End the War on Freedom

Yep, today marks the second year of The Gun Blogs. Give yourself a pat on the back.

LearnAboutGuns.com Firearm related politics and information, from a pro-firearms perspective.

Magnum Research wants to know if you want a .22 plinker in 15 + 1 capacity. So, let them know! Via Kim.

Vitals:

Stevens (Savage Arms) Model 9400

12 Gauge

3" Chamber

Exposed hammer

Single Shot (break-open, strange side-lever)

Still looking for a serial number... there isn't one visible on the receiver anywhere. This isn't an old, rare or high quality gun, but I can't seem to find a lot of information about it on the interwebs (like when it was made, or how many they produced.) Does anyone know more about this gun? All I know is that my granddad bought it (possibly from Sears) at the same time he got my dad a Remington 878 Automaster. The gun is in nearly perfect condition (just a wee bit of rust near the muzzle, and a couple of very minor scratches on the furniture.) It looks like it was shot once or twice max, then put away in the attic. (Cross-posted from West, By God) Additional: I really need to find out if there is a possibility this gun was manufactured before 1959. Any thoughts? I know the Remington 878 Automaster was manufactured from 1959-1962.

Gun controllers often say that they desperately need to close the "gun show loophole" because it allows people to obtain guns legally (illegally in their minds) without Government oversight. Apparently they've never heard of this, the greatest threat to peace and goodwill that they want to force upon you: The Manufacturing Loophole. Wander over and take a tour of the landscape on this little-talked about method for obtaining guns: making your own.

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Concealed handgun licensees here in the Great State of Texas have been fighting for the right to carry on campus for...quite some time now. As of right now, our best hope is that Governor Perry will attempt to change things during our 2009 legislative session. This is one of the rare times in which I think that meeting every other year is a very bad thing. We're trying to be patient, but...it's getting harder. With the recent shooting on a college campus in Tyler, Texas, we have no choice but to acknowledge that this type of thing can happen anywhere. Even here in Texas, where more than a quarter million of us are legally licensed to carry our concealed handguns in many public places (except, of course, school). And then, the University of Texas at Arlington reported that there was an armed robbery on campus. There was also an incident involving a pellet gun. So: we need concealed carry at Texas schools. Right now, only the criminals have weapons at school. By definition, criminals break laws. You can post all the "No Gun" signs you want, and you can pass all the "No guns at school" laws you want. The criminals are going to ignore all of this. Those of us who follow laws will obey...and by doing so, put ourselves at risk. This ticks me off because I'm a UT-Arlington student. (I'm taking off this semester, but I'm returning in August.) I have to walk, by myself, across several parking lots. The campus is wide open to anybody who wishes to show up. Cooper Street, which basically runs right down the middle of the school, is a large and public road open to anybody who'd like to drive down it. And though many of the people who live in the numerous houses near the campus are wonderful, law-abiding citizens...some of them are not. Not every person in the surrounding neighborhood is a good guy or gal. The criminals who live right off campus have very easy, free access to the unarmed students who are in the parking lots and on the streets. There aren't enough campus police officers to personally escort every student all over the campus. Until or unless we each have armed escorts, we're responsible for protecting ourselves. But right now, legislation and school policies make this difficult. Very difficult. Because, quite frankly, I have no delusion about what would happen if I were confronted by a criminal armed with a handgun. I have...pepper spray and a folding knife. Oh, yes, those are highly effective against handgun-wielding purse snatchers, rapists, school shooters and other, miscellaneous thugs. This is not fair. I haven't done anything wrong, but the law puts me at a distinct disadvantage re: my own protection. The State of Texas licensed me to carry a loaded .45 at church, in Wal-Mart, and at the hobby shop. But I cannot carry that same gun to classes. I'm the same law-abiding citizen no matter where I go, but for some reason, I am not worthy of self protection when I'm attempting to better myself through higher education. The Brady Campaign's "Drop out of school" solution would be a fine idea if it weren't for the fact that I have just as much right to attend college as an anti-gunner's kid does. I earned my seat at UT-Arlington. Wishing to defend and protect myself while I'm occupying that seat does not make me any less worthy of what I worked to earn. Besides: the anti-gunners still have the right to NOT carry guns. They have a choice. I do not. The sooner we get campus carry, the happier I'll be.

I've been trying to spread the word far and near about this Tuesday's election for the Wisconsin state supreme court. Justice Louis Butler was appointed by anti-gun Governor Jim Doyle in 2004 to replace conservative Justice Dianne Sykes, who had been appointed to a federal court by President Bush. It's no accident that Doyle hand-picked Butler because they share many common views. What is astounding to me is that gun owners on gun-related forums all over the internet are telling me that just because Butler was appointed by Doyle doesn't mean that Butler is anti-gun. It's time to break out the cluebats. Butler is every bit the screaming liberal that Doyle is. Don't believe me? Consider this: Butler was in the minority in a case involving a lawsuit against paint manufacturers brought by the parents of a young boy said to have suffered brain damage from ingesting lead paint. The parents were suing the paint companies. Not the paint company that made the lead 40 or 50 or 70 years ago. No, the parents were suing every paint manufacturer that ever made lead-based paint because nobody knew which brand of paint the kid ate! The lawsuit was struck down by the supreme court, but Justice Butler was in the minority, and sided with the parents. What does this have to do with guns? How about all of the lawsuits we've seen where the plaintiffs sue all gun manufacturers because the brand of gun involved wasn't known? If Butler can decide that every paint manufacturer is liable for damages, even if the manufacter's product wasn't even involved, he can certainly be persuaded to decide that all gun manufacturers are liable for criminal use of all guns. Think about that when you pull the voting lever. Dick Baker Founder, Board member Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association Eotech Sights

Many of the gun blogs are powered by wordpress. The latest version has just come out. This release was cooking for over 6 months! Be careful when upgrading and make sure you have a backup of both the files and the database. I messed up the upgrade on my blog (The Firearm Blog) and it had to be taken down for a few hours. The upgrade instructions are here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Upgrading_WordPress Many people do not like the new admin theme. If you don't like it have a look at this theme. Best of luck!

It really PAINS me to find myself leaning towards agreement with the state of New York in anything, much less when it comes to banning of firearms. New York is considering a ban on "brightly painted guns", you know, the bright reds, blues, and worst in my opinion, orange. I'm not a guy who believes that the looks of a firearm should be a factor in determination use, but at the same time, I work in the law enforcement area and know that a orange gun (if they do become more prevailant) will cause either a officer to hesitate when he/she shouldn't or to not hesitate when they should. Either way, it's a screwed up situation. I can understand those who wish to personalize their property, I get it, but can we justify giving the drive-by media and the statistically challenged anti-gunners ammunition of a tragedy waiting to happen and we didn't "nip it in the bud" sort of speak? If I'm way off base please tell me. I just don't see it as a big deal.

Via email: Have opportunity to buy a Kimber conversion of Swede M96 Mauser to 7.62NATO. Barrel cut down to Ranch rifle and forward sited scope mount permanently pinned into old leaf sight box (minus scope). Price is $250.00 tax & all. Anybody hear of anything about these Kimber conversions? And what scope would you suggest for a "ranch rifle"? Good deal? Bad deal? Sounds good to me, but I'm not a Kimber person. Any input? If so, head on over to the Alehouse and say your piece.

Court Transcripts and Video of the Arguments can be found at: WWW.FIREARMWATCH.COM Today the handgun ban in Washington D.C. is argued before the Supreme Court. This is the first gun bill to be heard in the supreme court in 32 years. Several mainstream media outlets reported that if the court lifts the ban, the 2nd amendment right to bare arms includes all weapons at the time that our founding fathers signed the constitution which includes "Fully Automatic" machine guns ( No, not the ones that anti-gunners mistaken for. Those are so-called assault rifles but those are included too. ). - John Birster NRA Headline: Joint Statement from Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox Regarding Oral Arguments Before the Supreme Court Concerning the Second Amendment Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Washington, D.C.’s ban on keeping handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense is unreasonable and unconstitutional under any standard. We remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree with the overwhelming majority of the American people, more than 300 members of Congress, 31 state attorneys general and the NRA that the Second Amendment protects the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms, and that Washington, D.C.’s bans on handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense should be struck down.

Is my 'stuff' worth dying for? Personally, I'd say 'No'. But that doesn't mean I won't shoot you if you try to take it. You see, for you the value of my 'stuff' is low - just the few dollars you'll be able to pawn it for, or the cheap thrill you get from taking it. But to me many of those items are precious beyond words, treasured mementos of people, places, and times. That cheap little thing you may take just to laugh at and destroy may be the one and only thing I have left from someone deeply beloved and long gone. That link is worth protecting. And as to the rest of my 'stuff' you should keep in mind that those are pieces of my life that you're taking. I worked to get those things and no insurance company will ever be able to give me the portion of my life I expended to get something back. All of that ignores the other, more practical reasons why you're risking your life stealing from me. You see, I cannot know what your intentions are. You say (now) that you were only going to steal and would never hurt anyone. But you see the problem is that many other thieves are willing to harm my loved ones and I so I have to treat all thieves as dangerous. Besides, no matter what you intend now, how can I be sure (sure enough to bet my life) that you won't change your mind when confronted? All in all, the most reasonable thing for me when you try to rob me is to presume that if you're willing to steal you're willing to do additional harm as well and do what I can to protect myself and my loved ones. Which means I will shoot you. You don't want to get shot. I hear it's quite painful and, of course, there's a significant risk that you will die. And I don't think anything I own is worth you risking your life to steal, so please don't put yourself in a position to be killed over something so trivial as my 'stuff'. Get a job and get your own.

Just got this via e-mail: CHANGE TO CARBINE SALES DATES: Inspection & Repair and grading of M1 carbines has progressed faster than expected. CMP will now accept mail orders for Saginaw, Saginaw S'G', and National Postal Meter carbines on 28 April, 2008. Order acceptance date for Standard Products and IBM has now been set as 7 July, 2008. For operational reasons, we have set a limit of one carbine per customer per manufacturer for each of these manufacturers until further notice. A small quantity of these manufacturers will be available at both CMP stores. For additional details, please see http://www.odcmp.com/rifles/carbine.htm NORTH STORE RENOVATION: The Grand Re-Opening of the CMP North Store is still scheduled for 12 march, 2008. HRA GARANDS NOW AVAILABLE: CMP is now accepting orders for HRA Service and Field Grade Garands. For additional details, please see http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/m1garand.htm PRICE REDUCTION - NATIONAL MATCH M1 GARAND STOCK SET: CMP price for Item #085 has been reduced from $124.95 to $94.95. This stock set is listed under the 'commercial parts' tab on our estore http://estore.odcmp.com/Store/catalog/catalog.aspx

What scares me the most is the total disregard of empirical evidence that abounds in our government, schools, places of business, and those whose opinions (for whatever reason) seem to matter to people. I cannot believe that the "data" can be misconstrued to point to more gun control as the answer; therefore it must be that the "data" is being purposely ignored or vilified so the average person can't morally defend what they know is right. I have run into this problem repeatedly, where I'm put into the emotional "evil" slot. People just don't want to hear that it is about a lot more than hunting. That it is a defining aspect of being American. They don't have the intellectual honesty or capacity to understand a abstract (to them) concept when a emotional travesty has occurred. It is sad to think that we, our society, is in decline and in not to many years from now we, all of us, will be as Rome or Athens...... Great....I just depressed myself. See ya'll.

Gun dealer used by Va. Tech shooter sold supplies, holster to NIU killer "I was just shocked," said Eric Thompson, 34, whose company TGSCOM Inc. sells weapons over the Internet. "There are over 90,000 licensed dealers in the U.S." Shocked. Shocked! The shop is in a working-class neighborhood. Signs in the front yard say "Tony's Guns and Ammo." The shop is in a fenced-in building behind a home. Sounds shady to me. Call the Goon Squad! This article isn't really infected with PSH, it's a carrier. I wouldn't want to be in Tony's shoes right about now. I'm sure the ATF is already in motion.

Before posting this, I have to apologize. I said I'd cross-post my gun stuff here, and I've been remiss in doing so. I'll do the best I can to get my gun stuff over here. Not like it's hard to do, or anything. I haven't heard anything more than what was on last night. What's to know? some whack job killed some people. Now, scores of grieving family and friends wrestle with their emotions and try to figure out what happened, and more importantly, why. There is no why. Not one that will bring peace of mind. It simply is, and the question now - what do we do to fix it? Arm everybody? No. That won't work. Face it, most folks don't want to be armed. For whatever reason, they don't think carrying a firearm is necessary. Some folks have no business carrying a gun. Even if they meet the legal requirements, they simply don't have the strength of character necessary to have one. Ban guns? Yeah, that's been working out well lately. Virtually all of these shootings happened in "gun-free zones". According to the Brady Campaign, Illinois places 9th on their list of best state gun laws. If this doesn't prove once and for all that restrictive gun laws don't work, I don't know what will. These are the two main courses of action many people call for, neither of which will work. So what to do? First, we need to get our heads out of the sand and let the people who choose to legally carry a firearm do so. Anywhere and everywhere. Let grown-ups act like grown-ups. We are civilized people, let us enjoy the benefits of being civilized. To those who don't want to carry firearms I say fine, don't. But be mature enough to understand those who do are as fine a people as you are. They love their families, and love their individual freedom. They won't shoot you if you take their parking spot or grab the last can of wasabi almonds off the store shelf. They know, as you do, it's not worth it. I for one, would hate to have to shoot someone for the simple fact that I don't want to lose my gun to an evidence locker. Not for some piece of crap hoodlum who thinks I might have money. Will this solve the problem? No. Nothing will ever solve the problem. There has been, and always will be, evil in the world. What else can you call it? We see it every day; women killing their kids, mass shootings, just today a woman's body was found just outside Memphis with no hands, feet, or head. Tell me evil doesn't exist. Like the saying goes, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke). That's what's going on here. The good guys are doing nothing. They are hiding behind useless laws and the hope that someone else will save them. Someone else being the law, of course. Not Joe or Jane Average who happens to be carrying a gun. They don't have the training uniform. Never mind the fact that Joe or Jane has put more lead downrange in a weekend than some cops do in a year. We've so castrated our society, we can't do the right thing for fear of getting arrested. Have a beef with a classmate? Don't duke it out in the schoolyard, you might get arrested. Your sister's boyfriend smacking her around? Don't go punch his lights out, you will get arrested. Neighbor's dog getting in your trash/garden/stuff? Don't put some rocksalt in his ass, you'll get sued by the owner and PETA. We have to get back to the point in our society where men and women who take action for the betterment of those around them are rewarded, not condemned. Let grown-ups act like grown-ups without getting bent out of shape over some imaginary comfort zone. There is no comfort zone, there never has been. Evil is out there. It doesn't want you to think about it. If you think about it, you might be prepared. That was quite a ramble, wasn't it? Crossposted at the Alehouse

Okay. What now? As I see it, McCain is going to be the Republican nominee and he "Aint our kind of people" as my Great Grandma use to say. What can we do to turn this to our favor? I for one don't have any ideas other than having the NRA and other pro-rights groups put pressure on him which I don't see as having any effect (if it hasn't happened yet, why would it happen now?). I'm open to ideas.