From GOA: It didn't seem like such an unreasonable request. Before the Senate Finance Committee passes one of the most important pieces of legislation in our lifetime, we (the American people) wanted to see two things: * First, the actual language of the latest anti-gun [emphasis added] ObamaCare bill. * Second, a definitive Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reading of the cost of the legislation, based on its specific language. But, incredibly, this simple request is too much for Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who intends to force the committee to vote on the bill with nothing but a "quickie guesstimate" of the cost - a "guesstimate" which CBO will have to reach WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL LEGISLATION... A Third World country would be embarrassed by the sleaze, corruption, and fraud being used to pass the most expansive government intrusion into health care of our lifetime. It's time to put an end to these disgusting tricks... (This link will allow you to generate the requested letter or e-mail to your senators.) http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=14119736&PROCESS=Take+Action --- Montana Lawsuit Highlights Firearms Freedom Drive: In the second major front in the war over gun rights that has developed in just days, a lawsuit has been filed against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder seeking a court order that the federal government stay out of the way of Montana's management of its own firearms. The action was filed by the Second Amendment Foundation and the Montana Shooting Sports Association in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Mont., to validate the principles and terms of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act, which took effect today [actually, October 1]... The law provides guns and ammo made, sold and used in Montana would not require any federal forms; silencers made and sold in Montana would be fully legal and not registered; and there would be no firearm registration, serial numbers, criminal records check, waiting periods or paperwork required. The idea is spreading quickly. Tennessee already has a similar law, and similar plans have been introduced in many other states. An organization called the Firearms Freedom Act has created a map of such activity nationwide... (This link is worth clicking if only to see the map.) http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=111759 --- Pennsylvania Gun Owners Protest Illegal Ordinance: On Tuesday night, a group of armed and unarmed Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association members and their families attended city council's meeting to express concerns for an ordinance that council is considering, which would require gun owners to report lost of stolen firearms to the Scranton Police Department within 48 hours or face a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in prison. The motion was tabled 4-1 because council said they would need to consult the state Attorney General's Office to see if the proposal is legal. Tom Katchur, a gun owner and PAFOA member from Dunmore, said that gun ownership is important for safety. He said that if a person is attacked, he or she can defend his or herself with a gun before the police can respond. Tom Katchur said his main concern is with the 48-hour rule... (Katchur may be concerned with the 48-hour rule but the proposed ordinance violates Pennsylvania's preemption of the regulation of firearms by the state.) http://www.timesleader.com/scrantonedition/news/Gun_owners_fired_up_over_proposal_10-04-2009.html --- Amazing .410 Performance: Five-year-old Simon Hughes stands three foot something and 44 pounds dripping wet, but like many kids in the piny woods of Texas, he can handle a gun, a skill he's been practicing for over a year. His father Scott Hughes says there's good reason for the early training. "Everything on the ranch will either bite you or stick you," he explains. To make his point, the elder Hughes walks to the marshy edge of his property where under murky water a dangerous predator has lurked, largely undetected for a good chunk of a half century. Call it long running luck that would run out for the creature with a single bite into a baited hook and a face-to-face encounter with a 5-year-old... In a flash Simon brought his single barrel, 4-10 [sic] shotgun to bear and blasted... The small charge of bird shot hit the brain of the 800-pound reptile. "He did his death roll," says Simon of the second biggest alligator ever taken in Texas... (Additional details emerge in the video. It appears that Simon was fishing from a boat and describes the shot as "right behind the eye." This, coupled with phenomenal performance for a .410 birdshot load suggests a contact shot. Owners of Taurus Judge revolvers should note the added velocity gained from the longer barrel of a shotgun.) http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091001_child_shoots_giant_alligator --- Rule One, Rule Two Reminder: A Gooding County [ID] Sheriff's deputy shot accidentally by another deputy at his home is back at work after four weeks recuperation. Deputy Jeremy Smith, who returned to work Monday, was shot in the hand Aug. 31 by a .22 caliber Ruger Mark IV handgun at the Hagerman home of Sgt. Dave Kiger, the agency's armorer. Kiger was cleaning the weapon when it apparently misfired... Smith returned to work Monday, Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough told The Associated Press. Gough said there was an internal investigation that determined there was no criminal intent. An injury report was submitted to Gooding County, so Smith could receive worker's compensation payments while he missed work. "The firearm was excessively dirty, causing the extractor, the part that grabs the chambered round and removes it from the gun, to malfunction and not remove the round," Gough said Tuesday. "What we did find was some procedural errors on the part of both deputies by not visually checking the chamber to make sure that the gun was unloaded." [emphasis added] ...Smith was on duty and in uniform at the time of the incident, Gough said. Kiger wasn't, but was cleaning some of the agency's weapons inside his home shop. Smith arrived and they decided to work on the Ruger, which is used in training to help officers improve their "trigger pull technique" because its .22 caliber ammunition is cheaper than that used in larger .40 caliber service handguns, Gough said. "Deputy Smith removed the magazine from the pistol, and he manually worked the action by his account three times to make sure the weapon was safe," Gough said. "He then handed to gun to Sgt. Kiger to dismantle. Sgt. Kiger began to dismantle the firearm and it accidentally discharged, striking Deputy Smith in the hand." ... (Rule One: All firearms are always loaded. Rule Two: Don't let the muzzle cross anything you're not prepared to shoot. Not only should the chamber have been checked visually, it should also have been checked by feel. If the deputies' fingers were too large to fit into the ejection port, a paper clip, a knife blade or a rod down the bore could have been used. If the chamber is in shadow or the rear of the case is smudged, it can be missed on mere visual inspection.) http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/988295.html --- Tangentially Related: With three new members in the past four years and the prospect of more change ahead, the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. commences this week what could be a transformative term... But experts who watch the court will focus more on President George W. Bush's appointments: Roberts, who became chief justice four years ago, and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., whose conservative viewpoint contrasts with that of Sandra Day O'Connor, the more moderate justice he replaced in early 2006... "The replacement of [William H.] Rehnquist and O'Connor by Roberts and Alito is likely to have a significantly greater impact on the court than the replacement of [Justice David H.] Souter by Sotomayor," said Walter E. Dellinger III, a frequent Supreme Court practitioner who represented the government during the Clinton administration. "I think we may look back in about 2020 and see that the replacement of Justice O'Connor by Judge Alito had the greatest impact on the court of any appointment in more than a quarter of a century," dating back to conservative Clarence Thomas's replacement of stalwart liberal Thurgood Marshall, he said... (The First Amendment issues bear on the Second Amendment because the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act limited the ability of lobbying groups to broadcast ads mentioning the name of a federal candidate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/03/AR2009100302489.html --- How Often Do People Get Murdered in...?: John Farnam has a shtick for those who feel that they are not at risk because they live in a "nice" town or neighborhood - "How often does someone get murdered in St. Johns? Just like anywhere else, only once." This article about the emergence of a serial killer in the next county over from me, in rural northeast Arizona, gives pause for thought. My own county happens to have the highest per capita methamphetamine abuse in the nation yet many of my neighbors are convinced that they only need to arm themselves if they travel to Phoenix. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100401391.html --- From John Farnam: 27 Sept 09 More rifle notes, from a student at our Urban Rifle Course last weekend: "As you know, you were compelled to pull my AR-15, in 5.45X39, off the line the first day of the Course, due to the fact that it was doubling and tripling routinely. I purchased it as a high-volume trainer, mostly due to the fact that 5.45X39 ammunition is relatively inexpensive, at least currently. The rifle's hammer spring is extremely heavy, necessary to set off hard Russian primers. Even then, a half-dozen rounds failed to fire. The rifle quickly began to randomly double and triple, which is doubtless due to the heavy hammer spring. I will be shedding this rifle in the near future! Curiously, another student, using an AK-74, a Polish Tantal, also chambered for 5.45X39, experienced zero malfunctions over two days of heavy use." Comment: Once again, the AR-15 platform, in any caliber other than 223, is likely to be a can of worms. It is my opinion that the Soviet/30 (7.62X39) is the best military rifle cartridge in existence today, certainly superior to the 223 and the Soviet/22 (5.45X39), in every way! In the AK and XCR format, it is hard to beat. However, cheap ammunition makes hypocrites of us all, eh? /John (John served as a USMC infantry officer in Vietnam and his bias against the AR-15 and the .223 cartridge is obvious. While the AR-15 offers the theoretical advantage of caliber changes by merely exchanging the "uppers," I have no personal experience with this concept beyond some very limited experience with a Colt 9mm AR-15 Sporter, which I found a joy to shoot. I'm told that the full-auto version of that gun is the easiest submachine gun to master. Inasmuch as Wolf small-rifle primers are reported to be match grade, I'm puzzled to hear that the Russian primers require an exceptionally heavy hammer spring. The Olofson case [in which F Troop "experts" could only replicate the doubling with one brand of ammo], however, does remind us that variations in primer-cup hardness have been associated with doubling in the AR-15, even in the original .223 chambering. Granted that Olofson's Olympic Arms AR-15 had had the factory safety lever replaced with an M16 selector switch, perhaps the lesson here is that one need to be aware of the relationship between primers and hammer springs in the AR-15.) 30 Sept 09 Shod feet, the most deadly weapon! >From a friend close to this story: "A teenage boy was beaten to death, in public, by a gang of thugs in Chicago last week. Much of the attack was recorded on video. The murder took less than a minute. To the bitter disappointment of the city's gaggle of hand-wringing, pseudo-sanctimonious politicians, no guns were involved! Once again, we see how absolutely lethal are kicks to the head of a downed victim, particularly in the context of multiple assailants. Although the initial impact that sent the victim to the ground was inflicted via a board or club or some kind, fatal damage was subsequently inflicted by the shod feet of the assailants. This format of attack is common, and is far more dangerous than is realized by most. Fatal head-injury can be easily inflicted within seconds. Head trauma is extremely dangerous, and, due to the enclosed nature of the cranium, swelling of the brain will likely exacerbate injury." Comment: From our perspective, it is imperative that, during such an attack, we avoid being rendered unconscious. Once on the ground, we must protect our head from multiple kicks and other blows, employing lethal force when necessary, and regain upright footing as rapidly as possible. When your head is in contact with a solid object, blows directed at it are infinitely more injurious than when you are upright, and your head is free to move with the blow. Protect you head. It's the only one you have! /John (It is an irony of the boxing world that attempts to lessen brain injury through the use of heavier, more padded gloves actually increased the risk via a mechanism known as coup-contrecoup injury, in which the greater padding increased the number of times the brain was bruised bouncing back and forth inside the skull. California law includes the shod foot in its definition of deadly weapons, regardless of whether it is aimed at the head. The take-home lesson is that if you come under attack by one or more people seeking to kick or stomp you, a deadly-force response should be justifiable.) 2 Oct 09 Battle Rifles: I received this morning a note from a subscriber with regard to rifles with which he would equip his unit. This person puts together teams who do security work in exciting places. He indicated that, for his money, the AR/M4 (in 223) tops the heap of currently-available battle-rifles. He agrees that the Kalashnikov is indeed inherently reliable, but its stock, Soviet-style, open-sights are only operable within 150m. At 200m-300m, the typical issue-Kalashnikov lacks sufficient accuracy to be genuinely usable against animated, battlefield targets, said he. He is mostly correct. Indeed, the AR/223 platform was selected, in large part, because of its inherent accuracy. The problem is with the 223 (5.56X45) round. It is profoundly effective on animated, human targets within 150m, typically producing substantive de-animation with one, solid hit. However, inherently accurate though it may be, beyond 150m, the 223 bullet is substantially de-energized, and, although the AR is certainly precise at extended ranges, the bullet, at 200m-500m, cannot be depended upon to take enemy combatants out of action quickly, even when solidly struck, nor at these extended ranges, is the bullet capable of even modest penetration. So, for (1) rear-area defense, (2) domestic policing, and (3) domestic home-defense, the AR/M4 in 223 is close to ideal, since most challenges in these scenarios are within 150m, and the 223's subdued penetration is of less concern than on the battlefield. Indeed, high-penetration is undesirable in most domestic instances. Although the M4 will technically deliver accurate fire out to 500m, the bullet's effectiveness at that range is predictably disappointing, as noted above. Conversely, the Soviet/30 (7.62X39), from an issue-Kalashnikov, is effective, and genuinely penetrative, out to 300m, but its open-sights will make it useable, for all but the eagle-eyed, only to 150m. In order to take full advantage of the Soviet/30's inherent range, open-sights will have to be replaced with Western-style peep-sights, or optics. To summarize: (1) An AR/M4 in 223 is a 150m rifle, with poor penetration. Reasonably reliable, light, and handy, but maintenance-sensitive. Currently, $900.00-$1,600.00 (2) An issue-Kalashnikov in Soviet/30 is a 150m rifle, with excellent penetration. Extremely reliable and far less maintenance-sensitive, but heavier and less user-friendly. Currently $600.00-$1,000.00. (3) A Krebs/Kalashnikov or RA/XCR in Soviet/30 with rail-mounted red-dot is a genuine 300m rifle, with excellent penetration. Both are considerably less maintenance-sensitive than a typical AR. XCR's ergonomics represent a substantial improvement over the Kalashnikov, and its gas-adjustment greatly increases shooting-comfort. Currently $1,600.00-$1,900.00 for rifle only. Optic is additional. (4) A DSA/FAL, SA/M1A, or PTR-91 in 308 (7.62X51) is a genuine 500m rifle, with outstanding penetration, but inherent weight and bulk of the ammunition makes it possible to carry only a modest supply, and small-statured people will find them ponderous and a good deal less pleasant to shoot than any 223. Happily, gas-adjustment on the FAL can be used to greatly increase the shooting-comfort factor, a real advantage of the FAL System. Currently $1,700.00-$2,200.00 (5) A Kahr/M1 Carbine is a 100m rifle, with modest penetration. Don't overlook this option! The M1 Carbine is light, short, slim, and very handy, ideal for the small-statured. Recoil is negligible, and, because of the low-pressure 30/Carbine round, report is greatly subdued, compared with any of the foregoing. Currently $900.00-$1,100.00 I know we've all hear it before, but, once again, you don't get everything you want in a single package. No one system is ideal, and, even when you have copies of all of them, you'll discover great advantages, along with irksome annoyances, in each. You have to start somewhere, so pick one up and bring it to a Class. Any of the foregoing, and even most that I didn't mention, will work fine. You'll observe a phenomenal synergy developing between you and your rifle, no matter which one you have, that will endow you with a new, critical, and wonderful repertoire of capabilities. No American should be without one! /John (John's recollection of the history of the AR-15/M16 is different from mine. I recall that its initial selling point to the military was the disproportionate damage produced by a minimally stabilized small-caliber, high-velocity bullet, at ranges of 100 meters or less. Over time, accuracy requirements for increasingly longer ranges led, stepwise, to heavier bullets and faster twist rates of the barrels. That said, John has accurately characterized the niche for this system for rear-area defense, domestic policing, and domestic home-defense. The question remains as to how many Americans really need or want to invest in a battle rifle and associated training. Historically, the term "battle rifle" referred to one suited for use at ranges of several hundred meters, such as in WWI trench warfare or the longer ranges our troops are encountering in Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, the traditional battle rifle was ahmbered for full-power cartiridges such as the 7.62x63mm [.30-06] or 7.62x51mm [.308 Winchester], not the intermediate-power 7.62x39mm cartridge. As John points out, one rifle will not fill all roles, just as a hammer or a screwdriver will not suffice for all home repairs. A list member, in response to John's quips shared last weekend, pointed out that he is no longer willing to deal with all the vagaries of autoloading rifles shared by John and has shifted his battery to lever-action rifles and carbines, which generally lack these issues. This is the first I have heard of gas adjustment being intended for the comfort of the shooter; I have always understood it to be to adjust for variations in the pressure curve of the specific cartridge, for optimal function and avoiding damage to parts such as operating rods.) -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .