The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 month 20 hours ago
Gun Hero of the Day: New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll
The ammunition magazine limit bill that earned New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll’s ire – A2006 – sailed through the Garden State legislature. It’s currently sitting on the desk of Governor Chris Christie – whose presidential aspirations demand that he veto the measure. Let’s hope so. Meanwhile, kudos to Carroll for telling it like it is: calling A2006 a “public relations stunt.” Carroll gets his gift of gab from his Irish ancestors and his love of truth from his parents, who were both reporters. Carroll has been a consistent conservative voice in the NJ legislature for 11 years, supporting lower taxes, individual liberty and firearms freedom. If New Jersey elected more politicians like Carroll the state would not be the place where gun rights go to die
Michigan to End Ban on Some Rifles and Shotguns
Michigan’s SB 610 has passed both the House (103-6) and the Senate (36-2), and is now headed to Governor Rick Snyder’s desk. The measure will end nearly a hundred years of a pointless ban on the possession of short barreled rifles and shotguns. According to the Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners’ Facebook page, “…Governor Snyder has indicated he will sign SB 610. The bill will have immediate effect upon his signature.” How historic is this? It has been suggested that the Michigan ban served as the template for the regulation and taxes on short barreled rifles and shotguns that became the National Firearms Act of 1934. Michigan’s ban was passed in
Quote of the Day: Artistically Correct Edition
“Florentine patrons commission statues of David because he looked good without his clothes. They commissioned statues of David because he was a martial hero who had felled an intimidating foe. They made him a beautiful nude to emphasize his heroism, not to disguise his bloody deed. (Donatello’s David has his boot triumphantly on Goliath’s severed head.) Michelangelo’s giant was meant as an inspiration to locals and a warning to would-be invaders. He wasn’t an underwear model. He was a Minuteman. Putting a gun in his hand may look weird, but it’s a lot truer to his original meaning than a souvenir apron.” – Virginia Postrel in Micelangelo’s David Has a Right to Bear Arms [at bloombergview.com]
Libya: More Guns, Less Gadaffi
Let’s start this post on the “international effort” to disarm Libya’s militias with the last sentence of the columbiatribune.com article. “The problem is, young Libyans in militias have no incentive to hand over their weapons, which are their only source of security.” So what’s the problem? If the guns are a source of security what’s wrong with having guns? For the [supposed] answer to that question, we return the article’s beginning . . .
Libya, where hundreds of militias hold sway and the central government is virtually powerless, is awash in millions of weap
Florida House Passes Stand Your Ground Reform
HB 89, a reform of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, passed the house on last week by a vote of 93-24. The law extends the same immunity currently provided to people who actually shoot someone in self defense to those who merely threaten force or fire warning shots. The bill was given impetus by the Marissa Alexander case in which the defendant claimed to have fired a warning shot, but was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Florida’s mandatory sentencing laws . . .
The bill has brought together a diverse coalition of supporters, including the Florida Public Defender
Video: Interview with Ares Armor About ATF Raid
We’ve already talked with Dimitrios Karras, owner of Ares Armor, but it’s always good to hear the story straight from the horse’s mouth. In this interview with Reason TV, Dimitrios calmly and clearly discusses exactly what happened with the ATF raid, and exactly how dumb the ATF’s actions were. “To think that this is over a piece of plastic is ludicrous,” Dimitri says, “this was a nice way for them to get their arm inside of our business and grab the information that they’re actually looking for.” There is a new piece of information that we didn’t have before, though, and it makes the ATF look even more like a bunch of jack-booted thugs . . .
“I had literally had a meeting with two of the ATF agents,” Dimitri says, “after we had had the temporary restrainin
Random Thoughts About the Gun Lobby
Gun control advocates know the key to tricking people into supporting civilian disarmament: demonize the enemy. The enemy being anyone who opposes civilian disarmament. Which is, it must be said, a great many people. Millions of people, from all walks of life. Americans of all colors, creeds and religions support the Second Amendment. Democrats and Republicans, gay and straight, old and young, urban and rural. This transcendent – perhaps transcendental – love of firearms freedom makes the gun grabbers’ anti-agitprop a difficult proposition. But not impossible . . .
The “gun lobby” is the gun grabbers’ go-to bugaboo. It’s composed of unnamed firearms industry magnates and their supposed mouthpiece, the NRA. As the above video illustrates, the former is portrayed as a conclave of craven capitalists who dance in the blood of innocents. The National Rifle Association is positioned as their evil minions, stalk
What Every SWAT Commander Wants for Christmas: A Lenco BearCat
The following post appeared at ammoland.com and is reprinted here with permission.
In many ways, the Boston Marathon bombing incident served as a wakeup call. Those in the law enforcement community and the public who may have harbored somewhat of an “It’s never going to happen here” sentiment were faced with the hard reality of the 21st century terrorism threat. While most agree that there is no feasible way of totally securing public safety in a free and open society, there is now more than ever a desire to provide law enforcement agencies with the latest and most effective safety procedures and equipment. At the top of the list of “must haves” is the tactical armored vehicle, like the BearCat
Steinhorn: No One Should Feel Safe in the Following States
“No one should feel safe in the following states,” Leonard Steinhorn writes at huffingtonpost.com. “These are states with the most Wild West gun laws where you are most likely to encounter someone — anyone — with a gun: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana and Mississippi. It is legal in these states for people with absolutely no training to walk around armed and to carry their guns openly in the streets.” For the record, it is also legal in these states (and others) for citizens to speak and observe their religion without government-mandated training. “It is legal in these states to . . .
bring loaded guns into gambling establishments, sporting events and restaurants that serve alcohol. It is legal in the
Quote of the Day: Taking Your Life in Your Hands Edition
“Indeed, while it still technically remains legal to own a firearm in America, possessing one can now get you pulled over, searched, arrested, subjected to all manner of surveillance,
Weekend Digest: My Lawn, Get Off It Edition
An 88-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday after pointing a gun at utility workers and sheriff’s deputies. The utility workers were contracted through AT&T and were laying an underground cable in the public right of way along the street. They contacted police to say that the woman, Onilas Lee Simpson (above), was “on her porch with her gun and is threatening to shoot us.” The first deputy showed up about three minutes later, and in the meantime the workers had moved their trucks off the right of way and into the road to take cover from Simpson, who was pointing her pellet rifle at them. Upon the arrival of a pair of sheriff’s deputies, she switched her attention to them. They drew their weapons
South African Writer: We Need More Gun Owners, Not Less
RSA gun guy Gideon Joubert emailed me this morning: “I have written an article regarding the necessity of firearm ownership in South Africa. It is in response to negative press regarding gun ownership brought about by the highly publicized Oscar Pistorius trial.”
Gun ownership in South Africa has again been thrust into the spotlight, in no small part thanks to the high profile criminal case against Oscar Pistorius gracing our television screens and the front pages of almost every newspaper and weekly publication. It is mind-boggling that the allegedly negligent actions of but one famous public figure can reflect so badly on an entire population of lawful and responsible gun owners. Unfair indeed, but alas not unexpecte
The Heller Decision and Strict Scrutiny
By Mike McDaniel
On March 10, 2014, my article analyzing the constitutional viability of magazine limit laws, Do Magazine Limits Pass The Constitutionality Sniff Test?, was posted. Several readers took issue with one assertion: “In deciding Heller, the Supreme Court made clear that analysis of Second Amendment issues should be based on ‘strict scrutiny,’ which is a far higher standard than Volokh would apparently apply.” Reader SAS 2008’s comment was reasonably representative: “As others have pointed out, Heller did not define what level of review was appropriate for these cases. I hope Mike or someone corrects the article. People should not have to read the comments to find out that there are factual errors in the original article.”
Stand Strong Connecticut
Send your STAND STRONG CONNECTICUT photo to guntruth@me.com. We’ll post them on our Facebook album [click here to view.] Please put STAND STRONG in the subject field of your email. You can click here to purchase a Stand Strong Connecticut t-shirt (half of profits go to Connecticut Carry).
Incendiary Image of the Day: Rewriting the 2A Edition
Ya know, even through it was written more than two centuries ago by a bunch of white guys, most of whom were born in England, the language of the bill of rights – and the Second Amendment in particular – is pretty clear. Even today. “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Does anyone see anything about registration in that sentence? How about a reference as to the kinds of weapons Americans can own? No, we didn’t think so. Which makes you wonder how the publishers of the text book reportedly being used at Grant Middle School in Springfield, Illinois got those ideas (h/t
Dan Wesson’s Back In the Revolver Business With the 715 .357
Take a deep breath, wheel gun devotees. Dan Wesson (CZ) is going to be turning out revolvers again. Eagle-eye’d reader Josh J. noticed this pop up on CZ’s web site: “Returning to regular production late summer 2014, the 715 is as it was before — designed and built to be the most accurate, rugged and versatile revolver on the market. Shipped with a 6″ barrel, the new shroud is designated the HV6, a heavy vent shroud profile that tames the .357′s recoil very well. The double action trigger is short and relatively light, while the single action is light and crisp. The target-like SA trigger pull made the Dan Wesson revolver a favorite among competitors and hunters, and the tradition continues in the 715.” We’ll be among the first in line at their NRA booth next month to check it out.
Question of the Day: Are Democrats More Deadly Than Republicans?
TTAG reader JK emailed the following list to me. For all I know it’s an ancient internet meme but it’s the first time I’ve seen it. What’s your take? Are Democrats more deadly than Republicans?
In 1865 a Democrat shot and killed Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States ..
In 1881 a left wing radical Democrat shot James Garfield, President of the United States who later died from the wound.
In 1963 a radical left wing socialist shot and killed John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.
In 1975 a left wing radical Democrat fired shots at Gerald Ford, President of the United States . . .
Backstreets Pub Yelps for Help
In our Thursday quote of the day, we noted Backstreets Pub & Grill’s displeasure with South Carolina’s new law that allows concealed carry in bars, and especially anyone who would avail themselves of that right. Since the watering hole and greasy spoon doesn’t appear to have its own web site, we linked to their Yelp page when we referred to them. Some of you, though, apparently took it upon yourselves to let the Backstreets boys know what you think about their stance that concealed carriers are “douchebags.” Now, in response to his particular contribution, reader Tim T. got this rebuke from Yelp central command . . .
From: Yelp HQ <
Quote of the Day: CT Senator Blumenthal’s Hope for Change
“I think history is on our side. Whether it’s this session or next session or at some point in the future. We will prevail, no question in my mind . . . I hope that another tragedy isn’t necessary to provide additional momentum.” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Murphy: Gun Background Check Debate ‘Not Going Away’ [via ctnewsjunkiecom] [h/t RC]
Self-Defense Tip: Move Then Shoot?
There’s some debate rumbling ’round the Internet about moving and shooting. Some gun gurus say move then shoot; make sure you have a stable platform before you send rounds towards a person or persons posing a lethal threat. Other say move and shoot; get your rounds on target as you’re moving towards cover or concealment (or just running away). Then get to a stable platform, if you need it. Others say it depends. Right answer! Of course it depends. A defensive gun use has enough variables to make meteorology look like basic math. But the question is: how should you train for this whole movement misegos? Well . . .
If you think your default option should be to move then shoot, train yourself to do it. Move then shoot – making sure you’re moving somewhere sensible. Yes, there is that. Even when you leave a square range behind, most shooting takes place in a fairly ste