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Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 month 11 hours ago

Ticking ‘African Safari’ Off of My Bucket List

Thu, 02/27/2014 - 11:00

By Tom in Oregon

As a person of the gun, I learned about shooting and gun safety starting at about six years old. At the time, dad was an instructor for the US Navy, stationed at Miramar Air Station, across the highway from the famous top gun school. Shooting became a natural thing to do at about any time. Besides shooting, I was an avid reader and would become absorbed in a good book. I regularly borrowed books from the library about hunting adventures. I read about Teddy Roosevelt’s safari adventures, Karamojo Bell, Robert Ruark, and a host of other writers who hunted on the “Dark Continent”. I was also hooked on shows like, Mutual of Omaha’s ‘Wild Kingdom,’ Bill Burrud’s, ‘Animal World,’ and ‘Safari to Adventure,’ ‘Daktari,’ and of course, John Wayne in ‘Hatari’ . . .

As I grew older, the lure of Africa didn’t leave me. Quite the contrary, the siren song, that is a sa

Defensive Gun Use Of The Day: Machete-Wielding Madman Edition

Thu, 02/27/2014 - 10:00

The 21-Foot Rule predicts that a knife can beat a gun within…yes, 21 feet. But a deranged, machete-wielding intruder in Pocatello, Idaho might have forgotten that the 21-Foot Rule doesn’t apply when that gun is already drawn and aimed at your center of mass. For that slight miscalculation, he took three 9mm slugs to the torso . . .

According to the Idaho State Journal, defender James Cvengaros had been awakened by the sound of his deranged upstairs neighbor noisily breaking his own windows. Cvengaros had a bit of a history with this neighbor from hell, so when he heard him

The Psychology of Open Carry – A Crisp Rebuttal

Thu, 02/27/2014 - 09:00

TTAG reader James Mortimer [not shown] read an anti-gun op-ed that rubbed him the wrong way. He responded thusly:

Mr. Crisp [above],

It was with great interest I read your op-ed piece concerning the open carry of weapons and its psychology which recently appeared in my local paper. As is so often the case with op-eds on gun control, I anticipated a disingenuous, meandering diatribe based on little more than emotional appeals. You certainly didn’t disappoint . . .

Matters of great public interest should be debated with dispassionate facts and reason based argument. Your article contained nothing of the kind. You merely trotted out tired, discredited memes calculated to not-so-s

Quote of the Day: Easy Diagnosis Edition

Thu, 02/27/2014 - 08:00

“In his efforts to curtail Second Amendment rights, Dr. Murthy has continually referred to guns as a public health issue on par with heart disease and has diminished the role of mental health in gun violence. As a physician, I am deeply concerned that he has advocated that doctors use their position of trust to ask patients, including minors, details about gun ownership in the home.” – Sen. Rand Paul, Rand Paul: Obama’s surgeon general pick will use position to attack Second Amendment [at washingtontimes.com]

Daily Digest: Still Not Ear Safe Edition

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 21:00

A branch manager for Wells Fargo Bank in Oldsmar, Florida is out of a job after being fired for bringing her gun to work. Ivette Ros, pictured above with her attorney Noel Flasterstein, said she doesn’t know who found out she had it or how they learned of it, but bank security questioned her about it and she was fired three days later. Now she’s filed a wrongful termination suit. Wells Fargo released a statement saying that employees are strictly prohibited from bringing firearms onto company premises, except within the bounds of the law regarding vehicle storage in company parking lots. Her a

Gun Tattoo of the Day: Righteous Reader’s Response Edition

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 20:00

A regular reader saw our Gun Tattoo of the Day feature and emailed us this pic of her inked shoulder. As Sly and the Family Stone sang, it’s a family affair. “This is just the beginning of the firearms ink, my pops also has an M4 on the outside of his forearm, a ruger logo on his shoulder and the second amendment/flag/reticle sleeve on his other shoulder, Oh yeah and his matching Buckmark. We decided on the buck mark since it depicts a buck and a doe, and my first firearm was a BPS 20 ga I got for Christmas when I was 12. Me, I’m too busy shooting 3-Gun and working in the firearms industry to venture and get my next ink (the Colt Rampant). I guess you could call us Gun Nuts =]” In a good way? Shot of Dad’s arm after the jump

Pray for Gun Owners and Snake Handlers? Bite This

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 19:00

Reader American Spirit writes:

The Denver Post has been one of my local sources for news and information since I was old enough to read (and while I’m still young, those heady days seem farther and farther away all the time). But it both saddens and angers me that they’re willing to publish  a column by William Saletan equating gun owners with snake handlers. And at the same time, it’s very hard to find pro-RKBA opinions published by this same paper which operates under the mission statement of “Transparency is won through accuracy, compassion, intellectual honesty and an introspective mission to convey complete, contextual views of our world” . . .

After two examples of the worst that people

Defensive Gun Use of the Day: Hey Rocky, Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out of My Hat – Or Not – Edition

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 18:00

Some readers may reckon that the snowmobiler above could have ended this animal encounter without applying GLOCK perfection. All I know is that angry moose is not something I’d want to face without GLOCK perfection. And the caption underneath the video informs us that the shooter’s son was behind him on another vehicle, preventing a strategic withdrawal. So . . . result. And another reason why I never, ever go into the wild without a firearm. [h/t JT]

AR vs. AK: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 17:00

By Paul McCain

Like countless other red-blooded American males, I was attracted to the AR-15 rifle platform simply because it has been the rifle of choice for our military for a very long time. Some would say too long. I’ve grown to appreciate the numerous features of the AR in its semi-automatic configuration, the so-called “modern sporting rifle” version, that continues to make it a very popular military, competition and even hunting rifle. The chief features that I find most attractive include the AR’s innate modularity, its accuracy and effectiveness when used in the way it was intended. But . . .

Is it the be-all and end-all in assault rifles? [Note: I’m using the term “assault rifle” in its more technical sense, to describe a select-fire rifle, chambered for a cartridg

Fear And Loathing (of Peruta) in California

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 16:00

 

By DrVino

You may have heard that just after the ninth circuit’s Peruta ruling, the Orange County sheriff revised her policy on concealed carry license issuance, effectively making the O.C. a shall issue jurisdiction (background check and 16 hours of training notwithstanding). There is some anecdotal reporting that the Ventura County cheriff has made a similar move, but a quick Google search of headlines did not return any confirmation of this. In any case, not long after the change in Orange County, the San Diego sheriff announced that

Is 6.5 Grendel the New 300 Blackout?

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 15:00

You wait all year to buy ammo in a popular caliber and BANG! another caliber becomes popular while you’re waiting. This time it’s 6.5 Grendel. Wikipedia tells us “the 6.5mm Grendel design goal was to create an effective 200-800 yard AR-15 magazine length loaded cartridge for the AR-15 platform that evoked Anglo-Saxon epic poetry when fired surpassed the performance of the native 5.56 NATO / 223 Remington cartridge.” Et voila! The Hannah Montana of AR cartridges offers a flatter trajectory and greater terminal energy at extended ranges than either the 5.56 or 7.62.” And all you gotta do to take out deer and varmints with 6.5 Grendel up to

OMG! Guns in Cars! At Schools! OMG!

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 14:00

Bush the Elder’s Gun Free School Zones Act was one of the most irresponsible pieces of legislation ever signed into law. Uncle Sam’s decree that Americans’ right to keep and bear arms ends at the school gates is not only unconstitutional, it puts our children in harm’s way. Specifically, the Act prohibits an otherwise law-abiding citizen from bringing a firearm “within a distance of 1,000 feet from the groun

Random Thoughts About Furries and Firearms

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 13:00

everydaynodaysoff.com posted this video of a furry firing a firearm. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, furries dress up in fur-covered costumes and have sex with each other. Or themselves. Or whatever. I’m with the pasta commercial on this one: chef don’t judge. In fact, I reckon Skulblaka’s video is a perfect example of what the framers of the United States Constitution had in mind when they added the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights. Sorta. But let’s start with the Declaration of Independence . . .

Gun control advocates often cite The Declaration of I

Question of the Day: Is Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America A Racist Hate Group?

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 12:00

This pic [via Mike V's Corner] re-labels three posters produced by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayors Against Illegal Action). Is it a co-incidence that the white kids get the guns? Is it right? Shouldn’t minorities get guns to protect themselves from white racists? In fact, isn’t gun control racist? If voter ID laws are racist because they inhibit poor minority voters’ rights, aren’t gun control laws racist because they inhibit poor minority voters’ gun rights? Which would make any organization promoting gun control a racist hate group. Specifically, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Am I wrong?

Gear Review: 300 Below Tactical Triad Cleaning Kit

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 11:00

300 Below has been in business since 1966, doing primarily cryogenic tempering of car parts, tooling, sporting goods, gun barrels, and the like. Next week, 300 Below will be introducing its new firearms cleaning and lubrication products, all of which are available in a kit called the “Tactical Triad.” TTAG received early notification of this pending product release and, even better, some of the goods to check out. Naturally, I had a couple dirty firearms and a filthy suppressor just itching to be cleaned . . .

The headline product here is PRISTINE cleaning solution. It’s billed as a non-toxic, non-flammable, non-caustic, non-etching, residue-free, reusable, environmentally-friendly, biodegradable solution that removes carbon deposits, greases, and oils, as well as copper foul

LA Candidate for Sheriff Will Issue Concealed Carry Permits – Subject to “Mental Health Evaluations”

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 09:00

Press release from Paul Tanaka, candidate for Sherrif:

(Gardena, CA)- In light of the 9th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruling regarding Concealed Carry Permits in San Diego County, former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka released the following statement:

“Los Angeles County is known as one of most difficult counties in California in which to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon (CCW). Of the 10 million residents currently residing in Los Angeles County, only a few hundred individuals have been issued a CCW permit. I understand the need for caution when allowing civilian residents to legally carry firearms in public . . .

However, as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment I also believe in a person’s right to defend themselves, their families and their homes from possible threats; if it is done in a responsible manner. 

As SheriffI will follow all appli

Quote of the Day: Hobby Horse Edition

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 08:00

 

“As I’ve written before, as a nation we seemed to be consumed by this romanticized narrative of reaching for a gun to defend home and hearth from a bad guy. The reality is, an armed society is a dangerous society — to itself, above all others. Homicide, suicide, accidental shootings — is that an acceptable social cost for the rights of gun enthusiasts to pursue a hobby? - Scott Martelle, For women, guns in the home prove especially deadly [at latimes.com]

Daily Digest: Took A Real Shot Edition

Tue, 02/25/2014 - 21:00

Aero Precision Inc. floated this on their Facebook page a few days ago. Here’s the video where they dumped a bunch of dirt on it, shook it out and fired it. Would operate with? [h/t ENDO] Read on . . .

There was a very brief Lockdown of the Day™ at Michigan State University yesterday. About 1 p.m. students and staff received a text message warning them of

Arrests Swell Size of Andrews, TX Open Carry March

Tue, 02/25/2014 - 20:00

The recent open carry march in Andrews, Texas follows a similar even a month ago. Thanks to two arrests linked to legal open carry, the demonstration doubled in size. No charges have yet been filed against the OC’ers; they remain in legal limbo. James Franklin of the Midlands/Odessa CATI has told me that they’re applying for several more permits for more marches to educate the people of Andrews about their Constitutional rights . . .

Over 80 people participated in the February 15 march, in a small town near the Texas panhandle.

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