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P39 Airacobra

January 11, 2011 by 2 Comments

This is an interesting story. The P39 Airacobra was not used much by the U. S. Army Air Force as an interceptor during WWII due to the lack of a supercharger for its engine. This limited its speed and thus its usefulness about 17,000 feet. As a result many were shipped to the Soviets who were desperate for any type of plane. The Red Air Force found a good use for it as a ground attack fighter especially with its 37mm cannon.

The plane in this story was one of the Lend-Lease P39’s sent to Russia. It was found intact in a lake in Siberia and was eventually brought back to a museum in Buffalo, New York.

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First McCarthy, Now Lautenberg

January 10, 2011 by

The following was released by the office of Senator Frank Lautenberg today. Nothing like like piling on after a tragedy to score political points.

Press Release of Senator Lautenberg

Lautenberg Statement on Legislation to Ban High-Capacity Gun Clips

Contact: Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224
Monday, January 10, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. – Today, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) released the following statement on his plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit the manufacture and sale of high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, such as the high-capacity magazine used by Arizona shooting suspect Jared Loughner. Lautenberg is working with Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) on the legislation.

“The only reason to have 33 bullets loaded in a handgun is to kill a lot of people very quickly. These high-capacity clips simply should not be on the market,” Lautenberg said. “Before 2004, these ammunition clips were banned, and they must be banned again. When the Senate returns to Washington, I will introduce legislation to prohibit this type of high-capacity clip.”

From 1994 – 2004, high-capacity ammunition magazines (“clips”) were illegal as part of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. When the ban expired in 2004, Republican leaders in Congress pledged to not resurrect it. Since that time, high-capacity clips (more than 10 rounds at a time) have been legal to manufacture and sell.
Senator Lautenberg’s bill, which will be introduced when the Senate returns to session in two weeks, would ban ammunition clips that have a capacity of, or that could be readily converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. That standard was the law before 2004.

According to reports, in the Tuscon shooting, Jared Loughner used a high-capacity 33-round magazine clip in his Glock 19 pistol. The high-capacity magazine allowed Loughner to fire off 33 bullets without having to manually reload. Given that bystanders apprehended him as he attempted to change clips, if Loughner did not have access to the high-capacity magazine that he used, it may have prevented some of the other deaths and injuries that occurred.

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Fisking Helmke

January 10, 2011 by

The Brady Campaign released another missive from Paul Helmke yesterday reacting to the shootings in Tucson:

Enough is Enough! Tucson Shooter, Arizona New Faces of Weak Gun Laws

Jan 9, 2011

Statement from Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

“The 22 year-old shooter in Tucson was not allowed to enlist in the military, was asked to leave school, and was considered “very disturbed” (according to former classmates), but that’s not enough to keep someone from legally buying as many guns as they want in America.

Jared Lee Loughner passed the NICS check conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System was mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and launched by the FBI on November 30, 1998.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a Democrat, has blamed inflammatory rhetoric on the part of Tea Parties and conservative politicians for the tragedy. However, according to sources within his own Sheriff’s Department, they knew of Loughner and his threats as well as his mental illness. One of the reasons they were reluctant to do anything was because his mother was a Pima County employee.

Many people seem to find this surprising, but it’s true, and we ought to be angry about it.

The troubles of the Tucson shooter are more proof that we make it too easy for dangerous and irresponsible people to get guns in this country. We have too few laws to protect our families and communities from this kind of bloodshed, and the laws we do have are riddled with too many loopholes.

Arizona, as it turns out, has almost no gun laws, and scored just two points out of 100 last year on the Brady State Scorecard.

Since then, things have gotten worse. Arizona is one of only three states that allow residents to carry loaded, hidden guns without background checks. Arizona recently weakened its laws to allow guns in bars.

The State of Arizona believes in individual responsibility as well as constitutional rights. If the Loughner family had sought mental health care for their son, he might have shown up in mental health records and been denied under NICS. Mr. Helmke wants to blame everyone but the criminal’s family for not doing something to prevent this tragedy.

Joseph Zamudio, one of the bystanders that detained Loughner and who has been hailed a hero, was carrying concealed and went to provide help when he heard the shots because he was armed.

In addition, if Congress had not allowed the “Assault Weapons Ban” to expire in 2004, the shooter would only have been able to get off 10 rounds without reloading. Instead, he was able to fire at least 20 rounds from his 30-round clip.

Standard and large capacity magazines were available during the ten years the “Assault Weapons Ban” (sic) was the law. While no new magazines could be produced except for law enforcement or military uses, existing magazines were grandfathered and readily available. This would include 30-round knock-offs of the Glock 18 magazine. Even without a 30-round magazine, reloads can be done quickly and efficiently if practiced.

Sensible gun laws can save lives. Congress should move now to enact tougher restrictions on guns, ammunition, and who can legally possess them, and President Obama should help lead the way.”

Why does anyone still believe a “new” law would have prevented this tragedy? Madmen will do as madmen do and people are still going to get killed.

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Another Snow Storm, Another State of Emergency For NC

January 10, 2011 by

WRAL-Raleigh is reporting that Governor Beverly Perdue has declared a state of emergency for North Carolina.

Gov. Beverly Perdue declared a state of emergency for North Carolina Monday to mobilize resources to respond to snow and ice forecast across the state.

Snow fell across parts of western and central North Carolina around dawn, and areas along the coast and south of Fayetteville saw some accumulation, but the Triangle was still waiting for flakes at 2 p.m.

There is nothing yet on the Governor’s website as to the wording of the Executive Order declaring the state of emergency. The state of emergency declared on Christmas Day by Lt. Governor Walter Dalton was only under the authority of the North Carolina Emergency Management Act and did not invoke the restrictions on firearms off-premises. That was the first state of emergency declared during the Perdue administration that did not invoke state of emergency restrictions on firearms.

I have hope that she has learned her lesson regarding snow storms and restrictions on firearms.

UPDATE: It looks like the Governor has learned her lesson. The text of Executive Order No. 78 includes this:

Section 7.

This order is adopted pursuant to my powers under Article 1 of Chapter 166A of the General Statutes and not under my authority under Article 36A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes. It does not trigger the limitations on weapons in G.S. § 14-288.7 or impose any limitation on the consumption, transportation, sale or purchase of alcoholic beverages.

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“The Man With The Golden Gun” Replica

January 10, 2011 by

A replica of Scaramanga’s golden gun from the Bond movie “Man With The Golden Gun” will be auctioned by a British auction house on January 20th. Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers of Etwall, Derbyshire will be conducting the auction and expect the replica to bring £1,000 to £1,500 ($1,558 to $2,337).

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: ”The gun was made by SD Studios in Texas USA in the early 1980s.

”It is one of very few since with a solid gold plating, the gun had a limited market amongst the wealthy.”

It was bought by a collector from Tamworth, Staffs., in the mid-1980s but was discovered in mint condition last year in an attic.

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New ATF Form For Reporting Multiple Rifle Sales

January 10, 2011 by 2 Comments

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has put the draft version of Form 3310.12 online. It is the form that will be used by FFL’s in the Southwest to report multiple sales of certain rifles.

The draft form is virtually identical to the form used to report multiple sales of handguns. That form, ATF F 3310.4, differs in one important way from the draft form to be used to report multiple sales of certain rifles. The difference is that the report of sales of semiautomatic rifles with a detachable magazine in calibers larger than .22 will not have to be reported to local law enforcement authorities unlike multiple sales of handguns.

I guess one should be thankful for small favors if you are a resident of the Southwest.

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Vultures

January 10, 2011 by 2 Comments

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot this morning (approx. 10am PST) at an event in Tucson, AZ. The latest news reports have her in critical condition following neurosurgery with doctors optimistic about her recovery.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge John Roll and five other were killed. In addition, 18 others including the Congresswoman were wounded. The suspected gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, is in custody. As others have noted, he sounds like a garden variety nutcase.

The Brady Campaign wasted no time in getting out a press release talking about gun violence and doing something about “the conditions that make it too easy” for things like this to happen.

Tragic, Horrifying Shooting of Congresswoman and Other Americans at Grocery Store in Tucson

Jan 8, 2011

Statement from Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke:

“Our hearts and prayers go out to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her family, and to all of the other victims who were shot and killed at a Tucson grocery store today. Members of our staff have met the Congresswoman and we are deeply saddened and horrified by this tragedy. We find it unacceptable that when Americans and our elected leaders are assembling in public places, their lives are at risk from gun violence.

We also are deeply concerned about the heated political rhetoric that escalates debates and controversies, and sometimes makes it seem as if violence is an acceptable response to honest disagreements.

We, as Americans, can and should do more to restore civility to our political discourse and we can and should do more to address the conditions that make it too easy for dangerous and irresponsible people to disrupt and destroy the lives of innocent Americans, and political leaders who are simply trying to serve their communities and our country.”

This is a time when all should be praying for the recovery of all the wounded and for repose of the souls of those killed. To use such a tragedy to push a party line or make an ideological point is beyond the pale. There is a name for those who would do it.

Vultures.

UPDATE: As Sebastian points out, Helmke is also dancing in the blood of the victims over at HuffPo. Helmke is even more explicit in that post.

UPDATE II: Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY4), never one to miss an opportunity, is reported by Politico ready to introduce new gun control legislation.

One of the fiercest gun-control advocates in Congress, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), pounced on the shooting massacre in Tucson Sunday, promising to introduce legislation as soon as Monday.

The irony is that Gabby Giffords would probably vote against this bill.

Sebastian has more on this as well as attempts by Philadelphia Congressman Bob Brady to clamp down on free speech.