Whether or not you think a high-priced everyday carry gun should dine exclusively on high-powered, high-priced hollow points, your ballistic life saver shouldn’t go click instead of bang. Ever. In the above video, Christian from the American Firearms School was firing 147-grain American Eagle FMJ. Occasionally. This contravenes part of the company’s warning that the “Solo is designed to function optimally using premium hollow-point self-defense factory ammunition with bullet weights of 124 or 147 grains.” Yes, well, we’d already tried shooting [manufacturer recommended] Federal Hydra-Shok JHP and Bill Wilson Signature Match 125-grain hollow-point ammo with even less success. About that. Turns out the SOLO did not like Wilson hollow-points at all . . .
Gun Control Advocates Respond to ATF Gun Smuggling. Finally.
Many of you have been wondering how and when The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and their ilk would respond to recent revelations that the U.S. federal government has been smuggling firearms to Mexican drug cartels. I mean, Fast and Furious kinda messes-up their whole “U.S. gun dealers are arming the cartels so let’s ban assault weapons in America” gestalt. In conjunction with their Mexican counterparts, the gun control advocates have finally broken their silence. They’ve condemned the Obama administration (for its police and military weapons sales to Mexico that seep to the cartels) and the ATF (for enabling some two thousand U.S. weapons in their “guns for goons” black bag job). Kidding. The gun control cartel want the Commander-in-Chief to end-run Congress and grab him some guns! I present the Alto a las Armas manifesto . . .
Question of the Evening: Could the NYPD Shoot Down an Airplane?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_12343zUOI&feature=player_embedded
Appearing on 60 Minutes, the chief of the New York Police Department reckons his anti-terrorist unit city could shoot a plane out of the sky. Unless Commissioner Ray Kelly somehow got the feds to supply his boys with anti-aircraft missiles and a damn fine radar system, I reckon Ray’s blowin’ smoke. You? [h/t to all who sent the link]
Tip Of The Day: Ship Carefully
Until I started scribbling and ranting for TTAG, I knew blessed little about how to send guns across the country. I either bought them from a local dealer or borrowed them from my friends. ‘Shipping’ usually meant the drive home from the store or said friend’s house. Since joining the ranks of TTAG scribes, however, my gun safe has seen a lot of temporary guests, and I’ve had to learn about one of the biggest costs and headaches in the gun-blogging business: Shipping.
Barcodes on Bullets is as Dumb as it Sounds
There’s an article today on Philly.com about some activists who want to put barcodes on bullets. At first glance it sounds like a great idea — bullets could be tracked back to the person who bought them if they were used in a crime, and we could solve more murders. This sounds a bit familiar to another scheme we discussed, microstamping. And then you remember how bullets work and what this effort would take and the idea loses a little bit of its luster. And by “a little bit” I mean every last shred.
Quote of the Day: Anti-Gun Violence Violence Edition
MikeB302000 and I are cool. We disagree on just about everything to do with guns, but we remain respectful of each other’s websites and opinions. When MikeB’s comments on TTAG attracts flamers, I put out the fire—with gasoline. Just kidding (David Bowie fan). But MikeB doesn’t return the courtesy. Underneath a blog post about my blog post about the phrase “gun violence,” Mike’s co-blogger Laci the Dog bares his/her teeth. “Hey, Bobby, killing people is hard to do. I couldn’t see a skinny, little twit like you killing me with your bare hands since I could pound the bejesus out of you. Guns are tools for injuring and killing–that is the reason for their fascination: isn’t it, Bobby? It makes you into a big man.” That’s so wrong on so many levels I don’t feel the need to respond. Other than this: I reckon gun grabbers are the ones ready to use violence to further their cause. Not us. Just sayin’ . . .
W. Palm Beach Mayor to Require Police Escorts for CCW Holders
This isn’t a happy time for anti-gun rights local office holders in the Sunshine State. Most have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance with a new state law that prevents them from having gun regs on their books that are more restrictive than the state’s laws. West Palm Beach mayor Jeri Muoio – who the Palm Beach Post describes as “the ardent anti-gun mayor” – had publicly announced that she was prepared to flout the new law to keep her city hall gun-free. Now, she’s backtracked. Sort of…
Introduction of Tasers to Police Hasn’t Decreased Use of Firearms in Australia: Duh!
There’s a news report this morning in the Sydney Morning Herald that despite Tasers being issued to their police forces the police are still drawing their sidearms at the same rate. While I would love to see the use of deadly force drop as much as the next person the comparison of the two statistics isn’t really accurate…
Self-Defense Tip: Practice NOT Shooting
I’ve got a bone to pick with IDPA, IPSC, the NRA and all the other firearms competition and training courses I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. What the hell happened to don’t shoot? Yes, the IDPA has “friend or foe” targets, but the escalating round counts at these competitions are biased heavily towards the foe-you-m’fer end of the spectrum. Click here for a clip of the gun rights group’s NRA Tactical Police Competition. Compare the NRA’s “Warehouse surprise” course with Dirty Harry’s gun range competition . . .
Gear Preview: Homak Gun Safe Pt. 2
While waiting patiently for the delivery van (dammit, hurry up!), I’ll detail my thinking process on the gun cabinet safe versus several alternatives. My thought process involved looking at what I could afford, how many guns I’d need to lock up, where I could put the safe in the house and determining what exactly I’m trying to protect against. Pretty much in that order. So logically I’m going to explain it in reverse Polish notation . . .
ATF Death Watch 88: FFL Letter Destroys “Botched Sting” Defense
A letter published by the gun bloggers at The Sipsey Street Irregulars and the Gun Rights Examiner reveals that the ATF purchased firearms from American gun dealers and delivered them into the hands of Mexican gun smugglers. The June 2010 missive is a short and damning document. [Click here to download the pdf.] Then-ATF Phoenix Group VII Supervisor David Voth asks an unidentified Federal Firearms Licensee to sell ATF Special Agent John Dodson a Draco 7.62×39 mm pistol. Voth directs the gun dealer to forgo the usual federal formalities (Form 4473). A hand-scribbled addition notes that the ATF paid cash for the Draco.
Course Review: Use of Force Academy Level 1 Pistol (West Virginia)
No matter what level shooter you are, a basic pistol course is a good way to reinforce the fundamentals and iron out some of those bad habits you’ve picked up along the way. It’s also a great way to learn how to use a gun for the first time. I ran across the Use Of Force Academy (UOFA) at the Dulles Gun Show a few months back, who run a training facility just across the border in Romney, West Virginia. They invited me out to their facility to do some training, which I did this past weekend. Here’s what I thought.