Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. Small furry creatures, beware! The Carnival of Cordite is here!
For you new readers, the Carnival of Cordite is a weekly roundup of blog posts relating to guns, shooting, defense, hunting, and the law and politics of the Second Amendment. It's also a way to bring in new readers to the participating blogs. So if you like what you see here, please take some time to read my other posts and explore the many fine blogs linked below.
And now...
On with the show!
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Let's leap right into a very important topic that can't be covered enough: Gun Safety!
We have a new contributor this week who offers up a post right on topic. Please welcome Personal Protection Training & Firearm Instruction and the post Basic Firearm Safety. One of the first sentences is the key:
A guns’ safety is NOT a mechanical device. A guns’ safety is that organ located “in between your ears” and extends out to your “index or trigger finger.”
Just who is this guy? Here is his "about" information:
I am a Police Officer and a National Rifle Association (NRA) certified Pistol & Personal Protection Instructor and former U.S.M.C. Marksmanship Instructor. I bring over 20 years of teaching experience to provide a challenging and practical course to citizens wishing to exercise their Constitutional rights to “keep and bear arms.”
Sounds pretty credible to me. Thanks for the post, and welcome to our gang!
And if you get hurt at the shooting range, what do you need in your first aid kit?
This guy might need one!
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Shameless bleg:
Like the Carnival of Cordite? Like the idea of a pro-gun conservative entering the legal profession?
Then support this site!
Look over on the left-hand sidebar for the "help me pay for school" fund!
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It seems logical to me to go from gun safety to the shooting range:
Analog Kid came up with a great target: pool cue chalk! Seriously!
Toys in the Attic had a blast... literally:
Fifty cals, machine guns, and suppressors, oh my!
Time is running out to enter this e-postal match! More here and here.
October 22 is Battle of the Battle Rifles Day!
Shakey Pete has the range report on the new .30-'06.
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Let's have a look at law and politics...
First off for this section, the big news this week is the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. What effect will this have on Second Amendment jurisprudence?
Dave Kopel of the Volokh Conspiracy was first out of the gate with an important quote from Harriet Miers. Responding to a notorious gun crime in Texas:
The same liberties that ensure a free society make the innocent vulnerable to those who prevent rights and privileges and commit senseless and cruel acts. Those precious liberties include free speech, freedom to assemble, freedom of liberties, access to public places, the right to bear arms and freedom from constant surveillance. We are not willing to sacrifice these rights because of the acts of maniacs.
(emphasis added).
Commentary from Stop the ACLU.
Of Arms and the Law has more, and notes that we might have a "stealth" ally in, of all people, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Really.
And it sounds as if Miers might pack heat.
So while there is a lot of controversy over Miers in general, if you are a "single issue" voter with regards to the Second Amendment, then this news should calm your fears.
Moving on to other subtopics...
DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
Are you a proud .50 BMG owner? Do you live in Massachusetts? Then read what Techno Gypsy has to say about the latest asinine gun ban. Worst part:
In addition, also unlike California, Massachusetts S2113’s ban is IMMEDIATE. There is no compliance period provided, there is no “grandfathering” clause (all rifles and ammunition except law enforcement are prohibited), and apparently calls for CONFISCATION of the firearms and ammunition. As horrible as the California ban was to its citizens, the Massachusetts ban sets a new low in constitutional rights. This is an ironic development considering Massachusetts’ role in the American Revolution.
ACT NOW!
Alphecca has the weekly round up.
Coyote Killer has the latest on gun law in Florida. More here. I for one am torn on this issue, as I've mentioned in previous Carnivals. While I respect the rights of people to exercise their right to bear arms, I also respect the private property rights of employers. Both rights appear fundamental to me. How does one resolve a conflict? We may eventually have this issue settled by the Supreme Court... With the court currently having at least 4 and possibly 5 anti-gun votes, one would think that private property rights would trump the Second Amendment. But judging by the Kelo decision, and with the 5 votes in favor of it still on the bench, who knows if private property rights can trump anything?
Uncle takes us from Florida to Wisconsin.
Of Arms and the Law has more on the Katrina mess, this time involving turning away help over guns. And more on gun seizures here.
New contributor Raving Conservative loves Alaska's "liberal" concealed carry laws. I actually didn't know Alaska was permitless. I thought only Vermont was. That's one more reason why I love hosting this Carnival: I learn things every time. And for those who have questions about how gun laws vary from state to state, use this handy page.
Ah, Shoot wonders if liberal activist courts will overturn immunity for gun manufacturers.
If you are interested in government procurement, new contributor Sandcastles and Cubicles has a PDF of a recent government study on service automatics.
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A little humor:
Long-time friend and reader Doktor X e-mailed me this after watching yet another film where the shooters always held their guns sideways:
While I am at it, I'd like to plug his photography site. No, it's not gun-related, but it has tons of great photos of the Rocky Mountain's (mostly) wilderness. Enjoy!
Another old friend and reader, Wayland, sent in a photo of the neighborhood watch and a warning to looters in the wake of Hurricane Rita:
Not that we condone mixing guns and alcohol, but I guess when in Texas... And based on the spelling, this must be from Texas as well (I will now duck, as all my Texas friends are sure to throw heavy objects my way).
And my favorite comic strip, Day by Day by Chris Muir, has a nice gunny-goodness episode now and again:
Sam's HOT!
Frank J. of IMAO fame thinks that new Florida gun laws might have a negative effect on the job market. And IMAO's official T-shirt babe SarahK has discovered the History Channel.
And mental note: if you are hunting evil supernatural monsters, especially in gun-friendly Nevada, carry a gun!
Kolchak needs these. Or at least these.
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From humor to the serious side:
The Civilian Gun Self Defense Blog has a number of news stories of guns used in self-defense. Some have happy endings (for us law abiding folk); others, not so much.
But not all "serious" news is grim: Mr. Completely has more on the recovery of Buzz Robertson. While his recovery has had its share of setbacks, this update ends on a happy note.
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Time for some gratuitous gun pr0n!
Kit reminds us why she loves her beloved John so much, as she waxes rhapsodic over the virtues of getting a custom shotgun stock that fits her frame.
Before:
And after:
Looks like quite a difference in the fit! But is it a good fit for Kit? You all decide for yourselves:
New contributor Food Court Team Six has a post on the ever-popular AR-15. No pictures yet, but he promises to have some soon, so be sure to check back to his blog for updates.
Going to a gun show? Then heed this advice from Xavier. And don't overlook pawn shops. Especially if you are interested in a .22 pistol.
Mr. Completely thinks .22 is too big for a pistol, and opts for a .177 instead:
From one extreme to another... Got an extra $200 for the class III stamp? Then you need this:
Yes, yes we do!
The Ten Ring is talking Lugers:
This is an excellent post with a lot of history for Luger fans. Must read!
Of the P16-40, Cowboy Blob brings us the Good, the Bad, but definitely not the Ugly:
Every time I see a Para-Ordinance, all I can think is, "gosh, I wish I had more money!"
Hell in a Handbasket gives new meaning to the term "four banger":
Read about little guns and big ammo here.
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Finally,
Many of you know about Bill Whittle's fine essay about sheepdogs and sheep. But the Revolutionary War Veterans Association thinks we should all be buffalo instead.
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That wraps us the Carnival of Cordite this week. For archives and submission information, please see the Carnival of Cordite main page. And please visit the Ubercarnival for a list of all the other fine blog carnivals out there this week.
If you enjoyed the Carnival of Cordite, please feel free to hang around and read all my other posts on politics, culture, books, food, and more on my homepage. Otherwise, see y'all next week. Until then, keep the powder dry!
It's getting a bit arcane out there with the SBR and AOW folk. These folks are either diehard fans of apocalyptic fiction or they haven't read their ballistic tables.
All centerfire rifles and shotguns require barrels over 16" to maximize performance. If you don't believe me look it up in ballistic tables (if you can, there are few ballistic tables published for the short-barrel folks).
The serious gunner pays attention to things like the ballistic performance of their chosen caliber/guage. That serious gunner is well capable to modifying thier battle tactics to utilize a weapon with a proper-length barrel as opposed to a sawed-off (SBR) that no one has compounded or even speculated the ballistics for.
All this talk of sawed-off weapons with pistol grips instead of even rudimentary shoulder stocks may play well in Hollywood, but it won't win many gunfights on the S.H.T.F. battlefield.
Posted by: Rivrdog | Friday, 07 October 2005 at 10:53 PM
I got in a little late for the Carmival, but Louisiana has an elegant solution to the "guns in cars" problem.
You can read all about it over at my blog: http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com/2005/10/florida-gun-law.html
Posted by: Pawpaw | Saturday, 08 October 2005 at 05:39 AM
Maybe it's the people I know but has anyone else noticed that older shooters have a tough time keeping the trigger finger straight when picking up a gun - exp handguns? My bro-in-law is really bad about this. Glocks aren't forgiving in this manner...
Posted by: al | Saturday, 08 October 2005 at 07:35 AM
I'm really happy to see that old picture of the "homeboy" sights. I saw that picture a few years ago and managed to somehow lose both the pic and the link. I was trying to hunt it down again just a few weeks ago. Excellent!
Posted by: AlanDP | Saturday, 08 October 2005 at 08:44 PM
al: the practice of keeping your finger outside of the trigger guard is relatively new. As far as I can tell, Cooper introduced it as part of his four rules of safe gun handling. Before that, people ran around all the time with their fingers on the trigger.
Posted by: Les Jones | Sunday, 09 October 2005 at 10:41 AM