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Sunday Morning Hodge-Podge

October 16, 2011 by

I normally don’t watch CBS’s Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer because he drives me nuts. Today, I will make an exception. The topic for discussion will be on Project Gunwalker.

Coming Up on Face the Nation

Topic: “Fast and Furious” gunwalker case
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Chairman, Oversight & Government Reform Committee

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Ranking Member, Oversight & Government Reform Committee

Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News Investigative Correspondent

It airs at 10:30 am Eastern. As they say, check your local listings for times in your area.

I don’t think I can overstate the importance of this. Face The Nation along with NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week, and Fox’s Fox News Sunday is the type of program where major issues are discussed with the aim of influencing policymakers. Usually the topics revolve around taxes, jobs, the economy, and war. To have them discuss Project Gunwalker is evidence that at least CBS News is recognizing that it is a critical scandal for the Obama Administration. Moreover, it also makes it harder for the rest of the mainstream media to keep burying the story.

In gun blogging news, it is time to welcome a new gun blog called Shall Not Be Questioned. It really isn’t so much a new blog as a rebranded blog. It is the old Snowflakes In Hell blog with a new name, new look, and a new feel. That said, it will still be a gun blog run by Sebastian. He has this to say about why he is making the change.

But the biggest change you’ll probably notice, unless I can’t make my idea for it work (I’m a horrible graphic artist), is a name change for the blog. With the exception of the name, and a new look and feel, it’ll be the same blog. Same posts, same archives, and same comments as always. If links worked before, they’ll still work. I am looking at implementing a few requested enhancements people asked for.

I picked the name “Snowflakes in Hell” hastily, never thinking I’d keep this up. Ever since I passed the 1000 visitors a day mark, I’ve hated it. I’ve also hated it when I introduce myself as a blogger, and I get a weird look from the uninitiated when I tell them the name. Rather than talking about the blog, I get to spend the first 10 minutes explaining the name. I’ve also, rather humorously, heard people that did not know I was Sebastian mention they found something on this site “Snowflakes in Hell,” but they didn’t understand what kind of site it was. With my name and theme, who can blame them? I want a theme and a name that draws people in. I think a more relevant name and theme will be necessary to take this blog to the next level, and continue to grow my audience, and improve my brand.

I’ve updated by my gun blog links here to reflect the changeover. Having visited Shall Not Be Questioned, I think Sebastian has done a masterful job with the new look and feel. The typeface and background give it a Colonial period look which says to me the fight for freedom has been going on for over two hundred years.

Good luck to Sebastian and Bitter with the “new” blog.

Finally, over at Sipsey Street Irregulars, Mike Vanderboegh has a post on selective White House document releases. It appears to be an effort to shift blame for gunwalking back to the Bush Administration. However, it looks like it will end up rebounding on them.

You know, the best disinformation is a lie wrapped in a kernel of truth. Recall that early on the DOJ floated the excuse that “gun walking” was all Newell’s idea. We pooh-poohed that at the time, saying that Newell did not have the authority to make this multi-jurisdictional anti-law enforcement cluster coital situation happen.

But the Obama flacks knew what they were talking about, as far as it went.

Gunwalking WAS Bill Newell’s idea, and nobody knew that better than the people he sold the idea to.

And now, thanks to the desperate and incompetent folks at the White House scandal deflection team, we have more details of the early experiences of William “Gunwalker Bill” Newell, the guy who sold the whole idea to the people in the White House — who then began to make things happen to try to make the Ninety Percent Myth come true.

Make sure to read the whole post. It ties a lot of stuff together.

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Quote Of The Day

October 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

Reuben Navarette, Jr. is a columnist and former journalist who gets it when it comes to Operation Fast and Furious aka Project Gunwalker. As he notes in an opinion piece published yesterday at CNN.com, this scandal is about dead Mexicans.

Frankly, I am surprised by Holder’s use of words such as “irresponsible” and “inflammatory.” What could be more irresponsible than allowing weapons to be smuggled into a foreign country, weapons that then wind up killing the citizens of that country? And what could be more inflammatory than appearing to cover up such an operation and distancing oneself from it as staffers allegedly yell, scream and curse at reporters who are just doing their jobs?

And what was the purpose of these alleged theatrics? Was all this huffing and puffing intended to get Attkisson to back off the story? Brilliant.

As a former reporter, let me give the administration a tip: Attacking journalists is usually as effective in stamping out a story as gasoline is in putting out a fire.

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A Good Company Doing Good

October 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

There are good companies and then there are good companies doing good. Crimson Trace falls into the latter category with their support for the SEAL-NSW Family Foundation.

Nammo Talley and Crimson Trace Join Forces for SEAL – NSW Family Foundation Fundraiser

(Wilsonville, OR) Crimson Trace Corp (CTC) and Nammo Talley, Inc. have joined together to help raise awareness and solicit donations on behalf of the upcoming benefit event for the SEAL – NSW Family Foundation being held on November 3, 2011.

This fundraising event is being held in San Diego to benefit the families of the United States Navy SEALS. As advocates of the SEAL Foundation’s mission of providing immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and their families, both companies are inviting donations from their industry friends in order to hold a live and silent auction to raise funds for the foundation. In addition to CTC and Nammo Talley, will be attended by Leatherman, Benchmade, MRS and Danner

CTC Defense director Dale Suzuki appealed to the firearms community for goods and services. “We’re acutely aware of the contributions the special forces community make in the service of their country. Since the loss of 38 service members in August, the Seal Foundation has been focused on supporting the families of the bereaved. Now it’s our turn to help them.”

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Deliberately Obtuse

October 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

Ranking Minority Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is being deliberately obtuse in his criticism of the Committee’s subpoena of Attorney General Eric Holder.

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 12, 2011)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued a statement in response to a subpoena issued by Chairman Darrell E. Issa to the Department of Justice for tens of thousands of pages of documents.

“As I have said all along, Fast and Furious was a terrible mistake with tragic consequences,” said Cummings. “The Committee is right to investigate what went wrong and why, but we must do so in a fair and responsible manner.”

“This subpoena is a deep-sea fishing expedition and a gross abuse of the Committee’s authority. It demands tens of thousands of pages of highly sensitive law enforcement and national security materials that have never been requested before and are completely unrelated to Operation Fast and Furious,” said Cummings. “Rather than legitimate fact-gathering, this looks more like a political stunt.”

The 22 categories of subpoenaed documents include:

•weekly reports to the Attorney General that are completely unrelated to Operation Fast and Furious and contain some of the nation’s most sensitive law enforcement and national security information;
•communications between the Department of Justice and the White House press office about White House press events; and
•documents related to confidential informants who provided information about the operations of a leading Mexican drug cartel, the production of which could put the lives of those informants and their families in grave jeopardy, according to the FBI.

The Department of Justice has produced thousands of pages of documents to the Committee and continues to produce documents on a regular basis. Ranking Member Cummings has asked the Department to cooperate fully with the Committee’s investigation.

Would those be the same documents delivered to the committee that have been so utterly redacted that they look like a black inkspot?

Mr. Cummings obviously believes his job is not to serve the American people in the search for the truth but rather to protect the Obama Administration in this investigation. As Dave Hardy noted regarding the subpoena, it is “specific enough to show the committee knows details about who wrote to whom.” I think Mr. Cummings does understand just how bad those details are and is doing his damnedest to prevent their exposure.

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Emily Gets Her Gun Series

October 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

Emily Miller is a senior editor at the Washington Times. She also lives within the District of Columbia and wants to have a handgun for self-protection. In a series of articles, Ms. Miller is finding out just how hard it is to obtain a handgun in the District of Columbia. If it is this hard for someone who presumably is well connected, just imagine how hard it is for ordinary people to obtain the tools for self-defense in the District of Columbia.

Beginning of the quest.

Inside DC’s Gun Registry Office.

Interview with Charles Sykes – DC’s only gun dealer.

In this interview with Cam Edwards of NRA News, Ms. Miller describes her encounter with the Gun Registry Office.

Below is Cam Edwards’ interview on Tuesday with Ms. Miller for NRA News in which she describes meeting Mr. Sykes.

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I Like A Company With Humor

October 13, 2011 by

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!

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They’re Baaaack!

October 12, 2011 by 2 Comments

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.

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Browning Introduces A “New” Auto-5 Shotgun

October 12, 2011 by 6 Comments

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.