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A Day That Shall Leave In Infamy, 73rd Anniversary

December 7, 2014 by

Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I like to honor this day by remembering those veterans – Army, Navy, and Marine – who were there on that fateful day as well as those stationed on Wake Island and in the Philippines. These vets are dying out daily and the time will shortly come when no one who faced the waves of Japanese bombers will still be alive. So if you know one of these vets, take the time today to thank them for their service.

Magazine of the USS Shaw exploding after being hit by a bomb

More of these photos can be seen here.

That generation of men and women would go into action to avenge these losses and they would win.

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Sua Sponte Call For Peruta En Banc Hearing

December 4, 2014 by 5 Comments

Under the General Orders of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, any judge in the circuit may call sua sponte for an en banc rehearing of a case. What this means translated into ordinary language, any judge, active or senior, within the 9th Circuit, can make the call for a en banc rehearing on his own behalf without any request from either the plaintiff or defendant.

And this is just what has happened in the case of Peruta v. San Diego. The parties involved have been ordered to file briefs within 21 days saying why or why not this case should be given an en banc rehearing. Amicus briefs may also be submitted within this 21 days period.

Professor Eugene Volokh, while surprised that this happened with Peruta, notes the reasoning behind this call.

This sort of “sua sponte” call for rehearing en banc, even without a petition, is a pretty well-settled procedure, though not one that’s often used. Opinions of three-judge panels in the Ninth Circuit are binding on all future three-judge panels, and can only be reversed by en banc rehearing (or, of course, by the Supreme Court). As a result, even if the parties are content with the result of an opinion, and don’t seek rehearing, each judge has his own interest in the precedents set by his colleagues. Judges are therefore allowed to seek en banc rehearing (which will be granted if a majority of active judges agree to rehear the case), regardless of whether the parties file petitions for such rehearing.

Given the strong Second Amendment rationale in the Peruta decision by Judge O’Scannlain, I’m guessing some of the more liberal judges on the 9th Circuit don’t want to be bound by it. After all, the 9th Circuit has a reputation as the most liberal circuit. Only 18 out of the 38 current active judges – those not having senior status – were appointed by Republican presidents.

Voting on whether or not to grant an en banc rehearing will be by all of the active judges on the 9th Circuit. If a majority approves the rehearing then, under 9th Circuit rules, a panel consisting of the Chief Judge and 10 other active judges will sit en banc and rehear the case. The 10 judges are chosen at random from among the active judges on the Circuit. The Chief Judge as of December 1st is Judge Sidney Thomas – the dissenter in the Peruta case and a Bill Clinton appointee from Montana.

I should emphasize that the Peruta case hasn’t gone to an en banc rehearing yet but that it could go to one if a majority of the judges call for it. We shall see.

H/T Sebastian

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And Now You Know The Rest Of The Story

December 2, 2014 by 3 Comments

The late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey used to have a feature called, “The Rest of the Story”. He’d end the feature with the tagline, “And now you know the rest of the story.” I saw the tweet below from Shannon Watts of Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors yesterday. Just like Al Sharpton demands “Justice!”, Shannon demands “Gunsense!”.

This is not just some Walmart store. This is my Walmart store. The one that is a five minute or less drive from my house. The one at which I buy ammo if it is in stock. In other words, I know the store and I know the gun counter. Both ammo and firearms are kept in a locked case and only certain employees have the key.

The story as reported involved the theft of an AR-15 and 150 rounds of ammunition from the locked case on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The thief purportedly shoved the rifle down his pants and just walked out.

And now for the rest of the story.

Donald Alan Skelton, 33, was arrested on Thursday as he went back to the same Walmart. According to records from the NC Department of Public Safety, Skelton was released from prison in February. His criminal record goes back to at least 2008 and includes convictions for felony breaking and entering and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

For this theft, Skelton was charged with larceny of a firearm, misdemeanor larceny, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held in the Buncombe County Detention Center under an $11,000 bond.

Watts got 28 retweets and 7 favorites from this tweet. How the theft of a firearm by a convicted felon relates to “gunsense” and the call for universal background checks is beyond me.

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Oh, Canada! Please Keep The Liberals As The Loyal Opposition

December 1, 2014 by 6 Comments

I would think most people would want important decisions left in the hands of elected representatives and not in the hands of faceless bureaucrats. After all, a politician can be turned out of office while the bureaucracy lives on forever.

Not so the Liberal Party in Canada. They are quite upset that Stephen Harper and his Conservative government want to remove the power of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to make determinations on which firearms should be prohibited. As can be seen in the poster they put up on Facebook, they consider it “unacceptable”.

The Liberal Party is the official opposition in the Canadian Parliament and is led by Justin Trudeau. His father, the late Pierre Trudeau, was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968-1979 and from 1980-1984. While serving as Justice Minister, the elder Trudeau introduced Bill C-150 which established a good deal of the gun control in Canada including the non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited categories of firearms.

Their official statement in opposition to Bill C-42 says, in part:

“First, it eliminates the need for owners of prohibited and restricted firearms to have a transportation license to carry those guns in their vehicles. This means they could freely transport handguns or automatic weapons anywhere within their province, whether to a grocery store or a soccer field.

“Secondly, it would take the power to classify firearms out of the hands of the police – the experts in keeping Canadians safe – and put it in the hands of politicians like Stephen Harper. And it would allow those decisions to be made without Parliamentary approval or oversight.

“We think Canadians will agree that this is wrong.

Somehow I doubt Canadian gun owners would consider this wrong.

Bill C-42, the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act, was introduced in October by Minister for Public Safety Steven Blaney (middle picture in the poster).  The bill had its Second Reading on November 26th.

Here is a quick outline of what Bill C-42 would do from the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.

  • Create a six-month grace period at the end of the five-year licence period to stop people from immediately becoming criminalized for paperwork delays around license renewals;
  • Streamline the licensing system by eliminating the Possession Only Licence (POL) and converting all existing POLs to Possession and Acquisition Licences (PALs);
  • Make classroom participation in firearms safety training mandatory for first-time licence applicants;
  • Amend the Criminal Code to strengthen the provisions relating to orders prohibiting the possession of firearms where a person is convicted of an offence involving domestic violence;
  • End needless paperwork around Authorizations to Transport by making them a condition of a licence for certain routine and lawful activities;
  • Provide for the discretionary authority of Chief Firearms Officers to be subject to limit by regulation;
  • Authorize firearms import information sharing when restricted and prohibited firearms are imported into Canada by businesses; and,
  • Allow the Government to have the final say on classification decisions, following the receipt of independent expert advice.

This bill is, from what I can gather, a start. Neither the Coalition for Gun Control nor the National Firearms Association are altogether happy with Bill C-42. The former opposes the bill because it relaxes some gun control measures. The latter has decided not to endorse the bill because it doesn’t address what they consider the many significant problems with Canada’s firearms regulation. These include decriminalizing firearms possession, addressing regulations that classify firearms by their appearance, and eliminating the punitive safe storage requirements from the criminal code.

Like all bills reforming existing gun controls, it doesn’t go far enough. However, if passed, at least Canada can say it is no longer the New Jersey of the North when it comes to firearms transport.

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Happy Thanksgiving

November 27, 2014 by 2 Comments
Hurry! There’s only three pieces of pie left!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are driving today or this weekend, be safe.

And if you need suggestions on how to get through all the family occasions especially if surrounded by those who take Shannon Watts seriously, I might suggest going to this blog. Blake has suggestions on the five (or more) bourbons you’ll need for Thanksgiving Day.

Finally, if you are in the market for anything firearm related, check out my Doing My Part To Stimulate The (Gun) Economy – 2014 Edition.

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Doing My Part To Stimulate The (Gun) Economy – 2014 Edition (Updated)

November 27, 2014 by 3 Comments

Herewith my annual listing of Black Friday or pre-Black Friday deals that are gun, knife, outdoor, tactical, or prep related. In the past I’ve posted this list later in the week but it seems that a number of retailers aren’t waiting to Friday or even Thursday. I will be doing updates through the week as more of the deals are released.

I have included any coupon codes if needed. If you find others, please share them in the comments section.

Think of this as a first draft. I have a lot more to add but wanted to get this part out.

The Old Grouch’s Military Surplus

I like the idea of supporting friends and buying local. Tim told me the prices go live on Thanksgiving and he has some great prices. The reporters camped out in Ferguson ought to give it a look as he even will have some gas masks.

MidwayUSA

Begins Monday, Nov. 24th at Midnight CST and last for eight days. $20 off a $100 purchase with code 14BLKFRI.

Brownells

The sale starts at 12:01 AM on Black Friday, November 28. Customers can also enter the code “J2Y” at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount on all orders for any products totaling $150 or more. It runs through midnight on Monday, Dec. 1st.

Stag Arms

Sale is effective 12:01AM EST November 28, 2014 to 11:59PM EST November 30, 2014. Most items are limited quantity. They will be selling a number of Stag Arms uppers including the 1H, 1HL, 3H, and 3HL. The doorbuster price on the 3H is $345.

Walmart

All in-stock firearms are 20% off Friday through Sunday.

 Bass Pro Shops

The in-store event starts at Bass Pro on Friday at 5am. Their 6-hour sale includes a brick of Winchester .22 LR for $25. Ruger 10/22 carbines will be $229 for the five-day sale.

Cabelas

Black Friday starts at 5am on Nov. 28th. Doorbusters include a Sig Sauer 1911 with Crimson Trace grips for $899, a Ruger American Rimfire for $259, and a Rock Island 1911 9mm/.22 TCM combon for $499. Just in time for the winter weather are Danner insulated Pronghorn boots for $89. Their pre-Black Friday deals are here and change daily. You can see their entire Black Friday flyer here.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Given their wimpy response post-Newtown, I would not shop there if they were given away bricks of .22 LR and Colt ARs for free. You are on your own for them.

MilitaryGear.com

10% off and free shipping. Use promo code “SAVE“. Starts on 11/24 and ends on 12/1.

Tactical Distributors

Starting November 26th, and running through Sunday, November 30th, Tactical Distributors is offering 20% off site wide in honor of Black Friday. Additionally, all orders over $79 qualify for free shipping. Use promo code FREAKOUT20 to apply the discount.

OP Tactical

OP Tactical will be running a Black Friday Sale from Nov. 24th through Nov. 28th. Use promo code “BF2014“.

SORD-USA

Receive 25% off ALL products from SORD. Use promo code “BLACKFRIDAY14“.

TacticalGear.com

 10% off and free shipping. Use promo code “SAVEBIG“. Starts on 11/23 and ends on 11/30. Some doorbusters depending upon purchase.

Tractor Supply Co.

On Friday only, they will be selling the Cannon wide body safe for $699. Also of interest to hunters would be their Masterbuilt Electric Digital Smoker. They open at 6am.

TNVC – Tactical Night Vision Company

The TNVC Christmas Sale is going on now through the end of the year. Use promo code “XMAS14” at checkout for substantial discounts on their TNV/PVS-14, IR Hunter Thermal Scope, and TNV Sentinel Night Vision Goggle.

Gander Mountain

Gander Mountain will be open from 8am until Midnight on Thanksgiving and then re-opens at 8am on Friday. Among the Thanksgiving Day specials are the S&W M&P Shield for $399 and the Liberty Fatboy 64 safe for $1,999.

Academy Sports and Outdoor

Academy Sports opens at 5am on Friday and their on-line store opens at 10pm CST on Wednesday. Doorbusters include a Windham Weaponry AR for $579.99, a Taurus PT111 Milennium for $259, and 325 round packs of Federal Match .22LR for $17.99.

Sportsman’s Warehouse

Their Black Friday sale starts at 6am. Included in their doorbusters is a Bushmaster Carbon 15 for $499. The Ruger American Rimfire goes for $199, the SIG P238 is $489, and the Para 1911 Expert is $299 after a $100 rebate. All 5.11 gear is 25% off.

Dunham Sports

Their Black Friday sale starts at 6pm on Thanksgiving and goes to 3pm on Friday. Among the early bird items listed are a Bushmaster Optics Ready Carbine for $549 (after rebate) and a Canon 48 gun safe for $649. That same carbine was $799 last year.

Big 5 Sporting Goods

Their Black Friday sale starts at 5am and goes to 4pm on Friday. Among their doorbusters is a Mossberg 500 2-barrel combon (12 or 20 ga) for $295 and a Ruger Mini-14 Ranch rifle for $739

LaRue Tactical

Now through Christmas, they are holding their PolymAR sale. This is to celebrate the finishing of their polymer production facility. They are offering 25% off all individual polymer items and 35% off combo items.

MC Sports

Their stores open at 5am on Black Friday. Among their Friday specials are a M&P-15 Sport for $619, a Mossberg 500 Field/Slug Combo for $289, and a Glock 19 for $499.

5.11 Tactical Online Store

Thru Sunday! 25% Off Store Wide. Use Promo Code BLK25


LaRue Tactical Black Rifle Days

Free shipping on all orders over $200 when placed on Nov 27th and 28th. 50% off on all LaRue Polymer including grips, stocks, etc.

Sig Sauer

Black Friday offer is free shipping on all items with no minimum from Nov. 25th to Dec. 2nd.

London Bridge Trading

Save on the LBT 6094 Modular & Low VIS Slick Carriers. Sale starts November 27th at Noon, and runs to December 2nd at Noon. Normally $400 or more, they will be $300 for this sale.

Springfield Armory

30% off on all items in their store including magazines. Now through 12/12/14.

Galco Gunleather

20% off everything in their on-line store. No code needed. Nov. 28-30.

Gun Digest Books

50% off all Gun Digest books and CD-ROMs now through 12/3/14

Comp-Tac

20% off all items now through midnight, Dec. 1st. Use code “THANKS-2020″.
Apex Tactical
Free shipping on all orders now through Cyber Monday, Dec. 1st. No code needed. Free patch for orders over $100.

Stark Grips

All of their AK and AR grips are 30% off through midnight, Sunday, Nov. 30th. Use code “Friday“.

Maxpedition

All regularly priced items are now 25% off now through Dec. 1st. Use code “XXVBFR“.

Wing Supply

30% off all items and 40% off of turkey calls through Nov. 29th. No code needed.

American Built Arms Company

Big savings from November 24th through December 8th on metal and polymer items. Click on their Deal of the Day tab. Their handguards look kinda interesting to me.

Bravo Company

Their Black Friday sale includes demo/scratched uppers for $65, basic M4 buttstocks for $12.48, DPMS lower parts kits for $49.95, and a whole lot more.

LA Police Gear

November 27th through November 29th: 25% Off 5.11 Tactical & Maxpedition, 10% off everything else. Free bottle opener with every order. Use coupon code: BF2014

UPDATE:


L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives

Instead of Black Friday they will be having Stag Friday. They will be offering three of their knives with stag handles at very nice prices. The sale goes from 9am to 3pm EST on Friday. These knives will also be offered by their authorized dealers. Go to the website for a list.

Vermont’s Barre Army Navy

Free ground shipping on orders above $30 until 12/1/14 plus 15% off all Condor, Alpha, and Eberlestock items. If you live in the Barre, Vermont area, everything is 30% off on Friday for walk-in customers.

Blade Magazine

Up to 50% off all books, DVDs, etc. through Dec. 3rd.  Downloads are $1.99 through 11/30.

Red State Tactical

 They are taking pre-orders through Cyber Monday for the Vickers “Adapt or Die” T-shirt. The price is $13.95. Also get 15% off a Vickers Sling by signing up for their email list.

Bud’s Gunshop

Opens at 8am on Friday and 8am on Saturday. Deals include a CZ-USA P-07 for $349 (with threaded barrel), an Adams Arms piston AR-15 for $699, and a Mossberg Tactical 22 with a free brick of .22LR ammo for $219.00. More of their Cyber Week specials can be found here including Canik 9mm pistols for $99.

U.S. Cavalry

15% off for all new customers with code HPBF2014, 25% to email subscribers (coupon in the mail), and more starting 12:01am Nov. 28th.

Armalite

Cyber Monday special is 20% off any in-stock firearm. Must call 1-800-336-0184 to order.

Core Rifle Systems

Starts at noon on Thanksgiving. Free shipping for the first 48 hours with code BFSHIP. Other discounts using code BFSAVE until Dec. 5th. 10% off all rifles plus 3 free PMags.

DSG Arms

Complete railed uppers in either .223 or .300 Blackout only $399 plus $5 UPS shipping. These are assembled by Seekins Precision. Prices good through Dec. 1. You can see details in this video.

Panteao Productions

All DVDs and yearly subscriptions are 25% off through Dec. 2nd. I have a number of their DVDs and they are highly recommended.

Nosler

Black Friday deal is 15% off when you spend $150 or more through midnight PST Dec. 1st. Also the final run of Trophy Grade Nosler 48 rifles are $1,499

JoeBob Outfitters

Black Friday deals now through midnight CST 12/1/14. Use code “BLACKFRIDAY“.

Gunsite

They call this Black Raven Friday. Deals include $200 off any 5-day class registered for on the 28th. Registration and deposit must be sent to Karen@gunsite.com. Their proshop sale will run Nov. 28-30.

UPDATE II:

Wilson Combat

Sale runs Black Friday through Christmas. Includes everything from 1911 magazines to .300 AAC Blackout match grade barrels.

Barrett Rifles

Black Friday sales include package deals with soft case, your choice of ARMS or Daniel Defense rails, MOE stock and pistol grip, and a Barrett cap.

G-Code

All products are 15% off from Nov. 26th through Dec. 1st. Use code thanks2014.

IDF Holsters

Beginning at 12:01 am on Thanksgiving morning, until 11:59 pm Cyber Monday night, IDF Holsters is having a Black Friday Sale, with special 30% off discounts on every item in stock. Use promo code TAKE30.

AIM Surplus

They are calling these deals Black Friday-ish. These deals from now through Nov. 30th or while supplies last.

Soldier Systems also has an extensive listing of tactically oriented Black Friday specials. They are too numerous to copy. You can access them here. Also check the listings from SlickGuns.com.

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Smith & Wesson Does Their Own Bit Of Shopping

November 26, 2014 by 3 Comments

Smith and Wesson Holdings Corporation (SWHC), the parent company of Smith & Wesson, got started early on their Black Friday shopping. They are reported to have purchased Battenfield Technologies for approximately $130 million. Battenfield Technologies is a Columbia, Missouri-based maker of firearms accessories.

Smith & Wesson Chief Executive James Debney said the acquisition “fits perfectly within our core firearm business. It also allows us to move more strongly into the hunting vertical as well as establish a strong platform for growth in our existing firearm accessories business, which has been a small but highly profitable part of our company.”

Smith & Wesson expects the deal, set to close in mid-to-late December, to boost the company’s margins, earnings and cash generation in its business year ending in April 2016. The move is also expected to contribute incremental revenue of more than $55 million for the 2016 business year.

Battenfeld Chief Executive Jim Gianladis will serve as the president of Battenfeld Technologies and will report directly to Mr. Debney.

Battenfeld was acquired by private-equity firm Clearview Capital in June 2012.

Battenfield’s brands include Caldwell, Wheeler Engineering, Tipton Cleaning Supplies, Frankford Arsenal, Bog-Pod, Lockdown, Golden Rod Moisture Control, and Non-Typical Wildlife Solutions.

Battenfield was owned until 2012 by Larry Porterfield of MidwayUSA and his family. They sold their interest in the company to Clearview Capital and to members of the Battenfield management team.

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I Think They Confuse Myth With Fact And Fact With Myth

November 26, 2014 by 1 Comment

Shannon Watts and her crowd at Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors are fanatics and not in a good way. They want to take a joyous family gathering and impose their specious ideology on the occasion.

They readily confuse fact with myth and myth with fact.

Greg Hickok – Hickok45 on YouTube – has some excellent suggestions on talking about guns over Thanksgiving. From a post of his on Facebook:

I agree with Emperor-Wannabe Bloomberg; we SHOULD talk about guns at Thanksgiving dinner. Some suggestions:


1. Ask your relatives if anybody has recently purchased any cool new firearms and if they brought them to share.
2. Suggest that your relatives who are afraid of firearms that they might want to consider some basic firearms training in order to overcome their irrational fears of inanimate objects.
3. Double check that your firearms-owning relatives are observing proper gun safety and seem to be taking it as seriously as they should. Maybe pass around one of your own unloaded firearms and observe how your folks treat it: muzzle discipline, chamber checking, etc.
4. Remind your relatives to read John Lott so that they are much less likely to fall for the myths about firearms that the “Control Freaks” continue to spread in the attempt to give their bogus little emotional narratives validity.
5. Be certain to share with relatives all the fun and enjoyment you’ve had with firearms since you saw them last.
6. Maybe ask the youngsters about how much anti-gun drivel they are hearing from the clueless adults in their schools. Maybe give them some advice about how to handle it without jeopardizing their grades or being kicked out of school.
7. Lastly, just smile really big when the talk turns to the wonderful hobby of firearms!

You can also share with them my Black Friday compilation of gun, tactical, and hunting sales.

H/T Bitter

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My Only Comment On Ferguson

November 25, 2014 by 1 Comment

This tweet by Jonah Goldberg of National Review characterizes my feelings about what the whole Ferguson situation has become. The only reason I’ve even given Ferguson a passing thought is that my step-daughter and her husband, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law and her family all live and work in St. Louis.