Outdoor Life - Shotguns RSS

Are 'Self-Defense' Drones Protected by the Second Amendment?

Alex Robinson — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:48:37 -0400

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No...

It's your neighbor's drone plinking pesky squirrels from his cherished chestnut tree and if your dog strays onto his lawn one more time, zap!

Far-fetched?

Hardly. In fact, somehow, somewhere, sometime soon, it's inevitable. But will it be legal? Constitutional scholars are debating that question right now and some think that Second Amendment rights could extend to robotic arms -- including "self-defense drones" outfitted with weapons.

"Does the Second Amendment cover my right to bear (robotic) arms? It sounds like a joke, but where does the line stop, and why?" wrote Peter W. Singer, director of Brookings' 21st Century Defense Initiative, in 2010, noting the Constitutionality of privately owned and operated "self-defense drones" is, in fact, an "all too real question."

Jason Koebler, science and technology reporter for U.S. News & World Report, writes in a May 21 article that "the technology to arm your own personal drone might become a reality" soon for the average Joe because pioneering garage tinkerers are already producing home-made, remote-controlled "unmanned aircraft" using increasingly available and decreasingly expensive technology.

Examples abound, especially on YouTube where, most notably, Kyle Myers posted a video of his "Prototype Quadrotor with Machine Gun" that was viewed more than 18 million times, prompting a March raid of his Royston, Ga., home by the ATF and FBI.

A survey of website bulletin boards frequented by gun owners reveals the prospect of owning and operating a "self-defense drone" is not suburban science fiction but something many are curious about.

"Do you think the Second Amendment will protect my personal defense drone?" asks 'fyi2day' in an April 24 tongue-in-cheek (?) discussion on The Daily Paul. "As soon as the price comes down on these babies, like on my flat-screen TV, I am going to buy one and program it to patrol my property like a bad arse flying junkyard dog! I am going to train it to fight other drones Michael Vick-style if they come to close and onto my property."

Do so at your own peril because, right now, arming "unmanned aircraft" of any type is expressly forbidden by the Federal Aviation Administration.

"We currently have rules in the books that deal with releasing anything from an aircraft, period," said Jim Williams, director of the FAA's newly minted Unmanned Air Systems Integration Office in February. "Those rules are in place and that would prohibit weapons from being installed on a civil aircraft."

In addition, as Koebler reports, most commercially-available drones aren't strong enough to carry a firearm and cannot handle the recoil from firing most types of firearms "for the time being."

"But," he adds, "as technology improves and guns with little- or no-recoil become more commonplace, armed drones could become an issue."

Most of the discussion among gun owners regarding drones has focused on fears -- justifiable fears -- of government intrusion.

“I am very concerned that this technology will be used against law-abiding American firearms owners,” Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, told CNet.com's Declan McCullagh in a March 2 article. “This could violate Fourth Amendment rights as well as Second Amendment rights.”

But some gun owners are already pondering a response should they pestered by a local, state or federal drone.

"I’ve been thinking about exercising my Second Amendment right to buy an anti-aircraft gun as a protection against hostile drones," writes Gene Owens on March 28 in the Anderson (Ind.) Independent Mail. "In the age of drones, no American home should be without an anti-aircraft gun."

For more, go to:
-- The Next Gun Debate? Armed Drones Could Be Protected By the Second Amendment

-- Will the 2nd amendment protect my self-defense drone?

-- FPSRussia compound raid leaves 40-plus ATF, FBI agents empty-handed

-- Benghazi, Drones and Second Amendment (1 of 2)

-- Drones: From War Weapon To Homemade Toy

-- Look out! The drones are swarming

-- OBAMA ORDERS ALL DRONES BE MADE ABLE TO DETECT IF CITIZENS ARE ARMED

-- ‘Citizen Drone Warfare’: Hobbyist explores a frightening scenario

Shotgun Shooting Tips: 4 Ways to Improve Your Tactical Shotgun Game

Alex Robinson — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:08 -0400

The tactical shotgun is perhaps the least understood firearm used for defense or competition. The skills and techniques employed for shooting a rifle or handgun are extremely similar, and for most shooters it’s easy to learn one if you have mastered the other. But the shotgun requires a much different technique.

There are two approaches. One is to shoot purely from a tactical aspect, using sights for every shot. But that limits what you can do and how fast you can do it. The other aspect is to learn to shoot a shotgun the way it is designed to be shot. That is, to learn wingshooting techniques and apply them to tactical shooting.

Tactical shotgun shooting for competition or defense is a multifaceted thing. But the bottom line is that the better and faster you can shoot it, the higher the odds are for victory.
Go Get Laughed At
Bring your tactical shotgun to the local five-stand, sporting clays, trap, or skeet range—preferably all of the above at some point. Be prepared for the wingshooting snobs who lurk about in these places looking to make snide comments. Resist the urge to pound them and instead seek out the shooters without self-esteem problems. Those guys can teach you their sport. Don’t expect to win any matches with a tactical shotgun, but do expect to build shooting skills.

What the shotgun guys do well is hit small, rapidly moving targets with a shotgun. If they can teach you to do that, you will be a better, faster tactical shotgun shooter. A flurry shoot, with lots of birds in the air at the same time, will build your loading skills.

Sight In Your Shotgun
It is important to have the patterns centered when you are shooting. This is usually a function of gun fit, but in a tactical shotgun, you’re often using slugs, so it’s best to aim the shotgun like a rifle.

For precision slug shooting, it’s critical that you zero the gun. It doesn’t matter if you have sights or just a bead—make sure everything is adjusted so the slugs hit where you want them to hit. Either install some adjustable sights or bend the barrel, but get the slugs hitting where you are aiming.

Spend Time With a Pattern Board
Do not assume anything when it comes to chokes and buckshot. The only way to know how your gun is patterning is to shoot it. You might be surprised at what you find. With buckshot, choke is everything. Sometimes just a few thousandths of constriction is the difference between a blown-out, wild pattern and a tight, controlled one.

Get a Load
The main challenge with a tactical shotgun is loading it quickly. While rifles and handguns have large-capacity magazines that can be replaced in the blink of an eye, the shotgun holds just a few rounds and must be reloaded one shotshell at a time.

There are several loading techniques that are taught for tactical shotgun shooting, and every instructor thinks his is the best. Find one or more that work for you and practice them often.

Colorado Sheriffs Seek to Block Implementation of New Gun Control Laws

Alex Robinson — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:08:12 -0400

All but 10 of Colorado's 64 elected county sheriffs have signed onto a lawsuit filed on May 17 in U.S. District Court in Denver challenging the Constitutionality and practicality of new state laws mandating universal background checks for private firearms transactions and limiting magazine capacities to 15 rounds.

The two laws, set to go into effect on June 1, were approved Colorado's Democratic-controlled state Legislature earlier this year. The lawsuit seeks to delay implementation of the laws pending review of the sheriffs' concerns.

In their complaint, the sheriffs claim the new laws "severely restrict citizens' constitutional right to own and bear arms," is "practically impossible" to enforce, and will require manpower and money they just don't have.

Colorado sheriffs "cannot expend these resources to conduct investigations that would be necessary to monitor compliance" with the laws, the lawsuit said.

Joining the sheriffs in the lawsuit are several gun-rights organizations and a disabled gun owners group, who say that magazine limits would restrict their ability to defend themselves in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars discrimination against the disabled.

In addition, the Basic Freedom Defense Fund, a Colorado-based gun rights advocacy group, said on May 20 that it was circulating a petition to recall the president of the state Senate, Democrat John Morse, because of his support for gun control measures.

The National Rifle Association has also announced plans to challenge new gun control laws adopted in Colorado, Connecticut and New York in the wake of December's Newtown shootings.

For more, go to:
-- Colorado sheriffs sue to block new gun-control laws
-- Colorado Sheriffs Suing Over Gun Control Laws
-- Colorado Sheriffs Sue Over State’s New Gun Control Laws
-- Majority of Colorado sheriffs file suit against new gun laws
-- Colorado Editorial Roundup
-- Colorado Sheriffs Challenge Gun Control Laws
-- How Will The Sheriffs’ Gun Lawsuit Impact The Gun Conversation?
-- Colorado Sheriffs and Other Plaintiffs Sue to Void Two Gun Laws

Bill Maher Says Second Amendment is B.S., But Owns Two Guns

Alex Robinson — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:47:07 -0400

Uber-liberal HBO 'Real Time' host Bill Maher has never been vague in expressing his contempt for the Second Amendment and gun owners.

But it wasn't until the Friday, May 18, segment of 'Real Time' that viewers learned that Maher, like so many left-wing elitists, doesn't think the same laws that apply to you apply to him.

While mocking the Constitution and Bill of Rights during a panel discussion with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times and MSNBC’s S.E. Cupp, Maher criticized the failed Manchin-Toomey expanded background checks bill because it prohibited a national gun registry.

"Of course we need a gun registry,” Maher said. “The Second Amendment is bullsh*t.”

A short while later in his blathering discourse, Maher revealed he actually owns two firearms that he keeps in his home -- one upstairs and one downstairs -- and that he goes to the range twice a year to practice shooting.

Maher said there have been 12 home invasions in his neighborhood over the last year and he needs the guns to protect himself.

"As long as we live in the gun country, I ain't giving up my guns," he said.

And why should he?

He's Bill Maher and you're not.

For you, "The Second Amendment is bullsh*t.”

For more, go to:
-- S.E. Cupp On National Background Checks: ‘You Want To Be Able To Track Me’

-- Bill Maher: ’12 home invasions in my neighborhood, I ain’t giving up my gun’

-- "Real Time" Panel: S.E. Cupp vs. Bill Maher & Michael Moore On Guns

-- S.E. Cupp lays into Michael Moore for characterizing gun owners as pariahs (VIDEO)

-- S.E. Cupp And Michael Moore Debate Gun Control On ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ (Video)

-- BILL MAHER TO MICHAEL MOORE: I HAVE GUNS AND I AIN'T GIVING THEM UP

-- Bill Maher: ‘I Ain’t Giving Up My Gun’ [Video]

ATK to Buy Savage Arms

Alex Robinson — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:15:25 -0400

Big news in the sporting world today. ATK, which already owns large swath of the outdoor industry’s leading ammunition and shooting accessories brands, has announced that it is acquiring the company that owns Savage Sports Corporation for $315 million in cash. This purchase is ATK’s first foray into firearms production.

The name of the company being purchased is Caliber Company, which is the parent of Savage Arms, Bowtech and other brands in the hunting and shooting world—though the deal only includes the Savage and Stevens firearms brands and Savage Range Systems and does not include the archery company Bowtech. According to ATK, the purchase should be finalized prior to June 30, 2013.

Officials from both ATK and Savage offered upbeat assessments of the deal.

"The acquisition will complement ATK's growing portfolio of leading consumer brands," said Mark DeYoung, ATK President and CEO. "This opportunity will allow us to build upon our offerings with Savage's prominent, respected brands known for accuracy, quality, innovation, value and craftsmanship."

Meanwhile, Savage’s president and Chief Operating Officer, Al Kasper, had similarly nice things to say.

"Savage offers customers a unique value proposition that is unmatched by any other firearms manufacturer and will be a tremendous complement to ATK's existing ammunition and shooting accessories portfolio," Kasper said.

The official announcement at ATK.com said that ATK will integrate Savage within its Sporting Group business.

And, in case you were wondering just how big ATK's Sporting Group is, the release offered this helpful description of the brands it currently owns: “ATK's ammunition brands include Federal Premium, CCI, Fusion, Speer, Estate Cartridge and Blazer. ATK's accessories brands include Blackhawk!, Alliant Power, RCBS, Champion targets and shooting equipment, Gunslick Pro and Outers gun-care products, and Weaver optics and mounting systems.”

The acquisition of well-known firearms brands by larger companies has often not worked out well for the firearms companies in question. Though, in this case, there’s reason not to panic. ATK has demonstrated an ability to bring new brands into the fold without uprooting those brands’ production facilities and personnel in the name of consolidation and cost savings, and has therefore avoided some of the errors that have plagued similar business deals.

My fervent hope is that Savage’s new overlords at ATK will proceed with a light touch. Savage is one of the most clear-cut success stories in the gun world in recent memory and its example should be emulated and not tampered with. Savage, which a couple decades ago was on death’s door, reinvented itself under former CEO Ron Coburn, and turned into a most improbable gun maker: namely, a profitable firearms company located in the heart of the anti-gun and heavily unionized Northeast that makes accurate and affordable guns for every-day shooters. (And for the record, no, I don’t equate the success of the AR guys, which is due to circumstance more than business acumen, with what Savage has accomplished.)

Likewise, I hope that Bowtech doesn’t languish in limbo as a result of this either. I can understand why ATK might not have been interested in acquiring the bow maker—to date, ATK’s brands have been focused purely on the shooting side of hunting and Bowtech was a tiny fraction of Savage’s business. Even so, it has been a remarkable and innovative force in the archery business and I hope that whoever ends up with it (I can’t imagine it will stay part of the financial group it is currently with for very long) treats it well.

Secure Firearms Act Offers Tax Breaks for Purchasing Gun Safes, Locks

Alex Robinson — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:15:34 -0400

Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Carter (R-Texas) and fellow HSAS member Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) have introduced the Secure Firearms Act, which would provide up to a $1,200 federal income tax deduction for the purchase of a gun safe, or other safety device, through 2014 as well as prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from using tax deduction claims to produce "any kind of gun ownership registration."

The bill, which has been endorsed by the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, was introduced on May 8 into the House and is expected to pass with little opposition.

“The members of America’s firearms industry thank Rep. Carter for his leadership in offering a real bipartisan solution that will help make our families safer,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel in a May 9 statement. “Helping firearms owners responsibly and safely store their firearms when they are not in use so that they are inaccessible to unauthorized and at-risk individuals provides a practical and proven way to increase the safety of our homes and communities.”

“The most common factor in the mass shootings over the past years is that people who should not have had access to firearms managed to acquire them anyway,” Carter, a former Texas district judge, told the AP. “We don’t attempt to address all the reasons for that in this bill, but specifically target better security of firearms by law-abiding citizens through incentives, not mandates.”

“As a concealed handgun license holder and strong supporter of 2nd amendment rights, this is a common sense first step towards increasing access for Americans to purchase devices that will prevent the misuse of firearms,"Cuellar said. "While this legislation is not meant to be a ‘fix-all’, this is a bipartisan idea that Congress should immediately act on. I’m proud to join my fellow Texan and friend, Chairman Carter on this important legislation.”

The bill does not mandate gun owners purchase locks or safes, but some fear it could be a precursor for doing so.

"While laudable, I am concerned that this bill could morph from 'encourage' to 'require,'" writes Randy Rowley, president of a 238-member Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen. "The vast majority of our members, like me, own less than 10 guns. We can barely afford the cost of ammo (which is ever increasing), much less new guns. If we will be forced to buy a gun safe (which start at $2000), even with your bill’s incentives we could not afford one and would have no alternative other than to sell all of our guns."

This bill, Rowley fears, could be an "effective way of banning guns and, eventually, gun owners."

For more, go to:
-- Firearms industry praises U.S. Rep. John R. Carter for introducing Secure Firearms Act

-- Secure Firearms Act to Reduce Gun Violence Introduced in House

-- Secure Firearms Act

-- A common sense gun bill

-- Firearms Industry Praises U.S. Rep. John R. Carter For Introducing Secure Firearms Act

Twenty-Year Low in Gun Violence Illustrates Gap Between Reality and Public Perception

Alex Robinson — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:53:36 -0400

Two reports confirm one set of facts: Gun violence has dropped dramatically nationwide over the past two decades, but the impression people get from the mainstream media and anti-gun lobbyists is "gun crime" is out of control.

The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics on May 7 released a report documenting a 39 percent decline in firearms-related homicides between 1993 and 2011, as well as a 69 percent drop-off in non-fatal crimes with firearms.

Another interesting stat from the Justice Department study: Less than 1 percent of state prison inmates who possessed a gun when they committed their offense obtained the firearm at a gun show.

Also on May 7, the private Pew Research Center issued a report that found a similar decline in the rate of gun homicides, gauging the number of killings against population growth. The PRC found that the number of gun homicides per 100,000 people fell from 7 in 1993 to 3.6 in 2010, a drop of 49 percent.

The Pew report also compared statistical reality with public perception in a March poll that showed that 56 percent of people believe the number of gun crimes is higher than it was two decades ago. Only 12 percent, the PRC's poll indicated, think the number of gun crimes is lower, while the rest said they think it remained the same or didn’t know.

How the information will be interpreted could influence the gun control debate currently stalled in the Senate, notes Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post in a May 7 column.

"This is wonderful news for the country, and rotten data for anti-gun advocates trying to revive the Newtown, Conn., anti-gun legislative package," Rubin writes. "If they needed more facts as to why the anti-gun crusade is misplaced, Second Amendment defenders got a whole batch -- from the Obama Justice Department."

For more, go to:
-- DOJ: Gun violence down, semi-automatics a minor issue

-- Study: Gun homicides, violence down sharply in past 20 years

-- Gun murders drop sharply in U.S., adding fuel to gun control battle

-- Reduced gun violence doesn't mean the problem is solved

-- New Gov't Report Destroys Argument By Anti-Assault Weapon Zealots

-- Opinion: Drop in gun violence could threaten tighter controls

-- US Gun Crime Plunges, but Most Americans Think it's Up

-- Majority of Americans Overstate Level of Gun Violence, Pew Finds

-- Rate Of U.S. Gun Violence Has Fallen Since 1993, Study Says

Gun Juggling with Bayonets Fixed

Alex Robinson — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:58:36 -0400

Once upon a time men were made of sterner stuff. They hunted in wool, used iron sights and, by god, they hit what they aimed at. Handwarmers? Rangerfinders? Optical magnification? A second shot? Please.

And, they had superior gun handling skills, as this photo plainly shows. This paragon of manhood not only keeps three rifles in the air, but does so with bayonets fixed and with a saber on his hip. Is he biting his lip anxiously or dripping with sweat while worrying about taking one of those blades through his rib cage? Hell no. He’s cool as the flip side of a pillow.

So the next time you’re struggling with your dry fire practice because you can’t keep your reticle from wobbling around like a soused bridesmaid at a wedding, think about this guy. Then take a deep breath, put on your big-boy pants and keep that reticle as still as a spider sitting in the middle of its web.

New York Librarian Loses Pistol Permit Because of Past Prescription for Anti-Anxiety Meds

Alex Robinson — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:02:19 -0400

David Lewis, 35, is a college librarian who lives in Amherst, N.Y., not far from Buffalo. He is a licensed pistol-owner who enjoys target-shooting. He has no criminal record and has never issued threats or done anything that would cause concern about his access to a firearm.

Although there is no evidence of any mental instability, for a short time, Lewis was taking anti-anxiety medicine. And that, apparently, was enough for anti-gun zealots in Erie County to use New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s newly adopted SAFE Act to pull his pistol permit and demand his firearms be confiscated.

New York's gun control measure adopted in January includes a provision requiring mental health professionals to alert authorities when a gun owner might be a danger to himself/herself and others.

Lewis’ lawyer, who is suing New York state, told the Associated Press on May 1 that his client received a letter from the Erie County Clerk in April telling him that his pistol permit was suspended and that he was required to surrender his guns.

Lewis did so, then promptly hired an attorney and challenged the suspension. A state judge on May 1 reinstated his pistol permit and told local officials and the state that the law needs to be revised to prevent the same thing from happening to gun owners across the state without any review of the circumstances.

“Due process’ should come before the suspension," said James D. Tresmond, Lewis' attorney. "That is where due process comes in -- before your rights are taken, due process must occur. That is our Constitutional right, not the reverse.”

State legislators have expressed no interest in revisiting the SAFE Act to revise it, since they've had to do so at least once already, so it is virtually guaranteed that this will become a rather common story as the full ramifications of the hastily adopted SAFE Act become more apparent.

For more, go to:
-- New York Gun Control Law: State Police Confiscate Weapons From The Wrong Guy

-- NY Gun Confiscation Starts & May Set Precedent For Gun Confiscation Across The Nation

-- SAFE Act Mistake Leads to Pistol Permit Seizure

-- Tough new gun law in New York state nets first arrest

-- Oops! New York State Police Admit to Major Mistake in Gun Confiscation Case

Two Towns Adopt Resolutions Requiring a Firearm in Every Home

Alex Robinson — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:26:54 -0400

Towns in Georgia and Texas adopted resolutions in late April requiring the head of every household to own a working firearm and ammunition, both non-binding symbolic gestures passed to show support for the Second Amendment.

The town council in Nelson, Ga., about 50 miles north of Atlanta, on April 29 passed its Family Protection Ordinance, requiring the head of every household to own a gun and the ammunition to feed it. It exempts felons and those with certain disabilities, and it comes without penalties for noncompliance.

According to Bob Adelmann of The New American, Nelson officials say they adopted the ordinance to "make a statement to local criminals scoping out the place, as well as to government officials looking to push federal restrictions on gun ownership."

The next day in Gun Barrel City, Texas, the town council unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution that urges its 5,000-plus residents to buy a firearm if they don't already own one.

According to NBC 5 of Dallas, Gun Barrel City Mayor Paul Eaton said he proposed drafting the resolution in response to the national debate over stricter gun control laws after the December mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

It is uncertain how many other towns across the country already have ordinances or resolutions requiring at least one firearm in every household. In November, the town of Virgin in southern Utah passed an ordinance that requires every household to own a gun and ammunition. Other ordinances have been passed in Spring City, Utah, and Cherry Tree, Pa., largely as symbolic gestures, within the last few months.

The towns of Byron, Maine, and Craig, Co., are also considering similar laws. The Craig City Council's proposed ordinance would require every household to own a sporting rifle equipped to hold a high-capacity magazine in protest of the Colorado State Legislature's January adoption of a 15-bullet magazine limit.

For more, go to:
-- Texas Town Urges Residents to Buy Guns in Support of 2nd Amendment

-- Texas Town Passes Resolution Encouraging Gun Ownership

-- Leaders of Gun Barrel City Want a Gun in Every Home in Their Town

-- Gun Barrel City: Texas town urges homeowners to 'maintain a firearm'

-- Gun Barrel City Is Officially Urging its Residents to Buy Guns

-- Colorado Town Considers Ordinance Requiring All Residents To Own Assault-Style Rifles

-- Georgia Town Requires Every Homeowner to Own a Gun

-- Eight Towns Have Laws Requiring Residents To Own Guns

-- Town in Utah Requires Owning Guns

-- Gun control backlash prompts US towns to 'require' residents bear arms

Gun Test 2013: How We Evaluate New Rifles and Shotguns

Alex Robinson — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:47:40 -0400

Test protocol includes three distinct, but overlapping, phases. Before a single shell or cartridge is loaded, each firearm is inspected, measured, weighed, cleaned if necessary, and in the case of the rifles, scoped up. This time-consuming process is what we use to build the data sheets provided to each tester, which list all the vital statistics about the firearm. We’re so picky during this process that we even assign number grades to reflect the quality of the machining on the bore and rifling, for instance. Suffice it to say there’s no nook or cranny on these rifles and shotguns, all of which are field-stripped and disassembled, that isn’t inspected.

Breaking down the firearms to this degree allows us to spot interesting or innovative features that are not otherwise visible. (Or, as is sometimes the case, to make note of manufacturing shortcuts that the gunmakers would prefer the public did not see.)

With the baseline data in hand, the shotguns and rifles are ready for the range, which is the second phase of testing. We shoot the rifles for accuracy off solid benches to see how well they handle a variety of ammunition. By using these sturdy concrete benches, and quality shooting rests from the likes of Sinclair, we minimize human error.

The data we gather during this type of shooting, while invaluable, isn’t enough. The rifles must also be tested under practical field conditions. So we shoot them prone off backpacks, while kneeling unsupported, sitting, off-hand, and off rests like fence posts. Will they work well while the shooter is wearing gloves? Can you single-load them once the gun runs dry? Does the rifle balance well in hand for comfortable field carry? How quickly can it put shots accurately downrange? All these considerations, and more, factor into the grades.

The same rigor is applied to the shotguns. We shoot them to see how well they break clays, but also to analyze specific handling characteristics. One of the golden rules for our test team members is that if you’re only concerned with breaking clays, you’re not paying enough attention to the shotgun.

We also devote time back at our headquarters on Boone and Crockett’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch to picking over the guns in fine detail. For each firearm, there is a checklist of attributes we take into consideration, covering all the cosmetic and mechanical features of the guns, from butt to muzzle.

Only after each test team member has completed his data sheets do we learn which shotguns and rifles will be anointed with an award. Since we do not share our scores with each other during the test, the final results are unbiased and reliable. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Best Shotguns 2013: OL Ranks and Reviews This Year's Top New Shotguns

Alex Robinson — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:23 -0400

In February, the OL test team put the screws to 9 of the best new shotguns on the market. See which guns scored the highest in our annual shotgun test.

Beretta A400 XPLOR Action

This 20-gauge from Beretta, the first sub-gauge in the A400 series, is brimming with amenities and useful features. The kick-off system is one of the better recoil-reducing designs on the market, and by adding it to this shotgun Beretta has made an outstanding semi-auto for high-volume bird shooting. The gun comes with a shim kit and three choke tubes, and is compatible with Beretta’s electronic unit, which fits into the stock and counts rounds, measures the temperature, and calculates recoil. We liked the looks of the gun too. The finish on the receiver is distinctive without being tacky, and the grain-enhancing finish on the wood gives it a classy look. It also shouldered, swung, and shot like a dream. For all these reasons, the A400 XPLOR Action is our Editor’s Choice shotgun for 2013.

Price: $1,625
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A-
Performance: A
Price/Value: B+
Gauge/Chamber: 20-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 5 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: berettausa.com

Stoeger Condor Longfowler

This shotgun harkens back to the great waterfowling era at the turn of the last century. It has the kind of no-frills, utilitarian design that characterized many of the non-pedigreed shotguns of that time—they were built to knock ducks and geese out of the sky and nothing else. At more than 8 pounds (and with a 7-pound 10-ounce trigger pull), this Brazilian-made shotgun is a bit of a brute—a gorilla at the double-gun ball, if you will—but you can’t get more gun for the price. The matte finish is ideal for duck hunting, though the lack of ejectors could get irksome when the sky is full of birds. Nonetheless, the value of the gun for even the most cash-strapped hunter earned it this year’s Great Buy award.

Price: $449
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B-
Performance: B
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 7 lb. 10 oz. (both)
Action: over/under
Contact: stoegerindustries.com

Beretta A300 Outlander

This new Beretta isn’t very flashy, but what does make it stand out in the company’s lineup is where it is produced: right here in the USA. That makes the gun cheaper to produce and puts it at a more attainable price point than other Beretta semi-autos. However, the price ($845) wasn’t the only thing that impressed us. This 7-pound, 3-inch 12-gauge moved quickly onto the target and shot well. The trigger on our sample was just average, as was the quality of the shotgun’s wood, but the value the A300 represents made it easy to overlook these issues.

Price: $845
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B
Performance: A-
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 10 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: berettausa.com

Browning A5 3.5

The silhouette of the A5 is unmistakable. But unlike John Browning’s original recoil-operated Auto-5s, the current ones have inertia-driven actions. New this year is a 3 ½-inch version that will appeal to many waterfowlers. The gun is gorgeous to look at and hold, and it shoots like it has a personal grudge against all things flying. Even so, the price is pretty steep—despite its coming with a nice hard case and three choke tubes. For fans of the humpback look who live for cold fall mornings in the marsh, this shotgun will hold lots of appeal.

Price: $1,699
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: A-
Performance: A-
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 6 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: browning.com

CZ-USA 612 Wildfowl Magnum

For its first venture into the pump-action shotgun market, CZ settled on a slam-dunk platform: a bargain-priced 3 1/2-inch gun slathered in camo. There’s nothing particularly surprising about the gun, which is made in Turkey. The trigger is too heavy and the camo finish is too slick, but it handled singles and doubles just fine, and for $409, what did you expect? The receiver is tapped for a scope mount, which is a nice feature, and it comes with two extra choke tubes to refine your patterns. It is built strong enough to take on a bulldozer and will no doubt be a good seller.

Price: $409
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B-
Performance: B
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 9 lb. 1 oz.
Action: pump
Contact: cz-usa.com

Fabarm Axis Trap

This lovely beast of a shotgun has a simple job—turning clay targets into powdery ink blots in the sky—and it does that job very, very well. The speed with which it gets on the going-away targets that characterize trap shooting is nothing short of scary. And thanks to the quality of its trigger—by far the best among the shotguns in the test—the shots themselves feel more like an act of will than an act of your trigger finger. The adjustability of the shotgun’s raised rib and stock allows for a true custom fit and pattern placement. At $3,995, this is a real bargain for a serious trap gun, many of which cost at least twice as much.

Price: $3,995
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A-
Performance: A
Price/Value: B+
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 3 lb. 5 oz. (both)
Action: over/under
Contact: fabarmusa.com

Franchi Aspire

The shotgun test team couldn’t help but develop a bit of a crush on this sexy little Italian 28-gauge. The lines of the rounded action, the dimensions and comfortable fit of the stock, and the quality of the finish on the metal all won us over. We were also surprised at how well it handled very tough long crossers during the evaluation. This gun really shoots. It comes with selective mechanical triggers, an automatic safety, and a basic set of flush-mounted choke tubes. It’s a good value for the price, but we wished the wood was of a higher grade.

Price: $2,299
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A
Performance: A
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 28-ga./2 ¾ in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 3 oz. (bottom) 4 lb. 13 oz. (top)
Action: over/under
Contact: franchiusa.com

Mossberg 835 Util-Mag RRS

At first glance, it looks like Mossberg decided to stick a wheel from an inline skate into the buttstock of the new 835 Util-Mag RRS. In reality, it is an oversize damper, like those used on Mathews bows to reduce vibration. In the case of the Mossberg, it is supposed to soak up recoil. We weren’t sure whether it did so, but regardless, this 3 1/2-inch pump action had the same good balance and rugged feel as every other 835 we’ve shot. One feature that has real benefit is the removable cheekpiece, which can be swapped out and replaced with different inserts to raise the comb height.

Price: $630
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Design: B
Performance: B
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 7 oz.
Action: pump
Contact: mossberg.com

Tri Star Viper G2

This Turkish-built 28-gauge is a funny little gun. The test team, to a person, just loved the way it shot and handled. With its 30-inch barrel, it swung very well and was able to dust clays at improbably long distances. As with any gas-operated 28, it has negligible recoil, and during the evaluation it never had any cycling or feeding issues. It’s a shotgun you could shoot all day long. That’s the good news. On the other hand, the shotgun’s design left us cold. The checkering on the forend is a half-hearted affair and the lines adorning the receiver look like an airline route map.

Price: $729
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Design: C+
Performance: B+
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 28-ga./2¾ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 10 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: tristararms.com

See how we test shotguns here.

See the best new rifles of 2013

Backlash Against Senators Who Voted Down Gun Bills?

Alex Robinson — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:46:17 -0400

According to a poll published on April 29, five senators -- including four Republicans -- who voted against the Manchin/Toomey compromise background check bill on April 17 could face a backlash by voters back in their home states in 2014 elections.

Public Policy Polling, a Democrat-leaning consulting firm based in Raleigh, N.C., surveyed constituents of five senators who opposed the measure: Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Dean Heller of Nevada, and Democrat Mark Begich of Alaska.

The PPP says its surveys found 60 to 72 percent public support in each state for expanding background checks to require them in sales at gun shows and on the Internet.

In Arizona, according to the PPP, 52 percent of respondents said they are now "less likely" to support Flake for re-election with a disapproval rating of 51 percent.

In Alaska, the PPP poll placed Begich's and Murkowski's approval ratings at just 41 percent and 46 percent, respectively. The PPP says 39 percent of respondents said they are now "less likely" to vote for Begich for reelection, and the same number said they are "less likely" to vote for Murkowski.

In Ohio, the PPP poll said Portman has an approval rating of 26 percent, with 36 percent saying they are "less likely" to support him for a second term.

In Nevada, according to the PPP poll, Heller has an approval rating of 44 percent with 46 percent saying they were "less likely" to back him for reelection.

But political analysts point out that the poll is rife with flaws. Dan Friedman writes in the New York Daily News on April 30 that PPP is widely regarded as unreliable because it is uber-liberal and relies exclusively on automated calls.

"The group’s findings could be right, but they aren’t the whole story," Friedman writes, noting gun control advocates "endlessly cite polls showing near 90 percent of Americans support strengthening background checks as if this means the same voters supported the defeated deal on background checks."

Just because 90 percent of polled Americans support better background checks doesn't mean 90 percent of Americans favored the Manchin/Toomey bill, Friedman says.

"Almost everyone supports better background checks in the abstract," he writes. "But put it in an actual bill with language to attack and lie about, with a divisive president behind it, and support falls fast."

A more reliable poll, according to Friedman, is the Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll published on April 22 that showed 47 percent of voters said they were “angry” or “disappointed” gun control legislation failed, while 39 percent were “relieved” or “happy” by the result.

"The 90 percent figure also ignores an intensity gap favoring gun rights advocates over gun control backers," he writes. "If disputed, it is real enough for politicians who act on the belief that gun rights voters are much more likely to vote on the issue than gun control backers."

For more, go to:
-- Senate foes of gun bill suffer in polls

-- Senate foes of gun bill suffer in polls

-- Rep. Maloney: Gun legislation 'will pass eventually'

-- Gun Control Polls to Comfort the Left

-- U.S. senators feeling sting for voting against gun control measures

Senator Manchin to Reintroduce Failed Compromise Background-Check Bill

Alex Robinson — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:24:47 -0400

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) plans to re-introduce the gun control bill he co-sponsored with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that was shot down in the Senate on April 17.

“I’m willing to go anywhere in this country, I’m going to debate anybody on this issue, read the bill and you tell me what you don’t like,” Manchin said on Fox News Sunday on April 28, confirming his intention to bring his measure back to the Senate floor.

He did not say when he will re-submit the measure, which calls for criminal and mental health background checks for gun buyers at shows and online. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has shelved gun legislation for the foreseeable future.

The Manchin/Toomey compromise bill -- called the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act -- was among seven amendments to the first gun control bill debated on the Senate floor since 1994 that failed to get the necessary 60 votes to proceed.

Manchin told Fox News that co-sponsor Toomey remains "totally committed to this bill," although Toomey has said he is focusing on fiscal issues and immigration reform.

Despite Toomey's perceived ambivalence, there is some enthusiasm for reviewing the bill again, including from surprising sources such as Robert A. Levy, chairman of the board of the Cato Institute.

In an April 28 editorial in the New York Times, the chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute implored gun owners and other opponents that the compromise bill might be the best deal they can get -- and that it is needed.

"Gun-rights advocates should use this interval to refine their priorities and support this measure, with a few modest changes," Levy writes. "If they don’t, they will be opening themselves to accusations from President Obama and others that they are merely obstructionists, zealots who will not agree to common-sense gun legislation. The focus on background checks should not distract gun owners from the positive provisions in the Manchin-Toomey proposal."

For more, go to:
-- Senator to reintroduce gun bill

-- Manchin-Toomey Do-Over?

-- Top Links: Why Sen. Joe Manchin thinks second time’s the charm on background checks

-- A Libertarian Case for Expanding Gun Background Checks

-- Further Thoughts on Sensible Gun Legislation

-- Joe Manchin is not done with gun control. Does it matter?

Slug Gun Upgrade: 5 Ways to Make Your Shotgun More Accurate

Alex Robinson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:51:41 -0400

Hunting big game with a rifle is not permitted in many parts of the country. Gun hunters in those areas are left to tote shotguns that are usually better suited to dumping grouse at close quarters than collecting venison at longer range. A modern saboted shotgun load is perfectly capable of delivering lethal performance at distances well beyond 100 yards. But can you put that projectile where it needs to go?

Dave Klotz of Da Mar Gunsmiths, a small shop located in Weedsport, N.Y., says you can with some modifications to your shotgun.

Here’s what Klotz did to my Remington 870 at a cost of $487.

Pin the Barrel
Shotguns are not rifles. Barrels are easily removed and tolerances aren’t tight where it slides into the receiver. “The barrel moves. It vibrates,” Klotz explains. “You don’t have to be a gunsmith to understand that a barrel that moves is not going to deliver consistent groups.”

Klotz developed his pinning process about 35 years ago. He drills a hole through the side of the receiver and through the shank of the barrel, then inserts an Allen head screw to about five threads deep. The result is a barrel that doesn’t wiggle.

Improve the Bore
“Shotgun barrels usually don’t leave the factory in a condition that leads to really accurate shooting,” Klotz says. “We lap the bore, lengthen the forcing cone, and crown the barrel.”

The high polish in the bore after lapping helps minimize plastic buildup from sabots, which can degrade accuracy. Extending the forcing cone gives the slug a better transition into the rifling, Klotz says.

Fix the Trigger
It is nearly impossible to shoot well with the creepy 8-pound triggers typical of most production shotguns. “You can’t shoot accurately with a trigger like that,” Klotz says. Klotz’s shop used to be a Remington Service Center, and my 870 came back with a trigger that breaks crisply at 2 ¾ pounds.

Use a Better Scope Mount
Klotz doesn’t believe in barrels with cantiliver scope mounts. “On a shotgun, you need a mount that does not shoot loose and will not bend or break. There wasn’t one available, so we designed our own,” Klotz says.

The Da Mar mount uses six screws (three per side), and each screw is located on the sides of the receiver where the metal is thickest. It features a Weaver-style rail and rings.

Reduce Recoil
To take the sting out of my slug gun, Klotz did some bonus work and installed a Remington SuperCell recoil pad and put a steel plug in the stock to increase its weight. Slug guns are never a pleasure to shoot, but these alterations made a big difference and were no doubt part of the reason my groups improved.

Accuracy Results
I’ve never been very good with a slug gun, but after receiving my reworked 870 from Da Mar, it took me about 30 minutes to realize that I’m not quite as bad as I thought.

I shot six different loads, recording the best five-shot groups for each at 100 yards. I shot as I always have—off a picnic table with sandbags. While I wasn’t able to duplicate the 1.5-inch groups that the Da Mar guys got with Lightfield slugs, I was able to print the first 3-inch group I’ve ever shot with a shotgun, which is a far cry from what I had previously been able to do.

Winchester Dual Bond
Before: 7.5 in.
After: 3 in.

Winchester Platinum Tip
Before: 8.25 in.
After: 3.25 in.

Winchester Partition Gold
Before: 9.5 in.
After: 3.75 in.

Remington Core-Lokt
Before: 7.5 in.
After: 4.25 in.

Remington AccuTip
Before: 9.25 in.
After: 5.5 in.

Winchester XP3
Before: 8.75 in.
After: 5.75 in.

West Virginia 8th Grader Arrested After Refusing to Take Off NRA Shirt at School

Alex Robinson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:34:12 -0400

A West Virginia 8th grader was arrested on April 18 for obstruction and "disturbing the education process" after he engaged in a heated exchange with a teacher and refused to remove his NRA T-shirt.

Jared Marcum, 14, of Logan told the Associated Press on April 19th that he was on a cafeteria line when a teacher demanded that he remove his NRA T-shirt or wear it inside-out because it featured a gun, which the teacher insisted violated the middle-school's dress policy.

Marcum refused, stating it was his First Amendment right to voice his support for the Second Amendment by wearing a T-shirt with an image of a gun and the words ”Protect Your Right” on it.

According to the AP, Marcum was sent to the principal's office where he was subsequently arrested and taken to jail.

“I never thought it would go this far because honestly I don’t see a problem with this, there shouldn’t be a problem with this,” he told the AP.

Jared’s stepfather Allen Lardieri said he had to rush from work to pick his son up from jail. “I don’t see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting rifle and NRA put on a t-shirt, especially when policy doesn’t forbid it,” he told the AP.

True enough. According to Kelsey Osterman of Red Alert Politics, "a shirt which features an image of a gun and the words 'Protect Your Right' would seemingly be allowed under his school’s dress code."

Osterman reports that "Marcum’s fellow students also stood up for his rights, with some wearing gun t-shirts to school on the first day of the boy’s suspension." At least one student, he writes, was reportedly told to change their clothing.

The AP doesn't typically publish the names of arrested juveniles but did so in this case at the family’s request that his name be made public to "let his case be known."

Many believe the school district's "case" says more about the school district, and the bizarro state of looking-glass weirdness that permeates today's education industry, than it does about the "case."

"I wouldn’t be terribly shocked to see this story if it were taking place in New York, Connecticut or San Francisco, but this is all unfolding in West Virginia. Something has gone pretty seriously off the beam here, and it looks like the problem is coming from their school district," writes Buzz Shaw on hotair.com. "Obviously, gun control and Second Amendment rights are an important and current topic in the country and if schools aren’t going to foster an environment where students can learn about both sides of a constitutional question, what sort of education are they receiving?"

For more, go to:

-- 8th grade student suspended, arrested for wearing NRA t-shirt

-- Student arrested for wearing NRA t-shirt with picture of gun

-- Eighth Grader Arrested For Wearing NRA T-Shirt

-- Not a Joke: West Virginia 8th Grader Suspended & Arrested Over NRA T-Shirt

-- Eighth-grade boy arrested, suspended over NRA 'Protect your right' T-shirt

Gun Manufacturing Jobs: Colorado, Connecticut Losses Could Mean Texas Gains

Alex Robinson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:14:04 -0400

When Connecticut legislators passed Senate Bill 1160 on April 4, they essentially outlawed an industry that employs 3,000 state residents and generates $1.75 billion annual taxable revenues.

The state's firearms manufacturing industry, which includes Hartford-based Colt, Southport-based Sturm, Ruger and Co. and New Haven-based Mossberg & Sons, warned lawmakers all winter that if they adopted Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy's gun control package, they would move their operations elsewhere.

The first gunmaker to follow up on that threat is Bristol-based PTR Industries, which announced on April 9 on its Facebook page that it will take its 40 jobs and $50,000 weekly payroll to another city in another state.

"Due to an improperly drafted bill, manufacturing of modern sporting rifles in the state of CT has been effectively outlawed," PTR said in a statement. "With a heavy heart but a clear mind, we have been forced to decide that our business can no longer survive in Connecticut -- the former Constitution state."

Stag Arms, another Connecticut-based gunmaker, is also pondering leaving the state, President Mark Malkowski told Ana Radelat of The Connecticut Mirror, in late February. On April 11, he told Mary Ellen Clark of Reuters that his New Britain-based company been approached with offers to move to Texas, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and Nebraska.

"My No. 1 concern is my 200 employees, with families," Malkowski said. "Some are willing to move, some are not. This is their home as well as mine."

Texas, in particular, is aggressively soliciting disgruntled gunmakers to move to the Lone Star state. Lawmakers in Austin have adopted a bill that finances efforts by local and regional economic development agencies to offer firearms incentives to relocate.

The seed money allowed the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce to spearhead an effort to recruit Magpul Industries to relocate to a "cost effective, politically safe" city with "a highly efficient workforce."

Magpul, of Boulder, Colo., employs more than 200 people and generates about $85 million in annual taxable revenues. It announced in March that it will leave Colorado after state legislators approved several gun control bills, including a magazine limit of 15 bullets max.

For more, go to:
-- Gun manufacturer to leave state; Cites strict new gun laws

-- Conn. Gun-Maker Declares Intention to Leave State

-- Another day, another Connecticut gun maker wooed to leave state

-- CT Gun Maker Announces it Will Leave Because of State's Newly Enacted Gun Control Measures

-- ‘Anyone Would Be Proud to Have This Factory in Their State’: Blaze Readers on Connecticut Gun-Maker Leaving Over New Gun Laws

-- Texas groups wooing in gun makers

-- Editorial: Targeting Gun Makers; N.H. Woos Disgruntled Manufacturers

Senate Shelves Gun Control Legislation, For Now

Alex Robinson — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:43:22 -0400

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) evoked the mercy rule Thursday and threw in the proverbial towel on behalf of bewildered gun control proponents by withdrawing their hotly rejected gun control bills from further consideration — that is, for now.

When, or if, Senators will again see gun-related legislation remains a topic of speculation in the wake of Reid's decision to untangle them from quagmire on gun control and move onto other pressing issues, such as immigration reform.

On Wednesday, the Senate rejected all seven proposed amendments to the first gun control bill debated on its floor since 1994, prompting President Barack Obama to vow to continue lobbying for gun control.

“I see this as just round one,” he said during a Wednesday press conference. “I believe we’re going to be able to get this one. Sooner or later we are going to get this right."

Unfortunately, Obama and fellow gun-control proponents would have had done better striking sooner rather than later, as Wednesday's 7-for-7 knock-out clearly illustrates.

"A series of Senate votes Wednesday marked the biggest moment in nearly two decades for those who want to limit guns in America, and for those who don't," wrote Connie Cass of the Associated Press. "Gun control failed."

"In the short run it means that no significant gun legislation is likely to pass. In the big picture this is a devastating loss for the White House," writes Jennifer Rubin, opinion writer for The Washington Post on April 17.

"In retrospect, the president was guilty of trying to have his cake and eat it too," Rubin continues. "He very much wanted to use the Newtown, Conn., families and tragedy to move public opinion, but background checks would have done nothing to prevent Newtown. But this is also a matter of red state senators knowing their home state constituents and finding no comfort in the president’s protective aura."

Ironically, Reid's decision on Thursday to table the flailing gun control bill came shortly after the Senate approved two amendments. Here is a capsule synopsis of all nine amendments:

-- Amendment to protect gun owners’ privacy passed 67-30 on Thursday. Sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), limits the ability of state governments to release gun owners' names. The amendment would withhold 5 percent of a state's community-oriented policing grant money if it publicly releases gun ownership information, except as part of law enforcement or court proceedings.

-- The Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), passed 98-2 on Thursday. Will improve mental health services in schools and boost support for suicide prevention programs. Sens. Mike Lee, (R-Utah), and Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), voted no.

-- The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, failed in a 54-46 vote on Wednesday. Sens. Joe Manchin's (D-W.V.) and Pat Toomey's (R-Pa.) compromise bill that requires buyers undergo background checks at gun shows and for online sales without imposing federal record-keeping regulations on private transactions, supplanting the more restrictive Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013 initially proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Four Democrats opposed the amendment: Max Baucus (Mont.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), and Mark Pryor (Ark.). Four Republicans supported it: Susan Collins (Maine), Mark Kirk (Ill.), John McCain (Ariz.), and Toomey.

-- The Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2013, failed in a 52-48 vote on Wednesday. The bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), would increase funding for criminal prosecution, school safety, and mental health resources and create a task force to go after felons who fail background checks.

Nine Democrats supported it: Baucus, Begich, Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Heitkamp, Mary Landrieu (La.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Pryor and Jon Tester (Mont.). Two Republicans, Kirk and Mike Lee (Utah) opposed.

-- Gun trafficking amendment failed in a 58-42 vote Wednesday. It makes gun trafficking a federal crime and strengthens the penalties against “straw purchasers." This amendment boasted NRA support yet still failed.

-- Constitutional Concealed Carry Act failed in a 57-43 vote Wednesday. Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) bill would give gun owners the right to carry concealed weapons across state lines and into other states that also have concealed-carry laws without obtaining a new license.

-- Dianne Feinstein's semi-automatics weapons ban failed in a 40-60 vote on Wednesday: Sen. Mark Kirk (Ill.) was the only Republican to vote for it.

-- Expanding veterans’ gun rights amendment failed in a 56-44 vote on Wednesday. Sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), under the bill, a court would have to determine that a beneficiary is a danger to him/herself or others before gun rights can be revoked. No Republican voted against it.

-- High-cap magazine ban amendment failed in a 46-54 vote on Wednesday. Again, Illinois' Kirk is the only Republican to vote for it.

For more, go to:
-- What now for gun control? A look at the issue

-- Senate Republicans: We're not quitting on gun bill

-- ‘Round One’ Or A Knockout Blow To Obama’s Gun Control Agenda
-- Hollywood Mourns Senate Demise of Obama's Gun Control Legislation

-- Obama loses big on anti-gun legislation

-- How almost all the gun amendments failed

-- Four Reasons Why the Gun-Control Bills Failed

Contest: Write the Best Photo Caption, Win ArmaLite Gear

Alex Robinson — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:38:58 -0400

ArmaLite wants to give you free gear, and all you have to do is write the funniest caption for this photo (yeah, that's a gun cloud).

The contest runs from now until May 15. Armalite's total prize package is worth $250 and includes:

- ArmaLite tactical rifle case
- ArmaLite sling
- ArmaLite logo 2g flash
- $35 ArmaLite banner
- Armalite camo carabineer
- ArmaLite camo carabineer retractable pen
- ArmaLite lapel pin
- ArmaLite camo beer koozie
- AR-50 t-shirt
- Long-sleeve ArmaLite t-shirt
- Black ArmaLite baseball hat
- ArmaLite precision box
- ArmaLite ear plugs
- $50 gift card

So get after it and write your caption in the comments section below.

NASCAR Noncommittal on Future NRA Race Sponsorships

Alex Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:01:10 -0400

The NRA paid $1 million to sponsor April 13's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It was the first time that the organization sponsored a NASCAR event since it underwrote a Nationwide Series race last year at Atlanta.

Despite objections from some critics -- primarily media mouthpieces with little interest in, and no knowledge of, NASCAR -- Texas Motor Speedway officials say they'd welcome an offer from the NRA to sponsor the race every year.

"Our customers are hunters, so demographically, we match up very well" with an NRA-sponsored NASCAR race, TMS President Eddie Gossage told USA Today on April 12. "This isn't a political rally. There will be nobody stuffing NRA leaflets in your hand or making any speeches. That's why I say it's a sports marketing platform. It's not a political message platform."

Gossage told Bob Pockrass of Sporting News on April 11 that only a few people had contacted the speedway to criticize the NRA sponsorship decision.

"We've had fewer than a dozen responses," Gossage said. "Of those, only two had purchased tickets [to other TMS events]. There is no controversy or big uproar or even a tiny uproar. It’s just not a big deal to the public. The public isn’t having a problem."

NASCAR, however, isn't as supportive of future NRA sponsorships.

NASCAR spokesman David Higdon told the Associated Press the day after the race that the organization was stung by criticism for allowing the NRA to sponsor a Sprint Cup race four months after the Newtown shootings.

"This situation has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our (sponsorship) approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions," Higdon said.

According to Terry Blount of ESPN.com, two unnamed drivers were advised by their public relations directors not to do interviews and to avoid being photographed or videotaped with the NRA logo behind them.

The most prominent objection to the NRA 500 came from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who demanded that News Corp. kingpin Rupert Murdoch cancel the Fox Network broadcast of the race.

The obnoxious self-righteousness of Murphy's crassly political charade spurred Anne Sorock, co-founder of The Frontier Lab, to note in a legalinsurrection.com blog, how dangerous such hypocrisy is.

"A member of the government instructing media as to what they can and cannot air? A member of the government calling an organization designed to protect a right protected by the Constitution extreme?" Sorock writes. "That’s two rights undermined in one paragraph, Murphy.

Jonathon M. Seidl in an April 15 blog in The Blaze notes that there was little over bias in how the media covered the race, noting that the AP, ESPN, and Fox rarely mentioned the event's formal name, but often don't in their event coverage.

"The AP wrote an entire article without referencing the race’s official name, the NRA 500," he writes, adding that ESPN's Sports Center "did the same thing."

Those who watched the race say the Fox broadcasters mentioned the official name at the beginning of the race, but then used generic references the rest of the way, Seidl writes.

"But further examination reveals that the three outlets seem to have been simply keeping in line with the way they’ve recently handled official race names," he concludes, “specifically when looking at last week’s race in Martinsville as a comparison."

For his part, Gossage and other NASCAR fans don't understand what the problem is with the NRA sponsoring a race in Texas.

“This isn’t a sponsorship that would work if you were at Sears Point Raceway (near San Francisco),” Gossage said. “We’re Texas Motor Speedway and I know what works here and what doesn’t. This isn’t an issue here.”

For more, go to:
-- NASCAR eyes sponsor decisions

-- NRA sponsorship at Texas brings gun control debate to NASCAR

-- Did the AP, ESPN, and Fox Refuse to Mention ‘NRA 500' by Official Name? What We Found May Surprise You

-- Post-Race Reactions: NRA 500

-- Leave politics at the gate, please

Revolver Review: Uberti 1873 Cattleman is the Perfect Plinking Gun

Alex Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:52:43 -0400

From the outside, the new 12-shot 1873 Cattleman from Uberti looks like a normal revolver made of steel and wood. But based on the reaction it has elicited from the broad cross section of shooters I’ve shown it to—everyone from grizzled cowboy-action veterans, to chiseled Green Berets, to my horse-obsessed teenage daughter—I’m now convinced that some other alchemy is at work. I don’t know whether Uberti’s craftsmen in Italy added pixie dust, unicorn horn, or some other magic ingredient to the mix, but the result is potent. This little shooting iron has more appeal than a basket full of free puppies.

Classic Looks
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the handgun is a winner. The silhouette of the Colt 1873 is among the most beautiful firearms ever created, and this Uberti is a faithful full-size reproduction. The walnut grip is plain and smooth and fills the shooter’s hand with the perfect arc that made the original Single Action Army (SAA) renowned for its pointing and gun-fighting abilities. The frame is case-color-hardened and displays a fetching variety of textures that add to the revolver’s nostalgic looks.

The rest of the metal on the Uberti is deeply blued with a smooth, even finish, including the barrel, trigger and trigger guard, and backstrap. Uberti is offering the Cattleman in the three barrel lengths that the original Colt SAA was offered in: 4 ¾ inches, 5 ½ inches, and 7 ½ inches. Mine was a 5½-inch version, known as the Artillery model in the Colt lineup, and is my favorite barrel length among the SAAs for its balance and looks.

Smooth Mechanics
Mechanically, the Cattleman works like any other SAA. The gun is loaded by partially cocking the hammer, which allows the cylinder to spin freely, and opening the loading gate, exposing the chambers. To remove the empties, do the same thing, and use the spring-loaded ejector under the barrel to push the brass free.

Of course, the real fun with the Cattleman occurs during the time between loading and unloading. It is an addictive shooter. No spinning target, tin can, dueling tree, or bull’s-eye within 25 yards downrange is safe. I found the accuracy of the pistol to be quite good. Even out to 50 yards, shooting off sandbags, I was able to keep the rounds within a 6-inch circle, though the sights on my revolver were placing the rounds slightly high and to the left. At closer ranges, even the smallest targets were easy game as long as I kept the tip of the front sight in sharp focus and aligned within the shallow groove that runs along the top of the frame. I put a number of .22 loads through the revolver, and it shot all of them equally well. The exposed firing pin on the hammer left deep and solid strike marks on all the brass. The chances of a misfire with this pistol are minimal.

The Cattleman cocked and ran smoothly, with the distinctive series of clicks common to the SAA. My sample had a wonderful 2 ½-pound trigger that, along with all the other handling qualities that are inherent to the 1873’s design, made it one of the most enjoyable handguns I’ve shot in a long while. The light recoil and naturally ergonomic design are well suited to new shooters and kids as well.

Hunting Iron
In addition to being ideal for plinking, the Cattleman would work well for small game and varmints at close ranges, and it has a pedigree that makes it look sharp in a tooled leather belt and holster while out on the trail.

At $559, the Cattleman offers a good deal of gun for the money—though based on the reaction my sample got, your biggest challenge might be to keep it out of your friends’ hands long enough to shoot it yourself.

STATS
Caliber: .22LR
Capacity: 12
Weight: 2.b. 12 oz.
Finish: Blue, color-case-hardened
Grip: Walnut
Barrel Length: 5 1/2
Rate of Twist: 1 in 16 in.
Overall Length: 11 in.
Trigger Pull: 2 lb. 8 oz.
Suggested Retail: $559
Contact: uberti.com

REPORT CARD
Overall: * * * 1/2
Performance: B
Design: A
Price/Value: B
Verdict: One of the most shootable firearms on the market. Great for all ages and skill levels.

Manchin and Toomey Background Check Bill to Be Introduced to Senate on April 16

Alex Robinson — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:20:49 -0400

The Senate is scheduled to begin debate on three proposed gun control bills on Tuesday, April 16. According to Jake Miller of CBS News, the first proposal to be introduced will be the compromise background check bill sponsored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, which requires buyers undergo background checks at gun shows and for online sales without imposing federal record-keeping regulations on private transactions, supplants the more restrictive Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013 initially proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The Senate agreed in a 68-31 vote on April 11 to debate the gun control bills, ending a filibuster threat by 14 GOP Senators momentarily mollified by the Manchin/Toomey compromise.

That vote, claims the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin in an April 12 column, was a rushed, emotional concession to pressure from the gun control lobby that will prove ill-conceived.

"Displaying all the illogic that Congress is infamous for, the Senate voted Thursday to proceed with a gun-regulation bill, the contents of which were unknown to virtually all senators and the text of which didn’t arrive until hours later." Rubin writes. "Such is the state of lawmaking today."

Despite the quick vote to begin debate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) told CBS News' Miller that he expects deliberations on the background checks bill to be exhaustive.

"I don't know if we'll finish it next week," he said on April 11.

Supporters will likely again need 60 votes in several procedural ballots to sustain debate and shepherd the bills to passage, so expect delays in the process, Miller warns.

"Republicans opposed to the legislation are prepared to invoke a rule that would force the chamber to pause for 30 hours before considering amendments," Miller reports. "And senators on both sides of the aisle are preparing amendments -- some substantive, some symbolic -- to offer to the bill, further slowing the process."

The NRA's Institute for Legislative Action Director Chris Cox, in a letter to senators released after the April 11 vote, warned that the NRA is watching their votes carefully -- on everything from amendments to procedural matters.

"Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA's future candidate evaluations," Cox wrote.

Here's the scorecard from the April 11 vote: 50 Democrats, two Independents and 16 Republicans voted in favor of opening debate on gun control legislation while 31 Republicans voted against it.

For more, go to:
-- Senate moves ahead with anti-gun legislation

-- After first step on gun bill, Senate breaks for a few days

-- Gun bill backers face looming hurdles, NRA opposition despite historic vote

-- Senate background check debate starts next week

-- WebXtra: Manchin Explains Gun Compromise Bill

-- Posted: Full Text of 'The Public Safety And Second Amendment Rights Protection Act'

-- “NO” on Senate Gun Bill

-- Conservative group to Congress: ‘Do everything to stop this’ gun bill

-- US Senate's 'baby-step forward' on gun control

-- Washington confronts still-divided America

-- Fuzzy Gun Math: How 90 Percent Became 51, But Is Really Just 49;

-- Second Amendment Protection Act?

Dinosaur Hunting Guns (Cont.)

Alex Robinson — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:16:44 -0400

It turns out that I was a bit cavalier with my selection of firearms for taking on dinosaurs, at least according to my 9-year-old son who, I’ll be the first to admit, is much more knowledgeable about matters Cretaceous than I.

Specifically, he took me to task for suggesting that a semi-auto shotgun is adequate for velociraptors. Given their diminutive size (33 pounds), I figured that any good tactical shotgun stuffed with buckshot would do the trick.

Bad move, Jack told me.

Because of their speed, intelligence and pack-hunting tactics by the time they get into shotgun range you’re toast, Jack said.

He says you need to be able to engage them at longer distances while preserving the ability to take them on at close range. Because of this the best choice is clearly an AR-style rifle, he told me.

Fortunately, I already have a perfectly configured rifle in my safe. It is my Primary Weapons Systems Mk1 that I use for 3-gun competition. It has a Leupold Mark 8 CQBSS 1.1-8x24 on top with a set of Dueck Defence offset sights mounted.

This should help when the dinosaur invasion kicks off. What’s your contingency?

New Compromise on Background Check Bill Announced in Senate

Alex Robinson — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:04:58 -0400

A compromise gun control bill that requires buyers undergo background checks at gun shows and before online sales without imposing intrusive federal record-keeping regulations on private transactions has been cobbled together by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

The duo unveiled their proposed bill, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, during an April 10 press conference. It could be introduced onto the Senate floor as soon as Thursday, April 11.

The proposed bill supplants Sen. Charles Schumer's (D-NY) "Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013," which was facing certain stalemate and a GOP filibuster that threatened to bury it before it ever reached the floor.

The primary point of contention with Schumer's bill was its requirement that the federal government retain records for all private gun sales when such record-keeping is prohibited by the 1986 Firearms Protection Act, which requires the FBI to destroy any record of a successful background check within 24 hours.

To address those concerns, the Manchin/Toomey Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act explicitly bans the federal government from creating a national firearms registry, and imposes serious criminal penalties (a felony with up to 15 years in prison) on any person who misuses or illegally retains firearms records.

The proposed bill would require states and the federal government to send all necessary records on criminals and the violently mentally ill to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

It would also create a commission to study the causes of mass violence in the United States, looking at guns, school safety, mental health, violent media and video games.

The NRA immediately issued a statement dismissing the proposed compromise bill, noting that while "the overwhelming rejection of President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg’s 'universal' background check agenda is a positive development," it only applies to lawful gun owners.

"Expanding background checks at gun shows will not prevent the next shooting, will not solve violent crime and will not keep our kids safe in schools," the NRA said. "We have a broken mental health system that is not going to be fixed with more background checks at gun shows. We need a serious and meaningful solution that addresses crime in cities like Chicago, addresses mental health deficiencies, while at the same time protecting the rights of those of us who are not a danger to anyone."

For more, go to:
-- Toomey & Manchin - The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act

-- Deal reached on background checks in Senate

-- Background checks: What the Manchin-Toomey deal would do

-- Manchin/Toomey deal on gun sale background checks

-- NRA – Regarding Toomey-Manchin Background Check Proposal

-- Gun Bill Called 'The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act'

-- Sen. Manchin: Nobody with a ‘good conscious’ could let Newtown happen again

-- Sens. Manchin, Toomey announce deal on background checks for gun sales

-- Manchin, Toomey close to deal on “expanded” background checks; Update: Deal reached

-- VIDEO: First Read Minute: Manchin-Toomey gun deal probably best Obama can get

Dinosaur Hunting Guns: Taking Down T-Rex and Other Extinct Reptiles

Alex Robinson — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:18:44 -0400

Over the weekend I took my two children to see Jurassic Park, which has been re-released in 3D to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film’s introduction. I find it impossible to watch without putting myself in the shoes of the professional hunter whose job it is to somehow manage the beasts once they escape.

His firearm of choice is a Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun, which has the ability to work both as a semi-auto and a pump-action. The extended magazine tube, oversized foreend and skeletonized folding stock give it some serious bad-ass cred and it’s hardly surprising that it has appeared in numerous films, including the Terminator, the Matrix, RoboCop, and Snatch—not counting a whole host of utterly forgettable action films. (Blastfighter, anyone?)

But I digress. The real question is what is the ideal gun for the job as head game ranger on an island full of dinosaurs?

T-Rex

A full grown T-Rex is 40 feet long, stands 13-feet tall at the hips and weighs somewhere around 6 tons and is estimated to have the most powerful bite of any terrestrial animal in earth’s history, generating more than 15 times the chomping power of an African lion. Making matters worse, conservative estimates put its top speed at 25 mph while some scientists believe it could truck along at 45 mph, which is faster than either a charging grizzly or a lion.

If the movie is accurate, then one slight blessing is that the animal’s sight cues in on movement, so, in theory, if you stay still it should have a more difficult time finding you.

Needless to say, a shotgun isn’t worth a warm bucket of spit against an animal of this stature.

Being over-gunned is an impossibility against a T-Rex, but with a true charge-stopping rifle, like a Merkle double, you’d at least have a chance. Personally, I wouldn’t go any lighter than a .458 Lott. The .470 NE, .500 NE and .600 NE would also be good contenders. I would probably opt for a double-rifle with a red-dot sight on it. I’d want that red dot for precise bullet placement as the only shot that makes sense is a broadside shot that takes out either the hip or smashes the knee. Take out the leg to put it down and then finish it off with a double lung shot or a shot in the neck.

The open sights that are usually on a rifle like this, meant to stop a charging animal, would be worthless against a charging T-Rex. With a puny brain inside a massive skull the chances of turning off the switch with a head shot are minimal. Of course, the only bullets worth using on a T-Rex are solids. I’d be curious to see how Federal’s new safari load would fare.

Velociraptor

As any self-respecting first grader knows, the velociraptors in Jurassic Park were not accurately depicted. True velociraptors stood about a foot and a half high at the hip, were approximately 7 feet long from nose to tail and only weighed about 33 pounds. I wouldn’t underestimate the little monsters, but a good semi-auto shotgun loaded with buckshot should settle their hash without much difficulty. So I’ll go with either the Remington Versa Max Tactical or an FNH SLP Mk1 Tactical.

Deinonychus

This fearsome predator is more akin to what Spielberg was going for with his “velociraptors” in the movie. These larger cousins of the smaller true velociraptors grew to 11 feet long, could weigh as much as 160 pounds, and were, by all accounts, very smart pack-hunting animals that used the large curved talons on their feet to deadly effect. Picture them with the speed and agility of a leopard and the killing power of a lion and you’ll get some idea of what they could do. It probably wouldn’t require a lot of gun to take one down, but woe to the hunter who only wounds one. A semi-auto shotgun loaded with slugs might serve well, but I’m going with a Springfield Armory M1A Socom 16 for this job. I’d put either an EOTech optic up front on it or something like the Trijicon SRS. Mount a SureFire X400 combo weapon light/laser and you’ll be good to go.