More ATF overreach
The Justice Department has published a new federal gun control rule requiring FFLs to have gun storage or safety devices available onsite for potential buyers. According to the department, a secure gun storage device is defined as “a safe, gun safe, gun case, lock box or other device that is designed to be or can be used to store a firearm and that is designed to be unlocked only by means of a key, a combination or other similar means.” A logical extension to such a rule would be requiring all police departments to offer guns for sale to the local populace for self defense.
More Federal Gunwalking
Mexico’s Army is losing approximately 30% of weapons purchased from the U.S.
Litigation
An interesting case.
Judiciary
Nancy Gbana Abudu, President Biden’s nominee for a seat on the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s deputy legal director. The SPLC is a well-known toxic liberal hate and anti-gun group. Abudu has thus far never held a judgeship position.
Crime
Jackson, MS, the local area in which I have lived for nearly 40 years, had the highest homicide rate in the nation among cities with at least 130,000 population last year. 153 killings were reported, which far exceeds the previous record of 128 in 2020. That works out to 1 for every 1,000 residents in 2021, which is roughly double the rate in Memphis and New Orleans, and triple Chicago’s rate. (Chicago’s 25-year high number was the most homicides in the country. Numerous other Democrat-controlled cities also experienced record homicide numbers last year.) The killings appear to be continuing at the same rate this year. The two other counties adjoining Jackson do not have this problem, and the primary difference I see is the city and county “leaders” including judges and prosecutors, with one local racist city councilman blaming local businessmen for the murders because they haven’t hired security guards and installed cameras.
Enemies
Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner has filed a shareholder proposal with Mastercard, attempting to restrict the use of their services by folks purchasing firearm kits, components, and/or accessories.
Longtime anti-gun U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), a onetime Black Panther, announced he won’t seek reelection after 15 terms representing his Chicago-area district.
DGU
A Lyft driver in Philadelphia, PA, shot two armed carjackers. Police arrested both carjackers. Since Lyft has a no guns, dead drivers policy, we suspect the victim will be fired.
Department of Idiocy
An Iowa man robbed a pawn shop in Souix Falls, SD, and then tried to sell his gun to the pawn shop clerk.
A 2-year-old South Carolina girl died after being shot in the chest by a BB gun this week. Authorities say the investigation indicates that the victim’s father was attempting to move a BB gun from under a counter and in the process, accidentally discharged the BB gun, causing the child to be struck in the chest. Y’all, remember the rules. They apply to BB guns too. BB guns are deadly.
Industry news
The NSSF reports that Americans bought more than 18.5 million guns in 2021, which is about 12% lower than the all-time record set in 2020, but still a lot more than any other year.
GSM Outdoors, a multi-brand manufacturer and technology innovator of specialized hunting and shooting sport accessories, has acquired SOG Specialty Knives, Inc. SOG makes some cool high-quality stuff.
Veteran instructor Dave Spaulding, Handgun Combatives LLC., has retired and will no longer be offering a regular schedule of classes. However, in 2022 he is teaching a single course with all of the Handgun Combatives two-day courses rolled into one, called “The Legacy/Complete Package Program.” It’s sold out.
Massad Ayoob’s reflections on the state of all things gun
We have a report that sports gambling has arrived at fishing tournaments, both of which are indicative of what is wrong with the world today.
Products
Colt is releasing a new 3-inch barreled version of the Python revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. 4.25-inch and 6-inch versions were already available. Now if they would get back to the .45 Colt Anacondas…
Savage has added the .17 Winchester Super Magnum to its line of A Series rifles with the new A17 WSM Sporter ($619) and A17 WSM Target Thumbhole ($709).
Rossi’s Gallery gun is a futuristic take on the original gallery guns of the late 1890s, offered as pump-action rifle chambered for .22 LR. Available with either solid wood or black synthetic furniture. $346.
The Standard Manufacturing Toros T4 Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated semi automatic 12 gauge shotgun is a copy of the USMC M1014 (Benelli M4 Super 90) and features complete component interchangeability with the M4 platform. 5+1 rounds. 18″ barrel WITH CHOKE TUBES – rather unusual for this sort of gun. 7.5 lbs. Made in Turkey. Price dropped to $600 + $25 shipping direct to your dealer.
Federal’s new Top Gun Lead and Top Gun Steel shotshells use a paper over-powder wad/shotcup. 12 ga. only, $18-20 per box of 25.
Federal has expanded its Punch line of handgun ammo with a 180 gr. JHP load in .44 Special. Good competition for the Speer/Blazer Gold Dot load. $36 per box of 20.
Federal has expanded its line of Force X2 shotshells with the Force X2 Shorty shells. These are the mini 12 ga. shells that measure just 1.75″ inches long but hold a 1245 fps load of six 00 “split shot” segmenting buckshot engineered to split into two equal pieces on impact. The original split buckshot loads did not provide enough penetration and I doubt these will do any better. They will likely be useful for some varmints, but not for serious use. Around $3 each.
The new Federal 30 Super Carry round is a .32 (actually 0.312″) pistol load with power levels closer to 9mm than to .380 (100 gr. @ 1250 fps). The smaller size will allow a couple more rounds than 9mm does in the same size magazine. Pistols initially available in this round will include the Nighthawk Custom President and GRP and the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield™ Plus and Shield EZ®.
