Readers,
Stay safe. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the company of friends and family. Do good unto others and happily slip into a Turkey stupor.
Then brace for Black Friday! Make sure to look in here. You won’t even need to leave the comfort of home.
Washington State: One Police Chief is Saying No to I-1639, Sanctuary for Gun Owners
Police Chief Loren Culp of Republic Washington is saying he will refuse to enforce the onerous measure passed on election night by the state at large
On on interview with Fox, Culp explains how the law is offensive and contrary to his oath of office and in violation of the Washington State and National Constitutions.
His jurisdiction has a differing view than the liberal haven of Seattle and both Culp’s small police force and the town council are looking at adopting a measure to make the small town, Republic, a haven for the gun owning folk of Washington State.
The proposal certainly doesn’t mince its purpose.
First, it says that “all federal and State acts, laws, orders, rules or regulations regarding firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition are a violation of the 2nd Amendment.”
Neither does Culp.
“I’m just standing up for people’s rights,” he says. “I had people asking if the Police Department was going to start arresting teenagers, 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds, carrying and using a semi-automatic .22 rifle. I told them, ‘I’m not going to infringe on someone’s constitutional rights.’”
“As long as I am Chief of Police, no Republic Police Officer will infringe on a citizens right to keep and Bear Arms, PERIOD!”
Some from the state have lashed out at the small individual rights minded community calling them insane, evil, etc.
For those of us still rubbing brain cells together, we congratulate Chief Loren Culp.
An Aero Precision Turkey Shoot!
Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and so is rifle buck season. That means that I had to make some range time to sight in my deer rifle.
Because the state I hunt in is still living in the Stone Age, my deer rifle is a Marlin 336 that – though I love the lever action – doesn’t fit me very well. I’ve even had to jury-rig a redneck cheek riser with pipe insulation and camo duct tape. I would much prefer to use my AR-platform rifles – which fit me well, and are a style with which I am comfortable and familiar. I even bought a .300 BLK upper last year in high hopes of a change in the game law, but Noooooooo.
So to console my frustration, I brought my Aero Precision AR pistol along to the range for some fun once the sight-in work was done.
My Marlin smacked the 100 yard steel 3 out of 3 shots, so that was done with pretty quickly, and I whipped out the Aero.
In the spirit of the season, I brought along some turkey cartoons to keep things fun. Admittedly, with astigmatism, and a red dot, all I could see to aim at were brown blobs at 50 yards. But the Aero ensured that they were still dead turkeys. One target even had a set of perfect neck shots! Ahem – yeah, I meant to do that!
These are, incidentally, the ONLY turkeys I shot this year. Yes, I know that one does not use a .223 to hunt turkeys, but whose range time was this anyway?
Besides, turkeys “could” be home invaders – didn’t you see the video of that turkey that invaded that couple’s living room – right through the glass window even! Tell me that gobbler didn’t have malicious intent!
And how about that video of the turkeys circling the dead cat! Tell me that wasn’t some dangerous cult-like activity right there, huh? We need to train against potential turkey attack, I’m telling you.
So that’s exactly what I did. Do you feel safer now? You’re welcome.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ladies’ Hunt with Calibered Events
What do you get when you combine seven women, wine, a vacation house, grilled venison, shotguns, pheasants and dogs? A Ladies Hunt Weekend of course!
For the past several years Calibered Events has run ladies only hunt events, designed to get more women into shotgunning and bird hunting. This was my fourth year of participation, so I’ve now got three pheasant hunts and a duck hunt under my belt.
What keeps women like myself coming back to these events year after year? It’s the opportunity to continue honing skills, and the camaraderie with other women interested in hunting.
But why an organized women-only hunt, you may ask?
Let’s be honest – bird hunting is a “lifestyle”. If you don’t have your own trained bird dog and property to hunt, this is not likely to be something that most of us women can just “pick up” as we go along, especially later in life. We need coaching and encouragement and access to experienced guides with dogs. That is exactly what these ladies’ hunts provide.
Although Calibered Events is based in Western Maryland, women come from several surrounding states – including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia – to attend the annual events. Organizer Ann Marie Foster provides shotgun coaching and hunting mentorship to women both experienced and novice.
The events combine clays/5 stand practice on Friday, with a hunting experience on Saturday, and a group vacation house/ sleepover atmosphere. The group stay-over builds camaraderie and allows shared experience for those who may be nervous newbies.
After the experience, even if new women don’t want to rush out, buy a dog and become new bird hunting enthusiasts, they have at least had the experience, have supported local guides, and have been exposed to game habitat and harvesting meat in a way they may not have before.
My own latest ladies hunt weekend was two weeks ago. We started out with seven women, but one of our party was ill and had to leave early. So we had seven for clays on Friday afternoon, and a hunt for six on Saturday.
This particular group had experience in doing this before – not only the hunt portion but the get-together house-party portion. With everyone bringing different types of food to share, you’d have thought we were feeding Patton’s 3rd Army rather than six middle-age women for one weekend!
We started out the weekend with a Friday meet-up in Western Maryland, whereupon we proceeded to the Wild Wings Hunting Preserve property to meet our host and shoot some 5-stand.
The 5-stand set-up on the property was a new addition this year, and it gave us ample opportunity to work out the skills cobwebs on multiple challenging presentations. Our trapper was owner Don Calhoun who runs the operation, with wife Lisa (who provided a yummy hot homemade meal on hunt day, as well as bird-cleaning services.)
One of the presentations (Trap 4) was the toughest, and the term “number 4” became the running joke of the weekend. It was a fast, dropping crosser, and you had to stay ridiculously far ahead of it. We worked hard on that one, and by the end of the afternoon, I think everyone had hit it at least once. After the hunt the next day, one of the gals described some birds they saw as “definite number fours”.
After clays, we retired to our vacation house digs for the weekend, divvied up the bedrooms and settled in for an evening of fun. The food and wine flowed, and the cutthroat games of Parcheesi commenced. One hitch in the evening occurred when we discovered that the rental company had not provided dry firewood for the fireplace, so we called in reinforcements. Our hostess did not live far away, so her husband and brother-in-law rode to the rescue with a load of dry firewood! Yours truly, being the former Girl Scout of the group, then set us up a warm blaze.
Saturday morning broke with frosty wind, and rain. We heard from the outfitter that the birds would be unlikely to fly in such conditions, so we gladly accepted when he offered us the opportunity to move the hunt to the afternoon when the forecast looked better. The fields were still wet on our arrival, and the sky started out overcast, but slowly broke into blue through the course of the afternoon.
We separated ourselves into two groups of three women – each group with their own guide and dogs. My group’s guide was Chris, with his dogs Freda and Blitz.
Our quarry were pheasant and chukar that had been released for us to find. We donned our orange, loaded our shotguns and away we went. Our guide led us through the strips of field preceded by the dogs – who were bounding through the hip-high sorghum like dolphins in the ocean. I never get bored watching bird dogs work. It’s a ballet of nose and tail. It was obvious that they LOVED it. Their hindquarters were literally vibrating with anticipation as soon as they got out of the truck. It was a beautiful day afield.
I’ve found over the course of these experiences that I really love the smell of the wet earth and dead leaves combined with the sent of fresh spent powder when I open my shotgun breech. The smell evokes the same feelings as fresh hot coffee in the morning – a kind of “Ahhhhh” feeling. It’s a visceral reaction that I never would have anticipated before I started this journey.
Our group of three bagged 16 of the 21 birds that had been released for us, which wasn’t too bad considering two of us hadn’t hunted like this since last year, and one of us not for several years.
The other group did not have as much luck as we had, but it was apparently windier with worse conditions in a different field higher up the hill. But we split the birds evenly and everybody got some meat to take home.
When we got back to the preserve lodge, there was a delicious hot dinner waiting for us, which we devoured greedily while Lisa finished cleaning our birds for us. Last year I got to help clean, but this year Lisa was way ahead of us, having collected some of the birds from us while we were still in the field. As a result of her efficiency, the job was nearly finished by the time we returned.
After our meal, and thank-yous to our hunt hosts, we returned to the rental house, showered, and began another evening of fire, fun, and food. There was still tons of food, including venison tenderloin on the grill. Some of the gals cleaned and brined their birds for freezing that night. The rest of us kept them in the fridge for prepping at home.
Sunday morning meant it was time to pack up and head for home, but we each swore we’d be back again and started making plans for next year.
If you are interested in an adventure like this for yourself, check out Calibered Events, or check around in your own area of the country. There are likely outfitters that would love to host a ladies only group hunt, if you’d only ask for the opportunity.
Springfield Armory: Range Officer Elite Operator 10mm
The folks of Springfield Armory are well established in the field of 1911’s. They have been making the John Moses Browning classic for decades.
From their Mil-Spec base model to their TRP, Springfield Armory has a wide array of offerings in their 1911 portfolio. But the Geneseo, Illinois based gun company set a new standard when they introduced the Range Officer series.
1911’s at the time had drifted into two distinct camps, GI Models and “Race Guns”. The middle ground was sparse. Springfield Armory planted their flag into the wide open middle ground by bringing the race gun, and later tactical features, to a more blue collar price point.
Today Springfield launches their 10mm addition to the Elite Operator line. The EO line has 9mm and .45 ACP offerings already, both at about $1150 MSRP. With this third offering, in 10mm, the line offers a caliber for everyone’s tastes.
The Gun
The Range Officer Elite Operator is a well thought out pistol by every standard dimension. Springfield starts with the forged steel frame and slide. G-10 laminate “thin-line” grip panels, in a handsome blue gray finish, provided a positive rentative grip with gloves and bare hands.
A skeletonized trigger and hammer system break at about 5-5.5lbs. Single action pistols have good triggers as a general rule, but this clean pull through still impressed me. The safety is an ambidextrous lever and the slide is cut with slanted front and rear slide serrations for ease of manipulation. The serrations are deep enough to prevent slipping off the slide while not being sharp.
Topping the RO EO 10mm off is a set of the standard Range Officer sights, a red fiber optic front with a double white dot rear. Both the front and rear are serrated for glare and the rear is shelved for one handed manipulation.
The RO EO’s safety has a positive on and off engagement. The trigger, during dry fire, had a small amount of take up and a smooth press through before a clean break. The reset and press have just a little more travel than my P226 Legion in single action and probably a pound more pressure required.
The backstrap mainspring housing is textured while the front of the grip is smooth. This is typical of the Range Officer line and more than some other options offer for grip surety.
The barrel is a stainless match grade 5″ with a stainless bushing. Recoil spring is on a standard GI style guide rod. Texture on the guide rod asssits with disassembly. Finishing off the frame is a 1913 rail for your favorite light. I added a Surefire X300.
The Range
I have been out of the 10mm circles for a couple years, since I sold my G20. I can say now that the 1911 is a fantastic platform for the powerful handgun cartridge. The full steel frame and slide mass are excellent absorbers for the recoil energy of the 10mm.
I found 3 loads from HSM to try in this new pistol. 180 grain FMJ and Hollow Point loads and a 200 grain “Bear Load”.
Certain 1911’s have a reputation with hollow point ammo, it’s not a good one. I started with two magazines of hollow points to see if this pistol fit that tragic mold.
It did not. The HSM hollow points fed and cycled beautifully, punching away at the head box 10 yards away.
No issues, until I got a “click”. The slide didn’t lock back when I finished the second magazine. Not unheard of in 1911 magazines, I marked the side of that mag to keep an eye on it.
Quicker than I wanted the FMJ and hollow point ammunition was spent. Not one failure to feed or fire.
Now it was bear load time.
200 grain flat nose and non jacketed. I loaded the magazine, loaded the gun, and was enveloped in smoke when I fired. I waited for the bay to clear from the powder blast and squeezed again to send another round… dead trigger.
Failure to feed on the bear load. I cleared the stoppage and kept firing. The recoil was mild for a 200 grain in my opinion and may have contributed to a slightly short cycling.
Another dead trigger and failure to feed.
The RO Elite Operator ran without an issue on jacketed rounds but the smokey bear loads and it were not agreeing. I finished the box off with one more stoppage, another fail to feed.
I’m chalking this behavior up to the ammunition, either a little lightly loaded on the powder charge or the flat nose and no jacket didn’t interact well with the feed ramp and chamber.
Conclusions
Accuracy: Excellent, the Range Officer Elite Operator sent a 10mm exactly where I told it too. Errors were mine, not the gun.
Recoil Management: Excellent, 1911’s are a grip sensitive platform and the 10mm is a stout recoiling caliber. The heavy steel frame manages the felt recoil on the shooter very well.
Reliability: Good, with jacketed rounds the pistol fed, fired, extracted, and completed cycling no issue. The reason it can’t be rated excellent is the pistol’s issue with the flat nose rounds. I still place the “blame”, if that’s the correct word, mostly on the ammo. They just didn’t work together.
Fit, Finish, Design: The 5″ ‘Government’ 1911 is a time tested platform and this one is true to form with nothing radically changed. The choice of G-10 grips makes sense, especially for use in wet environments or with gloved hands. The finish was cleanly done and evenly applied over a tightly machined smooth cycling assembly.
Other Notes: The one magazine I marked from Springfield was having the sporadic failure to lock issue with the slide. The second magazine functioned flawlessly.
Under recoil the grip screws like to walk a little and the panels were a little loose after firing a couple hundred rounds. Loctite and retighten, easy fix.
With an MSRP matching the 9mm and .45 ACP models at $1,145, Springfield Armory has a solid contender in the resurging popular 10mm field.
The Blame Game – Or – How to Stay in Your Lane
Let’s play a little game, just between us physicians, shall we?
Are you offended by the implication that you, as a lawful prescriber, are to blame for the opioid epidemic? Are you tired of the government telling you how you should practice medicine–all because of the actions of the criminal and the irresponsible? Are you tired of being asked to jump through hoop after hoop in order to “prove” that you are a responsible and competent physician?
Are you guilty of nothing, but absorb the blame for everything that goes wrong in your profession, including the hundreds of thousands of deaths by medical misadventure every year? Are you annoyed by every essential oil peddler and idiot who went to Google University acting like they know how to practice medicine?
Welcome to the world of the responsible firearms owner!
- We have submitted to background checks–every single time.
- We have been fingerprinted for our concealed carry permits and submitted to additional background checks for that.
- We have studied the Byzantine firearms laws which vary from state-to-state and even building-to-building, trying to be responsible and lawful citizens.
- We have undergone mandatory classes and training for concealed permits. And many of us CONTINUE to train.
- Some of us even get trauma response training, because we understand that bad things happen that aren’t our fault, and we want to be prepared.
Yet we have to listen to idiots every day expounding about firearms who know jack about how any of it actually works–including YOU.
We promote education and responsibility, but we also recognize that with a Constitutional Right, there are limits to how “mandatory” that education should be.
The NRA is the largest firearms education organization in the world. It also works to protect my civil rights from the actions of the emotional, and the well-meaning but misinformed–meaning YOU. Yet you demonize the NRA as if it were a billionaire exerting his will on the people (oh wait, that’s Bloomberg), rather than an organization of several million citizens working to preserve our civil rights.
While I respect the work that you do in the trauma bays and ORs of the country, you CHOSE that life. You chose to place yourself between human beings and death. It is an admirable path, but it also means that you only see a tiny slice of reality.
You don’t see the mother who kept her stalker ex-husband from killing her and her children–because she shot him at the door he just broke down.
You don’t see the child who hid cowering in a closet clutching a shotgun against household intruders.
You don’t see the million DEFENSIVE gun uses every year–because either you only saw the criminal perpetrator who was killed or wounded in lawful self-defense, or because the perpetrator fled when confronted with a firearm, resulting in zero deaths or injury to anyone.
You also chose the area of the country you work in. The fact that you chose to work in a large city with many social ills and a large amounts of criminal activity, rather than quiet Middle America does not give you special input into my or anyone else’s Constitutional Rights.
It is natural to become emotional when dealing with trauma as you do, but physicians, as scientists, are supposed to be driven by data, not emotion. Emotions can inform your response to individual families, but it should NEVER override logic and data leading to advocating for the removal of the civil rights of peaceful citizens. Lawful citizens did not cause the destruction in front of you, but seek to preserve the right to protect themselves from such a fate in self-defense.
Firearms are NOT a “public health issue”. Firearm violence is a criminal justice issue. Firearm rights are a Constitutional issue. A medical degree does not qualify you to speak in either realm.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Minimum 4 Years for Firing on a Lost Black Teen
Image Via the New York Times
Jeffrey Zeigler is going to prison
Zeigler, 53, a retired firefighter says he awoke to his wife, Dana Zeigler, screaming about a black man trying to break into their home.
Brennan Walker, the lost teen who was trying to retrace his bus route on foot to school (because millenial problems) knocked on the Zeigler’s door to ask directions.
Jeffrey’s response to to a teen who had knocked on the door and his wife’s alleged hysterics was to grab an over/under shotgun, run onto the front porch, and fire at the fleeing teen in what he described as “a warning shot”
Let’s break down the nearly unfathomably stupid poor choices here.
- What possible threat was observed from the young Brennan Walker? He has the body language of a boy scout selling popcorn, not someone preparing to rush a door. There are plenty of ways to address someone from the otherside of a door that keeps you at advantage.
- Why did Zeigler open the door to an alleged intruder?
- Walker is beyond the driveway in full flight by the time Zeigler is on his porch and shouldering the shotgun. Any remotely feasible self defense argument is going to rely on perceived aggression at the moment you fire. Good luck trying to convince anyone that a teen trying to break the sound barrier retreating meets any standard for discharging that shotgun.
- Zeigler alleged he meant to fire a “warning shot”. In Michigan there is no such legal thing and you need to abandon this concept.
- When you realize you screwed up. Don’t change your story when the video is saying otherwise. You just look like more of bag of ass.
“Everything happened so fast, it was absolute madness, craziness,” Zeigler said.
Zeigler vehemently denies that he took aim at Brennan, claiming that he planned to shoot the gun up into the air, but he stumbled on wet pavement outside and his finger slipped from the trigger guard onto the trigger, and then the shotgun fired before he had intended it to.
The video proves this is absolutely false. Zeigler took aim, it looks like he tries to fire with the safety on, switches the safety off and fires. Furthermore nothing was happening fast, Walker is sitting on the porch waiting to talk to the residents of the home like millions of harmless interactions.
Caution is always warranted, nothing more.
Analysis
The video is damning. Zeigler lost control, he panicked. I cannot speak to any prejudice towards Brennan Walker but at best Jeffrey Zeigler lost control when his wife started screaming her head off.
Zeigler didn’t observe. He didn’t analyze anything in front of him.
This is a poor excuse. I’d place a wager on your training, it never taught you to run in blind and stupid Mr. Zeigler. You would be excoriated for running into a structure fire that was about to come down on you or opening a door that was going to cause a flare up and worsen a fire.
“Run towards danger” is a catchy line for newspaper heroics just like Marines and soldiers “run towards gunfire”. It’s a shit legal defense.
He also testified that since the shooting, he’s regretted it every day.
“I wish I was awake and was the person to answer the door…I would’ve given him a ride to school, because I know it’s a long walk,” he said.
Aftermath
Jeffrey Zeigler is now paying the price for piss poor preparation. He didn’t know how to address his panicking wife. Additionally not knowing how to address a threat at his door. All of the bad decisions that could have been made were pretty much made.
This is going to cost him 4-10 years of his life. I personally believe his wife is culpable in this tragedy for freaking out about someone opening their outer screen door in the daytime, but Jeffrey fired the shotgun.
Don’t Be That Guy
Remington’s Master Blaster
The Master Blaster
At a recent media event at the Remington ammunition factory in Lonoke Arkansas I had the pleasure of shooting some of the best firearms Remington has to offer. There was definitely one very unique gun we had the opportunity to shoot that stood out. The Remington MasterBlaster.
Purpose
A 5-foot-long by 5 inches wide, 100 LBS beast of a gun. An 8-Gauge industrial gun. The 8-gauge industrial gun is actually not a gun at all. It is actually classified as a tool and as a tool, the MasterBlaster has many different uses. One can think of it as a sledgehammer with a very long handle. A handle that can reach out around 300 ft accurately.
One of the uses for the MasterBlaster is for clearing out obstructions in a Rotary Kiln. The temperature inside one of these rotary kilns is around 3000 degrees. The material inside is sticky at that temperature and will start to form a ring or a clinker inside the kiln which will block the flow. You just stick the MasterBlaster in the end of the kiln and shoot the ring or clinker away. Without turning the kiln off and letting it cool for days then sending men in with hand tools to break up the rings or clinkers.
History
In the 1930’s, Kilns had to be shut down and cooled before workers with picks and bars were able to go in and painstakingly pry loose the buildup of rings, clinkers, balls, and snowmen. It was slow, difficult, and expensive. Kiln downtime eroded production efficiency and profits. The “Cement Gun” was Remington’s solution to this problem and their development of the 8-gauge shell revolutionized an industry.
Since that day Remington has continued to improve the industrial gun. Proving its worth in multiple industries. Remington’s latest industrial gun is the most effective, sophisticated Multi-industry tool of its kind. Built like an artillery piece, the Masterblaster industrial gun was developed to withstand the most severe kiln conditions. Four and a half tons of muzzle energy enable a three-ounce lead magnum or two-ounce and three once zinc payloads to deliver knockout punches accurately out to 300 feet. In addition, there is no industrial gun in the entire world that is more powerful, more accurate, and safer.
Shooting the beast
Upon walking out to the range, I was giddy with excitement. I had absolutely no idea what I was about to see when I got to the range. In the distance, mounted to a big metal stand that was secured to the wood frame work of the small shelter that stood over the firing line was a monster of a shotgun standing there pointing downrange. About 50 yards out sat a stool with a giant pumpkin atop.
Oh, hell yeah, this is going to be fun is all I could think the entire time as some folks from Remington explained how it all worked. Yes! It was time to go to the line and fire the MasterBlaster. walking up to the firing line, I turned the industrial guns traverse wheels to get it aligned with the pumpkin, grabbed the giant 3oz, 8-gauge slug and placed it on the loading platform of the MasterBlaster. My heart started pounding out of my chest as grabbed a firm hold of the operating handle and pushed it forward. The industrial gun almost seemed to thank me for feeding it when I threw that operating handle forward. The MasterBlaster was ready to go to work.
This beast should be named Gallagher because it really loved to “smash some fruit.” I looked at the range master and confirmed it was time. The MasterBlaster doesn’t have a traditional trigger. It utilizes a simple lanyard that you just give a little pull straight back. With that simple pull of the lanyard the industrial gun came to life with an earth-shaking bang followed by a whole bunch of laughter and child like giggles from everyone behind me.
Downrange was a different story. I aimed A little bit low, the stool burst into a barrage of splinters and the pumpkin shot straight up in the air. The pumpkin was wounded but not dead so it was time for shot number 2. We reset the range and fired again. This time the pumpkin was not so lucky. It exploded into a million little pieces and covered the range like a blanket. Needless to say, this 8-gauge industrial gun is like nothing I had ever seen before.
A beast designed out of necessity. The classic example of see a need fill a need. The industrial gun is not available to consumers so if you are not in an industry that you actually can use this MasterBlaster, you wont probably ever get the privilege of shooting one. If you are an industrial customer that needs more information on an industrial gun you can contact Remington’s Industrial 8-gauge Department located at Lonoke Arkansas. 501-676-4150.
Gone Hunting
That’s it folks.
I’ll be back later. To anyone joining me in the woods, good luck and stay safe!
On Mass Shootings
How do we have a reasonable conversation about so unreasonable a topic as violence?
First, we need intellectual honesty. We need to look at the hard information even when it is unpleasant. We need to remove our bias for or pet solutions and accept the benefits and drawbacks of all options.
Until we do that we can’t have a reasonable conversation.
H. R. 7115 Introduced, Bans All Home Builds, Modifications, and Parts
No More Home Builds
H.R. 7115 called, disingenuously, the “3-D Firearms Prohibition Act” is an opening salvo from the Democrats that will, if passed, effectively eliminate your ability to build or modify your gun at home.
Your home built AR-15 on any lower, serialized or not, will now be impossible.
A BILL
To prohibit the sale, acquisition, distribution in commerce, or import into the United States of certain firearm receiver castings or blanks, assault weapon parts kits, and machinegun parts kits and the marketing or advertising of such castings or blanks and kits on any medium of electronic communications, to require homemade firearms to have serial numbers, and for other purposes.
Obviously targeting 3D printing and 80% builds, the text of the law also eliminates the ability to change any part of your firearm on your own. Why? You can’t legally buy the part. Factory stripped and already serialized parts? Nope. Can’t do those either.
SEC. 2. DO-IT-YOURSELF ASSAULT WEAPON BAN.
(a) Banned Hazardous Products.—Notwithstanding section 3(a)(5)(E) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(5)(E)), the following shall be considered banned hazardous products under section 8 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2057):
(1) A firearm receiver casting or firearm receiver blank or unfinished handgun frame that—
(A) at the point of sale does not meet the definition of a firearm in section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code; and
(B) after purchase by a consumer, can be completed by the consumer to the point at which such casting or blank functions as a firearm frame or receiver for a semiautomatic assault weapon or machinegun or the frame of a handgun.
(2) An assault weapon parts kit.
(3) A machinegun parts kit.
(b) Enforcement.—Subsection (a) shall be treated as a ban under section 19 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2068).
(c) Consultation.—In enforcing this section, the Consumer Product Safety Commission shall periodically consult with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding effective strategies for and methods of enforcement.
The devil is in the details. Or in this case the definitions.
(2) the term “assault weapon parts kit” means any part or combination of parts designed and intended to enable a consumer who possesses all such necessary parts to assemble a semiautomatic assault weapon
You can’t buy a Geissele trigger. You can’t buy a new buffer or spring. You can’t buy a new takedown pin. You can’t buy any part that would allow you to complete a “semi-automatic assault rifle” as they are now all defined as “Banned Hazardous Products”
The title of the act is an insidious attempt to deflect from just how damaging the act would be to the modern market and your choices as a consumer.
(4) the term “semiautomatic assault weapon” means—
(A) a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun that has the capacity to accept a detachable ammunition feeding device; or
(B) a semiautomatic pistol that has—
(i) the capacity to accept a detachable ammunition feeding device; and
(ii) any one of the features described in subsection (b)
(b) Special Features Of A Semiautomatic Pistol.—The special features described in subsection (a)(3)(B)(ii) are—
(1) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;
(2) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;
(3) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;
(4) a second hand grip;
(5) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and
(6) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.
The bill is looking to cripple one of the most useful and enjoyable portions of the firearms market, end user customizations. The aftermarket would be crippled beyond repair. Licensed gunsmiths would have to perform every single part change you want done because you cannot purchase a ‘Hazardous Product’.
This bill has no chance in the House… until the house changes hands next year. Then the gun control proponents in Washington can push this into the Senate’s hands. They can shame the Senate for “doing nothing but offering thoughts and prayers” over gun control. It doesn’t matter that none of the shootings involved a 80% “Ghost Gun” or 3D printed weapon.
This is bullshit folks… It’s bullshit and it’s bad for you. Be sure to let your Congress folk and Senators know it.
The Brit’s Bullpup V3: H&K Awarded $95 Million for The SA80/L85 A3 Variants
The latest version of the UK’s bullpup service rifle is now awarded a full production contract
“A notice was issued on 28 October stating that the MoD intended to award NSAF Limited, a UK subsidiary of Heckler & Koch, a contract worth up to GBP75 million (USD95.6 million) to modify and supply 44,000 upgraded 5.56×45 mm SA80 rifles,” said Grant Turnbull, Janes International Defense Review.
The changes to the rifle include:
- A more durable hardwearing coating in a “Flat Dark Earth” color offering better camouflage in a range of environments.
- The A3 is 100g (approximately 1/4 lb) lighter than the A2 and has a more streamlined fore grip making the weapon easier to handle.
- The A3 rifle has a bracket to secure new innovative low light sights which can clip on or in front of the day sight without the need to remove it. These sights are smaller, lighter and require fewer batteries whilst operating just as effectively in low light/night conditions.
In a world of military forces switching to M4 style conventional rifles the fact that Brit’s, along with the Israeli IDF and Australian armed forces, are fielding modernized bullpups may give the concept new legs.
The Right Tool for the Job
Use appropriate tools at appropriate times.
What do you use and when? This isn’t a stupid question. Sadly we are often made to feel stupid asking it. As men and women of action we are already supposed to know! Even if we don’t.
It’s simple, and no despite the machismo of IG Experts and Forum Operators, you are not expected to know.
You are expected to learn. Learning what tools you have and what tools you don’t is as critical as learning to use those tools.
The Tools to Have
1. Defense
A gun is excellent. So is a knife. Pepper spray is a spicy surprise. A taser is meh but better than nothing perhaps. Some hand to hand knowledge could get you out of a bind too. Just having a plan in case your situation goes sideways.
All of these defensive elements will have a level of relevance based on your individual situation. The key is knowing how and when to apply them. For that… training. Take a course and read then back to a course and then onto another book. Do not let your defensive tools become dusty, rusty, and stale.
2. Medical
First aid for punctures, scrapes, bumps, bruises, lacerations, heart attacks, seizures, and gunshot wounds. These things happen with varied frequency but they ALL happen. Being ready to deal with them, even as simply as calling 911 and effectively getting paramedics on the way.
Medical is about prior planning and knowing both the capabilities and limits of how you can respond where you are at. Be as effective as you can be and do not panic.
Now what is your plan to take your effectiveness to the next level? Are you missing gear? Training? Both? Set a plan to get it.
3. Communication
How are you set up to communicate. Who are your emergency contacts? No not your wife, husband, or mom for insurance purposes on a liability waiver. Who are you actually going to communicate with and how.
Example: A recent medical emergency with a friend of mine. This emergency was happening outside my view, occuring on the other side of the state. Emergency communication started between myself and my small coordinated ground. I tried local services but was routed away over and over by electronic phone trees. 911 being GPS based could not route me to his jurisdiction although they tried.
Using the internet, calling into local jurisdiction business where my friend worked, and getting the emergency dispatch direct phone line EMS was finally properly dispatched.
It was a coordinated effort to get help to our friend, who was on his own and unable to summon it himself.
The strength of the communication plan isn’t in checking boxes. A strong emergency communication tool can problem solve, collecting and disseminating information where it needs to be.
Veterans Day, 100 Years of the Armistice, Thank You All
The 11th of November every year we set aside to give due honors. To those few who have taken the oath and stepped up to fight for this nation, we give this day.
When a nation asked they said, “Send me.”
Men and women of every background, every faith, and every walk of life picked up a rifle to defend their homes, communities, and nation. Many take this for granted, some spurn their sacrifices.
We owe them our lives, liberty, and most sacred honor.
To All Whom Have Honorably Served This Nation, Thank You.
10 November 1775
Today is the 243rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
Marines are eternal, there is nothing like them. Once made they can only be unmade by their own hand. Those who keep the faith forever uphold the legacy and tradition of our elite fighting force.