‘Ghost Guns’ Rules included in the NDAA Defense Spending Package

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December 13, 2019

[He’s back! I get to talk about ghost guns again!]

The National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA is a Depart of Defense budget. It funds the military, pays its people, buys its equipment, etc. But as with most legislation there is always pork, little stuck on bits of pet projects that take a few million here and a few million there to fund.

One being hailed by Max Rose, Congressman from New York, would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an annual threat assessment on home built firearms.

“Unregistered, untraceable ghost guns have been used by terrorists seeking to inflict mass casualties, including just this year in California and Germany,” Rose, a Democrat representing Staten Island and South Brooklyn, told Newsweek in a written statement. “They are a real and growing threat to our public safety, causing incredible challenges to the already hard work of our law enforcement.” – Newsweek

Terrorists, Congressman? That was a highschool kid who murder/suicided himself and two schoolmates for are unknown combination of stressors, but by all means let’s lump him in next to folks like ISIS and Boko Haram, totally the same.

Rose originally introduced his portion of the legislation in May to combat the increasing prevalence of ghost guns, which are assembled from individual parts that don’t meet the technical definition of a firearm under the 1968 Gun Control Act. His bill would require DHS to examine the potential for ghost guns to be used by terrorists and debrief local law enforcement agencies on its findings.

Here is my ultimate question… Why? Why are we adding this spending to DHS budget to research a known quantity? Politico types, like Rose, are constantly acting like ‘Ghost Guns’ are a new threat and that DIY firearms are a brand new never before seen thing. Far from it.

Let me save you the time and you can send me the check, Congressman.

The threat posed by nonserialized firearms to law enforcement and the population, in the hands of terrorist or organized criminals, is roughly the same as those of serialized firearms in the same caliber. Weapons in the hands of a group with ill intent are a threat regardless of if they are stamped with a number on the side or not.

This threat, the threat of an armed hostile or hostile group, is not significantly altered, nor is their capacity for causing damage significantly altered, by the lack of a serial number on their firearms. The inability for Law Enforcement to source a DIY firearms exact origin will not impact that firearms lethality if used against someone else.

Individuals willing to violate federal and state laws to arm themselves with a DIY gun would be equally willing to utilize theft, straw purchase, or peer to peer methods to acquire weapons with or without serial numbers. Organized crime and terror cells, being better funded and with a higher level of operational training and experience to draw from will be far more adept at using any available method to acquire arms illicitly and use them to effect (Bataclan Theatre Attack) in defiance of laws.

“Despite the best efforts by the gun lobby and Republicans in Congress to stop any progress on addressing the gun violence epidemic, I’m proud to see my legislation to help give law enforcement the tools and critical information they need to address ghost guns on track to be signed into law,” Rose added.

Best efforts?

Critical information?

I’m as curious as the next guy about the DIY numbers but for very different reasons. Academically, I would be curious to see if there is a significant proliferation of the firearms, what they are associated with if tied to unlawful conduct, and whether or not an increase in unlawful conduct is prevalent.

But I’m also a home tinkerer and like working on my own guns. And I would bet those numbers dwarf the illicit ones, just as the serialized numbers of lawful and peaceful owners dwarf the miscreants of all backgrounds and motivations.

Good try though, Congressman Rose, if it does pass within the NDAA I will be curious about the how much of the information we already knew and just what that price tag that big repeat button came at.

Virginia & Massachusetts Join the Mob

By

DRGO

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December 13, 2019

Confiscationists are finding creative ways to put pressure on law-abiding gun owners. In addition to taking over the public health publication machine, which cranks out “authoritative” articles based upon gross distortions of reality and statistical sleights of hand, they have now begun to weaponize front-line health care personnel.

I witnessed this first-hand earlier this year. The Virginia Commonwealth University/Saint Mary’s Hospital/Virginia Department of Health “Gun Violence Symposium” featured speaker was none other than Lori Haas from the Virginia Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. She tried to convince medical attendees that guns were killing 1,000 Virginians each year in a widespread “epidemic” of gun violence.

The reality here, as it is in the country, generally, is that ⅔ of the deaths are suicides, and the vast majority of the remaining ⅓ is gun and drug-related criminal violence confined to inner city areas.

All the “gun control” legislation demanded and paid for by Bloomberg and about to be foisted on the Commonwealth by our now-Democrat-controlled General Assembly would do nothing to prevent any of this. But that didn’t stop this group of doctors and allied health professionals from encouraging the attendees to mis-“use their position of trust and authority” to reach out to their legislators and encourage the passage of these bills.

Although civic engagement is to be encouraged, it is distressing that medical professions take positions about things that they have no expertise in. Treating victims of gunshot wounds does not make one expert about gun usage. Unfortunately, exposure to “secondary trauma”—bearing witness to the sequelae of violence—has led to medical myopia that cannot see past the projectile even to begin understanding the root cause of this violence. Medical care must be based upon facts, not feelings, no matter how poignant and, in the moment, appropriate, those feelings are.

What is so conspicuously absent in any “medical” discussion of guns are their benefits. Lawful defensive gun usage is easily ten times greater than criminal gun usage. The FBI uniform crime statistics show that as gun ownership has increased, violent crime has decreased. Surveys of incarcerated criminals show that they fear armed potential victims more than law enforcement. Organized medicine’s blind spot for this is profound.

As I tried to listen patiently to the speakers, I wanted to scream “Just what is your personal plan of self-defense if mayhem were to break out here? Wait for the police?” Law enforcement personnel simply cannot be everywhere at all times, and they have no legal responsibility to keep anyone safe. Their mandate is to maintain law and order.

Not satisfied with merely poisoning the discussion with lies, confiscationists are now encouraging medical personnel to inquire directly about gun ownership. This idea has been zealously and misguidedly promoted by our professional organizations for years, but now there is a bill before the Massachusetts legislature to mandate the practice. Guns & Gadgets podcast alerted us to House Bill H 2005 by Jon Santiago. It is titled “An Act to Prevent Gun Violence” and has the following provisions:

“The director shall establish a program for firearm screening and counseling. Such program shall systematically screen all patients for the presence of firearms in the home.
“The director shall, after consultation with recognized professional medical groups and such other sources as the director deems appropriate, promulgate regulations establishing
- (1) the means by which and the intervals at which patients shall be screened for the presence of firearms in the home and
- (2) guidelines for safety counseling for individuals that screen positive for the presence of firearms in the home.”

First off, “firearm screening and counseling” . . . ? Are they inspecting barrels for cleanliness and speaking to the guns? The point is that they are screening human beings on the basis of lawfully-owned instruments. I’d be happy to provide counsel to patients about guns, if I was appropriately asked by a patient, based upon my training and experience in firearms, including many hours of NRA courses. In summary, my advice would be to seek out at least the same training I did!

But this bill directs medical staff to obtain direction from “recognized professional medical groups and such other sources.” Other than our Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, there aren’t many that base their “counsel” on direct experience with firearms and clear-headed facts about defensive gun use. I’ve not seen any professional organizations even acknowledge the extent of defensive gun usage, nor have I seen any of them reach out to certified trainers or groups like Project Childsafe that encourage safe storage of guns that are not in use.

Apparently the bill calls for subjecting patients to this at regular intervals— and not just some patients, but “all patients.” So routine colonoscopy will now require further intrusion into gun ownership? How will this prevent gun violence? As we’ve seen time and time again, the confiscationists never waste an opportunity to suggest that law-abiding gun owners are the problem.

What armed criminals seeking health care would waste a moment of thought about this dilemma? They would simply lie, tell the doctor they do not have guns, and think nothing of it. Law abiding gun owners, seeking merely to be left alone, are the ones facing the ethical dilemma of how to be open with their doctors when trying to obtain help for their medical problems. Fortunately guidance is available. Unless it is somehow directly related to the reason for the medical visit, there is no reason for this subject to be raised. And given the ubiquity and poor security of electronic medical records, there is no telling where the answers to those questions may end up.

Options include declining to answer the question, pointing out that pursuing that line of questioning is outside of the scope of the visit and constitutes a boundary violation, all the way to making formal complaints with the doctor’s healthcare organization, health insurance plan, or licensing board. DRGO covers this thoroughly in What to Do When Your Doctor Asks about Guns.

Even if you feel that there is nothing to hide and don’t object to the question, it’s important to keep in mind that the confiscationists are playing the long game. We cannot foresee what the next infringement is going to be, so what is “innocently” collected now could be used differently in the future, without any means of retracting the data. The specter of “Red Flag” laws make this an ever more acute concern.

At the symposium, cardiologists expressed the most interest in red flag laws, even though such laws have not yet been implemented in Virginia. One would think that such specialists would want first confer with mental health experts, if only to make a rational treatment plan addressing the underlying concerns. Instead, these physicians were ready to jump right to confiscation sans treatment, based upon the false ideas presented at the symposium. In their minds, gun access is the “illness” and gun eradication is the treatment, ideas that are expressed in the language of the Massachusetts bill.

Bills such as this ought to motivate gun owners everywhere to remain aware of their local legislators’ confiscatory leanings. These Trojan horses for infringement spread like disease if left unchecked, and no state is safe, as Virginia currently demonstrates. Make it your priority to reach out to your city, state, and congressional representatives, and encourage them to support criminal control, not Second Amendment infringements.

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–Dennis Petrocelli, MD is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist who has practiced for nearly 20 years in Virginia. He took up shooting in 2019 for mind-body training and self-defense, and is joining the fight for Virginians’ gun rights.

All DRGO articles by Dennis Petrocelli, MD

Flashpoint Virginia

By

Keith Finch

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December 13, 2019

The letter above from Commonwealth of Virginia delegate Jay Jones to the Attorney General, Mark Herring, is indicative of a populace that has had enough. The gun owners of Virginia will not be made scapegoat for the actions of a few.

71 counties have thus far adopted ‘sanctuary’ statutes and stated they will not enforce Richmond’s onerous provisions on their citizens. The proposed assault weapons ban, which was lately amended to ‘grandfather’ existing owners as a concession to try and garner more support and make the measure more palatable, is one such measure. The proposed ban on firearms training is another.

The sanctuary movement parallels the immigration resolutions by the same title where local or state LE agencies would not assist Federal agencies in enforcing immigration policy. Now there is a difference, one that critics of the second amendment sanctuary movement are quick to point out and are trying to capitalize on.

State vs. Federal Obligations

The state officers are not under legal sword requirement to act on the federal immigration rule. They are sworn to uphold the state rules, not just their local ordinances.

And that’s a great point. Really swell. But what if they do not do so anyway? What if Virginia has reached the tipping point where ‘ the law is the law’ doesn’t mean anything anymore. Politicians the nation over, because of their beliefs on topics like immigration, have eroded the national respect and regard for the law so much that it does not hold the teeth and gravitas it once did. The jaded narratives and often outright lies told by these representatives and media outlets have left the public with diminished trust that legislative bodies are working in good faith.

It isn’t much of a stretch to see the mass noncompliance as par for the course. What is good for the goose is good for the gander and the parsing of words over parlance of what laws a locality is sworn to enforce based on it being state or federal rings hollow. It just sounds like an excuse to justify rules a particular side wants and ignore ones it does not instead of engendering respect for the law by pushing to change the law.

Example: If Congress today passed a bill that said – Illegally entering the country is a federal crime and will be prosecuted in conjunction with all felonies and serious misdemeanors. It will result in deportation if the crime(s) have a total sentence of 1 year or more and the convicted will no longer be eligible for immigration to the United States.

And then Arizona said, “No, we are a sanctuary state.” or “No, we will deport all illegals we find.” it begins to erode the public respect for the law. If you need a better example than these…

Prohibition. How did that one work out?

Richmond’s Reaction – We’ll send in the troops

No, seriously. A U.S. Senator has threatened the sanctuary counties with removal of their authority, funding, and use of the Virginia National Guard as an option for Governor Northam to enforce the law.

Does anyone recall a little event in history… maybe where troops were used by the government to go and enforce a law about weapons in the hands of the colonist citizenry… Lexington and Concord ring any bells? Because if National Guard troops take the place of local police to enforce a gun prohibition in Virginia those parallels are going to be drawn.

Now the question is who blinks first? The incoming democrats with their aggressive gun control agenda or the fed up localities saying, “not a chance.”

Me: *Buys CZ Scorpion. Garand Thumb: “You have chosen… wisely”

By

Keith Finch

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December 12, 2019

The day after I impulse buy a CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 (because I found an FDE one) good ole’ Flannel Clad Master Blaster GarandThumb dropped his review on that very gun.

For anyone living under a rock the CZ Scorpion EVO 3, and the later more “westernized” S1, launched a few years ago and made a huge wave on the PCC/SMG market because it was… well… affordable. The base pistol was around $900. Accessories were cheap, magazines were cheap, and in keeping with CZ tradition it all worked. You could fully outfit a 9mm ‘carbine type pistola’ with light, optic, spare magazines, a bag, sling, and a stock to SBR it or a pistol brace, for well under $2,000.

CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 in FDE with RMR and streamlight tlr-1 9mm

Compare that to the SP5 at $2800? Yes, roller delays run smooth as glass, but the guns cost for that smoothie.

Not knocking them. I love them.

But to get essentially the same basic in role set up in a 9mm PCC type pistol ‘carbine’ or SBR your expenditure is going to double, and the difference is blowback vs. roller delayed blowback. We’ve forgotten that the MP5, a G3 derivative, was designed to be cheaper to produce with stamped metal than the ‘pricey’ FAL/G1. Oh well, market demand is what it is.

Anyhow, I jumped into another little PCC 9mm and I’m stoked.

Why? Four words.

Last.

Round.

Bolt.

Lock.

Oh, and its FDE.

Waiting on a Form 4? ATF Says 10 Months

By

Keith Finch

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December 12, 2019

Sadly… I am waiting on an SBR right now so this isn’t the happiest news. The ATF releases regular reports on a myriad of different topics related to the firearms industry, ownership, transfers processes etc. Out of their latest newsletter this was the sad part.. I’m sitting at around 8 months so maybe next year… I was hoping for Christmas.

Part of this was due to a program the ATF started… and then cancelled due to outraged awaiting transferees. The program expedited the Form 4’s that were filled out without errors or missing information. This apparently angered folks who didn’t feel like ‘their’ Form 4 made it into the fastlane fast enough. So the ATF shut it down.

I sense a pattern here… gun owners get nice thing like Faster Form 4’s, ‘no illegal way to shoot a pistol’, or any rule concession from the ATF and then gun owners complain and ruin it. But life is what it is with the NFA, one day we may finally slay that beastie but it isn’t today.

Support HR 5289 and we might gain some ground on that front.

An Easier Way to Carry Your Range Gear

By

Scott Smith

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December 12, 2019

DSCF7014 — 5.11 Tactical's Master Range Backpack Set gets you ready for the range.

When it comes to innovative ideas, 5.11 Tactical seems to be at the leading edge. 5.11 has been a leader in clothing and now they are making major inroads in the “range bag” market. New this year is Ranger Master Backpack Set.

As the name implies the Range Master Backpack Set is a system designed around a backpack. For the past several years I have been using a backpack for USPSA matches and found it to be much better than traditional shoulder carried duffle bag style bags. At first glance I knew 5.11’s new bag would be an improvement over my well traveled one, because from the start it is built to be a range bag.

We will look at the exterior first. There are two pockets on the front of the pack. You will find the small top pocket a good place to carry your phone, camera, keys, and etc. At the bottom of the main body is a semi-rigid lower pocket has magazine loops and four slash pockets for lubricant, small tools, etc and two slots for pens. This pocket is lockable and has a loop strip to attach a hook backed name tag.

The backpack of the Rang Master Backpack Set has plenty of MOLLE straps to attach gear including 5.11’s Sidewinder Straps.

On the main flap and sides you will find numerous MOLLE strips to attach other pouches to meet your needs. There are also cinch two cinch straps for large items. You will notice I added a pair of large Sidewinder Straps MSRP $14.99) to keep my rain jacket easily accessible. On the side I mounted my IFAK in case of an injury.

As you can see Sidewinder Straps have plenty of length for bulkier items than my lightweight raincoat.

When I did a detailed look at the RMBS, I found many features that set it apart from others. First it has a semi-rigid frame which helps distribute the load for long treks. The close cell foam ventilation ribs are covered with a soft touch mesh to give better airflow. This helps to keep you from perspiring which will wear you out and will eventually degrade the pack’s material.

Next, the adjustable backpack straps use the same closed cell foam and mesh. I have not seen this on other packs. I am sure when hiking between stages this will be a welcome feature. 5.11 added a chest strap in case you are carrying an uneven load. This strap will keep it in place. Above the straps is another pocket that can accommodate a 100 ounce hydration bladder. If you need to grab the backpack just above this zipper is a padded carry handle.

The soft touch mesh and close cell foam help make the Rangemaster backpack more comfortable for longer treks. The sternum strap will stabilize a heavy load.

The interior of the main flap has a dual access mesh zipper pocket. I liked the large “U” zipper of the main pouch with lockable pulls. This style zipper allows the front flap to completely open the body of the pack. It might not seem like a big deal, but this makes it easier to get your ammunition out of the system’s ammunition pouches.

Top of the ammunition pouches has loop material to attach an ammunition ID tag. The sides will also stand up giving you a place to empty magazines without having rounds roll away.

Like the backpack, the ammunition pouches have “U” zippers. When the pouch is completely open it is easy to put 150 rounds of factory packaged 9mm in the small pouch. The medium pouch will easily hold 200 hundred rounds of .45 ACP. There is a loop patch on top of the ammunition pouch for an ID strip so you know what kind of ammunition you have without opening it.

The last part of the Range Master Backpack Set is the padded single pistol case. 5.11 again uses dual lockable zippers making access to the five magazines stored in the retainer and zipper pocket for the pistol easier. It should be noted the single pistol case will not fit an Open Class pistol. I found Glock 34s, 1911s, Sig P320 X5s all fit easily.

As you can see the pistol pouch keeps your pistol separated from magazines so they will not scratch your pistol.

Overall I found the Range Master Backpack Set to be well made. All of seam ends are have sewn wraps. This keeps the ends from fraying, helping to ensure you get longer life out of the pack. You will find the zippers are all double sewn, again for durability. When you look at all of the small details of this system, it is worth the MSRP of $169.99. When compared to other quality range bags, The Range master Backpack Set, is more than competitive; it surpasses the competition. This range set makes it easy to get out to the range to practice shooting fast, accurately and have fun doing it.

On Jersey City

By

Keith Finch

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December 12, 2019

The Jersey City gun battle that left a police officer, three citizens, and both assailants dead is starting to make sense. Unlike other events this one has a pretty clear beginning, middle, and end.

The Beginning

David Anderson and his girlfriend, Francine Graham, were suspects in the killing of a driver near Bayonne, New Jersey last Saturday. Anderson and Graham were associated with, members of, or followed an extremist group that believes blacks, hispanics, and Native Americans are the true ‘chosen people’ as an interpretation of Hebrew Scripture. The Black Hebrew Israelites are considered a hate group, perhaps most famous recently for the incident with Covington Catholic High School. In that incident, outrage and media attention focused on a teen who was said to have harassed a Native American ‘Veteran’… that turned out to be a total farce.

When an officer approached the couple in a cemetery about the Bayonne murder, they shot and killed him.

The Shootout

The pair then drove the vehicle they used to the market area, grabbed their guns, and took over the shop where they exchanged gunfire with officers for several hours and shot at anyone near the front of the store. The Jewish shop was likely a deliberate target. They first opened fire on a pair of officers on foot across the block from the store.

Two officers were wounded in the exchange. Footage exists showing one officer as she leaves cover to get another out of the line of fire after that officer was hit in the shoulder.

The Conclusion

Officers take their SWAT team, put them in an armored vehicle, and use it as a diesel fueled battering ram to breach the front of the shop. The two shooters go down under gunfire from the police. Anderson and Graham had killed three people inside the store already after taking it over, it sounds like an owner, employee, and customer.

In short Jersey City did a solid job containing the shooters quickly.

3D Printed Guns in 2019 – Industry Update

By

Travis Pike

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December 12, 2019

If I was a salt miner, I could have made a fortune in 2013 and 2018 with all the hate and tears wasted on the Defense Distributed Liberator pistol. This silly little gun kicked off the idea of 3D printed guns. It’s been quite controversial with numerous attempts by the United States Government to block the distribution of plans, but you can’t stop the signal. 3D Printed guns have only evolved and gotten better with time. More than that, 3D printing is being used to make accessories as well.

The Evolution of 3D Printed Guns

If someone had designed and tried to market the Liberator, we would have laughed at them. It was huge, blocky, not very ergonomic, and a silly little 380 ACP pistol. We’ve come a bit further than that. This includes repeating revolver style weapons with multiple barrels. The American Pepperbox term most certainly applies to these devices.

Probably the most useful and revolutionary gun printed would be the AR 15 lower receivers coming out of the woodwork. These have lasted for hundreds and up into the thousands of rounds. These 3D printed lowers make it easy to build an AR 15, legally, without Federal Government overreach. They function a lot like 80 percent lowers legally. Once they are guns, you can’t go about selling them, but for personal use, knock yourself out.

There is also Ruger 10/22 receivers and Generation 3 Glock frames that allow you to build a variety of weapons. Building the frame and receiver for existing platforms is simpler, more reliable, and safer than starting from the ground up and designing your own gun.

As far as 3D printed guns go, the current crop of receivers and frames seem to be the most practical idea. However, this isn’t stopping people from making all manner of single shot and repeating 3D printed guns.

If you want to find some of your own 3D printed gun plans, check these guys out here.

A Google Drive with tons of plans.

A 3D Printed AR 15 lower

A 3D Printed 10/22 receiver

The Accessories

Printing firearm accessories is what’s cool to me from a practical, everyday perspective. 3D printed guns are revolutionary, but accessories and items are just fun and cool. 3D printing enthusiasts have taken to a website called Thingverse and started releasing numerous 3D printed accessories.

These are often straightforward pieces of furniture or accessories that range from useful to being best described as neat. This includes useful items like Arm Braces for pistols and minimalist stocks for AR rifles. There are rear grips, and vertical grips, and much more for the AR series.

For Glocks, there are grip plugs, stands, base plates, sight presses, Armorer’s blocks, and a lot more. Neat stuff includes magazine racks designed to fit on your safe door, and other handy little tools and accessories.

Printing these items is likely easier for beginners, and they can be quite fun. It can help you get the experience you need to tackle a gun build. These little accessories can even make fun gifts, or save you some money here and there.

The Future of 3D Printed Guns

It’s exciting to see where 3D printed guns will go, and I’m quite excited that people are thinking beyond guns and going into accessories and upgrades. 3D printing is still young, but as the price to purchase and use a printer drops, we’ll see more and more creative minds get behind 3D printing guns and accessories. This is only the beginning for hobbyists, free speech advocates, and 2nd amendment advocates. Gun control is quite close to being dead, and 3D printing is killing it.

Walmart Clearances Ammo

By

Travis Pike

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December 11, 2019

When Walmart announced they were getting out of the pistol and “semi-auto” rifle ammo business we all knew they’d be clearancing the goods soon. Their foolish policy sprung up after the El Paso Walmart shooting. Somehow Walmart no longer selling popular ammo would solve the problem. Over the last few weeks, I’ve kept an eye out and seen some slight rollbacks. It’s been nothing like what I saw today though.

Today on my trip to Walmart for some small goodies I checked out the ammo area and was stunned when 9mm was going for as little as 7.4 cents per round. That was Winchester Forged. Beside it was 500 round bulk pack 9mm Winchester White Box going for 45 dollars. In the cabinet were various Remington, Winchester, and Federal loads for 8 to 10 cents per round for brass cased FMJs. Self-defense ammo was as cheap as 5 bucks a box. It was nuts.

That’s Not All

Rifle ammo was also being rolled back, but nowhere near the level of pistol ammo. By rifle ammo I mean 223/5.56, 300 Blackout, 7.62×39, and various other calibers popular in semi-auto rifles. Walmart had slight discounts, sometimes less than a buck off a box. I imagine they’ll start moving it out sooner than later.

The sales rep stated that they received a letter from Corporate telling them to get rid of it and it’s clear that’s exactly what they are doing. I’ve heard from other salespeople that ammo was still coming every day, even after the no handgun ammo policy. I purchased over 4,000 rounds myself and a group was gathering as I was on my way out. It won’t last long. Now’s the time to head to Walmart and stock up on ammo before it’s all gone.

Little does Walmart know (or care) people like me are going to take this ammo and use to teach new shooters, write articles, and spread the good word about the 2nd Amendment.

Why Hunt Hogs?

By

Dr LateBloomer

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December 11, 2019

1A876E71-DAD7-435C-BC17-BD8584EAF83A — The author with her Aero Precision rifle and sausage on the hoof.

If you read about my recent hunting trip to Texas, you’ll know that I harvested my first feral hog while on that trip. Hogs are not much of a thing in my home state, so I didn’t know much about them. This being my first trip to Texas, combined with a news story about a woman recently killed by feral hogs outside a Texas home, I decided to do some reading up on the ongoing porcine plague.

I started with the USDA, and then proceeded to the webpages for a few individual states. This link provides a lot more in depth history for those who are interested.

History

As of 2018 there were an estimated 6 million feral swine in the U.S. spread across at least 35 states. The USDA notes that pigs/swine were first introduced to the Americas in the 1500’s by explorers and settlers who used “free range” farming practices. Those practices resulted in certain numbers of unrecovered livestock, which continued to breed in the wilds of the New World. Those pigs then interbred with Eurasian wild boars that were introduced for sport hunting in the 1900’s (great idea, guys). Unfortunately, nobody at the time really understood the problems with invasive species.

Technically, both types of hogs come from the species Sus scrofa, but one branch was domesticated and then went feral again, and the other branch was never domesticated. I’m a nerd about these things, so I’m including an illustration from one of the above websites. Bottom line is that there are three types of hogs running around out there now – the feral type, the wild type, and hybrids of the two.

https://feralhogs.extension.org/history-of-feral-hogs-in-the-united-states/

Damage

Wild pigs have been estimated to cause $1.5 billion worth of damage to agriculture and the environment yearly. This is not an insignificant problem.

In forested areas feral pigs compete with native species for food and resources. They may also carry diseases that infect domestic livestock and humans – such as Brucellosis. They gobble up hard mast before it can germinate into tree seedlings, and their rooting behavior uproots seedlings that do germinate. They prey upon the eggs of nesting birds and occasionally eat newborn game mammals.

In farm fields feral pigs trample crops and create wallow holes big enough to damage farm equipment. They contaminate water supplies and also occasionally prey upon newborn livestock.

Population Control

With the average litter size being 4-6 piglets (up to 12 is possible), and sows capable of producing more than one litter a year, beginning when they are less than a year old themselves, the population of wild hogs can quickly get out of control. The resources I read stated that the removal of 50-70% of a hog population yearly is necessary to keep their numbers stable to decreasing. That largely doesn’t happen. Thus, we have an ever increasing invasive species problem.

Complicating the population issue is the adaptability of wild pigs. They can survive in a variety of environments, will eat almost anything, and they have almost no natural predators.

There are no approved poisons or “birth control” methods currently available for use against wild swine. Trapping and hunting seem to be the most effective controls on feral hog populations, but even those measures struggle to keep up. Hogs are intelligent animals and they learn from their human interactions. Too much daytime hunting pressure can force them into nocturnal activity. Some gear heads may be happy that they then have an excuse to use their night vision toys, but none of that stuff is cheap. Some people even hunt hogs out of helicopters, but that isn’t cheap either.

My Hunt

While on my ranch trip, I was advised that with hogs, a head shot is the way to go. Apparently a heart/lung shot placed as for a whitetail will result in a hog running for quite a distance before he realizes he is dead, often rendering him unrecoverable. I was advised to aim for the ear instead. That advice proved to be sound for me, as my first hog dropped in place with a an ear shot from my Aero Precision M5 .308. It still took his nervous system awhile to realize he was dead, because his “air running” movements fooled me into taking a second shot for good measure. Regardless, he stayed where I dropped him – no tracking needed. For a novice, that was a great feeling.

Charging to Hunt

I used to wonder why, if wild pigs were such a problem, that so many ranchers charged for the privilege of hunting them. But I now understand a little better that the landowners are just trying to get a little something back in exchange for the damage, lost feed, etc. that the hogs have caused in the first place. Plus hunters themselves can sometimes cause unintended damage to property or crops while they are on the ranch that isn’t discovered until later. This gives the property owner a little recompense. Then there are liability issues to be considered, all of which makes for a complex situation and renders what at first glance appears to be an easy “solution” into a not-so-easy one.

But even at a charge-for-hunt, it’s not necessarily a bad deal. I did a quick internet search and found that the cost to bulk order just half of a domestic pig from a local farm runs in the 4 to 5 dollar-a-pound range. Even with a property owner charge of $100 per wild hog, a hunter still gets cheaper meat than could be had by buying a farm pig. Granted, I am a neophyte and outsider, but from my angle it looks like everybody still wins.

That’s a good looking bit of pork, right there.

Pork chops

As I have presented here, there are lots of reasons that feral hogs are a bad thing and lots of reasons that hunting them is a good thing – not least of which is sausage and pork chops!

So what are you still waiting for?

The Marines are Developing a New Rifle Qualification

By

Keith Finch

-

December 11, 2019

From the Marine Times:

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – On a windy December morning a small group of Marines with Weapons Training Battalion shot what might become the most drastic changes to the annual rifle qualification in nearly a century.

After years of feedback from marksmanship experts and operational commands across the Corps asking for a more realistic ― and shorter ― shooting qualification, a new experimental course of fire will be rolled out over the coming months.

It is the first major update to the course of fire in nearly a century (1921 if I recall correctly) and it is looking to streamline the training process, shorten the time requirements, and better prepare Marines for the realities of tactical shooting in combat while evaluating their individual skill levels and readiness.

Now here are the highlights

Recruit Training Marksmanship program is not changing (as of now) and will still be conducted over a two week span focusing purely on marksmanship fundamentals.

‘Fleet’ Qualifications are updating to utilize a condensed version of the 6 tables of fire into a single course of fire. This should consist of 3-days total time to complete.

Marines will use their individual issue weapon which will be an M4/M4A1, M16A4, or M27. All rifles will shoot the same course.

Targets have been standardized to a single ‘hostile’ target. This target will be used for all distances.

Targets won’t be graded hit/miss or on a point total in the new fleet qualification the way they are in recruit training. They will be graded as ‘Miss’, ‘Suppressed’, ‘Neutralized’, or ‘Destroyed’ with destroyed targets being the only ones scored. Scoring criteria and marksmanship badge thresholds will come later.

Criteria for a ‘Destroyed’ target will be based on the iteration being fired. Grading will be done in the Pits or “Butts” and no longer done on the line. The qualification will have more stringent time requirements.

The shooters will be in full ‘kit’ and there are distance, unsupported, supported, and CQB firing drills to complete. Sitting position has been eliminated as tactically irrelevant (finally) and barricade shooting has been added in a manner to allow Marines to problem solve the shot(s) themselves. This replaces some of the ‘hold your hand’ step-by-step format from the old qualification.

There will be daytime and nighttime portions of the shoot for a total evaluation of competence and to identify areas Marines need to work on during training to follow.

This shift aligns with the earlier update the U.S. Army made to their marksmanship and rifle qualification programs. This is a welcome sign from the military that they are aware of the deficits within the old systems when comparing it to operational considerations and combat marksmanship. A more active, more mobile, and fully kitted evaluation in a shorter time period will give Marine training personnel more time and better resources to work on the specific deficits that exist.

Glock Releases… Another Glock! The G44, a .22

By

Keith Finch

-

December 10, 2019

Glock jumps into the rimfire game with a factory model. The G44 is a .22lr with a 10rd magazine in the G19 sized frame.

Yay! I guess.

I like the play on words, or numbers, that Glock managed by making their iteration 44 a .22lr. If you’re confused on the numbers when we have a Glock 45, a known G46, and a G48 model also, the numbers traditionally go in order of patent and not release.

GLOCK 44 – REAL GLOCK. NEW CALIBER. EXPERIENCE 22 l.r.

Once you start with perfection – you stay with perfection. The G44 is the ideal pistol to start or enhance your shooting experience. The innovative design of the hybrid steel-polymer slide chambered in our first .22 caliber round provides a lightweight and low recoil functionality for optimal control.

The G44 was thoroughly tested with a wide variety of ammunition to ensure maximum performance and redefine what small can do.

The G44 is a compact size pistol with the ability to adapt to nearly every hand size by using the different backstraps supplied with the pistol. The G44 comes standard with the GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB) for increased accuracy and precision.

The right equipment is essential. The G44 comes with adjustable rear sights and two load-assist magazines. Everything that a well prepared shooter needs.

Someone needs to edit their TDP though. Empty and full weight are not measured in millimeters or inches.

All in all, I think they needed to add one, just… it’s not that exciting. Glock has needed to add a rimfire trainer, critter getter, and beginner pistol to the lineup for awhile and this looks like the ticket. Especially if it’s ammo compatibility is as high as they are claiming it to be and it will chew through almost any box of rimfire you give it.

I would like to see threaded barrels next to add those wonderfully fun rimfire suppressors. But as for ‘continuing the legend’? Or whatever the tagline was… meh.

‘Gunfight’: A Challenging Addition to Your Reading List

By

DRGO

-

December 10, 2019

(from amazon.com)

Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America has, interestingly, been accused of being both NRA propaganda and wildly anti-gun. The varying reactions to this book suggest that author Adam Winkler has at least tried to take a balanced approach in his discussion.

This book gives an excellent panorama of the gun control debate, mostly centered on the D.C. v. Heller case. And the author’s conclusion seems to be somewhere near the middle of the range of proposed solutions to gun violence.

However, this book is not a perfect or comprehensive source of information. It’s best used as a piece of a larger reading list. But, it’s certainly worth reading. Here’s why, and what to expect.

Decent History

Winkler spends a fair amount of time on the history of gun control. This history is where this book gets the most criticism for taking an anti-gun stance.

He details the history of gun control from before the inception of the United States to near the present day (it was published in 2013). He cites local gun control laws implemented in the Old West and subsequent gun control measures that were put in place during the 1920s, 1960s, and 1980s.

The author’s position seems to be that gun control measures have been put in place before, and nothing bad happened, so why worry? We still have the individual right to keep and bear arms.

But it’s up to the reader to decide whether or not the author’s sources and analysis support his conclusions. Also, staunch supporters of the “shall not be infringed” part of the Second Amendment will likely disagree with a number of his opinions.

Conclusions aside, from a purely historical standpoint, there are other books that evaluate a much longer timeline for those who are interested in the history of guns and gun control.

Individual Rights

From the outset of the book, Winkler makes clear that he recognizes the Second Amendment as an individual right. This is a significant distinction between this book and many left-leaning pieces of literature. This also tends to be the main sticking point for those who have branded this book as NRA propaganda.

However, the book certainly doesn’t meet the usual standards for pro-gun literature. The author makes the case for certain gun control measures, from the standpoint that the Second Amendment secures limited individual rights. The book doesn’t toe the line of the gun control lobby, taking a more compromising stance.

Overall, Winkler takes a problem solving approach, with the assumption that there must be a solution. He hasn’t written a pure justification of one side of the argument or the other. He presents a counterpoint to nearly every position he discusses. He details the history and facts surrounding the problem of gun violence, and attempts to arrive at a solution.

This is not a book suited to those who are reading solely for the purpose of bolstering a certain position, whichever side they are on.

Extensive Sources

Obviously, any discussion of the Second Amendment without multiple references would never be taken seriously. The good news here is that Winkler collected a lot of information. In fact, a significant portion of the pages in this book are dedicated to the sources section.

However, one of the chief criticisms that can be levied against this book is the variable quality of his sources. Winkler seems to have taken any and all data involving guns for source material. He captures many very good original sources, but he also uses some questionable ones. For instance, Winkler cites a “study” underwritten by Michael Bloomberg which concluded that 63% of private sellers sold guns to buyers who had admitted that they “probably couldn’t pass a background check.”

However, this data was collected by a couple of people whom Bloomberg sent to gun shows in just three states, asking only 30 sellers. The methodology hardly qualifies as research. But Winkler’s wide net picked this up as somehow relevant.

Also, there’s been scrutiny over Winkler’s assessment of certain information. Winkler cites Clayton Cramer, who has studied and written extensively about concealed carry laws. Cramer is an excellent source. However, students of Cramer may decide that Winkler’s interpretation of Cramer’s work is flawed.

Even with these imperfections, it’s clear that Winkler put in the time and effort to ensure that he offers very few, if any, unsupported opinions. Those looking for a book that provides plenty of research and further reading to chew on will appreciate the range of sources cited in this book.

Plenty of Anecdotes

The most universal criticism of this book is that it can be hard to follow at points. Winkler often shifts forward and back in the timeline. He focuses on the seminal case D.C. vs Heller for short periods before shifting focus to a separate story or anecdote to drive a point home.

You have to pay attention to stay oriented. Occasionally, the anecdote or story Winkler uses to demonstrate a point takes a while, and it takes some mental effort to take his point back to D.C. vs Heller.

However, his writing style keeps all the legal talk and law jargon from getting stale. You won’t get bored. But you may need to reference pages you’ve already read to avoid confusion.

Is Gunfight for you?

If you’re looking for a laundry list of pro-gun or anti-gun talking points, this book isn’t for you.

If you’d like to read a deep examination of the material interpreting the Second Amendment leading to one man’s conclusions about how to practice it and what to do to retain our right to bear arms in the 21st century, you may enjoy it. Whether or not you agree with Winkler is entirely up to you.

.

—Jay Chambers is a Texas business owner, archer, shooter and survivalist. He believes in free speech, resiliency and self-sufficiency in an increasingly unpredictable world.

All DRGO articles by Jay Chambers

Giving New Life to a Time Tested Favorite

By

Scott Smith

-

December 10, 2019

KGB turned a well traveled pistol into a functional work of art.

The news of Browning ceasing production of the Hi-Power caused the prices to skyrocket. Fortunately I was able to procure a used FNH model manufactured in Argentina at Ottawa Ordnance in Ottawa, Ohio (Phone: 419-523-4911; Online: ottawaordnance.com). The pistol was in amazing shape and would be perfect to have KGB Custom (Phone: 419-235-5839; Online: kgbcustom.com) rebuild this pistol into a perfect Hi-Power.

I was impressed with the overall condition of this pistol. Cindy Verhoff, the owner of Ottawa Ordnance was not kidding when she said it was in great shape. There were very few signs of wear even on the slide rails had most of the factory finish intact.

This is an early Mk ll Hi-Power; the diminutive front sight is part of the slide. Like all P35s the trigger is bad thanks to the magazine disconnect which I removed to reduce the trigger pull and creep.

I tested stock pistol with mixed factory and reloaded ammunition. It fired the various loads to point of aim/impact in nice 4” groups at 25 yards. It had no issues with hollow points; many of the older pistols can be finicky. Overall, I was pleased with the Argentine Hi-Power.

I knew it shot so; it was off to KGB Custom so Karl Benning could work his magic on P35. This pistol is going to be a shooter; I wanted new sights, trigger job, new hammer/sear and a beavertail welded and fitted. If you are familiar with Hi-Powers they are notorious for biting the web of your shooting hand and drawing blood.

To improve the trigger pull I wanted Cylinder & Slide’s hammer, sear, and trigger installed. The hammer and sear will set you back $109-141.00. Most importantly if you do not have a beavertail installed, the no-bite hammer will save your hand. I also wanted their wide chrome trigger for $69.95; the blued version is $52.50.

This pistol’s is safety is as diminutive as the front sight. A Cylinder & Slide single side safety that will set you back $52.50 or an ambidextrous model for $87.75 drastically improves the safety. If you are like a lot of shooters who use Brownell’s you can find all of these Cylinder & Slide parts there too.

Having a nice trigger is useless if you cannot see the sights. I sent a set of Heinie Ledge with fiber optic front with the pistol. Lastly to ensure no more pain while shooting, KGB was going to fit a custom beavertail. Not only does it totally eliminate hammer bite, but it helps control recoil when you are shooting fast controlled pairs. To save your hand the pain, spend the $350.00; its money well spent.

The P35 returned home after about a year. When it arrived home I was shocked. It looked and felt amazing. The stainless hammer and chrome trigger contrasted nicely with the all black Parkerizing.

You can see how KGB’s beavertail keeps the hammer from contacting your hand.

Two other items caught my eye; the sights and the beavertail. First, the beavertail which is reminiscent of that on CZ75s. It is short enough not to snag on clothing and long enough to do its job. I like this beavertail enough I can see having one added to a couple of other P 35s.

You can see how Karl rounded the Heinie Ledge so it looks like it is part of the slide.

Second, I really liked how the Heinie Ledge Sights were installed. The leading edges were rounded allowing the sight to blend into the slide. The rear sight is not melted into the slide it just flows without any sharp leading edges to catch your hand on clearing malfunctions. The front fiber optic sight is easily picked up and you have the option of using red or green fibers to meet your needs. It is hard to beat the sight picture of Heinie Sights.

Heinie’s fiber optic front makes target acquisition fast.

While checking it out I found the trigger to be crisp with a small amount of creep; that is normal of any Hi-Power. Pull weight is about 4 ½ pounds. C&S’s wide trigger makes it feel like the pull weight is less. Thanks to Karl’s skills all of the fire control parts mate up and function flawlessly.

Overall the work Karl did was amazing. The beavertail looked like it was part of the original frame and fit perfectly. Installation of the Heinie sights could not have been done better by the master himself. Installing and fitting the new C&S hammer/sear/safety/trigger made the fire controls and trigger pull perfect. The KBG pistol is a shooting work of art.

After I was done drooling over the Hi-Power I gave it some lubrication, gathered up ammunition and it was off to the range. I gathered a mix of match range ammunition and a variety of loose factory ammunition. All told, about 200 rounds to give the KGB P35 a shake down. This mix bag of cartridges was polymer coated lead, full metal jacket, hollow points of virtually every weight and type of bullet available for a 9mm chambered pistol.

This pistol quickly proved to be a shooter. Off hand at 15 yards I had 3”, 13 shot groups with a mixed variety of ammunition. At 25 yards the groups opened up to 4”. I had no doubt this pistol would be more accurate than I can consistently shoot if I ran quality factory ammunition.

We used a variety of ammunition to test the KGB Custom Hi Power and it had no preferences. I changed its look with Duracoat, I like my firearms to be totally unique.

To thoroughly test the KGB Custom Hi-Power I used a mix of factory ammunition. From Black Hills I had their new 100 grain Honey Badger, 115 grain JHP EXP, and their proven 124 grain +P JHP. I chose Federal’s Tran & Protect 115 grain VHP and 150 grain HST. Hornady’s 115 grain XTP American Gunner, 135 grain FlexLock and 124 grain HAP were a good sampling of their line. I had one offering from Remington, the 115 grain HTP JHP. Finally I had Sig’s 124 grain V Crown JHPs. These loads are a good cross section of ammunition on the market today for range, competition and personal protection.

I found the P35 was not ammunition sensitive. This is significant because many older pistols do not feed innovative ojives such as the Honey Badger. KGB’s P35 fired them like it was built to shoot them. I do not suggest a steady diet of +P rounds; they could damage older frames.

To test for accuracy, I fired 5 shot groups at 25 yards off a rest. All groups hovered around 3”, no one load stood out. There were several sub 2”, 3 shot clusters. It’s nice that the pistol will shoot everything well. If you want a P35 to shoot better you will have go to the expensive of having the rails/frame and a match grade barrel fitted. You have to decide if it is worth the cost. For me the performance was good enough. It is more important that it was reliable and comfortable to shoot.

Cylinder & Slide’s wide trigger reduces felt trigger pull weight by giving your finger more surface area to “pull” on.

Karl’s installation of the C&S hammer/sear, safety and hammer coupled with the beavertail made controlled pairs a breeze. The sharp clear sight picture of the Heinie Ledge with fiber optic front made picking up the sight fast and was easy to follow during recoil. This pistol was now ready for use in USPSA or IDPA.

During firing there is no way the hammer can bite.

After running several hundred rounds through the KGB Custom Hi Power, I can say it is a practically perfect pistol. Karl can work magic on a wide variety of pistols, I was lucky enough to have him do this P35. I plan to take it out often and use it in 2020 for matches because it is accurate, safe and fun to shoot.

I have been shooting the Hi-Power in all weather and it never misses a beat.

SIG SAUER Introduces 300BLK FMJ Rifle Ammunition

By

Keith Finch

-

December 9, 2019

NEWINGTON, N.H., (December 9, 2019) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to add 300BLK to its Elite Performance line of full metal jacket (FMJ) rifle ammunition for training. SIG FMJ ammunition is ideal for those seeking cost-efficient, high-quality training rounds. The 125gr 300BLK load has muzzle velocity of 2,145 fps.

“There is huge demand for 223 Rem and 308 Win FMJ training ammunition, and we’ve had many requests for 300BLK as well,” said Brad Criner, Senior Director, Brand Management and Business Development, SIG SAUER Ammunition. “These premium training loads are designed to offer high-level performance at affordable prices.”

The SIG SAUER 300BLK FMJ ammunition is now available for purchase at the sigsauer.com/store.

All SIG SAUER Elite Ammunition is manufactured by SIG SAUER at its state-of-the-art ammunition manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Arkansas to the same exacting standards as the company’s premium pistols and rifles. For more information, visit sigsauer.com/ammunition

Get Social: follow SIG SAUER on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest news, product announcements, events, and updates.

About SIG SAUER, Inc.

SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, airguns, suppressors, and training. For over 150 years SIG SAUER, Inc. has evolved, and thrived, by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters, and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of elite firearms instruction and tactical training at the SIG SAUER Academy. Headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, SIG SAUER has almost 2,000 employees across eight locations in the U.S. and around the world. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.