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Why Carry When Hiking?

May 18, 2014 by 3 Comments

You are out in the woods communing with nature. It is peaceful and quiet. The only man-made sounds you hear are your own footsteps on the trail. So why in the world would you need to carry a firearm?

This.

Francis “Pat” Gregory, 69, of West Tisbury, and a 76-year-old man from Manton, California, were hiking a trail north of Red Bluff on Friday when they were confronted by a gunman, said Tehama County Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Greer.

The robber shot the men after taking their money and belongings, and left the victims for dead on a remote part of the trail until another hiker came upon them about three hours later.

Gregory died at the scene; the surviving victim was hospitalized with critical injuries. A doctor told investigators he was expected to pull through, Greer said.

The men were found about 100 yards from the start of a Bureau of Land Management trail that leads through grasslands, oak trees and lava rocks to an overlook above a bend in the Sacramento River.

You can find some more examples plus some good advice on keeping safe on the trail in Michael Bane’s Trail Safe. You can find it here.

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How CCI Makes .22 LR Cartridges

May 18, 2014 by 4 Comments

Given that few of us can find .22LR ammo in the market due to (hoarding, greater demand, an expanded market, or all of the above), I thought it might be interesting to at least see how the ammo is constructed.  Jim Scoutten of Shooting USA visited the CCI ammunition plant in Lewiston, Idaho.

Turns out that it is a fairly complicated process from making the brass to filling the shells with priming compound to seating the bullets.  While the plant makes 4 million rounds a day, that isn’t a lot when you think about it. Doing the math, that is 40,000 100-round boxes or 2,000 cases per day.  Another way of looking at it is that this is approximately one case per Walmart in the United States daily.

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Old News I Just Stumbled Across

May 16, 2014 by 1 Comment

Awhile back when I reported that Mark Glaze was leaving MAIG/Demanding Mommies/Everytown Moms Against Illegal Mayor, I speculated that Michael Bloomberg wanted to install his own man as head of the organization. That man would be his former Mayor’s Office chief advisor for policy and strategic planning John Feinblatt.

I missed the announcement by Erika Soto Lamb, Everytown’s communications director, that Feinblatt would indeed be the person in charge.

From Guns.com:

“All good things must come to an end and we are grateful for Mark’s leadership during a time of incredible growth in the movement to prevent gun violence,” said Erika Soto Lamb, a spokeswoman for the group in an email.

“During his three years with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, we celebrated important advances in our fight for reasonable reforms in D.C. and in state capitals across the country,” she added.

“Everytown will continue to be led by our president John Feinblatt. He was previously chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and continues to serve as Mayor Bloomberg’s chief policy advisor on gun issues,” Lamb said.

Obviously, not a surprise. When you have a billionaire control freak who is donating big money to an effort, it should be assumed that they want their guy running it.

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Shades Of Oliver Twist

May 16, 2014 by

If you were exposed to Dickens novels in school or are of an age to remember the movie Oliver, then you know the story of how an older corrupt man used young boys to do his nefarious deeds. In a case of life imitating art, Brad Shipley of Trenton, Florida was arrested for using neighborhood kids to break-in to homes and steal outdoor gear such as guns, knives, and fishing tackle.

Photo from the Levy County Sheriff’s Dept

Shipley’s scheme fell apart when one of the kids told his mom what he was being forced to do.

Shipley’s plan unraveled when one of the kids told his mother what he had been made to do. The mother contacted LCSO and investigators seized the moment. Investigators were able recover property from six residential burglaries in Levy County, one burglary in Gilchrist County and a storage shed burglary in Alachua County.

According to the Levy County Clerk of Court’s office, Shipley is facing 17 counts ranging from dealing in stolen property to burglary to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held under a $810,000 bond.

I’m a little surprised at the size of the bond but then again if you are stealing a man’s (or woman’s) fishing rod and/or his mounted deer head, you deserve to rot in jail.

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It’s OK, It Was An “Only One”

May 14, 2014 by

Parts of Interstate 94 in downtown Minneapolis were shut down yesterday. It seems that there was a driver brandishing a firearm at another driver and the police had to make a “high-risk” traffic stop.

The incident began about 6:40 a.m. on eastbound I-694 in Brooklyn Park, when a motorist called police to report that another driver was displaying a gun.

Police caught up to the driver on I-94 at Olson Highway and blocked two southbound lanes long enough that traffic backed up to W. Broadway. The State Patrol took the man into custody but released him after officers learned he was an ATF agent who was carrying proper credentials.

“It’s under investigation,” said Lt. Eric Roeske of the Minnesota State Patrol. “We’re trying to determine the facts of what occurred.”

The agent’s name was not released per Minnesota Statute 13.82, which allows the identity of an undercover law enforcement officer to be kept private.

So the driver in question was not just any old “only one” but an undercover Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. I wonder if the BATFE will put the Special Agent in question on double-secret probation to go along with his (supposed) undercover status.

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Some Good Knife Care Tips

May 14, 2014 by 1 Comment



L.T. Wright of L.T. Handcrafted Knives has put up a good video on taking care of your knives. He discusses how to keep them from rusting and how to store them. L.T. also tells how he keeps his leather in good shape. As a gunny, the product he used surprised me – Ballistol.

If you don’t recognize the name L.T. Wright, he used to be one half of Blind Horse Knives which split last year into Battle Horse Knives and L.T. Wright Handcrafted Knives. From what I understand, Blind Horse Knives always had two shops in two locations so the split was understandable.

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They Need Them Because Raw Milk And Heirloom Seeds Are Dangerous

May 14, 2014 by 11 Comments

Given that it seems that every Federal agency has an Office of Inspector General with armed law enforcement officers and a SWAT team, I guess this solicitation by the USDA OIG isn’t too surprising.

Solicitation Number:                                              


USDAOIGWEA-5-7-14


Synopsis:


Added: May 07, 2014 2:03 pm


The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General,
located in Washington, DC, pursuant to the authority of FAR Part 13, has
a requirement for the commerical acquisition of submachine guns, .40
Cal. S&W, ambidextrous safety, semi-automatic or 2 shot burts
trigger group, Tritium night sights for front and rear, rails for
attachment of flashlight (front under fore grip) and scope (top rear),
stock-collapsilbe or folding, magazine – 30 rd. capacity, sling, light
weight, and oversized trigger guard for gloved operation.  NO
SOLICITATION DOCUMENT EXISTS.  All responsible and/or interested sources
may submit their company name, point of contact, and telephone.  If
received timely, shall be considered by the agency for contact to
determine weapon suitability.

Beyond the question of why they even need them which is highly debatable, the solicitation has got me to wondering about semi-automatic submachine guns. Aren’t they an oxymoron? Perhaps the contracting office didn’t want to use the term “assault rifle” or “assault weapon” and just decided that “submachine gun” was a kinder, gentler way of saying they wanted a bad-ass looking firearm to put the fear of God and the USDA into those damn farmers. Given the vagaries of Federal acquisitions, who knows for sure.

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Fencing Foils Dangerous Weapons? Yah, Sure, You Betcha Says NDSU Police

May 13, 2014 by 3 Comments

College administrators and college police departments never cease to amaze me in their obtuseness and steadfast adherence to ridiculous interpretations of school policies. The latest example comes from North Dakota State University where the officially recognized and sanctioned NDSU Fencing Club has to practice off-campus at a local Lutheran elementary school.

NDSU campus police have interpreted Sec. 706 (4) to preclude having fencing foils, sabers, and epees on campus. The policy states:

Unauthorized possession or use of weapons on University owned or controlled property is prohibited, unless permission for possession and/or use has been granted by an appropriate University official. Weapons include but are not limited to firearms, ammunition, bombs, explosives, clubs, dirks, martial arts weapons, sling shots, bows and arrows, sabers, swords, knives used primarily for hunting relating purposes, war souvenirs, incendiary devices, fireworks pellet guns, bb guns, paintball guns, stun guns, dangerous chemicals or fuels, or other dangerous objects or substances. Items not traditionally used as weapons may be considered weapons when those items are used to inflict bodily injury or to threaten the infliction of bodily injury on others. Examples include, but are not limited to baseball bats and kitchen utensils.


Contact the Director, University Police & Safety Office, for authorization. The Director will coordinate approval with the appropriate Vice President(s). This policy shall not prohibit persons from
possessing, storing, or using weapons at approved locations for the purpose of meeting the requirements of a recognized educational program and/or student group sponsored by the University.

The comments on the controversy from NDSU University Police and Safety Office Director Ray Boyer illustrate, in my opinion, the obtuseness and ridiculous interpretations of school policies that I mentioned in the opening paragraph.

From comments Boyer made to Josh Francis of NDSU Spectrum and Inforum:

University Police and Safety Office Director Ray Boyer said the issue isn’t fencing’s safety. The concern is sabers and swords are prohibited, and allowing them on campus could cause others to think they should be able to have prohibited items. He also said it is reasonable to expect that if someone saw individuals displaying swords in a hostile manner in public, “they would call police with an expectation that police respond with equal or greater force.”

Boyer added “sometimes the safest way is simply to have no weapons, real or perceived, on campus.”

He doesn’t plan to change the university’s stance, unless the club had a facility dedicated to fencing.

As the Fencing Club’s advisor Enrique Alvarez Vazquez illustrates in the video from Valley News Live about the controversy, the equipment used by the club is no more dangerous than a car antenna. Alvarez Vazquez is a NDSU computer systems engineer and master fencing coach.

It should be noted that the University of North Dakota and the nearby Minnesota State University – Moorhead both have fencing teams and both allow them to practice on campus.

Frankly, it is time for NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani to exercise some adult leadership in this situation. He comes from a background in student affairs and says in his biography that “a focus of his work is enhancing the accessibility and quality of campus programs while improving the sense of welcome, support and achievement for all members of the university and surrounding communities.” Now is the time for him to live up to that supposed focus by welcoming the NDSU Fencing Club to practice on campus.

 H/T SayAnythingBlog

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SAF Wins In Arkansas

May 13, 2014 by 4 Comments

The Second Amendment Foundation has won another lawsuit challenging restrictions on the Second Amendment rights of permanent legal residents. This time it was a challenge against the state of Arkansas’ restriction of concealed carry permits to US citizens only.

Admittedly, these type of cases are low hanging fruit insomuch as alienage is a suspect class and strict scrutiny must be applied when a fundamental right involving a suspect class is involved. That said, they need to challenged and the Second Amendment Foundation is well-placed to do it.

The release from SAF is below. As I’ve said before, I wish the Second Amendment Foundation would stick to the courts and that the NRA-ILA would stick to legislatures. Those are the arenas in which they each do their best. By doing so, it would best for gun rights and would avoid what I consider foolish gestures like this one on background checks.

SAF WINS PERMANENT INJUNCTION IN CHALLENGE TO ARKANSAS CCW LAW

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has won a significant victory on behalf of legal resident aliens in Arkansas, with a federal district court there declaring the state’s citizen-only concealed carry licensing law unconstitutional, and granting a permanent injunction against its enforcement on behalf of a man named Martin Pot (pronounced Pote), a citizen of the Netherlands.

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, for the Western District of Arkansas, handed down the ruling. He ordered the state to pay SAF $10,000 in attorney’s fees and court costs of $726.41. SAF and Mr. Pot were represented by attorney David Sigale of Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

The lawsuit, filed last November, challenged the Arkansas statute because it “completely prohibits resident legal aliens from the concealed carry of guns, in public, for the purpose of self-defense. Colonel Stan Witt, director of the Arkansas State Police, was named as the defendant in his official capacity.

“This is yet another victory in our effort to expand Second Amendment protections in the United States,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Mr. Pot is a law-abiding resident of Eureka Springs, and has been so since 1986. He is self-employed and is a productive member of the community, with an American-born wife and family. He came here almost 30 years ago, met and married his wife, and has many solid connections in his community.”

While Arkansas statute allowed Pot to possess a firearm only in his home, on his property or – under certain circumstances – while on a “journey,” he was prohibited from obtaining a concealed carry permit because he is not a citizen.

“This case is not unique,” Gottlieb noted. “SAF has successfully challenged other state laws, in New Mexico, Washington, Nebraska and Massachusetts. Legal resident aliens should not be penalized at the expense of their self-defense rights. This was a good outcome to a case that should help lots of people.

“This is another case where SAF is winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time,” he concluded.

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NJ Senate Votes On Mag Limitation And Gun Ban Tomorrow (updated)

May 12, 2014 by 8 Comments

The NRA-ILA sent out an alert advising that the New Jersey State Senate will vote on SB 993 tomorrow (Monday, May 12th) at noon. They are asking the people in NJ call or email their state senator and request that they vote against this bill.

From the NRA-ILA:

On Monday, May 12, the New Jersey Senate is scheduled to consider Senate Bill 993
at noon.  As previously reported, S.993 seeks to restrict the maximum
capacity of ammunition magazines from 15 to 10 rounds and ban certain
popular firearms.  Under the guise of public safety, anti-gun
politicians continue their efforts in Trenton to erode the Second
Amendment rights of New Jersey residents.  New Jersey is one of only a
few states which already has a magazine restriction, and another
arbitrary limit will have no impact on crime or criminals.  Instead,
this legislation demonstrably favors criminals who prefer to prey on
unarmed victims.


Senate Bill 993 is scheduled to be considered by the full Senate at noon on Monday, May 12.  It is more important than ever to call and e-mail your state Senator and respectfully, yet insistently, urge him or her to vote AGAINST S.993.  Contact information for state Senators can be found here.


If you would like to tune into the Senate debate on S.993, you can do so by clicking here.

The bill would exempt tube feed .22LR rifles from the 10 round maximum. It would also allow both current law enforcement officers to carry 15-round magazines while off-duty and it would extend this same “courtesy” to retired law enforcement officers.

The kicker part of the bill is this:

14. (New section) Any person who legally owns a semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding 10 rounds or a large capacity ammunition magazine as defined under subsection y. of N.J.S.2C:39-1 which is capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition on the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) may retain possession of that rifle or magazine for a period not to exceed 180 days from the effective date of this act. During this time period, the owner of the semi-automatic rifle or magazine shall:

a. Transfer the semi-automatic rifle or magazine to any person or firm lawfully entitled to own or possess that firearm or magazine;

b. Render the semi-automatic rifle or magazine inoperable; or

c. Voluntarily surrender the semi-automatic rifle or magazine pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:39-12.1

UPDATED: Sebastian is reporting that the bill passed the NJ Senate on a 22-17 vote. It now goes to Gov. Chris Christie who has never been a friend of gun owners. However, he does have Presidential aspirations and this could help our cause. Now is the time to start pressuring him. His online contact address is here.