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Alcohol + Guns: BAD, but . . . ?

(from crimefictionbook.com)

Bloomberg.com recently published a piece, “Drivers with DUIs Shouldn’t be Armed” which read:

“…gun owners with DUI convictions are a discrete and dangerous group. For lawmakers eager to make progress against gun violence, they’re too good a target to ignore.”

This editorial implies that gun purchasers with a history of a DUI charge cause considerable gun violence.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.

That editorial references a recently published article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Association of prior convictions for driving under the influence with risk of subsequent arrest for violent crimes among handgun purchasers”.  Its authors assert that handgun purchasers who had a prior DUI were twice as likely to commit a violent offense after purchasing their gun.  The data in the article was supposedly so compelling that the Journal‘s editors wrote that these findings “unmistakably support” more California confiscation legislation, adding “we are as intolerant of mixing alcohol and firearms, so called drunk firing, as we are of drunk driving.”

If you have followed the endless stream of unconstitutional infringements proposed by the confiscations backed by billionaires protected by armed security details, then you know that what sounds like irrefutable proof is often a complete distortion of the truth. This latest hit piece on gun owners is no exception.

The study tried to examine what happened with the roughly 80,000 people who purchased a handgun in California in 2001 over the next thirteen years. The researchers focused on those individuals who had prior convictions for DUI and non-DUI-alcohol related offenses. Here’s the objective truth, buried in a graph: in stark contrast to the claim that these purchasers were a significant source of gun violence, only 2.5% (37 people) of those 1,495 handgun purchasers with prior DUIs were ever charged with a firearm-related offense. Whether or not they were convicted, whether or not their “offense” was actually a morally-justified defensive gun usage, is not even discussed. Quite possibly, for a portion of that 2.5%, charges were dropped or they were acquitted.

The associated editorials insinuated that handgun purchasers with prior DUIs were violent with their guns and that violence would be stopped by prohibiting them from purchasing guns.  The truth is that 97% of handgun purchasers with a prior DUI did not go on even to be charged with a gun-related offense. You would never know that, however, if all you read was the Bloomberg report or the JAMA editorial. And that’s what the confiscationists are banking on. They run with headlines that superficially make sense and hope that no one questions them.

Keep in mind that Bloomberg smeared that whole group of 1,495 gun owners, as did JAMA‘s editorial board, by accusing them of “drunk firing.” The identified DUI convictions occurred prior to the handgun purchase and there wasn’t any data showing that these purchasers were continuing to misuse alcohol.

The most consistent aspect of all of these proposed unconstitutional infringements is how many innocent gun owners get swept up. Red flag laws can stop one suicide if guns are taken from twenty people, and this new infringement would disarm roughly forty people to theoretically stop one from incurring a gun-related charge.  The confiscationists are convinced that is a program feature, not a bug. By proposing “common sense” infringements that take time and energy to debunk, they are trying to do an end-run around the Constitution and the Supreme Court in the name of “public health.”

The most frustrating aspects of this “public health” “gun violence epidemic” nonsense is that two-thirds of all gun related deaths are suicides. Bloomberg would rather bash this group than tackle the real issues of mental health and inner city violence. JAMA does no better, which reveals it to be a biased organ for the confiscationists rather than a trusted source of medical information. Policy decisions should not be based on the actions of 37 people out of 80,000, yet JAMA thought that was an “unmistakable” good idea.

If lies, distortions and diversions aren’t enough to get you to the polls this November, hopefully this elitist hypocrisy will. Not only does Michael Bloomberg have an armed security detail, he was aghast that Johns Hopkins University police were unarmed. If guns are so dangerous, why would he want the unarmed, defenseless students to be patrolled by an armed police force?

Whenever you see a headline supporting gun confiscation, check the source and read the original publication thoroughly. Stay well regulated, and VOTE this November!

[Thanks and a hat tip to AmmoLand’s David Codrea and Bearing Arms’ Cam Edwards for referencing the Bloomberg editorial in their recent pieces. And see DRGO’s paper on the many ways firearm-related research can be corrupted.]

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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

Henry Introduces Two New Side Gate Lever Actions

The Henry Side Gate Lever Action is now available in a .45-70 Gov’t rifle configuration and a .410 bore shotgun configuration.

BAYONNE, NJ – November 1, 2019 – The introduction of the Henry Side Gate Lever Action Rifle earlier this year laid the groundwork for an entirely new category in Henry Repeating Arms’ already sprawling product lineup, and that category is expanding further with the release of Henry’s new Side Gate Lever Action Rifle in .45-70 Gov’t and Side Gate Lever Action .410 Shotgun.

Cosmetically and functionally the new Side Gate Lever Actions share much with the earlier models. The firearm’s namesake, the loading gate on the right side of the receiver below the ejection port, is coupled with Henry’s historically inspired removable tube magazine. Having these two methods of loading and unloading allows the shooter to safely unload the firearm without working live rounds through the action and keep the magazine topped off through the side gate.

“We put a lot of focus into listening to what our fans and customers want from the next Henry,” says Henry Repeating Arms President and Owner, Anthony Imperato. He continues, “Real feedback and product suggestions from people that are out there using our rifles and shotguns carries a lot of weight and it’s what drives a lot of our product development. Our release of the Side Gate Lever Action earlier this year, and these new calibers are a great example of that.”

Henry Rifles Side Gate Lever Action Closeup

The new rifle and shotgun feature checkered American Walnut furniture and the unique combination of both a side loading gate and a removable tube magazine.

Henry Repeating Arms recently added a section to their website titled “The Suggestion Box” that allows users to submit their firearm idea or concept for Henry to consider in the future.

Andy Wickstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Henry Repeating Arms explains, “As soon as we came out with the first round of Side Gate Lever Actions we started getting requests for additional calibers. Both .410 and .45-70 were way up there, so it’s great that we can satisfy those that requested it now.”

The new Side Gate Lever Action .45-70 rifle and Side Gate Lever Action .410 share a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,045.

Henry firearms can only be purchased through a licensed firearms dealer. For more information about Henry Repeating Arms and its products visit henryusa.com or call 866-200-2354.

Oklahoma Constitutional Carry Begins Today, Ends Businesses?

Image via World Atlas, Oklahoma City, OK

In one of those ‘weird flex but ok’ type of approaches to throwing shade at the new Oklahoma Constitutional Carry law, ABC Tulsa did a report on gun businesses looking at closing their doors due to the change. But when you read the story, the subject himself isn’t looking to, he just knows a few folks that have expressed the thought.

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Friday’s new gun law is impacting business across Green Country.

On Nov. 1, “constitutional carry” aka “permitless carry” goes into effect allowing Oklahomans 21 and over to carry their guns without a permit or license, which in turn, means fewer people are seeking training, impacting firearm instructors. – ABC Tulsa

I would caution you to hold on just a moment. In states with permitless carry firearm training is still quality business for reciprocity and general education. There might be a initial slump and the people looking to do the bare minimum may drift out of the paying market, states with permitless carry still have a cadre of firearms instructors that do business. It’s about the business model and the reasoning behind the training.

Yes, the captive audience goes away. But in all honesty that’s a poor business model and has a tendency to lower the quality of the delivered product. I’ve seen my fair share of rubber stamp instructors who are meeting the captive audience requirements but not doing their students any favors on practical understanding. I’ve heard of the same thing in the driver’s education markets, especially among adult oriented instructors.

Will instructors see a slump in business? Likely, some may see volumes drop to levels that they won’t want to maintain a regular schedule anymore. When I moved the same thing happened, I personally don’t teach regularly anymore either. But talking with instructors and staff of firearms businesses in states with minimal or no training requirements, they see a steady stream of folks who still want the training and permits voluntarily. They see value in the education and the reciprocity the concealed carry license brings.

It’s just curious to see ABC taking the angle of ‘Oklahoma Constitutional Carry hurts businesses’ as a backhanded pro-gun argument.

An Smaller “G19” by Lone Wolf Distributors

Lone Wold Distributors Timberwolf 19 with its test ammunition.

Odds are pretty good that the Glock 17, 19 are the most popular pistols on the market today. These pistols hold 17+1 and 15 + 1 unless you are in a progressive controlled state that is making you safer by reducing their capacity to 10+1 or less. The popularity of the 9mm Glock is driven by the fact it is reliable and it is easily customizable.

One of the largest providers of parts and custom work for Glocks is Lone Wolf Distributors. They offer virtually every part imaginable to customize a Glock and do amazing custom work to slides, frames or complete pistols. While I had used LWD internals on my Glocks, several years ago they had some of their custom slide at the SHOT Show with mini-red dots milled into the slide. This was before optics ready slides became popular.

Their work intrigued me enough to have them do some work for me. I had them machine a Lone Wolf Distributor slide to fit a Trijicon RMR. I approached them to upgrade my well traveled first generation G17 into an “open class” pistol for USPSA. Because there are a number of RMRs variants, LWD needed to have my sight to make sure the cut was right. When the sight returned home it was perfectly mated to a polished stainless9 slide. The fit was so perfect it looked like one piece of metal.

LWD’s Glock 17 sized slide with Trijicon RMR mounted by their custom machining.

While LWD makes excellent barrels; I did not have LWD install a barrel because I had a single port KKM Precision barrel that I had picked up off a prize table. The barrel fit perfectly in Lone Wolf’s slide. KKM barrels are known to be quite accurate. When mated with the RMR and LWD slide it was wicked accurate. Off a bench rest at 25 yards of a rest using Federal 9BP 115 grain hollow points; 10 shot groups hovered at 1 ¾”. To be honest, that is probably as good as I can shoot. I have used this pistol in numerous local USPSA matches and it makes me look good. Several hundred rounds have been sent down range without any failures to feed, extract or go bang.

The machining by LWD is so precise the RMR looks like it is part of the slide. You can see Brandon Wright’s Tac Rack at the rear of the slide.

After the successful upgrade of my G17, I turned to Lone Wolf Distributors to see about getting a one of their Timberwolf pistols. These are a proprietary LWD frames that have interchangeable back straps. The frame is also smaller than Glock’s Gen5 frame so it fits more people with small hands. Like LWD’s slides the Timberwolf frame will accept GLOCK OEM parts or any other parts for Glock pistols as long as you ensure they are the appropriate size; G19, G17, G20, G21 etc.

Since I had a first generation Glock 17 19 and a G34 sized Timberwolf, I wanted something different but I was not sure what I wanted. Several folks who complained about the size of Glocks have shot the T34 and liked the smaller frame. When one of my best friends told me she wanted a Glock, I let her shoot the T34. She is a smaller stature lady and it fit her perfectly. Since she wanted it as a carry gun the T34 would be too big. This is when I knew the something different would be LWD’s Timberwolf 19.

This is my Timberwolf T34. note the functional beavertail.

I dropped LWD an email to see about getting a sample of a Timberwolf built as a Glock 19. Unlike my 34, which has Glock OEM fire controls; I wanted them to build this one completely with their parts so the pistol handled like a Glock but had the trigger of a tuned 1911.

Lone Wolf built the Timberwolf 19 with their match grade parts; barrel, internals, suppressor sights and trigger. LWD’s trigger is flat for a shorter reach and the polished aluminum trigger shoe is smoother. I have noticed is OEM polymer triggers can be problematic with reduced weight trigger springs and connectors. Since this pistol was going to be used to teach her to shoot, we wanted it to be as close to perfect as possible.

Lone Wolf’s aluminum trigger with their internal parts breaks like a tuned 1911. The mag well can be removed if you do not like it on a carry pistol.

Fit and finish were flawless. Lock-up between the barrel, slide and frame was so tight it bordered on too perfect. During the initial trip to the range I found it was a bit slow to unlock. The frame and slide were fit too well. Turned out the angle at the top of the barrel hood was too square. With lighter non-duty loads the barrel was having issues unlocking and locking. A couple passes with a finish file on the top corner and it ran like a champ. This did let the slide and hood move by one another easier.

LWD’s stainless guide rod ads just a touch of weight to help mitigate muzzle rise.

After addressing the use of the barrel and slide fit it was back to the range. After filing the barrel there were no more feeding issues. The LWD T19 shot consistently and accurately. Test ammunition was from Black Hills 115 grain FMJ, 124gr JHP, Federal 115 grain Syntech and 115 grain TP JHP, Sig Sauer 115 grain FMJs and 124 grain V Crown JHP Over 300 rounds were fired through the Timberwolf without a hitch. At fifteen yards 10 shot groups from a rest were all less than 2” The only issue I had was the suppressor sights were causing it to hit low and without any contrast I was losing the front post. Since my best bud was a new shooter I realized she might have the same issue.

To correct the sight picture, I contacted XS Sights for a set of their new FR8 sights. These sights are a radical change for XS from their Express Sights. FR8s have a “U” rear notch and a bright orange front dot around tritium vial. Like LWD’s, these sights too are suppressor height to co-witness with a mini-red dot. Once installed groups were centered and point of aim, point of impact at 15 yards.

XS Sights’ FR8 gives you a bright orange ring that allows you fast sight acquisition through the U-notch rear while the tritium vial is just as bright in low light.

To put the Timberwolf through its paces, I made sure to have a mix of ammunition. We had 115 grain full metal jacket and 124 grain hollow points from Black Hills Ammunition; 115 grain Syntech and 115 hollow point Train & Protect from Federal; 125 grain HAP Steel Match and 115 grain XTP American Gunner from Hornady and last from Sig Sauer there was 115 grain full metal jacket and 124 grain V-crown hollow points. This mix would cover training and self-defense ammunition. If there were feeding issues this mix of bullet styles would find them.

Since weather was problematic, raining last fall; I shot at 15 yards because I was not trekking further down range through the mud. Our initial testing was with mixed ammunition from several partial boxes. I did not want to waste our test ammunition. With the new XS Sights FR8 Sights, groups were nicely centered. Offhand ten shot groups at fifteen yards with mixed ammunition were consistently hovering at 3 ½”.  

With the pistol was now running properly and well, we loaded up our test ammunition; to shoot five shot groups for accuracy. Sadly I cannot report that the Timberwolf shot one load of the test ammunition markedly better than others. What I can say is off a bench five shot groups were all 2”-2 ½”. We got this performance even when we fired mixed ammunition in the magazines. Lone Wolf Distributor’s Timberwolf just flat out shoots well. It has no preference of ammunition make or bullet style which is what you want out of a personal defense pistol.

The new T19 slide was factory machined for a Trijicon RMR.

What we did find the Timberwolf T19 to be an ideal pistol for small statured folks. My best friend found the Timberwolf to fit her perfectly from trigger finger placement to how it felt while shooting. After a couple magazines she was hammering the “A” zone of an USPSA target. This speaks highly to the quality of the Timberwolf and the high visibility FR8 XS Sights.

Our couple of range sessions proved to us that a truly perfect fitting pistol can make learning to shoot much easier. Another bonus of the Timberwolf frame is it will fit Glock holsters. This means you will have your choice of holsters for any application.  

Lone Wolf Distributors can help build you a compact, full size or large bore (10mm, 45ACP) utilitarian pistol, a new full blown competition pistol or turn your Glock into an even more practically perfect pistol. If you want to make your Glock or a Timberwolf more exotic; LWD can texture the frame, laser engrave parts, machine the slide and do a wild PVD or Cerakote finish for you. You are only limited by your imagination and checkbook. To answer the question, how much was our test T19; around $800. The LWD website; www.lonewolfdist.com will give you all the details on what services and products they offer.

Get a Timberwolf frame and parts to build your perfect pistol or have your Glock customized by Lone Wolf Distributors and head out to the range. You will raise eyebrows and have a pistol to be proud of. While you are out there making noise; remember to shoot safely, accurately and HAVE FUN.

Pittsburg’s Gun Control Laws Fall in Court

After the Synagogue shooting the city passed several measures that banned assault weapons and high capacity magazines, implemented red flag laws, and placed restrictions on the exercise of the second amendment within the city limits.

There was just one tiny little problem with that. Pennsylvania is a preemption state.

Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act

That law’s intent is very simple, like other preemption laws, it prevents a smaller unit of government within the state (like a city, county, municipal district, etc.) from creating a rule more restrictive than the state’s rule on firearms. It prevents the state from becoming a patchwork minefield of gotcha misdemeanors and felonies just because your magazine or pistol grip is illegal in the next town over.

Well, Pittsburg thought they were being clever and not ‘expressly’ violating the letter of the Pennsylvania UFA, Judge Joseph M. James decided differently. I am not precisely sure how Pittsburg expected this to stand since preemption legally boils down to ‘shall not make a rule contrary to the state’s’, but they tried anyway.

“The City has expended a large amount of energy attempting to categorize the restricted behavior in such a way that it is not expressly prohibited” by state law. Despite the City’s efforts to avoid the specific preemption set forth in [the law], they are not able to avoid the obvious intent of the legislature to preempt this entire field.” – Judge James

6120.  Limitation on the regulation of firearms and ammunition.

(a)  General rule.–No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.

Like… there it is Pittsburg. “…may in any manner regulate… not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.” Can’t make rules contrary to those of the state as a whole, period, done.

Good riddance, way to grand stand for some cheap political points while expressly breaking state law. Maybe it was just a “firearm safety measure” and not actually a regulation. Yeah… that must’ve be it. It’s not a regulation, it’s a mandatory safety measure.

Thank you, Judge James.

Now perhaps they city can instead focus on their crime rate being more than double the state average and 71% higher than the national average, not challenging lawful conduct expressly against state law.

Strange Magic: EOTech VUDU

VUDU Optics 1-6x FFP LPVO

Credit where credit is due. The VUDU cast the spell, or broke the curse, or hexed my mind into finally taking the LPVO plunge. My ACOG exclusive fandom of magnified “combat” optics was put to rest and I began running a 1-6x. I tricked myself and what a treat (yes, Halloween puns, deal with it) to appreciate the LPVO.

I owe it to EOTech and the VUDU

I cast a spell on you… and now you’re target neutralized?

The VUDU line has several offerings, most geared towards precision shooting or hunting, but for their 1-6x they had two specific goals.

Goal 1. Produce a high value low power variable optic that could compete in the high tier field against optics like the Vortex Razor Gen II

Goal 2. Make it have the signature EOTech reticle.

Goal 2 is why they made the VUDU 1-6 a Front Focal Plane optic. Throw every argument or thought about precision and reticle scaling and all the other bits into the secondary reason pile, they did it first and foremost to keep the reticle.

I admire that. Sometimes you must do it for the lulz. B&T named a 9mm PCC just to throw shade at other 9mm PCCs. These little insider nods and quips are some of my personal entertainment each day, like the Disney easter eggs in movies.

VUDU SR-1

The VUDU executes FFP in a way most companies find challenging.

Now, goal 2 given its due appreciation, the VUDU is a well engineered optic in its own right, meeting goal 1.

It’s greatest feature, in my opinion, is the full erector adjustment and ocular lens housing. Having the full assembly make the zoom adjustment instead of a narrow ring lends itself handily to quicker motor movements. Need zoom? Grab and turn. Need to go back to 1x? Grab and turn. An aluminum lever that threads into the assembly further increases the ease of adjustment.

Now, these levers are known to break. If hit with enough force, on a barricade for example, the lever snaps. This is part of the design. Why? Minimize transfer damage directly into the optic. A stronger steel lever has two critical flaws, the transfer damage and an annoying tendency to rust bind themselves into the scope. Aluminum with a safe break strength offered a solution for both. Getting the broken knob out was infinitely easier than unbinding a rusted in one due to moisture.

Front Focal Plane and Illumination

The VUDU has an illuminated reticle, in either the SR-1 Milliradian or the SR-2, SR-3 bullet drop reticles. EOTech did an excellent job of getting these usably bright but it isn’t holosight bright.

It cannot be. FFP LPVOs have a limitation based on reticle design. I will summarize.

The reticle in a magnified optic is made in one of two ways, usually based on the focal plane of the scope. Manufacturers can use wire or etched glass.

A wire reticle is very easy to work with for simple designs and you can illuminate a wire reticle very brightly by powering it directly. Wire is thick though and works best on second focal plane scopes where the reticle isn’t scaled to all zoom levels.

For front focal plane optics, that leaves etched glass.

Etched glass has the advantage being able to be made as finely and complex as the user wants. Horus reticles are an excellent example. The problem comes with illuminating them. The method of illumination is similar to a red dot. An LED is reflected off of the filling in the glass etching. That etching is really tiny. Unlike a red dot which has the whole coated lens to bounce off, the LED in an FFP optic has the miniscule percentage of coated surface area to shine perfectly back through the lens to aid the shooter’s eye. While the illumination might not look very bright at max power, the LED is blazing inside the scope doing its best.

Now back to the EOTech.

As a happy consequence of the VUDU using the classic EOTech reticle it illuminates very well, but the large etched ring is only usable at the lowest power, so they don’t have to keep the ring fine. The middle of the reticle, the tiny dot and crosshair, doesn’t come into play until higher magnification, where illumination isn’t nearly as important and bright illumination even less so.

Illumination is primarily about quickly acquiring the sight for a shot. Secondarily it is about contrast against a target which requires a much finer and lighter degree of illumination, which FFP scopes can do very well.

The challenge comes in wanting an optic to do both. Because they are two different illumination purposes, going about it is two seperate power level problems. Designing a reticle that illuminates and functions well at 1x FFP makes it a thick beast at higher magnification and vice versa, a fine useable at high magnification reticle doesn’t have the surface area to illuminate well.

The VUDU strikes a happy balance, it has useable illumination at low magnification (although I would stop short of calling it daylight bright) and an excellent variable on the higher magnification for the simple milliradian crosshair.

Power wise, magnified optics are hungrier than our red dots. The DoD solicitations are specifying hundreds of hours of battery endurance, not thousands. Batteries are cheap and plentiful and, unlike dot optics, the reticle doesn’t go away.

Overall

The VUDU stands well among its peer scopes with excellent glass, weight, controls, and the mount system EOtech sells is forgiving on setting eye relief without stealing a premium of your receiver top rail.

All for a combined MSRP of $1694

A Bite of the Big Apple: Psychiatry Grand Rounds at Queens Hospital Center

(from wikipedia.org)

I was very pleased to be asked to speak to the Department of Psychiatry last Friday at Queens Hospital Center. QHC is affiliated with Mt. Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. It was a unique chance to give the DRGO view in the heart of anti-gun sentiment, New York City, and a welcome opportunity to preach data and reason to a roomful of progressives who had to sit and listen.

The invitation came from Dr. Neil Mukerji, a dedicated DRGO member who decided to let his colleagues know him better. We need to do more of that. As Charles Krauthammer put it: “Say what you think . . . say it honestly and bluntly”; “go . . . into a liberal lion’s den. That’s where you test yourself.”

There’s no recording to memorialize my verbal tics for posterity, but it may be worth reiterating the main points presented regarding Gun Violence Research: Public Health & Mental Health.

First came the overview:

  • 30-40,000 gunshot deaths per year in America, and 100,000 injuries.
  • 1/3 of deaths from homicide, 2/3 from suicide (and half of all suicides by firearm).
  • A smattering of accidental deaths, with extremely few now among children.
  • Dramatic reductions over the past 30 years in homicides and accidents despite equally dramatic increase of firearm ownership in America, both in homes and being carried.
  • But no lessening of hoplophobia among people uncomfortable and unfamiliar with guns.

One has to note that the text of the Second Amendment is the framework within which any interventions have to fit. And then set that against some quotes from anti-gun research and public establishment figures from the 1980s and 1990s, which was the culture that had to be confronted.

The risks of anti-gun success include government monopoly on force, beginning with universal gun registration (as has preceded all modern gun confiscations, which too often precede totalitarianism). The consequences of forbidding access to Colt’s “great equalizer” would be especially dire for women, the elderly, and anyone who is not a strong, aggressive male.

It bore stating to this hospital audience that guns are not infectious, that ‘gun violence’ is not epidemic, and that our lane as physicians should above all be to reduce the second leading cause of death in the United States (after tobacco): iatrogenic deaths, easily 400,000 yearly. It’s shameful that physicians feel free to insert ourselves into politics, criticizing the mote in other’s eyes, when we deny the timber in our own.

The subject of defensive gun uses came next. There are far more than anyone imagines with as many or more lives saved as gunshot costs us each year. To my mind, this is the single greatest point that gets lost in the “conversation”. Good public policy cannot be made based on emotional anecdotes, but requires a neutral, hard look at the full range of risks and benefits of potential interventions.

What about the effects of culture on violent crime and homicide? It’s not just about guns, granting that firearms are used in these far too often here. But just a glance at the rates of those tragedies around the world shows that the United States, with far and away more guns per capita than anywhere else, shows only low to middling rates of these compared to countries around the world that rigidly limit legal gun ownership, most of whom seem to favor hanging to do themselves in.

The data from objective researchers as well as, surprisingly, some gun control advocates shows that there is no correlation of strict gun laws or background checks with rates of homicide and violent crime. Trends in many places show reductions in violent crime when legally owned firearms become more available. Background checks, that magic pill for eliminating bad actors from gun ownership, are error-prone and likely contribute little to preventing crime.

Half of our violent crime occurs in just 3% of zip codes, and actually in just a few neighborhoods within them—generally poor, urban and non-white areas ridden with drugs and gangs. These criminals (who are also the most common victims) are largely adolescents and young men. (Who are all too commonly identified as “children” in studies pulling for maximum emotional impact).

The solution isn’t to disarm the law-abiding population. It is two-fold and must be directed at these perpetrators who are also at such risk. Young men without strong, ethical role models need effective mentoring to steer them away from hazards. Once crime is committed, consequences need to be swift and lasting to limit repetition, because the best predictor of violent behavior is previous violence. There are a variety of programs and practices around the country doing this.

With all this, per capita, per gun and gun owner, especially if one avoids the small areas with the most violence, the United States remains one of the very safest countries in the world to live in.

With regard to mental illness, only about 4% of violent crime is committed by identifiably psychiatrically ill individuals. Our patients are far more likely to be victimized than to hurt others. But suicide has not dropped along with violence to others, and as the greatest risk of death involves firearms, it needs far more attention. We believe there is treatable illness (depressive, psychotic, etc.) in nearly all who die by their own hand. When 54% of suicides do not come to attention as mentally ill prior to death, it’s clear we have a great deal of work ahead of us.

Firearms are extremely lethal in suicide attempts, 18 times more likely to end in death than most other means (though jumping can be just as deadly, and hanging is increasing in frequency).

But there are large cultural issues in suicide to be grappled with. As with violence, the great number of firearms in America still leaves us below the average of suicide rates globally, with other nations preferring hanging, poison or jumping. Means substitution is a controversial subject, but I think it is virtually a sure thing in the long run—suicidality will not diminish just because Beto comes for our guns.

Acutely, the high lethality of readily available firearms matters very much. The final act may be somewhat impulsive, but the typical suicide has been working up to it for some time with a fixed idea of what he must do. When the attempt can be prevented or interrupted, most people can be healed and will likely never try again.

Thus the question of “Red Flag” laws has to be addressed. Their point, to intervene in cases where someone realizes someone else is in danger (or might commit violence), is valid. But as they have so far been enacted in 14 states, they are dangerous themselves and badly infringe on multiple constitutional principles that we normally prize. That they usually define possessing a gun as an actionable danger in itself is scary enough. Then confiscation is ordered unbeknownst to the subject, who only then can fight for his rights and property at great expense. Guilty unless proven innocent is not the basis of our society.

All we know about their efficacy is from Connecticut, which has had one for years: perhaps one suicide has been prevented for each 20 confiscations there and no homicides at all. But one man in Maryland was killed during the surprise execution of the order.

What should we do? Adding to the 22,000+ laws that regulate the militia . . . sorry, legal gun ownership and use . . . won’t help. The meme that matters is: “See something, Say something, Do something.”  In cases like the massacre at the M.S. Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where authorities ignored many fears and warnings, the “Do something” failed, and has far too often. In cases of criminal threat, the legal system must do its job. When there may be psychiatric instability, expert evaluation must be obtained, and if inpatient treatment is indicated it must continue as long as needed until the person can be discharged safely.

Education is the key to true ‘gun safety’. Four simple Rules are really all that is necessary, and children should be taught them just as they learn to swim against the risk of drowning. People will encounter guns in our world, and must understand what they do and how to deal with them. There are programs for all that can teach everything from basic safety to expert marksmanship. The firearm industry, from major manufacturers through NSSF to the NRA to individual gun shop owners all offer or participate in educational programs that can teach safety and prevent tragedies. Our gun culture needs to be respected for all that rather than vilified.

Firearm research is a good thing; the problem is that so much of it is bad, biased, of shoddy academic and statistical quality, full of correlations, associations, and arbitrary data selection and conclusions that primarily meet the research goals rather than produce reliable findings. Despite the constant calls for more money to do more research, there has always been money for anti-gun studies, of which there are actually more than ever.

The questions after were as expected. One did want to know more (about the Dickey amendment). The other two were classic diversions. “Do you think your hunting is more important than children’s lives?” (Of course not—my hunting doesn’t endanger any children.) And, “Children’s car seats have improved through regulation.” (Sure, but the ideally functional gun simply fires when the trigger is pulled, and does not when it isn’t. I alluded to the mistaken notion that “smart guns” will make anything better, if they ever become usable.)

Sorry, I don’t remember if there was any applause at the end. But there sure were a number of attendees who couldn’t wait to get out of there and back to work!

Nonetheless, this was an excellent, Krauthammer-ish experience for me, DRGO, and the few brave souls who felt reinforced in their counter-cultural advocacy of rational thinking about firearms in the Big Apple. We had a marvelous time at lunch right after and hope to do it all again and more. For me, a free afternoon in New York City was quite a perq, too.

.

.

Robert B Young, MD

— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

All DRGO articles by Robert B. Young, MD

Language Matters: “Gun enthusiasts launch initiative bid to repeal gun safety measure”

Washington State

Firearms enthusiasts in Eastern Washington have launched an initiative campaign to repeal Initiative 1639, the measure passed by voters last November that raises the minimum age for purchase of semiautomatic assault rifles from 18 to 21 and imposes a 10-day waiting period.

The opening paragraph and headline of the piece from KomoNews is reporting on the voter initiative to repeal I-1639, the law that pushed Washington into far greater alignment with California were previously they were the most firearm owner friendly of the west coast states.

The measure was so divisive, led by the coastal urbanites, that several counties refused to enforce the restrictive measure. This led to a response by the state AG saying, “enforce or else.”

We stand in support of the Washington citizenry who are looking to remove the onerous restrictions that I-1639 thrust upon them.

But take a look at that headline…

Gun enthusiasts launch initiative bid to repeal gun safety measure

Can you feel it? The passive aggressive judgement of those who look on the folks in Washington wanting to repeal I-1639.

Call me “triggered” but the both ‘Gun Enthusiasts’ and ‘Gun Safety Measure’ indicates the full opinion those reporting on the issue. They support I-1639 and are using language to minimize how seriously readers look at the measure or the ‘enthusiasts’ who are pushing for it.

Let’s face it, ‘enthusiast’ might as well read ‘gun nut’. Gun nut would at least opening convey the opinion instead of padding the language in a guise of objectivity. ‘Enthusiasts’ minimize how seriously you should take what these people have to say. You don’t go see a medical ‘enthusiast’ to treat an illness or injury, that’s just a person who spends to much time on WebMD. If I say ‘airplane enthusiast’ or ‘flying enthusiast’ you probably visualize a guy or girl frequenting airplane museums and with a remote control toy in a park, not a Blackhawk pilot.

Washington State Citizens Seek Repeal of I-1639 Gun Control Law Through Ballot Initiative

Look, what does that headline state? ‘Technically’ the same topic as the other headline but with plenty of information for someone interested to go digging.

The ‘gun enthusiasts’ trying to repeal the ‘gun safety measure’ sounds like an grumpy group of ignorant idiots angry at a ‘common sense’ little rule. It’s just a ‘gun safety measure‘, not a list of new felony and misdemeanor charges that can be leveled against Washington citizens. No need to take a look at the ‘gun safety measure’, I’m sure it’s fine and the ‘enthusiasts’ are overreacting.

Did they talk to Representative Ilhan Omar for language crafting tips?

Now, I’m an opinion writer primarily. I see something, look at something, or try something. Using my pool of knowledge I then give my honest opinion, trying my best to give good information and highlight biases that you, the readers, should account for to properly salt my words and form a better educated opinion. My perpetual love of ACOGs and enjoyment of bullpups are biases. The fact I love the M16A4 pretty much as it was is a bias. My formative education in this space from reading online and being an Infantry Marine are all biases.

But I do my level best to not ‘lead’ you to defacto sharing my opinion. This KomoNews report is trying to do just that, apparently.

Have any casual reader, someone not tuned into the measure at hand, simply read the headline, chuckle, and say “oh, those crazy ‘gun enthusiasts’ are at it again.” and dismissing the concerns Washington citizens are addressing, as serious infringements on civil rights in the state, as nothing more than fluffed up much ado about nothing.

Lions and Tigers and Terrorists

Several years ago I had a non-shooting friend of mine express dismay that the competition targets I was shooting at in a photograph were human-shaped. Not even just human-shaped, she called them “people”. “So you shoot PEOPLE?”, was her shocked exclamation. Even cardboard cutouts are people too apparently.

This friend, like virtually every other anti-gun person, misunderstood the basic premise of the Second Amendment. It’s not about hunting, and never was. I tried to explain to my friend that if I were ever in the horrible position of having to use my gun to save my own life, it was unlikely to be because of lions and tigers and bears (oh my), but because I was being attacked by a bipedal animal of the genus Homo sapiens.

It wasn’t ravaging hordes of lions who murdered millions in Stalin’s Russia. It wasn’t tigers sent by Pol Pot who slaughtered more millions in Southeast Asia. And it won’t likely be a grizzly bear who kicks down my door in the middle of the night or who tries to grab me in a dark parking lot.

Nope. Those who do that sort of thing are animals with ostensibly human DNA. Thus, although I have absolutely nothing against cardboard personally, I train to shoot at human-shaped cardboard targets. That’s also why I refuse to give in to the “how many bullets do you ‘need’?” crowd. My answer is “As many as it takes”.

Even a perfect shot with a deer rarely results in less than a 50-yard search before finding the body. And a deer isn’t usually coming after you with murder on its mind. A criminal or terrorist who is hopped up on adrenaline? Yeah, I’ll keep my 30 round magazines, thanks just the same.

A target with as many hits as it takes.

Anyone who has watched any law enforcement body cam videos should understand that there is no such thing as a one shot stop – not for rampaging bears, and not for criminal humans either. So I’ll have as many rounds as it takes, and put them in my human-shaped targets thank-you-very-much.

Then there’s zombies. Those are about the only human-shaped targets that are allowed in the public’s imagination anymore. Zombies used to be human, but aren’t anymore. They’re dead (okay, UNdead). They’re rotting and they stink, so it’s okay to hate them. (To de-humanize the formerly human as it were) In an era where newspapers soft-pedal a dead terrorist rather than praise the work of a team who forced the death of a guy who “needed killin’ “, zombies are the only acceptable “enemy” target left anymore.

When I was a kid we played Good Guys vs Bad Guys all the time. These were pre-offense-days, so sometimes the bad guys were western outlaws, sometimes they were Indians, sometimes they were Nazis. The Nazis were sort of the last to go before the zombies – probably because they were white European types, and it was still ok to hate them. Oh, and Confederates – those were white guys too, so it’s still ok to hate them as well.

Some of my best friends are cardboard and they come over to my house to help.

Nowadays (with the forementioned exceptions) you can’t have bad guys at all without being accused of being racist, or classist, or sexist, or culturally insensitive, or offending someone in some way. Even terrorists who raped and beheaded people are inexplicably sympathetic figures now to certain newspapers and Hollywood types. It boggles the mind.

Some of my target friends even help me express my gender and respect for boobies.

Despite what the soft-headed and soft-hearted feel in their feelingingest of feelings, our greatest enemy is still other humans. Period. So I’ll keep my vaguely humanoid cardboard cut-outs, thanks. My targets don’t wear clothes, they don’t have a gender, and don’t have any religious or political affiliations either. But sooner or later they will probably offend papersexual androgynous nudists or something, so be prepared.

Defending Yourself from Occult Threats in the Modern World

Image via Pinterest via DeviantArt. Perfect art for this topic http://admirawijaya.deviantart.com/art/The-Wolf-hunter-II-507037111

A Guest Post

In the modern world we face many threats; assault, robbery, wildlife, natural disasters, and geo-political assassinations. But while the self defense industry has really perfected fighting traditional threats, one area that it truly lacks in is dealing with the Occult. 

Sure, we have all thought about the zombie apocalypse and how could you not? Popular TV shows have proven that the main thing to worry about in a zombie apocalypse is weak writing.

What about the other lesser known but still dangerous things that go bump in the night? While by no means comprehensive this article will help guide your way on identifying and dealing with other worldly threats.

Identifying your threat.

Werewolves

By Manzanedo. You’re going to be getting a lot of DevArt links in this one folks. Go give them some love after reading.

Heckin’ big ol’ pupper doin’ you a concern friendo? Well worry no more.

The Werewolf or Loup Garou is really only a concern during certain times of the month, much like my ex wife. So when the moon is full, trade out those Gold Dots for some silver bullets. 

Silver, being highly and immediately toxic to the lycanthrope, will be doing devastating damage. Now don’t let that go to your head shot placement is still king. So calm down, focus on your sight, and boop that werewolf right in the face.

Now a note on silver ammo. Silver is not only costly, but also not a great metal for making bullets out of. So when you are melting down your grandma’s silver drawer make sure to copper jacket those silver slugs. Also make doubly sure you don’t leave a mag of silver ammo in when you hit the range. At 4 dollars a round, you will have a costly bill drill (assuming around 124 grains of silver).

Recommendation: Personally I prefer my Glock 34. The Holosun 507c makes fast and accurate hits on moving targets a breeze. Furthermore the cocking serrations and sight housing mean easy malfunction clearances while you hold off that werewolf with the other hand. Add some factory 19 rounders or Magpul PMAG 21 rounders and you’ll have plenty of precious metal to share with that furry aggressor.

Vampires

Vamps aren’t friends. We’re food. Ourlak image credit. Burn them down.

Dracula. Vlad. Chenobog. Spike. Sekhmet… Edward? 

Okay maybe not that last one, but the rest of those names are bound to stir up some ugly thoughts of ancient blood sucking threats. While these lords of the night can drain you faster than a Black Friday sale at Brownells can drain your wallet, there are some simple things you can do to keep yourself safe.

Legends and lore say vampires can’t come into a house unless invited. So instead of a welcome mat, set out one that tells him “Come back with a warrant.” Vampires have a similar weakness to silver as their furry counterparts, ammo commonality. Vampires also have an aversion to Garlic and Holy Symbols. So keep a picture of John Moses Browning and a couple of cloves and you should be able to keep them back.

Recommendation: Personally I take a page from one of my favorite YouTube channels. Demolition Ranch, and whip up some special shotgun rounds. I remove the birdshot and load it up with minced garlic. Loaded up in a ten-round round magazine in my Mossberg 590M, I alternate silver buckshot and garlic rounds for a potent, if somewhat fragrant, defense.

Zombies

fighting the zombie hoard, JasonChanArt
Okay, this one was just too awesome not to use as the heading image. JasonChanArt. The little girl with the brick knows what’s up.

I know I know. Is this 2009? Most of you probably have in-depth zombie plans. But bear with me a moment (note to self: worry about zombie bears) because I want to discuss something I think needs discussing. 

A .22LR is not an appropriate zombie defense weapon. The only known effective methods for zombie removal are a headshot and total body destruction. You still need to penetrate the skull and deal some damage if you’re not wielding high explosives or a flamethrower. Countless times we have seen .22 glance off and bounce away. So while a break down .22 has a great place in your bug out bag it is time to retire it from you anti-zombie loadout. 

Instead? What if I told you that you could get tons of practice monthly towards fighting the zombie horde? 

Well you can, at your local USPSA match. With stages designed for you to have to move around barricades and accurately deal with targets at a variety of ranges it is the best way to start getting ready for the undead horde we all know is coming. Plus now with their new pistol caliber carbine division you have an excuse to build another AR15 variant.

Recommendation: Personally I leave the long guns at home. I strap on the STI DVC Open 2011. Sure it costs a pretty penny. But this optic equipped, compensated, high-capacity, and accurate race gun is as at home at a competition as it is turning the undead back into the dead-dead. Available in both 9mm and .38 Super you will have plenty of power for getting through those thick noggins. Plus a number of professionals in the field of dealing with monsters have recommended STI pistols.

Cultist

VikingWidunder. Damn cultists… or the Knights who say Ni! Wait, were those guys a cult?

Nothing worse than getting woken up on a Saturday by a pushy person with a pamphlet. Well, except for groups of people cursed by reading tomes of forbidden knowledge trying to bring about the end of the world via ancient squid gods. 

While your average cultist is just your standard human, they do have some things that make them particularly dangerous. Namely magic. 

When dealing with large crowds of people wearing robes and chanting you need to be careful. Especially if you find yourself encountering them in New England while getting some lobster rolls. Most cultist don’t have any real magic, however keep a sharp eye out for ones with big scary books who are reading latinish things out loud. Those guys need to be dealt with right quick. 

Also be cautious because these situations often involve hostages. Resist the urge to go all Old Man Henderson and leave the molotovs at home. If you happen to find one of these old scary books, do not read out of it. I repeat DO NOT read out of it.

Recommendations: This old ones problems needs a new world solution. And I look no further than my Knights Armament SR-25 E2 Combat Carbine, combining a heavy hitting 7.62x51mm round with a quicker and easier to use carbine length barrel. Not to mention the KAC ambidextrous lower making operation easy for left or right handed shooter. It give me the confidence to face the second worst thing New England has to offer after Patriot fans.


This article, by no means, was comprehensive. In fact we left several threats off due to length. At another time we may cover Humboldt Folk, Fish People, Owlbears, Wendigo, and worst of all Mimics.

But hopefully now you find yourself better prepared those threats that go bump in the night. Stay Spooky Friends.

Soldier ‘Pulled a Sneaky’ on the Army

Pictured: Soldier slips memes into Army TC 3-20.40 for individual weapons training

I wrote about the new Army training standards awhile back. I was excited to see the Army finally roll out a training standard that was a bit closer to the ‘train how you fight’ concept than the old one.

But what I missed, and the Army editors whose job it is to check these apparently did too, was the fact that one of the authors slipped in a few well known references at this juncture. Props to Soldier Systems and Gun Grabbing Memes for making my day, and thus yours, more entertaining.

Yes, that is Sergeant First Class Todd P. Cowabunga

SFC Cowabunga, Stalingrad, Colorized 2019

The very next name is Boogaloo. Staff Sergeant Samantha P. Boogaloo, perhaps our ordained leader during the Big Igloo, Luau, or uWu. (I’ve lost track of all the names, they are bountiful) and she will lead us into shenanigans. Who knows.

Then the piece de resistance

Shall

Not

Be

Infringed

Second

Amendment

Right

Genius

All listed in the example record.

To you, oh bold soldier, I salute you. Meme on oh noble warrior of the internet.

Now the Army pulled the training doc to edit it and remove the possibly “offensive” example names but the original will be available somewhere online for all to find, I am certain. Personally, if this offended you as a serving soldier, I see deeper issues needing to be addressed.

It’s 2019. We live in the era of Terminal Lance and US Army WTF Moments. Our professional fighting forces can laugh a little, and then go chase the head of ISIS down an alley to his well earned demise.

DO YOU NEED A RIFLE SCOPE?

Editor’s Note: This is part three of a three-part series on sighting options for your rifle. The first entry covered iron sights, the second part touched on red dots and this third part addresses rifle scopes. Be sure to read all three parts to get the full story.

GAT Editor’s Opinion: LPVO’s are the current best general purposes optical option for carbines. Period.

In previous weeks we discussed the merits of utilizing and understanding the practicality of iron sights as well as when red dot sights can improve speed and awareness and be beneficial to those of us with less than perfect vision.

That now brings us to the topic of rifle scopes with magnification. There is a novelty in being able to push one’s shooting prowess to its limits and see exactly how far you can connect on a shot. Simultaneously, you don’t want a rifle scope on an all-purpose carbine that is so overmatched for your target that close quarter targets become unfeasible to engage.

There is a certain balance that must be achieved in magnification, weight and other ancillary features to accomplish the mission at hand. In the third part of this series on carbine sighting systems, we will now cover the pros and cons of rifle scopes on your modern sporting rifle.

A good quality scope, such as this Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6X, can offer you close range performance as well as the ability to reach out to longer distances.

Realistic Goals

With most people’s modern sporting rifles being chambered in .223 Rem/5.56mm NATO, your effective range is roughly 600 yards (without deep-diving into reloading your own ammunition and some other wizardry performed on your firearm). Understanding this is essentially the practical limit of the cartridge, you then need to ask yourself how far you are actually going to shoot.

Secondly, how close do you want to shoot? If you top off your rifle with a titan of a scope you may not be able to engage anything quickly under 100 yards. Conversely, if the magnification of your rifle scope is too weak, how comfortable are you shooting long distances with low magnification? Identifying your working range, or the distances you intend to engage targets, will lead you to what magnification your rifle scope should be.

My answer to that proposed question was potentially 300 yards at a maximum and possibly 10 yards at a minimum. Sounds nearly too close and too far at the same time, right? Well, there are a bevy of rifle scope manufacturers who make optics that could amply cover that range of distance. With a rifle scope that is 1-4X, 1-6X or 1-8X, you have the ability to shoot both near and far while not adding significant weight to your weapon platform.

Gun Free Zone Repeal and Constitutional Carry Gaining Ground in Michigan

Image via MCRGO. A letter encouraging the Michigan House Judiciary Committee to examine and take up the bills.

So now that Constitutional Concealed Carry and a repeal of most pistol free zones has been reported out of the House Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security Committee on a 5-1 vote, what’s the next step?

This session, the House has implemented a process where firearms legislations goes through two committees prior to being voted on by the full House. So the next step is to obtain a hearing and vote in the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Rep. Graham Filler (R-DeWitt).

It is unknown when or if the House Judiciary Committee will take up the package. Consequently, MCRGO has joined with the bill sponsors in requesting a hearing and vote in House Judiciary Committee at the earliest possible opportunity.

If Constitutional Concealed Carry and a repeal of pistol free zones is important to you, we encourage you to contact Rep. Filler as well. You can send him a message easily here: http://gophouse.org/representatives/central/filler/contact/ – Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners

If you are a Michigan resident. Click that link. If you are a supporter and want to encourage Representative Filler to take up the bill, a short email would benefit greatly.

Gun Free Zone Reform

Every effort to allow the law abiding to remain ably armed should be considered and we know good and well the prevalence of attacks that have been successfully perpetrated at locations that ban firearms. The ‘Gun Free Zone’ is a myth that needs to be put away from the legalize security theater discussions once and for all. Zones do not prevent attacks, its arguable that they encourage those places as targets.

The bills are a two prong effort to steadily restore Michigan citizens’ rights and set a continued example for the nation.

Yes, Whitmer is still The Mitten’s Governor. This legislative package has a high veto chance.

But that should not discourage Second Amendment Rights advocates from putting this bill on her desk in Lansing. The previous governor, Snyder, was no friend of the 2A crowd either and consistently ignored them. Counting on the (R) beside his name to carry the pro-gun voters.

Michigan would join 16 other states in recognizing the the right to bear arms is not something that requires a tax and permit, but a natural extension of the law abiding citizenry as a matter of standard practice. Studying the states that have the voluntary Constitutional Carry permitting system actually shows very strong returns still in training. Opt in education over mandates.

This work and these efforts matter, even if they stop at the executive branch desk this time around. Passing the bills, proving the concept, and working

TOO MUCH GUN FOR HOME DEFENSE?

According to the media, no one could possibly need something like a “weapon of war” as a home defense firearm. Then again, it was television and movie people who came up with that whole idea of shooting the gun out of the bad guy’s hand.

If you’re reading this, you already know that an AR does not differ from any other type of firearm. It has different pros and cons and is suitable for some jobs more than others. In my view, one area where it shines is in the role of home defense firearm. More specifically, it’s the AR pistol that presents an option worthy of serious consideration.

Before we get into specifics, we ought to invest a hot second talking about why an AR makes a good home defense option. Contrary to popular assumption, a standard .223/5.56mm projectile isn’t a penetration beast. In fact, a standard 55-grain FMJ bullet will penetrate fewer walls or pieces of furniture than most any pistol round. The combination of a small and light projectile and high velocity creates a ballistic sweet spot where bullets quickly begin to fragment and tumble. But be prepared; it will be loud.

With that said, let’s consider a few AR pistol attributes that support a home defense role for it.

SAINT edge pistol with an Aimpoint

A firearm like the 5.56mm SAINT Edge Pistol gives you a very capable firearm for home defense.

CZ-USA Introduces New All-Terrain Series of Shotguns

Sporting an OD Green finish and walnut stock, CZ's stunning new series of shotguns can handle any weather, any time.

Kansas City, KS (October 28, 2019) – Several of CZ-USA’s most popular shotguns are now available in the new All-Terrain Series, which features an OD Green Cerakote finish and walnut stock for the best in all-season durability and elegant design. Likewise, four break barrel models feature an innovative patent-pending earth magnet design to keep shotgun shells in place when bird hunters are most active in the field.

Perfect for chasing every species from doves and ducks to turkey and grouse, the new All-Terrain Series includes the semi-auto 1012 and break barrel Bobwhite G2, Drake, Redhead Premier and Upland Ultralight models. Barrels and receivers feature an OD Green Cerakote finish that delivers the ultimate in durability no matter how nasty the elements get. Whether you’re hunkered down in a duck blind or traipsing through the timber, the All-Terrain Series shotguns are built to take whatever abuse gets thrown their way. Paired with a walnut stock and forend, the series combines rugged dependability with a stunning look that’s anything but
ostentatious.

The stand-out feature on break-open models is the utilization of an earth magnet included in the design of the extractor/ejectors. Ideal for duck blinds or when dog handling, the magnets allow modern shells to be retained even when the gun is turned upside down. Likewise, the magnets make it easy to load the shotgun in a blind and prevent dropping shells when bending down to work with a dog.

Available in 12- or 20-gauge variants, as well as 28- or 30-inch barrel lengths depending on model, the All-Terrain Series shotguns come with extended chokes and sling swivel studs. Form meets function with these thoughtfully designed and highly durable shotguns from CZ-USA.

All-Terrain Series Features:

  • OD Green Cerakote finish for ruggedness in the worst elements
  • Premium walnut stock and forend
  • Extractor/ejector earth magnets on break-open variants to retain shells even when the gun is turned upside down
  • Sling-swivel studs
  • Extended chokes

1012 All-Terrain Specs:

  • 12 GA
  • Barrel: 28″
  • MSRP: $690

Bobwhite G2 All-Terrain Specs:

  • 12 or 20 GA
  • Barrel: 28″
  • MSRP: $828

Drake All-Terrain Specs:

  • 12 or 20 GA
  • Barrel: 28″
  • MSRP: $790.80

Redhead Premier All-Terrain Specs:

  • 12 or 20 GA
  • Barrel: 28″ or 30″
  • MSRP: $1,122.72

Upland Ultralight All-Terrain Specs:

  • 12 or 20 GA
  • Barrel: 28″
  • MSRP: $889.98