Last week I had the good fortune of traveling to the brush country of South Texas to test Mossberg’s new Lightning Bolt Action Trigger System on one of their 4x4 rifles. I was hunting at the Callaghan Ranch north of Laredo, and when all was said and done, my live targets included a wild hog, two javelinas that fell to the same bullet, two whitetail does and one 150-class whitetail buck.

At first glance, the casual observer might deem the LBA trigger merely an imitation of Savage’s 5-year-old AccuTrigger, and indeed, the concept is the same: The trigger blade mechanism blocks the sear from releasing the striker until the blade is fully depressed. However, there are some distinct differences, and they aren’t all cosmetic. (It’s a lightning bolt. Get it?)

The LBA’s trigger blade is not nearly as deep as that of the AccuTrigger. In fact, without using a measuring device, I’d say it’s about two-thirds to half as deep. Considering one of the primary purposes of this type of trigger system is to eliminate trigger creep, I think it makes sense that there isn’t a lot of anticipation as you bring the blade flush with the trigger itself. Bottom line: When I wanted the 4x4 to fire, it broke crisply at that moment, and not a millisecond later.

Also, whereas the pull of the AccuTrigger is adjustable from 2.5 to 6 pounds with a small tool that comes with any rifle equipped with the trigger, the LBA is adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds with any standard screwdriver. This is good peace of mind, as tiny gun tools have the tendency to go missing at all the wrong times.

The hard-coat anodized aluminum LBA trigger system will be available on most of Mossberg’s 4x4 and 100ATR rifle models in 2009. –John Taranto

We’ve talked about the pink gun thing many times here, so a pink-stocked AR won’t take regular Gunshots readers by surprise. The interesting thing about this particular gun, however, is that it was auctioned off to raise money to help fight breast cancer.

The rifle, which was donated by DPMS, fetched $3,575. According to this, the auction attracted 34 bids and was viewed more than 23,000 times.

Sadly, you’re unlikely to see anything on this in your local paper or in any other mainstream media outlet.

—John Snow

Gunpundit has an instructional post on the difference between fully- and semi-automatic firearms. The presenter is a California cop--maybe his law enforcement credentials will give him extra sway with the non-shooting public. I certainly like the fact that he pulls no punches with the press.

--John Snow

Even if you don't have a few free minutes, make time to read Brian Doherty's history of the Heller case. It gives a quick run-down of how the case came to be and the numerous near-misses it had along the way.

Particularly interesting is how the NRA played an obstructionist role in an effort to block Heller in the early stages out of fear that the time wasn't right for a Second Amendment challenge.

Concluding, Doherty says:

An excellent piece.

—John Snow

It's not exactly a call to arms, but it certainly is the next best thing. Everyone is being asked to purchase 100 rounds of ammunition this week (or if you're a reloader the equivalent). Helpfully, you don't have to get all your ammo at once: any purchase made this week "counts."

More importantly, if you cannot purchase ammo in your area, the site urges you to contact your local representative and complain.

—John Snow

Gun owners and Second Amendment-rights watchers: here’s a great idea that we’d love to see catch on with state lawmakers across the country.

As a result of legislation passed this summer, South Carolina will have its first-ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday on the two days after Thanksgiving this year.

The Palmetto State’s 48-hour reprieve from imposing its 6-percent state sales tax on firearms will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 28 and continue through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 29. The Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday will apply to the purchase of “fixed-cartridge handguns, shotguns and rifles.”

So-called sales tax holiday bills are nothing new for state legislatures. In 2008, a total of 13 states either reduced or eliminated sales tax on the purchase of back-to-school clothing and supplies during the final weeks of August.

But South Carolina proudly stands alone with its ambitious temporary removal of the state’s sales tax on guns.

And it didn’t come easily, either.

In fact, the South Carolina House and Senate had to override Republican Gov. Mark Sanford’s initial veto of S1143 to finally pass the “Second Amendment Recognition Act” in late June.

The bill was introduced by State Representative Mike Pitts, a pro-gun stalwart and recipient of the NRA’s Rick Daniel Memorial Defender of Freedom Award.

Supporters hope the tax break will translate into increased sales for gun shops and sporting goods stores, coming as it does during what are traditionally two of the biggest shopping days of the calendar year.

The South Carolina Department of Revenue clarified that sales of items such as ammunition, black powder, holsters, archery supplies, antique guns and collectible guns will continue have state sales tax applied during the two-day period. In addition, the South Carolina tax holiday does not affect federal excise tax, which is imposed on all firearms and ammunition under the Pittman-Robertson Act.

—J.R. Absher

Just how significant is the spike in sales of certain genres of firearms since the November 4 election?

Fears that the incoming Obama administration and a Democratic majority in both Houses in Congress will seek to reauthorize the so-called assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 have driven many firearms enthusiasts to purchase firearms that may be affected if such a prohibition takes place.

Not surprisingly, many post-election gun buyers are being drawn to the semi-auto AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, a platform that many feel could likely be targeted for possible sales restrictions.

There are a lot of numbers being tossed around about the election-inspired gun-buying frenzy, with the Associated Press reporting that sales across the country have increased from 30 to 40 percent in recent weeks.

As I blogged here on Tuesday, CNN reported that the FBI received more than 374,000 requests for background checks on gun purchasers—a leap of nearly 49 percent from the same period in 2007—during the week of November 3 to 9.

While it would be difficult to determine exactly to what degree sales have increased, I offer Gun Shots readers with a reliable indicator from one of the country’s foremost suppliers of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools and supplies; Brownells, Inc.

According to Larry Weeks, Brownells Media Relations Manager, “anything AR” is “blowing out the door” at the Montezuma, Iowa catalog facility and warehouse.

To put things in perspective, Weeks said sales of the company’s most popular AR 30-capacity magazine have increased 1,500 percent (this is not a misprint) compared to the same period one year ago.

In real numbers, the company sold 150 times more SKUs of the specific model hi-cap AR magazines during the week of November 4-11, 2008 than it did during the same seven-day period in 2007.

—J.R. Absher 

In the week since the election of Barack Obama as President, one must admit that—as promised—significant “change” has already taken place in the United States.  

For one thing, residential yards are no longer cluttered by campaign signs. And it’s much more pleasant to listen to the radio or watch television without the barrage of nasty political ads. 

And, oh yeah, firearms sales are surging practically everywhere in the country. 

Just try going online to a news search engine like Google and type “gun sales” and see the results you get. There are recent articles from states including Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia with quotes and firsthand accounts of how folks are buying all types of firearms in record –shattering numbers. 

For example, CNN reports today that Bernie Conatser, the owner of a gun shop in the Washington suburb of Manassas, Virginia, says sales have doubled or tripled since this time last year. On Saturday, he said, he did as much business as he would normally do in a week. 

“I have been in business for 12 years, and I was here for Y2K, September 11, Katrina,” Conatser said. “And all of those were big events, and we did notice a spike in business, but nothing on the order of what we are seeing right now.” 

The CNN story notes that for the week of November 3 to 9, the FBI received more than 374,000 requests for background checks on gun purchasers—a leap of nearly 49 percent from the same period in 2007. 

Call it real or imagined, many Americans are convinced that the incoming administration and a Democratic-controlled Congress are going to restrict the type and style of firearms the average American may purchase legally, and they’re not waiting around for inauguration day to see what happens.

- J.R. Absher

There was little doubt that Thompson Center was going to expand on its line of Icon rifles that it launched two years ago.. A favorite pastime for gun nuts is to try to guess what’s coming next.

Well, the answer is here and it is called the Renegade 2. The T-C Renegade 2 can be thought of as the Icon’s little brother—it’s not as fancy and it isn’t as sophisticated but the family resemblance is unmistakable nonetheless.

And for those hunters for whom the Icon’s $1,000 price tag was difficult to justify the best news is that the Renegade 2 will cost about half as much. According to Gregg Ritz, the MSRP on the new rifle will be $500 and the street price should come in around $450.

I was lucky enough to be one of the first to shoot the new rifle this morning down at the legendary Gametrails hunting lodge in Western Kentucky and the initial impression it left is very good.

First, here’s what the Renegade 2 has in common with the Icon:

One of the best bits of news is that the Renegade 2 will use the same barrels as are found on the Icons. These high-quality barrels have recessed and chamfered crowns and a type of rifling the company calls “5R,” where the lands and grooves don’t meet at a sharp 90-degree angle, instead having a rounded corners. This is supposed to cut down on accuracy-degrading fouling.

The adjustable trigger is also the same on the two rifles. The shooter can select a trigger pull weight somewhere between 2.5 to 6 pounds. As on the Icons I’ve shot, the trigger pull on the Renegade 2 is crisp with little sign of creep. It’s a fine trigger.

The detachable magazine will also seem familiar to shooters who have spent time with the Icon. The bottom of the magazine extends a bit beneath the stock and because of its single-stack design gives the shooter a capacity of 3+1.

The shape and lines on the receiver are very much like the Icon as well. The top of the receiver has built-in Picatinny style bases and an oval cut for feeding cartridges and ejecting empties.

The bolt has the same three-lug design as the Icon and the corresponding shorter bolt lift as compared to a two-lug turn-bolt action. Speaking of the bolt, the bolt shroud has the same rakish angle to it, along with the same style cocking indicator, though the shroud lacks the cutouts that are one of the more distinctive design elements on the Icon.

With so much in common there has to be some things that are different, right? How’d they save all that money so they could charge half as much?

The biggest changes from the Icon are out of sight. For starters the Renegade 2 does not have the flat-bottomed receiver that the Icon does. For those not familiar with the Icon, one of its accuracy-enhancing features is its bedding system, which mates a flat-topped aluminum bedding block to the flat-bottomed receiver. The theory behind the flat-on-flat design is that there is no chance for the action to roll or torque in the stock. In addition, the flat bedding block adds rigidity to the whole business, which is always a good goal as far as accuracy is concerned. Instead, the Renegade 2 has a round bottom design (round is always cheaper and easier to make) that mates to a stock that doesn’t have any special bedding features.

Then there’s the matter of the stock itself. One of the big selling features for the Icon is the quality of the wood they are stocked with, which on the numerous samples I’ve seen certainly qualifies as a better grade of wood than is typical on rifles at comparable prices. The stock on the Renegade 2 is a much more straightforward affair and weighs about a half-pound less than the wood stock on the Icon, which is actually a point in favor of the newcomer as the heft of the Icon was criticized by some as being a bit too heavy.

The safety on the Renegade 2 is also different than on the Icon. It will be a simple two-position safety. (Though there is a three-position safety on the samples we have here in camp—some of the details are still being worked out.)

The bolt handles on the Renegade 2 are also not designed to be interchangeable as they are on the Icon. By not offering this feature, T-C doesn’t need to machine the bolts and bolt handles to the same tolerances as with the Icon. Again, this means money saved, both in terms of product costs and the labor involved in checking the fit of the pieces.

Enough about the specs: How does it perform? Well, on the two samples we were shooting this morning, the groups were coming in somewhere around 1.5 inches or so with plenty of shots that were touching on the paper, which is always a good sign. What conclusions can we draw from this? Not much. We’re shooting two prototype rifles with one brand of ammo (Winchester) and they were certainly within what I consider acceptable accuracy for a hunting rifle. Given that the wind is howling today (erratic gusts above 20 mph) and that the rifles are topped with Nikon hunting scopes (as opposed to high magnification target scopes) and that the rests we’re shooting off are only so-so, I would have been surprised if they had shot much better. My gut tells me that under more controlled circumstances these rifles will shoot very well indeed.

How about calibers? You’ll see in the photo above that my Renegade 2 is chambered in .308 Win. but this is not going to be one of the calibers initially offered. Instead, Thompson-Center is going do this in a long action at first, so we’ll be seeing it in .30-06., .270 Win., .243 Win and 7mm Rem. Mag for starters. But you can bet that a medium-length action will be in the Renegade 2’s future.

Now, it’s time to hunt and see how it does in the field.

—John Snow

We hunters who eat the game meat have elevated levels of lead in our bloodstreams. Or we don’t.

A highly anticipated study that looked at whether people who eat wild game meat harvested with lead bullets have correspondingly higher levels of lead in their blood than the general population was released this week. And while some of the recommendations are dire, the results aren’t conclusive.

The study was conducted by the Centers of Disease Control and the North Dakota Department of Health and tested the blood of 738 North Dakotans who identified themselves as consumers of wild game meat.

The study was launched after investigations last year found lead bullet fragments in a significant percentage of butchered venison. Authors of the blood study aimed to find out if hunters’ families that ate wild venison were more likely to have higher levels of lead in their bloodstreams than the general public.