FSL Gunblock Shooting Earmuffs

We all know that safety is very important when handling firearms. One very important piece of safety equipment is ear protection. Since my dad works in a gun store with a range, he definitely needs good ear protection. When I was offered the chance to try a pair of the FSL Gunblock Shooting Earmuffs, I couldn't refuse. I knew that he would love them!

These come in two colors, gray and green, and have a Noise Reduction Rating of 26dB. They fold up for easy storage and feel really well made. They have a sliding headband to accommodate any head size and the cushions on the ears are very soft and comfortable. I went around the store, putting these on people with different sized heads and everyone said they fit comfortably despite how big, or small, their head was.

These earmuffs work incredibly well. Talking to someone with them on is almost impossible and when you wear them during shooting, it really blocks out the noise. You can buy these with confidence as well because they come with a 3-year warranty and lifetime support from FSL. Right now, they are 50% off on Amazon making them an awesome deal; only $14.99! If you would like to purchase a set for yourself, or the gun lover in your life, you can do so HERE. I know you won't be disappointed! 


Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Him/Her - Bullet Designs

I think you all know now how much I love range days. There is just nothing more relaxing than some target practice. It really has become a special time for me and my husband. As the holidays approach and you start to think of what to pick up for who that would be extra special, don’t forget if you have any gun enthusiasts on your list we always, ALWAYS get really excited by something gun related.  Need ideas? Look no further than Bullet Designs.

Bullet Designs makes high quality beautiful pieces of jewelry and keepsakes that will warm the heart and soul of any gun enthusiast. I really love the range of calibers that they offer their designs in too! It makes it so easy to find a special piece that will be extra special to someone. 

My favorite gun is my Ruger SP101 and my husband really loves his Colt Lawman so I thought a his and her set that corresponded with our favorites would be extra special. You should have seen his face light up when he saw his pieces and he hasn’t taken them off since the day they arrived! 

We each got a full bullet pendant, his 357 mine 38, these simple yet elegant bullets get more complements than any of my jewelry! I’m seriously telling you people who like guns, really love guns. Both are very eye-catching being polished to a shine and they easily fit over the clasps on both of our favorite chains. For $8.95 you simply can’t go wrong, these should be in the stockings of every gun lover! I know they will be on my shopping list. 

We each also have a bracelet also in 357 & 38 caliber. In addition to customizing the caliber in many designs you can also customize the stones. Mine of course is always pink and my for my husband a white crystal was perfect. The bracelets range from very simple elegant designs to rather intricate and very fancy designs. There should be something in that section for everyone. My husband has the tennis bracelet which is plenty rugged enough that he could wear it at work and I have the dainty design which looks so sweet and feminine. 

You need to head over to Bullet Designs and start your Christmas shopping! If the selection is too much and you can’t decide you can even get a gift certificate so your favorite gun lover can pick whatever they want! You can also connect with Bullet Designs on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with new designs and promotions. When you are done browsing head back here because I have a special giveaway for you. 

Win this lovely bracelet and the set of earrings pictured below!! 

Bullet Designs is giving one lucky reader the chance to win the lovely bracelet and earrings pictured here! How adorable are they!!!! Open to US residents 18 and older. Please use the rafflecopter below to enter. Winners have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. 

Win these lovely earrings and the bracelet shown above!!

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Holiday Gift Guide - For Her - Girls With Guns

It’s getting chilly outside! That means it’s time to hit the range, field, etc… Who am I kidding I never left the range. I am so happy to see a lot more ladies out on the range lately. For some reason as a new gun enthusiast I felt a bit intimidated being the only one at the local range, but things have changed thankfully. I am also really happy that I am not the only fashion conscious one there. 

Even better, I found a great place to shop for the most adorable gun fashion. Girls With Guns Clothing has the most fabulous clothes. The designs are so awesome that they are perfect for on or off the range. They have the most adorable fur lined hoodie…I’ve included a picture of that. I have added it to my Christmas wish list along with some camo pants. At Girls With Guns you will find a wide range of adorable shirts, bottoms, hats, accessories, and even kids wear for the younger huntresses! 

I have two of their hats and the quality is great. The first one is the GWG Shooting Hat in pink! It is seriously beautiful and totally glitzed out with rhinestones and a shimmery background print. It is made in the USA from 100 percent cotton. I just adore the vintage looking rough edge around the patch. This hat has received so many complements, because it really is fabulous and looks smashing on.

The other hat is the GWG Bucket, which I have in black with a beautiful pink script. While I prefer the shooting hat for the range because it has a bit longer of a bill, this one is my favorite everyday hat, and it gets equally as many compliments. It is also made in the USA and 100 percent cotton. 

I love that many of the hats come in a few colors or patterns. It’s awesome that us girls can have a fabulous shooting hat, heck if you shop at Girls With Guns Clothing you can have a fabulous shooting outfit! Christmas is getting really close now and if you have a huntress, of any age, on your shopping list you will really want to check out Girls With Guns Clothing because a girl with a gun is still a girl, and this girl loves looking like one. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

After you've done your shopping come back here because in my goody box was some GWG stickers and Tattoos so I am going to hold a little giveaway for you! There will be three winners and each winner will get two stickers and two tattoos! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Pretty Dangerous

Hello ladies! I just love that the weather is starting to get cooler. That means I will have more days at the range. I know I have told you before that there is nothing I find more relaxing than target practice. I have also shown you several things I have done to make my guns more, well, me. Another great way, aside from redesigning your actual gun, to make things personal is to have a fabulous holster. When you think about it, it is something you wear so that makes it an accessory and as you know your accessories can make your entire look. 

Pretty Dangerous makes the most beautiful concealed carry holsters I have ever seen. They offer them in a range of colors and designs so you can have one that complements several looks. I know what you may be thinking and yes I did say concealed and yes it will be mostly you that sees your holster but seriously ladies answer me this don’t you feel great with fabulous underclothes? Of course you do, because it matters. 

These holsters are made here in the USA by women! And they are designed by a woman who knows not only how to make something beautiful but as a police woman she also knows what makes a holster functional. I have used mine on the range and I have to say the guns, I used it with several, draw very easily, no hang ups all. The fit is secure, I swear it seems like they were made custom for my guns. 

When you look at them, everything from the sturdy buckle to the stitching lets you know that you have a really high quality piece of work. The holsters are made from the finest Italian leathers, the exact same leathers Prada and Coach use. They are hand rolled and hand made, and they have a triple core construction, meaning there is a soft core with a ballistic grade liner. Then there is a heavy duty clip which will allow you to turn any purse into a conceal carry purse, or can be carried on the body with or without a belt, or even tucked into a boot or briefcase. 

I have two, one is a new material, a black floral leather. It is absolutely stunning and I love it with my Beretta.  The material is so beautiful. The other one I have is one of the best sellers and I can see why, the purple ostrich is so unique and looks fabulous with my CZ. Just look at the images, I am certain you won’t find a more beautifully crafted holster. If you visit Pretty Dangerous you can see the lovely styles they currently have available. You can also stay connected  with them on Facebook. 

In addition to being stunning and well crafted Pretty Dangerous offers these holsters at a fantastic value.  In fact if you act fast for the month of October they are having a phenomenal sale. Each holster is only $31.50 and they are having free shipping!  

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

My Social Tees

Happy Monday! I have a fun shirt company to tell you about today. You all  know I am a huge fan of the T-shirt. For me there really is nothing more relaxing than that paired with some jeans. One thing I really love about tees is that they can be great conversation starters. I know a lot of you are with me on Facebook and probably know I great fondness of my guns and guns in general. I was so excited to find some tees that helped me express that. My Social Tees has shirts in a great variety of topics that are perfect ways to express yourself and as I found out they make the best conversation starters.

One thing I really love is that the shirts are designed, printed and shipped here in the USA. They are printed on high quality Hanes Tagless shirts. You can feel that these are more sturdy than a typical printed shirt and as I mentioned there is no tag to irritate you. I thossed these  in the washer on a regular cycle and in then the dryer and there was no fading of the shirt, no shrinking, and best of all the writing looks just as fabulous as the day they arrived.

The two shirts I picked were both gun related. One was in the keep calm theme and said Keep Calm Carry On and had a picture of two guns. This design was available in several colors and I picked pink of course. What I really love is that you can get the shirts in men’s or women’s cuts, and they have a great selection of sizes available, including very  large sizes. The second shirt I picked in black and it read: Got Ammo? I do. If you have any interest in guns you will know that is truly the biggest question these days.

I was stopped several times while wearing both shirts from both people who wanted to know where they could get one and by other gun enthusiast. That is the truest  sign of a successfully designed shirt when it compels strangers to strike up a conversation. It was especially successful at the range where the Got Ammo? Was greeted with a mix of giggles and conversations.

After a wash!

I know not all of you are gun enthusiast and My Social Tees has other types of themes made on the same high quality shirts. They offer shirts in these categories: America, Baseball, Golf, Great Outdoors, Guns & Ammo, Keep Calm, Politics, State Pride, Super Shirts, and Video Games! Don’t take my word for it though visit My Social Tees yourself and pick one or ten that you love! They even have a $10 category you’ll want to check out while you are there.

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Ruger 22/45

It didn't take long after I found my perfect gun in the LCR .22 for us to want another one. While I still wasn't ready to go up in caliber I did want a whole new firing experience. The Ruger 22/45 is very different to the LCR in many ways. 

While it seems lighter to me it is overall a bigger gun and has more bits, parts, and steps before you can just pull the trigger. The barrel is a lot longer and that seems to make it quieter, and it has less of that "I just fired a gun!" feeling. In fact there really is hardly any jerk at all. 

Since this one is not a revolver, it has a magazine that you will need to put the cartridges into. Mine came with two, and they both hold ten. At first, I struggled to load it until my husband explained to me that you can hold down the spring, and then it was super easy to load. You do have to push the magazine into the gun with some force to make sure things are in place. 

After the magazine is in you will need to pull back the slide to load the first bullet into the chamber. Now I must admit, on some days I struggle with this part because I do have arthritis in my hands. However, I only struggle when my hands are noticeably acting up and I don’t think this could be called hard to pull back by any stretch of the imagination. 

When you pull back the slide and release it, you are ready to fire, and it is so very very easy to pull this trigger compared to the LCR. Once you have fired all the rounds in the magazine the slide will stay in the back position. 

Another obvious difference is that there is a safety button feature, which you have to make sure is in the right position before firing. There is also a button that you press to release the magazine, which also serves to tell me if I haven't pushed the magazine in with enough force. I imagine I am one of only a few people who have that issue. The other button is the slide release button. 

 As much as I hate to admit it, it is easier to handle and way more accurate. Seriously right from the start I was able to hit the target and with a great consistency. I really like the angle of the grips which I think adds to my accuracy. 

For full technical details, because you may have guessed I'm no professional, please visit the Ruger website. You can also connect with Ruger on Facebook. 

Beautiful Bullet Designs Review & Giveaway

Do you believe in love at first sight? Have you ever just looked at something and known instantly that you would cherish it? Just look at this stunning bracelet I received from Bullet Designs! I own very few pieces of jewelry that I wear regularly, and in fact, the only ones I wore proudly were my wedding rings, but as soon as I laid eyes on my .38 special bracelet, I put it on and have hardly taken it off since.

My husband has mentioned more than once how special he thinks it is, and everyone who gets close enough to see it, seems to agree. It is truly unique in the world of jewelry. I've even had men stop to talk about it - especially at the range.

This particular bracelet has lovely, dainty-detailed, silver-plated links between the 6 .38 specials, which are in bronze and have pink stones in the center - and you all know my weakness for pink anything! The contrast of the metals is equally stunning. I also love that the clasp is easy to use and hooks securely.

You may or may not know that I am recently a bit of a gun enthusiast, and have a Colt in .357 that I usually fire with .38 ammunition, which is what makes this an extra special piece to me. I do want to say that even if you are not a gun enthusiast these are wonderfully unique pieces. On many of them, with the options of bullet size and stone color, you are getting a custom piece made just for you.

You may be thinking that you know a man in your life who would love something like this but a bit more manly, no worries because they have such a huge selection of both men's and women’s designs. The range is from a simple classic look to a more extravagant look like the peacock design I included a picture of.  They offer everything from rings to necklaces and even some things that are not jewelry.

You really should browse Bullet Designs yourself and find the item that makes you believe in love at first sight. You can also connect with Bullet Designs on Facebook and Twitter.

The wonderful people at Bullet Designs have offered one My Empty Nest reader the chance to win this Fire & Ice set! I must say I’m a little envious! Just look at how stunning each piece is! To enter please use the rafflecopter below. Open to US residents 18 and older. Winners have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is drawn.

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Ruger LCR 22

When I was asked by my husband what I wanted for my birthday, I was stumped. We are truly blessed, and I really could not think of a single thing I was lacking. Is it ironic that at this time of total contentment, I found my new favorite hobby? I had never before considered that I might want to fire a gun. In fact, up until I decided I wanted to, I was pretty sure I did not. I was even uncomfortable with air guns. I just had no idea how they worked, and I had always heard they were dangerous - so I didn‘t want to be around or holding one.

 Enter my Ruger LCR. From the moment I laid eyes on it I wanted to hold it, and as soon as I held it, some but not all of my fears started to ease. As the gentleman at the shop patiently explained everything about this gun and how it worked, I started to think I might really do this - buy, own and fire a gun. And so, after a very long time of looking, holding, and contemplating, I did get the LCR for my birthday.

We all have different hands sizes, so this may not be true for you, but for me it seemed to be made just for my grip. It felt perfect in my hand, like it was made for me. When we got to the local range, I must admit my fear got the better of me, and so I asked my husband to fire my new gun first. I left the range that day without firing my gun, feeling defeated, and wondering if I had made the right decision.

However, I was determined to at least fire it once before deciding if I wanted to keep it, give it to my husband, or sell it. I’m glad I gave it that one more chance, because there was no feeling more liberating than facing that fear and firing off the first eight rounds. With each reload my confidence increased, and I found it to be extremely relaxing.

Now I will get some of this wrong, because this is my first gun and I don’t know all of the technical terms, but here are my thoughts on the LCR 22 caliber revolver. The first thing I noticed was that there is no manual safety button. I had assumed all guns had them, but then I had the crazy notion that all guns had an easy trigger. This gun is double action only, which to me means that the trigger takes some effort for me to pull. I will not accidentally fire this and I can understand why there is no need for a manual safety button.

There is also not one of the hammers that you pull back, and I think that adds greatly to how sexy this gun looks - the lines are beautiful and smooth. Mine is currently all black except for the cylinder and trigger, which are stainless steel.

I like the way it loads. It is very easy, you just push the release button (which doesn’t take much strength) and then the cylinder swings out and you can load the bullets. After you have finished firing, you follow the same steps to swing out the cylinder. There is a little part you push to help the spent bullet shells come out.

It was louder than I expected. On the plus side it had less of a jerk than I was expecting too. I am sure some gun enthusiasts may laugh at me saying this about a 22, but it felt powerful to me.

I’m not very accurate with it at all, which is good, because it gives me a reason to visit the range frequently and practice. I find firing this gun as, if not more, relaxing than meditating.

Considering how much I love firing my LCR, I will have to customize the look to make it my own. So be on the lookout for a post about that later, when my extra goodies have been ordered and arrive.

For more details and technical stuff you can visit the Ruger site. They have wonderful videos that explain the features of all of the styles of guns they offer. You can also connect with Ruger on Facebook.