The Second Opinion

And she ain't no liberal no more!

(hat tip: Common Folk using Common Sense via Carnival of Cordite)

With all the looting and shooting in New Orleans after Katrina, a large number of law-abiding citizens decided that it was a good time to avail themselves of their Second Amendment rights and get a gun.  This snippet from Sasha Talcott of the Boston Globe was very satisfying:

Spillway Sportsman, near Baton Rouge, sold 172 guns in one three-day period after the hurricane, when normally it might sell 15. One mother came in to buy her first gun after she and her two children, ages 9 and 12, witnessed a slaying on the streets of New Orleans, said Scott Roe, Spillway's owner.

''Her comment was, 'I was a card-carrying, antigun liberal -- not anymore,' " Roe said. ''She said, 'I'm going back home, and I am not going back unarmed.' "

Talcott also discusses the fact that Wally-world decided to STOP selling guns in its Gulf Coast-region stores, which angered a number of people:

Gun sales have become a hot-button issue for Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer. Filmmaker Michael Moore blasted the store's gun sales in his documentary ''Bowling for Columbine." In January, the company agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by California's attorney general that accused it of violating state gun laws.

But in post-Katrina Louisiana, a lot of anger erupted when the retailer took guns off its shelves.

Isiah Smith said looters stole cars in his neighborhood and broke into homes as he fled from Laplace to Baton Rouge to escape the storm.

He said Wal-Mart should not have stopped gun sales. ''People have to protect themselves," he said.

Others didn't agree:

Wal-Mart's decision to stop gun sales also earned it praise from several customers, who said police would protect them from any trouble.

''Why can't we get along? This is a time of crisis," said Mike White of Kenner, La. He said people who need guns for legitimate reasons, such as hunting, would not be buying now.

OK, this guy is living on another planet.  Either that, or the Kenner PD is much better than the New Orleans PD.

I'm reminded of a story about Charlton Heston during the LA Riots back in '91:

His biggest problem was during the LA riots, when, he claims, people kept ringing him up and asking to borrow his guns. They would say: "I tried to buy one, but they have this waiting period." Heston would reply: "Yeah, I know; I remember you voted for that."

I guess the back-handed definition is true:

conservative: a liberal who's been mugged

Carnival of Cordite

The latest Carnival of Cordite is here.

Homeowners insurance

If you're worried about looters yet are on a tight budget, may I suggest the following:

Walther P-1 pistol in 9x19mm.  This is an updated version of the famous German P-38 of World War II.  While it doesn't have the magazine capacity of more modern pistols such as the Beretta 92F of the Glock 17, it is nevertheless a superbly reliable and high-quality side arm.  The German army (Bundeswehr) is getting rid of its stock of these pistols, and so they are widely available at excellent prices (typically less than $250).

Makarov pistol (PM) in 9x18mm.  This was the standard service pistol for the Soviet army and many other East Bloc nations from 1951 to the end of the Cold War and beyond.  The 9x18mm Makarov catridge is only slightly more powerful than the .380 ACP, but the pistols are inexpensive (typically about $175 for Bulgarian-made models) yet incredibly reliable and surprisingly accurate.  They are also smaller than other service pistols.

Mosin-Nagant Model 91/30 rifle in 7.62x54R.  This rifle was the standard Russian infantry weapon from 1891 to 1947.  The cartridge it fires has power similar to our own mighty 30-06 and is world-renowned for its accuracy.  Not only is the rifle dirt cheap, so is ammo.  A rifle and over 400 rounds of ammo can be gotten for less than $100 (not counting shipping).

Of course, you really can't beat a pump shotgun in 12 gauge or 20 gauge for home defense.  Take your pick of the Winchester Defender, the Remington 870 (pictured), or the Mossberg 500, then load it up with some good quality 00 or #4 Buckshot rounds.  Unless the would-be looter is a fool, the distinctive sound of the shotgun being pumped will let him know in no uncertain terms that he'd better be somewhere else in a hurry.  Such shotguns are typically available for less than $300 at Wally-world.  Get one with a short (deer) barrel.

I would also note that there are a variety of 'less than lethal' shotgun loads available: beanbag shells, rubber balls, rubber buckshot, etc.

Natch, should you decide to purchase this sort of homeowners insurance, you'll need to consider / do a few things:

1.  Consult your local laws.  If you live in a disgusting place like DC, Cook County, or California, you may have strict limitations on what kind of homeowners insurance you can have.

2.  Get good training and learn to use the firearm properly.  This means that you should know how to operate, clean and store it SAFELY.  You also need to understand the laws concerning ownership, transportation, and (should the worst happen) use of deadly force.

3.  Seek advice from a pro about the best type of insurance for you.  Smaller people are typically intimidated by larger weapons like a 12 gauge, and so a 20 gauge is a better choice for them.

4.  If you decide on a pistol, use only high-quality AMERICAN-MADE defensive ammo.  The internet is full of articles about how to choose the right defensive loads.  Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with Remington Golden Saber, but that's just my opinion.

5.  THINK SAFETY.  Children and this kind of homeowners insurance DO NOT MIX.  Keep Junior and his bratty friends away from the closet or nightstand, or (better) invest in a good safe or trigger locks (just don't lose the keys!).

6.  Consider your living conditions.  If you live in an apartment, condo, or even modestly dense suburban housing, a rifle is probably not a good idea as the bullet will penetrate walls and may hurt an innocent bystander some distance away.  Shotguns firing buckshot are far less likely to do this.

7.  If you think about this kind of homeowners insurance but it makes you or your spouse very nervous or uncomfortable... don't purchase it.  Wally-world has an excellent selection of baseball bats and 8 irons.  Failing that, learn to climb out the window quickly and be the faster runner.

Concealed carry

North Carolina adopted a concealed carry law, also known as 'shall issue', about ten years ago.  Quite a number of other states have similar laws.  The intent was to allow law-abiding citizens, once they'd passed a background check and a certified course of instruction, to legally pack heat on their person or in their car.  I believe that about 60,000 of my fellow North Carolinians have received such permits. 

Lately, I've thought about applying for one.  After reading a bit about the law, I think I'll take a pass.  While it's certainly better than nothing, the law has so many restrictions and provisions that it seems a little pointless.  Even if one has a permit, it is not legal to carry a concealed weapon in the following places:

• Schools (even if you're just dropping Junior off in the morning)
• Any place where alcohol is sold or consumed, which includes many popular restaurants
• State property
• Airports (even if you're only picking up Grandma after her flight from Hoboken)
• Courthouses
• Banks
• Any place where federal employees work (don't want to disturb their naps, I suppose)
• Any place that posts 'no concealed weapons' signs (which includes many private businesses, grocery stores, malls, etc)

In fact, one can be charged with a a FELONY if caught packing heat in restricted areas, permit or no permit.  Ironically, before the concealed carry permit law went into effect, it used to be only a misdemeanor in most cases.  How's that for government logic?

Now, the age-old maxim is that 'it ain't a crime if you don't get caught'.  I'm sure that many people both with and without permits carry in many of these places, counting on the fact that, well, their pistol is concealed and therefore nobody knows they've got it.  However, I'm not too eager to try my luck - which is generally bad - and risk being slapped with a felony charge.  Perhaps I'd feel differently if I lived or worked in a 'bad' part of town, but for now, it doesn't seem worthwhile to apply for a permit.

In my mind, the broader issue is why one needs a permit at all.  Similar logic can be used for many other instances when a citizen's rights are abridged without him first having broken the law, or even voiced intent to do so.  I like to think that I'm a pretty law-abiding chap, having never had a brush with the law more serious than a couple of speeding tickets.  I'm not planning to rob a bank, shoot up a school, start a gunfight in a bar, gun down shoppers at the Piggly Wiggly, or stage an escape from a courthouse.  I think it's reasonable to ask, therefore, why I can't legally carry a gun or other concealed weapon in such places.

It's not an entirely idle question.  One of the prime reasons that states have passed concealed carry laws is that there have been some well-known crimes that might well have been stopped had honest citizens been armed.  One such is the case of Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, TX on October 16, 1991, when George Jo Hennard crashed his pickup truck into the restaurant, drew two pistols, and started shooting.  He killed 23 people and wounded more than 20 more.

Ironically, one of the diners, Dr. Suzanna Gratia, had a gun... locked in her car.  Luby's had a 'no concealed weapons' policy, and Gratia obeyed the law.

Hennard killed both her mother and father.

As a private business, Luby's had every right to require that its patrons not be armed (which didn't exactly stop Hennard), though I believe that they've since changed their policy.  The question is: should the state also penalize a citizen for carrying a concealed weapon onto posted property?  Should it be a felony?  At most, it ought to be a misdemeanor, and even then only if the person refuses to leave or at least leave his pistol locked up in his car.  For the state to criminalize carrying a gun is effectively criminalizing not only the right to self-defense, but really assuming that the citizen is guilty before he's committed a crime.  It seems to me that a government that doesn't trust its citizens to carry weapons isn't really a government 'of the people', but rather something apart from them.

A 2nd Amendment Map

(hat tip: No Speed Bumps)

Now THIS is a map I like looking at!  Notice all the red states.  In this case, they are 'shall issue' states, which broadly means that any citizen, once he passes a background check and gets such training as his state or county mandates, must be issued a concealed weapons permit that will allow him to carry a gun for self-defense.  The black (bad!) states don't allow this.  Well, maybe with time, they'll come around.

Desirable characteristics of a service rifle

Those of us who appreciate the finer points of firearms have passionate arguments about what (if any) rifle should be adopted to replace the M-16 currently in service with our armed forces.  It's much like arguing which sports car is the best, or which woman is the most attractive: everybody has his own opinion.

The Army has been attempting to develop a replacement for the M-16 for several years.  Part of the reason is that the M-16 has been in service now for forty years, and advancements in materials and ammunition design all but guarantee that a materially superior weapon can be built.  The German firm of Heckler and Koch developed the XM-8, a derivative of their G-36, for evaluation by the Army.  It is my understanding that the Army made last-minute changes and may either reopen the development and bidding process (in which case the American-made Robinson Arms XCR may get a shot at the contract), or may scrap the project entirely.  In any event, the service rifle that replaces the M-16 should have the following characteristics:

1.  The rifle should be quick and inexpensive to manufacture. 

In 1917, the service rifle was the magnificent M-1903 Springfield rifle.  Unfortunately, the Springfield and Rock Island Arsenals could not make these complicated rifles fast enough to equip the huge number of soldiers we were sending to France, and so the Army had to use a second type of rifle, the M-1917 Enfield, purchased from civilian contractors.  We don't need the possibility of a similar situation arising again.

2.  The rifle should be easy to use and maintain. 

The M-16 is quite easy to use.  The only flaw in its design is that it is not designed for left-handed firers: both the selector lever and magazine release are designed with right-handed firers in mind.  Ambidextrous controls are highly desirable.

The charging handle should be placed so that it can be operated without removing the rifle from the shoulder.  It should be ambidextrous.

The rifle must have a chrome-lined bore and chamber, or otherwise be constructed of corrosion-resistant material.

The M-16 is a maintenance-intensive rifle, however.  This is a result of its 'direct impingement' gas system, which vents gas from the burning propellant directly into the bolt carrier.(1)  A cleaner, more reliable gas piston system should be used.

Small, easily-lost parts that must be removed to field strip and clean the rifle are absolutely undesirable.  The M-16 bolt assembly has several small parts (such as the firing pin retention pin) that are VERY easy to lose.

3.  The rifle should fire a cartridge between 6 and 7mm, with a bullet weight between 100 and 140 grains.

The current M-855 ball cartridge for the M-16 fires a 5.56mm bullet weighing 63 grains.  As many others have pointed out, this is considered a 'varmint' cartridge by American hunters and insufficient to reliably kill deer.  Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have found that the small bullet does not reliably stop enemy combatants.

The Army, in conjunction with Remington Arms, has developed a new cartridge, the 6.8mm SPC.  This fires a much heavier 115 grain bullet that matches the ballistics of the older 7.62mm NATO round quite well out to 500 meters.  Apparently, some Special Forces troops have used the new cartridge in Afghanistan and are quite satisfied with it.  Barrett Arms has developed a replacement upper receiver for the M-16 that can allow easy conversion of existing rifles to the new cartridge.  They also replaced the dirty M-16 gas system with a (presumably) cleaner piston system.

There are those those who would like to see the Army use the older 7.62mm NATO cartridge as the standard for both our service rifles and machineguns.  I am not among that number.  While the 7.62 round is excellent in terms of power and accuracy, it is too large and heavy to be a good service rifle round.  Why reduce the number of rounds a soldier can easily carry AND saddle him with a rifle that has a hefty recoil?

4.  The rifle should function reliably in all extremes of heat, cold, humidity, dust, dirt, etc. 

In his autobiography About Face, Col. David Hackworth describes how a dead NVA soldier with his AK-47 was exhumed while Hackworth's battalion was building a firebase in the sodden Delta region of South Vietnam.  Though the rifle had been buried in muck, Hackworth was able to charge it and fire a full magazine without any cleaning.  Now THAT'S reliability.

The current M-16 is quite reliable provided that soldiers keep it clean.  However, the magazine design is considered marginal.(2)

5.  The rifle should weight less than 7 lbs. with a full magazine.

The M-16 weighs about 8.8 lbs. with a full magazine; the M-4 weighs about 7.5 lbs. with a full magazine.

6.  The rifle should be able to mount a bayonet and be rugged enough to serve as a melee weapon.

I would prefer a slightly heavier rifle that can be used as a club over a lighter rifle that will break if so used.

7.  The rifle should be capable of selective fire (semi-auto / burst / full automatic).

The orginal M-16 was capable of full automatic fire.  The Army found during the Vietnam War that soldiers would often panic and empty their entire magazine in one long burst.  Hence, the M-16A2 was designed with a three-round burst limiter.

In general, it seems to me that fully auto fire should be provided only by machineguns; the purpose of the rifle is precision fire.  However, there may well be cases when a soldier needs a very high volume of fire to suppress the enemy, and so full auto capability is useful.    If the rifle is to be capable of conversion to a squad automatic weapon, full auto capability it required.

8.  The rifle should have provisions for easily attaching various accessories such as a grenade launcher, laser sight, flashlight, etc.

9.  The rifle should feed from a rugged, reliable detachable box magazine that can be quickly reloaded using chargers (aka 'stripper clips'). 

Ideally, the rifle should have integral feed lips such as in the M-1941 Johnson automatic rifle.  This greatly reduces the possibility of feeding problems due to damaged or bent magazine feed lips.  The magazine should hold a minimum of 25 rounds of ammunition and feed reliably when fully loaded.

10.  The ejection port should be designed / positioned such that cases are not deflected toward the firer, yet should also be easy for the firer to inspect when taking immediate action to clear a malfunction.

The M-16A2 has a brass deflector just behind the ejection port to prevent cases from being flung in the face of left-handed shooters.  The Steyr AUG rifle can be configured to eject from both sides of the receiver.  Either system is acceptable.

11.  The rifle should be fitted with an optical sight with back-up iron sights.

This is quite controversial.  I personally believe that optical sights are too delicate for field use, but troops are using them in Iraq and Afghanistan, so perhaps I'm just behind the times.  The Army also found during development of the XM-8 that soldiers have a much higher first-round-hit probability with optical sights than with traditional iron sights.

The sight should also have some provision for night firing (such as an illuminated reticle).

12.  The rifle should be able to serve as a squad automatic weapon with simple modifications. 

This includes the ability to rapidly change the barrel with no special tools, and the ability to feed from a very large capacity magazine.  While it would be HIGHLY desireable that the rifle could feed from belts, this would almost certainly make it too complicated (and thus expensive and prone to malfunction).

13.  The rifle should be fitted with an adjustable butt stock. 

This allows soldiers of different heights to adjust the length of pull, making the rifle easier to shoot.

Other notes:

-  The best is the enemy of the good.  The primary objective is to place in the hands of the soldier a rifle that is more reliable and effective than the M-16.  Any feature that detracts from meeting this goal should be dropped.

- The quick-change barrel and buttstock of the XM-8 are great ideas, allowing the rifle to be easily tailored to a variety of missions.  If possible, the new service rifle should incorporate these features.

-  The AUG and the British SA-80 are bullpup weapons, and several other nations have adopted this configuration for their rifles.  However, I have heard that placing so much of the rifle's weight so far to the rear exacerbates muzzle climb during rapid or automatic fire.  If so, then this is not a good design feature even though it makes the rifle shorter.

- While compatibility of ammunition with NATO is highly desirable, this should not deter us from removing the 5.56mm round from service.

- The rifle must be easy to decontaminate in an NBC environment.  Hence, exterior surfaces must be able to withstand contact with harsh decontamination chemicals.

(1) During the Vietnam War, this design, coupled with especially dirty propellant, caused early-model M-16s to jam frequently.  The rifle has never quite lived down this notorious repuation.

(2) During the Vietnam War, soldiers were told not to fully load the 20 round magazines for their M-16s as the magazine spring was weak and would not reliably feed from a full magazine.  When my brother was in Bosnia as a peacekeeper, he had similar directions.

Wolf Performance ammo

I recently starting using Wolf ammo.  I initially only bought a couple of boxes, because I wasn't eager to invest a lot of money in what I thought might be low-quality ammo.  Further, the idea of steel cartridge cases instead of the usual brass bothered me (and I've since been advised by my gunsmith that the steel cases can be tough on a gun's ejector).  However, I took some Wolf ammo to the range and tried it out.

I'm hooked.

Not only is Wolf ammo typically cheaper (in some cases, MUCH cheaper) than other brands, the stuff has been totally reliable in every caliber or pistol I've tried.  It's a bit dirty, but Wolf advertizes their ammo to be non-corrosive.  In any event, I clean my guns when I'm finished shooting with good ol' Hoppe's Number 9, so dirty ammo is no sweat.

There are only two drawbacks to Wolf ammo:

1.  The steel, Berdan-primed cases cannot be reloaded.  But, the ammo is so cheap that it isn't worth the time to reload, anyway;

2.  The company only sells ammo with FMJ rounds, and so Wolf ammo (except for 45 ACP shooting the ol' reliable 230 grain hardball) is not suitable for personal defense.

For target shooting or plinking, though, you can't beat it.  If you shoot, give Wolf ammo a try.

Taurus 24/7 pistol (pt II)

While I wasn't especially happy with my telephone conversation with Taurus in the wake of the front sight blade of my new 24/7 pistol popping off during use, I must say that they followed through nicely on their promise to fix the problem: I got a replacement screw a couple of days after I spoke with them.

Taurus is off my s*** list.

Taurus 24/7 pistol

I'd been lusting after one of these ever since the first time I saw one in a magazine add.  This past spring, I bought one as a present to me on national BAG day (Buy A Gun day, i.e. April 15).

Fit and finish are superb.  The soft 'ribber' grip developed by Taurus makes the pistol really comfortable to hold; the grip angle is very good so it points naturally; the sights are large and easy to pick up; the polymer frame makes it very light.  I had some trouble getting used to the DAO trigger, but found after a few range sessions that the pistol was capable of pretty good accuracy.

Yesterday, I took it to the range for target practice.  I was happily banging away at the target when I suddenly couldn't get a sight picture.  I quickly discovered why:

THE FRONT SIGHT BLADE HAD POPPED OFF.

I was able to find the blade, but the small screw that attaches it to the slide was long gone.  Given that I've only fired less than 500 rounds (mostly 115gr 'plinking' ammo) through the pistol, I was really unhappy about this.

I called Taurus this morning.  I can't say that the call went as well as I would have liked.  The customer service attendent seemed quite harrassed, then told me I'd have to pay for a new screw; Taurus' policy is not to provide free replacement parts.  I pointed out that I didn't lose the screw; it was lost when part of the gun flew apart during use.  She put me on hold, apparently to talk to her supervisor, then told me that 'as a courtesy' they would send me a replacement screw, and I can expect it in a week or so.

I hope I get it.  Believe me, when I put it back together, I'm going to slop enough Lok-Tite in there to put the Titanic back together!

It's very irksome - and more than a little disturbing - that the part should fail so early in the pistol's service life.  I'll have to write a letter to Taurus about this.

Sigh...

Gun control in Britain

This is gun control in Britain (hat tip: Kim du Toit):

Teacher Linda Walker was behind bars last night after she snapped and fired a gun she kept hidden in her underwear drawer at a gang of teenage yobs.

The mother-of-two, who teaches children with behavioural problems, admitted going "totally loopy" after confronting youths she blamed for a campaign of vandalism against her family.

Walker, 48, stormed out of her home with a potentially lethal Walther CP88 gas-powered pistol in her hand and fired six shots at the feet of one of the terrified gang.

She had just called the police and warned them: "I've got an air rifle and a pistol and I'm going to shoot the vandals that come around here, I'm going to shoot them."...

A 'potentially lethal' air pistol?  I suppose if she had hit one of them in the temple at absolute point-blank range, it MIGHT penetrate enough to kill.  But I doubt it.

Was she justified in shooting?  You be the judge:

At her trial, the court was told Walker had been receiving nuisance phone calls, one threatening to rape her and another calling her 17-year-old twin son James a "poof".

Her other twin, Craig, had his car wing mirror ripped off and Walker told police her shed had been broken into, garden ornaments trashed and fish from a pond stolen at her home in Urmston, Greater Manchester, in the run-up to the shooting.

The final provocation came when Walker, who was head of Year 11, in charge of food technology and careers co-ordinator at New Park School in Salford, saw a washing-up liquid bottle full of water had been emptied over her son's car.

Now, I know what you're thinking: youthful high spirits and indiscretions don't warrant shots being fired.  But were they really just youthful high spirits and indiscretions?

It later emerged one of the youths, Robert McKiernan, 18, had previous convictions for burglary, theft and criminal damage.

Another of the gang, 16-year old Nicholas Viollett, had been convicted of shoplifting just one day before the shooting took place.

Happily, British justice upholds the right to defend oneself and one's property.  NOT!!!

But Judge Mr Recorder Louis Browne told her: "I accept you acted totally out of character but these are serious offences and you knew exactly what you were doing.

"The courts discourage two things, firstly vigilante action, and also the use or discharging of a firearm in a public place.

"There is no excuse whatsoever for what you did that night. Even had these children been using anti-social behaviour, your response was wholly disproportionate."

At least there's some light at the end of the tunnel:

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, added: "She should get a medal for what she did - not a stretch in jail."

And the local newsagent said: "This business is the talk of the town and public opinion is very much on her side. Mrs Walker is a lovely lady.

Here's a tip for my Anglo-Saxon cousins twice-removed (by force): if you think what Ms. Walker did was understandable and even praiseworthy, here's what you do:

VOTE FOR MPs WHO WILL BRING BACK YOUR GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS TO SELF DEFENSE!!!

What the hell kind of country is Britain where you can't chase vandals off your property?  The poor woman's had her property vandalized, herself and her family terrorized for some time by these little punks, is now a convicted criminal and may well lose her job.  I'll wager that the punks were back on the street a day or two after their close brush with a 'deadly' air gun and went right back to terrorizing somebody else.

This is British justice????