The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 day 11 hours ago
Lott: Eliminating ‘Gun-Free’ Zones Would Reduce Mass Shootings and Saves Lives
It isn’t surprising that people will miss cases or occasionally misidentify them, though the sheer number of missing cases involving defensive gun uses is startling. The FBI was unwilling to change its figures when I pointed out my findings when I was at the Department of Justice or earlier.
My organization, the Crime Prevention Research Center, has continued this work and spent only a few thousand dollars (compared to millions spent by the FBI) and found an additional 138 cases, plus five more that were misclassified.
Extar Announces the New US-Made Extar EP9 Pistol Caliber Carbine
From Extar USA . . .
Firearm innovator Extar USA has evolved the popular EP9 platform into a carbine, and not simply given it a longer barrel. Demonstrating once again engineering prowess and a genuine care for customer interests, the EP9 Carbine accomplishes a weight and recoil combination rarely achieved.
Unlike so many other large-format pistol and carbine pairings on the market, Extar has taken the time to recalculate and reformulate bolt mass and spring rate for the increased back pressure longer barrels create.
Don’t Expect a Last Minute Rush to Comply With the Illinois ‘Assault Weapons’ Registration Mandate
By Rob Morse
Judges are political creatures. They know who elected them or who appointed them. They know what they need to do to get promoted. In some cases, judges have overturned unjust laws and restrained the tyranny of the majority, but that doesn’t work all the time.
Abusive politicians have imposed unjust laws and those laws have been upheld by the courts. Honest citizens have often imposed their own justice when the courts refuse to defend our rights.
The Truth About the AR-15 Carry Handle
The AR-15 carry handle has long been a subject of controversy. Is it a sight platform, a carry handle, or both? The original ArmaLite M16 design elevated the sights as a result of the charging handle that stuck out the top of the upper receiver.
But that carry handle design stuck, even after the charging handle was relocated to the back of the receiver where it is now. And if you have an A1 or A2 style rifle and want to attach an ACOG or other magnified optic, there are carry handle scope mounts for that.
Continue reading The Truth About the AR-15 Carry Handle at The Truth About Guns.
Anti-Gun Senators Ignore Crime, Push the ‘Gun Violence is a Public Health Problem’ Narrative
U.S. Senators bent on more gun control used a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee to attempt to yet again diagnose violent crime in America as a public health disease. Their only proposed cure, of course, is more gun control.
In the eyes of one witness, it was another instance of gun control efforts putting their playlist on repeat, hoping that each time they play the same soundtrack they will somehow convince America that the only prescription to solving the revolving door of crime is to abandon Constitutionally-protected rights.
How a Florida Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutors Botched a Murder Prosecution,
By Lee Williams
Despite what the media wants you to believe, not all murders are committed with firearms. Knives and what the FBI considers “cutting instruments” are used in roughly 10-percent of all killings. And there are no background checks on knives.
Murders involving firearms usually draw far more attention and scrutiny from the legacy media, since a gun death always fits their narrative. Reporters fixate on the firearm itself and whether it was an “assault weapon” or had a standard-capacity magazine.
Maven’s New RS1.2 2.5-15×44 Riflescope and S.3 Spotting Scope
We’ve been fans of Maven optics for years now. See our reviews here, here and here as examples. Now they’re out with a new first focal plane rifle scope, the RS1.2 2.5-15×44, and the medium-sized S.3 20-40X spotting scope. Here’s their press release . . .
Maven Outdoor Equipment Company, a Wyoming-based direct-to-consumer brand known for offering world-class optics at affordable prices, has expanded its award-winning lines of premium riflescopes and spotting scopes by introducing the RS1.2 Riflescope and S.3 Spotting Scope.
Contra Costa County Sheriff Won’t Allow CCL Holders to Carry With Red Dots, Lasers, or Pistol Lights
Months ago, the California Rifle & Pistol Association heard from a member that Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston has some rather unique restrictions on the guns that his office will qualify for carry by residents in the county.
If you’re unfamiliar with California’s byzantine carry laws, applicants for a license must qualify with each specific firearm they intend to carry. Each handgun’s serial number appears on your carry license. Most counties will allow up to three firearms, but some limit you to only one.
Savage Announces the New KLYM Series of Straight-Pull Rifles
From Savage Arms . . .
Savage Arms has continued to raise the bar in factory hunting rifles by incorporating new technologies and forming strategic partnerships. The KLYM series is the latest evolution and brings new performance to rifles designed for the highest treks and most remote backcountry hunts. This innovative line of rifles featuring exclusive partnerships with PROOF Research and Fine Ballistic Tools (FBT) includes the proven 110 and Impulse platforms.
Savage has made a commitment to designing and building rifles for the modern hunter and shooter.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy Wants to Know Why Chicago is America’s Largest Outdoor Shooting Range
The Senate Judiciary Committee met today to discuss “The Gun Violence Epidemic: A Public Health Crisis.” One of the witnesses was Dr. Megan Ranney of the Yale School of Public Health. One of her interrogators was Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). …
“Let me ask you this. Why do you think that Chicago has become America’s largest outdoor shooting range? Do you think it’s because of Chicago citizens, who have no criminal record, but who lawfully have a gun in their homes for protection, or perhaps for hunting?
Langdon Tactical Now Customizing the .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat
Now there’s something you don’t see every day. Langdon Tactical has taken one of Beretta’s popular little pocket pistols, the .32 ACP Tomcat, and customized it. They’ve given the trigger a fluff and buff, added a threaded barrel, Cerakoted it and cut the slide for an optic. How cool is that?
Here’s Langdon’s press release . . .
After years of waiting, the Beretta Tomcat is finally getting the custom attention it deserves.
Biden Makes ‘Finishing the Job’ on Gun Control a Central Plank of His Reelection Campaign
By Mark Oliva
President Joe Biden’s campaign is waking from its slumber and vowing he will “finish the job” on gun control as a central pillar of his pitch to stay in The White House for another four years.
The Biden-Harris reelection campaign is circulating memos and reaching out to friendly media to make the case that President Biden will use a second term to usher in gun control’s radical unconstitutional agenda.
Optic Review: Leupold Patrol 6HD 1-6X24 CDS-ZL2 with CM-R2 Illuminated Reticle
The Leupold gold ring has long been the hallmark of quality and trust for hunters around the world. Bit by bit, Leupold has been earning the trust of the military and law enforcement community as well with a series of long-range tactical optics. Now, with the Leupold Patrol 6HD 1-6X24, one of America’s oldest optics brands has offered an LPVO worthy of the brand’s legacy.
I tend to like Leupold scopes, a lot.
Smith & Wesson’s Latest Spec Series Kit is the Performance Center M&P9 Metal M2.0
Smith & Wesson’s just added another Spec Series pistol kit. These are Performance Center guns that are tricked out with lots of extras. The latest model to get the Spec Series treatment is the M&P9 Metal M2.0. It sports a Faxon comp and ships with two 23-round magazines, a knife, and a challenge coin.
Here’s S&W’s press release . . .
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announces the release of its latest Spec Series Kit with the new Performance Center M&P9 Metal M2.0.
Caveat Emptor: Not Every Pawn Shop Pistol is Such a Bargain
We’ll assume this isn’t a Photoshop job or some other fake intended to get clicks. And no, we don’t know which Cash America pawn shop had this G23 for sale in its case. But we’re more than willing to believe that the average pawn shop employee has no idea what that little box on the back of the GLOCK’s slide is. Or the fact that they’re offering an illegal machine gun for sale for the bargain price of $480.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales (Some Still Going) Left No Excuse To Not Protect Your Family
“No bucks, no Buck Rogers.” the old saying goes. That’s true, even where firearms are concerned. But, if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of the self defense scene because you don’t have much extra cash, there are still some deals out there that can get you into the game.
Let’s start with a good deal from Palmetto State Armory . . .
If you’re not familiar with the Ruger MAX-9, check out TTAG’s review here.
Gun Meme of the Day: Kitty Flap Edition
I originally used “the P-word” instead of “kitty” and I was just laughing out loud all alone in my town’s community center while my kids are taking a cooking class and all the retirees here are looking at me like I’m crazy in my 2023 Magpul ugly Christmas sweater (I get the new sweater and hat every single year and wear it near daily from Thanksgiving through New Year’s LOL), but I decided against it and switched it to kitty.
Continue reading Gun Meme of the Day: Kitty Flap Edition at The Truth About Guns.
Making Merry: Over 680,000 Firearm Background Checks Performed During Black Friday Week
From the NSSF . . .
NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, revealed that the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) completed 680,671 background checks related to firearms for the week leading up to, and including, “Black Friday,” one of the busiest shopping days of the year. That figure is down slightly from 2022’s total of 711,372 for the same time period. The 2023 total is a 4.3 percent decrease from the 2022 figure.
Historical Analogues: Text, History, and Tradition From a More Civilized Time
As we’ve seen, when arguing about the text, history and tradition of gun control in America, a lot of the historical carry laws that existed in the 19th century restricted concealed carry, but allowed open carry.
As supporters of gun control struggle to justify the legality modern gun control laws under Bruen — including restrictions on concealed carry struggle to come up with historical analogues — the counterargument I’ve heard to this point is that while open carry wasn’t restricted, it was considered such a faux pas in urban areas that it was effectively banned by social custom if not law.
Dr. Strangegun or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the GLOCK
I got interested in handguns relatively late in life. My interest was driven by a desire to be ready, willing and able to defend myself and my family, in case trouble comes. Now I am, by nature, an analytical person. I tend to study, gather information, read a lot, ask a lot of questions, and only then, when I feel like I’m at least a little knowledgeable, do I make a buying decision.
Well, that’s how I see myself doing it.