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Avidity Arms’ PD10 Released

January 2, 2023

by John Richardson 9 Comments

It began with the concept by Rob Pincus for an ideal concealed carry firearm and ended with the Avidity Arms’ PD10 which releases this month and begins shipping in February. In between the beginning and the end result of a production gun ready for market were changes of company structure, business plans, vendors, unavoidable delays, and a pandemic.

An ideal carry pistol, according to Pincus, needs to be built around these three concepts: carryability, shootability, and reliability. The last concept is self-evident. You want the pistol to work when you need it to work without failure every time. Both carryability and shootability deal, in part, with the size of the pistol. A full-size pistol with an 18+1 or even a 20+1 capacity is going to be heavy, hard to conceal, harder for smaller hands to grip (without interchangeable backstraps), and is better suited for law enforcement, competition, or the range. Likewise, too small of a pistol, while easier to carry, will be harder to grip and shoot accurately. This led Pincus to specify a slim, single-stack, 10+1 capacity, with a 4-5” barrel, and that allowed a grip with all fingers. The pistol, he went on to add, should be polymer, striker-fired, in 9mm, easy to field-strip, with rear sights that allowed one-handed cocking.

It is interesting to note that this is the first defensive pistol designed and brought to market by a defensive shooting instructor. Pincus left full time law enforcement in 2001 and has spent the vast majority of the twenty years since that time developing and conducting defensive shooting courses, with a student list that includes high end military units, police agencies from all around the US and Europe, and tens of thousands of concealed carriers. It makes sense that he should have some valid ideas about defensive pistol design. He also contributed significantly to the final design of FK BRNO PSD Pistol, which earned the NRA Golden Bullseye for Handgun of the year in 2020.

In the end, the production model of the PD10 meets Pincus’ requirements. Here are its specifications:

Caliber: 9mm
Action: Semi-automatic/striker-fired
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 4″
Frame: Gray Polymer
Magazine: 10-round stainless steel 1911 body, proprietary follower, and polymer floor plate.
Sights: Steel, wide rear notch w/ front square
Claw rear sight
Optional slide cut version for red-dot optics with Holosun 507K/Shield RMSc
Aggressive rear slide serrations
Ergonomic, textured grip
Safety index point on frame for positioning of trigger finger
Safety: Integrated trigger, firing pin block
Loaded chamber indicator
Overall Length: 6.94″
Width at widest: 1″
Overall Weight: 18.8 oz.
ISONITE QPQ Coating

As noted, there have been changes in the corporate structure of Avidity Arms since Pincus began developing this pistol in 2013. While originally envisioned as a stand alone company, the project actually started within Eagle Imports but that changed when Mike Sodini, Rob’s original collaborator and former President of Eagle Imports, left them in 2018. Fast forward through the Covid-19 pandemic to February 2022. It was at that time that Joe Worley of AlphaTech, Inc. of Fletcher, NC joined the ownership team of Pincus, Sodini, and Chuck Usina of Ancient City Shooting Range of St. Augustine, FL. Chuck, Pincus’ longtime friend had been helping the project informally with his gunsmithing and mechanical know-how from the start and formally joined the team when the company moved to Florida in 2019. The addition of Joe Worley accelerated final development of the PD10 because he brought with him a high-tech, ISO 9001, company that had state of the art machining capabilities and experience as a supplier to the firearms industry. Worley had been impressed with the design of the PD10 and wanted to be more than just a contract manufacturer of parts.

This past September, Randy Miyan, Executive Director of the Liberal Gun Owners, and I were invited by Pincus to visit the Alpha Tech facility (the new headquarters of Avidity Arms) and to test fire some of the prototypes. Given that the factory is literally 5 minutes from my house, I was thrilled with the invite. After getting some insight on the development of the PD10 and the work being done on it at Alpha Tech, we toured the plant. They had the full range of high-end manufacturing equipment including CNC machines, robots, electrical discharge machining (EDM) cutting machines, lathes, Bridgeport milling machines, and the like.

After touring the factory, we adjourned to their small outdoor firing range to fire the prototypes of the PD10. My first impressions were that the pistol was easy to control, it fit my smaller hand with short fingers well, it didn’t have much muzzle flip, it was accurate, and I really liked the sights. The prototypes had the I.C.E. Claw rear sight (also designed by Pincus about a decade ago) which was all black and the front sight was an Ameriglo™ lumisquare™ with Tritium™ insert. It made it easy to concentrate on the front sight.

In mid-December, I returned to the Alpha Tech facility to meet with Pincus and the team at Alpha Tech. I also met Chuck and Krista Usina for the first time. This visit offered a chance to participate in a multi-day endurance test that was being conducted to take two production specification samples past 5000 rounds. All the metal parts of the PD10, with the exception of a few springs and the magazine bodies, are now being manufactured by Alpha Tech and the complete pistol is 100% US made. Changes from what I saw in September include coating internal parts for wear and lubricity and replacing the polymer backplate with a steel backplate. In addition, they now had an optional optics cut slide for red dot optics. As noted in the specs, they use the Holosun Optics 507K / Shield RMSc footprint.

Joe Worley emphasized two major things about the manufacture of the PD10. First, there are no MIM (metal injected molded) parts in any component. The metal parts are all machined from high-grade billet or stamped. Second, instead of using stock roll pins, they precision grind all their own pins for best fit and function. This takes tolerances from +/- .002 to +/-.0001 or 20 times more precise.

After meeting in the plant, I went down to their range to meet with Pincus and Cannon Dillon who is the project manager for the PD10. They were in the process of durability testing the PD10. The goal was 5,000 rounds per pistol. I got to shoot a few mags through one of the pistols that had a Holosun red dot on it.

While taking a break, there was some discussion on whether the PD10 would be shown at the upcoming SHOT Show. I learned that it will be featured it will be shown at the Davidson’s booth (72317) as they will be distributing the PD10-OC. This has great implications for the general public in that they will be able to take advantage of Davidson’s Gallery of Guns to purchase the PD10. This means you can have the PD10 delivered to your local FFL with no transfer fee because, in essence, you bought it from the FFL. From my own parochial perspective, I love the North Carolina connection in all of this. Davidson’s, while now headquartered in Arizona, was founded in my hometown of Greensboro and now will be distributing a North Carolina-made pistol.

A carry pistol needs a holster and the PD10 will have them available from three different holster makers. Leather holsters for outside waistband, inside waistband, and appendix carry will be available from JM4 Tactical of Abilene, Texas. G-Code Holsters out of Burgaw, NC will be making the Kydex holsters for the PD10 in their Phenom Stealth and the Synchron models. Finally, hybrid holsters will be available from TacRig of Shorewood, OR. The shell can be used either OWB or IWB. All three companies will have them available in either right or left handed versions and they will be available directly from those manufacturers or through the AvidityArms.com website before the first pistols are shipped in February.

Pricing has been set for the PD10. The MSRP for the standard PD10 will be $599. The optics cut version will have a MSRP of $625. Given the minimal price differential, if it were me, I’d go with the optics cut version just for the versatility. Street prices will probably be a bit less.

In conclusion, I liked it and intend to buy one. This is not because it is being made in North Carolina or that I was given a chance to shoot both the prototype and the pre-release production models. I liked it because it felt good in my hands, it shot well, and it was accurate.

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Cylinder & Slide To Close

December 28, 2022

by John Richardson 4 Comments

It was announced on Facebook yesterday that Bill Laughridge had decided to close down Cylinder & Slide after 44 years and retire. Bill was the 2005 Pistolsmith of the Year which was awarded by the American Pistolsmith Guild.

Cylinder and Slide would like to announce that after 44+ years of business, we are ceasing operations. We would like to thank our countless customers and fellow industry partners for all their support and assistance throughout all these years.
We do have quite a bit of inventory, fixtures, equipment, factory parts, etc that we would like to move. If you have any potential interest, we are accepting email inquiries only; info@cylinder-slide.com. There is too much list at the moment, but we are generating lists of what we have.
Please congratulate Bill on being able to finally retire!

I only got to meet Bill once and that was at last year’s Dallas Safari Club Convention. He was working on one of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Hi-Power clones. He gave me a few minutes of his time to talk to me about his impression of this pistol. It was good, by the way.

Innumerable articles have been written about the custom pistols that have come of that shop. Here is a link to a few of them.

Another announcement notes that guns that are in process will be finished. For those that have a deposit down waiting for custom work, the deposit will be refunded. They suggest going to the American Pistolsmith Guild (see above link) to find a pistolsmith if you need custom work done.

Best wishes to Bill for a happy retirement.

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RCMP Wants A New Pistol

December 26, 2022

by John Richardson 5 Comments

A story posted on Soldier Systems this past week caught my eye. It seems that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police aka The Mounties have posted a tender notice saying they are seeking a new service pistol. This pistol will replace their Smith & Wesson Model 5946.

Their general requirements according to Soldier Systems include:

Determining that the current weapon has exceeded its life expectancy, they are looking for a modern design offering reduced trigger pull weight, various frame sizes, and a reduction in overall weight as well as the ability mount both a weapon light and Red Dot Sight (RDS).
While they are sticking with 9mm, the RCMP desires a mechanically locked, recoil-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic pistol with polymer frame which can accommodate at least three grip sizes. The pistol must also be matte black, corrosion resistant, and equipped with iron backup sights in addition to the RDS.
While the pistol must have no external manual safety levers, grip safeties, and push-button safeties, it must fireable without a magazine installed.
This requirement is fairly unique, each pistol must come with a ceremonial lanyard loop that can be attached to the pistol magazine’s base plate. Additionally, the slide must be steel.

In the solicitation’s Annex A – Statement of Work regarding one factor in the assessment of the new pistol I found this:

The RCMP is committed to being progressive, proactive, and innovative (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006) and, having a diverse and modern workforce (Government of Canada’s diversity and inclusion priority), this requires that the RCMP’s general duty (GD) pistol be examined from a Gender-based perspective (Gender-based Analysis+(GBA+)).

Indeed, when the solicitation lists the expected outcomes, alignment with diversity and inclusion by “leveraging Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) in the selection of the service pistols” is first on the list. It comes before reliability or any other requirement.

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon is not amused.

Given Prime Minister Trudeau’s aim to disarm all Canadians, I fail to see why the RCMP even needs a new pistol or even a pistol in general. In areas where there are dangerous wildlife such as the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba, I’d say they should be able to make due with the cast-off .303 Lee Enfields from the Canadian Rangers. For the rest of the Mounties, they should be able to make due with harsh, impolite words, eh!

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Savage Arms Adds 1911s To Pistol Lineup

December 21, 2022

by John Richardson 1 Comment

Savage Arms is expanding their pistol lineup. They have had the polymer, striker-fired, micro-nine Stance pistol for a year now. They are now adding an assortment of full or Government-sized 1911s to this lineup. They will available in both .45 ACP and 9×19.

As you can see from the photo above, these Savage 1911s are available in three finishes. In addition, they are available with rails or without them.

More on this new introduction from the Savage press release:

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts – December 21, 2022 – Savage Arms is proud to announce the latest addition to its handgun line-up, the Savage 1911 Government Style Models. Built for tough use and unmatched accuracy, Savage’s 1911s bring modern technology to a time-tested platform and deliver reliability, accuracy and performance that will stand out amongst competitive offerings.

“Savage ended 2021 with the introduction of Stance, a micro-compact 9mm handgun,” said Beth Shimanski, Director of Marketing at Savage Arms. “A year later in 2022, we’re ending strong yet again in the handgun arena with the launch of the Savage 1911 Government Style Models. We’re extremely excited to introduce this iconic firearm bearing the Savage name.”

This revolutionary firearm is built to the demanding standards of accuracy and reliability that have come to define Savage Arms across platforms and categories. With features offering optimal performance for all shooting enthusiasts, this classic gun gets the ultimate Savage treatment.

“I’ve worked in the firearms Industry for over 30 years and started my career as a professional shooter,” said Rob Gates, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Savage Arms. “This Savage 1911 is as real as they come and shoots better than any production 1911 I’ve handled during my 30 plus years in this industry.”

With a look that pays homage to the classic design, the Savage 1911 has a dual recoil spring and machined sear and disconnector, a nitride coated titanium firing pin and weighs in at just over 2 LBS with a 5” barrel length. Finishes range from black melonite to stainless steel and the Savage 1911 is sure to be 2023’s leading single-action pistol.

New Model features include:

5” Stainless Steel Barrel Machined from Billet with 11º Target Crown
Ambidextrous Slide lock Safety
Dual Recoil Spring with Fully Machined Sear and Hammer
Ejection Port Lowered, Flared and Cut for Live Round Ejection
Forged Stainless Steel Frame and Slide
Nitride Coated Titanium Firing Pin
Novak® Lo-Mount Adjustable Tritium Bar Rear Sight and Tritium Mega Dot Glow Dome™ Yellow Front Sight (Rail & Two-Tone Versions)
VZ G10 Grips

The MSRP price range on these Savage 1911 pistols starts at $1,350 for the Melonite and Stainless models without rails and goes up to $1,500 for any of the railed models regardless of finish. There is no price difference by caliber.

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Second Annual Governors’ Forum At SHOT Show 2023

December 21, 2022

by John Richardson 2 Comments

I attended the Governors’ Forum at the 2022 SHOT Show. It was great to see pro-rights governors such as Kristi Noem (R-SD), Brian Kemp (R-GA), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) speak up in defense of the Second Amendment as well as in favor of permitless carry.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is again going to host a governors’ forum. The lineup is changed a bit from last year but that just means more pro-rights governors will be on board. Gov. Gianforte (R-MT) and Gov. Mark Gordon (R-WY) are repeats from last year. I really hope Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SC) will join as well.

From NSSF:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, will host several governors at SHOT Show^® 2023 to speak about the importance of the firearm industry to their state, efforts to attract firearm and ammunition-related businesses, and the benefits of firearm-related businesses to their state economies.

NSSF’s Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) will take place at the Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas from Jan. 17-20, 2023. The Governors’ Forum, hosted by NSSF’s Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs and General Counsel, will take place in the Murano Room, 3rd Floor of the Venetian Expo from 1-2 p.m. (Pacific Time), Jan. 18, 2022. The forum is open to industry media and will include questions from attendees. No RSVP is required.

“This unique opportunity to hear directly from governors of the importance of the firearm industry and issues important to them was a resounding success last year. We wanted to create another event to welcome these governors to speak directly with show attendees and industry media,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF SVP & General Counsel. “NSSF has regularly welcomed governors, but this is a truly special chance to gather these governors in one space to speak about the importance of a growing and vibrant firearm industry to their states.”

Confirmed for the Governors’ Forum is (in alphabetical order of states):

Idaho – Governor Brad Little

Mississippi – Governor Tate Reeves

Montana – Governor Greg Gianforte

Nebraska – Governor (elect) Jim Pillen

Oklahoma – Governor Kevin Stitt

Wyoming – Governor Mark Gordon

More governors may be added to the forum as schedules permit.

Below is a list of previous announced moves to relocate firearm business headquarters and expand production to new states:

Alabama
- Kimber expanded production to Troy, over Yonkers, N.Y. It later relocated the corporate headquarters to Alabama.
Arkansas
- Sig Sauer established ammunition production in Jacksonville in 2017 and recently announced it would expand production.
- Fiocchi Ammunition announced in 2020 it was establishing production in Little Rock.
Florida
- Dark Storm Industries is relocating production from Oakdale, N.Y., to Titusville, Fla.
Georgia
- Norma Precision Ammunition announced in 2022 it was establishing a U.S, headquarters, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution in Garden City, Ga.
- Remington Firearms announced the company will establish a new headquarters and expand production in LaGrange.
- Taurus USA moved from Florida to Bainbridge, Ga., in 2019.
- Check-Mate Industries moved from Babylon, N.Y., to Thomasville in 2018.
Iowa
- Les Baer moved from restrictive Illinois to LeClaire, Iowa, in 2007.
- Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) left Illinois after 40 years to relocate to Iowa in 2019.
Mississippi
- Olin Corporation’s Winchester Ammunition moved most production from East Alton, Ill., to Oxford in 2011.
North Carolina
- Sturm, Ruger and Co. expanded production in Mayodan in 2013.
Pennsylvania
- Kahr Arms moved their headquarters to Greely, Penn., from New York after the state rushed through passage of the SAFE Act.
South Carolina
- American Tactical Imports relocated 100 jobs and its manufacturing from Rochester, N.Y., to Summerville, S.C., in 2013.
- PTR Industries left Connecticut for Aynor in 2013, where it set up shop.
Tennessee
- Smith & Wesson announced it is establishing a new headquarters and production facilities in Marysville, Tenn.
- Beretta moved firearm production and engineering and design to Gallatin, Tenn., from Maryland in 2015 over concerns of increasingly strict gun control legislation.
Texas
- Mossberg expanded production in Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2013, instead of growing its New Haven, Conn., plant.
- Colt Competition moved from Canby, Ore., to Breckenridge, Texas, in 2013.
Wyoming
- Magpul Industries left Boulder, Colo., after the state passed magazine restrictions and moved production to Laramie, Wyo.
- Weatherby Inc.’s Adam Weatherby announced at SHOT Show in 2018 he was moving the company from California to Sheridan, Wyo.
- Accessories maker HiViz announced in 2013 they were leaving Fort Collins, Colo., over restrictive gun control legislation to Laramie.
- Stag Arms announced in 2019 they were opening their new facility in Cheyenne, Wyo., after leaving their former headquarters in New Britain, Conn.
- Kel-Tec announced plans in 2022 to expand production and bring 250 jobs to Rock Springs, Wyo.

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If A 1911 And A CZ 75 Had A Baby…

December 21, 2022

by John Richardson 1 Comment

It would be the Dan Wesson DWX. At 43 oz. it isn’t a carry pistol but I bet it would be really fun to shoot. As I noted yesterday, I plan to start posting these news releases as I get them. Or, I should say, those news releases that interest me and which I think will be of interest to you.

From the press release:

Kansas City, KS (December 19, 2022) – What began as an innovative idea among the brilliant minds at CZ and Dan Wesson has finally come to life. These ideas resulted in the jaw-dropping DWX pistol, a grand melding between the signature pistol designs manufactured by the two brands. Available in 9mm, the DWX is ideal for everything from USPSA competition to recreational shooting.

The DWX starts with the crisp single-action fire control group from a Dan Wesson 1911 and combines it with the ergonomics and capacity of a CZ pistol. The grip angle and contour draw their lineage directly to the venerated CZ 75, providing an excellent fit for most shooters. Correspondingly, the full-size DWX is compatible with standard CZ 75 grips. In addition, low-profile red aluminum grips help drive the shooter’s hand high in the beavertail and provide a fantastic texture to plant it firmly in hand.

More than just a competition handgun, the DWX sports a locked-breech barrel system for simplicity and features a CZ-style take-down via the slide stop. Borrowing time-proven double-stack magazines from CZ pistol families, the full-size DWX employs the 19+1 magazine from the P-09/P-10.

An ambidextrous safety delivers easy access for right- and left-handed shooters, while a flat, K-style trigger offers a textured face for a positive feel. Front strap checkering aids grip control, while a 1913 Picatinny rail makes it easy to mount a light or laser. A match-grade barrel with a bushing-less barrel system resembles that of the P-09/P-10 and offers shooters unparalleled accuracy and easy take-down.

DWX competitive shooters will appreciate another benefit of its high degree of tunability and customizability. Many parts already on the market will fit, all built around the 1911 fire control group. With a 1911-style dovetail front sight and CZ Shadow 2-style rear sight, factory and aftermarket options also abound.

The long-awaited DWX pistol is finally on its way to the American market, at dealers now.

Specs:

DWX Full-Size Specifications:

SKU: 92001
Caliber: 9mm
Grips: Henning Aluminum
Finish: Nitride
Overall Length: 8.5in
Barrel Length: 4.95in
Height: 5.9in
Width: 1.5in
Weight: 43 oz
Trigger Mech: Single Action
Front Sight: Fiber Optic
Rear Sight: Adjustable HAJO (click adjustable for elevation, drift adjustable for windage)
Safety: Manual thumb safety
MSRP: $2099.00

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Pre-SHOT Show Releases, Etc.

December 21, 2022

by John Richardson

I am starting to get a number of press releases regarding new introductions at the SHOT Show. In the coming days I will start reposting them here with little or no editing. I just want to get that info out.

On another note, the Complementary Spouse and I have been approved to attend the Safari Club International Convention as media. I would have liked to have attended the Dallas Safari Club as well but the Biden Economy forces me to make choices. Nashville is within easy driving range while Dallas is about 1,000 miles. That said, I will be posting advance information on both shows if and when I get it.

Having attended both last year, I will say if you are within driving distance of Dallas that the DSC Convention is well worth attending. It costs less in terms of admission and seems, in my opinion, to be more suited for the average guy and gal.

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Testing (Or Teasing) Something New

December 17, 2022

by John Richardson 5 Comments

This post is something of a teaser. I will have full details soon after New Year’s. I had a chance to test fire a pre-production pistol on Thursday. The developer and project manager were doing torture testing of it and gave me an invite to come fire it which I did.

This was my second chance to fire the pistol. I had shot a prototype of it a few months ago.

Without going into details about the pistol or the developer, all I will say is that I think it will make a very nice compact carry pistol. One cool thing about it that I will say is that it will be produced within a couple of miles of my home.

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Corporate Virtue Signaling Catches Up To BlackRock’s Larry Fink

December 14, 2022

by John Richardson 3 Comments

Dale Folwell, CPA (R-NC) is the elected treasurer of the State of North Carolina. As State Treasurer, Folwell serves as the sole fiduciary of the multi-billion dollar North Carolina Retirement System. It is the 9th largest public pension fund in the United States. Slightly over 10% of the $111.4 billion fund is invested with asset manager BlackRock whose CEO Larry Fink has been at the forefront of ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing. This past Friday, December 9th, Folwell issued a call for Fink to either resign or be replaced as CEO of BlackRock.

From Folwell’s release:

“Unfortunately, Mr. Fink’s political agenda has gotten in the way of his same fiduciary duty. A focus on ESG is not a focus on returns, and potentially could force us to violate our own fiduciary duty of loyalty. Ultimately, Mr. Fink’s continued ideological pressure could result in using ESG scores against states and local governments, lowering their credit ratings and thus driving up their cost of borrowing at taxpayers’ expense. This not only concerns me as the state treasurer and ‘keeper of the public purse,’ but as Chair of the N.C. State Banking Commission and the Local Government Commission,” added Treasurer Folwell.

Folwell goes on to add that Fink’s activism and corporate coercion on behalf of “climate change” among other things is “at odds with BlackRock’s duty to investors.”

https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/about-us/leadership/larry-fink

Let me step back a moment before continuing. I retired in September after working as a financial advisor and planner for 25 years. I have held FINRA Series 6, 63, 66, and 7 licenses plus the state life, health, and variable product insurance licenses. I continue to hold the Certified Financial Planner™ designation (for now) and taught two of its required classes for 10 years. This is where the “money” in the blog’s name originated. Because the blog was considered an “outside business activity”, I had to declare it to our corporate compliance department. As part of them “allowing” me to continue blogging, I had to make no mention of my day job as it might be construed as “advertising” by regulators. Indeed, I had to go back to some early posts to either edit or delete them.

In March 2018, BlackRock issued a release stating their plans to “engage” with the publicly traded firearms companies which included Ruger, Vista Outdoors, and pre-split Smith & Wesson. Items included in “engagement” were age restrictions, trigger locking technology, and discouraging the production of certain firearms. This came days after the Parkland murders. It was and remains a prime example of corporate virtue signaling. I said so in a blog post. Within a couple of days, the powers that be at my former company contacted me and said that post had to come down. Their rationale was that since our company did a great deal of business with BlackRock it might offend them. As I wasn’t yet ready to retire, I grudgingly complied.

Other states have also removed funds from BlackRock over their ESG policies. They include Florida which will be removing $2 billion, Arizona which reduced their investments with the company by 97%, and Texas over the boycott of “fossil fuels”.

The Folwell letter to BlackRock brings up another issue that impacts the firearms industry. That is the question of whether index funds and their managers should be able to vote their shares based upon “a social agenda”. He references Berkshire-Hathaway’s Charlie Munger in relation this this. Thus, it involves all asset managers with index funds or index based exchange traded funds (ETFs). In addition to BlackRock, you have the big index managers such as Vanguard and State Street and then every other company that has a small cap index fund. If they just voted with management as was done in the past, then it would be no problem. However, now they engage “proxy advisors” who “advise” them on how to vote. Two firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, control 97% of the market and they both trend to the left.

Remembering that activist shareholders at both Ruger and Smith & Wesson succeeded in getting essentially anti-gun resolutions passed, let’s look at institutional and index fund holdings for the major publicly traded firearms companies. Vista Outdoor leads the pack with 88% of its shares held by 374 institutional holders. The top five institutions hold a combined 42.95% of the company and the top index funds hold 17.49% of outstanding shares. Ruger is next with 71% of its shares held by 289 institutions. The top five institutions which is lead by BlackRock hold 38.79% of the company and the top index funds hold 19.52% of the outstanding shares. Finally, there is Smith & Wesson with 280 institutions holding 59% of the company. The top 5 institutions hold 28.05% of S&W with the top index funds comprising 10.07% of the outstanding shares. I am speculating that the institutional holding percentage at S&W is somewhat smaller due in part to the recent split of American Outdoor Brands into two companies.

I am happy that Dale Folwell is taking the bull by the horns and demanding Fink’s removal. I am sick and tired of corporate virtue signaling. I feel as though I am living in a world where those leftists that didn’t go into academia have burrowed their way into the corporate world and are now running it. Italian Communist theorist Antonio Gramsci and his theory of cultural hegemony seem to have found vindication in the actions of corporate virture signalers.

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Questions On Law School’s Gun Violence Prevention Clinic

December 11, 2022

by John Richardson 2 Comments

The University of Minnesota Law School proudly announced the creation of a “Gun Violence Prevention Clinic”. The announcement on December 8th states their belief that it is first for US law schools and it will be headed by Everytown Law alumna Megan Walsh. Walsh is currently a Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at the school.

https://law.umn.edu/profiles/megan-walsh

From the announcement on the clinic’s role:

The clinic will utilize student pro bono legal work to support and litigate cases that help reduce injuries, deaths, and trauma resulting from gun violence. A three-year pilot project, the clinic seeks to spur law school and law student engagement in firearms law and the Second Amendment; establish a home for gun violence prevention litigation in the Great Lakes area; and grow the pool of litigation expertise and legal resources available for Second Amendment and gun violence prevention matters.

Walsh amplifies on the pro bono work saying, “Litigation in this area is needed to challenge extreme gun laws, to combat the disproportionate effect of gun violence on BIPOC communities, and to provide a counterweight to the gun lobby in the courts.” It should be noted that not only did she work for Everytown but she served as the Moms Demand Action “BE Smart” lead for Minnesota. That program is their campaign on “responsible gun ownership.”

The law school dean, Garry W. Jenkins, calls this clinic “novel and exciting”. He goes to say it will help students develop “a deep reservoir of knowledge on Second Amendment jurisprudence.” Somehow I think that this knowledge will be one-sided.

The clinic will partner with the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) on litigation.

The Gun Violence Prevention Clinic will partner with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office on Second Amendment cases and on affirmative litigation brought by the Attorney General to reduce gun violence in Minnesota. This partnership will give students the opportunity to work with the Attorney General’s office to create safer communities in Minnesota through litigation, with the students serving as Special Assistant Attorney Generals under the supervision of the clinic.

Known funding for this clinic comes from the anti-gun Joyce Foundation and the McKnight Foundation ($300,000). The announcement refers to “other funders”. That leads to the first question in the list below.

Here are a list of questions that should be asked about the clinic.

Who are the other “funders” of the Gun Violence (sic) Prevention Clinic?
How much was given to the clinic by the Joyce Foundation? They don’t list the grant on their website.
Will the clinic be seeking appropriated money from the Minnesota Legislature? If so, how much?
How much of the Office of Attorney General’s budget will be devoted to this clinic?
How much appropriated money from the University of Minnesota be allocated to this clinic? Or, will it only be grant-supported?
Who approached whom to start this clinic?
What is the role of Everytown in this clinic?
Will the Brady Law Project and Giffords Law also be involved?
What does Walsh consider “extreme gun laws”?
Will the clinic be working with the US Attorney’s Office and BATFE to prosecute straw purchasers?
Will the clinic be promoting litigation to close gun stores?
Who will be paying for the anticipated amicus briefs filed in cases opposing the flood of litigation opened up by the Bruen decision?
Given Walsh is a graduate of Duke University School of Law, will the clinic be coordinating efforts with the Duke Center for Firearms Law?

The clinic goes live in January 2023. There will be many more questions that can be raised and that will need answers. In the meantime, I understand Minnesota has a fairly strong public records law and I intend to use it. If anyone in Minnesota wants to help with this, just leave a comment.