Only 70%?

Bummer. I thought one of the anti-gunners may have grown a set.

About six months ago, the press was All AK-47 All The Time!!!!! Now, it has returned.

Some variation of the same article can be seen here, here, here and here. And I’m sure there are more. Some snippets:

But it was unremarkable in that one of the guns brandished was an AK-47-type rifle — a powerful, rapid-fire weapon that has long been used in Third World conflicts but is increasingly being used in American street fights.

The rifle fires the 7.62×39 cartridge, which is an intermediate power round. The version seen in the use is not a rapid-fire weapon, it is a semi-automatic weapon that fires as fast as any semi-auto hunting rifle. And the ones used in third world conflicts are machine guns. Looks like the press is taking dictation from the Violence Policy Center again.

Figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, obtained by The Associated Press through public records requests, show a marked increase in the number of AK-type weapons traced and entered into the agency’s computer database because they had been seized or connected to a crime.

Ah, the press qualifier of figures show. Then show me the figures! After all, the instances of these weapons being used in crimes has always been inconsequential (less than 1% if you include all semi-automatic weapons classified as assault weapons under the now defunct assault weapons ban). And, as the ATF says, a trace does not indicate a gun crime.

The number of such tracings rose even while the federal assault weapons ban was in effect and has continued to climb since its expiration.

Unpossible!! The ban was supposed to stop all that!

Since 1993, the year before the ban took affect, ATF has recorded a more than sevenfold increase in 7.62x39mm guns — which includes the original Russian-made AK-47 and a variety of copycats from around the world. The number of AK-type guns rose from 1,140 in 1993 to 8,547 last year.

Unpossible!! There had to have been a decrease during the ban. Bans always work. And no, the original Russian-made AK-47 is illegal in this country because it is a machine gun. And the semi-auto versions are illegal too as they are unlawful to import due to the sporting purposes clauses. There’s gratuitous mention of the Omaha mall shooting and it being an AK-47. That’s odd since the AP (who also is pushing this piece) said the mall shooter used an SKS, which is not an AK variant.

After telling us the ban didn’t work they go on to tell us the ban worked. I don’t get that, myself. And they quote a study from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership. And note that the alleged study from Brady contradicts everything this article just said about trace data. So, I’m confused.

This is just a hit piece on politically incorrect self-loading firearms. With Heller at the SCOTUS, expect more. The anti-gunners have a lot to lose and know that. The antis are trying to win in public opinion and their cohorts in the press are quite happy to take dictation and repeat lies and misleading statements as fact.

Sebastian calls it a hit piece and also thinks that it is not accidental.

Update: Same reporter wrote something similar in September 07. Via David.

People wonder what Gura was doing. Well, he has a bit on Heller here.

In comments here, Marko (who looks like a young Rutger Hauer – seriously check out the pic in the upper right) says:

You can lock and unlock the weapon without ever removing it from the holster, and the holster is designed so that the bar of the lock (or the handcuff, for cop use) goes behind the trigger, not in front of it.

The pilot in question removed the weapon from the holster and manipulated the trigger, that’s all. It didn’t discharge by accident while he was trying to lock or unlock it. I’ve sold a few of the holsters in question, so I’m pretty confident about how they work.

Now, I’m not familiar with the holster in question and that may be correct. However, TSA’s policy of stowing the weapon adds unnecessary gun handling into the equation. And that is problematic. Additionally, the photo of the holster in question (seen here) looks to me like it is possible for the lock to come into contact with the trigger. The guy was stowing the weapon (which he was doing per this article) in accordance with policy. That’s an unnecessary bit of handling of a firearm. The only time the pilot should handle the gun is when it’s being drawn to fire. Otherwise, it should remain holstered and out of sight.

From Jay:

Not when it comes to government, constitutional rights and civics. Unfortunately for Heather Martens, she’s ignorant of all three.

You left out understanding sentence structure.

Rusty has a round up

Aunt B. on the obvious. Seriously, I’m trying to find that guy who keeps killing the oldest person in the world. He strikes like every two weeks and you read it in the news. Is no one else concerned?

nataliedee.com

I laughed hard. Via Breda.

He wasn’t gone long. AC Kleinheider of the now defunct Volunteer Voters has a new gig. He’ll be part of the problem at the Nashville Post.

Like a bullpup rifle and a bayonet.

Tom has a theory on music appreciation. If he is correct, I am definitely part of the same group he’s in.

I have a theory on music application. If a white person/band covers a song originally performed by a black person/band, they will speed it up (exhibit a)

If a black person/band covers a song originally performed by a white person/band, they will slow it down (exhibit b).

Discuss.

An email from an old friend:

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going back to Medal of Honor, where the guns used are more accurately portrayed than in any AP story.

Oh, and a while back? When I wasn’t blogging much? I was busy taking sniper fire.

I don’t care who you are, that’s funny.

BTW, seems she really was dodging it. There’s video!

ATF Agent Tom Mangan is at it again. You may be asking yourself: Where do I know that guy? Here’s a hint.

Barack Oswald Obama’s campaign on why the Senator did not sign onto the Congressional brief with 55 other colleagues asking the Supreme Court to find the DC gun ban violates the second amendment:

Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional right of Americans to bear arms. He also believes that the Constitution permits state and local governments to adopt reasonable and common-sense gun-safety measures.

So, he thinks that a complete ban on handguns, a ban on any use of a firearm for self-defense, and the requirement that long-guns be rendered inoperable are all reasonable and common-sense gun-safety measures.

A while back, The Tennessean decided it would publish a database of people who held handgun carry permits. Oopsy ensued and they pulled it. Seems people didn’t like their private particulars published. Now, our state legislature is pushing a bill to seal those records:

The records of everyone licensed to carry a handgun in Tennessee would be sealed from public view by a proposal working its way through the legislature.

The bill, sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, and state Rep. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect, would make Tennessee the 28th state in the nation to make secret its list of residents who have applied for or received a handgun-carry or concealed-carry permit. Several other states have similar bills in the works.

Such legislation keeps popping up in states where some idiot (like Christian Trejbal) decides to publish this stuff. Thanks to the Tennessean, that’s looking to be the case in our state soon. Tennessee’s law goes a bit further:

Tennessee takes its privacy plans a step further – threatening journalists with jail time if they publish information from the permit records…

Wow.

An Editorial in Bristol notes:

Last month, an investigative television reporter in Nashville reported that the state of Tennessee had issued gun-carry permits to convicted felons, including a child rapist.

First I’ve heard of it. Anyone have a link? Continuing:

That’s because the Tennessee Department of Safety admitted that it accepted at face value an applicant’s word that he or she had not been convicted of a felony.

Really? Because they are required by law to do background checks. So, I find that odd. Anyway, on to the meat of the article:

Under proposed legislation slated to go before the Tennessee Senate today, reporter Phil Williams of WTVF-NewsChannel 5 would be subject to a Class E felony for airing that report. His punishment upon conviction? Up to several years in prison and a large fine.

You read that right: A handful of Tennessee legislators essentially are trying to use the Second Amendment to blast away at the First Amendment.

Forgive me for not being too sympathetic since the press has been using the first amendment to blast away the second for a while. I mean, there’s whole blogs dedicated to that subject. Continuing:

The gun-permit law appears to be a ploy to punish the media for the prior sins of two newspapers – The Tennessean in Nashville and The Roanoke Times in Virginia. Both published online searchable databases of gun-permit holders before quickly removing the data. In Roanoke’s case, it published the names and home addresses of law enforcement officers and judges.

It was a boneheaded decision made in the name of open government, but the First Amendment doesn’t just protect intelligent judgments made in newsrooms.

I concur and it is boneheaded. But I still have a great deal of trouble mustering up any bit of sympathy at all since daily newspapers are filled with editorials and screeds about how various things involving guns should be illegal and people should go to jail for them. You know, little technical things. When it comes to gun laws, the enthusiast acts at his peril.

Now, don’t get my wrong, the jail time thing is dumb. But when you have idiotic decisions made by editorial boards that threaten someone’s privacy and safety, people get a little snippy and react.

Hillary: I am proud of my earmarks… Part of the reason that I won New York by 67 percent are my earmarks.

And I recall reading that she was the biggest porker in the Senate (not a fat joke, those would be directed at Kennedy).

Ebay is rabidly anti-gun. No guns. Or stuff that looks guns. Or ammo. Or stuff that looks like ammo. And they own Paypal, who won’t even let you say gun. In fact, I canceled my account with them after they told me to jump through hoops after a money transfer that involved the lawful sale and purchase of a firearm. But switchblade knives are OK, which is odd because the interstate shipment of those is illegal.

I thought I was the only certified PSH to English translator.

They have a site now. Here’s a an article on it. Via Ben.

Countertop says blogging about guns increases traffic. BTW, ever gonna get a range report for a certain firearm? But so does blogging about scantily clad women. Internet memes. And lots of other stuff

I mean, yesterday I linked to some good gun porn and a Salon with scantily clad stylists. Who do you think I sent more traffic to?

In Pennsylvania, it will be a sticky issue for them:

Guns are an especially potent issue in Pennsylvania, which is home to 300,000 members of the National Rifle Association — the highest per capita NRA membership in the country, according to Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. A 2002 Quinnipiac University poll found that 42 percent of Pennsylvania households have guns, including 54 percent of union households, a key Democratic constituency.

Gun issues also stir up passions in Pennsylvania for another very different reason. Philadelphia has experienced an epidemic of gun killings: 331 people were shot to death last year, 321 with handguns.

We’ll see how they dance around this one. We all know that Barack Bon Jovi Obama has never seen a gun control he didn’t like. He and Hillary have both supported all the various pipe dreams of gun control.

Firing a 20mm rifle.

New Rock River AR-15 forearm. I dig it.

Colt Single Action Army.

Sebastian reports the real variety is happening here and here. Good. They have stones

Meanwhile, stone-less Bryan Miller can’t let those pesky comments that don’t fit the narrative in.

A less than sympathetic look at Barack Rodham Obama’s tax returns. Elected to office and your income increases eight-fold? Senators don’t make that much.

People don’t like to voluntarily consent to searches and seizures? Who knew?

How to unintentionally commit a gun crime!

Ya know, I was wondering, as someone who owns a Ruger 10/22, if I purchased a new Ruger Charger, if the ATF could charge me with constructive possession of an unregistered short barreled rifle?

Oh, the things we gunnies have to worry about.

Tennessee’s AG has released an gambling opinion. It is here. Some store in Memphis said that if Memphis wins the title, then the store will give you your furniture free. So, some legislator asked the AG if this was gambling as defined. The AG says of course it is.

Scholar & blogger Clayton Cramer is running for office in Idaho.