“Red Flag” Putnam County? What Happened in New York Yesterday

By

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November 24, 2019

Yesterday afternoon and, around 2:00, law enforcement entered a standoff with Alexander Booth. Alexander, a 28-year old Army veteran who goes by the Instagram name whiskey_warrior_556, broadcast his side of the standoff via IG story updates and posts. Booth did appear and sound inebriated during his video posts, clinking his mug to his phone several times.

In that story he referred to the responding officers as pigs, red coats, and at one juncture posted that he told the LE negotiator there would be blood if he wasn’t given a written guarantee of not going prison. Several text exchanges and screen captures all seemed to indicate this whole incident was initiated by an Army peer of his over possession of a 30 round magazine, illegal in New York.

What followed, because of the social media interaction, was a flood of attention to the situation in Putnam County. Alex has over 134,000 IG followers now and digital and physical mobilization of the 2A community rallied to figure out what was going on. Many thought this might turn into another Bundy Ranch type situation. Most just didn’t know what was going on and wanted to find out.

After about 7 hours the standoff concluded and Booth was taken into custody, where it was originally reported he was not likely to face charges. But a warrant of both felony and misdemeanor charges was issued stemming around a domestic violence incident and larceny.

Putnam County Sheriff posted the following:

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been inundated with calls and social media messages from citizens expressing concern about a police response in the Town of Carmel. The incident was widely reported to be a law enforcement effort to seize firearms under “Red Flag” laws. This information is incorrect. The law enforcement response and subsequent arrest was related to a domestic violence investigation. The citizen involved is safe and in police custody.

The incredibly high volume of phone calls, emails and social media messages has overwhelmed our systems and shutdown our ability to communicate with our community. While we respect the right of all citizens to inquire about law enforcement activity, we urge you to respect the needs of our community and restore our ability to serve them. Thank you.

The Police are saying that the social media response greatly hindered their efforts to resolve the issue with Booth. They know Booth suffers from PTSD and were taking that into account, however constant input from social media disrupted their process and significantly delayed the resolution.

Booth was detained unharmed at around 9:00 pm. No magazines or firearms were found with him. He is, to the best of my knowledge, facing charges related to a domestic incident and larceny or property damage and not possession of a high capacity magazine.

On Edge

What we learned here, more than anything, is just how much distrust the 2A community, or at least segments of it, have towards law enforcement in states unfriendly towards firearms rights. The Community was ready to believe, and many still do believe, that this is about magazines. That the official statement from Putnam County is a lie. And that they rallied to the defense of a patriot falsely accused instead of a man in crisis.

Plain and simple, this story would not have held up in a state where standard capacity magazines are legal. The whole narrative of infringement and jack booted thugs coming for him wouldn’t fly where red flag laws and magazine bans do not exist. But they do in New York, and Booth may even believe that was the case. I don’t know him. I’ve seen about 2 minutes of the man from an IG feed. But this whole distrustful climate wouldn’t have existed in a pro-2A state. The community wouldn’t have been as ready to believe if there was no ridiculous law in place.

I hope Booth is alright and remains so. I hope he gets the help he needs, legally, mentally, the whole thing. But what Alex exposed yesterday should give everyone a good hard pause as to the attitudes surrounding Red Flag laws and just how poorly this can go.

It didn’t this time. I hope like hell it never does.

Springfield’s Hellacious Hellcat Reviewed

By

Travis Pike

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November 24, 2019

The SIG P365 threw down the gauntlet when it came to producing small pistols with lots of firepower. Since the P365 was introduced, the market has been playing catch-up, and the Hellcat is the first real challenger. The Springfield Hellcat is an evolution of the XD line of polymer-frame striker-fired pistols. The Hellcat is a micro-compact 9mm that rivals the SIG P365 in size while packing an additional round in it’s flush fitting 11 round magazine. On top of that, the Hellcat has a 13 round extended magazine included.

The Hellcat is a class-leading firearm when it comes to measuring size and ammo capacity efficiency. The Hellcat has met with much fanfare, and I’ll say as an owner since launch I’ve become a big fan of this little gun.

Hellcat Specs

Size matters, and with concealed carry guns, there is a fine line to walk between too big and too small. A weapon that’s too big will often be harder to hide and more uncomfortable for daily carry. A gun that’s too small is too hard to shoot and manipulate. The Hellcat is just right. It’s small, but not too small. You can get a full grip on the gun and carry in comfort and concealment. Here’s the size by the numbers.

Length – 6 inches
Barrel Length – 3 inches
Width – 1 Inch
Capacity – 11 or 13 rounds
Height – 4 inches with the flush fit magazine, 4.5 with the extended magazine
Weight – 17.9 ounces

As you can see, the gun is size efficient without being too small. It’s easy to carry regardless of the shooter’s size. From my 250 pound frame to my girlfriend’s petite 114 pounds, we can both comfortably conceal the weapon and manipulate its controls. The Hellcat is sized for everyone, and it works well size-wise for the majority of shooters, both big and small.

Ergonomics

One of the more challenging aspects of small gun design is making an ergonomic grip. It’s all about space efficiency, and the Hellcat does a beautiful job of creating an efficient and comfortable grip. The trigger guard has an excellent undercut that allows for a high grip. There is also a slight beavertail that protects your hand from slide bite when you take a high grip.

Without the included pinky extension, I did have a hanging pinky. I hate that, so I added the extension and found it to be well worth the additional height. The Hellcat uses a new grip texture called the adaptive grip texture. This texture’s design allows it to be grippy and aggressive when gripped hard and aggressive like. It’s soft when left alone and doesn’t rub your body raw. The grip texture goes quite high and gives you a very secure grip.

Speaking of texture, the serrations on the Hellcat’s slide are aggressive and easy to grip. I’ve heard concerns they are too shallow, but I find them perfectly cut. The rear serrations even go over the top, which I appreciate. With the small slide, the over the top serrations make a big difference when racking the weapon.

Handling the Hellcat

One notably effective control is the magazine release. This magazine release is slightly extended compared to most, and it’s intuitive and easy to engage. I love the magazine release and find it easy to drop an empty or partially filled magazine. Running through drills like the El Presidente is simple, and the reload can be one of the biggest challenges.

The gun foregoes a manual safety, and it also does away with the grip safety found on it’s predecessor XD series. The trigger safety has a central lever piece, like many striker designs utilize. If your finger is not on the trigger, this gun is not going bang. The trigger is a flat-faced trigger with nickel boron coated components to increase the smooth nature of the trigger’s pull.

The slide lock is like most small guns in my big hands. It’s largely useless. My thumb sits on it, and this disengages it. It’s something I face with most weapons, and it’s certainly present here. Oh well.

Range Time with the Hellcat

I’ve been putting hundreds of rounds through this gun in a short period. I hit 1,000 rounds of 9mm just last week. This includes 500 rounds of Winchester’s American Steel, which is quite likely the cheapest, dirtiest ammo on the market. In that time, I’ve run lots of drills and gotten in tons of practice. Before we talk about the drill, I ran, let’s talk about how the gun handles.

First off, recoil is plenty controllable but still present and noticeable. Small guns are like that. This one is pain-free and controllable. It doesn’t slap your hand or cause discomfort.

You’ll feel the gun raise as it recoils and climbs with rapid-fire. At ranges inside of 15 yards, it’s still easy to keep a magazine’s worth of rapid-fire on target. By rapid-fire, I mean all 11 rounds in 6 seconds or less.

These Wonderful Sights

The Hellcat is made for speed and close-range engagements. That’s just the nature of concealed carry guns and situations. The Hellcat’s sights are a brilliant addition for rapid and accurate shooting. The front sight is a bright yellow high visibility dot with a tritium vial in the center. The rear sight has a white U painted on it.

The effect is a set of sights that is very quick to align and straightforward to get on target. Getting the sights in line and on target becomes a natural part of your draw. This dramatically reduces the time it takes to get on target and makes it easier to land accurate shots.

When it came time to shoot timed drills, I found it quite easy to pass whatever exercise you tossed at me. I did so cold and started well before I had close to 1,000 rounds down the pipe. My first El Presidente was passed with ease, as well as my first iHack, Dot Torture, and many more.

With a timer, I was able to pull off a 1.9 failure to stop drill at 7 yards. The second chest shot went a little wide but still hit. In my 2.1 times, I was a bit more accurate. Taking on Box Drills, which is essentially two failure to stop drills on two targets, I skated by with a clean 3.05….once. My more typical speeds were 3.15 and 3.20ish.

Both drills fired from concealment with a Desantis Inner Piece 2.0 holster.

Reliability

As I mentioned before the gun fired 500 rounds of the worst ammo I could put through it, and then another 500 rounds without a single malfunction. The Hellcat has never been cleaned either. It’s still chugging along without issues. Not only has the gun been filthy dirty, but the magazines have also been dropped in sugar sand over and over while practicing reloads and executing different drills.

Springfield has a winner on its hands. Clay Martin recently put 10k rounds through a single Hellcat. They filmed every round fired and it’s worth checking.

The Hellcat comes in both a standard model and an optics ready model. Springfield also refers to the gun as the Hellcat 3 inch leading me to believe there is going to be another one out soon with a longer barrel. We’ll keep our eye peeled to be certain. The Hellcat is moving in on the competition and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Las Vegas bans carry of fake/replica weapons, Newsweek baffled that real ones are allowed

By

Keith Finch

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November 23, 2019

They are. And I am amused by it.

LAS VEGAS BANS FAKE GUNS FROM ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, BUT OPEN CARRY OF REAL FIREARMS IS LEGAL

The city doesn’t hold regulatory power over the carrying of real firearms, which is regulated by the state government, leaving it in the strange position of disallowing toys while allowing citizens and tourists to openly carry real guns on their bodies. In fact, the state statute is worded in such a way that it may allow fake guns to legally squeak by on a technicality in spite of the city’s ordinance. – Newsweek

That is how preemption laws work, Newsweek. No body can enact a more restrictive law on a localized level than the state, in this case Nevada, has on the books. This is structured to prevent city and other municipal powers from violating second amendment rights piecemeal and creating a minefield of legal rule zones state residents and visitors must navigate, despite being licensed or legal to carry.

I can respect the ban on fake firearms and prop weapons in the entertainment district, exceptions being made for filming or permitted entertainment known and scheduled, because it ultimately means the firearms are real. Easy enough for LVPD, assume any gun is a real gun unless known otherwise by a filming permit or other official notice. And of course common sense, I see NW used a lime green squirt gun to illustrate their point and not, say, a scale airsoft replica of an M4 or Glock.

All legal guns are real, thus a perceived threat from a gun is that of a real gun. Officers put in the precarious position of making rapid life and death decisions can, with the backing of law, make an assumption the weapon is real if it looks real. Citizens and visitors can too. With the knowledge that only real firearms are permitted any threat that looks genuine can be assumed to be.

Why does this clarity matter? It’s the entertainment district, and some people have very funny ideas on what is “entertaining”.

https://youtu.be/_b9oQ22NCs0

You aren’t permitted to randomly set up this kind of stupidity.

People can’t hide behind their “comedy” or “satire” of life threatening and terrifying situations by using fake implements. You want to do this? Set up an actualy venue. Haunted Houses and other thrill venues are all about this stuff and people willing participate. There is far too much real violence to have someone wondering if they’re in a street show or about to die. Then that individual makes the wrong call and either kills an idiotic cast member of a stupid prank or gets injured and dies thinking it was just a prank.

As fun as Vegas can be with the wacky wild antics of the show life, I want to know what ground I stand on and so does Law Enforcement. The ordnance makes disambiguation far easier.

Now, Las Vegas may want to ban real firearms too, I don’t know for certain. The tone of the Newsweek article seems to suggest that. At least Newsweek seems to think a total ban makes sense.

I disagree. Real self defense only makes sense to me.

The law was introduced by Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, and it was explained that the law was encouraged by the city’s Public Safety Department, which wanted local ordinances to be consistent with existing laws for the Las Vegas Strip for the sake of safety. The Clark County Commission—which has authority over the Las Vegas Strip—passed a law that outlawed the display or use of any toy or replica firearm in 2012. There’s also a law in Henderson, Nevada that bans the “pointing, brandishing, concealing, using or attempting to use a fake firearm.”

Consistency, like that preemption law encourages. Firearms may be assumed to be real. In addition, this will likely stiffen penalties for using a fake weapon to commit a crime to that of using a real weapon. Many locales already hold this to be true, however if the fake weapons were legal to have on their persons there could be a case made for lesser penalties. That in turn could encourage those looking at ways to lower their criminal liability in event they get caught to use fakes.

Implying a weapon is real should be consistent with having the real weapon and where laws differ in any manner on this they should be made consistent.

Now, do I expect the ban to ‘work’? As in, do I expect replicas to vanish from the streets of Vegas’ entertainment district?

No.

A prohibited action like this and associated penalties make the application of penalties more clear cut and, like I said above, makes for much better disambiguation in already complex situations. I don’t expect this to drastically lower the instances of criminal misuse of replica weapons, I do see the avenues of both prosecution and defense becoming more clear cut though.

SIG SAUER Delivers Milestone 100,000th M17 / M18 Handgun to U.S. Military

By

Keith Finch

-

November 22, 2019

NEWINGTON, N.H., (November 22, 2019) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is proud to announce the delivery of the 100,000th M17 and M18 for the Modular Handgun System program to the U.S. Military, ahead of schedule, and surpassing the performance standards and requirements since the official contract award in January 2017.

“In the month of October SIG SAUER exceeded our manufacturing requirements by thirty percent and delivered a record-setting 12,100 handguns to the U.S. Military to achieve this historic milestone for SIG SAUER and the MHS program,” began Ron Cohen, President & CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. “With the strict accuracy and acceptance specifications that the M17 and M18 are continuously exceeding, it’s clear that the success of this program can be directly attributed to the reliability, durability, and accuracy of the handgun, which has resulted in the high demand for both the M17 and M18 from every branch of the U.S. Military.”

The M17 and M18 handguns are a 9mm, striker-fired, P320-based handgun platform, featuring coyote-tan PVD coated stainless steel slides with black controls and utilize both 17-round and 21-round magazines. The handguns are equipped with SIGLITE front night sights, removable night sight rear plates, and manual safeties. To date SIG SAUER has delivered M17 and M18 handguns to all branches of the U.S. Military and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“From the very beginning the MHS program has been a true partnership between SIG SAUER and the U.S. Army which has resulted in the overwhelming success of the program, and ensuring that the M17 and M18 handguns are entering service, and in the field with our military,” concluded Cohen.

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. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.

‘Ghost Guns’ Back in the News, California School Shooting

By

Keith Finch

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November 22, 2019

ghostgun — I will forever show this absolute imbecile when talking about 'ghost guns'

The 16 year old who shot fellow students and then himself in southern California apparently used a 1911 replica finished from an 80% receiver. That’s right folks… ‘ghost guns’ are haunting us again with their lack of serial numbers making them magnitudes more dangerous than regular arms apparently.

Such weapons are a growing problem for law enforcement around the country because the parts are easy to obtain and the guns take limited expertise to build. In Southern California, federal authorities say one-third of all the firearms seized are ghost guns. – The New York Times

So kit guns that per Federal Law are not required to have a serial number when built for personal use, not retail sale, are a “growing problem” because their ownership cannot be traced/no background check is required to own them. Then apparently when someone does something illegal, like murder or aggravated assault, the lack of serial number for an ownership trace is the root of the problem? Not the murder or assault?

I understand that ownership trace is valuable data for law enforcement, especially if they are trying to track illicit arms trafficking, however this seems to be missing the forest for the trees when it comes to the problem of a mass casualty incident outside of organized criminal enterprise. We pay attention to the gun and its lack of a series of digits on the side while completely ignoring the person who used it. The complex sequence of thoughts and stimuli that led him to the conclusion that murdering classmates was the outlet he required is sidelined for… OMG NO numbers! No background check!

What if the person who bought this frame is a legal, licensed and background checked respectable California citizen? Would a serial number change any of that? Would numbers carved into the frame of a firearm have significantly altered the chain of custody on this gun enough to have prevented these deaths, his and his classmates? Was there no other reasonable access to means for the teen to kill his classmates?

The parts built no number 1911 is legal, in legal hands.

Which a 16 year old is not. Multiple homicide is also not legal by the way. Bringing a gun, serial number or no, to school is also illegal and will usually result in charges and expulsion.

But… the allegation now becomes ‘this would never have happened if the gun was required to have a serial number’, although you shouldn’t challenge this to authority bodies directly because then they have to acknowledge the ridiculously complex nature of a problem they keep trying and failing to rubber stamp with a simplistic solution.

But expect 80% items to catch heat now.

Virtue Signal Flexing

By

Keith Finch

-

November 22, 2019

It was popular for awhile. Showing just how ‘woke’ you were by giving up a gun because “enough was enough” and all that jazz. People commited multiple felonies, filmed them even and uploaded them to YouTube. See above. Virtue Signal Flexing came and, I thought, went.

Apparently not in Idaho.

Stan Smith wants people to buy AR-15s, destroy them and give money to charity

AR-14’s too. No, seriously…

Last month, Smith offered $500 to anyone who would surrender their AR-14 or AR-15 rifle to be destroyed and sign a pledge to give that money to a charity of their choice.

Jim Runsvold, of Caldwell, was visiting the area on a hunting trip and gave his AR-15 to Smith. The Daily News previously stated the rifle was an AR-14, but Runsvold confirmed it was an AR-15. If AR-14s are in circulation, they are much less common than AR-15s.

Stan would like you to give up your rifles to him so he can destroy them because they are dangerous and shouldn’t be in civilian hands. Your AR-14’s (which would be as classic a collector item as could be in good condition, also clearly conventional hunting guns) and your AR-15’s.

He also doesn’t want you to take your money in fair trade, he wants you to donate it to charity. Also, apparently a private rifle sale between Stan and Jim was baffling to several observers.

Some have questioned the legality of a Viola man purchasing an AR-15 from a Caldwell man and then promising to donate the $500 to Family Promise of the Palouse in Moscow.

Moscow, Idaho. No Russian collusion. But as is well know, I thought, a person to person same state resident firearm sale is perfectly legal. Only a few states require NICS checks for private transfers to other state residents for rifles.

These are the people against us folks. Ignorant and determined.

Do You Need to Zero a Magnifier?

By

Keith Finch

-

November 21, 2019

Short answer. Yes. Aaron Cowan goes over the how and why in the video.

But the short short short version.

The short version. Because you are introducing more lenses into the equation and the light has to pass through them and there is now magnification which further distorts the light transmission, you must confirm that the magnified sight picture matches the results you want down range.

Each optical system independently verified. It’s worth your time.

‘Suspicious’ Firearms Transactions to be Recorded and Reported Under New Bill

By

Keith Finch

-

November 21, 2019

Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s (D–Va.) “Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act” would require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to “request information from financial institutions for the purpose of developing an advisory about the identification and reporting of suspicious activity.” The bill’s aim is to identify a consistent purchasing pattern among people who buy firearms and firearm accessories in order to conduct “lone wolf acts of terror” and expose how the firearms market in the United States is exploited by would-be mass shooters. – Reason

Representative Wexton, of the 52 “lone wolf acts of terror” between 1972-2015, as just published by the FBI, what defining purchase characteristics do you believe stands out? What are the ‘Suspicious Firearm Transactions’?

“Banks, credit card companies, and retailers have unique insight into the behavior and purchasing patterns that can help identify and prevent mass shootings,” Wexton explained in a statement. “The red flags are there—someone just needs to be paying attention.”

Where? What purchase data do we have on these 52 individuals that indicate we can predict their behavior through their credit cards? Ignore the fact that 79% selected targets with no security or minimal exterior security like cameras. Only 15% of lone wolf terror targets had, even rudimentary, hard security measures in place. Physical security certainly seem to be a deterrent. Although that is an oversimplification. But I am to believe suspicious firearm transactions will be conclusive?

But, by all means, let us hear your reasoning for wanting to flag everyone who buys a half case or more of ammunition, because it’s cheaper that way, because you can predict their violent behavior through financial behavior. Go on. I’ll wait. On top of that only 67% of those attacks used firearms, the thing you are purporting to want to track. 27% used explosives, 4% blades, and 6% vehicles. You’re missing a full third, and a very lethal third, of attackers methods.

Additionally, in these lone wolf attacks, 77% (27) of those who used firearms used a handgun while only 40% (14) used rifles. 49% (17) brought multiple firearms. 34% (12) had formal training in their background, military or law enforcement. But again, I’m sure Jennifer Wexton has a compelling reason to want to flag purchases.

Only 26 of the 35 cases have acquisition data on how they got their guns. Of those, 18 had purchased their weapon(s) legally. So we only have, at most, 18 examples to draw data from to establish purchasing habits of a lone wolf mass shooter… 18. And that’s if we could pull those 18’s whole purchasing history, compare it to national averages, and flag outlier behaviors they exhibited to reliably ‘flag’ them.

So you, Jennifer Wexton, want to tell me we can reliably extrapolate data on lone wolf terrorists based on a sample size of 18, assuming we have perfect financial histories on all 18.

Color.

Me.

Skeptical.

Stag Arms Moves to Wyoming

By

Keith Finch

-

November 20, 2019

Stag has been in Connecticut since 2003.

Stag Arms says they are done dealing with Connecticut and their new home will be Wyoming.

The company will move to Cheyenne later this year after picking the new location. The shift follows similar recent moves by other firearms companies, most notably Weatherby and Magpul, who left California and Colorado, respectively, for new and more friendly pastures.

“I am pleased to welcome Stag Arms to Wyoming and to know that our state came out on top of a broad look at potential new homes for the sought-after company,” said Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon in a statement. “We have a deep-seated commitment to the Second Amendment that I will continue to uphold.”

Stag was founded in May 2003 and has carved out a niche in the gun market with 556/.223-caliber AR-15 and .308/6.5 Creedmoor AR-10 style rifles, parts, builder’s sets, and accessories. The were also crucial in the early days for people seeking left handed ejecting rifles, although that request trend has faded as unnecessary.

According to the ATF data, the company manufactured 10,932 rifles in 2017. They are the second largest rifle maker in Connecticut, just behind Colt. Stag produced more rifles than Mossberg’s North Haven, Connecticut facility in the same year. In short, they are a long term major player in the AR market and

Chicago Reports ‘Red Flag’ Success… Just one problem

By

Keith Finch

-

November 20, 2019

georgesilva — George L. Silva, 48, of unincorporated Mundelein. - Original Credit: News-Sun (Lake County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT) Image via Chicago Tribune

This man is already a felon.

Chicago ‘Red Flag’ success it is not. Not remotely. Not even a little bit. Nothing about the ‘Red Flag’ law needed to exist to arrest this man for having a gun.

George L. Silva, 48, of the 26300 block of North Diamond Lake Road, had his bail set at $50,000 Tuesday on three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He is a convicted felon and had a revoked Firearm Owners Identification Card, according to a statement by the sheriff’s office.

So Silva already couldn’t legally possess a firearm. That isn’t Red Flag, ERPO, or any other variant of the gap fill laws that supposedly catch those who ‘might be a threat to themselves or others’…

Silva.

Is.

A.

FELON.

It is illegal in every and all sense for this man to possess a firearm.

“Our Patrol Division quickly recognized this individual posed a substantial risk to the community. Given the circumstances, deputies moved swiftly to petition the Court for an emergency firearm restraining order and search warrant, and when executed resulted in three illegally possessed firearms being seized,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement.

“This is a textbook case of the importance of the new red flag laws in Illinois.”

No it isn’t.

This man, if discovered with a firearm under the law before any of this red flag legal stuff, was committing a felony. He would be or should be arrested as a felon. He was a prohibited person with his FOID revoked.

Red Flag laws, ERPOs, and the laws of similar descriptor are all billed as this necessary stop gap for people who do not have a criminal record. Not as a method to enforce current law. Chicago is literally calling the extra laws just to enforce current federal and state laws a success. We needed new laws just to follow the old laws. That’s the Chicago win.

They confirmed pad their murder clearance rate stats so I shouldn’t be surprised… but still.

SCOTUS on New York

By

Keith Finch

-

November 20, 2019

Over here at SCOTUSBlog, Amy Howe has an update on just what is going on within the confines of the New York case.

For those unfamiliar, we are speaking about city rules that effectively barred all legal transport of a legally owned firearm within the city by the owners. The rules were onerous, horrid, and because of this lawsuit they were actually changed. New York scrambled to amend their own rules in order

But not before the US Supreme Court took up the case. It is the first time in nearly a decade that SCOTUS has weighed in on a Second Amendment issue, a fact that Justice Thomas blisteringly destroyed. “the right to keep and bear arms is apparently this Court’s constitutional orphan.” he wrote in his descent.

However they are correct in saying the original purpose of the suit has been addressed by New York, they amended the rule. The question is whether or not SCOTUS believes New York was genuine or if they will address the dodge as what it is, a dodge to try and hamstring a lawsuit that could open carry and transport rights widely across the nation.

Over the summer, however, the city urged the court to invalidate the 2nd Circuit’s decision and send the case back with instructions to dismiss it as moot – that is, no longer a live controversy. The city explained that, under changes to both state law and the city’s rules, the challengers can now “do exactly what they have requested in this lawsuit: transport their handguns within New York City to take them to shooting ranges and second homes outside the City.” As a result, the city stressed, it “no longer has any stake in the constitutional questions regarding the former rules.” The city’s position was bolstered by a “friend of the court” brief by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and four other Democratic senators, who argued that the justices should refrain from ruling on the merits of the case to avoid the appearance of partisanship.

Ultimately, whether SCOTUS uses this to make a broad statement about the right to keep and bear arms or they use it to narrowly define how the aggrieved in New York may seek redress… we don’t know yet. But the further I look at this the more it looks like this won’t be the cascading win 2A advocates want it to be and instead be tailored the remaining specifics of the New York case.

We shall see.

Caesar Guerini 2019 Limited Editions

By

Keith Finch

-

November 20, 2019

Shiny.

JUST ARRIVED.

Developed as an outlet to our creativity and passion for fine shotguns, our Elite Limited Editions offer an opportunity for shotgun enthusiasts to own an exclusive version of a Caesar Guerini. The Essex Limited Gold Sporting features a beautiful case colored receiver contrasted by white, rose and yellow gold subjects framed by English scroll engraving. Enhancing the beauty of the fine scroll engraving is an Extra Deluxe grade of Turkish walnut, and a natural oil finish hand rubbed to a stunning sheen. This limited edition offering is only available at our Caesar Guerini ELITE Dealers and once they’re gone – they’re gone. If this beauty is one that you seek, then you would be wise not to let her pass you by. See our website now for a full list of stocking dealers. Availability may vary for left hand and adjustable stock options.

Previously chosen by the Editors of Field & Stream Magazine as “Best of the Best” in Shotguns, the Tempio is designed to be a sleek and fast pointing shotgun in the field; the perfect companion for upland game hunters. Its low-profile receiver matched with a trim stock, classic Prince-of-Wales grip and Schnabel fore-end make the gun a perfect match for fast game birds.

The Tempio SE is a special limited production run version of our popular Tempio field gun that features a unique game scene of Doves on the left action and Bobwhite Quail on the right action with tasteful gold accents. The Limited Edition Tempio SE is available in both a hand polished coin finish or case colored version. Each Caesar Guerini game gun is carefully engineered to balance near the hinge point, distributing the weight evenly between the hands, which is the secret to a finely crafted shotgun. The Tempio SE also features a deluxe grade of Turkish walnut enhanced with a hand rubbed oil finish. See our website now for a full list of stocking dealers. Availability may vary for left hand and certain configurations. Contact dealer for details.

Aero Precision on the Hunt

By

Dr LateBloomer

-

November 20, 2019

CED3FB28-F360-4985-AC1E-BD0AFB674BAA — Sighting in at the ranch.

I just got back from a fantastic maiden voyage hunt with my Aero Precision M5 308. This was the hunt I built her for, and she performed like it was her job. We “did some work” together!

Hawks Double Mountain Ranch in Texas was the host of this LACE ladies hunt event for hogs and cull doe. It was a huge success for everyone, but especially for me personally and my built-it-myself Aero Precision rifle.

From sight-in to hog-down and doe-down, my Aero rifle was a pleasure to run. She cycled smoothly and consistently. She loaded and ejected every round with perfection, and the .308 recoil was virtually unnoticeable – partly from adrenaline, but mostly because the VG6 muzzle brake did its job so well.

This gun made that boar hog drop like a sack of potatoes when he received a dose of 168 grain Black Hills Ammunition to the brain. It was a crazy thing to watch since I had no experience with hogs, but it was right there in my Vortex scope. I mistook his “air running” death throes for a not quite perfect hit, so I gave him another one for good measure. Turns out it wasn’t needed. He took a humane bullet in his ear on the first hit. (We recovered the second round when we processed him.)

I was vibrating with adrenaline in the blind and teared up a little just from the reaction, but the Aero did her job with my first big animal harvest! I even patted her like a dog and exclaimed “Good Girl!”

My Aero also performed admirably on a little cull doe. It was about a 135-yard shot, and that doe piled up over the hill in about 20 yards and was done. What a great feeling!

My first deer ever. She’s a little cull doe to thin the ranch herd.

I know that many hunters take their first large game when they’re age twelve or so. It’s a given and a right of passage. But for me, it took fifty-six years and it is a BIG deal for me. It was a long time coming and I am so happy and proud of myself!

Resting in the ranch lodge rack after a hard weekend’s work.

I will have my very first venison and hog in the freezer this holiday season because of this self-built Aero Precision M5 .308. There are few better feelings of accomplishment in the world than to harvest your very first large game animals with a gun you built with your own hands.

Thank you so much, Aero Precision! I’ll think of you when I’m eating pork chops and backstrap this winter!

Ummmmm… Ok… Have fun with that..

By

Keith Finch

-

November 19, 2019

In the greatest thing I’ve seen on the internet today, South Dakota has apparently embraced the drugs. The hard ones. They’re on Meth!

Okay, they aren’t actually on the Meth (well, that I know of.. maybe) but the campaign they spent $449,000 to launch certainly didn’t go through any marketing proofing and has instead delivered us internet hilarity.

Is this firearm related?

No.

But it’s funny. It has made my life better for reading it.

The entire state is on Meth. On combating the methamphetamine epidemic… totally what they meant.

It is what they meant. The young users of illicit substances in South Dakota are reportedly at twice the rate of the national average and with substance abuse being closely linked to early deaths and violent crimes associated with acquiring the drugs.. it is a problem. Addicts routinely use dangerous and often violent methods for feeding their habits.

However, marketing a message is often more critical than the message itself. Combating addiction is vital, but this campaign has derailed itself with poor message management.

Why is this relevant to us in the gun space? Because message clarity and management is vital to our efforts to communicate clearly with an undereducated general population. Imagine seeing, “Murder. We’ll take care of it.” slapped up beside a man with a badge and a gun advertised through Chicago… or Texas right now.

All the bad.

Civilian Disarmament and Tyranny—A Tale of Three Cities

By

DRGO

-

November 19, 2019

[Ed: This is an excerpt from Dr. Faria’s new book, America, Guns and Freedom, minimally edited for DRGO. It was originally published at GOPUSA October 14 and on his site HaciendaPub October 16.]

Depending on the level of culture and social progress, violence can take different forms in different societies. In the mid‑twentieth century, Stalin’s brutal communist government killed more Soviet citizens through privation, forced labor, and famine than soldiers fighting the Germans in World War II.

In 1994, the Hutu‑led Rwandan government massacred between 800,000 and over one million people, mostly Tutsis, genocide carried out largely with machete (not gun)‑wielding government forces. The massacres took place despite the presence of UN “peace‑keeping” forces, armed with automatic weapons who failed to intervene. The Tutsis were unarmed and helpless.

Civilian disarmament has always preceded genocide by authoritarian states. The political formula for accomplishing this goal is and remains: Media indoctrination against firearms, followed by gun licensing and registration, then banning and confiscation, and finally total civilian disarmament. This is what could happen if Progressives, who are openly embracing socialism and gun control, win the elections in 2020. But what can we learn from history?

Dateline: Warsaw, Poland, 1943

In the Spring of 1943, the inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto, having become aware the Nazis were deporting the remaining Jews to the gas chambers of Treblinka, took up arms—whatever they could ﬁnd—and rebelled against the German occupiers. These determined insurgents had only homemade Molotov cocktails and a handful of small arms, revolvers, pistols, and a few military or hunting riﬂes. It took vastly superior Nazi forces to subdue the rebels, and the Germans suffered as many as 300 casualties pacifying the city.

There were several other armed struggles and Ghetto uprisings, and both the Poles and Warsaw remained serious problems for the Germans during the remainder of the war. Polish Jews continued to procure whatever arms they could find to defend themselves in their struggle, repeatedly disrupting the timetable of the Nazi high command and the German war effort.

The last major Polish uprising in August 1944 was to be launched in concert with the liberating Soviet Red Army. But the advancing Red juggernaut suddenly and inexplicably halted. Advised by General Georgi Zhukov, Stalin rejected the appeals of the Western allies to assist the insurgents.

For two months the courageous Poles fought the Nazis in heroic urban warfare without any assistance. Stalin had simply halted the advance of the giant Red Army to allow the Germans to destroy the non-communist freedom fighters: 200,000 Poles perished and 800,000 were deported to the death camps. Warsaw was erased by orders of Adolf Hitler, and the Soviets at the outskirts of the city did nothing.

Dateline: Budapest, Hungary, 1944

During the summer of 1944 in the ongoing carnage of World War II, German troops were retreating on multiple fronts. Hungarian allied troops were defending the motherland from the onslaught of the Soviet Red Army, yet in the midst of the chaos, nearly 500,000 Hungarian Jews were rounded up and deported to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz–Birkenau, where 90% of them were summarily exterminated in the gas chambers.

A reign of terror ensued for those who remained in Hungary. Thousands of them were tortured, robbed, or murdered; Jewish women were raped; property was looted or conﬁscated. These atrocities were carried out with a minimum of Nazi troops. How could these atrocities have been carried out with only a minimum of Nazi troops? The Hungarian state had outlawed the possession of firearms for its citizens. Simply put, this happened without resistance because the Hungarian people had been disarmed.

Dateline: Havana, Cuba, 1959

After the triumph of the revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro reneged on his promise to establish democracy in Cuba. Instead he seized authoritarian control. A 100,000-member “militia” was organized to seek out the political opposition and actively disarm it. Castro then disarmed all other Cubans who were not considered reliable supporters of the revolution that soon turned communist.

The communists and the secret police (the G2) had a well-drawn blueprint to follow—the local firearm registration lists that former dictator Fulgencio Batista had established. All the communist militia had to do was to seize the registration and licensing lists, then go door to door searching for and confiscating firearms. The militia tried to disarm my father, a physician, and the episode is recounted in my book Cuba in Revolution: Escape from a Lost Paradise (2002).

Since Fidel Castro took over the island in 1959, the best figures we can glean are that between 30,000 and 40,000 Cubans were either executed by firing squads or died at the hands of their communist jailers.

From 1960-1965, hundreds of anti-communist rebels, many of them former Revolutionary Directorate (RD) members, went back to the hills of the Escambray Mountains in my native Las Villas province to fight the new communist dictatorship of the Castro brothers. The mostly peasant insurgents, defending their lands, lacked sufficient weapons to overcome the well-armed communist Cuban military forces. Thus, most of these peasant insurgents were annihilated by 1966.

Moreover, between 1960 and 1993, 36,000 Cubans perished at sea trying to escape the Castro brothers’ communist inferno. If we include all of those who died escaping the regime, those who were shot or died in custody, the figure well exceeds 100,000. In fact, the late scholar Armando Lago arrived at a death toll of over 105,000 victims directly attributed to the regime of Fidel Castro.

In conclusion

Civilian disarmament is not only harmful to one’s freedom and potentially deadly to one’s existence, but also counterproductive in achieving safety. During the twentieth century, more than 100 million people were exterminated by their own repressive—police states bent on destroying liberty and building communism, socialism, collectivism, and other utopias that turn out to be hells on earth.

Some of the deceptive promises made to the people by the authoritarian governments of these “people’s democracies” were eerily similar to the promises Progressives are currently making to American voters: Free higher education, making the rich pay, free health care ( “Medicare for all”), gun control, etc.

Governments that trust their citizens with guns are governments that sustain and affirm individual freedom. Governments that do not trust their citizens with firearms tend to be despotic and tyrannical. We Americans should heed history and keep our guns.

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— Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is a retired Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Adjunct Professor of Medical History at Mercer University School of Medicine. He is Associate Editor in Chief and World Affairs Editor of Surgical Neurology International. He served on the CDC’s Injury Research Grant Review Committee.

All DRGO articles by Miguel A. Faria, Jr., MD