Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Rates the States
Click here for the 2009 state rankings from The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. California tops the table, with Utah coming dead last (with nul points, as the Eurovision judges would say). “Most states, unfortunately, are doing very little to protect citizens from gun violence. Most states are allowing dangerous people to have easy access to guns,” the President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said in the press release. Paul Helmke [above] reckons “Few states have laws addressing the critical issue of gun trafficking such as requiring background checks on all gun purchases at gun shows. The Brady Campaign is advocating for legislation to close the gun show loophole at the national level.” Yes, OK, so how did they rate the states anyway?
Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Close the “Terror Gap”
The Project of Mayors Against Illegal Guns is calling for the feds to close “the terror gap.” Under current law, individuals on the FBI Terrorist Watch List can legally purchase firearms. “The recent shooting at Fort Hood is the latest tragic example of what’s at stake,” the NYC Mayor Bloomberg-funded group proclaims. “The alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, had been under investigation for his potential ties to terrorists – but Hasan passed a federal background check when he later bought a gun. What’s more, FBI counterterrorism officials were not notified when Hasan purchased that gun.” It seems sensible enough, right? Stop terrorists from buying guns. Then again H.R.2159/S.1317 (a.k.a. the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009) raises some troubling questions. For those disinclined to make the jump for a breakdown, riddle me this: even if you agree with the assertion “We need to allow law enforcement to do everything in their power to keep Americans safe,” do you think the feds need more power, without judicial oversight? Here are some other implications those 500 or so mayors [full list here] might want to consider. Or, let’s face it, not.
Paintball Prey?
What is a paintball sniper? A paintball sniper is totally different than your typical paintball gunman. A sniper lays low, hidden, usually in complete isolation from the other players, waiting to take out his unsuspecting prey. A sniper must demonstate [sic] total patience, laying completely still often for long periods of time. A sniper also uses a different type of paintball gun. Your typical gun, whether a pistol, rifle, or machine gun, has a small barel that projects the paintballs out in an arching motion. A sniper marker often has longer barells [sic], anywhere from 6″-22″ long. These barells are designed to create backspin on the paintball as it leaves the gun. What this backspin does is create a very straight path for the paintball to travel on. As you can imagine a sniper takes long shots from a greater distance than your average paintball marksman. Accuracy is a must as a sniper! These custom made barells produce a truer shot on a straighter line, thus providing the most accurate shot possible. Along with custom barells, sniper rifles will often have a scope to identify prey from great distances. Another must when looking into a sniper rifle is a bipod. A bipod allows to you balance your sniper rifle while you lay down flat on the ground to take your shots.
Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against A Handgun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1tvk6r2DXY
Department of Homeland Security Loses 289 Guns in “Bowling Alleys, Restrooms, Unlocked Cars and Other Unsecure Areas”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm5PC7z79-8
According to ABC news, U.S. Inspector General Richard Skinner reports that the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lost 289 guns from fiscal year 2006 through 2008. D’oh! It gets worse (of course). Some of the firearms were “never reported lost” and “some of the guns were recovered later by local law enforcement from suspected gang members after they had been engraved with gang signs.” Luckily, not all of the missing firearms were lost because of Homeland Security agents’ “negligence.” USA Today reports that “some were lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and others were stolen from safes.” Oh, so that’s alright then. At least the DHS understands the gravity of the problem, what with terrorists and all. “The department is strongly committed to ensuring that weapons … are kept secure,” DHS spokeswoman Amy Kudwa assured. Given the hoo-ha surrounding police and National Guard soldiers confiscating weapons from legal owners after that self-same hurricane, one wonders if Uncle Sam’s embarrassment is some sort of Karma. Just sayin’ . . .
Marines Punt NATO Ammo for Special Operations Science and Technology (SOST) Rounds
The Marine Corps Times reports that the Corps has stopped supplying troops with ye olde M855 rounds. Marines will now fire Federal Cartridge’s Special Operations Science and Technology (SOST) round. Weighing-in at 62 grains with a lead core and a solid copper shank, the bullet’s a variation of the Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw round [above]. The Claw is a big-game hunting bullet “touted for its ability to crush bone.” Which is just as well, really. Critics have long slated the old NATO-standard K318 MOD 0 enhanced 5.56mm bullet’s lack of stopping power and accuracy and muzzle flash. Back in 2002, the Naval Surface Warfare Center cited “shortcomings” in the M855’s performance. In January 25 (of this year), the Navy finally cleared SOST rounds for general use, proclaiming their improved ability to penetrate “intermediate barriers” such as windshields and car doors (handy for Marine checkpoints). Even so, the SOST bullet’s long-term future is uncertain and what’s this? More news about problems with PC lead-free ’rounds?
Feds Set to Remove National Parks Gun Ban
Under the headline “Pistol packing picnics,” The Philadelphia Enquirer calls the February 22 removal a federal firearms ban from national parks “wacky.” “Every day could seem like the start of deer hunting season with people strolling the parks armed. That has to be a frightening prospect for families and others who aren’t accustomed to being around guns. And there’s also the risk of accidental shootings. And to what purpose? There has never been any reasonable justification for civilian park visitors’ needing to be armed for their own protection. Since hunting isn’t permitted in national parks, it makes even less sense – other than as another bullying NRA legislative victory.” Clearly, the paper’s idea of “reasonable” doesn’t include the concept of “self-defense.” In case the Enquirer doesn’t have access to Google, Wikipedia offers a helpful list of fatal bear attacks. Not all of these occurred in National Parks but . . point taken? If not, YouTube “bear attacks.” As for intra-human threats . . .
Taliban Snipers Replace IEDs as Number One Threat in Marjah
The New York Times reports that enemy snipers have replaced Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) as threat number one for U.S. troops attempting to “sanitize” Marjah Afghanistan. “Five Marines and two Afghan soldiers have been struck here in recent days by bullets fired at long range. That includes one Marine fatally shot and two others wounded in the opening hour of a four-hour clash on Wednesday, when a platoon with Company K of the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines, was ambushed while moving on foot across a barren expanse of flat ground between the clusters of low-slung mud buildings.” I’m no military expert (I just play one on the Internet), but one wonders if the campaign’s very public announcement—designed to win hearts and minds by allowing “good” Afghans to leave the area before the offensive—gave enemy combatants too much time to plan ambushes and establish sniper redoubts. The Times doesn’t raise the point, but it does provide a picture of fear followed by overwhelming force. Tactical descriptions after the jump.
Florida Enviro-Cops Switch to Lead-Free Bullets. Ish.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) is switching to lead-free ammo for target shooting and training exercises. The DEP’s press release says the Sunshine State’s enviro-cops will now practice with [as-yet-unnamed bullets] made of compressed copper with recycled brass casings and a lead-free primer. “Florida depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply, and on surface water for the outdoor recreation industry. High rainfall and acidic conditions, typical in Florida, cause lead to be more mobile in the environment. Therefore, proper management of outdoor shooting ranges is especially important.”
I’ll drink to that! So when’s the PC lead-free ammo going to make it into prime time? A firearms instructor on Epinions gives us the 911—I mean “411” . . .
There are two downsides to this ammo: The first is that the lead-free primers have a shorter lifespan then conventional pistol primers. While the conventional primers will work after literally decades in storage, I understand that lead free primers have a shelf life somewhat under a decade before they become unreliable. Since I never let this ammunition sit this long before use, that has never been a problem for me.
The other disadvantage is the cost. The Win Clean line of ammo is noticeably more expensive then other equivalent target ammo. If you are only buying a box or two at a time, you might not notice, but if you buy in bulk as I do, the price difference is significant.
True story? Back in May ’08, Paul J. at DefensiveCarry.com had another, even more compelling reason for giving lead-free bullets a miss.
Out of 100 Winclean rounds, 5 didn’t go “boom”. There is a clear mark where the firing pin hit. All the Federal rounds worked fine. I shot one or two boxes of Winclean in the past with no duds… is this something to be concerned about with my Glock? Or should I write it off as bad (cheap) ammo? Its my every day carry, so I want it to go “boom” rather then “click” when it has to. My current carry ammunition is Federal HST.
TTAG (that’s us) will contact Winchester ASAP to get the company’s response. Suffice it to say, the official website considers plinking and target practice as the bullets’ “recommended use.”