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Hearings On Target Range Bill Today

April 24, 2012 by

The NSSF sent out an alert yesterday that the Senate Environmental and Public Works Subcommittee will hold hearings on S. 1249 – the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Act of 2012 – which is sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).

The Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee will hold a hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24, at 10:15 a.m., on several bills important to sportsmen and sprotswomen, including NSSF’s priority this legislative session–S. 1249, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act. The bill, introduced by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), would allow states to expand their use of Pittman-Robertson funds to develop or expand public target shooting facilities. Amending the restrictions on Pittman-Robertson funds for this purpose is long overdue. More public shooting ranges are needed throughout the country to accommodate the rapidly growing number of target shooters who contribute to P-R funding through purchases of firearms and ammunition. Learn more about this bill and write your senators to support it.

 You can read the full text of the bill here and read more about it here and here.

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Bank Of America, The Second Amendment, And A 46 Year Relationship (updated)

April 23, 2012 by 15 Comments

On Friday, Kelly McMillan of McMillan International, a manufacturer of firearms and some of the best stocks going, posted on Facebook about the treatment of his company by Bank of America. The bank has not issued any statement or press release refuting Mr. McMillan’s version of things. I do have an email in to their press relations office for group commercial banking and will post any response that I get.

Based in Charlotte, NC, Bank of America is the product of a merger between San Francisco-based Bank of America and Charlotte-based NationsBank. Before it took the NationsBank name, it had been NCNB and North Carolina National Bank even before that. While the original Bank of America traces its history back to Amadeo Giannini and early 20th century San Francisco, the real owners of the current Bank of America got their start in 1960 as the North Carolina National Bank and were considered upstarts in the NC banking industry.

McMillan’s full unedited post is below:

McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing, McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years. Today Mr. Ray Fox, Senior Vice President, Market Manager, Business Banking, Global Commercial Banking came to my office. He scheduled the meeting as an “account analysis” meeting in order to evaluate the two lines of credit we have with them. He spent 5 minutes talking about how McMillan has changed in the last 5 years and have become more of a firearms manufacturer than a supplier of accessories.

At this point I interrupted him and asked “Can I possible save you some time so that you don’t waste your breath? What you are going to tell me is that because we are in the firearms manufacturing business you no longer what my business.”

“That is correct” he says.

I replied “That is okay, we will move our accounts as soon as possible. We can find a 2nd Amendment friendly bank that will be glad to have our business. You won’t mind if I tell the NRA, SCI and everyone one I know that BofA is not firearms industry friendly?”

“You have to do what you must” he said.

“So you are telling me this is a politically motivated decision, is that right?”

Mr Fox confirmed that it was. At which point I told him that the meeting was over and there was nothing let for him to say.

I think it is import for all Americans who believe in and support our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms should know when a business does not support these rights. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. When I don’t agree with a business’ political position I can not in good conscience support them. We will soon no longer be accepting Bank of America credit cards as payment for our products.

Kelly D McMillan
Director of Operations
McMillan Group International, LLC
623-582-9635
http://www.mcmillanusa.com/

 My family has had a 46 year relationship with Bank of America and its predecessor NCNB. From checking and savings accounts, car loans, safe deposit boxes, to the mortgage on my mother’s house, we have dealt with Bank of American in one form or another since 1966. Indeed, my mom had one of the first BankAmericards back in the late 1960s. We now know this as a VISA card.

After my mom’s death in 2008, I kept one account open with Bank of America out of nostalgia for the length of that relationship. I should have remembered that there is no such a thing as nostalgia in banking.

I will begin winding down my banking relationship with Bank of America this week. The first to go will be the BassPro-branded VISA card which is actually a Bank of America VISA card. Then I will begin transferring any remaining bank drafts from Bank of America to my other banks. Once this is done, the remaining checking account will be closed and thus end our 46 year banking relationship. I will be letting Bank of America management know why I closed the account.

I most certainly cannot tell you what to do nor would I. However, I would ask that you consider whether you want to keep your money at a bank (or any of their subsidiaries such as Merrill Lynch) that doesn’t respect you or your Second Amendment values. You know what I plan to do. What you do is up to you.

UPDATE: As noted in the first paragraph, I reached out to Bank of America for a comment on the McMillan Group International situation. I received a reply from Anne Pace of Bank of America. Her email didn’t have any signature line so I don’t know her exact title or position in the firm. Her verbatim response is below:

We want to let you know that we have heard the comments and questions regarding one of our customers. While we cannot discuss the details of any individual client we work with, we can assure you the allegations being made here are completely false. Bank of America does not have a policy that prohibits us from banking clients in this industry. In fact, we have numerous, longstanding customers in the industry.

In a follow-up email, Ms. Pace identified herself as one of the bank’s spokespeople.

UPDATE II: Kelly McMillan has a follow-up statement on Facebook regarding the statement put out by Bank of America that they don’t discriminate against the firearms industry.

In response to Bank of America’s public statement:

The statement we [McMillan] posted was an accurate account of the events that transpired late last week. McMillan Group has been in good standing with B of A and a loyal customer for the past 12 years. We were told that we must finalize all of our accounts because we manufacture firearms.

McMillan cannot speak for Bank of America’s company wide policies, but we can speak out about our personal experiences.

We [McMillan] kindly suggest that if Corporate Bank of America has no policy against conducting business with firearms manufactures, then they should communicate these policies with their regional Vice Presidents and other management.

UPDATE III: I closed out my BassPro Outdoor VISA from Bank of America this afternoon so the first step has been taken. I will be closing out the checking account as soon as everything has cleared and I’ve moved the remaining check drafts to another account at another bank.

I think I will use the money in this account to pay for my trip to the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Orlando this September. It seems only fitting.

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SAF Files Suit In New Mexico Over Law Barring CCW Permits For Legal Resident Aliens

April 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Second Amendment Foundation filed suit today in the US District Court for the District of New Mexico challenging that state’s ban on concealed carry permits for resident legal aliens. Similar suits have been brought in Kentucky and South Dakota by the ACLU and in both cases the plaintiff won. SAF just won a suit in Massachusetts, Fletcher et al v. Haas et al, over their discrimination against the gun rights of legal resident aliens.

As was the case in three earlier suits involving legal resident aliens, the State of New Mexico is on shakey legal ground denying them permits. Laws that discriminate based on “alienage” are subject to strict scrutiny. This suit seeks a declaration that the portion of the New Mexico Concealed Handgun Carry Act which limits it to US citizens is unconstitutional and an injunction against its enforcement.

If I had to make a prediction, New Mexico will either fold quickly and settle or a summary motion will be introduced and granted declaring the law unconstitutional. In another similar case in Omaha, Nebraska, that city folded rather quickly.

SAF SUES NEW MEXICO OVER LAW BARRING CCW PERMITS FOR LEGAL RESIDENT ALIENS

For Immediate Release: 4/23/2012

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in federal district court in New Mexico challenging that state’s prohibition on the issuance of concealed carry permits to legal resident aliens.

SAF filed the complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on behalf of John W. Jackson, an Australian citizen who came to the United States with his wife, an American citizen, in 2007. He obtained permanent resident status in November 2008. They are represented by Albuquerque attorney Paul M. Kienzle, III and Glen Ellyn, Illinois attorney David Sigale. Named as defendants in the case, in their official capacities, are New Mexico Attorney General Gary King and Bill Hubbard, director of the Special Investigations of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.

“Legal resident aliens in the United States should have the same personal protection rights as anyone,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “because criminals do not play favorites. Mr. Jackson is a productive member of his community, and his plight is shared by many legal alien residents.”

According to the SAF complaint, the laws of New Mexico completely prohibit resident legal aliens from the concealed carry of guns, in public, for the purpose of self-defense. In New Mexico, only citizens may have the benefit of an armed defense by concealed carry.

“Our lawsuit is firmly grounded in the recognition and incorporation of the Second Amendment that came with our Supreme Court victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago,” Gottlieb noted. “We also believe the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause renders the State’s ban on non-citizens obtaining a concealed carry permit to be unconstitutional. Mr. Jackson and others like him only seek to be treated the same as law-abiding citizens. The Second Amendment renders a ban such as that challenged in our action to be impermissible.

“We just won a similar case in Massachusetts,” he said, “and we will pursue this case with equal vigor.”

The lawsuit seeks to enjoin King and Hubbard from further enforcing the state ban on the issuance of concealed carry permits to non-citizens, and to declare that the law is null and void because it violates the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms, and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

H/T SayUncle

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Blackberry Winter

April 23, 2012 by

Blackberry winter has nothing to do with outages in service for the product from Research in Motion. Instead it is an expression used by old timers here in the mountains of North Carolina (and elsewhere in the Southern Appalachians) to describe cold snaps during the Spring when the blackberry bushes are blooming.

It is April 23rd and we just had a dusting of snow early this morning in the upper elevations (above 2,500 feet). My car thermometer read in the mid-30s when I got in it to go to work around 8:30 this morning. I’d like to say this is the latest we’ve gotten snow but I can’t. I still remember when Mount Pisgah got 57 inches of snow on May 7th back in 1992. I had just planted my tomato and pepper plants and just as quickly repotted them indoors.

Blackberry winter is different from dogwood winter as it is later in the season. Dogwood winter is the cold snap we often get when the dogwood trees are blooming. We had an early and mild Spring this year and I think this is Mother Gaia’s revenge on us for getting complacent.

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What The Hell Is The World Coming To Nowadays

April 23, 2012 by 7 Comments

This is a story that is guaranteed to raise your blood pressure. If you don’t feel angry after reading it then something is wrong with you. I can’t make it any plainer.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a 90 year old man was badly beaten while his 85 year old wife was beaten, raped, and killed by home invaders on March 14th.

Bob Strait of Tulsa, Okla., was hospitalized after a vicious March 14 robbery that killed his wife, 85-year-old Nancy Strait. She was beaten and raped in the attack.

The couple, who met on a blind date on Thanksgiving Day 1946, had been married for 65 years.

Police have one suspect in custody, but they believe as many as four others took part in the home invasion.

Mr. Strait, a WWII veteran, was a member of the 101st Airborne Division and jumped into Normandy on the night of June 5, 1944 as part of the D-Day invasion. After the war, he refused to accept veterans aid as he felt, according to his daughter, that “he was only doing his job, like everyone else.” He even turned down a Purple Heart during the war because he didn’t feel his injuries weren’t severe enough.

While the investigation is ongoing, the family is asking that a task force be formed to find the remaining four perpetrators of this heinous crime.

One of the Strait’s daughters, Lenore Gay, said the investigation is ongoing, but she is unhappy that Tulsa police have mustered nowhere near the resources in her parents’ case as those applied to a nationally reported shooting spree in Tulsa that occurred at around the same time.

Gay is hugely grateful for any financial help on behalf of her family, but has also asked members of the 101st Airborne Division Association to contact Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and ask that a task force be set up immediately to find the remaining suspects still at large in her parents’ case.

If you want to call Mayor Bartlett, his office phone is (918) 596-2100. He also can be contacted by email through this link.

It is damnable thing when some punk-ass thugs can invade the home of a man who put his life on the line almost 68 years ago for their freedom. That they would rape and murder his wife of 65 years is beyond the pale. I can’t think of a punishment too cruel or unusual for these thugs.

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NRA-PVF Endorsements And Rankings For North Carolina

April 23, 2012 by 1 Comment

The NRA Political Victory Fund released its 2012 primary endorsements for North Carolina on April 19th. They only released grades and endorsements in selected races for the US House of Representatives.

A major omission is the race for Governor of North Carolina. In 2008, the NRA-PVF endorsed current Gov. Bev Perdue (D-NC) who has decided not to run for re-election given her poor chances of being re-elected.

The endorsement that I find most interesting is that for Hayden Rogers (D) in the North Carolina 11th Congressional District. Incumbent Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC-11) decided not to seek re-election after his district was redrawn. Rogers has served as Chief of Staff to Shuler for the last six years and in that position presumably worked closely with the gun rights groups that Shuler supported.

Here are the grades and endorsements. I have put the endorsed candidates in BOLD.

District 2
Republican Primary

Renee Ellmers (R)
Grade: A
Status: Incumbent

Sonya Holmes (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Clement F. Munno (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Richard Speer (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 3
Republican Primary

Walter Jones, Jr. (R)
Grade: A
Status: Incumbent

Frank Palombo (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 6
Republican Primary

Howard Coble (R)
Grade: A
Status: Incumbent

Bill Flynn (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Billy Yow (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 8
Democratic Primary

Larry Kissell (D)
Grade: A
Status: Incumbent

Marcus W. Williams (D)
Grade: F
Status: Candidate

District 9
Republican Primary

Robert Pittenger (R)
Grade: A
Status: Candidate

Dan Barry (R)
Grade: A
Status: Candidate

Andy Dulin (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Jon Gauthier (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Ric Killian (R)
Grade: A-
Status: Candidate

Ken Leonczyk (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Richard Lynch (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Edwin B. Peacock III (R)
Grade: A-
Status: Candidate

Jim Pendergraph (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Michael Shaffer (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Mike Steinberg (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 10
Republican Primary

Patrick McHenry (R)
Grade: A
Status: Incumbent

Ken Fortenberry (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Don Peterson (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 11
Republican Primary

Spence Campbell (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Susan Harris (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Jeff Hunt (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Mark Meadows (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Vance Patterson (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Chris Petrella (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Kenny West (R)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Ethan Wingfield (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 11
Democratic Primary

Hayden Rogers (D)
Grade: A
Status: Candidate

Cecil Bothwell (D)
Grade: F
Status: Candidate

Tom Hill (D)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

District 13
Republican Primary

Paul Coble (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

George Holding (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

Bill Randall (R)
Grade: AQ
Status: Candidate

District 13
Democatic Primary

Bernard A. Holliday (D)
Grade: F
Status: Candidate

Charles Malone (D)
Grade: ?
Status: Candidate

Here is an explanation of what the grades mean as described by the Political Victory Fund.

The NRA-PVF is non-partisan in issuing its candidate grades and endorsements. We do not base our decisions on a candidate’s party affiliation, but rather on his or her record on Second Amendment issues. The NRA is a single issue organization. The only issues on which we evaluate candidates seeking elected office are gun-related issues.

A+   A legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment.

A   Solidly pro-gun candidate. A candidate who has supported NRA positions on key votes in elective office or a candidate with a demonstrated record of support on Second Amendment issues.

AQ   A pro-gun candidate whose rating is based solely on the candidate’s responses to the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire and who does not have a voting record on Second Amendment issues.

B   A generally pro-gun candidate. However, a “B” candidate may have opposed some pro-gun reform or supported some restrictive legislation in the past.

C   Not necessarily a passing grade. A candidate with a mixed record or positions on gun related issues, who may oppose some pro-gun positions or support some restrictive legislation.

D   An anti-gun candidate who usually supports restrictive gun control legislation and opposes pro-gun reforms. Regardless of public statements, can usually be counted on to vote wrong on key issues.

F   True enemy of gun owners’ rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners’ rights and/or actively leads anti-gun legislative efforts, or sponsors anti-gun legislation.

?   Refused to answer the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire, often an indication of indifference, if not outright hostility, to gun owners’ and sportsmen’s rights.

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Grass Roots North Carolina Issues Scorecard For NC Primary

April 22, 2012 by 1 Comment

With North Carolina already having started its one-stop early voting last week for the May 8th primary election, Grass Roots North Carolina’s Political Victory Fund has released its recommendations which can be seen below.

GRNC has also released their ratings (separate from the PVF recommendations) of all the candidates – Democrats, Republicans, or Libertarians – who are running for Congress, Governor, Lt. Gov., Council of State, and the General Assembly. Candidates can be found by electoral race or by their last name.

GRNC-PVF is distinct from GRNC

By law, we are restricted from using organizational money to influence elections. The Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund is the tool we use to elect pro-gun lawmakers and throw out anti-gunners. The GRNC-PVF is North Carolina’s federally registered political action committee. We use it to make political donations and to run radio and newspaper ads for and against candidates.

GRNC-PVF Recommendations:

GRNC CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS

US House:

District 2(R): Vote for Elmers

District 3(R): Vote for Jones

District 4(R): Vote for D’Annunzio

District 5(R): Vote for Foxx

District 6(R): Vote for Coble

District 7(R): Vote for Rouzer (due to 100% pro-gun voting record in NC Senate)

District 8(R): Vote for Robinson (Keadle is equally good, but Robinson’s charisma makes him slightly more likely to beat Kissell in the General Election)

District 9(R): Vote for Pittenger: Do NOT vote for Pendergraph. Despite submitting a survey with a score of 95, Pendergraph’s performance as Mecklenburg Sheriff reflected unwillingness to sign Form 4s or to issue handgun purchase permits in a timely fashion. Killian has an excellent record of pro-gun votes in the NC Senate, but is unlikely to win the race. Pittenger has a 100% pro-gun record from the NC Senate and is the best bet in this race.

District 10(R): Vote for McHenry, who has been a leader on gun issues both in the NC House and in Congress.

District 11(R): Vote for Meadows, who has made support for the Second Amendment a large part of his campaign.

District 13(R): Vote for Coble

NC State Positions

NC GOV(R): Vote for McCory. Although other candidates scored higher on GRNC surveys, McCrory is the most likely to beat Etheridge in the General Election. Given Etheridge’s abysmal 21% voting record in Congress, gun voters should cast votes to most effectively keep him out of office.

NC LT GOV(R): Vote for Folwell

NC TREAS: Vote for Royal

NC SENATE

District 1(R): Vote for Cook

District 2(R): Vote for Sanderson

District 11(R): Vote for Newton. A former Jesse Helms staffer, in his freshman year Newton earned a co-chair position on the Judiciary II Committee through which gun bills are generally referred. He not only facilitated Senate passage of omnibus gun rights bill HB 650 – which contained Castle Doctrine, parks carry and much more – but actually wrote language to further strengthen Castle Doctrine. Newton is a leader for gun rights and the clear choice in this race.

District 12(D): Vote for Davis

District 18(R): Vote for Bradley. In his first term in the NC House, Bradley not only compiled a perfect 100% vote record on gun issues, plus sponsoring or cosponsoring numerous pro-gun bills, but also demonstrated willingness to buck centrist party leadership. Given the chance, this guy will become a gun rights hero.

District 26(R): Vote for Berger. With a long history featuring a 100% pro-gun vote record and of sponsoring pro-gun legislation, as Senate President Pro Tempore, Berger initially appeared to have let inertia settle in as the Senate refused to give a vote to concealed carry in restaurants. After months of pressure, however, he appears to have “seen the light” and has promised a vote on restaurant carry in the upcoming session.

District 27(R): Vote for Wade. With a perfect 100% voting record in previous term of the NC House, Wade is the clear choice in the race.

District 29(R): Vote for Tillman. With a perfect 100% gun rights voting record, he is the clear choice.

District 33(R): Vote for Bingham. With a perfect 100% gun rights voting record, he is the clear choice.

District 38(R): Vote for Rivette

District 41(R): Vote for Tarte. Although Aneralla would likely vote pro-gun, Tarte demonstrates the passion and desire to sponsor pro-gun legislation and is likely to be a leader for gun rights. His mediocre survey score (which he says was the result of misinterpreting survey instructions) is more than offset by the fact that as mayor of Cornelius, the town has never adopted restrictions on concealed carry in parks.

District 44(R): Vote for Carney. Ray might be a second choice, but in previous terms she dropped several votes and generally had to be pressured to vote with gun owners.

District 45(R): Vote for Soucek. In his first year, he compiled a 100% voting record on gun issues plus sponsored pro-gun legislation. He is the clear choice in the race.

District 48(R): Vote for Apodaca. In addition to a long pro-gun voting record, as Chairman of the Rules Committee he has generally been accommodating to giving pro-gun legislation committee hearings. He is the clear choice in the race.

District 49(R): Vote for Clark. In previous Senate terms, he compiled a 100% pro-gun voting record plus a willingness to stick his neck out for gun owners. He is the clear choice in the race.

NC HOUSE

District 2(D): Vote for Crawford.

District 3(R): Vote for Speciale

District 10(R): Vote for LaRoque

District 16(R): Vote for Thomas’

District 19(R): Vote for Davis

District 35(R): Vote for Cutlip

District 44(R): Vote for Button

District 49(R): Vote for Capps

District 50(R): Vote for Chambers or Chaney, not Hannah

District 59(R): Vote for Cook

District 67(R): Vote for Burr

District 73(R): Vote for Hollo

District 74(R): Vote for Brown

District 76(R): Vote for Ford

District 79(R): Vote for Whiteheart. This is a case in which GRNC refuses to support a mediocre incumbent simply for incumbency. Julia Howard voted twice against gun owners in the last session while Whiteheart, as county commissioner, successfully lead the charge to prevent Forsyth Co. from adopting restrictions on concealed carry in parks. Whiteheart is the clear choice.

District 84(R): Vote for Mitchell

District 92(R): Vote for Jeter

District 94(R): Vote for Goudreau

District 95(R): Vote for Brawley. Despite a mediocre survey, Brawley racked up a 100% pro-gun voting record in previous terms of the NC House.

District 97(R): Vote for Saine

District 110(R): Vote for Hastings, who has fought tenaciously for gun rights in his first term.

District 117(R): Vote for Snyder. Incumbent McGrady twice voted against gun owners last year, and orchestrated the weakening of pro-gun legislation. Afterward, he was caught on videotape bragging about it to a leftist group.

District 118(R): Vote for Keilman

District 120(R): Vote for West.

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Stuff You Just Can’t Make Up

April 20, 2012 by 3 Comments

A couple of the biggest stories in the news the last few days are the Secret Service sex scandal involving Colombian prostitutes and that President Obama ate dog as a child. How do you combine the two?

Easy!

Just read this excerpt from a story from Australia which features pictures of one of the hookers.

The Secret Service did not identify the agents or eight others it said remain on administrative leave.

However two of the agents were named by media as David Chaney and Greg Stokes. Mr Chaney was allowed to retire while Mr Stokes, who is said to be head of the Canine Training Section, was fired. The third agent resigned.

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For Buy A Gun Day

April 20, 2012 by 4 Comments

I had forgotten about National Buy A Gun Day but one of my local dealers obviously did not. Months ago – at least eight by my count – I had asked him that if he ever got a Ruger SR1911 in stock to give me a call and he did.

I was on my way to the 2012 Annual Meeting in St. Louis but the dealer graciously held it for me until yesterday. I picked it up for $700 plus tax which I thought was quite reasonable. This was the first SR1911 I had seen in the flesh outside of the 2011 Annual Meeting.

You can see the right side of the pistol below. I weighed it with an empty magazine and it comes in at 39.5 ounces. It is a hefty pistol but feels good in the hand.

Here is a picture of the left side. I like how the stainless steel is a low glare finish and that the Ruger on the slide in not obnoxiously large.

I measured the trigger pull with a Timney trigger pull guage and it is consistent at 5.25 pounds.

I field-stripped it tonight and the inside is well finished. I did not see any signs of machining marks or, at least, any that were glaringly obvious.

All in all, I’m delighted. I can’t wait to take it out this weekend and start breaking it in. I think the SR1911 is a lot of pistol for the money.

Now to get a nice holster for it. I suggested that this might be something the Complementary Spouse could get me for my upcoming birthday and she thought it was a great idea.

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Crimson Trace Goes Green

April 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

Crimson Trace will now be producing green as well as red lasers. While I didn’t get a chance to play with them at the NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis, I did hear about them from Jim Shepherd of The Outdoor Wires. This evening I received more information on these lasers and their anticipated release from Tiffany Hopp of Crimson Trace.

Tiffany sent the following:

Crimson Trace Debuts Industry’s First Instinctively Activated Green Handgun Lasers at NRA Annual Meetings

(Wilsonville, OR) In a move that caught much of the industry by surprise, Crimson Trace, the maker of the World’s only grip activated laser sights, unveiled its new line of green handgun lasers to a record crowd of over 70,000 consumers at the NRA Annual Convention in St. Louis last weekend. Boldly debuting six models in all significant platforms – Lasergrips®, Laserguard® and Universal Rail Master™ – scheduled to begin delivery to market in the Fall of 2012.

The first green lasers to hit the market will be in the Laserguard platform for Glock, Smith & Wesson M&P, Springfield XDm and 1911 frames and visually follow company’s award-winning Lightguard™ design. “By now, most consumers are savvy enough to know that green lasers have always been power-hungry compared to their red counterparts,” explained Kent Thomas, Director of Marketing for Crimson Trace. “By mounting them in front of the trigger guard, we’re able to utilize battery power in both a functional and design friendly way significantly more than ever – which means our customers never have to compromise on run time.” Also available in Fall 2012 will be the wildly popular Rail Master product, which is the company’s first Universal fit product for handguns with Picitinny Rails. Just as important as the green laser product introduction, holsters from BladeTech, De Santis, Crossbreed and Galco are available to fit these new green laser sights.

Creating the most buzz and excitement, however, were the sneak-peek prototypes of green Lasergrips®, scheduled to be available in early 2013. Green lasers have traditionally been much bulkier than red versions due to their more complex construction. Until now, this has prevented their use in the patented grip integrated lasers that made Crimson Trace the industry leader in laser sighting systems. Using an entirely new kind of laser, the company has managed to reduce the footprint of the diode package while simultaneously reducing the power it needs to function. “This new technology is a game changer,” said Thomas. “Next year, customers will be able to get the instinctive activation, innovative engineering and quality Crimson Trace is famous for, but with the option of green in a few of the most popular gun frames in the market. Once again, we’ve listened to the market, our loyal consumers and found a way to deliver what they want in only the way Crimson Trace can.”

I like the idea of a green laser as green is an easier color for me to pick up visually. This has to do with the fact that green is in the middle of the color spectrum and not at the end. Viridian has been pushing their green lasers for just this reason. That said, I’ve always like the way the Crimson Trace has integrated lasers into a handgun with their instinctive on-off grip switch much better than the way Viridian and others have mounted their lasers. Soon I’ll be able to have the best of both worlds!