That's what the editorial staff at the West Virginia Gazette seem to think.
See if you can follow this line of thinking...Chicago, IL and Toronto, CA are roughly the same size. Yet one of these cities has a horrendous homicide problem. So the answer to said problem is to adopt the gun laws of the other city.
An interesting question arises: The city they would like to emulate more actually has less restrictive laws than the other.
After you wade through the whole 'Chicago vs Toronto' thing, we get to the crux of their issue: Them danged old American gun laws. See, if we had gun control laws like they do in Europe we wouldn't have...Oh wait. That happened in Norway. What about...Nope it happened in Finland, too. Germany? Nuh-uh. It happened in Germany. (I would bring up Japan, but that's a category all its own: Samurai Sword violence. Not really apropos to our discussion here.) All countries the anti-freedom crowd thinks we should emulate when it comes to OUR gun laws.
They then seem to be taken aback that the foundation of the modern pro-rights arguement can be traced back to the Radical Black Panters of the late '60s, and that the seemingly pro-gun NRA was very much anti gun when it wanted to be back in the '20s and '30s. (And even in the '60s. GCA 68 anyone? The NRA has had its hand in all the major gun control legislation in the last hundred years. It's only in the last 20-30 yrs that they have begun to take on the very legislation they themselves supported.)
They even get apoplectic when they find out that Martin Luther King, Jr applied for a carry permit (though he was denied). I bet what they DIDN'T know was that the good Reverend surrounded himself with a group dedicated to the defense of black people all over the South. Some of you may have heard of them, the Deacons For Defense. While Dr. King talked about non-violence, he had at his side good men who were not afraid to use a little to defend their cause.
It's always fun to see the anti-freedom crowd have their nifty little world view smashed like candy glass. That the narrative they've worked so long and hard to craft comes crashing down around their ears is a good thing, even if it is only for a split second. For we all know that nothing, absolutely NOTHING, can intrude on the narrative, not even those pesky little facts.
Monday, August 22, 2011
In Other News...
Found this horking around the intertubes today. Aside from shooting himself in BOTH legs, his bad day got worse when his stash of dope was discovered.
This almost ranks up there with the poachers who were shot by the turkey they allegedly 'killed' out of season.
I have to wonder though, was it the .45 LC or the .410 shot that got him.
This almost ranks up there with the poachers who were shot by the turkey they allegedly 'killed' out of season.
I have to wonder though, was it the .45 LC or the .410 shot that got him.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
As Promised...
A few pics of the shoot last week.
Here's an overview of what we were shooting.
On the line:
Here's the M240B/MAG 58, the next day we got 2 more MG42s. Which was a good thing since of the belt fed guns we had on the line, it was the next most popular next to the '60.
Mr. Popularity himself the M60E3, and two of our 6 1919s (the little one in tiger stripes is an 8mm job)
M1919 in .308, Polish PKM, and the .50 Target rifle
1910 Russian Maxim and Mr. Ronnie Barrett's finest invention the M82A1
Here's the back row, the shoulder fired, magazine fed stuff.
Left to Right: 3 of the 6 1919s we had, M2 Carbine, M1918 BAR, MAC 10 9mm, Romanian AK 74, AMD 65, Romanian AK, Chinese AKS, and the hybrid Romanian/Yugo underfolder.
Left to right: Mauser 98K, the last of the 6 1919s, a pair of Uzi's, S&W 76, Sten Mk I Have No Idea, M3A1 Grease Gun, and a couple of the M16s we had (more in the next pic)
Left to right: 9mm M16 (the only gun we had with burst capabilities), standard M16, and a SWAT special with EOTech sight, MG42 without a barrel, 2 M1927 and 3 M1A1 Thompson submachine guns (interestingly, we started out with 4 50 rd drums and by the end of the week we were down to 2).
Left to Right: Inert Bulgarian RPG, H&K G3/CETME, and 4 of the MP5s (2 in 9mm, one in .40 and the other 10mm)
Left to right: UMP .45, Type 2 FAL, Type 1 FAL with grenade launcher attachment (we had 3 up, 2 were FN rifles and the other was an Imbel. The third FAL went down with spring issues in case you were wondering), .500 S&W, M1 Garand and semi M14 with an inert AT 4 laucher on the floor.
Between the AT4 and the RPG, we LOTS of inquiries about shooting them. Fortunately (or not depending on which side of the line you were on) the only thing we shot with those launchers were pictures.
And lastly, the Queen Mum herself, Mother Deuce.
Quite an eclectic mix of guns to shoot. In the 4 yrs I've been working out there, this is the first time all of the guns got shot. Granted, some only had a mag or two put through them, but by God they all got in on the action.
Next time, some behind the scenes stuff.
Here's an overview of what we were shooting.
On the line:
Here's the M240B/MAG 58, the next day we got 2 more MG42s. Which was a good thing since of the belt fed guns we had on the line, it was the next most popular next to the '60.
Mr. Popularity himself the M60E3, and two of our 6 1919s (the little one in tiger stripes is an 8mm job)
M1919 in .308, Polish PKM, and the .50 Target rifle
1910 Russian Maxim and Mr. Ronnie Barrett's finest invention the M82A1
Here's the back row, the shoulder fired, magazine fed stuff.
Left to Right: 3 of the 6 1919s we had, M2 Carbine, M1918 BAR, MAC 10 9mm, Romanian AK 74, AMD 65, Romanian AK, Chinese AKS, and the hybrid Romanian/Yugo underfolder.
Left to right: Mauser 98K, the last of the 6 1919s, a pair of Uzi's, S&W 76, Sten Mk I Have No Idea, M3A1 Grease Gun, and a couple of the M16s we had (more in the next pic)
Left to right: 9mm M16 (the only gun we had with burst capabilities), standard M16, and a SWAT special with EOTech sight, MG42 without a barrel, 2 M1927 and 3 M1A1 Thompson submachine guns (interestingly, we started out with 4 50 rd drums and by the end of the week we were down to 2).
Left to Right: Inert Bulgarian RPG, H&K G3/CETME, and 4 of the MP5s (2 in 9mm, one in .40 and the other 10mm)
Left to right: UMP .45, Type 2 FAL, Type 1 FAL with grenade launcher attachment (we had 3 up, 2 were FN rifles and the other was an Imbel. The third FAL went down with spring issues in case you were wondering), .500 S&W, M1 Garand and semi M14 with an inert AT 4 laucher on the floor.
Between the AT4 and the RPG, we LOTS of inquiries about shooting them. Fortunately (or not depending on which side of the line you were on) the only thing we shot with those launchers were pictures.
And lastly, the Queen Mum herself, Mother Deuce.
Quite an eclectic mix of guns to shoot. In the 4 yrs I've been working out there, this is the first time all of the guns got shot. Granted, some only had a mag or two put through them, but by God they all got in on the action.
Next time, some behind the scenes stuff.
Monday, August 15, 2011
2011 Buffalo Chip Machine Gun Shoot Roundup
Sorry for not posting daily-ish updates on the shoot, we were busier than the proverbial one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. I split my time between home and the shoot site, coming home every other night to at least see my smiling bride, kiss the chirrens, and get a hot soothing shower.
Days started, whether I drove from here or camped there between 06 and 0800 each morning. When I was home, it was feeding the chirrens and playing with them a little before hitting the road for the 33 mile, hour to hour and a half journey to the shoot site. When I was out there, it started around 0800 with dragging my butt out of the tent to grab something cold to drink (no it wasn't beer, that was the night before manning the booth inside the campground), taking a shower in a can (baby wipes work great for a shower on the go) and then it was off to do range maintenance, untarp the guns, swab barrels, load magazines and otherwise get ready for the inevitable rush that came when we dropped the line at 1000.
Invariably, there would be folks wanting to shoot at 0800, but when you have a booth inside the Buffalo Chip, there's no getting to bed earlier than midnight at the earliest, or in the case of some of our younger help, daylight at the latest. There was absolutely no way we could get anybody rousted that early.
So at 1000, the line came down and shooting started. I don't know why it worked out this way, but we always had someone who wanted to shoot an exploding target right away. It kind of got to be a joke that we woke the Chip up every morning with a bang and a boom. There's something about a 2.5 lb Star Target being shot by a 700-grain API round fired from a Barrett M82A1 that really gets the blood pumping.
With that said, the most popular weapons this year were both new additions to the lineup. The Barrett (mentioneed above) ran like a champ. The only issues we had with it were ammo related. Stuck cases are the bane of every gun, and ours were no different. The Little Fitty ran. And ran. And ran. I can tell you that at a conservative estimate that gun went off somewhere north of 70 times a day. Usually 2 rounds per customer, sometimes 4, but only twice did someone load all 10 rounds in the magazine and have a go. The last guy fired it like a semi AK clone and ran 10 though it in about 30 seconds. His 10 shots were kind of a waste if you ask me. The rifle is designed for precision work at very long distances, and to use it as a common plinker was kind of an insult. Everyone else who fired it, and I mean everyone, took their time and made their shots count (not that there was much to shoot at by the end of the week, mind you). Oh well, he paid for the ammo, and we did tell everyone they could shoot as fast or as slow as they wanted, but still you know?
The other most popular gun was the M60E3. From opening day until it finally went down Saturday afternoon, more rounds were fired from that gun than any other all week long. Everyone from Vietnam vets to urban mall ninja types and folks who had never even seen one ran 50 rounds at a time through it. I guess it was the allure of being able to fire her from either the bench on the bi pod or from the shoulder with the front grip that made her so popular. Or it could have been letting 550 RPM down range, it's hard to tell. It was kind of interesting watching a lady who's only experience with guns came from time with us over 2 days firing the '60 from the shoulder. (I think her husband/boyfriend/sugardaddy had a good time that night.)
Of course who could discount the Queen of the Ball, Mother Deuce? She ran fairly often throughout the week, with the only issues again being ammo related. Some stuck cases, some blown out cases that stove piped, and the odd occasional one stuck in the extractor, but she ran all week.
Shoulder fired stuff was mainly the 4 big ones from last year. Uzi, AK, M16 and Thompson all had a good run. This year, was a first. All of our guns got fired. From the obscure S&W 76 to the M2 carbine, to the H&K G3. Everything had at least one mag put down range.
The best part of the whole week? Nothing went down hard-broke until the very end. Eventually stuff does break, parts go bad and things stop running. The M60 went through 2 bolts, but it too eventually succumbed to parts breakage. The S&W 500 went down with a busted firing pin and the G3 just went down.
.50 caliber ammo was the hot ticket all weekend. We ran out Thursday and had to call for more from a local source to get us through the weekend, and we almost didn't make it that far!
So there's week in review. Tomorrow I'll try to get some pics of the shooting line up, and maybe some of the more interesting things and people that were, shall we say, experienced.
Till then...
Days started, whether I drove from here or camped there between 06 and 0800 each morning. When I was home, it was feeding the chirrens and playing with them a little before hitting the road for the 33 mile, hour to hour and a half journey to the shoot site. When I was out there, it started around 0800 with dragging my butt out of the tent to grab something cold to drink (no it wasn't beer, that was the night before manning the booth inside the campground), taking a shower in a can (baby wipes work great for a shower on the go) and then it was off to do range maintenance, untarp the guns, swab barrels, load magazines and otherwise get ready for the inevitable rush that came when we dropped the line at 1000.
Invariably, there would be folks wanting to shoot at 0800, but when you have a booth inside the Buffalo Chip, there's no getting to bed earlier than midnight at the earliest, or in the case of some of our younger help, daylight at the latest. There was absolutely no way we could get anybody rousted that early.
So at 1000, the line came down and shooting started. I don't know why it worked out this way, but we always had someone who wanted to shoot an exploding target right away. It kind of got to be a joke that we woke the Chip up every morning with a bang and a boom. There's something about a 2.5 lb Star Target being shot by a 700-grain API round fired from a Barrett M82A1 that really gets the blood pumping.
With that said, the most popular weapons this year were both new additions to the lineup. The Barrett (mentioneed above) ran like a champ. The only issues we had with it were ammo related. Stuck cases are the bane of every gun, and ours were no different. The Little Fitty ran. And ran. And ran. I can tell you that at a conservative estimate that gun went off somewhere north of 70 times a day. Usually 2 rounds per customer, sometimes 4, but only twice did someone load all 10 rounds in the magazine and have a go. The last guy fired it like a semi AK clone and ran 10 though it in about 30 seconds. His 10 shots were kind of a waste if you ask me. The rifle is designed for precision work at very long distances, and to use it as a common plinker was kind of an insult. Everyone else who fired it, and I mean everyone, took their time and made their shots count (not that there was much to shoot at by the end of the week, mind you). Oh well, he paid for the ammo, and we did tell everyone they could shoot as fast or as slow as they wanted, but still you know?
The other most popular gun was the M60E3. From opening day until it finally went down Saturday afternoon, more rounds were fired from that gun than any other all week long. Everyone from Vietnam vets to urban mall ninja types and folks who had never even seen one ran 50 rounds at a time through it. I guess it was the allure of being able to fire her from either the bench on the bi pod or from the shoulder with the front grip that made her so popular. Or it could have been letting 550 RPM down range, it's hard to tell. It was kind of interesting watching a lady who's only experience with guns came from time with us over 2 days firing the '60 from the shoulder. (I think her husband/boyfriend/sugardaddy had a good time that night.)
Of course who could discount the Queen of the Ball, Mother Deuce? She ran fairly often throughout the week, with the only issues again being ammo related. Some stuck cases, some blown out cases that stove piped, and the odd occasional one stuck in the extractor, but she ran all week.
Shoulder fired stuff was mainly the 4 big ones from last year. Uzi, AK, M16 and Thompson all had a good run. This year, was a first. All of our guns got fired. From the obscure S&W 76 to the M2 carbine, to the H&K G3. Everything had at least one mag put down range.
The best part of the whole week? Nothing went down hard-broke until the very end. Eventually stuff does break, parts go bad and things stop running. The M60 went through 2 bolts, but it too eventually succumbed to parts breakage. The S&W 500 went down with a busted firing pin and the G3 just went down.
.50 caliber ammo was the hot ticket all weekend. We ran out Thursday and had to call for more from a local source to get us through the weekend, and we almost didn't make it that far!
So there's week in review. Tomorrow I'll try to get some pics of the shooting line up, and maybe some of the more interesting things and people that were, shall we say, experienced.
Till then...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Another Sturgis Rally Is Upon Us
And that means the Guns of Freedom guys will be back at the Buffalo Chip Shooting Complex for what should be another great Rally shoot.
New additions to the firing line include an M60E3, a Russian PKM, and an M82A1. This, on top of the old standbys; M1919s, 1910 Russian Maxim, MG 42s, M240B, and of course Her Highness, Mother Deuce. I'm not sure if the bowling ball cannon will be making a return trip this year or not. If I find out one way or the other, I'll post it up.
No big changes on the shoulder fired stuff. We're still gonna have the AKs, M16s, FALs, G3/CETMEs, Uzis, Thompsons, H&Ks in 4 calibers (9mm, .40, .45, and 10mm), plus the Sten Gun and Grease Gun.
As usual, I'll try to post day reports as I can, plus any celebrity sightings. Rumor has it Uncle Ted Nugent is playing the Full Throttle next week. I've got a feeling if he hears gun fire, we'll be seeing Uncle Ted before the week is over.
New additions to the firing line include an M60E3, a Russian PKM, and an M82A1. This, on top of the old standbys; M1919s, 1910 Russian Maxim, MG 42s, M240B, and of course Her Highness, Mother Deuce. I'm not sure if the bowling ball cannon will be making a return trip this year or not. If I find out one way or the other, I'll post it up.
No big changes on the shoulder fired stuff. We're still gonna have the AKs, M16s, FALs, G3/CETMEs, Uzis, Thompsons, H&Ks in 4 calibers (9mm, .40, .45, and 10mm), plus the Sten Gun and Grease Gun.
As usual, I'll try to post day reports as I can, plus any celebrity sightings. Rumor has it Uncle Ted Nugent is playing the Full Throttle next week. I've got a feeling if he hears gun fire, we'll be seeing Uncle Ted before the week is over.
Makes You Wonder What 'Lawful Deposit' Is
Every once in a while, you get some interesting headlines in the local cat box liner.
Take this little gem.
Destruction of property, OK. That one fits. But unlawful deposit? Am I the only one who scratched their head after reading that?
Take this little gem.
Destruction of property, OK. That one fits. But unlawful deposit? Am I the only one who scratched their head after reading that?
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