The Truth About Guns

Anti-gun proponents argue that eliminating (or dramatically restricting access to) guns would have a significant effect on the overall number of gun deaths. Since suicides represent nearly two thirds of all firearm-related deaths, it stands to reason, they say, that suicides by gun would drop precipitously. The real question is whether the elimination of guns would actually reduce the overall number of suicides or just result in fewer suicides by firearm. Since it’s impossible to answer that question definitively without actually going through the exercise, we can make an educated guess as to what would happen if (more) radical restrictions on gun ownership became a reality . . .

Hypothetically, if access to guns was eliminated or severely restricted, I think that we can all agree that the number of suicides performed with a gun would drop. But does that really matter? Before you accuse me of being a heartless bastard, let me clarify. I think that most of us can agree that suicide as a concept

With the statement that he didn’t believe “that this bill’s blanket ban on semi-automatic rifles would reduce criminal activity or enhance public safety enough to warrant this infringement on gun owners’ rights,” California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed SB 374, the assault weapons ban, along with several others late Friday afternoon. Among the gun bills he did sign into law was AB 711, the blanket ban on lead ammunition for hunting, making California the first state in the nation to enact a full prohibition. Make the jump for the full roundup of gun bill dispositions . . .

SIGNED:

• Assembly Bill 48 (Skinner) bans the sale of parts and repair ki

Emily Miller is an excellent spokesperson for gun rights: beautiful, intelligent, facile and me

You may recall that we reported on an Arizona cop who was asked to wear civvies when dropping off his daughter from school. Like other gun rights friendly media, TTAG chided the Mesa School District for their anti-gun stance. Yes, well, it turns out that Officer Alan “Scott” Urkov wasn’t wearing a “standard” police uniform. He was kitted out in SWAT regalia, including a thigh-holstered handgun. [Click here for the local Fox news report.] Funny how

Having done a few reviews in my time, I’m used to companies putting conditions on my ability to test their guns. “You can have it, but it needs to be back in three weeks.” “Use only brass ammo, and don’t feed it after midnight.” “Use only the provided lube.” And when I reached out to the guys at Adams Arms about testing out one of their piston-powered AR-15 rifles, they added a caveat of their own. But it wasn’t something I was expecting. Direct quote from the email:

Would you be willing to beat the crap out of our stuff and do your best to break it under real world application? If so were in.

I had never heard a firearms manufacturer say those words before and it was music to my ears. So, what’s the most adverse conditions possible for a rifle’s operating system? Short barreled rifle, suppressed, running the full gas setting, and using Tula ammunition. Now, 300 rounds later&#823

Isn’t It All Really Terrorism? Dan Gross asks in a huffingtonpost.com editorial. That, my friends, is what I call a conversation stopper. If the American public accepts the Brady Campaign President‘s idea that all firearms-related injury and death is a form of terrorism then it’s chocks away on a police state. Dissent disappears and liberty takes a dirt nap. After all, what rights won’t the American people surrender to stop terrorism? I mean, other than the ones we’ve already surrendered during the War on Drugs and the Global War on Terror? Gross’ editorial a serious—and seriously disturbing—look behind the curtain of the gun control mindset. Check this out . . .

It seems I can’t throw a rock these days without hitting someone who swears up and down that the Beretta 93R is the best gun ever created…because they’ve used it in a video game. Despite the limited use of the firearm in the wild, its unique design and ubiquitous inclusion in first person shooter games have made it one of the more commonly used and discussed machine pistols ever designed. Hype aside, though, is it any good? I mean in real life. Ardent fanboy testimonials aside, I had to find out for myself . . .

Let’s get this out of the way up front: yes, the 93R in question really is nickel plated. I know, it’s positively pimp-tastic. Apparently this gun came into Kevin Brittingham’s posession after it was used as a prop in a movie, hence the blinged-out color scheme. But the internal parts are all original, and that&#8

Dear Mrs. Watts,

You don’t know me. While I routinely engage you on social media, I have yet to get a response. In all honesty, that is fine. I do, however, have two suggestions for you. The first is related to your group’s members, and the second is related to your group’s disorganized message . . .

#Gunsense… That’s an interesting word. I’m not really sure what it means. I doubt even you could provide a partisan-free definition. The only definition your website provides is a laundry-list of every failed gun control proposal that was put forward following the Sandy Hook shooting. But it doesn’t really matter what it means, I guess, as long as you get your hordes of motherly minions (read: 10,200 followers) to press the re-tweet button and express t

“Detroit Police Chief James Craig spoke with residents Saturday about efforts to make neighborhoods safer and revealed he’d nearly been a victim of crime in the city as well,” detroitnews.com reports. ”‘I was almost a victim two weeks ago of carjacking,’ said Craig to a stunned crowd. ‘The Chief of Police, I know. Can you believe that? I’m happy I had the presence of mind.’” To do what?  Flash his badge? Travel with a lieutenant? Drive away? The article doesn’t say. But Detroit native and TTAG reader Dirk Diggler has something to say on the subject: “crimi

“The only problems we get are from people who aren’t expecting to see (guns carried openly) at the Capitol when they come to visit. And so that’s where the tension has been in the past. People not knowing the law and seeing that on a school trip. We kind of like to have a couple extra guys around for a calming effect, in that regard.” – Michigan State Policeman Sgt. Jeffrey Held, Bring your guns, leave your signs: Michigan Capitol rules in spotlight at Second Amendment rally [via mlive.com]

I like the Freedom Group almost as much as Lola likes okra. What Cerberus’ conglomerate did to Marlin—gutting staff and moving production inside Remington—shouldn’t happen to a dog. The resulting guns are dogs. And then there’s the fact that the Freedom Group bowed to pressure from the California teacher’s union after the Newtown spree killing and jettisoned Bushmaster, the brand of firearm Adam Lanza used to murder 26 people. Oh wait. TFG only said they were gonna ditch Bushmaster. They didn’t. Which pleases me (somewhat) but pisses off gun control advocates something chronic. Check out this broadside from left-leaning real estate maven 

Demand Action to End Gun Violence is yet another head of the Mayors Against Illegal Gun’s, Bloomberg-financed gun-grabbing hydra. The Tweeted pic above is part of the Civilian Disarmament Industrial Complex’s new front in their endless campaign to vilify guns, gun owners and gun rights groups. It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the post-Newtown universal background check thing ran out of gas, the Navy Yard slaughter didn’t move the needle, so . . . why not? We could debate the efficacy of laws that disarm men accused of domestic abuse (before a court appearance), but why bother? Despite the word FACT above, an OPINION by the rabidly anti-gun New York Times (whose owner packs heat) in th

When Piers Morgan heard that Iowa issues concealed carry pe

Note: the headline comes from the press release. And what’s the bet this low-turnout rally will get all kinds of media attention, whereas the delivery of 65,000 signatures asking Governor Brown to veto the slate of gun control bills lingering on his desk never made the top of the Google news search results?

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Thursday, 10 October 2013

TONIGHT:  Candlelight Vigil at State Capitol Urges Gov. Brown to Sign the LIFE Act, Enacting