Obama’s Gun Control Propaganda

Just read this and had to post. Almost everything the president says in this quote is wrong. My comments bold in brackets:

“The House Republican majority is made up mostly of members who are in sharply gerrymandered districts [no more than Democrats] that are very safely Republican and may not feel compelled to pay attention to broad-based public opinion [the Constitution trumps public opinion], because what they’re really concerned about is the opinions of their specific Republican constituencies,” [yes, that is who they represent and how the system is supposed to work] the president said in an interview with The New Republic.

[…]

The president said he has a profound respect for the traditions of hunting that date back for generations. [Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting]

Wow, this is Propaganda 101, textbook stuff.

Since Obama is supposed to have been a Constitutional lawyer, he knows the Second Amendment is not about hunting. He and Biden have been hammering the “hunting” and “sporting” comments every time they talk about gun control in an attempt to make what they want more reasonable. Just like the left saying Republicans or conservatives are against “immigration,” when in reality it’s “illegal immigration.”

Also noticed how the president framed the issue upfront in this debate a few weeks ago, any “reasonable” person would agree to what he’s calling for. He calls them “commonsense” measures. So if you disagree, you must be “unreasonable” and have no sense. It’s like he has Jedi powers over the dolts on the left.

Advice to the National Rifle Association

Probably you’re seeing a massive amount of new memberships, renewals, and donations coming in at the NRA, or at least I hope so. Please do not harass the new members with relentless marketing requests and asking for more donations, it drives them away. It drove me away in the 1990s for several years, and others have noted the same problem and also left the NRA because of it.

I joined again several years ago, and again quickly became frustrated with the endless requests for donation, both email and snail mail, and the waste-of-money junk mail from you. The solution: I called in and got myself removed from those lists. It’s been very nice ever since. I get the American Rifleman each month (last time I chose digital), and a renewal notice once a year, and that’s it. Perfect.

Of course those endless requests for money must pay off and it is of course for a most worth cause, but alienating a lot of would-be members isn’t smart. So I suggest you make it a lot easier to opt out of that massive email/mail harassment. Or tone it down from the start. Either way, that’s my advice to the NRA.

Join the NRA/Renew Membership, $10 off and a gift.

Go Buy Guns, Magazines, and Ammo

To me this election was a choice between the lesser of two evils. Actually the last few have been that way for me. Unfortunately for America, lesser lost. Probably in the future more stupid Americans will vote more of our freedoms away. Maybe it’s just part of the cycle of greatness and decline the empires go through, I don’t know.

As I’ve mentioned before, Obama doesn’t really care about the Second Amendment. Along with the re-election of Obama, consider that a long-time anti-gun senator – Dian Feinstein – is probably planning a gun grab, perhaps like this country has never seen:

- – No pistol grip allowed
- – No [high capacity] Mags
- – No grandfathering
- – No sale permissible if in possession

I don’t see “no grandfathering” as realistic in America. Any such legislation won’t go anywhere for at least two years since the Republicans hold the house and it won’t go through them. The house will be up for grabs again in two years.

Obama might get the opportunity to appoint anti-gun justices to the Supreme Court. A few high profile mass shootings might be all it takes to push the pendulum of popular opinion far enough, long enough to do some real legislative/legal damage. Once those freedoms are lost, I don’t see how we could get them back without bad things happening.

Obama could also use executive orders to limit our Second Amendment freedoms. I’m particularly worried about access to ammunition, including having to have a permit to purchase ammo, limits/rationing, ending cheap imports, etc. It could happen.

Go buy what you need while you can.

Mr. President, I need my AK-47

The recent mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado led the president to say this during a speech at the National Urban League:

“I, like most Americans, believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms. I think we recognize the traditions of gun ownership that passed on from generation to generation, that hunting and shooting are part of a national heritage… But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals; that they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities.” [emphasis mine]

I can almost agree with Obama; why would anyone want an AK-47 when they could pick up one of the newer, more accurate Ruger Mini-14 or Kel-Tec SU-16C…?

I’ll get into the Second Amendment to our Constitution further below, but I want to point out four things from the start. First, the Second Amendment doesn’t have a damn thing to do with hunting. Second, as a former lecturer on Constitutional law at University of Chicago Law School, Obama ought to know that. This is especially true if he believes the first part of his own statement. Third, the bold portion above provides several great examples of logical fallacies (a few are appeal to belief, appeal to common practice, appeal to emotion, appeal to fear, bandwagon, red herring, questionable cause, etc.). Along those lines, how many is “a lot” of gun owners? Five? A hundred? Ten thousand? That sort of statement is crap. Finally, Obama is probably a liar.

It’s unclear why Obama singled out the AK-47, since the Aurora shooter that likely promoted Obama to speak about firearms used an AR-15. The shooting and the president’s statement prompted some opinion pieces (like this one at CNN) that no doubt got and will get wide readership among America’s left, and probably caused more to read articles (like this one in the New Yorker) that also are part of the lefts smoke-and-mirrors treatment of the Second Amendment.

The New Yorker article in particular basically makes the claim that the Second Amendment was ignored for over a century and only lately has the individual right been brought up. It ignores the context of the language from the time it was written, and appeals to emotion and attempts to muddy the waters by making various claims (true or not) about the NRA. It stands as a modern example of yellow journalism – but those leaning to the left will accept it as Gospel.

Let’s look at the text of the Second Amendment, and some legal and historical information on the context and meaning of the language:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

A simplistic view, and favorable to those who want to take away our right to bear arms, would be to read this amendment as allowing firearms ownership restricted only to a very regulated militia. However, putting the words in the context of who was writing it, when, word usage at the time, and the background (e.g. The Federalist Papers), shows this was in fact not the meaning.

According to this site dedicated to our Constitution, the phrase “well-regulated” at that time and for about a century after that time referred to something being in proper working order. That is, something that was “well-regulated” if it was calibrated correctly, functioning as expected, and so on. “Establishing government oversight of the people’s arms was not only not the intent in using the phrase in the 2nd amendment, it was precisely to render the government powerless to do so that the founders wrote it.”

The case summary brief for the Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller provides an excellent legal/historical explanation of the actual meaning of the Second Amendment. Paraphrased and in bullet format:

• “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State” is a prepatory clause that announces a purpose of the amendment and does not limit or expand the scope of the operative clause.
• The operative clause, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms.
• The militia consisted of all males capable of acting together for the common defense. The Antifederalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable citizen militias, thereby enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The Antifederalists therefore sought to preserve the citizens’ militia by denying Congress the power to abridge the right of individuals to keep and bear arms. (this part a direct quote from the brief)
• This interpretation is confirmed by analogous arms-bearing rights adopted in state constitutions immediately preceding and following the Second Amendment. Furthermore, the drafting history reveals three proposals that unequivocally referred to an individual right to bear arms. Interpretation of the Second Amendment by scholars, courts, and legislators from ratification through the late 19th century also supports the Court’s interpretation. (this part a direct quote from the brief)

Although this is lawyer-speak and subject to change should Obama get a second term and thereby have the opportunity to appoint leftist Supreme Court justices, this interpretation is consistent with the historical information I have read. Again, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or sporting. In the context of the Constitution and those who wrote it, it clearly is meant as for the defense of the nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

While I’m not crazy about Romney, the current president does not have our best interests in mind, is probably a liar, and cannot be trusted.

Long-Term Ammunition Storage and Heat

While avoiding humidity is pretty much a universal theme on the topic of long-term ammunition storage, there is a lot of directly contradictory information when it comes to heat. I’d like your input if you have any experience or observations in this area.

The generally very informative Ammo Oracle at AR15.com has this to say:

The three primary killers of ammo are heat, moisture, and chemicals. Excessive heat will break down both the powder and the primer compound over time, causing erratic ignition and velocities.

Military guidance on how much heat is too much heat doesn’t offer much. Department of the Army Pamphlet 700–16, THE ARMY AMMUNITION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM for Logistics, does not list any temperatures, noting only that:

In general, ammunition must be protected from moisture and should be protected from temperature extremes when feasible.

Department of the Army Pamphlet 385-65, Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards, says in Chapter 2, Field Storage of Ammunition:

When standard magazines are not available, buildings used for AE [ammunition and explosives] storage must afford protection against moisture and excessive changes in temperature and have means for adequate ventilation. . . The AE containing explosives or combustibles (such as, black powder, tracer composition, or pyrotechnic mixtures) that deteriorate rapidly in damp or high temperature environments should be stored under the best cover available.

And MARINE CORPS ORDER P8020.10A, MARINE CORPS AMMUNITION MANAGEMENT AND EXPLOSIVES SAFETY POLICY MANUAL, does not refer to heat or temperature at all, in regard to ammo storage.

Anecdotally, some say heat is bad, others note they’ve used ammo stored in very hot bunkers with no issues. Various old and/or surplus ammo from the 1950s or earlier not stored in cool conditions that still functions, and hand-loaded .223 ammo in a VA attic for ~25 years, working fine.

You can find dozens of forums or blogs that say one other, but I haven’t seen any actual studies. From a common sense perspective, seems like heat might affect ammo since it affects food and many other chemical compounds. But with a little more information, a lot of real-world examples seem to point to heat not mattering much, which might alter what passes for common sense.

From my personal experience (more anecdotal evidence), I’ve seen Conex boxes in the desert storing U.S./NATO ammo, and have personally used ammo stored in hot humid conditions for long-term with no problems. I’m talking shot shells (some old enough to be some sort of cardboard or thick paper rather than plastic), .22S/L/LR, various old surplus calibers (some with slight corrosion), etc. not in ammo boxes or with AC during the summer, for decades.

I’m leaning towards heat doesn’t matter as long as humidity is controlled.

What say you?

Guns and Ammo Finishing Touches

When you get to where you’re going, some GPS units say, “you have arrived.” That’s kind of what I feel like as I expect that before the New Year my brothers and I will have all standard rifles and carbines and standard caliber pistols (9mm) and shotguns (12 gauge), exceeded our minimum ammo stockpile requirements for all calibers/gauges we own, and have sufficient gear such as slings, scopes, etc.

Is it enough? No, it’s never enough. But if TEOTWAWKI happened on or after January 01, 2012, wouldn’t feel like we got caught with our pants down, at least considering firearms, ammo, and related gear.

For longer range rifles (~200+ yards), we have several more Mosin Nagant rifles than we can probably use – I expect others would show up and need them. Several of those rifles already have bent bolts, will soon have JMeck scope mounts, and will then be scoped with Nikon or Simons scopes.

We chose the Mini-14 Tactical (and here) for our carbine (300 yards max, closer preferred). While there are not as many customization options for the Mini-14 as for the more popular AR-15 variants, we determined that for a survival situation in which spare parts or a choice in ammo might not be available, the more rugged piston operated and sufficiently accurate Ruger will do just fine.

Recently Nutnfancy spoke about the importance of being, “Tactically Squared Away,” and Ryan wrote about having enough ammo of sufficient caliber. I agree with both. We’ve been slowly putting away thousands of rounds in all calibers/gauges, and the slings, scopes, mag pouches, dump pouches, etc. that are needed. We’ll be using MOLLE II FLC vests to attach needed pouches and other items (these days very cheap, shop eBay).

At one point I thought it best to get rid of (for us) odd caliber weapons so that we don’t need to worry about the logistics of spare parts and ammo for them long-term. But I eventually decided that unless obsolete, having a variety of non-standard caliber weapons – or a way to use ammo for them – is fine. For example, we don’t have a .38 special or .357 magnum, but an adapter will allow us to shoot that ammo from a 12 gauge shotgun. Adapters are available in a varied of calibers and gauges.

For guns, ammo, and related gear we’re there – but will keep adding, especially more magazines and ammo. Can never have enough. But the new priority for 2012 will be food stockpiling and growing…

Scope Mounts for the Ruger Mini-14

If you want to mount a traditional 1” or 30mm scope to your Ruger Mini-14 and leave it there, life is simple – the Mini-14 comes with 1” rings, and 30mm are readily available if you need them. Easy, done.

If you want a quick detach option with a return-to-zero capability, Warne and a few others make the product you want. It’s all good.

If you want a scout mount setup using Weaver or picatinny rail for long-eye relief scopes (most often pistol scopes) or for red-dot optics, you’re in luck with two great options, the UltiMAK Scout Mount (left) and the Amega mount (right). Choate (follow link, scroll down) also makes a front end option. Rock-n-roll.

However, if you’re particular like me and want to mount modern red-dot sights easily, and easily interchange them with a variety of more traditional optics using standard picatinny/Weaver rail, and be able to clean the weapon without having to re-zero everything, there are a lot of probably not-so-great options (I haven’t tested them all, so that assessment can change). It’s my only real complaint about the Mini-14, especially since Ruger could easily correct the issue.

There are a few side mounting options that also allow use of the iron sights, something I value. The primary one on the market seems to be the B-Square, which is what I own and have used (pictured below). I like it, but the rifle finish will be scratched and I don’t trust it to withstand getting knocked around, and it must be removed to clean the carbine (at least Tactical versions).

Eagle make a similar QD mount (if you can find it for sale), as does UTG. There are some cheap Barska and NCStar copies not worth buying, according to most reviews. Armson makes a side mount that appears to be a drill/tap job.

The next type of mount is a Ruger-to-Weaver/picatinny rail that mounts over the bolt. Some are advertised as see-through while others don’t attempt to leave the irons free. B-Square makes of these (pic below) and has mixed reviews; solid, but difficult to use the iron sights.

This would be ideal – if with clear irons and cleaning could take place without removing it. I might try one and dremel the channel deeper if needed.

Others that offer a similar rail (though not see-through) are GG&G, Weigand, Mounting Solutions, and NCStar (not recommended).

IMO, there is a gaping whole in the market for someone to create a Weaver/picatinny rail that will sit high enough to allow use of iron sights and cleaning of without removal (or QD with return-to-zero).

Review: DuraCoat Shake N Spray

DuraCoat is a hard polymer paint using a base and hardener (like epoxy) designed for painting firearms, including moving parts, barrels, etc. It dries to the touch after 20 minutes, can be used after curing to eight hours, but takes several weeks to fully cure to super hardness. It comes in dozens of colors & patterns, retains some flexibility so isn’t fragile, and is somewhat self-lubricating. By all accounts, it’s probably the hardest, most durable coating that can be had outside some factory finishes, and maybe better than some of those.

If you ever watch the Nutnfancy YouTube channel, you know he’s crazy about DuraCoat and has multiple videos on the subject. That’s where I first learned of the product.

DuraCoat is normally applied with an airbrush and requires an air compressor, which I don’t have and didn’t want to purchase for the few projects I might have for the paint – a few rifle stocks (not the guns, though), some magazines, and a few odds and ends. Probably a lot of others felt the same way, which is why the manufacture, Lauer Custom Weaponry, came up with the “Shake N Spray” kits.

The Good. I’m going to spend more time in the bad portion of this review, but DuraCoat is actually mostly pretty good. Most any color or pattern you’d want is available. The kit is relatively cheap and you don’t need an air compressor. The hardness and durability of DuraCoat is outstanding.

You can really dress up a beat-up weapon, stock, whatever. If you do use it on the action, barrel, etc., it acts as a rust inhibitor. For a nice .303 Enfield or M1 Garand? Probably not, but for modern carbines and “black guns,” absolutely. I will continue to purchase, use, and recommend this product.

The Bad. First, it’s difficult to determine what the colors actually are by looking at the photos on vendor websites. In the photos below, I have the samples from the website and the examples of items I’ve painted. The East German Green and TangoDown Flat Dark Earth look fairly close in the online samples of ARs, but the green is a shade darker while the flat dark earth is a shade or so lighter (compare the piece from a stock above and the magazine below – big difference).

Second, even though I followed the instructions to avoid having a shiny finish (even used more of the base to give a flatter appearance), my East German Green project came out shiny. I like the color, it’s actually almost exactly what I want, but it should be flat and not shiny. Others have noticed this (and here). I’ll have to get some clear matte to fix that as shiny defeats the purpose. A solution online said to use something to stir up the bottom in addition to shaking the bottle for the recommended time, which I’ll try next time.

Third and last, a lot of the advertisements claim you can coat two weapons with the kit (some say 2-4). Pistols, maybe, but my dark earth kit gave me three good coats on sever AR magazines, while the green one coated one rifle stock and foregrip – and that was it. Probably the spray applicator included with the kit isn’t’ as fine as an airbrush and uses more of the mixture.

Survival Blog Reviews the Mini-14

Recently Pat of the Survival Blog reviewed the Mini-14, with which he has a couple of decades of experience. However, through email with that reviewer I found he has only owned and fired the older Mini-14s with the thinner barrels, and has not fired the newer model Mini-14 with thicker barrels and retooling, in production since the mid-2000s. This matters. (My review of the Mini-14 Tactical).

A few updates/corrections to the Survival Blog review:

• Newer Mini-14s get closer to 2 MOA, or better, out of the box, not the 4 MOA referred to, which is more appropriate for older, non-accurized Mini-14s.
• While some new Mini-14s are advertised in the $750+ range, CDNN sells this newer model for under $569, which is the price one of my brothers paid. Got mine from CDNN for $589. Sometimes police trade-ins of the older models are available for ~$400.
• Factory magazine are readily available for $15 less each than the $50 and $40 suggested in the Survival Blog review, for 30 and 20 rounders, respectively. Check CDNN and Cheaper Than Dirt. On sale for $5-10 less than that at times.
• New Minis now come with 5, 20, and 30 round magazines depending on the model, not just 5 round magazines as the review states.
• Contrary to the Survival blog review, firing pins available at Midway. But as the review mentions, spare parts are rarely needed with the Mini-14.

Let’s also address the myth; the Mini-14 is fine for killing varmints, but is not a combat weapon. It’s a 5.5.6mm round, same as AR variants. If it will hit/kill a small animal, it will hit a man as well. That’s just reality.

I have some experience with the AR-15 (M16 and M4). If you know how to repair/maintain an AR-15 variant, have the spare parts, have a lot of brass-cased ammo, and want to clean that direct impenitent system, then the AR is the carbine for you. They are very accurate, and reliable – when clean, oiled, and when you have all he spare parts you need.

My brothers and I chose the newer Mini-14 Tactical for a long-term survival carbine because we want an accurate weapon that’s not picky about ammo, cleaning, and won’t need a lot of maintenance.

Review: Kel-Tec SU-16C Carbine

Several months ago I saw a deal on a Kel-Tec SU-16C ($515 from Bud’s) that I couldn’t pass up. Once I got it, it took awhile to find time to get to a rifle range and shoot it. But now that I’ve shot it, had it apart a few times, and done a few basic modifications, it’s time to review this carbine.

First what this rifle is and isn’t. At 4.7 lbs unloaded and just over five with an optic, with a folding stock (can shoot folded), using cheap and plentiful AR magazines, I consider this primarily a bug out weapon in 5.56 NATO. Excellent for a pack, trunk, toolbox, etc. Relatively inexpensive, few parts to break/replace, and a clean piston system. Picatinny rail on top for easy scope mounting options. Anything for bugging out is also fine for home defense. I don’t consider it a long-term survival weapon with hard use in mind – it’s not an AK or Mini-14 – and will cover that below.

There are several variants of the SU-16. I prefer the SU-16C for the thicker barrel and folding stock. If you have any of the other SU-16 versions, a folding stock can be added, if legal in your state.

The excellent Nutnfacny review of the SU-16C noted that the carbine might need a couple hundred rounds for breaking-in. I shot about 200 rounds of PMC 55 grain FMJ and 60 of Wolf 55 grain HP through mine with no malfunctions at all, so I was probably lucky and this one didn’t seem to need that. The Wolf HP was to verify it would eat cheap steel-cased ammo. Cleaning was easy, very little fouling, very clean shooting.

As part of the break-in process, I went through three 30 round magazines in rapid fire to see if I’d get any stringing when the barrel got hot. Didn’t notice any of that, but it did get hot enough that I was worried about some of the plastic parts melting, especially where the barrel connects to the stock. I did not have this concern with the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical carbine.

Accuracy was good for a break-in, but conditions at the range weren’t ideal. I was a bit rushed, the 100 yard area was in the shade, and it had rained recently so impacts didn’t cause any dust to appear. Excuses aside, I was able to sight it in with an EOTech 512 and hit a nine inch gong at 100 yards consistently. A little more time in better conditions and I’d have the iron sights dialed in, but that’ll have to be next time.

The reason I say, IMO, the SU-16C isn’t a long-term survival carbine with hard use is that I suspect the polymer stock isn’t up to it. Let me stress couple phrases here; long-term and hard use. Glocks have stood the test of time, but an SU-16 has a lot more surface area that needs to hold up. When TSHTF, I’ll be fine with the SU-16C for bugging out. When I get to the retreat, I want my Mini-14 Tactical. The SU-16C will remain for occasional use.

I changed three things on this carbine; added a Kel-Tec compact fore end, a Yankee Hill Phantom C2 flash hider, and a single point sling attachment. The flash hider was a pain because the SU-16C threads didn’t quite lend to easy installation. Took awhile, but I got it. The sling attachment was actually for a PLR – but works perfectly for the SU-16 (note to Kel-Tec, you need to market the PLR sling attachment for the SU-16).

The compact fore end installation was a real pain. I wanted this change so I could use a fore grip and to mount a bipod, and maybe a flashlight. First, the instructions from Kel-Tec absolutely suck. As did the PLR sling attachment instructions. This is a big Kel-Tec fail. So I looked online – this guy did it all wrong, should be a lot more solid.

And getting the compact fore end solid was the real problem. If a fore grip is mounted to it, it must be solid, not come off easily. Some people may add it to look cool, I did not, I wanted some function out of the picatinny rail underneath. My solution was to drill holes and cut/drill/tap four small strips of aluminum to hold the compact fore grip together solidly from the inside with some hex bolts. Took a few hours to get everything right, used blue Loc-Tite. End result, its rock solid.

Overall this is a perfect bug out carbine in 5.56mm NATO, has a clean piston operation, takes cheap AR mags, has good optics mounting options, is ultra light, clean shooting, and inexpensive. Not a major consideration, but looks cool and is fun to shot. Probably not for long-term, hard use, but fine for home defense.