NEW PLANO 1812 HUNTING STOOL IS A PRIME AND PRACTICAL PERCH FOR DOVE AND WATERFOWL HUNTING
Plano, IL (March 17, 2016) – Most hunters and shooters are familiar with Plano’s highly practical and economical 1312, 1612 and 1712 Field/Ammo Boxes. These durable, molded-plastic field boxes have been used to store and transport ammunition, hunting accessories and shooting supplies to and from the range and field for years now. A new, larger Magnum 1812 Ammo/Field Box was added to this honest and hardworking lineup earlier this year.
The ample dimensions of the new Magnum 1812 prompted a spark in the minds of Plano’s engineering staff. “Hey, Mike, sit down on that thing for a minute.” The spark went full light bulb. “Hmm… Interesting.” A few engineering drawings and a couple prototypes later, the all-new Plano 1812 Hunting Stool emerged.
Conceived as the ultimate, compact and highly portable dove hunting field box and seat, Plano’s new 1812 Hunting Stool is destined to earn devotees from the world of waterfowling as well. Anyone who appreciates the dual functionality of a comfy seat atop a pragmatic and practical carryall will find a new favorite friend in the clever 1812 Hunting Stool.
The sturdy and stealthy Magnum 1812 Field/Ammo Box serves as the 1812 Hunting Stool’s adroit core and superstructure. The oversized 1812 Magnum Can is the ideal vessel for keeping shot shells sandwiches and other necessities at-hand throughout the hunt. A latched, quick-access storage compartment is molded right into the can’s lid for immediate access to choke tubes, wrenches and other small items. The 1812 Magnum is finished with a brass bail latch and a heavy-duty molded handle.
A hardwearing but lightweight ballistic Nylon wrap envelops and attaches to the outside of the box, providing additional levels of utility and secure storage. Large, zippered and gusseted pockets adorn the front and sides of the 1812 Hunting Stool, while a handy additional mesh pocket spans the back. Up top, a Nylon-covered, comfortable foam pad creates a plush seating surface for waiting out fast-flying game, while a detachable shoulder strap affords comfortable and reliable transport to and from the truck. All fabric surfaces are finished in the versatile Mossy Oak Brush camouflage pattern.
PLANO® MODEL 181206 HUNTING STOOL
1812 Field Box with storage compartment in lid
Integral seat cushion
Large gusseted storage pocket
Side gusseted storage pocket
Mesh back pocket
Carry strap
Mossy Oak Brush camouflage
Exterior Dimensions: 18”Lx15”Wx13”H
Weight: 6.0 lbs.
MSRP $59.99
I stumbled into the Legacy Sports booth at last year’s SHOT show and handled the Howa line of rifles. Howa’s quality really impressed me.
Additional research uncovered a cult following of the Howa rifles with plenty of aftermarket parts and more than a few mentions of sub-MOA accuracy. As a student of longer range shooting, I ordered the heavy barrel Howa Target Master scope package to see what the Howa brand could deliver to precision shooters.
Howa Machinery Company Limited is a Japanese firm and a highly diverse manufacturer of products ranging from construction/manufacturing to firearms. Howa’s long-storied history dates back to creating the accurate Japanese Arisaka rifles. In the 1970s, they manufactured AR18/AR180s under a licensing agreement with Armalite and currently manufacture the 1500 and Vanguard receivers for Weatherby, S&W and Mossberg. Their Japanese-made line of Howa precision rifles are marketed in the U.S. by Legacy Sports.
The Howa rifles are incredibly well made with a fit and finish far above their shelf price. The overall fit of this Howa 1500 Targetmaster is notably better than the comparable Remington 700 and Savage actions. The bottom metal is actually metal, the bolt runs smoother, the receiver is beefier and the barrel is finished with a very crisp, recessed, match 90-degree crown. The heavy, 20-inch hammer-forged barrel has a lustrous deep-blued finish.
Considering the mid-$700 street price of this Howa rifle scope package, the quality, fit, finish and excellent accuracy should make it an easy choice on the showroom floor.
The Howas are seldom sold without the scope kit, which makes the rifles a good value proposition for buyers looking at Remington 700 or Savage models. Considering the mid-$700 street price of this Howa rifle scope package, the quality, fit, finish and excellent accuracy should make it an easy choice on the showroom floor.
I found the scope easy to use, and surprisingly clear, and it held perfect zero throughout my testing of well over 1,000 rounds — even through a standard box test.
The Hogue stock is probably one of the best budget-conscious, light factory gun stocks available and can take a beating in the field. Paired with Howa’s new two-stage Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger, the shooter has a great stock with a decently crisp, creep-free trigger in the 2- to 3-pound range.
The Howa rifles are incredibly well made with a fit and finish far above their shelf price.
During my first zeroing at the range, a fellow shooter had a nicely upgraded and suppressed .308 Howa 1500 complete with a McMillan stock and Timney trigger, which he was using to casually paint a 2-inch lead splatter on the 300-yard gong. He noted the rifle regularly delivers 1/2-inch 100-yard groups.
Within the first 50 rounds, I could see why the Howa rifles have such a following. Connecting with 4-inch steel plates at 200 to 400 yards was boring. The Howa Target Master is easily a sub-MOA gun. Based on my testing, I saw a few .6-inch 100-yard groups. One rather impressive five-shot group was a 2-inch lead-painted set of hits on my steel silhouette head at 300 yards with Hornady 168-grain Z-Max .308 ammo shot off sandbags.
The barrel is a 1:10 twist, which delivers good accuracy with a wide range of bullet weights, however, the rifle preferred heavier 168-grain-plus bullets.
Just to prove how great this Howa could be, I swapped the Hogue stock for a $499 MDT HS3 precision billet magazine-fed chassis, plus $289 MDT Skeleton Stock, and I upgraded the trigger to a $116 2-pound Timney. The results easily matched the consistent sub-MOA capabilities I had seen demonstrated at the range with an upgraded Howa. As with any trigger upgrade and Hogue to billet stock swap I have done before, the upgrade improved my groups by 30 percent easily, which meant sloppy 1-inch 100-yard groups moved into the .7-inch range, and my best groups shrank to well below that.
For $900 in upgrades, the Howa can play with the custom guns even with the included Nikko Sterling optic, but you might also want to spring for a higher-end scope if you are willing to go that far with upgrades.
The Howa Target Master package includes a $399 MSRP 4-14 Nikko Sterling scope, rings and base. This 30mm Nikko Sterling Target Master 4-14 adjustable, Mil-Dot scope features side parallax adjustment, low dispersion ETE multi-coated lenses, re-zeroable ⅛”-100-yard MOA turret adjustments and an illuminated reticle that actually delivered a usable illumination setting when it is pitch black out. The half-Mil-Dot reticle is glass-etched, shockproof and waterproof.
During my testing, I found the scope easy to use, and surprisingly clear, and it held perfect zero throughout my testing of well over 1,000 rounds — even through a standard box test. I will note that the scope does have a rather short eye relief. From my perspective, the short eye relief and mixed MOA turret adjustments with Mil-Dot reticle are the major shortcomings of the scope, however, the optic clarity and features are exceptional considering the price.
The Howa Target Master package is a fun rifle, easy to shoot and useable right out of the box with exceptional, longer-range precision rifle capabilities.
The Russian military hardware is constantly improved and upgraded. Their newest APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) codenamed the Bumerang, which was unveiled during last year’s May 9 Victory Parade in Moscow – is currently undergoing preliminary trials before it will be ready for mass production.
The same thing is undergoing with Norinco VP10, a Chinese version of Russian APC “Bumerang” which also entering testing phase. The new APC is dubbed as “Unkillable” according to the Alexander Krasovitsky, the head of the Military-Industrial Company, which is tasked with Bumerang construction. He heaped praise on what he describes as a “machine you simply can’t kill.”
“This is a new generation vehicle, better armed and better protected, both actively and passively, and boasting an advanced system of control, which exceeds what you can find on the very best foreign analogues,” Krasovitsky told RIA Novosti.
First public showcase occurred during the V-Day (Victory Day parade on Red Square) in 2015. The Bumerang is already being eyed by foreign militaries.
“There is a great deal of foreign interest in buying the Bumerang. If we get an official go-ahead from the government we’ll be ready to sell,” Alexander Krasovitsky said.
The Bumerang is constructed to replace the BTR-82/A, a heavily modernized version of the 1980s-designed BTR-80 which was used in SSSR and in post-Soviet Russia as the main APC in Russian military.
Capabilities and technical specifications of Bumerang
Its 8×8 wheeled armored vehicle equipped with a front-engine design which features ceramic armor technology. The APC is equipped with anti-tank grenade and anti-mine protection, has a crew of three, and can be fitted with a 30 mm anti-materiel or armor-piercing cannon, a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun as the primary or secondary weapon.
Armored Personnel Carrier Bumerang on V-Day 2015 in Moscow
In addition, to its role as an armored personnel carrier, the Bumerang can also serve as a full-scale anti-tank missile carrier, an air defense missile launcher, an armored ambulance, a command post vehicle, a fire-support vehicle and a mortar carrier. Literally, for all military task in modern warfare.
Here is one of the most brutal and most demanding drills for special operations forces. The special purpose unit of US Marine Corps, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is trained to work in all environments, including water is subdued to the complicated and abnormal stress test.
They actually are learning how to escape from a submerged helicopter while conducting training at the HUET (Helicopter Underwater Egress Trainer) aboard Camp Lejeune. The drill itself checks their level of fitness and mental readiness to act under brutal conditions while practicing how to safely leave the helicopter that landed in the water. The Marines are seated tight and blindfolded.
Anyone familiar with accounts of the Great Patriotic War cannot but help note the emphasis given to sniping by the Soviet army. Post-war, that emphasis remained undiminished, and to carry out the sniping role the Soviets developed what is widely regarded as one of the best contemporary sniper rifles. This is the SVD, sometimes known as the Dragunov.
PRIZED WEAPON
The SVD Dragunov first appeared in 1963 and ever since has been one of the most prized of infantry trophies. It is a semi-automatic weapon that uses the same operating principles as the AK-47 assault rifle but allied to a revised gas-operated system. Unlike the AK-47, which uses the short 7.62-mm (0.3-in) x39 cartridge, the SVD fires the older 7.62-mm x54R rimmed cartridge, originally introduced during the 1980s for the Mosin-Nagant rifles. This remains a good round for the sniping role, and as it is still used on some Russian machine-guns, availability is no problem.
The SVD has a long barrel, but the weapon is so balanced that it handles well and recoil is not excessive. The weapon is normally fired using a sling rather than the bipod favoured elsewhere, and to assist aiming, a PSO-1 telescopic sight is provided. This is secured to the left-hand side of the receiver and has a magnification of x4. The PSO-1 has an unusual feature in that it incorporates an infra-red detector element to enable it to be used as a passive night sight, although it is normally used in conjunction with an independent infra-red target illumination source. Basic combat sights are fitted for use if the optical sight becomes defective.
Perhaps the oddest feature of a sniper rifle is that the SVD is provided with a bayonet, the rationale for this remaining uncertain. A 10-round box magazine is also fitted.
LONG-RANGE ACCURACY
Tests have demonstrated that the SVD can fire accurately at ranges of well over 800m. It is a pleasant weapon to handle and fire, despite the lengthy barrel. SVDs were provided to many Warshaw Pact and other nations and the weapon was used in Afghanistan, some ending up in the hands of the Mujahideen. It seems reasonable to assume that te SCD remains in use in Russia and with other former client states of the USSR. The Chinese produce a direct copy of the SCD and offer this version for export, quoting an effective range of 1000 m (621 ft).
For those looking to add a first, a subsequent, or perhaps a supplemental handgun for defensive and practical use, listen up please… or rather read.
You need a Glock 19.
Now that I’ve made Glock haters lock and load their keyboard systems and allowed Glock fans to raise a standard of triumph…
These work too
That’s a Sig Sauer P226 and the newer P320.
I could keep posting more by picture but this brief article would get very heavy digitally speaking. Let me write it out
Glock: G17, G19
Sig Sauer: P226, P229, P320, SP2022
Smith & Wesson: M&P9
Heckler & Koch: P30, USP9, VP9
FN: FNX9, FNS9
Walther: PPQ
CZ: 75B, 75D
Ruger: American (perhaps, very new)
Springfield Armory: XD, XDG (Mod2), XDM
Beretta: 92, 92FS, 92G, M9A3, PX4
The above is a starting list for your consideration. You need a Glock 19 or rather a firearm, likely on that list, which operates like a Glock 19.
They are reliable.
They are simple.
They are consistent
They are built for the modern realities of a Defensive Gun Use (DGU).
As a buyer looking for a defensive sidearm those are your requirements. These are most important if you are considering your first defensive handgun or buying a supplemental one. So pick a Glock 19 (off the list above or like firearms)
Reliability
put simply, is the fact these guns work in unfair conditions. A DGU situation by its very nature is an unfair condition. Someone or ones have the ability to cause you and yours great harm, they are close enough to deliver that harm, and they are in the act of committing that harm. This situation likely happened very suddenly and with little warning. It is not the moment to be relying on a bargain safety device.
You need that firearm to deliver force, right now, regardless of your situation moments prior. The gun can’t care if it’s raining or cold and wet, if you were knocked down or fell in the mud. It shouldn’t care if you’re down to one hand because of injury or dragging a loved one to safety. It must respond to your need, right now, for defensive force.
Your “Glock 19” (selected from the list above) has an established track record or are establishing track records of working under unfair conditions.
Keep it Simple. The Glock 19 is a practically ergonomic and easily maintained firearm. It has three external controls a slide stop/release, a magazine release, and the trigger. Only three functions to remember and practice. It disassembles into five major components without any tools, the slide, barrel, recoil spring, frame, and magazine. All of them can be cleaned and maintained with a cotton rag and the included cleaner tool in the box.
The Glock 19 is a machine and requires maintenance and competence. Neither task is difficult because the Glock 19 is simple. From the list above you will see a solid parallel to my description of the Glock 19 with the rest of the firearms. Simple use and ease of maintenance are standard among them.
The last item I’ll turn your reader eyes toward is the caliber. 9mm lends itself perfectly to the simple criteria by being easy on shooters with recoil, being an effective round, and being low cost to supply and stock.
Consistency
It is a factor I feel gets too little attention. The size, fit, and function of the Glock 19 and its peers lends substantial advantages to its shooters. Ergonomically designed around strong two handed shooting positions and equipped with highly functional factory triggers and sights (often easily further refined aftermarket) make these firearms among the best for new shooters both male and female. Size and weight reduce recoil severity significantly and allow rapid, accurate, and consistent shooting. Steer clear of pint sized pocket pistols, they work against you in this regard.
DGU Realities
Honest question, how many rounds do you need in a fight?
The answers I get to this question run the gamut from the blank stare of “I never considered that.” to “One? I hope.” But eventually, after contemplation, settles on the accurate answer of ‘as many as it takes’.
That’s great, it’s realistic and we’re starting to break that dangerous myth of the ‘one shot stop’. I say starting to because often the next sentence of the conversation is “Well if I can’t do it in five/six rounds I’m really in trouble.” Yes, yes you are really in trouble if the fight lasts beyond those first shots so why are we looking at less than ideal firearms for when we’re “really in trouble”.
The answer is murky one. Some odd preconceived notion that a larger, easier to shoot, and higher capacity firearm not being the best tool because… they usually have nothing when they say it aloud. Many of these people aren’t even using the firearm for a daily carry but plan it for home defense handgun which adds further logical dissonance to picking something outside the Glock 19 peer group. A Ruger Vaquero is an incredible gun in its own right but doesn’t have the mechanical characteristics to serve this defensive role efficiently.
The Glock 19 holds fifteen rounds stock from the factory. That’s the lowest capacity of anything on the above list. That gives its user ten more shots when they reach the “really in trouble” line before needing to reload, another quick and simple process on a Glock 19. “Trouble” is the exact moment you need reliable, simple, and consistent… and you need it right now.
You need a Glock 19
P.S. My personal “Glock 19” is a Sig Sauer P226, alternatively a Glock 19 Gen 4. Pick your Glock 19 wisely.
Reporting the news, when it comes to stories involving firearms, can be extremely complicated. There are many commonly used words and phrases that one would assume are accurate, but are often not at all. The sources of these descriptions, definitions, and sayings can range from politicians, to the military, to governments, NGO’s, activists, and other news outlets, but not all of these sources are created equally when it comes to terms being properly stated, or even relevant to the story. With the advent of the 24 hour news cycle, priority is often given to speed over accuracy. This can often lead to incorrect information being disseminated, which usually leads to misconceptions being exaggerated and duplicated by other news outlets and social media.
This paper will attempt to address many of the misconceptions and misuses of the terminology often used to describe various aspects of firearms and firearm related law in order to add clarity and accuracy to news writing and reporting.
Definitions
Definitions are extremely important to being factual, as are the sources of those definitions. When in doubt, it is best to refer to either government or military sources, scientific studies and journals. Other sources may include firearm history books, or firearm industry publications. Wikipedia, though it is not preferred in academia, is usually accurate and can be used if expediency is necessary, which usually is the case when it comes to news reporting, but be sure to check the citations.
Assault Rifles
The first definitions that are the most important to understand is the difference between ‘assault rifles’ and ‘assault weapons’. Assault rifles, as defined by the ATF as well as the UN Small Arms survey of 2013 are, “light, self loading rifles that are chambered for intermediate calibre cartridges, such as 5.56×45 mm or 7.62×39 mm. Designed to engage targets at ranges rarely exceeding 400 metres (around 1,300 feet), they are primarily selective-fire weapons, enabling the user to switch between single-shot, fully, automatic, and (in some models) burst-fire modes of operation” (United Nations, 2013).
These fully automatic firearms are highly regulated by the federal government and banned by a number of state governments. The 1986 FOPA bill (Firearms owners protection act, 1986) restricted the number of fully automatic firearms (FA firearms) so that no new ones could be produced and sold to civilians after May 19th, 1986. This limited the number of FA firearms to around 250,000, increasing their value due to supply and demand so that the firearms that can be legally transferred between private citizens ranges from $5,000 to over $100,000. In order to legally transfer an FA firearm, a buyer must fill out an ATF Form 4, pay a $200 tax, and register the firearm in the state where it is legal to own. People can often confuse the ‘AR’ in AR-15 to mean ‘Assault Rifle’-15, this is not the case. The ‘AR’ stands for Armalite Rifle, the company who first produced the firearm (Armalite, 2015).
It’s important to understand the rarity and expensive nature of FA firearms when talking about their usage in crime. According to Dr. Gary Kleck, a criminologist and authority on gun crime in the US, there have been less than 10 crimes committed with legally owned machine guns since 1934 when they were first regulated by the National Firearms Act, and slightly more crimes committed with illegally owned or modified FA firearms (Kleck, 1997, p. 108). This makes the likelihood of a firearm being used in a crime being FA extremely unlikely, so before reporting, one should verify with the police that the firearm was actually fully automatic instead of a semi-auto firearm.
Assault Weapon
‘Assault Weapon’ is a much more confusing term that has its origins in political activism which then lead to some federal and state laws regarding the banning of certain functional and cosmetic features of semi-auto rifles, pistols, and shotguns. While there is no set, official definition, it varies based on the few states that do have assault weapons laws. Josh Sugarmann, executive director and founder of the Violence Policy Center is credited with coining the term in his paper Assault Weapons and Accessories in America (Sugarman, 1988). The descriptions in this paper and others were used to draft the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and modified versions of that were eventually used to pass state legislation in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and certain municipality bans in the District of Columbia, Illinois and Indiana. The definition of ‘assault weapon’ varies according to each state and municipality, so what may be defined as an assault weapon in one may not be an assault weapon in another.
The qualifying factor is whether the law allows for one or two features which can include, “Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following: Folding or telescoping stock, pistol grip, bayonet mount, flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one, grenade launcher mount. Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following: Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip, threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor, barrel shroud safety feature that prevents burns to the operator, unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more, a semi-automatic version of a fully automatic firearm. Semi-automatic shotguns with two or more of the following: Folding or telescoping stock, pistol grip, detachable magazine” (Violent crime control and law enforcement act of 1994, p. 203). During the period between 1994 and 2004, any firearm that had two or more of these features was considered an assault weapon, Federally. In the 7 states and 4 municipalities/counties with their specific legislation, a firearm may qualify as an assault weapon.
Semi-Automatic
Semi-automatic (SA), or self loading firearms come in multiple designs across multiple platforms such as pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Generally, an SA firearm will fire once per pull of the trigger and the mechanism of the firearm will use the energy from the round being fired to expel the used casing and load the next round. While many revolvers fire one round per pull of the trigger, they are not considered semi-automatic because the energy from the round being fired does not cycle the next round into battery, the mechanical force of pulling the trigger does. SA firearms, usually rifles, can be used in addition with specially made ‘bump-fire stocks’ to simulate full auto fire, but these accessories still require the user to pull the trigger each time and the use of these bump-fire stocks makes the firearm difficult to aim and control.
Fully Automatic or Machine Gun
The ATF defines a machine gun as, “Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger” (ATF, 2015). Machine guns can range from machine pistols, to assault rifles, to crew served heavy machine guns.
Clip
A clip is, “a separate cartridge container to hold cartridges or shells in proper sequence for feeding into a specific firearm. It is a magazine charger, and unlike a magazine does not contain a feeding spring. Sometimes improperly called a Magazine” (SAAMI, 2012). In other words, a clip is a storage device which holds ammunition for the purpose of feeding that ammunition into a magazine. Clips are generally used in older military firearms, such as those from World War I through Vietnam. Reporters will sometimes mistake pistol magazines for clips, or will combine terms such as ‘ammunition clip magazine’, which would be incorrect.
Magazine
A magazine is, “A receptacle for a firearm that holds a plurality of cartridges or shells under spring pressure preparatory for feeding into the chamber. Magazines take many forms, such as box, drum, rotary, tubular, etc. and may be fixed or removable” (SAAMI, 2012). Magazines are the primary ammunition feeding device for most modern firearms and can range from as few as 3 to as many as 100 rounds. If a firearm is capable of accepting a removable magazine of a smaller size, they are generally capable of accepting a magazine of larger capacity. There are also firearms that have fixed magazines, which are usually not removable and have a set number of rounds that can be loaded.
Bulletproof Vests and Body Armor
There are a number of items that are and are not considered bulletproof, and the degree to which they are varies based on the materials used in their fabrication. One such item that is usually confused with being bulletproof is the tactical or load bearing vest. Tactical vests are garments usually made out of a nylon derivative that is designed to be used for carrying items such as magazines, pistols, and other equipment. While the vest may look military in style, it offers no ballistic protection whatsoever.
Body armor can be classified into either soft or hard categories, though some designs may combine both for optimal performance. Soft body armor is generally made with multiple layers of kevlar, a tightly woven synthetic fabric whose physical properties allow it to absorb the energy from some bullets. Type IIA is rated for calibers up to and between 9mm and 40 S&W, Type II is rated for up to and between 9mm and .357 magnum, Type IIIA is rated for up to and between .357 SIG and 44 magnum. It is important to note that soft body armor is primarily designed to stop most pistol rounds. Though some pistol rounds can exceed the design specifications of a given rating, just about any rifle round will penetrate through soft body armor. Hard body armor, usually made from hardened steel, but sometimes with ceramics, begins with Type IIIA, which is rated for up to 7.62×51 (.308) ball ammo. Type III is rated up to 30.06 armor piercing (National Institute of Justice, 2008).
Understanding the different body armor ratings can help clarify news stories where there is confusion on whether a vest type is bullet proof, to what degree, and whether the ammunition used is specifically ‘armor piercing’ or not. For example, some news stories have listed smaller rifle ammunition as ‘armor piercing’ because it is able to defeat soft body armor. This is misleading because just about all rifle ammunition, regardless of design, will penetrate soft body armor. There are a few laws to keep in mind when writing stories that do involve body armor. 18 USC 931 states that it is illegal for a felon to own body armor (18 U.S. Code § 931, 2002) and Title 42, Section 3796ll-3 states that the presence of body armor during a commission of a crime is a felony (Swank, 2016, p. 393).
Gun Show Loophole
Gun show loophole is one of the more popular hot button phrases to use when reporting on private sales and universal background checks. Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1986, named for James Brady, the White House press secretary who was crippled during the Reagan assassination attempt, established a national background check system and a series of regulations around it (Brady handgun violence prevention act, 1993). The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is managed and maintained by the FBI. The FBI uses their computer database to cross check against all disqualifying factors listed on the ATF form 4473 for any purchase from a Federally licensed Firearms Dealer (FFL) at a gun store, pawn shop, or gun show.
While gun shows are primarily made up of FFL’s, who must perform background checks by law, there are concerns that private citizens attend these shows as well to sell or trade firearms. Federally, according to the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the Brady Bill, as long as a resident of a state is not in the business of buying and selling guns, the buyer is a resident of the same state, the seller does not have reasonable suspicion that the buyer is a criminal, and the state does not prohibit direct private sales, it is legal for a citizen to sell a firearm to another citizen at any location that does not prohibit firearms. So if a resident from different state attempts to conduct a private sale, if the buyer reasonably appears to be a criminal, or if a state prohibits private sales unless conducted through an FFL, that is breaking the law.
Buying Guns on the Internet
A related subject to the gun show loophole is the confusion over what is and isn’t legal regarding purchasing firearms online. There are two markets to consider when talking about purchasing firearms online, through FFL’s or through private sales. Purchasing a gun from an FFL’s website online is subject to all federal inter and intra state laws. When a customer orders a firearm from an FFL that is out of state, online, the FFL is required by law to ship the firearm directly to a FFL that is local to the customer. The customer then goes to the FFL where their firearm was shipped, performs a background check, then accept the firearm. If a customer buys a firearm online from an FFL that is within the same state, the customer can either have the firearm shipped (if it’s far away) to a closer FFL or the customer can go to the selling FFL and go through the background check process.
If a buyer wants to facilitate the purchase of a firearm listed on an online website or forum from a private seller in another state, the seller must ship the firearm to an FFL local to the buyer where the background check is required. If the buyer or seller cross state lines to facilitate the sale in person, both have broken the law and committed a felony. If two residents of the same state wish to facilitate the purchase or sale of a firearm one of them has listed on a website or forum and the other conditions of legally transferring a firearm are met, they may conduct a person to person sale.
Mass Shootings
The definition and mischaracterized definitions of ‘mass shooting’ has been of great contention over the last 4 years. When well known, major media outlets quote statistics, they can appear to be doing so with authority, but their sources are not always the most reliable. At the center of this controversy is a website called Mass Shooting Tracker (MST), which claims to pool all incidents of shootings where 4 or more people are injured or killed. There is a problem with this methodology as there has already been an established, scientific definition of mass shooting for nearly 30 years which reads, “four or more killed by gunfire, not including the perpetrator” (Fox, 2015). The creator of MST was interviewed by Mother Jones and was quoted as saying, “Three years ago I decided, all by myself, to change the United States’ definition of mass shooting.” (Follmann, 2015). There was a scientific report issued to Congress on mass shootings between 1999 and 2013, and while the data shows that there has been a slight increase in the number of mass shootings over the last five years, the average over the last 15 years has remained fairly consistent at 21 incidents per year (Krouse & Richardson, 2015).
Conclusion
Hopefully this paper has added some clarity to a number of complicated concepts and phrases regarding proper usage of firearm and firearm related terminology. For further clarity, the sources used can be referred to for more complete descriptions, historical references, and legal classifications.
Resources:
18 U.S. Code § 931 – Prohibition on purchase, ownership, or possession of body
Craig from Swanson Media Grouptakes a look at the latest version of 0241 Tactical’s Basha/Tarp. The Tarp used in this review is their Medium version (120″ x 90″)
When you need something done right sometimes you just have to do it yourself. Two former military warriors pioneered and developed 0241 Tactical. They decided to create a special line of USA made products their mission is to provide affordable products that do what they say they will do. I have had the opportunity to use several of the 0241 products in the field and can attest to the slogan that 0241 Tactical attached to the 0241 Tactical name “Concealment from Sight, Protect from the Elements”. 0241 Tactical continues in the traditions of the military in their attention to details, product appearance, as well as superior quality. 0241 Tactical has product lines in the latest camouflage patterns that include all MultiCam variants, All-Terrain Tiger Stripe, A-TACS patterns, ERDL, CADPAT, MARPAT, and the Kryptek patterns. They serve a wide customer base including Special Operations units, conventional units of all branches, hunters, and airsoft enthusiasts. This is a company that means what it says and says what it means. When your life is dependent on the tools and equipment you have, 0241 Tactical has your six.
I want to share with you the most recent product I have had the pleasure of using and testing which is the Basha Shelter/Tarpaulin (tarp) by 0241 Tactical (0241). The one I am using is the medium tarp (120×90) which actual dimensions of the one I received is 119” x 89” approximately 9.92’ x 7.42’. This tarp weighs in at 2lbs 3.75oz. I know what you are thinking; “Wow that is heavy!” Yep, it sure is if you are comparing it to lets say a Hennessy that weighs 1lb 9oz. But these two tarps have two different service descriptions. The Hennessy is a rain fly and basically that is all it does while protecting you from rain, wind and sun. The 0241 Tarp is heavy but that means it is heavy duty and has many purposes and uses. This Basha/Tarp is made to work not just shelter.
0241 Tactical has three sizes they advertise with multiple patterns and colors. The other two sizes of tarps are 90”x60” and 180”x90”. The tarps have one inch “D” rings around the edges for tying out as a rain/concealment shelter or for staking down over gear. Depending on the size you get either 8, 12 or 16 tie down points. These tarps are made with a USA produced continuous piece of material. 0241Tactical uses two separate pieces of material, double stitched together, and the seam is sealed with a waterproof seam seal. The top of mine is MARPAT woodland and the underneath is a dark earth. The “D” rings are attached with heavy-duty webbing (dark earth). The web site shows the small, medium and large providing cover for one, three or five people as a simple lean to configuration. The tarp did not come in a bag so I am using a 9L dry bag, which gives me plenty of room for the tarp, a hammock, stakes, hammock straps and some cordage. This little shelter kit has come in handy many times.
I have used my tarp both in the field and at work, not only as a rain shelter blocking the rain but also creating shade from the hot Florida sun. The 0241 dropped the temperature from the direct sunlight on an extremely hot summer day by creating a shade which was 18 degrees cooler. That was definitely a lifesaver on that particular day. Another unique use I made of this tarp was when I went exploring with some friends on my pontoon boat. If you know anything about a Bimini top it offers only limited shelter. I have been caught in storms many times out on the water and in Florida it Forest Gump rains, down, up and side ways. We threw the 0241 tarp up in addition to the Bimini and not only did it protect us from the rain, after the shower passed, it gave a relaxing shade to sit in after hiking. We decided to leave it up while we changed locations and this was a testament to the rugged design of the tarp. While under way, I thought we may experience a tear or a “D” ring failure but that never happened. We brought the pontoon up to its full speed and the tarp held well with no malfunctions. I feel confident that in a heavy storm with wind, this tarp will perform well. I have had it in several rain storms and a couple of thunderstorms and it has consistently kept me dry. While sitting under this tarp I could see some very small pin sized holes which never leaked water but appear to let humidity out preventing condensation. This is yet another plus for this well designed tarp.
Getting back to the weight of this tarp. Due to the double layers, you are getting a tarp that is heavier than other hiking/camping rain tarps. But, thinking of this as a tool in addition to a rain tarp, it is well worth the few extra ounces. This basha has multiple ways of configuring shelter, cover or concealment. It could also be used as a litter. The company does not advertise this as a use but folded over would be four layers and able to carry what ever you need to haul out in an emergency. Hunters could also use this to haul out their game if needed. As stated many times the rugged construction with the multiple “D” rings make this a very useful addition to your kit.
If I was to modify or add to in any way I would add one more “D” ring to the middle of the tarp. This would improve setup when using a ridgeline and give a pull out when configuring in a lean to set up. I would also like to see the addition in the Basha line of tarps that has more ”D” rings, webbing and webbing handles as to truly be used as a litter or patient mover.
I have really enjoyed using and testing this 0241 Tactical Basha/Tarpaulin. I will continue using it in my adventures in the great outdoors and as previously mentioned, I am not shocked by the quality and usefulness of the 0241 Tactical products. They truly enhance the concealment from sight and protection from the elements. In some cases this could be the difference between life and death. Thank you 0241 Tactical for providing US made products and for supporting our troops.
GearDisclosure.com statement of compliance: This product was provided at no cost for the purpose of review. Ruger has not paid We Like Shooting or provided any financial compensation for this review. The product will be returned to the manufacturer.
So, a day out on the range with the brand new Ruger Precision Rifle; ours was chambered in .308win. The day started off with a 100 yd sight in and then we went to the 300 yd range for a little bit of accuracy testing and to check if getting MOA accuracy was possible. First, a little about the gun.
The design of the rifle is well thought out. From the ability to use a lot of AR parts on the rifle, like the hand guard, grip, stock, and safety switch, to the built-in 20 MOA rail and the multi magazine capable mag well. We used PMags and M1A magazines when we tried it out; both ran just fine. The stock is a very well designed, though a little complicated if you’re used to a standard Monte Carlo or A2 stock. The trigger was a good trigger for a stock rifle and was much like a Savage Accu trigger, no complaints there. The stock with a little looking and thinking is easy to figure out though; looks harder to set up than it actually is. I’ve said before and will again, this rifle is over engineered in the best ways.
Now, as far as accuracy goes, I honestly wasn’t expecting anything great, but I wasn’t expecting anything horrible either. I figured it would shoot with the same accuracy and consistency as one would expect a decently priced rifle to. It was right where I thought it would’ve been. There was nothing spectacular about the shooting of the rifle, but there was nothing wrong with it either. It consistently shot MOA groups provided you used an ammunition that the rifle was compatible with. The trick was finding which grain and style was shot best from the rifle, but when that was found it shot MOA all day long. With a cartridge the rifle didn’t like it was more like a 2-2.5 MOA, but that’s to be expected with any rifle, really.
As far as things that I would change there are a couple. I really wish something touted as a precision rifle would come with a longer barrel. The .308 only comes with a 20″ barrel and I found that to be pretty stupid. Even though I would swear I saw advertisements back before the product was launched that said the .308 would have a 24″ barrel, who knows; either I’m crazy or they changed some shit. Either way it should have at least a 24″ barrel if they want to tout it as a precision rifle. Hell the 6.5 and the .243 have a 24″ and 26″ barrels respectively. The other thing I would change is putting a better barrel on it. The barrel is a 4140 CMV hammer forged and if I’m going to do precision shooting I want a SS option or 4150 CMV barrel. Also, give me either button pulled or cut rifling if we’re going for precision.
A few months ago while surfing the web, I stumbled across a Facebook page representing a company called Notch Gear Hats. Almost immediately, I was captured by the unique design. These hats were no ordinary team themed baseball caps, these were the first specifically made caps to address a common annoyance in the shooting sports world; the battle of the hat versus the eye protection! Those of you, who have ever worn both on the range know exactly what I’m talking about, for others, let me explain.
Coming from a law enforcement background, it was common to be required the standard “eyes” and “ears” to be worn on the range, but also caps. In our department, like most, the patrol guys had their traditional “campaign” hats but also low profile caps similar to the ones issued to me and my team on SWAT. Either way, everyone had to endure the squared eye protection either pushing the cap up unnaturally high or the hat pushing the eye protection down and causing vision problems. The main problem was always the brim of the cap. As a grown man, not wearing gold chains and having a rap album, I like to wear my caps appropriately with a good amount of curve in the brim to protect my eyes from any blinding light or flying debris. Even the slightest proper curve in a cap’s brim normally will engage with the top of the shooter’s eye protection and start to cause problems. The only ways to traditionally wear both items is to either wear the cap very high up and look like Gomer Pyle or to flatten the brim and look like today’s modern pseudo-male, Justin Bieber wannabe, who apparently never watched a John Wayne movie a day in his life and leans too much to his effeminate side.
What I saw on the Notch Gear website was a way around this little fashion battle through the use of the company’s “notch” system. These adjustable and flex fit caps made by Notch Gear feature a notch cut out on each side of the cap’s brim wear it would normally engage the top of common eye protection, thus allowing the curved brim to come down around the eyepro without obstruction. I immediately reached out to Notch Gear and inquired about field testing these hats on an upcoming trip to SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas. Within a week, I had a pair of the new operator FlexFit hats ready to go!
When the hats arrived, I contacted fellow writer and friend, Craig Reinolds about trying one of them out for himself. A few weeks later, Craig and I arrived in Las Vegas for the firearms industry’s largest event of the year. To kick the week’s events off; Industry Day at the Range was a full day of shooting stations from nearly every firearms manufacturer in attendance. What I discovered while wearing the Notch Gear hat for the entire day in combination with my Oakley Tombstone shooting glasses is just how comfortable the hat was over the course of events. The hat seemed to lock my eyepro into place so I didn’t have to worry about any adjustment at all. What I didn’t expect was the comfort while wearing hearing protection. Traditional hats have a metal button on the top of the crown, but instead, the Notch Gear caps are flat, buttonless with a small patch of Velcro on top for either IR ID patches or to work in conjunction with Velcro altered hearing protection bands. On top of working well, the hats simply look good. Throughout the day on the range and through the week on the show floor, people would stop Craig and I to ask about the hats. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from all of our firearms industry contemporaries assured us that Notch Gear was definitely on the right track!
Aside from making a great hat, the company is making a difference in the world as well. While researching the company, I came across this statement from Notch Gear discussing the background of its founder, why the company was started and what they contribute outside of the sport cap business.
“Our founder, Paul Cunningham, is a veteran of the US Marines who had always been frustrated with traditional hats because he loved to wear them and sunglasses but was never able to wear them together the way he wanted to; he was always forced to choose one or the other. Notch was born out of his search for an answer to this problem. A Yuma based company, Notch was also founded on the principle that it is better to give than it is to receive. So for every hat you purchase, you provide 5 meals to children in need through our partner, Children’s Hunger Fund. They’ve been rated as one of the most cost effective charities around by Forbes.com.”
Now the Swanson Media Group has spent a considerable amount of time wearing caps from Notch Gear, I can speak for us all in saying these hats are highly recommended for not just shooters but anyone who has to spend time wearing hearing and eye protection. The caps are comfortable and form to the wearers head quickly. Retailing between $24.99-$27.99, this is a best buy for the quality product offered. To find a Notch Gear hat that’s right for you, check them out at http://www.notchgear.com/.
The well-known pick-up vehicles have become some sort of the brand of Islamic State. These vehciles are often dubbed as “Jihad Pick-up”. In fact, militants are transforming these vehicles into some kind of combat vehicles. There are thousands of videos on the internet to witness this trend.
This footage is coming from Syria and you are able to see a pickup with a mounted rocket launcher. Despite it looks serious, believe me, it’s not. This particular vehicle is unusable. Take a look how it looks live.
We shift gears in this episode to some good ole off-road badasseryness! Ernesto Rodriguez, brand manager for Multicam brings their Baja 1000 Ironman Team to the show. Jeff Benrud, Army Special Operations veteran and 3 time Baja Ironman competitor along with Jeff’s trainer and coach, none other than the The Legend himself and hall-of-famer of motocross and off-road racing, seven time AMA national championship winner and 2 time Baja 1000 winner, Ricky Johnson! Jeff, Ricky and Ernesto tells us about last years Baja 1000 race’s trials and tribulations and what they need to do this year to improve from last. Jeff and Ricky also tell us about their company “American Off Road” where they train special forces how to drive off-road. The Jackwagon Train, Facts to Fight the Myths and yes, TRIVIA are all back this week! Buckle up and enjoy the ride Leadheads…
Ricky Johnson sits in for a portrait ahead of Frozen Rush at Sunday River in Newry, ME on January 06, 2015 // Brian Nevins/Red Bull Content Pool // VIN: SI201501080017 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further informations. //
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 130 – this week is part one of a 4 part series discussing self defense shooting, our guest is Rob Pincus, let me introduce my crew!
We have
A Do it yourself YouTuber who knows two wrongs don’t make a right, just take his parents as an example. – Savage1r
Retired Navy, advocate for women’s shooting, blogger at heelsandhandguns.com. who really wants a great gift for Mothers Day, but her kids can’t afford to move out yet. – Lil Chantilly
Former Marine and owner of River’s Edge Tactical. Who believes strong people don’t put others down. They lift them up and slam them on the ground for maximum damage. – Jeremy Pozderac
A precision rifle builder that wishes he had a dollar for every girl that found him unattractive, that way they would eventually find him attractive. – Nick Lynch
3 gun shooter and famous media personality who wants to die peacefully in her sleep, like her grandfather.. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car Kelli Sampsel.
Next up, the self proclaimed Machine Gun Moses who keeps asking why is there so much blood in his alcohol system? – Aaron Krieger.
My name is Shawn and I hate people who use big words just to make themselves look perspicacious
Speak with and introduce guests:
former army reserve, law enforcement, private security, instructor in firearms, personal defense and tactics. The executive Director or Personal Defense Network, Owner of I.C.E. Training Company and co-founder of Avidity Arms, please welcome Rob Pincus
Can you imagine any words scarier than “police are investigating the shooting” and knowing it is about you? You are in your house, you hear a noise, you get up to investigate and soonafter someone is dead and bleeding in your house. What’s the first thing you do? Do you have to get a lawyer or do the cops give you one? There are thousands of questions competing with the stress you have going on right now.
That is why you need Second Call Defense. You call the police, then you call SCD. They will jump into action and make sure you have an attorney, bail, guidance, direction and more.
For less than your car insurance, home owners insurance or camera insurance they will cover you not only for criminal charges, but any civil charges that may come up. They are there to help you pick up the pieces and not rot in a jail cell. these situations are not always as simple as it would seem. Why risk it?
A counter-discussion (see episode 129 when I said no more conceal carry purses.) In defense of such products, or at least a devil’s advocate point of view, I offer this news story from this week in Louisville, KY.
Coupon code WLS10 for 10% off any day, every day (not combinable with WLS30, only one coupon code at a time) for WLS listeners. Don’t share with people who don’t listen, they don’t deserve it! Or, better yet, just tell your friends they should listen!
where we talk about stuff that we have, want and need!
THIS WEEK (130) WE ARE ONLY DISCUSSING SELF DEFENSE ITEMS. FIRST LETS TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CARRY OR WOULD CARRY AND WHY
Spend over $175 and get free shipping with code FREESHIP
OR buy a range pack and get $5 off your first order. Use code WLS5OFFRP
Facebook and Instagram decides to shut down all p2p gun sales on their social media site. Remember, it’s perfectly legal to sell other items, though.
Guest:
After a firestorm of criticism at the attorney general of Virginia, McAuliffe reversed the decision, restoring most of the CCW reciprocity states as long as the pro-gun side conceded that people with domestic violence restraining orders would be barred from carrying a gun. This isn’t a problem, because it’s already FEDERAL LAW that anyone who has a protection order against them can’t own a gun in the first place. The Deets.
The case against century arms, among others, proves clinton’s claims that manufacturers and shops cannot be sued is false.
DEZ promo and SDI promo
Wrap up
How can you help the show? We have two great ways! First we have our patreon program. If you think the show has value and have a couple of bucks to spare join over 200 other listeners in an exclusive group! By joining our patreon program you get rewards based on the level you support us at. From stickers to patches to great gear and swag! Please become a patreon. Just visit http://welikeshooting.com/pledge to learn more.
Next, we introduced a groundbreaking new rewards program. If you can’t afford a couple of bucks a month, you can help us by becoming a rooftopper. You sign up, get a unique link to share with your friends, share the link and every time someone clicks on it, you earn points. The more points you earn the more rewards and badges you earn. Go to http://wlsshow.com/register to get started.
congrats to Chrisgill
You can do one or both, either way your contributions are greatly appreciated!
Thank Guest!
Find us on all the social media and our website.
Just a reminder to join a gun related advocacy group and we always give out the Suicide prevention line, that number is 1 (800) 273-8255
HI DAN!
We’re here live every week on Wednesday nights and on demand every Thursday. Go to welikeshooting.com/show to subscribe!
If you’d like to watch live, our show broadcasts live every Wednesday night at 7:30PM (MT), watch it and chat with us at http://gunchannels.com/WeLikeShooting
Please support our advertisers, DEZ Tactical Arms, Manticore Arms, Second Call Defense and the Sonoran Desert Institute.
Also check out our syndication partners ModernArms.net, GunsSaveLives.net, AR-15 Gun Owners of America and Guns America.
The T-55, a Soviet-made main battle tank is something you won’t see on your ordinary way to work, especially when a tank driver is a Finnish model who was crowned Miss Suomi 2010.
Vivi Pumpanen represented her country at the Miss Universe pageant in 2010. See what happens when she takes control of an armored monster.
Conceived as the ultimate, compact and highly portable dove hunting field box and seat, Plano’s new 1812 Hunting Stool is destined to earn devotees from the world of waterfowling as well. Anyone who appreciates the dual functionality of a comfy seat atop a pragmatic and practical carryall will find a new favorite friend in the clever 1812 Hunting Stool.
![receiver[1]](https://welikeshooting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/receiver1-150x150.jpg)
