The Truth About Guns

Raise your hand if you remember these electric novelties. Now raise your other hand if you ever actually fired one. I’m willing to bet that the number of AI who ever touched off a round of Remington’s ‘Etronx’ electric primer ammo can be counted on the fingers of a Yakuza soldier’s left hand. Where have they gone, and what are they doing there?

Firearms inventors may have some great ideas, but they can’t really start from a blank slate if they want their products to fit in the existing market. Few really new ideas have ever hit the jackpot in the civilian firearms market, so it’s not unusual to see a new products stumble out of the gate. It is unusual to see anything fall so flat on its face as electric primers, however. Especially when they’re backed by the engineering and marketing resources of Big Green.

Remington’s gambit to change primer technology was a huge flop. After years of research and development, they released the ‘Etronx’ electric primer and a special Model 700 designed to fire it and

“Instead of knee-jerk vitriol against the NRA and the millions of law-abiding gun owners they represent, wouldn’t it be something if the President, or folks at the Brady Campaign, called up Wayne LaPierre and said, ‘You know a lot about gun laws and gun owners. What can we work on together?’” – S.E. Cupp, Guns aren’t the problem – it’s the way we talk about them [at nydailynews.com]

We almost called this one, pointing out that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) was bankrolling Shannon Watts’ Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (MDA). We certainly highlighted the fact that MDA had replaced MAIG as the most potent PR weapon in the gun control movement’s relentless campaign to disarm Americans. And now the two become one. In a statement released today Bloomberg said . . .

“Gun violence is, unfortunately, an issue that affects every community, and coming together with Moms Demand Action today will streng

In yet another example of gun laws that will only trip up the lawful, Washington, D.C. is requiring all gun owners in the District (link contains auto-play video) to re-register their firearms with the police within 90 days, starting January 1. Letters will start going out soon to anyone who registered a firearm in the District between 1976 and 2010. The re-registration will require a trip, in person, to the police station, and will be good for three years, at which point the registration will have to be renewed (but hey, at least that one can be done online or by mail). Anyone who fails to re-register can be cited for possession of an unregistered firearm, and…

could face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 1 year in jail. Remember,

Back when Podcasting was all the rage, I did one with an old college buddy.  We ran it for about five years and then as family and work obligations took over, had to shut it down. One of my favorite episodes was always the “What’s On My Christmas List” edition we would do in late November/early December. We don’t do the podcast any more, but I still like making lists, so without further ado, I present a few items for you gift-buying consideration…

Compact Binoculars - Depending on your preferences and budget, there are three decent sets out there that I have come across. First up are the

Dear DrVino,

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about our nation’s gun laws.

I understand the long history and family values associated with hunting and fishing.  I believe we must respect the rights of responsible gun owners and our Constitution’s second amendment, just as we respect the rights of all Americans to life, liberty and happiness.  Our founding fathers recognized that rights come with responsibilities.  I believe we can protect the rights of gun owners while taking common sense steps to prevent gun violence – steps supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans, including the vast majority of gun owners . . .

I respect your views on this complicated issue, as I hope you do mine.  There is no question that this is a complex subject

EnGarde Body Armor sent us their “Patrol” model bullet-resistant vest to evaluate, so we sent it on to ShootingTheBull410 with specific instructions: “blow this thing up.” And it was with mixed emotions that he did so, because, on the one hand, this was a really nice vest. It’s a full Level IIIA vest, rated to stop a .44 Magnum. It’s well built, light, comfortable…it would be a keeper.  On the other hand, hey — it’s fun blasting stuff to pieces. Check out the video to see how well it did when pitted against everything from a .22LR to a 12-gauge shotgun slug.

Our man Chris Dumm called it: camo is the new zombie. Just when you thought the trend couldn’t get any more bizarre, Realtree unleashes camo-clad sartorial satire on the world: the Ellen (mermaid-style gown), the Olivia (flared hi-low skirt with a detachable net ball gown underskirt) and Payton (strapless camo bodice with a sweetheart band, rhinestone accent and a short net skirt trimmed with camo on the skirt edge) wedding dresses. That said, I’d bet dollars to donuts Realtree’s camo dresses will sell like hotcakes. Google image search “camo wedding” and camo-clad nuptial hotne

I urgently glanced over my shoulder to ensure I wasn’t the unwitting victim of one of Eric Holder’s notorious gun-running schemes. The AR pistol in front of me had a 10” barrel and what looked like a fixed, M4 collapsible stock on it. “It’s not an SBR,” the owner quickly replied. “It’s a brace.” ”Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining” came immediately to mind. I had seen this piece of equipment online and immediately thought it was an SBR work-around. You could have told me that the brace was not intended to be used as a stock until you’re blue in the face and I would have called you a liar, naive, or worse. That is, until I met the inventor and learned about the inspiration behind the brace’s invention . . .

Hey, I’m crying too. I’m crying because these kids have been brainwashed into thinking that there’s no one who can keep them safe from school shooters. Actually, that’s not true. They’re right. There isn’t. Thanks to Bush the Elders’ Gun Free School Zones Act and the stupidity and political correctness of politicians, parents, teachers and school administrators, thousands of public and private schools are “gun-free zones” (a.k.a., unopposed, target-rich environments). There’s only one solution to this threat—which isn’t a perfect solution—restore Americans’ right to keep and bear arms inside (and

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. --(Ammoland.com)- Jessie Duff, world renowned champion shooter, has set a new record in the world of shooting sports as the first woman to ever earn the title of Grand Master (GM). The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) designates GM as the highest rating a shooter can achieve. In earning this prestigious classification Duff had to maintain an average above 95% in shooting classification courses, a proven challenge in the shooting sports. 2013 was a record-winning year for Duff, which included top wins in USPSA’s Open, Limited and Single Stack National Championships. Duff also took multiple top wins in the Steel Challenge World Championships and earned top titles in

Reader Brett Newman writes:

Even though this diatribe opinion has missed all the FNS-40 entry deadline, I still think there is a story to be told and congratulations in order for TTAG. I will start with the precursor that this evolving mindset has nothing to do with Dick Metcalf or any of the other happy-go-lucky writers standing in front of exotic animals in even more exotic locations. Instead, it is a product of my need for honest and sincere product reviews and editorials, and my increasing disdain for puff pieces and “always positive” reviews that have inundated the few publications that I used to read . . .

I liken this transition in my own life to the current phenomenon taking place within the media industry. Normal television programming consists of a collection of shows arranged in such a way that each target audience gets the most from their television

Guns are cool. Profoundly, inherently, deeply cool. But having one doesn’t make you cool. Being a HSLD (High Speed Low Drag) “operator” with cool guns doesn’t make you cool. As Steve McQueen fans will tell you, you’re either cool or you’re not. It’s hard – let’s go with impossible – to fake cool. “Is she alright?” Costa demands as his wounded colleague lies on the pavement screaming “Help me!” That’s nice of him . . . but it’s not cool. Glasses that go from dark to light in the blink of a muzzle flash? That’s cool! But it’s the glasses that are cool. As for the minivan, “bootlegger’s turn” and rolling hubcap and all, no, a minivan can never be cool. Not even if Steve McQueen was driving it. KJW mit SCAR in a Robinson helicopter? That’s cool. Jerry Miculek in a field with a 50? That’s cool. What do you think is cool, in terms of firearms or those w

By now, my review of the Gen 1 NOD (night observation device) from OPMD should have posted. And while the Gen 1 offers some nice features, the real reason they sent me the device was so I could have a point of comparison for how awesome their PVS-14 NOD really is. And I can now say, without a doubt, that I’m in love.

There are many differences between the Gen 1 scope and this PVS-14, starting with the power source. The Gen 1 scope uses a CR123A battery, but the PVS-14 uses one AA battery just like the military issue version. Nevertheless, I’ve been using this NOD for about three months and haven’t needed to replace the batteries once. And even if I did need to, replacing the battery is a snap and extremely cheap to do.

OK yes, it’s taken us longer than usual to announce the winners of our latest content contest. Not to make excuses, but things have been a little hectic here at TTAG central command which is a good thing. If you’ve been keeping up, you may remember that Michael Stephenson took down the first FNS-40 long slide provided by FNH USA. And thanks to their generosity as well as the almost overwhelming response by our talented readership, we’re here to announce two more winners in both the video and written word categories . . .

Price Waterhouse has completed their tabulations and in the category of documentary short subject by a possibly incontinent contortionist, the winner of for best vid

3-gun competitions are awesome, but finding ammo that puts rounds on target and keeps your gun running at the same time can be a headache. I’ve had one or two problems with the lower end Federal offerings, but Winchester white box ammo has never failed me even at long range. Now, news comes that Winchester is expanding their ammunition line to include flavors of your favorite calibers specifically designed for accuracy and reliability in a practical shooting environment. Presser after the jump . . .

EAST ALTON, Ill. (Dec. 18, 2013) – 3-Gun competition has quickly become one of the most exciting and rapidly growing fields of shooting sports. With a dual emphasis on shooting speed and accuracy, Winchester recognized the need to create their own custom loads in order meet the demands of the sport. For 2014, Winchester® Ammunition has created the all-new Win3Gun™ line to provide competition-grade ammunition that comes ready for action.

“Guns aren’t also used for transportation. So do not tell me how cars kill as well. Knives, rope, even baseball bats. All have other primary purposes. Except guns. They have one goal. To kill. Or pretend to kill. And yes, I know many people have guns and they don’t want to kill anyone. They have a gun for sport, or a hobby, or protection. And that is why I say we have to have gun regulation, not to regulate the guns, but to regulate the people who own the guns.” – Lisa Longo, Yes Virginia, Guns Do Kill People [at huffingtonpost.com]

The city of Los Angeles held a gun buy-up on Saturday and took in 817 guns in exchange for grocery store gift cards. Pictured above is L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck holding an authentic Sturmgewehr 44, worth in the neighborhood of $30,000, that was turned in in exchange for a $200 gift card to Ralph’s. (Not our Ralph; his store would likely only sell guns, cigars, and scotch, and turning in guns just to buy more guns seems silly.) In case you’re unfamiliar, Sturmgewehr means “storm [or assault] rifle,” and the StG44 is quite literally the gun on which all other “assault rifles” are based; the ultimate ancestor, if you will. Another StG44 was

I think it’s kind of strange that former Top Shot competitor thinks it’s news that he’s gay. A) Duh. B) Who cares? C) Who? I mean seriously, what difference does it make to anyone that a high level shooter is a homosexual? Chris’ blog makes a big deal of it, in that “professional athletes talk about themselves in the third person” kinda way. ”I believe now that I have become a television personality and public figure, it is important to be honest and upfront about who Chris Cheng is.” More than that . . .

One reason why I chose to come out publicly is that I’m a gay guy in a