Month: December 2020

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War Calibers?

December 31, 2020 by 2 Comments

Spain, like all European countries, has pretty extensive gun control even though it is the 7th largest exporter of firearms internationally. Every firearm and its owner is registered. This registry, controlled by the Central Inspectorate for Arms and Explosives, is updated monthly. It is estimated that there are 3 million firearms and 1.1 million owners registered with most being for either target shooting or hunting.

The Spanish gun rights organization ANARMA – Asociación Nacional del Arma de Espana – is concerned those numbers could be reduced even more if a proposal to prohibit certain calibers is adopted.

The Spanish Ministry of Defense maintains a list of calibers called “war calibers”. These are the calibers of rifles and ammunition that civilians are forbidden to own.

From LibreMercado (translated using Google translator):

The Government has just opened a new front against hunters and sports shooting fans. As denounced by the National Weapons Association (Anarma) , PSOE and Podemos threaten to confiscate thousands of rifles that, today, are legal, by classifying certain calibers as “war” and, therefore, prohibited for use by civilians. The popular .30-06 Springfield and 7.62x54R could enter that new black list , according to sources from the same association.

This new prohibition coincides in time with the new Arms Regulations , which came into force on November 5, and which has created great discontent in the field of hunting, sport shooting, arms collecting and historical recreation. Not in vain, several associations have filed an administrative contentious appeal in the Supreme Court against its entry into force.

Anarma denounces that, given the difficulties in prohibiting some weapons directly, the Government is studying expanding the current list of so-called “war calibers”, created in 1993 and which had not been touched for 27 years.

The ANARMA website goes into more detail on the calibers being proposed for addition to the prohibited list:

Well, presumably the ICAE has once again influenced the DGAM to expand the list of military calibers prohibited to civilians. These are as follows:

7.62x54R

.30-06 Springfield

.458 SOCOM

5.45×39 mm SOVIET

5.7×28 mm FN

4.6 x 30 mm

5.8×21 mm Chinese

5.8×42 mm Chinese

ANARMA is especially alarmed that 7.62x54R and .30-06 Springfield are on the list. The latter is the best selling caliber of rifles and ammo in Spain.

They go on to add –

In view of the list, we believe that behind it is a distraction strategy, which we call “Jack Reacher”. As in the movie, a lot of targets are attacked, in order to hide the motives of the one who really interests. In this case, the 7.62x54R, the cartridge that fires the Mossin-Nagant, the SVT-40, the Dragunov and the Izhmash Tiger. These last three semi-automatic rifles that have always been in the ICAE’s sights. As with the new regulation, you cannot prohibit them, since they have never been FUL-AUTO, so they intend to prohibit the caliber. Possibly some others of those proposed are rejected, thus giving the appearance of a process with some formality. In short, another tease of legitimate gun users and an attack on private property and our freedoms.

I think ANARMA is correct. This is a devious way to ban firearms. Instead of saying you can’t own a Winchester 70 in .30-06, just ban the caliber as a “war caliber”.

I wonder which came first for the anti-gun movement – “weapons of war” or “war caliber”? Either way, it is a deliberate attempt by the prohibitionists to confuse the un-informed.

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CRKT’s 2021 Knife Introductions

December 30, 2020 by

With no SHOT Show this coming year due to the pandemic, I think you are going to see a lot of line extensions of products with not many truly new products. Looking over the 2021 lineup of new knives from CRKT, you can see this. Knives like the Provoke folding karambit and the CEO flipper were introduced in past years and will be coming out in new colors.

The Ritual designed by Alan Folts might be the exception as it introduces a new mechanism along with a new knife.

The people at Knifecenter.com sat down with Ryan Pedersen of CRKT to go over the new introductions.

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Sportsman’s Warehouse Merging With Bass Pro Parent

December 26, 2020 by

I missed this when it was released on Monday, December 21st. The Sportsman’s Warehouse has agreed to be bought for cash by Great American Outdoors Group. This is the private holding company that owns Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, White River Marine (Tracker boats), and a number of resorts. It is headed by Bass Pro Shop’s founder Johnny Morris.

From their release:

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. and WEST JORDAN, Utah, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In an effort to better serve its loyal customers, Sportsman’s Warehouse has entered into a definitive agreement to join the Great American Outdoors Group, parent company of Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, White River Marine Group and a collection of nature-based resorts. The Great American Outdoors Group will remain a private company with a long-term view to do what is best for its customers, team members and conservation initiatives. As part of the agreement, Sportsman’s Warehouse will be acquired for $18.00 per share in cash.

The driving force behind the partnership is the two companies’ similar histories and highly complementary business philosophies and geographic footprints. Both entities share a passion with their customers for fishing, camping, hunting, boating and other outdoor activities. Likewise, both are highly acclaimed retailers with well-deserved reputations for a broad offering of outstanding brand name and proprietary products, superior customer service, deeply knowledgeable team members and an unwavering passion for conservation. Uniting together represents an unprecedented “win-win” opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts.

“We are excited to be joining the Great American Outdoors Group. This merger brings together the greatest brands in the outdoor industry. As we look to the future, the combined entities provide our passionate associates with greater opportunities to serve the outdoor enthusiast. I couldn’t be more proud of the nearly 8,000 Sportsman’s Warehouse associates and their success in building our brand over the last 33 years. We look forward to a smooth transition and building our partnership,” said Sportsman’s Warehouse CEO Jon Barker.

“Today is a happy day for our companies, outdoor enthusiasts and for the cause of conservation,” said Bass Pro Shops Founder and Great American Outdoors Group Leader, Johnny Morris. “As outdoor sports specialists with unwavering dedication to people who fish, hunt and enjoy the outdoors, we greatly admire the passionate team at Sportsman’s Warehouse for their commitment to their customers and the sports we all love. By combining our best practices, our aim is to give our customers a best-of-the-best experience while further uniting them to support conservation,” added Morris.

You may remember that Sportsman’s Warehouse was the winning bidder for the Tapco brand in the Remington bankruptcy auction. I’m not sure what their intention was for the brand but I’m thinking that it has more possibilities now that Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have been added to the mix.

As might be expected in any buyout, a couple of law firms have announced that they are seeking plaintiffs in an effort to sue Sportsman’s Warehouse’s board for breach of fiduciary duties. In other words, they sue, there is a settlement, and the law firms – not the shareholders – get the bulk of the money.

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FPC Explains ATF Actions

December 25, 2020 by

The Firearms Policy Coalition has posted a long Twitter explanation of what the withdrawal of the ATF’s Request for Comment may mean as well as digging deeper into the language used in both the withdrawal and the original document. It is well worth a read to comprehend what we are facing.

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Reflections On ATF’s Withdrawal Of Request For Comment

December 24, 2020 by 1 Comment

On the face of it, the ATF’s decision to withdraw their Request for Comment on “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces’” is a win for the gun rights community. We organized, we submitted 67,401 comments (at last count), we got buy in from both the House and Senate, we made ourselves heard, and ATF backed down.

However, the more I think about it, the more I’m wondering if it wasn’t a feint by ATF to scope out the opposition.

I am reminded of this dialog from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story Silver Blaze. It is also known as The Case of the Dog That Didn’t Bark.

“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”

“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”

“The dog did nothing in the night-time.”

“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes.

In this case, the dog was the gun control industry.

Did Brady United issue a call for comments? No. They did, however, urge people to get involved in the Senate run-off elections in Georgia and endorsed Raphael Warnock.

Did Everytown for Gun Safety issue a call for comments? No. However, they are calling for action to ban 80% frames.

Did Giffords issue a call for comments? No. They are instead asking you to contribute to both Warnock and Ossoff to flip the Senate.

Did Shannon Watts tweet about it? No. She seems more worried that President Trump is going to pardon the Tiger King guy.

In every case, there was absolutely nothing sent out or issued by any of these gun prohibitionists.

Do I think that Acting Director Regina Lombardo and Deputy Director Marvin Richardson would like to make pistols braces come under the regulations of the National Firearms Act? Hell, yes, I think they want that.

Could Lombardo and Richardson be Machiavellian enough to float the Request for Comment as a trial balloon or as way to distract the gun culture from other things?

Let’s look at the evidence.

Lombardo is a 29-year veteran of BATFE. According to her LinkedIn profile, she started as a Special Agent, spent over 7 years as an Attache’ for the ATF in Canada, and then had progressively higher promotion. She certainly has the bureaucratic chops needed.

What about Marvin Richardson? He has put up less about his career in his LinkedIn profile. Nonetheless, we know he has moved up from a Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Division to the number two position at ATF over the last 10 years. More importantly, he got promoted after he was found to have lied to the Office of Inspector General’s Office of Special Counsel. In bureaucratic speak, in an interview by OIG inspectors, he was found to have answered questions with “less than candor.” (OIG Investigation number OSC file number D1-07-0367). Nonetheless, despite what should have been a terminating offense, he was appointed as Chief of the ATF’s Professional Review Board and then to SAC in Denver. He knows how to survive and prosper in the wilds of bureaucracy. We also know he will lie when it suits his purpose.

I think the answer is yes, they are Machiavellian enough.

Both Lombardo and Richardson want to curry favor with the incoming Biden Administration. The Trace has already suggested that they go after pistol braces by reclassifying them. Moreover, both Lombardo and Richardson have prospered in what traditionally has been a white male led agency. They didn’t get to where they are by not playing the game very astutely.

So whether this was a trial balloon or a diversionary tactic, I think it served the purposes of Lombardo and Richardson. While we might not know their actual motivation or ultimate goals, we do know that somewhere, sometime, somehow they are going to come after us again. We should never forget that.

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FPC Has Perceptive Comment On ATF Blinking

December 24, 2020 by 2 Comments

The Firearms Policy Coalition, in their note on BATFE withdrawing their Request of Comment had a very perceptive on it that needs to be read. I think they are absolutely correct that BATFE may very well come back with something even worse.

While the ATF is apparently withdrawing this particular “guidance” at this time, the matter is still “pending further Department of Justice review,” which could lead to ATF taking different and potentially far more aggressive actions in the near future, especially under a Joseph Biden-led administration. Rather than publishing guidance, or conducting a rule-making process with notice and comment under the Administrative Procedure Act, such as the Trump Administration engaged in for its ban on bumpstock-type devices, the ATF and DOJ may simply begin to prioritize enforcement actions based upon their clearly erroneous and dangerously broad reading of the law, such as by arresting and prosecuting those who merely possess a stabilizing brace-equipped handgun.

“The National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act, along with their regulations, clearly state objective criteria as to whether a firearm is a short barrel rifle, short barrel shotgun, or any other weapon,” explained Adam Kraut, FPC’s Director of Legal Strategy. “It remains evident that ATF’s policy preferences are hostile to law-abiding Americans and the agency’s schizophrenic approach to addressing these issues places individuals at risk of prosecution for simply following and relying on guidance from the agency.”

“The ATF’s withdrawal of their proposed guidance should be the end of the road for this assault on lawful accessories and law-abiding gun owners, but we know better. FPC will continue to carefully monitor and evaluate ATF policies and enforcement practices for violations of the law and our Constitution, and as we have before, rapidly respond with forceful and appropriate action,” concluded Kraut.

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ATF Blinks – Request For Comment Withdrawn

December 24, 2020 by

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has withdrawn their Request for Comment on “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces’” as of today.

Upon further consultation with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, ATF is withdrawing, pending further Department of Justice review, the notice and request for comments entitled “Objective Factors for Classifying Weapons with ‘Stabilizing Braces’,” that was published on December 18, 2020. 85 FR 82516. As explained in the notice, the proposed guidance was not a regulation. The
notice informed and invited comment from the industry and public on a proposed guidance prior to issuing a final guidance document.


The withdrawal of the guidance does not change any law, regulation, or other legally binding requirement.
December 23, 2020

Marvin G. Richardson
Associate Deputy Director

In other words, BATFE was feeling the heat. They had over 67,000 comments at last count and a letter from 90 Congressmen.

According to Dan Zimmerman at TTAG, what may have swung the decision was the involvement of Mitch McConnell.

But TTAG has learned that the final straw that persuaded the ATF to back down was serious pressure applied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A call took place over the weekend involving a number of firearms industry companies and McConnell’s office.

Stephen Gutowski of the Free Beacon reports more on that phone call.

Second Amendment activists and industry giants are imploring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use his influence on the Department of Justice to scuttle a proposed firearms regulation that would banish a popular gun accessory known as a “pistol brace.”

In a phone call with McConnell’s office on Saturday, approximately 80 gun makers warned that a proposed ruling from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms could cost them nearly $2 billion in sales, according to several sources who participated in the call. 

The Daily Caller indicates that the runoff elections in Georgia may have played a role in McConnell getting involved in addition to the loss of revenues by the firearms industry.

Jamin McCallum, founder of Palmetto State Armory, one of the leading manufacturers of AR-15s, predicted a $150 million loss if the ATF  followed through with the regulation. McCallum also insisted that inaction by Republicans to stop the agency may have a deleterious effect on the Georgia runoffs.

“This could actually cost the Georgia runoff for Republicans,” McCallum told the Free Beacon. “Gun owners are demoralized right now.”

Regina Lombardo and Marvin Richardson got slapped down on this move. However, given the anti-gun fervor of the incoming Biden Administration, I fully expect more moves by BATFE when they have the full support of the White House. In other words, we may have won the round of the battle but we are far from winning the war.

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Congressmen Question ATF’s Pistol Brace Move

December 23, 2020 by 1 Comment

In a move organized by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), he and 89 other members of the House of Representatives have sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr and BATFE Acting Director Regina Lombardo expressing their “deep concern” on proposed guidance on pistol braces.

You can read the letter in its entirety below. You can also check to see if your representative is one of the 89 others who signed on to this letter. If they are not, ask them why not.

My current congressman, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), signed it and I have no doubt my incoming congressman, Rep-elect Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) would sign on to it in the future.

Hudson and Members Letter to Doj and Atf Re Stabilizing Braces by jpr9954 on Scribd

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Expect CSGV To Shout “Insurrectionist!” For The Next 4 Years

December 23, 2020 by 4 Comments

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) must be ecstatic. The presumed election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will allow them to return to using their favorite epithet from the Obama years.

Insurrectionist!

If you criticized the Lightbringer, you were an insurrectionist. If you were pro-gun, you were an insurrectionist. If you knew the purpose of the Second Amendment was to stand up to a tyrannical government, you were an insurrectionist.

Josh Horwitz, the head of CSGV, wrote long diatribes in the Huffington Post accusing the gun rights activists and especially the NRA of being insurrectionists. He even wrote a whole book on it.

They suffered through four long years of the Trump Administration where they couldn’t use the term “insurrectionist”. While there was true insurrection going on in the bowels of the Deep State, that couldn’t be criticized because, you know, Orange Man Bad. Besides, that was resistance and not insurrection. Resistance was good and proper in their febrile brains.

However, it seems there was a protest by conservatives in Oregon. As the tweet below indicates, that must be insurrection. It is hypocritical given how they have ignored the violence wrought by Antifa just 50 miles up the road in Portland. However, hypocrisy and the gun control lobby have long been friends so I guess it is par for the course.