Blogging will be light for the next bit, as I suspect blog reading will be too. So, to you and yours, Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate. And if you celebrate nothing, just have a nice day, then.

M4/M4A1 Carbine Reliability Issues: Why They Occur, and Why They’re Our Fault!

I fired 15,000 rounds through a semi-automatic M4/M4A1-type direct-gas-impingement (DGI) carbine in 31 weeks without a single malfunction attributable to anything except bad ammunition or bad magazines, with a grand total of 9 malfunctions. The least number of rounds fired between cleanings was 960 rounds, and the only parts replaced were gas rings at 8,860 rounds. And you can, too.

Met Les and Countertop at the Coal Creek Armory yesterday for an impromptu range session. Les says to me:

You own a 1911 and I’m getting a Glock. What is the world coming to?

Helmke has a case of it. He notes that the school killer mentioned here a bit back applied for a carry permit and was rejected. Well, that’s how it’s supposed to work. But Helmke continues:

Not too long ago, the National Rifle Association claimed that criminals never subjected themselves to legal means of getting firearms, and that no amount of criminal background checks would make a difference anyway.

So, do you think the lack of a permit to carry will completely prevent this guy from carrying? Or any other criminal for that matter?

Eugene Volokh:

We often hear, or have heard, about various gun control laws — bans on concealed carry, restrictive carry licensing schemes, bans on gun possession by felons or violent misdemeanants, bans on gun possession by people who are the targets of restraining orders, waiting periods for purchases, and so on. But I’m looking for gun control laws that are less talked about, the sorts of laws that even people who follow gun debates in some measure might say “Huh, I’d never thought of that one.”

I sent a few his way. Like:

I would say quite a bit of the NFA stuff, particularly the differentiation of short barreled rifles and Any Other Weapons, are quite unusual. They are also inconsistent in certain states. ATF has held that attaching a vertical forward grip to a handgun makes it an Any Other Weapon. Two states (SC and TN, IIRC) had court cases striking down that ruling.

And the requirement for sign off by a chief law enforcement official. Odd in Tennessee is that such approval is required by law.

And rules governing what is and isn’t firearms manufacturing are convoluted to say the least.

If you go to Vegas for more than three days, you have to notify the local police if you have guns. Odd since Nevada recognizes quite a few out of state carry permits.

And New Jersey’s smart gun law which basically states that once smart guns are viable, all other guns are illegal.

NY state has concealed carry (may issue) but licenses are no good in NYC.

Cali’s micro stamping law.

In Montana, a law says that if a gun was made in the state it is not subject to federal gun laws. A similar measure was pushed in TN last year. Never got anywhere.

From Paul, we learn of a contest where you can win:

– Bushmaster M4A3 in .223 OR a DPMS Panther LR-308C in .308
– A case of Remington Match Grade Ammo
– EOTAC Tactical Pant
– EOTAC Long Sleeve Shirt
– EOTAC Tactical Vest
– EOTAC Range Cap
– EOTAC Vickers Gloves
– EOTAC Pocket Organizer

Valued at between $1,998 or $2,199 in pre-Obama administration gun dollars.

Joe spots something in the Para calendar.

Well, at least they didn’t put the ammo in backwards.

Update: Tam says it could be a trick of the angle and light. With photographic evidence.

Threepers advocate calling your senators and asking them to oppose the Holder nomination. I concur. How very pragmatic.

A man notices that he wasn’t charged sales tax. He does the right thing and remits his tax ($1.50) to the Department of Revenue. The DOR then said he was a business and had to pay a 650 dollar fine—or face collections —AND criminal charges. It took an inquiry from the local news media to get it straightened out.

Incompetent big government, money grubbing pricks: making the world more libertarian one government form filled out in triplicate, shuffled, and stuffed in a bin no one ever reviews at a time.

In Philly, they forgot to collect a fee increase for gun carry permits. Their mistake, right? You’d think so. But, instead, they city wants permit holders to retroactively pay for their mistake or risk losing their permits.

Seen at Michael’s:

In a brief filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging a Tennessee appeals court to remove a so called “paramour” restriction against a lesbian mother that is forcing her partner of 9 years out of their home every night the mother has custody and visitation of her children.

The trial court imposed the restriction on the couple even though the psychologist who performed the custodial evaluation in the case found the partner to be positive influence in the children’s lives.

May be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of.

2008 NICS figures.

Fire department called after someone drops some ammo in a Dick’s Sporting Goods.

How to get a S&W M&P 9mm for $360.

Junior keeps telling me my new name is Poopy Stinky Butt.

She’s also saying fart a lot. Not real bad but there are better words for it.

And we decided to let the kids watch A Christmas Story. Trouble is, a lot of it is inappropriate for a four or a two year old. Kids cussing, violence, and the F-bomb.

More from David Rittgers.

Practice gangsta style.

Sam in comments:

They’re running a series like this in TEXAS!?!?

No wonder newspapers are dying.

What is astounding is that several layers of managers and editors gave this series the green light and I suspect not once did they think that their readers might just find it offensive.

Real life re-enactments of Far Side cartoons.

David Spade is donating $100K to the Phoenix police to buy guns: Spade said he wanted to make the donation after seeing a TV news report about Phoenix officers having to buy their own rifles.

This from Michael reminded me of this:

A bit back, I gave Katie Granju a bit of a hard time (along with an offer to take her to the range) about her feelings on guns. Specifically, I noted her apprehensiveness with respect to firearms despite her having a real desire to defend her family. She expands on the issue a bit here.

Now, it gets weird. Guns are all, like, icky and stuff. But apparently it’s OK to give kids knives and tell them to stab people who are threatening:

As part of that program, the kids had a discussion with an adult facilitator about how they would react if faced with a dangerous situation. E. apparently responded with his trademark honesty by calmly relating that if someone tried to grab him, he would stab the attacker in the heart with his pocketknife.

The result? I got a phone call from the school, and E. got a trip to the principal’s office. The school assumed that E’s response was evidence of an unhealthy aggressive streak, perhaps stemming from his parents’ messy divorce. In fact, there was no emotional trauma at play here: my son was just repeating the same thing we’ve talked about at home. If some guy ever grabs my child, and my child happens to have his pocketknife on him, of course he should stab the attacker. Or kick him. Or bite him. Or poke his eyes out. Or do whatever he could to hurt the bad guy and get away.

And I do let my children have pocketknives. In fact, both of my sons have enjoyed having a pocketknife since the age I felt they were old enough to handle one safely – about 8 years old.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for teaching kids how to defend themselves. But what I can’t understand is why she approves of a knife for her children but is uncomfortable at the thought of guns. Seems to me that, in a defensive situation, one would want the best tool one could have and that would be a gun. And it’s not like guns have magical powers.

I’m all for teaching kids responsible gun handling as well. In fact, I told Junior I was going to build her a pink AR-15. And she reminds me about that at least weekly. And I tell her that’s for when she gets older. But I wouldn’t let her carry one around.

Anyway, my offer to Katie still stands. If she wants to head to the range, range time and ammo are on me.

In an article in a San Antonio paper, Todd Bensman seems distraught that ammo can be readily purchased just like any other lawful commodity:

So popular is the 7.62 mm ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles that one store in this border city stacks shoebox-size cases several feet high down half a row in the hunting section.

Employees like Francisco Rodriguez, who works in the guns and ammo section of Academy Sports and Outdoors, tell stories about men piling shopping carts high with the $74 cases of 7.62 mm rounds, as well as clearing shelves of other ammunition for assault-style rifles. Several employees at other South Texas stores said customers routinely pay thousands in cash and wheel the stuff out, no questions asked.

“I had a guy come in the other day and clear me out of .223s,” Rodriguez said of ammunition that fits assault-type rifles as well as classic hunting rifles. “He paid $5,000 cash, and then he went to one of our other stores and cleaned that out, too. I didn’t ask what he was going to do with it. It isn’t my business to ask. They’re probably taking it over to Mexico.”

There is nothing illegal about such transactions.

ZOMG! Lawful commerce is, err, lawful. But there should be a law, right? At least, that’s the implication. Don’t go to Wal-Mart then. And:

Bullets carry no serial numbers that can be traced to a particular store or a purchaser, like a gun can.

More advocacy of gun laws. All this ammo, he says, finds it’s way into Mexico. And ATF is looking at stopping that. You know what could stop it that doesn’t involve punishing the law-abiding? Border control and a fence.

Part 1

Part 2

He also has a blog here on setting up gun trusts.

How can semi-automatic handguns be the weapon of choice for criminals in Chicago? They’re banned there.

The mayor is calling for more gun control. Meanwhile, proper gun control is illustrated thusly:

When the robber pointed the gun at a woman and her child, an employee shot him.

The VPC has selected it’s latest target: large caliber hunting handguns. They say that gun industry sorts call them big boomers. No one I know does. And they say that they are vest busters. Third notes that they are obviously running out of scary names.

I’m sure some gang banger is going to carry around a four pound revolver that’s as big as my forearm.

Once again, they are demonizing your hunting guns.

Update: OK, some one does use the term big boomers.

With a pic. Interesting: it switches automatically from closed bolt to open bolt depending on the chamber temperature.

A whole bunch, right here.

How To Hack a Nerf Vulcan to Fire 500 Rounds a Minute.

* For the kids. Honest.