The bureaucrats of the ATF’s Firearms and Explosives Industry Division released a report in January concerning the importability of certain shotguns.The study contended that certain shotguns would not meet the sporting test for importation despite being used extensively in USPSA and IPSC competitions.
Following this review, the working group determined that certain shotgun features are not particularly suitable or readily adaptable for sporting purposes. These features include:
(1) Folding, telescoping, or collapsible stocks;
(2) bayonet lugs;
(3) flash suppressors;
(4) magazines over 5 rounds, or a drum magazine;
(5) grenade-launcher mounts;
(6) integrated rail systems (other than on top of the receiver or barrel);
(7) light enhancing devices;
(8) excessive weight (greater than 10 pounds for 12 gauge or smaller);
(9) excessive bulk (greater than 3 inches in width and/or greater than 4 inches in depth);
(10) forward pistol grips or other protruding parts designed or used for gripping the shotgun with the shooter’s extended hand.
Although the features listed above do not represent an exhaustive list of possible shotgun features, designs or characteristics, the working group determined that shotguns with any one of these features are most appropriate for military or law enforcement use. Therefore, shotguns containing any of these features are not particularly suitable for nor readily adaptable to generally recognized sporting purposes such as hunting, trap, sporting clay, and skeet shooting.
The Tromix Mini 12-gauge Saiga AK Shotgun reviewed in the video below has at least five of the “evil” characteristics as determined by the ATF study and it has a short barrel to boot. Oh, the horror!
If you want Tromix Lead Delivery Systems to build one of these for you, you’ll have to pony up at least $1385 (probably more) plus your own Saiga 12. You will also have to wait until 2012 to take delivery as they are booked up for custom builds through the end of 2011.
Despite all the NFA crap that would come with this shotgun, I’d still wouldn’t mind having one. They look like a fun gun to have.
Andrew at Vuurwapen Blog posted a “training” video from American Defense Enterprises as an example of unsafe gun handling. After watching the video, I just cringed to think that people actually wasted their good money on this “training”. More importantly, someone is going to get killed if they try it. (Edited – A.D.E. has removed the video from YouTube.)
It also encouraged me to find out more about this “training” company. There are a lot of great training instructors and schools out there that we’ve all heard or read about: Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, Massad Ayoob, Tom Givens, Clint Smith, Tiger McKee, Dave Spaulding and the list goes on. I had never heard of A.D.E. or American Defense Enterprises which is based in the Los Angeles area but that is why Google exists.
The motto of American Defenses Enterprises is “If you want to shoot like a professional you need to train with professionals!” Here is what they say on their Facebook page about their school:
American Defense Enterprises consists of experienced Special Ops and law enforcement instructors offering world-class training in the entire spectrum of small arms weaponry (handguns, rifles, shotguns). Whether you are an honest citizen concerned with personal safety or an operator whose life depends on proficiency with his weapon, A.D.E. instructors can train you to the highest level you wish to achieve.
American Defense Enterprises offers courses designed to teach and develop the fundamental skills necessary should a lethal confrontation arise. Those who take these courses will be trained to a substantially higher level of skill than the average police officer or military unit.
A.D.E. claims to be “Rated #1 by Homeland Security”. However, as a poster on CalGuns Forum who took the time to call DHS found out, there is no such ranking or rating. (Post #25 by ZombieTactics). Can you say “false advertising”?
And have you seen their “American Warrior Test”? It’s the ultimate test of skills. Forget a sub-5 second FAST or a 280+ on the Hackathorn Standards, it takes seven hours just to take the American Warrior Test, which is apparently almost as expensive grueling as earning a Four Weapons Combat Master ticket!
There is a long thread on the Lightfighter.Net Forum about the first video and A.D.E. That forum does have a number of members with both current and former military experience including in Special Operations. To say they are disgusted by what they see is an understatement. One of the commenters, “JAG”, works at the range where this company often holds classes and has seen A.D.E. and their instructors up close and personal. He isn’t impressed. He says in part:
At my “Range”, there is a “company” of people that do “tactical training”… and with all the fliers, and pamphlets that they leave around the range, it doesn’t take very long to notice it. One thing I noticed right away, is that one of the employees at the “Range” also wore the similar clothing of “company”. I didn’t think anything of it, and just focused on learning the specifics of the job. It turns out “she” is an instructor with the “company” on days when she’s not working at the “range”.
One day, I overheard her talking to a customer about the “company”. She was bragging about stories of other people doing tactical things, how they do them wrong, and how their “company” fixes those problems. After her conversation, I started probing.
Me: “How long have you been shooting?”
Her: “Oh, only about 3 years or so…”
Me: “Wow, really? How did you get hooked up with “company”?
Her: “Well, I started shooting, and I was really good, and “owner of company” saw me, and asked me to be an instructor, so I said sure!”
Me: “Wow, that’s cool…” Eek
They literally pulled her off the street and made her an instructor…. for their “military and LEO training. She had/has NO .mil or LEO training, and barely knows anything about firearms in general, forget about “tactical training”. She learned on a Glock 19, so that’s all she knows. All of her students shoot glocks, and that’s all she really discusses… because its all she knows. It’s the same with the entire “company”. Red flag number 1.
While A.D.E. claims many of their instructors – no bios given – are former Special Ops, that is highly doubtful. Instead of attending BUD/S, it is more probable that many attended, as one guy on Lightfighter said, “Basic Foodcourt Demolition School.”
Firearms training is serious business. It is far too serious to be left to be a bunch of mall ninjas masquerading as former SEAL/Green Beret/Spec Ops/SWAT operators. As Tam notes, there is no self-regulating accrediting body for training schools. While you can be certified as an instructor in various firearms disciplines by the NRA, that is not the same as an accreditation body for schools which still might not protect students from these ass-clowns.
The complete lack of a self-regulating accrediting body is going to bite the training industry in the ass sooner or later, and the irony is that even having one wouldn’t do much good, since there is always a certain subset of trainers who would market themselves as outlaws, teaching SPECOPS SEAL Contractor Dynamic 360° Combat tactics too extreme!! for the other guys, who are a bunch of nancy milquetoasts.
In the end, it comes down to caveat emptor – buyer beware. If you are going to get training – and you should – check out the school and the instructors beforehand. And don’t go to a class with A.D.E.!
UPDATE:pdb at PappaDeltaBravo provides a play-by-play analysis of everything that is wrong about the “training” shown in the first video. pdb points out just how bad – and dangerous – the training from A.D.E. really is.
UPDATE II: Grant Cunningham has a really funny comment on A.D.E. and their promo video.
I think, however, that both Tam and pdb wasted a lot of effort actually analyzing the video. They could have simply used my theorem: quality of instruction in a video is inversely proportional to the sound pressure level of the cheesy heavy metal music used on the soundtrack.
The Violence Policy Center has this thing about donations from firearms manufacturers to pro-rights organizations such as the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation. They call it “blood money” as if donating to protect an enumerated civil right is somehow on par with child molestation.
In the release below, the Second Amendment Foundation announces a “significant donation” from Glock. I’m sure it will set off the narrow minds that run VPC and we can expect a snide or nasty Tweet about it sometime later today.
BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today announced that Glock, Inc. has donated and pledged significant financial support to SAF’s on-going litigation efforts in defense of firearms civil rights.
SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb made the announcement, noting that Glock has now become the largest corporate contributor to the foundation, in recognition of the important legal efforts SAF has mounted and will continue to pursue.
“I want to publicly and personally thank the management and ownership at Glock,” Gottlieb said, “and all Glock employees who have made this possible. Specifically, I want to thank Glock Vice President Josh Dorsey and General Counsel Carlos Guevara for their involvement and for making this happen.
“SAF’s victory in McDonald v. Chicago has made all of this litigation against onerous state laws and municipal ordinances possible,” he continued, “and it is imperative that we continue and expand our legal challenges with the greatest possible speed.
“Glock’s generous support comes at a critical time,” Gottlieb added. “Most of our members and supporters make contributions in the $10 to $25 range, and Glock will be providing significant additional support in our efforts to win back firearms freedoms one lawsuit at a time.”
Gottlieb urged SAF supporters and all Americans who are concerned about their firearms freedoms to support Glock and other companies that support their Second Amendment rights.
“There are times in the history of any movement, and in the lives of every person, when it is important to stand up and be counted,” Gottlieb said. “Glock has stepped up to the plate when it really does count, and we will be eternally grateful for their generosity and their unwavering dedication to the Second Amendment.”
First there was Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in his lonely quest to get answers from Attorney General Eric Holder about Project Gunwalker. Then Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) got on board and through his chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held hearings. Now Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is asking questions of Eric Holder as it appears Texas had its own version of Operation Fast and Furious.
Below is the letter he sent to Attorney General Eric Holder today.
August 11, 2011
The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I write to express my deep concerns regarding press reports of an ATF “gun-walking” program that allegedly operated in the state of Texas. I request that the Department of Justice immediately brief my office regarding the scope and details of any past or present ATF “gun-walking” programs operated in the state of Texas.
As you are aware, recent congressional investigations have revealed the existence of a controversial “gun-walking” program operated by the ATF in Phoenix, Arizona. As a part of that program, known as “Operation Fast and Furious,” ATF agents instructed federally licensed firearms dealers to illegally sell more than 1,000 weapons to straw purchasers working for drug cartels in Mexico. These ATF agents were also ordered by their superiors to ignore well-established practice and refrain from interdicting these weapons before they flowed into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Sadly, this ill-advised program had tragic consequences, with these “walked” weapons showing up at the scene of multiple violent crimes—including the murder of United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has been less than forthcoming during congressional investigations into the failed “Operation Fast and Furious.” For instance, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich initially told Congress that the allegation that “ATF sanctioned or otherwise knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to a straw purchaser who then transported them into Mexico—is false.” Additionally, Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson told congressional investigators that “ATF’s senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative” with the congressional investigation of “Operation Fast and Furious,” but “Justice Department officials directed [ATF] not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress.”
I believe it is important that you promptly disclose the details of any past or present Texas-based ATF “gun-walking” program similar to “Operation Fast and Furious.” My constituents deserve a full accounting of any such activities in Texas. I look forward to your reply.
Mark Kern, the County Board chairman, said that experts have stated the gun club poses a threat to low-flying aircraft.
If board members want Scott to remain open, “this is the appropriate action to take,” Kern said. “But it’s important to protect Scott Air Force Base and those flying above the gun club.”
Al Richardson, an official with the FAA’s Des Plaines office, concluded in a May 2008 letter the gun club had complied with agency rules regarding aircraft safety.
Richardson wrote that his agency had made a “determination with respect to the safe and efficient use of navigable airspace by aircraft and with respect to the safety of persons and property on the ground.”
As Kurt noted in his story Monday, St. Clair County Attorney Charles Swartout argued in court that the letter from the FAA was “hearsay” and “irrelevant” because Scott AFB is under the control of the military.
Apparently, we are to believe that the FAA only knows about civilian aircraft safety. It does seem rather puzzling that a shooting range would pose more risk to military aircraft than to civilian ones–wouldn’t it be the other way around?
As an aside, I am quite familiar with both Scott and MidAmerica as they are only a few miles away from my mother-in-law’s house in O’Fallon.
Let’s take a look at the club’s location and facilities. Below is a aerial photo of the range in relationship to both Scott and MidAmerica. The closest part of Scott’s main runway is 1.3 miles away. From MidAmerica, it is a mile to the Caseyville Rifle and Pistol Club’s ranges. You will also notice that there are significant wooded areas in between the range and both runways.
Now that we’ve seen the location in relationship to Scott and MidAmerica, let’s take a look at the ranges. Since the club only moved to this location in 2007, you would expect state of the art design features and the folks at Caseyville don’t disappoint. They have 200, 100, and 50- yard rifle ranges plus two pistol ranges with both berms and baffles to prevent stray bullets from escaping.
Notice the baffles and containment area below them.
Each range has side berms, a high downrange berm, and a series of baffles.
Restricted to bird shot only plus it has berms.
I would give an arm and a leg to have a range this nice within 50 miles of my home. It is well laid out, has nice facilities, and has kept the safety of the shooter and the public in mind. Given this, it is no wonder that officials with the FAA had no safety issue or problems with the range or its location.
Despite all of this, it seems to be the intention of the St. Clair County Board to use what they consider their bottomless pit of taxpayer funds to continue their fight to get the club’s land. Even the Belleville News-Democrat which ran a nonsensical editorial urging the club to sell out so as to save the taxpayers’ more money, recognizes that the goal of the county is to use their larger resources to outlast club in court. The county has already lost twice in court and now has headed to court for the third time.
It would be interesting to know the true agenda of County Board Chairman Mark Kern and the rest of the Democratic majority board. Are they really interested in safety or do they have a well-heeled political contributor who wants this land for his or her own development purposes? Reading the comments in response to the editorial urging the club to sell it seems the general consensus is the latter.
Gun control advocates are continually calling for “commonsense” gun laws. However, even if one is in full compliance with the laws they have pushed, it is never enough.
A homeowner in Blackmans Bay had three rifles and a shotgun stolen from his home in a daytime robbery. Police Inspector Peter Cerritelli said that the owner had properly secured all of the firearms in a locked safe and that he was licensed in accordance with the law. However, these precautions as well as the lawful ownership were not enough for the National Coalition for Gun Control.
However, National Coalition for Gun Control co-chairman Roland Browne said yesterday that the one-size-fits-all approach to storage was insufficient.
“There’s always a problem with the storage of large numbers of guns in residential houses,” Mr Browne said.
“They become targets for thieves.
“The Government and police are going to have some work to do to mark out some better standards for firearms storage given that compliance with the law isn’t sufficient, in every case, to stop theft.
“It’s not easy, presumably, to go into a house and walk out with a series of firearms.
“It must have been planned and carefully executed.”
Reading Mr. Browne’s statement I get the feeling that he won’t be satisfied until all private firearms are either stored in a government-run armory or, more likely, banned outright.
Like I said earlier, it is never enough for them. A more accurate name for his group would be the National Coalition for Gun Prohibition.
Brit Riots Show Need for Right to Keep and Bear Arms
BELLEVUE, WA – Widespread rioting, arson and looting across London clearly demonstrates the need in any civilized society for the right to personal protection and the tools to make it possible, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
Rioting that reportedly began over the police shooting of a man over the weekend has now exploded into anarchy, leaving British citizens stunned and fearful. People have been forced to flee from their homes. CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb noted that in Great Britain, where firearms are so strictly regulated that relatively few people own them legally, and self-defense is treated like a criminal offense, citizens are literally at the mercy of the mob.
“One wonders if the thugs now terrorizing British citizens would behave better if they thought their next intended victim might be armed and willing to fight back,” Gottlieb observed. “How would these rioters fare if citizens were able to defend their homes and businesses?”
Gottlieb, co-author of America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense in a Violent Age, noted that the riots suggest far more is at work than anger over a shooting.
“The Second Amendment has provided American citizens with the means, and the tools, to protect themselves, their families and their property,” he observed. “Rather than flee from their homes as is now happening in some London neighborhoods, people should be able to defend what is theirs rather than surrender the streets to a mob.
“Evidently,” Gottlieb added, “Americans understand that. According to data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, people in this country – despite the economy – are buying increasing numbers of firearms. There was an 8.3 percent rise in the number of background checks with the National Instant Check System in July over the same month last year. This has been going on now for 14 straight months, according to the data.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent citizens of London,” he concluded. “Anarchy is always easier when people lack the means to protect their homes and neighborhoods.”
British laws virtually outlaw armed self defense with a firearm. Not only are their firearm restrictions draconian but armed self defense is quite often prosecuted as was the case of British farmer Tony Martin. Mr. Martin served almost four years for defending himself in his own home from intruders with his shotgun.
Riots which began on Saturday night and continue today have left one man dead, many homeless, and innumerable shops, pubs, and other business establishments looted and destroyed. As Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, has commented, ” Unlike L.A., there are no Korean shopkeepers with AR-15s to help contain the looting.”
With the police response under great criticism and politicians being heckled over their inability to stop the thugs, looters, and other miscreants, people are starting to take matters into their own hands with what is available.
In the sports and leisure section of Amazon’s UK site, the biggest percentage movers for the past 24 hours have been “aluminium” baseball bats. The Rucanor Aluminium Baseball Bat, Silver – 60 cm, has shown an 52,211% rise in sales. Previously, it was 8,893 on the list and now is at number 17. The number two bat is now sold out and it is unknown when it be back in stock. I wouldn’t be surprised if old cricket bats and field hockey sticks stuffed in the backs of closets or buried behind years of Christmas decorations in the basement are not suddenly being remembered and located.
Across the road, I ask another shopkeeper if what I’d heard is true, that the Turkish men in Kingsland Road and Stoke Newington were arming themselves to protect their shops, to protect their own. “Is true. Police no use, government too soft.” He frowns: “So they had knives.”
Some were seen carrying tools to protect themselves and their businesses, as police officers were scarce in the area late on Monday night.
When suspected looters were seen in the area, the shopkeepers and their families ran shouting after them up the main road, Kingsland High Street.
Jerry Keshin, who runs Jerry’s Food and Wine on Stoke Newington Road, said: “I shut early because I heard they were coming. I went down to Hoxton to get my boys and we drove back up and saw a group of about 10 rioters who were on their way into our area. We chased them into one of the estates and had it out.
“Then we came back to the corner of Shacklewell Lane to keep the area safe. A load more of them came through at about 11.40 but the whole community was out to chase them away.
His friend Aykut Boyraz said: “The community is close and we all know each other. We’re not going to have any riots around here. It doesn’t matter if you’re Turkish, if you live round here we’ll defend you.”
It is interesting that those most likely to protect their shops and livelihood are from the immigrant population. I guess they haven’t gotten used to living on the dole yet.
ReasonTV today released an excellent video on the debate over unloaded open carry in California. It features Assemblyman Anthony Portatino (D-Pasadena) who wants to outlaw it, activist Sam Wolank who argues cogently for it, and law professor and blogger Eugene Volokh who serves to give some of the background on the banning of open carry from the 19th century.
Interesting enough, loaded open carry was legal in California until 1967. That was when then-Governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford Law which outlawed it. The outlawing of loaded open carry was in response to armed Black Panthers patrolling black neighborhoods while armed. With all due respect to the late Ronald Reagan, this was not his finest hour.
The renewed impetus for this law was the attempted murder of Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ). However, as Professor Volokh notes, it doesn’t make good sense to craft comprehensive legislation that deals with rare situations. Obviously, this has not stopped bills like AB144 and its proponent Assemblyman Portatino.
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