The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.
Alexander Hamilton
Category Archives: Gun Rights
Hunting whitetail alternatives
Every once in a while people laugh at my method of getting a deer this year (something along the lines of “The Geek Goes Hunting”). Well, here is someone else for you to laugh about:
THE WHITETAIL DEER HUNT WITH A MOUNTAIN HOWITZER
For those of you unfamiliar with cannon artillery talk, a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer cannon was a small cannon used during the Civil War. The early mt howitzer cannons were originally designed to be disassembled and packed into the mountains on horseback, hence the name, Mountain Howitzer. The later model Mountain Howitzers, like this one, were built on a carriage designed to be “pulled” by horses. The “pound” designation ( 12 pdr ) in the name ” 12 pound Mountain Howitzer ” refers to the weight of the projectile that the mt howitzer cannon shoots. Therefore, a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer ( 12 pdr ) shoots a 12 pound cannonball. All artillery cannons with smooth bore barrels were described in the “pound” weight of their projectiles and were called “Cannons.” ( like the 12 pound Mountain Howitzer Cannon ) Artillery cannons with rifled barrels were described in the “inch” of their bore diameters and called “Guns.” ( like a 3 inch Gun ) First, let me start by saying that I’m pretty sure that it may not be entirely legal to use a Mountain Howitzer Cannon for deer hunting, at least not here in Wisconsin. ( I didn’t actually ask the DNR about using a Mountain Howitzer, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t like it ) Be sure to check with your own State Hunting regulations, …… ( see the “Hunting with Artillery section )
He goes on in great detail on how to build the Mountain Howitzer cannon, the ammo to use, how to use it safely in a hunting environment, and finally a picture of a whitetail buck harvested with a Mountain Howitzer cannon.
Quote of the day–Larry Keane
It’s monumentally stupid to use a weapon to commit any crime. It takes a special class of stupidity to do so with a BB gun.
Larry Keane
Legal counsel to the National Shooting Sports Foundation in Newtown, Conn.
USA Today January 15, 2006
[For the clueless I’ll spell this out. After all, with a weapon you would think you would get better victim compliance. The disadvantages are:
- In many jurisdictions using a weapons will mean you serve more time in jail when you get caught.
- Committing a crime using something that looks like gun is the universal sign for “shoot me” (masked men with guns are always targets).
- Using a BB gun means you have all the disadvantages of using a gun without the advantage of real force multiplier.
–Joe]
If you repeat a lie often enough
Via Alphecca and Say Uncle this Washington Post editorial
repeats a lie from a previous editorial. I sometimes wonder if
they repeat these lies on purpose or if they are just
ignorant/careless/stupid:
As writer Jenny Price noted in a Dec. 25 op-ed in The Post, only 160 of
the 12,000 guns used to kill people every year are employed in
legitimate self-defense; guns in the home are used seven times more
often for homicide than for self-defense.
I corrected Ms. Price in my previous post. No need to do it again. This editorial goes on to the expected conclusion.
Political long shot that it may be, a national ban
on the general manufacture, sale and ownership of handguns ought be
enacted. It would not pacify kids or adults with violent tendencies,
and it might not curb general criminal activity markedly. But it might
well save thousands of lives. Handgun exceptions could be made for
federal, state and local law enforcement and military agencies;
collectors of antique firearms; federally licensed handgun sporting
clubs with certain safety procedures; security guard services; and
licensed dealers, importers or manufacturers that are determined to be
meeting those needs.
Such a bill was proposed more than a decade ago by Sen. John Chafee
(R-R.I.), who has since died. “I hear people say it’s a radical
proposal,” he said then. “Well, I think to have the current situation
is radical. No other country has anything like it.” He described
slaughter by handguns as killing in record numbers, threatening
education and pushing the high costs of education even higher. So
what’s new today?
I’ll answer that question. The data is even more
overwhelming than it was a decade ago–weapon restrictions do not save lives. They
divert resources that would be better spent elsewhere.
Now, editors at the Washington Post, answer Just One Question.
Quote of the day–Timothy Dwight
The difficulty here has been to persuade the citizens to keep arms, not to prevent them from being employed for violent purposes.
Timothy Dwight
1752-1817
Travels in New England
Celebrate diversity
Father-Daughter style. Father is carrying an STI Eagle 5.1 in .40 S&W with an 18 round magazine using a Milt Sparks inside the waistband (IWB) holster and a spare 18 round magazine in an offside dual magazine Sure-Fire flashlight holster. Daughter is carrying a Star M43 FireStar in 9mm with a seven round magazine using a Kramer IWB holster with a Kramer spare magazine holster on the offside. This was the first gun daughter Xenia ever fired when she was five years old.
Quote of the day–Joe Huffman
Crime “prevention” is a very hot button for me. There is no limit to the evil that can be justified and/or enabled once you accept the premise that it is acceptable to prevent crime by restricting liberty.
Joe Huffman
December 3, 1998 6:53 PM
Microsoft Gun Club Public Folder
[In response to yesterdays Quote of the Day by the “Gun Guys.”–Joe]
Quote of the day–The Gun Guys
What we really need to pass are laws that act before the crime has taken place– stop dealers from selling weapons without consequence to criminals. Outlaw weapons that have no civilian needs, like assault weapons or the .50 caliber sniper rifle. Shut down the newspaper and gun show loopholes. Those laws are the ones that will prevent violence. You can lock up all the criminals you want, but that won’t stop crime, because everyone we know in jail committed their crime before they got there.
The Gun Guys
January 13, 2006
[Excellent thinking. We can also prevent drunk driving by banning alcohol, reckless driving by banning cars, rape by castrating all men, prostitution by…–Joe]
Puffers in airplane security
The latest technology to be employed in the unconstitutional search of people attempting to board an aircraft while exercising their right to travel is puffers:
‘Puffers’ add to airport security
1/12/2006 1:29 PM
By: Lisa Reyes, News 14 CarolinaCHARLOTTE, N.C. – Travelers at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
will soon see new security measures. High-tech machines to detect
explosives will be located at three checkpoints.The Transportation Security Administration says the imminent danger to
aviation these days is explosives. TSA officials demonstrated devices
called “explosive-detection trace portals” or “puffers” at the airport
on Thursday.The machines puff air on travelers to dislodge particles from their skin or clothing.
“It loosens particles that are attached to a person or his clothing,
and those particles are analyzed by the machine for the presence of
explosives,” said John Gartland of TSA.The devices take about 20-25 seconds to check each passenger.
The TSA purchased the three machines through federal funding. They cost
a little over $100,000, and about a 100 of them will be implemented in
airports nationwide.
I agree that explosives is the biggest threat to safe airplane travel. Other weapons such as guns and knives are of little use if someone wanted to bring the airplane down. And if the user of such a weapon were intent on attacking people in the cabin they wouldn’t make all that much progress before they were stopped by someone else in the cabin. But a pound of explosives, about the size and weight of a pint of milk, in a tightly closed area like the cabin of an aircraft can do a lot of damage. There is a Myth Busters episode on this very topic if you have any doubts.
In any case keeping explosives off of passenger airplanes is a good idea. They aren’t useful for self-defense in an air cabin environment, as the knives and handguns are, and they represent a significant hazard to the entire aircraft and people on the ground. The problem is–How do you do it? As I have explained before with the explosive sniffing wasps the problem is one of false positives if you try to detect improvised and/or “homemade” explosives. And if you don’t address those type of explosives you have a loophole any terrorist can waltz right through. And the current explosives detection technology fails even on people that inadvertently contaminate their luggage. If a skilled adversary were to be intent on bringing explosives on board a plane nothing short of a full search of everyone will be effective. So what’s the solution? Use our limited resources on other things such as better intelligence as to who is a threat and interviews of passengers. That will guard against both the known threats using existing weapons and the type of threats we haven’t thought of yet.
January is Self-Defense Awareness Month
From Tahlequah Daily Press but not the New York Times or any other mainstream media outlook I could find. I wonder why? Maybe it’s because:
Experts say for self-defense, nothing beats a gun
By Eddie Glenn Press Staff Writer
This is one, hopefully, no one will have to observe. But January is
(along with Quality of Life Month, Wealth Mentality Month, Be
On-Purpose Month, and Get Organized Month) Self-Defense Awareness Month.The event is sponsored by the National Self-Defense Institute to
promote their SAFE (Self-Defense Awareness and Familiarization
Exchange) program. The program has a two-fold purpose: To prevent
crimes of sexual violence through programs of education and training,
focusing primarily on awareness and prevention; and to educate women
about realistic options that will help them avoid, escape, and survive
assaults if they do occur.…
Lawrence is also a black belt in Okinawan Karate, Kempo, Jeet Kune Do,
Ju Ji Tsu, and Aiki Jitsu (that’s five black belts under his belt).
Still, when it comes to self-defense – especially for women – he
suggests a firearm, and the knowledge of how to use it, is the most
effective weapon.“A woman is at an obvious size and strength
disadvantage, and for her to protect herself against a man – who may be
carrying a weapon himself – would take years of practicing any martial
art,” said Lawrence. “Someone who is strong and athletic can probably
study any martial arts technique and make it effective, but if you
don’t meet those criteria, you need to consider what the best equalizer
is going to be.”…
Still, his advise for the most practical and effective self-defense:
“Get a concealed carry permit, and know how to shoot your gun.”
Reno could be interesting
I like Reno for some reason. Las Vegas has it’s appeal but Reno isn’t bad. I shot in the USPSA Area 1 competition there once. It’s also fairly close to home as far as tourist cities go. Mr. Completely has put up a trial balloon for a Gunblogger Rendezvous in Reno the first part of November.
Read his proposal and send him an email if you are interested. That’s a long way into the future for me to be making plans for anything other than Boomershoot (which is more like year around planning), but I think I could do that.
Quote of the day–Patrick V. Murphy
We are at the point in time and terror where nothing short of a
strong uniform policy of domestic disarmament will alleviate the danger
which is crystal clear and perilously present. Let us take the
guns away from the people. Exemptions should be limited to the
military, the police, and those licensed for good and sufficient
reasons.
Patrick V. Murphy
Former NYC Police Commissioner
Handgun Control Inc. spokesman
December 7, 1970
During testimony to the National Association of Citizens Crime Commissions
[For those who say, “No one wants to take your guns away.”–Joe]
Quote of the day–Peter McArthur
There are some men who get more satisfaction out of their ignorance than most learned men get out of their knowledge.
Peter McArthur
[Most gun control advocates ignorantly attempt to take the high moral ground with their more “enlightened” approach. They propose vague alternatives to firearms such “conflict resolution”, “crime prevention”, and do “studies” so filled with holes that most people would fall on the floor laughing if there weren’t people quoting it as unassailable truth. They ignore the one question that needs to be answered and they denounce their opposition as “red-necked, knuckle dragging Neanderthals”.–Joe]
Voting hint for my Canadian readers
Vote against Paul Warnett who said,
I believe in an outright ban on hand guns if nothing else then to reinforce that handguns are objects to be shunned. Of course criminals are not usually using registered guns but the concept of a gun registry is not a bad one the problem is that it ended up costing 2 billion instead of 2 million dollars.
Mr. Warnett forgot to mention that the gun registry hasn’t solved any crimes yet either. Or was there one crime solution it was given credit for? In any case whether it was zero or one the money would have been better “spent” shoveled into furnaces to keep the elderly warm than as a crime fighting tool.
The Microsoft Gun Club will just love this
There is this rumor going around that Bill Clinton will replace Steve Ballmer at Microsoft.
Unless the culture has drastically changed at Microsoft in the last few years I just can’t see the people at Microsoft even giving someone like Bill a job as an intern. Although it does bring up some rather interesting images–imagine Bill being the intern to the president of the Microsoft Gun Club. The MSGC president, being fond of “assault rifles” and also being the creative type, explores some alternatives to cigars for intern Bill to earn his keep. Bill might wish he had banned the iron front sight as well as the flash suppressor and bayonet lug.
Jews in the Attic Test gets noticed
In the past couple of weeks several people on LiveJournal have been passing around a link to my Jews In The Attic Test. Here are the ones I found recently:
There have been other blogs in the last few months too. This is very cool. I have been pushing this concept for years and people always sort of looked at me funny when I talk about this sort of thing. Some of the stuff I have been concerned about has been materializing. These include the situation in the U.K. with all the car license plates being tracked for years and the NSA listening in on certain communications.
Maybe some people are starting to get it now. I just hope it isn’t too late. Ry and I had a rather depressing chat at lunch today about all the rules/laws/regulations that don’t apply if you happen to have the right connections or are in the proper position of power (and not all that high on the food chain either!). Sort of like the Golden Rule: “Those with the gold make the rules.” Only on a much larger, more scary scale. The U.S. Constitition and the Bill of Rights isn’t really even considered a strong suggestion to our present day politicians. Without that what do we have? There are scary times ahead…
Quote of the day–John Lott
Even for politicians, hard facts must eventually matter. If they can’t see that gun control laws have failed to deliver as promised, it’s hard to know when facts will make a difference.
John Lott
January 9, 2006
Gun Control Lessons for Bloomberg
The New York Sun
This is what happens in places without guns–Case VIII
Via Alphecca comes unsurprising news from “gun free” Australia:
Armed robbers terrorise city
January 07, 2006ARMED robbers have hit a post office, fast-food restaurant and bottle shop in three separate raids in Sydney’s southwest.
Three men wielding firearms entered an Ingleburn post office about midday today, threatening the store attendant and demanding cash.
Police said they had worn helmets to conceal their faces and made their getaways on motorbikes.
No one was injured during the robbery but one witness inside the store was treated for shock, police said.
In another incident, two men forced their way into a liquor store on Brookfield Road at Minto at 9.05pm (AEDT) yesterday, as two staff members were closing up.
…
Police are also investigating an armed robbery at a fast food restaurant at Punchbowl.
Three men, one armed with a pistol, entered the restaurant on Canterbury Road at 9.45pm.
This is what happens in places without guns–Case VII
Via Michelle Malkin comes this story in the Washington Times:
PARIS — A gang of more than 20 youths — thought to be North African immigrants — terrorized hundreds of train passengers in a rampage of violence, robbery and sexual assault on New Year’s Day, French officials said yesterday.
The five-hour-long criminal frenzy was “totally unacceptable,” French President Jacques Chirac told reporters. “Those guilty will be found and punished, as they deserve.”
The gang of between 20 and 30 youths boarded the train, heading from Nice on the French Riviera to Lyon, in eastern France, early on Jan. 1, as it carried 600 passengers home from New Year’s Eve partying overnight.
Once inside, they went wild, forcing passengers to hand over mobile phones and wallets, and slashing seats and breaking windows.
A 20-year-old woman cornered by several of the marauders was sexually molested.
“It was a real scene of pillage on the train,” said the regional state prosecutor, Dominique Luigi, adding that the passengers were in a state of “panic.”
I’m reminded of Hamilton’s quote about a target rich environment–both on that train and any place anti-gun French politicians congregate.
Quote of the day–Greg Hamilton
In some areas of the country showing someone your middle finger is the universal hand signal for “shoot me”. If you are carrying a gun and give such a hand signal you likely to be held at fault if the shooting does start. If you choose to carry, you will be held to a higher standard of behavior than those that don’t.
Greg Hamilton
Self Defense Instructor
Nov. 19, 1995