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A French View Of The SHOT Show

February 25, 2015 by

I stumbled across a report on the recent SHOT Show this evening in a rather interesting and unusual spot:  the official government website of France’s Ministère de la Défense. It doesn’t surprise me that the French military sent representatives to the SHOT Show. It does surprise me a bit that they’d report on it on their official website given that France is rather parochial about their military arms.

From the intro:

SHOTSHOW 2015


Le salon américain SHOT SHOW 2015, considéré comme la référence dans le domaine des armes de petit calibre, s’est déroulé au SANDS EXPO de Las Vegas. Cette édition a permis d’observer un grand nombre de nouveautés et toujours plus d’innovations. Outre la présence naturelle et obligatoire des plus grands fabricants américains (Remington, Colt Firearms, Ruger, KAC, Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, LMT, LWRC, Troy, Barrett, DSA…), le salon affirme son caractère international au travers de pays comme l’Allemagne, la Grande Bretagne, la Suisse, la Belgique, le Canada, la Turquie, l’Italie, la Pologne, la Bulgarie, la République Tchèque, la Russie, la Serbie, l’Afrique du Sud, les EAU ou encore les Philippines. Il faut noter cette année que la firme SIG SAUER a permis d’observer un grand nombre de matériels en démonstration dynamique.

Given I haven’t taken French since grammar school, I had to rely upon Google Translate to do the translation.

The American lounge SHOT SHOW 2015, considered the benchmark in the field of small arms, took place at SANDS EXPO Las Vegas. This edition has allowed to observe a large number of new and ever more innovation. Besides the natural and obligatory presence of the largest US manufacturers (Remington, Colt Firearms, Ruger, KAC, Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, LMT, LWRC, Troy, Barrett, DSA …), the show confirms its international character through countries such as Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, UAE or the Philippines. It should be noted this year that the firm SIG SAUER allowed to observe a large number of hardware dynamic demonstration.

Scrolling through the article and looking at the pictures it is interesting to see what caught their reporter’s eye. I’m not surprised to see the Sig MCX SBR, the FNS 9 Compact, or the HK VP9 covered. I’m not even surprised to see the less than lethal munitions covered or interest in the .300 Blackout cartridge.

What did surprise me were pictures of the Serbu Shorty 12 ga. shotgun and the Coonan 1911 Compact in .357 Magnum. I guess they were considered just odd enough to catch the eye of the French. I shouldn’t forget that the French Army is equipped with the FAMAS as their main rifle.

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Twenty-One Days Left To Make Your Voice Heard On Ammo Ban

February 23, 2015 by 4 Comments

The March 16th deadline to submit comments to the BATFE regarding their proposed framework for classification of ammunition is in 22 21 days. While they may accept comments for review after that day, they are not obligated to consider it.

Jim Shepherd notes in The Shooting Wire this morning:

This weekend, we received word that apparently many gun owners didn’t find this to be a compelling reason to record their objections with the federal government. With only a few days remaining in the ATF’s solicitation of comments, fewer than 6,000 shooters have registered their displeasure with the proposal.


That, as one of my least-favorite instructors used to say, is simply unacceptable. So, too, is the ATF’s description of criminals as one of the “consumer groups” that is a prime consumer of the ammunition they seek to ban. Since we’ve rolled out the answers to those ridiculous claims before, I won’t keep beating up on that straw argument. Criminals still don’t care about the rules; it’s why their called “criminals”.

There is a concept that I learned in Economics 101. It is called satisficing. Rather than to seek the best, the optimum, the perfect, the most advantageous, it is often better for our purposes to accept a solution that at least minimally meets our needs. In other words, it ain’t perfect but it’s something and something is good enough.

In this case, while each of us is trying to find the time to craft the perfect response to the BATFE, time to respond is running out. I would make the suggestion that it is better to get some opposition down on record with BATFE now than to miss by a few days the deadline while you are crafting the perfect response.

To make it easy for us, a number of organizations have set up sites with auto-generated letters to send a copy to the BATFE and to each of your Congressional representatives. I’ve taken advantage of these sites and I would say you should, too.

Here is a list with links of sites that I’ve used:

We Will Not Back Down set up by the Trop Gun Shop in Pennsylvania. I found out about this page while watching Cam & Co. on the Sportsman’s Channel on Friday.

National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Take Action Page on M855.

Gun Owners of America’s page which sends a message to your Senators regarding the M855 ban. They urge a defunding of the effort as well as a hold on Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch.

The NRA-ILA’s Take Action page will send the comment to BATFE, your Congressional representatives, the White House, and for some odd reason, good old grabby hands himself Joe Biden.

Are these the ideal way to submit a comment? No but they will satisfice and will get your views on record with the BATFE which is critical.

UPDATE: Here are a couple of more sites that send comments to BATFE with pre-written letters.

First, the Firearms Policy Coalition has set up www.ammoban.org. They will deliver your letter to BATFE for you. Their goal, according to Brandon Combs, is 100,000 letters.

Second, is this one reports that they have 24,000 letters signed and queued up for delivery. Go to Save M855 to send another one.

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Some Good Advice From Jerry Miculek

February 21, 2015 by 1 Comment

Mixing in a little humor with some good research, Jerry Miculek addresses the whole SS109/M855 issue. He contrasts true armor piercing projectiles such as a WWII M1 Garand .30 caliber black tip AP round with the M855 Green Tip. There is quite a difference to say the least.

Jerry notes that the intent of the M855 was advanced penetration and not armor piercing. He urges his viewers to do their research and then contact the BATFE to submit a comment. Having read the “ATF Framework” line by line this morning, I think there is a lot that can be challenged in it. If they intend to go forward with this, it will end up in court given the BATFE’s selective reading of legislative history combined with a legal analysis intentionally favorable to what they want to do.

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Good For Kenn

February 20, 2015 by 2 Comments

Kenn Blanchard is a Marine veteran, a patriot, a gun guy, and, most importantly, a friend. That is why I was excited for him when I read the press release below sent out announcing a sponsorship by American Built Arms of his forthcoming radio show. Kenn was one of the first podcasters I started following when I first got an iPod. Back then, he was “the black man with a gun” on the “Urban Shooter Podcast”. That morphed into the “Black Man with a Gun Podcast”.

According to the release, Kenn is transitioning from podcasting to live radio with a show called Blanchard Outdoors. If anyone can make that transition, it would be Kenn. He’s that good and I’m really excited for him. I’m glad to see that show archives will be available for download as podcasts. I sure wouldn’t want to miss out.

From the release:

American Built Arms Company, a veteran-owned, built in the U.S.A., manufacturer of firearms and firearms parts and accessories, has partnered with Kenn Blanchard and his new live radio show Blanchard Outdoors.
“We love that Kenn brings years of experience to the outdoor and firearm’s industry and that he wants to bring the joy of the outdoor lifestyle to those who might not have experienced it before. We think this is a great cause and we wanted to help him make it happen,” said Adam Edelman, Co-owner of American Built Arms.
Kenn Blanchard is known for his popular podcast “Black Man with a Gun,” which has been downloaded over 1.3 million times. With Blanchard Outdoors, Blanchard looks to transition from podcast to broadcast. Blanchard wants to use this opportunity to share his love of the outdoors with others and help get people out of the confines of cities and into the wide-open spaces the outdoors provide. The show will feature several co-hosts and a team of expert hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen sharing their stories, tips and “how to’s.”
“I wanted to be associated with American Built Arms.  I was overjoyed when they agreed to partner with me to launch my new radio show, Blanchard Outdoors.  I really connected with them when we first met. The guys at American Built Arms are cool, innovative and dynamic. They can make almost any firearm related thing you can imagine. I’m grateful that they are making my dream of broadcasting my own outdoors show a reality,” said Blanchard.
The show will be streamed live on the online radio station WBGR Network. It will also be recorded and listeners can download it as a podcast. The show will launch in March 2015.
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Does Senator Avella Think New Yorkers Are Going To Go All Hutu Or Something?

February 20, 2015 by 2 Comments

I read the most ridiculous story in the New York Daily News yesterday. New York State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Queens) wants to ban the sale and possession of machetes in New York. The move is in response to a murder in July in which a machete was used as the murder weapon.

The sale of machetes should be outlawed after several recent attacks, a Queens pol said Wednesday.

State Sen. Tony Avella plans to introduce a bill to ban the possession of the scary blades in New York.

“The fact that anyone can easily purchase this potentially lethal tool is just crazy,” he said.

Smaller knives such as switchblades and gravity knives are already banned and listed as deadly weapons under state law, but machetes are considered the same as butcher knives.

Avella’s bill, Senate Bill 3199-2015,  would add machetes to the list of deadly weapons. This puts them in the same category as firearms, switchblades, gravity knives, brass knuckles, and the “pilum ballistic knife”. He claims in the justification that it will allow those who use a machete as a weapon will be charged appropriately. Does it really make that much difference if a person uses a “deadly weapon” as opposed to a “dangerous weapon” when they commit a crime?

According to the Daily News this legislation would mean mere possession of a machete could land you in prison for a year.

It is obvious that Sen. Avella is a nanny stater playing to the media with this proposal. Given New York State’s ethnic diversity I’m a bit surprised that he didn’t make reference to Rwanda and the desire to avoid a genocide as machetes were the weapon of choice of the Hutu against the Tutsi. Or, better yet, to give this a New York context, the Sharks versus the Jets a’la West Side Story. Just substitute machete for switchblade.

Machetes are a tool. I have many of them in various forms, shapes, and sizes. My favorite is one that I inherited from my dad. It is a bolo style machete that I think he picked up in the Caribbean during WWII when he served in the Caribbean Defense Command. The sheath is nicely tooled leather with a pistol belt hook attachment.

This bill is a joke just like its sponsor. Both should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Whether that happens or not only time and public disgust will tell.

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The Proud Grandfather

February 20, 2015 by 4 Comments

I have been battling a cold and have been reluctant to hold Olivia Grace for fear of passing it on to her. However, last night I covered myself in Purell and got to hold her for the first time.

She had just eaten and was taking her post-prandial nap. Her weight of 7.7 lbs doesn’t sound too heavy in the abstract but when you hold her she feels quite substantial.

Though you can’t see it because of her cap, she has a full head of curly hair. She is and will be a cutie.

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Read Before Commenting On The Proposed M855 Ban

February 19, 2015 by 9 Comments

David Codrea has a habit of getting the answers to questions that the Justice Department and BATFE would rather not answer. Yesterday he got an answer to why the proposed regulation change regarding removing the exemption of SS109/M855 62 grain 5.56×45 ammunition from the armor piercing banned list was never published in the Federal Register.

BATFE says they are exempt.

WTF?

Per Denise Brown of ATF Enforcement Programs and Services in this afternoon’s telephone conversation, this will “not actually be a [regulatory] change, more of a policy along those lines.” Brown said the framework document is a notice only, and will therefore not be published in the Federal Register, characterizing the document’s intent as “information gathering” in order to collect technical information, which could affect the Bureau’s final determination.


Brown confirmed ATF’s decision not to publish in the Federal Register is based on the exemption provision in the APA. That states “Except when notice or hearing is required by statute, this subsection does not apply … to interpretative rules, general statements of policy, or rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice.” Also exempted is “when the agency for good cause finds (and incorporates the finding and a brief statement of reasons therefore in the rules issued) that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.”

Could the Eric Holder’s Justice Department and B. Todd Jones’ BATFE say “F-you” any louder?

Read the whole column here. I think it gives a critical perspective on their proposed change and will help in formulating your response that is due by March 16th.

I agree with Michael Bane that this is a well thought out and orchestrated assault on gun owners and the Second Amendment. Along with commenting to BATFE, we need to be sending copies of these comments to our Senators and Representatives. I’d also send a copy of David Codrea’s column and ask if the BATFE is not subverting the will of Congress. I’d do the latter in a second letter. The more times we can get this before their radar screen, the better.

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My Heart Just Got Stolen

February 19, 2015 by 5 Comments

My heart just got stolen. The thief is named Olivia Grace Miller.

Her first picture.

Little Miss Olivia Grace was born this morning at 2:19am to my step-daughter Laura. Can you believe that? Born at 2:19 on 2/19. And it was Laura’s official due date to boot. Olivia Grace came into this world weighing 7.7 lbs and 20 inches long.

In her daddy’s strong arms.

Both mother and baby are doing fine which is a blessing unto itself. Laura was a real trooper. She fought through the pain and delivered Olivia Grace naturally. It wasn’t easy but she hung in there. And as she said this morning, no anesthesia bill!

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“Without Even Notifying The Police”

February 16, 2015 by 7 Comments

You might respect anti-gun politicians a little bit if they brought reason to the debate. However, given the statement below from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in response to the introduction of The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015, there is little chance of that happening.

“This bill is a menace to New York and would allow potentially dangerous people from other states to carry concealed weapons in our grocery stores, movie theaters and stadiums, without even notifying the police,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told the Daily News.

“It is a nightmare for our law enforcement officers and the community, and I will fight this legislation tooth and nail.”

Imagine that.

People would actually enter a grocery store without even notifying the police that they are carrying concealed.

The horror.

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John Cornyn On His Reciprocity Bill

February 16, 2015 by 2 Comments

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced his bipartisan S. 498, The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015, on Thursday. It currently has 16 co-sponsors including one of my own senators, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). The text of the bill is not yet available. An identical bill, HR 923, has been introduced into the House by Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN).

I have more hopes for this bill in this session of Congress than in past sessions. First, Sen. Cornyn is the Majority Whip or number two Republican in the Senate. Second, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is a co-sponsor and the bill has to go through his committee. Finally, there is a Republican majority in both houses of Congress. What happens when it hits Obama’s desk is another story unless it is merged in with something he desperately wants as was carry in National Parks.

Sen. Cornyn was interviewed by Cam Edwards of NRA News regarding this bill on Friday. Among the points brought out by Cornyn are that the bill is intended to eliminate “gotcha” moments like happened to Shaneen Allen, he thought national reciprocity was analogous to how his Texas driver’s license is recognized in all states, and he thought a number of Democrats will support the bill. He was less optimistic about the reception it would get from President Obama. Cornyn did say it was early in the process and that there is a need to build public opinion in support of the bill. He urged people to contact their Senators and Representatives expressing their support for this bill.