The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 2 weeks 3 days ago
New from FAB Defense: TacticSkin Slide Covers for Glocks
TTAG’s Old Fat White Guys will no doubt remember Thunderbirds. The supermarionation science fiction series featured, uh, marionettes. Puppets prone to saying “FAB!” when given their marching orders. Unlike OFWG, FAB didn’t stand for anything, really. How fab is that? I have no idea what the letters in Israel’s FAB Defense stand for but I like the cut of their jib. Their
Solid Concepts Makes First Metal 3D Printed Gun
And it’s not a goofy-looking zip-gunnish thing. They printed themselves a 1911. Here’s Solid Concepts’ press release:
Solid Concepts, a world leader in 3D Printing services, manufactures the world’s first 3D Printed Metal Gun.
Austin, TX – Solid Concepts, one of the world leaders in 3D Printing services, has manufactured the world’s first 3D Printed Metal Gun using a laser sintering process and powdered metals. The gun, a 1911 classic design, functions beautifully and has already handled 50 rounds of successful firing. It is composed of 33 17-4 Stainless Steel and Inconel 625 components, and decked with a Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) carbon-fiber filled nylon hand grip. The successful production and functionality of the 1911 3D Printed metal gun proves the viability of 3D Printing for commercial applications . . .
“We’re proving this is possible, the technology is at a place now where we can manufacture a gun with
Debunking the “Guns should be Treated like Cars” Analogy
There’s a popular analogy going around that tries to link guns and cars. “You need a license to drive a car!” gun control advocates scream, “and it needs to be registered! Why not do the same thing with dangerous guns? It’s only common sense!” It’s a line so popular that even a wolf in sheep’s clothing at Guns & Ammo fell for it. But if you actually take a second and dissect that argument, it completely falls apart of its own weight. Guns are, in fact, already far more heavily regulated that cars. In fact, treating guns like cars would require a reduction in regulation, not an increase. So, let’s take a peek at the truth behind these claims . . .
Elie Mystal: Gun Owners Are Stupid Racists
TTAG thoroughly debunked an Australian “study” linking American gun ownership with racism. But we’re not stupid. We know that once flawed stats that demean, diminish or defame American gun owners hit the ‘net the civilian disarmament industry’s all over it like a cheap suit. Case in point: Elie Mystal over at abovethelaw.com. Not only does the Harvard grad turned litigator turned self-professed “online provocateur” take the Ozzie study at face value—and then some—he returns to the convolut
NJ Shooter Used Previously Confiscated Gun. Armed Volunteer Arrested
“The gun that a 20-year-old New Jersey man used to shoot up the Garden State Plaza [not shown] and ultimately turned on himself had previously been confiscated by police and was only recently returned to the shooter’s brother by order of a judge,” toledoblade.com reports. “Police previously took possession of the rifle — modified to look like an AK-47 and registered to Richard Shoop’s brother, Kevin Shoop — after what Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said ‘may have been a domestic violence incident.’ In fact . . .
Recently — perhaps within the last few weeks, Molinelli said — a judge granted a request to return the gun to its
New from MasterPiece Arms: MPAR556 Pistol
MasterPiece Arms doesn’t like TTAG. Not being Guns & Ammo, we slated their failure-prone Protector Pistol, but good. And so they’ve blacklisted us from T&E guns. Nick’s missed out on testing and evaluating their recent round of 5.56 pistols, including the new(ish) MPAR556. Despite MPA’s grim-faced demo the gun looks like it could be a lot of fun. Just to show we don’t hold a grudge, you can read the full, unedited, celebratory presser after the jump. And if anyone owns one of these things and would like us to review it please contact us below. We promise to give the gun a fair hearing, ‘natch . . .
COMER, GA – MasterPiece Arms, manufacturers of the MPA MAC Line of semi-auto pistols, carbines, suppressors and MPAR Rifles, is pleased to debut MasterPiece Arms MPAR556 pistol left side viewits new M
Question of the Day: Should TTAG Use the Term “People of the Gun”?
Over at gawker.com, Hamilton Nolan finds the reaction to Guns & Ammo‘s pro-gun control screed funny—in that condescend
EDC For CCW: Wilson Combat Rapid Response XL
Unlike most EDC knives which are great for box-cutting and, well, okay for CCW backup, Wilson Combat knives are designed from the ground up to stand in harm’s way with Wilson’s combat-tuned handguns and long guns. Their latest offering is the $289 Rapid Response XL. Jump over to The Truth About Knives for more.
Brady Campaign: Call the Cops on Gun Owners
I know it doesn’t say that, exactly. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence‘s “Be a Secret Superhero” campaign says “If you hear of a weapon threat or threat of violence in your school or community call 1-866-SPEAK-UP.” But we’re not stupid. We saw the Moms Demand Action’s Facebook post post-Paramus suicide: “ANOTHER DAY IN AMERICA, ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING THREAT.” We get that the civilian disarmament movement in moving towards labeling legal gun ownership a “threat”—that must be eliminated. So I called the Brady’s “National Weapons Reporting Hotline” . . .
I reported a “scary looking man who lives next door with a lot of guns.” The counselor told me t
Quote of the Day: Beware the Angry Neighbors Edition
“Is it time to start arming Transportation Security Administration officials? No way . . . If you’re the kind of person who thinks that every teacher and hall monitor and mall cop and cinema usher should be armed, then you’ll probably feel safer if we give guns to TSA officers. And maybe flight attendants and customer service reps and baggage handlers. And probably bus drivers and ballpark ticket takers, and hospital staff . . . Terrorism is a real concern for airlines, but like it or not, as Americans, we also have to worry just as much about angry neighbors with guns.” Former flight attendant with United Airlines and Virgin America Tiffany Hawk, Arming TSA officials not the answer [via
Daily Digest: High Resolution Edition
It’s… sorta like a gun. Apparently some supertankers off the east coast of Africa are using Britney Spears to deter potential hijackers. The music is directed at them through LRAD speakers so the pirates receive the maximum effect without disturbing the crew. Steven Jones, of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry, said, “Pirates will go to any lengths to avoid or try to overcome the music.” He added, “I’d imagine using Justin Bieber would be against the Geneva Convention.” Roger that. [h/t Steve S.]
Sharing your love of guns with newbies can be a lot of fun, but please remember to keep an eye on them. A Colombian woman visiting family in northeast Missouri
I’ll Never Shoot 3-Gun With Reloads Again — The Musical
Professional 3-gun shooters are a strange bunch. Point in case: making up songs about how using your buddy’s hand-loaded ammunition in a competition stage without trying it first is a very, very bad idea. Or, generally using Jayson Smith’s lightweight .40 cal loads. Anyway, Di uploaded this yesterday, and it was just too good not to share.
Jury Nullification: A Tool for Advancing Gun Rights?
The recent mistrial in the case of U.S. Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham shows the lack of education of the Bell County jurors. The mistrial occurred because only one juror of the six understood his rights and responsibilities as a juror. Initially, according to jury member L.J. Cotterill, “we all agreed that the charge itself and the case itself was garbage. This entire matter should have been resolved by two grown men acting like grown men apologizing for their part in a bad situation and buying each other a beer and then going to a range together.” The problem was that the jury didn’t know their rights and power to find “not guilty” if justice
BREAKING: Guns & Ammo Responds to Dick Metcalf Scandal
Our friend over at the Military Arms Channel Writing and transcribing, make the jump for the full image of the response . . .
Incendiary Image of the Day: DeWalt Nail Gun Edition
From losangeles.craigslist.org:
“It can drive a 16-D nail through a 2×4 at 20 yards. This makes construction a breeze, you can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence. Just get your wife to hold the fence boards in place while you sit back, And relax and when she has the board in the right place, just fire away. With the hundred round magazine, you can build the fence with a minimum of reloading. After a day of fence building with the new DeWalt Rapid fire nail gun, the wife will not ask you to build or fix anything else, probably, ever again.”
Open Carry at the Airport. Losing the Culture War?
An Arizona man and his son showed up at Sky Harbor Airport carrying firearms two days after a man shot and killed a TSA agent with a rifle at the LAX. By “incident” I mean media attention. No shots fired. No arrests made. Why would there be? It’s perfectly legal to open carry in Arizona right up to the security check point. Tell that to Rebecca Schoenkopf of wonkette.com. ”Go f*ck yourself you “patriot” piece of s*it.” Translation: open carry at an airport isn’t socially acceptable. According to
Yes, It Can Happen Here
You meet some interesting people when you hand out cards announcing that you are a member of the new media. My new friend, Limmuel, above, caught my attention when he cautioned me against believing that “It could never happen here.” Limmuel was just a young boy when it happened to him and his family in the Philippines in 1972. His father told him the details for years afterward . . .
Limmuel’s father was a security guard at a high school in the Philippines when Ferdinand Marcos issued an order prohibiting all civilian-owned firearms.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No.1081 dated Septem
Skinning and Quartering a Deer with Tyler Kee
With hunting season in full swing here in Texas, we thought it was time to expand your knowledge of turning wildlife into dinner with another instructional video. Last year, Tyler showed us how to field dress a deer in the efficient Texan manner. This year, Tyler took the time to show me, step-by-step, how to skin and quarter our furry friend in preparation for turning him into jerky (which I am enjoying at this very moment). As always, be aware that people with weak stomachs who don’t want to see where meat comes from should look away.
Brady Campaign Says ‘Thank You’ to Guns & Ammo’s Dick Metcalf
It’s always disappointing when someone who’s ostensibly in the the RKBA camp shoots himself in the foot. So to speak. The bigger problem, though, is that we all get hit with the shrapnel. All you can do when it happens is point out the problem and try to limit the damage. If you’ve been following along lately, you know that the latest self-identified member of the Zumbo/Tsai media hall of shame is Guns & Ammo’s Dick Metcalf. But despite his verbal negligent discharge, there are those who’ve argued that these things are too inside baseball to reall
Defensive [Non] Gun Use of the Day: Man Fights Robber At Gun Point in Gas Station
“What would you do if you were confronted with masked man pointing a gun in your face?” myfoxphilly.com asks. “Not many of us would have done what John McGowan did.” It was Jimmy Hoffa who famously advised “Rush a gun, run from a knife”—after rushing a gunman trying to shoot him in court. Anyway, that was a good day for the union leader. As it was for John McGowan. But it didn’t start that way . . .
His car just got totaled and John McGowan’s night was about to get even worse.
It was 1:30 a.m., Saturday morning, inside a Norwood Sunoco. Surveillance video shows a masked man walked in, and points a gun inches from McGowan’s face and demand money.
“And he was like, ‘give me the money. And I said, ‘you are messing with the wrong g