If Society Disintegrates, I Want One Of These

Back during the Vietnam War, USAF Security Police, Marines and Navy SEALs often used shotguns with “duck bill” spreader choke devices. The device would cause the shot to spread out in a wide horizontal pattern. It was designed to be used with No. 4 shot. An example is shown below.

This duck bill spreader device had a couple of faults. First, the openings would catch in jungle vegetation. Second, they had a tendency to crack after extensive use.

Paradigm SRP has just released their own versions of the spreader choke that they call the Gator Shotgun Spreader. Unlike the Vietnam-era chokes, it can be used with both No. 4 and 00 buckshot. Moreover, they make one version that will screw into shotgun barrels that use screw-in chokes and another version that can used with the Saiga shotgun. Neither version needs to be welded on unlike the earlier Vietnam-era spreaders. Both versions are door-breaching capable and will spread shot six feet wide at 12 yards.

The screw-in version is priced at $179 while the Saiga version is $199. The screw-in version will work with a variety of shotguns and are threaded to fit specific choke systems from Remington, Winchester, Benelli, and Beretta. A portion of the Gator profits will go the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.

If society ever breaks down to the point where we might defend ourselves against roving hoards of mutant zombie bikers, I could see the utility in having one of these. That said, until then, I wouldn’t want to have to defend its use in court of law, castle doctrine or no castle doctrine.

Videos are available of the device in action on Paradigm SRP’s Facebook page.

H/T Soldier Systems

CCRKBA Defends Stand-Your-Ground Law At Florida Hearing

Joe Waldron, Legislative Director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, testified today at a commission hearing in Florida that was examining their stand-your-ground law. The commission was established by Gov. Rick Scott to make recommendations about the law in response to the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman shooting incident.

From CCRKBA:


BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today defended the legal concept of Stand-Your-Ground, which is the law in 24 states, during a public hearing in Florida, where a movement is underway to change that state’s statute.

CCRKBA Legislative Director Joe Waldron told the committee examining Florida’s law that the state should not change a law that has been working for seven years. Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed a commission to examine the law earlier this year following public outcry over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

The incident provided a launch pad for attacks on similar self-defense statutes across the country.

“But after that single incident nine months ago,” Waldron observed, “we’re told Florida’s stand-you-ground law is terribly flawed, and should be repealed or at least restricted severely. The law has been in place for seven years. Laws should not be made – or repealed – based on a single, anecdotal incident.”

He noted that in some states, the stand-your-ground concept has been adopted via “black letter law,” that is, by judicial rulings.

“The stand-your-ground concept has been through the courts all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Waldron said. “The legal concept governs federal case law regarding self-defense.

“In all 50 states,” he added, “if you are subjected to a potentially lethal attack or one that poses the risk of serious bodily injury, you have the right of self-defense, up to and including the use of lethal force.”

“Laws that protect millions of citizens should not be changed because of public reaction to a single case,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We are hopeful that Florida lawmakers use common sense and back away from any attempt to change or repeal this statute.”

Knife Rights Leader In NH Legislature Defeated

Hidden in among all the recent election news was the defeat of NH State Representative Jenn Coffey (R-Merrimack) who had led the successful fight to reform New Hampshire’s knife laws.

Coffey, the winner of Blade Magazine’s 2011 Publisher’s Award, had sponsored the bill that removed penalties for both possession and selling switchblades, dirks, daggers, and stilettos. Her bill which passed and was signed by the governor of New Hampshire changed the emphasis from the tool to the crime. In addition, Coffey is the National Legislative Director for the Second Amendment Sisters. She has written a book, Knives, Lipstick, and Liberty about the experience of going from an apolitical EMT to being recognized as a leader for knife rights.

Coffey lost to Democrat Mario Ratzki by approximately 200 votes. Mr. Ratzki, according to his website, had relocated to that area of New Hampshire a mere three years ago to retire after selling antique rugs in Boston. The voter guide from NH Public TV says that Coffey is a graduate of Lycee Henri Poincare (Nancy, France) and U. Cal. – Berkeley.

As to his position on the Second Amendment, he said in a letter to the editor, “We need to  balance gun rights with public safety.” An equivocating statement like that tells you everything you need to know.

An Outrage In The UK

Sgt. Danny Nightingale served 17 years in Her Majesty’s service in the Royal Army. Included in those 17 years were 11 years as a sniper in the Special Air Service Regiment. He is now serving 18-months in Her Majesty’s Prisons for possession of a Glock that was given to him as a “war trophy” in Iraq which he intended to donate to the Regiment.

What makes this even more of an outrage is that Sgt. Nightingale suffers severe memory loss due to a brain injury suffered after he collapsed at charity event and went into a coma for three days. Given his memory loss, expert testimony at his trial stated he probably didn’t even realize he had it.

The Glock itself was in possessions that he had left in Iraq that were packed up for him by fellow troopers when he had to leave Iraq in a hurry after two friends were killed. He was detailed to accompany their bodies back to the UK. The pistol was originally shipped in a container to SAS HQ and then his possessions were sent to his home. It remained packed away until 2010 until it was discovered in a search of his living quarters. Police searched the quarters due to allegations made against his housemate by an estranged wife. Nightingale was not the subject of the search.

Sgt. Nightingale pled guilty to the charges when his attorney informed him he could be facing five years imprisonment. He had planned to fight the charges.

His commander and others are standing behind him.

Lt Col Richard Williams, who won a Military Cross in Afghanistan in 2001 and was Sgt Nightingale’s commanding officer in Iraq, said the sentence “clearly needed to be overturned immediately”.

He said: “His military career has been ruined and his wife and children face being evicted from their home — this is a total betrayal of a man who dedicated his life to the service of his country.”

Patrick Mercer, the Conservative MP for Newark and a former infantry officer, said he planned to take up the case with the Defence Secretary. Simon McKay, Sgt Nightingale’s lawyer, said: “On Remembrance Sunday, when the nation remembers its war heroes, my client — one of their number — is in a prison cell.

“I consider the sentence to be excessive and the basis of the guilty plea unsafe. It is a gross miscarriage of justice and grounds of appeal are already being prepared.”

Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor, who presided over the court martial and sentenced Nightingale, had allowed the testimony about the memory loss to be entered but thought Nightingale knew he had the Glock in his possession.

As the British might say, bullocks.

It’s Time To Help Out One Of Our Own

I’m a little late getting this up but I hope you will respond generously. If you read gun blogs for more than a day, you know Tam of The View From The Porch blog. She is, as JayG called her recently, the Snark Mistress.

She is all that and more. She also, as she revealed on Friday, has cancer. Tam has a basal cell carcinoma on her nose that will need to be removed. Fortunately, it is very treatable. The downside is that Tam does not have health insurance. I don’t care what form of cancer you have but when the docs utter the “C word” the price just went up.

You can help Tam out by making a donation to the tip jar on her blog. I really hope you will be generous.

To help encourage you to make a donation, a number of bloggers have come together to organize raffles to benefit Tam.

 OldNFO has donated a Colt Diamondback in .38 Special that has just been worked over by Cylinder & Slide as a prize. Michael Hast of The Holster Site will be donating a custom holster of your choice to go with it. You can enter that raffle by following the instructions at the link.

Dennis from DragonWorks leather is having another raffle for Tam and the prize is one of his Viper Holsters.

JayG of MArooned is coordinating links to all the raffles and Jennifer is acting as the raffle coordinator. If you have something you might want to donate to the raffle, contact JayG at the link to his blog.

I would again urge you to be generous. Regardless of the form, cancer is a nasty thing.

BalloonGoesUp Link

I have just added a link on the right sidebar to Ron Larimer’s When The Balloon Goes Up. In addition to his excellent blog, he is now running a shop that offers preparedness gear, EDC stuff, and range and gun gear.

If you go to his store through my blog and purchase stuff, I will be earning a commission as an affiliate. Just like with my link to LuckyGunner.com, all commissions earned are donated to the Second Amendment Foundation.

Ron carries such brands as CompTac, Aimpoint, Crimson Trace, Streamlight, Surfire, and Warren sights. In other words, the good stuff.

Give him a try the next time you are looking for a knife, a flashlight, a mag for your Glock, or anything else.

It’s Bush’s Fault

Police in Manhattan Beach, CA are investigating a pig’s head wrapped in a Romney T-shirt left at a local GOP headquarters as an “illegal dumping of an animal carcass”.

You know in your heart of hearts that if that pig’s head was left at a Demcratic Party officer or an Obama for America headquarters that the Party of Tolerance™ would be screaming about a “hate crime”. The Secret Service would be involved and there would be a joint press conference with representatives from the LAPD, the FBI, and the LA District Attorney’s Office promising to track down the miscreant.

Go figure.

Sportsman’s Guide Returns To American Ownership

If you are like most of us, you either get the Sportsman’s Guide catalog or you used to get it. It is full of stuff from military surplus to ammo to some really weird trinkets. I know I’ve ordered everything from shoes to surplus to ammo from them and their prices tend to be pretty decent.

What most people don’t know is that they have been owned by the French catalog company Redcats. No longer.

According to a story published yesterday in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, the South St. Paul based Sportsman’s Guide is being sold by Redcats to Northern Tool + Equipment Co. along with the Golf Warehouse for $215 million.


Pending regulatory approvals, the acquisitions will give Northern Tool approximately $1.5 billion in annual sales.

Northern Tool said both companies will be integrated into its
existing operations to take advantage of economies of scale, but they
will continue to operate as stand-alone brands to “take advantage of
their considerable brand equity.”

Northern Tool does not plan to cut any jobs at those businesses, and it may add positions as the operations merge.

“We are very bullish about this milestone acquisition — it builds on
our operational strength and synergies,”Northern Tool President Chuck Albrecht said in a statement. “Furthermore, we were drawn to both companies being family-run institutions with strong management.”

I’m glad to see Sportsman’s Guide be American-owned again. I just hope they still will have all the interesting European military surplus. I mean where else can you find both East German splinter camo coats and Czech-made glass urinals for field hospital use (among other things).