Pizza guys are typically the last people you want to rob if you’re a criminal in Philadelphia. Especially if they aren’t running pizzas from a major chain. Somehow criminals don’t seem to get this message. Every month or so there’s a story of a pizza man getting robbed, and the robber getting his ass shot. This is the way it should be, of course, but you’d think after a while they’d try to rob an easier target, like armored car drivers.
Author: Sebastian
Swine Flu Hits NRAI
Looks like the National Rifle Association of India had had a swine flu outbreak at their equivalent of the Camp Perry. The shooting camp is meant to train for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Smart Immigration Policy
If American immigration policy had any brains at all, which it does not, we’d find this guy and offer him a green card. Anyone who builds a helicopter out of spare parts and flies it to 2600 feet based on a middle school physics education and what he managed to find on his cell phone browser is OK in my book.
It’s a Shame They Can’t Make a Jet …
… that runs on hypocrisy. If they did, I think Congress really could solve our energy problems.
Reloads and Backup Guns
Brillianter looks at the subject. I’ve generally only carried an extra magazine in Winter, when they can be easily concealed. I carry a Glock 19, which has 15 rounds, and figure that should be enough to get through most self-defense scenarios. In summer, when I carry the Kel-Tec much more than the Glock, I do usually carry one extra magazine in the pocket. Ideally you’d carry all the same equipment as a police officer, but for civilians that’s not usually possible to do, and remain comfortable, and discreet. Go have a read. You can’t possibly carrying everything, but I like Brillianter’s strategy of thinking about what expands your options and capability, and to what degree, and using that information to decide what tradeoffs to make.
Good News on the Raffle Front
Kevin reports that he and Soldiers Angels have come up with a PayPal free way to continue their raffling of a Para GI Export to raise money for the organization. This is good both from the standpoint of Soldiers Angels continuing to raise money, and from the standpoint of sticking it to PayPal.
Look to the Cookie
Bitter reports that Wal-Mart is making virtual clones of the famous Girl Scout Cookies. Not really believing this, we went out to Wal-Mart to seek out their versions of Thin Mints and Tagalongs. I have to admit, it’s an accurate and yummy facsimile. Needless to say, Girl Scout moms are furious, as they believe Wal-Mart is stealing from that organization. Personally, I just like the cookies, and if the Girl Scouts want me to have sympathy for them, they can start by coming into the 1990s with women’s rights, and letting the girls earn marksmanship badges like the Boy Scouts. Hey, I’m all about equality. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the cheap and yummy knockoff cookies.
A Failure to Discuss?
This is the pot calling the kettle black. Bryan Miller says we fail to discuss issues. This is the pot calling the kettle black. I will prove him wrong by attempting to engage in reasoned discourse. I’m sure it will be quickly followed by Reasoned DiscourseTM:
All can agree it is the responsibility of the legislature and administration to mediate between individual privilege and the common good. In this case, the common good is public safety and mediation has resulted in a moderate limit on handgun purchases, to diminish handgun trafficking.
Yes, but we’re not talking about individual privilege. We’re speaking of a constitutional right. A right Bryan. Get used to saying it, because it’s law now. A right. Now that we are speaking about the right terms, can you explain to me what other constitutional rights we ration? If I want to pick up three pistols, one for home, and one for me to carry and for my wife to carry, can you explain why I have to wait three months to do this?  Or have one gun for my primary residence, and one for my beach house, why I have to wait two months to make the purchase? Remember, it’s a right. You don’t get to argue I don’t need a gun to defend myself. The Supreme Court already ruled that out.
The law regulates purchases of handguns only. It in no way affects purchases of long guns, such as hunting rifles and shotguns. Since it is illegal to hunt with handguns in NJ, the law does not affect hunting at all.
It’s illegal to hunt with a handgun in New Jersey, but it is not illegal to hunt with handguns in many other states, and New Jersey hunters may want to avail themselves of hunting opportunities in other states. But that aside, this isn’t, and never has been about hunting.
While it is true a majority of crime guns recovered in NJ are traced back to states with weaker gun laws, ATF data shows that more than a quarter of recovered crime guns were originally purchased from in-state gun dealers. This is a substantial portion of guns used in crime, which this law is intended to reduce.
Originally purchased how long ago on average? How many were stolen, rather than purchased? How many were purchased through multiple purchases? You don’t know this.
ATF data has also shown that several NJ gun dealers have had both “frequent multiple sales to individuals” and “multiple crime guns traced” to them, indicators of likely trafficking originating at gun stores, according to ATF.
Considering how few dealers are left in New Jersey, I wouldn’t be surprised of many New Jersey gun dealers have frequent multiple gun sales, and frequent trace requests. That doesn’t mean that the multiple sales are ending on the black market, and I doubt you have any proof of this.
This law contravenes no one’s Constitutional rights. The US Supreme Court stated, in last year’s Heller ruling, that individuals have a Second Amendment right to possess handguns in homes for self-protection, but that said ruling “should not be taken to cast doubt on…laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms,” a clear endorsement of NJ’s ability to regulate handgun purchases.
It’s simplistic to argue that any condition or qualification on a commercial sale is constitutional. If that is the case, what’s to prevent a state from creating a qualification that only people who have incomes above 80,000 a year and good credit ratings may purchase a firearm? If you want to argue it’s constitutional, that’s one thing, but you’ll find nothing in Heller that states that rationing this right is among the types of “conditions and qualifications” the court is speaking to. Someone that has two residences, and suddenly find themselves under a credible threat might feel different about not being able to buy more than one firearm a month. Did Heller not speak for them?
Sorry Bryan, but we’re willing to have a coversation. You’re just not willing to listen to what we have to say. There was a time when you didn’t have to. Very soon that’s going to change, when your buddy Corzine is sent packing. You better get used to addressing us as fellow citizens with a reasonable point of view. The times are a changin’.
New Ballistics App
Winchester has developed a new external ballistics web app. You can find it here. First impression is that it’s written in Microsoft Silverlight, which is essentially Microsoft’s answer to Flash. This means I needed to download a plug-in in order to see it. Flash is the standard for this kind of thing. Why did they choose Silverlight?
Once I got the plugin issue squared away, looks like this one only does ballsitics for Winchester cartridges, and is very simple. Far from sophisticated enough to use for reloading or serious shooting, which Winchester also makes components for. Basically it would appear to be a marketing gimmick, rather than something genuinely useful for serious shooters. If you’re looking for something that does useful ballistics, I’d suggest Joe Huffman’s Modern Ballistics. I’ve also had luck with the iPhone app Ballistic.
So What?
The gunman who killed three women in an aerobics class at a Pittsburgh-area gym bought accessories for his weapons from the same dealer that sold a gun to the Virginia Tech shooter.
George Sodini, 48, purchased the items from TGSCOM Inc. of Green Bay, Wis., before committing the Aug. 4 massacre that left three women dead and nine wounded. He then killed himself.
They are a leading supplier. I’ve been a customer too. One of my Glock 15 round magazines was purchased from them, during the height of the Assault Weapons Ban, I might add. Cost me more back then, but the cost wasn’t prohibitive. My Glock came with two 10 round Clinton magazines. For carry, I decided to spring for the standard fifteen round mag. The day after the ban expired, I went out and bought two more stamped “Restricted – For Military and Law Enforcement Use Only” just because I could. But my point is that they are a leading supplier. I’m sure there are many many gun owners who have done business with them. I’d hate to have their name dragged through the mud, as if they are seeking out pscyhos and nutjobs to do business with.