American Manifesto managed to get a letter to the editor published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. He followed Bitter’s advice about waiting until they actually publish the letter before blogging about it. It’s a good idea, since papers won’t print what’s already been printed.
Author: Sebastian
NICS Data for 2008
Cemetery lists the NICS data for the entire year of 2008, up through October. There was definitely a spike beginning in October as gun owners read the writing on the wall in regards to the election. It’ll be very interesting to see the final November and December numbers once they come out.
UPDATE: November 2008 numbers are 1,529,635, so yup, quite a spike. Last year’s November numbers were half a million less.
Careful Para
Joe Huffman points out that the ParaUSA Calender’s December March model is non-functional. I have to admit I didn’t notice what was wrong until someone pointed it out, and then I felt stupid :)
Part II from the Machine Gun Lawyer
Greg posted Part II.  If this is true, then I think most NFA rentals are probably unlawful?
The biggest misconception of the NFA is the definition of Transfer. Most lay people (non lawyers) would use the definition found in a dictionary to interpret a transfer. Unfortunately that is not the way it works with the law. When a word is defined in a statute, you must read the statute with the definition that is contained within. In this case the word transfer creates many pitfalls for the typical consumer. Until recently if you asked anyone if it was ok to let someone else use your silencer, SBR, or Machine Gun while in your presence at the rage, they would almost always say it was permitted.
In fact, this is a violation because it is a transfer under the NFA. Only in the last year or so, since I began pointing it out to consumers has there been anything written on this topic.
I always figured a transfer only happens if you assume physical control over the device outside of the supervision of the person who legally possess it. In other words, shooting a friends legal subgun on the range is fine. Taking it home with you is a transfer.
How To Get Linked
There’s been a bit of activity around the gun blogosphere about linky love not being shared as freely as some would like. This is the eternal problem of the blogger, namely, how to get linked and build an audience. There are some things I’ve found which work.
You have to think of your blog as an enterprise, so in order to get linked, you have to market yourself. Now, there are smart ways to market yourself, and annoying ways to market yourself. A smart way to market yourself is to pimp your best material around to other bloggers. Note that I’m saying your best material. Not all your material is great, because I know at least half (probably more) of the stuff I post is crap. There’s a fine line between occasionally e-mailing a post you think is good, and putting a blogger on your mailing list to receive every single post or mailing you send out. The former is acceptable, and even welcome. The latter is annoying.
A second way is to link to bloggers as a way of getting their attention. Now, when I say link, I don’t just mean point out something the other blogger said. If you’re linking up the food chain, this is especially important: the blogger up the food chain will know what he said. He will also likely know what other bloggers at his level in the food chain have said. The trick in marketing your blog through strategic linking is to offer something that advances the conversation. The essence of blogging really, is a rolling conversation (or rhetorical food fight, depending on the subject).
Understand that bloggers have editorial priorities. Even if what you have is very good, it might not fit in with what the blogger wants to blog about that day, or the blogger just might have better things to do at the moment, and by the time he gets around to your post, his editorial priorities are different. Also understand that bloggers who cover a lot of blogs, like I do, have to resort to a lot of skimming to get to it all. We miss a lot that way. Your fine literary work may have actually just gone unoticed by someone who does generally follow your blog. It happens. Also understand some bloggers are more generous with links that others. SayUncle links more than me, and I link more than, say, Jeff Soyer. If you target a blog who never links around, you’re a lot less likely to get something in return.
If you follow these guidelines, you should get links every now and then, and people will start noticing you. That assuming, of course, you’re following the first rule of blogging, which is to have something to say. A lot of bloggers post a lot, but don’t really say much. Having something to say can be a lot of work, but if you do, and you’re marketing well, things should be happening for you. If they aren’t, it’s likely a deficiency in one of those two key things.
Indianapolis Mayor for Gun Control
Ahab has some things to say bout the proposal of the Indianapolis mayor that the state needs more Illinois style gun control laws. He’s certainly not the first Indiana mayor to think this.
UPDATE: Got that article confused with this one, where the mayor actually does advocate more gun control.
Knives at a Gunfight
Brillianter has some interesting things to say about bringing knives to gunfights.
Wrong about Palin
Great article in the Wall Street Journal today from someone who knows Margaret Thatcher, and can speak to her qualities vs. Sarah Palin:
Inevitably, Lloyd Bentsen’s famous put-down of Dan Quayle in the 1988 vice-presidential debate is resurrected, such as by Paul Waugh (in the London Evening Standard) and Marie Cocco (in the Washington Post): “Newsflash! Governor, You’re No Maggie Thatcher,” sneered Mr. Waugh. Added Ms. Coco, “now we know Sarah Palin is no Margaret Thatcher — and no Dan Quayle either!”
Jolly, rib-tickling stuff. But, as it happens, I know Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher is a friend of mine. And as a matter of fact, Margaret Thatcher and Sarah Palin have a great deal in common.
Read the whole thing. Well worth it. I think part of the reason I like Sarah Palin so much is because she upsets all the right people. I have a soft spot for troublemakers who can do it with a smile, and despite the fact that I probably have disagreements with her on social issues, I think she’s my kind of troublemaker.
Fun Malfunctions with a Bersa Thunder .380
My understanding is that one of the common failure modes in the otherwise pretty reliable Bersa Thunder .380 is the disconnector spring breaking. This happened to me when I was on the range one time, and after I got back, I tore the gun apart and stored the parts at the bottom of the safe for 6 years. I didn’t feel like I could trust it for carry anymore.
When the disconnector spring breaks, there’s nothing to force the disconnector up to engage the hammer release, and the pistol behaves as if the magazine is out. It’s one more reason why extraneous safeties don’t belong on a carry gun. But have no fear Bersa carriers, I have found a means for getting around this particular failure:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FawMaeSQBgA[/youtube]
So you know what this means right? Now you have to practice shooting sideways. When someone at the range gives you the evil eye because he thinks you’re fooling around shooting gansta style, you can explain to him that you’re practicing a failure drill.
UPDATE: Tam notes that this is technically an “immediate action” or “malf” drill :)
Law Review on St. George Tucker
Dave Hardy takes the Stevens dissent in Heller to task in a Northwestern University Law Review. A nice Christmas present to the gun community. Discrediting the Heller dissent will be important going forward.