The Truth About Guns
Exploring the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns
Updated: 1 week 2 days ago
Question of the Day: How Do YOU Convert an Anti?
Evan in RI writes: “I was talking to a left-leaning friend of mine today at our Ivy-League college when she brought up gun control and children hurting themselves with firearms they find. I suggested teaching firearms safety in Health Education, which she predictably scoffed at. So I said to her: ‘Agree or disagree: Teaching teenagers about condoms and birth control leads to teens having sex.’ ‘Of course not.’ ‘So how will teaching teenagers to handle firearms safely lead to teens shooting up schools?’ I’m taking her to the range next weekend for her own firearms safety class, ‘Just in case I have to ever touch one of those barbaric things.’ Well, one step at a time I guess.” What’s you three-step program to convert an anti-gunner to the firearms freedom side of the fence?
Gun Review: NAA Mini Revolver
In the world of production firearms, there aren’t many smaller than the offerings from North American Arms. Its Guardian series is about as petite as semi-automatic pistols come, and I believe its Mini-Revolvers may be the smallest production revolvers in the world. There really aren’t many clothing choices — at least ones you can legally get away with in public — that would prevent carrying a gun this small. As I’ve owned an NAA Mini in .22 LR for about 5 years now, I think it’s high time I officially reviewed it . . .
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How Your Local CLEO Can Screw Up Your Form 4
I had an interesting experience with my local CLEO today. They, in conjunction with a customer that had no idea what they were doing and decided to disregard all of the instructions that I gave him, created a paperwork mess of biblical proportions. For starters, it always surprises me when I hand someone a list of instructions with everything they need to do to get ATF Form 4 approved properly…and they don’t follow it. It’s pretty simple really. That’s why I love customers who are commercial airplane pilots . . .
I have a guy who stops in pretty regularly who flies for Southwest and when I hand him a checklist – he’s right at home. He reads the whole thing, he asks me a few questions and we get underway pretty quickly.
The flip side to that coin are those who have an inate distrust of their gun dealer and have to go on the intern
BREAKING: Bloomberg Launches Everytown for Gun Safety
“Michael R. Bloomberg, making his first major political investment since leaving office, plans to spend $50 million this year building a nationwide grass-roots network to motivate voters who feel strongly about curbing gun violence,” nytimes.com reports, unfamiliar with the expression “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” Apparently Everytown will be “an organization he hopes can eventually outmuscle the National Rifle Association.” How’s that you ask? “The plans call for a restructuring of the gun control groups he funds, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and
Quote of the Day: Prof. Glenn Reynolds on the Limits of State Power
“I wonder if the primacy of individual self-defense under Heller and McDonald might not have implications for other areas of the law. At the core of Heller and McDonald is a constitutionalization of the right of self-defense. The right of individuals to protect themselves against violence is so important that it is, in many ways, beyond the power of the state to regulate. Though the state might prefer to sacrifice citizens’ lives and safety in order to limit gun ownership, such a sacrifice is not permitted. This indicates that individual citizens’ lives and autonomy are themselves, in some important aspects, beyond the power of the state to sacrifice.” – Professor Glenn Reynolds, The Second Amendment as Ordinary Constitutional Law [via
Daily Digest: Death & Taxes Edition
In case you hadn’t heard, Barry Elliot from the YouTube gun channel Iraqveteran8888 (and Moss Pawn and Gun) passed away over the weekend. IV8888 put up an announcement on their Facespace page yesterday, and I first read about it on ENDO this morning. Eric from MP&G followed it up yesterday afternoon with the 85th and final episode in their Gun Gripes series, titling it Final Farewell. Barry was one of my favorite YouTube gun guys, and like many others, I learned quite a bit over the last few years from watching him. He was a force for good in the gun co
Dr. Laura Hayes: I’m OK, You’re A Potential Spree Killer
Writing for slate.com, psychologist Laura Hayes [above] reckons mental illness isn’t such a big deal, gun violence-wise. “Violent crimes committed by people with severe mental illnesses get a lot of attention, but such attacks are relatively rare. Paolo del Vecchio of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has said, ‘Violence by those with mental illness is so small that even if you could somehow cure it all, 95 percent of violent crime would still exist.
If It’s NERF or Nothing, Introducing Nothing
Over at everydaynodaysoff.com, the TTAG-reading gunblogmeister casts his jaded eye on NERF’s new rivals: BoomCo blasters. [Link autoplays.] ENDO is impressed! With Mattel’s distribution channel. Not their marketing. Roger that. This video only smells like teen spirit; it singularly fails to show the product as a serious weapon for hormone-crazed, violence-prone teens. You know, some cool kid sneaking up on some Call of Duty dweeb and firing a dart at his face – that sticks to his Coke bottle-bottom glasses. (BoomCo’s USP: PostIt Note tips.) In fact, this could just as easily be an ad for Frosted Flakes. Except BoomCo’s blasters don’t look so grrrrreat! But what do I know? I carry a 1911. And the last time I rode a skateboard, grindin
It Should Have Been A Defensive Gun Use: Florida Bear Attack Edition
A couple of years ago, just before the school run, as a weak winter sun struggled to light-up t
New from SIG SAUER: Elite Performance Ammunition
Porsche makes most of its money selling SUVs, but the Mom-mobiles weaken the sports car maker’s brand. Eventually. I repeat: brand extensions are profitable in the short term. Long term they take a company’s eye off the ball. IMHO. In SIG’s HO “Every product SIG SAUER produces will have the same attributes for which our firearms are known around the world – reliability, accuracy, and unparalleled performance,” said Jeff Creamer, SIG SAUER director of product management. As for the Elite Performance Ammunition, “The proprietary SIG V-Crown stacked hollow point bullet features an additional smaller hollow point cavity behind the main cavity. This design, along with the V-shaped jacket skives, guarantees controlled, uniform expansion at all effective distances and velocities.” Initially available in 90gr .380Auto, 124gr 9mm Luger, 125gr .357SIG, 165gr .40S&W, and
Inside the Twisted Mind of a Gun Control Advocate: President Obama Edition
Back in 2006, then Senatorial candidate Obama filled-out a questionnaire that asked “do you support state legislation to … ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns?” The form was returned with the typed word “yes.” During his first presidential election, Obama left voters (and your humble scribe) with the impression that he viewed gun control as a political third rail/non-issue. If you like your gun you can keep your gun. Like that. And then Newtown
ShootingTheBull410: 9mm Ammo Quest – Winchester Ranger
When it comes to defensive ammo, you’ve probably heard it said many times – “I use what the cops use.” But is that really the best idea? The thing is, the cops don’t use little 3-inch barreled pocket pistols. So how does cop ammo, designed for full-size duty pistols, perform from a pocket pistol? In this latest installment of the 9mm Ammo Quest, ShootingTheBull410 puts Winchester Ranger Bonded 147gr Law Enforcement Ammunition through the 3″ barrel to find out.
New from Troy Defense: Troy Pump Action Sporting Rifle
I once was “lucky” enough to win a pump action .22 at an NRA dinner. As pinball addicts declare when a machine refuses to surrender its charms (despite mega flipper time), it was a lot of pay for not much play. I’m not saying Tory Defense’s Pump Action Sporting Rifle isn’t a heap of fun in that “look what they done to my gun, ma” kinda way. Nor am I suggesting that anyone stand in front of it when the business end gets busy would enjoy the experience. But I reckon the Pump Action Sporting Rifle’s utility is pretty limited to embarrassing New York or Connecticut cops when they bust you for possession of an illegal black modern home defense sporting rifle (a.k.a., “assault weapon.”) Oh how they laughed! Click
Question of the Day: Do You Bring Your Gun When You Shop for Clothes?
My wife reminded me this weekend that I had reached a critical threshold re: pants. It turns out all my pants had holes and only one pair could still be considered work-appropriate. Barely. So she graciously accompanied me to the GAP to try on some new pants. Also accompanying me was my GLOCK 19 in a Don Hume H715. It is easily my thickest carry rig, so I brought it along to make sure that my new pants could comfortably accommodate IWB carry. Do you bring your piece into the dressing room to make sure your new pants, shorts, dresses, and shirts are compatible with your EDC method of choice?
Bundy Ranch vs. BLM. The Fat Lady Hasn’t Sung
Those who have been anticipating a Boston Tea Party type event likely got what they were expecting last Saturday in Bunkerville, Nevada. The impasse between Rancher Cliven Bundy and federal Bureau of Land Management officials has been going on for a long time. After 20 years of Bundy defying edicts to remove his cattle from hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands, the BLM recently began impounding his herd. The impoundment operation involved bringing in hundreds of heavily armed agents to enforce the shutdown of nearly 6,000 square miles of public lands. They also provided security for the cowboys and helicopter pilots who were contracted to carry out the roundup and removal of Bundy’s cattle . . .
The heavy-handedness of the agents became an issue almost immediately. Bundy family members were threatened at gunpoint and Cliven’s son Dave was beaten and arrested after taking video outside of a “designated free