Category: Guns and Gear

A Sad Day Indeed

It is my duty to regretfully inform readers of this blog that the Burnsville Rifle and Pistol Range in Burnsville, Minnesota caught fire two nights ago:

At least six fire departments were called to the scene of a fire at a shooting range in Burnsville Tuesday night. Crews are still working at the scene around 1 a.m.

Burnsville firefighters were called to the Burnsville Rifle and Pistol Range at 14300 Ewing Ave. S. around 8 p.m.

[…]

Burnsville Fire Marshal Lee LaTourelle told Twin Cities Fire Wire that customers were inside the range shooting when they saw smoke coming from the padded walls at the rear of the building. He said they escaped without injury.

I wonder what caused the fire and I hope the range isn’t a total loss.

Why Gun Control is Impossible

Advocates of gun control like to believe access to firearms will become more difficult if the government restricts legal access. Perhaps this was true at one time but guns are, mechanically, simple devices and the equipment to manufacture them is becoming more affordable every day. Behold, the first (to my knowledge and the knowledge of the creator) firearm manufactures on a 3D printer:

As 3D printer technology becomes more affordable gun control will become more pointless. The obvious solution to this problem, according to gun control advocates, would be to place tight restrictions on 3D printers. Fortunately such controls would be equally pointless because there are already people working on do it yourself 3D printers. One the genie is out of the bottle it cannot be put back in.

Double the Gun

Apparently adding another barrel to existing firearms is the new rage today. First Arsenal Firearms introduced a double barrel 1911 and now an Israeli firm is introducing a double barrel AR-15:

Israeli firm Silver Shadow are said to be debuting a double barreled AR-15 next month in Paris at the Eurosatory expo.

Interesting. I wonder when the double barrel M82 will be released. Or better yet a double barrel GAU-8.

I’m Sure They Were Just Using it Wrong

The Firearm Blog has a report about allegations that the H und K G36 doesn’t perform well once the barrel heats up. For those who don’t know the H und K G36 is Germany’s standard issue infantry rifle. Apparently the rifle is unable to accurately hit targets past 200 yards when the barrel gets toasty, a rather worrisome problem. Well, it’s a worrisome problem until you realize the weapon is made by none other than Heckler and Koch, who are the peddlers of high prices weaponry that is desired by mall ninjas the world over because H und K doesn’t like civilians.

Knowing H und K they will probably send out a press release regarding this issue that merely states “You’re using the rifle incorrectly.” I also expect H und K fanboys to make numerous excuses about why this isn’t actually a problem. If there is one group of firearm fanboys more zealous than the 1911 crowd it’s the H und K crowd. It is an understandable zeal, after all H und K firearms appear in every Rainbow Six game.

The Free Market Carry Edition

The beauty of the free market is that it doesn’t judge and doesn’t question it merely attempts to fulfill individuals’ desires. While the advocates of gun control continue to claim that gun ownership is on the decline the free market indicates otherwise. Clothing manufacturers better known for serving the needs of business men and women are now catering to those who carry firearms:

Woolrich, a 182-year-old clothing company, describes its new chino pants as an elegant and sturdy fashion statement, with a clean profile and fabric that provides comfort and flexibility.

And they are great for hiding a handgun.

The company has added a second pocket behind the traditional front pocket for a weapon. Or, for those who prefer to pack their gun in a holster, it can be tucked inside the stretchable waistband. The back pockets are also designed to help hide accessories, like a knife and a flashlight.

The chinos, which cost $65, are not for commandos, but rather, the company says, for the fashion-aware gun owner. And Woolrich has competition. Several clothing companies are following suit, building businesses around the sharp rise in people with permits to carry concealed weapons.

It’s not just Woolrich getting in on the action, Under Armour is also joining the game:

Other companies are rushing to meet the demand for concealed-carry clothing. Under Armour, best known for its sports and action gear, will be adding a jacket and a plaid shirt with Velcro pockets for easy gun access.

Kevin Eskridge, senior director for outdoor product and design at the company, said the company had seen demand double in the last year for such clothing from traditional outdoor and sporting goods stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s.

Mr. Eskridge said the Under Armour apparel was catching on because of fashion but also because of its features, including moisture-wicking fabric.

So many people now carry firearms that the market is responding to better serve our needs. No longer are we relegated to wearing mall ninja gear (although I happen to like my 5.11 Covert Cargo mall ninja pants and will continue to wear them). Now we can actually walk around and look like normal people. Either way it must really make the gun control crowd angry knowing that carrying a firearm is now so mainstream that companies are outright advertising new products geared towards the carry market.

I wonder how long it will be until the gun control advocates to start protesting clothing manufacturers for catering to us?

Use a Holster

You know what are great? Holsters:

There’s a story that has been circulating around the Web for weeks now with a rather gruesome headline: Arizona Man Shoots Himself in Penis. It’s the last thing any firearm owner wants to read about.

Joshua Seto, 27, tried securing his fiance’s pink handgun in the front waistband of his pants while exiting a local convenience store and the gun fired, striking Seto’s penis and continuing through his left thigh. It’s not a pretty picture.

Emphasis mine. That right there was the bad decision that lead to a bad result. If you every consider sliding your gun into your waistband, don’t. It’s just a bad idea that can lead to nothing by injury. Use a holster, it may save your life and the lives of your future children.

The Four Rules of Firearm Safety

The four rules of firearm safety apply to more than traditional powder powered lead launchers:

A New Jersey man is making a quick recovery after accidentally shooting a 4-inch (10cm) nail into his heart.

Dennis Hennis, a 52-year-old self-employed builder, was working on his neighbour’s roof when his nail gun jammed and he tried to clear it.

The nail pierced the right side of his heart and he went into cardiac arrest.

Does the device you’re handling launch dangerous projectiles? If you answered yes then rule two applies, only point the muzzle at things you’re willing to destroy.

The Problem with Bullpups

I’m not going to lie, I have a love hate feeling towards bullpup rifles. On one hand they’re usually slower to reload, not friendly to left-handed shooters (as somebody who practices shooting with both hands this is annoying), and the triggers usually suck. On the other hand bullpups allow you to bring a full power rifle cartridge to bear without having to lug around an extremely long firearm. Needless to say I’m interested in the IWI TAVOR:

It looks like the perfect combination of ugly as sin and not really being all that ugly. Unfortunately this rifle is looking to have the same problem other bullpup rifles have:

The projected MSRP (for models without optics) will hopefully stay under $2k.

As The Firearm Blog stated this likely means the MSRP will be right around $1999.99. I wish a reputable manufacturer would release an affordable bullpup rifle because the price is always what gets me. It’s hard to justify spending $2,000 or more on a Steyr Aug when I can get an AR-15 for less than half the cost. The PS90 costs between $1,500 and $2,000 and it’s chambered in an expensive and almost impossible to reload anemic caliber.

I imagine some money could be made by a manufacturer who brings an affordable (let’s say under $1,000) and reliable bullpup rifle to the table.

Remington Threatening to Leave New York

Speaking of New York, Remington is now threatened to leave the state if the microstamping bill makes it’s way into law:

Top Remington Arms officials are threatening to pull out of New York if the state Legislature passes a bill mandating that guns carry tiny identifying stamps.

“Mandating firearms microstamping will restrict the ability of Remington to expand business in the Empire State,” wrote Stephen Jackson, Remington chief strategy and acquisition integration officer, to top state officials. “Worse yet, Remington could be forced to reconsider its commitment to the New York market altogether.”

Such a move could decimate Ilion, where Remington’s flagship plant employs more than 1,000 people.

Infringing on individuals’ rights should hurt, and mandating all guns include so-called microstamping technologies infringes on the rights of gun manufacturers to make a product of their choosing. Loosing 1,000 jobs would certainly cause some pain to the state of New York and make its barons look less desirable to the denizens.

Microstamping technology is a sham and a study performed at the University of California [PDF] demonstrates the absolutely insane amount of difficulty (and therefore expense) involved in implementing such technology. Remington would stand to inherit a great deal of expense and possible litigation if they were to stay in New York after the microstamping law passed. What litigation would they be subjected to you ask? I’m sure the boys in New York could find several conditions in which to sue firearm manufacturers for failures in microstamping technology including the construction of a firing pin that a purchasing can file the microstamping number off of, constructing a firearm that can has a replaceable firing pin, and constructing a firing pin that wears overtime making the imprinted microstamping harder to read.

Anti-gunners love the idea of microstamping technology not because it could assist law enforcement, but because it would make the cost of firearms skyrocket. If the price of an average handgun goes from $500.00 to $2,000.00 because the cost of developing and including microstamping technology has to be recouped the number of people able to afford firearms will drop significantly. Anti-gunners, like New York City, are waging a war against the poor.

AK vs. AR

The AK vs. AR debate has been heating up after the following video was posted to demonstrate the AR’s inability to operate when a Twinkie is shoved up its magazine well:

Now that the war is renewed I’m just going to raise my middle finger to all the AK and AR fanboys. Why? Because my Winchester 30-30 doesn’t even have a magazine well to put a Twinkie in so it’s obviously superior to both platforms!

Damn kids and your magazines wells and your Twinkies.