The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 month 2 hours ago
State Senator Jeannie Darneille of Tacoma, WA: A Gun Grabber Revealed
Ever been to one of these marathon open hearings on a gun control bill? They’re fascinating. Well they would be if someone would edit the damn thing. Otherwise, even with stars like SAF jefe Alan Gottleib and 50 Cal Gal (hey Annette!) they put the suffer in insufferable. Even though the politicians in the room have made up their minds long before the testimony, kudos to them for their stamina. Anyway, somewhere in that two-hour video above (re: Washington State’s Initiative-594 on expanded background checks) State Senator Jeannie Darneille of Tacoma tells the room, “I am not a person who handles guns. I don’t own guns. I don’t . . . they shock me, quite frankly. We’re an open carry state and when I see people open carrying their guns, while it may be perfectly legal, it creates a visceral, personal, physical reaction in me as it does in other people.” So hop along hoplophobes and let the adults in the room remind legislators of their oath to the United States Constitution. Know what I mean?
Question Of The Day: Have You Ever ‘Un-Friended’ Someone Because Of Guns?
If your social media environment includes friends and family who aren’t necessarily big supporters of the Second Amendment, eventually someone in your Circles/Friends List will say something about guns that absolutely drives you crazy. I’ve had a lot of friends and relatives who weren’t lucky enough to grow up as I did. Few of these folk own guns, and some of them would prefer very strict regulation of firearm ownership and use. I don’t think it’s my duty to constantly debate them, although I like to think I’ve softened some of their opinions after taking them shooting . . .
But I recently reached the breaking point with one Facebook friend. He’d been my younger brothers’ best friend for a few years in the early 1980s, and it was fun to hear about his adult life after he’d moved to New Zealand.
He’d turned into an extreme ‘progressive liberal’ in the last thirty yea
G2 Research’s RIP Ammo- Ballistic Testing, Phase Two
I’ve been putting G2 Research’s new R.I.P. ammo through conventional ballistic testing to see how the round performs in a flesh simulant (ballistic gelatin). In Part I of the process, I did bare gel testing. In Part II of my examination, I conducted three more tests – against four layers of denim, plywood and then 12 layers of denim. And for comparison’s sake, I subjected Federal Premium HST to the same tests . . .
We’ve already addressed G2 Research’s claim about their supposed “hole saw effect” in a prior article. Suffice it to say that no, it doesn’t act like
OMG! Shotguns for Sale to 19-Year-Olds! OMG!
“When Darion Marcus Aguilar of College Park fatally shot two store employees at The Mall in Columbia and then killed himself, authorities said he did so with a Mossberg 500, a Connecticut-made pump-action shotgun that has been on the U.S. market since 1961,” baltimoresun.com reports, factually enough. “A 19-year-old with no criminal record, Aguilar bought the weapon in a legal December transaction from a
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America: Gun Bans Stop U.S.P.S. Workers “Going Postal”
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is trying to eliminate the ban on guns in U.S. Post Offices. Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Illegal Guns for Mayors Against Action (or something like that) opposes the move. “Prior to the current ban on guns inside federal buildings, mass shootings at U.S. Post Offices were so frequent that the phrase ‘going postal’ became a popular way to describe workplace violence in America.” Which implies that ‘going postal’ has gone out of fashion because the gun ban was/is so effective. Yes, well, in 1972, the Postal Service enacted 39 C.F.R. § 232.1(l) (“USPS Regulation”). That reg stipulates that . . .
Quote of the Day: POV Edition
“Carrying a firearm changes what you can do in the world … and that could potentially change the way you perceive and interact with people in the world. People pay attention to the world differently if they’re armed.” - Notre Dame psychology professor James Brockmole, Gun debate: Is price of an armed America a more dangerous America? [at csmonitor.com]
Daily Digest: Coast To Coast Edition
The University of Florida is being sued by Florida Carry Inc. over its weapons policies. In the wake of the recent court decision regarding the storage of guns in vehicles on campus, UF amended its policies in that regard, but Sean Caranna, Executive Director of Florida Carry, says that doesn’t go far enough. His organization is challenging the university’s policy on guns in university-owned housing. At issue is whether university housing counts as part of campus or if it’s considered a student’s home. . . .
giving students the right to store guns there. “No one is holding class in their car, no one is holding class in their dorm, no one is holding class in off-campus apartments owned by the university,” Caranna said. “Those are not part of the education environment.” UF has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, saying Florida Carry doe
Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day: Unidentified Anne Arundle County Cop
If you managed to keep watching yesterday’s Super Bowl travesty long enough you’d have seen Budweiser’s top-rated ad featuring a Labrador puppy bonding with a Clydesdale. If that’s the kind of thing that tugs at your heartstrings, this will certainly harsh your mellow. An unidentified Anne Arundle County copper was investigating a burglary report on Saturday when he was “confronted” by Vern, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, like the one above, in the dog’s own front yard. Two shots later, Vern was nothing but a memory for the Reeves family. baltimoresun.com quotes the heartbroken owner . . .
“I said to him ‘H
Dana Loesch on The View: 9/11 Made Me A Conservative [Gun Rights Advocate]
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched a social media hate campaign against conservative commentator Dana Loesch, trying stop her from appearing on ABC’s The View. As late as this morning, Shannon Watts was still at it, penning a column for mediaite.com that shrilled “There are many prominent, responsible gun owners in America that The View could have chosen to host their program. Unfortunately, they chose a pro-gun activist who has a history of promoting gun lobby propaganda. But given the gun violence epidemic in America, we can’t afford to continue a polarized discussion that demonizes gun owners OR the people who support gun reform.” Discussion? Since when did Shannon Watts discuss anything? And since when did Whoopie Goldberg ease-up on a pro-gun conservative? Anyway, Shannon k
TTAG Exclusive: Kirsten Joy Weiss Drills the Biebster’s CD
I told her not to do it. “Kirsten, baby, you know I love you,” I said. “I believe in you like the Colonel believed in The Memphis Flash. You’re gonna be a big star with this ‘performance shooting’ thing of yours. TV, Hollywood, maybe even Bollywood. But do you have any idea how many Justin Bieber fans are out there? The pint-sized drag racer’s Facebook page has 32 million likes. Thirty million people follow him on Twitter. And you want to piss them off why? Because it’s cool to hate him?” I begged her. Pleaded with her. Offered to finance her next three trick shots. But no, Kirsten stuck to her guns. Kirsten always sticks to her guns. So here it is: KJW’s ballistic broadside against the Beeb. Good luck with that. I’m going back to reviewing an old gun with a new f
Oklahoma Reward Poster in Murder Trial Features GLOCK Logo
I have to admit being taken aback by this reward poster on the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation website. I can see the utility in grabbing a graphic from the Internet, that’s unlikely to draw a complaint from the owner. It may even be in the public domain. But I find the juxtaposition of GLOCK Perfection with a double child murder case to be a little disturbing . . .
The pistol may be useful in the trial of Kevin Sweat, who has given a confession of sorts. A hearing has been scheduled to determine if the video of the confession will be allow
How Journalists Learn to Hate Your Firearms Freedom (And What You Can Do About It)
“In order to achieve national standards for gun control our leaders cannot continue to frame the issue in terms of political expediency,” Marda Dunsky writes at aljazeera.com. “As a people, Americans cannot continue to frame the issue in terms of narrowly defined freedoms. We have to think the unthinkable and recast the gun-control debate in personal terms: As things stand now, almost any of us can find ourselves in a nightmare scenario in almost any public place at almost any time. The statistical probability of that happening is not what matters. What matters is that it can and
Gear Review: Off the Grid Concepts MKI Holster
By Christopher Bermudez
A little over three months ago, I started seriously looking for a dedicated appendix carry holster. Before I go any further, this is an article designed to tell you about a holster, not to change your mind about appendix carry. So if you want to learn more about a holster maker with great customer service, great kydex, and competitive pricing, read on. If you want to tell me how carrying in the appendix position is going to cause damage to my genitals or femoral artery, go watch a Brian LaMaster’s YouTube video, pat yourself on the back and post something to that effect below. (I actually find a lot of what Mr. LaMaster has to say to be insightful and spot-on, but I disagree with him on appendix carry so I will most likely die in a gunfight.) . . .
But back to that holster. I
Thompson Trade Troubles Town
When politicians attempt to ban things via regulations and taxes, weird results usually follow. In the case of automatic firearms, the stage was set by the enactment of the bizarre National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, which was upheld by the infamous U.S. v. Miller decision. Under the NFA, full-auto firearms have to be registered with the federal government and a $200 tax paid. The “tax” at the time of enactment was the equivalent of $4,000 today, on items that varied in value from 1/10th the amount of the tax to roughly same amount for a Thompson sub machine gun . . .
The crafters of the NFA admitted that the amount was a way to subvert the Second Amendment through taxation rather than an outright ban. Subsequent Supreme Co
Question of the Day: Are Gun Control Advocates Cowards?
In my post Random Thoughts About The Superbowl and Guns, I wrote than an armed populace gives society a fighting chance against terrorists. That got me thinking: why would gun control advocates deny Americans a fighting chance against bad guys? Because they believe The People of The Gun aren’t trained enough to defend their lives and other innocent life – despite tens of thousands of successful defensive gun uses per year? That’s partly it. The deeper truth: gun control advocates don’t believe in fighting back with lethal force, personally. That’s law enforcement’s job. Or, in the case of the elite, bodyguards. What’s up with that? I can’t come up with any explanation save one: they’re cowards. Which would also explain th
Video: Machine Gun Helicopter Hog Hunting
OK, technically and legally speaking this isn’t hunting — its “herd depredation.” Hogs are a terrible nuisance in the Gulf coast area, and helicopter crews are the most effective way to eliminate the problem. One such company is HeliBacon, founded immediately after the practice was legalized a few years ago by a group of firearms enthusiasts who thought it would be an awesome thing to do and wanted to offer the best experience. It’s expensive ($750/hour), but they offer some of the most hog-infested fields and best toys out there to their clients. Unlimited ammo is included in the price of admission, and upgrades are available — such as machine guns (custom lowers with PWS piston-driven uppers). Coming soon: grenade launchers. Yes, grenade launchers. Because not only do they have a helicopter, but they’re an
New Yorkers Refrain from Ratting Out “Illegal Gun” Owners…For Now
“In February of 2012, 11 months before the state passed their stringent gun law known as the NY SAFE Act, a hotline was set up for people to call who thought they knew someone that possessed an illegal gun,’ cbsalbany.com reports. “If a person was arrested and convicted the tipster would receive a $500 reward.” So how’s that whole gun snitch thing workin’ out for ya? . . .
According to data from a Freedom of Information Law request, two years later there seems to be no interest in a person turning their neighbor in or most firearms are legally owned. In an
An Englishman Asks About U.S. Suppressor Law
At the SHOT Show I sat next to an Englishman who wrote for a UK hunting magazine. We talked about gun laws in Blighty and in the US, and the subject turned to gun mufflers, AKA silencers or suppressors. I was interested to learn that mufflers were relatively easy to obtain in the UK, and were in fact encouraged by the police. Having a suppressor for your rifle is considered, well, polite. A way to reduce noise pollution and avoid disturbing the neighbors. Virtually all air guns have suppressors. My new British friend turned to me and said: “I never have understood the United States regulation of suppressors? What is the purpose of making them so hard to obtain or own?” . . .
I could not answer him. The best speculation that I have found is that there was some mention of suppressors being used for poaching. Why else put suppressors
Quote of the Day: There’s An App for That Edition
“I don’t know of anyone in the Senate who wants to take guns away. But there’s this feeling of everything involving guns is sacred. A lot of lawmakers have become afraid of it. In the back of my mind, I’m worried I will be labeled anti-gun.” – South Carolina State Senator Thomas McElveen, SC politicians’ guns blazing this election season [at heraldonline.com]
Moms Demand Action Bully ABC to Keep Pro-Gun Voice Off ‘The View’
Dana Loesch works for TheBlazeTV. She’s about as pro-gun as it gets. So when news got out that she’d be co-hosting daytime gabfest The View this week on ABC’s nationally syndicated network, the Civilian Disarmament Industrial Complex collectively wigged out and started pulling every trick in the book to try and keep her off the air. It’s a strategy we’ve seen used before to try and keep our own Robert Farago off CNN, actually. Better to silence someone with whom you disagree than engaging in honest and open debate. And now they’re at it again . . .
Back in November, CNN reached out to Robert to come on a show and talk about the events of the day. Robert tweeted about it, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence immediately res