The Truth About Guns

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Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 4 weeks 1 day ago

OMG! Women Carrying Guns in Ohio! OMG!

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 20:00

Click here for a wide-eyed news report on women carrying guns in Cincinnati. Fox19 investigates! “Cases like Brittany Stykes – a young pregnant mother who was gunned down in her car on a Brown County road. Her one-year-old daughter was also shot but miraculously survived. Another case is Alisha Waters – a 31-year-old woman tracked down and shot by her estranged husband and paralyzed. She is currently recovering. The recent headlines are terrifying. That’s why so many more women are arming themselves.” The script makes the pistol-packing women seem like scared little rabbits. The video, however, shows skilled, determined women getting their bal

Cook County Sheriff Wants to Dig Up Dirt on CCW Applicants

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 18:00

By John Boch

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart would be a petty, tyrannical dictator if given half a chance. Fortunately for the good people of Illinois, our government doesn’t allow this – and Tom Dart isn’t a happy lil’ wanna-be authoritarian. What is all the hubbub about? Dart wants to use Illinois’ LEADS system - basically “Google” for law enforcement – to search the background of every applicant for an Illinois concealed carry license for *anything* in their background – and we mean anything – and use that information to file an objection to issuing the permit . . .

And he’s not just worried about current Cook County residents. No, he wants to r

BREAKING: GLOCK 42 Revealed?

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 17:37

An eagle-eyed TTAG reader spotted this image of the new GLOCK 42 .380 single stack semi-automatic posted by “Squid” at boomershooter.com‘s forum. Looks like the real deal to me. Does this signal the second (third? fourth?) incarnation of the .380 craze? Hey, don’t rule it out. Our man shootingthebul410 has plenty of good things to say about the round’s defensive capabilities. Still . . . why oh why not a compact 9mm? Make the jump for another image. [h/t BP]

Gun Tweet of the Day: Anti-Gun Surgeon General Nominee Dr. Vivek Murthy Edition

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 17:24

Philip Van Cleave is a tireless campaigner for gun rights. The President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League who doesn’t miss a trick. Van Cleave recently read an article at washingtontimes.com article about Obama’s Surgeon General nominee: Dr. Vivek Murthy. All the Presidents’ Men have tipped the Harvard Medical School faculty member and Affordable Care Act booster for the post despite/because of his affiliation to Doctors for America (formerly Doctors for Obama). DFA is financially sustained by the Center for American Progress, the self-prof

Postal Service Loses M1 Carbine, Declares It A ‘Prohibited’ Item

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 16:00

 

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds…”

You and I can’t ship firearms through the United States Postal Service, but FFLs ship long guns in the mail all the time because it’s usually cheaper than going FedEx or UPS. Sometimes the difference in shipping costs is big enough that I can save money by paying my FFL an extra $20 to run a rifle through his Bound Book and handle the USPS shipping for me. Either way, when you ship something through the USPS, you expect it to be delivered intact and on time. When you pay for insurance and your shipment disappears in transit, you expect the post office to pay the claim. When you’re an FFL and your collectible WWII-era M1 Carbine vanishes in transit and the USPS denies your insurance claim, it’s time to get on the phone and tell The Truth About Guns. Which is exactly what a Texas gun dealer did . . .

The Lost S

Buckeye Firearms Foundation: 38% of Ohio Teachers Don’t Think School Security Measures Will Stop an Active Shooter

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 14:00

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Saturday, December 14, 2013 marked the one year anniversary since a coward murdered his mother, stole her gun and her car, then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where he brutally murdered his mother, six school employees and 20 innocent children before committing suicide. Buckeye Firearms Foundation recently surveyed school employees to find out what has changed in the year since the Newtown killings . . .

As we have already reported, our survey found that nearly two dozen Ohio schools have authorized individuals such as teachers, administrators and parents to carry firearms in schools. There has been enormous progress toward protecting our kids from mass killings at schools, but not

Gear Review: MEK OWB Patterend Kydex Pancake Holster

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 12:00

I’m a recent convert to the “outside the waistband” style of holster for daily carry. It’s just more comfortable to me, and gives me a quicker draw when I need it. MEK Holsters is a new holster manufacturer in Texas that makes some pretty interesting looking holsters, and they sent me one for my Glock 19 to test and see if I like it. And at first glance, everything is all unicorns and rainbows . . .

T

Irresponsible Gun Owners of the Day: Unidentified Fresno County, CA Shooters

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 10:00

And always be sure of what’s behind your target. A Fresno County sheriff’s deputy is lucky to have avoided serious injury last weekend. He was responding to a report of shots fired in a semi-rural area near Squaw Creek when a bullet hit him in the leg. Luckily for him (and for our amazingly-stupid IGOTD) the bullet struck the EDC knife in the officer’s pocket . . .

The lucky cop is only out a pocket knife and a pair of trousers and has a gnarly bruise, but several people were detained for investigation after a police helicopter spotted them a distance downhill with guns and ammunition. Make the jump over to The Truth About Knives for the rest of the story, as well as other documented instances of knives saving lives by blocking bullets.

CT Gun Owners Force Investigation into IGOTD Officer Juan Santiago

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 09:03

If you’re new to these parts IGOTD stands for Irresponsible Gun Owner of The Day. TTAG’s IGOTD series provides examples of careless gun handling to remind readers to follow basic gun safety rules. Bridgeport Police Department Officer Juan Santiago earned that honor when he “borrowed” a gun from a friend (?) at Bagel King and triggered a negligent discharge. Many of the commentators underneath our post bitched about the fact that Santiago would get a slap on the wrist, whereas law-abiding gun owners would be arrested, prosecuted, fined and lose their gun rights. Permanently. Meanwhile, out in the real world, Connecticut gun owners prote

Al Sharpton Chicago Gun Control Meeting Becomes Anti-Machine Rally

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 09:00

Well this is a surprise. There seems to be some serious cracks in the Democratically-controlled pro-gun control Chicago machine. And a willingness to take responsibility for its perpetuation. As in vote differently. Is the age of miracles not past? Equally, the crowd didn’t seem to have an appetite for a discussion about gun control. Maybe they’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t work . . . Click here for Breitbart’s report on the meeting, which somehow didn’t get much play in Chicago’s mainstream press.

Quote of the Day: So Shall It Be Written Edition

Tue, 12/24/2013 - 08:00

“It’s time we use the power of [the] law to protect the health and safety of our citizens to do what Congress can’t—require gun manufacturers to utilize existing personalized gun technology for all new weapons sold in the Commonwealth.” – Massachusetts attorney general candidate Warren Tolman, What the Tech?: Wants Guns to Have Fingerprint-Only Access [at bostonmagazine.com]

Daily Digest: Sheltering In Place Edition

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 21:00

A pair of Florida state legislators introduced a bill (SB 544) last week to streamline the process of obtaining a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearms License by letting county tax collectors handle gun permit applications. Currently virtually every other license and tax can be processed in one location, while CWFLs are only processed through eight regional offices, so adding gun permits to the services available only makes sense, right? Predictably, some folks are losing their minds over this, notably the Florida chapter of MDA, who took to their Facebook page to refer to Florida as the “wild west.” If you live here, call your state rep, because you know the pearl-clutching women will be.

Remember last year when several Chicago suburbs rushed assault weapons ban ordinances through under home rule bef

HuffPo: The Great American Gun Violence Lottery

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 20:00

 

It’s ironic. The writer who penned The Great American Gun Violence Lottery for huffingtonpost.com is a law professor at Lewis & Clark College. Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark left civilization to explore North America’s western-most reaches. They faced any number of lethal threats: disease, starvation, injury, exposure, animal attack and native Americans’ ire, to name a fe

IWI Cancels 5.45×39 Tavor Conversion Kit

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 19:00

One of the major selling points of the Tavor rifle was that you could swap calibers with the push of a couple buttons and a conversion kit. They promised that we’d see kits for 5.45, 9mm and 300 AAC Blackout, but it looks like they’re scaling back their promises. According to a posting on the Bullpup forum, callers are being informed that due to “issues” with the Soviet-era 5.45×39 caliber conversion kit they’re stopping production and will not produce any more. Naturally, this has annoyed many of the people who bought the Tavor specifically due to the caliber conversions that were advertised. We will update you with more when we hear back from the Tavor reps.

It Should Have Been a Defensive Gun Use: Benghazi Edition

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 18:00

 

I understand why the friends and relatives of people gunned down by cold-blooded murderers would want to forgive the criminals who stole their loved one’s life. It’s Stockholm Syndrome. The survivors spend so much time thinking about the murderers that they develop an intimate relationship with them, which turns to sympathy. After all, love is the flip side of hate. Hate someone enough and it turns to a kind of love. You might say it’s perverted. And I would agree. But there it is. Well, here it is [via cnn.com]: “Ronnie Smith, 33, was a

Incendiary Image of the Day: Fashionista Edition

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 16:00

 

There’s nothing incendiary about the above image to our readers. Well, excluding the proponents of civilian disarmament (e.g., the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence) who read TTAG on a regular basis, too. For these anti-gun groups and their vitriolic followers this poster is like a red rag to a bull. If Shannon Watts’ Moms Demand Action from Illegal Mayors doesn’t go all indignant-like on their Facebook page (which bans me from commenting) and Twitter (which bans me from even following) I’ll be deeply disappointed. If the Huffington Post doesn’t get all huffy about the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association’s mix of guns and glamor, I’ll be seriously surprised. My only other comment: I’m sorry I missed our date Gabby. Can we try again? I own a tux. Just sayin’ . . . [h/t On

TTAG Exclusive: Kirsten Joy Weiss’ Mmmpop

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 15:00

You may not be familiar with Hanson’s pop classic Mmmbop. It’s one of those infectious tunes that worms its way into your subconscious through its sheer exuberance. Same goes for performance shooter Kirsten Weiss’ trick shots. Even if the demos don’t look spectacular – yet – Ms. Weiss’  love of shooting comes shining through. Kay Jay Dubs’ enthusiasm has earned her a strong female following, helping push subscriptions to her YouTube channel over the 10k mark. I have no doubt Kirsten will go on to more difficult and dramatic shots and greater fame—if only because I’m producing some truly gnarly trick shots for your dining and dancing pleasure. Meanwhile, enjoy this way-point so you can say “I knew KJW when  . . .” Yes. Yes you did

TTAG Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 [Make the Jump to Vote]

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 14:00

This is the time of year that firearms publications award their “Best of 2013″ prizes, recognizing the gun companies that gave them the most money made the best products. While TTAG shares our colleague’s desire to reward product excellence we wanted to do so in a way that took our bottom line biases out of the equation. So we’ve decided to put our very first awards in your hands. Make the jump to use our super awesome voting system to make your voices heard. Feel free to lobby for your choice below. We’ll tally-up the results after Christmas and announce the winners in the New Year, just in time for SHOT Show schmoozing. [ED: I added that word.] See you on the other side . . .

Can’t see the voting system? Click here!

We Demand Numbers from Moms Demand Action

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 13:00

“I asked. She wouldn’t say. I didn’t press.” That’s reporter Lydia Nuzum’s reply to “Why didn’t you ask the head of the West Virginia Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA) how many members they have?” I made the enquiry after reading Nuzum’s W.Va. chapter of anti-gun moms’ group still going one year later. It’s based on an interview with MDA’s WV “leader” 

Gun Review: AAC Remington Model Seven in 300 BLK

Mon, 12/23/2013 - 12:00

The 300 AAC Blackout cartridge was designed specifically for the AR-15 platform. The idea was to create something that will cycle the rifle’s action in both supersonic and subsonic flavors without changing any parts, and have a round that uses the same bolt and gas system as the original 5.56 version. It’s perfect for that platform, but when you start moving to other weapon systems the benefits of the round start to fade away. Which is why a bolt action rifle in 300 BLK had me scratching my head . . .

You can see the source of my confusion. The 300 BLK is designed specifically for use in a semi-automatic magazine-fed gun, so what is it doing here in bolt action land? Let’s run down the features and see if we can’t figure it out.

The gun is a Remington Model

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