Goin' Tactical

If there's one thing no society needs it's "black guns." There is a whole family of these things out there, "tactical" semi-automatic assault rifles that can be yours for just a few hundred dollars.

Those patterned directly on the Colt M-16 require a "restricted" gun licence but there are plenty of others, just as sinister and Rambo-manly, that you can get with an ordinary, non-restricted licence.  Follow the link above, take a look.

I use the word "sinister" deliberately. That's what sells these guns, the idea that you too can join the warrior class. They're short, really easy to conceal. They're black. They've got Picatinny rails, ready to mount your scope, laser sight, red-dot sight or accessory flashlight in case you get a hankering to start blasting away in the darkness. Like the kid in the photo above with his accessorized Bushmaster.

And, if you don't have a couple of grand to plonk down, don't worry. You can get a Chinese SKS, with folding bayonet, on sale right now for $199.

People who buy these black guns often claim they're for hunting. Yeah, right. Take a look at this baby, priced at a modest $599. It's a knock-off of the German, WWII MP-40.

That's a shoot-from-the-hip blaster. You won't be heading out to take a deer with that. It just screams "Wehrmacht" all day long.  It's very inaccuracy makes it more dangerous, not less.

I'm not an anti-gun zealot. I have rifles, real hunting rifles, that I periodically take to the range for an hour of target shooting. They're not for "self-defence." It takes me more than 20 minutes just to get everything unlocked, assuming I can locate the keys and figure out what key works on which lock.

I think there's a place for rifles, some rifles. There's a place for handguns - cops, armoured car crews, competition shooters - but that's about it.

We need to ratchet down access to a lot of these firearms. If you want a tactical rifle, join the army. If you want a handgun, demonstrate that you have a legitimate need for one.

It's time the federal government cracked down on black rifles and automatic pistols - but don't hold your breath.

UPDATE:

New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, vows to reform her country's lax gun laws.

“Our gun laws will change,” she said. “There have been attempts to change our laws in 2005, 2012 and after an inquiry in 2017, now is the time for change.” 

She said five guns were used by the primary perpetrator of the attack, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns. The shooter was in possession of a gun licence obtained in November 2017.

Australia banned semi-automatic rifles. Britain has strict gun control. Now, New Zealand is going to follow. That leaves Canada the last bastion of assault rifle access.

What? And They Took His Stereo Too?

Clark Aposhian heads his state's biggest gun lobby, the Utah Shooting Sports Council.

Aposhian is a true believer in the right to bear arms, including the AR-15 assault rifle.  He even believes in the right of a gunowner to leave an AR-15 unattended in his car overnight.

And that's how dumbass Aposhian woke up Thursday morning to find his personal arsenal shy one assault rifle, the one that had been left in his car.   In his defence, Aposhian noted the weapon was unloaded and stored in a secure box which, presumably, his visitors also took.  Yeah and the buggers also snagged his car stereo.  The nerve.

And, in case you're wondering, yes, that is Clark Aposhian with an AR-15-style assault rifle which he may or may not still possess.  We don't know how many cars he has to store them in.

Mama, Print Me Up a Gun

The incredible, printed assault rifle.  It's not just good for six rounds any more.



Now the whole gun isn't made through 3D printing.   The barrel, for example, is a true, metal component.   That doesn't matter.   Barrels are just a machined, metal tube.   What is important is the "receiver" or the "action."   They're the moving parts that load bullets into the barrel, fire them and eject spent casings before reloading.   That's the guts of a modern instrument of mass mayhem and that's what you can produce with 3D printing.

The first attempt lasted just 6-rounds.  The new and improved model in this video fired 600-rounds.  Christ on a crutch!

Gun Show Week Wraps Up - With Body Bags

It's been a big week for the American gun show circuit.  Five people were wounded from accidental gun discharges at three U.S. gun shows.  The Shot Show gala, 2013, in Las Vegas set an all-time attendance record.  Brownells reported it sold 3.5-years worth of large capacity assault rifle magazines in just three days.

And, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police have a 15-year old in custody charged with the shooting and killing of five people, three of them children.  The accused is said to have used a number of firearms, including an assault rifle.

Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies said that they were called to the 2800 block of Long Lane Southwest to investigate a possible homicide around 9:15 p.m. Saturday. Responding deputies found a man, a woman and three children inside the home, all of whom had been shot multiple times.

The country has come unhinged.