This is what happens when you’re retired, it’s raining, and you have access to an indoor handgun range. In the last blog, I wrote about much I liked the ARX 118-grain .45 ACP Inceptor composite bullets. I also mentioned that I felt the 9.1-grain Power Pistol load was a bit hot for my tastes. So I continued the .45 ACP ARX bullet load development effort. I loaded 10 rounds each with the 118-grain bullets at 9.1 grains of Power Pistol (same as before), and then I loaded 10 rounds with 8.8 grains, 8.5 grains, 8.1 grains, and 7.7 grains of Power Pistol. I chronographed everything and fired at the same 10-yard distance as I had in the last blog, using the same two hand hold with no pistol rest. Just like before.
Here’s the data:
In my Springfield 1911 Target Model, all loads functioned perfectly. The loads were 100% reliable (at least with my 10 round sample size) for feed, function, and holding the slide open on the last shot.
As I had for the initial tests, I used the Alco target with four silhouettes on each sheet.
Here’s the target for the 9.1 grains and 8.8 grains of Power Pistol. The two top targets are with 9.1 grains, the two bottom targets are with 8.8 grains.The top two targets are with 8.5 grains of Power Pistol; the bottom two are with 8.1 grains of Power Pistol.These two targets are with 7.7 grains. I didn’t use the bottom two targets.
Three points are noted:
As the loads get lighter, the bullets print higher on the target. That’s because the bullets are in the barrel longer as the gun is in recoil.
The 8.8-grain load groups appear to be the most accurate. I had a flyer or two on each target, but I had several rounds make one ragged hole on each target.
Recoil was a little bit less with the 8.8-grain load compared to the 9.1-grain load. I gave up about 45 fps in average velocity (from the 9.1-grain load), but hey, it’s a .45. Who cares? The target will never feel the difference.
Just to see if I still could rustle up my Excel skills, I put together three x-y plots showing the chrono data.
Average velocity appears to linearly correlate with powder charge (that bit of info and three bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks). That’s not always the case, especially as you approach maximum powder charges.Extreme spread was minimized at 8.5 grains of propellant. It was still low at 8.8 grains.In line with the extreme spread findings (see above), the standard deviations were similarly low at 8.5 and 8.8 grains of propellant.
Based on the above, I decided that 8.8 grains of Power Pistol is the l load I am going with for the ARX .45 ACP bullets. You might wonder why I didn’t select 8.5 grains, as that loading provided the lowest extreme spread and standard deviation. The simple answer is that lower extreme spreads and standard deviations do not always correlate with the tightest groups. If they did, I could simply take the suggested accuracy loads in the Lyman manual and run with them (Lyman bases their accuracy load selection based on standard deviation and extreme spread), but I’ve found that my accuracy loads are often not what the reloading manuals claim to be the most accurate. Another reason is that my Lyman manuals don’t include data for the ARX composite bullets. Results on paper are what count. For this bullet in my 1911, that appears to be 8.8 grains of Power Pistol. Yeah, it could just be me getting lucky with my handheld accuracy tests, but it’s me doing the shooting, and it’s me making the selection.
Both extreme spread and standard deviation are measures of velocity variation. Of the two, I prefer standard deviation as the more meaningful. The standard deviation (represented by the Greek letter σ) is a statistics parameter representing spread around the average. What it means is that approximately 99.7% of the velocities for all shots fired will lie within the range of the average velocity minus 3σ to the average velocity plus 3σ. The average velocity for the 8.8-grain load is 1299.6fps, so our ±3σ range is 1257.9fps to 1340.7fps. If you’ve ever heard people talk about Six Sigma quality programs, they are referring to minimizing variability to ±3σ (±3σ represents a total of 6σ). It’s a fancy way of saying the odds of being outside a ±3σ range are about 1 in 1000 (it’s actually about 3 in 1000 based on that 99.7% value mentioned above; calling it 1 in 1000 is an approximation). If you understand this, you already understand more than most people who toss around 6σ terminology. I’ve spent a lot of my career in manufacturing, engineering, and quality assurance, and I can guarantee you that most people who say 6σ have no idea what they are talking about.
To get back to the main topic, I am impressed with the ARX bullets. I ordered another 2000 as I was wrapping up this blog (and by the time you read this, I will already have them). If you haven’t tried the ARX bullets, you might think about doing so.
As I woke up in my dark hotel room it took me a few moments to realize where I was. What took longer was figuring out how to turn on the lights via the Rubik’s cube, but mashing all the light switches on the main panel helped me regain my focus and vision in this now dimly lit room. The bigger issue was finding the correct switch for the hot water. So after a short and cold shower (I didn’t find the switch) it was time to meet everyone downstairs and get our plan for the day together over some much needed coffee.
Once downstairs I looked at each of my friends, then myself in the mirror. It wasn’t difficult to tell who consumed the 8% Kingfisher beers the previous evening. I also learned that one of them went back to the store for another beer after I went to sleep but the store was closed. That didn’t stop my highly motivated friend from discovering that there was a guy next to the store selling Kingfishers at a mildly elevated price from a ditch next to the store.
With a few coffees in us we loaded the motorcycles and we were ready for another day of adventure. Today would be our first full day of riding from Alawar to Jaipur, which was only around 160km. There would be plenty of sights to see along the way as we traveled through some pretty remote backroads and Google Maps even had us go through a field trail for a few kilometers. We took turns leading although my cell service was still unreliable, so we would only have me lead when we were on one road for a solid length of time.
After an hour or so we decided to take a break in a small village and get a few bananas and some water. It only took a couple minutes before most the village came out to meet us all. Even a school bus stopped and let the kids off to check out the bikes and talk with us. It reminded me of my first experience in India 20 years prior. This would become a familiar sight for us with crowds coming up to us to chat and take selfies. They all were the friendliest people. We enjoyed these stops and opportunities to engage with the locals in these little villages that were so far off the maps.
Our next stop was to check out a step well. One of the guys had this thing for step wells, and by the end of the trip I hoped I would never see another step well again. I think he had to have like a Global map for them. Step wells are really just a deep brick hole in the ground with several steps from all angles going down into the hole to fetch water with buckets and bring it back up. Some of them went over 60 feet down.
Once we arrived in Jaipur it was early afternoon, and the traffic was really starting to become congested. This made it a challenge for me to stay within line of sight of the guys (again). There is a huge fort in Jaipur called Nahargarh Fort. It was the first of many forts we would be visiting. The fort was stunning to walk around and the views from that high ground were spectacular. We could view the entire city from this fort.
As we wrapped up the tour of the fort and returned to lower ground the traffic had become beyond insane. The streets were narrow and filled with tuk tuks, motorcycles, cows, cars and just overall chaos. It seemed every inch that was gained to stay in a tight group was a fight. The others driving wasn’t so much as aggressive as it was just cramped and tight. My bike got scuffed up by a bus at one turn, but I had to keep on riding to keep up with the others.
By the time we reached our hotel we all were more than ready for a Kingfisher and we each hoped they were the 8% ones. We survived another day motorcycling through this fabulous, but intense country and were eagerly looking forward to what the following day would bring.
I recently received my order of Inceptor ARX 118-grain .45 ACP bullets. I had previously loaded 9mm ammo with ARX 65-grain bullets and I was pleased with them, so I wanted to try the ARX bullets in the .45, too.
I compared how two 1911s performed on my local indoor pistol range, firing with a two-hand hold (but without a rest) at 10 yards. I used nearly identical 1911 Springfield target pistols, one in 9mm and the other in .45. The .45 1911 is as it came from the factory; this gun has had no custom work done to it other than installing a one-piece guide rod. The 9mm 1911 had the same one-piece guide rod, along with other custom touches by good buddy TJ at TJ’s Custom Gunworks. The 9mm 1911 has a much crisper and lighter trigger, it is an absolute delight to shoot, and it is my favorite handgun.
The two Springfield 1911s used in this test., shown here with cast bullet loads. The testing described herein used ARX composite bullets, as shown in the photo at the top of this blog.
The ARX bullets are different than anything I’ve used before. They are a mix of copper particles suspended in a polymer matrix. The ARX bullets are much lighter than cast or jacketed bullets, with consequently dramatically higher muzzle velocities. They are not marketed as frangible bullets. They are intended to produce a larger wound cavity and I suppose because of that they could be considered a better defense round. I’m not interested in any of that. I’ll never hunt with either a 9mm or a .45, and although I sometimes carry a 1911 chambered in .45 ACP or my 9mm S&W Shield, when I do so it is always with factory ammunition. Nope, my interested was a result of my buddy Robby gave me a few 9mm ARX bullets and I fell in love with them. The ARX bullets are less expensive than cast or jacketed bullets and they are accurate. For a range rat like me, that’s a good deal.
I reloaded all ammo used in this test series with my Lee turret press, a great setup that consistently produces superior ammo. This photo shows a completed ARX .45 ACP round. Here’s our earlier review of the Lee gear.
9mm 1911 ARX Results
I wrote about my initial impressions with the 65-grain 9mm ARX bullets previously (they were all good), so for this first portion of the comparison there’s not too much that’s new other than this load’s attaining 100% reliability in holding the slide back after the last round.
9mm ammo loaded with the ARX 65-grain polymer composite bullet. After my first trial with these bullets, I ordered a bunch.9mm ARX bullets loaded in my 1911’s magazine.
My 9mm load uses 5.2 grains of Winchester’s 231 propellant, with the bullets seated to an overall cartridge length of 1.135 inches. I used CCI 500 primers and mixed brass for the loads you see here (I am lazy and I didn’t want to sort the 9mm brass). I loaded these on my Lee turret press using Lee dies (including the factory crimp die). I took the load data directly from Inceptor’s website. This load is a max load in their standard load listings (i.e., it is below the +P loads the Inceptor data also lists).
I shot at the Alco four-silhouette target (it has four quarter-sized silhouettes on each sheet), and I sent either 12 or 13 rounds downrange on each silhouette. That made for a total of 50 rounds on each target.
The Alco Targets 4-silhouette target. I shot 12 rounds at the top left target ,13 rounds at the top right target, 12 rounds at the bottom left target, and 13 rounds at the bottom right target. That top right target is pretty sweet.
The 9mm ARX load functioned perfectly in my 1911. There were no failures to feed or eject and the pistol stayed open after the last shot fired. This is an accurate load. The flyers are due to yours truly, not the gun or the load. Maybe if I had sorted the brass they would be a little better, but these are good enough for my purposes.
These 9mm bullets only weigh 65 grains. They step out sharply, but the recoil is low (perceptibly lower than what I would feel with a 115 or 124-grain cast or jacketed bullet). Velocities are high for a 9mm (which are typically in the 1100 fps range with cast or jacketed bullets). The Inceptor data for my load showed that they achieved 1433fps with 5.2 grains of HP38 propellant (which is the same powder as Winchester 231). Their results were with a 4-inch barrel. My 1911 has a 5-inch barrel; I achieved an average velocity of 1626fps, or nearly 200fps faster than what Inceptor achieved in their testing. To add a little more context to these findings, I previously tested this load in my S&W Shield (which has a 3.1-inch barrrel). In the Shield, this load averaged 1364fps. The bottom line? My results are consistent with the Inceptor load data.
Take a look at the Garmin chrono data for this load in the 1911.
Yikes! These are smoking hot 9mm rounds!
In my prior test of this load in the Springfield 1911 and the S&W Shield, I found that the 1911 would not hold the slide back after the last shot (the Shield didn’t have that problem). In that earlier initial test, I used a two-hand hold and I rested my arms on the bench. I think that might have caused the 1911’s problem with holding the slide open after the last shot. In the range session yesterday, I used a two-hand hold, but I did not rest my arms on the bench (and the gun functioned perfectly, holding the slide open after the last shot on every 5-shot string). The 5.2-grain Winchester 231 load is a good one for the 9mm. It’s accurate, the recoil is light, and reliability is superb.
.45 ACP ARX Bullet Testing
I next moved on to test the 118-grain ARX bullets in my .45 ACP Springfield 1911.
A cartridge that looks like a drill bit! ARX bullets in the .45 ACP make for an interesting and handsome round.
The .45 ACP load used the ARX 118-grain bullet with 9.1 grains of Power Pistol, a Winchester large pistol primer, and Winchester brass, all loaded on the Lee turret press with a Lee crimp die. The .45 ACP load data also came from the Inceptor site. The site lists three powders; the only one I had on hand was Power Pistol. The 9.1 grains of Power Pistol is at the top of their non+P range. It is not a +P load. Ordinarily I would not start testing at the top of the listed propellant weight range, and I probably shouldn’t have done so here (more on that a paragraph or two down).
.45 ACP ARX bullets loaded in my 1911’s mag. Everything works. They look cool.
The Inceptor load recommended a cartridge overall length of 1.26 inches. I loaded with a cartridge overall length of 1.250 inches, which is what I have used in all my other .45 ACP loads. That length fits well in the magazine. I don’t think the additional 1/100 of an inch Inceptor specified would cause interference between the ammo and the forward inside magazine edge, but it’s close and in any event, I wanted to stick with the cartridge length that has always worked for me in the past.
The .45 loads felt hot to me. I think that’s primarily because I have been shooting my 9mm handguns lately. A few of the cartridge cases showed a little (very little) primer flattening. I’m not sure if that was due to firing the round or if it was due to me putting extra effort into primer seating during the reloading process. The .45 ACP is a powerful cartridge, and when I haven’t shot one in a while, it can seem even more powerful.
Same target, different cartridge. That top left target has 12 rounds through it and it is what I’d like to do all the time. When it happens, it’s its own reward.
Accuracy was about the same as with the 9mm. I thought both were good. There were occasional flyers, but that was undoubtedly me and not the gun or the load. Again, I shot offhand for all of these groups, so I wasn’t expecting one-hole results.
1346fps from a .45 Auto! The chrono tells the story!
Velocities were very much higher than what I’ve seen with other bullets in any .45 ACP. I had previously loaded .45 ACP with all kinds of cast and jacketed bullets ranging from 185-grain wadcutters to 230-grain full metal jacket projectiles. They would typically see velocities of 700fps to maybe 900fps. Some folks load the .45 a little hotter than that with cast or jacketed bullets. I’ve never felt a need to. But those ARX 118-grain bullets! Wow! The Inceptor load data said I would see 1,317fps with 9.1 grains of Power Pistol propellant (and for their .45 ACP testing, Inceptor used a 5-inch barrel); my ammo averaged 1346fps. Extreme spread and standard deviation were low; both extreme spread and standard deviation were similar to what my 9mm ARX loads achieved.
Feed and ejection were flawless in my Springfield 1911. That said, I am going to drop the load down to 8.7 and 8.5 grains of Power Pistol and try that for the next load. If I get good groups and reliable function, that’s where I’ll load in the future.
The Bottom Line
These are good bullets, and I think they represent a huge step forward. They are the first really new thing to come along in the reloading game in a long time.
Surprisingly, both the 9mm and the .45 put the bullets where I wanted them, with no sight adjustments from my previous lead or jacketed bullet loads. I expected both the 9mm and .45 ACP ARX loads to shoot low, but they did not. The sights were right on the money.
I didn’t see any copper fouling from the bits of copper mixed in the ARX bullets’ copper/polymer matrix. There’s a tiny bit of blue/purple fouling from the bullet polymer, but it’s very minimal and it’s only in the grooves. I had not cleaned either the 9mm or the .45 1911 after earlier range sessions with cast and plated bullets and the bores were dirty when I started shooting the ARX bullets. Both guns were cleaner after shooting the ARX bullets than they are after shooting cast or jacketed bullets. Bore cleanliness is a big plus here.
Price is another advantage; the 9mm bullets are $57/1000 and the .45 ACP bullets are $65/500 (I think the .45 bullet price at $65/100 is an increase from what I paid a couple of weeks ago). I’ve ordered ARX bullets three times now; on all three orders, they did not charge sales tax. I guess the sales tax is included in the retail price already. Whatever. I’m an anti-tax guy. Whether it’s real or imagined, not paying sales tax is plus in my book.
I’m not going to hunt with either my 9mm or my 1911, but here in California, these bullets should meet our lead-free bullet criteria. Similarly, the bullets are not hollow points. Some places (San Francisco and all of New Jersey come to mind) have outlawed hollow point bullets. These bullets should be okay in places where hollow points are outlawed.
I’ll be ready. Will you?
As mentioned near the start of this blog, the drill-bit-like bullet profile creates a much larger wound channel. The idea is that bullet spin allows the bullet to grab onto tissue and propel it outward. There are some YouTube videos that purport to show this in ballistic gelatin. I suppose if you were defending yourself against a bad guy made of ballistic gelatin (think Steve McQueen and the 1958 classic, The Blob) these would be the preferred bullet. None of that matters to me, and from a defense perspective it’s probably moot (especially with the .45). Dead is dead, and with a .45, I’m guessing a larger wound channel won’t make a bad guy any deader. My interest is in how well the ARX bullets shoot on paper, and they do that extremely well.
The next day was the day we would pick up the Royal Enfield Himalayans. I was excited to show my new riding partners the bikes, having taken them out a couple days prior. We all met at Iqbal’s motorcycle shop bright and early. As we unpacked our gear and transferred it from boxes and backpacks into the panniers and saddlebags I noticed one thing: They had a LOT of gear. This wasn’t a bad thing as I was missing a lot of necessities such as tire repair kits, jump starters, and tool bags. As I looked over at my moto and the gear I had, I realized it was pretty limited, which at first glance had me concerned but then after thinking it through I thought: How many tire repair kits do you really need?
After wrapping up the final paperwork with Iqbal, we suited up and were off. It would be a short day with just a little over four hours of riding. This was perfect, as it took an hour just to navigate through Delhi, whiz through the suburbs, and eventually find our way into the country where we could relax while riding a bit. For me, the relaxation didn’t really happen as I had no communication between the others and my phone seemed to constantly go in and out of cell coverage. This meant that I had to keep eyes on at least one of the other two to avoid drifting off and getting lost. If nothing else, it was a motivator and solid excuse for my aggressive riding. At least that’s what I told myself.
Around 1500 hours (Ed Note: That’s 3:00 p.m. for you non-Airborne guys) we decided to call it a day, get a hotel, some food, and a couple beers in a tiny town called Alawar. I say a couple of beers because the local beers (called Kingfisher) were a crapshoot with regard to how strong they were. They fluctuated between 5% and 8% ABV (alcohol by volume), so until you had one you really didn’t know which end of the spectrum you would end up on. This was a nightly roulette game where we would play “who got the 8% beer?” Over the next few weeks we all had our time with the 8% beers at one point or another. This added yet another unknown into our travel equation (as if we needed any more unknowns), but it was fun nonetheless at the end of a long riding day.
Another interesting nightly game was “which switch controls the lights?” It seemed that every room had at least two panels with a minimum of six switches per panel. This made turning the lights out each evening about as doable as solving a Rubik’s Cube (especially if you were the guy who had the 8% Kingfishers that evening).
After dinner, the Kingfishers, and solving the light switch Rubik’s Cube, I was pretty wiped out and it was time for a peaceful night’s sleep. The next day would be our first full day of riding. Although my confidence was high after Delhi’s chaotic roads, there surely would be more surprises. This would prove to be especially true as we went further into northern India’s countryside.
My sister Eileen is a time-share person, and she frequently swaps places to stay with other time-share owners. She recently landed a suite of rooms at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, so she and Susie and I stayed there for a week. I didn’t realize this before our visit, but there’s a very cool winery and museum literally next door to the Welk resort. The entrance to the Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum is only a few feet away from the Welk resort entrance, so on our first day there we stopped for a visit and a wine tasting.
I was surprised. I had never heard of the Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum before, the collection was substantial, and there are even a few motorcycles (vintage Indians and a Harley, to be specific). Wow, this was going to be fun. I did not have my Nikon, so everything you see here I shot with my iPhone.
Vintage Indians. You gotta love those paint themes.An Indian Four.An Indian V-twin.
When we entered, I asked the guy at the counter if the Museum had a focus, and his answer was immediate: Convertibles. And boy oh boy, did they ever have an impressive collection.
A Franklin convertible. These were a luxury American motorcar. They had air cooled engines. See our blog on the Franklin Automobile Museum in Tucson, Arizona.A beautiful 1948 Chrysler Town and Country convertible.Imagine that: A woody convertible! At $3,395 (a lot of money in 1948), Chrysler only sold 8,369 of these. Like the initial years of the Chevrolet Corvette, the Woody Town and Country convertible’s job was to get people into the showroom, where salesmen could convince to buy less-expensive models.There was real Arkansas white ash beneath what you see here; the wood grain is a decal over the real wood. Even back in 1948, wraps were an in thing.I like this car. I took a lot of photos of it.Nice. Very nice.
The Museum consists of three buildings that display over 100 cars. It starts with a collection in the main entrance building. After seeing it, walking a few feet down the sidewalk brought us to another display area, with a lot of cars parked side by side, crammed into sort of barn-like building. These were cars mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, and they were fun to take in. I think they are, for the most part, restored and repainted cars. I grew up in that era. Lincolns, Imperials, Buicks, and many more, and all were convertibles. A Pierce Arrow was just inside the entrance, parked in front of a 1950 Buick.
A Pierce Arrow convertible.A close up of the Pierce Arrow radiator cap. I can only imagine what such a radiator cap would cost today.A 1950 Buick convertible.A 1960 Imperial Crown convertible. Imperial produced 618 of these costs. MSRP in 1960 was $5,774. They had a 413-cubic-inch engine and a 129-inch wheelbase. Fuel economy was not a concern in 1960.
When walking from one building to the next, we saw other convertibles scattered around the grounds in unrestored condition. They were cool, too, wearing the patina you’d expect on cars that were new when guys like Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johson were in the White House.
A late ’60s Camaro convertible awaiting resoration.A 1959 Cadillac limo. I’d kind of like to own one of these, too.Another view of the ’59 Caddy.An 1950’s Caddy convertible. It’s not on display yet. I spotted walking around the Deer Park grounds.
The entry building and the long barn-like building were interesting. The best part was yet to come, though. It was showroom on top of a hill. We made the trek up to that building, and I was blown away by an absolutely stunning 1953 Cadillac convertible in showroom condition. It’s the photo featured on top of this blog.
The Museum’s centerpiece: A 1953 Cadillac convertible.
The Cadillac you see above was recovered from a fire. The restoration process was essentially a manufacturing venture. The car was stripped down to the frame, and then rebuilt with all new, hand-formed, hand-painted, hand-rubbed body panels. It is stunning. I want it.
The ’53 Caddy convertible’s wire wheels.An obligatory selfie: Me in the ”53 Caddy’s bumper.
We enjoyed a leisurely walk down the steps to get back to the entrance building, where the Deer Park Winery and Museum offers wine tasting for a modest fee. The wine tastings include five varietals, which vary depending on the time of year (or, you can opt for six wines and select the ones you want). We went with the five wine option. They were all good and the tastings were not small. One was exceptional. That was a dessert wine that I believe would pair exceptionally will with a slice of carrot cake (I went to a sommelier presentation once many years ago, so I now consider myself an expert qualified to make such pairing suggestions).
Deer Park Peach wine. It’s peach-flavored champagne, basically, and it’s good.
The Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum is located at 29013 Champagne Boulevard just north of Escondido, California (the phone number is (760) 749-1666. Tickets are reasonable at $14 (if you’re in the military or senior citizen you can get in for $12).
My third day in India: I had met Iqbal (the motorcycle rental guy) and I bought new motorcycle gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, all for $73 USD). I am not saying this gear was high end Aria or anything, but it was something. In the event of a crash I would hope it would be low speed and I could count on my paratrooper skills to fall properly and not get too banged up. Things were coming together nicely and my confidence and morale was much higher than I had expected. With an extra evening to kill, it turned out one of my offshore developers that worked with me in 2014 lived in Delhi and had invited me over for dinner.
When I was in corporate America I loved hanging out with my team whenever I wasn’t out roaming around the world. Well, when I met this guy he had just gotten off the plane in Seattle and it was his first time in the United States. Knowing this, I directed another one of my team members to pick him up and bring him to Pike Market where we could get a few beers and I could fully christen him to our great country.
Of course, my idea for the full American immersion was to bring him to a proper strip club that was next to Pike Market. Without getting into details, he probably had one of the best nights of his life. We kept in touch over the years and whenever I would walk by the strip club I would send him a photo of the sign, and that is how you maintain high morale on a project team (leadership at its finest).
I arrived at his apartment and met his lovely wife and sister-in-law. After catching up and chatting for an hour they invited me to their parents’ home for dinner. The conversation then turned to birthdays, and they asked when mine was. I pulled out my phone and looked at it intensely. They didn’t know what I was doing as I should know my birthday (which I did). They were surprised to hear my next words: “My birthday is in 3 hours and 42 minutes.”
I don’t know a lot about the Indian culture but within two minutes I had a birthday cake in front of me, so I am guessing they always have a birthday cake in the freezer “just in case.” Either way, it was very sweet and I felt more than welcomed into their country.
After a few pre-birthday whiskeys, it was time to return to my hotel and get a solid night’s sleep. I needed to wash away any remaining jet lag I had as my friends were due to arrive the following day. As I peacefully fell asleep with thoughts of riding the new Royal Enfields, my phone rang. “Huber, I need a place to sleep!” Well, I guess I would be meeting at least one of my new friends sooner than expected as I buzzed the hotel door to let him in. It turned out his hotel had given his room away so we would be roommates until we departed on the motorcycles in two days.
San Diego, Calilfornia. I love that town. One of its best attractions is the USS Midway Museum. I’ve been there three times. The first was a few years ago with Susie, and that visit resulted in a Destinations piece in Motorcycle Classics magazine and a CSC Motorcycles blog article. Another time was when I attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in San Diego with good buddy Mike. The IACP had their big evening party on the Midway’s flight deck, and the keynote speaker was James Comey (the FBI Director; we heard his speech literally days before President Trump fired him).
Bring a camera when you visit the Midway. The photo ops are impressive.
Most recently, I returned to the Midway for a visit with Susie and my sister Eileen. You could say I’m a big fan of the Midway and all she represents, and you’d be 100% correct. If you ever find yourself in San Diego, the USS Midway is a “must see” visit.
In the hangar deck, one deck down. The ship is immense.Susie on the Midway’s 4-acre flight deck.On the flight deck, looking back at the San Diego skyline.The Midway has an impressive collection of Navy helicopters on display.
The Battle of Midway was a turning point in World War II in our fight against the Japanese. Movies have been made about it; one of the best is currently streaming on Netflix. Woody Harrelson portrayed Admiral Nimitz and he did a wonderful job. The two men even resemble each other.
Chester Nimitz and Woody Harrelson. Harrelson is a superb actor; he played the role well.
Construction started on the USS Midway during World War II, but the war ended before the ship was commissioned. The Midway went on to serve in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf wars. You may remember new stories about our departure from Vietnam and the helicopters being shoved off the flight deck and into the sea to make room for more refugees. Those film clips were on the Midway. I was in the Army and I didn’t have really anything to do with the Navy (other than later working in companies that designed and manufactured products for the Navy), but if I had been in the Navy, I think I would have liked to have served on a carrier. There’s just something magnificent about these ships. You may recall my piece on Admiral Gordon Smith, one of my best bosses ever. Gordon was a carrier pilot. I admire and miss him greatly.
Aircraft on the Midway flight deck. That’s San Diego in the background.A glorious day, the USS Midway, and a 12-24 wide angle lens with a polarizer…it doesn’t get much better than this!Another view from the fight deck.The Island…we climbed up top to see where air and navigation ops were conducted.
The docents at the USS Midway Museum are all prior service people. They are friendly and gave great talks. When Susie and I were on the flight deck, one of the docents told the two of us about a jet and described it as “my airplane.” Susie said, “Oh, you flew one like this?”
“No,” he answered. “I flew this aircraft.” It just doesn’t get any better than that. Well, maybe it does. When we bought our tickets on our most recent visit, the lady behind the counter asked if any us were former service members. As usual, my mind was in neutral. I kind of just stood there and Susie quickly explained that I had served in the Army. That provided a steep discount and a sticker to put on my pocket designating me as a prior service guy. Every one of the docents asked me about my service as we made our way through the museum. It’s been so long ago (almost 50 years) that I had to stop and think with every question. It was fun. The folks on the Midway made me feel special. You can’t put a price on that.
Up in the island, where the Air Boss and his assistants did their jobs.A view from the Air Boss’s area, looking over the flight deck.An enormous flight deck…we were near the front of the ship for this shot.Back on the dock, looking out under the USS Midway deck across the harbor.
There’s just so much to see and enjoy in San Diego. If you are lucky enough to visit this wonderful town, you might want to stop for dinner or a late lunch after seeing the Midway. One of the best restaurants in town is The Brigantine, just up the road from the Midway along the Embarcadero. The Brigantine’s fish and chips dish is one of the best I’ve ever had. If you like family-run Italian restaurants (they’re at the top of the list for me), try Volare’s (at 3528 Barnett Avenue in San Diego).
On our first visit to the USS Midway, Susie and I drove across to Coronado Island after visiting the Museum. After a fine dinner in Coronado, we took in the San Deigo skyline across the bay at night. It’s one of my favorite photos.
If you can find a copy of this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, there’s an outstanding article in the “Off Duty” section on the New Jersey Pine Barrens. We blogged about my ride through the Pine Barrens with Jerry Dowgin and his vintage 305 Honda Scrambler a few years ago. The Journal article’s lead photo was of the Jersey Devil in front of Lucille’s (read on and you’ll see what I’m talking about), and that had my attention instantly. I had a great time with Jerry, and that ride and visit went on to become a featured article in Motorcycle Classics magazine.
Jerry went on to his reward a year or two after my visit, and I miss him. Read this blog, and if you can, the MC article. Jerry was a great guy and a good friend.
Rest in peace, Jerry.
I’d heard of the Pine Barrens when I was a youngster in New Jersey but I’d never been there, which was weird because the northern edge of the Pines starts only about 40 miles from where I grew up and geographically the Pine Barrens cover about a quarter of the state. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US, but you wouldn’t know it in the Pine Barrens. Pine trees and sand, lots of dirt roads, and not much else except ghost stories and New Jersey’s own mythological Jersey Devil (more on that in a bit). The region is mostly pine trees, but there are just enough other trees that our last-weekend-in-October ride caught the leaves’ autumn color change. That, the incredible weather, and saddle time on Jerry Dowgin’s vintage Honda Scrambler made it a perfect day.
Kicking back in the Pine Barrens town of Chatsworth. Check out the leaves changing colors in the background.A 305cc Honda Scrambler, the Jersey Devil, and Lucille’s Country Diner. Life is good in the Pines.Jerry Dowgin at speed in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He’s been riding the same motorcycle for five decades. Jerry paid $10 for his Honda Scrambler. I offered to give him what he paid for it, which drew only a smile.
There were other things that made the day great. For starters, that has to include riding with Jerry Dowgin, former South Brunswick High School football hero, vintage motorcycle aficionado, and son of the late Captain Ralph Dowgin. SBHS is my alma mater (Go Vikings!), and the Dowgin name is legendary in New Jersey. I didn’t personally know Jerry when I was in high school (he was four years ahead of me), but I knew of his football exploits and I knew of his State Trooper Dad. Captain Dowgin commanded Troop D of the NJ State Police, and thanks to a photograph provided by lifelong good buddy Mike (another SBHS alum), Trooper Dowgin graces the cover of The Complete Book of Police and Military Motorcycles. Take a look at this photo of Jerry, and the Police Motors cover:
In the New Jersey Pine Barrens with former football star Jerry Dowgin and his awesome Honda Scrambler. I only run with the cool kids.Jerry’s father, Trooper Ralph Dowgin of the New Jersey State Police. This photo was taken in 1936. The one above it was taken 4 days ago.Trooper Dowgin’s original leather motorcycle helmet. Jerry showed it to me.
My ride for our glorious putt through the New Jersey Pine Barrens was Jerry’s 1966 CL77 Honda Scrambler. Jerry has owned the Scrambler for five decades. Jerry’s name for the Scrambler is Hot Silver, but I’m going to call it the Jersey Devil. The bike is not a piece of Concours driveway jewelry; like good buddy Gobi Gresh’s motorcycles, Jerry’s Jersey Devil is a vintage rider. And ride we did.
Honda offered three 305cc motorcycles in the mid-1960s: The Dream, the Super Hawk, and the Scrambler. All were 305cc, single overhead cam, air-cooled twins with four-speed transmissions. The CA77 Dream was a pressed steel, large fendered, single carb motorcycle with leading link front suspension. Like its sister Super Hawk, the Dream had kick and electric starting; the electric starter was unusual in those days. The Dream was marketed as a touring model, although touring was different then. Honda’s CB77 Super Hawk was a more sporting proposition, with lower bars, a tubular steel frame and telescopic forks, twin shoe drum brakes (exotic at the time), twin carbs, a tachometer, and rear shocks adjustable for preload. The engine was a stressed frame component and there was no frame downtube. Like the Dream, the Super Hawk had electric and kick starting. It’s been said that the Super Hawk could touch 100 mph, although I never saw that (my Dad owned a 1965 Honda Super Hawk I could sometimes ride in the fields behind our house).
The Scrambler fuel tank. Honda hit a home run with the Scrambler’s styling.Everything on this motorcycle is well proportioned. The ergnomics fit me perfectly.The cool kids removed the Scrambler’s bulbous two-into-one muffler and replaced it with Snuff-R-Nots. Jerry is one of the cool kids.
The third model in Honda’s mid-‘60s strategic triad was the CL77 Scrambler, and in my opinion, it was the coolest of the three. It had Honda’s bulletproof 305cc engine with twin carbs, and unlike the Super Hawk engine, it was tuned for more torque. The Scrambler didn’t have electric starting like the other two Hondas (it was kick start only, a nod to the Scrambler’s offroad nature). The Scrambler had a downtube frame, no tach (but a large and accurate headlight-mounted speedo), a steering damper, and a fuel tank that looks like God intended fuel tanks to look (with a classic teardrop profile and no ugly flange running down the center). The bars were wide with a cross brace. With its kick start only engine, the magnificent exhaust headers, and Honda’s “we got it right” fuel tank, the Scrambler looked more like a Triumph desert sled than any other Honda. In my book, that made it far more desirable. I always wanted a Scrambler.
The Scrambler’s speedo. The switch on the left is for the headlight; the amber light is a neutral indicator. The speedometer is accurate; we rode through a highway sign that showed your speed and it matched the speedometer indication.The Scrambler’s front fork damper.The Scrambler’s tool storage compartment.Jerry’s wife Karin made the toolkit pouch. Jerry’s toolkit includes the original Honda tools and a few extras.A single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder, and threaded locknut valve adjustment. Honda’s casting quality was superb for the time.
Jerry and I had great conversations on our ride through the Pine Barrens. We talked motorcycles, the times, the old times, folks we knew back in the day, and more. Other riders chatted us up. The Scrambler was a natural conversation starter. Every few minutes someone would approach and ask about Jerry’s Scrambler. Was it original? Was it for sale? What year was it? I had a little fun piping up before Jerry could answer, telling people it was mine and I’d let it go for $800 if they had the cash. I can still start rumors in New Jersey, you know.
The Scrambler’s rear suspension has three preload adjustment positions.Relatively sophisticated for the time on a mass-produced motorcycle: Twin shoe brakes.The Scrambler’s rear brake was similarly equipped.Gresh and I are both members!
The 305cc Honda twins of the mid-1960s were light years ahead of their British competitors and Harley-Davidson. British twin and Harley riders made snide comments about “Jap crap” back in the day (ignorance is bliss, and they were happy guys), but at least one Britbike kingpin knew the score and saw what was coming. Edward Turner, designer of the Triumph twin and head of Triumph Motorcycles, visited Honda in Japan and was shocked at how advanced Japanese engineering and manufacturing were compared to what passed for modern management in England. No one listened to Turner. The Honda 750 Four often gets credit for killing the British motorcycle industry, but the handwriting was already on the wall with the advent of bikes like Honda’s Dream, the Super Hawk, and the Scrambler. I believe we’re living through the same thing right now with motorcycles from China. Or maybe I just put that in to elicit a few more comments on this blog. You tell me.
I’m always curious about how others starting riding, so I asked Jerry if he inherited his interest in motorcycles from his motor officer Dad. The answer was a firm no. “Pop wasn’t interested in motorcycles; he saw too many young Troopers get killed on motorcycles when he was a State Trooper.” Jerry’s introduction into the two-wheel world was more happenstance than hereditary. He was working with his brother and his brother-in-law installing a heating system in a farmhouse when they encountered the Scrambler. Jerry bought his 1966 Scrambler in 1972 for the princely sum of $10. Yes, you read that right: $10. The Scrambler wasn’t running, but the deal he made with his brother was that Jerry would do the work if his brother would pay for the parts (and in 1972, the parts bill came to $125 from Cooper’s Cycle Ranch, one of the early and best known East Coast Honda and Triumph dealers). Getting the Scrambler sorted took some doing, as the engine was frozen, it needed a top end overhaul, it had compression issues, and getting the timing right was a challenge. But Jerry prevailed, and the bike has been a Pine Barrens staple for five decades now.
Jerry shared with me that he plans to leave his Honda Scrambler to his son and grandson. I think that’s a magnificent gesture.
Jerry on his Scrambler at the end of a great day on the road.Jerry and his Scrambler were featured on the cover of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club’s magazine about 4 years ago.
Our ride in the Pine Barrens was most enjoyable. It’s amazing how little traffic there is in the Pines, an unusual situation for me. As a son of New Jersey, riding with no traffic in the nation’s most densely populated state was a new experience. But there’s a lot of land down there in the Pine Barrens (the area was a featured spot for dumping bodies on The Sopranos, and that probably wasn’t just a figment of some screenwriter’s imagination). Riding into the Pines (where we saw few other motorcycles and almost no cars), we made our first stop in Chatsworth. Chatsworth is an old Pine Barrens wide spot in the road with only a few buildings and a roadside eatery with no seating. You buy a soda and a dog (of either the hot or brat variety), find a seat on one of the roadside benches, and chat with other riders. It was different and much more fun than what I remembered New Jersey riding to be, but I had never ridden the Pines before. The locals told me it’s always been like this.
From Chatsworth, it was on to Lucille’s Country Diner, a popular Pine Barrens roadhouse more like a California motorcycle stop than a New Jersey diner. Lucille’s is known for its pies, and (trust me on this) they’re awesome. We parked under a carved, presumably life-sized Jersey Devil statue. I’d heard of the Jersey Devil when I was a kid (it’s a New Jersey thing; think of it as a cross between Bigfoot and Lucifer and you’ll understand). We didn’t see the Jersey Devil lurking out there in the pine trees on this ride, but who knows? Maybe he saw us. As a New Jersey native, I know this: Anything’s possible in the Garden State.
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As my flight approached Delhi, India, the thoughts in my head began racing back to 2004 when I experienced culture shock for the first time. Being nervous, I was optimistic as I had a couple things in my favor that I didn’t have 20 years prior. That being technology with our phones and apps, and my experience over the past 20 years traveling to quite a few countries. I took comfort in that as the plane landed and pulled up to the gate.
The last time I exited the Delhi Airport I was instantly mobbed by a crowd of taxi drivers pulling at my luggage and quoting me absurd prices for a ride to the hotel. This time was much different, and although there were Ubers, I chose to hire a taxi from the government taxi stand. Other than a few obvious scams I was not bothered by anyone at all. It was quite a refreshing change, and after a 45-minute ride I was dropped off at my hotel where I could relax and slowly take in Delhi in a way I was not allowed to 20 years ago.
With memories still lingering from my previous experience in this country I knew that the best way to overcome them was to embrace the culture, not shy away from it. For my first day in India I would take a local bus. This would not only force me to get over these haunting feelings from the past but enable me to gain my confidence in the most effective way possible. The bus was crowded, but not too overwhelming. It was a 30-cent ride versus a $3 Uber.
With my renewed confidence in my ability to navigate through this beautiful but chaotic city, the following day I chose to take the subway to Iqbal Motors, the company we were renting our Royal Enfield Himalayans from. The train was a bit more crowded than the bus. To the point when I finally found the correct subway (on my third try, but hey I was learning so I went easy on myself) I really had to squeeze into the subway car. It was a tight fit but not that bad, until the doors opened at the next stop. Not fully paying attention the next thing I knew I was thrown about 15 feet from the train and was well onto the platform before I realized I had to fight crowds to make it back onto the train prior to it leaving. Not wanting that to happen again I fought my way to the center of the car and faced towards the doors that would open for my stop. Now it was my turn. As soon as the doors opened I crouched down into a sort of rugby scrum stance and pushed with all my might in order to exit the car. Success! I was out and just a few blocks from Iqbal Motors.
I was excited to finally meet Iqbal at his shop and check out our new 2025 Royal Enfield Himalayans. The bikes were beautiful and the communication over the previous two months with Iqbal on fine tuning our needs for gear, schedules, and overall itinerary made an otherwise challenging rental easy. I knew we made the right decision as soon as I met him. I cannot say enough good things about Iqbal and his motorcycle rental company.
Upon saddling up on the Himalayan and taking the bike out for a short blast I instantly understood why this was the chosen motorcycle for India. All my apprehensions and anxiety about this trip melted away as I zipped through traffic in Delhi. I was officially excited and ready to spend the next three weeks (or longer) on my new steed. My friends were set to arrive in two days and I was ready to begin this motorcycle adventure through the crowded, yet mystical country of India.
This is a blog we published about 6 years ago. It’s one of my favorites, and I’m hoping you will enjoy it, too.
We were visiting the Planes of Fame last month when I spotted the US Army World War II motorcycle you see below…
At first, I thought it was a Harley WLA 45, but nope, a nice young fellow named Paul was working on the motorcycle and he told me it was an Indian. Wow, you don’t see too many WWII US Army Indians. I was a bit embarrassed (after all, I wrote a book about police and military motorcycles), but the beauty of this motorcycle soon made me forget that. Check out these photos, folks…
During the war, Indian produced about 40,000 motorcycles and essentially devoted its entire operation to military production. It produced few civilian motorcycles (the company did not even bother to print a catalog in 1942), although it maintained a small amount of its production capacity for police motorcycles. It sold its military motorcycles to the U.S. Army and to several other Allied nations, most notably England. Indian offered several models during World War II. These included the Model 741, the Chief, the Model 640B, the M1, and the Model 841.
The Model 741
The Model 741 was Indian’s main military motorcycle. It was the machine Indian had developed in response to the U.S. Army’s ill-advised initial requirement for a 500-cc military motorcycle. The Model 741’s engine actually displaced 30.5 cubic inches (or 500 cc), and for this reason it became known as the “30-50.”
The Model 741 was based on Indian’s Junior Scout. Its 500-cc, V-twin engine was the Junior Scout engine detuned for increased durability. It only produced about 15 horsepower. The Model 741 had a hand shift and a foot clutch like the Harley-Davidson WLA, but the Indian motorcycle put the shifter on the right side of the gas tank instead of on the left side as Harley-Davidson had done. The motorcycle’s throttle was in the left handgrip, in accordance with the army’s initial specification. As Harley-Davidson had done, Indian extended the front forks to give greater ground clearance. Indian also extended the rear frame for the same purpose. The Model 741 also used the much larger Indian Chief’s transmission for increased reliability. The Model 741 had a rifle scabbard on the right front fender and an ammunition container on the left front fender.
The Indian Model 741, like the Harley- Davidson WLA, was not a high-performance motorcycle. Both machines weighed over 500 pounds. Both machines had top speeds of approximately 65 mph. The army was more interested in durability than in top speed.
The U.S. Army used the Indian Model 741 during World War II, as did the armies of Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Australia, and Russia. Indian also sold Model 741s to the British Royal Air Force.
After an hour or so we decided to take a break in a small village and get a few bananas and some water. It only took a couple minutes before most the village came out to meet us all. Even a school bus stopped and let the kids off to check out the bikes and talk with us. It reminded me of my first experience in India 20 years prior. This would become a familiar sight for us with crowds coming up to us to chat and take selfies. They all were the friendliest people. We enjoyed these stops and opportunities to engage with the locals in these little villages that were so far off the maps.
When I was in corporate America I loved hanging out with my team whenever I wasn’t out roaming around the world. Well, when I met this guy he had just gotten off the plane in Seattle and it was his first time in the United States. Knowing this, I directed another one of my team members to pick him up and bring him to Pike Market where we could get a few beers and I could fully christen him to our great country.
