I Like A Company With Humor

Brownells is getting on the Zombie bandwagon and doing it with a lot of humor. They have a set up a special webpage just in anticipation of the Zombie Apocalypse. Or maybe it is just because All Hallow’s Eve is almost upon us.

The newly formed Brownells Center For Zombie Awareness (CZA) was created, as company President Pete Brownell said, “…because we all know the Zombie outbreak is coming and we want our customers to be educated, equipped and ready to engage the undead.”

“Halloween is a well-known time for the recently deceased to become re-animated,” Brownell continued, “and the CZA will play a vital role in winning the coming Zombie apocalypse. That’s why we urge all concerned citizens to visit the CZA site immediately.”

Videos to help educate the still-living and products to help them fend off the hordes can be found at www.brownells.com/zombie with special deals to save money while protecting the neighborhood.

At Brownells everything is guaranteed period! …Forever, 100%, with no restocking fees. Founded in 1939, they supply more than 50,000 firearms parts, accessories, gunsmithing tools and ammunition to armorers, gunsmiths, and shooters worldwide. Brownells provides free tech help and there’s no minimum order size or small order fees. However, the company will not ship products to those infected with the Zombie virus. To place an order, or for more information, call 800-741-0015 or visit www.brownells.com and mention code PIL

I just watched their video and its a hoot.  Like I said, I like a company with humor – and lots of gun parts!

They’re Baaaack!

If you were a slacker and didn’t order a Gunwalker T-shirt when Sean made them available, you are in luck. Sean Sorrentino has announced a third run of the famous Gunwalker T-shirt.

I’ve been getting a few inquiries, along with a steady trickle of hits on the Gunwalker T-Shirts. I think now is the time to open the orders again.

Orders open now. Orders close on the first of November. It’s generally a 7-10 day turnaround at the printer, added to about 3 days for shipping and you can expect your shirt in hand by 15 November.

Go to Sean’s site for pricing and to order.

These are the perfect T-shirts to wear to Congressional hearings, Occupy Wall Street counter-demonstrations, or, in my case, Presidential visits to your town.

Browning Introduces A “New” Auto-5 Shotgun

The Browning Auto-5 was an iconic shotgun with its humpback action. Designed by John Moses Browning and produced by FN in Belgium and later by Miroku in Japan, it uses the gun’s own recoil to cycle the action.

In addition to the Auto-5 made by Browning, Remington used the same design to make its Model 11 shotgun from 1911 through 1948. Browning ended production of the Auto-5 in 1998 with over 3 million made since its introduction in 1903.

Lovers of the Auto-5 can rejoice now as Browning has just announced they are reintroducing the Auto-5. However, it is not the same Auto-5 that your grandfather used in the duck blind. Browning has changed the long recoil action to a short recoil action that they are calling the Kinematic Drive System. According to The Firearm Blog, this short recoil system is very similar to Benelli’s patented Inertia recoil system.

Alex Robinson from Outdoor Life has this review of the “new” Auto-5 which he and other gun writers had a chance to try earlier this fall.

Outdoor Life also has a picture essay on the Auto-5 here.

Browning has posted details on the new Auto-5 here. It will be available in both a traditional wood and a synthetic stocked version (black and camo).

GAUGE : 1 2 — 2 3/4″ to 3″ chamber
RECEIVER Strong, lightweight aluminum alloy
BARREL Lightweight profile • Flat, ventilated rib
ACTION 3″ chamber • Recoil operated Kinematic Drive is ultra-reliable and cycles a wide range of loads
STOCK Shim adjustable for length of pull, cast and drop
FEATURES Vector Pro™ lengthened forcing cone • Three Invector-DS™ choke tubes • Inflex II Technology recoil pad • Brass front bead sight • Ivory mid-bead sight • One ¼” stock spacer and one 1⁄2″ stock spacer, plus lengthened screws for total adjustment of 3⁄4″

The shotgun will weigh between 7 lbs 3 0z. and 7 lbs. 7 oz. depending on the length of the barrel. Below is the Browning teaser announcement on the new Auto-5. MSRP will be range from $1,399 to $1,559 and delivery is expected in Spring 2012.

I have both a Remington 11 in 16 gauge and a Browning Sweet-16. Of the two, the Browning is the nicer shotgun in terms of fit and finish.

The Sweet-16 belonged to the Complementary Spouse’s late father and is missing its buttstock. If anyone knows where I can find a replacement buttstock at a reasonable price, please let me know by e-mail (jpr9954@gmail.com) or in the comments.

Trijicon SRS Red Dot

Rob Curtis at the Gear Scout Blog has a review of a new red dot sight put out by Trijicon. The SRS or Sealed Reflex Sight tested was a pre-production model. He says he expects it to hit the market in February 2012 after the SHOT Show.

The most interesting feature about the SRS in my opinion is the solar panel on the top of the sight. In daylight it powers the sight saving the battery for after dark hours.

Go to Rob’s blog for more details on this sight as well as pictures from every angle.

Quote Of The Day

On Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a long and petulant letter to a number of Congressional leaders on Operation Fast and Furious. Today, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, responded back. The closing paragraph is the quote of the day.

Operation Fast and Furious was the Department’s most significant gun trafficking case. It related to two of your major initiatives – destroying the Mexican cartels and reducing gun violence on both sides of the border. On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility.

Jerry Finally Makes Up His Mind

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) finally made up his mind on a slate of firearms-related bills that required either his signature or his veto. He did it on the last day that he could make a decision.  He signed four bills and vetoed one. As to the impact, the result is mixed for California gun owners.

Let’s start with the veto. Brown vetoed SB 427 which would have forbidden mail order shipments of certain ammunition to California. In his veto message, he noted:

This measure would amend a recently enacted law concerning the sale and purchase of handgun ammunition. That law is currently being litigated.

Let’s keep our powder dry on amendments until the court case runs its course.

Now to what he signed.

SB 610 amends the California carry application process in such a way as to require sheriffs to make the determination on whether the applicant shows “good cause” before the applicant has gone through the required training process. Thus, the applicant is saved the cost of going through training only to find out he or she is going to be denied for a carry permit. This was a CalGuns backed measure.

AB 144 is the bill that got most of the attention because it would outlaw unloaded open carry. It was introduced by Assemblyman Anthony Portatino (D-Pasadena). There had been a concerted effort by many gun groups to get Gov. Brown to veto this bill as it outlaws the only mode of carry available to most Californians. In that sense it is bad. However, signing this bill may in a counter-intuitive way be to our advantage especially when it comes to moving California forward to becoming a shall-issue state.

In Peruta v. San Diego, U.S. District Court Judge Irma Gonzalez cited the exceptions that would allow the plaintiff, Edward Peruta, to have armed self-defense outside the home. One of those exceptions under California law was unloaded open carry. Because of this, she felt justified in denying Mr. Peruta the ability to obtain a concealed carry permit. With Gov. Brown’s signing AB 144, this exception is now removed. The case was appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the foreclosing of this option could well have an impact upon the case.

AB 809 now requires the registration of long guns in California starting in 2014. Handguns are currently required to be registered and this bill sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-LA) extends it to all guns. In a signing statement attached to this bill, Gov. Brown noting that the state already requires a background check on all firearm purchases but only retains it with regard to handguns, said, “I see no reason why the state should not also retain information pertaining to the sales of long guns.”

Finally, SB 819 sponsored by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) expands the use of the fee charged in the dealer record of sale (DROS) process. From the analysis of the bill provided by the legislature:

Provides that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may use dealer record of sale (DROS) funds for costs associated with its firearms-related regulatory and enforcement activities regarding the possession, as well as the sale, purchase, loan, or transfer, of firearms, as specified.

In essence, SB 819 changes the DROS fee into a tax because it will now be used for purposes beyond activities related to just the sale and transfer of a firearm. The fee is already being challenged in Federal court by the CRPA/NRA Legal Project in the case of Harris v. Bauer and this will only help the case.

California gun attorney Clint Montfort had this to say about the bills on the CalGuns forum. He is an associate with Chuck Michel in Michel & Associates.

The DROS bill will necessarily and immediately be challenged in the NRA’s Harris v. Bauer case. If anyone doesn’t understand the DROS issue or SB 819, I recommend reading the NRA’s alert in that case on www.calgunlaws.com or reading the complaint in that case.

Everyone knows how AB 144 will be used agaist the other side in the current LTC cases (SAF/CGF & NRA/CRPAF).

SB 427 was vetoed as a result of the NRA’s Parker v. CA case from last year that overturned AB 962 and is currently being appealed.

Obviously it certainly would have been nice if AB 809 wasn’t signed. But at the end of the day, two of the three bills that were signed aren’t the end of the world. They become part of litigation that was already set in motion. So while those cases are litigated, enjoy purchasing all of your ammo over the internet and in stores without leaving a thumbprint. Lets see how litigation plays out regarding long gun registration.

The pro 2A bill on his desk was signed.

Doug Koenig On Dry Fire Practice

In another one of his shooting segments for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, champion shooter Doug Koenig discusses the importance of dry fire practice. I especially like his suggestion that those who carry concealed should practice with their cover garments. This just makes sense as does his comment that we all have 10 minutes a day we could devote to dry fire. I know I personally need to make it a daily habit.