Well folks, time once again for the Carnival of Cordite!
This is a weekly round up of blog posts dedicated to guns, shooting, marksmanship, hunting, personal and civil defense, and the law and politics of the Second Amendment. It's also a great way to showcase blogs and bring in new readers. Be sure to explore the many fine blogs contained below. And if you are new to the Carnival of Cordite, please take a moment to peruse the rest of my blog for opinions on current events, culture, and other items of interest.
And now...
First things first: it's almost Halloween! Let's wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!
But this week is more than just a time to dress up in costumes and beg for candy. It also marks the anniversary of a black day for Second Amendment supporters: the Gun Control Act of 1968. Fitting that this comes near Halloween. After all, the Gun Control Act of 1968 was made in the image of an earlier law produced by the most evil and demonic force of modern times: Adolf Hitler.
Click here to buy this book.
Gun Control. Nazi. Hitler. Trick or treat. Boo!
Leaping right into range reports and such...
Cowboy Blob has a holiday-themed range-report up. Here, we see the proper technique for defense against hordes of goblins:
Baboon Pirates had a .22 session.
If you shoot at one of Mr. Completely's latest postal match targets, you'll be seeing spots!
It's one thing to take a four legged friend with you shooting... but does this constitute animal abuse?
(seriously, it's a good range report!)
Hell in a Handbasket takes to the range with a .30-40 Krag:
Makes me wonder what the future holds. What will they be shooting in 100 years?
Well, if they are like you, probably a 100 year old "inferior" M-16 or something. That is, if we are still allowed to own and shoot guns...
New Orleans update:
FEMA lifts the ban. Troubling words:
"I never looked at it, and I don't look at it now, as a Second Amendment issue," Col. Phares said yesterday. "We had asked for FEMA to say firearms would not be permitted on site, just as you can't bring firearms into the federal building, into the Legislature in Baton Rouge, into an LSU [Louisiana State University] football game."
Why is it troubling? Because for the people involved, we are talking about where they live. It was tantamount to the federal government saying "you can't have your own firearm in your own home." It is folly to compare the emergency housing to a federal courtroom. For one thing, federal courtrooms, in theory, have armed security to ensure that you remain safe when you leave your gun at home. For another, as far as I can tell, no one lives in a federal courtroom. Many mistakes the government makes involving firearms probably really don't reach the Second Amendment. But this one sure as hell does!
Why should we be able to arm ourselves in our homes? To protect ourselves! The Civilian Gun Self Defense Blog chronicles stories of people who have done just that. This week, a scumbag is busted trying to steal a plasma TV. Oh, if only all criminals were this dumb.
Just what does the Second Amendment mean, anyway?
Eugene Volokh makes an important observation about Congressional findings. Folks, this is big. It largely went unnoticed, as most of us were focused on the liability aspect, the bulk of the bill. But this simple Congressional finding puts before any court that reviews this law the notion that the Second Amendment is YOUR right as an individual. These two little clauses are as important as anything Congress has even done with respect to your right to keep and bear arms.
Now that the bill has passed, Uncle asks us: what now?
You can put your two cents in with the poll.
Extending beyond our own borders...
Knowledge is Power reports that some Iraqi women are learning about the freedom and equality that comes from arms:
"Now, I feel like a man. When I hear a bullet, I want to know where it came from," she said, sitting comfortably with an AK-47 assault rifle across her legs, red toenails poking out from a pair of stacked sandals. "Now I feel equal to my husband."
And Coyote Killer has more from Brazil. He asks the fundamental question:
The next question is when gun rights activists will stop playing defense against gun-control efforts and start promoting the right to arms as an international human right.
It's not just Halloween. It's also hunting season in many parts of the country!
Second Breakfast found a little news blurb that brings us hope for the next generation.
On to matters of propaganda media:
We reported last week about Mike Wallace's connections to the Brady Campaign. Now it looks like CBS might be keeping a close eye on Wallace for possible bias.
Speaking of bias, Ah, Shoot! reports on the BBC slant regarding the Brazil situation this week. More along these lines from Mr. Completely.
mASS BACKWARDS is concerned about the people teaching our children.
Uh... Heh heh... Twisted Sister?
Speaking of the media, we are approaching the holiday film season. One story, about a movie that hasn't even been made yet, really bugged me. Apparently, James Bond doesn't like guns.
Matthew Maynard is first to respond.
Countertop joins in with his critique.
Blogonomicon has this on the next film:
In an unexpected release today, producers of the upcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale have stated that star Daniel Craig will not be armed with Bond's trademark Walther pistol--or any other firearm for that matter. The new Bond will overcome evil armed only with his wits and the smug self-righteous assurance so common among British movie heroes.
Plenty more in the rest of the post.
South Park Pundit has this to say:
It's a travesty, a sham, a mockery...a traveshamockery...to think that the new Bond is going to be short, blond and kinda stupid looking, to tell the truth. He lacks the intensity of Connery or Brosnan, and looks a little slow, though I'm sure the studios will edit it as best they can.
But what makes matters all the more unpalatable is the fact that he's a gun-fearing sissy boy.
I think AnarchAngel, in this post on life-and-death fighting situations, sounds more like a "real" James Bond than this two-bit limey actor.
From Ronocracy:
The new James Bond Actor, Daniel Craig, hates firearms.
Now he is very ready to take a lucrative role making him millions of dollars which would require he use a firearm to kill people left and right but does not believe we should have access to firearms for self defense.
And he makes an excellent comparison to another gun-fearing weasel, Robert McCall.
If you want your Bond, James Bond, to be the tough guy you remember from your childhood, just stick with this:
That's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six...
I can think of no better follow-up to the James Bond debacle than a number of posts featuring the evil guns themselves!
Xavier has a plinker shootout!
vs.
Which will win? Read here and find out. And read more about the Colt here.
While Xavier is playing with plinkers, PawPaw is playing with lead. But not just any old lead; it's hurricane debris:
This lead won't be in a landfill. It will be shot into a dirt berm so that it can be mined and used again. Very little of this lead will get into the environment, unless a big ole buck walks by while I am holding the Sharps.
And of course, that big ole buck will end up on the dining room table, thus, the circle of life continues!
Heartless Libertarian has some lead-free slugs:
Those are steel-core .50 BMG slugs, with a .223 for comparison.
From one form of recycling to another... the Civilian Marksmanship Program puts surplus battle rifles into the hands of a new generation. But, according to Les Jones, if you want one of these:
...you'd better act fast!
South Park Pundit notices he always buys his guns on Wednesday afternoon. I wonder if he bought this on Wednesday?
Mine is a little older (the benefit of purchasing secondhand) and has recessed chambers, a Bill Jordan combat trigger and a pinned frame.
A thing of beauty!
The AnarchAngel has been buying and selling and buying and selling for years. Now he is at the end of a selling mode and is thinking about going into a buying mode. One thing he wants:
Make sure you see the rest of his current wish list. Also, make sure you know about the 10 most important SHTF guns. And while you are at it, read up on body armor.
Speaking of buying and selling, Tam offers up her own view of the matter.
Ronocracy says we should celebrate the victory in Brazil by buying some Brazilian guns, like this:
Hell in a Handbasket is talking first rifles. More here.
Hey, why buy a new gun when you could WIN ONE! Act fast; some of these end soon!
Is this gun a disg(race)?
We'll know the answer next week...
Since it IS fast approaching Halloween, Posse Incitatus wants to know: what gun to use against Vampires?
My take: anything full auto in a standard military caliber, filled with blanks. Blanks? Yes, blanks! Little known fact: most blanks have a small piece of wood where ordinarily a bullet would go. This is necessary to hold the powder in place and to provide pressure to ensure the whole powder charge ignites at once instead of flying in a stream of fire out the barrel. The wood will only fly a few feet, but at point-blank range can be lethal. More than one person has died from a blank! So, wait for the Vamp to get in close, then open fire at the chest. Hopefully, one of your mini-wooden-stakes will pierce the heart.
Bored at the office? Why not make your own gun out of office supplies! More here.
And finally... it wouldn't be a Halloween Carnival of Cordite without...
PUMPKIN SHOOTERS! And no, the pumpkins aren't the targets; they're the ammo! The targets end up looking like this:
I wonder if we could modify one of these for pumpkin duty?
Blog of the week: Hell in a Handbasket for sheer volume!
And now, the discussion question:
As Halloween is a time of scary things... other than gun bans, what are you afraid of, in a strictly gun-related sense?
That wraps up this week's Carnival of Cordite! We'll see you back next week with another round of gunny goodness. To catch up on previous Carnivals, please see our archives. And don't forget ubercarnival, home to a variety of blog carnivals just like this one.
Want to send in your own post for next week? E-mail it to:
c a r n i v a l o f c o r d i t e A T h o t m a i l D O T c o m
Or, you can use the handy carnival submit form from Conservative Cat.
See y'all next week, if the ghosts don't get you!!!
Great Carnival. Best yet! VERY cool pumpkin cannons.
.....Mr. C.
Posted by: Mr. Completely | Friday, 28 October 2005 at 06:06 PM
Thanks for the kind link, sir, and a word on my deepest fear: that the sources of decent milsurp .303 Brit will totally dry up, leaving me and my No.4 Mk.1 high and dry.
Yes, I could reload, but I'm lazy, and have the bucks for the milsurp, so that is what I prefer to do.
Posted by: Rivrdog | Friday, 28 October 2005 at 09:06 PM
Sean Connery publically supported the 1997 handgun ban in England. He too is a gun fearing sissy boy.
The British are geldings. Stick a fork in Britain, it's done.
Posted by: anonymous | Sunday, 30 October 2005 at 04:35 PM
True, all the actors have been pretty sad in real life. I'm just saying that at least with the old Sean Connery movies, at least it was clear the CHARACTER appreciated his firepower. I wouldn't be surprised if future Bond movies really did move towards Bond never using a gun, while his enemies are always firing machine guns at him (and miraculously always missing).
Posted by: Gullyborg | Monday, 31 October 2005 at 12:37 PM