House Bills 4026 and 4029 look to grant Michigan citizens constitutional carry rights and eliminate gun free zones.
HB 4026 reforms Michigan’s current concealed carry law by striking out the exemption language in 1927 PA 372. It removes the exempt status language:
The county clerk shall include an indication on the license if an individual is exempt from the prohibitions against carrying a concealed pistol on premises described in section 5o if the applicant provides acceptable proof that he or she qualifies for that exemption.
The whole list of persons able to get an exempt license are also amended out of the law.
The crucial change is in section 5f:
An individual who is licensed to carry a concealed pistol shall have his or her license to carry that pistol and his or her state-issued driver license or personal identification card in his or her possession at all times he or she is carrying a concealed pistol or a portable device that uses electro-muscular disruption technology ON THE PREMISES LISTED IN SECTION 5o.
Pistol free zones are not disappearing from the law itself. Anyone licensed to carry would be allowed to carry under the amended language, provided they have their license on them. It’s simple. If you are licensed you may carry. The provisions for blood alcohol limits, unlicensed carry, brandishing, threats, misbehavior, etc. will apply as normal.
HB 4029
The second legislative change set into motion is decriminalizing carry of a firearm without a license. Hunting knives too.
Sec. 227. (1) A person shall not carry a dagger, dirk, stiletto, a double-edged nonfolding stabbing instrument of an length, or any other dangerous weapon, except a hunting knife adapted and carried as such, concealed on or about his or her person, or whether concealed or otherwise in any vehicle operated or occupied by the person, except in his or her dwelling house , OR place of business or on other land possessed by the person. THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING: (A) A PERSON CARRYING A HUNTING KNIFE ADAPTED AND CARRIED AS A HUNTING KNIFE CONCEALED ON OR ABOUT HIS OR HER PERSON OR WHETHER CONCEALED OR OTHERWISE IN ANY VEHICLE OPERATED OR OCCUPIED BY THE PERSON. (B) A PERSON CARRYING A PISTOL CONCEALED ON OR ABOUT HIS OR HER PERSON OR WHETHER CONCEALED OR OTHERWISE IN ANY VEHICLE OPERATED OR OCCUPIED BY THE PERSON.
Vehicle carry without a license would no longer be a criminal act. Carrying concealed a firearm you own would no longer be a criminal act, subject to the pistol free zones for non-licensees.
So far they’re only bills sitting in Lansing, they could always use the public support such pro-rights measures deserve.
Entrenching tool, belt buckle and canteen: what can stop a bullet from MP-40? Gun Myths. Part 8
Kalashnikov Concern has a nifty YouTube channel if you haven’t seen it yet. The video here is tackling one of those oddball bullet proof clothing myths that alleged Soviet winter gear was reliably stopping 9mm rounds from the MP-40.
The Bullet Proof Soviet was not nearly as accurate as the bullet sponge Soviet as it turns out… which fairly accurately summed up several orders of the Red Army’s doctrine. The clothes and tools are for their original intent, not armor, but I’m certain there will be a few stories floating around still that absolutely assure us that it happened and that the thick winter clad soldiers of the Red Army were able to shrug off the submachine gun fire of the chilled Germans.
The MP40 was a well designed, simple, and typically German 9mm submachine gun. Stolid in its role, like the U.S. with the Thompson, it gave Germans mobile controllable full-auto in close where the bolt action k98 was at disadvantage. Mechanised and paratroopers were the primary intended users. A few of the unique design elements, including the bayonet lug like vehicle brace, were specifically designed to assist shooters from inside the walls of german support craft.
Palmerston Police station that was robbed of several firearms, Image via stuff.co.nz
In the ongoing aftermath of New Zealand’s ban on semi-auto weapons (one vote shy of unanimously adopted) rolled out after the Christchurch massacre the police are having issues. The sweeping gun control scheme that added a ban and buyback, on top of the licensing that was previously the keel of the nation’s gun laws, has not been the resounding success the politicos hoped. The knee jerk reaction of moving hundreds of thousands of firearms from the LEGAL pile into the ILLEGAL one has become a logistical strain.
The New Zealand gun owners who owned legally the now illegal weapons have until September to turn them in. The promise of some form of as yet unknown compensation is still there. The “buyback scheme” is still vaporware however, and the estimated cost has ballooned from the early $80-100 million to $300 million. That number could still fall drastically short of the actual value of the mandatorily forfeited property.
But, to David Seymour’s quote above.
Palmerston North Police were left embarrassed after someone went into their main police station and stole firearms on Anzac Day. The New Zealand parliament were in such a mad dash to “do something” that no one bothered to check if they had the means. A man, Alan James Harris, strolled in and helped himself to the pile of illicit firepower and 11 of those firearms are still unaccounted for.
Is the Palmerston station to be held accountable? Or is it the Government’s failure for not asking the nation’s law enforcement professionals if they could handle the sudden influx of firearms? What is the net effect going to be on gun crime, mass killings, and violent crime?
If their neighbors to the west, Australia, are any indication… unknown. While there has been no mass shooting since they enacted their ban in the 90’s, violent crime overall has been a mixed bag. Homicides trended slightly down. Assault was more sharply up. Sexual assault was steady. Robbery, both armed and unarmed has been up and down.
The fact that no one has committed an attack in Australia since the ban is a good thing, but attributing the ban as the preventive measure is political grandstanding. The fact is that New Zealand saw that massacre too, and at the time didn’t enact the gun ban Australia did, they didn’t have any massacres either. By the standards applied New Zealand should have had a few since they didn’t enact a ban, correct? But they didn’t, until a motivated lunatic took it into his head to change that.
The only thing ultimately protecting Australia, New Zealand, the U.S.A. or any nation, is a lack of motivated lunatics and a police force finding the few that pop their heads up.
I want a continued lack of motivated lunatics, because gun control won’t stop them.
Meanwhile in Venezuela… there is a population wishing it was armed right now.
David Harsanyi published this book last fall. No reviewer could better describe it than its own subtitle: A Ride Through America’s Enduring History with the Gun. It’s thorough, and it’s almost breakneck in the best ways possible.
If you are interested in anything firearm-related during our past 500 years, it’s here. And that naturally incorporates most things globally about firearms, since so much of their technology has been invented, borrowed (and stolen) across borders during that time.
[Full disclosure: David Harsanyi’s day job is as Senior Editor of The Federalist, and he writes regularly for National Review. So we know his head is screwed on right, pun intended.]
Harsanyi begins at the beginning, with what may have been the earliest technical innovation to improve upon thrown projectiles: the sling. This was in due course succeeded by the bow and arrow, kicking off the technological arms race that has led to today’s Kalashnikov and AR-15 style arms (not to mention bazookas, grenade and handheld rocket launchers). There is brief mention of China’s discovery of the formula for gunpowder and Europeans’ development of the handheld gun preceding their settlement of the New World. But once you turn page 11, buckle up.
As with most inventions, the elite originally controlled the means of production and use of these unreliable, dangerous to use, completely inaccurate fire sticks. English common law developed to be supportive of the right of most citizens to own firearms, once the kingdom’s fights over religion and aristocratic control wound down. But these precedents, good and bad, came overseas during the colonization of North America and, literally, touched off the American Revolution.
Black powder is dangerous to store in quantity, so despite general ownership and use of guns on the frontier, communities kept stores somewhat apart, in strong masonry buildings. The British and the rebels realized simultaneously the importance of securing these “magazines”, and the result was the fateful march on Concord and Lexington.
Although massed firepower remained the rule in Revolutionary warfare, Americans’ special skill at marksmanship came into play with the first organized regiment of sharpshooters, General Daniel Morgan’s “Kentucky Riflemen”. (Can you hit a 7 inch plate at 250 yards with iron sights?) Though they were few, and did not truly win the war, they did confound the enemy and helped protect troop movements. One of them was probably the first specialist sniper known to history, Timothy Murphy, who took out British General Fraser and helped win the Battle of Burgoyne in October 1777. This reversal of fortunes got America taken seriously by European powers, not least the British—and led to the alliance made in 1778 with France that won the war.
The “Brown Bess”, a .75 caliber smooth-bore musket, was the primary gun of the Revolution for both sides. It was only useful to 80-100 yards, apart from mass fire which is how it was mostly used. The American long rifle was highly accurate but took twice as long to reload. Both were flintlocks, an improvement over the original matchlocks of the Pilgrims, but still not weather proof. Correcting these deficits becomes the story of the next 200+ years of firearm development.
All the luminaries and their advancements are here:
Samuel Colt’s equalizing us thanks to his percussion cap repeating revolver.
Smith with Wesson creating and marketing the integrated brass cartridge with primer, propellant and bullet.
Oliver Winchester, whose creations were perfected and industrialized by Benjamin Tyler Henry.
Henry Deringer’s cute, deadly “gentleman’s gun”.
Richard Jordan Gatling’s multi-barreled Civil War slaughter machine, which led Hiram Maxim to the modern belt-fed machine gun.
The design genius John Browning, who worked with the Winchester and then the Colt companies, creating the semi-automatic pistol, the rapid-fire shotgun (“trench gun”), and the handheld machine gun (BAR).
John Canius Garand, whose rifles won Americans battle after battle in the Second World War, which led directly to the development of the M14 magazine fed version, both of which led ultimately to modern select-fire infantry rifles.
But even more interesting are some lesser known heroes of American firearm development:
John H. Hall, who first patented the breech loader in 1811, the seminal improvement in reloading efficiency. This was the first new firearm patent in the United States, though he had to deal with the corrupt head of the Patent Office. Hall also created the standards and machinery that enabled the first mass production of guns with interchangeable parts.
Joshua Shaw, an English émigré (and artist) who invented the percussion cap in 1814.
Briton John Norton invented the conical bullet, perfected by Frenchman Claude-Étienne Minié, whose cylindrical, conical “ball” eliminated the need for cloth patches and decimated both armies during our Civil War.
Christopher Spencer, who in 1863 demonstrated a 7 round magazine fed lever action rifle to President Lincoln that helped win the war for the Union; per General Grant, “the best breech-loading arms available.”
Those who used firearms through our history are not neglected. The direct descendants of Timothy Murphy and the Kentucky Riflemen of the Revolution were Hiram Burdan’s 1st United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War. He shot out the right eye of the head of a figure of Jefferson Davis at 600 yards, standing. After the war, the standard Springfield Model 1863 muzzle loaders were converted by Erskine Allen’s company to become breech loaders. These Model 1873’s were the guns that started winning the West.
Andrew Jackson dueled, earning respect from many rough-hewn Americans. “Wild Bill” Hickok was renowned for amazing (and deadly) shooting, according to his rule “Be sure and not shoot too quick.” “Buffalo Bill” Cody hunted his namesake on the plains with his Sharps rifle. Annie Oakley earned her repute as one of the most astounding marksman or woman of all time. Then, the warriors: Alvin York in the First World War and Audie Murphy in the Second, and every American who’s carried a gun into battle before, then and since.
The final chapters of First Freedom focus on the political era of the fight for gun rights versus gun control, with much about the development of the modern NRA. Many of us will already be familiar with these years and their conflicts. They are an inherent part of the story of guns in America, although perhaps less intriguing than the development of the tools and mechanisms so well described.
Regardless, if you are interested in the people, ideas and processes that fostered the development of firearms in the United States; if you are interested in the growth of technology and manufacturing through our history; or if you are curious about the politics that has always pervaded the attempt to create better, easier to operate, more efficient and more economical firepower—you will be fascinated by Harsanyi’s work. Buy it, read it, enjoy!
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— 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.
“The sequel to an already spectacular event (Shooters Symposium 2018) was twice as ambitious as the first and had thrice the payoff” – Jase, GAT Daily.
That’s what movie reviews sound like, right?
Movies are pretty great, like a “based on real events” type of movie. Basically a highlight reel of a life event packed into a two hour show.
That’s pretty much how I feel about Shooters Symposium this year. It was an action packed spectacular event with non-stop excellence and near perfect execution. From the first step on the range until the last one off, it couldn’t have been better. There was never a dull moment from 0800 every morning to 0200 the next. It was a weekend filled with learning and chalked full of fun.
This is Shooters Symposium 2019 through the eyes of a 15 y/o shooter… Which is me, incase you didn’t catch that.
The first day on the range was the Vendor Day. More than anything it was a day to break the ice, shake off the previous travel day and get yourself together. You could meet new dudes and catch up with old friends, check zero on your guns, get the lay of the land, and enjoy the various competitions for the vast prize table.
There was a vendor tent to check out the event sponsors’ products and a range to shoot some of the demo guns and optics. The safety briefing and the grand welcome by event director, Matt Shockey, was priority one. That briefing was great… short, sweet, and to the point. Follow the 4-basic firearms safety rules, the medical plan, the flow of the Symposium, and a few bits of other information we needed to know about the new ranges.
After the evening welcome dinner was prize night, where the top guys on the competitions got top picks at the prize table. I wasn’t called up there for Top Shooter, but I ended up walking away with a Phlster Floodlight and a Phlster Pocket Emergency Wallet. Not a bad night. All told there was over $20K worth of prizes… It was insane!
That was also the start of my sleepless schedule…
Wake up too early/go to bed too late. Wash-Rinse-Repeat for x4 days and nights.
Vendor day was excellent. Plus let’s not skip over the fact I got to hang out with my pal Ike from Big Tex Outdoors, shoot with my buddy Josh of Unity Tactical (Hot Button is life!), and say hello and burn some rounds with Mike from Sons Of Liberty Gun Works. I got my eyes and hands on some VIKTOS gear and fire some happy pills with Cody out of the Walther Q5SF. Lastly, finally spent some time with Joe, Eric and Brandon of Chambers Custom Pistols. Geez… Apparently vendor day was even busier than I thought!
Now onto the stuff that matters to you all, the classes.
I can only speak for the instructor’s classes I attended this year, so let me break down my Shooters Symposium 2019 education for you. In order of appearance…
Not only was this class a ton of fun, it was also full of information that applied to my goal of learning how to shoot in a more “tactical” sense. It has a great amount of cross over into competition shooting too. I’ve wanted to know how to hit A zone’s without stopping for years and it turns out that the secret was right there all along. I won’t spoil anything, you’ll have to take one of Jared’s classes to figure it out, but it was much simpler than I thought.
We shot moving towards our targets, at an angle from our targets, and straight across(left/right) the field. The biggest take away was on the speed and the way you need to use your speed to be successful. Reston is always a pleasure to learn from and hang out with (This was my 2nd Reston class) and was super knowledgeable. But now I know, whether it’s moving forwards/backwards or left/right I’ve got the tools to get relatively accurate hits on target. Now I just need to take it home, practice and get it down smooth.
Fun add on about this class, when it was over and the students cleared off, I was able to get x3 magazines worth of time on Jared’s Aimpoint ACRO. By comparison to the Trijicon RMR, the Leupold Deltapoint, and the Holosun 509 that I’ve shot… the ACRO was hands down my favorite! It looks bigger than it actually is, it is easier to pick up the first shot and easier to maintain your dot. Granted I’m not a RDS expert but I am really digging the ACRO. (CD- It’s #2 on my Sweet 16 birthday wish list.)
For those of you who haven’t read my very first GAT article, Bill was the first instructor I ever remember meeting. Sitting in on one of his classes here in Spokane was what really got me intrigued on pursuing the tactical training side of shooting. In Bill’s Tac Carbine class the goal surmounted on how to get accurate hits on target at a faster cadence than you’re used to shooting. We also did work on speed reloads from an empty carbine. He gave us all some excellent drills to bring home to do our own training.
Everything in that class was timed, absolutely nothing we did was without a timer. When you shoot a string of fire with all accurate hits you get a time, you do this multiple times and find your average. Based on your average you know at a minimum what you should be able to hit every time without fail. It was genius simple. He gave me, personally, some excellent things to train with to make me an all around better carbine shooter. It certainly doesn’t hurt either that Mr. Bill is also a pretty funny dude and his witty remarks keep it fun but help drive home certain points making.
This was also my 2nd class with Mr. Bill and he did not disappoint!
Mr. Scott’s class was definitely a tight learning curve for me. I’ve been shooting pistol for years but probably had fewer than 300 rounds with an Red Dot Sight… trial by fire definitely applied here. I loved how Jedi conveyed the information and really made me think about why he was saying what he was saying.
Learning to shoot an RDS pistol isn’t rocket science… matter of fact once you get over the hurdle with your eyes, it’s really easy! I not only learned how to shoot a red dot pistol (I’m hooked on the dot) but also learned how to just be a better pistol shooter. For the gazillionth time I got told how to fix my stance, which is honestly one of the hardest shooting habits for me to break. But I also found how to adjust my grip to minimize recoil, get more positive control on the gun, get an accurate first shot on target from the draw, and that I don’t actually need my sights to get an accurate hit on paper from three yards (weird, I know). Do less work and reap greater results… and what a true slide bite feels like (ultra high grip + bad draw= oops. Chicks dig scars, right?) It was a great class with a ton of good info.
Easy to process and understand… so easy this 15 year old could do it.
Author Jase Winner making the ACRO do work
Quick brag, I won “high shooter” during one of the speed and accuracy drills and my reward was my first piece of Viktos gear. Viktos was one of the Shooters Symposium sponsors, I won the T-shirt of my choice from Jedi and I can’t wait to represent!
This was definitely the most competition oriented of my Symposium classes. But even with that said, it was about running a gun not gaming a stage. One of the most prevalent phrases of the weekend was “shooting is shooting” it doesn’t matter what kind of class you’re taking as long as you take away something that makes you a better shooter, that’s a win. Vogel’s class is a high round count shoot-fest trying to find the perfect balance of accuracy and speed, which is exactly what we want right? From one drill to another we would fire different distances at different cadences trying to maintain accurate hits on paper or steel. We also ran a few new to me steel drills which I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely be taking back to my local clubs run.
It wasn’t the competition course I expected it to be, it was just a pistol course to make you better at what you do, and better for it I am.
There was no way that I wasn’t gonna take advantage of the opportunity to refresh some knowledge on my medical training. The added bonus of this class, other than getting an excellent refresher on how to stop people from bleeding, was that I chose just the right time to take it.
We were scheduled to go on the range and shoot some pistol/rifle drills with our fresh medical knowledge but mother nature felt like giving us a torrential downpour that morning and flooded out many of the ranges. So instead of heading out on the lake that was once a range we just called it, broke down camp, and headed back up to the food.
We went over all of the basic essential information on how to plug holes… Tourniquets, combat gauze, pressure dressings, etc. “Tourniquet the limbs, Pack the junctions, Seal the box” sort of thing. This was my 2nd time through Kerry’s DART class and was just as valuable as before, if not more. It was just the refresher I needed just when I needed it.
“Knowing how to put holes in people is easy, knowing how to stop up the holes in people is a different and much more relevant and pressing issue.”-Jase
Round two with Jedi was in the aftermath of the Texas Monsoon (I think it’s a Texas thing… do everything bigger right?). With that in mind I imagine that class got a little bit off track.
Advanced Red Dot was similar to Red Dot Fundamentals until the end. We put what we learned to a test on some Bill drills to finish out class. It is also noteworthy that it was in this class that I shot a $6000 dollar work-of-art-Blaster. I shot the Chambers Custom Pistols “Night Fighter” and it was nothing but fun. That gun shot like a dream and if you have the means I would absolutely recommend buying one. It basically shot itself, all I had to do was point it, squeeze the trigger and follow up my shots. Lol
This was a fantastic class to wrap up the weekend and I’m not mad that I finished out Shooters Symposium 2019 the way that I did… Muddy, Bloody and all smiles!
For those curious souls out there, the other Instructors present this year were Mike Pantone of CTT Solutions who taught “Covert carry with low light”, Craig Douglas of Shiv Works who taught “Grappling in a Weapons Based Environment” , Steve Fisher of Sentinel Concepts “Low Light Practical Urban Carbine”, Aaron Cowan teaching his “Force Focus Fundamentals” class, as well as Dan Brooks bringing his “Urban Gunfighter” to the range and the master of the night life… Mr. Chuck Pressburg who was rocking the NODS and lasers in his “Night Fighter 101.”
I would loved to have trained with ALL these Instructors but there are necessary limits put on how much training we can experience… based on 8-hrs/day. So I filled my plate this year with what I could and will do so again next year.
Bottom line, Shooters Symposium 2019 was awesome. It’s an excellent place to experience a bunch of different instructors and get a small view of what they bring to the table for future training. Think of it like a buffet… taste a little of this and a little of that and figure out what you want to go back and fill your plate with.
Me personally, I really want another class with Dan Brooks of Lead Faucet Tactical (I trained under him last year but couldn’t fit it into the schedule this year, same goes for my friend Steve Fisher of Sentinel Concepts.). Word on the street is they are adding another instructor for next year, I’ve got my fingers crossed for either my buddy Matt Jacques from Victory First for a carbine class or Mr. Chase Jenkins for his Injured Shooter. One of the best things about Shooters Symposium is that it really is a variety pack with something for everyone. You can be Joe Citizen, Larry the LEO or Mr. Mike Military… Shooters Symposium has something to offer all. Heck, I’m only 15 and still trying to reach a seat at the table and yet Shooters Symposium has plenty to offer me.
The days were slammed with learning and shooting, the nights with good food, good friends, and long hours of laughter. Being able to catch up with people from previous courses, Friends of Pat Rogers, SHOT Show, and the inaugural Shooters Symposium was all great.
Like I said before, the days started way too early, the nights ended way too late… but every minute of Shooter Symposium 2019 was a minute well spent.
A huge shout out and thanks for all your hard work to Matt and Rose Shockey, Mr. Trevor and the entire crew that helped put on Shooters Symposium 2019. The Ranch TX looked nothing like it did last year and is well on its way to becoming a premier shooting facility (Picture “Wow” then add about X50 “Damnnnnnn” and you’ll start to get the idea.)
Facilities were great, food was awesome, and the hospitality was killer.
Thank you to all the event sponsors: Surefire, BE Meyers, Big Tex Outdoors, Chambers Custom Pistols, UNITY Tactical, Sons of Liberty Gun Works, VIKTOS Gear, Magpul, PHLSTER, Lead Faucet Tactical, Walther Arms, Vortex Optics, STI Pistols, Saddle River Range, Troy, UTM Munitions, Down Range Thermal, Dark Star Gear, and Bliss Tactical.
Thank you to everyone who bought my T-shirt’s and Hoodies from BonFire. The sales from those are what helps me be able to attend events like this, I very much appreciate it. By the way, you all look amazing in your JaseWinner_ShootingSports gear…Amazing!
And last but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing Sponsors… this may not have been a competition but what I learned will no doubt help me become a better competitor and, more importantly, a better person: TUFF Products, Midwest Industries, Sentinel Concepts, Victory First, Primary and Secondary LLC, Dark Angel Medical, Overwatch Precision, GAT Marketing, Magpul Industries, Heathen Systems, Liberty Timbers LLC, 3Aces LLC, In Motion Targets, Pro Shot Products, Speedloaderz, AT Armor, and Taran Tactical Innovations. You all rock!
Now it’s back to school and time to start Drivers Ed… which means y’all may not want to hang out on Spokane streets and sidewalks for the next few months.
Yesterday we published a story about the California Synagogue attack. That narrative played out as expected on media circuits. The white supremacist anti-semite (Trump hater too, as the President is pro-Israeli) who “somehow” got an AR-15. The focus seems to be on whether it was a California compliant rifle or not and the horror that are the border states where such guns can be purchased at street vendors as easily as a hotdog… or so the fervor seems to point towards.
Heaven forbid we remember back to another mass shooting, in San Bernardino, where the assailants used non CA compliant rifles to commit a devastating terrorist attack. Or the Bataclan Theater in France where terrorists used non French compliant weapons to initiate a devastating terrorist attack.
It is shocking, shocking I say, that rules against a tool’s possession or configuration don’t seem to resonate deeply with people who blatantly disregard the rules against homicide.
However, back to The Narrative.
The Narrative is the constant portrayal of the AR-15 and like firearms as weapons of mass destruction, and that those who support ownership or own such items are, at some level, paranoid or deranged individuals. Given my understanding, I would bet Japan would have much preferred to be attacked with semi-automatic rifles.
The Narrative requires they give the synagogue shooting all the attention and ignore the Baltimore cookout shooting in my subheadline, despite the same dead (1) and more wounded in Baltimore. The Narrative will only acknowledge Baltimore if it becomes convenient to pad their mass shooting tally, they will ignore the circumstances surrounding Baltimore.
Investigators found shell locations at two separate locations, and believe that someone may have returned fire at the gunman, or that there may have been a second shooter, the Associated Press reported.
He [Harrison, the Police Commissioner] did not release a possible motive for the incident, but noted that it appeared to be “extremely targeted.”
“Someone knows something,” Young said. “These things…they don’t happen by happenstance. People know who’s doing these shootings.”
A neighbor told me a bunch of people were having a cook out when “someone rolled up and started shooting.” 7 people shot. I asked if this is shocking or concerning, it happened steps from her door… and she shrugged and said it’s Baltimore. @WMAR2News –AbbyIssacsNews
So in short… a gang-style shooting, a hit or retaliation specifically targeting someone at the cookout or suspected of attending. As the Baltimore resident said, “It’s Baltimore.” The violence displayed with such prominence from California isn’t being pushed. The Narrative cannot use this, not like it can use California
The Narrative does not recognize gang violence the way it does spree killing or attempted spree killing. The vast disparity in their respective frequency and circumstance does not support The Narrative. A group of criminals killing another group just as laden with illegal and illicit activities can’t be used by The Narrative as a headline.
In short… The Narrative requires a certain kind of violence to encite its audience, anything straying from that must be downplayed or ignored. #GunControlLogic
I’m being investigated by the county sheriff – again. He investigated me five years ago. And five years before that.
The FBI investigates me on a semi-regular basis too – dozens of times in the past ten years in fact.
Why? Because I am a firearms owner exercising my Constitutional Rights.
With all of that investigating, does that sound like a “Right” to you?
The full story is that I needed to renew my concealed carry permit this month. Which means that I had to apply to the local sheriff for a background check, involving time off work on two separate days and $100 worth of paperwork. This process is repeated every five years so that I am “licensed” to carry a concealed handgun.
That’s on top of the FBI running a NICS background check on me every time I purchase a firearm (or even select pieces of firearms). Every. Single. Time.
Does that sound like a “Right” to you?
To be clear, I live in a Constitutional Carry state thanks to the untiring efforts of my state gun rights organization. BUT, if I need to carry across state lines to visit relatives, go to the hunting property, protect myself while traveling, etc, I need to have a permit which is reciprocally recognized by EVERY state I cross. Except at least one neighboring state does NOT recognize my not only Constitutional, but also educated, tested, investigated, and paid for, LICENSED right to carry a firearm.
The straightest route to the hunting property is through a short corner of that non-permissive neighboring state. Which means I have to either remember to pull over before the border, in order to lock up the gun in the back of the car out of reach, or make sure it is locked up at the start of the trip so I don’t forget – effectively disarming myself and stripping myself of a Constitutional Right just because I have to drive through 20 miles of a state that fought in the frickin’ Revolution, and should know better.
Does that sound like a “Right” to you?
How many times in my life do I have to prove to some bureaucrat that I am a good person in order to exercise a God-given right that is supposedly ensured by the Constitution of the United States of America?
And the lefty looney-tooners want to institute “Universal” Background checks? You mean they’re not universally infringing upon my rights already? This virtuous-sounding concept is evil at its core – because it essentially assumes that I am guilty of something heinous until “proven” innocent by a background check. That is at its root a violation of due process rights.
How many times do I have to prove this – that I am innocent until proven guilty?
Oh yeah, and that doesn’t take into account red flag laws where someone who simply doesn’t like me can claim I am a “threat” and have what’s left of my 2nd Amendment rights stripped from me WITHOUT being proven guilty – without due process of law – which is another Constitutional right by the way. That one is covered by TWO amendments – the Fifth and the Fourteenth.
Over the weekend, while many in the gun community were focused on the products and events at NRAAM an attack took place at the Poway Synagogue in California. The attempted mass casualty attack was stopped very early, however. Anti-semitism and attacks against synagogues are unfortunately far from an unknown, faith based attacks seem to be trending right now as rhetoric blames one or another overarching religion for the woes of the world.
The shooter, 19 years old and in custody, was courting another terrorist attack response similar in scope to New Zealand and Sri Lanka. This one happened to be anti-semitic, Sri Lanka was anti-christian, New Zealand was anti-islam. All the result of an individual weaponizing their desires.
The result in California though, is telling. While the article from USA Today quoted above digs into the question of whether or not the rifle was in a CA compliant configuration and they dig up an anti-gun veteran to leverage “expertise” on the subject, the salient point is how the attack was stopped.
USA Today seems to try and credit it to California’s functional restrictions, while in the same breathe wondering if it was outside the restrictions and illegal, but I have a different theory.
The 19 year old who attacked the Poway Synagogue met with effective resistance, he met with someoneshooting back. The 60 year old woman he killed protected the synagogue rabbi. The congregate who the rabbi had asked to help protect the place of prayer showed up to do just that, and that CBP agent had his gun.
The rifle is said to have jammed during the attack and that is a fortunate circumstance, but the CBP agent using his sidearm truly broke the attack and caused the assailant to flee with only the brave woman dead and three others wounded.
The same article laudes the California feature list for jamming the rifle even as it insinuates their unstoppable weapon of mass destruction killing potential. It’s a reaching piece seeking to blame everyone it can, the gun store that sells CA compliant parts, the out of state gun stores that aren’t required to have CA compliant parts where he ‘might‘ have acquired non-compliant merchandise, the fact semi-autos are legal at all, leaving only blame by proxy for the actual shooter. The one who picked up the rifle and shot it is the sideshow to the gun inself.
I have said it before and I will say it every single time the focus of a violent attack becomes the method.
Method does not matter during the occurrence. Motivation matters tangentially, this appears to be a copycat directly off of New Zealand. According to the alleged linked manifesto that is it exactly, but even that is independent of the violent act occurring. What matters immediately, in the moment, right there where you are the only one who can influence the situation in your favor… is your response. In that regard method does matter as it forumalates the response options you thought to bring or need to come up with.
Violence requires only a motivating factor that weighs heavier than the principles of civil society. Gun controllers have their hearts set on a civil answer to an uncivil problem. If a civil answer were the answer (ban, license, regulate, etc.) the wonderful circumstance of that would be not needing the answer in the first place, civility would preclude the improper use of violence entirely as it does so mostly every single day.
On Response
What should our response to this be?
Immediately, during the attack, it is to respond and survive. Shoot back, pack wounds, and get responder help coming as quickly as they can.
Surviving is not guaranteed… The heroics and swift response of the good people at the synagogue saved lives. The armed CBP congregate attending was a decisive ace in the sleeve of the worshippers. Armed response to armed attack works, and nothing works better.
The “thoughts and prayers” of mourners world wide have been mocked roundly as a non-response by select elements, but in reality thoughts and prayers are all that gun control consists of… the thought that if everyone followed this law no one would be shot, and the prayer that having the law will catch the next individual motivated to attack by making a firearm less convenient to acquire.
What should we do?
We start refocusing again on civility across the entirety of our political and social spectrums. We won’t always succeed. Sometimes we will fail to be civil and sometimes someone else will, but with a greater culture of civility these become discussions and not attacks. When we are attacked, especially unjustly, we respond. When we feel there is a threat to ourselves, our livelihoods, our our families, or our community we seek to step up and deal with it. With the culture of outrage that has been fostered, veiled thinly as discourse, we have lost civility.
With that loss each perceived attack becomes more threatening, more dramatic, more in need of retaliation. It allows those already close to an uncivil response, a violent response to slight perceived, to justify to themselves crossing the line.
We will never eradicate violence from the human condition. Gun control will never work to remove the motivations, its snake oil in a shiny bottle claiming to cure the woes of murder and suicide.
A society where we are civil though? Where we don’t assume malice when ignorance is the logical answer? A society where our default is discussion, not veiled dictation, and we seek to learn before any thought of retaliation? That is something we can foster.
Man, everything is cyclical. There was a time, over a decade ago when I was issued an M16A4 and all I wanted was an M4. M4s were the cool guy rifle, it was also shorter and lighter than the M16A4, a gun we lovingly refer to as the musket. Recently I found myself desiring a return to an M16 sized rifle after SHOT Show. I went to a range day hosted by GAT and got my hands on the M16A4 clone from Aero Precision. This model was full auto, but it still reminded me of just how lovely a full-length rifle is to shoot. I knew I had to have one, and here is mine.
I was hit with a massive wave of nostalgia as I picked up this American classic. It brought me back to the School of Infantry and beyond. The days of being a young Marine came flying back at me. The M16A4 isn’t a heavy rifle, but you’ll often hear that complaint. It’s not unwieldy, and while the M4 is easier in and out of vehicles and buildings it’s not difficult with the M16A4.
Fallujah was taken by Marines with M16s so I don’t buy the idea that this gun is way too big for that role. It’s well balanced, and rock solid all the way around. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s my 6 foot 5 inch frame, but I think the Corps was right in keeping the A4 is service for so long.
Inside the M16A4 Clone
The M16A4 clone from Aero Precision does the best it can to mimic the actual military rifle. It features a flat top upper and plastic handguards. The flattop is covered with a set of A4 iron sights which are versatile and dynamic. These sights make it easy to be precise and accurate with the rifle at varying distances and when facing different windages. A true clone has a quad rail, but the polymer handguards are much lighter. The markings indicate a nonfunctional burst third position and M16A4 markings. They don’t directly mimic the FN contract rifles but are close enough.
Of course, the barrel is 20 inches long, the stock is fixed and it sports the A-frame front sight base. There is a bayonet lug for those close encounters and the stock can even stash a small cleaning kit, or Skittles, whatever you want in there. That full stock is quite lovely for cheek weld.
Shooting the M16A4
Speaking of cheek weld lets talk about shooting this bad boy. I wonder how many people in the firearms community has ever fired a full rifle length AR? They may not know exactly what they are missing. Shooting a rifle length AR 15 is just so comfortable. Everything about it is pleasant and smooth.
I own plenty of ARs in carbine and pistol variants and you forget how smooth a rifle is compared to these guns. The recoil is incredibly soft, due to the rifle length gas tube and longer buffer spring. The weapon hardly moves when fired. Muzzle rise is also reduced with a 20-inch barrel. As is muzzle flash and concussion. It’s so much nicer to shoot and much easier to shoot accurately and rapidly.
The ballistic advantages are interesting too. The 20-inch barrel adds about a 100 feet per second of velocity per shot. The 20-inch barrel makes full use of the pressure from the gas that propels the bullet. In a 16 inch barrel, the gas is still building pressure when it reaches the end of the barrel. A 20-inch barrel takes advantage of that still expanding gas and this gives the M16A4 clone a little more oomph.
The Aero Precision M16A4 Performance
Focusing on just the Aero Precision model shows us just how excellent this rifle is. The gun is incredibly soft shooting and very precise. I used a standard 25-meter zeroing target from HD Targets and zeroed for 300 yards using the iron sight manual of arms.
It was love at First Group
The prone was my position of choice. I just held the M16A4, focused on the front sight and pulled the trigger slowly and carefully. My first group of three shots hit low, but the grow was insanely small. Every round touching and nearly overlapping. I made adjustments and fired three more shots.
All My Fault
The first shot was off, and that was my fault. I knew it as soon as I pulled the trigger. I threw it wide and to the right. My next two shots were slower, more meticulous, and I placed them on top of each other. Once the gun was zeroed it was time to load up and shoot like a Marine.
I dumped the rest of my ‘zeroing mag’ in an aimed rapid fire manner. Taking just enough time to reacquire my sight picture and let off another round.
Then I tried a five shot group from the standing. Again at 25 yards with a new target.
I ran through some of the basic drills, including the Failure to stop and box drill, reload drills, and snap drills. I did snap drills on a free RE Tactical headshot target at 25 yards. The rifle and I scored all six headshots on target and each was under 1 second from the low ready.
Every shot was enjoyable. I typically like shooting, and feel I’m pretty blessed to be where I am in this industry. However, the M16A4 was a dream to shoot. It made me smile and enjoy the experience for what it was.
Getting Down with the Pew Pew
The trigger is mil-spec and perfectly suited for accurate shooting. I had no major complaints. It’s no Geiselle, but better than my issued M16A4 by far. The trigger is a refined Mil-spec if you will. It’s more consistent, and predictable.
The full stock is perfect for my frame and gives me an amazing cheek weld. It is superbly comfortable and very stable. The stock allows for quick snaps as well. It doesn’t budge or wiggle at all.
The plastic handguards work well and allow me to stretch out my arms and get a good grip on the gun. The gun is put together with clear attention to detail. Nothing wiggles or moves and the gun controls work as intended. Down to the nub A2 grip, it’s all M16A4.
After 300 hundred rounds over two days I have zero malfunctions, or complaints.
Cloned Up
The clone market is growing for US Service rifles and the amazing quality and excellent price of the Aero Precision M16A4 make it an appealing place to begin. The markings alone make this a natural choice. Many cloners have to use blank 80% lowers and pay custom engravers for these markings.
Aero Precision has made an outstanding rifle. Regardless of the reason you choose this rifle, rest assured you are getting an amazing product. If you’ve never tried a rifle length AR I’d encourage you to give it a spin. Drop the newest Mk18 build and give the M16A4 a try.
The NRA show has been big for guns and gear. We are also seeing a big move in the online space. Springfield Armory has launched a new website called the Armory Life. The Armory Life isn’t just a giant Springfield Commercial. It’s not another method to push their products, but a blog to focus on the gun lifestyle in general. From self and home defense aspects to camping, match shooting, survival topics, building medkits, teaching, and more.
The Armory Life will be its own entity and their overall goal is to entertain and to educate. Start discussions and to pass on knowledge regarding a preparedness lifestyle. Lifestyle is the core of the Armory Life.
The website is dedicated for the everyday, modern shooter. Like the best guns, this website is built for shooters and by shooters. The Armory Life will be staffed by subject matter experts like Rob Leatham, Clay Martin, Karen Hunter, and even yours truly.
The diversity of the The Armory Life’s author base is one of their main strengths. They come from all walks of life. You’ll never read the same thing twice. Best of all the website has just launched and it’s already slammed packed full of content. The variety offered includes building a med kit, carrying while female, and dressing around your gun.
The Goal of The Armory Life is to cover everything involving the lifestyle that includes our firearms. It’ll approach the aforementioned self-defense subjects, like concealed carry and training. At the same time, you’ll see articles on hunting, finding the best AR 15 parts, competition shooting, musings, and even historical content to learn a little more about your favorite gun. The website is well designed, sleek and professional. It’s easy to navigate and is packed with both written word and video content.
So, check the Armory Life here and let ’em know that GAT Daily sent you.
B&T makes some outstanding weapons, easily some of the highest end SMGs and Pistol Caliber carbines on the market. Their price reflects that, but there is no doubting their quality. The APC9K was originally designed for an Austrian counter terrorism unit. In the Army’s role, it would be used for protecting VIPs in war-torn countries.
The APC9K spits out 9mm rounds from a blowback system and fires from a closed bolt. It has a firing rate of 1,080 rounds per minute and that’s pretty fast but controllable. It would easily allow for a bodyguard to lay down suppressive fire and get their VIP out of danger. It’s collapsing stock makes it quite compact and with a 20 round magazine, it’d be pretty easy to hide in a large coat, bag, or be easy to move in and out of vehicles.
APC9K Impressions
The trigger is fantastic. We usually accept a little mediocrity when it comes to SMG or PCC triggers. The Scorpion has a heavy trigger, the non-Geiselle MPX is okay at best, and the MP5 has a terrible reset. The APC9K has none of that, the trigger is fantastic, like a good AR trigger from a quality manufacturer.
It feels very sturdy and well put together. Everything clicks, pops, and moves just right. The stock is rock solid with little wiggle or play. The Tailhook pistol model is the same. It’s light and intuitive. Keith described it as a bespoke SMG, and I agree with him.
B&T did an amazing job and has built an SMG to be proud of. Rarely do I agree with what big Army or big military would choose in general. However, the B&T is an amazing choice and even though it will be issued in extremely limited numbers I’m excited to see potential after actions.
Trijicon makes the duty grade miniature red dot sight. The RMR has long been the standard for mini red dots, especially on handguns. The Trijicon RMR is one of the big reasons mini red dots have been so successful on handguns. Trijicon is rare to introduce a new optic, they seem to take their time and strain for perfection. Their latest is an upgrade for the RMR, it’s known as the SRO.
SRO stands for Specialized Reflex Optic. The RMR was designed just to be a mini red dot, not necessarily a pistol red dot. It became a pistol red dot, but the SRO was designed from the ground up to be a pistol optic.
Inside the Trijicon SRO
The SRO offers shooters wider lens that’s round instead of square or odd rectangle, or whatever you describe the RMR as. Trijicon claims the SRO’s round design helps you find the dot fast by design.
The Trijicon SRO shares the same footprint as the RMR which makes it compatible with guns with RMR cuts. This includes the Glock MOS, the S&W CORE Canik cut models, Walther Q5 match, the new CZ P10 series and more.
A change most of us will love is the fact the SRO has a top loading battery! Something the RMR did not have. The Trijicon SRO has a 3-year battery life, uses a CR 2032 battery, and is waterproof up to 10 feet.
The new optic has reticle options that include 1 MOA, 2.5 MOA, and 5 MOA. The reticle intensity can be locked in for the user chosen brightness and can be locked out for automatic brightness adjustments. Brightness settings in
The Trijicon SRO is a bit bigger than the RMR and seems more useful for duty, hunting, and competition. Bigger isn’t always better for concealed carry. The SRO is compatible with all RMR mounts too so it can be used on long guns. The SRO is an interesting optic and I’m excited to see how it performs.
It was a rolling start to the morning here at NRAAM in Indy. It’s honestly light on new products but we managed to find a few.
TS 2.5-20
U.S. Optics is adding a distance precision option to the TS line and since they are done with their move the TS-6X and TS-8X will be out of their warehouse shortly.
The new TS 2.5-20 sports a 50mm objective lense, illuminated Front Focal Plane reticle in Mil or MOA, turrets in 1/10 MIL or 1/4 MOA, and parallax adjustment down to 10 yards. That parallax focus will be most useful for anyone trying to get an initial zero on the shorter indoor ranges.
With a tag of ~$1500 it’s one I’m looking forward to topping a rifle with for a little distance. It’s a more forgiving option on the bank account than the B-Series but incorporates a fine selection of those features it appears.
The SRO is floating around outside Trijicon’s booth
The SRO has made the most waves I’ve seen so far overall, Travis will have a little more on this guy later.
The historical displays are up and dotted around the low booth #’s. NSSA had a display featuring several pieces on Vietnam tech with a few folks to answer questions, one at at least with time relevant hands on experience.
Z9 Modular “Glock” at ZRO Delta
The ZRO Delta Z9’s are just about ready to go. The alloy “build a Glocks” are an intriguing push toward boutique pick your feature race, duty, carry guns. I’m a stock Glock guy but I do want to play with these because I’m also a fan of alloy guns. We’ll see what the year brings.
Zenith has made their little Z5’s a touch smaller on both the front and back ends. The new adjustable braces and stocks have cut down on the mass and bulk of the compact 9mm’s from the larger, heavier, legacy designs.
The threaded only barrel foregoes the tri-lug but keeps threading for a flush fit suppressor. More Z5’s are coming soon according to the Zenith crew. So if you’re waiting on that roller-delay, your delay shouldn’t be much longer.
Here’s a book review of a paperback I never expected to read, but am exceedingly glad that I did. Amazon suggested this book based on my past purchases of a trio of novels by Kurt Schlicter.
Selco Begovic’s book,The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival, published just this year, is a compilation of stories and advice based on this man’s experience as a civilian trapped in his home city during the Balkan War of the 1990’s. He was eighteen years old at the time.
Selco has had a blog presence for years and has been active in the “prepper” communities of the world – offering his advice and even offering classes based upon his harrowing experience of living through the collapse of his society.
But this is not a “how-to” book. It’s a book about how it was and what he went through, and about the misperceptions many preppers have about how things will be and how they might handle themselves. It is about what this man’s reality was for a year in a besieged city with no public water, sewage, electricity, or food supplies.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a “prepper” per se. The small amount of planning I have done is mostly for short-term scenarios like extended power outages, extreme weather situations, etc. I have planned for short-term inconvenience, not life or death survival.
But I’m also interested in history lessons – what my ancestors may have lived through, what they had to do to make ends meet or survive a tough winter during bad historical periods. I’m learning the home canning arts and about forage foods – mostly because it interests me – but also with an eye toward, “What would I do if there were a next Great Depression?”
That is the background to why I ordered this book. Selco’s voice was new to me. His voice of experience about life during the Balkan war (during my adult lifetime) lends immediacy to those who worry about their own survival if something bad should happen “here” – wherever “here” is.
It is not hyperbole to talk about “survival” in a civil war situation when all municipal services have ceased. Death stalked the streets of Selco’s city – not only from mortars and snipers, but from gangs, and starvation, and simple infection. In a situation like that a case of diarrhea can kill you.
You may not think of a simple bar of soap as a survival tool to be packed and planned for, but it became one in Selco’s world.
He covers a wide range of topics – from false media reassurance, to those who hoard gold coins to the prevalence of unburied bodies, to ways to help maintain your sanity and humanity in the midst of insanity and chaos.
This book is written in his own accented voice – dropped articles and all. (English is not his first language) The editing is done lightly so as to preserve the impression that you are hearing the stories from the man himself. The book has large print and narrow columns, so the read is quick. But if you want a chilling reality check into just how fast the civilization and convenience we take for granted can crumble into chaos, you need to read this book.
[DRGO author Michael Brown, OD has been very occupied for some while, but found time to reply to a friend of his on Facebook April 14. His description of anti-gun emotion versus pro-rights reason is instructive — as well as being able to remain friends.]
Charles: “Approximately 1.4 million people have died from firearms in the U.S. between 1968 and 2011. This number includes deaths resulting from a firearm, including suicides, homicides, and accidents. Why is there so much push back about saving these lives? These 1.4 million people just don’t fucking count?”
Thanks for asking Charles, unfortunately a truly honest answer must question the assumptions behind your question.
To start with, why lump all the types of deaths together if not to create a more emotionally charged number to score points in political debates? Each type of death has its own etiology and its own solutions. Just blaming them all on the availability of guns makes an honest person wonder about the motive behind that. Why would some politicians and their media allies want us to lump those together? Doesn’t that confuse the issues and impede progress on each one?
Next, there is an extremely important unfounded assumption behind your question and that is that gun control laws will actually make a difference. I’ve spent a lot of words and links here on Facebook explaining why they don’t. With so many different gun laws in the 50 states, it’s pretty easy to compare the results and restrictive gun laws simply don’t provide any benefit to society.
Charles, I’ve tried to explain this to you many times and I think you understand what I’m saying, but you keep coming back to your emotion-based position that there must be something we can do about those deaths and it has to involve limiting access to guns. I’m really sorry that you feel so badly about that, but it’s not your fault and it’s not your job to save all those people. Humans are a violent species. They will find ways to kill and injure themselves and each other in spite of your best efforts. A man can protect his loved ones from some threats, but you can’t protect everyone from everything. Attempting to do so just leads us farther down the nanny state path which is and will be exploited by both left and right wing politicians. I suspect you can also drive yourself a little crazy obsessing over it.
If you are truly concerned about preventable deaths, you would better spend your time raising awareness of the many diseases and social problems that cause exponentially more deaths.
Perhaps you should examine your deeper motives? My theory is that liberals don’t like widespread civilian gun ownership because that makes it harder for them to impose their will on the people who don’t agree with their agenda. But obviously, that is very simplistic and I’m sure you can do better if you put some time and honest effort into it.
And finally, I want to address an important difference in our thought processes, which is illustrated by your use of profanity.
Non-liberals like me tend to make our arguments with facts, studies and anecdotes about our personal observations on the ground, so to speak. Liberals prefer to persuade by convincing others how strongly they feel about the issue. I guess they think that if they can only impress others with how really, really important something is to them, that others will be converted to their point of view.
This disconnect between our thought processes, I feel, is one of the reasons why liberals are so frustrated and we as a nation are so polarized. I’m not trying to excuse bad behavior by right-wingers, that’s just outside the scope of this post.
So Charles, you’re a really nice guy, but I don’t know what else I can say to help you understand the gun control issue. Perhaps it’s time for us to just let this issue drop?
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—Dr. Michael S. Brown is a pragmatic Libertarian environmentalist who has been studying the gun debate for three decades and considers it a fascinating way to learn about human nature and politics.
