The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 day 13 hours ago
Lever-Action Ballistics Comparison: .30-30 vs .357 Magnum
By Chris Dumm
Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson developed the .357 Magnum cartridge in 1934. The first of the ‘Magnum’ pistol cartridges, it was a big hit. Literally. While there’s still some debate over the cartridge’s ability to create hydrostatic shock, if you’re looking for a highly effective, commonly available handgun caliber for self-protection, .357 is a perfectly defensible choice.
Handgun hunters use the cartridge to take game up to the size of small deer.
Continue reading Lever-Action Ballistics Comparison: .30-30 vs .357 Magnum at The Truth About Guns.
Levi Strauss Blames Lawful Gun Owners for ‘Gun Violence’ in Communities of Color
There once was a day when a pair of jeans just felt good to put on. There was no pretense. No drama. Just a good fit for hard work or a casual day. It’s almost quaint when the trouser label just meant comfort and not a political antigun agenda.
Levi Strauss & Co. reminded the world that they’re not just a clothing company. They’re the fashion of woke gun control.
Sklansky: Lenient Criminal Justice Policies Have Nothing to Do With the Jump in Violent Crime
It’s not clear exactly why homicides have spiked in the United States during the pandemic. The same thing hasn’t happened in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe, and there are cities in the United States that have bucked the trend as well.
Some of the nationwide increase in killings over the past 18 months may have to do with the disruption of social services, which were already thinner here than across the Atlantic.
Gun Meme of the Day: Letter of the Law Edition
I mean, none of my weapons have ever assaulted anyone anyway. Well, except for that one time I held a police officer at shotgun point. Anyway, “assault” is a verb, which is one reason the anti-gun types have had such a hard time using it to define a type of firearm.
Continue reading Gun Meme of the Day: Letter of the Law Edition at The Truth About Guns.
Truefire is Marketing a ‘Smart’ Weapon Lock to LEOs for AR-15s
Here comes another “smart gun” device that wants to disrupt the firearms business and bring fast, reliable safety technology to the masses. Truefire LLC has developed a patented elctronic firearm locking system that’s activated either by fingerprint, RFID, or a mechanical key.
Truefire’s lock replaces a standard grip on an AR-15 rifle. The lock disables the rifle via a locking bar that’s positioned behind the trigger, preventing an unauthorized user from pulling it.
FBI: Violent Crime Rate Increased 5.2% in 2020, the First Increase in Four Years
From the FBI . . .
For the first time in four years, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2020, violent crime was up 5.6 percent from the 2019 number. Property crimes dropped 7.8 percent, marking the 18th consecutive year the collective estimates for these offenses declined.
The 2020 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 387.8 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the estimated rate of property crime was 1,958.2 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
Chipman’s Fundraising Lies About the NRA and NSSF Make it Clear He Was Never Qualified to Head the ATF
Now that gun control lobbyist David Chipman is no longer in the running to head the ATF, he’s letting it all hang out in terms of anti-gun rhetoric and smearing the gun industry. The Giffords employee has just put his name on a fundraising email that spins some fanciful excuses for his failure as a nominee to head the nation’s firearms regulatory agency.
Here’s the email blast Giffords sent out .
Double-Action Semi Auto Pistols Have Become The Manual Transmission Of Handguns
Not all that long ago, not knowing how to drive a stick shift was a statistical oddity. Plenty of automatic transmission cars were sold, but just about everyone learned to drive a car with a third pedal. Heck, it was even advantageous to have one; automatic transmissions usually had only three or four gears until the 1990s and a 5-speed manual got you marginally better gas mileage.
Then there’s the sheer fun of manually shifting gears.
Tell Us Defunding the Police Was a Disaster Without Saying ‘Defunding the Police Was a Disaster’
Like so many large cities across the United States, Portland is currently engulfed in fighting a second pandemic on top of Covid-19.
“In the last year we have seen a stunning amount of gun violence,” [Portland City Commissioner] Mapps told CNN.
“Gang violence has caught fire like a wildfire. And now we are in a dysfunctional cycle of potentially revenge shootings,” he said.
4 Teens Allegedly Plotted a Columbine Anniversary School Shooting at a Pennsylvania High School
From the AP . . .
Four teenagers have been charged with a plot to attack a Pennsylvania high school in 2024, on the 25th anniversary of the massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School, authorities said.
A 15-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy are charged as adults and two other teenagers face juvenile charges in the plan to attack Dunmore High School, outside Scranton, on April 20, 2024, authorities said. Investigators said the girl’s mother told police that her daughter was “obsessed with Columbine,” The Times-Tribune reported Friday.
SAF: If Biden Can Mandate Vaccines, He Can Confiscate Your Guns
From the Second Amendment Foundation . . .
The Second Amendment Foundation has launched a powerful new message to gun owners across the country, warning them, “If Joe Biden can force a needle in your arm, he can take your gun.”
The 60-second TV message includes a clip of Biden telling America, “This is not about freedom or personal choice” in his push for all Americans to get vaccinated, even if they have personal, religious or health concerns.
VIDEO: Chronic Staffing Shortage Turns Hungry Chipotle Patron Into Armed Burrito Bandit
Not everyone deals well with low blood sugar. If the interval between meals gets too long, some people can get cranky, or downright hangry. Combine that effect with the chronic staffing shortages that have afflicted retail establishments across the country and things can get, well, dicey.
Last week a woman waited a little too long for her food in a Philadelphia Chipotle restaurant when the lack of good help became critical. Critical enough that the restaurant was forced to close.
FPC Files Suit to Block San Diego’s Ban on ‘Ghost Guns’
The lawsuit, filed by the Firearms Policy Coalition, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC and San Diego residents James Fahr, Desiree Bergman and Colin Rudolph, contends that the ban violates the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding San Diegans.
“The right of individuals to self-manufacture arms for self-defense and other lawful purposes is part and parcel of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and an important front in the battle to secure fundamental rights against abusive government regulations like San Diego’s unconstitutional ban,” said Adam Kraut, FPC’s Senior Director of Legal Operations.
Continue reading FPC Files Suit to Block San Diego’s Ban on ‘Ghost Guns’ at The Truth About Guns.
Plano Addes Rustrictor Rust Inhibitor to All Weather Gun Cases
From Plano
The most popular pistol cases are now complete with the power of Rustrictor. The design of the Plano Rustrictor All Weather 2 (AW2) pistol cases incorporates the innovative and effective Rustrictor technology to create rust-blocking protection to protect valuable firearms.
The industrial-strength construction contains an over-molded handle and includes the famous Dri-Loc seal for maximum protection. Made in the USA, the Plano Rustrictor AW2 Cases are all-weather and meet all flight travel regulations, with options to use padlocks on the outside for even more protection at home or while traveling.
Things That Don’t Suck: 221B Tactical’s Asset Tactical Jeans
By Waysun Johnny Tsai
About ten years ago I was sponsored by a couple of large tactical gear manufacturers. They would send me pants, shirts, boots, socks, underwear, hats…you name it. The good thing was, I barely had to buy clothing. Ever. I would just find something in a catalog, send an email and gear would show up. The bad thing was that I always looked like an off-duty or plain clothes cop.
Attorneys for Reagan Shooter Hinckley Argue for Removal of All Restrictions
By Ben Finley, AP
Lawyers for John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, are scheduled to argue in court Monday that the 66-year-old should be freed from restrictions placed on him after he moved out of a Washington hospital in 2016.
Since Hinckley’s move to Williamsburg, Virginia, a federal judge has made him live under various conditions that dictate much of his life.
Bunch: After 18 Months of Pandemic, America Has a Murder Crisis
A couple of things do seem clear. One is that too many Americans are using guns in situations that don’t call for firepower — like moving the gifts at a baby shower, or getting cut off on I-95 — because too many Americans have guns in the first place. That 30% rise in murders happened during a 2020 in which 40 million Americans — a roughly 40% increase — bought guns, and 2021 has seen no slowdown, thanks in part to the Jan.
Gun Meme of the Day: All The Guns You Have Edition
Yes, yes, the actor who plays “Ron Swanson” is apparently quite (or very) liberal, so you’ll just have to accept the fact that it’s the good ol’ libertarian Ron Swanson character in the meme. The. Meme. Capiche? Here’s the clip from the great comedy that was Parks and Recreation:
Continue reading Gun Meme of the Day: All The Guns You Have Edition at The Truth About Guns.
Things That Don’t Suck: Olight’s Baldr Pro Tactical Light & Green Laser
We’ve had really good luck with Olight weapons lights in the past. They’re well built, intelligently designed, and priced reasonably. For a good overview, see some of our other posts here, here, and here.
Every other weapon light or light/laser combination we’ve tried has been a USB rechargeable design using Olight’s distinctive magnetic charging cord, but with the new Baldr Pro tactical light with green laser, Olight’s elected to power the unit with a couple of CR123 batteries.
New From Weatherby: Backcountry 2.0 Rifles (4.7 LBS!)
With modern materials like carbon fiber and titanium, Weatherby’s new Backcountry 2.0 rifles have set the lightweight hunting rifle bar extremely high (or low?). Starting at an incredible 4.7 lbs light, these rifles won’t weigh you down when hiking in the back country. Better yet, the recoil pad looks really comfy.
TTAG will get its hands on one of these bad boys for review soon. In the meantime, Weatherby’s press release follows:
Sheridan, WY – Following on the heels of the highly successful Weatherby® Mark V® Backcountry™ and Backcountry Ti, the next generation of this rifle family will hit dealer shelves in fall 2021.
Continue reading New From Weatherby: Backcountry 2.0 Rifles (4.7 LBS!) at The Truth About Guns.