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Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 3 weeks 6 days ago

Gun Tweet of the Day: Anti-Gunners Buy Guns Edition

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 19:00

 

As a former mental health professional I approve this message. By literally coming to grips with the firearm used against him by Seung-Hui Cho during the Virginia Tech massacre, Colin Goddard made an important leap of logic: the gun wasn’t responsible for the carnage. Goddard realized that a GLOCK is an inanimate object; the person who holds the gun determines its use or misuse. He forced himself to face the fact that if he’d had a GLOCK in that classroom on that fateful spring day he would been able to save innocent life. Or die trying. Holding the GLOCK, Goddard suddenly understood what Jews mean when they say “never again.” Goddard determined

Weekend Photo Caption Contest- Win a SHTF Gear Holster and T-Shirt

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 18:00

Didn’t win the holster last week? Not a problem, you have another shot this week courtesy SHTF Gear. And they’ll even throw in one of their T-shirts, too. Make a funny and post it by midnight Sunday to be eligible. And if you want to collect the swag, be sure to enter a valid email address, too.

[photo h/t Billy W.]

The Curious Case of Carlos Reed

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 17:00

By Dean Weingarten

The police Chief of Portland, Maine, Michael Sauschuck, isn’t a fan of the “bear arms” part of the Second Amendment, and he and other Portland officials are quite willing to work to chill its exercise.  There have been recent cases where constables have stopped people who are legally openly carrying guns in the Portland area. One from 2012 has become popular on YouTube, in which a well-read open carrier civilly schooled the police officer on the limitations of detainment under the Constitution and case law. In December of 201

Real Reason Detroit Police Chief Leaves Carjacking: He’s Not a Cop

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 16:00

 

“Police Chief James Craig was limited in what action he could have taken against a perceived carjacker because Detroit’s top cop isn’t certified as an officer,” detroitnews.com reports. You hurt your what? “A department spokesman said the chief drove away from the situation because no actual crime had been committed. Also, Craig is not certified as a police officer in Michigan, so he doesn’t have arrest powers beyond making a citizen’s arrest . . . Although

The Uzis Are Here! The Uzis Are Here!

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 15:00

 

Yes, they’re the semi-auto Uzis, but that’s a good thing. It means you won’t have to go through all that ATF tax stamp rigamarole. All you need is the cash (or enough headroom on your credit card) to take one home. IWI’s street-legal version comes with 20- and 25-round mags and you can get on in any color you want as long as you want one in black. And if you need another reason, just think how much you’ll piss off Diane Feinstein by buying one. Press release after the jump . . .

Harrisburg, PA (October 2013) - 

Dallas Cops Shoot Stationary Schizophrenic

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 14:00

The common criteria for a legal defensive gun use: the shooter is facing an imminent, credible threat of death or grievous bodily harm and imminence is imminent. That last bit is often ignored but vitally important. The attacker must be in the act of attacking. In this case, the Dallas, Texas officers knew Bobby Gerald Bennett was mentally unhinged. They knew he had a knife. He was within striking distance (their choice but still). The threat wa

New(ish) From Ruger: Red Label Over/Under Shotgun

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 13:00

 

The venerable Ruger Red Lable returns. Ruger hasn’t made the Red Label for about three years now, but now it’s back, rested and ready. Externally, it’s hard to see what’s changed, but in their press release (after the jump) Ruger claims a “refined” mechanism a more centered center of gravity and reduced recoil. It also comes with a set of five Briley chokes, so there’s that, too . . .

Southport, CT – Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the launch of the newly redesigned Red Label over-and-under shotgun.

Known for years as a top choice of American hunters and clay shooters for its world-renowned rugged construction and handsome American styling – the Red Label returns.

The shotgun now features refined inner workings, a new center of gravity and reduced recoil. These new improvements deliver improved comfort and an enhanced s

Question of the Day: How Do You Buy A Gun?

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 12:00

TTAG has a lot of firearms industry types reading. Rest assured, we never sell your info to third parties. But we do talk about you to these for-profit gun guys. During a recent Inside Baseball chinwag I discussed our readers’ psychology with a man whose brand means over-priced military-born products—even though they [now] sell competitively-priced products specifically fashioned for the civilian market. “We have loads of market research,” he said. “But we still don’t know how gun buyers (that’s you!) decide to purchase a particular gun. How they move through all the information out there to the point where they’re actually ready to buy a new

BREAKING: Opposition to Banning Handgun Ownership Remains at Record-High 74%

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 11:28

“Nearly a year after the Newtown, Conn., school shootings spawned considerable U.S. debate about passing stricter gun control laws, almost half of Americans believe the laws covering the sale of firearms should be strengthened and half say they should stay the same or be less strict,” gallup.com asserts, summarizing data from its most recent gun control survey. Well, that’s their takeaway. Mine’s different. I mean who says no, I don’t want gun control laws strengthened when the nature of those changes are left unspecified? The good news: “Public support for stricter gun laws is down from 58% in the days after the December 2012 Newtown shootings.” Even

How SIG SAUER’s MCX Killed the Honey Badger

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 11:00

Early last year, Advanced Armament made a splash unveiling their Honey Badger PDW. It was a thing of beauty; a custom-designed .300 AAC Blackout rifle that’s no bigger than an MP5SD and with looks that could kill. But as the year wore on, the Honey Badger ran into some trouble. Now, with the unveiling of SIG SAUER’s MCX line, even Kevin Brittingham (the man who originally designed the Honey Badger) admits that his beloved creation has been bested by SIG’s engineers .

DoubleTap Adds .410/.45 Colt and .40 S&W

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 10:00

 

If you’re one of the many who’ve bought a DoubleTap Defense tactical pocket pistol and think shooting a couple of parabellums or .45s from a small package is the bee’s knees, you’re gonna love their latest. The St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Earth pistol innovator just announced the addition of two new calibers; .410/.45 Colt and .40 S&W. That broadens their caliber options to four in your choice of either titanium or aluminum. Press release after the jump . . .

ST. LOUIS, MO (October 2013)DoubleTap Defense, LLC, a firearms design and manufacturing company, announces the addition of new calibers for the patented DoubleTap™ Tactical Pocket P

Manchester UK Police Jump the [3D] Gun

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 09:00

by Alan Brooks

In what could turn out to be a major embarrassment for the Greater Manchester Police, a man arrested yesterday on suspicion of illegally manufacturing gun powder also had what police suspect to be 3D-printed components for a firearm… or not. According to the BBC, Manchester’s finest raided the home as part of a larger operation targeting organized crime and stumbled upon the mystery parts by accident. Manchester Police spokesman Detective Inspector Mossop had this to say . . .

“If what we have seized is proven to be viable components capable of constructing a genuine f

Quote of the Day: Lying Down With Dogs Edition

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 08:00

“I’m here doing something unusual in these political times — a Republican senator here backing a Democratic mayor’s (police superintendent) to solve the toughest crime problems bedeviling our state.” – Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, No hearing for now on Emanuel gun plan [at chicagotribune.com]

Daily Digest: Splitting Headache Video Spectacular

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 21:02


Don’t bring a knife or a crowbar to a baseball bat fight. That is all. (Mobile users click here if necessary.) . . .

The Moms who are Demanding some sort of Action will be holding a rally (if you can call 10 people a rally) on the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver this Saturday, 10/26, from 10-10:30 a.m. In response, Gun Rights Across America – Colorado will be holding a counter-event nearby. If you’re in the neighborhood, take a half hour out of your morning and help out, why don’t you?

The Yankee Marshal asks, “Guns with your Halloween costume?” What say you? (Click through and tell him, too. He wants to hear your answers, possibly more than I do.)

Now Tell Me That Birdshot is OK for Home Defense

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 19:00

I journeyed to Best of the West the other day to test out a Lone Star Arms-modified Saiga 12 shotgun. The VEPR shot Wally World number 6 birdshot like a champ. It did not, however, like Federal 00 buckshot. Well, the gun did. The magazines most decidedly did

Colorado Pro-2A Voters Set Sights on Another Democrat, and Dems Fear They’ll Succeed

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 18:00

The news coming out of Colorado lately has given me a little more faith in the democratic process. Earlier this year, two Colorado state senators were kicked out of office for their votes against their constituents’ rights and their vocal belief in ignoring the voices of their constituents in what was one of the most embarrassing defeats for the gun control movement in recent memory. Despite the Dems and pro-gun control groups spending around 10 times as much as the NRA, they lost. And from the looks of things, the Democrats are scared out of their minds that it might happen again. So much so they’re prepared to pull the plug on the embattled senator currently being targeted . . .

In Colorado, if a recall is successful, there are two options.

  1. The official in question can sit for a special election, where they square off against

CA Police Shoot 13-Year-Old Holding Airsoft AK. And?

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 17:00

 

Regular readers know I adopt a guilty until proven innocent approach to police misconduct. In case you didn’t catch it, I am deeply suspicious of the boys in blue. But when the TTAG telegraph lit-up on the story of the 13-year-old California lad killed by cops after brandishing an Airsoft AK-47 I thought I’d let it sit. According to the reports I’d read, the cops ordered Andy Lopez to drop the weapon. Twice . . .

Lopez turned and aimed the gun in their direction. So they shot him. Unless this account is proven false, it’s a righteous shoot. Sorry but there it is. If you aim a gun at a cop something

OMG! Gun Sales! On Instagram! OMG!

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 16:00

 

Pascal writes:

A story circulated on Wednesday about Instagram subscribers who are using the service to sell their guns. The Daily Beast attests that the practice is “mostly legal,” and while Instagram community regulation is unusually tight, the gun sales will likely be allowed to stand even while less serious activity is banned. As the The Daily Beast reports, users are snapping photos of their arms and using tag combinations to flag them for buyers, such as #glock #forsale. Users then negotiate in the comments or trade contact information to firm up the deal. It’s worth noting that online gun sales are not at all illegal, and selling to someone wi

Incendiary Image of the Day (Take 2): “If They Can Make Up Stats So Can We” Edition

Thu, 10/24/2013 - 15:00

And once again a TTAG reader has taken it upon himself to fight fire with fire. “If they can make up their own statistics,” Chip K writes, referring to the unattributed anti-gun agit-prop propagated by Demand Action to End Gun Violence, “then there is no reason I can’t do the same.” Ah but—readers familiar with Foucault’s Pendulum will

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