Tucson story

Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona and is about 100 miles from where I live. I found this short, but interesting news blurb about Tucson beating its own record on the number of homicides. There were 74 homicides in 2008 in Tucson. The article, oddly, does not give a break down of how any of them happened. It doesn't say anything about guns, or knives, or baseball bats. It doesn't make any connection to gangs or illegals. In fact, the only reference it makes is to curfew breakers and parties. That's a little weird to me. All those 17 years olds in Tucson must be trouble . I am sure it isn't, at all, due to the fact that Tucson is so close to Nogales and is a major route stop for illegals.



The blurb is annoyingly unfilled with any facts, other then there are 9 more homicides in Tucson, then last year.

Interesting read

It has been said for the past 40 years that the colleges and universities of America are filled only with liberal thought and these thoughts are passed directly to our college age children. There is some truth to this. The "changes" of the 1960's started in our colleges. There is nothing wrong with some of this change, nothing at all. I could not imagine nor would I want to live in America if "All men were not created equal" didn't mean that women, blacks, and other minorities didn't share the same rights that I have. Separate but equal is NOT equal.

Prior to the 1960's, colleges and universities were considered very conservative establishments. They taught old values. Most of these schools had shooting teams. Many, if not most, of the students grew up in families that hunted and they were hunters, themselves. Family traditions, of fathers taking their sons and daughters to the woods for hunting has gone back thousands and thousands of years and pre-dates firearms to the dawn of man. It was a necessity in order for you family to survive that all able hands either hunted of collected foods.

It has also been a tradition for many families to pass firearms, swords, banners, armor, etc down from one generation to another. One of the things the Brady Bunch is trying to do away with is this passing of guns from one family member to another. They consider it part of the "Gun Show Loophole" and feel that all gun sales or trades should be done with a background check. Here is a good read from a college professor who "gets it."

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/108236/

The idea that an heirloom cannot be passed from father to son is just ridiculous, regardless of what item it is: Money, cars, or guns.

Going to have to watch this one

Going to have to watch this one, intently.

http://www.murthalawfirm.com/@/Files/_files/3/file.pdf

Sensationalism, at it's worst

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081224/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_burress_search_warrant

I am not a Plaxico Burress fan. He's an idiot. He had a license, allowed it to lapse, but was a "big" enough man to still carry his gun in a state and bar where guns are outright banned. He deserves the punishment he has coming to him, for being stupid.

The news reporting services are just as bad. They flaunt themselves as being superior. They create sensationalism where none exists. For example:


Authorities seized a small cache of weapons and ammunition from the New Jersey home of New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, the New York Post and Newsday both reported Wednesday, possibly setting up the embattled player for more legal trouble.

The Post, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, said a 9-mm handgun, a rifle and ammunition for three other guns — a .380, a .45 and a .40, the same caliber of gun Burress accidentally shot himself with — were seized during the execution of a search warrant at Burress' home in Totowa.


"Citing anonymous" sources...Ok, Deep Throat !! 3 guns is a not a cache, small or large. I have a larger "cache" then that in my car. The reporter, who is unnamed, could just say that Burress "had three guns and some ammunition in his home." He has to use the word cache, which is always used with gangs and drug raids.

How's that for fair and impartial reporting?

Blatant price gouging

We all know that in the past 60 days, prices have risen dramatically. There are a few factors to this, but the biggest one is the fear that President-elect Obama will follow through on pre-campaign pledges of banning handguns and semi-auto rifles. There has been a huge increase in gun and ammo sales since a couple weeks prior to the election. Many assault-style gun types are sold out across the country and those that are left have risen dramatically in price.

Some of the price gouging has become ridiculous. Cheap AK variants have gone from $350 to $550 dollars in less then a week. Handguns have risen in price, too. AR-style rifles, which started as low as $599 for Century Internationals rebuilds are now $799. This is pure profit taking. There is no reason for these huge price increases. Obama doesn't take office for another month and any changes will take some time after that. This is no better then gas stations charging $5 a gallon on fears of gas shortages after hurricanes, when in fact, the supply lines were slow but still open.

Here are hard facts from just one seller. Cheaper Than Dirt ( cheaperthandirt.com).

Item....................Dec. catalog... Jan Catalog
S&B 45 auto $15.97 $21.79
S&B 9mm $9.79 $14.49
S&B .30-06 $12.89 $16.39
S&B 7.62x25 $13.29 $21.79
SBR 9mm $23.19 $29.86
Win 40 S&W $17.39 $21.49
Win 40S&W (100)$34.09 $44.49
Russian7.62x54 $99.97 $129.97
Federal xm193 $7.99 $14.89
Lake City .223 $15.69 $21.79
Federal xm80 $13.79 $19.49
5.7x28 ss195lf $21.89 $34.49
All 50 cal ammo went up about $10/10 rounds fom $40.69 to $49.97 or more
Aguila subsonic $34.19 $47.29
Wolf gold 303 brit $12.89 $21.79
Wolf gold 308 win $11.69 $17.79
All Hornady TAP ammo +$7 or more

That's just some in the first 10 pages !!
Many "hi cap" magazines increased by $5...or a lot more
Springfield xD 9mm sub-compact 16 rd mag from $24.97 to $39.97
Beretta 92f from $9.97 to $14.97
DPMS 223 M-4 upper assembly.. from $499.97 to $799.97
Ap4 contour barrel from $189.97 to $209.97


I stopped looking after that. My frustration was very high. CDNN, Cabela's, Centerfire and many other retailers did not go to these extremes. I wrote Cheaper Tan Dirt an email:

I have been a long time CTD customer. I received your latest catalog in the mail yesterday and I am shocked at the price gouging !! Your surplus ammo prices have risen dramatically. Come on...this is stuff that been around in a warehouse for 20+ years and was purchased in bulk months or years ago. Your company is using Obama as an excuse to steal someones wallet? Even new Remington and S&B ammo has gone up by $4 to $6 a box. I am very disappointed in CTD not only playing on peoples fears about Obama but even worse, screwing over your loyal customers with this pricing garbage. Shame on you. Natchez, Ranger Joe, CDNN, and some of the other vendors I have used are no where near the craptastic price increase CTD has given us. Your Former Loyal Customer

Here is the response I received back 45 minutes ago from their email department person, Tonya Harris: Thank you so very much for you comment..

She obviously cared about what I wrote. So much so, she replied back in poor English... not your comment, but you comment.

See ya, CTD...hope your sales slide and your company falls by the wayside of bankruptcy.

New Ammo

I am normally quite fond of Hornady products. I find their dies, especially their "Custom Grade-New Dimension" dies to be excellent. I find their defensive/tactical ammo to be awesome quality at a nice savings over Remington, Federal , or Winchester. Their TAP labelled ammo costs $5 a box (of 20) less, on average and frankly, I think it outperforms the others in expansion.

Hornady has been one of the leaders in ammo, lately. They have been partners in developing quite a few new rounds and calibers and improving some grand old ones with their LeverEvolution series ammo.

Now, they have released their `Critical defense' line of handgun ammo. Currently available in 380 Auto, 38 Special, 38 Special+P, and of course 9mm Para, this is Hornady's answer to hollow points not expanding properly. Federal came out with their EFMJ ammo a couple of years ago and that stuff seems to work well enough, but costs and arm and a leg, if you can find it. Hornady's idea is NOT original in any way, shape, or form. They appeared to have taken one of their normal hollow point rounds and filled the hollow area with a plug of plastic.

Again, this is not an original line of thought. People have been using homemade versions of this for years. People have filled their bullets hollow cavities with BB's, mercury, wax and a number of other things sitting around the garage. While all these ideas solved the potential issue of the normal hollow point not expanding due to it's cavity being filled with denim, fur or flesh, some gun rag writers are promoting this ammo as the second coming. Hornady is claiming 100% reliability in this bullets expansion. That's a huge claim. Once I get my hands on a useful supply of it, i intend to test that promise.

Hornady's own website ( http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=786 ) shows that the 380 Auto went through denim and them only penetrated about 11.5 inches of ballistic gel. The FBI tests from a dozen years ago has stated that ammo must penetrate at least 13 inches to be considered effective.

Like I said, I will test what i can on this. Hopefully, I will be able to post some pictures of what comes of this.

Paranoid...but justified

Here is an interesting read. http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/36036369.html?page=1&c=y

The woman is doing something that is completely legal to do, but others are uncomfortable so the Sheriff revokes her Right to carry a gun. Huh? So, these people would support the Right of a person to worship Satan, the Right of the media to print as many Pro-Obama stories and Anti-McCain stories as they can, the Right for porn to be available to all over 18, and even their own Right to assemble for a soccer game, but they won;t support her Right to carry her gun?

That's irony at it's best. How does one look at the Bill of Rights and say to themselves, "Ok, I am in total agreement with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. But, that #2 I don't support."

I hope she wins her $1 million suit against the sheriffs office...Oh, the "Staunch Supporter of the NRA" Sheriff.

Calibers that deserve more

We live in an age where faster is better, more is better, or as Tim "The Toolman" Taylor would say, "More power."

We have magnums, super short magnums, and now ultra-magnums. Basically, all these "super" cartridges do is vastly increase powder usage and provide a small increase in power, with huge increase in recoil. Most of the time, the increase in velocity is about 10 to 15%, while recoil is increased 20% or more over a similar non-magnum cartridge.

There isn't much a 300 Winchester Magnum can do that a 30-06 can't. There are a number of older cartridges that can still serve a great purpose and are almost dead cartridges theses days. The .32 Winchester Special and .300 Savage are great cartridges. The 32 Win is often called identical to 30-30, but it uses heavier bullets. The 300 Savage is halfway in power between the 30-30 and 308 Win. It can take anything the .308 Win can with quite a bit less recoil. The 300 Savage has been used in the Savage model 99 for 100 years to take millions upon millions of deer. It's another great cartridge being ignore these days since everyone "needs" a 308 Win at minimum.

Other great, useful cartridges being neglected are the 22 Hornet, .257 Roberts, 350 Remington, and 35 Winchester. The 22 Hornet was the .223 of it's day. It is a small, fast and flat shooting bullet used to take multitudes of varmints. It uses little powder, has little recoil, and can be put into very lightweight guns. The 250-3000, aka 250 Savage is a great mid-power cartridge. It's very underrated for it's capability. The other mentioned cartridges are useful for the same reasons. Smaller, lighter recoil, and still offering plenty of power for doing anything needed.

Time to return to useful cartridges that do the job with plenty of power, but not overkill for everything.

Bill of Rights Day

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of "parties" for this event won't allow guns, either concealed or otherwise.

Shocking, huh?

National Parks

Well, it's a step in the right direction:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20081205/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_guns_national_parks

Seems to me, that public lands, like National Parks should be governed by the common sense laws we have in this country, but to allow Concealed Carry people the "right" to carry is a start towards common sense. Connecting the "right to carry" with state laws makes no sense in a portion of land governed by Federal laws and managed by Federal employees.

Seems to me, though, my rights are being pre-empted on public lands..public, as in I own them, Go figure.

Someone almost got it right

Moastly, I agree with this editorial.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122835270947177981.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Free Plaxico BurressNew York City's gun law is unconstitutional.By DAVID B. KOPELNew York Giants star receiver Plaxico Burress is facing a mandatory 3½ years in prison and the end of his football career. His crime? Not having a license, which New York City never would have issued him, for the exercise of his constitutional right to bear arms.To be sure, Mr. Burress got caught because of what appears to have been stupid and irresponsible behavior connected with the handgun.

But he does not face prison for shooting himself. His impending mandatory sentence highlights the unfairness and unconstitutionality of New York City's draconian gun laws.Mr. Burress had previously had a handgun carry permit issued by Florida, for which he was required to pass a fingerprint-based background check.

As a player for the Giants, he moved to Totowa, N.J., where he kept a Glock pistol. And last Friday night, he reportedly went to the Latin Quarter nightclub in midtown Manhattan carrying the loaded gun in his sweatpants. Because New York state permits to possess or carry handguns are not issued to nonresidents, Mr. Burress could not apply for a New York City permit.At the nightclub, the handgun accidentally discharged, shooting Mr. Burress in the right thigh. He was not seriously injured, but he has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

It appears that he put the unholstered gun in the waistband of his sweatpants, and when it slipped, he grabbed for it, accidentally hitting the trigger. To make matters worse, according to press accounts, he was seen drinking and may have been consuming alcohol -- which all firearms safety training (including the class he would have been required to take for his Florida permit) absolutely forbids for people handling guns. And of course Mr. Burress's handgun should have been holstered to prevent unintentional movement of the trigger.

Fortunately, his negligent discharge did not harm anyone else.Mr. Burress's behavior was bad. However, Mr. Burress is not facing prosecution for carelessness, but simply for carrying a weapon. This is unjust and perhaps unconstitutional. The legal issues are a bit tangled, but here is the background:This summer, the Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the District's handgun ban, and its ban on use of any firearm for self-defense in the home, violated the Second Amendment, which guarantees the individual right to bear arms. D.C. is a federal enclave, and the Court did not rule whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments.

But as other cases reach it in the wake of Heller, it will.The Heller decision did not say that requiring a license to carry a gun was unconstitutional. But in New York State, nonresidents cannot even apply for the licenses to possess or carry a handgun. Unlike most other states, New York refuses to honor carry permits issued by sister states. Most observers believe that the Supreme Court will eventually make state and local governments obey the Second Amendment. If it does, New York's discrimination against nonresidents will probably be ruled unconstitutional.

And then there is the issue of the permitting process for residents. In 40 states, including Connecticut, law-abiding adults are issued permits once they pass a fingerprint-based background check and a safety class. In New Jersey, carry permits are virtually never issued. In New York City, carry permits are issued, but to applicants with some form of political clout rather than on the basis of his or her need for protection.

The Second Amendment might not require New Jersey or New York City to issue as liberally as Connecticut does. But with a population of several million and only a few thousand (consisting mainly of politicians, retired police and celebrities) able to get permits, New York City's licensing process is almost certainly unconstitutional on a number of grounds, including sheer arbitrariness.Some commentators contend that Plaxico Burress should have hired bodyguards, instead of carrying a gun himself.

Mr. Burress might now agree. But people who aren't as wealthy as he is also deserve to be safe, and they don't have the money for bodyguards. New York City needs to regularize its carry permit system so that law-abiding people can protect themselves, especially if their circumstances (such as being a witness to a gang crime) place them at heightened risk.The Burress case also shows why mandatory sentences are a bad idea. He was careless but had no malign intent. Legislators and mayors like to appear tough by pushing through such draconian laws. Yet the victims are people like Mr. Burress whose conduct may have been improper, but who do not deserve the same sentences meted out to robbers and burglars.

(The author is a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, in Washington, D.C., and research director of the Independence Institute, in Golden, Colo.)

Too Many Jokes

Too Many Jokes... Head Hurts. Can't tell them all at once

http://www.wlwt.com/cnn-news/18196466/detail.html

Man Says Wife Was Accidentally Shot During SexSPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- A Tri-State woman is in critical condition Wednesday after police say her husband shot her while they were having sex.Timothy Havens, 38, told Springfield police he was reaching for something on the nightstand when the pistol went off, hitting his estranged wife Carolyn in the upper chest. (Hear part of the 911 call)Carolyn Havens, 42, is being treated at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.This is isn't the first time there's been trouble for the Havens. Court documents showed Timothy served 60 days in jail for assaulting his wife and was ordered to go to anger management classes.His arrest Tuesday for the weekend shooting was for violating a civil protection order that Carolyn had taken out against him earlier this year.Bond was set at $75,000 after prosecutors asked for a high bond, "due to alleged prohibited contact between the parties (and) the suspicious nature of the circumstances surrounding (her injury)."

Negligent Discharges

I am not sure how many posts I have made regarding people being careless with guns. There are VERY few accidental discharges. Most so-called accidents can be attributed to people being careless or just plain stupid, hence the more correct term "Negligent Discharge."

A cop: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,459047,00.html
The cop was teaching his daughter how to shoot... "Um, honey, don't listen to him. He's just not the guy you want training you on firearms usage/"

A pro football player: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/11/29/burress.giants.ap/?cnn=yes
Dumbass football player, with a gun in a bar..big no-no and worse, in New York City, which is like the fascist hell for gun laws and gun owners.

Add to this the two guys who shot each other dead in a Toys R Us...geez, what a stellar week for gun owners showing how responsible they are....!

Supply and Demand

The word on the "street" is that many manufactures of EBR (Evil Black Rifles) are a month or two behind on their orders due to increased demand from Obama being elected. The prices of many AR's and Ak's jumped dramatically within hours of Obama being named the next President of the United States. Ammunition for these weapons has also been driven sky high.

On a number of websites, the basic Century AR-15 that was $599 just a month ago is not $699 or more. Entry-level Bushmasters have gone up even more then a $100. A case of 5.56x45 ammo has risen by a third. Surplus 7.62x39mm ammo is up a buck or buck-fifty for just 20 rounds. What the hell?

Even in Obama manages to get gun laws changed, it is not going to happen the day he steps into the White House. These changes take time. People need to stop this panic buying and step back and reaccess the situation. There is plenty of companies that have not raised their prices but that is due to change. Manufacturers are looking to get their share of the panic pricing and are raising their costs to distributors and guess what, those price increases only get passed onto the gun store, who in turn passes on even more of a price increase to the consumer.

There is nothing wrong with getting what you want, when you want it, but geez, panic buying is just dumb. We, the consumer, are the one's eating these cost increases. Does anyone really think the manufacturer, distributor, or even gun store is going to lower their prices once the supposed crisis is over? Not, me. Thanks a lot folks.

Wow. more common sense

Wow. More common sense. Let's not spend money on a feel good program that doesn't work to prevent crime. Makes sense to me.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/4CB8A8E002BAE0D08625750700141D9B?OpenDocument

But board President Chris Goodson said he was against the idea because last year's buyback didn't prevent this year's rising murder rate.

"I'm trying to understand what the benefit is," he told Isom. "If it's to reduce crime, it doesn't seem to have an effect."Board member Vincent J. Bommarito agreed. "I think it's a waste of money," he said.

It's great that people are finally realizing that gun control does not mean crime control. St. Louis has a horrid crime problem compared to comparably sized cities. That same $57k can be used to hire another police officer or upgrade police capabilities. Use the money where it is needed.

Illegals

The virtual motto of those that support amnesty for illegal aliens is that, `these are good, family people who are here to improve their lives. They aren't hurting anyone.'

Well, anyone who lives in an area with a high population of illegal aliens knows that this isn't always true. We read the same papers other people do and know how often the same murderer or rapist from Mexico or elsewhere enters our country over and over and commits their crimes. Not all illegals are violent, but all illegal aliens are lawbreakers. If the first thing you do upon entering my country is break our immigration laws, you are a criminal. I am entirely for anyone who enters my country using the readily available, legal means to do so. Welcome to America. May all your dreams come true. We do not like criminals. We don;t want criminals. Go back to your country and do your crimes. The end.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27853800/

So, here's another criminal who happens to be an illegal alien. This guy gets into an argument and comes out shooting at people. Sure, this could have been anyone, but it is, in fact a criminal who is illegally in the United States. Stop coming to my country to do your illegal activities. I am sure you can get into a bar fight in your home country, too.

Tired of ignorance

I am so tired of the "Liberal" bashing going on in the gun community. I am a Republican. I vote G.O.P. 90% of the time. I voted for McCain. My choice lost. The fight goes on. Seriously, not all Democrats are out to destroy your 2nd Amendment rights and not all Republicans support your 2nd Amendment rights.

It's time to stop ticking off "Liberals" and go after the real cause of our problems--Leftists ! President Lincoln was a liberal, and he was also the first Republican president. Being liberal is not a bad thing. Liberals got women the right to vote, passed Civil Rights legislation, and maternity/paternity rules in place you people can stay home and raise their kids for the first few weeks. These are not bad things.

Liberals was change for the betterment of society. Liberals tend to push for freedoms for all. This is not always the case, but generally so. Liberals want the Bill of Rights enforced and expanded.

Leftists want change for the sack of power. Leftists push towards socialism and further into communism. Leftists seek to subvert the Bill of Rights, including the 2nd Amendment.

Use the right word for the right people.

Insult to injury

Never, ever mix booze and guns. It turns out bad.

Apparently, he violated not only every tenant of good gun handling, he was also stupid. But, adding insult to injury, this guy is in jail for manslaughter of his 6 year old child. I am sure he is going through far more hell then anything the prison and court systems can do to him.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_re_us/girl_shot
MARYSVILLE, Wash. – A father arrested after his 6-year-old daughter was fatally shot in their Washington state home allegedly told authorities he had been drinking double shots of vodka while cleaning his guns.
Court papers say Richard Peters told detectives he had asked his daughter, Stormy, to bring him the .45-caliber handgun Sunday. He said he must have pulled the trigger, and the girl fell to the floor. She was pronounced dead Monday.
Bail for Peters, 42, was set Monday at $250,000. He has been arrested for investigation of first-degree manslaughter.
His attorney, Annika Carlsten, requested that Peters be released from jail, The Herald newspaper of Everett reported. She argued that Peters isn't a flight risk, or a danger to himself or the community.
"It's obviously a tragedy for all involved and my primary concern is for my client and his family," Carlsten told The Associated Press on Tuesday night, declining to discuss any specifics.
The Snohomish County sheriff's office said two other children were removed from the home by Child Protective Services.

Tax Free

http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/state_regional/south_carolina_state/article/south_carolina_to_have_tax_free_holiday_for_gun_sales/19049/

While the idea of tax free anything would usually make me a happy guy, I am unsure about this move at a time when most states are having budget shortfalls. The more money a state has collected, the more it can spend on schools, roads, etc.

They called it the Second Amendment Recognition Act. I love the name.

Of course, any incentive that brings more people into the gun owning fold is a good thing. Now, if this would turn into a tax free day on car sales....

Really? Who knew it?

Someone has finally opened their eyes to see what the rest of us already knew...

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d26c29ff-f134-4202-bc40-947534a6de3c

When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

More news on gun sales

The news media is eating up the increase in gun sales. They are even quoting guy buyers, the NRA, and even gun store employees as to why there is such a marked increase in sales. This is nice that the media is portraying the sales increase properly, but they are also exasperating the issue, too. The non-stop coverage of this is adding to the buying frenzy as people who weren't thinking about getting a gun or large quantities of ammo are running out to get something ... anything ... while it's still available.

In linking this article, it does anger me that the heading for this link is under CNN's "crime" section. It is not against the law to own a gun, in fact it's a protected right.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/11/obama.gun.sales/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bernie Conatser has never seen business this good.

The owner of a gun shop in the Washington suburb of Manassas, Virginia, Conatser said sales have doubled or tripled since this time last year.

On Saturday, he said, he did as much business as he would normally do in a week. "I have been in business for 12 years, and I was here for Y2K, September 11, Katrina," Conatser said, as a steady stream of customers browsed what remained of his stock. "And all of those were big events, and we did notice a spike in business, but nothing on the order of what we are seeing right now."

Weapons dealers in much of the United States are reporting sharply higher sales since Barack Obama won the presidency a week ago. Buyers and sellers attribute the surge to worries that Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress will move to restrict firearm ownership, despite the insistence of campaign aides that the president-elect supports gun rights and considers the issue a low priority.

According to FBI figures for the week of November 3 to 9, the bureau received more than 374,000 requests for background checks on gun purchasers -- a nearly 49 percent increase over the same period in 2007. Conatser said his store, Virginia Arms Company, has run out of some models -- such as the AR-15 rifle, the civilian version of the military's M-16 -- and is running low on others.

Such assault weapons are among the firearms that gun dealers and customers say they fear Obama will hit with new restrictions, or even take off the market.
Virginia gun owner Kyle Lewandowski said he was buying a .45-caliber pistol to "hedge my bets."

"Every election year, you have to worry about your rights being eroded a little bit at a time," he said. "I also knew, because of the Democrat majority and because of the election, everybody would have the same reaction I did," he added.

Dealers in Colorado, Ohio, Connecticut and New Hampshire also reported seeing major increases.
"It's a fact that the liberal Democrats that now control all three branches of our government do not like guns. They want us out of business," Connecticut resident Scott Hoffman said. "They don't want the average American to have a right to defend themselves."

And New Hampshire gun owner Lloyd Clement said, "I think there's going to be an attack to some degree on the gun owners."

The Clinton administration imposed a ban on several types of military-style semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines in 1994, but that ban was allowed to lapse in 2004. Obama has proposed restoring the ban, requiring background checks for buyers at gun shows, and other "common-sense measures."

He has said he supports the rights of local governments to set their own gun laws, but believes the Second Amendment to the Constitution protects individual gun rights.

"I believe the Second Amendment means something. I do think it speaks to an individual right," Obama said in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in February.

With the U.S. economy in a tailspin, however, the president-elect's advisers say gun legislation is not a high priority.

"What people do is their own business, and if they decide to go out and buy guns they'll go out and buy guns, assuming that they are eligible to buy guns," John Podesta, the co-chairman of Obama's transition team, told reporters Sunday. "But I think that President-elect Obama has been clear in his campaign that what he wants to focus on is the economy, trying to get jobs growing again, dealing with the health care crisis, and dealing with our dependence on foreign oil."

Some customers are stocking up specifically on ammunition and point to concerns raised by the National Rifle Association, which ran anti-Obama ads during the campaign.

The NRA said Obama would support a "huge new tax on my guns and ammo," referencing a 1999 article in a Chicago newspaper saying the then-Illinois state senator promoted a plan to increase federal taxes by 500 percent on the sales of firearms and ammunition.

But as a state legislator, Obama would not have had any control over federal taxes. And as a U.S. senator and presidential candidate, he has not introduced or promoted such a proposal.

"I don't really believe it is fear. It is more there is just uncertainty," said Virginia customer David Reynolds, who was buying ammunition in the store as well as ordering more online.

"You know, we don't really know what is going on," he said. "There really hasn't been a lot of clear direction on where he supports it, although he says he supports the Second Amendment. But it just remains to be seen. I think some people are just uncomfortable with what his policy may be."

Gun Sales are up

Gun sales are up and still rising. Gun stores are complaining they could make more money if they still had guns to sell.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6209255&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/ (Friday, Nov 6th)

So, all retailers are down in sales from last year. Unemployment is up to its highest level since 1999 (6.5%..which isn't all that bad, but not great). Car sales are down about 30% or more from a year ago, and a year ago sales were bad. But, gun sales are up.

Gun sales are up for several reasons. One, when the economy takes a nose give, like in 1982 or after 9/11people go into "fear" mode. Two, when you get a president (elect) who has stated on many occasions that guns have to go and he is going to do anything he can to get rid of them, people go out and hoard guns so they can have them before the new president bans further sales.

Most distributors are out of "black rifles" and those they are selling is at a large premium over what they were two months ago, or a week ago. So, manufacturers are making a lot of money. Distributors are making a lot of money. Gun Stores are making a lot of money. And Joe the Plumber is getting hosed, again.

Gun Sales up

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10912220

Gun sales are up. Ammo sales are up. Sadly, Gun prices are up and ammo prices are up, too.

"Now that we will have someone who is openly hostile to the right to keep and bear arms in the White House, gun owners and those who hope to one day own guns have woken up and they are nervous," said Hardy.

Ar's and Ak's are already sold out in many places. Apparently, DPMS have already something like 30,000 orders waiting for them, which is something like a 4 month backlog.

Supply and demand. Demand is up and suppliers are taking advantage of us Gun People's nervousness. Damn them.

Pres. Obama

Well, the people have spoken and Barack Obama has been elected President. It wasn't a photo finish, it was a blow out of abotu 7 million people in the popular vote and almost a 2.5 to 1 whopping in electoral votes.

Let us hope he is not as bad as we think he will be. It wasn't even a close race.

I will be back when my head stops spinning.

Election Day

It's finally here. The end of all the bantering, bickering and debating. It's the end of countless ads on TV, none of them saying everything of importance and all of them seeming negative, of late.

By midnight tonight, we should have a good idea who the next President of the United States will be, either Obama or McCain. All the polls are saying Obama is leading, but we Pro-2nds are holding out hope for McCain/Palin.

I voted today. I voted early and there was no line. I was the only person in the voting center, other then the staffers. I got my sticker over my heart and whether McCain wins or loses, I am proud to have voted. I am not sure this is the world changing, monumental election the media keeps portraying it as. In fact, I think this is a rather benign election, compared with some of the amazing elections in the past that changed America: Lincoln, Carter/Reagan, Adams, Hamilton, Jackson, etc.

The biggest two factors of this election is that the next President, may end up putting 2 to 3 Justices on the Supreme Court and the 2nd Amendment. Speech, Religion, and Press are all ok. Obama/Biden have a long history of being anti-guns.

Anywho...best wishes to all of us Pro-2nd people. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Converts

I have family that lives in Madrid, Spain. They come out each year to visit. This time, one of my cousins brought his fiancee with him. Nice girl. Between her English and my Spanish skills, we could barely communicate. I have taken my cousin shooting before. He's good shot. He pays attention, has a good grip and stance and hits his target pretty well.

Apparently, they do not have shooting ranges in Spain like we do here in the States. Trap and Skeet are popular in Spain and people do hunt, but handguns are not all that common for people. They are allowed, but owners must undergo psych evaluations prior to ownership, as well as yearly gun inspections.

His fiancee has never touched a gun in her life. After setting her stance into something that looking like she was about to try to arch her back and touch the floor behind her, I helped her position herself properly. I started her on a .22 pistol. She flinched with each shot, at first. With each "bang" of the gun, she also did a little bunny hop. She admitted to me she was nervous about this, but she was a good sport.

She was also a pretty good shooter. After a couple of magazines, a few more instructions, she really got a good grasp on what to do. I stepped her up to a 9mm pistol. This was more of a challenge. Her shots were much further spaced apart. She was flinching and anticipating recoil. She wasn't doing badly, but she was a little slower to catch on. After a while, I decided to try her out of a full sized 40 S&W pistol. Now, her shots were about a good as her 9mm shots, but the smile on her face after she touched off the 40 S&W was priceless. It was the same smile I have after I shoot a new big-banger for the first time. She liked it !!

We spent the next 90 minutes rotating through about 6 different handguns and rifles. Her skills improved, as they should, with more trigger time. They are in town for another week. I think they will happily go to the range with me late this coming week,.

Eating their young

Based on current polls, McCain is about 5 to 10 percentage points behind Obama with just a week before the election. The news media is playing non-stop Obama coverage and has been making it a point to push McCain's being down at every opportunity.

Now, the media is bringing out lists upon list of Obama supporters, including Colin Powell, tons of actors and actresses, and so called important people. Maybe there aren't McCain supporters, but that seems unlikely. I know the NRA endorsed McCain, but I don't see the media mentioning that too often.

One recent thing that bugged me is that the media is quite happy push that Cooper Arms decided to endorse Obama. A gun manufacturer is endorsing a candidate who has made it his mandate to get rid of guns. I am shaking my head in bewilderment.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-27-prez-money_N.htm

I have seen this information on Cooper Arms in a number of different places now. The media must be in a frenzy since they found the ONE arms company supporting Obama. Still the idea is disturbing that an arms company would abandoned the Bill of Rights is just amazingly odd. Paybacks a bitch. I am sure if Obama/Biden get elected and the Democrats still maintain control of both houses of Congress, Cooper Arms will be the first to cry.

Bad decision making

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27399337/

At a machine gun shoot, someone thought it would be wise to allow an 8 year old to fire a full auto Uzi. Uzi's are barely controllable in full auto by a grown man, let a lone an 8 year old kid. The "worst" happened and the muzzle kept rising...right up to the kids face and killed him. It's a horrible story and a tragic ending due to poor judgment.

Would you let an 8 year old drive a Semi in rush hour traffic? Whether or not the parent is bracing the kid from behind, someone needed their hand on the muzzle of that gun. It was an avoidable, terrible mistake.

Gun Sales are up

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27393833/

In uncertain times, gun sales go up. Since it looks like Anti-2nd Obama/Biden may win the election, based on current polls, sales of guns are up by 8 to 10%. People expect Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress to pass anti-gun legislation. People are buying guns now, while they can,

Sadly, if Obama wins, the Pro-2nd people's fears are justified. Obama and Biden are both vehemently anti-gun. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Both have records of voting for and stating that they are anti-guns. Apparently, these two Senators, sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, seemed to have glossed over their sworn commitment to the 2nd of the Amendments.

I know I want to get one or two more weapons before the prices really go up and the availability becomes virtually nil.

Answer the question

I hate it when people ignore your question and impose their answer to the supposed question they heard in their minds.

For example, on a gun board today a guy asked where he could find a small part for an SKS magazine. The first responder to this questions answered with something like, "Oh, you have a detachable magazine. Might as well put the original fixed back on." That's all he said.

It didn't answer or even come close to answering the question. My reply was to link a couple of potential sources to him and then explain he would be better off just buying a new magazine then to try to repair the old broken one with parts that probably aren't replaceable. I also explained that the detachable SKS magazines are not known for reliability, when compared to the original fixed ten round magazines.

I am not saying I am special, but I see this crap all the time. If a person answers a question that was never asked, does it help? Probably not. Stop wasting your time and the rest of the people's who are reading the thread if you aren't going to be helpful, or at least, explain your answer. i understood what the responder meant, but this doesn't mean everyone would.

Gun Owners

There is a group of gun owners even I am afraid of. It's the freaks that only see one side, theirs and every one else is wrong. They are militant about their "side" and have to force their beliefs down everyone's throats in such a way as to turn off people who may have been on the fence about the issue. An example of this is a person who blatantly ignores everything logical to assert their "correctness" to the point of being rude and obnoxious.

It is perfectly acceptable to have an opinion that fully automatic arms should be licensed. It is also perfectly acceptable to believe that the 2nd Amendment allows individuals to own fully automatic to be owned, without government interference. The issue is, when one side becomes "militant" in their efforts or with their voice. There is nothing wrong with a cool, logical debate but when tempers flare, nothing gets resolved and no ones valid points are noticed.

It's this militant-style that makes gun owners look poorly. Angry and hostile movements and words makes those not directly involved in the debate look at the debaters as redneck, ghetto, or worse, criminal. If you are in the middle of a Chicago anti-gun rally, carrying an AR-15 down the other side of the street and shooting off rounds into the air is probably not the most logical way to get your point across. Calming and rationally debating the anti's on some forum is a better method.

Gun control, the death penalty, abortion, politics, etc are fun and dangerous topics to debate, but when hot heads take over, no one is winning and no desirable outcome will ever be achieved. Be rational, be firm, provide facts and back up your answers. Win through deliberate, calm mannerisms, not emotional outbursts.

How disturbing

It amazes me that newspapers continue to report the stupidest things in an attempt to sell their papers. For example:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081015/ap_on_re_us/airports_guns

OMFG..Did you know it's still legal in most American airports to carry a firearm through the airport, just not through the security checkpoint? Well, f-ing duh !!

Did you know, you idiotic reporter, that owning and "bearing" a firearm are not only legal in the U.S., it is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, like the right of the press to spew crap?

At least the police officer interviewed used common sense, ""t's really not more of a concern than at a mall or a train station," said Philadelphia police Lt. Louis Liberati."

"Jon Allen, a spokesman for the federal Transportation Security Administration, said the TSA has not taken a position on guns in airports and has no authority under federal law to ban them." While, Mr. Allen is 100% correct on this, it still strikes me as off that under federal law they can ban a 10 ounce beverage but not a 6 ounce one... Who knows?

Seems to me, the people who are carrying in airports are a sure sign deterrent for the bad guys not to screw around in this airport.

New Convert

A few days ago, I met up with my regular shooting partners. One of the ladies brought her 12 year old step-son. Nice kid. A little shy and very inexperienced with guns. Oh, he knew movie style of shooting. but his technique was a little lacking for shooting anything more then a .22. He had his feet planted, legs straight and back arched so far back it was amazing he didn't fall over.

He learned fast and became a pretty good shot. He was a little hesitant with everything, though. The .22 pistol he enjoyed, but he was nervous about firing a 9mm. After a few shots of that, he had a big grin on his face. We started him with M1 Carbine, which, again he was nervous to try. He warmed up quickly to that.

The next step was a Winchester 94, lever action, in perennial favorite .30-30. He did not want to try this gun. He saw the size of the cartridge compared to the .30 Carbine and wanted nothing to do with it. "Just one shot," we urged. He tried one shot and grinned like we gave him a Xbox-360. He went through the next 3 rounds pretty fast. It didn't take much urging to get him to try a Remington Model 70 in .308 Win.

He's a convert.

lifetime Warranty

Year ago I purchased a Marlin Model 70 .22 rifle. It's a clip fed .22 similar to the Model 60 tube fed .22 internally. At the time I picked up the used Model 70, I noticed that Ramline made 25 round banana clips for the gun. I bought one. The gun was never very reliable. I replaced parts, stripped, cleaned, stripped and cleaned it again but after a couple of dozen rounds it would start having issues with ejection.

I pulled it out of the closet a few months ago to try it out, again. I took the Ramline magazine with it. After a few dozen shots, the neck of the Ramline magazine broke. The neck portion was in the gun and the larger part that held the spring and the majority of bullets went crashing to the floor. I tried duct tape and super glue, but to no avail. This thing was trash.

I found the original magazine packaging at the bottom of box of gun stuff I had. Lo' and Behold, it has a lifetime warranty: "No questions asked/Lifetime Free Replacement." Wahoo !!

I hit the W.W.W. and find they have a 1800 number. The lady on the other end of the line tells me, "They have been out of production since 1994 and we have none in stock."

I ask about the lifetime replacement and get told, they have none to replace it with. I ask about repair, and I am told they cannot repair them. Well, crap. "How about a gift card or something for compensation for a Lifetime Guarantee, that really isn't?" She laughs at me !!

Now, I knew I was pushing things, but come on, if my car has a Lifetime Guarantee on brakes and the brakes go bad, they are replaced for no cost, right? If my Ipod takes a crap and they cannot fix it, they replace it with the current version, right? I guess not so with magazines from Ramline (AKT).

Guns being returned?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081008/ap_on_re_us/katrina_confiscated_guns

NEW ORLEANS - City officials have agreed to return hundreds of firearms that police officers confiscated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, part of a deal to resolve a lawsuit filed by gun lobbying groups.

Police department spokesman Bob Young said it has stored 552 guns that were confiscated after Katrina, through Dec. 31, 2005. Police have said that most of the confiscated firearms had been stolen or found in abandoned homes, but the NRA claims police disarmed some people who were trying to flee the city.

In April 2006, police made about 700 firearms available for owners to claim if they could present a bill of sale or an affidavit with the weapon's serial number. Halbrook, however, said few people could present proof of ownership after Katrina, which flooded 80 percent of the city.

Wow...read the whole article. The city of New Orleans has agreed to give back what was stolen, in complete violation of the 2nd Amendment as well as the 4th Amendment (illegal search and seizure). What about all those gun lost, stolen (taken home as trophies by cops), or damaged. I am quite sure no one bothered to check the guns for rust in the past 3 years. I am sure New Orleans finest has gone out of their way to protect these weapons from scrapes and dings.

Do people get compensation for lost or damaged property? What if they do not have serial numbers or receipts, since all their homes were damaged by the hurricanes? Who is going to make sure this never happens again? Sure, new laws were passed in recent years disallowing confiscation of guns in a natural disaster, but what happens during martial law....? Laws are suspended.

Another Pulitzer prize winner...

Here's another nominee for the Pulitzer Prize...yeah, right.
http://www.abc15.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=08df0a8c-1115-49cc-aad2-8c7e59f02884

"Police are searching for a man who robbed a Mesa pizza shop Saturday night with a semi-automatic gun." Yeahhh... nice opening sentance. What kind of semi-auto weapon. A replica, a handgun, a semi-automatic revolver (Mataba or a Webley Fosbery), a rifle, or hey, how about a shotgun?

A few lines later, "The suspect entered the restaurant and revealed a black pistol before demanding money from the cash register and delivery drivers." So, it is identified now as being a "black pistol." So, ya bunch of editing geniuses, why is the pistol beside the article a stainless steel or nickel-plated 1911?

Nice reporting and editing. Goofballs !

1911

Browning excellent M1911 is almost 100 years old in its stated form and more then 100 years old if you count its ancestry (M1905). This came out when cars were rare and most people were still getting electricity to their cities, let alone inside their homes. The current crop of M1911 pistols are finely turned pistols and the higher end ones could almost be considered woks of pistol smithing art.

Today, I had a chance to handle a Taurus 1911 clone. It was a very nice pistol. It had simple, no snag two white dot sight system that worked extremely well for me. I much preferred it to my own 1911's three system. The ergonomics of the pistol were excellent and control-ability of the weapon were darn good, too. For the fit, finish, and features this $525 pistol had, I would have expected to pay $1000 for a similar Kimber or Springfield Armories. It was a nice pistol.

One of my friends commented how he would have loved that pistol in something other then 45 ACP. I looked at him like he was a freak, but added they make this style pistol in a half dozens other calibers, including 40 S&W, 9mm Para, 38 Super, 50 GI, 40 Corbon, and others. He didn't believe me. I sent another friend to the rental area of the range to pick up a Springfield Armory's 1911 in 9mm Para. My friend was amazed.

I still looked at him like he face-planted while walked a straight line...no one gets a 1911 in anything but 45 ACP without a nasty look. But, he wants one.

Tired

I am tired of reading the same thing over and over, again. Unlike The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, reading the same articles over and over is not even better with each viewing. Whether it's Handguns, Guns and Ammo, Guns, Shotgun News, Gun Tests, or even Gunblast.com, and dozens of other magazines and gun websites and they all have the exact same reviews on the same guns.

The new"IT" gun is the Ruger LCP. There is nothing innovative or great about this pistol. It's a near copy of Kel-Tec's P3AT that has been around, for, ohhh, about 4 years. But, wait...the Kel Tecs a little smaller and 2 ounces lighter. Every review has pointed to the similarities between these two guns and except for the "hold open" that seems to be missing from the Ruger, all the reviews love the "new" and "innovative" Ruger. Yet, just 4 years ago in September 2004's Guns and Ammo, Wiley Clapp said, "Ingenuity is often nothing more than a combination of existing principles applied in unique ways. Kel-Tec's new P-3AT has no single feature that is not established in modern pistol design, yet it has no competition in its niche."

Ruger's only majesty in all this attention is that this is their first pocket auto-pistol. OOHH, AHHH...so what? It's already been the subject of a recall for some of its earliest pistols....

Good Job, Gun Writers... Good Job. How about spending more time and effort on a weapon that shows real ingenuity, real invention, real promise, or even real new and stop wasting page space on a copy and a fairly bad one at that.

The worst weapon ever

Away from my more serious posts, for just a moment:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26877682/

Guy was charged with battery...should have been Ass-ault!!

Bloomberg, again !

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_July_2/ai_n27879116

LOL

HAHA

Sorry, can't type more..still laughing.

Finland Shooting

I am amazed at the media coverage a recent shooting in Finland has produced here in the U.S.
http://news.aol.com/article/9-killed-in-finland-school-shooting/184482

Recent coverage has stated that most of his victims were women and that this guy idolized the Columbine freaks. This kid has long had deviant tendencies. In fact, he was brought into Finish police for questioning the day prior to the shooting. This follows another shooting almost a year earlier in Finland.

I listened to a radio new person make his comments about guns being bad. There are almost 2million guns in Finland and 5 million people. If guns were bad, then why aren't the other 1.7 million guns causing death and destruction? It's because guns are a tool and the person with the tool is either good or evil.

Hell, are cars bad? They must be since a Palestinian drove his car into a crowd of dozens of people in Israel earlier this week. Ban all cars, I say. Ban them all !!! If evil cars weren't on the road then people could not kill other people with them and there would be no such thing as drunk driving. Ban them all.

Another great one

Karel Krnka is a name almost no one mentions. He's a virtual unknown these days, but 100 years ago, he was as creative as Borchardt, Browning, or Maxim. Karel Krnka designed many items, including weapons. His handgun designs were prominently used in the Austrio-Hungarian Empire.

Krnka was born in Vienna, Austria. According to Ian Hogg in his book Pistols of the World, Krnka's start with guns came about due to the fact that his father was also a well known gun designer. Krnka is often associated with Bohemia, which is part of the Czech Republic today, bordering Germany. Krnka had first hand gun training and experience; he was in the Austrio-Hungary Army infantry. Krnka developed a series a rifles prior to becoming the Chief Designer for the Gatling Arms and Ammunition Company then Manager of the Roth Cartridge Company. Roth was a major player in the small arms market in the early part of the 20th Century.

Krnka also worked for Austrian cartridge company Hirtenburg before joining CZ (Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka). He worked for, with, and allied himself with such early luminaries of the early gun designing world as Roth, Sauer, Frommer, and Steyr.

One of Krnka's early "trademarks" was the long recoil action in pistols. Per Iam Hogg, "The barrel and bolt recoiled together across the top of the magazine; the bolt then opened by rotation and held while the barrel ran forward alone. The bolt released as the barrel came to rest, running forward to chamber a fresh round and then rotated into its locked position." Krnka's designed usually incorporated a built in magazine which was non-removable and was fed by a charger through an open bolt. This is similar to Mannlicher style rifles.

Many of Georg Roth's famous pistols were desinged by Krnka. The Roth-Steyr, for example, was the main sidearm of the Austrio-Hungarian empire and ended up as an official sidearm of the Italian Army until World War 2. This pistol was the first automatic pistol adopted by a major military.

He designed revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, single shot rifles, bolt action rifles, and even automatic rifles. Krnka left is mark on the early arms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much of his work has been used in later designs and some of that work lives on in today's arm, in spite of the fact that his name has been almost forgotten.

Dumb Cops

http://copshop.freedomblogging.com/2008/09/18/phoenix-police-shoot-man-who-detained-burglar/

Seems to me the cop needs to get some prison time for this mess up. He shot the hero (homeowner). Dumbass !

D.C. Yeah !

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,423962,00.html

Well, it appears that Congress is forcing D.C. to actually obey the Laws of the Land, specifically the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Even after the Supreme Court gave it's decision, D.C. rewrote it's laws to barely allow gun ownership, violating the 2nd Amendment and the Supreme Courts decision.

Finally, Congress has done something correct.

When I stop laughing

http://news.yahoo.com/story//ap/20080917/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/lost_weapons

When I stop laughing...i mean Coca Cola shooting from my nose, tears streaming from my eyes laughing, I will make some comments on the ineptitude of the BATF...Yes the same BATF that goes after people and gun stores for not properly tracking weapons via paperwork or losing them outright losing dozens upon dozens of guns !!!

Let's raid the BATF like they raid law abiding businesses. Well, that's what we get for having created an unsupervised government bureaucracy.

If You Pass This Bill, More Presidents Will Die

http://reason.com/blog/show/128765.html

This blog shows the idiocy and scare tactics of the Anti's.

It makes one with common sense shake their head in wonder....

Gun Shows

I think gun shows are going to be a thing of the past within a years. Well, not altogether gone, but much smaller and less frequent then they are now or have been. No, it's not the Anti-gun laws that may be coming, or closing of any so called loopholes, it's the prices.

It costs 5 to 8 dollars to park at some of the shows and anywhere from $5 to $10 to get in the door. So, basically, it's $10 to $18, plus gas and time and you still haven't purchased a product, yet.

My question is, unless I am buying a lot of things, where is the incentive to go to the gun show over buying over the internet. Many places offer discounted shipping on larger orders or free shipping. When you go to a gun show, you have to carry everything you buy all around the show and then back to your car. Well, hell, Fedex or UPS can do that for me.

If anyone talks about how great the gun show conversations are, they are stoned and not sharing with the rest of us. You get either people too into your space or rude/arrogant sales people. Occasionally, you get into a good conversation with someone, but it is rare.

Prices at the gun shows can..can..can be decent, but usually no better then you will find on the internet or your local gun store that carries surplus stuff. You get it at the stores with no parking or entrance fees. Trading guns, well, let the buyer beware.

So..no savings in cost and in fact costs more to get in, you have to hike your purchases through the place that is unusually exceptionally crowded..sounds like a species that will be extinct soon.

Do you believe

Do you believe this?

http://www.sportsmenforobama.org/

September 5, 2008, 2:38 pm
Obama: ‘I’m Not Going to Take Your Guns Away’
Christopher Cooper reports from Duryea, Pa., on the presidential race.
The Obama campaign talks a lot about new ideas and expanding the political map, but in the swing state of Pennsylvania, which the campaign has focused on almost exclusively since the Democratic convention, old-school issues still rise to the fore.
The latest example came Friday during a small political event at SCHOTT North America Inc., a glass factory in Duryea, Pa., where even a hand-picked crowd threw Barack Obama a curve ball.
A woman in the crowd told Obama she had “heard a rumor” that he might be planning some sort of gun ban upon being elected president. Obama trotted out his standard policy stance, that he had a deep respect for the “traditions of gun ownership” but favored measures in big cities to keep guns out of the hands of “gang bangers and drug dealers’’ in big cities “who already have them and are shooting people.”
“If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said. But the Illinois senator could still see skeptics in the crowd, particularly on the faces of several men at the back of the room.
So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said. “This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back? I see a couple of sportsmen back there. I’m not going to take away your guns.’’
I guess that he would take them away if he could get the votes.....Yup, and he thinks the Second Amendment is an individual right. Right.

--Me neither. His record speaks for itself

Clean your gun

Went shooting with a friend today. She's a great shot, fun shooting partner and really challenges me to keep up on my skills. Unless I really pay attention and concentrate on shooting, front site, trigger control, and breathing she can kick my ass all over the target. I have been shooting for 20 years. She's been shooting for 6 months.

Anywho, after shooting today I asked her about cleaning and she said she hadn't in a while. I told her I would clean it. The last time I saw a gun that dirty was about $15 years ago when my buddy and I blew 250+ Chinese surplus rounds in an afternoon through my SKS. The surplus ammo is some nasty, dirty stuff. It's also "mildly" corrosive. It took me a couple dozen of patches to get the barrel, chrome lined mind you, clean.

This Glock 19 was that bad. The barrel alone took about 20 patches. The frame took 15 more. The slide was another 20. The slides first 6 patches were completely black from powder and gunk. It was nasty. The moral of this story...clean your gun !! And the 2nd moral...damn Glocks are reliable.

Another D.C.

This has the potential to be a great thing for gun rights. If Congress overrides the nonsensical bullshit that D.C. lawmakers have been spewing all these years, maybe we will start seeing real rights flow back into our countries Capital.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/09/08/ST2008090802613.html

Another shooting

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_re_us/shooting_rampage

It's been a while since a crazy person has gone on a shooting person. While I feel for the families of all the victims, I still have problems understanding the mentality of people who do this sort of thing. What makes a person decide to "go out on a blaze" of gore. Why not just take your own life and spare dozens of people heartache and pain?

D.C. FFL Dealer

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/washington/01guns.html?ex=1378008000&en=4e8944461ae72a9a&ei=5124&partner=digg&exprod=digg

September 1, 2008Washington Gun Ownership to Go Through One Man By WILL BARDENWERPERWASHINGTON — Residents here who buy a gun to keep legally at home, now that the Supreme Court has overturned the city’s ban on handguns, will find that a bureaucratic maze leads them to an unmarked door on Good Hope Road Southeast where Charles W. Sykes Jr. does business.Mr. Sykes does not sell guns, but on Tuesday he is expected to become the only federally licensed dealer in Washington to serve as the transfer agent for the carefully controlled transactions that will put guns in the hands of district residents.There are no gun stores here, and a resident who buys a gun elsewhere must have the weapon shipped to a licensed dealer in the district. Mr. Sykes’s permit will allow him to receive the weapon and, for a transaction fee of $125, he will ensure that the requisite paperwork is prepared for approval by federal and district officials before handing over the weapon to its new owner. Mr. Sykes has been handling this kind of transaction since 1994 for security firms, police officers and the like. His enterprise, CS Exchange Limited and located in the southeast Washington neighborhood of Anacostia, is not listed in the telephone book, and he does not advertise. But his name is commonly known in local gun circles, and he can be found on the Internet.Mr. Sykes said his firearms work was a sideline — he would not name his full-time employer — and he had no thoughts of selling guns. “I don’t know of any firearms dealer in the greater metropolitan area that hasn’t been broken into,” he said. “I don’t want the headache of having to secure a stockpile of weapons.”There may be a few other holders of federal firearms licenses in the city, but according to the police, he will soon be the only one to offer this service. There was a surge of people contacting him after the Supreme Court’s ruling, but Mr. Sykes said some people had lost interest upon learning how long it was taking him to receive the necessary approval. As of Tuesday, however, if all goes according to plan, a resident of the District of Columbia who purchases a gun should expect to receive the weapon within three weeks of purchase. Mr. Sykes relocated his business in February; the new location was certified by the federal firearms agency in July. He applied for an annual license from the District Police Department, and that is the license he should receive Tuesday, said Traci Hughes, a police spokeswoman. At that point, prospective new gun owners will for the first time be able to obtain weapons from out of state and have them duly licensed in the district.Mr. Sykes said that so far only about 10 district residents had approached him for the transfer of newly purchased weapons. Still, there are indications that business may pick up eventually.Dale Metta, the manager of Atlantic Guns in nearby Silver Spring, Md., said he had received “lots of interest from D.C. residents, but the problem has been that Mr. Sykes was not yet ready for business.” Mr. Metta said in the weeks after the Supreme Court’s ruling he received at least 10 visits a day from Washington residents interested in buying a gun.Also, the District Police Department has provided 412 firearms applications to the public, Ms. Hughes said. Mr. Sykes, meanwhile, is counseling patience. “You’ve waited for 33 years,” he said. “What is another month or two?”

Sarah Palin

Things just got interesting in the Presidential race for 2008. Sen. McCain just picked Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin. She is a life member of the NRA, an avid hunter, a mom of 5 kids, including one in the Army who is leaving for Iraq in a few weeks, and she is, obviously, female. McCain just picked up 100% of the 2nd Amendment supporters, since Obama and Biden are completely anti-guns. In addition, I think Palin may have just picked up a larger percentage of the female voters who supported Hillary Clinton and were disenfranchised when she quit the race.

I think McCain just bought himself the winning lottery ticket for this election.

Stalkers

I have a friend who is in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend. He isn't getting the hint and is basically stalking her. He shows up at all hours of the day at her home. he calls her at all hours of the day. To top it off, tonight, her and I were were leaving a restaurant, located more then 5 miles from her home and lo-and-behold, he's standing outside the place waiting for her.

She gets in her car and leaves and he follows her in his car for a while. She stops for gas. Guess who is waiting for her in the parking area of her home? Not too funny, huh? Here's the punchline.... He is a cop. Yup. Apparently, in the small print under "Serve and Protect" is also, Stalk.

As my friend and I were finishing up a project we were working on, the cop came up in discussion. My friend told me point blank about his activities lately and how he was scaring her. She would open the door and he would put his foot into the doorjam so she would be unable to close it. She told me she was scared of him because of his temper and the stalking. She told me she was worried he would hurt her. He stands at her door pounding on it for thirty minutes at a time, demanding she answer her door.

Tonight, as she told him to go away and walked past him., he grabbed her arm after telling her "Don't walk away from me."

I wish I could say this is just a story i was making up just to say she needs to get a gun for protection, but this isn't a made up story. This is a woman with serious problem. A cop is stalking her. She knows that she could file a restraining order, but she also knows that something like that could totally mess up his career. She's too nice of a person to do that...luckily for him. She needs to get a gun. She needs it for nothing more or less then self-preservation. Who protects people from cop gone bad/crazy?

Czech VZ38

In the early part of the 20th century Czechoslovakia had a ton of pistols for their military is what could be called worthless calibers. The Czechs, as well as many European police/military groups used the 32 ACP caliber for their sidearms. In 1938, the Czechs adopted a new weapon in the more powerful 380 Auto cartridge.

41,000 VZ38 pistols were made, in total. It's primary design requirement was that it be reliable and simple. The pistol was basically idiot-proof. To disassemble the gun, a catch on the left side of the gun is pulled back and the slide and barrel come up, on a hinge near the muzzle. From this point the slide can be removed from the barrel and the weapon can be cleaned.

The VZ38, according to Ian Hogg, "Is not a good pistol; it is clumsy to hold and point, and the trigger mechanism is a self cocking system demanding a heavy pull, so accurate shooting is out of the question." The disassembly catch could be pulled by accident or be caught on an article of gear and disassemble the gun at a bad time. In spite of this condemnation, the pistol was said to be well made and reliable. Very few guns were delivered prior to Germany conquering Czechoslovakia in 1939. Almost all Vz38 pistols were accepted into Germany's military as the Pistolen 39 and issued to local security forces.

The VZ38 prior Czech models were in use until 1952, when the CZ52 pistol replaced them in front line duty. For many years, though, the VZ38 was still used by secondary forces.

Women and guns

Yes.. I know. Women and guns are a hot combination. There is nothing sexier then a girl with a gun.

Beyond that, I have always believed women were better shooters then most guys. Most women do not come into shooting with a notion that they are macho and can shoot anything well without any instruction. Most women are open to instruction and correction. Women also do not blow through a magazine full of ammo like it is a speed competition. Women seem to have better tactile skills, involving small movements, which I think really helps them in shooting.

I shoot every Thursday with a couple of ladies. Both of these ladies are new to shooting. One has been shooting for 3 months and the other for less then 2 months. Both started off in the typical "legs spread shoulder length apart, gun extended out in an isosceles stance," and their backs arched far backwards to compensate for the weight of the weapon.

I worked on their shooting stance, as did others. Both are not using a more versatile combat stance, one leg in front of the other, arms in a modified Weaver stance, knees bent and leaning forward towards the target. Both girls are excellent shots. Both take the time to aim and make sure they are in proper position before shooting. They might take 30 seconds to blow off 10 rounds to my 8 seconds, but they are typically more consistent then I am in grouping.

Just two weeks ago, I started working with one of the ladies on changing targets. I put up a paper with six targets on it. I told her to go across or up and down on various targets. After a couple of times, she was darn close to dead center on half the targets. When we went this week, we again practiced combat drills of moving to various targets. We shot against each other. On the first round, she kicked my butt. She was a little slower, but for bullseye's, she beat me. Now for combat accuracy, I did fine. For target accuracy, she was better. On the next round, I had to slow down and really concentrate and it was barely a draw.

I consider myself to be a pretty good shot. There were two guys in the lane next to us. One of them turned to me and shook his head after watching her shoot, "Better not piss her off, man." No doubt. No doubt what-so-ever.

Another one

Posted: August 19, 2008 10:54 pm Eastern© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Leda Smith, 85 (courtesy Uniontown Herald-Standard)When an 85-year-old woman interrupted a robbery in progress at her home, she didn't back down from confrontation.Instead, Leda Smith confronted the 17-year-old thief with her handgun and forced him to call police.

Smith returned home from church Sunday afternoon to find a burglar had broken her door. Realizing someone was still inside her home, Smith entered to find her .22-caliber revolver, Pittsburgh's WPXI-TV reported."I saw him move by my keyboard near the wall, but I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun," she said.Smith obtained the firearm after a burglar broke into a neighboring home and stored it next to her bed.

She found the thief hiding and demanded to know why he was there."I said, 'What are you doing in my house?'" Smith said in an interview with the station. "He just kept saying he didn't do it." Then the woman told the boy to turn around, pick up the telephone receiver and dial 9-1-1. She ordered him to hand her the phone while she reported the invasion to authorities.

An emergency dispatcher remained on the line with Smith while she directed the 17-year-old to lie face down on the floor and spread his legs. Smith remained in her home, holding the burglar at gunpoint, until police arrived on the scene."It was exciting," Smith said. "I just hope I broke up the ring, because they have been hitting a lot of places around here."

Authorities said the intruder will face charges of attempted burglary in juvenile court.

--Ya gotta like a grandmother with balls that big

Very interesting

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_10219218

This is an interesting read.

The above link goes to a article in the York Daily Record (York, PA) about a guy who was forced to use his weapon to defend the life of another person, as well as his own life and family.

"I never thought I would be threatened in a situation outside my job or need to come to the aid of someone else being threatened. However, I would have been devastated had I awakened the next morning and read in the newspaper, or watched the television news, to see that one of those young women had been beaten and killed by Mr. Need because I chose to drive by and not intervene."

Sometimes, good people are required to do bad things to save themselves or others.