Howard Nemerov is...

...the Austin Gun Rights Examiner.

Howard Nemerov is the author of Four Hundred Years Of Gun Control - Why Isn't It Working?

Examiner.com describes Howard's column:

Former civilian disarmament supporter and medical researcher Howard Nemerov investigates the civil liberty of self defense and examines the issue of gun control.

The first Austin Gun Rights Examiner column is "Brady Campaign to prevent democracy? (Part 1)", an editorial on one of the ways that the antis misuse numbers to further their cause.

Examiner.com garners 2 million unique visitors a month. The national and regional "Gun Rights Examiners" offer these visitors a pro-gun message that is sorely lacking in most media streams.

Head on over and welcome Howard to this new endeavor.

Holder Nomination Clears Senate Judiciary Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 17-2 for Eric Holder's confirmation as the Attorney General of the United States.

The two dissenting committee members were John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

I understand that elections have consequences and that a newly elected president has the right to choose his cabinet. If President Obama wants a tax cheat to be in charge of the Treasury, so be it. If he wants a woman who's primary qualifications for the job are that she slept with Monica Lewenski's boyfriend, the president, good for him. These appointments are laughable, but harmless.

Confirming Eric Holder as our Attorney General is anything but harmless. As Mike stated awhile back:

...of all the people BHO seeks to surround himself with in DC, Eric Holder as the nominee for Attorney General has to be the most offensive stench in the nostrils of free men and women.

Eric Holder has used his position as Assistant A.G. in the Clinton administration to halt investigations into a possible Justice Department cover up of misconduct in the Waco travesty and the death of Kenneth Trentadue while in .gov custody. This is more than troubling. Add these little tidbits of information to his role in the Elian Gonzelez raid, and the pardon of FALN terrorist and of Mark Rich, you see that there is much to oppose in Eric Holder.

Yes, I do understand that we have little chance of winning this battle, but "Even if we lose, we win - if we make a good fight of it. So let us make a good fight of it.

Please contact your two Senators and ask them to do all they can to oppose Eric Holder's confirmation. Ask that they put a hold on his confirmation, make those who support Holder fight for his confirmation.

Senator Cornyn, thank you for voting against this confirmation in the committee hearing. Now it is time to take the next step, place a hold on Holder. Make the Dems overcome a filibuster. When Eric Holder oversteps his bounds as AG, you will be able to show how you did all that you could to oppose his confirmation. Your nay vote was a start, take the next step.

David has more here.

Double Shot Liquor & Guns

In Schulenburg Texas.

From their website:

Double Shot Liquor & Guns is a unique woman owned business. Locally owned and operated. We opened our doors on April 1, 2008.

We carry a large selection of liquor, wines, cigars, import/specialty beer as well as domestics.

On the flip side of the liquor business is the incorporation of guns, hunting and fishing gear, ammunition, hunting accessories, deer stands, deer feeders, optics, gun cases, firearm safes and much more. You name it, we will find it for you. We do custom orders and we ship nationwide. Our policy is to try to meet or beat big city prices of which we have accomplished more times than not.

Next time I'm down that way I'll have to stop in and check this place out.

I wonder... In the Liberal mind, does the fact that this is a woman owned business offset the fact that she is selling ammo and tequila from a drive thru?

H/T to Traction Control who found this at Theodore's World.

Gun Show Report

Last weekend was the inaugural weekend of the Big "D" Gun Show at the Mesquite Rodeo. This gun show is put on by the "The Original Fort Worth Gun Show" folks as an expansion to their current productions in Fort Worth.

By North Texas standards, this is a small gun show. The Mesquite Rodeo center is not a large venue and the show is limited to 400 tables. Since it is a smaller show, an since this was the first weekend this promoter held a show in this venue, I was surprised by the crowed it attracted.

I arrived at around 1030 on Saturday morning to find the parking lot filled and nearly as many cars parked in the field next to the parking lot. Its a good thing that gunnies drive trucks, the high ground clearance came in handy for many. The line to get into the show moved along at a quick clip and it did not take very long to have my Kimber checked (no loaded firearms allowed) and get into the hall.

Even though there was a nice crowd, the isles were wide enough to make getting around easy enough.

Now for prices at the show... I left my notes at work so I am posting from memory here, but there was one heck of a range on AR prices. There was a $700 difference in price between one vendor and another on the exact same Bushmaster. Needless to say the table with the reasonable prices had folks lined up to fill out paperwork and purchase guns, the other did not. Magazine prices were also all over the place. One table had heavily beat up "GI" mags for $30, most others were more reasonable. C Products magazines were anywhere from around $15 to $25 for mags with orange or green followers.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cheaper Than Dirt had a table at this show. CTD was selling C Products and DSG Arms 30 round magazines for $15 out the door. None of the products sold by CTD were hyper-inflated, as a matter of fact it seems that a few of the prices were below catalog. That is why I go to gun shows, to find good deals on products I want. Needless to say I have a couple more magazines in my mag inventory.

Overall this was a good gun show. The small size made for a shorter visit, and the quality of vendors made for an interesting visit. The dealers with good stock and reasonable prices were making money, others were not.

A couple of vendors had the new Ruger Tacti-cool Ranch Rifle that was fairly interesting.

I walked out with some ammo and magazines that made the drive worth while. This was a good show and I will be sure to attend a few of the future events.

And the Winner of the .50 Caliver EDM Windrunner is...

...not me.

Congratulations go out to Mr. Don Ridgeway of Colorado.

From the Fifty Caliber Institute website:

Congratulations Don!! When called, Don was of course shocked and he said he has never actually fired a .50 BMG but supports the idea of firearms ownership and believes strongly in the 2nd Amendment. He is now looking forward to learning everything he can about his new rifle.

That is way cool.

Go here for more information on the Fifty Caliber Institute.

First Call to Action for the '09 Texas Legislative Session

I know that the 2009 Texas legislative session has just started, but there is one bill that needs to be stopped in its tracks, right now. This particular bill is so bad that we do not want it to even receive a hearing in committee.

The bill is HB 736 (.pdf). HB 736 is a bill "Relating to authorizing county regulation of nuisances and disorderly conduct".

This verbiage from the bill should be enough to get pretty much anyone on board with opposing it:

Sec.A236.002. NUISANCE.

The commissioners court of a county by order may:

(1)abate and remove a nuisance and punish by fine the person responsible for the nuisance;

(2)define and declare what constitutes a nuisance and authorize and direct the summary abatement of the nuisance; and...

It gets even worse:

(b)The commissioners court of a county by order may:

(1)suppress or prevent any riot, affray, noise, disturbance, or disorderly assembly in any public or private place in the county;

(2)restrain or prohibit any amusement or practice tending to annoy persons passing on a street or sidewalk...

The entire bill is written like that. It can not be "fixed", it must be stopped.

The passage of this bill will result in the closure of firing ranges. Do you like to fly RC airplanes on your country property? This bill will allow your neighbors to shut you down. Anything that you do that your neighbors may consider a "nuisance" can become a crime.

This bill puts way too much power and authority into the hands of the commissioners court.

This bill was introduced by Representative Chente Quintanilla of El Paso.

Please contact Rep. Quintanilla and ask him to reconsider his sponsorship of this bill, then contact your representative and ask that they oppose it.

Go here to keep track of HB 736.

Introducing "On Second Opinion"

I am very pleased to announce that David E. Young has entered the blogging universe. David is the author of The Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms: A Definitive History of the Second Amendment and The Origin of the Second Amendment: A Documentary History of the Bill of Rights in Commentaries on Liberty, Free Government & an Armed Populace 1787-1792.

David's blog is called "On Second Opinion" and is best described in his own words:

On Second Opinion is for true Second Amendment buffs - those interested in historical information and those looking for documented deconstruction of the control advocates historical arguments. I am launching On Second Opinion with a series documenting a number of errors and misleading arguments in the professional historians' Heller amicus brief supporting Washington DC. The idea is to address each error of fact and misleading assertion it contains separately in a relatively short post. At the end of this series, there will be a hopefully short critique on the entirely misleading nature of the brief.

I realize not all that many pro-rights people are as interested in the Second Amendment's historical details as myself. For those that take an interest, On Second Opinion will be very beneficial because knowledge is power. It will provide documented evidence to prove that the historical arguments of control advocates are not only without historical foundation but also directly contradicted by the period facts.

His first post is The Root Cause of Never-ending Second Amendment Dispute. What are you waiting for? Head on over and give it a read.

Texas Campus Carry Study

The Texas Legislature is in session every other year. During the off years, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives has the authority to commission interim studies of important issues the legislature may or should address during the next legislative session. When the committee appointed to study specific issues completes it work, it issues an interim report.

Speaker of the House Tom Craddick assigned the House Committee on Law Enforcement several issues to study during the interim. One of the issues charged to the committee was to:

Monitor the impact of current Texas laws banning the carrying of firearms by holders of concealed carry licenses on the premises of educational institutions.

You can read the entire 2008 interim report (.pdf) or download just the portion pertaining to the Campus Carry Study (.pdf).

I had the opportunity to speak with one of the folks who testified before the committee and they were very enthusiastic about the hearing. It seems they had good reason for their enthusiasm.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Texas' concealed carry law has been in effect for over a dozen years, and statistics show that Concealed Handgun Licensees have amassed an impressive track record of law-abiding and responsible behavior over that time period. The committee does not believe that eliminating a geographical boundary beyond which they cannot currently go legally armed - in this case, college and university campuses - will suddenly transform them into dangerous and irresponsible individuals. Moreover, we do not believe that campuses will become overwhelmed by a new population of armed students: the minimum age requirements established in law serve to limit the number of adult students who would actually qualify for a license. And again, statistics provided to the committee indicate that individuals who fit into the age group most closely associated with the typical adult college student account for a very small fraction of the CHL population overall...

You should read the entire report. Representative Joe Driver, one of my favorite legislators, was the Chair of this committee and the report is very well done.

Thanks to Charles Cotton for the edited version of this report that includes only the campus carry study.

On a side note, it really is too bad that Tom Craddick is no longer the Speaker of the Texas House. Commissioning this study is just one of the many good things he has done for the State of Texas.

Stephen Halbrook on Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder

Here is the video of Independent Institute Stephen P. Halbrook testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the confirmation of Eric Holder for Attorney General.

Note the absence of the majority of the Judiciary Committee during the testimony. I have asked Senator Cornyn's Press Secretary for an explanation of the Senator's absence, but as of yet have received no response.

Dr. Halbrook is the author of "The Founders Second Amendment. Origins of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

There is still time to put a hold on Holder, contact your senator and let them know that you are not happy with this nomination and do not want to see Eric Holder confirmed as our Attorney General.

If you are a Texan, it is vitally important that you contact Senator Cornyn and ask him to do all he can to hinder Holder's confirmation.

CHL Holder Stops Gun Wielding Burglar

A man with a Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL) survives an encounter with a goblin.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Man recounts killing teenage burglary suspect in east Oak Cliff

An Oak Cliff man is thankful he is alive after a teenage burglary suspect tried to shoot him.

The man, who lives in the 300 block of Hobson Street with his mother, came home Wednesday morning to drop off a newspaper when he found the front door kicked in, Dallas police said. Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Flores, who was inside the home, pulled out a handgun and fired at him.

The son, who has a concealed handgun license, fired back and struck Flores, who later died at a local hospital.

This is the second time in two days that I have commented on CHL holders protecting themselves and others from the violent acts of goblins. Once in a workplace and once in the home. In both instances the CHL holders saved lives and are to be commended.

The antis would prefer that we are disarmed, they would leave us at the mercy of the goblins. They misstate facts and use outlandish premonitions of "blood in the streets" to attempt to convince politicians and the public that gun control laws are necessary, and that we need to be disarmed. The antis would prefer that this Oak Cliff man die at the hands of the goblin, they would prefer that he did not have the means to protect himself. They would prefer that the two CHL holders from yesterdays column be disarmed and left defenseless in the work place at the mercy of any goblin who has the means to do harm. If the antis had their way, these two incidents would have turned out much differently. Innocents would have died. The antis would have then used the deaths of innocents to call for even more restrictive gun control laws.

Case in point. This teen age goblin will be added to the "kids killed by guns" statistics used by the antis to help promote their gun control agenda.

Gun control does not prevent crime. The only way that gun control will ever help to protect you from a violent goblin is if you are the one in control of the gun.

Still Anxiously Awaiting...

...the introduction of major firearms bills in the Texas State Legislature.

I keep checking the new bills filed with the Texas Legislature to see if any new firearm related legislation has been introduced. I am really anxious to see how the bill to authorize concealed carry on state funded college campuses is worded. I am also anxious to find out what form of a parking lot bill will be introduced and supported by the Texas State Rifle Association and the NRA. I had a few misgivings about the parking lot bill supported by the TSRA during the last legislative session and sincerely hope that they have changed their stance on this issue.

While there were not firearm related bills filed today, there was one filed that motorcyclist will appreciate:

Senator John Carona (Republican, SD 16) has introduced SB 506, Relating to the operation and movement of motorcycles during periods of traffic congestion. This bill would allow motorcycles to split lanes when traffic is backed up.

CHL Holders Stop Violent Rampage

Here is evidence that CHL holders can quickly put an end to a violent rampage at the work place. You would not know that from the headline.

From the Houston Chronicle:

By Mike Glenn and Anita Hassan

Police shoot woman suspected of wounding man with arrow

A woman accused of shooting a man with a bow and arrow at her father's workplace before being shot by two civilians and a Houston police officer has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon...

First I have to say that this woman is lucky to be alive, being shot by three different people and surviving is beating the odds a bit.

Next I have to comment on the Chron's anti gun bias. Note the headline "Police shoot woman..", what a load of crud. Who were the first responders at the scene who stopped this female goblin's rampage? And how many more people would have been injured or killed if they were not on site and armed?

Police and witnesses said that Parker shot Armando Silva in the chest with a hunting bow and arrow after she entered the offices of Texas Components Corp. in northwest Houston.

Silva, 49, was reported in good condition at Ben Taub today.

Police are still trying to determine the motive for the incident. Officers said the violence erupted after Parker came into the office in the 1600 block of West Sam Houston Parkway with a hunting bow and arrows and what appeared to be a handgun about 3 p.m. Monday.

Her father works there and was in the building at the time, police said, but it was not clear whether she was looking for him.

After walking into the company's micro-electronics division, Parker shot Silva with an arrow and then pointed the apparent gun at two other employees, police said.

Those employees, who are licensed to carry concealed handguns, fired "numerous" shots at Parker, hitting her several times, investigators said.

Parker dropped her pistol, which later was found not to be a real gun, and retreated to an office with the bow and arrow, officers said. Workers at nearby businesses took cover and called police.

Police arrived about 3:15 p.m...

It took the police 15 minutes to respond. How many more people could have been hurt or even killed in that 15 minutes?

This is how it is supposed to work. A deranged goblin enters the work place with the intent to create havoc and kill people. The people use their inherent right to self defense and the most efficient tools available to stop the deranged goblin in her tracks. The police come in, mop up, and take statements. Officers did have to shoot the goblin one more time as she still had the bow and attempted to draw it on them, but lives were saved by two men who had made the decision to be responsible for their own lives. Good on them.

The Big "D" Gun Show

The Original Fort Worth Gun Show has rapidly become my favorite gun show to attend in the Metroplex. This is saying something with the quality of gun shows that we are fortunate to enjoy here in North Texas.

The promoters of "The Original Fort Worth Gun Show" have decided to grow their business and are expanding. This is good news.

The Big "D" Gun Show at the Mesquite Rodeo is the latest production by these folks, and I expect this to be quite the gun show. The venue is smaller and there will be only 400 tables instead of the 1200 or so we are used to seeing in Fort Worth. The smaller venue has allowed them to be selective in their dealers.

This should be a gun show for gunnies and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

The first Big "D" Gun Show is next weekend, the 24th and 25th. There are four more shows scheduled for this venue through the rest of the year. I wish Tim and Michelle the best of luck with this new venture. If past experience has anything to do with future results, I am positive that they will do well.

A Texas Paper With Some Good Advice

From the Tyler Morning Telegraph:

Finish Off The Hunting Season By Cleaning Guns

There is nothing worse for a shotgun or rifle than deferred maintenance, and with Texas hunting seasons rapidly coming to a close that is exactly what some guns face.

It is easy to call the winter seasons a wrap and put shotguns and rifles up in the closet until fall, but mud, moisture and an extended stay in a gun case can all result in rust damage.

Treated properly a gun should outlast its owner, and with 20 minutes of work they will...

News you can use, from the local paper.

A Day at the Home and Garden Show

The past weekend V and I went to the Fort Worth Home and Garden Show. The guy who owned our home before us thought he was much handier than he really was and I am still fixing his "improvements". One of his major projects was the addition of a Master Bedroom on the back of the house. V and I have already done a lot of work on the interior of this space, but now it is time to fix the exterior. He used the cheapest siding possible and did not install it properly so now it is rotting off of the house. V and I were at the home and garden show to see if there were any new siding products that might be interesting. We have pretty much decided to go with the James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding, but wanted to look around and see if anyone could change our minds. They couldn't, so Hardie Board it is.

I'm talking about the home show because this is the one time that I was really kicking myself for not bringing a camera to a home and garden show. Why did I need a camera at the home and garden show? And why is that blog worthy? Because this motorcycle, and the images on their website do not do it justice.

The chrome pipes were engraved by master firearms engraver D.W. Harris.

This is one beautiful motorcycle and every detail has something to do with firearms and the Second Amendment.

This motorcycle is owned by Jim Brown, who just happens to also own Brown Service Company, a Dallas/Fort Worth HVAC and electrical company. They had a good presence at the show and a very professional web site. They are family owned and have been in business since 1952. Seems like a good company to call for your air conditioning and electrical needs.

Another reason to go to the home and garden show was to pick up our supply of Joy Peppers. These are absolutely the best peppers on the market. Joy Peppers are canned bread and butter style with results in a sweet/hot pepper that is... well... a joy to eat. I have had to call Joy on her cell twice in the past to special order more jars for large get togethers when we found we were running low at the last minute.

Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents

From Fox News:

Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents

On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the controversial sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.

The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.

Their sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year...

That is going to make a lot of folks happy.

Stolen Gun Belonging To Davy Crockett Returned

From CBS11 News: By Jack Fink

Stolen Gun Belonging To Davy Crockett Returned

I am very happy that this piece of Texas history found its way home quickly and without damage. I wonder, since it was stolen from a bank will be goblin be charged with bank robbery?

The American Form of Government

H/T to Xavier

Steve's SHOT Show Coverage

Steve from The Firearm Blog is in hyper drive covering SHOT Show 2009.

He is covering everything from the Knights Armament Chain SAW to the Taurus 738 TCP pistol.

I found the Lone Star Field tactical rest to be super cool.



Steve does a great job of keeping up with the nuts and bolts of the firearm industry.

Ride Fast Worthy Stupid - Shooting yourself without a gun.

Ride Fast has the story in Today's Stupid.

Sometimes you just have to wonder just what the heck was going through an idjits mind just before they take the action that earns them an entry into the idiot's hall of fame.

SHOT Show Coverage

Murdoc, the Gun Pundit, has some excellent SHOT Show coverage here.

As you get to the bottom of each page, click on "Older Entries" to see more. He has a range report on the new Bushmaster .50 BMG and images of the Crimson Trace MVF-515 amongst his posts.

I will grab one image for you, just because I need this on my computer desk.

Steven Lauer is one of my folks. I had the chance to talk with him at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits and found him to be just as interesting as I imagined.

Head on over and see what else Murdoc has from SHOT.

Quote of the Day

From Tam:

Look, the minute a cow walks up to me and looks deep into my eyes with its solemn, bovine gaze, chews its cud thoughtfully and asks in plain English "Please don't kill me, for that would be barbaric and inhumane and I have a right to life, too..."

...I will shoot it between the running lights and slice the Picanha right off its still-twitching corpse and throw it on the grill, because that stuff is yummy.

Read the whole thing at You can have my...

The Best Defense

Michael Bane's most recent project on the Outdoor Channel is the show "The Best Defense".



I missed the first episode (the new season started earlier than I thought), but was able to record the next two. This is cutting edge television and I think it is going to catch on big time.

The Best Defense focuses on four building blocks of a good overall self defense strategy: Avoidance, Knowledge, Awareness and Preparedness.

Next Wednesday's show is Episode #4: Awareness part I.

Even the simple act of using an ATM in public can be a dangerous situation. Mike Janich has a number of tactics to help you be more aware of what is going on around you, and what the best defense would be. Additionally, Rob Pincus will show us the balance of speed and precision when using a firearm, as well as the best way to practice one-handed shooting to be sure you are ready to use your firearm one-handed.

Check it out, you may learn something important.

Breaking News

Outdoor Channel Acquires DownrangeTV

Outdoor Channel, America’s Leader in Outdoor TV, has acquired the leading firearms and shooting sports online portal, Down Range Television (DRTV). Founded by Outdoor Channel personality and journalist Michael Bane and cowboy action shooter Marshal Halloway, www.downrange.tv is one of the most successful online communities for shooting and firearms enthusiasts with a robust offering of video, active forums and industry coverage.

I think that is way cool for Michael Bane. Congratulations.

H/T to SayUncle.

More on the Ruger LCR

Michael Bane on the Ruger LCR.



This video is posted on DownRange.TV here.

The Outdoor Channel has SHOT Show daily video updates here.

My Friend Kurt Hofmann...

...has landed a gig writing as St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner.

This is an outstanding achievement and I know that he will do a great job.

His first column is "Alderman urges armed self-defense in crime plagued neighborhoods".

Please head on over and give it a read. While you are there wish him well on his new endeavor.

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Posted on LewRockwell.com:

By Michael Gaddy

The Five Ps

Individual ownership of a firearm no more qualifies the owner to protect themselves and their property and defend the rights granted by their creator than individual ownership of a cowboy hat qualifies the owner for the National Finals Rodeo.

Responsible ownership of a firearm requires not only adequate training in its use, but also a mental mindset capable of formulating and implementing a plan should that tool ever be required. Irresponsible use of a firearm often provides opponents of the right to keep and bear arms a useful weapon, especially considering their willing accomplices in the congress and the media...

Responsible firearms ownership is the backbone of the gun rights community. Responsible firearms owners are well versed in the safe and efficient operation of their firearms. The above column covers a few other areas in which responsible firearm owners should become proficient.

H/T to David.

Update on Holder Confirmation Hearings

I was able to check in on a couple of the MSM Live Blogs of the Holder confirmation hearings from work today. Granted, reading snippets in that format is not going to give you anything close to depth of detail necessary to get a good feeling for how things are going, but it seems that so far Holder is being given the green flag.

The most recent post from the NYT political blog "The Caucus":

Live Blogging Holder’s Confirmation Hearing

Where to Send Detainees 3:39 p.m.

...Senator Hatch returns to basically lend his endorsement to Mr. Holder’s confirmation: “I look forward to your being confirmed. I hope you will do it in a nonpartisan way.”

Thanks for nothing Senator. I'm sitting here listening to the song "Blue Monday" as I contemplate the continued betrayal by Orin Hatch. The song is appropriate.

The only thing I have found in the NYT and Washington Post live blogs on gun control issues was covered by the NYT:

Gun Rights 10:35 a.m. On the right to bear arms, under the 2nd Amendment, although Mr. Holder said he had sided with those who believed it did not confer an individual right, he pointed out the Supreme Court had ruled that it does in the recent gun law case involving Washington, D.C. “The reality is now the Supreme Court has spoken and that is now the law of the land,” and must be respected, he said.

I do not know if he was challenged on this response or not. I am trying to find video, but have so far been unsuccessful.

I understand that Dr. Stephen P. Halbrook, author of The Founders’ Second Amendment: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms and the Amici Curiae Brief in the Supreme Court case, District of Columbia v. Heller, on behalf of 55 members of the Senate, the Senate President, and 250 members of the House of Representatives, will be arguing against the confirmation (.pdf) of Eric Holder. I will post video of his testimony when I can.

One last thought from Put a Hold on Holder's Nomination.

A conservative senator would be a true American hero if he or she would put a hold on -- i.e., threaten to filibuster -- the nomination of Eric Holder to be the next attorney general.

Do we have any heroes left in the Senate?

David has more.

H/T to The Independent Institute for Halbrook to Testify in Hearings on Eric Holder for Attorney General.

Ruger's New Revolver

Introducing the Ruger Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR).



Ruger calls it "...one of the most significant new revolver designs in over a century."

It looks interesting, true recoil reduction in a lightweight .38 Special +P would be pretty cool. The price tag isn't, $525 MSRP.

Click on the image for more information.

A Plea to the President

From Senator John Cornyn

A Plea to the President

More than two years after they were sentenced, former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean still sit in federal prison for their actions in attempting to apprehend a drug runner who was smuggling 743 pounds of marijuana valued at $1.2 million from Mexico into the United States.

To protect them from prison gangs eager to attack law enforcement officers, the Bureau of Prisons keeps the two agents separate from the general prison population. Today, Ramos and Compean sit in solitary cells in Phoenix, and Elkton, Ohio, respectively, hundreds of miles from their homes and families in Texas.

Because of the excesses of the prosecution against them, they will continue to sit alone in those cells for another decade. That is unless President Bush commutes their unjust sentences. In his remaining days as President, I ask President Bush to show mercy and use his clemency power to give back Agents Ramos and Compean the next 10 years of their lives...

Senator Cornyn posted this letter on RedState.com and you can read it in its entirety here.

Today is the Day

If you have been waiting for the last minute to flood the Senate Judiciary Committee with faxes, phone calls and emails urging them to deny the confirmation of Eric Holder as the Attorney General, now is that last minute.

The confirmation hearings start tomorrow, today is the day to let them know just how offensive this nomination is to all freedom loving Americans.

Mike Sullivan was never confirmed Director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was nominated for the permanent position in March 2007, but his confirmation was held up by several Republican Senators (h/t David). If we can stop the confirmation of a republican nominated director, we can stop the confirmation of Eric Holder.

If you are coming late to this issue and are wondering why we want to stop the confirmation of Eric Holder, I'll let the words of Mike give you a basic introduction:

...of all the people BHO seeks to surround himself with in DC, Eric Holder as the nominee for Attorney General has to be the most offensive stench in the nostrils of free men and women.

With some effort, we can Block Holder Today!

For information on Contacting the Senate Judiciary Committee , click the link.

Day 1 of the 81st Texas Legislative Session is in the Books

As of this moment, there are 1070 pieces of legislation listed as being introduced in the Texas State House and Senate. I am pretty sure this is not 100% up to date as the key punchers are entering the data for the bills introduced today.

It's going to be one busy session.

Update: To view all bills introduced during this session, leave all the data fields blank and click "search" on the above linked web page.

Quote of The Day

From this post:

LAWS don't stop criminals, GUNS stop criminals.

That is pretty much it in a nut shell.

$37 Billion Each Year is Lost..

...to banking fees associated Non Sufficient Fund and Over Draft Protection (NSF/ODP) fees. That is a staggering figure, $37,000,000,000. That is approximately $368/year for each household with a checking account. Most folks with a checking account do a good job of keeping it balanced. A recent study by the FDIC finding that customers with 5 or more NSF transactions accrued 93.4 percent of the total NSF fees reported for the 12-month period. Overall, about 20% of checking account holders are responsible for 80% of the NSF/ODP fees collected by banking institutions. This means that 1 in 5 checking account holders made it through high school and to an age of majority without the knowledge or self discipline to balance a checking account.

Texans paid over $2.5 billion in NSF/ODP fees last year.

The banks are doing what they can to increase revenue and are therefore doing all they can to employ strategies to increase NSF/ODP transactions. Currently, for banks, 74% of reported service charge income is from NSF/ODP fees.

From the 2008 FEE ANALYSIS OF BANK AND CREDIT UNION NON-SUFFICIENT FUNDS AND OVERDRAFT PROTECTION PROGRAMS (pdf) report compiled by Bretton Woods.

The increased use of overdraft protection programs, rising NSF/ODP fees, transaction posting methodologies and increased NSF occurrences on smaller dollar transactions by consumers are the key elements in the unprecedented rise in the cost of writing a check against insufficient funds.

It has been well reported that many banks and credit unions assign an order of posting in amounts from high to low. That is, a $2,000 debit will be posted before a $15 debit, despite the presentation of the $15 debit first.

This ongoing trend has banks paying debits from high dollar to low dollar based on transaction type. Banks typically pay teller cash items, then POS (Point of Sale)/Debit card and in-house Automated Teller Machine items before paper check items. Based on Bretton Woods’ experience, this methodology increases fees and reduces risk of the bank absorbing losses on NSF items paid by the bank and puts the risk on third parties (3rd party ATM, Automated Clearing House, and online/bill payments).

This order of posting has now expanded to encompass transaction types with banks and credit unions typically paying teller cash items, then POS /Debit card and in-house ATM items before paper checks.

The ongoing payments evolution from paper checks to debit cards, ATM and other electronic (ACH) transactions contribute to the increase in fees to consumers. That is, the debit card and ATM transactions are typically smaller dollar amounts and as such, are usually posted after larger dollar items – resulting in more transactions presented against insufficient funds.

Increased profitability is ensured because consumers now use debit cards, ATM and other electronic transactions as preferred methods of payment rather than checks.

Banks will capitalize on an individuals irresponsibility, teach your kids to be responsible. I was a single dad to my oldest daughters and they witnessed my struggle to put bread on the table. #2 daughter can pinch a penny so tight that with a touch of carbon it becomes a diamond. #1 daughter is just about as frugal and is making a good life with her husband and family. V's daughter could teach all of us a thing or two about money management. #3 and 4 daughters I worry about just a bit. #3 has just started a family and I get the occasional call from Sally Mae concerning her student loans. #4 is still with her mom in Delaware and I just have to hope that she is getting the financial education that is needed for today's economy.

A bit of personal responsibility and the knowledge of how money works is all that is needed to put billions of dollars back into our economy. No bailout required.

For more on this issue, go here (.pdf).

In the News, Women and Guns

A very positive news segment from the MSM.



H/T to Xavier. You don't know Xavier? Oh my, you need to head on over and give him a read, right now!

The 2009 Para USA Catalog...

...is out. 19 pages of gunnie goodness introducing the 2009 Para USA lineup. There is a full page dedicated to the new Para 1911 GI Expert and images of the 11 (yes 11) special edition firearms that Para USA is planning on introducing in '09.

There are lots of images of Todd Jarrett in this catalog, one of them even have him in a tux (when did Blackhawk come out with a tux?).

The good folks at Para USA even included yours truly in one of the images, so this is sure to become a collectible if you are able to get your hands on a hard copy.

Head on over here to download a .pdf copy of the catalog.

Down Range Television Sweepstakes

This "Ultimate AR-15/.22" conversion can be all yours (well, it can be yours if my name is not drawn).

Look at all the goodies that were used in this build:

• Tactical Solutions AR-22 Conversion with Custom Fluted Threaded End Stainless
  
• Steel Barrel (1/16twist) & Tactical Solutions Compensator
  
• Magpul CTR M4 Carbine Stock & MIAD AR/15 Grip
  
• Leupold 4x12x40mm AO Mark 2 with Long Range Duplex Reticle
  
• Crimson Trace MVF-515 Vertical Fore Grip
  
• Spike’s Tactical Lower Receiver
  
• Daniel Defense Omega 9.0 Rail
  
• Black Dog Magazine 25 Round AR-22 Magazine

Michael Bane describes the rifle:



You can enter the sweepstakes at the DownRange.TV website here, or in person at SHOT Show.

H/T to SayUncle

What Happens When...

...you drop a full PMAG on its feed lips in cold weather? Steve has the results with PMAGS tested in cold conditions.

You Are Almost Out of Time...

...to enter the Fifty Caliber Institute's drawing for the EDM Windrunner Semi-Auto .50 BMG rifle.

The winner of this raffle will be drawn at SHOT, so time really is running out if you want a chance to win this 1 MOA 50 caliber rifle

Proceeds from this raffle go to help support the Fifty Caliber Institute in their efforts to support our right to keep and bear arms.

For more information on this raffle, the Fifty Caliber Institute, or EDM Arms, click on any of the images.

Joe Barton Responds

Last month I mentioned that Congressman Joe Barton was Overstepping His Bounds when he introduced legislation to kill the BCS system of choosing a collegiate football national champion. In that column I asked:

Please enlighten me Representative Barton, where is it stated in your charter that you have any say in collegiate sports?

I followed up that post with an email to Representative Barton asking basically the same question.

Here is his response:

Dear Mr. JR:

Thank you for contacting me about college football and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). I appreciate hearing from you on this matter, and I apologize for the delay in my reply.

College football is not just an extracurricular activity; it is a billion-dollar business that Congress cannot ignore. Being judged the best team in the nation brings millions of dollars in revenue. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is charged, in part, with regulating America 's sports industry. It cannot be denied that the BCS system is flawed and has been plagued by controversy since its establishment in 1998. It often leaves out deserving teams, and in some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled. This cheats many schools out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany even the chance to compete for the title.

Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy continues. The BCS method of determining who is number one consistently misfires. When we held our first hearing on BCS in 2005, I didn't have legislation in mind, and I hoped none would be necessary. Simply exposing the flaws and subjecting them to discussion, however, hasn't led to improvement by those who run the system, which is why I introduced H.R. 7330, the College Football Playoff Act of 2008. H.R. 7330 prohibits the promotion, marketing and advertising of any post-season NCAA Division I football game as a national championship game unless the game is the result of a playoff game.

This is admittedly not the most pressing issue for our country, nor do I wish it to take priority over current economic issues. However I still believe that it needs to be addressed, and that is why I introduced this bill. You may be interested to know that on the same day that I introduced H.R. 7330, twenty-four other bills were introduced in the House and ten bills were introduced in the Senate.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please continue to keep me informed of the issues that are of importance to you.

Sincerely,

Joe Barton
Member of Congress

I have to start out by saying that I am a big fan of Rep. Joe Barton. He is my representative and I have supported him in the past and will continue to support him in the future. We do see eye to eye on most issues, but on this particular issue I could not disagree with him more.

I understand that college football is a billion dollar industry, so what? Should Congress have their fingers in every billion dollar industry in the United States? Just because we do not agree with the way the "National Champion" is decided does not mean that "there ought to be a law".

Those who run the BCS system do so with the blessing of the member colleges. If the issue were truly unbearable, the colleges would figure out a way to rectify the situation.

We do not need, nor do we want, federal legislation deciding how a college football championship is decided.

Oh, your statement...

You may be interested to know that on the same day that I introduced H.R. 7330, twenty-four other bills were introduced in the House and ten bills were introduced in the Senate.

...does not hold much water with me. My children early on learned that "all the other kids are doing it" was not an excuse for their bad behavior. These other folks are not my representatives, you are. I hold you to a higher standard (a standard by the way that you do routinely meet), and expect better of you. You are a Texas Republican, by definition a champion of individual achievement and small government. Let the BCS issue shake out as it will and focus on defending our conservative values from the upcoming extremely liberal administration.

A New Yard Sign

H/T to my Dad, thanks Dad!

From the TSRA Weekly Sportsman

The Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) has begun publishing a weekly email newsletter, The TSRA Weekly Sportsman. It is very well done.

Back in the issue dated November 26, the TSRA pointed us to a NewsMax article on Eric Holder, "Eric Holder Was a Gun Control Nightmare". Again, in the December 3rd issue, the TSRA links to "Eric Holder on Firearms Policy", commentary by David Kopel. On December 17th the issue linked to Put a Hold on Holder's Nomination and stated:

A conservative senator would be a true American hero if he or she would put a hold on -- i.e., threaten to filibuster -- the nomination of Eric Holder to be the next attorney general. Senators should explore Holder’s views on the right to bear arms and the Elian Gonzales raid before they consent to his appointment.

Not quite a call to action from the masses, but more than most other gun rights organizations have done.

Along with the political, The TSRA Weekly Sportsman points out excellent columns on hunting and general firearms issues such as "The Evolution of the Modern Semi-Automatic" and "This Year, Give Her a Gun for Christmas".

This week they made me smile with the comment that they made leading up to the article "Fear of the Dark":

Metal gods Iron Maiden summed up the way many of us feel when we are awakened in the middle of the night. An instinctive, primal, fear of the dark seems to affect us all to varying degrees. The best way to confront this fear is to eliminate it through technology, no matter what your shrink says. Thankfully, many of us already own the most important item needed to make the dark fear us, an AR-15.

The TSRA Weekly Sportsman is a nice weekly round up of news articles and columns that you may not have found anywhere else. I find it worthwhile.

To subscribe, just head on over here and scroll down the left hand side of the page. To read past issues, go here.

Dockbot Has a Few Thoughts...

...on Efficient government that are worth your while to ponder.

Contacting the Senate Judiciary Committee on Eric Holder, I'm Making it Easy For You

Yesterday I quoted Jeff Knox with:

Congress is planning to hit the ground running in a few days. The new Congress will be sworn in on January 6 and the Senate Judiciary Committee has set a date of January 15 for confirmation hearings on Barack Obama's pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder. Gunowners need to be pushing members of the committee very hard to delay and block the confirmation.

It is very important that we do all we can to block the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General. To that end, I am providing all the contact information for the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to help make it easier for you to point out the many faults of Eric Holder to these Senators. I assume you know how to contact your own pair of Senators to do the same. Please help us stop the confirmation of Eric Holder. Can you imagine him being in charge of the "Terrorist Watch List"?

Don't know what to say? David has a few ideas of what you can mention to the more Liberal Senators here, and Jeff can help you out with ideas for the more conservative here.


United States Senate
Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Majority Office
Phone:202-224-7703 Fax:202-224-9516

Minority Office
Phone:202-224-5225 Fax:202-224-9102


The Members

Patrick J. Leahy - Chairman, D-Vermont

Email

433 Russell Senate Office Bldg
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4242 Fax 202.334224.3479


Herb Kohl - D-Wisconsin

Email

330 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4903
Phone: 202-224-5653 Fax: 202-224-9787


Dianne Feinstein - D-California

Email

United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841 Fax: (202) 228-3954


Russell D. Feingold - D-Wisconsin

Email

506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4904
Phone: 202-224-5323 Fax: 202-224-2725


Charles E. Schumer - D-New York

Web Contact Form

313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
Phone:202-224-6542 Fax:202-228-3027


Richard J. Durbin - D-Illinois

Web Contact Form

309 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
9 am to 6 pm
(202) 224-2152 - ph (202) 228-0400 - fx


Benjamin L. Cardin - D-Maryland

Web Contact Form

509 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4524 Fax: 202-224-1651


Sheldon Whitehouse - D-Rhode Island

Web Contact Form

Hart Senate Office Building Room 502
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2921 phone 202-228-6362 fax


Arlen Specter - Ranking Member, R-Pennsylvania

Web Contact Form

711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3802
Phone:202-224-4254 Fax:202-228-1229


Orrin G. Hatch - R-Utah

Web Contact Form

104 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4402
Phone: 202-224-5251 Fax: 202-224-6331


Charles E. Grassley - R-Iowa

Web Contact Form

135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1501
(202) 224-3744 No Fax Listed


Jon Kyl - R-Arizona

Web Contact Form

730 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4521 Fax: 202-224-2207


Jeff Sessions - R-Alabama

Web Conact Form

335 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0104
Phone: 202-224-4124 Fax: 202-224-3149


Lindsey Graham - R-South Carolina

Web Contact Form

290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5972 Fax: 202-224-3808


John Cornyn - R-Texas

Web Contact Form

517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4304
Phone:202-224-2934 Fax: 202-228-2856


Sam Brownback - R-Kansas

Web Contact Form

303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-6521 Fax: 202-228-1265


Tom Coburn - R-Oklahoma

Web Contact Form

172 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3603
Phone: 202-224-5754 Fax: 202-224-6008

Trans-Texas Corridor is dead ... officially

From the Star Telegram Blog, Honkin' mad:

Trans-Texas Corridor is dead ... officially

Call it the worst kept secret in Austin: the Trans-Texas Corridor is dead.

Amadeo Saenz Jr., executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, admitted as much on Tuesday when he unveiled a new plan for handling future cross-state traffic.

This is great news for Texas, and likely good news for Governor Rick Perry's reelection bid when he runs against Kay Bailey.

The Trans-Texas Corridor was Governor Perry's pet project, and its passing will be praised by many. The proposed TTC was a mile wide corridor to run from Mexico North through Texas. The .gov would have had to use eminent domain to acquire much of the land needed for this project, land that had been held by families for generations. I believe that some of these families would have done much more than talk to prevent this mile wide thoroughfare from dividing their land. I am very happy that this project is dead.

You know, even if a major transportation corridor is necessary between Mexico and Canada, Texas is not the best location for the project. I believe that the I25 corridor, pretty much a straight shot North and South, would be a much better choice for such a project.

Eric Holder for AG? Not if I Can Help it

President Elect Obama has chosen Eric Holder to be his Attorney General of these United States. This nomination must be stopped. Eric Holder is not the man for this position.

As Mike has stated:

...of all the people BHO seeks to surround himself with in DC, Eric Holder as the nominee for Attorney General has to be the most offensive stench in the nostrils of free men and women.

As Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, Eric Holder was directly involved with the abduction of Elian Gonzalez at gun point, then had to audacity to state "He was not taken at the point of a gun."

When a federal prosecutor raised questions about a possible Justice Department cover-up in the Waco standoff , Deputy Attorney General Holder abruptly removed him from the case along with his boss.

Eric Holder signed an amicus brief in District of Columbia v. Heller case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The brief was filed in support of DC's ban on all handguns, and ban on the use of any firearm for self-defense in the home.

The power is out at the house and I am sitting in a Starbucks posting this before V gets off of work. There is much more to despise about Eric Holder that can be found with the most cursory of web searches, but this small list should be enough to show the mans mettle.

Eric Holder must not become our next Attorney General.

David illustrates what we can do to help stop this confirmation in Holder: 'To-be' or not to be.

When it comes to the efforts of the antis, Jeff Knox states that:

To battle this we need to pound Congress hard to let them know "We ain't dead yet!" That's why it's important that you act on the information below immediately!

Congress is planning to hit the ground running in a few days. The new Congress will be sworn in on January 6 and the Senate Judiciary Committee has set a date of January 15 for confirmation hearings on Barack Obama's pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder. Gunowners need to be pushing members of the committee very hard to delay and block the confirmation.

Jeff has the basic contact information for the committee here.

With some effort, we can Block Holder Today!

We Have a Little Bit of Ice Hanging on the Trees

So my house is without power. My piece of Arlington looses will lose power at the slightest excuse. It has gotten better over the past few years, but here we are again, no lights and no heat. TXU indicates that it will be 11:00 before we get power back.

I'm sitting at Starbucks waiting for V to get off work so we can go out to dinner. I have a catalytic heater if the power is not back on by the time we get home, and plenty of emergency lighting so that is not a problem. We could have ate dinner at home, but this is a good excuse to go out.

Let's see if I can get a worthwhile post in before V gets off work.

Update: The power came back on sometime between 0300 and 0430. I had hot water for my shower at 0450. We lit enough candles to read by, opened a bottle of champagne, and used the catalytic heater to keep the Master Bedroom nice and cozy through the night.

A Colt Auction

Greg Martin Auctions presents the "Fine and Collectible Arms, Sporting Guns and Knives" auction at the Riviera Hotel & Casino on Sunday, January 18th.

This auction is:

Featuring the Colt Factory Archive Collection and a private collection from a northern California gentleman including the Colt Single Action Army Revolver Serial Number 1.

One of the fine firearms on the block is the Colt Python "Walking Tall" Special Edition Revolver shown above and here.

The estimate on the above is $900 to $1200.

If you are a Colt fan, you need to browse this auction catalog which includes over 400 firearms from the Colt Archive Collection. Estimates range from a couple hundred dollars up to near half a million dollars, so there is something for everyone.

Update: Thought I should add a couple of images of the Serial No. 1 Colt Single Action Army Revolver

Serial no. 1. 6-shot fluted cylinder, 7 1/2-inch barrel with slanted barrel address, "+ Colt's Pt. FAA. Mfg. Co., Hartford, Ct. U.S.A. +" on top of barrel. Left side of frame with two-line patent marking, "-Pat. July. 25.1871-/-Pat. July. 2. 1872.-" Serial no. 1 stamped on bottom of frame, on triggerguard strap, buttstrap, bottom of breech of barrel, and in ink on grips inside cutout for backstrap. K inspector initial on back of cylinder. 8 on inside curve of loading gate. Pinched top strap forming rear sight, German silver front sight blade. Round ejector rod head, with bulbous contour to loading gate. Blued finish, with case-hardened frame and hammer. Varnished walnut grips.

To learn more about The Serial No. 1 Colt Single Action Army Revolver, go here.

Day at the Gun Show

This was not a normal day at the gun show for me, I did not have much time to walk the tables and see what all was available as I was helping out with the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) recruiting table in the afternoon.

The afternoon started with lunch at the Original Market Diner with Ken Emanuelson and a few other folks from the North Texas Gun Owners. The diner is near enough to Market Hall that folks could walk from the gun show to lunch if they wanted. This was a good thing as the road between Market Hall and the diner was closed for construction. We spent the hour talking guns, politics and blogging over a good selection of diner style lunches. Many of the clientele of the dinner are politically left of center and one of the guys in the couple I was talking with while waiting for Ken to arrive asked us not to shoot up the place when he saw the "North Texas Gun Owners" buttons Ken and the other were wearing.

The line to get into the gun show was still quite long at 1:00, I am glad that I was working the show this time and did not have to wait to get in. I met my friend Phil at the freight entrance and he gave me the vendors button that got me in the back door. We talked with a few folks at the TSRA, and even signed a few up. Most of those we spoke with professed to already being members of the organization.

I saw that Tiger Valley had a table so I took a quick break to go over and say hi to T.J., the owner and lead instructor at that great range. On the way over I saw a banner for something called "Tactical Girls". I thought that might be a group that V would be interested in, a woman only action shooting type organization. I was wrong, but, I am glad I stopped by the table. Tactical Girls is a girls and guns calendar.

Much more than just girls with guns, Tactical Girls™ captures the raw sensuality of these powerful female action characters in realistic settings with some of the world’s most exotic weaponry.

Tactical Girl "Rachel" was working the table, signing calendars and talking with people.

This is Rachel.

Rachel was fun and engaging to talk with. I purchased a calendar and she included V in her message when she autographed the calendar. This stop did not leave much time for me to say hi to TJ, so back to the TSRA table I went.

It looked to be a busy gun show, and we did recruit more members for the Texas State Rifle Association. If you live in Texas, and you own a firearm, you really should become a member of the Texas State Rifle Association.

This Afternoon at the Market Hall Gun Show

I will be helping out at the Texas State Rifle Association table. Stop and say "Hi" if you make it to the show today.

It Has Been a Good While...

...since I have had to worry about cleaning a firearm after shooting corrosive ammunition through it. I am back in the barrel flushing groove with the purchase of the Mosin Nagant and a tuna can full of Bulgarian 7.62 x 54r surplus ammo from Military Gun Supply.

I did a quick web search to see if there was a new "wonder cleaner" for removing the salts left in the barrel and on the firearm after firing ammunition with corrosive primers, and found that not much has changed since the pre-internet days when I fired a lots of milsurp ammo. Basically flush the barrel and other components exposed to combustion gasses with Windex and hot water then clean as you would any other firearm.

What I did find that I thought was interesting were these images of a .50 BMG rifle that had not been properly maintained while shooting corrosive ammunition.

Warning these images are quite disturbing and may cause emotional distress.







Like I said, these images are not for everyone. To see a rifle that I desire but will most likely never be able to afford neglected like that is painful to say the least.

All it takes to prevent damage like that illustrated above is a little elbow grease and attention to detail.

A couple of good resource for information on how to clean a firearm after shooting corrosive ammunition through it can be found here and here.

A Day at the Range

Today was just about a perfect day to hit the range. A clear sky, a very slight breeze, and the temperature reached the mid 70's. USCitizen (from Traction Control) and I arrived first and I found a table to spread my tools of the day.


USCitizen had his own table, and I am sure he will post images of all the fun stuff he brought to the show. Other than firearms, USCitizen brought a couple of younger shooters to keep us old guys in check.


Then stringer corespondent for A Keyboard and a .45, Tony 3 Dogs, arrived with his new Remington R-15 and a few other goodies to round out the firing line.

What the heck is he shooting at?


That yellow object high in the splash is a tennis ball. Bouncing tennis balls out of the water is quite a blast, especially when you get them several stories up in the air. Sinking the tennis ball is a no no, so you want to miss by just the right amount to throw the ball high in the air.

I do believe that a good time was had by one and all.

Just About Ready For...

...tomorrow's day at the range.



Should be something for just about everyone.

Zootshooters in Action

I found this over at Mixed Brass