you could feed through your magazine.

Improved J-Frame S&W fixed sight revolvers.  Make a slight raised "hump for the rear sight so the notch could be a bit deeper for a better sight picture.  How about a blackened face on the rear sight on stainless steel pistols while we are at it.

Savage, Remington, Ruger and Winchester detachable mag rifles.  How about affordable real 5 and 10 rd box mags.  

1:10 or 1:11 twist .308 Win barrels as standard.  The standard .308 Win twist is 1:12 and based on the GI spec for 150 gr bullets.  It is barely adequate for bullets over 168 gr.

All autopistols.  How about including 3 spare magazines (1 for in the gun and 2 spare) in the box

Shotguns.  How about offering 24" ribbed barrels for field work with either an adjustable choke or choke tubes.  You lose very little in ballistics and have a very fast swinging shotgun

An additional size flat rate Priority Mail package between the size of the "small"  ($5) and "medium" ($11) boxes for about $7.

If I Were King

And while we are at it, here's a list of things I'd immediately change in our government if "I were king."

Term Limits - There is something going on that's not right when people leave a high paying industry job for a lower paying political position and then they stay in that position forever, reaping "benefits" and ignoring their constituents.  

Anyone seeking any public office must be a natural born citizen, have served our country either in the military or civilian service corps for a minimum of 2 years,  have held a real producing job in the private sector for at least 5 years, and have to give FULL disclosure on their education and finances.  They must also be able to recite the Bill of Rights from memory, and swear allegiance to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  

Consequences and full equality for the government.  Hold the government and its employees and agents to the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and any laws they pass.  If they violate anything, they go to jail.  Stop their exemptions from health care, social security, and the like, and hold all government employees to the same standards of conduct, liability, and responsibility as the rest of the people--no more get out of jail free privileges for agents of the state. 

Attendance requirements for legislators.  Any legislator who misses 3 consecutive, or 5 non-consecutive sessions for other than being in the hospital gets terminated, and fined.

Flat rate income tax.  Just because YOU work harder and make more money why should anyone have to pay a greater proportion of your income to taxes?  (And then have to find all kinds of sneaky loop holes in the tax code to reduce your taxes.)  If we had an across the board flat rate tax on every person, business, or corporation, with few, if any, exemptions, life would be so much simpler AND we'd have more than enough money to run the government.  Let's say a flat 10 percent of your gross income--no deductions with the possible exception of up to 10 percent total of your gross to certified non-profit charitable or religious organizations, and  no tax for an inheritance to a family member.  Think of the money the government would save by downsizing the IRS to just a large enough staff to process the payments!.  

Balance the budget.  Forbid deficit spending.  No lifetime public assistance programs.  Return to the gold standard for all monies.

Restoration of rights.  Persons convicted of "felonies" or misdemeanors where the sentence could be 18 months currently lose their voting and 2nd Amendment rights.  They have paid for the misdeeds once they have completed their sentence yet they can't (at least easily) get their rights restored.  An attorney friend tells me that the vast majority of "felony" convictions these days are, and have been,  non-violent convictions, so there is no real reason to deny restoration of all rights.  Actually, I see no reason why even some "violent" felony offenders shouldn't be able to have all their rights restored perhaps after a period of say 10 years with no further offenses.  To permanently deny rights after the completion of a sentence make no sense to me.  Personally I'd feel safer living next door to a "felon" (even a "violent" one) who had his gun rights restored and who owned  guns, than next to most government employees, politicians, or agents of the state.  

End the NFA '34, GCA '68, and other onerous and idiotic antigun regulations.  "Things" should not be regulated nor banned, only the misuse of them.  It doesn't matter if you own an 300 mph car, an "assault rifle," a .50 caliber rifle, a .50 caliber M2 machinegun, a "silencer," a flame thrower, a fighter jet, a tank, a hammer, a knife, a book, a model rocket, or anything else.  If you misuse them then you suffer the consequences, until then who cares.  Also, saying that "you don't need xxxx" or "there is no legitimate use for "xxxx" is a really stupid comment.  You don't need a 6,000 square foot house, million dollar diamond jewelry, a $90,000 car, a 70" TV, a $3,600 dress, a cellar full of expensive wine, a library full of old rare books, 15 pairs of sneakers, designer clothing, or a double-chocolate fudge cake either.  Of course the real reason for banning "things" is to try and control the people.  Those who would control us have an innate fear of people who show self control and self reliance.

Tighten our borders.  Other countries limit access to their country and have tight restrictions on non-citizens.  We should too.  Just because you don't like things in your country doesn't mean you should get free access to ours.  All immigrants and visitors  would be subject to a background check and be required to report their whereabouts and status every month.  Heavy penalties for deliberate immigration violations.

Bring business back to our country.  Put a tax on products made overseas by US companies rather than here in the US.  Limit union pensions and benefits to the same levels everyone is entitled to.  Getting a pension equal to what you were making is ridiculous, as is passing that along to your heirs in perpetuity.

End all regulations promulgated and illegally enforced by various government organizations (like the IRS, ATF, EPA) that can result in criminal prosecution.  Downsize or eliminate the alphabet soup agencies like the ATF, IRS, DEA, EPA, Department of Education, and all the other little fiefdoms that serve no useful purpose. Only congress can make and pass laws.  

Senate and Congress can only vote on bills which affect the entirety of the US population in-whole – That puts an end to the special interest groups, vote-buying, pork barrel projects, short-term thinking, etc.  The secret ballot will apply to all Senators and Congressmen – end to closed-door wheelings and dealings.  If any one  colludes on a bill, they are both fired.

Limit all bills brought before congress to one subject.  No hidden agendas, regulations, or riders (as an example you could not imbed a new tax law in a healthcare bill.) and require all bills to meet the test of constitutionality.  In addition, all bills must written in plain English and in a form that the average citizen can understand. For any new law passed two old laws have to be removed from the books.

Defund organizations like National Public Radio (NPR) and others that are simply propaganda arms of the socialists.  Let them pay for their own air time like the rest of the folks do.

End permanent welfare entitlement  If you are physically able to work at some job you must do so to receive welfare benefits and you must regularly show that you are drug free and using birth control. Even if it is just working on a county road cleanup crew or school cleanup squad you must do so. You are not entitled to endless welfare support while you sit on your ass.  If you refuse to work, you are on your own.  

No more quotas or preferential treatment for anyone or any group.  If you can't make it on merit and skill tough luck.  Get training.

| Back to Fr. Frog's Homepage |

Updated 2011-12-24