Joe Biden’s Plan For Common Sense Gun Control
Category: Gun Schtuff
A record number of Americans have exercised one of the most important rights affirmed by the founders of this great nation: the right to keep and bear arms.
The FBI NICS office conducted 3,305,465 background checks last month – breaking the record for the month of October by nearly a million checks. Each month in 2020 has broken the record for background checks in that month. October was the fifth busiest month ever for the NICS office, which has now run 32,131,914 NICS checks in 2020. We – the American people – broke the annual record last month; this year has now seen 13% more checks than the previous busiest year for the NICS office.
Thirty-two million background checks so far this year, and we haven’t seen Black Friday or holiday sales yet.
Not all of these checks are related to the sale of a firearm. Some may be related to the sale of multiple firearms and some are permit applications that result in the permit holder being able to lawfully acquire a firearm without a NICS check (as the permit itself involves a NICS check). Continue reading “”
Looks like an interesting drill.
Skills Check Live: The Forty-Five Drill
For our November 2020 Handbook, Richard Mann pulled together a half-dozen drills culled from some of the most renowned self-defense trainers in the industry. One of the drills Mann included was what he calls the “Forty-Five” drill, not because it’s designed for testing 1911s, but because of the various factors involved. Mann uses this drill as a standard test when he’s evaluating handguns, as it provides a practical measure of how well suited a pistol may be for self-defense.
The Forty-Five drill is so-named because it has four components, all with “five” somethings. It involves five rounds, fired in 5 seconds or less, at a 5-inch target from a distance of 5 yards. All five rounds must land inside the five-inch circle within the time limit specified to “pass” the drill. It is intended to be conducted with a concealed pistol to more accurately assess the drawstroke and target acquisition in addition to shooting speed and accuracy.
Mann assigns a point system to the drill as well, so that once you’ve mastered getting five shots on target in 5 seconds or less, you can still chart progress. Each hit (inside the circle) is worth 4 points, and your score is the total points minus the time. Mann assigns 15 points as the minimum for qualifying—which precludes misses, as you would automatically be starting with 16 points before you deduct time. For example, getting all five shots in the circle in 4 seconds even would be a 16.
The Forty-Five drill is an excellent method to assess your carry method as well as your drawstroke in conjunction with your ability to rapidly acquire a target and your shot-to-shot variability. If there are any deficiencies in any of these areas, they should become apparent quickly, and you can see where you need to devote more of your practice. Best of all, you can perform this test with a J-Frame revolver and not have to worry about a reload!
I have one too. And for $60 on Amazon (that includes shipping) I think it’s a pretty good deal for a portable shooting bench.
This isn’t a new product by any stretch but every time I head to the range for a product review, I’m so happy I own an MTM Predator Shooting Table. Shaped like a traditional shooting bench, the table folds into a lightweight, compact package that’s easy to transport and stow in my garage. Best of all, it offers a quick, stable surface anywhere on the range or even in the field.
The 30″ tall table also has three molded-in gun barrel notches so you can stand up long guns and there are even grips for easy carrying. In addition to sighting-in and general shooting range duties, the table works well as an indoor cleaning bench to avoid having to explain why your gun solvent ate off the finish from the kitchen table.
Retail price: around $60
We Have Only Ourselves to Blame
David Codrea-
I am disappointedly surprised at the number of supposedly activist gun owners I see concluding the Honey Badger Intolerable Act is the fault of people “flaunting shouldering.”
First off, as I quoted here, ATF itself advised a Colorado police department:
“[W]e have determined that firing a pistol from the shoulder would not cause the pistol to be reclassified as an SBR,” ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch Chief replied. “Generally speaking, we do not classify weapons based on how an individual uses a weapon. FTB has previously determined that the firing of a weapon from a particular position, such as placing the receiver extension of an AR-15 type pistol on the user’s shoulder, does not change the classification of a weapon. Further, certain firearm accessories such as the SIG Stability Brace have not been classified by FTB as shoulder stocks and, therefore, using the brace improperly does not constitute a design change.”
Actually, that should be second off. I shouldn’t need to tell anyone here what first off should be.
I really needed to restrain myself from indulging in a stream of obscenities in this one.
BLUF:
To find out more about the Ghost Gunner and reserve their machine for a $500 deposit, readers can visit www.ghostgunner.net .
Ghost Gunner 3 CNC Machine – Defeating Gun Control One Cut at a Time
A couple of years ago, I tested out the Ghost Gunner 2 by Defense Distributed. The Ghost Gunner 2 was great for taking an 80% lower and turning it into a fully working firearm. In November of 2019 AmmoLand News reported the next GG3 would be a ground-up redesign. So when Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed gave me the chance to review their new Ghost Gunner 3 CNC machine, I couldn’t say no. Before we get into my review of the latest Ghost Gunner, we have to talk about what it does and why it is groundbreaking.
Ghost Gunner 3 CNC Machine
To put it simply, The Ghost Gunner is a purpose-built CNC machine that lets anyone turn an 80% lower receiver into a fully working firearm. Defense Distributed designed the Ghost Gunner not only to finish 80% AR15, AR10, AR9, and AR45 lowers, but it also complete 1911 and Polymer 80 frames. In 2021 they will be releasing a cutting code for an AKM. The operator doesn’t need to have any machine skills to use the Ghost Gunner. Continue reading “”
80% Silencers, the Political Ramifications of Mass Ownership
In the first two parts of this on home made silencers series, I wrote of how we arrived at the current situation, historically, and what exists today, in terms of the technology and legal system, for individuals to make their own silencers utilizing the ATF Form 1.
Because of the tremendous bureaucratic and monetary infringements imposed by the National Firearms Act (NFA), very few form 1’s (required to legally make your own silencer, short-barreled rifle, or shotgun) were processed as late as 1990.
In the year 1990, only thirty years ago, a total of 399 Form 1’s were processed by the ATF. In 2000, the annual number had more than tripled, to 1,334. In 2010, the annual number had continued exponential growth to 5,169. By 2013, it was almost doubled again, at 9,347. In 2014, it had more than doubled again, to 22,380.
It took two more years, to 2016, to more than double again, to 49,985 Form 1s per year. That was the peak, so far. Record firearms sales in 2020 lead to the prediction over 50,000 Form 1’s will be processed this year. The figures for 2019 Form 1’s have not been released at this time, but should be out soon.
About 120 times as many Form 1s are being processed each year, as were being processed 30 years ago. Entire forums on the Internet trade information on what works and what doesn’t.
Forums such as silencertalk.com are potent places for political organizing.
Analysis of the ATF figures shows about 75% of the current Form 1s are for silencers. Most of the rest are for short-barrelled rifles (SBR). SBR Form 1s have probably dropped off as pistol arm braces gained popularity.
The vast increase in the number of legal silencers is altering the political and judicial landscapes.
Such visible numbers are a sign of political and judicial strength. Second Amendment supporters have every logical argument to repeal the National Firearms Act. They do not have the political support in Congress to do so…yet.
The inclusion of silencers in the NFA may be the worst public health blunder made by the Federal Government. Tens of millions of gun owners’ hearing has been adversely affected.
Two million legal silencers are merely the start. There are about 100 million firearms owners who could benefit from owning inexpensive and effective silencers in the United States. Market saturation of silencers in the United States might top out in the area of 200 million. Continue reading “”
This guy’s first time attending the shoot was in 2010, the last time I was at the range was in 2009. Of course, living down the road in Radcliff at the time as I was working at Fort Knox would tend to make a difference
KNOB CREEK SHOOT WOULD HAVE BEEN THIS PAST WEEKEND
COVID-19 has really sucked the jelly out of our donut this year with many great events canceled due to the pandemic. The latest victim, perhaps the most epic gun event of them all, is the Knob Creek machine gun shoot originally scheduled for Oct. 10 and 11.
Normally, I’d be meeting up with my friends at the event for three days of shopping, shooting and stress-release through extreme firepower. Upwards of 20,000 other folks would have been doing the same. But alas, it’s canceled so here I am, writing about it. Knob Creek Dreaming, I suppose.
Get Off My Lawn: Great WWII Guns for Home Defense
Despite all the atrocities of the Second World War, this global conflict gave our country’s fighting men and women some of the greatest individual battlefield weapons of the 20th century. While most of them have been retired from government duty by more advanced designs, these veteran World War II arms, like our Armed Forces veterans themselves, have attained a certain immortality, not only as symbols of America’s ongoing fight for freedom, but also as weapons still prized for their reliability and effectiveness.
Indeed, just as they have proven themselves on the battlefield, today these wood-and-steel World War II veterans—collectability aside—can serve in an even more personal mission of protecting our homes and families. To validate this concept, I enlisted the opinions of some of the most skilled and experienced firearms and self-defense experts I know: the instructors of Gunsite Academy.
While the M1 Garand may not be the first choice for close-quarters home defense, it is more than up to the task, particularly where overpenetration is less of a concern. Newer factory .30-’06 Sprg. loads, such as Hornady’s Superformance, make this World War II veteran more effective for defensive purposes than ever before • This vintage M1911A1 is just as viable for home defense today as it was during World War II.
Both the solid-frame (bottom) and takedown (top) versions of the Winchester Model 97 Trench Gun were used during World War II and make for effective home-defense shotguns today.
The M1 Carbine (top) and the M1 Garand (bottom) were the two most prolific American rifles of World War II, and both can be effective today as home-defense tools.
The M1917 version of the Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector revolver requires half-moon clips in order to quickly load .45 ACP rounds • This Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless is one of 40 shipped to the Government Transportation Office in 1944. Although highly collectable, it can do double-duty as a home-defense handgun when loaded with modern ammunition.
September NICS checks.
While another September record, it’s a decline from the last few months.
The FBI Crime Stat that Keeps Wounding Gun Control Lobby
With this week’s release of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR) for 2019, the gun prohibition lobby is once again faced with an uncomfortable truth: Their crusade to ban so-called “assault rifles” doesn’t pass the smell test.
Continuing a pattern that dates back decades, the number of homicides involving rifles of any kind amounts to a fraction of all the murders in any given year. By far, handguns are used in more slayings in any given year.
In 2019, according to the UCR, there were an estimated 13,927 homicides, of which 10,258 involved firearms. But the report only positively linked 364 of those slayings to rifles, and there has never been a breakdown on the types of rifles, whether they were all semi-auto, or bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action or single-shot models. Continue reading “”
Except when you have to work on one as the slide is a Chinese Puzzle.
The Walther PPK, the classic spy gun that changed the game.
In 1930, a new pistol went on sale that would revolutionize the firearms world. Best known to the public these days as the “James Bond gun”, the Walther PPK was arguably the first successful handgun made for concealed carry, and its now-classic design helped to introduce a number of technical features that quickly migrated throughout the industry as it became the most copied gun in the world.
In 1958, in the pages of the newly published novel Dr. No, Ian Fleming’s fictional secret agent James Bond was called into the office of the head of MI6, who warned 007 that he had to get rid of his .25 Beretta 418 pistol or quit the Double-O section. Major Geoffrey Boothroyd, better known to cinema
“Walther PPK, 7.65 millimeters, with a delivery like a brick through a plate-glass window,” said Boothroyd in the film version. “The American CIA swears by them.”
Ever since then, the Walther PPK has been inextricably linked to Bond, but Ian Fleming’s choice wasn’t a random one. In 1956, the real Geoffrey Boothroyd, a Glasgow firearms expert, wrote to Fleming, saying that, though he enjoyed the Bond novels, he didn’t think the Beretta suited 007.
Boothroyd offered a number of suggestions. After a lot of discussion back and forth, Fleming decided to swap the Beretta for the Walther PPK, wrote the Beretta out of the series, and introduced the fictional version of Boothroyd in appreciation. Continue reading “”
The greatest toy implement ever devised………….
Gunwerks Unveils Its Skunkwerks Lite SabR Compact Rifle
The Lite SabR features a barrel with integral suppressor baffles. A titanium barrel sleeve fits over it.
The Gunwerks Lite SabR is here. The company has introduced this lightweight, compact, hard-hitting bolt-action rifle as part of its Skunkwerks line of limited run of long-range shooters. This rifle features an integrally suppressed barrel and folding stock. It’s chambered in .338 Ruger Compact Magnum (RCM).
Not really ‘news’ to anyone who’s been recently been to a gun store.
And the prices of what is available! Wheew-ee.
Reloading supplies still appear widely available…for now.
COVID hoarding hits ammunition supplies; ammo shortage continues to get worse
(KELO) — It’s an issue hunters and gun enthusiasts have run into many times before, but this year, an ammo shortage just continues to get worse.
“We try to sell ammo, but that’s been a challenge in 2020. It’s very, very hard to find ammo,” said South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance Executive Director Brian Phelps.
The gun range at the Alliance is now limiting ammo purchases when people come to use the range.
“We’ll limit them to one box of ammunition vs. the normal 300 to 500 rounds,” Phelps said.
That’s because replacing some of those rounds is nearly impossible right now.
“Our guys will sit online and work with our manufacturers, and as soon as they see ammo available, they’re hitting buy. It goes that quick once it’s available,” Phelps said.
Right now, there’s no end in sight to this tight market. Continue reading “”
The Gen 1 Glock reissued
Rifle vs. Shotgun for Defense in the Event of Civil Unrest
On an email discussion list the relative merits of shotguns vs. AR15s came up in the context of defensing yourself in a riot. Another member offered the opinion that Kyle Rittenhouse would been better served with a semiauto shotgun or even a side by side (SxS).
This is an edited version of my reply:
An AR15 or other semiauto rifle is an ideal choice for protecting oneself in a riot. As demonstrated by Kyle Rittenhouse, 5.56mm at close range is devastating, while offering light recoil and the ability to carry a lot of ammo while not weighing much.
A SxS shotgun is better than a sharp stick but when confronted with multiple attackers I don’t want to have to reload after only two shots. KR actually fired at 4 different individuals, all at bad breath range.
Something that needs to be noted is that these Antifa guys pressed the attack even after watching one of their buddies get killed. The old saw that a group of criminals will disperse after you drop one or two cannot be depended upon to be true when dealing with Antifa. IMHO, they need to be regarded more like determined insurgents than as criminals.
Also note the importance of a sling for weapon retention. One of the shootees, I think Pedo Dwarf, tried to pull KR’s rifle away from him before being shot. The sling prevented that. A bayonet might also be helpful for weapon retention. Continue reading “”