The Gun Blogs

Court Transcripts and Video of the Arguments can be found at:
WWW.FIREARMWATCH.COM

Today the handgun ban in Washington D.C. is argued before the Supreme Court. This is the first gun bill to be heard in the supreme court in 32 years. Several mainstream media outlets reported that if the court lifts the ban, the 2nd amendment right to bare arms includes all weapons at the time that our founding fathers signed the constitution which includes "Fully Automatic" machine guns ( No, not the ones that anti-gunners mistaken for. Those are so-called assault rifles but those are included too. ).
- John Birster

NRA Headline:
Joint Statement from Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox Regarding Oral Arguments Before the Supreme Court Concerning the Second Amendment

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Washington, D.C.’s ban on keeping handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense is unreasonable and unconstitutional under any standard. We remain hopeful that the Supreme Court will agree with the overwhelming majority of the American people, more than 300 members of Congress, 31 state attorneys general and the NRA that the Second Amendment protects the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms, and that Washington, D.C.’s bans on handguns and functional firearms in the home for self-defense should be struck down.

Last Saturday was "I'm bored" day at the Rustmeister household. Steady rain, nothing good on the tube, stir craziness setting in, time to GET OUT. It was time to go shooting.

I knew what was happening, but rather that tip off my kid, I just said "I'm going out. want to go?"

This is hit-or-miss with him, as he's now 13 and sometimes too cool to hang with Dad. Somehow, he caught on (musta been that look in my eye), and came with us. Us being me and my GFs 10 yr old granddaughter (yes, I'm that old).

Now, granddaughter (let's call her Kris) has been around firearms most her life, but never shot. Why is beyond me. Anyway, we went up to the newly-opened indoor range at Brighton Arms and rented us a .22 revolver. Also in attendance - a Ruger Blackhawk chambered in .30 Carbine. It was in need of a holster, and the shop had a big box full of sundry holsters for 10 bucks a pop. Found one, too.

We got set up for the range, all paperwork filled out, ears & eyes secured, ammo purchased. Time for Kris to shoot.

She wanted my son to go first, so he popped off a few rounds in the .22 and then six out of the .30. Big grins all around while shooting that. The Blackhawk has much thunder & lightning going on when shooting. It's a real attention getter.

Then came Kris' turn. We went through the four rules, sight picture, how to load the gun and hold it properly, etc. I also had to get on to her about her bugger hook on the bang switch a couple times, but that's to be expected.

I have to say, she was a natural. The pistol was a single action job, and she handled it well. She even got the off-hand thumb-cocking going on without me even showing her. She even touched off the Blackhawk once, voluntarily, but didn't much like it.

My big moment was when I sent the target all the way to the back of the range and popped off a few with the 'hawk. Shooting offhand, I managed to hit pretty close to where I was aiming. I was pleased. Impressed the hell outta my son, too, which pleased me even more.

It was a couple hours well spent. The kids had fun, a new range was broke in, stir craziness was abated, and we get to welcome a new shooter to the fold.

It doesn't get much better than that.

Working at a gun shop gives me some wonderful oppertunitys to try stuff I otherwish would not have. At time I am very impressed, other times not so much. This time was both, and a learning experince to boot. I took home a brandnew Taurus 650 CIA (carry it anywhere) mine is a .357 magnum, 2' barrel, Double action only. Now I am ussaly a fan of having the option of the single action; however where I to be involved in a gunfight with this gun, I would not be using single action! So I am training myself to shoot double action, as most of the handguns I carry daily are either double action only, or double action first shot. There are rumors that DAO shooting is inaccurate, and diffcult. While it may take more concentration to fire in DA mode this is not a bad thing as it helps us to concentrate more on a consistant trigger squeze.
I like the little 2" revolvers because they tend to be there by my side when not other firearm will quite do the trick. Add to that the performance of the .357 Magnum caliber, and you have yourself a great little combo. I drive a pickup that the desighn of the seats allows me to afix a holster inbetween the drivers seat and the center consul. This is where I prefer to have a revolver. I cannot readily reach my holstered weapon the gun-in-the-seat meathod is wonderful. With the small CIA all I have to do is put the gun in my pocket when I leave the truck, which not only secures the firearm, but also provides me with a great back up gun.
Anyone reading this must note that although these meathods work for me they may not be ideal where you are. I live in Alaska, and it is simply a differant kind of enviroment. We have cold weather, animals, remote wilderness areas, and the usual assortment of drunk, vandals, and criminals. No, the truck never leaves the driveway with out at least one rifle, and one handgun. Here it is dark half of the year so it is impertive that one should learn to shoot a firearm in darkness. I think that this is a must have skill for anyone who takes their personal saftey seriously. If you think about it most crimnals will not attack you in daylight downtown, but add darkness to the picture, and suddenly the other person has concelment.
Constant darkness is one reason why I do not carry full power .357 loads in the Taurus. When testing the gun in darkness the muzzle flash from this little gun was enough to blind me to the loaction of the target for almost 3 seconds. To any of you who have been in a gun fight you will know that three seconds can very well spell life or death. I also know that it is unlikely that an assailant will stop their attack INSTANTLY after my first hit. With that in mind I choose firearms that are able to fire without essesive muzzle blast. So I carry the .38 special +P loads, and a speed loader.
Bullets do not do the shooter any good unless they impact their target. We must test our carry guns first for reliably and second for accuracy. It works. I am not going to tell you that you can hit a gopher at sixhundred meters. I was able to relably hit the head at 25 yrds on a standard size siluette target. long range is not where the real shine is though, its the personla distance shooting that will make or break the gun. I was able with very little practice shoot fist sized groups at 10 yards. These groups where all point of aim.
So on the stevedcross scale of gun testing I would give this little bugger a 6. I would have scored it higher, but there was a problem. This gun willnot work with Cor-bon ammo. I have no ideal why, it just does not work. It works with other ammo of the EXACT same power leval, but not the corbon. Now this is important to remember because had I not tested my ammo I would have been in for a rude supprise had it come time to use it. I will work on this though and let everyone know when I fighure it out. Meanwhile I would advise you not to shoot Corbon in Taurus revolver as I am not the first one to have this problem.
Good luck and stay safe
stevedcross

Rules of Gun fighting

1 Have a gun.
2 Bring your friends who have guns.
3 If it’s worth shooting, it’s worth shooting again, and again, etc.
4 Only hits count. Front Sight Squeeze; Repeat as necessary
5 Any hits count for something.
6 If they are throwing mortars at you, shoot them! (see rule #3).
7 If you can see them you can shoot them; So do it ( personal experince)!!!
8 Proximity negates skill.
9 Always Cheat.
10 If not shooting you should be communicating, reloading and/or moving.
11 Someday, Someone may kill you with your own gun, but they will have to beat you to death with it because; it will be empty.
12 Have a plan.
13 Have a back up plan because the main plan will fail.
14 Flank them, don’t get flanked.
15 Be aggressive.
16 The faster you finish the fight the less chance you have of getting shot.
17 Tactical reload, as soon as possible.
18 Be polite, be paranoid.
19 The only things that matter are you living and them dying.
20 Bullets go through walls
21 Bring extra ammo.
22 Women and children can and will shoot you. Trust NO One!
23 If you do get shot, shoot back, relax, and don’t panic.

This is not original to me, just figured that I would share, pass it along, some I have added from personal experience, but again I am not the first person to say this. Add some of your own, and we can try and get the 50 best or something. So comment and I will edit the list to include good ones.

Well guess who is acting like they know how to write again? Yes, Jayne Lyn Stahl is at it again and just like last time, we are "graced" by her stunning lack of facts and reason. I tried. I really did try to understand her point or at least find some vestige of logic in her statements but alas, there was none to be found. I will leave you with a exerpt of this poorly researched drivel and let you see for your selfs what a......I think you know where I was going.
I'm off to find a aspirin. she made my head hurt.

Indeed, the gun lobby has never been in better shape in Washington than it has been under the tutelage of President George W. Bush, so not a peep has been heard from those whose custom it is to speak out against guns, and the rash of violence in our nation's public schools; schools like Columbine, Virginia Tech, in our nation's inner cities, cities like Compton, East Los Angeles, in our nation's workplaces. We've not heard a peep from the usual suspects who would be active in speaking up for more stringent laws to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of our youngsters.

Increasingly, in a world in which the American flag has become synonymous with another four letter word "duck," and yet another "bomb," this is not time to mince words. These folks who equate what they think of as their constitutional empowerment have, for the past several years, had a free ride, but now that a changing of the guard is in sight, they cling to their illusions of entitlement like a leper clings to what little skin he has left. And, to parody the Dylan Thomas poem, it's as if every gun-toting Tom, Dick, and Harry decided not to go "gentle into that night," but to "rage, rage, against the dying of the might."

SO they come out with a new gun and they tout how it is so safe and one of those "safe" features is a loaded chamber indicator. This really annoys me, I mean what really does this do? Have we all forgoten that all guns are to be treated as loaded? If someone (IE not a "gun" person") picks up this gun that does not know the "All guns are loaded" rule, do you really expect them to know what a loaded chamber inticator is, and how to use it?
As for the gun savey population, they should know that the gun is loaded, or at least how to properly check the weapon. Now If you where to say to me that it is for "operators" to be able to feel instantly if their weapons are loaded, well missy let me tell you that I an't gonna belive some little tab to tell me if I have a weapon ready to go into leathel combat. First off those little things can get a little grit on them and then they stay "loaded" all the time. So if the indicator says that there is a round in the chamber does that mean I still have to check it before going out to check something going bumb in the night>?
I belive that it was said that somethings are brilant soultions to non-exitent proplem. This fits in that cadogery. Some Airforces did something simular, in that they painted a false cockpit on the underside of the aircraft. well it seemed like a great idea, until people had an ephiny and said "hey if they are close enough to see it, then they are close enough to not be fooled by it.
As far as gun safety, its really easy. Most Americans memorize many many numbers, phrases, and such in their lives. How had then is it for a persom to learn a few very simplE rules about gun handeling,
1 EVERY GUN IS LOADED!!!!!
2 DO NOT POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WISH TO KILL/DESTROY!!
3 WHEN BEING HANDED A FIRARM FROM SOMEONE ELSE, YOU FIRST CHECK THAT THE WEAPON IS UNLOADED.
So I belive that if a person cannot learn, and abide by those rules, they should be taken to a group home where they help those with limited mental assets.

This should be interesting:

Empty Holster Protests Coming to a College Campus Near You

Organized by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), a nation-wide "empty holster" protest is planned for the week of October 22-26.

Details here
.

Click on the banner at the top of that page for even more info.

Looks like some schools are already threatening disciplinary action for any students who participate. FIRE better get ready.

Hi there I'm an Australian and I'm new to the USA and Handguns.I have only started shooting Handguns seriously about 8 months ago I have joined the NRA as I want to help all shooters as I do not want the people here in the USA to go thru what has happened in Australia at the hands of the anti-gunners. Back home only the criminals have handguns

The_Duke

Checking out this story from the Philly area, I read the following:

The Turkish-made handgun, which can be used as both an automatic and semiautomatic weapon, was found on the floor of the SUV along with a bottle of liquor, Lewandowski said. The gun cannot be sold in the United States because it can be used in an automatic mode, he said.

(emphasis mine)

Any idea what this could be?

I was considering buying a cheap but reliable 9mm Handgun to plink around with... Any suggestions?

Hey guys we have lowered our prices even more so come check us out again.

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Prices dropped anywhere from 10-30% and with our flat rate shipping of $25.00 we are without a doubt the Cheapest place online to purchase your firearms.

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Well, another shooting at a school. When are people going to learn? Now, everybody's going to be yelling more gun controll and we need better gun laws. ever woundered how a single person can walk into a room and blow away 30 people? What do you think would have happened if he walked into class and shot the teacher and then turned and looked at the class only to see most of the class was pointing a gun at him just before they blew him away. IF YOU WANT MORE GUN CONTROLL, HAVE EVERYONE BUY A GUN AND KEEP IT ON THEM AT ALL.I think the good people who go by the law far out numbers the bad people. Then it would be just a matter of time before all the bad guys are done in. I do know this, You would never hear of anyone killing 30 + people. I know that after they shot one person, SOMEBODY is going to shoot them. Think about it? Woodzman

By woodzman

A take on what the proposed (now-dead) assault weapon ban SB.43 would have meant in Maryland.

Over in one of the forums I'm active in - MissouriCarry.com a member recently posted a very nice piece on "Things CCW Has Taught Me". With his permission I'm cross-posting it here to get it a wider audience.

Saiga308 is the author, I'm just the delivery guy. If you want to let him know what you think about this, click here to go to the thread over at MoCarry.

-----------------------

Things CCW Has Taught Me

After almost 3 years of continuous carry of a Glock 19 or 26 on my body except for sleeping (in a safe next to the bed), showering (in the shower on a nail), or at work, here are a few of my own random observations.

1) CCW is not just putting a gun on your hip….it is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that changes how you dress, and what you look for in your clothing. You plan your day out every morning when you put your clothes on. What are your activities that day? Where you are going to be, and what is the best method of concealment? Am I going to be at a friends house with small kids wanting to wrestle and play? Am I going somewhere that has “huggers”, or am I going to be going to a store only and then home.

2) People like to doubt the actions of anyone who is armed, whether it be police, or military, a CCW holder or Uncle John out in the back 40 with his deer rifle. There is a tendency to automatically question their actions if a firearm is involved. The pressure is always there to make sure that your actions each and every day are safe and legal.

3) As a CCW holder you are more aware of what is going on around you for the simple fact that someday your actions maybe questioned in a court of law, and since nobody wants to end up in that situation, awareness of your surroundings might give you a heads-up to avoid the problem all together.

4) The pistol is only one of the tools you carry everyday, the others include a cell phone, folding knife, mace, wallet and keys. Each items will have its own pocket that it stays in, whether in your coat or jeans or vest.

5) More important than what kind of holster you have or what brand of belt or smartcarry (as long as they are well made) is that you wear it the same way every time. If the first rule is to have your pistol, then the second rule should be that it’s in the same place on your body as it was the last time. When you need it is not the time to think , “Where did I put it today?”.

6) Gun Magazine writers are about as honest as a used car salesman.

7) .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, 45ACP, .45GAP, .357SIG, .357mag……They all hurt, and I don’t want to get hit by anyone of them, I am guessing that the Bad guys feel the same.

8) A good tactical pistol class (or two) are worth their weight in gold. Take good notes, because if it was done right you find yourself looking back at them again and again. There is so much info that you end up thinking about the class for months after.

9) I have ended up with a 3 holster system. An Avenger style OWB, a CTAC IWB (set up to place the handle at the exact same spot as the Avenger), and a Smartcarry for deep concealment. I use a G26 and G19 because the mags are interchangeable and my better half also carries a G26. That way what we carry can support each other. I carry a Double mag holder OWB always, and have a G17 and G19 mags loaded with the same ammo. So far I have never had any problems with this setup, I am by no means saying that it is perfect or better than anyone else’s, but so far this has worked fine for me.

10) This is the last thing that I have noticed, CCW Holders are for the most part educated, opinionated, fiercely loyal and independent at the same time. They are the type of folks that you want answering the door when its 11PM, and your car breaks down out in the boonies, and you walk to the nearest home for help. Because by their very nature, they will try to help, no strings attached (unless you have a Hilary 2008 sticker on your bumper!). The world needs more of them, and I am proud to count myself in their ranks.

[cross posted from my new blog at http://outdoorlogic.blogspot.com]

A self described "liberal with a temper" posted this blog post saying she is "Thanful for restrictive handgun laws." She goes on to say "I am in the foulest of moods."

So, she seems to fear she'd go on a rampage were she to have a gun. Guess that's why lots of liberals want to ban my guns...if they don't trust themselves, why would they trust me?

Sure, she may be just making a joke here, but I'm sure there are many liberals out there that actually believe that.

[crossposted from my new blog at http://outdoorlogic.blogspot.com]

Not that we're really suprised by the folks in the Chicago area, but I found this on Icarry.org.
It's a new county ordinance expanding the ban on various so-called "assualt weapons" and features of assualt weapons"
Here's the text with a few of them highlighted with my comments:

ARTICLE VI. ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Section 6-1 Definitions.
As used in Article VI of this Ordinance, the following terms shall have the following meaning:
(a) "Assault weapon means:
(1) A semiautomatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a large capacity magazine detachable or otherwise and one or more of the following:
(A) Only a pistol grip without a stock attached;
(B) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand;

No more railed forearms and verticle grips. and, could the mag well and mag on an AR-15 fit this? Well, looks like they ban all ARs anyway at the bottom, regardless of features.

(C) A folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock;
(D) A shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel; or

Isn't this what the foreard grip on an AR-15 is?

(E) A muzzle brake or muzzle compensator;

It's not just flash hiders anymore, any muzzle brake..it's out, even on your semi deer rifle

(2) A semiautomatic pistol or any semi-automatic rifle that has a fixed magazine, that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition;

(3) A semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following:

(A) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand;
(B) A folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock;
(C) A shroud attached to the barrel, or that partially or completely encircles the barrel, allowing the bearer to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned, but excluding a slide that encloses the barrel;
(D) A muzzle brake or muzzle compensator; or

There goes any of the compensated pistols from Glock, Sig, etc. Almost all Open guns from IPSC

(E) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip.

There goes all of those fancy target .22 pistols...yea, they're a meanace to society

(4) A semiautomatic shotgun that has one or more of the following:

(A) Only a pistol grip without a stock attached;
(B) Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand;

Does this mean the forward grip on all semi-auto shotguns? what qualifies as "protruding"

(C) A folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock;
(D) A fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; or

No more "home defense" shotguns for y'all with the longer tube, even without a pistol grip stock etc.

(E) An ability to accept a detachable magazine;

(5) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
(6) Conversion kit, part or combination of parts, from which an assault weapon can be assembled if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person;
(7) Shall include, but not be limited to, the assault weapons models identified as follows:

(A) The following rifles or copies or duplicates thereof:
(i) AK, AKM, AKS, AK-47, AK-74, ARM, MAK90, Misr, NHM 90, NHM 91, SA 85, SA 93, VEPR;
(ii) AR-10;
(iii) AR-15, Bushmaster XM15, Armalite M15, or Olympic Arms PCR;
(iv) AR70;
(v) Calico Liberty;
(vi) Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle or Dragunov SVU;
(vii) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, or FNC;
(viii) Hi-Point Carbine;
(ix) HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, or HK-PSG-1;
(x) Kel-Tec Sub Rifle;
(xi) Saiga;
(xii) SAR-8, SAR-4800;
(xiii) SKS with detachable magazine;
(xiv) SLG 95;
(xv) SLR 95 or 96;
(xvi) Steyr AUG;
(xvii) Sturm, Ruger Mini-14;

Yes, now even the Mini-14 is banned. What was that about them not coming for your hunting rifle?

(xviii) Tavor;
(xix) Thompson 1927, Thompson M1, or Thompson 1927 Commando; or
(xx) Uzi, Galil and Uzi Sporter, Galil Sporter, or Galil Sniper Rifle (Galatz).
(B) The following pistols or copies or duplicates thereof:
(i) Calico M-110;
(ii) MAC-10, MAC-11, or MPA3;
(iii) Olympic Arms OA;
(iv) TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22 Scorpion, or AB-10; or
(v) Uzi.
(C) The following shotguns or copies or duplicates thereof:
(i) Armscor 30 BG;
(ii) SPAS 12 or LAW 12;
(iii) Striker 12; or
(iv) Streetsweeper.

A Classic Pistol in 45 ACP for Defense and Competition

Ten years ago, when I first started thinking about self-defense, I was advised by a former Marine to "...get yourself a good .45." Since I did not know anything about handguns, I went to the experts: the gun magazines. Several "productive" hours were spent in the reading various publications and I ran across an article by Massad Ayoob. He wrote about the reliability of the Sig Sauer P220 and that it was a great handgun for self-defense. After reading some articles about "problem .45's", I decided that was the gun for me. Several days later I was the owner of a Sig Sauer P220, sight unseen. This is certainly something I would never do now, but ignorance is bliss. I needed a gun to acquire a concealed carry permit.

Sig Sauer P220

In my quest for ever more efficient defensive handguns, I sold that gun within two years. I have since purchased three P220s, with the previous two being recent examples with the new grips and minor design changes. I was never satisfied with the newer version of the P220 due to larger grip panels and heavier double action trigger pull. Recently, I found a "gray box" P220 made around 1998 (according to the receipt I found in the manual). This is the same version as my original P220 with the nice checkered grips.

Sig Sauer P220 in a Milt Sparks VM-2 horsehide holster and 7 round magazine.

The Sig Sauer P220 is a full sized duty pistol. There are certainly smaller handguns that are more suited to concealed carry. Given my experiments in concealed carry with numerous handguns, why would I go back to a large weapon such as the P220? The answer is performance. I have found the P220 to be a high performance pistol. It has certain features that are not readily apparent without thousands of rounds of experience with the gun.

Sig Sauer engineers incorporated many underappreciated features in their pistol. There are no sharp edges on the gun to cut fingers. Experienced shooters appreciate this feature; one does not need to pay for the services of a gunsmith to dehorn and refinish the firearm. The sights are not the trendy "no snag" Novak type. Instead, the rear sight has a nearly vertical front. This facilitates one handed reloads by providing a surface to work against a belt or shoe. The checkered grips provide a positive grip. Proper sight alignment is assisted by a good grip angle. The magazine well is beveled for quick reloading. Another feature is very strong ejection of spent brass (it is thrown far). The barrel has traditional rifling and a supported chamber. Reloading for the P220 is easy and lead or cast bullets may be used. Finally, the trigger guard is extended for use with gloves.

The P220 shoots really well, even though it features a long, heavy double action trigger. I purchased this used firearm partly because the trigger is broken in. Many people have difficultly shooting Sig Sauer pistols due to the long trigger pull on the first shot. Once the hammer is fully cocked, most people have no trouble with the Sig Sauer trigger. Several instructors I have trained with talked about "throwing away the first shot" due to the trigger weight. However, a broken in trigger can be easy to shoot, if the correct technique is used. I have found that tightening the support hand around the primary hand helps keep the front sight steady. Additionally, sight alignment can be maintained if the shooter places the center of the trigger in the center of the pad of the trigger finger. Extra attention to a clean pull straight back will help increase accuracy.

It is possible to shoot the P220 very quickly. Sig Sauer made this gun in such a way that recovery from recoil is easy. The trigger reset on the single action is short. The second and subsequent shots require far less pressure. Once, I was able to hit five steel targets in 3.13 seconds...a personal best! With practice, anyone should be able to get better performance.

There are several perceived deficiencies with this gun. First, obviously, is the heavy double action trigger. Second, the limited capacity of the magazine may be a problem in this age of high capacity 45 ACP pistols. A single stack magazine of only seven or eight rounds may be at a "disadvantage" when put next to a Glock 21 or Springfield Armory XD 45 magazine. The overall size of this pistol does not promote concealed carry. It is smaller than the Glock 21 or XD 45, but still requires skill to carry well.

Sig Sauer P220 and Glock 19

When compared to the Glock 19, you can see that the P220 is larger than the Glock 19. It is approximately 1/4" longer in the slide. The grip is about 1/2 inch longer and does not angle upward. This small difference results in a higher profile that can only be mitigated by forward cant in a good holster. The Milt Sparks VM-2 is a great holster for the P220 and offers enough forward cant for discrete carry.

Sig Sauer P220 compared to the Glock 19

Cleaning and maintenance of the P220 is simple. The gun has a lever on the left side to take the slide off the gun. It breaks down into four parts: the slide, barrel, recoil spring, and guide rod. Cleaning the weapon involves scrubbing down each of these parts and wiping the frame.

Sig Sauer P220 Slide Assembly

Sig Sauer P220 Frame

The Sig P220 is a high quality pistol chambered in 45 ACP. It is an excellent gun for practical competitions and defense. With proper equipment, it is suitable for concealed carry. Field stripping and maintenance is easy. Though it is a large framed semi-automatic pistol, the single stack magazine (and narrow grip) fit most hands. With a bit of practice, almost any shooter can accurately shoot the gun. In all, if you are considering purchasing a gun by Sig Sauer, I highly recommend you try the P220.

As we all know by now, Col. Jeff Cooper passed away yesterday.

Never Yet Melted has an excellent biography.

Kim Du Toit has a couple good "Cooperisms"

Publicola has some links and a nice song.

It may be hard to find words befitting such an important man, but Michael Bane does a great job. Better than I could ever do.

Caught this at ThreatsWatch.org.

I understand it's in the early stages of development, but that doesn't make it any more palatable.

Sixty people crowded into a small room at the Bayonne police firing range to witness smart gun technology. Donald H. Sebastian, PhD, senior vice president of research and development at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), stood near an oversized screen displaying a real-time video of an NJIT policeman shooting an experimental handgun in an adjacent indoor range. Although there was no applause as shots rang out, the action demonstrated that smart gun knew friend from foe.

Sixteen electronic computerized sensors embedded in the gun’s grip distinguished known from unknown users. “We’ve only just begun and we’re pleased to say that we’re getting 90 percent reliability when scanning users,” said Sebastian.

Yep, only a one in ten chance of failing when you need it.

The project has the enthusiastic backing of Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg and Jon S. Corzine. In addition to proudly witnessing the technology, the pair announced in December 2004 that, once again, they had secured $1 million in federal funding for the project; they secured a similar amount the previous year. The funding was included in this year’s U.S. Department of Justice budget. Reps. Robert Menendez and William Pascrell, who have also supported the research and sought federal appropriations, also spoke, as did NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch and Bayonne Mayor and State Senator Joseph Doria, an early New Jersey legislative supporter.

Of course they love it. It's a wonderful pork project for New Jersey. What senator wouldn't love to bring in a bit of easy cash for their constituents? Still doesn't make it worth the money.

Another form of biometric—the dynamic biometric—depends on both physical markers and behavior. “This is about who you are and how you do something, said Sebastian. This biometric is the foundation of Dynamic Grip Recognition. The technology measures not only the size, strength and structure of a person’s hand, but also the reflexive way in which the person acts. For smart gun, the observed actions are how the person squeezes something to produce a unique and measurable pattern. Embedded sensors in the experimental gun then can read and record the size and force of the users’ hand during the first second when the trigger is squeezed.

“This technology is similar to how electronic machines read an individual’s signature upon completing a credit card transaction,” said Sebastian.

What?
Your signature isn't a biometric approval system. It merely records the signature as the proof that you signed. It's not used to allow the money transfer. In fact you could scribble nearly anything on the credit card signature and they accept it.

Frankly, when you get 80% of law enforcement people to use such things, then I'll agree that they are viable.

Note also that NJ is the state that wants to force all handguns to be "smart guns."