Kudos To Mike, David, And Sharyl

Doug Ross puts out the Fabulous 50 Blog Awards which recognizes "a variety of blogs and websites operating in the conservative hemisphere of the Internet, all of which have worked tirelessly to protect America from Statism -- some in very unique ways."

For 2011, two bloggers and a mainstream journalist were honored for their work in exposing Project Gunwalker.

Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars and David Codrea of Gun Rights Examiner share the award for Best Investigative Bloggers for their work on Operation Fast and Furious.

Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News wins the award for Best Investigative Reporter in Legacy Media for her work on Operation Fast and Furious.

Congratulations to all three because without their hard work and perserverance the deaths of Brian Terry, Jaime Zapata, and hundreds of Mexican nationals would be yesterday's story.

Quote Of The Day, Twitter Edition

The quote of the day comes from Linoge of Walls of the City via Twitter.

Asking the #BradyCampaign how many gun owners there are is like asking the #KKK how many blacks there are. #guncontrol #fail

That pretty much says it all.

John Frazier Of The NRA-ILA On Obama's Signing Statement

Cam Edwards of NRA News interviewed John Frazier, NRA-ILA Director of Research and Information, regarding President Obama's recent signing statement on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. This was where Obama said he would ignore the law's restrictions on the NIH regarding use of funding to promote gun control.

Another South Carolina Sheriff Gets It

Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker gets it. In response to a brutal rape and murder of a local woman, Sheriff Parker is encouraging women to get their South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP).

"Get you a CWP permit. To be honest with you, there is no just no reason to unlock doors, no reason to give anyone the opportunity to hurt you."

I think this range is doing a great service by holding a Ladies Night to introduce women to firearms. I wish more ranges would do it.

I Lost A Bet...And Couldn't Be Happier

The Complementary Spouse and I made a bet back in September. She thought I'd hit a half million visitors to this blog by December 31st. I thought that was a bit optimistic.

I was wrong.

Now the question is what I will need to pay for losing the bet. I'm thinking this.

However, I will let her make the choice on what she wants for winning the bet - even if it is a Glock!

I do want to thank each and every visitor to this blog since May 19, 2010. You are what make this rewarding.

Quote Of The Day No. 2

Kurth Hofmann, the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, looks at the differing requirements for picture IDs. The Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder consider it "racist" for a state to require a picture ID to vote but not to purchase a firearm.

Putting it into historical perspective, Kurt notes:

Voting, unlike the Constitutionally enumerated right to keep and bear arms, depends for its very legitimacy on the voter being who he or she claims to be. Some would doubtless argue that abuse of the right to keep and bear arms is far more dangerous than abuse of the right to vote. To make that argument, though, they have to forget that Hitler positioned himself to become Chancellor through the vote. The power of Chancellor, combined with Article 48 (which was the work of Max Weber, so admiringly cited by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for his advocacy of a "government monopoly on force"), made seizure of dictatorial powers a fairly simple matter.

With governments historically being by far the most prolific mass-murderers in the world, (and with the victims often chosen along ethnic lines), how can protection of the legitimacy of the process by which the government is chosen be considered "racist," while far more onerous requirements for possessing the tools to resist such murderous tyranny is not?

Interesting, isn't it?

Goodwill - Not Just For Used Clothing Anymore

I like Goodwill thrift stores. I have found lots of great Aloha (or Hawaiian) shirts there which are great for concealed carry. The Complementary Spouse loves them for finding things that she can convert into craft projects.

According to this story from WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina, donations to Goodwill are getting better.

A Goodwill employee can now tell a story of sorting through donations and finding a gun in a sock.

Although the gun was found Monday, Police in Wilkesboro said they got a call from the Goodwill store, on Gateway Ave, on Tuesday. The caller said an employee had found an "unusual" donation inside a sock of some donated clothes.

Because of all the donations that had come in, workers said they have no way of knowing who donated the pile that included the gun.

If I knew they had guns, I'd never drive past another Goodwill without stopping!

The story doesn't say what the final disposition of the found handgun will be by the Wilkesboro Police Department.

H/T The Gun Wire

Quote Of The Day

David Codrea in his National Gun Rights Examiner column today examines just who will be held accountable at ATF for the abuses of Project Gunwalker. He concludes:

Does anyone seriously believe the long-awaited Office of Inspector General report will do anything to advance criminal charges that demand prosecution of the perpetrators and prison sentences for the convicted, as opposed to supporting the administration meme that these were mere procedural and judgment lapses, best handled by internal personnel policies and outside of public scrutiny?

Women And Shooting Covered By CBS News

I'm not sure what they've been putting in the water fountain at CBS News lately but I like it. Not only has CBS runs some of the best - and almost only - coverage of Operation Fast and Furious featuring Sharyl Attkisson but yesterday they ran a positive segment on women and shooting for the Early Show.




The best part is the smiles on each and every one of these woman's faces including CBS report Katrina Szish after they shoot.

Grass Roots North Carolina Hits Back Hard Against New York Times

The New York Times, or as SayUncle calls it, the paper of making things up, ran a story on Monday asserting that 1% of North Carolina concealed handgun permit holders had been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors. They didn't break down the number of felonies versus the number of misdemeanors as that would lessen the impact.

Grass Roots North Carolina head Paul Valone was interviewed for this story and responded late yesterday in a GRNC Alert.

Mike Luo's crusade

Following an extensive interview between GRNC president Paul Valone and New York Times reporter Mike Luo, the Times is now trying to depict North Carolina's population of concealed handgun permit-holders as rife with felons. To support his claims, Luo relies on flawed methodology, misuse of anecdotal data, and selectively ignored facts he learned during the interview. The current piece is at least the third time Luo has written biased and misleading articles on gun ownership.

Figures lie...

Although Luo claims to have done data-matching between criminal databases and permit-holders, he admitted confirming only a dozen matches with the NC State Bureau of Investigation.

Data matching between large databases is subject to high rates of "false positives" depending on the number and type of parameters matched. To quote one data mining whiz: "The problem is that if you're trying to search a couple of large data sets for something that occurs infrequently, the number of true hits (if any) is likely to be far less than the number of false positives."

...and liars figure

When asked whether Luo would confirm all matches with the SBI, or whether he would do statistical analysis of his data, determining what percentage of North Carolina permit-holders commit crimes, or whether he would simply provide misleading anecdotal examples as he did on a November 13, 2011 piece on restoration of gun rights for felons, Luo refused to answer.

How Luo creates a false impression

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data": By pulling a small number of anecdotes rather than verifying all of the data, Luo hopes to paint a false portrait of NC concealed handgun permit-holders as criminals.

Selective data: Luo has a reputation among researchers for cherry-picking research to support his assertions, and for failing to disclose the gun-related leanings of researchers he cites.

The Charlotte Observer fell over itself to propagate Luo's deceptive story

The Charlotte Observer ran this insult to their gun-owning readership as front page news!

GRNC president Paul Valone responds

"What The New York Times recently published is a biased 'hit piece' designed to undermine the unerringly successful expansion of concealed carry laws. By cherry-picking anecdotes from error-prone data matching, reporter Michael Luo creates a false impression of widespread abuse by concealed handgun permit-holders. Luo admits not bothering to confirm more than a handful of the matches found, so given the small data set used, the number of "false positives" may well exceed the number of accurate matches.

"Even Luo's claim of 2,400 crimes by permit-holders - which includes DUI convictions and relatively minor misdemeanors - represents only a tiny fraction (0.6%) of the 395,251 concealed handgun permits approved since 1995. Moreover, data from other states reveals that few permit revocations result from misuse of firearms.

"As Luo was told during the interview (but chose to ignore), when Grass Roots North Carolina helped draft the state's concealed handgun law in 1995, we gave law enforcement officials the tools for permit revocations by attaching concealed handgun permit information to the state drivers' license database. Any concealed handgun permit-holder arrested for a crime would be immediately identified as such.

"Furthermore, nothing in the law prevents the North Carolina Department of Justice from doing checks on permit-holders to ensure they remain in compliance with the law, nor would we oppose such an effort. If the state fails to avail themselves of those tools, the problem lies not within the concealed handgun law, but instead within its enforcement."

Sean at An NC Gun Blog has some further comments on GRNC's response here and has been running a whole series of stories examining the NYT piece. They make for good reading.

I do find it interesting that this story comes out less than two weeks after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg starts another crusade to close the "private sale loophole".  I really don't think it is any coincidence.

UPDATE: More on the NYT's "story" from Bob Owens here and a roundup from the Instapundit here.

Your Laws Mean Nothing To Me

When candidate Barack Obama was running for President in 2008 he was highly critical of then-President George W. Bush's use of what are called signing statements. These are written pronouncements by a president when he signs a bill into law. From Wikipedia.org:

A study released by then-Assistant Attorney General, 1993–1996, Walter Dellinger[3] grouped signing statements into three categories:

Constitutional: asserts that the law is constitutionally defective in order to guide executive agencies in limiting its implementation;
Political: defines vague terms in the law to guide executive agencies in its implementation as written;
Rhetorical: uses the signing of the bill to mobilize political constituencies.

In recent usage, the phrase "signing statement" has referred mostly to statements relating to constitutional matters that direct executive agencies to apply the law according to the president's interpretation of the Constitution.

Here is candidate Barack Obama on the campaign trail in 2008 responding to a question about signing statements.



That was then and this is now.

Two days before Christmas, President Obama was presented with HR 2055 - the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 - and he signed it. He also concurrently released a presidential memoranda or signing statement saying he objected to parts of it. From the political newspaper The Hill:

President Obama said Friday he will not be bound by at least 20 policy riders in the 2012 omnibus bill funding the government, including provisions pertaining to Guantanamo Bay and gun control.

After he signed the omnibus into law Friday, the White House released a concurrent signing statement saying Obama will object to portions of the legislation on constitutional grounds.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 is a 486 page document that contained Congressional appropriations for most agencies and departments of the Executive Branch. Contained within it were three provisions that are considered wins for gun owners. The NRA-ILA released a statement on these provisions that said in part:

Stopping Your Tax Dollars From Funding Anti-Gun Studies

One of the protections expanded and strengthened can be found in Sec. 218 of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-H) division of the bill. This section prevents the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from using taxpayer dollars to promulgate junk science designed to paint legal gun ownership as a public health hazard. Since 2002, the NIH has spent nearly $5 million on this “research” even though their counterparts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been prevented from funding similar studies since being blocked in 1996 by a NRA-backed provision.

No Tax Dollars to Lobby and Promote Gun Control

The second is a new NRA-backed provision that is found in Sec. 503 of the Labor-H division. This section prevents federal funds from being used for lobbying efforts designed to support or defeat the passage of legislation being considered by Congress, or any state or local legislative body. Too often, community action groups are utilizing federal money to lobby for increased regulation of firearms including trigger locks, bans on semi-automatic rifles, regulated magazine capacity, etc. This funding subverts the Second Amendment and allows anti-gun Administrations to fund grassroots gun control efforts using taxpayer dollars. We are grateful that H.R. 2055 prohibits further use of this gun control scheme.

Protecting Historic Firearms and Spent Brass Casings from Destruction

Finally, a long-standing provision, found in Department of Defense (DOD) Sec. 8017 division A, preserves the opportunity for American gun owners to purchase surplus firearms that are no longer of use to the U.S. military. This includes M-1 Carbines, M-1 Garand rifles, M-14 rifles, .22 caliber rifles, .30 caliber rifles and M-1911 pistols. Starting in 1979, different versions of this language have prevented these firearms from being needlessly destroyed. In 2009, Congress amended this language at the urging of the NRA to prevent the destruction of spent brass casings, a boon for gun owners and reloaders concerned about the rising price of ammunition.

According to the signing statement, Obama specifically said he would not be bound by the first of these provisions:

Additional provisions in this bill, including section 8013 of Division A and section 218 of Division F, purport to restrict the use of funds to advance certain legislative positions. I have advised the Congress that I will not construe these provisions as preventing me from fulfilling my constitutional responsibility to recommend to the Congress's consideration such measures as I shall judge necessary and expedient.

Section 218 which relates to the funding of the National Institutes of Health says:

SEC. 218. None of the funds made available in this title may
be used, in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control.

So again we see now-President Obama doing things which then-candidate Obama criticized President George W. Bush for doing. In this case, using signing statements to modify implementation of Congressional actions. Moreover, he appears to be making good on his earlier promise to Sarah Brady to conduct gun control policies under the radar.

UPDATE: Here are a couple of more takes on Obama's contentions in his signing statement.

From Dave Hardy: Obama Discovers the Constitution

From Sebastian: Not Reading the Same Constitution

Now In The Land Of Lincoln

When we crossed the Ohio River from Paducah, KY to Metropolis, Illinois this afternoon, I had to unload my Ruger LCR and lock it away. Unlike in the antebellum days when crossing the Ohio River meant going from a slave state to a free state, it has now been metaphorically reversed. We went from a free state to one that views personal freedom as an anathema.

I must say I felt a little naked driving with no self-protection.

One of these days, the people of Illinois will have the same freedoms as the rest of the 49 states. Until then, I will need to increase my level of situational awareness.

Happy Boxing Day

In Great Britain, December 26th is celebrated as a holiday and called Boxing Day. It is now an official "bank holiday" and, like the day after Christmas in the US, is a big shopping day. It is also traditionally a day for fox hunts as in riding to the hounds. While former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Labour Party may have banned fox hunting in the UK, it is still practiced in theory.

Investigating the origins of Boxing Day I came across a couple of potential explanations.

First, in England, Anglican Churches traditionally put out a box during Advent in which they collect donations of money (or alms) which are given to the poor on the day after Christmas. From an explanation in Time Magazine:

On the day after Christmas, the boxes were broken open and their contents distributed among the poor, thus giving rise to the term Boxing Day.

 A second explanation was that the lords and ladies of the manor would give boxes of Christmas leftovers to the peasants who worked on their estates. From an explanation by Woodlands Junior School in Kent:

Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.

During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, or sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.

Given that the country formerly known as Great Britain has been transformed into Sarah Brady's gun-free paradise by edict of Parliament - which as we all know leaves guns in the hands of only the government and the criminals - I have a modest proposal for an alternative Boxing Day tradition.

Gun buybacks are a favorite pastime of anti-gun politicians and their sycophantic big city police chiefs. These gun buybacks are feel-good exercises which have no impact on crime in the inner city much like the British Parliament's gun edicts have had no impact on violent crime in the UK. Why not transform them into a new "alms/arms for the poor" program whereby unwanted firearms are collected and distributed to the good people of the UK (or the inner city). Thus, when Nigel, Trevor, and  Ali decide that Mr. and Mrs. Smythe's row house is ripe for a home invasion, they are welcomed with something more than just harsh words when they burst into the front parlor.

There is precedent for this. Prior to our entry into WWII, there were collections of firearms to be sent to the people of Great Britain for the Home Guard in the dark days after Dunkirk. The NRA alone sent over 7,000 rifles to England and the American Committee for the Defense of British Homes sent another 25,000 rifles along with 2 million rounds of ammunition.

Unfortunately, while this would make a great (new) tradition, the governments of both the US and the UK would oppose it with great force and ferocity. The US government because they want to be the only gunrunners in town and the UK government because they have long ago lost their spine. More's the pity.

My Black Friday Black Rifle

This year I took advantage of a variety of Black Friday sales to get the remaining parts needed to assemble a piston-driven M-4gery. I already had a stripped lower from Templar Custom thanks to Sean Sorrentino along with a DPMS lower parts kit I had purchased on sale a couple of years ago.

The heart of the rifle is a mid-length Adams Arms gas piston complete upper that I got on sale from MidwayUSA at the beginning of their week-long sale. It is chambered in 5.56 NATO and has a 1:7 right hand twist barrel. This will allow me to shoot the heavier 75 grain cartridge.

I got most of the other parts from Brownells using their discount code plus my dealer discount. I replaced the standard M-4 handguard and grip with a Magpul MOE mid-length handguard and a MOE+ pistol grip. The handguard did not need any fitting to work with the gas piston upper as can be seen in the picture below.

I did get the Magul BUIS but decided to go with a HK 416 sight set from RTG International Surplus Parts. These were about the only part that I used that I didn't get on sale. Why the HK drum sight instead of a more traditional BUIS? I just liked them and I think that they are very rugged. I'll use the Magpuls on another build down the road. You can also see the Magpul ASAP ambidextrous sling attachment point in the picture below.

I got the mil-spec extension tube, spring, and a Spike's Tactical T-2 buffer tube from Brownells. The buttstock is a Rogers Super-Stoc which came from Wilson Combat. Colt will be offering it soon but has not released it as of yet. I like the cam-lock system as it does away with any slop or rattle in the collapsible stock. Once adjusted for length and with the cam locked, it is as solid as an A2 stock.

Thanks to my son-in-law's dad Jeff, I got most of it assembled a couple of weeks ago. Jeff works as a machinist for a major airline and has assembled a number of lowers over the years. As this was my first lower that I had assembled from scratch, I was really glad to have his help and advice.

Sean had warned me that the Templar Custom lower was designed to be tight and might need some adjustment. He was correct and we had to do a little bit of fitting. However, this has made for a tight and solid fit between the upper and the lower. The magwell may need a little bit of light sanding to allow me to use Magpul PMAGs. GI mags fit just fine.

I still have to mount an optic on this. For now, I may just go with my Eotech 512 that I have on another AR. I am open to suggestions for other optics especially holographic or red-dot.

The final thing I want to do is to highlight the logo and safe and semi-auto icons with a little bit of Testor's enamel. I think it will add a finished touch to this rifle.

I am quite pleased with my first real build and am looking forward to sighting it in. With all the year-end business stuff and family stuff, I haven't had a chance to do this yet. But as Scarlett O'Hara famously said in Gone with the Wind, "for tomorrow is another day".

Jingle Bells - The Colt Variation

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

"One Of The Most Incompetent Attorneys General In U.S. History"

Such is the description of Attorney General Eric Holder made by columnist Charles Krauthammer yesterday on Fox News' Special Report With Bret Baier. He also described Holder's use of the "race card" in his interview with Charlie Savage of the New York Times as a "cheap shot" and "cowardly".

Fourth Greatest President, Evah!

Frankly, I find narcissists to be a pain in the ass and to be avoided. When the narcissist in question is the President of the United States, that is hard to do. Fortunately, there is satire.

CalGuns/SAF Leave Lump Of Coal in California's Stocking

The CalGuns Foundation along with the Second Amendment Foundation dropped off a little gift yesterday for Kamala Harris and the California Department of Justice. They filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California challenging the ten-day waiting that California imposes before an existing gun owner make take possession of an another individual firearm.

The individual plaintiffs in this suit are Jeff Sylvester, Michael Poeschl, and Brandon Combs. All three  are owners of handguns registered in California's AFS Database. Mr. Sylvester also holds one of those rare things - a California Carry License - and Mr. Combs holds a California Certificate of Eligibility. Both of these licenses are subject to real-time and ongoing background checks.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs are Jason Davis and Don Kilmer (of Nordyke fame).

The release on the suit from CalGuns is below:

San Carlos, CA (December 23, 2011) – The Calguns Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit against the California Department of Justice and Attorney General Kamala Harris challenging the policy of requiring gun owners to wait at least 10 days before taking possession of an additional firearm. The case is entitled Jeff Silvester et. al. vs. Kamala Harris, et. al.

The Calguns Foundation is joined in the lawsuit, filed today at the District of California Federal District Court in Fresno, by the Second Amendment Foundation and three individual plaintiffs.

“The State has absolutely no reason to infringe the rights of California gun owners who already possess firearms when they buy another one,” said Jason Davis who is the attorney for the plaintiffs. California currently requires the registration of handguns in California. And, beginning January 2014, it will also require the registration of all newly-purchased rifles and shotguns. Notably, California keeps a current database of all residents who are prohibited by state or federal law from owning or possessing firearms.

Individual plaintiffs Jeff Silvester, Michael Poeschl, and Brandon Combs each have firearms registered with the State of California. Mr. Combs and Mr. Silvester also have firearms licenses from the State that constitute ongoing background checks.

“In just about every other state in the U.S., I as a law-abiding gun owner could walk in and, after passing an instant national background check, walk out with a firearm to defend myself in my home,” said Michael Poeschl. “What’s really frustrating is that California is one of the very few states that forces gun owners to register all handguns that they buy. If the State’s database saying that I already lawfully own a gun isn’t proof that I don’t need a ‘cooling-off’ period, then what is?”

“I have a license to carry a loaded firearm across the State,” noted Jeff Silvester. “It is ridiculous that I have to wait another 10 days to pick up a new firearm when I’m standing there in the gun store lawfully carrying one the whole time.”

“As a collector, I submitted to a Live Scan background check and obtained a Certificate of Eligibility to Possess Firearms from the State of California at my own expense,” said Brandon Combs. “In the Internet era, where every California gun dealer has a computer connected directly to the State’s databases, there is no logical reason to force me to wait 10 days and make another trip simply because California doesn’t want to acknowledge the Certificate that it issued to me. I have registered guns, and I have the State telling me that I can possess guns, but for some reason I can’t exercise my constitutionally protected rights for another ten days? That’s insane.”

“Laws that infringe on the right to purchase arms have to be more than just merely rational and must directly serve important governmental interests,” added Hoffman. “Here, the law is not just irrational but actually contradictory. We filed this case right before Christmas in the hopes that, by next Christmas, gun owners will not suffer this continuing infringement on their right to acquire firearms.”

A copy of the complaint and case filings can be downloaded at http://calgunsfoundation.org/resources/downloads/category/20-silvester-v-harris.html

First Impressions Of The Ruger LCR-22

I posted the announcement of the new Ruger LCR-22 last Friday. I had a chance to handle one in the flesh, so to speak, today at The Gun Rack in Kernersville, North Carolina.

While the MSRP of the LCR-22 is $524, The Gun Rack was selling it for $399. Having bought guns from them in the past, they tend to price their Rugers at the low range.

My first impression of the LCR-22 was that it was almost an exact clone of the LCR in .38 Special and .357 Magnum. The weight felt close to my .38 Special version and it felt very similar in my hand. The sights appeared to be the same as with the original LCR. I have changed mine long ago to the XS Sights Standard Dot tritium sights so I'm going on memory.

I did find the trigger pull felt heavier than that of its bigger brothers. This was a subjective evaluation and was not measured with a trigger pull scale. I didn't feel any stacking of the trigger unlike in my Colt Detective Special.

If you are thinking of getting one as a training gun, I'd suggest renting one first to see how you like it. The heavier trigger pull was a bit of a negative for me but your experience might be different.

Sporadic Blogging

I will be blogging only sporadically for the next few days as we are visiting family out of town.

If I worked for Eric Holder and the Justice Department, I'd consider 4:30pm this afternoon as ideal for document dump - not that I want to encourage them.

If you aren't on Twitter, you may want to think about it. You can catch a lot of breaking news that way. I try to retweet stuff that I don't have time to make a full post about. You can follow me by clicking on the button in the sidebar.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day By Day Cartoon Skewers Holder

Chris Muir skewers Eric Holder's playing of the race card in today's cartoon.

Courtesy of Chris Muir at Day by Day Cartoon.

Thank You, LuckyGunner!

When I got home from work yesterday, I found a box from FedEx with these cookies in them. There were actually more cookies but some cookie monster must have eaten them.

I received this nice gunny Christmas gift from the people at LuckyGunner.com. You will notice their logo in my right sidebar. As a reminder, all commissions I earn from them are then sent directly to the Second Amendment Foundation to help finance the fight for our gun rights.

Don't Think A .22LR Isn't Useful For Self-Defense?

Mall ninjas and Internet commandos will tell you that "bigger is always better" and that "if the caliber doesn't begin with a 4" it's useless. I hate to break it to them but even a .22LR can be used successfully for self-defense.

A case in point. Yesterday evening in Magalia, California (Butte County north of Sacremento), John Randolph Shanks III found out the hard way that even one shot from a .22LR can kill you. Mr. Shanks had just forced his way into a Magalia residence along with an accomplice when the homeowner shot him once in the chest with a .22 handgun. When Butte County Sheriff's Department deputies arrived, they tried to revive him to no avail. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

So was Mr. Shanks just some down on his luck guy looking for food and a warm place to crash? Not really.

According to Butte County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Jason Hail,

Shanks was released from state prison in mid-November, but he reportedly failed to report to the Butte County Probation Department as required.

Hail said probation had issued a request that law enforcement be on the look out for Shanks, and were in the process of getting an arrest warrant for the man.

According to Butte County Court records Shanks was sentenced to state prison in April 2010, after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and felony attempting to evade a peace officer. In 2007 he was also convicted for attempting to evade a peace officer. He was sentenced to prison then.

In 2003 he was sent to prison on a charge of "resisting an executive officer."

The best part of this article is where they say "no charges have been filed against the shooter".

I don't recommend a .22LR for self-defense but if it is all you have, then go with it. I'd say the homeowner was lucky and, obviously, Mr. Shanks was not in this case.

Michael Bane has been making the point recently in his podcasts concerning the debate between the 9mm Luger and the larger cartridges that more holes are better even if they are smaller. Moreover, he makes the point that even if it is "only a .22", no one wants to be shot.

H/T Guns Save Lives

This Is ...CNN? Wow!

CNN, though not as bad as MSNBC, has a well-deserved reputation for pandering to the Obama Administration. Given this commentary by Jack Cafferty where he mentions Watergate in connection with Operation Fast and Furious, I wonder how soon before he receives a curse-filled diatribe of a phone call from Tracy Schmaler of the Justice Department?





UPDATE: Bob's take on this. He is correct that is moves the issue into wider circulation.

An Excellent Way To Save On Taxes

With the year winding down you are almost out of time to save on your taxes.

One way that is still available is by a contribution to a 503(c)3 non-profit like the Second Amendment Foundation or other non-profit gun rights organization. Donations to a group like the NRA are not deductible because it is a 503(c)4 organization and it does political lobbying. However, donations to the NRA Foundation would be tax deductible.

I like the reminder that SAF put up on their Facebook page and wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment.

Here are some links to worthy organizations that could use a donation. Just click on the name and it will bring you to their donation page. The list is not complete by any means and I'd welcome other suggestions. Remember, the organization must be a 503(c)3 non-profit for the donation to qualify for a tax deduction.

Second Amendment Foundation

CalGuns Foundation

Mountain States Legal Foundation

NRA Foundation

Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership

One other group that I might add is the Gun Rights Radio Network. They are not a 503(c)3 non-profit - though they should be - so a donation wouldn't be tax deductible. Nonetheless, they do a great job in promoting the shooting sports and gun rights activism. They offer podcasts on everything from gunsmithing to practical defense tips. Mark Vanderberg runs the Network on donations and certainly could use a few bucks to keep it going. To donate go here.

Happy New Year, Mr. Attorney General!

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that he testify before the committee on January 24th.  He was given a choice of six alternate dates for the hearings in either January or February. He is asked to confirm his attendance by January 3rd.

In the letter, Issa explains that the hearing will cover what senior Justice Department officials could have - and should have - done to prevent a reckless program like Operation Fast and Furious.

The full letter can be found here.

This letter puts the ball in Holder's court as to whether he appears voluntarily before the committee or he is subpoenaed. If it is the latter, I think it devolve into a test of wills between the executive and legislative branches.

A Candlelight Vigil? This Is Big News?

The Brady Campaign's eagerly awaited announcement of what they plan for January 8th is....a candlelight vigil? Could they come come up with something any more lame and trite as this?

Brady Campaign Acting President Dennis Henigan announces a nationwide tribute to loved ones killed with guns. On January 8, 2012, the one-year anniversary of the Tucson shootings that killed six people and injured 13 others including a U.S. Congresswoman, people all across the country will gather for candlelight vigils honoring loved ones lost to gun violence. This intense spotlight on the human toll of gun violence is only the first step in mobilizing Americans to demand change.

As usual, the Brady Campaign is up to their old tactic of censoring dissenting voices. Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog left a polite message on their Facebook page which has disappeared. They are claiming he has removed his message. Having just spoken to Sean that is incorrect. He didn't remove it, they did and then went on to block him from being able to comment on their page. Maybe they should just cover their eyes and ears and start singing nursery rhymes as it would be about as effective.

Bitter at Shall Not Be Questioned is as nonplussed about the announcement as the rest of us. I like her final comment on it.

Perhaps the candles will also inject some personality into Dennis Henigan as he reads his script. The candles might also buy them some new audio equipment. If candles can stop bullets, then they can do anything in this season of holiday miracles, right?

UPDATE: As I expected, my post on their Facebook page pointing out that Sean had not deleted his post but it was done by their moderator has vanished into cyberspace.  You have to wonder about the strength of their beliefs if opposing opinions are such a threat to them.

Holder - Those Mean Conservative Bloggers Are Saying Bad Things About Me

In a New York Times political piece that charitably can be described as utter rubbish, Attorney General Eric Holder blames bloggers and conservative commentators for some of his troubles.

But Mr. Holder contended that many of his other critics — not only elected Republicans but also a broader universe of conservative commentators and bloggers — were instead playing “Washington gotcha” games, portraying them as frequently “conflating things, conveniently leaving some stuff out, construing things to make it seem not quite what it was” to paint him and other department figures in the worst possible light.

While it is hard not to portray the most devious and political Justice Department since Nixon in a bad light, I would disagree with Holder's partial explanation of why bloggers portray him in such a negative way. As might be expected, Holder is playing the race card.

Mr. Holder said he believed that a few — the “more extreme segment” — were motivated by animus against Mr. Obama and that he served as a stand-in for him. “This is a way to get at the president because of the way I can be identified with him,” he said, “both due to the nature of our relationship and, you know, the fact that we’re both African-American.”

The bigger explanation according to Holder is that we are raving conservative ideologues who oppose him over his stands on the issues. Holder also feels that Republicans are after him as a payback for the way John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales were treated by their Democratic critics.

If it is ideological to want accountability for a program that has led to two dead Federal law enforcement officers and untold numbers of Mexican citizens, then I'm an ideologue as are bloggers like Mike Vanderboegh, David Codrea, Dave Workman, and others who have reported on Project Gunwalker.

Eric Holder needs to go if for no other reason than he is living in a fantasy world. What's worse is the way Charlie Savage and the rest of the mainstream media excuses this behavior. It is the equivalent of the co-dependency between an alcoholic wife beater and a spouse who refuses to press charges despite repeated beatings. Both are sad, pathetic behaviors.

Dennis Burke And Gun Control

The fallout from Operation Fast and Furious cost Dennis Burke his position as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona back in August.

More recently, in the Friday e-mail dump that preceded Attorney General Eric Holder's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, an email from Burke expressed his anger at Sen. Chuck Grassley and his staff over their investigation into Operation Fast and Furious. He called them "willing stooges for the Gun Lobby." His e-mail went on to say:

No commentary by Grassley on the lax laws, nor greedy gun shop owners, nor careless straw purchasers, and not boo about the evil gun traffickers for the Cartels. Nope. Just demonize ATF w/ a strategically-timed repulsive letter e-mailed to the entire press world before we ever saw it.

Burke later issued a groveling apology over his comments.

It should be noted that Burke is not a newcomer to the business of gun control. In an article in the Arizona Republic about the political ramifications on Arizona politicians for supporting gun control, former Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), a supporter of the Clinton "Assault Weapons Ban", had this to say about Dennis Burke:

DeConcini credits Judiciary Committee staff aide Dennis Burke, now the U.S. attorney for Arizona, for much of the work in developing the ban, which became law during DeConcini's final year in the Senate but expired after 10 years.

Burke also was Senior Policy Analyst for the White House's Domestic Policy Council from 1995 to 1997. This time overlaps with when Elena Kagan - now Justice Kagan - served as its Deputy Director. It was during this time that Executive Orders were used to further extend the ban on so-called assault weapons and to implement the Brady Act. Given his prior work on the Assault Weapons Ban in the Senate, it would not surprise me that Burke assisted in this effort.

Looking at Burke's background and his attitude towards gun rights and those who support them, I see this as even further confirmation that the intent of Operation Fast and Furious from the very beginning was to build support for another so-called assault weapons ban. I just don't think it was coincidental that Operation Fast and Furious was centered in Arizona as opposed to New Mexico or west Texas where the U.S. Attorneys have long careers as prosecutors.

Quote Of The Day

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published an article which described the growth of Federal police ranks especially in the agencies not traditionally associated with law enforcement. When you have 5 criminal investigators for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and 7 for the Government Printing Office, I think you have a problem. I think Ronald Gainer, a former Justice Department official, hits the nail on the head.

Skeptics also say some of these smaller departments tend to wield their powers indiscriminately, even for seemingly minor infractions, in ways that seem self-justifying.

"When you start making innocuous actions crimes, you multiply the number of people who are enforcing" the laws and regulations, says Ronald Gainer, a former Justice Department official for Democratic and Republican administrations who has cautioned for years against the proliferation of federal law. "You multiply the number of people who have to enforce criminal laws and they all want guns."

As Tam said earlier this year after the Department of Education SWAT team raid in California, "Look me in the eye and defend this."

An American Carol

Ted Cruz is the former Solicitor General for the State of Texas and is now running for the U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) who is retiring.

Cruz organized the coalition of 31 states that filed an amicus brief in favor of Dick Heller in D.C. v. Heller. He received the Carter-Knight Freedom Fighter Award from the NRA for this.

In the spirit of the season, he released the following ad which skewers Obama.

Bushcraft ...On Treads

This is a perfect marriage of spirit with technology - a tracked "wheelchair" built to allow a paraplegic to enjoy the Great Outdoors in almost the same manner as an able-bodied person. I think it is fantastic.

Gangs And Politicians - Soldiers In Arms In Chicago

Todd Vandermyde discusses the unholy alliance between some Democratic politicians and gang bangers in the City of Chicago. An article in Chicago Magazine exposes the whole sordid business.

Is it any wonder that Chicago politicians are so anti-gun? It keeps the honest people defenseless while the gangs who support them remain armed.

More PSH From The Brady Campaign

The Brady Campaign is promising news on a "major Brady Campaign initiative" on January 8th which just so happens to coincide with the first anniversary of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. As a teaser, they released the YouTube video below.



Could it be that they are merging with Mayor Bloomberg and his Illegal Mayors? I doubt it since even Bloomberg doesn't want to be seen associating with such losers as the Brady Campaign.

Are they going to announce that Joan Peterson aka JaPete will be their new President replacing acting head Dennis Henigan? Even the Brady Campaign is not that stupid.

Will it be another big grant from the Joyce Foundation? This is possible since the Joyce Foundation seems to like to throw good money away on other anti-rights ne'er do wells like CSGV and VPC.

My guess is that it will have something to do with Gabby Giffords and her shooting given the date. I wouldn't be surprised if they are going to announce that Gifford's husband Mark Kelly will become involved with the Bradys to campaign for more background checks especially regarding mental health. He is now retired from both the Navy and NASA so is available. I doubt Giffords herself would do it as she has always portrayed herself as pro-gun and would be essential if she plans to run for re-election.

Let the speculation begin!

UPDATE: The original video was removed and a new one substituted. They have moved the date of their announcement up to December 19th. Hmm. Sounds like someone pushed them to announce it due to leaks.

It's Official - The Ruger LCR-22 Is Released

Ruger just posted this on their website which makes the LCR-22 official:

Ruger Introduces the LCR in .22 LR

December 16, 2011

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce the new Ruger® LCR-22, an eight-shot revolver that offers all the features of the award-winning LCR®, chambered in the popular and economical .22 Long Rifle cartridge.

"The LCR has proven its worth since its introduction in 2009, and has become an extremely popular compact revolver for concealed carry," said Chris Killoy, Ruger Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Our customers asked for a rimfire LCR for low cost practice at the range, and the LCR-22 fills that need. Furthermore, this gun disputes the notion that small-frame, rimfire revolvers come with heavy trigger pulls; the LCR-22's non-stacking trigger pull is highly manageable. In fact, we believe the LCR has the best trigger pull of any factory double-action revolver on the market, and we urge our customers to visit their retailer and try it out for themselves," he concluded.

The newest LCR maintains all the features of the critically acclaimed original LCR. The 1-7/8" barrel and eight-shot cylinder are constructed of stainless steel, and the cylinder is highly fluted to reduce weight. The frame is machined from an aerospace-grade aluminum forging, and the fire control housing is molded from rugged and durable glass-filled nylon. The fire control system utilizes Ruger's patented friction reducing cam that provides a uniquely smooth, non-stacking trigger pull.

For more information on the new LCR-22 revolver, or to learn more about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for the LCR-22 and other Ruger firearms, visit ShopRuger.com.

The spec sheet is below:

Finish:	Matte Black, Synergistic Hard Coat	Grip:	Hogue® Tamer™
Front Sight:	Replaceable, Pinned Ramp	Rear Sight:	U-Notch Integral
Barrel Material:	Stainless Steel	Cylinder Finish:	Advanced Target Grey®
Barrel Length:	1.875"	Overall Length:	6.50"
Height:	4.50"	Width:	1.28"
Weight:	14.90 oz.	Capacity:	8
Twist:	1:16" RH	Grooves:	6
MA Approved & Certified:	No	CA Approved:	No
		Suggested Retail:	$525.00

UPDATE: Weer'd Beard pointed out this review video by Jeff Quinn over at Gunblast.com.



UPDATE II: Mark Keefe, editor of the American Rifleman, has a review up on his blog The Keefe Report. He has some good pictures of this new revolver especially of the cylinder. He says regarding the trigger:

Ruger put a lot of time and engineering effort into making the LCR suitable for mass production, as well as improving the double-action-only trigger pull by making several of the action’s engagement surfaces round-on-round contact points to allow for a smooth trigger pull. The other thing about the LCR is you can stack, or stage, the trigger repeatably. With practice, you can get a precise shot off almost as if it were a single-action. That is quite a trick with a rimfire version of the LCR in .22, which requires more firing pin energy. This means you must have either a heavier hammer or stiffer springs than a center-fire, but my preliminary shooting and handling of the new LCR indicate that Ruger pulled it off admirably.

UPDATE III: Michael Bane's take on the new Ruger LCR-22. He thinks it would be a great addition to a bug-out bag.

Ruger LCR-22?

Michael Bane on the Downrange Radio podcast hinted that Ruger would be announcing a new firearm today. While nothing is showing up on their website -yet - it looks like someone at GunsAmerica may have jumped the gun so to speak.

They have a full review of the Ruger LCR-22. Go the the link above to see pictures of it.

A description from their review:

My review gun came in at 14.8 ounces empty on my stamps.com electronic scale, but the reported weight is 14.9 ounces. The balance point is at the back of the cylinder which I consider ideal for a snub nose revolver. It comes on target out of the holster quickly, thanks in part to the great balance as well as the natural grip angle and excellent rubber grip from Hogue.

The hammer is completely enclosed making, this a double-action-only (DAO) revolver and eliminating a potential snag for anyone interested in concealed carry. The DAO trigger, like its bigger brothers, is very smooth with no stacking and little overtravel. It measured right around 12 pounds but didn’t seem that much thanks to the way they cam the trigger.

The LCR-22 is compact, little more than 6.25” long and 1.25” wide. It sits so lightly in a holster or in your pocket that you’ll forget it’s there

The big news, of course is that you can now get it in .22 caliber which opens the opportunity to do a lot more shooting since .22 ammo is inexpensive and widely available. The LCR-22 will handle .22 short, .22 long, and .22 long rifle ammo, including shot shells, which means that you can personalize it for your needs.

 MSRP is $525 which means the street price will be much less. Looks like a good gun with which to train on as well as a nice little trail gun.

From Jim Shepherd at The Outdoor Wire who notes that the announcement is scheduled for 11am today:

Early this week, I received another "secret" gun from Ruger for testing and evaluation. Like the .357 Magnum SP101 announced last week, I liked it.

Ditto everyone else I know who's gotten one for testing. My FFL liked it, too. So well he wanted to place an order for "as many as I can get". Seems this caliber is "very, very hot". A decidedly un-scientific survey of several retailer shelves would seem to confirm that demand.

Ruger may once again have responded to (or anticipated) market demand for a concealed carry handgun.One of the major attractions of the original in this category was a (surprisingly) good trigger. The newest offering is no different. Its accuracy and an enhanced capacity should also add appeal.

Yes, I'm being vague - intentionally. Ruger's rollout schedule keeps us from being able to announce the new gun in time for this morning's edition.

We've never broken an embargo and we're not going to start in our final edition of 2011. So, you'll have to take my word (at least for a few more hours) on this one. If you're really, really curious, I'll tweet a brief summary (like 140 characters worth) at 11a.m. Eastern (@jimshepherd)

NSSF On Slings For Your "Modern Sporting Rifle"

Mark Thomas of the NSSF talks with Bob Whaley of Gunsite about slings for the "modern sporting rifle"*. They discuss both 1-point and 2-point slings. It gives some good stuff on what to look for in a sling.

Slings don't have to be expensive. I just paid $20 for a decent 1-point sling at Wally Word that is actually pretty decent.

If you are good with craft-oriented stuff, read through this thread on Arfcom. It gives instructions on making many types of slings on the cheap.






*AR-15 or M-4gery

Lasergrips For Gen 4 Glocks

Iain Harrison of Crimson Trace sent me word today that they are now making Lasergrips for the Gen 4 Glocks. I imagine Crimson Trace and a lot of other manufacturers will be sending out info on new products in the run-up to the SHOT Show.

From his release:

New Crimson Trace Lasergrips Now Available for Glock Gen 4 Handguns

(Wilsonville, OR) Crimson Trace, market leader for integrated laser sighting systems, today announced the release of new Lasergrips® models for the Gen 4 Glock full-size, compact and subcompact 9mm and .40 caliber pistols. With an MSRP of $279, these Lasergrips feature the smallest laser diode ever offered, with full windage and elevation adjustability and a master on/off switch. The new units fit seamlessly over the Glock’s backstrap and require no gunsmithing to install. Because the laser utilizes Crimson Trace’s patented instinctive activation system, the user simply picks up the gun in a normal firing grip and the pressure sensor in the grip module instantly activates the laser to project a bright dot on the target.

“Glock handguns are justifiably one of the most popular self defense firearms on the market,” said Kent Thomas, Marketing Director for Crimson Trace. “With the new Lasergrips, the Gen 4 models now have a low light, instinctively activated sighting system that takes them to a new level of usability and we now fit almost every model in the Glock lineup.”

The new Glock Gen 4 Lasergrips are zeroed at the factory, offer a four hour battery life as well as the most powerful laser permitted by law. The low profile Lasergrip is fully compatible with the recently launched Lightguard® tactical light, turning any Glock into the ultimate in low light defensive handguns. With SHOT show looming, Crimson Trace is readying for a host of exciting new product introductions and events to capture the imagination of the firearms buying public. Look for announcements over the forthcoming weeks.

Happy 220th Birthday To The Second Amendment

On this date in 1791, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the 11th state to ratify the Bill of Rights and with it, the Second Amendment. Interestingly enough, New Jersey - a state where the Second Amendment has been under attack - was the first state to ratify it on November 20, 1789. It took a total of 811 days for these amendments to be ratified.

I'm proud to say as a native North Carolinian, that the Tar Hell State was the third state to ratify the Second Amendment (and the rest of the Bill of Rights) on December 22, 1789.

Jim Shepherd, publisher of The Outdoor Wire, had this to say about it in his comments this morning:

Our friend Bill Gravatt at Sinclair International sent us a reminder note yesterday we wanted to pass on to you. Today (December 15, 2011) is the two hundred and twentieth anniversary of adoption of the Second Amendment. If you're a gun person, it's one of those dates that belongs on your calendar every year...if you're not a gun person, well, you should let some of us who are take you to the range so you can try shooting for yourself. As Rob Leatham is fond of saying "I've never taken anyone to the range and had them tell me they've not had fun." Today's the anniversary of why it's so easy for Americans to enjoy the recreational sport of shooting -and the ability to protect our families and out country. The Second Amendment's not about hunting, sport shooting or any of the other diluted suggestions you hear from time to time. It's about our inalienable right to self-protection...and it's worth defending.

I agree with Jim and I like his suggestion about taking someone to the range. The more first time shooters that go to the range, the more we win in our battle to protect and preserve the Second Amendment.

Private Sale Loophole?

First there was the oxymoronic "gun show loophole". Now thanks to America's richest mayor we have the equally moronic "private sale loophole."

In a press conference held today to announce a new "report" entitled "Point, Click, Fire: An Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales", New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a full frontal attack on private gun sales and Internet classified sites. In a scene reminiscent from his earlier "investigations" involving gun shows, Bloomberg's private investigators trolled 10 websites and called 125 private sellers. The sites included Craigslist (which doesn't allow firearms classifieds), Armslist.com, and GlockTalk.com. Supposedly, 77 out of 125 sellers agreed to sell a firearm to someone who self-identified as a prohibited person.

The Investigation

The City hired licensed private investigators supervised by the global investigative firm Kroll to conduct a series of online purchases. Investigators captured audio of telephone calls with private sellers who advertise on websites, and used concealed cameras during in-person interactions. The investigative team placed telephone calls to 125 private sellers who posted online gun advertisements on 10 websites in 14 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Results

A clear majority of the sellers – 77 of 125 private sellers – failed the integrity test by agreeing to sell to a purchaser who said he probably couldn’t pass a background check.

Private sellers on Craigslist failed the integrity test at the highest rate, despite the fact that the site says that it prohibits the listing of weapons on its server. On the five websites where investigators contacted the most sellers, an illegal sale was agreed to:

Craigslist.com: 82 percent of the time
Glocktalk.com: 78 percent
Gunlistings.org: 77 percent
KSL.com: 67 percent
Armslist.com: 54 percent

Given these were private detectives and not commissioned police officers, I wonder about the legality of recording either the phone calls as well as the face-to-face transactions. Many states - and I don't know if the states in question were chosen to avoid this - forbid the recording of conversations unless both parties are aware of it and this goes double for videotaping. These are the same laws being used against the public when they record police encounters that go wrong.

Bloomberg's report is pushing the following recommendations:

• Federal law should require a background check for every gun sale. Legislation now pending in both chambers of Congress – The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 (S.436/H.R.1781 (112th Congress)) – would enact this reform.

• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives(ATF) should improve enforcement of existing laws. ATF should conduct undercover investigations on a variety of websites, track whether guns recovered in crimes were originally sold online and offer online tutorials to train sellers and buyers on federal gun laws governing online sales.

• Websites should adopt tougher protocols to deter crime. Websites that permit gun sales should demand transparency from sellers and buyers, facilitate reporting
of suspicious behavior by site users and swiftly remove prohibited listings.

The report also brings in the shootings on the campuses of Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. As has been reported before, the shooter at Virginia Tech purchased one of his pistols over the Internet. However, and this report downplays it, the pistol was shipped to a FFL in Virginia, the shooter then filled out an ATF Form 4473, and then a NICS check was run.

As unfortunately is to be expected, the mainstream media is lapping this up. The story was aired on ABC News as the number two story of the day. It was introduced by Diane Sawyer with her most concerned look and was uncritically reported by Pierre Thomas who hung on Mayor Bloomberg's every word.



While I don't expect the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2011 to go anywhere in this Congress, any move made by Mayor Bloomberg and his Illegal Mayors is to be watched. Unlike the rest of the gun prohibitionists, Bloomberg has the money and the business acumen needed to have an impact on gun rights and firearm ownership.

One Year And Counting

1970-2010

 Today marks the first anniversary of the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. He was killed in a gun fight with armed bandits near Rio Rico, Arizona. Four suspects were arrested at the time and a fifth escaped.




A lot has happened since Agent Terry was murdered.

It was quickly discovered that two (and maybe a third) weapons found at the scene of his murder were directly linked to an ATF operation called Fast and Furious. Congressional hearings into the program and into Agent Terry's murder have been held and more are to come.

The acting head of the ATF Kenneth Melson was reassigned and the U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke resigned under pressure. A number of ATF managers have been given either lateral transfers or promotions despite their involvement in this operation while the courageous ATF whistle-blowers who exposed much of what we know about Fast and Furious have been hung out to dry.

There is a bill before Congress to rename the Border Patrol office in Bisbee, AZ after Agent Terry. The House of Representatives held debate on HR 2668 - the Brian A. Terry Memorial Act - on Monday but a vote was postponed on a point of order by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Recently released e-mails seem to indicate that one of the major purposes for Operation Fast and Furious was not to stop the so-called Iron River of Guns to Mexico but to promote more gun control.

And the list could go on and on and on. However, none of that will bring Brian Terry back to his family nor ICE Agent Jaime Zapata back to his. In the end, it is about the people who have died in both the U.S. and Mexico as the result of this ill-conceived, ill-advised, and, more than likely, illegal program whose real purpose was to provide the Obama Administration the rationale for more gun control measures. That they died for this is immoral.

UPDATE: The Terry family released a statement today on the first anniversary of Brian's death. The statement expresses their dismay that no one at ATF or the Department of Justice has taken responsibility for their son's death. Moreover, they express their sincere condolences to those in Mexico who have been impacted by the gun walked in Operation Fast and Furious.

Enough To Cause Wailing and Gnashing Of Teeth ... By The Anti Gunners

Let's face it, the gun prohibitionists are a humorless lot who turn their patrician noses up at what the rest of us find funny. Imagine their consternation over a series of ads being aired by PRK Arms of Fresno, CA that spoof puppy adoption and male enhancement ads. You can hear the ads here or here. From the transcript at HotAir.com:

“They’ve been mistreated and misunderstood for generations,” the ad begins. “Abusive owners have done severe damage and given these beautiful creatures a bad reputation.”

“You can make a difference by giving a gun a loving home,” the ad says. “These guns want nothing more than to adore and protect you. So, please, have a heart. … PRK Arms has the kinds of guns that need a loving home more than anything else — like AK-47s, Glocks and the biggest selection of AR-15s in Fresno.”

And from this TV report, it sounds like the ads are working. Sales have never been better according to the store's owner.





You just knew that any gun store called PRK Arms as in People's Republic of Kalifornia had to have a sense of humor. Given the gun laws in California, a sense of humor - and a donation to the CalGuns Foundation - may be the only thing that lets you deal with it.


H/T Firearm Blog and HotAir

The Costanza Rule - Its Not A Lie...If You Believe It

Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) released a humorous video aimmed at Attorney General Eric Holder and his definition of a lie. It comes from when he was asked the question by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) during the Dec. 8th House Judiciary Committee hearing.



A Tweet from the National Review's Jim Geraghty was what spurred this compilation.

H/T Bitter

Quote Of The Day

The quote of the day comes from Tam regarding the authors of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Christopher Dodd and Barney Frank, a pair of career tax leeches on the cursus dishonorum, neither of whom has soiled their patrician hands with an honest day's work in their life, are going to bring sense to financial markets and look out for the well-being of the little guy? Yeah, right.

And I think she is unfortunately correct that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will eventually have its own SWAT team. It just won't have a director if Obama continues to nominate hyper-partisan types and the Senate maintains a backbone.

A Different Type Of Preparedness Tip

This tip comes from the podcast Zen Tiki Lounge which deals with all things Tiki.

If you live in an area that is subject to natural disasters such as earthquakes, make sure your home bar has one or two bottles of booze that come in plastic bottles. That way, even if all the other bottles fall off the shelf and break, you will still have something with which to drown your sorrows and get you through the cleanup.

Remember even if you live along the East Coast, you can have earthquakes as we saw earlier this year.

I think I'll stop by the ABC store this morning! There is nothing like being prepared.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rep. Issa On Hannity Discussing Holder's Testimony

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was on Hannity last night to discuss Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. One of the things he said was this is not going away until they get the truth from Eric Holder. You know, I believe Issa when he says that. No matter how much Holder and the Obama Administration stonewalls, this isn't going away and it isn't going to get any better for them.

Tom Gresham on last Sunday's GunTalk Radio show reiterated his prediction that Holder will be gone by the summer so as not to be an issue in the fall Presidential campaign. He well could be right.

Fox Legal Analyst On Holder's Testimony

Fox News Legal Analyst Peter Johnson finds it a bit incredulous that on one hand Attorney General Eric Holder is "a hands-on" leader aware of what is going on in his department but yet has never discussed Operation Fast and Furious with the President. Johnson also discusses lying, perjury, and misstatements to Congress.

I tend to agree. I think it strains belief that Holder and Obama have not discussed this operation especially since two U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed with weapons from it.

Bloomberg Willing To Give Holder A Pass

While he usually has no problem whatsoever in criticizing anything related to firearms, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is refusing to criticize Attorney General Eric Holder over Operation Fast and Furious. Unlike even ardent gun prohibitionist Jackie Hilly of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence who says the Administration needs to take responsibility, Bloomberg won't even go that far.

According to CBS New York:

Bloomberg seems clearly willing to give Holder a pass.

“I’ve never been into looking at the past and trying to blame people for the past,” the mayor said.

What a damn wimp not to mention a hypocrite. Bloomberg has no problem blaming gun shows in Arizona and other states for crime in New York City. However, in one of the few cases with a clear trail of evidence of illegal purchases by straw buyers, he won't say anything negative about the operation or those who ran it. He is just plain, flat out, pathetic.

Make Your Own Caption For This Photo

Ridicule is often the best way to put pompous politicians in their place. Though in the case of Attorney General Eric Holder, a Mexican jail is also appropriate.

All Rights Reserved. OversightAndReform

My caption?

Dead Mexicans? No one on my staff told me anything about that.

Feel free to suggest your own in the comments section.

Raleigh - Just Like Any Other North Carolina City But Better

The City of Raleigh wants to be treated differently than any other city in the state when it comes to following the state law that now allows concealed carry in municipal and county parks. While they have passed an ordinance that puts them in conformance with state law on this issue, the City Council in its arrogance has instructed the City Attorney to work to get them exempted from it.

The Raleigh City Council today adopted an ordinance that members hope will be short lived. The vote brings the City Code into compliance with North Carolina State Enabling Laws.

The newly adopted State law that went into effect Dec. 1, allows the carrying of concealed weapons essentially everywhere, with the exceptions of some City-owned parks and recreational facilities. The City Council has asked the City Attorney’s Office to pursue an exemption for Raleigh during the General Assembly’s short session."While the City Council will comply with the new law, the Council members unanimously believe it is bad policy and are seeking to change the law at the first opportunity," said City Attorney Thomas McCormick.

It states:

"It shall be unlawful for any person to openly carry or possess on or about his person any deadly weapon including but not limited to any: bowie knife, dirk, dagger, sling-shot, loaded cane, metal knuckles, razor, stun gun, pistol, revolver, gun, rifle, or nightstick at any meeting, assemblage, or parade on any property, street, alley or other public way, park or greenway. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or carry a legally permitted concealed handgun on or at any City-owned playground, athletic field, swimming pool, or athletic facility as defined in G.S. 14-415.23"

While the City of Raleigh played it fairly straight on their ordinance unlike the City of Winston-Salem, it is the height of arrogance to expect that they will be exempted from a law that applies to every other city and county in the state of North Carolina. I fully expect the North Carolina General Assembly to tell Raleigh they can just forget it. Or since Wake County has seen such a large in-migration of people from certain Northeastern states, to fuhgeddaboudit.

H/T Jonathan

Free Guns But Not Courtesy Of ATF Gunwalkers

Aaron Spuler of The Weapon Blog has his monthly list of contests up where you can win free guns and other cool stuff.

Looking over the list I see a Glock 19, a Sig, a couple of Diamondbacks, and a couple of Single Action Armys that should appeal to the cowboy in all of us. In terms of rifles, it is mostly hunting stuff like a Ruger 77 Hawkeye and a Savage Trophy Hunter XP.

Be sure to thank Aaron for this service he provides every month. These contests have better odds than the lottery and cost you nothing to enter.

"Blood Is On The Hands Of Those At The Justice Dept Who Tried To Cover Up"

ATF Agent Jay Dobyns was interviewed on Fox News' Justice with Judge Jeanine yesterday about Operation Fast and Furious. When asked if Brian Terry's blood was on the hands of the DEA, FBI, and ATF, he responded, "Yes". He then went on to say it was also on the hands of those in the Justice Department who have tried to cover up Operation Fast and Furious. Dobyns then said it was on the hands of those in the White House who made the decision to seal the records of the investigation into Terry's death.

Dobyns has never been one to mince words and he doesn't in this interview. It takes cojones to infiltrate the Hell's Angels and it takes cojones to stand up to the full weight of the Obama Administration and the Justice Department.