Archive for the 'Guns' Category

The Washington Post:

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump — who said he has a concealed carry permit — called for the expansion of gun rights Friday, including making those permits applicable nationwide.

In a position paper published on his website Friday afternoon, Trump called for the elimination of gun and magazine bans, labeling them a “total failure.”

“Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own,” Trump wrote.

[ … ]

Trump said in the paper he has a concealed carry permit. The permits, which are issued by states, should be valid nationwide like a driver’s license, Trump said.

“If we can do that for driving — which is a privilege, not a right — then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege,” Trump said.

[ … ]

Trump said the current background check system needs to be overhauled because “very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check” and get their guns illegally. Trump said that criminal and mental health records also must be included in background checks.

Well, health records were a feature of my CHP, but I object because (a) this is still a government permission slip, and (b) I still claim [rightly] that mental health maladies have nothing to do with propensity to violence.

But for the time being, I’ll take what I can get.  Of the possible revisions to the federal law and code on guns, I am most in favor of the following.

1. First, a national carry law.
2. Second, removal of the SBR from the NFA items list.
3. Third, removal of suppressors from the NFA items list.

In that order.  What would you like to see happen?

These are two very instructive videos, the first one fairly well known, but the second in my opinion is much more useful (watch them both, I understand that one has to build upon the other).  I encourage them to continue this series on tips.

I do have one comment on the first video.  Remember that the thumb of the left hand (if you’re a right handed shooter) must be low enough on the frame that you avoid interaction with the slide.  Most of us have had our thumb get caught in between the slide and the frame as the slide cycles.  That’s a horrible pinch point and you have to avoid it while also stabilizing the gun mainly with the left hand.  If you get caught in that pinch point, that’s a big yeooow!!

Oregon Faith Report:

The easy availability of guns did not make 6-year-old Jacob Hall safer. It helped make him dead.

We ought to remember this boy, who was fatally shot at his elementary school in Townville, S.C., just as we ought to remember the brilliantly applicable teaching of Jesus when he famously quipped, “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”

Swap in “gun” for “sword” and you have an apt description of what’s happening to us.

The mental and emotional problems of the teenager who shot Jacob last month turned lethal because a gun was available — probably in his household, which was known to keep firearms.

The 14-year-old shooter first used the weapon on his father, leaving him dead at the family home, before driving to Jacob’s school and resuming shooting. The teen injured another child and a teacher in addition to firing the fatal shot that struck an artery in Jacob’s leg.

When will our culture wake up to the reality that the guns we get to keep us safe only make society — and thus each of our lives — more dangerous?

It’s heartening to hear a growing chorus of activist voices, including those connected with churches, clamoring in protest against our insane proliferation of guns. Earlier this month, the venerable Riverside Church in New York hosted 100 clergy and lay people for a two-day “God and Guns” training. The assembled ministers weren’t trained how to use guns; they learned how to shoot down the lie that guns are the best way to protect ourselves from … guns.

“Our faith teaches us to support policies and programs that protect life, but instead Christians have been complicit for too long in allowing our country to be guided by the rhetoric of fear,” Riverside’s senior minister, the Rev. Amy Butler, said.

Because most of us watch movies, we can picture the scenario conjured by the Second Amendment enthusiasts: You and your family are menaced by a weapon-toting bad man. He is intent on robbing or killing you. But you whip out your gun and turn the table. He flees or, if he does not, you shoot him. You and your gun have saved the day.

Or maybe you come upon a mass shooting in its early stages. Thanks to your gun, you take down the evil shooter and keep the casualty count to, say, two, rather than two dozen.

Fair enough. In situations like these, guns can protect lives. The problem is, these are perfectly framed scenarios that are more the stuff of movies than real life.

This poor old 81 year old man unfortunately lived the movie just recently.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. – A home invasion suspect was fatally shot early Friday morning in Uniontown when the 81-year-old homeowner pulled out a gun, according to investigators.

Police said 46-year-old Franklin Schrout, of Smithfield, rode a bike to the house with tools to break in, then ransacked the home and assaulted the 81-year-old man.

“Once the actor came into his bedroom, the actor was demanding to know where money was. He told them he didn’t have any money or anything of value in the home,” Uniontown police Lt. Tom Kolencik said.

The 81-year-old was able to grab a .22-caliber gun during a struggle with Schrout and fired one shot, police said.

Schrout ran out of the house and the 81-year-old’s bedridden sister called 911, police said.

When police arrived at the home, they found Schrout dead outside.

The 81-year-old told police that he had never fired the gun before and that it had been sitting in his nightstand for 30 years. He also said he wished he had been stronger so that he could have fought off Schrout without having to shoot him.

“The only thing he told us was that he had to protect himself. He also lived with an elderly sister, who is bedridden, so he just kept referring to protecting her, protecting himself,” Kolencik said.

Although police said the shooting appears to have been in self-defense, the District Attorney’s Office will make a final determination.

Of course, since guns are more dangerous to the owner than a perpetrator, this report must be false.  Or it could be possible that the writer at Oregon Faith Report would just rather see this poor old man and his sister perish at the hands of criminals.

As for the DA, the shooting was in his home, the perpetrator was an uninvited guest, this uninvited guest attempted to do them harm.  There’s nothing to decide.  Get to something you need to be doing, like shutting down violent gangs.  Stop wasting your time and taxpayer money.

Market Watch:

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. SWHC, +2.06% said Friday that it was buying survival and camping equipment maker Ulitmate Survival Technologies Inc. for $32.3 million in cash. The gun maker expects the acquisition, which will be made through its Battenfeld Technologies subsidiary, to close later this month. UST’s trailing 12-month revenue was about $24 million. “With its complete offering of survival gear, UST Brands is our first acquisition that is entirely focused on the outdoor market, which is a key part of our vision to become the leading provider of quality products for the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast,” said Smith & Wesson Chief Executive James Debney.

Hey, I have a better idea, and I’ve told you about this before.  Get out of that communist state you’re in and relocate South where all the other gun manufacturers are coming.

Hand in glove with this post, here is Rob Leatham on speed and accuracy.

David Codrea: No guarantee that Hillary will be toppled.  No, there isn’t.  And nothing will dissuade the insane collectivists from casting their vote for the bitch, even if she was tried in a court and found guilty of child sacrifice.  But then there is this.

The Clinton Foundation case is headed towards a likely indictment.  Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.  She’s a demon, and indictment is too good for her and as for that matter, her enablers.

Via David Codrea, Sweden is on the brink of disaster and at a breaking point with immigrant violence.  This goes right along with what we discussed about Germany.  It’s all by design.

For more police shenanigans with a gun, see this and this (via David).

A Michigan trucker said a bullet accidentally discharged from a state trooper’s weapon landed “inches from [his] head” Monday afternoon near Troutville as authorities investigated an abduction report.

John Leisenring, 54, said Tuesday the shot hit the sidewalk near where he lay as the trooper tucked the trucker’s right arm behind his back.

What a damn goober.  You or I would be in prison right now.

Want another good deterrent for criminals besides a gun?  Get a big dog.  I’ve told you that you need to do this before, for different reasons.  What’s not to like about having a dog?  Really?  Can you think of a single reason?  If you think you can, then add this little goody to the pile of good things about dogs.  Muslims hate them.  My former Marine, Daniel, loves dogs just as I do.  There were packs of feral dogs in Fallujah in 2007 that would attack humans.  Of course they would – they were starving to death.  Daniel took in one of the strays, medicated and washed it, trained it, and used it on patrols to help in ascertaining when a feral pack of dogs was about to launch an attack (his dog would always provide ample warning so that Daniel could use his SAW to respond to the threat), and the dog would assist with identifying human threats as well.  The Muslims hated the dog.  Daniel loved him.  How rich.

Again I say, why not have a good dog?  They’re worth their weight in gold in situations of threat.

There’s a lot of cool stuff about working on your AR-15 in this article.

Masslive.com:

BOSTON — A Massachusetts gun rights group is protesting Gov. Charlie Baker’s nomination of First Assistant Attorney General Christopher Barry-Smith to serve as an Associate Justice on the Massachusetts Superior Court. The gun owners oppose Barry-Smith because he was a high-ranking attorney in Attorney General Maura Healey’s office when she expanded the state’s ban on assault weapons.

“He works for the attorney general’s office that operates in the shadows above the law,” said Jake Graham, a Norwood gun owner who said he purchased guns legally in Massachusetts that are now subject to the ban.

Here is a photo of the event.

Oh dear.  Massachusetts isn’t worth saving, folks.  There aren’t enough of you.  It’s best just to leave the state and set up home in another state, preferably a freer state than Massachusetts.

Who is it that still does business up there?  Oh yea.  Calling Smith & Wesson.  Why the hell are you still there?  Why haven’t you moved?  I think we’re all beginning to get a little pissed about this.

Newsweek:

A gun-violence victim’s family is hoping the mother of the man who fatally shot their relative will strengthen their case against two firearms dealers in an Oregon court.

Kirsten Englund, a 57-year-old California woman, was fatally shot in April 2013 at a scenic overlook in Oregon while on her way to visit relatives. After 30-year-old Jeffrey Boyce killed Englund, he drove to northern California and carjacked two different drivers before police arrested him. Two months later, while awaiting his arraignment, Boyce killed himself in jail.

On Thursday, the gunman’s mother, Diane Boyce, agreed to help the family with its wrongful death lawsuit against two retailers that sold her guns, despite originally being named in the lawsuit.

In the complaint, Englund’s two sons and sister accuse Diane Boyce of acting as a straw purchaser by buying an AK-47 rifle and two handguns for her son in 2011 and 2012. A “straw purchase” occurs when the actual buyer of a firearm uses another person to execute the paperwork necessary to complete the purchase through a federally licensed dealer. By intentionally buying guns for someone else, straw purchasers thwart the background checks system and thus may allow firearms to be funneled to criminals, domestic abusers and other individuals who pose a risk to public safety.

Jeffrey Boyce, who lawyers say was not legally allowed to own guns because he had a criminal record at the time of his mother’s first purchase, used one of the three firearms to murder Englund, according to the lawsuit. He had never met Englund before he killed her, shooting her at close range, pouring gasoline over her body, lighting her on fire and then shooting her once more, the complaint says.

The suit says J&G Sales, an online firearms and ammunition retailer in Arizona, sold the two pistols, which were then shipped to World Pawn Exchange (WPE) in North Bend, Oregon, for Boyce to claim. A Minnesota dealer sold the AK-47 and also shipped to WPE. After his arrest, Boyce told law enforcement officials that he used one of the pistols to kill Englund, the complaint says.

[ … ]

The lawsuit alleges that the retailers had reason to know the guns were being purchased by a straw buyer—but still allowed the sales to proceed—and that J&G and WPE’s negligence caused Englund’s death. The suit describes an invoice that allegedly identifies Jeffrey Boyce as the buyer.

I don’t know any more details about the case.  But it isn’t good enough that Remington was on the hook (pardon the pun) for Sandy Hook and then wisely let go because of the federal law, and it doesn’t matter that the dealer (WPE) apparently didn’t do their due diligence in selling the firearms (if indeed that is the case, and I don’t know that it is).

No, this parent wants more.  She wants to shut down a distributor who had absolutely nothing to do with the crime.  When the law fails their desire for “social justice,” progressives always turn to the court, where single individuals (or malleable juries) can effectively rewrite the law for them.

Progressives were outraged at acquittal of the Bundy brothers.  Jury nullification is outrageous in this case because the Bundy brothers challenged the fedgov, but as for gun laws, if it works for them then it’s a good thing.  Because the only good law is one which aids the social justice warriors in their quest to become god.

Ammoland:

This is another one that is different for everybody. In the beginning, I went to the range every two weeks and put a couple hundred rounds at paper targets.

I also practiced dry fire in my house (with no one home, because, you know, it feels kind of silly – even though it isn’t) at least twice a week.

This was mainly drawing, firing and firing while moving either backwards or quartering away from the target. Later my Son bought a SIRT training pistol – a full weight replica of a Glock 19, with a removable mag and a two stage laser trigger – and I practiced with that the same way.

Beyond practice, you need to read, Read, READ! So many books that help you to understand concealed carry, guns, tactics and practice.

Read them. Study them. Practice them. When you’ve read a book, sign the inside of the cover and date it. Why? Because if you ever have to defend yourself at trial, what you know and don’t know may be the difference between going home to he family and living in a hell called prison for the rest of your life.

At trial, you are able to give evidence only to what you knew at the time, and how it may have affected your lethal force response. If you shot a man who had a knife and was 18′ feet away, being able to explain to a jury what the Tueler Drill is and the part it plays in JOA – Jeopardy, Opportunity and Ability – will go a long way to helping yourself.

If you didn’t know this information in advance, you would not be able to bring it up at trial. Keeping records of what you read can be a great help to yourself and your attorneys, should the need arise.

I don’t think dry fire practice is silly at all, and it certainly doesn’t feel that way.  Furthermore, as I’ve recommended before, I wait until no one is in the house, turn the lights out at night, make sure my tactical light has fresh batteries, and practice room clearing techniques.  How do you know you don’t bang the doorways with your rifle muzzle without practicing it?  Do you have a plan for sweeping the whole house?  Which room do to tackle first?  Does it make a difference if anyone is in the house?  Do it change your plan?  Do you have the movement mechanics worked out for hallway and room to room transition?

But this last recommendation from Ammoland is also very good on threats outside the home.  So in the interest of being able to prove that you’ve thought about the Tueller drill, watch this video in its entirety.

Of this post, Leigh Haines writes the following via email.

I’ve seen this happen when an individual “limp-wrists” an automatic by not holding it securely enough. It was a S&W Model 59 that was clean, well maintained, and running quality brass. Five different people shot it with no issue, but the next kept having jam after jam. After watching him for a minute, I had him tighten his grip, and the failures lessened. I say lessened, because this particular individual lacked sufficient forearm strength to maintain a proper hold on the grips. As he got tired, he would loosen his purchase on the pistol – allowing the recoil to rotate it in his hand, rather than cycle the slide. Needless to say, he didn’t get to shoot the 1911.