Seems Weird To See It Spelled Out

In a story from Washington State on how gun owners are preparing for new gun control law that go into effect July 1, there is this.

He tells Action News that as July approaches, his military surplus store, The Bunker, is selling more receivers for ArmaLite Rifle 15-style (AR-15) than expected.

 I'm glad that that the author of the story recognizes that AR stands for ArmaLite Rifle and not "assault rifle" or "automatic rifle". That said, you see it so rarely spelled out that when you do, it just looks looks weird.

As the story itself, people shopping at this gun store in the Tri-Cities area are buying lots of AR lowers and putting them away before the new law goes into effect. There is also the question of how to sell stripped lower receivers once the new law goes into effect as it isn't clear.

Rifle Bullets To The Rear

Trainer and SFOD-Delta veteran Kyle Lamb has a simple tactical tip of the day. When placing your AR (or AK) magazines in a waist pouch, have the cartridges in the mag face to the rear. While I don't expect to ever have to be in a war-fighting situation like Lamb, this is a good training tip for a carbine course.




It makes sense to me.

Comparison Of Old Style M16A1 To A Modern AR-15

One of the YouTube channels I enjoy watching is from a guy who calls himself Garand Thumb. Despite his resemblance to Travis Haley, he is not his son. Mike Jones (his actual name) is, however, an active duty USAF SERE Specialist. His videos have a lot of equipment testing reviews.

One of his most recent videos examines an old school M16A1 versus a more modern AR-15 SBR with all the bells and whistles. As I've accumulated most of the parts to build my own retro M16A1 - though, of course, semi-auto - I was very interested in his impressions. He ran a variety of shooting drills with both rifles. With the exception of having to move around a barrier, they were very comparable. One thing he noted was how well balanced the M16A1 was in comparison to his SBR and to an actual M4 carbine.

What They Really Mean

Since the Parkland High School shootings, you have heard all manner of politicians from the president on down saying that we need to raise the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle to age 21. They along with the media have painted a picture that wants you to believe one thing when the reality is totally different.

I was 18 when I purchased my first firearm. It was a Ruger 10/22 similar to the one shown in the meme. I paid $55 for it at a long ago closed discount store called Best Products. I used my savings from mowing lawns and my job as a school bus driver.

Interesting Test Of Pencil Barrels

The original M16/AR-15 from Colt was produced with a pencil barrel. Later iterations of the rifle and carbine had a heavier and thicker barrel because it was found that the pencil barrel would flex when it got hot. The barrel flexing resulted in a change in the point of impact. The practical effect of this barrel flexing for the military was that shots ostensibly on target were missing the enemy at longer ranges.

You can see the difference in thickness between a pencil barrel and a "government" profile barrel in the pictures below. Both of these barrels (and the pictures of them) are from Faxon Firearms.

Faxon 16" pencil barrel

Faxon 16" M4 government profile barrel

Ian and Karl at InRange TV are doing a series called "What Would Stoner Do". The latest in their WWSD series tests the effect that heat can have on pencil barrels and the point of impact. They tested both a modern Faxon barrel and an original Colt SP1 barrel. Faxon claims that their proprietary method of building in stress reliefs mitigates the significant change in point of impact caused by heat. Part of Ian and Karl's reasoning behind testing pencil barrels is that a pencil barrel is a quick way to reduce the weight of the rifle.




I found this highly interesting as I am in the process of assembling parts to make a lightweight AR using this same Faxon pencil barrel. I got a great deal on one at the recent NRA Annual Meeting and decided that I "needed" another AR. I am also in the process of putting together a retro styled clone of the M16A1 using a mix of original and modern parts. This latter rifle uses a 20" barrel from Green Mountain Rifle Barrels which has the original 1 in 12" twist. My dad qualified Expert with such a rifle back in the 1960s and the build is partly meant to honor him.

Lawsuit In Connecticut Against Remington Et Al Dismissed

A lawsuit brought by some of the families of children killed in Newtown, CT has been dismissed. The lawsuit sought to find Remington, their distributor Camfour, and the dealer Riverview as having been guilty of "negligent entrustment" for selling the Bushmaster AR-15 used by the killer. Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis found that the claims put forth by the plaintiffs did not meet one of the six exceptions found in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. She issued her ruling on this past Friday afternoon.

The basis of the lawsuit was on the legal theory of negligent entrustment. That is, did the defendants give, sell, or "entrust" their product knowing full well that it would be misused or had the high potential to be misused. An example of negligent entrustment would be loaning your car to a friend to pick up some more beer when you knew he had been drinking. In this case the plaintiffs argued that an AR-15 was so dangerous and so "assaultive" that it should never have been sold to "civilians".

In determining her decision, Judge Bellis examined whether the actions of the defendants constituted negligent entrustment under Connecticut state law and then pursuant to the PLCAA. After first examining the history of negligent entrustment and relevant court cases both in Connecticut and outside of it, she first concluded that the actions of Remington and their fellow defendants did not give rise to negligent entrustment.

In the present case, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants' entrustment of the firearm to the respective entrustees was negligent because the defendants could each foresee the firearm ending up in the hands of members of the an incompetent class in a dangerous environment. The validity of the argument rests on labeling as a misuse the sale of a legal product to a population that is lawfully entitled to purchase such a product. Based on the reasoning from McCarthy, and the fact that Congress has deemed the civilian population competent to possess the product that is at issue in this case, this argument is unavailing. To extend the theory of negligent entrustment to the class of nonmilitary, nonpolice civilians - the general public - would imply that the general public lacks the ordinary prudence necessary to handle an object that Congress regards as appropriate for sale to the general public. This the court is unwilling to do.

 Accordingly, because they do no constitute legally sufficient negligent entrustment claims pursuant to state law, the plaintiffs' negligent entrustment allegations do not satisfy the negligent entrustment exception to PLCAA. Therefore, unless another PLCAA exception applies, the court must grant the defendants' motion to strike.

McCarthy, which Judge Bellis references, was a case brought by Carolyn McCarthy against Olin for selling Black Talon cartridges. Her husband's murderer had used these Winchester cartridges in his killing spree on the Long Island Railroad. The McCarthy case was dismissed under the PLCAA.

Though Judge Bellis did not need to consider whether the defendants' actions constituted negligent entrustment under the narrower definitions set forth by the PLCAA given they failed to meet the broader standard set under Connecticut state law, she did so in the "interest of thoroughness" and to provide further support for her decision.

After examining the plaintiffs' case in the light of the more limited definition of negligent entrustment, Judge Bellis concluded that the immunity provided by the PLCAA prevailed. She also examined the plaintiffs' argument that the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act allowed them to bring this action as an exception to PLCAA due to a violation of a state statute. This, too, was dismissed.

Although PLCAA provides a narrow exception under which plaintiffs may maintain an action for negligent entrustment of a firearm, the allegations in the present case do not fit within the common-law tort of negligent entrustment under well-established Connecticut law, nor do they come within PLCAA's definition of negligent entrustment. Furthermore, the plaintiffs cannot avail themselves of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUPTA) to bring this action within PLCAA's exception allowing lawsuits for a violation of a state statute applicable to the sale or marketing of firearms. A plaintiff under CUPTA must allege some kind of consumer, competitor, or other commercial relationship with a defendant, and the plaintiffs here have alleged no such relationship.

For all of the foregoing reasons, the court grants in their entirety the defendants' motions to strike the amended complaint. 

Judge Bellis' opinion ran to 54 pages. I surmise that one of the reasons she took so much time to lay out her arguments for approving the motion to strike is so that it will withstand scrutiny by an appeals court. The plaintiffs' have vowed to appeal this ruling.

As might be expected, this ruling was attacked by both Hillary Clinton and the gun prohibitionist lobby. Clinton quickly released a tweet saying it was "incomprehensible that our laws could protect gun makers over the Sandy Hook families. We need to fix this." Robyn Thomas of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (sic) attributed the decision to "the gun lobby's destructive grip on Washington." Lest anyone forget, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was enacted in 1995 as a response to multiple municipal lawsuits seeking to destroy the firearms industry through litigation. It also provides only limited immunity and not a blanket immunity against negligence.

The Sicilian Widow

I came across an editorial in the National Review from June 14th. While I'm a little behind times as we have family visiting, the editors of the National Review said we don't need a new assault weapons (sic) ban. You can read the whole editorial here.

However, what caught my eye was this characterization of the AR-15:

An “assault weapon” is the Sicilian widow of the firearms world: a little scary-looking and all dressed in black. 

I love it! This can lead to a whole plethora of names for new AR builds. The old style one could be named Mrs. Corleone. A more modern one could be Francesca or Isabella or Carmella or Elena. The possibilities are endless.

No word, though, on whether an AR-15 can pull off the malocchio or evil eye.

Dom Raso - The AR-15: Americans' Best Defense Against Terror and Crime

NRA News just released a new video commentary from former Navy SEAL Dom Raso. He launches into a very vigorous defense of the AR-15 as a self-defense weapon. I really like these couple of lines from his commentary:

AR-15s are fine for Hillary and her family. They've been protected by armed guards who use them for three decades. But average Americans who watch the news and feel genuine fear for their safety, and their families’ safety—Hillary wants to deny them the level of protection she insists upon herself.

The elites will always have protection, usually government-supplied, against threats from their enemies, domestic and foreign. As to the rest of us, we are, as Michael Bane and others have noted, on our own. That means you and I are our own first responders. Why should we be denied an easy to use, fairly lightweight, highly functional, medium-powered firearm that is rarely, if ever, used in criminal attacks just to appease the powerful and the ignorant?

The answer is we shouldn't.

Horrifying! Loud! Very Loud! Bruising! Disorienting!

The headline contains some of the adjectives that Gersh Kuntzman used in his NY Daily News story about his experience shooting an AR-15 for the first time. Modern journalism has sunk lower than I thought possible. The sad thing is that some people will believe the stuff he has written.

Such as:

I’ve shot pistols before, but never something like an AR-15. Squeeze lightly on the trigger and the resulting explosion of firepower is humbling and deafening (even with ear protection).

The recoil bruised my shoulder. The brass shell casings disoriented me as they flew past my face. The smell of sulfur and destruction made me sick. The explosions — loud like a bomb — gave me a temporary case of PTSD. For at least an hour after firing the gun just a few times, I was anxious and irritable.

Even in semi-automatic mode, it is very simple to squeeze off two dozen rounds before you even know what has happened. In fully automatic mode, it doesn’t take any imagination to see dozens of bodies falling in front of your barrel.

Reading this you would think it was written by some Special Snowflake that had just graduated some Ivy League school in Aggrieved Peoples Studies.

Instead it was written by a 51-year old man who is the deputy managing editor of the NY Daily News. Someone of an age that could be expected to have some measure of maturity and life experience. A Baby Buster and not a Millennial. Someone who didn't just get participation trophies but actually had to work for it.

According to his resume, Kuntzman did graduate from the Ivy League (Brown with a degree in Russian). His bio, which may contains some padding, says he also attended the Sorbonne, the London School of Economics, and the Yale School of Drama. I can believe that last part!

I can take the drama but what pisses me off is the tossed off claim to "a temporary case of PTSD". There are too many good men and women, both old and young, who put themselves in harm's way for this country and now suffer the silent scars of PTSD. It is disgusting beyond belief to lay claim to PTSD - even temporarily - after a mere trip to an indoor range.

Gersh Kuntzman - you are beneath contempt! Take your yellow journalism and go back to writing your books about baldness and plays about SUVs.

UPDATE: Larry Correia has a great sendup of Mr. Kuntzman called "Ask Kuntzman". It will have you snorting with laughter.

Video: Quick Tips On AR Stocks

Here is a quick tips video from PatrolTactical.com on how to switch out your AR-15 stock. It may seem simple and perhaps even obvious but if you are new to the AR-15 world I think this is useful. I'm glad to see Full30 competing with YouTube in terms of really good firearms-related videos.

Tactical Or Tacticool?

I had a chance to meet with Laura Burgess at the recent NRA Annual Meeting. We discussed the new releases from the American Gunsmithing Institute and I'll have a review of their DVD on the FN-FAL up soon. One of the planned releases Laura mentioned was about customizing your AR-15. I got notice today that it had been released.

I've viewed a number of the AGI videos and they are all well done. The key thing about all their videos is that their instructors have been there and done that. They are gunsmiths and armorers first and foremost.

Below is the release on it along with an excerpt from YouTube.

NAPA, CA (May 2013) - The American Gunsmithing Institute, producers of the most authoritative instructional Gunsmithing DVD courses, and also the Nation's Premier Gunsmithing School, today released a new course, AR15: Practical, Tactical or Tacti-Cool, hosted by Master Gunsmith Sgt. Mark Foster. Foster has over 30 years of gunsmithing experience and is a 20 year veteran of a California Sheriff's Department where he is the Chief Armorer and Training Officer. In this course, the student will see many examples of triggers, grips, optics, lights, rails, barrels, stocks, muzzle brakes, compensators, flash-hiders, sights, hand guards, gas systems and more. For each category, Foster outlines what works well, tells the viewer what to avoid and explains why. His daily field experience combined with his armorer experience working on fellow officers' weapons gives him practical knowledge regarding the reliability and functionality of each of these options.

After reviewing the accessories thoroughly, Foster builds a variety of "mission-oriented" ARs and reviews what he chose for each and why. For example, he tailors the AR for: CQB, general hunting, SWAT, 3-gun, varmint hunting, home defense, plinking and Zombie killing, just to name a few.

After watching this course, the viewer will be able to design and build his or her own ultimate AR. Foster also discusses and shows some of the tools needed for changing barrels and hand guards, but more importantly, demonstrates step-by-step how to change a barrel and install a free-floating hand guard.

The AGI AR15: Practical, Tactical or Tacti-Cool is a must have for any AR-15 enthusiast and is available at www.americangunsmith.com for only $79.95 (plus s/h) (Product ID#3464).

Ladd Everitt: Noted Ordnance Expert

Modern day journalists have this obsession that borders on compulsion to balance any comment that could be be remotely considered "pro-gun" with one from a gun prohibitionist.

Thus, it isn't surprising that David Trinko of the Lima (Ohio) News reached out to Ladd Everitt in an article entitled "Few mechanical differences found between AR-15s, hunting rifles." The article noted that there were few differences between an AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14 given that both use the same .223 Remington cartridge, both are semi-automatic, and both have detachable magazines.

As most readers of this blog would agree, the major difference between the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14 is in the action. The former uses a direct gas impingement system while the latter uses a gas operated piston. The rest of the differences are just cosmetic. Not so says Everitt.

Those additional features are really at the heart of the debate about gun violence in America, says Ladd Everitt, director of communications for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence in Washington.

“They’ll tell you these features are pieces of plastic and are merely scary-looking. They’re just cosmetic,” Everitt said. “That’s just nonsense.”

The article goes on to note that Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 would ban firearms with more than one of the following features: folding or telescopic stock, pistol grip, bayonet mount, flash suppressor, or grenade launcher. The article mistakenly says S. 150 hasn't gotten out of committee yet. It has and is supported by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) because "those additional features on AR-15s" concern them.

“The world’s not affected by scary looks. It’s specific features and what they do,” Everitt said. “Pistol grips, the specific purpose is to keep level and steady during repeated fire. A flash suppressor is to disguise sniper fire at night. A barrel shroud keeps your hand safe while firing round after round so it doesn’t heat up and burn your hand.”

While Everitt is correct that the barrel shroud does provide a heat shield, the rest of his statement is full of nonsense. Pistol grips in a variety of shapes and sizes have been on bolt action rifles for many a year. Look at this page of McMillan stocks - every one has a pistol grip and each one is intended for a bolt action rifle. The main purpose of a flash suppressor is to keep the shooter from being blinded at night by the flash - not to disguise "sniper fire".

Finally, Everitt gets around to discussing semi-auto versus full auto and magazine size.

The speed someone can repeatedly fire a semi-automatic rifle makes it just as dangerous as a fully automatic weapon, Everitt said.

“It’s a nonsense argument that you can’t hold down the trigger so it’s safe,” he said. “You can fire as quickly when you repeatedly press the trigger. It’s highly insulting to those who are victims of gun violence.”

Instead, much of the debate centers on how many rounds should be allowed in a magazine for a semi-automatic weapon. The 1994 law only allowed 10 rounds per magazine. Feinstein’s proposal also used the number 10.

“No one in the world needs more than 10 rounds at a time unless you’re hunting humans,” Everitt said.

Let's be clear about one thing. All firearms used improperly are dangerous. It doesn't matter if you have a single shot Cricket or an AR-15 with a standard capacity magazine as either could be used to kill or injure. That said, if I am protecting my loved ones from a pack of home invaders, I'd prefer to have the AR-15 with multiple standard capacity magazines. More and more, home invasions involve multiple invaders. Furthermore, tests of the 5.56 round show less over-penetration than with most pistol calibers.

There are experts and then there are propagandists who like to portray themselves as experts. The first are useful and the second are useless. Ladd Everitt is in the second category.

Hartford Courant On The AR-15 And CT's Gun Companies

The cover of today's Hartford Courant featured the following headline - "America's Rifle": Factories Boom. Under the title the subtitle read, "As Debate Goes On, State Gun-Makers Cash In On Popular AR-15."

Reporter Dan Haar of the Courant had two stories regarding the AR-15 and the role that Connecticut gun makers have in producing it. Both stories were well-balanced and fair. While the Violence Policy Center and Josh Sugarmann got quoted, so too did the heads of Colt, Stag Arms, and Mossberg.

The first story concentrated on the investments that Connecticut firearms manufacturers have made in upgrading plant and equipment. Combined the companies have spent well over $50 million in upgrading their plants with most of the investment going towards making the AR-15. Given that investment, the head of Mossberg agreed that it would be hard to up and leave the state even if they couldn't sell rifles there. That said, the crap they are getting from their own legislators doesn't give them a warm and cozy feeling.

Echoing other local owners and executives, Bartozzi said Mossberg would never threaten to pick up and leave if Connecticut were to adopt a strict ban. "That is not our style," he said, and besides, he added, it's not only a history the company has in Connecticut but more to the point, a skilled and loyal workforce.

"It is damn hard to move a factory," he said.

On the other hand, Bartozzi said, "To say that Mossberg is not looking at other options would be wrong. ... I'm not feeling a lot of love from many of our legislators. It's getting tiring. It really is getting tiring. ... It takes a lot out of you."

Mossberg, with a factory of similar size in Texas, has had active talks with officials from Southern states trying to drive a wedge between the firm and its home state. All of the firms have similar stories.

 The second story by Haar looked at the history of the AR-15 and its rise in popularity. He did a good job of examining the versatility of the AR as contrasted to its "military cosmetics". The article did an excellent job in looking at the development of the AR-15 by ArmaLite which was an offshoot from Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corp., the role of Colt in licensing the design, and how other companies entered the field.

I don't normally say good things about the mainstream media but in this case, the Hartford Courant and Dan Haar, did an excellent job. Just as importantly, they played it straight and they got their facts right.

"It's Too Hard For Women To Use" - Carolyn McCarthy

I know I shouldn't be surprised when I hear nonsense about guns coming out of Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's mouth. I really shouldn't. That said, I'm just shaking my head over this little tidbit. It leaves you wondering just how someone like this could ever have been elected much less re-elected numerous times.






To read the transcript of this little interview, go to Breitbart.

Wouldn't This Make Them "In Common Use"?

The Fontana School District is buying 14 Colt Model LE6490 AR-15s to equip school police officers. They will be stored at school police headquarters to be used in case of an active shooter situation.





I won't even touch up on the level of firearms ignorance espoused by the opponents of the police being armed with AR-15s.

However, as SayUncle pointed out yesterday, he doubted that the most popular rifle type in America is "unusual" taken in the context of the Heller decision. Sebastian takes this a step further.

I’ve also advocated that the courts should consider police use when making a determination about “common use.” If a type of weapon is part of ordinary police equipment, it can’t be dangerous and unusual, and ought to be defined as in common use, even if it’s only in common police use.

I agree with both SayUncle and Sebastian that the AR-15 is in common use. One could argue that the move by the Fontana School District and their police force puts the "normal" AR-15 into common use in California. There is no mention of the police having to have bullet buttons or reduced capacity magazines in the report from CBS Los Angeles. This is something to bear in mind if the California Assembly tries to adopt even more draconian gun laws.

Smart Move In Arizona

Given the recent spike in sales in AR-15s, the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association is holding a class called AR-15 101 for new owners of the carbine. They estimate 7,000 have been sold in that state within the last 10 days.

The class will be held this coming Saturday, Jan. 5th, at the Ben Avery Shooting Complex and costs a mere $10.

Follow this link for more information on the event.

I think this is a brilliant move and one that other gun clubs and gun rights organizations should copy. It brings new owners into the gun rights fold as well as gives them a taste of training.


H/T Firearms and Politics List

Gene Hoffman On The CBS Evening News

As SayUncle said, "Hey, I know that guy."

Gene Hoffman was interviewed by CBS correspondent Ben Tracy yesterday on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley. He gave a great interview and explained the popularity of the AR-15.



Interestingly enough, they never mentioned that Gene is the chairman of the CalGuns Foundation which is probably just as well. They only identified him as an "Internet entrepreneur".

One of the better quotes from the interview:

 "Look, the right to firearms, the civil right to firearms, is dangerous and that's why it's a right. This isn't something that's free or easy. There will always be people who disagree with it." he added.

And another great quote:

"The AR-15 is the kind of mainline rifle these days. It's the most popular selling firearm. It's kind of like talking about a Chevrolet," Hoffman said.

Gene is a great spokesman on this issue. He is a good public speaker and comes across really well on TV. He looks like the guy next door which is exactly the image that we need to get out there.

Accessorizing Your AR-15

Cory Trapp, Gunsite instructor and gunsmith, discusses accessorizing your AR-15 in this video from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. He discusses what add-ons you might want and what you can live without.

More importantly, he explains why some add-ons can aid your shooting while others will just get in the way. Cory makes the point that when it comes to accessorizing your AR "less is more".

Cory Trapp On AR Cleaning And Maintenance

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released another of their Sportcasts. This one features Gunsite instructor and gunsmith Cory Trapp discussing how to clean and maintain your AR-15.

This video is as good, if not better, than many of the $19.99 or $29.99 commercial DVDs showing you the same information. I'd suggest bookmarking this one as you'll want to watch parts of it over and over as a reference.

No Stock Needed

A new company, Halix, has come out with a product that call the NSN for no stock needed. It is a padded attachment that goes on the buffer tube of an AR-15 pistol and allows the shooter to rest their chin on it. By doing this, it allows an AR pistol to be used like a short barreled rifle. I just noticed this yesterday on a post by Soldier Systems and on Facebook. It is getting a lot of comment with a good bit of that trending towards the negative.

In the video below, you can see it in action.



Neal Brace, developer and president of Halix, talks in more detail here about the features of the NSN. You should bear in mind that it has not been released for sale yet and the pre-release price is $249.

As I noted above, it is generating a lot of comments. There is a thread on AR15.com and M4Carbine.net about the NSN. There is also a spirited discussion of it on AR15.news Facebook page. Many of the comments revolve around what the recoil will do to your jaw especially for people suffering from TMJ, the cost of it versus the $200 tax stamp for a SBR, and the legality of it in the eyes of BATFE.

It is that last thing that would concern me the most if I was shelling out $249 for it. We have seen numerous times where the BATFE Technical Section approves something and then reverses its own decision a bit later. Still it looks to be innovative and could convert a AR-15 pistol into a PDW or personal defense weapon rather easily.