Friday, October 30, 2009

Tennessee Landlords Can Ban Guns

Tennessee State Representative Tony Shipley (R) had a landlord who would not allow him to have guns in his apartment. Where the average Tennessean would either not accept the lease provision and rent elsewhere, or have to take the landlord to Court to fight the landlord's position, Shipley, as a State Representative did something that neither you or I can do. He asked the State Attorney General for a formal, written opinion.

Shipley asked the State Attorney General if a landlord can prohibit a tenant from having guns in his apartment.

He was stunned when the Attorney General's opinion said, “A landlord can prohibit tenants, including those with handgun permits, from possessing firearms within the leased premises. Such a prohibition can be imposed through a clause in the lease.“

There was a totally opposite Court ruling in San Francisco recently, when the city wrote leases banning guns from inside tenement apartments owned by the city. The Court struck down the city's prohibition against its tenants having guns in their leased city owned apartments.

The Tennessee opinion does raise other questions about the Bill of Rights. Can a landlord stop a tenant from exercising his freedom of religion by praying in his apartment? Can a landlord tell a tenant what he can and cannot read or write in his apartment? Can a landlord enter a tenant's apartment under lease provisions to look for guns. What other guaranteed Bill of Rights freedoms can a landlord ban?

The Opinion also said that a landlord can impose a ban through a clause in the lease, or in in parts of the state where the state's Uniform Landlord and Tenant Act applies, by including the ban as a rule for governing the use of property by all tenants. The Attorney General also said that the landlord doesn't have to post signs warning that firearms are prohibited for the ban to have legal effect in civil courts. However, a the tenant couldn't be prosecuted under criminal laws unless signs are posted.

Interestingly enough, the Bill of Rights generally applies only to actions by the Government and the States when incorporated to them by the 10th Amendment, such as the warrant requirement for police searches, and not to actions by private individuals, and generally not to landlord tenant leases.

Unlike some states such as Michigan, where an Attorney General's opinion is legally binding, the Tennessee Attorney General's legal opinion does not have any legal weight, and is unenforceable.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Which Washington Democrat is the Scariest?

With Halloween fast approaching this weekend, The National Republican Senatorial Committe released a scarier-than-fiction new Web video entitled "Paranormal Taxivity."

The video highlights the terrifying reality that Americans face as they find themselves trapped in a real life horror film, falling victim to President Obama and Senate Democrats' uncontrollable spending, higher taxes, and government-run health care proposals.

Is "paranormal taxivity" plaguing you? Watch this video and vote for the scariest Democrat in Washington.

Caution, this video is rated BG for Big Government.

http://www.nrsc.org/paranormal-taxivity.html?tr=y&auid=5526201

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

University of Washington Campus Vigilantes Arm Themselves

A College student who has been robbed four times formed a self defense group called “University of Washington Campus Vigilantes.” Their goal was to patrol the area surrounding campus with other students who had concealed-pistol permits. It is currently illegal to carry guns on campus.

The group started a Facebook page under the name of “University of Washington Campus Vigilantes.”

Don't bother going to Facebook to see the page now because it was removed by Facebook site administration due to a "Violation of Terms of Service." They had 15 members before being TOS'ed by Facebook officials.

The group may not officially exist anymore, but students still carry concealed handguns in the area surrounding the University. Students believe that they still need to protect themselves since the campus police department investigated 10 robberies and assaults, mostly against students since the beginning of September.

Anti gun groups are apoplectic about the group's formation. In a Brady blog, they said, "...our movement believes that fewer people carrying guns will help make our neighborhoods safer."

The Bradys also proudly proclaim, "The gun lobby believes the opposite, that the solution to dangerous neighborhoods is pushing more people to carry more guns." They say the students' actions are paranoid.

The Bradys further say that many in the blogosphere make it a point to "Denigrate law enforcement." We are not denigrating law enforcement on this blog. Law enforcement performs as well as it can perform when you consider manpower, distances involved, and time needed to respond.

It is an indisputable fact that you can call 911 and be put on hold. You can call and get a busy signal. You can get an unconcerned 911 dispatcher. You can expect an 8 minute response time in the best of circumstances when you do reach 911.

Just this week 911 in Wyoming, Michigan was called for an emergency response when a neighbor heard frantic screaming at a neighboring residence. The 911 dispatcher told the caller to, "Call back if the screaming continued." A death resulted from 911 non response.

This writer believes believe that, "Police get there in minutes, when seconds count." There is no doubt about that.



Monday, October 26, 2009

Obama's Government Agencies To Push For Gun Control?

The Centers for Disease Control has been trying to get into the business of gun control for many years. The U.S. House cut off funds to the CDC for that almost 13 years ago after complaints that the CDC was trying to get support from the public for gun control and the appearance of joining hands with gun control groups like the Bradys.

The House believed then that the CDC should spend more time on preventing and controlling serious legitimate health issues such as infectious disease. Their mandate may be changing on their own initiative.

What actually is infectious now is the public's fast and furious purchase of firearms and ammunition, causing shortages of both since shortly before the "Golden Age of Obama" began.

Now, the government is at it again with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) currently financing gun control studies leading to implementing it in a more round about way. They are studying whether a neighborhood's having liquor stores put people at more risk of being shot.

There is no doubt a sometimes connection between bar brawls and other unpleasantness such as drunk driving arrests and alcohol use at bars exists. But, Obama and his government agencies want to link bars, alcohol use, and neighborhood shootings.

Making guns a health issue is Obama's latest tactic for ridding the United States of those pesky firearms. Further, if firearms ownership, use, storage, and possession are found to be health issues, then there are serious implications for gun owners.

With healthcare "reform" lurking in our future, Obama, the Bradys, Freedom States Alliance (what a name for an anti-gun freedom group), and other fringe lunatic liberal anti-gun groups are using this opportunity to force gun owners to pay higher health insurance rates if there are guns in the home, the car, and the office.

Lets not forget the additional "risks" that will be promoted and and the extra "health care costs" proposed by these anti-gun groups, and the higher health care insurance costs that Obama and the Bradys are salivating for directed at those who actually use guns at the range, for hunting, those who reload, and keep or use firearms for self defense.

A criminal being shot by a concealed pistol permit holder in self defense or by a gun wielding homeowner shooting a home invader bent on crime is certainly more of a a health risk to the criminal. Maybe the NIH, CDC, and Obama should concentrate on doing a study on the health risks of criminals being shot while they are committing crime. They are certainly more dangerous than the neighborhood liquor store or pub.

Obama, in his magnificent benificience, will require everyone to have health insurance or face consequences, fines, and possible jail time from the government.

Instead of targeting law abiding gun owners, he should charge higher premiums to those who are convicted of using a weapon to commit crimes. He should also charge higher health premiums to gun toting gang members. But, there is a political point to be made and a crisis to be found. Obama will find that a crisis exists. Or, they will create one. The White House believes that a good crisis can't be wasted.

Of course, like always, another law to a criminal is just another law to break.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Students Taking Pledge Not To Use Guns To Settle Disputes

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, a Minnesota based organization, is asking students across America to take an anti gun violence Pledge this month through their schools.

October 21st, 2009 was the latest Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence. However, thousands of students will be taking the anti gun violence pledge throughout October.

In some areas, such as Birmingham, Alabama, as many as 80 kids out of 100 carry guns. That is a frightening and ominous statistic. Some ten year olds have even had gun charges there. This pledge asks students not to carry guns and not to use them when they are angry.

On the surface, the pledge does not seem to be overtly anti-gun ownership. Nor is it known who the financial backers of the organization are. However, it is likely that many liberal public school teachers who administer the pledge will put their own anti gun ownership spin on the program and the pledge to influence students to their liberal way of anti firearms thinking.

The Pledge organization says that, “Each student will be give two copies of the pledge. One is a copy for himself/herself and the other goes to the most trusted adult in his or her life: a parent, a teacher, a minister or rabbi, an older sibling, grandparents, or a counselor. The students will be asked to remember that they have signed a contract and made a promise; the older adult can remind them of that importance of that promise.”

Here's the pledge for older students:

“I will never bring a gun to school;

I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute;

I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes.

My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference. Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.”

And, there's a simpler pledge for younger students, sounding like it comes from the NRA's "Eddie Eagle" gun safety program.

"If I see a gun, I won't touch it.

I will remember that any gun I see might be loaded.

I know how important it is to keep myself safe."

Unfortunately, this pledge will not be taken by school drop outs, a significant portion of young people. They will never be exposed to this particular anti violence by guns pledge. Alabama, for example, with its high illegal youth gun use, is cited in one study as ranking 44th in graduation the nation, with a 66.2 percent graduation rate in 2006 , well below the national rate of 74 percent. Even worse is Detroit, where Education Week, a weekly education newspaper did a study showing that the Detroit school dropout rate is 75%. Education Weekly also showed that in 2006 that the Washington D.C. graduation rate fell to 48.8 percent, down 8.8 percentage points from the previous year.

Teenage dropout "Gang Bangers" and self styled "Gangstas," who comprise a significant portion of so called “children” reported killed or injured by guns in studies highly promoted by Brady type groups will not be taking any pledge. That is, except pledges to their fellow gang members to keep rival gangs off their home turf by any means at their disposal, including the use of illegal guns.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Taser Issues A Warning To Its Stun Gun Users

The phrase, "Don't Tase me, Bro," has new meaning.

After many lawsuits resulting from cardiac deaths and injuries, and after many denials of any cause and effect in the use of Tasers causing cardiac events and even death, Taser has made changes in its usage manual.

The company has advised police and other users of the Taser not to strike a Taser target in the chest area with the 50,000 volt weapon.

In a striking departure from the previous company position of denial of any link between Taser use and subsequent cardiac arrest, the company now says that there is a "low probability" of adverse cardiac reaction to a person being Tasered.

With product liability in mind, the lawyers for Taser apparently have advised the company to issue a warning to avoid shooting the chest area to help prevent fatal injury and future lawsuits against the company and persons using the Taser device.

Some states, such as Michigan have made the use of Tasers by private citizens illegal. But, with the liberal handgun permit issuance laws in Michigan, permit holders are free to use handguns to stop an aggressor when a criminal puts Michiganians in harm's way.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Since They Can't Get Your Firearms Yet, They Have Gone After Your Ammunition

Its been predicted for a long time that if anti- gun groups can't get your guns, then They will go after your ammunition.

Governor Arnold Swartzenegger has done exactly that in signing a new law regulating ammunition sales. The ostensible goal is to track the bullets used in crimes.

Criminals will find another way to get their bullets. It will be where they get their guns...on the street. This is another gun law that will only affect the honest individual.

The Governor said just the week before that he would veto the new ammunition law, thus preventing opposition to his signature. Anyone violating this new law will face a misdemeanor charge.

The new law makes these changes in the way you will buy ammunition in California.

1) It will prohibit the sale of ammunition in a way that allows the ammunition to be accessible without the assistance of an employee. It has to be in a case where the customer has no access. You could have to stand in line to see what you are buying..

2) The dealer must ask for identification each time you buy handgun ammunition and the dealer will be required to record personal information including:

a. Your thumb print

b. Your Driver's license number

c. Your home address and telephone number

d. The brand and type of ammunition that you purchased

e. Your birth date

3) It will now be illegal to buy ammunition online or by mail order. It may become impossible to buy any ammunition not stocked by dealers.

In addition to crippling taxes, crime, and draconian gun laws, this is one more reason for Californians to move to gun friendlier Nevada or Arizona.

Governor Swartzenegger said in signing the bill, "Although I have previously vetoed legislation similar to this measure, local governments have demonstrated that requiring ammunition vendors to keep records on ammunition sales improves public safety. These records have allowed law enforcement to arrest and prosecute persons who have no business possessing firearms and ammunition: gang members, violent parolees, second and third strikers, and even people previously serving time in state prison for murder."


Will this start a new ammunition buying frenzy?

Since the dollar is tanking and gold prices are at new highs, all asset portfolios should include a substantial percentage of investment grade ammunition.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Obama Got A Nobel Prize- You Should Get One Too

Barack Obama was awakened from his dreams of being King of The World by Robert Gibbs to find out that he has accidentally taken a giant step to that office.

Many believe that the award really should be for the fleecing of the American taxpaying public with his stimulus plans and big spending. No one has ever been able to create a deficit like Obama.

He got the prize simply because he wasn't George Bush.

Obama's prize equals the accomplishments of those recently celebrated for inventing a bra that can be converted into a gas mask and Scientists who determined that beer bottles can crack your skull even when empty.

It rivals the accomplishment of Zimbabwe's issuing banknotes ranging in value from one cent to 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollars, a goal Obama is striving to match.

Barack's prize also equals the accomplishments of Mexican scientists who made diamonds from tequila, and four banks in Iceland that failed spectacularly.

He is being commended by the committee for delaying the request for more troops in Afghanistan and his optimism, slow pace, and work for an American failure there. Special recognition is deserved for his plans to close Guantanamo in January, with no place to send its residents. Maybe they can join Ghadaffi and pitch a tent on the White House lawn.

He received special merit for the politicizing and attempted nationalization of U.S. healthcare. Obama says that he receives the award as a "call to action," meaning that he has not completed his quest to completely socialize all aspects of American life from cradle to grave.

Obama plans to donate the prize money to establish a Hip Hop hall of fame on the Washington Mall.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

That Ain't Workin. That's The Way You Do It. Get Your Money For Nothin. Get Your Chicks For Free

Dire Straits got it right when they sang, "That ain't workin. That's the way you do it. Get your money for nothin. Get your chicks for free.

Sixty to sixty five thousand showed up at two Detroit locations to get their free money. They want a piece of the 3,500 grants of $3,000.00 each in free money from Obama to "Prevent homelessness." Its from the economic stimulus.
Fights broke out when the applications weren't being passed out fast enough to suit the free money crowd, and when applications ran out. The Detroit Police Department Gang Squad was called out to try to restore order. Some sold phony applications outside the locations for $20.00 a copy.

These giveaways, along with the rest of the Obama welfare state, has many considering retirement to get Government subsidized housing, food, healthcare, and now, money for nothing.

Does the crowd know that the source of the money is from taxpayers from whom Obama took it from to "Spread the Wealth? Do they care? NO.
Ken Roguluski from WJR in Detroit interviewed people in line for stimulus cash.
ROGULSKI: Did you get an application to fill out yet?
WOMAN: I sure did. And I filled it out, and I am waiting to see what the results are going to be.
ROGULSKI: Will you know today how much money you're getting?
WOMAN: No, I won't, but I'm waiting for a phone call.
ROGULSKI: Where's the money coming from?
WOMAN: I believe it's coming from the City of Detroit or the state.
ROGULSKI: Where did they get it from?
WOMAN: Some funds that was forgiven (sic) by Obama.
ROGULSKI: And where did Obama get the funds?
WOMAN: Obama getting the funds from... Ummm, I have no idea, to tell you the truth. He's the president. (Umm..Umm...Um)
ROGULSKI: In downtown Detroit, Ken Rogulski, WJR News.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Bloomberg After Gun Shows Again With Another Firearm Purchase Sting

Michael Bloomberg hired undercover investigators who traveled to 7 gun shows in Tennessee, Ohio, and Nevada to secretly videotape firearm purchases. Bloomberg says that the sales were illegal.

These investigators had audio recorders in their watches and video cameras in their caps. They would negotiate a gun purchase and tell the seller that they likely couldn't pass the instant check. The guns were sold anyway in 19 of 30 purchase attempts. 11 sellers knew the law.

He also complains that these states have not closed the "Gun Show Loophole." Occasional gun sellers can sell guns. Even though the city has no legal authority over the sellers, Blomberg hired them to make an anti gun point. he city has no legal authority over the dealers and is using its findings to make a point.

The buys took place this summer, and the million and a half dollar cost was picked up by NYC taxpayers. 1 1/2 million is just chump change to billionaire Bloomberg.

Bloomberg is sending a copy of the City report on the "Sting" operation to BATFE and every member of Congress.

We were recently at a gun show in Michigan, and heard a man tell a seller that he couldn't pass a background check, and told the seller that he would send his wife later to buy it. The man who owned the guns on the table asked the man for his wife's name so he could hold the gun. After the man left, he told a friend at the table that he would not sell the gun to the wife either if she showed up.


Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Just Put My Ashes In a 50 Caliber Ammo Can

Just the other night, my wife and I, both Baby Boomers, were talking about what to do after the "final" illness. We both want cremation...nothing fancy.

So we shopped around for cremation prices for me. No problem, we found prices from $500.00 to $1,000.00. Not being one to buy the most expensive; although, $1,000.00 is not the most expensive, or being one to buy the cheapest, I'll pick something in the middle.

Then, with that done, what to do with my ashes? I would like them spread at some of my favorite places. That naturally leads to the question, "How to carry them there?"

Looking up "Cremation Urns," I was stunned by sticker shock. Many people spend far more for an Urn than they spend on the cremation itself.

There are thousands of urns to chose from. I found "Cultured" cremation urns from $39.95 to $1,089.00. These won't do. In my high school senior English class, the teacher called the whole class "cultural cripples," because of our lack of culture and appreciation of classic writings and the fine arts.

I found "Companion" urns from $65.00 to $1,499.00. Does this mean that there is room for two in it? Or, are your survivors supposed to carry it with them everywhere they go?

And, there are "Sport" urns from $187.95 to $6,199.00. Each had a figure of football, or hockey,
or baseball on it. You can even get one with your favorite sports team's logo. What do you do if you like more than one sport, buy multiple urns and put some of yourself in each? But, $6,199.00 for a jar? I guess I'm still a cultural cripple. That's a lot of money for a one time use if your all of your ashes are to be spread around.

Finally, a flash of inspiration. Being a hunter and shooter, and a proponent of the original intent of the Second Amendment since I was a kid, I decided that I wanted my ashes to be carried to their final destinations in a .50 cal ammo box. My wife believes its a good idea. And, in the most practical sense, the ammo can can be reused, once I'm done with it, to store almost anything. Except as being an expensive flower pot, I can't necessarily say the same for an urn.

There is nothing more utilitarian, functional or practical than this. Its waterproof, has a rubber gasket on the lid, and it can be bought for about $5.99 if you don't have one or more already. There are millions of surplus ones out there that contain everything from guns to nuts and bolts.

If you don't like the smell inherent with an ammo box, you can make a special request that your ashes be put in a milar bag before going into the can. Or, you can rough it and just be poured in, as is.

But what ammo can to use? I looked through the cans I have and read some of the the military labels on the side.
"400 cartridges, ball M7 in Cartons"
"M1185 Special Match/7.62X51 in Boxes"
"840 PTG 5.56mm Ball 855, 10 Rd Clips"
"400 cartridges M7 Blank"

And then, this one caught my eye. "105 linked APIT M8." That's Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer. Now, we are talking about a manly cremation ash urn.





Monday, October 5, 2009

What One Firearm Would You Own If It All Went Bad?

Last week we asked which of ten guns you would pick from if "it all went bad."

We did not suggest that a person should own every gun on the list. It was our proposition that the essentials were a large caliber rifle, a handgun, a shotgun, and a .22 as a minimum. Nearly 150 people responded with comments and their own good ideas.

But, lets take this a step further, and make selection a little bit more difficult.
Assuming you have plenty of ammunition, or have everything needed to reload for the one gun,
what would be the one and only firearm you would want to have, if for some reason, you only had access to one?

Selection of a of gun will require considering different types of scenarios, locations used, and situations where it would be used.

Consider that it is the only firearm you can get your hands on in the following scenarios.
Remember, that this firearm and ammunition will be with you at all times, 24/7, like a fifth appendage.

You will be required to hunt large, medium, small game, anything else edible, and use it for self defense.
These should be common firearms that you could grab from what you already have or or acquire on the day you need it.

What would be your one choice in each of these areas if you were in an:
1. Urban area (Downtown Chicago or Detroit style), or;
2. High desert, or;
3. Dense woodland, or;
4. Mountains or hill country?

Since several scenarios are considered, and if I had to make a selection for one gun for each different area, I would have the following.

I believe I would choose the AK47 for Urban areas. If I were stuck in an urban area like Detroit, and I could not leave, I would prefer to have a large capacity carbine size rifle for an urban landscape.

If I were in dense Woodland, I would also select the AK47. The typical shot in dense woods will be at 100, 200, or less yards. I guess a band of "Wolverines" can't be wrong. This easy to handle, lightweight, compact rifle and intermediate rifle cartridges will penetrate a lot of trees that a smaller caliber will not. Its also as acceptable as a 30-30 for deer hunting,

I believe I would select a rifle caliber for High Desert, and Mountain and Hill country, instead of a specific gun. That is because many shots would probably be at a distance. That caliber is the 7.62X51 or .308. A good choice would be the M1A or the trusty Model 70 Winchester in .308.

These selections are not to meant to slight pistol or revolver aficianados.







Friday, October 2, 2009

10 Guns To Choose From If "It All Goes Bad"


No one will ever compile a top ten list that everyone will agree with. The subjective criteria used here is based on price, range required, caliber required, history of use and reliablity, and commonness of ammunition, not necessarily in that order. This is not to suggest that a person needs every gun listed. A large caliber rifle, .22 rifle or pistol, 9mm or .45, and pump shotgun are the basics. There will be lots of other opinions, but here is my list that I came up with after 50 years of shooting… not necessarily ranked in order.

1. A good AK47 is practically indestructible. Taking much of its design from the best points of the late WWII German MP44, the AK47 usually functions flawlessly under the worst of conditions.

Throw it in the mud, fill the receiver with muck, or just leave it in a muddy river for weeks like the Viet Cong hid them, and all you need to do is wash it out, lubricate it, load it, and you are ready to go. In worst conditions, you could probably even urinate on it to clean out the muck.

It is not the most accurate rifle available due to the loose manufacturing tolerances used. You can count on 3 inches at 100 yards. But, these loose tolerances allow the rifle to function and feed, and for the parts to move in almost all weather and geographical conditions. Its hard to freeze up an AK47. The 7.62X39 intermediate round is smaller than .308 or 30.06, and is comparable to a 30-30. 10, 20, 30, 40, 75 round magazines are plentiful. 75 round drums can be had for about $255.00, but they are bulky to carry and use with a semiautomatic AK47. They were designed for full auto use. Ammunition is still plentiful, but the day of about a dollar and a quarter a box are long gone.

2 The Colt 1911 .45 ACP for sheer knock down power. This round and gun were developed by John Browning around the turn of the last century to knock down Philippine rebels who were high on drugs and fought with their limbs tied off to numb pain and slow bleeding if they were shot.

They could be hit by a 30-40 Krag rifle round or contemporary handgun, and not even notice it. When they were hit almost anywhere on the body by a heavy, slow moving .45 bullet, they were knocked down.

3 Any quality 9mm high capacity pistol. There is always disagreement about which is better, a .45ACP or a 9mm. This round was adopted by the US military to replace the Colt 1911 .45 ACP. Some are turned off by a 7 or 8 round capacity of a Colt 1911. There are high capacity .45 ACP pistols available, such as the Glock 30, which will hold up to 13 rounds. Many would not ever forsake their high capacity 9mm. In the end, because good aiming and hitting the target are the keys, whether its 9mm or .45ACP, why not have both?

4 Browning Buck Mark .22. Some people might just think its just a ,22, but Browning’s 126 year reputation imppresses. It doesn’t get much better than that. Browning has been one of the most reliable .22 names. They don’t cut any corners to cut costs. The Buck Mark even has a 16-click adjustable sight. For filling the cooking pot with squirrels or rabbits, this .22 pistol can’t be beat.

5 Ruger 10/22 .22 rifle. This little rifle, with its rotary magazine, is probably the most popular .22 rifle in the world. It can take higher capacity magazines than the Ruger supplied magazine. Aftermarket stocks and accessories available will turn the factory rifle into almost any imaginable visual configuration.

6. Mosin Nagant 91/30 or M44 carbine. Both of these guns will be in the neighborhood of $150.00 at your local sporting goods store. This is a must buy today at this price. They are both chambered for the 7.62.54R cartridge, which is ballistically comparable with the 30.06.

Originally designed for use by eastern European peasant’s use, the simple and powerful 7.62X54R round took down countless enemies of Eastern European countries since its inception. The only caveat wilt the 7.62X54R cartridge is that all surplus ammunition is corrosive due to the primer used. A good soap and water washing is necessary after every use. Windex does the trick

Effective in combat? Russian Lyudmila Pavlichenko spent the first year of World War Two in constant combat as a front line sniper. In the battles of Odessa and Sebastopol she took 309 German soldiers with her rifle.

Vasily Zaytsev took out 225 Germans soldiers and officers with this peasant’s rifle at the Battle of Stalingrad, and between October 1942 and January 1943, he had made 242 verified Nazi kills. But the real number may be much higher, perhaps as many as 500. He also killed 11 German snipers, beating them at their own game with his scoped Mosin Nagant. Need we say more about this rifle?

7. The Remington 870 12 gauge Pump Shotgun. Its available in 12, 16, 20, 28,and .410 bores. It comes in Wingmaster, Express, Marine (stainless steel), Police, and Tactical variations. The 870 is the best selling shotgun ever. It comes with a 5 shot capacity, and can be increased with a tube to 8 shots. There is no other sound in the world that will strike fear into a home invader like the “rack- rack” sound of a 12 gauge shotgun shell being chambered into an 870.

8. M1 Garand.. The M1 Garand, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to an infantry anywhere in the world. Although, the Marines were issued a limited number of 30.06 Johnson semiautomatic rifles in the South Pacific in the late 30’s. General George S,. Patton called it "The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised."

It replaced the 1903 Springfield as the standard issue service rifle in 1936, and was later replaced by the selective-fire M14 in 1957, and the the public could get an M1A..The Garand can be purchased for less than $1,000.00 from the Civilian Marksmanship Program. They have surplus 30.06 ammo too.

The M1A is the civilian version of the M14, and is a very accurate and hard hitting rifle. The earliest ones were built from surplus parts until solid parts could be manufactured. M1A receivers are made from precision investment cast AISI 8620 alloy steel.

9. Ruger Ranch Rifles and Mini 30 rifles have been the arifle of choice for many. Ranch rifles are available in .223 Remington, and now 6.8mm Rem. SPC, and MiniThirty rifles in 7.62X39 are good choices for small and medium sized game.

10. The AR15 was designed by Eugene Stoner as a replacement for the M14. The military’s thought was that the heavy M14 and long range .308 round had outlived their combat usefulness because modern combat is at close range. Also, the M14 was impossible to control when on full automatic fire.

The AR15 rifle was developed to be compact and lightweight and for use with easier to carry .223 rifle rounds. This rifle has avid proponents for its compactness, range, rate of fire and accuracy, However, its detractors say that the small .223 round only punches ice pick holes in an enemy and does not tumble as designed to increase the size of the wound cavity. It is not a deer rifle by any means either.

An advantage to the AR15 is that it is the lower that is regulated by the BATF as a firearm. There are countless uppers that can be used to customize the rifle without ATF worry, that is, as long as the barrel is legal length. There are also new 6.8 round AR15’s which brings the AR15 into a whole new era, Don’t forget the 9mm AR15’s either.

During the 80’s Colt sold an AR15 in 7.62X39 in a two year period. It was supplied with factory 5 round magazines because of feed problems with larger capacity magazines. Many owners have tried to use “Frankenmags,” which combine the upper portion of a regular .223 magazine with a curved lower portion to accommodate the tapering and size of the 7.62X39. The cure for this finally arrived with the use of CProducts 7.62X39 magazines, which work like a charm.

Controversy aside, the AR15 is a valuable rifle for a shooter.

Bonus gun…The flintlock rifle. If TSHTF totally happens, you can always find flint, make black powder, and cast bullets, and find patches for these. It sure beats a baseball bat or a spear in a primitive age.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

ACORN Closes Its Lansing Office

The ACORN "Financial Justice Coordinator" (what an interesting job title) of the Lansing ACORN office is shutting down the office this week. She said that after a threatening voice mail to the office, employee safety couldn't be guaranteed. There was no complaint filed with the police department.

Threats of violence are abhorrent, but other factors could be in play in closing down other ACORN offices. Donations have been drying up since the expose of the corruption shown and the ACORN advice given that would aid tax evasion, prostitution and child exploitation advice given at four ACORN offices. Lansing's ACORN office has not been implicated in any improprieties.

Other reasons why other ACORN offices might want to shut down? The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a report about ACORN, investigating if ACORN is intentionally structured as a criminal enterprise.

The conclusion reached was, "The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud. Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate. Emerging accounts of widespread deceit and corruption raise the need for a criminal investigation of ACORN."

The Committee summed the crimes up in the following way.
" First, ACORN has evaded taxes, obstructed justice, engaged in self dealing, and aided and abetted a cover-up of embezzlement by Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke.

Second, ACORN has committed investment fraud, deprived the public of its right to honest services, and engaged in a racketeering enterprise affecting interstate commerce.

Third, ACORN has committed a conspiracy to defraud the United States by using taxpayer funds for partisan political activities.

Fourth, ACORN has submitted false filings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor, in addition to violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. (FLSA)

Fifth, ACORN falsified and concealed facts concerning an illegal transaction between related parties in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)."

The House Committee reported voter registration fraud in several states. It said that, "ACORN uses its complex organizational structure to facilitate fraudulent and illegal Acts."

The Committee attacked ACORN's corporate entity by saying, "ACORN breached its fiduciary duties by covering up Dale Rathke’s Embezzlement."

ACORN has been de-funded by Congress, de-listed by the IRS as a volunteer tax preparation agency, and they will lose millions in being kicked out of the U.S. Census taking program.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for other ACORN offices to fall off the tree and shutter their doors.