The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 23 hours 58 min ago
Quote of the Day: So Shall It Be Written Edition
“It’s time we use the power of [the] law to protect the health and safety of our citizens to do what Congress can’t—require gun manufacturers to utilize existing personalized gun technology for all new weapons sold in the Commonwealth.” – Massachusetts attorney general candidate Warren Tolman, What the Tech?: Wants Guns to Have Fingerprint-Only Access [at bostonmagazine.com]
Daily Digest: Sheltering In Place Edition
A pair of Florida state legislators introduced a bill (SB 544) last week to streamline the process of obtaining a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearms License by letting county tax collectors handle gun permit applications. Currently virtually every other license and tax can be processed in one location, while CWFLs are only processed through eight regional offices, so adding gun permits to the services available only makes sense, right? Predictably, some folks are losing their minds over this, notably the Florida chapter of MDA, who took to their Facebook page to refer to Florida as the “wild west.” If you live here, call your state rep, because you know the pearl-clutching women will be.
Remember last year when several Chicago suburbs rushed assault weapons ban ordinances through under home rule bef
HuffPo: The Great American Gun Violence Lottery
It’s ironic. The writer who penned The Great American Gun Violence Lottery for huffingtonpost.com is a law professor at Lewis & Clark College. Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark left civilization to explore North America’s western-most reaches. They faced any number of lethal threats: disease, starvation, injury, exposure, animal attack and native Americans’ ire, to name a fe
IWI Cancels 5.45×39 Tavor Conversion Kit
One of the major selling points of the Tavor rifle was that you could swap calibers with the push of a couple buttons and a conversion kit. They promised that we’d see kits for 5.45, 9mm and 300 AAC Blackout, but it looks like they’re scaling back their promises. According to a posting on the Bullpup forum, callers are being informed that due to “issues” with the Soviet-era 5.45×39 caliber conversion kit they’re stopping production and will not produce any more. Naturally, this has annoyed many of the people who bought the Tavor specifically due to the caliber conversions that were advertised. We will update you with more when we hear back from the Tavor reps.
It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use: Benghazi Edition
I understand why the friends and relatives of people gunned down by cold-blooded murderers would want to forgive the criminals who stole their loved one’s life. It’s Stockholm Syndrome. The survivors spend so much time thinking about the murderers that they develop an intimate relationship with them, which turns to sympathy. After all, love is the flip side of hate. Hate someone enough and it turns to a kind of love. You might say it’s perverted. And I would agree. But there it is. Well, here it is [via cnn.com]: “Ronnie Smith, 33, was a
Incendiary Image of the Day: Fashionista Edition
There’s nothing incendiary about the above image to our readers. Well, excluding the proponents of civilian disarmament (e.g., the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence) who read TTAG on a regular basis, too. For these anti-gun groups and their vitriolic followers this poster is like a red rag to a bull. If Shannon Watts’ Moms Demand Action from Illegal Mayors doesn’t go all indignant-like on their Facebook page (which bans me from commenting) and Twitter (which bans me from even following) I’ll be deeply disappointed. If the Huffington Post doesn’t get all huffy about the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association’s mix of guns and glamor, I’ll be seriously surprised. My only other comment: I’m sorry I missed our date Gabby. Can we try again? I own a tux. Just sayin’ . . . [h/t On
TTAG Exclusive: Kirsten Joy Weiss’ Mmmpop
You may not be familiar with Hanson’s pop classic Mmmbop. It’s one of those infectious tunes that worms its way into your subconscious through its sheer exuberance. Same goes for performance shooter Kirsten Weiss’ trick shots. Even if the demos don’t look spectacular – yet – Ms. Weiss’ love of shooting comes shining through. Kay Jay Dubs’ enthusiasm has earned her a strong female following, helping push subscriptions to her YouTube channel over the 10k mark. I have no doubt Kirsten will go on to more difficult and dramatic shots and greater fame—if only because I’m producing some truly gnarly trick shots for your dining and dancing pleasure. Meanwhile, enjoy this way-point so you can say “I knew KJW when . . .” Yes. Yes you did
TTAG Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 [Make the Jump to Vote]
This is the time of year that firearms publications award their “Best of 2013″ prizes, recognizing the gun companies that gave them the most money made the best products. While TTAG shares our colleague’s desire to reward product excellence we wanted to do so in a way that took our bottom line biases out of the equation. So we’ve decided to put our very first awards in your hands. Make the jump to use our super awesome voting system to make your voices heard. Feel free to lobby for your choice below. We’ll tally-up the results after Christmas and announce the winners in the New Year, just in time for SHOT Show schmoozing. [ED: I added that word.] See you on the other side . . .
Can’t see the voting system? Click here!
We Demand Numbers from Moms Demand Action
“I asked. She wouldn’t say. I didn’t press.” That’s reporter Lydia Nuzum’s reply to “Why didn’t you ask the head of the West Virginia Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA) how many members they have?” I made the enquiry after reading Nuzum’s W.Va. chapter of anti-gun moms’ group still going one year later. It’s based on an interview with MDA’s WV “leader”
Gun Review: AAC Remington Model Seven in 300 BLK
The 300 AAC Blackout cartridge was designed specifically for the AR-15 platform. The idea was to create something that will cycle the rifle’s action in both supersonic and subsonic flavors without changing any parts, and have a round that uses the same bolt and gas system as the original 5.56 version. It’s perfect for that platform, but when you start moving to other weapon systems the benefits of the round start to fade away. Which is why a bolt action rifle in 300 BLK had me scratching my head . . .
You can see the source of my confusion. The 300 BLK is designed specifically for use in a semi-automatic magazine-fed gun, so what is it doing here in bolt action land? Let’s run down the features and see if we can’t figure it out.
The gun is a Remington Model
BREAKING: Mikhail Kalashnikov Dies at 94
Word comes from Russia Today that Mikhail Kalashnikov, one of the most highly decorated firearms designers in history whose designs have been produced more times than any other firearm in history, has died at the age of 94. Kalashnikov continued to work on firearm designs for the Izhevsk firearms factory until the time of his death, giving input on the latest designs destined for use by the Russian armed forces.
Frankincense, Myrrh and Cognitive Dissonance
With today being Festivus, ’tis the season for the airing of grievances. So along those lines, a certain member of my family was thoroughly outraged when Dick Metcalf was fired for his article that was widely viewed by the people of the gun as taking a soft approach to the encroachment of gun control. Apparently MSNBC had singled out RF for his opinion on the matter and she concluded that it was all Robert’s fault that Metcalf was fired. “He has free speech!” she cried, “He should be able to voice his opinions, even if you disagree!” I calmly replied . . .
that Guns & Ammo is a commercial enterprise and if we (the buyers) weren’t happy with their product, then that might concern them. “So you don’t want to listen to any opposition to your point of view?” was her response. To which I pointed out that Gu
Quote of the Day: Matt in FL Doesn’t Need No Stinkin’ Stats Edition
“You keep bringing up England, as if there exists there some higher ideal that we should aspire to. In England, the population is made up of subjects, not citizens. Those subjects have traditionally been denied the use and ownership of arms, all the way back to when that referred to swords and daggers. Times have changed, and the restrictions there have eased somewhat, but the underlying ethos remains. I, on the other hand, am a citizen, not a subject, and the ownership of guns is ingrained in my national heritage, and has been since we used those guns to win the right to no longer be called subjects. The ownership of those guns also carries the intrinsic promise that no one who calls himself an American will ever again be forced to be a subject. It’s just that simple. And no amount of regurgitating of gun control statistics will ever change that simple fact.” – Matt in FL’s comment underneath
Arapahoe High School Student’s Father Calls for Guns In Schools
James Viser, the father of a student at Arapahoe High School in Centennial Colorado. posted the following underneath our post Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America: WE ARE ALL CLAIRE’S MOTHER:
My son is an Arapahoe HS student, and no parent should experience what we did. The parents of Claire Davis have it much worse than all of us. I was astounded by MDA’s response. They clearly have no idea of how Coloradans view gun rights and who is responsible for the tragedy. Our experience:
Gun Tweet of the Day: Piers Morgan Proves the Point Edition
You know that old joke about the guy who asks a woman if she’d sleep with him for a million dollars? She says yes. “Would you sleep with me for $200?” “Of course not,” she replies. “What kind of woman do you think I am?” “We’ve already established that,” he answers. “We’re just haggling over price.” Same deal with gun control advocates. “Would you eliminate Americans’ right to own the same ‘weapons of war’ carried by the police and military?” “Yes.” “Would you imprison bloggers promoting ‘assault weapons’ for their readers?” “Of course not! What kind of people do you think we are?” “We’ve already established that. We’re just haggling over the timeline.”
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America: WE ARE ALL CLAIRE’S MOTHER
Once again, Moms Demand Mayors for Illegal Action waves the bloody shirt. This time their Facebook page is exploiting the tragic death of Claire Davis for their endless campaign for gun control. And once again MDA reveals itself as an organization dedicated to civilian disarmament. They’re for any law that limits Americans’ access to firearms. Period. But more than that, this WE ARE ALL CLAIRE’S MOTHER tag line diminishes the importance, the uniqueness of Claire Davis’ actual mother. At the risk of stating the obvious, no one other than Claire Davis’ mother is Claire Davis’ mother. None of us will ever feel the pain she does. Intruding on that grief in this way is the height of insensitivity. But what do you expect from a group that would put innocent lives in harm’s way by denying Ameri
Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ Website Still Hosted by the City of New York
Well over six months ago we pointed out that Mayors Against Illegal Guns was using NYC resources to host their website. Now that it’s December and the mayor is on his way out the door, you’d think that Bloomberg would have stopped using taxpayer funds and resources to further his personal political campaign against a constitutionally protected civil right. But three seconds of looking into the issue proves otherwise . . .
The DNS for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns website (mayorsagainstillegalguns.org)
FOSSCAD Unveils 3D Printable 75 Round Drum Magazine for AR-15 Rifles
As 3D printing becomes more mainstream and accessible, it’s no wonder that more and more gun parts are being designed to be printed on a standard 3D printer. Specifically those gun parts that keep gun control activists up at night fearing for the future. Today’s new 3D printable part is a 75 round drum magazine designed in the style of the old Romanian AK magazines but compatible with the AR-15 rifle. Needless to say, this completely circumvents any magazine restrictions that certain governments have instituted and allows a private citizen to print their own extremely high capacity magazine from the comfort of their own home. Suck on THAT, Feinstein. Semi-presser after the jump . . .
The (Israel) AR-15 75-Round 5.56mm Drum Magaz
Random Thoughts On Fags and Gun Nuts
The recent flap about Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson’s comments on homosexuality got me thinking. While I don’t share Robertson’s belief that being gay is a sin – at all – I support his right to be wrong, in public. That said, the remarks themselves were inexcusably crass. Vagina vs. anus? Really? Robertson must have known that this comment would inflame both homosexuals and heterosexuals. To what end (so to speak)? It’s certainly not the kind of language I’d expect from a “true Christian”; someone who loves the sinner but hates the sin. Nope. The comment was needlessly, heedlessly insensitive. And it reminds me of nothing so much as the comments I’ve heard as a gun guy. Or should I say “gun nut” . . .
Fag. Gun nut
Question of the Day: Can a $300 Rifle Shoot As Well As a $3k Rifle?
Field & Stream have reviewed the new-for-2013 Remington Model 783 just days ahead of 2014 . Surprise! They love it! OK, it’s “rough as a cob.” But writer David E. Petzal reckons all cheap as chips (my words) modern rifles are da bomb. “The people who make them have figured out how to construct a gun that costs $300 but will shoot as well as a rifle that costs $3,000. Such a rifle will not be pretty, nor will it be finely made. The truth of the matter is that this sort of rifle may not be made well at all. But it will function, and it will be very accurate. The secret to such astounding (and inexpensive) accuracy? St