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May 21, 2008

Epiphany In Louisville

Jim Shepard had a clarifying encounter in Louisville at the NRA show:

For the first time in a long time, the whole discussion about guns and gun rights coalesced into an unvarnished truth spoken by a lady most of us would have dismissed without a second glance.

The enormity of it was nearly overwhelming. It was as if someone had turned on a bright light in a pitch-black room. The accompanying rush of emotion made my spine tingle and the few hairs still on my head feel as if they at attention.

Give it a read.

—John Snow

Posted at 07:15 AM in Gun Rights, Politics | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Beretta PX4 Storm Sub-Compacts To Ship June 1

Px4subc_s_maxi Beretta says its sub-compact versions of the PX4 Storm pistols are going to start shipping on June 1. The pistols come in either 9mm (13+1) or 40 S&W (10+1) and list for $600 and $575 respectively.

Like many new duty-oriented pistols the sub-compact is highly tweakable. According to the folks at Beretta:

Featuring a Picatinny rail to fit light and laser accessories, the Px4 Storm Sub-Compact also adapts to different hand sizes easily with interchangeable backstraps that are included with each firearm. The magazine’s patented “Snap-Grip” allows for maximum concealability when the firearm is holstered, while providing a comfortable and secure grip when the pistol is being fired. An ambidextrous manual safety, ideally positioned on both sides of the slide for easy access by all shooters, and a low-profile slide catch complete this small yet powerful package. Additionally, a reversible magazine release button, in small or large size, can be mounted on either side for the convenience of the operator.

Both versions have 3-inch barrels, a 6.2 inch overall length and tip the scales at 26.1 oz. We'll see about getting a test sample to put through the paces and will report on it more.

—John Snow

Posted at 05:02 AM in Handguns | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 20, 2008

FNH USA SCAR

Here is my friend Ken Flood giving me a quick run through on the new FNH USA SCAR weapon system. It is in his (admittedly biased) opinion, "the finest assault weapon ever made."

—John Snow

Posted at 10:01 AM in Rifles | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Bogus Science: Microstamping

Many anti-gun advocates believe that microstamping, a procedure in which the firing pin of a firearm implants an identifying mark on a spent cartridge—supposedly to aid law enforcement agencies—is a worthwhile endeavor to “reduce crime.”

I think it’s nonsense, but when has that stopped the anti-gun crowd?

But according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the University of California at Davis has re-released its study on firearms microstamping. The results should bear more weight now because it has now been peer-reviewed.

The conclusion?

According to NSSF, the researchers determined, “At the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of this technology be made. Further testing, analysis and evaluation is required.” Researchers at the university cited another study from the National Research Council (NRC)--an arm of the national academies of engineering and science --that said, “Further studies are needed on the durability of microstamping marks under various conditions and their susceptibility to tampering, as well as on the cost impact for manufacturers and consumers.” The NRC reached this conclusion after a presentation to the study panel by renowned John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor and forensic examiner George Krivosta.

Long story short: it doesn’t work, and trying to implement it will only put an unendurable hardship on manufacturers and consumers alike, which is precisely what the anti-gunners want. Don’t expect the issue to go away, but at least we have solid proof that microstamping is bogus.

-Slaton White

Posted at 08:54 AM in Gun Rights, Politics | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

May 19, 2008

Are Gun Activists Too Happy?

Have people concerned with gun rights become complacent? Has the fire in our collective belly gone out? Glenn Reynolds examines the issue. Money quote:

So does this mean that the NRA crowd has gotten too complacent? Possibly. There hasn’t been a serious threat to gun rights in a decade, and the biggest campaign for the gun-rights crowd has been the expansion of generous concealed-carry laws to cover nearly the entire nation, with restrictions on gun-carrying in places like parks, restaurants, and other public places gradually falling as well. In that kind of environment, it’s easy to lower your guard, and they’ve come a long way from the Charlton Heston “cold, dead hands” days.

I don't think we're in danger on this issue. Yet. But it would be a mistake to get too comfortable with our victories.

-John Snow

Posted at 07:55 PM in Gun Rights, Politics | | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

May 18, 2008

McCain On Hunting, Fishing and the Second Amendment

Outdoor Life Editor In Chief Todd Smith sat down with Senator John McCain today to discuss McCain’s positions on a variety of topics of importance to sportsmen, including the candidate’s positions on the Second Amendment. Here’s an excerpt:

I was also one of fifty-five senators that filed an Amicus Brief with the United States Supreme Court concerning the gun ban in Washington, D.C. I have been a consistent supporter of the Second Amendment. It means to me what it says: Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms. And so I am a consistent supporter.

Read the whole thing.

—John Snow

Posted at 12:15 AM in Gun Rights, Politics | | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

May 17, 2008

Bushmaster 338 Lapua

Bushmaster338lapua “You’ve gotta see this.”

It’s the kind of call on my cell phone I love to get when I’m at a gun show, especially when I’m at a playground like the NRA Annual Meeting.

In this case Michael Bane was urging me to haul myself over to the Bushmaster booth to look at what has to rank as one of the ultimate varmint rifles, a pre-production semi-auto .338 Lapua.

This gorgeous beast won’t be ready for some months yet according to Skip Patel, Bushmaster’s executive vice president for research and development. Among other things, Skip told me, was the need to trim some weight from the rifle, which tips the scales at about 15 pound right now.

“We can get another two pounds out of it before we’re done,” Skip said. One area they can do that in particular is in the hand guard.

The recoil ain’t much, according to Skip and the rifle’s accuracy has so far been excellent.

Look for this toy to appear in a Sand Box Conflict near you soon.

Oh, and if this chambering is too pedestrian for you how about the same platform chambered in .416 Rigby? It’s in the works…

—John Snow

Posted at 05:13 AM in Rifles | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 15, 2008

Remington R-25: The Newest AR For Big-Game Hunting

R25 Meet the Remington R-25. It is an AR-10 platform rifle built for the hunting market and is the big brother of the R-15 introduced last year.

It isn’t a secret that with the merger of Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin, H&R Firearms and DPMS that the newly formed mega-company has plans to capitalize on all the different product lines in its family. Well, the R-25 is the latest offspring of this union. With the help of DPMS, which has been making AR-style rifles for the hunting market for some time, Remington now adds a new twist.

The all-camo R-25 will be chambered in .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem. and .308 Win. initially. 

This rifle is built with hunters in mind and, according to Remington spokesmen, will feature a single-stage trigger that comes from the factory with a 4.5- to 5-pound trigger pull, a 20-inch barrel and a 1-in-10 inch twist in all calibers.

For those not familiar with the DPMS/R-25 upper, the rifle loses some weight via metal taken from the receiver and out of the Picatinny rail. The result is a flat-top AR-10-style configuration that weighs in around 8.75 pounds.

The shallow flutes in the barrel in front of the gas block give the rifle a distinctive look as does the full-coverage Mossy Oak Treestand camo. Speaking of the gas block, it has a rail on top to mount a fixed front sight if the shooter wishes.

R25_barrel_780 The rifle ships with a 4-round magazine, but will accept other AR-10 style mags with greater capacities. The free-floating barrel is protected by a hand guard styled with horizontal cuts along its length and has two swivel stud attachments on it—one for a sling, another for a bipod. In addition, the barrel features a recessed target crown.

The MSRP for the new R-25 is $1,532 but expect street prices somewhere between $1,200 and $1,300. Assuming you can find one of course. According to Remington, the company has already sold out this year’s quota to its various dealers. So if you see one and want one you better act fast.

—John Snow

Update:

Specs on the R-25 from Remington

Camo: Mossy Oak Treestand

Barrel: 20-inch carbon steel fluted / .680-inch muzzle with recessed crown / Koelbl single-rail gas block

Chamber: .308 Win., .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem.

Bolt Carrier: Heat-treated 8620 steel bolt and bolt carrier

Sights: None

Hand Guard: Aluminum free-floated

Upper Receiver: 6066 T-Aluminum / Hard-coated and full camo / Forward-assist and shell deflector / Right-hand eject / Picatinny rail

Lower Receiver: Milled from solid block of 6061 T-Aluminum / Hard-coated and full camo / Internal trigger guard / Aluminum mag release button

Stock and Grip: Standard A-2 Zytel stock with trap door assembly and A-2 Zytel pistol grip

Trigger: Single-stage hunting trigger set at 4.5 to 5-pound pull

Weight: 8.75 pounds

Length: 39.75 inches

Magazine: 4-round magazine / Accepts aftermarket AR .308-type

Action: Semi-auto / Gas-operated

Rate of Twist: 1 in 10 inches

MSRP: $1,532

Posted at 10:12 PM in Rifles | | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

NRA Annual Meeting

Just got into Louisville for the NRA meeting. First up is an event sponsored by Remington, which is introducing a new firearm at the show. The marketing people have been very tight-lipped about it saying only that it is a new “centerfire rifle” introduction.

As soon as I can this evening after the event I’ll post some details to give you a first look at the latest from Big Green.

—John Snow

Posted at 05:00 PM in Gun Rights, Politics | | Comments (0)

Rumor Mill Alert II

I know that my earlier posting about an eye-catching introduction by an unnamed company caught the eye of a lot of folks. Well, the time has come. The product is going to be unveiled at the NRA show. Stay tuned.

—John Snow

Update 05/17/08: Not so fast! Learned today that the introduction is off for now. Sounds like engineering resources were diverted to help with some other issues.

Posted at 04:59 PM | | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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