Day at the Range

While sitting around at the breakfast table this morning, the topic of firearms came up and Oldest Grandson mentioned that he wanted to go shooting. Well... What's a Papa JR to do but head out to the range.

I had not told my grandson that I had purchased this new rifle. I was waiting for him to show an interest in going back out to the range before I did, so it was a nice surprise for him.

The little Marlin 15YN fit him perfectly, and he had a good time shooting it. Most of his shooting was standing at 5 yards, then from sand bags at 25. He also put a few rounds through the Ruger Mark 1. I also brought the AR, just to show him how it operated. He had mentioned in the past that he wanted to see me shoot it, so I brought it along. After I shot it a couple of times, he decided that he wanted a turn. His first shot was standing with one round in the magazine. I helped support the weight of the barrel, and he pulled it in tight against his shoulder. After his first shot, there was a smile as big as Texas on his face. A bit latter he wanted another go at it, this time on the sand bags.

I took this picture between his fourth and fifth shot. Note the finger control.

Another good thing about taking the grandson to the range, he is one heck of a brass scrounger.

The Carbine Match

The Carbine Match went a bit longer than expected and I did not make it home in time to get to the birthday party. V left me with a shopping list, so after my shower I went out and bought the rest of the food for the pool party later this afternoon. On the bright side I have a couple quiet moments to report on the match.

We shot six stages and went through a little over a hundred rounds of ammunition. Twenty four shooters showed up, and we split into two groups. I think that I ended up in the more interesting of the two groups. We had a wide range of firearms and skill sets on the line, and everyone got along very well. In our group we had one shooter with a lever action, and one with an M1 Carbine. The rest of us shot AR's of one sort or another. Most folks had flat tops with optics, a couple of us had A1/A2's with iron sights.

The lever action fell out midway through the match with what appeared to be a pretty serious failure of his firearm. Hopefully it appeared worse that it was and turns out to be an easy fix. One individual had a squib load. Thankfully the bullet cleared the barrel, the action did not cycle. I think the M1 Carbine had a stove pipe, but I was not standing where I could see and tell for sure. I am happy to say that the problem I had with the trigger pin last week is well and truly resolved, it did not move a bit and my Mixmaster Dissipater functioned flawlessly.

When I showed up to this match, I had two goals. I did not want to get any procedural errors, and I did not want to put any holes in the "no shoot" targets. After the walk through, I added a third goal. One of the stages included firing three shots at a hostage taker from a kneeling position around cover at 25 yards. I very much wanted to do good on this one target, and I did. That made my whole day.

If you can't tell, I had a blast. We got to shoot moving targets, and at targets while moving. We shot prone, kneeling, standing, walking and crouching. It turns out that I did not need the drop leg ammo pouch after all, but don't tell V that. I bought it, so it is getting used.

The guys at Cross Timbers IDPA did a great job with this match. This was their (I can soon say our as I am joining CTIDPA) first Carbine Match, and I thought it ran very smoothly. The pre-match training that was held last weekend was a very good idea and went a long way towards helping those of us who had not done this sort of thing before fit right in.

Busy Day Ahead

Carbine Match followed by #1 Grandson's birthday party followed by a pool party at a friends for the extended grand kids. Gonna be a great day!

Let Us Suppose...

Let us suppose, just for a moment, that you or I were out and about at 0200, driving down a major thruway when we were cut off by some idiot in an SUV. Would we get irritated? Sure, maybe even quite angry at the jerk who needs a lesson or two in how to drive.

Now, let's say that we got really angry, angry enough to chase this guy through stop lights, catch up to him in an apartment complex, and fire three rounds at the passenger as he ran away. To make this story even more interesting, we smell of alcohol.

What would happen to you or I, in such a situation? Think about it for a second, where would we be right now if one of us did something like that?

Well, if we happen to be a Pasadena Texas police officer, we get 18 months probation for a Class A misdemeanor, a $400 fine, are required to attend anger management classes, do community service and undergo random urine tests.

Zero jail time, a minor slap on the wrist and off he goes.

Some of us animals must be much more equal than others.

Was this an isolated incident, a fluke, not evidence of a problem with the Pasadena police department?

Kacz is at least the fourth Pasadena officer prosecuted criminally since last year. His conviction comes at a time when Pasadena officers Jason W. Buckaloo and Christopher S. Jones are under investigation for their role in the July 21 homicide of Pedro Gonzales Jr.

Guess not.

Read the whole story here.

Thanks to Ryan for the link.

Good Job to Irving Texas

From the Star Telegram:

CRIMINAL ALIEN PROGRAM

Irving police have been screening arrested people and have turned over 1,373 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials this year. Data from the city show that the number of prisoners turned over to ICE is increasing.

About four illegal immigrants a month were identified among people arrested in Irving before police began the Criminal Alien Program, according to police data.

About 50 a month were identified after police started the program in September 2006.

About 130 a month were being identified by April.

Up to 300 a month are being identified now, according to the mayor.

Now that is good news. The police working with ICE to deport criminal illegals. The mayor and city council of Irving have instructed the police force to screen everyone who is arrested to determine their citizenship or immigration status, and turn the illegals over to ICE. This is what every police department in the country should be doing.

The article I pulled these statistics from?

It is this one by Patrick McGee:

Angry over deportations, activists protest in Irving

Mr. McGee also wrote:

Deportations lead to protest

Carlos Quintanilla organized the protest against the police program, in which officials screen all inmates for possible referral to federal immigration authorities. He urged the crowd to boycott Irving businesses and to call the mayor to demand an end to deportations.

This has become quite the event here in North Texas. It is a bit depressing to see the images of well over a thousand people protesting the fact that the city is turning illegals who have gotten themselves cross ways with the police over to ICE.

What Irving is doing proves that new laws are not necessary. We do not need a new immigration bill, we need to enforce our current immigration laws. Enforcing the current laws, along with securing the border will go a very long way towards restoring the rule of law and stopping the flood of illegals over our borders.

Handling Firearms

I often talk about the Four Rules of Firearm Safety, usually when commenting on a negligent discharge that makes the news.

A quick refresher before we continue:

1. All firearms are loaded - There are no exceptions, period. Know this rule and live it. Handle all firearms accordingly.
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy - If you are not willing to see a bullet hole in it, do not allow a firearm's muzzle to point at it. If you are doing dry fire drills in your home, extra care needs to be made to insure that ammo is not even in the same room as you are. Dry fire drills can be dangerous because they do violate Rule #2.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target - You do not gain any speed at all by keeping your finger on the trigger. Keep it out of the guard until you are sighted on the target. Practice this until it becomes second nature. If this rule were followed 100% of the time, there would be no negligent discharges.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it - Be aware of your surroundings whether on a range, in the woods, or in a potentially lethal conflict. Never shoot at sounds or at a target you can not positively identify.

Following these four rules should become a natural part of handling a firearm, and need to be practiced each and every time you handle a gun.

An area in which I may have been remiss, is in talking about proper gun etiquette, explaining how to follow the Four Rules in every day life. I will work on that in future commentary on firearm safety issues.

What brought all this to mind is a post by Xavier, Passing Guns. That post, and the comments attached to it, describe how to properly pass a firearm to another person. This is a very important lesson for new firearms owners, and one that is often not taught at the sales counter.

Civis Proeliator shares his final lesson on passing guns in Revisiting My Younger Days, a short story of a father's tough love.

Both of these commentaries are well worth your time.

A Bit of Irony in NJ

An interesting video of an assassination attempt on a NJ corrections officer can be found here.

The officer had a concealed firearm, and was able to protect himself by killing the goblin.

Note the irony. This incident occurred just three days after the brutal murder of three college students behind a near by school.

In NJ, the officer has the opportunity to protect himself, the college kids did not.

The officer survived his attack, the college kids did not.

I guess that in NJ, an officer's life is much more valuable that yours or mine. Why else would we be denied the same right to self defense that an off duty officer enjoys?

Thanks to Tony for the video.

My Response to a Castle Doctrine Comment

Over the weekend I received a comment in my post "The Texas Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground Law Makes it Through Committee" that I feel requires a new post for a proper response. This comment was allegedly written by Ryann Rathbone, the girlfriend of the musician who was shot in Dallas while banging on a neighbor's back door at Oh Dark Thirty in the morning.

Her comment:

Anonymous said...

Please read:

i've been in the news... I'm Carter Albrecht's girlfriend, and I hate this law... i want to fight to see it changed. It's ashame that no justice will be served for Carter...

Here's my open letter:

I want everyone to know:

-what a wonderful, talented loving man Carter is. A brilliant musician, but more importantly the most amazing man I've ever known.

I do not blame Chantix for his death. It explains his behavior, but not his death. I do think people should be made aware of warning signs of adverse reactions before they take Chantix.

Carter died from a bullet. Shot through a door that was half GLASS. The bullet was shot through glass. There was a motion light by the backdoor where he was shot. There were no dents or scuffs on the door where Carter was "banging."

I BLAME the CASTLE DOCTRINE for allowing anyone to kill someone by shooting through a window or door (glass or not), with no other reason than to claim, "I was scared."

What if Carter was asking for help? What if I had run nextdoor to ask for help, and banged on the door? Is it still okay to shoot me; if you're scared?

How late at night is too late to "bang" on someone's door? How loud does a "bang" on a door have to be before you can justify shooting the person on the other side?

Who shoots a warning shot through a well-lit glass backdoor at someone's head and then claims "I tried to aim high?" "I was scared."

Chantix is the only thing that makes any sense of Carter's behavior the night he was killed.

The real cause of his death, and the law that allows this makes none.

I have no means of verifying that this comment was in fact written by Mz Rathbone, but for the sake of my response, I will assume it was.

Ma'am, I am sorry for your loss and would not wish the pain and grief you are going through upon anyone. I do not wish to add to your suffering, but feel that I need to respond to your comments.

It was not the Castle Doctrine that caused the death of Carter, it was Carter's actions that caused his death.

If I understand the chain of events, the evening progressed along these lines:

You and Carter had been out partying and you drove a drunk Carter back to your house. When you got home, Carter became angry and slammed a glass down on the table and cut his hand. Carter then began to hit you in the face with closed fists, knocking you to the floor. Carter hit you again when you were on the floor. When you were able to break free, you ran outside. When Carter followed you outside, you went around to the back yard and through the back door, locking him out of your house.

This is the important part. You locked Carter out of your house. You locked Carter out because you were afraid of him. Carter had become violent and was beating you, the woman he loved. You did the right thing, you protected yourself.

Reports do not mention if you dialed 911 at that time.

When Carter could not get back into your house, he moved on to the neighbor's. If Carter beat on you, the woman he loved, what would have been the fate of the neighbors had he gotten in?

Your neighbors awoke to a violent man, beating on their back door. The news headlines have been filled with reports of home invasions, folks being killed by burglars. 2 shot during home invasion and Robbers wear 'Scream' masks during home invasion are just two of the local incidents that occurred in the weeks leading up to the night of Carter's death. You will probably recall that the national news was heavily reporting on the home invasion in Connecticut that ended with the husband having to watch his wife and daughters brutalized and murdered.

Castle Doctrine had nothing to do with your neighbor shooting Carter. I very much doubt that the words "Castle Doctrine" even entered your neighbors thoughts as Carter was attempting to break down the door. Your neighbor saw a threat, and took action to protect himself and his wife. I most likely would have handled that threat differently and not fired through the door. But I was not there.

Sadly, this is the world we live in now. The late night banging and hollering at your door is most likely someone intending you harm, not someone needing help. You have to admit, it seems that Carter intended harm to whoever may have been in that home. Carter may not have been a violent man, but at that moment he was a goblin.

It was Carter's violent, drug and alcohol induced rage that caused his death.

As Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd stated in her editorial "Don't throw blame at terrified homeowner":

It's not out of line, or even unusual, for people who cared about Carter Albrecht to be scrambling for answers and explanations.

It is out of line to suppose that a man awakened in the middle of the night by a lunatic trying to beat the door down should be able to tell whether it's a popular musician or an escaped convict on the porch.

More information on the Texas Castle Doctrine Bill can be found here.

Responsibility-Not Rhetoric

On September the 8th, a forest fire was started in the Bald Mountains of Oregon by an idiot shooting incendiary rounds into the woods. Many of you have already read the editorial published in the Statesman Journal calling for the out and out ban of .50 BMG ammunition and the rifles that use it. This article was written by Carol McAlice Currie (with a little help from the Violence Policy Center and the ATF).

If you happened to have missed this verbal assault against an inanimate object, click the following link.

Ammo that sparked fire already should be banned

Michael Marks, the Federal Affairs Director of the Fifty Caliber Institute has published his response to Mz Currie's diatribe. And an excellent response it is.

Responsibility-Not Rhetoric

...Rhetoric is the refuge of those who have no original thought, Ms. Currie, and if our only hope of saving our forest is by banning everything with which those who are challenged by a lack of common sense among us can make fire, we will have to ban the very sticks in the forest themselves.

The discussion that should be on the minds and lips of every American is not how to bubble-wrap the planet and idiot-proof every possible hazard. It should be instead on resurrecting the ideals of personal responsibility, of educating our citizens as to the impact of their actions. Moreover, it should focus on holding the minority who are challenged, accountable for their insipid deeds. The tools of our potential destruction lay everywhere, it is only by staying the hand that wields one that we can know peace and safety and preserve the environments that we cherish.

It is this aversion to accountability which I find most unfathomable. Can the banners of the world be so lacking in imagination that a knee jerk "ban it" is the best idea they can offer? Drunk drivers kill thousands each year, yet we do not ban alcohol, much less cars. But try to put a drunk away for a sincerely harsh sentence and the same bleeding hearts that will ban things in a second come out to embrace the poor, misunderstood drunk and cry for his next chance to take to the road, beer in hand, and kill again.

If bans worked, then we would have "drug free zone" signs plastered on every city corner. We would have "violence free zone" signs in every home and nary a wife or child would be abused. We would have law and order because each and every citizen, no matter how evil or twisted, would sigh and abandon their malicious ways lest they run afoul of a ban. One needs no well-honed sense of sarcasm to note the fallacy of that supposition, nor will the rose-colored immaturity of someone who thinks that bans achieve anything but the waste of taxpayer money.

You want to help stop fires, Ms. Currie? Petition for a change of law that says that anyone causing a fire will be responsible for full financial restitution of all costs to include firefighting, costs of replanting, and criminal responsibility for every scrap of property and personal injury, with perhaps a "double bonus round" for those whose actions meet the criteria for not acting reasonably in circumstances such as this. (and I would argue this incident qualifies.) Make the cost of causing harm so high that it causes fear, and then stick to your principals. Let society take a stand that says we are sick of this type of irresponsibility; we are tired of negligent fires no matter what was used to cause them.

That was a small part of the rebuttal by Mr. Marks. This reasoning can be used to counter any of the anti's rhetoric involving bans and controls of inanimate objects. Head on over and read the article in it's entirety

Gun Show Report

It has been awhile since my last "Gun Show Report", so here we go.

Last weekend was the Big Town show. V and I went early on Saturday as we had two of the grandchildren Saturday evening. It is not often that I get to a gun show that early on a Saturday, and there were less people there than I expected. I picked up a drop leg magazine pouch and a dump pouch for the carbine matches. V picked up a range bag (that she has already decided is too small).

Gun shows are an interesting study in marketing, and seeing as how I am contemplating opening my own shop, I try to pay attention to what goes on at the various shows. There is a gun show almost every weekend in N. Texas. Big Town is the second largest and draws literally thousands of potential customers into the hall. Even the smaller shows in Fort Worth have excellent draws. As I walk the tables looking for that one item that I did not know I needed, I am listening to the dealers. It never fails that I overhear one dealer or another griping about slow sales. At the Big Town show I overheard a dealer complaining about how he only sold three things at the previous Fort Worth show. I was at that Fort Worth show, and it had a very good turn out, many dealers had folks lined up to fill out paperwork.

Even as early as it was at this show, the usual dealers had folks in the chairs filling out paperwork, and others were twiddling their thumbs.

I have a hint for dealers who can not sell at a N. Texas gun show. If you only make three sales to the thousands of people who walk past your table, no one wants the crap you are selling for the price you are selling it at. Stop bitching about it, and figure out what you are doing wrong. It is not the promoters fault, and it is not the folks who pay to come to the gun shows fault, it is your fault that you can not sell to a crowd this size. If you are going to sit behind your table, complaining about your lack of sales where I can hear you, don't expect me to improve your fortune.

Today was Market Hall, arguably the best gun show in N. Texas. I had a little something to get done at work this morning and V came to help so we could go to the show after we got done. I enjoy the Market Hall show. I know several of the vendors and usually run into someone on the customer side of the tables that I know. There were four different Barrett rifles on the tables this time. One of these days I am going to have the extra cash to own my own Model 82. There was a nice selection of mil-surp rifles (as usual), and it seemed that there were more Black Rifles and black rifle accessories available than before. I wanted to pick up a couple Wilson Combat Elite Tactical Magazines (1911) to compare with my Tripp Research Cobra Mags. Robbie of Lone Star Wholesale ran out of the Wilson Combat ETM's before I got there (he had a whole box full of 'em last weekend), so you will have to wait until next time for that review. We did walk out of there with a sack full of stuff, me with cleaning supplies and V with new hearing protection. Only $135.00 down, and $40.00 of that was in tickets for an NRA drawing, not bad for a gun show.

Note to gun show ammo dealers. Yes we know the price of ammo is going up, we also know when you are running way ahead of that curve. Ammo prices at the last few shows have been, for the most part, ridiculous.

The Texas State Rifle Association did decently during the show, they signed up over 50 new members. I have said it before, and I will say it again; If you are a Texas Firearm owner, you need to be a member of the TSRA. To join the Texas State Rifle Association, click here. If you tell them I sent you, James Dark (the Executive Director) would owe me a beer at the next Lone Star Friends of NRA Banquet.

Day at the Range

Cross Timbers IDPA has worked with our range to start running IDPA style carbine matches every 5th Saturday of the month. September is the first month with five Saturdays since all the details were worked out, so this will be our first month holding this match. I just so happen to have a carbine, and it sounds like fun, so I have signed up to shoot the match next weekend. This is something new for most of us, so we had a bit of pre-match safety training today.

Today's instructor was Steve Moses of Bluff Dale Firearms Academy. Steve did a great job of working with us and getting us prepared to have a safe and enjoyable match. I really appreciate the fact that Steve did this training for free, and am impressed with his dedication to safety and his teaching style.

I was the only one out there with a Dissipator style AR. There was one SP1, and one SBR'd Armalite. The rest were carbines that ranged from the very basic to the Super Tacti-Kool. It will be interesting to see how everyone holds up during a match. Today there was one double feed (the SBR), and the most Super Tacti-Kool rifle on the range had a very hard time running at all. During the very last drill my trigger pin walked out and I could not fire, that issue has been resolved and will not occur again.

After the training, I went over to the 100/200 yard range to run some more ammo through the AR (If I'm gonna have to clean it, might as well make sure it is good and dirty) and try out my Grandson's new .22. All and all a good day at the range, and it looks like we will have a good group of folks shooting in the carbine matches.

Get home, clean guns, remedy trigger pin problem, then head out to the lake for a barbeque. It has been a busy day. Not bad for the last day of Summer.

Just a Little Reminder

Remember Brady II?

Dave Kopel does.

Brady II: The Objectives of the Gun Control Lobby

Dave starts with a little history;

In the early fall of 1994, the gun control movement achieved unprecedented success in Congress. The "Brady Bill" had been enacted in November 1993, and went into effect in February 1994. After a very tough political fight, President Clinton's omnibus crime bill was passed in August 1994. The bill included a 10-year ban on so-called "assault weapons," as well as other gun controls. Handgun Control, Inc. (which later changed its name to "The Brady Campaign" promptly began to push for legislation which it called "Brady II."

Although the bill was introduced, it did not receive a hearing in the final weeks of Congress before the election. The November 1994 elections resulted in a Republican landslide; in a December 1994 interview with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, President Clinton stated that the NRA was the reason that the Republicans had won control of Congress.

Nevertheless, Brady II is worth remembering as a roadmap for the gun control lobby's hopes for "the next step" in federal gun control.

He then reminds us of the provisions of Brady II in some detail.

Remember Arsenal licensing? How about nationwide handgun licenses, or increased taxes on firearm and ammo sales? This bill attempted to expand the list of persons banned from firearm ownership and banned many pistols and all magazines with a capacity over 6 rounds. There were several other provisions of this bill that are worth noting. Brady II is what the anti's have planned for our future.

Well, actually it is just the next step.

If "Brady II" had become law, what would have been the key to "Brady III" or "Brady IV"? Mrs. Brady has already told us.

She wants a "needs-based licensing" system, under which no one could own any gun unless the local police chief decided that the person "needed" to have the gun. (Erik Eckhom, "A Little Gun Control, a Lot of Guns," New York Times, Aug. 15, 1993, p. B1).

Ownership of a gun for protection would not be considered a legitimate "need." Says Mrs. Brady "To me, the only reason for guns in civilian hands is for sporting purposes." (Tom Jackson, "Keeping the Battle Alive," Tampa Tribune, Oct. 21, 1993.)
The Brady Campaign's current rhetoric is much milder, and the group claims not to oppose defensive gun ownership.

Remember this each and every time an anti mentions "common sense gun laws".

Head on over to The Volokh Conspiracy and read the whole thing here. It is a powerful reminder of what is at stake.

Nice Job Kid

Update on the Negligent Discharge at Temple Emanu-El

A week ago I asked you to Join in the Conversation about a negligent discharge in a synagogue, and carrying in places of worship.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Mr. Marvin Marks (81) dropped a concealed handgun during services and the firearm discharged, striking his daughters foot. Fragments of bullet/floor also struck two others. None were seriously injured.

There is an update:

By Jeffrey Weiss

Member of Temple Emanu-El synagogue apologizes

Temple Emanu-El of Dallas is sending members an unusual pre-Yom Kippur message:

Please don't pack heat in the synagogue.

And by the way, the fellow who dropped his gun last week is very, very sorry.

The special letter, mailed Tuesday in advance of this weekend's High Holiday services, was a reaction to an incident that briefly made last week's Rosh Hashanah service the most famous in the nation. But not in a good way.

A 50-year member of the congregation stood for a prayer Wednesday night, and his legally concealed handgun slipped to the floor and went off. Three people were slightly injured, but the service was not interrupted.

The man with the gun, Marvin Marks, is a retired police officer. He is not to be confused with Marvin Marks, the retired furniture store owner who was sitting one row back and a few seats over and had nothing to do with the mishap.

In the letter, the armed Mr. Marks explained what happened. He said he had started to carry a concealed gun years earlier after being threatened by someone he had previously arrested. Normally, he leaves the gun in his car when he goes places where guns aren't welcome.

"On Wednesday evening, I forgot to leave it in my car. I know this is a poor excuse for bringing it into temple with me, but that is the truth," he wrote.

The gun fell out, he wrote, and although the safety was on, it fired.

Mr. Marvin Marks is 81 years old. As I stated before, he was a young man during the Holocaust and he is witnessing an increase of anti Semitism today. I assumed that he, more than most, understood the need for adequate self defence. I cut him a bit of slack for dropping his sidearm, not much, but a bit. Now we learn that he is a retired police officer. All I have to say is Mr. Marks, you know better. You know how to properly secure a firearm in it's holster, and you know how to safely carry it. Your actions not only injured your daughter, but they put others at a much greater risk.

These are the consequences of your actions:

As for the synagogue, it's putting up new signs that make it clear that concealed handguns are not welcome. The old signs excluding guns did not specifically mention legally concealed weapons, temple spokesman Dana Moffatt said.

The synagogue has posted the proper 30.06 signage that prohibits the carry of concealed weapons by CHL holders. Nice job sir. You have disarmed the law abiding amongst your congregation.

On a side note.

I wrote the original reporter and requested make and model of the firearm involved. She has not responded. But I have been told that the firearm involved was a .380, a very old Beretta. I also understand that the bullet entered the daughters foot from the top of her foot, and exited through the bottom. As the two other injured individuals were injured by fragments it appears that, and this is only speculation, the gun discharged as Mr. Marks fumbled with it as it was falling.

So Close to a Darwin Award, But He Lived to Propagate

H/T Xavier

Great News

Armed and Safe is back at it.

Pistol Combo Set Raffle

If you are like me, you admire the quality workmanship that goes into a fully custom firearm. Also, if you are like me, the ability to plop down the multiple thousands of dollars to own one of these masterpieces is a bit out of your reach.

What if I told you that for as little as $10.00, you could have the chance to win not only a custom pistol, but a complete custom package including some serious training at one of the countries foremost facilities? What if I mentioned that each and every penny raised went to a good cause? You would have to get in on that action, wouldn't you?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (LTW) is a group of some of the countries best 1911 'smiths who collaborate on custom guns, raffle them off, and donate the proceeds to selected charities.

Let me present to you LTW#4

The pistol is not yet 100% complete, but ticket sales have commenced on this project.

Who is the Beneficiary of this raffle? AmericanSnipers.org, an organization structured to helping those that are on the front lines of safeguarding our freedoms.

A quick list of contributors to this project can be found here.

It is only $10.00. For a simple $10.00 bill you have a chance of owning a pistol that has been built by Stan Chen, Chuck Rogers, Don Williams, Ned Christiansen, and the shop of Yost-Bonitz Custom to name a few of the fine craftsmen working on this project.

Remember, this is for a good cause:

So what are you waiting for?

The Perfect Gun Shop

I have been contemplating going back into business for myself and opening a gun store. I have the general location, the name, and a basic business plan figured out. I do not yet have near the capitol necessary to make V (or myself for that matter) feel comfortable taking such a step, so this is still in the early thinking stages.

I would locate this shop in an area not far from the house, a small shopping district with freeway access surrounded by neighborhoods that consists mainly of single family homes. The lease rate for this area is comparatively low as the boutique style shopping has moved to the eastern end of town. The nearest gun shops are 15 to 20 minutes away, longer if there is traffic, and the closest big box stores are not really interested in selling firearms and firearm related supplies. I feel this is a good area for this type of shop.

I have the basic idea of what I would like for the shop to become, but need your help with some of the plans.

Describe your perfect gun shop.

Tell me what brings you back to your favorite shops, and what keeps you away from those you detest.

What merchandise are you surprised not to find in some shops? Heck, a list of necessities would be good just in case I have missed something.

This is important as if I do open the store, it will not be as a hobby, I will have to make a living at it. Good ideas now will help me be successful then.

Thanks

Blackwater Update

From Bloomberg TV:

By Ken Fireman and Robin Stringer

Blackwater Denies Any Wrongdoing in Shooting Incident

Response Defended

Tyrrell said the incident began when the motorcade ``took fire from various directions'' as it passed through a heavily trafficked area.

She said Blackwater personnel guarding the convoy responded with small-arms fire, shooting only at those who were attacking the motorcade. She said at least one Blackwater helicopter arrived on the scene and circled the area, yet didn't open fire.

``We responded well within the rules of engagement to protect our people,'' Tyrrell said. ``And we protected them and then we got out. They did their jobs defending American life.''

I know that this is a bit off topic for A Keyboard and a .45, but I find the use of civilian contractors such as Blackwater in Iraq interesting. I am not at all sure of the full scale of Blackwater involvement other than armed security for civilians, and wonder at the implications of their use.

Fred Thompson On MEET THE FITS

Fits over at Shooting the Messenger had the opportunity to speak briefly with Fred Thompson and ask a few good questions about his views on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Fred Thompson On MEET THE FITS

Make sure you read the comments, they are worth much more than the price of admission.

At the moment I am still working out in my mind who to support. I really like Duncan Hunter, but the press simply refuses to give him any air time. When he stood up for General Petraeus against the Dem's, there was nary a mention by the 10:00 talking heads. Fred Thompson, on the other hand, has the star appeal that gets his every move covered by the media. He already stands head and shoulders above the "top three" RINO's on the platform, and if he continues supporting Federalist ideals, then he would be someone I could stand behind.

The exciting part about these two candidates is the fact that I have two quality candidates to choose from. There is no "choosing the lesser evil" between these two.