More updates to follow

The bloggosphere has been lamenting my lack of involvement recently, but no more!

With a deployment coming up in the next few weeks I will probably have a lot more time to blog.

Rejoice, Intarwubs!

Children and gun safety

My sincerest condolences go out to the family of Anthony Brastad. It is always a tragedy when a child dies, and doubly so under such circumstances.

For all of us, this terrible event has illuminated a problem that is always present in an armed society: children and guns.

Cornered Cat has some excellent advice on the subject that all gun-owning parents would do well to take to heart.

Fight Cancer with an AR-15!

FBMG has come up with a novel way to raise funds for breast cancer research. They are raffling off this beautiful pink rifle:Tickets are $5 each, and all proceeds go to the to the breast cancer research effort at the American Cancer Society.

Suppressor Law in MN

As a firearms enthusiast and resident of the great state of Minnesota, I believe it is past time we reconsider our state's stance on the use of firearm suppressors. Current law stands as such(view full law):

Subd. 1a. Felony crimes; silencers prohibited; reckless discharge. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 1h, whoever does any of the following is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced as provided in paragraph (b):
(1) sells or has in possession any device designed to silence or muffle the discharge of a firearm;

...

Subd. 1h. Silencers; authorized for law enforcement and wildlife control purposes. (a)
Notwithstanding subdivision 1a, paragraph (a), clause (1), licensed peace officers may use devices designed to silence or muffle the discharge of a firearm for tactical emergency response operations. Tactical emergency response operations include execution of high risk search and arrest warrants, incidents of terrorism, hostage rescue, and any other tactical deployments involving high risk circumstances. The chief law enforcement officer of a law enforcement agency that has the need to
use silencing devices must establish and enforce a written policy governing the use of the devices.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision 1a, paragraph (a), clause (1), until July 1, 2011, an
enforcement officer, as defined in section 97A.015, subdivision 18, a wildlife area manager, an employee designated under section 84.0835, or a person acting under contract with the commissioner of natural resources, at specific times and locations that are authorized by the commissioner of natural resources may use devices designed to silence or muffle the discharge of a firearm for wildlife control operations that require stealth. If the commissioner determines that the use of silencing devices is necessary under this paragraph, the commissioner must:
(1) establish and enforce a written policy governing the use, possession, and transportation of the devices;
(2) limit the number of the silencing devices maintained by the Department of Natural Resources to no more than ten; and
(3) keep direct custody and control of the devices when the devices are not specifically authorized for use.
Subd. 2. Exceptions. Nothing in this section prohibits the possession of the articles
mentioned by museums or collectors of art or for other lawful purposes of public exhibition.

Silencers, suppressors, mufflers or whatever you want to call them are legal to own and operate in 36 of the 50 states with the appropriate tax stamps and forms from the BATFE.

Keep in mind that Minnesota law allows for the possession of destructive devices (grenades, launchers, AT-4s, etc.), short-barreled shotguns, and short-barreled rifles.

Suppressors are the only NFA items that Minnesotans are not allowed to own.

Also keep in mind that there has never in United States history been a prosecuted crime committed with a lawfully-owned suppressor.

Suppressors have many benefits, such as lowering noise pollution from gun ranges, increasing the effectiveness of firearm safety courses by allowing the instructors to communicate with students without yelling to be heard, and allowing night-time varmint hunters to hunt coyotes without waking the neighbors.

Hollywood has done a tremendous job of exaggerating the effectiveness of suppressors. We've all seen the movie where the bad guys are running around with silenced machine guns, shooting at the good guy with every shot whisper-quiet.

The truth is that suppressors are much less effective than movies lead us to believe, bringing a painful report down to a level where enthusiasts can fire without ear protection.

The shooting starts around 2:50.

No, no one absolutely needs a suppressor. But then again, no one needs a Corvette or a pool in their backyard. The ability to possess something should not be dictated by need in a capitalist democracy such as ours.

A joyous day for America's citizenry.

Today the Supreme Court of the United States decided in a 5-to-4 ruling that the 2nd Amendment was an individual right.

Link

Go to the firing range and celebrate.

Correction: All 9 of the judges agreed upon the 'individual rights' interpretation.

What Heller is most notable for is its complete and unanimous rejection of the “collective rights” interpretation that for nearly seventy years held sway with pundits, academics, and—most significantly—lower courts.

Link.

Re: What the gun industry can learn from scuba divers

WARNING: This article has required reading.

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While I applaud Mr. Gudmundsson's ingenuity in finding a middle ground in the gun debate, there are a few flaws in his logic. A SCUBA certification costs between $250 and $350 to the applicant. If this same fee were applied to a gun owner licensing process it would put the possibility of armed self-defense out of reach for many lower-income citizens, the same citizens who are the most likely to need to use a firearm in self-defense.

Additionally this system, like most gun control laws, would only regulate those willing to operate within it's strictures. Illegally acquired guns would still get into the hands of criminals and ammunition would become available to these people by demand through the black market.

The other purported benefit of this system would be the training that armed citizens would receive and have to maintain to retain their 'license'. I cannot speak for all gun owners, but I do know that everyone I know who owns a firearm periodically goes to shooting ranges to test and improve their skill-at-arms.

In the end, it seems to me that Mr. Gudmundsson's idea, like many 'middle ground' plans, would do little to stop criminals from acquiring firearms, while placing additional hurdles between honest citizens and the hope of armed self-defense.

Excellent fisking, gentlemen.

Only one day after ABC News posted this story about American civilian firearms finding their way into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels, Rick Moran and Confederate Yankee find that refuting the 'facts' in this story by a major media outlet is all too easy.