No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money

My Five "Dream" Guns

2012-01-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

Robb Allen started it with his post about his five most wanted guns. SayUncle and Bob Owens (and others, I'm sure) have continued this theme today.

Here are my five - actually, it's six because I just couldn't narrow it down that much - that make the dream list. It is an eclectic list with both modern and old guns on it. Some of the guns are frankly rather esoteric but they caught my eye long ago and have become stuck in my brain.

The first gun on the list is the Model 41 Johnson Rifle. It was designed by Melvin Johnson, Jr., a Boston lawyer, due to what he saw were flaws in the M-1 Garand and the Pederson rifle. It was used in combat during WWII by the Dutch in Indonesia before they were overrun by the Japanese and by the Marine 1st Parachute Battalion. A variant of this firearm was the Johnson Light Machine Gun. I have a Garand, a M-1 carbine, and a Springfield 1903 and the Johnson would round out this collection very nicely.

The second gun on my list would be the Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903 carbine in 6.5x64 M-S. The Mannlicher Schoenauer features the classic full Mannlicher stock, the archetypal butter-knife bolt handle, and a rotary magazine. It was a favorite of Hemingway who featured it in his short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. The great African hunter Karamojo Bell used it to take many an elephant despite the cartridge's small size.

The third gun on my list is a modern bolt action rifle made by Dakota Arms. It is their Model 76 Classic or Classic Deluxe in .257 Roberts. Why this caliber? I think it is one of the most versatile older calibers and could be used for everything from varmints to whitetail deer. Besides, I've wanted a rifle in this caliber since I was in my early 20s and why not have a really nice example of it! It combines many of the features of the rifleman's rifle - the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 - with the strength of more modern steels and alloys.

The fourth gun on my list is actually quite practical and is meant to be carried. It is a Signature Grade Browning Hi-Power SRT by Ted Yost of Heirloom Precision. It starts with a 9mm Browning Hi-Power and then goes to town with features that make it both reliable and eminently usable. It is also very attractive in my opinion.

The fifth gun on my list is the Smith and Wesson Registered Magnum revolver in .357 Magnum. Introduced in 1935, these revolvers were essentially custom guns. The pistol was made to order and could be had in any barrel length from 3.5 inches to 8.75 inches with 1/4 inch increments. From a history of the revolver:

To further enhance the ownership experience of purchasing a .357 Magnum, Smith & Wesson established a registration process by which customers could receive a special certificate stating their ownership of a specific serial-numbered revolver. The certificate also indicated the specifications of the firearm, such as barrel length, sight choice installed by the factory at the customer's request, and walnut grip shape/type. Over 5,000 certificates were issued before Smith & Wesson discontinued the registration process.

I almost went with the Colt Python but ended up with the Registered Magnum because it is was the first .357 Magnum.

The final gun on my list is perhaps the most eclectic. It is the French-made Darne double-barrel side by side shogun. As with many things French, it has a style all its own along with a unique functionality. Unlike any other double-barrel shotgun, it does not break open on a hinge. Rather, it has a sliding breech that slides back for loading. The net effect is a lightweight shotgun that is also very strong. The shotgun is made in Saint-Etienne which has been a center for arms making in France since the 1600s.

This was a lot of fun coming up with my list and I welcome your list of five (or six!) dream guns in the comments.

A New Capital Infusion Into The Firearms Industry

2012-01-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Jim Shepherd at The Outdoor Wire mentioned that Savage Arms had just had an infusion of equity capital from Norwest Equity Partners on Tuesday of this week.

From the Norwest Equity Partners news release:

Erik Torgerson, a NEP partner and senior advisor, stated, “Savage is an industry leading, best-in-class company. Our investment will help advance global market expansion and the continued development of an innovative, diversified products platform. The Company operates within a fragmented industry, and there is significant opportunity for consolidation through add-on acquisitions in both existing and adjacent market categories. Under the leadership of Ron Coburn and his accomplished management team, Savage is well-positioned to continue to expand and exceed its growth objectives.” Torgerson and Tim DeVries, a NEP managing general partner, have joined the Savage board of directors.

Coburn stated, “This new investment partnership with NEP marks an exciting time for Savage. On behalf of our management team and employees, we look forward to working with the NEP team, exploring new business opportunities and advancing our business potential together.”

I agree with Jim's interpretation of this where he say it means "we have money and there are companies out there that would be good fits, so we may go shopping." He also notes that other deals and consolidations in the firearms industry may be coming over the next few weeks.

A little history about Norwest Equity Partners and their past investments will show just how significant this investment is for the firearms industry. NEP is an offshoot from Minneapolis-based Northwest Bancorporation that was started in 1961. They originally specialized in Minnesota companies but have since broadened their geographic reach. Their specialty is working with companies to bring them to that next level. Among the companies that they have made equity investments in over the years are Cray Research (supercomputers), Gymboree (kid's clothing ), Dairy Queen (fast food), and PeopleSoft (software). These are all now big-name companies.

In 1998, Norwest Bancorporation merged with Wells Fargo Bank. While the name going forward was Wells Fargo, in reality Norwest bought Wells Fargo and then took their name. This is the same thing that NationsBank (formerly North Carolina National Bank) did when they merged with Bank of America. The combined Wells Fargo which has now added Wachovia into the mix is the fourth largest bank in the United States according to the Federal Reserve.

With this sort of money and expertise behind Savage Sports Corporation, I think we are now seeing a well-funded competitor to Cerberus's Freedom Group. Both Savage and Freedom Group are strong on rifles but weak on handguns. I anticipate seeing one or more of the handgun manufacturers being bought by one or the other of these companies. Indeed, one of the rumors I remember reading coming out of the 2012 SHOT Show had Freedom Group buying Para-USA. I don't know the truth of it but it makes sense given that both are headquartered in North Carolina and are about a two hour drive apart in location.

This will be interesting to watch over the next few months.

The Crimson Trace Rail Master Laser

2012-01-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Crimson Trace has now introduced a new laser called the Rail Master. It is meant for any firearm with a rail so it could be used on both pistols and rifles.

(Wilsonville, OR) Crimson Trace, market leader for integrated laser sighting systems, today announced the release of their new Rail Master platform for all rail-equipped firearms. With an MSRP of $149, the innovative laser sight sets new standards for durability, battery life and quality. Featuring a tap on / tap off switch, the compact unit comes with four interchangeable inserts which utilize Secure-Lock Technology™ to enable a custom fit to any handgun, enabling the user to adjust the sight’s location on the rail to optimize activation.

“The new Rail Master is the most versatile laser sight available,” said Kent Thomas, Marketing Director for Crimson Trace. “Our design group took great pains to make incorporate all the quality engineering that has been a hallmark of Crimson Trace products and we’re proud to be able to offer a low light solution for the widest possible selection of handguns and long guns.”

The Rail Master offers a four hour battery life as well as the most powerful laser permitted by law. When mounted on a handgun, the low profile sight holsters easily and barely extends the profile of the frame. It sits unobtrusively on the railed handguard of an AR15 and extends the versatility of this highly adaptable rifle. Fully adjustable for windage and elevation, the unit retains zero when removed from the weapon and runs on easily available 1/3N batteries.

FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONs

Fits any rail-equipped firearm
Weight: 0.4 oz with batteries
Polymer Housing
Gold-Plated Battery and Activation contacts
Compact 5.6mm Diode
Precise Windage and Elevation Adjustments
Four, Secure Lock Technology™ inserts
BEAM INTENSITY – RED – 5mW Peak, 635 nm, Class 3R laser
DOT SIZE – Approximately 0.5" Diameter at 50 feet
BATTERIES – One 1/3N 3V Lithium or Two 357 Silver Oxide Batteries; Over Four Hours of Laser Use
ACTIVATION – Side-mounted, Tap on, Tap off instant activation

Mike Fifer, CEO of Ruger, Talks With Cam Edwards

2012-01-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

Mike Fifer, CEO of Ruger, sat down and talked with Cam Edwards of NRA News. While part of the interview was devoted to the new Ruger SR22 and the Ruger American rifle, more interesting to me was Fifer's discussion of the Million Gun Challenge and the political challenges we face. He is worried just like many of us about the composition of the Supreme Court after this election.

What If Emily Wasn't Smart, Articulate, And Connected

2012-01-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

In the interview below with Natasha Barrett of Newschannel 8, Emily Miller explains the events that convinced her to want to buy a gun and then her efforts to actually purchase a gun since she is a D.C. resident. If you have been following her series in the Washington Times, you know it has been a long and arduous process.

It has also been expensive. In addition to the price of her new Sig 229, Emily has had to spend $435 in fees and other expenses to meet the District of Columbia's gun regulations. She is now having to wait 10 days before she can take her new pistol home due to a "cooling off" period.

Emily Miller is an attractive, well-educated (Georgetown), well-spoken young woman with a high profile position as a senior editor with the Washington Times. Before that she was the deputy press secretary for both Secretary of State Colin Powell and Condolezza Rice. If someone like her with all of her connections has this much trouble exercising her Constitutional right to own a firearm for her own self-defense in her own home, imagine what it is like for everyone else who isn't as bright, articulate, and connected. If you said, damn near impossible, I think you'd be correct.

I hope she mentions that when she testifies before D.C. City Council on Monday, January 30th.

A Present For Bloomberg

2012-01-26T21:27:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month I made the suggestion that people should send Mayor Michael Bloomberg packets of Goody's or B.C. Headache Powders.

Mayor Bloomberg, if you will recall, had slandered Tennessee nurse and med student Meredith Graves by saying she had been arrested for cocaine possession. This was in addition to running afoul of New York City's draconian gun laws. That "cocaine" was, in reality, an aspirin-based headache powder which is very common throughout the South. Of course, those charges were dropped after the substance was tested.

I followed my own suggestion and mailed Mayor Bloomberg a six-pack of Goody's Powders along with a sheet from the North Carolina History Project explaining the origins of headache powders. I fully expect that I am now on the suspected terrorist list for the City of New York. To use a good Southern expression, this makes no nevermind to me as I don't intend to set foot in any of the five boroughs while Bloomberg is mayor and the gun laws are as they are.

Note - If you click on the picture, you can enlarge it and read the text of my letter without squinting.

UPDATE: At the request of Dannytheman, here is a link to the North Carolina History Project's page on headache powders. Headache powders originated with pharmacists in North Carolina.

Slow Blogging Today

2012-01-25T14:42:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the slow blogging today. I'm having to meet with plumbers at my late Mom's house out of town. The house was built in 1927 and the drains look it!

I'll add some pictures later.

UPDATE: Just back home from Greensboro after a three hour drive. Here are some pictures of the work. I can do a lot of renovation projects but I suck at plumbing. I learned a long time ago that it is better for me to hire a plumber than to do it myself.

Much of the plumbing in the house dates back to 1927. If I had any question about why the kitchen sink wouldn't drain, I got my answer when I looked at this pipe.

And then there was the drain system from the sink and the clothes washer. What is easily done with PVC pipe today took more couplings and connecters than can be imagined.

Fortunately, PVC makes it much easier. The plumber not only replaced all of the tangled mess with this but also ran the smooth PVC pipe all the way to to the street coupling.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

State Of The Union And The Use Of Social Media

2012-01-24T21:55:00.002-05:00

Sean Sorrentino at An NC Gun Blog has come up with a great idea to put some pressure on the Obama Administration over Project Gunwalker.

Senior administration officials will be answering questions submitted on Twitter and other social media. Sean has pre-written Tweets with some pointed questions about Operation Fast and Furious.

Go here to find out more.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:State Of The Union And The Power Of Social Media

Trey Gowdy On Cunningham's Plan To Take The 5th

2012-01-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) was interviewed by Ginny Simone of NRA News yesterday. The first topic that came up was the plans for AUSA Patrick Cunningham, head of the criminal section of the US Attorney's Office in Arizona, to refuse to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee because it might incriminate him.

Asked his reaction, Gowdy said his first reaction was stunned silence "which is pretty hard to accomplish with a Member of Congress." He goes on to say that he never thought he'd see a Federal prosecutor take the Fifth Amendment. Gowdy served as a Federal prosecutor himself for six years earlier in his career.

Dog Bites Man Or Is This Really News

2012-01-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

In news from Greater Boston, comes a press release that the mayor of the City of Peabody has joined Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors.

Peabody Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. announced yesterday that he has joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of 600 mayors committed to keeping guns out of criminal hands.

Having a mayor from relatively anti-gun Massachusetts (or as JayG calls it, the Volksrepublik) join an anti-gun group of mayors is not news. It is just the same old tired gun prohibitionists rehashing the same old tired news.

However, if Mayor Bettencourt had resigned from MAIG and said he was pushing for real shall-issue concealed carry for Massachusetts, now THAT would be news.

Wayne LaPierre At The SHOT Show

2012-01-24T08:11:00.000-05:00

One of the things he said that caught my ear was the statement that this year could break the back of the Second Amendment if we don't work to save it. While a bit of hyperbole, I do agree that this is a critical election year. Whoever is elected President will probably get to nominate at least one Supreme Court justice. With both Heller and McDonald as 5 to 4 decisions, this is a frightening thought.

Historical Quote Of The Week

2012-01-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

Continuing on the theme of thought that influenced the Founding Fathers and the framers of the Constitution, this week's historical quote courtesy of Proclaiming Liberty comes from Andrew Fletcher.

The possession of arms is the distinction of a freeman from a slave. He who has nothing, and belongs to another, must be defended by him, and needs no arms: but he who thinks his is his own master, and has anything he may call his own, ought to have arms to defend himself and what he possesses, or else live precariously and at discretion.

Fletcher, Andrew. Speeches by a Member of Parliament. Edinburgh, 1703. 43. Print

This quote is found on page 28 of Proclaiming Liberty which is available from Amazon.com for $12.95. The Kindle edition is now available for $3.95.

Investing In Guns And Ammo

2012-01-22T23:01:00.000-05:00

With the SHOT Show having just concluded this past week, I thought it might be a good time to look at investing and the gun industry. As NSSF President Steve Sanetti noted in his State of the Industry address at the SHOT Show, the $4.1 billion firearms and ammunition industry is one of the bright spots in the economy.

Eighteen consecutive quarters of sales growth, as evidenced most recently by an all-time high number of mandatory point-of-sales background checks in December, and during the worst recession since the great depression, would be an enviable feat for any industry. Yet we have achieved it...

If, like most investors, you are saying to yourself that you'd like to invest in an industry that is actually doing well in our poor global economy, when it comes to the firearms industry there are very few choices available. The reason is that much of the industry is in private hands and are not public companies. By public companies, I mean those whose stock trades on a stock exchange.

As I noted, much of the firearms industry is in private hands. Companies such as Groupe Herstal (FNH, Browning, and Winchester firearms), Colt, Beretta, Steyr Mannlicher, and the Freedom Group (Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS, Dakota Arms, Marling, H&R, etc.) are all privately held. While the Cerberus-owned Freedom Group may eventually go public, they pulled their Initial Public Offering back in April 2011.

So where does this leave investors?

In the United States, Sturm, Ruger and Company (RGR) and Smith and Wesson Holding Company (SWHC) are the only two publicly traded firearms manufacturers. Worldwide, you can add Forjas Taurus (Taurus firearms) which trades on the Sao Paolo exchange, Manroy PLC (Sabre Defence and military arms) in the UK, Metal Storm Ltd. of Australia, and a handful of Russian companies like Tula Armory.

Ammunition companies in the United States that are publicly traded include Olin (Winchester ammunition) and Alliant Technologies (Federal, CCI, and Speer). Other companies that are involved in the broad firearms and outdoor market would include Cabelas (CAB), the Outdoor Channel (OUTD), and Taser International (TASR).

Let's look a little closer at the two US firearms manufacturers and the two ammo companies.

Sturm, Ruger and Company (RGR) is headquartered in Southport, Connecticut and has factories in Prescott, Arizona and Newport, New Hampshire. Its stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange. In terms of market capitalization, Ruger is larger than Smith and Wesson - $736 million versus $309 million - but has about $100 million less in annual gross revenues. Ruger has been doing well and is on track to become the first firearms manufacturer to sell one million firearms in a one year period. The stock has also been doing well as can be seen in the chart below. Over the last two years, Ruger's stock price has risen 250% and it closed at $38.68 per share on Friday. Looking at the chart, you can see that it significantly outperformed the Standard and Poor's 500 Index.

Smith and Wesson Holding Company (SWHC) is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. They moved their Thompson Center manufacturing to Springfield from New Hampshire. Smith and Wesson also has non-firearms operations in Houlton, Maine and Franklin, Tennessee. The company is also a leading manufacturer of handcuffs and provides physical security products through their Security Solutions division. As noted above in the discussion Ruger, Smith and Wesson has a smaller market cap than Ruger but has about $100 million more in annual revenues. However, when it comes to profitability, Ruger both has a higher profit margin and more profits than Smith and Wesson. The stock price of SWHC reflects this. It closed on Friday at $4.74 per share and is only up about 20% for the last two years. Looking at the chart, you can see its stock price has been very volatile.

Neither of the U.S. ammunition manufacturers, Olin and Alliant Technologies, are solely ammo makers. Olin also makes chlor alkali products which are basic materials used in other industries. Alliant Technologies is a large defense contractor involved in aerospace and missile technologies, armament systems, and small arms ammunition manufacturing for the military.

Olin (OLN) has making powder and ammunition for over 100 years from its beginnings with the Equitable Powder Company and Western Cartridge in East Alton, Illinois. Olin bought Winchester out of receivership in 1931 and has owned it ever since. They spun off the Winchester Arms division to U.S. Repeating Arms in 1981. Currently headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri, they make Winchester ammunition in East Alton, Illinois; Oxford, Mississippi; and Geelong, Australia. Olin has been moving more and more ammunition production from East Alton to Oxford due to union-management issues and a more modern facility. In terms of market capitalization, Olin is valued at $1.7 billion, has gross revenues of $1.9 billion, and net income of $225 million. Its stock closed at $22.20 per share on Friday and it trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Olin's stock price has been volatile over the last two years but it has outperformed the S&P 500 growing 30% in value over the period.

As I noted earlier, Alliant Technologies (ATK) is a major defense contractor. The civilian ammunition component of their business comprises only about 20% of their overall business. Their Security and Sporting Group is comprised of Federal Premium ammo, CCI ammo and components, Speer bullets and ammo, RCBS reloading equipment, Alliant Powder, Champion ammo, Weaver optics, Eagle Industries, and Blackhawk! Industries.Alliant Technologies is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia and has 60 facilities in 22 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. ATK has a market cap of $2.04 billion, has gross revenues of $4.62 billion, and net income of $292 million. Its stock closed at $61.78 per share and it trades on the New York Stock Exchange. As can be seen from the chart below, it has underperformed the market for the last two years and its stock price has lost 30% of its value.

Of the four companies, Ruger is the purest play in firearms. While the company does own Pine Tree Castings, it only provides about 1% of their revenues. The other three companies are more diversified. This diversification which in normal times would help them seems to have depressed their growth as compared to that of Ruger. With other sectors of the economy not having the robust growth of the firearms industry, this has hurt Smith and Wesson, Olin, and Alliant Technologies.

Because of my day job, I am not permitted to make any recommendations. I suggest that you do your own research, check with your own investment advisor, and go from there if you are interested in investing in the companies of the firearms and ammunition industry.

Disclosure: In the spirit of full disclosure, I own shares in RGR, ATK, OLN, and SWHC. Nothing here should be taken as an investment recommendation nor a solicitation of your business.

You Don't Interrupt A Guy Eating His Smothered And Covered Hashbrowns

2012-01-21T22:33:00.002-05:00

Waffle House is a chain of diners across the South and into middle America. They are famous for their hashbrowns especially when they are smothered and covered. That is hashbrowns with sauteed onions and melted cheese.

In Chesnee, South Carolina, two armed robbers made the mistake of robbing the wrong Waffle House this morning. As a result of their decision, one of them is dead and the other is on the run.

It was only after the armed robbers started to make moves to herd the customers and staff to the backroom that a person who was legally carrying concealed made his move. As Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright noted, the man feared for his life and only then pulled out his firearm.

Sheriff Chuck Wright said the CWP training the man had came into play in this situation.

"All the witnesses said it wasn't his first reaction to grab the gun and start shooting and he tried to make him stop," said Wright.

Wright said you are told to do all you can to avoid shooting something.

"You are trained when to shoot and when not to shoot and what you can and cant do. You learn where you can and can't carry a gun and this gentleman followed the law," said Wright.

The CWP holder will not be charged and his name is not being released. The Sheriff’s Office says no customers or employees were injured during the incident.

Sheriff Chuck Wright is the same lawman who urged women in South Carolina to get their SC concealed weapons permit in 2011. He did this in response to an attempted rape in his county by a man who had been in and out of jail 20 times.

UPDATE: Paul Valone, President of Grass Roots North Carolina, is using this example combined with two fatal shootings of restaurant employees during robberies in Charlotte, NC to push the North Carolina State Senate to move on HB 111. That bill would allow concealed carry (but not drinking) in restaurants and eating establishments that serve alcohol. An alert similar to his Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner column went out yesterday.

Issa Issues Subpoena To Head Of Criminal Division Of US Attorney's Office In AZ (update)

2012-01-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced that his committee has subpoenaed Patrick J. Cunningham of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona. Mr. Cunningham is the Chief of the Criminal Division of that office.

Issa Subpoenas Criminal Division Chief from Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office

WASHINGTON, DC – House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) today announced the issuance of a subpoena to Patrick J. Cunningham, Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona. Mr. Cunningham's repeated refusals to testify voluntarily have forced the Committee to use compulsory process.

"During the course of our investigation, the Committee has learned of the outsized role played by the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office – and you specifically – in approving the unacceptable tactics used in Fast and Furious," Chairman Issa wrote to Cunningham in a letter informing him of the subpoena. "Senior Justice Department officials have recently told the Committee that you relayed inaccurate and misleading information to the Department in preparation for its initial response to Congress.

"These officials told us that even after Congress began investigating Fast and Furious, you continued to insist that no unacceptable tactics were used. In fact, documents obtained confidentially just last week appear to confirm that you remained steadfast in your belief that no unacceptable tactics were used, even after the Department's initial response to the congressional inquiry. Given that the Attorney General has labeled these tactics as unacceptable and Fast and Furious as 'fundamentally flawed,' this position is startling."

The subpoena requires Cunningham to appear on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 for a deposition.

It will be interesting to see if the Department of Justice will try to fight this subpoena or will they throw Cunningham under the bus like they did former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke.

According to the letter Issa sent to Cunningham informing him of the subpoena, Cunningham had been scheduled to be voluntarily interviewed by the Committee today and had indicated a willingness to cooperate with the Committee as late as last Friday. To me, his sudden refusal to cooperate would seem to indicate either he has a lot to hide or someone on Holder's staff at DOJ made him an offer he couldn't refuse. This one will be interesting to follow.

UPDATE: According to a letter released by Patrick Cunningham's attorney, he will be taking "the 5th" when he appears before the Committee in response to their subpoena. William LaJeunesse has more on it here.

As I said yesterday, this one will be interesting to follow!

UPDATE II: I've had time to read and digest the letter from Mr. Cunningham's attorney Tobin Romero of the DC law firm Williams and Connolly. Williams and Connolly is ranked as the best white collar defense firm in the United States by the Vault Guide.

Romero asserts that Cunningham is caught in a struggle between the DOJ and the Oversight Committee. Moreover, he says he acted in good faith and did nothing wrong. The draft language he submitted to the DOJ for their response to the Committee in February was approved and then not used by the DOJ.

The most interesting part - other than saying that Cunningham will plead the Fifth - is an indication that he is being thrown under the bus by DOJ.

According to your letter, Department of Justice officials ahve reported to the Committee that my client relayed inaccurate information to the Department upon which it relied in preparing its initial response to Congress. If, as you claim, Department officials have blamed my client, they have blamed him unfairly.

2012 SHOT Show - Day 3, Gunblast.com

2012-01-20T06:54:00.000-05:00

Jeff Quinn of Gunblast.com finishes up his reporting from the SHOT Show with this video. He starts with with 1911s from Cimarron Firearms in what has to be the ultimate BBQ gun - a chromed and engraved 1911.

Go to the link above to see still photos of more guns that the Quinns viewed on Day 3 of the SHOT Show.

Haus Of Guns On The Coonan .357 Magnum 1911

2012-01-19T23:25:00.000-05:00

Haus of Guns did an interview at the SHOT Show with Dan Coonan about his Coonan .357 Magnum 1911 semi-auto pistol. I don't know why but this gun just intrigues me. Imagine an auto that will shoot both .357 mag rounds plus the .38 Special.

2012 SHOT Show - Day 3, Downrange.tv

2012-01-19T23:17:00.002-05:00

Michael Bane has finally bought his first handgun at the SHOT Show. It is the Sig P938 which is the slightly scaled up P238 in 9mm. Other things he mentioned were the new modular Mossberg shotgun and their tactical lever-action rifle.

You can see his whole report here.

If Only The Colonel Were Still Alive

2012-01-19T20:32:00.001-05:00

The Educational Fund To Stop Gun Violence, the 503(c)3 arm of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, has a website called MeetTheNRA.org. Their goal is to publish (out of context) quotes in an effort to discredit current and former members of the NRA Board as being conservative radicals, racists, and insurrectionists.

The screen cap below is from today in their effort to smear the late Col. Jeff Cooper.

What Col. Cooper actually wrote in his Commentaries, Vol. 4, was this:

Clearly propaganda is more potent than truth. Take this matter of Guernica, for example. Pablo Picasso, one of the more significant propagandists of the left, made a very successful point in claiming that the town of Guernica had been flattened from the air by the German Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War − this being an atrocity since the town had no strategic value. This point was accepted by the world press, and is now considered a fact, even for inclusion in encyclopedias.

For those who have access to the official records it is clear that the Condor Legion had been grounded for two weeks prior to the occupation of the city by the Nationalist forces. Moreover, the German light bombers did not have the technical capacity for "carpet bombing," as later practiced by the Allies in Europe. Most conclusive, however, was the fact that there were no bomb craters in the streets. The buildings were pretty well demolished, but this was done from inside them. It is obviously impossible to flatten a town from the air without hitting any of the streets, but now, to the amazement of the well−informed, the German government is proposing to pay an indemnity to Spain for an atrocity never committed. Such goings on!

Now Col. Cooper served as an officer in the US Marine Corps during both WWII and the Korean Conflict. Moreover, he had a graduate degree in history to complement his undergraduate degree from Stanford in political science. I happen to think that a military officer, especially one trained as a historian, is somewhat more likely to have seen the official reports and to have made sense of them than a hoplophobe like Ladd Everitt who wasn't even born when Kennedy was killed.

Now I will acknowledge that there is a significant difference of opinion about what really happened at Guernica especially among historians so the Colonel could be wrong in his assessment. Jeff Cooper was reputed to be a man of strong opinions, somewhat cranky and irascible, but brilliant nonetheless. If he were alive today, the intellectual flaying he would have given the small-minded gun prohibitionist hoplophobes at the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence and CSGV would have been a thing of beauty. It is a pity he didn't live long enough to apply it.

SHOT Show - Not Just For Tacticool Stuff

2012-01-19T17:26:00.001-05:00

2012 SHOT Show - Steyr

2012-01-19T17:21:00.000-05:00

I will admit I am a sucker for Steyr products. I have an old Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1910 which is one of favorite rifles from the butter-knife bolt handle to the rotary magazine. Their new stuff isn't bad either.

The guys from Guns and Ammo checked out the Steyr Aug A3 and the Steyr M-A1 pistol in .40S&W. I have never shot a bullpup so I can't say whether I would like one or not. Nonetheless, the ease with which they were able to take off the barrel for cleaning was impressive.

2012 SHOT Show - Day One Recap From NSSF

2012-01-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Here is a recap of Day One of the SHOT Show from the NSSF itself. I know the Complementary Spouse would agree with the presenter's recommendation to wear comfortable shoes.

2012 SHOT Show - Day 2, Downrange TV

2012-01-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

Michael Bane continues his video coverage of the 2012 SHOT Show. Some of the items he featured for Day 2 are the Heizer Double-Tap derringer, lasers from Crimson Trace, Windham Weaponry, the Sig 938, and a knife from Remington that uses 1911 grips.

Speaking of Heizer, when I was in St. Louis over the holidays I passed a small industrial building near Arnold that said "Heizer". I am wondering if this was where the Doube-Tap is made or some facility. I'm thinking a request for a factory tour may be in order.

2012 SHOT Show - Day 2, Gunblast.com

2012-01-19T07:37:00.000-05:00

Jeff Quinn of Gunblast.com shows the things that caught his eye on day two of the SHOT Show. For 10mm fans, Para-USA is coming out with a 6" barreled 1911.

For still pictures of more guns, go here.

Eat Your Heart Out, Violence Policy Center!

2012-01-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Violence Policy Center loves to moan and groan about how the NRA gets so much money from the firearms industry. Sturm, Ruger and Company, in a drive to break the one million firearm sales mark for one year, pledged to donate $1 for each firearm sold over a one year period. Through three quarters, Ruger has sold 871,200 firearms and donated an equal amount to the NRA. They have just decided to raise their pledge to $1.2 million.

Eat your hearts out Josh Sugarmann and Kristen Rand because the Joyce Foundation is never going to match this!